The Art of Couponing: Great Cereal Deal at Publix

All of the Kellogs brand cereals are 50% off at Publix today and tomorrow (Sunday). Most boxes are $3.79 - $4.29 each (so just divide those by half). Not too bad. But, it's even better when you use the coupon that SouthernSavers talks about here (I seriously cannot plug this woman and her blog enough, she has changed so many lives). $5 off 5 boxes. I read in the comments that someone used this opportunity to donate 35 boxes of cereal to a Ronald McDonald House in their area. Me, I'm probably being a little selfish and using this as an opportunity to get back on my Weight Watchers; I stocked up on Special K. I got 5 boxes of cereal for $5.73 ($1.15 a box basically). So then...according to the math, I saved 73% off each box.

The Art of Couponing Returns!

Thought I'd share the free deal I found from Southern Savers this week at Publix (you still have time to cash in on this).

We're free at Publix! Crest toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush!

Right now at Publix, both the Crest toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush are $2 each. If you are like me, and you are a frequent Publix shopper, you should have received the "Savings are Stocking Up at Publix" mailer. It looks like this:

Yay! Free money at Publix!

Inside this booklet there were coupons for $1 off Crest toothpaste and $1 off Oral B manual toothbrushes. Remember, these are store Qs, so you can couple them with the sale + manufacturer's Qs to get the BEST deals.

Right now you can find manufacturer's Qs for both in variations of -.50, -.75 and -$1. Luckily, I had them in the $1 value.

So, $2 sale price, minus $1 store Q and $1 manufacturer's Q = FREE.

I got lucky and we have an extra mailer that came to the house (mom also spends lots of $$ in Publix) so I'll be getting more, but this time it'll be .25 cent for the toothpaste.

Either way, the toothpaste is getting donated, but I'll keep the toothbrushes :)

The Art of Couponing: Free Advil at Publix this week!

Take me home! I'm free!

You read that correctly. FREE Advil at Publix. 

Before going to Publix print two of these manufacturer's coupons from Advil. 

Go to the customer service counter and pick up the GREEN coupon flyer. There is a Public store coupon for $5 off TWO boxes of Advil. 

Right now, a 50 ct. box is on sale for $4.49. 

4.49x2 = $8.98

minus $5 from Publix Q

minus $4 total from the 2 Manufacturer's Qs

That's negative $9 total!

You actually get paid.02 towards the taxes you pay on the items :) (Actually, I don't know if that is true or not...but come on FREE Advil)!

And just so you know...a 100 ct box is on sale for $10.29!

NO EXCUSES FOLKS! You need to get in on this.

Again, my all time favorite is Southern Savers, but there are tons you can check out online!

The Art of Couponing: 4 for $4.50

Did you use your $5 off $30 coupon at Publix this week? I did!

You can't see it all. I honestly didn't want to spend too much time on the display because well, there is ice cream out there and other cold goodies. But, all of that was under $35. I saved right at 50% on the whole bill. Tomorrow night we're going to have tacos and when you do the math, it's basically dinner for four people for four dollars and some change. The taco kits were .59 each after sale+doubled coupons. The lean ground beef is on sale for 3.99/lb and I got a little less than a full pound. You can use coupons.com (or if you are on inbox dollars or swagbucks you can print the coupons there) to find a .50/1 El Paso product coupon. If you can't find it try zip code 30185. And if you want more deals, check out SouthernSavers for all the lists! Happy Couponing!

The Art of Couponing: Back into Super Saving Action

You haven't seen me post one of these in a while, mostly because I've seriously been so busy we haven't even really been shopping. My mom has been taking on more of the feeding responsibilities because my niece and nephew are still around. But, since the online class is now over I decided to put my little coupons back into action. Note: I've still been clipping, just haven't been using.

So let me share some of the highlights from tonight's shopping trip.

@CVS:

Tonight's Out of Pocket cost was: $3.73

Yes. You read that right. I paid $3.73 for 2 Oral B toothbrushes, Tampax Pearl Tampons (get over yourself squeamish boys) and chocolate! PLUS: I earned $4 Extra Care Bucks. That's like a profit of 27 cents ha!

How I did it? Well, I had $3 ECB to use by 7/6 or else they expire, I used a B1G1 Oral B toothbrush coupon, I got a free chocolate coupon just by stopping at the coupon printer in store, I used a $1off Tampax Pearl, and the Toothbrushes+ Tampons had ECB deals. All in all a savings of 78%.

@Publix

All this can be yours for the price of $9.74

Above you see: Ritz crackerfuls, French's mustard, Viva paper towels, Mueller's pasta, 2 rolls of Reynold's non-stick wrap, Mahatma rice, Playtex tampons, and Breakstone's sour cream blends! All for under $10. The grand savings total was 64% off.

Let me go over a couple of the big deals:

Reynolds non-stick wrap, regular $4.39

On sale B1G1 so it's $2.19

Used a .75 off coupon to pay $1.44 a roll; that is a savings of 67% Not too bad. You can ALWAYS use this stuff.

Viva Big Roll paper towels, regular $3.00

On sale B1G1 so it's $1.50

Used a .50 coupon that DOUBLES to $1.00 off at Publix to pay .50 for one roll; that is a savings of 83%

Mueller's Pasta, regular $1.45

On sale B1G1 so it is .72

Used a .55 cent off coupon to pay .17; that is a savings of 88%

Please tell me I have persuaded some of you by now :)

Some of the best sites to help you are:
Southern Savers
Coupons Make it Free
20 Something Saver

The Art of Couponing: It really doesn't take that much time

Someone one time told me they thought what I did was cool, but they didn't have the time. Now, I don't know much about this person, but I know myself and I'm highly involved in a lot of things, and I'm managing just fine. I hear the time argument all the time, but let me tell you about the trip to Publix I had with my mom yesterday.

I literally came home from work, went to the garden, snapped some photos and came in to load them when my mom asked if I wanted to go to Publix. Mind you, before I go to Publix I usually make a list of exactly what I want and I go ahead and pull the coupons I want to use and file them in the front of my coupon organizer.

It fits so well in the purse. And yes, that is Elliot in the back.

Look it expands! And yes, Elliot's tail is in the photo...

"Today's shopping coupons"

This allows me to stay on track in the store, get what I need, and generally be done in less than 15 minutes. Before, I used to meander around in the store for about an hour. (So think about that right there!)

However, yesterday I didn't have the pre-planning time. Mom gave me just a few minutes to put on my shoes, and do a quick scan of the sale paper. So, while I was in the car I started mentally listing what I needed to get.

The result? I used 4 coupons, purchased 7 items, paid $8.57, saved $15.43 or 64%

The biggest deals were the Marie's salad dressing for 65 cent (I've done this deal before), and Dove deodorant for 75 cent.

The next big deal I got is not squirmy boy friendly, so you have been warned...

I got a great deal on tampons. Alright, squirmy boys, get your giggles and groans out. But, mostly I'm speaking to the women here. Girly products can be a serious expense sometimes. Especially the good stuff. Publix had all of their Playtex gentle glide, and Playtex sports tampons on sale B1G1. So on top of that I have a $1 off each. The bottom line: Two boxes of tampons for $1.14 each. Are they my favorite brand? No. But, they are at least a close second.

Just think, if I can save 64% without much planning, what can you save if you take just a little time to plan?

The Art of Couponing: .34 brownie mix and other Publix goodies

Mama knows how to shop! All this for 10.92 (rough average of $1 of per item)- a savings of 61%

If you are my facebook friend you already know about the 34 cent brownie mix. But, if you aren't you should go fast to the Duncan Hines facebook page and get your .50 coupon (which Publix doubles in MOST states). Since the brownie mix is on sale $1.34 per box and the coupon doubles to $1 off...well technically I think it's 35 cent...but...tomato potato...or something. It is roughly 87% off.

Another great deal: going on is the Kraft chunk cheese or cheese cuts. They are $1.67 each and I used a coupon for $1.50 off 2 8oz Kraft cheese. That's almost like getting one free.

The pasta sauce deal is good too. The Bertolli sauces are $2 each and there was a coupon very recently (this past Sunday I think) for $1.50 off two. Again, almost like getting the second one free.

The Publix penny item was my real reason for going in tonight. I knew I could get the brownie anytime this week, but today's penny item was Publix Creamy Peanut Butter. The penny item, and the mailers that come out on Wednesdays are why I do the majority of my couponing on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The 20oz pineapple chunks were B1G1 free so I got one at half off. I'm going to try a new recipe this week and make pineapple bliss cupcakes. Hence why I bought the marsh mellow item (it was sadly not on sale, but that's ok).

Also, I used a total of FIVE coupons tonight. Count them- FIVE. Kraft cheese, Duncan Hines Brownie, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, Penny Coupon, & Bertolli. If you are looking in to starting just tell yourself that you'll start with only one or two. Over time you'll find more to use and see a difference because they add up.When you start using more than one, it really adds up. And when you stack them with store deals (like Publix) you REALLY save.

Happy Savings :) I'll let you know how the cupcakes turn out this week.

The Art of Couponing: This is a great time to start

If I haven't persuaded you yet, and you're still holding out, this week at Publix is a great time to start. That's because you actually have the next couple weeks to learn the deals. Publix won't change its sales til after Easter.

One of the things I stocked up on tonight: Weight Watcher Smart Ones frozen meals. They are great for lunch. Right now Publix has them for 5 for $10.00 which is basically $2.00 each (remember you don't have to buy all 5). But, I did. I bought 12. I used a coupon for $5.00 off 12 WW Smart Ones (you can find these easily by going to their website or googling "smart ones coupons." Since several of them vary in price I'll break the math down below:

Total item cost for 12 WW Smart Ones: $33.38
Total on sale: $24.00
Coupon savings: $5.00
Total paid: $19.00
Total savings= $14.38 or 43% off! 


Another great deal that wasn't in the mailer is the Marie's salad dressing. You can get a $1 off coupon by joining their mailing list. Note: I have created a gmail account SOLELY for coupons. That way I cut the clutter from my actual inbox. It is on sale in the store 2 for $3.29 (which is basically B1G1, or 50% off 1). I needed more balsamic vinegarette so I only bought one.


Total cost for 1: $3.29
Total on sale: $1.65
Coupon savings: $1.00
Total paid: $0.65
Total savings= $2.65 or 81% off!

And the good thing about Marie's dressing? The balsamic vinegarette is only 1 WW pt per serving!

Overall, everything I bought on this trip was on sale EXCEPT Tim's popsicles. (I told him he messed up my overall savings and I'd blog about it. But, the good thing is we saved so much it was perfectly fine to buy him a treat haha!)

The total damage was $30.26, with a savings of $24.60 or 45% off!


PS- that's at least 19 lunch meals for me since some of the WW items are double servings (so almost 4 work weeks worth of meals). That is ONE DOLLAR PER MEAL! Can you honestly beat that???

Dinner at Our House: Buffalo Chicken Wraps

I think I've shared my crock pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches before, but this is a different recipe I found for wraps in a magazine.  I thought I'd try something else out for a change, so let me know if you like it. These turned out super yummy and I thought they photographed very beautifully too :)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (on sale at Publix til Tuesday)
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce (on sale @ Publix til Tuesday)
• 1 cup shredded lettuce (On sale at Publix!)
• 2 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed (I buy the reduced fat ones; fat free when I can find them)
• 2 teaspoons reduced-fat ranch salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

This recipe is very easy to make. (Note: it makes 2 servings, but it can EASILY be doubled or tripled for more people and/or leftovers).

Step 1: Spray cooking spray in your skillet. Add chicken and oil. Cook approximately 6 minutes on high heat. Basically, get the pink out.

Step 2: Add in your buffalo sauce, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer (roughly 3-5 minutes). I actually saved the bottle I bought on sale, and opted to finish off a bottle of Frank's Red Hot.

This is what it looked like after it simmered.

Step 3: Warm your tortillas. Add chopped lettuce.

Lettuce! And yes, paper plates tonight because I'm already missing my mom's clean up...

Step 3: Add chicken!

Yumz!

Step 4: Add blue cheese crumbles (ps- mine are reduced fat). Or Tim used reduced fat shredded cheddar.

And...I'm a girl who loves her cheese, but it's ok because I hit the gym earlier.

Step 5: A touch of low fat dressing. We used light buttermilk ranch.

All this for right at 6 WW points. Not too shabby.

This meal for the both of us was right at about $6-7. (We also roasted some red potatoes to go with this meal). Compare that to what you pay somewhere like Buffalo Wild Wings. And compare it to how much FAT is in theirs. You can have great taste for less money and less fat. Just get creative.

Dinner at Our House meets The Art of Couponing

I thought I'd use this post to unite two of my current themes in the blog- eating well and saving some cash.

Today for lunch Tim and I enjoyed salads made with some of the super cheap products we got at Publix yesterday:

My salad: Romaine lettuce, blue cheese, croutons and light buttermilk ranch dressing.

Overall, 5 WW points and much cheaper than a salad you'd buy anywhere else (certainly fresher too). Edit: It could have been 3 WW pts, but I had to have a little extra cheese + croutons :)

I still use the food scale as my secret weapon. It lets me know exactly how much cheese, etc I sprinkle on.

Start taking some of that time where you veg out in front of the TV, and use it to glance over the super market sales. A little planning helps your debt AND waistline shrink.

The Art of Couponing: Hang in there

I just wanted to post a quick blog update while I wait on dinner :) Tim and I just got back from Publix and it was a pretty successful trip. There are several good sales going on. I just wish we had gone sooner because some things were sold out.

Side note: If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to go to iheartpublix. Great blog about couponing at Publix.

Anyways, I titled this post "Hang in there" because I want you to know that it may seem totally worthless in the beginning, but HANG IN THERE! The more you clip, and the more practice you get at stacking and planning, the better savings you are going to have. I've been doing this right at a month now and my first visits were 19%, 21% and 28%. Tonight, I reached a 32% discount at Publix. It may not sound like much, but it was $38.11 off! And, we got materials to make AT LEAST 8 meals over the next week, have plenty of leftovers, lunches and we bought snackage (because we love to eat).

I thought I'd also spotlight a few good deals & example of stacking:

Example 1: Sargento Shredded Cheese [Pepperjack]
Publix Sale- $2.00 + $1.50 off coupon for Sargento Shredded Pepperjack = 50 cents
Since the cheese is regularly $3.19 that's a savings of almost 85%

Example 2: Crest Toothpaste [I bought the one that has coupons inside!]
Publix Sale- 2 for 2.99 (B1G1) + $1 off Publix coupon = 1.99 for 2 6.4 oz sized toothpastes
Since the stuff is regularly $2.99 each, this was a savings of 67%

Example 3: Sun Chips
Publix Sale- $3.00 + $1 off Publix coupon = $2.00
Since the chips are regularly $3.79, this was s savings of almost 47%

I also cannot promote these enough but check out Jaclyn's blog & SouthernSavers They both give me great ideas.

The Art of Couponing: Weeks 1 & 2

I decided on March 7th to take control of my finances and learn how to coupon. I was mostly inspired by one of my Auburn friends, Jaclyn. She has started an amazing blog and I really really encourage you to check it out. I got an idea from her to start tracking how much I saved using coupons. I mean, I was skeptical. How much do you really save by using a .40 cent coupon? [actually, I've learned that at Publix you'll save .80 cent because they double all coupons under .50]

So, I'm happy to report that on my last four grocery related trips I have saved the following using deals + coupons:

Trip #1 to Publix - 19%
Trip #2 to Publix - 21%
Trip #3 to Publix - 28%
Trip #1 to CVS - 33%

It may not seem like a lot, but you'll notice each time is a little more. I'm learning how to do this and it is working. Let me share one deal that I just got at Publix:

Weight Watchers Frozen Treats (regularly $5.29 each)
Currently, they are B1G1 free. So, that makes them $2.64 each (because it's basically 50% off).
I also had a $1.00 coupon from the internet.
I should have paid $10.58, but instead, I paid $4.29. That's a savings of almost 60%.

And that is honestly the trick. Shop at Publix (or a store with similar deals) and add the coupons on top.

Now, I know that people say..."but that's takes time, and my time is worth money." It was a little time consuming at first, but only because I was reading trying to figure it out. It really only takes a few minutes each day to check online for new deals (have them emailed to you if you want- I've created my own coupon-only email address) and clip from the Sunday paper.

I spent more time blogging right now than I did on clipping coupons.