Ok cross your fingers cause I know I am. Our CVS does do early sales on Saturday night but it will override to the current week sales if the item stays on sale for the next week. So in other words the Revlon Nail color is on sale today for 4.99 with 4 in ECB (limit 6) but last week it was part of the b1 g50% off of Revlon makeup so the b1g50% would be the one for Saturday night. Purex is also on sale for 1.98 and with a 1.00 off coupon I can get them for .98 cents. This one was probably available for Saturday night and the reason I'm crossing my fingers. Here is my plan:
Transaction one: 1 Revlon Nail for 4.99 use 1 2.00/1 coupon and get 4 ECB back = 3.00 + tax
Transaction two: 1 Revlon Nail for 4.99 use 1.00/1 coupon & Roll 4 ECB w/ 4 ECB back = tax maybe
Transactions 3 -6 : Repeat transaction 2
Transaction 7: 4 Purex for. 1.98 use 4 1.00/1 coupons & Roll 4 ECB = tax maybe
So that is basically getting $30 worth of cosmetics, & $8 dollars worth of Laundry detergent for $3 + tax
This scenario would be awesome and well worth the effort in going considering if you don't go right away most of the items have flown off the shelf and you are stuck waiting for them to get more in and in my experience the coupon WILL expire before they get any on the shelves!
Also this will be new for me cause I have never thought to break up individual orders by just one item, cause well while I'm not shy about certain things I do not want to take up a lot of time cause I feel it might frustrate people.... lol so need to get over that!!
Showing posts with label Personal Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Learning. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Extreme Coupon - How to make it work for me.
I love watching the show and I do still wonder, "am I going to get to ever do this"? I see the potential in myself and I feel like its almost there but I still hold myself back because there are rules that can make this restrictive and if you have no budget to begin with then it just seems....... HARD!
On extreme couponing you can see where the people either owe nothing or maybe a penny! Don't be discouraged if you live in an area like I do. Stores don't allow overages and if they do they don't double the coupon so you need a high value coupon to accomplish anything in these stores. Also we do have a store that doubles but only up to .60 cents and the computer is set to not double coupons that say do not double! I do travel some to Harris Teeter during super doubles or triples, but I wonder if it is worth it when the trip is 50 miles round trip and I'm only allows 20 coupons per day with only 3 like coupons in that transaction.
Maybe this is why I stress coupon policies and knowing how to accomplish your coupon strategy. Living in a household with only one income, a baby on the way, and no real budget for groceries, I have to know what my best options are and how to make them work for our household.
I think starting your stockpile is the hardest part of the coupon process. First, getting all the coupons you need can be a bit challenging if you have other couponers in the area. You might want to realize that your stockpile could go quickly if your family isn't used to that much food in the house at one time! Plus it can be hard at first to do a meal plan when the only things that week on sale are condiments and non food items.
This leads me into the restrictive section of the process. If you want the savings you see on blogs and tv then you need to make sure you only shop for the items that are on sale and have an accompanying coupon that can make it extremely cheap.
Couponing can save you at least 50% if used correctly and even up to 100% on certain items in your cart. Even though coupons are a bit of a challenge I don't see myself going back because I can't afford to go back to my old way of shopping! I've only been doing this for a little while and I've made some friends, saved some money, and I've actually been able to stock things in my frig that had been a luxury before. This week I saved 72% at Harris Teeter despite a set back with DND coupons and I even saved 59% at Bi-Lo cause I had fresh meat. Overall I was able to stock up on some meat items which is the main source of food for this family and I was able to stock up on items like oil, soy sauce, and more that will at least give me some creativity in the kitchen.
On extreme couponing you can see where the people either owe nothing or maybe a penny! Don't be discouraged if you live in an area like I do. Stores don't allow overages and if they do they don't double the coupon so you need a high value coupon to accomplish anything in these stores. Also we do have a store that doubles but only up to .60 cents and the computer is set to not double coupons that say do not double! I do travel some to Harris Teeter during super doubles or triples, but I wonder if it is worth it when the trip is 50 miles round trip and I'm only allows 20 coupons per day with only 3 like coupons in that transaction.
Maybe this is why I stress coupon policies and knowing how to accomplish your coupon strategy. Living in a household with only one income, a baby on the way, and no real budget for groceries, I have to know what my best options are and how to make them work for our household.
I think starting your stockpile is the hardest part of the coupon process. First, getting all the coupons you need can be a bit challenging if you have other couponers in the area. You might want to realize that your stockpile could go quickly if your family isn't used to that much food in the house at one time! Plus it can be hard at first to do a meal plan when the only things that week on sale are condiments and non food items.
This leads me into the restrictive section of the process. If you want the savings you see on blogs and tv then you need to make sure you only shop for the items that are on sale and have an accompanying coupon that can make it extremely cheap.
Couponing can save you at least 50% if used correctly and even up to 100% on certain items in your cart. Even though coupons are a bit of a challenge I don't see myself going back because I can't afford to go back to my old way of shopping! I've only been doing this for a little while and I've made some friends, saved some money, and I've actually been able to stock things in my frig that had been a luxury before. This week I saved 72% at Harris Teeter despite a set back with DND coupons and I even saved 59% at Bi-Lo cause I had fresh meat. Overall I was able to stock up on some meat items which is the main source of food for this family and I was able to stock up on items like oil, soy sauce, and more that will at least give me some creativity in the kitchen.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Kind of Crazy this Week!
I have my baby shower coming up this weekend so I'm a bit thin this week with appointments and decorations and clipping coupons, and blogging! lol So please forgive my late post or the lack there of considering the craziness of this week.
I had to go into Asheville today for a doctor's appt. and since the new Harris Teeter ad came out today as well I knew that Colgate toothpaste and toothbrushes were going to be free. Thankfully there is a Harris Teeter only 2 miles away from my doc's office. I was hoping for a better experience here than at the last Harris Teeter. Don't get me wrong the employees are really great at assistance and helping me find what I need. However, my checkout scenes haven't been that great. If you remember last time the manager was a bit rude and even hovered over me and my bf while checking out, as if we were going to fraud them. The actual cashier himself made errors that I later found on my receipt. I was really hoping this time would be different and while it wasn't nerve racking like last time it was still rude. I made two separate transactions due to the 3 like coupon limit and so I had two small transactions. The cashier checked each coupon and the product, which is totally fine with me cause I know that with such a coupon craze there is going to be fraud. It was basically her attitude. She acted like I was an annoyance and I only had two bags which is easy enough to carry and I didn't take much time. It wasn't crowded so time really didn't matter. But at the end of the transaction she put her hand on her hip and looked down at me and said in a sarcastic tone "do you need help with those"? Being the civil person I am, I just laughed like she was playing around and said "no thank you".
My Bi-Lo never gives me rude remarks nor looks down on my coupon shopping. In fact all the cashiers are like wow! Maybe I just don't know how to pick the right cashier yet. lol Does anyone else have problems with cashiers or staff??
I had to go into Asheville today for a doctor's appt. and since the new Harris Teeter ad came out today as well I knew that Colgate toothpaste and toothbrushes were going to be free. Thankfully there is a Harris Teeter only 2 miles away from my doc's office. I was hoping for a better experience here than at the last Harris Teeter. Don't get me wrong the employees are really great at assistance and helping me find what I need. However, my checkout scenes haven't been that great. If you remember last time the manager was a bit rude and even hovered over me and my bf while checking out, as if we were going to fraud them. The actual cashier himself made errors that I later found on my receipt. I was really hoping this time would be different and while it wasn't nerve racking like last time it was still rude. I made two separate transactions due to the 3 like coupon limit and so I had two small transactions. The cashier checked each coupon and the product, which is totally fine with me cause I know that with such a coupon craze there is going to be fraud. It was basically her attitude. She acted like I was an annoyance and I only had two bags which is easy enough to carry and I didn't take much time. It wasn't crowded so time really didn't matter. But at the end of the transaction she put her hand on her hip and looked down at me and said in a sarcastic tone "do you need help with those"? Being the civil person I am, I just laughed like she was playing around and said "no thank you".
My Bi-Lo never gives me rude remarks nor looks down on my coupon shopping. In fact all the cashiers are like wow! Maybe I just don't know how to pick the right cashier yet. lol Does anyone else have problems with cashiers or staff??
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Dollar General Update
Dollar General updated there coupon policy to include internet coupons and allow overages. You must purchase items to cover the overage within the same transaction. If this is allowed in the local WNC area, I'm not certain. It is something to check out and I found out the new info. by reading in the coupon forums. So always keep your research going and your eyes peeled.
If the overages is correct then Walmart and Dollar General are two stores in the WNC area that allow overages. This can be a great advantage to shopping!
If the overages is correct then Walmart and Dollar General are two stores in the WNC area that allow overages. This can be a great advantage to shopping!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Drug Store Blues
If you are late to the Drug Store sales you might notice that all the stock is gone and you need to get a raincheck. You even ask when the next truck comes in so you know when to come in next. Ok let me stop you there! I did this also and then when I went back it was a waste of gas cause they still didn't have the items in and when I stressed my concern about the coupons I had it was a bit of non-concern. Drug stores are notorious for not stocking up on sale items. If your coupons are going to run out soon then immediately ask for a manager and ask for a special order or ask if you can still use your coupons even if they expire before they get in the items. If the manager agrees to the special order or the coupon exchange then write it down! Have them sign the back of the raincheck so when you go in to get the items the cashier doesn't go nuts and other managers try to deny your purchase due to the manager that said it was ok but didn't write it down isn't on duty. Also before you travel give a call to the store and check if the store has finally received in the products. This is a lot less hassle then traveling there only to find out that the staff is slacking in putting out the truck or that the manager has still not ordered your product. If you live in a small town like me it may be a while for the stock to come in but also see where other stores maybe in your area and check their inventory. Ask if they will honor your raincheck and if they will it maybe worth the trip! So if you know of a sale and you have coupons get there early!!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Slow & Steady
Finding coupons has been a blessing but also a struggle. Coupons really do help me save on tons of items but getting used to certain criteria in the beginning can be hard. First off I do have a small stockpile but it is mainly toothpaste, soap, & mouthwash. These things are not going to feed my family but at least I have enough for right now that if I need to I can wait until I find them for free again before I purchase them. I think the hardest part of couponing is finding the food you need to stockpile. It probably wouldn't be so bad if we weren't living paycheck to paycheck like so many families are today. I like to try and shop the deals each week but right now it is more like every two weeks when the payday arrives. That is 42 meals that I need to shop for in one trip. It would be awesome if all stores like the ones on Extreme Couponing allowed overages & doubling up to .99 cents. However, as I tell it like is in my blog, you have different coupon policies everywhere and you must get to know them and then map out your own personal strategy. We have 3 grocery stores where I live and then of course a Wal-Mart. Only one doubles up to .60 cents unlimited & only Wal-Mart allows overages. You have seen me shop at Harris Teeter on here but the nearest one is 25 miles away. That is a 50 mile round trip in a V-8 Truck or Car! The household has agreed to only go on Super Double Weeks due to that being the best way to save!
Right now I feel like if food prices were ideal I wouldn't be able to stockpile like I would want to just because we only have a budget of Free to go towards the stockpile items. I know lots of you beginners feel the same way I do but you can't give up. Slow & Steady! I have been at it for about a month now and I wish I could say I have this huge stockpile and I have learned all I need and now I'm an expert! But truly I'm still in the 50-60% off my bill stage! This is amazing that I can do that and as soon as my stockpile gets me to where I can only shop for coupon items then I know I'll be in that 75% savings goal that I want to be at for all shopping trips. So be patient, take this time to really hone in on your skills, & know that you can do this!
Right now I feel like if food prices were ideal I wouldn't be able to stockpile like I would want to just because we only have a budget of Free to go towards the stockpile items. I know lots of you beginners feel the same way I do but you can't give up. Slow & Steady! I have been at it for about a month now and I wish I could say I have this huge stockpile and I have learned all I need and now I'm an expert! But truly I'm still in the 50-60% off my bill stage! This is amazing that I can do that and as soon as my stockpile gets me to where I can only shop for coupon items then I know I'll be in that 75% savings goal that I want to be at for all shopping trips. So be patient, take this time to really hone in on your skills, & know that you can do this!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Do The Leg Work
I do love the coupon blogs that break down the weekly ads to the stores and then group them with the internet or sunday paper coupons. But don't get completely reliant on just these sources. Every store has regional papers and every individual store can have sales that are their own. Also even though they do list coupons it may not list all the coupons due to various reasons. So always check your local weekly ad and your personal supply of coupons to make sure you are getting your best savings.
For example, one of the blogs I follow listed that Nestle single serve candy bars were on sale and that the only coupon available was for a $1/2 butterfinger snackers. But in the 5/01 sunday papers there was a .50/2 coupon on nestle single serve candy bars. Since my store that had the sale also doubles up to .60 I was able to get 10 candy bars for free. The butterfinger single serve snackers weren't on sale but they were on closeout at my store which would make them free with either coupon.
So make sure you use your coupon blogs as a reference but not as the complete reference. Also take your binder with you and not just the coupons you need cause you never know what maybe on closeout at your store.
For example, one of the blogs I follow listed that Nestle single serve candy bars were on sale and that the only coupon available was for a $1/2 butterfinger snackers. But in the 5/01 sunday papers there was a .50/2 coupon on nestle single serve candy bars. Since my store that had the sale also doubles up to .60 I was able to get 10 candy bars for free. The butterfinger single serve snackers weren't on sale but they were on closeout at my store which would make them free with either coupon.
So make sure you use your coupon blogs as a reference but not as the complete reference. Also take your binder with you and not just the coupons you need cause you never know what maybe on closeout at your store.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Newspaper Comparison Update
I discovered yesterday while doing my video sessions that your inserts can be identified by the small print on the side bar of the front page. I don't know if this will be a constant grouping but McDowell News for Smart Source is grouped with the bigger papers of Spartanburg and Greensboro. So when I finally noticed a price difference in the Eggland's best eggs coupon I thought it was from the Observer but in fact it was from McDowell News. Instead of 35 cents off it was for 50 cents off. Also the Smart Source from McDowell had more coupons than the Citizen Times after rechecking the inserts. The Observer did have more coupons of course such as Energizer, Nexcare, an extra hershey's and a couple more.
I called The Observer and Citizen to see about subscriptions but these for both companies would have to be mailed out and at a much higher rate than the dispenser rate. Neither offer a multiple subscription discount either which gives even more reason to just go for the dispensers on Sunday. McDowell doesn't offer weekend only and with there Sunday papers being only 50 cents I don't see it being much cheaper.
Red Plum for Citizen & McDowell are the same as this insert groups the two together. The Observer seems to get inserts only for its newspaper and isn't grouped with others.
To update my conclusion after learning more about the groupings and identification crisis on my part I would say that to buy The McDowell News & The Observer are the wiser choices. In fact I myself will be buying both. 3 & 3 maybe. But I am curious about the groupings of McDowell with Spartanburg and Greensboro so I want to do another newspaper comparison next week to make sure the groupings stay the same before I implement my newspaper strategy.
I called The Observer and Citizen to see about subscriptions but these for both companies would have to be mailed out and at a much higher rate than the dispenser rate. Neither offer a multiple subscription discount either which gives even more reason to just go for the dispensers on Sunday. McDowell doesn't offer weekend only and with there Sunday papers being only 50 cents I don't see it being much cheaper.
Red Plum for Citizen & McDowell are the same as this insert groups the two together. The Observer seems to get inserts only for its newspaper and isn't grouped with others.
To update my conclusion after learning more about the groupings and identification crisis on my part I would say that to buy The McDowell News & The Observer are the wiser choices. In fact I myself will be buying both. 3 & 3 maybe. But I am curious about the groupings of McDowell with Spartanburg and Greensboro so I want to do another newspaper comparison next week to make sure the groupings stay the same before I implement my newspaper strategy.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Harris Teeter Super Doubles Week
The photo above is what we received free at Harris Teeter yesterday between the two transactions we had to make in order to get all of the double coupons in that we had clipped. Thankfully I had my boyfriend Adam go in and apply for a Vic Card so we could double coupon. All together we saved $100 and he spent 32.00 and I spent 37.00. It would have been cheaper except the Butter Finger Snackers were not on sale. (the tag underneath said for sale but it was for the suckers!)
So Lesson One of the Trip: Read Tags on the Shelf Carefully & match up Barcodes!
When I caught the error, the cashier looked at me and said "Are you going to want me to take them off?" And I felt sorry for him and told him no but the ones in Adam's cart would not be going home with us.
Lesson Two: If it isn't on sale don't get them! I had awful buyers remorse afterwards and I should have never let my emotions get the better of me. Just cause the cashier looked like he would be frustrated it doesn't mean that I should give in and give up money!
The Meal deal option was actually really good in that it was like buying 2 meals for one. I got 2 Gordon's fish sticks, 2 Ortega Shells, 1 sour cream, 1 Ortega sauce, & 1 HT refried Beans all for $8.00. I had a coupon for $1/2 Gordon Fish and it doubled so I was able to get it all for $6.00. Or so I thought! The computer at this particular Harris Teeter was having a hard time registering the meal deal so the cashier had to void off and then zero out the products. Well after looking I realized he forgot to zero out the refried beans which were a dollar. So I got it all for $7.00. I just didn't want to go back in for a buck!
Lesson Three: While I did watch the register, the meal deal thing caught me off guard so next time something like this comes up I will make the cashier wait, explain in detail, and also make sure all products are recognized and zeroed out.
This store was completely new to me but thankfully I had someone that helped me: a fellow couponer! She was very helpful and answered all my questions! I am completely grateful and might not have found what I needed!
Lesson Four: When in need find someone couponing! I have yet to find someone in the coupon world who isn't helpful or at least can point you in the right direction! So pay it forward and if you get asked for help, go ahead and give it! We all know our trips take time to accomplish anyway so why not take a little more time to give a helping hand? You never know when you may need a hand in return.
Oh and while I did learn a lot I also learned that the tip on male cashiers isn't always right! Also the manager at this store was very suspicious of me and my bf. I can't help but laugh at it now but he scrutinized our coupons like he was the police and I caught him a few times watching us in the store! I hope he didn't think video cameras were all of a sudden going to shoot out from the corners and we shut down the registers like on the show Extreme Couponing.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Newspaper Comparison
I get three newspapers in my town, the McDowell News, Asheville's Citizen-Times, and the Charlotte Observer. With all three being different prices and from different size cities, I need to know which one is better for my buck. I'm pretty sure the Observer will maybe have more but my town is only 2 hours away from Charlotte so I just wanted to make sure with such a price difference in newspapers. But if they are not the same then maybe Asheville and Charlotte newspapers are maybe the same then I can get the same inserts for still less price.
At first it was looking like the Observer wasn't offering much except the Red Plum and one of the Smart Sources. The RP did have more but not too much more. With the items being Pedigree and Garnier Fructis then the extra money for the coupons may be worth it. The RP for Asheville and my town were actually the exact same.
The thick Smart Source actually made up for the lack of coupons that came in the first one featured in the Observer. Basically all the Smart Sources added up to be the same. There wasn't any price differences that I could see but the Observer did feature more coupons such as Nestle Pure Life Water and Mcdowell didn't have a Colgate coupon nor a Activia coupon.
My conclusion is this: Citizen-Times is a great option for only 1.00 more than Mcdowell. To have the Observer mailed to me it cost .40 more than to buy in the dispenser but if they have a deal on multiple subscriptions then it could be worth my while. However, if i get it mailed it may not reach me til Monday or Tuesday. Mcdowell is .50 Citizen is 1.50 and the Observer is 2.00 or 2.40 mailed. Mcdowell has no subscription options for the weekends. I'm going to call Citizen and Observer for subscription options and see if they give discounts for multiples. Citizen is hard to find in my town on Sundays and not just due to coupons. The observer is however easier to find and so if I'm buying from the dispenser I say buy the Observer.
At first it was looking like the Observer wasn't offering much except the Red Plum and one of the Smart Sources. The RP did have more but not too much more. With the items being Pedigree and Garnier Fructis then the extra money for the coupons may be worth it. The RP for Asheville and my town were actually the exact same.
The thick Smart Source actually made up for the lack of coupons that came in the first one featured in the Observer. Basically all the Smart Sources added up to be the same. There wasn't any price differences that I could see but the Observer did feature more coupons such as Nestle Pure Life Water and Mcdowell didn't have a Colgate coupon nor a Activia coupon.
My conclusion is this: Citizen-Times is a great option for only 1.00 more than Mcdowell. To have the Observer mailed to me it cost .40 more than to buy in the dispenser but if they have a deal on multiple subscriptions then it could be worth my while. However, if i get it mailed it may not reach me til Monday or Tuesday. Mcdowell is .50 Citizen is 1.50 and the Observer is 2.00 or 2.40 mailed. Mcdowell has no subscription options for the weekends. I'm going to call Citizen and Observer for subscription options and see if they give discounts for multiples. Citizen is hard to find in my town on Sundays and not just due to coupons. The observer is however easier to find and so if I'm buying from the dispenser I say buy the Observer.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Watching The Register
My first tip on the tip page it to watch the register! Maybe I should also include to bring a calculator and don't get overwhelmed! I didn't want to make the process long winded and I also didn't have my plan down pat this time cause of being unsure of what I needed to buy and what would be on sale. To put it shortly, after examining the receipt I realized that four of my coupons didn't double up all the way to the price of the items that should have been free. I was only outed .12 cents an item so it only cost me .48 cents which a lot would think isn't that big of a deal. However, if I had bought this item in a year stockpile option then it could quickly add up.
So, I learned a few things during this trip.
1. Be better prepared.
2. Don't worry about people behind you and don't get in a hurry.
3. Know your process at the register. I.E. order of food on belt, loyalty card then catalinas then coupons
4. Tell the cashier to please not start until you can watch the register & that you will be using coupons.
5. Hand your coupons to the cashier by item at a time. If you have 10 like items then hand the 10 coupons and watch that they scan, bring down the total, and if they double that they double to the right amount.
6. If you have coupons that double but you can't receive overage then write down on your shopping list how much it should double too.
7. Just remember to not get overwhelmed or frustrated. Take your time and if you have a time restriction then it may not be the best time to shop.
So, I learned a few things during this trip.
1. Be better prepared.
2. Don't worry about people behind you and don't get in a hurry.
3. Know your process at the register. I.E. order of food on belt, loyalty card then catalinas then coupons
4. Tell the cashier to please not start until you can watch the register & that you will be using coupons.
5. Hand your coupons to the cashier by item at a time. If you have 10 like items then hand the 10 coupons and watch that they scan, bring down the total, and if they double that they double to the right amount.
6. If you have coupons that double but you can't receive overage then write down on your shopping list how much it should double too.
7. Just remember to not get overwhelmed or frustrated. Take your time and if you have a time restriction then it may not be the best time to shop.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Importance Of Coupon Strategies
I am making my third coupon trip this Sunday. Harris Teeter is having a Super Doubles week and I am going to try my hand at the sales since my usual store Bi-Lo is on a slow sales week. I do have 4 catalinas that have to be used this week at Bi-Lo or they expire and since Harris Teeter is know for higher priced produce in my area I will be saving by shopping at Bi-Lo for those items.
Ok, so here is the deal at HT. Super Doubles Week is where you can double any coupon that is 1.98 or less. So this means if you have a coupon that is 1.50 off it will double to 3.00. Awesome right? HT's coupon policy makes this a bit difficult to get all that I want however. First, they only accept one coupon for B1G1 offers. B1G1 does present itself half price at checkout so you can get around this with separating transactions. Second, there is a 3 like coupon limit. So say you want to buy 9 like items with 9 coupons you will need to separate it into 3 transactions. Third, internet coupons have a stricter limit to only 2 like items purchased in one transaction. Finally, You can only use 20 double coupons per card per day! So that means if all your items that you wish to purchase need to have double coupons then you are limited to only 20 for that day. You can go back the next day if you live close enough but with the price of gas this still may not be much of a money saver. I would suggest taking someone with you that is willing to let you use their VIC card and 20 double coupon limit for that day. This maybe difficult to find but hopefully you can trade out days and help them out the next day. Just remember to carpool.
My Harris Teeter is literally 25 miles away but with all that I'll be saving it will actually be worth the time and effort. This trip is strictly a coupon trip and I have carefully laid out my plan and I hope they are not out of anything cause there is no use in getting a raincheck seeing how as I'm only going to shop there during double coupon weeks. I have a total of 26 coupons that I hope to use but I have yet to find anyone that can go with me seeing how as this grocer is normally out of range so not many have VIC Cards and those that shop like I do have their own 20 coupon plan going. I plan on using two VIC cards if I can't find anyone to go with. I know coupon fraud is bad and that is something I will never do knowingly since I'm a moral person but I'm not sure if it is unethical to use two loyalty cards as long as there is no stealing nor fraud. The card that I currently hold belongs to my mother's household and the card I plan on applying for will be for my own household. So I'm not frauding the system. It's just my luck my mother gave me her spare VIC card when I lived in her household. I'm still kind of unsure if I can do that though. I really want to try it out on two transaction that I have to make anyway cause I have B1G1 items that have to be separated anyway.
So there is my dilemma and I hope you might have learned a little bit about actually paying attention to the coupon policy and how to work around it for maximum savings. I look forward to your feed back!
Ok, so here is the deal at HT. Super Doubles Week is where you can double any coupon that is 1.98 or less. So this means if you have a coupon that is 1.50 off it will double to 3.00. Awesome right? HT's coupon policy makes this a bit difficult to get all that I want however. First, they only accept one coupon for B1G1 offers. B1G1 does present itself half price at checkout so you can get around this with separating transactions. Second, there is a 3 like coupon limit. So say you want to buy 9 like items with 9 coupons you will need to separate it into 3 transactions. Third, internet coupons have a stricter limit to only 2 like items purchased in one transaction. Finally, You can only use 20 double coupons per card per day! So that means if all your items that you wish to purchase need to have double coupons then you are limited to only 20 for that day. You can go back the next day if you live close enough but with the price of gas this still may not be much of a money saver. I would suggest taking someone with you that is willing to let you use their VIC card and 20 double coupon limit for that day. This maybe difficult to find but hopefully you can trade out days and help them out the next day. Just remember to carpool.
My Harris Teeter is literally 25 miles away but with all that I'll be saving it will actually be worth the time and effort. This trip is strictly a coupon trip and I have carefully laid out my plan and I hope they are not out of anything cause there is no use in getting a raincheck seeing how as I'm only going to shop there during double coupon weeks. I have a total of 26 coupons that I hope to use but I have yet to find anyone that can go with me seeing how as this grocer is normally out of range so not many have VIC Cards and those that shop like I do have their own 20 coupon plan going. I plan on using two VIC cards if I can't find anyone to go with. I know coupon fraud is bad and that is something I will never do knowingly since I'm a moral person but I'm not sure if it is unethical to use two loyalty cards as long as there is no stealing nor fraud. The card that I currently hold belongs to my mother's household and the card I plan on applying for will be for my own household. So I'm not frauding the system. It's just my luck my mother gave me her spare VIC card when I lived in her household. I'm still kind of unsure if I can do that though. I really want to try it out on two transaction that I have to make anyway cause I have B1G1 items that have to be separated anyway.
So there is my dilemma and I hope you might have learned a little bit about actually paying attention to the coupon policy and how to work around it for maximum savings. I look forward to your feed back!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
No inserts this holiday weekend
Being that I'm so new in the game I'm glad I learned about Sunday Coupon Preview early on, but I'm also kind of bummed that there are no inserts this holiday weekend. I tend to take things and run full speed ahead before I run out of gas at the last lap and just fall over from exhaustion. Maybe its a good thing coupons don't come on holidays cause then I would want to be spending time clipping and getting organized before planning my shopping trips for the week.
While going through the blogs about upcoming coupons I also noticed that not every town gets the same type of coupons and if they do get like coupons the values maybe different depending on the region the coupons were sent too. I think this is very interesting and at the same time I want to be able to maximize my coupons. Next Sunday when the papers come out I'm going to try a little experiment with the different papers I get in my town. I will be getting the McDowell News along with a Charlotte Observer since Charlotte is a major town in the south. The closest big town for me is Asheville and I might even buy a paper from there just to satisfy the scientist inside for a complete experiment of the papers. Next week after the papers come out I will give my conclusion to the inserts and even if they all produce the same I think I might do it for 2 weeks in a row just to make sure.
Since things are slow this week I can't help but also think about my own personal coupon strategy and how I need to make sure it doesn't get over thought while looking at other blogs. For example, I love Southern Savers cause they list the grocery stores that are relevant to my region along with the sales. I however have learned to make sure that I double check the adds in my local town along with the coupons I've received just to make sure everything lines up. Also when I check my Bi-Lo ad on the blog, I have noticed that when they list whether it will be free or so many cents that if it has a possible overage, as in the double coupon is greater than the sale price, then they list that I will make profit. This isn't always true though. Bi-Lo does not allow overage so that means that the coupon only covers the price of the product and not its taxes. So I must always be prepared to pay for taxes when I go into Bi-Lo or most any store in NC. I will go into greater detail on my coupon strategies and what all I must prepare for in a later blog.
While going through the blogs about upcoming coupons I also noticed that not every town gets the same type of coupons and if they do get like coupons the values maybe different depending on the region the coupons were sent too. I think this is very interesting and at the same time I want to be able to maximize my coupons. Next Sunday when the papers come out I'm going to try a little experiment with the different papers I get in my town. I will be getting the McDowell News along with a Charlotte Observer since Charlotte is a major town in the south. The closest big town for me is Asheville and I might even buy a paper from there just to satisfy the scientist inside for a complete experiment of the papers. Next week after the papers come out I will give my conclusion to the inserts and even if they all produce the same I think I might do it for 2 weeks in a row just to make sure.
Since things are slow this week I can't help but also think about my own personal coupon strategy and how I need to make sure it doesn't get over thought while looking at other blogs. For example, I love Southern Savers cause they list the grocery stores that are relevant to my region along with the sales. I however have learned to make sure that I double check the adds in my local town along with the coupons I've received just to make sure everything lines up. Also when I check my Bi-Lo ad on the blog, I have noticed that when they list whether it will be free or so many cents that if it has a possible overage, as in the double coupon is greater than the sale price, then they list that I will make profit. This isn't always true though. Bi-Lo does not allow overage so that means that the coupon only covers the price of the product and not its taxes. So I must always be prepared to pay for taxes when I go into Bi-Lo or most any store in NC. I will go into greater detail on my coupon strategies and what all I must prepare for in a later blog.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Blogging In A New Direction
As many of you know this blog began as my travel diary for the public. It has taken a new direction with the wonderful surprise of my pregnancy. I hope to still travel but it will have to include my man and my child.
So since my interest have changed then my blog must change along with me. Those of you who have been reading have noticed that my interest have been shifting to stay at home interests and ultimately coupons. Having worked since I was 15, this stay at home concept was a bit challenging but I was determined to try and find something that would let me feel like I was contributing to the household. While house keeping can keep you busy all day and can definitely be a contribution to a normal functioning household, it is nice to know that clipping a few coupons can save hundreds and eventually lead to financial freedom.
The direction of this blog is not to become a regular coupon blog where people post coupon deals on a regular basis. This blog is more of a focus on the coupon beginner. I myself am a beginner and so not only will we be learning together but the blog itself will be growing and changing with each new discovery. I hope you enjoy the post as we grow together and please feel free to post comments that include advise, questions, or an added explanation to the blog that could benefit us all.
So since my interest have changed then my blog must change along with me. Those of you who have been reading have noticed that my interest have been shifting to stay at home interests and ultimately coupons. Having worked since I was 15, this stay at home concept was a bit challenging but I was determined to try and find something that would let me feel like I was contributing to the household. While house keeping can keep you busy all day and can definitely be a contribution to a normal functioning household, it is nice to know that clipping a few coupons can save hundreds and eventually lead to financial freedom.
The direction of this blog is not to become a regular coupon blog where people post coupon deals on a regular basis. This blog is more of a focus on the coupon beginner. I myself am a beginner and so not only will we be learning together but the blog itself will be growing and changing with each new discovery. I hope you enjoy the post as we grow together and please feel free to post comments that include advise, questions, or an added explanation to the blog that could benefit us all.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sharing the Wealth (of Knowledge)
After reading more into the coupon blogs about actual coupon basics and not just looking for specials I have learned some invaluable knowledge that not only helps me save time but will also save me money in the end. Plenty of the coupon blogs have a dedicated section about the beginnings on couponing. Currently I have 9 different coupon blogs in my bookmark folder, but I only use a few on a regular basis due to region savings, knowledge know-how, and invaluable information. I check out The Krazy Coupon Lady for coupon beginnings, Southern Savers for region savings, and Sunday Coupon Preview for invaluable information.
The Krazy Coupon Lady is actually a blog site managed by two different woman and they have been featured on TLC's Extreme Coupon. I really enjoy their ability to explain in simple terms the process of coupons and that not every shopping trip is an Extreme shopping trip. They also inspire "couponers" to give back to the community with their stockpiles after their personal goals have been reached. If you stockpile for 150 years worth of use then you are hoarding! No average person will live that long and you need to realize that stockpiles have expiration dates. So what is the point in saving and stockpiling if all the products go to waste? The blog also goes into binder organization and they have printable table of contents and dividers that make it easier for a beginner. My favorite post so far that I have found has been the Sale Cycles. This breaks down month by month of what you can expect to be on sale.
Southern Savers is one of the few coupon blogs designed for the southern shopper in mind. It features the Southern grocery store and drug store chains. A lot of blogs are featured out west so many if their store ad previews have nothing to do with the Southern East Coast stores. Southern Savers features Ingles, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Publix, Krogers, and Harris Teeter to name a few. The blogger of Southern Savers also travels around the south doing workshops about how to be a better "couponer". I am currently registered to attend one at a church in Blowing Rock, NC. Even though I have already gathered plenty of info via the web, I'm sure I will still gain plenty of info with a person to person workshop.
Sunday Coupon Preview is a site that provides invaluable information. For one it does a yearly schedule of the coupon inserts that will be featured in your Sunday Paper. So you know when to buy and when not to buy. This is great info considering my newspaper doesn't due weekend only delivery and as a beginner I had no idea that Sunday papers during the Holiday do not feature coupons. There are also 4 different coupon inserts and while SmartSource (SS) and Red Plum (RP) are the most frequent, the papers can also carry Proctor and Gamble (PG) or General Mills (GM). The preview will also let you know what coupons will be in your upcoming Sunday paper, but be advised that smaller rural towns like Marion could be lacking or have a few change in coupons due to the major cities like Charlotte,NC - Atlanta, GA - and Jacksonville,FL being the main target cities in the South due to a higher volume of people. Since my town does get the Observer I will test this a few sundays in a row to see if the coupons are slightly different and I will be posting my results in another blog.
After all the knowledge I have learned so far I have concluded that the best bet for me in Marion is to keep my shopping to one grocery store (Bi-Lo) and to two drug stores (CVS) & (Rite Aid). I have actually started a small coupon binder and the more familiar I get with the stores and my coupon strategy I will re-organize accordingly. So if you are like me and have decided to save money in this harsh economy then please join me on this adventure and I look forward to the company!
The Krazy Coupon Lady is actually a blog site managed by two different woman and they have been featured on TLC's Extreme Coupon. I really enjoy their ability to explain in simple terms the process of coupons and that not every shopping trip is an Extreme shopping trip. They also inspire "couponers" to give back to the community with their stockpiles after their personal goals have been reached. If you stockpile for 150 years worth of use then you are hoarding! No average person will live that long and you need to realize that stockpiles have expiration dates. So what is the point in saving and stockpiling if all the products go to waste? The blog also goes into binder organization and they have printable table of contents and dividers that make it easier for a beginner. My favorite post so far that I have found has been the Sale Cycles. This breaks down month by month of what you can expect to be on sale.
Southern Savers is one of the few coupon blogs designed for the southern shopper in mind. It features the Southern grocery store and drug store chains. A lot of blogs are featured out west so many if their store ad previews have nothing to do with the Southern East Coast stores. Southern Savers features Ingles, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Publix, Krogers, and Harris Teeter to name a few. The blogger of Southern Savers also travels around the south doing workshops about how to be a better "couponer". I am currently registered to attend one at a church in Blowing Rock, NC. Even though I have already gathered plenty of info via the web, I'm sure I will still gain plenty of info with a person to person workshop.
Sunday Coupon Preview is a site that provides invaluable information. For one it does a yearly schedule of the coupon inserts that will be featured in your Sunday Paper. So you know when to buy and when not to buy. This is great info considering my newspaper doesn't due weekend only delivery and as a beginner I had no idea that Sunday papers during the Holiday do not feature coupons. There are also 4 different coupon inserts and while SmartSource (SS) and Red Plum (RP) are the most frequent, the papers can also carry Proctor and Gamble (PG) or General Mills (GM). The preview will also let you know what coupons will be in your upcoming Sunday paper, but be advised that smaller rural towns like Marion could be lacking or have a few change in coupons due to the major cities like Charlotte,NC - Atlanta, GA - and Jacksonville,FL being the main target cities in the South due to a higher volume of people. Since my town does get the Observer I will test this a few sundays in a row to see if the coupons are slightly different and I will be posting my results in another blog.
After all the knowledge I have learned so far I have concluded that the best bet for me in Marion is to keep my shopping to one grocery store (Bi-Lo) and to two drug stores (CVS) & (Rite Aid). I have actually started a small coupon binder and the more familiar I get with the stores and my coupon strategy I will re-organize accordingly. So if you are like me and have decided to save money in this harsh economy then please join me on this adventure and I look forward to the company!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Shopping Trip to Bi-Lo
After doing more research about couponing on the blog CouponGal and then also going on the Blog Southern Savers that my friend Tina told me about, I discovered that Bi-Lo would be my best bet for max savings with coupons. Since there are only 3 grocery stores in my area I was prepared to make a round trip if needed but thankfully I can get what I need done in mostly one store cause Bi-Lo will take coupons, double them up to .60 cents and I don't have to worry about a minimum purchase for them to double. Plus Bi-Lo has the Fuel Perks program that does actually work as long as you can find a gas station! Adam actually has one just right around the corner from his work and with both our cars being V-8's this program is a blessing with how expensive gas is getting!
I probably could have done a little bit better if I had taken some more time and actually did a shopping list of what I needed as well besides just my coupon list, but it was last minute and I still think I did quite awesome. Adam gave me a budget of $100 which is my normal for a two week period of groceries. I'm sure when Phoenix comes the budget will need to be higher due to diapers and other necessities but I'm sure that $100 will still be the budget we can afford so I need to make every dollar count!
My receipt after the check out was about a mile long due to all the coupons I used but I went in with $100 dollars and before savings my total was 129.37. My Bi-lo card was scanned for a savings of 35.94. (If you don't have a loyalty card, get it!!) Coupon savings of 15.70 and extra coupon savings of 4.43. So that brought my total savings to 56.07! So after taxes and all my total was 77.27! I almost cut my bill in half and so with the extra savings I rewarded myself and Adam to a pizza and shopping hehe.
With my budget being a tight one, no I won't be always about to reward myself with savings and to be honest I wouldn't mind being able to stock up on some things like they do on Extreme Coupons cause Adam and I love to cook out with friends and be social all the time. We don't always have the money to do this but if we stockpiled we could just pull from our shelves and no problem! Also I'm not just doing this for our little family of 3. If I did I wouldn't blog about it and tell my family and friends about it. The economy is harsh right now and I want people to have one less stress in life. Hopefully I can do that!
By the Way: My mission today is to go and find some deals at Rite Aid and CVS! I'll let you know what I find.
I probably could have done a little bit better if I had taken some more time and actually did a shopping list of what I needed as well besides just my coupon list, but it was last minute and I still think I did quite awesome. Adam gave me a budget of $100 which is my normal for a two week period of groceries. I'm sure when Phoenix comes the budget will need to be higher due to diapers and other necessities but I'm sure that $100 will still be the budget we can afford so I need to make every dollar count!
My receipt after the check out was about a mile long due to all the coupons I used but I went in with $100 dollars and before savings my total was 129.37. My Bi-lo card was scanned for a savings of 35.94. (If you don't have a loyalty card, get it!!) Coupon savings of 15.70 and extra coupon savings of 4.43. So that brought my total savings to 56.07! So after taxes and all my total was 77.27! I almost cut my bill in half and so with the extra savings I rewarded myself and Adam to a pizza and shopping hehe.
With my budget being a tight one, no I won't be always about to reward myself with savings and to be honest I wouldn't mind being able to stock up on some things like they do on Extreme Coupons cause Adam and I love to cook out with friends and be social all the time. We don't always have the money to do this but if we stockpiled we could just pull from our shelves and no problem! Also I'm not just doing this for our little family of 3. If I did I wouldn't blog about it and tell my family and friends about it. The economy is harsh right now and I want people to have one less stress in life. Hopefully I can do that!
By the Way: My mission today is to go and find some deals at Rite Aid and CVS! I'll let you know what I find.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Great Coupon Blog
I had to share this cause it is such a great site that eliminates a good bit of work and it also can be followed through Facebook or twitter! CouponGal is a blog that gives you the 411 on coupon basics plus it has awesome links that allow you to look up store deals that correspond to online or store coupons during that week!
Give it a try here! http://www.coupongal.net/
Give it a try here! http://www.coupongal.net/
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Who wants to Party?
In my last post I talked about the new things I have learned so far as a homemaker and how hopefully I will learn new things and post them as I learn. Well I clicked on a link today posted by a yahoo article talking about coupons savings. Well in the article the author also posted other things like free offers and different websites that offer more than just freebies. I didn't really see anything interesting besides the different coupons sites and a site that host parties. At first I thought it was an at home party business thing and I'm always looking at those. However, it was actually a site about being a host for a sponsored party that name brand companies sponsored. I was so amazed at the site! I had no idea this was available and even though you have to apply and it doesn't mean that you actually get to host it, but it is amazing that I could have the chance to do it!! The site is www.houseparty.com , Go check it out and see what you think. Also if you are a friend of mine in the local area of marion or near by then please sign up so we can have a chance to get some cool parties on!!! It's totally free to sign up and you only sign up for the parties you want!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Learning New Ways
I have been working ever since I was 15 years old. And being raised in an old fashioned working family, my first job was a paper route! Being that I'm 27 now its kinda hard to be without a job. Being pregnant is actually quite boring unless the baby is kicking or you get to go to the doctor! I am however very grateful that I have a hard working man that gives me the luxury of being able to stay home and raise our future child (coming in June)! So with this new lifestyle I'm learning to do other things with my time. I'm pretty sure that most days will be filled full with housework, baby taming, & errand running. I try to multi-task as much as possible and so I know there will be a few days that I will be able to have some time to myself. Although being a working minded woman I don't really plan on taking this time to go pamper myself unless it's a nice hot bath and a massage from my wonderful man.
Being that I'm going to be home I don't want to spend my time by spending money. I won't be bringing any bank worthy paper so I have to budget my time in order to be able to contribute to the budget. So needless to say I have been looking at stay home jobs that don't require money being spent to start...... not much luck there. Another idea is to take my crafts to a new level and sell them. But again like in any business, it takes money to make money. Alright, now it's time to do a complete 180 on the thought process. Instead of trying to find a job why not look at the job I have now... stay at home mom. How can I generate money this way if I'm not technically getting paid?
Then I realized that I can get paid by helping my guy make his pay check last a little bit longer. Growing up I watched my mom make the dollar bill look like a twenty after she got done with her saving ways. No, my mom wasn't into counterfeit bills. She was able to make the most for her money by doing simple things like organizing, cleaning, and coupons. Speaking of coupons, I'm so excited about that new show that has all those people using the coupon way and getting like 600 worth of food for like ten bucks!! Seriously can't wait!
I have also come across a new way to save that we really didn't think to use until now. The computer is now my super saver! I can do all kinds of things virtually that help me save. I did run across a new website that now helps me earn what they call prizes. Its called Swag Bucks. I learned about it through some friends bragging about it on Facebook and so I did a little research before signing up. I didn't want to have to buy things to get a little bit of benefit. Thankfully it is a great website that lets me earn things like, electronics, housewares, & gift cards. If you would like to check it out then just hit the link I have attached.
This allows you to be my referral if you sign up and I will be totally grateful. Also explore the website to see all the ways you can earn. You can also add a banner link like I have that will allow you to have referrals from your friends as well!
Hopefully as I become more home savvy I will be posting other great ways to save and earn so that you can too.
Being that I'm going to be home I don't want to spend my time by spending money. I won't be bringing any bank worthy paper so I have to budget my time in order to be able to contribute to the budget. So needless to say I have been looking at stay home jobs that don't require money being spent to start...... not much luck there. Another idea is to take my crafts to a new level and sell them. But again like in any business, it takes money to make money. Alright, now it's time to do a complete 180 on the thought process. Instead of trying to find a job why not look at the job I have now... stay at home mom. How can I generate money this way if I'm not technically getting paid?
Then I realized that I can get paid by helping my guy make his pay check last a little bit longer. Growing up I watched my mom make the dollar bill look like a twenty after she got done with her saving ways. No, my mom wasn't into counterfeit bills. She was able to make the most for her money by doing simple things like organizing, cleaning, and coupons. Speaking of coupons, I'm so excited about that new show that has all those people using the coupon way and getting like 600 worth of food for like ten bucks!! Seriously can't wait!
I have also come across a new way to save that we really didn't think to use until now. The computer is now my super saver! I can do all kinds of things virtually that help me save. I did run across a new website that now helps me earn what they call prizes. Its called Swag Bucks. I learned about it through some friends bragging about it on Facebook and so I did a little research before signing up. I didn't want to have to buy things to get a little bit of benefit. Thankfully it is a great website that lets me earn things like, electronics, housewares, & gift cards. If you would like to check it out then just hit the link I have attached.
This allows you to be my referral if you sign up and I will be totally grateful. Also explore the website to see all the ways you can earn. You can also add a banner link like I have that will allow you to have referrals from your friends as well!
Hopefully as I become more home savvy I will be posting other great ways to save and earn so that you can too.
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