6 Sunday papers coming tomorrow!

Was getting the paper on Wednesdays and Sundays and buying 5 at the grocery store, but then the price went up on the home delivery so I cancelled and was buying 6 Sunday papers on my way to Cracker Barrel. Paper called last Monday and wanted me back. Told them no thanks cause I needed to buy 6 papers and they wouldn't deliver 6, they said no only 3 at a time. Called me back on Tuesday, said they would do 6 but I said no cause I didn't like their price, they were only going to save me a few dollars. Called me Wednesday and they said we will give you Wed, Thurs, Fri. Sat. and 6 Sunday papers for $8.50 a week. Since I was paying $2 a paper for just the Sunday paper, I asked for how long will the deal be good for.... they said a year.... I said you got a deal!!!!

Not much happening this week,

except sandstorms, dark skies, few thunderstorms and a little rain thrown in for good measure. I had finally got the pool perfect when we had the first big sandstorm and now I've been chasing the sand for 2 weeks. Seems when I think I've gotten it, the wind kicks up and I'm chasing sand again.

Sandstorm hits Valley

Tuesday evening we were hit with a major sandstorm. It is definitely Monsoon season! It is muggy and muggy means monsoon which means storms... usually thunderstorms with heavy rain, but sometimes it means heavy winds resulting in sandstorms... also known as habubs (haboobs). We had a sandbox in the bottom of our pool. We are still cleaning the sand and debris out of the deep end. The wind at 70mph had us running around the backyard picking up cushions and pool toys and furniture. George got some pictures out our back door but I haven't had a chance to download them yet. Here are some pictures from the local weather channel that other people took from around the area. Queen Creek and that side of the valley got hit harder than we did. It was so thick that there was zero visibility. Some people lost power for a little while.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th! Spending the day watching Firefly marathon. Monsoon weather is here. 122 here Saturday, heavy storm here last night brought the temp down some but now it's muggy, expecting more thunderstorms later today.....

Walmart shopping trip yesterday

went shopping at Walmart's yesterday.....

gallon of milk $2.48 price match $1.74

5 packages farmer john's sausage links $1.28 .... coupon for $1.00 off each...28cents each

8 ears of corn $.31 cents each price match 8 for $.99cents

peaches .88cents a pound price matched 4lbs for .99cents

lettuce $1.18 a head price matched for 3 heads for .99cents

lays potato chips $2.50 a bag price matched for $1.77 a bag (bought 2)

colgate 6.4oz tubes $1.17 a tube price matched for .99cents with .75cent coupons off of 6, $1.00 off 1 (bought 7 well actually 1 was free, the other 6 were .24cents each)(stocked up on toothpaste, unless I can get it for free, then will donate freebies to local church)

pedigree canned dog food .68cents a can, 6 coupons for B1G1 (coupon lingo for buy 1 get 1 free) 12 cans for .34cents a piece

milo dog treats $2.98 , 7 coupons for $1.50 off, 7 packages for 1.48 (dog is very happy!!!)

6 jugs 98oz bottles of beach for $1.47each  for the pool

2 jars of vilasic pickles $1.88 each, coupon for $1.00 off 2 making them $1.38 each

redi-whip whip cream $1.98 with coupon for $1.00 of 2 making them $1.48 each

bananas.59cents a pound, price matched to .47cents a pound (.77cents total)

so....

before coupons and price matching... $88.54

oop (coupon lingo for out of pocket)...$55.32

heading to Albertson's grocery store today to get muriatic acid for the pool.... usually buy it at Home Depot at $19 and change for a box of 2 1gal jugs.... Albertson's has it on sale for $5 a box so going to stock up

Moon over our Mountain

Full moon last couple of nights has been so big that you can see his face so vividly. The picture just doesn't do it justice at all.

Here's a picture of my coupon binder... sucker must weigh about 40lbs. It's a 4" binder and as you can see is almost full. But that's not all my coupons.. every Tuesday there is a flyer that comes in the mail (Red Plum) with coupons in it, (this set is also in Sunday's paper). Anyway, I grab a bucket of them out of a recycling dumpster (about 50 or so), I have them in a basket in a corner of the bedroom right now till I can figure where and how I want to store them. I have a print out in my binder that has a list of those coupons for each week. The plan with them is that if I can get 50 or so of an item for free, I will use those coupons and donate the items to a local charity and then the expired coupons I ship over seas to a marine base in Japan that I adopted. I buy our items using the coupons that come in the 6 Sunday papers I buy each week. I buy 6 because of the deals where you have to double up your coupons and you need an even number. For example if you have a buy one get one free or 1/2 off, you can use two coupons... 1 for the item you are paying for and  1 for the item that is free or 1/2 off. There are a few stores now that won't let you do that, like Target, but most of them will.

Our last shopping trip I didn't get pictures of but, we got 5 trial size bottles of Pert 2-n-1 shampoo for free, 5 bottles of Bulls eye BBQ sauce free, package of Wilkerson's disposable razors free, Spic-n-span for 47cents a bottle, 4 heads of lettuce for $1, 1 fresh pineapple for $1 (going back today to get 2 free with coupon), 4 boxes of Pillsbury cake mix for 50cents a box., jars of Alfredo sauce (normally 3.50 a jar) for 1.20 a jar, oh yeah, and dinner was a rotisserie chicken with a free family size side of cole slaw for under $5.We got a package of chicken and a couple of steaks with register rewards from Walgreen's, which I got by buying a bottle of vitamin D for $10 that gave me a register reward for $10 so it was like getting them for free, (I did that twice so the 2 $10 rewards paid for the meat). 

It's like a treasure hunt each week. We sit down with the sale ads on Tuesday (prices take effect on Wednesday) and match sales with coupons, check the internet for coupons that might be available that weren't in Sunday's paper, then map out our plan of attack. We might have to shop at 3 or 4 different stores, but saving 80% or more on our grocery bill is worth the hassle, besides they are all within a one mile radius of each other.

 I was never a fan of grocery shopping at Walmart's till they started the price matching policy. We have a Food City here that you feel you need to put rubber bands around your pant legs before you go in, but their prices are dirt cheap. Now that Walmart's price matches, we can get that 4 heads of lettuce for $1 or a bottle of Clorox for 88cents (I use bleach instead of chlorine in the pool).

Ok, enough, I've got to get ready to go back to the store. Going back to Walmarts. Going to get some free pineapples (after price match from Food City and coupons), free Dial body wash, free Frank's red hot sauce, package of ice cream for 68cents, LALooks hair care for 94cents and some Lysol toilet bowl cleaner for $1 (after price match from Walgreen's and coupons).

Today's Shopping Trip

First stop: Staples...
3 rolls of magic scotch tape on sale for .98cents with my $1.00 coupon = Free
1 box #10 envelopes on sale for $5.00 with my $3.00 coupon = $2.00
1 purple pen on sale for $1.00 with my .06cents savings from scotch tape = .94cents
                        Total out of pocket = $2.94

Next stop: Walmart....
3lbs of peaches for $1.38lb price matched from Food City at 3lbs. for 99cents = 95cents
6 tubes of  6.4oz  Crest toothpaste at $1.96 each price matched from Food City $1 minus my .75cents coupons = .25cents each
6 Suave deodorants at .97cents each minus my .75coupons = .22cents each
5 packages of magnum ice cream bars (3bar pkg) at $3.68 each price matched from Food city for $2.49 minus my $1.00 coupons = $1.49 each
                  Total out of pocket = $12.72

Ice cream is missing from the picture, had to put it in the freezer, temperature is almost 100.
Heading for the pool!!!!