Guess It Is Cold Season...

I didn't use much for coupons this past week, because I was sick and wasn't up for planning a shopping trip. Thankfully, I am stocked on tissues, tea, vitamin C, cough drops and cold medicine, so I didn't need to purchase anything related to my cold.


We just picked up a few things to get us through the week:
5 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
5 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. breakfast sausage
5 lbs. McIntosh Apples (my very favorite apples at $.99 lb - we try to buy fruit in season, because it is cheaper and delicious!)
1/2 lb. mushrooms
16 oz. sour cream
1 can refried beans
1 pack Annie's mac and cheese (used a coupon on this!)
1 large bag animal crackers (my boys love these crackers)

Purchased for the Operation Christmas Child boxes:
2 recorders
1 yo-yo
1 toy dinosaur
1 bouncy ball
1 jump rope

Total for everything, including tax, was $50.08. I am always amazed at how LITTLE can be purchased with $50 if you don't use coupons! I am happy about the meat and fruit purchased this week, though, and I did still manage to only spend my $50 budget. Having a stockpile means I can take a week off from couponing and still feed my family without spending too much. :)

A Cup of Cold Water

We have been so blessed this year and it is important to give back to those in need. Operation Christmas Child is a great opportunity to share with needy children all over the world and let them know they are loved. I have always wanted to be a part of Operation Christmas Child, so (when I started using coupons) one of my goals was to be able to put together a couple boxes myself and have supplies to offer to others for their boxes. Every time I bought another tube of toothpaste and another toothbrush, I was getting one step closer to that goal.

So, the time of year had finally arrived and we started hunting around the house for shoe boxes to fill with goodies! After finding our boxes, we sat down and watched the video on Operation Christmas Child and got to see some other boxes from last year being delivered. My 4 ½ yr. old was so excited and wanted to put together a box for a boy his age and one for a boy “just like brother” (2 yrs. old). I can not express how wonderful it was to be able to take my little boy “shopping” in our garage to fill up the shoe boxes! He kept pulling things of the shelves and saying “he will like this, Mommy” and “I want to give him a red toothbrush, okay?” We did take a trip to the store to pick up a couple things we didn’t have yet (the yo-yo, recorders, jump rope and toy dinosaur), but everything else came out the stockpile we had been building since I started using coupons. Seeing my son’s generous heart as he gathered gifts for “his friends”, I was (and still am) so thankful for the special moments we have together and the way that couponing has changed our lives. Using coupons has allowed me to take care of my family, as well as give to others. So, if anyone ever asks, this is why I purchased over thirty tubes of toothpaste this year! These things are the “cup of cold water” I have to offer in the name of my Savior (Matthew 10:42).

Box for a 2-4 yr. old boy (in upper left):

1 toothbrush

1 tube toothpaste

1 stuffed animal

1 blanket

1 recorder

2 coloring books (Noah’s Ark and dinosaurs)

1 pack washable markers

1 pack crayons

2 pencils

1 mild bar soap

3 different candies

1 scotch tape

3 balls (one lights up and bounces!)

1 toy dinosaur

Box for a 5-9 yr. old boy (in upper middle):

1 Noah’s Ark activity book

1 (24 ct.) pack colored pencils

2 regular pencils

2 glue sticks

1 kid’s scissors

1 scotch tape

1 jump rope

1 recorder

1 coloring poster

1 pack crayons

1 yo-yo

1 pack floss

1 toothbrush

1 tube toothpaste

1 bar mild soap

3 packs gum

Plus more to donate:

27 toothbrushes

34 tubes toothpaste (8 regular size, 26 trial size)

31 packs floss

14 bars mild soap

5 (24 ct.) packs crayons

4 (10 ct.) packs pens

4 packs gum

(Large box in bottom left of picture is going to a family in our church who is putting together boxes and is in need of these items to complete their boxes. All other supplies will be put on a table at our church for others to use when filling their gift boxes.)

If you add up the overage I received from the floss and some of the toothpastes, everything being donated was free - I didn't pay anything. This is not a brag, all glory goes to the Lord Jesus for showing me a way to give to His children. I am sharing this simply to encourage others that it is possible, even on a very limited income, to bless others this Christmas season.

88% Saved... Only $40 for the Week!

This week went well and I was able to purchase a lot of things we were in immediate need of (milk, butter, parmesan cheese and trash bags). You know I am always excited about free organic produce, so I am just holding on to all my Recycle Bank points to use towards those carrots every couple weeks – I hope the coupon stays up for a while! The parmesan cheese was also a great deal this week at Publix. I paid $.80 for all four containers! Yes, I purchased more floss than my family could use in a very, very long time, but it is not for my family. All the floss and the toothbrushes are going to be donated to Operation Christmas Child, along with several other things I have purchased throughout the year.

Total purchase value: $343.27

Total paid, including tax: $40.01 (mail in rebate not factored in – total is what actually came out of my bank account this week)

Here is what I purchased:

4 bakery pastries (not pictured)

4 bags organic carrots

8 bags Whiskas cat food

4 Skippy peanut butter

7 La Crème yogurt packs (2 packs already eaten – these are so yummy!)

12 Welch’s 100% juice (several different kinds)

8 V8 Fusion juice

2 (45 count) boxes kitchen trash bags

2 Softsoap body wash (smells wonderful!)

6 Mr. Clean multi surface cleaners (after sale and coupons I only paid $2.19 for all 6)

6 Resolve laundry stain removers (4 bottles and 2 sticks)

2 half gallons Smart Balance milk

4 containers parmesan cheese

1 box puppy train pads (we are hopefully getting a new puppy for Christmas, so these will come in handy - plus there was a coupon and a mail in rebate to try them free!)

2 John Frieda hair products

6 Sominex (found someone who uses these and gave them all the boxes I have purchased over the past few weeks – they were thrilled)

1 lb. butter

3 pack Dial bar soap

32 packs Reach floss (NO shelf clearing – Walmart was stocked!)

8 travel size body wash

4 packs UP2U gum (also going to Operation Christmas Child)

4 Reach toothbrushes

1 (18 ct.) eggs

2 packs Johnsonville Italian sausage

The Letter "S" - Shopping with Children

It can be challenging shopping with little kids (mine are 4 and 2), but it can also be a great learning experience if you know how to include them. For example, as we went through the store this week, we tried to spot the letter “S” and (as we put the sausage and soup in the cart) we talked about how they both start with the letter “S”. By the time we left the store, my four year old was thinking up words that ended in “S”, too! Like the birds (“bird, bird” my two year old yelled out) that were flying around the parking lot. Make your kids a part of the shopping trip. Have them count out the number of items you need to purchase. Let them pick out the varieties/flavors they would like.

Yes, it would probably be easier to run, quick through the store by yourself (and hand the coupons over to the cashier yourself), but then again… it isn’t just about the savings. It’s about passing the gift of couponing down to your children. Teaching them how to be good stewards of what the Lord blesses them with and about including them in all the wonderful things we learn along the way.

"S" is for savings and stewardship, too! :) What a great letter!

Meats, veggies, fruits, milk, olive oil and more!

This is one of those weeks when I am just simply amazed at the savings possible with coupons! You really can save hundreds of dollars and still make sure that your family has plenty of healthy food to eat. My two favorite purchases for this week would have to be the dog food for $.99 a bag and the all natural breakfast sausages for just $.50 each (regularly priced at $3.49 each)! Oh, yeah, and the olive oil for under $.10 per oz!

As you can see, I also bought a lot of baking supplies. My 4 year old is learning the alphabet and we were working on the letter “S”. I was trying to think of fun ways to reinforce what we are learning… then I thought of the delicious Italian “S” cookies we usually make at Christmas time. So, of course, we made cookies and I am pretty sure my little one will never forget the letter “S” and how yummy it can be!

My total for everything this week would have been over $350…

But I only spent $52.78, including tax!

6 (3oz) bags Whiskas cat food (rain check used - free cat food!)

12 (3.6-4oz) bags Kibbles’n Bits dog food (no shelf clearing – my store was STOCKED!)

18 cans Select Harvest soup (sure have bought a lot of these soups)

2 (32oz) bottles olive oil

1 gallon milk

1 (5lb) bag unbleached flour

4 boxes Lipton tea

5 lbs. apples

2 lbs. bananas

2 heads of broccoli

6 shaving cream

1 (12 pk.) AA batteries

6 Sominex sleep aid (moneymaker at Publix – product will be donated)

1 razor (one refill blade included)

4 Cover Girl blush (needed to quality for the $10 mail in rebate)

1 Hall’s cough drops

1 Crest Complete toothpaste, trial size

1 Old Spice body wash, trial size

2 Biore facial cleansers (love these and just ran out of my last one two days ago)

5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 (24oz) pork roasts

10 (8oz) packages Al Fresco breakfast sausage (so happy!)

1 bag confectioners sugar

1 (4 pk.) La Crème yogurt (wish the store had more of the coupons – they were all out)

1 box baking soda

1 (2oz) bottle pure anise extract

2 packages Oreo cookies

1 box purAbsorb iron supplement (my iron levels are always low, so this was an exciting deal for me at CVS this week)

$1.00 Al Fresco Coupon

Sign up for the Al Fresco e-newsletter and receive a $1.00/1 coupon: Al Fresco sign-up and coupon

I’m always excited when a coupon comes out on something all natural… especially when it is a product I know is really yummy! These sausages are a great alternative to the high fat, high sodium ones we are all familiar with enjoying. I first tried these sausages at my grandma’s house a couple months ago and thought they were delicious, but they were also out of my price range for what I would like to spend on a breakfast sausage. Even still, when I saw they were on sale at my local Publix a couple weeks ago, I thought I might buy a couple packs (without coupons - gasp!). Fortunately for me, they were all sold out and so I got a rain check. Now there are coupons for the sausage and I will be able to purchase them at just $.50 a pack with my rain check! So excited! Hope you can find a great deal, too.

P.S. This is just one of those times when a rain check ends up being a blessing in disguise.

88% Saved (gr. beef, soup, hot dogs, cheese)

I didn’t spend the $40 that I had planned, but this week was still really a success from my perspective. I saved more than 88%! There were so many exciting purchases this week: the soups for less than $.25 each (new coupon made them even cheaper than previous purchased), mozzarella cheese for $1.50 a pound (can anyone say homemade pizza!), good hot dogs for $1.69 per pkg., the moneymaker on the toothpaste and Cover Girl products that will get me a $10 rebate and $40 worth of bakeware!

Total value: $496.94 (the $40 worth of bakeware is not included in total value)

Total out of pocket, including tax: $55.15 ($10 rebate was not factored in to total out of pocket - total is what actually came out of my bank account this week. I haven't done a lot of rebates yet, but my plan is to use them like coupons when I get them to lower my out of pocket that week).

Not pictured, but included in total value and total out of pocket:

6 pkg. (24 oz. each) Banquet frozen chicken

5 lbs. ground beef

2 cans kidney beans

12 oz can tomato paste

8 pkg. hamburger buns

In picture:

4 Puffs with Vicks tissues

2 Scrubbling Bubbles toilet bowl cleaners

16 cans Campbell’s soups (some already put away, so not in picture)

1 pkg. Huggies diapers

2 soy sauce

8 Lipton tea (my husband drinks tea every night and we were almost out!)

6 bags cat treats

1 Schick razor

1 Clorox 2 stain remover (finally, a good price on stain remover after coupon)

1 kid’s cold and cough tea (so glad I bought this - my boys are now sick and love this tea)

2 salad dressings

2 Eight O’clock coffee

8 candles (one already in use, so not in picture)

8 (2 ct) pkg. fruit cups (no corn syrup… real sugar used!)

1 Christmas bear soap dispenser (on clearance for $.25)

4 Mueller’s pasta

12 Nathan’s Beef Franks (favorite kind of hot dog - so yummy!)

4 (1 lb.) pkg. mozzarella cheese

12 oz heavy cream

½ lb. mushrooms

18 ct. eggs

1 head romaine lettuce

1 ground cumin (can to tell from reading my shopping list that I made chili this week?)

1 Bengay

1 Visine

18 Crest Complete toothpaste, trial size (purchased on several different shopping trips)

12 Vicks drops (also great for this cold we are dealing with)

4 (2 ct.) pkg. kitchen sponges

1 pkg. coffee filters

20 Cover Girl face products (purchased at 3 different stores – NO shelf clearing. Working towards 2 rebates offered by Procter and Gamble: a $10 mail in rebate and a free bakeware set! Already purchased everything to be eligible for the bakeware, but have to purchase $5 more in select P&G products to submit for the $10 rebate.)

$10 Procter and Gamble Rebate

Procter and Gamble has just put out a $10 rebate offer when you purchase $50 worth of select products. This is so exciting to me, because there was a high-value CoverGirl coupon in this weeks PG insert. Here is how I am going to use my coupons and the rebate to make $10!


First shopping trip:
Buy 8 CoverGirl blush @ Walmart (priced at less than $4 each)
Use 4 $8/2 CoverGirl face products
Final Price: Free + possible overage

Second shopping trip:
Buy 6 to 8 CoverGirl blush @ Walmart (priced at less than $4 each)
Use 3 to 4 $8/2 CoverGirl face products (depending on how many items you purchase)
Final Price: Free + possible overage

Submit $10 mail in rebate form

Note: these purchases must be done in more than one shopping trip because of the restriction on the coupons: "Limit of 4 like coupons in same shopping trip". I am not sure if you will need to purchase a total of 14 or 16 of these items to reach the $50 worth of product for the rebate, so make sure you do the math. Either way, you don't pay anything out of pocket and you will be able to submit for a $10 rebate! Plus, I was just about to run out of blush!

P.S.
I just noticed that the purchases need to be made between 9/1/11 and 10/31/11, so some of you may already have purchased qualifying items over the past month. Check your receipts!
Happy couponing,
Krazy Koupon Gal

$370.30 worth for $68.86 (meat, veggies, fruit, milk)!

Okay, so this week I purchased meats, vegetables and fruits… and other things, too. I didn’t get a picture of my first shopping trip for the week (the one that included all the meats, vegetables and fruit), so here is what is NOT in the picture:

11 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 lb. sausage

12 oz. bacon

1 lb. ham, sliced

1 lb. frozen peas

4 lbs. onions

½ lbs. mushrooms

1 head broccoli

3 lbs. bananas

5 lbs. apples

4 mangos

26 oz. iodized sea salt

16 oz. refried beans

15 oz. bread crumbs

8 oz. can mushrooms

1 loaf bread

1 gallon milk

And here is what is in the picture:

28 cans Select Harvest soup (several different varieties – NO self clearing)

23 boxes General Mills cereal (Total, Oatmeal Crisp and several different kinds of Fiber One – once again, NO shelf clearing. My store was very well stocked on the cereal and I only bought 4-5 boxes of each kind.)

2 boxes Snack Well bars

2 packages Eight O’Clock coffee

4 packages frozen, breaded chicken

2 packages blueberry waffles

Most exciting purchase for this week was the soups, my 4 year old loves the Italian Wedding soup variety that has the meatballs and spinach. He doesn't know that it is spinach. Shhhhhhhhhh. :)

My total for all purchases this week (including everything that is not in the picture, too) came to $68.86. Saved a little more than 81%! I spent a little more than my budget target of $50 per week, but some weeks I have managed to keep my spending at less than $40 - so I think it will average out okay. I would like to only spend $40 next week. Let's see how I do!