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Back to School is starting!

July 5, 2009 by · 1 Comment

Just like the stores start putting out Christmas stuff earlier and earlier every year………the same is now happening with Back to School deals. This week Walmart is highlighting three items for $0.30. If memory serves, these items were only a nickel or a dime last year, I guess we can blame the economy. I think retailers that used to put out loss leaders-great deals to get you in to the store-are at least trying to recover the cost of the item. I think there will be fewer freebies this BTS season, and those that are free/very cheap will have limits. Still good deals.

CVS this week has a few items-pencils, tape, sharpeners–that are free after ECBs. Good way to roll those ECBs over if you need to.

Filed Under: CVS sales, deals, clearance finds and coupons Tagged With: , , ,

Warehouse Clubs

July 3, 2009 by · 1 Comment

As a general rule, I do not care for those membership warehouse type shopping places. Gee, you mean if I pay you $50, you’ll let me shop there? How thoughtful. Also, you get suckered into buying large quantities and if you don’t use them before they spoil, you throw out any savings. Not to mention the variety packs–if 25% of the packaged items are a flavor you don’t like, again, there goes your savings.

But there are exceptions to every rule. Ounce for ounce, pound for pound, yes, the prices are overall usually better than supermarkets. So you can make it into a good deal, without worrying about trying to recoup your $50. To my knowledge, BJ’s is the only one of these chains that will accept mfr coupons.

If your employer offers you a membership either free or greatly reduced, I’d take it. Also, they often offer free 30 or 60 day trial memberships. I found an offer for BJ’s inside of a Good Housekeeping. It was for a free 60 day membership and I had to redeem it by Monday. I went down and redeemed it today. FWIW, I prefer going down to the New Castle location, easier for me to get to than Newark.

I got a few items and told myself I wouldn’t spend more than $100. I spent $109, not bad. Got two cans of Enfamil–overall formula is much cheaper there. Some other things I got were just things I often can’t find super deals on–applesauce, trash bags, nutri grain bars. A case of Guiness Stout was $24 but I had to pay the bottle deposit (doh! Delaware!) and I got two bottles of wine. Overall I thought their beer & wine selection was terrible. But it was cheaper (than PA)and no sales tax. I do better at Hockessin Liquors on Route 41.

I wrote down their prices for baby food and a few other things, to see if I can do better at Acme or Superfresh. I also wanted to price the size 7 Pampers, because I’m soon going to need those and they are extremely hard to find in regular stores.

Until Monday, BJ’s is running a special–$45 for two memberships, 15 months long. You’ll get $10 back towards your first purchase and an $800 coupon booklet.

Filed Under: Grocery Store ads, deals, matchups, coupons and clearance finds, National Chains and Big Box stores Tagged With: , , ,

Building a stockpile

July 2, 2009 by · 5 Comments

I’ve debated about whether or not to actually publish this post and I will probably pull it down in a few days. I’m not entirely comfortable having it up. But…so often lately I’ve heard “it’s just not worth it” in regards to couponing. So naysayers………this is for you.

Let me preface these photos with building a stockpile takes time. It took me several months to get this to where it is, but now maintaining it is pretty easy. Hotcouponworld has great information on getting started.

First, you have to have access to multiple coupons (preferably free, I would never pay for coupons). Then you just start with one item. If there’s a deal on cereal that we like, I max out on it. I have stockpile prices in my head when I shop.
For instance, $0.50 or less per box, I max out on it, buy as many boxes as I have coupons for or have storage space for.
$0.75-$1.00, I get a few if we need it and it’s a brand we like.
Any more than $1 per box, I only purchase if we absolutely need it, and only buy enough for a week or two and wait for another deal.
I have prices like that in my head for just about every commodity. It is fun and frustrating at the same time. I had dozens of boxes of Green Giant frozen veggies, because they were only $0.25 a box. Now I’m down to about 6 boxes and have not found a deal on them in almost a year. They’re our favorite brand, and I just can’t bring myself to pay $2 a box because *I know* that I can get them for a quarter. So you sort of get spoiled.

But once I’ve maxed out on a good deal, I have time to sit around & wait for another good deal on that commodity.

After that, you just stockpile items as they become available to you, and other items, only buy what you need to get by for a week or two and wait for a deal. It takes time and it takes patience. But once you have a stockpile you can start living off of, that is when you really start to see savings in your grocery bill. At this point, the only thing we really ever pay for full price is produce, milk, eggs, lunch meat, seafood. Pretty much every other item is stockpiled in our house.

Bottom of my pantry. Pepsi products were $1 per 12 pack. Oil was about $0.85 (just got that last week). Tin of EVOO was $10. Everything else-V8, granola bars, Pam, Cheerios, pedialyte, juice….all free.

Our pantry is about 3 feet deep. It used to be a coat closet, but when we remodeled we changed the floor plan a bit, and since this particular closet was right next to the kitchen, we made it into a storage pantry. Plus, my kitchen cabinets are usually busting at the seams, I needed the space!
Let’s see, looking at that assortment of stuff….Ragu was all free, so was the mustard, tuna, pasta. Tea was $0.20 a box, tea mix was free. Barbecue sauces and marinades were all free.

Bottom of linen closet. Bin on left-full of razors and blades. Middle bin-full of batteries. Bin on right-full of toothbrushes. Bag-full of razors. Yep, all free.


My laundry detergent collection. Yep, all free. Gain was $1 or $2 a box. Bounce was $0.50–just got that yesterday.


Side view of basement stockpile. Blue bin is dog food. Yeah, we pay for that, haven’t figured out how to get it for free yet. Though I do use coupons and do rebates. Everything else pictured was free or close to it. Mac & cheese was $0.08 a box I think. Capri Suns were about the same, $0.08 a box.


Storage units in basement. Front view of previous picture. Looking at that assortment of stuff, I know I paid $0.14 for the tubs of wipes, about $2-3 for the Bounty (all total, not each), $3 per can of formula, and I can honestly say the rest of it was free. All coupons and rewards program stuff.

Another storage shelf in basement. All of that stuff on there–didn’t pay for any of it. Seriously. Not pictured: you can’t see inside my white chest freezer that’s right there, but it’s packed, all with free or almost free stuff. All was purchased with coupons and rewards earned at stores.


This is my size 3 stash for Brian. Not pictured: all the size 6s I have stashed for Kevin, and all the 4s for Brian. I haven’t paid for diapers in 2 years, and have never paid for any diapers for Brian. That’s my goal–to not pay for his, ever
!

Lots not pictured, I mean, I don’t want you all to think I’m nuts. But it’s probably too late for that anyway. Our bathroom vanities have tons of stuff in them, so does baby changing table, kitchen cabinets, refrigerator & freezer.

Filed Under: Giant Food Stores Deals and Coupons Tagged With: , , ,

First of the month–and a deal on s’mores.

July 1, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

Today is the first of the month, so make sure you hit all the printable websites and get the new coupons.

Acme has a deal on the ingredients for s’mores, tomorrow is last day. The display is right near their seasonal merchandise, across from Courtesy Desk (at the Avondale store). If you get the crackers, the Hershey bars and the marshmallows, it will cost you $6.50. But they have instant savings at the register, when you scan your card, it will take off $3. Laying right there on the display is a tearpad of coupons for $1 off when you buy all 3 items. So after all that, you’re down to $2.50.

And guess what–there was an insert coupon a few weeks ago for $1 off when you buy two packages of Hershey bars. I used that one as well and it went through without a beep. So I paid $4 for two boxes of graham crackers, two packs of Hershey bars and two bags of marshmallows. Great deal and perfect to take along to a holiday gathering you go to. There were still plenty of tearpad coupons when I was there this afternoon, same coupon is also in the May 17 Smartsource insert.

Filed Under: Grocery Store ads, deals, matchups, coupons and clearance finds, National Chains and Big Box stores Tagged With: , , ,
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