Saturday, November 29, 2008

Complitaion price book for Kmart Super Doubles

As mentioned in the previous post I said I would try to get together some match-ups for the Kmart Super Doubles. I did confess, but will say again, that most of these will be from other sources I happen across on the internet being I haven't been to Kmart in about 12 years.

I have found a price book on HCW that I will link to. I haven't checked it all out yet, but it looks GREAT! If I happen to find anything that is not mentioned in it or that is from another website I will make a post about it or ad to this one.

Twin Cities Kmarts to participate in Super Double Coupons

I happened into the Kmart forum this afternoon on Hotcouponworld. I really had no reason to be in there. I don't think that I have been in a Kmart for close to 12 years now. I noticed that they were talking about Super Doubles (SD) and read a couple of the posts. It seems like ALL Kmarts will be participating in the Super Double Coupons this coming week, November 30-Dec 6.

I checked out Kmart.com and looked at the upcoming at for the Twin Cities area. On the bottom of tomorrow's ad it shows a banner about Super Doubles. Here is a link to the Kmart ad page. It should being you right to the list of ads for the Twin Cities area tomorrow.


So, what are Super Doubles (SD)? It looks like Kmart will be doubling any MF coupon up to $2 in value. There are a few stimulation like always, but it seems like a great deal. The print on the ad is tiny, but I'll try to summarize what I can read.

1. Amount of credit from doubling a coupon cannot exceed the current retail price of a single item. Translation-No overage on items. It is is $1.79, your $1/1 coupon will double to $1.79 instead of $2.

2. No cash or in store purchase credit will be awarded for any amount exceeding the retail price of an item. Translation-You can't get cash or gift cards as an overage. Basically repeating #1.

3. Only one coupon will be doubled per item. Translation-You can only use one coupon per item, not 5. Seems simple enough right?

4. You may only purchase 4 of the same items using double coupons. Translation-There seems to be discussion on this one. It seems to mean on of two things
---1. You can only get four like items per coupon, but if the coupon is good on a couple different items say, Suave, shampoo, conditioner, and hair care, then you could get 4 of each items and double a total of 12 coupons.
---2. You can only double 4 like coupons.
Not sure which one it is being I haven't even done this before. I'll try to figure it out and update everyone when I know.

5. Excluded BOGO promotional offers. Translation-I think this is talking about BOGO sales, not BOGO coupons. I'll check on this also.

6. Coupons do not apply to sales tax. Translation-You will still have to pay tax on all the taxable items that you purchase. In MN this means if you have $100 worth of taxable items before coupons and you have $100 worth of doubled coupons you will still have to pay $6.50 because you will be charged tax on the pre-coupon amount.

7. Limit 75 coupons per customer per day. Translation-Seems pretty straight forward right? Being we have 7 days to do this lets try to stay honest and not hit 5 different Kmarts each day. :)

8. Internet coupons and copies of MF coupons are not valid. Translation-Do doubles for IPs. Copying coupons, even IPs is illegal anyway so lets hope that no one is doing that.

9. There is a little bit more down on the bottom, but I can't really make it out. Check your ad for the final details, but I think everything important is covered.


I haven't had time to do any match ups yet, but HCW has a couple of different threads where people are posting as they find deals. I'll try to spend some time on Monday and get a list going on here. It will probably just be different things that I find on the Internet being I haven't been to Kmart and probably won't be able to go till later in the week.

Check out the threads in the Kmart forum and see what you can find. If you have any questions feel free to leave me a comment or drop me an email. I'll do my best to find you an answer.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Star Tribune Double Bonus

Just wanted to let you all know that there is an extra bonus to buying papers today. Most of you know about the Herberger's coupon I posted about yesterday. I was looking through the paper and found that Trade Secret has another $10/$10 coupon in the paper today. It is in the B section of the Star Tribune. I can't remember the exact page it is on, but knows it's a couple of pages from the back.

This coupon has a lot less restrictions then the Herberger's coupon. It is good on any $10 or more purchase. The system won't take the coupon if you are under $10, but you can get two or three items to make it to $10 if you need to. The only other restriction I have found is that it is limit one per person. Basically, you can only use one coupon, per person, per store, per day. For me it is hard to use a bunch before they expire because I stay at home and it is hard to make a special trip just to use one coupon. I know some of you have been able to use at least 4 or more in a day before.

As a side note, the Pure Beauty in the Eden Prairie mall takes the $10/$10 coupons because it is actually a Trade Secret. They were changing names to Pure Beauty, but now are going to change back to Trade Secret, a little confussing.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Herberger's on Black Friday

Just wanted to point out that Herberger's will be having a $10/one $10 or more item in their Black Friday ad. I saw the commercial last night so I'm sure they will be doing it again.

In the past the coupon has had to be used on one item and it has had to be to $10 or over. It can't be a door buster or clearance. There are a few other restrictions on it, but I can't seem to remember them. They also exclude a few brands. I know last year Fossil and Godiva were ones that you could not use the coupon on.

Even with the restrictions there are some great deals to be had. Last year I was able to get Willow Tree figures for grandmas and aunts for only $.50. I also found some great deals in the kitchen area. It's great for things like socks, t-shirts towels and sheets and things like that too.

Last year I checked out the Herberger's web site ahead of time to get a general idea of what things the carry and what the regular price was. Here is a link if you want to do that. It helps to have an idea of what you are going for before you walk through the door.

Last year Jason went out to Holiday and bought me 15 extra papers Thanksgiving morning. It was a great investment. For $7.50 I was able to save an extra $150 off the sale price when I was shopping for Christmas presents. It makes a great way to stretch that all too small Christmas budget.

As a final note I should probably add, the commercial said that coupon would be good from 4:00am-1pm Friday morning. It does usually say something about limit one per person or per check out. In the past it has depended on the cashier if you can do a couple transactions at a time. Last year the CS lady let me use two or three at once, but other cashiers looked at me like I had committed a felony because I even possessed more then one coupon.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Not much cooking going on this week

This isn't much cooking going on at the Gudim's this week.

Sunday
Mom is home from her two month trip so we spent all day over there with grandma. No cooking here. :)

Monday
Yesterday was my birthday. We ended up using a BOGO at Qudoba and playing at the mall.

Tuesday
Chuck steak with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes
2 Chuck steak from Target yesterday $.25
1 LB carrots Free from Target last month
1/2 bag red potatoes $.50 from Cub last week
Total cost $.75

Wednesday
Not sure what we are having. We are heading out to Rockford as soon as Jason gets home so probably something like egg salad sandwiches or mac-n-cheese. Quick and easy

Thursday
Thanksgiving with Jason's family

Friday
Beef, Barley, and Vegetable soup with Sour dough bread
Bread, mom sent the leftovers from Sunday home being she won't be home to eat it
Ground Beef, Free-The youth group did a serve project and brought bags of groceries so a bunch of people. They brought us one too. Yes, I realize this is more then a little ironic, but it was very kind of them, and meat is not something I can usually find for a good price.
1/2 bag Carrots-Free from Target last month
1/2 Celery-$.50?Need to buy still
Potatoes-$.75 I think the bag cost me $1.99. I've had it too long and they need to be used up
1/4 cup Barley-$.25 I think the box cost $1.50 in the clearance cart and has 6 servings in it.
Total cost $2.00

Saturday
Not really sure on this one yet. Noah is probably staying in Rockford for the weekend and I tend to not cook as much when he isn't at home. Sometimes I'm just satisfied with a bowl of cereal and a cup of apple sauce.

Budget Update

November 15
Cub #1
4 Wild Harvest baby food $.89
6 Cheerios $2.50
2 Reeses Puffs $2.50
2 Cinnamon toast crunch $2.99
6 Kraft dressing $2.50
1 Cub white bread $.99
2 Solo heavy duty plates $1.49
5 Cocoa Pebbles $2.00
12 Kool Aide packets $.25
6 Family size Wheat Thins $4.29
6 Animal cracker pouches $1.66
2 green onions $.50
3 Radishes $.44 (just noticed they only rang up two)
1 Avacado
1 Kraft individual string cheese $.68
2 Kraft cheese slices 2.69
1 Kraft Shredded Parmasan cheese $3.99
6 16oz blocks Kraft cheese $3.33
9 Carefree liners $1.39
Coupons used--I'll try to remember what all of them were for. It's been a while and I think I had a coupon for every item except the bread.
3 $5 OYNO coupons
5 $1/1 Any Wild Harvest IP-Overage
1 $1/2 Cinniman toast crunch
4 $1/2 Any GM cereal
6 Free Kraft Dressing WYB 3 Kraft products
2 $2/1 Solo Heavy duty -Overage
2 $1/2 Post cereal MF
1 Buy 10 Koolaide get 2 Free (these count as the needed kraft products for the dressing and crackers)
6 Free Nabisco wheat thins WYB 3 Kraft products
6 $1/1 Any nabisco crackers or cookies MF -for the animal crackers
3 $1 off any produce WYB 2 Kraft dressing MF
6 Free Kraft cheese up to $4.99 WYB 2 Nabisco crackers
3 $5/3 carefree MF-Overage
Total OOP $17.53, Recieved 3 $5 OYNO, $4.50 off milk, $5 off any giftcard, $1 Holiday buck, Free Maxwellhouse coffee up to $10

Cub #2
Twin pack Cub milk $6.58
4 8oz Land o Frost deli ham $.88
4 Wheat Chex $2.50
3 Nature Valley granola bars $2.39
1 Cocoa Puffs Combo $2.99
2 Betty Crocker stackers $2.50
Coupons used
$1 Holiday buck
$4.50 off milk
3 $5 OYNO
$.75/1 Cocoa puffs MF
2 $1/2 Chex MF
$1/2 Fruit snacks MF
3 $.50/1 Nature Valley MF
-$5 Gift card from Post deal in #1
Total OOP $4.83

Walmart
10 Grapefruit $.29-Pricematch to Aldi
Total OOP $2.90

Rainbow
Cottage cheese $2.50
used giftcard
Total OOP $0 -$2.50 on Rainbow giftcard

November 19-Cub
Grapes
2 corn muffin mixes
-Free 1lb of grapes
Total OOP $1.16

November 21-Cub
French Bread $2.99
Jumbo Pasta Shells $1.78
Total OOP $4.77

November 22-Cub
Red Rose Tea $2.55
8 Del Monte Grean beans $.48
Dole Mandrin Oranges $.88
9 Jello Pudding mix $.57
3 Nabisco mini cookie pouches $1.66
1.13lb grapes $2.25
5lbs red potatoes $2.99
Coupons used
3 $5 OYNO
Cub potato coupon $2.01
Free Grapes $1.99
$.50/3 Jello pudding tear pad
3 $1/1 Nabisco cookies or crackers
Total OOP $3.59, Recieved 2 $.75 OYNO from the Madrin Oranges

November 24-Target
4 packages Chuck Steak $3.06, $3.42, $2.90, $3.13
6 4 ct Pillsbury biscuts $.67
-4 $1 off steak store coupon (soon to expire meat coupon)
-4 $2/1 Stutton and Dodge steak of roast TC
-3 $1/2 Pillsbury TC
-$.30/3 Pillsbury MF
-$.25/3 Pillsbury MF
Total OOP $.98



Total Spent $35.76
Total spend this month $106.47
Total left for the month $0, $22.50 gift card at Rainbow and 2 $.75 OYNO at Cub, 1 $4.50 off Milk.
About over budget $21.47

Well, it might have taken most of the day to figure it out, but there it is. I know I was over budget. With the great deals this month I expected it. I've also been buying a few more convenience things, i.e. rotisserie chicken. I was planning on this also knowing that I won't aways be able to make supper while I'm not feeling good.

Some months are under and some months are over. The $85 is my goal. It's great to be able to hit it each month, but thankfully the world doesn't end when I go over. Considering the state of my pantry and my mother's freezer $106.47 is an excellet total for the month. I don't plan on getting too much more. I will be getting milk with the $4.50 off coupon being the two pack is on sale for $4.98.

I have made a small trip to CVS the last two weeks. I didn't add them into the budget being I can't find the first reciept and I haven't paid anything OOP yet. I've manly been getting free after ECB items, but last week I did get 5 Welch's grape juice. It was $2.50, -$1/1 coupons. I have some gift cards I've been using so it hasn't been effecting the budget. I'll probably start adding it in again at the start of December.

A little behind

Unfortunately this post is not about my little behind. As I grow more and more pregnant my behind seems to grow more and more as well. Instead it is to admit that I seem to be falling behind with the blog. I have wonderful intentions, great thoughts of all the posts I want to make, but it seems that there just isn't ever enough time to sit on the computer and type everything out.

I woke up quite early this morning. For those who know me you understand how odd that is. Noah isn't awake yet so I think that I might be able to squeeze in a couple of posts. I hope to be able to get the monthly budget updated first. I know most of you probably don't care too much about how much I personally spend on groceries, but it really helps me know what I'm using the money on and if I'm spending more then I should.

After that I am planning on posting this weeks menu. I also want to do an abbreviated list for the week. The deals aren't that great and most of us are probably already thinking about Black Friday.

I also want to post a welcome and maybe a little bit about me and what I try to do with this crazy shopping blog that I have. People have been telling me that they've been sharing the blog with friends and co-works. I had thought that maybe about 20 new people might have come by to check it out. When I looked at my stats this morning I saw that in the past month over 240 new people have looked at the blog. Who knows how many of the new people are coming back, but it's probably time I introduce myself.