Tag Archives: coupons

I Wanted To Eat Out BUT Oldest Daughter Told Me NO!

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I really wanted to eat out sometime over this last weekend.

I mean, I really wanted to eat out. I did not feel like cooking! I was tired! It was Friday! I was desperate!

I would have even eaten at the all you can eat, not so good, pizza place.

But, oldest daughter told me no……What nerve! : )

Actually,  she told me that she was saving for Christmas and that eating out cost too much money.

How could I argue with that? Eating out does cost more than small change. I was trying to rationalize the cost of cooking at home so I could defend myself if I went out to eat.  mmmm electricity for the kitchen lights, water for the dishwasher….let’s see….even the microwave cost for the little ping sound of the timer. The wear and tear on my socks as I walk in the kitchen making myself something to eat. UGH! this was not working, I was going to have to cook and eat at home.

And I did. Chicken fajitas with blue chips and salsa. I bet you were afraid I would starve. This came from left overs and a can of chicken I had in the cupboard. It was probably better than all you can eat pizza. I bet I will get a hole in my sock from standing in front of the stove. But, it did not cost me a thing.

I guess I probably saved $8.00 instead of going to the, not so good, all you can eat, pizza place.

I did not go out to eat all weekend. I cooked at home and used what I had bought with coupons and items on sale.

I figured I saved another $8.00 for a least one more meal out. I am not talking about high price dinning out. This is like a Subway, Hyvee all you an eat salad bar or maybe a french dip from Arby’s.

What can you buy with $16.00 at the store with coupons.

For $15. 84 cents I bought:

4 boxes Stove top stuffings

4  cans Carnation Evaporated milk

4  cans Delmonte diced tomatoes

2 cans of Green Giant Corn

2  bags Jett Puff marshamllows

2 containers of Cool Whip

2 tubes of Cresent rolls

12 boxes of Green Giant frozen veggies

This was a savings of 72%

So instead of eating out, I used the money to pick up a few bargains that I can use at a later date when my oldest daughter tells me No, we are not going out to eat.

By the way…..she just texted me….this is what it says….Ok. I have a bad headache and just dont feel very well. Grabbing McDs for dinner.

What the nerve!!!!

Kids!

Becky

 

$20 Worth of Catalinas

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What is a catalina? It is a coupon you get printed out when you buy certain items at a grocery store. Last week at my local Gerbes they were having a great catalina deal. If you buy 5 of certain items you would get a catalina worth $5 off your next purchase. I did three transactions. With each transaction I received $20 worth of catalinas.

Well, I used $40 worth over the weekend to purchase grocery items to make “home cooked” food for baby college girl. This included oranges she took home with her…..she did ask first : ). I still had $20 left to use and they expired today. I made a quick trip to Gerbes to pick up a few things. I gathered a few coupons to use but did not have time to really have a strategy. My main objective was just to use them before they expired.

This is what I picked up.

2 bags of Blue Chips. On sale for 2 for $6. I had coupons to make them $2 each.

2 cans of Campbell tomato soup bowls. On sale for $1 each. With coupons I got them for .50 cents each

2 Soft and Gentle 4 packs. On sale for $1 each. With coupons I got them for .50 cents each.

1 vitamin water on sale for .89 cents…..no coupon….I was just thirsty.

1 bad of Wonderful Pistachios on sale for $2.99 with coupon I got it for $1.99.

2 bananas

3 pears

4 apples

1 bunch of Kale

1 bunch of celery

and just in case I make it home early enough tomorrow for trick or treaters  2 bags of Mars candy on sale for $2.50 each with coupons $2 each.

I paid $. 83 cents for all of it. A total of 99 percent savings.

Whohoo!!!

Ummm….what do I want for a snack….home made kale chips, pistachios or maybe a snickers…..

Trick or Treat!

I want something GOOD to eat!

Anybody want a snickers????

Becky

 

Chocolate(chips) Anyone?

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I thought I would share a couple of my, “deals of the week. ”

A couple of weeks ago Hershey put out a .50 cent coupon for any size chocolate chips. Whoohoo! With holiday baking right around the corner, this was the perfect coupon for me. I knew I would need these chocolate chips if I was going to make my PIC (sister in law) her favorite peanut clusters for Christmas. I was on a mission to score some cheap chocolate chips.

I had already used 4 of my coupons at Walgreens and got chocolate chips for $1.50 a bag (12 ounces). Not bad, since in the store they are running around $2.50 a bag. But my eyes about bugged out when I seen that a local grocery store was doing a 10 for $10 deal on chocolate chips. There were just the 6 ounce bag, but with .50 cent coupons that doubled, it would make them free.

Problem was I only had one coupon left.

I had to somehow talk my daughter out of her coupons. She does not cook anyway. (Don’t tell her I said that.) I needed those coupons.

I asked her real nice, she said she would look for them. I asked her again, she said she would look when she had time. I was getting desperate. I asked (really told) her that the sale was ending soon. I got the LOOK. You know what look I am talking about.

I was able to print off some coupons for .50 cent off of two bags and decided I would make do with those. The store I was going to has a 3 same coupon limit. I used the one .50 cents off of one, and then three .50 cents off of two. This is what I came home with.

         

Yippee! I got seven 6 ounces packages of chocolate chips for $3.13. Not to bad right??? 

I was still on a mission to get those coupons from my daughter. I had to take matters into my own hand.

Hand me the scissors.

I found her inserts that she had not had time to cut out and found her coupons. By this time she came home and I got caught in the act. She really did not care. I told you she does not cook. I also told you not to tell her I said that! : ) Anywho, this is what I got on my, round two, shopping trip to buy chocolate chips.

         

For $10.85 I bought, two-8 count cinnnamon rolls, four-8 count cresent rolls and (what I really went after) five 6 ounce packages of chocolate chips. PLUS….I got a register rewards for $2 off my next purchase for buying 6 General Mills items. In addition General Mills will donate $2 to Susan B. Koman for the Cure. Since my Mom had breast cancer three years ago (she is a survivor YEA) this was really a easy way to coupon and support breast cancer research.

Whew….pass me some chocoate (chips).

What are your, “deals of the week?”

Becky

 

Is 40 Boxes of Cereal too Many?

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We love cereal at our house! Not just love love. We LOVE LOVE cereal at our house!

Kellogg’s, General Mill, Post and Quaker Oats; I could have used these names for middle names for my girls.

But, I ask you, is forty boxes of cereal too much???

Normal people would be aghast and fall over in a faint!!!! Not so, with people that use coupons.

I will try to explain.

The coupon deals comes in waves and you got to catch the wave and buy buy buy. It means you will save save save.

My stockpile of cereal had a wee little bit of empty space.  Youngest college daughter came home for the weekend and poof an empty space in cereal stockpile appeared. I wondered why her car looked loaded down when she waved bye and peeled out of the driveway.

I have not bought cereal for several months because we have been using from the stockpile. (Stockpile is a couponers term for, “kitchen pantry is too full”) My family and I would just go to the stockpile, like you would at a cereal isle in the store and get another box of cereal when we needed it. The main rule is that you have to get the cereal from the front row. So sorry, if you are craving frosted flakes and the only box of frosted flakes are in the back row. The cereal is put oldest to the front and newest to the back. The only way the rule is broken, is if you are sick for 10 days and the doctor orders you to eat the frosted flake cereal from the back row. OR, if you are the Mom….and if the kids are not looking,  grab the frosted flakes from the back row, hide it under the bed and go happily to the bedroom with a glass of milk and a bowl…oh, a spoon too. : 0 )

Anywho, going back to my wee bit of space in my cereal stockpile. There just happened to be a sale on Cheerios and other General Mills cereal this week at Gerbes. I could buy cereal, with a coupon, from 75 cents to $1.69 a box.

Hallelujah!

First, I bought 4 boxes of cereal; 3 cheerios and 1 cocoa puffs.

         

I got four boxes of cereal for $4.11.

The cereal zombie in me took over and I bought eight more boxes.

This time 4 cheerios, 2 cocoa puffs and 2 golden grahams for about $11 dollars. I would show you my receipt but the wind grabbed that receipt and took it on a trip down the street. I could not decide whether to drop the cereal in my arms and start running after the receipt, or just saying bye bye receipt?  It is probably in Kansas by now.

12 boxes of cereal for an average cost of $1.30 each. (I added $4.11 plus $11.50 and divided it by 12)

Whohoo!!!!

I can sleep like a (cereal) baby tonight. I have that wee bit of space in my stockpile filled with cereal, I bought it for a great price, I don’t have to worry about buying cereal again until college daughter comes back into town with an empty trunk, and the best part is that I still have a hidden box of frosted flakes cereal in the back row…..

Is 40 boxes of cereal too many????

Well…..do I have to answer that question or can I just go eat some frosted flakes….

Where is my favorite spoon??

Cee–re–all later!

Becky

Couponing, Three reasons why I love it.

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I blame my journey into couponing on my sister Nina. She was so excited! She was so in love! She thought the whole world should be watching the show, “Extreme Couponing”. She would call me and make sure I knew what time the show started.  She wanted everyone to buy a binder, load it down with coupons and get their groceries for free. FREE…really….ok…she had my attention. I was intriqued yet very skeptical but thought I would give it a go. I have made mistakes but learned a lot I now have a binder of my own. I bought several newspapers each week. I cut and clip and try to add match. I guess this means I am now a couponer (is that a real word?) Am I an extreme couponer…no…do I save money…Yes…do I get all my groceries free…No! but here are three reasons why I love couponing (this week).

Here is reason number one why I love couponing….

               

I bought a bag of mini sweet peppers ( l love these roasted in the oven) 2 bags of salad mix and a couple of pounds of bananas for .21 cents

Reason number two why I love couponing….

         

At Target I bought 5 bags of simple pleasure chocolates for $1.00.

Reason number three why I love couponing…….

         

At Gerbes I bought 8 pringles and 2 laughing cow cheeses for $4.07.

These are three of my best deals I got this week at my local stores.      

Does it take time?….Yes.

Do you have to plan it out?….Yes

Do you have to go to more than one store?….Yes

Do you really have to go to more than one store?….No…but you get the best buys if you do.

Couponing tip number one. Start small.

Couponing tip number two. Go to the store that you are most familiar with and coupon match with their sale adds.

Couponing tip number three. Do not be embarrassed buying 10 boxes of Frosted Flakes for $1.25 each. You will say “GREEEEAT” at the check out.

Couponing tip number four. Do not eat all the chocolate in one sitting……this is why they invented locked doors.

 Try a little coupon trip to your favorite store. Let me know how you do!

Becky

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