Couponing...Again

OK, so it is not my intention to turn this into one of those couponing/bargain hunting blogs (although I do love reading them), but I needed to share my latest shopping triumph with you. So...how much would you pay for the items pictured above? $50? 60? Maybe even $70? Well, retail value on these items is a whopping $78.45 (with tax added). But how much did I pay? I'll tell you later.

First, let me tell you that Harris Teeter is doing "Super Doubles" this week. What that means is that they double manufacturers coupons up to $1.98 in face value. You are limited to 20 coupons per day, but this can mean significant savings if you have coupons for $1.50 or even $1.75. (FYI, most stores will double coupons up to $.50, but HT usually doubles up to $.99 every day.)

So, with my VIC card (the equivalent to a Kroger Plus card), I saved $12.44 in basic "advertised sales." With my coupons, I saved $46.23 after doubling! (That odd number is because I actually got a few items free. Technically, HT would have owed me money, but they do not pay overage on free items. FYI, some stores, such as Target, do!)

That brings my total to a whopping $19.78! Not too shabby, considering all these items are name brands and several are higher-priced health & beauty items. That makes my savings around 70%. Oh, and I returned the next day and purchased several more items and saved approximately 65% on that shopping excursion!

Pop Star Trailed by Paparazzi!

We had a little fun today prepping for Reagan's 6th b-day party. The party will have a "Pop Star Diva" theme, so we thought it would be fun to dress Reagan up as Hannah Montana and take some "paparazzi-style" photos. We hope to take a few more--maybe at Starbucks grabbing coffee, or in a car driving away. Those "on location" shots require a bit more planning. Here are a couple to entertain you now:

"Hannah" walking her dog, flashing the peace sign

Taking an important call

Summer Couponing

It has been a really long time since I have posted anything here. So, what have I been up to? For one, I've been concentrating on my Disney blog (http://www.affordingthemouse.blogspot.com/) lately. Trying to post at least a couple of times weekly there has eaten up a lot of my free time (well, almost free--the time when Presley naps and Reagan watches TV). Mostly, we've been busy with summer. With both girls home, I have my hands full.

My new favorite hobby is couponing. Kind of lame hobby, I know, but it keeps me busy and it saves me money. So...a much better hobby that simply shopping, wouldn't you say? Most of the time, I can save as much on a grocery shopping excursion as I spend--in other words, I'm getting my groceries (including health & beauty items) for 50% or more off regular prices. I wish I had kept track of how much I was spending BEFORE couponing, so I could compare it to what I spend now. Then I could add up all that savings and see what my "salary" for a year of couponing would be. :-) For now, I'll just brag by showing you what I got at Target today for $5.47 (it would have been $4.47 but one coupon site would only let me print 4 coupons instead of the 5 I needed). Still, pretty good when you consider the retail value of this is around $27. Have a look:

Items:

• 10 Sobe Lifewater (retail $1.39 each; I got them all for $1, or $.10 each!)
• 3 Eggo Bake Shop (retail $2.29 each; I got them for $.50 each)
• Tide travel size (retail $.97; Target actually paid me $.03 to buy this)
• Nexcare Bandaids (retail $.99; I paid $.44--a splurge, but these are great)
• 2 RoseArt washable markers (retail $1.99; I paid $.50 each)
• 12-pk. Bic Pens (not sure of retail, but I spent $.50)

On the Sobe, I combined a sale (10 for $10) with coupons (Buy 1, Get 1, or BOGO) and also a special promotion (Buy 10, get a $5 Target Gift Card). Again, they would have been free if I had enough coupons. Still, not a bad deal!

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Kroger to do a Kellogg's promotion. If you buy 10 Kellogg's or Keebler items (and a few specified others), you get a $10 rebate. Kroger is also doing a deal where you save $5 when you purchase 10 qualifying items from their list. Some of the Kellogg's items are on the Kroger list, so...with coupons and combining these deals, I plan to come home with a couple of sacks full of groceries for maybe a couple of dollars. Oh, and Kellogg's is also offering a $70 coupon for Dell with this deal, which will come in handy when I purchase a new laptop. See why I get excited about coupons?

Wonderland/Mad Hatter Tea Party

I have been a total slacker about blogging these days (too busy couponing and such!), but I'm finally posting a few pics from Presley's 3rd birthday party. Enjoy!

Presley as Alice

The Topsy-Turvy Cake (created by Mama)

The Table

Playing Croquette (we didn't have flamingos or hedgehogs)

Blowing Out the Candles