STOCKPILE=COMFORT

I was thinking about it and in this time of uncertainty I have to say I feel comforted by my stock pile. Not that Husband is in jeopardy of loosing his job or anything like that but just having all that food and knowing if ANYTHING financial were to happen to us we are good for a few months. As silly as it sounds I like to go and look at my stockpile and marvel at my abilities.

DAMN I'M GOOD!

I have plenty of meat, soup, side dishes, desserts (oh my the desserts!), canned milk, pantry staples, cereal, frozen foods just so much that it brings me comfort.

My only concern is back to gasoline again. We were told that it would get better this past weekend. I was lucky enough to get gasoline on Friday when I had to have it to go to Greenville. I was hoping when I came back from Greenville that there would be gas. Even in Greenville they have the same problem. I drove around on Sunday and not one gas station had gasoline that morning. When I went back out at 1pm I did see gas but didn't have time to sit in the long line at that store. I had a half tank so I wasn't too worried, I knew at the very least I could get home. Luckily we stopped in Gaffney to eat "Lupper" and found a gas station with gas (one of the 2 at the exit),there was only one car in line ahead of us and they only had regular. Of course when we got home, no one had gas again. Now they are saying another TWO weeks before things START to get back to normal. And of course we are going out of town in 1.5 weeks and I will need enough gas in my tank to get us to where they actually have gasoline which is pretty much anywhere not here.

I have to say with Wachovia getting bought (which I thought they were one of the "bigger" banks and was sorta surprised even though I knew they were having problems), the gasoline situation here, the stock market diving, home values falling, and the amount of homes for sale in my subdivision alone that for the moment the future looks bleek. I am glad I have my stockpile because I am sure groceries will continue to rise. I guess this is why I have noticed more people using coupon in stores. Lucky for me I know the ins and outs already and know the rules at each store so I can use them more effectively than those who don't read my blog and do their homework like I did. Also unlike so many of them, I am willing to stockpile, know what it takes to stockpile and I have the room to hold my stockpile.

Publix in Greenville Plus a new friend!

I love going to other cities so I can see what grocery stores they have! Yes I have a problem I know.

Anyway, before we left I knew I wouldn't have much to do while waiting for Husband to ride his 175 miles so I did a search of "Grocery stores" in Greenville and to my surprise Publix was on there. Yipee, I haven't been to Publix in years. So I check hotcouponworld.com and they listed the sale items. One of which I had 60+ coupons for-Smart Taste Pasta! Bogo for $1.79, plus since there is no food tax in SC I actually would get $.10 for each one I bought using my $1Q. I mapquested 2 stores from my Hotel. I dropped off Husband at 6:30 in Rock Hill and I was at Greenville BEFORE 9am! Not much is open that early except GROCERY STORES Yipee for me.

I found the first Publix after a few trials and errors (the street sign was not up for the road I needed). They wouldn't allow me to use my coupon for FREE pasta! I was NOT happy but got the few other things in my cart anyway. I went to the hotel and the person at the front desk was nice enough to let me check in at 10:30! I really just wanted to know where this other Publix was, but if she was willing- GREAT! I mentioned coupons and she said she does coupons! Well a friendship has been made!

SHOUTOUT TO "T" IF YOU ARE READING THIS!

6 CHEEZ it (bogo)
28 Smart Taste Pasta (bogo and $1Q)
4 Chex Mix (bogo and $1/2)
1 4pk Mocha Frappachino (just wanted it)
1 market select cat food (free Q)
16 Cambells Harvest Select Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (bogo and $1/4Q)
1 Wise White Cheddar Popcorn ($2)
6- 3#Good Life Cat food (bogo and $1.50Q)
1 Publix Peanut Butter ($.01) penny item

All this was about $36, I don't have the reciepts to add exact amount. It should have been more pasta and less money but that first store was really a bother not letting me use the 21 pasta coupons I had, that would have scored me 21 more pasta and $2.10 off my total.

I saved $43.89 in coupons, $78.99 in store speicals so I spent $36.xx but I saved $122.88 and people say they can't save at stores that don't double! Also I was limited, I couldn't buy stuff that needed to be kept cold or frozen.

HT Whole Chicken $.59 a lb!

I went to HT this morning after picking up #3 from school (he is sick). I figured since I was out and there is NO GAS to be purchased I had better swing by the store to pick up a few things that we need. Oh who am I kidding, we didn't need anything, but I saw the chicken on sale for $.59 a lb and suddenly wanted chicken. My dilema is that Husband can't eat chicken, though he has eaten this before it puts him in physical pain so I will throw in a pork chop for him. I think if I pull the chicken off the bone for #2 and #3 they MIGHT eat it, if the moon is full and the wind is blowing the right way. My store was out of the HT roasters so I got PERDUE for the same price! Here is what I plan on making. Chicken Fricassee with Chive Dumplings with Broccoli (was BOGO at HT) 1/3 C flour
1t salt
1t paprika
1/4t pepper
3-3.5lb chicken cut up
oil
1 c water (or chicken broth)
chopped onions
3T flour
Milk
Chive Dumplings
Mix 1/3c flour with salt, paprika and pepper, coat chicken with mixture.

Heat oil in skillet, put in chicken and brown (about 15 minutes), drain fat from pan and reserve. Add water and onions (as much as you like) cover and let cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken to plate and cover, keeping it warm. Pour liquid in a 4 cup measuring cup.

Heat 3T of reserved fat in skillet, blend with 3T of flour. Cook and stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Add enough milk to reserved liquid to equal 3 cups, pour into skillet. Heat to boiling stirring constantly, boil 1 minutes. Add Chicken.

Chive Dumplings
1 1/2 c flour
3T snipped chives (you don't have to add chives if you don't have them)
2t baking powder
3/4t salt
3T shortening
3/4 c milk

Mix dry ingredients with shortening, stir with a fork until crumbly. Add milk mixing just until combined.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto hot chicken. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover and cook 20 minutes more.

Whats for dinner tonight?

For dinner tonight we are having Beef Stew.

1.8lbs beef (bogo sale yesterday) $3.59
1 package carrots -$1.00
6 potatoes (marked down produce)$.90
1 can beef broth $.10
2 Onions (heavy reimbursed Mystery shop) Free

Not sure if I want dumplings or crescent rolls- $.19

Total is $5.79, but that is dinner for us and 2 lunches for Husband. Not bag I guess.

Why I can save so much with coupons

Since I have been "accused" of "stealing" my purchases and my husband has been told "No way!" by said person, but said person won't post any comments I would like to explain a few things.

One of the reasons I can do so well saving money is I get multiples of the same coupon. And I don't mean just buying 2 or 4 papers. I have actually gone out and purchased 8 papers at once and I also will get a lot more on the Internet if it is a coupon I know I will use a lot of (like Betty Crocker fruit roll ups, Yoplait yogurt), plus we have 4 computers that I can print from here in my house (which in most cases I get 2 prints from one computer).

Another key to saving money with coupons is using them correctly. By using them correctly I mean knowing WHEN to use them. When the manufacturers put out a coupon they know that the item is more likely to be purchased that week the coupon comes out. However usually within 4 weeks of them putting out a coupon the item will go on sale. The key is knowing when to use a coupon and when to wait. Just because an item is marked "sale" doesn't mean it is at a good price. Sometimes they will lower an item by $.10 and call that a "SALE" and profit statements show that by putting a "sale" sticker on an item it will increase sales.

I was doing a secret shop one day and was talking to a manager at Harris Teeter. He told me that they have these dinners in the freezer section and the normal price is $.99 each. Sometimes the run a "promotion" of 5/$5 of this particular item, yes raising it a penny. He said the sales jump on this item when they do this. That shows people just don't pay attention to these trends.
Some coupon experts will say to keep a "Price Book" of all the normal items you buy and to make note of which stores have the lowest price and to also jot down when it goes on sale and for how much. Sometimes items will go on sale and only be marked down (or up in some cases) by mere pennies, other times it will go BOGO, or even better. And even Buy One Get One free isn't always the best price. A good example is the Progresso Soup I bought yesterday. I knew before I walked out the door that Harris Teeter will be having them go BOGO starting tomorrow. I went to my local HT and found that the normal price is $2.89 which means even BOGO it will still be $1.45 each. I knew at Lowes Foods they were 4/$5 ($1.25) with a store coupon they have sitting at the front door when you enter the store. I also found Target has a $1/2 store coupon that can be used with manufacture coupon of $.50/2 and they are $1.99 each there, which still only brings them down to about where Lowes Foods is selling them (and I can still get my coupon doubled at LF). A price book is a good idea if you are that organized. I personally am not (my husband can attest to that!). But I also have a very good memory for these things so I choose not to keep one.

I am also sure that some people are thinking-Well I can't be bothered to run from store to store scarfing up these bargains. And I can understand that. Really I only shop Harris Teeter and CVS with the occasional Rite Aid, Walgreens (Wags) and Lowes Foods sprinkled in. I don't even frequent CVS all the time. I hadn't been there in a month or two during the summer. I have lots of HBA stuff, and that is what I go to CVS for. I only go to Rite Aid and Wags when stuff is Free After Rebate. I have a list of stuff that I will not pay for.

This list includes:
Toothpaste

toothbrushes
Shampoo
Conditioner
Shaving Cream
Body Wash

deodorant
Boxes Side Dishes (rice a roni, potatoes)
Rice

cat treats

Window Cleaner

Counter/Kitchen surface Cleaner

Laundry pretreater

All of these are free either after a rebate, ecb or double coupons (even some without doubling).

Addicted to coupons, deals and shopping!

As if I needed to shop more!

I went to CVS, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods

Lowes Foods I did 5 different transactions, yes back to back all in the same trip.

1 Thomas English Muffins (BOGO) used $.55 peelie that does double-$.90
40 Progresso soup 4/$5 used $.50/2 coupon-$.75 each (I needed these bad)
2-1lb lil Carrotts $1
2 Coco Puffs $2.50, used LF 4/$4 and $.75IP-free
2 Cherrios Crunch $2.50, used LF 4/$4 and $.75IP-free
6 Meow Mix Cat Treats $1.29 used $.75 -Free (no overage though)
1 Green Giant Steamers $1.50 used $1 IP-$.50
1 McCormick Season ALL $1.69 (I needed this)
2 Mrs T Perogies $2 used $.75IP-$.50
3 LF Mini Garlic Loaf $1 used LF $.50Q-$.50
3 LF Beef Broth $.60 used LF $.50Q-$.10
2 milk
2.36 lbs honey crisp apples that are not on sale.
I spent $54.17
Saved $109.09

Went to Harris Teeter
1.86 Cube Steak (bogo)-$4.36
4 Motts Apple Juice (BOGO) used 2-$1/2Q
Used $3.50 Cat
Total Spent 5.05
Saved $15.84


Went to 2 CVS looking for something in particular and didn't find it...

2 Olympic Kisses $1.75 and used $1/2Q
6 Skittles used b2g1fQ on sale for $.53
6 Starburst used b2g1FQ on sale for $.53

Went to another CVS
1 Crest Pro Health used $.75Q and got$2 ECB
Used the $2 ECB to buy
1 Nivea for Men body wash and got $4.99ECB
Used that $4.99 ECB and got
6 bags Hershey Kisses used $1/2 they were $2.50 and spend $15 get $7 ECB
So now I have a $7 ECB

Total spent at CVS-$20.82
Total Saved $27.30
Have $7 ECB to use for next trip


I have plans for the Hershey Kisses, I have to hide them so my kids don't find them and no it isn't necessarily to eat them all by myself.

What was for Dinner tonight?

Tonight's dinner consisted of
Angus Cube Steak in gravy **$1.33 (they were bogo and marked down an additional 30% to get rid of them)
1 can Beef Broth**$.10 (had $.50 store item coupon)
Also used olive oil and flour totalling **$.43
Green Giant Broccoli Cheese **-$.10 (paid me after coupon and cat deal)
Green Giant Creamed Corn **-$.10 (same deal here)
Hungry Jack Mashed Taters**Free (free after triple coupons usually the only time I buy these, free is free and makes them taste better)
Canned Milk 2 cups**$.29
1 can soda**$.03 (deal was 4/$10 but I had a Q for one free when you buy 3, they took off full price AND I had 3 $1 coupons)
Crystal Light**-$.03 (yes they paid me I had $2 coupon and for every 5 you bought you got a $4 cat and they were BOGO when I bought them)


So tonight's dinner was $1.95!

New shelf and Freezer last day of Triples

I have to say I am sick of triples now. I have made too many trips and I have had enough. I am sick of putting away groceries. I have gotten the things I REALLY wanted like:
Toll House chips
BC Cookie Mixes
BC Fruit Snacks
Gatorade
Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter
Dixie Sugar
Lunch Meat
plus the really good sales this week of Pork Loin and Cube Steaks

And what I didn't want; Colgate toothpaste-but if the are going to pay me to take it then I will get it.

I have taken new pictures of my stock pile and my new freezer that is once again full.






The only things I really want to get now are Progresso Soup. I managed to get more coupons for $.50/2 and they have them on sale at Lowes Foods 4/$5 making them $.75 after coupons and I see Target has a store coupon on line for $1/2 so I wonder if it will be going on sale there soon too.

Next week at HT they have
HT Whole Fryer Chicken $.59/lb limit 4
Family Size Stouffer's Lasagna with Meat & Sauce $4.99
12 inch TombStone Peperoni Pizza 3/$10
19.6oz Pepperidge Farm Layer Cakes BOGO
18.5oz Progresso Soup BOGO (Lowes foods had a better deal with thier store coupon)
18 Pack Charmin Big Rolls $8.88
7oz Swanson Pot Pies BOGO
HT Value Pack Boneless Chicken Breast $3.29/lb
HT VP Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs $1.29/lb
HT USDA RA Beef Boneless Top Sirloin steak $5.99/lb
HT Pork Boston Butt Value Pack Country Style Ribs $1.99/lb
HT Beef Back Ribs $1.99/lb
USDA Choice American Assorted Sholder Lamb Chops $3.99/lb
16oz Gwaltney Great Bologna, Great Dogs or Great Big Dogs $.99
HT Family Pack Bone in Assorted Pork Chops $2.99/lb
2lb pack HT Ground Chuck Chub Package $5.98

3 days of triples so far!

So far I have gotten-
24 bags of Toll House chips (I have paid between $1.29 and NEGATIVE $3.49 because they don't know how to read a coupon!)
20 bags cookie mix
18 boxes Fruit Snacks
12 Hillshire Farm Lunch meats
6 Loaves of bread (they were free wyb lunch meat)
20 Land O Lakes spreadable butter($.79)
40 gatorade/G2 ($.10)
4 Tuna Fish (paid me $.25 to take them)
20 Colgate tooth paste (they paid me $.75 to take each one)
4 Quik rtd (paid me$.60 to take them)
4 Lysol Kitchen spray (paid me a quarter each)
8 hot pocket panini ($.74)
6 Dixie white Sugar 2# (free)
3 Dixie powdered sugar 2# (.34)
4 Betty Crocker instant potatoes (free)
2 Hungry jack Potatoes (free)
18 lbs Pork chops ($1.99 lb)
5 lbs cube steak (BOGO, but found some marked down today even more)
2 lipton tea
12 Progresso Soup (cheaper at Lowes Foods-I will be getting more)

Plus who knows what else. It is getting old. And even with the new coupons coming out on Sunday, there isn't much I am excited about.

My NEW freezer is FULL. My parents said they want my old freezer so now I can fill that up until they can get it next spring. I am apprehensive to do that because I will fill it and then not know what to do with all the stuff in it when they need to take it, though I had done well this summer making space in it but I managed to fill it again in the past several weeks.

I am going to start making sure I use up the freezer items other wise I am just going to feel like I am hoarding to hoard instead of stockpiling to save money.

Day ONE of triples at Harris Teeter

I left the house as soon as #3 got on the bus. I went to my Local HT to get refrigerated items first so I could drop them off at my house before going to hit the other 3 HTs I planned on hitting, I also went to Lowes Foods to get a couple of things. My mom likes this salad they have so I got it for her since she is coming today.

6 Quaker Old Fashion Oats

12 Colgate Toothpaste (like I need more)

6 -2lb bags Dixie white sugar

3 Dixie Powdered Sugar

6 G2

6 Gatorade

4 Chocolate Quik (I drank one)

12 Toll House morsels

11 Progresso Soup (6 came from Lowes Foods)

1 Potato Sticks

4 Ice Breakers Gum (Lowes Foods)

1 Afrin (free item coupon)

1 Crisco EVOO

8 Pringles

1 Lowes Food Beef Broth

1 Pillsbury Funetti Cake Mix (#2 most favorite cake)

2 Motts Apple Juice

4 Lysol Duel Action Wipes

6 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll Ups

6 Betty Crocker Gushers

2 Lipton Tea

1 Sweet Sixteen Donuts (#3 loves these)

1 Lance Peanut Butter crackers

3 Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil

3 Lysol Kitchen antibacterial Spray

1 Lysol Toilet Cleaner

8 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix

4 Betty Crocker instant Potatoes

2 Hungry Jack Potatoes

1 pk Cube Steak

1 lb "baby" carrots (Lowes Foods)

2-1/2lb dessert Salad for my mom (Lowes Foods)

1 lb rewrap potatoes

1 Nivea Body Wash

1 Bumble Bee Tuna pouch

Total saved using Vic card $58.12

Total coupons used $166.08

Total cost $46.72

I used a $5.00 visa gift card from a Coors Rebate

So total OOP for me was $41.75

One thing I definately noticed today, there were a LOT more couponers out there. I have never seen that many during triples before. And I mean serious ones. Most of them had binders, not just those small little plastic things they they sell in the supermarkets for coupons. Some BIG binders (not my orgainzer of choice) too.

And in case anyone wonders I do not just HOARD everything (ok, I think I do hoard some), I do give coupons away when I am in the store shopping. Today I gave away some Oatmeal Q (flavored) that we won't use and the other day I gave away some soup Q too. I also put them on the shelves hoping someone else can use them. What I DO NOT do is put expireds on the shelf. I hate when people do that! Any Expireds I find (which I always find them) in my box I put in my pocket and throw in the trash can when I find one.

Pre Triples at HT+CVS

I decided I would go and buy a few things at HT today before triples that way I would ensure I actually get them and this way I won't have to buy them tomorrow while I am in triple mode.
The first place I went was to CVS, I had an ECB that expires in a few days and I figured I might as well use it now. I got:

3lbs of strawberry XL long twizzlers
4 Skor candy bar (used $.50Q)
2 payday (used $.50Q)
1 Welch's white grape juice
1 Mentos
Used my $5.79 ECB
and paid $.22

CVS has changed their sale start date here and I never get a flier. Not like I need anything anyways so I figured I would just use it up rather than roll it. They didn't even have any sales fliers in the store.

I went to Harris Teeter next. With triples tomorrow and one of the items that I was will be free, I am sure it won't be there. I only have one coupon for it that would triple anyway, but I do have a coupons for $3 off 5 Quaker items so I got:

10 Quaker Old Fashion oats (used 2 $3/5Q)
4 Motts Natural apple juice (BOGO used $1/2Q)
1 8lb Pork Lion (on sale for $1.99lb)
3 bottles 7 Up ($1 on sale and I had b2g1f Q)
4 pks Cube Steaks (bogo)

I also had my $9.50 in catalinas to use up.
So for all that I spent $29.92, but still saved $42.69 in coupons and specials. I was COMPLETELY out of pork so I had to have it.
I also only left a few cans of oats left on the shelf. I know tomorrow they will be one of the first to go since they are free after $.50 coupon that came in the paper 2 weeks ago. They are fetching a nice price on Ebay, so I figure I will just get my 10 today, and I will try and use my $.50Q tomorrow on one.

I love this deal!

This deal at HT is awesome! Buy 10 BTFE items (they are marked with tags at the store) and you get $4 off.

I went to 6 different Harris Teeters and one of them was a secret shop too. I did 9 different orders total.

36 Pop Secret Pop Corn

6 Betty Crocker box potatoes

5 Betty Crocker brownies (lowes food coupon $2/4)

7 Betty Crocker cake mix (lowes food coupon $2/4)

10 Lucky Charms ($2/5 catalinas, plus Lowes Foods Coupon for $4/4)

24 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll Ups (Lowes foods Q for $4/6)

2 Pillsbury sweet rolls ($.35 Q)

1 gallon milk

1 snuggle ($.40 Q)

3 Johnsons bath buddies (on sale for $.64, used $1Q)

3 Edge shave cream (Trial size is free with $.75Q)

I got the milk and snuggle because they were heavy and I had to get 10lbs worth of groceries for my mystery shop-I will be paid $29.50 for this shop.

I used $81 in coupons including Lowes Food coupons and manufacturer coupons

I got $151.13 in store specials, which includes the $4/10 BTFE

I used a $5 gift card to pay for part of one order

Total out of pocket for me was $32.41

I still have $9.50 to spend at a later date.

While I was out I had to go to a few other places. I had to go to Kohls to get some shirts that have been selling really well for me and they are hard to find. I also went to Staples. I had to get a new mouse. The one I have decided it will only work from left to right. Cleaning it several times, banging it on the table and throwing it on the ground didn't help. So I used my Office Depot coupon of $5/$25 order. Of course the mouse I wanted they were out of stock. I had to get a $22.99 mouse then wander around the store for $2.01 worth of stuff to buy. I ended up getting loose leaf paper on clearance for $.50 each. I still paid less than $25 total. I then went to a few Harris Teeters swung by Lowes Foods, they had no coupons at that store. At that point I decided I would go ahead and make the trek north to go to another Lowes Foods there. There is also 2 Harris Teeters I could go to and a Bed Bath and Beyond. I did this, scored the coupons at the other Lowes Foods (yes I left some) and then went to lunch. I was starving. Lucky for me I had a McCrappies coupon, I mean McDonalds, for a free coffee drink with the purchase of a sandwich (it was almost 1pm at this point). That cost me $2.76 for a sandwich and a drink. I then went to Bed Bath and Beyond and low and behold they had the shelving unit I wanted but a little bit smaller. AND of course it was on clearance for $29.99, plus I had a 20% off coupon (I usually have 10 at any given time, they accept expired and competitors and you can use more than one in a transaction). So I got the Shelving unit that matches what I have, a batteriless flashlight (I am a sucker for a flashlight) and a cake stand all for less than $40 including tax.

MY new shelf

This is my before picture. We love the table that is covered with stockpile overflow. Here is the new shelf I purchased for my overflow.

I decided I would get all the stuffs off my floor and put on a shelf. Of course the shelf I want I have not been able to find on Craigs List, and yes looks do matter in this case. It is in a room where it will be visable from our rarely used living room, and honestly keeping stuff neat is a necessity so you know what you have and can use it. I got #1 to put it together for me after some grumbling, he did it. It took me less than 30 minutes to pretty much get it full! I looked at it and then thought triples start on Thursday, where will I put the stuff I have yet to buy?

I though, I should just deal with it. I mean I did just get a new freezer too ($400) and the shelf with the shelf liner (I have learned this is important, box's tip to easily) so I should be set right?

I have a lot of Baking products on it. I have been stocking up on them since I have been making them for husband to take to work so he can sell them for the MS 150 that he rides in. I am actually going out today to get the last of the deals that end today, but I should be OK right?

This morning I wake up and check my emails. I am signed up at a forum where they send out occasional emails (hotcouponworld.com-link on the of my blog) with helpful hints. Here is the one I got today from Julie Parish at Hot Coupon World titled :

Why Stockpiling is Essential to Saving

"It's hard to ignore that the world is in the middle of what amounts to financial meltdown! Even if you don't have money in the markets in a direct way, the effects of a 504-point drop in the stock market today and the collapse of major financial institutions could have a ripple effect to us all.

This issue has some thoughts on why we think stockpiling is an important strategy for financial success, and some ideas about what's on sale this month that you should be stocking up on right now.

Why Stockpiling is an important strategy to saving and your family's financial well-being

I felt a pit in the bottom of my stomach this morning watching the financial news. I don't tend to be an alarmist, and I don't plan on running the banks to drain my accounts (although I might stash a little cash just for emergencies). But as I watched the Dow Jones plummet, the first thought that went through my mind was that if all heck breaks loose this week, I am glad to have a stockpile in the garage that would feed my family for several months if need be.

And then I think about all my friends who've just suffered through the crazy weather down south and I know that for many, having a stockpile has brought security to them and their families as well.

So why is stockpiling an important savings strategy? If the value of the dollar is going to continue to fall, and goods are continuing to rise in price, if you can afford to buy things this month while sales are strong, you'll hedge your bet against price increases that are coming around the corner. USDA anticipates that prices are going to increase again next year by as much as 5%-7%. That means every $100 in groceries you buy now is going to cost you up to $107 next year. My thought is that the USDA estimate is a conservative estimate, and we'll see prices average closer to 10%-13% higher next year.

So, what's on sale this month that you should be watching for?

Leading off with September is the General Mills family of brands. Watch for 10 for $10 type sales. With the higher ingredient costs, many brands are willing to spend money on marketing to continue developing brand awareness, particularly as consumers are being driven to generics by the media as a cost-saving strategy at the store.
In the next two weeks, watch for the Quaker family of brands to be on sale. Not only does this include oatmeal and chewy granola bars, but Quaker also owns Aunt Jemima pancake mixes and syrups. This sale has already hit my area and these items are 10 for $15. But with coupons from last Sunday's newspapers and high value "peelie" coupons you might find in-store on the boxes, you can score these items for .50 cents each. I bought 70 assorted boxes of breakfast bars, oatmeal and granola bars for $40 yesterday morning. And with long shelf lives, that will keep us in oatmeal long after the price has jumped back up to $4.29 a box. It's an even better deal on the pancake fixings, for which there are rarely coupons on the Aunt Jemima brand. At $1.50 a box versus $4 or more, this is a great deal for stocking up.
The last of my favorite fall deals is the Campbell's family of brands which include Prego, all the soup lines, and Gold Fish crackers to name a few. Hints of soup sales are already happening - 10 cans of tomato and chicken noodle could be found last week for .50 cents a can - a teaser of the sales to come. And this is the month that Campbell's makes their coupons the most available. There were coupons in last week's paper and watch for more as we get closer to October. Soups have a long shelf life, so buy what you can for the year while the prices are at their best.

So watch the ads closely in your area and keep an eye on the store forums the rest of the month so you don't miss fall deals and an opportunity to save big at the store."

Great so now I am going to see if I can get one more shelf. I measured the spot there is room for more shelf the same as the one I already have.

Hurricane in TX has me thinking...

Ok, so I was looking at some of the pictures and reading blogs (well the 2 that I follow, they live near or at where the hurricane went through) and it got me to thinking. I know we would be OK food wise and ok for water for a little while because of my stock pile. We are very fortunate that where we live, when our power goes out, which is a very rare occasion, it comes on fairly quickly. The longest that it has been out since we lived here has been a few hours (and the whole grid went out too). We went to bed and the power was back on in the morning. But what if the power was off for a long period? I worry about my freezers and frige. I can live without everything else. We have all that camping equipment, plus a grill with a full propane tank with a side burner. But I am thinking a generator is what we need. I saw on TV how these people from FL got generators from SC and took them to TX to "help" them out by selling them for $1408 EACH! And I am sure they were getting the $400 version from either Home Depot or Lowes. Maybe instead of the new freezer I should have gotten a generator. But I am pretty sure that would be a hard sell to my husband.

Got my Freezer! & EBates over $60!

I am excited I got my new freezer today. I was going to wait until it cooled down in the garage to swap the stuff over but I couldn't wait.
Getting the Freezer was fun. Lucky for me the closest Lowes Home Improvement is only 3 miles away. They loaded it up in the back of the truck and I got to drive 20 miles per hour home. I was happy to find out that I did not have to drive but only a few hundred feet on the busy road, I cut through parking lots and that made me not worry about holding people up. I did make my husband come and bring #1 to the bottom of a hill so he could make sure it didn't tip right before we got home. Whew! Now I get to fill it up the rest of the way because Triple coupons start Sept 18th at Harris Teeter.

On a separate note, I am over $60 on my Ebates account. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I am not one for buying a lot on the Internet. But I did sign up on May 28th, when I needed to buy window fans. I couldn't find them locally and figured rather than search all over the place I would look on line. As luck would have it the cheapest place also has 3% back at J and R Music world of all places! When I signed up (through someone else who's blog I follow) at that time they had a special Promotion going and I got $10 for signing up along with my 3% back.
Here is my break down so far-
$10 to sign up
$1.80 (J& R Music World) 2 window fans
$4.30 (Best Deal Magazines)For a magazine subscription I found at the book Store
$5.04 (Petcare RX)for Advantage for Black Kitty
and a $5.00 Bonus for a friend signing up
I have already gotten that check for $26.14

Then on the new quarter
$19.96 (Target.com) for a Wedding gift for my sister where she was registered (Thanks SIS!)
$2.24 (Shoes.com) I have big feet finding shoes in size 11 is hard they had cute sandals (which aren't as cute in size 11 but I still like them)
$8.10 (Kohls.com) Business purchases
$6.40 (Shoes.com) I needed NAVY blue shoes for my dress for my sister reception those are VERY hard to find, then try and get them in size 11? I looked for several weeks and in several stores.

I also have 2 small ones (less than $2 total) pending from Marriott.com, we had to reserve a room in Greenville for the MS150 and again in Jacksonville FL when we go to FL for my sister reception.

All of these things are things I was doing anyways. I have also bought some items that weren't on Ebates, no one carried the tent foot print in the size we needed that are registered at Ebates so I bought it at the one place that carried it.

New Freezer

Last year before Thanksgiving HT had a sale on Turkeys, the frozen kind. They were something like $.49 a lb but it was 2 weeks before Thanksgiving they had this 3 day sale. Well, I sat down and did the math. I had to have about a 20lb turkey since we were hosting it. I would save $.80 a pound and there was no way a 20 lb turkey would fit in my freezer. So that weekend we grabbed our coupons and went to Home Depot. We had several coupons. I got a 5.5 cu ft small chest freezer and it was only costing us less than $100 after coupons and the fact I was saving money by buying my Turkey a few weeks ahead time.

Nearly 1 year later I have decided my freezer is too small. Coupled with the fact I hate digging in it, plus where we have it I can't get the lid open all the way. When I went to the store yesterday and loaded up on MORE Green Giant frozen veggies I decided I would have to rearrange my freezer so I could fit it in. I found stuff I forgot I had thrown down there. I had all these soft shapeless items at the bottom too, plus a Turkey and a Ham! I have now decided to sell the small freezer and buy a bigger UPRIGHT freezer.

Anyone need a small chest freezer?

What a great bunch of deals at Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter has a bunch of specials going at once.
4 day sale, $1.59lb ground beef, B2G3 Kraft Mac N Cheese and HT Spaghetti
Buy 10 Specially marked Box Tops items Get $4 off instantly-which includes the below items that have another deal too and are on sale
Buy 5 Green Giant Boxed Veggies get $3.50 oyno
Buy 5 Pop Secret pop corn get $3.00 oyno
Buy 5 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll snacks get $3.50 oyno
buy 5 Nature Valley Granola Bars get $3.50 oyno

I did 5 orders back to back first thing this morning so I wouldn't cause too much of a back up at the register.
10 mac n cheese (b2g3F)
16 fruit roll ups (3/$5)
16 green giant ($1)
3 toaster strudel ($2)
5 lucky charms ($2)
6 granola bars ($2.50)
2 chex mix ($1.30)
4 Pop Secret Popcorn

I also had Lowes Food Coupons that went with the Fruit Roll ups, granola bars and lucky charms

I total out of pocket was $7.51
Total store special savings $75.56
Total coupons used $61.20
I still have $12.50 in cats to use!

Those Fruit Snacks will last about 3 days. I think I am going to see about getting more and rolling more catalinas. It is too good a deal to pass up!

What do all these abbreviations mean plus definitions of certain words used

Q/Man Q/MQ-Manufacturer coupon

IP-Internet Printable (coupons.com, couponloop.com, smartsource.com)

MIR –Mail In rebate

WT-Wine Tags (found on bottles of wine)

TMF –Try Me Free rebate forms typically found online or in the paper/coupon section

GC- Gift Card

Home Mailer-coupons mailed directly to your house advertising a product or store

Store Q/Store Coupon-Coupons that typically have the store logo on them, typically found in store sales fliers. They will state “Redeem only at” that store

Competitors Coupon-a store coupon from a store different than the one accepting it.

Beer/wine Rebate-these are put out by the beer/wine maker. In some states they do not require a beer/wine purchase, they have made it illegal for them to in only a handful of states, NC being one of them. In other states they do make the purchase of beer/wine necessary plus other items stated on the form.

BOGO-Buy one get one free

B1G2F/B2G3F-Buy X get X Free (fill in X with numbers)

BTFE-Box Tops For Education, those little square that says BOX TOP and $.10 on them. The schools collect these and can send them in for $0.10 each from General Mills (who owns Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Yoplait, General Mills Cereals, Totinos, Green Giant, Nature Valley, Cascadian Farms, Caribou Coffee, Curves foods, Old El Paso)

PPHF-Paypal Handling Fee

CAT/Catalina-those coupons that the cashier hands you with your receipt at the grocery store.

ECB-From CVS You get them when you buy a specific item and it is like money good towards your next purchase

CRT-Cash Register Tape, your register receipt from the store

OOP –out of pocket, what you had to PAY right there on the spot

Rain Check-when a store is out of an item that is on sale you can get one of these. Typically they expire in 30 days (though this isn’t ALWAYS the case). You should always get these if you go to the store to get a specific thing and they are out. Most chain stores will do this.

UPC-that bar code on the product that the cashier scans for the price

Peelies-coupons found ON an item that peel off

Blinkies-coupons found at the store in the Smartsource machine. They have a little red light on them that blinks typically.

DND-do no double, which it Automatically will not if the upc on the bottom begins with a 9, if it begins with a 5 it has the ability to double/triple

Stockpile-all that stuff that I buy tons of (toothpaste, shampoo…) that I can never possibly use in a lifetime but I throw into a pile in hopes one day I can use it or donate it.

Stores
HT-Harris Teeter
LF-Lowes Foods
FL-Food Lion
BL-BiLo
Wags-Walgreens
RA-Rite Aid

What the hell is wrong with people?

So a few weeks ago, a few miles from my house they did a raid on a house that had oodles of animals/rodents at it. They called this Operation Noah's Ark. They found animals in cages on cages and in the yard. She had horses, a llama, cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs, rats...all in cages. The neighbors had been complaining for years about the smell and noise coming from this woman’s house. When the county decided to finally do something about it they thought there were between 100-200 animals there. Come to find out there were 393 animals at this house. This woman, husband and son were keeping all these animals. When I first read this story I thought to myself, this woman must have taken in these animals out of the kindness of her heart and it just became too much for her to handle. But then I started hearing/reading how the animals would have to fight for food. I just read today how some of these animals (specifically dogs) had never even been on a leash. I am also under the impression some of these animals are pure breed dogs. I have read this is one of the worst cases of animal hording they have seen, written by one of the "Animal" groups (like the ASPCA, PETA, and AHS).

If you feel generous and want to donate to this specific operation you can send a check with "Denver NC" in the memo-

SPCA Alliance

PO Box 30484

Charlotte NC 28230

Then I was watching the news the other night and they were in one of the counties in the mountains in NC. They were saying how this family had just left the house and had no plans to return, but left the 4 dogs and 2 cats there! The news camera crew managed to get a picture of a cat and a little dog at the door of this house looking as if they just wanted ANY help anyone could give them meowing and barking. They then go on to say that the neighbors have contacted the police in the town/county to tell them about these animals that need HELP. The police's reply "It is private property there is nothing we could do." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How could ANYONE who has seen these animals NOT do ANYTHING? I mean, IF I knew where this was a simple rock would fix the problem! I have no problem going to this house and breaking a window or the front door (which looked to be a glass storm door) and getting these poor animals out. The way the story was being portrayed, no one was tending to the animals, like FOOD, no one is feeding them.
What is wrong with people that they could just leave their pets like this? The dog on camera appeared to be a small purebred dog the size of the cat! And honestly if I had been the camera man or the reporter, I most definitely would have found a way (legal or not) to get the animals out. Shame on YOU whoever has seen these animals there and done NOTHING!

It pays to stay at home for me -$1350 a month

If anyone wonders how much money they will MAKE by staying at home there is a way to find out. I have thought about this recently and come up with answers for myself and anyone else that may be considering making that leap.

I do have a few jobs that do actually bring in revenue for my family. I do the mystery shop thing and I sell on eBay. I actually do quite a bit of mystery shopping some months and during the fall I do a LOT of eBay, so much eBay that it takes up a lot of time and I can’t do as much when it comes to saving/couponing. So I am trying to stockpile, but I do still manage to save.

The first thing I did was try and figure out what I was spending on groceries. I don’t know how much that was; it was well over $1200. According to the government it says that the Liberal Plan for my family of 5 (based on ages and sex) is $1445 a month (and doesn’t include the 4 shedders). That seems about in line with what I was spending, though I guess I could ask my accountant husband for these figures (but this is more fun). I was making no attempt to save money, not really. I might stock up (at the time I thought I was stocking up) on something that was on sale, but I never used coupons. My attempts at savings was going to BJs and spend $400 (more than half on what we didn’t need) or make that trip to Walmart every few weeks, but I would still swing by Harris Teeter nearly every day and spend an additional $20-$75 each time. Now I have given myself a grocery budget of $400 a month. This budget includes all grocery store items, including cat food/supplies, shampoo, paper products, basically anything that can be purchased in a grocery store. So by staying at home and using coupons and following sales I have SAVED us $1,000 a month right there.

Then I figured in my mystery shopping. Right now I am averaging about $250 a month in mystery shopping, which includes reimbursement for food. I try and use my $400 a month grocery budget to do this mystery shopping. I mystery shop restaurants, grocery stores, big box stores, clothing stores, and specialty stores. So there is another $250, which is probably a conservative amount.

Then I started doing rebates this past winter. I do the store rebates at Rite Aid and Walgreens, though I do not do them every month. I do Ebates (pays quarterly) and I also do the beer/wine rebates (no beer or wine purchase necessary). I also will do 'Try Me Free' rebates and other rebates that are typically seasonal. Kellogg’s just had one where I had to buy 10 Kellogg’s items and I got a $10 refund, or the Pert/Sure school supplies rebate, where I had to buy $5 in pert or sure and $5 in school supplies and I get a $5 refund. In most of these cases, you don’t have to actually SPEND the amount shown; you have to BUY the amount shown. So When I bought the Pert/Sure items I spent less than $3 out of pocket because they were on sale and I had coupons. The Kellogg’s one was even better, Harris Teeter was running a promotion on one day and for every 10 items I bought at HT, I got a form at the store to get a $10 gift certificate at the store. I have also gotten 2 $25 gift cards for Best Buy for buying American Express Gift cards. That only cost me $10 for each card (really $5 I got ECBs from CVS for that deal). I make anywhere from $100-$200 a month in rebates.

So, I save $1000 by staying home, I make $250 for mystery shopping and my rebates get me $100 a month. I make $1350 a month! That is about a part time job I think! This doesn’t take into consideration the fact that if I did work, we would eat out more, and most likely spend more because I wouldn’t have the time to save money. Also my eBay is not included in there.

Wow what a day! Harris Teeter has some great deals!

I had to do some shopping today. I went out and returned a few things and went to Harris Teeter. They have a deal going on where you buy 10 of certain Box Top For Education items and you will get $4 off your order. They have most of these items on sale too right now. PLUS most have manufacturer coupons for them on the internet AND I also have some store coupons from Lowes Foods that my HT will take. AND Starting 9-12 there are catalina deals that run with these same items. Oh how sweet it will be! Then Triple coupons 9/18-9/21 I really need to stop shopping!

My first shopping trip consisted of

4 bags Good Life Cat food (had a sign marked BOGO, though they weren't on sale anymore)$2Q

6 Chex Mix (bogo) used $.60Q that doubled

4 Lucky Charms ($2.00 each) used $1/3 Q

1 Electrasol ($2.99) used $2.25Q -not pictured

I also used 2 Lowes Food coupons for $4 off each for cereal and snacks

I paid the cashier $16.51 (saved $48.38 in specials and coupons)

Then went to Customer service and told them about the BOGO on the cat food and proceeded to get ALL my money back that I paid to the cashier.

SO OOP ZERO!

Then I went to another Harris Teeter

4 Bugles (BOGO)

2 Chex Mix (BOGO) $1/2Q

1 HT Laundry Detergent ($4.97) store special $3 instant savings

2 Gallons Milk ($3.79)

4 Betty Crocker Muffin Mix ($2.00) used $.45Q

Used 1 LF coupon for $4 off on the salty snacks

Used 1 LF coupon for $2.00 off muffins

Total OOP $11.57

AND when I got home there was a rebate form someone sent me for $5 off $10 purchase of salty snacks.

Also I was working so I made $53.58 on that outting. I guess I should also mention I did spend another $200 at a store where I got some stuff to list on ebay, however, that will be listed and sold. No keeping that stuff.

What a great day shopping!

What a great day shopping! I actually was out "working" and ran into these deals.
Everything in the picture total spent is $23.31. I think one cashier forgot to scan a $1 coupon too.
2 12oz bags 8 oclock coffee
9 yoplait yogurts
4 1lb box brown sugar
3 3lb bags of cat food
1 3lb bag of onions
1 12ct bag Sorrento string cheese
4 12pks coke Products
1 gallon milk
6 Edge Shave cream
1 2ltr root beer
2 tube Colgate toothpaste (like I needed more!)
1 HT traders Cookies

What is even better is I will get $20 back! Today I was truly paid to shop when I include my "work" pay, which is more than the $20.

Well, I guess I should also mention that I picked up my minivan today, and did have to write a check for $500 for the our portion of the bill. Also this morning I had to make hotel reservations for when we go to Florida and Greenville in a few weeks...Still this shopping trip makes me feel like I am contributing to our household.