Saturday, July 31, 2010

Thrifty and splurgey - CVS free photobooks, Publix cheap Gardein, Vitamix

First, I went to CVS and got the free-after-ECB photobook ($7.99, get $7.99 back, I had a $7.99 ECB ready to go). I wish they still did these as limit 5, but the one I got is perfect. I also got my free Suave shampoo with the coupon Suave sent me a while back.

Sometime this weekend I plan on going to Publix for the Gardein BOGO deal. I prefer this brand of fake meat to almost any other, and the packages are $2 each with the sale - a great price. But there's also a coupon at gardein.com for $1 off, so I'll get a few packages at a dollar. A friend sent me one extra coupon, and I think a different friend is sending me some extras too. In any case, this deal is as fantastic as the Morningstar Farms deal a few weeks ago (though I have far fewer coupons this time around).

I'm selectively thrifty though. Yesterday I was at Whole Foods and they had a man doing a demo of Vitamix blenders. I have a weakness for this kind of demo - for county fair demos and infomercials and all things like that, especially for food-prep products (the only one I've ever bought was the vacuum sealer though and I use that a lot but I do need a new one soon). Anyway, I got sucked in and...I bought one. And it is WONDERFUL. It does what it promises and I really like it. I made a frozen cappuccino today that tasted so thick and creamy (with skim milk) and I look forward to soups and smoothies. Of course now I have an extra blender and a food processor (both very nice brands, both were wedding gifts) to figure out. I probably will sell them as money toward the Vitamix.

Splurges are important!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

CVS - Moneymaker on BioTrue

I plan on making a free photobook later this week (I have a $7.99 ECB), but I saw via Money Saving Mom that there were BioTrue printables and I'd wanted to try this product anyway.

So I bought one at $2.99, used the $2 printable and paid $1.20 OOP. I got back $2.99 and a $1 for my Green Bag Tag.
Then I used another $2 printable and the $1 from the GBT, paid 14 cents OOP (not sure why it wasn't 20 cents, but whatever) and got back another $2.99.

So I spent $1.34 out of pocket and got back $5.98 in ECBs plus 2 bottles of BioTrue. Yay.

Friday, July 2, 2010

One more Publix trip

OK, so we went back to Publix tonight.

I got 12 - TWELVE - different Morningstar Farms things for $1 or 99 cents each (every other one was 99 cents because of the way they do the BOGOs). I used 5 of my $2/2 coupons (BEST TRADE EVER) (I have one left, and our freezer has a bit more room, and tomorrow we're taking some of the burgers to a friend's house...) and two of the $1/1 Entree coupons from the boxes themselves. These new boxes also have those coupons but, well, we're running out of room.

I also was emailed another link for the Breyers $1 coupons, so I got two more boxes of those for $1.15 each. (Yum.)

And I got two more boxes of Cheerios for $1 each.

Plus another free mayo bottle. I still feel like I should only use one Publix coupon per transaction (since they key them in) but if I go back one more time I'll....get another bottle!

So everything was either 75% off or free. Well, everything I got. I mean, the chips we got for tomorrow were BOGO (but no coupon, at least none that I brought), and the buns were on sale...but yeah. Even so, I spent $35 and saved OVER FIFTY DOLLARS. YES.

I noticed in Publix a lot of pricetags with lowered prices that indicated it wasn't a sale price but an everyday ALWAYS low price. I"m not positive that's what it meant, but if it does, my beloved Laughing Cow is $2 now. YAY. And I left a message in the suggestion box for them to continue to carry the new flavors. I hope they do. I HOPE THEY DO.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

What I got for free or crazy cheap at Publix July 1, 2010

Publix is amazing this week.

Morningstar Farms items (not JUST the entrees, as the ad/signs indicate) are BOGO at $3.99, making each one $2, which is awesome to start with. But I traded for 10 $2/2 coupons, which makes each one A DOLLAR. I got six today (including two of the entrees, heh). I'm going to go back this weekend for a bit more. We buy these all the time anyway so this is 75% off of what we usually pay.
French's mustard is on sale for 89 cents, and there's a printable for 50 cents off, so it's free plus overage.
Kraft Sandwich Mayo is on sale - it's BOGO at $1.99. EASY to get this one free - just grab a yellow advantage flyer from the front of the store, because there's a $1 coupon right there. Technically this can be stacked with the recent manufacturers $1 coupon or used separately. I had 2 manu coupons and a bunch of advantage coupons, but I'm still unclear on how many Publix coupons I can use in a transaction, so I just used one and I got three bottles free. I plan to go back for more of this too, as it's low fat AND flavored. (The hot and spicy is NOT low fat though! Beware! Or don't...)
Breyers ice cream bars aren't the healthiest thing in the universe, but they're not awful either, and they're $1.19 after coupon.
Kraft salad dressing is on sale for $1.60, and there are $1 coupons, making it 60 cents a bottle. I actually prefer Publix brand, but for this cheap I'll switch.
Gardein is on sale for $3.50 a package, which is cheaper than it usually is (and it's delicious).
Cheeerios are $2 a box and there's a $1 coupon. (It may be a 50-cent-doubled, I can't remember offhand.) $1 a box for Cheerios rules.
Schick shaving gel is still $2 until July 2, and so Publix coupon + manufacturer's coupon = free.
Chinet napkins are $1.08 a pack for 90. There are $1 coupons on their website. 8 cents!

I think that's everything. HUGE thanks to I Heart Publix and CouponMom this week! [And somehow we still spent over $100 at the store - we saved $60 - because we bought disposable diapers since we're going on a trip (usually we use cloth), razor refills for my husband (although I pointed out he still has a bunch unopened, but hey, we had coupons and now he's well stocked), Vitatops (yum), coffee (on sale though!) and...some other randomness.)

Oh and I was VERY SAD to see that my Publix was out of the new Laughing Cow flavors. I hope they restock!!!!! The queso is soooooo goooood!

PS Vocalpoint sent me free samples of disposable diapers this week. However, there are several internet reports of children getting major rashes from this brand, so I'm trashing them. Sorry.