A Light Week at the Old Grocery Store

Writing a blog is tricky. You never want to sound like…”let me tell you about me"  and yet you wanta tell stories that get people thinking, excited, inspired. I am constantly asking my friend to read a potential post and asking him…”Does it sound like I am  bragging in any way?”  And let’s be honest... if I am bragging about coupon usage, I should try to rev up my life a bit, don’t you think? I mean, seriously.

Anywhos….here’s a different way to look at it. When I looked at my cupboard this week, I didn’t really need much, but I had two rain checks for Wisk ($2.99 each) hanging out in my purse that I needed to use before they expired. I also needed another fruit item to get me through the week. So, I had a short list:

So:

Strawberries:                                                               $2.16

Wisk            : $2.99 subtract $1.00 printable coupon = $1.99

Wisk            : $2.99 subtract $1.00 printable coupon = $1.99

                                                            Pretax Total    $6.14

I ended up spending $9.29 total that day. The reason I spent a few more dollars was because there were so many free things!

Things on the left were free and things on the right I paid for:

FREE!

5 packets of Kool-aid! (Enter sweet nephews enjoying that)

Carefree Product

4 Nestle Candy Bars (don’t judge unless you have never bought a candy bar!)

2 Suave Deodorants

A Power Bar, Protein Plus bar and a Pure Protein bar

I bought 6 energy bars. I had coupons for buy one get one free. They were on sale for $1.00, $1.00 and $1.25, And yet when the coupons were swiped, instead of taking away $1.00, $1.00 and $1.25 to subtract the free part of Buy One Get One Free, the coupons scanned $2.39, $1.99 and $1.00. I guess that the coupons scan the original price of the item.  So, all in all, I got 6 bars for $1.13! 

The additional $1.06 was spent on a Suave deodorant. I had a coupon for $2.00 off 3 Suave products. Since they were on sale for $1.06, the first two were pretty much free but I had to commit to 3.

So, that is how it went down this week. A short list out of the gate but decided to spend a few more dollars, in order that a lot of it could be free. What are your stories?

Coupon Databases: A simple tool for conscious couponers

So, you may have decided, I just can't do it.
"I can't shop the circular."
"I can't look on a coupon match site" (a site that matches weekly store sales with available coupons).
" I can't ....(fill in the blank)."

You know that what works for you is that you keep one of these handy dandy magnetic lists on your fridge



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and each time you get low on/run out of an item, you put it on the list. With list in hand, you go to the store. But before you do, use a coupon database. Google "coupon database" and after finding one that you like (I like weusecoupons.com) you can quickly type each item on your list into the simple search engine and check and see if each item on your list has a coupon available that you can print/cut.  A coupon database looks like this and provides informaition like this:




It's a simple search engine!!! It tells you if a coupon is available, it's value, the source and the expiration date.
Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Ms. Pacman and the Rest

When I was little, we always shopped at Mick or Mack. I have no memory of going to any other grocery store but I remember a lot about that place.

I remember that you drove your car around to the front of the building under a covered driveway after you paid for your groceries and the attendant loaded your groceries into the back seat. We didn’t tip him. I think it was like Ukrops, you weren’t really supposed to.

I remember that they had Ms. Pacman and I would settle in until my quarters ran out  Then, I would run around the store looking for my mama (I call her mom now) and pick out the cereal I wanted for the week.

I remember that one day one of us kids got some sugar babies and my mom ate one in the car on the way out of the parking lot and darned if that baby didn’t pull her cap off or her cavity or something! What was that mom?

I don’t remember if my mom used coupons back then, but I remember there were these little green stamps and eventually she collected enough to have a whole set of dishes. They had strawberries on them, I think. Had those in my first apartment.

I never remember dreading to go to the store for all of those reasons. It’s still kind of fun today for different reasons but it would be WAY better if my mama, Ms. Pacman and the Mick or Mack attendant were there.

30 cent kids days at CMOR on the 30th: Expires May 30th



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The Children's Museum of Richmond (CMOR) is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. So.... on the 30th of each month, a children's admission cost only 30 cent!  An adult admission ticket is required as well as a a ratio of 5 or less children for every 1 child. There are two locations on Broad Street, one in the east end of the city and one on the west. Click here for more deals/opportunities on this day.

Sprucing Up Your Home In Some Inexpensive Ways

This year, I've really enjoyed following the blog Richmond Thrifter. I am not anywhere near as crafty as  Erin, the writer of that blog, but I think we have all little parts of our house that we created on a dime that we are proud of. I'd love for you to tell me about yours and maybe we can inspire each other. My very talented college roommate gave me the idea for a few of these.



Every room needs a few pops of black. I sewed this grosgrain ribbon to the top of the shower curtain!




This bathroom mirror was a purchase from Lowes and about $150 less than the Pottery Barn equivalent.





More grosgrain ribbon glued to a simple drum shade!




Houndstooth wallpaper attached with double sided duck tape!



I love a two-toned step. White paint and primer required!

I love this little corner of my bedroom with the ceramic bird that my grandmother painted.



I love this little part of my dining room. I got all these items on sale or clearance at Homegoods and stitched the curtains with a simple hem!








Picked this mirror at TJ Maxx for a steal and turned it on it's side.



I painted and recovered my grandmother's sewing bench.

Left over fabric from that project in a frame that I spray painted.

Send me your pictures of your DIY projects and I'll post them!

Wednesday Weed Out: Clothes

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Some of you might be thinking...."You say that Wednesday Weed Out should only take 30 minutes!"   Depending on how many closets /people you have in your home, you may have to pick one or two closets. A few reasons for this clean-out.

-It's almost summer and it's time to, if nothing else, make sure your summer clothes are ready for you! 
-Reason number two is that Gap is joining with Goodwill. Consumers who bring clothing donations into their local Gap store through May 29 earn a 30% discount on purchases that day, including both regularly priced and sale merchandise.   A friend of mine took his clothes directly to Goodwill and received a 30% off coupon to the Gap, so that might work for you too.

Clothes:
-Do you need it?
-Do you love it?
-Does it fit?

Try to make sure that everything you keep is something you can say "YES!" to each of those questions!

Magazine Deals For Father's Day: Expires 5/27/11

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Here are some great deals for Father's Day! See if any of these are interests of your dad.
Men's Fitness           1 Year         $4.39   Deal is ON and EXPIRES 5/24/11

Reader's Digest        2 Years       $15       Deal is ON and EXPIRES  5/25/11

Wine Enthusiast        1 Year         $4.39    Deal is ON and EXPIRES 5/27/11


To get any of these deals, click on THIS LINK.

Great Website For Online Deals

I heard about this website one morning when I was watching one of the morning news shows and I try to cheeck it before I order from or head out to a department store or chain store kind of place. Dealio.com offers an easy to use search engine that allows you to type in a particular store and it pulls up any sales or coupon offers that store currently has made available.  For example, I needed to order a bridesmaid dress from JCrew.com last week but before going to the website, I checked dealio.com to make sure I didn't miss any offers that JCrew had for me. I ran aross a coupon code for free shipping which I promptly used. A second way to use the site is to breeze through the top deals that are being offerred each week. These are listed on the website. These may offer some inspriation if say you are heading out to the mall for a gift and don't have any ideas. Knowing what stores are offering sales may narrow it down a bit and prevent a lot of aimless wandering. There are hundreds of stores that dealio profiles on your behalf. Enjoy!

Parents: $3.76 for One Year: Expires June 5, 2011



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Going to a baby shower this summer? Here is a great gift for a great deal!  If you click on THIS LINK and enter coupon code WKLYSPEC you will receive a year's subscription of Parents Magazine for $3.76.

Looking for more magazine deals?  click here.

Free Pint of Benjamin Moore Paint: Expires 6/30/11





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Have a small painting project you want to tackle but dread being little pints or quarts of paints as testers? Here is a chance to experiment for free! Go to the this link on facebook and "like" Benjamin Moore to immediately receive a printable coupon for a free pint of paint.

Thanks Coupon Cravings!

Wednesday Weed Out: Tupperware

It's Wednesday, so that means it's time to spend less than 30 minutes simplifying your house by tackling a small project. Tupperware!! (Editor's note: Tupperware is a brand name which now is part of our regular lexicon for all plastic ware!! I only REALLY realized that when I was typing it.)
 If you are like me, you have an assortment of tupperware.  I have some great rubbermaid plastic wear and I then I have a lot of butter containers or containers that sliced turkey was packaged in. Here are some ways to think about it as you start:


1. Find all of your tupperware, tops and bottoms.
2. Start matching tops and bottoms
3. Set aside those that don't have a top or bottom.
4. Sort the same type of containers. For example, I have 3 of the same type and size of gladware (you know the kind that was meant to give away, but you use this as much as you do the "good stuff").
5. Take a sharpie and number tops and bottoms. So, like the 3 I just must mentioned that I had sorted....all those tops match all those bottoms. So, I label them all "1" with a sharpie. Any top that has a "1" will match any bottom that is labeled "1".
6. So on and so on. This way you don't have to spend a lot of time trying  lid after lid. Just peruse your lids for the correct number!
7. After you have labeled all your tops and bottoms with a sharpie, return them to your tupperware drawer.

IMPORTANT SIDEBAR: Some people have shelves of tupperware. If you have more than one shelf in your cabinet and you are convinced you need all of it (probably don't), then you can label each shelf: "Tupperware 1-3"  and next shelf  "Tupperware 4-6" etc. So, after you wash your tupperware and put it away, you can at least return it to the correct shelf. If this is you, I would actually decide what you are going to put on each shelf and fit them nicely and THEN do step 5 (write on your tupperware)

8. If you are a tupperware hoarder  lover and can't stand the idea of tossing any, consider this. Keep a reasonable amount and return that to your allotted space. Keep the rest in a bag out of the kitchen...maybe the basement... or a out of reach cabinet and see how many times you reach for it. Likely, you won't.  Likely, you will wash what you use and return it to it's spot and most of the tuppeware never gets used. (Kind of like tee shirts...we just wash the top ones and never get to the bottom of the pile!)  You can also get this bag of tupperware out when you are sending a doggie bag  home with a dinner guest! If you haven't used the tupperware in the bag in 6 months, that is your clue that you have as much as you need in your cabinets.


 9. As for the bottoms that didn't have tops, recycle the tops and see if the bottoms are useful in organizing something else in you home (packs of gum, salad dressing packets, etc).

Here's what I did!

Before picture! I couldn't close the drawer when everything was clean!

Can you see the little sharpie numbers?

Here are some that I will send home with someone as a doggie bag!

HHGregg $10 coupon: Expires 5/21/11

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HHGregg is thanking their customers by offering a printable coupon for $10 off your next purchase of $10 or more. That means you can get a $10 item for free! Well,  you'll pay taxes but otherwise free. Click here to get to the coupon but the tricky part is that you need to print the PAGE. It seems that clicking on other parts of the actual coupon or page does not result in a coupon. 

.

Shape Magazine: One Year Subscription for $4.39. Offer on and expires 5/16/11



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Want some inspiration for your work-outs?  Follow this link to receive Shape magazine for 12 months at this special price of $4.39.(This is about a $13 savings from their website price). You can only get this deal ON MONDAY 5/16/11.

A Printable Old Navy Coupon for 50% Off: Expires 5/15/11

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Old Navy is offering a printable coupon for 50% one regularly priced item IN THEIR store. Here's the coupon! Go quickly, it expires 5/15/11.

Newspaper Subscription Deals



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Maybe you are convinced to use coupons, maybe not. That's ok too. If you are, I wanted to share a tip about the Richmond Times Dispatch (RTD), for you Richmonders. I bet the same would apply in many of your hometowns....it's all in the  ASK.
The ask means you have to call. I know....online ordering is so efficient, but you can't schmooze the computer. So, I ask Rob at RTD if there was any deals going on and told him that I had googled something and found that RTD had a deal of 8 weeks of the Sunday paper for $10.00 (but it appeared to be expired).  That is $1.25 a paper! In fact it WAS expired, but he told me that there was another deal of 8 weeks of the Sunday Paper for $12.00. Not as good at $1.50 but much better than the online cost of $2.25 a paper.

The kicker is that after 8 weeks, they shift you to the regular price of $2.25 a paper, so you have to remember to call and cancel if that is too steep for you. But if you curious about this couponing stuff, this might be the deal you need to take the next step. I don't get any props from RTD for saying this, by the way.
Rob was super nice and his wife coupons too. :)

Food Pantry Update

There is a show called Extreme Couponing on TLC that  I have a lot of feelings about. Sometimes when I am watching that show, I have great concern for the compulsive behaviors I see. I think that people who use coupons in excess will eventually cause companies to reconsider the way that they offer coupons to customers and/or eliminate coupons altogether. On the other hand, I have learned some tips.  I do respect those who chose that route when their families fell on tough times/unemployment and resisted government assistance. However you feel about it, it has stimulated conversation.. One day a cashier who was checking out my groceries and acknowledging how many coupons I had said, "People really are shopping more carefully now a days." There's nothing wrong with that.

All that to say, the show did inspire me to help stock our food pantry at church. I asked a few women to save their coupons for me and they graciously did. I have promised you the results and here they are!  (Thanks Mom for helping with some of the shopping!) All in all it was about a 90% savings. I won't be able to do it again for a while, as bridesmaid season is upon me and the "to do list" is a-changing!  I did want to show you the results so that you can be inspired to give small ways like this.

	Price	Actual	Savings
Dole Pineapple	$       1.49	$        1.00	$       0.49
Dole Pineapple	$       1.49	$             -	$       1.49
Total Cereal	$       3.29	$        0.29	$       3.00
Total Cereal	$       3.29	$        0.29	$       3.00
Maruchan	$       0.99	$             -	$       0.99
Maruchan	$       0.99	$             -	$       0.99
Maruchan	$       0.99	$             -	$       0.99
Maruchan	$       0.99	$             -	$       0.99
Suave Deod	$       0.99	$             -	$       0.99
Suave Deod	$       1.08	$             -	$       1.08
Spicy Brown Mustard	$       1.99	$        0.49	$       1.50
Spicy Brown Mustard	$       1.99	$        0.19	$       1.80
Chex Mix	$       1.50	$        0.50	$       1.00
Chex Mix	$       1.50	$        0.50	$       1.00
Elbow Macaroni	$       1.49	$        0.24	$       1.25
Elbow Macaroni	$       1.49	$        0.24	$       1.25
Gain Fabric Sheets	$       3.25	$        0.25	$       3.00
Nivea Body Wash	$       4.15	$        0.79	$       3.36
French Mustard	$       2.99	$        1.09	$       1.90
French Mustard	$       2.99	$        1.09	$       1.90
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$             -	$       1.05
Reach Dental Floss	$       1.05	$        0.50	$       0.55
Reach Toothbrush	$       4.09	$      (0.50)	$       4.59
Reach Toothbrush	$       4.09	$      (0.50)	$       4.59
Reach Toothbrush	$       4.09	$      (0.50)	$       4.59
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$      (0.01)	$       2.00
Ronzoni Pasta	$       1.99	$        0.49	$       1.50
Dole Pineapple	$       1.49	$        1.00	$       0.49
Dole Pineapple	$       1.49	$             -	$       1.49
Pillsbury Frosting	$       1.99	$        0.70	$       1.29
Honey Bunches of Oats	$       3.09	$             -	$       3.09
Pillsbury Frosting	$       1.99	$        0.70	$       1.29
Colgate	$       1.87	$             -	$       1.87
Colgate	$       1.87	$             -	$       1.87
Colgate	$       1.87	$        0.25	$       1.62
Pasta, MC, Soup, VS	$       5.20	$        1.05	$       4.15
Breakfast Bars	$       3.00	$             -	$       3.00
Total	$  100.32	$      10.07	$    90.25