Random Thoughts...

Hello all!

We all know how as women, we tend to have a LOT on our minds at one time. Well to organize my thoughts I love to write things down! So I felt like posting a slightly random post, covering a few things on my mind lately. 

For one, I wanted you guys to know where I find the coupons I use on my trips. Basically, I buy the Sunday newspaper every week and sort the coupon inserts in a file box seen on my "organization" of this blog. Then, when a deal comes around, I search the coupon database from IheartPublix HERE. For example if you really want some Dove body wash, you simply type in DOVE and scroll down to find what coupon insert has Dove coupons. It also shows you if any printable dove coupons are available.

The other thing on my mind is stock up prices. Since I'm not a pro with a long list of the best prices, I figured I could just give my opinion about realistic prices that I personally stock up on. I'm not a pro at the whole food stock up price area so I'll focus on toiletries/household. Here are a few examples:

Toilet Paper: 

.50 a roll is the minimum I will buy it at. If I find anything below this, I stock up.

Paper towels: 

With coupons or a great sale, you'll find these for $1 a roll. But with a combination, a stock up price is as low below $1 as you can get. The Tuf paper towels at Walgreens go for .50 every now and then.

Scotch Mailers:

.39

They go for this price at Walgreens every now and then.

Shampoo/Conditioner:

The most I will pay for a really luxurious brand is $1 a bottle. But if you aren't picky, you can get certain brands for free.

Body Wash:

Same as Shampoo/Conditioner. It depends on your preference of the brand. I would pay up to $1 a bottle for Dove or Caress, but free for Right Guard, Nivea, Irish Spring...

Toothpaste:

I always get it for free. Just wait for a Walgreens RR deal where it might be $2.99 get $2 RR then use a $1/1 Coupon. If you really need it, never pay more than $1. It really isn't necessary.

Toothbrushes:

Free. I always get these free with RR deals or Extrabuck deals at CVS. Always wait for the sale and stock up.

Hand Soap:

I always splurge on soap! lol. Sure you can get dial or softsoap for a few cents here and there, close to $1. But I personally LOVE Bath and Body Works handsoap! Usually they run for $5 a bottle, so what I do is wait for them to go 75% off , which they do a LOT! This makes them $1.25 a bottle. That is when I stock up. Its close to the price of the store stuff but I feel like it smells and feels better.

Deodorant:

This one varies too. I personally devote myself to the Secret brand only. I don't like to smell like powder so I buy the more "luxurious" brand lol. I haven't had to buy this deodorant in so long that I don't know what  I would spend. For mens deodorant, I always get it free. Either with a B1G1 sale and a B1G1 coupon, or a RR deal. Recently I got the women's Mitchum deodorant free and the Dove women's deodorant for pennies. 

Razors:

This one is fun. Some weeks you will see no good deals on razor. Then suddenly it’s a razor frenzy! For men's razors, I always get the Gillette ProFusion for $1 or less. Disposable razors can usually come free or $1.25 a pack with a sale and coupon. But the fancy razors are great deals too. Awhile ago I saw a CVS deal where Schick Quattro for Women was B1G1 Free, and I had $4/1 Coupons from a facebook game. I got them for $1 a piece and they are AWESOME! One thing you will see from couponing is you get to enjoy the awesome razors and leave behind the disposable ones. 

Mouthwash:

Almost always $.50 or less with a sale and coupon. CVS and Walgreens are best for these deals since they will go $2.99 and get $2 rewards (or something similar). 

Dish Soap:

Again, I haven't bought this in awhile. A few months ago Gain came out with the Gain dish soap for $1 at Walmart and had $1 coupons so I stocked up like crazy. lol. But with a deal at Walgreens, you can get them for close to .50. Maybe somedays you can get them for free but usually you have to pay a few cents. By the way I recommend the Gain dish soap over every brand! It smells so good and goes on sale at Walgreens and CVS for .89-.99 cents.

Detergent:

This is a tough one. I am not personally brand specific on my detergent but I know many of you may be loyal to a certain brand. For example, the Purex 3 in 1 goes on sale for B1G1 Free at $8 very often. Then the company puts out $3 coupons. So I stock up at the $1 a box price, and get about 30 loads out of each box. They smell good, and they are detergent and fabric softener all in one. These are perfect for apartment life but it isn't the "top" brand.

If you want to stay faithful to Gain, Tide or such, I recommend you wait for a sale and a coupon to purchase it. Maximize your savings. We all get the pick and choose our preference and for me, detergent brand is not a priority. 

I hope this helps some of you get an idea about certain prices that are worth stocking up on. Like I just said, we all have the ability to choose which is more important to us: Brand loyalty or savings. In many cases I have been able to get more expensive brands for LESS than what I used to use. But in some cases, I can't budge on my preference. My weakness is Caress body wash; probably one of the most expensive brands. Sure I can use some free Nivea but I don't like it. So I wait for a sale and a coupon and I get lots of Caress! Decide for yourselves what you are willing to compromise on and you will soon find out that you can switch to even better brands and pay less if you use your minds and plan ahead!

One final mention is an upcoming clothing deal.. My favorite store is DOTS! Right now on Facebook when they reach 100,000 fans they are going to give fans a coupon. Most likely it will be $15 off of $50 or something like that. The numbers are moving up slowly but if we get lucky, the coupon might overlap with the tax-free weekend here in Florida August 12-14! If it does, I plan on shopping at Dots, getting some clothes, using a coupon AND not paying tax!! So if you are interested go like DOTS on Facebook!

Good Luck!

Another Walgreens trip....

Hello =]

If it isn't obvious by now, Walgreens is definitely my number one favorite place for savings. Target is probably my next favorite but deals don't come around as frequently there. This week I was able to get a couple of things for myself and many for my friends and family. I'm actually pretty excited because my friend Brianna wants me to help her start couponing! Next week we'll be taking a trip, probably to Walgreens, to help her learn the basics and get in the groove.. So wish us luck! 

This weeks trip was a success! I officially have $42 Register Rewards accumulated in my wallet. So now I can basically find the deals, find the coupons, then use my rewards every week, get lots of stuff, and get the rewards (most of them) back. I love Walgreens =] They give me money to shop with.

I originally planned three transactions but when I got to the store, a couple of things were out of stock even though I checked online first to make sure they were in stock (Walgreens Fail). Lol. Oh well. Once you really get the hang of things, you start to learn how to come up with back up plans on the spot. And I did!

One thing I feel would be fun for me is to mention how my cashier was on each trip. If he/she was awesome, they deserve the praise. If not, well... you'll see.

Cashier today: Not too bad. She definitely seemed happy to help a customer out but when I pulled out the coupons, she seemed neutral. Fortunately, however, she did know what she was doing with the coupons and everything went through fine. Thank you cashier!

___________________________

Transaction 1:

3 Crest 3D White Toothpaste 2/$4.98 this week.  (The first two rang up as 2/$4.98 and the third as $2.49)

Buy 2, you get $3 RR. Buy $6 worth, and get another RR of $2.

- (3) $.75/1 from 6/05 P&G

= $5.22 and get back $5 RR!      

{This is where it comes in handy to have previous RR in your possession. For example, you could pay with a $5 RR, pay tax and change, and get $5 back. This is called "Rolling".}

1 Walgreens Perfection Tampons 8 ct $1.50 get $1.50 RR

2 Irish Spring Deodorant 2/$6 get $4 RR

- (2) $1/1 7/24 SS

= $4 get $4 RR

2 Scunci Hair ties 18 ct. 2/$3 get $3 RR!

I love this deal! These are the basic hair ties we ladies love to use all the time. I personally don't know how, but mine always seem to disappear and turn up again all over my apartment. So its nice to have a lot stocked up! Lol! And they are always free. I got sad in the store because I saw someone had taken about 6 hair ties out of a package :( 

1 Dentek Flosser $2.99 get $2 RR

- (1) $1/1 Dentek Floss HERE 

This one got me so frustrated. The particular store I went to was a 24 hour store so naturally, it's usually busy. I figured the product might be sold out but when I went to the floss area, there wasn't even a spot for it! I was so confused. When I turned around and faced the FEMININE PRODUCT aisle, there they were! Huh? In the feminine product aisle? Yep. Lol. Sometimes it feels like Walgreens doesn't want you to find the sales items. Either they "forget" to put up the sales signs or they just hide the items from you. So I took a few off of the shelf and carried them over to the floss area. Lol..

1 Sharpie Accent highlighter .69 in ad coupon

My father is law is always asking for highlighters... so this was a present. lol

Also, we couldn't find this item either. Not in the school supply aisle, or the "seasonal" aisle where new school supplies are being put. We had to send an employee on a journey through the store to find them. Fortunately, she did.

I used $5, $5, $2, $2 RR from previous week. 

Got back $3, $2, $1.50, $4, $3, $2 RR

Total:

$3.92 including $1.52 of tax 

... smh.

Saved:

$32.52

_____________________

Transaction 2:

This transaction was for me to get some things that are at a great price, even though they didn't offer any RR in return. 

4 Tuf Paper Towels .50 each

2 Skintimate Shaving Cream $1.99 in Ad

- (2) $1.50/1 HERE

= $.49 each!

1 Sharpie Highlighter .69

2 Scunci Hair Ties 18 ct 2/$3 Get $3 RR

1 Walgreens Perfection Tampon 8 ct $1.50 get $1.50 RR

4 Scotch Mailers .39 in ad

My stock up price!

Used $4, $2 RR

Got back $3, $1.50 RR

Total:

$4.63 including $.90 tax

Saved:

$27.15 

Total Spent:

$8.55

Total Saved:

$59.67

Some advice and deals =]

Good Afternoon!!

After a post from a friend of mine who mentioned her struggles with really having success with couponing, I figured I would give whatever advice I could to all of you out there! My major advice to her was to focus on one store, and to understand how couponing at that store works. Publix is usually a good place to begin because it has basic B1G1 Free sales and helps you understanding stacking store and manufacturer coupons.. Walgreens and CVS are more complicated because it adds in the third factor of rewards systems. The reason I focus on Walgreens so much is that I have such a large stock already, I don't need to go on huge trips to huge stores. I just shop the weekly best deals and donate most of it anyways. But I know a lot of you are just begining so I'm going to try and do my best to post the BEST deals, whether or not they are something I would personally buy. 

The other trick to getting a great deal is finding out the sales ahead of time. Although I'm posting these deals now, in the middle of the sale period, the Walgreens previews are usually available more than a week in advance, and the Publix previews are available monday. So I encourage you guys to check out the websites I give below for Walgreens and CVS to view the deals that are in effect this week, as well as those that begin next week! I will post my favorite deals from these stores tomorrow!

So here we go!

ALL DEALS FROM IHEARTPUBLIX.COM

Publix Weekly Ad for 7/21-7/27  HERE

This includes everything on sale as well as where to find the coupons to use

The check marks next to the deals indicate that those prices are "stock up" prices.

If you want to print the coupons mentioned below, print them directly from the Weekly Ad page on IHEARTPUBLIX.com

Best deals I see:

Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, 4.4 to 7.5 oz, BOGO $1.59
-$.75/3 Hamburger Helper Printable Rolling - thanks Quen
-$.75/3 Hamburger Helper Printable Rolling

When you buy 6 and use 2 $.75/3 coupons, you end up paying about  $.54 per box! This is an awesome price for a quick meal :D

Morningstar Farms Entrees, 5.25 to 14.25 oz, BOGO $3.95 -$1/ MorningStar Farms Veggie Foods Product Rolling
- $1/2 Morningstar Farms Frozen Items TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 8/9/2011)
-$1/1 Morningstar Farms Veggie Foods Product 5/28/2011
-$1/1 MorningStar Farms Veggie Foods Product (IE) (exp 10/15/2011) Printable (FF)

When you buy 2, use 2 of the manufacturer coupons and 1 store coupon [This is only if your store accepts Target as a competitor]
This makes the cost $.95 for both!

Also, this is a great weekend to get the cereal, priced at 50% off. Combine your favorite flavor with a coupon for a great deal!

Walgreens:

Weekly ad and Coupon Match up HERE

You can read my last post about the great deal on body soap and deodorant. Everything else is self preference. If you want my advice on how to put together your own Walgreens trip, let me know!

Target:

Instead of giving you last weeks deals since they end tomorrow, here is the preview for the deals starting Sunday!

HERE

In my opinion, none of the deals are special. But I do love seeing the sale prices before they even come around =]

CVS:

The only reason I don't shop here anymore is because it is too far away for me to make such a simple, 2-3 item trip every week. But, there are great deals to be had here!

HERE

Best deal I see:

John Frieda full repair or luxurious volume shampoo or conditioner 8-10 oz, or stylers 3-12 oz $6 

Get $10 eb when you buy $20 limit 1

-$5 John Frieda Full Repair Treatment, Styler or Finisher (exp 7/31/2011) 6/5/2011 SS

Buy 4 John Frieda Full Repair Products = $24

Use 4 $5/1 Coupons

= $4 for all products PLUS $10 EB to use in the future

THIS IS A MONEY MAKER!

Awesome School Supply Price =]

HI!!

I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU ALL IN ON A GREAT DEAL FOR BIC MECHANICAL PENCILS [IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT].

PUBLIX HAS BIC 10 PACK MECHANICAL PENCILS ON SALE FOR 3 FOR $3. THIS MAKES THEM $1, DOWN FROM THE REGULAR PRICE OF $3.69 EACH.

THE BIC PRODUCT PRINTABLE ON COUPONS.COM FOR $1/2 PRODUCTS MAKES THESE $.50 EACH! I THINK $.50 FOR MECHANICAL PENCILS IS A STOCK UP PRICE. WE ALL KNOW HOW PENCILS AND PENS SEEM TO DISAPPEAR SO QUICKLY WHEN WE USE THEM OR BRING THEM TO SCHOOL, SO I ALWAYS STOCK UP. I ACTUALLY HAVE A TON LEFT FROM A SIMILAR DEAL LAST YEAR!! 

SINCE I'M GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IN THE FUTURE, I'M ALREADY THINKING AHEAD AND STOCKING UP ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES WHEN THEY RUN AT AN AMAZING PRICE! I PROBABLY HAVE $100 WORTH OF SUPPLIES ALREADY FROM LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR COMBINED. WHEN I DID FIELD WORK THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR, I WAS ABLE TO DONATE SOME SUPPLIES TO MY PARTICIPATING CLASSROOM. THERE TRULY ARE STUDENTS IN SUCH DESPERATE NEED THAT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE PENCILS TO BRING TO SCHOOL. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CASH IN ON THESE DEALS AND HELP THOSE IN NEED. WHY NOT PAY $.50 FOR A PACKAGE THAT WOULD LATER ON COST THAT STUDENT ALMOST $4? IT'S A SELFLESS ACT, AND IT TOTALLY WORTH IT. =]

MY TRIP:

8 PACKAGES OF BIC MECHANICAL PENCILS 10 PACK $1 EACH

- (4) $1/2 MANUFACTURER COUPON HERE 

[I BELIEVE PRINTS ARE GONE BUT IT DID RESET ONCE, MAYBE IT WILL RESET AGAIN!]

= $4 FOR ALL!

TOTAL SPENT:

$4.00

TOTAL SAVED:

$21.52

WOW!

$50 of Donation Items for less than $4!!

Hello my favorite people! I have a short and simple deal to share with you. Of course the major success of the plan depends on whether or not you have Register Rewards to start with but I can give advice on how to do a similar deal if you have nothing to start with!

A quick reminder to the beginning couponers: BUY THE SUNDAY PAPER! Pretty much all of my deals come from newspapers that came in the past month or two. So if you don't buy them ahead of time, you will miss out on the best deals. 

Here is my deal!

Walgreens Transaction 1:

2 Dove Men+Care Body and Face Bar, 6 pack    2/$12 get $4 RR

- (2) $4/1 from 6/26 RP

2 Mitchum Women's Deodorant 2/$6 get $4 RR

- (2) $.75/ from 6/26 SS

2 Mini Highlighters .09 

Used 2 $4 Register Rewards from previous week

Total:

$1.96 including $1.28 of tax!

[Payed with change out of wallet]

That is .68 before tax!

Saved:

$24.68

Then for transaction 2 all I did was repeat transaction 1 :)

Total Spent:

$3.92

Total Saved:

$49.36

What a small price to pay for $50 of donation items. What a blessing!

____________________________________

Now for those of you who have no rewards to start with, this is what you can do:

Transaction 1:

 2 Mitchum Deodorant $6 

- (2) $.75/1

= $4.50 get $4 RR

Transaction 2:

2 Dove Mens Body Bars $12

- (2) $4/1

1 Highlighter .09

4 RR from Transaction 1

= $.09 

Get $4 RR

Transaction 3:

2 Mitchum $6

- (2) $.75/1

1 Highlighter .09

- $4 RR From transaction 2

= $.59

Get $4 RR!!!

And you can keep repeating =]