Hello, coupons!

With my new plan to live super-frugally - until I've paid off those blasted student loans - I decided to flex my couponing muscles again. I was really just beginning to learn the ins and outs of shopping with coupons a year ago when school got so busy I decided to give them a rest for a bit.

Now, though, with school done and my budget screaming for mercy, I need to get back on the wagon. Today, I went to Safeway and Target to see how much damage I could do, and I must admit I did well. Granted, most of my purchases were non-food related, but it's a start. Here's what I got today; I spent .57 cents for all of this, AND I got a surprise $2 cash-off coupon for the next time I shop at Safeway (AND, I forgot about this: there's a mail-in rebate for the razor, which, if it works, will net me $3.99)!



Since my grocery budget in the new super-frugal world will only be $75 (to include pet food and toiletries and other household items), I'm going to need to find as much 'free stuff' as I possibly can, so that I can spend as many of my pennies as possible on actual food. There's a blog I've been following called Eating Well on $1 A Day, which is quite interesting. I don't want to eat a banana and peanut butter burrito (one of the blogger's staples) anytime soon, but I think there are skills to be learned here.

Happy summer, everyone!

Memorial Day savings. . .

In no way do I want this site to become all about the great deals one can find at local drugstores and grocery stores (using coupons, of course). There are too many great sites out there that already do the job commendably, so I'll leave it to them!

However, I did want to show off my "take" last Monday, using coupons, double coupons, and Walgreens Register Rewards. . . .

I'm trying to stock up for a weekend trip to the beach coming up, on which I'll be responsible for breakfast and snack foods. About half of what you see above is coming with me to the beach (just south of Newport, for those familiar with the Oregon coast. . . .), and I saved a TON, using Albertson's double coupons plus Walgreens advertised specials combined with a coupon.

Total out of pocket (OOP, as the experts say) was $24.96. In addition, I received $5.50 in Walgreens Register Rewards (coupons I can use for other items), which brings the total down to $19.46. I forgot to include the bag of Seattle's Best coffee in the photo, which was $8 on its own (I have a rebate form with which I'll get a full refund on that coffee, by the way. . . )

Not bad for items that would have cost me $62.32 without the coupons! That popcorn was actually free---I went back later and got two more boxes, since you can't beat free!

In praise of coupons. . . .

In the past, I've pooh-pooh'ed the use of coupons, with the argument that I could save more money by purchasing store brands, and that I didn't use anything for which I could find a coupon anyway. Well, I've changed my tune. When used correctly and judiciously, one can save a substantial amount of money.

Case in point: Albertson's offered double coupons (up to $1) in the Sunday insert. When combined with a store sale and a manufacturer coupon, some items are either FREE or very, very inexpensive. Here's what I got, for a total of $1.00. Yes, $1.00!!!! I know there are "super-couponers" out there who would consider this small-fry, but personally, I'm amazed.

What I love about this is that I will use all of these products. While I lament the plastic packaging (one really doesn't have a choice with shampoo these days, does one?) I AM a fervent recycler, so that mitigates the environmental downsides (and my inner eco-guilt) a little bit.

The other thing I love is that had I simply bought these items "on sale" (minus the manufacturer coupons and Albertson's double coupons), I would have paid a grand total of $14. Who knows how much this would have been at the non-sale price (considering it's Albertson's I'd add from .50 cents to a dollar to each of these items). And I can't even begin to count the number of times I've run out to the store at the last minute because I've run out of salad dressing or shampoo, thereby paying full price. So with planning and strategy (thanks to coupon match-up sites like this one I recently found: Frugal Living NW) I saved $13---or roughly 93%!

Soup, anyone?

In the spirit of stockpiling non-perishables for next year, I found an awesome deal at Walgreens (thanks, Hip-2-Save and Money Saving Mom!)

WAGS had an in-ad coupon for .59 cent cans of Campbell's Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup (limit of six per transaction). Now, this is ordinarily a very good price---and I'm a big fan of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on dreary winter days. In addition to this great price, though, there's an online coupon at the Campbell's soup website that gives $1.00 off any two 'cooking soups' from Campbell's.

I was able to print out quite a few of those coupons, and purchased 12 cans of soup (6 tomato, 6 chicken noodle) for a total of $1.08!

That means that each of those cans of soup cost .09 cents!!! Amazing. . . .

I have a raincheck for six more at a local Walgreens which ran out of soup (not surprising), so I'll add some more to my stockpile next week---although I'm not sure I'll have any more online coupons to use---there is a limit, after all!

Stocking up. . . .

As I increase my usage of coupons and store deals, I've come to the realization that although I feel as if I'm spending more money at one time---because I'm stocking up on good deals---in the long run, I'll save money. Why is this? Because in the past, I used to wait until something ran out before running out to the store and purchasing a replacement---generally paying the highest price for that item. My money slipped through my fingers in dribs and drabs in this way.

Now that I'm collecting coupons and scanning the weekly ads for Walgreens, Rite-Aid and some of the local grocery stores, I'm actually planning ahead! Do I use some items regularly enough that it makes sense to buy two or three while they're on sale AND I have a coupon? Yes!

Part of me rebels against this idea of stocking up, primarily because I have a grandmother who, when we moved her into a nursing home from her apartment, had probably a year's worth of toilet paper and shaving cream in her closets (and my grandfather had been dead for years---not sure how much shaving grandma was doing on her own. . . and I probably don't want to know. . .) I don't want to be the crazy old lady who stockpiles soap at the expense of having fun. Then again, stockpiling can be a great money-saver, as long as it is done in moderation.

Case in point: I went to my Walgreens last weekend to stock up on some items that I use (or will use, when the weather warms up) regularly. Here are some of the deals I got:

Reynolds Wrap Aluminum foil: on sale for .89 cents, minus a .55 cent coupon I had. Final price? .34 cents! I only had one coupon, so only bought one, but .89 cents is still a good deal so maybe I'll go back for more.

Three packs of diet Pepsi, for $11. This is a pretty high price, but I got $3 back in 'Register Rewards', that I can use the next time I go to Walgreens (maybe for my aluminum foil?). At $2.67 per box (and 12 cans per box), that's about .22 cents a can! A good deal, for something I love to drink in the summer while working in the garden . . . .

Colorsilk haircolor, which runs anywhere from $2.50 (on a good day) to $3.89 (waaaaay overpriced) was on sale for $1.99 a box. I happened to have a $1.00 off coupon, so I snagged three boxes (the limit) for $4.97, or $1.66 a box. Not bad!

I bought some other items on sale as well, which I won't detail in this blog post, but suffice it to say that my total savings was $25.40!

Part of my strategy of saving money for next year's drop to part-time status is to stock up on non-perishable food and household items so I won't have to spend as much money on them next year. Of course I am somewhat limited by available money and space (although it occurs to me that the space under the beds are not being used to their full potential) but I'm making more money this year than I will next year, so now is the time to stock my cupboards, especially when the products I use are on sale! By the way, the Dollar Stretcher has a good article with reader suggestions on stocking up when the prices are low. . . . check it out!

Internet coupons. . .

I generally find the best coupons online---those that I can simply print from my computer, without having to purchase the Sunday newspaper or stalk the local library (you would not believe the number of women who stand with their noses pressed to the door so they can be the first to snag the Sunday coupons when the library opens at noon). Internet coupons allow me to pick and choose what I need, and they seem to be rather 'high value' when compared to the Sunday inserts. . . (this could just be my imagination).

Unfortunately, my favorite low-price grocery store (Winco) didn't take internet printed coupons ("IP" coupons)----until a few weeks ago, that is!!!

The excitement that this engendered in my still somewhat virginal coupon brain was almost more than I could bear. I immediately called my favorite local Winco to inquire about the veracity of this rumor. The woman I spoke to said, in no uncertain terms, that they do not take internet coupons "of any kind" (whatever that means).

Undeterred, I called my second-favorite Winco store, located about twenty blocks from the first. The woman at THAT store confirmed that, yes, they do now take IP coupons! So I called the first store back and indicated that I had called store #2 (confused, yet?) and that they do, in fact accept IP coupons. I was then tranferred to the manager, who confirmed yet again that "NO", they do NOT accept IP coupons. Sigh.

In any case, I ended up going to store #2 to purchase my groceries---and even the cashier had to check around to see if she could take my coupons! I promised the store manager of store #1 that I would be calling regularly to find out when their policy would align with that of Winco corporate policy. She was extremely doubtful that I could be correct.

Anyhoo! As one example, I was able to use a CoffeeMate coupon, printed from the website ($1.50 off when you buy two) to snag two 32 ouncers for less than $1.50 each! Fred Meyer sells this stuff--on sale--for $2.50, but it's usually closer to $2.89. The regular, pre-coupon price at Winco is only $2.18. So, I scored. And next time I'll use two $1.00 coupons, and get my CoffeeMate for $1.18 each! Assuming Winco doesn't raise all its prices in response to the IP coupon rush, that is.

Where do I find my favorite coupons? Aside from reading Hip2Save and MoneySavingMom religiously, I also visit:

CouponMom
Coupons.com
Smartsource
Hot Coupon World

While I'm still a little green in the world of couponing, the new policy at Winco (well, at ONE of their stores, anyway) will allow me to purchase items that I use regularly not just at the very low Winco prices, but at even less than that, with the use of IP coupons!

Kmart deals. . . .

Last week, KMart doubled manufacturer coupons, up to $2.00. What a great deal!! I was able to get a few items for pennies on the dollar, such as:

Formula 409 cleanser: on sale for $2.79

• minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon, doubled = $2.00 off.

Natural Source bathroom cleanser: on sale for $2.50

• minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon, doubled = $2.00 off

Dove conditioner: on sale for $3.99

• minus $1.50 manufacturer coupon, doubled = $3.00 off

I almost picked up some more toothpaste, but I think I'm pretty well stocked for at least six months, so unless I find it somewhere for free, I'm going to pass it up. So far I've not managed to find laundry detergent at a price that makes me happy, so that's my next challenge.

Walgreens deals. . . .

I'm continuing to hone my coupon and rebate-abilities, so today I went to Walgreens for a mini shopping trip for a few things I use regularly, and for which I had either single or double coupons (I consider anything a 'double' when there's a coupon in the Walgreens Easy Saver booklet, along with a manufacturer coupon from the Sunday newspaper).

Here's how I did:

Colgate Total toothpaste: $3.49

• minus $2.50 Easy Saver coupon and
• minus $.75 manufacturer coupon

Jergens lotion: on sale for $4.59

• minus $1.50 Easy Saver coupon and
• minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon

Playtex tampons (36 ct): on sale for $6.99

• minus $2.00 Easy Saver coupon and
• minus $1.50 Walgreens register coupon
  

Wrigley Big Red gum: $1.29

• minus $1.29 manufacturer coupon

So I spent $5.92 and saved $10.54 using coupons. I really am kind of disappointed that Walgreens is planning to phase out the Easy Saver booklet, because if you're willing to match up manufacturer coupons with the Easy Saver coupons, you can make out like a bandit at the cash register! I also made a trip to KMart, which is currently doubling manufacturer coupons, and picked up cleaning products, shampoo and conditioner, and facial cleanser and spent much less than I normally would have.

Coupon giveaway. . .

Apropos of my latest experiment in couponing, I've been considering how the heck people get so many coupons that they can "stack" (or is it "piggyback") them and get $100 of groceries for $3.49.

I know that some couponers actually purchase their coupons online, and although I came across one of these sites recently, I didn't make a note of it. I don't see myself needing to purchase ten tubes of toothpaste anytime soon---although true coupon fanatics would say that having multiple coupons increases the odds that I could get those ten tubes of toothpaste for free!

Anyhow, I did recently stumble across a site that has a coupon 'giveaway' from time to time. Saving Our Cents will send three lucky readers $200 worth of coupons---and all you need to do is comment on her post! On March 31, she will use something called random.org to choose the winners. Head on over and leave your comment! You never know; it might be your lucky day!

Using coupons for frugal savings. . .

Recently, I've been trying my hand at using coupons and rebates to save money on items that I normally use. Although coupons for food are few and far between (unless I want to purchase heavily packaged convenience foods, which I normally don't), I've found some great deals on personal products that I use regularly.

For example, here's my recent haul from Walgreens:

Colgate toothpaste: $3.29 (received $3.50 "Register Rewards")
Blink tears: $7.99 (used $2 manufacturer coupon, and received $8 "Register Rewards")

Paid a total of $9.28 and received a total of $11.50 in return (basically, I "made" money on this transaction).

Then, I turned around and purchased:

Almay makeup: $12.99 (used $3 Walgreens coupon)
Nature Made vitamins: $10.99 (used $1 manufacturer coupon)
Nature Made vitamins: $10.49 (was 'free' as part of buy-one-get-one free promo)
Used $11.50 Register Rewards

So, on this purchase I paid out a total of $8.48.

In the end, I received $45.75 worth of goods (items that I needed to purchase anyway) and paid a total of $17.76 out of pocket!!! I'll also get a free Denise Austin exercise DVD using the Walgreens Easy Saver rebate booklet, because I bought more than $15 in Nature Made products. The bad news here is that Walgreens is apparently phasing out their Easy Saver catalog (which contains high value coupons and rebate offers). That is truly disappointing, since I've just begun to learn the Walgreens system; I'm hopeful that Rite Aid will continue its rebate program, although I've also read recently that Rite Aid is in danger of bankruptcy itself.

In any event, some of the websites I've found to be very helpful in pointing out deals such as the ones I recently got are:

Hot Coupon World
Money Saving Mom
Hip2Save

The area where I'll need to be careful is in only purchasing those products that I would have needed anyway, and in continuing to cut coupons from the Sunday paper (I can find these for free at the county library, most weeks) so that my drugstore deals save me even more money. I'll keep you all updated on my progress with this, and I would love to hear your own thoughts on using coupons and rebates as well as suggestions for other websites that might help. . . .

A last trip to the grocery store. . . .

Several times in the past, I've attempted to use coupons to my benefit, but have always felt that I was purchasing more processed food than I wanted to, and spending more time than it was worth. I've resolved to try again.

Since I had $15.99 left in my grocery budget for the month, I purchased a Sunday paper, and found a few coupons that seemed to be of value; I also visited the library and clipped those coupons from the ads that are regularly left on the newspaper rack.

Later in the week I checked the grocery store ads, and found a deal for 'buy one get one free' on a particular pasta sauce for which I also had a .50 cents off (buy two). Since this particular deal was at Safeway, I could also double the coupon and would end up paying $1 each for pasta sauce (something I use often, although this wasn't my 'preferred' brand). I purchased four jars, along with some other items I needed for a recipe.

My bill ended up being $16.58, just a bit more than I had in my remaining grocery budget. But wait!!! Upon checking my receipt, I noticed that the checker had neglected to double my coupons---this gave me an additional dollar, bringing me just under my remaining 'allowance' of $15.99 for the month.

Of course, upon returning home (after running several other errands), I noticed that I paid $2.29 each for the pasta that was to have been two bags for $3!

Moral of this story? Coupons can be used to good benefit. But it pays to check the receipt much more carefully than I did BEFORE leaving the store! I'll remember this when I attempt more coupon savings in February.

Note to self: check receipt before leaving store. . .

Today I walked to the local library (about a 10 minute walk) to scavenge the Sunday coupons. I made sure to get there early, as there is a little old lady who often beats me to 'em---she wasn't there today (maybe she was out for her Mother's Day brunch?)

I picked up two coupons, one for $1.00 and one for $2.00 for Pert shampoo. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Pert, but since I have long hair I go through the hair products like nobody's business. While I was perusing the weekly sales advertisements, I also noticed that KMart was having a sale on my particular brand of hair color.

After I had gone home, had some lunch, and called my mom to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, I drove out to KMart to purchase the hair color. While there, I noticed that the Pert shampoo for which I had two coupons were only $2.99! AND, they had a little sticker on them indicating that I could get one for free with a mail-in rebate! Yahoo! Up I went to the checkout stand with my hair color, my shampoo, and my coupons.

While stopped at a red light on the drive home, I happened to glance at my receipt and noticed that the salesgirl had entered both of my coupons at $1.00! So, instead of getting my two bottles of shampoo for .99, I paid $1.99 (assuming my rebate will only be $1.99, what I actually paid for my bottle of shampoo). Still a great deal. But also a reminder to check those receipts while in the store, or just outside, just in case there's a mistake. At the point I realized that my $2.00 coupon hadn't been entered correctly, I figured it would cost more in gas and my time to go back to the store to have it corrected.

Practicing frugality at the grocery store. . . .

A recent article about increasing grocery prices confirmed what I've already instinctually felt: grocery prices are going up, up, up. Granted, inflation is affecting just about everything, from gas prices to frozen corn. And it's been happening every year since, well, since economists kept track of that sort of thing. But it doesn't make it any easier for a newly-frugal gal to keep her grocery costs down.

A few months ago, I took the time to create a grocery 'price book' (data which was then entered into my trusty Excel spreadsheet). What I found has helped me save money on groceries with each trip, without using coupons. I discovered that the grocery store I usually shopped in didn't truly save me any money---in fact, I was spending MORE money on the food I generally purchased, by visiting this convenient store.

By taking the time to create a price book, I found that the much busier store across the street had prices on everything I needed at an average of 10% to 15% less than my 'usual' store! Granted, the cheaper store is packed from morning until night (gee, I wonder why?) and shopping there is more stressful and frustrating, given the crowds, but for a 10-15% savings, it's worth it!

FrugalMomLA is going to write a post in the next couple of weeks which compares grocery prices for staples (bread, apples, etc) from across the country (depending on how many responses she gets). Granted, it won't be a 'scientific' experiment, but it should be very interesting to see how much a loaf of bread costs in LA, compared to Portland. Check her blog in the next couple of weeks to see it for yourself!

In the meantime, I'm going to continue updating my price book, to make sure I'm buying my food at the best possible prices. . . .

Grocery "deals". . . .

I'm trying to be better about checking the weekly supermarket ads for good deals (those things coupon experts are always calling "loss leaders"), before shopping.

Yesterday I saw a deal at a local store (QFC, I believe) for 10 cans of Nalley chili (which I love, especially with cheddar cheese) for $10! "What a great deal", I thought to myself, "but do I really need ten cans of chili"? There were several other advertisements at the same store of the 'buy ten, pay $10' variety, so I'm sure I could have mixed and matched.

I always start my grocery shopping at the least expensive stores, and work my way up to average or high priced stores, in the hope that most of my groceries will already have been purchased at a lower cost store by the time I get to, say, Safeway.

Today, at the second store I visited (which does NO advertising), my eye was caught by a giant display of stacked cans of Nalley chili-----at .73 per can. Luckily, I hadn't made it to store number three for the "great deal" at $1 a can! I took home five cans, for $3.65, or $1.35 less than I would have paid at QFC!

Note to self: those "great deals" may not be as great if I take the time to do a little research and keep my eyeballs peeled for even BETTER deals. . . . .