In the Home Stretch

WOW, it's been a busy couple weeks.  We are in the home stretch of our frugal adventure!!  If you want to see the progression so far, start here, then look here, and here.  Our renters are moving in over Memorial Day weekend and I think all will be complete and ready for them by then, maybe with the exception of a few last outdoor projects to finish up. 

Watch for final photos real soon, I hope to get them up as soon as I have the last little ends pulled together.  Someday in the distant future I will sit down and look at all the numbers so far and see just where we stand in our frugal adventure.  We are no where near our goal yet, but we also ended up doing a lot more to the house than we originally planned on.   

Since I have been putting in lots of hours working on various things there, I haven't been in the stores at all.  The only place I have set foot in, aside from Menards, is Wal-mart to just grab some of the essentials like milk and bananas.  I think this is the first week since I started couponing that I haven't walked into the door of a Walgreens store!  I miss my deal seeking adventures and hope to be back at it soon.  And when I do you can rest assured that I will be passing along the great deals to you again too! 

I think it is going to take me a week to organize, clean out and clip several weeks of inserts, but I am looking forward to getting back on track, especially with summertime right around the corner.  Time to stock up on all things summer!  I also think it's going to take me some time to get everything at my own house back on track, I may be slow in getting back to deal seeking, but I will get back at it! 

All I have to say is, a week without Walgreens is like a whole week without sunshine!  ;-)

Coupon Inserts 5/1

This week is a great one to get out and grab some extra copies of the Chicago Tribune.  There's loads of great coupons in the inserts this week, and lots of inserts!  There's two that I wanted to point out so that you don't over look them.  Make sure you don't toss these in the recycle bin thinking they are just ads. 

There was an extra insert called "Moments to Save" with manufacturer coupon in it, and here's a pic of it:

Then, to my surprise I received ONE of these Target store coupon inserts in the 5 papers that I got inserts from this weekend:

All of these are store coupons, great for stacking, which it advertises right on the front of the insert.  I am just really perplexed that I only got one of these, with 5 papers.  Anyone else get these? 

**Review** - Buying Whole Coupon Inserts

My frugal friend, Shauna, sent me a note about Whole Coupon Inserts and I wanted to share her experience with you.  Shauna can't get the Tribune delivered where she lives so she has been seeking out different options to get coupon inserts.  Shauna writes:

"I also ordered a few inserts from the whole coupon inserts last week and was very happy. I placed my order late Tuesday night, received a confirmation that it had shipped on Wednesday afternoon, and received them on Saturday. They come from Florida, so I thought that was decent shipping time. I did have an issue with one of the inserts not having all the coupons that it was supposed to, and received a message this morning that she was shipping me out a few more. It will definitely be a good option for me. The inserts were about 50 cents each and shipping was pretty cheap as well. I think I got 6 inserts last week for a cost of $4.50 total."

It sounds like this service is a great alternative to getting multiple newspaper subscriptions or if you can't get the Tribune in your area. 

Thanks for sharing with us, Shauna!

Unilever Coupon Insert 1/30

1/30/2011 might be a good Sunday to try to score some extra papers for the coupon inserts.  I just received an e-mail that Unilever will be having an insert that week.  There's going to be $21 in manufacturer coupon savings on Unilever products.  Some of Unilever brands: Lever2000, Lipton, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Skippy, Ragu, Suave, Vaseline, Wish Bone, Axe, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Dove, Hellman's and Knorr.  If you would like to see all their brands and sign up for e-mail alerts, go here.

Unilever inserts don't come out that often so make sure you jump on this one!  Now, if we could just get Jewel to run a Unilever Catalina promo after 1/30 that would be sweet!  I am so not feeling the love from Jewel lately!

Buying Whole Coupon Inserts

If you are having difficulties getting the Tribune delivered to your home and you want to get the good coupon inserts each week, you should check out Whole Coupon Inserts.  This is a service that you can purchase whole, complete coupon inserts.  My frugal friend Erica used this service and was impressed with it.  It only took 3 days for her to have the coupons in her hands.  With that kind of turn around, you could potentially purchase them and have them to use for the same week's sales. 

I am adding this service to the links on the sidebar so that you have this for future use.  You will find it under "sources for coupons".  If you give them a try, stop back and give us your opinion and review of what you think!

.25/week Chicago Tribune Subscription

My frugal pal Jennifer found a code on Jill Cataldo's website to get the Sunday Chicago Tribune home delivery for only .25 a week.  This is an awesome deal - I have never seen it this cheap before!  If you have been thinking about ordering it, or maybe you would like to get a second subscription, now is the time!  These codes usually have an expiration date so don't wait too long for this one.  The number to subscribe is 1-800-874-2863 and the code to use is X133.  These codes are usually an introductory offer period and will last anywhere from 26-52 weeks for your subscription.

Thanks, Jennifer! :)

Sunday 11/14 Coupons

I want to point out a few things about the newspapers today so that you don't miss out on some good coupons. 

First, it was being reported that there was going to be 3 coupon inserts this week, but all my newspapers had 4!  YAY!  It's great when you get more than expected.  There's 2 RP, 1 SS and 1 GM - a good week to grab an extra paper if you can.  Don't accidentally recycle your GM since you weren't expecting it.  There's a lot of Unilever coupons in one of the RP which will pay off big time if Jewel gives us a Unilever Catalina promo sometime soon (we are due for one is what I am trying to say!). 

If your paper has the USA Weekend magazine, on the back cover you will find a manufacturer coupon for 2 FREE 5x7 HP photo greeting cards.  Just in time for the holidays. 

If your paper has the Parade magazine, inside there's coupons there too.  There are two manufacturer coupons for Theraflu products.  These are sometimes a MM at Wags or other stores so clip these and hang onto them - unless you actually NEED Theraflu now (I hope you don't!). 

Lastly, page 9 of the Chicago Tribune has some Jewel store coupons that you are going to want to check out.  Last year, right around this time we saw crazy deals on turkey and ham that are unheard of.  I think I remember picking up a whole turkey and a whole spiral cut ham for about $6 OOP.  YES!  So just clip these out and hang onto them, we may see some similar deals like that come around again.  (I certainly hope we do!)  You might want to consider playing "freezer tetris" to get ready for a nice big turkey or ham just in case. 

I just have one more item to point out in what was included in our Sunday paper today.  It's not a coupon, just an observation with a commentary.  I had a good laugh this morning at the Wal-mart propaganda ad showing a 19% savings over Jewel.  Really Wal-mart?!?!?  If you didn't see it, the ad compares TWO identical grocery carts with a cost of $108.65 @ Jewel and $87.57 @ Wal-mart.  Sorry, Wal-mart, the proof is in the pudding - you can't fool me!!  :)

Check Your Sunday Coupon Inserts

There have been many wide spread reports that the Sunday newspapers have inconsistencies with the coupon inserts.  Not all inserts that were supposed to be in the Chicago Tribune were included and is varied by delivered or store bought.  I was one of the lucky ones and received all my coupon inserts in both of my delivered Tribunes, BUT my local newspaper is where my P&G insert was missing.  I certainly hope there's not a coupon insert shortage!

One source is reporting that there was a bankruptcy within the Chicago Tribune, but according to the Tribune website, that actually occurred back in December 2008 and the Tribune was reorganizing to balance their budget.  I don't believe that has anything to do with the problem with coupon inserts. 

Remember you can always call and report this, they know exactly which ads and inserts you were supposed to get.  The Tribune number for customer service is 1-800-874-2863.  Sometimes they will re-deliver your Sunday paper tomorrow morning, or you can request a credit and get an extra week added on to your subscription.  It's too bad this had to happen on a week with THREE inserts!!

8/1 Coupon Preview

Oh my!  Is it August already?  Where did July go? 

I want to point out that there are going to be 4...yes, 4 coupon inserts in this Sunday's newspapers.  There will be 1 P & G, 1 SmartSource and 2 RedPlum!  Surely a weekend to get out and buy extra newspapers.

You can see all the details of what is to be included right over on the sidebar. 

I am really hoping that with more coupons, this means that the deals will start to pick up too - I remember my first Catalina experience at Jewel almost exactly one year ago, and it was a good one...ahh, the fond memories!  As summer winds down and the kids get back to school the sales should start to improve.  Grab some extra inserts so you can rebuild your stockpile! 

And, since it's the end of the month, don't forget to check Coupons.com, Redplum.com and Smartsource.com for printables because some may no longer be available after the first of next month. 

7/18 Coupon Preview

Looks like there's only ONE coupon insert scheduled for your Sunday newspaper this week.  Check here for a list of what to expect.  Yours may be slightly different due to regional differences. 

7/11 Coupon Preview

If you just can't wait until Sunday morning when you get the newspaper, you can check out what coupons will be in your inserts here.  You will get a SmartSource and RedPlum insert this week.  Inserts vary by region and publication so don't be surprised if your coupons are slightly different. 

7/4 Coupon Preview

There's one P & G coupon insert scheduled to be delivered in our newspapers on 7/4/10.  Go here for your preview of what to expect.

Happy 4th of July!

6/27/10 Coupon Preview

SundayCouponPreview is the place to be if you want to see what is in store for you this Sunday morning.   There's two inserts scheduled to be in the newspapers on 6/27.  As usual, the coupon inserts vary by region and publication so you may not get exactly what you see posted in the listing. 

Have a great weekend!

6/20/10 Coupon Preview

Visit SundayCouponPreview for a list of coupons you can expect in the Sunday paper 6/20!  There's scheduled to be TWO inserts - one RP & one SS.  Coupons vary by region and by publication so yours might be slightly different. 

6/10 Coupon Preview

There's TWO inserts this Sunday, 6/13.  One RP & one SS.  Check here for a preview! 

While you are checking out the coupons there, scroll down just a bit and check out the post for Scotch products.  There's a link to sign up and receive $7 in Scotch brand coupons via e-mail. 

Remember, coupons vary by region so you may not receive the same coupons/values as listed. 

6/6/10 Coupon Preview

We have THREE coupon inserts coming our way on Sunday 6/6!  To see what we have in store for us check out the list here.  Remember the list may be slightly different from what you receive due to regional differences in the inserts.  I already have my eye on a few that are going to make for some great deals!

Don't forget to also browse around over at Redplum, Coupons.com and Smartsource for new coupons added on the first of the month!

Watch Your Sunday (5/30) Paper Closely!

I have read at a couple different sources that even though there's no RP, SS or PG this weekend, some area are going to be getting a General Mills coupon insert.  It's not much, but here's the list:

*General Mills Cereal, select Cheerios brands $1/2 (07/10/10)
*General Mills Cereal, Chex, Fiber One, Honey Nut Cluster, Oatmeal Crisp, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Wheaties $1/2 (07/10/10)
*General Mills Cereal, Boo Berry, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Count Chocula, Dora the Explorer, Franken Berry Golden Grahams, Kix, Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Trix $1/2 (07/10/10)
*Betty Crocker Box Supreme Brownie Mixes $.75/2 (07/24/10)
*Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, 17.5oz or Larger $.50 (07/24/10)
*Fiber One Chewy Bars or Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars $.50/2 (07/24/10)
*Nature Valley Granola Bars $.75/2 (07/24/10)
*Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars $.50 (07/24/10)
*Pillsbury Refrigerates Baked Goods Products $.75/3 (08/21/10)
*Totino’s Crisp Crust Party Pizza Products $.50/3 (08/21/10)
*Totino’s Rolls Snacks $.40/2 (08/21/10)
*Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, or Chicken Helper $.75/3 (07/24/10)
*Yoplait Frozen Smoothie, any $1 (07/24/10)
*Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entrée, any $1.50 (07/24/10)
*Yoplait Yogurt Cups or Yoplait Smoothies $.40/6 (07/24/10)
*Yoplait Yogurt Cups or Yoplait Smoothies $.50/8 (07/24/10)
*Yoplait Go-Gurt, any $.75/2 (07/24/10)

Keep your eyes open for this one, you wouldn't want to recycle the paper and miss out on this one!

Reminder - 5/30/10 No Coupon Inserts

According to SundayCouponPreview there will be no inserts this weekend because of Memorial Day.  I am actually looking forward to a break from coupons for a week!  I need to do some organizing, so this would be a great week to do that. 

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Samples and Coupons with my Local Newspaper

This is why I still keep my local newspaper subscription:

Even though I have two subscriptions to the Chicago Tribune, solely for the coupon inserts, I still keep my subscription to my local county paper.  It's a small paper with local news and it does have coupon inserts on Sundays.  It doesn't always have the best coupon inserts like the Tribune, but it still has the inserts with good coupons and lately I have been getting goodies in my bag with the paper.  Every couple of weeks I get a new sample of products and extra coupons.  This is what I received this week, and a couple weeks back it was a full pot of coffee sample with coupons.  I guess this makes up for not getting the "good" coupon inserts!  :)

5/23/10 Coupon Preview

Check out the coupons that will be in tomorrow's inserts right here.  It looks like we will be getting TWO inserts.  The coupons you receive may be slightly different from what is listed due to regional differences.