Tip of the Day Tuesday: Using a coupon clipping service to build your stockpile

July 6, 2010 by

I have had several people ask me about why I “pay money” to buy coupons. To them, it seems counterproductive. I can understand why, on the surface, it might seem that way, but actually using a coupon clipping service to stock up on “hot” coupons helps me to build my stockpile and save a LOT of money in the long run.

For example, in my area, Bird’s Eye Steamfresh vegetables frequently go on sale 10/$10.  My stores double and triple coupons and there are frequently coupons for $.35/1 or $.50/1 for these items which means they are free when combined with a sale price and coupons that double or triple.  So, I may pay $1-2 to get 10-20 coupons, but I end up getting 10-20 bags of vegetables ($10-$20+ value) for just $1-2.

In most areas, a Sunday paper ranges from $2-$2.50 in price.  You could buy multiple copies of the Sunday paper, but then you probably end up with a lot of coupons that you don’t need and a lot of extra work for yourself clipping all those coupons.  Using a coupon clipping service saves time and is more cost effective for me.

How do I know which coupons to stock up on?

Typically, from my experience, if there are coupons in the Sunday inserts, a sale will follow.  So, if there is a coupon in the Sunday paper for an item that your family uses regularly, it’s a good idea to purchase some extras.

If there are “high dollar” or “free” coupons for items your family uses regularly, these are also great coupons to stock up on.  Examples of recent coupons I have stocked up on include the $4 Gillette razor coupons and the $2.50 Electrasol coupons.

How do I know which coupon clipping services are reliable?

Word of mouth is a great resource!  You want to look for coupon clipping services with a good track record overall and good turn around time.  You may also want to consider location and factor that in to how long it might take to receive your coupons.

Here are three coupon clipping services that I have used and had good experiences with:


*Collectable Coupons – There is a minimum purchase amount of $2.75 to place an order.  Turn around time is quick and prices are traditionally lower than some of the other coupon clipping services.


*My Coupon Hunter ~ This is my favorite coupon clipping service.  She doesn’t have minimum purchase requirements, turn around time is quick, and her communication is great!  She ships from Florida.

The Coupon Clippers
*The Coupon Clippers ~ This was the first coupon clipping service I ever used, but their prices tend to be higher than the other two services and there are minimum order requirements ($3.94 including shipping/handling), so I don’t order from them much anymore.

How exactly do these coupon clipping services work?

The services receive a large number of inserts each week and you pay them a small fee (usually $.05-.40 depending on the coupon) to collect and send the coupons to you.  You go in and select the coupons you want, pay the shipping and handling fees, and your coupons arrive within a few days!

It seems like the good coupons are always gone – Why can’t I find the coupons I want and need?

Like everything else, there are “supply and demand” issues and if there are hot coupons, they usually go quickly.  Most coupon clipping services post their coupons early on Saturday (and sometimes even on Friday night), so it’s good to learn when they post their coupons and place your order early to make sure you get what you want.  The Sunday coupon preview is usually posted by Wednesday or Thursday, so you can also get a “heads up” on what coupons you want to get your hands on that week!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

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Milk and contact solution for $.50!

July 6, 2010 by

One of the biggest comments I see and hear from people who are new to couponing or who are “coupon skeptics” is “I can never find coupons for the things I need.” I also have people ask me how they can save on the things they REALLY need but don’t often see coupons for like milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

The answer is that it’s a bit like a game. There are sometimes coupons for milk and when they come out, it’s good to jump on them and get your hands on as many as you can (that’s why coupon clipping services are so handy!). I often am able to get frozen fruits and vegetables for free or close to free using coupons and combining them with sale prices (again it’s a matter of getting multiple coupons when they come out).

Meat is a bit trickier. Sometimes there are wine tags for meat (wine tags are basically coupons that you find around the top of the wine bottles – sometimes they will say NWPN which means “no wine purchase needed). If you can find wine tags for meat, that is one way to save on meat. Another way to save is to stock up when it is on sale. You can check out my “What I’m Willing to Pay for Things” post to get ideas about what my “stock up” prices are for meat. Most stores also have a special section for marked down meat and this is a great way to get meat inexpensively if there haven’t been any good deals on meat. Just make sure you plan to use it quickly or freeze it right away.

Another way that I am able to offset the cost of milk, fruits, vegetables, and meat is by using OYNP (on your next purchase) catalina coupons, Extra Care Bucks from CVS, Register Rewards from Walgreens and gift cards from Target that I earn.

Here’s an example of a deal I did yesterday.  In my CVS ad, there is a deal where you buy milk for $2.99 per gallon and you get a $1 ECB (this is a regional deal, so check your ad for details).  The Biotrue contact solution is also $2.99 and you get a $2.99 ECB making it “free” after ECBs.  I had a $5 ECB from a recent “deal” and a $.50 ECB from my quarterly earnings.

Here’s what I did:

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 1 Oak Farms milk – $2.99
Buy 1 Biotrue contact solution – $2.99

Use $5 ECB
Use $.50 ECB

Spend $.50 OOP (there must have been a little bit of tax in there), get a $1 ECB and a $2.99 ECB (plus I got an additional $1 ECB from using my “Green bag tag”)

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Biotrue contact solution – $2.99

Use $2.99 Biotrue ECB

Spend $0 OOP, get a $2.99 ECB

So, I started with $5.50 in ECBs and ended with $4.99 in ECBs plus I got milk and contact solution (both items that I needed) for just $.50 and saved $8.47!

Make sure you check out my CVS weekly deals post for more scenarios, match ups, and information about CVS!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

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Giveaway to win a Wii, Ipod Nano, or Amazon Kindle!

July 6, 2010 by

If you’ve ever struggled with weight issues, then you know how difficult it is to take the weight off once you’ve put it on. One of my fellow blogger buddies, Jessica, participated in the Move It and Lose it Challenge sponsored by Mamavation and now she’s on a quest to be the next Mamavation Mom.  If she wins, she will get to participate in a seven week healthy-living boot camp which includes a professional nutrition plan and a personal fitness program along with some other items to help her get fit.  She is so serious about having this opportunity that she is giving away a Wii, Ipod Nano, or Amazon Kindle to one lucky winner if she is chosen to participate in this experience.

She needs all of the help that she can get, which includes your votes and tweets!  I really admire Jessica.  She has really put herself “out there” over the past 15 weeks since she started her weight loss journey through Mamavation and has really been an inspiration.

Please go check out her giveaway and help her win and you just might win a little something for yourself, too!!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Filed Under: giveaways

Get Free Nabisco Cookies when you buy cookies and milk!

July 5, 2010 by

Today only (7/5), you can print a coupon for free Nabisco cookies when you buy a gallon of milk and another package of cookies. If you “like” them on Facebook, you can print your coupon here. My CVS stores have a deal where milk earns ECBs this week, so I’ll be trying to maximize that and use this coupon, too!

*The coupon will be available while supplies last (print limit is 75,000), so hurry and print yours! (Limit one per household)

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Filed Under: printable coupons

Menu Planning Monday: My menu for the week of 7/4

July 5, 2010 by

**Don’t forget to enter my Suddenly Salad Simply Delicious Prize Pack giveaway!!!

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have inclSuuded the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

Get more inspiration by checking out the hundreds of menu plans posted every week at orgjunkie.com!

NOTE:  I had someone e-mail me expressing “concern” that there are no fruits and vegetables included in our meal plan.  I typically only include our “main dish” items and not our “side/snack” items.  I buy fruits and vegetables based on what is in season and on sale and we typically have salad and a “green” vegetable (green beans, asparagus, broccoli, etc.) with dinner and we have fruits/veggies as sides/snacks during the day (this week, we’ll have carrot/celery sticks, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries).

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Turkey-cheese roll-ups

Dinner ~ BBQ at my parent’s house! We’re taking Pizza Pasta Salad and guacamole dip.

Pizza pasta salad – I found this recipe on Favorite Family Recipes.  We made it for Memorial Day and it was a hit and so we made it again!

Ingredients:
1 bag colored spiral noodles 
¾ c. pepperoni cut into wedges 
¾ c. mozzarella cut into small cubes 
¾ c. fresh tomatoes, diced 
½ c. olives, sliced 
¼ c. parmesan cheese 
1 bottle Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian Dressing (I’m using Kraft low fat Zesty Italian dressing)

Mix together all ingredients and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

Guacamole dip – mash 2 avocados in a mixing bowl.  Add 2 Tbs. sour cream.  Add 1 Tbs lemon juice, 1 Tbs lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to taste.  Dice and mix in 1 small roma tomato.

MONDAY:

Breakfast ~ Blueberry-Cheese Rolls – I got this recipe from the Babycenter Cooking for Your Family board and it’s delicious.  We have leftover blueberries from our 4th of July fruit skewers, so this is a yummy way to use them up!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup blueberries, divided

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Unroll dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal.

COMBINE Neufchatel cheese and sugar; spread onto dough rectangles to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top evenly with blueberries. Bring opposite corners of rectangles together; press together to seal. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 11 to 13 min. or until golden brown.

Lunch ~ Cheese quesadillas

Dinner ~ Cowboy casserole – We have left over roast beef from our french dip sandwiches last week, so I’m going to use that in place of the ground beef.  I’m also going to substitute Ranch style beans for baked beans.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (we use 93/7)
1 can (16 oz) baked beans
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2/3 c. milk
2 c. Bisquick
1 T butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Heat over to 425. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until thoroughly cooked. Drain beef. Stir baked beans and BBQ sauce into beef. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 12 spoonfuls onto beef mixture. Bake uncovered 18-22 minutes (or until topping is golden brown). Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

WW points = 10 points/serving (we’ll serve with a green salad and green beans)

TUESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cereal

Lunch ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches with bean & bacon soup

Dinner ~ Parsley parmesan chicken (freezer meal) – I love the recipe!  It’s one of our favorites. 

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 chicken breasts)
1/3 bottle of Italian salad dressing
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 c dry bread crumbs (used Seasoned Italian bread crumbs)
1 1/2 T parsley flakes
1/2 T paprika
Salt & Pepper

Assembly Directions:
Marinate chicken in dressing overnight.
Mix the remaining ingredients and bread each breast with coating.

To Freeze: Lay chicken breasts side by side on baking sheets and place in freezer for 1 to 2 hours to firm up. Place chicken in labeled gallon size Freezer Bag and freeze.

WW points = 6 points per serving

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast ~ Strawberry and Cream Cheese French toast – This one comes from Favorite Family Recipes (this has to be made the night before)

1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch slices.
Whipped cream cheese

Spread cream cheese between two slices of bread, place sandwiched slices in a glass pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Mix together:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pour over bread and let sit for five minutes, turn bread over and cover pan with saran wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Drizzle melted butter over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Whipped Topping:
1 pt whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. almond or amaretto flavoring

Top with strawberries mixed with sugar and the whipped topping.

Lunch ~ Pizza rolls

Dinner ~ Melt in your mouth meatloaf (slow cooker) – I’ve made this several times now for our family.  It’s easy to make and yummy!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk (we use skim)
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I’m going to try this with ground turkey instead)
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

WW points = 5 per serving with the ground turkey, ground beef may be more (makes 6 servings)

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Up Pancakes – This is a “new” recipe for us that I took from Make & Takes (I love this blog!)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt

Preheat oven at 400*. Blend all ingredients in blender. Grease muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to “pop” them out. Add desired toppings.

Lunch ~ Tuna sandwiches

Dinner ~ Chicken tortilla soup

Ingredients:
3 cans chicken broth (100% FF)
3 cans cream of chicken soup (98% FF)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
Mrs. Dash original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Add Mrs. Dash’s seasoning to taste. Add broth and cream of chicken soup, and Rotel. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot.

To serve: (if frozen)

Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat on stove. Serve and top individual bowls with desired toppings (tomatoes, green onions, avocadoes/guacamole, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc.)

WW points =  3 per serving – this makes a TON of soup (at least 8 servings for my family), the 3 points, of course, does not include any “toppings” such as cheese, sour cream, and chips!

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

Dinner ~ Spaghetti

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cereal

Lunch ~ Macaroni & cheese

Dinner ~  Cashew chicken – I found this recipe on The Sisters Cafe and it sounds yummy!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, cut into pieces
1 tsp sugar
4 Tb cornstarch, divided
½ tsp salt
¼ c. soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tb oil
2 c. hot chicken broth
2 tsp lemon juice
½ c. cashews
cooked rice

Combine sugar, 2 Tb cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Dredge chicken pieces in this mixture. Drain and save dredge; then stir fry chicken in hot oil in frying pan or wok until chicken is lightly brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and drain excess oil from the pan. Add remaining cornstarch and the dredge drained from the chicken. Blend well, then add chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Add lemon juice; add chicken pieces and reheat. Do not boil. Taste to correct seasonings. Add cashews. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4-5 servings. You can stir fry some vegetables and add them to the mixture at the end.

WW points = 10 points per serving (makes 4 servings), add 2 points for 1/2 cup of rice and 4 points for 1 cup of rice

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Filed Under: Menu Planning Monday