Saving Money Again with Coupons

Towards the end of my pregnancy with Troy, I'll admit that I got pretty lazy when it came to things like properly grocery shopping (taking time to plan things out so that I could save money) and couponing. I'm a big believer in couponing and stockpiling because if I'm diligent at taking the time to do it, I can save a significant amount of money.

The past couple of shopping trips I've taken have been a good reminder and encouragement to myself to get back in the good habit of couponing so that we can stay on budget and save money.

First, at Target, I got a great deal on diapers for Ella. Target runs a special every few weeks where if you buy (usually) two of certain boxes of diapers you receive a $5.00 Target gift card. On top of this deal, I had 4 coupons I could use with the diapers: 1 Target coupon for a box of Huggies, 1 Target coupon for a box of Pampers plus a tub of wipes, and 1 manufacturer's coupon for each box of diapers. Each box of diapers was originally priced at $19.79, and the tub of wipes was $2.39, for a total of $41.97. My coupons for these items totaled $6.50.

• Original price of two boxes of diaper and one tub of wipes: $41.97
• Coupons for three items: $6.50
• Total paid for three items:  $35.47
• Additionally, I got a $5.00 Target gift card for purchasing the two boxes of diapers, so the deal was even better!

Secondly, when I was grocery shopping, I got a great deal on cereal. We love Cinnamon Chex at our house (if you haven't tried them, you should - they are GREAT), but I don't always buy it because it can be kind of expensive for the amount of cereal you get. However, our grocery store had them on sale this week, for $2.00 a box (the cheapest I have ever seen it before this was $2.52). In addition to the cheap price, I had several coupons for a $1.00 off of two boxes of cereal. I ended up getting 4 boxes of Cinnamon Chex for $6.00, whereas they would have normally cost me $10.08 for a savings of $4.08. I also got a good deal on a couple of other cereal varieties.

Now, I just need to keep up with my couponing so that I can continue to save money!

My Stockpiling List

A few weeks ago I wrote about completing a pantry clean-out and inventory so that I have a better idea of what I have on hand, as well as what I items would be good to stockpile. Well, I finally completed my pantry clean-out and inventory list! I know these photos aren't cute pictures of Ella, but I'm so proud of my organized pantry, I had to show at least a few of these photos off.

I'm not going to bore you with my entire food inventory list. Instead, I'm listing the items that I will be considering for stockpiling. As I mentioned in my food inventory post, when I talk about stockpiling, I'm talking about purchasing multiples of items that I commonly use when they are at a low price, I have a coupon for them, or, ideally, they are at a low price AND I have a coupon for them. To me, for an item to be a good target for stockpiling, it must meet several criteria.

1. We must use the item fairly often. What good does it do for me to stockpile something that we don't eat often? I'd just be filling my pantry up with items to collect dust.
2. The item (if food) must remain fresh/good quality/safe-to-eat with the period of time within we'd get to using it in our stockpile. This seems like common sense, but it really is something to consider. For example, we use tons of spices in our cooking, but I don't use many spices frequently enough (point #1) for these spices to still be fresh when I'd finally be able to use them. There are a few spices that we use frequently enough that they are on my stockpiling list (and I'll mention them below), but the majority of the spices in my pantry would not be good targets for stockpiling. With all that said, if I know that I'm getting low on something, I can watch for several weeks to grab the best price, even if I'm not stockpiling the item.
3. We must be able to store the item in a reasonable space. My pantry is a decent size, but it certainly not large. I don't have tons of extra space to store items, especially large ones. This rule comes into play more with household items, like toilet paper and diapers.

There are probably more criteria, but these are the ones I can think of right at the moment. So, here's my list of items that I'm going to target for stockpiling. I've included all the food pantry items, as well as household goods. This list doesn't include items that would go in my freezer . . . I'm still working to get that list together.

• Household goods
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Paper plates
• Dishwasher Detergent
• Laundry Detergent
• Baby goods
• Diapers (Diapers can be tricky, because I have to guess what size she'll be if I'm going to buy a lot. This was harder when she was younger and changing sizes more quickly. Although, I figure if we have extra of a size she outgrows that's OK, since we plan to have more children in the future. I don't want to have lots of extra diapers lying around, but if I do have a few, I don't see it as a big deal.)
• Formula (although, not for much longer!)
• Wipes
• Canned goods
• Green beans
• Corn
• Pinto beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Canned tomatoes (great for salsa!)
• Chicken noodle soup
• Harry and David dry soup mixes (I haven't seen them at our grocery store, but we have a Harry and David outlet store near us. These soups are great!)
• Tomato sauce
• Diet cokes (That's a canned good, right??)
• Snacks
• Popcorn (I really like the 100 calorie bags, and they are EXPENSIVE)
• Chips
• Granola bars
• Nuts (peanuts and almonds, especially)
• Spices, etc. 
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cinnamon
• Chicken buillon cubes
• Beef buillon cubes
• Dry goods
• Brown rice
• White rice
• Pasta
• Dry beans (I've yet to master cooking these, but I'm working on it.)
• Breakfast items
• Cereal
• Nutrigrain bars

I've probably missed a few items, and as I think of them, I'll add them to my list. But that's all for now!

On a very exciting side note, I got my $5.00 rebate check in the mail on Friday from my Glade candle purchase!

Food Inventory List

One of the many things I plan to do this year is to keep an inventory of the items I have in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. This inventory will serve at least two main purposes: first, it will allow me to always know what I have on hand, and second, it will help me in my effort to stockpile.

Sadly, many times I don't have a good grasp on the groceries I have on hand. We have a decent sized pantry, but the pantry is difficult to see in, and items easily get lost in there. To top it off, I really haven't taken the time lately to properly organize it, so it is even harder to locate the items. Although I plan to complete a pantry reorganization during this inventory process, the inventory list will still be helpful because it is difficult to quickly assess what is in the pantry because of how it is built. I also have a difficult time easily assessing what is in my freezer, so the inventory list will certainly help keep up with what I have. It is easy to see everything in my fridge, but I'm still going to include those items on my inventory (although, I feel like it is less important to keep an inventory for these items because I replace them often since they usually don't last for a long time). Knowing what food I have available will not only be useful in meal planning, but also in preventing headaches when I start making something only to realize I'm missing a key ingredient!

The second purpose of my food inventory list is to use that information to help me stockpile. This purpose is really what prompted me to want to complete an inventory in the first place. What do I mean by stockpiling? When I talk about stockpiling, I'm talking about purchasing multiples of items I commonly use when they are at a low price, I have a coupon for them, or, ideally, they are at a low price AND I have a coupon for them. Before I really started paying attention to how I grocery shopped, I naively assumed that the prices on most items remained relatively the same from week to week. I was very wrong in my assumption. One week a box of cereal might be $4.00, and the next week it might be $2.50. Rather than buying a new box each week, if I buy multiple boxes the week the cereal is at the lower price, I save money in the end. My food inventory list will help me focus on the items that we use most often, and therefore identify those items that would be good targets for stockpiling. (I first read about stockpiling through Coupon Mom. Tons of great information on that site!)

I plan to keep my inventory list on the fridge, so that I can easily update it as I use or restock items. Once I get my inventory list together, I'll be sure to post it.

Coupons, Baby Food, and a Milk Allergy

I sure hope you don't get tired of reading about my great finds with coupons! :) I posted recently about a great deal I found at Target which was partially due to the coupons I had in my coupon stash. While specific finds I post about aren't always going to be current, the point I want to make is the following: you really can save money with couponing. I wasn't convinced of this at first, but as I've collected my coupons I've proven myself wrong.

My recent shopping trip to Walmart was another example of how I was able to stock up because of some coupons I had in my stash. Here is what I got for a total of $10.17 (before coupons).

• Beech-nut Multigrain Cereal - $1.72
• Beech-nut Let's Grow Arrowroot cookies - $1.78
• Beech-nut Let's Grow Banana cookies - $1.78
• 2 Beech-nut Let's Grow Tummy Trays (Turkey Vegetable) - $1.72 x 2=$3.44
• Beech-nut Cinnamon Raisin Granola Stage 3 Baby Food - $0.82
• Beech-nut Whole Grain Cereal with Raspberries Stage 3 Baby Food - $0.63

I had two coupons for BOGO (buy one get one free) of the Let's Grow line of products. I also had a coupon for a FREE container of cereal (up to a $2.00 value) as well as a coupon for two FREE jars of baby food (up to $1.50 value). My coupons for these products totaled $6.61.

• 2 BOGO of the Let's Grow products. I bought a total of 4 Let's Grow products so I got 2 of these items free -$1.72 x 2 = $3.44
• 1 FREE container of cereal - $1.72
• 2 FREE jars of baby food - $0.82+$0.63 = $1.45

So, my price for all seven of these items after coupons was $3.56 ($10.17-$6.61).

On a somewhat different topic (but not completely), we're pretty sure that Ella has at least a milk-protein intolerance (if not an allergy). Ella has been on formula for a long time (maybe someday I'll write about why I'm not nursing, but I won't bore you now). We tried many different types of formula . . . she spit up terribly on all of them. I started adding cereal to her bottles (because I had read that would minimize spitting up). We discovered she did best on soy, but she still spit up a lot. I discussed this with the pediatrician, and he suspected she was lactose intolerant because I'm slightly lactose intolerant and she did better on the soy formula. He also said he expected her spitting up problem to get better as she got older; after all, some babies just spit up a lot. Months went on, and Ella was still spitting up - A LOT. I was always covered in spit up and smelled like soy formula (which smells disgusting, by the way). I figured this spitting up was just normal, although the other babies around Ella's age didn't seem to have this same problem.

Then we introduced yogurt to Ella . . .she loved it, but the spitting up was 10x (ok, maybe only 5x) worse than before. We tried a few different times, confirming that the yogurt was the cause for the increase in spit up. I talked to the pediatrician at her next appointment, and, after describing the issue with the yogurt, he mentioned the possibility of a milk protein intolerance or allergy. He suggested we try different dairy products to see how she reacted to them. One day we noticed that Ella got a rash on her face where cheese had touched her face. We also noticed an increase in the spit up when she ate anything with milk in it, but this spit up was just above her "baseline" of spit up she always had. Then I read about Gerber cereals. And I read that Gerber cereals contain milk-protein even though it is not listed in any way on the ingredient list. We'd been adding Gerber cereal to Ella's bottle from a young age to help with the spit up problem. We stopped adding Gerber cereal to her bottle. Ella has virtually quit spitting up. She is like a completely different baby in that regard. Now, as she's trying all sorts of new table foods, I'm careful to pay attention to if something might have milk in it. Now, to tie this in to my post about the Beech-nut products . . .

This was my first time buying the Beech-nut brand of baby food products. I was really excited about purchasing them for Ella because I had read that they didn't have any type of milk protein hidden in their products (if it is in it, it is listed). We gave Ella the Beech-nut cereal at lunch today, and she didn't have any issues spitting up this afternoon. Tonight we gave her some of the cookies (I'm not sure which ones, my husband gave them to her), and the spit up came back in full force. :( I honestly don't know if the issue was with the cereal or the cookies (or possibly both). I suspect the cookies because of when she spit up, but I'm not sure.

This process has taught me something as a new mom: if something doesn't seem right with Ella, it probably isn't. I was really concerned with her spit up, but was told it was normal by the pediatrician. To his defense, I really don't think I was categorizing the spit up properly, but I didn't know at the time. What I've been calling spit up is probably more accurately described as throw up, but I honestly didn't realize it. Now I know . . .

(Side note: The price of jarred baby food is one of the reasons I chose to make Ella's baby food (well, most of the time!). Check out my blog about making her baby food.)

****Update**** My husband looked at the Arrowroot cookie box . . . below the ingredients, in red lettering no-less, it says it contains milk. I have no idea how I missed this before . . . I looked carefully (or so I thought) at the ingredients list in the store. Oh well, now I know! The banana cookies, however, did not contain milk and Ella loved them!

Coupon Stash

I've mentioned before that when I first started couponing I was disappointed because I just didn't have many coupons for the things I wanted to buy. I'd end up buying things just because I had a coupon for them, and not because I actually needed them. Now, after a few months of actively couponing, I have a large stash of coupons built up. That coupon stash allowed me to get a great deal last night at Target.

Target is currently running a special (through Saturday 12/12 I believe) on Holiday-scented Glade candles and plugins (you can check out the weekly ad here for more details). Each of these products is on sale for $2.50 (I believe regularly priced at that very least $2.99), and if you buy five you get a $5.00 Target giftcard. While getting a $5.00 giftcard is great, I was able to make the deal even better because I had several Glade coupons in my stash. Here is what I got for a total of $14.50 (before coupons and Target's giftcard offer):

• 4 Glade candles (4 x $2.50 each=$10.00)
• 1 Glade scented oil candle (1 x $2.50 each=$2.50)
• 1 3-pack of Glade scented oil candles refills (1 x $2.50 each=$2.50)

I had two coupons for $1.50 off if you buy two Glade candles. I also had a coupon for a free 3-pack of Glade candle scented oil refills if you buy a Glade scented oil candle. My coupons for these products totaled $5.50.

• 2 x $1.50 off coupon (for every two candles)=$3.00 off
• 1 x $2.50 off coupon (a free 3-pack of Glade scented oil candles refills)=$2.50

So, my price for all six of these items after coupons was $9.00 ($14.50-$5.50). On top of that I got a $5.00 Target giftcard for buying the five qualifying items. It is like I got all these products for $4.00!

****UPDATE**** Thanks to a blog reader, I found out I can get a $5.00 rebate for these items too! Once I get my $5.00 rebate, it will be like I earned $1.00! Can't beat that!

A Little Change Gives Me Hope (grocery shopping)

If you've read my post about the idea for this blog, you know there are many things that I am striving to be in my life. For a long time, I've felt as though I get in a rut when it comes to how I do things in my life, making it very hard for me to make changes even when I really need and want to make these changes. However, having Ella has helped me make changes that I've always wanted to make, but never had really attempted before.

Since I've had Ella, I've been much more financially conscious - particularly when it comes to the amount of money we spend on groceries and household items. I've finally paid attention to what I'm buying and how much I spend. I'm actually embarrassed thinking back to how I would grocery shop before I really started paying attention to what I was doing. Before, I'd spend way too much money for a week's worth of groceries, and STILL not have everything I'd need for the week and end up going back to the store two or three times before the week was up. Now, I spend a lot less money, have everything I need for the week (and sometimes more left over for next week), and rarely have to go back to the store.

• Before: I'd buy whatever I felt like without really thinking if I was getting enough for the week or covering everything I needed.
  Now: While I don't plan exact meals for the week before going shopping (perhaps this is the next step), I do take the time at the store to make sure that I am covering everything.
• Before: I'd use coupons if they were stuck on the product on the store shelf.
  Now: I actively coupon, and have quite a stock pile of coupons for many different things.
• Before: I never paid attention to the prices of items, and because of that, often paid way more than necessary.
  Now: I watch the prices of items, know a great price, and take the opportunity to stockpile (thus saving money in the long run).

Here are a few of my favorite sites for information about couponing:

• http://www.couponmom.com/
• http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
• http://www.dealseekingmom.com/
• http://www.hip2save.com/

The other day my husband mentioned that his new favorite quote from me was "I have a coupon for that!" His comment made me realize that I really have changed for the good!

What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries and other everyday purchases?