Plum District: discount movie tickets through fandango (6/29 only!)

Plum District is another one of those deal a day sites, and while it's not really up and running for the Seattle area just yet- today's steal is certainly one worth buying if you're planning a trip to the movies anytime soon (and yes, it'll work at any participating theater nation-wide)!

For a limited time today only, you can buy up to 2 movie ticket codes for only $6 each- these can be used through Fandango to buy tickets (worth up to $12). I'd check with Fandango first to make sure a theater near you will work (simply look up theaters near you and click the "Fandango Ticketing Theaters" button)- I haven't seen an area yet where it doesn't but you never know. Depending on how much tickets cost in your area, you could be saving 50% on your movie ticket. The codes are good through October 31st so you'll have plenty of time to use them. Enjoy!

Fandango does charge a convenience fee, so if the cost of your ticket and the fee are more than $12- you'll have to pay a little bit extra when you do redeem your code. However, this is still a great deal (and one I'd be jumping on myself if we went to movies as often as we used to, or if we didn't already have a few free movie passes from the recent kellogg's promos). Note: Most people are receiving their codes within 10-15 minutes, so be sure to check your email spam folder just in case you don't see yours shortly after purchasing. You should also be able to find your codes on the Plum District site by clicking the "My Account" button in the upper right corner and then "My Deals" on the right side toolbar. Thanks SD!

Rite Aid (again)

$8.65 spent, $72.35 saved

plus I still have $8 in +UP Rewards

I couldn't help but go back- seriously, who can resist deals like this on things we use and like to use?! In addition to the $8 in UP Rewards, I've also qualified for $4.99 in Single Check Rebates ($2.99 on the toothpaste, and $2 for the Luvs diapers) but I don't like to count those until I'm spending them (or depositing them). Without including those, my net cost is only $12.65. It's a lot like what I did earlier but here's how things worked anyways:

Transaction #1:

• Crest 3D White Strips $29.99
• used $5/$25 coupon
• used $10 Crest White Stripes coupon
• used $1/$10 Oral Health +UP Reward
• used $12 +UP rewards (from earlier today)
• paid $3.62, saved $39, and earned another $12 +UP reward
  

Transaction #2:

• Luvs $15.99
• Crest 3D White mouth rinse $2.59
• Crest ProHealth toothpaste $2.99
• Starburst $0.88
• 2 M&M's $0.88 (on sale bogo)
• 2 Stayfree $3.99 (on sale bogo)
• Used $5/$25
• used $2 Luvs coupon
• used bogo M&M's coupon
• used bogo Stayfree coupon
• used $12 +UP rewards from transaction #1
• paid $5.03, saved $33.35, earned $2 +UP rewards for the mouth rinse and $6 +UP rewards for the Luvs

Curious about all the $5 off $25 purchase coupons I seem to have? On Rite Aid's Video Values site, you can watch 2 separate ads for RA and each one will allow you to print a $5/$25 coupon. You can also earn points by watching other ads (each one will allow the print of a unique RA coupon) and 20 points will get you the $5/$20 coupon. The last $5/$25 I used was a welcome coupon for signing up with the Wellness program.

Rite-Aid: My first +UP Rewards trip!

$16.06 spent, $51.65 saved

Plus $12 (in +UP rewards) for my next trip

Which I suppose makes my net cost $4.06 for everything pictured above. Verdict? I am in LOVE with Rite Aid! Even better, all of these coupons came in the paper from this past weekend, making it super easy for you to duplicate my deals. Please bear in mind I haven't really been doing Rite Aid deals, so there may be better deal potential here- but I'm very happy with my results. You do need a Wellness card (it's free) to get some of these prices and to get the +UP Rewards. Here's what I did:

Transaction #1:

• Luvs $15.99
• 2 Packs Stayfree $3.99 (on sale buy one get one free)
• 2 bags M&M's $0.88 (on sale buy one get one free)
• Used a $5 off a $20 purchase Video Values coupon
• Used a $2 Luv's coupon
• Used a BOGO Stayfree Coupon
• Used a BOGO pretzel M&M's coupon
• Used $4 in Single Check Rebates from April
• Paid $6.01, saved $18.65, and earned $6 in +UP Rewards

Transaction #2

• Crest 3D White Strips $29.99
• Used $5 off $25 purchase coupon
• Used $10 Crest 3D White Strips coupon
• Used $1 off $10 Oral Care coupon (this printed on my receipt from transaction #1 with the $6 UP Rewards)
• Used $6 +UP rewards
• Paid $10.05, saved $33, and earned $12 in +UP Rewards for my next trip!

Yes, it feels like too many coupons for each transaction, but it isn't. You're allowed one manufacturer coupon, one store coupon, one "total purchase" coupon (these are the $5 off $20 or $25 purchase). The +UP Rewards and SCR's are treated like a form of payment. For The Mommas is an awesome resource with weekly matchups and information of how to shop Rite Aid. It's also a good idea to print a copy of the Coupon Policy, just in case!

Menu Plan Monday (and what we did this weekend!)

We had one busy weekend, here's what we've been up to:

Enjoying some of the awesome produce on sale this week (we made scones)

We took the plastic off our garden after our broccoli started blooming faster than we could eat it. We have a second garden bed, but this one really took off (the tomatoes are as tall as my 3 year old!)

We snacked on the broccoli as well because it tastes better right off the plant.

And we started a new project, I'll share more once we're done!

I did quite a bit of shopping last week for groceries, so we're using a lot of things we already have on hand this week. I'm practically out of cheese, so I'm excited to see Tillamook will be on sale at Safeway starting Wednesday (I plan to stock up).

• Monday: Tostadas
• Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken with Rice and Broccoli (from the garden!)
• Wednesday: Crockpot Chili
• Thursday: Breakfast (it's silly and a great excuse to use up those sausages I found marked down last week)
• Friday: Linguini with Shrimp and Lemon Oil
• Saturday: Steaks, Hashbrown casserole, veggies

Safeway: cheap goldfish!

$5.95 spent, $39.18 saved (87%)

Plus, I'll submit for the Snapple Rebate for the full purchase price of $6.49! I LOVE shopping trips like this. It didn't quite turn out as anticipated but it'd be silly to complain about the way it did turn out, wouldn't it? Especially since it's all free after you figure in the rebate.

Notice the toddler hand in the bottom right corner? It's been a while since I last bought goldfish, and we've been out for months. He was super excited to see them, so I may go back this weekend and stock up a little bit more. I know they're not healthy but they are fun in small batches! (By the way, all the flavor varieties were included in the weekend $0.88 sale)

For matchups, you may want to check out Thrifty and Thriving. I'm linking you in the direction of her recent Safeway posts instead of the actual weekly deals post because you'll find the links for goldfish coupons (makes them $0.38 each) and a hot deal on blueberry juice. If you're not interested in those deals, you can see the weekly matchup here. Thanks Christy!

Locals- Red Apple's HOT produce tent sale

I'm not sure how wide spread this chain is or even if this weekend-type sale is going on anywhere else- but the prices are too awesome to pass up if you're a local. I shopped the Kitsap Way location in Bremerton today so I can verify that it's going on there. The tent sale only extends through tomorrow, so if you want to take advantage of any of the amazing produce prices- don't wait! (If you're not sure it's going on near you, you may want to give your local store a call to check it out. Good luck!).

I'm slacking today, so no photo for you, but here's what I was able to snag for about $10:

• 2 mini watermelons
• avocado
• 2 onions
• 10lb bag of potatoes
• a little over 2lbs of grapes
• red bell pepper
• 64 oz SunnyD ($0.89 with in-ad coupon)
• 6oz Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (on sale for $1.50! It's usually around $10)

If that doesn't do much for you, here are a few of the AMAZING produce prices (these are off the top of my head, so I know I'm forgetting things- sorry!):

• Mangos 3/$1
• Red Bell Pepper 3/$1
• Red & Green grapes $0.99/lb
• Mini Seedless Watermelons $0.99 each
• Whole Seedless watermelon $0.33/lb
• Yellow Onions $.50/lb
• Limes 10/$1
• Lemons 3/$1
• Avocadoes $0.69 each

Walgreens trip tonight

$2.67 spent, $15.50 saved (85%)

The husband was bummed when he realized we were down to nothing but Smart Balance milk this morning so I figured I'd better run into Walgreens today (the only place I know of offhand with $1.99/gallon milk this week). I had $10 in RR from previous weeks so I thought I'd just use it up on cheap toilet paper so I wouldn't have to worry about heading back in before Sunday. Luckily, I spotted a few bars of Neutrogena soap in stock! Here's what I bought:

• 2 Gallons on milk $1.99/ea = $3.98
• 12 big rolls toilet paper $5 (minus $1 coupon in the monthly booklet) = $4
• 3 Bars Neutrogena @ 2.69 ea (used three $1.50 coupons) = $3.47
• tax was only $1.12 and I paid using the $10 in RR I had
• I earned $10RR for buying 3 Neutrogena products (this deal ends on Saturday!) making net cost and out-of-pocket cost the same (and not too shabby for the 2 gallons of milk we needed anyways)

My shopping trip this week

Safeway & QFC: $29.19 spent, $41.00 saved (59%)

(the photo is missing a package of Johnsonville breakfast sausages- oops!)

This past week has been super busy for me. We had 2 dogs staying with us, a birthday, followed by the birthday party, and father's day- among other things. Anyways, this was the majority of my shopping for this next week. I didn't use a ton of coupons this time around because I was taking advantage of some awesome sale prices at QFC. Even without coupons, a savings of nearly 60% is pretty awesome! I am planning on heading back into Safeway this weekend for some of their Saturday/Sunday only deals and will most likely also swing by Albies this weekend if we do get doublers on Sunday.

Check out Coupon Connections NW for a great list of QFC deals this week!

Yet Another Safeway Coupon Policy Change

Yes, it's old news but I wanted to make sure you all saw that the Safeway policy has been changed again- this new change simply means you cannot use Register Rewards from Walgreens (or catalina coupons for an amount off your next purchase with any other store's logo on it). For more details, you can check out Thrifty NW Mom's post.

You can also read (and print) the full Safeway coupon policy here.

Safeway Trip: I used RR successfully!

$7.57 spent, $28.19 saved (79%)

This trip is nothing spectacular, except for the fact that I was able to use Register Rewards from Walgreens to help pay down the cost of my groceries! I had a trip earlier this week where my RR were refused (for a range of reasons, and the manager on duty didn't seem to be informed of the new policy). When I heard that another local Safeway was accepting them, I headed in again (ready with my printed copy of the new policy) and went straight to CS to find out for myself. The lady working CS initially said no because she was sure Safeway didn't take any catalinas printed by other retailers, but after reading the new policy she called for the manager. He came by, and headed back into the office for a moment to double check, but came back out and said they were accepting them until they heard otherwise (he did double check my RR to see that they qualified). It was super exciting to get the go ahead and I was thrilled to encounter a friendly and informed manager- you can bet I'll be shopping this store more often! HOORAY!! Thanks Safeway!!

Nothing I bought today was an especially awesome deal (with the exception of the O Organics Raisins for $1.50 after coupon) but we're having people over this weekend to celebrate kiddo #1's 3rd birthday and while the husband is insisting on ordering food from Azteca- I had planned to make ceviche. I did splurge some on the frappucino and doughnuts but I figured I deserved a treat for sticking with it this week and to making my RR work for groceries.

My Walgreens trip: gotta use up those RR!

3 transactions: $11.20 spent, $36.60 saved

I had $10 in Register Rewards set to expire tonight, so while I was out doing my best to find silver sprinkles (would you believe the local Michael's was all out of silver cake decorating items) and mostly couponless, I swung by Walgreens to roll some RR quickly. I will be getting back the full purchase price of $7.99 for the Schick Hydro (thanks to For The Mommas for posting about the rebate this morning!). I did have some $1.50/1 Neutrogena coupons in my purse (just in case the bars of soap ever come back into stock) which made the face wash a bit of a moneymaker- here's how that works out:

• Buy 3 Neutrogena facewash @$4.11 each (sale price)= $12.33
• use 3 $1.50/1 coupons (from last month's Safeway book)
• pay $7.83 plus tax, get back a $10 Register Reward
• (If you're going to pay with RR, you'll need a filler. I used a $.25 box of lemonheads and a $4 RR. I paid $5.16 and got back the $10RR)

It's certainly not my best Walgreens trip ever, but for planning while in store- it's not terrible. After I get my rebate, the net cost of this trip will have been $2.21 and that's not bad.

2 Winners! (Safeway O Organics coupons)

So, it's officially Monday night and therefore time to announce the 2 winners of O Organics coupon sets...are you ready? The winners (as selected by random.org) are:

• Poster #16: Kaila who said "I would use them for fruits and veggies!"
• Poster #25: Heather who said "I would use them on Tofu + Produce! Yay!"

...and then just for a little bit of extra fun, I decided why not add a third winner?

• Poster #23: Annette who said "Will use them on produce, probably carrots! "

Congrats to all the winners! I'm going to do my best to get emails out to you all tonight so that I can get your address and send some coupon-y goodness your way as soon as possible (but it is almost bedtime and I'm on my own with the kiddos tonight, so you may have to wait until tomorrow for your email, sorry!). I'll be adding some random coupon goodies to your envelopes as well, just because it's a little bit more fun.

Menu Plan Monday

gak! I can't believe it's Monday already, can you? We've got a busy week this week- with a birthday on Wednesday and a party this weekend. I did get out and do some shopping for produce (plus, we've got broccoli that needs to be picked...or cut...or whatever it is you do to broccoli in addition to all the lettuce). Still, I need to attempt a menu plan and it's going to look something like this:

Monday: taco night
Tuesday: I've got peppers that need to be cooked, and onion, so I'm leaning towards chicken fajitas
Wednesday: Crockpot Broccoli Beef and rice (but maybe I'll let the birthday boy pick something) followed by "chocolate cake with yellow frosting"
Thursday: Stuffed cheesy spinach manicotti (with beef) and a garden salad
Friday: Black beans and brown rice (we ended up going out last week so I'll be making it this week)
Saturday: Birthday party!

A non-deal post

I am on the hunt for a delicious (from scratch) almond poppy seed muffin recipe. I've had great luck in the past googling for recipes and then picking one that sounds about right, but recently? NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. I found something that looked delicious yesterday, but after following directions exactly- they were a fail: they looked and tasted so bad there was nothing that could be done to save them. Honestly, even the littlest one (who very recently tried to eat used coffee grounds from the trash) wouldn't touch them. That's bad.

Really, I'm not a bad baker- promise. I also don't want to spend $2.50 for a box mix (on sale) or use the (yummy) costco copycat recipes that start you off with a box of cake mix. Does anyone know of a great almond poppyseed muffin recipe? Or know of a place I should search?

The photo above is of a yummy looking lemon poppyseed muffin that is the very next recipe I'm going to attempt to modify (we're not big lemon fans). Of course, I'd still LOVE your input.

Redbox: FREE rental for Facebook fans (6/21)

Become a "liker" of Redbox on Facebook on or before Monday, June 21st and you'll get a personal code good for one free rental. The code will only be valid on the 21st until 8:59 PST, which is perfect for a Monday movie night! Just be sure to return your movie the next day before 9pm to avoid getting the $1 charge for your movie.

They're a little bogged down with code requests at the moment, but should get everything sorted out before the 21st so don't worry if you don't get your code right away. Thanks Redbox!

The Limited: FREE $10 store cash

Swing by The Limited anytime between now and Monday June 21st to pick up a FREE $10 in Fashion Cash. You can use this on any item price $10 or more, so there's potential for free/cheap clothing and accessories. I'm not sure you need it, but I'd be tempted to bring a copy of the email with details down to the store just in case.

The fine print reads "Fashion Cash valid through June 21, 2010 in-store only for $10 off a purchase. Minimum purchase must be equal to or greater than $10. Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with Virtual Dollars, other coupons or redeemed for cash. Not valid on markdown prices, previous purchases, purchase of gift cards, or as payment on The Limited Card. No cash or credit will be rewarded if merchandise is returned. No reproductions will be accepted. Associates not eligible. Card must be surrendered at time of purchase to receive discount." It does say that it cannot be used on markdowns although I have heard of stores allowing it in the past so you may want to double check with your local store.

The only locations in WA state can be found at: Alderwood Mall, South Center, and the Tacoma Mall. Of course, if you're not in Washington, you can click here to find a location near you.

FREE Sweet Tea @ Popeye's 6/12

Tomorrow only (June 12th) you can swing by your local Popeye's and get a 22oz Sweet Tea for FREE! I haven't tried their sweet tea before (and I do love sweet tea), but this sounds like a neat freebie. There aren't a ton of NW locations, but you can find the one nearest you here.

Don't forget that this Saturday is also the $2 Old Navy Tanktop sale!

O Organics: Coupon Giveaway!

I've been getting tons of questions on and off since I began posting about these great O Organics Safeway coupons, even more so after my O Organics pick of the week post. Most of the questions are in regards to where these coupons can be found and what they look like. I've had great luck in finding them in the pharmacy area, sometimes even behind the counter where I've had to ask someone for a few. As for what they look like, take a peek:

I set these out so you can see both sides. As you can see from the stack on the left, the coupon is a tiny piece of the ad at the bottom. It's valid on all O Organics products (with the exception of fluid dairy products) and doesn't expire until 12/31/2010! They can be used at any Safeway or affiliate store.

Since I've been so lucky in finding these awesome coupons- I'd love to share some with you. Two lucky people will each win a set of 5 O Organics coupons (and a few miscellaneous coupons, to make this a little more fun). You may enter twice, once by leaving a comment on this thread with what you think you might use the coupon on. You can leave a second comment if you are a follower/email subscriber, letting me know that you follow or subscribe to me. Please be sure to leave a way for me to get ahold of you!

I'll use Random.org to select two winners on Monday night (6/14), so be sure to enter before then. Good Luck!!

Old Navy: $2 Tanks

This Saturday, June 12th, Old Navy will be running another $2 tank top sale! There's a limit of 5 per person. Obviously, that's a great deal- but we can do better, right? Old Navy's current printable coupon promotional thing is Barker's Bones on Facebook. It resets every Thursday (that's tomorrow) so you'll want to check that out for your chance to save even more- and who doesn't love that?!

The trick with these one-day Old Navy sales is to try to get there early, because they do sell out of certain sizes quickly. If you get there and they don't have your size, you might consider buying whatever size they do have and going back later to exchange for the right size. Obviously, that's slightly risky but it seems like tons of people have had good luck with that.

HOT deal on Milk at Safeway

Update 6/14: From most reports this deal seems to be over, hope you got in on time!

Safeway seems to be the place to be! After the exciting new changes to their coupon policy (and YES! I've already heard success stories from people using RR at Safeway- SOOO exciting!) I announced this morning- I was thrilled to find this AMAZING deal on milk.

Smart Balance Fat Free Milk $3.99

Yes, it's expensive- but see that coupon at the bottom of the photo? That's a catalina for a FREE carton of Smart Balance milk (up to $3.99), it printed when I bought my first carton along with a $2 off 2 cartons coupon. Then when I bought the second carton, I got another FREE carton catalina! Even better, it didn't stop there- each time I bought another entirely free carton, I got back another free coupon.

Sure, it's Fat Free, but I've heard from several people that the added vitamins make the fat free variety have the same consistency as 2%. That's what we normally drink, so this was perfect. I do not know how long the FREE milk catalina will be working, so I suggest RUNNING to your store to take advantage of this deal. There have been a ton of coupons for this recently, ranging from $0.75 to $2 which will help cut your out-of-pocket on your initial purchase if you have them.

One more quick note on this: I have heard but have not confirmed for myself that buying the Smart Balance Butter or Peanut Butter also produce the FREE milk catalina. If you want/need either, you may look into starting off with either of those items.

Safeway O Organics: pick of the week

I hope you all have had luck in finding the $1 O Organics Safeway coupon in stores. Starting this week, I'm going to feature my favorite freebies/cheap O Organics products for those of you interested in finding the best use of your O Organics coupons! Keep in mind that the coupon will automatically adjust down if the item you purchase is on sale for less than $1- there will be no overage. Please remember that you can only use one O Organics coupon per transaction.

As in previous weeks, select jarred baby food ranges from $0.65 to $0.75 and will be free after coupon. O Organics yogurt cups are also still priced at $1.09 each, a mere $0.09 after coupon. A few other great deals are (prices shown are after $1 O Organics q):

• $0.25: Whole Wheat Spaghetti - 16 Oz, Organic Whole Kernel Corn - 15 Oz, Organic Cut Green Beans - 14.5 Oz, Organic Sweet Peas - 15 Oz
• $0.69: Carrots 1 Lb Prepacked (compare to bulk carrots at $1.09/lb. The 2lb bag of O Organics is only $1.19 after q)
• $1.00: Baby Peeled Carrots 1 Lb Prepacked (next cheapest price on 1lb. baby carrots is $1.69)
• $1.09: Vanilla/Plain Soy Beverage - 32 Fl. Oz.

I'll probably be buying the baby carrots again (such an easy snack food to have on hand for the toddler!) but I am tempted to pick up some of the canned corn&peas for only $0.25/can. What will you be using your O Organics coupons on this week?

NEW Safeway Coupon Acceptance Policy

I know, I know...it seems like not that long ago they updated it, and now it's being updated again. Of course, there were some GREAT changes made that I'm excited to share with you all. You can read the full policy on Safeway's website (and you may want to print a copy). Here are a few highlights:

8. Safeway will accept valid manufacturer coupons that display another retailer’s logo or name. No more stress about the manufacturer coupon you clipped from an Albertson's ad not being accepted because it has the store logo on it? Fantastic!

9. Safeway will accept valid Catalina manufacturer coupons that are issued to a customer by another retailer. This one is really exciting for me, because now I know I can use catalina coupons from anywhere at Safeway! I'm also curious to see if RR from Walgreens will be accepted, seeing as how it is a manufacturer's coupon- can you imagine the potential here??

16. We gladly accept internet printed coupons. The same manufacturer and store coupon rules above apply to all internet printed coupons. Remember that silly rule none of use really understood about Internet coupons worth 50% of an item not being acceptable? It's GONE!

And the less exciting stuff? Well, it's there too:

28. Rainchecks can be written for a limit of no more than 3 items unless otherwise stated in the advertisement. Not great news if you're hoping to take advantage of one of Safeway's "Buy X amount, Save X amount" promos and they won't write the raincheck for enough items to get the promo price. Especially since at my stores, those are the deals that usually sell out to the point where you need a raincheck. Although that may be a case where they make an exception.

There's also a bit about not allowing the "stacking" of ecoupons with manufacturer coupons, although the policy seems to limit that rule to Hawaii. It seems odd that they would apply that rule to one state only, and even more so in light of a recent post I read at Coupon Connections NW.

If you have questions about these or any of the other changes to the Safeway policy, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll be happy to try to help you out. I'm also going to be looking into rule #9 because I would LOVE to be able to use my RR somewhere besides Walgreens (especially when they start building up). If you hear any confirmed reports of this before I do, please let me know!

Albertsons trip: Lots of LOL Butter

$1.81 spent, $42.31 saved (96%)

I started out with a $5 catalina and ended with a different $5 catalina- so net cost and out-of-pocket cost are the same on this one. I did 3 transactions, the first of which was the 6 sour cream. I used 3 Buy one get one free coupons (from the paper months ago) and paid only $0.67. I did one set of 5 Land O Lakes butter with the Dan-o-nino for only $0.20 after coupons. The other set of LOL butter and the Ricotta (on markdown!) was only $0.94.

The "buy 5, get $5" catalina continues next week but the sale prices on the Land O Lakes butter will most likely change. You can find the $0.50 coupons for this in the Safeway Dairy coupon book. Heather at Queen Bee Coupons has the details on this deal.

Safeway Trip: Milk and the buy 8 promo

$8.45 spent, $26.52 saved (76%)

PLUS, I got back a $3 catalina for buying 4 Kraft dressings, which is awesome because it leave me with a net cost of only $5.45 (almost $4 of which was the milk!). The buy 8 promo continues through next week, although prices may change on Wednesday. Here's what I bought (before price reflect $0.50 discount per participating buy 8 item):

• 4 Kraft Dressing* $1.49 (minus $0.55 q's) $0.94 each
• 2 bags Tostitos* $1.77 (minus $1 peelies) $0.77 each
• Yoplait Gogurt* $1.99 (used FREE item q) FREE
• O Organics Tofu* $0.99 (used $1 O Organics q) FREE
• Milk $1.99 each wyb2
• Uncle Ben's rice blend $2.45 (used FREE item q) FREE
• Tostitos Salsa $2 (use FREE salsa wyb 2 bags Tostitos tearpad, took off $2.50) -$0.50
• Bananas $0.67 (used $1 off produce wyb 2 Kraft Dressing tearpad) -$0.33

I also swung by Fred Meyer to grab about $2 worth of grapes and a free Sobe (found a free item q in the exchange basket).

We're back!

We had a very muddy but successful camping trip with the kiddos this weekend. We actually got in yesterday and took advantage of the FREE Papa John's pizza for dinner (there's nothing like a completely free pizza). I'm back to menu planning as of today, here's what I'm working on for this week:

• Monday: Hamburger with pork n beans, salad (w/lettuce from the garden!)
• Tuesday: Not sure yet, both boys have a doctor's appointment so I'm waiting to see how they do with that.
• Wednesday: Whole chicken with roasted veggies
• Thursday: Stir Fry w/leftover chicken, broccoli, and carrots on rice
• Friday: Black Beans and Brown Rice
• Saturday: Another not sure here, we'll be getting a couple of dogs for the week so my "maybe plans" of trying a new dish with the shrimp I picked up a bit ago might not go through...

I'm working on my grocery list at the moment as well, we're out of milk so I may need to make a quick trip to Safeway. I'm also hoping to swing by Albertsons tomorrow for some FREE Land o' Lakes spreadable butter (or else rainchecks on that- Thanks Queen Bee!). Fred Meyer would also be nice what with their cheap grapes, yogurt, and bagels (check The Coupon Project for a great matchup!).

Hot printable coupons and a few links

Today seems like a great day for high value printable coupons. Here are a few you might want to print now:

$0.70 off one Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Buy one, get one free Sobe Lifewater

$1 off Cheez-It crackers- through Facebook, you'll need to like their page to print the coupon

You can also grab a free sample of Starbucks VIA from Walmart.

I've also seen a few great reads and other things to keep an eye on:

For The Mommas has the scoop and link you'll need to load the mystery "Cinderella" coupon on cellfire at 3pm (PST) today. We don't know what it is, but it'll be good at all Kroger affiliates- in the NW that means Fred Meyer and QFC.

Heather over at Queen Bee Coupons did an amazing job with her recent post comparing Coscto to coupon deals. It's well worth a look.

The Krazy Coupon Lady outlines how you can get FREE sparkling water next week at Safeway.

Last but not least, you can swing by Coupon Connections NW and take a peek ahead at what coupons to expect in this weekend's inserts.

FREE Papa John's for those in Western WA

EDIT: they've reached 750 fans and the code has been posted! Those of you in the Western WA/Seattle area might want to hop on over to the Papa John's Seattle Facebook page and become a fan. They're attempting to increase their fan base and will be offering fans a code good for a FREE large 1 topping pizza once they hit 750 "likers".

You can see which stores count as being part of the Seattle area here.

IHOP: Pancake Revolution (freebies!)

How about some free breakfast food? Right now, when you sign up for IHOP's Pancake Revolution- you'll start with a coupon for a FREE Rooty Tooty Fresh'n Fruity breakfast (or item of equal or lesser value). You'll also receive coupons for free meals in the future, one for your birthday and another for your 1 year anniversary with Pancake Revolution.

Thanks SD!

Safeway Trip: FREE Tofu

$5.24 spent, $21.03 saved (80%)

I decided to make a quick Safeway run tonight to take advantage of the "Buy 8, save $4" promo this week. We needed a couple more things for our upcoming camping trip and it was nice to see them included. Here's what I bought (original price listed includes $0.50 discount per item for buying as part of the promo):

• Safeway hot dog buns $0.50 (not part of the buy 8 promo)
• Cheerios $1.49 (minus ecoupon and half a $1/2 GM cereal) $0.44
• Trix $1.49 (minus ecoupons and half the GM q) -$0.11
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch $1.99 (minus ecoupon and half a GM q) $0.94
• Lucky Charms $1.99 (minus ecoupon and half a GM q) $0.94
• Hefty bowls $1.00
• O Organics Extra Firm Tofu $0.99 (minus $1 O Organics q) FREE
• Kraft Cheesy Explosion $0.75 (used FREE item q, took off the full $1.25) -$0.50
• Ballpark Angus franks $2.49 (minus $0.55 q) $1.94

The cereal didn't work out to be as cheap as I like, but they're some of the husband's favorites and will give him a nice break from the massive amounts of Post brand cereal he's been eating. Likewise, the hotdogs weren't super cheap but it's the brand I like and the husband really wanted some for the trip. The $1/2 General Mills cereal coupons came from the recent Shrek booklet (no longer in stores). Even if you don't buy it as part of the 8, the Tofu is only $1.49 or $0.49 after the O Organics coupon. This is not something I usually buy (I'm planning ahead for my vegan sister's visit in a few months) but it seems like a great price, especially since it's usually $2.49. That alone nets you an 80% savings!

One important thing to keep in mind when planning your trip is that you don't need to buy in sets of 8. As long as you have 8 or more items in one transaction, you'll get the $0.50 discount per item. Frugal Living NW has a really great matchup posted for this deal. Likewise, the Krazy Coupon Lady has an easy scenario using a combination of ecoupons and printable coupons that will net you 8 items for less than $5! Even if you don't follow that plan exactly, it's a great starting point for an easy deal.

Online sweeps worth playing

I know I haven't been doing TONS of posts lately, but we've been a little busier than usual around here. Today, I wanted to share a few online instant win games that are pretty win-able (is that a word?). You'll want to check them out, and if you win something, I'd love to hear about it!

Pace: FREE jar (up to $4): With 1 in 20 odds, and the ability to win up to 5 times- this is a good one to play daily. You can use it on any of their products, it's not just for salsa. It does require a code, but they have free code available as well so don't let that deter you. (I've won 3 times already)

BIC Soleil: 100 Days of Sunshine: It has some silly prizes (and some really nice ones), but almost everything comes as a pair so you can share with a friend.

Safeway Dairy Adventure: You have a chance to win gift cards (always awesome) or fun summer items. You don't actually have to play the weird dairy dunk game, there's a "skip game" button to watch for.

Dove Glee for All: You can spin the wheel 3 times daily for a chance to win free haircare products or Glee related prizes. I won a haircare product after trying for about a week.

Are there any other instant win games you're playing? I'd love to hear about them!