Natalie W. May 14, 2009 Thanks for the help with CVS! I used to hate grocery shopping and now I actually look forward to it. At Kmart last week the bill went from $58.00 to $17.00. I've also been getting things at CVS for 90% off At Kmart last week the bill went from $58.00 to $17.00. I've also been getting things at CVS for 90% off!! It's hard to beleive how much a little knowledge can help your budget! I wish I would have known about using coupons when we first got married. The 20.00 for the bootcamp was definitely worth it. Your advice has saved us over $100 in a month! It will definitely help me to stay at home longer-hopefully until our kids are in kdg. It has been a blessing!
Rachel Ray Show Submission: Lori H. went to Rachel Ray's website to submit her request for my being on Rach's show. Here is what she submitted! So flattering! THANKS AGAIN LORI!!
We have a local woman named Tara Roark that holds coupon "bootcamps" to teach people how to maximize their paychecks using coupons. She scours the web, local ads, and news looking for great deals and plans her shopping trips with the coupons she clips. She has great coupon organizing tips and really knows her stuff. She is amazing. I follow her on facebook just to hear what she got for free or almost nothing each week. She is SO passionate about what she does and she TRULY loves to help you save money. She makes cutting back fun. She is a firecracker with a great spirit and a caring heart. And honestly, as the circulation director for the local paper, I love what her couponing has done for our business. We are selling record numbers of papers on Saturdays... IN THIS ECONOMY!!!... due to the response from her bootcamp graduates. It is amazing. Our community has been devastated by the loss of a major employer, DHL, and literally thousands of households in our community have lost one or both sources of income, not to mention the loss of health care and other services they once had. Our local soup kitchen is serving up more and more meals everyday. Tara is helping anyone who will listen get through this tough time with finding ways to maintain what normalcy families can by still being able to keep food on the table and other household items at home with reduced or lost income. We all could learn from her tips.
GOOD LUCK TARA!!!!!
Lori
Angie V.
March 23 at 8:03 am
I did go to Kmart yesterday and they do have super double and I saved 91.03 and spent 31.26 which I thought was great because it was mostly shampoo, deoderant, toothpast, etc.....Jamie went too and I think she spent around 50.00 and saved around 150.00 so that was awesome!!
I seriously think that I've become obsessed. I think you've created a monster!! lol. I went to Kroger today and didn't have my coupons. Its STILL bothering me!!!
one question.......... cvs has dawn dish soap for 97 cents, and has a blurb about a coupon in the sunday paper. But when I went through my coupons the coupon i found for dawn was for the foam or simple pleasures. do you know if they are honoring it? Dawn's my fav, so I'd totally love to get it for 47 cents!!
Again, wanted to thank you for the inviting me to the class, I'm so excited with what I've saved already. I can't wait until i get really good at it. This is going to save our family sooo much money!!! You should think about branching your services out to other major cities. You could be the president of your own company. Train class leaders to do the classes for you in big cities (for a fee)...
Traci S. Feb 25 at 4:34 pm
Mom and I checked out Hillsboro's Save-A-Lot. Their prices are comparable to Wal-Mart's. They have Banquet brand frozen pot pies for $.59 each, which Wal-Mart's are $.64. And Save-A-Lot has Delia brand frozen sliced garlic bread for $1.69, which Wal-Mart's Great Value garlic bread is $1.72. Also, Save-A-Lot's fresh produce was much cheaper than Wal-Mart's. For example, a 10 lb bag of Idaho potatoes is only $2.99, whereas Wal-Mart's is $4.97.
At Wal-Mart, I got a 39 load jug of Tide for $5.99 by using the Kroger ad. Regularly, it would have been $11.18!!! I also had a $.35 mfr coupon, that dropped the price to $5.64.
Picked up 3 packages of 12 disposable Schick razors for FREE! Regular price is $1.97, used $2.00 mfr coupon.
Grabbed 2 bags of Purina Beggin Strip dog treats for FREE! Regular price is $2.76, used a BOGO mfr coupon plus a $3.00 internet-printed coupon.
I got a Huggies Baby Wipes 16 count box for FREE! Regular price is $1.00, used a $1.00 mfr coupon. These are great to carry in Zeke's bag, or in the car.
Bought a can of Muir Glen brand chopped tomatoes for only $.18. Regular price is $1.18, used $1.00 internet-printed coupon.
Knorr rice or pasta sides for only $.62, regularly $.98. Ritz Thin Baked crackers only $1.00, regularly $2.00. There are more, but those were the good ones!
Only incident was I picked up two boxes of Seapak frozen Shrimp Poppers at $1.32 each and had a $1.00 off 2 internet-printed coupon. They would have been $.82 each. The coupon would not scan. Other internet-printed coupons scanned just fine, but that particular one for Seapak tanked.
Wal-Mart's total was $65.50, after the coupons only $47.38 (with tax)!!
Traci S.
Here's what I accomplished today, Monday February 23;
First stop, Walgreens. I picked up two packages of Charmin Ultra Strong toilet paper, 6 rolls, regularly $5.29 each, used Walgreen's in-store coupon plus two $.25 manufacturer coupons. Final price; $3.24 for each package! I was really satisfied with this purchase.
Next I got two Hershey's candy bars, buy one at $.89, get one free, used a BOGO manufacturer coupon, which the cashier entered the coupon value for only $.70. Yet, I got two candy bars for only $.19 cents or $.08 each! This was a good buy, it would have been better if they were both free. If they weren't on sale and I didn't have a coupon, I wouldn't have bought them in the first place.
Then I picked up two boxes of Reynolds aluminum foil, 20 sq. ft. regularly $1.69 each, used a Walgreen's in-store coupon plus a $1.00 off manufacturer coupon, paid $.78 for both. The mistake I made with that was I should have and could have used two manufacturer coupons and got both roll of Reynolds foil for free.
Last purchase at Walgreens was Theraflu and/or Triaminic, regularly $6.49, on sale 2 for $10.00. I used an internet-printed coupon $2.00 off Theraflu and another internet-printed coupon $1.50 off Triaminic. The Theraflu only cost $3.00 and the Triaminic was $3.50. Another error I made was these were eligible for $6.00 worth of Walgreens rebates. A couple of weeks ago, when I bought Fructis shampoo for only $2.73, I immediately redeemed the rebate. I discovered this evening that you can redeem Walgreens rebates only one time each month. So what I should have done, and I will know to do for now on is I can enter the purchases eligible for rebates, save them and redeem all of them at the end of the month. Lesson learned . . .
Tally for Walgreens purchases before sale price, coupons plus tax $29.24. Only paid $15.26!
Second stop, CVS. I had transferred then purchased a prescription at CVS pharmacy and received a $25.00 CVS gift card on the spot! The error I made was I could have used my Ohio Best Rx insurance card and got my medicine $10.00 less. Ugh!
I bought two packages of Stayfree Pads, 14-28 count at $3.99 each. Used one BOGO manufacturer coupon, knocking the price down to $1.99 for each package. I also purchased a 14 count box of Prilosec for $11.99, used a $3.00 off manufacturer coupon, bringing the cost down to $7.99. At the cash register I redeemed $2.00 ECB. If you divide the ECB between the three items, that comes out to $1.66 for each Stayfree package and $6.99 for the Prilosec. Then all of that was paid for with the $25.00 CVS gift card I got from the pharmacy purchase in the same shopping trip! On top of all that, I received $6.00 more ECB for the next CVS expedition! Whoo-hoo!
Tally for CVS purchases before sale price, coupons plus tax $22.44. Only paid $12.76 with the CVS gift card. Out of pocket expense was for my prescription, which was $30.09. But, I still have money left on the gift card plus more ECB to use.
Made some good purchases on the Charmin toilet paper and Stayfree pads. I also learned a lot from little mistakes and oversights. Hope you don't make similar errors like I did.
Phone call: Got a call last night from Theresa M. she got $221 worth of groceries for $68!!!!
Traci S. February 11 at 9:17am
February 11 at 9:17am
I am very excited about purchases I made yesterday, can't wait to tell you.
Bought 1 bottle of Fructis shampoo at Walgreens, used $1.00 mfr coupon, paid $2.73. Walgreens will send us a rebate, so it will be FREE!
Bought 6 boxes of Colgate toothpaste at CVS, BOGO, used $1.50 mfr coupons you sent, all FREE!
CVS has Oil of Olay Regenerist Night cream (what I always use) on sale; regularly $20.99, marked down to $17.99. Used $1.00 off mfr coupon plus $2.50 CVS ECB. Paid only $15.49.
And Oil of Olay Anti-Aging, Anti-Blemish facial cleanser; regularly $7.99, on sale of $5.99, used $1.00 mfr coupon and another $2.50 ECB, paid only $3.49!
Total CVS merchandise worth $47.64 w/tax, paid only $18.27!
