New Target Coupons Available - Matched to Current Publix Ad

The new Target Printable Coupons have been posted! This set of coupons expire on October 25. For most of these coupons you can use multiples of each coupon in one transaction.

Many Publix stores accept these coupons as competitor coupons. The Prices listed below are from the current Publix Ad be sure to see if your sale ends on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I'm only highlighting what I think the best deals are for this week, but be sure to double check the coupons to see if there are any other items that you may have on your shopping lest.

Horizon Organic Milk 8 oz. (1 cup) or 3 pack 8 oz. - Not on sale
Unsure of the shelf price on this, but this is likely to be FREE or VERY cheap for the 8 oz.
Reports are that the price of these at Target are .99 to $1.09
128 oz= 16 cups = 1 gallon
If you paid .10 cents each for these it would be equivalent to $1.60/gallon = (.10 * 16 packages)

Grapes $1.49/lb
.49/lb after $1/1 lb or more Target Coupon - Super Target has these on sale this week and would be free after coupon. If you can't make it to Target this is still a GREAT deal on these. I've been told that frozen grapes are really good too.

Cheerios $1.99
.49/1 after $1/2 Target Coupon AND $1/1 printable coupon OR
$1.33/1 after $1/2 Target Coupon AND $1/3 (9/7 GM)

Cheez-Its $4.19 BOGO
$1.10/1 after $1/1 Target Coupon

Pepperidge Farm Distinctive Cookies 5-7.5 oz $2.00
$1.12/1 after .50/1 Target Coupon AND $1.50/4 printable coupon.
Not a great price if you are trying to budget, but I know some people really like these.

Thanks to Common Sense With Money for Announcing that the new Target Coupons had been posted.

Coupon Contests for Free Hershey's Bliss, Dole, and Wendy's

I'm not big on entering contests usually because the expected value for my time is very low. However, every once in a while a good contest comes along.

Hershey's Bliss is giving away 25,000 bags of candy. They are advertising this as 1,000 bags a day. By my calculations, they are giving a bag away approximately every minute and a half. I won a coupon for a bag on my first try! The other good thing is you can win multiple times! Limited to one entry per person per day until you win the grand prize*. If you win a coupon you may want to consider saving it for a CVS/Walgreens BOGO deal (You will get 2 bags for free) or work it into a scenario for additional savings.

It does ask for a UPC code, but the official rules say that there is no purchase necessary so I don't mind sharing a couple of UPC codes that work for this contest.

034000149018
034000149001

Also, according to the rules which candy you click on does not matter.

*The grand prize is a $2,500 party, but those odds are not as good for that. If you win while you are trying to get your free candy coupon you can invite me.

A couple of other contests that looked moderately promising:

Coupon for Free Bag of Dole Salad (15,00 winners - daily entry)

Free Wendy's Twisted Frosty (10,00 winners, but 1st time losers get coupon for $1.00 off - daily entry)

Thanks to Freebies 4 Mom for bringing these and other sweepstakes to my attention.

Kroger Loss Leaders Week of September 28

Don't be fooled by Kroger's 58 cent sale this week. Most of the items included in the sale are generic items. Typically, the comperable brand name items can often be gotten cheaper when you use coupons when an item is on sale. If you don't use coupons or are in need of something the generics at Wal-Mart and Aldi are cheaper everyday for many of these items. For example, tonight I bought canned corn for .42/can at Wal-Mart. If you only shop at Kroger you may want to take a closer look at the ad, but for me there are better deals elsewhere.

For a complete list of the sales with coupon matchups from the Sunday Inserts visit Coupon Mom's website.

The Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons

Fresh Split Chicken Breast .99/lb

Boneless Pork Loin $1.99/lb

Tomatoes on the Vine .99/lb

Seedless Red Grapes $1.29/lb - Higher than my .99/lb limit, but still not too bad.

The Best of the Sales with Coupons

Hunt's Canned Tomatoes .75/can
.35/can after .40/2 (9/21 S)
Not the best deal ever, but a good price if you need them.

Stacking Opportunity

Grands Biscuits (canned) $1
.30/2 Cellfire Coupon (does not double)
.50/1 Shortcuts Coupon
.30/2 doubles (8/10 GM)
.75/3 Blinkie (Coupon found by the product in the store.)

Here are your options for stacking these coupons. As you can see the best deal is using buying 2 and using the Shortcuts coupon and the .30/2 coupon which doubles.

Buy 1 .50/can after .50/1 Shortcuts Coupon OR
Buy 2 .55/can after .30/2 Cellfire Coupon and (8/10 GM) OR
Buy 2 .45/can after .50/1 Shortcuts Coupon and .30/2 doubled (8/10 GM) OR
Buy 3 .51/can after .30/2 Cellfire Coupon AND .50/1 Shortcuts Coupon AND .75/3 Blinkie OR
Buy 3 .53/can after .30/2 Cellfire Coupon AND .50/1 Shortcuts Coupon AND .30/2 doubled

Ingles Loss Leaders Week of September 28

This is a very slow week at Ingles for bargain hunters, but I did want to point out a couple of loss leaders. If you have an Ingles in your area you can price match the sales items that they carry and are not aren't BOGO at Wal-Mart if you want to save a stop. Click here for the full ad.

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.99/lb - Family Pack
.55/1 (7/20 S) OR $1/1 (Manufacturer's Coupon found in store several weeks ago)
This price is for the family pack, which are close to 3 pound packages. You won't get as much bang for your coupon buck on these, but even without coupons this is still a good price. The butchers will divide these packages for you so that you can freeze the right portions for your family. (You still have to buy the whole package.)

5 pound bag Red, Gold, or Rome Apples $3.98

Praying Before You Shop

As Christians, we should remember that God is with us in all things and that nothing is too big or small for us to take to Him in prayer. Your shopping shopping trip may be such a part of your routine that you haven't considered praying about it. Personally, I have found that praying before my shopping trips really helps me. I can tell a difference in how my trip goes when I have taken the time to pray.

Whether you are making a quick stop for a couple of items or making a larger purchase I would encourage you to pray about it. You can do this before you leave your home in preparation for your trip, make use of the time in the car and pray on the way, or even while you are shopping.

Here are few things that you could consider praying about your shopping trip:

- Your safety

- Preparation for your trip to be efficient and without error

- Your trip is productive and a good use of your time

- To be a good steward of the money God has given you

- Not make unnecessary/ spontaneous purchases that are often costly

- Clarity of thought (Especially when doing complex scenarios.)

- Find the items that you were planning to buy (in stock, easy to locate)

- Peace for when things don't go the way you want them to (The shelves had been cleared of the sale items, problems at the checkout)

- Your children to have good cheerful attitudes/behave

- Shopping trip and checkout to go smoothly

- To make or come in under budget

- Opportunities to help others (finding items to donate inexpensively, listening, offering a helping hand, answering a question, a cheerful smile)

- Ability to teach/share with others who are interested how to save money

- Things you purchase are a blessing to your family and others

- Protection from sin (covetousness, idolatry)

- Faith that God will provide the things that you need

- God's light to shine through you to those you encounter

- Wisdom and guidance from God in all things

When you return home remember to thank God for what he has provided and the opportunities that you had.

For other Frugal Friday topics be sure to visit Crystal's blog.

Free Museum Tickets

National Museum Day is Saturday September 27. Participating museums around the country are offering two free admissions for the day. Since many of these museums already have free or reduced admission for children this looks like an opportunity for a fun and inexpensive outing!

To my surprise, there are several of participating museums in Georgia including many around the Metro Atlanta area. The online form to request two free tickets and more details can be found here.

Thanks once again to the CCH group for the tip!

Free Starbucks Coffee on Monday for ALL Teachers!

This just in from my Homeschool loop.

On Monday September 29 Starbucks will be giving away a tall size (12 oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast to all teachers - including homeschool parents. In order to receive your free coffee you must so valid teacher identification.

Accepted identification for homeschool teachers includes:

* Home School Legal Defense Association membership card.
* Membership card from a state homeschooling organization.
* Notification from a school district or state government recognizing compliance with
compulsory attendance.
* Paperwork submitted showing intent to establish a homeschool program.
* Paperwork showing the establishment of a private school.

New Food Lion Printable Coupons

Food Lion has just sent out new Food Lion Printable Coupons. These are store coupons that can be used at Food Lion or at some Publix locations as competitor's coupons. The restrictions on these are 1 per item per order and can not be stacked with other coupons. Even with the restrictions these have helped me get many items free/cheap over the past few weeks.

This is a great week! To view all of the different sets of coupons and links visit the current HCW FLIPs thread. Some of the past coupons are still available if you have not printed them. Each set of coupons will allow you to initiate the print cycle once per computer.

Here are a few of the sets available. I'm very happy to see that the $2/$5 produce is back!

$1 off Food Lion Ice Cream
$2 off Food Lion Purified Water 24 pack
$2 off $5 Deli/Bakery Purchase
$1 off 1 dozen Food Lion Eggs

$1.00 off Breyers
$2.00 off FL 24 pack bottled water
$2 off $5 Produce
$1 off Food Lion eggs

$1 off FL Ice Cream
$1 off Deer Park 24 pack bottled water
$2 off $5 Produce
$1 off FL eggs

Publix Highlights for the Week of September 24

Please remember that my ad week begins on Wednesday; however, some areas begin on Thursday. Please check your local ad to verify your ad schedule. These sales and prices are in the Metro Atlanta area where coupons with a face value of .50 or less are doubled. For items that are on sale Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) you only have to buy one to get the item 50% off. Be sure to take full advantage of the sales by pairing them with competitor's coupons including $/$ purchase when applicable. I try to find the best deals to post here, but for a complete match up of this week's sale items with coupons from the inserts visit Coupon Mom starting on Thursday.

Publix is running a "Get Something for Nothing" special sale with lots of BOGO deals this week. There are a lot of good deals including several items that really cost nothing after coupons living up to the sale name, but I did notice that prices on some of the products have been raised for the BOGO sale. I occasionally catch this in their sales so be careful to look at the prices before you buy.

Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons:

The Essentials sale is continuing (Milk, Bread, Orange Juice). I'm not sure when ice cream became an essential, but its there at a not so great price.

Baby Carrots BOGO 1, 2, 3 lb bags
Last time the 1 pound bags were $1/1 and the 3 pound bags were $2/1 or .66 pound (cheaper than regular carrots).
Buying in volume will pay off if you can use them, but your savings will be wasted if you buy more than you can use then end up throwing them away.

Bartlett Pears .99/lb.

Asparagus $1.99/lb - Good Timing! The Little Man just finished what I had frozen from a previous sale.

Lay's Potato Chips $3.89 BOGO - Good for Salty Snacks Rebates


The Best of the Deals With Coupons:

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables $1
FREE after .50/2 doubled (9/7 GM) AND $1/2 Target Printable
Publix has really wanted us to eat our vegetables lately!
Be sure to check the labels on these. If I recall correctly, some of these have additives.

Chex Mix $2.55 BOGO
FREE after .50/1 doubled (9/7 GM) AND $1/2 Target Printable

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta $1.79 BOGO
FREE after $1/1 (8/24 S)

Suave Shampoo $1
22 oz. Family Size - Better Value as most stores have the 16 oz. bottle for this price.
FREE after .50/1 doubled (7/13 RP) OR
.44/1 after $2/3 (7/13 RP) OR
.50/1 after $1/2 (9/21 RP)

Pillsbury Supreme Cake Mix $1.69 BOGO
.05/1 after .40/1 doubled (9/7 RP) - IF Reduced Sugar is Included

Toaster Strudel/Scrambles $1.99 BOGO
.30/1 after .35/1 doubled (9/7 GM) OR
.50/1 after various $1/2 coupons
Not free like in the past, but not a bad deal.

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (Canned NOT Frozen) $1
.70/1 after .30/2 doubled (8/10 GM)

Quaker Instant Grits $2.49 BOGO
.75/1 after $1/2 (9/7 RP)

Quaker Instant Oatmeal $3.79 BOGO
.90/1 after .50/1 doubled (9/7 RP)

Sara Lee Pound Cake 50% Off - No Price Listed
I am estimating this will be $1 or less after $1/1 (9/21 RP)

GE Energy Smart Bulb $4.79 BOGO
$1.40/1 after $1/1 (8/10 S2) OR $1/1 printable coupon

Birds Eye Voila! $4.99 BOGO (This price has gone up since the last BOGO sale.)
$1.50/1 after $1/1 printable coupon It appears this coupon has not been reset since the last BOGO deal.
OR
$1.25/1 after $1.25/1 blinkie (Coupon found in the coupon dispenser with the red blinking light next to the product) Have not found these at my store.

Publix Baby Wipes - 140 Count Refill 3/$7
May be a good time to use the BOGO Coupon from the Publix Baby Club Home Mailer
$1.16/1 after coupon or .008/wipe
It has been a while since I have used these, but I believe they are similar to Huggies Wipes, which are my favorite.

New Kroger Cellfire Coupons - Expire October 6

Cellfire has uploaded new Kroger coupons that expire October 6.

There are a few that I wanted to point out that you may want to stack with traditional coupons. Remember, you can only have 10 Cellfire coupons loaded to your Kroger Card at any time. You may want to leave space on your card for some items that come up on sale or have good coupons to match.

Cottonelle .50/1
The shelf price for a 4 pack of single rolls is .99
Profit of .50 after .50/1 doubled to .99 (9/21 S)

Kotex Any Product $1/1
$1/1 Any Kotex from August All You Magazine OR $1/1 OR .75/1 printable coupon OR
$1/1 (9/7 S1)
I don't know the prices for these but could be FREE/inexpensive items

Betty Crocker Warm Delights .50/1 (Shortcuts has .55/1 if you want to use that instead)
The shelf price for this was $1.99
.49/1 after Cellfire coupon and .50/1 doubled (9/7 GM) or better if you find it on sale.

Yo Plus Yogurt (4 pack) $1/1
Shelf price is $2.49, but the other day I saw several marked down to $1.25/1 that were to expire in about a week.
.49/1 after $1/1 (8/10 GM OR 9/7 GM)

Ingles Highlights Week of September 21

This week's ad appears to be a good one. You might want to take a look at the ad even if you don't usually shop there. I try to only focus on the best deals that I see. This week's ad is full of other items that are BOGO. You can buy 1 BOGO item and receive it for 1/2 price.

The Best of the Loss Leaders

Ground Chuck - 5 lbs. or more $1.98

Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.98

Lay's Potato Chips $3.89 BOGO (Good for Salty Snack Rebates)

Crystal Springs .5 liter 12 pack $4.38 BOGO

Green Giant Baby Carrots $1.98 BOGO

Popeye Frozen Steam Spinach $1/1 lb. bag

Broccoli 2/$3

Bakery Fresh French Bread $1.88 BOGO

The Best of the Deals with Coupons

Ingles Double Coupon Policy is different than most stores in the Metro Atlanta Area. You can only have up to two of the same product in one transaction; however, I have never had a problem doing two transactions in one visit. In order to have your coupons double (up to .50 face value) you must spend $10 before coupons for every three coupons you want doubled. When writing your scenarios be sure to use your free item coupons and rebate items to maximize the number of coupons you can double.

Nesquik 16 oz bottles 5/$5
FREE after .50/1 (9/14 RP) (doubled) - See coupon policy above.

Uncle Ben's Rice Side Dishes 10/$5
FREE after $1/2 (8/24 RP) - Good filler item. Since coupon doesn't double the limit of 2 does not apply.

Land O Frost Variety Pack 14 oz. $4.48 BOGO
$1.25/1 after .50/1 (8/10 RP) (doubled)

Sea Best Breaded Shrimp 10 oz $3.68 BOGO
.84/1 after $1/1 Printable Coupon

In ad advertisment for Del Monte's Just One More Everyday e-newsletter. Sign-up to receive up to $35 in coupon savings. (Use your junk e-mail account to do this.)

The Best Free Powerade Coupon Ever

If it wasn't enough to get 6 Powerade Zeros for free what would you do if you could get an seemingly unlimited number for free?

When I went to Kroger today to finish getting the Cottonelle that my store had been out of stock of I decided to use my Free Powerade coupon from MyCokeRewards to get the 6 Powerade Zeros for free. However, not only did I get the expected $4.00 OYNO Catalina I also got $1/3 coupon good for my next purchase of Powerade Zero making it a repeatable deal without having to have coupons from any other sources.

Each time I bought 6 I paid $3.89 OOP and I got the $4.00 Catalina and the $1/3 coupon. Also, I can now verify that the $4.00 Catalina rolls for this offer.

When I left, I passed the last $1/3 coupon that had printed along to someone else who was interested in the deal and explained what to do. How long will the chain last?

Even if you don't have any Powerade coupons, this is one hot deal for the price of your initial investment of .74 + tax!

Price Check on Boxes of Huggies Diapers at Publix

When I was in Publix today I checked on the price of the diapers that were included for the $5.00/1 found in the ad. The shelf price was $21.99, which was lower than I expected for Publix. However, I also noticed that the number of diapers per box had gone down from 92 to 88. With a stacking scenario this will be a deal for disposable diapers.

Scenario:
Buy 1 box $21.99
Use $5.00/1 Publix Ad Coupon
Use $4/$20 or Better Competitor Coupon - Look for a new Walgreen's coupon to come out this weekend.
Use $1.00/1 (8/24 S) OR $1.50/1 (Home Mailer)
Final cost $11.49 = .13/diaper for size 4

Bonus $1.00 added to Upromise Account if e-coupon is loaded and card is swiped.

Upromise is Now Offering E-coupons

Even though I didn't have children I started using Upromise years ago. I knew that I would be able to find someone who could use the money accumulated in the account. I don't go out of my way to buy Upromise items, but if I happen to be getting them it is a nice bonus. In fact, I don't even know what the current participating brands are. I did find a list here if you are interested, but as you can see participating products add a small percentage to you are account.

Recently, Upromise has added e-coupons for account users. Instead of getting the coupon value off of your purchase price at the register it goes into your Upromise account instead. However, don't be fooled into thinking it is the same value as getting it at the register because of the time value of money, but that is a lesson for another day.

It appears that these "coupons" will work in the Metro Atlanta Area at CVS, Publix, Kroger, or Ingles. You must use your shopper's or Upromise card that is linked to your Upromise account to use them.

I think these offerings will help to sweeten the deals even more for stores who do not currently offer e-coupons. You should be able to stack these with traditional paper coupons. Remember, never buy a product just to get credit in your Upromise account.

If you are a Kroger shopper and plan to use other e-coupons be sure that the same products are not loaded to your card or you will be getting Upromise credit instead. However, if you planned on buying the same products at Kroger and CVS if both coupons are loaded go to CVS first so you can take advantage of both offers. Or buy multiples of the same product at Kroger.

Click here for the current list of e-coupons.

Coupon Preview September 21

Tonight I discovered that The Coupon Clippers has a calendar with the coupon previews listed by insert. The coupons she lists are from her paper in Central Florida. coupons in your inserts may vary by value or sometimes by brand.

Only three things that really stuck out to me as being good deals, but maybe there are some hidden gems if there is an ECB deal or rebate. Be sure to look at the preview before you buy your papers to decide how many copies to buy as you may be spending more on the paper than the coupons that you are getting out of it. It isn't a good deal to spend $2.00 on extra copies of the paper that you are only getting a value of $1.80 in coupons.

It looks like we will be getting more free Cottonelle (.50/1). I'm glad I like this brand.

Hunt's Canned Tomatoes (.40/2) Sometimes these will go on sale BOGO making these fairly inexpensive.

There is also a new Mail in Rebate for the Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber Starter Kit with CRT dated from 9/21/08 to 11/16/08. This is a new rebate so even if you have gotten a free kit with a previous rebate you can get another free kit. If you haven't used all of your printable coupons you will profit $2.75 (before tax and stamp).

Current Food Lion Printable Coupons

I found that I can use these at Publix as competitor's coupons, but I do abide by the 1 per item per order and do not stack with manufacturer's or Publix coupons. Even with the restrictions these have helped me get many items free/cheap over the past few weeks. Each set of coupons will allow you to initiate the print cycle once per computer; however, I'm able to print multiple copies at that time.

Diaper, Wipes, Baby Care (Expire October 1, 2008)

Formula and Baby Food Coupons (Expire October 1, 2008)

Visit this Hot Coupon World Thread for the coupons that expire 9/30. Remember each set can be printed once per computer.

The best set to print to use as competitor's coupons appeared to be:

$1.00 off any Peter Pan Peanut Butter
$2.00 off one (1) bag of any Tyson Frozen Chicken
$1.00 off (2) two boxes of Food Lion Tea bags or mix
$1.00 off any two (2) Campbell's® Select Harvest™ soups (cans or bowls)

If you prefer Skippy to Peter Pan you don't want to miss this set.

$1/1 Skippy Peanut Butter
$2/1 Food Lion Frozen Chicken
$1/2 Food Lion Tea Bags or Mix
$1/2 Campbell's Select Harvest Soup

Publix Highlights for the Week of September 17

Just a reminder that my ad week starts on Wednesday, but some areas start on Thursday. Check your local ad to verify your schedule. I live in the Metro Atlanta Area where coupons double up to .50 face value, and when an item is BOGO you only have to buy one in order to get an item 1/2 price. Seniors get an additional 5% off of their order on Wednesdays. Look for the Penny Item coupons in the Publix ad in Sunday's paper to use on Monday. I try to list the best deals for the week, but for a complete list of sales and insert coupons visit Coupon Mom who will have the weekly ad posted on Thursday.

Don't forget to use competitor's coupons if you have them! After being told no several years ago I didn't ask again until a few weeks ago when I kept reading posts that Publix accepts them. Since then they have made a huge difference in my grocery bill.

The Best of the Loss Leaders without coupons:

Bartlett Pears .99/lb.

Orange Juice $2.49/gallon

Ground Chuck $1.97/pound

Publix Salad Mix BOGO $2.99 ($1.50/1)

The Best of the Sales with Coupons:

Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 32 oz. BOGO $11.99
$5.00 after $1/1 printable coupon - I know this isn't cheap, but it is a great price for what it is! Compare the price to the Aldi brand 16 oz bottle at $3.99 the last time I checked, so it is like getting the second 16 oz for $1. If you need this, but you have a tight budget be sure to use a $/$ competitor's coupon to help defray some of the expense. I'm hopeful that Walgreen's will put out another $/$ coupon this weekend.

V8 Splash BOGO $2.99
.50/1 after $1/2 (Yellow Advantage Buys Book) AND .50/2 (doubled) (8/17 S)

Arnold Bread BOGO $2.79
$.90/1 after .50/1 printable coupon that reads do not double; however, it is up to the store if they double it so .40/1 if doubled. I know that this coupon is in a PDF format which is usually a warning sign for printable coupons; however, it does appear to be legit and has been approved by HCW.

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix BOGO $1.59
Rumor is there is a $1/2 printable coupon, but I'm unable to find it.
However, I did find $1/1 carrot cake mix coupon which is excluded from the sale.

Huggies Bath Products BOGO $3.29
.65/1 after $1/1 (home mailer)
Maybe some new coupons will come out in the Sunday inserts.

Special Situations:

Huggies Box Diapers $5/1 coupon found in the Publix ad. I did the math on the cost per diaper on the boxes vs the jumbo packs. I would have to get the price of the box down to $15 or less for this to be a deal for me. However, this may not be impossible to do if you stack your coupons. Keep in mind the boxes do not qualify for the Caregivers Rebate.
Let's assume a shelf price of $25-$26 I'm not sure of the actual price, but it is a best guess.
Use $5.00 coupon from ad
Use $1.00 (8/24 S) OR $1.50/1 (home mailer)
Use $4/$20 Competitor's coupon OR higher value Competior's coupon (maybe Walgreen's will have another one out this weekend).
With the coupons I currently have my goal of $15/box is doable if the shelf price is $25.50 or less. Maybe Walgreen's will have another high value coupon this weekend to sweeten the deal.

Centrum Multivitamin Multimineral Vitamins - $10.99
IF Cardio Vitamins are included it will be a $2 money maker after
$3/1 coupon and $10/1 rebate (9/7 RP) - Good to use with $/$ competitor's coupon

Del Monte Vegetables, Tomatoes, and Cottege Inn items are BOGO - I think that it is about time for the fall Del Monte Coupons to come out soon. These items are not a deal unless these coupons come out with a high face value. Generic brands tend to run .42 - .50 can for vegetables and tomatoes.

Remember to check the current Advantage Buys ad for some great sales too!

Later I will be posting links to the Current Food Lion Printable coupons. If you have a Food Lion in your area you will be able to use these at Publix as a competitor's coupon.

CVS Loves Me Again!

I just received a $4/$20 purchase coupon in my e-mail! This is the first one I have received in months so be sure to check your e-mail to see if you have one too. The e-mail read as if they had reset my card to receive CVS offers via e-mail. I hope I will continue to get these like I did in the past. Hopefully everyone else will get one too! I'm sure that this will come in handy next week.

Mine is specific to my card and can only be used once at CVS. However, Publix will accept it as a competitor's coupon! It expires 9/28.

Publix Yellow Advantage Buys Advertisement September 13 - October 10

A few of the best highlights from the Yellow Advantage Buys Book

Store Coupon "Save $1 on any two items from these participating brands (any size)"
Brands: Motts, Hawaiian Punch, True Blue, Welch's, V8, Ocean Spray, Sunsweet, Minute Maid.
Since this is a store coupon without exclusions this can be stacked with a manufacturer coupon.
Possible Items:
Motts 4 pack juice boxes. $1.25 (regular price)
.25/1 after $1/2 Store Coupon and $1/2 (8/10 S1)
In the past people have used these coupons on frozen concentrates to get inexpensive juice.
V8 in smaller cans
Other items in small or single serve containers??
Please leave a comment with any great finds that you had with these coupons!

Kraft Easy Mac 5/$4
.30/1 after $1/2 (9/14 S)
My understanding is that this is slightly less expensive at Target, but I am unsure of their price.

Beech Nut Easy Pour Cereal 3/$4
.33/1 after $1/1 (6/15 SS - expires 9/30)

Stonyfield Farms Organic Smoothie 4/$5
.25/1 or .75/1 after printable coupon (limit one per e-mail address)

Martha White Muffin Mix 5/$4
.53/1 after .55/2 (8/24 RP)

Glade Air Freshener .99
.99/2 after BOGO (9/14 S)

Chinet Cut Crystal Tumblers 2/$2.49 **
.25 after $1/1 (Smart Summertime Savings - expire 9/30 OR 6/29 S - expire 9/28)

Dixie Napkins 2/$3 **
.50/1 after .50/1 doubled (8/17 RP)

**If you are spending $15 (before coupons) on party ware (cups, napkins, plates ...) be sure to use the $3/$15 Target printable coupon as a competitor's coupon.

Kroger Scenario Matchups for $3/15 Sale

With so many different coupons from so many different sources this is a very complex deal, but there are some great deals to be had including a few profitable items. Instead of writing a specific scenario I have focused on some of the best deals with the coupon matchups. With the exeption of the Pop Secret I have done all of the deals I have listed and can verify that they work.

You can pick any combination of 15 participating items including several that I don't have listed. You can do up to 3 deals (45 items) in one transaction. If you need more items divide your order into multiple transactions. To maximize your savings be sure that you have your Cellfire and Shortcuts coupons loaded to your Kroger card. Remember that each Kroger card can only use each e-coupon once, but you can use one tradional coupon for each product that you have.

You can only do one catalina offer for each product per transaction. Example one Nature Valley and one Fruit Rollups offer works, but two Nature Valley catalina offers (10 boxes) will not produce two catalina coupons and must be done in two transactions. For more information about the current Kroger Catalina Offers visit the Fourm at Hot Coupon World.

In the event you end up with several catalinas you should be able to use the catalina coupons at any store that accepts manufaturer coupons; however, I know some people have had difficulties with the cashiers accepting them. They are manufacturer's coupons and say this at the top of the coupon. In any event, Publix should take as a competitor's coupon, but encourage them to scan as a manufacturer's coupon.

Chart Notes:
Please note tha that there is only one Old El Paso Product Cellfire Coupon, but I was showing the option of two different products.
F/D = Face Value or Double Face Value.


Click on chart for easier viewing.

Kroger Loss Leaders Week of September 14

There are so many deals this week at Kroger!

The Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons:

Tomatoes .99/lb.

Onions .99/lb.

Cucumbers .50/each

Pork Loin $1.99/lb. - Glad to see this price back! I was scared we had permanently moved to higher prices. You may want to stock up and freeze some if you have space.

Milk $3.38 - A few years ago I never would have dreamed that this would be the lowest price in town and still be cheaper than a gallon of gas!

O.J. $2.48

Sara Lee Bread BOGO (You only have to buy one to get 1/2 price)

Winter Squash .69/lb. Glad to see the fall harvest is starting to come in! Remember buying fresh produce in season will help lower your grocery bill.

Regular Sales with Coupons:

Aquafresh Toothpaste $1
FREE if correct products are included after .50/1 (9/7 S2)

Suave .88
FREE after .50/1 (7/13 RP) or .33/1 with $2/3 (7/13 RP)

Powerade Zero Catalina Offer - Good deal even if you do not have a coupon!
Powerade .79
IF Powerade Zero is included in sale ($1/bottle if not included)
Buy 6 Powerade (must buy exactly 6 for this scenario to work correctly)
Use only 1 of either $1/1 (7/13 S) OR .75/1 (6/8 S) OR Free Bottle (MyCokeRewards) OR BOGO (Tearpad)
Receive a coupon at checkout for $4.00 off your next shopping order (any items)
Receive all 6 32 oz bottles of Powerade Zero for FREE after coupon and $4.00 catalina offer.
No coupon? Buy 6 for .74 after Catalina.
More coupons? Repeat deal using 1 per transaction or use multiple coupons in one transaction to earn catalinas.

Note: Catalinas sometimes do not print as they should. Before you start checking out make sure that the catalina machine is working (the green light is on in steady state). Sometimes I even ask the cashier to verify. Usually if the catalina does not print customer service will reimburse you in cash for the value that you should have received. If this is a problem, return items and repurchase at a different register to try to force the catalina to print.

Look for a second post later with deal scenarios based on the $3/15 promotion combined with catalina offers, printable coupons, insert coupons, Cellfire, and Shortcuts match ups.

Ingles Loss Leaders Week of September 14

Just the highlights of the best loss leaders for the week. Remember, you can price match several of these items at Wal-Mart.

London Broil $2.48/lb.

Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders $1.98/lb

Springer Mountain Boneless Skinless Thighs $2.48/lb.
$1/1 (6/29 S)
Look for smaller packages to save more money per pound.
Example: $3 package = 1.2 pounds = $1.66/lb. after coupon
$3.50 package = 1.4 pounds = $1.78/lb. after coupon

3 pounds Gala Apples 2/$5

5 pounds Gold Apples $3.48

4 lb. Laura Lynn (store brand) sugar $1.48

CVS National Ad Week of September 14

After such a great week at CVS last week this week looks kind of slim. Remember, these are the National Ad Deals. The Test Markets (including Metro Atlanta) may not have the same sales.

ECB Deals:

Excedrin Express Gels $3.99 Get $3.99 in ECBs Limit 1
FREE after ECBs
It appears that the coupon is only for Excedrine Migraine, but you can check here for Excedrin coupons.

Aleve D $3.99 Get $3 ECBs Limit 1
Use $1/1 printable coupon
FREE after ECBs and coupon; however, I only recommend getting this if your family will use it because of the legal restrictions placed on this product.

Non ECB Deals:

Revlon BOGO starting at $3.49
Less expensive items will be FREE if you use 2 $2/1 coupons (7/20 S or 8/24 S)

Revlon Beauty Tools Buy One Get One 50% starting at $1.29
Less expensive items (emery boards and nail clippers) will be FREE or cheap after 2 $1/1 coupons (5/18 S2 or 9/14 S)

Other ECB Deals - Special Situations:

Only a deal if you have not done this rebate:
Just for Men $7.99 Get $2 ECBs Limit 1
Use $2/1 Printable coupon
Request rebate of $7.99 (currently 2 available for different products)
Profit of $4 after ECBs, Coupons, and Rebate
Details and links for coupons and rebates can be found here. If you have not done either one start with the one that expires December 2008. The second rebate expires December 2009 and we are likely to see more deals on this product in the future.

Reader Request:

The following is not a hot deal for most bargain hunters, but I had a request to look for deals on toothbrushes. Coupon shoppers can regularly get adult toothbrushes for free and sometimes even get paid to take them off of the shelf, but toothbrushes for children are much harder to find for free/cheap. However, most dentists will give your child a toothbrush when they go for a cleaning so be sure to ask. The dentist office is also a great place to look for coupons.

GUM Toothbrushes Twin Pack (picture shows Crayola toothbrushes) 2/$5
Get $1 ECB when you buy 2 Limit 5 offers (10 packages, 20 toothbrushes)
Use 2 .75/1 GUM (6/29 RP or 8/3 RP)
Final Cost after Coupons and ECBs $2.50 for 4 toothbrushes = .63/each

Now Entering the Test Market Phase

When I went to post the deals from the new CVS ad tonight I had a bit of surprise. It appears that the test market phase has officially begun. Currently on the CVS website there is a midweek ad posted for Wednesday through Friday. It mainly focused on non ECB deals and lesser ECB deals (generally not the ones we would be looking for) that had been in the weekly circular.

I must admit I freaked out upon first glance because I thought that the small midweek ad was the ad for next week. Since there were no great ECB deals, I was sure that it was the end of CVS as we know it.

Since previous test markets have not had the same deals as the National ad I will have to wait until I see a copy of the local ad to post the deals for our area. Hopefully, it will be the same as usual with no bumps in the road.

Using the Walgreen's $10/$40 at Publix

I'm sure by now most of you have seen the Walgreen's $10/$40 coupon, but how many of you have thought about using it at Publix? Several locations have been honoring the Walgreen's coupons as a competitor's coupon.

The only catch is that unlike many of the $/$ coupons, your AFTER coupon total has to be over $40. So unfortunately your scenario can't have the help of free filler items to get your total up to $40. If you don't usually use coupons, are new to couponing and haven't established a nice supply of food, or have been wanting to get items that are not usually on sale this is a good opportunity to easily save some money.

Keep in mind if you are planning on spending $30 or more, go ahead and get a few more items to reach your $40 total. If you are already spending $30 it is like getting the final $10 of items for free!

But what about the rest of us? This is especially rough because Publix doesn't have a super ad week this week for bargain hunters. My best suggestion is to combine the best of the weekly deals with a high dollar value rebate.

The 50% off BirdsEye Vegetables could be a better deal than I originally expected if you combine the $1/3 Manufacturer's Coupon with the $1/2 Publix Pyramid Coupon.

I am unsure of the price of the Centrum Cardio Vitamins, but the $3 coupon (9/7 RP) combined with the $10 Rebate (9/7 RP) could make this a money maker item, but even if you just break even it would definately help to bump up your total. Remember to only do one rebate per receipt because most rebates require the original receipt.

For those of us with children in diapers this would be a good way to get approximately $2.50 off a pack ($10 prorated based on a shelf price of $10) and the Huggies jumbo packs would also qualify for the Caregivers Rebate OR the Publix/Kimberly Clark Rebate. However, I'm unsure of Publix's shelf price per pack to determine if this would be a good deal. If you don't have any of the Huggies $1.50 or $2 off coupons, Food Lion also has the $1.50/pack printable coupon (limit one per transaction and the print cycle can only be initiated once per computer) that can be used as a competitor coupon.

Another option that came to mind is stocking up on some of the ground chuck that is on sale or other meat that has been marked down.

My one last thought is that you can use the Free Kraft Products When You Buy 3 coupons from the August All You Magazine. I know that you are thinking that the free product will not boost your total, but the qualifying items will. I am still undecided about the use of these coupons with the small Kool-Aid packets so I have been using Kraft items that have been on sale and that I would have been buying anyway instead. Which, since I was planning on buying them anyway and I don't use Kool-Aid it comes out cheaper for me.

Please leave a comment or a link to your blog post with your scenario. I'm still looking for good ideas to decide if I want to make the trip or just wait for Monday's Penny Item.

Question from the Inbox Powdered or Fresh?

got milk?

I received this question in my inbox this week. I decided to make it the topic of my Frugal Friday post so that my readers could also benefit from the answer.

[My one year old] is drinking 2 gallons of milk a week . . . I was wondering if you
have ever done a nutrition/cost comparison between powdered and fresh
milk? . . . Really, I'd just do it to save money, but not at the expense of nutrition.

Before my Little Man was drinking milk I almost always used powdered milk. This was definitely more economical for us because we did not use very much, could make the amount that we needed, and not have to throw away a large quantity of unused fresh milk that had become expired. (Frugal Tip: Don't justify buying more than you can consume just because it is on sale. You are literally pouring money down the drain if you buy more than you can use and have to throw it away. Fresh produce is another place that this often happens.) A couple of years ago the price per gallon for the store brand nonfat powdered milk was comparable or even a little better than the sale price of fresh milk. So I believe powdered milkcan be a cost effective alternative to fresh milk for singles, couples, or families with older children.

However, most powdered milk available is nonfat milk. Because of the lack of fat content it is generally not recommended for children under the age of 3. With a little research, I found a whole milk product called NIDO that is made by Nestle. The nutritional panel is almost identical to the gallon of whole milk currently in my refridgerator. The ingredients differ: Whole Milk, Soy Lecithin, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3.

When I purchased NIDO at Wal-Mart in June it cost $3.97 for a container that makes approximately 3 quarts of milk. Fresh milk prices were higher then so it was slighly more expensive, but a comprable cost for the same quantity of fresh milk. If the price is still $3.97 for that size container it would be almost 35% more expensive than fresh milk! So this is not a cost cutting alternative to fresh milk.

Personally, we have a can of NIDO in the diaper bag. This is for convience because it prevents us from having to keep milk cold if we are away from home or worrying about having to find milk if we are away for longer than expected. I recommend having some on hand in the event you run out of regular milk and are unable to go to the store for some reason (i.e. you aren't feeling well, you spilled the last serving on the floor and its time for the baby to eat, or in your bad weather emergency kit). I guess even The Deal Lady is willing to pay for convience sometimes.

If you decide to try NIDO make sure that you buy the original. The Kinder 1+ contains honey which should be avoided until age 2. At Wal-Mart it is located in the Ethnic Foods Aisle not with the nonfat powdered milk located on the Baking Aisle.

Another way to get milk less expensively is to look for coupons on specific brands of milk. For example, Horizon Organic has a $1/1 printable manufacturer coupon that can be used in conjunction with the Target $1/1 printable coupon. Often Publix will accept competitor coupons so you could look for sales for this brand at both stores.

If all else fails, maybe Amy will share some of the milk she got.

Metro Atlanta Whole Milk Prices for this week:
Kroger: $3.38/gallon - Sale Price
Wal-Mart: $3.48/gallon - Regular Price - May Price Match Kroger
Ingles: $3.49/gallon - Regular Price
Publix: $3.59/gallon - Running Sale Price
CVS: $4.50+/gallon, but if you build your scenario with $/$ or use ECBs you may come out cheaper.
Aldi: Prices vary by location, but it is often less expensive than larger chains. Still hoping to get one closer to where I live.

Please be sure to visit my blog again for more frugal tips and sale updates.

Coupon Preview September 14

Taylortown has the coupon preview available for the coupons that will be in Sunday's paper. Remember coupons will vary depending on the area where you live. The face value of the coupons is usually the biggest variance; however, the products can vary by region too.

Taylortown has a good approximation of what will be available so that you can plan your purchases accordingly.

She also runs a clipping service, but I have never ordered from her. If anyone has ordered from her before please let us know in the comment section.

Kroger 3 Day Sale

For the current Kroger 3 day sale information please click here. Thanks for visiting!
(Above added after original post was published.)

When I went to Kroger today I stumbled upon the Three Day Sale. This sale runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Green Seedless Grapes .99/lb.

Mayfield Ice Cream $1.99 - Unfortunately the coupons we had from the insert expired at the end of August.

Kroger Italian Sausage (18 oz) - $1.89

Kroger Individual Bottled Water was also on sale, but I don't remember the details.

The only sale that I took advantage of was the Seedless Grapes. The ones that I ate tonight were very good!

Later I will try to post about my shopping trip and the $3/15 item deal this week .

Publix Highlights for the Week of September 10

Just a reminder that where I live the ad starts on Wednesday and ends on Tuesday. Other parts of the Metro Atlanta area have an ad cycle of Thursday through Wednesday. Be sure to check the weekly ad to determine the ad cycle which applies to your area. For complete list of sales with coupons from the Sunday inserts please visit Coupon Mom starting on Thursday.

The ad this week is a slow week for deal hunters, but there are a few things that might be of interest.

The Best of the Loss Leader Sales

Bartlett Pears .99/lb.

Publix Bread .89

Ground Chuck $1.97/lb.

The Best of the Deals with Coupons

Progresso Soup 4/$5
.25/can after .50/2 (9/7 GM doubled) AND $1/2 Target Printable

Kellogg's Special K BOGO $3.99
$1/box after $1/2 (8/3 KL - expires 9/14) AND $1/2 Target Printable

Dannon Danimals Yogurt Drinks BOGO $3.49
.75/1 after .50/1 (8/24 S) OR $1/1 (Smart Summertime Savings Book)

Aunt Jemima Syrup BOGO $3.49
$1.25/1 after $1/2 (9/7 RP)

Birds Eye Vegetables 50% off
Prices Vary after $1/3 (9/7 S2) AND $1/2 (Publix Pyramid Book)
Can be stacked since it is a manufacturer's coupon and a Publix coupon without exclusions.

Be sure to look for a new coupon book called Smart Students, Smart Savings. I don't think you will be disappointed if you find it. If anyone finds them save one for me please!

Also, the new blinkies (point of purchase coupon dispensers) should be in the stores soon.

Rite Aid Highlights Week of September 7

Slow week in the form of rebate deals this week. One of the more interesting deals this week is the combination of the Revlon BOGO Sale and the Revlon Music Downloads Promotion.


Scenario for Revlon Music Downloads:
10 Revlon Eye Shadow 4.49 BOGO $22.45
10 $2/1 (7/20 S or 8/24 S) $20
$2.45 + tax for 10 Revlon Eye Shadows and 6 Music Downloads
Don't want the Downloads? Use two coupons for BOGO Deal for a final price of 2/.49.

Vanity fair cups, plates or bowls $1.99
.99 after $1/1 (6/22 RP)

Glade flameless wisp candle $5.99
.99 after $5/1 (9/7 S2)

Motts Applesauce 2/$3
$1.45/2 after .55/2 (8/10 S1) And Single Check Rebate (SCR) $1/2 (Confirmed that each household can do this rebate item twice)

Vaseline Intensive Care Clinical strength $5.24
.74 After $1.50/1 (9/7 RP) AND $3 SCR

Thank you Marissa for putting this weeks' deals together!

News From the Managers

A couple of items of interest that I learned this week when I was speaking with my managers. Establishing and having good relationships with your local managers is important if you are a regular shopper, but even more so if you frequently use coupons. If you don't know the manager (or assistants) at least by face at the store you most frequent I encourage you to say hello the next time you are shopping.

CVS
When I was at CVS this week my manager told me that Atlanta will be a test market starting in a couple of weeks. I was not clear on all of the details, but it sounded like the possibility of a different ad schedule and maybe even two ads per week. I have not seen an upcoming ad yet to determine if this is a good or bad thing. I thought I would share this so that you can expect to see some changes coming.

Publix
When I did my "Hamburger Helper Transaction" this week, I thought that with 63 coupons my transaction would require an overide by a supervisor, I had the cashier call one of the assistant managers. However, the assistant manager said that he thought Publix had raised the limit of coupons in one transaction to 99 because they were seeing increased coupon useage. I can tell you from first hand experience that the cash register will allow at least 63 coupons in one transaction. Is the increase coupon usage a sign of the downturn in the economy or people becoming more aware about couponing?

Blessings and Encouragment

I feel especially blessed with all of the excellent shopping trips that I have had this past week. For those of you who are new to clipping coupons I don't want you to get discouraged or overwhelmed with the complexity or number of deals I have listed. It is best to start small and work up to more complex scenarios. Don't worry, you will learn very quickly how to save on your food and household expenses.

I don't know everyone who will read this nor do I know everyone's current situation, but I wanted to share some encouragement from one of my favorite blogs.

New Kroger Cellfire Coupons

Kroger has just several new coupon offers through Cellfire. Even though there aren't any new $10/$50 purchase coupons there are still several worth looking at. Remember you can only add 10 to your card at any time. Last time these did not remove from my card until they expired even after I had used them, and you are unable to use them more than once. I read reports of others having the same problem. So be sure to only get the very best ones that you are likely to use.

The list below is what I currently have loaded to my card. I couldn't decide between a couple of the other ones so I left the option to add one more coupon later depending on what is on sale. I hope that these will come off of my card after I use them if they can't be reused so I can add additional coupons.

Old El Paso Save $1.10

Valid thru Oct 6, 2008

Totinos Pizza Rolls Save $.50

Valid thru Oct 6, 2008

Dawn® Save $.50

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

Wanchai Ferry Save $2

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

Cottonelle® Save $.50

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

YoPlus® Yogurt Save $2

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

Yoplait® Save $.80 on Two

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

Huggies® Diapers Save $1

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish Save $.50

Valid thru Sep 22, 2008

You may be able to use the printed record of the coupon as a competitor's coupon at another store. This will likely be up to the manager on duty.

Two Great Publix Trips this Week!

I had two great shopping trips to Publix this week!

My first trip on first trip was on Friday. I bought:

1 Gallon Publix Orange Juice
1 Gallon Publix Milk ($1/1 Dairy from Publix Baby Club)
1 Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Bread (Coupon for a Free Loaf - Expired 9/7)
2 Just Bunches Boxes of Cereal (2 $1/1 - Expired 9/7)
1 Ore Idea Tater Tots ($2/1 Food Lion Printable Coupon)
8 Old El Paso Jars of Salsa (3 $1/2 - I forgot to cut out the 4th)
1 Gerber Graduates Diced Peaches ($1/1 Food Lion Printable)
6 Packages Chinet Casuals Plates - Advantage Buy not the ones that are BOGO (5 $1/1 and 1 $3/$15 Target Printable)
1 3 piece set Gerber Cutlery ($2/1 Food Lion Printable)
2 Egglands Best (2 .35/1 Doubled)
43 Boxes of Hamburger Helper (43 $1/1 - Peelies on the box found at the store) I was so excited about this I called one of my readers from the store to tell her the deal. Even though I bought a large quantity in three different flavors I probably left a few hundred more of these on the shelves. Most of these will be donated. This free item is a terrific example of how you can donate items even if you are on a tight budget.

I used 63 coupons total including a competitor's $10/$50 coupon that totaled $75.64 in coupons. My combined savings was $130.52. My OOP was $8.77 including $2.16 in tax.

If I can locate a form, the paper plates should qualify for part of a $15/$30 purchase rebate. Please let me know if you find one of these.

The children of a couple of families that I know had a great time playing with the receipt that was longer than they are tall!



My Second trip was on Monday. I try to stop by for a small trip each Monday to get the penny item, deals that have coupons in the Sunday paper, any other deals that I hear about, and any needs that I may have.

1 Ore Ida French Fries ($2/1 Food Lion Printable)
1 Gerber Graduates Tossable Utensils ($2/1 Food Lion Printable)
2 Quaker Oatmeals (2 .50/1 doubled)
1 GE 4 Pack Lightbulbs (1 $1/1 from Rite Aid Weekly Ad)
1 Clif Kids Bar (.50/1 doubled)
1 Gerber Graduates Diced Peaches ($1/1 Food Lion Printable)
2 Buitoni Linguine (Free after $1/1 Printable and $1/1 Target Printable)
4 Tomatoes .99/lb.
4 Bananas .64/lb.
1 Publix Green Bag (Penny Item)
1 Pack of Gum (Quick .67 filler item because I relized I was going to go negative if I used my $2/$10 competitor coupon.)

Total OOP .50 including .15 tax.

Unfortunately, I forgot to pick up a raincheck for the Green Giant Steamers. Maybe they will be included in the Kroger sale.

JUMPING UP AND DOWN!!

When I walked into CVS to do my weekly shopping trip today I saw 2 buggies marked Clearance 90%. Usually when clearance gets to this point at my store it is basically junk. However, upon closer inspection, one of the buggies was FULL of Huggies Little Swimmers Swim Pants and Pampers Splashers!

So here is how my shopping trip went:

9 Packages of Huggies Little Swimmers .89 each + I had a few coupons!
5 Right Guard Deodorants
3 Revlon Nail Polishes
1 Loreal Skin Genesis
1 Contour Meter with 10 test strips!

Paid with $18.99 in ECBs and $3.32 cash. I had an ECB about to expire that caused me not be able to get the OOP down lower. I should have bought a couple of more packages of Swim Pants to bring my total up, but I'm not complaining. Got back $29.99 in ECBs. An earning of $7.68 ECBs.

Just for the record, I did leave several packages of Swim Pants in the buggy.

This is the best part. I saved it for you to see if you were still reading. When I was going over my receipt tonight, I was thinking to myself too bad nothing on this receipt counts towards a rebate. Then it occurred to me that there was a possibility that each of the Huggies Swim Pants would count towards the Caregivers Marketplace Rebate. I ran to find my binder with the form in it and literally started jumping up and down (sorry no video) when I saw that each package would qualify for a $1 rebate. According to HCW people have gotten back the full $1 amount on clearance swim pants.

Now, I just need the Little Man's skin sensitivities to go away and to ask his Daddy for a beach vacation next year.

Ingles Loss Leaders Week of September 7

I'm not sure, but I think that I spend more money at Ingles than either Publix or Kroger. Why? Because they usually have the best sale prices on meat (They have excellent customer service in the meat department too.) and good sale prices on produce (normal produce prices are a bit high).

Their double coupon policy is a bit more complex and creates for some interesting scenarios. I'll leave that for a subject for another day.

Today I'll share their best Loss Leaders for the week. Don't forget, if you have an Ingles in your area you can price match these and other items that aren't BOGO at Wal-Mart if you want to save a stop.

Click here for the full ad.

Family Pack Cube Steak $2.28/lb.
3 lbs. North Carolina Gala Apples $2.98
California Grapes $1.28/lb.
Peaches $1.28/lb.
California Plums .98/lb.
Bartlett Pears $1.28/lb.
Yellow Squash or Zucchini .98/lb.

South Beach Diet Pizza 2/$4 - Use $2/1 Printable

The Results are In

Even though I managed to leave my scenario at home I still managed to stick with my plan with a few minor changes.

I added bananas, salad mix which were both manager's specials. I also added 2 cans of Starkist Tuna after I realized that I could get it for .19/can after the Catalina coupon that I had. I didn't get the tomatoes because they looked like pink rocks and I forgot my Cattlemen's coupon at home so I picked up an extra package of Kiwi shoelaces to be on the safe side.

The biggest change of note was the shelf price of Huggies. They have gone up from $9.99 to $10.69! However, next week's SALE price is the the OLD SHELF PRICE of $9.99.

Click below to see the comparison of my plan and my actual trip. The differences are highlighed in yellow.

Save Your Excedrin Coupons!

I know you can get the Excedrin for free this week at CVS. However, I encourage you to save your printable Excedrin coupons for the upcoming ECB deal at CVS or for the Walgreens September Easy Saver Rebate. Both of these stores will offer the product for free after ECBs/rebate. So each coupon will make you $2 per offer.

If you have been couponing for more than a couple of months, do you really NEED any more Excedrin right now anyway? :)

Highlights CVS Week of September 7

The week of September 7 looks to be a good week for CVS coupon users!

Monday Only - All Revlon Nail Enamel $3.99 get $3 ECB Limit 3
Use $2/1 coupons (8/24 S or 7/20 S) Earn $1 in ECBs with each coupon!

All week
Loreal Revitalift or Age Perfect $5.99 get $5.99 ECB Limit 1 - HOT!
Use $1/1 (7/20 S) Earn $1 in ECBs after coupon!

Right Guard Pro $6.99 get $5 ECBs Limit 3
$1 after coupons (7/13 S or 8/10 S1) and ECBS

Right Guard $2.99 get $2 ECBs LIMIT 5
FREE after coupon (7/13 S or 8/10 S1)

Soft and Dry and Dri Idea is also included in the above deal and will be .25 after ECBs and coupon (7/13 S or 8/10 S1)

Genisoy $6/6 get $3 ECBs
BOGO coupon makes free after coupons and ECBs. This coupon is not from the insert so not very many people will have these coupons.

Bayer Contour Meter get $5 ECBs
Earn $5 in ECBs after coupon (6/1 S) and ECBs.

Schick Razors BOGO
Coupons (8/24 S or 9/7 S1) will make these fairly inexpensive.

Chex Mix $1/1 - Printable coupon for $1/1 will be free after coupon(each computer can only print 2) or .50/1 (9/7 GM, but if you only have the hard copy you will get a better deal at Kroger this week).

Malt O Meal $1/1 - Printable coupon for $1/1 will be free after coupon - Needs to be the one that says ANY. These boxes do not meet the size requirements for some of the Malt-O-Meal coupons that I have seen.

Black Rice Skincare buy 1 get $5 ECBs
There were CVS coupons for $5 off of 1. The less expensive items will be free/inexpensive after coupons and ECBs.

Gold Emblem Peanuts $1.99
CVS scanner coupons are $2/2 any Gold Emblem Nuts

Life Savers BOGO
Coupons for this expire on Monday 9/8, if you have any left.

Trident Xtra Care $1/1
Will be .25 after coupon (7/20 S).

Kroger Scenario for Friday, September 5

There were only a few items that I had originally planned to get this week at Kroger; however, the perfect combination of hidden deals, a $/$ coupon that is about to expire, and 2 great unadvertised Catalina offers turned even this bad sale week into a potential good deal.

Due to the South Beach Diet Catalina offer expiring, Friday is the only day this scenario is possible.

If you click on the chart below you can see my plans.




I allowed for some extra padding because I am unclear if the e-coupons will be deducted before or after the $10/$50 coupon (It does come off before physical coupons, just unsure about the Cellfire, and Shortcuts Coupons). I also allowed for a slight difference in price (especially the pizza) or if they are out of an item.

I will have a few Kiwi coupons with me as additional filler if I need them. I don't want to use them tomorrow unless if I have to because I sill have some time to use them before they expire and may need them as filler items in the future. I don't know if Cellfire will continue with $/$ coupons, but I still have a few left from LAST year's Entertainment Book (Rumor is Kroger will not be participating this year).

I my plans excluded any coupons that explicitly said Free on them, but there are several inexpensive items that can be routinely gotten for free or very cheap. The key is the higher you can build your total up with free items then the more of the $10 can be put towards the items that you need that you don't have a coupon for.

I opted to save my additional Powerade coupons to roll in a future deal instead of taking the additional savings off of my total.

According to my calculations I will save 67.5% before the Catalinas and Caregivers Rebate. If I take those into consideration (which I shouldn't until I spend it/get the check in the mail) I will have saved 84%.

I'll report back with my actual deal later.

Publix Green Advantage Buys Advertisement

August 30-September 26 Highlights


The Revlon $2/1 Beauty Tool Coupon is back! These are good to get free nail clippers, emery boards, and many other personal care tools inexpensively! These items are great to mail in care packages or donate locally!

$6/2 Sundown Vitamins is in the book again too. Reports are that some varieties have been free with this coupon in the past, but prices may have recently increased.

These items are good fillers to use when you get a $/$ coupon. Many Publix stores will take competitors' coupons that are frequently available.

Be sure to take advantage of the $/$ offers as it is a very easy way to make a large reduction in your bill. Sometimes as much as 25% off BEFORE any other coupons! This is a good way to get items that you need that are rarely on sale for a deep discount, especially if you can use some coupons for some free filler items. Even if you don't think that worth your time to normally clip small value coupons these have a high return for minimal effort.

Please visit Hot Coupon World for the complete list of sales and coupons in this booklet.

Publix Highlights for the Week of September 3

The new sales week starts on Wednesdays where I live. If you don't have the same ad week then you will get an early preview of what to expect. Starting each Thursday you can see the complete sales with insert coupons at Coupon Mom.

The Best of the Loss Leader Sales

Gallon of Orange Juice still $2.49

Gallon of Milk $3.59 (Still higher than some other stores, but good if you are a one stop shopper)

Tomatoes on the Vine .99/lb

Publix Bread .89 (If you don't have any more Free Sara Lee coupons (from 8/17 S, expire 9/7)

The Best of the Deals with Coupons

Apple & Eve Organics 4 pack of juice BOGO $1.39. Unsure of original sources, but there appear to be .50/1 coupons available. FREE/Cheap after coupon.

Ore-Ida Potatoes are $2/5. If your store takes Food Lion Coupons then you can get a $2/1 coupon here making them .50/bag after coupon. Sorry, Food Lion wording states 1 identical FL coupon per transaction.

Spray N Wash Max BOGO 2.79 use .75/1 coupon (8/3 S). Final cost is .65/bottle.

Other Deals of Note

Old El Paso Salsa BOGO $2.39 use $1/2 (8/10 GM) or here. Final price $1.39/32 oz. Not super, but we're running low.

Quaker Oats BOGO $2.39 I am suspecting that a Quaker Oats coupon will be in next Sunday's paper, but as of this writing the preview isn't up yet. Will only get if there is a .50 or $1/1 in the paper.

Eggland's Best $2 use .35/1 (5/4 S) . 1.30/dozen, less than a half a cent higher per egg that the Kroger eggs that are on sale this week and you get a healthier egg.

Chinet Plates BOGO 6.19 $1/1 (Smart Summertime Savings) Buy 5 use $3/$15 Target Coupon. Moderate deal at best unless you need to stock up. Final cost $7.50/5

Are you getting your free cereal?
Cheerios will e-mail you each week for six weeks a link that each computer can print 2 $1/ANY 1 coupons. Publix carries the single serve bowls for $1/package so you can get 12 packages of cereal for free! These are great for traveling or in the diaper bag!

Shucking Corn

The sale on corn (10/$2) at Publix last week led to a fun and educational Saturday afternoon activity.

Look for opportunities to be able to teach your children in your daily walk.

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV)

Target Kellogg's/Keebler Deal

Buy any combination of 4 of the participating products for $9. you will instantly receive a $5 gift card.

Kellogg's Pop Tarts (12 ct)
Select Keebler Cookies
Cheez-It Crackers (10 oz)
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats (8 count)

Use the $1/2 coupons from the Kellogg's/Keebler insert (8/3). The Pop-Tarts also have a Printable Target Coupon for .50/1 making them FREE!

If you do three sets (12 products) on one receipt you will immediately get $15 in Target gift cards. You will also qualify for the Kellogg's Back To School $10 rebate (8/3 KL).