32 Things that Make me Happy

The past few days have been nothing short of absolutely beautiful around here.  I think it's safe to say that spring has officially sprung and we have been taking advantage of every minute of it!  I feel like it's my duty to be outside after work enjoying every possible minute of it with the puppies, and Eric has gone fishing every day this week...I don't see him breaking that streak any time soon.

There's something about beautiful spring weather that puts a smile on my face, so this seemed appropriate....32 things that make me happy!

1. The weather lately...sunny, low 80's, no humidity...can it stay this way forever?!

2. Walks with the puppy dogs.

3. Flower beds that have been weeded.

4. Fresh clean sheets.

5. E-cards that hit the nail on the head.

6. This guy.

7.  These little monsters.

8. English muffin sandwiches.

9. Deals on Jane.com...I have an addiction to that site!

10. Goat cheese....especially on a pizza.

11. March Madness...despite my bracket being completely blown this year...thanks Michigan State.

12.  Spending time with family.

13. Cooking out with friends, especially while watching college football!

14. Making other people smile.

15. Waking up late and still getting out the door on time in the morning...it does happen (about every other week).

16. Tap dancing.

17. Teaching a new step to my dancers and watching their delight when they "get it"

18. Singing at the top of my lungs to the radio in my car.

19. A clean, pollen-free car.

20. Show tunes.

21. Finding a new project or recipe on pinterest, trying it, and having it come out perfectly.

22. Having no unread notifications on my messages/email/facebook/etc.

23. Exploring a new city.

24. Arni's Pizza and a Junior with Ranch on the side.

25. Driving by the houses I grew up in.  I am a total creeper when it comes to this.  I can't help it!

26. Beautiful scenery.

27. Fun walls...seriously you'd think a kid worked in my cubie.

28. Checking off an entire to-do list.

29. Peppermint Mocha Creamer in my coffee.

30. Saving more than I spend at the grocery store...it happens from time to time!

31. Telling old stories with friends you only see a couple of times a year.

32. Did I mention this guy? =)

Happy Thursday!

Weekend Recap

We made it!  I am considering winter to be officially over now that time has changed back.  As much as I hate getting up and getting ready in the dark, I sure do love that extra hour of sunlight in the evenings. We had the most perfect weekend to kick it off, too.  You better believe one Eric Cagle spent as much time as he possibly could on the water fishing while I spent my weekend R-E-L-A-X-I-N-G. I had a pretty busy week last week that culminated with a wedding shower plus a lingerie shower/bachelorette party on Friday.  I'm not going to say I was worn out but I laid down on the couch on Saturday to watch some basketball and ended up taking a 2 and a half hour nap! I woke up at 4:52pm and had my happy butt at church at 5pm (ok 5:02pm).

Here are a few snippits from our weekend:

1. The shower we threw on Friday afternoon was a beachy-themed one and the decorations turned out super cute!
2. Bachelorette shenanigans on Friday night.  The girl taking the picture said something that made me laugh right as she snapped the picture....hence my wide open mouth.
3. I dumped the clean laundry on the couch to fold Saturday evening and Peanut decided it looked like a nice spot to nap.  He burrowed back underneath right after I took this picture and I didn't find him until I was nearly done folding. 
4. Hollow snuggles while I was watching basketball games on Sunday.
5. Between walks and our neighbor throwing his ball, this baby was worn out Sunday night.  He usually lays on our bed for a few minutes and then gets down, but he stayed sound asleep on our bed for a couple of hours last night.  Yes he lays between us on the bed when he's up there. S-P-O-I-L-E-D
6. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but we've upgraded in the coffee world.  I got a Keurig for my birthday so we've been doing some coffee experimenting lately.
7. My main concern with the Keurig was the cost of the K-Cups vs what we usually pay for a giant tub of coffee, well Winn-Dixie decided to make our transition a little easier by putting ALL of their K-Cups on sale for $5/pack.  I had a bunch of coffee coupons as well which have made them really affordable.  So far we have 150+ cups and I have only spent $40 total on them.  It may seem like a lot but considering each box of K-Cups is usually $9-$10 and so far I've bought 13 boxes I have saved almost $85.  I told Eric we might as well stock up now because it might be a while before they are this cheap again.  I have plans to go back one more time (I just found several digital coffee coupons on Winn-Dixie's web site this morning), but then I'm done.....I am running out of places to store them!
8.  I had Eric fire up the grill on Sunday night for a grilled Goat Cheese Pizza--what else?!

If you need me today, I will be chasing sunshine.  It might be a 2-walker day at work today!

Weekend Recap

Let me tell you I that weekend was right on time....After that crazy one day work week I put in last week I really needed those 2 days off.

Top Row: Little monsters in the backseat on the way to Eric's moms house...Hawk got to ride on the back of the truck.    BBQ nachos.....a sensible portion (that would be an oxymoron). Middle Row: Easter nails. I have not lost my couponing abilities!  Saved more than I spent at Publix on Friday....score! Bottom: A game of tug-o-war Saturday morning.

Ok so I guess that's my weak attempt at an April Fool's Joke. I will work on it.  I can't say that I hated having a weekend coming only after one day of work last week, I am a fan and a supporter of any and all days off work that start with S and end with Y.

Since we'd been out of town for several days I didn't have too much planned aside from clean my house (that had not been cleaned in a couple of weeks....yikes!).  We started off our weekend with a birthday get-together for some friends.  I was a good time, although I was distracted by the NCAA tournament games going on inside. I managed to pull Ohio State through on Friday, only to have them fall to Wichita State on Sunday......oh well, if my team has to lose, I would rather it be an upset because at least it's exciting.

Eric was up a couple of hours before the crack of dawn to go catch some fish.  He promised one of his friends some fish to cook for his family for Easter.  The only problem is that we are currently out fish.....*GASP*....and have been since Eric cooked for a church in town a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately the fish have not been biting so far this year, so he was on a mission to catch some on Saturday. My happy butt slept in until the dogs decided I needed to get up, which meant they were barking at me and jumping at me around 7am.  I obliged and dragged my butt out of bed to take them out.

I spent most of my Saturday cleaning, doing laundry, and doing as little as possible otherwise.  It was glorious. Eric decided to smoke a pork shoulder on Saturday night and we had round one of BBQ nachos for dinner.

Sunday morning Eric did his chores....mowing, weed eating, edging, etc.  It was the first time he'd had to mow this year, and the yard looks 100% better now that he has. We had Easter lunch with his grandma and uncle and took a plate to his dad who is still in the hospital with his foot issues.  They've moved him to long term care until is foot is completely healed, and he is so much better than he was a week ago. Sunday afternoon was spent putting up a railing at Eric's mom's house so she could get in and out when there's no one there.  We took the dogs with us and they had a blast running around in the country.

Instead of an Easter Ham for dinner we had Round 2 of BBQ nachos.....it's still from a pig so it counts, right?  Eric decided he HAD to go see if he could catch some more fish, so I snuggled up on the couch with the pups and watch some more basketball, and saw Baylor's women get upset by Louisville's women!  One of the most exciting games I've seen in a while. Louisville deserved good things to happen to them after the injury to one of the guys on their men's team earlier on Sunday.  If you aren't squeamish, look it up...if you are, don't.

It kinda scares me that I think I am ready to be back at work this week.  As much as I love to play, I enjoy having some structure in my life! Although check back with me in a day or 2 and I will be ready for another break I am sure. =)

Couponing 6/8 - I Still Have It!

I've been completely slacking in the couponing department lately. But the more I cook the more I feel the need to get back into it, especially with all of the great summer deals that Publix has had going on lately.

There was a Yellow Advantage Flyer that was set to expire last week so I HAD to take advantage of a few of the deals they had plus some of the weekly deals, so I stopped by on my way home on Friday.  I am proud to report some serious success!

I spent $31.24 ($5.26 was tax, ridonculous I know, but apparently a 10% sales tax on groceries keeps our property taxes in AL low) and saved a whopping $69.01 for a total percentage of savings of 69%!!!  It ended up being one of my best trips ever, which means I still have it!

My haul:
1 bag Gevalia Coffee = $5.99 (on sale for $6.99 + $1 off 1)
1 box belVita Breakfast Biscuits = FREE (FREE with purchase of Gevalia Coffee)
2 boxes Honey Nut Cheerios for $1.50 ea = $3 (BOGO + $1 off 2)
1 Freshuetta Pizza = $2.50 (BOGO + $1 off 1)
4 bags BirdsEye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies for $.28ea = $1.10 (50% off + 2 x $.50[dbl] off 1 + 2 x $.35[dbl] off 1)
4 Kraft Fresh Takes (these are actually quite good and make for a quick easy dinner!) = $1.25ea = $5 (2 for $4 + 4 x $.75 off 1)
1 box Jello Pudding = $.75 (4 for $3)
2 pkgs Laughing Cow Cheese for $1.50ea = $3 (2 for $5 + 2 x $1 off 1)
2 bottles International Delight Coffee Creamer for $1.17ea = $2.34 (3 for $5 + $1 off 2)
2 bottles Sticky Fingers BBQ Sauce (my favorite Memphis Style Sauce that I can get outside of Memphis...a BBQ Nachos necessity) for $1.50ea = $3 (2 for $3)
2 bottles NatureMade Vitamins for $.29ea = $.58 ($6 off 2 [sc] + 2 x $2 off 1 [mc])
1 packs Jello Pudding Cups for $.90ea = $1.80 (2 for $4 + 2 x $1.10 off 1)
1 container Raspberries = $1.99 (on sale $1.99)
1 Pineapple = FREE! (Earthfare Coupon)
$5 off a $55 purchase (Winn-Dixie Competitor Coupon)

Since we have softball games this week (2 more 8:30PM games, which means we won't get home until around 10PM either of those nights....awesome...honestly as long as we win I could not care less what time we get home!) and the wedding this weekend I am trying to avoid going to the grocery store this week, and have decided that I will only go if it's an absolute necessity--lucky for me the EarthFare Coupon (competitor coupon that my Publix accepts) this week is for salmon fillets [gag me with a spoon] so I am not tempted to find $5 worth of Publix items I need.  =)

Happy Wednesday!

Couponing 3-28

One of the reasons I started this blog was to document my couponing endeavors.  As time has gone on I have gotten away from it more than I would have liked, mainly because I ran out of time. Once basketball season started any time I had to spend on couponing was gone, but I also had no to time to cook so I guess things worked out because it kept me from needing a lot of groceries.  I've been trying to get back into it and I have...finally!

There were a few items I needed from Publix for this weekend so I pulled my coupons together, hit the aisles and ended up surprising myself with my savings!

The proof

I spent $29.13 and saved $38.79 for a total percentage of savings of 57%!  Not too shabby!

Here's what I hauled in:
3 jars Hellman's mayonnaise for $1.41ea = $4.23 (BOGO $5.81 + 3 x $1.50 off 1)
1 package Gold Medal Flour = $2.19 (on sale)
1 bottle Heinz Ketchup = $2 (on sale 2 for $4)
1 package Kraft Fresh Take Cheese and Bread Crumb Mix = FREE!  (FREE item coupon from Kraft First Taste)
3 bottles Wishbone Salad Dressing for $.40ea = $1.20 (BOGO $2.81 + 3 x $1 off 1)
2 packs Oscar Meyer Beef Franks for $2.59ea = $1.19 (BOGO)
4 bottles Coffeemate Creamer for $.83ea = $3.34 (on sale 3 for $5 + 2 BOGO coupons)
1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake = $1 (BOGO $1.99)
1 bag sweet onions = $3.99
3 tomatoes = $1.88 (on sale $1.29/lb)
2 jalapeno peppers = $1.29/lb

It felt so good to get back in the groove of couponing again! I always feel like I've won a  big prize when I have saved more than I spent (is that weird?).  I was in a happy sharing mood so I left a few extra coupons on the shelves next to the items they were for.  Yes I could have used them, but I decided that I really didn't NEED 5 jars of mayonnaise (right now anyway =))

Couponing 12-28

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my couponing experiences.  However, I have been completely slacking on this (the posting--not the couponing itself!).  This partially has to do with basketball  season getting under way and not have time to make an enormous grocery run once a week like I am used to, but it's mainly because I just have not sat down to write a couponing post.  Oops!  Well that changes today because I had a pretty good shopping trip yesterday that I HAD to share!

Since the end of the month is upon us, I had several high value coupons that were about to expire.  Unfortunately I had to purchase some items at full price, but the coupons made it all worth it!

The Proof

My haul:
2 bottles Fomula 409 All Purpose Cleaner for $1ea = $2 (on sale 2/$4 + 2 x $1 off 1)
2 packages Oscar Meyer Bacon for $2.99ea = $5.98 (on sale $3.99ea + 2 x $1 off 1)
1 bottle Publix Apple Juice = $.01 (Publix Penny Item!)
1 package Kraft Big Slice Cheese = $1.99 ($2.99 + $1 off 1 [mc]...I had a sc to pair with it but I cleaned out my purse last week and apparently it did not make it back in....grrrr!)
2 packages Oscar Meyer Lunch Meat for $2.33es = $4.66 (on sale 3/$10 + 2 x $1 off 1)
1 package Nathan's Hot Dogs = $3.50 (on sale 2/$7 <--impluse buy because they are so freaking good and are $5.29 regular price)
1 package Community Coffee = $3.99 ($5.99 + $2 off 1)
4 jars Pace Salsa for $.90ea = $2.70 (BOGO $2.79 + 2 x $.50 [dbl] off 2)
1 bottle Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice = $1.50 (on sale 2/$5 + $1 off 1)
1/2lb shrimp = FREE! (Eathfare Competitor Coupon:  Get a FREE! 1/2lb of shrimp with a $10 purchase)
2 boxes Zatarain's Rice Mix for $1ea = $2 (on sale 10/$10)
2 boxes Coffee filters for $2ea = $4  ($3.99 + 2 x $2 off 1)

The rest of the items were for a Duck Stew Eric wanted to make.  I am hoping he takes it all to the hunting camp and it gets eaten there!
1 bag pearled barley = $1.23
2 cans tomato paste for $.60ea = $1.20
Progresso Beef Broth for $2ea = $4 (on sale 2/$4 <--there was another brand that was BOGO but they were out and Eric had to have BEEF broth for his Duck Stew recipe)
green beans = $1.13 (on sale $.99/lb)
carrots = $.99
celery = $1.99
pearled onions = $2.99

On top of all of my coupons I had my trusty $5 off a $55 purchase from Winn-Dixie that I get everytime I make a purchase, so I slapped that puppy on top of my coupon stack before I handed it to the cashier so that my total was in fact more than $55 when it was scanned.  I am not sure why it's taken me this long to realize that I should hold onto those coupons and use them at Publix!

Now for my total.  I spent $47.00 and saved $51.19 for a total percentage of savings of 52%.  Not bad, but not great.  Of course any trip when I save more than I spend is a good trip in my book!  Considering I had to pick up several items for Eric that were not on sale, I would say I did pretty well.  I am especially proud of the fact that the total of my coupons outweighed my Special Price (store sales) Savings. Usually it's the other way around.

Happy Savings!

Couponing 10/3-10/7

Publix had some REALLY awesome deals last week that matched up very nicely with my coupons.  I made sure to take advantage of the great deals and stock up on several items (including a bunch of freezer meals).  With my helping coach a HS basketball team this year, which starts this week, I am afraid my time in the kitchen making dinners will soon become limited.  I wanted to make sure we had something we could throw on the stove quickly for a nice hot meal.

I ended up making 2 trips to Publix last week.  I was going to do one on Weds, and one Monday or Tuesday of this week, but because I had a holiday on Monday and basketball tryouts on Tuesday I realized if I didn’t go last week, I was not going to be able to go. 

Here we go!

Trip #1:  The Proof

My first haul included:

2 Macaroni Grill Frozen Meals for $2.25ea = $4.49 (BOGO $8.49 + 1 x $ off 2 [comp sc] 

   + 2 x $1 off 1 [mc])
3 bags Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables for $.25ea = $.75 (50% off + 3 x $.50 [dbl] off 1)
1 PF Changs Frozen Dinner = $5.21 ($8.71 + $2.50 off 1 [sc] + $1 off 1 [mc])
4 boxes Muellers Pasta for $.265ea = $1.06 (BOGO $1.53 + 2 x $1 off 2)
3 boxes Fiber One Granola Bars for $.89ea = $2.67 ($3.69 + 3 x $2 off 1 [sc] + 3 x $.40[dbl-mc])
1 block Publix Coffee = $.01 (Publix Penny Item!)

I spent $17.41 and SAVED $40.24 for a total percentage of savings of 70%!!!  This was one of my best trips yet!!!  And I was able to stock up on lots of things that we use all of the time! 

Trip #2:  The Proof

My second haul included:

1 gallon Publix milk = $2.99 ($1 off when you buy 1 gallon of milk and 1 pack of Oreos [mc])
1 pack Double Stuffed Oreos = $1.50 (on sale $2/$5 + $1 off 1 [sc])
2 Macaroni Grill Frozen Meals for $2.25ea = $4.49 (BOGO $8.49 + 1 x $ off 2 [comp sc] 

   + 2 x $1 off 1 [mc]
2 Wanchai Ferry Frozen Meals for $2.75ea = $5.49 (BOGO $8.49 + 2 x $1.50 off 1)
3 PF Changs Frozen Dinner for $3.88ea = $11.63 ($8.71 + 3 x $2.50 off 1 [sc] + $1 off 1 [mc]

   and 2 x $3 off 1 [mc])

1-45oz. tub Country Crock Butter = $1.50 (on sale 2/$6 + $.50 off 1 [comp sc] + $.40 [dbl-mc])
2 bags Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables for $.25ea = $.50 (50% off + 2 x $.50 [dbl] off 1)
1 block Publix Sharp Cheddar Cheese = $2.50 (on sale 2/$5)
2 packs Nathan’s Hot Dogs for $1.65ea = $3.30 (BOGO $5.29 + 2 x $1 off 1)
1-18 count carton Publix Eggs = $2 (on sale 2/$4)
2 boxes Fiber One Granola Bars for $.89ea = $2.67 ($3.69 + 2 x $2 off 1 [sc] + 2 x $.40[dbl-mc])

This trip I spent $43.62 ($6.76 of which was tax…thank you 10% Alabama sales tax) and saved $63.79 for a total percentage of savings of 59%.  Not too shabby! 

For the week I spent a total of $63.03 ($10.50 of which was sales tax), which is a little over my self-imposed $50/week budget, but that’s ok because I will most likely NOT spend much this week, and saved$104.03, for a total percentage of savings of 63%!  With all of the stock-up items I was able to purchase, it was quite a success!

Couponing Week of 9/26-9/30

This time of year is really busy for us so we tend to just grab whatever is handy, especially when we are on the go.  I have been trying really hard to cook at least 3 times per week lately.  Because I try to make sure we have things we can grab quickly, it makes couponing a little more difficult, but I am managing. 

Last week I ended up making 3 trips to the store (the second Publix trip was strictly to pick up some items that were on sale, but the sale ended Friday so I had to pick up a few things. 

The proof::

My first Publix haul last week included:

4 bottles Coffee Mate Creamer @ $ .66ea = $2.67 (on sale 3/$5 + 4 x $.50 [dbl] off 1)
2 cans corn @ $ 0.75ea = $1.50
1 can diced tomatoes = $ .89
1 jar Texas Pete Hot Sauce = $1.79 ($ .40 [dbl] off 1, also received FREE bottle TP Buffalo Sauce wp)
1 jar Texas Pete Buffalo Sauce = FREE (Free with purchase of Texas Pete Hot Sauce)
1 container black pepper = $2.49 (hubby’s request, but on sale for $2.49)
1 bag Texas Toast Croutons = $1 (on sale 10/$10)
1 bag Santarita’s corn chips = $2
1 bag Publix hamburger buns = $1.29

I spent $15.53 and saved $12.46 for a total percentage of savings of 45%.  Not bad, but not my best.  I did purchase several items that I absolutely had to have for planned dinners last week.  We used everything, so it was worth it. 

I also had to run by Winn-Dixie the same day to pick up the rest of the items I needed for dinners last week, plus a few extras (sorry, no receipt pic). 

My Winn-Dixie haul included:

~2 lbs ground beef = $4.76 (on sale $2.49/lb)
2 bags Pillsbury Sweet Moments Desserts for $1.40ea = $2.80 (on sale 2/$5 + 2 x $1.10 off 1)
2 bags Kraft Shredded Cheese for $3.75 ea = $7.49 (on sale 2/$7)
3 containers Wholly Guacamole for $ .83ea = $2.50 (2 x $1.50 off 1 and 1 x $2 off 1)
3 bottles Dawn Dish Soap for $.50ea = $1.50 (on sale (10/$10 + 3 x $.25 [dbl] off 1)

I spent $21.48 and saved $19.73, for a total percentage of savings of 48%. Once again not bad, but not my best.  If I didn’t like cheese so much, it would be cheaper =).  And the reason I bought shredded cheese instead of block cheese is because the block cheese was NOT on sale and I refuse to pay over $3 for an 8oz block of cheese!

There were a few deals in this month’s Yellow Advantage Flyer from Publix that I just HAD to take advantage of so I could stock up on some things for the next few months. 

The proof:

My second Publix haul included:

4 Tontino’s Party Pizzas for $.75ea = $3 (on sale 4/$5 + 2 x $1 off 2)
4 boxes frozen Green Giant Veggies for $.75 ea = $3 (BOGO $1.99 + $1 off 4)
2 boxes Sanckwells 100 calorie desserts for $.60ea = $1.20 (BOGO $3.19 + 2 x $1 off 1)
2 boxes Pillsbury Frozen Breakfast Biscuits for $1.19ea = $2.38 (2 x $1 off 1 [sc] + 2 x $1 off 1 [mc])
6 bottles Coffee Mate Creamer for $.67ea = $4 (on sale 3/$5 + 4 x $.50 [dbl] off 1 + 2 x $1 off 1)
1 jar Ragu Pizza Sauce = $.75 (BOGO $1.49)
1 jar Marie’s Caesar Dressing = $2.50 (on sale 2/$5)
1 jar Marie’s Feta Cheese Yogurt Dressing = $1.65 (BOGO $3.19)

I spent $21.60 and saved $31.69, for a total percentage of savings of 59%.  I was quite pleased with my savings on that day.  Yes I am aware that I have purchased 10 bottles of creamer in one week.  I recently discovered that you can freeze it for a few months, so I decided to stock up on the small bottles while I had coupons readily available since I cannot drink coffee without flavored creamer (their Peppermint Mocha flavor is the greatest thing that ever happened to my morning coffee!) 

Although I went to the grocery store 3 times last week, I spent a total of $58.61, but I saved a total of $63.88, for a total percentage of savings of 52% for the week.  Not a bad week in my book!

Couponing at the Outlet Mall

I meant to put this post up a couple of weeks ago but forgot, so here it is!

When I was up in Michigan visiting my parents, we went to the most wonderful outlet mall in the world (ok in my world).   It's a branch of the Premium Outlets in Birch Run, MI - about 30 mins from my parents' house. We always have the best luck finding deals when we go there.  I have my go-to stores:  all of the kitchen stores, North Face, Columbia, Bath and Body Works, JCrew, Gap, Old Navy, and Bass.  Because I had not made a trip up that way in the past couple of years I was completely unaware that New York & Company, Ann Taylor and LOFT (yes LOFT!) all had opened up outlets!!!  I was like a kid in a candy store.  Plus there's a Culver's right across the street so you can stop and eat a butter burger & some yummy ice cream and go right back to shopping!

All of the stores have incredible deals, but I am completely convinced that Bass's "Buy 1, Get 2" Shoe sale--yes Buy 1, Get 2 on Bass SHOES--is by far the best sale to take advantage of.  We hit it at the perfect time, too.  They had just put out all of their boots for the new season!  I know I live in Alabama, why do I need boots....right?  Bass has a very nice selection of leather boots (that I can wear to work).   Because I am 5'10" I appreciate that the heels on their boots are not sky high, however, they still very stylish.

Get to the deal!!!
So we took advantage of their B1G2 sale and got 3 pairs of boots, plus a pair of dress shoes and 2 belts, for a whopping $140.36.  Wanna know the best part?  We SAVED $449.65!  No joke! We got all of our purchases @ a 76% savings!

Here's how we did it:

We bought one pair of boots for $149.99, then we got 2 pairs (one was $129.99 the other was $149.99 for FREE!)  The other pair of dress shoes we got was on sale for $34.99 (marked down from $99.99). The belts were originally $44 and $46, but they were on sale "Buy 1 @ 50% off , Get 1 @ 75% off" so we got one for $23 and one for $11. 

 If you are trying to keep up with the total we are @ $218.98 for our grand total right now. 

Well Mom just happened to have a 20% off your entire purchase coupon with her, so the total got knocked down to $175.15, plus she had a $5 off coupon from a purchase we had made earlier in the day at another store, which made it $170.15.  To add to that awesome total, Mom had 2 rewards certificates from purchases she made over the past year or so which took an additional $40 off our total, making the grand total with tax $140.36.  

We were extremely pleased with our savings!  Now all I have to do is wait for Christmas and my birthday so I can start wearing them!

Couponing 8/31 & 9/3

I have been slacking on my couponing posts lately. However, that does not mean that I have been slacking on my couponing!  I have simply had a Pinterest pre-occupation the last few weeks, which has given me lots of other things to post, which are much prettier that pictures of my grocery receipts!  Plus I was out of town the weekend before last, which totally threw me off my normal schedule.  When I got back from my trip to MI, my sweet hubby had not made it to the grocery store all weekend (surprise surprise), and had been living off of what he'd found in the freezer (which was some good stuff due to my couponing!).  I had to make an early week trip for several fresh items and staples that were not quite couponing kosher.  However, that trip did stay under $45, and included coupons (don't have a picture of the receipt).

I did make a triumphant couponing return to Publix last Wednesday to take advantage of their weekly Penny Item and an EarthFare competitor coupon I wanted to use.  So without further ado, the proof:

my apologies for the cell phone quality picture (picnik can only do so much for a photo)

My haul included:
3 bags Betty Crocker Cookie Mix for $.60ea = $1.80 (BOGO + 3 x $.40 off[dbl] off 1 coupon)<--have been waiting on these to go on sale for weeks to use my coupons!
2 cans Bush's Baked Beans for $1.67 ea = $3.34 (on sale 3/$5)
1 package Hillshire Farms Turkey = $2.64 (on sale 3/$10 + $.35[dbl] off 1 coupon)
1 package Hormel Turkey Pepperoni = $3.69 (not on sale but had to have some for dinner that night)
1 bag Publix Tortilla Chips = FREE!  (Publix Penny Item w/ $10 purchase)
1 lb fresh ground chuck = FREE!  (EarthFare coupon w/ $5 purchase)

I was pretty pleased!  I got some things I needed, plus a few things I needed to stock up on! I spent a total of $12.76 and saved a total of $16.78 for a 57% savings!

Over Labor Day Weekend I made a Winn-Dixie trip, to get a couple of things for the weekend, plus take advantage of some great savings! When I was in MI, my mother introduced me to Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles.  If you have not tried them yet, don't because you will become obsessed and not be able to stop eating them.  Lucky for me they were on sale and I had my coupons, so I was able to stock up on them.  I hope my stash lasts a couple of weeks.

 My haul for that trip included:
4 (yes 4) bags of Chocolate Peanut Butter Bugles for $.50ea = $2 (clearance $1.50ea + 4 x $.50[dbl] off 1 coupons)
1 tomato = $.72
1 zucchini = $1.03
2 packs Oscar Meyer Selects Angus Hot Dogs for $1.75 ea = $3.49 (BOGO + 2 x $1 off 1 coupons)
1 package WD brown and serve rolls = $1.99
2 packages Reece's Cups for $.55 ea (BOGO)

I spent $11.57 and saved $18.58 for a total percentage of savings of 62%!  A good bit of this haul was junk food, however, they were things I was planning on purchasing and not purchases on a whim!

So there you have it,  for last week my total purchases were $24.33 and my total savings was $35.36 for a total percentage of savings of 59% for the week.  I am anxious to see how well I do this fall with couponing because we tend to do a lot of entertaining for football season which includes lot of finger foods.  I have tried to stock up on items that I know we will use (buffalo wing sauce, crackers, crescent rolls--purchasing this week), so hopefully I will be able to stick to my coupons!

Couponing 8/9

It's always nice when the store have items that I want/use/think I need on sale.  Last week when I went to Publix I wanted to pick up some Powerade that they had on sale BOGO, but they were out, so I decided I would make a trip before Weds of this week to get some.  I am glad I went back because I was able to score a few other items I like to stock up on that I had purchased last week with coupons that came in the Sunday newspaper. I ended up paying $20.77 and saving $23.31, for a 53% savings. Not my best savings trip but certainly not my worst!

Here's the proof!

This haul included:

2 boxes Cole's Cheesesticks  for $.45 ea = $.90 (BOGO + 2 x $.50[dbl] off 1 coupons)

1 bottle Wishbone Italian Bruschetta Dressing = $.41 (BOGO + $1 off 1 coupon)

8 Yoplait Light Yogurt cups for $.63ea = $3.80 (on sale 10/$6 + $.50[dbl] off 8)

3 bags (yes 3!) Pillsbury Sweet Moments for $1.50 ea = $4.50 (on sale 2/$5 + 3 x $1 off 1) <-- *my current dessert obsession that I will not purchase unless they are on sale and I have a coupon*

3-8 packs Powerade for $2.92 ea = $8.77 <--was planning on purchasing them anyway but they became more of a peace offering after accidentally locking Eric out of the house all day Tuesday [OOPS!]

I also ended up making an impromptu trip to Winn-Dixie on Sunday night to get a few items for dinner, which ended up being a great trip because I was able to get nearly everything on sale!  I ended up paying $7.50 and saving $11.28 for a 60% savings!  I am very proud of my savings considering all of the fresh produce that I purchased!

My Winn Dixie haul included:

2 bags Dole Lettuce for $.64 ea = $1.29 (BOGO + 2 x $1.25 off 1 coupon)

1 bag WD Caesar croutons for $1.25 (on sale 4/$5)

vidalia onions = $1.06

1 container WD light sour cream = $1 (on sale 10/$10)

cherries! = $2.06 (on sale $1.99/lb<--great deal!)

Once again for the week my savings percentage was 55% (seems to be my average these days).  I spent a total of $28.27 and saved $34.59.  Works for me!

Couponing 8/3

Wow!  I realized when I was putting my receipt into my spread sheet that it has been 3 weeks since the last time I went to the grocery store.  I was a little shocked myself when I realized it.  Part of the reason was because we were in Maine for a week and then when we got back we were only home one night so I cooked one night and we ate off of what we had in the freezer for a few days.  This week we finally ran out of several essentials so I had to make a trip.

I got several good deals this week on several things I was planning on getting anyway.  So here it is.....

I spent $37.00 this week and saved $43.44 for a 55% savings.  This weeks haul included:

1 bottle Coffeemate Creamer = $1.95 (on sale 2/$5 + $.55 off 1)

2 bags Pillsbury Sweet Moments Dessert for $1.50 ea = $3 (on sale 2/$5 + 2 x $1 off 1 )

1 box Klondike Slim-a-Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches $2.15 (on sale BOGO)

1 package Pillsbury Break-and-Bake Cookies = $1.50 (on sale 2/$5 + $.50[dbl] off 1)

6 Yoplait Yogurts for $.47 ea = $2.80 (on sale 10/$6 + $.40[dbl] off 1)

2 packages Cascadian Farms Frozen Fruit/Potatoes for $1.24 ea = $2.48 ([sc] $2 off 2 + [mc] 2 x $1 off 1)

2 packages Totino's Pizza Rolls for $1.84 ea = $3.69 ($.40[dbl] off 1)

1 package Publix Swiss Cheese = $1.79

2 boxes Gladlock sandwich bags for $1.44 ea = $2.88 ([sc] 2 x $.55 off 1 + [mc] $1 off 2)

1 can saurkraut = $.77

2 boxes Michael Angelo's Frozen Entrees for $2.75 ea = $5.50 (on sale 2/$11 + BOGO coupon)

bananas = $.72

1 loaf fresh rye bread = $3.39 (for Reuben Sandwiches this weekend!)

2 loaves Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread (will freeze) for $1.43 ea = $2.85 (one sale BOGO)

1 newspaper = $.75 (had to buy the newspaper to get the Penny Item Coupon)

1 Publix Frozen Pizza = $.01 (had to buy the paper but the pizza was $4.89 regularly so I still saved over $4 with the purchase of the newspaper)

I also received another $5 off a $20 purchase from Earthfare (competitor coupon) this week so I used it on this purchase.  Not a bad week for not having gone to the store in 3 weeks!

Couponing 7/13

I ended up making 2 grocery store trips this week.  I try to keep it at just one, but I will justify 2 if both Winn-Dixie and Publix have some pretty good sales, like they had this week.  

Sunday night as I was packing up my lunch for work on Monday I realized that we did not have ANY sweets in the house.  *Gasp*  Luckily I was already planning on making a trip to Winn-Dixie on Monday for a few items they had on sale this week and I was able to remedy the situation.  Once again, I forgot to take a picture of my receipt, but here is what my haul included:

1 bag Dole Just Lettuce = $.25 (on sale 2/$3 + $1.25 off 1 coupon)

2 jars Peter Pan Peanut Butter for $.30 ea = $.60 (BOGO + 2 x $1 off 1 coupons)

2 bags Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies for $1.50 ea = $3 ($1.99 ea + $1 off 2 coupon)

1 box Keebler Granola Fudge Bars = $1.25 ( $1.99 + $.75 off 1 coupon)

2 jars Marie's Ceasar Salad Dressing for $1.99 ea = $3.98 ($2.99 ea + 2 x $1 off 1)

1 tub Blue Bell Dessert Trio <--best ice cream EVER! = $3.50 (2/$9 + $1 off 1 coupon)

I saved $19.97 and spent under $15, for a 57% savings, which was great for Winn-Dixie!  For whatever reason I have a harder time getting my savings above 60% there than I do at Publix   

I waited until Publix's new sale started on Weds to shop there this week because they had several things they were putting on sale that we needed.  There I paid $19.03 and saved $34.96 for a total savings of 65%! I realized when I was looking over my receipt that my coupon savings was actually more than my store savings this week.  Usually it is the other way around, maybe that means I am getting the hang of this for real!

The proof!

My Publix haul (which included SEVERAL things that we were either completely out of or nearly out of ) consisted of:

2 bags of Milk Bone Chewy Treats for $.85 ea = $1.70 (BOGO + $1.50 off 2 coupon)

2 bags Yoplait Frozen Smoothie Mix for $.60 ea = $1.30 (BOGO + 2 x $1 off 1 coupons)

2 packages Hillshire Farms Deli Meats = $4.96 (3 for 10 + $1 off 1 and $.35[dbl] off 1 coupons)

2 bottles Coffeemate Creamer for $.67 ea = $1.34 ($3 for 5 + 2 x $.50 off 1[dbl] coupons)

2 bottles International Delight Creamer for $.95 ea = $1.90 (2 for $3 + 2 x $.55 off 1 coupons)

1 pack Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt = $1.40 (BOGO)

1 bag Chex Mix = $.30 (BOGO + $.50 off 1[dbl] coupon)

2 boxes Ritz Crackers for $1.25 ea = $2.50 (BOGO + $1 off 2 coupon)

1 bag Natural Almonds (b/c I <3 them)

1 bag Mrs C Croutons = $1.25 

1 box Publix Bran Flakes = $.01 <-- Penny Item!

Once again I had my $5 off a $20 purchase from Earthfare (competitor coupon) for this week that I used.  I was pretty pleased with this trip.  I am planning on freezing some of the creamer so it does not go bad.  I read on I Heart Publix this week that it does not hurt the creamer to do that.  I guess we will see!  

Happy Weekend!

Couponing 7/5

I am proud to say I took another hiatus from going to the grocery store last week since we were headed out of town last weekend.  However, it left me with no choice but to pick up several items on my way home from work on Tuesday. I had to stop at both grocery store (Publix and Winn-Dixie) but I managed to spend under $33 for everything. Here is the evidence:

As you can see, at Publix I spent $22.77 and saved $40.57 for a total savings of 64%!  Not too shabby for a restocking the fridge!

I did not get a picture of the Winn -Dixie receipt, but I spent $9.78 and saved $12.29 for a total savings of 56%.  My Winn Dixie haul consisted of only 2 products:

2 bags Dole Lettuce for $.40 ea = $.80
          (I was planning on using a $.75 off 1 for each bag, but when I got to the store they had $1.25 of 1 coupons on the display! I obviously used those instead)
2- 12oz bags Community Coffee $3.50 ea = $7.00

I have noticed before that sales do not always ring up correctly at my local Winn-Dixie and Tuesday was no different.  After they scanned my rewards card the coffee was still ringing up $6.50 ea instead of the $4.50 ea sale price.  I noticed that there was no sign on the coffee when I picked it up so I double checked an ad in the store, so showed the ad to the cashier and he made the correction.  I have learned my lesson when it comes to overlooking prices =)

At Publix I had a pretty decent haul that was topped off with another $5 off a $20 purchase from Earthfare that I got this week in my inbox.  Here is what I got:

milk = $3.99 <---no joke!  I think buying our own dairy cow would be cheaper
2 Macaroni Grill Freezer meals for $2.75 ea = $5.50
2 Wanchai Ferry Freezer meals for $2.75 ea = $5.50
2 Oscar Meyer Cracker Combos (grown-up lunchables) for $.50 ea = $1
4 cans Bushes Baked Beans for $1.15 ea = $4.58
3 cans Publix tomato sauce for $.33 ea = $1
fresh mushrooms = $1.50
vidalia onions = $1.08
2 bottles of French's Mustard for $.50 ea = $1

I will take a 61% savings for the week anytime!

Couponing 6/24: Register Woes

I always try to be very polite to cashiers when I am using coupons.  I have learned that a lot of them like for you to hand them  your stack of coupons before they start scanning so they can make sure all of the items are scanned and so they don't have to look all the way through your order to get the price for a free item coupon.  Also, I worked at a grocery store in high school and I don't mind bagging my own groceries when I have a large order and there is no bagger around to help.

Friday at the store I did all of the above mentioned things, trying to be nice, and I paid $13 for it. GRRRR!  I handed the cashier my coupons as she started scanning my order, and because I had a bunch of Powerades and no one was there to bag my order, I went to bagging myself.  I finished up just as the cashier did, just in time to notice my total at the end of my transaction increase by $5 instead of decrease by $5.  Right after I got it out of my mouth, the receipt came out.  The transaction had already gone through....great.  I had to take my receipt to customer service and they refunded my $11--$5.50 that was charged to my order and $5.50 for the coupon without any trouble.  I went on my way with my $11 and a smile on my face, until I looked at my receipt on the way home.  I had 2 FREE item coupons from Kraft, one for a lunch combo meal and one for a packet of lunch meat.  As I looked at my receipt I noticed that the lunch meat and the sandwich combo cost $4.29 and $3.50, respectively, which was all fine and dandy until I noticed that the clerk had given the FREE item coupon each a $2.99 value, which cost me $1.81.  NOT COOL!  I toyed with the idea of going back and getting another refund, but I decided it was not worth another trip to customer service.

I did do the math when I came home and was able to figure out my adjusted savings after I made the corrections, and here it is:

After all of the adjustments were made I spent $26.76 and I saved $38.03, for a total savings percentage of 59% this week, which is ok with me!

This week I got:
8 pack of paper towels = $4.99
10 Powerade Zeros for $.42 ea = $4.25
milk = $3.79 (ouch!)
2 bags frozen Rosetto pasta for $1.25 ea = $2.50
1 Oscar Meyer Sandwich Combo = FREE!
1 Oscar Meyer Meat Combo Pack = FREE!
1 box Publix trash bags = $2.99
2 bags Fresh Express Lettuce for $1 ea = $2
2 lbs bananas = $1.18
2 bags Cape Cod Kettle Cooked chips for $2 ea = $4

On top of my manufacturer coupons, Earthfare had another $5 off a $20 purchase for their Auburn and Montgomery, AL customers this week that I was able to use!

Lesson learned this week:  being nice is not worth $13!  I will be paying MUCH closer attention to the register from now on.

Couponing 6/17

We had some friends from out of town come in for a shrimp boil this weekend so I had to make an impromptu trip to the grocery store to get a few things....plus I had another $5 off $20 purchase from Earthfare to use!  Because I had a pretty specific list I was scrambling to get my total up to $20 so I could use my coupon.  I went ahead and got most of the items on my grocery list for next week while I was there.

This trip I spent $21.62 and saved $30.00, for a 58% savings!  Not too shabby considering I paid full price for 2 of the items.

Here's what I got:

2 bags Green Valley Fresh Steamer vegetable bags for $.19 ea = $.40

2 bags of Simply Potatoes hash browns for $1.30 ea = $2.59

2 bottles Bailey's Coffee Creamer for $1.17 ea = $2.34

2 Oscar Lunchables (I still LOVE these!) for $1 ea = $2

1 canister Crystal Light Pink Lemonade Mix = $1

Cucumbers = $1.49

Onions = $1.52

1 bag whole natural raw almonds (yes we have already gone through the other bag) = $4.99

1 box Publix trash bags (big bags for shrimp shells) = $1.89

3 boxes of Duncan Hines cake/brownie mix for $.66 ea = $1.99

2 - 130 packs of Hefty plates for $2 ea = $4

Now if I could just get Publix to put the almonds on sale I would really be in business!

Couponing 6/14

With all of the stuff I got last week I did not have a whole lot on my list for this week.  That was until I checked my emails on Monday and found a $5 off a $20 purchase from Earthfare in my inbox.  The Publix I go to in Montgomery accepts Earthfare as a competitor so I was able to get a few goodies!  Yay!  I even got something that I had to pay full price for--GASP!

Here is the evidence:

Not my best trip to date but it will do.  I saved 54% which is below my goal of 60% but I did not use a while lot of coupons this trip since I did not need a lot of things this week..

This haul included:

4 bags of Sargento Extra Sharp Shredded Cheese for $1 ea (will freeze these) = $4

1-4 pack of Breakstone's Cottage Cheese single serves = $1

2 packs of Ball Park Hotdogs for $1.27 ea = $2.54

2 jars of Marie's Caesar Dressing (new favorite!) for $2 ea = $4

2 bags of croutons (for our caesar salads!) for $.99 ea = $1.98

1 box Family Size Wheat Thins = $2.25

Bananas = $1.61

Fresh Shrimp for dinner (to go with our Fried Green Tomatoes) = $4.25

1 bag of raw natural almonds = $4.99  <--I could not help myself, I was going through withdrawals.

I made one more stop before I got home at Winn-Dixie because I could get free Colgate Toothpaste with my coupons this week.  So I stopped by and picked up a couple,  along with some lunchmeat (because I was afraid I might have a negative balance and would have to purchase something anyway). At Winn-Dixie I spent $7.09 and saved $7.02 for a 50% savings.  

So all together for the week I spent $31.45 and saved $36.13 for a savings of 53%!