Coupons

I have an article on my coupon blog to explain the beginning of the coupon game.

Link here.

~Tonya

Coupons

Some have asked me for coupon help. I am currently working on "Step by Step" how I do this. First off I learned by doing all of this by joining the Grocery Game, www.grocerygame.com. It is a big help. But I will hopefully w/in a week have the instructions all laid out of how I have acheived by only paying 75% for my groceries on average. You can go ahead and see my savings by clicking on labels "coupons, grocery games".

I am also starting a new blog for this, click here.


Thanks,

Tonya :)

The Results Are In..........

Well some of you have emailed me asking me the "results" of shopping, I got guesses of $38 , $15, and $56.43 :).....

Well heres the results:

McCormick Taco Seasoning-----20 at 12.5 cents a pack
Rosas Refried Beans------------20 at .50 a can
Lysol Wipes (BOGO)------------------4 at 1.00 each
Frenches Mustard-------------12 at FREE :)
Pace Picante (full size 16 oz) ------23 at .50 a piece (my husband fell in love w/me all over again)
Hormel----------------------------8 at FREE
Nestle Cookies (Break n Bake) ------------12 at 1.00 a pack
Triscuits/Wheat Thins-------------------24 at .89 box
Gold Fish---------------------------------11 at FREE
Kroger Pam------------------------------1 at 1.99
Pam Olive Oil----------------------------1 at 1.89

Nestle treasures-------------------------1 at 1.00
Vitamins--------------------------------1 at 5.99
Ragu----------------------------------10 jars at .25
Ragu-----------------------------------2 jars at .50
Hunts----------------------------------4 cans ( 8.oz) at .10 each

A Total of 154 Items

So original cost before savings would of been $300.00

After SAvings and before coupons-----------$200.00

After Coupons (drum roll please)------------$75.00

Each item averaged .50 /item :)

I saved 75%... it still amazes me. Alone in coupons I saved $125.00, isn't that just crazy??? Well if you want to know more of the "secrets" shopping with coupons, let me know.......stay tuned til next time!!

Jason and I truly praise God after each of our grocery runs. God has blessed us with the "grocery game" that I am now been trained because of the website (http://www.grocerygame.com/) and am able to do it on my own. We are able to have food on our table each night, share with others (including Ms.Ella at Krogers), and be able to pay our bills and not worry.

Have a great weekend!

~Tonya (and a very proud hubby)

Can you guess how much I saved???

These are the pictures of what I bought. Yes ....... I did buy a lot, for only 2 people. But I do share :). The point of the "grocery game" is to stockpile. So I stockpiled on a lot of items. I will not need to buy these items again in a long long time.......so here are the pics of what I got.......Guess how much!! (Everyone expect Amanda can guess, b/c she went shopping w/me)

So here is all I got........Can you guess how much??????

McCormick Taco Seasoning	20
Rosas Refried Beans	20
Lysol (BOGO)	4
Frenches Mustard	12
Pace Picante (full size 16 oz)	23
Hormel	8
Nestle Cookies (Break n Bake)	12
Triscuits/Wheat Thins	24
Gold Fish	11
Kroger Pam	1
Pam Olive Oil	1
Nestle treasures	1
Vitamins	1
Ragu	10
Ragu	2
Hunts	4

A Total of 154 Items

And if you want to know how I stored all of this.......well I can post those on another blog!

A good day and night :)

I went to class today and chapel today and both were good! After work today I thought what can I do for dinner? I forgot I had steaks that I bought on quick sale, so we had steak, free wild rice a roni (coupons rock :) ), cheap broccolli and cheese, and free croissants! Thank you grocery game for a cheap and delicous dinner. I keep getting reminded how lucky Jason and I are, to never worry about if there will be food on the table, we are very blessed and God takes care of us everyday, its a good reminder :).

On another good note, I got to talk to an old friend, that I haven't talked to in about 8 years, it was really good!

Hope you all have a great evening and I'm going to go start that thing they call reading.........

Coupon Savings at Krogers

Here is what I got:

3 Spray and Wash
1 Windex Antibacterial Spray
3 Chlorox Bleach
3 Fritos (for a co-worker :) )

5 Soft Soap- (free as always)
5 Packages of Cottonelle 4 packs

Total about $10.50.

Aint too shabby huh?

Continued Savings :)

Ok, so I dont think I posted last weeks savings but I have done pretty good!

Here is how I did tonight:

All I Can't Believe Its Not Butter Spread and Spray were 10/$10

I bought:

4 Sprays
4 Spreads with Olive Oil
4 Double Packs of Light ICB

Total-

Before Coupons and Kroger Savings: Original Price: 1.99
After Kroger Savings: 1.00
After Coupon: .20 (.40 cent off coupon- doubled to =.80)

12*.20= $2.40 (Savings of 21.48)

6 Bags of Cheerio Snack Mix-

Before Kroger Savings and Coupons: 2.49
After Savings- 1.50
After Coupons- .50 (.50 cent of coupon- doubles to =1.00)

6*50= 3.00 (Savings of 11.94)

1 Canteloupe - On sale for 2.50

Total of Savings:
Before Kroger and Coupons: 42.61
After Kroger Savings: 23.50
After Coupons: 6.70 (I had 16.80 in coupons--- again FREE money :) )

Total Savings: 35.91 (84% Savings!)


Albertsons Trip

Kraft Dressing:

Org. Price: 2.49
Sale Price: ;1.67
Coupon Price: 1.30

8 Bottles @ 1.30= 10.40

Plus 2 coupons of $2.00 off Next Order so really 6.40 for 8 Bottles= .80/bottle

Allens Frozen Vegtables

Org. Price: 1.79
Sale Price: 1.00
Coupon Price: FREE (.35 coupon *3 (triples value)= 1.00 off)

7 Bags *FREE= FREE :)

Tropicana Orange Juice

Org. Price: 3.79
Sale Price: 2.50
After Coupon Price: 2.00

4*2.00=8.00

Betty Crocker Frosting:

Org. Price: 1.79
Sale Price: 1.00
Coupon Price: FREE

4*FREE= FREE :)

Salad

Org. Price: 2.99
Sale Price: 2.50
Coupon Price: 1.50

Splurge:

Laughing Cow Cheese:

Org. Price: 4.49
Sale Price: 3.50
Coupon Price: 2.95

Total of Albertsons Trip:

Org. Cost: 62.25
After Store Savings: 40.34
After Coupons: 20.79
Total of Coupons: $19.55 in Coupons--FREE Money :)

Total Savings at Albertons: $41.46 (77%)

Total Cost of both Trips:

Org. Price: 104.86
Sale: 63.84
Price After Coupons: 27.49
Total of Coupons: 36.35 (FREE Money)
Total Perecentage of Savings: 74% :)

Hope you Enjoy :) and I hope this encourages you to use those Sunday Coupons!!! :)

This Weeks Savings

I went to Krogers only this week and here are my savings:

6 cans of Mighty Dog Food- Free w/coupon (.59 each-.59 coupon)
3 Reynolds Cupcake (foil ones) 1.09-1.05cpn= .04
2 Hungry Jack Potatoes 1.00- (.35cpn*3(tripling)=1.00)= FREE
2 Sponges- 1.00 each = 2.00-1.00cpn= .50 each
6 Nissan Ramen Soup-- FREE
Nestle Flavored Water- 2.00 each (2)= 4.00 -2.00 cpns= 1.00 each
Grapes 1.99 for 2lbs- (usually 2.99/lb)
Mushrooms 1.67
Fritos for Norita and I :D--- 1.25 a bag- 5.00 (buy 3 get 1 free deal)
6 Ivory Soap Body Wash- 10/$10- I bought 6, had 6 coupons ( had to do this in 2 seperate transactions) with .25cpn (tripled to = .75) got them for .25 each= 1.50- .75 Kroger cpn= .75 for 6 Bottles of Body wash! :)
Reynolds Paper Cupcake holders- FREE w/coupon

Before Kroger Savings: $55.39
After: $38.41
Coupon Savings: $23.39

Total Out of Pocket Cost: $15.02 (including a friends newspaper I bought them)

Total SAvings of : 73% Savings (if you take the newspaper out of it its 76% savings!)

I don't think thats too bad!

Now make a note, any item that I got over 3 of I had to do them in a separate transaction: so the Ivory Soap and Dogfood I got in a 2nd transaction. The store here will only take 3 identical coupons per transaction and will only triple or double 3 identical ones.

Any questions let me know! :)

More Savings :)

Monday Night Jason and I went grocery shopping. It was pretty successful!

Albertsons Trip

4 Boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats--1.00 each (2.00-each - 1.00 cpn off each one)
4 Bags of Croutons--.20 each (1.00 each - (.40 cpn-doubles to be .80))
4 Pizza Rolls--.20 each (1.00 each- (.40 cpn- doubles to be .80 cpn))
4 Pilsbury French Loaves--.60 each (1.00 each - (.40 cpn off of 2 (doubles to be .80 off of 2))
8 Cans of Tomaotes--.10 each (Buy One Get One Free (1.19 for 2)- (1.00 (.50cpn that doubles))

Total: 8.79 (roughly)

Krogers Trip

1 Zuchini--.29
1 Head of Broccoli--1.99
1 Bag of Fresh Spinach--.45 (1.00 - .55 cpn)
1 Box of Mushrooms--2.59
1 Bag of Cherry Tomaotes--2.50
6 Pouches of Tuna--.50 each (on sale for 1.00 each, cpn: 1.50 off of 3)
6 Boxes of Jose Ole Taquitos-- 2.00 each (cpn 1.00 off each box)
7 Cans of Various Beans---.49 each (no cpn)

Total: 26.72 (roughly)

(Had to go back to Krogers for a rebate I did not get)

Bought:

5 Oil of Olay Body Washes-- .24 cents each! :) (2.24-2.00 cpn)

Total: $1.24 :)

Before Coupons: $72.30
Coupon Totals: $35.55 (This is like FREE Money!!!)

Total Trip: $36.75


And that is one trip to the grocery store! :) Hope you enjoyed!

Grocery Game

Ok, so I love shopping. I get this addiction and love for it from my Grandma Kathryn, when my Grandma goes shopping good luck keeping up with her, she is faster than anything :). We also love to buy things CHEAP. Well being in seminary and on a budget (or trying to be on budget) you can't go shopping all the time even when items are cheap unless you need them, well food is something you need. So this past summer I started something called the "grocery game" (http://www.grocerygame.com/). This website has an automated system that generates a list for you of the deals that are that week and which coupons to use. It will give you three categories to buy: Black items-do not buy, too expensive Blue Items- buy and stock up on, and Green times, which = FREE. Well this is a pretty simple game and pretty addicting. I buy all my groceries and toiletries for about $55 a week, which is not too bad to feed us. This game has been blessing for us, it fills my "need" to shop and allows to me to buy groceries, which I am odd I love to do b/c I love to cook!

This is how the game works. When you go to Krogers or Albertsons (in DFW area) they triple and double the face value of the coupons. This means that a .30 cent coupon really = .90 cents! They will double .40-.50 and triple up to .39 cents! Some items I get a lot are Ragu, when its on sale for $1.00 I use my .25 coupon, which triples to = .75 , which makes the Ragu= only a .25! I have cans of .10 tomaotes (Red Gold Brand, very good!), free tomato sauce, pasta for free or under .50, free instant potaotes, free Soft Soap, free frozen vegtables and so on! I get cereal on a usual price of $1.00 or less a box. (Name brand) I buy all items Name Brand, it is crazy, we do not have one thing really anymore of a store brand!

Last week my friend Amanda and I went to Albertsons and got a total of 20 boxes each of Simple Harvest Oatmeal, usual price is $4.49, for FREE, she has given some to the church and kept a little for herself. We currently have some boxes left to give to those who ask!

Now some items we have is "un-healthy" we get FREE Chex Mix, we get Jasons favorite Taquitos for pretty cheap, and we buy frozen pizzas on sale for a very quick easy convenient meal :). I also get Tostino Pizza rolls for pretty cheap too (.20 a box or Free), and these make a good "mid-night" craving snack for Jason, cheaper than Taco Bell! :)

We bought a deep freeze about 2 years ago when we were doing Angel Food (http://www.angelfoodministries.com/), and this has been a great purchase for us. When there is a huge meat sale I am able to buy the family packs, bag them up and put them in the freezer! With all the savings I am able to buy REALLY good Steaks! :) yummo!!

So soon I will take pictures and you will see how we will never starve :). And how you are always welcome to come for dinner b/c we have plenty!

So this is my addiction right now, I will share with you soon my CVS Savings and more of my Kroger/Albertsons savings :)

~Tonya :)