What to do with Expired Coupons- Coupons for the Troops

Sometimes it is painful to throw away expired coupons. That might sound crazy to someone who isn't into couponing, but believe me, I understand! After you've been through the effort to clip, sort and file your coupon into your binder, it hurts to pull it out a month or two later, realizing that it has expired.


However, I certainly do not recommend using a coupon for an item simply because it will expire. Sometimes people buy unnecessary things that they otherwise would not purchase but feel compelled to buy because the coupon is expiring. Unless you plan to donate the grocery item, I would rather see you toss an expired coupon than spend unneccesary money out of guilt.


There is another option, though- donating your coupons to Coupons for the Troops! In overseas military bases, coupons can be used for up to six months past expiration. I have been told that the coupons are very welcome, particularly food coupons. 


People frequently ask me at workshops how to donate the coupons. You can mail them, but this could add up and become expensive. There is a local option here in New Hanover County- the local Senior Resource Center. The address is 2222 S. College Rd., 28403 Attn: Ashley Huffman. The center is located near the intersection of Shipyard and College Road. If you have questions or need directions, call 798-6400. There is also a web site with additional info here.

You can drop the coupons there or mail them and they will be glad to have them!


Thank you, Teresa, from my New Hanover County Employees workshop for the address and information!

My Lowes Foods Shopping Trip

I decided to do a post to highlight the deals that I got this week at Lowes Foods. Since these deals end today (Tuesday night), this is not really a post to show you deals that you can also go get right now. This is more of a post to show you the savings potential that exists at Lowes Foods, as they have become much more competitive with their pricing and coupon policy lately. In fact, I intend to give their weekly sales ad much more consideration now, whereas previously, I glanced at it for deals and saved my big shopping trip for Harris Teeter. This was the first week for me where I did my entire weekly shopping trip to Lowes Foods. I only dropped by Harris Teeter for some bags of lettuce for salads. That is a big deal for a Harris Teeter fan like me! This is also great for people in Brunswick County, who do not have a Harris Teeter on the Southern end, and for those in Leland who will soon have a Lowes Foods in Brunswick Forest.


But really, I'm not just a Harris Teeter fan; I'm a fan of anywhere that has great service, great prices and is coupon friendly. Since Lowes Foods doubles my coupons each day of the year (like Harris Teeter), and since they have a great selection of digital coupons from their website and from Cellfire.comwww.cellfire.com, AND since their sales lately have been impressive, they are much more attractive to me as a couponer. I also enjoyed the clean, well-organized store and nice selection; some items were different from what I have seen at my local Harris Teeter.


I'm already well stocked up on ground beef, cereals and paper towels, paper goods, toiletries and cleaning supplies. This was mainly a food trip.

Below are all the items that I bought on this trip:

Arnold Wide Pan Health Nut Bread
1/4 lb. Chicken Grape Salad (Fresh Foods Department)
3/4 lb. Boars Head Cracked Pepper Turkey (Deli Department)
Kraft 24 count Sliced Cheese
4 Philadelphia Cream Cheese Containers (various flavors)
1.96 Pounds of Fresh Red Grapes
Lenders Blueberry Bagels
Jimmy Dean Chicken Breakfast Biscuits 4 pack
Snyders Yellow Corn Chips 1 pound bag
2 Packs of Goldfish Crackers
1 Dannon Oikos Black Cherry Greek Yogurt
1 Pack of Carolina Pride Cocktail Smokies
2 Boxes of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice
1 Box of Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice
1 Bag of Lowes Foods Brand Marshmallows
1 Box of Nature's Valley Peanut Butter Granola Thins
2 Boxes of Betty Crocker Fun da Middles Cupcake Mix
2 Boxes of Old El Paso Super Stuffers Taco Shells
2 Boxes of Old El Paso Taco Shells/Flour Tortilla Combos
Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting
4 Cans of Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup
4 Cans of Progresso Tomato Basil Soup
2 48 ounce V8 V-Fusion Drinks
2 Baking Potatoes
2 Boxes of Totinos Pizza Rolls (15 ct. each)
Lowes Foods Mayonnaise (BIG container)
Lean Cuisine Garlic Chicken Rolls (6 ct)
2 Packs of Yoplait Kids Yogurt (4 cups each)
1 Tropicana Low Acid Orange Juice
1 Lactaid Lactose-Free 1% Milk Half Gallon
1 4-pack Delmonte Mixed Fruit Cups
Carolina Pride Thick Sliced Bacon
Greater Value Cheddar Cheese Spread


The total: $87.47

*I went back this morning to grab 5 Yoplait Greek Yogurts that they were out of last night. They normally cost $5.00 and I got them for $1.56 (used two $.50 off coupons that doubled to $2.00 off and a $.50 off digital coupon from the Lowes Foods website). 


Considering all I purchased, and that my weekly budget for my family of five is 93.74, I was happy with this trip. I did buy some meats (bacon, cocktail smokies, turkey meat) and almost everything was name-brand. I also got a free cookbook for buying the four containers of cream cheese. I was very impressed with the cookbook (full color, photo for each recipe) and plan to use some of the recipes soon.

My total pre-coupons and discounts was $146.52 and this included $4.00 worth of digital coupons from the Lowes Foods website. One thing I noticed is that the Cellfire coupons did not come off if I had a Lowes Foods coupon for the same item. They are still in my Cellfire account, but apparently the store digital coupons take preference.


I even bought a couple of things without coupons (gasp!), something I don't normally do but I really wanted them (ex. the Goldfish for my kids' lunchboxes and the Cake icing (family is coming to visit and I wanted to serve some cupcakes). I did at least get the Fun-da-middles cake mixes almost free, so I didn't mind too much paying for the icing. The Boars Head turkey is always expensive but my one luxury in life is Deli Turkey meat; I don't like pre-packaged turkey meat. Finally, the grape chicken salad is to die for at Lowes Foods, so I got a little bit of it. Also, the grapes were expensive- a little over $5! I realized when I got home that I grabbed the grapes with seeds and they were not on sale like the seedless, so I was disappointed about that.


So, if you consider the fact that I bought some items that were not on sale and also kind of expensive, that shows you how much I saved on everything else!


I hope this post has demonstrated to you that you can save big bucks at Lowes Foods. Many people (such as my husband's co-workers) claim that Lowes Foods is expensive. Since everyone has different definitions for the word, "expensive," I can't say that they are wrong for them. But for me, I will definitely add Lowes Foods to my list of "affordable" grocery stores with great selection, service and definitely coupon friendly!

Great News about Using Cellfire Coupons at Lowes Foods

I am really loving Cellfire and Lowes Foods right now! Lowes Foods recently (literally three days ago) changed their coupon policy to allow customers to redeem a paper coupon and a digital coupon at the same time for one item. This is great news, because it really makes Lowes Foods more competitive with Harris Teeter. 

Harris Teeter has been allowing the use of a digital coupon and a paper coupon at the same time since they came out with their EVIC coupons service. Initally, Lowes Foods would not allow this but they finally decided to change their policy and I will attest to you that I tried it on Saturday night and it worked! I used a paper coupon for Totinos Pizza, which came off my total and I then noticed on the checkout screen that the digital coupon came off as well. It said on the screen "Cellfire Coupon $1.00."

This new revelation makes me very eager to shop more at Lowes Foods. In fact, I actually only shopped Lowes Foods this week. Many of you know how in love I am with Harris Teeter, so the fact that I haven't been there yet this week is a big deal!

Let me give a little information about what Cellfire is. Cellfire is a digial coupon service. On their web site there are digital coupons that you can upload to your Lowes Foods card. They also have some printable coupons from Smart Source, too. Interestingly, many of the printable coupons are also found on Cellfire as digital coupons, so you could technically use both! 

Cellfire coupons can also be uploaded to and viewed on your cell phone, although I will admit that I have not used this option. Sorry- just a bit too technical for me! But if you are into using your cell phone, on the front page of the Cellfire website there are instructions on how to do this. There is also a Cellfire app that you can download for your smart phone.

Getting started with Cellfire is easy: Go to their website, register (optional- in fact, I haven't registered yet but still used the service), and enter your grocery store shopper card number. In the Southeastern NC area, only Lowes Foods stores accept Cellfire digital coupons. Once your card number is entered, it is saved. Then you simply click all of the coupons that you wish to use and they will be uploaded to your Lowes Foods shopper card. Many of the coupons are General Mills coupons; perhaps they have some sort of agreement with Cellfire. I would like to see some Proctor and Gamble coupons too, but they have yet to appear. 

One thing that I love about Cellfire is how easy it is to use. The website interface is simple to follow. After you have clicked your coupons, you can click on the "saved offers" tab to see which coupons you have saved on your card. 

Something to consider is that Lowes Foods also has a nice selection of digital coupons on their website. Simply log in, add your Lowes Foods card number and click the coupons you want. I have yet to test what happens when I buy an item that has a Cellfire coupon and a Lowes Food coupon at the same time, but I suspect it will only take one off. I will let you know when I test that.

One thing I know for sure is if you shop at Lowes Foods and do not currently use Cellfire digital coupons, you are missing out! Don't forget- the more coupons we use, the more they will add, so be sure to use the service. Finally, remember that when you also redeem a paper coupon at Lowes Foods, they will double it every day of the year, up to $.99 face value of the coupon. This is in addition to your savings from Cellfire, often making the item free or a really great deal. Buy the item on sale, then use your digital coupon and your paper coupon all at once for maximum savings. Shopping doesn't get much better than that!

Star News vs. News and Observer!

This week I only found one Red Plum insert in my Raleigh News 
and Observer and a CVS coupon insert. There was supposed to also be a Smart Source insert, but I checked three papers and did not see it, so I assume that Raleigh was not included in the cities that received the Smart Source insert this week.


Wilmington Star News, on the other hand, had both inserts. There was a Red Plum and Smart Source, however I did not see the CVS coupons. Go figure!

Honestly, I thought today's coupons from both papers were extremely sparse. I only bought one copy of each paper. The Wilmington paper had 3 different Welch's coupons for juice and jelly that were not found in the Raleigh paper, so if you like those products, you will definitely want to get the Wilmington Star News. The Raleigh News and Observer had lots of pet food coupons this week, including Milk Bone, Meaty Bone, 9 Lives Cat Food, Kibbles n Bits, and Friskies Crispies. There was also a $1.00 off Perdue coupon for their new Simply Smart Breaded Chicken Strips that looks nice. I always like to see meat coupons, especially for something healthy. 

As a side note, the CVS coupons are somewhat nice. There are a good variety of food and health/beauty products. One interesting thing is that some of the CVS coupons say "store" and others say "manufacturer" at the top. The "store" coupons can be combined at the checkout counter with manufacturer's coupons for the same product for additional savings. The ones that say "manufacturer" cannot be combined with other manufacturer coupons that you have, since they are both manufacturer's coupons. Also, the ones that say manufacturer (also note their bar code starts with a "5" or "9") can be redeemed at any other grocery store. You may have problems, though, since they say CVS really big on them. Sometimes store clerks don't understand that a manufacturer offered coupon can be redeemed at ANY grocery store, regardless of what store name is printed on the coupon. I was actually told once by a store accountant that you could just cut off the part that says "CVS" to end confusion, so I will leave that choice up to you if you wish to try it!


Overall, I would say that if you missed out on this week's newspapers, you wouldn't be missing out on much. I still would suggest getting one of each, but unless you saw a couple of products that you are crazy about, I certainly wouldn't buy multiple copies this week. If you want multiples of a specific coupon from today's paper, you would do just as well to go online and order multiple copies of that one coupon from EBAY or Kuntry Klippers (see top).


Until next week......!

CVS Diaper Promotion

 Every month or so, one of the drug stores will do a diaper promotion, where you get special pricing on diapers if you buy X amount. I usually take advantage of those weeks as an opportunity to stock up.


The biggest problem I run into during those promos is the store being out of the exact brand or size of diapers that I need for my baby. But, it's usually wise to get what they have, as long as it works for the promo, and then return them for the proper size later, when the promo is over. If you wait until they have exactly the size you need to do the deal, you may miss out on it all together.


This week CVS has a pretty neat deal where you can choose from Luvs, Huggies or Pampers for the promo. If you buy 6 bags, you get the seventh free! After you purchase six bags, a coupon will print out for another free pack. I suggest redeeming the coupon right away if they allow it!


To make it even better, if you buy $25 worth, you get $10 in Extra Care Bucks back to use towards something else in the store. My strategy is to see which diapers I can find coupons for and see if the deal makes them worth getting.


I personally love Pampers; they smell great and rarely leak for me. Unfortunately, they are the most expensive. My next favorite is Luvs and then finally, I really don't like Huggies. However, if the deal works out where Huggies are the best deal, I will use them and deal with it!


I worked up a scenario using each brand of diaper to determine the best deal:

Luvs: $7 each. Buy six for $42 and get a coupon for seventh bag free. After paying, you will get $10 back, making the diapers essentially $4.57 each pack. I couldn't find any Luvs coupons; if you had some, you could apply them to the first total to bring down your cost.

Pampers: $9 each. Buy six packs for $54. Use 3 coupons from Proctor and Gamble insert for $1.50 off of two packs. $54-$4.50= $49.50 out of pocket for 7 bags of Pampers. Get $10 in Extra Care Bucks, making each pack of diapers cost on average $7.07 each. This is an okay deal, but nothing to get too excited about in my opinion.

Huggies: $9 each. Buy six packs for $54. Use six $3.00 off of one pack coupons. $54-$18=$36 out of pocket for 7 bags of Huggies. Get $10 in Extra Care Bucks, making each pack of diapers cost on average $3.71. Not bad. There are also some $1.50 off of one coupons out there, if you can't find the $3.00 off of one, although I saw both coupons on sale on EBAY.

I do have a question regarding the Huggies- I wonder if they will allow me to use a coupon when redeeming my free diaper coupon? Often they will still allow you to use a coupon even on the free item. If that is the case and they allow it, the total per pack would be $3.28, which is a good deal. If you do try to use a coupon on the free Huggies, along with the free coupon they give you, be sure to buy a small filler item, like a $.25 piece of candy. You have to have the same amount of items as you do coupons, or the machine will not allow the transaction.


If you don't want to worry with coupons, doing the deal with the Luvs diapers would be the easiest bet. No coupons to worry with and still only $4.57 per pack. 

Finally, I am going to try to get my hands on one of those $5 off $20 or $5 off $25 coupons that CVS sometimes gives out, since that would help bring down the cost, too. Those can be combined with ExtraCare Buck offers and with manufacturer's coupons, since they are considered different types of coupons.


Keep in mind that this deal ends Saturday night, so don't delay! If you have a great diaper savings scenario, please share it with us. Let me know if you decide to do the diaper promo and how it worked out for you! For more deals, check out the CVS flyer here.

My Final Triple Coupon Trip

 Pictured: Grande Tortilla Chips, 4 Yoplait Kids Yogurt 4-packs, 2 Bob Evans Precooked Sausage Patties/Links, 8 Nature Valley/Fiber One Breakfast Bars, Perdue Chicken Nuggets, 3 Harris Teeter Brand Oatmeals, 1 Large Gold Peak Tea, 2 Wholly Guacamole Packs

Total Spent: $19.50 plus earned $5 in box tops!

I think I can speak for many of us when I say that I am glad to see triple coupon week come to an end! I love the great sales, but the pressure to return to the grocery store each day to maximize the 20 triple coupon limit is almost too much! I ended up going five times.


Tonight, Tuesday night, the last night of the sale, I checked out at 10:15 p.m. from Harris Teeter Mayfaire. All things considered, they were pretty well stocked. I was impressed- only a few of the items I wanted were out. The ground beef for $1.99 was long gone, but I got a rain check. The Betty Crocker Fun-da-middles cake mix was gone. I also got a rain check for it and the good thing is that since it was on sale for $.99, it will still be free next week when my $.50 off coupon doubles as usual.

Tonight I took advantage of the General Mills breakfast bar promo and bought eight of those, using coupons on all and also earning another 50 box tops certificates. 


I also just tonight noticed the Bob Evans Sausage on sale for $2.50. I had a $.75 off coupon that tripled to $2.25 off, thus making the sausage only a quarter! I did that twice since I had two coupons. Actually, I had more coupons but just tonight noticed that sale.


I got the Gold Peak Tea for free- it was on sale for $2.00 and my $.75 off coupon tripled, making it free. I also bought lots of the Dora Yoplait Yogurt for my children. After the coupon tripled, each pack was only $.87 but then I had a digital coupon, too, taking off an additional $.75. It's so interesting how there are always paper and digital coupons offered for the Yoplait yogurts each month. I can't imagine that anyone pays full price!


Looking forward to next week, I think I may take a little break from Harris Teeter. I scanned their deals that start tomorrow and they look average. I saw a few deals that I would take advantage of. Food Lion's sales look decent. They are doing their private label sale, where you get money off for buying certain amounts of their store brand products.

I'm actually very interested in Lowes Foods this week. I scanned their ad and noticed lots of great deals, including the final week of their 3 week store coupon sale that they are doing. I saw several opportunities for free items, so I may write this week about what's on my shopping list for Lowes Foods.  For now, I'm going to relax, kick up my feet, take a break and put triple coupon week behind me; but I'll be back at it shortly!

Special Promos

 I love it when grocery stores run special promos. This is when a deal is offered, usually by a specific manufacturer, where if you buy X amount of items, you receive Y reward. Always check the weekly sales flyer for special promo offers!


A special promo that was offered at Lowes Foods a little over a month ago is how I was able to get 28 boxes of Kelloggs cereals for only $2.80. A special promo from Harris Teeter is also how I was able to get all the Lysol Products for only $.30 a piece.


This week I noticed several special promos going on at the grocery stores. I mentioned some in a previous post, but wanted to address them again and let you know that you still have until tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 20th) to take advantage of them!

Harris Teeter:

Buy $25 worth of Kimberly Clark products and get a $5 rewards off your total at the register!

Products that count towards the $25 are:
Kleenext (B1G1)
Viva Paper Towels ($6.99)
Cottonelle Toilet Paper ($7.99)
Cottonelle Wipes ($3.99)
Huggies Little Movers ($9.99)
Huggies Jumbo Diapers (9.99)
Huggies Pull-Ups ($9.99)
GoodNites ($9.99)

*Most, if not all of those products listed above have coupon match-ups. If you are unsure, use my coupon database to quickly search!

 

Buy 8 participating Box Tops for Education Products and receive 50 Bonus Box Tops ($5 value). Box Tops coupon will be presented with your receipt and can be turned in to a local school

The list of products is very long:
Fiber One, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios, Resse's Puffs, Multigrain Cheerios, Nature's Valley Granola and Bar Products, Fiber One Bars, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker Muffin Mix, Betty Crocker SuperMoise Cake Mis, Betty Crocker Frostings, Gold Emblem Flour, Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, Hamburger Helper, Fruit Snacks, Progresso Soups, Lucky Charms Bars, Cascadian Farm Bars, Chex Mis, Wanchai Ferry Meals, Pillsbury Grands, Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Pillsbury Bread, Pillsybury Grands Cinnamon Rolls, Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookies, Pillsbury Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwiches, Pillsbury Microwave Pancakes, Totinos Pizza Rolls, Yoplait Greek Yogurt, Green Gian Vegetable Pouches, Wanchai Ferry or Macaroni Grill Entres.

Even better is that each of these items will also have box tops on them that you can cut out. I already did this promotion and will probably do it again to get more box tops for my son's school. They are having a contest for the class that turns in the most box tops for each grade will win an ice cream party! So, I figured I would do what I could to help him win.


There are so many coupon match-ups to those products, too and all the coupons under $.99 will triple. In the September 11th Wilmington Star News newspaper, there were many General Mill coupons that matched these same sale items. Even better is that every item listed above is on sale, so this promo won't be hard to accomplish.


My strategy was to grab any coupons I had that matched those above products and use them on the products that I liked. If you still need more coupons to get to the eight needed to earn the box tops, you could search my coupon database for many printables, especially on the Betty Crocker potatoes and cake mixes.

Next promotion is the Labels for Education Promotion at Harris Teeter through Tuesday night. Buy $10 worth of participating products and receive 250 Labels for Education Bonus points at checkout. The participating products are:

Prego Italian Sauce, Campbell's Chunky Soups Cans or Bowls, V8 V Fusion 6-packs, V8 vegetable juice, V8 Splash, Campbell's Spaghetti Os, Swanson Premium Chunk Chicken 4.5 oz, Wolfgang Puck Organic Soups, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup or Tomato Soup, Pepperidge Farms Frozen Garlic Toast, Pepperidge Farm Miltipacks Snacks, Pop Secret Popcorn, Emerald Sweet and Salty Nuts, BIC Cristal For Her Pens 10 pack.

All of those products are on sale and again, many have coupon matchups.

Finally, Food Lion is also doing the labels for education promo, but you have to buy 5 of the labels for education products to get 250 points or 10 of the products to get 500 points. See page two of the flyer for details!

Star News vs. News and Observer!

 Today there were two inserts in each newspaper- both had a Smart Source insert and both had a Red Plum insert. I personally thought the coupons were kind of "blah" this week, but there were still some good ones worth getting, particularly a few that will triple for Harris Teeter Triple coupon week through Tuesday night.


The Red Plum inserts were somewhat thin in both papers, but there were still some good coupons. I liked the $1.00 off of two Cheez-It coupons (Raleigh paper only), $.55 off of one Keebler Cookies coupons (Raleigh paper only and these will triple) and the Rhodes Rolls $.75 off coupons (these will triple and they were in both newspapers).

Both papers also had a lot of L'Oreal coupons and both papers also had the $.35 off of Born Free Natural Eggs coupons, which should triple this week, too. I'm also intrigued by the Sprayaway Glass cleaner ad and coupon in both papers- it claims to be the world's best glass cleaner. They told me that if I try it once I'll never use anything else! I guess I'm an easy sell because I'm going to give it a shot. The $.50 off coupons they offered should triple, so that makes it attractive as well.


For those of you with dogs, you will like the many dog food coupons that came in the Raleigh Red Plum insert. These were not included in the Wilmington paper, so keep that in mind. I also noticed a few cat food coupons in the Raleigh Red Plum, too. The pet food coupons are: $1 off 1 bag of Pedigree, Buy three cans of Pedigree, get one free, $1 off two Pedigree treats for dogs, $4 off Ultra Food for Dogs at PetSmart (may be able to use elsewhere). Also, there were $1.00 off Whiskas Dry Catfood and Buy two get one free Wiskas tray cat foods.


Now on to the Smart Source insert. It was also thinner than past weeks but still had some great coupons that were worth it. The Raleigh Smart Source was significantly thicker and had pretty much all the coupons that the Wilmington paper had plus more. I particularly liked the $.50 off Johnsonville Italian Sausage coupons (in both papers and will triple), the $.75 off Tombstone pizza (Raleigh paper only) and the $.45 off Archway cookies coupons (Raleigh paper only). I also will use the $1.00 off of Fruitables 8 pack juice coupons (Raleigh paper only) and I'm interested in the $.60 off Goldfish Sandwich bread coupon (will triple), which should make it a really good deal, Raleigh paper only. 

Both papers had the $.25 off 4 Campbell's soup coupons (will triple) and the Dole Fruit Crisp coupons ($.50 off 1, which triples).


One nice bonus that I saw in the Raleigh Red Plum insert is the IHOP coupons on the front page of it! There were three Buy one Get one free meal coupons, valid M-F, no holidays, and then three 20% off your entire check, valid everyday except holidays. Those are certainly a bonus, since my husband loves to go to IHOP every now and then.


In conclusion, if I were you and I could get the Raleigh paper, I would definitely buy two copies of it and not bother with the Star News today. The Raleigh paper has pretty much the same coupons that are in the Wilmington paper plus more.


Until next week.......happy shopping!

Triple Coupon Trip #2

 Pictured: Fiber One Strawberry Bars, 4 boxes of Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes, 3 Boxes of Nature's Valley Granola Thins, Mahatma Rice, 2 Boxes of Muellers Whole Wheat Spaghetti, One Loaf of Sara Lee Iron Kids Bread, 4 Bananas, 4 Cans of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, 3 big Bags of Krunchers Potato Chips, 100 count Bounty Napkins, Chock Full o Nuts Can of Coffee, Fiber One Brownies, 2 Packages of Wholly Guacamole, 100 count Vanity Napkins

Since I can only triple 20 coupons per day, I went back today for my second triple coupon trip. I made out pretty well- spent $12.95 and saved $70.56.


A couple of notes about this trip: I took advantage of the General Mills promotion (on page 3 of the Harris Teeter ad), where you can get 50 bonus box tops by buying 8 of the listed products. I don't know if you care about box tops, but as a parent with a child in school, I do! Box Tops can be turned into the local schools where they redeem them for money for the school. 50 box tops is the equivalent of $5.00. So I got excited when I saw this promo.


As a bonus, almost everything listed on that page of items that qualify for the promo were on sale and had matching coupons! After tripling, many of the items ended up being less than $1. For example, the Fiber One Brownies were on sale for $2.50. I had a seventy-five cent coupon, which tripled to $2.25 off, making them only $.25! Theoretically, if you bought eight of those, it would cost you $2.00. Then at the register, you would get a $5.00 box top reward, making you $3.00! Now, truthfully, you're not supposed to be able to use more than three of the same coupon in one trip, so that shouldn't work but you could certainly buy other items that qualify for the promo that also end up being really inexpensive after triple coupon. I believe the Betty Crocker potatoes also count. They are on sale for $1.25 each and I had a coupon for $.50 off of two. After the coupon triples, it ends up being $1.00 for both boxes, or $.50 each. You only need to buy eight items to qualify and you can mix and match any items on the page. All of those matching coupons were in the recent Wilmington Sunday paper.


A couple of other deals that I liked were the Muellers Whole Grain Pasta, which is free after using the $.55 coupon. Also I paid only $.50 for the package of Bounty Napkins after using a $.25 coupon that tripled and also using a digital coupon from my EVIC page. The Krunchers chips (which I bought for my upcoming workshop), were on sale for $2.50. After a $.75 off coupon tripled, they only cost $.25!


There are so many great deals to be had this week! Please share with us any great deals that you find!

Triple Coupon Trip #1

Pictured: Skintimate Shave Cream, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Two Packs of Hefty Designer Plates, 2 Balance Bars, 2 Barilla Pasta Sauces, Bounty Napkins (100 ct), Resolve Clothes Stain Remover Spray, 2 Boxes of Tetley Tea 24 count each, 3 Morton's Season Salt, 2 Kashi All Natural High Protein Frozen Meals, One Package of Organic Firm Tofu, 2 Boxes of Muellers Whole Grain Spaghetti Noodles

Score! Twenty-one items for $1.60! and that includes tax! I used coupons on everything! I bought household items as well as food items, and most of my food items are healthier choices. Most items were free after the coupon tripled. I was very pleased with this trip!

 My receipt. See all the scanned and multiplied coupons?

I got out this morning around 6:30 and went shopping at Harris Teeter for my first triple coupon week! I made it out of the store in record time, only 22 minutes! That's really good for me because I tend to get side tracked in the store. But this time I stayed focused, had my twenty coupons already organized by aisle and went in and grabbed exactly what I had planned. I can't stress how important being organized was (see yesterday's post). It's easy and fast when you already have the coupons pulled and sorted by aisle. Sorting by aisle is easy, especially when you only have 20 coupons. I put them in groups of what items are on the same aisle or side of the store. See my post where I listed the Harris Teeter Aisles to help you sort. You can print the aisles out and use them in your binder.

Since Harris Teeter only triples 20 coupons per day, I will have to do another trip tomorrow, since I have so many more coupons to use. Stay posted for an update on my next shopping trip!

How I Prepare for Triple Coupons

How do I get ready for a special event such as Triple Coupons Week? I'll show you below!


I first go to Southern Savers and check out their lists of many of the deals that are to be had this week. Jenny, the lady who runs the site, posts many of the free and cheap deals of the week, along with coupon matchups. This list is invaluable, as it saves me so much time. I simply click the boxes of any items that I would like to have and if I have that same coupon I know that I'm going to get a good deal. She also tells you if there is an available printable coupon. I can print the coupon right there from the site, and then print out her shopping list to take with me to the store. Yes, I do go through each list. It is slightly time consuming, but since I don't normally do this much work, I'm willing to do it during triples week. I figure the great deals and stockpile that I will accomplish this week is worth it! This should cut down on my shopping in future weeks.


Next, I go through all of my coupons in my binder and pull any that will triple ($.99 or less), particularly if it's a coupon that I think Jenny mentioned or if it's an item that I think will be a good deal after tripling. Remember, it's all guess-work until you see the official ad come out on Wednesday morning, so just go ahead and pull any that are of interest to you and hope the item will also be on sale next week.

Next, I take my Southern Savers list and paper clip all coupons to the grocery list that I made. If I have time, I organize the coupons by aisle in the store, in order to save myself time. I have found that if the coupons are all set and ready to go, I save time by going in order from aisle to aisle, rather than walking back and forth across the store. I usually start at the produce section and work my way around the store from there.

My list of deals printed from Southern Savers, along with matching coupons paper clipped. 

These are my free deals, the ones I will try to get first!

All remaining coupons (and believe me, there are a lot of them- over 100 for me), go into my envelope labeled, "Triple Coupon Deals" and I will pull them out before my next grocery trip and decide which to use. Remember, you can only double or triple 20 coupons per day, so if you have more than 20, you will need to go back another day.

All of my triple-potential, pulled coupons,

paper-clipped together by aisle, ready to go for price checking.

 

If I really want to get a certain deal, I get up early on Wednesday morning (6:00 a.m.) and get there early, shop, then be in line to pay at 7:00 a.m. Coupons won't triple until 7:00 a.m. It pays to be there early because often the items that will be free or really great deals will sell out. 7:00 a.m. is probably overdoing it, but I have to shop before my husband goes to work. One of my rules is that the kids don't go with me shopping! So, if I don't go early, I have to wait until my husband gets home in the evening, and some things would likely be gone by then. Also, I don't like to make multiple trips looking for items, so things that I really want, I try to go ahead and get early on the first day.


I hope this post has been helpful to you in showing how I get ready for triple coupon week. It's going to be a busy week, that's for sure! Feel free to share with me how you organize yourself for this special week!

Rising Peanut Butter Prices- Good Reason to STOCK UP!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post, "Free Peanut Butter for All" in which I shared my great deal on peanut butter. I got 11 jars of Skippy for free, only paying a penny tax on each jar. It was on sale at Harris Teeter and after my coupon doubled, it ended up being free.


Last week I stocked up on Planters brand peanut butter, getting it free at Lowes Foods after my coupon doubled. All in all, I have about 16 jars of peanut butter now. It's a good thing, too, because they don't expire for over a year and now, it's expected that peanut butter prices will rise dramatically in the coming months.


In the article from three days ago, Peanut Prices Rising to New Heights, from Cleveland news, hot and dry weather has devastated this year's peanut crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that this year's crop will be 13 percent smaller than last year's. The result is that consumers will see higher prices on peanuts and peanut butter, at least through winter. 

Vincent Byrd, president and CEO of the J.M Smucker Company, makers of the number one selling brand of peanut butter, JIF, says that he expects prices to rise by 30% by November.


Hopes are that next year's crop will be better and hopefully, alleviate the rise in prices.


Sometimes stockpiling can get a bad rap, but this is just another example of why it's so important to stock up when the price is low. Especially considering all the volatility in the economy right now, it certainly pays to take a good deal when you can get it, because the deal may not be available later!

As an F.Y.I., Planters is still on sale for $1.50 at Lowes Foods through Tuesday night, so if you have the $.75 off coupon, it will be free. Get it now while the price is still good!

Star News Versus News and Observer Round- Well I've Lost Track!

 I'm not sure how long I've been doing this now, so I can't recall which round this is!


This morning, the Raleigh News and Observer newspaper had two Smart Source inserts. The Wilmington Star News had three inserts- one Red Plum and two Smart Source. Both papers appear to have some nice coupons but which had the most dollar value (best bang for your buck)? Let's take a look and see!

Wilmington Star News, Sunday, September 11, 2011


Smart Source Insert

Mentos Gum $1.00 off of two UP2U
Mentos Gum $1.00 off of two 45 ct or larger bottles
Mentos Gum $1.00 off of three 15 pc or larger
Campbells Soup $.40 off of four Chicken Noodle or Tomato
Campbells Soup $.40 off of three condensed soups (excludes chicken noodle and tomato)
Spaghetti-Os $.40 off of three
Swansons Canned Chicken $.60 off of two cans
Stove Top Stuffing $.50 off of one, any variety
Campbell's Slow Kettle Soup $1.00 off of two
French's French Fried Onions $.50 off of one
Pet Ice Cream $1.00 off of one 56 oz
Scott Extra Soft Bath Tissue $1.00 off eight or more rolls
Scott Towels $1.00 off of 4 or more rolls
Scott Shop Towel Single Rolls or One 2-Pack $1.00 off
Harmony Farms Dry Food for Dogs $3.00 off of one large bag
Harmony Farms Dry Food for Cats $2.00 off of one variety pack
Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet Paper or Flushable Moist Wipes $1.00 off of one
Grande Chips $1.00 off of one 10 oz or larger bag
Krunchers Kettle Cooked Chips $.75 off of one 9 oz bag
Covergirl Queen Products $1.00 off of one
Gain or Tide Detergent $2.00 off of one *Great coupon!!!!
Lipton Iced Tea Bottles $1.00 off of two
Carolina Pride Smoked Sausage $.50 off of one
Carolina Pride Cocktail Smokies $.50 off of one
Crest Complete Products $2.00 off of one *Great coupon to combine with HT Digital EVIC!!
FREE Double Fresh Warmer Unit when you buy an Air Wick Scented Oil Refill Frangrance
Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra $4.00 off of one Starter Kit
Air Wick Scented Oil Twinb Refill Pack $1.00 off of one
Air Wick Freshmatic Compact Refill $1.50 off of one
Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Refill $1.50 off of one
Farmhouse Cage Free Hens Eggs $.35 off of one
Cottonelle Toilet Paper two 4-packs or one 12-pack  $.75 off of one
Mitchum Deoderant $.75 off of one
Sciff Move Free $5 off of one
Similasan $1.75 off of one
MidNite Sleep Drug $1.00 off of one
Benefiber $2.00 off of one
Gax X $1.00 off of one 18 ct or larger
Prevacid $3.00 off of one
Science Diet Mature Adult Cat Food $3.00 off of one
Baskin Robins Coupons (variety) $5.98 off
Red Lobster Coupons (variety) $7.00 off

Wilmington Star News Smart Source Insert #2

Fun da-middles Cupcake Mix $.75 off of one
Yoplait Frozen Smoothie $.75 off of one
General Mills Cereals $1.00 off of three
Yoplait Kids Yogurt $.75 off of two
Yoplait Kids Yogurt $.75 off of two
Yoplait Light Parfait Yogurt $.75 off of one
Hamburger Helper $.75 off of three
Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables $.60 off of three
Green Giant Just for One Vegetables $.40 off of one
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $.50 off of two
Pillsbury Pizza Crust, Breadsticks Loaves or Dinner Rolls $.40 off of two
Progresso Soups $1.00 off of four
Nature Valley Granola Bars $.75 off of two boxes
Nature Valley Granola Thins $.75 off of one box
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $.50 off of one
Fiber One Bars $.40 off of one box
Golden Graham, Lucky Charms, or Chex Mix Cereal Bars $.50 off of one
Yoplait Original or Light Yogurt $.50 off of one four-pack
Yoplait Yogurt Multipack, Delights or Greek Yogurt $.50 off of one
Yoplait Cups $.40 off of six cups
Yoplait Yogurt Cups $.50 off of eight cups
Yoplait Greek Yogurt $.50 off of two cups
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands $.30 off of one
Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough $.75 off of two
Pillsbury Toaster Strudels, Scrambles or Pancakes $.50 off of two
Pillsbury Sweet Moments $1.00 off of one
Pillsbury Biscuit Cans $.30 off of two
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $.40 off of two
Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes $.50 off of two
Totinos Pizza Rolls $.40 off of two
Totinos Party Pizza $.60 off of three
Totinos Pizza Stuffers $.75 off of one
Pillsbury Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwiches $1.00 off of one
Chex Mix bags $.75 off of one

Wilmington Star News Insert #3 Red Plum

Digiorno's Large Pizza $1.00 off of one
Johnsonville Smoked Chicken Sausage $.75 off of one
Mahatma Rice $.50 off of one
Loreal Mousse $2.00 off of one
Ragu Pasta Sauce $.75 off of two
Knorr Homestyle Stock $2.00 off of one
Pop Secret Products $.50 off of two
Emerald Nuts $1.00 off of one
Star Kist Autentico Tuna $.50 off of one can
Minute Steamers $.50 off of one

Total Value: $97.58


Raleigh News and Observer Coupons Sunday, September 11, 2011


Smart Source Insert #1

Mentos Gum $1.00 off of two UP2U*
Mentos Gum $1.00 off of two 45 ct or larger bottles*
Mentos Gum $1.00 off of three 15 pc or larger*
Pet Ice Cream $1.00 off of one 56 oz*
Harmony Farms Dry Food for Dogs $3.00 off of one large bag*
Harmony Farms Dry Food for Cats $2.00 off of one variety pack*
Grande Chips $1.00 off of one 10 oz or larger bag*
Krunchers Kettle Cooked Chips $.75 off of one 9 oz bag*
Lipton Iced Tea Bottles $1.00 off of two*
Carolina Pride Smoked Sausage $.50 off of one*
Carolina Pride Cocktail Smokies $.50 off of one*
Crest Complete Products $2.00 off of one *Great coupon to combine with HT Digital EVIC!!
Farmhouse Cage Free Hens Eggs $.35 off of one*
Sciff Move Free $5 off of one*
Similasan $1.75 off of one*
Allegra $3.00 off of one
Allegra $2.00 off of one Children's Allegra
Colgate Optic White $1.50 off of one
Colgate 360 Optic White Toothbrush $.75 off of one
Colgate Total Advance $.75 off of one
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief $1.00 off of one
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothbrush $.75 off of one
Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick Buy one Get One FREE
$2.00 off of Bottled Water Case when you buy any Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken
Tyson Diced Ham Crumbles Products $.55 off of one
Carpet Fresh $1.00 off of one
X-14 Mold Mildew Stain Eliminator $.55 off of one
Gorton's Items $.50 off of one
Scotch Fur Fighter Pet Sweeper $2.00 off of one

Raleigh Paper Smart Source Insert #2

Campbells Soup $.40 off of four Chicken Noodle or Tomato*
Campbells Soup $.40 off of three condensed soups (excludes chicken noodle and tomato)*
Spaghetti-Os $.40 off of three*
Campbell's Select Harvest can or bowl $.50 off of two*
Campbell's Chunky Soup or Chunky Chilli $.50 off of two*
Swansons Canned Chicken $.60 off of two cans*
V8 Splash 46 oz or larger $1.00 off of one*
Prego Sauces $.75 off of three*
Campbell's Healthy Request Soups $.40 off of three*
Campbell's Healthy Request Chunky or Select Harvest Soups $.50 off of four*
Campbell's Slow Kettle Style Soup $1.00 off of two*
Activia Selects $1.00 off of three*
Activia 12-pack $1.00 off of one*
Stove Top Stuffing $.50 off of one, any variety*
Campbell's Slow Kettle Soup $1.00 off of two*
French's French Fried Onions $.50 off of one*
Scott Extra Soft Bath Tissue $1.00 off eight or more rolls*
Scott Towels $1.00 off of 4 or more rolls*
Scott Shop Towel Single Rolls or One 2-Pack $1.00 off*
Rachel Ray Super Premium Dogfood $2.50 off of one bag*
Rachel Ray Nutrish Dog Treats $1.00 off of one*
Hershey's Stand Up Chocolate Bags $1.00 off of two*
Ocuvite $5.00 off of one*
Poise Hourglass Shape Pads $1.50 off of one*
Poise Products $1.00 off of one*
Aveeno Products $1.00 off of one*
Aveeno Products $3.00 off of two*
Resolve Laundry Products $.50 off of one*
French's Dijon Mustard $.50 off of one*
Bausch and Lomb Eye Drops $4.00 off of one
Bausch and Lomb OpconA Eye Drops $1.00 off of one
Dulcolax Products $1.00 off of one
Dulcolax Products $3.00 off of two
Resolve Easy Clean Carpet Cleaner $3.00 off of one
Resolve Carpet Cleaner $.75 off of one
Claritin $2 off of one
Claritin $4 off of one 24 count or larger
Claritin Non Drowsy $4 off of one
Depend Underwear $1.00 off of one
Depend Underwear in Prints $1.50 off of one
Depend Guards for Men $1.00 off of one
Crest Products $2 off of one
Mitchum $.75 off of one
Freshpet Select Roasted Meals for Dogs $3.00 off of one
Dog Joy Beef or Chicken Treats $1.50 off of one
Gain or Tide Detergent $2.00 off of one
Cottonelle Toilet Paper two- four packs or one 12-pack $.75 off of one
Benefiber $2 off of one
Benefiber Sticks $2.00 off of one
Ziploc Bags $1.00 off of three
Midnite Sleep Aids $1.00 off of one
Huggies Diapers $1.50 off of one pack
Huggies Little Movers Slip on Diapers $3.00 off of one
Huggies Baby Wipes $.50 off of one
Bausch and Lomb Soothie Eye Drops $4.00 off of one
Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra $4.00 off of one Starter Kit
Air Wick Scented Oil Twinb Refill Pack $1.00 off of one
Air Wick Freshmatic Compact Refill $1.50 off of one
Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Refill $1.50 off of one
Science Diet Pet Food Mature Cat $3.00 off of one bag
Easy-Off Oven Cleaner $.50 off of one
Lime-a-Way Cleaner $.50 off of one
Easy Off Cooktop or BBQ Grill Cleaner $.50 off of one
Mop and Glo $.75 off of one
Old English Products $1.00 off of one
Baskin Robins Coupons Variety $5.98
Gax X $1.00 off of one 18 ct or larger*
Prevacid $3.00 off of one*
Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Cleaner $4.00 off of one starter kit*
Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaner Refill $1.00 off of one*
Science Diet Mature Adult Cat Food $3.00 off of one*


Total Value of Raleigh paper coupons: 154.63


Dollar for dollar, the Raleigh paper had more coupons, but the variety and different coupons in the local Wilmington paper was nice. If you get the Wilmington paper, you will get all those nice General Mills coupons (although many of those General Mills coupons are also available for free to print online from my website). All in all, I'd say if you can get your hands on them, get both!

Harris Teeter Triple Coupon Deals

Harris Teeter will start triple coupon week on Wednesday, September 14th! That means that any coupon with a face value of $.99 or less will triple. To be clear, 25 cent coupons will triple to 75 cents off, 50 cents off will triple to $1.50 off and 75 cents will triple to $2.25 off! You can triple up to 20 per day (that's the limit- don't try to cheat because the computer will remember your VIC card and any over 20 will not triple)!


Jenny, from Southern Savers, one of my favorite coupon match-up sites, has posted the first list of triple coupon deals. She usually posts three lists of deals before the week is over. 


Attached is her first list of deals for triple coupon week. I noticed lots of free item opportunities, and many have printable coupons that you can print from your computer to use. Others you will need to look in your binder or coupon folders and pull the coupons needed. Either way, you should have plenty of chances to get some great deals!

A few notes about triple coupon week- sometimes items will sell out, so be patient and understand that these special weeks attract more customers, all trying to get a good deal. The earlier you can go, the better (some people show up 7 a.m. on Wednesday mornning). The grocery store will, however, restock throughout the week, so if you can go back a second time, you might be able to find some items that were out. If they are out again and the item was on special, you could also get a raincheck, but keep in mind that the coupon won't triple until the next triple coupon week!

One final note- sometimes on these special weeks, I notice that there are less sales. Be sure that you're still getting a good deal even with the coupon tripling. It's fun to watch the coupon triple, but don't buy items just because you have a coupon unless it really is a great deal.


Click here for a list of some of the great deals! Remember, Jenny doesn't list EVERY deal, since deals sometimes vary by region, so be sure to pull any coupons that you want to check to see if it might be a good deal after it triples.

Great Staples Deals Through Wednesday!

 Can we say 1 cent Printer Paper!!!!

I happened to be in Staples today making copies and noticed some excellent deals. The once cent sales last through Wednesday- all other prices in the ad last through Sunday. A couple of the one-cent deals are easy rebates. I know that the word "rebate" immediately turns some people off (including me, usually).


But since I have done Staples easy rebates before, I know that they REALLY are super easy. You can complete them online in a matter of seconds with the receipts they give you when you check out. As with most rebates, I suggest you complete them sooner rather than later, because you always run the risk of losing the rebate receipt or missing the deadline.


Another thing I love about Staples is their rewards system. I make lots of copies there and I also usually buy my printer ink there when it's on special. If you sign up for a Staples rewards card (free and easy), every quarter you get back a percentage of the purchases that you made there, including printer copies. They send the reward to your e-mail in the form of a rewards certificate that you redeem in the store. Last month my certificate was for $10, which I immediately put towards buying printer ink! I have been making lots of copies so I assume my next rebate check will be even bigger.


Here are the deals that I saw at Staples this week. Hurry because the once cent deals end on Wednesday night!

1 cent Hammermill Copy Plus Paper 500 sheets (limit 2 and must do easy rebate)

1 cent HP 4x6 photo paper (limit 2 and must do easy rebate)


1 cent Staples erasers 12 pack (limit 2 and no easy rebate required)


1 cent Staples brand glue (limit 2)

1 cent Pentel Pens 4-pack (limit one and must do easy rebate)


$1 for Staples White mailing envelopes (25 pack- no easy rebate required)


$1 for BIC mechanical pencils 5 pack (no easy rebate required)


$1 for Zebra Sarasa retractable gel pens 5 pack (no easy rebate required)


50% off all backpacks


****There are so many other deals there- I named the best ones that I saw but check out the store flyer here or drop in for more!****

Competition is a Good Thing!

                                                 Whole Foods Store in Silicon Valley, CA

In the Wilmington area, we are so lucky to have several grocery stores to choose from when doing our shopping. Most people can easily access Food Lion, Lowes Foods, and Harris Teeter. There is also Piggly Wiggly, which I have heard has great prices on meat.

In addition, there are a variety of drug stores to choose from, including Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens. There is also the regional chain, Kerr Drugs, in the area.

The reason I mention this is because each of those stores run sales ads, trying to compete for our business, hoping to out-do one another on the low prices. We even benefit from the fact that stores like Bi-Lo and Kroger are in other parts of the state such as Raleigh. Although they are not here, the grocery ads tend to be the same across the state. So Harris Teeter, for example, might try to run great specials to compete against all the other grocery stores in the state, including ones that we don't have here locally in Wilmington. The consumer always benefits from competing chains!

                                             Fresh Market Store in St. Petersburg, Florida


One recent example that I have seen of competitive pricing is in the specialty store category. Many of you are familiar with the Fresh Market fresh foods grocery store near Mayfaire. I always considered that store to be upscale and expensive. They offer amazingly fresh produce and meats, along with many other prepacked foods and gourmet cooking items. I compare it to Whole Foods grocery store, which specializes in high quality and organic foods. (Some people jokingly refer to Whole Foods as "Whole Paycheck.") They are not exactly the same, but I do think they attract a similar kind of customer.

Recently I learned that Wilmington, NC will be getting a Whole Foods grocery store next year. It will be located near Independence Mall on Oleander where a Lowes Foods store formerly was. I personally am not into organic foods but I know that many people are, so this will open up a whole new ballgame when it comes to competing in those customers. In fact, just recently the Fresh Market has started doing $2.99 Tuesday sales, offering great prices on certain items Tuesdays only. Is this in response to the new Whole Foods that we are getting? I can't say, but I do expect there to be some great pricing on organic items from local grocers such as Tidal Creek and Loveys, as well as better pricing from some of the big chains here, all in response to the Whole Foods that is coming.

                                            Whole Foods store in Silver Springs, Maryland


The Whole Foods grocery store is set to open spring of 2012. For now, check out the $2.99 Tuesdays at the Fresh Market. Highlights include $2.99 ground chuck, $2.99 fresh chicken breast, and $2.99 for a whole pineapple. Great prices!

Labor Day Deals and Steals!

 This week marks the last opportunity to save big on summertime holiday cookout items. Many sales are seasonal, so since this is the Labor Day weekend coming up there are many sales with matching coupons on cookout type items. This is a good time to stock up on those kinds of items, especially things like mustard or worceshire sauce, since they can be used all year. I went through each ad to find the best deals from our local grocery chains. I only did highlights- I'm sure there are many deals that I missed, so please comment below if you find other great deals!

I did not list specific dates that the coupons came out in the paper since many of you will have them in your binder. If you are unsure, just use my Delly's Deals coupon database to search the item and it will tell you if a coupon is available and where to find it. Many of the items listed below have coupons that match, so if you're not sure, check!

Harris Teeter

French's Worceshire Sauce- FREE with $.75 off coupon
French's Mustard- FREE with $.75 off coupon
French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce- $.50 with $.75 off coupon
Heinz Ketchup- $1.00 with $.50 off coupon
Harris Teeter Brand Hotdog and Hamburger Buns- $.99
McCormick Grillmates Seasoning Packets-B1G1 (makes it $.69 each)
Texas Toast Tortilla Strips and Croutons $1.24 each *I love these- been waiting for a sale!
Reynolds Wrap- $.99 with $.55 off coupon
Ball Park Franks- B1G1- $.75 off of two or $1 off of one coupon is available
Deer Park Water 24 pack B1G1- makes it $3.75 each, plus coupons are available
Hefty Cups and Plates- B1G1- plus you can use a $.55 off of two coupon which will double
Lays Chips- B1G1
Lawry's Marinades- B1G1
Mt. Olive Pickles- $57/jar with $.50 off coupon
Vlassic Pickles- B1G1
Bakery Dept. Cakes/Cupcakes- $4.99
24 pack of Bud Light, Miller Light, Cool Lite- $13.88
Mike's Hard Lemonade- $6.99
Coke Fridge Packs- B1G1
A1 Steak Sauce- B1G1
Hellman's Mayo- B1G1
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressings- $2.99
Lays Chips- B1G1
Chicken Leg Quarters- $.77/pound
Filet Mignon Tenderloin Steak- $10.99/pound
Boneless Tenderloin Roast- $10.99/pound
**There are so many meats on sale this week at HT that I cannot list them all- check them out in the flyer!
Johnsonville Brats- $2.99
Ballpark Hotdog Buns $1.99- $.55 off of one coupon makes it only $.89

Lowes Foods

Matchlight Charcoal- I saw it on sale but cannot remember the price- coupon match-up, too!
Babyback Pork Ribs- $2.99/ pound
Boneless NY Strip Steak- $6.88/pound
Oscar Meyer Franks- B1G1
Fresh Sweet Corn- 5 for $2
Lays Chips- B1G1
Heinz Ketchup- $.50 with $.50 off coupon
Pepsi Fridge Packs- 5 for $13
Kraft Shredded Cheese- 2 for $4
Deer Park 24 pack- $2.99 (must be E-rewards member)
Steak um Burgers- B1G1
12 pack Yuengling Beer- $8.99 *There are many sales on beer this week, at all three grocery chains!
Fresh Express Garden Salad- $.97 each
Kraft Cheese- $2
Mt. Olive Pickles- B1G1, plus use the $.50 off coupon which will double
KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce- B1G1* I believe it's free after coupon
Lowes Foods Foam Plates B1G1
Kraft Salad- $1.99
Mardi Gras Napkins- $1.99
Lowes Foods 6 pack Paper Towels- $3.99
SOLO Plates- 2 for $5
French's Mustard- $1.88, only $.38 with coupon

Food Lion

Ground Chuck- $2.48 per pound
Lobster Tails- $4.99 each
T-Bone Steaks- $5.99/pound
Holly Farms Chicken Tenders and Breasts- 50% off
Kingsford Charcoal- $4.99 per bag plus use the $1 off coupon from Sunday paper
1 pound Fresh Strawberries- $2.00 each
Oscar Meyer Hotdogs- B1G1
Lays Chips- B1G1
Breyers Icecream- $1.99 each
Sweet Baby Rays- B1G1
Bush's Beans- 3 for $5 *These are also on sale at Harris Teeter and probably at Lowes Foods, too.
Food Lion Shredded Cheese- 3 for $5 *Great price on shredded cheese!
Food Lion Hamburger and Hotdog Buns- $.99 each
Food Lion Foam Plates- $1.99
Dole Salads- 2 for $5
Gatorade- $.79 for a 32 ounce *Great deal- they are $1 at Harris Teeter
My Essentials Water- $2.99 for 24 pack
Mike's Hard Lemonade- $6.99
Ken's Salad Dressing- B1G1
French's Mustard- $1 for 14 ounce
Heinz Ketchup- $2.00
Old El Paso Taco Shells- 3 for $4