Bargain Shopping

I've had a few people ask me how to do this, so I'll pass along a few tips. I'm no expert at this, but I'm happy to share what I know.

I always thought I was pretty good with coupons and deals, but my friend Marissa opened up a whole new world to me this summer. (Thanks so much Marissa!)

1. Get a coupon stash. To get these good deals you need to start accumulating manufacturer's coupons that you can combine with sales and store coupons to get good deals. If you can get multiple copies of the same coupons, all the better. But for our family, we just get the Sunday paper and I make do with those. I also print coupons from www.coupons.com and other places online. Make sure to check to see if your store accepts coupons printed from the internet before you get in the checkout line.

2. Watch the deals. I look through the ads and coupons on Sunday and I follow several blogs that track the sales and deals. These sites will show you how to combine sales, store coupons, manufacturer's coupons, and loyalty rewards programs. I like:

www.moneysavingmom.com
www.couponmom.com
http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/

3. Read the fine print and know your store's policies. Be sure to read your coupons carefully. Check the sizes, quantities, and styles included in the offer. Sometimes it looks like you can use a coupon with a sale, but a tiny detail will make your coupon ineligible. :( Sometimes you have to buy a certain quantity of an item to get a sale price, but sometimes you only have to buy one. Some stores limit the number coupons you can use in a transaction. For instance, Walgreens doesn't allow you to use more coupons than you have items, so you may need to plan to purchase an extra small item. Don't be afraid to ask questions if a coupon is rejected or a sale price doen't ring up. In my experience sometimes I have misunderstood an offer but other times things just don't ring up correctly and my order can be adjusted. If you are using lots of coupons, be prepared to have the manager called to help with your order. Have the store ad at hand to show them.

4. Set aside some money to invest. Walgreens has a rebate program that gives you your rebates back on a gift card. To begin building up a credit on your Walgreens card, you'll need to lay out some money initially. Every month they offer free after rebate items, but it takes about a month to get that money back on the card. But once you've made that initial outlay you can use that same money over and over to buy the free after rebate items. It also helps to give yourself a little money to spend while you are starting out because it is easy to make a lot of mistakes as you begin learning.

5. Give yourself some grace.Don't fret when you do make a few mistakes. And don't worry if you miss a deal or two along the way. Just do your best and thank God for what he provides for you.

6. Don't succomb to coupon obession. The one problem with following the sales is that you become more susceptible to marketing. This can foster the desire to go shopping or to buy new things that you don't need because it is a "good deal". Limit yourself to buying things that your family needs or would use anyway. Know your prices and don't buy things that you can get cheaper elsewhere without coupons-- at a garage sale, at the dollar store, or your local discount grocery store.

Happy shopping and be sure to let me know if you get some good deals!

Walgreens 10/12-10/15

Yes, it is yet another bargain post. I'm so thankful to the Lord for providing what we need, and I'm hopeful that other people can benefit from these great sales too. Technically I got all of this for .84 cents!

I got all of what is pictured above for 18.57 out of pocket, and I'm due to receive an 18.12 credit on my Walgreen's gift card for my next shopping trip! Here is how I did it:

Transaction 1:
3 Kotex products for on sale for $9, with $3 in Register Rewards back. (Register Rewards are a coupons that print out along with your receipt after the transaction is complete.)
Minus $2.00 in coupons from the Sunday paper, but you can also print some from coupons.com.
Total $3.77
I paid that with the credit on Walgreens gift card from last time. Total out of pocket: $0.

Transaction 2:
Buy 4 Dove products receive $3 in Register Rewards.
I bought 2 bars of soap at $1.00 each and 2 deodorants at $2.00 each for a total of $6.
Then I had $1.50 coupon for the deodorants from this Sunday's paper.
So my total came to 4.97, which I again used my gift card to pay for. Total out of pocket: $0.


Transaction 3:
One package of Walgreens diapers on sale for 5.99.
Minus $3.00 Register Rewards Coupon.
Total: $3.35, again paid for by the trusty gift card. Total out of pocket: $0.

Transaction 4:
Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation 7.49 (Free after rebate on Walgreens gift card)
L'Oreal Cleanser Towelettes 7.99 (Free after rebate on Walgreens giftcard)
Minus $1.00 coupon from the beauty counter in store.
Parsley .50 Cinnamon .50 using 2/$1 coupon in Walgreens ad
Pert Shampoo 3.49, minus 2.50 EasySaver coupon, and $1.00 coupon from the paper, free
Candle $4.00, no coupons, just a blessing for me and my family to enjoy
Hershey's candy, .39 each using Walgreens coupon (I had another coupon, but I forgot to use it!)
Arm & Hammer detergent, $2.99, minus $1 rebate and $1.00 coupon, .99 cents.
Minus $3.00 Register Rewards coupon and .39 remaining on the gift card. Total out of pocket 18.96, 18.12 in rebates to be credited to my gift card.

Lovely River

I took this photo as we were out for a bike ride on the Greenbelt earlier this week. Isn't it a beautiful world that God has made? Isn't he kind to allow man the creativity to add to his works?

Woohoo!

I just got a $23.00 check in the mail from Ebates. They offer a small percentage discount at online retailers. The best part is that you can stack coupons on top of this and save even more. I'm thrilled because I only use Ebates for stuff I'm planning to buy online anyway. If you are interested in joining, check it out at www.ebates.com. And if you do sign up, can you please tell them I referred you (jordannicole20@hotmail.com)? I get a $5.00 credit and so do you!

Bye-bye, Binky!

Last night was a tremendous milestone for Iain. It was his first night without his beloved pacifier. We prepared him through the late afternoon and evening, and then when it was time for bed, Papa sat him down for a serious heart-to-heart talk. Brian told Iain that he was too big for his binky, and that he wasn't going to need it anymore. Instead Iain would get a special big boy prize. I gave Iain his binky and had him trade it to me for a brand new wooden train. He was very excited about the train, but when he handed over his binky he said "Bye-bye binky" and cried. The look on his face nearly broke my heart. I've been dreading doing this. I was so sad. I think it was as hard for me to see the binky go as it was for him. But happily it only lasted for about 5 seconds and then he was all smiles for the new big boy train!

He played with it for a while and took it to bed with him. Iain slept from 9:30 or so and slept until 6:00, so he did really well. Today he been saying "Bye-bye binky" in a very conversational way, so I think this transition is going to go pretty well. The only mark of babyhood he has left are his diapers. I don't think he is quite ready for potty training yet, but it will be very nice when we don't have to buy diapers any more.

My boy is getting so big! Praise the Lord.

Albertson's sale Oct 1-7

You can get General Mills cereal for $1.50 a box at Albertson's this week when you buy 10 boxes. The flyer says select varieties and it pictures Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, Kix, Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Total, and Lucky Charms. I'm guessing there are probably a few more that are on sale but not pictured. There's a coupon from the newspaper a few weeks back that is good for $1 off two boxes, and you can print some more coupons from www.coupons.com. I see .55 cents off Cheerios, .75 cents off Kix, .55 cents off Trix, $1.00 off two Chex, and .75 cents off Oatmeal Crisp. Be sure to ask if your store accepts coupons printed from the internet. With the coupons, you can get cereal for .75 cents to a $1 a box! I'm hoping to make it to Albertson's later this week, but I thought I share this deal now so you have time to grab it too!

Update: I did manage to make it to Albertson's. I got 10 boxes of cereal for 12.85! The sale is going on until Tuesday, and it is limited to the varieties listed above. I was disappointed that more weren't included because I could have saved another dollar or two!

Frustrated and far from the mark

Today has been really irritating me! It has been one of those days where little things keep going wrong and adding up to one frustrated mama. Poor Brian is sick today, so that was not a happy beginning to the day. Iain woke up at 6:30, and I managed to get my kitchen cleaned up (including the floor mopped!) and Iain fed without incident. Today is payday, so the stores in the house are very low. No milk, no eggs, 1 slice of bread-- you get the picture. Still, no problem, frozen waffles for breakfast, leftovers and frozen french fries for lunch. I also found some time to spend with Iain on learning his colors again today. We've only done four so far, despite having started it two weeks ago! As I was doing my daily internet search for bargains and sales, I came across this website (http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/) and was immediately blessed and also saddened at how far I have to go. This is is the kind of wife, mom, and friend I'd like to be. But I'm not there yet. Sigh.

So feeling good about having done some work and wanting to do something creative after reading that blog, I decided to work on a project I've had laid aside for a month or so. I would have preferred trying out her pumpkin muffin recipe, but I have no muffin tins, and more importantly, no ingredients. So painting it was. Little did I know this would be my downfall today.

I laid newspaper outside on the grass and got all my supplies out. I left the door to the apartment open so Iain and our dog could enjoy some sunshine and fresh air. I kept a good eye on Iain while I was painting, not such a good eye on the dog. She disappeared and I failed to notice. So then I had to leave my painting project in the grass and hunt for her sans vehicle with a toddler. It didn't work well. Luckily she returned home, limping and shaking about 20 minutes later. I have no idea what happened to her. She's walking on all fours again, so hopefully she's ok.

Then I had to make lunch for Iain while I was involved in a very important phone conversation. While I was distracted he poured first his milk, then his juice, all over himself and the floor. After disciplining him for that, I put him down for his nap and went out to finish my painting, dog safely inside. When I went out I saw that my project was soaking wet! The workmen apparently are doing something to the sprinkler system and they turned it on while I was inside. Sigh. It's only two o'clock and everything I have tried to accomplish today has already been a bust. I need to go and fight yet again to clean this place up! Does anybody else have days like this? How do I come to grips with falling so short of even the simplest goals, let alone loftier ones? Help, Lord Jesus!