4¢ BODY WASH!! Saved $26 at TARGET!

I was super proud of my deals today.
I snagged a Nivea body wash  for less than a nickel!
It was on sale for 3.04 at target with a $3 off coupon-
making my body wash just .04¢! WOO HOO!

I also snagged a 2 bottles of clorox clean up for about $1 each from WALGREENS!

By using a store coupon WITH a manufacturer coupon on top of a sale price! It is only
my second time to try WAGS- so far- I LIKE IT! :-)

Probably my biggest savings today was on 3 packages of diapers- TARGET ha a buy 3 get $5 gift card PROMO- so I did- then I applied a $3 coupon to 1 pkg- and 2 other $2 off to the others- making my total savings $12 on just the diapers!!

I was able to finally use a $5 off pedigree dog food coupon- HEB doesn't carry the LOW FAT kind my dog needs- and the coupon expired in 4 days! Making my bag cost only $8!

I used several coupons at TARGET today- but I was especially tickled by my .25¢ each box of nature valley granola bars- also combining a target coupon with a manufacturers coupon - I GOT 2 boxes!

I still have yet to be able to USE my PUREX softener coupons- every time I go.. they are totally OUT- NEW PRODUCT!

I saved $26 in coupons at Target this trip- spending just $36... that is a pretty great savings!

Nearly 50%! 

SO NEXT WEEK MAYBE I CAN HAVE AN EVEN BIGGER SAVINGS!! 

Also at CVS on SATURDAY night I was able to snag free deodorant for Brett! ( I know I know I am sooo boring Shopping on a SAT night!? RIGHT???) BTW- if you are unsure call your local CVS to see when the Sunday's paper circular goes into effect- Stone Oak is 9pm- and Bulverde Road is MIDNIGHT Sat evening- can you guess where I was headed at 9pm on Saturday? STONE OAK!
I will tell you most of the crowd was "last minute" BEER shoppers- they don't have much patience for a lady with 10 coupons in her hand!? :-) Normally I would go at 5:30 am - when I first wake up- but it was after all EASTER SUNDAY!


BLESS ME
BLESS YOU

DEAL OF THE DAY! 3 Scotch tapes for.99¢

OK- I ventured out into the "UNKNOWN LAND OF WAGS" - er- Walgreens.
I am also learning all of the "terms" the coupon queens use.

I followed the advisement of the coupon queens I follow (links on the right) and only attempted to shop
ONE store for awhile till I got my bearings.  I chose CVS. Walgreens has a similar "bucks" back program- but you do not have to sign up for anything... it is simply automatic when you buy special "deals" in store. They also have a booklet of coupons up front with a month worth of savings that you must pick up and hold on to. There was a coupon in the circular from the paper- but she just scanned it off of her "copy" she held on to near her register.

Walgreens had a BUY 1 GET 2 deal on rolls of scotch tape ($1.99) - not a bad deal in itself.
However- my advisors to the right over there sent out an update and I found that there was also a SCOTCH manufacturer coupon that could be added to that as well- so VIOLA! I got 3 rolls of tape for .99¢ - well- tax made it $1.06.

That was the only thing I bought- I only went because I was planning a trip to CVS - and they were right across the street from each other! ;-) I did walk the store to see layouts and product branding to try to remember WHO SELLS WHAT!?

 I'm learning!

ON TO CVS- I got FREE EASTER GRASS and a FREE Egg Decorating kit - WOO HOO- I LOVE FREE! I also got 2 free bag tags- They encourage you to bring a green bag - ANY recycled bag to shop with- so they don't waste plastic bags on you. Each bag tag that is scanned for your trip makes .25¢ credit- and every 4 trips you get that $1 back in ECB bucks- just for using a "bring it yourself" bag.. NOT BAD. They had a buy one get one deal- I got an ECB credit for each one that I bough (2) so they were FREE!

I did learn about multiple transactions- if I had split my trip into 3 "shops" I could have used the ECBs I got  that day- on my very next "ring up" purchases. As it was I made one larger purchase and they all spit out at the end- oh well- I can use them all next time ($14 worth.) I bought some new make ups that I needed to get since we are headed into SUMMER color- I tan quickly and easily- so I always have a summer and a winter shade. I bought with the in store deal- buy $10 get $3 ECBs.  I combined coupons from the manufacturer for many of them and made them about 1/2 price. I also bought 2  lightbulbs for .99¢ each- regularly $5 each. I don't need them NOW- but when I do need them I will have them and for the lowest price - not the uh oh I have no lightbulbs go to HEB and buy them full price...
:-)
I also bought a "stock pile" if you will shampoo and conditioner for .77¢ each! Bryndall loves the flowery smells on new shampoo flavors!  I WOULD have bought my first tubes of FREE toothpaste- I was ready to buy 4 (free) - since I had the stacking coupons- but the size that would have been free (4ozs) was all sold out (early bird gets the worm.) I decided not to buy tubes for $1 each for food pantry- I have like 6 tubes of toothpaste already in my bathroom. So - I USED THE TAPE I JUST BOUGHT FOR .99¢ at WALGREENS (stop laughing) and I taped the extra coupons I had on the boxes to bless someone else! SOMEONE will appreciate it! ;-) I know it is silly to go shopping really early in the morning- but I wake up at about 5am anyway- HEY People do it on black friday every year right!??   Next time I plan a FREE shop on toothpaste I will aim to go 6AM SUN MORN - when the circular deal is first in effect!

It was a good trip- I saved $26 - plus made $14 in ECB to use over the next month at CVS.
If I had used the ECBs on that trip I would have literally saved about 50% on that trip!

I'm learning!

BLESS YOU!
BLESS ME!

2 SUPER DEALS at CVS today!

I have a lot going on this week- we are making our annual trek to the beach- for SANDFEST!

My special deals today were 3 boxes of cereal at on sale price of $1.66 - with a combined coupon for 1.50 off-- making all 3 cost about $1.16 each. NOT BAD! ALMOST got one whole box free! I will take to eat on the beach trip!

Duncan Hines Brownie mix was marked down to $1 as part of their 10 for $10 promo.
I had a .50¢ off coupon from the paper this past Sunday.. viola- just 50 pennies.
 I will make and take on our trip!

I am attaching the scan of the receipt- since I was especially proud of my savings- about %50!

I am learning! I hope you are saving money with coupons too!

BLESS YOU!

BLESS ME!

DOUBLE & TRIPLE COUPONS!

SUPER S will double coupons EVERY DAY!!  OK - I saved most of my .50¢ coupons for the usual items (like canned and frozen veggies and lunch meat) and headed over to Startzville, about 15 minutes away. I was already going there for something else- so I thought I would combine a trip. They also have these little yellow coupons that I saw at the checkout but nobody knew where they came from... they are just "around" - like the HEB "yellow wall" collection.. without the yellow wall?? Confusing!?

MY LESSON LEARNED TODAY - REALLY READ THE COUPON!!

I know I know - sounds fairly simple and folks assume you read it before filing/ planning trip etc.
HOWEVER- several of mine said DO NOT DOUBLE and let me tell ya- they DO NOT DOUBLE them! :-) NONE of my printables would scan in and they had to type in one by one.. arrggg... I had 2 people leave my line cause it took so long. OH WELL. I also practiced several of my "leave ems" by leaving a coupon for an item I was not going to buy. The poor girl at the register was just overwhelmed- she was new and not sure of anything!! She told me I couldn't use my 2nd coupon for fruit roll ups ($1.50/WYB 2) unless I bought 4 - I told her "I did buy four"- it was just a learning trip all the way around. I DID however SAVE about $8 on my purchases.. not bad!?

I found that indeed "eggs" are cheaper in the country - several items I had just purchased recently were ALOT less at Super S- brands like Borden and Folgers and Cheerios. MENTAL NOTE!!

ALSO- I can't come back this weekend - but they are doing a TRIPLE coupon (.50¢ face value) weekend. TRIPLE COUPONS!!! WOO HOO. I can't make it but I am passing it on to the folks in the area. THEY Limit 10 coupons used. HOWEVER - I saw a lady on extreme coupling that had to ring up like 8 transactions to get her special deal. I wonder if they would let me ring up twice... hmm..
let's not get stingy now. I will just take a simple double coupon on my other items. Still $1.50 off of 10 items is what $15- that is worth the gas to get there! I also plan to call them 1 x a mo or so and ask if it is a triple coupon sale yet. ( They never know till their MON staff mtg and it comes from CORPORATE)
SIDE NOTE- They were bought out last week- like literally last FRIDAY- so some plicies may change- I just hope they don't do away with the triples before I have a chance to even shop them!?

MY DEAL OF THE DAY was a can of Allen's green beans- it was marked down to .79¢ - I had a coupon from the paper for .35¢ - which I thought would double ( it was a do not double) making the can 9¢ - but instead it became .44¢! Now- it might end up at the food pantry or in a green bean casserole... but hey - .44¢ isn't half bad!

I am also collecting 2 sets of newspaper inserts from neighbors etc... so now if the websites on the RIGHT post a special "double up stacking deal" using them... I can now buy 2 instead of 1!

All in all I am learning ever single trip I take!

BONUS - A friend bought my lunch yesterday - when I met her for lunch I had a buy 1 get 1 entree coupon - so she paid for hers and my coupon bought mine.. she splurged and bought my drink!! ;-)
Thanks Wendy! We agreed to do it again next month - I will keep my eyes peeled for a B1G1 deal!

TILL NEXT TIME ...
BLESS ME
BLESS YOU

HEB- over $30 UNEXPECTED SAVE

I have an envelope- where I save the coupons for each store- TARGET - CVS- HEB etc. However- yesterday we went to the store before I had a chance to grab my envelope from home. I thought - OH NO- no coupons- I have to pay full price for stuff?? (I know- just a few short weeks and already I am a coupon snob- if I don't have a coupon I don't wanna buy it!) I did however have a few manufacturer coupons left over from my target and cvs trips- and I pulled the IN STORE HEB yellow coupons- over near produce section " in between" the two entry doors. We bought the things we needed- Milk- fresh fruits/ veggies etc. and a few things "just because" (my 5 yr old BEGGED me for PRINGLES- she just discovered them last week and is IN LOVE)... she did ask nicely "may I..please..?" so.. I gave in... I bought the "single" serving shortie can for 59¢- which I will turn into 2 or 3 lunch size portions.

But the point is- we didn't stray wildly from the things on our usual "list"- might have tried some different brands of things- like borden cheese instead of HEB brand- (had a coupon) - but we didn't buy a dozen of body wash just because it was .25¢. While I do plan to keep one or two things on hand for when we "run out"- I will not be one of those people who gets 20 boxes of cereal... unless it's free.... then I can donate to the food pantry!? :-)

We bought healthy things- not just junk foods- and there were plenty of junk coupons available- but we simply chose not to purchase things we won't really use-we don't eat a lot of sugars and cookies/ candies etc.- I refuse to buy things we won't use "just cause" they are on sale... ;-)

I'm posting my receipt bottom to show the savings by going with HEB brands and in store deals AND adding about 10 manufacturer coupons- we saved about $30!

One of the blog's I have been keeping up with said to "budget" what to spend on items you DON'T need now.. like $10-15. For instance- I have hot dogs in my fridge now- turkey dogs actually. We don't eat them every day BUT we WILL eat them EVENTUALLY! So the ones that came free with the COMBO LOCO sausage deal will simply go in the freezer and get pulled out in a month or so. So I saved a ton of money on them by buying them when I didn't need them- but I did not spend time and money on stockpiling dozens of things for future-- make sense? The thing that I learned early from all those blogs you see posted on the right side... was everything has a sale cycle of 6-12 weeks- it rotates- if it was on sale this week- chances are it will be on sale again- in a few months- so I can pick it up next time.

*New habit - I am also pulling the fantastic deal coupons that I see like a full $1 or more off of items we DON'T use (but others might) and leaving them for others to use. If you see the $1.50 coupon taped to the peter pan jar of peanut butter (Bryn is allergic) that could been me! so hopefully I am blessing YOU too!

*****
Most importantly Brett was with me for the first time- so he saw first hand the subtraction as each coupon was scanned- that was important for me to have.... he as a LOT skeptical at first. NOW HE IS 100% ON BOARD!

Keep in mind I am spreading out some of these grocery purchases by getting things at TARGET and CVS and WAL MART etc.-- when they are at their LOWEST sale prices and adding coupons.  That is why I only got 53 items.

BTW I asked Dave Ramsey - well OK - BLAKE the producer really- about the TARGET RED card- DEBIT CARD- and how they feel about the use of a store card that deducts just like a check from your checking acct. ?? (They give you 5% back when it is used)  I don't know if they will answer on air or not- keep listening and let me know if you hear anything this week!?

All of APRIL kid's eat FREE at IHOP after 4pm- we clipped a B1G1 entree from the paper coupons- so some night soon we are all four going out to have breakfast for dinner- for the price of 1 adult entree... keep ya posted!? I will wait for Bryndall to have a great behavior we can "reward" spontaneously with FUN dinner out... she will LOVE IT!

;-)

BLESS YOU! BLESS ME!