#438

That number is where this blog falls on my list of things to do! haha!! However, there was a popular demand for it! So after getting the ads in the mail on Tuesday I decided that I def needed to take a trip to Ralph's. The sale was too good to pass up. So this morning I still had PILES of coupons to go thru and clip so I took a couple hours to do that. Then I pulled out the ones I had that matched up with the Ralph's ad. I don't typically shop at Ralph's, but every once in a while I can go in there and get a STEAL if you plan right. So the big deal at Ralphs this week was the buy 10 item's get an extra $5 off all 10. There wasn't anything I needed right this second, but it was all things I use and stocking up at this sale price was a good idea! I had coupons for EVERY item I went in for. Before you go make sure you have your Ralph's card, coupons, list, reusable bags (5 pts a bag) AND you SHELL gas receipt! yes, Shell gas! You get double the points, more points = more coupons. ALSO, you can take your Ralph's receipt to select shell stations and get .10 off each gallon. So when I went in, they didnt have the quantity of items I needed, I meticulously planned my list to buy exactly 40 of the super sale items. So I had to restructure my game plan a little. I also needed to make sure I hit $75 AFTER I put my card thru to be able to use my $5 off $75 purchase Ralph's coupon. REMEMBER: It ONLY has to be $75 with your card PRE-Coupons, not after. ps. Ralph's doubles ALL coupons UP TO $1.

So I walked out with the following with the final price PER item after coupon:

3 Loreal Shampoo's (.99)

2 Loreal Conditioners(.99)

3 half gallons of Silk Almond Milk (1.49)

5 Sunny Delights (.99, no coupon tho)

9 cans of Pringles (.66)

1 bag of Kettle Chips (1.49)

4 Bottles of Wisk (1.49)

4 Tic-Tacs (FREE)

5 Three Muskateers Bars (.33)

11 tubes of toothpaste (FREE)

Scotch Brite sponges (1.49)

Lloyd's Bbq Chicken (2.99)

Ground Turkey (3.99)

There really are no tricks. I have access to quite a few coupons. I have 5 Sunday papers delivered to my door and I collect coupons from about 6-8 other individuals. I also print some coupons Once I have all my coupons, I just pay attention to the ads. Obviously I don't use coupons on EVERYTHING! There's seems to be a huge misunderstanding of couponing out there. Just because you don't see any fresh produce in this list doesn't mean we don't eat it! We have our own garden in our backyard with tomatoes, eggplant, artichokes, spices, etc. and we go to Henry's for other produce. What you are seeing here is the fact that I pay NOTHING for toothpaste, don't you brush your teeth? And do you wash your clothes? Now, I don't usually buy that many chips, but since it's summer Pringle's are a crowd favorite for beach trips! Ok, well I'm sure there are other questions. Feel free to post your questions about anything couponing and I will do my best to answer with what I've learned thus far in my next blog which will be a Q&A blog about it!

Oh my total was $37.96; my savings overall was $152!! =]

What you've all been waiting for!

Well, maybe not all of you but some of you! Truth is coupons are everywhere and I had been to many of these sites in the past, but frankly I was too lazy. Not anymore. I'm determined to cut our grocery budget, especially with the price of gas. Tonight I went into Vons and they had select boxes of General Mills cereals on sale for $2.99. If you bought 4, then you get $4 off all 4 boxes, bringing the price to $1.99. I had a .55 coupon for Cheerios and another .55 for for Trix and then I had a $1 off 2 more general mills cereals. At Vons, their coupons double up to $1, BUT they only let you double one per same coupon. I had a gang load of the Cheerios ones, but I could only double one, but I still had a Trix one. Anyway, I still save and EXTRA $3 with the coupons. It's really important to watch the ads that come so can get double whammies like that. I'm still learning, too.

I just dedicated time to googling stuff that I wanted i.e. Silk, General Mills, etc...Most of the legit will make you download a little coupon thingy. That's to help with printing them properly. Here's some coupons on the Betty Crocker site. Also, you can call or email companies and they might just send you some coupons. My girlfriend uses enfamil formula, but receives tons of gerber coupons. Not helpful. So she called enfamil and they sent her out a bunch! And if you've ever bought formula and gotten some of their coupons that are in check form, you KNOW how valuable those can be!

Here's another one: Coupons.com Seems self-explanatory. I wish had a detailed road map, but it's just about looking around. Pairing them up with the sales. Contact companies. Also, go "LIKE" your favorite brands on FB (their legit fan page, of course), wouldn't surprise me if they put out coupons every once in awhile. Check slickdeals everyday. That's where I got a $5 off $10 purchase at Ulta. On top of their buy 2 get 2 free! Happy hunting and do share your deals with us!

Try this one, too! Looks amazing,I just found and am exploring!

Beyond the Coupons

I'm sure most of you are familiar with VistaPrint. If you aren't, VistaPrint does address labels, stamps, business cards, mugs, etc. Everything is very customizable. In the midst of signing up on various sites yesterday to get their coupons, I signed up on VistaPrint. This morning I woke up to an email from them with an offer for 10 free items. they are celebrating their 10th anniversary. All of the items are customizable, add your own words and/or pictures. I went ahead and ordered a couple gifts for people with pictures of the kids and something for myself.

Here's one of the things I ordered:

I'm pretty stoked about it. I have a thing for spiral notebooks! The other few items I ordered were for others for future gifts. All of them: $FREE.50. The only thing I paid for was shipping which was less than $7. The email I received had 10 free items and you can order 1 of ALL of them for FREE. What a great offer if you have small business you are getting off the ground because one of the offers was business cards. Also great if you are a narcissist just like seeing your name and picture on things! I do. LOL Go there, check it out and sign up! the free offer ends 5/14/2011.

Couponing

First of all, Congrats to Paulette! She won the raffle for the $25 Gift Card!

Next, I watched Extreme Couponing for the 1st time last night. Why it's taken me so long to tune in, I don't know. As I watched I felt a rush and I couldn't stop thinking, "I can do this! I can do this!" I love math, I LOVE a challenge, I'm organized, I have a great memory and I love that I'm contributing somewhat financially even though I don't work. One thing that was reiterated is that these couponers established quite the stash over time, not in one trip. So to get started, start with just one coupon, don't overwhelm yourself. Stater's has Silk Almond Milk right now 2 for $5. Regular $3.99.


Not too shabby of a sale all on its own. BUT on Silk's website I found a coupon for $1.25 off. I printed out 10 and bought 6. If you prefer Ralphs, they also had them for $2.49, but you had to buy 10. It was nice paying only $7.44 for 6 half gallons. I'm so stoked for this new adventure of couponing. I will definitely keep you posted! I will gladly accept coupons from anyone who doesn't use them and if you have any other couponing tips I'd LOVE to hear them!