Blessed In Saving

A small change

2009-07-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have decided to change the address of my blog- a slight change... The new address will be www.blessingsfromsaving.blogspot.com. The new address seems to fit what I'm trying to convey, and is less ambiguous than the current one. I want to note all of the blessings in my life. I know that my Father in Heaven blesses me every day, and that I could do nothing without Him.

I hope this little change is not too inconvenient for everyone, and that you will continue to follow my blog.

Kroger Hint

2009-07-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

When Kroger has Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) deals, you don't need to buy 2 in order to take advantage of the deal. When the cashier is ringing up your groceries, the BOGO items ring up at 1/2 price, so if you only need one, get it at half price! Also, if you have any coupons to match with the deal, you can really save.

Kroger Deals 7/1-7/7

2009-07-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I posted about the deals that I found for free at Kroger. I wanted to add a few other good deals that I've found this week.

Seedless watermelon: $3.99
Southern Grown Peaches: .79/lb (great jam-making price!)
Kroger brand gallon milk: $1.99
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers 6-6.8oz.: .99

Oscar Meyer Meat Bologna: BOGO
$1 off 2 Oscar Meyer cold cuts

Buy any 10 of the following products, get $3 off your bill at the register:

Kroger 8oz cheese: $1.33
Gatorade Sports drink: $1
Various General Mills cereal: $2.49
.55 off 1 Reese's Puffs here
.75 off Multi-Grain Cheerios here (not sure if this is part of the deal- if anyone finds out, let me know.)
$1 off 3 General Mills cereals (Smartsource newspaper insert)
Coca-Cola 18 pk soft drinks: $5.28
Edward's or Marie Calendar's Pie: $4.98
Oscar Meyer Meat Franks: $1.89
$1 off 2 (newspaper insert)
Oscar Meyer Beef Franks: $2.79
Kraft BBQ Sauce: .99
.50 off 1 (Smartsource) makes this free!
Cheetos/Fritos: $1.68
Kraft Salad Dressing: $1.34
Heinz Ketchup: $1.39
Bush's Best Baked Beans: $1.66
Reynold's Wrap Aluminum Foil: $2.99
$1 off 1 coupon (1.99!)

Suave Deodorant and Haircare: 10/$10
$1 off 2 (newspaper) (.50 each!)
Nathan's Beef Franks: BOGO
Carl Buddig's Deli Cuts Lunch Meat: BOGO ($3.99, I think)
Use 2 $1 off 1 coupons, get these for $1 each!

These were the best deals that I found. Let me know if I've missed something!

New Coupons online

2009-07-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of each month, coupons.com resets their coupons. Make sure to go and print out your coupons soon... there are some good ones that may go quickly. After printing, hit the "back" button to print each coupon twice. I use internet grocery coupons frequently, and have saved a lot of money with them. www.coupons.com

Kraft Smile Savings Booklet and Calendar

2009-07-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

Kraft is offering a coupon booklet free, while supplies last. Included will be 2 $20 rebates and $15 of coupons for their products! I'm sure these will go quickly, so get one soon! Go here to register.

New Winn Dixie Deals: Week of 7/1-7/7

2009-07-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

There are some great deals at Winn Dixie this week. I'm making a list of my favorites. To see the complete add, go here.

Each month, Winn Dixie has some products on a special sale called "Locked in Low Prices". The deals on these items are valid all month long.

Locked in Low prices for July
Winn Dixie brand cheese: 3/$5
Ruffles potato chips: 2/$5
Zephyrhills 24 pack water: $3.99
8-pack of Gatorade: 4.99
7 oz. Special K, 8.7 oz. Froot Loops or Apple Jacks, 9 oz. Rice Krispies or 9.2 oz. Corn Pops: $1.77

Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage: 2/$6
.75 off 1 coupon exp. 9/15/09
$1 off 2 coupon exp. 7/31/09

Land O'Frost Premium Lunch Meat 16oz.: 2/$5
.55 off 1 pound exp. 8/31/09

Save $4 at the register when you purchase any 4 General Mills products priced 4/$10, making them 4/$6! If you have any coupons, you'd get an even better deal!

Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot 4.5 oz.
Fruit Roll Ups 5-6.6 oz
Gushers 5.4 oz
Fruit Shapes 9 oz
Cheerios 8.9 oz
Total Whole Grain 10.6 oz
Trix 10.7 oz
Cocoa Puffs 11.8 oz
Golden Grahams 12 oz
Cinnamon Toast Crunch 12.8 oz
Total Blueberry Pomegranate 15.25 oz
Cookie Crisp Sprinkles 12.2 oz

6-pack Yoplait Kids or Trix Yogurt: 2/$5
.40 off 1 here ($1.70 each)

McCormick Grill Mates seasonings: BOGO $2.69 for 2
.50 off 1 (.84 each)

Kraft Salad Dressing: 3/$5
1.50 off 1 (.17 each!)

Ritz Crackers: 2/$5
Use "Buy Ritz get Wheat Thins Free coupon", making them $1.25 each!

Cottonelle Bath Tissue- 12 Double Rolls: $5.99
.50 off 6 rolls or more ($4.99 for 12 rolls)

Breyers Ice Cream: BOGO $5.99 for 2
$1 off coupon ($2.50 each!)

Mt. Olive Sweet Relish or Salad Cubes: BOGO $2.29 for 2
.50 off 1 (smartsource insert 6/28) (.64 each!)

A-1 Steak Sauce: BOGO $3.99
$2.00 of one ($1.00 each!)

Kingsford Charcoal 12-18 lb. bag: $6.99
Pair with coupon for free BBQ sauce when charcoal is purchased!

Free Dove Shampoo Sample

2009-06-30T16:30:00.001-07:00

Dove is offering a free sample of their new Heat Defense and Intense Damage Therapy shampoos. Go to here and select the "Offers" tab and select "Free Samples".

Free Pert Plus Shampoo!

2009-06-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at Kroger last night, and came across a Pert Plus for Men bottle with a "Try Me Free" sticker on it. If you want to grab a bottle and submit the rebate, go here to print off the rebate form. You need to save the sticker from the bottle and attach it, along with the original receipt.

My cheese run to Winn Dixie

2009-06-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier that I forgot to take my coupons for the Kraft cheese when I went to Winn Dixie this morning. I made a quick run back over there tonight, and was pretty glad that I did.

I was able to buy 9 packets of cheese for a total of $5.22, including tax. Again, I used .50 off coupons that I found last week in the dairy aisle. It's really worth it to pick up the coupons attached to displays at the store.

I love this receipt- I paid $5.22 and saved $24.21!

At the register, I received another surprise- a coupon for $4 off my next shopping order printed, as well as another $10 off of $50!

I like Winn Dixie more every time I shop there.

Free groceries at Kroger!

2009-06-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

I stopped at Kroger this evening to pick up a few things that were on sale. Here's what I was able to buy for free!!!!

I had 2 coupons for free sugar when I buy 10 packets of Koolaid. The Koolaid is on sale right now for 10/$1.

The Pert Plus has a "Try Me Free" sticker on it. I just have to print the rebate form from their website. I also had a $1.50 off coupon for this, so after all is said and done, I will have made money on it!

The BBQ sauce is on sale for .99. I had 2 coupons for .50 off. Like Winn Dixie, the Kroger in my area doubles the value of manufacturer's coupons up to .50, so they took $1 off.

The gum was on sale for .59 each. I had 2 coupons for .75 off, so I made a little money!

I also had 2 coupons for a free can of dog food.

I was pretty excited about this shopping trip.

.50 cheese at Winn Dixie!

2009-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

While I was at Winn Dixie, I noticed that Kraft 2% milk shredded cheese was on sale for 2/$3. I have a few coupons for .50 off one package. Because Winn Dixie doubles the value up to .50, they will take $1 off, making the cheese .50/each! Unfortunately, I forgot to take those coupons with me. I guess I'll stop by again later...

A quick note... when I'm shopping, I always keep my eyes open for coupons attached to displays at the store. I usually take a few, even if it's for a product I'm not sure I'll buy. Last week, these cheese coupons were on a display in the dairy aisle. I'm glad I picked up a few!

My Winn Dixie shopping trip

2009-06-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went to pick up a few deals at Winn Dixie. Here's what I came home with:

Here's a breakdown of what I did:

The cereal was on sale $4/10. I used two 1.50 off coupons that I found online a few weeks ago. The milk was free with the cereal purchase. (in-store special)
The chips were BOGO at 3.99, and I used a .55 off coupon I found in the 6/28 newspaper.
The ham was on sale with a .75 in-store coupon attached to it.
Bacon was priced at 3/$6.
The sour cream was on sale 10/$10. I used a $1/2 coupon I found online, making these .50/each.
The bologna was on sale in the store- BOGO at 3.49.
Ground beef patties were on a 50% off sale.
The mozzarella cheese was on sale for 2.50. I had a .50 off coupon, which Winn Dixie doubles to 1.00, so it cost 1.50.
Velveeta shells and cheese are 10/$10. I had a couple of coupons I received in the mail for free products.
The Pediasure was not on sale, and I would not have bought it, but I found a free-after-rebate form for it in the newspaper coupon section a couple of weeks ago.
I also had an in-store coupon for $10 off of $50.

I saved $43.82 using coupons and in-store specials.
So, after all of this, my total out the door was $38.61.
I will mail in the rebate for $11.50, bringing my total down to $27.12!

Gardening to Save Money

2009-06-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of years, my husband and I have grown gardens in the summertime. I need to say that by no means do I have a green thumb... but we have been very blessed with the produce that we've been able to grow. This year, I planted a total 13 tomato plants, as I'm planning to can tomatoes to use later. Of those, 3 have ripe tomatoes right now. I spent $3.00 for each of the 3 plants, and am now reaping the reward.

This is a picture of everything that I picked yesterday. I go out to the garden every day to find a few ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Not only have I been able to save money on produce, but I've found a hobby that helps me relax and brings peace.

Even if you don't have a space to have a garden, putting a couple of tomato plants in pots by the front door can be rewarding, as well as a money-saver.

Winn Dixie Deals week of 6/24-6/30

2009-06-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Winn Dixie Deals 6/24-6/30

Each week, I look through the local grocery store advertisements to find the best deals for items on sale. I match sale prices with coupons I have in my file, and am able to get great deals on groceries. I plan to list the items that I find, and hope that they are helpful.

Each store has their own calendar for when they change their sales. Winn Dixie's sales change every Wednesday, and Kroger's sales change on Sundays. I usually do my shopping on Monday evenings. I'm able to hit the Kroger sale near the beginning, and the Winn Dixie sale toward the end of their week.

As a side note, I have noticed that generally, Winn Dixie has higher prices than the other stores in the area, but when their sales are matched with coupons, I'm still able to find great deals.

Here are the best Winn Dixie deals that I've found this week: (Unfortunately, these ones are only good until Tues. night. I'll have Wednesday's up soon.)

Buy 4 participating Kellogg's products for a total of $10 and receive a free gallon of milk. Items include:

Frosted Flakes
Corn Pops
Rice Krispies
Mini Wheats
Special K Bars
Keebler Chips Deluxe
Vienna Fingers
Town House Crackers
Rice Krispies Treats

There have been a few coupons in recent adds to make this an even better deal.
1.50 off of two Kellogg's cereals
.55 off Keebler Chips Deluxe

Kraft cheese: 1.50/pack. This includes their chunk, shredded, cubes or crumbles.

Whole chicken: .99/lb

Dawn dish soap: $10/10 match with a recent .25 off coupon to make this .50!

*** An important note: Both Winn Dixie and Kroger double the value of manufacturer's coupons up to .50. So, if you bring in a coupon for the Dawn dish soap for .25 off, they will take a total of .50 off!***

As coupons become available, I will add links to their locations as well, making finding and matching deals even easier.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you found any deals at Winn Dixie that I missed!

Blueberries!

2009-06-27T13:44:00.001-07:00

In the summertime, I love to go to u-pick berry patches. There are a couple of them in the area that are open and ready for picking.

Creative Habitats is a landscaping company here in Auburn, off of Hwy. 280. They have a u-pick blueberry farm with about 2000 plants, and charge $10/gallon. Last year, they supplied gallon sized Ziplock bags, and had a table with a jar to leave the money.
Directions, contact information, and hours of operation are all listed on their website, creative habitats under a tab labled "PYO farm".

Blueberry Havens is another u-pick farm in the area. They advertise having 20,000 blueberry plants and charge $7/gallon for u-pick berries. If you don't want to pick your own berries, you may call and have them pick berries for you for $12/gallon. This farm is a little bit farther away from Auburn. Directions on their website say that they're about 18 miles away. I haven't personally been to this farm, but have heard that it's a great place to go as well. Their website is blueberryhavens

Has anyone been to either of these farms? I'd love to hear about your experiences. I love the taste of fresh blueberries!

Let's Get Started

2009-06-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

I think that the best way to begin discussing saving is for me to describe what works best for me. I'll start by talking about where I find coupons.

Where do I find coupons?
- I subscribe to the local newspaper, but since I'm trying to save all I can, I only bought a weekend subscription. Our local paper costs $7/month for the Fri-Sun subscription. Each Sunday, our paper includes coupon inserts, and collecting these is an easy way to begin gathering a stash of coupons.

- I find many coupons at valid online sites. My favorite sites are www.coupons.com, smartsource, and couponbug If you can, try to print these out in color, as some stores will not accept black and white printouts. Select the coupons that you want to print, and click on print. I always hit the "back" button to have them print a second time. Most sites will allow you to print each coupon twice. Having more than one coupon for an item is important, so you can stock up on deals while shopping. (more about that later)

- There are a few money-saving blogs that I read regularly. I have links to them on the right of my blog. They are excellent resources for finding coupons, deals, and sales.

-Since I live in a relatively rural area, the coupon inserts in the newspapers don't have many coupons. I have family all over the country, and they have been happy to help me by saving their coupon inserts from newspapers to send me. This has been a great help in my collection.

Does anyone have any other ideas for finding coupons? I'd love to hear what you do!

My New Blog!

2009-06-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

My first post! I have been contemplating starting a blog to share all of my money-saving ideas for a while now, and I'm excited to get started. Over the last year, I have learned a lot about using coupons when shopping, and finding the best deals. We have been greatly blessed as we try to live within our means... even on a grad school budget. I hope to be able to share what I have learned, and to help you save as well, if you come along for the ride. It'll be fun! I would love to hear and share your ideas, so I hope you will leave comments to share them.