Free and cheap organic food: Albies brag

My mom and I went on an Albies shopping spree of sorts, we hit 2 stores in town and saved over $100 between the two of us. I won't go into tons of details since I already mentioned most of the freebies in an earlier post. Still, feel free to ask questions if you've got 'em.

$7.73 spent, $74.75 saved

That's my haul from today, done in a total of 7 transactions. You'll see 4 Hefty, 2 bottles Ketchup, Rice Krispies (used free item q from vocal point), 5 bags frozen broccoli, 1 bag frozen green beans, carton of chocolate soy milk, 7 cheap steaks & 1 pkg stir fry beef, graduates sips (with a try me free sticker for $3.79 rebate), 2 bags lifesavers. One of my $1 lifesaver coupons didn't scan, so I just had the cashier give me my coupon back and paid the extra dollar. The baby was getting hungry and I didn't want to hassle with a refund. All in all, it was an awesome trip and I'm really loving Albies. I also got a $2 survey on one of my receipts (and the toddler got a free tootsie roll from one of our favorite cashiers).

$1.27 spent, $37.30 saved

This is my mom's brag...she was super excited with her savings today as well. She did 4 transactions (using a $2 survey coupon from last week to pay on one), got a $2 survey on one of her receipts, and some great items. Her brag includes: 2 Almond joy bars (not pictured), 4 avocados, lamb chops, one cheap steak, fresh cilantro, bag frozen broccoli, bag baby peeled carrots, tortilla chips, bag corn tortillas, can mighty dog (used free item q), 2 cans pringles, pint starbucks (used free item q), box penne, and an organic chocolate bar.

Walgreens & RiteAid 8/30-9/5

This is a great week for freebies at Walgreens, a few of my favorite deals include:

• Rembrandt Toothpaste, $5 with $5 in Register Rewards= FREE
• Men's Zone Razor Blade Systerm, $3.99 with $3.99 RR
• Family and Friends 15% discount, today (8/31) only with prinatble coupon!

For more deals and freebies, check out MoneySavingMom's Walgreens deals listed here and here. New to Walgreens? Register Rewards can be used on your next transaction like cash (with a few restrictions) so splitting your transactions is the way to go. They do expire within 2 weeks though, so you'll need to use them up before then.

Even nicer are the freebies at Riteaid this week, including: light bulbs, Listerine, Reese's PB Cups, and Aveeno lip products. Fistful of Coupons has all the details here!

free undies!

Another Facebook freebie! Sign up as a fan of Victoria's Secret and you can print a coupon good for 2 free panties with any purchase. It's only good tomorrow, so print that coupon now before you forget! I've heard you can pick up pink $1 lollipops in store.

Albertsons doublers today!

There are doublers in today's paper! (*edit: not in the Tacoma News Tribune on newstands, but in the Seattle Times!) They are printed on glossy flyers, but no one has reported finding them in-store as of yetThis is one quick trip, with only one transaction. I know, really only one...but there were lines and only one open register. It's really not the best run ever, but I had promised the hubs he could pick the meat and he wanted t-bones.

$17.51 spent, $27.40 saved

3 A1 Marinades $2.29 each (used $2 off A1 coupons)= $.87 total
1 WH pinto beans $2.50 (used $1 WH and doubler)= $.50

4 Avocados $1 each (used two $1 off 2 and two doublers)= FREE

1 round steak $1.61 (used $1 beef coupon)= $.61

tbone#1- $8.60

tbone#2- $7.87

angus round steaks $5.06

(I used three $2 off $5+ meat when you buy A1 peelies- found on charcoal)

I heard, but did not check for myself that several varieties of WH frozen veggies are $2 or less- so they'd be free as well if you're still looking for ideas for your printable coupons. Now would be a great time to head over to a friend's and print some extras! (We tried the A1 New York steakhouse marinade on the steaks tonight and it was delicious! good thing I have a few more A1 coupons!)

It's Friday!

The fair has been going on this week, and we're planning to head over there tomorrow so I'm gearing up for Albertson's double coupons coming Sunday (thanks to HAPPY2BEFRUGAL for the advanced peak). I've got so many coupons I want to use, that I went ahead and bought 10 Wesson Vegetable oils yesterday ($1.50 each is a good price to me) to get started on the cat deal. I'll probably also do my Kellogs rebate deal and get my freebies. Here are a few freebies to keep in mind:

Hefty one-zip bags: on sale $2, so if you have any of those $1 blinkies left= free!

Wild Harvest: (free/cheap after $1 printable and double)

• Free ($2 or less): bags baby carrots, pasta, soy milk, creamer, yogurt, individual juice drinks, cans soup, tomato sauce, tortilla chips, and crackers. That's a lot of free organic food to choose from!
• Cheap: Bagged beans, small bags of cookies, and whole wheat pasta.

Lifesavers (in the hanging bags): priced at $1 or $1.49, some are marked as having a $1 coupon inside. Either way, it can be yours for free (after paying for 1 bag).

Hunts Ketchup: on sale $1 each, use a $1 off 2 coupon from All You Mag. and a doubler to make this fee.

Jolly Time Popcorn: 3 packs on sale for $1, free after the $1 off 2 coupon from Safeway's MDA booklet and a doubler.

You can see more deals at The Krazy Coupon Lady's site. On an unrelated note- Today is the day for $3 Roasted Turkey at Safeway. I have dinner planned but will probably go get one of these because they're yummy and cheap (and make great sandwiches). Don't forget to head over to Mars Real Chocolate Relief to sign up for a free candy bar coupon- in case you haven't got your 4 freebies already!.

Thursday= Old Navy!

Today's thursday, and that means Old Navy Weekly will be resetting with some new coupons! The $75 off coupon will be replaced with a $65 off $100 purchase coupon, and we can probably expect the rest of the regular coupons. Rumors are SuperModelquin Heather will be setting up a facebook account today- so keep your eyes out for her. Head over to Thrifty NW Mom and join the chat tonight (before the room gets full!).

It's too easy for me to get sucked in on Thursdays, so I'm whipping up a to-do list to motivate me away from the computer:

• get diapers washed and stripped
• fill and run dishwasher
• get a load of colors going
• vacuum living room
• put away baby's too-small clothes
• give oldest a haircut
• get everyone's nails filed
• find a good banana bread recipe
• figure out a letter page craft for the letter G

Crockpot Refried beans (cheap and yummy)

I've been tinkering around with this recipe and have got it perfect for our tastes! Hope no one minds If I share, it's super easy, healthy, and cheap- the perfect combo. Technically they aren't "refried" but they're still yummy.

• 3/4 onion (split into 2 pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans (rinsed and soaked for 24 hours)
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 3 tbsp. minced garlic
• a dash of salt
• a tsp.-ish amount of pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
• 5 cups water

Put everything into your crockpot and cook on high for 8-10 hours (add more water if needed). Once the beans are cooked, strain them and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain your desired consistency. I like to sprinkle a little bit of cheese over the top. Did I say yumm yet?

QFC this week: 10/$10 mix and match

Just remember- you don't need to buy in sets of 10 for this deal (unlike the megasale). Each participating item will ring up as $1 after your loyalty card is scanned. If you don't have one, just ask- they'll hand you the form and a set of cards at checkout. I'm only listing the items with coupons I know about, check your ads for more participating items!

Banquet Frozen Dinners ($1 off 4 in September All You)= $3 for 4
Barilla Piccolino Pasta ($.50 off 1 insert)= $.50/box
Haagen-Dazs single serve cups ($1 off 3 printable)= $2 for 3
Jolly Time Popcorn 3-pack ($1 off 2 in MDA book at Safeway)= $1 for 2
Propel (look for $.55 off hangtags)= $.45 each
Sobe Lifewater (BOGO free printable)= $1 for 2

If you see anything I missed, let me know! The Jolly Time and Haagen-Dazs will both be better deals at Albertsons after doublers (coming Sunday). The pasta is a pretty good deal, especially since I like the way barilla cooks better than anything else.

I was wrong about QFC's megasale

...the mega sale continues through this week as well, it's just unadvertised. I have a pretty good list of what's included here and you can check out what I was able to get (sadly, it's without all the coupon details) for a whopping $29.77 right here!

If you want to tackle this sale (it's a nice one) you might want to load your loyalty card with ecoupons from Shortcuts.com and Cellfire.com because a lot of their coupons match with the sale. You'll also want to check through your recent inserts because there are quite a few handy coupons there. Just be sure to buy your items in groups of 10 to get the $5 discount. You can buy as many items as you want in one transaction and the $5 should come off for every ten- but it's easier to make sure the math is right in small batches! Good luck!!

QFC: Avocados, pasta, and a few neat finds

$11.01 spent, $15.60 saved (58%)

I'm doing tacos tonight, so I figured I better get some $.50 avocados today and save the rest of my coupons for free avocados at Albies on Sunday. Since QFC is close, I headed there. The Van de Kamps fish was on clearance for $2.14 each from $6 something. The olives were $1 which is an okay price. The Barilla Piccolino was $1 a box, and I used $.50 coupons from a recent insert on those. Lettuce was $1.49 a head. The Spray and Wash stick was on clearance for $1.14 and had a $.50 peelie attached. I had free item coupons for the batteries and the Snickers bar.

Grocery Deals this week 8/26-9/1

Here are some of the deals around town I like this week, it's not a complete listing but I will direct you to some site with more matchups. I plan to hold off on Albertsons until Sunday-Tuesday because I'm hearing that we'll have doublers.

Albertsons:

• $1 avocados (great with $1/2 coupons from corona books)
• $.49/lb watermelon (look for free lemonade wyb watermelon hangtags in the soda section)
• $.28/lb cantaloupe
• There's also a great spend $25, get a $10 catalina promo on ConAgra and Kelloggs products. Keep you eyes peeled for lots of Kelloggs coupons in-store, and you may want to pick up a copy of All You magazine (at Walmart) for the ConAgra coupons!
• See more matchups this week at All Together Beautiful and Frugal Living NW

Safeway:

• Buy 5, save $5 cereal deal. with coupons this could be good if you need cereal!
• $.79/lb whole chickens
• $.24 wishbone dressing after $.75 coupon from 8/2 (keep your eyes peeled for a $2 rebate coupon good for meat/salad when you buy 3 wishbone dressings at Albies)
• $5 Friday item is Roasted Turkey Breast. There's a $2 coupon for this on Safeway's website- that makes for come cheap turkey
• Lysol toilet cleaner is $1.99 each wyb 3, and some have hangtags with coupons inside for $1 off one! $0.99 each is not a bad price!
• Spray n'wash is also on sale for $1.49 wyb 3, and there were $1 off 1 coupons somewhere making these $.49 each.
• Frugal Living NW has some good matchups and scenarios this week.

QFC:

• $1 Avocados
• $.59/lb bananas
• 10oz. bag baby Romanita tomatoes $1 each
• 2/$5 Sara Lee bread and mini bagels (look for Buy bread get bagels free tearpad)
• 10/$10 mix and match sale- looks like some good stuff, will try to have some matchups for this done tomorrow (note: you do not need to buy 10 items to get the $1 price!)
• the mega sale continues through this week!

A few today-only deals

Walgreens is offering a free 8x10 photo collage today, use the code FUNDAY at Walgreen's photo site to get yours for free!

Today is the last day of Arby's free food Wednesday deal. You'll get a free Beef and Cheddar sandwich with any drink purchase. I haven't confirmed that our store is participating, so you may want to call ahead and check just in case!

Jane at AllTogetherBeautiful has a few more freebies listed over here. Check them out!

Had to use those remaining doublers @ Albies

Spent $2.53, Saved $27.96

I really didn't want to let my doublers go, so I made one quick trip last night and did 2 transactions. The buitoni was marked down as a manager special to $1.99 each (only the whole wheat varieties- and there's lots more in-store) so I couldn't resist picking up a couple. The beans were $0.50 a bag after coupons and doublers. The steaks were $0.65 and $0.23 after beef coupons and doublers. The zucchini was $0.67 and was bought as a yummy snack time treat for the toddler today. I used a $5 catalina to help pay on the first transaction.

my QFC trip today

This is what I got for $29.77 today

I mentioned that I had won a $30 kroger giftcard just this weekend, but was shocked to see that QFC's mega event lasted only until today! I figured I'd better head down and see what I could get for $30 before the sale ended. I could have got more items for the same price, but thought I'd buy the things we needed and a few things I like to have on hand. All in all, I bought 38 items- the lady working the register was shocked at my savings:

That looks pretty good to me, especially since I managed to lose about $3 of coupons while browsing the store. I won't go into details about the deals because the sale ends tonight, except to say that if you want to buy the bread and bagel deal, do it today! The price goes up to 2/$5 which would make it $2.50 for a loaf of bread and bag of bagels with the BOGO coupon on the display instead of $2.00. Not a big difference, but those pennies add up!

This is my 'bathroom stockpile'

It was my plan to re-organize the bathroom stockpile today that inspired my Thrifty Tip Tuesday post about the things you shouldn't be paying for- or getting for pennies. I thought I'd share a picture of my stockpile to show you how much & how easily you can get these things for free. Remember, I've only been seriously couponing since about Januaury and took around 1-2 months off. I have about a dozen more buddies bars, another box of hairdye, 6 boxes diaper wipes, and most of that free tp I picked up a few weeks ago that were not pictured.

I did pay for some of these items. The baby shampoo cost about $0.25/bottle (it was on clearance at Target, plus a store/manufacter coupon combo). I think the baindaids were $0.20-$0.25 apiece. I paid $0.57 for the soleil razor refills, but the fusion power razor was a moneymaker (I gave tons of those away). I think the aveeno was $0.60 a tube, and buying 3 got me a really neat travel pack of sample sized products. I also paid $0.09 a bottle for the gilette shave cream.

I tend to buy more freebies than what you see, because I like to donate them or give them away to people I know. A lot of the items pictured are from Walgreens- it's not the closest drugstore but it was the first place I really learned to coupon.

Thrifty Tip Tuesday: Things you should (almost) never pay for

Anyone who's been couponing seriously for any amount of time can tell you there are things you never need to pay for- or that you can buy so cheaply it's almost as good as free. The key is being open to new/different brands or stockpiling when your brand is the current freebie. Make sure you buy in advance, otherwise the one week without free toothpaste will be the week you run out. Here's a list of some things you shouldn't be paying for and where to get them now.

• Toothpaste: Colgate Total is $2.49 this week at Rite Aid with a $2.49 SCR (single check rebate- super easy to do!). Add a $1 coupon here (if your RA takes printables) and you have a moneymaker. My mom has always loved the Rembrandt toothpaste, it's usually too expensive- but will be free at Walgreen's next week. There's almost always free toothpaste somewhere.
• Toothbrushes: You can get Reach toothbrushes this week at Walgreens with an in-ad coupon for $0.99. Use the $1 coupon from 8/2 and you've got a free toothbrush.
• Shampoo: I don't see any deals on this at the moment, but they do come around and often.
• Razors: Men's Zone 6 Blade Razor System will be free after RR (register rewards) next week at Walgreens.
• Air Fresheners: There's always some sort of cheap, free, or moneymaking scenario on these- especially Glade products.
• Soaps/body washes: If you're not stuck on any one brand, there are frequently deals on this as well.

Even if you or a family member is brand loyal, it might be worth it to try something else for free. My husband's favorite shampoo is Prell, but I've never seen a coupon for it and I was getting tired of searching at 2-3 stores every time he needed a bottle (no one seems to have it stocked sometimes). I bought some free Pert at Walgreens and put it next to his shampoo in the shower when he began to run low. He switched without a single comment or complaint- even though I've seen him spend up to an hour looking for the other brand in the past.

I've established a bathroom stash with these products (buying a few freebies at a time) and it's really awesome knowing that when we run out of something I won't have to run right out to the store and pay full price. Just remember, that it's easy to go overboard when buying freebies- try to stick with what you know your family can use before the product expires.

a quick Safeway trip tonight

$6.82 spent, $11.88 saved (65%)

3.28 lbs bananas (at $.50/lb- personalized price)= $1.64

2.10 lbs black seedless grapes (yumm-o!) at $0.98 lb= $2.06

Chinet plates 2/$5 (used two $2 off coupons) =$0.50 each

onion $0.95

garlic= $0.50

jalapeno= $0.24

I knew the red and green seedless grapes were $.98/lb but I was pleasantly surprised to see the black seedless grapes at this same price. Those things are yummy and aren't usually on sale (the reg. price would have been $6.28). I've never made banana bread on my own (can you believe it?!) but I figured I'd better start now while I can get bananas so cheap. Wish me luck!

My menu plan for the week

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get to this- we've had such a crazy week. I promised last Tuesday to post my menu plan as an example and am just now getting to it- yikes! I'm still slightly disorganized from camping, so we're going to be mostly eating from the stockpile this week.

Monday: Roasted Garlic and Cheese Tortilleni (Buitoni) in meat sauce with salad
Tuesday: Beef and broccoli stir fry with rice
Wednesday: Tacos with crockpot refried beans and mexican rice
Thursday: Chicken Adobo over rice, lumpia, and mixed veggies
Friday: something with tuna- it's the only seafood we've introduced to the 2year old so far and all we have on hand at the moment. we don't do meat on Fridays.
Satuday: Hamburgers, pasta salad, and grilled veggies
Sunday: leaving this one blank in case we hit the fair sometime this week and decide to eat dinner there.

I will need to buy more milk, some bread, and produce (zucchini, jalapeno, onion, garlic, bananas, and maybe some corn). Other than that, everything is what we have on hand at the moment. I'm kind of excited to try the adobo, I picked up a $0.99 bottle of "Quick Adobo" marinade at an Asian market a while ago (I needed Oyster Sauce and it's less than half the price for twice as much there) and some frozen lumpia, so that'll be a fun night. If I spot a good price on seafood, I might pick up something else- or maybe I'll google some vegetarian recipes for Friday instead. We've been eating a lot of tuna and it'd be nice to take a break from it. Lots of rice this week, but we're going through a non-eating phase with the 2 year old and he loves rice and veggies (and beans).

A kroger post (for the sister)

I don't usually do Kroger deals because we don't really have one (QFC and Fred Meyers are part of the Kroger family but the prices are super different, so it's not really the same) but my little sister just moved and has a Kroger so I hope no one minds if I post a few things here for her! If you're a regular reader and know of anyone who posts good Kroger matchups (especially with organic/vegan-friendly foods) please comment with a link.

Okay, step 1- get a membership card (you could borrow one, but it's best to get your own). Now, you'll want to load it with some ecoupons. Go to Unilever, Cellfire, Shortcuts, and PG esaver. Sign up with them and load any coupons you think you might use (use the "would I buy it if it were pennies/free" reasoning to decide).

In case you don't have it at the moment, here is the ad this week. It goes through Saturday the 29th. I check the Kroger thread on SD for you, and here's the post with coupon matchups for the sale this week (with links to internet coupons). They're having a Mega-event and things listed with *'s are participating- you'd have to buy any 10 participating items to get that price (otherwise each item is $0.50 more).

Deals I like for you: Nature Valley granola bars (should be a pretty good deal after coupons & catalina), those nut clusters, El Paso refried beans, maybe Naked Juice, Kroger frozen Hashbrowns($1.88), Dole Gold Pineapple ($2.50 ea), Mixed Color Value Peppers 2 lb Bag ($2.99 ea).

I'm back!

I think I briefly mentioned in another post about going camping this weekend. It was tough to keep a 2-year old busy (and out of trouble) for a whole 2 days and nights but we did it and the whole thing was (exhausting but) fun! To top thing off, I came back to some great news: Albies Doublers in the paper (Check your A and/or B section for it) and I won a $30 Kroger Giftcard (good for QFC or Fred Meyers) courtesy of To Save a Penny and BlogSpark. Woohoo!

Of course, I had to run out to Albies and use up some of those doublers. I'm a bit out-of-the-loop at the moment, so this is a mostly un-planned trip. Can you guess what we're going to have for dinner tonight?

Spent $4.71, saved $26.80

Really, you could argue that I saved more than that by buying the pizza frozen and for such a bargain instead of ordering out...have I mentioned how delicious this stuff is? This was done in two transactions, the first with 2 pizzas and a frappucino. I used two $1 off any culinary circle product coupons for the pizza, one $1 off frappucino, and 3 doublers from today's paper. I paid $4.37 for that. The second transaction was another two pizzas and the beef. I used another two $1 CC product coupons, a $1 beef coupon, 3 doublers, and a $5 catalina from the promo last week. My total was $0.34.

For those of you headed to Albies this week:

• $1 off any Wild Harvest product printable (lots of free/cheap organic item possibilities)
• $1 off any Culinary Circle product printable (makes the pizzas $1.99 each, but I'm sure there are other great deals to be found with this coupon. Let me know if you find something good!!)

ON Coupon Giveaway (it's already ended!)

*coupon has been claimed, thank you!* I was able to get ahold of a few $50 off $100 purchase ON coupons tonight (it literally had loaded a minute before I got home tonight). I forwarded 2 of them onto Jen over at ThriftyNWMom who hosts an awesome chat every Thursday night (and an equally awesome q giveaway each week), gave some away to people I've met in chats on Facebook, and kept ONE to giveaway to a reader.

EXCEPT, we're leaving early tomorrow to go camping, so consider this the quickest giveaway ever! The first person to comment and leave an email address will get the coupon. I may not forward it to until tomorrow morning, but it's all yours...so who wants it??

my QFC/Wags trip today

QFC: $15.40 spent, $34.07 saved

I've been meaning to head to QFC and do their mega deal, but that's been put on hold because we decided to head out camping this weekend. Still, I needed a few things for the trip (and couldn't resist doing the deal *just a little bit* because I had so many good coupons for it. This is a completely improvised deal. Maybe Albies is spoiling me, but I just keep looking at the photo above and thinking "15 dollars for that? really??" ...with 68% savings, I know I should just get over it. Here's what I did (items with stars were part of the buy 10, save $5):

4 Propel waters*: $.50 each (-4 $.55 hangtags)= -.20 total
2 Frappucino 4 packs*: $4.99 each (-2 $2 coupons)= $5.98 total
Aquafina*: $3.99
2 BC Supreme Brownies*: $1.50 each (-$.75 cellfire ecoupon)= $2.25 for 2
QFC hotdog buns: $0.88
Sara Lee bread/bagels: $2.00 each (used buy bread get free bagels tearpad on display)= $2.00
Mini Delights*: $1.50 (-.50 shortcuts ecoupon)= $1.00

Walgreens: $13.59 spent, $31 saved

(2 nifty camping chairs, not pictured)

I wanted to take advantage of the wipes deal and some clearanced summer items I saw the other day, plus I wanted to grab my photos. I did two transactions, the first was 7 tubs wipes and the 2 chairs. Wipes were $2.79 each, I used the $2 wags coupon (in-store), five $.50 manufacturer coupons, and two $.75 manu. coupons. The chairs ($3.99 each) and tax ($2.37)brought my total up to $11.88 but I got a $5 RR for spending $25 before coupons. I used that to buy the sprite and flashlight pack ($4.99) and paid $1.61. If you head out to do the wipes deal, make sure they scan your manufacturer coupons first otherwise they won't want to go through. The guy who cashed me out was wonderful and re-did the whole thing when we realized the issue...great wags trip!


I also picked up the wrong free photos. The lady only heard the last name and handed me my husband's cousin's photo order from earlier this week on accident. I didn't even realize it until I was just about home...we'll swap later. Thank goodness the wrong photos belonged to someone we know!!

20 Free Prints at Walgreens today!

Another day, another photo freebie at Wags...this time it's 20 prints and can be picked up in-store, what an awesome freebie. Click on the image above to head over and get started!

Need Thomas the Train? (8/19 only!)

I really don't need more train anything at the moment, but this deal is amazing! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for Christmas gifts (yeah, it's early and I'm already almost half done) and this would be perfect for any little kids you know! You can get the complete set for $55 (shipping included) over at kids.woot today only. The next best price on this toy? It's going to be at least $100!


Thomas and Friends Talking Railway Great Discovery set comes with:

• 27 Wooden Track Pieces
• Bridge Walkway
• Morgans Mine Interactive Destination
• Great Waterton Interactive Destination
• Wooden Tree
• Wooden Railway Worker
• Thomas the Train
• Stanley the Train

You can read a very thorough review of this toy over at Non Toxic Reviews. If my 2 year old didn't already have a train table and a ton of trains, I would be ordering this today.

QFC this week: 8/19-8/25

A bizzillion thanks to nateNnatsmommy over at SD for typing up the whole list complete with insert coupon dates in parenthesis. (You're awesome, and I hope you have fun with the ecoupons I told you about!). The big promo deal is, buy 10 items, save $5 instantly. The price listed here is after the $0.50 discount per item.

$.50
Quaker Mini Rice Cakes Selected Varieties 3.03-3.52 oz.
Propel Fitness Water Selected Varieties 24 oz. Bottles
SoBe or SoBe Life Water Selected Varieties 20 oz. Bottles

$1.00
Old El Paso Taco Shells, Refried Beans or Enchilada Sauce, 4.6-16 oz.
Old El Paso Spanish Rice, 7.6 oz.
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls Selected Varieties 8-13.9 oz.
Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits Selected Varieties 8 ct. (8/9 SS, 7/12 SS)
Hamburger Helper selected Varieties 5.0-8.4 oz. (8/9 SS)
Betty Crocker Potatoes Selected Varieties 4.5-7.2 oz.
Green Giant Canned Vegetables Selected Varieties 11-15 oz.

$1.33
Progresso Soup

$1.50
Betty Crocker Brownie Mix selected Varieties 21-26.7 oz. (7/19 SS, 6/28 SS)
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Selected Varieties 2.46 oz. (8/9 SS, 6/28 SS)
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
Pillsbury Toaster Streudel (8/9 SS)
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Selected Varieties 6.3-10 oz.
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Selected Varieties 4.5-9 oz. (8/9 SS, 8/9 GM, 7/12 SS)
General Mills Cereal Selected Varieties 8.9-12 oz. (8/16 SS, 8/9 SS, 8/2 SS, 7/19 SS, 7/12 SS)
Quaker Life or Crunch Cereal Selected Varieties 13.3-16 oz.
Nature Valley Nut Clusters

$1.99
Quaker on the Go Selected Varieties 12.6 oz.
Quaker Breakfast Cookies 10.1 oz.
Quaker Fiber Bars Selected Varieties 6.1 oz.
Quaker True Delights Selected Varieties 6.1 oz. (6/28 RP)
Dole Juice Blends Selected Varieties 64 oz.

$2.00
Betty Crocker Fiber One Muffins (8/9 GM)
Pillsbury Cookies, rolls or pie crust Selected Varieties 13-17.5 oz. (8/9 SS)
Pillsbury Biscuits Selected Varieties Frozen, 25 oz. (8/9 SS, 7/12 SS)
Yoplait Multi Pack Yogurt Selected Varieties 4-8 ct. (8/9 GM, 8/9 SS, 7/26 SS, 7/12 SS)
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Selected Varieties 10.5-16.25 oz.
Tostitos Dips Selected Varieties 15-15.75 oz.
Tostitos Salsa Selected Varieties 15.5 oz.
Tostitos Tortilla Chips Selected Varieties 10-13 oz.

$2.50
Totino’s Pizza Rolls 17-19.8 oz. (8/9 SS, 7/12 SS, 7/12 RP)
Tropicana Orange Juice Selected Varieties 59-64 oz.

$2.99
Frito Lay Natural Chips

$3.99
Aquafina Water 24/16.9 oz. Bottles
Gatorade G2, Tiger and Selected Varieties 8/20 oz.
Bottles Lipton Tea Selected Varieties 12/16.9 oz. Bottles

$4.99
Starbucks Frappucino Selected Varieties 4/9.5 oz. (6/21 SS)

Dont't forget to load you ecoupons over at Shortcuts and Cellfire! Quite a few of these coupons match with the sale items for this promo, so it's a great way to save even more.

Deals around town 8/19-26

I didn't get my ads yesterday, so I'm going to link you in the right directions and mention a few of my favorite highlights.

Albertsons:

• Kimmiy Clips Albies Matchup
• Culinary Circle pizza is $3.99 (and delicious!) but besides that I don't see much of anything worth doing unless they release doublers on Sunday.
• If you buy the pizza, check the 2-liters of coke for $1 off two 2liters hangtags for some cheap soda to go with it.

Fred Meyers:

• Check out Frugal Living NW's post on how you can get store brand diapers for $2.99 a pack. That's a great deal on diapers!

Safeway:

• Moneywise Mom's Safeway Matchup
• Krazy Coupon Lady's list of Safeway deals
• Pepperidge Farm cookies on sale for $2, use the $1 printable at coupons.com to get them for $1 each. yum!
• Possible FREE bacon! Register with Smithfield and you'll be offered a $3 off 1 pkg. coupon- it's on sale at Safeway this week for $3.00. However, it is Safeway's policy that they don't have to accept IP coupons if they exceed half the items price.

QFC:

• will be having a Mega Event: buy 10 items, save $5 instantly
• I'll try to update with what's going on today if I get the ad early, otherwise it won't be til tomorrow!

And the Walgreens photo deal for today? Well, you'll have to visit Jen over at ThriftyNWMom for the details! Today is the husband and my anniversary and I've got things to do today. Have a great Wednesday!!

Thrifty Tip Tuesday: menu planning

I've decided that rather than tackle a series of gigantic posts about the how-to's of coupons, I'm going to be doing a weekly post with one idea at a time for those new to the world of saving money and couponing. So today, we're going to pick an easy one that everyone can do to start shaving a little bit of your grocery expense: Menu Planning!

I've been a serious menu planner for about 2 years now. I started doing it bi-weekly, not because I was trying to be thrifty, but because I had just had my first baby and needed a visual reminder/motivation to make dinner every night. Realizing that I was able to cut my grocery bill was a really neat perk. How much of a menu plan you want to create is up to you- some people go gung-ho and plan every single meal and snack in their day (a great way to stick to a diet and a budget) and others (like me) just need a little bit of organization. Here are my best suggestions to get you started:

• Decide how much of a plan you need. I plan all of our dinners for two weeks at a time (because we get paid every two weeks). I like to leave one night open- this helps me not over plan in case we get invited somewhere for dinner, ditch the planned meal one night, or decide to eat out. I also keep extra ready-to-heat meals stocked in the freezer in case we're staying in and need something quick. We keep a good stock of breakfast foods on hand so I never plan that in advance. For lunch the toddler and I usually stick to leftovers, sandwiches, fruits&veggies, and/or things that can be done with a tortilla- no need to plan that one either.
• Take stock of what you already have! Tons of spaghetti sauce? Then don't buy any this week (barring an amazing sale, of course!). Taking a good look around and seeing what you can do with what you have is a great way to save money at the store.
• Check the weekly ads to see what the "deals" are this week. Most people know to shop the "loss leaders"- items on the front page of the ad, usually marked lower to get you into the store. Incorporating some of these items to your plan is a good idea, especially when it's meat and produce since it's hard to find coupons for these things. Not sure what to do with $0.77/lb whole chickens (not the best price, but okay) at Safeway this week? Or maybe the veggies on sale are ones you're not too familiar with? Try googling new recipes! You're saving money and expanding your cooking skills. You may also want to take a peek at your favorite money-saving blogs to see what deals people are excited about that you may have missed. Quite a few bloggers even post their menu plans- take a look at those for inspiration or visit $5 Dollar Dinners for Bargain Meal of the Week Highlights and look for your local grocery store!
• Plan effectively for "leftovers". Take for example the whole chicken mentioned above. I might throw in in the crockpot one night with some potatoes, carrots, celery, water, and herbs to make an easy weeknight meal. Can we eat a whole chicken? no way! After dinner, I'd chop up the leftover chicken meat and can now re-use it for any number of things. Chicken Alfredo, chicken & rice casserole, homemade pot-pie, chicken noodle soup, burritos, stir-fry, or chow mien are just a few of the ways I like to use up extra chicken. That's two whole dinners out of a single chicken. You can also strain the liquid from the crockpot to make a yummy chicken broth- won't use it right away? then freeze it! Tonight's tacos make great lunchtime nachos/burritos. One jar of spaghetti sauce and 1 lb. of hamburger easily stretch into two meals for us. Making lasagna? Try doing it in two 8x8 pans instead of the big one, and freeze half of it for another night. Leftover pot roast is perfect for stew. Thinking out of the box about how you use things is another good idea. Whenever we do hot dogs, we always have leftover buns. Rather than throw them away, we split them in half and turn them into individual loaves of garlic bread for another night.
• Write it down! Now that you've got some meals in mind, write it out for yourself. I like to look at our calender and fit the more time consuming meals to cook on less busy nights. It doesn't mean you can't change your mind later if something comes up, but writing down the meals you're going to make will help you formulate a shopping list. I think we all know writing a list and taking it to the store is a great way to stick to your budget and avoid impulse purchases. If you need to hit multiple stores, make multiple lists.
• Go shopping! Make sure you have your list and any coupons you plan to use. The idea is to stick with your list, but don't be afraid to buy things unlisted either! Sometimes you'll see great unadvertised specials, markdowns on meat, or products that have been put on clearance. True, these might not always be the best deal, but if you spot a cut of meat you always use and it's 40% off then don't be afraid to buy it (just be sure to cook it quick or stick it in the freezer!).

Are there any special tips you have that help you menu plan? Please share them in my comment section or send me an email! Got your menu-plan for the week done? Feel free to link it below as an example. I haven't done my plan for the upcoming week yet (I like to wait til I have my ads in hand) but will make sure to post it this week as an example.

Walgreens photo deal: 8/18

Today's photo deal is a photo freebie! You can get your free 11"x14" poster by clicking the link above and uploading one of your photos (just be sure to enter FREEPOSTER as your promo code). Make sure you do it early today, because tomorrow is a new deal. I haven't made up my mind as to whether or not to do this one, I don't know what I would use to turn into a small poster!

Edit: this is not completely free because it cannot be picked up in-store. You'll pay $1.99 shipping.

Photo freebies for the rest of the week?

• Wed. 8/19: a free photocling
• Thur. 8/20: 20 free 4x6 prints
• Fri. 8/21: free 8x10 scrapbook page
• Sat 8/22: 50% off their everyday photobook*

*If this is something you would like to do, I recommend starting on it now and waiting to order til Saturday when it's half off. I do not know how much they usually cost, but they make great gifts and take a little bit of time to put together.

My deals today: Walgreens and Albertsons

Walgreens: $1.44 spent, $19.25 saved

I had to go pick up my photos today (all 50 of them for $0.27) and I had a $4 Register Reward that would expire Wednesday. The toothbrushes were in the clearance section for $0.25 each so I picked up a few to donate and the 2lb bag of peanuts was only $3.00- yumm!

My Kraft Deal at Albertsons:

Out-of-pocket $7.34 (I paid with $10 in catalinas), total saved: $40.23

...and I got a $5 catalina and my $20 rebate form! I used a $1 off 2 cream cheese coupon, two $1 off 2 trail mix coupons, three $1 off 2 cookie coupons, and three doublers.

Transaction #2: $6.89 spent, $9.17 saved

I used a $1 Tart frozen Yogurt tearpad coupon, a $1 starbucks coupon, a $0.75 flatbread coupon, and three doublers. The culinary circle pizza was a bit of a splurge at $4.50, but it's less than a little ceaser's pizza (the cheapest in town @ $5) and is ridiculously good. If you haven't tried it yet, you should! It's made with fancy cheeses (pepperoni has mozzarella and smoked gouda) and the crust gets puffy and golden...it's unlike any frozen pizza I've ever had! (wanna try it? wait til wednesday when it goes on sale for $3.99...I'll probably pick up a few more)

Transaction #3: $2.61 spent, $7.20 savedI used two $1 starbucks coupons, one $1 beef coupon (found in-store), and three doublers.

My mom's Kraft Promo deal:

$10.25 out-of-pocket (paid with $5 in catalinas), total saved $38.88

She gets nervous trying to figure out "complicated deals" so we worked out her scenario together. She used six $1 off 2 trail mix coupons, two $1 off 2 cookie coupons, and three doublers. She got back $5 in catalinas and her $20 rebate form. Such a fun shopping trip! All in all, we spent $28.53 between the two of us (and saved $114.73!!) with another $10 in catalinas and two $20 rebates headed our way!

Walgreens photo deal 8/17 only

That's right, 25 prints for only $0.25 cents! So cheap, it's practically free...better start uploading your photos now! Be sure to select in-store pickup to avoid paying shipping. They do charge tax (all $0.02 of it, hehe!).

I still had my 25 free print credit, so I'll be picking up 50 prints this afternoon for $0.27. It works for me! Walgreens is doing this all week, with a different photo deal each day. The photo freebie tomorrow will be an 11x14 poster from one of your photos.

A little bit of shopping this morning

Albertsons: $6.07 spent, $22.42 saved

I did 2 transactions at Albies this morning. Transaction one was Yogurt ($2.29), Welch's jelly ($1.49 after $.75 printable and doubler) and 4 bags Trail Mix ($1 total after two $1 off 2 coupons and two doublers) for a total of $4.68. Transaction two was 4 more bags of Trail Mix ($1 total) and 1 frappucino ($0.39 after $1 coupon and one doubler, not pictured) for a total of $1.39. We needed the yogurt and jelly, and you really can't beat $0.25 a bag for trail mix!

Michael's: $8.38 spent, $9.50 saved

Foam Treasure Hunt Bowling craft/game (70% off) $2.39
Crayola chipboard books (30% off) $0.70 each
Clear Acrylic Spray: $3.00 (reg. $5.99, used 50% off coupon)

Albertsons: Post Select Cereal moneymaker!

There will be three doubler coupons in the paper tomorrow, making this already great deal on Post Selects cereal amazing! If you like this cereal (or think you might like it)- you'll want to buy it this week. (Must be a variety of the "Post Select" type...don't mistake it for select post cereals or you won't get the catalina!) The details:

Buy 4 boxes Post Selects cereal at $2.50 each= $10
$4 will come off instantly for the promo
use two $1 off 2 coupons from last week's paper
use two doubler coupons from the Albies flyer this Sunday
Pay $2 out-of-pocket, and get a $3 catalina= BETTER THAN FREE CEREAL!

Even if you don't eat this kind of cereal, you should consider picking some up as a donation item. No coupons? You'll still get the $4 instant discount and $3 catalina, making your net cost $3 for 4 boxes...that's not great but maybe still worth it to someone?

Safeway: Nature Valley & BC Fruit Snacks

Super great deal on Nature Valley Granola bars and Betty Crocker fruit snacks this week! This deal requires the use of a "Super Coupon" from Safeway's ad- and to use that you're supposed to have $20 minimum purchase. Anyways, here's the plan:

Buy 4 Nature Valley Granola Bars for $10 total
Use the Safeway super coupon, it'll take off $4
Use 2 $0.40/1 - Nature Valley Granola Bars
Use 2 $0.40/1 - Nature Valley Granola Bars
Pay $4.40 out of pocket, receive $2.50 catalina
Final Price: $1.90 for 4 (net cost)

Buy 4 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks for $8 total
Use the Safeway super coupon to take off $4
Use 2 $0.40/1 BC Fruit Snacks
Use 2 $0.40/1 BC Fruit Snacks
Pay $2.40, get $2.50 in catalinas
Final Price: Better than free

These catalinas "roll"... that means you can use that catalina to buy more of the same items. Check EatBetterAmerica.com and Better Crocker's website for more of the same coupon!

edited to add: keep an eye out for boxes marked as possibly containing a $5 cashcard. Winning one would make this deal even sweeter! (note: if you're open to it, I've heard the tropical fruit stickers kind are coming up as winner fairly often. It may be nothing, but you never know!)

edited one more time to say: you can to do 4 fruit snacks and 4 granola bars in one transaction, to bring you up to $18 of the $20 minimum purchase you need to use the coupons in the first place. Thanks to Jen over at Trhifty NW Mom for bringing that to my attention!!

Albertsons & the free $25 in Kraft items

What a crazy promo this is, people are having all kinds of issues! It turns out some items were advertised as being part of the deal that should not have been included, but they're trying to work out the kinks. Rather than rehash all of the details, I'm going to send you over to the Utah Deal Diva's post, because she's got all the info you need!

I'm rechecking my scenario, and if it works according to the original Kraft shopping list of participating items, I'll go ahead and post it for you all to see.

...a question for the readers...

Are there any kinds of deals you'd like to see posted? I tend to skip posting about free samples, and really only mention deals at stores local to myself (although I do see a ton of great deals at other stores). I'd love any kind of feedback about the deals/types of posts you like reading or want to see in the future. More Walgreens or Safeway? More QFC? Less non-grocery deals? Let me know!

I'm hoping to get some time to sit down and write a little bit about getting started/coupon lingo/ and the basic tips I use to help save money. I've heard I have a few readers who are very new to coupons.

Also, I'm on the lookout for blogs based in southern California...I have some family down there who are looking into couponing, and while I'm thrilled that they're looking at my blog, I'd love to be able to point them somewhere with the deals going on around them. Please let me know any that you know of!

...and a big thank you to everyone who reads my posts here! I love having coupon friends like you!!

Get your Nestle coupon book!

Swing by Walmart's website to sign up for a booklet/calendar with $20 worth of Nestle coupons. These kinds of coupon books tend to have some good coupons, and these may match up well with some upcoming sales. Limit 1 per household.

25 free photos at Walgreens

MoneySavingMom has the details on how to get 25 free prints at Walgreens here. I've been needing to order some more recent pictures of the boys for around the house, so I'm trying to pick mine out now. What a nice freebie!

a photoless Albies trip...

I made a trip earlier this week for cereal, and using catalinas earned from the double dip paid pennies for 13 boxes of cereal and 2 bags nut clusters. I used some of my catalinas to buy produce and croutons. Since the deal was on the husbands favorite cereals, I decided I better make another run today and purchased:

4 boxes cinnamon toast crunch (used two $1 off 2 printables)
6 boxes kix (used six $.75 printables)
4 bags nut clusters (used four $1 printables)
2 pints starbucks ice cream (used two $2 insert coupons)
2 gallons of milk

I paid using a $2 survey coupon and $7 in catalinas I had leftover, making my out-of-pocket $15.48 and got my $15 in catalinas. (My net cost for all of that is about $9.48). I saved $53.98. I also spent about $16 at Safeway on 9lbs hamburger, a bunch of bananas, and a chicken (it was priced wrong, so it was cheap). Making my running total spent this week about $30. I never posted my totals from last week- I purchased my milk, bread, and eggs earlier this week using up the last of my QFC giftcard. Besides that, it was just the $35.20 at Albies. That's a couple of cheap weeks!

Fred Meyer: cheap disposable diapers

Frugal Living NW has the scoop on how to get "Comforts for Baby" Kroger brand diapers for $3.99 a pack right here. I've never used this brand, but I'd imagine they work just fine for daytime.

We're about out of disposables, so both boys will be going back into cloth. I had stockpiled quite a bit more diapers than I realized in an effort to make things easier on me following the birth of the youngest (he's 5 months!). Cloth are so much cheaper in the long run, but disposables are nice to have on hand sometimes.

A summary post with lots of links!

We've had a bit of a busy week: a birthday party to go to, people landscaping the yard, and we're looking into buying a new car (since ours is not running so well and we qualify for that clunker deal). Thankfully, one of the husband's cousins is a dealer- and while she's not working at the moment due to health issues, she's helping by trying to negotiate us a good deal. Anyways, here are a few things for you to check out:

2 FREE tacos @ Jack in the Box tomorrow (8/11)

• No purchase necessary, just print this coupon and get your free tacos

Rite-Aid

• You can find an awesome $2 off any one 12pack of Coke printable coupon here (good at RA only). Don't know how much these are this week, but that's a good coupon. edit: on sale at most RA's for $4.50 each...doesn't look like a great price this week, maybe they'll be on sale next week?
• Use pull-ups? Size 5 pampers easy-ups (23 ct) are ringing up at $2.86 (75% off) and it's unmarked in store. It appears as though the 26ct Feel'n'Learn (in both boys and girls prints) are also ringing up at a similar price. You can use pampers coupons to make these even cheaper.
• If you're going to pick up a few things...swing by here and watch a couple of videos first. You'll earn a printable $5 off any $20 purchase coupon.
• If you got last Sundays paper, the Krazy Coupon lady has a great scenario listed here. You could make money buying coke and a few other things.

Walgreens

• Fistful of Coupons has a great post highlighting Walgreens freebies this week posted here. It's not an amazing week, but there are some good things.

I'll try to get an Albertsons post up soon...this next week looks like a good one to do the free $25 in Kraft groceries since a lot of the items will be on sale. Also, the grapes are going to be cheap. I don't have a lot of shopping to do, but I'm always happy to see grapes for under $1/lb. If you want to peek at the ad now, you can find it here.

Free Kraft Groceries!

The free kraft groceries deal starts today and you can do it anytime through August 23rd. You must purchase your $25 of participating products at one of the participating stores. The local store to do this at is Albertsons, but if you aren't local you can do it at: ACME, Biggs, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbachers, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Shop N' Save, and Shoppers.

Details: You'll have to spend $25 so any coupons you use will make this a moneymaker deal. Even without coupons, this is a really cool freebie! After you purchase your $25 in groceries, a catalina coupon will print for $5 off your next purchase at that store- you'll have 2 weeks to use it (for those unfamiliar with catalinas). You'll also get a form for a $20 rebate to mail in. There is a limit of one per household.

You'll find a handy printable shopping list here. Now you just have to keep your eyes peeled for coupons. I'll try to get a list of matching printable coupons soon (maybe naptime today?).

It's Friday: get your free chocolate!

Every Friday, through September 25th, you have the chance to sign up for a coupon good for a free mars candybar! Click the link here to sign up...you can get 4 per household during the promotional period (but only one per email address per Friday). Enjoy this freebie!!

My Target browsing paid off today!

I was able to buy this sandbox for $25.87 (regular price $103.49) using the last of my giftcards. This sandbox looks super cute, and I love the canopy to keep the kids in the shade. It'll be perfect for the older boy's birthday next year, I think. If this is something you want, go quickly! There were only 2 of these at our store, and I just bought one.

I (or quite possibly my super handy husband) will have to devise some sort of cover to keep all the neighborhood cats out of it- but I'm really looking forward to setting it up for the little guys.

I did go tonight in hopes of finding one of the little tyke's picnic tables (also supposedly 75% off) but found none. There are still quite a few toys on clearance, most are marked as far down as they're going to get. I also noticed a ton of fabric softeners marked down (only 30%) so grab your coupons and head to Target if you need some!

Check your mail!

Shopping Frugal had a post recently about a coupon she found for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more at JC Penny's, and I've been keeping an eye out ever since. Well, we got that same coupon in the JC Penny ad today. The coupon is good August 10th - 22nd...what a great way to get something free/cheap!

I just got a free lightbulb?

I don't usually anwser the door unless I know who's there, but oddly enough I just did it anyways. There was a guy hand-delivering free CFL lightbulbs as part of Project Porchlight. They're partnered with PSE (our electric company) so...if you live in the area, keep an eye out for them!

Didn't get a free one hand-delivered and want one? Head over to the Bremerton Lowes this weekend (or Port Orchard next weekend) to swap up to 10 of your old bulbs for CFL lightbulbs. There are some details about this here in a Kitsap Sun article or else here at the Rock the Bulb Blog. It looks like they'll also have some fun family activites and giveaways.

P.S. the hunt for golden bulbs looks kind of fun (and seems to be spread out in various parts of western wa) and has a added perk in the form of a $250 Lowes gift card if you find one! Look for clues on the Rock the Bulb Twitter page or find them on facebook.

Still here...

I haven't posted much, but I've been busy (the non-vegan sis and her husband were in town today). I've also been doing that double dip deal, and trying to come up with my master plan for this week's promo at Albies while also trying to figure the "spend $25, get $25" Kraft deal (also at Albies or any SuperValu grocery). I've been a bit of a slacker in spreading the word on the current Albies promo, so I offer links...

• Jane at AllTogetherBeautiful's weekly coupon matchup (she does a great job!!)
• Krazy Coupon Lady's participating item list (with coupon link goodness)
• A few of the Krazy Coupon Lady's scenario ideas (you'll need to add $3 back to every total because there are currently only 2 doublers available)
• Rachel from Cloud9's Haul from this week (it's way impressive! use it to inspire yourself?)

Albies: free stayfree and some double dipping!

Here's what I did today (and it's complicated):

Spent $35.20, Saved $108.35, have $27 in catalinas left...

...or a net cost of $8.20!!

Some of the items participating in that "spend $30, get $15" catalina deal overlap with an unadvertised "spend $30, get $12" catalina, making for an amazing 'spend $30, get $27 in catalinas' deal. I do not know how long this overlaps, but rumor is that may end tomorrow or may go until the 9th. The easiest one to do is q-tips (500ct @ $3ea and 375ct@ $2.50ea both qualify). The Dove shampoo counted, but it's only a very specific size/smell combo. The grapes were cheap, nut cluster $.50 after coupon, and the glue was $1. For the Stayfree, I used 4 $1 off printables and 4 "buy one, get one free" coupons with 3 doublers making it all $1 +tax AND I got back a $5 catalina for having spent $15+ on these items.

No, I'm not a crazy crazy stockpiler (can you imagine how long it'd take to use that many qtips?!). Some of the items went home with my mom and quite a few will be going into the donation box. Plus, I actually did need qtips!

Free Movie Monday

Redbox has been offering free movie rental codes every 1st monday of the month this summer. The code for today is: 27HZ4KT

Just be sure to hit the "Rent with a promo code" button when you start, and then pick a free movie to enjoy tonight! If you don't return it by 9pm tomorrow night, you'll be charged $1 per night.

dollar store shopping spree

The toddler has been a bit difficult lately and while I suspect a lot of that is due to his being 2 and testing boundaries, I think some more structured time to his day will help. So, we went to the dollar store today and bought about $43 of educational-type activities and some good crafting items (and some candy for the husband and I):

I just need to get organized, and then we can basically start "school" for the oldest guy. I think a little bit of time here and there will really help, and all these goodies will make it extra fun. If anyone has any neat ideas for me, let me know. I'm definitely open to suggestions!

Walgreens 8/2-8/9

Finally, a good week at Walgreens. I haven't shopped there in quite some time (with the exception of last night's disaster!) because the freebies have not been worth the trip, and I've got a decent stockpile of most things I'd get from Wags. I do plan on making it down this week, for the vitamin shampoo and conditioner (blueberry avocado smells delicious!) and some of the pb/ragu!

Register Reward (RR) Deals

• Vitamin Shampoo and Conditioner, sale $3.99 with $3.99 RR (FREE)


• Gum toothbrush 2 pack- $2.49 with $2.49 RR (FREE)

Plus, the Ragu/Skippy deal is back! I really love doing this one. here's how:

• Buy 4 Ragu and 4 Skippy Peanut Butter


• Use 2 $1 off 2 Ragu coupons and 2 $1 off 2 PB coupons from today's RedPlum insert


• You'll pay $12 but get back $10 in Register Rewards...it's like paying $2 for all your spaghetti sauce and peanut butter!

here's my trip for today: spent $16, saved $28, have $4 Register Rewards

I did 2 transactions, the first was just peanut butter and ragu. I spent $12 on that and got back $10 in RR using the scenario above. Then, I used that to buy 2 Activity books (yay! I found them), a bag of M&M's (a chocolate craving), 4 sheets posterboard @ $.19 each (not pictured), one bottle vitamin conditioner (I'll be back for more!), and 4 newspapers @ $1.50 each. I paid $4 for that and got back $4 in RR.

I'm back!

We spent a little bit of time at the beach this weekend, and we have sand everywhere to prove it!

okay, well...the sand isn't between our toes anymore, but there's plenty in the back of the car. The toddler had a blast rolling around in it and chasing seagulls. The littlest one liked the sounds on the kites zipping around and the comfort of our beach blanket & the (free from Rite Aid) beach umbrella blocking the wind.

We hit some stores on the way back...I had really wanted to check out the toys clearance at Target. Our store was pretty well cleared, but I managed to get a few really neat things we'll probably use as Christmas gifts for super cheap (on a gift card). Then, we stopped at Walgreens to pick up some of those cheap frappucinos I mentioned earlier this week (yesterday was the last day). It was a terrible experience...I was accused of coupon fraud, the cashier used inappropriate language, and eventually rang it up correctly but not before throwing a fit and yelling that she'd probably lose her job as a result. She was confused about how their store coupons work, and thought that "one per purchase" meant exactly the same thing as "one per transaction". I wrote an email when I got home in the hopes that someone can clear that up...but I certainly won't be checking out in her lane ever again! I spent $1 there and then another $5 on 3 gallons of milk at Fred Meyers.