Who Says A SAHM Can't Get Vacation Pay? UPDATED WITH PHOTOS

I have often said that couponing is my job. I give the same degree of attention and organization to couponing that I would give to a job out in the "real world". Earning approximately $600 a month for my family definitely makes it worth the effort!

I just returned from an extended absence that included a mission trip, family vacation, and staying in my parent's home while they were out of the country (to be near my grandparents in case they had a need.) I was gone for 4 weeks. The weeks of couponing and deal-seeking that I had done prior to leaving continued to pay off while I was gone! This is what came in the mail while I was away....


And here is the list of what is included: (All of this was totally free!)

~Rebate Checks:
Totalling $25 (and an email confirming another $25 is on the way.)

~Gift Cards:
$15 Coldwater Creek
$10 DSW

~Magazines:
Thriving Family
American Baby
Family Circle
Good Housekeeping
Vogue

~Full-Sized Products:
Davinci Tortellini
Scrubbing Bubble Toilet Cleaning Gel
Glad Scented Oil Candle
Pledge Furniture Wipes
Ziploc Smart Snap Bowls
Ziploc Big Bags (3 Gallon, 10 Gallon, 20 Gallon)
Ziploc Quart Storage Bags (25ct)
Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags (15ct)
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Shaker

~Samples:
Ritz Crackerfuls
All Detergent
Parent's Choice Formula
Eucerin Lotion
2 Yogi Teas
Dove Daily Moisture
Stayfree Pad
2 Glidden Paint Testers
Caress Body Wash
Olay Body Wash
Propel Drink Mix
Zantac
2 Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo
2 Starbucks Via
Philosophy Perfume
3 Crystal Lite Drink Mix
3 Pampers Cruisers

~Free Product Coupons:
Beech-Nut Baby Cereal
2 Jars Beech-Nut Baby Food

~Coupons:
2 $30 Home Made Simple Coupon Books
28 Assorted High-Value Product Coupons (Will use @ 75% of these.)
3 High-Value Store Coupons
Coupons to 3 of our Favorite Resaurants

I won't take the time to calculate the value of all of this, but it is over $200, I am sure....while I was away from home!

Stockpiling Perishable Foods

As I travel further on my couponing/stockpiling adventure, I am learning new tricks along the way. It really bugs me that there are certain items that cannot be stockpiled because they will spoil. This means that I can choose to either do without these items or pay full price for them. EEEK!

I have discovered that quite a few perishable items can be frozen successfully, without negatively affecting their quality or taste.

For example, liquid coffee creamer was once a true luxury item for me. I would not pay $2.69 for a bottle of creamer when I had a gallon of milk that I could make do with. After discovering that there is a sale cycle every 8-12 weeks on Coffee Mate and International Delight, I decided to try freezing it. Now I pay between .25 and .90 for creamer once a quarter and stockpile 15-20 bottles a time in my freezer. It freezes beautifully!

Here is a list of items that I freeze regularly:
~Coffee Creamer
~Lunch Meat
~Squeeze Yogurt (Like Gogurt)
~Cheese (I recommend grating it first, if you thaw a block and grate, it tends to be very crumbly.)
~Bread (Just thaw the loaf on the counter, open.)
~Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds. They stay fresh longer)
~Extra Flour (Sure to be bug-free.)
~Butter (Not sure about margarine.)

If you have any other ideas...let me know!

How to Work That Catalina Deal

When I started couponing seriously, I kept reading about "catalinas". The only catalina I knew was a salad dressing...I was understandably confused.

A "catalina" is a coupon that prints at the register when you check out, if certain buying requirements are met. The coupon is good for a certain dollar amount off of your next purchase at that store. For example, a couple of weeks ago Super Fresh had a catalina deal. If you purchased $30 in P&G products, you received a catalina for $10 ONYO (off your next order). I purchased 3 packs of paper products at $10 each (sale price), used $1 off coupons for each pack, paid $27 out of pocket. Then I received a $10 catalina at checkout, which brought my net cost down to $17 for nearly $45 in paper goods. I then used that $10 off of my next purchase, bringing a $16 bill down to $6.

Here is a fab catalina that I scored today at Weis.



Weis has two catalina deals running right now on select Kellog's Cereal.
~Thru March 13, buy $20 in Kellog's products and get $7 catalina
~Thru March 13, buy 5 boxes Kellog's cereal (listed below) and get $4 catalina
*Frosted Flakes
*Apple Jacks
*Froot Loops
*Corn Pops
*Cocoa Krispies
*Honey Smacks

~Corn Pops, Froot Loops, and Apple Jacks are on sale for $2.50 (Largest Size)

There are coupons for $1 off 2 in the 3/7 Red Plum insert or you might get lucky and find a blinky in the store that has coupons for $.70 off the same 3 cereals that are on sale.

(A blinky is the motorized coupon dispenser that you find attached to grocery shelves.)

Here is my deal:
5 Boxes Apple Jacks $12.50
3 Boxes Corn Pops $7.50
Total $20.00

Used 8 blinky $.70 coupons = $5.60
Brings total to $14.40

Met requirements for both catalina deals. Received $11.00 off my next order.
Net total for 8 boxes of cereal= $3.40, or $.43 each.

If you don't find the blinky in your store, you can still use the coupons from the most recent Sunday paper to get this deal for $5.

Thanks to For the Mommas for doing the Weis matchups every week!

Use Proctor and Gamble Coupons For Charity

I just read about something that made me smile, and I want to pass it along. For the Mommas is reporting that this Sunday's (March 7) P&G insert will be their largest ever, with more than $160 in coupons. The cool part is that for every coupon redeemed from this insert, a child in a poverty-stricken nation will receive 1 day of clean drinking water through the Children's Safe Drinking Water Program. This promotion makes me giddy! You can visit For the Mommas HERE for a preview of the coupons that will be in this insert.

Have You Ever Been Paid to Shop?

It is rare that I post a singular shopping trip, but this one was pretty sweet. I'm sharing this one in order to show you how to stack the deals for your best benefit.

Here's what I bought:
1 Satin Care Shave Gel- Reg. $2.99, Sale $1.99
1 Anti Monkey Butt Powder- Reg. $5.99, Sale $3.99
1 Listerine Pocket 3-Pack- Reg. $4.49, Sale $3.99
2 Kotex Liners- Reg. $1.49, Sale $.99
2 Renu Travel Pack- Reg. $3.49, Sale $.99
1 Prevacid 42ct.- Reg. $28.99
Retail total= $52.43 plus tax

Coupons:
$5 off $25 purchase (Kidstuff book) (You can get $5 off $20 monthly via Video Values)
$1 off Satin Care, Proctor & Gambel Insert 2/7
$1 off Listerine Pocket Packs, Red Plum Insert 1/3
2 x $1 off Kotex Liners printable HERE (use zip code 63366)(makes them free)
2 x $1 off Renu Solution printable at link above. (makes them free)
$10 off Prevacid 42 count, USA Weekend Magazine, 2/28
Out of Pocket Cost= $22.28

Rite Aid Single Check Rebates:
$1 Satin Care (makes it free)
$3 Anti Monkey Butt Powder
$3 Listerine Pocket Packs (makes it free)
Total Rebate= $7

Prevacid Rebate from Parade Magazine, 2/28
(Promises a rebate of retail price minus $4)
Total Rebate= $24.99

Out of Pocket $22.28
Minus Total Rebates $31.99
Money Made $9.71

That's right, I'm earning $9.71 for this purchase of more than $50 in merchandise.

Have you wondered what "Anti Monkey Butt Powder" is? *Grins* It is used by bikers and others to avoid chafing. Check out the link.

I have to thank For The Mommas and Southern Savers, they match the deals and then I create a plan of attack that works for me.

Grocery Stockpiling~Lessons Learned

I have always been a couponer, to some degree. Thanks to some great blogs like Southern Savers, I am learning to be an Xtreme Couponer. I just finished tallying my January shopping totals, spending $440 on $1235 worth of grocery and personal care items over the 5-week month. That is an average of less than $90 a week, and a savings of 64%. Now, I do not intend to spend that much per week in the future. My January purchases have been replenishing my reserves. (We travel for an extended period during the holidays, so I intentionally cleaned out my pantry and freezer beforehand, only buying perishables for the entire month of December.)

But, I have gone beyond replenishing what I had. I have a true stockpile for the first time ever. I have all of the personal care, laundry detergent, dish detergent, and other cleaners that I need for the next 6-12 months. I also have a 2-3 month supply of most of our staple food items, including meat.

Here are some things that I have learned in the past month:

1. Xtreme Couponing = Stockpiling. It is the only way to truly get the best value out of your money.

2. Stockpiling creates a ready environment for giving. If I am aware of a need, I can meet it. I simply go shopping in my stockpile.

3. Many of the things that I bring home for free or nearly free are purchased at full price by other people in the same store, on the same day. (This was a true revelation.)

4. I don't have to worry about emergencies. If I get sick or there is a snowstorm (like now), we have all that we need in the house to get us through it.

5. It is ridiculous to pay $2.69 for a jar of peanut butter weekly when I can buy six now at $.99, and do the same thing again, six weeks from now. (Think about it, Full price- $2.69 x 6 = $16.14. Xtreme Couponing price- $.99 x 6 = $5.94. That's a savings of $10.20, Now, think about saving that much for every staple grocery item.)

6. The money that I save gives me freedom for little splurges, to save up for something special, or to bless someone else. In other words, I've become a better steward of what God has given me.

7. Shopping three stores with a plan is quicker and cheaper than shopping one with no plan. Yesterday, I hit 4 stores in 1 hour, 15 minutes. I spent $40 on $160 worth of merchandise.

8. People look at me funny when I walk through a store with a big ol' coupon binder. Some come back and ask me how it works ;)

9. Some cashiers will actually celebrate with me when I save 80% on an order, some will not.

10. If I am already getting a huge discount on an order, I usually don't get picky over a small coupon dispute, although I may ask for the item to be removed from my order. I would rather keep a great rapport with my stores than become known as that "Pushy Coupon Lady".

11. The amount of stuff that I can bring home FOR FREE is truly astounding.

12. Just for kicks, I kept up with the number of coupons that I used. 241 Coupons! (I know, I'm a nerd for keeping up with it.) And I used to think that store brands were a better buy, HA!

I'm certainly not a pro, yet. My coupon filing system still needs tweaking. But, overall I am very pleased with where all of this is heading. Everyone does it a little differently, and that is okay. The key is to find your own system and go with it.

This post is linked to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Coupon Database from Deal Seeking Mom

I have stumbled upon the coolest tool ever. Deal Seeking Mom has a coupon database. It is a listing of all the current coupons available. And, it can be sorted and filtered in numerous ways. I use it when I need a particular item right away but do not have a coupon on hand for it. I can go to the database, select a brand name, and press "filter". It brings up a listing of all coupons for that brand, where they can be found, and includes the link if they are printable. Find the database HERE.

Deal Seeking Mom...You Rock!

Secret Old Navy Coupon Site!

Did you know that Old Navy has a "secret" site with coupons available all the time? Discounts run from 10% to 75% off. I understand that recently there was a 75% off a $100 purchase coupon available. The coupons are available for limited times, so check back often! Thanks to Kingdom First Mom for the heads-up!

www.OldNavyWeekly.com