Retire with Coupons has joined Facebook!!
In order of this event Kimberly, the owner of Retire With Coupons, has made a personal pledge to donate 100 items to the Clare House food pantry when Retire With Coupons gets 100 fans!
I have also matched that pledge - I am going to donate 100 items to the Center for Hope food pantry once Retire With Coupons has 100 fans.
That's 200 items to local families in need - just by people becoming fans of Retire With Coupons!
If you're on Facebook - please search for the Retire With Coupons group and become a fan!
Help us help others in need!
Monday, August 31, 2009
August Spending
I went over budget once again this month. My husband spent 2 weeks out of town for work though, so we went on a few big shopping trips to stock him up on heat and eat microwavable meals so he could save money on food while he was in the hotel room.
Here's my spending:
Schnucks: $0.42
Target: $3.68
Meijer: $140.92
Jewel: 88.63
Walgreens: $94.09
Cub: $1.41
Kmart: $4.40
Total spending: $333.55
Here's my spending:
Schnucks: $0.42
Target: $3.68
Meijer: $140.92
Jewel: 88.63
Walgreens: $94.09
Cub: $1.41
Kmart: $4.40
Total spending: $333.55
July Spending
I know I have been MIA WAY too much lately. Life has been crazy!
I spent a lot more in July than usual but I also purchased a lot for the food pantry and ended the month with over $180 in catalinas to use at Jewel.
Here are my July totals by store:
Kmart: $26.87
Kroger: $71.45 (have a $10 gift card leftover)
Schnucks: $15.40
Meijer: $80.47
Jewel: 270.86 (have $180+ in catalinas leftover)
Walgreens: $61.61 (have leftover Register Rewards - not sure how much)
Total spending: $526.66
$200 reamaining in gift cards & catalinas
Will receive $150 in rebates
Like spending $176.66 ($86 was for the food pantry)
That's a LOT of spending - especially for me! Can't wait to get my rebates back!
I spent a lot more in July than usual but I also purchased a lot for the food pantry and ended the month with over $180 in catalinas to use at Jewel.
Here are my July totals by store:
Kmart: $26.87
Kroger: $71.45 (have a $10 gift card leftover)
Schnucks: $15.40
Meijer: $80.47
Jewel: 270.86 (have $180+ in catalinas leftover)
Walgreens: $61.61 (have leftover Register Rewards - not sure how much)
Total spending: $526.66
$200 reamaining in gift cards & catalinas
Will receive $150 in rebates
Like spending $176.66 ($86 was for the food pantry)
That's a LOT of spending - especially for me! Can't wait to get my rebates back!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Jewel - BIG promotion is over :-(
The big Unilever promotion is over at Jewel! I was still shopping at 10 pm last night though!
This is what I have left in catalinas to spend like cash at the store:
8 - 50 Bonus Bonus Box Tops (total of 400 Box Tops! Which is like $40 for Oakdale)
1 = FREE Sobe Lifewater
5 - FREE multipacks of water (from General Mills granola bars & snacks)
4 - FREE gallons of milk (from General Mills cereal)
3 - $1 catalina (from Skippy promo)
3 - $3.50 catalina (from General Mills fruit snacks)
8 - $5 catalinas (from General Mills promo)
1 - $10 catalina (from Unilever)
26 - $5 catalinas (from Unilever promo)
That's a total of $193.50 in "cash" to use - plus the free items!
This is what I have left in catalinas to spend like cash at the store:
8 - 50 Bonus Bonus Box Tops (total of 400 Box Tops! Which is like $40 for Oakdale)
1 = FREE Sobe Lifewater
5 - FREE multipacks of water (from General Mills granola bars & snacks)
4 - FREE gallons of milk (from General Mills cereal)
3 - $1 catalina (from Skippy promo)
3 - $3.50 catalina (from General Mills fruit snacks)
8 - $5 catalinas (from General Mills promo)
1 - $10 catalina (from Unilever)
26 - $5 catalinas (from Unilever promo)
That's a total of $193.50 in "cash" to use - plus the free items!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Jewel shopping - Unilever promotion
I have been spending a LOT of time at Jewel these past couple weeks! The promotion runs through this week -so I may not be done yet!
I've bought CASES (literally - Jewel special orders for me) of items for the Center for Hope food pantry during this promotion. I always like to total up my receipts for them so they can see the amazing cost of these items! Some of the items included below are for my family - but most are for the pantry. They were all on the same receipts - so they are all on this list.
So here we go:
Items I bought:
Skippy naturals peanut butter - 60 jars
Pillsbury Ready to Bake cookies - 12 packages
Macaroni Grill meals - 58 boxes (similar to Hamburger Helper - but more YUMMY)
Knorr pasta side dishes - 99 pouches
Lipton soup mixes - 64 boxes (2 pouches per box)
Lipton tea bags - 8 boxes
Breyers ice cream 1/2 gal - 6 cartons
Klondike bars - 4 packages
Betty Crocker boxes brownies - 93 boxes
Cascadian Farms granola cereal - 15 boxes
Honey Nut Cheerios - 46 boxes
Cookie Crisp cereal - 31 boxes
Kix cereal - 7 boxes
Reeses Puffs cereal - 4 boxes
Hellman's real mayo - 65 bottles
Chex Mix bars - 19 boxes
Bertolli spaghetti sauce - 63 jars
Muffin mix - 1 box
cake mix - 3 boxes
Frosting - 8 tubs
Chex Mix - 12 bags
All detergent - 45 bottles
Dove shampoo/conditioner - 14 bottles
Qtips - 10 packages
Vaseline lotion - 16 bottles
Snapple bottles 12 pk - 1 pkg
Bottom line money Budget Wise:
Cash spent: $86.14
Catalinas earned: $1482.00
Catalinas spent: $1255.00
Manufacturer Coupons used: $410.75
This may not make much sense to you - but if you take the catalinas earned minus the cash I spent minus the catalinas spent you will see the total of catalinas I have leftover. That total is $140.86!! So even though I spend $86 out of my pocket - I now I have $140 in catalinas to spend at Jewel! Which means I can now purchase MORE items for the pantry!!
Some of you may have some questions regarding shopping at Jewel and catalina deals. My friend Kim with Retire With Coupons (www.retirewithcoupons.com) summed it up nicely - so I've borrowed her verbiage:
* Yes, Jewel is normally considered to be an extremely expensive store. But, by combining store sales, Catalina deals, and coupons, you will pay less than you would at other stores that are considered the least expensive! And, yes, we're buying all name brands!
* What's a Catalina? A Catalina is a coupon you receive when you check out. It normally prints after you've paid, and these particular coupons (for these deals) are used like cash on your next order.
A couple more questions that come up often:
* WHERE do I get all my coupons? I have multiple copies of the Chicago Tribune delivered. I also have many friends and neighbors that save their coupons for me. The food pantry has coupon donors as well. If it weren't for these sources - I wouldn't be able to shop for the pantry the way I do! So THANKS to everyone who saves papers for me!
*How do I find out about deals? Most time I just read the sales flyers! I also know some people from different areas of the country who are "ahead" of us with their sales cycle. Their stores have the sales a week ahead of our store. Their stores are owned by the same people as ours.
* How do I learn to shop like this? I know of someone who runs an AWESOME business who teaches others how to "coupon". I encourage everyone to check out her website and sign up for a class or a shopping crew subscription! www.retirewithcoupons.com
More questions? Comments? Please leave comments and I will do my best to answer as soon as I can!
Happy Shopping!
I've bought CASES (literally - Jewel special orders for me) of items for the Center for Hope food pantry during this promotion. I always like to total up my receipts for them so they can see the amazing cost of these items! Some of the items included below are for my family - but most are for the pantry. They were all on the same receipts - so they are all on this list.
So here we go:
Items I bought:
Skippy naturals peanut butter - 60 jars
Pillsbury Ready to Bake cookies - 12 packages
Macaroni Grill meals - 58 boxes (similar to Hamburger Helper - but more YUMMY)
Knorr pasta side dishes - 99 pouches
Lipton soup mixes - 64 boxes (2 pouches per box)
Lipton tea bags - 8 boxes
Breyers ice cream 1/2 gal - 6 cartons
Klondike bars - 4 packages
Betty Crocker boxes brownies - 93 boxes
Cascadian Farms granola cereal - 15 boxes
Honey Nut Cheerios - 46 boxes
Cookie Crisp cereal - 31 boxes
Kix cereal - 7 boxes
Reeses Puffs cereal - 4 boxes
Hellman's real mayo - 65 bottles
Chex Mix bars - 19 boxes
Bertolli spaghetti sauce - 63 jars
Muffin mix - 1 box
cake mix - 3 boxes
Frosting - 8 tubs
Chex Mix - 12 bags
All detergent - 45 bottles
Dove shampoo/conditioner - 14 bottles
Qtips - 10 packages
Vaseline lotion - 16 bottles
Snapple bottles 12 pk - 1 pkg
Bottom line money Budget Wise:
Cash spent: $86.14
Catalinas earned: $1482.00
Catalinas spent: $1255.00
Manufacturer Coupons used: $410.75
This may not make much sense to you - but if you take the catalinas earned minus the cash I spent minus the catalinas spent you will see the total of catalinas I have leftover. That total is $140.86!! So even though I spend $86 out of my pocket - I now I have $140 in catalinas to spend at Jewel! Which means I can now purchase MORE items for the pantry!!
Some of you may have some questions regarding shopping at Jewel and catalina deals. My friend Kim with Retire With Coupons (www.retirewithcoupons.com) summed it up nicely - so I've borrowed her verbiage:
* Yes, Jewel is normally considered to be an extremely expensive store. But, by combining store sales, Catalina deals, and coupons, you will pay less than you would at other stores that are considered the least expensive! And, yes, we're buying all name brands!
* What's a Catalina? A Catalina is a coupon you receive when you check out. It normally prints after you've paid, and these particular coupons (for these deals) are used like cash on your next order.
A couple more questions that come up often:
* WHERE do I get all my coupons? I have multiple copies of the Chicago Tribune delivered. I also have many friends and neighbors that save their coupons for me. The food pantry has coupon donors as well. If it weren't for these sources - I wouldn't be able to shop for the pantry the way I do! So THANKS to everyone who saves papers for me!
*How do I find out about deals? Most time I just read the sales flyers! I also know some people from different areas of the country who are "ahead" of us with their sales cycle. Their stores have the sales a week ahead of our store. Their stores are owned by the same people as ours.
* How do I learn to shop like this? I know of someone who runs an AWESOME business who teaches others how to "coupon". I encourage everyone to check out her website and sign up for a class or a shopping crew subscription! www.retirewithcoupons.com
More questions? Comments? Please leave comments and I will do my best to answer as soon as I can!
Happy Shopping!
I'm a slacker!
OK - I admit it... I am a SLACKER! :-)
It takes a LOT of time to keep up the blog with receipts (especially when you shop like I do!) - and with the kids home for the summer - it's just time I haven't been able to carve out of my schedule!
I am working on going through my July receipts - just for the totals. I will post those as soon as I can (think early next week maybe?).
I have done some totals for the AWESOME Jewel deals I've been getting lately however! I've been buying in order to donate to the food pantry - and I love to run totals for them!
Check out the post regarding this - coming up next!
It takes a LOT of time to keep up the blog with receipts (especially when you shop like I do!) - and with the kids home for the summer - it's just time I haven't been able to carve out of my schedule!
I am working on going through my July receipts - just for the totals. I will post those as soon as I can (think early next week maybe?).
I have done some totals for the AWESOME Jewel deals I've been getting lately however! I've been buying in order to donate to the food pantry - and I love to run totals for them!
Check out the post regarding this - coming up next!
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