Frugal Friday – Show Off Your Shops!01.27.12

Want to learn more? Check out these Saving Strategies or our Couponing 101 page! To get free regular updates subscribe via email or get our RSS feed!

This week I bought a total of $164.21 worth of groceries and toiletries for $39.69, or 76% off. I love to see the deals that other frugal shoppers come up with because it’s so inspiring and I really dig having a visual way that we can all share our deals and Show Off Our Shops! Please post a link below to any or all of the deals that you’d like to show off this week. If you don’t have a blog to link up, just leave a comment and tell us all about your deals or upload a picture to Flickr or PhotoBucket and link to that ;)

My 1/25 Publix Trip – $81.09 for $18.12 or 78% Off

My 1/23 Walgreens Trip – $60.64 for $13.09 or 78% Off

My 1/23 CVS Trip – $22.48 for $8.48 or 62% Off


Posted in Frugal Friday, Shopping Tripswith No Comments →

Restaurant Coupons for the Weekend01.27.12

There is a $5/$15 T.G.I.Friday’s coupon out that expires soon so we’ll likely head over there and take advantage of that.  It’s one of our favorite restaurants and I really dig their Give Me More Stripes rewards program.  My husband and I plan a Friday date night dinner out every week and even though we’re usually home pretty early and then right back to work, it is so nice to have some quiet time together without the kids underfoot and dessert on a dish I don’t have to wash!  We usually check out the available coupons for our favorite local restaurants before deciding where we want to eat so we can save a few bucks, because we work hard to save where we can so we can spend where we want.  Check out our Restaurant Coupon Database here so you can find the best deals near you!

Posted in Restaurants, couponswith No Comments →

Search and Win – It’s Mega Swagbucks Friday!01.27.12

Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day where your odds of winning BIG Swagbucks is even better than any other day of the week.  You can win 10, 20, 50 or more than 100 Swagbucks just for searching on any day of the week, but on Mega Swagbucks Day you can possibly win up to 1,000 or even 2,000 Swagbucks just for doing a simple search.  You can redeem your Swagbucks for all sorts of prizes, but my favorite thing to do is trade 450 Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon gift card, then I save up the gift cards to buy birthday or Christmas gifts!  So go ahead and sign up at Swagbucks if you haven’t already and get to searching!  Then leave a comment and let us know how much you’ve won.

Tip: Download the Swagbucks toolbar to make searching even easier!  Plus, it will alert you when there is something new on the Swagbucks blog or on their Twitter or Facebook pages.  When you see a Swidget like the one below you can click the “SC” button at the bottom, then click on “Check if there’s a Swag Code” and it will tell you if there is one and where to go grab the code.

Posted in Rewards Programswith No Comments →

Sunday Newspaper Coupon Insert Preview for 1/2901.26.12

There will be TWO coupon inserts this Sunday – two Red Plums. Click here to see all of coupons that are reported to be in this Sunday’s paper! Here are some of my favorites that I’ll be looking for in the local paper (keep in mind that they vary by location):

Red Plum (RP) #1

Bertoli Save $1/1 frozen meal or meal soup (2/26)
Caress Save $.75/1 12oz+ body wash or 6 bar pack+ ets (2/26)
Degree Save $1/1 Men Adrenaline Series anti-perspirant & deodoratn ets (2/26)
Degree Save $1/1 Women Premium anti-perspirant & deodorant or body mist ets (2/26)
Dove Save $1/1 Beauty Bar 6 pack+ excludes trial size and Men+Care (2/26)
Ecotrin Save $1.50/1 Aspirin Therapy product (4/30)
Hillshire Farm Save $.55/1 Rope Smoked Sausage dnd (3/24)
Keebler/Sunshine Save $1/2 Keebler Crackers and/or Sunshine Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers 8oz-16oz (3/25)
Mars Save $1/2 Valentine’s Day products dnd (2/14)

Click here for printable RedPlum coupons!

Red Plum (RP) #2

DiGiorno Save $2/2 large pizzas (2/5)
Dole Save $.50/2 cans of pineapple (4/30)
Emerald Nuts Save $1.50/2 products9oz+ dnd (3/11)
Kettle Brand Save $1/1 chips 4oz+ dnd(3/11)
Nasoya Save $.75/1 pasta product (4/30)
Nasoya Save $1.25/2 products(4/30)
Nestle/Wonka Save $1/2 fun size bags9oz+ (2/29)

Click here for printable SmartSource coupons!

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

Posted in couponswith No Comments →

Saving While Eating Well01.26.12

Food and drinks are an interesting struggle when trying to save money. Everyone eats, multiple times throughout the day, and there is no way of getting around it. I find that, especially as a working adult, it is incredibly easy to fall into the habit of skipping breakfast, grabbing a quick lunch, then picking up a late dinner. Not only is this a really unhealthy way to live, it’s also very expensive! Here are a few ways to improve your diet AND your bank account when it comes to your day-to-day dining:

Always, Always, ALWAYS Pack your Lunch

Remember when you were a kid and wanted hot lunch every day? Your mother said no of course, and told you to pack your own lunch. Well, the office cafe is the grown-up equivalent to your school’s cafeteria, so use the same logic your mother did, and don’t waste your money on overpriced mediocre food! Packing a lunch is something that takes about five minutes, and can save you hundreds of calories and dollars over the course of a year.

Plan Your Meals

Before you start your week, sit down and plan out what days you’ll be home, what meals you’d like to make, and what you need to buy to make those meals. Not only will this stop you from picking up pricy take-out dinners, but it will stop you from over-buying at the grocery! Bonus points if you pick recipes that use food that you already have!

Make Your Own Specialty Drinks

Ah, if I had a dollar for every time I pulled over at a Starbucks . . . or maybe $5, for that matter! Coffee and tea drinks have some of the highest markups of all consumables, as well as tons of hidden sugars and calories. Starbucksrecipes.org has quite a few recipes of the favorite Starbucks indulgences, and a quick Google search can find you pretty much any other recipe people have discovered for make-your-own gourmet coffee.

Split Meals Out

Sometimes, eating out is unavoidable – but don’t worry, there are still ways to stay within your mealtime budget! If you’re going with friends, split a meal, as well as the cost and the calories! If you’re out with a group that you aren’t comfortable splitting food with (co-workers or something a bit more professional), don’t be afraid to order off of the appetizer menu – an appetizer is often far cheaper and better proportioned than the huge entrees that restaurants offer.

Photo Credit: iClipart

Posted in Menu Planning, Strategieswith 2 Comments →

Winn Dixie Weekly Ad Best Deals for 1/25 – 1/3101.26.12

These are the BOGOs and best deals for Winn Dixie for the week of 1/25 through 1/31.  Please let me know if you see anything I missed!  You can also go here for the full weekly ad matchups.

Best Deals

WHAT-A-DEAL – BUY 1 GET 4 ITEMS FREE Buy (1) participating NyQuil or DayQuil or $8.99 24 ct. capsules or 12 oz. liquid NyQuil or DayQuil and get all 4 of these items 20 ct. Burt’s Bees cough drops FREE 56 ct. cube Puffs facial tissue FREE twin pack TopCare lip balm FREE 1 oz. Vick’s VapoRub FREE THAT’S A TOTAL OF $9.36 IN SAVINGS!
-$1/1 Nyquil Products 01/01/2012 P&G Insert (exp 01/31/2012)

Nature’s Own or Natural Grain bread – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $4.79 10-12 oz. Hostess Sweet 16, Donettes or Dunkies donuts, 16-17 oz. Entenmann’s variety pack or frosted donuts or 24 oz. full ovals get like item only
-$0.55/1 Nature’s Own English Muffins, Bagels or Breakfast bread

MAKE-A-MEAL – BUY 2 AND GET 4 ITEMS FREE Buy (2) participating Red Baron Pizzas 15.77-22.63 oz. Classic, Thin Crust or Fire Baked Red Baron pizza 2/$12.98, and get all 4 of these items 13-14 oz. meat or beef Bryan smokies choose one 10-13.2 oz. • wings, tenderloins, fries, patties or nuggets Tyson chicken 10 oz. arm Rich cheese sticks AND 2 liter Pepsi product FREE, THAT’S A TOTAL OF $12.23 IN SAVINGS! LIMIT ONE OFFER PER TRANSACTION
-$1/2 Red Baron, Tony’s or Freschetta Pizza, 11 0z+ 01/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/12/2012)

Grocery

French style hot dog or hamburger buns -$3.99 BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

General Mills or Post cereals selected varieties 11.2-18 oz. $4.99 – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

-$1/3 Kellogg’s Cereal, 10 oz or Larger 01/08/2012 RP Insert (exp 02/19/2012)
-$1/2 Kellogg’s Cereals
-$1/2 Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats, 14.5 oz+ 05/28/2011
-$1/1 Kellogg’s FiberPlus Cereal 05/28/2011
-$0.55/1 Post Pebbles Cereal 01/15/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/26/2012)
-$1/1 Post Shredded Wheat 01/15/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/26/2012)

Kellogg’s cereal – $4.19 BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 8.7-15 oz. selected varieties
-$1/2 Kellogg’s Cereals
-$1/3 Kellogg’s Cereal, 10 oz or Larger 01/08/2012 RP Insert (exp 02/19/2012)
-$1/3 Kellogg’s Special K Cereal 11.4 oz+ 01/01/2012 RP Insert (exp 02/12/2012)

Van Camp’s baked beans – $2.49 BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

Blue Plate mayonnaise -$4.39 BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 32 oz.

Hunt’s Natural Ketchup – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 12 oz. Crystal hot sauce or 35 oz. get like item only $2.69

Nissin Souper meals, bowls or Chow pasta – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 3.26-4 oz. $1.00

Pompeian olive oil – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 9 oz. Ken’s salad dressing or 16 oz. classic, extra light or extra virgin $6.79
-$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil, 16 oz+ 11/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 12/31/2012)
-$1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil

Winn-Dixie long grain rice – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 3 lb. bag $2.99

J & J super pretzel – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 13 oz. $3.99

PASTA OR SNACK PACKS Hunt’s Snack Packs, Chef Boyardee pasta – 10 FOR $10 4 pack pudding or gels Hunt’s Snack Packs or 7.5 oz. cup or 14.5-15 oz. can Chef Boyardee pasta
-$0.50/4 Chef Boyardee Pasta, any 01/01/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/05/2012)

Welch’s Chiller juice drinks – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 8 qt. or 10-12 ct. singles Kool Aid or Country Time drink mixes or 64 oz. get like item only $4.49

Planters peanuts – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 3 ct. Orville Redenbacher’s microwave popcorn or 16 oz. selected varieties $4.79

Produce

Crisp slicing cucumbers – 2 FOR $1

DOLE classics or slaws – 2 FOR $3 9-12 oz. bag classic iceberg, shredded lettuce, angel hair coleslaw or coleslaw blend

Meat, Dairy & Frozen

Sargento cheese 5-8 oz. shredded or B.6-8 oz. deli sliced – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE
-$0.40/2 Sargento Shredded Cheeses 01/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/26/2012)
-$0.55/1 Sargento Natural Cheese Snack 01/01/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/12/2012)

Eckrich meat franks or bologna 16 oz. cotto salami $2.99 – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

Milford Valley Farms chicken nuggets or strips – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE selected varieties 10 oz. Barber Foods stuffed chicken or 20 oz. assorted varieties get like item only $4.99

BONELESS CENTER CUT PORK CHOPS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $6.49

WD BONELESS TOP SIRLOIN STEAKS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $9.99

WD pork shoulder blade steaks – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $3.99

WD boneless pork loin country style ribs or steaks – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $5.99

Sanderson Farms skinless, boneless chicken breasts – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $4.69

Fisherman’s Wharf whiting, perch, flounder, cod or tilapia fillets 12-24 oz. save up to $7.99 – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

Sanderson Farms skinless boneless CHICKEN TENDERS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

Winn-Dixie boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 40 oz. individually quick frozen $10.99

Sanderson Farms boneless, skinless chicken thighs – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $3.99

WD BONELESS PORK CHOPS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

WD COUNTRY STYLE RIBS – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $3.99 lb.

Beauty & Personal Care

All Cover Girl lip products – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE save up to $9.99
-$2.50/2 CoverGirl Products 01/01/2012 P&G Insert (exp 01/31/2012)
-$1/1 CoverGirl Products 01/01/2012 P&G Insert (exp 01/31/2012)
-$1/1 CoverGirl Product 12/11/2011 SS Insert (exp 01/31/2012)

TopCare vitamins – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE save up to $25.99

Household

Arm & Hammer 2X liquid detergent – $4.99 BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 144 ct. fabric softener sheets, 40 ct. dryer sheets or 50 oz.
-$1/2 Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent or Fabric Softener 11/10/2011

Chinet plates – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 24 ct. platters, 72 ct. lunch or 32 ct. $6.79

Hefty foam plates – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE 120 ct. Winn-Dixie printed napkins or 25 ct. square bowls or 16 ct. square or 20 ct. compartment plates or 50 ct. $3.29

This post is part of Becentsable’s Grocery Gathering.  This list is a part of the Grocery Shop For FREE Penny Pinching Bargain Bunch!

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

Posted in Weekly Adwith No Comments →

Don’tcha Just Love Avocados?01.25.12

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Avocados From Mexico

Avocados are so good for you it’s amazing that they’re also so yummy!  We love to simply slice and eat them, but with the big game coming right up it’s time to whip up some good homemade guacamole!

Guacamole is just so easy to make – simply cut a couple of avocados in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  Mash it up a bit in a bowl with a fork then stir in a tablespoon of lime juice, a chopped plum tomato, a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a dash of pepper.  Use cayenne pepper instead of black pepper if you like it a little spicier, and serve with tortilla chips.

You can head over to the I love avocados on Facebook page and send virtual avocado gifts to a friend, grab free wallpapers and screensavers, or you can download a free ringtone of the Avocados From Mexico theme song!  I sent the virtual guacamole to a couple friends in anticipation of the big game!

If you’re also a fan of Avocados from Mexico then I highly recommend that you follow them on Twitter at @guacgrl after you check them out on Facebook!

Visit Sponsor's Site

Posted in Recipes, Reviewswith 1 Comment →

Winning Wednesday ~ Low Entry Giveaways!01.25.12

Winning Wednesday ~ Low Entry Giveaways

Enter these low entry giveaways and your odds of winning are much better since there aren’t a lot of other entries.  So check out the list below and enter any that catch your eye, or add your low entry giveaway below for some extra traffic.  Good luck!

Low Entry Giveaway Linky (100 entries or less) Share your Giveaways and enter to win some great prizes!

Please Use Format:  Blog Name- Prize- end Date


Bloggers – drop me a line at denise @ shopperstrategy.com if you’d like to post this fun linky on your blog and I’ll send you the code!

Posted in Giveawayswith No Comments →

American Family $50,000 Cash Sweepstakes!01.25.12

American Family

It’s that time of year again!  Click here to enter the American Family sweepstakes for a chance to win $50,000 cash!  You can’t win if you don’t enter ;)

(All posts may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.)

Posted in sweepstakeswith No Comments →

My 1/25 Publix Trip – $81.09 for $18.12 or 78% Off01.25.12

We go through juice like crazy here so I probably should have bought more of the Cran-Grape juice, but I’m trying really hard to stay below $100 this month for the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge and I’m trying to keep our spending to a minimum.  I couldn’t pass up the Chef Boyardee cans either because my kids absolutely love them and I had coupons to match with the sale so I stocked up a little bit.  This cat litter is the non-scooping kind but it was such a good deal that I figured we could try it.  I’m going to attempt to mix it with our other clumping litter and see what happens ;)  Today I bought $81.09 worth of groceries for $18.12 after coupons and $20 RR, or 78% off.  Here are the deals:

Ragu Pasta Sauce 16 to 24 oz, BOGO $2.59 or $1.30 each

Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail, or Juice Drink, 64 oz, (excluding 100% Cranberry Juices and Light Blended Juices), BOGO $3.85
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice or Juice Drinks, 64 oz+, p.136-137 Weight Watchers, Nov 2011 (exp 02/28/2012) (if included)
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice or Juice Drinks, p. 136-137 Better Homes & Garden, Oct 2011 (exp 02/28/2012)
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice or Juice Drinks, 64 oz+, P.126-127 Shape, Oct 2011 (exp 02/28/2012)
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice or Juice Drinks, 64 oz+ Fitness, Oct 2011 (exp 02/28/2012)
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit or Juice Drinks, 64 oz, p.52-53 Women’s Day, Oct 2011 (exp 02/28/2012)
-$1/2 Ocean Spray Grapefruit or Juice Drinks, p.176-177 Good Housekeeping, Oct 2011 (exp 02/28/2012)
Final Price:  $1.93 each

Doritos Tortilla Chips, 11 to 12 oz, (excluding Baked), BOGO $4.29
- $1/2 Doritos tearpad (expire 02/05/12)
Final Price:  $2.15 (I had no qs)

French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, 14 oz, BOGO $1.95
-$0.30/1 French’s Classic Yellow or Spicy Brown Mustard 01/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
-$0.30/1 French’s Mustard (I used this one)
Final Price:  $0.68

Nabisco Nilla Wafers or Fig Newtons, 8 to 14 oz, BOGO $3.99
-FREE Bananas (up to $.55) peelie wyb 1 Nilla Wafers (any variety,10oz to 12oz) (exp 1/31/12)
-$3/3 Nabisco Honey Maid, Newtons, Ritz Crackerfuls, Teddy Grahams, Wheat Thins, and Triscuit 01/08/2012 SS Insert (exp 01/27/2012)
-$2/3 Nabisco Honey Maid, Newtons, Ritz, Crackerfuls, Teddy Grahams, Snack Well’s, Wheat Thins, 100 Cal and Triscuit 01/08/2012 SS Insert (exp 01/27/2012)
-$1/2 Nabisco Crackers, 9 -16 oz (I used this one)
Final Price:  $1.50 each

Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits, 16.3 to 17.3 oz, 10/$10
-$1/2 Grands Biscuits (I used 2 of these)
-$0.30/2 Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits 01/08/2012 GM Insert (exp 03/03/2012)
-$0.35/3 Pillsbury Grands! Jr. Biscuits 01/08/2012 GM Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
-$0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits 01/08/2012 GM Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
-$0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits 12/11/2011 SS Insert (exp 03/03/2012)
-$0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits 12/04/2011 SS Insert (exp 02/25/2012)
-$0.40/3 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits 11/13/2011 GM Insert (exp 02/04/2012)
-$0.30/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Biscuits 11/13/2011 GM Insert (exp 02/04/2012)
Final Price:  $0.50 each

Chef Boyardee 14.5 to 15 oz, 10/$10
-$0.50/4 Chef Boyardee Pasta, any 01/01/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/05/2012)
-$1/4 Chef Boyardee Microwave Pasta 01/01/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/05/2012)
Final Price:  $0.88 each can

Arnold Dutch Country Bread, 22 to 24 oz, (excluding Italian), BOGO $2.99 or $1.50 each

Publix Cat Litter 20 to 25 lb, $2.69

Edy’s Grand Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt or Sherbet 1.5 quart, 2/$7
-$1/2 Edy’s Ice Cream Coupon (48oz) (I used this one but it’s no longer available)
-$1.50/2 Edy’s Products, 48 oz, Publix Simply Delicious Booklet (exp 02/29/2012)
Final Price:  $3 each carton

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

Posted in Shopping Tripswith No Comments →

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