Happy New Year!

I want to wish all the Loudoun County Limbo readers a joyful 2013!  I started this blog one year ago today as my 2012 New Year's resolution.  I knew absolutely nothing about blogging - just that I got a lot of things for free and wanted to share the info with others who were interested in couponing, doing rebates, and saving money.

In 2012 I spent a total of $2136.60 on groceries and toiletries for my family of two adults, 3 teenagers, and 2 dogs.  That equates to an average of  $41.08 per week!   I also sent off for $585.00 in rebates and received $76.90 from Saving Star.

This year my resolution is to expand Loudoun County Limbo even more. I plan to post more deals, more coupons, and more useful information - including low cost recipes, dumpster diving finds, internet bargains and tips for frugal living.

I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions!

Weekly Roundup #15 - April 10-16

There were so many hot shopping deals this week at Harris Teeter and Giant that I got behind on my weekly roundup. So, here are the results for the week of April 10-16, 2012!

Purchases

Food

Gallon Milk - 2

Sorrento Ricotta Cheese - 1
Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese - 1

Yoplait Lactose free Yogurt - 7

Naure's Own Butterbread - 1

Kings Hawaiian Rolls - 1
Kraft Homestyle Mac N Cheese - 8
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - 2

Kashi TLC Crackers - 7

Kashi Cereal - 1
Maruchan Yakisoba - 1
Chi-chi's Enchilada Sauce - 8
Kashi TLC Cookies - 2
Mrs. Smiths Pie - 11

Ocean Spray Juice - 4

Gold Peak Tea (18 oz) - 6

Pepsi Next (20 oz) - 1

Snickers Eggs - 8
Popsicle Fudgesicles - 3
Jell-O Refrigerated 6 packs - 4
Mentos Gum - 12

Health & Beauty
Depend Silhouette - 1
Colgate Total Toothpaste - 1
NatuRelief - 1
Bic Twin Select Silky Touch Razors - 7
EcoTools Facial Puff - 3
Organix Bodywash - 4
Daily Necessities Bath Gel - 2
Scunci Hair Accessories - 1
Bodiheat Heat Therapy Patch - 1

Household
Airwick Aerosol - 2
Finish Gel Automatic Dishwasher detergent (clearanced)
Insulated Reusable Shopping Bag - 1
Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Cleaner Kit - 1
                                                        
Expenditures
Rite Aid - $6.43
CVS - $2.24
Giant - $34.63
Food Lion - $8.18
Total: $51.48

Rebates
Rite Aid SCR #8 - Get back $2.99 when you buy one BodiHeat patch
Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner -                                                          Get back $10.99

I went a little over my $50 budget this week, but I was way under last week, so it's all good!

Food Lion Coupon Matchups - 3/27-4/3

I am venturing into Food Lion this week for the first time since mine converted from a Bloom grocery store. Below you will find a list of all their advertised sale prices from March 27th through April 3rd with coupon match-ups.

SS - Smart Source insert
RP - Red Plum insert
P&G - Proctor & Gamble insert
GM - General Mills insert
NLA - No Longer Available
IP - Internet Printable coupon

My Essentials Brands
Potato Chips - 2/$5
Drinking Water, 24 pack - $2.99
Soda, 2 ltr bottles - 89 cents
Ice Cream, 1 gallon - $4.99
Foam plates, 50 ct. - $2.19
Half & Half, 32 oz - $2.59

Buy One, Get One Free
Nature's Own Butterbread
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
$1.00/2 Mfr Catalina
Red Baron 12 inch Pizza
Tyson Any'tizers
$1/2 SS 1/22
$1/2 SS 3/4
Purex Liquid Landry Detergent (60-72 oz)
.50/1 RP 3/11
Doritos Tortilla Chips (also part of the Big Deal)
Sunshine Cheez-It (also part of the Big Deal)
$1/2 Peelie
Free Kellogg's Crispix cereal wyb 2 Cheez-It Crackers peelie
Mueller's Pasta (16 oz)
.55/1 when you register here
Mrs. Smith's Fruit Pies
Food Lion Shrimp (16 oz, cooked)
Hormel Black Label Bacon


The Big Deal (March 28 - April 10)

Look for Big Deal signs on products throughout the store

Buy 10 products, receive $5 off instantly
Buy 20 products, receive $10 off instantly
Buy 30 products, receive $15 off instantly


Included products:
Kraft BBQ Sauce - 99 cents
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes/Mini Wheats - 2/$5.00
$1/2 Kelloggs Frosted Mini-wheats - IP NLA?
$1/2 Frosted Mini-wheats - found in package
$1/3 Kelloggs Cereals - RP 3/4
$1/2 Kelloggs Cereal & fresh fruit - found in package
Hormel Compleats - 2/$4
$1/2 SS 2/12
$1/1 IP (NLA) - Kid's Meal
Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese - 3/$5
.75/1 IP - No more prints
.75/1 Tearpad
Nabisco Snack Crackers - 2/$5
$1/2 Tearpad
$1/2 Booklet called "Your Party's Winning Game Plan with Guy"
Starbucks Coffee - $7.99
$1.50/1 SS 3/25
Spam - 2/$5
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - 2/$5
PopTarts - 2/$5
$1/2 Found in Package
$1.00/2 Peelie
$1.00/3 Found in Package
.70/1 IP No More Prints
$1/3 RP 3/4
Del Monte Fruit (4 pack) - 5/$10
Fresh Step Scoop Cat Litter - $7.99
Viva Paper Towels- $7.99
.60/1 SS 3/11
.50/1 IP here
$1/1 Booklet/Pamphlet
Cottonelle Bath Tissue - $7.99
$2/1 Blinkie
$1/1 Peelie
.50/2 SS 3/1
Betty Crocker Muffins or Cookies - 2/$4
.40/1 GM 2/5 cookie mix
.40/1 SS 3/25 cookie mix
$1/2 SS 3/25 muffins
$1/2 Found in Package muffins
Vanity Fair Napkins/Dixie Plates or Cups - 2/$4
.50/1 Dixie Plates, Perfect Touch Cups, Bath Cups - Found in Package
Kingsford or Match Light Charcoal - $5.99
I think there was a $2 IP for this recently that is NLA
Maxwell House Coffee - $8.99
$1/2 Found in Package
$1.50 off wyb 1 pkg of Dixie PerfecTouch Cups
Bush's Best Baked Beans or Grillin'Beans - 3/$5
Doritos Tortilla Chips - Buy One, Get One free
Sunshine Cheez-It - Buy One, Get One free
$1/2 Peelie
Tyson Bagged Chicken - $6.99
.55/1 or $1/1 SS 1/8
Yoplait Go-Gurt - 2/$4
.55/2 Peelie
.75/2 GM 2/5
.75/2 SS 3/11
$1/2 Found in package
Green Giant Box Vegetables - 10/$10
.50/2 Booklet/Pamphlet fm Weight Watchers
Pillsbury Cinnamon or Crescent Rolls - 2/$4
.40/2 GM 1/8 crescent rolls
.40/4 SS 1/29 crescent rolls
Totinos Pizza Rolls - 2/$6
$1/2 GM 1/8
.35/1 SS 1/29
.40/2 SS 1/29
Depend Pants - $11.99
$3/1 Found in package
$2/1 IP - NLA
$1/1 SS 3/25
Poise Pads - $11.99
$2/1 Snail Mail
$2/1 Found in package
$1/1 IP here
Head & Shoulders Shampoo - $4.99
$1/1 Found in package
$1/2 P&G 3/4

Other Sale Items
Chuck Roast - $2.99
Holly Farms Chicken Breasts or Tenders - 50% off
Whole Pork Spare Ribs - $1.99
Green Grapes (Seedless) .99 (my personal stock-up price)
Berry Patch (Strawberries, Raspberries, or Blackberries) - 2/$4
Johnsonville Grilling Sausage & Brats - $3.99
$1/2 SS 1/22
$2/1 Catalina mfr q fm Safeway
Pepsi Products (12 pack) - $3/$10
.75/1 SS 3/18
Budwiser, Miller or Coors Family (24 pack) - $14.99
Kraft Shredded or Chunk Cheese - 2/$4
Stouffer's Dinners or Entrees (6-21 oz) - 4/$10
$1/4 Tearpad
Kraft Salad Dressing (14-16 oz) - 2/$4
.50/1 Peelie
Prego Pasta Sauce - 3/$5
.50/2 or $1/2 SS 1/8
.50/2 or .75/2 SS 2/26
$1/2 Campbell’s, "Make Game Day A Snap" Booklet
$1/3 Tearpad
Lance Crackers - 2/$4
$1/2 Tearpad
Huggies Jumbo Diapers or Pull-Ups & Goodnites - $8.99
$2/1 Found in Package Huggies
$1/1 Booklet/Pamplet Huggies
$2/1 Pull-ups IP here
$2/1 Pull-ups Found in package
$2/1 Booklet/pamplet Pull-ups
$1.50/1 Pull-ups SS 3/18
$1.50/1 Huggies SS 2/12
Purina Dog Chow - $10.99
$1/1 SS 3/18
Bounty 6 Regular Rolls - $4.99
$1/1 Found in package
.25/1 P&G 3/4
Charmin 9 Large Rolls - $4.99
$1/2 Found in package
$1/1 Found in package
.25/1 P&G 3/4
Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni - 10/$10
Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders - $9.99
Gain Liquid Fabric Softener - $4.99
$1/1 Essence magazine
$1/1 Found in package
.50/1 RP 3/18
$1/1 RP 2/19
Ro*tel - 10/$10

Beverages:
Coke Products (6 pack, 1/2 liter bottles) - 4/$11
Buy 4 6-packs and get an 8 pack, 20 oz Powerade FREE
Pepsi Products (2 ltr bottles) - 3/$5
.55/1 Diet Pepsi 2 ltr SS 3/18
Coke Products (2 ltr bottles) - 3/$5
Gatorade (32 oz) - 10/$10
Lipton Tea (12 pack)/Starbucks Frappucino (4 pack) - $5.99
Buy 1 Frappuccino 4 pack, Get 1 Refreshers Beverage 12 oz can free - Tearpad
Pepsi Next (12 pack) - $2.99
Capri Sun Juice Drink (10 ct) - 2/$5
B3G1 up to $2.60 SS 3/18
Heiniken/Amstel Light/Shock Top Beer (12 pack) - $12.99
Yuengling Beer (12 pack) - $8.99
Blue Moon Beer (12 pack) - $14.99
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (12 pack) - $6.99
Leinenkugel or Woodchuck Cider (6 pack) - $7.29
CK Mondavi Wine - $9.49
Casillero Del Diablo Wine - $9.49
Livingston Cellars Wine - $9.99
Flip Flop Wine - 2/$11
* Save 10% when you buy 6 bottles of Wine*

Deli & Bakery
Food Lion Fresh Deli German Bologna - $2.49 lb.
Kretschmar Ham - $7.49 lb.
Fresh Deli Pre-Sliced Cheese (8 oz) - 2/$5
8 inch Sub Rolls or 6 ct. Kaiser Rolls - 2/$6
Food Lion Danish - 2/$7
Fried Dark Meat Chicken (10 piece) - $5.99
Nature's Place Breads - $2.99 each
Lofthouse Frosted Cookies - 2/$7

Dairy & Frozen
Nestle Refrigerated Cookies - 2/$5
$1/1 SS 3/25
$1.25/? IP here
Tropicana Orange Juice - 2/$6
Farm Rich Snacks - $5.99
.75/1 Blinkie
$1/1 SS 11/13
Daisy Sour Cream - 2/$4
I Cant Believe Its Not Butter - 2/$5
.75/2 RP 3/25
$1.50/1 IP fm Coupons.com - NLA?
Hot Pockets - 5/$10
$1/2 IP - No more prints
$1/1 IP - NLA?
Banquet Dinner Entrees - 10/$10
.60/3 Pot Pies - found in package
.25/1 Homestyle Bakes - found in package
Michelinas Dinner Entrees - 10/$10
$1/2 Snail mail
$1/5 IP here
Sister Shuberts Dinner Rolls - $2.99
$1/2 Tearpad
.75/2 Blinkie
$1/1 Blinkie
.75/1 All You magazine
.50/1 IP - NLA?
International Delight Creamers - 2/$5
.55/1 IP here
$1/2 International delight Blinkie found at Bloom
.40/1 Snail mail

Health & Beauty
Secret Solid or Old Spice High Endurance Deodorant - 2/$5
.50/1 P&G 3/4 Old Spice
$1/2 found in package Old Spice

Produce
Dole or Fresh Express, 12 oz - $1.29
Green Bell Peppers - $2/$1
Cucumbers - .59 each
Wonderful Pistachios, 8 oz - $3.99
Matchstix Carrots, 10 oz - $1.49
Red Delicious or Granny Smith, 3 lb bag - 2/$5
Yellow Onions, 3 lb bag - $1.99
Palm Sunday Bouquet - $9.99

Meat
Ribeye Steaks - $8.29 lb
Pork Back Ribs - $3.99 lb
My Essentials Spiral Sliced Ham - $1.49 lb.
St. Louis Style Pork Ribs - $3.49 lb.
Jennie-O Turkeys - .99 lb.
Taste of Inspiration Pork Chops - $5.49 lb.
Armour LunchMakers - 4/$4
Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna - $3.99
Gwaltney Great Dogs Turkey Franks - .99
Hillshire Farm Sausage - 2/$5
.55/1 RP 3/25
$1/1 Winetag
$/2 Peelie
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Tubs - $4.99
$1.25/2 fm Kroger's My Magazine "Basketball Madness"

Seafood
Flounder Fillets - $6.99 lb.
Tilapia Fillets - $3.99 lb.
Food Lion Imitation Crab Meat - 2/$5
Quality Whiting or Trout (24 oz) - $4.99

Weekly Roundup #7 - February 15-21

This week I managed to stay just under my $50 budget, thanks to some nice money makers at Rite Aid. I used the UP rewards that I earned to buy snacks for my daughter's volleyball tournament at the Washington Convention Center.

I also got some great deals at Harris Teeter super doubles and stocked up on cheap Mexican foods (tortillas, chips, and refried beans) and cheap dog food at Giant.

Purchases

Food
- Gallon milk (1)
- Half Gallon milk (3)
- Activia Yogurt 4-pack (2)
- Loaf of bread (2)
- Cucumber (1)
- Red Bell peppers (2)
- Green Bell peppers (2)
- Onion (1)
- Iceberg lettuce (1)
- Celery (1)
- Banana (1)
- Gorton's Fish Sticks (1)                                                - Bumble Bee Tuna (2)      
- McCain Hash Browns (1)                                              - Pennsylvania Dutch noodles (6)  
- NY Texas Toast (3)                                                      - Chi-Chi's tortillas (8) 

- Old El Paso refried beans (6)                                       - Grande tortilla chips (4)
- Zone Perfect Bars (3)                                                  - Mentos UP2U Gum (3)    
- Coca Cola 12-packs (6)                                               - Chocolate covered cherry (1)
                                                                                       - Snickers candy egg (1)

Go Team Inferno!

Snacks for daughter's weekend volleyball tournament
- Rite Aid Beef Jerky (1)
- Nature Valley Granola Thins (2)
- Nature Valley Granola Bars (1)
- Cereal cups (3)
- Gold fish (1)
- Ritz Crackerfuls (1)
- Kelloggs Nutrigrain (1)
- Strawberry Crips (1)
- Hawaiian Punch (1)
- Fig Newtons (1)
- Oreo Cookies (1)
- Pringles chips (1)
- Poptart (1)
- DM Cherry mixed fruit 4pk (1)
- Gatorade (5)
- Cherry Coke (1)
- Plastic Water Bottle (1)

Household 

- Purina One Beyond dog food (9)
- Foster Grant glasses (5)
- Hefty One zipper bags (2)
- CFL lightbulbs (5)

- Airborne Immune Support (1)

- Neutrogena makeup wipes (2)

- Thermacare heatwraps (9)

- Ricola cough drops (1)

- OneTouch Ultra Mini Meter

- Hylands Teething Gel (3)

- Chapstick (27)

                                                                                       - Got2Be Hair stylers (4)

Refunds                                                                       - Colgate toothpaste (4)

-  Pfizer - Buy 3 products, get back $10.00                     - Brainstrong Toddler (2)

                                                                                       - Vaseline Lotion (2)
Expenditures     

Rite Aid - 6.02

Walgreens - 2.89

Giant - 33.68

Harris Teeter - 6.25

Total: $48.84

Weekly Roundup #6 - Feb 8-14, 2012

This week I mainly stocked up on drug store freebies and cheap grocery items at Giant. I haven't purchased much in the way of food in February, but I plan to supplement at Harris Teeter Super Doubles this week! Here is what I got:

Purchases
Food
- Gallon milk (1)
- Loaf of bread (1)

- Chi-Chi's tortillas (10)
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (1)
- Pennsylvania Dutch Noodles (4)
- Grande Tortilla Chips (4)
- Chef Boyardee Ravioli (10)
- Welch's Grape Spread (7)
- Hershey's Chocolate Bars (4)
- UP2U gum (7)
- Necco Sweet Tarts (3)
 



Household 
- Purina One Beyond dog food (4)
- Stayfree Pads (4)
- Revlon Emery Boards (8)

- Revlon Nail File (1)

- Colgate Total Toothpaste (2)

- Lady Speed Stick deodorant (10)

- Maybelline Babylips balm (2)

- Zarbee's Cough Syrup (1)

- St. Joseph's Aspirin (1)

- Got2Be Hair Styler (2)

- Compact Mirror (1) - this was a clearance item that my daughter needed for a science class project

Refunds

-  Ecco Domani NBPR rebate to get back $2 when you buy Greeting Cards

- Colgate-Palmolive $5 rebate for the Speed Stick deodorant

Expenditures     

Rite Aid - 3.31

CVS - 5.53

Walgreens - .60

Giant - 28.24

Total: $37.68

 

I thought the Speed Stick BOGO free coupons would take $3.99 off my bill at CVS again this week. They did automatically scan for that amount, but the cashier reduced them down to $1.99 each, so that is why I owed over $5.00 at CVS. Normally I try to "roll" my drug store rewards over from one week to the next and just pay tax.

Weekly Round-Up #5 - February 1-7

I've been tracking my spending on groceries and toiletries since the year started, and I've been averaging about $45 per week. I did very little shopping during the first week of February.
Here is what I bought:

Purchases



CVS Freebies

Food
- Gallon milk (1)

- Half-gallon of milk (1)
- Loaf of bread (1)
- Pom Wondeful bars (4)
- Combos (8)                               
- Market Pantry Mac N Cheese (4)
- Cadbury Creme Egg (1)
- Ghirardelli chocolate (1)

- Sunshine Cheez-Its  (2)
- Planters Trail Mix (2)
- 4 lb bag of Oranges (2)
- Gatorade 32 oz (2)
- Lipton Onion Soup Mix (2)
- Knorr Pasta Sides (3)
- Hillshire Farms Beef Kielbasa (2)                                                          



Michael's Freebies

Household 
 -Roll of Camoflauge Duct Tape
- 3-Pack of Sachets
- Speed Stick deodorants (6)
- Stayfree maxi pads (4)
- Hallmark cards (3)
- Ricola cough drops (4)
- Brainstrong Gummie vitamins
- Pure Spring hand lotion

Other

 - 2 Free Onion Rings at Burger King

 - 2 Free Big Macs and French Fries at McDonalds with coupons
                                                                                                          from Living Social 

Refunds

- Blue Moon NBPR Oranges - $3.00

- Colgate-Palmolive Black History Month Promo - $5.00  (See my post of February 2nd)



Rite Aid Freebies


Expenditures    
CVS - $1.46
Rite Aid - $5.36
Safeway - $4.25
Giant - $4.09
Bloom - $9.87
Target - $1.08
McDonalds - .45
Michaels - .50
                               
Total: $27.06




I made a few mistakes this week or I wouldn't have spent so much at Rite Aid and Safeway, but overall I'm happy. The deodorant and Stayfree pads will be going to the food pantry with me tomorrow. Food stamps cannot be used for toiletries, so these are frequently requested items.

Weekly Round-up #4 - January 25-31

This week I again achieved my goal of staying under $50.00 for food and toiletries and even eating out!

Purchases

Food                                                     

-Lemon (1)

-Bananas (2 lb)

-Egglands Best Eggs, dozen (2)

-White Milk, gallon (2)

-Chocolate Milk, gallon (1)

-Loaf of Bread (1)

-Sugar, 5 lb bag (11)

-Bar-S Hot Dogs (1)

-Hormel Party Tray (1)        

-Kashi Go Lean Cereal (1)
-Kelloggs Crunchy Nut cereal (1)
-Zone Perfect bars (18)
-Kelloggs Raisin Bran Cinnamon Almond Cereal (5)
-Pom Bars (9)
-Ritz Crackers (2)
-Nissin Cup Noodles (30)
-Hannaford Wheat Elbow Macaroni (1)
-Fleischmann's Homemade Bread Kit (3)       Household 
-Mariani Dried Pineapple (2)                         - Brawny Paper Towel, single roll (1)
-Pie Shell (2)                                                 - Purina One Beyond dog food, 3.5 lb bag (2)
-Ground Mustard (1)                                                              
-Hershey's Chocolate Bars (16)
-Twizzlers (4)
-Skittles (3)
                                              Other

 - 5 Free Hot Chocolates at Dunkin Donuts

 - 2 Free ice cream cones at McDonalds

 - Dozen Donuts at Dunkin Donuts

                                                          

Refunds

Coors Deli Party Platter, NBPR rebate for $8.00

Expenditures
 Rite Aid - $1.01
 Giant - $1.65
 Bloom - $30.30
 Safeway - $5.05
                                                Dunkin Donuts - $7.58

                                                               Total: $45.59

Monthly Total for January: $182.43

I averaged about $45 per week for the month of January. We had plenty of good meals by combining these purchases with items already in my stockpile, and we have a good supply of cereal to last us until the next great deal comes along.

Bloom Stores Markdown to 50% Off

The two Bloom supermarkets that are closing in Loudoun County - in Ashburn (on Farmwell Rd.) and in Leesburg (on Fort Evans Rd across from the Outlet Malls) - discounted their entire stock of merchandise by 50% today!

Those two stores are no longer doubling coupons, but will accept manufacturer's coupon at face value. They will not accept Bloom store coupons. They are open seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Next week the stores will discount merchandise to 75% and the percentage will continue to drop weekly until they close around February 12, 2012.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some HOT store coupons you can use at the stores that are remaining open:

• $1.00 off any purchase of $1.00 or more from Meat Department
• $2.00 off purchase of $2.00 or more from Deli department
• $3.00 off any  purchase of $40 or more (Entire store)

You can print these coupons from your computer at Coupons.com. Plug in your zip code, then click on "local coupons" on the left hand side of the page. Then look for the coupon that says: Bloom - Football Frenzy - Save $6 with an all-star lineup of coupon savings! These coupons do not expire until February 7, 2012.

Weekly Roundup #3 - January 18-24

I went a bit over budget this week because there were some really great catalina deals that I wanted to take advantage of, but I am still under budget overall for the month of January.

Here are the results for this week:

Purchases

Food
- Bloom whole wheat bread (1)

- Fleischmann's Homemade Bread Kits (7)
- Pepperidge Farm cinnamon Bread (2)

- 5 lb bag of sugar (1)
- Quaker Oats (2)
- Quaker Grits (1)

- Campbell's Soup at Hand (18)

- Can chicken broth (1)
- Kelloggs Raisin Bran Cinnamon Almond cereal (7)
- Activia Yogurt 6-packs (8)
- Gallon white milk (3)
- Gallon chocolate milk (1)
- Pepsi 6-packs (6)
- V8 Fusion Smoothie (1)
- V8 vegetable juice, 6-pack (1)
- Coke Zero, 2-liter bottles (2)

- Hatfield ham steaks (2)

- Marie Callender's frozen dinners (2)
- Totino's pizza rolls (12)
- Fig bars (1)
- Goldfish crackers (6)
- Quaker chewy granola bars (3)
- Zone Perfect bars (2)
- Jello Mixchief (3)
- UP2U gum (18)
- Chocolate covered cherry (1)

Health and Beauty
- Ricola cough drops (9 )
- K-Y Jelly (2)

Household 
- Hartz Hamster food (1)
- Purina One Beyond dog food, 3.5 lb bag (5)
- Reynolds slow cooker liners (2)
- Finish Powerball dishwasher detergent (2)

                                                          
                    Refunds
                    Activia Yogurt
                    Novartis Recall


                     Expenditures
                     Rite Aid - $4.44
                     Giant - $47.36
                     Bloom - $5.12

                 Total: $56.92

Monthly Total to date for January: $136.84

I have quite a few catalinas left over for next week's shopping, so I should easily stay under the $200 mark this month!

My Bloom Super Doubles Trip

Here the results from my trip to Bloom for Super Doubles yesterday:      

• 7 Fleishmann's Homemade Bread Kits    
•  8 Activia Yogurt 4-packs
•  2 Marie Callender's Frozen meals
• 2 Reynolds Slow Cooker liners
• 1 V8 Juice 6-pack
• 1 5-lb. bag of My Essentials Sugar 

My total came to $2.74 including tax and the bag of sugar alone cost $3.19.

Definitely worth braving the icy roads yesterday!!

It has been confirmed that there will be another Super Doubles at Bloom this Saturday, January 28th. If you couldn't make it this week because of the weather or the shelves were bare of things you wanted to buy, many of the same items will be free again this weekend.

Weekly Round-Up #2 - January 11-17, 2012

This was a good week for milk and cereal at Giant - things we use a lot of. I ended up with 5 catalinas worth $3.75 each on a gallon of milk AND a catalina good for $7 on my next shopping trip!

Here are the results for this week:

Purchases

Gift Cards
Subway $25 gift card - I received a free 6" sub sandwich for buying it.

Food
- 1 loaf of sandwich bread
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (5 boxes)
- Multi-grain Cheerios (11 boxes)
- Beechnut stage 2 baby food (12 jars)
- Quaker Chewy granola bars (3 boxes)
- Pepsi 20-can multipack (2)
- UP2U gum (4 packs)
- 3 chocolate covered cherries (Rite Aid fillers)
- 2 candy canes filled with M&M's (Walgreens clearance - .24 each)
- 1 jumbo sized candy cane (Walgreen's clearance - .24)

Health and Beauty
- Ben Gay (4)
- Visine (2)
- Theraflu Warming Caplets (3)
- Ricola cough drops (4)

 Household
- 1 Zippo candle lighter
- 1 4 lb. bag of Kibbles & Bits dog food
- 1 scented pencil (clearanced at Walgreens for .24)
- 3 Hallmark greeting cards (CVS)

Other:
- 4 FREE Medium Hot Chocolates at Dunkin Donuts
- 2 FREE Oatmeals at McDonalds (with coupons I received from  Living Social)
- 2 lunches at Subway during my daughter's volleyball tournament with gift card

Refunds:
- Theraflu  -  $5.00 gift card
- Rite Aid  SCR #25 - $5.00

Expenditures
CVS - $1.32
Rite Aid - $13.27
Walgreens - $1.24
Giant - $27.29
Subway - $25.00
Total: $68.12

Okay, I went 18.12 over budget this week, but I don't mind because I did so well last week.
Also, I still have about $20 left on my Subway gift card!

We had plenty of good meals this week from my stockpile and freezer, so even though I didn't buy anything except for dog food, cereal, milk, soda, and candy we didn't starve! The baby food will be donated.

I did have to spring for a loaf of bread with no coupons - I hated doing that, but my kids pack sandwiches for their school lunches every day, and I didn't have enough drugstore rewards to get a free loaf this week, which is my usual strategy.

Total for January to date:  $79.92

Weekly Round-Up - January 4-10, 2012

I've decided to track my spending via this blog, so as to have a record of my coupon endeavors.
Here are the results for this week:

Purchases

Food
- Smart Balance milk, 1/2 gallon (8 cartons)
- Starkist tuna (6 pouches)
- Bumblebee tuna (4 cans)
- Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (6 boxes )
- Margaret Holmes spinach (3 cans)
- Mariani Banana chips (3 bags)
- Campbells MW tomato soup (4 cans)
- Progresso "Rich & Hearty" soup (4 cans)
- Muir Glen tomato paste (2 cans)
- Pringles Stix (1 box)
- Hershey's Air Delight chocolate bars (4)
- Twix bar (1)
- Skinny Cow candy  (2 boxes)
- Goldfish bread (1)
- Barilla Whole Grain pasta (2 boxes)
- Fresh Express Salad (1 bag)
- Lean Cuisine frozen dinner (1)
- Dr. Pepper, 2-liter bottles (4)
- Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice (2)
- Celestial Seasonings tea (1 box)

Health and Beauty
- Nivea lip balms (6)
- Head & Shoulders shampoo (5)
- Fruitopia hairspray (3)
- Colgate Advanted Total toothpaste (2)
- Essence of Beauty hand lotion (2)
- Oral-B floss (2)
- Tampax pearl tampons (1)
- Thermacare Heatwrap (1)
- K-Y jelly (1)
- Swankies (5) - these were pocket tissues tht were clearanced at CVS for .25 each

Other:
- 3 FREE Medium Hot Chocolates at Dunkin Donuts
- 3 Insulated lunch bags

Refunds:
- Barilla pasta  - get a coupon for a free 1 lb. box of pasta
- Progresso Soup - get back $2.89


Expenditures
CVS - .50
Rite Aid - $1.04
Bloom - $1.06
Harris Teeter (1st trip) - $1.52
Harris Teeter (2nd trip) - .34
Harris Teeter (3rd trip) - $4.18
Harris Teeter (4th trip) - $3.32
Total: 11.80


Wow! This has been a great week for me. Even though my printer broke and I couldn't print coupons to take advantage of some of the deals I posted (like the cheap Cheerios at Safeway), I still stayed WAY under my $50 budget for the week!!