My strange coupon shopping day...

Ok, so I made a quick trip to the nearby HEB for dog treats.  We were completely out and the dog was ready to go on strike.  I grabbed my coupon binder, and headed out the door.  The dog was ready to look for posterboard and markers.  I got a large bag of store brand dog treats, and figured I would look around a little.  I picked up 2 bottles of Purex, 2 air fresheners, sugar, and brownie mix.  I had 2 $1.00 off coupons for the Purex, $.50 off the sugar, $.50 off the brownies and Buy one get one free on the air freshener.  The cashier asked me if I have saved anything like on tv.  I haven't.  I had to giggle, and told her "no, but every little bit helps".  Then I went to Target, and saved over $20 with sales and coupons.  One of the other customers clued me in to some sales on the other side of the store.  Got some great buys, my favorite is 2 4packs of Vitamin Water for $2.79.  Kroger has them for $5.99!  I couldn't be happier.  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

If you kids put one more thing in this cart...

If you have kids, you've said.  "Don't put anything else in this cart without my permission!"  But, being kids, they try to slip one more candy bar, a soda, or some toy they don't need and you don't want in the cart.  At most stores that can really add up.  It can add up even at Dollar Tree.  I've been trying to figure out the best way to maximize my shopping now that school is nearly out.  (Every parent will be dealing with this problem in the next few weeks.)  My first thought is to leave the kids at home with my hubby.  But as soon as you say you're going to store XYZ, they chime in "We want to go!".  And I can't leave them home EVERY time.  When school gets out on Thursday, I will start educating my 2 kids, 13 and 6 about how coupons are like money.  And maybe a little dumpster diving.  Even my youngest can help sort and clip coupons.  My goal is by the time they go back to school is for them to understand how to coupon (properly), how to save the most, and where to find coupons!  It's gonna be a long summer!!!!  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

Coupons...decoded?

Ok, I admit I'm still pretty new to coupon matching, and have been spending my time lately doing research.  I came across a thing called coupon decoding.  After looking it up, I realize it is NOT a good thing.  It is basically a way to commit coupon fraud.  Fraud is a crime.  Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should.  I don't doubt that most people look at the bar code on coupons and products in stores (UPC codes) and have wondered what they mean.  Just what information can the store and you get from that little set of lines and numbers.  A lot apparently.  But scouring the set of numbers to see if you can use a coupon for a smaller size, or on fewer items than listed is WRONG!  Please don't do it, I beg you.  There is a reason it's in code, someone doesn't want us to know what it means.  Like a parent who spells words so the kids don't know what they are saying.  Besides, mystery one of the best parts of living.  It gives us something to look forward to finding out in the next world!  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

I don't know what you're talking about

If you go to couponing websites, you may have seen acronyms you don't understand.  If you are really new, you may be too shy to ask what some of the things mean.  Don't worry, I've got your back!  I should say I copied these from "MrCoupon" on weusecoupons.com. 
AR - After Rebate
AYOR - At Your Own Risk
B1G1 or BOGO - Buy One Get One FreeB5G1 - Buy FIVE Get One Free
BC/AC – Before/After Coupons
Blinkie - SmartSource machine with a red blinking light on it. Coupons are thus referred to as ‘ Blinkies’
BTFE - Box Tops for Education
BTW - By the way
CAT - Coupon that prints from a Catalina machine at the register.
CC - Concealed Cash
CH - Clearing House
CLFE - Campbell's Labels For Education
C/O - Cents Off
CRT - Cash register tape (receipt)
CYE - Check your email
DEAD - Refers to a dead deal, or that the offer is no longer valid
DND - Do Not Double
ECB - Extra Care Buck (earned at CVS)
ENVIE - Envelope
ES - Easy Saver, seen at Walgreens rebate booklet
ETS - Excludes Trial Sizes
EX or X. - Expires on
FAR - Free after rebate
FC - First class postage stamps
FL - Could refer to Food Lion, or to a site Forum Leader
FS - Forever Stamp
FS - Free Shipping
FSOT - For Sale or Trade
FWIW - For what it's worth
GC - Gift Card
GDA - Good Deal Alert
GM - General Mills Insert, a booklet of coupons that appears in newspapers every month or two.
HBA - Health & Beauty Section in the store
HTH - hope that helps
IDSO - in desperate search of
INSERTS – Coupon booklets found in the Sunday paper
IMHO - in my humble opinion (there are variations of this, but that's the most common!)
IMO - In My Opinion
IP – Internet Printable coupon
IRL - In Real Life
ISO - In Search Of (basically you need it)
IVC - Instant value coupons - seen in Walgreens rebate booklet
IVDSO - In very desperate search of
KWIM - Know What I Mean
LMK – Let Me Know
LOL - Laugh/Laughing Out Loud
MFR - Manufacturer
MIR - Mail In Rebate
MOD - Site Moder
MQ - Manufacturer coupon
MRP - Manufacturer's retail price
NAZ - Name, address, zip code
NAZP# - Name, address, zip code, phone number
NED - No Expiration Date
NFN - No Form Needed
NIB - New in Box
NIP - New in Package
NP - No problem
NT WT - Net Weight
OAS - A Coupon that is good on one Purchase, Any Size
OASN – On A Side Note
OOP - Out Of Pocket
OOS - Out of Stock
OP - Original poster or original post (person who started the thread)
OT - Off Topic
OYNO -On Your Next Order
P&G - Proctor & Gamble (Sunday Booklet Coupons)
Peelie - Coupon found attached to a product. You have to peel it off.
PITA - Pain in the *** (we use abbreviations for a reason!)
PLMK - Please Let Me Know
PM - Private Message
POP - Proof of purchase
PP - PayPal
PSA - Prices Starting At
Q - Coupon
QQ - Coupon Queen
RAOK - random act of kindness (means you will give the coupons away free)
RC - Rain-check
ROFLMAO - Rolling on the floor laughing my *** off (found in the mood tab)
RP - Red Plum (Sunday Booklet Coupons) (formerly Valassis)
RR - Register Reward from Walgreens - use as a $ off coupon on your next purchase
SAHM - Stay At Home Mom
SAHW - Say At Home Wife
SASE - Self addressed stamped envelope
SCR - Rite Aid Single Check Rebate
SMP - Specially marked package
SO - Significant other
SRP - Suggested retail price
SS - Smart Source (Sunday Booklet Coupons)
STACKING - Often stores will allow the use of more than one coupon per item, IF the coupon itself does not restrict such usage. (Usually store Q + mfr Q)
SUPER DOUBLES or DOUBLES - coupons that are doubled $1 + in value (IE, a $1 coupon - $2, etc)
TEARPAD - A pad of forms/coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display
TIA - Thanks in Advance
TMF - Try Me Free - mail in rebate for full amount of product
TMI - Too much information
TRIPLE COUPON - A coupon that a grocery store triples in value
TRU - Toys R Us
TYVM - Thank You Very Much
UPC - Universal Product Code, barcode on the product
WAGS - Walgreens
WL - Wish list
WM - Walmart
WSL - While supplies last
WYB - When You Buy
YGEM - You've got an email
YGPM - You've got a private message!
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary ("Worked for me, may not work for you")
YVW - You’re very welcome

Thanks for reading.

 

"Cheap is good, free is better."

The coupon pile is going to devour me! Call 911!

How many coupons do you have right now?  If it took you more than a couple of seconds to think up the answer, you may have too many.  But is there such thing as too many coupons?  Coupons are really like money in the bank.  So in that sense, no there is no such thing.  I find that I feel guilty if I don't use the ones I keep.  But if I use enough to pay for the paper, I guess I shouldn't feel bad.  I have been trying to build a small stockpile.  Today I realized I have a small one started.  Shampoo, deoderant, and BBQ sauce.  It's not a lot, but right now that's what I have.  Soon, I want to stockpile tp, paper towels, and all the little snacks my hubby and kids love.  I just need to find the room to store it all.  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

What's 25 cents?

Ok, we've all seen coupons for 25 cents off.  And that's not much.  If you have a store that doubles and triples coupons, you are lucky.  That 25 cents off could become 75 cents off.  But if your store or stores don't, it's still 25 cents.  Everytime you use a coupon, any coupon, it's like money in the bank.  One of these days, I would like to put aside the money I save in cash.  Just sock it away somewhere.  Over time, I might be able to buy a new Lexus, in cash.  Maybe not, but it would be really intresting to see that savings in cash.  When you live on a fixed income, saving anytime you can is a must.  Why pay full price if you don't have to?  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

What's better than getting something cheap???

Ok, I had to add another post today.  One of my favorite things to search for on the internet is "freebies".  There are special sites that will point you to special free samples.  Sometimes its on Facebook, sometimes on the manufactures' website, and even on store websites.  I have a handful of special websites that I try to check every day.  I imagine the mailman hates me some days.  There have been days I have gotten a mailbox full of free samples.  Check out some freebie sites, you get a free trial and usually a coupon for the product!  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

Hi, my name is Amy and I'm a shopaholic!

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step.  I like to shop.  I guess it's the Bi-Polar part of me, I can't help myself.  But I also like to save money when I can.  I seem to be thinking about coupons a lot.  They are everywhere.  You can find them in magazines, in product packing, even on the shelves.  But coupons aren't the only way to save money.  One of my favorite stores is Dollar Tree, because everything is just one dollar.  It is a great place to pick up the occasional cleaning supply and even name brand makeup.  I don't recomend buying toys there, unless you don't mind them breaking as soon as you get home.  My problem is even if I don't take the kids with me, I might go for one thing but end up buying a lot more.  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

Shelf clearing doen't mean it's clean!

If you have watched even one episode of TLC's "Extreme Couponers", you have seen shelf clearing in action.  The one that sticks out in my head is the wife who drug her husband around the store, then cleared all but 3 mustards off the shelf.  The husband said I don't even like mustard, and the wife laughed and said "oh yeah, I always forget that", and bought all the mustard anyway.  Is she going to let it rot in the basement?  I guess you can tell I don't like shelf clearers.  If your going to use it all, ok, but leave some for other people.  You don't have to clear the shelf to even donate things to charities.  I'm not sure if I am really in favor of stores limiting how many couons you can use, or how many items you can buy.  Shelf clearers, who just hoard the product never using it or donating it, piss me off (sorry).  They make it tough for people who coupon in legit ways, and people who just want to buy something on sale.  Now I can put my soapbox away.  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better"

Houston we have, coupons?

Has this ever happened to you?  You go to the store find a product you like on sale and think, I have a coupon for that, but it's expired?  Or you just spent half your Sunday clipping all the coupons you want out, but now they are sitting in a large pile on the kitchen table?  OH NO!  Ok, I did mean to sound like an informercial, but for good reason.  With couponing comes a need for great organization.  If you can't find that $1.00 off cereal coupon when it's on sale, it's not doing you any good!  Or if you find it and it expired weeks ago, not good.  These would be what my oldest daughter would decribe as an epic fail.  But failure is not an option, with careful planning.  If you weed through your coupons each week, before you put away the new ones, you shouldn't have issues with expired coupons.  If you coupon box has those clipped little money makers just thrown into it, it might be time to let someone with a touch of OCD organize them for you.  I admit, I lose things.  I'll put something down, and it will disappear (I think aliens might be taking my stuff).  But with coupons, it pays to be a little anal.  A little prep can go a long way in saving money!  Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

When coupons attack!

 As I mentioned before, I clipped EVERY coupon from three diffrent papers, and kept one insert whole.  I organized them into my coupon box.  The problem is my coupon box is full.  I was having trouble slipping coupons into the envelopes!  So this morning, I started to prep my "new" coupon binder.  It is a zippered binder I bought to organize my genealogy research.  Saving money is a much better use for it!!  It has two zippered sections, one is the three ring binder part that I put the "baseball card" sheets in.  The other section has small pockets for files.  I labeled them for grocery, drug, mass market, home improvement and dollar stores.  I then took manilla file folders (not hanging ones) from Dollar Tree and labeled them for the diffrent stores I go to.  The next step will be labeling the pockets, and putting in the coupons!  It will be a mjor task, but I can't wait.  It will make saving the maxium money so much easier... Thanks for reading.

"Cheap is good, free is better."

Mega savings or Mega trouble?

"Is clipping coupons really worth it?"  So many times people ask that of people who coupon.  The answer is YES!  If you clip coupons and only buy what you need when you need it, and it's not on sale, you can expect to save anywhere between 5 - 15%.  If you learn to watch the sales and "stack" coupons your saving could be 50 - 80% or more.  I have never walked into a store expecting to get my whole order for free.  I have, however, gotten part of it free.  There are websites out there that can give you a heads up on sales, and what inserts will be in the Sunday papers.  This will give you an idea if you should get one paper or ten!  Stacking store coupons with manufactuer's coupons is a great way to stack the saving cards in  your favor.  Just a hint, always check you local store's coupon policy.  Most Kroger stores double and triple some coupons.  But Kroger stores in and around Houston have cut that out.  It doesn't hurt to print the coupon policy and take it to the store, in case the cashier questions your coupons!  Thanks for reading!

"Cheap is good, free is better"

Random acts of couponing

Ok, I tried something totally diffrent this weekend.  I bought 4 newspapers (not the diffrent part), and clipped every coupon.  Even the ones for things I don't use and will never use.  I look at it this way.  I don't have a cat, but if I can find cat food and litter free or near free, I can donate it to the local animal shelter. I'll probably have to take it there right from the store, as it will confuse and tick off our dog.  I can't have him thinking we're replacing him with a cat ;)  I also no longer have a need for diapers.  But I can leave the coupons on the shelf near the brand and some frazzled mom will be more than happy!  Don't get me wrong, a lot of the coupons I got I fully intend to use.  But the path to hell is paved in good intentions.  I guess I changed my mind, I WILL use most of them.  Or start a local coupon swap group...  Thanks for reading!

"Cheap is good, free is better."

Stockpiling

If you have ever watched the TLC show "Extreme Couponing", you may have noticed that everyone on the show has a stockpile.  Shelves and shelves of items they have gotten at little to no cost.  What makes the stockpile, is that they have 20+ of these items.  There is nothing wrong with having a stockpile, IF you are going to use the things you have.  I don't really like people who stockpile things they don't need, like diapers when they have no kids.  The only exception are people who then donate those items to local charities!  I do not have a stockpile.  Do I want one, yes.  But only a small one.  Thanks for reading!

"Cheap is good, free is better"

My organization for coupons

Right now I have my coupons organized in business sized envelopes in a plastic shoe box.  I got it at Dollar Tree and it has a hinged lid (I'll never lose it!).  But I think I might be ready to move on to the binder system.  I bought a zippered binder to organize my genealogy work, but I think it will work better for coupons.  I have tons of plastic baseball card sheets that I have emptied out.  Now I just need to get some kind of labels.  Then there will be no stopping me, except the fact that moving everything will be a lot of work!  Thanks for reading!

PS:  This weekend there are lots of good coupons coming out, so grab more than one paper!

"Cheap is good, free is better"

Couponing

Ok, you got your Sunday paper, clipped you coupons and are ready to go shopping, right?  Not so fast...Most people who clip coupons fall in one of 3 types.  They are mild, moderate, and extreme.  Mild couponers just get one paper, clip only what they use regularly.  They can organize their coupons in one of those little coupon organizers you can pick up at the dollar store.  There is mothing wrong with that.  Type 2 is moderate.  That's where I fall.  We pick up a couple of papers (no more than 4), and clip anything we might want to use or try.  Our coupons are organized in binders or plastic shoe boxes full of business size envelopes.  Extremes use binders, large ones, stuffed full.  They will buy anything.  They buy diapers without having kids.  Again there's nothing wrong with that.

You now know your couponing type and have your coupons organized, you're ready to shop.  Hang on, have you checked local sale ads?  Checked websites?  How do you know the store down the street won't have it on sale.  You don't, if you don't do a little reseach before you jump in the car.  Try to match sales to your coupons, if you can.  Check online coupon sites to see if you can print coupons for things you need and are on sale.  When you do finally get to the store, make sure you bring ALL your coupons!  I know, thing could be a large undertaking.  But you might find something on sale that wasn't in the ad, and you don't want a good coupon for the item sitting at home (especially if it's a one day only sale!).  Enjoy your couponing!

"Cheap is good, free is better"

New Wednesday store ads

I got the Food King ad yesterday and HEB and Kroger today.  I haven't relly had a chance to look them over, but am doing it as I type.  Food King has Fologers coffee on sale 11oz for 2.98.  I had two $1.00 off coupons.  I went tonight and bought 2.  I also picked up 2 bags of Chex-Mix on sale 2 for $3.00 with a $1.00 off two coupon.  Kroger is having T-bone steaks on sale  at $3.99 a pound (lin=mit 2 with $10.00 additional purchase), I know no coupon, but it's one heck of a deal.  Kroger is also having their MegaEvent sale with lots of good items.  Check Kroger.com to see the sales ad.  HEB is having Bush's baked or grillin beans for $1.00 a can (limit 5 with $10.00 addtional purchase). 
"Never pay full price for anything.  Cheap is good, free is better."

Kroger Card

Hello all!  If you have a Kroger card and email, sign up on their website (Kroger.com).  You can load coupons right to you Kroger card, and they will send coupons via email.  They sent me e-coupons for a few free items that I just loaded right to my card.  I didn't have to worry about losing them ;)   I'm looking through the Food King ad that came today, will post anything good from there and Kroger and HEB tomorrow, along with any coupon matches I can find.

TTFN
Amy

Welcome to my new blog

This is my first blog.  Welcome!  I'm the Texas City Super-saver, AKA kipper2222, AKA Amy.  In this blog, I'll clue you in to great coupons, sales, and neat ways to save money in Texas City, TX.  Enjoy...