What I Saved: Triples Round 2

Triples is off to a GREAT start for me!  My first two trips have been amazing!!  I only spent $0.06 per time my FIRST TRIP!  For my second round the numbers look a little like this:

Total Value: $66.57
OOP: $9.02
Savings: 86%

(2) Super Pretzels
(1) Hungry Jack Mix
(2) French's Spicy Mustard
(2) Tobasco
(1) Texas Pete
(1) Frank's Hot Sauce
(1) French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
(2) Quaker Medlies
(4) Ball Park Turkey Franks
(1) Dole Frozen Fruit Bites
(1) Dole Fruit Crisps
(2) Ortega Taco Seasoning
(2) Q-tips
(1) Saving gel

I also got a nice thermometer in the clearance bins for $3.52...marked down from $10.50.  Our old one cracked so I really needed a new one and was happy to get one at this price

 My list of Match-ups for this list and my first trip can be found HERE.

Now my birthday is tomorrow and Darrin's is on Monday so I'm probably only make one more trip this week!  I'm excited because tonight we're celebrating at a new Brazilian Steakhouse using a $100 gift certificate I won on Delly's Deal Radio Show a few weeks ago!

What I Saved: Triples Day 1

So Harris Teeter Triples have started and this week looks to be VERY promising.  Here are some of the GREAT deals I plan on picking up over the next 7 days!
 

Item	Cost	Q Value	Tripled	evic	Total	Where to find
Quaker Medley	$1.99	$0.50	1.5	0.5	-0.01	RP 4/29
Vlasic Relish	$1.99	$0.75	2.25		0	SS 4/1
Franks Hot Sauce	$1.49	$0.75	2.25		0	SS 5/13
Texas Pete	$1.15	$0.40	1.2		0	SS 5/6
Dole Frozen Fruit Cups**	$2.39	$0.75	2.25		0.14	SS 4/15
Mardis Grais Napkins	1.99	0.55	1.65		0.34	Clipped
Jello Tempations	2.25	0.9	2.7		0	Printable
Wasa	$1.99	$0.75	2.25		0	Printable FB
Heluva good dip	$1.50	$0.50	1.5		0	Printable
French's Honey Mustard	$2.00	$0.75	2.25		0	SS 5/13
Ortega Seasoning (2)	$1.60	$0.50	1.5		0.1	SS 4/15
Ball Park Buns	1.99	0.55	1.65		0.34	RP 5/6
Ball Park Angus Bun Size	2.77	0.75	2.25		0.52	RP 5/6
Gold Peak	1.33	0.75	2.25		0
International Delight Creamer	1.25	0.55	1.65		0	Printable
Dole Fruit Crisps	$2.00	$0.75	2.25		0	SS 3/25
Tobasco	1.95	0.6	1.8		0.15	RP 4/29
Soft Pretzel	1.69	0.5	1.5		0.19	RP 5/13
Hungry Jack Pancake Mix	$2.79	$0.75	2.25		0.54	Lowes
Qtips	$2.39	$0.60	1.8		0.59	Printable
French's Spicy Mustartd	1.5	0.3	0.9		0.6	SS 5/13
Shick Hydro Shave Gel	$2.89	$0.75	2.25		0.64	SS 4/22
Fresh Takes	2.99	0.75	2.25		0.74	Prinable
Granola Bars (Quaker)	4	0.75	2.25		1.75	Pepsi
Barilla Plus	$4.00	$0.75	2.25		1.75	SS 4/22

I've already made my first trip this morning.  Peggy Sue, one of my co-workers, met me at 6:30 and we had a great time spending money.

In my excitement I forgot to take a picture but here is what I got:
(2) Ball Park Angus Beef Hot Dogs
(2)  Ball Park Hot Dog Buns
(1) Quaker Oats Medley
(1) Texas Pete Hot Sauce
(1) Franks Hot Sauce
(1) Vlasic Relish
(1) Mardis Grais Napkins
(4) Ortega Taco Seasonings
(2) Wasa Crackers
(2) Jell-O Temptations
(2) Gold Peak Ice Tea
(2) Dole Frozen Fruit Cups
(1) Heluva Good Dip

Total Value: $54.22
OOP: $1.33
Savings: 98%

How have you done?  Leave a comment because I'd love to see all of the great deals you're posting!

What I Saved: Time to get ready for Triples!

So just because the posting has stopped, doesn't mean the savings have.  I've been saving about 70% each week. 

With Super Triples starting next week I needed to crack down a little bit more on my couponing.  I didn't really need that much at the store this week but I did get a few good deals that I'm excited about. 

I'm going to be a little lazy today and not do the match-ups for what I got, but I promise I'll post a great Triples list on Tuesday night to make up for it.

This week my totals look like this:

Total value: 96.42
OOP: 26.84
Savings: 72%

I grabbed the buy 7 save $7 Green Giant veggies, free dressing using a rain check and coupon, several boxes of cereal that my husband always begs me for but are never at my $0.50 price (they were each $1.50 this week and that's the lowest I've seen even though it pained me to buy them!), Quaker yogurt granola bars, Pop Tarts, Cheetos, and ketchup!

I also had to get oats, frozen blueberries and bananas for yummy muffins I made this weekend - I'll share the reciepe tomorrow.  It's really good and also really healthy!

So, until then, have a great weekend.  It's time for me to watch the Season Finale of Once Upon a Time!

My Grocery List: 5/2/12

It seems like a pretty slow week for deals at HT and Lowe's Foods, which I'm okay with.  There are a few deals I plan on grabbing though and wanted to share them with you!

Harris Teeter: 5/2-5/8

Item	Cost	Q Value	Doubled	evic	Total	Where to find
Philly Cream Cheese	1.67	1	1		0.67	Catalina
Coffeemate Creamer	1.67	0.55	1.1		0.57	Printable
Multigrain Cheerios	$3.00	$0.75	1.5	0.75	0.75	Printable (NLA) and evic
Triscits	$1.89	$1.00	1		0.89	Printable
Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations	$1.99	$1.00	1	1.5	-0.51	Printable
Sorrento Sticksters	$3.19	$1.00	1		2.19	Lowe's coupon book
McCormick Taco Seasoning	$0.35		0		0.35	No q
Rice sides	$1.00		0		1	No q
Dannon Greek Yogurt (5)	$5.00		0	1	4	evic only

Lowe's Foods: 5/2-5/8

Item	Cost	Q Value	Doubled	evic	Total	Where to find
Grande Tortilla chips	1.49	0.75	1.5		0	SS 4/15
Febreze Set and Refresh	1.79	0.5	1		0.79	P&G 5/1

I'm really excited about the Set and Refresh at Lowe's and the MM meat at Harris Teeter.  Remember, if your store is sold out, ASK FOR A RAIN CHECK!  Then you get to make your own sale whenever you want before the coupon expires.

What are you planning on getting this weekend?  I'd love to hear about your grocery list!

My Grocery List!

So I know I promised to tell you about the potential new addition to the Overholt house and I promise I will, soon...and NO, it's NOT a baby! 

I wanted to take this time to post my HT grocery list for this week.  For the past few weeks I've been sharing my coupon spreadsheet with some coworkers and figured I should share with my faithful readers (all five of you!!) as well.

These are the deals that I think are either worth grabbing this week or things we need in our house.  This is by no means a list of all the great deals - those can be found on some of the amazing coupon sites that exist!

Item	Cost	Q Value	Doubled	evic	Total	Where to find
HT Cheese (5)	5.5	0	0	0	5.5	None
Honey Bunches of Oats	2	1	1		1	Printable
Barilla Pasta (Whole Grain)	$1.25	$1.00	1	0	0.25	Printable
Frosted Mini Wheats	$2.09	$0.70	1.4		0.69	SS 4/1
La Croix Water	$2.89	$1.00	1		1.89	Printable
Chex Mix	$2.00	$0.50	1	0.5	0.5	Printable
Yoplait Greek Yogurt (2)	$2.00	$0.50	1	0.5	0.5	SS 3/25

Lists of ALL match-ups can be found at either www.southernsavers.com or www.moolasavingmom.com

Anything catch your eye this week?  I'd love to know what you plan on grabbing!

What I Saved: Harris Teeter Super Doubles and a $0.49 CVS trip!

Ugh - so this was not my week for blogging!  I do have a few fun stories from this weekend and a new recipe or two to share, but I'll save that for later!  Although I will say that one involves a potential new addition to the Overholt house!

On to the savings! **DISCLAIMER: This post gets VERY coupon heavy...you have been warned**  Super Doubles were this week at both Harris Teeter and Lowe's Food, so I was pretty busy!  I got up at 5:30 on Wednesday morning to get my first round of SD goodies...and I was the only couponer in the store - I wasn't sure what was going on!! All I know is that I got everything I wanted!

Total value: $78.87
OOP: $10.48
Savings: 87%

That was the only trip I made during the week. I did make a trip on Saturday for the $0.77 Gain and a few other things.

Total value: $69.23
OOP: $10.18
Savings: 85%

Finally, I made two final trips today (I had to visit two stores to get everything I needed!).

Total value: $59.53
OOP: $14.80
Savings: 75%

I also ran to Lowe's Food today to pick up ice cream and coffee using the $1 off Turkey Hill ice cream from last week's paper and thw $1.50 off Seattle's Best coffee from the paper today!

Total value: $17.97
OOP: $4.99
Savings: 72%

Also on the agenda was a Target trip and a CVS trip! Target was good and CVS was GREAT!

Target total value: $6.97
OOP: $1.98
Savings: 72%

CVS total value: $23.49
OOP: $0.49
Savings: 96%

So what were some of my highlights?  Here is the Spreadsheet from some of the great deals I got at HT.

Item	Cost	Q Value	Doubled	evic	Total	Where to find
Emrald Breakfast on the go	$2.50	$1.00	2		0.5	Printable
Alexia Sweet potato	$3.00	$1.00	2		1	Printable
Smart Balance Milk	$3.99	$1.50	3		0.99	SS 4/1
Starbucks	$5.97	$1.50	3		2.97	Printable
Johnsonville Chicken Sausage	$4.99	$1.00	2		2.99	SS 3/25
Vlasic Pickles	$1.74	$0.75	1.5		0.24	SS 4/1
Belvita	$2.99	$1.00	2		0.99	SS 2/26
Gold Peak Tea	1.5	0.75	1.5		0	Printable
McCain Purely Potatoes	2.69	1	2		0.69	SS 4/8 and Lowes book
Kashi Meals	3	1	2		1	Printable
Wolfgang Stock	4.98	1	2	1	1.98	Printable
Carpet Fresh	1.69	2	2	0	-0.31	SS 4/15
Country Crock	2.19	1	2		0.19	Printable
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter	2.29	1.25	2.5		-0.21	Printable
Garnier Shampoo	2.99	1	2	1	-0.01	Printable
Garnier Style Product	2.99	1	2	1	-0.01	Printable

 
 At Target I used a $1 off Target printable for the Glade Air Freshener and a $1/2 Green Works Target coupon and (2) $1 Green Works manufacturers coupon.

Finally, what did I do at CVS?  I had two transactions - which I don't really like doing but had to this time!

Transaction 1:
(1) Blink Eye drops at $8.99
Used 1 $1 off printable coupon
Used $7.50 in ECB's
Total spent: $0.49
Got back $8.99 in ECB

Transaction 2:
(3) American Greeting cards - $0.99 each
(1) Physician's Formula concealer - $5.99
(1) Nail polish -  $1.99
Used (1) $2/3 American Greeting CVS printable
Used $8.99 in ECB's from first transaction
Total spent: $0.00
Got back $10 in ECB

All things considered, this has been a GREAT week for me.

My totals look like this:
Total value: $256.11
OOP: $49.92
Savings: 83%

Any couponing successes this weekend for you?  Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Jalapeno Popper Chicken and What I Saved: The hubs strikes back!

So I've been out of commission a little recently.  We have taken on some projects around the house that are kind of big and we were fighting off some sort of illness last week - it never really took hold but it was a pain all week!

We have been doing a LOT of yard work!

I'm starting to get ready for Harris Teeter's Super Doubles (which start on Wednesday) but I scooped up a few good deals this afternoon...although my savings don't reflect it! And that's thanks to the husband!  He decided he wanted some mixers and soda (none of which as on sale) so that raised my price significantly - although I only went a few dollars over my $50 budget.

My totals value: $90.12
OOP: 41.82
Savings: 54% (probably my lowest since I started couponing!)

None of my deals were that spectacular and everything I did can be found on some of the other amazing coupon sites so I thought I'd take this time to share a really good and easy dinner I made this week.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

4 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened
1 jalapeno, diced
4 chicken breasts, sliced to stuff
Breadcrumbs
Shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the cream cheese and jalapenos in a bowl

Slice the chicken horizontally leaving one side connected (so the chicken could open like a book)

Stuff each breast with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture

Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese and coat the chicken breast in the breadcrumb and cheese mixture

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees

I severed ours with smashed potatoes and Darrin's Aunt Shirley's green beans which are pretty much the most amazing thing ever!

So again, let me say, sorry for the radio silence, but hopefully the time off has left me fresh and with a lot of new material to blog about!

Did you do anything fun this weekend?  What's your favorite chicken dinner?

What I Saved: I spent nothing OOP at CVS today!

So this was a pretty decent week for savings.  It started out with an amazing Money Maker at HT, which you can check out here if you missed it.

I took advantage of both Saturday Specials and picked up with Glad trash bags and Gain laundry detergent, plus a few other evic items.

My trip today was pretty uneventful.  I took advantage of the Harris Teeter Pharmacy Promotion (which ends on April 3rd, by the way) and had a new prescription filled at the HT Pharmacy and had $20 added to my vic card, that made what I used from my gift card minimal!

Here's what the trip looked like:

I didn't use many coupons:

I grabbed two dozen eggs using the printable available here
I also used (2) $1/2 Kellogg's cereal, stacked with a sale and the $4/4 evic coupon
I had a coupon for a FREE Kraft Fresh Takes so I'm excited to try that out!  I got the coupon in the mail by the way.
I also used a $1 off coupon from the 3/25 SS on a frozen pizza and paid $2.77

It was NOT a coupon heavy trip, but I really didn't need much.

I did pretty well at CVS today though.  Here's what the trip looked like:

I used (3) $7 off coupons for the allergy meds from today's SS
There was a $1 off peelie on the contact solution and that gave me back a $8.99 ECB
I just needed the hairbands!

I have $11 in ECB from my trip last weekend plus another $2.50 printed out this morning from my last quarter spending.  After all the coupons and ECB's I ended up paying nothing but tax OOP - plus I got another $8.99 in ECB's and didn't have the use the $2.50 that printed out today!

My weekend looks like this:
Total value: $143.64
OOP: 10.82
Savings: 92%


I'd love to hear about your savings but I must get ready for Mad Men...and take care of my sick husband (who I think has given me his germs because I'm not feeling so hot myself!).

What I Saved: I saved 100.1% at Harris Teeter with a $2 overage!

This is just a quick update post for the new ad that started today at Harris Teeter!  Now typically you cannot get money back at Harris Teeter, BUT if you stack one of their electronic store coupons with a manufacturer's coupon you can!

This week they are running a B1G1 sale on their Eat. Think. Smile. Granola Crispy Thins, which are normally $3.69.

A few weeks ago they loaded an evic coupon that was also B1G1.  This is no longer available, but if you have it, read on!

The 1/15 SS had a $1 off Eat. Think. Smile products coupon (I still had two left!).

Here's how the math works out:
Buy (2) ETS Crispy Thins for $7.38
B1G1 Promo takes off $3.69, making your new total $3.69
The evic coupon takes off another $3.69, making your new total $0.00
Use (2) $1 off coupons and that makes your total -$2.00!

I also picked up (2) Smart Balance Milks using the coupon for $1.50 off that was issued a few weeks ago and (1) Febreeze Set and Refresh using a $1 coupon from the March P&G and a $1 evic coupon that I had loaded to my card.

That made my grand total -$0.02.  I had $0.36 in taxes so my final OOP was $0.34!

This is my first time really going negative so I am SUPER pumped!  I hope a lot of you have the right q's to match up! 

Happy Shopping!

What I Saved: A look at my Triples

Whew, I'm kinda glad I'm done with Triples for the week (or at least I think I am!).  I'm a little worn out from it!  I definitaly spent a lot more time this week couponing than I normally do, but in the end, I think it was worth it.

I made my last trip today and did pretty well.  I did pick up a rotisserie chicken and salad bar salad for dinner/lunches this week.

Total value: 81.74
OOP: $26.65
Savings: 67%

Some of the big things I picked up (that weren't duplicates of things I've already got) include:

(2) Quaker Oatmeal Cookies: $2 each
Used (2) $0.55 coupons from the 3/25 RP
Total: $0.70

(2) McCormick Seasonings (Chili powder and parsley): $3.68 total
Used (2) $0.75 coupons from the 3/25 RP
Used (1) $0.50/2 evic coupon
Total: -$0.50 (I made money because I used an evic with paper q's - the only way you can get an overage at HT

(4) Dannon Greek Yogurts: $1 each
Used (2) $0.50/2
Total: $1.00

(2) Degree Men's deodorant (2/$5) and 1 Dove Men's deodorant ($2.99 on clearance)
Used (1) $0.50 off two Degree from 3/25 RP and (1) $1 off Dove Men's from the 3/25 RP
Used (1) $1.00 Dove Men's deodorant evic
Used $3 off instant savings promo
Total: $1.49

 Since I've decided I'm now down with Triples, this is my final total:

Total value: $208.13
OOP: $44.73
Savings: 79%

Not too shabby, but I might like Super Doubles better!

I also ran to CVS to see if the scenario I had worked up in my head would really be successful - I think it was!

Here's what I got:

(3) 12 roll packs of Bounty paper towels: $10 each
(2)  Mars Milky Way Bunnies: 2/$1

And I used:
25% off that loaded to my card
(2) $3 off $15 from the CVS Facebook page
(1) $1/2 Mar candy from last week's paper (I don't remember the insert)
(3) $0.25 off Bounty from the March P&G
$0.25 off 2 Mar's Easter singles that printed at the "red box"
(1) $5 ECB from last week

I spent $10.25 before tax and got back a $1 ECB and a $10 ECB.

Now I really want to say that it means that I got everything for free (with the ECB's), but if you look at what I spent and don't take into account what I got back, I still saved 67% and we're going to have paper towels for a while! 

If you have a Harris Teeter, are you done with Triples or are you still going after some deals?  Did you find any great savings this week?

I made a yummy pasta tonight so I will post the recipe later this week for all you non-couponing reader!  Til then I'm off to get ready for the Mad Men premiere...I love me some Don Draper!

What I Saved: Triples round 3&4!

First, let me apologize - I forgot to take pictures of my recent shopping trips, so I will leave you with this:

That's me in Vegas a few years ago, but it's also how I feel about saving $$

Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's get on with the savings!

My boss let us out of work early on Friday (woo hoo!) so I made a quick trip to the store before getting ready for my standing date night with the hubs!  On a side note, this is Restaurant Week here and we tried out a place we had never been and LOVED it!  And we got a four course meal for $20/person - and it was an amazing meal!  But back to the savings...

Friday trip:
Total Value: $26.03
OOP: $2.90
Savings: 89%

Here's what I got:

(4) Eggo Waffles: $2.00 each
Used (2) $0.75/2 coupons from the 3/18 RP
(1) $1/3 evic coupon
Total: $2.50 (or $0.63 each)

(2) Rosino Meatballs: $2.29 each
Used (2) $075 coupons from the 3/4 SS
Total: $0.09

(1) NY Texas Toast Croutons: $1.89 each
Used (1) $0.40 coupon from the 1/29 SS
Total: $0.69

(3) Mentos Gum: $1.50 each
Used (3) $0.55 coupons from the 2/5 SS
Total: FREE!

Today Darrin took me to see The Hunger Games and we made a quick HT run.  I also met a friend at HT to give her a few coupons, used someone else's VIC card and grabbed extra Poptarts.

Today's totals look like this:
Total value: $14.46
OOP: $1.82
Savings: 87%

(4) Pop-Tarts: $0.97 each for the Saturday Special (Limit 2 but I borrowed a VIC card)
Used (2) $1/2 Blinkie coupons
Total: $1.88 (or $0.47 each)

(2) Coffeemate Creams: $2.45 each
Used (2) $0.75 coupons found on the Coffeemate Facebook Page
Total: $0.40

Here's the numbers so far!
Total value: $126.39
OOP: $18.08
Savings:  86%

I'm pretty close to being done for this round of triples - my list tomorrow is a lot of essentials with a few other deals thrown in.  I'm really excited to stock up on paper towels at CVS tomorrow.  It's not a great price on it's own but I have another $3 off $15 and a 25% off coupon added to my card.  Plus $5 in ECB to use!  That's going to make my (3) 12 count packs of paper towels $13.75 AND I'm going to get back a $10 gift card! 

Let me know how you've been doing this week!  I love reading about what other people are saving :)

What I Saved: Triples round 2!

Sorry this post is a little late - but better late than never, right?

Second HT trip during triples and I still did pretty well, although I went to a smaller HT this time and they just didn't carry a few of the things I was looking for.

Here's how I did:

Total value: $27.09
OOP: $6.19
Savings: 77%

And the match-ups for what I used:

(1) Reynold's foil: $4.39
Used (1) $0.75 off coupon from the 1/22 SS
Total: $2.14

(3) Blistex: $1.39 each
Used (3) $0.35 off coupons from the 1/22 SS
Total:  $1.02

(3) Quaker Yogurt Bars: $2.79 each
Used (3) $0.75 off coupons from 3/11 RP
Total: $1.62

(1) 14 oz Minute Rice: $2.19
Used (1) $0.50 coupon from the 1/29 RP
Total: $0.69

(1) French's Worcesteshire: $1.99
Used (1) $0.40 off coupon from 1/22 SS
Total: $0.79

My triples totals so far look like this:

Total Value: $85.90
OOP: $13.36
Savings: 84.5%

You can find my first shopping trip HERE!

Planning a third trip either tonight or tomorrow morning so check back to see how that one goes!

Hope everyone is having a successful Triples!

What I Saved: A $0.29 CVS Trip!

Based on the ads that came out this week I didn't think this would be a great weekend for deals, which I was okay with because I am SO excited for Harris Teeter Triples starting on Tuesday!  I was wrong...this was a great weekend for deals - especially the unexpected kind!

I grabbed two of the Scrubbing Bubbles from Target using the $1 off Target printable and the $2/2 from the 3/11 RP.  Not the best price possible, but I needed and it and for $1 each I was okay with it!

Before I did my Sunday shopping Darrin and I drove out to Carolina Beach to look for a Beach Cruiser for me.  We found a Trek beach cruiser in pretty good condition for only $75!  I was so excited.  The guy we're getting it from still has some work to do on it, but I'll have it by next weekend.  I couldn't believe the amazing deal we were able to get for it.

I also ran to NY and Co and grabbed three pairs of shorts for less then $55.  They are having a B1G1 50% off sale and I had a $25 off $75 coupon from the Entertainment book.  Less than $20 for a nice pair of shorts is a good deal in my book!

I ran to Harris Teeter and didn't get that much; I spent less than $20!  I did grab 4 packages of Perdue Ground Chicken for $1.69 each!  I love ground chicken - I use it in place of ground beef and ground turkey and it freezes really well!

Finally I hit up CVS and I did really well (as you can see from the title of the post!).  I did another round of the buy and Olay facewash and get a free bodywash using the coupon in the March P&G and the $3/2 Olay facial cleansers from the 2/12 RP.  I also grabbed the free Carefree panty liners using the $1 off coupon from today's SS.

They also had some great clearance deals on scented bodywash, bar soap, lotion, hand sanitizer, etc.  Items as low at $0.49!

I couldn't justify getting bodywash when it's free using the deal above but I did grab some hand sanitizer! I think these would make amazing gifts for some lucky friends.  Or even stocking stuffers if you're thinking that far ahead!  They had a wide selection left, but just be careful because not every product was on clearance!

In addition to the coupons listed above I also used a $3 of $15 coupon that you can find on the CVS Facebook page and a 20% off coupon that loaded onto my ExtraCare Card (make sure you check your email!).  I ended up getting $35.71 worth of items for only $0.29 plus tax!  That's a 99% savings!!

Here are my weekly totals (just HT and CVS because the other items come out of another part of our budget):
Total value: $84.99
OOP: $17.95
Savings: 79%

Time for me to start prepping for the Harris Teeter Triples Event!  I plan on getting up and making it to the store by 6am on Wednesday!  I'll post my savings throughout the week!

Any great deals you've found this weekend?  What are some of your favorite stores for clothing sales?

And don't forget to check out the Facebook page!  Go ahead and click like while you're there - you know you want to!  

What I Saved: On the road!

Darrin and I spent the weekend in Asheville, NC visiting our family and meeting the newest Overholt - our nephew Logan!  It was a great weekend spent with family, but it did mean my couponing routine changed just a little.

I ran to CVS on Wednesday to try my hand at a variation of a deal I had found online (have I mentioned how much I LOVE the online couponing community?  Hopefully more about that coming later!).  I was able to get all of this for $4.98 before tax AND get back $7 in ECB:

I needed a good stock up on bodywash!

That deal ended on Saturday.  I wanted to try it one more time, so while I was in Asheville my sister-in-law, Sara, took me on a quick CVS run!  I just got the two Olay facial cleansers and two bodywashes this time and no ECB back, but I only spent $0.98 before tax.

On the first trip I used a $3 off $15 coupon that you can find on the CVS Facebook page, a $3/2 Olay facial cleansers from the 2/12 RP and (2) Buy one Olay facial cleanser and get one Olay bodywash free from the March P&G.  On the second trip I had a $4 off $20 loaded onto my CVS card and used the $3/2 and B1G1 coupons.

We got home kind of late so today wasn't as great as I would have liked.  I picked up 5 12 packs of Diet Coke at CVS for $5 before tax using another $3 of $15 and $7 in ECB.  I got back $5 in ECB.

Can't have enough Diet Coke!

I also spent about $25 at Harris Teeter.

Just a few of the things I picked up at Harris Teeter

My totals for the week look something like this:
Total value: $174.09
OOP: $36.18
Total savings: 79%

On a super fun note, I was able to pick up some Charlotte newspapers and extra Raleigh News and Observers! 

For my lucky readers!

I have 4 sets of inserts (2 from each paper) to giveaway to some lucky couponers.  Just go to our new Facebook page, Like us and then send a comment that you'd like one of the inserts!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

What I Saved: I hit the coupon jackpot!

It was a pretty decent week for inserts.  I was excited because I had a coworker meet me at Books A Million for our Raleigh News and Observers this morning.  We were the first few people in line and by 9:50 that line had to be over 40 people deep!  It was NUTS!

There was chatter on Facebook that some Raleigh papers were missing the Smart Source insert.

SIDE NOTE:  For those of you who don't coupon newspapers (at least those in the South?) typically have two types of inserts, the Red Plum and Smart Source.  Some weeks you get both, some weeks only one and some weeks you may get two of the same but with different coupons in each

Anyway, I let my fellow coupons know what I had read this morning and we all decided to check our papers super carefully.  I was planning on getting four this morning but wanted to make sure I got all of my inserts.

I was the fourth person in line and all three women before me were missing their Smart Source and returning some of the papers they had initially asked for.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE:  The newspapers are kept behind the counter to prevent insert theft on Sunday!

When it was my turn I asked for two, but I specifically asked that they come from a different part of the stack.  I did a quick check but didn't see the SS (Smart Source) either.  I grabbed two local papers because I knew it would have both inserts, although the coupons would not be as good.

FINAL SIDE NOTE:  The bigger the paper the better the inserts.  Our regional inserts are never as good as the larger city.

We all wait for each other and go through our papers together after we're done - it's a great group, it really is!  While were were doing that, I decided to go through my N&O again and what do you know, I found a SS in BOTH of my papers!  I was so excited.  One of the ladies told me I hit the coupon jackpot!  I felt bad because only one other person had the SS and it was only in one of her two papers.

I'm going to search for the Charlotte paper next weekend when we go to Asheville (I'm looking forward to some new writing material from the trip!) and if I can find them bring some back from my coupon friend!

After all of that, I had a pretty low key shopping weekend.  I really stocked up two weeks ago during Super Doubles so I've needed very little these past few weeks.

Total Value: $79.26
OOP: $27.02
Savings: 66% (not my best week but still pretty good - I like to hit at least 70% though)

I was also excited when this bad boy printed out.

For those of you who don't know, this is a "Catalina," which is a manufacturer's coupon.  Sometimes you just get random Catalina's and sometimes they are running promotions that if you purchase the correct quantity of a certain brand you can get dollars off of your next purchase.  I had heard about the Kraft promotion but didn't really pay attention (SO NOT LIKE ME!) so I was excited when this printed off, although I'm not totally sure what triggered it.  I purchases two bags of shredded cheese and a block of cheese as well (just in case you want to try it).

A few other great deals I was able to get are:
12 pack of Diet Pepsi for $1.97 - this was the Saturday Special at HT
Oscar Meyer bacon for $0.49 (using the $3 evic coupon)
Dozen eggs for $0.97
8 bags of Steamfresh frozen veggies for $5.56

Finally, I spent some time getting coupons ready to send to CoupsForTroops.

Basically, they take expired coupons and send them to military families overseas, where they can be used for six months past the expiration date!  If you coupon, you should really check them out!

So I'll leave you with this:
Do you have any hobbies that you get super excited about?
Did you coupon this weekend?  If so, how did you do?

"Blogger's" Block!

I'm not sure how it happened, all I know is that It Has Happened!

Writers Block!  Or in this case, Blogger's Block!

I remember when I started this blog (almost nine months ago) I had no problem coming up with material to write about.  I guess when you're planning a wedding, remodeling a house and trying to rent out another house you have lots of great material!

With our Wedding Party!

And I love writing about my couponing successes, but let's face it, unless you're on the coupon train you probably don't care if deodorant is free after coupon or if a clearance deal make something that typically goes for $8 about $1.50!

So I've been sitting at my computer night after night trying to come up with something exciting to write about.  And I'm stuck!  Not that things aren't great, they are!! They've just really settled down.  Darrin and I have found our rhythm in this whole marriage thing, our floors haven't ripped in months, and our rental tenants are a dream!

But where does that leave you, my loyal followers ( all four of you!)?  I'll tell you where it leaves you - with a very frustrated blogging wife! 

So while I'm working on getting my grove back I thought I'd leave you with something entertaining...or at least entertaining for me!  AMERICAN IDOL!

Now if you've been reading this blog for a while you know that I am a huge Reality Television Junkie!  I can't get enough of it!  And I was SO excited for American Idol to start back.  The auditions, Hollywood week and Vegas results were awesome but I knew the live shows were going to ROCK this year!

The Top 25 didn't disappoint and I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down my two favorites already this year.  I mean, with performances like these how could they not win!

 Phillip Phillips is Amazing!

I am so happy Colton Dixon came back this season!

All that said and done I was little sad to see some of the guys go home on Thursday night.  My third favorite, Jazzy and Wacky Reed Grimm didn't make the cut this round but I would still pay to see him live!

So while I go off to ponder how to get my blogging mojo back I hope I've left you with some entertaining video clips!


Do you watch American Idol?  Any favorites so far?  
Have you ever had writter's block?  How did you move past it?

What I Saved: I heart clearance items!

Our weekend has been pretty uneventful - and I've loved it!  We spent a lot of time just hanging around the house, catching up on tv, and reading! 

Have I mentioned that I'm currently obsessed with White Collar? 

How can you not love a show that stars Kelly Kapowski?

I started watching the series on Netflix Watch Instantly and I'm hooked!

Also amazing, Matt Bomer is set to play Blaine's brother on Glee (and yes, I squealed like a girl when I found out!).

On to our typical Sunday topic: How much did I save this weekend?

I love the Meal Deal at HT this week!

Total Value: $97.45
OOP: $32.05
Total Saved: 67%

My best purchases include:

Colgate toothpaste at HT (2/$3)
Used $0.75 coupon from today's SS
Total: FREE

Schick Men's Shave get at CVS ($1.99)
Used $0.75 coupon from today's SS
Total: $1.24 plus tax

The best part of today were the clearance items I was able to scoop up at Harris Teeter today!

Glade Carpet Powder - select scents($1.32)
$0.55 coupon (printable)
Total: $0.22

Glade Room Spray - select scents ($1.99)
$0.55 coupon 2/12 SS
Total: $0.89

Carpet Fresh Carpet Powder - select scents ($1.09)
$1 coupon
Total: $0.09

Febreze Candle - select scents ($3.87)
$1 coupon P&G
$1 evic coupon
Total: $1.87

Dove Men's Bar Soap - select scents ($4.09)
$1 off coupon 1/29 RP - expires 2/26
Total: $3.09

I have to admit that I LOVE when I get great clearance deals at Harris Teeter!  I get really excited for some reason.

Question for the night: Any TV shows that you're currently hooked on?  Any great savings this week so far? 

Harris Teeter Super Doubles: The Final Counts

WOW!  Yep, that's all I can say.  This was a great Super Doubles event for me at Harris Teeter.  It's always made even better by the amazing staff at the Harris Teeter I shop at.  They go above and beyond for their customers and it's great!

I've been posting updates throughout the week of how I've been doing.  You can find those here:
Round One
Round Two
Round Three and Four

Here are some final numbers. 

I made five trips to HT, some I have photos of and some I do not.

Trip One

Trip Two

Trip Four

BIG trip!

I've broken down the first few trips and those links are above so I'm only going to talk about my big trip here.

Some of the big things for me are:
4 boxes of Fiber One bars
4 Greek yogurts
3 Coffeemate coffee cream
2 bags of chips
B1G1 Steak
Johnsonville Chicken Sausage
Lite Kolbasa
Blue Bunny ice cream
gud Handsoap (To make it really work out for you, only buy one per transaction.  It ends up a MM if you only do one per transaction but you end up paying about $0.49 if you do two in a transaction).

I forgot batteries for Darrin and since the gud ecoupon reloaded for me I decided and trip off one more coupon and make $1.24 that I applied to the batteries we needed, so that was my fifth (and final trip).

Overall Super Doubles numbers look like this:
Total value: $262.60
OOP: $54.56
Total savings: 80% (which I am really happy about!)

To be totally fair though, I did run to Target for some Lean Cuisine meals and vitamins for Darrin.

My weekly totals therefore look more like this:
Total value: $281.05
OOP: $68.81
Total savings: 76% (which I'm still happy about!)

Any of my Southern friends hit up Super Doubles at HT?  How'd it go for you?  Any other great savings this week?

HT Super Doubles: Round 3 and 4

There are so many amazing deals right now that I am LOVING this HT Super Doubles week!

Yesterday I stopped in to pick up a few quick things.  I was able to get:

Lysol Neutra Air Fabric Spray (3 bottles)
Smithfields bacon (1 package)
Kikkoman soy sauce (1 bottle)

Total value: $23.93
Total spent: $2.93
Savings: 88%

How I did it:
Lysol was on clearance for $2.82
$1 off coupon from SS 2/5
Total: $0.82 each

Smithfield bacon evic speical $2.47
$1 off coupon from SS 1/29
Total: $0.49

Kikkoman soy sauce $1.59
$1 off coupon (printable)
Total: FREE

I also had a REALLY successful trip this afternoon:

Total value: $30.09
Total spent: $3.00
Savings: 90%

Here's what I got:

McCain Sweet Potato fries (2 for $5)
$1 off coupon (printable)
Total: $0.50

Smithfields bacon$2.49 on evic
$1.00 off coupon SS 1/29
Total: $0.49

CrunchMaster crackers ($1.99) - purchased 2
$1 off printable coupon x 2
Total: FREE

Pure Protein bars (2/3.00) - purchased 2
$1 off printable coupon x 2
Total: FREE

Wholly Guacamole ($2.79)
$1 off printable coupon
Total: $0.79

gud Handwash ($4.99)
evic offers
$1 off printable coupon
$0.50 evic coupon
Total: -$1.24 - OVERAGE that I got to use!

MY SUPER DOUBLES RUNNING TOTAL:
Total value: $103.28
Total spent: $9.75
SAVINGS: 91%

My big trip is tomorrow - stay tuned to see how it turns out!