Shaw's! (All This FREE Stuff!)!

Total Before Savings: $87.97

Total Coupons Used: $67.19

Cash OOP: $9.79

Free Stuff

Viactiv - $8.99 (Free Coupon)

Motrin 24 ct - $4.49 (Free Coupon)

Children's Motrin - $6.99 (Free Coupon)

Listerine Smart Rinse - $5.79 (Free Coupon)

Children's Benadryl - $6.79 (Free Coupon)

Carefree Pads - $4.79 (Free Coupon)

Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash - $3.99 (Free Coupon)

Aveeno Lotion - $9.99 (Free Coupon)

Aveeno Baby Bath Packs - $5.99 (Free Coupon)

Other Stuff

2 Wise Snacks - BOGO @ $2.99 (2 .50/1 MFC DOUBLES) .50 cents ea!

2 cases of Poland Springs Water - $3.99 ea

2 Gallons of Milk - $3.69 ea (both Free from Cats generated from Kellogg's purchase yesterday)

Paid .82 cents in tax which doesn't really make sense - but I don't care! Probably from some of the things that had free coupons with them.

Click my post HERE to print off your own free coupons!

Roxie's!

Total Paid: $26.38

2 1lbs containers of Strawberries - $1.99 ea

1 bag of Lay's - $2.99

1 head of Lettuce - .88 cents

1 12 pack of rolls - $2.79

1 lbs of Turkey - $5.09

1 lbs of Ham - $4.03

1 lbs of American Cheese - $4.99

3 Tomatoes - $1.63

FREE Stuff at SHAW'S!

Thanks to Kara's comment, I did a quick Google search and found the greatest Shaw's coupons ever! I didn't get this in my email but a lot of Duckling Members did. Free Aveeno, Free Motrin, Free Viactiv, Free Children's Motrin, Free Children's Tylenol, Free Baby Aveeno, Free Listerine Smart Rince, Free J&J Baby Shampoo, and Free Stayfree Pads. Then some other coupons for $$s off!

Click HERE before they take this stuff off the internet and print! They must be nuts! Thanks to Kara at Itty Bitty Bistro and Google for making my shopping trip this morning a rewarding one!

Summary of All Shaw's Coupons!

Today I realized that some people might be confused with all the random Shaw's coupons out there. Probably not but I'm at a lost of what to blog about. Here's different ways to score Shaw's coupons - and remember, since they are SHAW'S coupons, you can pair them with MFC's to get bigger savings.

1. Weekly Coupons. Click HERE to sign up or log into your Shaw's account. Once you do that, click the COUPON tab on the left side - that will generate a PDF file consisting of usually 1 page (but sometimes it can be 2, 3 or even 4!). Print and go shopping! CLICK HERE for this week's coupon page - but they expire tomorrow - so go back to get next week's. There are usually 2 or 3 "good ones" - they match up with sales and MFC's to help you maximize your savings!

2. Wellness Coupons. These come out once a month and the link is emailed to you if you are signed up with Shaw's website. The coupons are mostly healthy or organic stuff. But this week for instance, 2 liters of Pepsi are on sale for $1 each. There is a coupon in this Wellness PDF that states $1 off 2 Pepsi Max 2-liters. So .50 cents a 2-liter. That's great! Click HERE to see this PDF.

3. Ducklings Rewards. Have kids? Join Ducklings Rewards and they'll mail you coupons in the mail. Some are good - sometimes they include great coupons like $6 off $60 purchase. Click HERE to join or sign in to your Ducklings account!

4. Wild Harvest. Sign up to receive info, coupons and recipes from Shaw's featuring their Wild Harvest line. This is their Organic line of food. So healthy stuff. Click HERE for details. You need your Shaw's card for this one.

5. Shaw's Pet Club. Have a dog or cat? Sign up HERE to receive coupons and info in the mail for all things pet!

6. Shaw's and Smart Source. Shaw's even teamed up with Smart Source to provide a link to the Smart Source coupons from the Shaw's site! So when you log on to print your weekly coupons, check the Smart Source coupons right there too! Click HERE for a direct link to the Smart Source coupons. I believe these are the same coupons on SmartSource.com - but since you're at the Shaw's website, take the extra minute to see if you can save even more!

7. Service Desk. When you're at Shaw's, it might pay to just swing by the Service Desk and snoop around. It's okay. They won't bite you. My service desk has a bunch of MFC tearpads hanging out on one of the ledges. I don't know where they come from. If you like talking to people to, you can always ask them if they have any coupon books or anything of that nature.

Click HERE to get all those "FREE" coupons. Good from now until 4/30/09.

Shaw's!

Camera is dead - hopefully have a picture later...

Total Before Savings: $99.27

Total Coupons Used: $25.36

Cash OOP: $39.53

Total OYNP Earned: $14.07

7 Kellogg's Cereals - $2 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs, 1 $1/1 MFC, 2 Shaw's $1/3) - $9 or $1.29 ea PLUS I earned 3 Free Milks (up to $4.69 ea). In the past, the register just takes off the $4.69...we'll see if it does it this time. So I spent $9 but got $14.07 off my milk in the future.

2 Lemons - .67 ea (2 Shaw's Free Lemon coupons - took off .80 cents ea). Made .13 cents ea.

2 Betty Crocker Warm Delights - 2/$5 (2 .50/1 MFCs DOUBLE) .75 ea PLUS I got free eggs with coupon on back of flyer.

2 Palmolive Dish Soap (25 oz) - 2/$5 ($1/2 MFC) $2 ea PLUS I got free eggs with coupon on back of flyer

2 Hormel Chilis - $1 ea ($1/2 MFC) .50 cents ea!

2 Pepsi Max 2 Liter - $1 ea ($1/2 Wellness Coupon) .50 ea!

2 Barilla Picollini Pasta - $1 ea ($1/2 MFC) .50 ea!

1 Shaw's Frozen Lemonade -$1.19 (FREE Shaw's Coupon) FREE!

2 Edy's Ice Cream -BOGO @ $5.99

6 Stouffer's Entrees - $2 ea (3 $1/2 MFCs, 1 $1/5 Shaw's) $1.33 ea! (Good for Husband's lunch/dinner at work)

1 Scott 4 pack TP - $2.99 ($1/1 MFC) $1.99

1 Air Heads - .75 (.55/1 MFC Doubled to .44 since .99 is normal price) - made .24 cents!

2 Dozen Eggs - $1.79 ea (FREE when I bought other stuff)

Problems:

1 Bounty - advertised for $1, but rang up at $2.19. Didn't notice until I got home. ($1/1 MFC) - should have been free but was $1.19

1 Brighams Ice Cream - $4.49 - was marked at 50% clearance but didn't ring up at $2.74. Didn't notice until I got home. ($1/1 MFC) - should have been $1.74 but was $3.49

Walgreens!

I actually went to Walgreens - and surprise! I'm going back later on today! The 69 cent Easter eggs lured me in. It's actually not too bad. I go in for photos but I never look in the isles. The people at the one I go to are actually all really nice and I played stupid with the register rewards program and the cashier (who was a beautiful red head like myself) briefly explained it to me and told me that I can really make out if I know what I'm doing. Mrs. RedHeaded Walgreens is my favorite person of the day.

3 bags of plastic Easter Eggs - .69 ea (reg. .99)
2 boxes of Life Cereal - 2/$5 ($1/2 MFC) Earned $2 Register Rewards = $1 a box!
2 Hot Wheels Cars - BOGO @ $1.39 ea

Total Before Savings: $14.75
Coupons Used: $1 MFC, 2 Walgreens Ones
Total: $7.53
Earned $2 Register Rewards

CVS!

I can't find my receipt at the moment and my camera battery is dead! Picture may or may not come. Take advantage of the M&Ms 2-Day sale! Stocking up for Easter and birthday party fun!

4 bags of Gummy Worms (for son's birthday) - 88 cents ea
2 bags of M&Ms - 2/$3 ($1/2 MFC) - $1 ea!
2 bags of Milky Ways - 2/$5 ($1/2 MFC) - $2 ea!
2 bags of Jelly Beans - 2/$1

Total: $12.52
Coupons Used: $2
ECBs Used: $5
Cash OOP: $5.52

CVS! (and BzzAgent Info!)

Total Before Savings: $5.59

Total Coupons Used: $3.67

Total OOP: .60 cents

I had a coupon for a free 12 pack of Diet Mountain Dew. I still had to pay for deposit but I'll get that back when I return cans.


How did I get a coupon for a free 12 pack? I'm a BzzAgent! My friend Celeste at Itty Bitty Bistro told me about this a while ago. You can sign up and periodically, if there is a campaign that you might qualify for, you take a short survey and you may qualify. I'm currently doing one for Diet Mountain Dew. They sent me 2 cans, a coupon for a free 12 pack and a couple more coupons for $1 off any 12 pack. I love soda. Diet soda. I do also like Diet Mountain Dew although Diet Coke is my preferred drink of choice. So if you haven't tried Diet Mountain Dew before but are a diet soda junkie like me, try it the next time Pepsi products go on sale! All the buzz and caffeine of regular Mountain Dew but without the sugar and calories! Wooohoooo! If you want to register to be a BzzAgent, click HERE to find out how!

A Party On A Budget?

Birthday season is kicking off here in our household. My little guy is turning 3 next week. Which brings me to a great challenge - party planning frugally! Now granted, in the past, if we've had people over or birthday parties, I just buy whatever. Sales and coupons go on the back burner because party planning is not my thing. Buying all the stuff, making sure everything is in order and actually relaxing is not something I do.

But this year, I'm determined to do it. Birthday parties and coupons can and can mix! I do have some issues though...

- For starters, I don't have an oven. It will probably get hooked up soon but not before birthday extravaganza. Normally my toaster oven works fine for normal cooking of us - but yeah - it wouldn't cut it for party preparations.

- I like doing nothing. I usually buy stuff already like fruit and vegetable platters already done. More expensive? Sure! But I mentally tell myself it's worth it.

- I usually buy a pre-made birthday cake. Sure, I'd like to make my own cake or cupcakes, but decorating isn't my thing. If I tried to decorate a cake or cupcakes, I'm sure it would look like I went up to the local elementary school and asked a 3rd grade class to do it for me.

- I always offer a meal. I know the "cheap" way would be to not do this, but people come from all over - so I feel the need to feed them. But believe me - it's usually not all that good anyways! ;) ha ha!

- About 3 months ago, I found goodie bags and some fillers on clearance at Target. I thought "yeah! This is great!" So I bought them....now? I can't find them. I'm thinking I left them in the plastic bag and thought it was trash so tossed it. I just can't think of anywhere else they all might be. Oops.


Here are some things I have learned or will try to stick with this year:

- I'm feeding about 20 - not 200. I always overbuy for these things. Not a little but a lot.

- I don't need 12 different things out there. I think I usually have a lot of variety but I don't need all that stuff.

- Most people aren't as addicted to soda like me. I always have a ton of soda - and hardly anyone drinks it. Water bottles go fast though.

- I'm more gracious and more thankful when people offer to bring things. Usually when someone offers, I just say "no, no! I got it all!" But I'm more happy to have people bring things this year (just my immediate family - I'm not telling friends to bring stuff!!)

Have you learned anything good about party planning frugally? Life will be good when we can just have a bowling birthday party!

Shaw's Wellness Coupons!

If you haven't signed up for Shaw's emails, you should! You can do so at their site. Today, they emailed $10 in Wellness Savings. Click HERE to view and print them! Products include Vitamin Water, South Beach Diet Pizza, Pepsi One and many more. Remember! These are Shaw's coupons so if you have Manufacturer's Coupons that match up, you can use both!

Discount Gift Certificates at Mix 98.5!

For whatever reason, I stumbled onto the Mix 98.5 website. It's a local radio station here in Boston. Well they have 50/50 deals on local businesses, restaurants and attractions! For instance, they sell $50 gift certificates for $25! Places include Johnny Rockets (Braintree only), Dependable Cleaners, Monster Mini-Golf, Exotic Tans, Ben's & Jerry's (Natick) and many more! There are a limited number of each certificate and they seem to add more every week. Click HERE for a complete listing and to buy your discounted gift certificates now!

Crazy 8!

From now until Sunday, Crazy 8 is giving you 25% off your entire order! If you spend more than $75, you get free shipping. PLUS! They seem to be starting a promotion like Gymboree's Gymbucks. This is Crazy Cash. From March 18 - April 5th, for every $40 you spend, you'll earn $20 Crazy Cash. Then, from April 9th - 19th, you can use that $20 Crazy Cash on any purchase of $40 or more. Click HERE for more details on Crazy Cash!

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings: $68.61

Total Coupons Used: $15.98

Total OOP: $32.28

Total Toward Grocery Spending: $18.23

2 Shaw's Ice Cream Cones - $1 ea ($1/2 Shaw's Coupon) .50 cents ea!

2 Shaw's Cool Whip - $1.69 ea ($1/2 Shaw's Coupon) $1.19 ea

2 Asian Sensations - $2.50 ea (BOGO Shaw's took $3.99 off) .51 cents ea!

1 Hood Ice Cream - $2.50

1 Mama Rosie's Lasagna - $4.19 ($1/1 Shaw's Coupon) $3.19

2 Tropicana 50 - $3 ea (2 $1/1 MFCs) $2 ea

2 Tropicana OJ - $3 ea (1 $1/2 MFC) $2.50 ea - Got MIR for free OJ

3 Stoneyfield Yogurts - .75 ea ($1/3 MFC) .42 cents ea

2 Shaw's Shredded Cheese - $1.99 ea

2 Shaw's Block Cheese - $1.99 ea

1 Sorento String Cheese - $3.49 (.50/1 MFC) $2.49

1 Smart Balance Spread - $2.50 ($1/1 MFC) $1.50 ea

1 Smart Balance Milk - $2.99 (Free if you buy Spread MFC) FREE!

Things I have Learned:

-Good thing I'm not lactose intolerant!

-My kids are getting more demanding food wise. I know that sounds silly, but really. My soon-to-be 3 year-old is getting a lot more vocal about what he wants to eat. Darn.

-Asian Sensations BOGO automatically takes off $3.99 - more than what it should! Woooot!

-Here's a coupon trick for you - I think it looks like coupon fraud but I don't think it is. Maybe someone can set me straight if it is in fact coupon fraud (just don't call the po-pos on me!)...So I had a coupon "Buy Smart Balance Spread, Get Smart Balance Milk for Free" - great coupon. Now that MFC is for the MILK. I had another coupon for $1 off any Smart Balance Spread. That MFC is for the SPREAD. That is how I got away with using both MFCs. Make sense? If that $1 off MFC was for the milk, I wouldn't have been able to use it because I already had the MFC for the free milk. But I didn't have any coupons for the spread, so I was able to use the $1 off the spread. So the butter and milk cost me $1.50! This is one of those tricky situations where you can pull shady stuff like this - it doesn't happen often, but when it does, Wooo Hoooo! I figure, if it wasn't allowed, the register would have beeped at me. It didn't.

- I got 4 Tropicana OJ's - so the register generated a mail-in-rebate to get a free one. Woohoo! If you want to do this, note that you do not have to buy all 4 Tropicana's in one transaction. It's over a period of time but I don't know the period of time off the top of my head.

- I forgot my "free" coupons - but if you still have your Shaw's freezer coupons, they don't expire until 4/2! Remember to use them!

- I have used up my "free $30" on my Shaw's Gift Card. I have $281.77 left on it.

Free Stuff!

I usually don't sign up for freebies. It's just too time consuming and stuff. But every now and then if both kids or napping or I see something good, I will. Well I guess during one of my Freebie Frenzies, I signed up for this! I got home today only to find a box of Ziploc Big Bags in my mailbox! Woohoo!! That was pretty neat. Maybe I'll do more freebies in the future! Usually all I get are boxes of cereal or laundry detergent!

Shutterfly!

So remember how I said if you create some Shutterfly page, they'll give you free prints? I did this. Then I sent an invite to like 7 people (sorry for spamming you or whatnot). Well anyways, it took me probably a minute to do this (create and invite) and just a few days later - I got confirmation that I have a 50 print credit in my account! WoooHooo! Missed my Shutterfly post on how to get up to 60 free prints? Click HERE to read it and get the links to set up your own page and get your free prints! And it's okay if you are already a member of Shutterfly! In fact, it's probably easier!!

Why Doesn't K-Mart Like Us Pilgrims?

Really? I saw that a bunch of blogs were reporting double coupons this week. Now yes, I hate K-Mart. But I had it in my mind that it's worth almost catching a disease to save a couple extra bucks this coming week with double coupons. I NEED carpet and upholstery cleaner as my kids decided to puke and poop all over the house the past 2 weeks and I used up more cleaning supplies than I ever thought imaginable. So I have my Resolve and OxyClean coupons waiting to go - only to not see any mention of Double Couponing in my circular. In the past 2 or 3 Double Coupon extravaganzas - us Mass people had to wait until the following week to get our goods. So really, why does K-Mart hate Massachusetts? Or am I just missing something? Did I miss some fine print stating that there is double couponing that I just didn't see?

The Husband Does Shaw's!

I was slaving away in the kitchen and outside last night - decided to make cheeseburgers for dinner. Like with real raw beef and schlapping them together myself. But as I started preparing - I realized that I didn't have slices of cheese or hamburger buns - which, last time I checked, are key ingredients in cheeseburger making. I usually don't think dinner through thoroughly. So I called the husband as he was on his way home from work and told him to pick up cheese, buns and milk. He spent $10.47. Not sure where the receipt is (probably at the bottom of the trash can outside Shaw's) or if anything was on sale. I have to give myself some mad props - I haven't sent the husband out to grab groceries since way before the first of the year. I think he might have forgotten what a grocery store looks like.

He didn't have my Shaw's gift card - actually, I don't even think he knows I bought it. So I'm saying $10.47 with nothing saved.

Reebok & Rockport!

Enjoy 40% off at Reebok, Rockport, & Greg Norman Outlet Stores from March 25-29th. Thanks to my mother-in-law for passing on this great deal!

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings: $7.96

Total Coupons: $0

Total Recycling Return: $2.80

Cash OOP: $4.76

Amount Towards Grocery Spending: $0

Amount Left of "Free" Groceries: $14.05

I ran into Shaw's today because my husband is out of sugar for his coffee. He also brings sugar to work for coffee made there. So I stocked up. I also had cans to return. Fun stuff, huh?

PRODUCE PRICE LIST UPDATED!

The produce price list has been updated to include Roche Bros! Hopefully Hannaford's and BJ's will be coming soon as well! The link is on the right side bar. Or if you are too lazy to find it, click HERE. Overall, I think Roche Bros has pretty high prices compared to other stores - but their quality seems to be very high. I bought some grapes there today and they were a hundred times better than those at Stop & Shop!

Plaster Fun Time!

Click on this image to print and get $5 off a $20 purchase at Plaster Fun Time! Good until 3/31. Locations in Newton, Waltham, Framingham, Braintree, Chelmsford, Dedham, Salem, Charlestown & Reading. If you go to their website HERE, you can sign up to get email offers as well.

CVS!

Total Before Savings: $52.10
Total Coupons Used: $15.35
Total ECBs Used: $5
Cash OOP: $12.38
ECBs Earned: $5

2 Gold Emblem Candy (not pictured) - .88 ea ($1/2 CVS Coupon) .38 cents ea!

2 Tropicana OJs - $3 ea ($1/2 MFC) $2.50

3 Quaker Oatmeals - $2.50 ea ($1.35/2 MFC) (Earned $5 ECB for spending $15 on snacks)

1 Playskool Newborn Diapers - Clearance for $5.49 ($2/1 CVS Coupon) $3.49

2 Huggies Gentle Care Wipes - $5.99 (2 $5/1 MFC) .99 ea!

Roche Bros!

Total Before Savings: $92.42

Total Coupons Used: $10.68

Cash OOP: $53.18

17 Dannon Yogurt - .50 ea ($1/10 MFC, B6G1 Free) - .41 ea

3 Hood Half & Halfs - $2 ea

1 42-count Fish Sticks - $3.99

2 Diet Dr. Pepper 2 Liter - $1.79 ea (FREE MFC up to $1.59) - .20 ea!

1 Colgate - $1 (.50/1 MFC DOUBLES!) FREE!

5 Del Monte Fancy Fruit Cups - $1 ea ($2/4 MFC, $1/1 MFC) - .40 ea!

6 Dole Snack Cups - $1.77 (2 $1/3 MFCs) $1.44 ea!

3 5-pack Kraft Mac & Cheese - $2.88 ea = .58 cents ea!

2 Royal Puddings - .67 ea!

1 Tomato - $1.12

1 head of Lettuce - .88 cents

.97 lbs of green grapes - $1.93

4 packs of 85/15 ground beef - marked $2.49/lbs but should have been $3.99/lbs - $11.16

Things I have Learned From this Trip:

- If I wait until 11:15 to go shopping, not only is it busy but I'm hungry.

- I went in to buy 5 things and ended up spending $53. I blame stress.

- I found some packages of 85/15 ground beef marked at $2.49 a pound. Others were marked $3.99 a pound. An ethical person would tell the meat guy. I just grabbed a few of the lower priced ones and went on my way.

- I was debating about the Mac & Cheese. We need it. We are out. BJ's sells a 15 pack for $9.99 - so since I grabbed 3, my Roche Bros 15 pack was $8.64.

- Even though I didn't "save" a lot - the meat doesn't show any "savings" on the receipt - so I feel like a bandit and did get my money's worth.

- My 3 year-old really wanted that refridgerated pudding. At $3.29 for a 6 pack, I decided to tell him that we can buy pudding mix and make our own. He liked that idea.

- My 3 year-old insisted on buying a tomato. Not sure why. So I grabbed a head of lettuce and I'm going to have salad with our pork tenderloin tonight. My husband will wonder who this new wonder is he calls his wife.

- Dole fruit snacks! My husband is a fruit cup snob. He refuses to eat generic fruit cups and is iffy on Del Monte. Dole is his preferred brand (he was probably spoiled from us living in Hawaii years ago!). Furthermore, he only will eat Pineapple. BJ's doesn't carry just Pineapple and the regular price on these is $2.99 so I like to stock up when I can! So even though I had coupons for these, I might go back and grab 6 more (it's a limit of 6 on those things).

- I wore my slippers by accident and wasn't ashamed one bit. In fact, I think I'll do it again.

Shutterfly!

Get up to 60 Free Prints at Shutterfly! How?

- Get 30 Free prints when you create a Share site HERE

- Get 20 Free prints when you add 5 new members (not sure how this works, but if you want to be my friend or whatever, let me know!)

-Get 10 Free prints for posting a photobook to your site

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings: $65.29

Total Coupons Used: $25.69

Total OYNP Coupons Used: $10

Cash OOP: $11.19

Total Towards My Spending: $0

Kellogg's Deal

6 Rice Krispie Treats - $2.50 ea (3 $1/2 MFCs) $2 ea

4 Kellogg's Cereal - $2.50 ea (4 $1/1 MFCs) $1.50 ea

$18 minus $10 off 10 Kellogg's Coupon: $8 for all

2 Cupcake Wrappers - $1.19 ea (.25/2 MFC DOUBLES) .94 cents ea!

2 Ken's Dressings - BOGO @ $3.49 ($1/2 Shaw's Coupon, 2 .35/1 MFCs DOUBLE) .55 cents ea!

4 Nature's Pride Bread - BOGO @ $3.99 (4 .55/1 MFCs DOUBLE) .89 cents ea!

1 Shaw's Bagels - $1.25 (FREE Shaw's Coupon took $1.39 off) Made .14 cents!

1 Shaw's French Fries - $1.99 ($1/1 Shaw's Coupon) .99 cents!

1 pack of Shaw's Jumbo Muffins - $4.79

I did buy my $300 gift card and got $30 extra. So to make my grocery spending tracking easier, I'm going to NOT count the first $30 used on this card. I thought about how to figure this out and this is the easiest for me to do. I have $18.81 of "free" spending until I reach the $300 mark on my gift card.

Shaw's Gift Cards - GOOD DEAL!

After thinking about this Shaw's gift card thing for a couple days and talking to some friends, I decided that YES! This is a good deal! Okay. Today is March 19th. If you're "normal", you probably spend about $150 a week to feed your family (if you don't have kids, it's probably less). So when you do your grocery shopping this weekend, stop at the Customer Service desk and get your $300 gift card - which is actually $330. Then, since the deal doesn't expire until April 15th, in 2 weeks when you use up your $300, do it again. Even if you aren't into coupons or whatnot, this is THE EASIEST WAY TO SAVE $60 IMAGINABLE.

I bought my gift card this morning and it was very easy! The customer service lady said there is a limit of 5 gift cards per card. Now granted, dropping $1,500 to get $1,650 worth of Shaw's gift cards isn't something everyone can or should do, but I think most of us can do this deal 2 or 3 times over the next month just with normal spending. It just takes 2 extra minutes to buy your gift card! How easy to make $30 in only 2 minutes!!!!

Kohl's!

I found another GREAT reason why I love Kohl's! I got lured into some midnight sale they had Saturday. It was save an extra 15% on your purchase for 5 hours. I pretty much just wanted to take advantage of this because I have had a credit on my Kohl's charge since before Christmas when I returned some gifts that I thought weren't good (but I already paid the bill!) When I was adding stuff to my online cart (we need new pillows, mattress pads, socks, etc) - I noticed that there was a code for free shipping! So I thought "Oh, it's probably like every other site where you can only enter one code." But we needed some of these things and I honestly did not want to go to the store with the kids to buy them.

So I go to check out - and I noticed that you can enter up to TWO PROMO CODES at Kohls.com! How amazing!! Maybe this is some known fact that I just never knew about, but I was excited about it! So not only did I get an extra 15% off sale prices, I got free shipping too! Oh, and the bonus kicker - you get 3% for going through Cashbaq.com!

Just passing on this lovely bit for all those who may not know. The only issue was that the Free Shipping code was for $75 or more. At first, my 15% off brought my total below $75 so I lost my free shipping (and was "charged" $15.99!). But I found a clearance sweater for myself that brought my discounted amount just over $75 - and gave me FREE SHIPPING!

Shaw's!

Good deal, or not? If you get a $300 gift card at Shaw's, they'll load $330 on it. Or 10% extra. You think it's worth it? I might actually do it. It won't take me long to spend $300 at Shaw's. I'll subtract $30 from my grocery spending once I use up the card. Most people spend this in less than 2 weeks (if not one week!). A quick way to save 10% on your groceries! This promo is good until 4/15. Oh and you could get a $250 gift card and they'll give you an extra $20. This deal is featured on the front page of your circular if you don't believe me!

CVS!

Total Before Savings: $15.74

Total Coupons Used: $2.00

ECBs Used: $7.98

Cash OOP: $1.28

ECBs Earned: $5.00

2 Cadbury Cream Eggs - 2/$1

1 Robin's Eggs - $1.50

2 Hershey's Bliss - 2/$7 ($1/1 MFC)

2 Sour Brite Worms - 88 cents ea ($1/2 CVS coupon) - .38 cents ea!

The Sour Brite Worms were just an impulse purchase since the coupon center gave me a $1/2 Gold Emblem candy coupon. They're on sale this week for 88 cents. My husband loves these things so I got them for him. I'm too nice.

Stop & Shop!

We ran up to Stop & Shop because my almost 3 year-old had a need for grapes. He's been sick all week so I was actually happy that he actually wanted to eat something.

2.15 lbs of Red Seedless Grapes @ $2.79 lbs = $6.00

So yes, absolutely insane for grapes but you have to do what you have to do. Part of the reason I like to clip coupons and save mad loot is so that I don't feel really guilty when things like this happen. Let me tell you - these grapes are HORRIBLE too! My 3 year-old likes them though. I don't even know when grapes are "in season" - but it definitely isn't March!

CVS!

Total Before Savings:  $21.14

Total Coupons Used:  $4.50

ECBs Used:  $4.00

Cash OOP:  $8.34

ECBs Earned:  $7.98

2 Hershey Kisses - $1.88 ea

1 Mini Eggs - $2 ($1.50/3 MFC)

1 Baked Lays - $3 ($1/1 MFC)

1 Irish Spring Body Wash - $4.99 ($1/1 MFC) ($4.99 ECBs)

1 Colgate Max White - $2.99 ($1/1 MFC) ($2.99 ECBs)

Not some great performance, but gearing up for the Easter season.  I started 2 ECBs deals.  I'm not sure if people really know this, but when CVS advertises "Spend $15, Get $5 ECBs back" - YOU DO NOT NEED TO PURCHASE ALL $15 IN ONE TRANSACTION!  It's your total spending over the course of the sales week.  For instance, I'm doing the "Spend $15, get $7 ECBs on Hershey candy" deal and I'm planning on picking up 4 things of Tropicana Orange Juice later this week (part of a "Spend $15, Get $5 ECBs").  

The best part about breaking it up too is that your CVS receipt tells you how much left you have to spend in order to get your ECBs.  And it also tells you if you have already done the ECBs deal!  For instance, my receipt says the following:

Snacks, Spend 15 Get 5 EB

Amount Toward this Reward:  $3.00

Amount Needed to Earn Reward:  $12.00

Hershey, Spend 15 Get 5 EB

Amount Toward this Reward:  $5.76

Amount Needed to Earn Reward:  $9.24

Colgate Max, Buy 1 Get 2.99 EB

* Offer Limit Reached

Irish Spring, Buy 1 Get 4.99 EB

* Offer Limit Reached

So I have until Saturday to purchase the remaining amount for these deals in order to earn Extra Care Bucks!  Yey for CVS!

PRODUCE PRICE LIST UPDATED!

Celeste from Itty Bitty Bistro and I have teamed up to bring you a price list of what local supermarkets charge for fresh fruits and vegetables.  We so far have a good list of Stop & Shop, Shaw's, and Whole Foods.  Click HERE to see it!

I'm actually really into this for some odd reason.  It's a work in progress up I'm hoping to scope out Roche Bros. and Hannaford's this week too.  Celeste is the official "Organic Correspondant."  

Just a reminder, the prices I get for these items come from grocery stores south of Boston.  Prices Celeste gets are from the MetroWest region.  There is a direct link to this spreadsheet on the righthand side of my page under my grocery spending in case you want to come back to this at all.  

Impulse Grocery Buys!

Ran into two stores to buy a few things:

Stop & Shop

1 24 pack of Nathan's skinless Beef Franks - $9.99

1 pack of Hot Dog buns - $1.67

Total Saved:  $2

Total OOP:  $11.66

Tedeschi

1 gallon of 1% milk - $2.59

Total spent:  $14.25

And The Winner Is....

So apparently Katy at Happily Average is a psychic.  She guessed $90 for Tom and $140 for Ben.  I cashed in the coins and here's how the boys did:

Tom (18 monther) - $91.91 that was put on an Old Navy Gift card

Ben (3 years) - $142.24 that was put on a Lowe's Ecertificate

They were out of CVS cards!!  BOO!!  Also in my change extravaganza, I came across the following:

Canadian Money - $29.32 = $23.05 USD

Japanese Money - 1000 Yen =  $10.10 USD

So $33.15 USD in foreign currency laying around this place!  The last time we went to Canada was in 2004 when we hit up Vancouver, British Columbia for a weekend.  Then I spent a week in Tokyo also in 2004...so for over 5 years, I've just had this in my possession!  

All in all, $267.30 laying around our house!  The moral of this story?  Cash in your kids' piggy banks before they realize the value of a dollar!  You might be surprised at how much they got! ;) 

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings:  $16.61

Total Coupons Used:  $3.00

Cash OOP:  $5.65

1 3.34 lbs of Corned Beef Point Cut - $4.98

1 head of cabbage - .67 cents

5 lbs of Russet Potatoes - $2.50

1 lbs of Carrots -.50 ($3.00 off potatoes and carrots when you buy Corned Beef Coupon)

I went to Shaw's today - and FORGOT MY COUPONS!   Ugh.  Oh well.  I got what I needed for tonight's feast.  Oh, they were out of the Shaw's 1 lbs carrots but they had these ORGANIC carrots on sale for .50.  The coupon still worked so if you're at Shaw's getting your corned beef and they are out of Shaw's carrots, buy Organic!  

Oh - and I went to Walmart yesterday.  I got some candy because I needed it:

1 bag of Jelly Beans - $1.66

1 bag of Sour Bright Worms - .97

Total OOP:  $2.63

Guess How Much Money This Is!

Here are the contents of each kid's piggy bank.  Ben's is on the left, Tom's is on the right.  Ben is almost 3 and Tom is 18 months.  How much money have they saved?  If you feel like guessing, post a comment and the winner will get a shoutout on my blog!  ;)  Results shall come soon!  

Coinstar and CVS!

My kids' piggy banks are getting full.  Like really full.  Now I remember back in the 80s, I used to sit at my dining room table and roll my change.  Then we'd proceed to go to People's Bank and I'd deposit them.  Fast forward to 2009.  I do not have the patience to roll coins.  I do not have a local bank to deposit them in.  So what to do?  COINSTAR!!

Problem?  If you do coin to cash, they charge you 8.9 cents per dollar redeemed.  No thanks.  It's not worth that big of a fee (8.9%!)  BUT!  If you transfer your change into gift cards, you get the FULL VALUE!  Now I did this when we moved from Washington to Boston in 2005 with a jar that hung out above our washing machine.  I didn't want to pay the fee for my loose change, but there weren't many good cards to choose from.  So I got myself a $92 gift card to Starbucks.  Now though?  WOWZERS!!

You can get a gift card for CVS, Lowe's, Amazon, Old Navy, etc without any fees!  Click HERE for all offered and to find a location near you!  I'm sure most of us have a jar or something of change laying around - might as well redeem it and use it!  Especially if you need some clothes and have one of those 30% off Old Navy Coupons for this weekend!  

Now I know some are thinking now "Becky!  Goodness!  Stealing from your kids?"  No no no.  I'll give them the money in an account and maybe some to go buy whatever they want.  I'm not paying a fee though!  I'll probably get a CVS card and not have to pay cash for the rest of the year - but I'll still count the total towards my grocery spending.  I kind of wonder how much change we've accumulated over the past 3 years....

Bargain Becky Does A Research Project!

Since the New Year, I've really been paying attention to the price of milk, eggs and bread.  Stuff you can't really score coupons for.  Well I was thinking about the prices of fresh fruits and veggies - and having a little motivation from my friend Celeste at Itty Bitty Bistro, I scouted out our two big New England grocery stores to see what the prices were for fresh fruits and veggies!  

Click HERE to see my shocking findings of what the "normal" prices are for fruits and vegetables at Shaw's, Stop & Shop, some Roxie's and eventually BJ's.

Here's some info on my "project":

-  I recorded prices at a Stop & Shop in a more affluent community.  The Shaw's I recorded at was in more of a working class community.  

-  I recorded all REGULAR prices of popular fruits and veggies.  I did start some basic meat, but forgot to track at Shaw's last night.  I'll be there again by week's end so I'll update then.  

-  I talked previously about only buying fresh veggies and fruits when they are in season and on sale.  But honestly, I had ZERO idea of what "normal" prices were for these things.  I mean, I just bought 3 1 lbs containers of Strawberries on sale for $1.67 ea.  For all I knew, the normal pricing of these could have been $1.79 and I wasn't saving a whole lot.  But now I know!

-  I recorded all standard quality - no organics.  

-  All prices are recorded by pound, except where noted.  Like Cantaloupes, Pineapples, Cucumbers, Lettuce and Blueberries are all by item or container.  

-  I was honestly shocked that overall, Stop & Shop's regular prices on fresh produce are lower than Shaw's.

-  This is a good list to keep to compare to sale prices.  For instance, this week, I think both Shaw's and Stop & Shop have cabbage on sale for 25 cents a pound.  Normally cabbage is 69 cents a pound!  What a savings!  

-  Remember that your stores could be different.  I live south of Boston and these are probably pretty accurate for the Boston Metro region.  I always thought the prices in "higher class" communities were higher, but my little experiment proved otherwise.  At least for here.  Or maybe S&S just has lower prices like they boast!  

- I hope to get on the ball and research BJ's - but most of the time at BJ's I find that I do not need 10 lbs of potatoes or 10 lbs of oranges.  I'd rather spend a little more per pound to get a quantity that suits our family.  

-  I hope to update in a couple months.  It's actually kind of fun to walk around the produce department with my kids and talk about fruit.  It's like a free field trip.  We're weird though.

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings:  $80.00

Total Coupons Used:  $34.26

Total OYNP Used:  $10

Cash OOP:  $17.64

Total OYNP Earned:  $10

$25/$10 Catalina

1 Bagelfuls - Reg. $2.50, Sale $2 ($1/1 MFC) $1

2 Triscuits - Reg. $3.29 ea, Sale $2.50 ($2/2 MFC) $1.50 ea

1 Munch Pack - Reg. $6.49, Sale $4.99 ($1/1 MFC) $3.99

2 Deli Creations - Reg. $4.99 ea, Sale $2.50 ($1/2 MFC) $2 ea

OOP:  $11.99, Earned $10 OYNP

7 Mentos Gum - Some $1.50, Some .75 cents (7 misc Coupons) $1.90 for 7 packs = .27 cents ea

1 Shaw's Bulkie Rolls - $1.99 ($1/1 Shaw's Coupon) .99 for 6

2 Ragu - BOGO @ $2.79 (.50/2 MFC DOUBLES) .90 ea

1 El Montery Taquitos - $5.99 ($1/1 MFC, $1/1 Shaw's Coupon) $3.99

1 12 oz Frank's Hot Sauce - $2.50 (.50/1 MFC DOUBLES, $1/1 Shaw's) .50 cents

2 5 oz Frank's Hot Sauce - $1.29 ea (2 FREE MFC's) FREE!

1 Shaw's Ice Cream Sandwiches - $3.29 ($1/1 Shaw's Coupon) $2.29

1 Cascade Rinse - $4.49 (FREE MFC) FREE!

13 Yoplait Yogurts - 10/$6 ($1/10 Shaw's Coupon, .40/6 MFC DOUBLES, Buy 6, Get one Free) - .41 cents ea!

1 Shaw's Deep Dish Pie Crusts - $2.69 (Free Shaw's Coupon) FREE!

1 Shaw's Steamy Veggies - $1.79 (Free Shaw's Coupon) FREE!

Things I learned This Trip:

- The BLUE Mentos gum is on clearance at Shaw's for .75 (NOT GREEN!).  Match up with the $1.00/1 and .55/1 MFCs to make money!!

- I knew I'd drop some loot since we needed yogurt and Taquitos.  Yes, we NEED taquitos!  If you're a processed food junkie like me, it's good to know that $3.99 for a big box of taquitos IS a good deal!  Normal price is $7.99.

- Ice Cream Sandwiches were a splurge - but my son has been sick and I wanted a treat for whenever he decides to stop throwing up.  

-  My Shaw's was already out of the freezer books (MANY THANKS to Celeste at Itty Bitty Bistro for giving me one of her books!).  I wanted to get the Free lemonade, bagels and corn but they were all out.  Good thing they don't expire for a while.  

-  The price of Shaw's milk has gone down to $3.39!  

I'll be going back to Shaw's on Friday to get our St. Patrick's Day Feast stuff!  Great coupon on this coming week's flyer - Buy a corned beef, get potatoes and carrots free!  I usually cook corned beef on St. Patrick's Day, but since the husband will be working from 6:15 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Tuesday, I'm going to do it on Saturday or Sunday!  Have a fear of Corned Beef?  COOK IT IN THE CROCKPOT!  It's delicious!  I just throw the beef, potatoes, carrots and some onion in the crock pot with some water.  Then when we're about to be done, I boil some cabbage (and use some of the fatty juices from the crockpot).  It's superb!  

Meal Planning - Why I'm Quitting!

So I tried out "meal planning" for 2 weeks.  Yeah, it's not for me.  I'll add meal planning to that long list of things that I'm not good at.  I think I actually stuck to my game plan 3 out of 14 days.  That's failing no matter what system you use.  To think positively though, I see that one of my strong suits in life is being able to open my refrigerator and cabinets everyday and magically have something for dinner without any prior planning.  And worst case?  Our pizza place is speed dial number 5 on my cell phone.

So good-bye meal planning.  It wasn't nice to know you in the short time you existed in my life.  I admit defeat - but to make myself feel better, I'm going to run to Shaw's tonight after my husband gets home to redeem myself!  

Tis Prom Season...Time For Ebay!

You know those dresses you bought to go to weddings?  Or dresses you bought because you were in weddings?  Or if you're part of the younger crowd, those dresses you bought to go to proms?  Well guess what?  Prom season is fast approaching.  Let's face reality - you probably won't wear those dresses ever again.  If you know you won't and want to free up some closet space and earn some loot, now is the time to sell them on Ebay!  Dresses are great because they are pretty lightweight - so shipping costs aren't too bad.  

Are you not the Ebay type and just want to get rid of these dresses?  Consider donating them to Belle of the Ball!  Anton's Cleaners and Jordan's Furniture are taking prom dress donations from now until April 3rd.  They ask that they be sort of trendy, but trendy is in the eye of the wearer, right?  

Info HERE:  Belle of the Ball!  Also, if you know a teenager who is planning on going to the prom but can't afford a dress, there is information on how to get her registered to pick out a free dress.  

Free Fun This Weekend!

Looking for some free fun this weekend with the kiddos?  Check out these things!!  Let's hope the weather is good!

A.C. Moore - Thomas the Tank Engine Make and Take - 1 pm - 3 pm on Saturday.  Check your local flyer HERE for details.

Toys R Us - Barbie Extravaganza!  Toys R Us, Target and K-Mart all boast some retro Barbie on sale for $3 this week!  This Saturday, go to Toys R Us from 12 - 2 pm for all things Barbie.  Click HERE for more info!

Lowe's - There's a kid workshop this Saturday morning.  The choices are a tabletop basketball hoop or flower mobile.  Check it out HERE.  I think they say the ages are 5-12, but the people at my Lowe's lured my husband and 2 year old into trying this out one weekend!

Boston Central - Such a great site to find stuff going on in your neck of the woods!  We're actually going to check out a local maple syrup thing if the weather cooperates this Saturday!  Wouldn't have known about it without Boston Central!

St. Patrick's Day Parade! -  Yey!  It's that time of year again!  The weather kept us away last year but we're going to try to truck it on in this year.  It's a double bonus for our kids since we'll take the T in.  Two train rides AND a parade!  Oh my goodness!  And Bargain Time!!  Kids 11 and under get to ride free the T free with a paying adult!  Whoop!  Click HERE for parade details.  It's at 1 pm in Southie.  

Shaw's!

It's been posted on other blogs and stuff, but wanted to throw it out there - if you haven't already seen it, check out your Shaw's for some crazy Penguin with coupon flyers!  There's a TON of FREE coupons in that thing!  My friend Celeste from ITTY BITTY BISTRO was kind enough to give me one today.  

I looked through it a little and there are coupons for Free Shaw's Frozen Bagels, Free Hood Frozen Yogurt, and Free Shaw's Frozen Corn on the Cob.  I know there are others but I'm too lazy to look now.  Thanks Celeste and others out in Internet land for posting about this. 

Can't find the Penguin in your store?  Ask your friendly customer service desk person for the Frozen Food Coupon book.  If they look at you like you're nuts then it's probably best to just walk away.  

Pyrex!

Need some new cookie sheets or pans?  Might as well get a rebate off of them!  Click HERE to get to the rebate form!  Mad props for my mother for sending this offer my way!  This offer is good until NOVEMBER of this year!!  So when you're thinking about buying new pans, think Pyrex!

Stop & Shop!

Total Before Savings:  $44.48

Total Coupons Used:  $13.29

Total OOP:  $4.22 (Really $19.22 but I used a Mail-In-Rebate card)

2 12 packs of Coke - $3.34 (2 $1/1 MFCS with DOUBLERS) $1.34 ea plus .60 deposit on each

1 Simply Orange Juice - $3 ($1/1 MFC with DOUBLER) $1

1 Perdue Chicken Nuggets - $2.99 ($1/1 MFC with DOUBLER) .99 cents

2 Yo Plus Yogurt - $2 (2 $1.50/1 MFCs) .50 cents ea!

1 Wrigley Gum (not pictured) - $1.29 (FREE MFC) FREE!

1 Dawn Dishsoap - $1 (.50/1 MFC DOUBLES) FREE!

1 S&S Butter - $2.50

3 Containers of Strawberries - 3/$5

1.54 lbs Braeburn Apples - .99/lbs - $1.52

1 case of S&S Water - $3.33

It was odd being back in Stop & Shop.  Besides a quick trip around Christmas time, I haven't been in a while.  They lured me with the double coupons and I know I could have used them at Shaw's but I wanted to scope out S&S again.  

I'm only counting the $4.22 towards my spending because the $15 gift card was because of a Mail-In-Rebate I got in 2008 from purchasing 2 Olay products (good deal - it was buy 2 Olay products, get $15 back!  I found some eye cleaner with firming stuff for $7.99 ea!  So I paid $15.98 in December, but just got this $15 card!).  It would be different if someone gave me a S&S gift card, but this is different!  I seem to be making up my grocery spending rules as I go along!  

I'll get $1.20 back from returning the cans - so in reality, it was about $3 for me for this stuff.  But I take off the recycling deposit when I actually redeem the cans.  Also, the water was an after thought.  I knew I was close to my $15 needed, but I would have been under if the bottle deposit wasn't counted, so to be safe, I grabbed the case of water.  My husband was thrilled!  

Check out The Grocery Cart Challenge if you need some motivation to stay on track!

Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic!

I got a coupon to save 30% off your entire purchase at Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic good from March 12-15 (this coming weekend).  If you want me to forward it to you, let me know.  I tried being all sneaky and posting it here, but the barcode won't come up.  They're catching on to my scamming ways!  If you're registered with one of these companies, you probably got it too.  

Leave me a comment or email me if you want it!

Wisconsin Cheeseman & Cashbaq!

I've been looking to get something for our neighbors - they have been so very nice and have actually snowblowed our driveway and sidewalk after EVERY snow storm this past winter!  Isn't that nice?   If you live in Massachusetts - you know that snowstorms hit us all too often this past winter!  But what do you really get 50-somethings who can pretty much buy whatever they want and don't really need anything?  A gift basket!  

So in my searches of gift baskets, I discovered a great deal if you've been meaning to give a gift but are strapped for cash (or just want a good deal!)!  See that picture up there?  On sale for $8.74 and standard shipping is $7.99 - So $16.73 to make someone's life a little sweeter!  

You can score this and other clearance gifts at the Wisconsin Cheeseman by clicking HERE.  If you go through Cashbaq.com they'll give you 8% back of your purchase!  I'm not sure if the shipping is part of that 8%.  

I always thought of us as being "too young" to have to have a snow blower.  We're in our twenties, we're able bodied...but as we're approaching 30 (well, me at least), I find I'm getting lazy.  Now that the winter season is coming to a close, I'll be scoping out clearance snow blowers!!  If you come across any great deals - let Bargain Becky know!!  

BJ's!

Total OOP:  $12.64

2 gallons of 1% Milk - $2.08 ea

2 dozen eggs - $2.79

1 gallon of Tropicana OJ - $5.69

The price of eggs went down - a lot!  Just last time I bought eggs, they were $3.49.  Now $2.79.  Same thing, basic old eggs.  

I'm still in shock at how low milk is now.  Honestly, I never really paid attention to the price of milk until recently.  I'm pretty sure the highest I have paid for milk was $4.39 about this time last year.  Then $3.99.  Then if I was motivated, I would run into Tedeschi's down here and it was $2.79.  Only at the New Year did I really think I should try to save on the basics too.  

By the way, I did notice that milk at Shaw's (Shaw's milk) is still at $3.69.  Even though the BJ's pricing dropped a couple times in the past month or two, I only noticed a drop in the Shaw's price once.  

And yeah, some milk is gone!  When we got home from shopping yesterday, my camera battery was dead and I just now took the picture.  We got home around 4 pm - and look at all the milk we have drank since then!!  It's about 7:30 am and my kids are still sleeping!!  

Plaster Fun Time!

Are you near Waltham and looking for something to do tomorrow?  Go to the new Plaster Fun Time!  Print off this coupon and get Buy One Get One Free!!  I should have posted sooner - but this expires tomorrow!

Shaw's!

Total Before Savings:  $30.41

Total Coupons Used:  $10.50

Total OYNP Coupons Used:  $10.00

Cash OOP:  $1.00

Total OYNP Coupons Earned:  $10.00

Spend $25, Get $10 Catalina

1 Deli Creation - Reg. $4.99, Sale $2.50 (.50/1 MFC DOUBLES) $1.50

3 100 Calorie Granola Bars - Reg. $3.49, Sale $3 (3 .75/1 MFCs DOUBLE) $1.50 ea

2 100 Calorie Oreo Cakesters - Reg. $3.19, Sale $2 ($2/2 MFC) $1.00 ea

1 Wheat Thins - Reg. $3.29, Sale $2.50

1 Triscuit - Reg. $3.29, Sale $2.50 ($2/2 cracker MFC) $1.50 ea

1 Quaker Quakes - $1.00 (.50/1 MFC DOUBLES) FREE!!

My husband called yesterday afternoon to say he was going to be working late.  So I asked my boys if they wanted to go play the Shaw's game.  They seemed excited to have some afternoon fun.  I walked in with a $10 OYNP, dropped just a buck and walked out with a $10 OYNP.  My friendly express-lane cashier Chris was all like "Dang!  That's some serious savings!"  So I had to be all cool back and say "Oh yeah, this is what I do."  Then when the $10 OYNP popped out he eyed me like I was all shaddy.  I'm not shaddy Chris.  This is just what I do!

Kashi!

Get a FREE Frozen Kashi Entree!  Click HERE to get yours!!  Pretty much you sign up and they'll send you a coupon in the mail.  

Bargain Finds Are In The Eye Of The Beholder!

Being a good bargain shopper doesn't necessarily mean spending less than $50 on groceries a week.  Being a good bargain shopper doesn't mean cutting desires and fun stuff out of your grocery cart to save money.  Being a good bargain shopper doesn't mean you have to only shop sale items with coupons.  Only you can be the best judge of how good of a bargain shopper you really are. 

Why?  "Bargain shopping" is an intangible measurement.  We're all different individuals with different wants, needs & desires.  One person's bargain is another person's rip off.    Here's what I mean:

-  If I can score some denture adhesive for $1, it would actually be a rip-off for me because I won't use denture adhesive and I'd just throw it away.  My elderly neighbor might think it's the deal of the century, stock up on 5 and brag that he saved over $20 on his purchase.  If you get a great deal, but end up not using the product (and yes, I have done this before!  Who hasn't??!!) then it's really not a bargain!

-  If Organic tomato sauce goes on sale for $1.50 a jar - someone who eats organically may be in heaven!  With a normal price tag of $3.39, this is over a 50% savings!  Stock up!  Someone like me who's more of a Ragu and Prego person can usually score a jar for under a dollar.  And usually, $1 is my "limit" for a jar of tomato sauce.  Miss Organic probably has a higher level of "bargain satisfaction" from her $1.50 per jar of Organic tomato sauce than I do if I got Ragu for $1 because I personally know that I have scored tomato sauce a lot cheaper in the past.  Who got the "better bargain"?  You can't use the actual dollar amount spent on an item (or a week's worth of groceries) - you need to look at the bigger picture and see "Well for what I personally purchased, I got a great deal!"  If you can walk out of a store and have that "happy" feeling, whether you spent $13 or $113 - then you did good!!

-  I feel safe saying that probably over 90% of American shoppers would say that getting a box of cereal for $2 is a good deal.  I, on the other hand, feels ripped off if I have to spend more than $1 per box of cereal.  So take me who scored a box of Apple Jacks for $1 and Joe Schmoe who scored a box of Honey Combs for $2.  Someone might say "Wow!  You scored a better deal than Joe!"  But Joe's "bargain shopping" might have scored him the same amount of bargain satisfaction that I received.  He might be accustomed to paying $3.50 a box.  I wouldn't pay $3.50 on a box of cereal if my life depended on it.  

-  Your dietary needs could prevent you from being completely bargain savvy.  If you have someone with a milk or peanut allergy in the house - you'll probably be forced to buy higher end items to avoid possible exposure.  If you're looking to lose weight - you'll probably be forced to have to forgo some of the great sales because let's face it, a lot of what goes on sale is not exactly healthy food.  Same holds true for some who have to watch their sodium intake.  Processed food is loaded with sodium.  I love it and eat it, but I don't have high blood pressure or any other ailment that prevents me from doing so (well not yet that is).  

-  The best way to measure your level of bargain shopping is compare yourself to yourself.  Are you trying to bring your grocery bill down?  Well how are YOU doing compared to yourself last year?  It can be a little detrimental if you compare yourself to others who can bring a $100 "pre-sale" grocery bill down to $16.  But if you find that last year you were spending on average about $150 a week on groceries and now you're spending $120 without making too many sacrifices - then you're doing really good!   Slashing just $30 from your grocery budget a week saves you $1,560 a year!  

-  Use your income and grocery savings to your advantage!  There are just some products that you can get dirt cheap if you work sales.  Tomato sauce, cereal, and toothpaste are good examples.  Whether you make $30K a year or $200K a year, you should get these products at the cheapest price possible!  Why should you pay more for Colgate toothpaste just because you're filthy rich?  Use your dollar wisely.  If you do have extra money to burn on groceries, treat yourself to the things that might matter to you that you can't get dirt cheap - like fresh cuts of good meat.  Seafood.  Fancy ice cream, chocolate or coffee.  What's the motivation to earn and save money if you're not going to spend some of it and treat yourself!?!  

-  Seeing your "savings" on the bottom of a grocery receipt may be rewarding, but again, you have to look at the big picture.  My big example of this is my favorite little meat market, Roxie's.  Everything in that store is dirt cheap (without sacrificing quality in my opinion).  There's no fancy "savings" on the bottom of my receipt and there's no "savings" to add into my collective savings for the year.  However, I'm saving  A BUNDLE by purchasing my meat at that place vs. chain supermarkets.  Plus, the "savings" at the bottom of say CVS and Shaw's receipts are a little misleading.  I know for a fact that I wouldn't buy 98% of the things I do if they weren't on sale.  So am I really "saving" that money?  I wouldn't ever spend $3 on a box of fruit snacks just because they weren't on sale.  If I ran out of fruit snacks, we'd suck it up and wait to purchase them at the next sale.   I'd never buy a Gillette Fusion razor at $9.99 nor would I ever buy diapers at $10.99 a pack.  See where I'm going?

So sure - it's great to be able to say "I only spend $50 a week on groceries" or "I only spend $75!"  But even if you are spending $100, $120 or even $150+ - you could be a GREAT bargain shopper because of what you are getting for that money!  Only after you really look at yourself and your needs and wants can you really determine how good of a bargain shopper you really are!

This post was inspired by Katy's recent poll at Happily Average!

CVS!

Total Before Savings:  $20.97

Total Coupons Used:  $4

Total ECBs Used:  $8

Cash OOP:  .51 cents

ECBs Earned:  $4.00

1 Gillette Fusion Razor - $7.99 ($4/1 MFC) ($4 ECBs)

2 RoseArt Crayons - Reg. $1.49, Clearance .75 Cents!

2 RoseArt Markers - Reg. $2.99, Clearance $1.50 ea!

My original plan was to roll my ECBs on the Fusion and Carnation Instant Breakfast - but the CVS I went to was out of the Carnation.  I wanted to put crayons and markers in the kids' Easter Baskets this year - and this CVS had a ton of Crayola and RoseArt products on 50% clearance!  Woohoo!!  And yeah, I'm probably a bad mother for buying Easter gifts for the boys while they were with me, but I don't think they noticed.  I'm also a bad mother for leaving a bin of their crayons on the radiator and having them all melt into one big wax brick.  Oops.  

I'm adding this whole whopping .51 cents to my grocery total even though most isn't grocery.  Gifts are not included in my $5,000 goal - but the razor is!