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September 30, 2009

Publix Take

In addition to my trip to Kroger on Monday, I also visited Publix. I love going to Publix, especially on Sunday or Monday. Publix has a weekly mystery coupon that is good on Sunday and Monday. You never know what the mystery product is until you arrive at the store, but the product will be only $0.01 when you purchase at least $10.00 worth of groceries.

Smart Balance butter sticks were on sale for 2 for $3.49, which made each pack $1.74. I had a coupon to save $1.50 off any purchase of butter sticks. The coupon lowered the price of the Smart Balance butter sticks to $0.24 each.

Johnson and Johnson First Aid Travel Kits were $1.47. I had a coupon to save $3.00 when you buy 2 J & J First Aid products. The coupon lowered the price of these two first aid kits to FREE.

Bird's Eye Steamfresh Vegetables were on sale for $0.89 each. I had 6 coupons to save $0.50 on each pack of vegetables. The coupon lowered the price to -$0.11. What this means is that the coupon reduced my overall costs by $0.11 for each bag of vegetables I bought. Publix PAID ME to take those vegetables home. Situations like this are termed "Better than FREE!"

Cocoa Puff Cereal was on sale for $1.99 a box. I had 2 coupons for $1.00 off Cocoa Puffs Cereal. The coupons reduced the price to $0.99 a box.

There were other purchases, but these are the big savings.

My Receipt


Store Coupons = $9.32
Vendor Coupons = $25.00
Advertised Savings = $27.35
Advantage Buy Savings = $0.64

Total Savings = $62.31

What I paid = $18.05

Pilssbury Crescent Rolls

Pillsbury has an online coupon that will let you save $1.00 on ONE can of Crescent Rolls.

Click HERE to get your coupons. There is a limit of 2 coupons per computer.

Kroger Take

I had so much fun shopping at Kroger Monday. I bought several items that I might not normally purchase because the sales combined with my coupons made the prices just too good to pass up.

Smucker's Grape Jelly (largest) was on sale 2 / $3.00. I had 8 coupons for $0.25 off any Smucker's jelly. The coupon doubled to give me $0.50 off each jar of jelly. The sale combined with the coupon lowered the price of the jelly to $1.00 per jar.

Totino's Pizza Rolls (15 ct) were on sale for $0.99 a box. I had 1 electronic coupon for $0.55 off any size Pizza Rolls. I had 11 coupons for $0.35 off any size Pizza Rolls. The paper coupon doubled to give me $0.70 off each box. The sale combined with the electronic coupon AND the paper coupons lowered the price of the Pizza Rolls to $0.24 per box.

Entemann's Little Bites (5 ct) were on sale for $1.99 a box. I had 2 coupons for $0.99 off any Entemann's product. The sale combined with the coupon lowered the price of the Little Bites to $0.99 a box. (These are usually $2.50 a box or more.)

Bumble Bee Tune packets were only $0.99 each. I had 14 coupons for $0.55 off each pack of tuna. The coupons lowered the price of the tuna to $0.45 each.

I bought two Juicy Juice (one Immunity and one Brain Booster) because the company to receive one of each of these products for free. The price of the juice was $2.86 before the coupons. I received these coupons through Cafe Mom as a member of their opinions panel.

Delmonti Light fruit was on sale as a closeout special for $0.80 a can. I bought 5 cans of fruit and used a coupong to get $1.00 off 5. The coupon lowered the price to $0.60 per can.

My favorite savings for this trip, though, was the Campbell's Tomato Soup. The soup was on sale for 2/$1.00. I had 5 coupons to receive $0.25 off the purchase of 2 cans of soup. The coupon doubled to give me $0.50 off 2 cans of soup. I bought 10 cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup for $0.25 per can. If you use these soups very often then you know just how great that price is. (I have 2 coupons to get $1.00 off Campbell's Soup. I plan to visit Kroger again today to take advantage of their soup sale using those two coupons.)

There were other purchases, but these are the big savings.

My Receipt


Manufacturer's Coupons = $31.42
Bonus Coupon Savings (doubled coupons) = 10.65
Store Coupons and Kroger Plus Savings (electronic Qs and store specials) = $32.81

Total Savings = $74.88

What I paid = $53.77

September 29, 2009

Create Your Coupon Notebook

Once you get all your supplies together to create your notebook, you can start preparing your system of organization to make your coupon experience more profitable.

The first thing you need to do is set up your categories. There are two main categories followed by multiple subcategories.

NOTE: My notebook is organized based on the layout of the grocery store that I visit most often. I recommend that you create your notebook to follow the flow of your favorite store so that it is easier to locate your coupons when you are shopping. Most stores have a floor map available, or you can write out a list of the departments in the order that you visit them. The subcategories below are listed in the order that they are found in my notebook.

**The categories that I use work for me and my family. If you don't have pets or a baby in the house, you will not need those categories. Make any necessary adjustments to suit the needs of your family.**

***The number [-] listed by each category indicates the number of insert pages that I have in that category.***

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Main Category: FOOD

Subcategories:

Produce [1]
(anything that is found in the fresh fruits and vegetables area)
Cereal [2]
(oatmeal, granola bars, cereals - anything on the breakfast aisle)
Fruit [1]
(canned fruit, apple sauce, fruit bowls)
Soup [2]
(soups, broths, etc)
Spices [2]
(sugar, flour, spices)
Condiments [3]
(jelly, syrup, dressings, marinades, spaghetti sauces, steak sauces, etc)
Dessert [3]
(cake mixes, frosting, brownie mixes, cookie mixes, ice cream, pies, etc)
Bread Mix [1]
(Bisquik, pancake mix, muffin mix, cornbread mix, etc)
Pasta [2]
(rices, pastas, Hamburger Helper, etc)
Vegetables [2]
(canned vegetables, boxed potatoes, etc.)
Candy [1]
(chocolate, gum, bagged candy)
Snacks [4]
(chips, crackers, cookies, pickles, popcorn, peanuts, etc.)
Frozen [3]
(pizzas, vegetables, dinners, convenience foods, etc.)
Canned Bread [3]
(Pillsbury biscuits, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, etc.)
Dairy [3]
(butter, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
Meat [2]
(canned tuna, frozen fish, fresh meat, hot dogs, bacon, etc.)
Drinks [1]
(sodas, juices, water, etc.)
**I put milk in dairy, but that could be in drinks.**
Miscellaneous [1]
(vinegar, oil, everything else)

Main Category: NON FOOD

Subcategories:

Medicine [3]
(First Aid, medications, etc.)
Dental and Vision [2]
(contact solutions, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.)
Soap and Lotion [2]
(bar soap, shampoo, lotions)
Shaving and Deodorant [2]
(razors, deaodorants, shaving cream)
Pets [2]
(food, treats, cleaners, litter, etc.)
Paper [2]
(tissue, paper towels, feminine needs, etc.)
Baby [2]
(food, diapers, etc.)
Cleaning [3]
(laundry, dishes, cleaners, etc.)
Storage [1]
(foil, plastic wrap, storage bags, trash bags, etc.)
Makeup [1]
(makeup, beauty products, etc.)
Other [3]
(batteries, candles, air fresheners, everything else)

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I also have a section where I put my receipts and a section where I store restaurant coupons. Both of these are placed at the very back of my notebook. There is a piece of card stock placed in a paper protector for each one.

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Here are the steps to creating your notebook.

1) Write the name of each category on a piece of card stock paper. (I also used a corner punch decorator tool to make my card stock a bit prettier. This is not necessary, though.)

2) Insert each piece of card stock into a paper protector.

3) Attach a label holder to each paper protector. Be sure to stagger the label holders so you categories will be easily visible.

4) Write the category on a label insert. Be sure to write the category on BOTH sides of the paper label insert. (Trust me on this one....I learned the hard way.)

5) After your categories are set up, put them in your notebook. Include the appropriate number of inserts within each category.

6) Start filling your notebook with coupons.

September 19, 2009

What You Need

In order to really make your coupon experience useful, you need to have a system of organizing those coupons so that you can quickly and easily find them in the stores. I am going to teach you how to create a system that will be completely effective for making your shopping experience using coupons as easy as possible.

Here is a list of the items that you will need in order to create your coupon organizing system.

1) You need a good quality paper cutter. I have a Fiskers paper cutter that I got at Walmart. It's relatively small and was relatively inexpensive. You need scissors for some of the coupons, but mostly it is better to use that paper cutter because you can cut more at one time. It's much faster.

2) 80 - photo insert pages for a 3-ring binder album. You can get these at Wal-Mart in the office supply section. You want the least expensive type. It will have 3 photo pockets with a piece of paper on the inside of the pocket so you can put one photo on one side and another photo on the other side. You will probably have to make more than one trip to get as many as you need. Yes - you really need 80 or more. I currently have 64 pages in mine and will be buying more this week because I've determined that I need to break down my "cleaning" category into areas of the house.

3) 40 - 8X10 sheet protectors.

4) 1 pack of the sticky tabs that can be attached to the sheet protectors to make them like file dividers. You can get this in the office supplies section. They have those tiny bits of paper that you write on. I hope you know what I'm talking about because I'm not sure what they are called. They're with the labels and stuff.

5) Cardstock - You will need enough cardstock to fill those 40 sheet protectors. You can get whatever color you want. I have mine color coordinated - sort of. There are 2 main categories - Food and NonFood. All my "Food" subcategories have purple cardstock. The NonFood categories have pink and blue. Really, this one is up to you. I also used a corner punch tool to make the edges of my cardstock decorative. It takes more time, but it makes me smile a bit because it's prettier than the standard corners.

My next post will explain how to create the Coupon Book.

September 17, 2009

Mom Sells Coupons

If you want to purchase coupons that have already been clipped, please send an email to aandsparenting@gmail.com or leave a comment here with contact information. I will respond with specific payment information.

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Each packet of coupons contains 100 Grocery coupons and 50 Cleaning and Household coupons. These coupons come from recent newspapers, websites, and other various locations.

The expiration dates will be at least 2 weeks past the shipment date.

The price is $3.00 per set, plus $1.00 for shipping expenses. Coupons will be shipped after payment has been received.

The total cost is $3.00 for 150 clipped coupons - payable by PayPal.

Your coupon packet will not have duplicate coupons, unless requested.

If you have a specific product that you would like to have coupons for, I will attempt to accommodate any requests. I will not include Baby or Pet coupons unless requested.

Please be advised:
You are not paying for the coupons themselves. The coupons are free. You are paying for my time and effort to collect, clip, sort, and mail these valuable coupons to you!

Finding Coupons

There are a multitude of places where coupons can be found. Here are the places I go to get my coupons.

1) Sunday Paper ... I always check the coupons first and then buy anywhere from 2 to 15 papers depending on the selection of coupons.

2) My Points ... I print coupons from My Points because I also receive points for my account when I redeem those coupons. I mark the My Points coupons with a "dot" to indicate which coupons will give me points. It is FREE to join My Points.

3) Red Plum ... Print coupons directly from your computer.

4) Smart Source ... Print coupons directly from your computer.

5) The Grocery Game ... Teri's Coupon Center is a great source for getting coupons.

6) Visit any company's website to search for specific coupons that may be available. Most companies have coupons that can be printed from your computer. There are too many companies to list them all. However, I have gotten coupons from General Mills, Kellog's, and other companies.

7) All You magazine ... This magazine has tons of coupons inside. You can also visit the website to print coupons from your computer. This magazine can be purchased at Wal-Mart or subscribed to receive at your home.

8) Publix Publications ... Sign up for all of the Publix magazines to receive exclusive coupons in the mail. These coupons are not included in the magazines found in the store.

9) Kroger ... Sign up on the website to receive "preferred customer" mailings with very valuable coupons. Kroger also has THREE links where coupons can be downloaded directly to your shopper card for free. The good thing about loading coupons on your card is that you can also use paper coupons to increase your savings.

10) Check the turnstiles at the front of your store to see if there are any special coupons to be found. Publix often has extra coupons from manufacturers on their turnstile. If you do not have Publix and Kroger in your area, check with your local stores to see where they hide their coupons. Most stores have some form of communication center where you can find goodies.

11) You can purchase coupons from Ebay or from Mom. Keep in mind that when you purchase coupons in this manner, you are not paying for the coupon. You are paying for the time it takes to cut those coupons and get them ready to be delivered to your door.

12) Here are a few other links where coupons can be found.
Coupons.com
Coupon Mom
CoolSavings
Valpak

September 16, 2009

I Rob Grocery Stores

You may not be aware of this, but I have developed a particular talent for robbing the local grocery stores. I've become obsessed with the use of coupons. I've decided to share all my tips and secrets, along with my weekly successes, to help others learn how to maximize their savings with the use of coupons and sales.

You may be rolling your eyes right now and thinking about how the blogging world really doesn't need yet another coupon blog. Rest assured that this site will not operate like any other site that you may have seen.

I won't be posting a list of the coupons that you'll find in the weekly paper. (I'll give you links to that information.)

I won't be posting the deals I got at the local CVS. (I don't fully understand the system at CVS, and I rarely shop there anyways.)

What I will be doing is this:

I am going to post information about where I find my coupons.

I will post coupon policies for popular stores.

I will post weekly information about what I bought and how much I paid, along with telling you HOW I paid so little. (ie - which coupons I used and how I stacked those together with the sales to maximize my savings)

I will offer an option to purchase coupon selections.

I will offer an option to purchase a coupon notebook that is already set up and ready to go, complete with a selection of coupons included.

I hope to teach you how coupon fanatics use all those tiny bits of paper to buy their groceries with as little cash output as possible instead of just bragging about how I'm robbing the stores. It does little good for me to tell you I did something if I don't explain to you HOW I did it and HOW you can do it also.

That's my goal.

I want you to learn how to rob the grocery stores and have fun doing it.