Kroger Trip 5/31

I made a quick stop over at Kroger tonight in an attempt to use a few last minute coupons before they expired.. the check out was a little nerve racking for some reason, but I was able to score $117 worth of groceries for $32! 

*With coupons, Kroger card discount, and store sales*

Transaction #1:

2 Huggies 31ct Diapers: $9.88ea ($19.76)

-Used (2) $2/1 Huggies printable = $7.88ea

4 Crest Toothpaste: $1 ea ($4.00)

-Used (4) $ 1/1 coupons= FREE

Total before coupons: $22.16

After coupons: $15.76 plus tax!

**Take note: Buy 2 Huggies diapers, get $5

catalina coupon to use on your next order. Historically

I have never had an issue with using a catalina off of my

first order and applying it to my second transaction, but

there seemed to be a slight issue today, so beware.**

------------------------------------

Transaction #2: 

4 Betty Crocker Frosting $1.50ea ($6.00)

-Used (2) $.75/2 printable = $3 for 4 or 75 cents each!

2 Smart Balance Butter: $1.50ea ($3.00)

-Used (2) $.75/1 printables= FREE

3 Taster's Choice Instant Coffee $1ea ($3.00)

-Used (3) $.55/1 coupons= FREE

5 Brut Deodorants $1 ea ($5.00)

-Used (5) $1/1 coupons= FREE

2 Dove Bath Bars $1ea ($2.00)

-Used (2) $1/1 printables= FREE

6 Crest Toothpaste $1ea ($6.00)

-Used (6) $1/1 coupons= FREE

3 Nature's Own Wheatbread Loaves $1.89ea ($5.67)

-Used (3) $.75/1 coupons= $1.17 for 3 or $.39 ea!

3 Yakisoba Noodles $.80 ea ($2.40)

-Used (3) $.50/1 coupons= FREE

2 Prego Pasta Sauce $1.50ea ($3.00)

-Used (1) $.50/2 coupon= $1.00 ea 

2 Birds Eye Frozen Rice Varieties $1 ea ($2)

-Used (2) $.35/1 printables= $.30 cents each!

Plus various meat and milk products that I didn't

have coupons for.. 

Total before coupons: $51.96 

After coupons + $5 catalina from Huggies: $16.28 

So, to break this down:

39 cents for wheat bread 

30 cents for Birds Eye rice

75 cents for Betty Crocker icing

$1 Prego pasta sauce 

FREE Yakisoba noodles

FREE Taster's Choice Instant Coffee

FREE Brut Deodorant

FREE Crest toothpaste

FREE Dove bath bars

FREE Smart Balance Butter 

Happy couponing!

-k-

Kroger Trip 5/21

Here is my trip to Kroger last night, I split it into 2 very simple transactions: 

Transaction #1: 

5 Taster's Choice Instant Coffee: $5 
-I used (5) $.55/1 coupons= FREE!

5 Maruchan Yakisoba Noodles: $4
-I used (5) $.50/1 coupons= FREE!

2 Stayfree Maxi Pads packs: Sale 2/$4
-I used (2) $1/1 coupons+you get a $1 ONYO
coupon WYB 2. My final price was 2/$2
plus a $1 coupon I used on my next transaction!

2 Nature's Own Bread: $3.98 
-Used (2) $.75/1 coupons, final price: 49 cents each!

2 Chi Chi's Tortillas: $3.98 
-Used (2) $.50/1 coupons= $1 ea!

1 Dial Soap: $.88
-Used (1) $.35/1 coupon= 18 cents!

1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue 4pk: $1.04
-Used (1) $.45/1 coupon= 14 cents for 4 rolls!

1 Hawaiian Aloha Punch: $2.18 
-Used (1) $1.10/1 printable coupon: $1.08 for gallon jug!

Retail Value: $38.06
I paid: $6.77 plus tax!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Transaction #2: 

1 Hawaiian Aloha Punch: $2.18 
-Used (1) $1.10/1 printable coupon: $1.08 for gallon jug

2 Ballpark Franks: $3.00
-Used (1) $.75/2 coupon= $.75 cents each

1 Kettle Brand Chips: $2.00 
-Used (1) $1/1 printable coupon= $1.00

2 Welch's Light Grape Juice: $3.98
-Used (2) $.75/1 printable coupons= 49 cents each!

1 Taster's Choice Instant Coffee= $1.00
-Used (1) $.55/1 coupon= FREE

1 Maruchan Yakisoba Noodles: $.80 
-Used (1) $.50/1 coupon= FREE 

**If you recall, there was a $1 catalina coupon for the Stayfree pads on my first transaction, so I was able to turn around and use it on my 2nd**

Retail Value: $21.21
I paid: $3.67 plus tax!

Kroger Sale 4/29-5/5 plus P&G Mini Sale!

Alright folks--this one is a bit complicated but I'll do my best to simplify it so y'all can stay with me!

Kroger is offering a sale this week similar to ones in the past, except this one is buy 4 participating items, get $4 off instantly at the register. Some things are labeled clearly, some are not. Some P&G brands included in the sale are Febreeze, Cover Girl, Old Spice, etc. I was able to utilize a few coupons at the last minute that were expiring today so that always makes for a happy girl!

Here is how my transactions were laid out, and the 
corresponding coupons I used:

Transaction #1

4 Cover Girl Eye Shadows @ $1.55 ea= $6.20

-Used (4) $2/1 Eye Shadow coupons: 

$6.20-$8.00= 4 FREE+$1.80 overage applied to bill

*The $2/1 coupon is limited to 4 "like" coupons per

transaction, so I used 4 of those in my first transaction,

and (2) of the $3/2 Any CoverGirl coupon*

**4 Cover Girl Eye Shadows @ $1.55ea= $6.20

-Used (2) $3/2 Eye Shadow coupons:

$6.20-$6.00= .20 cents for 4

**3 Satin Care with Olay Shave Gel @ $1.00 ea= $3.00

-Used (3) $.55/1 Satin Care/Gillette Coupons:

$3.00-$3.30= 3 FREE+$.30c overage applied to bill

**1 Febreeze Air Effects @ $1.99ea= $1.99

-Used (1) $.50/1 Febreeze coupon:

$1.99-$1.00= $.99

1 Gal Milk @ $1.99ea

5 Dial Soaps @ $.88c ea= $4.40

-Used (5) $.35/1 coupons:

$4.40-$3.50= $.90 for 5

5 Coast Bar Soaps @ 1.19 ea= $5.95

$5.95-$5.00= $.95 for 5 (2) packs

Overage: $2.10

I paid $3.23 before taxes!

**Indicates items that must be bought in groups of 4

for the buy 4 get $4 sale**

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Transaction #2:

**4 Covergirl Eye Shadow @ $1.55ea= $6.20

-Used (1) $3/2 CoverGirl coupon AND

(2) $2/1 Covergirl coupons:

$6.20-$7.00= 4 FREE+$.80 overage applied to bill 

2 Dial Soap @ $.88ea= $1.76

-Used (2) $.35/1 coupons:

$1.76-$1.40= $.36 for 2

**2 Old Spice (2oz) @ $.69ea= $1.38 

-Used (2) $.50/1 coupons:

$1.38-$2.00=2 FREE+$.62 overage applied to bill 

**1 Covergirl Eyeshadow @ $1.55ea

-Used (1) $2/1 coupon

$1.55-$2.00= 1 FREE+$.45c overage

**1 Herbal Essence Shampoo @ $1.79 ea

-Used (1) $.50/1 coupon 

$1.79-$1.00= $.79 cents

Overage: $1.87 

I paid: NOTHING! They actually owed me 11 cents after

taxes however my Kroger doesn't actually cash out overage

(give money back to customer :( 

KEEP IN MIND: ON THE ** ITEMS MUST BE 

BOUGHT IN QUANTITIES OF 4 AND THE PRICES

LISTED ARE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AFTER THE

INSTANT SAVINGS AT REGISTER!

Happy Couponing!

-k-

Knowing Which Coupons Are "Good Ones"

With all of the coupons that come in the papers on Sunday, it can be overwhelming for a new couponer, or really any couponer. I have the bad habit of just cutting out the ones I really want, and pitching the rest... only to find a week later that I had thrown out coupons I could have used. If you're throwing multiple coupons out--this could be happening to you. Here are a few tips to knowing what kind of coupons to keep, (the ones you throw out are really at your own discretion...)

1. Stick with what you know. Many people develop "favorite" coupons, if you have favorites of your own, keep those!

2. Most stores have common items that go on sale for 10/$10 all the time, with that being said, keep an eye out for $.50c/1 coupons for those things for possible free stuff!

-Power Bars 

-Tooth Paste

-Angel Soft Toilet Paper

-Frozen Vegetables, etc.

3.High dollar coupons that can possibly double high enough to make your groceries cheap or even free. Ex: a $.75/1 coupon for something that's usually around $2. Coupon would double to $1.50 off of $2, making your total $.50.

4. Coupons that have a long "shelf-life", basically coupons that don't expire for a few months. It gives you a longer time to wait it out and see what the store ads are since they change every week. You may not be able to use that coupon the week you clip it, but it may be a crucial part of your next shopping trip the following week. 

It pays to do your research online prior to your shopping trips. Even if you're not an "extreme couponer", and just do most of your shopping at Walmart, you can get super cheap and FREE stuff at Walmart all the time with the high dollar coupons that wouldn't double at other stores! Any money saved with coupons is more money saved than if you hadn't bothered with them in the first place :) 

Holidays!

First of all, would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! It came to my attention earlier today that I should post a few little side notes on couponing and holidays and how the two can intermingle or affect one another. (This is for the newbies out there--experienced couponers may see all of this as common sense, but I digress..) 

1. It is a pretty commonly known thing that there are generally NO coupon inserts in the Sunday papers around a holiday. Even if the holiday falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Monday, a lot of times there won't be any coupons if the holiday falls near any of those days. 
Here's what you CAN do during those "off-weeks":
-Use the time to clean out your coupon binder.
-Scout out deals for the next week with the new store ads.
-Use one of the many coupon-clipping services online to order specific coupons you may need for the next week. 
(www.thecouponclippers.com , www.couponbeat.com ,etc.)
-Relax! Spend time with your family! 

2. With big holidays, come big sales. Watch out for special 1 or 2 day sales, and especially holiday clearance after the holidays are all over and done with. Clearance+Coupons=Cheap cheap cheap!
Even FREE! So, good thing to watch out for, especially at stores like Target who let you stack coupons, or KMART who will double $1 coupons after you spend $25. 

3. You can use couponing for generally anything from stocking up, to surviving solely off of it. If you're "that good", you can use couponing as a way to get your holiday needs for as much as 50-75% off! 
Ex: Black Friday! Last year I went to Walmart and was able to get a Wii Consule for $89, and two 32" LCD flat screens for $138 ea.
I was able to get a NICE griddle for only $10 and many of the kids' toys for super cheap. For Easter this year, I went to KMart a few days before, and used up several of my Easter candy coupons. I was able to walk out of the store with $50-$60 worth of candy for like $19. Many of the coupons were "$1/2 bags". If I had taken those coupons to any other store, $1/2 would have meant only $.50c off each bag, because no other stores double $1 coupons. My first transaction had to meet a $25 requirement, so after obtaining $26 of merchandise, I went to the register with $10 in coupons after they were doubled, and brought my total down to $16 then used a $5 catalina coupon from my last trip to the store. Kmart constantly prints special offers and coupons with each receipt, it completely makes it worth the trip!

Hopefully these tips come in handy for your holiday couponing! Feel free to send us questions to our Facebook page! Happy couponing!

Couponing at KMART

I made my first coupon trip at Kmart the other day, and while I still have a few kinks to work out in the system, here are a few basic guidelines that should be helpful:

1.Depending on your store, some stores will double $1.50 coupons up to $3 off of one product! However, the general rule of thumb is that they do double $1 coupons so $1 is really worth $2.

2. There is a limit of (5) double coupons per transaction, and you have to spend a dollar amount of $25 or greater for your coupons to double. While this sounds a little ridiculous, you can actually get some great deals, and here's how:

-Always combine your coupons with store sales. Ex: Purex detergent on sale 2/$5. Coupons: Use (2) $1.00 coupons that double to $2ea. Final Price is $1 for 2, or $.50c ea.

-Pay attention to blogs, anything online that will clue you in to special promotions Kmart is having because they're not always clearly advertised. This past week they ran a promtion where if you buy $30 of participating Unilever products, you get $7 instantly at checkout. So, on top of double coupons after the $25 mark, you also get $7 off at checkout. There was also a special of buying $20 in participating products and getting a $5 catalina coupon on your next order, so if you're doing 2 transactions you can use that $5 on your next order.

-With specials like these, you take into account the $10 you get off your $25 order just by using (5) $2 coupons after they're doubled, plus the $7 instantly off of your order. A lot of the time, they will print extra slips of paper with your receipt that you can use at the register on your next trip, like $10 back instantly on your next order of $50 or more, which brings me to my next point: 

SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS

-Go to www.kmart.com and sign up for SYW Rewards. With every transaction you do, you get "points" on your account that are actually worth money, that you can redeem at anytime. 1,000pts=$1. So if you get a catalina coupon at your check out that says: "Free 10,000 points on your next order", That's another $10 added to your SYW card. Kmart literally gives you free money in this sense. 

Shop Your Way Rewards will give you a pin # and when you're at the register, you just give them your phone number instead of a physical member card and to redeem your points you plug in your pin # on the debit card key pad. 

3. To build up your order to $25 or more to get the double coupons, you can use high dollar coupons on marked down or closeout items. For instance, last week Alkaseltzer was on sale for $1.99 and there was a $2 coupon out. If you had 5 coupons, you could buy 5 boxes at $10 which would essentially be free after coupons. 

4. The main trick to couponing for cheap at Kmart is basically getting past that $25 mark, which means getting the total to $25 before coupons, spending as little money as possible at the end. 

5. Call your local KMart and inquire about their coupon policies because all stores may have their differences. It never hurts to do your homework ahead of time!

Couponing Myths

Couponing MYTHS

I thought it would be helpful to post common questions that I'm asked a lot, and dispel some of the "myths" out there. 

1. "I get coupons but they expire a week or two later."

-WRONG! Although some do have a short "shelf life" and expire soon, MANY coupons come with expiration dates that are 3 weeks to 3 months away. Some coupons in my binder I've had for months. Even if the expiration date is a couple weeks away, most of the time you need to make a trip to the store in that amount of time anyway!

2."I just don't have the time for it."

-Although time consuming, the great thing about couponing is you can put however much time you want into it. You don't have to spend six hours a day if you don't want to. Even if you only spend an hour a night after dinner, you can still get a lot accomplished. And, the great thing is that you can always pick right back up where you left off. 

3. "It really won't save me that much money anyway."

-WRONG!! Any time put into couponing pays for itself. With the right coupons and matchups, you can save 50-75% on your bill, even 100% if you're that good!

4. "It's just cheaper to buy the off-brand."

-Not necessarily. I've spent a lot of time in bargain grocery stores myself, buying almost entirely off-brand only. After I learned how to coupon, I was amazed that often times the name brand is cheaper than the off brand, and sometimes even free! This is because there are generally never any coupons for off-brand products, and always coupons for name-brand products. Pair your coupons with the store sale, and use a store that doubles coupons to maximize your savings. 

5. "It's a waste of time."
-Never! I just started couponing in November 2012 and have saved my family almost $4,000 if not more. I can generally save $100-$200 a week with couponing, and so can you!

6. "I'm afraid I'll get to the register and I'll have too many coupons and they won't let me use them."
-Be familiar with your local stores' coupon policies. Not knowing them can only hurt you. There will be times when your cashier has to manually double your coupons in the computer, and won't. You will have to speak up for yourself at times, and doing so will only save you money. Not doing so can be a costly mistake. As long as you're within the limits of the store's coupon policy, they have to accept the coupons you present to them. (Provided you've followed the exact size/brand specifications on the coupon).

7."It's just not worth it to me."
-To each his own, but I will say any effort put into learning how can be a huge money saver and make such a difference in your family's grocery budget and kitchen cabinets!