Coupon Kat

2011-05-18T15:15:00.000-04:00

Follow me on my trip to CHINA! I leave tomorrow!

(I don't think they have coupons there... bummer.)

2011-05-01T15:25:00.001-04:00

Dear blog,
I realize I haven't posted here in 2 weeks. That is because I'm in the middle of final exams/packing to go home/getting ready for CHINA.

Sincerely,
Me

2011-04-17T16:51:00.002-04:00

This week at Publix was pretty good. I saved $15.60. Here are my favorite deals:

Ritz Crackerfuls (I got the multigrain kind) $1.60 -$0.75/1 printable = $0.85 each!
Chobani greek yogurt (yummy stuff) $1 -.30/1 IP doubled = $0.40 each!
Fresh Express salad $2 -.55/1 insert coupon = $1.45 yay salad!
Kraft shredded cheese with a touch of Philadelphia $1.67 -$1/1 blinkie = $0.67 cheese! AWESOME! (I could've sworn it was listed on the shelf as $2.50, but my receipt says $1.67, so that's even better!)

I am trying not to get too much more stockpile kind of food because I will be done with this school semester in a few weeks, and then I'll be going to CHINA. Oh wait, I don't think I said it loud enough, I'M GOING TO CHINA!!! to study abroad for 6 weeks. *happy dance* I don't think they have coupons over there, heh.

2011-04-09T09:29:00.002-04:00

Where to start? Last weekend I shopped at Publix and got FREE Jolly Time popcorn. Unfortunately I lost the receipt so I don't know the amount of savings from that trip, sadly... :( Anyway.

This week, I saved $13.94. Some good deals:

Cascadian Farms granola bars are $2.50- use the $1/1 Publix booklet store coupon and the .75/1 printable to get them for $0.75! I love these!
Tofuyan pita bread doesn't have a coupon, but they are $0.65, which is AWESOME and I love making "pita pizzas" on these. ;)
Cantaloupes, again, are $1.50. Good deal for quite a bit of fruit, and they are delicious.
Cascadian Farms Organic Potatoes or Vegetables $2, use the same coupons as above and pay $0.25!!!

2011-03-29T11:54:00.003-04:00

Quick update before I have to go to my next class->

This weekend at CVS I got 2 toothpastes, a pack of gum, and 2 flosses. Spent $1.03, saved $15.06.

At Publix, I saved$7.89 :( but I got some very cheap Zone bars and some Quaker products for .50-.80 each, so yay!

2011-03-21T12:53:00.003-04:00

Let's see. This weekend I made a quick trip to Publix because I had a performance on Saturday night. I saved $10.68 (spent $21.71).
Favorite stuff:

Vigo yellow rice $0.77 - .50/1 coupon doubled = FREE + overage!
Muellers whole wheat pasta $0.62 - $1/1 = FREE + overage!
Morningstar Farms entrees $3 -$1/1 coupon = $2, not bad

2011-03-12T13:31:00.003-05:00

Wow, let's see. Lots has happened since my last post. I just got back from an incredible spring break mission trip in Philadelphia.

Yesterday at Publix I spent $23.42 and saved $14.99. Favorites:

Voskos yogurt is $1, minus .75 or 1.00= .25 or free! I got a bunch, I love greek yogurt.
Birds Eye veggies are 50% off, so I got 3 for $1.19 a piece, which = $3.57, minus the Yellow Advantage coupon of $1/2 and the printable $1/3= $1.57 for three bags.

At Earthfare, I saved $11.27. If you sign up on their website, you can get a coupon for three freebies (I got baby carrots, veggie burgers, and mashed potatoes from their deli) with purchase of $10. Awesome!

2011-02-27T10:29:00.002-05:00

This week I saved $14.92 at Publix.
Some highlights:

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice pouches are $0.97 each. I used the $1/1 insert coupon from a few weeks ago and got them for FREE + overage! These are good because they come in whole grain varieties and cook in 90 seconds. :)
Hunt's tomatoes (I use them to make tomato sauce) are $0.67 each; I bought 3 and used the $1/3 Publix Italian Days coupon to get them for about $0.30 each.
Riceworks are $2.50; I used the $1/1 Publix coupon from the Healthy Beginnings booklet to get them for $1.50. That may not be stellar, but I think these are really good. I love the Garden Fresca flavor or whatever it is.

Goood morning

2011-02-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

This week has been CRAZY busy for me... and next week promises to be even crazier. So here is a quick update of my shopping/couponing for ya!

At CVS, I got (2) Colgate Sensitive Whitening toothpastes and a pack of Trident gum. The toothpaste is free after ecbs, and I used $1/1 coupons as well.
Spent: $0.36
Saved: $11.39

At Publix, I spent $21.41 and saved $12.62. Here are the best deals I got:

Buitoni Fettucine $1.10- $1/1 coupon from inserts= $0.10 pasta!
Green Giant frozen veggies $1- $1/1 coupon= FREE!

Pre-Valentines Weekend

2011-02-11T13:34:00.002-05:00

This week at Publix I spent $18.47 and saved $16.97, so almost 50% savings.
Highlights:

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers are $1.50; buy two and use the $1/2 printable coupon to get them for .50 each
Sominex is $3.19- buy two, use two $2/1 printable coupons, and also use the $5/2 Publix coupon in the advantage flier, and you get $2.62 overage!
no coupon for this, but cantaloupes are $1.50, and I love cantaloupes

2011-02-04T17:03:00.002-05:00

Well, last Saturday (the 29th) was my 20th birthday! I had a small get-together with some friends and we talked and ate and played Twister, and then we went to see a movie on campus and they made me wear a tiara on my head. :P

Today at Publix I saved $9.01.
One great deal is the Rotel tomatoes. They are bogo $1.39, so about .70 each. Use the .30/1 insert coupon, plus the .75/3 Yellow Advantage coupon from Publix, and it looks like this:
(3) Rotel= $2.10
-(3) .30/1 doubled (so 1.80)
-.75/3
= -0.45! Overage yay!

I'll be going to CVS on Sunday, so I'll update then as well. :)

2011-01-21T11:30:00.003-05:00

This week was actually not bad. I spent $25.19, and saved $19.74.

Quaker oatmeal bogo $3.69, so $1.84 each -$1/1 insert coupons = $0.84 a box
Green Giant frozen vegetables $1 - .50/1 coupon doubled = FREE
Sargento cheese $2.50 -$1/1 insert coupon = $1.50
Wise natural chips $1.90 each -$1/1 coupon = $0.90
Campbells Select soups bogo $2.39 - $1/2 insert coupon = $1.39 for two cans, or about $0.70 each

:] Have a great weekend everyone!

MLK Day

2011-01-17T17:01:00.002-05:00

Today I took my car to Jiffy Lube to get a routine tune-up (oil change, air in the tires, fluid checks, and whatever else they do) and used a $5 off coupon from their website. That was easy. I had checked the tire pressure last weekend and it was really low, and I was due for one anyway. My car (aka my baby) has 22,000 miles on it. It's a 2006 Ford Fusion and I got it, used, in 2007 with about 12,000 miles on it. It's hard to believe I've put 10,000 on it in 4 years, but I guess that's still far below average. Considering a good 2,000 miles of that is from driving it from Texas to Pittsburgh and then from Pittsburgh to Columbia, it's not bad. I hope to have this car for a long time, so I take good care of it and the interior looks nearly brand new because I keep it very clean. Anyway, that's some gushing about my car. But seriously I am so blessed to have it and it's perfect for me.

My birthday is coming up (yikes) and I got a package the other day from Luna and Clif companies. I received 4 granola bars in my mailbox and a nice little card. I figured it's because I have written them before asking for coupons and praising their products. :) That was a nice little surprise.

Update

2011-01-14T20:48:00.003-05:00

A lot has happened since I last posted on January 3!
I flew back to South Carolina for the beginning of the spring semester, and as luck would have it, Monday was a snow day.
Then Tuesday was also a snow day.
And Wednesday we had a 2.5 hour delay.

So at first it was sorta fun to play around, but then it got downright boring. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do. Nothing was open. And of course this would happen before we are piled on with loads of homework to do, so it's not like I could be very productive during that time. Oh well. It was pretty, at least.

This afternoon, after my classes got done, I went to Publix with my coupons all ready to go... but I found out that a lot of the stuff was out of stock, and I didn't get to use many coupons because they were out of some of the items on my list. Bummer. I only saved $3.26 and I feel like a complete failure.

2011-01-03T14:43:00.002-05:00

Today at CVS I got (4) Excedrin PM 20 ct boxes. It is part of a deal where you spend $20, get $10 eb back, and I used coupons from the 12-5 SS plus previous ebs to get them free.

Spent: $0.00
Saved: $22.36

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

2010-12-31T22:15:00.003-05:00

First- yesterday I got my mom 12 Febrezes for a total of $2.85. (Saved $31.10) She loves Febreze because she'll be the first to tell you that she hates the smell of eggs and somebody likes to eat eggs every morning for breakfast. That may or may not be me. The Febreze was part of the P&G Deal at Kroger- buy 4 participating items, get $4 off, combined with coupons= some very cheap Febreze. Now I can eat my eggs and mom can spray her Febreze.

Did you catch TLC's special on Extreme Couponing? :)

******

Tomorrow begins 2011.
A lot happened in 2010, good and bad.
In 2010, I turned 19.
I got to perform in Stars and Stripes, and my mom and grandmother came to watch me dance after having not seen me perform in a few years, and that was special. I injured my foot in the spring and was in a lot of pain, got a cortisone shot and a boot and crutches, and that was really hard for me, but I slowly got back to normal after a summer of physical therapy and rest.

Speaking of summer, I first took some classes at home, and then headed back to Columbia to be a camp counselor at the USC Dance Conservatory, which was a crazy experience that I'm not quite sure how to describe, because it was a whirlwind, and I had some really cute girls in my group that I will never forget. But I had to say goodbye to my friend Will, who transferred to NCSA, sadly (for me). As soon as that was over, I flew back to Houston to do Ad Deum's workshop, and as always, that was very memorable.

When school started back in August, I began taking my first Mandarin Chinese classes- and fell in love. I also took International Relations of East Asia- it was a Crazy Asia Semester. I spent a lot of time writing a term paper about China's use of propaganda in international relations, too...
I also got appointed to the Undergraduate Advisory Committee for Political Science, and I am the secretary. Never thought that would happen, but I'm glad it did.

During the fall, studying consumed most of my time, but I got to go to ESPN GameDay on campus, and then USC beat #1 Alabama- that was a pretty big deal. For Halloween, I was Samantha the American Girl. I danced my role in La Vivandiere in two different shows this semester- and I admit that I struggled with dance a lot this fall, and had some total breakdown moments both in and out of the studio. BUT my friends were always there for me, and I grew closer with a few people, especially my life group, and for that I am thankful.

2011:
I'm going to Phi11y for spring break on a mission trip with my church. Meep.
I really really really want to go to China. Can I make that happen please?
More dancing, of course.
My little brother will graduate from high school, and I'll probably cry a river. Then he'll go off to college, and I'll cry some more because he's my little brother and he's not allowed to grow up.
I'll turn 20. That's scary.
Yah, beyond that, I have no idea.

12/28 Kroger

2010-12-28T14:26:00.005-05:00

A quick trip to Kroger:

2 Quaker Instant Oatmeal boxes (sale $2.38 - $2/1 printable coupons)
2 Mirra pumice stones (sale $0.97 - $1/1 insert coupons)
4 Secret deodorant (P&G Mega Sale buy 4 get $4 off order, minus $0.50/1 insert coupons which doubled)

Spent: $1.78
Saved: $15.84

I spent Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house (the grandparents that live in my hometown) and my uncle, aunt, and two cousins came down (ages 6 and 6 months- they are precious little girls!). My aunt made a delicious Mexican dinner with chili rellenos and we opened presents. Then the next morning I had Christmas presents with my mom, dad, and brother, and we spent the day just doing whatever we wanted, then had a traditional Christmas supper at the grandparents' house again. The next morning we woke up early and drove to my other grandparents' house in East Texas, where they have a beautiful house out in the country on the family land. My aunt and uncle and cousin (age 3) were there and I even got to see my great-grandmother (Nana)! That night we ate some Mexican food (can you tell my family loves Mex food?) and I made a really tasty vegetarian Mexican casserole for that. Then we opened our presents with them that night, spent the night, and just had fun. I made two pecan pies using our family recipe, and the first one got eaten on Christmas Eve... the second one I made for my dad, because it's his favorite, but unfortunately, when we got back from East Texas, some ants had attacked in on the kitchen counter, even though it was covered. :( Anyway, I am really happy with my new camera (Sony Cybershot) that I got, as well as some really thoughtful and cute gifts from many people. And most of all, I'm thankful for the birthday boy who saved my life.
Happy holidays, everyone!

^pecan pie I made

2010-12-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

Lately I haven't found any deals worth doing, so I feel really lazy in the coupon department. :/ But if it's not there, I can't really do anything. I hope things pick up after Christmas.

I did get Re-Nu Contact Solution for free at CVS. It's a monthly deal. I paid ($9.99) with ECBs and got back the same in more ECBs.

Spent: $0
Saved: $9.99

Free Candles

2010-12-12T13:39:00.004-05:00

Spent: $0.00
Saved: $30.93

I got 7 Airwick Frosted Candles at Target today. They are on price cut for $2.99. Use the $3/1 coupon from the 11-14 SS to get them for free!

Life update, for those who care: I finished my final exams and flew back home finally! I am so glad to be done for the semester!

Also, just for fun, here is a picture of some cupcakes I made for a Christmas party last week. :]

Products that Pay for Themselves

2010-12-02T20:56:00.003-05:00

I saw this article online and I thought it was a good read.

It's pretty eye-opening. I have some things to add to the list:

reusable water bottle

I wouldn't be able to function without my own reusable bottle. I fill it up multiple times a day and carry it with me wherever I go. I NEVER pay for bottled water. I just drink the stuff out of the tap, for free, and it works for me.

tea bags

Why would I pay $1.50ish for a cup of tea when I can buy a box of 20 bags for about $3? Plus, there are some delicious teas out there. I'm enjoying the holiday teas from Celestial Seasonings around this time.

CVS Black Friday

2010-11-25T20:09:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's technically not Black Friday yet- it's still TGiving today. But CVS Black Friday starts on Thursday. I just got back and there was nobody else in the store. It was great.

(2) Herbal Essences shampoos
(1) LA Looks hair gel
(1) Eucerin lotion
(2) Colgate toothpaste
(2) Renpure Organics shampoo
(1) Excedrin
(1) Reese's
(2) Gillette deodorant
(1) Carmex
(2) Listerine pocketpaks

Spent: $4.46
Saved: $67.94

2010-11-21T16:50:00.005-05:00

This weekend at Publix- spent $21.97, saved $14.79

Good stuff:

Betty Crocker muffin mix is $1.29 each, minus the .50/1 insert coupon that doubles, so $0.29 each
Wheat Thins Stix are $1.59 each, minus $1/1 insert coupon = $0.59 each (these are new, and they are quite tasty, actually)
Ricola cough drops (the best cough drops ever) are 2 for $1.79, minus $1/2 insert coupon= about $0.40 a piece
Fresh Express salads are $2 each, minus .55/1 printable = $1.45 for the bag

People ask me if I go crazy on Black Friday. I guess it's because they realize I like coupons and deals a lot, so it would be normal, right? And I do like Black Friday, but not like you're thinking. My idea of Black Friday is CVSing. I've got a master plan in the works for CVS, just so you know. Check back on Friday after I update. There is no trampling or throwing or punching at CVS on Black Friday, either. ;) I might go to Old Navy just because I like their plain shirts (I'm boring, I know- but they are comfortable and good for layering) and possibly Dillards IF (big if) their Levi jeans are on sale. That's all I need and/or want.

Anyway, life update: I had two performances this Thursday and Friday, and they went relatively well. (And I am able to exhale now, since that's over.) At the moment, life is good because I've spent a million hours completing my rough draft for my term paper (for International Relations of East Asia). I won't be going home to Texas for Thanksgiving, but I did book my flight tickets to go home for Christmas, and that makes me happy.

I got this beautiful terrarium from Etsy. (Etsy is an awesome site, btw. It's like window shopping. There are some truly beautiful things there!) I fell in love with this quaint little bird. The terrarium has live moss, too!

2010-11-14T16:09:00.003-05:00

Well this week was not so great. I spent $18.01, and saved $8.71. Here are some things I got for free or cheap, though:

Heluva Good Dip- $1 each, used .50/1 coupon which doubled to make it FREE
Betty Crocker cake mix and frosting 2 for $1.71, minus .50/2 coupon which doubled to make my total $0.71 for both the cake mix and the frosting (I am planning on doing some more cute cupcakes for a certain Christmas party in a few weeks so this is great)
4 Grain Eggs, vegetarian fed- no coupon for these, but they are $2 each, and I think that's a great price for some nice eggs. They taste really flavorful, too.

November 6

2010-11-05T20:28:00.004-04:00

This weekend I did pretty well shopping at Publix. I didn't have a bunch of stuff on my list in the first place, but I did get some good stuff, and I saved more than I spent.

Green Giant canned vegetables are $0.65 each (bogo $1.29), and with the recent insert coupon for .50/2, which doubles, you get two cans for $0.29 total. I got some corn.
Quaker quakes snacks (the bigger bags, not the tiny ones) are bogo $2.92, aka $1.47 each. Use the $1/1 printable to get them for $0.47 a piece.
Sominex (which is a sleep aid) is $3.19. Buy two, use two $2/1 insert coupons, and use the $5/2 green advantage flyer store coupon, and you get $2.62 overage!
No coupon for this, but I got a sweet potato. I love eating sweet potatoes, especially in the fall. (Spaghetti squash is a close second!)

Spent: $13.18
Saved: $19.28

Halloweekend

2010-11-01T20:49:00.003-04:00

At Publix this weekend, I spent $19.45, and saved $12.36. Meh. Overall, not a great week. But here are some highlights:

Uncle Ben's country inn rice is bogo $1.49, aka $.074 each. Use the $1/3 insert coupon from the 9-12 RP to get each for $0.41.
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta (the whole wheat kind I like- yay!) is bogo $1.79, aka $0.89. Use the $1/1 printables to get them for free plus 11 cents overage!

Aaand that's about it. :/

This weekend was Halloween, so of course I had to dress up. This year I was Samantha Parkington, the American Girl Doll. It was so fun and nostalgic to dress up and hear people tell about their own American Girl dolls, because let's face it, if you grew up in the 90s and you are a female, you probably loved AG. Samantha was always my favorite character. (P.S.- the bow in my hair is something I got from the dollar store. It is a Christmas decoration!)

10/23

2010-10-23T12:26:00.005-04:00

This week has been crazy. By "crazy" I mean my schedule was packed- I had midterms, appointments/meetings, and it was also tech week because last night I had one show and today I have two more shows. The show last night went relatively well, I suppose. The audience wasn't great but I had fun at least. Here's hoping the next two go even better.... and I am wiped out. I need a break from all of this asap. Speaking of that, I need to take more ibuprofen. Pictures to come soon!
Anyway, this morning I had to run to Publix to get food. Here's how I did:

Spent: $26.20
Saved: $24.96

My favorite things:

Breyers YoCrunch 4 packs are $2.69 each. Buy 2, and use the Yellow Advantage flyer coupon for bogo coupon, plus two .75/1 insert coupons, and they are .60 each! I've never had these before but I think I'll try one today.
Betty Crocker Decadent Supreme cake mixes are bogo $2.59, aka $1.29 each. Use the printable .50/1 which doubles, and get them for .29 each.
Playtex gentle glide tampons 18 ct. $3.49, use $2/1 printable to make them $1.49 each. I think that's a great price.
Tribe hummus (nom nom) is $2.79 and a lot of the containers had $1/1 peelies on them, so $1.79 each

10/17

2010-10-17T19:44:00.002-04:00

I only got two things at CVS today.

Schick Hydro 3 razor ($8.99)
Schick shave gel ($3.99)

-$4/1 coupon for razor from SmartSource insert
-free shaving cream wyb razor peelie coupon that was on the razor package
-$5.98 extrabucks

Spent: $0.61
Saved: $13.58

got back 5 and 1 extrabucks (the 1 is from the green bag tag)

A winning weekend

2010-10-09T20:24:00.004-04:00

I did relatively well at Publix this week. I saved more than I spent, which is always a good thing.
Favorite deals:

Hidden Valley Farmhouse dressing was $1.85, minus $2/1 printable= overage!
Kashi cereal is $2.50, and I bought three, used three $1/1 coupons, AND used a $3 off produce wyb 3 Kashi products, so I got 3 boxes of cereal, a cantaloupe (sale $2), and tomatoes for $4.50.
Athenos feta cheese is $1.24, and there is a bogo printable coupon, so 2 for $1.24!

Spent: $20.64
Saved: $21.91

At CVS, I got two Colgate toothpastes (free after extra bucks and coupons), a pack of highlighters (75% off, so .25), candy corn (.99, so free with the coupon from the coupon scanner in store) and a door storage hanger thing, also 75% off ($1.25).

Spent: $0.87
Saved: $13.94

In other news, I'm very proud to be a South Carolina Gamecock at the moment, because we beat #1 Alabama! GOOOO COCKS! ESPN's College Game Day show even broadcasted live from the horseshoe (a really pretty area of our campus) Saturday morning, and I went and cheered in the crowd and was on TV (well maybe for a split second, and zoomed out, but whatever).

^It was early in the morning, so we both look tired, but this is Hillary and me at ESPN Game Day broadcast

Lucky day

2010-10-03T12:38:00.009-04:00

I'm really happy with my CVS trip today- purely because it's so ironic.

I got:
(4) Revlon nail polishes
(1) beauty charm
(2) Halloween fuzzy socks ($2.50 each)
(1) desk lamp on clearance for $1.99

-$1/1 Revlon insert coupon
-$7/$15 Revlon purchase
-free beauty charm wyb $15 beauty purchase
-$5 off halloween accessories, decor, or costumes

Spent: $1.21 (all tax)
Saved: $37.49

Back story: I've had this one black desk lamp for several years. Frankly, it's pretty ugly and boring (no offense, lamp, but it's true), and last week the lightbulb in it burnt out. So I started looking around for a new bulb for it, and it's a very strange bulb. I haven't been able to find it in any drug stores or at Target. It was causing me way too much frustration (especially because I am not good with screwdrivers, never mind the fact that I can't even find this pesky bulb in stores), so I looked online to find this stupid bulb, and it costs $6. SIX DOLLARS for a lightbulb for an UGLY LAMP at that? No way. Actually, I was just complaining about it to my friends last night. So I was resigned to just do without the extra light, and keep the desk lamp purely because it had no other function and might as well sit on my desk, even if it didn't work. I could just pretend it worked. (Yes I'm lame like that.)

So today at CVS I find these cute desk lamps in different colors (blue, pink, or green) and they are clearanced to $1.99. Sweet. And all three of the colors could match my room decor quite nicely. I went with the blue. So this lamp is 10x cuter and brighter than my old one, and it cost 1/3 of what the LIGHTBULB would've cost for the old one. Win.

This makes me so happy and I'm aware that it's a really silly thing to be so excited about, but it made me happy nonetheless. I'll take what I can get. It's a good diversion from Mandarin Chinese homework woes.

The halloween fuzzy socks were a total of $5, and since I had a $5 off halloween purchase coupon that came from the coupon printer at the CVS store, I got those for free. (Anybody want some fuzzy socks?)
The beauty charm (which you can't really see, but it's a little sparkly star) was also free because of the coupon from the coupon printer. Oh, and the $7/$15 was from the coupon printer in the store, too. So now I have oodles of nail polish.

At Publix, I saved a dissappointing $8.73. There wasn't much good stuff this week, except for $0.09 Barilla pasta (whole wheat, of course).

P.S. Check out my total savings by using coupons since April 2009... I finally made it over $4,000!

9/26

2010-09-26T11:56:00.005-04:00

I spent more than normal, but I saved quite a bit, too. I needed a lot of stuff this week. (45% savings this week though, yay!)

Good things:

Quaker Quakes $1 each- minus .75/1 coupons I had= .25 each
Wishbone dressing is $1.31, -.50/1 coupon which doubles, so .31 dressing
Crunchmaster crackers $1.50 each, minus 1/1 coupon= .50 for yummy multigrain crackers
Egglands Best eggs $2 each- .35/1 coupon which doubles, so $1.30 for good eggs
Green Giant valley fresh steamers $1.20 each, minus .50/1 coupon that doubles, so .20 each
The honeydew melons are $2.50 each again! I am addicted to them.

Spent: $26.46
Saved: $21.70

***Now back to studying for my Mandarin Chinese and Foreign Policy tests, which are back to back... ***

September 19

2010-09-19T13:39:00.002-04:00

Today at CVS I got:

(2) Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks (love the colors I got, too!)
(1) Schick Hydro shaving cream
(2) Dry Idea deodorants
(2) Quaker Rolled Oats
(1) caramel chew

Go here for coupon details!

Spent: $1.75
Saved: $37.25

At Publix, I saved $8.82 on just regular stuff. There weren't really any outstanding deals this week.

Weekend recap

2010-09-12T08:35:00.004-04:00

This weekend I got some stuff at Publix and saved $12.38... but it really wasn't a great week for me. There just weren't any deals I needed and/or wanted.
But if you like Kashi stuff, the frozen entrees are $2.50 each, and there are a ton of $1/1 frozen entree peelie coupons (I had a lot in my coupon binder, anyway) or if you don't have any of those, use the .75/1 printable.
Buy 3 of those, and then get some produce (I recommend the $2.99 Honeydew melons- yum!) and use the $3 off when you buy 3 Kashi items peelie that is found on a lot of the cereals right now.
=$4.50 for 3 entrees and an extremely gigantic melon with the peelies. (Mine was 9 pounds!)

At CVS, I got 3 things: Nature's Way vitamins, Brach's candy, and Nivea Men's body wash. Coupon match-ups and details can be found here. I'm so glad the vitamins were a deal this week, because I really needed to get new multivitamins! I love it when that happens.

Spent: $1.97 (grumble tax grumble)
Saved: $16.99

My week was really busy... and this coming week will probably be even busier with rehearsals, my first Mandarin Chinese test (yikes), papers due, and other events. Yesterday South Carolina played Georgia and it was a good game, and I got to cheer on my school in a packed stadium- I am so proud to be a Gamecock! We won 17-6.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-05T20:19:00.004-04:00

I didn't do a big trip to Publix this week, but I did pick up a few things. I saved $9.07. My favorite deal was the Wheat Thins toasted chips, which are bogo $3.39 aka $1.69 each. I used the $1/1 printables to get them for $0.69 each... they are really yummy. Also, look for peelies on Kashi products, because they have some new ones out for $3 off of produce when you buy any 3 Kashi products. This could be great when Kashi goes on sale; I plan to use Kashi coupons (there are a ton out there) on the Kashi products, and get some fruit along with that to use this peelie coupon. Speaking of fruit, Publix has the honeydew melons for $2.99 this week (last week was $2.50) but they are still huge. I weighed one that was the size I got last week, and it was 9 pounds. 9 POUNDS, PEOPLE! And it is delicious!

I'm holding off on my CVS trip until later this week when I can get all my coupons together, so I'll update soon. [read: I'm waiting for my Grandpa to send me his insert coupons from the past few weeks so I can coupon at CVS... I love you Grandpa!]

I wish everyone a great Labor Day! It was beautiful here this morning. It made me feel like I should be frolicking in fields of daisies or something... and that's saying a lot for me. But seriously, God really outdid Himself on this one. It's the little things that are so beautiful that make me stop and think about how blessed I am.

In other news, my classes are going pretty well. I'm learning a lot about East Asian international relations, I can speak some basic greetings in Chinese, I'm getting better at writing my Chinese characters in class, I'm also getting really good at reading lots and lots (and lots) of articles on US foreign policy, and we've been rehearsing for our upcoming performance in November (yes it seems so far away, I know), so dance has been tiring... I am worn out. Good thing we have tomorrow off!

8/28 Publix and CVS

2010-08-28T10:30:00.003-04:00

This week has been craaaazy. This semester will be a lot of hard work for me. My Chinese class takes up a lot of my brain energy inside and outside of class- and it's really fascinating to me how the characters work, and it makes so much sense how it is structured, but at the same time, it's extremely difficult to pronounce Chinese words, write the characters, and remember them all. Flashcards will become my best friend this semester, as well as any speaking practice I can get in. Also, my international relations of East Asia class is very interesting, and so is US Foreign Policy- both complement each other nicely. But I will be doing a lot of reading, writing, and analyzing this semester. On the dance front, I've been in rehearsals and classes, and that of course poses a different kind of challenge, one that is a culmination of physical and mental focus.

Anyway...

My favorite deals at Publix today, among others:

Morningstar Farms entrees are bogo $3.99, aka $2 each. Use the $1/1 printable to get them for $1 each- this vegetarian is very happy! :] I got the lasagna kinds.
Cascadian Farms granola bars are also bogo $3.99, aka $2 each. Use the $1/1 printable or other various CF coupons to get them for $1 each.
Campbell's Select Harvest soups are bogo $2.39, aka $1.20 each. Use the $1/1 printable to get them for 20 cents a piece.
Honeydew melons are $2.50 each- no coupon for this, but I got a gigantic honeydew (I'm serious- this thing is huuuuge) and it's delicious. It'll probably take me a month to eat it all. I had to freeze half of it.

Spent: $20.33
Saved: $21.76

At CVS, I got 2 Listerine, 1 Blink Tears eye drops, and some index cards (I told you, flashcards are my best friend...). Details on coupons can be found here. Everything I paid was in tax. Stupid tax... grrr.

Spent: $1.26
Saved: $23.56

8/22

2010-08-22T10:34:00.003-04:00

The past week I have been busy non-stop getting ready for my second year of college, but I also had a lot of fun. My classes this semester will be tough, but I'm pretty excited about all of them, so that's a good thing. I can't believe the semester has started already- and I know that soon enough, I'll be saying, "I can't believe it's over"... because that's just how life is sometimes, I guess.

I went to Publix this morning. Some of the best things that were on my list this week:

Pepperidge Farm baked natural snacks are bogo $3.49, aka $1.75 each. Use the $1/1 printable coupon to get them for $0.75 each.
Glass Plus cleaner is bogo $2.49, aka $1.25 each. Use the $1/1 printable to get it for $0.25.
Egglands Best eggs are $2 each- use a coupon either from inserts or from various magazines ($1/1 or .50/1 which doubles) to get these eggs for $1 a carton. These are my favorite eggs. :)
Fresh Express salads are bogo $3.99, aka $2 each. Use a $1/1 printable coupon or blinkie to get them for $1 each.

Spent: $24.96
Saved: 14.73

CVS and Publix 8/15

2010-08-14T21:46:00.004-04:00

My favorite deal going on at Publix this week is the Fage Greek yogurt deal. The 5.3 oz. cups (larger than your regular single serve yogurt cups, and very filling, with 17 grams of yummy protein) are 5/$6, or $1.25 each. Use this .50/1 coupon, which doubles, to get them for $0.25 a piece. Or become a fan on facebook and get the $1/1 coupon. I love love love Greek yogurt, if you can't tell.

Anyway, I had to get some stuff for back-to-school (I'm back at college now and it starts on Thursday), but I still managed to save $11.65 at Publix on the Fage, Kashi cereal and granola bars ($2.50 each, minus $1/1 peelie coupons) and Quaker oatmeal (bogo $3.89, or $1.94 each, minus .75/1 coupon from inside package). I'm going back later to get more Fage.

At CVS, there are a few deals going on. SoBe 20 oz. beverages are buy one get one free, so with your own bogo coupon, you can get both for free. Play this game until you win to print a coupon. (Just turn the sound off. It's annoying.)
Also, the Crest 4 oz. toothpaste is $3.49, get 2.50 eb, so use the insert coupon from last week's 8-11 SS to get it free after extra bucks- limit is two. Finally, there are the Blink tears eye drops, which are $7.99, get 7.99 eb, and use the 1.50/1 coupon to make it a money-maker.

I went this morning, got those items, and got to the register... and realized I'd forgotten my toothpaste coupons back in my dorm. I didn't want to waste my time and gas, so I just sucked it up and used the coupons I had plus my previous extrabucks, and I ended up paying $1.29. I was mad at myself more than anything, but 129 is my favorite number, and I need the Blink tears because my eyes have been bloodshot ever since my camp counselor job (no, really), so I just let it go.

Spent: $1.29
Saved: $24.67

Back in the game

2010-08-08T13:17:00.002-04:00

I am finally done with being a camp counselor and going to Ad Deum's dance workshop, so I have like 6 days at home, before I leave to go back to school, so this is essentially my last week of "summer", whatever that means, because I feel like summer is something of a bygone era now that I'm in college. Anyway...
This morning I went to CVS and got the following:

Schick Hydro 5 razor ($8.97)
Schick Hydro shaving cream ($3.99)
Colgate advanced toothpaste ($3.99)- used a raincheck

-$5/1 Schick razor coupon from today's SS insert
-coupon for Free shaving cream when you buy hydro razor; it was a peelie found on the razor itself
-raincheck
-7.99 eb
= $0.00, got back 4 eb for the Colgate, and 4 eb for the Schick razor

Spent: $0.00
Saved: $18.37

Long time, no see

2010-07-30T21:08:00.002-04:00

Tonight is my last official night as a camp counselor for the dance camp. It has been a great ride- lots of challenges along the way, but overall I loved my experience. My girls were awesome, and I learned a lot along the way, too. One day I'll be a great mother!

That being said, I obviously haven't been able to coupon the past 3 weeks, because I've been living in the dorm and my job was a 24/7 deal. There was never a dull moment, and I always had to be there for the kids.

The only thing I've managed to get was the Kotex at CVS this week. It was $4.99, get 4.99 eb back.

Spent: $0.37
Saved: $5.27

So... did you miss me?!

So excited

2010-07-11T09:57:00.004-04:00

In a last effort to do some couponing before my girls come to the dance intensive (I'm a camp counselor) I went to CVS this morning. The campers come at 12 pm and I'm so excited, I can't even tell you! I arrived on Friday night after a delightful plane delay of 2 hours (yuck) and my awesome-opossum friends picked me up from the airport, and we had lots of fun. Last night we had a full day of moving in for counselors, orientation, going over policies and such, meeting with the campus police about safety, and finally some counselor bonding time while we made door tags for our kids. I feel really good about this whole thing, and the other three counselors and I are all friends, so it should be awesome. Not to mention that I get to take classes all I want, when I'm not working desk duty, and we get to go to some SWEET outings and field trips that I'm bursting at the seams about, because they are all new to me, even though I've been in South Carolina for a year. Oh, and I get to drive a 14-passenger shuttle bus. I feel really powerful when I'm sitting in the driver's seat of that thing!

So, I got: 5" caliber scissors, 10 ct. papermate pens pack, 1 Biotrue contact solution, and 1 complete contact solution, and 1 sucker. They were all free after extrabucks, and I had a $2/1 printable coupon for the biotrue (which is a deal until the end of the month), and a $2/1 insert coupon for the complete contact solution. I used a $10 extrabuck. The sucker was so it wouldn't be negative.

Spent: $0.37
Saved: $20.70

Here I go!

2010-07-07T22:19:00.004-04:00

It has been too long!

I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to South Carolina. I'm a camp counselor for a dance camp there, and it's 3 weeks long, so I won't have much time for couponing, but I will try to get to CVS each week. :( It will be hard to not go couponing as much, but I'll be plenty busy, I'm sure.

Here is a photo of the cupcakes I made this weekend for July 4th!

Please do not use this image or copy it without my permission- thanks.

Product Review- Revlon

2010-07-01T23:23:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased the Revlon Hot Air Styler Kit at Target for $19.99.
It was money well spent.

You know how you go to the hairdresser, and they use the round brush and the hairdryer to get that smooth, bouncy, "I'm-on-a-shampoo-commercial" look? Well I have always tried to do it at home, and I use a round brush and my own hair dryer, and it works in the front, but I can never get the right angle when I try to do the back of my hair, and it takes longer than I would like... I have long, thick hair, and the texture is somewhat wavy and it always gets frizzy.

This gadget is like a hairdryer and round brush in ONE, though- so it's my dream. I use it, and my hair feels so smooth and looks flouncy and feels light. I am in love with this thing. And there are two sizes that you can attach to the dryer. It also has a cool, warm, and hot heat setting depending on what you want. (Side note: my mom said it was too hot for her head on the hot setting, but she has really short hair, so that's probably why... it was really close to her scalp. I haven't had a problem with it.)

Overall: LOVE LOVE LOVE.

7/1 Aveeno deal + cake

2010-07-01T22:08:00.004-04:00

Spent: $0
Saved: $30.42

I did the Aveeno deal at CVS. Buy $25 worth of Aveeno products, get 10 eb. Use the $1.50/1 printables from coupons.com and then do the $10 mail in rebate.

Well, it's July already! I finished my Wilton Cake Decorating Basics class and graduated, and this is my final cake. It turned out really great, and I'm proud of what I made. I love love love making the roses. This was a strawberry cake with vanilla icing.

CVS 6/26

2010-06-26T13:40:00.003-04:00

Spent: $0.08
Saved: $18.79

I got 2 Crest 4 oz. toothpastes, and 1 Gillette ProGlide razor. They were out of stock of the Post cereal that is free after coupon, so I got a raincheck for that.

And here is a sneak peek at my newest cake! My last cake decorating class is on Monday, so for the final meeting, we each have to design our own cake. Mine obviously includes yellow roses. I was practicing last night and I made a bunch of these to go on the top of my cake.

Free REACH stuff at Kroger

2010-06-20T18:22:00.003-04:00

Spent: $0
Saved: $30.82

It's a good thing I like to floss my teeth.

I used the 5-16 and 5-12 insert coupons ($1/1) on these sale priced items- REACH toothbrushes, floss, and access flossers were included, but they were out of the toothbrushes when I went.
I did the self-checkout and the cashier (once again, a young guy- my favorite cashiers because they are the best) was a really good sport and scanned all my coupons with no problems. My brother was with me and said if he had been the cashier, he would've burned all those coupons. He should obviously never work in a grocery store.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,685.32
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Friday, 6/18

2010-06-18T15:31:00.010-04:00

Nothing too amazing, but I did get some free pasta, .25 Sunny D for my brother, soap, and free frozen vegetables at Kroger. All of these things were $1 each (Kroger likes to call it 10/$10, but you don't actually have to buy 10 things to get them for that price, so it's misleading) and I had insert coupons as well as printable coupons that doubled or tripled.

Spent: $2.04
Saved: $15.41

Happy Friday, everyone! It's already halfway through June and I can't believe it.
Coupon deals have been sparse. :( I went to CVS to get stuff, and they were out of stock, so ... yeah.

My blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't chatter aimlessly. :)
I did another cake. What do you think?

And I made more of my favorite homemade pizza. This time I added herbs into the dough, so when I baked it, it had a really great flavor. I could eat the dough all day. Here is pizza one, fresh out of the oven, and you can tell which side is mine.

I've been really busy with school, physical therapy, and getting back to dance this past week.
I also want to announce that my new baby cousin, Meadow, was born on June 12! Isn't that a beautiful name? I wish my name was that cool.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,654.50
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Wilton cake

2010-06-14T23:13:00.006-04:00

I've been taking a Wilton cake decorating course at Hobby Lobby, and this is my first cake. We learned how to smooth out the icing so it looks polished and nice- there is a special trick!
I did a cupcake and I wish I had done a few things differently, but overall I'm happy with my first attempt. :) What do you think?

I think cake decorating is a great skill to have. You can learn how to make cakes for family and friends, and it's something you can do your whole life... not to mention that cakes are pretty yummy. I mean, even if it turns out badly, it's still cake in the end, right? And somebody will always eat it.

I'm looking around for deals this week, but there don't seem to be any... hm. :/ Nothing pops out at me.

P.S. I changed up my blog a little bit. It now has a different background. I thought it was time for an update!

CVS 6/8

2010-06-08T16:03:00.003-04:00

I took advantage of the CoverGirl get 5 extrabucks when you buy $15, and used the coupons from this sunday's P&G inserts. The powerbars are a monthly deal at CVS, .99 each, get .99 extrabucks, limit 3.

CoverGirl lashblast fusion mascara
eyeshadow
concealer stick
3 PowerBar Pure and Simple bars
1 caramel chew (because I went negative)

Spent: $0.19
Saved: $23.99

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,639.09
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

CVS and pizza

2010-06-06T21:24:00.004-04:00

Mom said she needed more Windex, so I went to CVS... got 2 Windex, 2 Rolaids, and 2 Glade scented oil refills. (For more details just check out iheartcvs.com, which is a great resource!)

Spent: $3.05
Saved: $23.56

Oh, and I made a pizza for supper. The lower left corner is mine, because it's all veggie, and everyone else wanted something different for their bit. This pizza was THE BOMB, and I made it from scratch- like, legit pizza, homemade dough, everything. The cheese is under the sauce, but I put more of the tomato sauce on top than the recipe called for, so you can't really see it... oh well, it still tasted great. Anyway, it is the PERFECT pizza crust, in my opinion. It took 16 hours to ferment but it was worth it.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,615.10
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

My Favorite Recipes

2010-06-01T19:34:00.002-04:00

I thought it'd be good to share some of my favorite recipes that I like to make. P.S. I'm a vegetarian, so these recipes are also vegetarian, but my family (big carnivores) also likes this stuff, so it can appeal to many different audiences! And, you should also know that all of these are easy-peasy- I promise.

Artichoke Ravioli- Refrigerated cheese ravioli, olives, artichokes, and some sauce and cheese- I like to call this my "Kathryn Carino's" dish because it's like going to the restaurant Johnny Carino's, except not.

Spaghetti Pie- I wasn't sure how this would turn out but it is delicious! I love it.

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole- I looove corn tortillas so I thought this had a great flavor and my family approved.

Southwest Bake- another Tex-Mex kinda dish- love this one, too!

Tamale Pie- Apparently this is a "weight watchers" recipe but I DON'T CARE because it is so good, and SO easy!

Olay Deal

2010-05-31T16:22:00.004-04:00

Spent: $0.14
Saved: $78

Target has a deal for buy 2 Olay products, get a $5 giftcard. So here is what I did...

I had $10 in giftcards coming in, because I had done the Kashi deal last week.
I got 6 Olay Face Washes, which were $3.69 each. I used $2/1 coupons for these from the 5-2 PG insert, which expire after today, so this is the last day to do this deal!

Transaction 1:
(6) Olay face wash
= $22.14
- (6) $2/1 coupons
=$10.14
-$10 giftcards I already had
= $0.14 out of pocket, and I recieved (3) $5 Target giftcards back

Transaction 2:
(6) Olay face wash
= $22.14
- (6) $2/1 coupons
=$10.14
-$10.14 giftcards I already had from transaction 1
=$0.00 out of pocket, received (3) $5 giftcards back

All in all, I got 12 face washes, paid $0.14, and ended up with about $20 in giftcards. Score.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,591.54
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

CVS 5/23

2010-05-23T22:38:00.003-04:00

Today I got 2 Gilette body washes (used $4/2 insert coupon), 2 sobe lifewater (were on bogo sale, used a bogo printable coupon), and 1 Schick Hydro 3 razor (raincheck item from a few weeks ago, used a $5/1 insert coupon).
Hoorah!

Spent: $0
Saved: $22.15

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,513.54
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Cashiers

2010-05-21T19:49:00.002-04:00

I think I've blogged about this before. Basically, when I go shopping and I have coupons to use, I carefully choose the cashier I go to.

Rule #1: If the cashier looks older than 60, I stay far away. They will usually not key in coupons for me, or fix things on the monitor if the coupon beeps when it gets scanned, and my sense tells me it's because they didn't grow up with computers. It's kinda like my grandparents- they get annoyed with technology and they get frustrated easily. Please don't flame me for saying that, but it's just easier to get in another line. There are some exceptions, I realize, but this has just been my experience. And note that older people usually work in the mornings, so afternoons are best.

Rule #2: Go for the young men. They usually don't ask questions, which is typically better. They just scan the coupons and go on with life. Awesome. When I think about the times I've had problems using coupons, it has usually been with women, 9 times out of 10, and I'm not sure exactly why. Guys are just more easygoing. Women almost seem to be jealous. A lot of times, when there is a problem because they don't know their own store's coupon policy, they get defensive when I try to explain. (Again, there are many exceptions... I'm speaking IN GENERAL.)

Wow, I sound like such a conniving little couponer.
This is a science.
But it happened again today- I had a great, friendly cashier (young man) at Target.

Goodies at Target

2010-05-21T17:10:00.006-04:00

I used the word "goodies" when I told my brother I had gotten stuff at Target, and he came in the kitchen to see what I had gotten. I guess he was disappointed because his definition of "goodies" did not match mine. ???

Target has a deal where you buy 5 Kashi products ($2.88 each) and get a $5 giftcard. I used coupons to make the deal better- there are a ton of peelies on the products for $1/1, and I also had homemailers for $1/50/1.
I also got single rolls of Bounty Basic, which were .99 each, and used $1/1 coupons from the 5-15 RP inserts= free paper towels.
Finally, I got travel-sized Tide detergents, and used the $1/1 coupon from the 5-2 PG (which doesn't specify size, so it's okay to use) to make them free.

You know, I woke up this morning and picked up the Honey Nut Cheerios box in the pantry, and it was nearly empty. I just got it a few days ago! Rawr. So I blamed my brother, who said he didn't do it. Then I found out it was my dad. Hopefully this cereal will last longer. Confession: When I come home while on breaks from school, I have a cereal complex where I think everyone else in my family should eat the yucky high-fructose corn syrup-infused cereal, and I get to eat the good stuff. Really, little brother, just eat the rice krispies that taste like, well, sugar and rice! You don't even fully appreciate the goodness that is Kashi! (And don't knock the Honey Nuts... they aren't THAT bad, I mean they're whole grain...) In fact, I'm kind of a cereal snob. So everyone had better stay out of my Kashi.

I know, I'm strange. But I feel better now.

Spent: $7.50
Saved: $33.47
RECEIVED $5 GIFTCARD

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,491.39
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

CVS 5/16

2010-05-16T13:58:00.002-04:00

This morning I got:
(2) Herbal Essences shampoos, $2.99 each, get 2 eb, used $1/1 insert coupon from today's paper (5-16 RP)
(1) Blade 5 razor system, $6.99, get back 6.99 eb
(1) Tone body soap $1.88 get 1 eb (this was a last-minute thing because I needed something else to not make my total go negative)

Paid with extrabucks, got back 12.

Spent: $0.94
Saved: $17.49

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,457.92
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Pedigree Dentastix

2010-05-13T17:39:00.002-04:00

My dogs like coupons, too.

Target has Pedigree Dentastix for $3.49. Use the Target store coupon ($1/1) from the 5-2 RP and the manufacturer coupon ($2/1) from the 4-25 RP.

For $0.49, Teddy and Trixie were two very happy dogs!

More cookies + chitchat

2010-05-11T10:40:00.003-04:00

I also made some cookies for my grandma for Mother's Day, because my grandparents live only a few miles from my parents' house, so I got to visit them on Sunday and deliver my treats. I love decorating baked goods and I've been checking out books at the library so I can improve my technique and learn new skills. I'm hopefully taking a cake decorating class next month so I am very excited about that!

In other news, a lady my mom works with gave her about 20 inserts from 5-2 to give to me--- SWEET! :D

I hope to do the Target Schick deal this week if I can get enough coupons for it. The Schick Hydro razors are 7.99, and when you buy 2, you get a $5 Target giftcard. Use the $5/1 coupons from this Sunday's SS to lower the total to $5.98 (and I'll pay with previous Target giftcards that I've gotten from other deals) and keep rolling the giftcards. The Schick razors are also a deal at Walgreens and CVS (but the limit at CVS is only 1). I don't know the price at Wal-Mart but I need to check.

CVS 5/9

2010-05-10T12:07:00.002-04:00

Crest Pro-Health rinse on sale for 3.50, get 3.50 eb
Crest Pro-Health rinse on sale for 3.50, get 3.50 eb
Kotex U 4.99, get 4.99 eb

-(2) .75/1 coupons from the May PG insert
-(1) Kotex 1/1 coupon from inserts
-previous ebs
= .05, got back 7 eb and 4.99 eb

They were out of the Schick Hydro razors that I wanted to get, so I had to get a raincheck.

Spent: $0.05
Saved: $13.07

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,437.43
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Moms are cool.

2010-05-08T14:56:00.002-04:00

I made homemade sugar cookies for my mom for Mothers Day, which is tomorrow. I decorated them myself. I'm slightly disappointed that the frosting seemed too runny and not stiff enough to really get the best effect for decorating, but oh well, what can you do?

Happy Mothers Day to all moms out there!

Kroger

2010-05-08T14:46:00.002-04:00

I went to Kroger today. They have a P&G Deal going on where if you buy 4 participating P&G products, you get $4 off your whole purchase. I got 4 CoverGirl items and used coupons on them to get added savings.

CG nailpolish $2.77
CG lipslick $3.22
CG nailpolish $2.77
CG eyeliner $2.18
Kashi TLC bars $2.99 on sale
Kashi cereal $2.99 on sale
Kroger frozen peaches $3.89

-$4 off for P&G deal
-FREE coupon for frozen fruit that I got in the mail from Kroger
-$2.50/2 CG from th 5-2 PG inserts
-$2.50/2 CG from the 5-2 PG inserts
-$1/1 Kashi coupon
-$1/1 Kashi coupon

= $6.08 with tax

Spent: $6.08
Saved: $21.53

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,424.46
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

a little bit of whine

2010-05-07T22:18:00.001-04:00

I feel like I'm not doing a good job at this lately. I don't know why, but it's like there are no good deals, I don't have enough coupons, or something... I miss last summer when it was so exciting and it seemed like there were a ton of free things to be had.

/whine

the Coupon Only Challenge from Groupon

2010-05-06T12:22:00.002-04:00

I saw this article about a man who accepted a challenge from Groupon to only live on coupons for one year.

Personally I think I would only last about a month. But if he makes it, he gets $100,000 from Groupon after the year is over, so he's got a big reward ahead of him IF he can pull through.

It will be really tough. Spending NO cash?! There are some things in life you just have to pay for. I wonder if people will give him free stuff because he's on this challenge.

What do you think?

Back home!

2010-05-03T19:04:00.005-04:00

I am DONE with final exams and back home! Later this summer I have a job as a camp counselor for the dance conservatory, so I am very excited about that, but until then, I want to get a temporary job to make some extra money, so I've been out job hunting about as soon as I got home. I had an interview today, and I've got one today. Hopefully something will work out for me. I've never had a real job before, but everybody has to start somewhere, right?

I just went to CVS with my brother. He will now have the choice between "cool", "sensitive", and "energy" body washes from Nivea. (Oh, and Water Lily, but that's for the ladies.) The nail polish remover was thrown in just because we have none at the house, which I found out about AFTER I had really messed up my nails with purple and pink nail polish because I was just playing around. Oh well.

Spent: $0.84
Saved: $39.14

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,402.93
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Last trip to Publix for a while!

2010-04-25T20:41:00.003-04:00

This weekend was my last weekend here at school until later this summer. I have finals this week, and then I'll fly home to Texas on Saturday.

Sadly I wish I could've stocked up more on the Cascadian Farms deal, because I looove CF stuff, but logistically I can't do that because it'll just be in storage for a few months and I'm low on space. So I limited myself to 3 items. :] Cascadian Farms products were $1.99 (these are regularly like $3.99) and there are manufacturer coupons for $1/1, THEN add the Publix coupon for $2/3, and when you buy 3 items, it's $0.32 each! Yay.

Spent: $17.13
Saved: $11.20

I also made some more cake balls for April's birthday, and this time it was all chocolate.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,363.79
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Long week

2010-04-17T16:41:00.006-04:00

I had to get a cortisone injection in my FHL tendon earlier this week (dance injury), so I've been on crutches and my ankle is in a boot. Before this whole ordeal happened, I would have told you that I probably had marginal arm strength, maybe about average. WRONG. You think you'll be just fine until you have to haul yourself around a university campus on crutches and up and down hills to get to class. My upper body feels like it has been through a meat grinder. I give major props to anybody on crutches.

There are perks to this, though. For one thing, I have met a bunch of new people, and guys seem very eager to open doors for me. I also get to take the elevator anywhere I go without feeling like a lazy bum, even though there are signs around campus telling us to take the stairs because it uses less energy and burns 10.6 more calories per minute. Also, I find it alarming that I have managed to get over 12 people to believe me when I tell them that I got bit by a rattlesnake when they ask why I'm in a boot. Either A)I'm good at telling tales or B) people are very gullible. I mean, I guess it's possible, certainly, but I've never seen any rattlesnakes around campus... hm.

BUT anyway- the downside: I hate asking for help, and I feel like a pain anywhere I go, so I guess that's a good life lesson to learn. Sometimes you have to ask for help.

Of course I had to go to Target with my buddies and try out the motorized shopping cart. Earlier today, my friend Danielle helped me out at Publix (big thanks!), so I got to use one again there. Since I have used both, I feel like I have experience in the motorized shopping buggy department and it's safe to say that Publix's buggy is probably the better model, because Target's makes an extremely loud beeping noise when you go in reverse, and everyone in the store looks around because it sounds like a fire truck is coming down the aisle or something. Yah, not cool. (Well, admittedly, it was kinda funny...)

Anyway, I will combine my totals from Publix and CVS this week. I got Quaker oatmeal, cake decorations for a certain somebody's special day, Snuggle fabric softener, chocolate chips, onion, tomato, 6 yogurts, a yogurt pack, one dozen eggs, Dove conditioner, and Dial body wash.

Spent: $17.46
Saved: $19.16

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,352.59
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

46% savings

2010-04-12T21:02:00.003-04:00

This trip to Publix was not so spectacular. It's getting to the end of the semester (I fly home in 18 days) so I'm doing less and less grocery stocking because I don't need to buy things for the long-term right now. This week at CVS is a good week, though, so I will try to go the last day of the ad sale and see if they are out of stock, because then I can get rainchecks and use them once I get home. :)

I can't believe the year is almost over. Freshman year of college just flew by, or so it seems now, but I can remember times when the days felt like they were dragging on forever. Now I just have to get through these next two weeks, and do my final exams, and I'll be a little bit of a break before summer school and my summer job. :]

Spent: $20.70
Saved: $9.45

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,333.43
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

CVS Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T20:11:00.004-04:00

CVS- the cashier guy at the pharmacy is a big fan of me. It's exciting. I did spend more at CVS this week than usual and he noted that. Tehe. I needed the shaving cream.

1 Skintimate
1 Reeses
2 Pantene Nature Fusion shampoo
1 Pantene Nature Fusion conditioner
1 Stride gum

Spent: $3.35
Saved: $30.43

Publix wasn't so hot, but that's because SOME people keep wanting me to make more cake balls, and that requires chocolate, and that is fairly expensive. I spent $5 on chocolate this week. But it's worth it. I will post the pictures of my cake balls tomorrow. :)

Spent:$24.56
Saved:$9.34

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,323.98
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

more cake balls

2010-04-04T14:16:00.004-04:00

Check out my newest batch of cake balls. This is vanilla yellow cake with butter cream frosting, covered in white chocolate. Happy Birthday, Juliana!

contacting companies update

2010-04-02T18:39:00.002-04:00

As you all know, I've been emailing companies complimenting them and asking for coupons. Here is the running list that I've received coupons from in the mail:

Arnold

Band-aid

Barabar's bakery

bear naked

Birds Eye

Bolthouse farms

Cascadian Farms

Dannon

Duncan Hines

Friendship Cottage cheese

Kotex

Lay's

Mom's Best

Powerbar

Revlon

Skintimate

Smart Balance

Smuckers

Snyders

Sobe

Soyjoy

St. Ives

Nestle YoCrunch

Not bad, huh? :)

Great day at Publix

2010-03-28T08:53:00.003-04:00

I'm pretty pleased with my trip this week! Here are some highlights:

Chocolate Cheerios cereal- bogo $3.99, or $1.99 each; I used the Publix store coupon for $1/1 AND the insert coupon for .50/1, which doubled to make them... FREE! I got 5.
Birds Eye Steamfresh veggies - 50% off sale, and I picked up some that were $2.39, making them $1.19 each after the sale; I used .50/1 insert coupons which doubled, and the $1/2 Birdseye Publix coupon from the Yellow Advantage flyer, getting me .62 overage! Yeah!
I did the Sundown vitamins again for $2 overage.
I got 2 Yoplait greek yogurt cups for FREE with the insert coupon for Publix free greek yogurt. These are yummy! A+!!! I love greek yogurt.
Duncan Hines cake mix was bogo $1.65, or .83 each, and I used a .35/1 home mailer coupon (from emailing the company) which doubled to make the cake mix .13. (I could've sworn the price tag on the shelf was lower, but now I'm looking at my receipt and I guess not? Oh well.)

Spent: $21.14
Saved: $40.63
(66% savings!)

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,284.21
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Cake Balls

2010-03-26T21:20:00.008-04:00

My friend is having a cookout for her birthday and I wanted to make some treats for the party so I made CAKE BALLS! I got the cake mix and frosting free.
They were pretty easy to make.
FYI- if you want to color the chocolate, you have to use the fancy powder or oil based colors from a craft store, not the normal average joe food coloring. It ruins the chocolate.

Cake Balls- this made about 50 cake balls for me
1 box cake mix, baked as usual
1 tub of frosting
2 12 oz. bags of chocolate chips
sprinkles

First, after you bake the cake, take it and crumble it up in a bowl. I know, I know... it's almost painful to do. Just do it. Then add the frosting and mix it up really well.

Form little balls with your hands. This part is kinda fun because you get to stick your hands in the doughy stuff. Put them on wax paper or foil over a cookie sheet.

Then the balls have a party in the freezer for at least an hour.

Then you take the chocolate chips and melt them in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stir, 30 more seconds... until they are all melted. Roll the balls around in the chocolate and cover them with a spoon to get them fully covered. Before they get hard, put some sprinkles on them, and set them on some wax paper or foil. Then they go in the fridge for a while! Yippee!

Publix and CVS

2010-03-21T09:09:00.003-04:00

I didn't have much time to coupon this week (show week- the show went great!) but I did make it to the stores for some quick trips.

Publix- not many good deals this week, but I did get free/overage Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice. It was bogo $1.89, and I had $1/1 homemailer, so I got that for a few cents overage. I also got 3 boxes of the Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, which was on sale for $2.50, and I had $1.50/1 coupons, so $1 each. That cereal is normally almost $4 so I was excited! Plus it's one of my favs.

Spent: $14.31
Saved: #11.80

CVS- I got two RightGuard deodorants, 2/$5, used coupons for $1.50/1, and paid the rest with ECBs. I paid .35 in tax, and got 2 ECBS back.

Spent: $0.35
Saved: $9.98

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,243.58
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Vocalpoint

2010-03-19T16:06:00.004-04:00

I love Vocalpoint.
Today I got a package from them because recently I had signed up to get a sample of the new Pantene shampoo or something like that. Well, it was a FULL-SIZED bottle! Yep. I got a bottle of shampoo in the mail, totally free, along with coupons. I get cereal samples from Vocalpoint, too, and lots of GOOD coupons for Kashi, etc.

Unlike some other websites out there, Vocalpoint is legit.

Sign up! Basically you can fill out surveys from time to time and sign up to get free stuff in the mail. I usually fill out the Kashi surveys so they'll send me Kashi stuff. :) Go to "try and tells" and that's where you can request samples and such.

Money Lessons

2010-03-18T16:35:00.003-04:00

I just read this article on Shine about 5 Important Money Lessons to Teach Your Kids and it reminded me of what I was taught when I was little.

I agree that parents should start teaching their kids about money at a young age, and I'm glad my parents did!

My mom and dad were careful with their money. We were just a middle-class, average American family, not rich, not poor. We didn't have a new house or a pool, but I never felt like our lifestyle was subpar by any means, and I think it's because my parents taught me and my brother the value of a dollar.

We had a vegetable garden in the backyard, and I used to love to go outside and help pick fresh tomatoes and bell peppers! Here is a photo of my brother and me. It looks like we've just gotten some cucumbers and peppers. My mother also had herbs growing so we got to use fresh basil, rosemary, and others. I always ate my veggies at the dinner table, as my mother will tell you!

I think it's so important to learn the difference between wants and needs at a young age.
It's also important to know the difference between CHEAP and FRUGAL. My mother was frugal sometimes, but not cheap. She just knew how to cut corners and save money where she could.
I also learned that sometimes, it's okay to treat yourself a little bit to something nice, if you've saved up for it and can manage to spend extra on it.

I remember mom used to buy stuff on sale at the grocery store. We weren't really brand loyal- we'd just buy whatever was cheapest that week. I also remember her pointing out how, when we ate out or got fast food, the same meal could be replicated at home for much less money.

We didn't get an allowance at my house. The rule was that if you lived there in the house, then you did your part. Everybody helped out, but there were no monetary rewards.

I got a bank account when I was younger, and I got to see how the interest would grow over time. That was neat to me, and it sure made me want to keep my money in the bank, because that interest would keep going up!

My parents were never big fans of credit cards and from an early age I knew that credit cards could be dangerous. I was also taught to be wary of things that sound too good to be true. As mom said, "Nothing in life is free."

Overall, I'd say my parents did a pretty good job of modeling a healthy relationship with finances for me. I hope to do the same for my kiddos someday!
Thanks, mom and dad.

Home mailer jackpot today!

2010-03-15T18:15:00.002-04:00

Today I went to check my mail and I had a BUNCH of letters from companies. Since I've been emailing companies complimenting their products, I've gotten a ton of coupons in my mailbox lately. Here is what I've got so far:

The YAY list (or the list of companies who sent coupons) :D
Nivea
Arnold breads
Johnson and Johnson
Birds eye
Bolthouse Farms
Cascadian Farms
Dannon
Friendship
Kotex
Mom's Best Naturals
Powerbar
Revlon
Skintimate
Smart Balance
Smucker's
Snyders
Sobe

The NAY list (or the list of companies who didn't send coupons)
All
Aquafresh
Balance
Breakstone
Garnier
Kelloggs
L'Oreal
Muir Glen
Nature Valley
Nature's Own
Ponds
Post
Rimmel
Stacy's
Suave
Vitaminwater

The IDK list (or the list of companies I'm waiting to hear from!)
Too many to list right now! I've contacted over a hundred companies so far, so only time will tell!

Publix 3/12

2010-03-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

Arnold Sandwich Thins were bogo @2.99, making them about $1.50 each, and I used my $1/1 homemailer coupon to get a package of these for $0.50. I love these! Yay!
I got overage on the Sundown vitamins again. Got (2) vitamin bottles, $2.99 each, and used (2) $1/1 insert coupons and a $6/2 Publix coupon, giving me $2 in overage.

Spent: $18.00
Saved: $14.78

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,221.80
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

2010-03-12T18:22:00.002-05:00

I went to Rite-Aid today, where they had a bogo sale on CoverGirl makeup. I had a coupon, also bogo, from the 2-7 PG inserts, so I got them for free. Well, technically, I had to pay sales tax- bummer- but still. For some people, getting new shoes or new underwear or a new bra makes them happy. Don't get me wrong, those things would make me happy, too, but new makeup makes me REALLY happy, especially when it's free.

I got the Trublend microminerals finishing veil and the Outlast lipcolor in "my papaya" and I'm excited to use them!
Spent: $0.91 Saved: $23.98

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,203.02
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Review of an article

2010-03-11T14:20:00.004-05:00

I recently came across this article, entitled: How to eat on less than $35 a week, and I have a few bones to pick.

The author claims it is possible for a college student to buy $35 worth of groceries and survive on that much, each week, and the game plan is to buy generic and buy cheap, and this is doable without any coupons whatsoever. (I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like a magnificent revelation to me...) First of all, you know I'm an avid coupon user, and you know that I like to stock up on the free or cheap stuff and then save it for later, instead of paying full price each week, and this system works for me, obviously, because I spend, max, $22 a week for my food. (Keep in mind that I do have a small meal plan, so I eat some of my dinners on campus.) The author then goes on to propose a shopping list and a "meal plan" for the week, and this is where it gets hairy for me. The meal plan is atrocious and consists of hotdogs, sandwiches, and processed junk. What a great way to live! Not.

I've got a few suggestions.

Buying stuff like mustard and ketchup (which is, by the way, pretty easy to get free or cheap at certain times of the year) is a waste, in my opinion. You can go to fast food places, and ask for extra ketchup packets with your meal, or just snag a few from the dining hall. I am a college student, and I know these tricks. (P.S. Need napkins? Just grab a few extra next time to go to the campus cafeteria. No big deal. Heck, they even have splenda, sugar packets, and jelly and jam packets, and salad dressing packets there. You're all set!)

The big problem I have, though, is that the menu is complete junk. Hotdogs, bologna, and (most likely) white bread won't nourish your body. Where are the fruits? Where are the vegetables? Eating cereal and sandwiches will get boring and unhealthy very quickly.

I guess I just get frustrated because all of these seemingly innovative articles keep popping up, and they all seem to suggest the same thing: buy generic, because it's cheaper. That may be true, but I get brand-name products cheaper than generic products by clipping coupons. The second thing is that these articles give the impression that in order to eat cheaply, you have to cheapen your diet, essentially. Well I'm here to tell you that just because you're a poor college student doesn't mean you have to eat ramen noodles all the time. I've never eaten ramen in my life. I eat natural peanut butter, I buy whole grains, I'm a vegetarian for Pete's sake, and I *gasp* buy foods from all food groups, including *goodgolly* fruits and vegetables. I'm sick and tired of hearing people whine and make excuses like "well coupons are great- IF you want to eat processed foods." Newsflash: you're not very well educated on coupons, because you can get real food, good food, by using coupons.

Ultimately, I believe that even though the food I eat is paid for in the short-term each time I buy stuff at the grocery store, it is also paid for in the long-term sense. What I mean is that my HEALTH and overall well-being cannot, and should not, be compromised by my funds. Yah, white bread is cheaper, and so are processed meats, but when you're 60 years old and having heart problems, it doesn't seem so cheap anymore. You are what you eat.

So here are some alternatives for cheap food and tips that will keep your budget down in college. My big thing is this: eat healthier, whole foods now and I daresay you'll feel better, feel fuller longer, and be healthier in the long run.

beans, beans, beans... I'm a big fan of beans. Buy the dried beans in a bag, and the cost is so much cheaper, not to mention the tremendous health benefits of beans. Plus, they are so versatile.
Eggs. They're nutritious, and full of protein, and you can't go wrong with a scrambled egg in the morning. Scramble some veggies in there too, while you're at it. A dozen eggs doesn't cost that much and should last you a week.
Rice. Again, get the whole grain rice. I never ever buy rice for more than like .25. Uncle Ben has sales where I can use coupons to get rice for free several times a year.
Pasta. Yep, but not ramen. Whole grain pasta is, again, typically free or cheap often.
Stop buying the precut stuff! It's senseless to buy precut fruits and veggies. The cost is greater.
Oatmeal is the bomb. I eat it every day. I like the instant oatmeal packets for the flavor, but one oatmeal packet is not enough for my appetite, so I add in some uncooked rolled oats to make it go farther. Problem solved!
Buy stuff and freeze it. I hear people say that they don't want to buy some things in bulk because they'll go bad, but the truth is that you can freeze A LOT of stuff. So if something is really cheap one week, buy multiples and freeze the extras. I've got breads in the freezer for this reason.
Stop buying baggies to package your stuff in. And if you have baggies now, reuse them. I reuses my bags all the time, and I haven't died. Plus, it's much less wasteful.
Stop spending money on plastic utensils. Buy yourself some real silverware and spend an extra 2 minutes a day washing it, and help the environment, too. If you just can't completely go without them, then get extras from the dining hall. ;)
Invest in a refillable water bottle and save a ton of money and cut down on extra waste. You don't NEED to buy water bottles. Plus, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day, so that's a ton of water bottles you'd need to be buying in the first place. I drink good ol' tap water in my water bottle and I have not caught some kind of deadly disease yet.
If you're really that picky, then invest in a water filter.
Last but not least: learn how to coupon. I cannot stress this enough.

CVS 3/7

2010-03-08T19:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to good ol' CVS to roll my extrabucks.

I got:
(2) Oral-B toothbrushes, $4.00, used .75/1 coupons, got back 4 ecbs for each one
(1) Nivea lip care, $2.99, used .50/1 homemailer, got back 2.99 ecbs
(2) Gillette deodorants 3.99 each and (1) Gillette bodywash, 5.49, used $4/2 coupon and a coupon for a free bodywash when you buy deodorant, got back 2 ecbs
And I had to get some other stuff that I needed, but I'm not going to count that because it was extra and after the ECBs. I did burn some extrabucks, though, but oh well. I used up all that I had left so my total was $0 (and then paid the difference for the extra stuff that I bought which was only a couple of dollars).

P.S. The Nivea lip care stuff is really good. I got the cherry kind and it smells delicious and has a nice color.
P.P.S. Is it bad that I like the smell of Gillette deodorant and body wash? I mean, those are for guys, right? But would I smell like a guy if I used them? I'll probably end up donating them because I'm paranoid that somebody will smell me and wonder. Still, I think they smell nice.

Saved: $34.86

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,179.04
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

2010-03-07T12:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to Publix, Target, AND Walmart! Heh. It was the first day of Spring Break, but I'm staying here, and I got bored. And I needed food.

At Publix, I got more oatmeal because Quaker Instant Oatmeal was bogo $3.79, AKA $1.89 each, and I had $1/1 coupons from inserts and internet printables. I try to get instant oatmeal for less than a dollar so that worked out. I also got the Tofayan Pita bread, which is bogo $1.29, or 64 cents each, and although there are no coupons for that, it is a good deal nonetheless. I picked up two bags of Kraft natural shredded cheese, which is on sale for 3/$5, or $1.67 each, and used the $2/2 blinkie that can be found in the store, so I got each bag of cheese for about 67 cents each. YAY! I also used up a FREE coupon for Kashi cereal, along with the usual yogurt coupons and stuff.

Spent: $15.13
Saved: $17.24

At Target and Walmart I did end up using a few coupons (I went for other stuff, not groceries) and saved $5.74 by using coupons.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,144.18
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Contacting companies UPDATE

2010-03-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

Companies I received coupons from in the mail:
Dannon yogurt (a couple of coupons and one FREE item coupon)
Snyders pretzels (got a FREE item coupon!)
Friendship dairy products (several coupons, .55/1 and .75/1)
Arnold breads (I even got a PHONE CALL from them, and (2) $1/1 coupons)
Mom's Best oatmeal/cereal ((2) $1/1 oatmeal coupons)
sobe drinks ((2) .50/1 coupons)
Nivea (got AWESOME coupons from them: (8) $1/1 body wash or shower gels, (1) .50/1 lip product, (1) FREE up to $7.99 coupon on any product, (1) $2/1 any Nivea product

Companies I contacted but did not receive coupons from: (I got emails thanking me for my compliments, but unfortunately no coupons.)
All laundry
Breakstone dairy
Stacy's
Nature's Own
Quaker
Muir GLen
Post
Vitamin water
Aquafresh
Suave

Companies I wrote to and am waiting to hear from:
Sargento
Band-Aid
Nature Valley
Cascadian Farms
Dole
Nivea
Aveeno
Smart Balance
Fresh Express
Hefty
Morningstar Farms
Clean & Clear

And I still have more to go...

I also got a great VocalPoint package today with lots of $1.50/1 Kashi coupons, a FREE box of Kashi cereal or crackers coupon, and an actual sample snack size box of their Heart to Heart cereal. Checking the mail is FUN! And I also have to give a shout-out to my grandparents who consistently send me cute cards nearly every week, AND the weekly mailing of their insert coupons to me. Yep. I love mail time.

75% savings today

2010-02-27T14:58:00.003-05:00

Today was a good day!

From Publix and Family Dollar today (the only stuff I got from FD was the oatmeal):

4 bottles of Sundown Vitamin D (received overage because they were $2 each, I used $3/2 manufacturer printable coupons, and $6/2 Publix Green Advantage flyer coupons, so I got a lot of overage! WOOHOO!)
2 Sure deodorants (on sale for $2.39 each, and I used $1/1 and $1.50/1 manufacturer insert coupons, plus Publix Green Advantage coupons for $1/1, so they were only a few cents each)
3 Mom's Best Naturals instant oatmeal boxes (were $1.25 each at Family Dollar, used some of my home mailer coupons for $1/1 to make them super cheap)
7 Dannon yogurts (used .60/6 insert coupon)
Dannon yogurt 6-pack (used .60/6 insert coupon)
Multigrain Cheerios (on sale for $1.99, used .75/1 insert... not the best deal but I wanted cereal)
Nature's Own bread
1/2 dozen eggs
spinach
two tomatoes
onion

Spent: $9.99
Saved: $28.92

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,123.31
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Contacting companies

2010-02-25T19:54:00.001-05:00

UPDATE on my contacting companies challenge!
I have been sending emails to companies using the "contact us" forms on their websites, to see how many coupons I could get that way. Here are the results so far:

Companies I received coupons from in the mail:
Dannon yogurt (a couple of coupons and one FREE item coupon)
Snyders pretzels (got a FREE item coupon!)
Friendship dairy products (several coupons, .55/1 and .75/1)
Arnold breads (I even got a PHONE CALL from them, and (2) $1/1 coupons)
Mom's Best oatmeal/cereal ((2) $1/1 oatmeal coupons)
sobe drinks ((2) .50/1 coupons)

Companies I contacted but did not receive coupons from: (I got emails thanking me for my compliments, but unfortunately no coupons.)
All laundry
Breakstone dairy
Stacy's
Nature's Own
Quaker
Muir GLen
Post
Vitamin water
Aquafresh

Companies I wrote to and am waiting to hear from:
Sargento
Band-Aid
Nature Valley
Cascadian Farms
Dole
Nivea
Aveeno
Smart Balance
Fresh Express
Suave
Hefty

And I still have more to go...

Beautiful Day

2010-02-20T16:44:00.003-05:00

The weather today is a-maz-ing. It's about 60 degrees, relatively sunny, and there is a nice little breeze. Yesterday evening I got to spend time with friends on the horseshoe (a large scenic, grassy area at my university) just chilling on the lawn and talking. I survived another week, and I am so thankful to have this weekend to catch up on my homework/chores/etc.

This morning I went to Publix. Some good deals I got this week:

Mueller's whole grain pasta was bogo $1.39, so 65 cents each. I used a 55 cent off coupon from their website for 10 cent pasta.
Green Giant frozen vegetables were $1 each, and I used .50/1 printables, which doubled, so I got these for free.
Betty Crocker muffin mix was bogo $2.59, or $1.30 each, and I used a .50/1 printable, which doubled, making the muffin mix 30 cents. This will probably come in handy for some pot luck event, or when I feel like making muffins for a friend. You never know!

Spent: $15.75
Saved: $12.24

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,094.39
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

CVS

2010-02-14T13:45:00.004-05:00

Well, I should've looked more closely at my receipt, because the two toothpastes rang up at the wrong price ($4.29 instead of $3.50) and that is why my total was higher than expected. Anyway, I got 2 Sobe lifewaters (free because they were on sale for bogo, and I had a bogo coupon) 2 Crest ProHealth toothpastes (free after extrabucks), and a Complete contact solution bottle (used a raincheck and a coupon so it was a moneymaker). I think what happened is that the cashier was kinda new, and she had a lot of trouble with my order and it took a long time. She had to rering up the contact solution, she didn't know how to enter the raincheck into the computer, my ECBS didn't print, and after everything, I felt bad for her and didn't want to give her any more trouble. When I go back I will take the receipt and get a refund. It's not much money anyway but I am entitled to it.

Spent: $3.57
Saved: $19.18

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,082.15
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Snowy fun

2010-02-13T21:59:00.002-05:00

A lot of stuff happened this week. I had three dance performances, and last night, it snowed here quite a bit, which is very rare for the area (Columbia, SC) and that was pretty exciting. For being "legal adults", college students can sure act like little kids when it comes to snow. I think we all experienced that giddy feeling of magic when the snow starts to fall. My performances went well and I am glad they are over, though they were fun, because now I can breathe for a little bit. Okay, I can breathe for a day, because we have another show coming up soon. Hey, I'll take what I can get.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and although I don't have a significant other, I still like to celebrate the friendship love in my life. I do have some awesome friends. ;) They know who they are. I made cute little Valentines to hand out, too.

Publix... the usual stuff, and I didn't do very well this time. :( Sad day.
Spent: $17.13
Saved: $8.82

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,062.97
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Contacting Companies

2010-02-09T21:40:00.003-05:00

This past summer I contacted a lot of companies and complimented them on their products, and I got a ton of coupons in the mail. I've decided that my new project is to contact one company per day (e-mail them) for the rest of the month, and see what I receive. Here is my plan:

February 10: Aquafresh
11: Dannon
12: Hefty
13: Kashi
14: All laundry detergent
15: Snyders pretzels
16: Suave
17: Friendship cottage cheese
18: Breakstone cottage cheese
19: Arnold breads
20: Stacy's pita chips
21: Fresh Express
22: Smart Balance
23: Nabisco wheat thins
24: Aveeno
25: Nivea
26: Degree
27: Dole
28: Advil

And then after that I'll have to come up with more companies! Now I will have something to look forward to when I check the mail, besides my grandmother's weekly letters. :)

Groceries 2/6

2010-02-07T09:36:00.003-05:00

Publix didn't have very many good deals (at least for me, anyway) this week, and I had to get trash bags (why are those things so expensive? They kill my totals) and other stuff. By the way, I think Publix is awesome for playing N*SYNC music in the store... just wanted to throw that out there. ;) I did get some overage from Knox gelatin (I know, I know, I loathe gelatin and condemn that stuff since I"m a vegetarian) by using the $4/1 any Knox product coupon from the 1-24 RP, and bought the small gelatin pack which was about $1.23, so I got almost $3 in the negative with that. I wish I had more of those coupons!

Total spent: $23.32 (EEEKKK!)
Total saved: $13.97

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,045.84
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Birthday Weekend

2010-01-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (January 29) was my 19th birthday and it was a good day. Thursday night I went shag dancing with friends, and last night we just went to Moe's (where I got a meal for free because I had a FREE entree coupon in my email) and then we hung out and played a game and just chilled in my friend's dorm room. Have I mentioned that I have awesome friends?

Anyway, today I had to go to Publix. My favorite freebie this week: Nature Valley granola bars $1.99; used $2/1 peelies

Spent: $21.08
Saved: $20.76

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,031.87
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

2010-01-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

I went to Target and Publix tonight to do my grocery shopping. I got 5 free Reach floss packs at Target (used the $1/1 Reach coupons from a bunch of different inserts) and at Publix I got Bayer Aspirin free by using $1/1 inserts from 1-3-10 and the Publix Green Advantage coupon for $5/2. Those were my freebie deals, and the rest of the stuff was just stuff I needed, like Kashi cereal and yogurt.

Overall:

Spent: $18.69 Saved: $19.79

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $3,011.11
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

I've reached another milestone- $3000 saved! And I like the 11.11. That's lucky. :)

CVS and Publix trip 1/17

2010-01-17T10:02:00.002-05:00

I've got good news and bad news.
I went to CVS first and did the SoyJoy deal (buy a 6 pack of SoyJoy bars for $6, get 6 extrabucks) and that went smoothly and everything was just fine and dandy. I came outside and saw an older man looking at my car, and of course I immediately started freaking out. He had backed into my car with his van. He was very nice, though, and gave me all of his information and insurance stuff, so I will be making some phone calls to find out how to proceed. This has never happened to me before and my car is my baby. Fortunately, the damage is probably very minimal. There are no dents or scratches- he just kinda backed into the passenger side panel where the parking light is, and it popped out a little bit but I was able to pop it back in. It's still loose and I need to make sure the light works, so I'll have to take it into the body shop when I figure everything out with the insurance. Ironically, the parking lot was practically empty; there was my car, his van, and the employee's car on the other side of the lot. What are the chances that he would hit my car? Oh well. Life happens, right? I'm almost ashamed to admit that I got a bit teary-eyed and probably scared the poor guy! Hey, I get emotional about my car!

Total Spent: $0.12
Total Saved: $14.98

Then I went to Publix and got my groceries while talking on the phone with my dad (and also my brother, who I woke up because he knows more about this than I do, even though he's younger than me- he's a good sport!) and I managed to get some good deals and freebies.

Total Spent: $23.52
Total Saved: $18.23

That's more than I usually spend at the store by about $10, but I'll chalk it up to just getting back in the state and needing to restock what I have. ;)

Some freebies this week:

Scotties facial tissue $1 each

- use .50/1 printable which doubles to make it free

Dentek flossers $1 each

- use $1/1 from today's SS insert to make it free

Halls cough drops BOGO $1.67

-use .50/1 printable which doubles; you get an overage of about .17 for each package

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $2,991.32
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Thoughts and ramblings

2010-01-15T21:27:00.005-05:00

I'm currently in the middle of a great book, The Omnivore's Dilemma (Pollan), and I wanted to recommend it for... well, pretty much anybody, but especially those of us that do the grocery shopping for ourselves or for our family.

As consumers, we have a choice about what we buy. There are so many different brands and different labels and ingredients out there... so how does one make a conscious choice about what to purchase? What are we putting in our carts? Perhaps most importantly, how ethical are the agriculture and meat industries, and how do we play a role, as consumers, in those industries?

This book is a real eye-opener. It'll make you think, and re-think, and that's why I like it so much. I'm pretty opinionated when it comes to ethics and particularly vegetarianism, but you don't have to share my sentiments to enjoy this book. It explores where our food comes from. I've learned a lot about government subsidiaries and their effect on the market, and about this tangled web that comprises the American food industry. WE are part of the food industry, too, though.

I'll post more when I finish this book. It's required reading for one of my classes!

Rebate came

2010-01-13T14:46:00.003-05:00

Remember the Pink Together rebate I did a while back, in October? I received my check in the mail for $5 the other day. Woohoo- that's $5 easy money for buying free yogurt when it was on sale combined with coupons at Publix. I'll have to start a new running total for profit earned.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL 2009: $2,958.11
PROFIT EARNED FROM REBATES SINCE JAN. 2010: $5

Back to school

2010-01-11T17:59:00.002-05:00

Today was my first day of classes for the Spring semester, and I'm tired... but excited about my classes because I think they will be great!

I flew in on Saturday night and spent all day Sunday running around, getting ready, buying obscenely overpriced textbooks (even though they were used), taking care of some routine car maintenance, and cleaning my dorm. I managed to get to Publix on Saturday night to pick up some groceries, and saved $8.77 there, although I didn't have time to plan out a better trip... so I thought I'd mention it anyway.

I just saw the sneak preview of next week's Publix ad, and it looks pretty good. :)
CVS the week of 1/17-1/23 is having another SoyJoy deal (most people have an opinion on SoyJoy bars... they either love them or hate them) with the 6 packs. Buy a 6-pack for $6, get 6 extrabucks, so free after extrabucks,

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,958.11

Finished Plarn bag

2010-01-08T12:23:00.004-05:00

Here is my new shopping tote, made from plastic bags! I like the different colors and I wish I had more of those bags, but the majority of it is made up of Target/Walmart bags that I found in my house.

Also, here is another recipe that I made and thought was really good, easy, and cheap.

Artichoke Ravioli
serves 6

Ingredients

2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese ravioli
1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) whole mushrooms, drained
1 can (2-1/2 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and return to the pan. Add the spaghetti sauce, artichokes, mushrooms and olives; gently toss.
Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

___________________________

I know, I know... where are the coupons?! I'm going back to school so I will be back in South Carolina tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be back on track.

Great recipe

2010-01-04T11:26:00.002-05:00

I cooked this last night and it was a big hit, even with the very picky brother. We didn't have cheddar cheese, so I just used Mexican style cheese for that instead, and it turned out fine. Most of the ingredients were already in the pantry, so it was very cheap and easy to make! My family added chicken to it since they like that. Anyway, it was very good and I will be making it again for sure! It would also be tasty in tortillas, or served with chips.

SOUTHWEST VEGETARIAN BAKE

Serves 8

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1-1/2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 ounces) Mexicorn, drained
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 cup salsa
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until tender.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, Mexicorn, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese, pepper and rice. Transfer to a shallow 2-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with onion and olives.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

2009-12-30T18:15:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and got to spend time with family and friends! I know I did. It's nice to be home. I haven't had much time to do any great deals (which haven't been that great lately) but I did save $6.34 at Kroger today on a small grocery trip. Sadly a bunch of coupons will be expiring after tomorrow.

I've been working on a cool project that I thought would be good to mention here. I'm all about being eco-friendly, and I always use reusable shopping bags when I shop. If you like to knit or crochet, you could make a plarn bag using plastic baggies! I'm about halfway done with my first bag and it's pretty neat, sturdy, and a good way to upcycle those plastic bags that are gathering around the house. I like to use different colors of bags to make it interesting. I'll be sure to post a photo when I'm done!

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,949.34

CVS 12/20

2009-12-21T12:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday, 12/20) I went to CVS and got a Nivea bodywash (which was free after extabucks, and I had a $2/1 printable coupon for it) and 3 Thermacare neck/shoulder wraps. There was another couponer there at the same time I was! Luckily the store was fully stocked, so no, there was no epic rushing to snag the last bodywash or anything like that. My life is not that exciting. ;)

Spent: $0.00
Saved: $13.46

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,942.96

Home for Christmas

2009-12-17T11:17:00.003-05:00

I'm home for winter break! Yahoo!

Since I've been home, I've just done some little trips. I went to Target and got more .39 Morningstar Farms products, and saved $32.94 there. Today I had to go to Wal-Mart to pick up some stuff for my family, so I used up my Kashi homemailer coupons for $3/1 GoLean! Crunch cereal, which was priced at $2.88, so I got those for negative cents. :) Savings at Wal-Mart: $15.55.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,929.50

Morningstar Farms

2009-12-10T17:25:00.006-05:00

I went to Target and used the $2/1 Morningstar Farms coupons combined with the $2/2 Target coupon. The veggie burgers were $3.34 (and I think the other items had varying prices, maybe a couple dimes more for the chicken patties, but I'm not sure exactly what that price was). I'm really happy that Target finally this Morningstar Farms deal because I was beginning to get worried that I wouldn't be able to use my coupons before they expire (12/31) and MSF is probably my favorite thing to get for cheap and stockpile (other favorite things: cereal, granola bars, and toilet paper- which is my hardest thing to find) and when I go home (*squeal* Saturday morning at 6:30 AM) I'll be able to do the deal MORE at my home Target with the rest of my coupons.

There is a great Glade deal going on at Target right now, where you buy 5 of the holiday scented Glade items, and get a $5 giftcard. Comhine that with the SC Johnson rebate, and it's a moneymaker. The items are $2.50 each, and I've got coupons for "buy one scented oil, get one refill free" and there are also coupons INSIDE the tins, so it works out like this:

(5) Glade tins/glass holders $2.50 each = $12.50
(5) Glade refills $2.50 each = $12.50
________________
-(5) Glade tins/glass holder $1.50 Q = -$6
-(5) Glade refill free WYB holder $2.50 Q = -$12.50
Total $5 plus tax, then get $10 in Target gift cards

THEN submit for the SC Johnson rebate ($5 back for every 3 qualifiying items)= MONEY MAKER

Unfortunately, they were out of stock of the holiday scents, so I couldn't do it. It seems that a lot of people are having this problem, and there are no rainchecks for this deal. :( I'm going to keep trying.

I'm going home for winter break (as soon as I'm done with my finals) and I will have ample time to COUPON when I'm at home. Now the only problem is this: how do I get my coupons on the plane? I'm worried about the volume they will take up in my suitcase. I'm gonna have to check out the airline's extra baggage policy...

(4) Morningstar Farms veggie burger packages
Spent: $1.48
Saved: $12.00

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,881.02

Finals Week

2009-12-08T14:28:00.002-05:00

I didn't have much time but I did stop at Publix and pick up a few things. I'm about to go back home for winter break so I don't need to buy a whole bunch of stuff right now, because it'll just be sitting in the fridge. I spent $8.47 and saved $22.81, on 4 boxes of oatmeal, a couple of yogurts, tomato, onion, 6 eggs, 5 Scotch tapes (free because they are BOGO $1.99, and I used $1/1 coupons from the Publix Winter Family Savings booklet), 2 vitamins, Publix bleach (penny item for donation), and I think that's it.

TOTAL SAVED SINCE APRIL: $2,869.02