The Results are In

Do you use coupons at self check out?

41% of you said YES

58% of you said NO

I personally do not like to use coupons at self-checkout. It seems like someone always has to come over and help me with them. I feel like an amateur when they walk over after the self checkout beeps to let them know that I need "assistance." I do however, use them if I only have one or two items and the checkers line is long.

Here are a couple tips I have for when you do check out with coupons:

1. After you scan the coupon and you stick it in the "coupon slot" BLOW hard on the slot. Self checkout machines have to actually WEIGH the coupon before it lets you scan the next item. For some reason when I blow on the coupon it detects it much quicker.

2. Be sure that you are NOT using expired coupons

3. Be sure that you are buying the size the coupon specifies

4. Be sure that you are only using one coupon per item

Numbers 2-4 are abusing coupons and is clearly stated on each individual coupon.

Emily and I recently took a shopping trip and we thought we would see if self checkout was faster than going to the line with a checker. It turned out self check out took MUCH longer than going to a checker. We weren't surprised.

The reasons I go to the actual checker

1. It saves me time

2. If I need a rain check they will write it for me right then

3. I make FRIENDS with the employees. I promise it makes shopping a much easier experience. Read about my making friends tips here.

4. If there is a problem, like I didn't get all 10 items, or there is an unadvertised deal, there is someone there to help me.

5. If I have an item for a FREE item it makes the checkout process smoother

6. I don't like to check out with an entire cart full of groceries using self checkout. I like to think of the self checkout lane is for those who only have a couple items.

7. The people that are in front of me using self check out usually have problems, making the checkout time EVEN longer

Be on the lookout for this weeks poll later today!

Santa Mr. Potato Head .99 cents

Target has these Santa Mr. Potato Heads priced at $5.99. Use this $5/1 online coupon and you'll score him for only .99! My Target has been out of them my last 2 visits, but an employee told me they plan on getting more of them because they are a holiday item. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

My kids would love this!

Mega Swag Bucks Friday

A few weeks ago I shared with you about a new way to search the internet called Swagbucks. You get paid in "swag bucks" to search the internet the same way you already search for things. After you earn your swagbucks you can redeem them for gift cards and other prizes from the swag store. You can read my post about swagbucks here for all the details.

As if it was already sweet enough to get rewarded for doing something you are already doing, how about having a MEGA swag buck day!

"Every Friday, Swagbucks gives you a chance to win huge, gargantuan, oodles, tons of....Mega Swag Bucks with your searches. From 3 to 100 Swag Bucks, we give away up to 10,000 Swag Bucks in Mega Bills every Friday!"
Taken from Swag Bucks official blog

So, make sure on Friday's you do some MEGA searching to win MEGA swag bucks! Be sure to check out our Swag Bucks tips here.

If you don't already have Swag Bucks go here to sign up. After you sign up check your e-mail and they will let you start searching!

Check out the SwagBuck store and share with us what you are saving up for!

An extra 50% off all Clearance at DownEast Outfitters

You all know how crazy I am for Down East clothes!

Unadvertised Deals at Fresh Market

Last night I did my weekly shopping at Fresh Market. It is the first time I have been in there since they made the switch. Here are a couple deals I found that weren't on the list.

McCormick Turkey Gravy is on sale for .58
Use McCormick Gravy, any .50/2 (12-6-09) RP-11/1
You'll end up paying .33 cents for each packet

When you spend $25 at Fresh Market you can buy your turkey for .38lb! If you buy a turkey that is over 10lbs you get a FREE 2 liter 7-Up bottle. At my store the 7-Up bottles had hanging tags on them for $1.00/2! I ended up paying $4.56 for my 12lb turkey and ended up with 2 FREE liters of 7-Up with my coupon factored in! Sweet deal!

Del Monte pineapples are on sale for .89lb this week. Use this .75/1 online coupon when you buy your pineapple. Mine ended up only costing me $2.23!

Also be on the lookout for these Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil signature recipe booklets. They have coupons for :

$1/1 Reynolds Wrap

.75/1 Parchment Paper

.25/2 baking cups

.50/1 oven bag

Have you found any other unadvertised deals? Share them with us!

Free Cookie Mixes

This week at Buy Low Market it Provo they have Krustaez Bakery Style cookie mixes on sale for .98 cents! Use Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix $1/1 (12-31-09) SS-10/11 and you make .2 cents on every box! Be sure to plan for the overage!

Friday Buy Low also runs HOT deals on meat! Here are this week's Friday Deals:

Beef Boneless New York Steaks $2.99/lb
Beef Cross Rib Roast $1.79/lb
Boneless Beef Stew Meat $1.99/lb
Clover Dale Bacon $!.29/lb
Fresh Bone-In Chicken .79/lb
Pork Bone-In Sirloin Roast .89/lb

Here is a tip I learned when I ran into Buy Low, they issue rainchecks! Even on Wednesday produce sales!

Old Navy Weekly

So, did anyone luck out and score a high valued Old Navy Weekly coupon? Remember that various times throughout the week the coupons reset. Be on the lookout and be sure to let us know if they do. If they happen to reset here is a list of all the hiding places, thanks to the Thrifty Northwest Mom!

• 65/$100 - Put the white cardigan on the modelquin Amy (in middle); then click on the dog behind her in the picture frame (dog is blurry until you click). Catch the stars when they fly out.
• $45/$100 - Put the gray striped cardigan on Amy and click "Pre-Style It". Move your cursor quickly over to the modelquin's right ear and wait for the green light and click it when it's moving (it's hard but if you position your mouse right near her ear, you'll have a better shot)
• 20% off any purchase when you buy a party cardigan - Put the yellow cardigan on Amy and click the red dot to the left. Then click on Amy's lips.
• $10 off $50 - Put the purple cardigan on Amy and move the 3 yellow stars (by the "Pre-style It" blue button) and move them onto the small white dot in the sky (behind Amy on the right). They will form a star for the $10/$50
• 15% off any purchase - You'll need to refresh your screen and then click Amy's fingernail (don't move any cardigans yet)
• 10% off any in-store purchase - Put the pink cardigan on Amy and then click the "Pre-Style" button

Hot Deal on Games at Target

Have you been trying to score those games at Toys R Us this week and been unsuccesful! Here is a HOT alternative to the higher priced games!

Take the Kmart ad from Sundays newspaper. On the front sleeve it lists the following games for $14.99:

• Picturkea Flipper Game
• Connect 4
• Cranium
• Clue Secrets and Spies.

Go here to Harsbro's online game coupons. You can print off a $5/1 coupon for each game!

Use (4) $5/1 Target Harsbro game coupon (also found in the Target Toy Coupon booklet)



Take the games and the ad up to Target's customer service so they can price match the games for you! You must have the ACTUAL K-mart ad with you for them to price match.

Hand them your coupons and you will end up paying $19.96 for all 4 games.

Each games end up only costing $4.99!

Now that is a HOT deal!

Toys R Us Doorbuster Sale- HOT

Tomorrow afternoon Toys R Us is having an HOT doorbuster sale. The Thrifty Couple made a list of some hot deals that also have coupon match ups with them!

"Toys R Us Doorbusters sale starts tomorrow November 13th at 3pm until midnight and then again Saturday, November 15, from 7 am – 1 pm!
They are also having a 2 day sale that runs both Friday and Saturday!
Toys R Us Door Busters Best Deals and Possible Scenarios to get an even better deal!

There are a few great door busters, these are deals matched up with extra savings from price matching at Target and using their coupons! I did include one item that is an absolute steal even without a coupon!

• LeapFrog Alphabet Pal Sale for $10.49 – Price match at Target and use $10 off Target coupon HERE or in the big Target Toys ad (middle section) = FINAL $0.49 Doorbuster HOT DEAL





• Nintendo DS Games Imagine Fashion Designer, Babyz Fashion, Detective, Zoo Keep for $20.99 – price match at Target and use $10 off two games Target coupon HERE or in the big Target Toys ad (middle section) = FINAL $15.99 each Doorbuster
• Kota the Triceratops for $79.99! (save $200) Doorbuster HOT DEAL

• Wii Music and Wii White Snowboarding games ($14.99- $24.99) – Price match at Target and use price match at Target and use $10 off two games Target coupon HERE or in the big Target Toys ad (middle section) = FINAL $9.99 – 19.99 each 2-day sale
• Xbox 360 game Resident Evil sale for $34.99 – price match at Target and use price match at Target and use $10 off two games Target coupon HERE orin the big Target Toys ad (middle section) = FINAL $29.99 each Doorbuster
• Play Station 3 games (ad show pictures of Bionic Commando Starwars Force) for $24.99 price match at Target and use $10 off two games Target coupon HERE orin the big Target Toys ad (middle section) = FINAL $19.99 each Doorbuster
  

Have Fun Saving a Ton!"

Thank to the Thrifty Couple for sharing this deal with us!

Tonight I ran into a two super cute She Shops Smart readers at Target! They shared with me about these AMAZING deals. They also shared with me that when they went to Toys R Us to pick up the ad, it was no where to be found. Target does require the actual ad. Printed off copies of the ad are NOT accepted. These deals are worth checking out, but be aware that price matching at Target might be tricky. The ad also states that the prices are only good for the hours listed above. Be sure that you are price matching during these hours. If you do end up going, PLEASE share with us how it went. It will be good to know for future "doorbuster" sales!

*Update- Thank to the Thirfty Couple for finding the ad in today's newspaper!

Old Navy Weekly

Old Navy Weekly is expected to reset sometime between today and tomorrow! Be on the lookout. Sometimes it seems like you are looking for a needle in a haystack, but when you find a $75/100 coupon it is totally worth it!

Have no idea what I am talking about? Be sure to check out our post about Old Navy Weekly here!

Wii Games for $5

Check out this post from TheThirftyCouple on how to score Wii games for only $5 this week!

Stocked and Rotatated

My husband was teasing me, that about every time he starts to know where things are in the kitchen pantry they get moved to make room for more things. When I bring home a bunch of bags from the grocery store I usually have to figure out how the things are all going to fit. Its like

a little doing a weekly jigsaw puzzle or sorts. :) Besides making all items fit I try to make sure that I am rotating the items on my shelves. Since we are basically have our own little store in our cupboards it is important to me to make sure that I am using things before they go bad. This is pretty easy to do as long as I remember to put the new items in back so old gets used first.

I have wondered sometimes how important or exact expiration dates are on items.

I found an article I liked by Star Lawerence that was featured on WebMD. Here are a few clips I thought were interesting.

"Sell by" date. -The labeling "sell by" tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires. This is basically a guide for the retailer, so the store knows when to pull the item. This is not mandatory, so reach in back and get the freshest. The issue is quality of the item (freshness, taste, and consistency) rather than whether it is on the verge of spoiling.

"Best if used by (or before)" date.

This refers strictly to quality, not safety. This date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. Sour cream, for instance, is already sour, but can have a zippier, fresh taste when freshly sour (if that's not an oxymoron!)"

"Guaranteed fresh" date. This usually refers to

bakery items. They will still be edible after the date, but will not be at peak freshness.

"Use by" date. This is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.

"Pack" date. You will find this one on canned or packaged goods, as a rule, but it's tricky. In fact,

it may be in code. It can be month-day-year-MMDDYY. Or the manufacturer could revert to the Julian calendar. January would then be 001-0031 and December 334-365.

Do you follow dates or do you use the "honey will you smell this?" method?

Leave a comment!

Chex Mix Recipes

Associated Foods Stores have a HOT deal on Chex right now! Depending on which store you pick they are .75-.98 a box. Be sure to stock up and try some of these recipes using all those boxes!

Muddy Buddies

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2.In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3.Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Substitution Peanut butter and chocolate are a favorite flavor combo, but peanut butter lovers can substitute peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips to intensify that flavor.

White Candy Fantasy Clusters

4 cups Rice Chex® cereal
2 cups pretzel sticks, coarsely broken
1 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2 package (16-oz size) vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Spray with cooking spray or grease 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, mix cereal, pretzels and cashews.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt candy coating over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Press in pan; cool slightly.
3. In microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chocolate can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle chocolate over snack. Let stand about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Break into clusters. Store in airtight container.

Chex Brittle


8 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 cup salted peanuts
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Spray two 15x10x1-inch pans with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients until evenly coated. Spread in pans in single layer.
3. Bake 12 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool, about 15 minutes. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 300°F. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Success Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated. Evaporated milk is thinner and does not contain added sugar, which is needed for this recipe. Substitution No baking pans with sides? Line 2 large cookie sheets with heavy duty foil and fold up all the edges so the mix doesn’t slide off.



Mexican Chex Mix


1 bag (3.5 oz) butter-flavor microwave popcorn, popped
8 cups Corn Chex® cereal
4 cups corn chips
2 cups bite-size cheese crackers
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix

1.Remove and discard unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. In 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix popcorn, cereal, corn chips and crackers. Drizzle with melted butter.
2.Seal bag and shake until well coated. Add cheese and taco seasoning mix. Seal bag and shake until well coated.

For extra cheese flavor, use Cheddar-flavored popcorn. Cute, animal shaped crackers are a fun substitute for the square cheese crackers.

Favorite Chicken Nuggets

3cups Corn Chex® cereal
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4teaspoon paprika
1/8teaspoon garlic powder
3tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1tablespoon milk
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1x1-inch pieces

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Crush cereal. (To easily crush cereal, place in plastic bag or between sheets of waxed paper, and crush with rolling pin.)
2. In medium bowl, stir together crushed cereal, cheese, salt, seasoned salt, paprika and garlic powder. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and milk. Dip chicken into butter mixture, then roll in cereal mixture to coat evenly. Place on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 9 minutes; turn nuggets over. Bake about 8 minutes longer or until coating is light golden brown and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Also be sure to check out this page on Chex.com for GIFT giving ideas using the Chex Mix you will make! These would make way cute neighbor gifts!

Cupboards too Full?

Being close to Thanksgiving I must say I am so thankful this year for my full cupboards of food. I got home from the store last night and had to do some major rearranging to make the things I purchased fit. If your cupboards are very full as well, or if you have items that you wont be able to use before they reach expiration dates, keep in mind the food banks are always looking for donations. If there are items on the Grocery Smarts list that end up being free sometimes I will pick them up, even if its not something my family likes. I am then able to donate things without even having to pay for them. How cool is that- I get to help someone else just by using coupons! I love it. Many grocery stores have donation boxes for the food banks that you can just drop items off in. This makes it even easier!

Click here for a link to the Utah Food Bank to see what items they are currently in need of.

Click HERE for a list of Smiths Stores that serve as drop off locations.

If you don't have a Smiths nearby click HERE to see a list of Food Pantry and Regional Food Bank County Listings

Lots of the items they are currently in need of are things that are on sale or have been in the past weeks. I love that by using coupons I am able to not only save money for my family but help other people without feeling any financial burden from doing so.

Picturkea Flipper $9.99

Here is a fun deal I found on Pictureka Flipper game.

Take the Toys R Us Big Book catalog with you to Target. Price match it for $19.99. Use this $5/1 manufactures coupon and this $5/1 Target coupon (also found in the Target Toy Coupon book). The game ended up only costing me $9.99 vs. the Target shelf price of $24.99.

Oh, there was also a $5/1 manufactures coupon in the November issue of Family Fun Magazine.

*Update- She Shops Smart reader, Jasperson Family just commented to let us know that Picktureka is on sale at Kmart for $14.99. Take that ad in to price match and it makes it only $4.99!

Whatever Wednesday

I am in LOVE with Whatever Wednesdays! Take the night off and let your family pick something out of the STOCKPILE you have on hand for dinner. It gives you the night off, it gives your kids a chance to choose something they want to eat, and it helps you use up some of ALL that food you already have on hand. The best part is, you might be surprised what your family chooses too!

Hold on to your Ads

Have you started to notice the competitive spirit among our local stores! I know I have! The best part is that Walmart and Target price match! To learn about each stores price matching policy check out this post (about half way down the page).

One thing that I have found right now is that it is a good idea to hold on to each stores ads for the week. On Sunday I just sort through them and make a little folder in my hanging file that is labeled "WEEKLY ADS". Next Sunday I will toss them and put in the new ads. It only takes seconds and it has come in hand on more than one occasion in the last month or so.

Another idea is to just keep a box in your garage and throw all your papers in them. Once a month or so take them to the a local school's recycling bin. Throw them in! They get paid for the papers by the pound! It helps them save up for things like new playground equipment, field trips and school supplies! By keeping your papers organized this way, you know the last couple weeks worth of newspaper is out in your garage in case you need them!

A Lot for Less

One of my favorite parts about teaching classes and updating this blog is when you share with Emily and I how much we HELP you! I love that we can teach you an EASY way to save TONS on money! Thank you for inspiring us and keeping us motivated with your encouraging photos, e-mails and phone calls of how well you do using what we show you! We are so grateful to each and every one of you readers! We love each week when we get to share with you are A Lot for Less photos! This weeks photo is from She Shops Smart reader Lauran.

" Hello there! I wanted to share with you my "A Lot For Less" I didn't buy as much as some of the pictures you feature but I think my example is wonderful because I didn't end up spending a single penny! That's right, I ended up being paid $6.97 for this purchase! I bought:

1 Charmin Toilet Paper

Big Pack1 Sucrets Throat Lozenges 24 count
2 Dayquil, 20 count
1 Hersheys Chocolate Chips
1 Maybelline Eye Shadow Quad
1 Maybelling Eye Shadow Trio

I used:$25 Rite Aid gift card for transferring a prescription, $5/$25 coupon, 2 $1/1 any Dayquil, In addition I received $4.99 from Single Check Rebates, and $5 from their Fall Savings Reward.

If these items were full price I would have spent $52.33 Instead, after my rebates, I ended up being paid $6.97 for this purchase! Nothing out of pocket! Amazing!

Thank you for the great coupon tips! We love you at my house!

Thanks! Lauran"

Way to go Lauran! That is incredible. FREE really is the best thing isn't it! Thank you for sharing your A Lot for Less with us!

Buy Low Market

If you are taking a drive to get to Sunflower Market in Orem, you might as well stop by Buy Low Market right down the street! Here are this weeks Wednesday produce deals!

• Fresh Watermelons 5lbs for $1
• Sweet Yams 5lbs for $1
• White Onions 5lbs for $1
• 1lb Bag Carrots 5 for $1
• Fresh Cucumbers 5 for $1
• Chayote Squash 5 for $1

Sunflower Market

Shopping with Cents made a list of this week's deals at Sunflower Market! Wednesday's are the best day to go, since they have DOUBLE ad Wednesdays

Meat Department:
All Natural Boneless Chuck Roast: $2.49/lb
All Natural Pork Spare Ribs: $2.49/lb
All Natural Pork Shoulder Roast: $2.49/lb
Boneless Country-Style Ribs: $2.49/lb
All Natural Ground Beef, 85/15 family pack: $1.97/lb

Bulk Foods Bins:
Quick or Rolled Oats: $0.49/lb
Whole Wheat Flour: $0.59/lb
Dried Cranberries: $2.99/lb
Whole Raw Almonds: $2.99/lb

Produce:
Organic Zucchini: $0.99/lb
Winter Hard Squash, assorted varieties: $0.77/lb
Bunched Broccoli: $0.77/lb
Fresh Cranberries, 12 oz: $2 each
Cucumbers: $0.50 each
Russet Baking Potatoes, 3 lb bag: $1 each
Yellow Onions: 3 lbs/$1
Jonagold & Rome Apples: $0.88/lb
Hothouse Tomatoes: $0.98/lb
Navel Oranges: $0.39/lb
Limes: 10/$1
Blackberries, 5.5 oz: $1.50 each

Remember that Wednesday is Double-Ad day and you can get the sales prices from last week and this week. Go HERE to find the flyer for your area and get ready to shop! Sunflower Markets also offer a 10 cent credit for each reusable bag that you bring in, so don't forget your bags!

Thanks Marie for all the info!

Disney DVD UP for the best deal

Looking to purchase Disney's new release UP? Here are 2 scenarios to help you buy it for a GREAT deal!

Scenario #1
Blu Ray/DVD combo pack is priced at Walmart for $19.96
Use this $10/1 online coupon
End up paying $9.96



Scenario#2
Go to Target and buy UP Blu Ray Combo pack for $19.99
Also buy Monsters Inc on blu ray. The best deal on this right now is to price match this weeks ad from Best Buy for $18.99
Use the $10/1 UP coupon
Use this $8/1 Monster's Inc coupon (must have an old UPC to get this coupon)
Use this $10 off Target coupon on page 3 when you buy both movies
You end up paying $10.98

Both deals are great deals! I was unable to find Monsters Inc at my local Target, and since I don't have a blu ray player I figured the best thing to do was to just pick it up from Walmart. It required less leg work on my part, but if you don't mind printing off a couple extra coupons and you have another copy of Monsters Inc., you essentially end up with 2 movies for only $1 more. Another gift marked off my Santa list! I love the ART of coupon usage!

Smith's Preview

Here is a link to the upcoming sale at Smith's.

Macey's Preview List

Here is a link to the upcoming sale at Maceys!

Veteran's Day Freebies

Be sure to check out Shopping with Cents for some freebies in honor of tomorrow's National Veteran's Day holiday.

Generic vs. Name Brand

Before I started using coupons my entire pantry and fridge were full of generic brand items. Whenever I compared prices of the items while I was shopping, the generic brands appeared to cost much less than the name brand items. I quickly learned that generic brand items are NOT less expensive when you use coupons the right way.

By using coupons when an item is on sale I am ALWAYS buying name brand items for much LESS than generic brands.

Here is a great example from this week:

• Western Family Evaporated Milk, 12 oz. is on sale at Macey's for $0.68
• This week at Smith's I used my coupon for Carnation Evaporated Milk, 12 oz because it was on sale for and I only paid .24 cents vs. the .68 cents I would have paid for the Western Family brand.

Generic brands quickly began to vanish from my kitchen and were replaced with name brand items and for half the cost! I no longer wondered if the generic items, I was purchasing to save money, tasted as good as the name brand items I wished I could have afforded. I have learned to appreciate name brand items and am glad that I can buy the highest quality of foods for so much less. Have you started to notice the change in your kitchens too?