Savings Saturday: My $40 weekly budget

If you’re just starting to read my blog, you may want to click here to read about my challenge for 2009, so you’ll get a better understanding of how this all works. My Kroger stores triple three like coupons up to .35 face value and double three like coupons up to .50 face value. My Randalls stores triple one like coupon up to .35 face value and double one like coupon up to .50 face value.

Here’s a summary of my shopping trips:

Randalls: Total OOP = $7.59 – I went to Randalls to pick up a few ads so I had some extra copies of the $30 coupon for new or transferred prescriptions since they are good until March. I wasn’t planning on buying anything, but as I glanced at the ad, I noticed that they had 4 12 packs of soda for $7.99, which was a deal I couldn’t pass up. I had thrown in some Twizzlers also. For some reason, even with the Twizzlers, it only rang up at $7.59 after I gave them my Randalls card. I checked my receipt and everything that I bought was listed, so I’m not sure what happened, but I am not complaining 🙂

Kroger: Total OOP = $32.76 (I went over budget by .35 this week. I should have been just under budget, but when I got to the register, I realized that I had an extra bag of cheese in my cart that I hadn’t planned on buying and I just went ahead and bought it anyway….there was a long line and I didn’t want for someone to have to put it back) Here’s what I got: 13 bags of cheese (yes, you can freeze cheese, but all of the expiration dates are May or June, so we will probably use them all before then…I used the .75/1 blinkies on these), 2 boxes of Kleenex (used .40/1 coupons which doubled), 1 container Daisy sour cream (used .50 coupon which doubled), 3 cans Rotel, bananas, Juicy Juice (used $1 coupon), cucumbers, cantaloupe, carrots, clery, rice, DelMonte grapefruit (used free coupon from home mailer), Dannon yogurt (used free coupon from home mailer), 2 Vienna sausage, avocadoes, roma tomatoes, 3 packages Jell-O pudding (used .50 coupons which doubled), chicken marinade, ricotta cheese, parsley, one gallon of milk

Here are my updated savings totals: (if you’re new to my blog and not familiar with my savings goals, click here)

Baby Emergency fund – $764.92 (Goal = $1000) – I got $16 in rebate checks

Gift savings – $132.42 (Goal = $1500)

Rolling entertainment fund – $0 (Goal = $500)

I also cashed out for $35 in Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks (which technically could go toward my gift savings because that’s what it will be used for).

Here’s how much I have saved at individual stores:

Total Target savings – $139.27 to date (45% savings)

Total CVS savings
– $272.75 (84% savings…this would probably be higher, but I do buy my stamps there to go toward my quarterly ECB earnings and you can’t use ECBs to pay for those!) – this # has not been updated because I have not entered my receipts for the week into my spreadsheet yet

Total Kroger savings – $172.54(57% savings)

Total Randalls savings – $76.33 (88% savings)

**If you’re looking for spreadsheets to help you track your savings, there are some good ones here on the Mommy Snacks blog

Question of the Week: Where’s the beef?
You may notice that my weekly grocery trip this week didn’t include any sort of meat. One of the beauties of having a stockpile is that sometimes you don’t have to buy meat. This week, I chose to use my budget to stock up on other items that I will use (like cheese) because I already have plenty of meat in the freezer and there weren’t really any good sales this week.

Savings Saturday: CVS ad for the week of 2/1-2/7


Here are the coupon match ups for the upcoming week: (YMMV on coupon amounts because they are different in different areas)

I do these coupon match-ups myself and it takes a LOT of time. I don’t mind if you share this information with others or on your blogs, but please make sure you are giving credit by posting a link back to my blog! Thanks 🙂

ECB items:

FREE AFTER ECBs and coupons:
*Excedrin Extra strength – 10 ct vial – $2.49, get $2.49 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1 Excedrin CVS CRT

Other ECB offers:
*Buy Axe shampoo, conditioner, or styler – 2/$12, get $2 ECB (limit 5 per household)
*Brita pitcher filters – $17.99, get $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 printable here (you have to register)
*Centrum Cardio 120 ct – $14.99, get $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Centrum Cardio Vitamins, Any – 01-04-09 RP
$1/1 Centrum Product, any except 30-ct – All You, February 20, 2009
$3/1 Centrum Cardio, excluding 30-count – 11-16-08 RP

*Buy $15 of the following Colgate-Palmolive products, get $5 ECB (limit 1 per household): Speedstick – 2/$5, Lady Speedstick Clinical proof – $7, Colgate toothpaste/toothbrush – 2/$5, Softsoap – $1, Soft Soap Spa – 2/$7, Irish Spring bar soap 3 pk – $2, Palmolive – .97, Fabuloso or Murphy oil soap – 2/$5, Suavitel – 2/$7
$1/1 Colgate Toothpaste, Any 4 Oz. + Adult Or Kids – 01-18-09 SS
.75/1 Colgate Kids Toothpaste, Any 4 Oz. + – 01-18-09 SS
.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste, any (kids or adults) – 2/1 SS
$.75/1 Speedstick 24/7 – 2/1 SS
$.75/2 Speedstick – 2/1 SS
$.35/1 Softsoap – 2/1 SS
$1/1 Softsoap Spa – 2/1 SS
.25/1 Palmolive – 2/1 SS
.50/1 Irish Spring 3 pk bar soaps – 2/1 SS

*Claritin liqui-gels (40 ct) – $29.99, get $5 ECB (limit 5 per household)
$2 printable coupon here
*Cortizone 10, Plus or Intesive Healing (1 oz) – $4.99, get $1 ECB (limit 5 per household)
*Excedrin Menstrual Complete – $6.99, get $3 ECB (limit 5 per household)
*Buy $50 of iTunes gift cards, get $10 ECB (limit 1 per hosuehold)
*GenTeal drops (10-15 ml), Clear Care, or Aquify 12 oz – $8.99, get $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1.50/1 GenTeal Dry Eye Relief, Any – 10-19-08 SS
*Gillette Gamer (manual or power razor) – $7.99, get $4 ECB (limit 1 per household)
(if you did this offer last week, it may not reset….buy something else first and see if your receipt shows that the limit is reached)
*Glade essential oils jar candle (4 oz), PlugIns fresh refills (3 ct), scented oil refill (1 ct) or scented oil candle refills (3 ct) – 4/$10, get $5 ECB (limit 5 per household)
$1.50/2 Glade 4 oz jar candles (exp 3/14/09) – 2/1 inserts
$1/2 Glade Plug-ins refills (exp 2/21/09) – I’m not sure what insert this is from, but it is listed on The Coupon Clippers
$1/1 Glade scented oil refill packs (exp 3/14/09) – 2/1 inserts

*Buy 2 Jergens 4-21 oz or Curel 13 oz lotion, get $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Jergens Naturals Moisturizer, 16.8 Fl. Oz. + – 01-11-09 SS
$1/1 Jergens Moisturizer 7.5 fl. oz.+, or Jergens Natural Glow Face fl. 2 oz, or Body 4 fl. oz+ – 12-07-08 ss
$1/1 Curel Moisturizer, Any 3.5 Oz. + – 01-11-09 SS and 12-7-08 SS

*KY Yours + Mine – $19.99, get $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$5/1 from 2-1 inserts
$5 printable coupon here

*Buy 2 L’Oreal Revitalift products, get $10 ECB (PSA $5.99) – (limit 2 per household)
Get a $1 printable coupon by doing the consultation (lower right hand corner) here
$2/1 L’Oreal skincare from 1/4 RP
*Buy 2 L’Oreal EverPure shampoo, conditioner, or styler (PSA $6.99), get $5 ECB – (limit 1 per household)
Get a $1 printable coupon by doing the consultation (lower right hand corner) here
$2/1 in 2-1 inserts
*NicoDerm CQ – get $10 ECB when you buy an 7 mg Stop Smokign Aid patch (limit 1 per household)
*Get $10 ECB when you buy any Omron manual, wrist, or ComFit cuff blood pressure monitor (limit 5 per household)
*Pantene, Herbal Essences, or Head & Shoulders shampoo or conditioner (23.7-25.4 oz) – $5.99, get $2 ECB – (limit 5 per household)
$1/1 Head & Shoulders Shampoo Or Conditioner, Any Excluding Trial Size – 01-18-09 PG
*Buy 2 Theraflu 6 ct, 8.3 oz, or Triaminic 14 ct or 4 oz, get $5 ECB (PSA $6.59) – (limit 5 per household)
$2/1 Theraflu printable here
$1.50/1 Theraflu Product, Any – 01-04-09 SS
$1/1 Triaminic Product, Any – 01-04-09 SS, 12-7-08 SS

*Secret or Old Spice deodorant – 2/$5, get $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)
.20/1 Secret Product, any excluding trial size – 12-28-08 PG
$1/2 Old Spice Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Any (2) or any (1) Pro Strength Product – 12-28-08 PG

*Welch’s grape juice (64 oz) – 2/$7, get $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)
*Zantac 75 80 ct or Zantac 150 65 ct – $18.99, get $3 ECB
$1.50/1 Zantac 75 Product, Any, Any – 01-18-09 SS, 12-14-08 SS
$1/1 Zantac Heartburn Relief, Any – 12-14-08 SS, 1-18-09 SS


BOGO free items:
– don’t forget to use 2 coupons (if you have them) on BOGO free items!

2 day sale: Valentine Card Exchange kit (Sunday-Monday only)

*Alka Selzter plus
$1/1 Alka-Seltzer Plus Product on any (not sure what insert this is from, but it’s listed on The Coupon Clippers)
Alka-Seltzer Product buy any (excluding Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold products) get FREE Alka-Seltzer Wake-Up Call, to $6.00 (possible freebie? I dont’ know what insert this is from, but it is on The Coupon Clippers)

*CVS alkaline batteries
*Kleenex facial tissue
.40/1 Kleenex Lotion Facial Tissues on ONE, excluding individual Kleenex Pocket Pack or Juniors Tissue (not sure what insert this is from, but it is on The Coupon Clippers)
*L’Oreal lip colors ($5.99-12.99)
$2/1 L’Oreal HIP Eye or Lip Product on any
$1/1 L’Oreal Lip Product on any

*Magnivision reading glasses (PSA $7.99-39.99)
*Nature Made vitamins (PSA $3.99)
$1.50/1 printable here (when you register)
**Don’t forget about the $1 rebate from The Caregivers Marketplace

*Progresso soups (PSA $2.99)
$1.10/1 printable coupon here
*Select men’s and women’s fragrance gift sets (PSA $4.99-35)

Other deals:Electrasol – 20 ct ($2.99)
$2.50/1 Finish/Electrasol Powerball Tabs, Gelpacs or Quantum, Any – 01-04-09 SS (expires on 2-1, so hurry and use this if you have any left!)

We have a winner!

The winner of the $15 CVS gift card giveaway is Jennie! Jennie had two entries: one for following my blog and one where she shared what she planned to do with her gift card if she won. Here’s what she had to say:

Wow, $15. I would buy so much stuff using coupons and EBC’s that my husband thought I broke our budget.

Congrats to Jennie!

Thanks to the rest of you who entered. Your entries were all great, I appreciate your support, and I really wished I could have given away more. I plan on doing a giveaway at least once a month, so there will be plenty of other opportunities to win. Please vote in my poll (on the upper right sidebar) to let me know what you’d like to see in my next giveaway.

Coupons to have on hand

Here are some coupons that are worth stocking up on from this week’s inserts:

*Softsoap – .35/1 (expires 2/21/09) – if you have Kroger (and your Kroger triples coupons), these go on sale 10/$10 all of the time, so they will be free after coupon!

*Carnation Instant Breakfast – $1/1 (this is a Target coupon) (expires 3/7/09) – there are $1/1 manufacturer’s blinkies in my grocery stores, so if I pair the blinkie with the Target coupon, the boxes or the big canister (which I buy because we go through so much) will be $3.49

*Colgate Total – $1/1 (expires 2/21/09) – these are always good to have on hand for Walgreens/CVS toothpaste deals

*Duncan Hines brownies – .35/1 (expires 5/31/09) – these are great if your grocery stores double or triple, especially with such a late expiration date because you can wait for a great sale and stock up

*Juicy Juice – $1/2 (expires 3/7/09) – this is a Target coupon which will combine well with the $1/1 manufacturer’s coupon

*Lean Cuisine – $2/5 (expires 3/7/09) – this is a Target coupon which will combine well with the $1/2 manufacturer’s printables

If you want to get multiple copies of coupons, my favorite place to get them from is The Coupon Clippers. The link is here: www.thecouponclippers.com

Freebie Friday: Old Spice razor, Red Bull, Quaker mini delights

Today is the last day to enter my CVS $15 gift card giveaway. You can enter up to four times. The details are here.

Here are some other freebies for the day:

Free Old Spice razor – click here to register for a free Old Spice razor

Free Quaker mini delights sample – click here to register

Free Red Bull and Roaring Lion energy drink – click here to get a free 8.3 ounce can of Red Bull energy drink and a 12 ounce can of Roaring Lion energy drink

Free Pampers Gifts to Grow code (I posted this previously, but thought I would post again for those who didn’t get it…if it doesn’t work for you, you probably already entered it):
HAPPYHOLIDAY089

Free Swagbucks code: BeMine (it is case sensitive)

Put your kids to work with free interactive chore charts from Handipoints.

Handipoints chore charts

Here are some links for some great coupons (and free or close to free “stuff”:

$2 off Kashi TLC cereal bars here – these are on “price cut” at Target through 2/14/09 for $2.75, so you pay .75/box. These are like Nutrigrain bars and my kids love them.

Register for a quote here and get a $3 coupon to use on any Purina product – this can be used to get some very cheap or free dog treats

Take the quiz here and get a coupon for $4 off Purina dog food plus they will donate $1 to the animal shelter of your choice