Select Publix Match-Ups for 7/28-8/3

Weber Seasonings in Yellow Flyer 2/$3

-$1/1 mfr coupon, 6/26 SS insert

Only $0.50 each

Cascadian Farm Frozen Veggies, Potatoes, or Fruit in Yellow Flyer $2/2 coupon

-$1/1 Cascadian Farm Mfr Rolling coupon

Only $0.49 each

Tic Tacs in Yellow Flyer 10/$10

-$1/1 mfr coupon, 6/12 RP insert

FREE!

Listerine Mouthwash on sale for $3.99

-$2/1 Publix coupon in Green Advantage Buy Flyer

-$1/1 Listerine Mfr printable coupon

Only $0.99 each

Colgate Toothpastes on sale for $2.29

-$1/1 Target Colgate Max coupon

-$0.75 mfr coupon, 7/24 SS insert

Only $0.54 each

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid on sale for $2.49

-$0.50/1 mfr coupon, 7/31 P&G insert

Only $1.99 each

Chef Boyardee Pasta on sale for $0.89

-$0.50/3 mfr rolling coupon CODE: 63829897

Only $0.73 each

Kellogg's Pop-Tarts BOGO

-$1/3 mfr coupon, 7/24 RP insert

-$1/3 Target coupon

Only $0.73 each

Kellog's Eggo Waffles

-$1/3 mfr printable coupons.com

Only $2.76 each

Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner 2/$4

-$1/2 mfr coupon, 7/31 SS insert

Only $1.50 each

Savings is addictive!

I am finding myself lately doing things I never thought of doing before or never wanted to be bothered doing before I started couponing. Before the coupon craze I never bothered with Mail-in-Rebates! I never saved my nickels, dimes, or pennies that I would get as change from any transaction. As long as I have had my drivers license I have always driven with a lead foot but now I try to keep the RPM's below 2000 all the time. The more I save the more I want want to save. It is contagious! I am always on the lookout for a good deal now. I am peeling, pulling, tearing, and clipping coupons everywhere I go! This is such a wonderful little hobby! I have something to occupy my time/mind, to have fun with, and to save money with.

I wish I had known about this Extreme Couponing thing back in College! I remember during my Freshman Year the McDonalds across the street had a Monday Night Football All You Can Eat for $5 promotion. We would go and stuff our pockets with as much food as we could and bring it back to the dorms to freeze and save for later. I remember not having anything to eat aside from Spam and Ramon Noodles. Yuk! Couponing would have come in handy back then! Certain Dorms would have Free cookouts for the residents at different times during the year and I recall crashing the cookouts. Every R.A. thought that I lived in their building because I was always at each of their individual cookouts. I have always been a sucker for all that is FREE.

If you have not started couponing yet I implore you to start. The more you do the more you want to do. As each week passes you get more and more excited for those coupons to come, the sales to be published, and the match-ups to be posted! It is truly a contagious, addictive, and gratifying hobby!

Birds Eye Coupon Sighting Verified!

I checked out the Apron Station at the Merritt Island Publix @ 125 E. Merritt Island Causeway and sure enough I found the $0.35/1 Steamfresh Coupon!

Ready, set, go get 'em!

Don't forget about rebates!

I just recieved my rebate check from True Value Hardware. I believe it was back in May that I ran out of some car care products and was just in the learning stage of couponing. I did a quick search online and found an ongoing rebate for some Green Earth Technologies Car Care Products at True Value. Being that it is a brand new company they were offering a rebate for the full price. Without hesitation I jumped in the car and went down to buy G-Wash, G-Wheel Cleaner, and G-Tire Shine for $3.99 each. Today I recieved a check in the mail for $11.97. I love FREE!

Save Big on Diapers!

I am a new daddy and am looking for ways to save on everything including/especially diapers and wipes. I have heard before methods on saving but never looked into it. Now that I am couponing I decided to research it. So far these are the best methods that I have discovered:

1. SWAGBUCKS - Go to www.swagbucks.com and through different methods you can earn these swagbucks and put them towards rewards. The easiest way to earn the swagbucks is to simply use their Search Engine for all of your online searches. When you earn enough you can redeem them for rewards. The key here is to redeem them for Amazon Gift Cards to use at www.amazon.com.

2. Subscribe to Amazon Mom - Go to www.amazon.com/mom and you can save up to 30% on each diaper order and get free shipping! Combine this with your Swagbucks Amazon gift cards to get outrageous deals on diapers!

3. Store Brands + Coupons - In between Amazon orders when you don't have enough Swagbucks for gift cards you can shop for store brands and watch for deals at the drugstores. I hear that Walgreens has some really good diapers and runs sales with Register Rewards all the time. Combine these with your coupon match-ups.

Use these three methods and you should be able to save a bundle on your little bundle of joy!

$0.35/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh

There has been a sighting of a Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggie coupon for $0.35 off of 1 package at the "Apron Station" at some Publix Stores. My closest Publix is an older one and does not have an Apron Station but there is one at another local Publix. I will check it out and let you guys know if I find any.

New Publix Flyers

Keep an eye out in the next few days or so for some new Publix coupon flyers:

$5/$30 Publix Coupon

Well the rumor was true. I got my $5 coupon on $30 or more purchase at Publix in the mail today. It came in Redplums mailer circular. Going to check with the neighbors to see if I can scrounge up a few of these and then just break up my transaction at the store into multiple transactions.

Couponing Tip #6

Tip #6:

Clipping Coupons manually can become very old very quickly. It is monotonous and tiresome! My tip to you is to bribe your children to help, blackmail your spouses for help, or entice your friends to assist by offering some of your stockpile to them.

Couponing Tip #5

Tip #5:

If you live in the proximity of more than one Publix Super Market then it may behoove you to check with all of them to find which competitor coupons each of them accept. The majority will probably accept the same competitors that your regular store accepts but if you go far enough you may find another Publix that allows different coupons. I personally checked six different stores and the last one that I called had a different list. If you do not mind driving a little further than normal this may come in handy when you are having a bad week and can not find good competitor coupons at your regular store!

Don't Forget Winn Dixie Flyers

Don't forget that Winn Dixie Prices/Sales change tomorrow and that means new weekly flyers. Don't forget to pick 'em up and check for coupons that Publix will accept!

Publix $5 / $30 Red Plum Coupon

Keep an eye peeled......there are rumors of a Publix coupon for $5 off of every $30 of groceries purchased in the Red Plum mailer. Check you mail boxes! I could use a couple of these considering my bill is usually over $60 anyway.

Local Publix Redesigns Grocery Isles

Cocoa Beach Cornerstone Plaza Publix redecorates and rearranges the grocery isles. Here is a new grocery directory to help you navigate the new maze. This is something that should be available at any Publix even if they have not redesigned the grocery isles. This directory can come in handy when planning out your shopping list/trip. Ask the customer service desk for one.

Free & Cheap Stuff

Not sure how many of you have heard of Clark Howard but he is a popular Consumer Advocate that started out on AM Radio taking calls/questions about mostly financial issues and giving advice. He now helps others with all sorts of consumer questions and issues. He even has his own spot on Headline News (HLN) on the weekends. His website has many useful tips and links including links to Free and Cheap stuff and a list of some of the best couponing sites.

Free & Cheap Stuff - http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/free_and_cheap/

Coupon Sites - http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/couponsites/

Don't get discouraged!

I have been couponing since May 2011 and so far I have calculated that I have saved $1050.71. I am finally starting to see the rewards and am building a stockpile. I am shopping around for some cheap shelving for the garage as I am running out of space to store stuff. Do not get discouraged! Some weeks are better than others. Keep at it! Here is a list of some awesome deals I have had in the past few months:

1. Got paid $0.30 to take twenty bottles of Wishbone Salad Dressing out of the store

2. Took four Right Guard Deodorants out of the store and got paid $0.10 to do so

3. Walked out of Walmart with 50 Black Flag Fly Paper Rolls recieving $1.00 for my hard work

4. Also at Walmart I got 20 Pert Plus travel size Shampoos all for free

5. Purchased four Right Guard Body Wash bottles for only $1.00

6. Paid $0.14 for a bottle of Tums 72ct at CVS

7. I mentioned before in a previous post about a Publix deal where you can get $10 off of a $50 gas card for every purchase of $25 or more. I made use of this by splitting my groceries up in to three separate transactions allowing me to get three $50 dollar gas cards at $40 each. I got $150 worth of gas for only $120. $30 in free gas is not a bad deal considering I was going to spend the exact same amount on groceries either way.

8. With coupons + Bogo I purchased 40 boxes of pasta and 20 deodorants retailing $117.28 all for only $19.48

9. I got 2 large bags of holistic dog food retailing at 63.94 all for 39.94 using two $5 store coupons + two $7 mfr coupons

10. Purchased 5 Hr Energy large pk retailing at 16.29 for $5.99 using store sale + $5 xtra bux at CVS

11. 3 cans of tuna + 68ct pampers cruisers size 4 retailing all at $23.47 all for $10.06 using $6.50 xtra bux +$4 email store cpn + $1.50 pampers mfr cpn + store sale

12. 40 Boxes of 4pk GE Light Bulbs + 6 Boxes of 24ct Zantac + Four Scotch Scissors all for FREE (Retail: $178.19, Actual: FREE) after using combination of manufacturer coupons + target coupons + publix sales. Actually Publix paid me $6.56 to take the Light Bulbs out of the store ($0.16 per box).

Couponing Tip #4

Tip #4: Stick to one grocery store for your coupon shopping; two max! You can shop your drug stores but keep the grocery stores to a maximum of two. Some believe they can get better deals and save more money by purchasing some items here and other items there. If this is your train of thought you should really think about:

1. The time it takes to shop more than one store

2. The time it takes to plan your shopping trip at more than one store

3. The gas used to drive to more than one store

4. Sometimes you may find coupons that give you something for so much money spent.

example: Publix sometimes has a coupon for $10 off a $50 gas card for every $25 spent.

How To: Extreme Couponing Instructions

Ok, so you think you are ready? You think you want to become an "Extreme Couponer"? Well.....It is not as hard as you think it is!

I have already debunked some of the most common myths and misconceptions that everyone has about couponing. With a little research, a little planning, and a little bit of time you too can start bringing home bundles of free goodies!

I am sure that if you are reading this that you probably have seen the new TLC television show Extreme Couponing. As you probably noticed, everyone on the show all had binders and coupon organizers etc etc.... You do not need these items right away to get started so let us hold off on that for now. Keep in mind that they may be necessary later on.

Step 1: Save Coupons

basic concept: save all coupons until they match up with store sales. Most Grocery stores allow two types of coupons per product ( 1 manufacturer's and 1 store's coupon) Combine best manufacturer's coupon you can find + best store's coupon you can find + lowest sale price for best savings (sometimes free!). Manufacturer's coupons can be found online, in the Sunday Newspapers, and in magazines. Store coupons can be found in store publications, newspapers, and online. There are many websites/blogs that will do most of the leg work for you. CouponMom.com keeps track of sales for different stores and keeps track of newspaper coupons and online coupons and matches them up with the stores sales for you automatically so that you do not have to do all of that. Couponmom.com doesn't match up Publix sales with Target coupons though and most Publix stores accept Target coupons as "store" coupons. As an alternative I love to go to www.iheartpublix.com. On this website you can go to the "ongoing deals" section to find specific match-ups for a particular week. Some stores actually double the value of you manufacturer's coupons on select days! Unfortunately for us here in Sunny Florida, Publix does not double the value of coupons! Also unfortunately for us here in Florida, Publix does not do many of the things they do in other states to help its customers save money.

Example: Internet Printable Store Coupon

Example: Internet Printable Manufacturer's Coupon

Example: Regular Store Coupon

Example: Regular Manufacturer's Coupons

Step 2: Get the Sunday Paper(s)

Start getting the Sunday paper. Here in the Space Coast area there are two major newspapers available; the Florida Today and the Orlando Sentinel. The Orlando Sentinel has the best coupons between the two. I have compared the two side by side and the coupon circulars look identical but when you open them up you will find that some of the best coupons are missing from the Florida Today circulars. Also, the Florida Today does not have the Proctor and Gamble circular. There are three types of coupon circulars that are in the newspaper. Smart Source 1 & 2, Red Plum, and Proctor & Gamble. To see the release schedules for coupon circulars you can visit the following website: http://www.couponinsertspreview.com/. You should obtain multiples because when those FREE deals come along you are going to want more than one coupon so you can get a bunch of those items for free. How do you get multiple copies of the weekly coupon circulars? That is the Million Dollar question. Some choose to purchase them while others go dumpster diving into Recycling Bins. You need to find a method that works best for you. Be advised.....there are ways besides buying them.

Example: Newspaper Coupon Circulars

Step 3: Start Printing Coupons

Printable coupons can be found in many places online. Links to some sites can be found on many coupon blogs/sites including my two favorite: couponmom.com and iheartpublix.com. Printable coupons are usually limited to 2 prints. Be advised...... there are ways of printing more. Be creative. Also check out www.freecouponalerts.com. Most manufacturers have a Business Facebook page nowadays and have printable coupons for you if you click on the "like" button. I set up a facebook login just for couponing so all my friends dont see that i am "liking" all of these grocery products especially Tampons! LOL.

NOTE:

1. Manufacturer's coupons can also be obtained by writing or emailing a company directly!!!

2. Remember that your store may accept a competitor's coupons. Most Publix stores in the Space Coast areas accept Target and Winn Dixie coupons. Be sure to pick up weekly flyers from these stores for possible coupons in addition to their website coupons. In fact, Publix has many flyers and coupon booklets that you can usually find at the front of the stores.

3. Also, don't forget about coupons in the store isles! The ones that are automatically dispensed are called "Blinkies" and the ones that are stuck to products themselves are called "Peelies".

Example: Here is an awesome "Peelie" due to the fact that Milk coupons are rare!

Example: "Blinkies" attract attention via a blinking light.

Step 4: Get Organized

I keep a weekly calendar to help keep track of when and what needs to get done.

Example:

Sundays I buy some newspapers and collect Walgreens/CVS flyers since prices/sales change on Saturdays.

Mondays could be a day for dumpster diving if that is what you choose to do.

Tuesdays I start a grocery list. This list will remain a work in progress up until shopping day.

Wednesdays I begin to look at the upcoming sales + match-ups on my two favorite sites.

Thursdays prices/sales change at Publix here in Florida. I will go and pick up the weekly flyer. I will also pick up Winn Dixie's flyer while I'm out since their prices/sales changed on Wednesday.

Fridays I start printing coupons. Fridays are good days for new facebook coupons and freebies.

Saturdays I will shop 'til I drop. A good haul could take me 2-3 hours in the store.

Personally I am against Dumpster Diving just for the pure aesthetics of the action.

NOTE: This all seems very complicated and there is a lot to absorb. Take your time and go step by step. No need to make out like a bandit on your first couponing trip! You can even tone it down a bit if you are not interested in going to the "extreme". Couponmom.com has some really cool educational videos that you can watch. There are three of them and I believe are around 5 minutes each. Check those out and that combined with what you just read above should get you off to a good start. Remember, you can always contact me with questions and I will do my best to help you out! Good luck!

New Publix Deals

Every week Publix lists a bunch of sales and "buy one get one" (BOGO) sales. Most of the couponing sites will cover most of these sales and give you match ups on all of them. I am only going to focus on the "Big" deals! Remember Publix Prices Change every Thursday! This week I am only seeing two Big deals that interest me:

1. Morningstar Farms Entrees

Average Sale Price - $3.95

Use the following coupons to get 'em for as low as $0.45:

- $1/2 Morningstar Farms Frozen Items Target "STORE" coupon

- $1/1 MorningStar Farms Veggie Foods Product "MFR" coupon

2. Solo Heavy Duty Paper Plates and Cups Average Sale Price - 2/$4

Use the following coupons to get 'em for as low as $0.50:

-$1/1 Solo Plates Bowls or Cups Target "STORE" coupon

-$1/2 Solo Products "MFR" coupon 6/19/2011 SmartSource Insert

Note: If you are interested in seeing all the deals and match-ups you can check out two of my favorite sites:

1. www.couponmom.com

2. www.iheartpublix.com

Couponing Myths

Before we get into the basic steps of couponing I think it is important to cover a few myths that are out there:

Myth 1: There are never any coupons for what I usually purchase!

Fact: How many Sunday Coupon Circulars have you actually looked at? It is true that you will not see your favorite products every week but they do come eventually and the trick is to have enough coupons to stock up on those products until they come out again in the circulars. The best thing to do though is to focus on items that you are not brand specific to such as health care items and toiletries.

Myth 2: How can I save the Sunday Coupons for later store sales when they expire soon?

Fact: Many people think that since coupons come out every week that they expire after one week. This is not true. Every manufacturer has different expiration dates for their coupons. In fact, some coupons are good for months at a time!

Myth 3: I can't save much of anything when the coupons are usually only a dollar or less!

Fact: Here is an important thing to remember....Most grocery stores allow two coupons! They allow one coupon from the manufacturer of the product and one store coupon. In fact some stores allow competitor coupons that you can use as a "store" coupon. Example: Most Publix Supermarkets allow comptetitor coupons from Target and Winn Dixie (allowed competitor coupons varies by location). Recently I purchased some light bulbs using a Target coupon and a General Electric manufacurer coupon at Publix. The other trick is to combine your coupons with store sales. Those light bulbs were on sale "buy one get one" (BOGO). So....using one "store" coupon plus one manufacurer coupon plus the store sale I got a bunch of those light bulbs for free because the value of the coupons exceeded the store's sale price!

Myth 4: It is too time consuming!

Fact: Modern couponing is not like it was when our mothers did it. Now we have computers and internet and a ton of people that have already done most of the leg work for us! There are various websites which I will mention in my upcoming Couponing Instruction Post. Most of the work consists of finding all available coupons for a product and matching those up with upcoming store specials and sales. This is the stuff that is already done for us and posted online. Our job just consists of making a grocery list like we do every week, cross referencing that with the online "match-ups", choosing any other "match-ups" that you find interesting, and then cutting coupons from the specific circulars that you are told to cut from.

Myth 5: People who use coupons are cheap and it will be embarrasing.

Fact: You may feel embarrased the first time you use a large amount of coupons but the reactions you get from the cashier and the people who are in line envying you will take the embarrasment away real fast. It actually becomes fun and exciting to see the reactions of everyone when your bill drops 50%, 60%, 70%, and more!

If you find that you have more questions or other myths please let me know. I would be glad to answer them and debunk any myths that you may have!

Couponing Tip #3

Tip #3: The Florida Today Newspaper is for some reason lacking in coupons! There are three main types of Sunday Newspaper Coupon Circulars: RedPlum, Smart Source 1 & 2, and Proctor & Gamble (P&G). Florida Today does not ever have any P&G circulars and the other two circulars always seem to be missing the very best coupons that the others do have! Stick with the Orlando Sentinel!

Biggest Haul to date!

Publix allows competitor coupons and with the help of some Target coupons + Publix Sales + Manufacturer Coupons I got 40 Boxes of 4pk GE Light Bulbs + 6 Boxes of 24ct Zantac + Four Scotch Scissors all for FREE (Retail: $178.19, Actual: $0.00) Actually Publix paid me $6.40 to take the Light Bulbs out of the store ($0.16 per box). My entire Grocery Shopping trip retailed at $398.99 but I walked out only paying $131.38!

Before anyone makes a comment about what I'm going to do with 40 boxes of light bulbs, let me just say that I'm running a science experiment. No seriously though, I only bought all of these because I was making money on them to put towards produce which there are no coupons for. Most likely we will donate all of these since we use Energy Saving bulbs in our home.

TIP #2: When couponing you will find that you may be able to get an awesome deal on items you don't need but may make money (coupons + sales may be greater than price) by getting them. Contrary to what your friends may say, this is not hoarding! In fact, you can donate things that you don't need/want and if you donate enough during the year you may want to write it off for your taxes! Woohoo, more savings!

Savings Since May 2011

Here are a few of my first "Big" hauls:

This was my first exciting take. All of this pasta was FREE!

Twenty WishBone Salad Dressings and four Right Guard Deodorants all FREE!

I would have had more of both except being that it was early on in the beginning

of my couponing adventure, I had limited amounts of Newspaper Coupons Saved.

If memory serves me correctly I believe I had 44 containers of Dial Body Wash

all of which was absolutely free except of course for Uncle Sam's portion. Tax!

This haul was from the 2nd week of July 2011.

Using coupons + "buy one get one" sales I got all of this (40 boxes of pasta + 20 deodorants, retailing $117.28) all for only $19.48!

Welcome!

Hello,
My name is Wayne. I am currently a stay@home dad. I am attempting to save our family as much money as possible lately and have decided to take up couponing after my wife and I saw a show entitled Extreme Couponing. I started in May 2011 and it is now mid July and I have saved $1050.71 so far. I intend to use this blog as a stepping stone to test the waters and if there is a good response from readers and a need for it in our area I may just start an official Space Coast Couponing Group Website. I will be posting things such as basic "Extreme Couponing" instructions, Tips for unadvertised specials or coupons that I come across or am told about, pictures of some "extreme savings" Grocery Hauls, and will also answer questions that anyone may have.

First official tip: Stores on the islands will charge more for certain products because they know most people do not want to drive over the bridge to do the grocery shopping. When couponing and buying in bulk these price differences add up! I personally go to Publix in Merritt Island. Not only are some prices cheaper but the stock quantities are higher!