It Ain't Like The Good Ol' Days

We all know that Couponing just isn't what it used to be, at least in my area (the land of no doubles)!  Deals are harder to find and coupons are worth less and less.  I used to get 4 Sunday newspapers every week for the coupons.  Now I don't even bother with one subscription because it just isn't worth it any more.  These days, I focus on deals with printable coupons.  If a great deal/sale comes along and I need to stock up, I can always buy coupons online.

I did the following deal today at CVS:
$3.89 Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal (on sale BOGO)
$0.00 HBO Cereal
$0.47 Candy on clearance
$0.47 Candy on clearance
$4.83 Subtotal
-1/1 HBO IP from Facebook
-1/1 HBO IP from Facebook
$2.83 total
$1.00 ECB earned (from previous quarter spending)

$3.69 Milk
-1.00 ECB
$2.69 total
$1.00 ECB earned (from milk purchase)

That means my cereal was $0.95 per box and my milk was $1.69 a gallon!  Just goes to show, great deals can still be found.

The Toilet Paper Principle

Ever wonder how to compare packages of toilet paper and decide which is the best deal? With single rolls, double rolls, and mega rolls it can be confusing! Here's an easy tip to decide if the price is low enough to stock up:

1. Look for the Total Square Feet of toilet paper in the package. This is usually found in small print on the front of the package. In this example, each package contains 205.2 sq ft.
2. Move the decimal point two places to the left. In this example, it's 2.052
3. Now if the price (hopefully after a coupon!) is less than or equal to $2.05 then it's a price low enough to stock up. In this example, the price is $1.68 and that's worth stocking up on!

At Wal-Mart I was able to use overage from other purchases with coupons to make this deal even sweeter:

$13.40 Scott Naturals tp (5 at $2.68)

$14.72 Advil 10ct Pocket Packs (8 at $1.84)

$4.85 Dial bodywash trial size (5 at $0.97)

=$32.97

-5.00 Scott MQ $1/1 4pk from 5/22 SS

-16.00 Advil MQ $4/2 from 5/22 SS

-10.00 Dial MQ $2/1 from 6/12 RP

=$1.97 (+ tax)

CVS Deals

There are some great deals at CVS this week! Purex detergent is $0.98 per bottle after coupon, Stride gum is free after ECB, and TG Lee milk is $1.69 per gallon after coupon and ECB!

Transaction 1
$0.99 Stride gum
=$0.99 (+tax) paid
$0.99 ECB Earned
$1.00 ECB Earned for 4th scan of Green Bag Tag

Transaction 2
$3.69 TG Lee milk, gallon
-1.00 TG Lee IP coupon
-0.99 ECB from previous transaction
-1.00 ECB from previous transaction
=$0.70 paid (no tax on milk)
$1.00 ECB Earned

Transaction 3
$1.98 Purex detergent
$1.98 Purex detergent
=$3.96
-1.00 Purex MQ from 5/1 RP
-1.00 Purex MQ from 5/1 RP
-1.00 ECB from previous transaction
=$0.96 (+tax) paid

Rinse & Repeat!

TG Lee Milk Coupon: http://www.tgleedairy.com/coupons.html#/coupons

Overage at Publix!

This week there are several deals at Publix that create overage!

$3.49 Phazyme
$3.49 Phazyme
$6.98
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 from Green Advantage Flier
-2.00 Phazyme IP (registration required)
-2.00 Phazyme IP
-$2.02 Overage!

$3.19 Sominex
$3.19 Sominex
$6.38
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 from Green Advantage Flier
-2.00 Sominex IP (registration required)
-2.00 Sominex IP
-$2.62 Overage!

$3.79 Sundown Folic Acid
$3.79 Sundown Folic Acid
$7.58
-3.00 Publix Q $3/1 from Green Advantage Flier
-3.00 Publix Q $3/1 from Green Advantage Flier
-1.00 Sundown MQ $1/1 from 4/17 RP
-1.00 Sundown MQ $1/1 from 4/17 RP
-$0.42 Overage!

$5.49 Bic razors (BOGO this week)
$5.49 Bic razors
$10.98
-3.00 Bic MQ $3/1 from 4/10 SS
-3.00 Bic MQ $3/1 from 4/10 SS
-3.00 Bic MQ $3/1 from 4/10 SS
-3.00 Bic MQ $3/1 from 4/10 SS
-$1.02 Overage!

That's $6.02 saved on my other groceries!

Happy Easter!

This bunny wants to show you the value of collecting something other than eggs this Easter! My basket is full of Rain Checks and here's what I did with them earlier this week:

Raincheck: Get $1 ECB when you buy Oral-B toothbrush at $2.99

$2.99 Oral-B Advantage toothbrush
$2.99 Oral-B Advantage toothbrush
$5.98
-2.99 BOGO Oral-B Advantage MQ from 3/13 RP
-2.00 Oral-B Advantage MQ from 4/03 PG
$0.99 (+ tax) paid
ECBs back: $2.00

Rinse & Repeat with another of the same raincheck.

Raincheck: Get $4 ECBs wyb Crest Vivid 3D toothpaste at $3.99

$3.99 Crest Vivid 3D toothpaste
-1.00 Crest MQ from PG rebate booklet
-2.00 ECB from previous transaction
$0.99 (+ tax) paid
ECBs back: $4.00

Then I used the ECBs earned from Rain Check deals to pay for current deals:

$2.00 CVS paper plates
$5.28 M&M Easter Eggs (6 at $0.88)
$7.28
-1.00 Mars MQ $1/2 from 4/10 RP
-1.00 Mars MQ $1/2 from 4/10 RP
-1.00 Mars MQ $1/2 from 4/10 RP
-4.00 ECB from previous transaction
$0.28 (+ tax) paid

I still have $2 ECBs left for next week!

Wal-Mart Deals

There's a Similac coupon that makes $1.16 overage at WM!

$3.84 Similac
$9.92 Olay bar soap 2pk (4 at $2.48)
$1.94 Secret travel/trial (2 at $0.97)
$15.70
-5.00 Similac $5/1 from 4/03 SS
-8.00 Olay $2/1 from 4/03 PG
-2.00 Secret $1/1 from PG $110 booklet
$0.70 (+ tax)

Target Deals

Kandoo wipes are $1.42 at Target (down from $1.65 in December)! I used $1/1 MQs from the 4/03 PG insert. I was also lucky enough to get overage on the trial size Degree. Overage is always YMMV at Target :o)

$8.52 Kandoo 42ct. (6 at $1.42)
$3.96 Degree travel (4 at $0.99)
$12.48
-6.00 $1/1 Kandoo MQ 4/03 PG
-4.00 $1/1 Degree MQ 3/27 RP
-0.05 discount for bringing my own bag
$2.43 (+ tax)

Free Stuff + Free Gasoline from Wal-Mart!

I got all of the above with overage plus I put the rest of the overage ($8.08) on a WM gas card!

$9.92 Olay bar soap 2pk (4 at $2.48)
$3.88 Breathe Right 2pk (4 at $0.97)
$3.88 Purex 3-in-1 2pk (4 at $0.97)
$9.35 Gain 40ct (5 at $1.87)
$27.03
-4.00 Olay MQ $1/1 from 2/27 PG (x4)
-6.00 Breathe Right MQ $1.50/1 from 1/30 RP2 (x4)
-12.00 Purex MQ $3/1 from 2/20 RP (x4)
-15.00 Gain MQ $3/1 from 2/13 RP (x5)
-$9.97
+1.89 tax
-$8.08 (put on gas card!)

Free Groceries!

Yesterday I was invited by my friend Lynn to shop at the local Millitary Commissary, which accepts coupons and gladly gives overage. I had so much overage, I was able to get everything pictured above without any additional cost! I was also able to share some of my extra coupons and overage with my friend, who was able to stock up on toilet paper, facial tissue, and salad dressing for free!

Total Coupon Savings: $99.00!

Thanks Lynn!

Pubix Viva Italia Sale!

$15.54 Progresso chicken broth (6 x $2.59, BOGO)
$10.00 Totino's pizza (8 x $1.25)
$25.54
-5.00 Publix Q $5 off wyb 20 participating items
-1.00 Publix Q $1/4 Progresso items
-1.00 Publix Q $1/4 Progresso items
-1.00 Publix Q $1/4 Progresso items
-1.00 Totinos IP $1/3
-1.00 Totinos IP $1/3
-0.75 Totinos IP $0.75/2
$14.79

That's $0.74 for each item!

Wags Freebies!

This week Wags has a few items that are free after coupon:

$1.99 Dove deodorant
-2.00 MQ from 1/30 RP1
Free (+tax)

$0.99 Gain detergent
-1.00 MQ from P&G rebate booklet
Free (+tax)

Laundry Deals

This week I was able to stock up on some necessities for laundry chores!

At Walgreens:
$2.99 Reach Total Care + Whitening floss
-2.00 MQ from 10/10 RP
$0.99 (+tax) paid

$2.00 Register Reward received (a Money-Maker!)

Rinse and Repeat twice more.

$1.99 Purex
$1.99 Purex
$1.99 Purex
$0.99 Wags hand sanitizer (filler)
$6.96
-2.00 RR earned from above transactions
-2.00 RR earned from above transactions
-2.00 RR earned from above transactions
$0.96 (+tax) paid

I paid about $1 for each bottle of Purex and less than $1 for everything else!

At Wal-Mart:
$1.87 Gain fabric softener sheets 40ct.
$1.87 Gain fabric softener sheets 40ct.
$1.87 Gain fabric softener sheets 40ct.
$1.87 Gain fabric softener sheets 40ct.
$7.48
-3.00 MQ from 2/13 RP
-3.00 MQ from 2/13 RP
-3.00 MQ from 2/13 RP
-3.00 MQ from 2/13 RP
-$4.52 In Overage! (spent on other groceries :o)

Have I told... you lately... that I love Publix?

Y Love is in the air & I'm loving the savings from Publix today! Y

$20.93 Finish dishwasher tabs (7 at $2.99 with raincheck)
$12.50 Scott paper towels (5 at $2.50 with raincheck)
$22.33 Poise liners (7 at $3.19)
$6.98 Phazyme (2 at $3.49)
$3.19 Sominex
$3.19 Vivarin
$69.12
-5.00 Competitor coupon for Winn-Dixie $5/$30
-15.75 Finish MQs $2.25/1 from 1/2 SS2
-7.50 Publix Qs $1.50/1 Scott pt
-21.00 Publix Qs $3/1 Poise
-4.00 IPs Phazyme $2/1
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 meds (Phazyme included)
-2.00 IP Sominex $2/1
-2.00 IP Vivarin $2/1
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 meds (Sominex & Vivarin included)
$1.87 (+tax) paid

Winter Outside, Spring Inside

By "forcing bulbs" you can enjoy spring flowers even in the middle of winter. This daffodil really brightened up our kitchen countertop. The smaller plants coming up in the back are tulips.

Publix Haul with Overage!

A new Green Sales Ad began today and has a $5/2 coupon for a variety of medications. When paired with a MQ for the same meds, it makes for some overage! Here's what I got:

$1.29 Publix cups
$5.29 Beggin' strips (BOGO)
$2.99 Solo paper plates (BOGO)
$1.65 Kraft BBQ Sauce (BOGO)
$7.50 Scott paper towels (3 @$2.50)
$3.58 Canada Dry ($1.79 BOGO)
$6.00 Busy Bones (2 @ $3.00)
$6.38 Vivarin (2 @ $3.19)
$6.38 Sominex (2 @ $3.19)
$6.98 Phazyme (2 @ $3.49)
$48.04
-1.00 Beggin Strips MQ $1/1 SS 12/12
-1.00 Beggin Strips MQ $1/1 SS 12/12
-1.00 Publix IP for Purina treats $1/1
-1.00 Publix IP for Purina treats $1/1
-3.00 MQ Free Busy Bone wyb Beggin item SS 1/23
-3.00 MQ Free Busy Bone wyb Beggin item SS 1/23
-1.00 Target IP for $1/2 Solo products
-1.00 Target IP for $1/2 Kraft BBQ Sauce
-1.50 Publix Q $1.50/1 Scott pt from booklet
-1.50 Publix Q $1.50/1 Scott pt from booklet
-1.50 Publix Q $1.50/1 Scott pt from booklet
-2.00 MQ Vivarin IP $2/1
-2.00 MQ Vivarin IP $2/1
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 (includes Vivarin)
-2.00 MQ Sominex IP $2/1
-2.00 MQ Sominex IP $2/1
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 (includes Sominex)
-2.00 MQ Phazyme IP $2/1
-2.00 MQ Phazyme IP $2/1
-5.00 Publix Q $5/2 (includes Phazyme)
$4.54 (+ tax) paid!

OfficeMax Rewards!

Because I recycle ink cartridges at OfficeMax, I earn Rewards which I can spend on stuff at their store. Earlier this week, I was notified by email that I had earned $31 in Rewards. This weekend, a printable coupon is available for $10 off a purchase of $30 or more. Here's what I was able to do:

29.99 Kodak printer ink
9.99 OfficeMax trash bags
-10.00 printable coupon
$29.98
2.10 tax
$32.08
-31.00 Rewards
$1.08 paid

I find the OfficeMax Rewards program most valuable for buying trash bags. I hate to spend money on trash bags, and they're so expensive! Grr!

Sweet Savings at the Military Commissary!

(19) Marcal tissues at $0.99 - $1/1 coupons made them FREE with $0.19 overage.
(5) Finish dishwasher detergent at $2.49 - $2.25/1 coupons made them $0.24 each.
(6) Maalox at $3.49 - $5/1 coupons made them FREE with $9.06 overage.
(5) Quaker oatmeal at $1.79 - $1/1 coupons made them $0.79 each.
(1) Kashi cereal at $2.99 - $3/1 coupon made it FREE with $0.01 overage.
(2) Sweet rolls at $1.49 - $0.50/1 coupons made them $0.99 each.
(1) Duracell batteries 10 ct at $3.98 - $1.50/1 coupon made it $2.48.
(4) Reach floss at $0.75 - $1/1 coupons made them FREE with $1.00 overage.

The Commissary does not charge tax but does add a "Surcharge" of 5%. After coupons and surcharge, I paid only $3.06 for everything pictured above!

A big THANKS to Lynn for allowing me to shop as her guest!

A Great Deal from Wags!

This week, get $10 Register Reward when you buy $20 in Vicks Nyquil or Dayquil Sinex at $5 each.

$5.00 Sinex
$5.00 Sinex
$5.00 Sinex
$5.00 Sinex
$20.00
-3.00 Wags $3/10 Q (for Grand Opening at Mayport location)
-4.00 MQ Sinex 12/26 PG
-4.00 MQ Sinex 12/26 PG
-4.00 MQ Sinex 12/26 PG
-4.00 MQ Sinex 12/26 PG
$1.00 (+ tax) paid

$10.00 RR received

$2.79 Dial soap
$0.99 SoftSoap
$0.99 SoftSoap
$5.99 Drano
$10.76
-0.55 Peelie found on Drano bottle
-10.00 RR
$0.21 (+ tax) paid

Free Stuff from Wags!

Get $1.50 RR when you buy Finish 20ct. at $3.49
- $2.25/1 from 01/02 SS
This makes it FREE plus $0.26 overage after coupon and RR!

AirWick iMotion is on sale 50% off this week, making it $3.99
- $4/1 from 01/02 SS
This makes it FREE after coupon!

CVS Black Friday Deals!

My Aunt and I went to CVS on Thanksgiving morning for the following "Free After ECB" products:

(1) Xtra laundry detergent ($1/1 Xtra blinky)
(2) Colgate toothpaste ($1/1 Colgate Senesitive 11/14 SS)
(2) Listerine pocketpacks ($0.50/1 Listerine pocketpacks 8/1 SS)
(1) Carmex lip balm ($0.30/1 Carmex 11/7 SS)
(1) Eucerin lotion ($1/1 IP)
(1) Gillette deodorant ($2/1 Gillette 10/31 PG)
(2) Herbal Essences shampoo ($1/2 Herbal Essences 10/10 PG)
(1) Advil PM
(1) Excedrin
(1) Phillips ear buds
(5) Reese's pb cups
(5) King size M&M/Twix ($0.30/1 Twix from CVS coupon scanner)
(2) Renpure organic shampoo
(1) LA Looks hair gel

Total spent: $0.66 (+ tax)
ECBs began with: $1.00
ECBs ended with: $9.53
Great CVS employees: Priceless :o)