5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/30-01/07

Ah, the beginning of the new year - when baking supplies, butter, and chocolate are no longer on sale. Instead what do we find? Yoghurt, bagged salad, tuna, and chicken breast on sale. ;-)

As a reminder, this will be my final Giant deals post at Redemption Unlimited. Many thanks to all the readers who posted matchups and other deals spotted in the Giant deals posts' comment sections in the past. :)

1. Imported Cherries, $2.99/lb. (Save $2/lb.)
   
2. Giant or Dole Salad Blends, 2/$5
   
3. Dannon Yoghurt, 20/$10
   
4. SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb. (This is stock up freezing price.)
   
5. Chicken of the Sea tuna, 10/$10 (Save $0.59/can)

***


This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/17 - 12/23 - DOLLAR DOUBLERS!

There are many, many reasons to visit Giant this week, since grocers are always trying to get you in the door the week before a big holiday in order for you to buy everything you need (not just their loss leaders). In fact, there are dollar doublers, too! A great chance to score some savings.

Here's a highlight reel of just some of the loss leaders available this week at Giant:

1. 5 lb. box Clementines, $3.99 - as cheap as Clementines get!
2. Coke 12-packs, 4/$10
3. Spiral Sliced Ham, $1.49/lb. (Save $1.70/lb, nice!)
4. Semi-Boneless Beef Rib Roast, $5.99/lb.
5. Sweet Potatoes and Yams, 3 lb. for $1 - as cheap as these get, too!

Other reasons to visit Giant this week:

Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkeys, $0.79/lb. Fresh turkeys, $0.99/lb.
Save $1 printable coupon for Shady Brook Farms Fresh or Frozen Turkeys
For best savings: Buy the smallest frozen turkey that you can find, and dollar double your printable (if it permits doubling).

Top Round, Bottom Round, or Beef Chuck Roast, 50% off (Save at least $1.75/lb.)

Giant Butter, 2/$5

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drinks, 2/$4

Sorrento Ricotta Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese, 2/$5

Purex 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent, $1.99
$0.35/1 printable
Final price: $1.30/ea.

Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon, all varieties, Buy 1, Get 1 FREE (Save at least $6.69)

Lay's Potato Chips, 3/$6 (Must buy 3)

General Mills Cereals, 2/$4
$1/2, 11/14 GM
Price if dollar doubled: $1/box

Folgers Coffee, $6.99/lb.
$1/2, 09/19 RP or 12/05 RP
Price if dollar doubled: $5.99/lb.

Dunkin Donuts Coffee, $6.99/lb.
$2/2, 12/12/RP (this one expires 01/30/2011) or 10/31 RP (this one expires 12/31)
Final price: $5.99/lb.

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/10-12/16

I can't believe that Christmas is in just two weeks! Now is the time to stock up on low-priced staples that have relatively long shelf lives - for example, the store-brand $0.99 cream cheese deal this week. Many cream cheese packages are marked as being good for weeks, if not months, so you could be fueling meals in January and February with the Christmastime stash. :)

1. Navel Oranges, $0.88/lb.
2. Blackberries or Blueberries (in eeety beeety containers), 2/$4
3. Giant European Salads or Dole Salad Blends, 2/$5
4. SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $2.30/lb.) This is a freezable price, so stock up!
5. Whole Boneless Pork Loin, $1.89/lb. (Save at least $2.10/lb.) At more than half price off, this is also freezable if you're a pork loin afficionado.

Other reasons to visit Giant this week:

New York Strip, $5.99/lb. (Save $4/lb.)

Large Easy Peel or Medium Cooked Shrimp, $6.99/lb. in a two pound bag ($13.98/bag)

Hachiya Persimmons, 2/$3 Try a warm persimmon butter made in a slow-cooker/crock pot for a holiday treat!


Green Beans, Washed and Snipped, BOGO

3 lb. bag White or Red Potatoes, 2/$5 OR Sold Individually @$0.99/lb.

Jumbo Green Peppers, $0.99/lb.

Cedar's Hummus (8 oz.), $2.99 (Save $1)

Furmano's Tomatoes, Canned, 10/$10

Wyman's Wild Blueberries (frozen), 2/$7 (These are $3.99 retail and I LOVE them for their smoothie-making quality because they're smaller with a more intense blueberry taste.)

Cascadian Farm frozen organic vegetables, 2/$5
$1/1 printable for signing up
Final price: $1.50

Birds Eye Frozen Veggies, 10/$10
$1/2, 12/12 SS
Final price: $0.50/ea.

Green Giant Fresh Steamers, 3/$5
$0.50/2, 11/14 GM
Final price: $1.16/ea.

Claussen Pickles, 2/$6

Giant Cream Cheese, $0.99/ea. (Save $0.60/ea.)

Giant Shredded Cheeses, 2/$4

Cabot Cheese Blocks, 2/$5

Giant Ricotta Cheese, 2/$5

BelGioioso Mozzarella, 8 oz, 2/$6 (Save $1.50/ea.) (By the way, though this is a nice discount, the Sam's Club price on BelGioioso still beats this by far, so if you have a membership there or at another warehouse club it's probably worth comparing.)

Daisy Sour Cream, 2/$3

Blue Diamond Almonds, 2/$5
$0.75/2, 10/10 and 12/05 SS
Final price: 2/$3.50, or $1.75/ea.

Nestle Morsels chocolate chips, 2/$4
$1.25/3, 11/14 RP
Final price: 3 for $4.75, or $1.58/bag

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bars, 2/$5 (Retails over $3/ea.)

Swanson Broth, 4/$3
$0.75/5 or $0.75/2 (or other values), 11/07 SS
Final price: Varies

Carnation Evaporated Milk, 5/$5
$0.50/2 Carnation Evaporated Milk Printable
$0.50/2, 11/14 RP
Final price: $0.50/can

Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips - includes gluten free!, 2/$5
$1 off coupon
Final price: $1.50/bag

Proctor Silex Small Appliances, $7.99
Includes: 5 Speed Hand Mixer, Juicer, Coffee Grinder, Food Chopper, Can Opener or 2 Slice Toaster

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!  

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week - Dollar Doublers, W00T! 12/3 - 12/9

Dollar Doublers are back at Giant this week! Keep the ones in your mailed ad, because the in-store ads almost never have the doublers attached. If you're especially ambitious, you might ping your friends and neighbors to see if they're using theirs. Each batch you salvage could get you up to $8 savings!
Feel free to post a comment with a coupon tip if you snag any hot freebies or super deals using your dollar doublers. :o)

1. Clementines are back in action @$4.77 for a 5 lb. box!
2. Broccoli Crowns or Bunched Broccoli, $0.88/lb. (Save $0.61/lb.)
3. SUPER G Homestyle Roasting Chicken, $0.99/lb. This is rock bottom per pound pricing for standard whole chicken!
4. New York Strip Steak, $5.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)
5. Turkey Hill Ice Cream, 2/$5 (Save at least $0.98/2)
   $1/2, 11/07 RP
   Final price, if dollar doubled: 2/$3

Other Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

Fresh Pork Tenderloin, BOGO (Save at least $5.99/lb.)

Hormel Black Label Sliced Bacon, BOGO (Save at least $5.99)

Fresh Pork Shoulder Picnic, $0.99/lb. (Save $0.70/lb.)

Starkist Solid White Tuna (water or oil), 10/$10 (Save at least $0.59/can)\
Starkist.com advertises coupons for those who sign up

Bunch Collard or Kale, $0.79/lb. (Save $0.10/lb.) - I made kale sauteed with bacon, onions and mushrooms for Thanksgiving. It was a great way to get in some flavorful greens. :)

Giant Cut Baby Peeled Carrots, BOGO

Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup, 10/$10 (Save $0.50/can)
$1/4 Facebook coupon
$1/4, 10/24 SS, 11/14 GM
Final price when dollar doubled: $0.50/can!
San Giorgio Pasta, 10/$10
$0.55/1 SG Quick Cook, 10/03 SS
Final price: If the Quick Cook is included in the sale, this could be free

Entenmann's, BOGO

Kellogg's Cereal, 2/$4
Rice Krispies
Froot Loops
Apple Jacks
Cinnabon
Frosted Flakes
Corn Flakes
Smorz
Eggo
Corn Pops
Cocoa Krispies
$1.50/3, 11/14 RP
$1.50/3, $1/2 coupons at the Kellogg's site
Final price: If you dollar double a $1/2, you'll get them for $1/box

DiGiorno Pizza or California Pizza Kitchen 2/$10 (Save $1.58/2)
$1/1 DiGiorno and $1/1 CPK, 11/14 RP
Final price, if dollar doubled: $3/ea.
$1.50/1 CPK
Final price: $3.50


***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!  

Giant Posts Returning Later This Week

Wheeeew! I (A.) am getting caught up. This year, I got pulled under by the tide that was two Thanksgiving celebrations with each side of the family. Also, I pulled a really doofus move and spilled coffee on my main laptop on Friday night, so my blogging capability (not to mention my Black Friday deals perusing ability) was hampered for a few days for sure.

The result? Yesterday I went into Giant for the first time in ages...with no idea of what was on sale. It was truly surreal to step into the store entrance and be like: "OK, I need to stock up on...um...what, exactly?"

So, all this to say, Giant deals for the coming week will be back in a few days, but for now I'm still  regaining my bearings. Major hat tip to blogging partner Mel for her persistence in covering Safeway deals/happenings and the details on a freebie NOVA kids' concert happening tomorrow and Thursday.

Safeway: website enhancements

I logged into my Safeway account recently and noticed some substantial website enhancements.  It was nice to see these, as I've noticed that Giant has had a far better web program for frequent shoppers! I look forward to getting more familiar with what Safeway has to offer on the new "Just for U" site.

Here's what I noticed:

Your Club Specials.
Current Club Card sale prices based on past purchases.  Safeway tracks the purchases using a shopper's Club Card and captures that data on the website.  For frequently bought items, this could be a great way to plan a shopping trip based on sale prices.

Personalized Deals.
Currently unavailable; under construction it seems.

Coupon Center.
Safeway-specific coupons that Club Card members can add individually to the Club Card before shopping.  Safeway claims it has "the largest digital grocery coupon site in North America!"

Shopping List.
An online tool to create a shopping list based on sales and frequent purchases.

Do you use grocery store websites? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, Thanksgiving Edition with FREEBIE Canned Veggies, 11/19 - 11/25

1. Woo hoo for Clementine Season! $4.44 for a 5 lb. box!
   
   
2. Loss-Leader Turkeys at Rock Bottom Prices! The cashier at Giant told me this week that anyone also wanting to do turkey for Christmas dinner should buy now for the most savings. I picked up a frozen ~15 lb.'er turkey for around $6.50 this week. (And I could have gotten it for $5.50ish had I remembered the printable - d'oh!)
   Shady Brook Farms Fresh Turkey, $0.99/lb. (Save at least $0.40/lb.)
   Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkey, $0.47/lb. (Limit 1 w/$25 purchase, not including the price of the turkey, saving at least $0.52/lb.)
   Shady Brook Farms $1/1 printable
   Butterball Fresh Turkey, $1.49/lb. (Limit 1, saving $0.20/lb.)
   Butterball Frozen Turkey, $0.99/lb. (Limit 1, saving $0.30/lb.)
   
   
3. Cheap Green Beans! 2 lb. bag, washed and snipped, $3.99 (Save at least $3).
   
   
4. Spiral Honey Glazed Sliced Ham or Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham, $1.79/lb. (Save $1.40/lb.)
   
   
5. Sweet Potatoes, 3 lbs./$1 (Save at least $0.66/lb.)
   
   
6. Bonus FREEBIE Reason:Green Giant Vegetables (green beans, peas, or corn), 2/$1 (Save at least $0.90/2)
   $0.50/2, 10/24 SS
   Final price: If it doubles, FREE!

Other reasons to check out Giant this week:

Kraft Cracker Barrel Cheese (wooo! hors d'oeuvres!),2/$5

Land O'Lakes Butter, 2/$5 (Save $1.98/2)
$0.50/2 SmartSource, makes them $2/ea.
$1/2, 10/24 SS, makes them $2/ea.

Hunt's Tomatoes, 10/$10

Lay's Potato Chips, 3/$6

Edy's Ice Cream, 2/$5 (Save at least $3.58/2)
$1/2, All You October
Final price: $2/ea.

Mrs. Smith's 8" Bake & Serve Pies, $1.99 (Save at least $2.50)

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drinks, 2/$4 (Save $1.98/2)

Canada Dry Ginger Ale 12-pack, 5/$10 (must buy 5)

Coke 2 Liter, $0.89/ea.

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!  

Target FREEBIES Coupon in Today's Washington Post

An oversized Target flyer with a freebie coupon was in today's Washington Post. (Note that you may receive this ad in later Post editions this week, depending on your delivery schedule setup.) The flyer advertises $0.88/lb. for its frozen Butterball turkeys, 11/14 thorugh 11/20

The freebie coupon is for two free bags of Green Giant frozen vegetables with a grocery purchase of $25 or more. There are many competitive loss leader prices advertised on Thanksgiving staples within this ad, too, so take a look to see if you could get those at Target - enabling you to hit your $25 mark for the freebie.

Menu Plan Monday - Pre- Thanksgiving Leftovers Edition!

I had a sort of a wacky idea. We're heading to a relatives' house for Thanksgiving dinner later this month, so I'm not anticipating a lot of leftover turkey (or any leftovers, really) coming out of that evening. But turkey is so CHEAP right now; $0.47/lb. at Giant! And why is it precisely that folks don't make turkey more often? Burnout! They're always trying to do it on a day when they have 100 other dishes to cover as well. So I'm thinking of trying to thaw and roast a frozen turkey from Giant, and then putting the cooked leftovers in the freezer for future use in soups.

One other wacky idea: I'm going to bake a whole bunch of sweet potatoes, mash'em, and freeze the leftovers in portions.

Monday:
Breakfast - Pumpkin custards
Lunch - Caprese salad - mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, on top of greens, with a bit of liverwurst
Dinner - Bacon zucchini quiche, salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, bananas for the girls
Lunch - Apple slices with almond butter, leftover quiche
Dinner - Slow cooked pork roast with carrots, leeks, potatoes

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Blueberries (on sale at Giant!) with whole fat yoghurt
Lunch - Lunch at preschool with my daughter for a "Thanksgiving Feast"
Dinner - Leftover pork roast; baked/mashed sweet potatoes

Thursday:
Breakfast - Cheesy scrambled eggs
Lunch - Bananamandeln smoothies
Dinner - Shrimp and asparagus over spaghetti squash with a white wine reduction

Friday:
Breakfast - Mixed berries, cottage cheese
Lunch - Packed to eat with a friend; boiled eggs, apples, nuts, raisins, etc.
Dinner - Roast turkey, wasabi asparagus (on sale this week at Giant for $1.99/lb.!)

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 11/12 - 11/18 - FREE Breakstone's Sour Cream with Printable!

Oooof - I got home last night from a few days' worth of visiting relatives a few hours away, and it was an unintended media fast of a weekend since our accomodations had no Wifi - hence me getting some Giant deals up just now!

1. Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkey, $0.47/lb. (1 with $25 purchase) As you'll see in the menu plan for this week, I might be roasting/freezing one just to have leftovers for soups and other entrees. Other turkeys range $0.99/lb.-$1.49/lb.
   
2. Blueberries, Blackberries, or Raspberries, 2/$4. Note that these are the smaller half-pint containers.
   
3. Asparagus, $1.99/lb. (Retail ~$3/lb.) You'll see this twice in my menu plan this week. Our family loves asparagus!
   
4. Pepsi 2 Liters, 10/$10. If you have a heavy soda drinking crowd for Thanksgiving these may come in handy.
   
5. 
   Breakstone's Sour Cream, $0.99/ea.
   $0.55/1, might double to make it FREE (bricks)
   $1/2, would make it $0.49/ea. (bricks)

Other reasons to visit Giant This week:

General Mills Cereals, 4/$8, must buy 4
GM Cereals coupons @ Coupons.com
$1/2, 10/31 and 11/07 SS (Final price: $1.50/box)
Includes:
Honey Nut Cheerios
Lucky Charms
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Fiber One Honey Clusters
Cocoa Puffs
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
Also: Get a FREE Gallon of Milk when you purchase any 4 participating General Mills Cereals in one transaction with your Giant card (Coupon will print out at checkout for your next purchase, up to $4.50 value. Limit one per transaction.)

Birds Eye Vegetables, 10/$10

Cut Baby Peeled Carrots, 10/$10 

Breyer's Ice Cream, 2/$5. Same as the Pepsi!

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 11/05 - 11/11

Lots of great stock-up prices on whole foods and produce this week!

1. Bumblebee Tuna, white, 10/$10 (Save $0.59/can)
   
   
2. Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkey, $0.47/lb. with any $25 purchase (limit one turkey per transaction)
   Giant notes here that it will match prices on turkeys with any competitor's price - good to keep in mind as you grocery shop in the coming weeks! Details in-ad.
   $1/1 Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkey Printable Coupon
   The smaller the turkey that is bought with this, the greater the relative value of your coupon in terms of lowering the "per pound" price.
   
   
3. The $1.88 produce deals:
   Russet Potatoes, 5 lb. bag, $1.88. Wash the all 5 pounds in your dishwasher when prepping for a crowd! ;-)
   Yellow Onions, 3 lb. bag, $1.88
   Tomatoes on the Vine, by the lb., $1.88
   Giant European Salads or Dole Salad Blends, $1.88/ea.
   
   
4. Whole Boneless Pork Loin, $1.98/lb. - This is about half price. Great for crockpotting!
   
   
5. Giant Canned Vegetables, 2/$1

Other sales advertised at Giant this week:

New York Strip Steak, $5.99/lb. (Save $4/lb.)

Boneless Tilapia Filets, $5.99/lb.

Extra Large Easy Peel Shrimp, $5.99/lb.

SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.98/lb. (Lowest price you're likely to see for a while on chicken breasts.)

Barilla Pasta Sauce, 2/$3

Giant Pasta, $0.66/box

Campbell's Gravy, 2/$1

SmartOnes Classic Favorites, 8/$10

Progresso Traditional Soup, Buy 2, Get 2 FREE (Save $4 on 4)
$1/4 Facebook Progresso Coupon
$1/4, 10/03 GM, 09/12 GM, 10/24 SS
Final price: $0.75/can, half price!

Thomas' English Muffins 6-packs, 3/$3, must buy 3

Kellogg's Cereal, 4/$6, select varieties, must buy 4
$1/3, 10/17 RP - Final price, $1.17/box
LOTS of different $1/2 Kellogg's cereal coupons, final price: $1/box


***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:
Breakfast - Mashed boiled eggs, bananas for my girls
Lunch - Nuts, cheese, carrots - finger foods!
Dinner - Steaks (on sale at Giant!) and wasabi asparagus on the grill

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Pan-fried pears (on sale at Giant!) and cottage cheese
Lunch - Salad: Iceberg lettuce (on sale at Giant!), leftover steak strips, with a buttermilk ranch dressing, courtesy of Nourished Meadow
Dinner - Fish taco salads: seasoned fish, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and oh, yes: more iceberg lettuce

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Grain-free granola, bananas for the girls
Lunch - Omelettes
Dinner - Chicken vegetable soup (I'll probably crock pot a whole chicken with some veggies and reserve some chicken for Thursday lunch)

Thursday:
Breakfast - Cottage cheese topped with drizzle honey and cacao nibs
Lunch - Leftover chicken on a salad
Dinner - Bacon and onion quiche, autumn pear dessert with cinnamon and whipped cream

Friday:
Breakfast - Warm banana pudding
Lunch - Leftover quiche
Dinner - Crock pot pork ribs, maybe

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week - STOCK UP SALE Edition! 10/29 - 11/04

There is a huge stock-up sale this week at Giant - a TON of terrific prices, many of which are rock-bottom. Here's a peek (see the front page of your Giant ad for complete deals):

1. Porterhouse or T-Bone steak, $4.98/lb. Classic half-price sale price, great for freezing, etc.
   
2. SUPER G Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs, $0.98/lb. Again, buy and freeze as it won't get much cheaper!
   
3. Pears, $0.88/lb.! Many varieties: Bartlett, Anjou, or Red Delicious. Try poaching them in wine for a "Wow!" dessert.
   
4. Orchard Perfect Ripe Avocados, $0.88/ea. Since these retail for 3/$5 at my Giant, that's close to half price! Talk about a great week to get in some 5-star-rated guacamole.
   
5. Del Monte Family Size Vegetables, 10/$10 (Save $0.50/can), all varieties. These are perfect for adding to soups and stews in the crock pot.
   $1/5, 09/19 RP, makes them $0.90/ea.!

Some other reasons to visit Giant this week:

Iceberg Lettuce, $0.88/ea. Make a buttermilk ranch dressing and drizzle on top of a wedge!

Progresso Vegetable Classics Soups, 10/$10 (retails $1.50/can)
$1/4 Facebook Progresso Coupon
$1/4, 10/03 GM, 09/12 GM, 10/24 SS
Final price: $0.75/can, half price!

Giant Specialty Beans, 2/$1 (Save $0.23/can)

Giant Rice, 10 lb., $3.49 (Save at least $3.26, about half off!)

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!

Frugal Friday: The Thrill of the Coupon Hunt!

It's time for another edition of Frugal Friday. This week's topic:

The Coupon Hunt!

Those of you who are seasoned couponers know what I'm talking about when I make reference to a trip that you make to a store not necessarily only to buy something, but also to see if there are any good coupons to be snagged. It could be that you heard that a free coupon booklet was up for grabs in that store (as in CVS, frequently), or that the store was on the way to another errand and you decided to see what offerings were new.

The best stores I've found for coupon hunting are not usually grocery stores. I've found that unless it's a booklet, grocery store coupons are typically tear pads for a somewhat paltry amount ($1/2 or $1/3 of something for example), or blinkies that spit out nondoubling low-value coupons. The best finds are high value double-able manufacturer coupons. This is because:

• Manufacturer coupons can be redeemed anywhere - provided they say "Manufacturer Coupon" (as opposed to something like "Store Coupon" or "Target Coupon", etc.)
• If there is a number 5 as the first digit of the bar code number and the coupon does not prohibit doubling or tripling, you coupon's value may be doubled or tripled as long as it fits the parameters of the store's coupon doubling or tripling offer.

Good form!

Where you really want to be on the lookout for high value coupons as we slide into the holiday season. Use good couponing form!

• Specialty displays specially set up for that item. Think store entrance displays (by the ad flyers at Giant, or the theft-detection gates at CVS, or a "holiday baking" display at any grocery store).
• Drink fridges or food freezers - like at CVS or Wawa. Often there are manufacturer coupons on these for $0.50/1 or $0.75/1 20 oz. drinks, which when doubled or tripled can net you a free or near-free drink! (Note: when I'm road tripping - as many of you are bound to be doing this holiday season - one of my favorite pasttimes is searching drink fridges at gas stations for coupons to add to my coupon envelope. Often there are drink coupons available in other parts of the country that I wouldn't encounter at home, even within the same national chains where I'd buy gas!)
• Displays at your doctor's office. Be on the lookout, especially in the waiting area, for mini displays featuring coupons. These are just terrific because the expiration date is usually several months away (since the display designers know that the display may sit there for a long time) and the values are almost universally higher than what you'd find in your Sunday paper. At my daugthers' pediatrician there were Dove hair care coupons for $1/any Dove hair care item! When that doubles I could be getting some cheap Dove hair care. There were also "new baby" booklets featuring high-value coupons for Johnson & Johnson baby care products, infant Tyenol, and other baby drug store necessities.
• Customer Service or Pharmacy coupons. I've spotted rogue coupons at the Customer Service desk in my Giant and at the pharmacy counter in the back of my CVS.

Bad form!

How not to harvest coupons (a.k.a. examples of Bad Couponing Form!):

• Off of the packaging of an individual item of merchandise. I'm talking about "peelies" or perforated edge coupons that you can tear off of an item's packaging. It's generally considered bad couponing form to harvest these when the implicit assumption is that you will be buying that item right then and there - and it deprives those who buy the item of their coupons, too.
• In stores that you otherwise never frequent. You want to be in the position of being a coupon-savvy - but appreciated customer. If you walk into a store where you never spend money and harvest a bunch of coupons that you would definitely never redeem there, well - let's just say there's no short-term benefit or long-term benefit for that store.
  
• By tearing off an entire coupon pad. Try to reasonably assess how many coupons you truly need. Even if you come across a soda coupon that could mean freebie sodas when doubled, is it really necessary to tear off the whole pad of 50 coupons? Being coupon-greedy can not only alienate you from the stores you visit, but also deprives fellow couponers of a shot at savings of their own. If there are only a few coupons left and you can truly use them, don't feel bad about harvesting them - just consider others and your actual ability to use the coupons when taking them.

Earlier this week, I found myself in the rare position, delightedly, of being a few minutes early on the road to drop my eldest off at preschool. Since my local CVS is on the right side of the road that we take, I decided to make a quick stop just to see what was on offer. I pulled in, unbuckled the girls, and headed into the store straight to the coupon register tape (CRT) coupon kiosk. It used to be that when I stopped by CVS after not going there for a while, the coupon kiosk would print me a cornucopia of high value coupons, also often involving a $/$$ coupon (Ex. "$5 off any purchase of $15 or more."). Apparently not anymore! I scanned my card and had a coupon for "$1 off any People magazine" print out. Psh!!

Anyway, I hustled the girls around the store a bit looking for any other worthwhile coupons and then headed back out, when I noticed on the theft-deterrent gates at the entrance there were manufacturer coupons for $0.75/1 Halls Refresh cough drops. SWEET. Those could double at almost any Northern Virginia grocery store (since most grocery stores now double up to $0.99 in value) - or even be used in that same CVS when on sale! All I need to do now is keep Halls Refresh cough drops in mind when I'm browsing matchups across the blogosphere. The cough drops are bound to be on sale for $1.50-$2 per pack soon, so they could be free or close to it with a doubled coupon. I took three coupons and we left the store to get back on the road. For 5-7 minutes of my time, I netted $4.50 worth of coupons - for an hourly rate of return of around $45/hr. tax-free. I love successful coupon hunts!

Where do YOU sniff out coupons these days?

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:
Breakfast - Mashed boiled eggs
Lunch - Pears with ricotta
Dinner - Spaghetti squash with a meaty marinara

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Mango yoghurt smoothies - more mangos for my girls, more yoghurt for me (Mangos on sale at Giant!)
Lunch - Leftover spaghetti or a big-ass salad
Dinner - Salmon fillets braised in a tamari sauce, creamy asparagus soup

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, bananas for the girls
Lunch - Leftover salmon on a salad
Dinner - Baked chicken drumsticks and sweet potatoes

Thursday:
Breakfast - Blueberry custards
Lunch - Pumpkin spice smoothie
Dinner - My husband challenged me to get started on developing a primal chicken Wienerschnitzel recipe, and this might be the night I give it my first stab!

Friday:
Breakfast - Warm banana pudding
Lunch - Curry pumpkin soup, coconut bread
Dinner - Pork chops with a creamy rosemary sauce, salads

Bonus Weekend Recipe: I am thinking of trying out this plum clafouti soon (plums were on sale at Giant @$0.99/lb.!), adapted by maybe using just a hint of honey instead of the relatively small amount of prescribed sugars. Could be a good Sunday morning breakfast.

Preschool Lunch Ideas:
Leftover spaghetti squash with meaty marinara, apple slices with almond butter
Leftover salmon, salad, almond-stuffed dates
Blueberry custard, cheese, leftover sweet potato (mashed)

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 10/22-10/28

1. Super G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $2.30/lb.) Definitely stock-up/freezing price!
   
   
2. Produce Deals: $1.88
   Asparagus, per lb.
   Tomatoes on the Vine, per lb.
   Giant European Salads, per package
   Dole Salad Blends, per package - see the in-store coupon booklet for a Dole coupon, I think $1/2! Would make these $1.38/pack
   
   
3. Center Cut Pork Loin Chops, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $2/lb.) - Half price!
   
   
4. Eastern Apples, $0.59/lb. (Save $0.40/lb.) Truly rock-bottom price for apples in the fall! Think applesauce or other fall dishes!
   
   
5. Tropical Mangoes, 10/$10 (Save $0.33/ea.)

Other deals and prices to check out: 

SUPER G Homestyle Roasting Chicken or Drumsticks or Thighs, $0.99/lb.

POM Pomegranates, 2/$5 (Usually $3+ retail)

Nature's Promise Organic Carrots 1 lb. bag, 10/$10 (Normally $1.29/ea.)

BelGioioso Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 lb., $3/ea. (Save $1.49/ea.)

Extra Gas Points - including in-ad coupon for 200 points ($200 worth) when you spend $50.
*also*
Extra Gas Points when you buy certain items. Details in-ad.
*also*
Earn 3 Gas points per dollar spent on all out-of-pocket purchases at the Giant pharmacy.

10/$10 Sale, front page and back page

Combo Deals, back side of health items page - buy X, get Y free!

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!

Menu Plan Monday, and Grocery Shopping Primally at Sam's Club

We hit up Sam's Club this weekend. I have mixed feelings about Sam's - good for the budget of someone eating whole foods to manage insulin, but also makes bulk-packaged items a little too available. Here's an example:

Pro: Raw almonds are the cheapest per pound that I've seen anywhere - 48 oz. (3 lb.) for around $11.
Con: 48 ounces of raw almonds in a big resealable bag. Seriously? How long do you really expect those to last in our household?

Other things I have found that I can get for the cheapest at Sam's compared with local grocery stores:

• Organic Omega-3 eggs, around $3.33/doz.


• Dates, 3 lb., less than $10


• Organic baby carrots, at close to $1/lb.


• Organic greens and organic baby spinach, around $3.50 for a huge clamshell container


• Gigantic 3-liter bottle of extra virgin olive oil, $11ish
  

Here's the scoop for this week.

Monday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, bananas for the girls
Lunch - Apples, gouda, grain-free granola
Dinner - Green curry beef pot roast, and stewed veggies - pot roast is on sale at Giant this week.

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Warm banana pudding
Lunch - Leftover beef roast and veggies
Dinner - Bacon quiche, roast Brussels sprouts, salads

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Oeufs Boursin (This is really just eggs mixed and scrambled with Boursin. Be sure to really tweak the nasal "n" for extra cheesiness.)
Lunch - Leftover quiche and salads
Dinner - Primal Matriarch night: Bacon and Crab Somethingorother and Primal Mini Apple Pie Bake* *My husband has a lifelong mouthfeel issue with mushrooms, so I plan on baking AndreAnna's bacon-crab filling stuffed in some other type of veggie. Perhaps stuffed in cabbage leaves? Or as a dip with some parmesan cheese baked grain-free crackers?

Thursday:
Breakfast - Leftover apple pie bake with mascarpone
Lunch - salad, possibly some bacon-crab stuffed leftovers
Dinner - Spaghetti squash with a carbonara-style sauce

Friday:
Breakfast - Joyful Abode's Grain-Free Granola Bars, made Wednesday night, ideally
Lunch - Baked chicken drumsticks OR leftover spaghetti squash, salads
Dinner - Butter-glazed shrimp with hot butter-lime dressing over a salad (shrimp is on sale at Giant!)

Preschool Lunch Ideas:
Lunchbox #18: Leftover pot roast with a wasabi sour cream dip, salad, fresh mini peppers, diced nectarines
Lunchbox #19: Miniquiches, leftover Brussels sprouts, carrots with Boursin for dipping, almond-stuffed dates
Lunchbox #20: Leftover spaghetti squash, half-banana, grain-free granola bars

Coupon Booklet at Giant Store Entrance - $32 in Savings!

Some are store coupons, some are manufacturer coupons (ergo redeemable anywhere as long as they don't explicitly say, "Redeemable only at Giant."). Grab yours!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 10/15-10/21

If you have done the Giant-Shell discount thing (every 100 dollars you spend translates to 10 cents off per gallon, with some fine print involved), you will be delighted to see the in-ad Giant coupon for 200 free gas points added to your Giant card's account when you present the coupon in conjunction with a $50 purchase. That's like getting the same points that you would otherwise have to spend $200 on groceries to earn. See your Giant ad for all of the details and fine print, and remember that your purchase points expire 30 days after they are earned.

1. Top Round, Bottom Round, or Beef Chuck Roast, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $1.50/lb.)
   
   
2. Red or Black Seedless Grapes, $0.99/lb. (Save at least $1.50/lb.)
   
   
3. SUPER G Homestyle Roasting Chicken, $0.99/lb.
   Stock up/freezing price!
   
   
4. All Purpose Potatoes 5 lb. bag, or Yellow Onions 3 lb. bag, 2/$4 (Save at least $0.49)
   
   
5. While Boneless Pork Loin, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $2/lb.)

Other Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

Fresh Boneless Atlantic Salmon Fillets, $7.99/lb. (Save at least $2/lb.)

Hillshire Farm Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage, BOGO (Save at least $4.49)
$0.75/2, 10/03 RP
Final price for TWO: $2.99, or ~$1.50/ea.!

Oscar Mayer Meat Wieners, BOGO
$1/2, 08/22 SS (expires 10/17)
Final price: $1 off the price of one, for two!

Large Raw Easy Peel Shrimp, $6.99/lb.

Washed and Snipped Green Beans, BOGO

DiGiorno Pizza, 2/$10
$1/1, 09/12 RP
Final price: $4

Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup, 10/$10
Check the Betty Crocker website - there may be a freshly renewed $1/4 Progresso coupon, or $1/4 Progresso at coupons.com
$1/4, 09/12 GM
Final price: $0.75/can

General Mills Cereal, 4/$8 (Must buy 4), All Varieties, 8.7 oz.-14 oz.
PLUS
Get a coupon at checkout for a FREE Gallon of Milk when you purchase 4 GM cereals
See coupons.com, Betty Crocker website, and Pillsbury website for GM coupons
$0.65/1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch (coupons.com) will yield a $0.70/box CTC
$0.75/1 Cheerios coupon (Betty Crocker site and Pillsbury site) will yield a $0.50/box of certain Cheerios
Also 09/12 GM, 09/19 SS, and 10/03 GM inserts have $1/2 and $1/3 coupons

Kellogg's Cereal, $1.99
Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, or Raisin Bran
$0.60/1 Raisin Bran, 08/29 insert, final price $0.80/box

Nabisco Chips Ahoy!, 3/$6 (Must buy 3)

Lay's Potato Chips, 3/$6 (Must buy 3)

Hershey's Snack Size Candy, 5/$10 (Must buy 5)
See 08/22, 09/12, 09/19, and 09/26 SS inserts for Hershey's coupons
Final price: varies

Pepperidge Farm Cookies, BOGO (Save at least $3.39/2)
$0.60/1, 08/01, 10/10 SS
Final price for two with two doubled coupons: $0.99, or ~$0.50/ea.!

Stroehmann Dutch Country Bread, BOGO (Save at least $2.19/2)

7-Up, A&W, Canada Dry, or Sunkist 2 Liter, 5/$5
BOGO, 09/10 SS
Final price: $0.50/2-liter

Arm & Hammer 2X Liquid Detergent, $2.99 (Save at least $1.30)
$1/2, 09/19 SS
Final price: $2.49

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!

RU Fall Giveaway: $5 Starbucks Gift Card!

It's RU Giveaway Time!

Many of you know how much I like my Starbucks skinny vanilla latte once a week.

I laid off those in the summer but went back last week for the first time in a while. I was thrilled to see that Starbucks has rolled out a new drink that I know I'll love:

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate!

For years my sister and I have been in love with Starbucks' peppermint hot chocolate, and I came up with a home recipe to save myself some $ when I get that craving.

But salted caramel hot chocolate?! Mmmm! I've loved that combination ever since my husband's aunt brought us Salted Dark Chocolate Caramels from Fran's years ago.

Wouldn't you like to treat yourself to a fall treat at Starbucks?

If so, enter our 3-day giveaway. Here are the instructions:

• For one entry, leave us a comment and let us know your favorite RU feature (e.g., Safeway deals, Giant deals, clothing deals, home organizing, cleaning, cooking, recipes, etc.).

• For a second entry, leave a comment if you're an RU Google Follower or email/RSS feed subscriber.

• For a third entry, leave a comment with an idea for a new feature you'd like to see us take on at RU.

Good luck! This giveaway will close Friday at 12 pm Eastern.