Harris Teeter triples savings

They're doing it again...triple coupons! Today is the first day and it goes till Tuesday at midnight. I plan on making a couple of trips because of the 20 coupon limit. Here are the results of my first trip:

2 bottles Lawry's marinades ($1.64 - $0.50 coupon = $0.14 each)
3 rolls Viva papertowel ($1.94 - $0.40 coupon = $0.74 each)
3 boxes Lipton tea bags ($1.35 - $0.50 coupon = FREE)
2 bottles French's mustard ($1.50 - $0.50 coupon = FREE)
4 6-packs White House all natural apple sauce ($1.77 - $0.60/2 coupon = $0.87 each)
1 small bottle McCormick's pure vanilla (NOT the imitation kind) ($3.39 - $0.75 coupon = $1.14)
3 bottles Mitchum deodorant ($1.98 - $0.75 coupon = FREE)
3 bricks Heluva Good cheese ($2.50 - $0.50 coupon = $1.00 each)
1 Oscar Meyer deli creation sandwich ($2.99 - $0.75 coupn and $1 HT tear off = FREE)

Total before coupons: $56.27
Total OOP: $10.55
Percent Saved: 81%

Osh Kosh Memorial Weekend Sale

Just got home from the Osh Kosh Memorial Weekend sale and I got a lot of great items! I got a coupon in my e-mail for 25% off $40 or more.

Here's what I got:
3 pairs of socks for $5.26, MSRP $14
1 pair twill cargo pants for $3, MSRP $30
1 pair twill cargo shorts for $4.05, MSRP $18
1 pair sweatpants for $1.49, MSRP $16
1 pair sweatpants for $1.49, MSRP $20
1 pair windpants for $1.49, MSRP $22
1 turtleneck onesie for $1.49, MSRP $14
1 jersey crew neck shirt for $1.49, MSRP $20
1 pair patchwork chino pants for $3.74, MSRP $26
1 pair plaid cargo shorts for 6.75, MSRP $18
1 polo shirt for $6, MSRP $16

I also got a 2-piece set of PJ's that were 50% off so would have cost $10, but when looking over my receipt I found that they didn't charge me for them. I'll have to give the store a call. This tends to happen to me a lot at this particular outlet. Guess they need more attentive employees!

Total OOP: $38.70
Total savings: $195.30
Percent saved: 83.5%

Kraft salad dressing @ Lowes Foods

16oz bottles of Kraft salad dressing are on sale this week at Lowes Foods 3/$4.98. At Lowes, you don't have to buy all 3, instead they ring up at $1.66 each. There was a coupon for $1.50 off Kraft salad dressing in one of the coupon inserts during the month of May (sorry, I don't remember which one or which week). So, if you combine the sale with the coupon, you get your salad dressing for $0.16 - a penny an ounce!

Happy saving!

"You owe me a nickle."

"You owe me a nickle." Believe it or not, that's what the cashier at the grocery store said to me last night. A nickle! That was the total sum of my bill. Amazing! Before I got into couponing I never thought I would be able to NOT spend so much money! I was making a quick stop to pick up some Kraft BBQ sauce. It was on sale for $1.29 and I had 3 coupons for $0.75 off one each. At my grocery store, coupons double up to $0.99 face value, so the BBQ sauce was basically free...I just had to pay $0.05 in tax. Yep, that's right $0.05 for 3 18oz bottles of brand name barbecue sauce. Just in time for summer cook outs :-)

Happy saving!

My HT triples deal

I just got home from shopping triples at Harris Teeter. I had more than 20 coupons so I had to do two transactions. Here's what I got:

First Transaction
1 package nestle morsels
4 jars ortega salsa
2 packages knorr pasta sides
2 boxes planters big nut bars
1 box muellers multigrain pasta
1 jar mccormick chili powder
1 jar mccormick garlic salt
1 box barilla mini pasta
3 boxes eggo frozen waffles
1 marie calendar's frozen entree

Price Before Coupons & VIC savings: $41.31
Out Of Pocket: $1.70
Savings: 96%

Second Transaction
4 jars ortega salsa
4 packages knorr pasta sides
2 bottles frenchs mustard (the 20oz ones...see next post)
2 boxes planters big nut bars
1 jar mccormick cinnamon
1 jar mccormick paprika
2 bags snyder tortilla chips
3 bags snyder multigrain chips
1 keebler ready-made pie crust
1 package 93% lean ground beef (1.03lbs)
1 box eggo frozen waffles
2 tubs breyers ice cream

Price Before Coupons & VIC savings: $69.06
Out Of Pocket: $14.87
Savings: 79%

Combined Totals
Price Before Coupons & VIC savings: $110.37
Out Of Pocket: $16.57
Savings: 85%

Be sure it's a good deal

I learned a lesson today. Just because an item is the least amount out of pocket, doesn't mean it's the best deal. I was shopping at Harris Teeter triple coupons event. I had a coupon for $0.30 off of French's mustard (any size), which tripled making it $0.90 off.

Now, they had the 8oz bottles 2/$3 and the 20oz bottles 2/$4. I reached for the 8oz bottle because after the coupon it was going to be $0.60, which was the least amount out of pocket since the 20oz would have been $1.10. But my husband stopped me and said, the 20oz is a better deal per ounce. Yes, it was more out of pocket by $0.50, but it cost me only 5.5 cents per ounce where as the 8oz bottle would have been 13.3 cents per ounce. What a difference!

8oz 20oz
Sale Price $1.50 $2.00
Coupon -$0.90 -$0.90
OOP $0.60 $1.10
Price/ounce $0.133 $0.055

The moral of the story: take your calculator and be SURE it's not only a good deal, but that it's also the BEST deal.

Happy shopping!

The Emotional Benefits to Becoming Debt-Free

I know things have been hard on a lot of us financially lately. I just came across this article entitled "The Emotional Benefits of Becoming Debt-Free" and reading it helped renew my desire to eliminate debt from my life. Here's the site: http://simplemom.net/the-emotional-benefits-to-becoming-debt-free/

My husband and I took Dave Ramseys "Financial Peace University" course in the Fall of 2007. Since that time we committed to becoming debt free as well as not incurring any new debt. It hasn't been easy and we still have a long way to go, but we are making progress. It's been 1 1/2 years and we've managed to pay off the hospital bills for our first child's birth, pay up front the doctor and hospital bills for our second child's birth, buy a new (to us) car, and take our first vacation in 4 years without using credit cards or accumulating new debt, as well as pay cash for any other necessities during that time. Since our course began in September 2007, we have paid off almost $30,000 worth of debt. And all this on only one fast-food restaurant manager salary. We still have a long way to go, but I am very proud of us and just wanted to encourage others (and myself) that financial freedom is attainable.

I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's class to everyone, regardless of age or financial situation. If you are already debt-free, the class can help you learn how to make your money work for you, and if you are still in debt, he teaches you how to get out and stay out. Here's the site: www.daveramsey.com

Alright, I've renewed my own dedication to financial freedom through this post. I hope that my experience can help others. FREEDOM!