Memphis Mommies

My Kroger trip today

2009-09-22T23:18:00.004-05:00

Kroger is running another buy 10, get $5 off promotion! They have been doing this a lot now, and I've gotten some good deals. And the Kroger at Summer and Wales runs the new week's ads on Tuesday too, so the weeks overlap, and you can get all the deals at once. Cool! I didn't make note of all the coupons I used, but here's what I got today:

Charmin 4-pk

Green Giant canned corn niblets on clearance $.36 ea

Poptarts 12pk

4 large jello

1 Kraft dressing

6 Kraft cheese slices: sale $2.37 ea - 3 $1/2 mq's - mega saver savings = $1.37 ea

2 Suave shampoos

2 Clean & Clear face wash: $1.99 - $2 mqs = free

2 Hot Pockets

10 Lean Cuisine: sale $2.27 - $1/5 mq's - mega saver savings = $1.57 ea

2 DiGiorno pizzas

2 Wheat Thins

3 Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh cooked chicken

1 OM Deli Fresh roast beef

10 Land O Frost lunchmeats 1 lb: reg $4.99 on sale for $2.99 - 10 $.55 mq's doubled = $1.89 ea

2 OM cooked bacon

1 bag Kroger bulk popcorn

(Not on sale, but I want to try making my own microwave popcorn)

My total after sales before coupons: $125.35, I used $40.45 in coupons, and had $15 taken off because I bought 30 items that were included in the Mega Sale. My tax was $8.10 and my total out-of-pocket was $78.03. Lee was a little disturbed when I told him how much I spent, but I think he was OK with it when he saw all the lunch meats and cheese and how many meals ingredients I had bought, and how much stock-up stuff was going in the freezer.

Walgreens deals today!

2009-09-22T22:33:00.005-05:00

I made 2 stops on my way to Kroger, and took advantage of some good deals this week. I spent a bit more out of pocket than I had planned, because at the first stop, the register wouldn't take all my RR's for some reason. Plus, they had the 12pk of Angel Soft double rolls for $5.50--a good price--so I got 2 packs. But, all in all, I still came away with some good deals.

(mq = manufacturer's coupon, wq = Walgreens coupon)

2 Trident layers: 2/$2 - $1/2 mq = 2/$1, gives $1 RR

3 hydrogen peroxide: 3/$1

2 children's Benadryl liquid: $9.98 - $2 wq - $2 mq = $6, gives $5 RR

3 Sally Hanson nail polish: 40% off = $8.67 - 3 $1 mq's = $5.67, gives $5 any SH product Q

1 Roots of Nature hair moisturizer: $6 - $1 mq = $5, gives $6 RR

2 Oral B Indicator toothbrushes: 2/$4 - bogo mq = 2/$2, gives $2 RR

2 Ghirardelli on clearance: 2/$1.30 - $.75 mq = 2/$.55 (mmmmm...)

Skippy peanut butter on sale: $1.59 - .60 mq = $.99

4 Campbell's cream of chicken on sale: 4/$3.56 - 2 $1/2 mq's = 4/$1.56

1 Thermacare: $2.49 - $1 mq = $1.49, gives $2.50 RR

2 Aussie shampoo: $2.99 - $1 mq = $1.99, gives $2 RR

2 packs Angel Soft double rolls: $5.49 each - $.75 mq = 2/$10.23

I redeemed a bunch of RR's, but the register started beeping before she finished scanning them for some reason. This trip totaled $25.71 + $4.79 tax = $30.50, and I still have $20 in RR's! Jane, the cashier that always rings me up knows me as her "coupon lady", and she is nice and goes out of her way to help. She told me today, though, that she could only accept one RR per transaction. I told her nicely that the rules had changed, and you can use more than one now. So she called the manager who told her it was OK, and she was miffed that they had changed the rules and not informed her. I let her know that it's OK, I run into inconsistencies like that all the time. She is older, and complains about having to work all the time, and she is usually leaning on the counter like she can't stand any longer. I think I'll take her a little something as a gift the next time I go in. Can't hurt to make friends with the cashier! LOL! (This is at Summer and Sycamore View.)

Then I stopped by another Wags that I passed on the way to my new favorite Kroger (summer and Wales) and got the following:

2 Children's Benadryl liquid: $9.98 - $2 wq - $2 mq = $6, gives $5 RR

1 Thermacare: $2.49 - $2 mq = $.49, gives $2.50 RR

4 Campbell's cream of chicken on sale: 4/$3.56 - 2 $1/2 mq's = 4/$1.56

1 Carefree: $1.99 - $1 mq = $.99, gives $2 RR

1 Sally Hanson nail treatment: 40% off $4.97 - $5 mq from previous trip = free

a birthday card: $.99

4 Halloween sacks: 4/$1 (fillers because I had more coupons than I had items)

1 box dried fruit snacks: $1 (filler)

After using more RR's to pay --

This order totaled $.85 + $2.32 tax = $3.17

That was more like it!

Couponing Lesson 3 - Research and Shopping

2009-09-14T00:11:00.003-05:00

Lesson 3 – Research and Shopping

OK, so now we have coupons and they are filed so that we can find them. I’m so glad there were some in today’s paper! I have heard that this is a big week for coupons, so hopefully we’ll get more in the Tuesday mailer. But I’m at a loss as to why there were no Walgreens and Rite Aid flyers in the Sunday paper today. Weird.

The next step is to do some research and match up sales and specials with coupons. There are several ways to do this:

1. look through the sale papers yourself and see what you spot that you vaguely remember having a coupon for

2. read the blogs on the internet where people post sales and coupon match-ups

3. read the AfullCup.com boards and see what people have been buying on their shopping trips

I do all three, at least to some extent.

Note: Be careful about prices! Know what is a good price and what you can still get cheaper elsewhere, and know what you absolutely don’t need or won’t use. If it is of absolutely no use to you, it’s a waste of money, no matter how little bit of money it is. Also try to do your deal shopping without driving too much out of your way and using too much gas. Stop by the stores you need when you pass them rather than making a special trip, if possible.

So here’s what you need to do—we’ll start with Walgreens. Get out your coupons and check to see if you have coupons for these Walgreens deals. They will generally post the item with the price, any matching coupons along with where they got them, and the ending price. If it is an internet coupon, they will usually provide the link so that you can print it too. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have many or any of the coupons—you will get more as you collect them! In a few weeks, you will find that you will have most of what they mention.

http://iheartwags.com/2009/08/0913-0919-weekly-deals-preview.html

This is a great place to see what is coming up at Walgreens. You can even see the ad for 2 weeks from now so that you can possibly even order coupons for the really good deals.

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/walgreens_deals/index.html

She usually has Walgreens specials up too, but this week isn’t there yet. She may get it up tomorrow. I check her blog every day to see what special cheap or free things she mentions.

http://www.afullcup.com/forums/walgreens/

This is a great board where people post the deals that they see in the ads or that they have come across in the store while shopping.

I’m just using Walgreens as an example, but check the same sites for Rite-Aid, Kroger and Target. I usually do my own research for Schnucks and Piggly Wiggly by looking at their ads on their websites. (They both double coupons.) I don’t generally find much at those stores, but every once in a while there will be something worth a trip. Sometimes what is on sale in someone else’s area won’t be on sale here, so be flexible. Also remember to check the clearance aisles—you never know what might be on sale that you have a coupon for. I got 2 free bottles of spray men’s smelly good stuff that the teen boys like—I can’t remember what it was called—at Walgreens last week. I put it away for when Adam decides he wants to smell good. Right now, I still have to remind him to put on deodorant.

I use a piece of notebook paper on which I write all the deals that I want to take advantage of, including the price, the specific size, any corresponding coupons I have, the final price after coupons (to see if it’s worthwhile), and whatever other info I may need. I stick it in my (new) coupon binder along with the corresponding coupons. I have a page written and a file page of coupons for each store. That way, they are all right there where I can see them when I’m shopping.

A few tips about each store:

Walgreens

Walgreens takes just about any kind of coupon—newspaper coupons, internet printables, and their own coupons that come in the sale paper or in certain booklets found in the store. They will take a manufacturer’s coupon AND a Walgreens coupon together on one item. The Walgreens coupon actually rings up as a sale price when they scan it.

Walgreens has Register Rewards (RR’s) which are coupons that print out of the Catalina machine (the little machine next to the receipt printer) for $x off your next Walgreens purchase. You have to buy certain items, sometimes 2 or more, to get the Register Rewards. The best way to take advantage of these is to buy these items when you can get them really cheap or free with coupons, then use those RR’s to buy something the next week that you can get really cheap with coupons, thereby lowering or eliminating your out-of-pocket (oop) expense. This is what is referred to as “rolling” the RR’s.

Here’s an example:

Last week, if you bought 2 Glade candles for $2.50 each, you got a $2 RR. I had 2 $3 off coupons for these candles which made them free. So this week, I can take that $2 RR and use it toward the True North nut clusters which are $3 this week and generate a $3 RR. That way, I only pay $1 for them, and I get a $3 RR. (Actually, I have a $1 coupon for the True North clusters, so they will be free too. Yay!) Do you follow me so far? I will use my $2 RR and my $1 coupon to buy a bag of True North and a $3 RR that I can roll next week. Good deal!

There are a few rules about RR’s, though.

1. If I got a $3 RR for the True North clusters and turned around and used that particular RR to buy another bag of the same clusters, I won’t get another RR for the second one. You have to use the RR’s on a different item.

2. You will only get 1 RR for each promotion in a transaction. If I bought 2 bags of True North at once, I will not get 2 $3 RR’s. I will only get one. If you want to buy more than 1 bag, you will need to make 2 trips, or ask the cashier to split it into 2 transactions. (Only do this if there is no one in line behind you. Otherwise, go to the end of the line for the 2^nd transaction.) If I buy 1 True North and 1 bottle of Triaminic, I will get both RR’s since they are for 2 different promotions.

3. A RR counts as a manufacturer’s coupon, and Walgreens will not allow you to have more coupons than you have items. So if I am buying only a bag of True North, and I have a $1 coupon and a $2 RR, I will have only 1 item and 2 coupons. I will need to buy some really cheap item as a filler. (The Walgreens coupons don’t count.) Good fillers include clearance school supplies, candy, gum, etc.

Rite Aid

I haven’t been able to find many good deals at Rite Aid lately, so I don’t take advantage of them much. They do have a single check rebate program where you buy the specific item, enter the receipt number on their website, and they will calculate your rebates at the end of the month and send you a check. I only do this for things that I really want or need, or things that I can get really cheap or free to begin with. I don’t like having my money tied up for a month. But you might find it worthwhile. Here’s the website: https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/default.asp?jse=yes

Target

Target has had lots of good deals lately. I haven’t really shopped there much in the past, mostly because you have to go to the superstore on Germantown Road to get the grocery items. But they have had some stuff lately that made it worth the trip, plus Lee drives right by there on his way home from work. He’s still nervous about couponing though, and doesn’t like to do it without me. ;)

Target puts out their own internet coupons that you can use on top of a manufacturer’s coupon on a single item. You can print as many as you want here: http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/view.php?pg=coupon_generator

They get confused when a coupon is for more than the price of the item, so sometimes they won’t take coupons on travel-sized things, even though the coupon doesn’t specify what size. It all depends on who the cashier is.

Sometime they have deals where you get a $5 gift card when you buy certain things. Roll this gift card onto something else that gives you a $5 gift card to minimize your OOP expense.

Kroger

Kroger also has their version of Register Rewards, but they are known in couponing circles as OYNO’s (off-your-next-order) or catalinas. They don’t do many of these, but they are usually worthwhile. Their Mega Saver deals that they have every once in a while are great too. If you buy 10 certain items, you get $5 off your order. Kroger doubles coupons up to $.60 value too.

So, are you ready to go shopping? I hope I haven't overwhelmed anyone! It does take some time, but it really pays off, especially these days when money is tight. I'll do another lesson in the next day or two about the actual shopping process. It won't be as long as this one, I promise.

Couponing Lesson 2 - Finding Coupons

2009-09-14T00:10:00.000-05:00

OK! So now you have your system all set up. Hopefully. If not, you’ll need to get a system in place so that you can find the coupons that we are about to collect! There are lots of places to find coupons—here are the sources that are most common:

Newspaper

The vast majority of the coupons I collect come from the Sunday paper and the sale mailers that come on Tuesday or Wednesday. There are three companies that put out the coupon sections in the paper—Red Plum, Smart Source, and P&G (Proctor & Gamble). General Mills also sends out some occasionally. Red Plum usually comes in the Sunday paper, Smart Source in the weekly mailers, and P&G and GM come in the Sunday. (They don’t put these out every week.)

I have a subscription to the paper only on Sunday that I ordered online for $7 and something a month. I see on their website that it’s now $11 a month, so paying $2 each Sunday for it is a cheaper deal, even if there are 5 Sundays in the month. But keep an eye out for specials—it’s a pain to have to remember to buy a Sunday paper every week.

If you have friends and family that get the Sunday paper and don’t use their coupons, ask them if you can have them. Multiples of coupons are good! It’s also not a bad idea to look through recycling bins if you come across them while taking a neighborhood walk. And everyone gets that Tuesday mailer with the grocery sale papers. And I’ll bet most people just throw out those coupon sections!

In-store

Many coupons can also be found in the grocery store. You’ve seen the little boxes that dispense coupons—these are called “blinkies” in couponing lingo. Some products have coupons on them that you can use right then—these are called “peelies” since you have to peel them off the packaging. Sometimes stores will have brochures or coupon booklets available, usually in the front of the store, in certain departments, or hidden inside coloring books or informational booklets, some of which you have to pay a minimal amount for. Just keep your eyes open when you go shopping—you’ll be surprised at what you’ll notice.

Mailers

Many manufacturers will mail out coupons to you if you are in their database. You can fill out online forms that manufacturers have on their websites, join e-mail newsletters, and even just e-mail them to have them send you coupons in the mail. If there is a particular product that you always use, it doesn’t hurt to e-mail or even call them and ask for coupons. I will post places to request coupons as they come along.

Be sure you get on Kroger’s mailing list, since they send out coupons and coupon booklets, some even for free things. If you have a Kroger card, be certain that they have your correct address on file. If you never get coupons from them, call them. That’s what I finally had to do, and they didn’t have a mailing address on my account. If you don’t have a Kroger card, GET ONE! It will be very valuable.

Product packaging

Keep a lookout when you open a product—sometimes you can find coupons inside labels or boxes or in the instruction sheet.

Internet-Printable coupons (IP’s)

There are several websites that have coupons that you can print out on your printer at home. They include smartsource.com, boxtops4education.com and others. When we start matching up coupons, I will let you know which ones to print out for which deals along with the link. There is no reason to go all over the web and print out every coupon. It’s time consuming, a waste of paper and ink, and it will take up unnecessary room in your coupon file. You will sometimes be prompted to download a coupon-printing program. It’s OK—you will have to have the program to get the coupons. You generally will have to print these from Internet Explorer or Netscape. Many coupon-printing programs don’t work with Firefox or Chrome. You can usually print only 1 or 2 from each computer that you have access to.

Some stores have stopped taking IP coupons, because I guess there is a high risk of fraud from people copying them and making fake ones. Walgreens always takes them, as does Kroger, although once I was in Kroger and the cashier told me that they don’t take any that have a value of more than $1. But I haven’t been told that since, so I’m hoping she was mistaken. The last time I was in WalMart, they wouldn’t take them, although I e-mailed corporate and got a copy of their coupon policy which states that they do. Rite-Aid is the same way, at least the one in Bartlett. But I avoid them anyway, because I always run into some kind of problem. I’ll review each store in a later lesson.

E-coupons

Here’s my blog post on using e-coupons at Kroger: http://memphismommies.blogspot.com/2008/11/e-coupons.html

So, your assignment for the next few days is to gather as many coupons as you can, ask friends and family who get the paper if you can have their coupons, and file them in your coupon system.

I hope you’re not too overwhelmed already! So let’s review:

1. Set up a coupon file system in a file box or binder, including dividers

2. Collect coupons from the newspapers, friends’ newspapers, product packaging, and go ahead and round up any you already have around the house

3. File them in your file box/binder

4. Get a Kroger card if you don’t have one, and register it at the three e-coupon sites

Next lesson: Research and Matching-up!

Couponing Lesson 1 - Organization

2009-09-14T00:09:00.001-05:00

OK—it’s time for your first assignment! We will be collecting coupons this week, so we need to set up a place to store them so that we can find them. Here’s my post on my blog about my system-- http://memphismommies.blogspot.com/2009/06/couponing-lesson-1-organization.html

Here’s a picture of my file box: http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s166/janeysotherstuff/MVC-781S

And this is my friend Coral’s video of her coupon binder:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNorXLOhab4

There are more videos of other people’s binders and systems in You Tube too, if you want to check out all the options.

Regardless of which you choose to start out with, you can change it up as you go along as your needs change and grow. I am considering trying the binder method just so that I can compare a binder vs. a file box.

Stay flexible with the categories you make up, because you will find that they will change as you see which coupons you tend to collect more of. You may need to break a category down into more specific categories later as you get more coupons.

We will start collecting coupons when they come in the mail tomorrow (for Memphis folks) and then on Sunday.

My shopping trips today!

2009-06-10T16:37:00.004-05:00

I decided to hit the grocery stores today since it's the first day of the sales and things tend to sell out. I needed some bread and hot dog buns anyway, so I was going to need to get those somewhere. So I studied the ads, lined up my coupons, and set out for Kroger, Schnucks, and Piggly Wiggly.

Schnucks:
fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast: 8.45 lbs @ $1.87/lb = $15.81
3 sandwich cookies (for church): 3 @ $1.78 = $5.34
Suddenly Salad: 2 @ $2.49 - BOGO free sale = $2.49 - $.50Q doubled = 2/$1.49 or $.75 each
Oscar Mayer bologna: 2 @ $3.49 - BOGO free sale = $3.49 - $1/2 Q = 2/$2.49 or $1.25 each (These are BIG packages, and my family loves bologna.)

Schnucks Total: $27.13 - $2 in coupons = $25.13 + $2.06 tax = $27.19
We have enough chicken and bologna to last a while now! ;)

Piggly Wiggly:
bread: 2 @ $1.49 = $2.98 (Not a good deal, but we had to have it.)
hot dog buns = $1.09
Pop Tarts: $2.00 sale - .55Q doubled = $.90
Grapes: $1/lb sale = $3.83 (I never buy them if they are more than $1/lb.)
Crest toothpaste: $1 sale - .50Q doubled = free
Texas garlic toast: 2 @ $1.67 sale - .50Q doubled & .40Q doubled = 2/$1.54 or $.77 each
Ziplock slide storage bags: 5 @ $1.50 each sale = $7.50 - 2 $1/2 Qs & .40Q doubled = 5/$4.70 or $.94 each
(I needed these to store all the chicken and hamburger in!)
Dawn dish detergent: $1 sale - .25Q doubled = $.50

Piggly Wiggly Total: $22.74 - $7.20 in coupons = $15.54 + $1.91 tax = $17.45

Kroger:
Lysol lemon pourable: $1.84 clearance - .50Q doubled = $.84
Lysol spray cleaner: $1.59 clearance - .50Q doubled = $.59
Lysol mildew spray: $1.97 clearance - .50Q doubled = $.97
Kraft grated cheese: $3.79 - BOGO free sale = 2/$3.79 - $1 Q = 2/$2.79 or $1.40 each
Kraft 2% grated cheese: $3.89 - BOGO free = 2/$3.89 - $1 Q = 2/$2.89 or $1.45 each
Kraft 2% slices: $3.99 - BOGO free = 2/$3.99 - $1Q = 2/$2.99 = $1.49 each
Kraft slices: $3.35 - BOGO free = 2/$3.35 - $1Q = 2/$2.35 = $1.18 each
Country Crock: $1.99 - .25Q doubled = $1.49
Yoplait: 6 @ .50 each = $3.00 - .40Q doubled - .50 Cellfire Q = 6 @ $1.70 = $.28 each
chicken leg quarters: 8 lbs @ $.57/lb = $4.56
ground beef: 7.58 lbs for $12.63 = $1.67/lb (some were clearanced and some were on sale)
Kroger coupon: $3 off $15 from meat dept

Kroger Total: $43.60 - $11.80 in coupons = $31.80 + $3.05 tax = $34.85

Today's grocery total: $93.47 - $21.00 in coupons = $72.47 + $7.02 tax = $79.49

Not GREAT savings, but really good considering that I got 7 1/2 lbs of ground beef, 8 lbs of leg quarters, 8 1/2 lbs of boneless chicken breast, and 2 lbs of bologna! :-D

Couponing Lesson 1 - Organization

2009-06-06T22:40:00.004-05:00

Several people have mentioned that they want to learn how to get such good deals at the grocery store. Just be prepared, because you will have to change the way you shop and the way you plan meals. It's time consuming, but it's fun too! If it weren't fun, I probably wouldn't still be doing it.

Now keep in mind, you can't save the kind of money I do on a grocery run like most people do it--run in on the way home in the afternoon and grab whatever sounds good to fix for dinner. Or hit the grocery store on Saturday and buy up everything you will need for the week or maybe for just a few days. Shopping this way is convenient, but it won't save you any money. Oh, you may have a coupon or two that you came across for something you always buy, and you might actually remember to use it when you get to the register. That's not the kind of couponing we're going to be talking about here.

The reason you will save money shopping this way is that you will buy what is cheap WHEN it is cheap and stock up, then plan your meals around that. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that you will be eating Grape Nuts and Chex Mix three meals a day because you got 12 boxes on sale. You will, of course, still have to buy things that perish quickly--milk, bread, produce--on a regular basis. You will stock up on what you will use until the item goes on sale again, or whatever you can buy with the number coupons that you have. It will take a little time to get used to planning meals around what you have on hand, but you will get used to it. And the longer you stock up, the more things you will have on hand to pick from, and the lower your food bill will get.

Sound like a lot of work and no fun? Well, it is a lot of work sometimes--clipping and filing coupons and doing research on sales--but it is a lot of fun! And something happens to you when you get that first really good deal. The Mrs. So-Frugal-I-Make-My-Own-Yogurt part of you takes over, and you look for other ways to save money in other areas of your life. Like making your own yogurt. No, I haven't tried that yet, but I would like to give it a shot! I do make bread occasionally, but I have yet to find a good substitute for a store-bought loaf of bread.

So now you are getting a glimpse of the thought process that goes into all this. Now we are going to get down to business and do some serious couponing. Are you ready?

Step 1 - Organization

You will need a place to file all your coupons - a 4x6 card file box works best, and the bigger the better. There have been occasional times where my coupons filled my box and I had to move on to something bigger, but that's when I was printing out tons of coupons from the internet. I don't do that any more--more on that later.

You will need dividers for the coupons, labeled so that you will know exactly where to look for a certain coupon when you need it. I am a little OCD, and I actually took a class in college called Filing and Record Management, so my system may be a little much for you. But that's OK--you do whatever works for YOU. Here are my cards, for example: Food section--baking mixes, baking supplies, bread, candy, canned foods, cereal,cheese, chips, condiments, dairy, dinner mixes, drinks, frozen meals, frozen veggies, frozen desserts, frozen other, juice, meat canned, meat cold cuts, meat frozen, meat other, produce, sauces, snack bars, snack cups, snacks other, soup. Non-food section: air freshener candles, air freshener plug in, air freshener spray, bulbs/batteries, cleaner bathroom, cleaner windows, cleaners other, contacts, cosmetics, deodorant, dish liquid, dishwasher detergent, feminine, hair shampoo/conditioner, hair color, hair styling, laundry detergent, laundry fabric soft., lotion, medicine pain, medicine cold, medicine stomach, medicine vitamins, medicine other, paper plates/napkins, paper towels, paper other, pets, plastic bags/trash, razors, shave cream, skin care, soap bars, soap liquid, toilet tissue, toothbrushes, toothpaste, miscellaneous.

I printed these on 4x6 cards, and I file the coupons behind each divider. You probably won't have the same divisions I do, because you may buy things that are different. Obviously, if you don't have a pet, you won't have a pet section, and if no one in your household wears contacts, you won't have a section for that either. You will file a coupon wherever you will know to look for it. For instance, if you have a coupon for hand sanitizer, and you didn't decide to make a separate divider for that, you could file it under soap liquid or under skin care or lotion or wherever. It doesn't matter, as long as YOU know where to look for it. Unless hubby or someone else is shopping with your coupons, your filing system doesn't need to make sense to anyone but you. You may not want to create all the dividers right away until you see which coupons you tend to accumulate.

I have read of some people who use a binder with tabbed dividers and baseball card holder pages to store coupons. If you think that would work for you, go for it! I personally think it would be too bulky to me, so I haven't tried it.

I also have a file box on my desk where I keep the sale flyers for the grocery and drug stores, and I have a notepad that I keep with my coupon box where I write down deals that I want to snatch up at each store.

So there you have it! It's not nearly as complicated as organizing your closet or pantry (that we'll do later). But having an organized coupon file is vital!

Next subject: Where to Find Coupons

Triple coupons at Piggly Wiggly today!

2009-02-27T15:33:00.003-06:00

I've never done triple coupons before, so this was a new experience! Piggly Wiggly is only doing it today, they only triple up to $.60 coupons, they don't give overage, and they will only take one coupon of a kind. They don't take internet coupons either. I guess Kroger is the only grocery accepting those these days.

Here's what I got:

Fiber 1 pastries: $2.39 - .50Q = $.89
Bunny bread: $1.79 - .25Q = $1.04
Country Bob's sauce: free coupon
Craisins: $2.89 - .55Q = $1.24 (I love these!)
Ocean Spray cranberry juice: $2.75 - .55Q = $1.10
3 cans Pringles: $3.27 - .30Q = $2.37/3 or $.79 each
2 cans Swanson's chicken: $3.78 - .50Q = $2.28/2 or $1.14 each
Tostados: $2.79 - .55Q = $1.14
Dr. Pepper: free coupon
Marzetti ranch dressing: $3.99 - .50Q = $2.49 (My favorite)
Crest: $2.09 - .50Q = $.59
Pillsbury Grands: $1.49 - .25Q = $.74
Ziplock freezer bags: $2.45 - .55Q = $.80
Dawn: $1.45 - .50Q = free
Bounty basic: $1.09 - .25Q = $.34
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: $2.65 - .5Q = $1.15 (In cleaning houses, I don't make a move without these.)

That's $40.05 worth of stuff for $18.88 including tax!

I went back later and used some duplicates of coupons that I used before and a couple more that I found:
Betty Crocker singles: $2.69 - .50Q = $1.19
Betty Crocker frosting: $2.29 - .50Q = $.79
3 cans Pringles: $3.27 - .30Q = $2.37/3 or $.79 each
Tostados: $2.79 - .55Q = $1.14
Marzetti ranch dressing: $3.99 - .50Q = $2.49

KMart doubles coupons again!

2009-02-24T14:39:00.003-06:00

Yay! I'm a bit disappointed that our KMart doesn't carry much in the way of groceries any more, and I'm also bummed that they don't take printed coupons anymore. But I still got lots of good deals!
Gillette Body Wash $4.79 - $2 Q = $.79
+First Aid pads $2.19 - $1 Q = $.19
Band-aids $2.19 - $1 Q = $.19
Reach toothbrush $2.00 - $1 Q = free
Schick disposables $5.00 - $2 Q = $1.00
4 Goodlife Recipe cat food $5.29 - $2 Q = $1.29 each
Cat Chow Healthful Life cat food $5.79 - $2 Q = $1.79
3 Renuzit air fresheners $1.00 - $.55/3 Q = $.63 each
2 Ziploc bags $2.29 - $.75 Q = $.79 each
Ziploc Steam N Fresh bags $2.69 - $1 Q = $.69
Dawn detergent $2.99 - $1 Q = $.99
8 Bounty basic $1.59 - $1/2 Q = $.59 each
2 Clorox Anywhere spray $1.99 - $.75 Q = $.49 each
Pledge wipes $3.69 - $1 Q = $1.69
Pledge duster refill $3.19 - $1.25 Q = $.69
2 Glade fabric spray $3.99 - $1.50 Q = $.99 each
Greased Lightning cleaner $3.49 - $1.50 Q = $.49
Pillsbury cookie dough $3.29 - $1 Q = $1.29
4 Wheat thins $2.99 - $2/2 Q = $.99 each
5 spices (90% off) $1.63
6 Suave Body Wash for men $1.99 - $.50 Q = $.99 each
(I got these for Adam so that maybe he won’t keep begging for Axe.)

48 items $121.27 - $5 KMart Q = $116.27 - $78.92 in coupons = $37.35 + $7.03 tax = $44.38 oop

I hate the way their coupon systems works. The cashier has to pick which item the coupon was for, and it never works out right. Some of my coupons took of strange amounts. But that's OK--I'll take it! I'll have a clean house (well, if I use the stuff) and a clean 13-year-old son, and the cat should not be hungry for some time.

E-coupons

2008-11-19T08:44:00.004-06:00

I know there are some of you out there who don't want to bother with paper coupons--the clipping, filing, and researching and all. Well, you can still save! If you have a Kroger card, you can have coupons loaded onto your card that will come off automatically when you buy that item. Now I realize that Kroger doesn't have the cheapest prices on a regular basis. But you've got to admit that when they have a sale, it's generally a good one. And they double coupons too. I shop more at Kroger now than I do anywhere else, just because we are living mostly on the things I get from there really cheap on sale with a coupon or whatever.

These three websites have e-coupons for Kroger:
Shortcuts.com
Cellfire.com

PGesaver.com

I load on the ones that I will use, and I check the sites before heading out to see if there are any e-coupons for items that I already have a manufacturer's coupon for (that's doubled) or are on sale. If an item is on sale and I have a paper coupon for it, the e-coupon still comes off too! There is one e-coupon for $.50 off a 4-pack of Cottonelle. The regular price for it at Kroger is $.99, so it ends up being only $.49.

You can use the coupon for only one item, but you can re-load the same coupon back on your card for the next time you go. Before I go to Kroger, I stop to see if there are any coupons I want to load.

To keep track of which coupons I have, I print out the page with my coupons listed. (I print them enlarged.) Then I cut them apart and file them with my regular coupons.

Look what Lee brought home!

2008-11-15T20:33:00.002-06:00

Yep--I mentioned something about a bread maker for Christmas, and I guess Lee decided that it was such a good idea, that we couldn't wait until Christmas for it! We got a few ingredients that we were missing, mainly yeast, at Aldi this afternoon, and set out to make a yummy loaf of warm, fresh bread.

I read the directions carefully for the "quick" bread which takes all of an hour to mix and bake. I put the ingredients into the machine in the proper order and turned it on. A short while later, Lee called me up, and the machine was smoking a little out the back and smelled like something was burning. Upon looking into the machine, the ingredients were really dry (looked like sand), so flour must have escaped the pan and gotten onto the burners. I guess I somehow measured something wrong--water or flour or something. So after the machine cooled, Lee measured up a batch and turned it on. An hour later, we were removing a wonderful-smelling, beautiful, crusty loaf of white bread. I sliced it up right then and there, and little of it remains. Lee used two big slices for an enormous sandwich, Molly used two small slices for a sandwich, and Adam and I just ate warm bread with butter on it. MMMMmmmmm.... Then Adam ate the rest of Lee's sandwich that he couldn't finish.

We are going to experiment with different recipes and find one that we like that doesn't cost much to make. I am going to try freezing the slices to make them last longer (no preservatives=spoils quickly). I figure I can freeze two slices and take them straight from the freezer to the kids' lunch boxes. Well, that is, if the loaf can even survive long enough to cool off good.

We have set out to find ways to save money various ways--by couponing and stockpiling, and by making our own stuff, when it is cheaper to do so. We want to make eating at home more attractive than eating out. And, since I'm not so crazy about fixing up elaborate gourmet meals, we have to work hard to keep the restaurants out of our minds. The bread machine is just another step in this journey.

KMart is doubling coupons again!

2008-11-13T21:48:00.003-06:00

And most of their food items are on clearance 40% off. They are getting ready to remodel or something. But be prepared--they are sold out of a lot of things. But I did manage to get 72 items, and my total was $71.11! I put it all away before I thought about taking a picture. But it was a lot of stuff, and mostly food!

$157.09 - merchandise total (after some were discounted 40%)
(95.34) in coupons (after doubling)
9.36 tax
= $71.11 total oop (out of pocket)

I actually still need to go to the store to get bread, ground beef, lunch meats, etc. since Kmart was cleaned out of that kind of stuff. I got lots of cookie dough, and a bunch of Ziplock containers. So I can make and give away lots of Christmas cookies! Oh, there I go again, posting about Christmas presents. Well, I didn't say WHO I would give them to, now did I?

A whole day of shopping

2008-11-07T10:11:00.002-06:00

I spent the day yesterday finding deals, sorting coupons, and shopping. We needed some groceries, so I figured it was time to do some serious bargain hunting.

I started at Walgreens, went to another Walgreens, Schnucks, Aldi, Kroger, and Piggly Wiggly.

I added up all my purchases last night, all my coupons, the money out of pocket, and the rebates. In all my shopping, I purchased $231.54 worth of items (nearly all were on sale). I used $96.81 in coupons, bringing my total spent to $134.73. I will be getting back $55.97 in rebates, so that's a total of $78.76 spent. I also used a gift card from Walgreens which contained my rebate from last month to pay for $50 or so, so that is only $84.69 out of pocket. I got a few small Christmas gifts, groceries, and a few personal care items.

It's kind of time-consuming, but if you really need to lessen the amount spent at the store, it's worth it!

Piggly Wiggly specials - 10/15-21

2008-10-15T16:25:00.002-05:00

Kool-aid: 15 for $1.00
Small Lunchables: $1.00
Colonial bread: $1.00
Patio burritos: 3/$1.00
Hidden Valley dressing: $2.99
Handi Snak puddings or Kool-aid gels: 4pk $1.00
Red Gold canned tomatoes: $.80 - 1.00 off 3 coupon = $.47 each
Chicken leg quarters in 8 lb bag: $5.49 = $.67/lb
Land O' Frost premium lunch meat 1 lb: $3.89

Not very many great deals, and few coupon matchups (at least to what ones I have), but still some good deals to stock up on.

KMart couponing

2008-10-15T15:18:00.004-05:00

Well, it took me a couple of hours--3 to be exact--but I got some good buys! The specials I posted yesterday must have ended yesterday, because none of them existed anymore. Here's what I found instead:

Right Guard invisible solid: $2.69 - 1.00 coupon = $.69 (I got 4)
Suave deodorant: $1.79 - .50 coupon = $.79
Dry Idea roll-on (the only kind I use): $4.19 - .75 coupon = $2.69 (I got 2)
Dove shampoo 12 oz: $3.79 - 1.50 coupon = $.79
Dove shampoo 24 oz: $5.79 - $2 coupon = $1.79
Crest kids: $2.19 - 1.00 coupon = $.19
Colgate Total: $3.49 - 1.50 coupon = $.49
Renuzit Pearl air freshener: $2.50 - 1.00 coupon = $.50
Purex fabric softener 1 gallon: $3.49 - 1.00 coupon = $1.49
Glad ziplock sandwich bags: $2.19 - 1.00 coupon = $.19 (I got 4)
Goodlife cat food 3 lb bag: $3.99 on sale - 2.00 coupon = free
Ronzini Smart Taste pasta: $1.99 - 1.00 coupon = free
Tyson Anytizers: $3.03 sale - .75 coupon = $1.53 (I got 2--dinner tonight!)
DanActive yogurt drinks 4pk (Adam likes these): $2.49 - 1.00 coupon = $.49
ReddiWhip canned whipped cream: $2 sale - .75 coupon = $.50
Hamburger Helper: $1.25 - .75 off 3 coupon = $.75 each
2000 Flushes: $2.99 - 1.00 coupon = $.99
I also got some apples that were $3.99/3 lb bag and on sale buy-one-get-one-free.

So I got 29 items which totaled $67.32, and after coupons and adding tax, it totaled $29.83!

KMart - super double coupons! Again!

2008-10-14T19:35:00.003-05:00

From what I've read, the KMart on Austin Peay is doing double coupons again, Wednesday through Saturday (10/14-17). I am going to go over there tomorrow morning (Wednesday), so I will come back and post what I found.

From looking at the current ads and studying my coupons, here are the deals that I will definitely be searching out:

Tic Tacs .65-oz. single pack sale 79¢ - $.55 off 2 Q - $.24 each
1-pack Bic SureStart multi-purpose lighter sale 2.99 - $1 off Q - $.99
Renuzit Pearl Scents air freshener sale $1 - $1 off coupon - free
Renuzit adjustable air freshener sale $1 - $.55 off 3 coupon - $.63 each
Dove hair care sale $3.79 - $2 off Q - free

There may be more--I'll find out tomorrow!

I married a couponaholic

2008-10-10T16:48:00.004-05:00

Here's a post on another coupon blog that really cracked me up--I Married A Couponaholic. If you've just started collecting coupons, this will give you a hint of what you are in for. Be sure to have your spouse read it too--it will help them better understand what is happening around them!

Free (or almost free) cleaning supplies at Walgreens

2008-10-10T16:18:00.004-05:00

Check out this post on Money Saving Mom--free cleaning supplies

I printed out all the coupons, and got a bunch of stuff free or almost free after rebate. For some reason, the register beeped on two of the coupons, and if it beeps on an internet coupon, they won't take it. So I think I will go back tonight or tomorrow to a different Walgreens and try those two again.

Schnucks buys for 10/8-14

2008-10-08T11:15:00.003-05:00

Turner Ice Cream 16 oz: $1.00

Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen veggies: $1.00 - $1.00 off 3 printable = $.67 each
(The coupon I had was for a different brand--oops.)

Crunch N Munch: $1.00 - $.40/2 doubled = $.60 each
(These will be great for my hobby night snack tonight.)

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen veggies: $1 - $1.00 coupon = free
(I must have already used this coupon elsewhere.)

Betty Crocker cookie mix: $1.67 - $1.00/2 printable = $1.17 each
- or: $1.67 - $.40 doubled = $.87 each

Betty Crocker Warm Delights bowls: $1.67 - $1.00/2 printable = $1.17 each
- or: $1.67 - $.50 doubled = $.67 each
(I had 4 of these coupons! And I just ate one of the brownie ones--yumm!)
- or: $1.67 - $.55 printable doubled = $.57 each

Campbell's chicken noodle soup - $.60 each - $.40/4 doubled = $.40 each

Be sure to sign up for their discount card. Each time you spend $25 at once, you get a $.05 per gallon discount on their gas. And the Schnucks on Hwy 64 just east of I-40 had gas for $3.06 a gallon this afternoon. I filled up.

Kroger buys for 10/8-14

2008-10-08T10:28:00.003-05:00

Gallon milk: $2.99

Pillsbury Grands: $1.00 - $.75 off 3 = $.75 each
- or: $1.00 - $.50 off 3 doubled = $.67 each

Pillsbury crescent or sweet rolls: $2.00 - $.30 off sweet doubled = $1.40
- or: $2.00 - $1.00 off crescent printable = $1.00

Yoplait yogurt: $.50 - $.40 off 6 coupon doubled = $.37 each

Birds Eye Steamfresh frozen veggies: $1.47 - $1.00 off 3 printable = $1.14 each
(Schnucks has them for $1.00 though)

Pillsbury pancakes, toaster strudel or scrambles: $2.50 - $1.00/2 printable = $2.00 each
- or $2.50 - $.35 off 1 doubled = $1.80 each

Hot Pockets: $1.67 - $.50 doubled = $.67

Lean Cuisine: $2.20

10 lb potatoes: $3.99

Split chicken breast: $.99/lb

Suave shampoo or conditioner 15 oz: $.88 - $.75/2 = $.51 each

These are the Catalina deals that I have found at the Bartlett Kroger. (A Catalina is the little machine next to the register that prints coupons after you have paid.) These items give you a coupon for money off your next Kroger purchase:

Renuzit Tri Scents: $9.99 - prints a $3 coupon
Renuzit Tri Scents refills: $5.99 - prints a $1 coupon
Glade Oil Plug In: $4.49 - prints a $4 coupon
Glade Oil Plug In Nightlight: $6.99 - prints a $2 coupon
Glade Oil refills: $5.35 2 pk - prints a $2 coupon
Glade Oil refills: $3.75 1 pk - prints a $2 coupon

The Bartlett Kroger was sold out of all the Glade plug-ins and refills. But the one on Hwy 64 just east of I-40 had tons of them this afternoon.

Birthday Freebies

2008-10-08T10:21:00.001-05:00

Here's a great site I stumbled across: MemphisLovesKids.com
There is a whole list of places to sign up to receive something free on your birthday.

Kids Eat Free (or almost free) nights

2008-10-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

Don't count on my information being up-to-date. I try, but they change without notice, and some locations have different policies than others. Call before you go to confirm.

Monday
Abner's in Cordova - 1 free kids meal with each adult meal purchased
Logan's - $2 kids meals
Incredible Pizza Company - a kids buffet is $.99 with each adult buffet purchased
Pig 'N Whistle (Bartlett) - 2 free kids meals with each adult meal purchased

Tuesday (this is the night to eat out!)
Danvers - one free kids meal with each $5 adult purchase
Pizza Hut - 1 free kid's buffet with each adult buffet purchase
McAlister's - 2 kids meals for each adult entree purchased
Chick-Fil-A (Germantown Road @ Wolf River Pkwy) - free kids meal with each adult meal purchase
Texas Roadhouse (behind Wolfchase) - kids eat free
Logans - kids eat for $2.00
Perkins - kids eat free
Back Yard Burger - $.99 kids meal with each adult purchase
Fazoli's (Riverdale Road) - kids eat for $.99
Holiday Ham and Deli - kids eat free
Joe's Crab Shack - kids eat for $2.00

Wednesday

Stevie B's pizza - kids eat for $.99
IHOP - one free kids meal for each adult meal purchased

Thursdays

Captain D's - 2 free kids meals with each adult meal purchased
Piccadilly - 2 kids eat for $.99 or $1.99 for big kids with each adult meal purchased
Holiday Ham and Deli - same as Tuesday
Back Yard Burger - same as Tuesday
El Chico (Poplar at Highland) - kids eat for $.99

Fridays

none

Saturday

Perkins - see Tuesday

Sunday
Tellini's (Hwy 64) - kids eat for $1.00 with each adult meal purchased

Piggly Wiggly specials - 10/8-14

2008-10-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

I visit the Piggly Wiggly at Summer and White Station, or you can visit their website to see other locations. The one I visit is small, kind of old and dim looking, and the bathroom is a scary situation. But the people there are very friendly, and go out of their way to help. Their website is very user-friendly, and they even have a shopping list feature where you can select which specials you want to buy then print out a list. Plus, they double coupons, and their prices are reasonable.

Here are the specials I plan to take advantage of this week:

Boston butt pork roast: $.99/lb

chicken drumsticks or thighs: $.89/lb

dozen medium eggs: $.92

Ronco spaghetti, vermicelli, or elbow macaroni: 3/$1

Libby's Juice Juice 46 oz bottles: $2.25 - $1 coupon (printable) = $1.25

Welch's 64 oz juice: $3.00 - $1 coupon (Sunday's paper) = $2.00

4 lb naval oranges or 3 lb tangerines: $2.99

tomatoes: $.99/lb (They were sold out of the regular tomatoes, so I got the Roma ones. They were the same price.)

Yoplait Yo-Plus : $2.00 - $1 Yo-Plus coupon (Sunday) = $1.00

Go-gurt: $2.00 - $.75 off 2 (Sunday) = $1.63 each
or $2.00 - $1.00 off 2 (printable) = $1.50 each

drinkable Dora yogurt: $2.00 - $.50 off 2 doubled = $1.50 each

Armour lunch makers (like Lunchables): $.92 (My kids were thrilled that I got these.)

Birds Eye frozen veggies: $.78 - $1 off 3 coupon = $.45 each

Incredible Pizza Company - free $25 game card

2008-10-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

We've eaten at the IPC before, but after paying nearly $10 per person to eat at the buffet, we don't want to spend more money playing games. I signed up for their mailing list on the website and got an e-mail with a printable coupon for a free $25 game card. I printed one, and I will have Lee sign up and print another one from the other computer. Click HERE to sign up. The coupon is good through 10/20.

Kroger - Glade Flameless Candles

2008-10-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

These look really cool, although I've never actually used one. They seem to be run on batteries, and it warms an oil refill and has a flickering light like a candle. Anyway, they are $9.99 at Kroger, but right now, with each one you purchase, the register prints out a $4 coupon that you can use at Kroger later for whatever. There are buy-one-get-one-free coupons on their website that you can print out, and there was a $5 off one in the newspaper recently. So you could get 2 candles = $19.98, get one free = 2/$9.99, get $5 off = $4.99 for 2. Then you would get back $8 in coupons to use the store on anything else you wanted. I picked up 4 of them myself, but then I found another coupon, so I'm headed back tomorrow.

KMart - super double coupons!

2008-10-02T21:37:00.000-05:00

Through 10/5, KMart is doubling all coupons with a face value of up to $2! So if you have a coupon for $2 off, they will give you $4 off! I hit the Raleigh store today, and racked up big. I ran out of time, though, so I didn't even get through half the store. Don't worry--I WILL be back! I got several things completely free, including 4 pouches of cat snacks. I got lots of Hamburger and Chicken Helper (we eat a bunch of that around here), 4 bags of cat food, some cleaning wipes, air freshener, hot sauce, French fried onions, taco sauce and seasoning, pasta, and Uncle Ben's mixes. Here's a pic:

There were 35 items, $75.18 worth of stuff, I had $46.25 in coupons, so I paid only $28.93! And this is all stuff that we will use. I had coupons for other things that I passed up, just because it still wasn't cheap enough for me.

The cat food is Kasey's favorite, and it's usually just under $4 at WalMart. It was $5.29 at KMart, but I had a $2 off coupon, making them only $1.29. Everything else was less than $1. I had a coupon for $1.50 off Frank's hot sauce, and I went looking for it, figuring it couldn't be much more than $3. It was only $.99! And KMart will give you the coupon overage off the rest of your bill, so they actually paid me $.51 to take it. They won't double more than the item costs, though--so they wouldn't have given me $3 (double the $1.50 coupon) off. The cat snacks ended up being free, so Kasey won't be hungry for some time to come.

The ringing up was confusing, because every time the cashier scanned a coupon, it only showed up on the screen once. He kept assuring me that it was taking it off, and as I watched the total, the coupons were coming off double. The receipt is very confusing too, but it seems to be right.

I had thought about heading back tonight, but I don't think I'll venture into that part of town alone at night. I'll have to squeeze it in tomorrow or Saturday sometime.

The first thing I learned...

2008-10-01T09:17:00.001-05:00

Save any and all coupons! You never know when some store will have a special deal when you can get that item free or even make money by buying it with a coupon. So, even if you think you won't use it, save it! Now, there are certain ones that I wouldn't buy even if the item were free, like dog food (we don't have a dog), diapers (no babies either), and certain medications or glucose monitoring systems, etc. But I do usually save those and give them to someone that I know will use them.

Here's an example: I'm a smell-good kind of person. I like good smells, and I hate bad ones. I mean more than most people, I think. I go through Yankee Candle tarts and votives faster than my Adam goes through a sandwich. So when I started seeing a bunch of Glade coupons for plug-ins, candles, etc., I never thought I would use them. But lately, Kroger has been running a special where when you buy certain Glade products, the register will print out a coupon for you to use the next time you shop at Kroger. And I don't mean $.30 off a bag of frozen vegetables. It prints a coupon for $x.00 off my next Kroger purchase. Who knew? Right now, their Glade gel plug-ins are $1.74, and you get a $2 off your next purchase (OYNP) coupon. You can use that coupon on milk, bread, eggs or whatever. Or, you could even use it to buy something else that gives you a OYNP coupon. Cool! And if you have coupons for the plug-ins, which have been in the paper and online lately, you make even more money. Classic example. And my house has never smelled nicer.

So start saving those coupons! Most of mine come from the Sunday paper. And having multiples of the same coupon is good! Ask all your friends and relatives to save the coupons from their paper and give them to you. That is, if they don't read this blog and learn to use them themselves.

Another good source is the All You magazine that WalMart carries. I've never seen it anywhere else. It costs only about $2, and it has tons of coupons in it. There is even a list of what coupons are included in the back of the magazine. Buy it early, because they many times sell out, especially when there is some really good coupon in there.

There are many coupons available to print right off the Internet too. However, printing these is time consuming, and uses up precious paper and ink, so only print the ones you know you will use. You can always go back and print it later if you decide later that you need it. Some places will not take them--I know the Bartlett Kroger will only take them if they are for $1 or less, and I think Walgreens still takes them. But many other places will not.

I'll post more later on coupon organization and details on specials.

Welcome!

2008-10-01T09:05:00.000-05:00

Hi! Welcome to Memphis Mommies!

I don't have to tell you that the economy is tight these days. Prices are going up, and I no longer just shop at WalMart and buy everything there to save time. I do the research and comparing, stock up on sale items, and try to do the best I can to save money, especially on groceries and such. My house cleaning business is slow right now, so there is no money to play with either. So rather than spend my time shopping for fabric or some other stuff that I can't afford to buy, I have found it's fun to see how much money I can save just by paying attention.

I spend so much time on the Internet researching, reading, comparing, and trying to find details on good buys, sales, specials and such. I thought it would be a nice idea to have one place to go to find money-saving strategies that are customized for our area. I am talking about kids-eat-free days, special sales, good deals on groceries, etc. So I'll be posting anything that I come across.

Please post in the comment section if you have something to add, or just e-mail me. I'll try to keep the posts updated as new information comes in. As we get more and more blog posts, I will upgrade to a blog format that will allow me to categorize the posts to make certain ones easier to find.

So check back here often!