Sunday Deals - Babies R Us, Kroger, etc.

Got my paper today! I thought the snow/ice might prevent it, but they persevered. It may help that at least one of their columnists lives in our neighborhood? Anyway, I just wanted to point out a few things:

Babies R Us/Toys R Us = big sale! There are multiple offers regarding diapers (Pampers Bin with diapers and coupons, Huggies big boxes - buy 2 get $15 gift card). Diaper genie II refills are 2 for $11 with ad coupon. Check it out.

Kroger is still having their Buy 10 get $5 back deal - looks like mostly the same items but some new coupons are out this week too.

Harris Teeter has Thomases Bagel Thins on sale BOGO and there's a new cpn for 55 cents off that will double in today's Smart Source.

Rite Aid has Colgate toothpaste on sale for 2.99 plus a $2 single check rebate making it 99 cents, and there was a $1 off cpn in the 1/17 smart source making that FREE (plus there was a 50 cents off coupon in today's smart source)

I'm sure there are more deals than this, just a few I noticed. Enjoy!

Craig's List Tips

Hey y'all - there's a Southern Blizzard going on right now which means the bread aisles are empty, the hardware stores are out of shovels and sleds, and people are selling snow related stuff on Craig's list. D got K a great snowsuit on Craiglist yesterday when we were anticipating 15 inches or whatever the rumors were. However, it was kind of expensive. Doesn't mean we can't turn around and sell it next year when there are snow rumors for a decent price though.

So it got me thinking about buying stuff on Craig's List. It's like a never ending cyber-yard sale there. I've bought clothes for K off there - you can get some stuff in good shape since kids grow out of stuff so quickly. I also got my entertainment center VERY cheap and a fisher price toddler rocker. While it can be a place to get great deals, there are a few things to think about.

If you're the buyer...

1. Pay cash or use a pay pal account. Don't give random people you don't know a check. There are too many ways to steal your identity nowadays. Bring in small denominations so it is easy to negotiate and pay on the spot once you see the item. Which brings me to...

2. Negotiate via email, but do not commit to purchasing without seeing the item. No matter what the pictures look like, it may not be in as great shape as they say it is.

3. Be ready to go see/get the item right away, especially for hot items or items that seem to be a really good price. You can compare the item to new and used prices online just by checking it out on Amazon. The sooner you contact the person, the more likely they will be to hold it for you.

4. Buy local and be prepared to pick up the item yourself - borrow or rent a truck, etc.

5. Use common safety sense. When you go to visit an item or pick it up, Google the person you're buying from and the area you're going to. By Googling the person you can find out a lot about them and whether or not they're legit. If you can, bring a friend with you. If not, make sure you bring your cell phone and let people know where you're going and when you plan to be back. Go in the daylight and/or meet in a public place to make the exchange if possible. I hate to say that all of this is especially true if you're a woman, but you are more likely to be victimized than big men are unless you're a black belt in karate like some of my friends. And this should go without saying, but don't bring your kids unless it's a public place. Especially if you are purchasing children's items - there are some weird people out there. Though the majority of people you would buy from on Craig's List are probably honest and forthright, you don't want to take unnecessary chances.

6. Consider bartering - maybe you have an item they could use that they would take in exchange or as part of the payment.

If you're the seller...

1. Don't give out your personal information on the post (phone number, email, etc). There is an option to mask your email and allow someone to contact you via Craig's List. Use an email address that doesn't have your name in it (I have a separate account for these kinds of purposes).

2. If you feel the person is legitimately interested in your item arrange to talk over the phone or meet in a public place. You can give them your name and some contact information at that time.

3. If you have to invite someone to your home to see an item, make sure other people are home with you, other than your kids.

4. Be prepared to give change using cash, otherwise instead of $15 someone might say, will you take a $10 since you can't cash their 20.

5. Do not take a check. It could bounce. This is especially true for large items.

6. Do not agree to a payment plan - the reasons for this should be obvious. If they need financing, have them get a legitimate loan or pay with a credit card via paypal.

7. Google your items to see what they are going for new and used on various sites. Try to price your item appropriately given the amount of wear and tear and what others are selling it for. If you price too high you risk heavy negotiation and may get a lower price than you wanted. If you price too low, people with think there is something wrong with the item.

8. Post (good) pictures. People like to see what they're getting. I add "good" because I have seen pictures of people wearing the items in question in the pictures (Not good, people. No one wants to imagine your sweaty feet in their new boots, and if the item doesn't look so great on you, it doesn't inspire confidence that it will look great on them). I have seen pictures of people smoking on the couch being sold. Common sense, folks. Common sense.

9. Don't lie about the condition of the item, but don't list all of it's nastiest features either. After all you are trying to "sell" it. People are more likely to come see an item listed as "Well-used but comfy couch, recently cleaned, would look great in your apartment with a little TLC" vs "Couch for sale - multiple holes and pet stains. Would look good if you cleaned it or put a cover on it. Want it out of here by Christmas - you move it." That said, you should probably clean it and patch it up a bit first if you plan to sell. One man's trash may be another man's treasure, but most of us still prefer our treasure not to smell like the back room at a bar (or a pet shop).

10. Remove your posts once you've sold the item to avoid continued inquiries.

I'm sure there are other people out there with more Craig's List experience would could add to this post, so feel free!

Harris Teeter this week 1/28/10 - before the blizzard

Some deals from today - it was madness!

Pepsi Products - Buy 2 get 3 free

Del Monte corn, peas, and green beans - Buy 2 get 3 free

Chex Mix BOGO - and there was a 50 cents off two coupon in 12/13 and 1/24 smart source

Tostitos chips BOGO - coupon for 55 cents off 1 Tostitos chips and one dip in 1/17 smart source

Crisco Oil - orig. 4.19, sale 2.97 - cpn for 55 cents off in 11/8 redplum -final price = 1.87

HT Facial Tissue - FREE! (limit 1)

eVIC - 2lbs ground chuck (80/20) - is 2.97 (limit 1)

Whole Chicken fryers 47cents per pound (limit 4 - these are a good deal at just over $2 per chicken)

HT Butter is on sale for 1.99 lb. (about $1 off the usual price)

8 Crazy Places Coupons Lurk: Think "inside" the Box

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened a package of Betty Crocker Warm Delights Mini's (that I paid next to nothing for during triples) tonight. On the back of the cardboard packaging that holds together the two mini cake bowls, there was a coupon for 75 cents off two, which of course will double at HT to $1.50 off two. It got me thinking about the crazy places coupons lurk. The most typical places to find coupons are in the Sunday paper and online (primarily at coupons.com, smart source, red plum, and on your favorite manufacturer's websites). But they can be found in other places too, so I thought I'd list some of those:

1. Packaging - as in my example above, it is not unusual to find coupons in the packaging of previously purchased products (how's that for alliteration?). This may mean printed on the inside of a cardboard box or cereal box, slipped in between the plastic bag and the box of a product, or even buried in the product like some sort of Cracker Jacks prize. Some yogurts (like Stonyfield Farm) sometimes come with coupons on the underside of the lid (tip: clean these before storing and using them. icky.)

2. Magazines - I've mentioned it before, but scour those pages of your magazines for coupons and coupon booklets. They're especially prevalent in food and family-type magazines.

3. Waiting areas - Waiting anxiously for the dentist? Take your mind off of what might go on in the dentist chair by glancing over the tables and shelves in the waiting area. Odds are you'll find some coupons for toothpaste, toothbrushes, or floss. Check the packaging on the items in your "goody" bag too (like flossers) - sometimes there are coupons on those items as well. Coupons aren't always printed on paper - sometimes they are on plastic as well. And what else can be found in waiting areas? Magazines. Some with coupons in them (though check the expiration date - that Parents magazine may be from last April). And don't be too embarrassed about ripping them out of the magazine - if you flip through you'll see that other people have already done it too.

4. "Junk" Mail - If you're like me, you get a lot of catalogs and mailers because you signed up for updates online from your favorite stores. MANY of these stores send out coupons. I get them from Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Ann Taylor Loft, The Children's Place...the list continues. Read the expiration dates or use dates on these to make sure you use them on time. Red Plum also does a mid-week mailer with coupons for restaurants, hair cut places, and others. This past week a $6.99 haircut at Great Clips coupon was "lurking" in there.

5. At the Checkout Counter - more and more stores are printing coupons on the backs of their receipts. Be careful not to clip these if you need the receipt for a rebate or tax credit, but otherwise enjoy discounts at local businesses. Sometimes there are stacks of coupons at the checkout counter as well just waiting to be taken. Also, sometimes at certain grocery stores, like Harris Teeter, coupons will print out with your receipt. Please note that these "catalina" coupons cannot be doubled or tripled.

6. Local Magazines/Flyers/Pennysaver - There are some free publications out there that often provide coupons from local businesses. For example, there is a Cary Newsletter that has ads and coupons for many local restaurants. I've used coupons from there at Tyler's Taproom and El Dorado.

7. Megacoupon Books - These books like the Entertainment Book or City Pass can be bought for $20 to $30 and provide coupons not only to local and national chain restaurants and amusement places but also to many retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods and New York and Company. There are also discounts on travel like car rental and hotels. Basically, if you're looking for a discount on anything and have one of these books, make sure to check it out. Keep it in your car to look at before you go out to eat or to the mall. Some of the coupons have coupon codes you can use online. Keep in mind that for the Entertainment book, many restaurant coupons expire November 1, but the retailer coupons might last until the end of the year. These books are great gifts that keep on giving! Last year, Entertainment also did an online discount on their 2010 book just prior to the holidays, so keep that in mind.

8. In the Bag - Some retailers keep coupons and offers in their bags that they put your purchases in after you buy them. I know that accepting plastic bags is not very "green" nowadays, but if you know your retailer does this, accept the bag and then recycle it for another purpose later. Or ask if you can get the coupons while using your own bag for your purchases. Some grocery stores will pay you not to use their bags (5 cents at HT for each bag of your own that you use, Whole Foods pays for returned plastic bags as well).

Can you think of any places I've missed? Feel free to comment!

BIG Kroger Deal 1/26!

Kroger just started a great deal today where if you buy 10 of the participating products, you get $5 off. There are some good coupon match ups with this deal, and some things are really cheap even without the coupons (e.g., Goldfish crackers that are normally $2.19 are 88cents if you take into account the $5 off). I'm sorry, I don't have the original prices since Kroger doesn't print them on the receipt and I didn't jot them down, but most of these items go for more than $3 each normally.

Kroger doubles coupons up to 50 cents. Some of the coupons that match up with this deal...

From today's paper (1/24) in smart source:

• Chex Mix (50 cents off 2) or there are printable coupons for 50 cents off 1 that will double - the chocolate chex mix varieties ARE included in the sale. Final price after deal & cpn: = 49 cents if use printable, $1 each if paper cpn
  
• Orville Redenbacher popcorn ($1 off 2) - final price after deal & cpn = $1.49 each
• Orville Redenbacher Poppycock (50 cents off 1 - doubles) - it's like Cracker Jacks kind of - final price after deal & cpn = 99 cents
• Kraft cheese (shredded, block, or singles ($1 off 2) - final price after deal & cpn = 49 cents each
• Brawny papertowels ($1 off 1 pack 8 rolls) - final price after deal & cpn= $4.49
  

From 1/17 smart source:

• Johnsonville smoked bratwurst ($1 off 2) - HT has this on sale right now for $2.99, but it's $2.49 if purchased at Kroger as part of this deal, plus the cpn it would be $2 each pack.

From 1/3 smart source:

• Finish Electrosol gelpacs or tabs dishwasher detergent ($2.50 off 1) - HIGH VALUE CPN expires at the end of the month! If used as part of this deal, your detergent will only be 50 cents. I love these things, too; so convenient!

From 12/13 smart source:

• Jello ($1 off 2) - I got this cpn reference off Sue Stock's database but couldn't find the actual coupon. I'm not sure if I clipped it and used it already, but if you find it, your Jello will probably be free
• Oscar Meyer cold cuts ($1 off 2) - final price after deal & cpn= about $2 each
  

From 12/6 smart source:

• ChiChi's salsa ($1 off 2) - final price after deal & cpn = about 50 cents each

I spent $9.04 and saved 25.90 according to the receipt - My ten items were 2 bags of Goldfish (88 cents each), 1 pkg Electrosol (49 cents), 1 chocolate chex mix (49 cents), 2 jars of ChiChi's salsa (49 cents each), 2 pkgs of Oscar Meyer cold cuts ($2 each), 1 pkg Kraft Shredded Cheese (49 cents) and 1 pkg Kraft singles (49 cents)

You could do it cheaper if you buy the jello :-)

Grocery Shopping 1/23 - Harris Teeter

Today I spent $95 (including a donation to Haiti) and saved $81.

Harris Teeter is doing a special promo where if you buy 15 participating General Mills products you get $5 off your order, plus many of the items are on sale AND there are coupons out for most of them. There's also a special thing if you buy 3, 4, or 5 Nature Valley Granola bars or Betty Crocker fruit snacks, a coupon will print for $1.50, $2.50, or $3.50 off your next order. You can get coupons for these too, and they count toward the 15 items in the GM sale. Unfortunately we already have mucho granola bars and don't eat fruit snacks so that was a no go for us, but I did get 15 other items. There's a HUGE beef sale going on so if you have a working freezer it's probably a good time to stock up.

Reminder - if it's BOGO, you can just buy one for half price. If it's 5 for $5 or 2 for $5 or whatever, you can only buy one and get the divided price. You can get printable coupons (which usually double even if they say they don't) via http://www.couponmom.com

some FREE stuff:

Birdseye Steamfresh frozen veggies - orig. $2.50 - sale price $1 (or 5 for $5) - 50 cents off cpns in 1/10 smart source and printable x2 = FREE

Mission Flour Tortillas (large, 8ct) - orig. 1.99 - sale 2 for $3 or $1.50 each - 75 cents off cpn in 1/10 smart source x2 = FREE (We're having burritos this week!)

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix - orig. 2.15 - eVIC sale price 99 cents - 50 cents off (printable) x2 = FREE or 12/13 smart source 40 cents off cpn x2 = 20 cents

General Mills deal - here are my 15 items (final prices are prior to $5 taken off):

1 Cheerios (big box)- orig. 4.49 - sale price $3 (or 2 for $6) - printable cpn for 55 cents off x2 - final price = $1.90

2 boxes Honey Nut Cheerios - orig. 4.29 - sale price 2/$5 ($2.50 each) - printable cpn for $1 off two - final price = $2 each (or you can use the $1 off 3 cpn for general mills cereals in the 1/3 smart source)

4 boxes Old El Paso taco shells - orig. 1.99 - sale price (4/$5 - or $1.25) - no cpns for these, but we needed them for a church dinner thing - they had cpns on the boxes though for a FREE taco seasoning packet if you buy two boxes of shells so my next two items were....

2 Old El Paso taco seasoning packets - orig. 99 cents - sale 79 cents - cpn on taco shell boxes for free seasoning with two boxes of shells - final price = FREE

2 Green Giant Steamers frozen veggies - orig. 2.59, sale 1.29 each - cpns in 12/13 and 1/03 smart source for 40 cents off one x2 - final price = 49 cents each

1 Pillsbury crescent rolls - orig. 2.09, sale 3 for $5 (or 1.67 each) - cpn for 25 cnts off in almost every smart source since 11/15 x2 = final price = $1.17 (you could get multiple of these if you wanted)

2 Pillsbury grands biscuits - orig. 1.89 - sale BOGO so 95 cents each - printable cpn for 40 cents off two x2 - final price = 65 cents for 2 (or you could use the cpn for 40 cents off 3 in 1/3 smart source x2 = 68 cents each

15th item was the free Betty Crocker cookie mix

some other coupon deals:

Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups - orig. 99 cents each - sale 49 cents each - printable cpn on Stonyfield Farm website for 50 cents off 3 - final price = 47 cents for 3 or 15(ish) cents each.

Anget Soft toilet paper 12 pck dbl rolls - org. 7.99 - eVIC price = 4.77 - printable cpn for 50 cents off x2 - final price = $3.77

Arnold Soft Family bread - orig. 2.19 - it's not on sale but many packages had a 35 cents off cpn on them that doubled - final price = 1.49 which is slightly cheaper that the HT brand

Pepperidge Farm raisin or cinnamon breads - orig. 3.59- sale 2/$5 or $2.50 each - cpn for 40 cents off in 1/10 smart source - final price = $1.70

Kraft Mac n Cheese - orig. 1.19, sale = 4/$2 or 50 cents each - cpn for buy 3 get one free in 12/13 smart source, final price = 37 cents (ish) each

Grande tortilla chips - orig. 3.59 - sale $2.50 - cpn for $1 off in 1/10 smart source - final price = $1.50

Helluva Good cheese - orig. 2.69 - sale = $2 - cpn for 50 cents off in 12/13 smart source x2 - final price = $1

some BOGO sale deals:

Bertolli pasta sauce is BOGO plus many of the jars have a 55 cents off two Sargento Cheese cpns stuck to the top (I got 4 of these)

Breyers ice cream is BOGO (I got one)

Coke 12 packs are BOGO (I got two)

I bought a bunch of other things including batteries (there are some Duracell cpns in 1/17 P&G saver and the 12/13 red plum), some produce that was (gasp!) not on sale but looked good, milk (always the HT brand), and some canned veggies (tendersweet was only 57 cents a can, HT beans are 67 cents)

The burritos we're having this week combine a whole bunch of recent sales. The recipe is on the Mission Tortillas package, but it includes the free guacamole we got during super doubles, shredded chicken (there was a buy 1 get 2 free breast sale recently or 47 cents/lb leg quarters), free white rice during triples, and helluva good cheese this week (to be shredded). There are a few other ingredients of course but nothing expensive.

I also got two rain checks today - for the Cheerios ( I got the last big box) and the Johnsonville mild ground italian sausage which I had a coupon for but they were out of. I can't emphasize rain checks enough. It's great to be able to use them with double or triple coupons later or with sales, in the case of BOGO items. If I had room in my freezer, I'd be using my raincheck for BOGO chuck roast I got a couple of months ago. It is 50 % off right now as it is, so with the BOGO it would be about 75% off the original price and I can get up to 6 of them with my rain check. I'm going to try to move things around in my freezer to take advantage of this deal tomorrow. If you're not sure what a rain check is, see my original grocery savings post from October 2009.

Now I just need to manage my overstock! I don't think I'll be buying cereal for a LONG time!

Twongo

New deal site in the Triangle area to check out - http://www.twongo.com/

Grocery Shopping 1/16 - Sorry for the lateness!

Sorry, y'all, I've been busily productive around my house this weekend so blogging has been postponed - and a double apology in that I can't seem to find my receipt from my shopping trip so I can't be quite as specific as I normally am. The HT prices are still good through Tuesday night though so some of the same deals I got there could still be yours! New coupons and sales at Kroger and other stores advertised today in the paper, so hopefully those will match up well this week.

FREE items this week: Kefir cultured milk drink (eVIC), Activia yogurt 4pack (eVIC price 99cents, cpn for $1 off in 12/6 smart source ), and Quaker Quakes rice cakes (sale price 4 for $5, so $1.25 each, cpn for 75 cents off one ricecakes snack, doubles to $1.50)

Other coupon deals:

Progresso Soup - they're doing the buy 2 get 3 free deal again (limit 10) - You can use the 50 cents off two cpns in - they double to $1 off. However, they'll only let you use one coupon per 5 cans (since you are only technically "buying" two cans for every five)

Peter Pan Peanut Butter is 2 for $4 - cpn for 50 cents off 2 in 1/10 smart source will double making them $1.50 each.

Quaker is doing a deal where if you buy 4 participating items you get a free 64oz Orange Juice - there are cpns for Quaker Chewy granola bars in the 1/3 RP and for the True Delights kind in the 12/6 smart source. You can also use the cpns for Aunt Jemima stuff in this deal in the 1/3 Red Plum - all the cpns are for $1 off two products.

Some Sale Deals:

Sargento Shredded Cheese - BOGO

Strawberries are 2 qts for $6

Meatloaf mix is on sale - normally over $4, sale is 2.99/lb - I use this for meatballs so I bought a bunch.

Chicken Leg Quarters - 47cents/lb. These are a fabulous deal. We put two per freezer bag making it easy to pop them out for a meal.

Catfish nuggets - $1.99/lb - great for fish tacos - the corn torillas are on sale BOGO as well, so break out the free guac you got last week and get some HT sour cream for 77 cents and have some cheap but delicious tacos! Cooking Light has a great recipe for these using tuna on their website - you can modify it for any fish. Use some of the leftover corn tortillas with your BOGO shredded cheese to make quesadillas :-)

Diana's banana babies - I'm kind of obsessed with these right now. They're just chocolate covered bananas on a stick but they're delicious and they were BOGO last week and this week.

Healthy Balance juice is buy2 get 3 free

Some other stuff:

This week Sue Stock did a post about managing your overstock at my request :-) - this post is especially for you if you are thinking - Peter Pan peanut butter?? but i have like 5 jars of PB in my pantry already! (probably that you got very cheaply). If you don't already follow Sue Stock, I highly recommend her blog and Faye Prosser's (WRAL smart shopper) for local savings. They get paid to do these kinds of blogs after all! The links to their blogs are off to the left of this page as usual.

I should also note that it was my goal this week to spend less than $100 since my overstock is pretty full right now anyway, and I ended up spending $71 and saving $44 and I got all the staples we usually use in a week plus a lot of meat and a few extra items like a 12 pack of HT brand paper towels. It feels good to be able to do my regular weekly shopping knowing that I have a great stock of items in the pantry and closets I won't need to buy for a while and that I paid very little (if anything!) for :-)

Finally - Just wanted to mention that Target sent out a bunch of coupons in the mail this past week and remind everyone that you can use a Target store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon (like from the paper or printed online) at the same time. Also remember to look in your magazines for coupons as well - we've gotten a few Target Brand Up&Up coupons and lots of Eggland's Best coupons in our Cooking Light and Food Network magazines (subscriptions are gifts from my wonderful MIL) and Parents magazine and Family Circle.

Babies R Us Sale - Attn all new/soon-to-be parents!

Big Sale at Babies R US - including their buy two (gigantic) boxes of diapers and get a $15 gift card promotion. There was a $2 off coupon for Pampers in the 12/27 P&G which you could with this sale, which does turn out to be a decent deal if you like Pampers.

There are a bunch of things you can get free if you buy other baby items, but they are BIG baby items (like, buy a changing table/dresser and get a free crib)- But seriously, the free crib is normally over $380 bucks so it's a good deal! Online you get free shipping on orders over $100 and a free gift AND if you fan them on facebook they'll give you $5 off any purchase $25 or more. There are some printable coupons on their site too for certain items.

Third Pass - Super Doubles at HT

Made a third pass today using cpns from today's paper - spent $22, saved $29. Here are some deals!

Wolfgang Puck soups - There's a $1 off 1 coupon today that will double and the soups are BOGO. Originally 2.99, so if you only buy 1 (and it rings at half price) then your soup is FREE!

Wolfgang Stock is also on sale for 2.55 and there's a $1 off coupon today which makes it 55 cents.

Soup at Hand (Campbell's) is on sale for 1.77 - cpn for $1 off 2 makes them 77 cents each.

Bic Soleil razors are orig. 6.49, but on sale for 4.99 plus there was a BOGO coupon today.

PLUS, I'm in an Oikos yogurt loop with the HT checkout. When I got my free Chobani yogurt, a $1 off Oikos yogurt coupon printed. Then when I used that coupon today to get a free Oikos yogurt, the checkout computer printed another Oikos $1 off coupon. I wonder if I go back tomorrow if I will get another Oikos coupon and continue the free greek yogurt kick...

Second Pass - HT super double coupons

Some of my coupons today came from Family Circle magazine and Food Network magazine which we get sent to the house. If you get magazines, especially food or parenting mags, you may find coupons hidden in the pages. Women's mags sometimes have coupons for makeup or other feminine products.

Total spent: $113, Total saved (sales and coupons): $120

Some deals from today (these are in addition to the ones from my first pass post):

Best deals - FREE or practically free

Ivory Soap (3 bar pack) - orig. 1.45, cpn for $1 off in P&G Saver on 12/27 x2, final price = FREE (they had this today so I guess they will restock in between days!)

Dannon Lite & Fit yogurt - orig. 6 for $4, sale 10 for $4, $1 off 6 cpn in 1/3 smart source x 2, final price = 40 cents for 6, or about 6 cents each

Fleishman's yeast - orig. 99 cents per strip - cpn for 40 cents off in 10/4, 11/08, and 12/6 smart source doubles to 80 cents - final price = 19 cents (D is going to attempt making bread from scratch - if it's good it could save a bundle on yummy crusty bread!)

Special K granola bars - orig. 3.19, sale 1.99, e-VIC special price .99 (limit 1), cpn for $1 off (printable) x 2, final price = FREE (NOTE: There is also a cpn for $1 off 2 boxes in the 1/3 Red Plum which would make this deal 50 cents per box since you only get one at the eVIC 99 cents price and the second one would be 1.99; HOWEVER, they are also doing a special K promotion where if you buy 4 special K items you get $5 off, so you could pair up 2 boxes of the cereal (which is 2.50 per box) with two boxes of the bars plus the granola bar coupon ($1 off 2 boxes which doubles) and the cereal coupon ($1 off 2 boxes which doubles) from the 1/3 Red Plum - with the coupons it only adds up to $4, and then you get $5 off - so essentially you get TWO boxes of cereal and TWO boxes of bars for FREE AND you actually MAKE money because you only spent 4 of the $5 off so you make $1. Awesome deal! Wish I hadn't used my coupons during the Kroger deal last week, which wasn't as good as free.

Snyders/Rold Gold Pretzels - ok, so this was a mistake on my part but paid off. Snyders pretzel bags are on sale 2 for $4 (or $2 each). I didn't realize the coupon for $1 off I had from this month's Family Circle magazine was for Rold Gold pretzels, not Snyders. The cashier didn't even bother to look at my pretzels and when the coupon didn't ring up she just asked the manager to do an override. so I got to use my $1 off cpn (x2) to get FREE pretzels. I'm not sure what the price on the Rold Gold ones are, but you might be able to get them free or cheap too.

Other cheap stuff using coupons

Ziploc Bags - orig. 2.49, sale 2.19, cpn for $1 off 2 boxes x2, final price = $2.38 for 2 or $1.19 each

Filipo Berio Olive Oil Spray - orig. 3.99, sale 3.49, $1 off cpn in this month's Family Circle magazine x2, final price = $1.49 - PLUS if you haven't already bought olive oil this week and cashed in on this deal, the sale olive oils come with a free HT Traders pasta (excludes wheat) so make sure to pick up the pasta!

Duncan Hines Whole Grain muffin mix - orig. 2.89 (for chocolate chip flavor), $1 off cpn in Food Network magazine this month x2, final price = 89 cents

Splenda (I got the with fiber kind but the regular is on sale too) - orig. 5.29, sale price 3.99, $1.50 off 2 cpn in 1/3 RP x2, final price = 4.98 for 2 (or 2.49 each) (there is also a 55 cents off splenda with fiber cpn so you could get a third box for 2.89 if you wanted)

Caribou Coffee (D's favorite) - orig. 9.99, sale 5.99, printable cpns for $2 off (these don't double because they're above 1.98), final price = 3.99

Organic Valley half gallon milk - orig. 4.99, sale 3.99, $1 off cpn printable from their website x2, final price = 1.99

Gold Bond Ultimate lotion - orig. 9.99, sale 7.99, $1 off cpn in the 11/1 and 1/03 smart sources x2, final price = 5.99

Selsun Blue - orig. 9.99, sale 5.99, $1 off cpn in 10/25 and 1/03 smart sources x2, final price = 3.99

Good deals without coupons

Angus Stew Meat - BOGO - they are around $6 per package so you can get them for around $3

HT boneless chicken breast - Buy one get 2 free (must purchase 3 to get discount) - I ended up paying around $3 per package with 3 large breasts in each - orig. between $9 and $10 per package)

Whole Pork Tenderloin - BOGO - I bought one at half price for about $8 (orig. about $16)

cantalope eVIC deal 2 for $3 so 1.50 each ( I bought one)

strawberries BOGO - orig 4.99 per qt, sale price $2.50 each (I bought one)

Blue Bunny ice cream BOGO - orig. 6.19, sale price = $3.10 each (I bought one)

White House Apple Juice - BOGO (aka orig. 5.78, sale 2.89)

Peter Pan Peanut Butter - orig. 2.59, eVIC sale price 1.49

Hormel 16 oz Bacon - BOGO - (aka orig. 4.99, sale 2.50 each)

Wolfgang Puck soups (love these) - orig. 2.99, sale BOGO (aka 1.49 each)

Good deals on things I didn't buy today:

Northland Cranberry juice - Buy 2 get 3 free (must buy all 5 to get discount)

EZ Peel White Shrimp - Buy 1 get 2 free (must buy all 3 to get discount)

Italian Pork Sausage (HT) - BOGO

Thomas's English Muffins - BOGO all varieties - I've said before, I buy these in bulk when they are BOGO and freeze them. You can take one out, pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then toast. Great with peanut butter!

Kraft Shredded Cheese BOGO

Doritos BOGO

Fresh Step Cat Litter BOGO

Cottonelle Toilet Paper - orig. 7.99 for 12 double rolls, sale is 6.99, cpn for 50 cents off in 12/13 smart source x 2, final price = 5.99

Arm & Hammar Laundry detergent - you can get $1 off cpns on their website which will double - they don't make high efficiency though, unfortunately.

Lean Cuisine - buy 1 at $1.47 with eVIC, then others are 5 for $10

*******

I will probably return tomorrow as I got a $1 off oikos greek yogurt cpn printed out today as I checked out (which will make the yogurt free) plus there is an eVIC special for free HT trail mix I keep forgetting to pick up. We'll see if any cpns in tomorrow's paper match up well with the sales.

Reminder - all deals and sales assume that you A. have a VIC card (you won't get any of the sales without this. If you don't have it with you the cashier can look it up using your phone number) and B. you are an eVIC member. If you are not an eVIC member you are missing out. Go to the website: http://www.harristeeter.com and follow the links to sign up. You'll get a newsletter to your email box each week with the sales, the eVIC specials, and sometimes special eVICs just for you that will be taken off at the register. eVIC prices are often not advertised in the store so you just have to know about them and it will be taken off at the register. Plus each week someone is chosen to win a couple hundred dollars worth of groceries and the winner is announced in the e-newsletter.

Yours in savings,

Li

Some Sale Price Reminders for HT

Hey everyone - I just wanted to remind you guys about a few points related to Harris Teeter sales:

1. Things that are on sale 2 for $4, 2 for $5, 3 for $5, 10 for $10 (of the same item) etc - you can buy just one at the divided price. You do not have to buy multiples.

2. Things that are Buy One Get One free (BOGO)- you can just buy 1 and it will ring up at half price almost all the time (unless otherwise noted in the sale paper).

3. Super specials like Buy 2 get 3 free - You DO have to buy all 5 to get the discount - they cannot be split up.

At Kroger, they frequently do a 10 for $10 sale that allows you to mix and match items. To get this discount you DO have to purchase 10 items involved in the sale. You CAN use coupons within this sale though and can often get items for free or really cheap that way.

At both stores, there are sometimes special promotions like Buy 4 boxes of General Mills cereal and get $5 off. Special promotions have to be purchased the way they are listed, but again you can use coupons to get great deals on things this way. In the General Mills example, if you had two copies of a "$1 off two boxes" coupon, and bought 4 boxes, you would get the $5 off for the promotion, plus 2 more dollars off using the coupons. And coupons up to 99 cents will double, so you could use a 55 cents off honey nut cheerios coupon, which would double to $1.10. If you had two of those coupons and a $1 off two boxes coupon, would would get $5 off for the promotion, $2.20 off for the honey nut cheerios coupons, and $1 off for the two boxes coupon. A total of $8.20 off of four boxes of cereal. HT's coupon policy states that you can only double coupons on up to three identical items. So if you had 4 coupons for Honey Nut Cheerios for 55 cents off, only three of them would double to $1.10 - the fourth would ring at face value.

Click here for Harris Teeters Coupon Policy to read more.

Keep in mind that you can get Rain Checks for things that are on sale if the store is out of them unless they have a "while supplies last" specification. A rain check is essentially a piece of paper that states that you are entitled to the item at the sale price even after the sale is over. For example, Starbucks Hot Chocolate Ice Cream was on sale for $2 several months ago when it first came out. The store was out of it, so I got a rain check which stated I could purchase up to three of them at the $2 price once they were back in stock. You can use coupons with Rain Checks, so I was able to get my ice cream for free during Super Double Coupons because I had a $1 off coupon and the $2 rain check. If I didn't have the rain check or coupon, I would have had to pay the full price which was almost $5 for the pint. Rain checks are especially great for meat sales since they frequently run out of meat. You actually could get a rain check for something you're not necessarily planning to purchase that day if they are out of that item, and then use the rain check later with a coupon if a coupon comes out for that item later. I might do this for items I use frequently.

If you need a refresher on these and other coupon/grocery store savings related issues, feel free to re-read one of my original blog posts on grocery store savings - you can find it in the archives back in October - it's called "The Updated Grocery Store Savings Post". Ask me if you have questions!

First pass at Super Doubles - add your deals!

This time around I decided to go early on the first day of Super Doubles so I would not miss out on all the free and extremely cheap stuff. Believe it or not, there were a couple of items that were already out of stock by the time I got there at 9:30!

I spent $16.28 and saved $56.76. Not bad! I could have spent less, but I bought a couple of sale items we needed that were slightly more expensive than FREE - still great deals though! Some of the coupons I tried to use could not be used because they did not have the item at all (e.g., DiGiorno 200 calorie pizza). Maybe other Harris Teeter's do? Anyway, here are some of the deals I got - printable coupons can be found at coupons.com or couponmom.com

FREE stuff:

Chinet Guest Towels napkins - 40 ct. - Orig. 2.99, on sale for 94 cents, $1 off coupon (11/22 Smartsource) with no need to double (but it actually did anyway because the cashier had to do an override and thought it was 2.99) = FREE - and I actually made money on the deal because of the mistake AND there was a coupon ON the napkins for free hand soap up to $2.50 value, so I got a 9oz dial hand soap for FREE as well! Not bad!

Bonne Bell Lipsmacker lip balm - orig. 1.99 - you can get $1 off cpn on their website if you sign up for the sweepstakes. I have a special "coupon and savings" gmail address just for these kinds of things. anyway, final price = FREE

King Hawaiian rolls (small pack) – orig. 1.39 - $1 off cpn x2 (12/13 Red Plum PLUS a printable so you can get multiple - it is for the bread but works for the rolls too) – final price = FREE

Weight Watchers 1pt cakes/muffins/cookies (I got the twinkie kind) orig. 3.99, sale price 1.99 - $1 off cpn x 2 (printable) – final price = FREE

Wholly Guacamole (small size) – orig. 1.99, $1 off cpn x2 (1/3 Smart source PLUS a printable so you can get multiple of these) = FREE (this is near the produce section with the carrots, fresh salad dressings, fresh herbs, etc)

Starbucks Hot Chocolate Ice Cream (ok, this was a special one for me because I had a raincheck from back when it was first introduced and was on sale for $2 – normally the little 1 pint is almost 5 bucks!) $1 off cpn x 2 (11/15 Red Plum) – final price (with raincheck) = FREE

Chobani Greek Yogurt – orig. 1.45, $1 off cpn x 2 (12/13 Smart Source) – final price = FREE

Stuff for under $1:

Mueller's Whole Grain pasta - orig. 1.69 each - sale 1.44, $1 off 2 cpn x2 (1/3 smart source) = $2 off 2, final price: 88 cents for 2 or 44 cents each.

Dickinson Preserves (I got boysenberry, yum!) - orig 4.59, sale price = BOGO so 2.29 for 1 - $1 off coupon X 2 (12/13 Red Plum) - final price = 29 cents

Beechnut Let's Grow toddler cookies - orig. 2.35, $1 off cpn x 2 (1/3 smart source)- final price = 35 cents

Uncle Ben's Brown rice - orig. 2.65 - cpn $1 off x 2 (1/3 Red plum)- final price = 65 cents - you can actually get the small box of original rice for FREE because it's regular price is 1.99, but we like brown.

Herbal Essences shampoo - orig., 3.95, sale price 2.49 - $1 off cpn x2 (12/27 P&G saver) – final price = 49 cents

Organic Valley Cream Cheese – orig. 2.59 - $1 off cpn x2 (there are a bunch of $1 cpns on their website, just google them) – final price = 59 cents

Crest Whitening toothpaste (various varieties) - orig. 3.69, sale price 2.50, $1 off cpn x 2 (12/27 P&G saver) - final price = 50 cents (I never pay more than 50 cents for toothpaste anymore)

Other Stuff:

Johnson and Johnson baby wash - orig. 4.25, sale price - $3, $1 off cpn x2 (1/3 Red plum)- final price = $1

Pompeian Canola/Olive Oil - orig. 8.99, sale 5.99 - $1 off cpn x2 (printable) - final price = 3.99 (big olive oil sale this week so lots of other brands too)

Sensodyne Pro-enamel toothpaste – orig. 4.99, sale 4.77 - $1 off cpnx2 (1/3 Red plum) – final price = 2.77 (ok, not as incredible a deal, but it’s what D uses)


Coupons I tried to use but couldn’t:

Chinet crystal plates – they were all out! (11/22 smart source)
Skinny Water – couldn’t find it in my store (1/3 smart source)
DiGiorno 200 calorie pizza – despite the coupon, I think 200 calorie pizza is a myth, not in my HT’s freezer (1/3 smart source)
Ivory soap (12/27 P&G saver) – would have been free, but they were all out! Can be used on safeguard or zest too, but not free.


I know there are plenty more deals to be had but I tried to get the free stuff first before it was out of stock. I will probably be heading back on Friday afternoon for more so I’ll update you then. And of course, there will be new coupons out on Sunday in the paper so there may be some great matchups then too.

Happy shopping everyone! Please comment and add your deals!

Super Double Coupons this week at Harris Teeter! - starts Wednesday

Ok, here they come folks, super doubles!!!!! It will start when the new prices are posted on Wednesday. That means any coupon valued up to $1.99 will be doubled! Sue Stock says she'll have a deals list up in the next couple of days so check her site (link is to the left of this page). They always run out of stuff that is free or uber-cheap so get there early. Remember, most printable coupons will likely double!

First Grocery Shopping of 2010

Happy New Year, y'all! Well, the good news is, I saved about $87 across shopping trips to Harris Teeter and Kroger today. The bad news is, my freezer died while I was on vacation and I lost several cartons of ice cream and a whole lotta meat. :-( But, I refuse to be kept down, so onto the deals to of the day. At least there were FIVE coupon inserts in the paper today!

At Kroger:

Proctor & Gamble is doing a "spend $25 get $5 off" deal at Kroger this week (through next Saturday). Some of the items are also on sale and have coupons available in the P&G saver from last Sunday's paper (12/27). I got a big box of pampers on sale $19.50, coupon from 12/27 for $2 off made them $17.50. Plus I got Bounty Paper Towels (desperately needed) for $7 (8 regular rolls or 6 big rolls) with coupon for 25 cents (doubles to 50 cents) so total was $6.50. Combine with the diapers, it met the $25 threshold to get the $5 backs. I like to think of it as getting the box of pampers for $12.50.

Another deal, buy three participating Kellogg's items and get free gallon of milk. I got two boxs of special K bars and 2 boxes special K cereal, each with a buy 2 get $1 off coupon from 1/3 red plum. Ended up getting the cereal for $2 a box, the granola bars for $1.50 a box and free milk!

Oikos Greek Yogurt - orig. 1.99 per 6oz carton - sale price $1, cpn in 1/3 Red Plum for $1 off - final price = FREE

Dannon Yogurt - sale price 10 for $5, cpn $1 off 10 in 1/3 smart source, final price 40 cents each

Dole Fruit Bowls - orig. $2.99, sale price $1.88, cpn for $1 off 2 in (can't seem to figure out where I got this coupon from! haha) , final price = $1.38 each (K takes to daycare)

Thomas's Light English Muffins were BOGO

Meat was on sale this week - $1.98 per pound for boneless chuck shoulder roast (good for stew) and bone in pork chops. Big Tyson chicken sale - I got thighs for 98 cents per pound. Shadybrook ground turkey was 2 for $6.


At Harris Teeter:

Coca Cola products are BOGO
Deer Park water 24 packs are BOGO plus there is a printable coupon for a free 700ml 6 pack if you buy two 24 packs
Russett Potatoes - 8lb bag for $3.97 (orig. 5.99)
Collard greens 2 for $3
Naval oranges 4lbs - $3.99 (orig. 5.99)
HT Premium Sliced Bacon (12 oz) BOGO
Smithfield 16oz bacon orig price $4.99, sale price $3
HT string cheese 2/$6 (orig. 3.99 each)

Tony's Crispy Crust pizza - orig 1.49, sale price 99 cents, cpn in 12/13 smart source for 50 cents off 1, doubles to $1 off - final price = FREE

Luvs diapers, jumbo pack orig. $7.99, sale $5.99 - Luvs had a promotion a while back where you could sign up for emails from them and get two $2.50 coupons in the mail. I used mine to get these packs for only $3.50 each.

There are plenty of other deals at these stores - these are just the ones I got today. Feel free to share yours!