I’ve written a page giving you all the basics to couponing! What to do…what not to do… links to other great resources. And it’s all right here in Couponing Basics. It will also always be accessible on the right sidebar AND it’s available to download in a printer-friendly PDF!

Hope it is helpful for you!

As always, your store sales may vary–I am in TX. This sales period ends 4/11.

There are some good deals at Target this week. I did my big shopping trip yesterday at Kroger and Target. See my Kroger Summary here.

Besides all my Easter basket shopping I did, here’s my favorite deals:

Dunkin Donuts Coffee $6
use $1.50 Q + $.75 Target Coupon here = $3.75 each

Goldfish $1.66
found some with $1/2 peelies = $2.32 for 2 pkgs (makes it $1.16 each) we go through goldfish like crazy around here so I stocked up

Artisan Mini Loaves sale $.84 – $.99
use $1 Target Coupon here = FREE (no overage, coupon will be reduced)

Splenda $6.04
Get two and use $3/2 Q + 2 $.55 Target Coupons here = $7.98 for two pkgs (makes it $3.99 each) we are splenda users, so I stocked on up these as well

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes $2.50 (I also found Frosted Flakes with honey clearanced for $2.66)
use $1 Coupon = $1.50-$1.66 each

Dole Bagged Salad $1.99 – $2.49
use $1 Target Coupon here = $.99 - $1.49 each

Market Pantry Fruit Snacks $1.52
use $1 Target Coupon here = $.52
(STOCKED UP!)

Eggo Waffles $2.14
use $1/2 Target Coupon here = $3.28 for two (makes it $1.64 each)

Johnson’s Safety Swabs $1.24
use $1 Johnson’s Coupon from 3/1 insert or here + $.75 Target Coupon here = FREE with possible overage

Vitamin Water $1
use $1 coupon from 4/5 SS= FREE

Eggs sale $.99 each

Milk, gallon sale $1.99 each

In all, my coupon savings was $71.48. I think the cashier looked at the bottom to see what it was when she handed it to me, haha.

For a more Target deals see moneysavingmom’s list here.

I put out some of my Spring decorations today and I wanted to share my thrifty tip! Seasonal decorations can be so expensive but I love shopping for them at the end of each season when they are on clearance. Last year I bought several Easter/Spring decorations – a couple easter egg trees, decorative easter eggs, etc. One of my easter egg trees had a couple eggs pulled off and the styrofoam center was actually broken at the top. With my handy hot glue gun and my scrapbooking flowers and brads, I repaired it and with the flowers added I actually like it better!

Moneysavingmom posted her Super Savings Saturday, I’m a little late but Super Savings Sunday still sounds good lol.

I haven’t done any CVS deals in a long time, and I had some ECB’s expiring. SO I stopped in last night for a quick trip. Didn’t do too bad.

1 Gillette Shampoo $4.99
1 Gilette Fusion Gamer razor $7.99
2 Neutrogena facial soaps $5.98 ($2.99 each)
$18.96 (plus tax)

Coupons:
-$5.50 ECBs
-$1 Gillette shampoo
-$4 Gillette Fusion Razor
=$8.46 (plus tax)

Received $17 ECB’s ($4 – Gillette razor, $3 – Gillette Shampoo, $10 – 2 Neutragena products)

After Coupons & ECB Summary:
Gillette Shampoo: $.99
Gillette Razor: -$0.01 (FREE ITEM!)
2 Neutragena soaps: -$4.02 (MONEYMAKER!)

KROGER Highlights
Turkey burgers & sausage links were marked down to $1.99 with $1 peelies…=$.99 yay!

$.99 bag of russet potatoes (only found this at our new kroger in town)

Free eggs (grand opening coupon)

Croissants, marked down to $1.79 (I get a couple of these and freeze them)

TARGET highlights

Goldfish $1.79 -$1 Target coupon = $.79 each

Broccoli & cauliflower $1.50 -$1 Target coupon = $.50 each

also found a placemat for $0.48 I thought I could use to decorate with

Last week when I went to Kroger, I saw that they had those long French baguettes for $1 each. “Hmmm…” I thought as I wondered what I could do with it. When things are on sale, of course a great thing to do is freeze it (if freezable) so that you don’t have to pay full price later on. But more thrifty than that… is my plan for these loaves of French bread…

1. I sliced one up into thick pieces and put the slices in a freezer bag. When we have Spaghetti or soup or whatever, I can just however many we want out and heat them up. If you want, you could go ahead and butter it and sprinkle on your parsley and garlic and then freeze! (Replaces frozen Texas Toast or Garlic Bread)
2. Another I sliced into strips. I am going to make some freeze ahead French Toast Sticks! (Obviously, this replaces frozen french toast sticks/waffles). My kids will love these! Here’s what I plan to do:
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 10 thick slices day-old (or slightly stale) French bread (I am doing strips instead of slices!)
• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

OK SORRY… I CHANGED THE WAY I DID THIS!

I went ahead and cooked the french toast sticks and then froze them. So all we have to do is take a few out and heat them up when we want them. Just dip each strip/slice in the mixture and cook until golden brown (about 2 minute per side) on a griddle or pan over medium heat. Cool on wire rack. Freeze!

The original plan is here: In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Place bread in a well-greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Pour egg mixture over bread. Let soak for several minutes, turning once to coat. Freeze until firm. Package in airtight containers. To bake, place bread on a well-greased baking sheet. Dot with butter. Bake at 450 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn and bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

3. And third, I took a loaf and cut it up into thick cubes. With these, I will be making homemade croutons! My husband takes a salad to work everyday, so he will love these! (Replaces store bought croutons!)
   To make them, bake the cubes at 300° for 10-20 minutes just to dry them, or let them sit out until slightly stale. Sauté the cubes in olive oil, you can season with whatever you like…I’m going to do some with just salt and pepper and some with Italian seasonings. After you sauté, let them drain on a paper towel and harden. Then you can keep in a storage bag for you to use when you need them!

So here I have French Toast Sticks, Croutons, and Garlic Toast for $3 ($1 per loaf of bread and plus some for the staples that were used). Much cheaper than if I were to buy those items and I probably wouldn’t even get as much as this will make!

Well this morning, I stopped by Kroger to fax something; I also wanted to look for any mark-downs. I didn’t find much at all. Although they did have Kix cereal marked down to $.75 and with my $.75 coupon, it was free!

A few hours later, I had to send another fax so I went to the other Kroger in town (I was also going to use my Petco coupon for Free Treats and a Victoria’s Secret Gift Card). I found SO many great deals at this Kroger. It was so much fun! (Their Kix cereal was on close out for $1.66–So you can see how stores vary!)
First, I got some meat marked down.

Then, I found the Holiday Coffee-mate creamers for $.50 each! Thankfully, at my first trip I had bought my early sunday papers (which I never do). I tore out all the $.50 Coffee Mate coupons and I also had some Kroger Cats as well. So I got $.50 overage on the creamer after the coupon doubled! WOOHOO!

And then I went over to the clearance shelf and found a few canned items marked down…AND several Glade, Febreze and Air Wick items. MOst of what I got was free. Some was almost free! I got 2 Glade Scented Oil candles free with overage from the $2.50 coupon. A Glade Wisp for $.49 after my $4 coupon they mailed me. And some refills free too.

For all my meat, 7 creamers, several Glade/Febreze products, ravioli, chunk chicken, my total was $10, thanks to all the overage!

I went to Kroger yesterday to pick up a few things. The ad seemed pretty bare this week but there were a few good deals…here’s what I got…

2 Cottonelle $1.19 each (I’M LOVING GETTING FREE PAID FOR BUYING TP AT KROGER!!!)
2 Cool Whip $1.09 each
Reddi-Whip $2
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.67
2 El Monterey Taquitos $7.99 (*BOGO*)

Total: $9.75
Saved: $18.77

Pics and details of my two transactions at CVS…

Transaction 1:
Contour Meter $14.99
Edible Snowflakes $.99 (half off Christmas)
CVS nail polish remover $1.99
CVS toddler wipes $.74 (B1G1 half off CVS sale)

-$3/15 CVS Coupon
-$14.99 Contour Coupon

Total $.78 (mostly tax)
Received 5 ECB for Contour

Transaction 2:
4 Nestle Jingles bags $1.49 (half off Christmas)
2 Colgate Total $2.99
1 Zantac $4.99*
-$3/15 CVS Coupon
-$1 Zantac
-2 $1/2 Nestle Jingles
-2 $1.50 Colgate Total

USED: 6 ECBs
Total: $1.93
Received: 9 ECBs (4 ECBs-colgate, 5 ECBs-Zantac*)

*One of my CVS’ keeps screwing up and putting items in bins with signs that say Free After Extra Care Bucks. Two weeks ago, this happened with Hall’s cough drops (that were supposed to be for the next week) This time, it was Zantac (maybe last week?) So I told then that the sign said Free After ECBs and nothing printed, so they printed them. I told them they should probably take the sign down. (For the zantac, I’m also sending in the $5 rebate form, woohoo!)

Target has been pretty fun lately.

Here’s some of the deals I’ve done…

FREE/CHEAP Hamsteaks– use $2 Archer Farm ham coupon here on single hamsteaks priced from $1.25+ (you will not receive overage on these. If it is under $2, it will just take off the price of the ham).

Pirates 3 At World’s End $5.98

Broccoli/Cauliflower (sale has ended at our store) $.33 after $1 coupon

Cranium Preschool Game & Let’s Go Fish — used $4 rainchecks from last week

FREE Rayovac batteries — found in Dollar Spot – $1 coupon here

Goody Ouchless Hairbands $.19 – $.49 after $2 coupon (looks like coupon is gone)

FREE Colgate Total $2.44 – $1.50 Target Colgate coupon here or from recent inserts & – $1.50 Colgate Coupon here or ($1 in recent inserts or All You)

Here’s a summary of my Walgreen’s transactions during their 4 Day Holiday Sale… I did pretty good!

There were a few things not pictured…(like Candy Canes that my kids already tore into).I did 4 transactions over a couple of days. Thanks to Thrifty Mama for compiling the scenarios here.

Total spent: $42.09
Reg Rewards Rec’d: 44
Easy Saver Dec: $15 rebate
Theoretical OOP: -$17

Deals I did:
**Every $25 BEFORE coupons, receive 5 RR** (cashier thought it had to be after coupons but I knew it was before and tried it. She was surprised.)

4 Transactions –> 4 $5 RRs

3 Excedrin $15 – use 3 $2 coupons
receive 8 RR ($1 oop)

1 Colgate 6 oz Total Toothpaste $2.99 – use $1 coupons from All You or recent inserts or $1.50 printable here
receive 2 RR (Free or $.51 overage)

3 Russel Stovers Sugar Free Private Selection lumiere $4.99 use B2G1 coupon from insert and submit for $10 ES rebate (get 3 free after rebate!) see more on deal here

3 bags of Hershey Kisses + 1 more bag of Hershey candy (kisses, bells or miniatures) $10– use $1.50/3 kisses coupon & submit for $5 ES Rebate (oop after rebate $3.50)

2 Bic Soleil Razors/cartridges BOGO $6.99 – use 2 $3 coupons from recent insert
($.99 oop)

4 Wal-itins Allergy $6.99 – $.99 in-ad coupon (get 4 in one transaction to qualify for 5 RR)

4 Day Sale ends today!