Hot Off the Presses!!! Triples at Harris Teeter!!!

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

Triple Coupons Feb 5th - 8th

AT HARRIS TEETER!!!

Can you tell this is BIG news?

as soon as I get a list of deals, I will post them

Amazing Savings

Today Alicia and I found a wonderful place for great savings! Amazing Savings on Sweeten Creek Rd in Asheville. It is a warehouse grocery store and to say the least I was AMAZED!

They offer lots of organic and gluten free items and some of the best produce I have seen, and the prices of produce were very good. I found lots of items we use at incredible prices. My favorite was the Coco Via chocolate candy. At CVS or WG it is $4.99 to 6.99 a box. Today I found it for $1.99. That was a great price enough, but when I checked out, I found out that they were BOGO. To say the least I went back and got more. I ended up with 12 boxes (over $60 worth had I bought it elsewhere).

Here is the list of what I got:
2 Boxes of cereal ($1.49)
12 boxes of Coco Via ($1.99 -- BOGO)
2 boxes of Soy Joy ($6.00)
3 boxes of Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta ($.99 ea)
3 bags of multi grain tortia chips ($.99 or 3/$1.99)
3 3pks of soy drink boxes
1 pkg of whole wheat linguine ($.99)

My total just over $42.00

Now as with most warehouse grocery stores, you need to watch the expiration dates, but there are great deals to be had there.

BOGO Books

Tonight I was informed the my son's class will be selling BOGO books starting tomorrow. I have been told that there are some really good coupons in there, but I will have to wait and see. I can not wait.

Stumbled into a good deal

I stopped by CVS this evening on my way home and stumbled into a good deal. As I walked into the store there was a table covered in clearance items. Mostly sun tan lotions and CVS branded items, but what caught my eye were the 2 One Touch Ultra Mini blood glucose meters. I quickly grabbed both as I was almost certain that I had coupons for them. When I found my coupons I nearly fell in the floor, my coupons were for $20 off of 1 meter.

I will admit that I tried to use both of my coupons (hey a girl can try can't she)lol. The cashier asked, and then used one of my coupons to cover the cost of both of the meters. So I got two One Touch Meters for FREE!!!!

I have checked and none of my family are in need of a new meter at the moment, so I am looking into donating these meters. I am checking with my son's Boy Scout troop, and other groups around the area.

Don't you just love a good deal -- rather a FREE deal!!

Wishing coupons cured illness

I have been trying to blog everyday for the first 30 days after starting this blog. My hope was that it would start a habit. That all came crashing down when I missed Friday night. I was so beat. I woke Saturday morning with a stomach virus. Now it wouldn't be so bad, except that I just had this virus over New Years. Sparing the not so nice details, I have been miserable.

Today (Monday) I am feeling better, I just feel like I have been beaten up. Don't you just wish that there was a coupon that would cure any illness. I promise that I will get back on my blog schedule and try my best to get caught up.

Stockpiling 101

I found this posted on Hot Coupon World. It has helped me me greatly!


Here is my start to our stockpile.


The concept of a stockpile seems to be getting a bit lost in translation, and I thought I would take this opportunity to clear up the concept.

The first thing that you need to know is that building a stockpile should not negatively affect your budget!

The whole concept is one of savings! Do not neglect the overall savings in favor of stocking up on individual items.

If the current hot deal is for something that you will not use a lot of, exercise some restraint and look for the deals on things that your family uses every week. Don't end up paying full price for everything else because you spent all of your time and energy getting 20 widgets that you won't use for 2 months or more.


What is a stockpile, anyway?

A stockpile is, in its most basic form, having a backup for every item that you use on a regular basis. It's not something that you go out and buy all at once, and say "Voila! I have a stockpile!" OK, technically, yeah. You could do it that way, but where are the savings?

A stockpile is built one item at a time, not bought.

Let's take as an example a generic Hot Coupon Newbie.

They have read through the Couponing 101 thread, and have grasped the concept that they need multiple coupons. They have gotten them into their hot little hands. Now what?

Hot Coupon Newbie has a cat. The cat needs cat litter. From reading the boards, HCN knows that Tidy Cats litter will be on sale at Stop & Shop for $1 a 10 lb bag this week. HCN looks in the coupon file, and has 10 x $1.00/1 coupons for litter. They get all 10 bags free after coupons!

This is HCNs very first stockpile item! It may be the ONLY item added to their stockpile this week, but the stockpile has been born!

Next week, HCN sees that Campbell's Select Soup is on sale 4/5.00 or $1.25 each. They have 12 x $.50/1 coupons in hand that their store will double. This makes each can (normally $2.39 each) only $.25 each that week. HCN buys 12 with coupons, spending $3.00 for $28.68 worth of soup and adding item #2 to their stockpile.

The third week, HCN may not find anything worthy of their newly established stockpile! They just use coupons for the things they actually need to buy that week, and still save 50% or more, which is just fine.

The fourth week is a bonanza! There is a deal on cereal at thier store. The Post cereals are on sale at $1.50 a box, our newbie has $1.00/2 coupons, and there is a rebate! HCN spends $15.00 on 10 boxes of cereal, uses 5 x $1.00/2 coupons, and brings the cost down to $10.00. They then send off for the $10.00 rebate, making all 10 boxes free! Another stockpile item! AND another store has Mahatma rice packages on sale for $.50 each. Our newbie has coupons for $.50/2 that double, and they have 20 coupons. This translates into 40 packs of rice for nothing, and adds item #4 to the stockpile.

There is no reason that you need to start stockpiling flat-out, no holds barred. If you have budget constraints, which you are likely to if you want to coupon in the first place, start out by designating $20.00 a month toward your stockpile. When that's gone, you only go after the things that you can get for free.

Many of the hard core couponers will tell you-- it takes between 6 and 9 months to get a stockpile established and on its way to being self-sustaining. Even then, you sometimes miscalculate and run out of things.


How do I know how much of something to stockpile?

Family Usage: To begin with, figure out how large a supply you want to have on hand-- 3 months? 6 months? A year? Then, determine how much of a given item your family uses each week or month.

EX: Family goes through 2 boxes of cereal each week. You want a 6 month cereal supply on hand. Six months = 26 weeks x 2 boxes/week= 52 boxes of cereal.

Unless is is a spectacular deal (like free), you will not buy all 52 boxes in one week! Build up to 52. Ten one week, and 15 the next time there is a cereal deal.

Things go on sale at regular intervals, which helps you to determine how much of any given item to have on hand. If you can't store a year's worth of cereal at one time, figure out how many boxes it will take to tide you over until the next time there will be fantastic cereal sales and rebates!

Stockpiling is an ongoing process, not an end in itself.

Just because you got free cat litter doesn't mean you will pass up the next Tidy Cats sale. You are never "finished" with a stockpile, because as soon as you get a full supply of one item, you will run low on another.

For some reason it seems there are always some items you can never find a good enough deal on to stockpile. One example is paper towels. For some reason, one of our hard-core couponers has not found a really good deal on paper towels in years. She never has more than a 6pk of them in the house.

Brand loyalty is another reason that the stockpiling process may be off kilter. Although brand loyalty is a rare thing among couponers, for some things you just won't compromise! You may overbuy by normal standards if you know it's the only brand that you will use, and it doesn't often go on sale.


Don't consider the ultra-mega-monster packs of something from Sam's or Costco a "stockpile"!

90% of the time, purchasing in bulk at a warehouse store is not the least expensive option. Don't buy to stockpile from one, except for things you really can't get great deals for on a regular basis. Even then, don't buy at stockpile levels, just buy a big enough pack to get you through until you DO find the super deal elsewhere.

A few things are really inexpensive there, but quite a few things are just "cheaper than regular price" and are just tide-you-over buys, and are not stockpile-worthy.


Keeping control of your stockpile! Control?

What? Why would you want to do something crazy like that! I can get 200 of them for free! I'll take all I can get.
There are several reasons to keep a handle on the ol' stockpile.

1. Space: Don't let your stockpile take over. Sacrificing the comfort of your family and making daily life difficult is not the goal of a stockpile. If things get uncomfortable, you have probably bought too much.

2. Safety and Expiration Dates: We have threads on the expiration dates of various products. A deal isn't a deal unless you are actually going to use the item before it spoils. Ask yourself how much of a product your family can reasonably use in a given time frame, and STOP when you have that amount.

3. Nomadic Lifestyle: This applies most to military families, but also certain other careers where frequent moves are necessary.

Not only do they have weight limits for how much you can move, but the moving companies also have restrictions on what you can move. No perishables, since containers can be in storage for 6 months to a year. Nothing flammable. No cleaning supplies. No batteries, etc. You can see that it can get very expensive to get rid of a large stockpile of these items.

The best way to stockpile in the military is to have a 3 to 6 month supply of items, instead of the 1 to 2 year supply a non-military family might have.

Thanks to the author of the post from Hot Coupon World

Admitting my problem

Most folks have one something that they do that makes them really happy. Mine used to be buying purses. Handbags of any shape or size, it really didn't matter, as long as it was a new purse. My husband lovingly refers to me as the Emelda Marcos of handbags. My particular favorites were Betty Boop purses.

I realized today that my happy focus has shifted.

I stopped by the gas station, with my $10 to put gas in the car. Then I began to think, "Hey, if I put $6 in the tank that will get me enough to make it and leave me $4 that I can go to CVS with....and I have my 4ECBs with me, so I have $8 to spend."

My happy focus has shifted to couponing and spending my RR or ECBs. I have found that I have to go by CVS or Walgreens at least once a week. Sometimes I have to go more than once. I just have to.

Now, is this really a problem? I mean I am saving money, and I am getting products that we do use and need. Is it so bad that I feel that I have to go?

I have seen posts from other couponers who are have totally stocked their homes with products that they have gotten through couponing. I remember this one lady who lets her family members come and go 'shopping' through her pantry. I have read about others who donate items they have that they just have too much of. I am not quite to that point, but that is my goal.

For the record (and my husband's benefit--because I know he is going to read this) I have not bought a new purse since last March while we were on spring break in Florida.

Be sure to check my next blog -- Stockpiling 101

Spreading the word

I had to work at my 'part time' job today. While trying to make good use of my time at lunch, I started cutting and sorting my coupons from this past Sunday. Yes the same ones I did not do last Sunday. While clipping, I started talking to a nice lady and sharing my experiences with couponing. Turns out she is a couponer too. She even went so far as to teach her son how to coupon so the could make the most of his money while he was in college. She taught her son by giving him money, a list and the coupons with the instructions that he was to get everything on the list. He could use the coupons or not, that was his choice, but any money left over was his to spend how he saw fit. He quickly figured out that if he used the coupons then he would have more money that he could spend.

Hmmmm, not only did I get to share my love for couponing, but I also got a very valuable teaching tool so I can start teaching my son how to live and love couponing.

I also keep reminding my son that part of the Scout Law is that a Scout is Thrifty.

Just for ACK

I've been meaning to post these for a while, but I keep forgetting, so this is for you ACK

It snowed!

I am having to check and double check, but it did snow. My son has been out in it and even made a small snow man (which he built on his dad's truck hood). I guess he is hoping that there is no school or work for dad tomorrow. Only time will tell, I am just happy it actually snowed.

My trip to Walgreens

OK, so I have to brag a little.

My husbands job only pays once a month and on the last day of the month. December is the only exception, and then they pay on or around the 15th. So this means we go 6 weeks between paychecks. Planning in January is very important to us. With that being said, to say funds are tight right now is an understatement. All of my stocking in November and December is paying off for us right now.

Last week I had to get one of my meds filled, so I used a transfer coupon to get a $25 gift card from Walgreens. So I have been planning this trip for a few days (with the ad sneak peaks on HCW). There are some really great deals this week at Walgreens.

First trip ( yep this one was done in 3 stages)
8 jars of Ragu for $1.99 ea
1 Double box of Kelloggs cereal $5.99
2 boxes of Jiffy Pancake mix (in case it does snow) $.89 ea
2 6pk of Ramen Noodles $1.39 ea
------------------------------------------------------
I used coupons for
$1 off 3 jars of Ragu
$1 off the cereal
_____________________________
Subtotal $25.98
-Coupons$ 2.00
Total $23.98 put on gift card
OOP .00
**Bonus $10.oo Register Rewards bucks for buying 8 jars of Ragu

Trip #2
5 12pk of Pepsi products 5/$15
________________________
Subtotal $16.01
-Coupons $ 2.00 ($1 off 2 12pk Pepsi products from Walgreens grand opening)
-RR $ 10.00
_______________
Total $4.01
Paid $1.02 from the gift card
OOP $2.99
**Bonus $5.00 RR for spending $15 on Pepsi products

Trip #3
Pet 1gal Milk $3.59 (hey they are calling for snow after all....lol)
Dt. Pepsi 20oz$1.49
__________________
Subtotal $5.25
-RR $5.00
___________________
Total $ .25
OOP $ .25

Grand Total OOP $3.24

Just for fun I added everything up, if I had bought everything here using just the store sales and no coupons it would have been $45.53 with tax.

Every time I get discouraged and start thinking that this couponing just isn't worth the time or effort, I get to do something like this and it renews my drive!!

Playing Hooky

Sunday nights are my normal night to clip and sort my new coupons for the week. I just could not do it tonight. I know that I am just putting myself behind later this week, but hey I just needed the night off.

On the bright side, Lifetime has started the reruns of Army Wives, and Ingles is tripling coupons this week.

Learning a new language

Since I started couponing, I have discovered a whole new language. The language of couponing.It only took a few moments of reading posts on Hot Coupon World for me to get totally lost and confused. The more I tried, the more lost I got. Then I decided to see if there was a guide to this new language. Sure enough, there is a section for "newbies" and how to read this new language. I now have a copy of this list on my desktop so if I get stumped, I can refer to it. These abbreviations are widely used on most of the couponing websites. So they should help no matter which forum you read.

Hot Coupon World members tend to use a language all our own. Here is a list of the most commonly used abbreviations and acronyms.
AC = After Coupon
ACTUALS = The actual item as opposed to a coupon for it (an item from your stockpile)
ADDIE = Address
AR = After Rebate
BIL = Brother-in-law
BLINKIES - in-store smartsource coupon dispensed near product, usually from red blinking box
BOGO or B1G1F = Buy one get one free
BOLO = Be On the Lookout
BTFE = Box Tops for Education
BTW = By the way
B&M - Brick & Mortar, as opposed to an online store
CAT or Catalina = coupon dispensed at register after purchase, usually has a red border
CBAD = Chef Boyardee
CLFE = Campbell's Labels for Education
CO = cents off coupon
COH = Cut Out Hunger
CRT = Cash register tape
CYE = Check your email
DB = The HotCouponWorld database
DCRT = Dated cash register tape
DCRTC = Dated cash register tape with the price circled
DD = Dear Daughter
DH = Dear husband
DIL = Daughter-in-law
DS = Dear Son
DW = Dear Wife
DND = Do Not Double (the coupon is not supposed to be doubled)
DOUBLE COUPON = coupon that a grocery store doubles in value
ECB - CVS Extra Care Bucks earned for purchases
ENVIE = Envelope
EPOP = Each pay own postage (trading term)
ESR = EasySaver Rebate (Walgreens Monthly Rebate)
ETA = Edited to add
FAR = Free After Rebate
FIL = Father-in-law
FREE ITEM COUPON = A coupon that allows you to get the product completely free
FSOT = For Sale or Trade
GDA = Good Deal Alert
GG = Grocery Game
HBA = The health and beauty aid section in the grocery store
HCW = Hot Coupon World
HDA = Hot Deal Alert or Home Delivered Ad
HL = Have list
HT or HGT = Hang tags for refunds or coupons hanging on a product
HTH = Hope this / that helps
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
ISO = In Search Of
IDSO = In Desperate Search Of
IVC = Walgreen's Instant Value Coupon ( Found in the monthly EasySaver Catalog )
IVDSO = In Very Desperate Search Of
IP = Internet Printable
JMHO = Just My Humble Opinion
KWIM = Know what I mean?
LFE = Campbell's Labels for Education
LMK = Let Me Know
LOL = Laugh/Laughing Out Loud
MIL = Mother-in-law
MIR = Mail In Rebate
NAZ = Name, address, zip code
NED = No expiration date
NP = No problem
NBPN = No Beer Purchase Necessary
NWPN = No wine purchase necessary
OAS = a coupon that is good on one purchase, any size
OOP = Out of Pocket
OOS = Out of Stock
OP = Original Poster; Author of a thread
OSI = On a single item
OYNO = On your next order
OT = Off Topic
P&G = Proctor & Gamble Sunday supplement coupons
PEELIE = coupon that you peel off the package
PITA = Pain in the ***
PLMK = Please Let Me Know
PM = Private Message
POP = Proof of purchase
PP = purchase price
PPHF = Pay-pal handling fee
PSA = Prices Starting At or Public Service Announcement
Q or QUALIFIER = The POP required for a refund offer that is physically taken from that package
RAOK = Random act of kindness
RC = Rain-check
RP = Red Plum Sunday Supplement Coupons (formerly Valassis)
RR = Register Rewards
SAHM = Stay At Home Mom
SAHW = Say At Home Wife
SASE = Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
SCR = Rite Aid Single Check Rebate
SD = Store DisplaySF = Store form
SIL = Son or sister in law
SMP = Specially Marked Packages
SS = Smart Source or Sunday Supplement coupons
STACKING = Some stores allow the use of more than one coupon per item, IF the coupon itself does not restrict such usage.
SUPER DOUBLES or DOUBLES = coupons that are doubled $1 + in value (IE, a $1 coupon = $2, etc)
TEAR PAD = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display
TIA = Thanks in advance
TMF = Try Me Free
TRIPLE COUPON = a coupon that a grocery store triples in value
TYVM = Thank you very muchV = Valassis Sunday supplement coupons
WINE TAG = coupon, usually for $ off any meat, cheese or produce.
WL = wish-list
WPN = Wine purchase necessary
WSL = while supplies last
WT = winetag
WYB = When You Buy
YGEM = You've got a email
YGPM = You've got a private message!
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary= success of the attempt may vary at your store
YVW = Your very welcome

Store Abbreviations
ALBIES = Albertsons
CVS = Consumer Value Store
KG = Kroger
KM = K-Mart
ST = Super Target
SWM = Super Walmart
SW = Safeway
WAG = Walgreens
WD = Winn Dixie
WM = Walmart
TG = TargetHey

I didnt say it was a short list........

trip to town

I had to run into CVS this evening. We needed things for Bubba and Awols trip tomorrow. I knew I had ECBs (Extra Care Bux) that were fixing to expire so I went in for a few certain items While I didnt get exactly what I wanted, I did get a good deal.

for $3.86 I got
1 double box of Honey Nut Cheerios
1 box of Nature Valley Granola Bars
1 jar of peanut butter

I used 1 coupon for .50 for the granola bars and my ECBs

I got 4 ECBs back.

I've done better, but this was not too bad.

2009 new year and a new outlook

My sister-in-law told me about her blog, so I checked it out, and here I am. I have taken a bite out of the 'blogging world'. Wish me luck.....lol.