couponkate

2011-02-02T17:42:00.001-06:00

2010-04-15T00:24:00.001-05:00

you can check me out over @ ten-seventy, where I will be posting more about an array of topics and not just coupons :)

-kate

2009-11-02T12:52:00.004-06:00

I have basically stopped CVSing, unless there is a really good deal because the nearest one is 15 minutes away. That doesn't seem bad, but add it traffic and it can sometimes take 45 minutes to an hour to get there. I had a few ECB's to burn so I thought I'd get my papers there on Sunday since I didn't have time on saturday to go to the dollar store. Well the papers were all out, but I needed to find something to use my $5 ECB on because it expired that day. Anyways, this is what I bought:
3 Ragu on sale 3/$5 (reg price $3.29 each)
Final Price: $5

2 CVS Brand Cashews .99 (ate one in the car, haha)
(1) CVS cat coupon for $2 off WYB any 2 CVS nuts (adjusted down)
Final Price: $0.00

Total: $5.00
Used: $5 ECB
OOP: $0.00
Saved: $11.87

I received that cat coupon for $2 off any Gold Emblem Nuts (CVS brand) by scanning my CVS card at the price check machine (it also prints out CVS coupons). It was for $2 off any size Gold Emblem Nuts, so I went over to the snack aisle to find the cheapest. They had the little packs by the rest of the nuts, but they were hanging on a display. So check your CVS card for this coupon because it makes for some simple, free nuts!

November Spent: $0.00
Savings Since August: $1,204.34

Safeway/Walmart

2009-10-31T12:37:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I went to Dominick's/Safeway and bought these items:
9 Maruchan Yakisoba .88
-(9) .50 Man Coups
Final Price: .38 each

Safeway Brand Frozen Meal $2.00
-(1) $1 Catalina Coup
Final Price: $1.00

Cost B/C: $9.92
OOP: $4.42
Saved: $5.00

I also went to Wal-Mart a few days ago and purchased this:

4 Ore-Ida .93
-(2) $1.50 WYB 2
Final Price: .18 each

Total B/C: $3.72
OOP: .72
Saved: $3.00

October Spent: $107.78 (eek!!)
Savings Since August: $1,192.47

payless

2009-10-30T17:31:00.004-05:00

If you didn't hear about this fab-o deal you better get your printer ready and print out this 50% off coupon fast because the deal ends tonight!

So, yesterday morning I was watching Oprah (which I seriously never do, not a big O fan) and at the end a designer from Project Runway said go to the Oprah website because their is a coupon for 50% off your entire purchase at Payless. The whole day I was telling myself I was not going to go, because I shouldn't spend the money and blah blah blah. Well in the afternoon I got a call from a prospective job that I applied to saying that I got the job! (And before this I actually was hired, but did not start at another place, but it turns out the manager there is crazy and said I would be doing something totally cool, and I got there and she changed her story, which would of been fine, I mean I am not picky since I have been unemployed for so long, but the store stinks, was so unorganized, and she really through me for a loop when she said that she didn't tell me the job responsibilities that I know she did tell me. I have it written down for heaven sakes. So I was thinking I didn't want to work for this wackjob, but hey, beggers can't be choosers.) But when I found out I got the other job I really wanted I thought hey, you know what? I've been bummed this whole week about the initial job, now I am in a good mood, and I actually got a job! I am treating myself to a little retail therapy for the first time in what seems like forever! (10 months to be exact).

Phew that was long!

Anyways, without further ado here is my shopping spree for the penny pinchers:
Black boots $34.99
Ruffle black flats $17.99
Tweed flats $16.99
Purple Gloves $5.99
Black Leg Warmers $5.99
Purple scarf $7.99

Total: $89.94
Total After 50% Coup: $44.97

Pretty good if I do say so myself.

I decided to get those black Ugg inspired boots because I had a pair of black Uggs last year, and they are disgusting after one winter of wearing them. You know, I love labels as much as the next girl, but frankly spending nearly $200 for a pair of boots I would expect them to last more then a couple of months. Maybe one day I will buy another pair of Uggs (at a deep discount) because putting your feet in them is the equvaliant of sticking your feet in a bowl of marshmellows, that's how comfy they are, but spending $200 on a pair of shoes that last one season is a thing of the past for this lady.

I used to spend so much money on random crap before couponing. I had all the latest trends and all my favorite brands but now I can't imagine spending what I used to. Don't get me wrong, girlfriend still likes to look fab and dress cute, but I don't need a label to make me feel better about myself anymore.

Unless it's a label that I found for 90% off!

Target Trip

2009-10-22T19:11:00.004-05:00

5 Jif Peanut Butter $2
-(5) $1 MQ
Final Price: $1 each

4 Neosporin $3.34
-(4) $3 IP
Final Price: .34 each

2 Ragu Pizza Sauce $1.19
-(1) $1 WYB 2
Final Price: .69 each

4 Degree Deodorants/Body Spray $3.29
(4) $1.50 Man IP (here)
(2) $3.00 WYB 2 Target Coup (here)
Final Price: .29 each
*remember when you combine Target and Man coups to always give your Target coups last.

Cost Before Sales and Coupons: $38.90
OOP: $8.90
Saved: $30.00

October Spent: $57.67
Savings Since August: $1,139.50

wal-mart free +overage

2009-10-18T17:01:00.004-05:00

Today J and I cleaned out our junk closet. Yes, most people have a junk drawer, but we had a closet. We needed to clean it out because I wanted to make room for stuff we actually needed that was just piled in our office. Also, the apartment people said where I currently keep our stockpile is a fire-hazard. Mind you, it was on shelves they installed. Apparently, they were supposed to keep that door locked and the shelves to never be seen. Alas, I like our new system better, and will definatly upload pictures tomorrow. So I needed to shuffle things around and make our junk closet an organized Utopia of random stuff I don't know what to do with.

Afterwards, we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things:
(2) Progesso High Fiber Soups $1.50
-(2) $1.00 MQ
Final Price: .50 each

(2) Glade Sense & Sprays $5
-(2) $4 IP
Final Price $1.00 each

(2)Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce $2.64
-(2) $2 MQ
Final Price: .64 each

(10) Rolaids $1.39
-(5) $4 WYB 2 MQ
Final Price: Free + $6.10 overage!

I applied to overage to everything you see pictured plus a few nessesities like Diet Pepsi and Lunchmeat.

Cost Before Sales and Coupons (for items pictured): $38.28
OOP: $0.00!
Saved: $38.28

October Spent: $48.77
Savings Since August: $1,109.50

Wags & the City

2009-10-15T18:00:00.005-05:00

So I am down in the Chi today because the apartment people were doing some stuff in our little abode and I needed to get the Bud-man out for a few hours. I thought I'd come to my parents for the day with him, and now we are just waiting around for J to get off of work so we can go pick him up. In addition to printing off some coupons using their printer, I thought I would make a few trips to Wags and CVS.

I went to CVS to use those Neosporin coupons to get free chapstick, and the cashier was so rude. First, she accused me of coupon fraud by stating that the bar codes all matched on the three coupons. Well DUH, and guess what lady? The bar codes on all your items in the store that are the exact same thing match as well. That's how the computer recognizes what they are. Then the last coup didn't scan and she said she couldn't adjust it down, so I said forget it, I will just go to another CVS. One thing I have learned since moving the the suburbs is that people are so much nicer there. In the city, everyone is out to get you.

So before that I went to Wags and this is what I bought for $2 and change:
Transaction #1
Gil Fusion Razor $8.99
-$4 Man Coup
Bounty Paper Towels $2.39
Halls Cough Drops $1.00
-.75 Man Coup
Org Total: $12.38
-$7 RR from Vaseline
Total A/C: $1.17
Saved: $11.21
Earned: $6 RR from Razor, $1 RR from Halls

Transaction #2
Vaseline Lotion $6.99
Halloween Pencil .39
Org Total: $7.38
-$6 RR from Razor above
-$1 RR from Halls above
Total A/C: .38
Saved: $7.00
Earned: $7 RR from Vaseline

Transaction #3
(4) Quaker Oats $2.50; $10.00
-(2) $1.25 wyb 2 Quaker Oats
Org Total: $10.00
- $7 RR from Vaseline above
Total A/C: .50
Saved: $9.50
Earned: $5 RR from WYB $10 in Quaker Oats

Total Spent: $2.05
Total Saved: $27.71

October Spent: $48.77
Savings Since August: $1,071.22

Degree Coup

2009-10-15T13:05:00.003-05:00

I am spending the day at my parents, so what am I doing? Printing out all the coups I want that have reached the print limit on my computer at home! Along the way I found this gem: $1.50 off Degree Women's Fine Fragrance Mist or Stick Product. It also has unlimited print! My expiration is 11/14 so I am sure I will find a way to use these. I heard you can get a pretty good deal at Target, so I will def be taking a gander over there to find out!

Happy printing!

Why it's important to stockpile

2009-10-13T10:03:00.004-05:00

Today I realized we had just used out last garbage bag. I hate having to buy things that we need right now, and not being able to utilize the whole combining sale with coupon thang. But, I mean we haven't had to buy them since June, and what was I going to do? Shove garbage in recycled grocery store bags and hope for the best? I think not. So I ran to Wal-Mart, and while I was there I decided to use the rest of my $6 AirWick Coupons.

(1)Brawny Garbage Bags: $4.94
-No Coupons, these were the cheapest though.
(4) Air Wicks org $13.97; rollback $6.00
-(4) $6 Man Coups
Total B/S and B/C: $60.82
Total A/S and A/C: $4.94

October Spent: $46.72
Savings Since August: $1,043.51

YEA! I have officially saved over $1,000 since August!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-10-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

Monday- Tacos
Tuesday- Soup and sandwiches
Wednesday- Turkey Burgers
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Homemade pizza
Saturday- Fajitas
Sunday- Breakfast for dinner

Be sure to check orgjunkie to see the other menu plans!

sa-weet deals @ Wags & Wally World

2009-10-09T18:55:00.002-05:00

Today I thought I'd make a quick trip out and stop at a couple Wags and Wal-Marts. I saw that Wags actually had some great deals this week (and for the month). I also wanted to use some more of those AirWick Coupons.

Wal-Mart Trip #1
(5) Air Wicks org: $13.97; rollback: $6.00
-(5) $6 off Man Coups
-Org total: $69.85
-Total A/S and A/C: Free

Coffee (for J) $3.98
-no coupons

Wal-Mart Trip #2
(1) Air Wick org: $13.97; rollback: $6.00
-(1) $6 Man Coup
-Org total: $13.97
-Total A/S and A/C: Free

(7) Hartz Cat Treats $1.98
-(7) $2.00 Coups
-Org total: $13.86
-Total A/C: Free plus .14 profit!

(2) Sucess Rice $1.84
-(2) $1.00 Coups
-Org total: $3.68
-Total A/C: $1.68 or .84 each

Wags Trip #1
Gil Fushion Razor $8.99
-1 $4 Coup
Total: $4.99
Saved: $6.80
Earned: $6 RR for razor

Wags Trip #2
Vasaline Mineral Lotion $6.99
Halls Cough Drops $1.00
-.75 Man Coup
- $6 RR from Razor above
Total: $1.24
Saved: $8.34
Earned: $7 RR from lotion; $1 RR from Hall's

Wags Trip #3
Charmin $3.49
Halls $1.00
-.75 Coup
Gilette Fushion Razor $8.99
-$4 Man Coup
-$7 RR from Lotion
Total: $1.73
Saved: $18.64

Wags Trip #4
Vaseline Mineral Lotion $6.99
Highlighter .15 (clearance for filler)
-$6 RR from razor
-$1 RR from Hall's
Total: .14
Saved:$7.44
Earned: $7 RR from lotion and $1 RR from Hall's

Most (if not all, not sure) of these deals are going on all month, so I am going to make sure to stock up on those razors for J. I hope you get the hang out using the RR's. It would of been easier just to type it out with out the humon-go explanation, but I figured if you want to learn how to roll the RR's then this would be the best possible way to explain. Basically I will probably rise and repeat these transactions until the end of the month. Usually I try to aim for the lowest OOP, but we are getting a little low on TP so I thought it would be a good filler item.

Total Spent: $13.62
Total Saved: $140.90

October Spent: $41.78
Savings Since August $987.63

Wal-Mart

2009-10-09T09:47:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I was really motivated to do some coupon shopping after a lot of organizing, so I made a trip to Wal-Mart to get a few things.

(6) Air-Wicks org: $13.97; rollback: $6.00
-(6) $6 off Man Coups
-Total: org 83.82
-Total After Sale and After Coupons: Free

5 Snuggle $3.48
-(5) $3 off Man Coups
-Total: org: $17.40
Total A/S and A/C: .48 each or $2.40 for five

2 Chex Mix Bars $2.38
-(2) .50 off Man Coups
-Total Org: $4.76
Total A/S and A/C: $1.88 each of $3.76 for two

2 Healthy Life Bread $2.00
-(2) .50 off Man Coups
-Total: org $4.00
Total A/S and A/C: $1.50 each of $3.00 for two

Total Spent: $9.16
Total Saved: $100.82

Wow, this was seriously, the most annoying trip ever. It literally took 20-30 minutes to check out. This particular Wal-Mart already has the worst lines, but on top of that, the particular cashier I chose had to be the most incompetent person in that whole store. First, the guy in front of me had an item that didn't have a tag on it. So it took her about 5 minutes before she figured out "hey maybe I should call someone to do a price check." So that took about 10 minutes. Then I guess I went over some savings threshold so the cash register prompted her to call over the manager which took an additional 10 minutes for her to figure out. Then the manager came over and had to figure out what to do. Ugh. Anyone know what the savings threshold before a manager is called over at Wal-Mart because I want to make sure to never do that again. Plus I have about 15 more coupons for the free AirWick so I want to stock up on those. But I want to make sure to break the transactions down so I don't encounter this dilemma again.

October Spent: $28.16
Saving Since August: $846.73

Frugal holiday decorations

2009-10-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, October, I almost forgot how much I love thee. It reminds me of cider, apple picking, and Halloween costumes. But something else I love is a good excuse to get some more decorations for the apartamento. There are so many cute decorations out there that will probably break the bank (at least for me) so the trick is to find something cute, that I can actually afford.

This weekend my friend Diana and I went to Lambs Farm and lo and behold they had a thrift-store that just happened to have a sale on Halloween items that day. I picked this up there:

I just a ceramic pumpkin and inside I put a Glade tea light (that I, of course, bought for free a/c). This purchase only set me back a whopping $1.25. After the thrift store we went to the bakery where I found this little gem:

How cute is this!? Loves it. And it only cost $4.99. SA-WEET! I set it up here:

Cute? Cute!

Free Marie Claire

2009-10-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Remember this post? Where I told you how to get a free 3 year subscription to Marie Claire? Well my first issue came yesterday! This is great, I love their magazine, so I am thrilled! Oh, and if you didn't buy this magazine, and especially if you buy it every month, do you realize you could of saved over $126 by doing this simple deal. Maybe you'll listen to me next time.

ch-ch-ch- channngeees..

2009-10-06T16:12:00.000-05:00

So I wanted to finally make the leap from wordpress to blogger just because there are so many more apps and widgets that are usable on blogger and not wordpress. I have been thinking about doing this for awhle, but finally got it done today. Please excuse me while I get used to blogger, and while thecouponkate.com redirects itself. I also added some content to the right. So take a gander over there. But I still need to check the grammer & spell check it so please keep that in mind as you stumble across my terrible spelling!

So hello all my new blogger buddies! I hope you add me to your readers soon!

I have moved some of my previous posts over, but not all. I hope to add more soon, but the layouts got kind of messed up, so I have to figure that out as well. All with time. I am going to get back to the updates soon!

Feels good around here so far, feels good!

Frugal Tips

2009-10-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

So if you are a couponer, you probably have a ga-gillion Glade candle tins that you have gotten for .16 cents or even free at Target. And if you haven't, then what the heck are you waiting for? But back on topic, remember when I got all of those tins? And then at the begining of September, I got even more.

Well what can you do with all those empty tins after you burn the candles? Well I thought of one thing! I use bobby-pins just about everyday. At the same time I loose bobby-pins just about every day. I usually use 2 bobby-pins but somehow manage to loose 10 a day, or it feels like that at least. So I decided to do this:

The best part is the middle part where the candle usually goes ontop of is magnetic so the bobby-pins just stick to it. MAGNIFICENT! So now I put the top on it, put it next to my make-up stuff, and it looks cute.

Quick Target Trip

2009-10-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

After I took Bud-man for an hour walk I made a quick stop to Wal-mart. I wanted to pick up some fruit and I figured since I was there I would use those fab $3.00 Sara Lee lunch meat coupons. We also needed some cheese, since we were out, and I picked up some from the Deli. This is why it is important to stock-pile people! I couldn't really be choosey, there were no sales going on. So I figured a lb would last us a long time, and I had a coupon for the brand.

Breakin' it down: Sarah Lee Turkey Breast $3.98 -Used $3.00 Coupon Total: .98 Sarah Lee Roast Beef $4.13 -Used $3.00 Coupon Total: $1.14 1 lb Land o Lakes American Cheese $6.06 -Used $1.00 Coupon Total: $5.06 Total B/C: $14.18 Total A/C: $7.18 Saved: $7.00 or about half. Not THE best transaction ever, but it works for me, since we needed those items ASAP. Then I went to Target earlier this afternoon; I was on a mission to find the elusive small bags of Purina One dog food. Did I find them? Noooooo. Bummer. I did snag a few good things though!

18 Crystal Lite to Go Packs clearanced for .68 each total= $12.24

-(9) $2.00 WYB 2 Crystal Lite Products

Total: $0.00

-I thought I would get overage on these, but they were actually adjusted down.

(3) Purina One Cat Foods $5.99 each; total= $17.97

-(3) $3 Purina One Man Coupons

-(3) $2 Purina One Target Coups

Total: .99 each or $2.97 for all three

8 Fancy Feast Appatizers $1.14 each; total= $9.12

-(4) B1G1 Man Coupons

-(4) B1G1 Target Coupons

Total: FREE

Green Giant Vegtables $1.14 each; total= $4.56

-(2) .50 WYB2

Total: $3.56

Total Before Coupons: $49.47

Total A/C: $6.53

Saved: $42.94

More Purina

2009-10-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

I had to run some errands today and was passing by Target so I figured I would pick up the last of the Purina cat food before the Target coupons expired. I also saw that CVS had a deal that makes Accu-Chek Blood Glucose meters free after ECBs; and since I have a friend this might come in handy for, I thought I'd pick him up one.

(6) Purina One Cat Foods $5.99 each; total: $35.94

-(6) $3 Purina One Man Coupons

-(6) $2 Purina One Target Coupons

Total: .99 each or $5.94 for all six

Total saved: $30.00

Accu-Chek $19.99 on sale for $14.99

-Used $10.00 Man Coupon

Total: $4.99, earned $5.00 ECB

OOP: $0

October Spent: $12.47 Savings since August: $702.97

Mascara Review

2009-09-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I went to Target and bought some mascara for .36. I didn't think it would really work that well, since, I dunno, I guess because my mom's a hairstylist and I have grown up thinking that cheap drugstore stuff doesn't work that well. But since I have started couponing I have realized that you can sometimes find gems in that beauty aisle! So now I will try anything once, except for dying my hair myself, THAT I will leave up to Momma Sheila! I purchased 4 Rimmel Extra Super Lash priced at $2.36 and then used 4 $2 off Rimmel Mascaara coupons making them .36 each or $1.44 for all four! So I decided to do a review comparing my new .36 mascara to a pricer department store band. Contender: Rimmel Extra Super Lash bought @ Target .36

Challenger: Doir- DoirShow Iconic bought @ Nordstrom $27

So I ask you....

The left is actually...

So the right must be...

There was NO COMPARISION. The cheaper drug store brand Rimmel worked leaps and bouds better then Dior. Look at how much less clumpy the left eye is. Also, I had to put on, literally, 4 or 5 coats with the Dior to even be able to tell that I was wearing mascara at all. I think my lashses might even look longer with the cheap brand! I am loving this discovery!

.49 lamps!

2009-09-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took Momma Sheila to have surgery and I just have to say one thing about that. When she came out, I thought she was going to be completlely out of it and all grogey, but no, not my mommy! She came out with a big old cast on her foot (foot surgery) but other then that she was ready to go, and she looked completlely gorgeous. Like she never had surgery in the first place! It was pretty amazing! Anyways I went to CVS last night on my way home, and they actually had good stuff on clearance. This is what I got:

(3) desk lamps org $4.99 on clearance= $2.49 each;

(1) Lunch bag $1.97

Total: $10.88

The best parts? The lunch bag had coupons in it, which means I will save more then I spent buy using those, and the Lamps had $2 MIR (mail in rebates) on them. So once I get the MIR back for those, They will have cost me .49! How great is that! I made sure to ring them up separate, so I could do that for all three.

Total After MIR: $4.88

Saved: $13.50

Jon needed a lunch bag for his new job, so this worked out perfectly!

This will be my first time doing a MIR, I haven't gone into those waters yet, but I figured I would start with something small and easy!

September Spent: $21.07
Savings since August: $610.03

Four Free Glade Candles!

2009-09-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

After taking Buddy for our walk in the nearby forest perserve I stopped at Wags for a water. I decided to check out the clearance items and found these Glade candles for .95 each! I went back home (I live right down the block) and found the $1.50 of two glade candles coupons that were in Sunday's papers. I went back to Wags and did the following transaction:

(4) Glade Candles .95 each org $3.69= total $3.80
(2) $1.50 WYB 2 Glade candles= $3.00
Total before clearance: $14.76
Total after clearance and coupons: .80
Saved: $13.96

Earned: $1RR; this was a complete surprise! So I actually made a .20 profit off of this deal! I now noticed I should of bought the candles 2 at a time to get a $1RR for every two I bought, but that's ok! Ya live and ya learn.

September Spent: $10.19
Savings since August: $571.44

Target Trip

2009-09-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday J and I headed over to Target and CVS to see what I could get for cheap with coupons:

Bounce Dryer Bar- $3.74

-Used $1.50 Man Coupons

-Used .75 Target Coupon

Total: $1.49

(4) Chef Michael's .50 each; $2.00

-(4) Used Free Item Coupon

Total: Free

(8) Cesar Bistro .89 each; $7.12

-(4) Used B1G1 Target Coupon

-(4) Used B1G1 Man Coupon

Total: Free

Tide Stain Release $2.24

-Used $2.50 Man Coupon

-Used $1.50 Target Coupon

Total: Free + $1.76 overage

Total Before Coupons: $15.10

Total After Coupons: $0.00!

Saved: $15.10

_______________________________

Then we went to CVS to see if there was anything on clearance. There wasn't anything that great, but J and I really wanted that pasta strainer (As Seen On TV, haha) so I bought it using a $10 ECB.

Pasta N' More: $9.99

-Used $10 ECB adjusted down

Total: Free

Saved: $9.99

J slipped these purple shoes in his transaction for me, and I am totally in love. If you didn't know, I am absolutly obsessed with purple. Oh, and shoes ;)

September Spent: $10.19
Savings since August: $596.53

Menu Plan Monday

2009-09-21T11:56:00.000-05:00

Monday- Chicken Breast and Mac and Cheese Tuesday- Probably will do something on our own b/c I am going to my parent's to take my mom to have surgery Wednesday- Chicken Fajitas Thursday- Pasta Friday- Pizza Sat- Eating Out Sunday- Steak and Mash Patotoes Check what others have planned this week at orgjunkie!

Surprise!

2009-09-20T11:59:00.001-05:00

I have been lacking on the updates lately, but life kind of happened, as they say! I had a surprise party for J on the 12th and he was actually shocked! A few weeks prior he found out about the party. You see, I had installed a gmail application to my powerbook, and whenever I recieved a new e-mail a notification would pop up with the subject line of the e-mail I recieved. Well, J was using my computer one day, and I heard the fateful "ding ding" of the notifications. I was thinking "boy, I need to get rid of that incase someone e-mails me about the party." Well next thing J says, "I should just pretend I didn't see that." But I made him tell me what he saw, obvi, and it was an e-mail concerning the party. I was super bummed, but I changed the location and kept dropping false hints to make him think it was still at out apartment, and that it was the week after it actually was. So the week of the party I had a lot of planning to do so I wasn't able to update. And then the week after I just kind of didn't really coupon too much. I am bummed I let myself kind of 'forget' about the site, but it happens sometimes. I am not going to let myself forget about it this long again though!! I just got back from a trip to target and CVS, so I will be posting about those deals later. I have also been working on a more deatailed "coupons 101" section that should be up and running by the middle of the week. Until then, here are a few pictures from the party! I am terrible with remembering to take pictures, but luckily my sister did! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="singing happy birthday!"][/caption] I made these cds as party favors for all the guests. I think they came out really cute! I downloaded the top 10 songs from 1979 (the year J was born) and had everyone take one on their way home!

2009-09-20T11:59:00.000-05:00

2009-09-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

Jamie always has great tips and deal scenarios for couponing, but girlfriend also posts some awesome recipes! When she posted this Peanut Butter Cake recipe I knew I had to make it tonight. J and I loooove peanut butter, so this was right up our alley. I did have a mishap halfway through (forgot to grease the second cake tin and the cake got stuck in it and then fell apart) so it became a one layer cake instead of a two layer.

Peanut Butter Cake 1 Boxed Cake Mix- I used Duncan Hines Butter Recipe 1/2 cup of peanut butter 1 stick of butter 2/3 cup of water 4 eggs Peanut Butter Icing 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup of peanut butter 4 cups of powdered sugar 1/3 cup of milk Preheat overn to 325 degrees. Grease 2-9 inch pans. Cream together butter and peanut butter. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Next, add your cake mix and water. Stir well. Pour mix evenly into the 9 inch pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool before icing. For the icing: Cream together butter and peanut butter w/ an electric mixer. Add in powder sugar one cup at at time. Next, pour in the 1/3 cup of milk untill the icing reaches desired consistency. The best part? I had all the ingredients before hand in my stockpile so this cost $0.00 to make! :) Thanks again Jamie!

Free Chick-Fil-a Today ONLY!

2009-09-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

You can get a free Chick-fil-a sandwhich today! What do you need to do? Just wear a sports team shirt to a participating Chick-fil-a. Easy enough! Man, I wish we had a Chick-fil-a near us, especially since they are so good! :) Thanks for the heads up Jane4Girls

Frugal Recipe

2009-09-07T12:04:00.001-05:00

J's parents went on vaca and one of their stops was the Jiffy factory. From there they bought him a huge box of different kinds of Jiffy mixes. I had no idea Jiffy even made this many mixes!

So we decided to utalize one of these and make a fab-o dinner.

We love pizza, so we decided to try this mix.

I made the dough from the box. I needed to add A LOT of flour to make it work.

Instead of making one large pizza, we thought we try our hands at mini pizzas!

We lined a cupcake tin with the dough, then we put them in the oven for 3 minutes like the recipe called for.

I then put some pizza sauce in each, some cheese, and a piece of pepperoni on about half.

I then stuck them in the oven for 5 minutes and voila!

I wish I had better pictures of these because they came our really cute and tasted amazing!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-09-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

This is my first time doing this, so I am not sure how well we will stick with it. Monday- Mini Pizzas; recipe found here Tuesday- Pasta with either pesto or Ragu. Everything from the stockpile Wednesday- Chicken Tacos; Everything from the stockpile Thursday- Paninis Friday- Pizza or Olive Garden (Or perhaps something healthier; all depends on how well we do this week on our diets) Saturday- Dinner to celebrate MAH birthday with my familia. Sunday- Leftovers. Don't forget to hop on over to the linkeroony at Meal Plan Monday hosted by Orgjunkie.com to drop your meal plan post and surf the links for ideas!

more free dog food!

2009-09-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

I have been feeding free dog food to Buddy for about three weeks now, and I am lovin' it! So is he, because it's really good food to boot! Here is what I got today: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="425" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] 4 Bags of Micahel's Dog Food $4.26 each; total: $17.04 -(4) $3.00 Michael's Man Coupon (-$12.00) -(4) $1.50 Michael's Target Coupons (-$6.00) Total B/C: $17.04 Total A/C: .96 profit! The profit was used for wine that J bought. September Spent: $9.39
Savings since August: $574.68

About Me

2009-09-02T19:43:00.000-05:00

If you didn’t already know, my name is Kate. I am 25 years old and live in a northern suburb of Chicago. I recently started, what some like to call extreme couponing.

I’m sure you have seen those women on Oprah or in magazines who get hundreds of dollars worth of groceries for really cheap sometimes even free. The only difference between they and I is that I am in my mid-twenties with no children. Unless you consider my pooch a child, which, if you asked him he would probably say he was.

As I began to do research on websites about couponing I noticed a trend: there was not many couponers like myself. So to that I say “stand proud my fellow couponers! We come in all shapes, sizes, and ages!”

This blog will primarily be about myself, how I do what do so you can do it too, my hauls and what I paid for them, and a tid-bit of my personal life. Enjoy!

aka: k-train, k-dawg, k-hey
Birthday: September 30, 1984

Age: 24

Zodiac: Libra

Nationality: Irish

Local: Northern 'burb of Chicago

Height: 5'9

Education: The University of Iowa, B.A. in Poltical Science and ASL

Languages: English and ASL

Animals: two kitties and a dog

Loves: Jon, Buddy, the kitties, good friends, my family, anything purple, and a good book'

Safeway/Dominick's

2009-09-02T12:08:00.001-05:00

Hurry up because this deal is ending today! 10 Boxes of Kashi Honey Sunshine- $4.99 each; total: $49.90 Sale: WYB 5 or more, the price becomes $2.00 each; total: $20 Coupons Used -(1) Free Box off Kashi Honey Sunshine (Vocal Point) (-$2.00) -(5) $1.50 off Kashi Honey Sunshine (Vocal Point) (-$7.50) -(4) $1.50 off Kashi Honey Sunshine (HERE) (-$6.00) Total A/C: $4.50 or .45 each! Saved: $45.40 September Spent: $4.50 Savings since August: $44.43

Target!

2009-09-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

I went to Target today and paid a whopping .13 (+tax $4.76) for all of this! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="448" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] 3 Schick Women's Razors: $6.99; total: $20.97 -(3) $4 Man Coupons -(3) $4 Target Coupons Total: Free+ $3.03 overage 4 Schick Men's Razors: $7.14; total: $28.56 -(4) $4 Man Coupons -(4) $4 Target Coupons Total: Free + $3.44 overage 6 Glade Candle Tins $1.66; total: $9.96 -(6) $1.50 off Man Coupons (-$9.00) These coupons are found inside the tins! Total: .96; .16 each 6 Glade Refills $2.50; total: $15.00 -(6)Get free refills WYB Glade Tins from here, use zip: 90210 Total: FREE 8 Cheif Michael's Wet Dog Food .84; total: $6.72 -(4) B1G1 Free Man Coupon -(4) B1G1 Free Target Coupon Total: FREE 8 Ceasar Wet Dog Food .99; total: $7.92 -(4) B1G1 Free Man Coupon -(4) B1G1 Free Target Coupon Total: Free 1 Diet Pepsi 6 pack (not pictured) $3.66 -The overage from the Razors applied to this Total Before Coupons: $114.41 Total A/C: .16 (should of been zero, not sure what happened, but I'll take .16! Saved: $114.25 Don't believe me? Here's the receipt, it's a little blurry but you can make it out: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="336" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] I was going to do a few transactions, but I don't like bringing attention to myself since some cashiers think getting things for free is against the law, or some B.S. So I like to fly under the radar. I will be going back tomorrow for more wet dog food, and dry dog food. September Spent: $9.39 Savings since August: $556.68

free 3 year subscription!

2009-08-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

I saw this great deal at Hip2Save and had to share it with everyone! Go here, fill out the short survey and you will get a 3 year subscription to Marie Claire for FREE! Allow 8-10 weeks for your first issue. HURRY because this deal will NOT last long!

Walgreen's spend $25 get $5RR

2009-08-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard yet, Walgreen's has a great promotion going on until Saturday. When you spend $25 you get a $5 RR. The best part? You can get that total down by using coupons, and you can combine with other RR deals! This is what I bought yesterday: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] Breakin' it down: (6) Huggies Baby-Wipes $3.59 total: $21.54 -(6) Used $2 Wags coupon found in Back 2 School book -(6) Used .50 Man coupon total: $6.54 or $1.09 each (4) Kraft Velveeta Cups $1.29 total: $5.16 -(4) Used $1 Wags coupons found in Back 2 School book -(2) Used B1G1 Total: .58 or .14 each Soft Soap $3.99 ConAir Paddle Brush $2.99 -Used $1.00 RR from Colgate Deal Original Total: $33.68 Total A/C: $13.10 Earned: $5 RR for spending $25 $1 RR from Velveeta Cups $1 RR from Velveeta Cups* $2 RR from ConAir brush $4 RR from Softsoap Total: $13 in RR OOP: .10 for all of that! Saved: $33.58 *I was only supposed to get 1 RR from Velveeta but I had to do the transaction twice because the RR machine jammed and I only got the Velveeta RR, but since I had to wait while they re-rang everything, they were nice enough and told me to keep that RR August Breakdown
Spent: $76.10
Saved: $397.03

Dominick's and Target!

2009-08-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

I got GREAT deals yesterday at Target and Dominick's (Safeway). Both places I was able to combine manufacturer's coupons with store coupons to get the most bang for my buck! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Click for larger view!"][/caption] Dominick's (Safeway) Nature Valley $5.49 each total: $21.96 -Used 4/$6 Dominick's Coupon -Used (4) .40 off Total: $4.40 Earned: $2.50 OYNO Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $3.19 each total: $12.76 -Used 4/$4 Dominick's Coupon -(4)Used .40 each Total: $2.40 Earned: $2.50 OYNO Smithfield Bacon $5.49 card price: $4.99 -Used $3.00 Coupon Total: $1.99 Original Total: $30.21 Total A/C: $8.79 + (.26 tax)= $9.05 Earned: $5.00 OYNO catalina coupon Saved: $21.42 or 71% I got the Nature Valley Coupons and the Fruitsnacks coupons from coupons.com and the $3 Smithfield Bacon Coupons from Smithfield.com by signing up on their main page. Target (6) Pop-Tarts $2.00 total: $12.00 Used (4) .75 off Man Coupon Used (6) .75 off Target Coupon Total: $3.00 or .50 (9)Kellog's Cinnabon Bars $2.00 total: $18 Used (7) .75 Man Coupon Used (2) 1.00 Man Coupon from coupons.com Used (9) .50 Target Coupon Total: .91 each or $8.73 (4) Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat $3.04 total: $12.16 Used (4) 1.00 Target Coupon Used (4) .55 Man Coupon Total: $1.49 each or $5.96 (2) Cheif Michael's Dog Food $4.49 total: $8.98 Used (2) $3.50 Man Coupon Used (2) $1.50 Man Coupon Total: $1.02 overage (2) Six pack Diet Pepsi 4/$11 Total: $2.75 each or $5.50 Org Total: $56.64 Total A/C: $22.17 Saved: $34.47 My calculations went wrong somewhere because I actually paid somewhere around $19 but that's ok. I get all my Target printable coupons from the target coupon generator at HCW.I went to Walgreen's earlier to take advantage of the spend $25 and get $5 in RR earlier today, I will be posting about that later!As always, I found a lot of this scenerio's at HCW and a lot of the printable coupons at Hip2Save August Breakdown
Spent: $76.00
Saved: $363.45

Dominick's paid me!

2009-08-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Just got back from an AWESOME trip! This is what I bought: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="that's my man back there making us dinner"][/caption] And I walked out with .29! I have never been paid before to shop. Yeah, I have had zero OOP, and earned coupons, so I've earned money in that respect, but this time they actually gave me cold hard cash. (If you definition of a quarter and four pennies is cold hard cash) Breakin' it down Six Glade Fragrence Collection Tea Lights $3.49 on sale for $2.00 -used (6) free product coupon, took $3.49 off for each Final Cost $2.94 overage Cascade $4.49 -Used free product coupon Final Cost $0.00 4 Mighty Dog $1.00 on sale for .75 -used four free product coupon, took $1.00 off each Final Cost: $1.00 overage Diet Pepsi (was trying to get the bill positive because I wasn't sure how the computer would handle the overage) $1.49 Final Cost $1.49

Tax was $2.16 but my overage took care of that and the pepsi So instead of paying to store, the store paid me this:

Total OOP: +.29 Total Savings: $32.87 August Breakdown Spent: $44.78 Saved: $307.56

Comp Desk

2009-08-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

We just bought this great computer desk from officemax.com. I want to thank Hip2Save so much because I have been looking for a computer desk for many months now, but simply couldn't afford one. This one is marked as $25 down from $249! I am so excited right now!!

Walgreen's and Target

2009-08-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Today I made a trip to Target to get some free dog food after coupons. I used one manufacturer's coupon and one target coupon per bag; making them free. I got the target coupons from here and the manufactorer's coupon from here. You have to complete a short survey to get the coupon but it takes two seconds. And the best part is, you get to choose an animal shelter in your area and they will donate a bowl of food too. This is everything I got today, and when you scroll down I will break it down into smaller pictures with the breakdown of each transaction to hopefully make this easier to understand. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] First Trip- Target 3 bags of Chef Michael's $4.49 each 1 Popcorn Kernals $4.64 Total= $18.11 Coupon's Used (3) $3.50 off Chef Michael's= - $10.50 (3) $1.50 off Chef Michael's= $4.50 (1) .40 popcorn= .40 = $15.40 in coupons $18.11-$15.40= $2.71 For every dog food I bought I got .51 in overage that applied to the popcorn, that's how I was able to get the total so low even though I didn't have a good coupon for the popcorn. Second Transaction: Walgreen's [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] This products are on sale this week for 3/$9 and then you get a $6 Register Reward to use on your next purchase. Listerine $3.00 Reach Toothbrush $3.00 Floss $3.00 Total= $9.00 Coupons Used: $3.00 off when you buy 3 Reach/Listerine products Total=$6.00 Earned $6.00 Register Reward I then went right back and did this combo: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="314" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] Jergens $5.99 (earn a $5 RR when you buy) Tuff paper towels .59 Total $6.58 Coupons used: $6 RR from listerine/reach deal Total: $.58 I then took the Jergen's RR and did that Listerine/Reach combo again using another $3 coupon plus that $5 RR and paid $1.00 for that combo. I'm just going to keep rolling the RR's this week. Today I spent $11.71 and saved $45.73 For August I am really trying to stay within my $100 budget. I went over in July, but it was the first time in my life I have ever been on a budget so I didn't get too mad at myself. August Breakdown Spent: $45.07 Saved: $275.49

wags, CVS, and Jewel

2009-08-10T12:13:00.000-05:00

I made a few coupon runs today and boy did I made out like a bandit! The best part? Everything except the All used coupons from yesterday's paper, so if you haven't couponed before, and still have those inserts laying around, you can try out a few easy deals! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="click for larger view!"][/caption] Breakin' it down First Trip: Walgreen's 12 packs of Bic pens 2/$1= $6.00 Total= $6.00 Coupons used: (6) $1.00 when you buy 2 bic stationary proucts Total= $0.00 or FREE or saved 100% Second Trip CVS 6 Air Wick Fresh Matic Ultra $12.99= $77.94 Sale price: $5.99 8 Candy Bars 2/$1= $4.00 Total: $81.94/ $35.49 Coupons Used: (6) $6 Off AirWick Fresh Matic Ultra (4) $1 When you buy 2 candy mars Total: $0.00 or FREE or saved 100% Third Stop Jewel (two transactions) First Transaction: (6) All Small and Mighty $5.49 before sale price= $32.94 Sale $3.50 each= $21.00 *this is apart of there promotion right now, when you buy $30 worth of certain products you get $15 back in coupons to used on your next purchase. The best part? The $30 is BEFORE sales and coupons! Coupons Used: (6) $1.00 off All Total $15.00 BUT then I got the $15.00 to use on my next visit Transaction Two: (6) All Small and Mighty $5.49 before sale price= $32.94 Sale $3.50 each= $21.00 Coupons Used (6) $1.00 off All Total: $15.00 Used $15 coupon from previous Transaction Total $0.00 or FREE or saved 100% PLUS, I got another save $15 on your next order! This sale at Jewel is going on until tomorrow or Wednesday, so I am going to check to see whatever deals I can roll that $15 into. Needless to say, I don't think we will be needling laundry detergent for a long time!!! In total I spent $15 (that initial investment on the All) and I saved $138.82! August is off to a great start!!

Wags and CVS

2009-08-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

This week there are actually great deals at Walgreen's as well as CVS. The summer has been slow as far as rolling those RR's. I heard that summer's are generally slow for couponers. Needless to say I was very excited to get to Wags on Sunday. This is what I bought for two bucks:

Breakin' it down: (8) Ragu sale 2/$4 Total: $16 Coupons used: (4) $1 off WYB 2 Ragu $10 off RR Total: $2.00 or .25 each Earned $10 RR Then I went to CVS to roll some ECB. This is what I bought:

Breakin' it down: (7) Lysol Nuutra Air $3= $21 (5)Skippy Peanut Butter $2= $10 (3)Tylanol Extra Strength $4= $12 (2) Stayfree $5= $10 Blink Tears $7.99 Soft Soap Serums $4.99 Total: $68.98 Coupons Used: $5 WYB $25 or more (6) $1.50 off Neutra Air (1) IP $1.00 off Neutra Air from here (2) $1 off WYB 2 Skippy (3) $2 Tylonol (1) B1G1 Stayfree (1) $2 Softsoap (1) $3 Blink Tears (1) $25 ECB (3) $1.98 ECB Total: $2.04 and earned $29.99 in ECB Saved: $66.94 or 97%

free tide and cheap soap

2009-08-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

Made a trip to Target yesterday to use the Tide coupons before they expired. This is what I bought:

Breaking it down: 6 Trial sized Tide .97 each= $5.82 Softsoap body wask= $2.54 (on clearance) Total: $8.36 Coupons Used: (6) $1.00 off any Tide= Free tide plus .03 overage on each= .18 overage (1)$2.00 Softsoap= .54 Total A/C: .36 Total Savings: $8.00

.25 Starbuck's Fraps

2009-07-30T12:16:00.001-05:00

I found this great deal courtesy of the posters at HCW. These four Starbuck's Frapacino's cost me $1 or .25 each! Not too shabby considering they are usually $1.99 for one. :) Breakin' it down: 4 Starbuck's Fraps @ 1.99 Total: $7.96 Coupons used: 4/$5 Wags coupon in their Ad 4 $1.00 off one Starbuck's Fraps Total: $1.00 Saved: $6.96 or 87%

using my fav coupons!

2009-07-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

So after posting the Kraft dressing coupon earlier, I decided to make a quick trip to Wal-Mart to get some. I actually had to go to Wally-World for another reason, but I thought I'd pick up some salad dressing while I was there! During my trip I was stopped by a really nice lady asking my advice on couponing and how I organize my coupons. She seemed really nice so I directed her here, as well as HCW. I hope she follows up and gets more into couponing because she seemed really interested. Breakin' It Down: Sparkle Paper Towels- $2.73 each (bought 2) Angel Soft T.P.- $1.00 each (bought 2) Kraft Salad Dressing $1.58 each (bought 2) Total: $10.46 Coupons Used (2) $2.00 off WYB Angel Soft and Sparkle (2) $1.50 off Kraft Salad Dressing Total A/C: $3.46 The Salad Dressing was .08 A/C and each Sparkle and Angel Soft combo was $1.73 A/C I love great deals! :)

2009-07-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

So I decided to switch from wordpress to blogger and in the process I wanted to change my posts over as well. I have gotten about halfway through to please bare with me!

Newly Organized

2009-07-01T18:06:00.000-05:00

So this week I started working on reorganizing my coupons. From this:

To this:

I went to HCW to find ideas on other ways to organize my coupons. This seemed like the best way. I used a 4'' binder and then baseball collector sheets. I organized them in the same order as the box but now I can see each coupon right away as I am shopping. For instance, salad dressing has it's own page, and each different type of coupon has it's own holder.

So today I decided to take the binder for a test run at Jewel. This is what I bought:

Total before sales and coupons: $109.92 OOP: $31.95 Saved: $77.97 Breakin' It Down:

2 dozen eggs org price $2.29 sale .99
Jewel brand cheese org price $3.78 sale .97
Crumpits (no coupon) $2.99
Healthy-Life Bread $2.50
Lawry Maranade- $3.19 each sale B1G1 and $1.00 each coupon $1.19/2 or .59 each
Airwick Refills clearance $1.99 each; used $1.00 coupon each .99 (x4)
Airwick Oil Warmers $1.69 used Buy Oil Refills get Warmer Free (x4)
Kruncher Chips org $3.75 sale $2.50 used $1 coupon $1.50 each (x4)
Diet Mt. Dew $1.98 sale $1.00
Various Kellogg's Cereal org $3.95 sale 4/$7 used $1 Q on each .75 each (x10)
Oscar Myer Hot Dogs $4.50 used Free Coupon; $0

It was so much easier using my binder then the box at Jewel. Success!

how I do what I do

2009-04-22T18:12:00.000-05:00

So this has been a slow week for getting good deals. There was nothing that has really jumped out at me, except for some free Glade candals and cheap Diet Dr. Pepper, which I will be posting about tomorrow because everything is still in my car. Until tomorrow I decided to post about how I cut my coupons. I got this idea from here. First I take out all the ads from each newspaper. I used to get 3 newspapers a week, but now that I buy them at the dollar store I buy 4 a week. Then I take the same pages out of each ad and line them up. Next I staple the pages together, but I make sure not to put a staple through any coupons! Then you can either put all the pages together and make one master coupon book for that week Or you can take the pages and cut your coupons! Then I file them in my coupon box! That's all for tonight, check back tomorrow for my hauls for this week!

2009-04-10T11:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, before Jon and I made our way to my mom's hair salon so he could get his fabulous new hair cut we stopped at a dollar store out here in the 'burbs. I wanted to see if they sold the Sunday Trib, and they did! So now I can get my newspaper there and get three copies for what most pay for one! I'm going to make sure to go on Saturday to get the early edition because we went back today for more and they were sold out.

Yesterday when we went to the dollar store I was shocked! A) it was huuuge and B) it had mostly name brand products! The dollar stores in the city are NOT like that. We didn't have much time yesterday so we went back today. They had whole aisles devoted to food, cleaning products, party supplies, kitchenware, household items, spices, wine glasses, pet supplies. anything you could ever possibly imagine. I'm a little wary of buying food and dog bones or cat food/treats there, but there is so many other things to make up for that! I know that dollar stores vary by location, because I have never seen one like this. So without further adieu here is my haul:

Huge plastic pop cups. I love to have big ol cups of water or pop so these were a must.

hot/cold patch

cat pan lines- we went to target after and they had these same exact ones for over $6.00!

Pepto-Bismol

Can of corn

Dog puzzle (Jon and I like to do puzzles "coughloserscough" :)

mac and cheese- wanted to try it to see how good it may or may not be

kitty litter- also figured we would try this

cookies- jon insisted. i made him hide these from me when we got home

pack of envelopes for coupons

some weird egg that grows in water- once again jon's

carpet cleaner (can never have too much of this with 3 animals!)

comet- works amazing!

weekly to-do lists with a magnet on the back

dooggy poop bags

peeps

sharpie marker

pepperoni

Air Wick lavender spray!

olives

neosporin

zout- (works better then anything on stains!)

glow sticks (jon again)

close up

close-up

Jon and I love to make home-made popcorn & we thought these were cute!

We also bought a 180 pack of napkins. All in all, we got over 30 items and paid only $32.00

Trip well spent!

2009-04-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

So I have been getting some feed-back saying that people want to know exactly how I get my deals; therefore I decided to make this week "a week in the life of coupon kate" I will be updating once a day with my deals and how I got them, i.e. what coupons I used and my game plan for the next week so you can try it out and see how well you do! But for now, this is just a sneak preview of what to expect:

8 Skintimate Shave creams (I gave one to Momma Sheila)

6 Chapsticks (I opened one)

2 mentos gum

2 Visine eye drops

My OOP (out of pocket) was: $2.04
Savings: $47.24

The deal with the Chapstick and Skintimate is going on throughout the rest of April so I will be stocking up! Check back tomorrow for the details on how I did this specific deal!

2009-04-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

ome say couponing is like a game. To that I say "play on playa!"

Here is my haul from Wags for the week thus far:

Here is the breakdown:

Halls Cough Drops: .39 each

Bic Razors- 1.99 each

Reynolds Wrap- each one was free

Chapstick- 1.99 but it printed a Register Reward which I then rolled to get 2 more free and will continue to do so the rest of the week.

Skintimate Shave Gel- 2.99 but it printed a Register Reward when I then rolled to get 2 more free and will continue to do so the rest of the week to stock up

deodorant- 3.50 for 2

Tuna- .09

Quaker Granola bars- 1.50 for 2 boxes and it printed a Register Reward for 2.00 of my next purchase.

And I needed some fillers so I got those 10 pencils. When you shop at Wags you have to have more products then coupons. So since I use the mother-load of coupons I have to balance that out with something that is cheap and doesn't use coupons. So I got 10 pencils for 2.00

Total: 14.23
Savings: 62.20

This is going to be a short post because we are having company over in a bit. But I will update with more info on how I got these deals later this weekend!

2009-03-31T11:35:00.000-05:00

I never knew about this catalog and I thought I was an exception to the rule, but it seems that most people do not know this little handy dandy book of coupon loveliness even exists. So where can you get one and what exactly is the Easy Saver Catalog? The April edition looks like this: and this is an example of one of the inside pages: Why are these coupons so fabulous? Well, what most people do not realize is that store coupons can actually be combined with manufactures coupons. For instance, see the middle coupon for $4.00 off the Schick women's razors? Well last week I used that coupon in conjuction with a 4.00 off manufacturers coupon and only ended up spending .99 for a razor with refills. Here is my math: example 1 Price $8.99 (it was onsale that week) -$4.00 MAN. Q -$4.00 WAGS ESC My OOP (out of pocket) was .99! Use your EasySaver Catalog along with your manufacturers coupons and the sale ad for that week and you can get some pretty awesome deals! This is also how some people get stuff for pennies or free. example 2 Last week there was Orbit gum on clearance at Wags for .32. The EasySaver also had a coupon for save $1.00 when you buy three packs. So.... .92 for 3 Orbit Packs on clearance -1.00 ESC You do the math! Unfortunately by the time I knew about this deal the gum was sold out everywhere! That's why I now keep my eyes peeled on the Clearance stuff whenever I make my weekly trip! Where can I find the EasySaver Catalog? Every Walgreen's should have these either where their Sunday ad's are displayed by the front door, or by the clerk at the register. Now, I went to Walgreen's today with Momma Sheila to show her the ropes, and they didn't have any out. But when I went to the Walgreen's by me they were by the register. So if you don't see them ask an employee! Now I'm off to make my list of what I plan to get tomorrow and enjoy a nice Burrito Bowl from Chipotle, which is going to be free thanks to a coupon!

The Vault

2009-01-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

The Vault, well Jon thought of that name. It's the place where I store all of our extra stuff that I get for cheap or free. The idea is to buy items when they are at their cheapest so you end up saving a ton of money. I bought most of these items for pennies on the dollar and if not that, then I got them for completly FREE. How? Well just keep reading thecouponkate.com and find out! So now when we run out of TP, or anything else for that matter the conversation goes like this: Jon: "Argh! We ran out of paper towels!" Kate: "Have no fear honey! Just check the vault!" Jon: "Wow! this is great!" So instead of running out to the store to get paper towels that are full price and waste all that money, we just go to The Vault and get some that I paid .79 because they were on sale and I had a coupon! Just think of how much that will save us in the long run! Just check out Jane who allows herself only a $800 annual budget to buy this kind of stuff! She is my couponing idol!

Wags & CVS

2008-10-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

Walgreen's FAQ

I used to NEVER shop for things at drug stores. Why? Well isn't it obvious? There everyday prices are so overpriced. Well once you start getting serious into couponing you find out that when they have sales that you can often get things way cheaper then the grocery store or big box stores. Also, Walgreen's has in-ad coupons that you can actually stack with manufactures coupons, which equals more savings. For example, if Walgreen's has a coupon for $1.00 peanut butter, and you also have a $1.00 manufacturer's coupon for that same product you can actually save $2.00. The best tip I can give, is that when you can get something for free or cheap at Walgreen's STOCK-UP. Walgreen's ALWAYS has great deals on toothpaste. So I have about 20 tubes in my stockpile. Therefore, I learned that I never have to shell out money for toothpaste again. Here are some tips while shopping at Wags:

What is rolling an RR?

A Register Reward at Walgreen's is a coupon that prints our when you buy a certain item. Every week Wags will advertise a product that is free or close to free after you earn a RR. For example, buy Crest toothpaste at $2.99 and get a $2.99 RR, making this item free once you get the coupon. But you can actually "roll" the RRs. Meaning say you bought something the week prior that was also $2.99 and earned you a $2.99 RR. You could use that RR to pay for the toothpaste and then earn ANOTHER $2.99 RR. You could also roll the RR within the same week. Say there was peanut butter on sale for $2.99 that earned you a $2.99 RR when you buy it, you could buy the Crest with the peanut butter RR and keep rolling them into each other, not paying anything. (IMPORTANT: In most cases, you cannot buy the same item that is free after RR using a RR from that product; a new RR will NOT print). To make an even better deal for yourself you can use coupons too:

Crest is $2.99
-use $1.00 Man Coupon
Pay $1.99 and earn a $2.99 RR (Profit of $1.00)
Skippy is $2.99
-use $1.00 Man Coupon
Total: $1.99, but you want to use that Crest RR to pay right? Well you need to get your total up! So find a $1 filler
$1.00 Gum

Total: $2.99
-Use $2.99 RR
Pay: $0.00
Earn: $2.99 RR for buying Skippy

Some side notes:

Cashiers will often tell you that your RR did not print because you used a coupon or used a RR to pay. This info is WRONG. Usually it's because you might of grabbed the wrong item, or you used a RR that you earned from the same product to pay, or the machine is jammed. Remember rule number one of rolling RRs: RR's cannot be rolled to buy the same items they were earned for!

Another important rule: you must have the same amount of (or more) products then coupons; and RR counts as a coupon. For example: if you have 3 items and 3 manufacturer's coupons for those items, plus you want to use a RR to pay, that is 4 coupons total. So you will need to find a filler, I usually go to the clearance aisle and try to find someone that is really cheap.

CVS

I just started CVS'ing a few months ago, but have only been a handful of times since there is not one that close to me. I go if I am going in that direction for something else, or if there is a really good deal for the week.

For the most part, CVS is similar to the way Wags for except for a few differences:

You need to get a CVS card in order to participate in the deals.
There are limits on the amount of an item you can purchase.
They have something similar to Register Rewards but they are called Extra Care Bucks (ECB)
Unlike Wags when you buy something and earn an ECB at CVS, you can use that ECB to buy the exact same item.
You don't have to do a bunch of different transactions. For example, if you want to buy 2 toothpastes at Wags and get a $2.99 RR for each you would have to do two transactions. But at CVS, if you wanted to buy 2 toothpastes that would give you a $2.99 ECB for each you can buy them in one transaction and get an ECB for $5.98
They usually expire a month from the time you earn them, while Wags only gives you 2 weeks.
ECBs actually take off tax, RR do not, so you have to pay the tax from your own pocket.

I don't consider myself as knowledgeable with CVS'ing as I am with shopping at Wags, so watch my blog to learn along with with me. Also, check out iheartcvs.com

How to use them

2008-10-06T18:27:00.000-05:00

Brand loyalty is dumb...

Unless you have an allergy to something, why be brand loyal? I don't really see the point. In my opinion, body wash is body wash, and peanut butter is peanut butter. Let's face it, we're not comparing Prada to Payless. You might feel differently, I did too initially, but the savings sure made me change my opinion fast.

For instance I absolutely love Purex 3-1 Laundry sheets. When they first came out I could get them for free after coupon and bought about four. I could still buy them for about $1 (usually $7.99) but a few weeks later Jewel had this amazing deal on All Laundry Detergent and I was able to snag 12 bottles for free. Some people say All doesn't clean that well, but it does the job for me. So why would I spend money on something that works just the same? Because I like the brand or that particular product? I think not.

I have a $1.00 coupon on my favorite body soap! I'm going to the store right now to use it? Why aren't you proud of me Coupon Kate?!?!?!

Girlfriend, just because you have a coupon does not mean you have to use it right away! Pay attention to that expiration date. Chance are, it doesn't expire for at least a month, probably longer. Chill-out, breath, but most important, wait. If you buy items just because you have a coupon burning a hole through your pocket you will be spending more money on something you probably don't need. The trick is to wait for a SALE (my favorite word in the English language)

Wait for a Sale to happen.

Seems easy enough right? Say your body soap is usually $4.99. Well if you used that coupon right away you would still be paying $3.99. Not to great right? Well what if Walgreen's has a sale next week on and only charges $2.99 PLUS when you buy it that week you earn a $1.00 Register Reward. So:

$4.99 Original Price

$2.99 SALE

-$1.00 Coupon

-$1.00 Register Reward

= .99 body wash that is normally $4.99, you saved $4 just by waiting! And if you get a couple papers (like moi!) you can stock up on this price, and not have to buy this body wash again unless it's super-duper-dirt-cheap.

cuttin' & organizin'

2008-10-06T18:01:00.001-05:00

How do you organize your coupons?

At first I used the box method. I had a box that was the size of a shoe box and cut and filed my coupons in there. I had a ton of different categories. This was easy at first when I did not have a lot of coupons, but as my inventory grew it became harder and harder to find something and to keep organized. That is when I switched to the binder method. This way made it much easier when I went into a store and was just looking at prices on a whim trying to find the best deals. I have a 5" binder with baseball card inserts that I have divided into categories such as: snacks, frozen, hygiene, etc. And withing those categories I have it organized even more. For instance in the frozen food category I have it organized by pizza, ice cream, tv dinners, etc. You can read about the binder method here.

Do you seriously cut every freakin' coupon?

Almost, the only coupons I don't cut are things I will absolutely never use, even if I get it for free. Sometimes I give in though and even cut those because I figure those items can always be given to someone.

Doesn't it take forever?

Not really. It did at first, but now I spent a couple hours on Saturday and get them all cut and filed and I am done for the week. Couponing is a hobby to me. How many of you spend the same amount of time watching tv? Now on Saturdays I will usually catch up on some TV shows or pop in a movie and get cuttin'.

But seriously, if you get multiple papers how does it NOT take forever?

I use this method of stapling

Where to get 'em

2008-10-06T17:56:00.001-05:00

Where do you get your coupons?

I often get this question from friends and cashiers at stores. They seem to be amazed when I say the newspaper. I started off getting four papers a week, but now I use various websites to check out the insert previews and decide if I will get more for the upcoming week. Say they have a good dog food coupon that I know will make dog food cheap or even free, then I will get 8 copies. At first, I bought my papers from the local grocery store, but that money added up really fast because in Chicago the Sunday Edition is almost $3. Now I go on Saturdays to get the Early Edition at my local Dollar Tree. That way if I want to get more copies for that week I don't have to feel guilty.

Printable Coupons (IPs)

These are great! I often frequent Red Plum, Smart Source, and Coupons.com. You can usually print the coupon twice (so use that back button) but if you have more then one computer in your house you can print even more.

Blinkies

These are the boxes in the grocery store that have a red blinking light that spits out coupons. My Dominick's (Safeway) and Jewel often has a few throughout the store and if they have great coupons I will stock up that way.

Friends and Relatives

Most of my friends and relatives know I am crazy about couponing so they will often keep their inserts for me. But I usually ask them what they have against saving money themselves. ;)

Peelies

These are the coupons that are stuck to a product. They usually have a longer expiration date so you can save them for a better deal that is sure to come.

Ebay

People often sell coupons on ebay in larger lots.

The girl behind all those coupons...

2008-10-06T17:49:00.001-05:00

When I was in college, and right after I graduated I used to basically throw money out of the window. Life was easy, all I had to do was study, and go to work. I lived with my parents right after I graduated so I didn't pay rent. Oh, and I also managed a clothing boutique which a majority of my paycheck went to (and no, I am not exaggerating).

In January of 2009 I moved in with my boyfriend and lost my job all within the same month. I hated not working, not having a income, and felt like a leech on society. J made enough money that we could live comfortably, but I am a pretty independent person, and wanted to do my best to stretch my teeny tiny budget from unemployment so I decided to look into what I could do to spend as little as possible and provide more for us at the same time.

Literally the next day I was watching Oprah and applying to jobs and guess who was on? The one, and only, Coupon Mom. I felt like it was a sign from God himself. I watched in amazement, as she showed viewers how she could go into a grocery store and fill up a cart and only pay a few bucks! I thought to myself "Where do I sign up? I don't want to be LIKE her, I want to BE her!"

I am not going to lie, it took awhile to get the hang of couponing. It is not easy at first by any means. But since I have started I have saved J and I over $5,000, and that's just since April!

In first step in my couping adventure I just signed up for a bunch of free samples. I learned that companies often include high value coupons in the samples they send you. Then I started searching for great coupon websites so I could find help. I hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon HCW and it's forums. From there I learned that I should find a drug of choice, or Drug Store of choice. In my area there is a Walgreen's right down the block and a CVS 5 miles away, so I chose the obvious- Walgreen's.

I learned that Register Rewards (RR's) can be used to your advantage and you can roll those to get even more free products. I also figured out that there are certain things in life I will refuse to pay for ever again. Those include toothpaste, razors, mouthwash, body wash, to name a few.

I want to make sure that if you want to start couponing and saving your family hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year that you have the right resources, and that is what Coupons 101 and The Coupon Kate is all about.