The Couponing Cook

Go here and watch "Coffee with Collin" as she gives a few pointers on couponing for you newbies out there!

http://hip2save.com/

 I actually bought six, but I didn't get the other three until today, so here's three.

 Took out all of my Smartsource and Red Plum booklets

Buy 2 Sunday Newspapers to start off with.


 Make sure you check the inserts first to make sure they contain coupon books. There should be two booklets, one Smartsource and one Red Plum, this week. (22 May 2011)

Suggestions:
$ Tree sells them for $1.00 (I think this may be regional, so check to make sure before getting too excited)
Walgreens sells them for $0.99 (Again, might be regional)

Some highlights that may be in your books. (Keep in mind some of these may be regional)
SmartSource
$1/1 Heinz 57 Sauce any 10oz or larger
$1.50/1 Tampax, any gentle glide or sport tampons (14ct or larger)
$4 off any 2 Advil, Advil PM or ThermaCare products
$1/1 any Glade fabric & air odor eliminator product
$1/1 any Energizer batteries or flashlight
$2/1 any OFF! clip-on mosquito repellent starter
Red Plum/Uniliver
$1/1 Magnum Ice Cream
$1/1 Starbucks Pint of Starbucks Ice Cream
$1.50/2 M&M Bags of M&Ms 9.9oz or larger
$1/1 Hungry Jack any pancake mixes or syrup products
$3/1 Bengay, any product
$0.75/1 Caress any Tahitian Renewal or Cashmere Luxury 12oz body wash or larger
Buy 1 get 1 FREE Suave body wash or lotion (excludes sizes under 4oz)
$1/1 Suave Body Lotion Product 18oz or larger
Buy any one Degree Men or Womens Anti-Perspirant or Body Mist, get one FREE
$1/1 Vaseline Product 3.1 oz or larger
$1.50/1 Cutter any Cutter Product
$1/1 Marcal Small Steps Small Steps Towel 8 roll or higher, Bath tissue 12 roll or higher or 2 napkins

A 2" three ring binder


Baseball card protectors. I bought mine on Ebay for really inexpensive. But recently I just saw a pack of 10 at the $ Tree. So that would be awesome if you could buy them there. I recommend buying  at least two of them to start off with.

Tabs to organize your coupons by whatever category you see fit. I organize mine by the isle the product is found in the store: Baking, Bread, Beverage, Frozen, Health and Beauty, etc.

A three ring pencil holder to stick in your binder. You can put whatever you'd like in here. I put a pair of scissors, extra tabs, and sometimes receipts in case I may have to return an item. I know right where the receipt is.

And last but probably not least... Print a copy of coupon policies from the stores that you shop at most frequently. Just click on the links below to print. Suggestions: 
1. Walmart- http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx
*Pay special close attention to the point towards the bottom of the page that says they will give you money back if a coupon exceeds the price value of the product!
* This store is the only one I've really had to pull out the policy and "argue" with a manager over.

2. Rite Aid- http://content.riteaid.com/stores/CustomerCouponAcceptancePolicyAugust2010.pdf
*Notice their B1G1 Free rule. If they have a product on sale for B1G1 Free and you have a B1G1 coupon, the item is free!

3. Walgreens- http://www.walgreens.com/topic/help/generalhelp/coupon_policy_main.jsp
*Read their Register Reward rules carefully! 

4. Target- http://www.target.com/Coupon-Policy-Store-Merchandise-Information/b?ie=UTF8&node=2223357011

5. Kroger- http://savingslifestyle.com/sale-shopping/grocery-store-sale-shopping/kroger-coupon-policy-faq/

6. Food Lion- http://www.foodlion.com/assets/docs/customerService/CouponPolicy_Food%20Lion.pdf?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=Wall%2BPost-Grocery

7.Martins Supermarket- http://www.martinsfoods.com/shareddev/sharedcontent/Savings/DoubleandInternetCouponPolicy.cfm

8. The Commissary- http://www.commissaries.com/documents/contact_deca/faqs/coupon_use.cfm
*My commissary accepts Walgreen's Register Rewards. I've had to go to the head honcho, the Store Director, to get the affirmation I needed to use them. This is why... The managers don't know their own policy. The store director apologized to me for that and printed this off and signed it for me so I can now coupon with confidence at the Commissary!!



I felt so cool that I got to talk to the head honcho, just so you guys know.  But if this is something you have to do at your commissary then do so. It's so worth it! I just called him and left him a message. He called me back, then I went in and talked to him about it.
As I always say, "FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO COUPON!"

Go here http://www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables?sk=app_208239019207993 and "like" them. Then play their spin game to win a coupon. I just kept trying until I won the $3.00 off coupon! These are really yummy!


Go here http://www.facebook.com/arbys?sk=app_207403572627761 and "like" them to print off a coupon for "Free Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad with purchase of 22 oz. Pepsi Beverage". This is an awesome coupon, I recommend doing this!!!

I got the porkchop and seasoning recipe from my Cast Iron Cookbook. By: Joanna Pruess
*Thank you Grandma Patty for sending me this cookbook for my B-Day!

Ingredients:
16 oz. Mushroom Caps
Southern Seasoning Mix (recipe follows)
4 (1-inch thick) Bone-in loin pork chops, blotted dry
1/2 Tbs. oil
Salt to taste

Souther Seasoning Mix: (Very yummy if I must say so myself)
1 Tbs. Chili powder
1/2 Tbs. each ground coriander, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne (doesn't make pork chops spicy. Just enough flavor)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Combine the Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix well
2. Dice mushrooms and put in a skillet and saute' with aprox 1/2 Tbs. butter until tender. Keep warm in an oven at 250 degrees until ready to serve.
3. heat a very large cast iron skillet large enough to hold the chops in a single layer without crowding over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, 3/12 to 4 mins.(Or you can do what I did and used my largest one and just cooked two at a time because my pan was not big enough).  Meanwhile, rub about 1 tsp. of the seasoning mix into each side of the pork chops.

Once the skillet is hot, brush it with oil, and lay the chops in the pan with the thickest parts toward the center. Season with salt and cook for 3 mins.; turn, season the other side with salt, and cook for 2 1/2-3 mins. or until the meat measures 125-130 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of one chop close to the bone. Put chops in oven to keep warm while cook the other two chops.  Serve. Prepare to indulge in some very yummy food!

 

Taste of Home: April/May 2011 Recipe By: Jenn Tidwell

5 Gillette Fusion Proglide Razors (with 2 Cartridges each):
5 Eez-thru Floss Dental Pics
1 Ring Flyer (For our Frisby Golf dates)

Total: $25.26 out of pocket
# Register Rewards Back: $35 in RR!
Total after RR: $-9.74. They paid me!!!



Deal Scenario:
*Keep in mind that if you want to buy more than one floss/razor then you will have to do it in seperate orders. I did five seperate orders.  Because the RR are one per transaction per product. Make sense?

Buy 1 Razor at $9.89 and one dental floss at $2.00
Use $4.00 coupon in this week's P&G
Use $3.00 RR that printed off from last week's Carefree Pad deal. (Or any other RR Reward if you have one).
*Note: A "RR" is able to be used here because the floss pics do not have a Manufacturer coupon to go with it, so you can use a RR as it's Manufacturer Coupon. Get it? Questions, just Facebook me.

Pay out of pocket: 4.89
Get $7.00 in RR back.  A $5.00 RR will print off from the Razor and a $2.00 one will print off for the picks.

That's a pretty good deal for two razor cartirdges even if you don't need the handle. That's why I bought these.

The Reason I bought so many was because Razor cartridges are expensive.  I was able to get 10 Cartridges plus the handles and  floss picks.  I'd say this was a GREAT deal!