It’s been nice – extra days off of work for me AND hubby, getting tasks accomplished playing X-Box Kinect and visiting with family members who are in town from Pennsylvania talking about people.

Just because I haven’t been online much doesn’t mean I haven’t gotten some great deals. As I was getting caught up on coupon clipping, I noticed that many coupons expire today – I can’t let THAT happen! So…here is what I found on my coupon almost freebie crawl:

Dollar General

• Snuggle 40ct. fabric softener: $2.00 – $.75 Sunday coupon = $1.25
• 8 Dentastix: $16.00 – (8x) $2.00 Sunday coupons = Eight FREE

Total Paid: $1.25 + tax

(Also, a $5/$25 coupon printed on the end of the receipt for January 1st use only)

Family Dollar

• 4 Snausages: $4.00 – (4x) $1.00 Sunday coupons = Four FREE
• 50 ct. Splenda: $2.50 – $1.00 Coupon (found at Kroger) = $1.50
• 5 Quaker Oatmeal 7 pk. boxes: $11.25 – (5x) $1.00 Sunday coupons = $6.25 for Five
• Giant Christmas Bag: $1.00 – 50% off = $.50
• 15 paper Christmas bags: $3.75 – 50% off = $1.80 for Fifteen

Total Paid: $10.05 + tax

Walmart

• 11 bags 12 ct. disposable Schick razors: $21.67 – (11x) $2.00 Sunday coupons = Eleven Free PLUS $.33 -  Yes, they paid me to buy these.
• 2 Always liners: $1.86 – (2x) $1.00 Mailer coupons = Two Free PLUS $.14 – Yup, paid me for these too.
• 4 Athenos Greek Yogurts: $4.00 – (2x) $2/2 printable coupons = Four FREE – What? no payment? sheesh.
• Simply Yogurt Tubes: $2.50 – $2.50 Blogspark coupon = FREE
• Simply French Bread: $2.38 – $2.38 Blogspark coupon = FREE

Total Paid: NOTHING…and earned $.47

Well, actually, they won’t give you money back. I also had a few after-Christmas items, so that change was just subtracted from my already 50% off deals.

After all was said and done, I paid:

$10.73 (plus tax) for $72.91 worth of items.

Not too shabbeh.

How’d you do this week?

Anndd…I was right.

• 3 Jimmy D’s Frozen Thingys: $11.46 – 3 FREE Q’s = THREE FREE
• Dean’s Guacamole Dip: $1.38 – FREE Q = FREE
• Arm & Hammer Gel Detergent: $7.97 – FREE Q = FREE
• Simply Biscuits: $1.74 – FREE Q from Blogspark = FREE
• Simply Bread: $2.12 – FREE Q from  Blogspark = FREE
• 2 Schick Razor Packs: $3.94 – (2x) $2.00 Sunday Q’s = TWO FREE + $.06
• Energizer Rechargeable Batteries: $10.58 – FREE Q (facebook?) = FREE
• Ghirardelli Luxe Bar: $1.75 – FREE Q blog incentive = FREE
• Curad: $.96 – $.50 Sunday Q = $.46

Subtotal: $41.90

MY subtotal: $.40

Total with tax: $2.16 (darn tax)

I think the cashier was about to pull out some Coupon Stink Eye on me…but she held her tongue…and I held mine…and I walked out with a smile (and a BUNCH of free shiznit.) *wink*

Here’s what I found on my first trip:

• 2 Fruit Chillers: $4.00 – (2x) $1 Sunday Q = $2.00 for TWO
• Schick razors: $1.97 – $2 Sunday Q = FREE
• Curad Band Aids: $.96 – $.50 Sunday Q = $.46
• 2 Old Spice: $4.36 – $1 P&G Booklet Q = $3.36 for TWO (I usually get any personal products at CVS and pay close to nothing…desperate times do happen.)
• Oikos 4 pk & Oikos 16oz. Yogurts: $6.72 – 2 FREE item coupons = FREE (not picture for some odd reason)

Total: $18.01

Coupons: $12.22

My Total: $5.79 + tax

And where is the adventure in all of this? It all starts with the cashier. Let me start by saying, “Stores, please, I beg of you, educate your cashiers on coupon usage.” Shall I repeat? I handed her seven coupons…does that seem too overwhelming? The $2 razor coupon beeped. She crinkled up her nose, looked a little closer and read, “trial sizes not included.” She went on to say, “OH! This one won’t work because it says trial sizes are not included.” I told her that I did not buy a trial size. She said, “Maybe they consider the two bonus razors inside a trial.” *crickets* No. It’s called a coupon adjustment. When an item is $1.97 and the coupon is for $2.00, many registers will not “credit” you, so the coupon has to be adjusted down to the cost. Fortunately, another cashier walked up behind her and took care of the problem. She then went on to scan the rest of the coupons, WHILE talking with the other cashier. She gave me the total and I asked, “Did you scan the last yogurt coupon?” Oh, but of course! Wrong…she walks away and the other cashier fills in. I look at the receipt; yogurt coupon missing. UGH. I brought it to the cashier’s attention and she says, “I don’t know why she doesn’t know how to do all of this. She has been here as long as I have *sigh*.” Then, goes on to tell me that it’s difficult to refund since the sale has already been cashed out; she would have to call a manager. *crickets AGAIN* While she’s blankly staring at me, I said, “well, call a manager then.” In the end, the process was actually not difficult at all. With a few beeps and turn of a key, MY money was right back in MY pocket.

Moral: Don’t let people tell you no. There is always a way.

And…as if I enjoy torturing myself, here is my second trip:

• 2 Red Baron Pizza by the Slice: $6.00 – (2x) $2 printable = $2.00 for TWO
• 6 Curad Bandages: $5.76 – (6x) $.50 Sunday Q = $2.76 for SIX
• 3 Nexcare bandages: $4.50 – (3x) $1 printable = $1.50 for THREE
• Muir Glen Tomato Paste: $.96 – $1 printable = FREE

Total: $17.22

Coupons: $11.00

My Total: $6.22 + tax

The adventure continues…”Wow, you must be really accident prone to need this many band aids,” says the young girl.

“Actually, I’m taking a mission trip to a Pacific Island Leper Colony. It’s a horrible thing really. Those poor people. I’m hoping the bandages will  keep their lesions from getting infected. I mean, who wants weaping and puss popping all about…not me, that’s for sure.”

Okay…so that wasn’t really what I said.

Sometimes I wish I COULD make up silly answers to silly remarks…just to amuse myself.

Accident prone? Come on…who says that?

Got any great cashier stories? Do share.

Today was one of those times.

I made the most of it…especially since it seems like every time I go there for deals they neverhavewhatIwant…oh anyway…

We bought what we needed to buy for our youth group outing tomorrow and since I just *happened* to have my coupon organizer with me…I picked up these little goodies as well.

Wanna know what I spent?

14 Pampers Wipes: $31.36 – (14x) $2.00 Brandsaver Q’s = $3.36 for FOURTEEN
2 Packs Schick Disposable Razors: $3.94 – (2x) $2.00 Sunday Q = FREE plus $.06
2 Kotex Liners: $2.00 – $2 Sunday Q = FREE for TWO
Ziploc Evolve Baggies: $1.97 – $.40 Sunday Q = $1.57
Reynold’s Wrap 80 sq. ft.: $2.50 – $1.00 Sunday Q = $1.50

Subtotal: $41.77
Minus Coupons: $35.40
Total: $6.37

BAM!

I avoided the money vacuum.

How did you do at Wally World this week? Link up in the comments. *wink*

Yeah, some items are cheaper, you can get a bunch of stuff all in one trip, yada, yada, yada.

A money vacuum, that is what I call it. You go in for a $5.00 item, you walk out crying, wondering where your paycheck went. Am I right?

Well…every now and then I’ll start checking out some deals online; items I can get for little or no cost with coupons. I’ll save them all up, make a list and drive on over. The secret here is to ONLY buy what is on your list…that’s it…nothing more. Otherwise, SWWOOPP, into the money vacuum you’ll go.

Today was my day to go. Let me start with the facts.
Total: $68.22
I paid: $14.41

Was the savings worth going? You bet! Was it a usual frustrating trip? You bet!

The annoyance comes with missing items, non-carried items, online v/s store price differences…that sort of thing (I hear this is a common complaint of online deal grabbers.) Price variances are to be expected across the country, but when you are walking and re-walking MILES around the store looking for certain items, and they aren’t there, it’s easy to become a hateful shopper. Though, I can’t help but gleam when I’m only handing over $15 for a cart load of products. *cheesy smile*

Here are a few of the better deals I DID find:

• 8 bags Kitten Chow: $14.96 – (8x) 1.87 Sunday Q = 8 for FREE (I had planned on donating these to the Humane Society, but then remembered a stray cat gave birth to 5 kittens at my mom’s house – so she’s getting them. By the way, does anyone want a kitten in about 2 weeks? Two of them look Siamese.)
• 2 Armor All Protectant: $6.34 – (2x) $2 printable **MAN-PON ALERT** = 2 for $2.34
• 8 Kotex Liners: $8.00 – (4x) $2.00 Sunday Q = 8 for FREE (Umm..yeeah…I don’t know. I’m building a Kotex liner castle? They make great party favors? Sending them to BP to soak up the oil spill? Aww, heck…I get them because they are free.)
• 2 STP Oil Treatments: $4.94 – (2x) $2 printables **MAN-PON ALERT** = 2 for $.94
• 2 Muir Glen Tomato Paste: $1.92 – (2x) $1 printable = 2 for FREE + $.08
• 2 Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes: $2.76 – (2x) $1 printable = 2 for $.76
• 4 Mac & Cheese: $2.96 – (2x) $.55 printable = 4 for $1.86
• Simply Go-Gurt: $2.25 – $2.25 Mailer (Facebook?) = FREE
• 3 EZ Mac: $2.64 – B2GOF $.88 = 3 for $1.76
• 4 100 Calorie Snacks: $9.52 – (2x) BOGOF printable = $4.76 for 4 (I needed to bring snacks to my son’s baseball game tonight, so why not get half of them for free? I even got the box with 33% more in it – so I hope they like chocolate covered pretzels.)
• 2 Red Baron by the Slice Pizza: $6.00 – (2x) $1 Sunday Q = $4.00 for 2 boxes
  

Anyway, all of this plus a few extra things pictured for $14.41. Can you believe it?

My poor cashier. This time…this ONE time…I actually felt sort of bad. She had coupons everywhere. At one point, I had no clue on what she HAD rang in and what she HADN’T. Though, even though it took a while to get everything straight, she was very patient and even inquisitive about couponing. So I gave her a biz card. Of course, the lady behind me had a small touch of the Coupon Stink Eye going on. She could have gone to another lane. If she would have gotten in line before the cashier started ringing up my items, I would have let her go first…with her measly six ears of corn. *sorry*

Just always remember, it’s YOUR dollar. Don’t let anyone else’s actions determine how you spend it…despite that nasty stink eye.

Join The Littlest Pet Shop, TODAY, February 13th to march in a parade…only at Walmart. A new parade will start inside the entrance of the store every 10-20 minutes during the hours of 11:00 – 2:00. *

*ONLY at participating stores. For more information and to find a participating store go here.

FREE Giveaways (while supplies last.)

• Poster & Stickers
• Parade Flag & Bag
• LPS Diary Sticker

Also, new exclusive pets will be available for purchase along with a photo opportunity!

We participated in something similar to this a while back, except it was located at Toys R Us. It was a fun, free activity – except my son was probably too old to totally enjoy it (though he DID like the coupon for a free hot wheels car.)

Head on over to Walmart for Pets on Parade and Follow your Pets to Fun!

Really? They are EVERYWHERE, if you just take a second to look – Internet, newspapers, magazines, store shelves and in the mail. Often, if you sign up for a free mailer sample they will include a coupon for that product as well (usually high dollar!) Sometimes not…but, you will still be able to enjoy your freebie deebie anyway.

Do you ever visit Walmart’s free sample page? If not, take a look. As of today, the samples offered include:

• No Doz
• Tena Pads
• Playtex Tampons
• Emergen-C
• Prilosec OTC
• Nicorette
• Fancy Feast Cat Appetizers

(I just noticed that some of these samples went FAST!)

So you don’t particularly fancy any of these items? Check back because the samples do change often. I have gotten everything from diapers to a roll of toilet paper to granola bars to greeting cards. Just remember, items that YOU can’t use – someone else would LOVE to have. Don’t have a cat for the Fancy Feast? I bet a neighbor does. Or, start a collection of animal items and donate them to your local humane society. Women’s shelters, homeless shelters, food pantries – I always throw my un-needed samples in with my other donations. It’s the little things.

Oohhh, another great mailer freebie that I can’t pass by without sharing.
Have you ever tried EOS (Evolution Of Smooth) Organic Lip Balm? If you attended BlogHer this year, you probably received a free one.
Would you like another?

Hurry and sign up! They will send you a mint lip balm in the mail for FREE!

*don’t forget to tweet about this great deal so all of your friends can get one too!