couponing for birthday presents

I mentioned a couple posts ago about Daisy's birthday coming up.  I found a deal on Chutes and Ladders and couldn't pass it up since she has enjoyed Candyland so much.  I got the game at WalMart.  Regular price was $7.77 and I had a $3 coupon making it $4.77!

Dollar General Couponing Venture

I think I talked before about my rock bottom price spreadsheet where I keep track of the lowest price I have paid for an item.  If our family is in need of an item and I can't find a good coupon deal for it, usually I will buy it at WalMart, Aldi, or the Dollar Tree, depending on what the item is.  For diapers, my go to is WalMart brand Parent's Choice.  With their diapers at regular price I spend .14/diaper.  If I find a deal that beats out WalMart, I know I need to get it.  Now with this Luvs deal, it actually ended up being the same price as WalMart.  The reason being I had to get one box of size 3 and one box of size 4.  You will notice there are more diapers in the size 3 box than in the size 4 box.  I wanted to get two boxes of size 3 to get optimum savings, but they only had 1 box left. I have never coupon shopped at Dollar General before.  It was  good experience, for the most part.  Here is the deal:

1 box Luvs size 4 diapers and 1 box Luvs size 3 diapers - 14.75/box (store sale price down from 15.75)

I used an online coupon I printed from the Dollar General website that was spend $30 get $5 off.

I also bought a peppermint patty (more on that later) for .75.  My total before coupons was 32.25.  Total after coupons was 25.25.  

Why the peppermint patty, you ask?  The coupon I had was "spend $30 get $5 off".  The blog where I saw this deal did not mention a sale (sales are usually regional), so here is where my plan had a small hitch.  When the cashier rang up the two boxes with the sale price of 14.75 each and not 15.75 each, the subtotal came to 29.50.  I was .50 short of spending the $30 to get the $5 off.  I didn't plan for this before I got to the register, so when I saw the subtotal I quickly looked around the register for something that was .50.  Of course the cheapest thing I could find was .75.  On a sidenote, why in the world at DOLLAR general are the gums/candies MORE expensive than at, say, WalMart or even Walgreens?  Silly, that's what that is.  So anyway, that is why I bought a .75 peppermint patty.  I essentially spent .75 to save 5.00 so I really saved 4.25 if you want to look at it that way.  :)

I also had a near run in with the cashier.  I say "near" because thankfully it was avoided.  When she first tried to scan my coupon, the register wouldn't take it (because my subtotal was 29.50 and not 30. but neither of us realized it at first).  Here's how the conversation went:

Cashier : "Okay, it won't take the coupon."

Me: "Oh really?  How come?"

Cashier (a little defensive) "I don't know, it just won't take it and I can't accept it if it won't take it."

Me: "Oh I know you can't override it, but I wonder why it's not accepting it?"

Cashier (very defensive)"I don't know, it doesn't tell me!"

Me: "I'm not trying to cause a problem I just want to figure it out."

Cashier: (a little less defensive)  "Oh I know it's just that a lot of these have come through here and they haven't been working."

This is when it clicked in my brain that with the store sale it might be preventing the subtotal from reaching $30.  I asked her what the subtotal was and she told me.  I told her that must be why and that's when I grabbed the Peppermint patty.  Then the coupon worked!  The cashier seemed relieved.  

I've had my fair share of run ins with cashiers.  Some are good, some not so good.  And I get it.  I am sure they have a million people who try to use a coupon the wrong way and get all mad and mean to them when it doesn't work, but please don't assume that I'm going to jump on you as soon as your register won't scan my coupon.  I simply want to find out the reason so that I can get better at couponing.  So that next time I can avoid this hiccup all together.  Usually if you as the customer are calm and keep your tone pleasant no matter the conversation, you can keep things from escalating to a bad experience.

Walgreens - A Diamond in the Rough

I titled this post A Diamond in the Rough because I feel like that's what the deals there are now.  While Walgreens used to be a place I went every week for great deals, I usually only go now once every 2-3 weeks whenever I find a deal here and there.  I used to love Walgreens.  Back when getting deals was easier!  I get the feeling that not many share my opinion, but it is just that: an opinion.  I started couponing about 6-8 months before my area Walgreens started the Balance Rewards system.  Before that it was all Register Rewards.  I liked the RRs because the savings were instant.  With the Balance Rewards system you have to accumulate a certain number of points on your card (I think it's 5,000) before you can acquire $5 off an order.  They do still have occasional RR deals and sometimes some great Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) or Buy One Get One 50% Off (BOGO 50%) deals that are still worth it, especially since my Walgreens is just down the road.

Here's my latest trip:

6 boxes Kraft Mac n Cheese, .46/box, 2 packs Lever 2000 Bar Soap 2 ct, .25/box, 2 Almay makeup remover, 2.24 each, 2 packs Nice! Jelly Beans, .67/pack, 3 packs Peeps Candy, .67/pack.  Total before coupons: $36.13.  Total after coupons: $11.05.  69% savings!

I was especially excited about the Almay.  I actually missed a better deal a week or two ago just because life is extra crazy right now with trying to get ready to move.  However, this product is the only thing that I am brand specific about, and it lasts me forever.  The last time I got a deal on this I was able to get them for cents on the dollar.  I stocked up with several of them and I am still using that stash.  That was about 3 years ago, and it was the smaller ones so I'm hoping these two will last me almost that long as well.

Thanks to the last couple candy deals I've found I am pretty much done with the kids' Easter baskets.  I told JP the other day that I was done with candy for the baskets and he informed me that they have to have Peeps and Jelly Beans, both of which I hadn't gotten.  So now I can check that off my list.  Can't have the baskets missing those essentials, now can we?  :)

Brainstorming Candyland

Our sweet little Daisy will be turning 4 in just a few short weeks.  I have been talking to her about what kind of party she would like to have, and she kept telling me she wanted a Dora party.  Now, I have no beef with Dora, not really.  Daisy has loved her for a long time now and she does learn a lot from watching her.  But I just felt like Dora would be sort of....run of the mill.  I just felt like there were a ton of other, cuter, more fun options out there.  Also, Daisy didn't seem very excited about it.  She was just sort of interested.  So since it's my party, I mean, Daisy's party, I suggested to her a Candyland party.  We had gotten her the boardgame for Christmas and she loves it.  Ever since that suggestion she has been so excited and keeps wanting to talk to me about her Candyland party and what all we will have there, what we can make, what we can do.  THAT'S how I wanted her party to be!  Something she was over the moon about!  She has looked online with me to see what ideas we can come up with for food, decorations, etc.  Of course, she wants everything so we are picking and choosing.  I have found a ton of great ideas.  I just hope I can pull it off!  Have you ever done a Candyland party?  Do you have some great tips, suggestions, ideas for us?  Any ideas welcome!

Pampers Deal!

My latest CVS trip was a little bit of a repeat.  You might remember I got this paper towel deal the last time I went.  I don't know if they stopped it and started it again or if they just continued it, but either way I had more coupons so decided to stock up on 'em!  Also, with Easter right around the corner I was happy to score some cheap candy.  

You will very rarely see me buy Pampers.  I usually say that Pampers are the Mercedes of diapers.  You pay an arm and a leg for them, and while most will probably tell you that "you get what you pay for" and they are absolutely the best, I have found in my experience that they really don't work any better than Luvs or even the WalMart Parent's Choice brand.  I have been blessed so far with little behinds that don't flare up and react to any particular diaper, so I have been able to avoid being brand specific when it comes to buying diapers.  That being said, I would definitely buy them if they proved to be the cheapest option.  However, even with couponing it's rare that the price will beat out another one out there.

I purchased the above items in 2 transactions.  Put together, the total before coupons came to $68.23.  The total I spent after coupons was $22.48.  A 67% savings!  The paper towels were $3.00/8 pk (.38/roll), The Starburst Jelly Beans were .99/pack, and the diapers were $4.83/pack!  Here's the breakdown:

Transaction #1:

2 packs Easy Ups and 1 pack baby dry = $30 (store sale 2 for $20, down from 13.39 for Easy Ups and 11.99 for Baby Dry)

Extra Bucks (EB) Deal: Buy $30 and get $10 EBs

I used 2 coupons for $2 off one pack Easy Ups and 

I used 1 coupon for $1.50 off one pack Baby Dry Diapers

$30 minus $5.50 equals out of pocket cost $24.50.

Now whenever you get EBs (especially such a high value EB) that print out with your receipt, you want to try and use them in this same shopping trip so that you get immediate savings and don't have to make sure you get back to the store before they expire to use them.  So since you can't just use it in the same transaction that generates it, you need to split of your items into multiple transactions.  In order to use mine, I paid for the diapers first, got my $10 EB, and then used it when I paid for my second transaction.

Transaction #2:

2 packs Starburst Jelly Beans - 2.49 each (on sale down from 2.99)

EB Deal: Buy 2 Get 2 EBs

I used 2 $1 off 1 pack Starburst

My out of pocket cost was 3.98 with $2 EB.  Final cost 1.98 for 2 packs.

2 packs 8 ct Sparkle paper towels (on sale 2 for $10 down from 8.99)

EB Deal: Buy 2 packs get $2 EB

I used 2 coupons that were $1 off one pack Sparkle paper towels

My out of pocket came to $8 with $2 EBs making final cost $6 or $3/pack.

My subtotal for the second transaction was 11.98, I used my $10 EB from my previous transaction making my subtotal then 1.98 with $4 EBs.

I hope that this makes sense.  When you are just starting to delve into the world of couponing, it can be very difficult because it does take time to pick up on the rules and different stores' policies.  I usually tell people who are starting out to please commit to giving it a try for at least a solid 3 months.  It takes some time, determination, and even a few failed trips here and there to really get the hang of it.  But, once you do you will be SO glad you did!  

Some "Cheesy" Deals

One of the really cool things about couponing is that I get to try out some different stuff that I otherwise wouldn't buy.  This could also be a downfall if you aren't careful.  If you don't approach couponing correctly, you could find yourself actually spending more money than if you didn't use your coupon.  Here's today's scoop:

Wal*Mart: 5 boxes Velveeta Cheesy Skillets, .98/box, 2 boxes Jimmy Dean Pancakes and Sausage Links Breakfast Bowls, .50/box.  Total before coupons: $13.90.  Total after coupons: $5.90.  That's a savings of 58%.  Not bad!  

One thing I don't like about Wal*Mart's receipts is that they don't show you your store savings.  Meaning, it shows that the skillets were $1.98, which was actually the store sale price and not the regular retail price.  For example, Dillons will show on their receipt the regular retail price AND the sale price.  I feel like with Wal*Mart unless I happen to know the regular retail price of an item then I don't really know what my savings truly are.  I can guesstimate, but that's usually not good enough for someone like me who likes my spreadsheet to be complete and correct!  Hah!  Wow, I just sounded very nerdy there.  I should quit while I'm ahead.  Happy Thursday!

Project of the Month: March

This month's project will be a bit bigger than the previous months.  It will require a bunch of lifting, hauling, packing, and puzzle skills.  This month's project consists of survival.  We are moving the end of the month.  How is the packing going, you ask?  I'm hoping to start today.  Yup.  Life is a little hectic right now, which is why I'm skipping March in my Project of the Month series.  Hopefully I will have something accomplished for April, but I'm not holding my breath.  Moving is a big deal, and we've done way too much of it!  Unfortunately due to circumstance beyond our control it's something we must do again.  Here's to getting rid of stuff and bigger spaces!

practice makes perfect...or...a lot better, at least

My first ever cake pops.  Almost exactly two years ago.  The shape of the hearts wasn't so bad.  Using a good food pen does wonders, though!  

Here are some my partner and I made the other night.

I honestly can't believe it's taken two years to create basketball pops.  I used to live and breathe basketball. You know, back in the day when my entire responsibility quota consisted of don't fail a class...and...keep my room clean?  We won't talk about my success at these responsibilities.  Back to this post.  My point is, I'm surprised I haven't done basketball cake pops until now.  My partner actually dipped these and then I drew on the lines.  Let me tell you, this was MUCH harder than I thought it would be!  It took probably half a dozen before I didn't have to look at the actual basketball that Anna brought up from her garage for me to look at.  :)  Creating a 3D basketball is a little different than doodling it on notebook paper, which is what the majority of my high school class notes consisted of.  I did finally get to the point where I could just do it without looking at the ball, however, it was still very difficult to make the lines straight.  Anyway, even though my perfectionist personality won't allow me to proclaim how amazing and wonderful and perfect they are (I can point out three things to you in this picture that kill me every time I look at it), I am pretty proud of them.