Calling all TEACHERS! Save on updates to your wardrobe!

I admit it; I'm a huge fan of the store NY&Co. Overall, their stuff just fits my frame well and their pieces all coordinate easily with each other, as well as lots of other items I get elsewhere. Plus they usually have great coupons available. I got this in my Inbox today and am definitely going to hit up my local store to check it out:




(Yeah, I know, it's small). Apparently, teachers get 15% in store just by showing their ID at the register! Of course, you need to check and make sure your store is participating, and if you're not a straight-up K-12 teacher, this may not apply to you. I'm an adjunct instructor at a local technical school so I plan to tote my ID to the mall and ask my store if it'll work. Good luck and happy shopping! They have a great pant special going of Buy 1, Get ANY 2nd Pant/Jean FREE!


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Coupons for FREE stuff just keep rolling in!

A little bit ago, I'd posted about winning the weekly Friday Lean Cuisine Giveaway and getting 7 coupons for a FREE Lean Cuisine (ANYthing... the paninis, pizzas, entrees). Well, the rest of this week has just continued to be a FREE coupon week...

*From All YOU magazine, I'd gotten a FREE Jack Links coupon (though it's for the really big bag which I haven't been able to find; only the 3.5 oz bags).

*The recent inserts had a coupon for a FREE Glade Soy candle (it is for the 2 oz variety, which some have said is harder to find; my Kroger doesn't have them).

*I got quite a surprise in the mail when Vocalpoint sent me a TALKING mailer. Yes. TALKS to you. LOUDLY. It scared the heck out of my cats who tend to crowd around me when I sit to open mail like every envelope is a bag of treats (that was actually funny). Anyway, in the talking mailer was a sheaf of coupons for Rice Krispies cereal; lots of $1 off any box and ONE FREE BOX of RICE KRISPIES. I see a lot of Rice Krispie treat bars in my future... :-)

*I finally received my FREE Country Bob's All Purpose sauce coupon; I'd forgotten about even registering for that. Looks like you can still request one here! (Thanks from a while ago, Coupon Mommie!)

*I sent in my form/rebate for a FREE Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt pack after buying some Dannon Activia at Kroger. You can find the form here. (Thanks to many bloggers for posting this but I saw it on A Thrifty Mom).

Knowing When to Just NOT Shop

This will be quick for now, and may get updated later as it's late, and as I am suddenly DROWNING in coupons to get clipped! Between the multiple coupon inserts, getting multiple copies dropped in my lap, and all the new printables, now is one of those time my binder system is a real pain.

Against my better judgement, I think, I ventured ot Ingles and Kroger tonight to grab a few items I felt I had to snag at their current price. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped for various reasons, and it taught me a valuable lesson:

* Thou shalt not go to the store if the deals are lukewarm, unless thou really really needest something.

I'll post totals later, but here are a few of the "sins" I think I'm guilty of...

(1) I strayed from the "list." Not that this isn't EVER okay, and I really really wanted that Mayfield Banana Split icecream! But it's probably the fastest way to jack up your total without realizing it in the store.

(2) I left the binder home. Actually, this isn't SO bad b/c the other stuff I bought off-list didn't have coupons for them anyway.

(3) I went to the store during a week when the deals for both stores were just... "Eh." Now WHY did I do that? I think I lured mySELF in with the promise to just go in, get the free/cheap stuff, and get out. And that didn't happen. Of everything I bought, I think I only really NEEDED the bleach (ok, and the icecream), and even that could've waited.

Also, I had an issue AGAIN at Kroger with a P&G esaver coupon not coming off. Last time, I was supposed to get $2 off Herbal Essences. I bought 2 items using a paper "Buy any item, and get a styler FREE" and I theorized that because the paper coupon applied to BOTH products DURING a P&G promotional event (the Buy 4 / Get $4 off), the P&G promo sort of cancelled out the e-coupon.

But this time it was for Aussie hair care. And Aussie had no tags for the P&G event this week! So there should've been no problem stacking my $2/2 coupon with the $2/1 e-coup. I'm not sure why it didn't come off. Oh well...

Shop for a Good Cause!

Here's a great coupon to use this weekend at any GAP, Old Navy, or Banana Republic store:



Gap Give & Get - Save 30% and Donate to LLS! For 4 days, from Thursday, July 30th through Sunday, August 2nd, your Give & Get coupon will allow you to receive a 30% discount on in-store purchases at any Gap, Inc store with 5% of your purchase proceeds going to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

For more information visit: http://www.lls.org/gap.

Where: All Gap stores in the U.S and Canada, including Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Stores, and Old Navy

When: Thursday, July 30th - Sunday, August 2nd

Why: Using this coupon helps support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

How: Download this coupon to receive your 30% discount.

We have a coworker who is currently fighting a rare form of Leukemia, so I'm all for anything that trumpets that cause. Note that you cannot use it for the purchase of gift cards OR in conjunction with using a gift card (hubby has one from Christmas and I was all set to use that... but instead we'll try to keep it close to the amount of his card, pay cash and use the coupon... and then use the gift card on more stuff).

High dollar MILK coupons!

Hurry over to Coupons.com for these b/c they WILL go fast! This is a great coupon (or set of 'em) for those of you who go through a lot of milk!

*Buy a gallon of WHITE milk, Get a FREE 1/2 gallon of Chocolate! (Up to $3.75)

*FREE gallon of WHITE milk with a $100 grocery purchase! (Up to $4.00)

They are NOT state or store specific! Hip2Save has posted them on her site (thanks!) and the comments helped me figure out how to get them... The quickest method seems to be to use zip code 63090; they should be on the 1st or 2nd page. You should get 2 prints out of them.


NOTE: There are a couple of zip codes for Utah and Idaho that are generating a $0.75 milk coupon and a $1.00 cheese coupon... these are NOT the ones you want (they ARE only good in those states).

Couponing Question: When to make a fuss or not

It's only Sunday and there are already about 130+ comments on the CVS post on Southern Savers, SEVERAL of which deal with the Kashi promo that I had trouble with... based on what I'm reading, those TLC Honey Almond bars I got last night should have rung up as part of the deal. Hmmmph.

Here's the funny thing: on our way out for the day's adventures I got DH to stop at another CVS so I could run in to grab some drinks for us AND.... another box of Kashi cereal (since I knew that worked). THIS store in Maryville didn't have the ECB signs up on the Kashi products either. Is this a coupon conspiracy of some sort? It just seems weird that those tags wouldn't be up.

So, I now HAVE my ECBs b/c the cereal triggered them, but I'm debating taking those Honey Almond bars back to my usual CVS for a refund. It's not so much that it's a lot of extra money, but that a deal that should have worked did not.

I've had the same question when it comes to shopping at Walmart. Normally, I only go to Walmart if there's an especially long and appealing list of cheap/free stuff, and I normally NEVER go when it's super busy. But, on 2 consecutive shopping/couponing trips to Walmart I went when it was fairly busy (once on a Saturday afternoon -- yeah, never again!)... and on both of those I got over charged.

On the first trip the cashier rang up an extra Mac and Cheese and forgot to scan a coupon or 2. Okay. No big deal. On the second, the cashier double rang up a couple of items putting me $4 over where I should've been. For both of these, I didn't notice until I was already home and it would've been rather difficult to take those receipts back to the store to prove I didn't actually get those items.

So, I guess my question is: When you're saving sooo much on any one trip and others, at what point do you make a fuss over being incorrectly charged or a coupon not being rung up, etc? When is it worth it? Just curious.

General Savings Tip: Bakery Outlets. Find them. Use them. Love them.

There are a lot of items that new couponers often think they can't really get frequent deals on, like meats, veggies/fruits, and basic dairy like milk because there simply aren't a lot of coupons offered. One of the things I often could NOT find deals/coupons for was bread. ... Let me correct myself: I couldn't find a lot of deals for the name brand stuff I really liked and WANTED to buy. Only the generic store brand. Which was perfectly fine but... I don't know. Having grown up in an area that had umpteen Italian bakerys and delicatessens in walking distance, I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to bread and baked goods! I'm not TOO good for Kroger brand sliced bread but I know the difference between that and the fancier whole grain kind with fresh oats or pumpernickel seeds and a good crispy crust...

One thing you can do to save some money is hit up your local BAKERY OUTLET. We have about 3 of the Merita/Dolly Madison outlets in our area alone and last week I took my mom by one out of curousity. What a gold mine! Mind you, this will all be processed packaged breads/baked goods, but it's all going to be brands like Wonder, Hostess, Sara Lee, and affiliated.

The other thing is that it is an "outlet" and prices are lower for a reason; most all the product is nearing its sell-by date but it IS all still good for at least another couple weeks or so. But it's PERFECT if you need bread for a dinner, party, BBQ, or if you know you can get through a loaf in 1-2 weeks in your family. Often things like hotdog buns are cheaper than storebrand by half. I managed to get a bag of Merita Warming Rolls for $1.00 and a big loaf of Wonder Texas Toast for $1.19. These would have cost me $5 together easily at the store if not more.

Now, what about if you don't have a big family or event to buy for? What then? It's hardly worth it to spend even a $1 on bread that will be unuseable in a week or 2... Well, I used the warming rolls as a side item for dinner all week (they go great with homemade chicken soup, btw). For the Texas Toast, fortunately, most bread freezes quite well. I decided to make my own frozen Texas "Garlic" Toast: I melted a few tbsp of butter spread in a cup, and mixed in Garlic powder, a bit of salt, and chopped basil. Pour/spread over the individual slices, then wrap in freezer paper and stuff into freezer bags. All we'll have to do is toast them in oven for 4-5 min per side.

You could also buy the clearance stuff to make homemade breadcrumbs. My grandmother used to do that all the time... but, yeah, I'm partial to buying them in a can myself.

They also have pies, doughnuts, cakes, and even cereals at much reduced prices. One tip is to bring either cash or checks; I'm not sure if it's common practice at all of them but mine did not accept credit/debit cards.

CVS - Week of 7/19... And the Newbie becomes a Teacher?

I'll try to make this quick as I have a younger friend coming by who wishes to learn "The Way of the Coupon". I'm not sure if I'm fully experienced and equipped to teach her, but I'm planning to show her around a couple of websites, help her make a list and go take advantage of Kroger's Mega Sale tonight!


As for my own couponing adventures, it's looking like another great week at CVS for free school supplies! We can use 1-2 items around the house here, but otherwise I'll be donating it to a friend who teaches middle school. I'll be going off of Jenny's basic Grand Plan over at Southern Savers, with a few twists b/c she's starting the week with $5 ECB. I'm starting with $8 thanks to the Pepsis I sprung for last week for the spouse.

Trans #1
(1) Caliber/CVS Filler Paper 150 sheets ($2 ECB) - $2.00 ea
(2) 1" Vinyl Binder ($3 ECB / 3.49 w/o carD) - $3.00 ea
Use $8 ECB

Total OOP = $0.00
Get $8 ECB back

Trans #2
(1) Caliber/CVS Filler Paper 150 sheets ($2 ECB) - $2.00 ea
(2) Papermate 1.2 Pens 10 ct ($.99 ECB) - $0.99 ea
(2) Caliber/CVS Pencils #2, 24 ct ($1.99 ECB) - $1.99 ea
Filler item - $0.05 to $0.99
Use $8 ECB

Total OOP - $0.01-$1.00 (roughly)
Get $7.96 ECB back

Trans #3
(4) Neosporin/Bandaid/J&J Red Cross - $2.99 ea
Use
-$1.00 off Neosporin or $1.00 off Red Cross or $0.50 off Bandaid
-$7.96 ECB

Total OOP - $0.00 to ... ??? (Should be under $2.00)
Get $5 ECB

Trans #4
(2) Speed Stick Pro 2.7 oz Deodorant ($2 ECB) - $2.99 ea
(2) Caliber/CVS Memo Book 50-80 pg ($.99 ECB) - $0.99 ea
Filler item - $0.05 to $0.99
Use
-(2) $1.50 off Speed Stick IPs
-$5 ECB

Total OOP - Under $1.00???
Get back $6 ECB for next week

This should result in about $43 in items for under $5.00. I'll be going out at midnight to make sure I score the school supplies that seem to run out so fast, so wish me luck!

Reach out to manufacturers for coupons

As a newbie, I know that it can be really frustrating to see the weekly lists of deals being posted and know that you don't have the newspaper insert coupons needed from weeks and weeks ago (meaning you can't get that deal). It's also even more frustrating if you don't or just aren't ready to subscribe to a huge metro-paper, and your local version either gets low-dollar coupons for items versus cities like Atlanta, Nashville, etc... or none at all (yep, still seething a bit over that Angel Soft coupon).

But you CAN get some pretty decent coupons that not everyone else will have... by reaching out to the manufacturers of your favorite brands and just... ASKING. Here a few reasons to try this if you haven't already, and to not give up if you HAVE but have not really gotten any results:

(1) You tend to get GOOD coupons for at least $.50 (doubles to a $1.00 usually!) off ANY one of that type of product. ANY kind, size, shape, etc. The coupons with few or NO restrictions are not always easy to come by!

(2) The coupons the manufacturer sends you directly are generally good until the end of the year, sometimes well into the NEXT.

All you need to do is make a list of the items you use frequently (or would like to use more if they were more affordable). Then, go to the website for the product (Google it if needed), search around for a "Contact Us" link, give your full name and correct mailing address in the form provided, and compose a short cheerful message in which you tell them that you LOVE using/eating/cleaning with their product, add a quick detail perhaps, and then mention that your region rarely gets coupons for their product. Or that you haven't seen any in awhile. Or ask if they EVER offer coupons (it's okay in my book to "play a little dumb" here). Thank them for their time, and hit SEND.

The responses you'll get will vary, and you really won't get any results for a week or two, sometimes more. You may just get an email thanking you for your comments and letting you know that they DO indeed provide coupons in local papers and to keep your eyes open. But usually you'll get a nice little envelope or postcard-style mailer that thanks you for you taking the time to write and encloses a couple of coupons for you to use.

SOMETIMES... the person at the office who sends these things off will have been having a really good day when they stuffed your envelope, because you can get HANDFULS of coupons that fit all of the numbered descriptions above. Woo-HOO!

In my short time couponing I've gotten:

(1) coupon from Heinz for $.50 off any Heinz product
(1) coupon from PastaRoni (and affiliated) for $1.00 off any PastaRoni or affiliate owned product (there were at least 6 completely different grocery item logos on the coupon)
(2) coupons from Mahatma Rice for $.50 off any rice
(4) coupons from Lea & Perrins for $.50 off any L&P product
(4) coupons from Purina for $3.00 off any Purina Cat food (Danion, Zander, and Shin-shin all say thank you!)
(8) coupons from Tyson for $.50 off ANY Tyson product (this has worked on FRESH meat with no problem!) Tyson, you win the prize in my book!

So, take a look through your pantry, see what you use, and then hit your keyboard running! If you go into it expecting the usual form email reply, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Want to learn how to do what I'm learning to do? Local Couponing Class!

Head on over to the Coupon Mommie to get the full details of a couponing CLASS she'll be hosting at the library in Maryville, TN on Cusick Road this Thursday! Admission is completely FREE and you'll learn the ins and outs of how to get started on your way to saving over 50% on groceries and other household goods.

I have to say that Jennifer's site was the first LOCAL blog that I stumbled across as I was slowly learning the ropes of this "extreme" couponing thing and she has been so kind in answering my random emails/questions along the way. It's hard to explain but knowing that someone is having such success at couponing in my own backyard somehow makes it seem all the more possible for ME to become really good at it, too.

I'm hoping to be able to attend if grading and paperwork for the classes I teach as an adjunct don't eat me up this week, but even if I can't I hope others will take this opportunity to learn from a local!

Where to Get Your Coupons

(NOTE: I'll be adding to this post as I discover more sources)

Okay, so you want to give this crazy couponing thing a try? The first thing you'll need to do is start accumulating a stockpile of coupons. Where to even BEGIN?

1. Your Local METRO Sunday Newspaper. This will probably be the easiest and most accessible way for you to start collecting coupons on a regular basis. Notice that I recommend getting your nearest METROPOLITAN newspaper; that means buy the "biggest" paper you can for your area. The sad truth is that the larger cities get the best coupon inserts and usually the most "regional" versions of coupons as well. So, where Atlanta's major paper will get a coupon for an item that's $2 off 1, we "small-townfolk" here in Knoxville will only get the $1 off version for that same item. Or no coupon at all (there's an Angel Soft coupon I'm STILL peeved about missing). It may not sound like a lot, but it can mean the difference between FREE or not free items.

• You can go buy it every week. But once you really get into this, you'll find that that gets pricey. And if you're busy like me you may miss an opportunity to snag a paper.
  
• You can have it delivered. This is the option I finally chose. Jennifer @ CouponMommie had actually posted about a great website for discounted newspapers right about when I was hunting for a deal on a new subscriber package, so it worked out PERFECTLY. I'm currently subscribed to the Knoxville News Sentinal's weekend package for $1.40/week (that alone is worth the $2 Sunday paper). After my 6 month term is up, it will increase to $2.80/week but that still saves me time and gas.

Each Sunday paper will contain anywhere from 1-5 coupon inserts, depending on the schedule, and will come from SmartSource, RedPlum, or P&G (Proctor and Gamble). On holiday weekends, there may be NO inserts. Go here to see the most current schedule of inserts (thanks Jenny @ SouthernSavers!); this can change according to what the companies feel like doing but it has seemed pretty accurate to me.

Many coupon queens out there recommend subscribing to 5-10 different newspapers to get the maximum amount of multiples. I'm personally not there yet, nor am I sure if I ever will be. Plus I just prefer more local options like...

2. Your friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else you're willing to grovel to for extra coupon inserts. Just kidding about the grovelling (well, depending on who you're asking)! But, seriously, consider that there are probably tons of people you know who get the paper and just toss it away, coupons and all. Go ahead and ask if they'll save the inserts for you. My mom is a pretty reliable source and she also does a bit of collecting on my behalf.

Remember, I said ASK. Do not just casually snag the paper out of your neighbor's driveway just because it's 1pm on Sunday and they haven't retrieved it yet. People (me) are entitled to sleep late one day on the weekends and that's the whole point of having the paper delivered: knowing it'll be there whenever you choose to get up and get it. :-)

3. Extra EXTRA inserts. I haven't tried any of these methods but I have HEARD of...

• Checking your local breakfast haunts like McDonalds or coffee shops. They often keep a couple of complimentary papers on hand OR customers bring theirs to read, then leave it for others. (Okay, this I have done before, but mostly just by happy accident)
  
• Striking up a deal with your local newspaper seller. If you've got a good relationship with the gas station on the corner, ask if you can have the coupon inserts from the papers they don't sell.
  
• "Dumpster Diving" at the recycling center. I'm not too sure about this one, but if you have a local recycling center, you COULD see if they'd let you go through the bins of papers that get dropped off and snag coupon inserts. Honestly, this seems to be for the truly "committed"... and I mean that in every sense of the word!

4. Buying/Trading coupons. In the case that you know a REALLY good deal is coming up that you'd like to stock up on OR if you miss out on a coupon that your local paper didn't have, there are plenty of people happy to get you what you need.

• The Coupon Clippers seems like a great website run by some great people that do ALL the work of clipping for you. You can search their extensive database by keyword or alphabetically, buy the coupons you want in the quantity you need and they'll send them to your doorstep, often that same week if you order by their indicated deadlines. They charge a very small administrative/handling fee for each coupon and there is a $3.00 minimum.
  
• Coupons & Things by Dede is a site I've actually used and I was really happy with their service. They sell clipped coupons but also have WHOLE inserts for those back-weeks you want to purchase if you're just getting started, or if you need extras... or for when you're still buying the paper and miss a week (hence my deciding to just flipping subscribe already). Their handling fees for the whole inserts are VERY reasonable. I think I ordered 5 of them and paid $6 including postage.
  
• ThriftyFun.com is a site I signed up for when I was in desperate need of coupons for food for a Petros-style buffet that I was helping to put together for a local benefit event. I didn't expect much from it but was surprised! It's basically a standard message board forum but they have a section where you can post requests for coupon trades. I'm guessing that the more flexible you can be in what you have to trade (or are looking for), the more luck you'll have. I ended up getting a reply in just 1 day from a nice woman who traded me coups for sour cream and salsa in exchange for Betty Crocker Box Top cutouts (which I don't use). We just swapped addresses and paid for a stamp apiece. Easy!

5. All You Magazine. This is a GREAT magazine available only at Walmart and containing upwards of $75 in coupons each month (sometimes less, but often MORE). The new issue is available at the beginning of the month, but if you're a subscriber you'll get it early as with other magazines. See my post here for details. You can also get a great subscription rate for TWO years through Jenny at Southern Savers HERE.

6. Local home mailers/Junk mail. This is a new discovery for me: don't just TOSS those packets of local restaurant and service ads that come every week or so! I used to throw them out before I even walked into the house (except the Papa Johns flyer on the front). Not anymore! They've been an increasingly good source of high-$ coupons for all kinds of items, from toothpaste to groceries. Sometimes there's 6, sometimes 1, or none, but keep your eyes peeled anyway.

7. The stuff you already buy! You probably know this already but save the coupons from the things you buy. Many products will have a coupon included in whatever "Tips" or "Recipe" booklet that's buried at the bottom of the box. Sometimes products will advertise a coupon or other type of rebate inside, others won't. Keep an eye out for those little surprises.

Other products will come with what are known as "Peelies" on the box. These are coupons that are meant to be used for that product right then and there, but you don't have to. I've bought groceries that came with a peelie but I had a better coupon in hand already; so I just "peeled" it off and pocketed it for next time. It's still good to use so long as it has a valid bar code and expiration date. NOTE: I do not recommend just grabbing peelies off of products if you don't intend to buy them. In my book that's "stealing" at worst, and just plain dishonest and shady at best.

8. INTERNET coupons. I didn't leave this for last because it's the least method... there are just SOOO many sources for IPs (Internet Printables)! A few of my favorites with the least amount of spammage/annoying flashing ads...

• www.CoolSavings.com
• www.SmartSource.com
• www.RedPlum.com
• www.Coupons.com
• www.GrocerySmarts.com (thanks to the Krazy Coupon Lady for this one!)
• Various individual manufacturers' websites

You'll find that the first 4 links will often have similar coupons available, which is actually great because you can then print multiple sets of your favorites. Oftentimes any given IP will limit you to a maximum of 2-3 prints from any one computer. This is to try to have SOME kind of reasonable limit on the amount of coupons that a manufacturer will have to reimburse the stores for. However, you can go to the various websites and print them like you're printing for the first time.

GrocerySmarts.com is a pretty NEAT website because it not only links you to coupon-collecting sites like the ones above, but it ALSO gathers all the web addresses of individual manufacturer sites. This can be time-consuming b/c you'll have to visit each product site, check for promotions, and often register to access the coupon(s). But it's worth it to get coupons that aren't always readily available!

NOTE: If you see coupons for items you regularly buy or MIGHT consider buying on the right sale, print them right away. Try not to wait until that week's sale ad is posted, b/c although sites like Southern Savers do their best to only post up-to-date and available coupon links... when EVERYone knows that item is a steal that week... EVERYone will try to print those coupons... when the print limit is reached (yep, there's also an overALL maximum limit) they're gone.

Welcome! About Me

Let me start off by saying I AM NOT A GURU when it comes to couponing. Not by any means! What I am, however, is someone who has been a broke college student, a broke IN-DEBT college student, a heavily in-debt and modestly paid single young working professional, and now a married working professional (2 jobs!) who is very grateful for all I have… but still has a car to pay off, two mountains of student loans to tackle (mine and the spouse's). We also have 3 cats who insist on eating on a daily basis.

Let me be clear: we're not rich. We are definitely lucky because if the world came crashing down tomorrow, we'd be okay… if we could sell most of our belongings and/or vehicles pretty quickly (very unlikely in this economy). Mostly, we’re just like a lot of people in that we need to save wherever we can so that some small catastrophe DOESN'T send all the dominos falling. And sometimes it's nice to just be able to free up a little extra cash for something fun. Or something unexpectedly necessary. Or a future goal.

So if you’re fairly new at this like I am and learning the ropes, feel free to learn from my successes… and mistakes, of course!

-Julie