Notes on a Wal-Mart Trip - 03/31 - Clearanced Girls' Shoes, Near-Free Shipping, and Coupon Freebie Matchups, too!

I know one thing for sure: I'm just starting to crack the surface of bargain shopping and couponing at Wal-Mart. Today, I headed there with a $20 gift card that had been a birthday gift to my daughter, from my aunt - a very savvy longtime Wal-Mart employee who could write a whole book (or a few) on the Wal-Mart experience from the other side of the checkout.

I had written my aunt a thank-you note that explained that we planned on using the gift card for some quality summer shoes, since my daughter has almost outgrown all her current ones. I fully anticipated paying at least $15 for a pair of durable new shoes...but guess what I found! Not only were full-priced sandals around $10 (at least the pair we got), but there were sneakers and Mary Janes on sale for as low as $5, and faux-Uggs (kiddie version) clearanced at $3/pair!

My eyes probably popped out of my skull when I saw the faux-Uggs on clearance because one pair of brown ones from Target (I coughed up full price ~$17 for them...ouch) basically got us through this past winter casual shoe-wise. The style is great for cold weather because the exactness of sizing wasn't as crucial as, say, with girls' dress sandals or sneakers. You can buy a size larger and still have them work for popping on your girl(s) for running errands for a whole season or more...even without socks if it's "that kind" of a day.

Granted, the Target ones I had bought are probably higher quality - but at $3/pop, I stocked up on colors for next winter, buying two sizes up. (By the way - they are available in solid black, solid chocolate brown, solid khaki, floral-embroidered purple, floral-embroidered pink, lighter blue Tinkerbell design, and High School Musical design.)

What else was I making mental notes on while at Wal-Mart? Probably nothing that the regular Wal-Mart couponing shopper doesn't already know, like:

• Grocery prices at WalMart are the sale prices elsewhere. Example: large bottles of Arizona teas are $1 both at WalMart regularly, and down from $2 each this week at Giant. WalMart sells Oreos for $2.98, while Giant's 'special' on Oreo products this week is 2/$6.
  
  
• Half-'n'-Half at WalMart is cheap, at $1.87/quart.
  
  
• After searching WalMart.com for a pictures of the faux-Uggs to post, I saw in the shoes section that WalMart will ship shoes, tees, and polos (and probably lots of other stuff!) to your house for just $0.97. That's close to WalMart free shipping. :)
  
  And some well-publicized unbeatable WalMart coupon matchups on the frugality blogosphere (credit to, um, everyone):
  
  
• Kraft salad dressings, priced at $1.58, are just $0.08 after the $1.50 off coupon in the 03/28 SmartSource insert. Wowee!
  
  
• Glucerna Cereal is $3.96, and if you use the printable $5/1 coupon here, it's free (or mayyybe overage...?). Final Price: FREE!
  
  
• Johnson's Bath Buddies Soaps are FREE, as always. Use the $3/3 coupon available here. We use these for our daughter while potty-training as she hasn't gotten the hang of traditional pump liquid soaps yet. Their net covering makes them easy to handle, and they don't 'ooze' the way other bar soaps do.
  

And, incidentally, the people at WalMart (customers and employees alike) were so friendly! :)
.

Frugal Wedding and Mother's Day Gift Ideas: A Bunch of Household Staples, and a 'personalized cookbook' Tastebook (ships free through April 21st!)

My brother and sister-in-law recently got married. As one of our wedding gifts to them, they received from us a box overflowing with couponed finds ("new household" items) that newlyweds might find useful:

Brand-name toiletries acquired via couponing at CVS, like:
Deodorants
Body washes
Toothpaste

They also received a bunch of household goods and dry goods that I had procured via couponing:
Advanced Shout stain spray
Cleaning products (duster, dust spray, Windex, etc.)
Febreeze Air Effects plugin w/refill

And some Pantry/Baking supplies:
Cookie/cake/brownie mixes and frosting
Other baking supplies - baking powder, cornstarch, sugar etc.
No-stick spray
Seasonings

And so on...

I actually wrapped most of the items in the box, so it was always interesting wondering what would be unwrapped next. They were so surprised and still frequently remark what has recently been used.

To cap this all off, I 'splurged' (by which I mean paid full price and used a free shipping code) at TasteBook.com. I made a personalized cookbook consisting of recipes from both sides of the family (I had emailed contributors and asked them for their very best recipes). Adding your own recipes is simple; you simply fill in fields on a page (Title, Ingredients, Directions, etc.) and save it to your book template. You can even add your own pictures of your own recipes to give it an even more personal touch.

To fill in some gaps (for some reason the contributions had a dessert-bent :-p), I got some more main course, appetizer, and side dish recipes from TasteBook's affiliate sites. You can search on tastebook.com for tens of thousands of recipes from allrecipes.com, Better Homes and Gardens, Better Recipes, Epicurious, Food and Wine, Food Network, Heart Healthy Online, MyRecipes, Recipezaar, Simply Recipes, TasteBook Editors, and 101 Cookbooks. Whew! One you ID recipes you'd like to include, it's just a matter of selecting them to be in your personalized cookbook.

The cookbooks start at $34.95, with the option of purchasing additional pages. The newlyweds were very pleased to have access to all the family recipes in one location - and I had bought them a coupon redeemable for additional pages so that they could add recipes of their own in the future.

So...maybe (I estimate generously) $20 total invested in the box of couponed goodies, plus $35, means under $60 for a memorable and very practical wedding gift. If you have no time or inclination to skim off your coupon stockpile for the box of goodies, the TasteBook idea by itself is still low-effort and stylish for under $40!

Now until April 21, 2009, use the TasteBook promotional discount coupon code MOMSDAY at checkout to get free shipping on your personalized cookbook.

Also consider this gift idea for a Mother's Day gift. How many of us know moms who have a stack of 20-year-old faded recipe cards with legendary recipes that deserve to be memorialized in something a little swankier? ;)
.

Ralph Lauren Friends and Family Event through April 14, 2009 - Save 30% in Store or Online with This Coupon

OK, OK, OK....you got me. Ralph Lauren clothes - bought at deep discount, but of course - are a weakness of mine. How cute is a little boy in a polo shirt - or a little girl in a polo dress?

Ralph Lauren is doing their Friends and Family shopping event from today (03/31) through 04/14. You can click here to print an in-store RL coupon, or enter RLSP2009 at checkout on RalphLauren.com.

Incidentally, if ordering online, you still pay an outrageously high flat shipping rate of $10, so unless you're outfitting the whole family for vacation or Easter...just kidding. Actually, you'd still need to spend a little over $30 to make the offer a 'free shipping' comparable transaction.

Our recommendation? Go to an outlet store, like the Ralph Lauren store at Potomac Mills, if you have one within a reasonable drive, in the next couple of weeks. Outlet prices discounted an additional 30%, and no shipping costs. :)

And P.S.: How ridiculously

skinny-Photoshopped are these women above? lol

.

$7.95 TOTAL (shipping included) for $32-valued Nursing Cover from Udder Covers

Baby Cheapskate just blew the lid on an AWESOME deal. Thanks, Baby Cheapskate!

Use the code onefree to snag a free pink or blue nursing cover from UdderCovers. Orginally $32, and shipping is just $7.95, so $7.95 is all you'll pay.

*Ahem* While the name ain't exactly compelling (or maybe that's just me...), this is a bargain price for a nursing cover. Nursing covers start at $8.49 plus shipping on Amazon, for a quick comparison. From the pics and descriptions, they have a little reinforcement at the mom's neck area that pitches the cover just a little bit outward so that mom can make eye contact with baby.

Think of the baby shower possibilities, peeps!

March 31st Deal: Chick-fil-A Fair Oaks Mall

I clipped this out of my local newspaper, but thanks to Sarah as well for the tip! Chick-fil-a at Fair Oaks Mall is running a deal tomorrow, March 31, that will equate to a BOGO deal if you go back in with your receipt in April.

This is how the ad reads:

Save Your Receipt!
Come in with your March 31st receipt any one day in April and any food items purchased will be replaced for FREE!

No Joke!

*Offer is good only at the Chick-fil-A in Fair Oaks Mall. Does not include any merchandise, gift cards or money back. Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays.

Monday 3/30's RedBox Free Rental Code, and Other Free Rental Codes!

It's RedBox Free Rental Monday! Wooooo! Movies must be returned by 9 p.m. the following night...I love that feature because it means that I don't have to stress myself out the following day trying to schedule in a trip to the Redbox. By the way, you don't need to return your RedBox rental to the same Redbox machine; you can return it to any RedBox machine. See link at post bottom for RedBox locations.

Get a free night's rental with the Monday March 30 Redbox Free Rental code (good for movies rented out today only): 89ZQJ3 is the 3/30 Monday code.

But please note:
If it's your very first time using RedBox, use the code REDBOX first (this is a one time only code good only on the first time you use Redbox) If you want to use this code and the Monday 03/30 code, then you pretty much need to rent two movies tonight, using REDBOX and then the Monday code.

Other codes:
BREAKROOM and DVDONME are supposed to be good for free rentals anytime, so wait to use these until tomorrow, when you must return your Monday DVD(s). There is a history of regular Monday and Wednesday one-day-only freebie codes, so never use these on a Monday or Wednesday if you can help it. Instead, if you want to rent on a Monday or Wednesday, check out Redemption Unlimited under the RedBox Free Rental Codes label, or head over to insideredbox.com to find those one-day-only codes.

Here's a code good for RedBoxes at Walgreens only.

• DVDATWAG

Here are codes good for Giant Eagle RedBoxes only (not sure if Giant Food qualifies...)

• GEFREEZ3
• 3FREZER5
• 2FRZEN26
  

Here is a RedBox code for Martin's food:

• 36CHEXMX

Remember - start with today's-only code and the new user code before you use these others!

Find your local Redbox kiosks at nearby gas stations, grocery stores, and other locations.
Search the Redbox Movie Titles for tonight! Bolt is out on DVD now.

See here for all Redemption Unlimited Red Box posts.
.

Reader Email - Harris Teeter Triple Coupons Allowing Consecutive Transactions!

We received a delightful email this weekend. (Thanks!) With our email-writer's permission, we're sharing some excerpts with you because of some useful tips:

"One tip I wanted to pass along is that that with Harris Teeter's coupon policy, a shopper is supposed to only be allowed 20 coupons per day. But most cashiers will let you split up an order if you have more than 20 coupons to use. What I do is just tell the cashier at the beginning that I have to pay for some items separately, I don't offer an explanation as to why, and they don't ask. So yesterday, when I went during their triple coupon week, I was able to use 20 coupons in the first order and 16 in the second. The store wasn't busy at all and the cashier didn't even blink about it."

So, it looks like Harris Teeter and Bloom are pretty similar. If you're hitting up the stores at a non-busy time and ask nicely, a cashier is likely to allow you to do a couple of consecutive transactions - in this way allowing you to use more than the 20 coupons limited per transaction.

Our email writer also mentioned:

"Great tip too about the [deal listed in a recent post about] Motts Applesauce at Target. I went there with the Target and Motts coupons so I could stack them (my Target had them on sale for $1.87), so with the $1.55 in coupons for each, I got 5 total for under the price for one normally. I was shocked when I went to HT to see the same apple sauce is normally $3.05 (because I had thought about not making separate trips and just using the $0.55 coupon to triple at HT and not go to Target). I was sure glad that I did stop at Target after all!"

This second part illustrates a great point: if you are willing to make even two stops at different stores during the week, you can save quite a lot more, especially when compared with using only one store's ads and coupon matchups.

Of course, the more stores you are willing to visit, the more you stand to save, but there is something to be said for conserving gas money, time, and oh yes: your sanity. :) Being especially dedicated to following deals at just two stores is a great starting point. Our email-writer later pointed out that her Target and Harris Teeter happen to be very close to each other, and this is a great way to kick off your 'two store or more' strategy; begin with the stores closest to you (and to each other!) and see what deals appeal. You'll be hedging your bets savings-wise.

Click here to see all Redemption Unlimited posts involving couponing strategy.
Click here to see all Redemption Unlimited posts involving store coupon policies.
Click here to see all Redemption Unlimited posts involving reader email.
.

5 Reasons to go to CVS this week - 03/29-04/04

Many thanks to the intrepid Erica of I Heart CVS for the deal matchups. We summarize the week's best deals here in this post, but Erica provides the complete CVS coupon matchup lineups week after week, month after month. Thanks so much, Erica!

1. Paas Easter Egg Coloring Kits are $1.99, earn back $1.99 ECBs. Free after ExtraCare Bucks = FAECBs!
   Limit 2 (2 days only - after Monday, no ECBs are earned!)
   
   
2. Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber is $2.99, but if you use this printable $2.75 off Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber coupon, it's just $0.24!
   
   
3. Rimmel Cosmetics are BOGO, so you can use two coupons!
   -$1 Rimmel Foundation, any, Valassis/Red Plum insert, 02/22/09
   -$1 Rimmel Mascara, any, Valassis/Red Plum insert, 03/08/09
   -$1 Rimmel Product, any, Valassis/Red Plum insert, 02/22/09 or 03/08/09
   
   
4. Soft Soap Ensembles hand soap or refill (prices start at $3.99) earn back $4 ECBs when you buy 2.
   Limit 3 times of doing this deal
   Potential coupons:
   -$2 off Softsoap Ensembles pump ($7.99) reinventing beauty magazine manufacturer's coupon
   -$2 SoftSoap Ensembles Liquid Hand Soap Pump with Disposable Base SS 03/22/09
   -$1 Softsoap Ensembles Liquid Hand Soap Replacement Disposable Base SS 03/22/09
   Best deal: buy two at $7.98 total, use two $2 coupons, pay $5.98, earn back $4 ECBs. 'Net': $1.98 for two Softsoaps!
   
   
5. Accu-Check/Aviva diabetes monitors are $9.99, and you earn back $9.99 ExtraCare Bucks. FAECBs!
   Limit 1
   
   Now, you may legitimately ask: OK; there's no coupons involved, and there are no diabetics in my immediate circle of friends and family. Why on earth would I seek this out*?
   
   Say that you receive a $4 off a $20 purchase coupon in your email or regular mail, and you are sitting on $13 ExtraCare Bucks and a shopping list of just over $10 in stuff you want to pick up at CVS. This is the perfect situation to pick up this blood sugar monitor - because it will pump up your total to $20, and you will immediately take off $4 from your $4/$20 coupon - plus, say, another $3 worth of manufacturers' coupons from the other items you purchased (and these items happen to earn you $3 ExtraCare Bucks total).
   
   $20
   -$4/$20
   -$3 manufacturers' coupons
   =============
   $13 ExtraCare Bucks paid in...$(9.99+3) = $12.99 ECBs earned back out!
   A 'net zero' transaction!
   
   Compare this with buying only the $10.00+ of other items, subtracting just $3 in manufacturer coupons...and having to pay in $7 ExtraCare Bucks...only to earn back $3 ECBs. You just lost $4 ECBs by not picking up that blood glucose monitor. Besides, these monitors are great items to donate. Locate your local food bank or shelter now!
   
   *Usually in the locked display cases by the pharmacy, where you are required to check out if you are buying the monitor, by the way, so have the pharmacy employee unlock your monitor after you've already grabbed everything else that you need...
   

See all Redemption Unlimited CVS posts here.

See Redemption Unlimited CVS tutorials here (and also in our right sidebar):

• How to Roll CVS ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs) - includes diagram!
• Profiting with CVS ExtraCare Bucks (ECB profit)

.

Balancing Organics/Health with Saving Money - and Using the "Dirty Dozen" List for Good!

Right now, it's still a big mental/financial hurdle for me to buy into the concept of "all organic, all the time". There is a list called the "dirty dozen" - naming the organic fruits and vegetables whose conventional versions retain the most pesticides and chemicals that are ultimately consumed by humans.

Of course, the list exists as a guideline for those wishing to allocate portions of their budget to buying organic. Sometimes, when faced with options between organics (like if I have a coupon for frozen organic veggies or fruits), I can remember this list and opt to buy the organic items that are on the "dirty dozen" list - so in that sense it is useful to me in optimizing my organic purchases toward the healthiest options (that is, buying frozen organic strawberries means I won't buy frozen non-organic strawberries...). But have I changed my entire produce-buying patterns to match this list? Not really. For example, we've been scarfing non-organic loss-leader strawberries around here for weeks, and unless I'm mistaken, our Giant doesn't carry organic strawberries.

I try to take all of the organic advice with a grain of salt and for now have ended up with this general philosophy: Allocate as much of our budget to (loss-leader-priced) fresh fruits and vegetables as seems sensible, and when organics are within reach, start with the dirty dozen in purchase prioritizing. After all, eating lots of non-organic strawberries is still preferable nutritionwise to allocating my entire budget to processed/prepackaged foods bought on deep discount.

Say I have an extra $30/week to spend on groceries above my usual budget.

As a little bit of an outlandish example, I could either buy $300 worth of 90% discounted Go-Gurt at a store tripling coupons, or I could buy a wide variety of loss-leader fresh produce, meat, and milk, including a few prioritized and/or affordable organics (especially if I go to at least two different grocery chains!) - and maybe also a couple of weeks' worth of Go-Gurt. The first example, I am being the most resourceful in stark accounting terms, but the second example, I am being the most resourceful in a holistic sense - still saving lots of money, while offering balanced nutrition and teaching my children good eating habits in the long term. The second example is the better steward in combining a frugal/couponing philosophy with a optimize-health philosophy - because while it is important to be good stewards of our money, being good stewards of our minds and bodies is arguably just as important, if not more so.

What are your thoughts on frugality and couponing v. buying organic? Have you found a way for the two to live in harmony? Share your strategies with us all by posting a comment!

Click here to see all Redemption Unlimited posts related to organic and natural foods.

Visit Mambo Spouts for a myriad of printable organic, natural, and health food coupons and to request mailer packages of coupons!
.

Organic Produce at Giant Cheaper than Regular Produce?

OK. I feel kind of silly. I've always been marginally aware of this portable green cart that hangs out in the produce section of my Giant, but I just checked it out for realz this past week - and WOW, there was all kinds of produce for super cheap! I'm talking cheaper than the loss-leader prices of regular produce. I think that in the past I had always been wary of the "Not the best but still a good buy" labels on the produce this cart carries, but now I look at the label more like this: "Not the best, but still a good buy!"

Check it out:

• $1.49 for three heads of organic romaine lettuce. The only discernable difference was that the very tips of the lettuce leaves were every so slightly pink - easy to excise when chopping the romaine up later. Three nights of salad for $1.49, woo!
  
  
• $1.99 for a three pound bag of organic apples ($0.66/lb!). I think these were relegated to the cart because they weren't the 'prettiest'. But after taking these for a bag lunch the next day, I discovered that they were perfectly crisp and white underneath the occasional brown spots (not bruises; just surface coloring). Blindfolded I wouldn't have been able to tell a difference in taste or texture.
  
  
• $1.99 for a three pound bag of organic potatoes ($0.66/lb.!). These looked exactly like the bags of organic potatoes in the organic potato section. I am boggled as to why these were so deeply discounted. They cooked up great, too!
  

Why, oh, why has it taken me so long to get over my prejudices and give the "still a good buy" cart a try? Not only are these steals, even compared to regular produce, but apples and potatoes fall on the "dirty dozen" list of produce that you should try to buy organics (as the items on the list retain the highest levels of pesticides and other chemicals ultimately consumed).

Click here to see all Redemption Unlimited posts related to organic and natural foods.

Visit Mambo Spouts for a myriad of printable organic, natural, and health food coupons and to request mailer packages of coupons!
.

Whoa! 30% Off Your Entire Purchase at Old Navy with this week's Old Navy Weekly (through April 2)!

Never Pay Retail Again just scooped a HUGE tip.

Go to the Old Navy Weekly coupon site, where you will get a a coupon for 30% off your entire purchase at Old Navy!! Wowee~! Follow the directions below to get your coupon.

Edit: it turns out that you need to put the correct modelquin's head on each modelquin (Amy goes on the seaside dock panel's body). Then, you need to click "get coupon" button on the panel where the heads were. This will show a 2 items for 20% off coupon. Close this red herring coupon quickly, because you have just 'activated' the 30% off coupon dolphin, who will jump out of the water in the blink of an eye. Good luck!

Thanks, Jodi !

Click here to see all of the latest Redemption Unlimited Old Navy posts.
.

Cheap, Healthy Weekend, 03/27-03/30

Before the weekend kicks off, we try to post a list of healthy eats deals - including produce, lean meats, and coupon matchups on healthier items. This can slash your produce and meat budget, even without a huge coupon stash, so look out for Cheap, Healthy Weekend in the future. You will also see a bit of coverage on what health benefits certain items have to offer - like links to what NutritionData.com has to say!

Feel free to contribute to the Cheap Healthy Weekend lovin' with ideas of your own by adding a comment! :)

Your Cheap, Healthy Weekend Shopping List,
03/27-03/30:

Giant
Doubles all coupons up to $0.99 in value.

• $0.99/lb. seedless green/white grapes
• $1.79/lb. boneless chicken breast (some NOVA markets rock-bottom price is $1.69/lb., but for us $1.79/lb. is as good as it gets for stockup purposes!)
• $1.50 OJ - Tropicana Pure Premium, all half gallon varieties, are 2/$5. Trop50, the new lower-sugar OJ, had a $1/1 coupon in the 03/15 Red Plum insert - so this should theoretically get you the cheapest price. There was also a $1/2 Tropicana 64 oz. products in the 01/04 Red Plum insert, so this makes the juices $2 each - but this 01/04 coupon expires on 03/31, so get in to Giant before Wednesday, April 1.
• $5.99/lb. salmon filets (save $3.00/lb.)
• $1 mangos. Yippee!
• $1.95 bagged salad - Dole Premium Baby blends to be exact, which is 2/$5. There was also a $0.55 off Dole Baby Blends blinkie (does not double, unfortunately) by the produce in A.'s Giant - so keep your eyes peeled.
  
• $3.49/lb. tilapia filets.
• $2.09/lb. hummus. 16 oz containers of Tribe hummus are going for $3.49. Use the printable $0.75/organic coupon to get $1.50 off, or the $0.55/any coupon to get $1.10 off.
• $0.38/cup Yoplait. Yoplait is 20/$10 ($0.50) this week. Use this $1.00 off 8 Yoplait printable coupon to get 8 cups for $3, or $0.38 each.
• $2 breads. Nature's Promise breads are 2/$4 this week (down from $2.50-$3 each). Go for whole grain versions!
  

Bloom
Lots of BOGO deals this week.

• $0.99 cantaloupes (!!!)
• $1.75 bagged organic salad - Olivia's, to be exact, which is BOGO at $3.49. (Any kind of bagged salad normally runs closer to $3.)
• $4.50/lb. sea scallops - Clearwater Argentine Petite Sea Scallops are BOGO, so you'll pay $8.99/2. Steam those suckers for maximum nutritional value and minimum added calories.
• $3.50 for frozen shrimp. Seapak varieties of shrimp or seafood are BOGO (pay $7.99/2). Use the $1/2 from the 03/01 Red Plum insert to get them both for $6.99.

Wegmans
Thanks to Frugal in Virginia and Frugally Blonde for doin' their smooth coupon matchup thang (Sing it with me now: "It's your thang....").

• Wegmans 90% Lean Ground Beef Club Pack - $1.99/lb. This is very cheap for beef, and while not as lean as it gets, a little added to, say, a veggie heavy burrito, can go a long way.
  
• Wheat Thins and Triscuit Crackers - 2.00 (through 04/11)
  Use $1.00/2 Wheat Thins or Triscuit (also on tearpad in store)
  Final price: $1.50/box
• Quaker Life, Oatmeal Squares, Instant Oatmeal - $2.99
  Use oatmeal coupons from 1/4 and 2/8 inserts, as well as from tearpads and blinkies.
  Use Life coupons here and from 1/4 insert.
  Use Oatmeal Squares coupon from 1/4 insert.
• Wegmans gallon milk - $1.99-$2.39 (through 04/04)
• Motts jar applesauce (23 oz)- $1.19 (through 03/28)
  Use $.55/1 coupon here.
  Final price: $.64
• Friendship Cottage Cheese (16 oz.) - $1.99 (03/28)
  Use $1.00/2 Friendship cottage cheese or sour cream from 1/25 insert.
  Final price: $1.49 each
• Tribe of Two Sheiks Hummus - $1.99 (through 03/28)
  Use .55/1 coupon here.
  Final price: $1.44
• Wegmans Frozen Vegetables (16oz.) - $.89
• Kellogg’s Special K cereal, Special K bars, or Raisin Bran - $2.50 (through 03/28)
  Use $1/1 Speciak K Blueberry from 2/22 insert.
  Final price: $1.50
• Jumbo Multi-grain Rice Krispies - $1.99 (through 03/28)
  Use $1/1 coupon from 2/22 insert.
  Final price: 99 cents
• Barbara’s Bakery Puffins cereal (in the organic section) - $2.50
  Use $1.00/1 Barbara’s Bakery cereal coupon from 1/11 or 2/8 insert.
  Final price $1.50
• Del Monte tomatoes (15 oz.) - $.99
  Use $1.00/2 No Salt Added diced tomatoes from 2/8 insert.
  Final price: $.49/each
• Wegmans orange juice (64oz) - $1.49 (through 03/28)
• Green Giant canned corn - $.79 (through 04/11)
• Contadina tomatoes (28-29oz) - $.79 (through 03/28)
• Dannon Fruit on the Bottom or Light & Fit Yogurt - $.50
  Use $1.00/10 coupon here, or the $1/10 from the 03/15 SS insert. Final price $0.40/cup.
  
• Wegmans Canned Vegetables (14.5-15.25oz) (Whole Kernel Corn, French Style Green Beans or Cut Greeen Beans) - $.39
  

Safeway
Doubles all coupons up to $0.99 in value.

This week, we recommend that you visit Gina of Moneywise Moms to see how she is working the Buy 10, get $5 off at checkout promo. Homegirl knows how to work her some instant savings + coupons + Catalinas! There are a lot of great healthy options in here, including bottled water, mushrooms, salad, canned tomatoes, and much, much, more! Click here to download a list of all participating products, courtesy of Slickdeals.net's SuperBob0000. Thanks, SuperBob0000!
.

This Weekend's Northern Virginia Consignment Sales, March 26-28

It's the last weekend in March - and a huge turnout of even more consignment sales. Peruse the list and think about checking out one near you. If you do, be sure to post with details about how it went...and whether you'll be making plans to attend again!

• March 26-28: Northern Virginia Clothing Exchange,
  Arlington Forest United Methodist Church, Arlington, VA.
  Open to the public on Thursday, March 26th from 10am to 9pm;
  Friday, March 27th from 10am to 8pm and
  Saturday, March 28th from 9am to 3pm for their half price sale.
  No strollers.
  
• March 27-28: Cameron United Methodist Church Consignment Sale,
  3130 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA.
  March 27th: 9am to 8pm; March 28th: 9am to noon.
  
• March 28: Arlington Kids Stuff Consignment Sale.
  8am to noon at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church,
  corner of Lorcom Lane and Military Road in Arlington, VA.
  Email KidsStuffArlington@gmail.com for more information.
  
• March 28: Good Shepherd Catholic Church,
  10am to 2pm,
  8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria, VA.
  $1 donation at the door.
  
• March 28: Calvary Road Baptist Church Children's Consignment,
  8am to 2pm, 6811 Beulah Road., Alexandria, VA.
  For more information call 703.922.6700, ext. 263.
  
• March 28: Little Angels Children's Consignment Sale
  8:30 AM - 12 PM
  Fairfax United Methodist Church
  10300 Stratford Avenue
  Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Be sure to check out the Redemption Unlimited page of posts discussing upcoming Northern Virginia, D.C. Metro, and Maryland consignment sales. Happy consigning! :)

Look here to see the page of all of the latest Redemption Unlimited posts on local consignment sales. Also, see the blog's right-hand sidebar where we list upcoming consignment sales!
.

Holy Guacamole! BIGGER savings with $/$$ Shopper's Food Warehouse coupons - on Your Harris Teeter Triple Coupon Matchups! 03/25-03/31

Breathe in...breathe out...OK, folks, here goes:

Harris Teeter's posted coupon policy says that it will accept competitors' coupons for $/$$!!

Looksie:

Competitor’s Coupons
We gladly accept local competitors’ circular or direct-mail coupons for MONEY OFF THE TOTAL ORDER; we do not take competitor’s coupons for money off specific items.
We do not accept any internet coupons from other retailers.
You can use those $5 off $25 and $10 off $50 Shopper's coupons from Thursday's paper at Harris Teeter during triple coupons!! Yippee!!!! Remember to hand over your $/$$ competitor coupon first...then go in for the grand finale with a stack off 20 coupons. ;)

Post a comment and let us know how you do!
.

Psssst...Harris Teeter Triples, 03/25 to 03/31

And here I was just thinking how odd it was to have a weekend with no coupon doubling/tripling after such a chaotic stretch of coupon double and triple offers, each with limits and parameters as unique as a snowflake.

Psych! Harris Teeter is tripling this week!
Since we don't have Harris Teeters that close to us, we don't get to experience with regularity the wonderfulness of its monthly (or so) triple coupon extravaganzas.

But good news! Laura at Blessings in Bargains has got y'alls' back on Harris Teeter. Check out her post and the requisite link to Hot Coupon World matchups for more information on how to snag some great deals at Harris Teeter. Thanks, Laura!

Also, Dana of Frugal in Virginia posted some Harris Teeter triple coupon matchups yesterday. Fantabulous. Thanks, FIV!

.

BIG Shopper's Food Warehouse Coupons in the Thursday 03/26 Washington Post...and Other Papers!

Check out the illustrious Gina's post over at the newly-dubbed Moneywise Moms (formerly Mommy Making Money) for details on getting a $5 off $25 purchase coupon and a $10 off $50 purchase coupon, both in today's Washington Post - and check the comments on her post for other papers that carried these coupons!

Thanks, Gina, for the scoop! :)
.

Some Bloomin' Deals at Bloom, 03/25-03/31

It seems to me that Bloom's best deals are often in produce - and during the occasional monthly triple coupon sales. But...besides those, you can sometimes clean up with BOGO deals since two coupons can be used. Check the Redemption Unlimited Bloom coupon matchups link for the latest on Bloom deals (or updates to this post!).

• $0.99 cantaloupes (!!!)
• $1.75 bagged organic salad - Olivia's, to be exact, which is BOGO at $3.49. (Any kind of bagged salad normally runs closer to $3.)
• $2.65 Edys, which is BOGO at $5.29.
• $4.50/lb. sea scallops - Clearwater Argentine Petite Sea Scallops are BOGO, so you'll pay $8.99/2.
• $3.50 for frozen shrimp. Seapak varieties of shrimp or seafood are BOGO (pay $7.99/2). Use the $1/2 from the 03/01 Red Plum insert to get them both for $6.99.
• $0.75 Hormel Chili Master Chili. This normally retails over $3/jar. This week it's BOGO - pay $3.49 for two. Use two of the $1/1 Chili Master coupons (02/08 SS) to get two for $1.49.

.

Save up to 50% at Banana Republic, Plus an Extra 20% off Already Reduced Items

Enter promotional discount coupon code EXTRA20 at checkout. Not sure if this is stackable with the Piperlime/Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic free shipping offer. If anybody successfully stacks them, please post a comment and let us know! Be sure to ebates your purchase to save 2% cash back!

Click here to see all of the latest Redemption Unlimited Old Navy posts.

Click here to see all of the latest Redemption Unlimited Gap posts.

Click here to see all of the latest Redemption Unlimited Banana Republic posts.

Lands' End Free Shipping (March 26-March 27 2009)

Your order with Lands' End ships free today and tomorrow only with this Lands' End free shipping coupon code!

Enter the Promotion Code FREESHIPPING and the PIN 00006021 in the space provided. Be sure to go through ebates for your purchase to get 3% cash back!

Click here to see past scoops on Lands' End free shipping, where we posted some links to cute finds for dirt cheap!

.

Lindt Taste Samples at Potomac Mills

In case you didn't already know, the Lindt chocolate store at Potomac Mills regularly offers free full-size truffles as samples to shoppers! Over the next week there are three advertised samples - though if you ask nicely, we bet that you can get a sample any day of the week:

Mar 26th: Excellence Toffee Crunch Bar

Mar 28th: Lindor Spring Truffle

Mar 29th: Gourmet Truffle

Remember, if you are going to the Lindt store at Potomac Mills, be sure to take your discount for 15% off at at the Children's Place with this in-store March coupon. Clothing your child with new duds doesn't get much cheaper! :)

Oh yes...and spring knits are BOGO at the Potomac Mills H&M over the next week!

For more Potomac Mills sales, visit the website here, and click "Spring Sales" at the top.
.

RedBox Wednesday 3/25 Free Rental Code, and Other Free Rental Codes!

Movies must be returned by 9 p.m. the following night. You don't need to return your RedBox rental to the same Redbox machine; you can return it to any RedBox machine. See link at post bottom for RedBox locations.

Get a free night's rental with the Wednesday March 25 Redbox Free Rental code (good for movies rented out today only): MMM325 is the 3/25 Wednesday code.

But please note: If it's your very first time using RedBox, use the code REDBOX first (this is a one time only code good only on the first time you use Redbox) If you want to use this code and the Wednesday 03/25 code, then you pretty much need to rent two movies tonight, using REDBOX and then the Wednesday code.

Other codes: BREAKROOM and DVDONME are supposed to be good for free rentals anytime, so wait to use these until tomorrow, when you must return your Wednesday DVD(s). There is a history of regular Monday and Wednesday one-day-only freebie codes, so never use these on a Monday or Wednesday if you can help it. Instead, if you want to rent on a Monday or Wednesday, check out Redemption Unlimited under the RedBox Free Rental Codes label, or head over to insideredbox.com to find those one-day-only codes.

Here's a code good for RedBoxes at Walgreen's only.
DVDATWAG

Here are codes good for Giant Eagle RedBoxes only (not sure if Giant Food qualifies...)
GEFREEZ3
3FREZER5
2FRZEN26

Here is a RedBox code for Martin's food:
36CHEXMX

Remember - start with today's-only code and the new user code before you use these others!

Find your local Redbox kiosks at nearby gas stations, grocery stores, and other locations.
Search the Redbox Movie Titles for tonight!
.

5 Reasons to Visit Giant (aka Stop and Shop) This Week (03/27-04/02)

Are we already slippin' into April territory? How did that happen? :)

There are actually quite a few notable discounts and sales this week.

1. $0.99/lb. seedless green/white grapes
2. $1.79/lb. boneless chicken breast (some NOVA markets rock-bottom price is $1.69/lb., but for us $1.79/lb. is as good as it gets for stockup purposes!)
3. $1.50 OJ - Tropicana Pure Premium, all half gallon varieties, are 2/$5. Trop50, the new lower-sugar OJ, had a $1/1 coupon in the 03/15 Red Plum insert - so this should theoretically get you the cheapest price. There was also a $1/2 Tropicana 64 oz. products in the 01/04 Red Plum insert, so this makes the juices $2 each - but this 01/04 coupon expires on 03/31, so get in to Giant before Wednesday, April 1.
4. $1.99/lb. (half-price) pork chops.
5. $5.99/lb. salmon filets (save $3.00/lb.)
6. $1 mangos. Yippee!
7. $1.50 bagged salad - Dole Premium Baby blends to be exact, which is 2/$5. Look in your produce section for a $0.55 (does not double) Baby Blends coupon!
8. $3.49/lb. tilapia filets.
9. $2.09/lb. hummus. 16 oz containers of Tribe hummus are going for $3.49. Use the printable $0.75/organic coupon to get $1.50 off, or the $0.55/any coupon to get $1.10 off.
10. $0.38/cup Yoplait. Yoplait is 20/$10 ($0.50) this week. Use this $1.00 off 8 Yoplait printable coupon to get 8 cups for $3, or $0.38 each.
11. $2 breads. Nature's Promise breads are 2/$4 this week (down from $2.50-$3 each).
    
12. Ben and Jerry's ice cream is 2/$6 (normally closer to $4/$4.50). Stop by Wawa and find a $0.50/1 pint coupon tearpad by the fridge. This would double at Giant, making the ice cream $2/pint!
13. $0.75/box taco shells. Ortega taco shells are 2/$3. Use the $0.75/2 coupon from the 01/18 SS insert to get them for $0.75 each!

When you buy $25 worth of Manischewitz products in a single transaction between now and April 12, you will get a Catalina for $5 off your next purchase at Giant.

Did we miss any deals? Post a comment to let us know!
.

The Old Navy Weekly Steals Site has Refreshed!

Here's the scoop on where to find the hottest Old Navy Weekly Steals coupons in today's 03/24 released ad:

Old Navy Coupons - In Store Coupon, Sales & Promotions
Site has refreshed.

Locations for 3/20 (there are no $75/$100 or $50/$100 this week and likely until April):

• $10 off $50 - On home page, on bottom left, click Share Site button. Four options pop up to share (facebook, digg, etc.) -- It's random - 3 of these options take you to the page, the other one will give you the coupon.
  
• $5 off $25 - Red Basketball or Blue Frisbee or Women's head at bottom in yellow circle
  
• $5 off $50 - To the left of the woman's shoulder in the blue shirt on the top left
  
• 15% off any purchase - Click on Boys Authentic Cargo Short on lower left
  
• 10% off any purchase - They go for a stroll or They do what we do or blue-shirt on man or Old Navy Weekly on top left

I just scooped a $5/$25 coupon (actually I got the $10/50 one first, but then decided odds were better of me coming up with just over $25 worth of stuff there than stretching for $50, and the percentage discount was the same...). You can print these on the spot or have them emailed to you for later printing. They only work once, and you can only 'make' one (after finding more than one), so be careful when picking which coupon to 'make'!

Enjoy your cheaper Old Navy shopping, and thanks to AFullCup's Stacey012345 for the scoop!

Click here to see the latest lineup of Redemption Unlimited posts about Old Navy deals.
.

100 Free Business Cards (Ship Free, Too!) At MarketSplash.Com

Yesterday, I (A.) got in line behind a guy at the RedBox in my Giant. Though I'm normally not the chat-up-strangers type, I knew that he would like a free rental (who wouldn't?), so I summoned the gumption to tell him about the Monday Free Redbox Rental Code. Of course, he was excited (funny how a free $1 value rental does that...), and I wrote down the web address of our blog on an expired coupon from my pocket (classy!) to hand to him, and immediately thought note to self: find free or cheap business cards online...

When I relayed this story to Mel tonight, she laughed and told me that she had just scooped up these:
MarketSplash - Search Business Cards

100 business cards, shipped to your home free! And there was much rejoicing...

Note: at checkout, I made sure that all discounts were deducted before proceeding (meaning total = $0). We advise the same for you! Although you submit your credit card info, nothing is charged. The Hewlett-Packard-powered templates were pretty user-friendly, too.

In case you all aren't familiar with the free business card dance, it's pretty much the same as my college roommate's general victory dance: point both index fingers in the air, arms bent, and shimmy your fingers wildly! Wheeeeee!
.

$10 off Easter Bunny photo package from Fair Oaks Mall

I just got this promo in from Shutterfly. $10 off Package A - two 5x7s, four 3x5s, eight wallets, your digital Easter Bunny Photo on a reusable flash drive, and a $20 Shutterfly credit! Sounds to me like this might even be a 'net' profit after the Shutterfly credit! ($10 off plus $20 credit...this little photo package couldn't cost more than $30 to begin with...right? Then again, maybe I underestimate Northern Virginia malls. :) ) If any of you check this out, let us know! We're curious to kow how it goes. Valid March 30, 2009 through April 12, 2009. Redeem this coupon for $10 off your photo when you purchase photo package A. It includes your digital Easter Bunny photos on a reusable flash drive and a $20 Shutterfly credit. Offer is valid March 30, 2009 through April 12, 2009.

Tuesday Deal: $1 Scoops at Ben & Jerry's

Take a nonperishable food item to Ben & Jerry's tomorrow, March 24, and get a scoop of ice cream for $1! The promotion is called "eCONEomic relief."

This is a great way to use up one of those free cans of soup Coupon Cravings says you can get from CVS this week... or one that you got for nearly free at Target.

RedBox Free Movie Rental With Monday March 23, 2009 Coupon Code (and Other Codes!)

Oh, you know it's about that time again! RedBox Monday! Wooooo! Movies must be returned by 9 p.m. the following night...I love that feature because it means that I don't have to stress myself out the following day trying to schedule in a trip to the Redbox. By the way, you don't need to return your RedBox rental to the same Redbox machine; you can return it to any RedBox machine. See link at post bottom for RedBox locations.

Get a free night's rental with the Monday March 23 Redbox Free Rental code (good for movies rented out today only): HG7W56 is the 3/23 Monday code.

But please note:
If it's your very first time using RedBox, use the code REDBOX first (this is a one time only code good only on the first time you use Redbox) If you want to use this code and the Monday 03/23 code, then you pretty much need to rent two movies tonight, using REDBOX and then the Monday code . Such a burden! ;-p

Other codes:
BREAKROOM and DVDONME are supposed to be good for free rentals anytime, so wait to use these until tomorrow, when you must return your Monday DVD(s). There is a history of regular Monday and Wednesday one-day-only freebie codes, so never use these on a Monday or Wednesday if you can help it. Instead, if you want to rent on a Monday or Wednesday, check out Redemption Unlimited under the RedBox Free Rental Codes label, or head over to insideredbox.com to find those one-day-only codes.

Here's a code good for RedBoxes at Walgreen's only.

• DVDATWAG

Here are codes good for Giant Eagle RedBoxes only (not sure if Giant Food qualifies...)

• GEFREEZ3
• 3FREZER5
• 2FRZEN26
  

Here is a RedBox code for Martin's food:

• 36CHEXMX

Remember - start with today's-only code and the new user code before you use these others!

Find your local Redbox kiosks at nearby gas stations, grocery stores, and other locations.
Search the Redbox Movie Titles for tonight!
.

Freebies and Cheapies at Target (March 2009)

Wow! I wish that there was a SuperTarget closer to me (free artisan bread, anyone?). But there are still plenty of weekly Target specials worth checking out my regular Target. Thanks to Money Saving Mom for the deal accumulation.

Freebies and Cheapies:

Artisan Mini Loaves--$0.99 each
Use this $1/1 Target coupon here
FREE after coupon

Gillette Body Wash (8.4 oz.)--$2.00 each
Use $2/1 coupon in 3/1 P&G insert
FREE after coupon

Laura's Lean Beef--on sale for $2.99/lb.
Use $1/1 coupon here
$1.99/lb. after coupon

Be sure to check out Money Saving Mom for the rest of the matchups and other great money-saving ideas!
.

Holiday Loss Leaders

Have you ever noticed the pattern in grocery loss leaders around certain times of year? We both are sure a lot more aware of it now that we have our eyes on sales and coupon insert contents. The stores are trying to drive traffic with the hot items so that you buy your other day-to-day staples there as well.

Here are some of the sales and coupon promotions you can typically expect. Soda sales also fall around holidays. Some stores have 12-packs normally as high as $5+, while sale time brings prices down to $1.50-$2.50 per 12-pack.
A lot of items are nonperishables or freezable perishables, so if you have enough coupons, you can stack them with the outrageous sale prices to get free or near-free pantry and freezer stockage for months to come!

Week of sales before/around:

New Year's Eve/New Year's Day
Party consumables for ringing in the new year
Champagne
'Luxury' foods like crab cakes
Other drinks and party foods

January: Week after New Year's Day
Big emphasis on weight-loss/resolution products
Yoghurt/yogurt
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Weight loss shakes
Meal replacement bars
Weight loss supplements

Super Bowl Sunday
Hors d'oeuvre and sports 'comfort foods', sodas
Triscuits/other crackers
Entertaining trays
Chicken wings

February: Valentine's Day
Love the bargains with your loved one
Strawberries
Wine, champagne
Beef cuts
Oysters
Chocolates

March: St Patrick's Day
Lucky deals on Irish food
Corned beef
Cabbage
Potatoes

March Madness Deals - same as Super Bowl
Hors d'oeuvre and sports 'comfort foods', sodas
Triscuits/other crackers
Cheese
Entertaining trays
Chicken wings

April-June: Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day
Brunch
Egg hunt items, jelly beans, and chocolate (Easter)
Eggs
Ham
Juices
Cheese
Baskets and fake grass (CVS likely ECBs these)
Asparagus
Bacon
Hollandaise

May through July: Memorial Day weekend and Fourth of July
Picnic sales!
Sodas
Sandwich fixings - lunchmeats, cheeses, and bread
S'mores stuff - Hershey's bars, graham crackers, marshmallows
Pie makings - fillings and crusts
Cool Whip
Berries - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries - very freezable!

August: Back to School
All month long, school supplies coupons and coupons for new lunch-packable items
Lunch snacks/prepackaged items (applesauce, drink boxes, etc.)
Kids' yoghurts

September-October: Halloween
Candy - usually able to snatch free after ECBs at CVS
Fall produce: figs (September), butternut squash, acorn squash, apples

November-December: Holiday Feasts/Gatherings
Lots of nonperishables on sale at this point - and heavy coupon campaigns to match.
Soups and broths, for meal starters
Canned pumpkin and green beans
French friend onions (casserole toppers)
Clementines (yay!)
Sparkling ciders
Sodas
Turkeys
Hams
Beef cuts (roasts especially)
Slow-cooker and roasting winter veggies: carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions
Pie makings - fillings and crusts
Cookie and fudge supplies, including flour, sugar, sugar substitutes, butter, chocolate chips, corn syrup, and so on.
.

Free Coffee/Free Small McCafe Latte, Mocha, or Cappucino at McDonald's, Tuesdays from Opening to 2 p.m.!

We'll let you know if we find out the end date of this limited time deal. But for now...go raid McDonald's on the 24th! :o)

Thanks to Your Coupon Buddy for this tip - and the tip to make sure that your local McDonald's franchise participates before your first free coffee order.
.

5 Reasons to go to CVS this week - 03/22-03/28

Pretty slim pickin's at CVS this week. But enough bellyachin' - on to the deals!

1. Crest Pro-Health is on sale for $3.49. Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the 03/01 P&G insert, and earn back $3.49 ECBs - for a net $0.75 profit. This deal is limit 1.
   
   
2. 12-packs of Pepsi cans - going for $3.66 each this week. Use this Buy 2, Get 1 printable Pepsi coupon - to total $7.32 for 3 12-packs - and after $2 ECBs you earn back for buying 3 12-packs, the net cost is $5.32 for 3 12-packs - or $1.77 per 12-pack! (compare with $4-$6 at grocery stores) This deal is limit 2.
   
   
3. Schick Quattro for Women or Intuition Razors are $8.99, and when you use the $4 off coupon from the 03/22 SS insert, your total after coupon is $4.99 - and you earn 3 ECBs back, for a net of $1.99 for a pack of razors. This deal is limit 1.
   
   
4. Buy 1 Dry Idea Clinical Solid or Roll-on at $7.99, earn $5 ECBs (Limit 2). If you didn't kill your print limits in last week's deodorant deal, use the $2/1 coupon here. Final price: $0.99 after coupon and ECBs
   
   
5. Post Trail Mix Crunch is BOGO (2 boxes go for $4.59--Limit 4). If you buy 2 and use two of the $2 off Post Trail Mix Crunch printable coupon avaiable here, they are $0.30/each after coupons. The cover of the box looks like a hearty granola, but this is really closer to Grape Nuts with some raisins and almond slivers thrown in. Useful as a yoghurt/yogurt topping!
   
   Don't forget your March ECB freebie!
   CVS brand Vitamin D, on sale for $2.99, earns back $2.99 ECBs (this deal is limit 1). There are coupon register tapes (receipt printouts and coupon kiosk printouts) floating around for $ off CVS brand products or $1 off CVS vitamins, so be on the lookout in case you could potentially profit!

.

Wegmans' Coupon Policies

Reader Adrienne just emailed us Wegmans' coupon policies, as stated on the Wegmans' website. Thanks, Adrienne! :)

What is the coupon policy for the Wegmans stores in Virginia and Maryland?

Answer:

We only double manufacturers' coupons with a face value of $.50 or less with the following exceptions and limitations:

• Coupons with a face value of $.51 or greater will be redeemed at face value.
• One manufacturers' coupon per item for a SPECIFIC BRAND product.
• Only FOUR(4) manufacturers' coupons can be doubled on FOUR(4) of the same brand product per day. Additional coupons for the same brand product will be redeemed at face value.
• Only FOUR(4) manufacturers' coupons for free products can be redeemed per day (excluding Internet coupons).
• The double or face value of a coupon may NOT exceed the retail price.
• One manufacturers' coupon and Shoppers Club discount or store coupon may be redeemed on the same item. The combination of a manufacturers' coupon and a Shoppers Club discount/store coupon may not exceed the retail price.
• One manufacturers' coupon may be redeemed for each Club Pack product.
• We cannot give you a raincheck for manufacturers' coupons.
• We do not accept manufacturers' coupons for free products downloaded from the Internet.

Face Value Redemption For...

• Alcohol coupons
• Coupons not for a specific brand name item
• Rebate/refund certificates
• Free item coupons (excluding Internet coupons)

Additional Shoppers Club Notes

Discounts on certain items (marked by MFR) are supported by the manufacturer; we are required by law to charge sales tax on the manufacturer-sponsored portion of such offers.

Forgotten coupons and Shoppers Club discounts must be redeemed within two weeks of the original purchase date with original receipt.

What is your Internet Coupon Policy?

Answer: We take internet coupons with only two restrictions. FREE coupons are out, and the fine print, to minimize checker uncertainty, is that the word FREE can't appear on the coupon. This includes Buy One Get One Free offers. The other restriction is that the electronic coupon value (or the double value) may not exceed the value of the item being purchased; the same as for other coupons

First Report from Bloom

I did a trip to Bloom this morning. I bought some produce, and 20 triple-couponed items. Taking the produce out of the equation, I spent $22.05 on $57.15 worth of groceries - a savings of 61%.

Watch out for that $0.75/2 Ortega products coupon! I had picked up 2 packets of Ortega fajita seasoning ($0.91 each...overage predicted), but the computer rejected it. The cashier was very nice and called the manager over to resolve it on the computer - but I think this depends on who you have. I'm pretty sure that the overage carried over, too.

Here are some items that we didn't list before. The really great deals are bolded!

• Veg-All Steam Supreme frozen veggies (several varieties), $1.79. Use the $0.55/1 from the 03/01 Red Plum insert to get these for just $0.14!
• Gorton's 2-filet fish packages (pick from salmon, tilapia, etc.), 2/$7. After $0.40 coupon, $2.10 each. $1.05/filet isn't bad for preseasoned salmon filets!
• Pepperidge farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread, $3.69, use $0.40/1 from the 02/22 SS insert to get it for $2.49 (not really a steal unless you lurv this stuff)
• Nature's Pride Whole Wheat Bread, 2/$4, use the $0.55/1 from the 02/22 Red Plum insert to get it for just $0.35. Yeah!
• Gerber Fruit Strips were on closeout around $1.50 (half price!). Since I had some coupons from a recent Gerber home mailer campaign - $0.75/2 coupons for the Fruit Strips specifically, and some for $0.75/2 for Gerber Graduates snacks in general, I was getting $1.12 off each of those - so $0.38/box for kid snacks that are 99% fruit. Sweet!
• Minute Brown Rice (as well as other varieties of Minute Rice) was $2.09. I used a $0.50/1 from the 01/04 SS on the brown rice single serve 2-packs to get the 2-packs for $0.59/each. There may be a functioning printable $0.50/1 Minute Rice coupon here (though we haven't tried it yet...caveat printor).
• Glory Light Seasoned Tomatoes/Okra/Corn mix, $1.65. Subtract the recent $0.75/2 coupon to get these for $0.53/can.
• Planters Big Nut granola bars (these are large!) were $3.14 for a box of 5...but after $0.75/1 coupon (02/22 SS), they were $0.89 for the box.
• New York frozen Ciabatta Rolls (there may have been some slightly cheaper New York frozen products) were $3.49. After $0.75/1 (03/01 RP), they were $1.24.

If you found any hot deals, please post them in the comments section of our original Bloom March 2009 Triple Coupon Matchups post - where all of our matchups are documented! If you have questions about strategizing your Bloom run, also see our recent Bloom Triple Coupon Policy FAQ post.
.

Lands' End: Free Shipping Code (March 2009)

Enter the Promotion Code FAST and the PIN 00003905 in the space provided. Expires Sunday, March 22.

Some steals on cute stuff we spotted:

Baby girls' ruffle knit top, $2.99 (light pink or light green)
Baby boys' cargo shorts, $3.99 (denim or plaid)
Girls' puff sleeve T-shirts, $3.99 (solids and pretty batik prints, too!)
Boys' wrinkle-resistant chinos, $4.99 all the way down to $2.99 (for slims)
Women's suede mocassins, $9.99 (many colors)
Men's knee-length swim trunks, $9.99 (solids)

LandsEnd.com

Go to the Redemption Unlimited Page of Lands' End Posts to see the very latest free shipping code and other Lands' End promotions!
.

This Weekend's Consignment Sales, 03/21-03/22

Another gauntlet of consignment sales in Northern Virginia are abuzz this weekend. If you attend any, comment and let us know how things went!

• March 20-21: Redeemer Lutheran Preschool (1545 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA) RLPSale@redeemer-mclean.org
• March 21: Spring-Mar Preschool Children's Consignment Sale, 8am to 12pm, Accotink Unitarian Church, 10125 Lakehaven Court, Burke, VA. For more info.: email sales@spring-mar.org, call 703-239-1213 ext. 5.
• March 21: Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples. 9am to 1pm, Swanson Middle School, Arlington, VA. Half price sale from noon to 1pm. Cash only, no strollers allowed.
• March 21: Montgomery County Parents of Multiples Sale
  Pictures from last year's sale here.
  9 AM - Sale open to public ($2 per adult)
  11:00 AM -11:30 AM - Sale closed
  11:30 AM -12:30 PM - Most items 1/2 off
  Julius West Middle School
  651 Great Falls Road, Rockville, MD
  (one block east of 270 at Falls Road)
  Non-members $2.00 per adult.
  Cash or personal checks only - no credit cards.
• March 22-March 26: Weecycled Wardrobe One BIG Sale
  10 AM - 7 PM every day
  2529 Celebrate Virginia Parkway
  Fredicksburg, VA 22406
  Come see why Weecycled Wardrobe was voted "Fredericksburg's Best Place to Buy Second Hand Children's Clothing." Over 34,000 items from 700 consignors. Biggest consignment sale in Stafford and Fredericksburg area.
  
  Look here to see the page of all of the latest Redemption Unlimited posts on local consignment sales. Also, see the blog's right-hand sidebar where we list upcoming consignment sales!
  

.

Questions about Bloom Triple Coupons Policy and Strategies

We just received an email from a reader with some great questions (yay, reader email!):

"If a coupon says "do not double or triple" on it, will it not triple if I take it to Bloom today? I'm trying to plan out my first big triple coupon shopping trip(s). Also, if I have two coupons for, say Pillsbury breads and I want to buy 2 do I need to do 2 transactions or can I use both in the same transaction? If I do need to do 2 transactions, should I stand in line twice or separate out my stuff and ask the cashier nicely to do two transactions?"

Let's go through these, keeping in mind that Bloom typically triples all coupons up to $0.99 in value, limited to 20 coupons of any type per transaction.

If a coupon says "do not double or triple" on it, will it not triple if I take it to Bloom today?

Check out the bar code number on your coupon. The first (separated) digit will be either a 5 or a 9. If your coupon has a 5 on it but says, "Does not double" or some variant, you should know that it should automatically double or triple when scanned. In fact, it would take the cashier approximately 5-10 seconds to correct the computer via a series of entries, so most cashiers do not elect to make a fuss about "5"-labeled coupons that say, "Do not double" - and in fact in our experience we have never had a cashier correct a "Do not double/5" coupon that scanned and doubled automatically. However, note that if your coupon has a 9 as its first digit (whether or not it says "Do not double" or some variant) it will definitely not double or triple. This applies to any stores that do doubling, like Giant, Safeway, Shopper's Food Warehouse, Harris Teeter, and so on.

Remember, though, that there is always the very miniscule chance that a cashier may elect to take the time and correct your "Do not double/5" coupons back to the single-time discount.

Also, if I have two coupons for, say Pillsbury breads and I want to buy 2 do I need to do 2 transactions or can I use both in the same transaction? If I do need to do 2 transactions, should I stand in line twice or separate out my stuff and ask the cashier nicely to do two transactions?

In the past, we have gone through Bloom checkout with up to 4 same coupons for the same items, with no fuss. However, to avoid any trouble, if you already know that you're going to make more than one trip, go ahead and split up your copies of a given coupon, just so you're not acquiring 246 cans of Ragu in one go (though several of something in one transaction really isn't a big deal). This strategy also is a winner for your fellow couponers courtesy-wise, because you don't end up cleaning out a shelf in one go, giving others the chance to get the discounts.

We have heard about folks doing consecutive transactions at one go with cooperative (thank you!) cashiers, but we don't recommend trying this at a busy time - like Saturday mornings, or 4-7 p.m. on weeknights. In other words, if you think that you'd like to try multiple transactions in one trip, try to do so during a lower-customer-volume time frame. This way, no one has to wait longer behind you in line, and the cashier doesn't feel pressure to get the line going.

Another way to strategize it is like this: if you have a bunch of a single coupon, but the expiration date is 2-3+ months off, and your deal with the coupon isn't on a weekly sale price, you could always use a few this time around, and wait for the next doubling/tripling round of deals to come! This is especially useful if the coupons are for some refrigerated product that is hard to freeze or otherwise preserve.

Once, A. asked the cashier at a Bloom if she could use more than one copy of a Pepsi 20-oz. coupon that she had from a tearpad (from another store). The cashier called the manager over to answer the question, and he said that the managers are getting increasingly wary of multiple Internet coupons because fraud is rife within the Internet printable coupon system - and thus managers and cashiers are hesitant to accept multiple copies because there is less and less chance of the stores being reimbursed by the manufacturer (he was nice enough to let me use two coupons anyway). Of course, A.'s question was about black-and-white tearpad coupons - which should not have mattered under the manager's argument, but the experience still brought to light four principles:

1. Internet printable coupon fraud ruins it for everyone, so keep your coupon printing honest, please, folks, and respect the print limits per computer!
2. As far as it is possible (and to not call negative attention to yourself in your own local stores) - avoid massive "hoarding" trips. Split into multiple transactions or save some for future deal-running.
3. If you're using Internet printables, moderation is key. Two of a given coupon per transaction may be a good rule of thumb.
   
4. Remain unfailingly polite and gracious to cashiers and managers when checking out and/or asking about coupon policy. In an ideal world, coupon fraud and suspicion wouldn't even be a part of the dynamic, but a cheerful, honest disposition goes a long way to representing the couponing community well and sustaining our chances for future deals! Remember that your reputation (and the reputation of fellow couponers in general) is not worth sacrificing for those frozen waffles! :)
   

We would love for you to post a comment if you have any input on strategizing for checkout during Bloom triples!
.

Bloom Triple Coupon Matchups, 03/20-03/22

Here are the matchups we found. If you post a comment with others you've found, we'll add them to the master list! Come back to this post to see the complete list of Bloom Triple Coupon Matchups for March 2009 as we update it in the next couple of days.

Bloom Triple Coupons Shopping List, 03/20-03/22
Some matchups courtesy of AFullCup.com's ryansmommie,
who posts on Bloom deals from Charlotte, NC,
so you may run into occasional regional price discrepanies.
Thanks, ryansmommie!

Muir Glen Can of crushed tomatoes, $2.79 (normally $2.99). Use the recent $0.75 off Muir Glen product 02/08 SmartSource coupon to get $2.25 off, making it $0.54. (In the past, I've had success with the $1.29 tomato paste cans getting me $0.96 overage, so...might be worth a try!)

Ragu Pasta Sauce, 4/$6 ($1.50/each - down from $2.40/each retail). Your best bet here is the $0.75/2 Ragu pasta sauces from the 01/18 Red Plum insert. Final price after tripled coupon: 2/$0.75, or $0.38/each! Wow!

Viva paper towels, 6 rolls, $5.99. You can use the $0.35/1 package coupon from the 01/11 SS insert to make these $4.94 - $0.82/roll - but this pretty much rivals CVS' sale prices on Viva. There was also a 20% off multipack coupon in the same insert which would make these $4.79, or $0.80/roll.

Scott multi-pack toilet paper is going for $6.99. Use the $0.75/1 from the 02/08 SS insert to make this $4.75.

Campbell's Chunky is 3/$5 ($1.66/each, down from $2.35/each). Use the $0.50/2 Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request coupon from the 01/04 SS to make these $0.91/each.

Kellogg's Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, or Corn Flakes are 3/$5. Use the $0.70/any Kellogg's cereal from the 02/25 RP to get $0.40 overage!

Lipton Knorr Sides are going for $1. Use the $0.75/2 from the (1/18 RP) to get $0.25 overage!

Hormel Compleats are $2.00. Use the $0.75/1 from the 02/08 SS to get $0.25 overage!

Ortega Taco Seasoning & Fajita Season is $0.91. Use the 0.75/2 (1/18 SS) to get $0.43 overage total!

Duncan Hines Brownie Mix Original Price, going for $1. Use the $0.35/1 (02/01 SS), get $0.05 overage.

Shedd's Spread varieties are 2/$5 (down from $3.49). There was a $0.50/1 coupon for the Calcium Plus Vitamin D Sprea, and a $0.35/1 coupon for any variety Shedd's Spread, both in the 01/18 Red Plum. Price range after coupons: $1.00 - $1.45.

Pillsbury Crescent or Cinnamon Rolls, 2/$4 (down from $2.19). There was a $0.35/1 crescent rolls coupon in the 10/19/2008 that hasn't expired yet, which would bring the price down to $0.95. Or try your luck with this rumored $1/1 printable to make the cresent rolls $1 (caveat printor: we haven't checked it out yet). The 01/04 General Mills insert had a coupon for $0.55/1 Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls or Mini Cinnamon Roll. If these fall under the sale price, they are just $0.35 each! Yeah, cheap cinnamon yumminess!

Pepperidge Farm Bread is 2/$4 (normally $2.99). Use the $0.40/1 coupon from the 01/18 SS to make this just $0.80/each.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream pints are 2/$6. Use this $1/1 Ben and Jerry's printable coupon to make them $2 each (compare with retail of $4.39 - but caveat printor: we haven't checked it out yet).

Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls are 2/$5. Use the $0.55/1 coupon from the 02/22 RP to make these just $0.85 each!

Here are some more, again courtesy of AFullCup.com's ryansmommie:

French's Classic Yellow Mustard 1.17
.50/1 (1/18 SS)
= Free

French's Spicy Brown Mustard 1.48
.75/1 (1/18 SS)
= Free

Lipton Tea 2.20
.75/1 (3/15 RP)
= Free

French's Onion Toppings 2.13
.75/1 (2/8 SS or various magazines)
= Free

Thai Kitchen Original Price =1.49 Sales Price = 1.25
.50/1 (3/15 RP)
= Free

Simply Asia Original Price = 1.59 Sales Price = 1.25
.50/1 IP Print Your Coupon
= Free

No Yolks 1.89
.75/1 IP Coupons
= Free

Wacky Mac 1.39
.50/1 IP www.coupons. Com
= Free

Dawn 1.43
.50/1 Home Mailer
= Free

Blistex .99
.35/1 (1/18 or 2/8 SS)
= Free

NUK Pacifier 2.19
.75/1 Home Mailer
=Free

Menthos Gum 1.49
.55/1 (2/8 SS)
= Free

Dinty Moore Beef Stew Cans Reg Price = 2.17 Sale Price =1.67
.55/1 (1/25 SS)
= .02 each
(Some stores also carry a smaller size that would be completely free.)

Poptarts Original Price = 2.39 Sales Price = 1.67
.55/1 IP Print Your Coupon (Chocolate Banana Split Only)
= .02 each

Argo Corn Starch 1.68
.55/1 IP Coupons
= .03 each

Muir Glen Pizza Sauce 2.29
.75/1 (2/8 SS)
= .04 each

Tetley Tea 1.75
.55/1 (1/18 SS)
= .10 each

Little Debbie 100 cal packs 1.79
.55/1 All You Feb issue
= .14 each

Quaker Oats Original Price = 2.17 Sales Price = 1.99
.60/1
= .19 each

Wet Ones Canister 2.49
.75/1 (2/8 SS)
= .24 each

Viva small pack 2.56
.75/1 (1/11 SS Out of Market)
= .31 each

Hefty One Zip Original Price = 2.97 Sales Price =1.99
.55/1 (1/25 RP)
= .34 each

Motts Apple Sauce (Large Jar) Reg Price = 2.49 Sale Price =2.00
.55/1 IP Mott's® Coupons & Promotions
= .35 each

Skippy PB Reg Price = 2.85 Sale Price = 2.29
.60/1 (1/18 RP) or .40/1 (1/18 RP)
= .49 each

Capn Crunch Original Price = 3.19 Sales Price = 2.00
.50/1 (1/4 RP)
= .50 each

Dole Mandarin Oranges Can 1.49
.55/2 IP
= .67 each

Welch's Light Juice 2.99
.75/1 (3/8 SS)
= .74 each

Mueller's Noodles 1.73
.55/2 (3/1 SS)
.= .90 each

Hormel Chili Reg. Price = 3.49 Sale Price = 1.75
.55/2 (3/15 SS)
= .93 each

And some more Bloom matchups, discovered this morning by A.:

• Veg-All Steam Supreme frozen veggies (several varieties), $1.79. Use the $0.55/1 from the 03/01 Red Plum insert to get these for just $0.14!
• Gorton's 2-filet fish packages (pick from salmon, tilapia, etc.), 2/$7. After $0.40 coupon, $2.10 each. $1.05/filet isn't bad for preseasoned salmon filets!
• Pepperidge farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread, $3.69, use $0.40/1 from the 02/22 SS insert to get it for $2.49 (not really a steal unless you lurv this stuff)
• Nature's Pride Whole Wheat Bread, 2/$4, use the $0.55/1 from the 02/22 Red Plum insert to get it for just $0.35. Yeah!
• Gerber Fruit Strips were on closeout around $1.50 (half price!). Since I had some coupons from a recent Gerber home mailer campaign - $0.75/2 coupons for the Fruit Strips specifically, and some for $0.75/2 for Gerber Graduates snacks in general, I was getting $1.12 off each of those - so $0.38/box for kid snacks that are 99% fruit. Sweet!
• Minute Brown Rice (as well as other varieties of Minute Rice) was $2.09. I used a $0.50/1 from the 01/04 SS on the brown rice single serve 2-packs to get the 2-packs for $0.59/each. There may be a functioning printable $0.50/1 Minute Rice coupon here (though we haven't tried it yet...caveat printor).
• Glory Light Seasoned Tomatoes/Okra/Corn mix, $1.65. Subtract the recent $0.75/2 coupon to get these for $0.53/can.
• Planters Big Nut granola bars (these are large!) were $3.14 for a box of 5...but after $0.75/1 coupon (02/22 SS), they were $0.89 for the box.
• New York frozen Ciabatta Rolls (there may have been some slightly cheaper New York frozen products) were $3.49. After $0.75/1 (03/01 RP), they were $1.24.
  

.