Walmart?

A lot of people think that shopping at Walmart is the cheapest way to shop. I disagree, I haven't shopped at Walmart in almost a year due to some bad experiences. I vowed never to go back, and I haven't since.

I have been able to save $1433.32 (2 months worth of savings) by using coupons and sales, without shopping at Walmart.

I now shop at Target and LOVE IT! I rarely have to wait in line at the check stands, they are cleaner, they have better customer service, they have better quality items, and I love their clearance sales!

Rice Wok

If you live in Orem, and like Chinese food, you have to try this Chinese place called the Rice Wok.

http://ricewokrestaurant.com/

We love this place, we have a tradition to go once a week (but usually turns out to be once every 3 weeks), get a bunch of food, and eat leftovers for 2 days!

They are so good, and they have coupons!

Order a ham fried rice and get one free!
Free pot stickers on orders over $20 dollars!

The coupons are on their take out menu, you don't have to have the coupon to get the deal, just tell them when you call, or pick it up.

They have a small place to sit, but its best to order take out. They also have delivery although I have never done delivery.

101 Tips to Save Even More

Here are 101 tips to save even more money on your grocery bill. Some of them I like and agree with, other I think blah, who would do that? But thats just me.

Check it out, I have learned a lot from it. Its a PDF file. I found this on another site on the internet.

Johnson Buddies Free!

At Smiths, Target, and Walmart there are Johnsons Buddies for around .99 cents.

There are coupons out there for:

Tylenol Children’s, Children’s Motrin, Pediacare, Desitin, Johnson’s Buddies product, Johnson’s Bedtime Toddler Wash, and Johnson’s No More Tangles Shampoo and conditioner products, any excluding trial sizes. $3/3.

and

Johnson’s Baby product, Desitin product, Infants’ Tylenol, Infants’ Motrin, Mylicon, and Simply Soothing for Baby & child Noses, any excluding trial sizes. $3/3

At Smiths there is a catalina for $3 off 1 johnson product. You will get this when you buy 3 johnson buddies.

But Watch out at Target! They are not so nice about it. I was able to do it by buying another product so I would pay more then just tax.

These smell so good and are easy for kids to wash themselves. They last twice as long as regular soap. Here is a description and a picture of the soap.

Update on the Cornbelly's Corn Maze

A couple of days ago I talked about Cornbellys Corn maze, look here. I now have a little more details. I heard rumor that the coupons didn't start until later in the day so I called Cornbelly's corn Maze to find out for sure.

The coupons start Friday (today) at 4 pm and go all day Saturday. Everything is included that would be included in the price of a regular priced ticket except the haunting because that doesnt start until next week.

Some things are never included like laser tag, and other games. So you will have to pay extra for those if you want to participate in those activities.

Cornbelly's opens earlier in the day on Friday, but the coupon is only valid at 4 pm and after. But it will be valid for Saturday all day!

Free Ice Cream- Cold Stone Creamery

Today only, Cold Stone Creamery is giving away free ice cream to support the make a wish foundation.

Make-A-Wish Creations” inspired by Jack and Emily, two Wish Children.

• Jack's Creation - Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge
• Emily's Creation - Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat® and Yellow Cake

September 25th from 5:00 - 8:00PM, guests will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of Jack or Emily's Creation. All donations will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Here is their website for more details.

Thanksgiving Point Corn Maze

Its that time of year. Haunted houses, corn mazes, and tricks and treats. One of my favorite holidays, Halloween. Thanksgiving Point Cornbellys Corn Maze has tickets on sale for this weekend for only .93 cents!

Valid Sept 26th and 27th only.

Check here for more info and tickets!

Check here for the website for the maze. Check out the regular prices! This is a steal!

An even better oreo deal!

Ok, so there are many options for the oreo deal. look here and here. I have seen an even better deal. There are peelies out there for get 1 dollar off when you buy 2 packages of oreos. Use that with the instore coupon and you get 2 oreos for 2 dollars! Hurry the sale ends today!

Prescriptions at Albertsons

I found out that Albertsons in Utah will no longer accept competitors coupons for prescriptions starting Oct. 1. They said it would be all locations. I was at the Albertsons at 1600 N Orem.

Free Birthday Cake on First Birthday at Albertsons

Albertsons Bakery offers a free birthday cake on your childs first birthday! Its an 8x8 round single layer and they have 8 different decorations you can choose from and they will write whatever you want on it, and its Free!

I found this deal at Albertsons Orem Utah Center Street. Check you Albertsons to see if they do it in your area!

Dont Go Overboard!

Its really easy to get caught up in a good deal. Buying things you don't really want, or need, You think its saving you money, but really your just throwing your money away.

Buying too many of an item that is going to expire before you can use them.
Buying items just because they are a good deal that you aren't going to ever use.
Buying items that you don't like, just because they are a good deal.

I know these seem like common sense, but really when you get caught up in a good sale, you can really go overboard.

Its all a learning experience, and the good thing about nonperishable food is that you can donate it to the food bank, or food drives. A great way to rotate your food storage if you buy something you decide you didn't like after all.

Even better Oreo Deal!

Albertsons is having a sale on their Oreos as I mentioned here.

There are peelies on oreo bags that say buy 1 oreo get 1 dollar off milk. I found the peelies at Orem Center street Albertsons.

So buy 2 packs of Oreos use the instore coupon to get them for 3 dollars. and use 2 milk peelies.

So you get 2 gallons of milk and 2 oreos for 6 dollars total!

Free Mac and Cheese

I mentioned in a previous post about Mywesternfamily.com. Check it out here.

I thought this weeks free deal was worth mentioning. Free Western Family Macaroni and Cheese with coupon found at mywesternfamily.com. Watch the clip and print the coupon.

Oreo Cookies and more!

I don't know about you, but at our house, we love Oreos! Double Stuff Oreos. Right now at Albertsons Oreos and Chips Ahoy Cookies are on sale for 2 for 3 dollars with the in-ad coupon. There is a limit of 2. 14-18 oz.

yum yum.

Also if you spend $25 in one order, you can get a free Tree Top Apple Juice 64 oz with in store coupon

They are also having a great sale on cereal. There are to many "options" you will have to check your ad.

The First Few Months

The first few months of using coupons can be deceiving. You may feel like your spending the same, or more money. I know I did. But I could see that I was bringing home a lot more groceries then I did before coupons.

After a few months of stocking up on items, you start to settle down, look at the sale, and say, thats a good deal, but I don't need that, I don't need that, I don't need that. And you realize that your monthly budget can go down, and you are spending less. It takes about 3 months, more or less, but when it happens, its a very noticeable change.

The first 3 months, I was overwhelmed with coupons. I felt like it was a full time job. My husband was worried about money and how much I was buying. He would say, I know its a good deal, and I can see that coupons are a good thing, but I hate to spend that much money! I would remind him that it take time to start seeing the savings, to be patient. And then all of a sudden, I didn't feel overwhelmed anymore, I didn't feel like it was a full time job, and I could even point out some good deals in the ads.

You will start to remember what coupons you have, so you can easily point out the good deals in the ads, and everything will become easier. It just takes time, practice and patience.

Using Coupons the Right Way.

Using coupons can give you a rush, or a thrill when you get a really good deal. But we have to remember to be honest to get that deal. We need to make sure that we are using the coupons properly and ethically.

1. Make sure the items that your getting match up to the coupon. Size, brand, amount of items, and everything that you need to make that coupon work.
2. Make sure your coupon has not expired.
3. Read the fine print. Make sure everything has been met to be able to use that coupon. If it says only one per transaction, don't try to use more then one.
4. Do not copy coupons and try to use them. Its illegal.

There are many more things that we need to watch out for to be honest with our coupons. Its getting harder to use coupons because of people who abuse the system. A lot of stores in Utah County are not taking printable coupons any longer because of coupon fraud. Walgreens is cracking down and its harder to get good deals there. A lot of these stores have lost money due to bad coupons.

Lets try and be honest and ethical. Make the stores like us and want us to come back and shop there.

Rainchecks

When you go to the store for your item and find that the shelf is clear, no need to stress, get a raincheck. A Raincheck will allow you to get the item for the price you want at a later day when they have the item in stock.

Some stores have expiration dates on their rainchecks. I know that Albertsons' policy just changed to one month for your rain checks.

But its just something to know, you don't have to be frustrated that you wont get your item, you can just get it later. Just hope that your coupon doesn't expire before you can get to the items!

Transfer or New Prescriptions

Did you know you can make money by filling a prescription? There are many coupons and deals floating around where you can actually make money or get your prescription for free!

Right now, Rite Aid has a promotion going on until the end of November that says, transfer your prescription here, and get a Free $30 dollar gift card. All you have to do is transfer your prescription from a different store other then another Rite Aid, and they will give you your gift card.

There are some limitations you will have to ask your Rite Aid pharmacy if the deal is going on at your location, if the deal will work for you, and see if you can get a hold of the coupon!

Just keep your eye out for deals on prescriptions. Now you can find something good about filling a prescription!

SLC's Dine O' Round

Dont forget about SLC's Dine O' Round! September 12-September 27 This is a great way to try those restaurants that you don't ever go to!

I doubt that my family will participate because we don't go to SLC very often, and its not worth the gas to drive there just for dinner, but if you live in SLC you can take advantage of it!

From their website:

Fall Dine O' Round; September 12-September 27, 2008. Patrons are able to choose from a two-course lunch for $10, or a three-course dinner priced at either $15 or $30 per person. Downtown Dine O' Round is an ideal way to explore new restaurants or revisit old favorites. There are no coupons, no punch cards, and no strings attached!
As a reward for your support of Dine O' Round, Utah Symphony and Opera offers a 10% discount on any performances in September. Just use the promotion code "dineoround" when you're purchasing tickets online, on the phone or in person. Visit www.usuo.org for performance schedules.

Dinner and a show!

Check out the website for more details and which restaurants are participating!

http://www.downtownslc.com/events/dine-o-round.htm

Shelf Reliance- My Dream!

Some day I am going to have the Shelf Reliance food rotation Systems!

You can always get a discount on these shelfs, they are pricey, but totally worth it! They can hold small medium and large size cans. you can pick which one is right for you and your food storage. They are a must have!

I don't have these yet, but it is my dream. I have seen them in action and fell in love. Don't bother trying the "cheaper" brands, Shelf Reliance is the only one that can support as many cans as they say. The other brands collapse and break, not worth the money or the mess.

Their website also has other information. It has a food storage calculator to help you figure out how much you need for you and your family, and other useful tips. Check it out!

My Stockpile

I just wanted to list items that I wont have to buy for at least year because I stockpiled using deals and coupons.

Non-Food:

Shampoo
Conditioner
Diapers
Bath Tissue
Tooth Paste
Deodorant
Dish Soap
Hand Soap
Lotion
Cleaning supplies

Food:

Rice A Roni
Mac and Cheese
Soda
Oatmeal
Pasta Sauce
Canned Peaches
Granola Bars
Peanut Butter
Katsup

This is where the savings start rolling in. I will continue to buy these items if they are free, pay me to take them, , or I notice I am I see a deal I just cant refuse, or I start to get low and there is a sale.

Now I can focus my energy on other items and I am on my way to lowering my grocery bills even more!

Papa Murphy's Pizza

Customer Appreciation Days! Get a Large Pepperoni for only $4.99. limit 3. Call and see if your local Papa Murphy's is participating. September 8-11, 2008


We love Papa Murphy's Pizza! They Freeze well! Awesome deal!

Free Burgers from Wendys! Coming to a city near you!

25 cities. 8 months. Over 25,000 hamburgers. 50,000 gift cards. Wendy's is going coast-to- coast to celebrate our delicious hamburgers. At each event, our mobile kitchen is serving hot 1/4 lb.* Singles, made with your choice of toppings. Each Taste Tour stop is filled with fun trivia, prize giveaways, an art contest, and much more!

http://www.wendys.com/news_and_offers/great_taste_tour.jsp

I am so excited for this! We are huge Wendy's Fans!

Gently Used Items part 2

Yesterday I told you about ksl and craiglist. I forgot to mention Savers and the D.I. (Deseret Industries) These places are great for finding your gently used items. Savers has sales and promotions that are actually pretty cool. Every monday every specific colored tag is .99 cents. I have gotten Strollers, Exercausers, and other toys for the kids for only .99 cents. they also have sales on holidays, and they have punch cards to get even better deals.

Gently Used Items

There are some items that I would never buy used. But there are some that are great to get gently used for a great deal.

Most of the time I have found that I can get the same item for new, for around the same price, if I am patient and wait for it to go on sale. But sometimes I cant wait, or I don't mind it being gently used. Then I turn to Ksl.com or craigslist.com There is also Ebay.

These are great sites to get gently used items that you need.

List of Prices

Here is a list of prices of items that Shelley from Pinching Your Pennies has created. It is called the Price Points List.

You can use this spreadsheet as a guide to see what a good price is for items.

3 star means that its not that great of deal.
4 star means that its a good price if you need the item.
5 star means to stock up!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pK8hPG06iUDQSGKQcXqg8VQ

Albertsons- Box Tops Sale is Here!

Its that time of year! it started yesterday! There are many things on sale, like fruit snacks, Pillsbury items, Progresso soup! There are coupons out there for many of the items! Great sale! Check it out!

Case Lot Sales!

Its time to take advantage of the case lot sales! Harmons started on Monday, and Maceys will start on the 17th, and Smiths will be starting soon!

Harmons had some great sales on baby wipes, and Kraft mac and cheese, and a lot of other items! check it out!

Coupon Websites

There are many different Free websites you can go to that will actually tell you the deals for your stores. Here are a few that I like.

PinchingYourPennies.com

SavvyShopperDeals.com

HotCouponWorld.com

CouponMom.com

There are many others that are free, and Others that you can pay a fee. Find what works for you and get involved!

Dont have the coupon you need? Try Trading

Trading is a great way to get coupons you want for coupons you wont use. you can post a trade list on the website you use for couponing if they have one, and trade away. A lot of people are generous and give more then what you asked for. That is just a bonus and not expected, but is nice.

There is no specific way to trade. What I do is look at what I want, and see what they have. I dont care about money amounts, if i want the coupon, I want the coupon. I almost always throw in extra coupons. I look to see at their wish list for anything to throw in that they specifically like, or things simmilar.