New Printer & Today's Shopping Trip

Today was going to be an expensive shopping trip for us. I had $200 budgeted to get needed groceries & supplies, price match items, coupons for items I wanted to check out before they expired and a new printer. My old Lexmark ran out of ink before I got this new laptop. When I got online again and seen all those great coupons I was missing out on, I knew I had to try and budget in an ink cartridge ($35 for the one I needed) or possibly a new printer. Wal-mart no longer carries the ink cartridge I needed, the only place was online. Mom and I researched several new printers and I decided on one that didn't have expensive ink cartridge refills. Got my new one today for $38, it isn't wireless, but its super nice and it came with both ink cartridges! My total at Walmart was $182 before coupons and $160 after! Saved $20, got some more items stocked up for the bad pay months (winter) too! Used the $20 I saved to get the items on sale at the local grocery store, where I was able to score Ziploc storage bags (2/$4) and I had a coupon for a $1/2, not to shabby when you consider you pay $1 for the cheap ones and I got name brand for $1.50! Since I spent over $75 last time I got 5% off my total, making it less that $20! Feels good to be able to go below your budget and still get everything on the list! Think I better budget in ink cartridges for next weeks shopping trip, I'm printing coupons like crazy now!~Michelle

Planning this weeks shopping trip: Price match ads from Target and Walgreen's

Most of you get the chance to look at your Sunday ads and coupons on Sunday. Sometimes I get to and others I do it later. This morning while having my cup of coffee, I looked through Target and Walgreen's ads and found a few things that interested me and I thought I would share with you. Some of the great deals at Target this week are .69 cent Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Coca-Cola 8pk 12 oz bottles are 3/$10 & you get free 8-14oz Bag of Archer Farms chips, (I can't do this deal as a price match ad, but I wanted to share), Free 24oz Oroweat 100% whole wheat bread when you buy any 2 sandwich fixings: 24ct Kraft Cheese singles ($2.99), 7-9oz Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh lunchmeat ($2.99), Free 12pk Nabisco munch pack or 20ct Capri Sun ($3.99 each) & .68 cent SpaghettiO's!! Walgreen's has a lot of great store coupons and register rewards. Since the closest one to me is over an hour away and we still don't have a/c in our vehicle, I don't get to shop in the store very often but I can have some items price-matched at Wal-mart. There is a buy 4 get 1 free Pepsi 12pks coupon as well as a .15 cent Mini Composition or Memo Book. The only sale item I seen that I'm going to try to price match is the BOGO on Chex Mix and Bugles, I am fortunate enough to have a couple of .35 cent off on 2 coupons that I will add to the discount. To view this weeks Target ad, just click on the title of this blog, it will re-direct you! For the Walgreen's ad copy and paste this link to your html:

http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/default.aspx

HOW I PLAN MY SHOPPING TRIP

Every week I go shopping, and every week I save money and spend money! I keep an on-going list near the fridge to write down items that need replaced and items that will need to be replaced very soon. From this list, I look at what is on sale at the local grocer, add super great deals to the list, if possible and see what is on sale that I will have to purchase there. I then check the other Sunday ads for items I need or super good deals that I can use my coupons on or have price matched at Wal-Mart. I then get my coupon binder out and pull out all the coupons I need for my list , coupons for the ad items if possible, and check the expiration date on all the coupons. I’ll pull out the ones that are about to expire, take them with me to check out the product and price. I don’t always buy the product and I send the about to expire coupons to @Coupons for heroes. Sound confusing? Start with your list, add the items from your ads that you would like to check out. Go through your coupons to match as many items you can. Pull out coupons that are about to expire. List these coupons separately on your list so you can see what you are looking for before digging out the coupons. Shop for the items on your list, special priced items from ads and your close to expiring coupons. Send off your close to expired or expired coupons to @coupons for heroes to help our military families over seas. I don’t keep an access of coupons in my binder. Just coupons for things I use and coupons for things I may want to try if the price is right. The rest of the coupons I file in envelopes by month for my giveaways and games. I don’t take my binder to the store, I have a 2 yr old boy and that would just be more ‘fun’ than I think I can handle! I do take my little coupon keeper, I file the coupons I plan to use and the ones I would like to check out in the appropriate files/folders. Very simple and easy indeed, wallet in back pocket, keys in front pocket, list/coupon keeper/ads in one hand and Kenley’s hand in my other. Shopping with a toddler has to be as interesting an quick as possible to ensure the sanity of yourself and other shoppers. Shop the frozen, dairy, deli, produce aisles last. I go to the back and work myself forward, to keep my cold things cold longer! Keep your toddler occupied like I do by letting him touch the fruit and vegetables. Tell them what it is, describe it to them and let them hold it. Be watchful of throwing and biting/tasting. Try doing this with different items you are purchasing. It helps them learn and stay calmer and saves your nerves from fraying!~Michelle