Coupon Girl Returns

I'm back!  I have been so busy since my husband left to work in Atlanta that I have barely even been grocery shopping.  The prior weeks spent stocking up meant I was able to just pick up the necessities and not really anything else. It was nice, but I missed out on some good deals.  There were a few times that I had to go to the store and buy items without coupons and I started to get twitchy. 

Meijer for Under $10

I love having a nice stockpile of items because I don't feel bad when I can't make it to the store regularly.  I was able to get some great deals at Meijer this week. They have another round of 10 for $10.

Spent:  $9.65
Total Savings:  $42.33
Items Purchased:
1 bottle Sunny D
4 Del Monte Fruit Chillers
1 bottle Planters Dry Roast Peanuts
1 Butter popcorn seasoning
2 boxes of Crystal Light packets
1 YoPlus Yogurt
2 TGIFriday's frozen mozzarella sticks
3 pouches Betty Crocker cookie mix
2 packs Del Monte Mandarin Orange Fruit cups
2 boxes Betty Crocker potatoes
2 boxes Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta
1 bag Quaker rice cakes

CVS for Less than $1.00

I went to CVS yesterday and made it out of the store paying $0.37 out of pocket and getting $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks.  I wasn't supposed to get the $3.00 but they had a sign up that said $3 back for $10 spent in candy.  I purchased enough candy but the ECB didn't print.  Apparently the ECB deal had expired but since they still had the sign up they honored it and printed one for me.

Order Summary:
Spent:  $0.37

Saved:  $23.73

Used:  $11.99 in ECBs

Earned:  $3.00 ECBs

Purchased:
3 bags M&Ms
2 bags Reese's eggs
1 bag Hershey eggs
2 bottles of Softsoap body wash

The body wash was B1G1 and I had 2 $1.00 off coupons for each of them.  The were priced at $4.99 each.  One was free so it ended up being $2.99 for two or $1.50 each.  The candy was on special for $2.00 a bag. I purchased $12 worth of candy and used $3.00 in coupons.

My Trip to Giant Eagle Felt Like Stealing

I didn't get anything from the Giant Eagle ad last week.  Giant Eagle gets a little confusing to me because it is the only store that I go to with an ad that starts on Thursday instead of Sunday like the rest of them.  Regardless, as I posted last week there just wasn't anything there that warranted a trip.  This week, I was able to use the $18 I earned buying diapers.  Using this and my coupons allowed me to walk out of Giant Eagle with bags full of food for only $11.04!!  On top of that I earned $5.00 toward my next order.

Order Summary
Spent:  $11.04
Saved:  $47.08

$5 earned toward my next order

Used:  $18 earned from my last trip
Purchased:
1 box of Uncrustables
10 boxes of Yoplait GoGurt
5 boxes Kellogg's Chocolate Mini-Wheats Little Bites cereal
2 packs of Vanity Fair napkins
2 packs of Vanity Fair plates
1 pack of Dixie plates
1 pack of Dixie napkins
3 boxes of Splenda (with fiber)
1 French's mustard
1 bag of frozen spinach

You might think 10 boxes of GoGurt is excessive, but my kids eat the stuff like crazy. Evan loves them frozen and probably eats 2-6 of them a day.  Jason said Evan was mad while I was at the store because we were out of GoGurts.  Now our freezer and fridge are fully stocked. 

I hadn't planned on purchasing more cereal unless the price was exceptionally low, however Jason tried a box of the Chocolate Little Bites last week and loved them.  As I was going through the coupons in this weeks paper I saw that they had $2.00 off two boxes and $1.00 off one box.  I had two sets of coupons (thanks Granny) so I used 2 $2.00 and 1 $1.00 at Giant Eagle where the cereal was 5 for $10. This made them $1 a box.  Not as good as $0.50 per box I had a Target the other week, but Jason will be leaving for Atlanta again and I thought it would be nice for him to take his new favorite cereal with him.  I am sure he knows I would DIE if he went to the grocery in Atlanta and spent the usual $3-$4 for a box of cereal. 

The purchase of 3 boxes of Splenda is how I earned $5 toward my next order.  Splenda was on sale 3 for $10 or $3.33 each, plus you earned $5 toward your next order if you purchased 3.  I had $1.00 off coupons so I used 3 of them.  This made the Splenda $2.33 a box or $6.99. After the $5 earned, I was able to purchase 3 boxes of Splenda for $1.99. 

The spinach was on sale for $1.00, I had $0.50 off so it was free after the coupon was doubled.  The napkins and plates were on sale 2 for $4.  We only use paper plates for parties, but I usually end up running to the store a few days before the party and spending full price for them. With a little advance planning, I was able to purchase them for $1.00 a pack since I had $0.50 off coupons for the Vanity Fair plates and napkins. I saved even more on the Dixie plates and napkins since my coupon for both of those was $0.55 and it was doubled to $1.10. 

GoGurt was 3 for $6 or $2 each.  I had two different kinds of coupons.  There were 4 $1.10 off of Simply GoGurt and 6 $0.40 off of one GoGurt.  I wasn't sure if Simply GoGurt was included in the sale, thankfully it was.  I used my 4 $1.10 coupons so those 4 packs were $0.90 each.  The 6 $0.40 were doubled so I got $0.80 off each pack which made them $1.20 each. 

To add to my savings I now have $0.80 off per gallon of gas at Get Go.  Fuel perks are earned more slowly when I use my coupons because it take me a lot longer to spend $50 when I only spend $10-$20 a week in groceries at Giant Eagle.  I still take advantage of the gift cards they offer and am sure to purchase them there whenever I need them. 

Coupon Savings Week of 3/21 - CVS

I was able to make it to CVS today since my Granny came over to watch the kids while their swing set was being constructed in the back yard.  I only had a few things on my list, but wanted to make sure I picked them up before the sale and ECBs on these items ended. 

I had to get one unplanned item and that was children's cold medicine.  Evan has been sick for days and I was running low on Triaminic.  Thankfully, I had a $1.50 off coupon and CVS had an instant coupon of $2.00.  Still the medicine cost me $8.50!  I will be sure to keep my eyes out for good stock up prices on medicine for the kids so I don't have to pay retail when they get sick.


Order Summary:
Spent: $23.56
Saved:  $25.94

ECBs earned:  $11.99

Purchased:
2 Jumbo packs Pampers Cruisers Size 4
1 bottle Crest Pro-Health mouthwash
1 tube Colgate toothpaste
1 bottle Triaminic day time
1 bottle Triaminic night time

The diapers were on sale for $8.97 a pack and I earned $3.00 ECBs on the purchase of each pack.  I also had a $2.00 off coupon.  This made the diapers $3.97 a pack after coupons and ECBs. 

The mouthwash was on sale for $3.99, I had a $2.00 off coupon and received $2.00 ECBs.  This means I made $0.01 on the purchase of the mouthwash.

The Colgate was $3.99, I had a $1.00 off coupon and received $3.99 ECBs.  This means I made $1.00 on the purchase of the toothpaste. 

I made sure to scan my bag tag so I am now only 2 scans away from $1.00 of Extra Care Bucks.  For those that don't know.  If you purchase a bag tag at CVS and have it scanned each time you make a purchase, even when picking up prescriptions, you will earn $1.00 every 4 times you have the bag scanned.  I keep my bag tag with my Extra Care card so I don't forget to have it scanned.

Kroger TRIPLE Coupons!

This week Kroger had triple coupons which means that any coupon $0.50 or under will be tripled.  I had my short list for Kroger but decided to take a little longer for shopping this week to make sure I maximized the triple coupon savings.  As I sorted through my coupons for those that were expired, I pulled out the ones that were $0.50 or less.  I had the organized by type when I went to the store and basically went down each isle looking at the coupons and item prices.  I was able to snag a few more deals that had I stuck to my original list.  However, the savings with triple coupons on most items was not as great as I had anticipated.  Maybe they know what coupons are out there so they don't offer sales on many of the items that a coupon would apply to.

I had three orders this week.  I made a mistake and put my Grands on separate orders, had I put them on the same order I would have earned $2 toward my next order.  Oh well, you win some, you lose some.  There wasn't really and logic to putting them on separate orders, just didn't think it through.

Order Summary:
Spent:  $39.01

Saved:  $115.73

Purchased:
7 2 liters of Diet Coke
2 bottles Lysol all purpose cleaner
2 spray bottles Lysol bathroom cleaner
2 bottles Lysol toilet bowl cleaner
2 spray bottle Lysol antibacterial kitchen cleaner
1 bottle Sun laundry detergent
4 Pillsbury Grands biscuits
1 pack Arm & Hammer dryer sheets
2 Suave kids body wash
2 5 lb bags Gold Medal flour
2 cans Carnation evaporated milk
4 3 packs of Irish Spring
3 Secret deodorants
6 Betty Crocker warm delights
1 Oscar Meyer lunchable
1 French's Worchestershire Sauce
1 box Hefty kids cups
1 Betty Crocker frosting
3 Listerine pocket strips
1 Progresso light soup
2 Campbell's condensed soups
3 boxes 90 calorie Fiber One bars
3 boxes Chex Mix turtle bars
1 bottle Softsoap liquid
2 bottles Suave lotion

I also received a coupon for a free 2 liter of diet Mountain Dew.  I will be sure to pick this up when I go Krogering next week!

My Plans for Expired Coupons

I just cleaned out my coupons this week and wish I knew about this program before I put them all in the trash!  Starting today, I am going to send all of my expired coupons to the Overseas Coupon Program for use by military families.

The information below was taken from the Overseas Coupon Program website.

Why would they want my expired coupons?  

     -military commissaries (grocery stores) overseas would accept manufacturer's cents-off coupons for up to six months past their printed expiration dates.

I only get the Sunday paper and don't have enough coupons to donate.

     -There is no minimum.  The average Sunday newspaper contains approximately $125 worth of coupons. Even the smallest donation, when combined with the donations of other individuals, will make a difference in the lives of many military families serving our country overseas.

Can I just send the Sunday inserts?

     -It is better to clip the coupons prior to sending.  By clipping the coupons, you save the volunteers at the base valuable time.  Most organizations are short of needed volunteers.  You also save yourself a lot of additional postage since most of the coupon circulars are wasted paper. 

What type of coupons should I send?

     -“Manufacturer’s Coupons” are the coupons of choice since they are accepted at any store.   Coupons from the dispensers in grocery stores, from the internet and from your local newspaper inserts, and dozens of other places are good as long as those magic words are on them: "Manufacturer's Coupon."  You do not need to send internet coupons because the military families have access to those and can print them.

You can read more in the FAQ section on the website.