Got Toilet Paper???

So let me just let you in on a little secret: Those great CVS paper product coupons that I told you about? They are printing from the price-scanning machine like CRAZY. I ran by CVS last night and scanned both of my cards and got 2 coupons per card! And then my friend Jen went by today, and got TONS of them. So she picked up 16 rolls of toilet paper, among other things...

Check out her haul:

1 frizz-ease shampoo

1 frizz-ease conditioner

1 frizz-ease gel

2 dove conditioner

4 black olives

2 dial nutriskin body washes

2 colgate proclinical toothpaste

4 3pk dentyne gum (12 packs)

5 bags jelly beans

1 pair slippers

3 sticks cocoa butter

6 travel lotions

2 packs hair ties

16 single rolls of toilet paper

Total Spent: $31.90 (no ECBs used)
Total ECBs she walked away with: $28.98

Ya-hoo! Go Jen! =) I'm so happy for her. This is one of her first successful CVS savings trips! She's becoming a pro! Everyone congratulate her below in the comments section!

Oh - and just so you know, this toilet paper really isn't that bad (considering it's FREE). I thought it would be really rough and gross. It's a little thin, but I don't find it to be too rough at all. And thin can be good. I tend to waste more when it's thicker!

Marina Shares Her Publix Savings!

Marina e-mailed me with her awesome Publix savings from this week! Check it out:

What she bought (pictured above):

1 $50 BP gas card
4 coffee mate creamer
2 packs of guacamole
2 scrubbing bubbles starter kit
4 boxes dog treats
2 half gallon organic valley milk
2 boxes kashi herb cracker
2 cracker barrel cheese
2 yellow squash
3 zuchinni
1.5 lbs of tomato
2 lbs of banana
1 english cucumber
1 bag of goldfish
2 bags of sunflower seeds
2 32ct bayer aspirin
1 midol
1 pineapple

Total Before Savings $149.38
Total saved from vendor coupons $33.22
Total saved from store coupons $33.50
Special Price savings $15.51
Total Savings $82.23
Total Paid $67.15

Ummm...She paid $67, and the gas card alone cost $40 (with the $10 off coupon)!!! That means she got everything in the picture for a mere $27.

Woo Hoo! Go Marina! Everyone be sure to congratulate her in the comments below!

What About You: Do you have some killer savings to share? If so, you can link up or comment on Share Your Savings Saturday. Or, feel free to e-mail me with a picture and summary of what you bought/saved, and I will try to post it! I usually try to pick out one reader's savings at least every other week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right).

Maria SCORES At Target!

Reader Maria e-mailed me about her *sweet* savings at Target this week! Wow! Check this out...

Here is what she bought (pictured above):

7 Sensodyne
4 Bandaids
6 Hello Kitty Bandaids
1 Bandaid (20 count)
1 Neosporin
4 Pictureka games
1 Bop It game
1 Monopoly card game

Total Paid: $4.72
Total Savings: $67.51

WOO HOO! Great job, Maria! You did awesome. Thanks for sharing! Everybody be sure to congratulate Maria in the comments below!

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually try to pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right).

*Also, I have started a new feature each week called Share Your Savings Saturday. I basically share my savings with you as usual, but then give everybody else a chance to share theirs as well! I know many of you have blogs, so fill free to link up your savings each Saturday! For those of you without blogs, be sure to leave comments on the Share Your Savings Saturday post, too!

Check Out Alison's Publix Savings!!!

Alison e-mailed me this past week about her incredible Publix trip. Check it out!

Here is what she bought (pictured above):

2 Santa Rita Chardonnay

6 packs Flat-Out Wraps

2 Simply Orange OJ

1 package strawberries

1 package asparagus

3 navel oranges

2 bunches bananas

2 bottles V8 Frusion juice

3 packs Benadryl

2 jars Prego spaghettie sauce

1 jar peanut butter

8 Yoplait Light yogurt

1 Yoplait Greek yogurt

1 gallon milk

2 All detergent

1 12-roll pack of Cottonelle

3 packs Buddig Deli Meat

2 Contessa frozen meals

2 bags Fast Fixin Chicken tenders

3 plum tomatoes

1 head of leaf lettuce

1 dozen eggs

1 bag Cape Cod chips

1 $50 BP Gas Card

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $204.18
Total saved from sales: $51.70
Manufacturer coupons used: $23.00
Store/Competitor coupons used: $34.19
Total amount saved: $108.89
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $95.29

Notice that she paid $95.29 total for everything, yet she bought a $50 gas card!!! The gas card really cost $40 because of the promotion, but think about those savings...her groceries only cost her about $50.

Go Alison! Thanks for sharing! Everybody be sure to congratulate her in the comments!

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually try to pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right).

*Also, I have started a new feature each week called Share Your Savings Saturday. I basically share my savings with you as usual, but then give everybody else a chance to share theirs as well! I know many of you have blogs, so fill free to link up your savings each Saturday! For those of you without blogs, be sure to leave comments on the Share Your Savings Saturday post, too!

New Couponers Share Their Savings At Target and Publix!

Melanie and Maria sent me an e-mail about their incredible savings from last week! The cool thing? Both of them are "newbie" couponers. If they can do it, you can too! So check out their savings below and be inspired to start couponing as well...

Maria went to Target and got everything pictured below for only $10.43 out of pocket. She saved $71.30! Wow, Maria! Great job!

Melanie has been couponing at Publix since the beginning of February, and she finally discovered what a huge difference competitor coupons can make! On this trip she used Food Lion, Target, and Save-A-Lot coupons. Unfortunately, her husband was too quick for her -- he unloaded all the groceries before she could take a picture of her savings (very sweet of him)!

Here is what she bought, though:

2 - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
1 - Gallon of milk
1 - Silk Soy milk
4 - Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
2 - Frusion Smoothies (4-packs)
3 - Coffee Mate Creamers
1 - V8 Fusion Juice
1 - bundle bananas
2 - Right Guard Sport Gel deodorants
2 - Muir Glen Tomato Sauce
2 - Sundown Kids Vitamins (Marvel Heros - 60 count)

Total before savings - $66.46
Store/competitor coupons - $17.50
Manufacturer coupons - $14.60
Store sale savings - $15.87
Total spent OOP - $18.49

Be sure to leave comments to congratulate and encourage these two new couponers! They did a fantastic job!!!

If you want to start saving like this each week:
Go HERE for Target deals
Go HERE for Publix deals

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader's First Couponing Trip To Publix!

Jen e-mailed me this week with the results of her very first couponing trip to Publix! She's been wanting to try it for several months now and has been faithfully gathering her couponing inserts every Sunday. She finally decided to give it a go this week, and she had GREAT results! She did say that she picked up a few things she wasn't originally planning on buying since her husband was with her (And we all know how that affects the grocery budget. They can sure be impulse-buyers! He He).

Here were her final results (pictured above):

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $229.12
Total saved from sales: $89.39
Manufacturer coupons used: $22.90
Store/Competitor coupons used: $16
Total amount saved: $128.29
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $100.83

She paid $100 for $230 worth of groceries!!! I would say you did amazing for your very first time couponing, Jen! Everyone be sure to leave a comment to encourage Jen and let her know how great she did! =)

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Heather Shares Her CVS Success!

Heather e-mailed me this week about her awesome CVS trip! She said that she used to never even pay attention to the bottom of her CVS receipts, and now she can't believe that she let all that "free money" go to waste. Check out her savings:

Purchased:

1 Covergirl Clean Foundation

1 Covergirl Clean Powder

2 Glade Fragrance Collection Reed Diffusers

4 12packs Coke

2 Sobe Lifewater

1 CVS Green Tag

1 Florida Times Union

Total Paid - $1.79

Total Saved (coupons, sales, and ECBs) - $62.79

Received Back - $9 ECB and a $3 off of $15 purchase coupon

Way to go, Heather! You totally rocked it! Be sure to leave a comment of congratulations and encouragement for Heather. =)

If you want to start saving big at CVS like this, be sure to check out the CVS Basics post and the deals that I post each week!

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Pays ONLY Tax On Her Publix Trip!

Lacie e-mailed me with her most recent trip to Publix, and WOW!!! Her total was negative, and all she paid was the tax that got her back into the positive.

She got everything pictured above for a total of $2.00! Her savings? ... $89.54! Great job, Lacie! You're awesome!

And again...you notice in her picture those precious little Knox gelatin boxes. Ahhh, the beauty of the $4 Knox coupon! =) He He.

Be sure to leave a comment to encourage and congratulate Lacie on her savings!

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Shares Her Publix Savings (and uses Knox coupons wisely)!

Sarah e-mailed me about her incredible trip to Publix this week. I'm very impressed. =) She was lucky enough to receive some of those $4/1 Knox coupons in the 1-24-10 RP. If you're unfamiliar with the beauty of the $4 Knox coupon, you can go read this post that fully explains why it is so spectacular to use at Publix! (Basically, it's like a coupon for almost $3 off of your entire grocery bill. I've used them countless times before. The link to the above post is from a printable Knox coupon that was available a while back).

Anyways, here is what Sarah bought:

2 Contessa frozen meals

2 Pillsbury toaster strudels

1 box Fruity Pebbles

1 box Honey Combs

2 loaves Pepperidge Farm bread

4 Juicy Juices

I bag of Wonka gummies

I can of Pam cooking spray

6 boxes Knox gelatin

1 Hunts ketchup

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

2 bottles Kraft BBQ sauce

1 gallon Milk

1 bunch of bananas

2 Boxes Honey Grahams

2 boxes Aleve

1 12 pack of Fanta

2 12 packs of Diet Coke

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $101.50
Total saved from sales: $36.12
Manufacturer coupons used: $38.95
Store/Competitor coupons used: $6.75
Total amount saved: $81.82
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $19.68

Did you catch that??? She paid $19.68 for $101.50 worth of groceries. Now that's my kind of shopping! I'm sure you can also see how amazingly wonderful that Knox coupon is. She used 6 of them on the 6 boxed gelatins, giving her approximately $15.66 in overage! ***Your Publix has to allow overage for this to work. It just depends on your store. Some allow it, others do not.

Way to go, Sarah! =)

If you haven't given Publix a chance yet, you might want to consider it. You can go here to learn all about Publix couponing and deal-making. I also post the best deals every week.

And don't forget...If you're totally brand new to couponing, you can check out this post on Couponing Basics and this series on how to save money on groceries!

What About You: Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Readers Share Their Savings!

Sara and Morgane sent me e-mails this week to share their sweet savings! I love sharing readers' savings with everybody, because I feel that it promotes inspiration and encouragement. Everyone feel free to congratulate these two on a job well done this week...

Sara stopped by Kroger, Meijer, and Walgreens. She spent $24.70, and saved $38.21! Everything pictured/listed below was completely free!

What she got for free:

2 Handwarmers
2 pkgs of Starkist Tuna
2 pkgs of Lance Crackers
2 sm boxes of Kotex
1 Hunt's ketchup
2 Suave deodorants
1 can of Betty Crocker frosting
2 Betty Crocker Warm Delights
1 box of Little Debbie cupcakes

Way to go, Sara!!!

**********************************************

Morgane has only been couponing for one month, and check out what she was able to do by being a savvy couponer at Publix:



Here is what she bought:

Purex

2x Scotties Tissues

2x Green Giant Vegetables

2x Quaker Chewy Bars

2x Whole Fruit Sorbet

10x Dannon Yogurt

3x Chobani Greek Yogurt

Pillsbury Crescent rolls (small)

2x Voila!

2x Goldfish

2x Progresso Soup

2x Pompeian Olive Oil

2x Lender's Bagels

2x Near East Couscous

Ramen Noodles

Publix Milk

Ecolier Milk Chocoloate Buiscuits

Starbucks Coffee

Competitor Coupons: $5.00

Manufacturer Coupons: $14.20

Advertised Store Savings: $33.41

Total Savings: $52.61

Total Spent: $40.23

WOW! You look like you've been doing this for years, Morgane! You're no beginner in my eyes.

If you're new to this blog, let this be an encouragement! Anybody can coupon! It just takes a little time and dedication. If you're just getting started, try Coupon Basics and Supermarket Secrets to learn how all of it works on a large scale. Then you could move on to Publix Basics, CVS Basics, and Walgreens Basics! And remember, the most important thing is to HAVE FUN! (Trust me, couponing IS fun).

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Kaylee's Publix Trip!

Kaylee e-mailed me about her awesome Publix trip this week! Check out what she was able to get for only $20.31 (pictured above)!

2- Cape Cod Chips
1-Margret House Field Snaps and Peas
1-Publix Bread
2- Magic Tape
5- Tangerines
1-Nature Valley Granola Bars
3-Swiss Miss 10ct. Hot Choc.
6- Bush’s black beans
4-Betty Crocker Potatoes
2-Kraft Cream Cheese
2-Breyers Ice Cream
2- Publix 16 Slice Cheese Singles
1-Aunt Jemima French Toast
1-Aunt Jemima Pancakes
1-Cool Whip
2-Barber Chicken
1-Sara Lee Cheesecake
2- Coffee Mate Creamers
2-Glade Soy Candles

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $95.89
Total saved from sales: $36.13
Manufacturer coupons used: $17.90
Store/Competitor coupons used: $21.55
Total amount saved: $75.58
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $20.31

Anybody else want to jump on the Publix bandwagon? If you haven't, you need to! I can't stress it enough. You'll never save nearly as much at any other grocery store.

Kaylee was a dedicated Kroger-shopper just a couple months ago. She thought Publix prices were too high, until she discovered how much you can save there by combining coupons and sales!

If you want to start saving like this yourself, check out couponing basics, supermarket secrets, and principles of Publix to get started. You can do it, too! I promise...

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Shares Her CVS Success!!!

Jeanne e-mailed me about her amazing CVS trip this week! Check it out...

Total out of pocket paid was $5.86 and here is what she got:

(1) Oral B dental floss
(1) Nivea Body Wash
(2) Revlon Moondrop Lipsticks
(1) 500ml Listerine Coolmint mouthwash
(1) Almay Mascara
(2) Glade Sense and spray air freshner systems
(1) 12oz box of Russell Stover Chocolates
(1) Snickers candy bar
(2) King Size Hershey candy bars

Total cost of items: $52.89 (this was after the savings with the extra care card - it would have be $73.78 without card)
Minus $35.97 Extra Care Bucks used
Minus $14.00 Vendor Coupons
Cost $2.92
Tax $2.94
Total Out of pocket $5.86
ECBs received: $8

So...she paid $5.86 for $73.78 worth of items, plus she walked away with $8 ECBs to use next time! Don't believe me that CVS allows you to get all your household items for free? I think this is proof. =)

Thanks for sharing, Jeanne! Congratulations on your savings success!!!

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Shares Her Walgreens and Target Savings!

Jess e-mailed me about her savings trips to Walgreens and Target this week! Take note, people...this is her first week of truly diving into the world of couponing!!! All it takes is a little time, effort, and dedication...as seen from this reader! Check this out...

Her Walgreens Trip:

Spent out of pocket: $34.56
Saved from coupons/sales: $77.82
Register Rewards she walked away with: $19
Net Spending (out of pocket minus RR): $15.56

So, she essentially paid $15.56 for all of the items pictured above! The 2 Theraflu medicines alone would have cost more than that without sales/coupons!!!

*********************

Then she hit up Target:

Spent out of pocket: $16.54
Saved from coupons/sales: $33
Gift cards she walked away with: $5
Rebates she will send in for: $10
Net Spending (out of pocket minus gift card and rebate): $1.54

When it's all said and done, she only paid $1.54 for everything pictured above!

*********************

Way to go, Jess! You did awesome! What an inspiration to other people who are new to the couponing and money-saving world! Thanks for sharing!

If you want to get in on some of these same sweet deals this week, go HERE for Walgreens deals (be sure to check out the incredible 4-day sale!) and go HERE for Target deals. Have fun!

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Shares Her Publix Savings!

Nicole e-mailed me this past week about her Publix Savings trip. She said it didn't go as planned, and she didn't save as much as she thought she would...but I say she did FANTASTIC!

Here's what she got (pictured above):

2 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2 boxes of Cheerios
2 packages of Solo plates
2 boxes of Cheez-its
2 boxes of Near East Couscous
4 boxes of Mueller's Whole Wheat Pasta
2 Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls
2 bottles of Glass Plus Cleaner
2 tubs of Country Crock

Total spent: $11.30

Savings: $40.49

Way to go, Nicole!

If you haven't given Publix a chance yet, you might want to consider it. You can go here to learn all about Publix couponing and deal-making. I also post the best deals every week.

And don't forget...If you're totally brand new to couponing, you can check out this post on Couponing Basics and this series on how to save money on groceries!

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (try to fit it all into one pic, if you can) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Another Reader Shares Her Publix Success!

Amy e-mailed me with her weekly savings at Publix. You aren't going to believe how well she did!

Here's her transaction (with picture above):

(2) Krusteaz Cookie Mix (sugar and chocolate chip)
(2) Marie Callender's Pasta al dente
(2) Oreo Cakesters
(2) Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage ropes
(2) Coffeemate creamers
(2) Fast Fixin frozen chicken (Popcorn and fries)
(1) Publix Brand bread
(2) Coles Garlic Bread
(2) Fresh Express Salad Blend
(3) Idohoan Potatoes
(2) Stacy's Pita chips
(1) Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage Links
(2) Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pastas (Lasagna and fusilli)
(3lb) Apples
(2) 8 O'Clock Coffee
(2) Progresso Plain Bread Crumbs
(2) Arm and Hammer toothpaste
(6) Old El Paso Taco Seasoning

Total before coupons: $103.27

Vendor Coupons:$26.78
Store Coupon: $15.00
Advertised Special Savings: $44.99

Total after coupons: $16.50

WOW! Way to go, Amy! You did awesome!

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture (make sure it's just one picture) and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will try to post it! I usually pick out one reader's savings each week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader's Loyalty Changes

If you haven't noticed yet, I am like a free advertiser for Publix. Anybody who I talk to about couponing and saving knows that my number one motto is: "You can almost always get it cheaper at Publix." Yes, that's right...cheaper than Kroger, cheaper than Target, and GASP...cheaper than Walmart! =)

Now I know many of you don't have Publix as an option, depending on where you live. If you do happen to live near a store, however, I recommend you give it a try. I know people who travel 30 to 40 minutes just to shop at Publix.

My cousin, Kaylee, was pretty skeptical of Publix for a while. She lives near a Kroger and a Publix. She always chose Kroger. After all, the prices are much lower at Kroger than Publix. After seeing a couple of weeks of my savings at Publix, however, she decided she might give Publix a shot.

She now loves Publix, as well. Why? She has discovered that it is a couponer and deal seeker's dream store. Here is her most recent shopping trip (pictured above):

2: Wise Cheese Doodles
2: Stacy’s Pita Chips
2: Shark bites gummies
2: 8 o’clock coffees
2: Healthy Harvest Rotini pasta
2: Contessa Frozen Meals (Mongolian beef and shrimp jambalaya)
2: Toasters Strudels
6: Old El Paso Taco Mix
2: Coffee Mate Liquid Creamer
2: Hillshire farms smoked Sausage
1: Publix Diet Coke (No saving just wanted it!)

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $67.55
Total saved from sales: $29.30
Store coupons used: $9.50
Manufacturer/Competitor coupons used: $16.68
Total amount saved: $55.48
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $12.07

***She paid $12.07 for $67.55 worth of groceries! I don't think you can beat that anywhere. Way to go, Kaylee! Thanks for sharing!!

If you haven't given Publix a chance yet, you might want to consider it. You can go here to learn all about Publix couponing and deal-making. I also post the best deals every week.

And don't forget...If you're totally brand new to couponing, you can check out this post on Couponing Basics and this series on how to save money on groceries!

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will post it! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)

Reader Shares Her Publix Savings!!!

I am so excited to be able to share about a reader's savings for the first time! Nicole e-mailed me with this picture and the summary of her trip. She did REALLY great, and she was very excited about it (as we all are when we walk out of the grocery store with bags full of almost free items). Here is how her transaction went down:

What she bought:

2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel
6 packets of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning mix
4 bags of Bird's Eye Steamfresh (2 rice, 1 corn, 1 broccoli)
4 boxes of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta
2 boxes of Krustaez cookie mix
2 small canisters of Progresso Bread Crumbs
2 Arm and Hammer toothpaste

Total before sales and coupons: $42.31
Total amount saved (from sales and coupons): $35.59
Total paid out of pocket after savings: $6.72

***She only paid $6.72 for everything pictured above - for $42 worth of groceries! Way to go, Nicole! You did awesome! Thanks for sharing! =)

Want to share your savings? Feel free to e-mail me with a picture and summary of what you bought and saved, and I will post it! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right)