Cleaning Up At Rite Aid

Rite Aid continues to have great sales each week
Total OOP - $2.59 (58¢ before tax)

I had to buy the candy bar as a filler. I also got $7 in +UP rewards.

I just love Rite Aid. Here's to clean hair, a clean face and freshly brushed teeth!

And now that I have taken the picture, I am going to eat my candy bar.

**Pinch**

Amazing Race

The Harris Teeter Super Doubles Event (HTSDE) has been over for more than a week and our accountant Missy Sippy, from the accounting firm of Bright & Early, has finally tabulated the totals of our shopping trips.

My totals:

Shelf Price - $586.97
OOP - $53.17
90% Savings

And the winner of the HTSDE Amazing Race is...Sleeping Beauty

Shelf price - $458.35
OOP - $25.25
95% Savings

And she still has $15 in catalinas that she can spend on a future shopping trip.

I salute you, my dear friend, Sleeping Beauty. I bow down to your shopping greatness.

To my loyal friends and fans, the next time you see Sleeping Beauty give her the unofficial one-finger salute...just for me!

**Pinch**

The Doctor Is In The House

I stopped by Food Lion this morning to get more Aqua Pods and I got a very pleasant surprise. The magic Food Lion coupon machine spit out a store Q for 50¢ off a 2-liter Dr. Pepper. And there was a hangtag Q on the Dr. Pepper for 35¢. Last Friday, I got a text message from Food Lion that a 25¢ coupon was loaded on my MVP card. Wow! I got a 2-liter Dr. Pepper for 15¢.

You can sign up here to receive mobile coupons. The Dr. Pepper mobile coupon is 25¢ off a 2-litter DP once a day until October 14. I have received some really good mobile coupons in the past...$3 off baby products and $3 off $15. It is well worth it to sign up for Food Lion's mobile text coupons.

I think I will fix me a nice cold glass of Dr. Pepper!

**Pinch**

A Hard Day's Work

Whew, I'm tired...saving all of this money has gotten to me. Just kidding! Saving the money was the fun part...finding places in the freezer, fridge and cabinets was the hard part. It is done, all is good!

Harris Teeter employees were busy restocking Tuesday morning so HT had some items that I hadn't seen since last Wednesday.

My three transactions today:

Shelf price: $14.74, OOP $4.11 (got back $3 catalina)
Shelf price: $42.23, OOP 22 CENTS
Shelf price: $4.99, OOP 52 CENTS

Total shelf price = $61.96
Total OOP = $4.85 - $3 catalina that I still have to spend = $1.85 for $61.96 worth of groceries!

Not a bad days work!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Still Not Finished

During my previous trips to Harris Teeter, I didn't get all of my eVIC specials. Oh no! I had to go back yet again just to see what I could find. I did have a plan and it worked on the Kraft cheese. There was plenty of cheese in stock. Who had time to look at cheese before?

Shelf price: $53.89

After Qs, sales, and eVIC, my OOP was 50 CENTS!

Gotta love it!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Desperately Seeking Diapers

Here are my two transactions for Rite Aid. I bet you thought it was going to be another Harris Teeter deal!

The first transaction
Huggies diapers - sale price $8.99 each pack. The shelf price of the diapers are $11.99 (not on sale).

After all of my coupons, OOP was $8.29...less than the price of one package of diapers! I received $6 in +UP rewards, so...

$8.29 - $6 = $2.29 for 3 PACKS of Huggies diapers. We will use them for the grandbaby!

Can it get any SWEETER than that? Of course, I'm sure you didn't have any doubts! This has already been submitted for the $10 gift card from Rite Aid for purchasing the diapers.

CAN YOU SAY PROFIT????

The second transaction
Another $10 gift card coming...yes, I used a different Wellness Card. The store didn't have a problem with it. I kept the Cottonelle and baby wipes. I donated the pads.

After coupons, OOP was $14.52. I received $3 and $1 in +UP rewards.

So $10.52 for everything in that transaction and I already submitted for the $10 gift card.

Final - $2.29 + $10.52 = $12.81 and $20 in gift cards coming! The $12.81 included $2.87 in TAX. Total before tax was $9.94.

Shelf price for both transactions was $73.92...all for around $10.!

Rite Aid had some great sales this week. The employees at my favorite Rite Aid are always really nice and ready to help!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Simply Amazing

Here you have it, another good visit to HT. What can I say that you don't know already. Just simply AMAZING.

This is the run down:

Shelf price $70.89
Total OOP $6.20

I got back $3 and $1 in catalinas.

$6.20 - $4.00 = $2.20 for $70 worth of groceries!

==Sleeping Beauty==

On Aqua Pond

Food Lion has a great deal on Deer Park Aqua Pod water. The 8-pack is on sale for $1. AND if you buy three Aqua Pods, you will get a catalina for $3.

The catalina is rolling...which means buy three and get a $3 catalina. Then buy three more, use the $3 catalina, pay 6¢ in tax and get another $3 catalina.

It gets even better...there is a Miller Lite $10 rebate when you buy $30 in bottled water. If you can't find the Miller Lite rebate in the store, I have extra rebate forms.

Now the bad news...I went to four Food Lion stores this morning. There are very few Aqua Pods left. I did get a raincheck, but one manager told me to check back on Tuesday after the store restocks tonight. The Aqua Pod sale continues through September 28 and the catalina runs through October 3rd. I did not have a coupon, but there is one for $1.50/2. If you don't have this coupon either, you can order some from a coupon clipping service.

Cheers! Here's to staying hydrated!

**Pinch**

Low and Behold

Another wonderful trip at HT
Can I get any lower than 51¢?? You betcha!!

It was a social event at Harris Teeter Friday night! TS & I had a wonderful time shopping. You wonder who TS is? She is a great friend of mine...Pinch knows her also. She is also a cuz-in-law! We have shopped together a few times before at HT and always have a good time. We ran into a neighbor of mine who happens to have a killer coupon notebook. I think I have to have one of those! Hey A, don't tell anyone where you got your notebook until I get one for myself. She said it was on clearance and has had it about a week so maybe there will be one left for me. We also had a nice conversation with a couple of other shoppers...hope y'all check out our blog since you have a flier and let us hear from you! We are such social butterflies!

Okay let's get on with it seeing as it is almost 2 AM and I do so need my beauty sleep. All items pictured in my first transaction came to $3.54 total.

I did a second transaction with the General Mills products and a couple of other things. Dang if I didn't get thirsty and have to have another Sierra Mist at $1.59, plus I bought the wrong bread. It was not a bad deal at $1.17, but not what was on eVIC for 77¢. Don't worry, be happy...I will purchase the eVIC bread tomorrow and the eVIC eggs.

Like I said, it is late and my brain is floating around in the fluid from this head cold that I have. So I will get on with it. Can I go any lower? Well yes I can and I did. My total OOP was 44¢! Plus I got $3 back from GM and $1 from Old El Paso. I am loving it!

Wonder what tomorrow will bring? Pinch has something planned I just know it...and I have a half way plan so it will all work out.

==Sleeping Beauty==

Not Low Enough

My totals still are not low enough to take the Coupon Crown away from Sleeping Beauty. But that's okay, I'll let her keep the crown for a while. It makes her feel special...and I hate it when she cries!

I did two transactions today because I wanted to use my $3 GM catalina on the garbage bags, which were $1.29 (tax included) after $1Q and catalina. When I got home, I found a $1 peelie on the box. So I plan on buying those again if I get another GM catalina. My eVIC special was bread and eggs, which is a good thing since I dropped an entire carton of eggs on the kitchen floor last Sunday.

Total savings: $77.92 (1st transaction) + 6.70 (2nd transaction) = $84.62

TOTAL OOP - $5.92 (includes both transactions)

It's a far cry from Sleeping Beauty's 51¢ gold medal performance but I'm satisfied! I heard through the grapevine that she is changing her name to SuperWoman!

**Pinch**

How Low Can You Go?

Let me tell you a secret...you see I have a confession to make for myself and Ms. Pinch. We have a real problem. We need to stop our competition with Harris Teeter. We need to stop seeing just how low we can go. But we CAN'T and we WILL NOT. And this, my friends, is why.

Everything that you see pictured cost me less than $1. That's right, I paid with change, just a few coins. Can it get any better?? You betcha! It can and it did! After paying with my change, I got back a $3 catalina and a $2 catalina. That's $5 back, in case anyone is counting.

Okay, here is the lowdown. I got 33 items and paid 51 CENTS! That is it, total with tax. I had a negative balance and had to purchase a candy bar for $1. If I had been thinking, I would have bought the marked down bubbles for 50¢ and only paid a penny!

Well, I have finally passed Coupons 101. Maybe I'll receive a certificate! Nah...I cause the teacher too many headaches. But while we are on the subject, I need to take a moment to THANK my teacher MS. PINCH. So THANK YOU MS. PINCH from the bottom of my plain pea picking heart for teaching me everything that you have in the past nine months.

Anybody need a Kleenex? I just happen to have some. Okay, sniff, sniff.

Here is the math:

My coupons tendered were $79.49 (that includes Qs and VIC).

My balance was $8.65 - $6 for General Mills = $2.65 - $4 (CVS Q) = negative $1.35. That is when the candy bar came in the picture. It was $1, so now I'm at negative 35¢. Add the tax of 86¢ and you get 51 CENTS.

So that's how it happens in Never, Never Land. I never, never thought about what I would be paying on this trip. Ha! I guess it was a trip...wonder what tomorrow will bring!!!

Just in case you want to know, this is a rundown of what I actually purchased:

6 boxes Hamburger Helper
6 boxes Betty Crocker potatoes
2 packs Nabisco cookies
3 Febreze air fresheners
1 box Nilla Wafers
2 boxes Kahiki egg rolls
3 boxes "PLAIN" Green Giant veggies
4 Grands biscuits
1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments
1 pack Danimals
3 Oiko's yogurt

Oh my gosh and the candy bar!

That's 33 items, you know in case anyone is counting!

Happy Hunting!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Thinking Outside The Hamburger Helper Box

My 1st trip to HT
Oops! The steaks are hiding the Nilla Wafers
Wednesday was a very good day at Harris Teeter. Sleeping Beauty and I made two trips to HT...one in the morning and one before dinner. I'll be honest...I used my VIC card and a family member's VIC card. I did multiple transactions in order to roll the catalinas.

What made my totals so good were the catalinas for Green Giant and Pillsbury PLUS the "buy 20 GM products and get $6 instantly" deal. And the $4 CVS coupon also helped.

But enough of that, let's get to the good stuff. This is the trip summary for my two trips:

Shelf Price - $118.55
TOTAL OOP - $13.05

I still have one catalina left...$3 off the purchase of beef. And I found a $4 rebate for meat purchase. The B1G1 ribeyes cost $7.41 total minus the $4 rebate = 3.41 for two ribeye steaks. LOVE IT!

My 2nd trip
I had to get M&Ms for Princess Pinch's class for some kind of school project. And I needed dishwasher detergent. I did not have coupons for either of those items. BUT with the $6 off GM AND the $4 CVS Q, things worked out just perfectly.

I also bought lots of Hamburger Helper...3 out of 4 people in my house HATE this stuff. The person that likes it is only 5 and she doesn't cook so her opinion is pretty much ignored. But sometimes you have to think outside the box when you shop. Do I need it? NO. Will we have it for dinner? Not unless Princess Pinch cooks dinner and that won't happen for a few years. Why did I buy it? Because it was FREE and it helped with the GM deal. Will I donate it? Most definitely YES.

I talked to Sleeping Beauty this morning...she is still flying high from her 2nd HT shopping experience. And I am proud for her. Just wait until you hear about it! You will be amazed.

**Pinch**

Let's Get This Party Started

This trip was just the opening act.
Coupons tendered - $76.85

Total OOP = $8.46 with 83¢ being tax and $1.59 for a Sierra Mist. What can I say? I was thirsty. And I was giving Pinch a headache...AGAIN! So yes, I had to have some relief...and since I don't drink, it was the next best thing.

I got back a $2 catalina and a $1 catalina

Here is my math:
$8.46 OOP
minus tax - 83¢
minus Sierra Mist - $1.59
Equals $6.04, less the catalinas of $3 gives you/me $3.04! Sounds good to me.

What do you think? Have you been to Harris Teeter yet? If not, my next trip tonight will make you wish you had!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Food For Thought

Here is another deal that you might want to think about when putting your list together for Harris Teeter Super Doubles. In addition to the catalinas I mentioned in other posts, there is an additional General Mills deal...buy 20 items get $6 off instantly.

Some of the items included are GM cereals, Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Old El Paso, Nature Valley, Green Giant, Pillsbury and Yoplait. There are so many items included...check the ad for the full list.

There are a lot of coupons (newspaper inserts and internet printables) for these products. Sounds like a plan to me...buy a bunch of stuff, use coupons, get $6 off instantly AND get catalinas for my next purchase!

SOME Harris Teeters will take the CVS $4 off $20 coupon mentioned in an earlier post.

I can't wait!!

**Pinch**

Harris Teeter Class Saturday

If you want to get the most out of your Harris Teeter Super Doubles shopping, we are having a Harris Teeter class on Saturday. If you are interested in attending, email us at qponswithclass@aol.com to reserve your spot.

==Sleeping Beauty==

**Pinch**

I Thought Only Tweetie Birds Tweeted

Apparently everybody but me is into Twitter. Even CVS tweets! I got an email today with an online coupon. Not interested, sorry! But there was something interesting at the bottom of the email about following them on Twitter. So I followed them. And they told me to tell my friends, so I am...I'm telling my friends. Click here for a $4 off $20 coupon. This is only good thru Wednesday. Tweet-Tweet!!

**Pinch**

Catalina Island

I found some more catalinas that may be useful during Super Doubles at Harris Teeter.

Green Giant boxed vegetables
Buy 4, get $1 off your next purchase
Buy 6, get $2 off your next purchase
Buy 8 or more, get $3 off your next order

Betty Crocker skillet helpers
Buy 3, get $1.50 off your next purchase
Buy 4, get $2 off your next purchase
Buy 5 or more, get $3 off your next purchase

Alpo singles
Buy 6-11, get 50¢ off your next purchase
Buy 12-17, get $1 off your next purchase
Buy 18 or more, get $1.50 off your next purchase

Friskies cat food
Buy 12-24, get $1 off your next purchase
Buy 25-34, get $2 off your next purchase
Buy 35 or more, get $3 off your next purchase

**Pinch**

Double Date

It's been confirmed...Super Doubles at Harris Teeter starting Wednesday.

Here are a couple of noteworthy catalinas that might print:

Old El Paso Taco Shells, Dinner Kits, Seasoning, Refried Beans or Heat & Serve Side Dishes
Buy 3, get $1 off your next beef or chicken purchase
Buy 6, get $3 off your next beef or chicken purchase

Pillsbury refrigerated crescents, cookies, sweet rolls, Grands biscuits, Grands cinnamon rolls, pie crusts, dinner rolls, loaves, breadsticks or pizza crusts
Buy 4, get $1 off your next purchase
Buy 5, get $2 off your next purchase
Buy 6 or more, get $3 off your next purchase

DiGiorno small pizzas, flatbread melts or 200 calorie portions
Buy 3, get $2 off your next purchase
Buy 4, get $3 off your next purchase
Buy 5 or more, get $4 off your next purchase

All purchases must be in the same transaction to get a catalina. For example, you can't buy two Old El Paso products in one transaction and one product in another. All three products have to be purchased in the same transaction.

So start cutting those coupons out and get your grocery list ready. Remember...only 20 coupons will double each day on your VIC card. Coupons valued at $1.98 or less will double.

Sleeping Beauty and I have a date scheduled for early Wednesday morning. I need to shop quickly because I have another date at 11:00 AM on Wednesday. Get it?? A double date! Sometimes I just crack myself up.

**Pinch**

The Rite Plan

I went into Rite Aid today with a plan and a $4/$20 coupon. There were some unexpected sales so I changed my plan just a little. After just a little modification, I used my $5/$25 coupon (that I wasn't planning on using) on the first transaction and the $4/$20 coupon in the second transaction.

This trip went like this (not everything is pictured) -

First transaction:
2 Suave body washes
6 packs Trident gum (not pictured, gave to Dad on the way home)
2 boxes Playtex tampons
1 Reach toothbrush
1 J&J baby lotion

Subtotal after Qs - $6.97
Tax - $1.51
Total - $8.48

I got back $11 in +UP rewards

Second transaction:
1 Glade candle holder (clearance item)
3 PINK plastic kiddie chairs (clearance items)
3 boxes Kleenex (clearance items, gave one to Dad, not pictured)
3 canisters of Gerber Puffs (one grandbaby loves these, the other grandbaby isn't old enough for them yet)
1 box Glade scented candle refills

Subtotal after Qs and some of the +UP rewards - 98¢
Tax - 63¢
Total - $1.61

Total combined for two transactions $10.09, and I still have $4 in +UP rewards. It is like paying $6.09 for everything. Works for ME!

Ms. Pinch & I got to shop together today. Shhh, don't tell her I told you but I think I gave her a headache!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Fortune Cookie

Next time the Cookie Monster comes to visit my house, we will be prepared! I went into CVS with Air Wick on my mind and coupons in hand. I came out of CVS with cookies and 2 ice cream bowls that were 50% off. I have been looking at those bowls all summer.

Here is how it went:

Total retail = $22.34

$4.40 subtotal, tax 28 cents = my total spent $4.68 OOP

That was for 6 bags of the Milano cookies and the 2 bowls. I gave a bag of cookies to my Dad before I came home. The other missing bag went to my nephew before I took the picture.

Anybody up for milk and cookies?

==Sleeping Beauty==

Rite Place, Rite Time

In case I haven't said this before, Rite Aid is my new favorite store (at least for today). And my new favorite store did not let me down today. Sleeping Beauty and I shopped together...it's been a while since we have done that. We are like Thelma & Louise and Lucy & Ethel...a little drama and a lot of comedy!

I used my rainchecks for the Gain dishwashing liquid and Boudreaux butt paste. I don't know why, but that name just cracks me up.

Total before Qs - $24.40
minus store Qs - $12
minus manufacturer Qs - $9.50
Total OOP (including tax) - $2.90

+UP Rewards received: $5

Oh yes, we were in the right place at the right time today.

**Pinch**

"I'm So Excited"

And I just can't hide it, And I know, I know, I know, I know I know I want to shop CVS on Sunday.

I just looked at the CVS ad for next week. And I will be there with bells on! Then I'll probably get kicked out of the store...maybe I'll skip the bells.

My personal favorites:
Brach's candy 99¢, get 99¢ ECB (I love candy corn!)
Alive Vitamins $9.99 (IP Q $1), pay $8.99, get $9.99 ECB (I love these)
Nivea For Men Active Body Wash $4.99 (Q $1), pay $3.99, get $4.99 ECB (not buying this but some of you might have an smelly active man in your life that needs this)
Tylenol Precise $5.99 (Q $2, SQ $2), pay $1.99, get $2 ECB

If your name is Sleeping Beauty, you need to skip over this next item. To the rest of you, feel free to continue.

Air Wick Scented Oil Refills and Aqua Mist 4/$10 (various Qs), get $5 ECB (this could be a moneymaker!)

This is just a sampling of the good deals at CVS. If you roll your ECBs, you can walk out of the store with a lot of stuff and spend very, very little money.

**Pinch**

Bag Lady

Although it not be very much, some stores give you credit when you bring your own bags. Every little bit helps!!

CVS: Present your Green Bag Tag and ExtraCare Card with any reusable bag and you will get an ECB for $1 every 4th visit. A Green Bag Tag costs $1 and can only be scanned once per day. Sometimes CVS will offer an ECB for a Green Bag Tag purchase or you may get a coupon out of the magic machine for a free tag.

Lowes Foods: Earn 5¢ in fresh rewards for every reusable bag.

Target: A 5¢ credit will be given for every reusable bag. Be sure and remind the cashier to credit your bags. Sometimes they forget!

I admit it...I am a bag lady. I have store bags, plain bags, new bags and old bags. So when someone calls me an Old Bag, that's a compliment...Right??

**Pinch**

Another Year Older

It seems like everybody I know has a birthday in August or September.

Gifts for my daughter


Gifts for a friend


Gifts for SIL
Happy Birthday To You,
Happy Birthday To You,
Happy Birthday Dear Daughter, Friend and Sister-in-Law,
Happy Birthday To You.

==Sleeping Beauty==

Will Work For Food

I worked hard on this meal. HA HA HA HA

Ribs (price before VIC savings $20.07) = $10.02
Corn-on-the-Cob (25¢ each x 5) = $1.25
Cantaloupe ($1.49; ate 1/2) = 75¢
Potatoes (3) = 63¢
BBQ Sauce for Ribs = FREE
Aluminum Foil for Ribs = FREE
Butter and Sour Cream for Potatoes = FREE
Iced Tea = FREE

Price of meal for 2 adults and 2 children = $12.65

I am using the ribs receipt for the Coors Light any meat $7.50 rebate. I am using the potatoes, corn and cantaloupe receipt for the Blue Moon $5 rebate. I did not add in sugar for the tea or salt/pepper. Anyway, this meal cost less than $1!!

It's a good thing I bought Zegerid Sunday at Walgreens. (Zegerid is a wonderful heartburn OTC medicine.) Mr. Pinch got heartburn from the BBQ sauce. Or did he have indigestion because of me?

Box of Zegerid = $10
minus $3Q and $5 RR
Cost = $2 (plus tax)

Walgreens/Zegerid catalina rebate: $10

I work hard to make money...if it's by giving Mr. Pinch indigestion, oh well! Too bad, so sad.

**Pinch**

You Know What They Say...

...when you assume -- it makes an A$$ out of -- well you know the rest!

No triples at Harris Teeter this week. I am going to stop listening to "those" people. I assumed "they" knew what "they" were talking about. Apparently "they" do not know what "they" are talking about. Rumor spreaders and gossip mongers, that's what "they" are!

**Pinch**

She Doesn't Eat Air Wick, Does She?

Even though I buy a lot of Air Wick and Glade, I don't eat them. And "buy" might not be the best word..."bring home" is better since Glade and Air Wick products are so cheap. Pinch and I actually do buy food at the stores.

This is a meal Mr. Beauty and I had for dinner last week.

Steak (thick cut Ribeye, 3 in a pack $10.09) = $3.36 for 1
Hamburger Steak (I don't eat Ribeyes) = 92¢
Bread ($1.49; used half) = 75¢
Lettuce (99¢/head; used 1/4) = 25¢
Baked Potatoes (3/$1.44; used 2) = 96¢
Feta cheese for salad (entire container less than $1) = .10
Other condiments for salad and baked potato (butter, sour cream, cheese, salad dressing and croutons) = FREE

Meal for two adults: $6.34

I wonder how much this meal would cost at a steakhouse?

Mr. Beauty and I ate at Burger King recently and spent over $6 for two whoppers and fries. I found a receipt for Taco Bell...I spent $3.52 for two tacos and cheesy potatoes.

I saved my receipts for the rebates. The cost of the Ribeye and Hamburger Steak will be covered by the $7.50 Coors Light rebate. And the lettuce and potatoes will be included in the $5 Blue Moon rebate. So...the cost of my meal just dropped to less than $1.

Now tell me that sending in rebates and shopping with coupons is too much trouble!!

==Sleeping Beauty==

Up For Grabs

I have several rebate forms available. These will be given out on a first-come basis. If you would like one or more of these rebates, please send me an email. Please do not leave your address or telephone number in the comment section.

Blue Moon - Save $5 after mail-in rebate when you purchase any produce. Minimum $10 produce purchase required. Produce purchase can be on multiple receipts. No alcohol purchase necessary. Purchase must occur between 8/23/10 and 9/30/10. Request must be postmarked by 10/15/10. Offer good to residents of NC and WV only.

Coors Light - Save $7.50 after mail-in rebate when you purchase meat. Minimum $15 meat purchase required. Meat purchase can be on multiple receipts. No alcohol purchase necessary. Purchase must occur between 8/4/10 and 9/7/10. Request must be postmarked by 9/21/10. Offer good to residents of KY, NC and WV.

Miller Lite - Pamphlet with two rebates and six coupons. (1) Save $10 after mail-in rebate when you purchase $30 of any "Fall Tailgating Essentials" (bottled water, ice, deli platter, charcoal or cooler). Offer good to residents of AL, AR, HI, KY, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, UT, VA and WV. (2) Save $10 after mail-in rebate when you purchase one Blue Rhino propane tank (with or without the exchange of an empty tank). Offer good to residents of AL, AR, HI, KY, ME, MO, NC, NE, NY, OR, UT, VA and WV. The following conditions are the same for both rebates. No alcohol purchase necessary. Purchase must occur between 8/1/10 and 10/31/10. Request must be postmarked by 11/15/10.

Renpure Organics Shampoo/Conditioner - "Try Me Free" mail-in rebate up to $6.99. Submission must be postmarked within 30 days of purchase date.

Ronzoni - Buy any six boxes of Ronzoni pasta and get $3 after mail-in rebate. All six boxes must be purchased in a single transaction. Purchase must occur between 8/16/10 and 10/29/10. Request must be postmarked by 10/29/10.

Wish-Bone - Receive $2 coupon good on chicken, beef or produce when you buy any two Wish-Bone 7-ounce salad spritzers or 16-ounce dressings. Purchase can be on multiple receipts. Purchase must be between 1/1/10 and 12/31/11. Request must be postmarked by 1/15/12.

**Pinch**

"Wow Wow Wubbzy!!"

Or in this case...Wow Wow CVS!

The Schick razor had the free Hydro shave gel peelie. On Thursday, I got a email with a $5 off $30 ECB, and I already had a $7.99 ECB.

Shelf sale price: $36.46 (Price before CVS sale $60.52)
minus coupons: $23.49
minus ECB: $12.99
Sub-total: -.02¢
Tax: $2.26
Total OOP: $2.24

Wow!! All this for $2.24...plus a $4 ECB on the razor.

Just think about it...without anything being on sale and no coupons, this would have cost $60.52 plus tax. That is WHY I use coupons!

Wow Wow CVS!!

**Pinch**

Food Lion Findings

Before I tell you about my findings at Food Lion today, I must make an apology. In a previous post (Mail Call), I said that 12-pack Pepsi products would be on sale for 4/$9. The sale is actually 4/$10.

Last week, I got a $4/$40 catalina, but I used it at Harris Teeter on Friday. Guess what I found in my buggy? A $4/$40 catalina that someone left behind! Not one to let something go to waste, I used it. On Friday afternoon, I got a text that FL loaded a $3/$30 coupon on my MVP card.

I didn't do too bad at FL today...considering this store doesn't double coupons. The few noteworthy things on sale this week are B1G1 Lay's chips and Sunny D $1 each (internet Q $1 off 3).

Shelf Price: $57.03
minus MVP: $16.13
minus coupons: $17.50 (including the $3/$30 AND $4/$40)
OOP: $23.40

But this is the exciting part...I found some more great mail-in rebate forms at FL today.

Coors Light - $7.50 off $15 meat purchase
Blue Moon - $5 off $10 produce purchase

Meat and produce can be purchased at any store...no alcohol purchase is necessary. I have extras if anyone wants one. All you have to do is ask!

**Pinch**

A Day of Rest

Just a reminder that there are no coupon inserts in tomorrow's paper. I hope everyone is having a restful holiday weekend.

**Pinch**

The Inside Scoop And Other Rite Aid Tales

I went to Rite Aid this afternoon. My Rite Aid was out of a lot of things that I had on my "Plan A" list. So I went to "Plan B" and then settled for things on my "Plan C" list. Rite Aid did not have the 130-count Bufferin, the Boudreaux's Butt Paste and the Gain dish liquid. I got a rain check for the dish liquid and the Butt Paste...good stuff but the name just cracks me up! Gain dish liquid is on sale for 89¢ and there was a $1 Q in last Sunday's paper. There was a very, very nice cashier working today who told me that this Rite Aid did not get any of the Gain dish liquid this week but it might be in next week's shipment. The Butt Paste is on sale for $3.99. I have a $3 off Rite Aid Q and a manufacturer Q for $2...free Butt Paste, which will make some little baby's butt real happy!

The Chex Mix was B1G1. I had a tearpad Q for $1.10 off each bag. Final cost on two bags of Chex Mix was 79¢.

I also got the Nivea men's body wash (which was on the "Plan C" list). I don't really need this but I had to buy something else so I could use my $5 off $25 Rite Aid Q. The body wash is on sale for $3. I had a $1 Q and got a $2 +Up Reward.

The Charmin is on sale for $12.99 (regular price is $18.99). I had a 25¢ Q for that (totally embarrassing and a waste of paper)!

The Oral B toothbrushes are on sale for $2.69. I bought two of these because I had a B1G1 Q and a 75¢/1 Q. Final OOP cost for two toothbrushes was $1.94. I get $1 back when I send in for the rebate. Not a great price for two toothbrushes, but this also was on my "Plan C" list.

The toothbrushes would have been free (after rebate) and the Charmin $1.50 cheaper IF I could have used coupons from the Rite Aid Booklet. Which leads me to the inside scoop...

Sleeping Beauty and I have been to several Rite Aids and asked about this booklet. Either nobody knows what we are talking about or tells us that Rite Aid no longer offers coupon books. But the very, very nice cashier today told me this booklet does indeed exist and is only supposed to be given out if a customer gets a flu shot. He said this Rite Aid hasn't got their flu shot shipment in and the booklets will be delivered with the flu shots. He also said that the Rite Aids that do not offer the flu shot may have the booklets and only give them out to "certain" customers. I called Customer Service and was told that the booklet is only for customers who get the flu shot. So my question is...has anyone got this booklet WITHOUT getting a flu shot? I WANT THIS COUPON BOOKLET!! After all, that booklet would have saved me another $2.50 today.

Spent OOP today: $13.88
Coupons Used: $11.89

Got a $2 +UP Reward
Rebates: $1

Not great, but still not too bad considering I did want the Charmin at $12.99.

**Pinch**

Deals at Harris Teeter

There are a few good deals at Harris Teeter this week.

Wish-Bone salad dressing is $2 per bottle. There is a 50¢/1 Wish-Bone internet print Q at coupons.com, which makes each bottle $1. And there is a mail-in rebate for $2 off chicken, beef or produce when you buy two bottles of Wish-Bone. I have extra rebate forms if anyone needs one.

It's not like I need anymore Kraft cheese, but I bought some anyway. There is an internet print Q for $5/5 Kraft products. Kraft single cheese is $1.69 and shredded cheese is $2. One of my eVIC specials this week was B1G1 free on shredded cheese. After the $5 coupon, I paid $2.07 for three single packs and two packs of shredded cheese.

The Q is also good on other Kraft products including Philadelphia cream cheese. The cream cheese is on sale for $4/3 ($1.34/each). So five packs of cream cheese after Q would be $1.68. If you got the same eVIC special on the shredded cheese, you could get three packs of cream cheese and two packs of shredded cheese for $1 total after Q. I would have done that deal except I already have four packs of unopened cream cheese in the refrigerator!

I really don't need any more spaghetti, but that didn't stop me...I bought more today. By the Mueller's spaghetti, there is a blinkie coupon for $2/5 Mueller products. Elbow macaroni and spaghetti are on sale for B1G1. After the Q, two packs of spaghetti and three packs of macaroni was $1.47 (or 29¢ each). My stockpile is now overflowing with spaghetti.

A word of caution...there is an internet print Q on the Mueller's website for $2/5. This coupon prints very, very large and must be printed in landscape...AND it prints with only a partial bar code. My HT cashier tried to scan this Q and it beeped. The manager came over and would not accept it. So don't waste your printer ink on this coupon. The blinkie Q is the same amount as the printable Q...use the blinkie Q.

I also bought other things today...several packs of ribs, Slim Fast, lots of fresh corn, cantaloupe, ice cream (eVIC special) and Eggos. I used the $4/40 Food Lion catalina and other coupons. I spent $31.50 and saved $61.38.

**Pinch**

Dirty Laundry

Dirty laundry is something I have plenty of in my house. I stopped by the Family Dollar store this morning to pick up a couple of bottles of Wisk detergent. Wisk is on sale at $4 a bottle and there was a $3 Q in last Sunday's Red Plum insert. Wisk for $1 a bottle is not too bad!

Now I have no excuse not to do laundry today...and I hate doing laundry. It's not like I have to take the clothes to the creek and wash each article of clothing by hand. All I have to do is throw the clothes in the washing machine and then throw them in the dryer. It's the folding and putting away that I hate. Anyone want to volunteer to come over and fold my laundry for me?

**Pinch**

Magic Machines

I have done very little shopping this week. But the magic machines at the stores I did visit have given me some interesting coupons.

At Food Lion Monday (when I bought the spaghetti), the catalina machine gave me a $4 off $40 coupon (good through Sunday, September 15th).

I went to CVS yesterday to get the Phillips in-ear headphones. Of course, CVS was already out, but I did get a raincheck. The red magic machine gave me a coupon for a FREE 2-ounce bottle of CVS hand sanitizer. I got that, and it WAS free...totally free, no tax!

At Walgreens, I bought four 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew. I was given a catalina with two promo codes for FREE Redbox movie rentals.

Okay, these may not be the best deals that spit out of a machine, but they are better than nothing. The moral of this story is...don't toss those catalinas and coupons before reading them. Some may even give you something for FREE.

Oh, by the way, when I was at CVS, the customer in front of me did not want his receipt. Even after the cashier told him he had coupons on his receipt, he told her to THROW IT AWAY. After he left, I told the cashier that my heart hurt because someone threw away a coupon! She looked at his receipt...he threw away a $5 ECB!! I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

**Pinch**