Bargains Galore!

So, this week I began a new strategy with my attempt to save money! I made a strategy sheet with all of the deals and matching coupons at each store. It sounds like a lot of work, but thankfully there are great blogs that I read that already find all the deals for me. They tell the sale price, the coupons that match, the free items, and much more.  You can check out some of those blogs below.

It may also sound like a lot of driving, but I planned it well so that I was driving as little as possible by hitting multiple stores in the same area.

Also, you don't have to do all of this every week. One of the keys to using coupons(So, I've learned!) is to have a stockpile. This way you are buying items when they are at their cheapest(makes sense) and can keep replenishing your stockpile. So once you have a good stockpile, you don't need to go around to all of these stores each week(unless the deals are just too good to pass up!)

One more thing.....some of you say that you couldn't use coupons because they're for processed food(which a lot are) or you buy organic(which people do find ways to use coupons for).  But as you'll see in a lot of my pictures, I'm buying household, paper, feminine products, and others. You'll see it can save you in those areas, if the food doesn't work for you.

Below are my deals for the week.....

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $1.35

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: Almost $20

I have just learned that each week Rite Aid has Free After Rebate items. A couple of weeks ago, they had over 30. These are my FAR items for the week. Because you can combine manufacturer coupons, in store coupons, and rebates, I had a $1 overage on this transaction, but I just realized that my coupon didn't ring up for some reason. So, because of tax, the total OOP(Out of Pocket) would have been .35 cents. Since she didn't use my coupon, it will be $1.35. The actual cost for this purchase would have been almost $20 with tax.  I can't believe I missed the coupon.....I'm usually very careful and organized. Oh well, guess I'll have to let it go, but it will be difficult! :) Click here to see this week's Rite Aid deals. Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

PS. I was really pleased with Rite Aid's customer service(besides forgetting the coupon) because they were out of a shower gel that I was going to get free after rebate. So, the gal let me choose another brand of equal or lesser value. This was great for me because the original gel was for men, and since it is for me, I was much happier with the nice scent of Skintimates!

PPS. You could also purchase FAR items that you wouldn't use and donate them to family, friends, a local charity, etc. Just an idea.

 

Total OOP: $8.22

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $23.47

Walgreens was on the list this week. I got the TP, which is regularly $9.49(obviously more than anyone would pay) on sale for 5.99, and I used a coupon for $1 off making it only $4.99 for 12 double rolls.(The $1 coupon I used was for another Quilted Northern TP, but I guess it doesn't matter because it worked anyway. Just a little tip for ya! Addition!!!! I've since used a few printable coupons for items that aren't the exact item listed on the coupon. ) If I remember correctly I paid around $13-15 for 24 double rolls at Costco in the past. The aluminum foil was on sale 2/$1 and the Almay mascara was FREE with the Walgreens ESR(Easy Saver Rebates). So, with tax I spent $8.22 OOP and the actual amount should have been $23.47.  Click here for this week's Walgreens deals, thanks to The Good Deal Gal.

 

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $53.91

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $68.16

Thanks to, Money Saving Mom, click here for this week's Wal Mart deals. The cereal was the big steal here. After the Kelloggs coupons they each ranged from $.42-$1.88. Total for the 5 boxes of cereal was $5.60.(That makes each box $1.12) The Wet Ones trial size and Kotex boxes were free after coupons. The Oprah magazine was a free copy in the mail. I thought I got a free subscription somehow, but I think it was just the first issue free. I'll just cancel the subscription now.

Click here for the $1/1 Kelloggs printables.

(Tip~I've found that you can get a lot of travel sized items for free after a coupon.  A lot of coupons are for $1 and will say may be used on any size of the particular product. The travel sized items are usually regularly under $1. It might seem weird buying a little travel sized item, but I've seen people get 10 of them, and then they have one regular size for free.)

This whole transaction was $53.91 OOP, which seems like a lot.  But that's with the diapers and formula costing almost $46 of the total before $6.50 in coupons for the two. I saved $14.25 in coupons with this transaction.

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $34.84

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $49.24

Fred Meyer was also on the list for the week. They've been running an awesome sale on Yoplait yogurts, and I eat one EVERYDAY!(Don't forget to mail in your lids for Breast Cancer research.) With the yogurts at $.50 a piece and my coupons, I ended up getting them for $.39  a piece. This total transaction was $34.84.(Again I had to buy formula. I'd been given a few $5 off checks from Enfamil, but you couldn't use more than one in each transaction.) Total savings was $10.40 in just coupons and another $4 in sale prices.

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $1.07

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $10

I had to go to Wal Mart twice because I didn't realize that the first one I went to wasn't a super, so they didn't have everything. The Kotex and Sure deoderant were free. The hot chocolate and Ziplock bags were .25 cents each. Money Saving Mom's blog showed that they were all should have been free after coupon, but for some reason my store had them for $.25 more than her blog said they would be. Oh well, not bad for a total OOP of $1.07.

 

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $23.31

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $31.55

Once again, check out The Good Deal Gal's blog for the Target deals of the week. I got the Bunches of Oat cereal for .50 cents, the Earth's Best for $1, and $5 off of the formula. So, I saved almost $9 at Target today.

Total OOP(Out of Pocket): $.17

Cost of purchase without coupons and rebates: $8

Office Max was on my list because we had Max Perk Rewards to redeem. You can bring in your old ink cartridges,(up to 10 a week) and they'll give you $3 credit for each cartridge. At the end of the month, you can print out a certificate for your total rewards and come in and shop for free. There are other ways to increase your rewards as well. Click here to find out how.

So, we have a $6 reward(not a lot, but enough) and a 20% off entire purchase coupon from the newspaper last weekend. So I got the three items for .17 cents with tax. I actually had spent less than the $6 before getting the gum, but I couldn't let any of the reward go to waste, so I added the gum. The total before coupons and rewards would have been $8.

 

So, the total savings of these purchase is $88.55 for the week. :)(And Derek, I'm not talking Club Card savings. I'm talking actual coupon, hard cash savings!) I've also calculated that since just August, we've saved over $1000 already. I know that sounds hard to believe, but it's true. I've been keeping track.( I know, dorky, but that's what they do on all these inspirational money saving blogs!!)

Now just so I'm clear, the total includes about $400 of free formula that we've received over the last 4 months, free tuition of $130 to Kindermusik that I won, gift certificates that we've received, and coupons!! I've also received about $50 worth of free samples, products, and coupons in the mail just by signing up for them on line.

I'm not telling you this so that you can all think how great I am, but to let you know that if you choose, you can do this, too. And I have saved no where near the amount the experts have with coupons!

 

Linen's & Things~

You probably have already seen that Linen's & Things is going out of business. :(  I went in to one of their stores the other day, and they are having some super sales. Everything(at least in this one) is 40-60% off. The sales clerk told me that they are slowly beginning to liquidate stores, so some are currently just have 10% off sales. If you are moving into a new house or just want to redecorate, you should stop by for some great deals!