Sunday, April 10, 2011

Apple Blossom Enjoys Austin, Texas

Highlights of a quick but wonderful Spring Break at my favorite (albeit limited experience, but...) capitol city, Austin, Texas. The pictures you see are not from my camera since I left my camera at home. So sad.







  • Staying in a crisply decorated "mid-century modern" decorated home. Melissa and Tristan Summers have perfected the domestic home ideas from the 50s and 60s. Lots of punchy colors, wood textures, clean lines, and non-glare light. Melissa loves all things fresh and natural, so the house of smelled of tea tree oil, or eucalyptus or fresh cut vegetables. Tristan is a hound for relaxing after work with a drink of sorts and a small snack while going over the days events. I could go on about great details of the decor, but anyone who reads this has already been there. I wish I could remember the name of the man who developed the dinnerware that inspired the furniture, or was it the other way around? Oh well. Ironically, their apartment complex has many mid century architect points as well. 

  • Using the Austin metro transit to run errands and look around town. It took me awhile to get on the right bus, but once I was one, nothing to it. I did get into trouble when I entered through the side door and not the front door- a big no no. Let me tell you folks its really good to do things not in tune with your daily routine. Heidi, thanks for going to Paris with me. 


  • Eating at Franklin's BBQ. Can we say B-B-QQQQQQ! This place was off the charts full of atmosphere. It turns out Franklin is some young modern Austinite with tastebuds for smokey brisket. The joint opened at 11. We arrived at 11:20 and the line was already out the down and down the steps. The aroma of BBQ swelled the already humid air. The line went quickly. As we reached the front, Franklin was there himself to cut the brisket for us. We had wonderful quick conversation and he encouraged us to enjoy his food. His wife was busy serving drinks to people in line. As we left at 12:40 she was hanging the "We're out of meat" sign and talking to the last guy in line. Great BBQ.

  • Eating at Koriente - Ginger lemonade, bubble tea, fresh korean inspired noodle dishes. Lovely atmosphere. Can I just say that the service was singularly friendly. I've learned that if you're honest about it being your first time, waitresses are more than happy to help-- they're proud of their food. And if they're not, well you know what that means. 

  • Eating at Mandola's Italian Market - My absolute favorite place of them all. Thinly cut zucchini flash fried then marinated in red wine and mint. Pearl onion slowly roasted sweet then put in an oil vinegar mixture. Perfectly baked focaccia bread. The atmosphere was wonderful. No waiter to push us on our way. Rows of wine. Bowls of wonderfully marinated antipasta treats and a pretty collection of gelato at the end. Wonderful. Conversation made this dinner the best. On top of that we ate at my absolute favorite time of day-- that time of day where everything looks pink. You know that expression "rose colored glasses"? Well right as the sun is going down before it turns burnt orange, it's a beautiful shade of pink. Look for it sometime. I know it stays that way awhile in Canon. 

  • Gelato at Cafe Teo - Salted Carmel and Dark chocolate that felt like silk on your tongue.

  • Gelato at Dolce Finale - Fun affordable flavors. Mom and Dad and I went there in the afternoon and again that night, but don't tell anyone. Shhhh.



  • Harry Ransom Museum - The Gibson Bible. Folks this was amazing to see. The binding were the size of a thumb. The pages were visibly thick. The drop cap was hand painted and pasted into the writing. Knowing I was looking at something centuries old was inspiring. How odd to think that the first book, upon learning this amazing feat, wanted to create the bible!!

  • Tour of the Capitol - I was able to begin my day by riding with Tristan to the Capitol. From there I entered the Visitor Center building. I was able to see the Goliad flag and other important Texas artifacts. As I admired them I wondered if other states inspired such pride. I walked over to the capitol and joined a tour with one other person. Shannon was our tour guide. He was completely charming and knowledgeable. 

  • Visiting Tris at work. I was able to see his corner table. It was really endearing to see his space in the capitol. He was clearly the young,new bloke on the ladder. He always looked amazing when going to the capitol to work, and it was clear that his interest in dressing well and presenting himself well had paid off. I felt he stood out from others, but then I'm the older sister. 
  • Visiting Nurse Melissa. Dad wanted to see Melissa so we found her school and for some reason I felt we needed to get flowers. We found some lovely irises that had not opened. Her office space is very small and windowless. She works continually and stays alert to all the students in her care. She handles the kids with such ease and love.

  • Seeing Mom and Dad. Dad eating my veggie lasagna. All I can say is thanks Dad for loving my food so verbally. It's fun to hear. I'll have to post the recipe. The ultimate compliment from you.

  • Walking down streets in SoCo. So much life, fashion, and style concentrated here. For just walking down this street you get extra points. Eating at Hey Cupcake was cute. The cup cake was one of the best I've ever had. 

  • Monday Comedy Night at ColdTowne - This place has potential. This was hilarious. I dragged Tris to this place (albeit NOT kicking and screaming) to see their adlib comedy. It was a Monday night. Upon entering the atmosphere was the typical "Cheers" feeling. We stepped up to the bar and here's how the conversation went: 
Bar Tender: What can I get you?
Me: I'll have a ginger ale.( I point to the ginger ale bottle sitting against the back glass. There to show customers what they have. )
Bar Tender: O.k. (pause) Well I would be glad to get you a ginger ale, but our refrigerator just broke this afternoon and everything's hot. 
Me: Oh o.k. (I point to the apple juice.) I'll have a bottle of apple juice. 
Bar Tender: Good choice. Well I would be glad to get you a bottle of apple juice, but our supplier didn't show up today. 
This happened through Tristan's order as well. We finally laughed. What else can you do?
At last the bar tender told us we were welcome to walk to the gas station across the street and bring in whatever we wanted. Hilarious!! Only in Texas and only on Monday night at a comedy club. 

The acts weren't that great, but were wanted to see this little girl of 8 at the very end. She was actually pretty good. The funniest moment came when she and her mom where acting. They were in a pretend pet store and the mom was play the part of the daughter and the daughter was playing the part of the mom. The mom (acting as daughter) kept oggling one pet in particular. The mom said "I'm going to get that one." The daughter (acting as mom) paused and looked slying at her "daughter" and said "Yeah, but not before I do." O.k. maybe you needed to be there. 

Other highlights:
  • Seeing Paul and Heidi. 
  • Seeing Holly.
  • Meeting Bethany's parents and other family members. I was so touched to meet this amazing couple. It really answered many questions. Tim sat and visited with me at breakfast, and Elaine I were able to get a few laughs in. 
  • Meeting GiGi and turning into a blubbering baby like all the other adults in the room. 
  • San Angelo - Beautiful city!!
  • Seeing Paula and John.
  • Seeing possible property purchases for Tris and Melis.
  • Spending time thinking about things besides school. 
  • Having Tristan, Melissa, John Ryan, and Bethany stay at my house. Tiramisu and port. 
  • Coming home to a clean house and a sane (most of the time) roommate.
Tristan and Melissa, thank you for a wonderful stay. It was relaxing, refreshing with a hint of adventure and excitement. A perfect combination. 



Saturday, March 12, 2011

More Canon City Walgreens Secrets

Tricks to remember at Walgreens...

1. As a new couponer I made two mistakes tonight by purchasing the wrong items. I paid full price for these items and missed out on RR. You'll be happy to know I got back in my car and returned the items, then purchased them correctly. My advice to you is to shop by section. Purchase a section of items and then take them to your car and come in again for your next purchase.

2. Plan out how many purchases you will need to have in order to get all of your RR.

3. Redeeming your RR is a bit tricky. I have discovered that they will not allow you to stack or layer RR with a MF coupon. The computer does not allow it. You may have to throw in a pack of gum or a sale item without a MF coupon in order to redeem your RR. Remember you may only have as many RR tickets as you have items and your balance due cannot exceed the amount your pay in RR.

Good luck out there. It is definitely a game.

I was able to hep a woman in the store purchase John Frieda hair products for super cheep. She didn't want to take the coupons. I finally convinced her and she got a great deal! Share the love, people.

Great source for Walgreens coupon regulations - http://springsbargains.com/. This woman has way more time than I do. She did a much better job of explaining what you need to know.
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Want to hear more about couponing? Go to couponmom.com

City Market Now Doubles Coupons - The unofficial facts.

I went through the check out today and was informed by Mary Anne that City Market now doubles coupons! This is great news as most other Kroger affiliates do already. Coupon Mom assumes this and adjust their percentage saving according to this. But I digress.

Here is some useful information concerning manufacturer coupons, ecoupons, and printable coupons.


King Soopers is our local Kroger affiliate with lots of locations in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas. It’s what I think of when I say “grocery store.” Here are some frequently asked questions about King Soopers. I’ll keep adding to this as I think of things or receive suggestions of what information would be helpful.
CIty Market Double Coupon
Manufacturer coupons of $.50 or less will be “Doubled”.   Manufacturer coupons of $.51-$1.00 will be redeemed for $1.00.   Manufacturer coupons over $1.00 will be redeemed at face value.     This noes not apply to “Free”, CM, Catalina, Retail Food Store coupons, Electronic Coupons on the CM Plus Card or items prohibited by law.
(City Market doubles coupons seven days a week and doesn’t require a special “pass” to have coupons doubled – just be sure to swipe your Sooper card.)
Limit one (1) manufacturer coupon per item purchased.   Limit one (1) store coupon per item purchased.   One (1) manufacturer and One (1) store coupon can be used on the same item.
Cannot use a 2nd or 3rd coupon on an item that is part of another coupon offer. Example: Coupon states: Buy 2 cereals and get a gallon of milk free. Customer cannot use another coupon on the cereal or the milk.
Coupons cannot be used on “Free” items.   Does not accept coupons that are expired.   Amount refunded cannot exceed the cost of the item. Customer is responsible for tax on all items even “Free” items.
Limit three (3) coupons of like items per customer.  I have not seen this used yet, but it is their policy. The store manager has the right to accept, decline, or limit the use of ANY coupon upon view.
The store manager has the right to limit the quantity of coupons/items used/purchased in a single transaction, by a single customer, or in a single day.
Internet Coupon Policy 
City Market only accept printable coupons if they scan properly at checkout.     They do not accept “FREE product” printable coupons, with no purchase requirement. Buy-one-get-one-free coupons and other values that have a purchase requirement are acceptable but will be MUCH less common than traditional value-off coupons.
They do not accept coupons for more than about 75% of a product’s value without advance notice. Legitimate PAH (print at home) coupons will not be for a high value relative to the cost of the item. For example, a $2 off coupon will be acceptable for a product that normally sells for $5 or more, but a $2 off printable coupon for a product that sells for $2.25 is unlikely to be legitimate.
Coupons will be rejected if they appear out of proportion or blurry, or are obvious duplicates. Legitimate PAH coupons are never copied, sold or traded. Nearly all coupons are “non-transferable” meaning they should not be photocopied or scanned and distributed to others.     Coupons will be rejected if they appear to have been altered in any way.   PAH coupons can be checked for validity at http://www.printcoupons.com.
Pharmacy Coupon Policy
Does match competitor PRICES in the pharmacy but, does not accept competitor pharmacy coupons.   Cannot use LCM or competitor coupons in conjunction with the $4 Generic Program.Other coupon notes
You can also use ShortcutsCellFire, and Proctor and Gamble e-coupons at King Soopers. [See my post about using Shortcuts here.] These are put on your card online and come off automatically when you check out. These can be used in addition to paper manufacturer’s coupons (though in the future, you will probably only be able to use one or the other). Usually only ONE e-coupon will come off per item; ie, if you have a Shortcuts coupon for $.50 off toilet paper and a CellFire coupon for $.50 off the same toilet paper, only one of them will come off if you purchase only one.
When does King Sooper’s start new sales?
Sales cycles run Wednesday through Tuesday with an occasional weekend sale. Ads appear in the Gazette on Wednesdays or are available on their website. I don’t think they mail them out anymore – at least they don’t send them to my neighborhood which is right in the middle of town!
What type of promotions do they offer?
In addition to sale prices, King Soopers has special promotions that are typically for instant off savings, like “buy $25 worth of participating products save $5 instantly”. Many promotions like this allow you to do two or three per transaction. Catalina promotions are frequently offered, some advertised in-store. [Catalinas are those coupons that print out at the checkout.]
Stores often mark down meat, dairy, and produce (some have a special section for markdowns) and you can use coupons on marked down items. Look out for those yellow and orange “manager special” stickers!
King Soopers also has a fuel savings program – for every $100 you spend, you earn a discount of $.10 per gallon on your next purchase of fuel. Your net payment amount (after all instant savings and coupons)is the amount that counts toward your $100 purchase requirement. Discounts accumulate for one month and you have one month to redeem them before they expire.
Almost all King Soopers locations have a gas station. Fuel rewards can now be used to fill up at the Kroger-owned Loaf ‘n Jug gas stations.
Why should I use a Sooper Card (store loyalty card)?
Remember when these first came out? Everyone thought they were ridiculous and a pain to use. Now, you’re losing money if you don’t shop with one! You must use your Sooper card to get all sale prices – if not, you’ll pay regular price (ouch!). You should swipe or scan it even if you’re just buying one item and it’s not on sale, because if you don’t, your total will not count toward your fuel savings discount (see above).
Some may think it’s an invasion of privacy, but grocery stores track your buying habits and you’ll find that you receive catalina (checkout) coupons based on your current or past purchases – a lot of these are REALLY great values. I get a coupon for diapers nearly every time I shop because they know I buy them!
Additionally, King Soopers periodically (once every month or two) sends out coupons in the mail that are based on your buying habits. These are always really great coupons – there’s usually one or two for free products, as well as a handful of others that are often times for products that do not usually have coupons in the newspaper. Be sure to keep your address updated so you don’t miss any of their mailers! I also receive booklets of coupons from King Soopers that are generic ones sent to all customers (or at least those they consider their “best customers”) that contain some great coupons as well.
Why should I shop at King Soopers?
In my opinion, King Soopers has the best customer service and freshest produce. Their stores are clean and well-lit and their promotions (like “save $5 instantly”) almost always work as promised, unlike some other stores! As far as meat, they do not process their own beef in-store and I prefer to buy it elsewhere. I’m *pretty sure* their ground beef has additives.
Uh, my kids like King Soopers the best because they have free cookies and I like the fact that the free cookies are self-serve in the bakery case. No need to wait for a baker to magically appear after ten minutes of waiting for a free cookie.
Ultimately, you should shop at King Soopers because of the great deals! Yes, their every day prices are high and even some of their sale prices are not-so-great, but by clipping a few coupons and waiting for the lowest price to come around, you’ll be able to buy your groceries for less – a lot less than even WalMart, if that’s your golden standard. :) And of course, you should check SpringsBargains every day and I’ll keep showing you what’s a good and not-so-good deal!
Anything else I should know?
You can get a discount of $.05 per bag if you bring your own (either plastic or reusable). I need to check on this for our store, but it should work. 
……………………………………………….
City Maket weekly ads are available online, and you can view all current and you should be able to see current specials by visiting couponmom.com.
Please feel free to share any other coupon deals or information you have concerning our store, City Market in Canon City. 

Catalina Coupons - I had no idea. Free fruit roll ups.



Most stores now have an additional coupon receipt that comes out with the store receipt. I always threw these away. Last week I glanced at one and noticed it was for something I liked- a snack that I loved as a kid. The paper that printed out was not a coupon. I was very confused by this. In fact I went to the store clerks to ask them about it. They were equally confused until we read the fine print!! Isn't it always that way. Using my additional coupons for the item that was already on sale (Fruit Roll Ups). I went to the check out still confused. The clerk suggested I buy the items first to redeem my coupon. She explained that since I was buying 4 I would receive $2 free money to spend on my next purchase!! Smart!


Here is the break down.

4 boxes of Fruit Roll ups @ 1.99 each (Store sale.)
ecoupon - .50
coupon - .50
Total cost 2.00.
Received $2. on my next purchase.

Really I paid nothing for them!!

Want to know more about couponing? Click on Coupon Help.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Free Items at Walgreens, Canon City.

My latest shopping experiment produced my first free items. Let me tell you what happened. If you have questions about couponing, especially couponing in Canon City, you are welcome to email me with your questions.

The previous shopping at Walgreens yielded $9 in Register Rewards after purchasing $27 worth of items for $15. With the $9 RR I purchased 2 bottles of Soft Soap 16fl oz. bottles on sale at 2/7. I received $5 RR rewards from the $7 purchase and picked up two boxes of Always pads on sale for 2.19. I had a coupon for .50 off bringing the price to 1.83. I purchased the items using RR dollars. The items were free. Awesome! I currently have $12 RR from Walgreens and plan to turn that around into more couponing adventures. Good luck out there. P.S.- Mr. Taylor you're a pretty good Walgreen's manager. You did a great job the other night.

The plan is to see how much of a deal I can really get from utilizing CouponMom, grocery cards and RR. I'm also using a website called http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/default.asp. For a super cheap and tiny price (under $2 for everything) I can get any insert from the paper that I missed. This might sound silly, but when you are a serious couponer, it can be invaluable. The thing that gets me is people actually buy these coupon and circulars. I'm one of them. Weird. This week the Denver Post did not have the advertised PandG circular. I will be able to get it from this website for super cheap.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Wafoozele at Walgreens Ends Well

Walgreens1.jpg
My local Canon City Walgreens-- place where it all went down. Very down.




I don't know exactly what wafoozle means but it sounds very tragic and intense. Why can't I be like William Shakespeare and invent words to depict the moods I'm experiencing?

$25 worth of items for $8!

For 2 consecutive weeks now I've been going to Walgreens on Saturday night to  try extreme couponing. The first time I went in with my list, my coupons and my plans only to find completely different ads and sale signs. I was told that any thing I find online does will not match the store. I traveled back three times back and forth from my research online to the store. I knew something was not right. The online weekly ad said the date and the address it represented. I contacted Walgreens corporate to let them know of the discrepency. They repeatedly gave me the pat-on-the head answer and told me to try again.

I decided to try again. I thought it was something I was doing wrong. I went to the store tonight only to find the sale signs and ads not matching my research AGAIN!! I looked at the date. I really looked at the date. I pulled out my phone to read the correct date. Two things became very clear to me. First: the store had put out the new ad one day early. Second: The date on the ad read Mar. 6, Sat. (incorrect) all the more confusing. The correct date of course is March 5, 2011. I went to the manager, Mr. Taylor. He is the same one I parleyed with last time over sale signs. It was now apparent to me why I was so confused. The store was taking down the signs one day early and TELLING ME it must be my mistake.

It doesn't end there. When I checked out my plan was to do two transactions so that I could spend my Register Rewards on the next purchase. I learned that in order to get RR for each product they must be purchased separately. UGH!! I had no idea as this was my first attempt to purchase at Walgreens. I did not get the rewards however because I bought the wrong razors. The manager, wanting to get rid of my by this time, handed me the two razors I wanted to purchase PLUS the RR dollars for them. I was exhausted and very flustered and feeling extremely stupid. It turns out so much of by brain was going to thinking about these things that I left the razors he had given me for free.

I did call to ask if they could look for them but didn't have the heart to walk back into the store that night. Mr. Taylor and I managed to have a positive conversation. We have to get along because I'll be back to coupon deal again.

So folks here's what I walked away with tonight:

2 Gilette Fusion Razors
2 Crest +Scope Toothpaste
$9 Register Rewards
Total Price= $16.58.

So it's like I spent $7.58. If only I had grabbed those other two razors!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Sunday Coupon Preview


Sunday Coupon Preview might be one of the more valuable keys to couponing I've found yet. This website compiles lists of insert dates as well as a complete list of upcoming coupons so that you can decide how many issues of the paper to buy. It is currently working of offering these coupons for print as well.

Here is the complete 2011 list.


2011 Sunday Coupon Insert Schedule (Smartsource Coupon Preview 2011, Redplum Coupon Preview 2011, Proctor & Gamble Coupon Preview 2011, General Mills Coupon Preview 2011)
January
2— (2) Smart Source (2) Red Plum and General Mill
9— Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Proctor & Gamble
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum
February
6 — Smart Source
13 — No Inserts scheduled (Valentine’s Day)
20 — Smart Source, General Mills and Procter & Gamble
27 — Smart Source and Red Plum
March
6— Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — (2) Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
April
3— No Inserts scheduled
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source and Red Plum
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
May
1 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
8— Smart Source and Red Plum
15 — (2) Smart Source and Red Plum
22 — Smart Source and Red Plum
29 — No Inserts scheduled (Memorial Day)
June
5 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
12 — Smart Source
19 — Smart Source and Red Plum
26 — Smart Source and Red Plum
July
3 — No Inserts scheduled (Independence Day)
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
31 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
August
7 — Smart Source and Red Plum
14 — Smart Source and Red Plum
21 — Smart Source and Red Plum
28 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
September
4 — No Inserts scheduled (Labor Day)
11 — Smart Source and (2) Red Plum
18 — Smart Source and Red Plum
25 — Smart Source and Red Plum
October
2 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
9 — Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Smart Source and Red Plum
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum
November
6 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — No Inserts scheduled (Thanksgiving)
December
4 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
11 — Smart Source and Red Plum
18 — No Inserts scheduled (Christmas)
25 — Procter & Gamble

Their FAQ's were quite helpful as well. 
2011 Sunday Coupon Insert Schedule (Smartsource Coupon Preview 2011, Redplum Coupon Preview 2011, Proctor & Gamble Coupon Preview 2011, General Mills Coupon Preview 2011)
January
2— (2) Smart Source (2) Red Plum and General Mill
9— Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Proctor & Gamble
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum
February
6 — Smart Source
13 — No Inserts scheduled (Valentine’s Day)
20 — Smart Source, General Mills and Procter & Gamble
27 — Smart Source and Red Plum
March
6— Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — (2) Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
April
3— No Inserts scheduled
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source and Red Plum
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
May
1 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
8— Smart Source and Red Plum
15 — (2) Smart Source and Red Plum
22 — Smart Source and Red Plum
29 — No Inserts scheduled (Memorial Day)
June
5 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
12 — Smart Source
19 — Smart Source and Red Plum
26 — Smart Source and Red Plum
July
3 — No Inserts scheduled (Independence Day)
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
31 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
August
7 — Smart Source and Red Plum
14 — Smart Source and Red Plum
21 — Smart Source and Red Plum
28 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
September
4 — No Inserts scheduled (Labor Day)
11 — Smart Source and (2) Red Plum
18 — Smart Source and Red Plum
25 — Smart Source and Red Plum
October
2 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
9 — Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Smart Source and Red Plum
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum
November
6 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — No Inserts scheduled (Thanksgiving)
December
4 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
11 — Smart Source and Red Plum
18 — No Inserts scheduled (Christmas)
25 — Procter & Gamble


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Ambassadors Reunion: My Dad's In The Band



Close to 40 years ago Howard Payne University was hit with a wave of students from Gardendale Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. These guys loved what God had done for them in their lives and formed a gospel singing group that even cut a record. As you can see the ties are still strong.


This Weeks Savings: $42 worth of items for $8.24.





Bought the following items for $8.24.

4 cans of Progresso Hearty Soup
4 boxes of General Mills brand cereal.
2 Secret deodorants
2 Gillete body wash
2 medium sized Chex Mix bags.

If you look on the ticket you can see that I save 80% on my bill. Very cool.

I utilized coupon mom and also logged onto citymarket.com to load extra coupons onto my card. I found out about cellfire.com, which also allows you to stack additional coupons onto your card. I went home and registered at this site and was able to add coupons immediately to my card.

Next I went to Walmart, where I purchased two Suave Clinical sample deodorants for .47 a piece. This deodorant is expensive at 11 dollars a pop. The sample was 2.47. It was fun.












Monday, February 21, 2011

Extreme Couponing in Canon City

Today I became a coupon shopper. Let me share with you what Coupon Mom helped me do.
It's important for me to say that before my shopping trip today I have been collecting all the circulars and noting the date in which they are received. Coupon Mom helps me match coupons with what is on sale in the grocery store for optimum savings.

I shopped at City Market, which is an affiliate of King Soopers.

City Market had a Indi 500 sale going on which encouraged buyers to purchase from a group of items and receive $3. off. After purchase the consumer also received a certificate redeemable for THREE MORE DOLLARS at their store.


Coupon Mom matched these items with online coupons and newspaper coupons then told me which ones would provide the highest percentage of savings.


In my search I decided that I would buy 4 cans of grands buscuits and six boxes of Totinos pizza rolls. I found the coupons and printed them.

The next thing I did was to go onto my store website and look for any ecoupons to load onto my card. It just so happened that Totinos and Pillbury buscuit coupons were available to add. Very cool.

When I arrived at the store, the Totinos boxes contained extra coupons on the box. The manager let me cut them out in the store to be used in line, for an even larger savings.

Here is a break down of what I paid.
Pillsbury Grands Buscuits
Regular price - 1.59.
On sale - 1.29.
Indi 500 sale -.30
ecoupon- .15
printable coupon - .30
total - .54

I bought 4 for 2.16

Next I chose Totinos. I know I will use these as quick snacks or with some of my drama kids.
Let me add that it is very easy to justify purchases with a coupon, so you really need to know your own eating and hygene habits. You've got to remember that a coupon may not always be the best way. Sometimes running to Wal-mart is much better.

Totinos
Regular price  1.59
On sale 1.29
Indi 500 -.30
ecoupon-.20
on-box coupon -.33
total .46

I bought 6 boxes for 2.76

My total came to 4.92 plus tax.

Here's the fun part. After purchasing the checker handed me $3.00 on a ticket that I can use next time I'm in the store. AWESOME!!!

I think I'm hooked. I hoping to land some free toothpaste and free deodorant pretty soon. I'll keep you posted. Please feel free to venture out and give this a try. Start with one or two items. Then share them on this blog!

If you would like to get started, but don't know how, watch this video. Coupon Mom really breaks it down for us coupon beginners.
http://www.couponmom.com/tutorials-416

Say Goodbye to Last Year's Vacation Say Hello to Reaching Goals

Hello all you bloggers out there. I'm yelling out, I'm sounding my barbaric yawp! I'm telling you this post is long over due and it's time for newer and improved upon things. So as a nod the the final days of my trip here are the last of the pics before I starting blogging again about life in Canon City. Good day.