We went to our Super Target yesterday and they had sweet ears of corn 10 for $1.  Ten cents an ear is a really great price!  I cooked some on the grill tonight and it was so good and sweet.

There is a limit of 50 ears of corn per person.  I bought some for us to eat this week, some to put in the freezer, and also some to share with the neighbors. 

As always, I recommend calling to see if your store is running the same sale.

Enjoy the savings!

image from sxc.hu

CVS is having a great sale on tuna fish and soup.  Right now, you can get cans of Bumble Bee tuna fish, Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, and Campbell’s tomato soup for only $.50/can.

I stopped by earlier this week and picked up about 12 cans or so,  but I’m thinking of getting a few more.  Stockpiling foods when they’re at their lowest prices can really save a lot of money.

What foods are you stockpiling this week?

Harris Teeter is having a super double coupon sale. They will double coupons with a face value of $1.98 or less.

I went shopping yesterday with a 3 and 5-year-old. Yay, me!  I made it out alive and with some bargains as well.  I hope to make it back in before the sale goes off, but here’s what I got today:

Starbucks 4 pk Frappuccinos (mommy’s splurge item)
7.19 reg price, 6.49 sale price
$1 coupon
$4.49 final

Hefty one zip bags
2.99 reg price, 2.50 sale price
$1 coupon
$.50 final

Kraft dressing
$2.82 regular price, $2.50 sale price
$1 coupon
$.50 final

100 calorie packs
$2.29 reg price, $2 sale price
$.55 coupon
$.90 final

Ocean Spray Cranberry Grape juice (bought 2)
$3.19 regular, buy 1 get 1 free sale
$.55 coupon (only had 1 coupon)
$2.09 final for 2

Smart Balance peanut butter
$3.29 reg
$1 coupon
$1.29 final

Pringles canister (bought 2)
$2.15 each reg
$1 coupon off 2
$2.30 for 2

French’s Mustard (specialty mustard)
$3.29 reg, $3 sale
$1 coupon
$1 final

Beechnut DHA baby cereal, 7 oz (bought 2)
$3.29 each reg
$1 coupon on each
$1.29 each final

Dr Pepper ice cream topping
$2.99 reg, $2 sale
$1 coupon
FREE

Gold Bond baby powder
$3.49 reg, $2.49 sale
$1 coupon
$.49 final

Suave lotion
$2.97 reg
$1 coupon
$.97 final

Vaseline lotion
$3.49 reg
$1.25 coupon
$.99 final

Activia 4 pk yogurt (bought 2, had 2 coupons)
$2.50 reg, $2 sale
$1 coupon
FREE x2

Bayer Caplets
$7.59 reg, bogo sale for $3.80 (bought 1)
$1 coupon
$1.80 final (for 1)

I got all of these groceries for around $20. It would have been less, but I was supposed to get the 4 oz baby cereals. I don’t need them, but was anticipating buying them for $.39 and donating them to the church food bank. They were stocked in the wrong place. This could have happened with several other items, but I noticed it myself. It seems the people that stock the shelves put things in other areas when they run out of room. It is annoying, but seems to happen at every store, so be careful.

I’m pleased with my deals, but feel like I could have done better if I wasn’t trying to shop with two children. I hope to share some more bargains with you later in the week.

Have you been to Harris Teeter for their super double coupon sale? What kind of bargains did you find?

image (c) Karen Weideman

It has been confirmed that there will be Super Doubles at Harris Teeter starting Wednesday.  The sale will run June 24-30.  This means that they will be doubling coupons with face values up to $1.98!  ($1.75 becomes $3.50!)  So if you have some high value coupons, now is likely the time to use them!

Thanks to SavvyDollar for the tip.  You can join the Harris Teeter chit chat at SavvyDollar.org.

Image (c) Karen Weideman

I went to Harris Teeter tonight for the final night of the triple coupon sale.  I’m quite pleased with my bargains.  I got about $160 of groceries for around $60 (including tax).  Not bad, I think. 

Here’s a list of what I bought and some of the prices. Sorry, I can’t remember all of them.

• Harris Teeter coffee beans
• 2 Wisk 2x Ultra laundry detergent (bogo +$1.50 qp +$2 printable qp, 2/$5.09)
• Comet long grain rice
• Diap soap 3 pk (free)
• 2 Mahatma yellow rice ($.75 qp, free)
• 2 Kraft dressing (bogo +$1.50 qp)
• Lawry’s marinade (bogo +qp, $.09)
• Doritos (bogo, $1.99)
• Ragu spaghetti sauce
• Fruiti Loops (bogo)
• 2 Knorr Pasta Sides
• Sunmaid Raisins 6 pk (bogo)
• large French’s onions
• 2 Blue Diamond almonds
• 4 Japanese noodle dinners
• 3 Campbell’s pork & beans (3/$1 sale)
• 6 Texas Pete chili sauce (6/$1 with qps)
• 1 lb Angus stew meat
• 2.5 lbs bananas
• 1 lb fresh strawberries (bogo)
• 2 Nature’s Own bread ($1.50 ea, sale)
• Sargento swiss cheese ($.50 w/sale + qp)
• 3 lbs yellow onions (1.97 sale)
• 2 bottles vitamins, 100 pk (bogo)
• Atkins shakes, 4 pk ($4 w/sale + coupon)
• 2 Indian sauce (bogo, $2 each)
• Capri-Sun, 10 pk ($.99 w/sale +qp)
• 2 Grande tortilla chips
• Snyder’s flavored pretzels, 10 oz ($.25 w/sale + qp)
• Libby’s tropical fruit in can (bogo)
• Texas croutons ($.39 w/ .50 qp)
• 3 Smucker’s ice cream syrups (sale for $2 + qps, $.20-30 ea)
• Spray ‘n Wash (bogo + qp, $.14?)
• 2 Whitehouse applesauce ($.75 qp for 2)

As you can see, you can save a lot of money when you shop during triple coupon week, especially when you combine a coupon with a sale.

Did you shop at Harris Teeter this week?  How did you do?

For quite a while now I’ve been using the same coupon organization system. I was using The Grocery Game to help me find deals on groceries. The Grocery Game tells you which week of the paper to pull the coupons from so that you don’t need to clip the coupons until you need them.

The filing system shown above a great system to use if you’re only using The Grocery Game.  I definitely like the convenience of the system.  The big problem is, I’m missing out on saving money on unadvertised specials, close-outs, and triple coupon sales.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been in a store and seen an advertised special or close-out item.  I know I have a coupon for the item, but since the coupons are not clipped, I have to search through all the inserts and hope to find what I need.

Finally I have switched to a new coupon organizing system!

I am now using the coupon organizer inserts from Smart Spending Resources.  The coupon organizer inserts fit into a regular 3-ring binder which sits on your grocery cart allowing you to flip through the binder and find the coupons you need.  A few things I like about this system from Smart Spending Resources:

1)  The coupons can be easily viewed.
2) The tabs are neat and professionally printed.
3) You can easily find coupons you need for unadvertised specials, close-outs, and triple coupon deals.
4) The system is neat and keeps loose coupons under control.
5) The system is expandable. More pages can easily be added to each section as needed.

A few tips for those who are interested in this system:
1) Be sure to buy an oversized 3-ring binder. I bought a regular binder and I mine is slipping around on the cart. I plan to pick up a larger binder the next time I go to the store. It will make couponing so much easier.
2) I would recommend purchases extra insert pages.
3) You might want to consider buying a zipper pencil pouch for your binder. I purchased one and will use it to put coupons I know that I will be using or to store my pen and calculator.

As always, I try to provide an honest product review, so I will tell you that this system is a lot more time consuming than my previous method.  I feel that the savings will be worth my time though.  As I’ve told you all before . . . Time is Money but Money is Time.

Have you tried the binder organizing system?

top image (c) Karen Weideman, bottom image (c) Smart Spending Resources

Yesterday, I gave a small introduction to stockpiling basics.  You can expect more of these money saving tips in upcoming posts.  Some of you may be wondering what I am stockpiling this week.  This week, I am stockpiling ground chuck.

Food Lion has their ground chuck on sale this week for only $1.69/lb.  Normally, you would pay $3.50 or more per pound for ground chuck.  You certainly don’t want to pay that price when you can stockpile it now on sale for later use.  By the way, if you plan on heading out to Food Lion, you’ll want to check this Food Lion sale and coupon match-up from A Full Cup.

By the way, I am in desperate need of a freezer.  I sold ours when we moved and I’m hoping to find a good deal on one before the ground chuck sale ends on Tuesday. If I have the freezer space, I plan to buy 15-20 lbs of the meat.  A freezer is essential for stockpiling sales on meats and frozen foods. 

Are you taking advantage of the Memorial Day sales?

image sxc.hu

It’s no secret that the cost of living is constantly increasing.  I find myself spending more on regular every day items than I did last year.  Although prices are rising, there is a way to cut tremendous savings off your grocery bill.  This savings method is called stockpiling. 

There are two types of buying.  The first type of buying is need buying.  This is when you buy the things that you need at that moment.  Of course, need buying causes you to pay full price for items.  How many times have you gone to the store to buy something that you needed for a recipe and were disgusted with the price?  Or upset with yourself because that item was just on sale last week?  I know that I’ve done this many times. 

Stockpiling is the preferred method of buying.  It saves money because it allows you to buy foods at rock bottom prices that you’ll eventually need.  The lowest prices on items can usually be found by combining a sale with a coupon. 

Stay tuned for more posts on stockpiling tips.  Do you stockpile groceries when they are at their lowest prices?

image (c) Karen Weideman

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I was challenged to use A Full Cup to see how much money I could save and how much I could get for $50.  Well, take a look at these pictures!

A Full Cup is a free online forum where others write about deals, coupons, and savings.  You can find coupon match-ups, printable coupons, and lots of information on saving money.

All of the items here were purchased from Harris Teeter using buy 1 get 1 free sales, coupons, and triple coupon deals.  The items were purchased during two separate visits to the store.

With my experience, everything went pretty smoothly.  There were a few disappointments with my transactions.  1)  I purchased the three boxes of Jose Ole’ products because they were buy 1 get 2 free.  I was really excited about getting three boxes for about $6 and my husband enjoys eating the taquitos. I bought the boxes and then in the Sunday paper there was two coupons for the products.  I didn’t have room in my freezer to go back and get more.  Oh well.  2)  The other disappointment was with Harris Teeter’s coupon policies.  They are only accepting two printable coupons for like products.  I had to put back some of my cereal and All detergent.  Boo! 

I probably could have gotten more for the money, BUT sometimes you have to weigh things.  I asked myself, ‘Would I rather get the small French’s mustard for free just so that I could say it was free . . . or would I rather get the large French’s mustard with a bonus 40% more for $.50?’.  I had to make this decision on several items.  Sometimes it is worth it to pay a little more for the better deal.

The bottom line:  Yes, there is some junk food here (please don’t cast stones), but it will be consumed in moderation.  Overall, I got things that our family can use and I was able to get a lot of groceries for about $51-52.  All of this would have cost me about $140 without the coupons and sales.  I’m pleased with my bargains.

Have you tried A Full Cup?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Guest post by Katie.

*Lowes Foods always Doubles Coupons up to .99, so the price reflects the doubled coupons.
Also - On Buy 1 Get 1 Free Items, you only have to purchase one and it will ring up at half price. If you buy 2, you can use 2 coupons!

All of the following are a part of the 4 packages for 20.00:
Center Cut Bone In Pork Chops
Center Cut Thick Sliced Boneless Pork Chops
Boneless Blade End Pork Roast
5 ct. Bone In Pork Chops Family Pack
Bone-In Pork Steaks
Boneless Beef Top Sirloin Steaks
Family Pack Beef
Boneless Cube Steaks
Perdue Fresh Chicken - Value Pack Leg Quarters, Drumsticks or Thighs Sanderson Farms Boneless Chicken Breast, Chicken Breast Tenderloins or Whole Cut-Up Chickens
Shady Brook Farms 99% Lean Ground Turkey Breast
80% Lean Premium Ground Beef (2 lb. pkgs.)
80% Lean Ground Beef Patties- sold in pkgs. of four (4) 6 oz. patties
2 lb. Steak-Umm Burgers
3 lb. Jennie-O Turkey Burgers
3 lb. Valleydale Franks
Curly’s Pulled Pork Barbecue
Fast Fixins Italian or Beef Meatballs
.75q from All You Magazine
Fast Fixins Popcorn Chicken Nuggets or Strips T
.75q from All You Magazine
Tennessee Pride Breakfast Sandwiches
1.00q from 2/18 SS
Swaggerty’s Sausage Patties
1.00q printable
Foster Farms Corn Dogs

3 Day Sale! Valid May 1st, 2nd & 3rd ONLY!!
Lowes Foods Large Eggs .99 ea. (limit 2)
Cabot Salted Butter $1.99 (limit 4)
Lowes Foods Apple Juice (64 oz.) .99 (limit 4)
Fresh Express Iceberg Garden .99 (limit 2)
Bounty Paper Towels (8 giant rolls) $8.49 (limit 2)
1.00q 4/5 P & G
.25q 4/5 P & G
Gain 2x Detergent (100 oz.) $8.49 (limit 2)
1.00q 3/15 P & G
.25q 1/18 P & G

Buy One Get One Free Deals
Russet Potatoes 5 lb. - Makes it 2.24 ea
Edy’s Ice Cream - Makes it 2.69 ea
Lowes Foods Macaroni & Cheese - Makes it .44 ea
Star’s Pimento Spread - Makes it .74 ea

Other Sales:
Hormel Pork Roast 4.99
House of Raeford Chicken Drummettes (2.5 lb.) 5.99
Gwaltney Ham Slice (smoked center cut) 3.49/lb.
Smithfield Smoked Sausage 2/5.00
John Morrell Off The Bone 2/6.00
Oscar Mayer Lunchables 2/3.00
Weight Watchers Yogurt 10/5.00
Borden Cheese Singles 2/4.00
California Pizza Kitchens 2/10.00
Yo Crunch Yogurt 10/6.00
Eggland’s Best Large White Eggs 2/4.00
Totino’s Pizza Rolls 2/6.00
.35q 1/11 SS
General Mills Cereals: Total Whole Grain, Raisin Nut Brand, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios 2/$6
1.00 Coupon Booklet
Dole Fruitbowls 5/10.00
1.00/2 4/26 SS - Makes it 2/3.00
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix 2/0.90
Fiber One Toaster Pastries 2/4.00
1.00q 2/22 SS - Makes it 2/3.00
Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars 2/5.00
Chef Boyardee Pasta Bowls 5/5.00
Success White Rice 2/4.00
1.00q 2/8 SS - Makes it 2/3.00
Bertolli Pasta Sauce 2/5.00
1.00q 4/5 SS - Makes it 2/3.00
Lowes Foods Salt & Pepper Set 2/2.00
Van Camp’s Baked Beans (28 oz.) 4/5.00
Betty Crocker Browines (family size) 4/5.00
Furmano’s Tomatoes (28 oz.) 2/3.00
Miracle Whip or Kraft Real Mayo 2.99
Fritos Dip 2/5.00
Sunshine Cheez-Its 2/5.00
Kool-Aid Jammers (10 packs) 2/4.00
Gatorade (64 oz) 1.66
Welch’s Grape Juice (64 oz) 2.99
Spray n’ Wash 2/4.00
Glad Cling Wrap 2/4.00
Crystal Light Drink Mixes 2.99
Use Buy 2, Get 1 Freeq Makes it 5.98/3

Produce
Hass Avocados 3/5.00
Concord Guacamole Mix 0.99
Mangos 5/5.00
Vidalia Onions 0.99/lb.
Fresh Express Shredded Lettuce (8 oz.) 3/5.00

Katie is a blogger and married mom with two kids. You can find her at Coupon Queens of Laurel Run.