THE APRIL 2012 GROCERY CHALLENGE

[dancinmama]

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!

On behalf of suzi and all of the gals here, WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME to the Grocery Challenge from me - dancinmama!!

If you have never clipped a coupon, or even if you have been using coupons for years, we'd love to have you join us. We are a crazy, fun-loving, and very friendly group of gals just chatting with one another about how to save big money using coupons. We are willing to help anyone, at any level, in any way that we can.

Don't think that you have to read through the pages and pages of posts to join in - most of it will be old, out-of-date information anyway. Just go to the last page of the thread and introduce yourself. Tell us what area of the country you're from and where you shop (grocery stores, national chain stores, Target, WalMart, etc.).

We'd love to have you join us on a regular basis, so don't be shy - just jump right in, have some fun, and save a ton of money in the process!!

NEWBIES/OLDIES: If you post a HOUND ALERT requesting coupons from others, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE also post which insert/where the coupon can be found (Example: 1/2 SS) so that we can find it easily without having to research it ourselves. ALSO, if you need the coupon for a specific deal, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE try to remember to post the deal with your HOUND ALERT so that someone who may have the coupon(s) can decide whether they want/need to do the deal before sending out any of their coupons. THANKS!!

POSTING ABOUT A DEAL / HOT COUPON: Some people get overwhelmed by the number of posts and only have time to skim the posts for the information that they need the most. If you are posting a deal, please post something that makes it stand out like "CVS DEAL ALERT" or if you are posting to tell us that there is a new, hot coupon available, please post something like "$3/1 WHOLLY GUACAMOLE IP ALERT".

We want to make this thread as fun, friendly, and helpful as possible. These suggestions will save EVERYONE a lot of time when they are trying to "catch up" and read through past posts.

Now let's have some fun!! [image]

[twinmama85]

ooooh I ordered 20 farmer johns coupons off ebay, got them today and tomorrow i will be getting 23 packages (thanks to dancinmama) of those things FOR FREE!! no tax!

[whoisjohngalt]

I haven't had any good deals at all

Lena

[dancinmama]

Mar 31, 2012 18:02:36 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I haven't had any good deals at all

Lena

Don't get discouraged. It's a little slow right now, but there's a good deal every now and then. Just keep looking and stocking up when you do find good deals.

[dancinmama]

twinmama: Got your envie today.....THANKS!! ;D

[dancinmama]

After I do my shopping tonight, my coupon savings for the first quarter (value of all paper coupons used) will be over $600. It's pitiful compared to my annual savings/rebates received in 2010 of over $10,000, but $2400 for the year wouldn't be too bad since I'm not really working at it.

[leanna]

Mar 31, 2012 18:02:36 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I haven't had any good deals at all

Lena

While there haven't been a lot of freebies at the drugstores, there are still low priced sales on grocery & household items.

For example, yesterday I had a great day at Walgreens. They had what they call "Friends & Family" day, where they had a 15% off everything coupon. I bought Coke, for an all-time low price of the last few years.

And I got Schick razors for 49 cents apiece after RR. Fantastic!

This coming week I'm going to get a frozen meal by Marie Callendars for free at Albs through a combo of sales and coupons. And I'm going to get cheap marshmallows.

I know I've gotten stuff for good prices at Safeway and Fred Meyers recently. For example, I got a ton of cereal for super cheap after coupons and rebate.

Are you keeping a Price Book? It's always good to keep focused on the whole picture of everything you buy. Because sometimes the freebies aren't there, but we still have to buy food. So maybe focusing on that will help.

[rubyslippers]

Saveinla: I PM'd you and thanks again.

Dancin: Are you only adding up the grocery/drugstore MQ's that you have used? Do you also count rewards, catalinas etc.? Everyone that tracks has their own system of doing things. My totals are less than what they used to be too, but I count everything like clothes, restaurants, gasoline, oil changes etc... On one of the sites where posters put photos of what they bought, some of them count the price matches and sale prices of their deals. I don't do that because I buy the majority of my stuff when it's on sale or do without. Still, your total isn't too shabby if you haven't been doing too much.

[twinmama85]

My total YTD is about $2,000 and that is just coupons and sales...I haven't counted rebates (do that at the end of the year) or what I receive in rewards. Now, I do count those rewards as coupons when I redeem them, so that has helped out tremendously

[dancinmama]

Mar 31, 2012 21:47:44 GMT -5 rubyslippers said:

Saveinla: I PM'd you and thanks again.

Dancin: Are you only adding up the grocery/drugstore MQ's that you have used? Do you also count rewards, catalinas etc.? Everyone that tracks has their own system of doing things. My totals are less than what they used to be too, but I count everything like clothes, restaurants, gasoline, oil changes etc... On one of the sites where posters put photos of what they bought, some of them count the price matches and sale prices of their deals. I don't do that because I buy the majority of my stuff when it's on sale or do without. Still, your total isn't too shabby if you haven't been doing too much.

rubyslippers: Nope, the total is just the paper coupons (MCs, CRTs, EBs). I haven't gotten or used a single RR or UP this year so far. Since there have been no absolute freebies at WAGs (sale - coupon = $0 AND you get a RR) I haven't done any RR deals this year. The really good Catalina deals at Safeway are few and far between. I'm lucky if I find one or two good ones in a year.

So I just patiently wait for the very best deals and swoop on those; I let the rest go. There have been quite a few weeks where I haven't done any deals at all.

When the time is right and the deals pick up more, I'll be back in full swing. ;D

Regardless, I'm happy with the savings considering that I'm not doing all that much.

[whoisjohngalt]

I will admit, I haven't done any non-actual-cash deals. so, for CVS, I haven't done extra-bucks deals, only GC deals. For some reason, to me it's like they want me to spend money with strings attached, if it makes any sense

so, may be 2nd qtr, I will look into that also.

Oh and thank you everyone who posts their deals, very very helpful to us, newbies.

Lena

[saveinla]

Ralphs shoppers,

In addition to the 88c eggs this week, they also have red grapes for 88 cents and small size watermelons for 1.50 each.

I am liking the promotions at SW and Kroger now. Even with no doubling, if they can give me low prices, that is great.

If you bought the 1.67/lb strawberry at SW last week, then this week's J4U price is 1.49/lb. The farmer's market has them at 2$/lb.

leanna,
Can you expand on the Albertson deal? TIA

[dancinmama]

Mar 31, 2012 22:52:53 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I will admit, I haven't done any non-actual-cash deals. so, for CVS, I haven't done extra-bucks deals, only GC deals. For some reason, to me it's like they want me to spend money with strings attached, if it makes any sense

so, may be 2nd qtr, I will look into that also.

Oh and thank you everyone who posts their deals, very very helpful to us, newbies.

Lena

Actually, I made an effort to spend my EBs doing as many of the GC deals as I could because EBs expire, but GCs never do. Right now I'm holding over $200 in CVS GCs because of several of those deals.

Your feeling that there are "strings attached" is justified. It is a way to "force you" back into the store. The trick is to beat them at their own game and use those strings to YOUR advantage. CVS is the easiest since they give you the longest lead time to use their rewards. The ad previews on iheartcvs give you plenty of time to figure out how to use them.

[suziq38]

Dancinmama!
Thank you for creating the new April thread.

[suziq38]

Marvholly and leana:
Thank you for your kind words. Eating better has become a daily struggle with me.
Most of the time I do great, but I still "fall off of the wagon" sometimes.

[dancinmama]

I stayed up late to go to CVS tonight so that I could use the $.75/2 Wonka/Nestle coupons that expired today with the $2/$10 Easter candy CRT that starts tomorrow. What we won't do sometimes to save a buck!!

$6.00 (2) Easter M&Ms
4.50 (6) Wonka/Nestles Theater Box Candy
10.50
-2.00 $2/$10 Easter Candy CRT
-1.00 $1/2 M&M CRT
-2.99 EBs (from last week's candy freebies)
-100 $1/2 M&M MC
-2.25 (3) $.75/3 Wonka/Nestles Theater Box Candy
1.26 OOP --> $2EB for buying (2) M&Ms

Rinse and repeat on my mom's card. ;D

So that's $2.52 OOP for (4) medium sized bags of M&Ms and (12) boxes of Wonka/Nestle theater box candy.

NOTE: I noticed in the ad that shows the $2/$10 CRT it says limit 1 per household while supplies last. I'm not sure if they mean while the CRT supplies last (that they will be printing only a certain number of them) or if they mean while the candy supplies last. Personally, my CVS has a pile of Easter candy on the shelves. It will be interesting to see how much they still have by next week. The CRTs don't expire until 4/8.

[dancinmama]

Apr 1, 2012 0:19:44 GMT -5 suziq38 said:

Dancinmama!
Thank you for creating the new April thread.

Hey suzi. Glad to hear you're doing well and are still losing weight. I have been on an exercise regimen too. Everyday I walk what has been nicknamed "heart attack hill". It is right in my neighborhood and it really gets your heart pumping.

[constanz22]

Well, it looks like I will be doing less and less couponing. Just got back from the store and there was a notice up that the local paper will be raising it's price from 1.75 to 3.00 starting in May. That is a huge increase and the coupons totally suck, so, I can pretty much say I will NEVER buy an extra paper and may very likely cancel my Sunday subscription. I haven't received notice yet what the subscription cost will be, but likely not worth it. There is a NYC paper I can buy for 1.25 but it doesn't have the SS ever so, sometimes worth it, sometimes not. I may be able to get some free inserts from the campground this summer, but last year was really hit or miss. I think someone else was taking them too. Sigh...just one more roadblock to getting the deals. And, did y'all see the crest coupons in the PG this week are .20/1! Are you kidding me?!

[twinmama85]

Apr 1, 2012 8:30:47 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

Well, it looks like I will be doing less and less couponing. Just got back from the store and there was a notice up that the local paper will be raising it's price from 1.75 to 3.00 starting in May. That is a huge increase and the coupons totally suck, so, I can pretty much say I will NEVER buy an extra paper and may very likely cancel my Sunday subscription. I haven't received notice yet what the subscription cost will be, but likely not worth it. There is a NYC paper I can buy for 1.25 but it doesn't have the SS ever so, sometimes worth it, sometimes not. I may be able to get some free inserts from the campground this summer, but last year was really hit or miss. I think someone else was taking them too. Sigh...just one more roadblock to getting the deals. And, did y'all see the crest coupons in the PG this week are .20/1! Are you kidding me?!

oh man!! that stinks! I would just buy some inserts online if you can...I only buy the LA Times because it is the only newspaper in my area that ever gets anything..granted, I might miss out on one or two, but the local papers here are mostly full of those stupid check advertisement pagers

[saveinla]

constanz,

I hear you. P&G ads are just a waste of paper for me - 25c on Crest, 25 cents on Charmin, 25c on Dawn etc. etc.

[dogmom]

I've noticed also coupon values haven't been what they used to be. On P&G, we like/liked the Downy unstoppables. (purple one). The coupon used to be $2.00 off. Walmart near where I live had price drops to $5.88 making them $3.88. They are not necessary, but we liked them. Last month's coupon was $1.00, this month's is .50. HUH? And the prices rose... Last year, Ivory soap was $1.00 off of one three pack. It ran on sale at CVS for .99 for a three pack making them free. Now it's $1.00 off two? Good thing for a stockpile of body wash. I did appreciate last week's Bertolli EB though. Got 6 for $10, used 3 coupons for $1.50 off two, OOP $5.50 and got $3.00 EB back. Used previous EB's to pay for that. Also did the Mars eggs/bunnies for 2 for $1.00 with $1.00 EB. Used coupons on both and CVS coupon for an extra .25 off.... Still holding on to $50. in GC.

This week there's nothing I want to drive across town for.

Wags is 10 houses away from me and honestly, I wish their coupon policy (and manager) were more friendly. I got two $3.00 off cats from Meijer and Jewel for Ecotrin. We are low on these. Wags price: $3.49, Jewel price: $6.69, Meijer price $5.49. Since Wags (although they say MFR coupon on them) will not take them.

It certainly is a challenge, isn't it?

[twinsandmoremomma]

Question:
If I buy a product from walgreens that earns Rapid Rewards can I buy multiple in one trip and get multiple rewards? or do I just get one reward regardless of quantity bought per trip?

[constanz22]

Apr 1, 2012 9:59:52 GMT -5 twinsandmoremomma said:

Question:
If I buy a product from walgreens that earns Rapid Rewards can I buy multiple in one trip and get multiple rewards? or do I just get one reward regardless of quantity bought per trip?

You will just get one, and you can't roll them. If you get a Register Reward from X product/manufacturer, you can not use that RR on the same product and get another RR.

[twinsandmoremomma]

ok so tell me what you think about this possible deal:
Walgreens has Robert Mondavi Private Selection wine on sale for $7.99 with a rr of $5.oo. So I buy 6 individually earing $30 rr's and submit for the $9 rebate on the back of the CVS ad.

[twinmama85]

Apr 1, 2012 8:38:14 GMT -5 saveinla said:

constanz,

I hear you. P&G ads are just a waste of paper for me - 25c on Crest, 25 cents on Charmin, 25c on Dawn etc. etc.

Oh, I love the $1 off the Crest White Strips coupon...I was thinking to myself what was even the point of putting that in there

On a lighter note, the highlight of my shopping trip:

4 boxes of Allegra $4.24 MM
Contact Solution $1MM
4 bags of Easter candy FREE
23 packs of Farmer John's sausage FREE
4 HUGE tubs of ICBINB for $2.96
4 dozen eggs + 2 cans of almonds for $2.69

[twinmama85]

Apr 1, 2012 10:20:00 GMT -5 twinsandmoremomma said:

ok so tell me what you think about this possible deal:
Walgreens has Robert Mondavi Private Selection wine on sale for $7.99 with a rr of $5.oo. So I buy 6 individually earing $30 rr's and submit for the $9 rebate on the back of the CVS ad.

It might work, but you might want to read the fine print about it being on 1 receipt or if multiple are okay..sometimes they won't accept if it is not"one" shopping trip.

[dancinmama]

Apr 1, 2012 13:35:13 GMT -5 twinmama85 said:

Apr 1, 2012 8:38:14 GMT -5 saveinla said:

constanz,

I hear you. P&G ads are just a waste of paper for me - 25c on Crest, 25 cents on Charmin, 25c on Dawn etc. etc.

Oh, I love the $1 off the Crest White Strips coupon...I was thinking to myself what was even the point of putting that in there

On a lighter note, the highlight of my shopping trip:

4 boxes of Allegra $4.24 MM
Contact Solution $1MM
4 bags of Easter candy FREE
23 packs of Farmer John's sausage FREE
4 HUGE tubs of ICBINB for $2.96
4 dozen eggs + 2 cans of almonds for $2.69

AWESOME JOB!!

[dancinmama]

Mostly for newbies:

What was described with the Downy Unstoppables is not uncommon. Wasn't it a fairly new product when the $2/1 coupon came out? When a product is first introduced on the market, the manufacturer will almost always offer a very high-value coupon to entice people to try the product, hopefully REALLY like it, and become brand loyal so that they can gain market share against their competitors. Later coupons often are of a decreased value. Sometimes they will still offer a really good coupon on their product once or twice a year which is the time to once again look for the freebies; Finish dishwasher detergent is a good example of this.

The trick is to not get too brand loyal to anything and stockpile new products when they first come out, especially if you can get them for free after sale and coupon. If you don't like the product, you haven't lost much (sales tax); if you like it, you've gained a lot of product for free - and hopefully enough to get you through until the next NEW fabric softener or dog food or dish washing liquid comes out accompanied by another really high-value coupon making that new product free. Rinse and repeat over time and you can get the product that you use every day for a greatly reduced cost or for nothing at all.

[twinmama85]

Apr 1, 2012 14:23:50 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

Mostly for newbies:

What was described with the Downy Unstoppables is not uncommon. Wasn't it a fairly new product when the $2/1 coupon came out? When a product is first introduced on the market, the manufacturer will almost always offer a very high-value coupon to entice people to try the product, hopefully REALLY like it, and become brand loyal so that they can gain market share against their competitors. Later coupons often are of a decreased value. Sometimes they will still offer a really good coupon on their product once or twice a year which is the time to once again look for the freebies; Finish dishwasher detergent is a good example of this.

The trick is to not get too brand loyal to anything and stockpile new products when they first come out, especially if you can get them for free after sale and coupon. If you don't like the product, you haven't lost much (sales tax); if you like it, you've gained a lot of product for free - and hopefully enough to get you through until the next NEW fabric softener or dog food or dish washing liquid comes out accompanied by another really high-value coupon making that new product free. Rinse and repeat over time and you can get the product that you use every day for a greatly reduced cost or for nothing at all.

That is so true! Also, it depends on the "season" as well..for example, right after Christmas, there was a ton of health and diet coupons out there...EG, I got 24 bottles of Flintstone's vitamins for about $10. Also, right now, there is a ton of high value allergy coupons (IE, $7/1 ANY Allegra coupon this week, a few weeks ago it was Zyrtec) so keep your heads up!

HOUND ALERT
Hey I dont know if anyone has this coupon or not, but I am looking for a BV Coastal Estates Wine coupon..not sure what insert it is in but it is worth $1 and I know it is VERY REGIONAL (California, Nevada, maybe AZ) if anybody has one to share, please let me know!

[twinmama85]

Regarding he P&G inserts...I've noticed that what they do is pick a couple of products which they will offer a higher value (this month it looks like Head & Shoulders, last month it was buy 1 Olay Cleanser, get a free body wash up to $8.99)

But I do have to say that this one coupon is very annoying....$1 off Crest 3D White..REALLY?! Whats the point