Walmart 6/13/11

We didn't do all that well at Walmart but I did get a few things FREE and a couple MM.  Also I gave a coupon to Mack and we forgot to use it.  :( 
Here's what we got:

Total: $60.71

Total OOP: $39.30  Not great but not to bad.

Some of the great deals we got:

FREE Aleve 200ct

FREE cottonelle. fresh wipes
2 FREE 3pk Ivory soap +$.06MM
FREE travel sized body wash +$1.03MM
We also got a few pretty expensive items too. 
4 Different spices, 35lbs of cat litter, olive oil, red wine, and brownies.  YUM!

Rite Aid 6/13/11

Super low OOP for RA this week.  They were out of a few things that I had wanted to pick up.  Also the shick razors are B1G1.  In the RA blog it said the razors were $7 something..... they were $10.29!  So I passed on those.  They were also out of the new Bayer asprin but I got a rain check.  This will be a money maker.  There is a $1.99UP and a $2 coupon this week making it free.  Also you can do the MIR for the $1.99!  So that's a $1.99MM!!  (money maker).  Cashier said to check back Friday.
Here's what I got:

Total:$20.99

Total OOP with sales and coupons: $1.64

Getting back from MIR: $5!!!!  After this the store would have PAID ME $3.36!

How I did it:

Trans 1

2 Oral B manual toothbrush $5.79 each sale $2.99 get $1UP

Filler cow tails .33

Used 

B1G1 Oral B manual toothbrush

$3UPs from last time

Trans 2

Arm and Hammer toothpaste $4.79 sale $3.99 get $3UP

Used

$1 off

$2UPS from trans 1

Trans 3

Finesse conditioner $4.29 sale $3.33

Used

$3UPS from trans 2.

This deal gets even better!  RA had a SCR (single check rebate) for $3 and there is a MIR right now for $2!!  Can't beat that!

Rite Aid 6/6/11

I went to Rite Aid today hoping to score a few deals. 
I was a little upset though..... they were out of the toothbrushes I had wanted as well as the specific VEET I had wanted as well.  It threw off my scenarios a bit so I didn't do nearly as well as I had hoped.  I am also upset because my VV (video values) isn't working.  None of the videos will play for me.  I could have saved an addition $3.
Here's what I got:

Total: $75.38

Total OOP: $23.69 Saved $51.69!

I also have $3UPS to spend next time.

Trans 1:
2 VEET $6.29 and $6.69
2 Caramel Creams B1G1
1 $2 in add coupon
1 $1 VV
1 $3 FB coupon
1 $2 FB coupon.  (For some reason it wouldn't let me print the $3 again)
 $5 ups from last purchase.
Total OOP: $1.77
Got back $5 UPS

Trans 2:
1 Jumbo pack of Pampers Swaddlers $8.97
1 Venus Embrace $8.99
1 $3 off any pampers (from mailer)
1 $3 off Venus 6/6 paper
 $5 UPS from trans 1
Total OOP: $7.96
Got back $5 UPS

Trans 3:
Neutrogena Baby free sun screen $11.99  :O
Gillette Deodorant 2/$7
Gillette body wash 2/$7
3 Fathers day cards 2 @ $3.49 1 @ $3.99
This gets a little confusing for the sun screen.
It had a RA peelie on it for $2
I had a $2 off any neutro sun care
RA in add coupon for $1.50 off
B1 gillette deoderant G1 Gillette body wash FREE- got in a pack of diapers
$3 off 3 greeting cards
$5 UPS
Total OOP: $13.96
Got back $3 UPS from the greeting cards for next time!

A little bummed I didn't get any surveys though. 

New Binder!!! 6/4/11

I haven't been posting much lately.  So I thought I would update with my new binder!  I got it at Walmart for $10.  It has D rings (love those), 4 expanding file inside, and a puch on the outside.
Here it is.

I use the pouch/zipper part for the coupons I will use at checkout.  Or my cell phone if I ever remember to take it.

I have the coupon policies, a notebook for my lists.  The other slots are for coupons that need to be filed or cut out.  I also have a calculator in there.  Then I have the envelops.  I take out the coupons I want to use for the trip and as I find what I am looking for I put them in the pouch for check out.

 And my coupons.

Holly 6/4/2011

So many of you may know that Holly has been a pretty misserable baby.  Well here is whats been going on.
From day one Holly ALWAYS needed to be held or she would cry.  As she got older she would scream bloody murder!  I have assumed since the start that she was just a "high needs" baby.  She was pretty colicky- screaming for hours and hours at a time- one time she screamed for 7hours straight!  I can't even go to the bathroomm without her crying and freaking out.  High needs, I get it.
So when she is screaming I thought she was in pain and guessed it was silent reflux.  When I talked to the doctors about it they just said all babies spit up, it's normal, bla bla bla.  Well it is NOT normal for a baby to be screaming in pain all day.  At 5 months I finally got a doctor to listen to me that there is something wrong with her- not just her high needs personality.  Well I see a different doctor and she has sever GERD.  No wondering my baby has been screaming in pain all the time!  She just started medicine for it and we hope this will help with her pain and fussyness.

Moral of the story- YOU know your baby best.  I kept pushing and pushing that this is not normal.  I know I am a first time mom.  However I helped raise my 9 year old sister and also have a 3 year old sister.  Holly is nothing like them and her crying out in pain I knew was not normal baby behavior. 
Anyways it has been a rough 5 months to say the least.  She is starting to have separation and stranger anxiety.  I've been reading that it is normal for high needs babies to start this pretty early.  It's been incredibly tough and just overall exhausting.  However with the new medicine I'm hoping that Holly will no longer be miserable all day and night.  Once I realized and started reading about high needs babies I understand better what I need to do for her.  It will be a little tougher but knowing what I know now will only make me a better parent.
I know this is kind of all over the place.... still a bit upset and lost about everything and being ignored for months causing Holly all this unnecessary pain.

Rite Aid and Price Chopper 5/23/11

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.  Holly is a handful!
Anyways I was able to score some great deals at Rite Aid this week and picked up a few things at Price Chopper.
RA

Total: 34.10

Total OOP: $4.88

I went in planning to use my $10 UPS but my total before any UPS was $4.88 so a good thing but more OOP.  I ended up using the $3UPS I got from this trans and the $10 UPS to get Holly a 6foot pool and a tube floaty thing.  That out of pocket was less than $7!!

What I got:

4 body wash- sale 4/$10 get $3UPS

2 10pk breathe right strips- $5.99 each

2 peroxide B1G1 Free- $1.59 for both.

Candy $1.50

Here is how I did it:

I used 4 $1 caress body wash coupons from 5/22 inserts

I had a rain check for the breath rights from last week.  So $2.99 after rain check.

I had the FREE coupon from RA ($5.99) a $1 VV and a $1.50 man coupon from a free sample.

I also used a $3 off $15.

Price Chopper

Total: $27.25

Total OOP after coupons/rain checks/card: $12.51

Here is what I got:

8 Tuna at $1.19 each- $9.52

2 500ct Q-Tips reg $3.99- $7.98

2 Kraft Dressings $2.50 each- $5

1 Price Chopper pasta- $1

Almost 4lbs of onions- $3.75

How I did it:

Rain check for the tuna at $.50 each x 8- $4

Q-Tips 2/$5 had 2 $.30 coupons- $3.80

Dressing 2/$5 I had a store coupon for buy two Kraft get FREE pasta and a MAN for a $1/2 Kraft- $$4

Rain check for the onions $.49 a lbs.

Stockpiling.

My goal with coupons is to save my family money.  By using coupons and matching them to sales I am able to save the most money.  With the new show of Extream Couponing you always see the people have HUGE stockpiles of everything.  Now- as the name of the show implies, they have extream stockpiles.  Some so big they will Never use all of the items in their stock before they die.
The goal for me with stockpiling is to have enough of any given item until the next sale comes around.  Lets say pasta is on sale for $1 and you have a $.50/1 coupon.  If your store doubles then it's free!  So instead of buying 1 pasta I'm going to buy a few.  I want enough pasta to last about 3-4 months untill the next sale and coupon comes along.
It's important to me not to hoard things.  When getting something we use for free I really have to tell myself A. I WILL donate this, B. Do I really need this now?  It is pretty easy for me to get toothpaste and deodorant for free so I have to practice controll or donate these when sales come up.
Here is my stockpile.  I am set for a long time on:  Toothpaste, floss, deodorant, body wash, face wash, lotion, toilet paper, and hair gel for Mack.

4 Hair gel, 4 Face wash, 2 Shampoos 1Conditioner, 15 mens/womens deodorant, 8 Floss (Free and paid $5 to "buy" these), 9 tubes of toothpaste, 2 toothbrushes, 6 Liners and 1 feminine pads. 

 2 lotions, 6 body wash, 1 sunscreen.

3 nice razors, 2 reg razors, 3 body wash, 18 bars of soap.

A crap load of tp.  When your pregnant you need a lot!  hehe.

4 boxes or cereal.

As you can see some things I have WAY to much of.  These items will be donated and the rest we will use!
I was able to score a decent deal on laundry detergent so I have one of the giant containers (just opened) and 3 of the small purex containers as well.