Ibotta & this weeks HT deals

Now that I'm feeling better, it's time to get back to the money saving goodness, and teach you all about my favorite new app...IBOTTA!

This is an app is available on iPhone and Android which I know many of you own. Click here to download the app and receive a $5 bonus.  This offer ends tomorrow at NOON, so you must download NOW.  The $5 will be deposited into your PayPal account as soon as you use your first offer (by 2/17/13).  Okay, so here's how it works...

• Create an account with this link
• Download the app to your phone
• Click through your offers, to see what coupons you have available and store these in your brain for your shopping trips. You should also have access to these while you are shopping if you bring your smart phone with you.
• I go ahead and collect all the offers I think I may use (but you can always do this after you purchase the item as well).
• Once you buy a product listed on your offers, and collect all the available discounts, you will need to click "redeem".
• You will then choose which store you purchased your item(s) from and click "upload receipt". If your receipt is too long, you will need to "add section" to make sure you include your whole receipt. 
• After uploading the receipt, you will click which items you purchased, and you will need to scan the bar code. 
• It will then be sent in for "approval" and will notify you within an hour that you have received your $$ in your account.  After you have $5 in your account you may withdraw to your PayPal account, however if you use this link before at 12pm NOON tomorrow, you will automatically have $5.

A screen shot of just a few coupons that I have on my app.  As you can see on the bottom, I already have $14.75 in offers completed and ready to use!  Can't wait to save all that $$

This app only works for Harris Teeter, CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, Kroger, and several other stores that we don't really have in the Raleigh Area.  You can click "shopping list" on your app to see which stores participate.  Harris Teeter and Target are my favorite stores, so this app works great for me! Everyone will receive different coupons, so I will only reference the ones that Maylon-James (my husband) or I receive on our phone.





Now onto some great deals that I got at Harris Teeter today (or plan to get before the weeks over)...


B2G3 Progresso Soup
-Regular Price: $2.25ea = $4.50/5;
-Coupon: $1/4  [SS 1/06] or print here
-Total: $4.50-$1 = $3.50/5 =  $0.70ea

BOGO Crystal Light
-Regular Price: $3.14ea
-Sale Price (BOGO): $1.57ea
-BUY 5 get $5 off your next HT order with coupon printed at checkout
-Ibotta App: $1/1
-Total: $7.85-$1=$6.85 (plus $5 off next order) = $1.85/5 = $0.37ea

Evic Special Yoplait
-Sale Price: $0.40 ea
-Coupon: $0.40/6 x 2 (this doubles) = $0.80/6
-ZVR: $0.40/6
-Saving Star: $0.40/6
-$0.40 * 6 = $2.40 - $0.80 - $0.40 - $0.40 = $0.80/6 = $0.13ea

Eggland's Best Grade A Large Eggs (1 doz)
-EVic Special (sent to my e-mail, these are specific to my VIC card so yours may be different): $1.77
-Coupon: $0.35/1 [SS 11/11] x 2 = $0.70
-Ibotta: $0.50/1
- $1.77-$0.70 -$0.50 = $0.57
*If you did not receive these on your e-Vic alert e-mail or they don't print at the bottom of your receipt, they are still on sale for $2.29, making them $1.09 which is still a great deal for eggs!

Kellogg's Pop-Tarts
-Sale Price: $1.67 ea
-Coupon: $1/3 found here but you will need to create a kelloggs account which i highly recommend anyways! They have awesome coupons.
-ZVR: $1/3
-Ibotta: $1/1
-Total: $5.01/3-$1-$1-$1 = $2.01/3 = $0.67ea OR you can get only 1 for $0.67 with Ibotta coupon

Hope this comes in handy when you head to the grocery store this week!  Please share any other great deals that you get in the comments section.  And as always, questions are welcomed.  Have a blessed FRIDAY!


Brittany

What in the world is a ZVR?

I hope everyone is enjoying my blog so far, and has been able to use it to grab some great deals at HT and get their coupons organized.  I am going to apologize for stating in my previous post that it only takes 20 minutes max to clip and organize coupons each Sunday.  After receiving 6 inserts Sunday, even I was slightly overwhelmed (but also overjoyed by the saving possibilities)!  Sunday's paper probably took me a good 45 minutes, but please remember that this is not normal, and usually there are only 2ish inserts which proves to be a much quicker and relaxing process.

Now onto today's topic...

What in the world is a ZVR?

I know, I'm sorry...more coupon lingo.

ZVRs are Harris Teeter's e-coupons.  These can be added straight to your VIC card from your computer or your smart phone (if you have the HT app, which is a must have).  First you will need to create an account here, make sure you enter your VIC store card # so that it is linked to your account.  If you are still using your mom/sister/brother/dad's VIC card (or better yet, phone number) and you do not live with them, PLEASE get your own. There are so many advantages to having your own VIC card, and many things that you may miss out on if you are sharing with someone that does not live in your household.  You will have to do this by going to the customer service counter at HT, but I promise it is super easy, and you will have your own card in a matter of minutes.

Once you have your own VIC card, and an HT account you may add coupons to your account either by computer or smartphone whenever you'd like.  I choose to use my iPhone because I can sit in the parking lot before I enter HT and make sure I have all the coupons I want loaded onto my card.  The best thing about these coupons are that they can be used in combination with manufacturer coupons!  This is called "stacking coupons" which is a couponers dream. Just make sure to pay attention to your receipt to ensure that the ZVR's come off automatically, because there have been several times when a few of mine didn't come off.  If this happens to you, you will just need to go to customer service, hand them your receipt and tell them what didn't come off.  They may want to see a list of your e-vic coupons, and in this case I just show them my phone.  This is a rare occurrence, and usually they don't even look at my receipt, they just ask me how much, and hand me the money!

This screen shot is ,my shopping list, which displays all the coupons I have added to my VIC card.

This screen shot is an example of the coupons you may have to chose from.  You simply tap them (with a touchscreen) and it will say "you've already saved this off" which means they are loaded on your VIC card!

I was planning on tackling Ibotta & Saving Star today, as well, but I haven't been feeling very good, and I am about to head off to the doctor.  I promise I will blog about these soon!  Until then, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or experiences you have with ZVR's!

And enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord created!

Get Organized!

Happy Saturday!  I'm so glad you came back for more!

One of the most important things about couponing is to get organized!  I have spoken to several of my friends who have tried couponing and given up because it's "too overwhelming" and "too time consuming".  You can nip both of these issues in the bud by staying on top of things.  It will be overwhelming & time consuming if you let the inserts or cut coupons pile up all over your house; but so are dishes or clean clothes that need to be folded if you get behind.  

Every Sunday morning right after church, while lunch is on the stove, I dig out all the inserts from the middle of the paper, and get out my scissors and my handy dandy notebook.  It takes me 20 minutes MAX, and it is so fun to see all the new coupons and begin dreaming up deals in my head.  Trust me, it is addicting!

My mom gave me the dividers as one of my shower gifts, along with some of the trading card sleeves.  You can order these from the WRAL SmartShopper here or just make your own.  You will have to go to a office supply store for the sleeves, as I first tried Target, Walmart, AC Moore, and Micheals and they had none. The notebook and several of the sleeves are from MJ's trading cards that he collected when he was younger, but happily cleaned out for me, so I could save him some $$. 



I then file each coupon away in it's designated section immediately after I cut it out. I only cut out coupons I know I will use, or those that might be really good deals when Super Doubles roll around. Then I take what remains of each insert, date it, and file it away in this notebook.

This come in handy when I need a coupon that I did not file away originally. As I mentioned briefly in my last post, I follow a blog called Southern Savers.  She posts each weeks grocery specials, along with the coupon match-ups and what insert they came from (name & date).  This is also what I listed in brackets on my last post about Super Doubles. Here is a little cheat sheet for the couponing lingo I will use in these [brackets] followed by the date they came in the paper.


SS=Smart Source
P&G=Proctor and Gamble
RP=Red Plum
GM=General Mills

This is why I date each insert and file them away by date, so they are easily retrievable when I find a good deal!

This is going to be very important for tomorrow, because there are supposed to be between 5 & 6 coupon inserts in tomorrows paper!  I am getting excited just thinking about it.  A normal Sunday paper averages 2 coupon inserts.  So the moral to this story is...sit down, get organized...and then you won't be overwhelmed, but you must set aside the time to do it!

Would love to hear feedback on your strategy for organizing your coupons, or any other coupon advice you may have!

Brittany

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 1/2/12-1/8/12

Okay as I promised, I am here to teach you the in's and out's of super double grocery shopping!

What are super doubles? 

First you should know that Harris Teeter and Lowes Food always double coupons under $0.99; which is a great deal for higher value coupons ($0.75-$0.99), especially matched up with sales.  The key to being a good "couponer" is to always combine coupons with sales!  Also you MUST have a store savings card, in this case a VIC card.  Please remember this when you shop.  Just because you have a coupon, doesn't mean you should every pay full price for anything.

Now on to what makes double coupons "super".  Once every 6-8 weeks or so, Harris Teeter (and sometimes Lowes Food) run a week long special that doubles ALL coupons $2 or less. This can be a wonderful thing since, $2 off a single item, doubled to $4, is often FREE.  I save up all my high value coupons for this week.

Harris Teeter allows you to double up to 20 coupons a day, per household. They will double up to three identical items with manufacturer coupons.  You may use additional coupons, but they will not be doubled.  They will only double 2 internet coupons for an identical product, per day. Again, you can buy more of the same product and use your internet coupons, they just won't double. Overwhelmed yet?  Just wait until I throw in savingstar, ibotta, rain checks, and ZVRs, then your head will really be spinning.  I will wait until another day to explain these money saving sources to you!  Don't want to blow your mind on my first real blog post.

Deals I got this week:

Tide Coldwater Detergent 50oz
Regular price: $8.49
Sale price: $6.99
Coupon: $1.50/1 [P&G 12/30] x 2 = $3.00/1
ZVR: $1.50/1 (does not double)
$6.99-$3-$1.50 = $2.49
*My general rule is that I don't pay more than $2 for a small container of laundry detergent, but I made Tide the exception for $0.49 since it is generally a more pricey detergent. 


Nabisco Snackwell Yogurt Covered Pretzels 10 pk (there are other choices for the same price)
Regular Price:  $3.29
Sale Price: $1.64
Coupon: $1/1 [like their facebook page] x 2 = $2/1
$1.64-$2 = FREE (they do not give overage on manufacturer coupons)


Crest Complete 6.2oz Scope Whitening (there were several other choices at this same price point)
Regular Price: $3.79
Sale Price: $2.49
Coupon: $0.75/1 [P&G mailed coupon booklet] x 2 = $1.50/1
ZVR: $0.50/1
$2.49-$1.50-$0.50=$0.49
*This was not technically a super double, but a good deal nonetheless and we needed toothpaste!

Crest Pro-Health Rinse, 1 Liter
Regular Price: $5.99
Sale: $4.99
Coupon: $1.50/1 [P&G 12/30] x 2 = $3/1
ZVR: $1.50/1 (does not double)
$4.99-$3-$1.50=$0.49

Gillette Fusion Shave Gel
Regular Price: 4.99
Sale: $3.99
Coupon: $1/1 [P&G 12/30] x 2 = $2/1
ZVR: $1/1 (this one didn't come off at checkout so you may need to go to customer service to get your $1).
$3.99-$2-$1=$0.99
 
Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner (2 products)
Regular Price: $4.29 ea
Sale: $3.50 ea
Coupon: $3/2 [P&G 12/30]
ZVR: $3/2
$7-$3-$3=$1 for 2 ($0.50 each)

*Coupon did not double but the sale combined with coupon and ZVR made for a great deal on shampoo. Got this for my sister, because I do not use it, but you could also donate to a homeless shelter!


K-Y Jelly (for my married friends)
Regular Price: $4.79
Coupon: $2/1 [SS 12/09; or sign up here] x 2 = $4/1
$4.79-$4 = $0.79

Herbal Essence Shampoo
Regular Price: 3.69
Sale: $2.99
Coupon: $1/1 [P&G 12/30] x 2 = $2/1
ZVR: $1/1
$2.99-$2-$1 = FREE

Garnier Fructis Body Boost Shampoo (Clearance)
Regular Price: $3.89
Clearance: $2.33
Coupon: $1/1 [printable, no longer available] x 2 = $2/1
$2.33-$2 = $0.33

Eggo Cinnamon Toast Waffles
Regular Price: $2.65
Coupon: $1.50/1 [redeem 1,000 points on kelloggsfamilyrewards.com; will talk more about this later] x 2 = $3/1

$2.65-$3 = FREE

Tyson Refrigerated Grilled Chicken Strips, 6oz
Regular Price: $3.95
Sale Price: $1.97
Coupon: $.75/1 [SS 11/4, says frozen but worked for me] x 2 = $1.50/1
$1.97-$1.50 = $0.47

Reach Waxed Floss
Regular Price: $1.45
Coupon: $1/1 [printable, found here but I no longer see it] x 2 = $2/1
$1.45-$2 = FREE

Blue Diamond Almonds (2)
Regular Price: $3.59 each
Sale: Used a raincheck for BOGO = $1.80 each
Coupon: $1/1 [received from sending in feedback to company, will talk more about this later too], they only let me use 1 coupon since 1 was technically "free" x 2 = $2/1
$3.59-$2 = $1.59/2 ($0.79 each)

Total Savings: $62.73 worth of products for only $8.63 

It is so fun and addicting to watch that number go down and the cashier uses all your coupons and VIC card. I know I mentioned ZVR several times, Kellogg family rewards, rain checks, and trading feedback for coupons; and I promise to hit on all this soon!  It's just a lot to digest, I know. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below, and I will try to address them.  I hope you are able to use some of these deals to jump start your first super double experience!  You may also find the southernsavers.com to be a very helpful resource if it doesn't overwhelm you.

Until next time...happy shopping and happy saving!

Hello Blog World!

I have finally gotten this blog up and running, after spending month's trying to come up with a good name.  I am not the most creative person in the world, so this proved to be very difficult for me.  However, I think "Gettin' Frugal with the Fowlers" will be a very fitting name for this blog, as I will mostly be addressing ways that we save money.  There are two main ways we do this...I "coupon" (although not extreme), and we eat most of our meals at home (which means I often try new recipes). You will be able to follow me as I tackle both of these money saving wonders, and hopefully this blog can help you and your family save some money in the process.

I successfully completed my Super Double shopping today at Harris Teeter...so I will post soon on what this means, what deals I got, and links to many of the coupons I used. These are definitely my favorite shopping trips!