THE GROCERY CHALLENGE

[Deleted]

dancinmama - thanks for providing the link! I'm very excited to start seriously couponing.

[carolinagirl]

Yeah! I went to CVS and signed up for my reward card.
I got the tone for 3.88 minus the $1 q and it gave me my $3 EB. I then used the $3 EB for a gallon of milk (needed it really bad for the babies) and only paid .66 for the milk. that was so exciting! I know it wasnt as good as I will get but I thought it was a good first time.
I went to rite aid and got the 4 cans of progresso soup and had a $1 q. It gave me $4 in UP rewards. I think I will use those and my q's for some free cereal. Not sure yet though, I need to study my flyers and see what q's I get sunday.
Thanks so much! I am really getting excited over this!

[dancinmama]

Dec 31, 2010 13:23:07 GMT -5 @tam2243 said:

Dancin - the updated post sounds great. Nice job - as usual.

I was thinking of the Bertoli deal a few days ago. At that time I remember you saying we should stock up when the deal is good because we don't know when/if a situation will change. I stocked up on Electrosol (enough for about 5 years) around then because of the $2.50 q and the super Target deal running at the time. I was paying .25 or .50 box. Then, just as you predicted, the situation changed. My supply of free inserts dried up and my area has not seen the $2.50 q since.
One of my couponing rules is - always listen to Dancinmama!

;D

tam: ha ha ha I don't know about that (the always listen to dancinmama part), but knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em is critical in the game. It's a fine line, but when you have that RARE coupon in your hot little hands, it's better more times than not to go ahead and go for it IF you have space to store the product. (We always have to keep in mind that storage space is a "commodity" too.)

When I was able to get a boatload of inserts for free, I too stockpiled a lot of free or "on the freap" items knowing that I might not get the extra inserts forever; now I am really glad that I did.

And by the way, I will remember you forever every time we use pasta sauce (whether it's Bertolli or any other brand). It was absolutely amazing and one of those "once in a lifetime opportunities" that I was able to pull off because you were so kind to come out of lurking to offer me all those Qs. I think you sent (60)+.

Anyway, now here you are posting on a semi-regular basis. YEAH!!

[dancinmama]

Dec 31, 2010 13:54:44 GMT -5 @carolinagirl said:

Yeah! I went to CVS and signed up for my reward card.
I got the tone for 3.88 minus the $1 q and it gave me my $3 EB. I then used the $3 EB for a gallon of milk (needed it really bad for the babies) and only paid .66 for the milk. that was so exciting! I know it wasnt as good as I will get but I thought it was a good first time.
I went to rite aid and got the 4 cans of progresso soup and had a $1 q. It gave me $4 in UP rewards. I think I will use those and my q's for some free cereal. Not sure yet though, I need to study my flyers and see what q's I get sunday.
Thanks so much! I am really getting excited over this!

carolinagirl: Awesome job with your first try at saving money with coupons!! You are going to be floored by what you will be doing in a very short period of time. And believe me when I tell you that those of us who are "oldies" are having so much fun listening to you; we can just hear the excitement in your post!!

Just remember - be patient and go slowly so that you can build your stockpiles for very little OOP.

[constanz22]

WalMart clearance ROCKED! I was there for 3 hours! I filled up one cart, checked out and went back for more! I found some HOT, HOT, HOT deals!
BESTby far was Holiday Edition Keurig K-cups, 48 pack. Guess how much I paid?? $5.00!! They were ringing up $20, which I don't know if that was regular price or half price or what. (I have just started looking for deals on these, cuz I ordered a Keurig mini for myself for Xmas) but I asked the manager in the Christmas section about it and he said, "just tell them at the register to change the price"! MAJOR SCORE!
However, they wouldn't budge on the holiday Bounty napkins that I found in the regular store...oh well, I'd much rather have the Keurig! LOL!
I found 4 of the Herbal Essences gift sets, 2.50 ea. I thought I might have Q's to make it a sweeter deal, but didn't see any. I'm not sure I'm gonna keep these, although they'll make nice birthday gifts. They are not holiday at all!
The Wilton cake pan I bought Wed was now 75% off so I returned the one I bought and bought 3 more.
I bought a TON of "spa" stuff, slippers, robes, bath pillows, bath fizzies, etc. ALL 75% off and again, not holiday at all.
Another great buy was fleece pj pants for $2. I think I bought close to 10 pair. They are holiday prints, but, I'll wear them year round and am putting a few away for gifts next year.
Starbucks mugs with a packet of hot chocolate and choclate covered cookies were 1.50.
Better Homes and Gardens Full/Queen holiday quilt, 5.88
Wow...I had a blast! I was the one down on my hands and knees in the aisles, moving stuff around, looking for stuff that hadn't been put back where it belonged or that someone thought they could "hide". Ha Ha Ha, not with a professional hound shopping! LOL!
The only thing I could still use is a few gift bags and will hit CVS once they go 75% for those.

[dancinmama]

Dec 31, 2010 13:15:41 GMT -5 misspt said:

dancin or a computer savvy hound: is there a way to link to the grocery hound handbook to that first post or post the handbook to the wikispaces page we have and then link to wikispaces?

Since I wrote the post, I would have to be the one to do it. I am more than willing to provide the link IF someone will "Dick and Jane" me through it. Maybe suzwantstobefree can help me since she is the one who posted the link on Page 3.

If not, however, it IS on Page 3 and we can always refer newbies there. I have to admit though that I got a little bummed when people would come on the MSN thread, ask for the handbook (which I would email to them), and then we'd never hear from them again. I don't know if the handbook is so helpful that they can't be bothered with us or it's so complex that it scares them off.

[leeann]

I must be extremely stupid, can't find the link to the handbook. went to page 3 and did not see the link.. maybe i need glasses.

[leeann]

ok-finally found it!!!

[carolinagirl]

I went to my walmart to check on the Betty Crocker cake mix deal b/c I have some q's....My walmart sucks! they wanted 1.14 for a box of cake mix. so, I left there empty handed. Before I started hanging out here I would have thought that was a good deal.

Constanz22...what area are you in? I am in NC and the walmarts are no where that good on prices. so bummed.

[constanz22]

Dec 31, 2010 16:04:11 GMT -5 @carolinagirl said:

I went to my walmart to check on the Betty Crocker cake mix deal b/c I have some q's....My walmart sucks! they wanted 1.14 for a box of cake mix. so, I left there empty handed. Before I started hanging out here I would have thought that was a good deal.

Constanz22...what area are you in? I am in NC and the walmarts are no where that good on prices. so bummed.

It was an upstate NY store. I can count on one hand how many times I've been in WalMart this year. I'm very, very happy with the after Christmas deals though!
I read somewhere this am that cake mixes and frostings were .50. They were well over $1 here too.

[carolinagirl]

I am the opposite about Walmart. I am trying really hard to break the habit of going there and spending way too much money. today was the first time in 3 weeks that I have been there. It was nice.

Thanks for the feedback!

[constanz22]

Dec 31, 2010 16:22:36 GMT -5 @carolinagirl said:

I am the opposite about Walmart. I am trying really hard to break the habit of going there and spending way too much money. today was the first time in 3 weeks that I have been there. It was nice.

Thanks for the feedback!

Stick with us and you won't need WM anymore! Before I started hounding 2 years ago, I was an every other week WM shopper, now if I go there 6 times a year, I'm lucky. (I'll go for a freebie deal! LOL!) but not just to "shop"...

[jdnstl]

Dec 31, 2010 16:28:45 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

Dec 31, 2010 16:22:36 GMT -5 @carolinagirl said:

I am the opposite about Walmart. I am trying really hard to break the habit of going there and spending way too much money. today was the first time in 3 weeks that I have been there. It was nice.

Thanks for the feedback!

Stick with us and you won't need WM anymore! Before I started hounding 2 years ago, I was an every other week WM shopper, now if I go there 6 times a year, I'm lucky. (I'll go for a freebie deal! LOL!) but not just to "shop"...

Same here...i use to shop WM every week, especially for diapers & baby food. i cringe at the thought of how much moolah i spent there on diapers!
no i only go there when i need something that is not on sale or a better price elsewhere. so i can count on both hands the number of times i've been in WM.

[misspt]

Dec 31, 2010 14:10:34 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

Dec 31, 2010 13:15:41 GMT -5 misspt said:

dancin or a computer savvy hound: is there a way to link to the grocery hound handbook to that first post or post the handbook to the wikispaces page we have and then link to wikispaces?

Since I wrote the post, I would have to be the one to do it. I am more than willing to provide the link IF someone will "Dick and Jane" me through it. Maybe suzwantstobefree can help me since she is the one who posted the link on Page 3.

If not, however, it IS on Page 3 and we can always refer newbies there. I have to admit though that I got a little bummed when people would come on the MSN thread, ask for the handbook (which I would email to them), and then we'd never hear from them again. I don't know if the handbook is so helpful that they can't be bothered with us or it's so complex that it scares them off.

I don't think that it scares people of necessarily, but it isn't what a lot of people want: people want a quick fix. Plain and simple. They want something fast and quick not something that you have to plan for, gather info, gather coupons, and then perform multiple transactions to complete. For example, I see a ton ("ton" is not an exaggeration) of people with low back pain (LBP) everyday in my practice. 90+% of these people can get better w/o surgery, numerous studies have backed up this info as do several of the more ethical neuro/ortho surgeons in my area, HOWEVER, only about 20% (maybe less) of my patients stay the course in the program b/c it involves daily work, commitment, and staying with the program (to some extent) for the rest of their life. I think it's the same thing with so many things in life, and our little couponing routine falls into that category.

[misspt]

Dec 31, 2010 16:54:43 GMT -5 jdnstl said:

Dec 31, 2010 16:28:45 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

Stick with us and you won't need WM anymore! Before I started hounding 2 years ago, I was an every other week WM shopper, now if I go there 6 times a year, I'm lucky. (I'll go for a freebie deal! LOL!) but not just to "shop"...

Same here...i use to shop WM every week, especially for diapers & baby food. i cringe at the thought of how much moolah i spent there on diapers!
no i only go there when i need something that is not on sale or a better price elsewhere. so i can count on both hands the number of times i've been in WM.

AMEN! I cringe to think how much I spent on diapers for my oldest boy. We spent so little on diapers on my youngest thanks to the techniques I learned here. My best friend's brother is now using these techniques for diaper purchases, as is my sister, both of them benefitted from what I learned here, and we have certainly taken business AWAY from "the saving place."

[dancinmama]

Dec 31, 2010 16:58:10 GMT -5 misspt said:

Dec 31, 2010 14:10:34 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

Since I wrote the post, I would have to be the one to do it. I am more than willing to provide the link IF someone will "Dick and Jane" me through it. Maybe suzwantstobefree can help me since she is the one who posted the link on Page 3.

If not, however, it IS on Page 3 and we can always refer newbies there. I have to admit though that I got a little bummed when people would come on the MSN thread, ask for the handbook (which I would email to them), and then we'd never hear from them again. I don't know if the handbook is so helpful that they can't be bothered with us or it's so complex that it scares them off.

I don't think that it scares people of necessarily, but it isn't what a lot of people want: people want a quick fix. Plain and simple. They want something fast and quick not something that you have to plan for, gather info, gather coupons, and then perform multiple transactions to complete. For example, I see a ton ("ton" is not an exaggeration) of people with low back pain (LBP) everyday in my practice. 90+% of these people can get better w/o surgery, numerous studies have backed up this info as do several of the more ethical neuro/ortho surgeons in my area, HOWEVER, only about 20% (maybe less) of my patients stay the course in the program b/c it involves daily work, commitment, and staying with the program (to some extent) for the rest of their life. I think it's the same thing with so many things in life, and our little couponing routine falls into that category.

misspt: That's probably the case. Many read the handbook and see that it's more "work" than they thought it would be; but that's why I like this thread - it makes the "work" a lot of fun!!

[jdnstl]

Dec 31, 2010 17:09:23 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

misspt: That's probably the case. Many read the handbook and see that it's more "work" than they thought it would be; but that's why I like this thread - it makes the "work" a lot of fun!!

Tru dat!! i enjoy the work it takes to save money! it saved us the last couple of months using the stockpile while DH was unemployed. it also taught me enough to shop smart during those 2 months. i'll have to check my spreadsheet but i'm pretty certain i spent about $100/month on groceries, including household items thanks to RRs, EBs & MIRs.

[herekittykitty]

I don't think that it scares people of necessarily, but it isn't what a lot of people want: people want a quick fix. Plain and simple. They want something fast and quick not something that you have to plan for, gather info, gather coupons, and then perform multiple transactions to complete. For example, I see a ton ("ton" is not an exaggeration) of people with low back pain (LBP) everyday in my practice. 90+% of these people can get better w/o surgery, numerous studies have backed up this info as do several of the more ethical neuro/ortho surgeons in my area, HOWEVER, only about 20% (maybe less) of my patients stay the course in the program b/c it involves daily work, commitment, and staying with the program (to some extent) for the rest of their life. I think it's the same thing with so many things in life, and our little couponing routine falls into that category. [/quote]

MissPT: Can I get you and my husband (also a PT) hooked up in a PT support group or something? He says this sort of thing ALL the time!!! ;D

[dancinmama]

I just saw this on KCL (Krazy Coupon Lady):

CVS Revlon Tools HOUND ALERT: Starting 1/2 if you buy (2) Revlon products cosmetics or beauty tools, you will get a $7EB. Joanie is reporting that the Revlon Nail Clip (small nail clipper) is priced at $2.99. So pay $5.98 plus tax and get a $7EB. LIMIT:1

This is EXACTLY the type of thing that my food pantry would love and I can roll EBs for free!!

[weaselfer]

Well, I am exhausted. DH and I went to 9 stores today until I said Uncle. There were several reasons for this. One is that I had good coupons that expired today that I had to find product for. Another is that I had ECBs and RRs to use up. Also, I wanted to check out some clearence. I do think that I have my kids set for their birthdays and my niece too (my nephew's is in December so I didn't worry about them). Most of the toys were 50% off at Target or CVS and they are good toys, not the knockoffs. I am lucky that my kids are 4 and 6 and not very picky. This is how I paid for their presents for this year also. I am soooooo very happy right now as I couldn't find any toys at my nearby Target and yet found tons at the Target in the next town. Even DH couldn't complain. Oh, well, I didn't need my closet anyways. ;D

[tsm3012]

Murphath - thankyou for the spreadsheet tip.

Dancin - the first post is great.

For all Wii users, we got the Just Dance 2 game and it is so much fun and a great workout! My kids and I have been using it non stop. On the flip side I have to buy shades for my front room because I must look like a "wakadoo" to anyone looking in the windows.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

[hopetoberich]

It was me who found the betty crocker at 50 cents yesterday. It was not a supercenter store, but they carry long life type food. SE PA a town beginning with a Q!! Q for Q...pon! lol
I bought 12 cans of progresso today for 25 cents a can after Up's and $1/4mq. On sale 2/3.00 in RA get $1 up on each. We are set for soup this winter. I also got just 2 boxes of post cereal for $3 after up's. $3 is alot i know but gotta splash out sometimes! Now i'm not sure why that deal seemed so good at the time but it was on a gift card so no oop.
I haven't been to CVS or Wags lately. Will look there next week for any deals.

[shelly527in]

Dec 31, 2010 11:10:26 GMT -5 pubbler said:

Not sure if anyone has posted this before, but swagbucks has the coupons dot com IPs available too. You earn 10 SB for every Q you print & redeem.
Misspt/dancinmama - I also have sensitive skin. The St Ives (light brown one) works great for sensitive skin - its my favourite kind. The Olay also works for me.
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Hope 2011 brings us many more great deals. I'm off to lunch & shop with DMIL

Thanks, Pubbler! I didn't know that about coupons and swagbucks. I'll have to give it a try!

[shelly527in]

Dec 31, 2010 17:20:37 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

I just saw this on KCL (Krazy Coupon Lady):

CVS Revlon Tools HOUND ALERT: Starting 1/2 if you buy (2) Revlon products cosmetics or beauty tools, you will get a $7EB. Joanie is reporting that the Revlon Nail Clip (small nail clipper) is priced at $2.99. So pay $5.98 plus tax and get a $7EB. LIMIT:1

This is EXACTLY the type of thing that my food pantry would love and I can roll EBs for free!!

Very cool! Thanks! I'll have to make a note of that.

[hopetoberich]

Can i add i hope people aren't scared off by thinking its too much work. This is like having your own business, you put in what you want to get out of it. Can only manage i hour, then savings will be less but there will still be savings. If you open a home business making money from day 1 is unusual. There are start up costs etc. This is saving money from day 1. I like that about it.
This is just IMO.

[murphath]

Here are my totals for 2010:
Value of good purchased at 3 drug store chains: $4,455.80
Out of pocket: $694.32
Now I subtract my rebates:
$362.99 rebates received (checks deposited to savings)
$273.35 Single Check Rebate checks (deposited to savings)
Actual OOP: $58.08 or 1.3% of the original . My totals include tax (8.35% on nonfood items). Some people don't include tax in their calculations but I figure, it's money going out of my wallet so I'll count it, too. So, seeing this in black and white is what keeps me doing this.

Re groceries (food): $3,509.55 for 2010 or $292.46 month average. I really wanted to get it down to $250-260 month so I've got some work to do there. Still, we usually have anywhere from 3-5 people eating here, if not more when the kids' friends stop by! And we eat a lot of fresh produce which is so expensive here: $1.99 lb for apples!!! Yikes!

[misspt]

Dec 31, 2010 17:18:25 GMT -5 jdnstl said:

Dec 31, 2010 17:09:23 GMT -5 dancinmama said:

misspt: That's probably the case. Many read the handbook and see that it's more "work" than they thought it would be; but that's why I like this thread - it makes the "work" a lot of fun!!

Tru dat!! i enjoy the work it takes to save money! it saved us the last couple of months using the stockpile while DH was unemployed. it also taught me enough to shop smart during those 2 months. i'll have to check my spreadsheet but i'm pretty certain i spent about $100/month on groceries, including household items thanks to RRs, EBs & MIRs.

WTG!!!!! Did I read correctly that DH has a job now?

[misspt]

MissPT: Can I get you and my husband (also a PT) hooked up in a PT support group or something? He says this sort of thing ALL the time!!! ;D[/quote]

Herekitty: It would be such an unfun support group! ;D But I feel his pain!

[misspt]

Dec 31, 2010 18:53:36 GMT -5 hopetoberich said:

Can i add i hope people aren't scared off by thinking its too much work. This is like having your own business, you put in what you want to get out of it. Can only manage i hour, then savings will be less but there will still be savings. If you open a home business making money from day 1 is unusual. There are start up costs etc. This is saving money from day 1. I like that about it.
This is just IMO.

Hopetoberich: Absolutely. I used to have tons of time to hound, and I was able to donate a lot and give away alot. Now, I have very limited time, so I focus on what I need, and very few of the extras that aren't money makers.

[misspt]

Murphpath: Great job on the yearly totals!!!!