83% saved at Safeway today

So I think I am getting a little better st this couponing thing.  I only started seriously using coupons at the beginning of this month, so I am still a newbie- and hope to do better each time.  Today I followed this deal from the Coupon Posse .  Now, I didn't have every coupon she had, and I did buy 3 more cans of soup than she did- so I ended up paying $9.92 out of pocket and saving $50.17.  AND I got $3 back in catalinas- so it was like paying $6.92  for $60.09 in food. My favorite part, is that both the cashier and the lady behind me were amazed and congratulated me :)  And since it is a cold rainy day here, I think we will enjoy the Tomato Bisque and some biscuits for dinner.

Saved 70% at Safeway

I decided to do a very late night run to Safeway, so I could go all alone (no kids) and really look at prices and see what kind of deals I could put together on my own.  I did take a list from some of the blogs I follow, so I had a starting point.  As it turned out though, so of the best deals I had printed out, were not the same at my store, so I was happy to have the time to make some of my own.  This isn't my 'best' shopping trip, but I still think it is a good one.  Here is what I got :

 

All this would have cost  $87.78, but I got out of the store with paying $27.96 out of pocket.  A 70% savings.  The best deal I did was the Mac and Cheese/ CapriSun- and I didn't have to bring any coupons with me for it

Buy 5 participating products get $5 off, so I bought 5 5packs of Mac and Cheese

Eash pack of mac and cheese had a peelie coupon for a free box of CapriSun, no this ended up to be a money maker because the regular price for the CapriSun was $2.49 so that what the couons took off my bill, but when you buy 4 CapriSun you get $5 off so, I ended up MAKING $1 on each box- LOVE it!

Also, the Sweet Moments had an unexpected blinkie so with my coupons both in hand and on my Safeway card, I ended up get 1 free and MAKING $1 on the other!

oh, and the eggs were marked 50% off, another unexpected deal.  All and all, not a bad trip to the store - plus I got some 'alone' time :)

Watch your mail box for a Winco ad

I know some areas have already gotten theirs, but our Winco ad just came yesterday- maybe yours did too.  Now we don't normally shop at Winco (I haven't been in years).  but a new one opened up in Sumner on my husband's way home from work.  So he too the ad and on his way home picked up the featured items from the ad.  I wish I had taken a picture of it for you all, but I forgot.  Anyways, it was a simple one page ad, with FREE coupons!  So hubs went to the store and cashed them all in- he got:

1 gallon of milk
64 oz of Apple juice
1 box of Honey nut Cheerios
1 loaf of bread
 Total = FREE

worth a look in your mail box and a 5 min stop I would say.

Alberstons 9/13 part 2

So the hubs and I decided to try out a different Albies tonight.  It was a completely different layout than the one I normally go to, so it took a little longer, but I would say it was worth the trip.  This was hubby's 1st time shopping with me since I started super couponing a few weeks ago. I think he was impressed.  In 2 transactions, we were able to buy $31.52 worth of groceries and come out 1 cent ahead!  We paid $4.99 out of pocket and came away with $5 in catalinas to use in our next shopping trip.  Here is a look at what we got-

(my middle son really wanted to be in the picture)

I can't wait for the end of the month to see how much we saved overall- and maybe- just maybe, be able to live within our means this month (which would be a 1st since hubs lost his better job over a year ago).

Albertsons Savings for 9/13... so far

I went to Albertsons today and saved a ton.  This should have cost me $78.41 and I only spent essentially $12.05!  Now my out of pocket was $22.05, but I got 5 in Catalinas, $2 off my next cereal purchase and a free 12 pack of soda (up to $3).  All and all I think it was a good run.  Plus, thanks to the newspaper fairy, I have 3 more sets of doublers I can use tonight or tomorrow!

The 100% off sale.

When my husband and I were dating and in our early marriage (6.5 years ago).  I was the spender and he was the saver.  I was used to being single and broke, and to me -10 was the same  as 0, so why not buy that thing I wanted.  I was working in the fashion industry and everyone around me had the latest trends.  So being a single mom, I certainly used 'retail therapy' as a pick me up.  When I got married, I loved to show my new hubby my new clothes- and he would always ask how much it cost, to which I cheerfully declared- "it was on SALE!".  That is untul he asked me if I heard of the 100% off sale...  you know, when you don't buy that think you want but don't need.  That used to dive me crazy.

Not anymore.  I love the 100% off sale, I love saving my money and  being more creative with what I have.  Today I have 2 examples of that to save you some more and use your creativity.

This morning I ran out of both face wash and eye makeup remover.  Now I am going to the store today, and I am sure I could have found some coupons for the face wash, but it would it have cost me like $4 and it didn't solve my need for it now.  So I made my own.

I normally buy an exfoliating wash, so I headed down to the kitchen and  whipped this up.
 Face wash-
2 tablespoons of sugar, 1-2 drops of peppermint extract (to smell nice and wake me up)  and enough olive oil to make it moist but not drippy.  I put it in a tiny plastic container and headed up to shower- it worked great!  just enough scrub to exfoliate and oil to make my face feel soft. 

As for the eye makeup remover- I normally buy the Target brand and it is like $4-5 as well and never has coupons- and I needed some now...  I just happened to read in a Womens Day Magazine yesterday that you can use Vaseline.  So I went and raided my toddler's room, tried it and it worked!  Not only that, but it worked better than the eye makeup remover, I used less product and it was really gentle, even with removing waterproof mascara.

So there you have it- 2 items most all women need, with out having to buy anything.  Gotta love the 100% off sale.

I LOVE saving!

Just a quick post before I head out to an early birthday dinner :) 

I went to Albertsons today and  scored groceries for $19.70, saved $50.32 and came home with $6 in catalinas!  I am doing the happy dance!

It pays to ask....

You have probably been there, you go to the store to buy something advertised on sale, only to find they are sold out when you get there.  This happened to me today, and I was soo bummed.  Normally I would leave it at that, probably buy something else I hadn't intended to and gone home.  But not today, after waking up early and trying 2 stores, I just didn't want to believe that is awesome deal had escaped me.  Thanks to Frugal Chic Living I had gone to Fred Meyer to get DC action figures for $.75 each, normally $12.99!  Of course they had only stocked like 12 of them and some guy came in when the doors opened and bought them all.  Bu then I noticed that there were similar figures that weren't on the sale and I thought... why not ask if they will substitute?  So I went and picked up an ad at the counter to check, and sure enough it doesn't say "limited to stock on hand" or "no rainchecks"  so I asked and since I pointed out the lack of fine print, I was granted my substitution!  I later heard that another store plastered signs in the tuy department that there was an error in the ad and that it was a limited sale- lucky for me, they had not posted such signs in my store.  So now, I will have 2 very happy boys next month on their birthdays.  Since the item I used as a substitute were dual backs, both boys will be getting 6 action figures.  Cost $4.5, Total saved buy asking $43.44!!  Lesson learned, look for fine print and don't be afraid to ask.