Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sugar Coupon to help fight hunger

Forgot to mention, you can get a coupon for sugar, $.50 off any C&H Sugar Product, if you go to www.chsugar.com/bakesale. And they will donate $.10 for every coupon used up to $50,000 to help end childhood hunger in America! Get you coupon!!
And if you are really ambitious, host or participate in a bake sale for the Great American Bakesale!
mmm, brownies sound good...

Print your May Coupons!

I've learned that online coupon sites, such as http://www.coupons.com/, www.couponnetwork.com, etc, change their coupons beginning each month. So, as it's the last day of the month, I spent the morning searching and printing coupons so I wouldn't miss any I might use before they're gone.

I got my first delivered paper of the Santa Cruz Sentinel on Sunday and was so disappointed that there were no coupons! And Memorial Day sales at my local grocery stores were also disappointing. Glad I did my grocery shopping last week when there were great deals!

I did not get the San Jose Mercury News delivered yet, and didn't have a chance to pick one up Sunday. Anyone know if there were coupons in that paper? I searched the database on www.couponmom.com and didn't see any coupons listed for that date, but I don't want to miss out!

They list the coupons Saturday before they come out in the paper so you can make sure to get the paper or even get extra papers, when you see coupons you want!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Best Site Ever! and What's a Coupon Data Base?

I think I just found the best site ever!
I was checking out the P&G website, www.pgeverydaysolutions.com, looks like their coupon book is coming out in the June 5th Sunday paper. Woohoo! (oh, the things I'm excited about these days!) And I came across a tutorial video from www.couponmom.com. I went there and am so upset I did not know about this site from the beginning! How to coupon, info on stores, what deals are going on... Plus a coupon database! I didn't have any clue what that was, so I watched a tutorial video on it. It's a list of ALL the coupons that have come out and where to find them! You can search by item, brand, date it came out, expiration date, and even by locality. OMG! I can't wait to get started! This will make my searching and matching up SO much easier. I did like the site I mentioned before for matching up and store info, but I don't think they had a database. And this site has so much more info and seems easy to find everything. Love it!

Extreme Couponing Show Doesn't Show...

I've watched the TLC show a few more times, trying to glean tips from it. I've realized that they only show people buying junk, like soda and candy or 100 boxes of pain reliever and 70 bottles of laundry soap! Even though the total is $1,000 worth of groceries and they get it down to like $10, they only bought three or four items, just lots of it! So they must still have to spend money like the rest of us to buy their regular groceries, like fruits, veggies, eggs, and milk. They just save on certain things they can stock up on. I don't have room in my house for much of a stock pile. Nor do I have time or gas money (or the desire) to drive around from dumpster to dumpster or steal people's recycling. I just can't imagine how they get 100 of the same coupon without doing that. And how can they be saving money with gas prices so high?!

Another point is we don't have recycling bins where I live that are at all easy to get into. They're the tall blue ones; I'd have to tip it over and I'm sure my neighbors would not appreciate it. Plus I have two young kids, where do I put them while I'm crawling into the trash? I'm just so curious! I'd like to see step by step what these extreme couponer's actually do!

I'm going to continue couponing, but I don't think I'll ever get to that extreme. I don't think I want to! It's worth paying a little more on groceries to save gas and spend time with my family doing better things!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Excellent Safeway Shopping Day!

Sunday I went and got my papers only to find no coupons in one. Only a few in the other. Bummer. I spent money to get nothing. I hadn't yet signed up for the papers to be delivered, but I did do that later in the week and there was a special going on for one of them, so I'm glad I waited!

My daughter's 1st birthday party is this weekend, so I looked though my coupons and local store sale fliers, then came up with a menu somewhat based on them. Safeway seemed to have the best sale going on, lots of buy one get ones on things I could use. I signed up for the Just for U program with Safeway online and got coupons, promo prices on certain items, and I could load the savings onto my store card, so I didn't have to carry in paper coupons. I printed a list which included all the coupons I had loaded to my card, the items I wanted with Just for U promo prices, and regular card holder discounted items. Everything was listed by category (ie, dairy, bakery, etc) It included the expiration dates, which I thought was great! I earned a free carton of eggs, and I thought great, I just bought a huge carton at Costco, but then noticed I have till Aug to pick them up for free! And all I will have to do is show my store card. woohoo!

I paper clipped my manufacture coupons that matched up with some of the sale items on my list (I really didn't have many) to my list and sale flier. I tried to search online, but couldn't find any more that I could use. But then I decided I had better read Safeway's coupon policy and found out you can use manufacture coupons along with store coupons, but not multiple manufacture coupons. Also If you get an item free, you can't use a coupon on it. So I was bumbed about that. I didn't think I could save as much at this store if I had a serious pile of coupons, but I only had a few and had already planned my trip.

I began to look up prices online, but it took way to long to find the first two, only because I have slow DSL and I had to look them up one by one. Maybe there's another way, but I don't yet know it! So I gave up & decided I would get what I need regardless of cost. I have a party to plan and a baby who could only stay ready to go for so long! My son was staying home with Daddy this time so I could concentrate!

Off we went. I had my flier with circled items, my coupons, my coupon book in my purse (which is just a tiny wallet size thing as I just started this adventure) in case I came across something I had a coupon for that I had overlooked, and my printed list of items, with the remainder of items written on it that were not on sale, but I had to have.

The printed list was so helpful since it was categorized and I didn't have to search around like I usually do on my handwritten shopping lists! I found even more items that were buy one get one, such as pickles! I had to get a different brand than usual & they were sliced, not whole, but it was on sale & one was free! How could I pass that up! Soon enough my cart was filled to the brim, hard to push, and I was trying to peer over the huge infant car seat where my daughter sat. Luckily she was being very well behaved and we were both in a good mood!

I left off a few things that I had safeway coupons for that were still a bit costly even with $1 off, but I did get everything I needed for the party, my regular groceries for all my meals and snacks at home, and lots of freebies to stock up for later use! I was nervous about the total price, though. I did not have more than $200 in the bank and was hoping for closer to $150 for everything. Normally my shopping budget would be about $60-$80, but this was including a party, too!

I headed to the cashier and loaded the biggest haul I'd had in a very long time, maybe ever! The total came to $244.91! Aack! I handed over my club card and enjoyed the "bing, bing, bing" of prices dropping! Like a slot machine pouring out the cash! I gave her my few extra coupons and the total was now $157.92. A tad more than I wanted, but I could definitely live with that! I paid and she gave me my receipt, including a coupon for Gerber baby food for $1 off! I had just bought some for .99 so I wanted to run back and get one more, since it would be free! But it wasn't worth it for just one thing, so I moved out of the way to go over my list.

All the coupons and promo prices I had loaded to my card were applied! Except, the boxes of soda were on sale for buy 2 get 2 free + 2 free boxes of Nabisco crackers. I was charged $2.50 for each box of crackers. I went to the customer service desk and had to wait for someone, but it didn't take long. After verifying she gave my $5 cash! Just like that! I went back and got creem cheese, which I had forgotten, and my son can't live without! I planned to get that free baby food, too, which would even earn me 1 cent with the coupon I just got, but I was tired and forgot.
I loaded my haul in the car and still can't believe I just got $91.99 worth of groceries for Free!! All stuff I needed or will need in the near future!

Did I save money? Yes! And have begun a stock pile of meat in the freezer, and cereal, crackers, condiments, sauces, etc in the pantry, so it will save us even more in the future! Without coupons and looking for sales & promo prices ahead of time, I would have gotten a very few things, probably a few that were on sale as I saw them in the store, but would have had to make do with a lot less in our kitchen and for the party! I am ecstatic!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Couponing at Rite Aid

I didn't get out of the house till late afternoon with my husband and two kids. I was tired an hungry, the least ideal time to go to the store, especially when I want to be paying close attention to what I'm getting and the prices!

I found most of the items on my list. Some I had brought coupons for and planned to check the price since I could live without them if they were too much. Most were too expensive even with my $1 off coupon or whatever I had, so I skipped them. Toothbrushes were on sale for a great deal and I would get extra care bucks via my Wellness+ card, so I ended up getting 4 instead of 1. My husband kept the kids busy so I could concentrate, and I was soon ready to check out. My total came to $74.34!!! Holly Cow! How did that happen?!!!
I handed over my $3 off $15 purchase coupon, but he said I had to give him my Wellness+ card first. So after running that, the cost went down to $51.29. I handed over my coupons and it went down to $41.94. Yikes! My kids were acting up, as well as my anxiety! There was a line, and it was all basically stuff I needed, so I paid for it and left. Luckily I had just enough to cover the total with tax of $45.37.

I felt very disappointed after all the work I put in. But upon examining my receipt later, I did see that I saved $23.05 with my store card, $9.35 in coupons, and earned $8 in Extra Care Bucks to use on my next shopping trip. Plus I got another survey and so earned another $3 off my next $15 purchase. That's a grand total of $43.40 in savings! Which is not too shabby for a first timer!! So now I'm very proud of myself and imagining how much I can save with more coupons and more time to prepare!

I just need to figure out how to get a much closer pre-shopping estimate on my shopping list. Maybe a trip to the store before I'm ready to buy to write down the prices? Or at least shop when I'm fresher and not with kids distracting me so I can track prices. I'll need to come prepared with pen, paper, and calculator. Other stores, like Safeway, have all their items online, so maybe I can get all my prices that way if I'm headed to one of those stores. All in all, I'm proud of myself and think I can save a lot and get the hang of this with a little practice.

Preparing for my Rite Aid expedition:

I went online and printed the Rite Aid coupon policy. I made sure my Wellness+ card was linked to my Rite Aid account I had set up to get emails. I read a little about the Wellness+ program, you can get coupon rewards after accumulating so many points (who knew?). They have an allergy program, I signed up to get special discounts for allergy meds. And they also have Single Check Rebates; after signing up, if you buy certain marked items, then enter some simple info off your receipt online, you get checks mailed to you! Sounds good to me! I entered a receipt I happened to still have in purse from a few days ago, but it didn't have any eligible items. However, I noticed at the bottom of the receipt a note about taking a survey to get a coupon for $3 off $15 purchase. So I did it! Short survey & I printed my coupon!

I went through my coupons and had to read each one and the sale add to make sure they were the same brand, same size, etc. This took some time, especially since my coupons are all a big jumble! If I continue, I definitely need to find a system of organization that works for me.

My main question is how do people use their coupons before they expire?! So many I clipped, expire in a week or two. And how do you keep track of which ones are only for a specific store?

Anyway, I made a list of exactly the items I wanted, including name, brand, and size (or range of size I could get per coupon), and how many of each. I had 3 of the same coupons for some and only one for others. Most coupons are only good for one item. But you have to read the fine print. ugh.

I finally got all my coupons in order of my list, and was wondering what my total would look like before and after coupons. Some prices were listed in the sale flyer, but others just said buy one get one for 1/2 off, etc. So I'm wondering how people know what they will be spending?? I wasn't getting too much, and based on the prices I did have, I guesstimated around $25 or so. Hoping to at least cut that in half with my coupons.

Week 1 of Couponing

Where to start? It seems to me, from what I've gleaned from the Extreme Couponing show on TLC (I'm not an avid watcher, but have seen two or three episodes), in order to save the most, you need multiple coupons for one item and the item needs to be on sale. I don't have room to stock up like they do, but maybe I could get a few if I have enough coupons for the same item.

First step: I need coupons! I don't get the paper, but I do get the Smart Saver coupons in the mail. I normally toss them in the recycle bin without hardly looking at them, but not this time! I saved them. I also went and bought three Sunday newspapers! Wow, didn't know they cost so much now. I'll have to look into a subscription, but I really don't want a whole paper, just for the inserts. Maybe I can find someone who doesn't use them to let me have the inserts...

For this to work I've realized I need to not be choosy about brands. If I can find deoderant coupons and find it for sale, I should use them. I'll have deoderant, though it's not the brand I'm used to buying.  I cut out all the coupons I found that I could possibly use and for now threw them in a little box. Not the best idea, but I'm not going to buy a bunch of organizational stuff for this project till I know it's worth it!

Next: I browsed online to get advice. The first useful sites I came to were: http://www.weusecoupons.com/ and http://www.myfrugaladventures.com/ . I found they do matchups for you so you don't have to search every add to match up your coupons, they tell you where to find coupons, info on store policies, and tons of other great advice! I'll be going back again and again to these sites!

I need more coupons, so I created a new email account just for couponing. I then signed up with some coupons sites: http://www.coupons.com/, http://www.couponnetwork.com/, http://www.shopathome.com/, all my local stores and drug store (they'll email me coupons & deals, plus I made sure I had a store card for each). I signed up for a few brands I use regularly, such as http://www.generalmills.com/, http://www.kellogs.com/, and  http://www.earthsbest.com/.

This is just scratching the surface. The wheels in my head are now turning of all the places I can sign up & get coupons & deals from! But this is more than enough for now. I shouldn't overwhelm myself with emails!! If I haven't already! I can see how this can get addicting. I've begun to dream of coupons and I haven't even had my first shopping trip! Oh no, maybe I will become the that crazy coupon lady?! I even asked my husband if he would be embarrased if I did, and he said no, he thinks it's great if we're saving money. Yay for a supportive husband!

I can also see how this can get some people into trouble. You see all the great deals and want to jump on them while you can! Luckly I am the type of person who sticks to my list and always just get what I need. I won't get carried away buying just because it's on sale.

I don't need a lot right now because I just spent my grocery budget at Costco, but some things I still need that I couldn't get there, or didn't want in bulk.

I looked through the store sales flyers that were in the paper or came in the mail. This is a first for me! I found quite a few things on the Rite Aid flyer for sale that I needed and also that matched up with my coupons! The cereal prices were awesome, 2 for $4.88 (with your Wellness+ card) for certain brands and they were even some I liked! Even without a coupon that's a great deal! I searched online for more coupons and found some for what I wanted and printed them out.

MY MISSION: match up coupons for things I need or will use in the near future with the sale items at Rite Aid this week. Currently I need cereal, deoderant, Shout stain remover (some things I will not sacrifice for other brands!), diaper cream, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

Beginning Couponing

So I'm going to start using coupons for the first time and see if it's worth while. I've never been much of a coupon user, mainly just for pizza. Never for groceries. I've been wanting to use coupons, but never took the time to find them and if I did come across something useful, I would never remember to bring them with me! However, I've decided to give it a real try. My goal is to continue through at least the summer because I figure I'll start with small saving and as I learn more tricks, my savings will grow. I hope!

As I've thought about doing this, strange things have been happening! First, at my mommy group meeting two weeks ago, they passed out a flyer with a bunch of coupon websites. Then I went to Costco and the basket I grabbed happened to have a half used coupon book for Costco in it! I looked though it and used a few of them on items I was already planning to buy! Something is telling me I should be doing this! I saved $7 dollars! That may not sound like much, but to me it's a lot! Every little bit counts. I didn't even know Costco had coupons! I guess you could say that was my first coupon using trip. But I plan to do more research and see if I can save more.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...