Staples

So I saw this deal on Instagram for FREE Sharpie highlighter packs for $1.  However, finding the $1 Sharpie packs have been problematic.  I was only able to find one.  So in my despair, I noticed at the checkout registers a display for Sharpie Clearview Highlighters.  They cost $1.49 each or 2/$2.  Use $1/1 any Sharpie Clearview coupon from 1/18 SS = FREE Sharpie Highlighters.

Soooo now I have gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week this Spring.

Shop Rite

I was in Maryland visiting family.  So when in Rome do as the Romans do or in this case when in Maryland go to Shop Rite.  Shop Rite double $1 and less coupons.  (Sorry no picture.  I was with my family and that in itself is a struggle to coupon and shop)

Before Coupons $60.25 for 25 items
Spent $2.27 after coupons
**ZERO in tax, which is one thing I love about shopping for food in Maryland**

I got Tuttorosso tomato sauce, Motts applesauce, Lance crackers, Dole bowl fruit cups, Knorr Rice sides, Dole box soups, Wishbone salad dressing, and Sweet Baby Rays BBQ

HTSD Day 7

$10.44 + $1.23 tax = $11.67
Hershey was a BOGO RC
Tidy Cats was a BOGO RC - not bad considering regular price for 1 cat litter is $9.89
Picked up an additional 10 Rainchecks

Bonus Box Tops

Bob and I have been hitting the HT 40 Box Top Bonus promotion this week.  Most of the Bonus Box Tops were from Larabars.  They were FREE during SD.  I know a local youth sports team coach so I donated the bars to him for his team.  He was thrilled.  I was thrilled with the bonus box tops.  WIN-WIN!  Cant wait to see what we end up with. 

HTSD Day 6

I purposefully went to a heavily traffic coupon store.
* Last minute I decided to use my BOGO Smithfield RC so I got 6 bacon and used (3) $1/2 blinkies
* Another last minute purchase was 2 Starbucks iced coffee.  I had (2) $1/1 that were expiring today so they were FREE.
* Got 11 rainchecks
* Once again the 40 bonus box top catalina does not print with Green Giant purchase so I have to call and get that resolved

Paid $15.57.... it was so high because of the 6 bacon at $6.75 a piece

HTSD Day 5

Truthfully, I really did not want to go out in this bitter cold but the applesauce and Ken's were too tempting.  Went back to Duke Street as I knew Woodbridge would be wiped out.  Upon checking out I learn that ALL catalina machines are out of service!!!

So the story goes:  I check out.  My cashier is, who according to the name tag had been an employee since 2007, did not know how to do a RC for my Sabra Humus.  Manger gets called over and manager does the RC and leaves.  Halfway through the scanning the Larabars get scanned and I remembered last night all the self checkout catalina machine were out of order so I inquired about this current cat machine.  This catalina machine was down too!!  Manager came over and was obviously stressed by the high volume of shoppers due to the incoming bad weather and super doubles because he said to me "M'am you really should have told the cashier you were going to expect a catalina?"
I had enough at this point.  In a calm tone but with a bitter biting under tone I respond, "Oh I am sorry.  I had realized it was my responsibility to inform the cashier that the full page 40 Bonus Box Top offer in your weekly ad was my responsibility,"
"M'am what full page box top ad?"  He then pull out the ad and says "There is nothing in here about a catalina."
I said "open it up" and I pointed to the color full page ad.  "Sir that full page Box Top ad.  The ad in which your company has a promotion for purchasing 8 products and receiving 40 Bonus Box Tops.  I would suspect a manager should know about the ad but then I guess that is my responsibility too."
Realizing he was looking like a fool he started back peddling and telling me I can call HT customer service when the machines are down....blah blah blah blah.
I finally cut him off.  "Sir, this will now be the 4th phone call this week that I need to make to HT customer service over this Box Top catalina.  This is 4th time that I need to take time out of my schedule, provide a boat load of information, and then wait for HT to resolve this issue.  As a customer I should not have to call HT customer service 4 times concerning a full page color ad promotion not working in this store.  Sir, not a single catalina machine in your store works.  Not a single one.  This means people are not getting their catalinas but it also means someone in your store is NOT doing their job by monitoring this issue." short pause "Sir you know you are right.  I certainly can call HT customer service about my catalina not printing and when I call I can tell them about this conservation.  Thank you sir...calling HT customer service is a really good idea."Next thing I knew I wisked off to some back room with a catalina machine where I was rung up and left with a 40 Bonus box top catalina.

Paid $12.35 - WAY TOO much but had zero energy to figure out on the spot what was wrong.  So I need to sit down and figure out what went wrong and then go back to the store. On the positive side, my family is really digging SD this time around.  I am purchasing things they LOVE.  While these items are not FREE they certainly are dirt cheap. 

HTSD Day 4

My co-worker called during the day and said she hit 5 HT stores in Northern Virginia and everything was OOS.  So Bob and I ventured out in the bitter cold to go shopping after midnight when employees would be stocking the shelves.  Geez Louise... most still OOS after hitting 3 stores in very close proximity.  However, what angered me the most was all the catalina machines were down!

• King Street - only self check out.  They had 4 self check out and all 4 were out of order with red flashing light
• Shirlington - only one register at night.  His machine was not even turned on as a matter of fact none of catalina machines had  light on the machine.  Was there a power outage? Ridiculous
• Potomac Yards - once again only one register open at night.  Same darn thing, blinking red error lights flashing on machine

No employee was interested in trying to fix the machine saying it was not their job.  Sooooo I lost out on a 40 Bonus Box Top cat and $2 Carnation Breakfasr cat.  Now I have to take time out of my already busy schedule to have this resolved. Arggh.  This is also the first time in which the night shift refused to write rain checks as they said I had to come back during business hours.  I did manage to get one lousy tuna pouch raincheck

Over all I spent under $2 which was mostly tax. Each store seemed to have 1 or 2 items in stock then Bob and  I sat scratching our heads on what else to get.  In the end I ended up with a few tuna pouches, V-8, Colgate toothpaste, Colgate toothbrush, Equal tablets, Carnation instant breakfast, Air Wick car vent, So Delicious yogurt, Campbells soup, ICBINB butter spray, Pantene, and Bayer

HTSD Day 3

Basically a FREE haul
I had a $2/1 catalina for Head and Shoulders.  Sign said $3.99 which meant the Head and Shoulders would be free if the catalina doubled.  The catalina did scan and double but my final total was too high.  I did not want to hold up the line so I paid and proceeded to go over my receipt.  Head and Shoulders rang up $5.69!!! I went to Customer Service for the HT scan price guarantee.  HT paid me 2 cents to shop today

The was OOS on about everything Tide, All, Ragu, Colgate toothaste, Colgate toothbrushes, Lysol foaming hand soap, Carnation instant breakfast, most of the Kelloggs cereals

$4 Kelloggs instant savings came off with no issue

40 bonus box top catalina printed with no issues

HTSD Day 2

Stopped in before work
Paid $3.81
All matchups are posted on line, please Google, except:
*Used $5/$25 SFW from Recyclebank
*Used .75/1 on Del Monte canned veggie catalina from HT.  Cat did NOT double but decided to get it anyways
*Once again the Green Giant Boxed Vegetables did not trigger a 40 Bonus Box Top catalina.  HT customer service was awesome and is sending one out
*Lysol Foaming Hand Soap is now my new hot sought after freebie.  Store this morning was OOS boohoo

$92.06 before coupons
$3.81 after coupons
96% savings

HTSD Day 1

I do a quick haul during lunch at work since HT is one block away.  After work I grab Bob and we go and use his card on the second haul.  We had to do a second haul because I had a $10/$50 Shopper Food Warehouse coupon that expired that night.  I had to use that coupon at the store closest to home because they allow me to use it first then take off the remainder of the coupons. 

Haul #1  PAID $6.53 OOP
All match ups can be found via Google except
OOP would have been lower but I forgot my $5/$25 coupons SFW from recyclebank.  Oh well next time
Sabra was a BOGO RC- used $1/1 PDF MQ
$2 any Cascade Catalina doubled = $1.29 (love this stuff)
$1 any Mount Olive Pickles Catalina doubled = $1.99 so it was FREE
Bayer was out so manager substituted larger Bayer and said he would give me all 3 for $10 - the value of my coupon. Reg price was $5.55 each. Hubby needs it for his blood pressure and I am having a hard time finding inventory at any store so I took him up on the offer. 

Haul #2  PAID $4.37
Used $10/$50 SFW that was in the paper - expiring that night
RC for HT dozen eggs - 67 cents/ dz RC. Manager allowed me to substitute for brown eggs since they out of white eggs
RC for Simply OJ - $2.47 RC - used $1/1 IP = 47 cents
RC for Smithfield Bacon B2G3 RC - used (2) $1/2 Blinkies
FREE Almond Breeze Catalina
FREE Turkey Hill Tea Catalina
FREE Land of Lakes butter coupon from Manufacturer
40 Bonus Box Top catalina did not print after purchasing 9 (only need 8) Green Giant Boxed Vegetables (they are hidden under the balance bars).  I called HT and they are sending me one. Love HT customer service

Haul #1 - $77.68 before coupons $6.53 after coupons
Haul #2 - $76.07 before coupons $4.37 after coupons
Total $153.75 before coupons $10.90 after coupons = 93% savings

CBFF (Couponing Best Friend Forever)

I have a CBFF (Couponing Best Friend Forever), Bob.  Bob is my husband's cousin and my son's godfather.  Bob and I pull our couponing resources.  It is very useful to have a CBFF that mostly shops for opposite items than me

 *His shopping interests:   since he is guy then shops for guy HBA, shops for his elderly parents so their diet and health needs are different, he has no kids, and in addition he pays attention to Kroger match ups so he can send his cousin weekly money saving coupons
* I have a family so we need snacks for lunch and school, lower in sodium items for hubby, go through tons of non carbonated beverages, constantly put together gift baskets for my son's elementary school, jump at a chance to coupon on items with box tops on them, I am a rabid trader of coupons, and I am not very tall so he grab items on the top shelf lol ;-)

Do you have CBFF?

How is your SD going?

I get giddy to see pics on FB with other people and their hauls. Something about the visual pictures makes me happy.

I am using a different shopping strategy this Super Doubles since my stockpile is actually pretty solid with a lot of variety thanks to some December shopping and swapping
* Because it was the Holidays I was in Maryland a lot with family.  I took advantage of Shop Rite freebies as Shop Rite doubles $1 coupon every day.  The biggest freebie was using the $1/1 Go Go Snack coupon and making a killing on various Go Go snacks for lunches.
* Went to a stockpile exchange in Maryland - it was on my way with visit family so no extra gas needed.  I picked up some awesome trades including GE light bulbs, foil, various sizes of Ziploc sandwich bags, brillo pads, GM and Kelloggs cereal, Welch's Jelly, and lots of others name brand goodies
* Went to Florida to visit family and I took full advantage at Publix and their overage policy.  I was actually paid to shop for 2.5 weeks.  Since we took the autotrain I was able to bring back lots of great groceries including tons of blocks of Kraft cheese, Hefty aluminum foil pans, Kraft mayo, Dole fruit cups, and lots of other goodies

Any-whoooooo, I digressed.  I am passing on a lot of freebies because we just won't use or need them.  Sooooo some items I am interested in
* Freebie: Cirio Boxed Tomatoes, Sarkist Tuna Pouch, So Delicious yogurt,
* Cheapies: Ragu, Equal, V8,
* Kellogs Deal:  Get $4 off at the register instantly when you buy any 4 Kellogg’s or Keebler participating items.  All 4 items must be purchased in a single transaction. Limit 1 reward per transaction.
* Box Tops Promo: Buy 8 participating Box Tops for education products and get 40 Bonus Box Tops.  Included in this deal are the FREE Larabars and my Cheapy Green Giant Box Veggies thanks to a blinkie find in Florida.  I am going this deal several times
* Rainchecks: 
B2G3free Smithfield Bacon - using $1/2 Florida Blinkie find
BOGO Sabra Hummus - using $1/1 IP
Simply OJ $2.47 - using $1/1 IP

My HTSD go to links (since Theresa is gone ;-)
harristeeterdeals over on FB
WRAL.com - NC News Channel

HT Super Doubles starts on Wednesday

I have seen the HTSD match ups and I not that impressed.  I am not complaining because I have a solid stockpile of items.  I just need to go through my rain checks and my newly acquired Florida vacation coupons to see if anything unusual pops up.

In other unrelated news...I am loving the FREE Pom Teas from Giant.  I am digging the Passion Peach flavor the most.  The Passion Peach flavored POM Tea might not make to the PTA meeting so I am hoping those FREE Coke 12 pack coupons arrive in time ;-)  Trying new products is one of the great advantages to couponing.  There is no way I would have paid $1.99 to try the Pom Tea; however, a coupon coupled with a sale made this a possibility.

Got 32 FREE POM Teas today- w00t h00t!

I volunteered to supply beverages for the upcoming PTA meeting....three months ago.....and forgot all about it!  I just remembered and thankfully sale and coupon matched up - yeah.  I traded for another 45 coupons so PTA beverages are now covered

Florida Fun

I went to Florida for 2.5 weeks for the Holidays.  Had a blast with family but had a lot of fun shopping at Publix.  I love Publix, excellent store!  Publix actually gives overage in the form of a Publix gift card.  So I took advantage of of this sweet store policy and over the course of 2.5 weeks ... Publix paid me $4.82 to shop with them.
The two best items for me were 1) 16 blocks of various Kraft block cheeses -split this with my Mom and 2) 12 Hefty aluminum pan in various sizes so I can pre make meals and freeze them.  In addition I also got:  Kraft mayo, McCromick cinnamon, milk, eggs, cooler, Hawaiian rolls, 12 pack of Coke Products, Dannon Greek Yogurt, Pantene shampoo, and a few other items.

If you plan on traveling to a Publix store region in the future....please....please....check Instagram for tons of *hot* Publix deals.  Couponing is alot of fun while traveling :-)

Free POM Tea at Giant

POM Tea is on sale for $1.  Use .50/1 coupon from 12/7 SS.  Coupon will double to $1 thus making the POM Tea free!!