Publix 7/12/09

I'm really excited about this weeks savings!  I love Kashi and there were some great deals.  My freezer is now completely full.

*Publix Blue Cheese Dressing $0.01

*Kashi Go Lean Waffles $0.11 overage times 5

*Kashi Pizzas $1.99 each

*Kashi Entrees $1.14 each

*Velveeta Cups $0.32 each

*Strawberries $1.50

*Stouffer Lasagna $2.50 each

*Horizons Milk $3.49 (would have been less, forgot my $1 off coupon)

*Hershey Bliss Chocolate $2.95

Spent:  $32.80

Saved:  $42.36

*That's $75 worth of food for only $32.  I like the sound of that!

Publix 7/5/09

*Tortilla Chips $0.01

*Miracle Whip $1.25

*Dove bar $free

*Kettle Chips $1.25

*Purina Cat Chow (not pictured) $0.49

*M&M's $1.35 each

*Snickers minis $2.00 each

*Strawberries $2.50

Spent:  $21.80

Saved:  $29.14

Publix 5/24/09

What a GREAT day!  So many savings at Publix this week and I believe my best savings so far!  I got $111 worth of food for only $45, now that's a deal!   Here's the highlights:

-Bleach for $0.01

-2 cans of Coffee for $1.89

-4 DiGiorno Flatbread Melts for $4.25

-4 bottles of Kraft Ranch dressing for $0.90

-2 bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce for $free + overage

-1 Coffeemate creamer for $0.50

-4 Aunt Jermina Breafast meals for $2.70

-5 packs of Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs for $6.00

-1 tub of Hellava Good Dip for $0.50

-2 packs Kraft Cheese slices for $0.60

-3 packs of Wheat Thins/Artison Crackers for $0.34

-3 lbs (just under) of Chicken drumsticks for $2.84 (was $0.99 lb)

Bought a few more things, but the best deals are above.  

Spend:  $45.11

Saved:  $66.42 (around 60% off)

Publix 5/10/09

Highlights this week include:

-Publix BBQ chips $0.01

-2 packs Jello Pudding Snack Packs for $2.00

-1 box Kashi Go Lean Waffles for $free 

-4 packs Dove Chocolate, buy 1 get 1 ($1.89 each)

Spent:  $39.37

Saved:  $22.29

Publix 5/3/09

Few deals this week:

-Publix Sweet Tea for $0.01

-6 Kashi Entrees at 50% off ($1.89 each)

-2 boxes Farm Rich French Toast, buy 1 get 1 ($1.65 each)

Spent:  $15.77

Saved:  $16.16

Walmart 4/26/09

Picked up a few things from Walmart this week.  Duncan Hines cake mix was on sale for $1.16 each and I used 2 coupons for $0.35 off.  I also have a form to turn in for a $5 rebate with purchase of 5 items, so this deal will turn into a money maker!  I also bought two VitaminWaters for $1 each and used 2 coupons for $1 off.  I love Free!  Had a coupon for a free Deli Creations sandwich and another for $1.50 off, so I got two for $1 total.  Stocked up on Healthy Choice pasta mixes, since I love them.  They were $2 each after coupons.

Spent:  $18 (technically $13 when I redeem my rebate)

Saved:  $15

Publix 4/26/09

I was glad to get to Publix this week.  Its been almost a month since I last went.  Great thing is I haven't needed anything, so I was able to sit back and enjoy the savings I had already received.  This week I did pick up the Penny Item, Publix brand toilet paper.  I love me some free toilet paper!  Green Valley Steamers were 50% off, plus combined with a coupon they ended up being  $0.70 each.  Fresh Express Salad was on sale for $1.99, plus used a $1 off coupon to get it for $0.99.  Pop Tarts were Buy 1, Get 1 so I used a $0.55 off coupon to pick a box up at $0.65.  Bertolli Oven Bake on sale for $5.99, so I used a $1 off coupon to get it for $4.99.  Stouffers Family meal on sale for $3.99, combined with a $1 off coupon made it $2.99 (serves 4 so that's less than $1 per serving!).  Also used a $1 off coupon for Horizons Milk.

Spent:  $21

Saved:  $20

That's $41 worth of food for only $20.  Its like using a 50% off coupon for my total purchase!

Freebies & A Cheap Tip!

As I've posted before I am always signing up for freebies from the sites I have listed on the right side of my blog (walmart and sweet free stuff).  You can also find fun freebies from some of the blogs I read regularly too.  Recently I saw a coupon for a free Whole Foods lunch bag (pictured above), which also came with an apple!  :-)  Here's a few more things I have gotten in the mail recently:

*Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer

*Trident pack of gum

*Stride pack of gum

*Auqa Fresh tootpaste (large travel size)

I've also have discovered a deal from my Mom and Sister-in-law where you can pick up a cast iron skillet for a really great deal.  Here's what you need to do.  Stop by the Tennessee welcome center and pick up a coupon to use at the Lodge Factory Outlet, which is located in South Pittsburg TN.  The coupon is good for one 10" skillet in the seconds section for only $3.99 (vs. $22 normally).  These are slightly imperfect, but most you really can't tell the difference.  You can buy one on your way out of TN and on your way back in!  They can make great gifts by adding cornbread mix or something similar.  

Publix 3/29/09

I'm a little behind on this post.  Better late than never!  Some highlights from this trip include the penny item, Salad dressing regularly priced at $2.29.  Picked up Coffee-mate creamer for $0.17 buy using a $1.50 coupon combined with the sale price.  Strawberries were on sale, so I used a $2 off Food Lion coupon.  Publix multi-grain bread was also on sale and I had another Food Lion coupon for bakery that I used to get $2 off.  You can go to the Food Lion website each week to see what coupons they have.  The produce or bakery coupons are the ones I use most.    Contessa brand frozen meals were buy 1, get 1 so I used a $1.50 off two.  There were a few other deals, but since I waited so long to recap I've forgotten some of what I did.  You can see the grand total below.  Pretty good week!

Spent:  $35.17

Saved:  $35.47

(That's $70 worth of groceries for $35 or 50% off)

Publix 3/15/09

Lots of great highlights to share this week!  

Motts applesauce - $0.12 each (sale was 3 for $5, plus had two Target $1 off coupons, plus two $.055 off manuf coupons)

Bertolli pausta pouch - $0.49 each (was buy 1 get 1 free at $2.99, plus used two instore $1 off coupons)

Kellogs Frosted flakes - $0.99 (was on sale for $1.99, plus had two $1 coupons)

Tai Pei frozen dinners - $0.99 (was buy 1 get 1 free at $2.99, plus used $1 off two coupon)

Suave lotion - FREE (had a coupon to get up to $3 value)

International Coffee creamer - $1.75 (Large bottle on sale for $2.75, plus used a $1 off coupon)

Other deals:

Kelloggs waffles - $1.50

Strawberries - $1.67

Publix salad - $2.00

Publix Tortilla chips - $0.01 (penny item again this week)

So here's how I did:

Spent:  $26.71

Saved:  $40.83 (thats 65% off!)

Thanks to http://www.fiddledeedeeblog.blogspot.com for all the great tips!

Kroger & Publix 2/8/09

I went to two grocery stores this week.  There were deals at both I wanted to take advantage of.  First off is Kroger.  They had a buy 10 get $5 off deal for some things that I needed (lean cuisine, pizza and waffles).  I also love Vitamin water and they have them 10 for $10.  I had a coupon for a free Kashi frozen entree, plus they were 15% off.  Used a Target coupon for the OJ which was already on sale.  And bought two pop tarts at $1.99 plus used two $0.55 off coupons.

Spent:  $39.90

Saved:  $26.91

Was back on track this week at Publix, saving more than I spent.  Penny item was cookies, yummy!  Chicken was on sale for $1.99 a pound.  Ore Idea Steam and Mash potatoes were buy 1 get 1 free, plus I had a $1 coupon.  Best trick is using two coupons for cat litter (manufacturer coupon and food lion coupon).  Picked up strawberries for $1.67.  Also bought a couple buy 1 get 1 free, but only bought one.  Most people don't realize you don't have to buy 2 to get the deal.  They just give you one at half the cost.  Had a coupon for a free del monte 100 calorie fruit can.  And used a $1 off coupon to get Muir Glen tomato sauce for free, actually made about $0.15 on it.

Spent:  $23.45

Saved:  $29.61

That's $53 worth of food for only $23!

More freebies!

Here are a few of the recent freebies I've gotten in the mail.  Best deal is a free 1 year subscription to Martha Stewart Living!  Also got a coupon for a free Kashi frozen entree.  A multi-pack of Emergen-C and always infinity.  Some great sites to check out for daily updates are located on the right side of my blog.  Check it out and get some fun freebies for yourself!  

Publix 2/22/09

I've gotten a little behind lately in keeping up with my posts.  There are two reasons for this.  1)  I haven't made too many trips to the stores, since I've been stocked up.  2)  I've been busy!  The last trip I made I didn't do as well as I had hoped.  When you're used to saving SO much money, saving a little doesn't seem as exciting.  :-)  There still are a few highlights to share.  Of course, the penny item is top of the list.  This week it was tortilla chips.  Pasta sauce was on sale buy 1 get 1 free.  Hillshire Farm lunch meats was also buy 1 get 1.  Only bought 1 and combined with a coupon.  Received a free 2L coupon for Diet Dr. Pepper in the mail, so I used that.  Used a Food Lion coupon for cat litter.  And got Bertolli dinner on sale.  Also picked up a few Publix brand items, so technically probably saved a little more than I can report.

Spent:  $29.43

Saved:  $13.06

Publix, Kroger, Target 2/8/09

Made a few stops this weekend, so I'm going to do a combined post with all my savings.  As you know from my previous posts I'm a big fan of the free Cottonelle toilet paper freebie deal at Kroger, so I stock up every chance I get.  And while I have enough cat food for probably a year, why not grab one more free bag while I'm at it.  Today I used 3 coupons I got from a Kraft Super Bowl promotion, which got me a free block of cheese, box of Wheat Thins and mixed nuts.  I also had a free coupon for 100 Calorie Cakesters, which I got through Kraft First taste (sign up here).  And a coupon for a free can of Del Monte No Salt Diced Tomatoes.  I like free!  Other deals:  Kashi frozen entrees at 50% off, Kashi snack bars for $0.75 (compared to $2.75) and French Toast for $0.65 (compared to $3.29).  I would have done better this week, but had to pick up a few things to make cupcakes for work.  Plus I went ahead and picked up two papers today, rather than waiting until Monday when they are $1 at Kroger.  I've had issues the last two weeks, so I didn't want to risk it again this week.  Almost forgot, the penny item was a 5lb bag of sugar.  Nice!

Spent:  $32.96

Saved:  $50.33

Publix 2/1/09

This week's highlights include lots of Free or cheap coffee.  First the penny item was Publix brand coffee.  Next I used a coupon for a Free Maxwell House coffee I received from Kraft First Taste (sign up here).  I also had another $2 off coupon I used on the second one.  Stocked up on a couple "buy 1, get 1" offers combined with coupons my deals were:  Velveeta for $0.80 each (normally $3.59); Kraft Mayo for $1.25 each (normally $3.99). I also picked up Pam for $0.99 by combining a Publix coupon with a manuf coupon.  Did the same for the Horizon's milk, getting it at $2.19 (compared to $4.19).

Spent:  $17.13

Saved:  $27.31

Sometimes Free, Really IS Free!

I have recently discovered there are a bunch of websites dedicated to all the free samples you can sign up for.  Some of the coupon blogs I read post these from time to time, but you can find a daily updated list at this site:  www.sweetfreestuff.com.  Walmart also has free samples, updated periodically.  You can find the latest by clicking here.  Here's just a few of the things I have received/signed up for over the last few months (some are still available):

*Dunkin Donuts coffee 

*Folgers coffee

*SoyJoy bar

*Quaker Simple Harvest Instant Hot Cereal

*Quaker True Delights bar

*Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal

*Bear Naked Granola

*Tide Total Care 

*Bounce Dryer Sheet 

*Always Infinity Pad

*Benefiber 

*Crest Whitestrips Advance 

*Emergen-C

*Airborne

*Dove Hair Therapy Shampoo

*Greenies Cat Treats

*Cream of Wheat

*Trident Gum

*Head & Shoulders Shampoo 

*Pantene Pro-V Shampoo

*GoodNites Sample (for my nephew)

*Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn

*Pedigree Good Bites Dog Treats (gave to a friend)

*Coupon for 1 Free Meal at Zaxby's

*Coupon for 1 Free 10 oz. Maxwell House Coffee

*Coupon for 1 Free bottle of Suave

*Coupon for 1 Free 2L Dr. Pepper

Sam's Club 1/19/09

I made a mistake that turned into an opportunity to do something for a friend.  I recently chose a Sam's gift card as my Discover card cash back reward.  Problem is it was a free $40 membership and not an actual gift card for cash.  I already have a membership.  So I chose to give the card to a good friend of mine who likes to go to Sams, but doesn't have her own membership.  I was able to use the additional $10 gift card that came with it to use for the items above.  So the reward wasn't a total loss.  Besides its good to do something for others too.  I seem to keep learning the same lesson lately - "pay more attention!"  :-)

Spent:  $2.31

Saved:  $10.00

*Oh and the other big plus about going to Sam's during lunch, is you can load up on free samples, which I referred to as "appetizers"!  And for lunch I got the hot dog combo meal, which is only $1.50

Publix 1/25/09

So I've gotten to the point where I really don't need to buy much each week.  If a blizzard were to hit Tennessee, I would be able to survive for months!  My plan now is to focus on the essentials, and only stock up on the really good deals.  This week the Publix penny item was paper towels.  I bought Kraft salad dressing which was "buy 1, get 1 free."  Combined with my coupons they were about $0.85 each (compared to $2.69).  I also bought Dole fruit cups for about $0.60 each (compared to $2.19).  The chicken was also on sale for $3.61.

Spent:  $11.07

Saved:  $19.25

Another way to look at it - $30 worth of food, for only $11.  I'm really starting to enjoy this coupon game!

Walgreens 1/25/09

This week I decided to stop by Walgreens for a few deals too good to pass up.  I picked up a load of razors for only $2.99 and got 3 packs of panty liners for $1 total.  Not bad.

Spent:  $3.96

Saved:  $5.80

Freebies!

Since it was a holiday weekend, I took a few extra trips to pick up a few freebies at Target and Walmart.  Everything you see above was priced at $1 and I had a $1 off coupon for each.  I'm a big fan of anything free!  :-)  

Spent:  $0

Saved:  $13

Kroger 1/19/09

I make a trip to Kroger every Monday after work, so that I can get the Sunday paper for $1.  I typically pick up two, except for weeks that I hear there are extra coupon inserts.  This is how I save money.  I keep a folder with each week's insert, then look at my favorite blogs for the coupon match-ups.  Someone else does all the work, I just reap the benefits.  This week at Kroger I also picked up a few deals.  My favorite deal is the FREE toilet paper.  Since Kroger sells their Cottonelle 4 packs for $1 and they double coupons, you can use a $0.50 off coupon to get it for free.  This week I had 3 coupons, so I got 3 packs for free!!  I also took advantage of their Mega Event sale and got $5 off, plus my coupon savings.  Here's how I scored:

Spent:  $6.90

Saved:  $19.17

Publix 1/18/09

Today was a good day at Publix.....the day I finally saved more than I spent!!!  I have been trying to do this since the day I started and after learning a few lessons along the way I have achieved my goal!  Best deal is Eletrasol at $1.39 each (regular price: $7.79).  They were buy 1, get 1 and I combined with two coupons for $2.50 off each.  I also got a 5 lb bag of grapefruit for free with purchase of two White Grapefruit juices (which I love!).  I also got two 32 oz bottles of creamer for $1.47 each (regular price: $3.19).  So today was a good day for which I am very proud.  :-)

Spent:  $31.42

Saved:  $41.45

Walmart 1/18/09

I don't make a trip to Walmart that often, but I will go there at least once every other month to take advantage of some freebies with coupons.  Today's trip I was able to score free cat food, plus make $1 overage on first aid travel kits.  I also stocked up on a few things that were good deals with coupons, plus got some holiday items at super deals (canned pumpkin and fried onions were both at unbelievable prices and don't expire for a while!).

Spent:  $30.81

Saved:  $21.89

*Note:  I would have done even better, but needed to buy a special kind of eye drops at $10 (but did have a $2 off coupon, which helped)

Publix savings 1/11/09

Spent:  $23.45

Saved:  $18.22

I'm getting closer to saving more than I'm spending.  That is one of my biggest goals.  Its become like a game to me.  This week's penny item was Publix brand Saltine Crackers.  I also picked up a few staples and buy 1, get 1 specials.  Was able to use a Food Lion coupon for $2 off produce that combined with the sale on fruit.  Biggest saving was cat food for FREE!  I had a $4 off coupon and the sale price was $3.99.  I've gotten this deal a few times, so I am stocked up for a while.

Publix savings 1/4/09

I am a big fan of Publix for many reasons.  One of my favorite things is the "penny item" on Sunday and Mondays.  Last week (1/4/09) it was Publix brand Frosted Flakes.  You really can't beat cereal for a penny!  Other great deals from this week:  Ben & Jerry's ice cream for $0.89 and Tomato Paste with an overage of $0.15.  I made one error by thinking all Freschetta pizzas were "Buy 1, Get 1 Free," realizing later that only the naturally rising ones were on sale.  Lesson learned - pay more attention to the ad or store sign!!  Still I think I did fairly well:

Spent:  $33.14 before tax

Saved:  $25.53

How did I save that much money?  By combining coupons with store deals.  You can find links to the blogs I read regularly on the right side of my page. 

Welcome to my blog!

A few months ago some friends taught me how to save money on my grocery bill by using coupons combined with store sales.  I have always been a coupon clipper, but never seemed to find ways to really make them work in my favor.  I used to think that for a single girl like me, this wasn't very practical.  Instead I have now found ways to save money and stock up on the things I need.  I wanted to keep track of what I am buying and saving this year, so thought why not create a blog so that possibly others can gain inspiration.  There are plenty of great websites out there to find the latest weekly deals, freebies and other great finds.  I will do my best to share the highlights of what I have found.