A pretty good shopping trip!

It is the day of a major snow fall, not the best time to pick to do my weekly grocery shopping!  ☺

Otherwise, It was a pretty sucessful trip, just a bit crowded.

I brought home $225.00 worth of groceries and spent $90.12!!! After the store loyalty card savings and ecoupons, the total came to $155.12. After paper coupons and rebate checks, I spent $90.12! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. 

Here are a few of the bigger deals that I scored:

*Yakisoba on sale for $0.69, used a $1.00 off coupon and spent $0.36 each. (normally $1.19)

*Pantene on sale for 3 for $10.00. Stacked a $5 maufacturer coupon with a $1.00 store coupon, spending just $1.33 each. (usually $5.29 each) 

*Jenos pizza on clearance for $0.69 each, used a $1.50 e-coupon on 

top of that, spending just $0.44 each. (usually $1.00 each)

*Lara Bars on sale for $0.89 each, used a $1.00 coupon, spending $0.56 a
 piece. (usually $1 or more)
*and the Easter candy and gum were free on my store loyalty card.
 (value $1.60)

Ways I saved money last week:

* I had class all day and was too tired to cook. Family wanted take out. I went to Arby's with a coupon. I bought 4 sandwiches and 3 fries for $9.68. (saved $6.76 with the coupon) They were happy. I got to go home and just sit! ☺
* I went grocery shopping and spent $98, I saved $28 with coupons.
* I had planned to meet a friend for lunch, but she had to cancel. I saved the gas and the money I would've spent on lunch. {eating at home alone, not as fun but much cheaper!}
* all of these were free, with a coupon. Actual value $5.50

*These were free, after a buy 3 get three 3 coupon.

What $35 will buy you

In my previous post, I discussed receiving $35 in checks from the grocery store. This was our quarterly reward for using their credit card. Sweet! This is what clearance sales, e coupons, paper coupons and 5 free checks totaling $35 will buy you! I'm a very happy lady! (the soda was free with an e coupon and both Yakisoba bowls were free after doubling my coupons) I tend to add coupons to my store loyalty card, that I don't normally buy. In this case it paid off {literally} since I found 2 gluten free waffle packages on clearance and I had an ecoupon loaded. Normal value for both boxes was $4, I spent $1.49. I call that a success!

I also had coupons for the Pizza rolls, making 4 of the boxes only $0.59 each, normally priced $2.49! The potatoes were clearance priced at $1.49 and I had a $1 coupon...and so on...

So, in conclusion...I paid nothing for all of this! I really stretched out those rebate checks!!! :-)

Why I have a credit card

I finally gave in and agreed to apply for a Visa credit card...kicking and screaming! Hubby thought the benefits would be great for us. It was a grocery store card and the brochure promised us free groceries. Nearly every time we shopped, the clerk would point out the application. Okay!!! You win. We applied for the card.

The first month we received a discount on gas and some extra store coupons. I was able to stack them with manufacturer coupons. A small savings, true but I felt it was unremarkable. Did we make a mistake? I really felt uncomfortable using the card.

Before applying for the card, we agreed to use it only for gas and groceries and always pay it off before due.

It's been a few months now and I may have changed my point of view. You see, I just opened our quarterly statement and found 5 checks totaling $35!!!!! Oh. My. Gosh. They are paying us $35 to use their card! They also sent more store coupons which I will once again stack with manufacturer coupons. I am going to have so much fun grocery shopping tomorrow! I will stretch that $35 until it screams! I even told hubby that we should use the card for all of our spending to greater impact our point balance.(which amounts to free food!) As long as we don't spend more than we already have budgeted to spend! Of course!

That's free? Yes, I will have it.

My family likes to tease me endlessly. I'm okay with that.
They have many valid reasons, but today I'll tell you about my obsession with *free*.
If I go to the bank, and they have a dish of free lollipops, I take one. I currently have 10 lollipops in my car. I'll eat them eventually. They also give away the local newspaper. That sells for $.75 and I do actually read that one.
I subscribe to blogs, that scour the internet for freebies, and I request them. There's nothing like checking the mail, and finding a sample of shampoo or lotion. It's like Christmas and someone is sending me a gift! Yay! It's a win-win. I gets samples, and the post office makes a small profit. See? I'm helping the economy.
I don't clutter my home with freebies. I don't take random items at people's curbs, marked free. I only take freebies that I know I will use. So, what's the harm really? Honestly, I just think my family likes to tease me for sport. Ha ha.
Have a happy day.

freebies and seedlings

Last week I went to Target and came home with five bottles of body wash. They were $2.99 and I had 5 $3 off coupons. Yep, that's right. I made a profit of $0.05! {well then they added in taxes, but still they were free!} I also scored 2 free hamburgers and 3 free ice cream cones at McDonald's. Yesterday, I got 5 free packages of turkey hot dogs. {getting ready for a kids' birthday party} How? Well my groceries' pharmacy has a promotion that you can get $5 of free groceries after getting 5 punches on my RX punch card. Well, needless to say, it's been a sickly month around here, so I got 5 punches pretty quick. Hopefully, it will take a long while to get to the next 5 punches reward! ☺

This week, I will be setting out some of my seedlings. I'm so excited for spring! I am going to add a little bit more compost today and turn the soil in preparation. I planted most of my seeds in egg cartons. This will make it so easy to transplant. I just tear off one section {they are now weakened by the weeks of watering} and place it in the soil. I will slightly rip the bottom of each cup, to further along the decomposition process.

Free coffee today! And free photo books

Happy Earth Day!

Take your own mug to Starbucks today and receive a free brewed coffee or tea! Whoo!

Also, Hot Prints give you free photo books. You just pay for shipping. The reason they are free is that there is advertising in the middle. It comes right out and doesn't mess up your book!


Hot Prints

Did you get it?

Did you get your free coffee from McDonald's? I just stopped by, while running errands.

Coffee. Yum. Free coffee? Even yummier.