Follow through on Walgreens Deals

Well, things did not go as planned this week. I did not find the deals I was looking for. But I did find out that I could ask for a rain check on sale prices. So the deal for the two free men's body wash, I can get at my leisure. The deal for the Tylonol Precise products goes all month, so I can look for that later. I also found out that Walgreens puts in their order on Wednesday and it comes in on Friday. So in the future when they run out of what I want I can ask them to order it for me. So this week was disappointing, but I did come away with some valuable information.

My shopping plan for Walgreens for week of 5/1

I have decided to give you all an advance of my plan for the week. Perhaps this will make it easier for you all to plan too. I will then post how it worked out for me. With all the couponers in the area, sometimes Walgreens does not have in stock what I want.

I am sticking with free this week.

Noxema Disposable razors buy one at $3.99 get $3 RR
Use $2/1 coupon found in 5/1 paper
Pay $1.99 get $3 RR
making it 1.01 money maker

G-U-M Eez-Thru Flossers $2 get $2 RR
making it free

Right Gaurd Total defense 5 B1G1
use the B1G1 coupon in 5/1 paper
Making 2 for free
My husband has really sensitive skin and won't use this probably, but for free, I can donate it to Angelheart or give it to a friend in need.

Tylenol Precise Pain Relief $7.99 (online price)
use $5/1 coupon found here
and $3/1 walgreens coupon from May booklet
Making it free.

I plan on buying the one G-U-M Flosser, get the $2 RR and use that RR for the Razors, then I will use the $3 RR to get more flossers. I will repeat that until I have 3 or 4 of each (I may buy a fourth paper this week because there are 4 inserts full of great coupons). I am also going to use the padded mailer, on sale for $0.39 with in-ad coupon (I need to mail out my mother's day gifts), and Butterball chicken broth on sale for $0.50 with in-ad coupon for my filler items. When I am finished I hope not to spend more than $4 all together, probably less than $3, and have a $3 RR leftover for next week

I will let you know how it turns out.

Lot's of Money Makers at Walgreens this week.

I bought 3 boxes of 100ct Splenda, 3 tubes of Luster White toothpaste for sensitive teeth, 3 packages Stayfree pads, 2 bottles Clorox toilet bowl cleaner, 11 packages of Act II popcorn, 3 bottles of Wet & Wild nail polish, 2 eye liner pencils and a eyeliner pencil sharpener for a total out of pocket expense of $2.14! And I still have $3 RR left for next week. I am broke and can only afford free or next to free, so this week has been great for the budget. Here is how I did it.

Transaction 1:
Splenda 100 ct packets on sale for $2.99
Get $4 RR wyb 3
I bought 3
used 3 $3/1 mfr coupons from Sunday paper
I paid $0.00 and received $4 RR
Making them free +$4 for 3 boxes

Transaction 2:
Luster White toothpaste for sensitive teeth on sale for $4.99
Buy one and receive $4 RR
I used $1.50/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
I paid $3.49 and received $4RR
making it -$0.51

Wet and Wild nail polish on sale for $0.69
I used the $4 RR from the first transaction and paid $0.18 and received $4RR

Transaction 3:
StayFree maxi pads on sale for $2.99
Buy one and receive $3 RR
I used $1/1 mfr coupon from sunday paper
I paid $1.99 and received $3 RR
Making them -$1.01

Clorox toilet bowl cleaner on sale for $2.50
I used 2 $0.75/1 coupons from here
and $2/2 walgreens coupon from the April coupon book
making them $1.50 for two or $0.75 each wyb 2

Wet & Wild eyeliner pencil on sale for $0.69

I used $3 RR from transaction 2, paid $.18 and received $3 RR

Transaction 4:
Luster White 7 toothpaste
Act II single pack popcorn $0.25 with in-ad coupon
I used $3 RR from previous transaction, paid $0.74, received $4 RR

Transaction 5:
StayFree maxi pads
Wet & Wild eye liner pencil
Wet & Wild nail polish
I used $4 RR from previous transaction, paid $0.06 and received $3 RR

Transaction 6:
Luster White 7 toothpaste

Act II single pack popcorn
I used $3 RR from previous transaction, paid $0.74 and received $4 RR

Transaction 7:
Stay Free maxi pads
10 Act II single popcorn
I used $4 RR from previous transaction, paid $0.24 and received $3 RR

Brita water pitcher for $17 at Target

This week Target has their Brita water pitchers on sale. Get $5 gift card with purchase of any Brita.

This Pitcher was $28.99
I used $4/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
and $3/1 Target coupon from Target.com
paid $21.99 and received a $5
making it $16.99

This deal came just in time for my old pitcher to start leaking. I love it when these deals are the perfect time.

Allergy season is upon us (when is it not in Texas), so I also took advantage of this deal on Allegra too.

Allegra 30ct $17.00
I used $5/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
and $2/1 Target coupon from Target.com
Making them $10.99

This is a good price considering three of my family of five takes it everyday.

Seventh Generation on sale for $2.49
I used $1/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
and $1/1 Target mobile coupon (if you do not receive these text deals to 827438)
making it $0.49

Pamper Kan Do flushable wipes $1.42
I used $1/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
making it $0.42 each

Degree men's deoderant $1.97
I used $1/1 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
and $1/1 Target coupon from Target.com
Making it free.

Awesome deals at Walgreens

All of this was under $7! The glass cleaner, Lysol wipes, and tape was free. The Dawn was $0.25, the Scott toiletpaper was $1, the kids toothpaste was $0.79 and the training toothpaste was the most expensive at $1.79. 

Here is how I did it. Walgreens had marked down the Dawn, glass cleaner and Lysol 75% off.

Dawn on clearance for $0.50
I used a $0.25/1 coupon from the Sunday paper
Making it $0.25 each (I did this four times)
It's funny I don't really like the $0.25 off coupons, I feel they are worthless, but in this case it really did make a difference.

Spray away glass cleaner (ammonia free) on clearance for $0.99
I had a $1/1 from the Sunday paper
Making it free!

Lysol wipes on clearance for $0.75
I used a $1/1 coupon from the Sunday paper
Making it free!

Scotch Magic tape $1.99
There is an in-ad coupon for buy one get two free
I used two $1/1 coupons found here
Making 3 for free!

Scott toilet paper $4.99
There is an in-ad coupon for 2/$5
I used 2 $1.50/1 coupons from here
Making them 2/$2 or a $1 each

Aquafresh kids toothpaste $2.79
I used $1/1 coupon from the April Walgreens booklet
and $1/1 coupon from Sunday paper
making it $0.79 each

Aquafresh training toothpaste $3.79

I used $1/1 coupon from the April Walgreens booklet

and $1/1 coupon from Sunday paper

making it $1.79 each

Good deals from Walgreens and Target

Well, I am broke this month. Illness has taken a toll on my household. But I have not let it stop me from getting the best deals. I can stock up like I have int he past, but I plan on staying ahead of my usage to stay with in my budget.

Here is the deals I found at Walgreens this week.

Pantene, Aussie or Herbal Essences Hair Care, 5.1-14 oz $$3.50Buy 2, Receive $2.00 Register Reward, Limit 1FREE Herbal Essences or Aussie Styler, excluding trial size up to $3.23 when you buy (1) Herbal Essences or Aussie product from SS 3/13
I bought 2 and used the B1G1 free
I paid $3.50 for 2 and received $2 RR
Making them $.75 each


Scott Paper Towels, 6 pack $5.00
I used $1.50/1 found here.
and $1/1 found in the April Walgreens coupon book
I paid $2.50


Purex 3-in-1 22 load on sale for $3.99
I used $1/1 coupon from paper
Making it $2.99
not quite as good as my deal at Wal-Mart last week, but still a good deal and I have fallen in love with these.


Chinet 10ct B1G1 free at $2.99
use 2 $1/1 found here you will need to sign up and the coupon will be emailed to you.
get 2 for $0.99


Kotex pads on sale for $3.50
Get $3 RR wyb 2
use 2 $1/1
pay $5 get $3 RR
making them $1 each


I did not buy groceries this week, so at Target I only bought a couple of things. 


Olay face wash on sale for $4.99
Get $5 gift card wyb 2
buy two at $4.99
use 2 $2/2 coupons from paper
pay $5.98, receive $5 gift card
making them $0.49 each.


I then used my gift card on milk and that was all I could buy for the week. Next week I will have a little more money to spend and can take advantage of more sales. Have a good week.

Free Colgate toothbrushes and money maker Colgate toothpaste at Walgreens

This week at Walgreens, they have Colgate Total toothpaste on sale for $3 with $4 RR wyb 2. In the Sunday paper this week, there was a $1.50/1 coupon for Colgate Total toothpaste. So this is what the transaction looks like.
Buy two Colgate Total toothpaste for $6
use two $1.50/1 coupons
pay $3, get $4 RR
This is a $1 moneymaker

The toothbrushes looks like this:
Buy two Colgate Total or 360 Clean toothbrushes for $6
use two $1/1 coupons
pay $4.33, get $4 RR
Two toothbrushes for $0.33 (just pay tax)

I did these two transactions twice and received a total of $16 in RR. I then purchased the rest of my order for a grand total of $0.00!

I bought 4 Ziploc Freezer bags
On sale for $1.99
I used two $1.25/2 coupons
Making them $1.36 each

I bought 2 AXE body wash
On sale buy one at $5.49 get one 50% off
I used a b1g1 free coupon
getting them both for $2.75 or $1.37 each

I bought 6 snickers creme eggs
on sale for $0.29
I used 3 $1/2 coupons (cashier needs to adjusts coupons)
6 for free.

I bought 3 packages Whoppers Robin eggs
On sale for $1.50
I used 1 $1/3 coupon
getting them for $3.50 or $1.16 each

I bought 3 Mentos gum
$0.99 with in-ad coupon
I used three $0.35/1
making them $0.64

I bought 5 Russel Stover Creme eggs for $0.29 each

I bought 1 envelope for a package I need to ship.

I used my 4 $4 RR and paid $0.00 for all of this.
I spent a total of $14.66 and saved a total of $55.39!

Cheap Laundry Items at Wal-Mart

When I went shopping at Wal-Mart yesterday, there was a rack of clearance laundry items by the front check stands. They had Purex 20 load 3-in-1 laundry sheets for $2.50, I had $1/1 coupon making them $1.50. These are normally about $5. They also had Tide 34ct stain release booster for $5.50. I had a $3/1 coupon, making them only $2.50. I did not know how good of a deal this was until I went to Target and noticed that the Tide Stain remover was $11.89. Now you have to use these in addition to regular laundry soap, so I was not going to pay $15 for my HE laundry soap and then another $11.89 to add to the soap. However, for $2.50 this is a fabulous deal. This is why I always carry my coupon binder with me whenever I go shopping. You just never know what kind of deal you can find.

Walgreens just paid me to buy Reach Toothbrushes

Walgreens has Reach toothbrushes on clearance for $1.19. I had to $2/2 coupons I printed off coupons.com at least a month ago and $1/1 coupon from the Sunday paper. So I bought 5 toothbrushes for $0.19 each and I got $4 in RR. This was totally unexpected. I used my $4 RR to buy some chocolate gold coins for my upcoming treasure hunt.

Here is some other deals I got.
Irish Spring body wash 2/$6
I used 2 $0.55/1 coupons
I paid $4.90 and got $4 RR
making them $0.90 for two

Lays potato chips $2.49
I used $0.50 coupon from paper
making them $1.99

Pepsi 2ltr for $1
buy two pepsi 2 ltrs and 1 Lays potato chips and receive one free Redbox movie rental.
WooHoo, dinner and movie for my son's birthday this week.

I am also pleased that I have my first opportunity to donate from my stash. My church is asking toiletry donations for their missionary trips across the border. I was able to give 5 tubes of toothpaste, 5 toothbrushes, 2 bottles of body wash and bottles of body wash and a bottle of vitamins.

I scored a pair of free Jeans at Target today!!

I am sorry I have been out of commission lately. I have had severe sinus headaches for two weeks, my youngest had the flu and my oldest had a severe case of strep throat.

Check out the new Target coupons at Target.com.  My favorite is the one for the $5 off denim. That is any denim; shorts, jeans or capri. Target has many jeans on clearance right now. Including several marked down to $4.98.  I suggest you go quickly before your size is gone. I am very excited about this deal because I am in need of new jeans. I was looking for jeans about a month ago and realized I would have to pay at least $20. Well, this seemed unacceptable to me and I told my husband that I would wait until they went on sale. My patience paid off. I just bought two pair of jeans for only $5 all together!

During my trip to Target, I used $55 in coupons and saved a total $74.72. My total was $151 and I paid $81.47.

Here is a quick run down of my savings:

Huggies 72 ct wipes on price cut for $1.99
I used $.75/1 from coupons.com
making it $1.24 each

Family size wheat thins on sale for $3.29
I used $1/2 target coupon from target.com
and $1/2 mfr coupon from Sunday paper
Making them $2.29 each wyb 2

A1 sauce for $2.09
I used 2 $1/1 A1 from here
and $1/2 kraft product including A1 target coupon from target.com
making them $.59 each wyb 2

Chex cereal price cut for $2.50
I used $1/1 coupon.com
making them $1.50

Smart Ones frozen meals for $1.79
I used $5/10 Target coupon from Target.com
and $4/10 mfr coupon from eatyourbest.com
Making them $0.89 each wyb 10

Colgate sensitive toothpaste sale $3.49
I used $1/1 target coupon target.com
and $1/1 mfr coupon from sunday paper
making them $1.49 each, an excellent price for sensitive toothpaste

Halls cough drops $1.19
I used 2 $0.50/1 target.com
and 1 $1/1 mfr coupon from paper
making them $0.19 each wyb 2

Caress body wash $3.49
$1/1 target coupon target.com or redplum.com
and $0.75/1 mfr coupon from sunday paper (I have extra of these coupons, just ask)
making them $1.75

Bounty Basic Big rolls 6pk sale $5.49
use $1/1 target coupon from sunday paper (I have extra of these coupons)
and $.25/1 mfr coupon from sunday paper
making it $4.24 each or $.70 a roll

Wishbone dressing $1.89
use two $.50/1 mfr coupon from paper
and 1 $1.50/2 target coupon target.com
making them $1.28 each

Up & Up panty liners $.87
use $.75/1 target coupon target.com
making them $.12 each




Wishbone dressing $1.89

Another Diaper Deal, and a good deal on face wash too.

Starting Sunday 2/6, Walgreens has Huggies jumbo pack diapers $8.99. Buy $15 (before coupons), get $5RR.
Buy 3 at $26.97
use 2 $3/1 couponnetwork.con
and 1 $2/1 coupons.com
$18.97
get $5 RR
making them $4.65 each

If you are unsure what to use your RR for, buy something you need like eggs and bread. Eggs on sale for $0.99 starting Sunday too.

L'Oreal facewash is 25% off or $5.94 each
Buy $15 (before coupons), get $5 RR
buy 3 for $17.82
use three $2/1 L'Oreal skincare product
Pay $11.82
Get $5 RR
making it $2.27 each
I have extra of these coupons. Let me know if you would like some.

A couple more Taget Deals

Here are some good Target deals I just discovered.

Clorox Green Works Dish soap on Price cut until 2/12 (I am not absolutely sure on this date) for $2.59
There are coupons (called Peelies) on the soap for $1/1
Making these $1.59
A good deal for dish soap, especially the natural

The Palmolive 20 oz dish soap priced at $2.49
Also has a $1/1 coupon hanging on the product

This coupons go really fast, so I suggest going to Target soon.

Kellogs Crunchy Nut cereal on price cut for $2.50 until 2/12 (I am sure of this date)
buy 2 for $5
use B1B1 Target coupon target.com
use 2 $1/1 mfr coupon
pay $0.50 for two or $0.25 each
I have extra of these coupons, let me know if you would like a couple.

Target savings! I am getting closer to my goal

I have finished my weekly Target shopping. This week I saved $60! That is my best savings yet! I paid $100 for weeks 1 weeks worth of groceries plus 2 boxes of Huggies diapers and some Green Works cleaners. I went to Target in the evening. There were only a few check stands open. It takes a lot of time for the cashier to ring up all those coupons. I had several people leave the line behind me. When I was done, I made a comment that I upset some customers. The people who stayed behind me were very reassuring. Saying things like my savings was awesome and that if they could save like that they would do it too. But if I can do it, anyone can do it. Even you.

I have had to hold back a little. I don't HAVE to buy something just because it is on sale and I have a coupon. Do I really need those cookies or extra bag of chips. When they are only $0.50, it's hard to pass up. Here are some of my favorite deals. Go check them out for yourself. How much does something have to be before you can't resist?

Huggies boxed diapers $19.79
$3/1 mfr coupon target.com
$2.50/1 Target coupon target.com
buy two boxes get a $5 gift card.
Buy two boxes use 2 $3/1 and 2 $2.50/1
Pay $28.58 and get $5 gift card

Nabisco cookies $2
$1 wyb 1 cookie and 1 gallon of milk Nabisco Facebook page
$1/2 Target coupon target.com
Buy 2 packages of cookies and two gallons milk
use 2 $1/1 cookie and milk and 1 $1/2 target coupon
cookies are $0.50 each

Wheat thins $2
$1/2 target coupon target.com
$1/2 mfr coupon from paper
$1 each wyb 2

Kraft cheese 8oz $2
$1.25/2 target coupon target.com
$1/2 mfr coupon from ebay
$1.75 for 2

Green works toilet bowl cleaner $2.39
$1/1 mfr here
Buy three Green Works products get wipes for free
There are $2/2 mfr coupons hanging off the spray cleaners
Buy 2 toilet bowl cleaner at $2.39 each and one spray cleaner (whatever one you want) at $2.79 and get the 30ct wipes for free
Use 2 $1/1 toilet bowl cleaner coupons
and use 1 $2/2 coupon found on product
Pay $3.57 for all 4 products

Need Diapers?

Just came accross an AWESOME deal on diapers at Target. In their ad this week, they have buy 2 boxes of Huggies diapers at $19.99 and receive a $5 gift card. If you go to the Target.com site and print off two of each of the two Huggies coupons that are shown. One is a Target coupon for $2.50/1 and one is a manufacturer coupon for $3/1. Go to Target, buy 2 boxes of Huggies, use all 4 coupons, pay $28.98 and get a $5 gift card. That makes it $23.98 for 2 boxes or $11.99 each. Now I have not tried out this deal for myself yet, so if you guys have trouble let me know. I will hopefully be heading out tonight.

Bonus on Kleenex

I got my Kleenex coupons today. Remember these coupons cost me $10 for twenty of them. They were for $1/1 box of Kleenex. Walgreens has Kleenex on sale for $.89 this week. So I got 20 boxes of Kleenex and I paid $.01. Plus Walgreens has an unadvertised RR on Kleenex. Buy 5, Get $1 RR, Buy 6 Get $1.50 RR, Buy 7 Get $2 RR. So I paid .01 in total and got back $4.50 in RR (I did a few transactions). So if you take into account what I paid for the coupons, I paid $5.50 for 20 boxes of Kleenex. That is $0.27 a box! We go through a lot of kleenex in our house. Those 20 boxes will probably last us a month.

I did discover that different Walgreens handle coupons differently. I went to the Walgreens on Palm Valley and the cashier told me she could not take my coupons for $1 off because they were only $.89. I was about to just go to another Walgreens (The Walgreens I went to in Austin just took the coupons with no question). She called the manager and he adjusted the price so that it would be even. As long as I didn't have to pay, I am fine. The ad said there was a limit of 6. Most stores do not enforce this, but the manager at the Palm Valley store did. However, he let me multiply transactions to get more. Now does that make since to you? Anyway, I used $2 in RR to get some wax paper for the birthday cake I am making tonight.

Buying coupons, is it worth it?

I recently read an article on another blog about fraudulent coupons. In the course of the article it mentioned buying coupons. It said you should never buy coupons and that there were plenty "free" coupons to find. This got me thinking, since I have recently started buying coupons from ebay.  Is there really plenty of free coupons to be had. First of all I would like to point that it is illegal to sell coupons. However, I think this law refers to the manufacturers of the products. People get away with selling coupons, saying you are paying for their time and effort to procure the coupons and send them to you.

Now, lets look at the different sources for coupons. The Sunday paper is the most common place to find coupons. The Sunday paper is not free. Where I live the paper costs $2 a paper and $8.95 for a month. There is not a discount to buy multiple subscriptions. Some people are lucky enough to know people who subscribe to the newspaper, who don't use the coupons and are willing to give them to friends. That option is not open to all of us. So I conclude that these coupons are not free.

Another good place to get coupons is the internet. There are several sites to get them Coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com to name a few. Plus many companies will have internet coupons if you know where to look for them. But are these really free? I have to buy new ink for my printer at least every month. Plus I go through about a ream of paper in the same time. So these aren't really free either.

Another place to get coupons is on the actual products, but you have to buy the product to get the coupon. A few truely free places is the store. Many times you can find coupon books on food displays, coupons on tear pads on the shelves or little dispensers on the shelf. These are few and far between and you shouldn't take a lot as to be generous to other shoppers. The doctors offices have many coupons for medicines and skin care products. But many of us try to avoid the doctor at all costs. :) You can also write or email your favorite companies telling them how much you like their products. Sometimes this results in coupons. I have tried this with little result. And who has time to write letters to every company. My favorite way to get coupons is by signing up for free samples. Often the samples come with high value coupons.

In conclusion, I find that there aren't many "free" coupons. But I have found the cost to be worth return. I have researched every way of getting coupons and found that buying my coupons from ebay is most cost effective. Also, I have to throw away less papers that way. Does anyone else have thoughts?

Walgreens deals

Today I went to Walgreens. My coupons came in the mail. I have never had them come late. Of course I am waiting for one more, so I will let you know how that turns out. Anyway, I bought

11 cans of Maxwell house coffee $2.79 each
I used $1/1 coupon for each one (I bought 20 for $2.50)
For a total of $1.79 each

4 cans of Maxwell house international $2.79
I used Buy two Maxwell house coffee get international cafe for free (I bought 10 for $2.50)
For Free

10 boxes Colgate advance $4.59 B1G1 free
I used 10 $1/1 coupons (I bought these for $2.54)
2 for $2.59 or $1.30 each

I paid $25 and saved $98.01. I now have 6 months supply of coffee and toothpaste. Two of the more expensive things on my grocery list. For those who get angry when they go the store, to get something on sale and the shelf wiped out. I went to two different store, so wouldn't wipe out the shelves.

Target Deals

I just got back from my weekly Target trip. I was pretty excited when I left. I took off $40 by using coupons alone. My total was $144 and I paid $91.58. My total savings with sales, coupons and discounts was $58.39!

Yesterday Target reset their online coupons. There is a lot of savings to be had. You can find a complete list at thekrazycouponlady.com. Here is a run down of my savings.

Up & Up diapers $14.69
$1.50 target coupon (I printed this before the reset)
$13.19

Up wipes $1.79
no coupon

2 Up disinfenting wipes $2.19 each
$.50 target coupon (also before the reset)
$1.69 each

2 Jet Dry $2.59 each
2 $1.50/1 target coupon here
2 $1/1 coupons from
$0.09 each

2 10 ct Finish Quantum Dishwasher detergent
2 $1.50/1 Target coupon
2 $.75/1 coupon from here
$0.74 each

6 trial size Sensodyne toothpaste $0.99 each
6 $0.75 coupons I bought on ebay for about $1.75
$.24 each

2 Revelon Mascara $5.54 on sale 10% off
2 $1/1 Target coupons (printed off before reset)
2 $1/1 mf coupon from paper
$3 each

This part of my order was all for $23.96. Not bad considering I bought diapers. Now just to let you know, I don't print out every online coupon. I only print the ones for things I know I will need to buy. Such as diapers and I have been looking for inexpensive mascara to replace my old stuff.

Now I am not going to run down all the groceries I bought. Just the things I got a good deal on. I am still buying some things without coupons. I am hoping to get that down to a minumum. Overall, the food part of my order was only $67.62 for a week's worth of groceries. Before it would cost me at least $100-$120. I am trying to get it down to $50 a week. Every week I get a little closer to my goal.

Oscar Meyer Carving board sandwich meat $3.14
$.75/1 Target coupon
$1/1 mfr coupon
$1.38 This is new, so I thought I would try it out

Kraft Sandwich shop mayo $1.52
$.75/1 Target coupon
$.75/1 mfr coupon
$0.02

2 Splenda $3.94 each
B1G1 mfr coupon
2 for $3.94 or $1.97 each. Not a fantastic deal, but still a good price

6 Healthy Choice Frozen meals $1.69 each
B5G1 mfr coupon
B3G1 Target coupon (this coupon would only print once for me. If you had two computers, you could print it twice and it would be a better deal)
$6.76 for 6 or $1.12 each

4 6pk refridgerated Jello pudding $2.50 each
1 B3G1 Target coupon (printed before reset)
2 $1/2 mfr coupons from Coupons.com
$5.50 for 4 or $1.37 each

Plus Target is having a sale on a lot of their dairy. Milk is $2.60 a gallon and Half and Half is $1.50, right now.

Buying Coupons from Ebay

Well, I just finished buying my coupons for the week. The thekrazycouponlady.com posts the sales matchups for the next week on every Saturday. This gives me enough time to browse the sale, buy the coupons for the my favorite deals and receive the coupons in the mail before the sale is over. Next week Walgreens has Kleenex on sale for $.89. I found a coupon on Ebay for $1/1. This makes them free! The drawback is that the coupon cost $10 for 20. Now this frustrates me to no end that people charge outlandish prices for high demand coupons. we are only supposed to be paying for their time and effort and it does not take more time and effort to cut those coupons out. But I guess they need to make thier money. The reason I decided to buy this coupon was that I am essentially getting 20 boxes of coupons for $10 since they will free in the store with coupon. Now coupons is something that does not last long in my house. That 20 boxes will probably last only a month at best. But when you have to continuously blow your nose, you need the soft lotion Kleenex.

I also bought:
20 $1/2 Maxwell house coupons for $2.25 (This is on sale for $2.79 at Walgreens next week)
10 Free Maxwell house Iternational Cafe wyb 2 Maxwell coffee (since I am getting the coffee anyway I might as well get some more for free). Got to feed my husband's coffee habit.
10 $1/1 Colgate toothpaste for $2.54 (this was a great deal. This coupon is going for $3-$5). Target has a mobile coupon for $1/1 too. Plus you can find this toothpaste for $1 many times. So this coupon is a great value.

New coupon binder

So my coupon organizer was busting out the seams.

I decided it is now time for me to graduate to binder. I looked at several options. Ebay.com has several options.  There are many fancy binders with all of the inserts, dividers and labels. Most run $20-$30 plus shipping. Plus you can get the inserts separately in many sizes. It actually quite overwhelming.  I looked at target and found 30 baseball inserts for $5 and you can get a baseball binder with 540 pockets for $15. I found found binders with zippered covers and accordion file for $10. All of these option seemed good, but I am all about saving money. So I looked up how to start a binder from The Krazy Coupon Lady. Then I looked around my house for things I could repurpose to make my own binder. I found a 2" binder, about 60 page protectors, various colors of cardstock and hot glue gun and glue sticks. I proceeded to make my own inserts by cutting each page protector in thirds leaving the binding intact. Then I inserted a cardstock. This was the most tricky and time consuming part. I found it was easiest to insert the middle section first, then the bottom, then the top. Then I hot glued each section closed on the bottom to make pockets. This worked very well for making the pockets, however I had to be careful not to touch the plastic directly on the glue gun or it melted. Plus the hot glue is not forgiving of mistakes, I have a few upside down pockets.

Then I bought some paperclip tabs at Target, which I used as my dividers for under $3. I liked these because I can move them around if I need to and I could get more for the money. What I don't like about them was that they are a bit large and I have to attatch them to my inserts making it hard to use all the space for my coupons. To lable my sections, I printed out a table of contents from The Krazy Coupon Lady and wrote out each section on either side of the tabs, then attached them to the inserts and entered all my coupons. The whole project took about 4 hours to do. I spread it out over a few days. I love being able to see all my coupons easily.  I have determined I will need a larger binder, but my hope is to wait until the Back To School sales to get a binder at the best price.

I added a few pockets in the front for each store I frequent to put store coupons and coupon policies. I have read in many places that it is a good idea to always have the policy on hand in case of problems.

How do I plan to carry around this monstrous binder? I found a laptop bag/briefcase that my husband won at work. It has plenty of room for my binder, plus it has pockets for my wallet, cards and other accessories. Do you think I may scare some cashiers walking into the grocery store with a briefcase?

I got 20 64 oz bottles of Welches Juice for $15 at Randalls

This is how I did it.
Randalls had Welches juice for $1.99 wyb 4 or more
I bought 20 for $39.80
I used 20 $1/1 coupons I bought off ebay
Total came to $19.80
Then I used $5 catalina from last week for a total of $14.80

Progress report

Well, last week, I stocked up on:
granola bars for $0.80 a box
bottled water at $0.08 each
10 boxes fruit snacks for free
ziplock bags various sizes for $1.70 each
of oatmeal 3 for $0.16 total, 7 for $0.50 each
chex cereal for $1.50 each
Special K cereal for $1.50 each
 printer paper for $1.16 each
Smart ones for $1.80 each
frozen vegetables for $0.88
Chex mix at $0.50 a bag
Duracell AA batteries $1.49 for a 4pk

Well my grocery bill has not lowered yet, but my stockpile IS increasing. This week I plan on stocking up on deodorant, coffee, cold medicine, toothpaste and more chex mix. To form your plan of attack, make sure to go to thekrazycouponlady.com for complete match ups.

Clearance toys

On Thursday morning, I went to Target to use my Chex cereal coupons. Chex cereal was no longer on sale, boo. But I did get 3 18oz quick oats for 1.74, I used 3 $1/1 manufacturer coupons and 2 $1/1 target coupons making my total $0.16 for 3! Anyway while I was in the checkstand a customer behind me had two baskets of toys. She says clearance toys are 75% off. I can't pass that up so I head back. This is what I found for my upcoming birthday boys.

Starwars game (the kind that plug right into tv) $7.48
Toy Stoy disc shooter with target game $3.77
Kung Zhu pet camand center $3.77
Kung Zhu pet hamster wheel $3.77
Kung Zhu pet connecter $2.73
Texters $3.74
Dragon $3.62
Play laptop $5.00
sparkle water ball $1.74 (this is for my ball obsessed toddler)
Total was $33.23 including my 5% discount with Target debit card
I was feeling really good about the 5 (soon to be 6) year olds birthday, but didn't have wow stuff for soon to be 9 year old. Target did not have their Legos 75% off. So I headed to Wal-Mart. I still needed to use my Chex Cereal coupons and I knew they were only $2 at Wal-Mart. With my coupon they were only $1.50, so I stocked up. While I was in the checkstand, the Cashier told me about the 75% off toy sale they were having, so I headed over. This is what I found at Wal-Mart.

Paper jams drum set with amplifier $14.50
Lego Atlantis set $8.60
Lego Star Wars battle cruiser for $10
Lego Toy story Buzz Lightyear $1.50
Lego Toy Story Zurg $1.50
Kung Zhu pet $4
Yard horse shoe set $5
Lego watches $1.80
Total $48.39
My kids birthdays are covered. With sales like this you have to hit it just right and I was just lucky to happen to be shopping with the sale hit.

Walgreens trip 1/13

For full Walgreens match up go here.

This week I decided to try out buying coupons. Yes, I said buying coupons. Since the paper here is a bit pricey and I have decided I want to start stocking up when things are at a good price, I came to the conclusion that this was my best option. It is illegal to sell coupons. Supposedly people are charging for their time and effort. But the higher demand coupons are always more expensive. First I checked out the match ups for the week. They were posted by Saturday morning. I found the deals I really wanted. Then I went to ebay put in a search for those coupons. I only looked at the Buy it Now listings. Most of them were about 20 for $1.50 shipped on average. I weeded out the best deal. I purchased them. Then I waited for them to come in the mail. When all of them came I took them to the store and got what I wanted.  I am very happy with the results so far. Here is a look at my Walgreens trip.

Tranaction 1: First I bought by groceries

6 bags cheddar Chex Mix for 3/4.99
I used $0.99/3 coupon from Walgreens monthly coupon book
I used 3 $0.50/2 manufacturer coupon
RR: buy 3 get $1.50 RR, buy 4 get $2.50 RR, buy 5 get $3.50 RR
I paid $6.50 and got $3.50 back in RR making the total $0.50 a bag wyb 6

4 Quaker Oats 18oz 2/3 with in-ad coupon
I used 4 $1/1 manufacturer coupons
Total $0.50 each

5 boxed Fiber One granola bars 2/$4
I used 5 $0.50 coupons from internet. Find them bettycrocker.com, target.com, coupons.com, redplum.com, boxtops4education.com
RR: buy 3 get $1.50 RR, buy 4 get $2.50 RR, buy 5 get $3.50 RR
I paid $7.50 and got back $3.50
total $0.80 each wyb 5

Transaction 2 and 3:
4 4pk Duracell batteries $2.99 with in-ad coupon
1 used 4 $1.50/1 manufacturer coupons
total $1.49 each. We got a Wii for Christmas got to keep a stock of batteries
1 pack knee highs for filler $0.25

I used one $3.50 RR and paid $2.98

Transaction 4:
2 4pk Duracell batteries $2.99 with in-ad coupon
7 no nonsence knee highs $.25 each

I used one $3.00 RR and one $1.50 RR (from last week) and paid $0.25

Randalls

Today I decided to start learning about Randalls. I have been reluctant to go to Randalls. They are not very close to where I live and they are more expensive as grocery stores go. Plus my husband worked for Albertsons for many years and just had something against Randalls in general, must be a competitive thing. Anyway I saw some deals I just could not pass up. So I went and got their loyalty card and tried out their system. Here are a few things I learned. I was told that only one catalina (the coupons that print out at the checkstand, often for money off your next trip) would print out for a promotion per transaction. When using a catalina coupon, you can only use one per transaction.

For a full sale match up go here. Today is the last day of this sale.
Here are some of the things I picked up.

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, 4.5-9 oz $0.99, must buy 4
Catalina: buy 3 get $1, buy 4 get $2, buy 5 get $3
I bought 5
used 1 $1/3 from bettycrocker.com
and 1 $1/2 from coupons.com
I paid $2.98 and got $3 off. So I got 5 boxes for basically free. I did this transactions twice.
I had made a deal with my oldest son, that if I could find fruit snacks for under $0.50 I would get him some. Free is even better!


Nature Valley Granola Bars, 6.7-8.9 oz $2.00
Catalina: buy 3 get $1.50, buy 4 get $2.50, 5 get $3.50
I bought 5
used 2 $1/2 from bettycrocker.com
and 1 $0.50/1 from coupons.com
I paid 7.50 and got $3.50 back. So each box was $0.80. I did this transaction twice. 
My husband  has an intolerance to wheat, so he eats a lot of these since they have no wheat.


Halmark Cards
Catalina: Buy 3 get $5 back
I bought 3 cards at $1.99 (catalina not valid on $0.99 cards)
I paid $6 and got $5 back. So 3 Halmark cards for $1.


I used used my two $3 catalinas to buy milk and my $3.50 catalina to buy salad, that is BOGO (buy one get one free) this week. I will save my $5 catalina for another trip, it is good until 2/21/ All in all I think my trip was worth it and will probably do it again. I did have a cranky cashier, but that will not deter me from getting the best deal.

New Focus

I have been doing couponing now for about 6 months. I have been getting some great deals. All my friends are impressed. The cashiers are impressed. Even some other customers in line have been impressed. But, my grocery bill has not been shrinking. So I have been reevaluating my technique. I buy one paper, I cut out the coupons. I save the coupons and wait for the sale match up. Then I go and buy one, maybe two of the item at an extremely discounted price. Good, right? Well, what happens when I need that item again? I go out and buy it at the regular price or I may have a coupon, but I don't buy it on sale. So, I decided what I really need to do is stock up. I need to buy several of one thing while they are at the lowest price, so that I don't have to buy them again before they go on sale again.  My goal is to shrink my grocery bill to $50 a week for my family of five. I am not going to solely focus on the store match ups and deals on the blog. There are so many other really good blogs out there that can help you as coupon. My focus of this blog is to share my journey as I strive to take care of my family with limited means. Many of you are beginners like I am and I invite you to join me in my journey. We can encourage each other on and learn together.

My favorite deals from Target today

For a full Target match up go here

Here are my favorites. Some of these I caught on my own.

Pledge All Surface cleaner on sale for $3.49
Use 1 $0.50/1 Target coupon target.com
Use 1 $0.75/1 Manufacturer coupon from this weeks paper
Total $2.24 each (on a personal note, I love this cleaner, but it is always so expensive)

Healthy Choice single serving soup Chicken Vegetable $1.21
Use 1 $1/2 manufacturers coupon (I believe it was last week's paper)
Total $0.74 each wyb 2

New Dole Fruit Crisps on sale for $1.67
Use 1 $0.75/1 coupon 1/9 paper
Total $0.92

Ziploc bags on Temporary price reduction until 1/15 for $2.33
Use $1.25/2 coupon from 1/9 paper
Total $1.70 each wyb 2 (most store have these on sale for $2.50 and $2.99 this week, so this price is the best)

Market Pantry Frozen Chicken Breasts $5.84
Use $3/2 target coupon target.com
Total $4.34 each wyb 2

32 ct Market Pantry Purified water $3.19
Use $0.50/1 24 ct water target coupon target.com
The coupon specifically says 24 ct, but the cashier gave it to me for the 32 ct.
Total $2.69, thats $0.08 a bottle!

Remember you can print out two coupons per computer.  And Don't forget to get the Target Debit card to receive 5% off.

Walgreens deals 1/02-1/08

This week Walgreens has a Oscillo children's homeopathic flu relief for $8.99 with a $9 RR purchase. There is a $2/1 coupon found here. (thanks to Athriftymom.com) I have read that some Walgreens are not taking these coupons, but I had no problems with the Walgreens in Hutto. Also, not all Walgreens have this, but Hutto has it. Go here for a full Walgreens ad/coupon match.

Here is my deals.
Transaction 1
1 Oscillo Children's $8.99
I used $2/1 coupon here
Paid $6.99 and got $9.00 in RR
Total -$2.01

Transaction 2
Get 3 RR wyb $10 in Advil products
Children's Advil liquid $5
used $2/1 coupon in Sunday paper
Total $3

4 20ct Advil gelcaps $3
used 3 $2/1 coupons found here and 1 $2/1 from the Sunday paper
Total $4 wyb 4

2 boxes Walgreens tissues with lotion $0.79 with ad coupon
1 $0.39 caramel for filler

I used the $9.00 RR from my first transaction and paid $0.15. I also recieved $3 in RR and got 2 catalina (coupons that print at check stand) for free Breathe Right nasal trips

Transaction 3

1 Oscillo Children's $8.99

I used $2/1 coupon here

1 caramel filler

I used the $3 RR and paid $4.38. I received $9 RR

Transaction 4

I had to go to a different Walgreens for this one, because mine was out of Finish dishwasher detergent.

1 8ct Walgreens paper towel $3.99

 3 10ct Breathe Right nasal strips $6.79 each

I used 3 Catalina (printed out from previous transactions) get one free coupons

Total free for all three.

1 Afrin no drip severe congestion $5

I use 1 get one free Catalina coupon (from a transaction from last week)

Total is free

1 20ct Finish dishwasher detergent 3in1 tabs $3.49

I used $2.25/1 coupon from Sunday paper 

$1.50 RR

Total -$0.26

2 Advil children's liquid $5 each

I used 2 $2/1 coupons I got from the doctor's office. The doctor's office is a great place to get coupons and samples.

$3 RR when you buy $10

Total $3 for 2 or $1.50 each

I used my $9 RR from transaction 3, paid $2.23 and received $4.50 RR 

Walgreens deals 1/01/11

Transition 1:

Dayquill gell caps for $5
Nyquill liquid for $5
I used $3/wyb both coupon from Sunday P&G insert
Total $7 wyb both

Vicks Sinex nasal spray $6
I bought 2. I used one $4/1 from P&G Sunday insert and one $4/1 coupon from P&G coupons I got from a 24pk Duracell battery I recently purchased
Total $2 each

1 Vicks VapoRub $4
I used $1/1 coupon from P&G Sunday insert
Total $3

I paid $13 total and received $10 RR. Walgreens is running a special, get $5 RR wyb $15 in vicks products and get $10 wyb $20. This total is before coupons. Since my total was over $26 before coupons, I got $10 in RR.

Transition 2:

5 boxes Puffs with lotion (my family goes through a lot of tissues)
I used Walgreens coupon in the weekly Ad making them $0.89 each
I also used a manufactured $0.50/3 coupon from P&G sunday insert
Total $3.95 for 5

3 8.7oz bags of cheddar Chex mix $0.99
I used $0.50/2 from Sunday insert
$1.50 RR wyb 3
$2.50 RR wyb 4
$3.50 RR wyb 5
I only chose to get 3. Total for 3 was $0.97

Pantene 25.4 oz $1.79
I bought 2 and used $3/2 coupon from P&G insert
$2 RR wyb 2
Total was $1.42 money maker

H/S Conditioner $1.59
I bought 2 and used $2/2 coupon from P&G insert
Total was $0.59 each

John Freida Blonde shampoo 9.4 oz $2.29
I used $1/1 coupon from sunday insert
Total was $1.29

Pantine Highlights shampoo 13.5 oz $1.69
I did not have a coupon for this one
Total $1.69

JF hairspray 10oz $1.29
I used $2/1 coupon from Sunday insert
Total $0.71 money maker

Pantine Curly hairspray $1.29
I used a $1/2 coupon from P&G insert
Total $0.29

My total for the complete order was $11.49 and used my $10 RR from my first transition and $1.49. I then was given another $3.50 in RR. Just as a side note, I found a P&G insert in my Hutto paper, so be on the look out for that the first week of every month. Also, I was planning on getting the Pantine for the RR and found all the other deals by chance. Make sure you always carry your coupons, you never know when you will find a deal

Transition 3:
Walgreens Pantine knock off conditioner 25.4oz $1.59
I bought 2 and did not have any coupons, but I used the $3.50 in RR from my 2nd transition (I had to throw in $0.39 caramel from register as a filler) and paid $0.08.