Extreme Couponing - Stocking Up For Summer - Take Advantage of Memorial Day Sales

Well, I posted Wednesday that the sales this week were absolutely fantastic. Many of us who coupon have been  greatly disappointed and living off our stockpiles for a few weeks. However, in the summer, take advantage of the Memorial Day, 4th July and Labor Day grocery ads. These sales are a great time to stock up on drinks, chips, breads and meats.

Just a side note, here's what's going on with me. I'm nearing 6 months pregnant and beginning to have trouble moving around. I'm trying to get everything done while I can and then will spend the next 3-4 months enjoying my summer, the pool, good books and great movies. I definitely took advantage of this week's sale. In fact I am so stocked up, except for milk, fresh fruit and veggies and the occasional item or two, I don't plan to extreme coupon shop again till August ( if I'm physically able to.) I planned meals and picnics, lunches etc for the next  4 months and bought accordingly.

Here are the results of my biggest haul yet - The Summer stock up.
Two trips to Wal-Mart, two locations while working around kids schedules
Two trips to Kroger
1 trip to Wal-Greens
1 trip to Super 1 Foods
1 trip to CVS

Walmart Total  $86.39 &; $123.34 Saved $70 in coupons
Kroger Total $66.44 &;  $132.98 Saved  $198.79 in coupons
Walgreens Total $12.08 Saved $27.60
Super 1 Foods Total 12.87 Saved $15.75
CVS Total $16 Saved $9 and received $6 in ECBs on my next purchase
Grand Total Spent $477.58
Total Savings : $308.39
Ok so that's $785.97 worth of food & household needs for $477.58
That's 40% this month.
It was a lot of work, but considering that's a summer's worth, it was definitely worth it.
I have been spending right at $100 a week on food & supplies.
This is at least 2-4 months worth for $477.58.
Remember my ultimate goal is to get my monthly Bill down to $500 a month for grocery gas expenses.
Now that I've stocked up for the summer, let's see if I can meet that goal starting in June. So you can see how, month after month, this family of 6, soon to be 7 is lowering their bills by planning meals, eating at home, cooking from scratch, couponing and stocking up. It's working!

Here's what my family will be enjoying this summer:
Mondays: Pancakes or Waffles
Tuesdays: Hot dogs or Hamburgers, chips or fries & onion Rings, canned drinks
Wednesday: Pizza & Salad
Thursdays : Chili, cheese, chips, soft tacos, enchiladas & guacamole
Fridays : Leftover night
Sat: Southern Cooking Day or Chinese
Sunday: Pasta, Salad, Texas Toast

Breakfast: cereal, toast, biscuits, pigs in a blanket, eggs, pancakes, waffles
Lunches : sandwiches, chips, drinks, sometimes pasta, pizza, hot dogs, nachos, soft tacos or left overs and salads and fruit
Snacks: cookies, crackers, popsicles, ice cream, fresh fruit

We stocked up on chips, canned drinks, pasta, chicken, hot dogs, sausage,sugar, tolit paper, shampoo and conditioner, mouthwash, water, juice, bread, sandwich meat, pizza, ice cream, cookies, french fries, cake mixes, icing, salad dressing

A word to those who like hamburgers. Hamburger meat is near $2.00 a pound now. I have been buying the 32 pattie box for $17 at Wal-Mart. That's almost $.50 a pattie. This summer, we'll substitute hot dogs and cold sandwiches for hamburger night, or I will occasionally go to McDonalds or Wendys, buy 3 double cheeseburgers for $3 and come home and add 3 of my own buns and split 3 double cheeseburgers into 6 singles.

Pizza night- we buy the rectangle shaped 3.5 pound pizza at the Walmart Deli for $9.88 and we have pizza for dinner on Wednesday and Friday night Leftover dinner. That one pizza cut into squares feeds the 6 of us 2 MEALS!!

Split Chicken Breast were $.99 a pound and I got hot dogs for $.69 a package, so I definitely stocked up on those.

I'm done!
Enjoy your summer.
My feet are swelling and I'm propped up right now.
So feel free to comment or email. Ask Questions if you need to.
I'll probably post again in August.
Amy

Learning How To Coupon More Efficiently - Still Making Progress

Over the past two weeks, I've done my weekly errand running on  Saturdays so that my husband was home with the kids and I could shop on my own. This helps tremendously, especially on my stress levels.

However, shopping on Saturday has it's drawbacks. Everybody and their dog is at Wal-Mart. To some extent, I'm serious. It's crowded and people who watch the TLC show and are trying to learn to coupon see me getting 20 bottles of Taco Bell Hot Sauce and approach me as I search through my organized pile of envelopes and coupons. It can be a real bother, but it's humorous too. Guys, this is not that hard to learn. It just takes time and a lot of organization.

This past week, one of my Budget Homemaking groups got on the discussion of couponing and coupon binders.
I know there are women out there who cut all those coupons out and put them in little card holder plastic protectors and carry everything in large heavy binders. I'm too much of a minimalist to do all that work. So, I thought I'd share what I've learned and what I do with the group. Here's what I posted.

One thing I've learned to get the best deals is to Network with Facebook groups
and blogs online that do the coupon to store price matching for you.
Sites like Hot Coupon World and A Full Cup help some with this but I'm going to
list what I use.

When storing and organizing coupons, they match by insert dates,
RP- Red Plum, SS Smart Source, P & G Proctor & Gamble and, and All You is All
You Magazine.

So when you see $1 off Campbells Soup RP 5/1, 
you know to go get the May 1 RedPlum Coupon insert from the Sunday paper.

So for me I don't cut coupons till I'm planning my grocery trip between Wed and
Sat of each week. I keep the inserts in tact and organized by Date.

I am currently buying 10 inserts a week at $1.35-$1.40 an insert and the coupons
are paying for themselves. This last week, I used Xtrra detergent coupons at CVS
with my ECB ( Extra Credit bucks) and got 16 bottles for $9, 
I paid $6 for my total of about 17 packages of Carefree pantyliners, 4 Aquafresh Kids training
toothpaste and 2 bags of Chex Mix at Target. 
I bought Newborn diapers at Toys R Us for $14 a box and, 
I saved over $20 on my weekly groceries at Wal-Mart, 
I paid $60total which includes: bottled water, milk, potato chips, pasta sauce, taco sauce,
pizza, deodorant, free hair styling products, Glade house spray, etc. etc.

Also at Wal-Green bought (3) 12 packs of Ginger Ale and Orange Soda I use on
picnic days during violin & piano lessons for $2 each after Register Rewards.

I buy my inserts either locally in a convenient store Sunday " Double Paper" 2
papers, 2 sets of coupons $2.75 or on the site
http://www.madcoupons.net/ 10 sets of coupons for $14 a week delivered in the
mail on Mondays, paid for on a monthly basis by Paypal account.

Here are the blogs I follow each week to get the sales and coupon matches.
http://www.simplycvsshopping.com/
http://www.southernsavers.com/
http://www.groceryshopforfree.com/ ( Click on Store Deals)
http://katycouponers.blogspot.com/
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

Overall, I'm learning. I'm now getting free things at Dollar General, CVS, Wal-Greens, Target & Wal-Mart.
my grocery bills are now $100 or less a week and I'm nearing my goal of eventually only paying $500 a month for groceries & gas, and this week..... THIS WEEK, I don't have to go grocery shopping at all!!!!! We have everything we need and then some!

I'm helping my daughters paint this weekend.
So, is it worth it. You bet.
Feel free to comment or ask questions.

Can You Get It All For Free? Cheapest Diapers on Amazon! LUVS $.10 per diaper

Ok, well, I took the plunge today and started researching disposable diapers. Also, looked into cloth diapers, and I know they can be the cheapest choice, but I just don't want to do it.

The best deal I found on Disposable Diapers was on Amazon. The LUVS brand can be as low as $.10 a diaper if you join the Subscribe & Save program.
With 228 diapers in the box of Size 1 diapers, I figure I'll need about a box of diapers a month at $25 a box.
So, how do I get diapers for free??
I'll be working on Amazon Mturk and Swagbucks to earn Free Amazon Gift cards, and if anyone asks, I'd love to have diapers or an Amazon gift card as a gift.

Not only do I have a goal to eventually get all my groceries and gas for $500 a month, but I'm also working toward obtaining all my diapers and formula and baby needs for free too. It's definitely a challenge, but it's one I'm ready to take on!