Cupcakes

Since someone is so anxiously awaiting my post on todays adventures here it is, just for you Dad.
Don't you just love how last minute plans end up being the best?  A few days ago I got in touch with my Biz to see if she was available this weekend to meet up.  I was amazed that the two of us had a weekend day free.  We decided to check out the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, you  know me and my bargains.  While I regret taking pictures of our illigal cupcake eating at Ruby Tuesdays, and ourselves weighted down with bags of goodies, I do have some stats.
First up tip number gazillion...always do your homework.  Check out the site and see if there are coupons.  Lucky for us, Gap and Banana Republic had 30% off this weekend!

awesome lantern I scored from Yankee

We first made a stop at Banana Republic and were amazed by the prices, Awesome!  I walked out of there with 2 shirts for the hubs,  2 shirts for me and a pair of pj pants for a grand total of $31.46, would have been  $13.49 more but I did my homework and found 30% off coupons.  Express I found another work shirt for $9.99, Gap I scored a nice jacket for $20.99, Champion I found 2 gym shorts for vball for $16.78, at Columbia nice swimming trunks for the hub $6.98, and finally Yankee Candle a surprise for me mum at $5 and 2 super cool lanterns for $10.  So for 5 shirts, a jacket, pjs, 2 shorts, swimming trunks, and candles and lanterns I spent $101.40.
The Biz also had a successful shopping trip, her hightlight was the 2 dresses she found for work for $36 total!  Looks like this outlet is legit, but as always check prices not all the stores were as good as the ones I mentioned.
We had a great day shopping and enjoying each others company.  Can't ask for more than spending time with a dear friend and a successful shopping trip!

Ugh Paper Towels

I really hate buying paper towels.  First of all I think they are expensive for what they are...paper.  Second I don't see a need for them.  However I live with someone who has a paper towel addiction so if I'm going to buy them I'm going to buy decent ones for cheap.  This 'someone' I speak of has gotten better and I'm sure the environment has benefited from it.

I know I haven't done a DOTW lately so here is one.  No, I did not buy 10 bottles of body wash, needless to say I think we are stocked from my last binge.  Here's what I got on my trip to CVS.  While not groundbreaking deals, still not too bad.

Degree Sport-  $2.50

MFC             - $1.00
Total              =$1.50

Dawn Dish soap- $.97

MFC              -  $.20

Total               = $.77

Crest Toothpaste -  $1.74

MFC                  - $1.00

Total                  = $.74

Bounty 8 Rolls-  $5.97

MFC               - $1.00

Total               = $4.97

Shopping total=  $6.98 (+tax)

Considering the paper towels alone normal price is $7.99, not bad.

One thing I can't live without

For my wedding shower about a year ago I got one of my favorite gifts of all time.

Keurig

This is awesome!  Working different shifts, it's pointless to make a whole pot of coffee.  Plus if I make a whole pot, I will usually drink a whole pot and that's not necessarily a good thing.  Wasteful and usually results in me shaking and talking uncontrollably.  While the K-cups can be pricey.  I think the convenience and non-wastefulness (pretty sure I just made up a word) outweighs the price.  Plus it beats stopping at Starbucks or Dunkin, which I would resort do on lazy days.
Here is the Deal of the Week.  While it's not like most of my DOTW's where I barely spend any money, still it's something that I WANT to spend money on.  I purchase my K-cups at Bed Bath and Beyond, and use my 20% off coupons (which you can use in one order 1 for every item you have, and they expire even if they have an expiration date).  I came across some $5 off of $15 purchase.  This is a better deal for the coffee.  With 2 20% off coupons for 2- $9.99 2 K-cups would be $15.98.  With a $5 off $15 2 K-cups are $15!  Only $1 in savings but that extra $1 bought me an icecream cone from Micky D's :-) 
It's the simple things in life people!  Oh and what's my Fav flavor you ask?  Butter Toffee...Yum!

I'm a Winner!

This week I got a prize in the mail!  Woo hoo! Those of you thrifty peeps out there if you aren't signed up at http://www.rightathome.com/ do so now.  Every once in awhile they do giveaways to enter just by clicking on an emailed link.  I have yet to win until this week.  Here is what I won!

Honestly does it even really matter what you win when you win something?  So what if it's air freshener stuff?! HA!  I'm a winner!  I'm a winner!  It made my day.
Don't worry my thrifty friends...I will share more tips/sites soon!

Look Ma , no hands!

Besides produce I didn't do much shopping last week, my shopping schedule has kinda developed into an every other week deal.  With it just being the two of us it works for now.   I had $12 worth of Walgreens coupons that expired on the 20th so I needed to get in the store.  Luckily there were some A-mazing deals in this weeks ad! 

Gillettes buy $25 get $10 register reward;

Gillette Clinical deodarent: $8.99

MFC-$3.00

Total= $5.99

Gillette Deodarent: 4 @4.99=$19.96

(2)MFC's buy 2 get $4 off-$8.00

Total=$11.96 for 4

Gillette deal- $11.96 + $5.99= $17.95

Register Rewards- $10.00

Total= $7.95

Gillette body wash: $4.49

MFC-$2.00

Total: $2.49

Gillette Fusion Razor: $9.89

MFC-$4.00

Walgreens Coupon-$2.00

Register Rewards-$5.00

Total= -$2.89(YES! That's right I made $2.89 on this one!!!)

Aussie Shampoo and Gel: (2) @ $2.99= $5.98

MFC-$2.00

Register Rewards-$2.00

Total for 2= $1.98

Herbal Essance Shampoo: $2.99

MFC-$1.00

Total= $1.99

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner: (2) @ $2.99=$5.98

BOGO= $2.99

MFC-$1.00

Total for 2= $1.99or $1.00 each!!

Dentyne gum- $1.29

MFC-$1.00

Total= $.29

Hershey Bar-$.89

Walgreens Coupon-$.40

Total= $.49

Honey Nut Cheerios- 2 for $5

MFC-$1.00

Total=$4.00 or $2.00each

DiGorno Pizza-$5.00

MFC-$4.00

Total- $1.00

Total before coupons and register rewards: $55.46

After coupons and register rewards($12 from previous trip) : $30.39

After Register Rewards printed this trip $22.50: $7.89!!

Sweet smell of men's body wash

Thank you Walgreen's for this weeks DOTW*.

It was a close one, I have never encountered a fellow couponer at walgreens when standing in front of a sale.  Good thing there was enough body wash for the both of us.  It was quit commical to find that she had about the same sale/coupon items in her buggy as I did.  I knew she was probably the only on in the store that truely understood why I would buy 8 body washes at a time.
So here's the good stuff.
$4.49/1= $35.92
-4-BOGO coupons= $17.96
$10 Walgreens Reward Coupon= $7.96 or .99 cents/each!

I also got some pampers 72 ct baby wipes for a new bundle of joy!
$2.50- $2 coupon = .50!

sweet baby Logan

And some Kashi Cereal that was on sale 2 for $5
- 2 $1 off coupons= $3
$2.00 Walgreens Reward Coupong= $1 for 2 boxes of friggen cereal!!

Pretty good day at Walgreens if I do say so myself!


*Deal of The Week

Hot Diggity Dog!

Now that Volleyball is slowly winding down...(2 practices and 1 4-day tournament to go but who's counting?)  I will pay you more attention.  First up this weeks DOTW.  Since Josh had a few days off he got to watch me in action at Walgreens.  Usually he'll wake up on a Sunday morning with me sitting on the the living room floor cutting my coupons and matching them up with the sale ads.  This Sunday as I caught up on my Housewives of New York I did some clipping, while Josh did some cleaning.

I wish I was an Oscar Mayer Weiner

This weeks DOTW at Walgreens:
BOGO Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs:$2.99
                                    1 MFC $1 off 2
                                             $1.99 for 2 packs
Oscar Mayer lunch meat        : 2 for $5
2 Online coupons $2 off 1             - $4
                            Total for 2: $1!

So $3.99 for 2 packs of hot dogs and 2 packs of lunch meat a savings of $7.99, not to shabby if I say so myself.  The hubby was quite impressed with my savings.

Stop!

I can't stop, there is no stop button on me, for some reason I feel the need to constantly go go go.  Tonight I had a free night, nothing planned. Wow, doesn't happen often these days.  The man of the house (as he so humbly announced when he stopped home for lunch)  works nights so unfortunately he was not around.  I can't relax, do nothing, veg.  I can't say I didn't try, but soon I got up to sweep the floors and started going through my closet, and then thought hmm I could make something for tomorrow.  Tomorrow we are going to do a final cleaning at my sisters Cafe before the health inspector comes on Monday, but more on that 'adventure' another time.  Since they have been working so hard lately at getting their business up and running i thought it would be nice to make a snack for the busy bees.

I thought granola, and typed it into one of my fav recipe blogs Smitten Kitchen.  I found the recipe there and tweaked it a little, I couldn't put 6 T of butter in it, or corn syrup.  You must know that I'm known for not following directions and screwing recipes up, my family is usually very surprised when I make something...good.  My sister is a pastry chef, so after eating any of her treats, mine seem so elementary.  I'm working at it though.

1-12 oz bag of premixed dried fruit/nuts (the choice is yours! there are some good mixes out there, it seemed cheaper to do it this way than to buy individual bags, I'm thrifty* if you haven't caught on to that)
1 2/3 rolled oats
1/3 cup oat flour (throw rolled oats in the food processor and boom oat flour)
1/2 cup sugar (would go less next time)
1/2t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used the naked kind, you know no sugar, just peanuts and salt)
1t vanilla
4 T butter
3 T applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 T water
Combine all dry ingredients, (I pulsed my fruit/nut mixture because it was super chunky)
Melt butter and whisk together wet ingredients
Combine dry with the wet ingredients.
Bake in 8x8 pan lined with foil and lightly sprayed in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.  Voila!

In other news, I was at Weis and used 6 Puffs Plus Tissue coupons that I got from Vocalpoint.  They were $1.29 each= $7.74
-6-.50 cent coupons doubled = $6.00
Total : $1.74 for 6 boxes of tissues! word!  How's that for the DOTW?

*Shirley Chicken Legs and I decided a long time ago that we are Thrifty not Cheap ;-)

DOTW 3/19/10

This week I found lots of deals!  My goal each week has been to save 50% off my grocery orders.  This week I came in at 51% not too shabby.  I get such a high from watching my total go down when the cashier swipes my coupons!  Spending an hour a week sorting through and organizing and matching them up to sale ads is all worth it.  Why pay full price when you can walk away with a $60 order for $30?!?!
DOTW this week is Kashi cereal,

 a week ago I got coupons in the mail from Vocalpoint 4 coupons for $1.50 off 1 Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal, and 1 free box coupon!  First of all, love this cereal!  This week at Giant they had it on sale, buy 4 for $8.  So I walked away with 5 boxes of Kashi cereal for ...wait for it...wait for it... $2!!!!!!
Lovin' that deal!

Deal of the Week

I think I will start a segmant called "Deal of the Week" (DOTW) If you know me...and if not you will soon learn I love a good deal.  My Sundays consist of cutting out the coupons from the Sunday paper, sorting and arranging them into my catagorized 'coupon binder'.  Every Sunday Josh is amazed at the 'mess' I make on the living room floor.  I explain to him this is not 'mess' this is dolla dolla bills ya'll.  After sorting and organizing my coupons I think tackle the CVS, Walgreens and Target ads to find match ups.
Here are some of my coupon rules...
1. Don't buy an item just because you have a coupon.  This is tough...'but I can save .50 off of regular price' better yet...wait for it to go on sale THEN use the .50 off coupon, sweetness.
2.  Be prepared.  I have a baggie for CVS, Walgreens and Target, each have their own coupons in it.  For grocery shopping it's best to just bring the whole binder.
3.  Know the rules.  CVS, Walgreens and Target all can combine coupons.  Meaning, if you have a Target coupon for Campbells you can also use a manufacturer coupon.  chhha ching!

So this weeks DOTW was done at Walgreens.
Q-Tips 375 count-$1.99 - .30 MC (Manufacturer Coupon) = $1.69
Glade 2oz. Candle-2 for $5 - $3.00 MC= $2.00
Glade Candles- 2 for $5- $2.00 MC = $3.00
Peanut Butter Cup (ONLY because I had to...You have to have an item for every coupon you have and I had one more awesome coupon.)- .49
Last weeks DOTW Walgreens Coupon- $4.00

Total before coupons- $ 12.48
Total after coupons- $3.18 (before tax)

I love a good deal :-)