And again later...

I made one more stop at Wags later, once I knew the airplus socks RR was printing.

.08 Cents OOP!

Airplus Aloe infused socks ($3.00)
Flexitol Blistop (Sale $5.00)
3x Dentyne Gum (Sale .66 each)
Scotch Pop up tape (Clearance $1.09)


Used Coupons:
$1/1 Dentyne Gum 6/13 SS
$1/1 Dentyne Gum from WAGS July Savings booklet
$1/1 Scotch Popup Tape Printable, (NLA But there is a .75/1 HERE)

Used RRs $3 Blistex, $2 Oral B, $3 Oral B
Got RRs $5 Blistop, $3 Airplus

Paid .08 oop
Saved: $19.76
Spent $8 RRs
Earned $8 RRs

(earlier in the day I was at a different Wags, and they had the pop up tape clearanced for .99 cents.  I was unable to use my coupon for $1 off because of the 1 cent overage.  The associate called over a manager, but he stated there was no way for him to override the transaction and make the coupon go through, even if they adjusted the coupon down.  So, I didn't get it.  I found it for 10 cents more at my regular wags, and so I scooped it up.  It was actually a good filler, because without it my transaction would have been short one cent to be able to use all my RRs!)

FREE free free at Safeway!

Sorry for the poor quality photo!  I took it with my phone because my camera ran out of batteries!
But, you get the jist - 3 bags of goldfish crackers, 1 jug of Ocean Spray Blueberry juice, and a cake mix for FREE!

Goldshish Crackers: (Sale .88 cents each)
Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice (Sale $1.50)
Betty Crocker Cake mix (Sale .99 cents)

Used coupons:
.75/1 Goldfish Grahms Printable (NLA)
2x .50/1 Goldfish Crackers HERE
$1/1 Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice HERE
Doubled all 4 up to .50 cents = $2 off total.

plus LOADED .50/1 Goldfish, .75/1 Goldfish Grahams on Shortcuts.com
AND .50/1 Goldfish on cellfire.com 

Total = FREE!

*I actually ended up with .87 cents overage, which I wasn't expecting.  I think that when I was planning it in my head, I had only doubled 2 coupons.  I learned on this trip that Safeway will double any coupon up to .50 cents, and before I had thought that they would only double coupons .50 cents and under.  So, sadly, I lost the overage when the cashier zeroed it out.  If I had known about it, I would have thrown in another cake mix or goldfish.  BUT, I decided that I just paid .87 cents for a learning experience and was happy about all my free stuff!

Albertsons doubler bonanza!

I went to Albies with J and his Grandma today, so I did 3 transactions with doublers (I had his grandma do one with her stuff, since she was not using any doublers.  Then I had J do one, then I went.  It isn't really necessary to have a different person do each transaction, but I just felt like it would go quicker that way, and make me feel less weird!)

Total OOP: $4.38

Transaction #1:
2x Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce (Sale $1 each)
2x Taco Bell Hot Sauce (Sale $1 Each)
2x Taco Bell Seasoning (Sale $1 Each)

Used $1/2 Sweet Baby Rays from 5/23 SS
Used 2 $1/2 Taco Bell Products Printable ( No longer available)
Doubled all 3 =
FREE!

Transaction #2
2x Lean Cuisine Pizzas (Sale $1.88 Each)
Ocean Spray Craisins Pomegranate (Sale $1.99)
2 limes (.50 cents)


Used 2x  $1/1 Lean Cuisine Causal Cuisine Panini, Flatbread or pizza varieties HERE
Used $1/1 Ocean Spray Craisins Peelie that I got off of my Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice
Doubled all 3 =
.25 cents for the limes (overage from Lean Cuisine paid for part of them!)

Transaction #3
2x Super Chill Seltzer (Sale .79 cents each)
Best Foods Olive Oil Mayo (Sale $1.99)
2x Box Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Sale $2.49 Each)
1 Box Golden Grahams (Sale $2.49)
1 Box Cocoa Puffs (Sale $2.49)

-$4 Instant Savings for buying 4 Select General Mills Cereal = $1.49 each

Used Coupons:
2x $1/2 Boxes General Mills Cereal from Coupons.com
.75/1 Best Food Mayo from 6/27 RP

Doubled all 3=
$4.13 OOP!

Total Savings: $36.82!

.21 Cents OOP at Walgreens!

Pretty good trip to Wags, except that it was the second trip - the first time I went in I was told that NO RRs were printing, in the whole State of Oregon!  I called later to check, and the person on the other end of the phone told me that the seemed to be working, but he didn't sound so sure.  When I went in, one of the girls in cosmetics did a fake transaction for me, and it turns out they were working, again.  Hurray!

This was actually done in one transaction.  I got:
2x Oral B Manual Pulsar 3-D White Toothbrushes (Sale $4.99)
Blistex Fruit Smoothies 3 pack ($2.99)
3x Dentyne Gum (.66 cents each)
2x Arizona Tea 20 oz (.99 cents each)
Green Sharpie (Clearance .24 cents)

I used coupons:
B1G1 Oral-B Pulsar from 6/6 PG
$1/1 Dentyne Gum 6/13 SS
WAGS Monthly Coupon for Dentyne (took off .99 cents)
WAGS in ad coupon for Arizona (took off .98 cents)
Used RRs: $5 Brilliant, $2 Herbal Essences, $2 Herbal Essences
Got RRs: $3 Oral B, $2 Oral B, $3 Blistex

Paid: .21 cents OOP
SAVED: $25.60
Used $9 RRs
Got $8 RRs

The double Oral B RR is a fluke, it seems to be an over lap of this months RR and  last months RR.  It will most likely be fixed tomorrow, so if you want the free toothbrushes, go tonight! Those toothbrushes are expensive, regularly $7.49 - so 2 for FREE is awesome!

coupons.com > redplum.com and smartsource.com

Redplum and SmartSource, why do you hate me?  I have Java installed.  I have the coupon printer installed.  Why do you always tell me that I don't?  Why can't you be more like coupons.com, and work all the time?

Seriously, I groan every time I realize a coupon I want to print is from smartsource or redplum.  They are so hard to print from!  At least 75% of the time I can't print it.  SmartSource always tells me that I don't have Java installed.  But I do.  The most updated version.  Redplum always tells me I don't have their printer installed.  But I do.  Even if I try to click on the button that says "Install Printer!"  Nothing happens.

Granted it may be my computer, which at nearing 4 years old is a dinosaur. But I still feel that I should be able to print my 2 coupons hassle free.  If coupons.com can do it, so should RP and SS.

Examples of coupons I would have liked to print TODAY, but couldn't because SS and RP suck:

$1/1 Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice for .50 cents Juice at Safeway PRINT if you can

$2/1 Smart Balance Milk for a great deal on my milk of choice PRINT if you can

$5 at Target

So it wasn't so much of an amazing deal week at Target, but J and I were going grocery shopping, and I talked him into stopping by so that we could do the Sobe deal.  I was lucky enough to actually have 5 BOGO coupons from the heads or tails game and the facebook page (go HERE to read my post about that).  He agreed, as long as we used the $5 gift card to buy some groceries.  We only have a regular target, not a Super Target, or I would probably do all my grocery shopping there!  The other things we bought weren't fantastic deals, but still free, so I'm not complaining.

We did this in two transactions. 
Transaction #1
10x Sobe ( $10.00)
Used 5x B1G1 Sobe coupons (go HERE to see how I got them)
Paid $5.50 ( Oregon bottle deposit!)
Got a $5.00 Target Gift Card for buying 10 Sobes
(there were also a few Target .50/1 coupons, but I had already used them, and they were no longer available)

Transaction #2
Wheat thins ($2.50)
2x Act II mini bags popcorn ($1 each)
Cocoa Pebbles ($2.46)

Used $1/1 Peelie found on wheat thins box
Used $1/2 Act II PRINT
Total $4.96
Used $5.00 Gift card from before
= 0.00 OOP!

Freaking J and his cereal, I swear to God.  He's killing me.  We go months without eating cereal, and now he wants it all the time.  Of course, I'm not stocked on it, so we end up paying full price all the time.  It just kills me that we pay $2.50 for a box when I know I could get it for .50 cents a box during a good sale and coupon pair up!  I'm determined to stockpile cereal now.  It's a must.

Schick Hydro Review

OK, so one of the great things about couponing is that you get to try items/brands that you might not normally buy.  When you are paying full price for things, you tend to either grab the cheapest thing, or you get stuck in a brand rut and always buy the same thing.  Not that there is anything wrong with brand loyalty.  But since I get so many products for super cheap or free, I have had an opportunity to test out things I might not have tried otherwise.  And I have been surprised at how much I liked some of the items!  So, I decided to start writing reviews of the products I try. 

First on the agenda is the Schick Hydro.  I was lucky enough to score these for FREE a few weeks ago at Walgreens, and then again last week.  I originally got them for J, but at this point I have gotten so many deals on razors that he has at least a year supply.  I, on the other hand, have NO supply - why are there always great deals on razors for men, but not for women?  Not that it matters, though.  I mean, a razor is a razor, and making it pink and adding "for women" does not really make it any different.  So, when I found myself in need of a new razor, I raided J's stockpile.  I chose the Schick Hydro 3 Blade. 

I LOVE this razor.  I have used alot of razors in my day, from the Gillete Sensor Excel "for Women", and the Mach 3.  More recently I used the Venus and the Schick Intuition.  But since using the Hydro, I honestly don't think my legs have ever been so smooth.  This is by far the closest shave I've ever gotten.  Not only that, but there is NO irritation - no razor burn, and no cuts.  I'm not really sure I noticed the "Hydro" effects - you know how in the commercials they say it's "Like a blast of hydration to your face" - well legs, in my case.  I put lotion on most days anyway, so I didn't notice much of a difference, but I will say my legs are silky smooth.

The true test is underarms, though, right?  Usually after shaving my underarms I have irritation, little red bumps...it's not pretty.  But again, the Schick Hydro gave me a close shave and NO irritation!  I have to tell you, I really love this razor.  I think I will be stealing the rest of them from J's stockpile.

I do think that there IS room for improvement in a women's version.   Men and women shave different parts and in different locations.  Most women shave in the shower, and so making the razor less likely to slip out of our hands is an issue.  The handle could be larger, and maybe have some little rubber grips on it to make it easier to hang on to.  I would also really love a base that can be attached to the shower wall, like the Schick Intuition and the Gillette Venus have.  Also, I hope they don't make it pink.  I personally like pink, but I still find it sort of insulting when manufacturers paint something pink and then market it to women.  In keeping with the "hydro" theme ( the current version is a nice, manly dark blue) I think they should make it a pretty turquoise.  And also, Schick, when you make one for women, can you send me one?

FREE at Safeway!

I had 100% savings at Safeway today - even for only 3 items, it's very exciting!

I got:
1 Half Gallon Smart Balance Milk (Sale $3.99)
2x Fiber One Yogurt (2 for $4.00)

I used my FREE coupon for Smart Balance Milk I posted about HERE.
I loaded 2 $1/1 Fiber One Yogurts on cellfire.com
AND
I loaded 2 $1/1 Fiber One Yogurts on shortcuts.com

Total oop: $0.00!  Yay!

 The FREE Smart Balance Milk Catalina did not print for me, but I did get a $2/2 Smart Balance Milk Catalina.

A note about eCoupons - I am still learning about them.  You register with these websites and enter your club card numbers (such as your safeway club card).  Then you can upload these e-Coupons to the card.  When you scan your card at the grocery store, the coupons automatically come off of your total for the items that you buy - even if you also use a paper coupon!  Not only that, but the websites update 2 times a month - you can only load one coupon, but then when it resets you can load it again!  That is how I was able to load two of the same coupon from each site.  I was not sure if it would automatically deduct all of the coupons, so I brought some paper coupons as well.  I had the cashier double my two .50/1 fiber one coupons, and then after my e-coupons went through my total was -$2.00!  So, the cashier took off my paper coupons and gave them back to me, so that my total would be an even zero.  So glad to know how this works now!  Check out these sites and start loading coupons now!  I think they will reset at the end of the month.

FREE sample of Murad Hybrid Eye Lift Illuminator!

Go HERE to request a free sample of Murad's Hybrid Eye Lift Illuminator.

Thanks Bargain is the New Black!

Near miss at Albies

I nearly got .24 cents cheese at Albies...but not quite.  I was super excited when I spotted some Sargento low sodium shredded mozzerella - and I dug out my .75/1 coupons with glee.  I started walking around the store with them, and then it dawned on me that I should double check the expiration date on the coupons - Dang it!  Expired.  But still, .99 cents isn't bad.  My BFF and I were making pizza that night, so I grabbed two bags.  I also used my 2 free deli meat coupons from Kraft First Taste to score two packages of free lunch meat! (If you haven't joined Kraft First Taste yet, I suggest you do!  I have gotten about 10 free product coupons since I joined in April.  Go HERE to sign up!)

Wags 6/20

It was a pretty fast trip to Walgreens yesterday morning, I was on my way to work and had to make it snappy.  The only problem with that is that I missed a mistake on my receipt - I used the Buy 1 Old Spice Body Wash get 1 Old Spice Deodorant FREE - But the girl asked me how much the deodorant was and I said I *thought* it was $4.49 - I realized later it was actually $4.99 so I overpaid by .50 cents - dang it!  I was also digging every last penny out of my wallet to pay, but I made it!  I hope I can get that .50 cents refunded next time I go to wags, because .50 cents can buy me alot these days!  I got:

Paid .97 cents oop (Should have been .47!)

Transaction #1
Renu Sensitive Contact Solution - $7.49
Old Spice Swagger Body Wash - $4.49
Old Spice Deodorant - $4.99
Hunts Tomato Sauce ( filler) .99 cents

Used Coupons:
$2/1 Renu Contact Solution 6/6 SS
Buy 1 Old Spice Body wash Get one Old Spice Deodorant Free (5/2 PG)
WAGS in ad coupon for tomato sauce (took off .65 cents)

Used $10 RR from Neutrogena
Paid .82 oop!
Got $7.50 RR for Renu and $4.50 RR from Old Spice

Trans #2
Brilliant Rephresh Tampons - $5.99
Herbal Essences Hair Spray - $2.99
Jello (filler) - $1.19
2xHunts Tomato Sauce (filler) - .99 each

Used Coupons
$1/1 Brilliant Printable
$1/1 Herbal Essences 5/16 RP
Wags in ad coupon for Jello (took off .69 cents)
Wags in ad coupon for Hunts (took off $1.31)

Used $7.50 RR from Renu and .50 RR from M&Ms
Paid .15 cents oop!
Got $2 RR from Herbal essences and $5 RR from Rephresh

Total Spent: $ .97 cents
Total SAVED: $32.64
Started with $10 RR
Left with $11.50 RR!

Wild For Wags Giveaway - a chance to win $25 RRs!

If you read my blog, you know that I am a major fan of the blog "Wild for Wags".  I check this site daily for the most up to date news on the best deals at Walgreens.  Christie also does deal scenarios, coupon matchups - the whole shebang.  She even does giveaways!  A few weeks ago I was lucky  enough to win one of her giveaways for 4 $3/1 Nivea Mens coupons that I used last week at Wags!  Anyway, she is currently doing an awesome giveaway for a chance to win $25 in RRs!  This is amazing, since I have never been able to accumulate that many RRs!  So exciting!  If you want to find out more about Wild for Wags, or you want to enter for a chance to win this giveaway, check it out HERE! 

Coupon Girl Solidarity

So, my trip to Wags last night was nearly a disaster...OK, that might be an exaggeration, but it wasn't great.  My first mistake was taking J with me.  He always wants to come, but then he doesn't have the patience to wait for me to finish my shopping.  Since it was the end of the week, I wasn't sure what they would have in stock.  I went in with 2 $6 RRs from the Nivea.  I wanted to do a Neutrogena Money Maker, but all the lower priced items were sold out.  I wandered around for awhile trying to figure out how to make a scenario, when I finally thought I figured one out.  I was able to figure a Neutrogena scenario with the $1.50/1 coupons I got from the Safeway coupon book I posted about HERE.  I bought 2 Neutrogena Deep Clean Scrubs and One Oil Free Acne Wash.  These were the cheapest items in the store.  They were on sale for $4.86 each, so $3.36 each after my coupon.  Total was $10.08, and then got a $10 RR.  So basically .08 cents for 3 cleansers.  I got 2 $1 candys as fillers because I had to use my 2 $6 RRs.  I planned on turning around and using my Neutrogena $10 RR to get
1 Schick Hydro - $7.99 - $4/1 MQ = $2.99
1 Nivea Men's Body Wash $5.99 - $3/1 MQ = $2.99
1 Gillette Pro Glide $9.89 - $4/1 MQ = $5.89
1 filler (butterfinger .39 cents)
Here is where it got funky.  This Gillete Pro Glide coupon keeps messing with my math ( I think it has something to do with the fact that the coupon is actually a $4/1 and I keep thinking it is a $5/1 because the RR is $5, and the Schick coupon is $5).  Somewhere along the way, I figured my scenario would be under $1 OOP - But after handing over all my coupons and RRs, I still owed $2 something OOP.  And I only had like $1.25.  At this point, the line had started to build, and I felt like a deer in the headlights.  I could not figure out why my total was so high, and I didn't know what to do.  About that time, the girl in line behind me started talking to me about coupon blogs.  She was a fellow coupon girl!  I asked the cashier to void my transaction, because for some reason I just couldn't get it together.  She was sooooo annoyed at me, but called over a second person to open another cash register as there was quite a line building up (and this was like 9pm on a Friday night, who are these people?)  I apologized to the general public around me, as I felt my cheeks flushing - talk about humiliating!  My coupon friend casually said "Been there, done that" and kept chatting away to me about various coupon related things.  After chatting with her for awhile, I decided to head home for the night.  I still couldn't figure out where I got so tripped up.  When I got home, I realized that I could have just removed an item and added a filler to keep my oop lower, and then made a second transaction to get the rest of my items.  I had planned on doing that today, but my work schedule didn't really allow me to get back to Wags.  And some time today I realized that the world would not end if I didn't get another Schick hydro for the rebate.  All I can say is Thank Goodness for coupon girl solidarity!  If that girl hadn't been there, I think I might have died of embarrassment.
Anyway, here is what I DID end up with.  Luckily, I really like the Neutrogena face wash, so I don't feel like I threw away a bunch of RRs.  I did loose 2, but really didn't do that bad.  Oh, I almost forgot that I did find the Scotch Desk Grip Pop Up Tape on Clearance for $1.09.  I used a $1/1 Printable to make it only .09 Cents! (coupon no longer available, but there is a .75/1 HERE!  Please remember that clearance varies greatly from store to store, so this may or may not be available in your area!)

Paid .16 cents OOP!

Sobe Heads or Tails Game ( I won!)

Wow, this was so fun!  When I logged on to play this game I was just hoping to win a coupon for a free Sobe...But I ended up winning a FREE track jacket worth $44.00 from American Apparel!  Other prizes include free Sobe, flip flops, iTunes gift cards, ipods, and even a Macbook!  It's kind of a fun little game too...go HERE to try your luck!

If you don't win anything (or even if you do!) go HERE to print a BOGO coupon - you have to vote on your favorite flavor.  I bought the Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade at Target the other day, and it was super yummy.  So I voted for that one.

(Thank Hip2Save!)

.58 Cents at Albertsons!

I was soooo excited today when I got my Kraft First Taste Mailer with 6 coupons for FREE products!  I used almost all of them at Albertsons when I stopped in to get some coffee creamer.

 Ritz Crackerfuls: FREE (Price was $2.99)
Kraft 100 calorie Pack Cheese Bites: FREE (Price was $2.99)
Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Mac and Cheese: FREE (Price was $1.99)
Kool-Aid Funfizz Tabs: FREE (Price was $1.99)
(All of these FREE coupons came from Kraft First Taste:  If you haven't joined yet, do it!)

2x Coffee-Mate Creamer ($2.29)
Used 2x $1/1 Coffee-Mate coupon from the Safeway "Add Dairy to your Summer Adventure" booklet
Used 2 Albertsons doublers
= .58 cents or .29 cents each!

Total oop: .58 cents
Total Saved: $18.46

A much better Target Trip

So after my Epic Target Failure last week, I wasn't so hot on going back for awhile.  But I started noticing that there were alot of deals to be had there this week, so I decided to venture out.

OOP: $11.39
Saved: $41.66

Part of the reason my OOP was so high was because I did make some unexpected purchases.  The cereal was not the best deal as it was not on sale, so paid $1.89 a box for them.  Since I am not stocked up on cereal, I am sort of stuck paying more for it.  Plus, as always, J talked me into it :)  We were also desperately in need of paper towels, which accounts for almost half of the OOP here!

I did this in 2 transactions:

#1
*Hot Deal*
Scrubbing bubbles  Extend-a-clean power sprayer ($8.69)
Used $5/1 Coupon from 6/13 SS
Used buy 1 get a $5 Target gift Card from 5/23 SS
Paid $3.69, Got a $5.00 Gift Card for a $1.31 Money Maker!

Transaction #2
Resses Puffs Cereal ($2.89)
Lucky Charms Cereal ($2.89)
Used coupons
$1.50/2 General Mills Cereals coupons.com
.50/1 Target Mobile coupon
= $1.89 each

2x Jello Sugar Free Pudding (Clearance .67 cents each)
Used Coupon .50/2 Jello from 6/6 SS
= .42 cents each

2x Sobe 0 Calorie LifeWater (Sale $1 each)
Used coupons
.50/1 Sobe Target Coupon Printable
.50/1 Target Mobile Coupon
= .50 cents each

*Hot Deal*
Clean and Clear Finishes Moisterizer (Sale $2.00)
Used Coupons
$2/1 Clean and Clear HERE
= FREE!

Bounty Basic Paper Towels 6 pack ($5.99)
Used coupons
.25/1 Bounty (Not sure of the date!)
.75/1 Bounty 6 pack or larger Target Coupon from 6/13 RP
=$4.99
 (I just realized it would have been cheaper for me to buy 6 single rolls - put I only had 4 coupons, so couldn't have done that anyway)

*Hot Deal*
Dove Go Fresh Deoderant ($3.49)
Dove Go Fresh Body Spray (FREE wyb Dove Deodorant, normally $3.49)
Used Coupons
2x $2/1 Dove Deodorant or Body Spray PRINT
= Both for FREE!

*Hot Deal*
Energizer Flashlight (Clearance $3.54, originally $14.19!)
Used coupon
$1/1 Energizer Batteries or Flashlight Printable  no longer available.  But there was one 6/13 SS)
= $2.54 (This thing is really cool, it has a crank that you use to power it instead of batteries.  We actually don't have a working flashlight, and in the interest of emergency preparedness I thought it would be good to have on on hand.  Plus, it will be great for camping.)

Total: $12.69
Used $5.00 Gift Card from 1st transaction
Total OOP: $7.69

Overall I was really happy with this trip!  I also feel like J is FINALLY getting why stockpiling is key.  It took awhile, but today while we were looking at the Not On Sale Cereal, I said "OK, Babe, now you know when I want to buy something that is a good deal, and you say 'but we don't need that right now'?"  And he said "Yeah, I understand now why you do that".  Haha!  I'm getting through.  He also commented later on how stocked up we were on so many items.  He even went to look and see how much the sponges that I got for free yesterday at Albertsons would have been if we bought them at Target ($10 bucks).   He was pretty impressed that I got them for free. :)

Yay for Walgreens!

I just love a good couponing trip.  I knew it was going to be a great morning when I was driving to the store and noticed how incredibly beautiful it was today.  It finally feels like summer!  We have had ALOT of rain in Oregon this spring, and summer is getting a late start.  As if that wasn't enough to put me in a great mood, when I stopped by Starbucks to buy a paper ( yes, I broke down and bought a paper this week) I found that I got lucky enough to get the $5/1 Schick Hydro coupon!  Score!  And not only that, but I got an extra set of inserts from the recycle rack.  Woot.   Then, when I walked into Walgreens, I was greeted by the smiling manager who said "Got some coupons today?"  And then told me that they still had lots of bodywash.  Have I mentioned how much I love my Walgreens?  OK, but on to my loot.

Total OOP: $2.34
Total SAVED: $65.32!
Started with $6 RR
Left with $12 RR!

I did this in 4 transactions:
#1
Nivea Men's Active 3 Bodywash ($5.99)
Schick Hydro 5 Blade (Sale $7.99)
2x Penway Memo Notebook (Clearance .25 cents each) Fillers

Used Coupons
$3/1 Nivea Men's Body Wash 5/2/10 RP
$5/1 Schick Hydro 5 Blade from 6/13 SS
$1 RR Cascade
$5 RR John Frieda
Total OOP .48 cents
Got: $6 RR Nivea, $4 RR Schick

#2
Gilette Fusion Razor (Sale $9.89)
Listerine Whitening plus Restoring  Mouthwash ($5.99)
Penway memo book (Clearance .25 cents) Filler

Used Coupons:
$4/1 Gillette Fusion 6/6 PG
$2/1 Listerine coupons.com
-$3.00 WAGS in ad coupon for Listerine 
$6 RR Nivea
Total OOP $1.13 (my math got wonky here and I paid more oop than I meant to!)
Got $5 RR Gillette

#3
All Free and Clear 32 loads detergent (Sale $2.99)
Nivea Men's Active 3 Body Wash ($5.99)
Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz (Sale .39 cents) Filler

Used Coupons:
$3/1 Nivea Men's Body Wash 5/2/10 RP
$1/1 All Free and Clear Printable ( no longer available)
$5 RR Gillette
Total OOP: .37 cents
Got: $6 RR Nivea

#4
Nivea Men's Active 3 Body Wash ($5.99)
2x Reach Total Care Multi Action toothbrush ($4.49)
Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz (Sale .39 cents) Filler

Used Coupons:
$3/1 Nivea Mens Body Wash 5/2 RP
$2/2 Reach Toothbrushes coupons.com
-$6 WAGS In Ad coupon for Reach
$4.00 RR Schick
Total OOP: .36 cents
Got $6 RR Nivea!

AND to sweeten this already sweet week, I get to submit for a $10.00 prepaid debit card for buying the Listerine!  That's a $9.01 money maker!

Walgreens Mobile coupons!

Go HERE to sign up for Walgreens mobile coupons.  I just love the Target mobile coupons, so I hope Wags delivers also!

Thanks Hip2Save!

FREE Smart Balance Milk at Safeway!

Woo!  Yep, I tried it out, and it worked!  At Safeway there is a catalina printing for a FREE 1/2 Gallon of Smart Balance Milk - it seems to be triggered by another Smart Balance purchase.  I first bought a carton (and there were even .75/1 blinkies right there!), paid $3.24 ( this is expensive milk, but sooo good!).  The FREE milk catalina popped out, so I ran back and grabbed another one, and used my catalina for FREE milk.  Then ANOTHER catalina popped out!  So, it seems you could roll this infinitely, but I have no idea how long it will last.  Also, I got the last two in my store.  In addition to the FREE milk coupon, there was also a $2/2 Smart Balance Milk coupon printing.  So I hope to be able to stock up on some of the best milk in the world, and I will probably soon be having my first freezing milk experiment.  I'll report back to you on how that one goes.

Oh, and while I was there, I found these coupon books  - the "Add Dairy to your Summer Adventure" book was, um, in the dairy section.  As you may have guessed.  It had some awesome coupons in it- I was pretty excited about the $1/1 coffeemate coupon, but there were lots of good ones in there.  I also found a small coupon book in the paper goods aisle, that had a $2/2 Renu Eye Contact Solution coupon, which I will be using at Walgreens for a money maker in the near future.  There were a few other good coupons in there too.  Keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks Krazy Coupon Lady for the smart balance heads up!

Walgreens .08 cents OOP!

After my Target failure, it was nice to get some love at Walgreens.  Although, I did drop a few RRs, I still think I did pretty good.
Total OOP: .08 cents!
Total SAVED: $27.37
RRs Spent: $10.00
RR's Earned: $6.00

John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo, Conditioner and style cream (Sale 3 for $15)
Cascade 15 ct action pacs (Sale $3.99)
Tuf Paper Towels (.99 cents)

Used Coupons:
3x $3.00 John Frieda Root AWakening (From 6/6 SS)
.50 cents off Cascade action pacs from Home Made Simple booklet
WAGS in ad coupon for paper towels (took off .40 cents)
$10 RR from Gillete
Total oop: .08 cents!
Also Got $5 RR for John Frieda and $1 RR for Cascade!

Not a money making week, but I really needed all of these items, so I feel pretty good that I got them for 8 cents!

Not the best Target trip

So, I have said it before, but disorganization is the downfall of a coupon girl.  I thought that not having any inserts over memorial day weekend would help me catch up on my coupon organizing, but really it just gave me more time to procrastinate.  That combined with not planning my trip led to a sort of dud of a Target trip.   I felt like such a failure when I went to pay and the girl said "Do you have any coupons"?  And I said "...No."  She had noticed my coupon binder, which was sitting there, doing nothing.  So I didn't even take a full photo of my trip, because I didn't get any really fantastic deals.  I did the Buy 2 Tidy Cat Litters, get a $5.00 Gift Card, which I then rolled into my next transaction.  Still, I was feeling sort of down after my Target trip.   It's weird how couponing has changed my feelings about shopping.  There is this whole new element of success or failure, the high of the steal, or the low of the....Not.

I did, however, find some deals on clearance.  As reported, there really is tons of food on clearance, but I found that most of the markdowns weren't that impressive, or they were for items that I didn't have coupons for.  The wine clearance I reported on a few weeks ago seems to have been further reduced, and so I picked up a bottle of pinot grigio that was 50% off - and only $3.48!  I bought this kind a few weeks ago at around $4.50, and I thought it was pretty good wine - so that price is great.  I also grabbed a few cans of water chestnuts that were half off at .48 cents each.  I use these occasionally when I make Hungry Girl's Crazy Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip (So good!), so I thought it would be good to stock up on these to have on  hand.

So, not the best Target trip ever - it sort of felt like a pre-couponing trip.  But I did notice that a few things have changed since I started couponing..  In the past, I would have walked right by the clearance, and probably not even noticed it was there.   Second, I probably would not have even been aware of gift card deals. And third, I would have never, ever rolled a gift card in two transactions.  I wouldn't have even known that was possible.  So, considering those factors, I would have to call this a success.

FREE cat food for me!

I was pretty stoked to pick up a free bag of Wellness Cat Food for my fur babies today.  Nothing but the best for the little buggers, so we shell out alot of $$ for them.  At Petco, they have a reward system for food, and when you buy 10 bags of food, you get the next one free.  They mail you the coupon, and it takes a Looooong time.  After waiting a month, I checked on my status and realized that I had a very old address on file, and they had mailed my coupon there!  I was luckily able to call and speak to a customer service rep who changed my address to the correct one, and mailed me another coupon.  So, if you are working toward your free bag, I would go ahead and check that you have your current address on file with your Petco P.A.L.S. card!

Finally a new coffee creamer coupon!

Go HERE to print a .55/1 International delight coffee creamer coupon!  I have been really hurting for coffee creamer coupons, and have had to resort to paying FULL PRICE for it the last few times, so this is a welcome thing!  Print it twice and hope for a sale!

$1.50/1 PLANTERS Flavor Grove Almonds!

*EXPIRED!  You gotta act fast in coupon-land!

Hurry and go HERE to get your $1.50/1 coupon for Planters Flavor Grove Almonds.  Paired with a sale you should be able to get them for about $1 bag!

Thanks Krazy Coupon Lady!

Walgreens, finally!

I had a hard time getting to Walgreens this week.  I was pretty busy Sunday and Monday, and since there was nothing that I *really* wanted, I didn't make it a priority.  But the more I thought about it, the more I got excited about the John Frieda deal.  Of course, when I got there, C.R. (Coupon Rival) had already cleared it out.  My favorite cosmetics girl told me that they should be getting more tomorrow.  They were also all out of the Neutrogena bar soaps, of course.  So, more body wash for J, and PB M&Ms for me.  I will try to get back tomorrow, maybe if I can get done with work early enough.

I got:
6 Gillette Body Wash ($4.49)
1 Peanut Butter M&M's 11.4 oz ($2.49)
2 Ravina Knee Highs (2 for $1.19)

Used Coupons:
3x B1G1 Gillette Body Wash from 6/6  P&G
$4/2 Gillette Body wash from 5/2 P&G
WAGS in ad coupon for Knee Highs (took off .69 cents)
$5 RR Luster
$2.50 RR Kotex
$2.00 RR Ecotrin
$2.00 RR A-Z
Total OOP: $1.01
SAVED: $30.66

GOT:
$10 RR wyb $25 in select P&G products
.50 RR M&M's

Spent:
$11.50 in RRs
Got:
$10.50 in RRs

(PS - I did have another filler here, it was an energy drink for J.  I'm not counting it because it was his purchase, I just used it as a filler item.)

Thanks Wild for Wags for the Gillette scenario!

NEW skinny cow coupons!

Yay!  There is yet another $1/1 Skinny Cow coupon available!  Go HERE to become a fan of Skinny Cow and look under the Fan Exclusives tab.  Hit your "back" button to print it twice!  Sometimes the Skinny Cow cups go on sale for $1.00 - So you should be getting some free ice cream soon!

And to be able to print it another 2 times, go HERE!

Thanks Totally Target!

FREE sample of Bounty Paper Towels!

Go HERE to request your free sample of Bounty paper towels.  I'm wondering how this sample will come.  On a roll?  A few folded up?  I was wondering the same thing about the Cottonelle toilet paper.  I guess we will find out!

Thanks Hip2Save!

New coupons on Eat Better America!

Sweet!  Being a one computer household, I use up my prints fast, especially for my favorite items like yoplait yogurt and fiber one bars.  But I was thrilled when I discovered that there are all sorts of new coupons on eatbetteramerica.com, and they don't seem to be linked to coupons.com.  So even if you have used up your prints on coupons.com, you should still be able to print the same coupon from eatbetteramerica.com.   This makes me happy.  Go print some!
*Most of the coupons at eatbetteramerica.com are for healthier foods, but there are some personal care coupons, and even dog and cat food!

Saving money on groceries the old fashioned way

Last week J and I "discovered" an awesome way to save money.  It isn't actually a new concept, it's old!  Way back in the day, before supermarkets, when dinosaurs roamed the earth... Ok, just kidding, but still, before my time.  Anyway, before "one stop shopping" people used to go to bakeries for their bread, butchers for their meat, etc.  Then we all got so busy that despite all our new fangled time saving devices, we didn't have time to be going to all these different places for our groceries, and so the supermarket was born. (that's a quick and dirty version of the history, but you get the jist).

The bakery that makes my favorite bread and English muffins is a Northwest bakery, and actually has bakery outlets all over Washington and Oregon.  I don't know what took me so long to discover this!  We went to the bakery outlet - which was a little hard to find - but it was totally worth it!  We got 3 loaves of bread and two packages of English muffins for a little over $5.00.  We would have paid $11.50 for these times if we got them on sale at the grocery store!  We will definitely be buying our bread items here from now on.  Search "bakery outlets" in your area to see if there is one located near you.

Our next stop was a small meat market where J likes to get beef jerky.  He had never really noticed before, but they have very good prices on meats, and a huge selection of unusual choices.  J and I prefer ground bison to ground beef, both for the taste and the nutritional benefits.  However, we have a hard time finding it for under $5.99/lb (on sale).  Ground Bison was only $3.49/lb!  They also had so many different choices that you would never find at your regular grocery store, like alligator, rabbit, and frog legs!  Hmm, I don't think we will be trying those any time soon, though.

Another benefit of shopping at these types of places is that you are supporting your local economy, instead of giving your money to a large mass market retailer.  I strongly feel that couponing is beneficial for everyone, because it stimulates the economy, and we all get great deals.  Similarly, finding awesome bargains at local businesses benefits you and your local economy.  Win/win!

Safeway 6/5 $2.60 OOP

I went to Safeway to take advantage of the "Buy 8 Save $4" Promo.  My goal was to spend as little OOP as possible, while still getting things we would eat.  Sadly, I don't know the details of my purchase, because J threw away the receipt as we were walking out of the store.  You should have seen me, in slow motion "Nooooo!"  But it was too late, it was already in the trash, and the lid was closed.  No way was he going to dig in the trash.  But I think we can all rest assured the he will never throw away a receipt again without clearing it with me first.

I got:
(Prices reflect buy 8 save $4 promo)
1 Bag Tostitos ($1.77)
Used $1/1 peelie found at store
Final price .77 cents

Chex Mix ($1.49)
Used .50/1 from coupons.com
And
loaded .50/1 from cellfire.com
Final price .49 cents

Nature Valley Nut Clusters ($1.99)
Used  $1/1 Nature Valley Nut Clusters from coupons.com
AND
loaded $1/1 Nature Valley Nut Clusters from cellfire.com
Final Price: FREE!

5 boxes Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (.49 cents each)
Used 2x .55/2 coupons from HERE
Final Price .27 cents each

Total Before coupons and club card: $18 something
Total After coupons and club card: $2.60!
Pretty good!

(Thanks TheKrazyCouponLady for these matchups!  And for teaching me how to use eCoupons!)

Mail Day!

I had a great mail day today!  I received my OneBagOneEarth reusable bag.  It is awesome!  It's huge too, at least twice the size of my other reusable bag.  So excited, can't wait to use it!

I also got my cute PINK earplugs from Hearos (America's Favorite Ear Plugs, if you didn't know).  These should come in handy when J is snoring.  Or when people are doing landscaping outside my bedroom window at 7:30am.  It also came with a .50 cent off coupon for Sleep Pretty in Pink 7 pair & free case.

And I finally got my Shirley J universal sauce sample!  I think I might use it to make sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy....yummm.

Lack of posts...

So, I have had less time to blog since I have been back at work.  In fact, I barely seem to have time to read all the other blogs!  But, I have a few frugal adventures to share with you, and hopefully will be able to share them with you soon.  For now though, I am about ready to fall asleep on my keyboard.

PS - I think that redplum.com is being a bad influence on coupons.com.  I ALWAYS have problems with redplum, and almost never have problems with coupons.com.  But just now it took me like 7 tries to print the new $2/2 Reach coupon - I was determined to get it for some free toothbrushes!

New Lean Cuisine Coupon!

Go HERE to print out a new Lean Cuisine Coupon Good for $1/1 Casual Cuisine Panini, Flatbread Melts and Pizza Varieties.  Coupon is only good until 6/9, so hurry!

Check you Kraft First Taste account!

Thanks to Hip2Save who notified me to check my Kraft First Taste Account.  I was able to request my special offers, which were: "Receive up to six (6) coupons* for ONE (1) FREE package each of KOOL-AID Fun Fizz Drink Drops (up to $2.49), OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Meats (up to $4.50), RITZ CRACKERFULS Filled Crackers (up to $3.49), KRAFT 100 CALORIE PACKS CHEESE BITES (up to $3.29), KRAFT HOMESTYLE DELUXE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner (up to $3.99), and DIGIORNO® Deep Dish Pizza (up to $3.30)."  Go over to Kraft First Taste and see if you got your offer!

FREE Sample of Cottonelle Ultra TP and wipes!

Go HERE to request a free sample of new Cottonelle Ultra Toilet paper, and flushable wipes.  Hopefully this will come with some coupons!

Thanks Hip2Save!

Target 6/1

OK, so I went to Target, and sadly was unable to do the Fiber One yogurt deal, because my Target doesn't carry Fiber One yogurt!  Gah!  I so wish I had a Super Target.  But, I was still able to score the Fiber One bars, which is a good thing, because we eat ALOT of Fiber One bars in this house.

$11.69 OOP
Saved: $15.28
Also Got a $5.00 Target Gift Card for next time!

5 Boxes Fiber One Bars (Sale $2.49)
Used 2x .40/1 from HERE and 3x .50/1 from HERE and HERE
Making 3 $1.99 and 2 $2.09 = $10.17
Also got a $5.00 Target Gift Card for this transaction, so only $5.17 for 5 boxes after gift card

2 Boxes of Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal (Clearanced for $1.77)
Used 2x $1/1 Coupon from HERE
Making them .77 cents each!

2 boxes of GE Reveal Light Bulbs (Sale $2.00 Each)
Used 2x $1.50/1 Target Coupons HERE
Used 1x $1/2 Coupon from HERE
Making them both FREE!

PS - Yes, the oatmeal is also high fiber, and no, it's not that I require all my food to be high fiber.  It's just the only kind that was on clearance!
And 2 - Sorry about my broken drawer.  I've been "suggesting" that J fix it for like a year.

Thanks Totally Target and Mojo Savings!

Found: More Fiber One coupons!

I have been lamenting the fact that I have only been able to print two each of the fiber one bars and yogurt coupons from coupons.com.  See, I really want to do the Target Fiber One gift card deal (Check it out on Totally Target), but I really need five coupons each for the bars and yogurts (I'm not really into the cereal).  Due to print limits, and being a one computer household, I was stuck.  Or, so I thought.  Since I am an insomniac, and because it is the first of the month, I decided to do some coupon trolling.  I was hoping that maybe there was some chance that the coupons on coupons.com had reset.  Quite a long shot, since they just went up the other day.  Well, as expected, they didn't.  But guess what?  I found Fiber One coupons on both Target.com and Smartsource.com!  I was able to print enough for the deal.  The yogurt coupon is not as sweet, it is .50/1 instead of $1/1.  But the bar coupon is better, it is .50/1 instead of .40/1.  Either way, I'm happy that I now have enough coupons!  So if you are in need of some Fiber One coupons, hurry and print some!

Walgreens: I just can't stop

So I managed to fit in 3 more trips two Walgreens today, but only two were successful.  On my way to work I stopped by and grabbed another Rejuvacare (and two clearanced candlesticks for .17 cents each as fillers).  Then on my way home I used the $10 RR from that two get another round of Luster 7, Kotex U, A-Z Multivitamins and some W foil.  I would have done the neutrogena deal, but they were out of the bars at that Wags (not my normal store). 

Spent: .41 cents oop
Saved $33.77
Used: $20.00 RRs
Got: $19.50 RRs

Then later I talked J into going on a coupon adventure with me.  I wanted to see if Safeway had that rumored coupon book with the $1.50/1 Neutrogena coupons I had been hearing about around the blog-o-sphere. Luckily for me, Safeway is right across the street from my favorite Wags (and not too far from my house).  We ran to Safeway, and score!  There were the coupon books, right in the personal care section, and there were TONS of them ( I took 6.  I know that is alot, but there were seriously at least 50 of them, and most of the coupons have expiration dates coming up soon, so I didn't feel too guilty).  And guess what other coupon was in that book?  A $2 off Ecotrin!  Yay!  Oh, but wait.  It expired today, 5/31.  I have 6 coupons, and the thought of doing 6 transactions all in one day, at one time, kind of freaks me out.  I didn't need to worry, though, because I soon discovered that my Walgreens was sold out of Ecotrin anyway.  Drat!  Is there anything worse than having the greatest coupons, and not being able to use them?  Not only that, but they were also sold out of the Neutrogena bars (Coupon Rival has struck again).  I knew that J wouldn't be down for driving to another Walgreens, and the Neutrogena deal is good all month...So I decided to let it go.  And now I have 6 perfectly good Ecotrin coupons wasting away in my binder.  Booooo.

However, all is not lost.  I can still get the Neutrogena deal, and that coupon booklet from Safeway has some pretty great coupons in it.  They are Manufacturer Coupons, so you can use most of them anywhere (except for an awesome $2/1 Coppertone, that is good only at Safeway).  Want to see what the booklet looks like?

 Now go and see if you can grab one!