Quick Trips

Sometimes living close to LA has its perks. Like a huge "local" newspaper. A huge local paper that has a weekend edition...that has the same coupons as their Sunday paper.

So no matter what happens, you will always find me at the store on Saturdays.

Harmony was thrilled to see her favorite Doctor on the cover!

I had some Rite Aid rewards that were expiring and so I decided to make a quick trip. My husband said, "yeah right, there is no way any of your trips are QUICK." lol

First stop: Rite Aid
6 Gatorades ( I wanted to get the Fiji waters since they were bigger but they were out)
8 packages (2 in each) of Soft Lips chapstick
1 large glue stick

Guess how much I paid? $4.64! Plus I earned $11 in rewards. Thank you, thank you. No applause please.

Next stop was Vons. For papers of course.

However, while I was there I completely forgot about the try me free offers on certain General Mills/Betty Crocker products. All free after rebate.

I decided to grab those. While I was there I also noticed...Red Baron pizzas on sale for 3/$10, with a coupon aaaaand they had codes for a free movie ticket to Iron Man 3.

Vons is also having their frozen foods promotion...which Red Baron was a part of...So if I was going to spend $10 on pizza and $4.99 for the Totinos pizza rolls (part of the free after rebate promotion). I was already looking at 1/2 of what I needed to get a $10 catalina back.

In the end my quick trip, turned into a little more than that. I paid $64 for a whopping savings of 35%. I was bummed at first and then...DUH! Half of the items I bought I get back free after rebate. That of course doesn't show up on the reciept. Or the free movie tickets. Or the free sodas for buying the pizza rolls. Or the movie ticket I earned for buying Ballpark products. Or the extra box tops. Or the Stouffers rewards points. Or...

I consider that an NRV. What is an NRV you ask? Well, a lot of people who are losing weight, are encouraged to celebrate their NSV's...Non Scale Victories. So...NRV would be a Non Receipt Victory! I made that up myself, what do you think?!

Shopping cart Show & Tell

I have been so, so, so behind in my coupons. They seem to be piling up and it feels like I haven't made a dent in them!

So even though I put these trips together very quickly, I still managed to save over 50%. Here we go...

sorry, fuzzy phone photo!

Albertsons:
2 bags of Fresh Express salads (on sale for .99 and used 2 coupons for .55/1) making them .44 each!
2 Lean Cuisine Salad Additions (on sale 2/$6 minus two coupons good for $1/1)
2 Heinz ketchup (on sale 2/$4 no coupons though)

2 jars of Best Foods mayo (on sale for $1.99)
4 cans of tuna fish (.50 each)
2 bags of chips ($1.88 each)
2 pkgs of Charmin Basic tp ($4.88 each)
2 boxes of Capri Sun (on sale 2/$3 used 2 coupons for .30/1)
4 Tyson grilled & ready meat strips (2 chicken & 2 steak)
5 Hamburger Helpers

I can't remember how much I spent exactly but it was around $40. I saved 53%. Not great. Not bad but not great...

Vons:
6 cans of Progresso Recipe Starters (store coupon made them $1.25 and I used 6 coupons good for .50/1)
2 jugs of store brand apple juice ($1.67)
4 jugs of Welch's juice (on sale for $1.79 and I used four coupons good for .75/1)
2 Little Debbie snacks (regular price $1.79 and I had coupons good for .75/1)
2 Sun chips ($2.49 each)
1 box of Kelloggs fruit snacks (sale for $1.99 and used a digital coupon for .50/1)
Rise of the Guardians Blue Ray combo pack ($24.99) and it came with a free 6 pack of Motts Apple Juice and a free pkg of  Keebler cookies

I spent $39.xx and saved 55%. Once again, not great. Not bad, but not great.

Time to get those coupons organized...I am tired of not getting all the great deals that I want!

shopping cart show & tell

You know, I try to never go shopping with my kiddos.

I always end up buying more than I had planned. Falling for their pleas and begging. Please tell me I am not the only one who gives in!

Yesterday I ended up taking Mason to the store with me, and it worked in my favor! While he was still in his car seat, I wanted to do a double check on a deal I wanted. While sitting there, using my Vons app, I checked my "personal deals" and was excited to see THREE free offers!

A free cafe salad, a Knorr Roaster (new product) and a packet of Guacamole mix!

Once I got home, I realized I forgot the guacamole packet! Oh well, I will get it next time. I am there a lot...

So here is what I got for $30:
-3 salads (1 was free, but they had a deal that if you buy 3 or more they were only $2.99. I got two more, so my hubby could have one)
-Knorr Roaster (a roasting bag which includes the seasonings. Normally $3.xx and I got it for free.)
-DVD of Veggie Tales, The House that Stood ($9.99 less a $4 coupon= $5.99)
-Wreck it Ralph DVD/Blu Ray combo ($26.99 less a $7 coupon = $19.99)
-box of Jolly Time popcorn (free with puchase of Wreck It Ralph)
-box of Fiber One Chewy bars for kids (free with purchase of Wreck it Ralph)
-box of squeezable apple sauces (free with purchase of Wreck it Ralph)
-a bunch of bananas (just because we needed some)

While I don't remember how much the bananas were but after all coupons (including $6.50 in Catalinas) I paid a mere...$30.05 for a savings of 58%!

Have you had any good deal lately? I would love to hear them!

score!!!

I have been really bad about my couponing and saving money. Seriously.

 I know I need to get back on the ball and I think this was a good way to do it...

I had a $10 catalina at Vons and I only wanted to spend $5 out of my own pocket to get some deals.

I didn't quite get there, as I forgot one item and swapped out a different one, which made my total $7.xx. However I still had a nice 87% savings. Although I couldn't get it all in the picture I purchased, 1 chicken, 4 pkgs of Pillsbury cookie dough, 2 pkgs of Oreos, 2 Silk Fruit & Protein, 4 Progresso Recipe Starts (one is for a try me free, so I get the money back) 1 Luna protein bar.

Then I went over to Ralphs and stocked up on some of their Mega Event items. I spent less than $45 on all the items in the pictures. It was an awesome trip and I am starting to get my stockpile a little more stocked.

I still have a lot of work to do to get back into the game and really stock up and save BUT it was a good start (: How about you? Any good shopping trips this week?

"Uhm, exuse me?"

"Oh honey, I am just going to make a "quick little trip to Vons" and I will be home."

I said this to my husband on Saturday evening after my littlest guy was in bed, and my hubby was all engrossed rooting for his team. The older kids were all entertained and so I knew this was my chance.

My date ( my big pink coupon binder) and I were going up and down the aisles, when a woman stopped me and said...

"Wow that is a really great system you have. But do you honestly feel that coupons are worth your time? Isn't it easier to just throw things in your cart and be done with it?"

Well honestly my answer to both questions is...yes. Yes I feel they are worth my time and yes it is easier to just throw things in your cart.

Then she said, " I am a busy Mom. I have 4 kids and just went back to work. I just don't have time."

Now, while I am at the store I am on a mission. So I don't tend to give long answers. But I will say this, I am a busy Mom. I have 5 kids. I have a husband who is gone for months at a time. I have my kids in a variety of activities, and not to mention all those mundane tasks like laundry, dishes...and what it takes to run a home.

However, I still find the time. I make time. I may not be the most organized. I may not be a coupon queen. I may not have a blog with a million readers following me.  But I still make time.

It boils down to..."if it is important to you, you will make time." The end.

There are more than one ways to skin a cat, and there are more than one ways to save money.

image taken from starwars.wikia.com

So as Yoda says,  "Do or do not, there is no try."

expect the unexpected

When you are out shopping, you never know what you will come across!

Here are 2 of my awesome scores from Vons the other night.

 This Pillsbury frosting was on sale 2/$4. The normal retail price was ridiculous at $3.99 a pop! Ugh. So $2 would be half off. But then there was a blinkie machine with coupons good for .40/1. My store doubles so here is the math...

Reg. price $3.99
sale price $2.00 each
coupon .80
= $1.20

Not bad huh? However there were plenty more of the coupons so I  keep getting more every time I go. These are fun too. I do worry about the kids treating it like a can of whipped cream though!

The 2nd good deal was for these boxes of Delimex Chicken taquitos. My hubby loves these and they are perfect for our appetizer night! Well these were another product that the regular retail price is just absurd. Are you ready for this? $7.99!! These better have a $5 bill inside for them to cost that much.

OK anyway, these were marked on sale for $4.49. Still not great but better. Well guess what...on the box was a coupon for $2 off!

Regular price= $7.99
Sale price= 4.49
coupon = 2.00
Total price $2.49! Nice right?

So I get home, and am putting them in the freezer when I notice...there was still a coupon on the box! Talk about freak out. I thought I had forgotten to use them. Nope, they had just placed one on each side!! Woo hoo! I was able to use my 2nd coupons to get a discount on more boxes that came with the coupons.

That is what we call rolling the deals (: Sweet

Vons trip

While my husband was gone, I spent a lot of time going to various stores. Now that he is home, and the kids are home...well they are totally cramping my style!

The other day, I was able to sneak out for a bit and get some deals. I had my two oldest boys with me and so it took me a lot longer than I had planned.

This wasn't the most planned trip but I was still really happy with all that I got!

Total before coupons was $255.39 and after $135.xx

My boys put together a castle of my groceries although it does make it a little harder to see what I got!

So here are just a few things...
10 boxes of mac & cheese
10 cans of tuna ( I normally buy packages but...)
4 boxes of Brownie crunch cereal
4 Safeway brand pizzas
4 Nancy's quiches that were 50% off
4 boxes of popsicles
4 boxes of Foster Farms great bites
2 Ben and Jerry's
10 Powerades
4 Suddenly Salads
2 boxes of Ritz
5 wrap kits
2 pints of strawberries
5 lbs of cuties
4 Hersheys candy bars (chocolate is a necessity after shopping with boys!!)

How did you do on your weekly trip?

Ahhh

My house is quiet. My husband is back to work. My kiddos are all still asleep. Ahhh a rare moment of quiet in this house.

When I was at college, I knew a guy who was trying out for the wrestling team. Every day he would work out, he would watch the movie Rudy (you know the one with Sean Astin?) to get himself pumped.

Well that is what I do with all my dvr'ed episodes of Extreme Couponing. While I have mixed emotions about the show, I do love seeing people get good deals. It gets my blood pumping (:

So I put together a great trip. Before coupons my total was $295.26 and after...$126.xx

Here were a couple of my favorite deals:

Odwalla products were on sale. The drinks were 2/$4 and bars were 10/$10. My hubby loves these and usually the drinks are around $3.99. I had 2 coupons good for .55/1 drink and 8 coupons for .35/1 any Odwalla product. Now normally I would have used all 8 for the bars as they were cheaper. However, I decided to spoil my husband just a bit.

So 5 Odwalla drinks and 5 bars. The two .55/1 coupons were doubled to $1 making them a $1 each. The other 3 were $1.30 each. The bars were .30 each. Then I got a catalina back good for $4 off my next order. Subtracting the $4 catalina all 10 cost less than one drink at regular price

Next up was Nilla Wafers. There was an in ad coupon bringing the price down to 1.99 each. Well a few weeks ago I had found a coupon good for $1 off a box of Nilla Wafers when you bought 4 boxes (any size) pudding or gelatin. 4 boxes of Nilla Wafers at $1.99 each. Plus 4 boxes of pudding at  $1 each. Here is the math:
4 boxes of wafers @ 1.99 each
4 boxes of pudding @ $1 each = 11.96 total

$11.96 -$4.00 in coupons = $7.96

But there was a coupon on the boxes of nilla wafers good for free bananas when you bought 2 boxes of Nilla wafers. So I paid $7.96 for 4 boxes of cookies, 4 boxes of pudding and 2 bunches of bananas!!

Last was Kelloggs cereals. For every 4 boxes purchased you got $4 off. So $1.99 each x 6 boxes.
6 boxes of cereal @1.99 each = 11.94
Minus $2 off in coupons makes = $9.94
I also had coupons good for $1 off fresh fruit when you buy 2 boxes of Kelloggs cereals.

So for $9.94 I got 6 boxes of cereal, a 3lb bag of apples annnd each box had a code good for the Cars 2 Promotion. For every 4 codes you can earn either $5 concession cash or a $5 gas card.

Whew! What a fun trip. Gets my blood pumping for getting more deals! How about you, did you score any good deals this week?

I heart Vons

Seriously, I am a total Vons girl.

Yesterday while at Wal Mart, I had to fight convince my cashier to let me use all my coupons. I "won" in the end and went on my merry way.

Today, I went into Vons to get some extra papers. While I was there, I decided to go get some lunchmeat. Vons has a section of discounted lunch meat & lunchables. I grabbed some that were 50% off and some that were 25% off.

So I get up to check out and the discount stickers weren't scanning. The cashier was annoyed and said " ugh why do they use these stickers if they don't even work?" She was annoyed at the situation not at me.

After a few attempts and getting them to scan she said, " forget this. I am not doing math this early in the morning...and she put them all in my bag for FREE. I was stunned. Anything that didn't scan, she gave me for free. I think I stood there with my mouth open!!

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I grabbed my bags and left! Woo hoo for free meat! Woo Hoo for cashiers who are AmAzInG!!

Shock & Awe



While I began couponing lllllong before TLC's Extreme Couponing came on the air, I know a lot of people have been inspired after watching the show.



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I love to watch. It inspires me to work hard, grab those deals and feed my family on less. I like to see people workin' the deals. I like seeing their totals drop. However, there are a few things that I am not a fan of... lets use a bullet list shall we?



**Shock & Awe: every week you see totals go from hundreds down to pennies. So if you are not doing that well, you must be doing it wrong, right? WRONG. Not every trip is like that. And if you believe that, you are going to get bummed out by your savings and give up. Remember that this is a REALITY tv show. They are going for the "WOW" factor. Are you more likely to watch someone who gets 74 bottles of mustard for free...or one? Remember, shock and awe baby.



** While some have had it happen, and others haven't, many of the people featured...have had their stores "help" them get those totals. A couple of times you see people just grab armfuls or dump things in. Because the store gets publicity, they are not going to stop them. So they are willing to "over look" a few things. Some people have said out right that the store let them do something that they normally wouldn't. It all goes back to ratings!

** Once again, seeing as this is reality tv, people aren't shown in the best light. For example, TLC had another show where a woman was frequently featured yelling at her husband. (That show rhymes with Mon and Late plus bate) I cringe when I see the one lady yelling at her husband. I am sure it is humiliating to him. ):

**And last but not least, remember this is tv. They can show us what they want. They film for hours (days?) and then that person's segment is 12 minutes long. That is a LOT of editing!!



(My biggest fans!!)

Why am I talking about this? Well I have 3 gorgeous kiddos who want Mom to be featured on the show. They are so sweet and tell me, "you are as good as they are!!" or " you're an extreme couponer". In their eyes I already am royalty. So, they helped me clip, sort, and file. They looked in the ads to help me find what they wanted. They matched sales and coupons. When we got to the store, and filled our cart, they waited anxiously at the check out. As the total was working it's way down, my 9 yr old was very worried...when it went from $208 down to $108.



You could just see their faces fall. I tried to warn them, but I guess they have watched too many episodes with me. They were dissapointed and I felt bad. Connor had hoped it would get down low enough that he could pay with his pocket change. I tried to explain and convince them on the way home that they did a good job.

So, take it frome me...and my kids. You are not going to get every order down to pennies. Some you will and some you won't. But just keep doin' what you're doin' and you will do GREAT!!

wAhOo

helping Mom stack groceries at a young age!!

What can $100 get YOU?

My answer? A lot!!

"I'm just so excited about coupons!"

Coupons are seasonal.

Starting in January, you will see coupons for "diet" foods. Like Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisines. You know for all those resolutions you just made!

February will bring plenty of candy coupons & deals.

March is frozen food month. I STOCK UP big time on pizzas, frozen dinners, french fries...

April is once again a good month for candy!

May- Aug you are looking at good deals on hot dogs, buns, condiments, everything you need for those summer bbq's!

Sept- you are looking at deals on "back to school" foods...things to throw in lunch boxes!

Oct-Dec are the months where you can find great deals on baking items, things like gravy, boxed mashed potatoes...all those kinds of holiday meal items.

I know I am a dork but I have been RRRRRReally looking forward to the sales this week. When I got my ads yesterday, I was not dissapointed! I know I am going to be doing a lot of shopping this week.

Fire up those grills, summer is right around the corner!

$3.50

Three dollars and 50 cents. Not a lot of money right?

I had 2 catalinas worth $3.50 that expired on Tuesday. I had forgotten about them until about 9:00pm. I was tired. It had been a long day. But I kept thinking, if someone handed me $3.50 would I just throw it away?

Heck no. And as if I hadn't learned from my Walgreens experience about letting catalinas expire right?

So I headed out to...do I even need to say it anymore? Vons. I kept debating on what I wanted to get, something practical that we needed ( a gallon of milk? grapes?bread?) or something indulgent. I battled back and forth between my newest favorite ice cream flavor and practicalitty.

And being practical won out. I had a coupon for $5/1 Pediasure Sidekicks. These are insanely expensive but were on sale at $6.49 I could handle that. I also bought 3 Hallmark cards and got $2 off. The last thing I bought was a vanilla milk. It wasn't that great or indulgent but...whatever.

I did end up paying .75 but I think I did pretty well considering (:

And while you are here, don't forget to enter my giveaway!

ouch!

(yes potato chips!)

Here are the facts:

1. I read about a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's and KNEW I had to try it.
2.) I went to Vons, where they had B & J's on sale.
3) I made Harmony help me look for the new flavor. Neither of us found it.
4.) I checked Ralphs. They didn't have it either.
5) Was at Vons, one morning (why yes, yes I am there a lot) and what do my eyes behold...there it was!
6)It was not on sale.
7)I did not have a coupon.
8)I paid full price.
9) What you couldn't read that last one?
**sigh** I PAID FULL PRICE. gulp. It goes against every fiber of my being, but I did it.


.....And it was sooooo good!
 What about you, what are you willing to pay full price for?

only half?

I have never claimed to be a coupon QUEEN. Why? Because I am not that good yet (: Royalty maybe, queen? Hmmm, not quite.

When people tell me of their coupon victories, they usually add something along the lines of, " well I only saved x amount of dollars" or " I know others do better, but I was happy with my savings".

Watching shows like Extreme Couponer or blogs of actual QUEENS can sometimes leave us feeling like if we pay more than  $1 for our groceries we aren't as good. Always comparing ourselves to others right?

I say any savings is a good savings.

Last night, I headed to Vons. They had a lot of deals but I only had coupons for SOME of the items. Most were in store coupons. My total before coupons and card was $312.10. My eyes bulged. I was scared. I didn't think it would go under $200.

My final total was $165.xx Was it the score of the century? No. Will it make the news? no. Will my kids appreciate having food on the table? You bet. In all I saved "just" 51%. But you know what, any savings is a good savings!

Oh and guess what?! Last night I had a dream that "my Vons" closed down and put in a no-name grocery store. What the heck, who dreams about their favorite store? Must be a crazy couponer! (: