Top's is one of the grocery stores that I frequent. It seems like it will try any type of gimmick to get you in the store. Before I take them up on one of them, I want to make sure that it is something I wanted anyhow and is cost effective.
For example last week, they had a meal deal. If you purchased a chuck roast that weighed a minimum of 3 lbs. at $3.99 a lb., you got the following for free: 5 lbs. of round white potatoes, 1 lb. of fresh carrots, 2 lbs. of yellow onions, a package of brown and serve rolls and a 2 liter bottle of store brand soda. The first thing I did was take a look at the chuck roasts in the store and saw that they were $3.99 a lb. Most of the chuck roasts in my store were $14.00 and up. That said, I would have had to cut one all apart and take all the fat out before I would even consider serving it to DH. It would have been more cost effective for me to buy a top round roast for stew or pot roast.
5 lbs. of potatoes at the most would cost me $ 2.49 for round whites. However DH and I eat very few potatoes and usually buy russets because we like baked potatoes. A 1 lb. bag of carrots would cost me $ .77 at Aldis. The 2 lb. bag of yellow onions I could get for about $1.69. I can make dinner rolls for about $.40 and the 2 liter soda would be $ .89. So all of the extra would have cost me $ 6.24. If I subtract the $ 6.24 from $ 14.00 the chuck roast would have cost $7.76.
Did I buy the meal deal? No I didn't. My reasons for not purchasing it were that the chuck roasts in my store were so fatty that I wouldn't feed them to DH. $ 3.99 a lb. is higher than I am willing to pay for chuck roast even with all the freebies. I would have had to cut it all apart and throw out about 40% of it because it was fat. That would have made the real cost per pound about $ 5.59 a lb. I would rather spend to buy the other items separately if I needed them.
That meal deal did not make sense for my family. For your family, it may have been perfect and cost effective. Just make sure to do the math whenever Top's puts out a deal like this to lure you into the store.
This week Tops is back to luring you with Super Coupons. These are coupons that you can use if you make a minimum $ 20. purchase in the store. Let's take a look at those.
You can purchase a 12 inch DiGiorno pizza( certain kinds only) for $3.99 with the coupon. This could be a great deal if you had a coupon. The only coupon I could find was for $3.00 off of 2 pizzas. Now you can only get one pizza for $ 3.99. The second one would cost $5.00. So the total for 2 pizzas after the manufacturers coupon would be $5.99. You have to decide if $3.00 a piece is the right price for you.
Then you can purchase Kraft Cracker Barrel cheese for $ 1.99. The only coupon I have is for $ 1./2 so I would have to pay $ 2.50 for the 2nd one. So after coupon 2 pkgs of cheese cubes would cost $ 3.49. Ask yourself, is this a good price for you for cheese cubes?
Next is an 8 oz. package of Top's Pepperoni for $ 1.49. For me that is a good price since I am making pasta salad for dinner tonight and I needed the pepperoni. But you have to make your own decision.
Next we have an 8 pc. Perdue Fried Chicken for $ 4.99. I would never buy this since we bake our chicken which makes it healthier. I can also do 8 pieces for less than $ 4.99.
Next is Perdue Tender and Tasty Chicken Wings for $ 6.99. All the reasons in my last paragraph apply for these also.
Lastly, they are offering Tops Baby Peeled Carrots for $ .88. Fresh whole carrots are cheaper and healthier.
The purpose of my post is not to chastise anyone on what you do or don't buy. It is only to make you think about the gimmicks that the stores put out to you to lure you in. Take a good look at them to see if they make sense for you. Do the math to see if it really costs what you think it costs. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Only you can make that decision for your own family and wallet. Most of the time, they don't seem to make sense for me.
Since I had most of my lists prepared, I did a quick shopping trip this morning for newspapers and some other items. I will have to go back to Tops this week since the new gasoline deal demands it. You get 10 points for each manufacturers coupon that you use this week. You can only get points for 10 coupons each visit, so 100 points a visit which equals $ .10 off a gallon. So this morning I made sure to only use 10 and get my $ .10 off. Since the $ .10 off a gallon accumulates on your card, you could get quite a bit off a fill up with this deal. But only if you are passing a Tops and not spending all of your gasoline to get there. I will be doing some separate transactions when I go this week.
This is what I purchased this morning:
Tops:
2 Cinnamon Chex - $ 2.99 each - Used (2) $ .85/1 Mfrs. Cpns Dbled = $ 1.29 each or $ 2.58
4 Vlasic Pickles - $ 2.50 each - Used (4) $ .55/1 IP Cpns Dbled = $ 1.40 each or $ 5.60
1 Tops Sliced Pepperoni - $ 1.49 with Tops Super Coupon when you spend $ 20.00
4 Kraft 2% American Cheese Singles - $2.00 each - Used $ .75/1 Mfrs. Cpns Dbled = $ .50 each and received an instant $ 2.00 off at register for buying 4 = Free
Total OOP was $ 9.67
RiteAid:
6 Edy's Ice Cream - $ 2.99 each - Used $ 1./1 IP Cpns = $ 1.99 each and I received (6) $ 2.00 UP Rewards and a $ 5.00 Up Reward because I purchased $ 15.00 worth - this is a $ 5.06 moneymaker
2 Dixie Plates - on sale B1G1F - $ 3.99 - Used $ 3./2 RA VV cpn = $ .99 for both
2 Finish Quantumatics - $ 3.99 each - Used $ 3./1 Mfrs. Cpns - Used (1) 1.00 RA VV Cpn =$ .98 for both
1 Afrin Nasal Spray - $ 5.99 - Used $ 3./1 IP Cpn - Used $ 2.00 RA VV Cpn = $ .99 and I received $4.00 Up Reward so a $ 3.01 moneymaker
1 Corricidin - $ 5.99 - Used $ 2./1 IP Cpn - Used $ 2. RA VV Cpn = $1.99 and I received a $ 4.00 UP Reward so a $ 2.01 moneymaker
1 Neuragen Gel - $ 19.99 - Used $ 5.00/1 IP Cpn = $ 14.99 and I will submit for the $ 19.99 SCR so a $5.00 moneymaker
1 Viactiv Calcium - $ 6.99 - Used $ 3./1 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 3.99 and I got $3.00 in UP Rewards
1 Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor - $ 9.99 - Used $ 4./1 Mfrs. Cpn = $5.99 and I received a $ 5.00 UP Reward
1- 4 oz Colgate Advanced Whitening - $ 2.99 - Used $ 1./1 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 1.99 and I received a $ 2.00 UP Reward
Used $ 4./20. VV Cpn
Used $ 2.00 Winter Rewards VV
Used $ 1.00 Wellness VV
Used $ 1.00 RX VV
Used $ 1.00 Watch Winter Rewards VV
Used $ 3.00 RA SCR Check
Used $ 31.00 in UP Rewards
Total OOP was $ 2.10 including tax and I received $ 35.00 in Up Rewards and I will submit for a $ 19.99 Single Check Rebate. This was definitely a great day at RiteAid!
Walgreens:
Order # 1:
1 Arnicare Pain Relief Gel - $ 5.99 - used $ 2./1 IP Cpn = $ 3.99 and I got a $ 6.00 Register Reward
1 Icy Hot No Mess Vapor Gel - $ 3.99 - Used $ 1./1 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 2.99 and I got a $ 3.00 Register Reward
Total OOP was $ 6.98 and I received $ 9.00 in Register Rewards
Order #2:
5 Buffalo News Newspapers - $ 10.00
Used $ 9.00 in Register Rewards
Total OOP was $ 1.00
I love free samples! Just today in the mail I got a full size box of the new Gluten Free Honey Nut Chex with some nice coupons. The mail also brought my kitty cat a can of Fancy Feast Cat Food with coupon. And from a Facebook offering, I received 3 samples of Aveda hair products. Not a bad haul for one day!
Well, I am finally starting to feel better. I am not 100% yet but close. Except for a few shops to get me out to get some fresh air, I have not been doing much. This cold and sinus thing really hit me hard. But anyhow, here are the few things that I have done to save us some $$$:
- I ordered a 24 variety pack of Popchips after coupon, free prime shipping, and subscribe and save for $ 8.62 but paid nothing OOP using my SwagBucks Amazon Gift Certificates. These are delicious and a snack that is healthy enough for DH to eat.
- Each night I have been pulling out the oldest meat from my freezer and finding a recipe to use it up. Even though I have been ill, either I or DH have managed to make a nice homemade meal each night. Just one night we ate Healthy Choice prepared meals. For dinner tonight I have hot Italian sausage thawed. I am thawing homemade spaghetti sauce and some mozzarella cheese slices. I also pulled red and green pepper strips out of the freezer that I froze from reduced price peppers. I will saute all up with onions. Put the sausage, veggies and sauce on Italian sub rolls that our son gave us that were leftover from West's birthday party. I had frozen those also. Add the cheese and put them under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese. YUM!
- I have done 3 loads of wash using the HE's with minimum detergent and dryer time. I always fold and hang clothes the minute they are done so I don't have to waste energy doing them again to get the wrinkles out.
- Since I have had so much time in the house, I have been working on some homemade gifts for next Christmas. It is nice getting a head start on them.
- We have been really watching our electric and natural gas usage. I need to cut our bill down as much as possible.
- We have been shredding all receipts that we don't need for tax purposes to clean out the files for 2010. You can't be too careful in this age of identity theft.
- Both DH and I have been doing a lot of reading. I have been re-reading some of my frugality books and DH has been reading on the Kindle. I also have made good use of TV on Demand. Since I tend to fall asleep early every night( except for the ones when my eyes are glued open), I can watch my shows when I want to.
- Since our cable bill was a one year deal and it will go up in a couple of months, I am starting to research other options.
- I am keeping my eyes open for a great deal on facial tissues. I have used up over 1/4 of our stockpile with this cold. The Walgreens deal last week was not for me because I did not have the coupons. Since the boxes at my store were only 65 ct., it was not a good deal without them.
- Since I don't have many long sleeve tops, I ordered 3 very nice solid color ones from Target yesterday that were marked down from $12.00 each to $ 5.00 each plus they had free shipping. These solid colors will go with all of the pants and jeans I own.
- I am working on my drugstore deal lists today pulling coupons and printing coupons that are needed.
- Baked brownies last night because I was craving something sweet.
That's all. I hope to really get back into the swing of things next week. Please feel free to leave a comment and share with all of us what you have been doing to save some $$$.
Well, I had a first at Top's today and believe me the cashier was none too happy! He actually called a supervisor over because he insisted I couldn't walk out with free items. Of course, she set him straight. It annoys me that when you play by the rules the cashiers try to make you look like you are doing something wrong. I won't be getting in his line again. Tops really should do something about their customer service. With a Super Walmart being built near them, they are going to lose a lot of customers especially with their attitude.
Using $1./1 Kikkoman IP coupons, free manufacturers coupons and a couple of high value Facebook coupons I got everything in the picture for free as you can see in the receipt. Double click the picture to make it bigger.
Next on my route was a stop at Office Max. For being a Max Perk member they had sent me a $10./20. coupon. We really didn't need anything right now but rather than lose that $10.00 I figured I would look. Well, I am so glad I did. They had really nice children's books and Sudoko books on clearance up to 80% off. I bought 5 books for birthday and Christmas gifts. After the coupon, I paid $12.91 including tax.
Then I stopped at Walgreens and picked up the Omega Smart Super Critical Fish Oil for $ 8.00 after a $ 2.00 coupon and I will submit for the $10.00 Rebate. I also got 2 bags of Fritos Corn Chips(stocking for our Superbowl party) for $ 1.99 each after using (2) $1./1 Walgreens Mfrs. Coupons.
My last stop was at Rite Aid where I picked up a $.99 bag of Ruffles for $ .79 after 20% discount and used the $.99 Facebook Coupon so made $ .20, 4 Spic and Span Cleaning Cloths that were on clearance for $.50 each and I used (4) $ 1./2 IP coupons so they were free and 1 Nabisco Oreos for $1.00 and a gallon of milk that was $ 1.99 after my 20% off. Since I used the buy 1 Nabisco Cookies and get a $1.00 off milk coupon, the milk ended up being $ .99!
I also brought my receipts back to Rite Aid from the day I bought the Nature Made fish oils. When I originally bought them, I forgot about my 20% discount. That day I had only picked up 3 bottles so after my discount I didn't spend enough for the $16. UP Reward. The cashier sent me back for another bottle. She rang up the 4th bottle and then rerang the other 3 on that receipt and refunded them on the same receipt so that I would get my $16.00 UP Reward. So my second receipt only showed I bought 1 bottle. When I got home with both receipts, I noticed that she had also crossed off the 3 bottles on my original receipt and marked them returned. That was incorrect since I actually purchased them. This messed me up because I wanted to mail in the Nature Made $5.00 rebate also. So I showed the manager today and she said the cashier should not have marked the original receipt as returned. I asked if they could give me a duplicate receipt. She said they couldn't. So she refunded my original receipt. Then she rang the 3 bottles up on a separate receipt. Well, that prompted another $10.00 Healthy Rewards UP( for spending a total of $50.) and my $ 20. Winter Rewards( for spending $100.) to print. She told me to keep them or they wouldn't print later on. So I am elated. I would have eventually got them since I was so close to the totals for both of them. So all in all it was a great shopping morning.
So did you get any great deals today? Feel free to leave a comment and share them with all of us.
DH asked me to ride with him to Best Buy to get an on sale external hard drive so he can back up his computer. Since he would be passing the CVS, I went with him. Normally, I don't go to CVS as you can see from my posts but I took this as an opportunity to pick up a couple of deals. I would not have made a special trip for this shop. I did two separate orders so that I could do two rebates on the Renpure. This is what I purchased:
2 Renpure Organics Conditioners - on sale B1G1F = $ 7.39 and I will submit a TMF rebate for $ 6.99 to get the one I paid for $.40
2 Renpure Organics Shampoos - on sale B1G1F = $ 7.39 and I will submit a TMF rebate for $ 6.99 to get the one I paid for $ .40
4 Emerald Dry Roasted Peanuts - $1.00 each - Used (4) $ .1/1 IP Cpns = All Free
Total OOP including tax was $16.08 and I will get back $ 13.98 in rebates.
I was actually able to sleep laying down last night and my cold is breaking up finally. So this afternoon, I felt like getting out to RiteAid and Tops for a few things. This is what I purchased:
Tops:
2 Healthy Choice Entrees - $2.00 each - Used a B1G1F Mfrs Cpn = $2.00 for both
1 Hot Pocket -$ 2.50 - Used Free Mfrs. Cpn = Free
1 Lb. Shrimp - $ 6.99
6 Kikkoman Soy Sauces - $ 1.00 each - Used (6) $ 1./1 IP Cpns = Free
2 Dozen Eggs - $1.00 for a medium and $ 1.39 for large = $ 2.39 - Used (2) $ .55/1 Off Eggs Mfrs. Cpns Dbled when you buy Kikkoman soy sauces = $ .19 for both
1 Kikkoman Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce - $ 1.99
2 LaChoy StirFry Sauces - $2.50 each = $ 5.00
1 LaChoy Water Chestnuts - $1.00
4 Campbells Chunky Soups - 4 for $ 5.00 - Used (1) $2. and (1) $ 3.00 Mfrs. Cpns good on any Campbells Products = Free
2 Franks Red Hot Sauce - $ 1.19 each = $2.38 - Used $1./2 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 1.38 for both
2 Kikkoman Seasoning Mixes - $ .75 each = $ 1.50
4 SunBird Seasoning Mixes - $ .75 each = $3.00
2 LaChoy Chow Mein Noodles - $ 1.25 each = $ 2.50
5 Heluva Good Dips - $ 1.50 each = $ 7.50 - Used (3) $ .50/1 Mfrs. Cpns Dbled and (1) $1./2 Mfrs. Cpns = $3.50 for all
Total was $ 29.05 OOP.
Analysis: The free items are self explanatory. The Healthy Choice is for dinner tonight because I just don't feel like cooking and the coupon was expiring. The shrimp is for a special dish that DH loves and I like to spoil him once in a while. The eggs were almost free. They only had one medium eggs in the whole store or I would have gotten 2 dozen of those which would have made them free. I like to stock on the Chinese New Year sales once a year. DH and I both like homemade Chinese food. We are running out of hot sauce and that would be a sacrilege in this household. So I bought the smallest bottles with the coupon. The dips were cheap and had long expirations, so I stocked. I enjoy these sour cream dips with chips and veggies.
Rite Aid:
1- 500 ct. bottle of RA 81 mg. aspirin - on sale for $ 7.99 - Less 20% discount of $ 1.60 = $ 6.39
6 GE Soft White 4 packs of Lightbulbs - $ 1.99 each = $ 11.94
3 - 100 ct. Bottles of Nature Made Fish Oil - $ 10.49 each - 20% off Wellness Discount of $ 2.10 =
$ 8.39 each = $ 25.17 - Used (3) $ 5.00 IP Cpns = $ 10.17 - Used $ 3.00 RA VV Cpn = $ 7.17 for all 3
1- 60 ct. Bottle of Nature Made Fish Oil Odorless - $ 11.49 - Used Wellness 20% discount for $2.30 = $ 9.19 - Used $ 5./1 IP Cpn = $ 4.19
Used $ 20. Resolution Reward UP
Used $ 9.00 in other UP Rewards
Total OOP including tax was $ 1.15 and I received $ 11.94 in UP Rewards for the light bulbs, $ 16.00 in Up Rewards for the Nature Made Fish Oils and since the Fish Oils double dipped for the Healthy Heart Rewards, I got a $ 10. UP Reward for that. Total UP Rewards earned today was $ 37.94!
Analysis:
We take the baby aspirin and fish oils everyday as maintenance. I could not pass up stocking on these cheap items especially with all the rewards making me money. We use some of these bulbs for reading and in hard to change tight places where flourescents don't work.
All in all both trips were worth it. It got me some badly needed fresh air and I loved coming home with more money in my pocket than I spent today!
Is shopping stressful for you? Do you always HAVE TO get the next big deal? Or can you go weeks without shopping? These are things that I think about alot.
I know in our quest to stockpile and stay ahead of rapidly rising prices, we often think we just have to get that free or cheap item. But will the sky fall if you don't get out to get it, or you just don't have time to shop, or the store's shelves have been cleared of that wanted sale item?
Having watched the show "Extreme Couponing" when they aired it the second time, I wondered if the people on it could stay home when there was a great deal. I doubt it. Especially the woman who seemed to have relationship issues with her own husband. I am not stupid, so I do know that the show producers portray what they want to portray. However, letting food or drugstore shopping interfere with your relationship with DH is not the smart thing to do. I can't even imagine living like that. Date night, to me, is so much more important than getting an item for a few pennies.
However having said that, I also have an opinion on shelf clearing and getting those sales. I don't care one way or another. If someone can use the items before they expire, then go for it. If you want to get those items to donate to less fortunate people than yourself, then go for it. You see, I have one advantage in my "old age", I have this thing called " I don't give a darn factor!" What I do have a problem with is people being nasty to each other about shelf clearing and about this show and I have seen and heard alot of that lately. It's just not worth it!
But I know that I can't control other people's actions. I can only control my own and my own reaction to them. And because of my "I don't give a darn factor" , most of the time I don't react to them. It doesn't do me any good, so why bother.
I will not stress myself out chasing the next good deal. If I am sick, busy or just don't feel like shopping, it's okay. There will be another GREAT deal next week. And it there isn't, there will be one the following week.
I do love to shop so when I do go, I enjoy getting those deals for cheap or pennies so that I can build my stockpile. But if the sale item isn't stocked or is gone, I don't go into a tizzy over it. I just go on to the next deal. I don't go to the 24 hour RiteAid at midnight to get the Sunday deals. My sleep is more important to me at my age. But for those that do, be glad that you are young and can stay up that late :-) I don't rush out to be at the drugstore when they open on Sunday mornings to get the deal. If they still have it when I get there on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, that's fine. If not sometimes by the end of the week, they have been restocked. If not it doesn't matter.
On Saturday, I went to RiteAid sick not because I had to finish the Resolution Deal but because we had prescriptions that had been sitting there for 4 days that needed to be picked up. DH offered to go get them. I told him that I would go since I wanted to finish the Resolution deal. If I had not felt I could drive and do it, I would not have. There is always another rewards deal out there. Winter Rewards has already started.
I will stockpile when it fits into my schedule and enjoy it. But I am not going to get all stressed out because I couldn't get a particular deal. I know there will always be another deal!
With food prices rising as rapidly as they have in the past year, we all like to stockpile at rock bottom prices. I will as much as I can. But I have gained so much confidence over the years and been through so many inflationary periods, that I know we will survive no matter where gasoline and food prices take us. When cereal gets so expensive that I feel we can't afford it, I will make other breakfasts: French toast from homemade bread with homemade maple syrup, pancakes with the same, etc. If milk or anything else becomes prohibitive to buy, I will substitute with something else that is cheaper. If we can't afford meat, we will eat eggs or beans. You can always eat as cheaply as possible by just substituting. If need be, I will plant a vegetable and herb garden.
So I don't need to ALWAYS get the next big deal. My stress level is much more important to my health. There will ALWAYS be a way to eat cheaper.
Remember as always, this is just my $ .02! I would love to hear yours on the topic, so please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts with all of us!
- Even though I have lost my voice ( much I am sure to DH's delight :-) and I am still coughing, I was able to do some money saving things today. I had $21.11 left to spend at RiteAid to get my $20.00 Resolution Reward. So I talked myself into making a run there this morning even though I didn't feel like getting out of bed. I had two prescriptions to pick up for DH also. I was in no mood to deal with a list and pull coupons, so I went with a $ 3./20. RA cpn and my UP rewards. I stocked up on $22.00 worth of snacks, diet 7UP, some chili, and a couple more toilet paper. I paid $ 23.+ OOP but I got the $20. Resolution Reward UP and the $10. more in UPs for a total of $30. in UP rewards. That will start the new week off well! But I also got a pleasant surprise to find out that today is a double dip for the Winter Rewards that was supposed to start tomorrow. I already have $ 28.45 towards my $100. Winter Reward. It printed on the bottom of my receipt!
- My electric bill was online today and to our shock it was $ 323.45 for 31 days. Yes, it has been very cold here plus they estimated me last month when they should have read the meter. I will not let that happen again. I will read the meter on the day the meter reader is supposed to read so that I can call it in if he doesn't read it again. But anyhow for the last two billing periods, our electric and gas bill has been a total of $ 504.88 for 62 days. And this is with a high efficiency gas furnace! YIKES! The worst part is we are still cold and about to be below 0! I must do everything I can to get this down. It is costing us about $1,500. more per year for gas and electric than it did in Arizona.
- I am getting sick of just laying in bed. So while I watch some On Demand TV this afternoon, I will get my binder and HBA coupon file up to date. I also hope to plan out my shopping trips for next week.
- The mail brought me the $ .99 off a $.99 bag of Ruffles potato chips. It was a Facebook coupon offering. I also received a Free coupon and some other coupons from Lean Pockets.
- I washed a full load of clothes in the HE using cold water. I dried them very quickly in the HE dryer. I am just not up to hanging laundry right now.
- Took my navy shower this morning using free shampoo and soap.
- DH and I finished the tortilla soup for lunch.
- I am not up to making an elaborate dinner again. So I will throw some FF's in the oven along with Morningstar Farms chicken( veggie) nuggets and make a tossed salad.
- I added my $20. Amazon E-Certificate to my account. It was the Living Social Deal where you paid $10. for a $20. E-Certificate.
That's all I had the stamina for today. Please feel free to leave a comment and share with all of us what you did to save money today.
Since I have been sick, I haven't had much of an appetite. DH is getting sick of sandwiches and I really needed some kind of comfort food that would help my chest congestion today. I needed something that would make me want to eat and would let DH be able to make it easily.
There was no way that I was going to send him out for prepared tasteless food that is expensive. So I started looking at my stockpile and thought about what he could make. Chicken Tortilla Soup came to mind almost immediately. It must be all the years I lived in Arizona since it was the first thing that came to mind. I had all of the ingredients on the shelf and in the freezer.
So DH put it on the stove to simmer using chopped sauteed chicken breast meat. He added 3 cans of chicken broth, 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 can of rinsed and drained black beans, 1 can of drained corn niblets and a package of taco seasoning. He stirred it all together and let it simmer for an hour or so. He served it in our soup crocks. On top he garnished it with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese and a dab of sour cream.
Sometimes it really pays to have prepared cans in your stockpile. The soup made a lot and so will probably be eaten for a couple of meals. It was absolutely delicious on this cold winter night and hopefully it will help my cold.
Since we had workmen in here all morning, I am exhausted and heading to bed early tonight. I hope you all have a great evening and weekend and I hope to be back in the swing of things soon!
Someone e-mailed me and asked if everything was okay. Be assured that I have not disappeared permanently! This is a rough week dealing with a couple of health issues for both myself and DH.
I did see my orthopedist about my wrist. He surmises that I broke it or badly sprained it many years ago and as a result of the injury, two bones have separated farther than they should and worn away all of the cartilage. Bone rubbing on bone is causing a lot of inflammation and pain. There isn't much to be done but treat it with anti - inflammatory drugs. So I am trying to get that regimen under way. I also have gotten a very bad head and chest cold so I have been sleeping alot. Between Dr's appts. and hospital tests for DH, we are keeping very busy.
We also have our 10 month inspection items being taken care of by the builder and all of their subcontractors tomorrow. That will take up most of the day. I will be very glad when tomorrow is over. I hate having so many people working inside of my home. But this should be the last time unless some other little things come up before our one year warranty is up.
I am also trying to get our Federal and State taxes underway. So as you can see, I am just very busy with other things at the moment. I will be back when I feel better and everything else is done.
There is too much money saving to be done around here for me to just disappear. Be back very soon!
I did two separate orders at Rite Aid yesterday since there was a limit on the TGI Friday snacks. This is what I purchased:
Order#1:
4 TGI Friday Snacks - $ .97 each = $ 3.88 and I received (4) $ 1.00 UP Rewards
1 Rite Aid Tissue - $ 1.00 and I received a $ 1.00 UP Reward
2 Dixie Plates - on sale BOGOF - $ 3.99 - Used $ 3./2 RA VV Cpn = $ .99 for both
1 Clearasil - $4.39 after 20% Wellness Discount - Used $ 2.00 In Ad Cpn = $ 2.39 - Used $ 2./1 IP Cpn = $ .39 and I received a $ 1.00 UP Reward
2 - Nature Made 100 ct. Fish Oil - On sale B1G1F - $ 10.49 - Used (2) $ 5.00/1 IP Cpns = $ .49 - Used (2) $3.00 VV Cpns = Made $ 5.51
Total OOP including tax was $ 1.50 and I received $ 6.00 in UPs Rewards.
Order #2:
4 TGI Friday Snacks - $ .97 = $ 3.88 and I received $ 4.00 in UPs Rewards
2 Dixie Plates on BOGOF- $ 3.99 - Used $ 3./2 RA VV Cpn = $ .99 for both
Used $ 4.00 in UPs Rewards
Total OOP including tax was $ 1.19 and I received $ 4.00 in UPs Rewards
I'm finding it an effort to type today. My wrist feels like I broke it. Not sure. I called an orthopaedist today but couldn't get an appointment until Wednesday. I am hoping it is just a sprain.
Now that family has gone home and West's birthday celebration is over, it is time to get back to saving money and stockpiling. Since I am hearing a whole lot in the press these days about a world food shortage that will majorly affect us here in the US and because gasoline prices keep rising so food will too, I am stockpiling as much as I have room for that I can buy cheap.
Here is what I got at Tops today:
12 Smart Ones Entrees - $ 2.00 each = $ 24.00 - Used $ 5.00/12 IP Cpn = $ 19.00
4 Ouaker Oats - $ 2.00 each = $ 8.00 - $2.00 off automatically at register for buying 4= $ 6.00 - Used (4) $ 1./1 Mfrs. Cpns = $ 2.00 or $ .50 each
6 Fiber One Lowfat Cottage Cheese - $ 2.00 each = $ 12.00 - Used (6) $ 1./1 Mfrs. Cpns = $ 6.00 or $ 1.00 each
4 Green Giant Vegetables - $ 1.00 each - Used $ .50/1 IP Cpns Dbled = Free
3 Heluva Good 8oz. Chunk Cheeses - $ 2.00 - Used $ .50/1 IP Cpns Dbled = $ 1.00 each
4 McIlhenneys Tabasco Sauce - $ 1.00 each - Used $ .50/1 IP Cpns Dbled = Free
4 Coffemate - on sale 3 for $ 5.00 - Used (4) $ .75 IP Cpns Dbled = $ .17 each
Total OOP was $ 30.66
I have to give credit to Coupon Love for posting these deals. I have not had any time to even look at the flyer. Thanks Amanda!
My children and grandaughter from Albany are arriving this afternoon. West's birthday party is this weekend. I will be feeding a crowd for dinner. I plan on making two homemade pizzas but decided I needed something more to feed all of us. So I am going to attempt to make Anchor Bar Chicken Wings. I bought their sauce and a big package of chicken wings. But I have no idea how to make them because I never have. How do I cook the wings? Oven? Deep fryer? Then what do I do with the sauce?
I need help on what to do? Please! I will check back in on comments to see if someone has told me how.
Otherwise I will be back on Sunday or Monday after my family leaves.
I was thinking this morning about what it costs per year to get rid of our garbage. We have pickup once a week by a garbage company who contracts with our little town. We are billed once a year through our property taxes. Since I just received that bill, I know that pickup will cost me $ 187.04 for 2011. That is about $ 15.59 per month. There isn't much that I can do about this yearly charge but there are other ways I can save on the cost and I do.
By cooking pretty much from scratch and eating all of our leftovers, I cut down on how many plastic garbage bags I need to use per month. We have a garbage disposal and I make sure that I use it for any food waste like vegetable peelings, etc. Anything that is safe to go down it does.
Separating our garbage and recyclables is a priority for me. I recycle everything that is cardboard, tin cans, glass, newspapers, junk mail, computer paper and recyclable plastic containers. Not only is this good for the environment but it also cuts down on the amount of plastic bags I have to buy and use.
By doing this faithfully, we very rarely have to put out more than one garbage can a week and that can is usually only half full. We are required to bag our garbage so buying those plastic bags is a necessity.
In the seasons that we are mowing the lawn, the rider mulches the grass clippings and puts them right back down on the lawn. So we do not have clippings that we have to buy plastic bags for.
I am sure some of you are thinking that you re - use grocery store plastic bags for garbage. That is wonderful if you can do that. I only get a few bags at the grocery store a month just to use for cleaning the litter box. 98% of the time I use cloth bags to shop.
So buying tall kitchen garbage plastic bags is a necessity for me. The cheapest way for me to do that is with coupons and a great sale. I understand that garbage bags are really cheap at the big box stores like Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club. However, I am not about to pay a store to shop in it. I make out much better at grocery and drug stores and they don't charge me to walk in the door.
When I know that I am getting low on bags, I start looking for a sale. The ones that I am using right now were RiteAid brand on sale on B1G1F, so they would have cost me $ 3.50 for a box of 60 but I paid with a Free Visa Giftcard. Normally I buy brand names but this was the best deal at the time for me. And I find Rite Aid brand to be just as sturdy as Glad. I will always look for the cheapest way to pay for these knowing that they will be thrown out.
With constant vigilance of always recycling and using the garbage disposal, a box of 60 lasts us about 30 weeks. So those two boxes purchased on the B1G1F sale will last us 60 weeks or well over a year.
I also make sure to pack them tightly enough to get as much as possible in but not so tightly that the bag breaks. I defintitely don't want to end up using a second bag because I tried to be overly frugal with the first.
Our garbage service will take one large piece of furniture or an appliance once per week. We pay nothing extra for this. If I had an appliance die, this is how I would get rid of it. However if the appliance or furniture has life left in it, I either sell it on Craigslist or would donate it to a charitable organization. We have also given things away to friends and family.
Sorry if this is not an interesting subject but it was one that I have given a lot of thought to. And I told you that I would be thinking about every cost in 2011.
I would love to hear how you save on the cost of getting rid of your garbage or where you purchase your garbage bags cheaply, so please feel free to leave a comment.
Since it is going to snow AGAIN today, I decided to go get the few things on my list for Top's. This is what I purchased:
6 Campbells Tomato Soup - $.50 a can = $ 3.00 - Used $ 3./1 Mfrs. Cpn = Free
3 Stonyfield Yogurt - $ .50 each = $ 1.50 - Used $.50/3 IP Cpn Dbled = $ .50 for all 3
9 cans of Red Pack Diced Tomatoes - $ 1.00 each = $ 9.00 - Used (3) $ 1./3 Mfrs. Cpns = $6.00 for all 9
Total OOP was $ 6.50
Analysis:
I use tomato soup to make skillet and casserole dishes plus DH doctors it with other things for a tasty soup. Free is the right price! The yogurt is for my grandaughter. I use tomatoes in homemade spaghetti sauce and many other things and this price was right.
I also filled up our van with gasoline which cost me $ 3.079 a gallon after I used my $ .20 off per gallon at Tops. A lady in the market today was complaining to me that some products are going up
a $ 1.00 a week. I told her it's the gasoline prices causing it. I have not only noticed prices going up but less and less coupons on products.
Not much else going on today. I am cleaning and preparing for company. I also plan on a nap later.
A while ago, I opened a can of Campbell's lentil soup for lunch. As I was spooning it into the pot to heat it, I noticed something white in the middle of it. I pulled out what looked like a piece of white plastic. There was no way I was eating that soup.
I found Campbells customer service telephone number on the back of the label and called them. I explained calmly what I had found and asked if they could tell me what it was. They agreed that if I would send them the foreign object that they would test it and let me know what the results were. They took my information and agreed that I should throw the soup out. A few days later I got a letter with a postage paid mailer to send the foreign object in to them. I did so. They also sent me (1) $3.00 and (5) $ 1.00 Campbells coupons good on all the products they make. I loved those coupons because you could buy more than one product with each coupon. So I used the $3.00 one a few weeks ago on 3 Prego Heartsmart Spaghetti Sauces that were on sale 3 for $5.00. I was thrilled to pay $ 2.00 for 3 jars. I also used the $1.00 ones to buy Chunky Soups for $ .25 each after coupon.
Since it had been quite a while since I sent their mailer with the object back to them, I figured I would not hear from them again. Boy, was I wrong. I got a letter from them today advising me that they determined that it was a piece of white plastic but they have no clue how it got in the soup. They apologized and sent me the coupons you see above. While I am a little nervous that they can't tell me how it got in the soup, I do realize that mistakes happen. I will happily be using these coupons over the next few weeks. But I will most likely be checking any canned soup as it comes out of the can for quite some time. Fortunately, I make most of our soup.
So never be afraid to make an inquiry or complaint to a company if something isn't right. Your hard earned money went to pay for that product. But also remember to compliment any company for a great product also. I find it is always worth my time. They usually send high value coupons.
Have any of you had an experience like this? Please feel free to leave a comment and share your story with us.
I think the cat and I will hibernate for the rest of the winter.
The deals are not every good this week in my estimation. Top's ad is terrible. I made a quick trip to Rite Aid and Walgreens this morning and purchased my newspapers and a few things we needed. I may go back later in the week if I have time and after I have had time to work on some better deals. Anyhow this is what I purchased:
Rite Aid:
5 Newspapers( not pictured) - $ 1.60 each after my 20% off wellness = $ 8.00
2 Tylenol Precise Pain Cream - $ 5.00 each = $ 10.00 - Used $ 5./2 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 5.00 and I received $ 6.00 in UP Rewards
2 Finish Powerball Dish Detergent - on sale B1G1F - $ 6.49 - Used (2) $2.25/1 Mfrs.Cpns = $ 1.99 for both
2 Revlon Emery Boards - on sale B1 Get 50% off 2nd - one was $ 1.25 and one $ .62 = $ 1.87 and I received $ 2.00 in UP Rewards
Used $ 3./20. RA Cpn
Used $ 9.00 in Up Rewards
Total OOP was $ 5.38 and I received $ 8.00 in UP Rewards
Walgreens:
2 Twizzlers - $ 1.50 each = $ 3.00
1 Box of Crayons - $ 1.19
4 Reach Total Care Whitening Floss - $ 3.99 each = $ 15.96 - Used (2) B1G1F Mfrs. Cpns = $ 7.98 - Used $ 2.00 In Ad Cpn( Total of $ 8.00) = Made $ .02
3 Banquet Sausage - $ .99 each = $ 2.97
Used (2) $ 1.50 Catalina Cpns Good OYNO = $ 3.00
Total OOP was $ 5.11
Analysis:
The insert coupons were good so I decided to splurge on extra newspapers. The Tylenol cream was a good deal and I can use it. In this cold weather, my arthritis has been acting up. I am trying to use up my Finish coupons without making special trips. The emory boards were a necessity and this was a great deal. The twizzlers are a treat for my kids and grandaughter when they visit next weekend. I had coloring books for my grandaughter but no crayons. She loves to color. The floss was a moneymaker and we were getting very low. The sausage was a good price and I needed it for breakfast next weekend.
While out taking care of business today, I stopped one last time at Tops and picked up 1 more package of the Angus Beef Ground Chuck- $ 3.03 and used the $ 3.00 off Tops coupon so I paid $ .03. I also stopped at Wilson Farms for a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke and used a free coupon from Facebook. I didn't even have to pay the bottle deposit since the cashier took it from the penny jar. So I guess when I return the bottle, I will make $ .05.
Today was a very busy day for us. DH had a dental checkup which showed no work needing to be done, so he won't go back for 3 months. While he was out, I did some general cleaning and then spent some time wrapping West's birthday presents. I have been saving the comics from the Sunday papers to wrap them in. It is a tradition that I started with my kids when they were little and I have decided to continue it. It saves me from buying expensive paper that the kids could care less about anyhow and it saves trees. West is so little, he won't even notice. His birthday party is next weekend and my other son, DIL and grandaughter are coming for the weekend. I am very excited that my entire family will be together for a change. It will also give me a chance to talk to my son about his business trip to London and Bacelona in a few weeks. It's nice when he is here and we can sit face to face and chat instead of on the webcam or cellphone.
I also washed a load of clothes in the HE's using minimal detergent. I hung them to dry in the basement.
I double checked that I had everything I needed to make bread in the breadmaker tomorrow. We do. DH loves homemade bread. I love the smell of it baking. We will be using up the end of our last loaf to make grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on our indoor grill for dinner. It is a light dinner tonight since we had date night last night. We went to our favorite restaurant, Shamus , which has the most amazing food that I have ever eaten. DH and I had French onion soup and salad. Then DH had the Black Angus filet of sirloin while I had twin filet mignons in a mushroom port wine sauce. Top it all off with peanut butter pie and I don't think we need to even eat tonight. I was able to defray the cost with a restaurant. com gift certificate for $ 25. This restaurant is not cheap, especially when you have a couple of drinks or wine but the food and service are so exceptional that DH and I like to go about every 3 months or so. It is our one splurge that we really enjoy!
Today, I also filed all my coupons that came in the mail this week so that my binder and HBA filebox are up to date for this weekends sales. I most likely will get out to the drugstores on Sunday and the
markets on Monday or Tuesday.
Lastly, I cleaned and disinfected my bathrooms today with homemade cleaner consisting of bleach and water.
Tonight DH and I will stay in and stay warm while watching CSI - New York.
Please feel free to leave comment and tell me what you did to save money or not spend money today.
A few weeks ago, I won a contest on Lisa B's blog which is Easy Frugal Living. It was for a giftpack from Red Gold. Well, it arrived today and I loved it. As you can see in the picture, it contained diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes and chiles, sloppy joe sauce, a bottle of ketchup, recipe cards, a beautiful recipe book, a key chain, a clip, and a very nice reusable cloth bag. Thanks so much to Lisa B and Red Gold. This will really help my stockpile. After paging through the recipe book, there are quite a few that look like keepers that I will be trying over the next few weeks.
Up until a few months ago, I very rarely would win anything. But it seems that lately I am winning lots of things. So maybe my luck has changed. Thanks again Lisa B!
Mrs. G, whose blog is Mrs. G's Coupon Corner left a comment on the post yesterday that said "Way to go! I love the cherry picking!" So is that what I am doing "cherry picking"? Would I do that?
Of course I would! You are going to see a lot more of it this year now that I have rebuilt my stockpile after our move. I pretty much started out from scratch last spring. But now I have about 6-9 months of meat in the freezer along with the same amount of cheese. I have a small stockpile of the canned goods that we use, enough coffee for almost a year and a good supply of frozen vegetables, fruits, coffee creamers and juices to last a couple of months.
With the exception of milk, fresh produce and bread, I am pretty well set. Most of the bread and rolls that we will be eating will be homemade. That is why I purchased 30 lbs. of flour and other baking supplies during the Thanksgiving sales.
Will I buy more meat? Sure as a I see a great deal like beef for pennies that I have been getting this week, I will buy it. I will be replenishing poultry, beef, pork and other meats when I see rock bottom prices. I am especially looking forward to the corned beef sales in March and the turkey breast sales in April. I believe that we will see drastic rises in beef and other meat prices this year due to two things - rising gasoline prices and the allowance of 15% ethanol in our gasoline by our government. Those two things will lead to inflation in not only meats but many other products including milk. We are already seeing the effect of rising prices because of the government printing money. In case you haven't noticed, prices have been rising since July and it will continue to worsen. If you haven't noticed it in the price, it is most likely because they have downsized the amount of product in the package without changing the size of the container. But I believe most of us who are frugal do notice when they downsize. The manufacturers just hope the rest of the country doesn't notice.
Since I want to save as much of our expense allotment this year as I can, this way of shopping will be a necessity. So you will see lots more cherry picking. Some weeks will be good for it and others not so much. So on the off weeks, you will see no shopping. Remember just because a product is in the sale flyer doesn't mean that it is the best price. You really have to track your prices for your area to figure what is the best price so that you will know when to buy.
Most of my shopping will be posted online. I say most because sometimes I get busy and it takes a lot of time to post it. So I will miss a few things here and there. However I will be tracking every penny spent on groceries each month and showing you what it would have cost me without coupons, how many dollars I used in coupons, what I paid and what the percentage of savings was. There are a couple of ways to do this. Some people track what it would have cost for each item( regular price) before the sale price. I will not be doing that since I would rarely buy anything that was not on sale. So my savings will be calculated using the sale price as the shelf price. So don't expect to see me saving 98% when I am using sale prices. If I wanted to inflate my savings, I could use the regular price but that would not really show the true savings for me.
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if you are a cherry picker.
Since I was out for an appointment this morning, I just couldn't resist stopping at Top's and Dollar General since they were on my route. This is what I purchased:
Dollar General:
2 - 64oz. Welchs 100% Grape Juice - $ 2.00 each - Used (2)$ 1./1 Mfrs. Cpn = $1.00 each
Total OOP was $ 2.00
Top's:
4 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa - $ 1.00 each - (4)Used $ 2./1 IP Cpns = Free
1 Pkg. of Angus Beef Hormone & Antibiotic Free Stew Beef - $ 3.10 - Used $ 3./1 Tops Cpn = $ .10
Total OOP was $ .10
ANALYSIS:
So $2.10 for todays shop. I love this grape juice and it is a change from orange juice. More cheap beef and the hot cocoa was free.
These are the things we did today to save some money:
- The turkey breast carcasses and skin simmered overnight in my large crockpot on low to make turkey broth. This morning I drained the broth through a sieve and put it in a pot for soup which I will make tomorrow. I added all of the bits and pieces of meat in the crockpot to the broth. It is cooling in a pot on the stove and then I will put it in the fridge overnight to make soup tomorrow. Any fat in the broth will congeal overnight and I will be able to scoop it off.
- I finally convinced DH that we didn't need two cellphones. He rarely used his so we cancelled it this morning. We will just share the one we are keeping. That will save us $ 33.+ a month.
- Our garbage service now has a reward program for recycling: gift cards, great coupons, etc. I signed us up this morning.
- We continue to be very conscious of our gas and electric usage. Right now as we do some work on our computers, we only have the lights on to read by. It is a cold, dreary, snowy day so all of our energy saving douette shades are down to keep the cold out. There are no TV's or radios on. I am drying some clothes in the HE and when it turns off, I will immediately hang them so that I don't have to use the dryer later for an iron.
- DH took the van in to our great neighborhood garage this morning to have a new seat belt connector installed and a new timing belt put in. They drove DH home and picked him up when the car was ready so that he didn't have to sit there for hours. DH took it in last Thursday to have it inspected,to find out why the seat belt light stayed on in the car, and for the timing belt. They didn't have enough time to do all of the work. So rather than leave us without a car for the 4 days they were closed for the holiday, they just did the inspection and rescheduled everything for today. They gave DH a nice giftcard because of having to bring it back. That was used to defray the cost of the work today which was $ 497. Our van will be 9 years old next month and the only other problem we have had with it was an A/C problem which we did have to fix when we were in AZ because of the heat. If it had happened here, we could have easily gone without A/C. We purchased this van new and paid cash. It only has 62,000 miles on it and has no rust so it is probably good for another 40,000+ miles before it needs to be replaced. It has served us well and we have put very little money into it considering how old it is. We were very lucky to find such a great garage with fantastic mechanics here.
- I ordered some Coke coupons with my Recycle Bank Rewards and another Amazon.com gift certificate from Swagbucks .
- In the mail today I received two more free Excedrin coupons, a class action suit settlement check for $ 16.28, and my free Kiplingers and free Money magazines.
- The snow in the driveway today was light and not enough to really use the snowblower. So DH and I shoveled. It saved on gasoline and gave us some exercise.
- With all of the shopping over the past couple of months, my freezer in my side by side refrigerator had become a disaster. I couldn't find anything. So I cleaned and reorganized it. The top two shelves are frozen creamers, homemade prepared meals or cooked meat that needs to be used in the next 8 weeks. The first basket is breakfast and snack items. The second is veggies and the last is meat. The door holds baking supplies like nuts and chocolate chips.
- We had homemade applesauce bread for breakfast. I baked a few loaves last month so pulled one out of the freezer last night. Lunch was a hot turkey sandwich. Dinner will be pineapple, turkey chunks, peppers and onions with an orange sauce served over rice.
That is about it for today. It is a quiet day here and I am off to read.
Please feel free to share what you did to save money today.
-
DH mentioned to me yesterday that we were getting low on lunch meats. I have resolved to never buy deli cold cuts during all of 2011. Not only are they expensive but they are full of sodium, water and other fillers so they are not really very healthy. They cost anywhere from $ 5.99 to $9.99 per lb. in my stores.
So I defrosted two turkey breasts that I had in the freezer and roasted them in my convection gas range. It only takes me a little over two hours to roast them with the convection which I love using. Not only do they stay moister but it saves me on electricity because they roast 25% faster using the convection instead of just roasting the regular way. The two turkey breasts weigh a total of 15.48 lbs. and cost me $15.33.
We will have a turkey dinner tonight and then the rest of the meat will be sliced on my meat slicer for sandwiches. The little chunks of meat that we have left after getting all of the slices off will be used to make turkey soup. I will let the meat cool so that DH can cut it off the bone and then slice it. So that the meat won't go bad, some of the slices will be frozen until we need them. My foodsaver does a great job of getting all the air out of the bags so that they won't get freezer burn while we are waiting to use them up. Not only will we save money over buying deli cold cuts but we know that we are eating real turkey.
I can do this also with ham and roasting chickens all purchased on sale at rock bottom prices. In March, I will stock on corned beef at a good price and cook and slice the same way. Besides making your own, you can almost always buy a chunk of ham or honey ham in the meat case and slice your own for a lot less per lb. than what they charge at the deli. If you don't own a meat slicer, then take it to the deli and ask them to slice it for you. I have never been turned down when I ask.
There are other alternatives to deli meat also. We buy solid white albacore tuna for $ .99 a can. DH loves tuna salad sandwiches and I just like a scoop on a bed of lettuce with some other raw veggie pieces or a hard boiled sliced egg. DH also loves meatloaf sandwiches so when I make a meatloaf for dinner, I make two. One is for sandwich meat! We also like egg salad, peanut butter and jelly, and cream cheese and olive. I am sure you can think of a lot more that I haven't.
Just remember the next time you need deli meats that there are many alternatives to paying for that overpriced salty meat that is full of preservatives. I will not be buying them all of this year and I don't believe that we will miss them. I know my wallet won't!
Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know how you save on deli meats.
Hopefully next week I won't have to go out and run errands twice because coupons don't arrive in the newspaper. I am really trying to cut back on gasoline usage since it is so expensive. These are the purchases I made this morning:
Dollar General:
10 -34 oz. bottles of Palmolive Dish Liquid - $ 2.00 each = $ 20.00 - Used (5)$ 2./2 Mfrs. Cpns = $10.00 for all or $1.00 per bottle
Total including tax was $ 11.60
Save A Lot:
2 - lb. rolls of Carolina Ground Turkey - $ 1.00 each = $2.00 which was the total.
Tops:
1 Angus Hormone & Antibiotic Free Chuck Steak - $ 3.22 - Used $ 3.00/1 Tops Cpn = $ .22
1 Fresh Express Salad - $ 2.00 - Used $ 1./1 Tops Catalina Cpn = $ 1.00
Used $ 2.05 in Bottle Return Receipts
Total was a NEGATIVE $ .83 which was paid to me.
Rite Aid:
2 - 4oz. Nabisco Wheat Thins - $ 1.00 each - Used (2)$ 1.00 IP Cpns = Free
2 Gas X Prevention - $ 4.99 each - Used $ 4./1 IP Cpns = $ .99 each and I will submit for a SCR of $2.00 for one of them. I love moneymakers.
Used $ 1.00 UP Reward
Total was $ .98
Walgreens Order #1:
1 Finish Gelpacs - $ 3.49 - Used $ 2.25 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 1.24 and I received a $ 1.50 Catalina good on my next shopping order.
Total including tax was $ 1.52 and I have $ 1.50 Catalina for my next order.
Walgreens Order #2:
2 Coffeemate Creamers on sale B1G1F = $ 2.49 - Used (2) 1.00/1 IP Cpns = $ .49 for both
1 Finish Gelpacs - $ 3.49 - Used $ 2.25/1 Mfrs. Cpn = $ 1.24 and I received a $ 1.50 Catalina good OYNO
Total OOP was $ 2.01 and I have $ 1.50 Catalina for my next order.
Wilson Farms:
2 - 1/2 gallons of Skim Milk - $ 1.50 each wyb 2 = $ 3.00 which was my total.
My shopping total for the day was $ 20.28 and I will get a $ 2.00 rebate.
Analysis:
You can never have too much cheap brand name dish liquid. I use it up so fast. The ground turkey is the best price I have found even when you account for the fat which I rinse off after it is cooked. More angus beef for $.22. They had no ground chuck left. So I will grind my own from the steak. I am loving this deal and will get more this week if I happen to go by Top's again for any reason. I do not plan on making a special trip. I couldn't pass up more cheap salad. DH loves salad so we will eat it all week with our meals and for lunches. Since I have my green boxes, I put the salads in those and they keep 3 times as long as keeping it in the bags. The wheat thins were free and will make a snack for DH. He can have them in moderation. I had just finished our last Gas X, so this was a great deal to replenish it. You can never have too much dishwasher detergent either. I actually still have some left from last year's deal. I will pick up more this week if I go by a Walgreens but I will not make a special trip for it. The creamers were so cheap and went in my freezer for future use. The milk was not so cheap. However, since I forgot to pick it up at Tops, I stopped at Wilson Farms on my route. The $1.50 price was only if you bought two. So one of them was put in my freezer for future use. My shopping is done for this week. Between yesterdays trip and todays, I have spent $ 34.63. I had to correct yesterdays totals. I picked up something for a neighbor while I was shopping and I screwed up my Rite Aid total when I was calculating after taking her items off. Just shows you that even accountants make mistakes.
Well, I thought I was all prepared to do all of my shopping this morning. I finished my lists and pulled coupons while I was babysitting West last night so that my kids could ski. I was feeling really good about getting out early until I opened our delivered newspaper this morning and the coupon inserts were just about non existent. I called the newspaper and they told me they had a contractor problem and they would re-deliver all of the inserts. They just came. This is a horrible weekend to screw up the newspapers since it is the best insert weekend of the year. UGH! So I couldn't do all of my stores at once but I did pick up 4 newspapers at Rite Aid and I checked to make sure the inserts were in them.
But I was able to do most of them and this is what I purchased:
Dollar General:
1 Olay Bodywash - $ 2.00 - Used $ 2./1 Mfrs. Cpn = Free
Total was $ .16 - all tax!
Family Dollar:
2 -2 ltr. Diet Cokes - $ .85 each with Store Cpn - Used B1G1F Cpn = $ .85 for 2 bottles
2 boxes Red Baron Pizzas - $ 2.50 each - Used (2) $ .55/1 Mfrs. Cpns = $ 1.95 each or $ 3.90
Total Including Bottle Deposits and Tax was $ 5.01
Rite Aid:
4 Wet Ones - $ 1.99 each - Used $ 1./1 IP Cpns = $ .99 each or $ 3.96 and I received $ 4.00 in UP Rewards
4 Buffalo Newspapers - $ 1.60 each after 20% discount = $ 6.40
Used $ 8.00 in UP Rewards
Total was $ 3.00 including tax and I received $ 4.00 in UP Rewards.
Tops:
1 Pkg. of Angus Beef Antibiotic and Hormone Free Ground Chuck - $3.02 - Used $ 3.00 Tops Coupon = $ .02
3 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies - $ 1.00 each = $ 3.00 - Used (2)$ .50./1 and (1) $ .35/1 Mfrs. Cpns Dbled = $ .30 for all 3
3 Prego Heartsmart Spaghetti Sauce - 3 for $ 5.00 - Used $3./1 Any Campbells Products Cpn = $ 2.00 for all 3
2 Bags Fresh Express Salad - $ 2.00 each = $ 4.00 - Used (2)$ .50/1 IP Cpns Dbled = $ 2.00 for 2 bags
1 Tops Light Sour Cream - $ 1.00
1 Lean Pockets - $ 1.67 - Used $ 1.50/1 Mfrs. Catalina Cpn = $ .17
1- 12 pack Diet Coke - $ 4.50 - Used Free Cpn = Free
Total OOP including bottle deposits and tax was $ 6.18
Total spent OOP today for all was $ 14.35!
Analysis:
I can always use Free (except tax) bodywash especially since I won't pay for liquid soap this year. So when I am out of softsoap, I substitute body wash diluted a little. The 2 liter Cokes were cheap and the 12 pack was Free and are DH's one vice. The pizzas were cheap enough that they are a quick and easy meal when I have a hectic day. The Wet Ones, since they were free after UP Rewards, I use to clean with, especially the bathrooms. They are so quick and easy! But when I can't get them free, I don't buy them. I use my microfiber cloths instead. I rarely get extra papers but when I do Rite Aid with my discount and UP rewards is the way to do it. I am loving this almost free beef! $ .10 a package for veggies is a stock up price. I will have to see if I can find more coupons. I usually make my spaghetti sauce but since Campbells had sent me this large coupon to replace a can of soup that had a foreign object in it, I decided to try the heartsmart spaghetti sauce.The Fresh Express was cheap for salad which I will make with mandarin oranges, cranberries and walnuts. The sour cream was needed for tacos for dinner tonight. I will also be using the ground chuck for those. The lean pocket will be a cheap quick lunch. I consider spending $ 14.35 today for all of this a great start on my austerity budget.
Please feel free to comment and share any deals with all of us that you got today.
When we were driving cross country a little over a year ago, DH and I would only eat a decent meal after we got checked into our hotel at night. In the morning, we would get on the road before dark and about 7AM we would go to the drive thru at McDonalds or Burger King, whichever we found first. It was usually a McDonalds. The food was horrible and after the second day I would take one bite and throw it out. We quickly learned not to stop there and instead to pick up a piece of fruit at the hotel to bring with us.
So you will NEVER see us purchase breakfast from a fast food restaurant. I make our breakfasts at home and especially our Egg McMuffins. It is cheaper, healthier and as quick as jumping in the car and taking the time to go get them. I also know that my hands are clean when I prepare our food.
So this morning, I decided to make these. We had English Muffins that were getting a little old. They were purchased at Top's for $1.00 for a package of 6. I made an omelet of 2 eggs and split it between DH and I. The eggs cost me $ .44 a dozen after coupon. I then cooked up 5 Jones All Natural Light Sausages that cost $ 1.33 for a box of 10. I assembled everything on our toasted muffins and added 1 slice of cheese that was $ 1.99 for the package and melted the cheese on the muffin in the microwave for 15 seconds. So our homemade Egg Mcmuffins cost us $ .50 each. I have no idea what they cost at the drive thru these days but I will bet mine are a lot cheaper. And I know they taste a lot better!
This week, I had English muffins on hand. I don't always so some days I make homemade biscuits instead and have egg and sausage biscuits. I plan on making my own English muffins next time using this recipe: English Muffins.
We also make these with ham or turkey bacon, depending on what we have stockpiled at the moment.
So during 2011 when I will be practicing austerity to reach our goals, you will not see us going to a drive thru for breakfast.
Please feel free to share with us what you always make homemade and never purchase prepared at a restaurant by leaving a comment.
