Sunday, September 30, 2012

$aving Money Honey

Ok, so I keep saying how I'm going to start blogging more often but then I never do it.  I have every intention of doing it, but life really does get in the way. 

Anyways, today's post is relative to my coupon deals of the week, my budget friendly fall themed center piece for my dining room table, and a random recipe I came up with (kind of) for peanut butter banana bread that will make you want to smack your Grandma.  Not really, please don't actually smack your Grandma.  It will just make you want to.  Seriously, don't do that.

Deals of the week:

I'm now very excitedly becoming a couponer.  Not as crazy and annoying as the ones you see on TV but a couponer none the less.  Anyways, I just had to share this weeks deals I got with shopping sale prices and using the coupons I had saved up from the last three coupon circulars I received in the mail.

This week I got a lot of coupons in the mail between the Proctor & Gamble insert and the Red Plum inserts I received in the mail.  Some of the best coupons were on hair care products.

Buy 1 Dove Men's Deodorant get 1 Men's Clear Scalp Shampoo FREE
Dove Men's Deoderant at Target: $3.49 + Men's Clear Scalp Shampoo $3.69 - FREE item coupon: $3.49 total for both items ($1.75 per unit cost)

Buy 1 Suave Professionals Shampoo & 1 Suave Professionals Conditioner, get 1 Suave styling item FREE
Suave Professionals Shampoo & Conditioner at Target: $1.74 each (sale price) = $3.48 + Suave Dry Shampoo at $2.79 - FREE item coupon: $3.48 total for all three items ($1.16 per unit cost)

$2.00 off any 2 Herbal Essense or Aussie Products
At Kroger, which is where I usually shop because their generic brand of foods/products are pretty good and priced lower than other stores, on my weekly shopping trip a couple of weeks ago I found None of your Frizzness Conditioner was marked down as a Manager's Special to $1.59 each.  So I bought two at $1.59 =  $3.18 - $2.00 off coupon = $1.18 total for both items ($.59 cents per unit cost) 



On to the next topic...

My budget friendly fall themed center piece:

Being the Ross addict that I am, on any given weekend you can bet that I've probably visited at least one location of Ross at least once.  This week I actually had a legitimate reason to go...I needed a new bag for work for my lap top, files, and all the other various work related items I have to tote around daily.  While checking out the Ross at Brier Creek in Raleigh while I of course found the most awesome work bag ever (don't worry, I'll get to that), I found the cutest items to create a centerpiece for my dining room table.  Check it out...

I love how it looks on the table.  The picture really doesn't do it justice (and apparently I desperately need to iron it...)

Brown table runner with embroidered leaves: $5.99
Hurricane Glass Candle Holder with gold and red leaves embellishment: $6.99
Fall scented candles to match (which had cute pumpkin wrap decorations on them: $3.99 each
Candle in the Hurricane glass candle holder was already on hand
Total Cost: $20.96

Also, I have to share a picture of my new work tote...love it!  It's Guess (of course, because that brand is my favorite) and is a fall mustard yellow color with black and white zebra lining inside.  Regular department store price is $150.00 but I got this off the clearance rack at Ross for $34.99!  Oh yeah!


Let's see, I know this blog is totally unorganized and random, but that's how my weekends usually are...random, unorganized, and full of awesome deals and couponing!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe:

Oh yeah, the recipe I talked about earlier...yeah it's not so much of a recipe...rather than me being creative with a box mix.  Yeah for real.  I'm not Betty Crocker ok, I don't bake from scratch.  Ever actually.  I can't think of a time that I've ever made anything from sratch...even my apple pie doesn't have homemade crust.  Anyways...

I took a box of Phillsbury Banana Bread Mix and added 1 cup of Reeses peanut butter morsels and baked per the box directions.  Sweet Baby Jesus it is delicious.  Maybe next time I might do 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter morsels.  I bet it would be delicious that way too!






Oh and one last random tid bit of information, since I've become one of those crazy coupon people I decided that shoving all these coupons in no particular order in to my wallet was not only unorganized, but I found that I was wasting a lot of time going through coupons while in the store looking at sales prices and trying to match the sale items up to coupons in my wallet...so today I went to Dollar Tree and found a coupon organizer for $1.00.  Oh yeah!  I'm all organized now, look out!  It fits perfectly in my purse so I don't have to keep shoving all these random coupons in my wallet.  The other day it was so full that I could barely zip it up.  I wish my inability to zip my wallet was because of all the money I had in there...but yeah, not so much. 

Anyways, that's my post for this week.  If you've read all the way to the end then you either have nothing better to do or you actually really care about what I'm writing and my thoughts.  In that case you are hella cool and thanks, you're awesome.  Now either comment or share my blog so other people can read it too!  Don't hoard all the excitement found in my blog just for yourself.  :-)

Next blog: may or may not be my critique on the three movies I recently rented (Katy Perry's Piece of Me or whatever it's called, Wanderlust with Paul Rudd & Jennifer Aniston, and This Means War with Chelsea Handler and Reese Witherspoon.






Sunday, September 16, 2012

Not So Extreme Couponing

I'm addicted to reality tv, we all know this.  But one of my favorite shows is Extreme Couponing.  I'm fascinated with how they do what they do...and the dedication behind it all.  They don't call it extreme for no reason.  These couponers do go above and beyond to get the best deals, find the best sales, and stock pile the most items.  The stock pile after all is the prized possession of every self proclaimed extreme couponer.
 
While I'm fascinated by it all, for the most part I'm more envious of their ability to be so successful at it.  I struggle as it is with everything I need to do in a given week already, I'm not sure I can find the extra time to research all the weekly sales on line, find the best coupons, make a list for each store, and in some cases dumpster dive to get numerous copies of the best coupons. 

However, what I can do is anxiously await the mail each week for the Red Plum circular coupons and the Proctor & Gamble monthly inserts that come in the mail as well.  I've heard there are even more coupons in the Sunday paper, but let's face it.  I don't read the paper.  I'm not even sure if I know where to even go to get one (sad I know but that's what technology and smart phones have done to myself and society as a whole).  Anyway, each time I get a new insert of coupons in the mail I'm like a kid at Christmas because I'm excited to pull out all the best coupons for the items I use the most.

Sadly, 99 percent of the couponing I do is for cleaning items, household items, and toiletries.  Most of the food item coupons that I get are for foods in which I do not eat.  However, it is the household/cleaning/toiletry items that tend to cost a bundle so the savings are still just as exciting.

Now that I'm in to this couponing deal, I now get also equally excited when Harris Teeter does their super doubles event.  They will double coupons of up to $2.00 face value.  They will only double 20 per person and you can not have more than 4 like coupons per the rules I read.  This month it was 8/12-8/18 (I think) and I sadly did not go until today 9/16.  In the words of Julia Roberts, "Big Mistake".  "Huge".  (come on, Pretty Woman?, did anyone get that?) Back to my point...

I very quickly learned today that you need to swoop in on day 1 of super double coupons to get the best deal and "free" items.  I know, common sense would tell you that, but I'm a busy woman and I just found out about the super doubles two days ago so cut me some slack.  Lesson definitely learned.

However, below is a recap of the exciting deals I did get today by going to Harris Teeter and getting my super double coupons deals, but by also going to Food Lion and checking out the prices on their sale items and matching those items to coupons I have in my ever growing wallet. 

Harris Teeter:
Buy 2 Boxes of Special K Cereal Bars (on sale 2 for $5 = $2.50 each) Save $1 on milk ($1 doubled = $2 off) 1/2 gallon skim milk = FREE!
$.50 cents off (doubled = $1 off) 1 Febreze Set & Refresh: Regular price $3.49, with Vic Card on sale for $2.99, - $1 off coupon = $1.99
$1 off  (doubled = $2 off) 1 Febreze Air Effects Room Spray: Regular price $3.39, with Vic Card on sale for $2.99 - $2 off = $.99 cents
$1 off (doubled = $2 off) 1 Febreze Carpet & Fabric Refresher Spray for Pets: Regular price $5.99, with Vic Card on sale for $4.99 - $2 off coupon = $2.99
$.75 cents off (doubled = $1.50 off) 1 Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Detergent: Regular price $3.25, with $1.50 off coupon =  $1.75
$.50 cents off (doubled = $1 off) 1 Snuggle Fabric Softener: Regular price $3.99, with Vic Card on sale for $2.99 - $1 off coupon = $1.99
$1 off (doubled = $2 off) 1 Gain Fabric Softener: Regular price $5.99, with Vic Card on sale for $3.99 - $2 off coupon = $1.99
$1 off (doubled = $2 off) Cascade Action Plus Packs (1 bag = 32 packets): Regular price $7.99, with Vic Card on sale for $5.99 - $2 off = $3.99
$.50 cents off (doubled = $1 off) Brawney Paper Towels (not pictured): 6 pack regular price $11.99, with Vic Card on sale for $6.99 - $1.00 off = $4.99 (.84 cents per roll)

Food Lion:
Buy 1 5.5 oz Febreze Candle, get 1 3.5 oz free
5.5 oz @ Food Lion = $5.99
3.5 oz @ Food Lion = $3.49 = FREE
$1 off Febreze Car Air Freshener: Food Lion price = $2.99 - $1 off coupon = $1.99
$.50 cents of 1 Dawn Dish Detergent: Food Lion price = $1.39 - $.50 cent coupon = $.89 cents

Not as extreme as the people on TV but I did save quite a bit!  At Harris Teeter alone I spent $30 but saved $30.  At Food Lion I spent $8.87 but saved $4.99

An added bonus...although I did not have a coupon for this item...

My favorite pickles in the world were on sale for $2.99 at Food Lion.  Claussen Kosher Dill Halves.  They are mmm mmm good.

Even though I didn't have a coupon I still utilized my loyalty card savings to get a jar of deliciousness.  $2.99 may still seem expensive, but these suckers are usually $4 or more depending on which store you find them at. 

I'm no where near being an extreme couponer, and I don't even have a stock pile started.  The one I do have would make any couponer laugh with pitty.  But I'll get there.  At least Matt has enough of his favorite shampoo to last him for 6 months ha ha.  I can't wait for next weeks/months coupons! 

Anyone participate in the super double coupon event?  Does anyone even coupon?  If so do you have any tips?  What is the method to your madness?  I need major help if I'm going to get a stock pile started.