How Did I Get All of This for $12?

Rebate Offers - Do I really have time?

There are so many rebates out there on products -- products you bring home every day and don't even realize it. Manufacturers want you to try their product and they are willing to pay you to try it. In my other life, I did not take the time to fill out a rebate but now that I am organized and feeling the economic pinch that I am sure you all must be experiencing, I have changed my way of thinking. It only takes me seconds to pop that rebate in the mail and wait for a check for $5.00, $10, etc. I have received a check for as much as $100 on a rebate.

The key is organization. I have envelopes, stamps, and return address labels ready to go when I find a rebate. The other day, my grocer had BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) on a new Windex spray which was a good offer by itself but also in the weekly coupon flyer was a rebate for one bottle of Windex up to $4.99. Not only that, I also used a coupon on the Windex that I purchased -- cost of both bottles: FREE.

It took only a minute to gather the receipt, the UPC, the rebate form (mfg. only needed my name and address) and I just dropped it in the mail -- mfg will send a check for $4.99. Trust me, these rebates add up.

Hopefully, this post is getting you motivated to save and to make you think about how you are spending your hard earned money.

Here are a couple of rebate samples you may be interested in trying, if not these, there are tons more out there.

Click here and print form to try All Bran. Offer expires April 30.

Try Sure® MAX FREE -- Click here for rebate form. Click here to also get $1 off Sure Deodorant coupon and then if you find them on sale, you will probably make money. Rebate must be postmarked by April 30, 2009.


Tip: Try to buy item when it is on sale, use a coupon on it and use the rebate for extra savings.

Georgia Times Union Subscription

Are you missing those coupons in your local Sunday paper? You may want to think about home delivery and subscribe to the Georgia Times Union for the Sunday only edition or a paper local to your area.

For the Sunday only subscription, there are several payment options available. You will receive a bill in approximately 10 days from the start date. You can pay by check, credit card or phone in a payment and they also have a auto debit option.  For a subscription to the Georgia Times Union call 904-359-4255. Current newsstand rate is $2.00 per paper.

Special Note:  Prices may have changed slightly since this post.

Free to You and Me

Parents Magazine 24 free issues - sign up quick - these offers go fast!


Bear Naked cereal sample for the health nut in the family.


Eat Better America Coupon $10 Booklet. You may sign up for their newsletter and receive offers via email also.

Free Betty Crocker Mini Delights

For all you folks that have a sweet tooth, click here to get a free sample of Betty Crocker Mini Delights. This is only for new members. If you have already signed up to receive Betty Crocker's email newsletter and offers you are not eligible.

Body + Soul Free One Year Subscription

This looks like a beautiful magazine. I have not received it yet, but I did look at it at Books-A-Million the other day. Click here to get your free subscription. Hurry this won't last long. The Martha Stewart Living magazine offer has expired.

Red Plum Coupons 101

Click here to read all about Red Plum's Printable Coupons 101: How, Where & When They Work

IMPORTANT: Red Plum Coupon Insert Changes

Sign up here to get Red Plum delivered to your home. RedPlum, also known as Valassis has switched from providing their coupon inserts in the newspaper to mailing them directly to consumers. The Valassis Corporation is pulling the newspaper insert from several states. It does not have Georgia listed yet. Go ahead and sign up now for your home mailer.

I don't get coupon inserts in my local paper so I have to buy the Georgia Times Union on Sundays. Click here to go to the Bring Back the Coupons homepage to learn more and make a comment. There are some strong opinions and one of the problems is that people that buy multiple papers on Sunday will no longer be able to do that to get multiple copies of the Red Plum. So, if they only get the one mailer and their store does not take internet coupons their savings will not be as great. This is just one more example of our declining economy and companies cutting employees (which Valassis had to do) and cutting expenses.

I gave you dinner at Quiznos - How about lunch at Arby's

Click here to print out a coupon for a Free Roast Burger with the purchase of any drink. Coupon states only at participating Arby's - hopefully our Arby's is participating. Maybe I can get over there this week. If you get there before me, leave a comment and let me know if it worked. You need to go by March 9.

Start Making Choices Welcome Kit

Sign up here for a coupon welcome kit with Start Making Choices. You will also receive a sample of Orville Redenbacher's® Natural Gourmet® Popping Corn in the new Lime & Salt Flavor. It only takes a second to sign up.

Coupons:

• $1 off any four Hunt's® Diced, Stewed, or Whole Tomatoes
• $1 off any two Healthy Choice® Fresh Mixers™
• $1 off any two Healthy Choice Café Steamers™
• $1.50 off any two Orville Redenbacher's Natural Gourmet Popping Corn

Quiznos Million Sub Giveaway

Quiznos is giving away a MILLION subs. Click here to get yours now. We have a Quiznos right around the corner so this will be a nice treat. Thank you Dell for forwarding me the link.

Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter has a great manager, Chip Ward, and wonderful customer service. I had an issue with my receipt and they took care of it with no problem. I told Chip that I often see a lot of items on sale in the store that aren't posted in the sales flyer. He told me that at any given time they have around 4,500 items on sale in the store. Obviously, they are not all in the flyer. The unreal deals sometimes run for a month. From my experience, Harris Teeter has very few errors in their pricing and they have a great system in place. If there is a problem, they always make it right.

A funny story: Today I met Chip Ward for the first time. I realized it was his mother or mother-in-law who was partly responsible for me getting back into couponing. About a year and a half ago, we took a computer class together. While on break, she was cutting out coupons. Of course I was interested, so I started asking questions. She had a huge bag of coupons and she gave me what she did not use. She woke me up to the fact HT has Triple Coupon Week. Matter of fact, it was that weekend and she was getting ready for the sale. I could not believe my savings that weekend. I always dreaded grocery shopping now it is like a game.

Don't forget to sign up for the E-Vic program if you haven't already done so!

Target Visit Today

Today, I only had about 30 minutes to run in to Target and pick up a few items. Here is a sample of how I saved:

Gillette Venus Razor: $6.59
Use (1) $2/1 ManQ –PG 2/8
Use (1) $3/1 TargetQ
Total Paid: $1.59 (plus tax)

Arm & Hammer Kitty Litter = $6.74 (20 Pounds)
Use (1) $1/1 ManQ –Arm and Hammer Website
Use (1) $2/1 This was a TargetQ register receipt coupon from last visit
Total Paid: $3.74 (plus tax)

Cascade Crystal Clear Rinse: $3.14
Used coupon for FREE item from the Home Made Simple coupon booklet (received in mail)
Total Paid: $0

Just on the few items above:
Total Amount: $13.33
Amount Paid: $ 5.33


I bought several other items using Target coupons, unfortunately I did not have my mfgQ packet with me but I still saved $1 off each item which really adds up. I looked at my receipt once I got in the car and noticed there were a few things that were not priced correctly – two items were actually more than what was posted in the store and one was less, i.e. the bread was posted at $2.69 but rang up for $3.69. I did not have time to deal with this as I had an appointment and it was my mentoring day. You cannot always trust a stores posted prices. This is not the first time this has happened at Target. Out of the small amount of items I purchased, there was a discrepancy with three items. They probably have thousands of items to price a week and obviously don't have a perfect system. My point -always look at your receipt.

Also, wanted you to know that you can print the Target coupons right there in the store. I discovered this a few weeks ago when I was using the baby/gift registry located by customer service. You can pull up the Target website, select the ones you want and print. This will certainly save the ink in your computer. Don't forget to stack!

Great Coupons for Greenies and the Organic Food Lover

Mambo Sprouts has some great coupons. If you have a taste for natural, healthy products, you need to visit this site and print away. Click here to get your coupons on natural products.

Harris Teeter

I finally made it to Harris Teeter Monday morning. I got up, made coffee and started clipping away. I would not allow myself to even sit at this computer for ten minutes to check email. I knew if I did this I would lose two hours and then three and never make it to the store. When I went out to get in the car, I realized I had not left the house since Friday - I wasn't even sure where I had last put my keys. I understand why computer geeks get so consumed -- it is a wonderful feeling when you finally see the end product.

It is so easy to lose sight of all that is going on around you. I sat at this computer for two days straight with no make-up and not even a comb through my hair. My husband was away and I have faint memories of my daughter coming and going all weekend. I think the time invested has been well spent. The page is up and running and we will see what happens in the next 24 hours when I try to change the domain name.

Anyway, my savings was only about half (saved $58) since I did not spend much time perusing the sales this weekend and I also needed a lot of produce. My dear daughter only eats fresh fruit and vegetables and tries to avoid junk food which I am grateful for, however, produce really runs up the grocery bill. I can't wait for spring and for the small farmer markets to open with all their fresh veggies and fruit AND the prices are so much better. The picture on this web page of the vegetable stand is one that I took in Italy a couple of years ago.

One thing I did at Harris Teeter was the “Buy 3 Save $3” (combined with coupons) and also the “Save $4 Instantly” when you buy any participating General Mills products (using coupons of course) -- I was supposed to get $7 off my bill since I am a VIC customer. I got home and looked at my register receipt and can’t see that this was taken off. I called the local customer service at Harris Teeter and they were very nice and she pulled my ticket on the computer with my VIC ID#. She said she could see on her computer screen where the $4 had been taken off but not the $3 so she told me to come back up there and she would reimburse me. I am still not convinced the $4 was taken off since I can’t see it on the receipt. I am going back to HT today and we will see what happens. $7 is not a lot of money but with me it is always the principle. I want to see my savings on my receipt!

See, it is all about computer programming -- someone must have stepped out to get coffee or went shopping and missed this programming step. Check those register receipts!

Coming Soon: Change in Web Address

Today, I went to GoDaddy.com and registered a domain for this blog. That went great but boy did I ever have a scare -- I thought I had deleted this blog because after I got off the phone with GoDaddy, I immediately made the changes to the settings in my blog and tried to pull the blog up with the new address. Well, it wasn't there and then when I went back to the old address it wasn't there either.

Immediately, I called GoDaddy and learned there is a wait time. Customer Support told me it could take 24-48 hours for this to be processed through the internet. Once I know the process is complete, I will make the changes in my settings for my new web address. It will be www.savingswithsadie.com instead of www.savingswithsadie.blogspot.com. This should be a lot easier for you all to remember.

As you can see, I was able to get my blog back up.

Kashi Free Entree

I try new products all the time whether I pay for them or get them for free. If you are interested in Kashi's products, click here to sign up for a free entree and they will mail you the coupon. It is an all natural food product. It only takes about 20 seconds to sign up.

Kraft Game Day Instant Win

A few weeks ago, I received a call from Dell a good friend. She wanted to know if I had entered the Kraft contest. She had entered and won. I visit the site once in a while to print coupons. This contest was so easy -- all you had to do was enter your email address and hit enter. While I was talking to her on the phone I went to the site and tried it -- I won instantly. It also happened to be the last day of the contest. It seemed too good to be true and I wasn't totally convinced I had won. Today, I am convinced. In my mailbox was a letter from Kraft with three coupons for three free products -- a Nabisco Cracker product, Planters peanuts, and one package of Kraft cheese. Total value is approximately $15. Wow --not bad for 30 seconds on the site and we happen to use these products.

There are a number of manufacturing websites that I visit to print coupons and I noticed that many of them run promotions/contests. Some of the prizes are quite valuable, i.e. kitchen makeover, trips, free paper towels for a year, and tons more. Paper towels for a year would not be a bad gift considering how fast we go through them.

Bath and Body

Click here to get your Bath and Body coupon. Expires March 15, 2009. You may use this in the store or on line.

Sunday's Coupon Inserts

I thought there were some good coupons this week and also some interesting one's. Kellogg's offered a .70 off. I wonder if this is a sign of our times -- I guess .05 saved on thousands of coupons would help. There was also a page in one of the inserts for Publix. Use this to stack and you will have some really great deals. I have been so busy working on the layout of this blog, I have not had time to even look at specials or think about grocery shopping. I never made it to Harris Teeter today but definitely going Monday morning or I might find my computer and chair out on the street.

All You Magazine Coupons

For those of you that subscribe to the All You Magazine, Bargain Briana has just started a database for the All You coupons. Click here to visit Bargain Briana's website and view her database. I just ordered the All You Magazine last week. If you don't want to subscribe to it, you can always pick up a copy at Walmart.

Unclaimed Luggage - Lost Treasures from Around the World

I have often wondered what happens to unclaimed luggage especially when I am standing in the lost luggage line at the airport. Click here to check out Unclaimed Luggage - Lost Treasures from Around the World. You can take a tour of the store and look at each department on-line. The site also has some great travel tips to keep your baggage safe while you travel. This sounds like a road trip to me. I know Lucy and Ethel are always ready for a treasure hunting trip. Unclaimed Baggage is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

You can get the location and hours of operation from their website. It takes approximately three hours to get there from Atlanta.

This is not far from Signal Mountain, Tennessee. I may just have to stop in and check it out when I make the trip to visit my brother-in-law. If anyone has visited the store, please leave comment and let us know if the store is worth the trip.

Sunday Paper

Don't forget to pick up your Sunday paper today. There should be a Smart Source & Red Plum in the issue. Don't wait too late. Unfortunately, The Brunswick News no longer puts coupons in the paper. I will check on this again to see if they have plans to add them back.

Betty Crocker Dinner Made Easy

Click here for the Betty Crocker Dinner Made Easy $10 coupon booklet and you can also sign up for newsletter and get great 30 minute recipes.

It is Sunday so it must be time for The Grocery Game

I made myself get out of bed this morning and go straight to the shower because I new if I sat at this computer and started working on this blog again, all would be lost. I need to get some groceries TODAY! Patrick is coming back today and Alexandra is having to use the heels of toast for breakfast this morning and I am sure I will hear about it.

Anyway, every Sunday morning, I get my hot brewed cup of coffee and sit down to play The Grocery Game. I really like this site because Teri covers all the Harris Teeter deals better than any site I have found. She also lists every item on sale with the original price, sale price, and so on. It saves me so much time. I use it as a tool with some of the other sites to make sure I have covered all the deals out there that interest me. You can get a four week trial for $1 and cancel at any time. It is worth an average of $1 a week to use this site. Harris Teeter's new sale starts every Wednesday. Teri does not post until Sunday morning at 8:00 AM - so I have Sunday, Monday or Tuesday to get my shopping done before the new sale starts. I usually make two trips a week to the grocery store -- so I also go on Thursday's to get just a few items we seem to constantly run out of and to take advantage of the BOGO. Don't forget to tell them savingswithsadie@gmail.com sent you over if you sign up. I will be writing to Teri to see if there will ever be a chance that Harris Teeter could be posted sooner. She does a really good job of posting the sales for triple coupon week. She makes an exception and posts on Thursday, the day the sale starts. Let me know what you think about the site.

Savings With Sadie Blog Design

I have spent long hours over the last few days trying to set up this site. Yesterday, I did not even get a comb in my hair nor make it out of my sweat pants. This site is still a long way from completion. Those of you that have accessed this site, please bare with me as you will see changes in layout constantly as well as font color. Right now the fonts are a little screwy and my header is another story (it is stuck). I am thinking about going with White, Green, Black and maybe some pink thrown in for links. Last night I went to bed at midnight defeated that I could not turn my two column into a three column blog. I had just closed my eyes when it hit me to try one more thing. Sooooo, I got out of bed and came back to the computer and after two hours of tweaking - yeah -I got three columns. The html coding is way over my head but thank goodness for the internet and some great websites to refer to for information. Also, the background color behind my blog has got to go but I don't know yet how to get rid of it. Please share with me your comments, suggestions for the site and any changes you would like to see.

Driven to Distraction - Getting Correct Change

Grocery shopping
Originally uploaded by ralphbijker

When I am at check-out at the grocery store, I am sometimes overwhelmed with distractions --watching the coupons cha-chinging on the computer screen, trying to carry on a conversation with someone in the next isle and making sure I pay the cashier the correct amount and get back correct change. I feel like my head is spinnng. Here's a little tip to remember if you are paying in cash with a large bill. I try to make a mental note of the last three serial numbers. If you receive the wrong change back, tell the clerk to check the last bill for the three numbers, and you can prove that you gave them the larger bill.

Coupon Policy - Winn Dixie - Brunswick, GA

I called the store and this is the policy given to me:

• Does NOT double.
• Does NOT take competitor coupons from other grocery stores.
• Does NOT take half off of a BOGO –You need to buy both items in order to get free item.
• Can only use one coupon on BOGO.
• Stacking coupons is NOT allowed.
• Accepts internet coupons
• Accepts coupons for free items.
• No limit on coupons according to customer service.

Google Books and Magazines - Free Online

Google Books has free past edition print magazines available on line for viewing. Books are also available: Fiction, Non-Fiction and Random subjects. You can get a preview of the book or in some cases the entire text. It is easy -- just click here to view.

Coupon Lingo

P&G = Procter & Gamble Sunday insert
RP = Red Plum
SS = SmartSource

• $1/1, $1/2, etc. = One dollar off one item, one dollar off two items, etc.
• 2/$1, 3/$2, etc. = Two items for one dollar, three items for two dollars, etc.
• BOGO = Buy one item get one item free
• B2GO = Buy two items get one item free
• Blinkies = Grocery/drugstore coupon dispensers with blinking lights
• Cat = Catalina coupon, prints from a separate machine when your receipt prints
• CRT = Cash register tape, used when referring to CVS coupons that print with receipt
• ECBs = ExtraCare Bucks, CVS loyalty rewards system
• ESRs = EasySaver Rebates, Walgreens monthly rebates program
• FAR = Free after rebate
• IPQ = Internet printable coupon
• IVC = Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens’ store coupons found in ads and ESR booklet
• MFR = Manufacturer
• MIR = Mail-in rebate
• OYNO = On your next order
• OOP = Out of pocket
• Peelie = Peel-off coupon found on product packaging
• PSA = Prices starting at
• RRs = Register Rewards, Walgreens’ Catalina coupons
• SCR = Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid monthly rebates program
• UPC = Universal Product Code, bar code on a product
• WT = Wine tag, no alcohol purchase necessary to use these coupons
• WYB = When you buy
• YMMV = Your mileage (or manager) may vary

Coupon Policy - Publix - Valdosta, GA

• They do not double.
• They do take competitor coupons from other grocery stores like Food Lion, Winn Dixie, Harveys, etc. They will take the $10 register receipt from Winn Dixie or other grocery store.
• You can use 2 coupons on a BOGO (which is good) But know that you do not have to buy both items if you don’t want it – you will get one at half the price and use the coupon on it.
• They allow stacking coupons (in-store and mfg.).
• They accept internet coupons.
• They also accept coupons for free item if the value is under $5.00 (like that Glucerna cereal).

Coupon Policy - Publix - Brunswick, GA

Updated March 3, 2009: Publix is in the process of creating a corporate coupon policy. In most cases, policy varies by store and is up to the General Manager. I have typed up what I have been able to find out from our local store and from experience. Valdosta policy is different from Brunswick and Jacksonville Publix varies on their policy as well. Basically, he said Publix will do whatever it takes to make the customer happy -- within reason.

• Doubles coupons up to .50.
• Does take competitor coupons from "traditional" grocery stores like Food Lion, Winn Dixie, Harveys, etc. They will take the $10 register receipt from Winn Dixie or other grocery store.
• Does not take Target coupons – Target is not considered a "traditional" grocery store.
• Does not take drug store coupons.
• You can use 2 coupons on a BOGO (which is good).
• You do not have to buy both items on a BOGO if you don’t want second item – you will get one at half the price.
• Stacking coupons is allowed (in-store and mfgQ also competitor and mfgQ).
• Accepts internet coupons.
• They also accept coupons for free item if the value is under $5.00. Supervisor may override if over $5. You can always ask.
• Will take up to 50 coupons. (If you have more – cashier may get supervisor to over-ride. I have also been told they do not have a limit so this could vary.
• Does not double in-store (Publix) coupons.
• Does not take a mgfQ or competitor coupon on a store brand.
• Regarding expired in-store (Publix) coupons. I asked the manager if they took expired in-store coupons and he said it is "situational."
• Most Publix stores do not double. The reason Publix (Brunswick) doubles is because Harris Teeter doubles.

Manager said corporate office is also working on Return Policy. He said they get all kinds of returns. Today, he had someone push in a cart of Depends without a receipt. They did not take the return. He said the man had probably $300 worth of Depends. Wonder where he got those from?

Coupon Policy - Harris Teeter

Click here to view Harris Teeter coupon policy.

Also, sign up here to be an E-Vic customer. You will get special offers and coupons only made available to e-vic customers. Just because you are a VIC customer, this does not make you an e-vic customer.

It's All About: Coupon Organization

There are many coupon organizational systems and you might try several until you find the right one. I changed/edited my coupon system several times until I settled on one. It may take you an hour or so to organize your coupons and set up a system, but once you have a system in place you will save so much time and reap the rewards in savings.

Because of the coupon system that is personally good for me, I do not cut out my coupons but keep them in expandable files. I use one expandable file for each source. I date the flyers as they come in every Sunday. Be careful where you put the date on the front cover or else you may just cut off the date when cutting out a coupon– but not to worry -- if this happens, grab your reading glasses and look for the date in very, very small print on the spine of each flyer.

Even if you use the system above, there will always be extra loose coupons from the internet or coupons that you did not use at the store that day because the store may have been out of the product or maybe you decided to wait for a better deal. I tried labeling separate envelopes but this was too cumbersome. Dell, a friend of mine gave me a cute clutch expandable file system. It looks like a purse. Staples has some really colorful ones also. I keep a small pair of scissors, store reward cards, pen and a small calculator in the front pocket. I keep another small expandable file for drug stores, reward cards, store coupons, discount cards and gift certificates -- i.e. Bath & Body, Victoria Secrets, Belks, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc. Now they are all together instead of all over the house. Some labels you may want to use are below. I even use a label “First Isle Harris Teeter” because I know every item on that isle and it is easier for me.

· Beverages
· Canned Goods
· Cereal/Breakfast Items
· Cleaning Supplies
· Coffee/Tea
· Condiments
· Dairy Items
· Diapers/Wipes
· Food Storage and Trash Bags
· Frozen Foods
· Health & Beauty
· International Foods
· Laundry Supplies
· Meat
· Miscellaneous Baby/Kids
· Miscellaneous Household (ex: batteries, light bulbs)
· Paper Products (ex: toilet paper, paper towels)
· Prepared Dinners (non-frozen)
· Staples (ex: sugar, rice, etc.)Snacks/Sweets

I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions. If you have any, please share them.

About Savings with Sadie

First and foremost, I am a mother to a smart and beautiful college student and married to a wonderful husband for 23 years.

In August 2008, I lost my part-time job due to the downturn in the economy. With more time on my hands, I started paying attention to the rising cost of groceries. My grocery bills were quite high and I cringe now at the waste of money over the years.

I have always been a bargain hunter and love the challenge of finding the best deals on electronics, household items, clothes, etc., but grocery shopping was another story. I hated it. If I needed it, I threw it in the buggy without giving the price a thought. To save money, I started using coupons and then I started using the internet and learning ways to cut expenses even more on my food bill and also save money in so many other areas.

My savings was unbelievable and in just a few months, I had more than cut our grocery bill in half by applying principles and techniques that I learned from other fellow bloggers. I was so excited about all the money I was saving that I started teaching family and friends and I enjoyed the fact that they were shocked at their savings.

I created Savings With Sadie as a personal guide for storing all of my information and then started sharing it with the public.  I encourage everyone to use it at no cost as a guide to help cut household expenses.  Now going to the grocery store is more enjoyable since I have learned to play the savings game.

I have many passions: gardening, travelling, treasure/bargain hunting, reading, wine and so many more. I share all the deals I find as well as tips I have learned. And not to be forgotten, SHOPPING. I love to shop and I constantly scour the internet or store for the lowest price available prior to purchase. I have always been a “deal finder” and will enjoy sharing my deals as time permits.

If you are new to this site, please read Guidelines here and Disclaimer here.
So with all that said, let’s blog and save some money…
Special Note: I named this site in honor of my Siti (grandmother) who I am named after. I am Lisa Sadie but most people call me Lisa.

CVS Scott Paper Towels

Get on over to CVS before closing on Tuesday, February 16. Two days only Scott Paper Towels $4.99 for an 8 pack. $1 off 2/8SS. Final Price: $3.99.


Enter here to win Scott Paper Towels for a year.