We're sisters, saving the world one coupon at a time.

And I'm Back!

2010-09-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sooooo excited about Albertson's today. Check out my goods!

That includes 14 packages of cheese people! Woohoo!

Total spent $13.94 Plus I still have a $5 coupon good for my next purchase so it's almost like I spent $8.94

AND I have a total of $40 items so this would've cost me $40 at the dollar store. I averaged $.22/item.

Total Saved $129.66

Hubby's all stocked up

2009-12-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

I spent less than $14 for the hubby supplies and got $10 ECB so only $4 for all that loot! The candy will be used for Christmas presents and the baby toothbrush is for the littlest one! SWEET!

TOTAL OOP $16.64 Savings this post $38.46

Black Friday Deals from CVS

2009-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

These are my black Friday deals. I had to go to several stores to get everything that I wanted, but it was pretty easy. Sara and I even went out on Thanksgiving night and got most of the things we needed. It was nice to get a jump on the deals! I just love CVS!!

TOTAL OOP $9.97 + $5 ECB for next time Savings this post $75.43

Black Friday Deals from Walgreens

2009-12-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is what I got on Black Friday. My Walgreens cashier was NOT helpful or nice and so I started getting flustered. I think I could have done the deals better if I had been with a different cashier, but all in all I did pretty good.

Why is it that cashiers have to get on a power trip and ruin a shopping experience?

TOTAL OOP $24.42 Savings this post $41.41

I can't tell you about my deals..

2009-11-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

because I threw out the reciepts! OOPS! I'm posting the pictures so you can see what I've been stocking up on. The first picture is from CVS and the second (that my daughter is in) is from Walgreens. So even though I can't tell you my exact savings, let's just say that I was pretty happy!

A few good deals

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

CVS hasn't had many good deals lately so I haven't been for a couple of weeks. This week I had to use up my ECB's so I went. I have to say, I was really happy. I like not worrying about having too many coupons per items like at Walgreens. CVS was fully stocked, so I got every "deal" on my list. :)

Total OOP$ 11.34 Savings this post $60.43 plus I earned $6 ECB's!!!

Stocking Up

2009-11-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Audrey wanted to be in the picture with her orange, anyway, this is what I got. I was pretty happy with the deals. Their RR printer wasn't working so I didn't get one of the things that I wanted, but maybe I'll go back.

Total OOP $21.03 Savings this post $34.60

Toy Clearance!

2009-11-16T16:44:00.001-08:00

I went to CVS at just the right time and they had just marked down some toys on clearance. Hello Christmas!

Here's my loot.

Total OOP $12.87

Total Savings $ 146.28!!!!!

Comfort Food

2009-11-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

I love tomato soup, especially paired with a grilled cheese sandwhich. So when Walgreens had the soup on sale for 50 cents a can, I knew I needed to stock up. I also snagged some other great deals including photos for 10 cents a print!

Clearance Asile & free stuff

2009-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

I got the cascade, downy & candy bar all for FREE! Then I couldn't resist the clearance asile for the super cute stationary. (I guess I deleted the picture already, sorry. You'll just have to imagine the cute stationary!)

Total OOP $12.42 Savings this post $4.78

Psst...it's free

2009-11-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

A little while ago I signed up for the Psst program. Basically they will send me coupons and/or products and I just have to tell my friends about them. Well, this came in the mail the other day and I'm very excited! Two free dinner kits that I just need to add chicken to and a whole bunch of coupons. Yeah!

Great Deal on Tape & Some Other Stuff

2009-11-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

My husband needed some distilled water, so I was happy to see the coupon for it at 79 cents each. Then I noticed the tape. It is originally $5.29 and I got it for $1.99 So I stocked up for the up coming present season. I might even go back for more...

Total OOP $12.89 Savings this post $15.28

Free Family Fun

2009-11-04T13:43:00.001-08:00

We love building day at Home Depot. Usually just Russell goes, but this time I came too. The kids love it and since it's free I love it too!

Cutting Hair at Home

2009-10-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Going to a salon to get a haircut can be quite expensive. Times that by 6 heads of hair and its astanomical! So I've started cutting hair at home. It might not be professional, but it gets the job done and looks pretty decent most of the time.
My Sweetheart Before...

Hunter Before...
Audrey Before...
Cannon Before... My Sweetheart After...Hunter After...
Audrey After...
Cannon After...

Now to really save money, just don't cut it! Isaac has been growing his out some and it looks great!

Isaac combing out his curls for the Poofy 'Do he loves.
Who cuts my hair? My Sweetheart or my friend Kelli. :)

Great deal on stuff to make me feel pretty

2009-10-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Total OPP $9.90 Savings this post $15.69 plus $7.00 ECB's

A Quick trip for Diapers

2009-10-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

I needed some diapers, so I quickly ran to target. I had a free coupon for the cascade rinse that was about to expire, so I wanted to use it.

Total OOP $17.07 Savings this post $9.94

Paper

2009-10-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

I just got this case of paper (5 reams) because we can always use paper and it is free, sort of... You pay up front and then will get the money put on your max perks card for later use.

Total OOP $18.36 Savings this post (if I use my max perks on something later) $17.00

SUGAR!

2009-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I was only going to get like 3 things, because they were a great deal, when I heard about sugar being on sale from Sara. So I checked the Walgreens that I was at and the price on the shelf wasn't the deal. So I took the sugar to the counter and had them scan it. It rang up on sale. Only .80 cents for a 5lb bag. I hurried back to the shelf and got them all! 8 bags of sugar for only .80 cents each. Whahoo!!!!

Total OOP $8.70 Savings this post $41.12

Fruit

2009-09-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

The only way to go on with my errands was to promise my daughter some strawberries. We were next door to Sunflower market so we ran in. There stawberries were 2.99! I almost screamed in pain, but to keep the troops happy. I bit the bullet and did it. OUCH! We also got some other goodies, that didn't damage my wallet so much. The best part was getting .20 cents for using my "green" bags! How cool is that?

Total OOP $9.68 Savings this post $5.14

Great Deal on Deodrandt

2009-09-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Dry Idea Deodrandt was on sale for 2.99 and get 1.00 ECB, well I had some 2.00 off coupons! So that made the deodrandt FREE! Awesome!

Total OOP $2.31 Savings this post $19.30 plus $3.00 ECB's

Slow week at CVS

2009-09-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Not too much happening this week at CVS.

I just got a couple of things.

OOP $2.38

Total Saved $30.74

Albertson's DOUBLES!

2009-09-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

First time ever doing the doubles coupon thing. I had to do 4 different transactions since they only allowed 3 at a time, but it was worth it.

Total OOP $10.48

Total Saved $32.11

Hooray for cheap juice! Alber loves the stuff!

Getting the Free Sun., Mon., Tue. Deals

2009-08-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just ran in to get the free things for this week. I also ended up getting some medicines that were on clearance.

Total OOP $3.74 Savings this post $8.38 plus $2.87 ECB's

Target aint so bad

2009-08-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've been getting nervous lately at Target because sometimes the cashier gives me crap. This was not one of those times.

Here's what I got.

Total OOP $5.32
Total Savings $26.78

AWESOME!

Scrapbook Print

2009-08-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Walgreen's was offering a free scrapbook page, so I definitely took advantage!

Total OOP $0 Savings this post $ 4.99

I heart CVS

2009-08-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I did pretty well this week using both my card and Alber's.

Here's what I got.

Total OOP $7.13
Total Saved: 64.17

Total ECBs earned $48.00 (between both cards)

AMAZING

2009-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

My sister Cathy is amazing. She just recently started couponing this summer after Sara and I begging her to do it. She is so good at it. I am completely amazed. Now we just need to get her to take a picture and write about it for our "sisters" blog!!

She paid about $1.50 and saved about $85. I don't have her reciepts to veryfy the actual results, but it is just AMAZING!

Thank Goodness for Nice Cashiers

2009-08-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, this trip to CVS turned out to be a big hassle. I was using my rain checks for some items. And for some reason the code wasn't written down, so it made it a lot harder to use. Luckily my sisters were both there to help me out and the cashier was super nice.

Total OOP $8.20 Savings this post $46.24

Snacks

2009-08-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Snacks and a birthday present all for under $5! Awesome!

Total OOP $2.13 Savings this post $8.00

Free is GREAT

2009-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

All of the items here (except the tuna) was FREE! I got a coupon for free asprin and all of the other items ended up being free after ECB's. I then used the ECB's to buy the tuna, that's on sale for 77 cents each. I just love CVS!

Total OOP $5.53 Savings this post $28.73

Kudos to Me!

2009-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Target has kudos granola bars on sale for $2 and then there is a $1 off coupon, so I have been stocking up. School lunches are going to be happening before I know it and these little treats will be perfect. On this trip I had a manufactures coupon for another $1 off. So I only paid 50 cents per box! I had a coupon for BOGO free candy bars, so I grabbed those. They also had the wrapping paper for only $1, and with my princess's birthday next week I was happy to find this deal.

Total OOP $2.72 Savings this post $4.72

Sharpie's for a Penny!

2009-08-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

I went to Office Max today with my coupon for sharpie's for only a penny. They also had folders and rulers for a penny. Paper and pencils for 10 cents and composition books for 50 cents. WHOOO HOOO!

Total OOP $5.58 Savings this post $34.90

So good I went back for more!

2009-07-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

I made a second CVS trip this week. I had a good coupon so I wanted to use it.

Total OOP $3.95

Total Savings $60.97

And she's back!

2009-07-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very diligent about posting or even couponing lately. Partly because I haven't had time since I was doing the play and partly because CVS wasn't doing their extra buck deals while they were acquiring Longs Drugs. Now they're back and so am I.

Here's what I got.

I spent $3.04 OOP

I saved $55.06 using coupons, sales, and ecbs

AND

I have $12.45 in extra bucks to use next week.

Price Match

2009-06-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been forever since I've posted. Pretty much I have been super busy lately, but I did really good doing the price match at Walmart. I always take the ads from the mexican stores that have really cheap produce, but not very high quality.

Here's my load.

My total $29.29

I'm not sure what I saved since Walmart doesn't keep track on the reciept, but it was at least 50% (probably more).

Woohoo!

I'm Outta Here

2009-06-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, today's the day! The day that I head out for my drive to Missouri for the start of my summer vacation. HOORAY!!! If you look at the map below you can see Nevada and Missouri aren't that close, so I've got some driving to do! From Misouri I'll go to Chicago, Illionis for 3 days then on to Minnesota. In August I'll drive from Minnesota all the back to Nevada. Oy!

For those of you that read our blog (thanks!) I will be taking my coupon basket with me and I hope that I'll be able to teach my MIL, SIL and Mom how to work some deals. If I do, I'm hopeful that I'll be able to do some posting while I'm away. I'll keep you updated when I can.

Happy Summer Everyone!
XOXOXOX
Eliza

LOVE getting/using Gift Cards

2009-06-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today I got my Sweatheart some razors that he really likes. They are kinda expensive, but this week they were on sale and when you buy 2 you got a $10 gift card.

My total was $16.34 -$10 GC from a previous trip.

Total OOP $6.34 Savings this post $10 plus I GOT another $10 GC

Stuff I needed and some I didn't

2009-06-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

I went to Walgreens to use their coupons for tuna, salt, baking soda, dish soap and twizzlers. I also had a manufactures coupon for the dish soap. I ended up getting some paint brushes ($1) a present for my nephew (1/2 off) and some stuff for stop thumb sucking. Do you think it will work?

Total OOP $35.09 Savings this post $13.10

More Free Prints

2009-06-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

The next day I used my husband's CVS card and signed him up, so I could get more free prints. I'm not sure why, but he didn't get the 50 free, only 20. But, hey 20 free prints is still great! I ended up ordering 22 pictures.

Total OOP $0.41 Savings this post $3.80

HOORAY ECB's Are Back!

2009-06-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

After about a month our CVS is doing ECB's again. I'm so excited! So even though most bloggers thought that this was a slow week for CVS, I was just happy that they were starting ECB's back up! I also took advantage of signing up for their website and getting 50 free prints!

My first transaction was getting my free pictures and the Nivea for Men. I had a -$1 off C and I got $5 ECB's.

Second transaction: Zyrtec on sale for $18.99 -$1 C and -$5 ECB's plus I got $3 ECB's back.

Last transactions: energizer batteries on sale for $2.99 -$1.00 C and CVS batteries BOGO at $6.49 -$3 ECB's.

Total OOP $ 30.46 Savings this post $35.49

Getting some RR's

2009-05-27T11:10:00.001-07:00

I love saving more than I spend!

Total OOP $6.83 Savings this post $11.90 plus $4RR

Super Scrapper

2009-05-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

On our anniversary trip we found a scrapbook store. My sweetheart was so nice and walked the store with me while I found a few things that I liked. Then when we were at the t-shirt shop next door the owner told us about her neighbor that was having a garage sale and was selling everything from her failed scrapbook store. She gave us directions and we headed on our way.

It was amazing! All the things that were in the shop that I just visited was 75% off! All the newest and trendiest things in the scrapbooking world at a huge discount. I was in heaven!

This is what I got at the first shop in town.
Total OOP $31.20 Savings $0

Then off to the garage sale. I got all this:

Total OOP $40.22 Total retail value $153.01 Savings this post $112.79

Using up my RR's

2009-05-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

I used some coupons, walgreens deals and my register rewards to get all this!

Total OOP $6.83 Savings this post $11.90And I got $4 RR!

CVS is poppin'!

2009-05-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

CVS has stopped doing Extra Bucks right now while they are aquiring Longs Drug. I'm pretty sad about that because it only means that I'm going to have to spend more time at Walgreens which is the enemy.
I went and used up the last of the extra bucks I had.
Total OOP $5.85 - not bad for 6 cases of diet coke!
Total Savings $56.18

Cleaning out Wags

2009-05-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my Walgreens run this week. I had a ton of Register Rewards that were going to expire.
My total OOP was $16.42 - it wouldv'e been less, but Alber came with me and inevitably picked up snacks.
My total Savings was $76.18
Plus I earned $12 more in Register Rewards so my adjusted OOP is $4.42

7 Trips to the store

2009-05-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

I ended up going to 7 different Walgreens because 4 of them were out of the body wash that I really wanted. Luckily I only had to bring 1 kid along for most of the trips. So moral of the story to me: if there is something that you really want-go on the first day of the sale!

Using awesome coupons, RR's and in store deals, this is my haul!

Total OOP $56.56 (OUCH) Savings this post $128.48 plus $8.00 RR

Ummmm, smells good

2009-05-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

I love candles! They alwasys smell so nice and they look pretty. So I was super excited to get some coupons for the new glade ones. They even had my favorite, McIntosh!

There was a really good deal at Target for them, but after Sara's huge fight with Target I got scared. So I just went to Walgreens, where they had a pretty good deal. After I told Sara what I'd done, she totally yelled at me! Target wasn't hassling her about the candles, just the fruit snacks! So I missed out on the $5 gift card. Bummer!

Total OOP $4.91 Savings this post $8.00

Check your reciept!

2009-05-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

After some amazing after Easter sales (BIG bag of M&M's reg. 9.99 only 2.50!!!!) I was feeling great!

Then Sara checked my reciept and noticed that I got over charged for the deodrants. So I marched back in and demanded a recount! Actually I wasn't so forceful, I just pointed out the mistake. The cashier took a loooooong time, but it was worth it to get my savings!

Total OOP $5.24 Savings this post $69.44

Photos for FREE

2009-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

There was a new Walgreens opening near me and they had a special where you could get 20 photos for free. I defiately took advantage of that! I also got some other deals with walgreens and other coupons.

Total OOP $4.19 Savings this post $5.91

Going Nuts

2009-05-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

I dtecided that I wanted to make a trail mix for my long drives this summer. So I've been on the lookout for things to make this tasty treat. When I found a coupon for nuts, I held on to it! Then Walgreens had a BOGO sale so I really scored! Now I just have to get the rest of my ingredients...

Total OOP $2.49 Savings this post $4.69

Soap for Sara

2009-05-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Since I have a he washer I have to buy he dedergent. The stuff on sale wasn't he, so Sara gets more soap!

Total OOP $1.14 Savings this post $49.84

Where's the Beef?

2009-05-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Remember when I got all of that cereal? Well I still have a $5 coupon to use and it was about to expire, so I ran to the store. Ground Beef was on sale, so I knew this was a good time to stock up. I got 6 lbs of meat!

Total OOP $0.94 Savings this post $13.04!

He Did It!

2009-05-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hooray! My sweetheart went to CVS. He got his own card. He used the coupons before they expired. He got $10 ECB's. My hero!

Total OOP $17.33 Savings this post $22.47 plus $10 ECB's

Price Match

2009-04-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

I went to Walmart to do my shopping this time, because there were a few deals at all the stores, but nobody had everything that I wanted on sale. Since Walmart will price match if you bring in the ad and you have the exact same thing that is shown in the ad, then you're good to go.

Total OOP $39.06 Savings this post $41.58

Only get what's on your list and what you have a coupon for!

2009-04-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

I went to Von's to use their great coupons. I only got the things that I had coupons for. The cashier told me that I couldn't do this. When I quesioned why, she said that they want customers to buy more things. I said yes, I know that, but I don't want to buy anything else AND the coupons don't say that I have to! SO she called a manager over. The manager reviewed the ad and agreed that the coupons don't say that I have to buy anything else. VICTORY for me!!!

Total OOP $5.48 Savings this post $8.56

Know anyone who needs a Glucose monitor?

2009-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Walgreens had better deals than CVS this week. Shocker I know, especially since I try to avoid this place, but alas, here is my loot.

Total OOP $9.46 + tax

Total Saved $251.72 (that's crazy)

Total RR to use next time $19

So even with taxes added on, I still made a profit because I spent less than I have in RR.

Fight for your Right... to SAAAAAAAVE

2009-04-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

Target wasn't so nice to me this week. I actually went to one, and when they refused one of my coupons, I walked out and left all this on the register. So I went to another Target, and although they gave me a little crap... I was armed with the corporate coupon policy and ready fight. After a little grumbling by the checker and a supervisor, I walked away with this.

My total OOP was $5.05 and my savings were $33.00
Plus - I got I have $2.48 left on a gift card that I got for buying those candles. So It's almost like I spent $2.50.
Sweet!

Free deodorant!

2009-04-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

My honey's going to be smelling good!

CVS had a good deal on some deodorant that was on sale this week. The sale price was $1.25 and you get $2.00 ECBs with each. I had Alber come with me so we could take advantage and use his card too.

Here's what we got.

Total OOP $3.44
Total Saved $26.81
Plus - we have $6 ECB left over so it's actually like they paid us $2.56 to take this off their shelves.

Walgreens is Fashionable?

2009-04-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

I had to get a posterboard for my son's homework assignment, and I had a few coupons so I decided to give Walgreens another chance. It wasn't too bad they had everything that I needed and the coupons worked without any hassle so I was happy. I didn't really save a lot, but every little bit helps right?

When the cashier gave me my recipt she also gave me a coupon to the Fashion Bug. What? Since when does one store give you a coupon for another store? And Walgreens and Fashion Bug aren't really the same thing, so I left the store a little confused. But this is what I got.

Total OOP $11.38 Savings this post $2.90

If one store is out, go to the next

2009-04-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had my plan, my coupons and a babysitter, so I was ready. Then the shelves were empty! I did get a couple of things on my list, but not all. So I was a little sad. I talked to the cashier and she said they just got a shipment in, so I could check back later. I thought o.k., but I still have time before I have to be somewhere, so I went to another CVS just to check. AND they were fully stocked. Hooray! I was able to get everything I wanted. Although I might have to get another toothpaste. With my teeth losing calcium from all my babies I have to protect them! Plus with my coupon and the ECB's its a great deal!

Total OOP $3.63 Savings this post $27.61

Last Day for Cheetos Coupon

2009-04-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well my Cheetos coupon has expired, but I got a lot of use from it.

Note to self... when printing a coupon don't just put in a number of pages you want printed. You actually have to print coupons out one at a time, so that they have different numbers on them.

Thank you Target cashier, manager and security guard for helping me with this realization and for letting me use my coupons anyway. :)

Total OOP $11.50 Savings this post $13.00

Easter Shopping is DONE

2009-04-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

I think the title says it all. Isn't it nice to be done with things waaay before the deadline? (Even though the post is late)

Total OOP $24.94 Savings this post $24.18

Yup, more diapers

2009-04-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sara went with me to get the diaper deal. Since I'd already done it, we used her card. LOVE saving money on diapers! I just might have my Sweetheart go get more and use the rest of my coupons! Hee Hee!

Total OOP $3.05 (used $10ECB and got $10ECB) Savings this post about$27.22 ( I don't have Sara's recpiet to make sure I did my math right, but this is still awesome!!!!)

Great Way to Start My Week

2009-04-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

I had to go to CVS on Monday because they were having a 2 day sale on the easter baskets and grass. I usually don't go right away, because I have to work up to it. I don't know why I do this. I've had a lot of success, so I don't know why I have to mentally prepare... anyway Total OOP $16.63 Savings this post $47.30 plus $6.98 in ECB's!

Cleaning Up

2009-04-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I thought that I posted this, but I guess I didn't because it was still in draft mode. This is from March 17th, but I still wanted to share.All of the Buddies soaps (which are great by the way) were FREE!

Total OOP $7.13 Savings this post $11.00

CVS loves me back!

2009-04-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Seriously this is the beginning of a life long relationship here. I love this store. Everytime I walk in, I get some stellar coupons just by scanning my card. Today I made out amazingly! I went a little over my $10/ week budget, but I haven't come near $10 in the past couple of weeks so I figure I'm still good.

Here's what I got.

My total OOP was $17.30

My total Savings was $140.39

Plus... I earned $26.48 in ECBs

So essentially, I gave them $17.30 and they gave me all this stuff and an additional $26.48 to spend in their store! Woo hoo!

90% Savings without Sales!

2009-04-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

I did awesome at a quick run to Walmart.

I had a really valuable coupon that was about to expire and not only did I get the item for free, but I also got $1.11 in overage.

Here's my haul.

Total cost $1.81

Total savings $15.75 (COUPONS ONLY!!!!)

Albertsons was sweet!

2009-04-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

I had some killer coupons to use at Albertsons this week.

Here's what I got.

Total Spent $10.27

Total Saved $41.87

Did ok at Target

2009-04-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Target has some good deals going on. Not quite as cool as CVS, but still worth the trip.

I got all of this for $20.38 - as I'm looking at the recipt now, it looks like a few of my coupons were missed and it should've actually been $5 cheaper. (I swear I saw her scan everything...just goes to show that you need to check everything right away...)

Total Savings $21.75 Still over 50% so not bad.

Free Excedrin for LIFE!!!!

2009-04-06T17:43:00.001-07:00

I love CVS. This week Excedrin is on sale for $1.99 and I printed off several coupons for $2.00 off so I got 12 bottles for free.

Plus all this other stuff for mostly free.

Total OOP $3.98

Total Saved $79.93

Nope, we're not getting bagged cereal!

2009-04-02T09:49:00.001-07:00

This morning I made a mad dash to Albertson's to get some cereal. When we got to the cereal isle Hunter started heading to the bagged cereal, because it is usually cheaper that's what we get. I told him, nope we are going to get the cereal right here! I told him to look for the tags that said $1.57 and he could pick whatever he wanted.

After a quick look he decided that he didn't like those kinds. So I let him and Audrey pick out different kinds (still on sale, just not a big sale). We also had to pick up a gallon of milk because we were out. I was planning on going to Smith's to get milk this afternoon because it is on $1.99. BUT I was out and we were at Albertson's so my choice was to get overpriced milk or make another stop. I grudgenly choose the easier way (not going to another store with 3 kids).

With some coupons and Albertson's cereal deal plus $5 coupon from catalina this is what I got:

Total OOP $9.23 Savings this post $54.12
(plus $5 for my next purchase, so I kinda only spent $4.23)

Walmart

2009-04-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

The self scanner is the way to go if possible. I had a really good coupon for some cereal, but the girl wouldn't let me get it becuase I would've gotten it for more than free.

It still ended up a good deal though because I paid $2 for 3 boxes. I had some other really good coupons so it was a pretty good trip.

Total OOP $8.72

Total Savings $15.00

CVS 3/30

2009-04-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

CVS as usual was killer this week! My total OOP was $2.35 with a savings of $58.98! Seriously this place rocks! The store I went to was out of the fantastik cleaner I wanted to get, so I need to make it to another store and get some of that still.

And I plan on donating the glucose monitor to the local senior center.

Wags doesn't quite rock yet

2009-03-31T06:33:00.000-07:00

Despite hating Walgreens, I wanted to get in on the stellar Softsoap deal. Unfortunately it wasn't as great when I went, but I still did pretty good. I spent a little more than I wanted to, but not too bad.

My total OOP cost was $10.14 and total savings was $45.18 (those little candles were $5/ea - but I got them free after coupons!

Yippie!

I Did It All By Myself

2009-03-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

O.k., let's be honest here. Sara usually helps me with my deals. She'll plan them, and go with me. I love getting deals, but Sara seems to do much better than me.

So today I did it all by myself. I clipped all my coupons, looked at the add, matched up the deals with the coupons, made my plan and went to the store! AND it was a sucess! I LOVE CVS!!!

Total OOP $4.35 (and $1 ECB for later) Savings this post $20.22

$0.80 for 2 boxes of cereal

2009-03-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yep, only $0.80 for 2 boxes of cereal!!! Isn't that amazing? CVS had some cereal BOGO Free and then I had 2 $2 off coupons. Its not my normal brand, but it looks pretty good and you just can't beat the deal!

I also got the best deals on the 75% off end caps. I used my ECB's combined with my coupons and did really well for myself. I'm so happy with CVS.

Total OOP $5.87 Savings this post $24.59

Walgreens - getting slightly better

2009-03-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

I need to take it slow at Walgreens since it's the enemy.

This week they had a killer deal on the Bic Soleil Razors so I gave it a shot.

Here's the breakdown

1 Bic razor on sale for $3.59 - $2.00 WAG Q - $2.00 MQ (Free plus $.41 overage)

3 Bic refils on sale for $3.59 - (same as above)

1 flushable wipes $2.59

Total OOP $2.26 ($1.31 was taxes)

Total Saved $29.60

CVS 3/23

2009-03-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty slow day at CVS. I didn't really need anything, but there were a couple of deals I didn't want to miss so I could keep building up my stash.

Here's what I got.

Breakdown

2 - Dry Idea deodorant @ $7.99/ea - $5.00 MQ (earned 10 ecbs)

1 Crest Pro Health @$3.49 - $.75 MQ (earned $3.49 ecbs)

2 Post cereals @$4.79/ea - Store BOGO sale -$4.00 MQ

2 Skippy PB @$3.29/ea - Store BOGO sale

-$13.98 ECBs from last week

Total OOP cost $4.25

Total Saved $36.21

Total ECBs earned $13.49

Take that Target!

2009-03-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Target sure thought they had me.

I printed off $1 off Cheetos snack coupons from the Target website and attempted to purchase the smaller snack size found by the register. The manager turned me down and said that I had to buy the larger size Cheetos, even thought the coupon doesn't specify.

So I called corporate.

Take that!

The person I talked to there told me that Target should accept my coupon and gave me a reference number to give to the Target employees if I had any other problems.

So I went back to the store, armed with my reference # and tried to get some Cheetos (don't worry, I was purchasing other items also, so it's not like this was a lot of wasted trips)

The same manager turned me down again and recognized me as someone she had already turned down. I told her that I had spoken to corporate and could use the coupons. She didn't care and said she wouldn't allow it. So I gave her my reference number and told her to call corporate herself.

AND SHE DID!!!!

For a $1 coupon!

So I stood in line for 20 mins while she explained the situation to the corporate offices.

She then said that corporate was instructing her not to accept the coupon.

So I asked her to pass me the phone.

I explained the situation to the corporate office and told her what the coupon looks like. She said that she didn't have the coupon in front of her, so she wasn't able to confirm what I was saying so I told her to go ahead and get the coupon from Target.com. Then I had to wait for her to find the coupons online. She then asked to talk to the manager again and I passed the phone back.

The manager started grumbling and saying it was corporates fault for not specifying on the coupon... and then she hung up and said, "It looks like we'll accept them this time."

Heck yes you will!

And you'll have a nice piece of humble pie while you're at it!

At this point it was no longer about a $1 coupon... this is my pride we're talking about!

Here are my winnings! (that's right, I totally won that fight)

I got the pledge stuff for free because I had $3 off in coupons for each one and they were on sale for $2.50. I had to buy the filler items to make up for the extra $.50 overage from the coupons.

Total money spent $3.35

Total money saved $16.00

Take that!

More grocery savings

2009-03-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

I went to Von's because they had a few coupons that I wanted to use. Then I did a little extra shopping (but not much extra stuff, because Von's is a lot more expensive than Smith's). I didn't take a picture because the kids were hungry and so I just started making dinner and putting things away right away. I don't think I'll make Von's a regular stop, but I did get a few things really cheap.

Total OOP $ 34.42 Savings this post $27.70 (only 45%)

How to Start Saving - This is for you Kami Q!

2009-03-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

The following is for my friend Kami who insists I share with her my mad skills. Actually I just cheat and use all the information that other people post for me and spend their time finding. My sidebar has a list of some of the sites I use.

Seriously, the coupon thing is so much better when explained by others.

So these are the sites I got to multiple times daily to get the best tips.
www.moneysavingmom.com
www.hip2save.blogspot.com
www.heyitsfree.net

You need to start by getting all the coupons you can. Don't throw them away when they come in the mail! Print them off your computer
www.coupons.com has a ton, just go and hit print all. Make sure you hit the back arrow and print them twice. Seriously, you'll regret it if you don't. Sometimes it will say the page cannot be displayed, but just hit refresh.
There may be some you don't think you'll use, but get it anyway, because you never know and you could end up getting that item free and then donating it to someone. (The only ones I don't get are for coffee or pet food.) I have like 36 little bars of soap for kids that I got for free and now I'm giving them out to everyone I know with kids. (too bad you don't live here!)

The moneysavingmom link has instructions for CVS and it explains how to use the ECB program. (Check her sidebar on the right I think) Then each week (usually on Sat or Sun) she posts all the deals and how to get them. Sometimes you can just print the coupon off your computer and sometimes you actually have to use the coupon from the paper or mailings. (I don't subscribe to the paper, but I go to the dollar store on Monday's and get around 4 copies of the Sunday paper. That's the best place for coupons.)
I haven't quite mastered grocery shopping yet (I heard about a lady who got $100 of groceries for a quarter) but CVS is easy and a good place to start because of the ECB program. Don't get too carried away. I have a goal to not spend more than $10/week. You have to start somewhere so usually getting the items that are "Free after ECBs" is a good place. Even if you wouldn't have normally purchased this item, get it because you'll start to build up your ECB's that you can use on items you do need. If you have a coupon for any of those items, you just made money! See how easy it is?

2 months ago, I had absolutely nothing stored as far as soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. I've spent less than $10/week and now I have a year's supply of toothpaste (I'll probably end up giving a bunch away, you can almost always get that for free or really cheap) I've got at least 6 months of dish soap, 6 months of laundry detergent, a years supply of shampoo and conditioner, at least 6 months of body wash, etc. I've also been able to try items that I normally wouldn't be able to afford like Loreal face cleaner or Glade Lasting Impressions ($10 for air freshener is insane). I got both those items for free (only paid taxes). I've spent around $100 out of pocket at CVS this year and I've saved over $500. (of course some of those items are sale items and whatnot, but regardless - that is a ton of savings!) So $10 a week for 10 weeks so far and I've exceded my goals to have a little stockpile of household necesities. Now I can just continue contributing to my stockpile and I won't end up paying full price for something when it runs out.

Walmart saves

2009-03-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Walmart isn't as cool as CVS because their cashiers don't know how to count coupons.

Nevertheless (after about 10 mins at the checkout)

I walked away with this.

20 - Johnson & Johnson Buddies Soaps @ $.97 each
- 20 coupons for $1 off any Johnsons buddies product
1 Gilette shampoo @ $3.50
1 Gilette conditioner @ $3.00
- 2 coupons for save $2.00 on any Gilette item

Total OOP $3.91 ($2.01 of that was taxes)

total savins $24.00

I Feel Cheated

2009-03-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

It is a well documented fact that Sara despises Walgreens and I too haven't been very fond of it. But there were some deals that couldn't be passed up. (Although after all of the aggravation and driving to like 7 stores I'm not sure it was worth it.)

I spent more than I wanted to because my $10 off coupon wouldn't work at one of the stores, the cashier and manager were both snotty to me and I left very mad. I thought that when my total was $11.21 that I could just use my $10's off and then only pay $1.21. That was the whole point of me shopping there! They said that I couldn't do it because then the coupons would be covering the taxes. Ugh, government!

Then all the other stores that I went to didn't have the glade things that I could get for free. So I wasted a lot of time and began to really despise Walgreens. They are trying to be like CVS with their register rewards, but they don't know what they are doing and they make everything really difficult. They are so not CVS!

Anyway this is what I got!

In case you couldn't tell what I spent most of my money on, it was these babies. $10diapers for only $5 each, plus I got $10 back. So I spent $5 for 3 packages of diapers! Then I got 2 more for $5 each.

Here's the mother load of diapers!

Total OOP $40.01 Savings this post $136.44

(O.k. so saving over $100 is worth it!, but I don't think I'll be back to Walgreens for a little while)

CVS 3/16

2009-03-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

I had my most successful CVS trip yet!

Here's what I got

Here's the breakdown
2 - Laffy Taffy Candies @ .88/ea (-$1 CVS coupon)
3 - Dry Idea Deodorant @$2.99/ea (-3/$2 off coupons) Earned $6.00 ECBs
1 - Irish Spring Body Wash @ $4.99 (-$.50 off coupon) Earned $4.99 ECBs
1 - Colgate Maxfresh toothpaste @$2.99 (-.75 off coupon) Earned $2.99 ECBs
1 Purex Laundry soap on sale for $2.99 reg price 6.99 (-.50 off coupon)
1 Covergirl powder @$5.99 (-$1 coupon)
1 covergirl eyeshadow @3.39 (-$1 coupon & - $1.70 store promotion)
3 Aquafresh extremeclean @ 1.49 (- 3/$1.25 off coupons)

-$16 of ECBs from 2 weeks ago.
Total OOP $.20
That's right - two dimes baby!

Total Savings $44.92

and I earned $13.98 in ECBs for next week!

Good Clean Fun

2009-03-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

All of the Buddies Soap Bars were FREE! (I love coupons!) Then I got another goldfish some applesauce and some soup. What a great way to stock up my pantry.

Total OOP $3.52 Savings this post $17.00

Smith's Sale

2009-03-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Sara and I went to Smith's armed with a pocketful of coupons and the store ad. They were having a great sale on items, where if you bought 10 items you got $5 back. The items that we bought all had coupons for them, so combined with the $15 off I got a lot of great things to fill up my cupboards. I just love getting a good deal!

Total OOP $39.99 Savings this post $72.74 That's 64%!

Grocery Shopping 3/13/09

2009-03-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Eliza and I went to Smiths for our weekly grocery shopping. We were saavvy with our coupons and both came out pretty well.

Here's my loot.

I combined coupons and store discounts and promotions and ended up spending $33.92. My total savings were $57.51

First Aid for Free

2009-03-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yum...Cadbury's plus first aid kits and dish soap for FREE.

Total OOP $1.60 Savings this post $8.63

*Posted by Eliza*

Got It!

2009-03-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've earned my ECB's! Hooray! By getting some killer deals, and using my coupons I was able to get this... See those diapers? I paid $0.45 for them! Sara and I did this CVS trip at a scary part of town late at night. We had a LOT trouble getting ECB's to print and slow cashier that didn't know much and 3 tired cranky kids, BUT it was all worth it in the end!

Total OOP $3.91 Savings for this post $49.42!

*Posted by Eliza*

Babies will be clean now!

2009-03-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Using my awesome coupons for $5 off a huggies product I was able to get my diaper wipes for only $0.99!!! Of course I still had to do my goldfish deal and I also added some applesause and soup to my purchases this time. (Now there is a better deal for applesause, so I'll be going back for more!) If anyone wants to use their computer to print me some for huggies coupons I'll take 'em!

Total OOP $7.34 Savings for this post $14.00

*Posted by Eliza*

It all adds up

2009-03-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

More stuff I bought to help me get my ECB's. LOVE IT!

Total OOP $1.96 Savings this post $20.68

*Posted by Eliza*

6 Hours of Freedom

2009-03-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today I got 3 FREE Redbox movies to keep the kids (and Dad) entertained while I have a meeting at church. Hooray for Kirby, Madagascar 2 and Get Smart!
If you have a Redbox nearby use code JBG123and you too could have a little bit of freedom.

Total OOP $0 Savings this post $3
I also got a free movie on Monday so I saved another $1

*Posted by Eliza*

Starting out small

2009-03-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

What can you get for less than a dollar? I got this...

I'm slowly building up my "points" to recieve my extra care bucks. So far, so good.

Total OOP $0.98 Savings for this post $10.34

*Posted by Eliza*

Getting Saucy at Target

2009-03-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

Despite having a new store clerk who didn't realize I could combine a manufacturer's coupon with a Target coupon and having a store manager who didn't really believe that the multiple coupons I had weren't copies... (they ended up accepting everything, but she gave me a very distrusting look)

Here's what I walked away with.

I got 6 Motts applesauce @$1.64/ea

-6 MFQ $.55 off

-6 Target Q $1.00 off

Grand total $.54

Total Savings $9.30

PS. I would never ever spend $9.30 on applesauce normally. That's just ridiculous!

Walgreens isn't completely the enemy

2009-03-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

Walgreens has been having better deals lately than CVS (gasp) so as much as I want to resist, I just can't!

Here's what I got this week at Walgreens.

Here's the breakdown

$2.99 x 10 - Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner (on sale from $3.99)

$.89 x 1 - Tuf paper towel

7.99 x 2 - Glade lasting impressions (on sale from $9.99)

7.99 x 4 - Glade Sense and Spray (on sale from $9.99)

- 2 BOGO manuf. Coupon for Glade Sense and Spray

- 2 BOGO manuf coupon for Glad lasting impressions

-.30 instore coupon for Tuf paper towels

- $4 off (x6) Glade lasting impressions and sense and spray

- $1 off (x4) Garnier Fructis styling products

-$2 off (x10) Garnier Fructis styling products

Total OOP $12.85

Total Savings $92.25

Gold Fish Stockpile

2009-03-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Target has had a coupon for $1 off pepperidge farm products. Their yummy goldfish crackes come in a wide variety of flavors and only cost $1.79. Soooo with my dollar off coupon we've been feasting on $0.79 goldfish!

This is just a small sampling of what I've gotten. On Thursday I had all the kids go to the register with their fish, a coupon and eighty cents. Cannon even got baby goldfish! So with each of us using a coupon each time we go to Target we've been able to stockpile quite a bit. I'm excited because they are a great snack and they aren't costing me too much!

Recently there was a $5 off coupon for Huggies wipes. At Target wipes are $5.99. So I was able to get wipes for $0.99! AWESOME!

*Posted by Eliza* Total savings this trip $17.00

Went back for more

2009-03-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

A deal this good I just had to go back and do it again. I've now gone to 4 different CVS stores and bought them out of the little $2.99 lotions.

Today I did 4 transactions and spent a total of $1.84 and saved a total of $21.64.

I also did the redbox deal yesterday and got 2 different movies for free! Savings of $2.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

2009-03-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

Today I used the Redbox code for Wednesday and got to see a FREE movie with my kids! We saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua. It was pretty cute. I liked it and the kids liked it. And since I don't really like chihuahua's I'm not tempted to get a dog!

To get your own FREE movie use this code, 75EA16, today only. I know the Redbox movies only cost $1, but if you can get it for FREE...

There are more codes that work on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'll keep you updated.

Photos from Beverly Hills Chihuahua

*Posted by Eliza* My total savings for this post is $1.00

We had to start somewhere

2009-03-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

It's Sara here and I had a killer week at CVS that I just had to brag about!

I spent total out of pocket (OOP) $4.66. I made $12 in Extra Care Bucks (ecb) which work just like a gift card next time I go.

Total savings $63.79 +12.00 to spend next time

And...

Check out all my loot.

Those little lotions at the bottom are how I made my money. They cost $2.99/ea and I had a $4.00 off coupon (well 11 total coupons that I used in 11 different transactions). So with each coupon I was able to get a lotion and 2 candy bars for free! Woot woot!

I love CVS!

Walgreens is the enemy.

I went there today as well. They have a program similar to the extra bucks, but it's not posted anywhere. They list a few items in the ad, but the rest you just have to try to figure out yourself. What's up with that? I found online that the Colgate MaxFresh cost $3.29 and you get $3.50 register rewards back. So I did that and tried to use my register rewards with my next transaction and combine it with a bunch of other coupons and it totally didn't work. They even had to call over 2 different managers and nobody could figure out how to get them to work.

So I ended up spending a total of $4.61 and saved $25.00. Not bad, but it's totally not as cool as CVS.

Here's what I got at Walgreens.

Ok, it's Eliza's turn now to post some savings!