My Super Double Deals

This is a vacation week for me, so I will likely only do one Super Double trip. Today I got 24 items and spent $23.00 and change, so I am happy with that. My items included lots of home supplies like Mr.Clean magic eraser, maxis, and a 24 pack of bottled water. I even bought two things without a coupon but that were on sale and my total was still pretty low. All name brand and I was able to stockpile a few things.

I went to Harris Teeter at Mayfaire this morning around 9:30 a.m. and grabbed some deals. Some things were already out (Bounty Paper Towels- free from the P&G insert this month), but many other deals were there.


I am noticing higher prices. Sometimes this happens during Super Double weeks; less sales occur. I don't know if it is that or if this is general grocery price inflation. Either way, I got less freebies but more items that were deeply discounted. I still only paid $.50 or less for many items, but again, the freebies were not as plentiful. 


I want to note that Crest toothpaste this week is .50 if you have any $1 off coupons; there was one in the P&G newspaper insert and also if you earned the P&G $140 coupon book, there were Crest coupons in it. The toothpaste was on sale for $2.50 each, so after double coupon it was only $.50. This was a good deal, considering that the boxes I grabbed had $10 worth of coupons inside! Look closely because I almost grabbed a box without the coupons that was identical.


Also, don't forget to click your digital coupons at Harris Teeter, from your VIC email. I uploaded a lot of digital coupons and saved $.75 off of Crest (this made my toothpaste almost free), and I also got free Turtles candy after my digital coupon and paper coupon.


Pepperidge Farm Crackers (specialty ones) are on sale for $2.50; after $1 off this makes them only $.50 a box or bag. 


I also got Gain Dish Detergent for free, using the $1.00 off coupon from my P&G $140 coupon booklet.


I got a free 6 pack of Deer Park Water after using a $1.00 off coupon; I had to first buy a 24 pack, which happened to be on BOGO for $3.74.


Danimals were $.50 after $1.00 off coupons and Colgate toothpaste was free after using a $1.00 off coupon, since the toothpaste was on sale for $1.99.


Breakstone Sour Cream dips were on sale for $1.99 and I had two coupons for $1.00 off, so those were free. If you came to my workshop on Saturday, I gave out many of those coupons, so be sure to look for that deal!


Finally, I got three lunchables for $.15 each after using a $1 off coupon. Always Maxi Pads were also a good deal, as were Playtex tampons; I believe I paid around $1 or so after coupons. 


All in all, I paid $23.64 for everything in the picture. Not bad at all!


If you need any of the coupons I mentioned, use my coupon database to search their source. Unfortunately, I cannot remember where all of my coupons came from but hey, that's what the database is for!

Live Feed Cancelled

I suppose I will have to wait a little longer for my TV debut :) The live feed was cancelled this morning due to an out of control wildfire in Bladen County. I suppose that is a bigger news story than Super Double Coupons!


We will be rescheduling, though, so I will let all know when that date is available!

Coupon Database Now Up!

I am excited to announce that the Delly's Deals coupon database is now up and running! You will love this useful tool, as it will make finding coupons a breeze!


Here is how it works: You make your grocery list (using the store sales flyer, I hope). After you make your list of items, you go to my coupon database page. The link is at the top of my webpage beside the "Coupon Workshops" link. Once you are on the coupon database page, you will see a white box that says, "Description." In that box you can type any product for which you are looking for a coupon. For example, if you want Cheerios, you will type "Cheerios" in that box. You can be less specific if you need a general item, such as eggs or milk.


You then click,"Search" and the database will show any coupons that are available for the item you typed. Some of the coupons are printables, too! When the items appear, you will see them in the following format, going across to the right: The name of the product, the value of the coupon ($.50/1 means for example, fifty cents off of one item), the source date (this is the day that the coupon became available, for instance in the newspaper or online), the source name, which is where the coupon comes from (SS means Smart Source insert in the paper, RP means the Red Plum insert in the paper). Next, you will see when the coupon expires, and then finally, you will see details about it, such as if the coupon is printable. If it is printable, there will be a clickable link at the end of the column. You can click on that link and it will take you to the source where you can print the coupon. It's that easy!


I can attest to the value of this resource, as I did a shopping consultation with someone this weekend and used the database to find her about 8 printable coupons for organic food items. I was so impressed with how well it worked!


If you have any questions or issues with the database, let me know. I hope it is able to help you in your quest for the best deals at the grocery store!

Good Deals at CVS

For those who like drug store deals, I noticed a few good ones at CVS this week.


CVS offers "Extra Care Bucks." These are given on certain products if you buy them using your free CVS savings discount card. After you pay for the item, you are given Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) back attached to your receipt, and you may use these on a future purchase. They are basically like cash that you can use in the drug store. I like to start out by buying an item for which I will receive extra care bucks, and then using those extra care bucks to buy something else, thus not having to spend more of my money. If I get more extra care bucks, I can just "roll" them again into another purchase by doing another transaction. This can go on until I get tired or until I just don't have anything else to buy. If I have ECBs left at the end, I can save them in my coupon binder to start out with on a future purchase, although I will admit that I don't like to save them because I am afraid that I will lose them or forget to use them before the expiration date.


I wanted to list below all the items that I saw in the ad and how much they cost, along with how many $$$ in Extra Care Bucks you could get for buying them. Don't forget that you can also use coupons on these items to reduce your out of pocket expense, and there are coupons available for many of them. See if there's anything below that you could use!

Zyrtec (5 ct) $5.99   Buy one and receive $5.99 in Extra Bucks  (making them free)-  limit of 1 ECBs
Motrin PM (20 ct)  $4.00  Buy one and receive $3.00 in Extra Bucks- limit of 3 ECBs
Bayer Advanced Asprin (20 ct) $3.00 Buy one and receive $1.00 in Extra bucks- limit of 1 ECB
Off or Raid Clip on (1-2 ct) Receive $2 extra care bucks when you buy one- limit of 2 ECB
$5 ECB when you buy 2 Eyelashes or Artificial Nails
$5 ECB when you buy $15 in Maybelline cosmetics


These are just a few of the good deals that I saw. Check your CVS paper for more Extra Care Bucks deals! Last day to take advantage is Saturday night!

Super Double Coupons Next Week at Harris Teeter!

I have heard that next week is going to be Super Double Coupons at Harris Teeter! This means that Harris Teeter will double up to twenty coupons per day (as usual) but coupons of $1.00 or more up to $1.98, will also double. This is exciting because it is a great opportunity to save lots of money!



The event will start on Wednesday, June 22 and last until Tuesday night, June 28th. I would start now, pulling any coupons that you have of $1.00 or more. Also, you will want to shop early because shelves tend to get empty, especially for the free or cheap items. 


Jenny will have a list up on Southern Savers tomorrow (Friday) of all the deals. If you see something you know you want to take advantage of, especially if it will be free, I would consider ordering multiple coupons for that item. You can use the link on my web page to order from either Kuntry Klippers or The Q Hunter. Finally, I have heard of some stores allowing people to place orders for items. I don't know if Harris Teeter will do this, but if there's something you really want to make sure you get, it might be worth asking!


I will be sure to update when the list of deals comes out!

Harris Teeter Aisle Labels

One of the suggestions that I give at my workshops is to organize your couponing binder according to the aisles of your favorite grocery store. Start at one end of the store and have a section in your binder for each row. You wouldn't believe how helpful this is with regards to saving time. No longer will you find yourself running back and forth across the grocery store with coupons in your hand!


A friend of mine, Tracy, was kind enough to take pictures of each aisle label at the Ogden Harris Teeter (Market and Gordon). Most of the other Harris Teeters follow a similar format, as do the Lowes Foods and Food Lion, so you can adjust your binder accordingly. 

Below are listed all of the rows, compliments of Tracy. Thank you for your hard work and excellent photography!


Aisle 1- Condiments, Croutons, Salad Dressings, Waters
Aisle 2- Rice, Soup, Canned Veggies, Dried Beans and Fruits
Aisle 3- Spaghetti, Instant Potatoes, Pasta, Can Meat, Ethnic, Stuffings
Aisle 4- Oatmeal, Cereal, Jelly, Natural Foods, Juice, Peanut Butter, Kool Aid
Aisle 5- Cake Mix, Flour, Spices, Salt, Baking, Cocoa, Coffee, Shortening, Oil, Tea
Aisle 6- Baby Food, Diapers, Candy, Cookies, Crackers, 
Aisle 7- Soap, Medicines, Toothpaste, Sanitary
Aisle 8- Frozen Foods
Aisle 9- Kitchen, Bath, Cleaning Supplies, Detergents, Facial and Toilet Tissue
Aisle 10- Pet Food and Supplies, School, Charcoal, Insecticides
Aisle 11- Bags, Wraps, Napkins, Cups, Plates, Ice Cream
Aisle 12- Sodas, Nuts, Popcorn, Club Water
Aisle 13- Chips, Pretzels, Snacks, Bread, Rice Cakes
Aisle 14- Yogurt, Beer
Back Wall- Milk, Dairy, Refrigerated Juices, Meats, Seafood

Free Toothpaste at Food Lion Through Sunday!

Shannon, who took my workshop a week ago, e-mailed me with a tip for a great deal on toothpaste this weekend at Food Lion.


Food Lion is having a three day sale (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for Crest Toothpaste for $1.50. There was a $.75 off coupon in the June 4th P&G insert, taking the toothpaste down to $.75. 


It gets even better, though! Food Lion has digital coupons available on their website, where you can click and upload the coupon directly to your MVP card. There is also a digital coupon available for Crest for $.75, making the toothpaste FREE! (Remember, you CAN combine a digital coupon with a paper coupon).


It get even better still.....Shannon pointed out to me that she picked a box that had a bonus tube of toothpaste on the top AND inside there were $10 worth of coupons! What a great deal!


I did want to note that I tried this deal and for some reason, the digital coupon did not come off my total as it should have. I consulted with the manager, who had no idea what happened. I plan to return tomorrow to see if I can get the deal to work, but honestly, even if it doesn't, it's still a good deal to pay $.75 for the toothpaste (plus tax). 

Thanks Shannon for the great tip!

Great Deal on Toilet Paper Saturday at Harris Teeter (EVIC)

People often ask how do I save on toilet paper or paper towels. The answer depends on how much work you want to do. If you're feeling courageous, do drug store deals. These are kind of long and complicated, but you can leave with a nice amount of free paper products.


The easy choice (my preferred method) is to wait for it to go on sale at Harris Teeter! About once a month Harris Teeter puts either toilet paper or paper towels on sale at a really good price. I get enough to last me about a month, which is when they will do another sale all over again just in time!


Tomorrow Harris Teeter is having a sale on Charmin Toilet Paper. It is an EVIC Saturday sale, so you have to go get it tomorrow and you have to already be signed up for EVIC to get the awesome price. To sign up for EVIC, go to Harris Teeter's website and click the link (top left corner). You will need your VIC card because you'll have to enter the numbers that are located on the back.


Once you are an EVIC member, you will be eligible for the awesome EVIC prices that Harris Teeter offers each Friday. Tomorrow the Charmin Toilet paper goes on sale for $4.97 (12 BIG rolls= 24 smaller rolls). I have a $1 off coupon from my Proctor and Gamble booklet that came in the mail, but there was also a coupon in the P&G Sunday Paper insert from June 4th. I think it was for $.25 off which will double to $.50 off at Harris Teeter. That brings the cost down to $3.97 or $4.47. Even better, you can go to your e-mail and access the Harris Teeter digital coupons (they call this EVIC coupons) and click the Charmin coupon to save an additional $.25, making the total $3.72 or $4.22. You can buy two packs at this price.


Also, I should mention that Food Lion is also having a three day sale, with the toilet paper costing the same (well, almost- $4.99) as at Harris Teeter. However, Food Lion will not double your coupon, nor was there a Charmin digital coupon, so I do think the deal is a little better at Harris Teeter. I did see $5.99 Bounty Paper Towels as part of the Food Lion sale this weekend, so with my $1 off coupon that will be $4.99, which isn't bad., but of course the price is the same at Harris Teeter, so I will probably just get them there.


Let me know if you see any better prices this week on your paper products!

Saving on Veggies? Grow a Garden!

My first garden!

Since this blog is about cutting one's grocery bill by 50% or more, I had to bring up the idea of gardening to save on fruits and veggies.


I recall buying a four pack of tomatoes about a month and a half ago. Not only did we only eat one tomato before they went bad, but we also paid $5 for the pack! I was so upset thinking of the waste there. I decided to grow some tomato plants as a way of saving money on tomatoes AND having fresh tomatoes right off the vine when we wanted them.


Of course, when I went seed shopping I didn't just stop at tomatoes. I ended up buying seeds for all the following: zucchini, basil, rosemary, strawberries, corn, green beans, cilantro, green onions, and peppers! I got my seeds at WalMart back in the spring for $1 a pack, which was a great deal, considering that each packet had 15-30 seeds in it. Imagine if I planted each seed and if every bush yielded 30-40 veggies! I would have way more vegetables than I could handle!


My father gave me the idea of planting the garden right outside of our kitchen, in front of our front patio. His idea was worth it's weight in gold because it's so easy to care for the garden since we pass it multiple times each day. I can't tell you how often I've been walking by and decided to stop and water my plants because one might have looked a little droopy or pull a weed here or there. Out of sight, out of mind, right? If the garden had been in the back yard, it definitely wouldn't have gotten the attention that it has.


I planted most seeds in April, so we're now starting to get small zucchinnis, green beans, and green tomatoes. It's been so exciting! My children (4 and 2) absolutely love the garden and help me tend it. We also planted zinnias in the front for added beauty. Even my husband, who initially was a little perplexed by my desire for a garden, has told me how much he enjoys seeing it everyday. He mentioned how he read that growing a garden was one of the longevity tips for living a long life in a book he had read.


What I love about this is the value. We have spent so little on the garden. We paid for the seeds, three bags of black cow compost (this stuff is amazing and only about $5 a bag), and a botttle of miracle grow concentrate. Beyond that, we use what we have. It's neat to think of all the vegetables we will be getting for that amount that we spent (compared to buying them in the store) AND they are fresher! We picked two strawberries yesterday and they were unbelieveably sweet and soft. Nothing I have ever bought in the store can compare. A few weeks ago we used fresh basil in my husband's spaghetti. It was so neat to pick it, roll it, cut it, and throw it in the pot. As a bonus, it smells great!


I did this post to inspire others to consider a garden. You can even plant in pots- you don't have to have a lot of land. Also, you could just start by planting the vegetable that you buy most. If you eat a lot of tomatoes, maybe just do one or two tomato plants.


Below are some photos of the garden. I plan to update as it gets bigger and better! I will let you know when we finally harvest something!

March 2011- The spot we chose for our garden. Former home of three dead azalea bushes!

My son, staring at the task ahead.

April 2011- Veggies are coming in.

 

Zinnias in front of the corn and beans. They help attract useful pollinating insects like bees and butterflies.

Strawberries coming in.

A huge pot of basil and zucchinni plant blossoming.

Green tomatoes- too bad I don't like them fried!

Banana peppers in a flower bed in the front of my house for color.

These jalapenos will taste great on tacos!

Flowering green beans- they were so pretty. Now here come the beans!

I hope that I have inspired someone to grow their own garden!

Creating Couponing Routines

Sometimes people say they are too busy to coupon. I can certainly understand that people have busy schedules! I myself work part time and raise my three young children, so I don't have tons of time to dedicate to couponing, either!


However, knowing how much money I save by couponing, I have to figure out ways to incorporate it into my life. One of my recommendations is to figure out how to create couponing routines. In other words, how can I add couponing activities into my day-to-day life so that the couponing doesn't completely disrupt my busy schedule.


One routine I have is getting up every Sunday morning to go get the Sunday paper from my local Kangaroo gas station. Because I buy the Raleigh News and Observer, I cannot get it delivered to my home; I have to go pick it up.


So, what I decided to do was get up each Sunday morning and get the paper and while I'm at the gas station, I go ahead and fill up my car with gas for the week. I have really enjoyed this routine, as prior to starting to do this, I sometimes found myself low on gas throughout the week. Inevitably, I would be low on gas on my way to work or some other function. I love how now I never find myself rushing to get gas because my tank is pre-filled for the week. Often I will go grocery shopping while I'm out on Sunday morning getting my paper and gas, since I'm already out and the grocery store is usually nice and quiet Sunday mornings.

A friend of mine picks up her Sunday paper on the way to church.


Another idea for a routine would be something like coupon clipping with your children. My four year old loves to cut coupons! I imagine that older children would as well. You could do a weekly coupon clipping party with your child and let him/her help you.


If you have a couponing friend, maybe the two of you could get together once a week or every other week to trade deals and clip coupons together.

Maybe you could upload your digital coupons each month when you pay your power bill. This way, you always have coupons loaded onto your savings cards each month.


Try organizing or filing coupons in your binder while watching your favorite TV show. I've done this while watching a movie with my husband. I can't say that he's always thrilled splitting my attention between the movie and the coupons, but he IS always thrilled with the savings I bring home each week!


What other routines could you incorporate couponing into?

Walmart Doubling Coupons? Say it Ain't So!

One of my weekend workshop participants told me that Walmart is doubling coupons now! This would be big news in the couponing world, so I had to investigate.


Turns out the Walmart in Leland, outside of Wilmington here, IS doubling coupons! The Wilmington Walmarts are not currently doubling.


I spoke with Shannon, from the Leland Walmart. She told me, "Basically, we are trying to compete with Harris Teeter. Whatever they do, we're going to do. So, on the weeks Harris Teeter has Super Doubles, we will, too. On the weeks that they have triples, we will too!"


Even better, Shannon went on to tell me that the Leland Walmart will have NO LIMITS on how many coupons they will double. So, whereas Harris Teeter will only double 20 coupons a day, Walmart will double an unlimited amount of coupons. That's pretty impressive and I'm sure it may give Harris Teeter a run for their money.


With that said, I'm not abandoning Harris Teeter anytime soon. The Leland Walmart is pretty far from where I live and I like the convenience of having a Harris Teeter right up the road. I am not a fan of Walmart's crowds and spotty customer service. However, as a deal-seeker, I am excited about the competition and the possibilities that will be opened up with Walmart doubling coupons. I hope the program spreads to other Walmarts because competition between the grocery stores means one thing to us couponers- MORE deals!

Don't Forget your Sunday Paper Today!

Today's Sunday paper will have the P&G (Proctor and Gamble) insert in it, along with Red Plum, and Smart Source, so you don't want to miss out! Remember, the Proctor and Gamble insert only comes out once a month, so you want to be sure to get it when it comes since it has a lot of great household, health and beauty products in it. If you don't get one today, you can always order one from The Coupon Hunter (see the button on the right of my blog). They will deliver it to your house for a small shipping fee. 


I just got my paper so I'm going to look through it and alert you later today to any good coupons or deal matchups that I find!