Target: Round 2 for the $10 gift card with $50 food purchase

I went to Target tonight after work to take advantage of the $10 gift card with a $50 dollar grocery and beverage purchase. I did this yesterday, spent a bit less than $30, and got $25 back in gift cards. What better way to spend them is on more food. I did a similar transaction to meet the $50 threshold. My goal was to spend about $25. I had a great trip that I planned out last night, but my Target in Woodinville was out of stock on several of the higher ticket Kid Fresh Frozen Entrees and Oreo minis, so I had to think on my feet to devise a new plan. I spent 15 minutes aimlessly rolling through the aisles, looking for sales and trying to recall the thousands of coupons I might have in my stash to save 50% or more. It was a bit of a test, and a little stressful. I parked in an aisle, pen to paper, for about 10 minutes, calculating, adding, checking coupons, and double checking my list. Then I went and filled my cart!

My transaction breakdown was as follows:

4 Nutrigrain Fruit and Oat Bars $2.50 each
4 100ct Lipton Tea Bags 2 for $6.00, $3.00 each
2 Lipton 20 ct flavored Tea Bags, $2.19 each
2 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes $1.00 each
2 Betty Crocker Frostings 2 for $3.00, $1.50 each
4 Ortega Seasonings $0.69 each
2 Betty Crocker Instant Potato Pouches $1.12 each
1 Purevia 40ct Sweetener $1.79 each
2 Keeber Cornbread Crackers $3.19 each
1 Best Foods Mayonaise $3.50 each
1 Oreo Cookies $2.99 each
1 M&Ms $0.89 each

The total was $51.93 before store and manufacturer coupons. I used the following coupons in this order:

***The Nutrigrain bars were on promotion for a $5 gift card for every 4 purchased, so my purchase triggered $5 in Target gift cards ***

Target in-ad coupon for $10 GC with the purchase of $50 in grocery items, the cashier should then scan and hand you a $10 Target gift card

Then hand the cashier the remaining coupons, Target coupons first, then manufacturer coupons:
$1.00/1 Best Foods TQ x1
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Froster TQ x1
$1/1 Purevia TQ x1
$0.50/1 Nabsico MQ x1
$1/1 Nutrigrain Fruit and Oat Bars MQ x4
$3/2 Lipton MQ x2
$1/1 Lipton MQ x2
$0.75/2 Betty Crocker Cake or Frosting MQ x2
$1/2 Betty Crocker Potatos MQ (peelie) x1
$1/1 Purevia MQ x1
$1/2 Ortega Products MQ x2
$0.50/1 Best Foods Mayo MQ x1

Then scan your cell phone for the Target Cartwheel for:
50% off Keeber Cornbread Crackers
10% off Betty Crocker

After coupons and discounts, my total was $27.48, and I used my gift cards from yesterday's transactions and got back $15 in gift cards, so the net cost was $12.48, or less than $0.47 for each item. And so begins my transaction plans for tomorrow. On the docket is Glade, slow cooker liners, chapstick, and more! Details to come tomorrow!!!

Great Target coupon for a $10 gift card with $50 food purchase

Since I started couponing 2 months ago, I have amassed a huge stockpile of toiletries, home goods, laundry care, and make-up. I have accumulated a few great deals on food items, like chewing gum, pasta and pasta sauce, hamburger helper, and cereal, but have to say that my food stockpile is puny in comparison to my personal items stash. Most likely because we go through food items more than household items, so the stock depletes much more quickly. Since we are going into the holiday season, which typically includes large dinners, potlucks at work, and lots and lots of baking, I am looking forward to increasing my food surplus, and Target is a great place to start this week.

They have an in-ad coupon for a $10 gift card when you spend $50 or more in food and grocery items. I also plan on rolling my coupons to do multiple transactions over the course of this week (I have to pace myself when shopping with a 3 year old). I also hesitate doing multiple transactions after work because I never know how long the lines are going to be, if my first transaction doesn't work it, the rest of my transactions may not work either (because typically, I roll my gift cards from transaction to transaction), and how much I can shop and entertain the toddler.

Today, I did my first of 3 transactions planned for the week. And yea, I plan my week out in advance on Sundays, especially if multiple transactions are involved. I love to match-up ads to coupons on my own, but I also really enjoy reading some of my favorite blogs, and Facebook group posts (I have actually received some wonderful insights and tips for people on Facebook pages that are very clever). Once I have my transactions planned, I will make sure I have all my coupons together. Today I used over 20 coupons in one transaction, which is a record for me.

My transaction breakdown was as follows (at Target in Woodinville, WA, other store prices vary):

4 Nutrigrain Fruit and Oat Bars $2.50 each
6 Kelloggs Special K Bars $2.50 each
2 Nurtigrain Bars $2.50 each
2 100ct Lipton Tea Bags 2 for $6.00, $3.00 each
2 Barilla Pasta Blue Boxes $1.44 each
2 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes $1.00 each
2 Betty Crocker Frostings 2 for $3.00, $1.50 each
4 Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa Boxes $1.38 each
2 Betty Crocker Instant Potato Pouches $1.12 each

The total was $51.64 before store and manufacturer coupons. I used the following coupons in this order:

***The Nutrigrain and Special K bars were on promotion for a $5 gift card for every 4 purchased, so my purchase triggered $15 in Target gift cards ***

Target in-ad coupon for $10 GC with the purchase of $50 in grocery items, the cashier should then scan and hand you a $10 Target gift card

Then hand the cashier the remaining coupons, Target coupons first, then manufacturer coupons:
$0.75/2 Barilla Pasta TQ x1
$0.50/2 Betty Crocker Froster TQ x1
$1/2 Kelloggs or Nurtigrain MQ x4
$1/1 Nutrigrain Fruit and Oat Bars MQ x4
$3/2 Lipton MQ x1
$0.40/1 Swiss Miss MQ x4
$0.75/2 Betty Crocker Cake or Frosting MQ x2
$1/2 Betty Crocker Potatos MQ (peelie) x1

Then scan your cell phone for the Target Cartwheel for:
10% off Swiss Miss
10% off Betty Crocker

Total Out of Pocket: $34.25 (no tax, all food items), got back $25 in gift cards ($10 for meeting the Target Grocery threshold), and $15 for the Kelloggs Bars. I rolled my gift cards from last week's purchases towards this purchase too, which was great because I didn't pay anything out of pocket. Total net out of pocket was $9.25, or $0.35 per item!! That's pretty incredible!

Keep those gift cards rollin'. Its a great way to accumulate a stockpile when things go on sale, I am sure that there are more to come this week as I lay out my plan for Round 2.

Hot Coupon Match-Up: Hasbro Games at Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer has Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Memory, and Cooties on sale this week for $4.99. You can combine them with the coupons that were in the 11/9 SS for $2.00 off each game, or use coupons printed from http://www.hasbrorewards.com/coupons and stack them with a 10% off your toy purchase coupon from the Fred Meyer store ad, to make each game $2.69 a piece.

This is a great deal for those who buy multiples to donate! Stock up for those in need.

Hot Coupon Matchup: Lipton Iced Tea at Safeway

HOT COUPON MATCHUP: Lipton Iced Tea at Safeway

Buy 2 Lipton gallon sized iced teas, any flavor, sale 2/$5
Buy 4 Lipton pure leaf single serve iced teas, any flavor, sale $1.00

Scan your club card and
Use 2 $3/2 Lipton Qs, no size limit (coupons.com)
Use 2 $1/1 Lipton Qs, no size limit (coupons.com)

Pay $1.00 before tax, the single serves are FREE, the gallon sizes are $0.50 each! 94% savings. There is a limit of 2 like coupons per transaction. These can be used on only the single serves also, however, it would be a money maker, and I am not sure what Safeway's policy on this.

I've been off the couponing grid for a few weeks due to flu and relocating, but now that my life has settled a bit, I am back in full swing. Like everyone else, I am prepping for my holiday shopping and mapping out my plan of attack for Black Friday (& sadly, Thursday) deals. More on that to come.

Rite- Aid Deals 10/26/14

Not a big score for me, but I earned TONS of Up Rewards on these items, so I already have my next trip planned out.

1. Keri Body Lotion, reg $8.99, sale $4.99 +$3 UR on 1 (limit 2)
     -$3/1 Q
     Paid $1.99, get $3 UR, total $0.99
2. Axe Face Wash, reg $7.49, sale $4.50 wyb2, purchased 2, +$3 UR on 2 (limit 4)
     no coupons used, not because I didn't have them, but they didn't scan, and I left without realizing it
     paid $9.00, got $3 UR
3. Colgate Optic White, reg $4.49, sale $3.50, purchased 2, +3 UR on 1 (limit 2)
     used $1/1 Q
     paid $2.50 each, got $3 UR each, $0.50 MM each

Total $15.99, used $6 in  existing UR, paid $9.99, got $10 in additional URs, and a $1/1 colgate catalina

Better than free kids dental care at Target

STOCK UP ALERT: Colgate Kids Toothpaste NO COUPONS NEEDED

Starting today, Target has an offer in their in store ad or you can get a mobile version by texting Care5 to TARGET for $5 off your purchase of $15 or more on healthcare items.

SOME Target stores in our area have Colgate kids dental products on a Buy 3, Get a $5 Target Gift Card Promo, (Factoria does, Renton Landing and Issaquah, WA do not have it advertised so I am not sure if it will work there).

Scenerio #1:

Buy 6 Colgate for kids toothpaste, $2.79 each
Use in-ad Q for $5 gift card with purchase of $15
Pay $16.74, get 3 $5 Target gift cards
Like paying $1.74 or $0.29 each

Scenerio #2:

Buy 3 Colgate Kids mouthwashes, $3.99 each
Buy 2 Up and Up brand Band-Aids $1.94 each
use 3 $2/1 Colgate mouthwash Q
Use in-ad Q for $5 gift card with purchase of $15
Pay $9.85, get 2 $5 Target gift cards
Like paying nothing

Scenerio #3

Buy 3 Colgate Kids twin-pack toothpastes, $3.99 each
Buy 1 Dove body wash, $4.99 each
use 3 $2/1 Colgate twin pack toothpaste Q
use 1 $1/1 Dove body wash Q
Use in-ad Q for $5 gift card with purchase of $15
Pay $9.96, get 2 $5 Target gift cards
Like paying nothing

Holy dog treats! Stock up now......

Do you need dog treats? Do you have Beneful coupons? Use them at Target! I just scored on 6 bags of Beneful baked delights for nearly free (I paid $0.01 plus tax on 2 bags).

I am not sure that this is SUPPOSED to happen this way but Target allowed me to use both my Buy One Get One Free Baked Delights coupon with a $1.50 any Beneful Baked Delights. I figured that since I was buying 2 products, I could try to use 2 MQs. It worked, but what I wasn't expecting was when the BOGOF coupon scanned, it deducted $4.49 off the total, which was the max value of the coupon, not the sale price of the treats, which were only $3 on sale. So, deducting both manufacturer coupons off of two made it $0.01.  What a steal! Literally. My doggie is gonna be a happy girl.

I went in to Target at 8:45 at night tonight because they had a cartwheel that ended today for the Pumpkin Spice M&Ms. They were 50% off today only with the Target Cartwheel app, and I have been dying to try them. But as I was cruising the store with my 3 year old wearing PJs, a princess costume, and a cape, I found some items I couldn't pass up. I ended up spending $9.74 for $64.44 worth of items in 5 transactions. I got 6 bags of Beneful treats, 3 Theraflu boxes, 6 Crest Kids toothpastes, 2 boxes of Alpo dog biscuits, and 2 bags of M&Ms. It was a pretty great and very unexpected trip. I have about $5 left in my couponing budget for this week. Hopefully I can stick to my budget as I am going to be moving in 2.5 weeks, and I keep having to remind myself that I have to pack ALL this stuff too!

Happy Clipping!

Shake your money maker

How do you make money on a purchase? What is a money maker? Why buy something if you don't need it? Why clip coupons on items you don't use? Lemme break it down for ya!


Money Maker:

A money maker item is an item that you literally make money on. Some companies, like Rite Aid, will allow you to purchase an item and use a coupon for OVER the value of an item, and actually make money on it. One example was the Wet & Wild cosmetics a few weeks ago. At Rite Aid, Wet & Wild nail polish was $0.99 and was 40% off (so $0.59 on sale). I had a $1 off coupon for any Wet & Wild product, so I made $0.41 for every nail polish I bought to go towards something else I was buying. Some store policies don't allow for that however. Some will discount the value of the coupon to the price of the product, still making it FREE but not making money on the overages. The lists are to the best of my knowledge and research as of today.

Stores that allow you to use higher value coupons and make money on them (without doubling):
Wal-Mart (and they will give you cash back if you have no other items you are purchasing)
Rite Aid
CVS Pharmacy
Kmart (though I have read that it varies by store and management, no official policy available)
Fred Meyer
Kroger

Stores that DO NOT allow you to use higher value coupons and make money:
Safeway
Target
Walgreens
Bartells

Other ways to make money on items you purchase:





1. Rewards from retailers: Many retailers want to entice you to shop with them, and be competitive in the marketplace, so rewards and club cards are found at almost every store. Many offer member only discounts, but several also have rewards in place to provide points/rewards back for specific purchases.
     Rite Aid: They have Up Rewards(UR).When you purchase qualifying item(s), you get an Up Reward when you use your Rite Aid wellness card. You can make money on items if you use coupons in conjunction with sale prices, and receive the Up rewards, good towards future purchases. So, although you pay for the item, you get money back, which could potentially make it free or a money maker. Note that they have limits on how many Up Rewards you can redeem. They are tracked on the bottom of your receipt. Some more advanced couponers have more than one card so that they can repeat certain deals multiple times.

Example: Dove Mens+Care is regular $6.49, but on sale this week for $3.50 wyb2. I have two MQ for $2/1, and one Rite Aid ad perk Q for $2/1. The total sale price is $7, I use my coupons, which brings it down to only $1. BUT I get $2 back in Up Rewards, which makes this a $1 money maker.

     Walgreens: Walgreens has Register Rewards (RR) and Balance Rewards (BR). Both can potentially make an item a money maker. You must have a Walgreens Balance Rewards card to get sale prices, RR, and BR. You can sometimes even combine a promotion that gives RR with a coupon in the Walgreens ad or savings booklet that gives you BR. Balance Rewards are points that are added to your card, and tracked on your receipt. Once you reach a specific number of points, those points can be redeemed for a Walgreens gift card. The more points you accumulate, the better the gift card payout. In the Walgreens ads, Balance rewards promotions look like this:

The Blood Glucose monitor is regular $14.99, but on sale this week for $9.99. I have a MQ for $6 off any Coutour EZ monitor. I pay $3.99 for the monitor, and will get 5000 points (appx $5) back, making it a $1.01 money maker. 

Register Rewards are my personal fave at Walgreens and I look for items that have register rewards when I am scanning the ads. When you purchase a qualifying item(s), you will get a RR that prints out at the end of the transaction that is good towards your next purchase.

Shout is on sale for $3.00 each this week, and I have two MQ for $2/1 and a Walgreens Q for $1.50/2. I pay $0.50 for both, and get a $1 RR, making it a $0.50 money maker (MM).

     Target: I love Target. Its my favorite place to go crazy couponing. There are SO MANY ways to save, but gift card promotions are what turn seemingly normal prices into money makers. So many items (advertised and unadvertised) have gift card promotions associated with them. And you get the gift cards right away, you don't have to wait to use them (well, you can't use them to pay for that transaction, but if you do multiple transactions, its awesome).

This is an example of a current ad where you can get a $20 TGC when you purchase 2 diaper packs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. SNAP, Ibotta, Checkout 51, and other similar rebate apps that give you cash back on things that you buy. There are several apps out there that have promotions that give you cash back on things that you buy at the grocery store, even things like produce and health foods. I have Ibotta and Checkout 51 on my phone. I haven't much experience with either. I have honestly felt like I have saved such a decent amount on items using alternative methods, that I haven't really jumped on this bandwagon. But if you are really wanting to pinch every penny, I have seen some good deals on getting money back for stuff, like milk and bread, with SNAP and Ibotta. You can download these apps directly onto your phone.

Why would you buy something if you don't need it?

Does the item make you money if you purchase it? Can you use that overage to pay for something that you do need? Then you do want to buy that item. Donate the item, give it to family, friends, your church, whomever, but if its a money making item and you are purchasing other non-free items, then why not?

Why clip coupons on items that you don't buy?

There are a few reasons I can think of. I clip coupons for everything now, even if it isn't something that I would typically buy (like baby formula or cat treats), because sometimes you can find a sale or clearance that would make that item free or a money maker, and you can use your coupons to pay for them. There is nothing worse than seeing a great deal, and not being able to take advantage of it because you didn't clip those coupons. I saw GE lightbulbs on clearance the other day at Walmart. Normally, they are $9.99, and they were clearanced to $1.88. I had seen a $3 off coupon in the insert about 3 weeks ago that would have made each lightbulb a $1.12 money maker, and Walmart would have given me the cash back, but I didn't clip those coupons because I didn't need light bulbs. Yea, I may not have needed light bulbs, but I could always use some cash.

Trident at Fred Meyer

Time to stock up on Trident at Fred Meyer or QFC this week (Freddy's is cheaper but you can get the deal at both!)

Trident Gum, 18 pack ($1.19 at FM, $1.39 at QFC)
Buy one, get one free
-$1/2 MQ from SS 10/12/14
Total Cost: $0.19/2 at FM or $0.39/2 at QFC

You can get these for as low at $0.09 a pack! I stocked up. Sale ends Saturday.

$145 Target trip for $29

I said that I was going to cut back on shopping and stockpiling, and then I had a relapse today! Target had way too much stuff on sale, and I had way too many coupons burning a hole in my coupon binder. I did 4 separate transactions, because I needed to make sure that my first transaction worked out the way I hoped.

Transaction #1:
3 Tresemme Hairsprays @ $3.94 each
      -$5/2 MQ x1
     +Free $5 Target gift card wyb3
4 Playtex Tampons @ $6.99 each
     -$3/1 MQ x4
     -$1/2 TQ x1
     +Free $5 Target gift card wyb2 X2 ($10 total back)
1 Vaseline Lotion for Men @ $3.49
     -$2/1 MQ x1
     -$.50/1 TQ x1
+ 1 TQ: $10 Gift Card with $40 or more in qualifying products:
Total Retail: $43.39, total paid after discounts, $22.77, and received $25 in Target gift cards

Transaction #2:
1 Dove Bodywash @ $4.74 each
1 Dove Shampoo @ $4.99 each
     -1 MQ: Buy one body wash, get a free Dove haircare product
1 Schick Quattro Razor @ $7.79 each
     -$2/1 MQ x1
2 Stayfree maxi pads @ $4.99 each
     -$1/1 MQ x2
     +Free $5 Target gift card wyb2
2 Playtex Tampons @ $6.99 each
     -$3/1 MQ x2
     +Free $5 Target gift card wyb2
+1 TQ: $10 Gift Card with $40 or more in qualifying products:
Total Retail: $41.48, total after discounts: $27.02, used $25 in gift cards from T#1, paid $2.02, and received $20 in Target gift cards

Transaction #3
10 Febreze items @ $3.99 each, on sale for $2.99 each
     -$1.50/2 MQ x4
     -$.50/1 MQ x2
     +Free $5 Target gift card wyb5 (x2= $10 back)
Total Retail: $39.90, sale price $29.90, total after discounts $22.90, used $20 in Target gift cards from T#2, paid $2.90, and received $10 back in Target gift cards

Transaction #4
5 bags of candy, regular $3.99-$4.99 each, on sale for $2.50 each
     -$1.50/2 MQ
     -$1/2 MQ
     -$1/2 TQ
Paid $11.49, used $10 in Target gift cards from T#3, paid $1.49

WHEW!!! 80% savings from this trip and I stocked up on some things I could use in my home! This was one of the largest trips I have done and I am really proud of it! What a day! My 3 year old did wonderfully throughout this entire hour long trip!

$145 worth of product at Target for less than $30. That's pretty extreme to me!

Cutting back on couponing this past week

I recently found out that I will be moving in a few weeks, so I have had to cut back on my spending and stockpiling until after the move. The less I have to move, and the more money that I have in my pocket for the move the better at this point. I have picked up a few items this week worth mentioning. I've stocked up on 4ct. Advil PM's from Walgreens, that were free after $1 manufacturer coupon. I had several I got last weekend, and got more coupons for co-workers, so I went back and got some more. Rite-Aid also had a fantastic deal on Jergen's body lotion, which was $0.22 each after coupons and URs. I took full advantage and got 8 of those (since the Up Rewards had a limit of 4).

Since this afternoon was wet and dreary, I decided to make my way to Target in Factoria to see what kind of goodies I could come up with, since I just printed off a bunch of new Target store coupons from online.

The Suave was a good deal. $2.77 each for the hair shampoo and dry shampoo. I had a coupon for $2 off the styler, $1.50 off the shampoo, and a Buy 2 get a free body wash, so they came out to less than $0.25 each. The Beggin Strips were $2.99, and I had a 5% cartwheel, $1 off any Purina treat (a peelie from another package I had), and target had a $0.75 off coupon, making it just over a dollar. Then the beneful treats were completely out of stock, so I asked them to give me a raincheck for 4, which they did, since they are on sale for $3 each, which end today. But I was able to find 2 thrown about in another part of the store and I took them because I had a BOGOF coupon, as well as a $1/2 Target Q. I should have paid $2 for both, but the register automatically took off $4.29 from the BOGOF coupon (which was the limit that the coupon allowed) and the lady at the register was like, "oh well", so I essentially made money on them. Once they come back into stock later this week, I will buy 4 more. I just need to print 2 more of those Target coupons.

The Loreal haircolor I got at Rite Aid in Factoria. I was going to color my hair black, but decided to just wait it out and recolor the highlights. I will probably be returning this tomorrow. I used $6 in UR, a $2 MF Q, a $1 in-ad Q and paid $1.76 out of pocket, so I am not sure how my refund will be returned to me, or if I will just lose my Up Rewards. I haven't had to return any items I've purchased yet, so it will be interesting to see how that goes tomorrow.

Until next time, happy clipping!

My first venture into Walgreens

I've had several negative experience at local Rite Aid's lately, so this weekend, I decided to venture into Walgreens to get items for my stockpile. One thing that I love about Walgreens are register rewards. If you buy participating items, you get a catalina-like coupon that prints out with the receipt that is good for a specific amount off of your next purchase. These register rewards do expire  2 weeks after issuance. They also can not be used to pay for items that you are going to EARN new register rewards on. Essentially, if you have $7 in register rewards to use, and you are going to purchase 2 Crest Mouthwashes that produce an additional $4 RR, you will not earn that register reward. So, you have to be smart about what you buy, how you organize your transactions, and how you spend your RR's to maximize your savings. I spent $12.82 on all of the items above before tax, in which the retail cost was $64.46 at the Walgreens in Mercer Island, WA. I strategically planned my transactions to maximize my out of pocket.

Transaction #1
I purchased 2 Advil PM's, which were $1.00 on sale, and I used 2 Q's, so they were free, and the Bruise Remedy was on sale for $7, with a $7 register reward, which made it free.

Transaction #2
I got 4 Right Guard deodorants, which were BOGOF. The total was $4.98 for 4 after discounts and 2 MF Q's for $2/2. I purchased the spiral notebook for $0.50 on clearance, and since the total was only $5.48 and I wanted to use my $7 RR from transaction #1, I added a "filler" item of the carmex which was $1.69 and BOGOF. I was then able to use my RR and pay just tax.

Transaction #3
I purchased 2 Crest mouthwashes which were $3.59 on sale, and I used 2 $1.50/1 Qs. There was also a RR for $4, so I paid $0.09 each out of pocket for each after the RR. Thats a pretty sweet deal!

Transaction #4
I got the Purex for my stockpile, which is BOG2F (buy one, get 2 free), at Rite Aid and Walgreens this week. I bought one at $5.99, and got 2 free, and I applied the $4 RR from Transaction #3 to make it $2 out of pocket.

I was quite thrilled with my overall experience with Register Rewards because you don't have to wait until the next day to get your rewards dollars. You can use them in the next transaction if you do multiple transactions, similar to Target and their gift card redemptions. Customer service at Walgreens was also top notch. There was an issue with my $4 Crest RR not printing, and a manager was called and she quickly corrected the issue and printed me a RR. I have not yet began to shop using Walgreens Balance Rewards, but I will cross that bridge when I get there. Another thing I likes about Walgreens was their monthly savings book filled with tons of coupons that you can stack with manufacturer coupons already in your stash for even bigger savings. Unfortunately, you can only use one per transaction. Some good deals nonetheless.

 I also ventured to my local Rite Aid, despite my better judgement. But I had $5 UR's to use. So I got a few decent deals there too! The Wet and Wild eyeliner was a $0.30 money maker with a $1/1 Q, the hairspray was $3.99 each, and I had 2 Q's for $2/1. This items also had a $1 UR (limit 2). So they were $0.99 each. The Garnier was on sale for $2/6. I had 2 $1/1 MF Q's and $2/2 Rite Aid Ad Perk Q, so they were $1 each. The Jergens was a steal! Regular $4.29 each, and on sale for BOGO1/2off. I used 2 $1.50/1 MF Q's and got $3 UR, which made them $0.43 for both! Less than $0.25 each! I would have bought more, because this UR limits you to 4, however, they had NO MORE left. I will try another Rite Aid tomorrow. Using existing URs, I paid $4.11 out of pocket before tax, and got $5 in new UR's. More UR's to go get more Jergens tomorrow if I can find it!! I will be on a HUNT!

I think thats what I love best about couponing. Its such a hunt to find a great deal. I used to shop for clearance items because I thought 50% off, thats a great deal (and sometimes it can be). But now I am seeing so clearly that earning UR's, Register Rewards, using coupons for all sources (in store, online, manufacturer) are such a better way to go. It is time consuming. I spend probably 15 hours a week right now doing couponing. The majority of that time is spent searching for great match-ups, looking at couponing blogs, and writing my own blog. I spend on average 2-3 hours clipping and organizing them, and I usually have been doing that on Sunday but I have recently learned that the Red Plum and Smart Source coupons that come out in the Sunday papers are available in a local paper of mine that comes out on Friday. Best of all it is a FREE publication. The problem is finding them. I went to 7 places that carry this local paper the day after it was published and it was GONE everywhere. I was able to scrounge around and find 2 copies of the Red Plum. In Kirkland, I scored and found a stand that had several, but the local paper in Kirkland only had the Smart Source coupons. But hey, I'm not going to turn down free coupons. :)

What a day

Okay, so today I did some shopping. I had a few things planned for my haul, but my luck changed when I was given 3 free RP 9/29 inserts from a nice woman who works for the Bellevue Reporter newspaper. I learned a valuable lesson today: make sure you have ALL the coupon inserts. My Sunday paper (Seattle Times) does not supply the Red Plum (RP) inserts, only the Smart Source (SS) inserts and Proctor and Gamble (PG) inserts. To get the Red Plum inserts (in Bellevue), I can ONLY get them from the Bellevue Reporter newspaper, which produces a Friday paper that has coupons inserts as well as ads. It pays to do your research and make sure that you are getting the most coupons possible. When I went down to the Bellevue Reporter office, the woman gave me a list of where to get them and how many copies they receive each week. Best of all, this is a FREE publication, so as long as I can find the papers, I can get all the coupons for free. You bet your butt I will be grabbing myself a healthy stack when I can!

I made a trip to Wal-Mart, Target, and Rite-Aid today. It was my day off, and what better way to spend it than couponing. At Target, I spent $19.71 for $83.62 worth of products, which was a 76.5% savings. My goal is 75-80% (realistically, in a state that does NOT double coupons). So I was content with my purchase. I was super excited to get the 12 Bounce dryer sheets for $0.20 each, and finally got the Colgate Optic White sale I've gone to 3 stores to get. I may go back and get 3 more mouthwashes for $0.82 each (use 3 $2/1 Colgate Mouthwash Qs) and (1 $1.50/1 Target Mobile Q), Pay $7.47, get a $5 TGC (Target Gift Card). Its a great deal on $5 mouthwash. All in all, good deals at Target. I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE $5 off your purchase of $15 on health and beauty brands Q that was in the RP inserts I got today. The 4 Tresemme products I got were pennies on the dollar when I stacked the Target Q with the $5/2 Q in the same RP insert. At $3.94 retail, less the $10 manufacturer coupons, and $5 off target coupon, I paid $0.76 for all 4, so less than $0.20 each!

What I liked about shopping at Wal-Mart with their "everyday low prices" is that it made couponing very straightforward. I didn't have worry about a regular price, sale price, discounts, store coupons, etc. It was a very speedy checkout, despite going at 6 pm, where 2 cashiers were working and there were 100 people in line (I will plan that better next time). But I stocked up on things I needed, soaps and such, and apple juice and paper towels. But I also got a few items that were amazingly great deals. The Suave Keratin shampoo and conditioner was $2.88 each, and I had a $2/1 Q, so I paid $0.88 each for them, but I also had a coupon for buy 2 Suave Professionals products, get a FREE body wash, so I got one of those for free. Since you can not use more than 2 of each Q in a single purchase, I used another Q for 2 Suave Styling products and got those to $0.88 each, and got the free body wash as well! Score one for me! $0.59 each for the Suave was not to bad. I used coupons for everything else too, with the exception of the apple juice, but I needed some. I learned today that Wal-Mart doesn't accept any coupons that are BOGOF (buy one, get one free). So my dog treats ended up costing me $0.50 more than I anticipated, but I got them because they have $1/1 peelies on the front. I will try Target for those because they accept BOGOF Qs.

 At Rite-Aid, I had Up rewards ($10) that I could use so I got some Tide detergent, normally $9.99, on sale for $5.49 and then with Qs and $5 additional Up Rewards, they came to $2.26 each. The Cottonelle bath tissue was $12.49 regular, not on sale, but the awesome manager at the Rite-Aid in Woodinville Jonathan, price matched with Bartell's, for $4.99, and I had a $.50/1 Q and a $1/1 Rite Aid ad perks Q, so I paid $3.49 for my TP! What a deal! I paid $7 after my $10 Up Rewards credit, and got another $5 Up Rewards credit I can use tomorrow for some Dove mens+care body wash.

 All in all, I had a great day shopping and I am realizing more and more the value of money and how much stuff you can get for very little. I think shows like Extreme Couponing exaggerate a little on how couponing actually is, but I am having fun with the whole process and really enjoy the thrill of the hunt. It is a big adrenaline rush.


I also now (in 3.5 weeks of couponing), have had to relinquish my shoe closet to become a stockpile closet. I was running low on space in my kitchen and bedroom closet, so I had to improvise. It is the start of a great stockpile. I am very proud of it!

Back at it!

 I've been on vacation the majority of last week, but I am back and couponing is in full swing again. I am becoming more efficient with coupon clipping and sorting. I even bought a new coupon binder, that feels a little more like luggage but it is so much more effective for me to organize and keep all of my coupons sorted, especially if I need to find a coupon on the fly if I see a sale.

My first day back from vacation, I stocked up on Pantene at Rite-Aid. Each bottle retailed for $5.29-$5.69 at the Rite-Aid on Aurora in Seattle. They were advertised for 3/$10, or $3.33 each when you buy 3. They had a secondary deal for UP rewards where if you spend $30 on Pantene (and other qualifying items), you get a $10 UP reward. I also used coupons that came out in the SmartSource Sunday paper for $4/2. After coupons, store discounts, and UP rewards, they came out to $0.44 each. It was a great deal.

Target has a decent deal on Hamburger helper, this would literally last us a year, since we don't eat it so often but it was $1.29 at my local Factoria Target. If you buy 10 of a qualifying item, you get a $5 TGC (Target Gift Card). Target cartwheel also had a 10% off Hamburger Helper mobile scan code, and I had a coupon for $0.75/5 boxes, which I used 2 of. I ended up paying less than $0.50 a box, which isn't the BEST deal ever, but it stocks up the pantry, and has a long shelf life. (Note: when buying larger quantities of items that you know you are going to stockpile, it may be a good idea to check the expiration dates on the boxes, 3 of the boxes I got at Target had an expiration date of 10/2014, and the remaining 7 had expiration dates of 10/2015.)

The bounce was almost free at Target too, so I picked up some of those! They are $2.19 at my local Target, I have a great coupon for $5/3 Tide, Bounce, or Gain products (no size limits), and so I got the smallest boxes I could, and Target mobile has a coupon for $1.00 off any fabric softener, making it $0.57 for all 3 boxes. I am going back today for more. I have several of those coupons, and for $.20 a piece, its a great deal. I do a LOT of laundry with a 3 year old.

Today, I have a few things on my list to get, so I am going to plan my days adventure. Happy clipping!

Great deal on Triaminic

There is a coupon circulating in today's sunday paper for $4 off any Triaminic cough syrup for kids. Its great to have on hand and they only cost $1.68 each out of pocket at my local Target. I felt it was a great deal, because cough medicine for children can be quiet expensive. I also found a Gillette Razor Kit on clearance for $10.48, and I used a $3 off Gillette Razor coupon to bring it down to $7.48. Thats not too bad considering it comes with body wash, deodorant, and shave gel. It was kind of a spur of the moment purchase but I know it will get good use. The proglide pivot razors alone sell for $12.99 at Target right now.

This is my current (non-food item) stockpile, that is accumulating in my closet. This is what I have collected so far over the last 2 weeks, and I really haven't spent too much. I am trying to focus on things that will get used. I am a practical person, and can't see spending any money on items that just won't get used or will expire before being used. Any money spent on something that goes to waste is wasted money. Exception: money maker (MM) products. I will always get something if I can if I make money on it, whether I need it or not, because the overage can go towards something I do need.

How a couponer spends her birthday

So many other bloggers and couponers RAVE about the saving at Rite-Aid. I have to admit that I am not a fan of Rite-Aid. Overpriced items, incompetent cashiers, and promotions or sales that just don't make any sense to me really just made me avoid the store at all costs, unless I was picking up my Rx's. I saw a few great match-ups today on The Krazy Coupon Lady's website that would make products either really cheap or FREE. I even had a few small MM (money maker) items. I have a Rite-Aid within walking distance of my house, so I decided to test the waters with a small haul and my arsenal of coupons.

Softsoap was a great deal. It was regularly $5.29 at the Factoria Rite-Aid. It was on sale for $3.49, and Rite-Aid had an ad with an in-store coupon for $2.00 off, which brought it to $1.49, and I had a $0.75 Softsoap body wash coupon, so I got it for $.0.74 each! I had to do 2 transactions, since they limit the in-store coupon to one per transaction.

The Colgate was another great deal: FREE. It was $3.99 regular price, on sale for $2.99, I had a $1.00 off coupon and Rite-Aid gave me a $2.00 Up Reward (See below for Rite-Aid details on Up Rewards).

The final goodies were Wet & Wild Products. In today's Sunday paper inserts (SS 9/21), there was $1 off any Wet & Wild product. No limit! I only bought 8 sunday papers today, so I had 8 coupons. Rite-Aid started running a promotion for 40% off any Wet and Wild Product, so the nail polishes were $0.59 each and the lip glosses and eyeliners were $1.19 each after the 40% discount, using my $1.00 each coupon resulted in half of the products making me $0.39 each, and the other 4 costing only $0.19 each. That was a great coupon. I want more!

I also added the lunch bag because it was 75% off at my Rite-Aid, and, well, I needed a lunch bag! My total cost after taxes was $5.63, and I will get $2.00 Up Rewards. So total OOP (out of pocket) is $3.63 after tax. Probably my most successful shopping trip yet as far as % savings. Happy Birthday to ME!

So, here is the daunting thing about Rite-Aid that has deterred me from shopping there. Up Rewards. What are Up Rewards? Why don't they just give me money back, or take the discount off at the register? What's the point of putting money back onto your account that expire. I never realized the cost significance of using Up Rewards combined with coupons. Wow, major savings.

Here is the full Rite-Aid coupon policy:
https://www.riteaid.com/customer-support/coupon-acceptance-policy

Here are the details on the Up Rewards:
https://www.riteaid.com/wellness/up-rewards

Other ways to save at Rite-Aid:


Adperk.com coupons
http://live.adperk.com/riteaid/frame/ravv?channel=9186933a02c14b7c8666b694

These are short videos that consumers can watch, and afterwards you can print a coupon for that product. These coupons CAN be combined with other manufacturer coupons and/or store coupons and sales. It does require you to create an account, but they have great coupons!

In-Store or In-Ad coupons
Often, Rite-Aid will have a flyer at the front of the store that you can look though and there are coupons inside that you can use in conjunction with an in-store sale, manufacturer coupon, or adperks.com coupon. When all the stars align, you can use up to 3 coupons at Rite-Aid per item.

Load2Card
This feature allows you to load some manufacturer coupons onto your Wellness Card. These coupons can be combined with Adperks.com coupons, and in-store coupons, but not any other manufacturer coupons.

Price Matching
Rite-Aid will price match an item that is in current printed ad from a local competitor. You must bring in the ad to price match. It can not be an online price or a Buy One, Get One promotion. The benefit of the price matching is that Rite-Aid will price match, you can redeem your Up Rewards, earn new Up Rewards, utilize Rite-Aid in-store coupons, and your own manufacturer coupons ON TOP OF the price match pricing. Its pretty incredible actually. It can pay to do your homework and shop around when weekly ads come out.  

The benefit of the shopping consistently at Rite-Aid is that your purchases are tracked, and you can reach bronze, silver, or gold status and receive 10-20% off of your entire purchase for one year. That savings alone can be quite significant. 

I will most certainly be shopping at this store for great bargains more often! 

  

Not all Target's are created equal

Okay, I spent like $1.64 on some randomness and didn't ever really "extreme coupon" or hunt out good deals. I was at Target at the Renton Landing waiting to meet someone and had some time to kill, so I was looking at the clearance section and found a few Neutrogena eye make-up removers on clearance. One of them had a peelie (a manufacturer coupon on the outside packaging). I'm not sure of proper etiquette, but I peeled that sucker off and it was good for $2.00 off a purchase on Neutrogena, but wasn't valid on clearance items. So, I went to the Neutrogena section and found this gem of a facial cleansing bar for $1.97 regular price ($0.03 MM). MM=Money Maker. There was no limit to how many coupons you could use in one transaction. I was thinking JACKPOT! So, I strolled back to the clearance section to see if I could find more specially marked make-up remover, but none was to be found. I paid for my purchase and decided to try the Target in Factoria by my house.

Not only did they not have ANY of the Neutrogena with the peelies, but they also sold the beauty bars for $0.60 more than the Renton store. I may check the Target by my work (Northgate, Seattle) for the peelies. FREE always feels better when I wash my face.

At the Factoria Target, however, I did find some amazing clearance deals in the beauty/health section that were not at the Renton location.

Meet Alex: Future Extreme Couponer

1. Motrin PM 20 count bottles, reg $4.49, clearance $2.38. They had TONS!!! I have several $3/2 coupons ($3 off the purchase of 2). Making each bottle $0.88 each! Score!!

2. Secret Outlast Paris Scent deodorant, reg $3.99, clearance $1.97. I had one $1 off coupon, making it $0.97, and it came with a bonus body mist.

The moral of today's story is that not all stores are created equal. Keep your coupons with you at all times, and keep your eyes open for possible deals. While I feel it is best to create a plan of attack before you hit the store, sometime you just find clearance and other special sale items that are just too good to pass up.

And finally, the best part of my purchase was the safety scissor 2-pack that was on clearance for $0.68. Now Alex, my amazing 3 year old, can help me clip coupons, which we did as soon as we got home and checked the mail.

I couldn't resist- Round 2 at QFC

So the Buy 5, Save $5 at QFC ended on 9/16/14, so after work I made a quick pit stop in, hoping to find Airwick on sale, but that was a no-go, so I browsed around a bit and was able to find a few more freebies, and some necessities. And that made me a happy girl.

The Gilette shave gel was $2.49 retail, $1.99 sale, $0.99 B5/S5 promo. I used (1) $1.00 off Gilette coupon = FREE

The Garnier was FREE with the same coupon combo I used the day before.

The Barilla pasta sauces were $0.75 each after (3) $0.75 coupons and store promos.

I felt good with my purchase. Free is always good, and buying items I need is even better.

I can't wait for my coupon stash to grow, and for QFC to have their Buy 5, Save $5 promotion again! Its big-time savings for couponers.

My shopping trip to Fred Meyer and QFC

My first trip to Fred Meyer in Issaquah, WA last Sunday was a success. I had woken up early to get 5 newspapers and got all my coupons clipped and sorted. Afterwards, I looked for my own match-ups in the paper, and I got really excited to see coupons in the Fred Meyer circular that came with the Sunday paper. They had some things on sale that I knew I had coupons for and I started the hunt for good deals! Since you can clip store coupons and stack them (use them with) manufacturer coupons, I first looked at FM coupons in the paper.

They had a $3 for 5 Treetop Juice coupon. I happened to have 3 $1.00 off Treetop Fruitful Smoothies coupons. Combining the store coupon with the 3 manufacturer coupons, I got the juices for $0.67 each wyb3 (when you buy 3).

Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent was also on sale with coupon for 2 for $6 (reg $6.49 each). I had a $2/2 ($2 off your purchase of 2) coupon. So they were $2.00 each after coupon
I have learned in my short couponing experience that having multiple coupons is how you really maximize savings. I have an example of that below with my QFC shopping trip:

QFC (which I never shop at because I felt that they were too expensive), was having a promotion that ended 9/16/14, for Buy 5, Save $5 on qualifying products throughout the store. You are able to mix and match the 5 qualifying items also, so this was the most ideal way to maximize savings. I did a 5 item only sale, and I used 5 coupons, so I was able to use the sale price with the B5/S5 event, as well as coupons on top of that, to get the products free or close to it.

I purchased 1 Garnier Shampoo ($3.99 retail, $2.99 sale)  and 4 Softsoap Body Washes ($5.49 retail, $2/5 sale or $2.50 each wyb2). With the B5/S5, you take $1 off of each sale priced item, therefore the shampoo was $1.99, and the body washes were $1.50 each. I used (1) $2.00 off Garnier coupon making that item FREE and used (4) $0.75 off Softsoap coupons making them $0.75 each. It brings each item in that haul down to $0.60 each before tax.

Another thing I have learned it that you pay tax on the PRE-manufacturer coupon price. Store discounts are taken into consideration but the total sales tax calculated is based on the total sale cost (less) store discounts/promotions. So take that into consideration when you are shopping. I thought it was based on the total after discounts. It is NOT. 

The specifics in regards to sales tax are listed below. Sales tax in Seattle in 9.5%.
http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/businesses/sut/factsheets/fs167.pdf

My very first shopping trip

I was insanely nervous going for my first shopping trip using coupons. I had stacks of coupons organized in my accordian file folder, felt that I had done my research and found match-ups that would give me free items for my stockpile based on match-ups I had found on other websites, I made a list of how many items of each product that I would purchase to maximize my coupons and my savings, and with toddler-in-tow, I drove to the Dollar Tree store in Woodinville, WA. I was optimistic that I had a small haul that I could easily manage with my coupons, so I didn't feel overwhelmed or silly using coupons at the cash register for the first time. Much to my dismay, when I started browsing the aisles, I realized that NONE of the coupon match-ups I found online would work at my Dollar Tree because they had none of the products on my list. Since I drove 20 minutes to get to that Dollar Tree, I didn't want it to be a completely wasted trip, so I was able to find some items that I was able to get for free or very inexpensive. Since this was my first haul, I didn't have a ton of coupons, so I wasn't able to be "extreme" and get 100 tubes of toothpaste for free, but I improvised and did the best I could with what coupons I had. I learned with this trip that people post match-ups online that are not always available in your area because products vary by store or region. I later found that the Dollar Tree on Sunset in Renton is twice the size of the Woodinville store, and has more brand name products. I may be shopping there in an upcoming trip.