2BFrugal

October Publix Greenwise Market

2008-09-28T14:13:00.002-04:00

I received the October Publix Greenwise Market magazine in the mail last weekend. The coupons in it are:

Save $1 on any one Seventh Generation product expires Feb 1, 2009
Save .55 on any one Alexia Tuscan Style Panini expires Nov 8, 2008
$1 off the purchase of any 2 Muir Glen products expires Dec 31, 2008
.50 off any Apple & Eve Organic Juice expires Jan 31, 2009
Save $1.50 on any 2 Contessa Green Cuisine Meals expires Dec 31, 2008

The Alexia and Muir Glen coupons are store coupons, the rest of the coupons are manufacturer coupons.

A new development

2008-09-23T10:14:00.002-04:00

My husband was told yesterday that he will have his hours back up to 40, it might be temporary or it might be "permanent" (which doesn't mean permanent, if you know what I mean). This is great for us. We had been able to hold steady with everything, but a few more months at the lower hours and we might have been in trouble. Interestingly, I had been thinking about if things changed, if he were to get a new job, etc. and I have already determined that no matter what our financial situation there are still a lot of frugal habits that I don't think we'll let go. There is no way I would stop couponing, I feel silly about all of the money we spent on groceries before couponing, all the items that I bought without waiting for a sale, the money I could have been saving all along. I also won't stop doing the deals at CVS and Walgreens, those are just out right awesome deals, when you can get things for free or for pennies. I also think we would continue to monitor our electric consumption. The one thing that might change a bit would be the fact that I have been avoiding certain activities based on how far away they are from our home and how much gas I would spend to get to them. Another habit we have gotten into is cooking and eating at home, and I don't think that will change, we have been eating better for much less and I really enjoy cooking. I actually think that being forced to look at our habits and find ways to lessen the cost of our lifestyle has been a wonderful thing for our family. A little stressful, but wonderful for the fact that we will carry most of these habits forward, leading us into a better financial position.

I missed the deal!

2008-09-23T09:52:00.003-04:00

I went to the two CVS stores by me to get the L'Oreal Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Serum for 11.99 with 11.99 in ECbs earned, but they were both out. I thought about driving to some others, but it was raining very heavily so I decided to pass on searching this deal out. These two day deals are great, I guess I just have to go and get it on Sunday instead of waiting for Monday!

More Glade Rebate Form Winners!

2008-09-23T09:50:00.001-04:00

I was able to get my hands on two more Glade Wisp Flameless Candle rebate forms. Lyn and Michele are the winners of these. Thanks again to everyone for entering. I will be doing another contest soon, it is a fun way to find someone to share the rebate forms I won't be using.

Rebate Form Winners

2008-09-14T15:43:00.002-04:00

Congrats to Nicole, Crystal and Melissa, they each won one of the Glade Wisp Flameless Candle Rebate forms. I am keeping the names of the rest of you who entered because I might have one more form coming my way, so if I get it I will pick another winner. Thanks to everyone who entered!

My Walgreens $10/$40 Scenario

2008-09-12T15:53:00.003-04:00

I went to Walgreens this morning with my $10/$40 coupon, ready to get some deals. I bought most of the Free After Rebate items, so I did not have a hard time getting to $40. I paid for it with my rebate earnings from last month, so I had no out of pocket expenses. I don't have a picture because either the battery is dead or the camera is broken.

I bought:

6 bags of Chex Mix .99 each
Walgreens Benzoyl Gel 2.99
Excedrin Gel Caps 3.99 (FAR item)
2 bags Reese Peanut Butter Cups $2 each
2 cans Ajax Scouring Powder .99 each
Lypsyl 1.99 (FAR item)
L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate $16.49 (FAR item)
Revlon Nail Polish $4.79 (FAR item)
Chemistry Hair Priming Blow Dry Tonic $7.99 (FAR item)
4 cans Butterball Chicken Broth $1.19 each
2 cans Campbell's Tomato Soup $1.39 each

I used:
In ad coupon for Butterball Chicken Broth, taking the price down to .50/can
In ad coupon for Campbell's Soup, taking the price down to .69/can
In ad coupon for Ajax Scouring Powder, taking the price down to .39/can
6 .50 coupons for Chex Mix
.40/2 coupon for Campbell's Soup
$3 coupon for L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift Anti Wrinkle Concentrate
$1 coupon for Revlon Cosmetics
$10/$40 coupon

My total was $36.83. I will earn $35.25 in rebates. I could have saved a bit more with the candy but I had the wrong Easy Saver coupon and just let it go as I needed to go get my daughter from school. I am pretty happy with the deals I got today, this coupon had perfect timing for me!

CVS Savings totals

2008-09-10T14:31:00.002-04:00

I downloaded this great excel worksheet from I Heart CVS and entered my receipts into it last night. Since the beginning of July I have spent $54.70 out of pocket at CVS for item valued at $271.85!! That is 80% savings. My initial purchase, before I had ECBs to use, was $24, which is almost half of my total out of pocket. One week I had to buy some medicines for my daughter which weren't on sale nor did I have any coupons, so that is another chunk of my out of pocket. Lately I have only been rolling over the ECBs so that I spend as little as possible. I am excited to have an easy way to crunch the numbers and document how much money I am saving.

Walgreens Campbell Soup In Ad Coupon

2008-09-10T14:18:00.005-04:00

If you stack the Walgreens Campbell Soup In Ad coupon which lowers the price per can to .69 with the .40/2 coupon for Chicken Noodle and Tomato Soup from a recent insert, you end up paying .49/can, which is an excellent deal. This is a great item to stock up on for fall and winter.

Glade Wisp Flameless Candle Starter Kit Mail In Rebate Form Giveawy

2008-09-08T21:18:00.004-04:00

I have 3 Glade Wisp Starter Kit Mail In Rebate forms to giveaway.

This is the official form that is needed to get up to $9.99 back on the purchase of any Glade Wisp Flameless Candle Starter Kit. To get the rebate you need the completed certificate, the UPC symbol from the starter kit package and an original store receipt dated Sept. 7- Oct. 18 with the purchase price circled.

Send me your email with the contact me form to the right. Put candle rebate form in the message section so I know which giveaway you are wanting to enter. I will randomly pick 3 winners on Saturday morning.

Centrum Cardio Coupon and Rebate Form Giveaway

2008-09-08T21:13:00.003-04:00

I have 2 Centrum Cardio $3.00/1 coupons and Cash Back Mail-In Rebate (up to $10.00) forms to giveaway.

For the rebate you will need the original UPC code from the carton or box (unless it is the Centrum Cardio 180 count, then you only need the original cash register receipt), the original cash register receipt dated between Sept. 7 and Oct. 5 with the price circled and the completed original rebate form, which you can win from me, along with the Save $3.00 on any Centrum Cardio coupon. What a great deal!

Send me your email using the contact me button to the right. Please put vitamin giveaway in the message section so I know which giveaway you are entering. I will randomly pick 2 winners on Saturday morning.

Use your MyPoints for a CVS Gift Card

2008-09-08T14:30:00.003-04:00

I just saw that you can redeem your MyPoints for CVS gift cards! Imagine the savings!

MyPoints is a program that awards points for clicking through emails, answering surveys, purchases that are made at select merchants, playing games. I have been a member for 6 years and I have redeemed my points for Target gift cards, usually about 3 a year. Here's a referral link to Mypoints if you're interested in joining.

Rolling, rolling, rolling Part 2

2008-09-08T13:36:00.009-04:00

On to the rolling over of the register rewards at Walgreens.

Transaction #1

I got things started today by purchasing

3 Robitussin Cough & Chest Congestion Syrup 3.99
1 Chex Mix .99
30 or so seed packets .05 each

3 Printable Robitussin coupons $3
Printable Chex Mix coupon $1

OOP $4.80
RR earned $10

I plan on using the Register Rewards to get Crest Rinse, Visine, Lipsyl and votive candles. The Crest Rinse will make another Register Reward, the Visine will be free, the Lipsyl is free after Easy Saver Rebate and the votive candles are 6/$1.

UPDATED TO ADD:
I had forgotten about all of the great coupons in the ad this week. So here is what I got:

Crest Pro Health Rinse $4.29
Visine Tears $6.99
4 cans Butterball Chicken Broth $4.76
2 cans Campbell's Tomato Soup 2.78
3 bags Ricola Cough Lozenges 7.47
12 votive candles 4.80

I used:
3/$3 Ricola In Ad coupon
1/.69 Campbell's Soup In Ad coupon
6/$1 Votive Candle In Ad coupon
2/$1 Butterball Chicken Broth In Ad coupon
$2 Visine Easy Saver coupon
.75 Crest coupon
.40/2 Campbell's Soup coupon
$2 Visine coupon

I paid with $10 in Register Rewards and 3.96 out of pocket. Then I got $4.50 in Register Rewards for buying the Crest Pro Health Rinse! The cashier was amazed as the total kept getting smaller and smaller. If you can find coupons to stack with the in ad coupons you can get some things at a real steal, like the soup and broth.

Rolling, rolling, rolling Part 1

2008-09-08T13:20:00.008-04:00

I am rolling over ecbs and register rewards this week for great savings!

At CVS my plan is:

Transaction #1

Chex Mix $1
Revlon Nail Polish $3.99
L'Oreal Skin Genesis Cleanser $5.99

Printable chex mix coupon -$1
Revlon cosmetic coupon -$2
L'Oreal Skin Genesis coupon -$1
ECB -$6.45

OOP- .78

ECBs earned
$5.99 L'Oreal Skin Genesis Cleanser
$3.00 Revlon Nail Polish

Transaction #2

Revlon Nail Polish $3.99
Revlon Nail Polish $3.99

ECB $5.99 (from Transaction #1)

I tried to use the $1 off Revlon coupon, but the computer would not take it and apparently my CVS is cracking down on coupon overrides. Mr. Nice Guy got out the magnifying glass so we could see if it excluded nail polish in the fine print. I am a little bummed because it didn't clearly exclude nail polish and the nail polish is in the cosmetics section, but I understood that if the system wouldn't take it that he couldn't do anything about it. I went ahead and bought them without the coupon, but I am thinking about returning them. I don't know if it will be worth the hassle since I paid with ECBs.

OOP $2.13
ECBs earned
Revlon Nail Polish $6

Transaction #3

4 Right Guard Deodorant $2.99
2 Schick Quattro for Women $5.99 BOGO

4 Right Guard Deodorant coupons $1 -$4
2 Schick Quattro for Women coupons $3 -$6
I will need to find a filler or two.

Total (to be paid with the ECBs from Transactions #1 & #2) $8

ECBs earned
Right Guard Deodorant $8

Transaction #4
Arnicare Gel $8.99
2 Schick Quattro for Women $5.99 BOGO

Arnicare Gel coupon -$2
2 Schick Quattro for Women coupons $3 -$6
I will need to find a filler or two.

Total (to be paid with ECBs from transaction #3) $8

ECBs earned
Arnicare Gel $8

I have some various Chex Mix coupons that I will use for those transactions where I need some filler.

Cashiers- The Good, the Bad and the Confused

2008-09-04T18:57:00.003-04:00

I've had three different couponing experiences this week. I have to give a nice word to my CVS cashier, who lined everything up the way I wanted it and rang all my coupons through, who always has a little excitement in his voice as he tells me how many ECBs I've earned, who doesn't flinch when I say I have multiple transactions, who points out to me when I am losing some ECB money because it is a few cents over what I am purchasing. You rock, Mr. Nice Guy!

Now, the cashier I will be avoiding from now on at Publix, who acts like I am stealing by using coupons, no good word for you. And each time I've been in your line and you've gone through my coupons over and over, trying to find a reason to not let me use it, not only have you caused a huge line in the store, you've forgotten to scan at least one of my coupons. You owe me .55 this week.

And finally, to the young man at Target who tried to tell me I couldn't use a coupon because I hadn't bought the right kind of Tide and then tried to tell me I couldn't use it because it was a trial size, you need to work on your reading skills because it says "any size of Tide" and the reason the cash register beeps about it is because the coupon is actually for more than the product is priced. Since your store will be redeeming the coupon for the face value, I expect to also receive the face value, even if it is one penny more than the price.

So there it is folks, the good, the bad and the confused.

Look Younger For Free at CVS

2008-09-02T15:53:00.003-04:00

I stopped by CVS today and got 2 Cover Girl Wetslicks Amazement lip glosses. I used a BOGO coupon from this weekend's Proctor & Gamble insert to save 5.99. I paid with $6 of ECB and earned $5.99 in ECB. I picked the colors EVERYTHINGS ROSY and PINK POSITIVE because I have been reading How To Not Look Old by Charla Krupp and she suggests pink as the best lip color. She also says that dark lip color (which I tend to buy) makes dark circles under your eyes more noticable. I seem to always have those darn dark circles, so it is pink lipstick for me. And even better, it was FREE!!

Electric Bill Challenge

2008-09-02T09:50:00.004-04:00

My electric bill has been about $200 for a while. I am challenging myself to get it down to $150. I plan on raising the thermostat during the day, turning off the air conditioning when we leave, drinking more water to keep cool, turning off the computer when we go to bed, unplugging appliances and electronics that are not in use. I'll report back once I get the bill.

4 New Publix Coupon Flyers and Magazines With Coupons

2008-09-01T15:42:00.007-04:00

Wow, I got three new Publix flyers and a new Greenwise magazine, all with coupons!

This one came in the Sunday paper.

The coupons expire September 26, 2008 and are labeled for redemption only at Publix, which means they could possibly be stacked with manufacturer coupons. The coupons include:
Save $6 on any 2 Sundown Vitamins
Save $5 on any 2 L'Oreal Preference Haircolor
Save $4 on Listerine Whitening Pen of Strips 56 count or Rembrandt 2 Hour Whitening Kit
Save $3 on any Tylenol 80-255 count or Motrin IB 100-225 count
Save $5 on any Pepcid 50-65 count or Imodium 40-48 count
Save $1 on any Neutrogena Product excludes bar soaps
Save $4 on Zyrtec 10 mg 30 or 45 count
Save $1 on any Johnson's Baby, Johnson's Buddies or Desitin Product excludes bar soaps
Buy 1 Abbott Freestyle Lite Test Strips 50 count, Get a Freestyle Lite or Freestyle Freedom Lite Meter FREE
Save $2 on any CoverGirl or Queen item
Buy any 1 L'Oreal Age Perfect or Age Perfect Pro-Calcium, Get 1 Age Perfect Product
Save $2 on any Revlon Beauty Tool or Revlon Cosmetic
Buy any 2 ChapStick Single Sticks, Get 1 FREE
Save $1.50 on any Claritin 10 count or Claritin Pediatric 4 oz. Syrup
Save $5 on Move Free Advanced 80 count or Move Free Advanced Plus 120 count
Save $2 on any Depend 14-52 count or Poise 36-72 count

This flyer is full of coupons for items that you might need to stock up on in case of an approaching emergency, such as a hurricane or tropical storm, as well as coupons for items that you might need in the aftermath of such an event. Quite helpful at this time of the year.

The coupons are labeled as manufacturer's coupons and expire September 30, 2008. The coupons include:
Save $1 on 2 Glad Food Storage Bags
Save $1 on Glad Forceflex Trash Bags
Save $1 when you purchase any Kingsford, Kingsford Match Light or Kingsford with Mesquite Charcoal
Save $1 when you purchase any 2 Dixie Plates
FREE 96 oz. Clorox Regular Bleach when you purchase any 3 Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Tilex Products, Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach, Clorox Disinfecting Floor and Surface Cleaner or Clorox Disinfecting Kitchen Cleaner
.55 off when you purchase any 1 Clorox household cleaning productClorox Regular Bleach, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover, Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner with Bleach, Clorox Disinfecting Floor and Surface Cleaner or Clorox Disinfecting Kitchen Cleaner
Save $3 when you purchase a minimum of $15 on any combination of Duracell Batteries
Save $1 on any 2 Mott's, Hawaiian Punch, Clamato or Yoohoo item
Save $1 on any 3 SPAM Family of Products

This next flyer is a collaboration between Proctor & Gamble and Publix. It has over $17 in coupons. The coupons include:

These coupons are labeled for redemption only at Publix (possible stacking opportunities) and expire on September 30,2008.
Save $1 on any 1 Swiffer Product
Save $1 on any 1 Pamper's Kandoo Product
Save $1 on any 1 Bounty Product (6 roll or larger)
Save $1 on any 1 Charmin Product (24 roll or larger)
Save $2 on any 1 Pampers Cruisers Product (70 count or larger)
Save .75 on any 1 Pampers Baby Wipe Product
Save $1 on your purchase of any 3 Puffs products
Save $1 on any 1 Bounty Quilted Napkins Product
Save $1 on any 1 Tide Product
Save $1 on any 1 Downy Product
Save $1 on any 1 Cascade Product
Save $1 on any 1 Iams Dry Dog Food (7 lbs or larger)
Save $1 on any 1 Iams Dry Cat Food (3 1/2 lbs or larger)
Save .55 on any 1 Dawn Product
Save $1 on any 1 Frebreze Air Effects Product
Save $1 on any 1 Febreze NOTICEables Product
Save $1 on any 1 Febreze Candles Product

The September issue of Greenwise was also available at my Publix this week.

The coupons include:
Buy any 2 32 oz. Dannon All Natural Yogurt Products and GET ONE FREE bag of Back to Nature Granola (up to 3.59)
Save $1 on any 2 Half Gallons of Refrigerated Silk Soymilk
Save $1 on any El Monterey All Natural Product
$1 off any one Organic Valley Product
Save $1 on any 2 Half Gallons of Horizon Organic
$1.50 off any Michael Angelo's 10-12 oz. Entree

Lots of great coupons to use in the next month!

Meal Making with Publix BOGOs

2008-08-31T10:22:00.003-04:00

Here's a scrumptious and easy recipe for Alfredo Sauce to go with the BOGO Barilla pasta at Publix this week. Hope you enjoy!

1/2 a stick of butter
1/2 a package of cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cream the butter and cream cheese in a pan over medium heat. Add the milk and parmesan and whisk into a creamy sauce. Pour over pasta.

You can also add a vegetable, like broccoli, to the sauce to get a serving of vegetables in your meal.

Pert Plus/Sure School Supplies Rebate Form Giveaway

2008-08-26T18:17:00.004-04:00

I have an extra Pert Plus/Sure School Supplies Rebate form to give away! I got my rebate today, which was sooner than I expected. You have to buy $5 worth of Pert Plus or Sure products AND $5 of school supplies together, send in the rebate form and receipt, with the UPC codes of the Pert Plus/Sure products AND the school supplies on the back of the receipt. Leave your name in the comments section and I will randomly pick a winner Wednesday after 5pm Eastern time.

Two New Coupon Flyers at Publix

2008-08-24T11:02:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I found two new coupon flyers at Publix.

The first one is Take A Peak Into My Pyramid. It was at a table in the checkout area where they were offering samples of True North snacks and Atkins bars. Inside it has coupons for:
.55 off any one Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread
$1 off any two Old London Melba items
$1 off any two Steamfresh or Steam & Serve Bird's Eye varieties
$1 off any one Smart Balance milk or butter blend
.75 off any one 12 or 16 oz package of Kraft 2% Milk Singles
$1 off any one Dannon Light & Fit 0% Plus 4 Pack
$1.50 off any seven Attune Chocolate or Granola Probiotic Wellness Bars
.35 off any one Friendship All Natural Cottage Cheese (any size)
.55 off any four Yocrunch or Yocrunch Light Yogurts
$1 off any one 4 pack of Goodbelly Multi Probiotic Fruit Drink & Multivitamin
$1 off any six Weight Watchers Yogurts
$1 off any one Seapak Frozen Fish
.55 off any one carton of 4-Grain Eggs
$2 off any one Back To Nature Nuts and Trail Mixes
$1 off any Welch's Dried Fruit
$1 odd any two Ocean Spray items
$2 off any one 4 pack of Atkins Advantage Ready To Drink Shakes
$2 off any five Smart Ones Entrees
$1 off any one Bag of True North

That's $20.25 in coupons. These coupons expire 9/30/08. They are labeled STORE COUPON, so there is the potential for stacking with manufacturer's coupons for great savings. The booklet also has information on the food pyramid in English and Spanish.

The second coupon flyer is Heinz Toss for Cash 2008. It has the Florida state college logos on it, so it might just be a Florida thing. I found it by the door as I was leaving. The coupons in it are:

FREE Publix Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns (up to 1.39 value) when you purchase TWO bottles of 32 or 36 oz. Heinz Tomato Ketchup
Save $2 when you buy four Boston Market Frozen Entrees
Save $1 on one Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes
Save $1 on any two Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes (20 oz. or larger)
Save $1 on any two bottles of Heniz 57 sauce
Save $1 on any two Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Save $1 on any two Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauces
Save $1 on any one T.G.I. Friday's Frozen Snacks Party Pack
Save $2 on any four Poppers (8 oz. or larger) or Bagel Bites (4.65 oz.-14 oz.) Frozen Snacks
Save $2 on any five Weight Watchers Smart Ones Frozen Entrees, Morning Express, Anytime Selections of Dessers
Save $1 on any two Classico Pasta Sauces

These coupons expire 10/31/08. They are also labeled STORE COUPONS, so again they could be stacked with manufacturer coupons for greater savings. The total in coupons in this flyer is 14.39.

There is a form on the back to enter the Toss for Cash with the Grand Prize being $25,000 and the secondary prizes include season tickets to FSU, UF, and UM football and other Florida football related things.

Another potential CVS ECB rollover

2008-08-06T10:18:00.002-04:00

I found out last night that the Children's Advil can be purchased twice for a full ECB of the purchase price. I am considering using my $6 ECB to get another one, if I can print out another coupon. I am also going to look for the Oral B Advantage toothbrushes which create a $1.50 ECB. There was a coupon for them in the 8/3 newspaper insert, I don't know which one. I also wanted to take some time to look at the different cosmetic deals going on at CVS. So in other words, it looks like I will be making another trip to CVS this week! I'll post on my deals once I do.

CVS- ECB Rollover Goodness

2008-08-05T17:30:00.006-04:00

Today I tried my first multiple transaction ECB rollover. The past few weeks as I have been couponing at CVS I have been getting ECBs, but having everything ring up in one transaction and then using the ECBs the next visit. I started with a $10 ECB, a .99 ECB, a $2 ECB and a $1 ECB. Here's what I did.

First transaction:

Children's Advil $5.79 On sale at CVS
$1 off printable coupon

Sure Deodorant $2.89 x4
BOGO sale at CVS
BOGO coupon (6/29 SS)
3x $1 off coupon (6/29 SS)

Bathroom Buddies soap .99 x4
2x $2/2 printable coupons

Crayola Paint 4.99

Total value of merchandise: 27.00+tax

Total after sales: 20.52+tax

Total after coupons: 10.78+tax

ECBs used:$ 10.00

Out of pocket: $1.02

ECBs earned: $5.79

This transaction also qualified me for the $5 Pert/Sure School Supplies rebate, hence the purchase of the paints.

Transaction #2

Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste 2.99 x2
On sale at CVS
$1 coupon (7/27 SS)

Chex Mix 1.50 x2
On sale at CVS
2 $.60 printable coupons

Total value of merchandise: $11.76+tax

Total after sales: $8.98+tax

Total after coupons: $5.78+tax

ECBs used: $5.79

Out of pocket: .02

ECBs earned: $4

Transaction #3

Crest Prohealth 2.49 x4
On sale at CVS
4 .75 coupons (8/3 PG)

Total value of merchandise: $15.56+tax

Total after sales: $9.96+tax

Total after coupons: $6.96+tax

ECBs used: $6.96

Out of pocket: .21

ECBs earned: $6

I was so excited when we left CVS that all of my deals worked out. The cashier was really great, the CVS I go to is great when it comes to using coupons. I also got a coupon for a free CVS toothbrush, which I will need with all of my toothpaste!

Hello

2008-07-26T11:35:00.000-04:00

I am going to use this blog to highlight my efforts to be frugal. Why am I trying to be frugal? Well, times are tight at our house, my husband's hours have been cut and prices on everything seem to be going up. I have turned to the internet to learn different ways to save money on expenses. There are a lot of different strategies that I am currently using and I will share them here.