SaVvY SaVeR

Shop Smart, Save More

2010-08-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

OK, I have a confession to make. I am not the coupon queen; I am really just a coupon princess. I learned everything I know from my instructor who taught me about Grocerysmarts and Teri Gault. "Shop Smart, Save More" by Teri Gault is full of precious information about saving money and using coupons to stock up. I refer to this book often for tips and advice. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about saving serious money.

Relocation

2009-06-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just want to update all my Savvy Saver readers on why I haven't blogged much lately. Our family is making a transition that I expect to last just a few more weeks. We have relocated and I am no longer teaching classes in Southern Nevada. However, I plan on bringing Grocerysmarts to Northern Califonia as soon as we are settled. More to come on that.

In the meantime please keep using the lists HERE and contact me by email if you have any questions. I am still here to support you in your money saving adventures!

2009-05-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

All-In-One

I have had many people ask...What happened to the All-in-One feature on Grocerysmarts? I have been missing this feature because it is helpful in making a quick and easy shopping list if you are planning for more than one store. The All-in-One feature is great because you can look at all the stores on one page and make one shopping list instead of seperate ones for each store. Today is your lucky day because you can CLICK HERE to go directly to the All-in-One shopping list. You can also find it on my righthand side bar under the main Grocerysmarts link.

2009-05-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Birthday Perks!

About a week before my birthday, my inbox was inundated with offers from most of my favorite restaurants. How was I that lucky? Well, I had signed up for thier e-clubs online. They notify me of deals and promotions from time to time. The best part about signing up for these e-clubs is that most of them will send you a free "something" for your birthday.
Here is a list of my favs:

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza

All you need to do is visit the website of your favorite restaurants and sign up for thier e-clubs. You will get emails for free stuff for your birthday. Some will even give you a freebie just for signing up! On my birthday, I had so many treats offered to me that I couldn't even use them all. What a fun Birthday gift!

2009-05-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS!

You do NOT want to miss this.

Grocerysmarts is spreading like wildfire and I am pleased to announce that there are lists and codes for several NEW areas. Pass the word along!

Here they are...

Southern Nevada : "g89cbb"
Utah : "g84rcm"
Idaho : "g83ro1"

Eastern Washington : "g99ro1"

Southern California : "g92ro1"

Also, there are more areas coming soon! I'll keep you updated...

2009-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

How About that!

If you head on over to the Grocery Smarts website you will be delighted to find a brand new feature that will make your life just a little bit easier. When you click on the alphabetical coupon index from the main page, you get a listing of all the coupons you will have if you have been consistently getting the Smartsource inserts in your newspaper and also the Redplum and P&G in the mail. The new feature let's you type in the name of what you are looking for and will take you directly to the information about those coupons. This can save you time as you will no longer have to scroll down looking for the "Colgate" or "Kellogg's." you can just type the name in and it will magically appear!

2009-05-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Pickled Pepper Event

TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY!

You don't want to miss the Pickled Pepper Consignment Event!

If you have children or know any children, you need to come this weekend to find some really great deals not only on gently used children's clothing but on ALL things children.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that I would be at a booth spreading the word about
Grocery Smarts. Here is my schedule:

Thursday 12noon-2:30pm

Friday 2:30pm-5pm

If you come and see me at the booth and mention my blog, I will enter you into a drawing for a $5 gift certificate to "Coupons and Things by Dede"
Also, book a class* at my booth and you will be entered into a drawing for a $40 gift card
Hope to see you there!

Click HERE for directions and hours of the sale

*class must be held on scheduled date and have minimum attendance of 8 NEW moms

2009-05-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Free KFC - Print it today!

Who wants a free meal?

I do, I do! Here's the deal, thanks to Oprah and KFC, you can CLICK HERE

and print out a coupon for a free 2 piece "Kentucky Grilled Chicken" meal.

You can print it up to 4 times, so take the whole family out.

The coupon can only be printed until 8:59pm PST so don't delay.

They are good until May 19th so you have plenty of time to go and use them.

You're Invited!

2009-05-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you are reading my blog and have not yet had a chance to attend a Grocery Smarts class (or you have been to one, but want a refesher course) I am happy to tell you that I am hosting and teaching my own class next week and YOU'RE INVITED. You are also welcome to bring friends and guests. The more, the merrier! Read below for the info and please email or call me for my address and directions OR leave me a comment with your email address and I will email you as soon as possible. Hope to see you there!

When: May 7, 2009 at 7:00pm

Where: Please contact me for location information

Who: YOU! Plus bring a friend. For every friend you bring who is not already a “Grocery Smarts” smart shopper, you will get a chance at a drawing
for a $20 gift card. Also, by arriving on time you will get another chance to win!

Why: Because I can teach you how to cut your grocery bills in half! Who couldn’t use some extra savings? I love using Grocerysmarts.com along with my Sunday papers to save my family tons of money and also to stock my pantry. It’s easy and I would love to teach you how to do it too!

Please RSVP to me by Wednesday May 6th so that I know how many “Savvy Savers” to plan on!
Refreshments will be served

2009-04-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

Why I Use GrocerySmarts

My life before Grocery Smarts? Well, let's just say that I saw the inside of Walmart and Costco a bit too often. I would make my list on the fridge as I ran out of things each day. Then when shopping day approached I would look at the list, sigh a big sigh while realizing that I would be spending more money than I wanted to, yet again. I have always been a bargain shopper so this was hard for me. As our family has gotten bigger, our budget has had to grow to feed and care for all of us. I don't know how my mom did it with 7 kids, seriously!! With the tough economic situation that we are facing, I found myself worrying about whether we could continue to feed our family and keep the bills paid. Then, in October I attended my first Grocery Smarts class. My life changed for the better. During that Grocery Smarts class I learned about coupons and how to put them to their best use. I learned how to organize them in a way that made the task of "coupon shopping" not only easier but VERY VERY SIMPLE! I also learned about the website that helps to pull it all together, Grocery Smarts.com. It's awesome and it's free. That class was where I decided to subscribe to the Sunday paper for a consistent and steady supply of coupons so that I could stock up when the prices are at thier lowest and therefore, NEVER have to pay full price for anything if I don't want to. Yes, I now spend less than I used to even though my kids are growing and eating more. I love shopping this way so much that I now teach Grocery Smarts coupon classes to others and I would love to share it with you if I haven't already. If you would rather spend your hard earned money on something besides groceries and home essentials, contact me and I can teach you how!

How much can you save today?

Click HERE to go to this weeks Grocery Smarts lists

Baskin Robins TODAY

2009-04-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Baskin Robbins is hosting their annual 31 Cent Scoop Night. At participating locations, you can get up to 3 small scoops of ice cream for only $0.31each! (I recommend calling before you go to make sure they are participating)

It's a great day for Ice Cream!

2009-04-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Vons and CVS are HERE!

The moment we have all been waiting for is here and what great a week to get started! Vons and CVS have made their debuts this week on the Grocerysmarts lists. This is an awesome week to start because Vons is having a Promo that will knock your socks off! Spend $30 and get a $10 voucher off your next purchase. This can mean big savings for you.

Also, at CVS there are few deals not to be missed like Garnier Fructis on sale for $2.99 and you get $2 Extra Care Bucks making it $.99, but wait, if you take in your coupons from the 1/4 Redplum for $1/1 it means it's FREE! Deals like these keep us couponers rolling and loving life. Please check out the lists and think of all the new ways you'll be able to save from now on!

To check out the new Vons list click HERE

To check out the new CVS list click HERE

2009-04-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Pickled Pepper Kids Consignment Event

Saving money on groceries is great but it's also helpful to save money on all other things that we need from day to day. That's why I want to tell you about an event happening where you can come to buy gently used children's items and clothing for great prices.

PICKLED PEPPER KIDS

is having a consignment event the weekend of
May 7th-May 9th

Check out Pickled Pepper Kids for more info on shopping the event. You can also follow this link to find out about selling your own children's items to make a little extra cash!

I will actually be at the event at some point during the event running a GrocerySmarts booth so stop by and see me. (I'll keep you updated as to when I will be there)

Sad Kmart News

2009-04-21T13:20:00.001-07:00

I posted earlier about Kmart doubling coupons(that post has been removed) and I have sad news. One of my best couponing buddies went to take advantage of the double coupon event. She was saddened to find that for some reason it is not working at the only Kmart store that is supposed to be participating in Southern Nevada, the Super Kmart on Eastern Ave. If you would still like to try a trip there, you could call before you plan your shopping trip to see if they've got it up and running. Until then, you can focus on great deals at other stores and take advantage of a free ice cream cone at Ben and Jerry's today. Happy Tuesday!

We all scream for Ice Cream!

2009-04-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

LOVE

ICE CREAM...

I love getting free things, especially when it's ice cream.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Here's the scoop (pardon the pun):

Tuesday, April 21st is FREE ICE CREAM CONE day

at Ben and Jerry's.

You can get your free cone from 12 noon to 8pm

Stop in HERE to find out which locations in Nevada are participating.

You don't even need a coupon

Enjoy YOUR free ice cream!

Show and Tell

2009-04-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

Do you have a shopping trip that you're especially proud of?
I would love to see how GrocerySmarts is working for you!
Just email me with a picture and how much you saved and

I will share it with my other Savvy Saver readers. I have found that shopping has become more a game of how much I can save and less of a burden. I hope it is doing to same for you.

Here is my show and tell for the week:

Smith's

(OK, There are 2 pictures because I left the bag with the baking soda and deodorant at the store accidentally. They were missing in action for the first photo.)

Total Value: $38.87

Total Savings: $21.76

Total OOP(out of pocket):$17.11

56% savings or $.74 per item!

Albertsons:

I had a $3 voucher from my cereal purchase about to expire so I had to stop at Albertsons to take advantage of it.

Total Value: $20.76
Total Savings:$18.64
Total OOP:$2.12
90% savings
That's $.21 per item, WOW!

As you can see, we didn't need much this week because stockpiling is working for our family!

No Coupons-Easter Sunday

2009-04-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

If you open your papers tomorrow and you can't find your SmartSource coupon inserts...don't be alarmed. This is normal for a holiday weekend. Last week we got double SmartSource inserts to make up for it. Check out the 2009 Coupon Schedule to see what to expect in the future and be looking forward to next Sunday when the normal coupon inserts will return.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Redbox Mondays!

2009-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

If you love to save money, and I know you do, you will love this little tip. Redbox offers a code every Monday for a free rental! Just go HERE and register. They will send you a code for a FREE DVD rental plus they will text you a new code every Monday. That means you could get a free movie rental every Monday. Family movie night!

Albertson's 8 Hour Sale and Cereal Sale

2009-04-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

There are still about 6 hours left of the Albertson's 8 Hour sale so there is still time to get some great deals. Here is what I found.

Total value: $62.16

Total Store Savings: $37.24

Total Coupons used: $3.05

Total Saved: $40.29

Total Spent: $16.87 ($11.87 after I factor in the $5 Voucher)

73% Total Savings

$.99 per item!

Here's the deal for the Honey Bunches of Oats:

When you buy 3, you get a $2 voucher

Whenyou buy 4, you get a $3 voucher

When you buy 5 or more, you get $5 voucher (all good on your next shopping trip or order)

Selected Post cereals are already on sale for $1.57/box. If you factor in the voucher bonus , you pay $.86 per box! I have been waiting for a sale on this particular cereal for a long time so it was a great day for me! The Post deal is NOT part of the 8 hour sale so there's no hurry for that. There are other deals that ARE only in the 8 hours so check out Grocerysmarts.com and see if there's a way you can save today!

I have good news and I have bad news, which one do you want first?

2009-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

First the bad news, so we can end with really good news...I picked up my mail today and was actually sad to find that my Proctor and Gamble was in there and that means that I was wrong about it being in the paper this Sunday (there was a small Unilever insert though, goody!) However, this Sunday will still be nice because of the 2 seperate SmartSource Inserts. I apologize if I got you excited about that one.

Now for the good news. Hold your breath, here it comes...

Smith's Big Case Lot Sale is starting tomorrow! This sale happens 2 times a year, normally in April and October. It is a great opportunity to stock up on things you use every day and also build up your food storage. My recommendation would be to stock up on things you know you will use before they expire and they are 4 and 5 star items on the Grocerysmarts lists. What I really look forward to getting are the things I use in my every day meal preperation, like beans, tomato sauce, cheese, oil, canned fruits and vegies, cream of chicken soups, etc. It is my experience that you don't have to buy an entire case of anything either. You can just buy what you need. I love that part! I have also been able to preview the sales at the other stores for next week and they are offering some super deals to compete with Smith's.

Don't miss out!

Albertson's is even having an 8 hour sale on Thursday that you may want to go to. If you have super shopping trip this next week, TELL ME ABOUT IT! I would love to hear what you were able to do with Grocerysmarts and your couponing! I hope that everyone is able to stock up and save big this coming week. As always, let me know if you have questions on how to make it work for you. I can't wait to hear how you've been able to shop and save!

A big weeks a comin'!

2009-03-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you look at the 2009 Coupon Schedule for April 5th, you will see that we have 3 coupon inserts scheduled to come our way. There will 2 SmartSources and a Proctor and Gamble. I don't know about you but that makes me giddy with excitment! I get 4 Sunday papers, so that means 12 new coupon inserts, all in just one Sunday! If you aren't signed up yet, this would be a great week to call me so you don't miss out.

Quick Tip: Is your binder starting to bulge yet? If it is, you can simply find a file box or add a folder to your file drawer at home. You can put in a section for each month, use a paper clip to hold each weeks inserts together and then file them in chronological order. This system makes it so easy to find and clip your coupons...saving you time and money. If have questions about making this system work for you, please don't hesitate to call!

What's a Blinkie?

2009-03-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Blinkie, that's a funny word! But it can mean extra savings for you at the grocery store. A Blinkie coupon is the kind that is dispensed from those little machines with the flashing red lights on the aisle of the grocery store. Just because you pull a coupon out of it doesn't mean that you have to use it that day. In fact, it's best to follow rule #1 of the couponing world and wait until the item is on sale. You can even use it at another store. So grab a few, tuck them into your coupon organizer and watch for it to go on sale. Voila...extra savings for you!

Want More DEALS??

2009-03-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Want to share deals or post big savings tips? Pinching Your Pennies is an AWESOME forum for doing just that! There isn't a ton of participation yet in the Nevada Forum so I thought I'd do a post to get awareness out there so we can all start using it! Basically, you just register then can share info on extra deals you find as you are out shopping. The Grocery Smarts lists are great, but if you find something extra - this is where you can post it for everyone to see!
I get emails all the time from gals with more deals to share and if we can pass the word around and all start using this forum, it will become a great resource for all of us!
Read the GUIDELINES for joining HERE
Link to the NEVADA FORUM HERE

Coupon Exchange Blog

2009-03-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

Many people have asked me about finding a way to exchange coupons with fellow couponers. I have never had a good way to do that until now. My friend Nancy has set up a coupon exchange Blog. This provides a valuable forum in which you can exchange or trade coupons. It will be very useful in getting more coupons for the things you use that others may not. Nancy has set it up in an easy-to-use way, so make sure you read over the rules to understand how it works and you will be on your way to more valuable coupon savings!

Check it out HERE

Something to be happy about

2009-03-02T08:36:00.001-08:00

March 1st was a happy day for us couponers! Usually we get one P&G insert in our "junk" mail, once a month. For some reason they have decided to try putting it in the Sunday paper. This is so big because it means you get 1 copy of the P&G insert for EACH SUNDAY PAPER you subscribe to. That means that if you get 4 sunday papers, you got 4 P&G inserts! These are very valuable coupons and can help you save extra money. If you needed another reason to subscribe to multiple Sunday paper the deal just got a little sweeter. To all those who did get multiple P&G's, enjoy using them!These are the 4 P&G insets I got!

Theses were ALL the inserts I got in my March 1st Sunday paper

You can save BIG!

2009-02-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today I was watching a clip of a morning show about saving money at the grocery store. The woman that they were showing as an example said she normally spends $400 a WEEK for her family of 6 people. They had a supermarket guru follow her and note things that she could change in her shopping habits in order to cut back on spending. He did show her how to change a few things and was able to cut her bills in half. The best tip he gave her was to "make a list" before she went to the store. The whole time I was watching I was thinking that I would like to let this woman know that she could do EVEN BETTER!
If you are curious about how to save loads of money, you can host a class or just contact me and I can show you how! On my last shopping trip I saved 78%, You can do it to! If you host a class with 8 or more New Moms (people who do not already get multiple Sunday papers), You will get a $20 gift card to Smith's or Albertson's. If you have 12 or more New Moms, you get a gift card AND an invitation to my Advanced Coupon Class. This class is very valuable in helping you save even more $$$. My calendar is filling up quickly, CALL TODAY!

Start Saving Now!

Here are a few tips that I would've offered the woman on TV:
1) Visit Grocery Smarts
2) Make your shopping list based on what is on sale. You can plan a menu around the super deals on items such as meats and produce.
3) Check out the 4 and 5 star items for things you can stock up on while they are at rock-bottom prices. As you do this, your stockpile will grow and your shopping list will get shorter. You can go to your pantry for salsa instead of running to the store and buying it full price.
4) Print your list, clip your coupons and you're all set to hit the store.
5) By having a plan and a list, grocery shopping will become something that you may will look forward to. You will get in and out of the store quickly and have everything you need to take care of your family for TONS LESS!

It can't get any better than that!

Food Storage Stock-up Opportunity

2009-02-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

A great food storage stock-up opportunity was pointed out to me today and I wanted to pass it along. This week at Albertson's there is a "buy $25 worth of certain products and get $10 voucher for your next purchase"promotion. Included in this is "Wesson oil (Vegetable,Corn or Canola) 48oz." They are on sale for $2.50 and if you factor in the $10 you will get back, it brings it down to $1.50 a bottle! You can't beat that!

Using sales like this to stock up can save you big money in a long run!

Go to GrocerySmarts to see the other products included in this promotion.

Albertson's Big Sale

2009-02-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

The sale at Albertson's this week is a definite stock up opportunity. It's a "buy 10 items, get a $10 voucher for your next order" promo. This was a wonderful way to stock up on soup, cereal, yogurt, fruit snacks, baking items and numerous other products.
Some of you may ask "do I buy things I wouldn't normally buy just because it's a good deal?" I would say that it's totally up to you. No, I wouldn't normally buy Warm Delights, but when they come out to be FREE, why not? I would normally buy the store brand yogurt, but if Go-gurt is a price that can't be beat, then I can give my kids a nice treat for less than the name brand yogurt would have been. You still have time to take advantage of these great steals!

Here is a breakdown of my shopping trip:

Total product value: $254.94

Prefered Savings: $114.87

Coupon Savings: $82.94

Total Savings: $197.81

Total Spent: $56.13

For those of you asking yourselves"Is it worth it to subscribe to the newspaper for these coupons savings?" Just take a look at how much I saved in just one shopping trip due to my coupons! In six months, you will make your money back over and over, all savings for your family! If you would like to subscribe to the paper or add additional Sunday subscriptions, give me a call anytime @207-0621

Happy Shopping!

No Inserts today

2009-02-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I picked up my papers this morning and went through them as usual and was very sad to realize that there are NO inserts in this weeks Sunday paper. For those of you for whom this is your first Sunday, I sincerely apologize. You can look forward to next week though and you will still be saving tons of money! Here is a link with the schedule of which coupons you can expect in each Sunday paper so you know what to look for.

http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/articles/2009-coupon-insert-schedule/

Reese Puff's Anyone?

2009-02-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a sample of what you can do by combining store savings with coupons. Smith's had a promotion this week where you bought 10 of selected products and you got $3 off. Some of the included products were big boxes of cereal. These boxes were normally $3.99 each! I would NEVER pay that much for a box of cereal. So I planned out what I wanted and headed to Smith's. I love Reese Puff's, so much in fact that I won't usually let my kids eat them. I got 6 HUGE boxes of Reese Puff's for about $0.94 each. This is how it all boiled down...

Value of my 9 BIG boxes of cereal and 1 box of Pizza Rolls: $37.26

Fresh Value Savings: $18.10

Coupon Savings: $9.40

Total Spent: $9.76

Total savings: $27.50 (That's 73% Savings!)

(My kids were ecstatic when I said that "YES," they could eat some!)

My First Class!

2009-02-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

My First class was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who attended. I am still getting my blog up and running, so I want to direct you to a blog that I use often for tips and tricks. Collette is the one who taught me how to teach coupon classes and she knows EVERYTHING about it. I want my blog to be like hers someday! (I'm working on it)
GO TO: www.shopsmartinvegas.blogspot.com
Also, If you have any questions or just need help, don't hesitate to call me.
If you are interested in having me teach a class in your home, just let me know and we can set it up! If you have 8 NEW MOMS there, you will recieve a $20 gift card! That's a great incentive.

I am now an Instructor!

2009-01-29T16:39:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say that I am now qualified to teach Grocery Smarts Classes! I teach my first class to my ward on February 4th and all are invited. I hope that I can teach everyone how to use the website and benefit to the fullest from this magnificent program. I learned so much from the classes that I attended that I am going to be an even smarted shopper now! My food storage is growing without spending more than I would have been spending on weekly groceries.. I LOVE IT!
Anyone is invited to my first class, it will be held at my house(leave a comment for directions if you need them)

Wednesday night, February 4th

at 7pm. See you there!

Big Savings at Albertsons!

2009-01-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

This Albertson's sale was last week and it was a biggy. In fact it was so big that I went back again for a second round of savings! I was able to stock my pantry and freezer for some really great prices.

Take a look!

Albertsons Savings
Total Value = $205.19

Store savings = $84.88

Coupon Savings = $58.09

Total Savings = $142.97

Total Spent = $62.22 (plus a $15 store certificate)

70% Overall Savings!

(The Pantene was 17 cents a bottle!)

Who wouldn't want to SAVE!

2009-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Last October I attended a class that changed the way I shop for groceries and other essentials for my family. Grocery Smarts is a wonderful website to help you pair your coupons with store sales for phenomenal savings. I decided that I can't keep the excitement to myself and I am becoming certified to teach the class. It will take some time for me to get my blog up and running so bear with me. I will be able to teach you the things you need to know to save money for your family too.