Don’t Forget to Scour After Christmas Sales
If like my family, you are just starting off and don’t have a lot of Christmas supplies, today is the perfect day to search for bargains on wrapping paper, decorations and perhaps even presents for next Christmas.
Because of holiday traveling I haven’t been able to go to the store yet, but I’m hoping to hit up CVS today after we get our car’s alignment fixed.
I’m planning on CVS having Christmas bargains because I went there a day or two after Halloween this fall and I got a nice wreath, dishtowels and lots of candy for 90% off and only spent a few dollars total. I learned that you can get some steals after the holidays. I also learned to beware of storing chocolate in the cupboard above the fridge because it melts, re-melts and eventually grows mold in less than two months.
If our car gets fixed in a reasonable time and I make it to the store I’ll be sure to add some pictures of my finds.
$79 Grocery Shopping Marathon
Grocery store savings are where I try to save the most money. My monthly budget is $180 for food and $30 for household, or about $53/week. I try to pay for groceries and household in cash so that we don’t go over budget and because I am more aware of what I’m spending with cash than what I spend on a debit card. Also, when I pay in cash I round up to the nearest dollar and put my change in a savings jar.
I usually split the month in half and allot myself $105 the first half and $105 the second. If there is money left over I add it to the next week in case a good deal comes up. I make two big shopping trips at the beginning and middle of each month. I usually spend all but $15-$25 which I leave for staples for the next week and for any good deals.
The grocery portion of our budget includes soy milk for our son (at $5/gallon we spend about $25-$30/month just on the milk), meats, produce and others. The only items it doesn’t include is bulk rice and oatmeal which I buy about twice a year for an exceptional price. We are also working on setting aside three months of food for emergencies and have budgeted a separate $40/month to build up our supply more quickly.
The household portion of the budget includes cleaning products, toilet paper, medicine, paper products, and hygiene items. It does not include diapers.
Yesterday was one of our big shopping days and I hit Krogers, Aldis, Trader Joe, WalMart and Target. I usually don’t go to more than three stores in one day (Kroger, WalMart and Aldis) but yesterday I made a couple of more stops. Here is what I bought and the totals below.
Kroger:
Total: $18.00. The only coupons I used were for the Cottonelle Toilet Paper.
Aldis: (The flour and tortilla chips accidently got in the picture)
Total: $33.00
WalMart: (We had already eaten one bunch of bananas before I took this picture)
Total: $22
Target: More details here
Total $1.00
Trader Joe: More details here
Total: $5.00
Grand Total: $79
This wasn’t the best week for me, but it wasn’t the worst. I couldn’t find many coupon deals but this is our typical shopping spending. We will round this out with food we already have in the cupboard and freezer. I am also excited that we have so much fresh produce to use.
Target Broccoli and Cauliflower Deal
Target has broccoli and cauliflower on sale this week 3/$4. Use this printable $1/1 coupon to snag some veggies for only $0.33! You can print as many coupons as you want.
I dropped by Target and got 3 heads for a total of $0.99 today. I would have gotten more but I almost feel bad getting produce this cheap. Maybe if we use all this up I’ll drop by later in the week. If you do stock up and get more than you think you can use, you can always cook and freeze the broccoli for later.
Trader Joe $0.49 Pasta
When my budget has a little wiggle room I try to buy whole wheat pasta. The best deal I have found without coupons is Trader Joe multigrain pasta with flax for $0.99.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the price today at $0.49. I stocked up on 10 packages for $4.90 and mentioned it to the cashiers. They were very surprised at the price as well.
One of them asked their manager about it, and they said that they were discontinuing the pasta which is why it was reduced so much.
I don’t know if this price is nationwide or just at my store. But if you’re driving by a Trader Joe I would be sure to check it out.
As a side note, I think this pasta tastes pretty good and very filling. If you need serve it with sauce you won’t really notice that it’s whole grain.
CVS & Walgreens
Every week you can save big bucks shopping at CVS and/or Walgreens and utilizing their savings programs. With the snowy/chilly weather we’ve been having lately I haven’t gone shopping this week, but when I do I’ll share my savings.
Here and here are the CVS deals for the week. It’s not the best week but you can still snag some cheap toothpaste and deodorant. And if you’re running low on cereal check out the General Mills deal. I did a little peek at the future ads and next week (12/21-12/27) there are some great ECB deals including “37 free items Sunday and Monday”.
Here are the savings for Walgreens including some overage (money you make from utilizing coupons and deals) for Russel Chocolates, and some free deodorant and Progresso soup after coupons. There is also a more complex money-maker here for Olay Regenerist Cleansers.
Dollar Tree Cookie Cutters
I was so excited. I found this set of Christmas cookie cutters for $1. Now we can make some fun decorations to hang on the tree without worrying about our little boy getting into trouble.
Cellfire
Cellfire is similar to Shortcuts, a savings program you can learn about here. Just like with Shortcuts, with Cellfire you can load coupons onto your Krogers card. Through Cellfire you can also load coupons onto your cellphone for other businesses like Hollywood Video, Sears and 1-800-Flowers.
You need a cellphone number to sign up and receive a verification text message. After the initial text message you can manage all your savings online, except for those businesses linked solely to your cellphone.
Just like Shortcuts, Cellfire coupons won’t double but they can be used in addition to manufacturers coupons. Some coupons that I have currently loaded on my Krogers card through Cellfire include Kroger’s bar cheese, Colgate, Cottonelle, Huggies and others.
I would recommend printing out a list of Cellfire coupons to take with you to the store so you don’t forget what coupons you have. When you check out at the store, the register will automatically take off your Cellfire coupons.
I have only started using Shortcuts and Cellfire in the past few months but I already enjoy the hassle-free extra savings they give to my grocery budget.
Target Diaper Catalina
The other day Tim got some apple juice at Target and received a $1 catalina (coupon that prints when you check out) good on $1 off Target brand wipes (216-ct or higher) or diapers. I used the catalina to purchase a box of diapers and another $1 catalina printed out good on our next box of diapers.
With the catalina I got 92 size 4 diapers for $12.69 or $0.14/diaper.
I’m not sure how long the promotion is running but my catalina doesn’t expire until January 31st. I have found Target diapers to be the best deal for daytime use between their quality and price so I was excited that this catalina made them even cheaper.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts is a program that loads coupons onto your Kroger (or Kroger affiliated store) card so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of bringing coupons with you. These coupons don’t double but you can use these coupons in addition to manufacturers coupons. This post shows how Shortcuts cut my Kroger bill earlier this month.
The signup is quick and easy. You just fill out some personal information and then your Kroger card number. Shortcuts allows you to store over 25 different coupons on your card. The coupons have an expiration date similar to paper coupons.
The biggest trick with Shortcuts is remembering what coupons I have loaded in my card. I find it easiest to print out a list of the coupons that I can take with me and look at for quick reference.
My favorite Shortcuts deal is their Cottonelle coupon, which they frequently carry. The coupon is $0.50 off a 4-pk Cottonelle toilet paper which typically is priced at $1.00. That means you get 4 rolls of quality t.p. for $0.50. That beats even the Wal-Mart generic price.
Here’s one example of a deal at Kroger’s this week using Shortcuts. Kroger’s salsa is on sale for $1.00, but there’s a Shortcuts coupon for $0.50 off 1 salsa making the salsa $0.50.
Shortcuts is just one of the way that I save money on my grocery bill, leaving me more money to pay off debt and save.
Vocalpoint
This week I will do a special series on websites and companies that can help save you money.
Vocalpoint is a marketing company that mails out samples and coupons to members who are then encouraged to try the products and recommend them to family and friends. In addition they have an interactive website that has surveys, a message board and other features for members.
I joined vocalpoint in March and I have received high-value coupons (including free item coupons) for Crest Cleaning Paste, Sunkist Tuna, Kashi cereal, Kashi bars, DelMonte Fruit Cups, Venus Breeze razor, Special K Cereal and other well-known brands and products.
In the last two weeks I have received a sample of Kashi cereal bars with a coupon for a free box of the bars and 5 “$2.00 off any box” coupons. In this time I have also received a coupon for a free tube of Crest cleaning paste.
Joining vocalpoint is easy. You just fill out a small survey with your mailing information and you will soon be receiving samples and coupons.
