Welcome Ephrata Readers

I spoke to the ladies of my parent's church ward tonight and their Enrichment meeting about couponing. They had asked me to speak for 15 minutes and I didn't want to overwhelm them. It turned out that they seem to be really interested and asked a lot of great questions. It was so fun to talk to a group that really wants to start couponing. A lot of times I feel the empty stares and get the "you're crazy" look. I gave them our blog address and want to welcome them!!

For those of you who attended the meeting tonight I realized that I forgot to mention a very important thing. I thought it would be ok to put it on our blog because it is a good reminder to our other readers. In order to stockpile you are going to need several Sunday papers (or in the case of the gals tonight their Saturday paper, that's right they get all of their inserts on Saturday, so LUCKY!). You can either buy them at the newsstand or have them delivered. Some of the gals in Idaho and Utah order 4-6 Sunday papers to be delivered and get a significant price break. (They pay as little as 60 cents for each paper.) They work it out with their local papers. http://www.athriftymom.com/ is a great example of how to do this. If you look on the right hand side of her blog I believe she has a section that talks about how she does this. I have tried to do this in California and my paper will not do this. They tell me that I have to pay full price for each subscription ordered. For those of you that I talked to tonight it might be worth it just to try it with The Wenatchee World and see if they will work out a deal with you. I would suggest couponing for a few weeks first in order to see if it is for you and then maybe do the multiple paper thing. Even if you end up paying full price for 4-6 papers weekly it is worth it because you save so much money with the coupons that you get. You will pay for that weeks worth of papers in your first transaction of the week with what you end up saving. Also VERY IMPORTANT, there are no inserts on the big weekend holidays. I know that Memorial Weekend we did not ge any. I am not sure how many weekends we don't get them, but if you go to http://www.southernsavers.com/ and click on her inserts tab she tells you what inserts to expect in your weekend paper. That is an excellent source to check before you buy your papers. This way you will know what you are looking for and if it is a weekend without inserts you won't want to go buy a bunch of papers.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention all of this to those of you who were there tonight because it's a very important part of building your stockpile. Happy Shopping-Amber

Walgreens Trip Today

(this is a repost from April for new readers to learn the rules for using Register Rewards at Walgreens)

Total before coupons = $73.00

Total after coupons = $17.26

Register Rewards for next week=$5.00

This is an EXCELLENT week at Walgreens for anyone who is getting started. I had $5 RR going into it. I was a little disappointed because my game plan was messed up from the start. They didn't have any of the Ecotrin pain reliever left. This was a $2 money maker. I actually got it from another Walgreens on the way home. If you are starting out without any RR's I would suggest a first transaction of the Nivea Body Wash. You will pay $4.99+tax oop to get you started, but you will get a $5 RR and then you can start rolling them. What that means is that you can buy other items that produce and RR with the $5 RR you get from the Body Wash.

VERY IMPORTANT LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM OTHER BLOGGERS :
Most Walgreens cashier's do not know these things.

1. If you buy an item and use a Manufacturer's coupon for an item that is advertised to produce an RR, the RR for the item SHOULD still print out.

2. If you pay for an item that is supposed to print an RR with an RR from a DIFFERENT item another RR SHOULD still print out. So for example. I used my Nivea Body Wash RR to pay for my Schick Intuition Razor and my $3 RR for the razor still printed out. (Cashier's will try and tell you it won't work. They think this because if you try and use your RR for your Nivea to purchase another Nivea the RR will not print out. If you keep track of what your RR was from and use it for a different product, it should work. If I am saving it for another week I usually write on them what they were for.) I know this is all VERY confusing if you have not shopped at Walgreens, however once you start playing with it you will get the idea. It takes a few times and a few mistakes, but it comes with time. You can always ask me questions.

3. Another VERY important thing to note is that the RR is considered a Manufacturer's coupon. So if you have a Manufacturer's coupon for each item that you are buying and some RR's you must have 1 item per 1 coupon. So if you don't have the right ratio the register will beep because you have too many coupons. You need to use what is called a "filler" item. This is just a cheap item to count as your 1/1 ration with your RR's. Some of the ladies blogs that I read say to get a small candy item such as $.05 caramels. I cannot find anything that cheap at ours. My kids like the cheese and cracker snacks that they have for $1 and I like gummi bears so that is what I chose today.

4. One lady whose blog I read said to use your RR coupons first. They are the highest and you want to use the most $$ amount first. Then use your Manufacturer's coupons from there. Once you get into the tax the coupons will beep because you HAVE to pay the tax.

I REALLY hope you can understand what I have tried to explain. It is SO confusing if you have not played around with the coupons and RR's at Walgreens.

Walgreen's Deals - A Thrifty mom found here and Southern Savers found here. I personally love the "working Walgreens" section at the bottom of Southern Savers. Thank you to those gals for getting such amazing lists every week.

My favorite deal of this week was the Campbell's Soup. There was a coupon in the Walgreen's ad for $.59 each (limit 6) and a printable. You could only print 2 Campbell's coupons from each computer, but that made each can $.09 each.

If you go to this link you will find out how to get a free nursing cover. There are still pink and blue left.

http://fistfullofcoupons.blogspot.com/2009/06/great-baby-shower-gift-idea-free-udder.html

Thanks Tansy for posting the wonderful Target information. I am in Washington for three weeks so I will not be shopping or doing any research. Thanks to those finding deals for sharing while I am gone. Amber

Target Deals

I belong to a group called LDS Deals & Steals on Baby Center's message boards. This was a post from one of the members:

This week there are lots of great deals at Target! For those of you who may not have CVS/Walgreens to do diaper deals, Target has one this week!

Here are all the things I saw:

WEEKLY GIFT CARD DEALS:

*Buy 3 Huggies Snug & Dry, Little Movers, or Little Snugglers diapers or Pull-Ups training pants - $8.99, get a $5 Target gift card (even if you don't have coupons, the $8.99 price is great for diapers!)

There are $3/1 printable coupons for the Pull-Ups here (you can print two per computer)

There are $2/1 printable coupons for the Little Snugglers or Little Movers diapers here (you can print two per computer)

There were also $1.50/1 Huggies diapers coupons in the 5/17 SS#2 and $2/1 Huggies Pull Ups in the 6/14 (today) SS insert

There are also $2/1 Target Huggies coupons that came in a recent home mailer.

Here are some scenarios:

SCENARIO #1:
Buy 3 Pull-Ups - $8.99/each

Use 3 $3 Pull-Ups printables
Use $5 Target gift card (if you have one)

Spend $12.97 OOP, get a $5 gift card

SCENARIO #2:
Buy 3 Huggies diapers - $8.99/each

Use 3 $2 Huggies printables
Use $5 Target gift card (if you have one)

Spend $15.97 OOP, get a $5 Target gift card

***Don't forget to save your receipts to submit to Caregivers Marketplace (you need receipts for at least five jumbo packs before you can submit). You will get .75 back per jumbo pack!

*Buy 5 of the following frozen treats: 1 pint Ben & Jerry's, 1.5 qt Breyer's, 6 pk Klondike Bars, or 24 ct Popsicles - $2.50/each, get a $5 Target gift card

The following insert coupons match with this deal:
*$1/1 Breyers Ice Cream, Any 1.5 Quart + - 05-17-09 RP (YMMV on the amount - they ranged from .60/1-$1/2 depending on your area)
*$1/1 Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Sorbet, or Frozen Yogurt, Any Pint (this is from a tear pad)
*$1/1 Ben & Jerry's Flipped Out Ice Cream, Any - (this is from the Food Lion Sweet Dreams Booklet)
*$1/2 Klondike bars printable here

SCENARIO #1:
Buy 5 Breyer's ice cream - $2.50/each

Use 5 $1/1 coupons
Use $5 Target Gift card

Spend $2.50 OOP, get a $5 Target gift card

SCENARIO #2:
Buy 5 Ben & Jerry's pints - $2.50/each

Use 5 $1/1 coupons
use $5 Target gift card

Spend $2.50 OOP, get a $5 Target gift card

SCENARIO #3:
Buy 5 Klondike bars - $2.50/each

use 2 $1/2 coupons
Use $5 Target gift card

Spend $5.50 OOP, get a $5 Target gift card

*Buy 3 Kellogg's cereals (ad specifies 18.2 oz Raisin Bran Crunch, 16.5 oz Cocoa Krispies, or 12 oz Apple Jacks), get free milk
$1/1 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, or Apple Jacks Cereal, Any 10 Oz. + - 06-07-09 RP

*Buy 3 Lean Cuisine frozen meals ($2/each), get a free Lean Pockets
$1/4 Lean Cuisine, Any - 05-03-09 SS
Buy 2, Get One free coupon in July All You magazine (get 3 Lean Cuisines and a Lean Pockets for $4!)

*Buy DiGiorno pizza - $5.50, get a free 2 liter Coke product
$1/1 printable from coupons.com (no longer available)

*Buy Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh lunch meat (14.7 oz) and Kraft cheese singles (16 oz), get a free Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh lunch meat (lunch meat and cheese priced at $2.79/each)

*Buy 2 16 oz Archer Farms yellow or blue tortilla chips ($2.33/each), get free Archer Farms salsa (16 oz)
Use $1/1 Archer Farms chips printable here or here

*Buy 1 Welch's Squeezable grape jelly (22 oz) and Skippy peanut butter (15-16.3 oz), get free 24 oz Orowheat bread (jelly and peanut butter priced at $1.79/each)
$1/2 Welch's 22oz squeezable jam, jelly, spread (any flavor) or 18.8 oz reduced sugar spread (any flavor), 3-29-09 SS
.40/1 Skippy Peanut Butter Product, Any 15 Oz. + - 04-05-09 Unilever

*Driscoll strawberries or raspberries - $1.99/each
Use $1/1 Target printable here or here = $.99/each!

*Pepsi products on sale (prices not listed in my ad) - Use $1/1 Pepsi 12 pk coupons here or here

*Banana Boat Sunblock - $6.69/each
$2/1 printable here - $4.49 after coupon!

OTHER DEALS:
*There is a $1/1 ReNu contact solution printable on coupons.com (see the blue link on my right side bar). There are travel-sized contact solutions priced at $1 in the travel section at many Target stores. Use the coupon and get it free - graet for summer travel! (Thanks Money Saving Mom!)

*There are Vaseline Aloe Fresh travel size lotions priced at $.99. Use the $1/1 printable coupon here or the $1.25/1 coupon from the 5-17 RP insert to get them for free!

*There are Nexcare travel-sized bandages for $.99. Use the $1/1 printable here to get them for free

*Cottonelle Travel-sized wipes are .97. Use the $1/1 coupon from the 6/7 SS insert to get them for FREE (thanks Stretching a Buck!)

*Baked Lays are $3. There is a $1/1 printable on Smartsource.com (print it fast because they tend to go quickly!)

*Degree for Men Deodorant - $2.49 - Use the $1.50/1 printable here and the $1/1 manufacturer's coupon from the 5/17 RP insert = FREE deodorant!

*Glade scented oil tins are on price cut for $1.67 through 6/22 (at my stores only the Dewberry scent is on sale). There is a $1.50 coupon inside (it's right on top when you open it up reportedly - I haven't found any yet), so after coupon, they are .17/each!

Here's a picture of what they look like:



The following Target coupons expire on 6/20/09 and are available through the coupon generators on HCW or AFC:

*Archer Farms chips, 6-oz. or larger - $1/1 - use this with the chips and salsa deal this week! (see above)

*Archer Farms Hot dogs or Smoked Sausage - $1/1

*Chex Mix snack mixes, 6-oz. or larger - $1/2
$1/2 Chex Mix Or Chex 100 Calorie Snack Mix, Any - 06-07-09 SS
.50/1 printable here (must register) and on coupons.com

*Dixie disposable Bowls, Plates, or Grab 'n Go cups - $1/1
.50/1 Dixie Or Dixie Ultra Paper Plates Or Bowls, Any - 05-10-09 RP

*Driscoll's strawberries, 1- or 2-lb. - $1/1 - they are on sale this week for $1.99 (see above!)

*Frito-Lay Smartfood popcorn, 5 oz multipack - $1/1
$1/1 Smartfood Brand Snacks, Any 5 Oz. + - 05-03-09 SS

*Hefty trash bags - $1/1
$2/1 Hefty Trash Or Lawn & Leaf Bags, Any - 05-17-09 RP
$2/1 Hefty Tall Kitchen Bags, Any - 05-17-09 RP

*Kraft Mayo, Miracle Whip, or Salad Dressing - $1/1
$1/1 printable on coupons.com or here (must register) (coupons.com printable is no longer available for print)

*Morningstar Farms products - $2/2
$1/1 printable here

*Pepperidge Farms Hot dog or Hamburger buns - $0.75/1

*Pepsi beverage, 12-pk. - $1/1 - these are on sale this week - check your store for prices!

*Sutton & Dodge steakhouse quality choice Angus beef: Steak or Roast - $1/1 - check your store for markdowns!

*Target Brand Napkins or 40-ct. antibacterial moist wipes - $0.50/1

The following coupons expire on 7/4/09:

*Archer Farms deli cheese in the Deli Dept., 1-lb. or more - $1/1

*Archer Farms deli meat in the Deli Dept., 1-lb. or more - $1.50/1

*Gain Laundry detergent or Fabric softener - $1/1
$1/1 PG Year of Savings booklet

*Green Giant Iceberg Lettuce or 3-ct. Romaine Hearts - $0.50/1

*Ming Tsai dry dinner kit - $1/1

*Nivea My Silhouette body cream - $1/1

*Pace salsa - $0.50/1
$1/1 Pace Picante Or Salsa, Any 15 Oz. + - 04-26-09 SS (amounts of this coupon vary by location from .50/2 to $2/1)

*Produce item (1) AND Hefty Fresh Extend bags, 20-ct. - $1/2

*Tuna Helper, Chicken Helper, or Hamburger Helper - $1/2
$1/3 Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, or Chicken Helper Skillet Meals, Any - 06-07-09 SS
.75/3 Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, or Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals, Any - 05-31-09 SS
.80/3 printable on coupons.com

*Ziploc Bags or Containers - $1/1
$1/2 Ziploc Brand Bags, Any - 05-10-09 SS
$1.50/2 Ziploc Brand Containers, Any - 05-10-09 SS

*The Ziploc containers and bags are priced at $2.49 at my stores - so you can get Ziploc containers for .74/each with coupons or Ziploc bags for $.99/each with coupons!

Melissa

Follow my $40/wk grocery budget and find more bargains here: http://melziemomsbargains.blogspot.com/

Walgreens Run

Well, I had my first official Walgreens "problem" today. It was nothing like what others on blogs have described, but I was glad that I was prepared with politeness and a smile for it. I was using the $2.25 Ecotrin aspirin coupon for the box that is on sale for $2. In the past when I have done this deal the managers tell the cashier that they are allowed to adjust the coupon down to $2. The girl told me she couldn't do that and I told her that if she asked a manager that they would confirm what I was saying. She said we just can't do it because then it would mean you would be getting everything for free (with a loud gasp at the end of her sentence.) Now, inner high school me was shouting "Yeah, duh that's the point!!" Polite couponing me smiled and said yes, that is how it will work out, but I will still have to pay the tax in the end. She picked up the phone and asked the manager who of course told her that she was to adjust the coupon down to $2. She did it and it worked out without any hard feelings. She was about 20 years old and I am sure she probably just didn't want to get into trouble. With this economy I am sure people are worried that if they make serious mistakes they could lose their job so I don't blame her for being cautious. Stand your ground and be polite and it most likely will work out :)

Famous Footwear

I have been waiting for Famous Footwear to do their BOGO sale. They said they weren't supposed to start until July and this weekend the company asked them to start it early. So if you were lucky enough to get the coupons in the mail for the Grand Opening of the new stores up by Target there is a $10 off $50 for FF and I was allowed to use it on top of the BOGO sale I bought two nice comfy pairs of leather sandals which would have been $120.00 for $70.00. (If you haven't tried Bare Traps they are really comfortable.) The best part of it all: we have earned $100.00 cash back on our Discover Card from buying gas (Discover has a 5% cash back card for gas) on there and paying it off at the end of the month. My sandals were FREE!

Puzzles at the Dollar Tree

We got a bunch of puzzles today at the Dollar Tree on Cal Oaks. There are great 25 and 63 piece Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Care Bears and My Friends Tigger the Pooh ones.