BaBy PrOmOs at Albertsons'

Albertsons' is having a Baby Promotion sale starting tomorrow--$10 off $30 purchases of any of the listed products from the ad. Nice...since Pampers and Huggies are both included in this deal. If you get a hold of the $3/1 coupons for cases and packages, you can combine the savings on this sale to add up big if you layer the coupons on qualifying products! No babies here--but I can smell a diaper deal a mile away still!! Go to http://www.albertsons.com/ to check out the products included in the promo.

There's also an Instant Spotlight Savings deal going on. You get $5 off your purchase of selected items (back page of the ad) when you buy any combination of 10 items. Coupons are available on most of the products featured. I love the Ortega green chilies and there as a coupon for $1 off 2 Ortega products. Make sure to do your research before you create a mini stockpile of your favorite items. I've found that some stores, like Winco or Wal-Mart, will carry the these pantry essentials for a lower base price everyday than what some of the larger grocery chains have the item go on sale for. If that's the case--as in the green chilies--always place your coupon on the lowest priced item for the greatest savings. For example--the chilies are going to be on sale at Albertsons' for $1.29 if purchased within a set of 10 featured items. The coupon would reduce the price to 79 cents per can when purchased in sets of two. It's a "fair" price, but I don't know if that's the "best" price. If the regular price for the chilies are 99cents a can at Wal-Mart--placing the coupon that would add up to the "best" savings at 49cents a can. **Trick of the trade--know what is a great price before you use your valuable coupons.

I couldn't find any Dole coupons for canned fruit on ebay--so 79cents a can for mandarin oranges and pineapple seem only a fair deal...but the oranges are normally $2+ a can when not on sale. It's a temptation to buy a few, but I don't stock up on these kind of items unless I can see a 80% or greater price difference.

Safeway has some of my favorite pantry items on sale this week--Barilla pasta (10/$10), Ragu spaghetti sauce (4/$5), and Betty Crocker potatoes/Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (4/$5). I just have THREE words about what to do with those prices...USE A COUPON!! There's no guarantee that there will be a coupon available for items when they go on sale, but always check online to see if this is going to be a "stock up" sale. Coupons make all the difference. Fifty cents per item adds up to a lot before you know it.

Good luck on your hunt and your stocking up!!

PS...it took me awhile, and since yesterday was the last day on the coupon for the free milk from the last Kelloggs' cereal sale...I got the last 8 gallons of free milk. I got 30 coupons for free milk from that amazing sale. I had to stagger the purchases so that it didn't all expire at once and also--couldn't fit that many milks in the extra fridge. So thank you to those of you that took a few off my hands. I felt like the "Milk Fairy" delivering milk to several families last week. I know...it was so random and unexpected. Ever had anyone offer you free milk? Weird, huh? But it really helped me out--so THANKS!

Hooray!! Kellogg's Rocks!

Some people look forward to Fridays.....Not me! I look forward to Tuesday nights, when I can get on-line and can see the upcoming grocery ads. I get all giddy and can't wait to plan the weekly shopping "events". Case in point...I was just looking at the upcoming ads for tomorrow--wondering if there would be a fabulous deal in the works and I think that I found one worth sharing. Albertsons' is featuring Kelloggs' cereals and Pop Tarts on sale starting tomorrow. When you buy 3 boxes of participating kinds, you get a Catalina print out for a free gallon of milk (up to $3.99 a gallon), on your next order. You can buy up to 9 boxes at a time and get up to 3 print-outs for milk. There are coupons available on ebay and in the ad circulars from past Sunday papers--but the stellar part of this deal is that Kelloggs' is also doing a fuel rebate on certain participating products. Go to: http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2011/03/get-up-to-50-of-free-fuel-with-kelloggs-rebate.html to review how the rebate works. This is AwEsOmE--because you are allowed to submit up to five submissions per address and it doesn't require a receipt to participate. So--if you plan your trip to purchase participating UPCs, get free milk, and use coupons--you are going to Win, Win, Win!! [It was mentioned at one of my store haunts this week--that there might be doublers this coming weekend as well--and that would turn this deal into something to really squeal about!] **During the last Kelloggs' sale, about three weeks ago, there were coupons for free produce on my boxes of Cocoa Krispies. The coupon is for $1 off fruit/produce for every 2 boxes purchased. That means--bonus savings in addition to milk and fuel!!

TIP: If you are going to be one of those customers that is going to take this deal to the cleaners--like, as in clearing the shelves and mass purchasing without thought to other customers--make sure that you call the store and ask for the order clerk to order your quantities ahead of time. This will guarantee that you have your product waiting for you when you decide to get in to purchase it, rather than being at the mercy of whatever kinds and quantities are left on the shelf. That will save you time and effort in getting the product during the sale dates, as well as making sure that you don't cause the store undo stress of not being able to satisfy other customers between restocking dates.

Safeway has a "Spring Fling" event starting. For every $75 you spend, you will automatically get a $10 print out to use on your next order. Some cashiers tell you that in order to get your $10, you have to "pay" $75--before coupons are used. Ag. Whatever. The computer generates the $10 first, before the coupons are even used--so just micro-manage your cashier, if there is a problem. But if you are taking advantage of some of the great deals there--it would be very easy to generate those cool $10 freebies--and there is no limit to how many you can generate off of one telephone number. So if Safeway is your store--Game on!!

I noticed that cases of Coke products are on sale--when you buy 2, get 2 free. Fair deal...but it's a compound sale because you also get two boxes of Nabisco snack crackers for free as well. Good deal before coupons; great deal after coupons. For example--hand them a $1 off 2 manufacturer's coupon for the crackers...and because they are technically "free"--the $1 off will be applied to the Coke products. If you check ebay, there are also coupons for cases of Coke. Not only is it a "compound" sale with extra freebies--you get to use all the extra coupons. The less it costs, the better it tastes. Yum!

Guilty Sunday Pleasures

When I was a kid, one of our Sunday traditions was going through the newspaper. It was parted out by sections. I always got the "Funny pages"--the cartoons. As I got older, the newspaper was still a weekly event, but my interests lent themselves to Hollywood highlights and the front page stories. Then, when I moved away from home, the newspaper reading waned to just reading the obituaries and doing the crossword puzzles. But now--as a frugal freak--I still get the weekly Sunday paper--but for very different purposes...I love the ads!! Now don't get me wrong--I've always looked at the ads throughout the years, but now they have become the ultimate treasure hunt for me because with a little checking, sleuthing, and planning--I can turn a good deal into a great deal. Today I found a few things that I thought were worth sharing.

I've been out of town and in a super-crazy whirlwind lately...but I'm taking advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon to catch up on my great finds. Albertsons' had two double coupon weeks in a row and I figured there wouldn't be one this week--and I was correct. So in order to get my "fix" of great deals--I'm looking closer at the Walgreens and Rite-Aid ads and I found a few great deals that might warrant some attention if layered with the best coupons.

At Walgreens--When you buy $10 in Suave products, a $3 Register Reward is generated to use on you NEXT in-store purchase. The products included in this are deodorants, haircare products, and lotions. When looking for matching coupons on http://www.ebay.com--/ I came across some great coupons that could be used in the transaction. There were lots of options, but to maximize the savings, you want the greatest value coupons to apply to each item. So there were some for $1 off coupons for lotion and a variety for the kids' shampoos and deodorants.

It's best to plan this purchase in conjunction with another purchase that produces a register reward so that you can apply that savings to the Suave transaction, then add the manufacturer's coupons to greatest savings. Then the Register Reward will still come at the end that can be used on another transaction. Mega savings!

Store coupons include Colgate for 99cents--limit 3. Colgate always has great coupons, so you can get your toothpaste and toothbrushes for as much as 24cents, all the way down to free. Even though you may not need this kind of product today, you want to be cognizant of how the deals work in cycles--purchase the 3 tubes/brushes now and put then in your home storage. You'll have them ahead of time--but that saved a larger portion of money from being spent in a more timely fashion.

At Rite-Aid--I love Up Rewards!! I still have some that were generated last week that I can apply to anything that I buy this week for greater savings. I haven't bought laundry soap in almost 3 years and it's getting low in the reserves. I noticed that Purex laundry detergent is Buy one, Get one free this week. I found coupons on http://www.ebay.com/ that are Save $1 on each bottle. Remember that you are able to apply one coupon to each item. So even if one is free, you can still use a coupon, making the total of the two coupons apply to the one that you are ultimately paying for. Tremendous savings!!

Easter Candy!! Who doesn't need some of that this season? Mars is running a "BOGO" deal on their packages of Snickers, M&Ms, and more! That means, you Buy One, Get One FREE! Then you apply a Save $1 on 2 coupon on the 2 bags...and voila--you've got a great deal. Do it a couple of times, and you will have a great assortment of Easter candy. (Make sure to get some good kinds so you can help your little ones out by not letting them eat it by themselves ;)

And for all of you with babies in diapers--I think this may work out to being a great Huggies stock-up deal with coupons! You get a $10 Up Reward when you buy $40 of participating Kimberly Clark products--like Huggies. But they are already on sale for $8.99 and then you would use the $2-3.50 off coupons on each package. (I just saw some on www.ebay.com) $40 in total purchases will add up quickly--and then you get a $10 Up Reward to use on any of your other purchases or more diapers! Stellar deal.

**Ad correction: It is the diaper wipes that are buy one, get one 50% off. But there are loads of wipes coupons available to make this a mega sale as well. And I think that they will also help accrue dollars towards the $40 mark for that $10 back!

Scott toilet paper is a Kimberly Clark product and there are $1 off coupons for 12 count packages. You could layer your savings and not have to buy just the diapers--but it's a great savings if you have a little on in diapers.

At Safeway--they have some great in-store coupons that are good through 3/26/11. There are lots of manufacturer's coupons out there for Kraft and Nabisco products for add to your transaction for a greater savings. You can use any of the coupons in the same transaction and it only requires a minimum transaction of $10 to get the savings amount [which would automatically include the item's price that you are already getting]. If you like Classico Pasta sauce, I noticed that Rozoni pasta boxes have a $1 off 1 jar of Classico pasta sauce on them. If you could get your hands on a few of those, that would make each jar only 59cents. Not too bad on sauce that is normally $3-4 a jar.

At Fred Meyer--I love Springtime in the grocery stores!! That means the fruit gets less expensive and the produce looks less tired. Fred Meyer has 1lb strawberries for 2 for $3! I know of people who flash freeze them and then add them to smoothies and desserts all year long--especially when they are normally $3.99 a container and you now can get almost 3 containers for the regular price.

Tillamook cheese, in assorted varieties, are a great buy this week at $1 a package. That's a 50-75% savings without a coupon. I just bought the 5lb bag at Costco because it would have cost more than twice the amount yesterday (before they went on sale)--but I have 5lbs of one kind of cheese. Tillamook is the best cheese--and it comes in all kinds!! I may have to carve a hole in the freezer....just saying.

***Because http://www.ebay.com/ requires that you purchase the whole bundle of coupons, you might look at http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ or http://www.thecouponmaster.com/ for coupon clusters that don't require you to buy big bundles. Bundles are great if you are going to buy in bulk or can share some with a friend. Many similar coupons may be found on the internet that you can print for free, at such websites as http://www.smartsource.com/ or http://www.coupons.com/. Particularly with the diapers, you may already receive mailers or have some that came on the package--those are as good as gold at the register.

I'm not much of a Big K shopper, but I'm easily converted to a good deal--especially if the "free" word is a possibility. So here's the skinny on the Kmart deal. They are having a Super Double manufacturer's coupon event. That means that they will double five manufacturer's coupons up to $2 in value per day per customer. That's awesome. Unlike Albertsons', where you have to have the store insert with the bar code to scan that doubles up to three coupons per transaction over a 3-day event--Kmart will double 5 per day--per customer--all week long. So loading up the belt, for transaction after transaction, probably won't fly with this store--but if you skim through the ad and can match up some coupons with the products that are already on sale with a transaction total of at least $25 before coupons and doubling--that makes for a stellar deal.


Like Albertsons' and many of the major store chains, in order to get in on the deal, you have to first have the cashier scan your "rewards card." You just fill out an application at the service desk and it's free. They link it to your telephone number and have a little widget that can go on your keyring. Like Fred Meyer or Albertsons, points accrue for freebies and coupons printed at the register. And in case you didn't know--Kmart is owned by Sears--and the register card works at both stores.



The only other stipulation that I want everyone to take note of here--is that the transaction total must be at least $25 of grocery and/or drugstore items. The general rule in advertising verbage--is that is the total before coupons are handed over and the five doubles taken. Like most stores, it's OK to get your goods for "free" and nearly free--but they will not "pay you" to take them...ie. go into the negative on the register amounts at the end of the transaction. So if you are heading to town with a handful of coupons this week, it might be worth stopping at Kmart to see if there's a steal of a deal waiting for you!


**Check out the coupons in the Sunday paper to get some that match the Procter and Gamble items that are on sale at Kmart this week. You can get an extra savings of $10 on a $35 purchase (prior to those coupons) if you buy things that qualify in this area--like Olay, Covergirl, Always, Gillette, Crest, Febreze, Dawn, Iams, and Duracell.

Rising Cost of Food

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f4189e60-404a-11e0-9140-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1EwhFFJaZ
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704506404575592313664715360.html




I read some articles today that set me thinking about saving money on our groceries. We saw the cost of sugar double last fall. Wheat and grains tend to be volatile with the supplies decreasing because of blight and being sold to overseas nations. We are in for some increasing prices, and it's not going to be pretty.


Increases are sometimes very subtle. We may not notice 3-4% on a box of cereal, especially if we are bargain shoppers and never pay full price. But I saw an increase that had me thinking about my poor little wallet. I was at Fred Meyer earlier this week getting bread for lunches when I did a double-take. Like most people, I have a certain kind of bread that I favor...Grandma Sycamore's white and wheat breads. I was a little put-out because the price was $3.19 a loaf. I splurge on good bread and don't think much of paying $2 a loaf. But that $1.19 per loaf increase really hit home because of the quantity we go through. I started doing the math on what that would add up to and it wasn't easy to swallow. So the increase wasn't just $1.19 once--but several times over. And that was just on ONE of the things that we go through quite a bit of. When price increases hit frequently used staples--we tend to notice what's hitting out pocketbooks harder.




There was an older lady studying the prices of the bread as I went to make my selection this day. I commented about the higher price of bread. She grumbled back at me that it wasn't just bread! My hand faltered. I couldn't pay that for the bread--even if I had enough means to do so. I quickly rethought my choice and went with a different kind that was $2 cheaper per loaf--although not a favorite. I whistled under my breath that my bread cost too much. The lady was right. Everything is going up. It doesn't take a a daily dose of reading the Wall Street Journal to notice the increasing prices at the grocery store. It's one of the few places that we repeatedly go to spend our hard-earned money and when we don't bring home the same amount of stuff that we used to for the same amount of money--we know!



I don't know if you've ever given much thought to "trickle-down" theories. But one very crude example goes like this: a bushel of wheat doubles in price to produce and is sent to market. The purchaser has to pay more to get the supplies it needs to make products and services for the public. But they are a business, not a charity--and the price of the wheat is added to the retail price of the products for the consumer to pay for. So the higher cost of production due to poor results in weather, or from higher demand versus product--are always passed on down the line. And very few consumers give much thought to how MUCH wheat goes into the things we consume. Cereals, breads, crackers, pastas, sauces, soups, puddings....everything with a wheat derivative in it--go up in price. So a box of cereal that used to go on sale for $1.50 a box, now goes on "sale" for $2.00 a box.Marketing lingo often disguises the increase in actual cost by tricking the consumer into thinking that they are buying the product "on sale." But in reality, the stores is just passing on the cost of production on to you--the customer. The rising cost of production ultimately comes down to YOU.



We feel the increase the most because all the costs have been added to the products that we rely on to feed our families.



Think about this same theory in regards to corn, sugar, and other grains. A year ago, you were able to buy a 25lb bag of rice at the store for approximately $10. Over night, the prices doubled and tripled because the US panicked that they had over-sold their GNP (gross national product) overseas and there wasn't enough for domestic use. So supply and demand meant a drastic increase in the cost of goods. If you wanted rice--it cost a LOT more money to buy it. A rise in demand results in a rise in price. And those with the most money get the product....




But what about us that want/need the product and cannot afford it? We are forced to do without until the costs go down...OR--we use what we have in our personal inventory, that was purchased before the prices sky-rocketed. [I noticed that our favorite little Teriyaki restaurant was forced to raise the prices on the menus when rice was pricey. When staples and goods cost more, the profit margins decrease and business owners are forced to either raise the prices to the public or go out of business].


So how to avoid getting trapped in the escalating food game?
Tip: Make an inventory of your family's food consumption and plan to build a three-month reserve of foods you can have on-hand that would off-set the drastic inflation of food commodities until other means or sources can be found to subsidize there purchase. I think the easiest way to do this is to create a 14 day menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then multiply that by 6 (6x2 week cycles=approximately 3 months worth of provisions needed). When those products you regularly use and consume go on sale, buy in quantities of 6 to build up your reserve. If you come across some stellar finds or bulk discounts, plan your shopping accordingly to invest in the next three months.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4705900_start-food-storage-plan.html
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/
http://www.emergencyfoodinanutshell.blogspot.com/
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/18717/Four-simple-steps-to-planning-food-storage?s_cid=newsline
http://www.surviveabide.com/Advanced/Food%20Plan/2%20Food%20-%20Storage.htm

I googled "food storage" on the net and found numerous ideas and plans that suggested economical and space-efficient ways to start building a family reserve. I suggest doing something that works for your space and budget--but do it. I'm a much better shopper than gardener, so my supplies run towards the things I can buy quite inexpensively--but other means of storing, producing, and harvesting are all excellent skills to incorporate into being prepared for harder economic times and volatile pricing.


I like the quote that says: "It's better to be prepared 10 years ahead, than 10 minutes too late." It's so true. Preparation brings a sense of security and helps ease anxiety over things that are out of our control. Preparation eliminates fear and desperation. "Now go and do something today."

Dr Seuss coming to a Target Store near You....

If you have a little one in public school or that has attended preschool, you know that March 2nd is a special day. It's Dr Seuss' birthday and to celebrate you get "seussical"!! Target has joined in on the fun and are having a Free Storytime in their stores this Saturday. What fun!!

Deals of the Week......

(This really should be a picture of Rite Aid and Walgreens =)

I have no more babies or shelving space lost to cases of diapers...but I still seem to have a homing device that senses a good deal for diapers. This week at Rite-Aid, there just might be one. Huggies jumbo packs are regularly $8.99. There is a UP reward (like the Catalina print-outs) for $2 a package. But it is also marked with the blue "Buy and Save" mark--which means it qualifies for the $20 Up reward when your totals of items with the blue "Buy and Save" marks reach $100. So, if you don't have a Rite-Aid savings card (free at any register)--it might be worth a trip to the local Rite-Aid this week. This cycle on the $100 worth of purchases end this Saturday, February 26th. Most likely, a new time period and selection of products will start on Sunday, February 27th. So there is still time to get that $20!


Going back to the Huggies deal at Rite Aid--the $6.99 price is before any manufacturer's coupons and discounts from any other Up reward incentives. If you are buying multiple packages of diapers to accrue the dollar amount towards that extra $20 in savings--it will actually total up fast with the diapers because of the higher dollar value. And another way to save even more is to not only use a coupon, but apply previous Up reward savings coupons.
Bonus with the Rite Aid plan--you can buy multiple packages of diapers in one transaction and the register totals them and prints off the Up rewards at the end of the receipt. Whereas, in the deal that I outline below, you would have to do one package at a time/per transaction, in order to generate the register reward. [I was a non-biased diaper user, especially when it came to which I could get the better deal on--but it seems to me that Huggies' may win this competition based on expediency and overall savings].


A similar deal is going on with Pampers at Walgreens this week. Pampers are $8.99 with a $2 Register Reward, making them $6.99. Apply coupons, use other rewards and come up with a much better deal. Not that Pampers aren't a great product--but there isn't the $20 advantage on the store level. If that's inconsequential to you and you are a loyal Pampers-user--this may be the better game plan for your ankle-biter. Suggestion: if you are doing other purchases at Walgreens that will generate register rewards, do them first and then apply them to your diapers for additional savings. You still get the $2 reward from the package you buy. With Walgreens, you have to be careful not to use a register reward that came from a Pampers product on the Pampers you are currently buying--a new register reward will not generate at the end of your transaction. But if you use register rewards that you got from cereal, hair products, etc...it will. So just be careful [methodical]--and all will be well.


I like to take the Up rewards or Register Rewards and pay for my purchases with them. They act like "cash" and pay for my new purchases, saving all but the out of pocket expense of sales' tax. For example, last week I purchased 30 bottles of Speed Stick deodorant, earning me $30 in Up rewards ($2 for every set of 2). I paid for all but $2.76 (tax) with Up rewards from Colgate toothpaste that I had purchased the week before--also free except for sales' tax. I just rolled the savings from one week onto another and still walked away with another $30 in Up rewards to use next week. Valuable savings tool: If you apply the Up rewards to items that also generate an Up reward, then apply a coupon, you are doubling your savings and still getting more Up rewards to use next week. [I'm so enthralled with Rite-Aid right now that it's getting kind of addictive. But at least it's an addiction that doesn't cost very much or make me fatter!]

Another fair deal at Rite-Aid to look for is the Dove shampoo and conditioners. They are normally priced between $4.49 and $4.99 a bottle. They are on sale 2/$6 with an Up reward of $2 for a purchase of 2, theoretically making the product $4/2, or $2 each. There are coupons for $1 off each bottle available in cyberland. If you use Up rewards earned from the purchase of another item, you can buy this product for free and still have Up rewards to use on something else. Similar deals can be had on Kotex, dental products, household cleaners, snacks, and personal use products--all the time.

A similar deal on Herbal Essenses/Aussie/Pantene/Head and Shoulders started today at Walgreens. Everyone has to see what the best combination of goods works for their budget and which coupons they can get. I find it hard to pay over a certain dollar amount for hair care products because of what I was able to purchase them for in the past.

Tip: if you can get a great deal...stock up on the product, enough to get you buy till it comes on sale again, especially if it's free or near free. But don't clear the shelves of a product if it's not something your family normally uses. Other shoppers and the stores can get a little miffed at the inconsideration of hoarders, especially on the first day of a sale. But if it's a product that is regularly in stock, see if the store will give you a rain check for the sales' price (post-rewards price), rather than waiting for the product to come in past the sales' date, eliminating the possibility of the Up reward or the Register Reward. Most stores want to keep customer loyalty and will give a rain check for the product at the lower price. That creates a window of opportunity of having a "sale" whenever you want it, within the time frame of the rain check. Good luck and happy savings to you.