Deals & Steals - Meijer

Spent: $48.74
Saved: $45.22 (48%!)

I took full advantage of this week's Meijer 10for10 sale to stock up on essentials.  My husband was a big help in letting me borrow his coupon and his MPerk account ;o)  In addition to fresh fruit, 10for10 items, and the usuals, here were my deals and steals with coupons for this week's ad.  Good luck and happy shopping!

(4) Pure Protein Bars @ $1 each (10for10)
     - (4) $1 manufacturer's coupons (MQ)
     = Free!

(2) Fiber One Brownies @ $2.50 each
     - (2) $0.50 MPerks coupons (separate transaction for one box)
     - (2) $0.50 MQ
     = $1 each

(1) Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice @ $2.50 each
     - (1) $1 MQ (Red Plum, 8/7)
    = $1.50

(4) Coffeemate Nature's Bliss Coffee Creamer @ $1.67 each
     - (4) $1 MQ (Facebook product page)
     = $0.67 each

(2) Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding @ $1 each (10for10)
     - (1) $0.50 MQ (September All You magazine)
     = $0.50 each

(1) Earthbound Organic Carrots @ $1 each (10for10)
     - (1) $1 MQ (Recyclebank, $2 off 2)
     = Free!

(1) Earthbound Organic Romaine @ $2.99 each
     -(1) $1 MQ (Recyclebank, $2 off 2)
     = $1.99 each

(4) Progresso Soup @ $1.25 each
     - (2) $1 Meijer Mealbox coupon
     - (1) $1 MQ (GM, 8/7)
     = $0.50 each

Deals & Steals - Target and RiteAid

I don't always get the best deals at Target but was able to snag two free Schick Hydro 5 razors thanks to sale prices of $6.50, two $4 MQ's, and a $5 gift card with purchase deal.

However, this week was definitely a big week for Rite Aid deals.  Good thing, because I had some near-expiring UP+ rewards to use up, plus it was a bust for couponing at the grocery store this week!  During my trip to Rite Aid I also had the pleasure of meeting a couponer, except he was far more of an extreme couponer than I am.  We were going for the same toothbrush and had to laugh a little.  My cashier was struggling with the computer system and didn't correctly process my 10% shopping pass, otherwise this would have been a huge week!  Here were my deals:

(2) Gilette Fusion ProGlide Razors @ $9.97
      - (2) $5 UP+
      - (2) $4
      = $0.97 each

(1) Crest Pro Health Rinse @ 4.99
      - (1) $4.50 Single Check Rebate
      - (1) $2 MQ
      = $1.50 overage!

(2) Oral B Pulsar Toothbrushes @ $4.99 (grabbed the wrong product, whoops!)
      - (2) $2 MQ
      - (1) $3/15 RiteAid coupon
      = $1.50 each

(2) John Freida Full Repair Stylers @ $9.99 each, BOGO 1/2 off
      - (2) $5 MQ
      - (1) $5 UP+
      = Free!

(1) Colgate 360 Toothbrush @ $2.99
      - (1) $1 MQ
      - (1) $2 UP+
      = Free!

(2) Summer's Eve Products @ $2.99 each, BOGO Free
      - (1) $2 MQ
      = $0.50 each

(6) Pantene Shampoos, Conditioners, Stylers @ $3.50 each
      - (3) $3/2 MQ
      - (3) $2 UP+
      = $1 each

Total Merchandise Value: $105.84
Total OOP: $10.44
Total Saved: $95.40 (90%!)

Deals & Steals - RiteAid and Meijer

I have to admit: RiteAid shopping was a complete bust this week.  I had my coupon sorter loaded with clippings for a few items, and then realized that they weren't included in the short ad my store decided to adhere too.  Booooo.  I walked out empty handed and decided to say my UP+ rewards for another week.  Looks like this coming week will be a little less disappointing (unless said deals are also not in our short ad!)  That's the only issue with using some of the bigger, more popular national coupon sites, like my favorite SouthernSavers.com.  They may have the long RiteAid ad, and you may have the short version.

However, a quick trip to Meijer made up for my RiteAid disappointment.  Here are a few freebies and steals for the week:

(2) Heluva dips, sale price $0.99/each
     - (2) $0.50 MQ doubled
     = Free!
(5) Oscar Meyer lunchmeat sleeves, sale price $2.49/each
     - (1) $1/2 MQ
     - $5 instant savings
     - $4 OYNO catalina coupon
     = $0.49/each!
(1) Domino sugar, sale price $3/each
     - (1) $0.50 MQ doubled
     = $2/each
(2) Finish Dishwasher tabs, sale price $2/6
    - (2) $0.75 MQ
    - (1) $1 Mperk digital coupon
    = $1.75/each
Total spent: $10.20
Total saved: $23.39 (69%!)

Deals & Steals - Meijer, VS, RiteAid

Have you seen the show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC yet? I found it on-demand over the holiday weekend and had mixed reactions.  My first reaction was "oh great, the secret's out and this is the end of my freeloading of groceries and beauty products!" My second reaction was that I no longer feel bad for handing my cashier a stack of 10-20 coupons. It could be worse!

I'm getting back in the swing of couponing after a long winter hiatus.  As my favorite Rite Aid cashier said to me, "it's like a part-time job!"  This week I had some decent deals at Rite Aid, as well as grocery shopping at Meijer and a quick stop at the mall.  Here are my freebies and steals for this week...

Meijer -- Match-ups from BargainsToBounty.com

(2) Thomas English Muffins @ $3.99 each
     - BOGO sale
     - (3) $0.50 Meijer coupons (cashier added one by mistake?)
     Total: $1.25 each

(1) Package of organic raspberries @ 2/$5 sale
      - $0.50 MQ doubled
      Total: $1.50

(2) Green giant frozen boxed veggies @ 10 for $10 sale
      - (2) $0.50 MQ doubled
      Total: Free!

Total OOP: $68.43
Total saved: $29.47 (30%)
Slightly higher than my $50/week goal, but we stocked up on in-season produce -- organic lettuce, organic brocolli, organic raspberries, cherries, bell peppers, mango, organic carrots... couldn't resist!

Victoria's Secret

(1) Cotton Hiphugger @ $7.50

     - Coupon for free pair from VS mailer
     Total: Free!


Rite Aid -- Match-ups from SouthernSavers.com
(1) Blink Tears @ $7.99
     -$7.99 Single-Check Rebate
     -$1.50 MQ
     -$1 MQ (on the box; casher scanned it on her own)
     Total: $2.50 overage
(2) Oral-B Crossaction Power Toothbrushes @ $5.99 each
    - (2) $2.99 UP+ rewards
    - (2) $3 MQ
    Total: Free!
(2) Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrushes @ $4.99 each
    - (2) $1 UP+ rewards
    - (2) $3 MQ
    Total: $0.99 each
(2) Gillette @ $9.97 each
    - (2) $4 UP+ rewards
    - (2) $4 MQ
    - $3 off $15 Rite Aid survey coupon
    Total: $0.47 each
(2) Veet Kits @ $4.49 each
    - (2) $2 Rite Aid coupons
    - (2) $2 MQ
    Total: $0.49 each
(2) Crest Toothpaste @ $2.57 each
    - $1/2 MQ
    - (2) $1.60 UP+
    Total: $0.97 each
(2) Neutrogen Naturals Body Bars @ $3.49 each
    - (2) $1.50 Rite Aid coupons
    - (2) $1 MQ
    Total: $0.99 each
Total merchandise value: $78.98
Total OOP: $5.32
Total saved: $73.66 (93%!)

So, the moral of this story?  You don't have to be the star of an "Extreme Couponing" episode to get some decent savings.  If nothing else, I highly suggest playing the drugstore game with Rite Aid, Walgreens, or CVS... it's so easy to take home freebies and steals!  Just as long as you don't mind cashiers starting to refer to you as The Coupon Lady ;o)

GTKY Sunday

I'm linking with Keely today for Getting to Know You...

1. What's your favorite rainy day activity?  I like to window shop just for the chance to stretch my legs and I like to browse different blogs for new favorites.

2. What time do you go to bed?  10 o'clock, nearly religiously.  Maybe an hour late on the weekend.

3. How many magazines do you subscribe to?  3 1/2.  Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens, All You, and I'm currently trying out Clean Eating.

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4. Did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday?  I did not.  God is a marvelous mystery and a relationship, not a code that we have to crack.

5. What's your beauty obsession?  I'm a big believer in natural and organic makeup.  Physicians Formula OrganicWear and Tarte are my favorites.

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6. If you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life... what would it be?  After watching his special on Oprah recently and seeing some of his items pop up in my local Marshalls, my love of Ralph Lauren is growing.

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7. What's your summer must have?  My golf clubs!  I play every week in my company league.

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8. Do you make weekly dinner menus?  Always!  I wouldn't know what to buy at the grocery store otherwise.  Plus, it's so tough to come up with spontaneous dinner plans when I get home after a long day at work ;o)

Maple Pecan Scones

Originally posted: April 30, 2011

Today while my husband busy working with our church, I decided to try out Ree's Maple Pecan Scone recipe (not listed on The Pioneer Woman, so I found it here instead).  If there's two things I haven't done much of around the kitchen, it's cooking breads/pastries and cooking plain cuts of meat.  Hopefully this book will help me develop both of those skills!

Although the two sticks of unsalted butter practically gave me chest pains just looking at them, this recipe was relatively easy to put together.  I still need to invest in a pastry cutter so I used my hands to initially blend the dry ingredients and chunks of butter.  I hunted and hunted around my grocery store but couldn't find any maple extract or flavoring.  Instead I used a couple tablespoons of maple syrup and I think the glaze turned out well.  I also invested in a plain old bag of all-purpose unbleached flour.  If you're eating two sticks of butter, might as well go all in and forget the whole wheat flour ;o)

The only modification I made to this recipe was with the glaze.  All I had in the house was expensive organic powdered sugar, so I cut the glaze recipe in half and used only 8 oz. of powdered sugar.  Believe me... I still had more than enough glaze!  Once they baked and set I enjoyed one with the remainder of my strongly-brewed coffee.  Delicious!  My only recommendation would be to cut these into 16 pieces rather than just 8.  They're so rich that you're better off to enjoy them a little at a time.

My grocery bill this week was semi-obscene due to a few sales on natural meat.  I picked up a 3# chuck roast in hopes of making Ree's roast with onions and carrots this week, but remembered that I haven't even invested in a dutch oven yet!  I have it narrowed down to two possibilities: one from Better Homes and Gardens in kiwi green, or a Lodge dutch oven in caribbean blue.  Lodge has a strong reputation for making a product rivaling Le Creuset for a small fraction of the price, so we'll see what I wind up with!

A Seaside Escape

Originally posted: April 30, 2011

I had forgotten how nice a quiet, relaxing Saturday at home could really be.  To top it off, my hubby was away at a conference all week so I really didn't do much cleaning or cooking -- just a lot of shopping for home decor (and steals on my new love, Lilly Pulitzer pajamas at Marshalls!)  Our house has had a definite newlywed flare about it since we moved in, including my re-purposing of a reception hall arrangement as an accent in our bedroom.  We had a fall wedding with lots of reds, coppers, and chocolate brown, so I ran with that idea and decorated the bedroom with a hodge-podge copper and neutral theme.  After a year of staring at my husband's bachelor pad chocolate tab curtains and the giant leafy wedding arrangement, I had enough and decided to swap everything for an airy, beachy (but seashell-free) feel.

The only issue was a relatively small budget that I actually felt like spending -- $100 for accents, window treatments, pillows, and a throw.  After several trips to Marshalls, Kohls, and Target (three of my favorite local shopping destinations) I had some different options to compare.  Here's what I wound up with...

Two faux-silk window panels in "mineral": $34 from Kohls
Two candles and two accents: $25 from Marshalls
Wall decor: $12 from JoAnn, plus swapping two pieces from other rooms in the house
Two accent pillows: $16 from Kohls
One throw blanket: $0, a beautiful handmade gift from my grandmother-in-law
Total: $87 -- stayed within my budget and very happy with the results!

Here was my inspiration room:

With the husband being gone all week, I decided to get all my housework and errands completed during the week so that we could spend the weekend together (even though he's working on a church outreach project today.)  Seven loads of laundry, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, and grocery shopping now complete, I think I'll relax a little in my redecorated master bedroom... or reorganize some bookshelves more likely... I'm not one for "relaxing" ;o)