My haul at Jewel: 96% Savings + Moneymaker

Big THANK YOU to couponerswanted.com!!

I struck out today with mom (visiting from SC and a fellow super couponer) for a little trip to Jewel.

Total cost out of pocket for all of this: $4

Here's the deal:

4 bottles of Arm and Hammer: $6 (2/$5 sale minus $4 in $1/1 printables)

10 bottles of select Dove shampoos and conditioners: $2 in overage
(double dipping two catalinas at Jewel (unilever buy $30 get $15, and Jewel spend $30 get back $12). Buy 5 spend $22.46 (plus tax) preferred price rings $30.46. You get back $27 in coupons for your next order. That means I spent $52 on ten bottles(includes tax) and got $54 back in coupons toward my next order.

That makes this a MONEY MAKER. I learned there are $1/1 coupons for Dove here, so print these and make it an even better deal.

Dove special good till 8/2 only on the following (good luck finding these). They are regularly $6.99 on sale for $4.99:

7940020680 DOVE GO FRESH THERAPY COOL MOISTURE SHAMPOO CUCUMBER & GREEN TEA 25.4 OZ
7940020681 DOVE GO FRESH THERAPY COOL MOISTURE HAIR CONDITIONER CUCUMBER & GREEN T#1 25.4 OZ
7940040557 DOVE THERAPY INTENSE DAMAGE SHAMPOO REGULAR 25.4 OZ
7940040692 DOVE THERAPY INTENSE DAMAGE HAIR CONDITIONER REGULAR 25.4 OZ
7940099810 DOVE DAILY MOISTURE THERAPY HAIR CONDITIONER REGULAR 25.4 OZ
7940099820 DOVE DAILY MOISTURE THERAPY SHMP AND CNDR IN ONE REGULAR 25.4 OZ

*****

Did you take advantage of any great savings this week with Jewel and manufacturers catalinas? Post your link below.

Still think coupons are a waste of time?

Rather shop at Wal-Mart SuperStore where you're convinced you're getting a deal?


Think again.

Check out this blog from Jill Cataldo which lays out just why combining a coupon with a sale (and sometimes a promo like the one currently running at Dominick's) is such a better deal!

Mad Coupon Saturday

Run run run around to take advantage of sales and expired coupons today. Having fun with it, really!


Jewel:

• cereal for 77 cents a box using $1.77 sale +$1 off Q,
• Strawberries on sale
• three packs of Kotex pads (can you have too many??) + 3 75 cents off Qs
• Thomas English Muffins BOGO
• Milk (free, used last of free milk catalina coupons)
• Impulse York peppermint candy (BOGO for the kiddies)
• Apples, on sale in bag
• Total savings: 56%

Walgreens:

• 4 Crest toothpaste sale (2 for $4) + 4 75 cent off Qs
• Skippy peanut butter (hope I won't get salmonilla!) BOGO +2 40 cent Qs
• Dove bar soap, 2 six-packs, 25% off + 2 $1 off coupons
• Total savings: 47%

Am very happy to see my bill cut in half or more on each trip!

Free Stuff: Laundry Soap

You can get your free sample from this company by click this

Free is good, no?

**UPDATED July 16, 2009** Have you gotten your free sample yet? I haven't. What gives "Finest laundry powder?" Perhaps time to find the "finest" distribution system!

The grocery run

The grocery store is an interesting place at around 8pm at night.

First, the place is nearly empty-- of customers AND employees. The shelves were not well stocked and the lone stocker, a manager, was grumbling that one of his stock guys hadn't come in. I was lucky to be able to get most of the items on my list (I was short a brownie mix because there were only two left, and I couldn't use the walnut version since a) I hate nuts in brownies, and more importantly b) I'd hate having to jab my son with a giant epi pen if he ate walnuts.

So I bought two boxes even though the coupon required me to buy three and worked it out with the cashier.

Did you know they put away the produce at night? As I was scurrying to get strawberries and lettuce, the lone product kid was loading grocery carts with cabbages and grapes to take to the walk in cooler. I'm not sure what you would find if you worked the second shift and needed to buy produce at midnight or 2am. I think your choices would be potatoes and hard squash.

I needed to shop Tuesday night to take advantage of all the 4 day sales. There were tons of BOGO offers on large items like turkey breast and pork loins that I need for the family and Easter and guests this week, plus I had several catalina deals to combine with coupons. I spent about an hour organizing my list, coupons and laying it all out based on store sections to maximize the trip, but still was surprised it took an hour and filled the cart.

At the check out my choices were few. Self Check (can be a pain), the teenager who gets off at 9pm and the senior guy, about 80, who I know from experience is the worlds SLOWEST checker. He scans and then looks at every item before moving it along. I think this old habit comes from days when price stickers were on every item. I think he's convinced the bar code may not actually be correct, and he's looking for the price sticker to confirm it.

I went with teenage boy on aisle 3.

Teenage boy on aisle 3 did not have a bagger. In fact, I did not see any baggers.

Wait, I lie. I did get a bagger eventually. But he only had one arm.

Then came the bill. Hubby had wanted to come to see the spectacle which is checkout for me. I had a stack of coupons almost an inch thick plus electronic coupons stored on my preferred customer card.

Total savings: $130, plus received $6 off my next trip. That was a savings of 47% on 81 items.

Jewel card instant coupons!

Thanks to Saverchic!! I found out that I can load coupons directly onto my Jewel preferred customer card via their website (after I called customer service and updated my 17 year old phone number to my current one).

Here are the deals you can get via the card. (Be oh so impressed how I managed to get these posted neatly off Jewel's website!)

Rubeus Wines
750 ml.
$4.00 OFF

Nancy's Frozen Quiche
6 oz.
$1.25 OFF
Limit 6 per household

Jewel Shredded Wheat, Frosted Flakes or Cocoa Crunchies Cereal
13.75-20 oz.
$1.00 OFF

Newcastle Brown Ale
12-Pack 12 oz.
$3.00 OFF
Limit 6 per household

Jewel Candy
6.25-20 oz. Bags
$0.40 OFF
When you buy 2

Jewel Coat and Bake Mix
6 oz.
$0.40 OFF

Jewel Real Whipped Cream Aerosol
14 oz.
$0.75 OFF Jewel Flower, Alligator, Soccer or Flag Cupcake Cake
13-15 ct.
$2.50 OFF

Jewel Canned Fruit
29-30 oz.
$1.00 OFF
When you buy 2

Jewel/homelife 6 Inch White Paper Plates
100 ct.
$0.75 OFF

Jewel Shredded Cheese
32 oz.
$1.50 OFF
Electronic Coupons
Good through midnight, Thursday, April 9, 2009


Welch's Frozen Juice Concentrate
Any Size,. Any Flavor
$1.00 OFF
When you buy 2
Limit 2 per visit

Dannon All Natural Yogurt
4-Pack Cups
$0.75 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Tums Antacid
60-160 ct.
$1.50 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Seattle's Best Bagged Coffee
12 oz.
$3.00 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Bounty Paper Towels
8 Rolls
$1.00 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Marie's Homestyle & Buttermilk Ranch Dips
15.5-16 oz.
$1.00 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Equal Sweetener Packets
100-200 ct.
$1.00 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Taco Bell Dip Bowls
$0.75 OFF
Limit 2 per visit


Eckrich Smok-y Breakfast Links Sausage
10 oz.
$1.00 OFF
Limit 2 per visit

Dannon Light & Fit Smoothies. (Not valid on Carb & Sugar Control Smoothies)
4-Pack
$1.25 OFF

Walgreens for tomato sauce?

YES!!!

Combining sales and coupons you can buy Hunts tomato sauce at Walgreens for pennies a can.

(From frugalcouponliving.com)

Hunts Tomato Sauce $.39 (with Walgreen Flier Coupon)
$5 (wyb $10) March Easy Saver Rebate (#29) <--- this is the Walgreens saver booklet found in the store in the same rack as the weekly flier)
= $.20 (you would have to buy 26 cans -shelves might not be that full for this rebate)
It is still a great price on Tomato Sauce.

Take that, Costco!

Stop clipping coupons and keep your sanity

The number one complaint people gripe about when it comes to coupons is having to cut them out and keep track of them.

I'm telling you right now to stop cutting them out. Period.

Let me pass along one of the smartest things I've learned in my new venture in the grocery game, and that is you don't actually need to clip the coupons out. You just need to save the entire inserts and only clip the coupons when you are ready to use them.

Nearly every Sunday you probably get a packet or two of coupons in your paper. Typically there are two companies providing these. The first is called "Smart Source" (SS) and the other is "Red Plum" (RP). Just pull these out of the paper (and preferably collect as many as you can get your hands on), write the date at the top of the packet and stick it inside a clear plastic page protector, the kind that will hold an 8 x 10 piece of paper.

Take those two packets and stick them in a binder. See, we haven't even touched a pair of scissors yet.

Now, here's what you do. You head over to couponmom.com and register (free) and click on her grocery deals by state link on the left side of the page. Find your state and your grocery store and up pops a database listing of every item on sale this week, PLUS every SS or RP coupon associated with the item. You can even sort the items by amount you saved. Each item will tell you in which week you can find the corresponding coupon (this is why you MUST date the packets). Often there are also Internet coupons, too. You can search for these on a link to printable coupons on the home page.

There isn't really a trick to any of this. It's just knowing where to go and where to look. You can even read a super detailed tutorial of basic and advanced couponing strategies off the couponmom.com website.

Just remember a few cardinal rules of couponing:

1. Don't use your coupons too soon. Wait to combine a coupon with a sale.
2. Don't buy items with coupons you don't eat. Smart, huh? A deal is no deal if you don't like the product.
3. Consider donating ultra cheap items to food pantries or shelters. If you won't use it, someone else may.
4. If an item is buy one get one free (BOGO) you can use TWO coupons (one per item)
5. You can combine store and manufacturer coupons on one item. If Target has a coupon for Progresso soup, you CAN use this with a coupon from Progress on the same item.
6. Collect lots of those coupon packets. Likely you have friends who toss theirs (only 1% of printed coupons are redeemed in stores). Buy in bulk items you use when they are ON SALE.
7. Plan your shopping BEFORE you head out. Know your sales and your stores.
8. Subscribe to a couple great couponing websites, like the ones on my side bar. These women track sales at all the national chains in detail I can never match. Find deals on what you need at stores near you.

Good luck and happy saving!

Make your own laundry detergent (the repeat)

Since I posted this on Facebook a few months ago before I had a blog, I thought I would share it again for anyone interested in trying to make their own laundry soap. We've been using this exclusively since October of 2008 and are very happy with the results. If you enjoy playing a bit of mad scientist in the kitchen, you will find this quite easy and fun, too!





First you need a bar of Zote (or Fels Naptha or even Ivory). Just don't use anything with lotion or "moisturizer" in it. I buy this in the grocery store. It's Mexican. It costs about $1 or less.It takes about 5 minutes to grate this BIG bar. If you find a coupon for this, let me know. I've never seen one. By the way, this was bought in Garden Fresh. I've not seen it in Walmart, Jewel or Dominicks (those three carry Fels Naptha). My friend used Ivory. This will also work just fine.

Grate the Zote with a cheese grater into a 5 qt pot.

You need these two on hand. I use one cup of each. More on this later. A box of each will last almost a year.

Addd 6 cups of water to the pot of Zote and stir stir stir over heat until dissolved.

See, all liquefied.

Add the cup of Borax and cup of washing soda. Stir till dissolved. Be sure to sitr WELL as it will clump.

Add this to a 5 gallon bucket. I do it while it's hot.

This is the bucket I use. It's perfectly fine. It never held anything dirty in it. And I washed it out.

You fill the remaining space of the bucket with hot water. And they you put on the lid and let sit over night. It gels to a pretty pink consistency. This much will last me almost 6 months. I use one cup or less each load. Although it looks sudsy, it really doesn't suds much in the wash at all. And it costs be about $2 for 5 gallons of detergent.

The next morning, when it has cooled completely, it turns to this lovely gel. You can stir it up if you'd like, but it isn't necessary. I use one cup (or a half of a cup if not really soiled) per load. You can also transfer some to a smaller bottle and shake it occasionally. After a while I get lazy and don't do anything to it and it still works fine.

Hope you enjoyed this little laundry diversion!

PS: you CAN use this in a front loader. It doesn't really suds at all. I'd just use the same amount you normally use of this detergent.