Couponing Success!

WOW! I am blown away and smiling from ear to ear.  Look at this couponing success story.  These are the results of my Uncle Rick couponing after just one week. 

I am so impressed.  After one week he's saving 50-75% at the stores.  Way to go Rick!

Let this be inspiration for anyone wanting to start couponing.  You can do it!

Monthly Savings Tracker

I had a friend come by last week while I had coupon inserts, scissors, and piles of coupons spread across my table. She asked me how much money I saved by using coupons and I didn't have an answer better than "lots."

It really got me thinking and I've given myself a challenge. I'm going to track my savings during the month of August.

If you're up for the challenge, I'm posting a link to the excel spreadsheet I made. It's really basic, but I thought I'd share what I'll be using.  I'd love to hear at the end of the month how much you've saved!

The Monthly Savings spreadsheet can be found HERE.  There is an example at the top so you can see how to fill it in.  This can be downloaded by going to File, Download, and then using the spreadsheet to fill in your own numbers.

It's Been a Long Time...

since I've been on the blog. It's been a long time since I've been couponing! In fact just this week I eased myself back in with a little Walgreen's shopping.

You see, we're having another baby around here! With pregnancy comes sickness for me, so we've been laying extremely low. I'm hoping to be feeling back to my normal self very soon.

While I've been sick and not able to do much, I've thought a lot about how nice it is to have a stockpile for times just like these. I couldn't even look through the grocery ads without feeling ill...there was no way I was stepping foot inside a store!

Willie would bring home milk, bread, fruits & veggies, (and odd cravings I had now and then) but I'm sure he's glad he didn't have to do the FULL shopping for our family of six. He had enough on his plate caring for us while I've been down for the count.

I also figure having our stockpile on-hand saved us money. Had Willie needed to purchase typical needs for our home, he would have stopped at the closest store on his way home from work. No time for bargain shopping! Buying diapers, wipes, toiletries, and food all at full price would have really put a ding in the budget.

Once again, buying ahead when things are on sale and saving them for when needed (so you don't have to pay full price!) has saved the day. I've missed couponing and I'm excited to get back in the game!

I probably won't be blogging very often. There are so many couponing blogs out there, why repeat it all? Plus, my friend Jill (who often did posts for the blog too) has moved, leaving me once again to be a lone blogger.

On the sidebar is a list of my favorite blogs if you need more to read, and I was just emailed about this new one too if you want to check it out. It's called The Swap and it's a blog done by local Northern Nevada gals looking to swap info about great deals.

Happy couponing!

Couponing 101

Photo credit

I was able to participate in a couponing class last night and it was so fun! For any of you new to couponing or looking for a place to start, Money Saving Mom is doing a series entitled "31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget." It is FABULOUS and full of great tips.

My top three tips for just starting out would be:

1. Set up a coupon email address. For example, mine is nat.save@hotmail.com. I use this email address when a website asks for my information before I print a coupon or when requesting free samples . This helps me avoid having my personal email inbox full of coupon-related information.

2. Start SLOWLY. Trying to get every deal at every store is exhausting and you will get burnt out. Be selective in the deals you decide to go after. Make sure it is something you can use or donate. Remember, deals always roll around again. Prayerfully evaluate your family's situation and decide what you (and your family) can handle.

When I first started couponing, I started with the drugstores and I only did one store. Once I got my feet wet and felt a little more confident, I started learning the ropes at the second drugstore. After about a year I had an ample supply of free toiletries and nonfood items and branched out to grocery stores. I did not start couponing the way I do now from the very beginning. I eased into it and every once in awhile I ease up a bit and take little breaks.

3. Use a feed reader to see many blogs/websites at a time. This will limit the amount of time you have to spend on the computer. You will not have to check multiple blogs multiple times a day to see if there are new posts! Select a handful of money-saving blogs (see my favorites on the sidebar) and add them to your google reader (or other feed reader). Don’t have a google reader account?
· Go to www.google.com/reader.
· Click on “Create an Account.” You will need an email address (see above!) and then create a password. Finish filling out the short form and accept the terms.
· Once your account is created, you can add a subscription by clicking on the “Add a Subscription” button at the top left. Copy and paste in the address of the website you would like to add to your Google Reader. You will be able to see all of these sites now at one location.
· Instead of scrolling through each post there are “next” and “previous” buttons to quickly scan any new posts. If you see a post you are interested in (and want to read it later) you can click “add star” and it will be waiting for you when you click “starred items.” You can even “search” your google reader by typing in key words in the search box at the top.

CVS and Walgreens

I don't post the weekly deals for CVS and Walgreens because there are so many other blogs that do! I mostly post the local deals that aren't found as readily on other blogs.

If you are interested in this week's CVS and WAG's deals:

Abundant Food Savings has a CVS matchup for our ad (which is different from the rest of the nation this week...)

Saving with Shellie has a nice Walgreens matchup.

Have fun!

CHEAP All Laundry Detergent

This week, Big Lots has their All 2X (50 oz) and All 3X (32 oz) on sale for 2/$5. Big Lots does not accept manufacturer coupons, but we should be able to price match this at Walmart or Target, and use the $3/2 coupon from 1-3-10 RP. The final cost will be only $1.00 each!

Some areas received $2/1 coupons. If you're interested in stocking up on detergent at an even lower price ($0.50 a bottle), you may want to consider buying some of these coupons online.

There are several sources for purchasing more coupons (and/or entire coupon inserts) for stock piling when prices are rock bottom or free:

• eBay
• Coupons and Things by Dede (my favorite site!)
• or a list of other sites are listed HERE

Be sure to read the site's policies (for example at Dede's site there is a minimum purchase of $3.00) but I have been VERY pleased with all of my coupon purchases.

Wal-Mart Price Match Policy

The last time I was at Wal-Mart I tried to price match an item from the Smith's ad and was told I could not do so because the ad read "with your club card." The cashier told me that if it required a club card the price would not be matched.

I was confused but not in the mood to push it so I pulled my familiar line, "Okay, then I just won't get these." What stores were they planning on price matching? Lots of grocery stores have club cards!

I looked up the official price matching policy online today and although it says the manager has final say, it states they do honor "'Preferred Shopping Card' advertised prices."

I printed a copy of that baby out and put it in my coupon file. I'm planning on doing some price matching today and now that I have backup, I'm ready to roll. We'll see how it goes.

Scolari Coupon Doubling - Update

Remember the email I sent to Scolari's asking about their doubling policy? Well, here's the response I received:

Dear Natalie,

Thank you for visiting our website and contacting us with your question. The coupon will not double if it exceeds the price of the item, in your example if the coupon was doubled it will still exceed the price of one item. Our coupon policy states that we will not double if the coupon exceeds the amount of the item.

Scolari’s is proud to be the only grocer in Northern Nevada that doubles our customer’s coupons everyday.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Jamie DeBates
Scolari's Food & Drug Co.
(775) 331-7700 Ext 158

Hmmm...since I have to buy two of the item to use the coupon, I'm not getting one for free, I'm getting two for $1.79 or $0.90 each.

Not worth arguing about in my book, but be aware that this is how the register will read your coupons that say "$1.00 off 2" and I'm glad they at least responded.

Price List

Have you ever wondered if a sale price is truly a good price? This list of prices should be able to help us all. This list comes from Prepared LDS Family and it is WONDERFUL.

I've updated everything that says "Jan. 2010" next to it and the first four pages compare Smith's case lot prices with Walmart and Costco. For the most part the Smith's case lot prices are lower.

To view the Northern Nevada price list, click HERE.

Although most items can be purchased for a lower price with a sale and a coupon, this list can be used as a base reference for regular prices. There are gaps and items I'd like to eventually add, but for now this is a good starting point.

If you have prices to add to this list, by all means let me know. Otherwise, my four boys and I will continue to wander up and down the aisles writing down prices. I'm sure we were quite the spectacle today!

Thanks, Prepared LDS Family.

FREE Wheat Thins at Scolari's (12/26-01/01)

There's a $1.00 off coupon for Wheat Thins when you become a fan on Facebook here. Being the anti-social gal that I am (I have no desire to be on Facebook), my husband is now the proud fan of Wheat Thins!

After you become a fan there is a link on the left side to print your coupon. Use the back arrow to print two. These make for FREE Wheat Thins at Scolari's this week. And don't forget they will count toward the rebate deal, too!

Wheat Thins - $1.79
$1.00 Facebook coupon (will double)
Final Price: FREE
*AND submit for $10.00 MIR still available HERE

Thanks, Hip2Save

Couponing 101

An amazing way to save money on items for your food storage is by using coupons. If you are confused by any of the lingo on the couponing posts (that means you didn't come to the couponing class...) I've added a list of the abbreviations to the sidebar.

If you are still confused about how couponing (yes, it is a verb) works, feel free to email me or check out any of the saving sites on the sidebar and read their "how-to" sections.

(By using the back arrow on your computer you can print each internet coupon twice.)