Okay so its obvious to me right now, that this $35 a week grocery/household budget will work best as the “average spent per week” over the span of the month. This allows me to take advantage of stockpiling (not hoarding) the really really good deals as they come along. I’m not sure how the E-Mealz Review is going to fit with this experiment.

As I am able to stockpile specific goods while they are at their lowest price I will be avoiding the need to buy them at times when they are not on sale. There are times when deals come along that are way better than a regular sale price. By stacking coupons on top of sale prices and utilizing rebate offers (as I can find them) or other reward programs (such as Walgreen’s Register Rewards and Rite Aid’s Up Rewards) I can expect to get some of the best prices offered. At times you can get free products.

I’m afraid this post is going to be more lengthy than I’d like. I’m going to focus on the items bought in the picture below, sharing how I got these deals and then give you my approximate total spent this week. Keep in mind, some of these purchases will stretch for weeks and months for us. The low prices I got this week, will be worth going over budget a little this month, if I have to.

About the great deals in the picture:

Noble’s Pond Buehler’s:

Tuesday’s deal of the day (see ad)  Milk Half-gallons:   4 @.79 each =  $3.16

At Canton’s Acme:

4 boxes of Wheatables Crackers plus $4 in free produce. 

Here’s how:

• Wheatables were on sale Buy1Get1Free
• I had 2 separate coupons offering: $2 in free fresh produce when you buy 2 Wheatables.

• AND I sent in this rebate to get money back on one box of my Wheatable’s. {I think the rebate has been pulled. The link to it is showing a blank form so- I don’t know? Maybe they are only allowing a limited number to take advantage of it???}

• This deal potentially (still waiting on the rebate money of $3.69) will result in 3 free boxes of Wheatables, $4 in free produce ALL  for the price of that 4th box of  Wheatables for $3.69.

10 boxes of Ronzoni SmartTaste Pasta @ .75 cents each. Total $7.50

Here’s how:

• Ronzoni is on sale for $1.25 a box until Jan. 28th.
• I visited the Ronzoni company site and was able to print 2 coupons for $1 off 2 boxes (each coupon) and you have to hit the BACK button on your computer to print the 2nd coupon.  NOTE: There is more than one Ronzoni product site so Google “Ronzoni” and check each one for coupons.
• I asked some of my family if they could print off some coupons for me too.
  

Rite Aid:

6 packages of Stayfree @ .25 cents each = $1.50 (before tax and after you figure in the savings from the  $6 in Up Rewards. The cottonballs were $1/bag.

• I signed up for the Rite Aid Up Rewards program (free, see cashier) so I could do the Stayfree deal. It was buy 2 for $5 and get $2 back in Up Rewards coupons.
• I follow blogger’s like these gals who share when the Stayfree coupons are reset.  I had 3 Buy1Get1Free coupons for Stayfree.

Note:  I was allowed to apply my $4 in UpRewards from my first Stayfree deal to my 2nd Stayfree deal and I still received another $2 Up Reward coupon.

Aproximately spent out of  pocket for the week:

Buehler’s:   $6.00
Acme:        $23.00
Walmart:   $6.00
Rite Aid:    $6.00 ………….Total:  $41.00

Starting total for January: $35/wk x 4wks = $140

Aprx. Spending:

Week 1: $74
Week 2:      $41

Total spent:  $115

Balance for the rest of the month:         $25

The milk may get us through the next two weeks, the pasta for the next several months, and the Stayfree for several months. The Wheatables…{with the way we’ve been eating them} we will be lucky if they last into next week

……………………………………………………….

* Don’t miss my updates! You can subscribe here to have them delivered right to your email inbox (or choose RSS reader). For more help see my post 10 Baby Steps to Saving Big with Coupons.

*I’m linking this post with Making Your Home Sing.

I guess the fact that I’ve titled this post the way I have means I’m planning to fail.  Well, I think its going to be possible some times and maybe not so possible at others to do what I’m setting out to do. At least I’m going to give it a try and see what happens.

My goal is to limit our grocery/household spending to $35/ week- for a family of four. This means I’ll have to pay closer attention to Aldi’s, Save-A-Lot,  and buying extra half-off Sunday papers on Mondays for the coupons to use at Giant Eagle (double coupons) and Walmart.

I’m  not starting from scratch. I am a coupon user, bargain shopper, second-hand clothing buyer/wearer and I subscribe to a few money saving blogs who keep me in the “know”.  I even wrote this Top 10 Tuesday post on ways to save money a post on 10 Baby Steps to Saving Big with Coupons. Oh and here’s another one, 10 ways to Save while Staying Warm in winter.

I will have to buckle down and do more menu planning and preparing. This one will hurt. I have picky eaters and if it “ain’t” pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs or pbj – I can expect a tough hill to climb on a nightly basis before my 6 yr old falls asleep. {He seems hungriest at night!}.

Fortunately, thanks to a Facebook friend, I learned about E-Mealz. This group of sisters do a variety of meal planning for you, saving you the time and effort.

• You’ll find Gluten Free, Low Carb, Low Fat, Point System, Vegetarian, and Regular plans made out per stores like Aldi’s, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Ralph and “Any store”. Click the E-Mealz ad to see menu plan samples —->

• UNfortunately, I don’t think their plan will meet my $35 a week goal. But we’ll see.

Disclosure: I approached E-Mealz and they gave me a free month to try them out to review here on my blog.  So, I just printed out last week and this week’s menu plan. I’ll give it a whirl and report back to you, okay?  And E-Mealz comes “Dave Ramsey” approved

*Subscribe here to get my posts delivered by email or RSS so you don’t miss any reviews.

**I’m linking this post up with Works For Me Wednesday, though I don’t know if this will work for me, yet

I love the warm feeling and smell of scented candles or tarts. And truly, not all candles are created the same. The really good ones can be more costly!

Well,   I recently ran into a problem with one of my big  jar candles when for some reason the wick wouldn’t stay lit very well.  It occurred to me that I could chip it into pieces and use it in my electric tart warmer!

This particular candle has 3 layers…all different scents I suspect and I want to enjoy them all!

Chip up the candle and melt the pieces in your tart warmer- no wasted wax!

If you live by the “waste not- want not” principle, you might enjoy my posts on giving old things new purpose. A three part series I shared on how I’ve given old or used things new purpose in our home.

Subscribe here to get my updates by email or RSS.

*Also linked with Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers.

Just the highlights…

8 (14 oz)  packs of Hillshire Farms Chicken Sausage BOGO Free sale $3.98 plus $1 off peelies on each!   Final cost= .99c each

6 (16 oz)  packs of Bun Length Barr S Franks 10 for $10 sale (used coupons $1 off 2) – Final cost= .50 each

2# 13oz jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce $2.50 on sale used .60 cent coupon doubled to $1.20- Final cost= $1.30

2 packs of Ortega Taco Seasoning 78 cents each used .75 cent coupon off 2 doubled to $1.50- Final cost= .03 each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Minis  FREE with coupon for one FREE up to a certain amount.

1 (6 pack) of Breyers kid’s swirled yogurt on sale for $1.99 used .50 cent coupon that doubled to $1.00-Final cost= .99

1 bag of Carolina Rice on sale for $1.19 used a .50 cent coupon doubled to $1- Final cost= .19

My total spent for everything above was $24.81. My total savings was $40.58 or 62% for this trip!

Remember:

• Giant Eagle (at least the ones I’m familiar) doubles coupons up to .99 (which becomes $1.98 off).

• You can stack coupons on top of sale prices and some stores like Target, Walgreens and maybe Rite Aid will stack manufacture coupons on top of their own store coupons and all of that on top of sale prices (I believe). If you’re ever not sure, just ask and if the deal isn’t like what you expected, just ask for your money back.

• Ask your family and friends for their unwanted coupons. Call or email your favorite brands and request coupons. I emailed Georgia-Pacific about the coupon link not working on their site for Angel Soft toilet paper and they mailed me a bunch of .55 cent off  TP coupons that got me the 4 pack tp’s for almost free at Giant Eagle because the coupons doubled to $1.10 off per pack.

• Buy extra Sunday papers when they are half-price on Monday mornings. You might have to call/ask around to find out who if anyone does sell them half off. It paid off for me awhile back. I ran into a place that didn’t sell them but gave me a stack for free! whoo-hoo!

If you browse my blog here, check in the categories or do a search with a key word, you’ll find more posts I’ve shared about the deals I’ve scored and tips to help you too.  Maybe you feel like couponing and rebating is too involved or takes up too much time. If you just start with baby steps and stretch yourself a little here and there with new information it will soon become second nature. It really pays off. Not only will you be able to stock up your pantry with less money out of pocket, but you will have extras in times of need- either for your family, friends or for food pantries in your area

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]]> http://www.halloffamemoms.com/2010/05/wow-hot-dogs-sausage-more-at-giant-eagle-all-this-for-under-25/feed/ 0 http://www.halloffamemoms.com/2010/03/10-baby-steps-to-saving-big-with-coupons/ http://www.halloffamemoms.com/2010/03/10-baby-steps-to-saving-big-with-coupons/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:32:47 +0000 Tracy http://www.halloffamemoms.com/?p=3470 I was just reflecting on a shopping trip I had recently at Giant Eagle where a total stranger saw me and my coupon binder and asked if I used coupons. “Big time” was my reply. She said she had just attended a workshop on coupons held at Malone College. We talked briefly, she’s a realtor and I, a blogger. We shared our website info. I told her “baby steps” when it comes to learning how to get great deals using coupons.

There was a time when I didn’t think coupons were worth the effort. I mean, c’mon… 35 cents off? Like thats going to really help. But then I learned a thing or two. I hope to break down this kind of savings into baby steps. Start small and build on your experience and knowledge from there!

1.     Save the coupon inserts from your Sunday papers.

2.     Buy extra Sunday papers on Monday if you can get them half off like I can and buy them at Giant Eagle so you can get the Fuel Perks discount towards gas. Get the inserts from family/friends who don’t use them.

3.    Sign up for free email/rss updates with a few coupon matching websites, preferably ones in your area.   I like CouponAllies.com (NE/Central Ohio website).

4.    You can cut out all your coupons or just leave the insert intact until you know what coupon you need. If you organize your inserts (the coupon pages from the paper) and follow the bloggers who do the match-ups, they will tell you what coupon and what insert to find it in so you can match the right coupon with the items on sale. Write “today’s” date on the insert.

5.    I do a couple things. I use a coupon binder/organizer to hold coupons I cut out and I keep my inserts intact. Sometimes you will want to have them cut and organized in a binder so you have them conveniently stored in an easy way to grab and go at moments notice – you know,  “just in case” you find something you weren’t expecting.  I also use a simple 3 drawer plastic organizer to hold my inserts.

6.    If you cut them, staple the “like” coupons together.

7.    As I’m shopping I pull out the coupon that matches the item I just picked up off the shelf and I lay that coupon in the cart somewhere safe. I do this as I shop so I’m prepared at checkout.

8.   As you get familiar with couponing get familiar with the following terms…SmartSource, RedPlum and the P&G coupon inserts, learn about the Catalina coupons that pop out at checkout,  watch for rebates at drugstores.

9.    Drugstores: Don’t forget about Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS too. Stack manufacturer coupons on top of store coupons when those items are on sale. Or stack coupons, on sales, on items offering rebates!

10.  Sign up for coupons at the websites of your favorite brands and/or call or email a request for coupons to be mailed to you. I get coupons in the mail AND I print them off from company websites as well as some coupon sites (i.e. Coupons.com).

Some of the brands I get coupons from are  Betty Crocker, P&G’s Home Made Simple booklet, Stayfree,  Angel Soft (may be able to request these once a month),  Pampers,  Huggies,  Kraft foods, and Conagra Foods. Also be sure to check out Coupons.com to print coupons. Hint: Hit the back button to get a 2nd coupon! Coupons.com uses “bricks” coupons and usually we are limited to printing out 2.

You may want to subscribe to my email/rss updates.

*I’m also linking this post to RaisingHomemakers. Go there if you want to see lots of other blogger’s tips on “homemaking”.

I went to Walgreens to take advantage of the Kotex deal where you buy 3 at $2.99 each and get a $5 RR (Register Reward) and I wanted to pick up some Kleenex (buy one get one free sale). I used coupons I had printed off the computer (check here for Kleenex and Kotex coupons in my sidebar). What I didn’t know and was pleasantly surprised to find out was that by buying 6 Kleenex (three of which were free) that a $3 RR would print out! I also had Kleenex coupons to use. Here’s what I did and how I saved…

Round #1

I did 2 separate transactions. First, I bought 3 packs of the $2.99 Kotex using 2 coupons ($1 off one and $2 off two) Total before tax was $5.97 and a $5 RR ( also known as catalina coupons) popped out.

Then I bought the 6 boxes of (200 ct) Kleenex (my favorite brand of tissues anyways!)- 3 of which were free (buy one get one free sale) and I used 2 .50 off coupons and the $5 RR. Total before tax .57 cents! AND a $3 RR popped out!

Round #1 cost me $6.54 before tax out of pocket.

Later I went to a different Walgreens because the Kotex I wanted was gone. I did the same deals again but a little differently to get another batch of Kotex and Kleexex….

Round #2

This time I  bought 3 packs of Kotex at $2.99 each and used 2 coupons for $2 and $1 off and my $3 RR. But the register “dinged” and the clerk said he thought I needed to spend maybe another $1.80.  I know sometimes there are rules to how many coupons you can use per item- one of my coupons may have been $2 off two and that might have been the problem. So it gave me an excuse to try the Willie Wonka Chocolate bars at $1.99 each    So I spent $4.47 before tax and out popped my $5 RR- (luv it!)

Then I did another transaction for my 6 boxes of (200 ct) Kleenex (three which were free from the sale)-  I had no more manufacturer coupons but I used my $5 RR and my total before tax was $1.57 and another $3 RR popped out!

Round #2 cost me $6.04 before tax out of pocket.

So total before tax was $12.58 for 12 boxes of 200 ct Kleenex, 6 packs of Kotex and 1 Willie Wonka Bar

Later I used that $3 to buy a big bottle Kids’s Suave  shampoo/condition/body wash (sort of an all-purpose for kids).

I am well stocked on paper goods! Does this sound overwhelming to you? I will admit. Sometimes I just “happen” to come across some deals by accident it seems, but most of my savings comes from knowing where to look or who to look too. Don’t miss my Steps to Savings post to come later this week. These steps will help get you started on your way.

Thanks for reading  my blog, I do appreciate you! I also have some giveaways coming up along with a few reviews. So please come back and read. You may want to subscribe to my rss/email updates so you don’t forget.

So, January was a great month of great deals at Giant Eagle (double coupons!). I was able to do some stocking up. Add to that the Freezer Cooking Day I joined in on  and we’ve had an easy February. I’ve done very little grocery/ household shopping. Very little. In fact, it looks like I’ve spent about $97.00 on groceries this month so far (for a family of 4).

Being creative…

I shared a different Twist on a Taco that was delicious and I used items from my stock/freezer. I want to share another taco combination that I tried out.

I used some frozen taco meat I had in the freezer, a bag of the microwavable Old El Paso Fiesta Rice, Kraft cheese and Ortega Whole Grain Taco Shells (note, I didn’t have any lettuce on hand).  Just fill your tacos normally layering in your desired order.

These were DELICIOUS! I had at least 2 for lunch and  a couple more later on   The Fiesta Rice really made it extra-special.

Planning ahead…

My stockpile is dwindling and my freezer is getting down a bit too. Though we are still doing good on freezer items.

I’d really encourage anyone to spend part of  a day doing some meal-prep cooking. You could drag out your crockpots (I have 3- not all the same size) get your rice cooker if you have one (I do, got it New! for $5 at a garage sale) and let those items do the cooking for you.

But even if you don’t have all that, you can just brown a few pounds of hamburger, mix up some taco meat, bake a whole chicken…etc.. This past week I used one of our snowed-in (no school days) to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker and then I deboned it before bedtime. I save the broth for future homemade chicken or vegetable soups and the shredded chicken for cream of chicken sandwiches, chicken soup or maybe I’ll make another pot pie

Personally speaking…

During my daily devotions I’m reading in Proverbs right now and came across these verses that I’ve read countless times before but I felt it really applied to these past couple of weeks of enduring snowstorm after snowstorm in our area (and we may be getting another one this Sunday/Monday).  Though I don’t advocate hoarding, I do believe in being prepared when we are able to do so.  By being diligent in my coupon use and deal matching I am able to stock up on items we will use when the prices are at their lowest. Sometimes FREE! Can’t be that with a stick, can you?

Proverbs 6:6-11

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall they poverty come as one that travelleth, and they want as an armed man.

My point is this, I plan and prepare for what my family needs as best I can when the timing is best. When the bad weather struck, I didn’t have to fret about driving through it to pick up more groceries. We were prepared.

I’m starting a “Top Ten Tuesday” on my blog. It may not be every Tuesday- but we’ll see Right now as I’m typing the snow is falling down by the loads on Canton, Ohio. We got our snow late this year, in my opinion, and its been really cold. So I want to include in my Top 10 some ways we save while keeping warm. So here we go…

1.    We use space heaters during the day and house (gas) heat at bedtime. We almost had a fire back when we used the space heaters at night. No more of that. It has helped cut down on our gas useage.

2.    We use the “budget” program through our natural gas provider. We’ve been up and down on prices (went back up because of the near-fire that scared me from using the space heaters). We had our monthly bill down to about $55 a month, cue in “near-fire”, we shot back up to about $145 a month in gas useage. Now we use space heaters during the day and set the house for about 69/70 at night. Working on getting that budget amount down again.

3.    Insulate the house better if you can. We have magnetic storm windows over some of our windows but even they have some spots cold air is getting through. I used masking tape to cover those areas I wanted. Its working.

4.    Plastic window kits that shrink wrap the inside of your windows. These are not hard to do. We use these on the bedroom windows. I found kits at Walmart one year marked down to about 50cents give or take. Wonderful deal! I stocked up. Watch for these great deals tucked away out of plain site during the off-seasons.

5.    Draft blockers for the doors. My sister made me this really long, narrow pillow type protector we use on one door. My mother-in-law gave us another kind with foam pieces covered in material that slides under the bottom of the door and moves with the door. Its great! Not sure where she found it. I’d check Marc’s though, she shops there.

6.   Every year I look for the best deal I can get from the gas suppliers. This year I got us locked into a 6 month contract for about $7.67 mcf (I think)…AND I got a $25 Visa gift card as a bonus!

7.    We don’t have much of these but heavy drapes can help block a draft.

8.    Make sure your fireplace/chimney flue is shut when you’re not using it.

9.   Dress in layers, wear thick comfy socks, or use slippers.

10.  If you have trouble paying your heat bill contact your gas/electric provider for more information about other programs to help.

What other ways can you suggest to help save money while staying warm?

Leave a comment and share.