How Kansas Consumers Can Get Coupons Off Pork

 

www.kspork.org

If you live in Kansas and you like pork and coupons, I recommend signing up for the Kansas Pork Associations newsletter. Since signing up, I have not been inundated with pork spam but do receive occasional emails with coupons off specific cuts of Kansas pork. You do not see a lot of coupons off fresh meat so I recommend taking advantage of these offers. (http://www.kspork.org/coupons#.UKUGsMXAeQJ).

 

Growing up on a farm, I am partial to pork.  My Dad called hogs "mortgage makers" because you could take a hog from birth to butcher weight in about 6 months. In contrast, it takes beef cattle about two years to mature.

 

Here's another reason to like pork: it's diet food. Pork is high in protein and low in carbs.  Pork has about 140 calories in every 4 ounces, compared to beefs 200 calories. Pork has 4.5 grams of fat, compared to beefs approximately 11 grams.

 

Also, pork is usually a little less expensive than beef. Adding pork dishes to your menu can help reduce your grocery bill.

 

I hope to post some great, inexpensive pork recipes soon! In the mean time, head over to the Kansas Pork Associations website and check out some of their great recipes at www.kspork.org.

Dillon's Mega Event through November 6, 2012

$11.58 for all pre-tax

Dillon's is having another one of their Mega Events this week. Their are some fairly good deals but this is one of those promotions you have to be careful to make sure you purchase items in the right quantity.

I will probably go back later in the week and pick up a few more items after I have a chance to match up more coupons with sale/event items.  For example, the creamer is $2.49 (if you purchase 10 participating items) and after 55 cent coupon which doubled, it was only $1.49. The Windex is $2.51 and after 50 cent doubled coupon was $1.51 each. If you want to be really frugal, it's easy to make your own cleansers.

 

I actually went to Dillon's in an emergency to buy butter...I paid $2.49 (on sale) for this butter and it almost killed me because the regular price of butter at Wal-Mart and Aldi's is about $1.78.

 

The baggies were $1.21 after coupon. I have a baggie obsession. This was cheaper than the store brands anywhere else but obviously if I had to drastically cut my grocery budget, baggies would be be an easy cut.

 

I had coupons for all of the items pictured above. This, combined with the sales event made many of these items very inexpressive.

 

The toothpaste was free after coupon. I frequently see items such as this at garage sales. Extreme couponers turning around and selling items they have obtained free or almost free. They would take this toothpaste and resell it for around 75 cents. I've been to a couple of garage sales where the seller literally had hundreds of items. Of course, I recognized the items since I had recently purchased them, just not in near the same quantities.

 

Many of Dillon's mega event items do have current coupons. I suggest making an exact list including the number of each item you plan to purchase. If you miscount by 1 item, you could end up paying full price for 9 items. Such a mistake would cost you $4.50.

Dillon's Deals through October 30

$14.20 pre-tax

I found lots of great deals at Dillon's this week. First, Dole pineapple is $1 a can. After my 50 cent coupons which doubled, each can was just 50 cents.

 

Stove Top was not on sale ($1.29 each) but I had a coupon for $1 off two. Heinz gravy is on sale for $1 a jar and if you purchase both Stove Top and Heinz gravy, you will receive a $1 off a future order coupon at checkout.

 

Duncan Hines cake mix is on sale for $1 a box. No coupons but still a pretty good price. Cream cheese is also on sale for $1 a package which is about as cheap as you ever see it. Uncle Ben's is on sale on $1 a package minus coupon made the rice just 50 cents a package.

 

The yogurt is not on sale (90 cents each) but after doubled coupon was only 30 cents each.

 

The three packages of Crest, Hot sauce, carrots and noodles were all free after coupon. All together, I saved $19.09 with my coupons. Of course, I had to purchase a few essentials not on sale and for which I didn't have any coupons. My "total" bill was $36.13 (with tax) and according to Dillon's calculations (coupons and sale items), I saved 55% off my total bill. The percentage off would have been much higher had I only purchased sale items and coupon items.

 

I find free stuff almost every week (usually the item is on sale and after double coupon is free). If you don't have an enormous stockpile of toothpaste, you simply aren't trying very hard. At this point, I try to send toothpaste home with every guest as a party favor.

Aldi's Deals Week of Oct. 24

$11.39 pre tax

Aldi's has the cheapest eggs ($1.28) and butter ($1.78) in town. I checked the prices at Sam's clubs on butter today. Butter is about 50 cents a package cheaper at Aldi's and you don't have to buy three of them. I'm starting to think buying a Sam's membership was not worth it.

 

I had planned on buying Ocean Spray Juice at Dillon's for $1.99 but found this juice at Aldi's for $1.79. It tastes great. Tomatoes were $1.49, limes were 19 cents each, avocados still were 49 cents each and fig bars just 99 cents. There are a few things I don't like at Aldi's but over all I have found the Aldi brands very comparable to other brands.

Though I didn't buy one, fresh pineapple is only $1.29.

 

Best deal of all, bananas just 29 cents a pound (91 cents for this large bunch). Try Aldi's...I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

 





How to Organize Your Grocery Coupons and Save Big

 

I am always curious to see how others shop for groceries. I pick up tricks and tips from people of all kinds.

 

I have found the more prepared and organized I am, the more I save.  To start, I go through all the grocery advertisements.  I circle any items I want to buy that are on sale. I try to make special note of any items that are on sale for which I also have coupons--double savings! I decide which items are worth "stockpiling" based on how well it will store and the price. I usually will not stockpile an item unless it is at least 50% off the regular price.

 

By stockpiling, you will eventually have a cupboard full of items which you bought all on sale. As you incorporate these items into your menu's, combined with current sale items, you will find your grocery budget shrinking. It took me 3-4 months before I really began to see a large savings. Don't get discouraged! You will probably actually spend a little more in the beginning as you build up your savings inventory.

 

To begin, you must have a very organized coupon system. I use a plastic shoebox I purchased at Wal-Mart for around $2.  I made my own dividers   and keep my coupons separated by category (about 20 categories). I choose the shoebox because it was cheap, is big enough to hold a lot of coupons  and is easy to flip through as  I shop. Plus, it fits in the seat of the cart. I call it my coupon baby.

 

As I take out a coupon to use, I just throw it under the box but on top of the lid. It makes for easy coupon storage until check-out. I'm sure cashiers hate crumpled, wadded up coupons pulled from someones pocket and dumped in a heap on the conveyor belt.

 

I see some women at the store who have invested in huge coupon organizers which are really just baseball card holders.  They separate out their coupons and put them in the see-through plastic slots. They seem bulky and it appears hard to pull out the coupons. I see others with envelopes or cardboard holders--I call them amateurs. Really it doesn't matter what system you use as long as it works for you. You can't use a coupon if you can't find it and it gets frustrating to dig through hundreds of coupons to find that special one.

 

 

Before I go to the grocery store, I check a couple of different websites to see if I have missed any spectacular savings. I usually use moneysavingmom.com, frugalfritzie.com and/or kansascitymamas.com. These websites match up coupons to sales. The work is already done for you. I also often check the store's website to see if I want to load any coupons to the store's loyalty card or if they have unadvertised specials or "deals of the day".  Be careful about loading coupons to your store card, they do not double. Paper coupons which double are usually the best savings.

 

I try to never go to the store without a plan. First, I make my week's menu, trying to incorporate as many sale items as possible. I estimate how much each item on my list will cost. As I go through the store, I write down the actual price of the item. My goal is to never go to the check-out without knowing how much I am spending.

 

Right before check-out, I add up the items, subtract off my coupons and include the sales tax. If over my budget, I decide what I can live without and put it back. This is called "budgeting" people. I never cease to be amazed at people who spend what they want, then pay what bills they can with what little is left over.

 

 

Let's take today's shopping trip as an example. I needed bread, celery and cottage cheese. I also had a few coupons for sale items at Dillon's that I wanted to use. If I have time, I try to pull out the coupons I plan on using before going to the store but I take my whole box because I don't know what other great deals may be available.

 

I knew Wold Chili was on sale for $1 and after the 40 cent coupon was doubled, I could get the chili for 20 cents a can. I also knew Campbell's Chunky soup was on sale for $1.25. After the $1 off four can coupon, it cost $1 a can. These items generally cost around $2.25 a can. Sometimes when I just don't feel like cooking, I open a can of Campbell's soup and pour it over Rice or Noodles. It's a cheap, easy meal. My husband calls it "ER" soup--because we usually eat it in an emergency.

 

I also try to always check the clearance rack. Today, there were five Arm & Hammer deodorants marked down to 50 cents each and several packages of tampons for $2. I had a $2 off coupon for the tampons making them free. I spent less than $9 for all of the above items. (I also wanted to mention you can get really great croissants at Dillons for 2 for $1.) I saved 59% off the total bill.

 

 

The best part was the coupons which printed at register. A free package of carrots, $5 off future order of $50 or more and $2 off when spending at least in frozen items.

 

There are always great deals out there. I think the key is just being organized and paying attention.

How to Find Out if You Are Eligible to Join a Class Action Lawsuit

 

 

It seems like every time I turn on the television there is some annoying class action commercial blaring.

 

"Did you or a loved one suffer the loss of a limb from an alligator attack while water skiing in the everglades on a Tuesday? If you answered yes, you may be eligible for compensation!"

 

There are hundreds of class action lawsuits filed each year. In some instances you may receive a notice in the mail informing you that you are eligible and requesting you file a claim. But in some cases, it is up to you to learn of and take action to be a class member. Most of these type of cases result in a very small reward, such as a small refund or coupon to the consumer and a much larger paycheck to the attorneys.

 

Out of curiosity, I began monitoring a website, http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/open-lawsuit-settlements, which lists pending actions and provides links to join any actions for which you qualify. This is only one of many such websites.

 

I was quite surprised at the number of lawsuits I was qualified to join.  This is because the requirements to join are often quite broad.

 

For example, the Ziesel v. Diamond Walnut Brand Class action is open to anyone who purchased the company's walnuts between March 22, 2006 and January 30, 2012. Claimants are eligible  for a refund of $3.25 per bag up to 5 bags (without a receipt) or up to 24 bags with proof of purchase.

 

The lawsuit alleges Diamond Foods misbranded its walnut products by making false and misleading statements about the health benefits of eating walnuts. I consider walnuts pretty healthy and eat a lot of them. I will continue to do so. I will also file my claim.

 

I was recently also eligible for the Nutella class action lawsuit. Apparently, Nutella made claims it was a healthy breakfast choice. Now most people are smart enough to know that essentially spreading a candy bar on toast is not healthy. But probably it is delicious. I filed my claim.

 

I was also recently eligible to join the Sketchers Toning Shoe Class action. They may not tone my calves as claimed but they are very comfortable. I filed my claim.

 

Are consumer class action lawsuits merely attorneys trolling for loopholes to enrich themselves? Or does the fear of possible extended, costly litigation act as a watchdog? Likely a little of both.  

 

I'm not an attorney and certainly am not advising anyone as to what class action lawsuits are pending for which they might be eligible. I just thought you might find it interesting and want to do your own research. Or not. As I said before, the rewards are generally small.

 

There have certainly been a lot of frivolous class action lawsuits which have resulted in some states making changes to their laws. In Texas, if an attorney settles a class action for coupons, he must also be paid in coupons.  Now, that's justice.

You Get More Coupons with Sugar than Vinegar

Turkey Hill Coupons

I am often asked, "Where do you get your coupons?"  Obtaining coupons is easy.  The easiest way is to simply ask for them.  Ask your friends, co-workers, relatives and neighbors to save them for you.  Lots of people will clip one or two coupons out of the Sunday coupons and then toss the rest away.  Ask them to start passing along any coupons they are not interested in using. 

Another way to obtain coupons is to email the manufacturer and request them.  I believe there is an art to requesting coupons.  For example, I emailed Turkey Hill and told them how much I love their "Blackberry Diet Tea". This is very true.  Then I politely asked if they ever had coupons for their product.  I received the above packet of coupons by mail a few days later.  A two minute email netted me several coupons which when doubled will make the products free or severely discounted. The trick will be to combine the coupons with sales of these products.

The point is I didn't complain about the product. I told the company how much I enjoyed the product. I recently read a quote that said, "When in doubt about what to say, be kind." 

Free Cream

I was attempting to print a couple of coupons from the International Delight website and had difficulty getting the coupons to print.  I emailed the company and asked why I was having problems. Once again, I didn't go on a rant or complain.  I am of the opinion that people who throw fits in stores or write nasty letters are simply making fools of themselves. Think of the last time you lost your cool, did it make you feel good about yourself? I have decided allowing myself to occasionally be wronged is a major step forward in simplifying my life.

I was able to eventually print the International Delight coupons online and the nice cream people sent me this free coupon. 

Most manufacturers will send you coupons once or twice a year if requested. Try it. What do you have to lose?

Which is cheaper, Wal-Mart or Dillon's?

Test Shopping Trip

I had several things I needed to buy this week and decided to use these items as a random sample to compare prices between Wal-Mart and Dillons.  Price comparisons are between store brands unless otherwise stated. Prices were compared in Topeka, Kansas on September 4, 2012.

                                                          Wal-Mart                      Coupon                         Dillons

Nine lives cat food, pack of 24 cans        $9.48                                                              $9.75
Greek Yogurt, 3 large containers            $9.76 (Oikos)                                                  $6.58 (store)
1/2 gallon milk                                        $1.96                                                               $2.19
1/2 gallon cream                                     $3.98                                                               $3.79
Vegetable Oil Spray                               $1.50                                                               $1.67
48 large Tea Bags                                  $2.88                                                               $2.09
Coffee                                                   $6.28 (33.9 oz)                                                $5.28 (34.5 oz)
Raisins                                                  $1.98                                                                $1.79
Suave Deodorant                                   $1.67                                                               $1.79
Axe Cologne, 2                                      $7.47                                                               $8.52
Onion (3 pounds)                                   $2.34   (.78 pound)                                          $2.67 (.88 pound)
Palmolive Dish Detergent, 10 oz             $1.46                                                               $ .89
Quilted Northern Bath Tissue                  $3.04   (.76 roll)                                              $1.89 (.47 roll)
Butter                                                     $2.48                            $.40 (Dillons in store)  $2.29
Ramon Noodles                                      $ .78                             $.50                           $ .85

                                                               $57.06                                                            $52.04
Minus coupons including store issued
 coupons good only at Dillons and
doubled at Dillons
                                                               $   .75                                                              $ 1.90
Total after coupons (before tax)              $ 56.31                                                             $ 50.14

The answer is each store has items that cost less than the other store.  The trick is to try and buy as many items as possible at the store with the lowest price.  If you purchased all of the above items where they were cheapest after coupon,  you would pay $48.12 before tax.  This is about an $8 difference. If you saved $8 every week, you would save $416 in a year.

The prices above include Dillon's sale prices for the week purchased.  I have found many grocery store sale prices are less expensive than the regular price at Wal-Mart, especially when you factor in double coupons. You can price match at Wal-Mart but they do not double coupons. This is why it is good to keep a price book to compare prices (see previous post).

Apple Market Deal through September 4

I had four 50 cent off coupons for Dawn detergent which expired on September 31.  Apple Market had small bottles for $1.35 each so after the coupon doubled, I paid 35 cents a bottle. I was feeling pretty good about life. I had just saved four dollars. 

When I went to pay, the cashier told me, "Yeah, these were on sale last week for 99 cents and they really flew off the shelf. We had to limit them to 4 per customer".  So, I could have got them for free instead of $1.40. We all mess up sometimes. I chose to focus on the $4 savings instead of the $1.40 more I could have saved. Remember, even when you miss a deal, you are still doing better than most.

I went to Apple Market because they had ten pounds of potatoes for $1.98.  I bought two packages (I know twenty pounds of potatoes sounds like a lot for two people.  Don't judge.) I also bought a package of Ritz crackers on sale for $1.98....I predict some creamy, chunky potato soup in my future!

Hy-Vee Deals Ends September 4

Buy 10, get $10 off future purchase

Happy Anniversary to us!  Today is our 30th wedding anniversary.  I haven't posted in a few days due to the whirl of anniversary festivities. But I wanted everyone to remember to take advantage of this week's Hy-Vee special.  Hy-Vee is having a buy 10 items, receive a $10 off coupon on a future visit.  I usually only take advantage of these types promotions when I have matching coupons.

10 items plus some

Of the items included in the event, I purchased:

Two bottles of Kraft salad dressing (1 $1.00 off coupon when purchasing two bottles)

Four packages of Velveeta cheese singles (2 $1.00 off coupons when purchasing 2 packages)

Three Planters Peanut Butter (3 $1.00 coupons good on any Planters product)

One package Deli Fresh Ham (1 $1.00 off coupon)

These ten items cost about $21.60 pre-tax minus seven dollars in coupons = $14.60.  $14.60 - the $10 off future order coupon which printed at the register = $4.60 for the ten items purchased pre-tax. 

A-1 is also on sale for $1.98.  I had a coupon for $1.00 off A-1 with the purchase of beef.  I needed hamburger anyway so went ahead and got the A-1.

You could actually purchase ten packages of bologna for $1.00 each and still get the $10 off coupon, making all ten packages of bologna free.  Yikes!

Today's Dillon Deal



Ready to go to the store



Today is the last day of the Dillon's current Mega Event.  If you haven't taken advantage of these deals yet, get on it.  I decided to go to Dillon's and use a few more of my coupon match-ups yesterday.  I had a Catalina (store issued at register) coupon for $3.00 off my next shopping order plus a Catalina coupon for free bacon I wanted to use.  These type of coupons typically have short redemption periods so I always try to use them right away before I forget and let them expire.  

This event requires you purchase 10 items to get $5.00 off. I scoured the advertisement for items for which I had coupons and pulled out the ones I thought applied and planned on possibly using.

All for $6.84 before tax

Here's what I ended up purchasing.

The Hefty storage bags had a 50 cent off Internet coupon which you could load to your Dillon's card.  I am very careful about what coupons I load to my Dillon's card.  Why?  Because they don't double.  If I have a paper coupon less than $1.00, it will usually end up the larger savings. The coupons I load to my Dillon's card are the $1.00 or more coupons because even if I have a coupon, those don't double. You cannot "stack" paper and Dillon's Internet coupons...it's one or the other and if you have a Dillon's coupon loaded to your card, the cashier will not accept your paper coupon.  You don't have the option to choose not to use the Internet coupon. In this instance, I did not have a paper coupon so went ahead and loaded the Dillon's coupon for 55 cents, they were on sale for .99 (after 50 cent deduction for mega event), so I paid 44 cents for the storage bags. They normally cost $2.49.

I purchased five boxes of Granola Bars. The mega event sale price was $1.99 each.  I had five coupons for 50 cents off which doubled making the boxes 99 cents each. Here's a tip for you: Pay attention to those notices that print out at the register.  I received one stating all Fiber One bars would result in a coupon off a future shopping order between 8/6/12 and 9/2/12, buy 3 get $1 off coupon, buy 4 get a $2 off coupon, buy 5 get a $3 off coupon.  I purchased five boxes last week at the sale price with coupons and received  a Catalina coupon for $3 off a future shopping order plus I received another $1 off coupon this trip. Altogether, last week and this week I purchased 10 boxes of granola bars for 99 cents (sale price minus doubled coupon) and received $4 off a future shopping trip.  On average, I paid 60 cents a box for granola bars.  These bars typically cost between $3.05-$3.69 a box.

There is another similar promotion at Dillon's currently. Buy participating Kraft Food products between 8/19-9/15 and get coupons for money off future orders. For example, buy 3-5 items and get $2 off, buy 6-9 items and get $5 off, buy 10 or more and get $10 off a future order. This may end up being a good deal, if these items go on sale and/or you have any matching coupons. Some Kraft brands included are Crystal Light, Kraft dressings, Kraft Mayo, Mio, Planters Peanuts, Velveeta and some Oscar Mayer products.

The pens were on the clearance rack for $1.00.  Both my husband and I am Pen-Picky.  I like a thin pen with a fine tip. My husband likes the chunky-size pens which remind me of the crayons I used in Kindergarten. We spent a lot of time digging through drawers looking for just the right pen.  If I was handed a pie chart at death as to how I spent my life, I would expect "digging for a pen in the junk drawer" to receive it's own sliver of time.

The, hmmmmm, personal female item was also 99 cents. Moving on, the Teddy Graham snacks were on sale for 99 cents. I had a coupon for 75 cents off two Nabisco snacks which doubled to a $1.00, making each bag of sugary little cookies 50 cents each.

The goldfish were 99 cents and I had a coupon but didn't read it close enough to see it had a size limitation of 30 ounces so the coupon didn't apply. Here's the deal...I can't read a lot of the tiny print on coupons, even with my glasses,  which makes me crazy.  Why don't they print the restrictions in normal size?  Since I am somewhat of conspiracy theorist, I assume it's so I will purchase the product based on the coupon then keep it even when I discover the coupon doesn't apply.  In this case, it worked because I needed ten items to get the $5.00 off.  Usually, I have no problem rejecting an item when I learn my coupon is invalid. I thought the goldfish were going to be free, instead I paid 99 cents. But then again, I love goldfish.

OK, so I now had nine items but needed ten in order to get the discount. I ended up purchasing a bag of macaroni because it stores a long time, I use lots of it and 49 cents is an awesome price for macaroni.

Chicken scratches

I keep track of my purchases as I shop. This is why I prefer to make 2-3 small trips a week instead of making everything in one big trip. It's easier to keep track how much I am spending and watch for mistakes at check out. This trip, I thought I would spend around $6.68 with tax. A $1.25 coupon ended up not applying due to a size restriction which also changed the tax amount so I actually spent $8.06. Had I realized the goldfish coupon didn't apply, I would have purchased another bag of macaroni instead, saving another 50 cents.

Spent a total of $8.06 with tax, saved a total of $30.83
81% off the total bill when including all savings!

Still not a bad haul, thirteen items for an average of 53 cents per item pre-tax. I wanted to spell out exactly how I did it because most money saving websites do not give detailed instructions or achieve huge savings only through fraud.  I try to be very honest when couponing and any mistakes are inadvertent.

But you can't live off granola bars and macaroni. Well, you can but it's not a very balanced diet. So grab deals when you can but continue to try and plan wholesome, inexpensive meals. After all, most coupons are for unhealthy, processed food, not dinner.

Feel free to stop by anytime. Don't be surprised if I offer you a granola bar.

Aldi Fruit

You just can't beat Aldi's for fruit. This week I purchased the following:

2 pound package of seedless green grapes.........................$1.58 (79 cents a pound)
2 pound package of seedless black grapes.........................$1.58 (79 cents a pound)
Cantaloupe........................................................................$  .99
Oranges............................................................................$3.99 (57 cents each)
Strawberries......................................................................$1.69 (16 ounce clamshell)
Package of 6 Kiwi.............................................................$1.49 (25 cents each)
Bananas.............................................................................$ .89  (about 2 pounds, 44 cents a pound)

Total for all before tax........................................................$12.32

That's a lot of fruit for $12.

Let's Compare. Dillon's is advertising red seedless grapes for $1.88 a pound, strawberries for $1.98 and cantaloupe for $1.99. So 4 pounds of grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe would cost $11.48 at Dillon's with card and costs $5.84 at Aldi's.

HyVee is advertising Cantaloupe for $3.00 this week. It costs 99 cents at Aldi's. Why wouldn't you want to cost your food cost by 2/3?  HyVee is also advertising green grapes for 98 cents a pound which is still 19 cents a pound more expensive than Aldi's.

Peaches and Plums were 25 cents each though I didn't buy any. We eat LOTS of fruit so it saves a ton of money to buy it at Aldi's.

Here's a hint, avocados are 29 cents each at Aldi's but were small and hard.  So take the ad to Wal-Mart and price match. I am.

Dillon's Buy 10, Save $5 Event Through August 28



$11.11 for all before tax



Last week Dillon's was having one of their "Buy 10, Save $5" events.  Surprise! Surprise! They are having it again this week. Dillon's seems to be in the habit of running the same sale 2-3 weeks in a row.  So if you miss it the first week, you get a second and sometimes even a third chance to participate.  I can't complain though because there are some great match ups on this event.

In the picture above are 20 items (some are hidden behind others) so on average I paid 56 cents an item, after store sale amount minus coupons. It's a good time to stock up on spaghetti (a staple around here). A lot of the other items I bought fell in the junk food category which was fine because I was on vacation last week and needed car snacks.

To match up coupons to Dillon's sales, I suggest checking out:

http://www.frugalfritzie.com/category/dillons/

This website will point you to websites where you can often print off the coupon you need to match the sale item, if you don't have the coupon.

Beware Bulk Purchases

Buying in bulk is always cheapest, right? Wrong! Always do the math to compare which price is actually cheapest before purchasing a product.  Here is an example taken from Wal-Mart but you find the same thing in all stores.



4 Pounds for $3.98

Four pounds at $3.98 makes these onions about a $1 a pound.

3 pounds for $2.68

Three pounds at $2.68 makes these onions about 89 cents a pound.

78 cents a pound

These unbagged onions are 78 cents a pound.  Boy, that plastic netting they use must be really expensive!

When you are in a hurry, it's easiest to just grab a bag of the onions in the netted bags instead of taking the two minutes to find one of those tear off plastic bags and pick out a few onions.  Picking out and bagging your own 3 pounds of onions in this example would save you between 33-66 cents, depending on which bag of onions you chose. If you buy three pounds of onions every month, you would save somewhere around $4-$8 a year---just by picking and bagging your own onions.

Just a note about onions, yellow onions such as the ones pictured above are a good all purpose cooking onion. Vidalia onions, which are flatter and usually bigger, are sweeter but don't store as well. White onions are also sweeter, as are red onions, meaning they can usually be eaten raw.

Dollar Tree Deals

My eldest daughter, Andrea, has decided to become a "minimalist".  She has been going through every closet, drawer, nook and cranny and getting rid of everything she doesn't need or hasn't used in over in a year. 

 

I am slightly afraid I might be a "maximist", which makes me sound like a Russian who is overly concerned with feminine hygiene but in reality just means I never thrown anything away. 

 

I like to hold on to things because you never know when you might need them again. I guess that's why I still own my size 6 wedding dress from 1982.  

 

Apparently, even becoming a minimalist requires buying things. So last week, I tagged along on a trip to the Dollar Tree store located at 29th and Adams with Andrea so she could buy bins to organize the few remaining items which have made the cut.

 

I did a little comparison shopping between Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree while in the store. I needed steak seasoning and sprinkles. 

 

McCormick Steak Seasoning at Wal-Mart
14.5 ounces for $5.98 or 41 cents an ounce

Let's do a little more comparison shopping...




Weber Steak Seasoning sold at Wal-Mart
$2.58 for 6 ounces or 43 cents an ounce

Just a side note, this is one of the things Wal-Mart does to make it difficult to compare products.  Please note the store tag says this product is sold for $6.88 a POUND.  Of course, it's being sold in 6 ounce containers. In order to compare the price, you must take $6.88 and divide it by 16--the number of ounces in a pound.



Great Value Sprinkles for $1.68
 1.3 ounces at $1.29 an ounce
 

So how does Wal-Mart compare to Dollar Tree when it comes to Steak Seasoning and Sprinkles, two of life's necessities? 

Dollar Tree Steak Seasoning and Sprinkles

Dollar Tree was much cheaper than Wal-Mart. The Blazin Blends Steak Seasoning was, you guessed it, $1.00, or 14 cents an ounce.  The Dollar Tree Supreme Edition Rainbow Sprinkles was also, you guessed right again, $1.00, or 28 cents an ounce.

 

To sum up, steak seasoning is 27 cents an ounce cheaper at Dollar Tree and Sprinkles are $1.01 an ounce cheaper. I could not detect any difference in flavor in either brand. It's salt and pepper and a few miscellaneous seasonings people! It's dyed sugar, for goodness sake! What did you expect?   

Best Topeka Grocery Deal August 8-14, 2012



The best grocery deal I discovered this week was at Hy-Vee. Hy-Vee has canned vegetables on sale for 39 cents a can.  How good a deal is this?

Hy-Vee Deal of the Week

One thing I teach in my couponing classes is the value of keeping a "price list" of at least the 100 most common items your family purchases. Keep your grocery receipts for a couple of months and start analying what products you purchase most often. Then build a price list of those 100 items comparing prices between stores. Always paying the least amount for your most common grocery purchases will save you significantly more money over time than clipping coupons.



A page from my price book

I keep a spreadsheet of the prices of the major items I buy for my family. I compare the prices between Wal-Mart, Dillon's and HyVee. I have found that no one store is the cheapest in town but rather all three stores have at least some items that are cheaper than the other two.  By keeping a comparison chart of the three major stores, I can use it when I shop other stores. Is Dollar Tree or Apple Market selling something cheaper than the other stores? I just look up the price on my list.  It is impossible without a price sheet to remember every price on every product, especially if they are only a few cents apart.

I was able to refer to my price book and see store brand green beans normally cost about 69 cents at HyVee and Dillons and 68 cents at WalMart.  Green beans for 39 cents a can is 29 cents less per can than the cheapest price in town so I bought 24 cans.  24 cans of green beans will last me several months since my husband hates green beans.  I'm not even sure how well he will sleep at night knowing they are in the house. I "saved" $6.96 by buying the beans on sale and stockpiling them for future use. It appeared all the HyVee brand canned vegetables were on sale so you could mix and match the canned green beans, corn, peas, etc.

HyVee also has butter on sale this week for $1.49.  Store brand butter at WalMart is around $2.68.  If you use butter, buying HyVee's sale butter will save you about $1.18 a package which is a significant savings.  There was a sign stating there was a limit of 2 but it did not indicate if this was per customer or per transaction.  I did not see anything in the ad stating a limit.

If you are interested in taking a couponing/money saving class please feel free to contact me at ksfarmgirl@live.com.  Classes cost just $15.00 a person (five people or less) or $10 a person for classes of 6 or more. A one-on-one session is $30. Each class runs about 90 minutes and is full of tons of money-saving advice which will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year.

Topeka Grocery Deals August 1-7, 2012

Hy-Vee Deals

What is a deal? It's only a deal if it's something you need and will use.  That is why I advocate only using coupons when you are purchasing products you need or will use within 3-4 months. You do not want to get in the habit of buying things just because you have a coupon.  I believe you will save more money by simply buying what is on sale and planning your weekly menu accordingly.

This week, Hy-Vee has sugar on sale for $1.98.  It's rare to find sugar under $2 so I bought two packages. Hy-Vee also has chicken breast on sale for $1.88 a pound. You guessed it, we will be eating a lot of chicken this week.  I stocked up on chicken a couple of weeks ago when Dillon's had chicken on sale for $1.88 a pound but went ahead and bought another couple of packages to replace what I have already used.

Farmland sausage is on sale for $1.33 a package (3 for $4).  I HATE when stores don't tell you the price per individual package in an effort to get you to buy more of the product. You will pay $1.33 a package regardless if you buy one or three or ten. Oh well, I guess that's why I took third grade math. You may remember this same sausage was on sale at Apple Market about a month ago for 98 cents. Still, $1.33 is a good price. I went ahead and bought four more packages to replace what I have used.

Sausage is one of the best meat values out there. Think about it...you can buy a pound of sausage for $1.33 or a pound of hamburger for somewhere between $3-4 a pound. Buy sausage and try substituting it in dishes where you normally use hamburger.  I personally think sausage is also way more flavorful than hamburger.

I also bought two Kraft Parmesan grated cheese for $3.69 a container. There was a 50 cent coupon attached to each container (Hy-Vee doubles coupons up to $1 on Tuesday and Thursday) bringing the final price down to $2.69 each. I have been out of Parmesan cheese for a long time because I refused to pay $4 or $5 for it. As consumers, our biggest weapon is to refuse to buy a product when the price becomes outrageous.

Other good deals at Hy-Vee this week included Colgate toothpaste for 77 cents, Suave or V05 shampoo/conditioner for 77 cents, Chef Boyardee pasta for 79 cents and Breyers ice cream for $1.99. Of course, it's only a deal if you like and need it.

A lot of chicken

I decided to bake and then shred all the chicken I bought at Hy-Vee to use in various recipes throughout the week. It saves money to bake the chicken all at once rather than run the oven three or four different times. The biggest savings is probably in only heating up your house once, saving money off your air conditioning bill.

Dillon's

I didn't find many deals at Dillon's this week. I did purchase a bunch of discounted brown sugar for 59 cents a box and a roast for under nine dollars. Highlighers are still 99 cents, notebooks 19 cents and crayola crayons for 29 cents. Buy enough to last all year.

Aldi's

I ran into Aldi's with a friend. I hadn't been to Aldi's in a couple of weeks. I purchased the above bananas for $1.37 (44 cents a pound), the baby carrots were 49 cents a package and the almonds were $2.49.

I have noticed the price of bananas has steadily been increasing. The average price seems to be around 54 cents a pound. So what's the big deal...we're only talking about a dime. Think of it this way, I saved 30 cents buying the bananas at Aldi's, rather than Wal-Mart. I buy about 3 pounds of bananas every week. 52 weeks x 30 cents = $15.60 saved over the course of a year. Dimes add up.

A pound of baby carrots at Wal-Mart is approximately $1.78. At Aldi's, they are 49 cents. I saved $1.29. If I bought even one package of carrots a month, I would save $15.48 over a year's time.

The last time I bought almonds at Dillon's I paid $1.65 for 2 ounces. This 6 ounce bag at Aldi's cost $2.49. To buy the same amount of almond's at Dillon's would have cost $4.95 or 83 cents an ounce. The Aldi's almonds cost 42 cents an ounce.

People ask me all the time how I save so much money on groceries. When I tell them, they are a little disappointed. It takes some effort to save money. There isn't a "trick" to it. 

Salsa

Last night's dinner included fresh salsa. Salsa is so simple to make and incredibly delicious. Here's how I make mine:

Half of an onion
Half of a green pepper
3 cloves garlic.
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (I like mild)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin (add 1/2 teaspoon, add more if desired)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
squeeze in half a lime
salt and pepper to taste (I use sea salt)
fill the rest of the food processor with tomatoes, probably about 4-6 or in this case a bunch of cherry tomatoes.

Pulse and you have great fresh salsa which goes great with almost everything and is low calorie.

Ban Insipid Store Bought Jar Salsa



Baked Chicken

  The finished baked product. I seasoned a couple of the breasts and left the rest unseasoned.

Oh, the recipe possibilities!

I am attempting to cut down on eating out as much as possible. I went to lunch with a friend yesterday and it cost $11 without even ordering a drink. I always carry little packets of Crystal Light to add to water or just ask for extra lemon to add a little flavor. The average restaurant drink (tea, lemonade, soda) costs anywhere from $2-3 dollars. One drink out a week (average of $2.50) will add up to $130 a year.

I find I want to eat out the most when I am tired or don't have a meal planned. This is why planning ahead is so important. But sometimes you just want to get out. I will be researching and posting any great restaurant values I find.  Any ideas?

Menu Board

One of the most commented on things in my home is my menu board.  This old chalkboard belonged to my mother-in-law. With nine children, she used it to keep track of her brood's comings and goings. I hung it on the side of my refrigerator to keep track of meals. One day, my husband wrote, "The King's Menu" at the top of the board. His point was that we eat like "Kings" not that he is "King".  I thought it was cute and never erased it, though some of my feminist friends have eyed it with suspicion.

When a meal is sub-par, my husband likes to complain we are eating like landed gentry, still good but not as good as the King's table.

Here is this week's menu:

Shredded chicken, black bean & cheese tortilla
BBQ chicken pizza
Roast with roasted potatoes, onion & carrots
Quesadillas
Roast beef sandwiches
Leftover pizza or Chicken pot pie
One night planned out

Simple, easy & cheap

Last night's meal was simple and delicious. Shredded chicken, black beans, sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh salsa rolled up in a tortilla.

Leftover chicken & broth

The rest of the shredded chicken I divided into three equal packages to use throughout the week. I also saved the chicken broth from cooking the chicken. A can of chicken broth costs $1 and is not near as flavorful as the real thing. Having the chicken already cooked will make it very easy to throw together this week's meals and keep me on track to not spend money on eating out.

Bon Appetit!