Shopping Trip 1 for the week of Sept 16-23 with Coupon Matchups

You may have noticed there was no coupon match ups last week.

Remember how I had spent too much and last week was going to even out the budget?  Well, we went to dinner and bought cat food and more restaurants.  Unless I can find tiny bags of cat food to use my coupons with the mega bag $$$ seems to be the best deal still.  There was no room in the budget for groceries, couponing or deals.  To top it all off: we ended up $10 over budget again.

We don't have a newspaper subscription, but this week we started to get flyers from Flyer Source.  It's a company that delivers flyers if you don't have a subscription.  This lead the way to my first price matching at Walmart!  We shopped the stores in one area and price matched for the out of the way stores!

The housework may be slacking this week, but the budget can't anymore.  I checked the coupon match ups, flipped through the flyers and came up with a game plan for the week.

1. We were invited to dinner at the in-laws Friday night, so we decided to skip rather than postpone restaurant night.
2. We would like to start building a buffer for the next Shoppers 20x event.
3. We would like to save up for new dry food storage bins for cat food, etc.

Some of my deals didn't work out the way I wanted.  I couldn't find products with peelie coupons for the life of me.  So, we decided to skip them instead of substituting.  I also had a coupon for a new flavour of Nature Valley bars, but we couldn't find them in stores.

So here, instead of my coupon matchups, is what we actually bought, how much we actually paid and which coupons I used.

Stop 1: Shoppers Drug Mart

1. 2x Kashi Go Lean cereal.  Reg $6.49.  Flyer price $3.99.  Scanned at $2.99.  I let the cashier know I had been undercharged and he was ok with it.  Coupon $1.00 off.  OOP $3.98.  Savings 70%.

Stop 2: Rexall Pharma Plus

1. 2x Coke 12 pack.  Reg $5.79. Sale 2 for $7.99.  Buy one get one free coupon.  OOP $5.04.  I think the coupon was entered as a $3.99 off instead of a free product so we were charged HST on both, but I didn't argue.  Savings 61%.

Stop 3: Walmart

1. 2x Dawn dish soap.  Reg. $1.99.  Sale $1.37.  Coupon $1 WUB 2.
2. 12x Clover Leaf flavoured tuna.  Reg. $1.19.  Sale $0.87.  Coupon $1 WUB 3.
3. 5x Primo Pasta Sauce.  Reg. $1.00.  Price Match $0.88.
4. 1x Chef Boyardee.  Reg. $1.59.  Price Match $0.99.  Coupon $0.30 off.
5. 1x Puffs 4 pack double boxes.  Regular price we didn't note down but we're guessing it's about $10.  Sale $4.98.  Coupon $1 off.
6. OOP $18.25
7. Savings 50%.

Stop 4: Farm Boy

1. 1x Bag of oranges $2.99
2. 2x bunch of broccoli $0.88 each.
3. 1x can of beans $1.29.
4. 1x Activia Yogurt $2.99.
5. 2x Organic Bartlett pears $1.26 for both
6. 1x Sesame bagels $2.79
7. 200g Montreal Smoked Meat $3.40
8. 1x duck leg $5.25
9. Bulk baby carrots $1.08
10. White bread $1.50
11. Trout fillet $6.90
12. 4L Natrel Organic Milk $7.99.  Coupon $1.00 off.
13. Total sales savings $5.79.  Total coupons $1.00.
14. OOP $38.02
15. Savings 15%.

Total Shopping Trip Figures

1. Retail value $107.53
2. Total savings from sales, price matches, coupons $42.24
3. OOP $65.29
4. Total savings 39%
5. Weekly budget remaining $25

Anyways, that's how I shop.  DH came with me and door to door it took about an hour and a half.  Only about $12 of the savings was from coupons and the majority of the savings were from sale prices.

39% doesn't seem very impressive compared to some of the trips we've done.  But, this wasn't an extreme couponing stock up on certain items trip.  It was just a regular weekly grocery trip.  

For us the out of pocket amount was what counted most.  We've been going over budget and this week, therefore, we had less to spend.  Not only did we pick up the fresh food we'll need for the week, buy some premium items we may not usually purchase and stock up on some products we regularly use, but we still have $25 to spend this week.  Seeing as we have everything we need, I'm hoping we stay out of the stores for the rest of the week and carry the surplus forward.  We'll see.

Coupon Train is In!

Yesterday I received my first ever coupon train envelope in the mail.  I was so excited!  To recap, I gave away coupons that I didn't want or couldn't use and got back:

1x $1.00 WUB 3 Clover Leaf Flavoured Tuna
1x $1.00 off Babybel Light
1x $1.00 off Nature Valley Value Size
1x $0.30 off and Chef Boyardee product
1x $0.75 off Ritz Munchables
2x $1.00 off Kashi cereal
8x $2.00 off Iams dry cat food
3x $2.00 WUB 2 Ziplock
1x $0.75 off Crest Pro-Health
1x $3.00 WUB 2 Old Spice products (my most used coupon so far)
1x $1.00 off any Old Spice product
7x $1.00 Axe body wash
7x $1.00 off Royale 6-pack facial tissues
1x $0.50 off Puffs
1x $1.00 off Puffs (exc. single pack)
2x $1.00 off any Charmin product
2x $2.00 off Glad Outdoor Garbage bags
1x $1.00 WUB 2 Dawn products
1x $2.00 off Finish Quantum
1x $1 off Finish
1x $1.00 off Finish Jet-Dry
1x Ensure $3.00 cheque
1x Ensure $2.00 cheque

$63.00 of coupons on products I actually buy!

Plus, I got the postage for my return trip back because I was the first envelope the conductor received.

Deals are Breaking the Budget

As I've said before, DH and I have a weekly consumables budget of $100.  This consists of food, restaurants, health and beauty, pet supplies and home supplies like lightbulbs.  If I have a surplus, it gets carried forward to the next week.  Usually when the money's gone we stop spending.  Sometimes we do carry forward a deficit if we're in the mood to spoil ourselves.  This is usually followed by a pantry eating week to get back to positive.

We came into this week with an extra $15!  Our budget week starts on Friday, which just happens to be date night.  We decided to go to a chicken place with some friends for our Friday dinner out: $25.  Pretty good considering it wasn't fast food.  Then we got fast food for dessert.  DH has the coupon for this one, but he left it at home.  Let's call it $8.  So after restaurants, that leaves us with $82.  Surely this should be enough for groceries.

Knowing there were some deals I'd like this week, my groceries came to $35. It wasn't a full week of food, but I got enough proteins, starches, some fruit and a some snack. Our pantry will be able to fill in the holes and get us to next week.

Everything was going swimmingly.  Total spent so far of $68 leaving $32 in the budget for deals.  Here's where the wrench gets trhown into the mix.

I spent $7 at Loblaws on toilet paper deororant and body wash.  It was a great deal, so I rushed to pick these up.  Then I rushed back to spend an extra $4 on toilet paper and paper towel.  I really thought it was such a great deal!

This week there was also a Shoppers 20x the points day.  I hadn't planned on participating in one of these days before and I hadn't put a buffer in the budget for it.  Still, I wanted to try it out to see if I could actually save money.  I was moderately happy with my savings from the day; you may remember my post about my trip.  Even though the savings were good, I spent $56 out of pocket.  $15 will come back to me through a mail-in rebate, so $40 comes out of the budget.  I added to the stockpile, but $40 is a big chunk out of our budget!

Then I bought milk the next day $6.00 because we were out and discovered emergency frozen milk takes three days to thaw!

That makes a total of $57 on deals and poor planning.  So I started $15 ahead and ended $10 behind. Wow.  To top it off, I'm hoping to get in my coupon trains this week so I can pick up the deals I've yet to get!  Some body please stop me! 

I'm glad that we have a budget to limit what I can buy.  If not, I could fool myself into thinking I'm getting ahead by saving money even though I could be racking up debt.

Now that I've committed to trying out the Optimum points again to see if I can make it work I'll try to build up a buffer for these bonus days.   You can bet next week I won't be going over the $90 and may even have a surplus.  Sometimes a deal may not be the right deal for you.  I picked up a few of those this week.

What Is the Shoppers Optimum Points Program?

So I generally think things at Shoppers Drug Mart are over priced.  I used to use the program on the 20x the points days but I gave that up when I started using flyers to track the deals.  Now that I'm also using coupons, I've decided to give it another shot.  Here are the basics of the program.

What is it?
The Shoppers Optimum Points program is a loyalty program offered by Shoppers Drug Mart free to customers.  Points are earned on each purchase and can be redeemed once set levels are reached to pay for a portion or all of your purchases.

How Many Points do you Earn?
You earn 10 points for each dollar (rounded down) spent.  Shoppers Drug Mart has special days when you can earn 20 times the points or 200 points per dollar spent if you spend $50.  Sometimes it also offers 10x the points on fragrances and beauty or other specific items. 

What are Bonus Points
Product with bonus points will give you extra bonus Shoppers Optimum Points when you buy them.

What are they Worth?
8,000 points = $10
22,000 points = $30
38,000 = $60
50,000 = $85
95,000 = $170
Shoppers also has special days when you can redeem at the higher levels for even more money off your purchase!

If I Redeem More than the Price of my Purchase Do I Get the Excess Back?
Nope, you would lose any extras in this case.  You could choose to redeem at a lower level in this case.

Shoppers Drug Mart Sep 3, 2011 20x Optimum Points Purchase

I haven't done a 20x the points event at Shoppers Drug Mart for a while.  To me, everything in the store is about 30% over priced, so the program cancels itself out.  Well, this was the first 20x the points day since I started this blog so I figured I'd give it a shot.  I did quite a bit of planning only to get a little flustered at the store and not follow through completely. 

At the cash the cashier, manager and other cashier were adamant that I needed $50 after coupons to get the points.  I got home and calculated my receipt and only the free product coupon affected the points balance.  So now I know that even if my out of pocket is $1, if the total before tax and coupons i'll $50 I'll get the points.

Some of my deals did not pan out as well as I'd hoped. 

1. I expected to get a free toothbrush.  The cost was $5.49 but the free product coupon only went up to $4.99 so I had to pay the difference. 
2. My mail in rebate will only cover up to $14.99 on the purchase of a Lysol No-Touch Hand Soap System and it was priced at $15.99 so I have to pay a little extra there.  
3. The selection of Febreeze sprays didn't have the type I was looking for (the odor eliminator one). 
4. Lastly, I forgot to buy peanut butter.  Thankfully I have a raincheck at Zellers for a cheaper price anyway.

Overall DH was impressed with my haul.  Here's a (dark, it's going to rain today) picture of my purchase:

5x Cheerios 1.99*5=$9.95

2x Lays Chips (we're having people over today) $1.99*2=$3.98
1x SDM Men's Pack $8.99
1x Lysol No-Touch Hand Soap System $15.99-MIR only up to $14.99=1.00
1x Honey Bunches of Oats $2.49 - $1.00 = $1.50
3x Crest Vivid White Toothpaste $1.77*3=$5.31 + 1000 Bonus Points
1x Oral B Vivid White Toothbrush $5.49 - $4.99 =$0.49 free WUB 2 Crest Vivid White toothpastes
3x Febreeze Air Effects $2.99 - $4WUB3 = $4.97
Subtotal after coupons $51.28
Total $56.97
"You have saved $35.66" ($10 of coupons, so regular cost of $82.63)
- MIR 14.99*1.13=16.94
- 12200 Points earned worth $15.25 at lowest level rate
Net OOP = $24.78
Savings of $70%

So overally I saved more than the 30% I think they're overpriced, so I should be happy.  I think next time knowing for sure that coupons do not affect the $50 total and I've got more coupons on hand I'll be able to get a better deal.

So, today wasn't the perfect day for me, but I am kinda excited for the next 20x the points event now. 

My First Brag! Loblaws Cottonelle, Old Spice and Zest at 85% off!

Today I'm going to post my first picture, my first brag, and my first Loblaws praise.

For weeks I've been trying to snag the Cottonelle deal at Shoppers at $4.99.  I've got rain checks and visited stores for about 3 weeks now.  Each time, there was no stock.  I walked into the Loblaws today and there was a wall of Cottonelle!  Each of the three "ultra" types were out on display.  I saw similar displays throughout the store.  Finally!

I decided to check out at the self check out lanes.  All 6 were up and running, so if there was a problem, they could go to another lane.  I've heard if you use coupons over $10 that they have to involve customer service and it can get dicey. 

I approached the man on duty and informed him I had more than $10 in coupons.  He looked a little confused at my confession and just told me to bring him my coupons.  So I scanned my items and entered my coupon amounts.  The computer slowed down a bit after my first few, so I suspect the guy on duty was approving them when they popped up on his screen or something of the sort.  When I was finished, I brought my coupons over to the guy and he got to work matching them up.  I went back to my station, packed away my coupon folder and my transaction was ready for payment.  So smooth!

If I had more coupons I may choose to use a regular lane because he has 5 other lanes to take care of, but for this size transaction I would do everything the same.

Anyways, here's what I bought:

1. 4x Old Spice 92g Sticks (I had only been able to buy the smaller size when they were on sale at the Rexall). 
• Regular $3.49 (flyer says save at least $1.50, so I'll take the low estimate here)
• Sale price of $1.99
• $3 WUB 2 coupon
• $0.49 each!
• Savings of 86%
2. 1x 532ml bottle of Zest body wash
• Reg. $4.99 (flyer says save at least $2, so I'll take the low estimate here)
• Sale price of $2.99
• $2 off coupon
• $0.99 each
• Savings of 80%
3. 2x Cottonelle Clean Care 12 pack double roll
• Reg. $12.99
• Sale price of $3.99
• $3 off coupon
• $0.99 each
• Savings of 92%

Total regular cost of the items plus taxes: $50.77
Total out of pocket for the trip: $7.45
Total savings: 85%

That savings looks awesome!  It's a bit deceiving for me because I would never pay $13 for a pack of toilet paper that size, or full price for deodorant or body wash, even if I wasn't couponing.  But if someone never watched the sales and just bought things when they needed them, they would be paying the full price for these items.

Well done me!  Brag!

Coupon Matchup for the week of Sep 2 - 8

There's a bit of fun this week in the flyers with this Saturday being a 20x the Shopper's Optimum Points Day.  I'll probably do a post on this later.  For now, here are the matchups I think are a great deal:

Cottonelle 12 double pack: Loblaws $3.99 - $3.00 (cottonelle.ca) = $0.99 (Fri - Sun only)
Old Spice Deodorant: Loblaws $1.99 - $3WUB2 (insert) = $0.49
Zest Body Wash: Loblaws $2.99 - $2 (insert) = $0.99
Royale 6PK Facial Tissues: $3.97 - $1.00 (gocoupons.ca) = $2.97
Febreeze Air Effects: Shoppers Drug Mart or Super Store $2.99 - $4WUB3 = $1.66

Look at the Freebies I got in the Mail Today!

Today was an awesome mail day!

1.  DH got his coupon for a free birthdya beverage from Starbucks.  He'll be excited when he gets home.

2.  I got my coupon for a free carton of lactose free cream from Natrel. 

3.  I got my coupon for a free bag of Ruffles Spicy Ketchup chips from Mac's!

I also got a few more coupons I ordered from the online site.

While the mailman came, I was across the street helping a neighbour use his computer.  He gave me a box of chocolates (he says they give him acne) and let me look through his recycling bin (strange request I know.  It was garbage day and he still had his bin by the house).  I managed to find the McDonald's coupon booklet, a Harvey's coupon page, the KFC coupon pamplet and a Nando's coupon page (Afro-Portuguese).  They get a paper without inserts, so no luck there, but not a bad visit I'd say!

Chapman's Ice Cream $5 Off Coupon

So a couple weeks ago I got up the courage to email Chapman's to see if they had any coupons available.  I never heard back from them, so I forgot about it.

Today with my mail, along with the coupons I ordered from Save.Ca and WebSaver.CA was a $5 coupon for Chapman's ice cream!

I'm super excited, my first call in coupon!

We bought afew carton's of ice cream last week from Food Basics when it was on for $1.88, but we can always use more ice cream!

Article: The Good Life: Can couponing really help you save on food? $64.61...

Here's a great article giving an honest look at what coupons are out there for food and how much you can actually save on food with coupons in Canada.

The Good Life: Can couponing really help you save on food? $64.61...: Especially when I was new at couponing, it seemed like there were few coupons out there for food, and most of the ones that were available w...

McDonald's Coupon Book up to $43 in Savings

This morning I got the McDonald's coupon book with my regular mail.  I do try to eat healthy (I made the resolution this morning to crack down after a weekend at the parent's), but I'm a sucker for McDonald's and with the 2 can dine for $9.48 we usually do go.  Here's what's in the booklet this time:

2 can dine $9.48
B1G1 Burgers
2 can dine $5.98 breakfast
B1G1 breakfast sandwiches
Make it a meal free
4.99 meal deal
$1 off McCafe Latte or Mocha

Free Scott's Paper Towels at Shopper Drug Mart

So I went to buy the Bounty paper towels from Shoppers Drug Mart which I determined was the better deal.  When I got there I loaded up my cart then took a look at the shelf to see how good of a deal I was getting.  We need paper towels, so it may not have been the greatest deal of all time, but I wanted to ensure I was getting the greatest deal of the day.

A quick scan then I turned to leave the aisle.  Then a pause and a quick calculation.  Then a "really?" said out loud to everyone I was with.

Scotts 2-pack of paper towels were priced at $2.99.  I had a $2.00 off printable coupon to make them $0.99.  They also had 1000 Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points (value of about $1.25).  So these were free! 

This deal wasn't in the Shoppers flyer but was listed on their website.  So the lesson this week isn't really about quantity sizes at all.  It's about knowing your prices and knowing your deal sources.  I'm happy with the deals I'll be getting this week but I know there are many I would like that I'm probably missing.  As my deal finding process streamlines I'll be able to find more deals in the same amount of time.  For now, I don't think spending all day looking for deals will make me a better housewife, so I'll let a few deals go.  Glad I found this one when I did though!

Which Size is the Better Deal?

I am pretty new to couponing.  Before, I tracked flyer prices to stock up at rock bottom prices.  This worked great for us, but I knew I could do even better with coupons.

Before coupons I would look for the biggest sizes in the store because those usually had the lowest price per unit and therefore the greatest savings per unit for my family.

It was a shock to my system when I started couponing because the thought process is completely different.  Couponers look for the smallest size with the lowest price because then the coupon will take off a higher percentage of the cost and will likely result in a lower after coupon unit cost.

Suppose a store carries two sizes of toilet paper: single packs and 12-packs.  The single pack retails for $1.00 ($1.00/unit) and the 12 pack retails for $7.99 ($0.50/unit). 

Without coupons if you had the space and you had the cash, it would make sense to purchase the 12-pack.  If you go through one roll a week, It's like buying a single pack a week for 12 weeks at 50% off! 

If you had a $1 off coupon, however, things would change.  After coupon, the single pack would be free ($0.00/unit) and the 12 pack would be $6.99 ($0.58/unit).  The coupon has cut the per unit cost of the 12-pack by 42%.  However, the coupon was able to lower the unit cost on the single pack 100%!  It's now free!  Go get 12 coupons and buy 12 single packs!

Now for a real world example. 

This week when I was doing the coupon matchups I noticed something interesting.  Bounty paper towels are on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart at $4.99 for a 6-pack and at Rexall Pharma Plus at 2/$5 for a 2-pack.  I have a $1 off coupon and a $2.50 off when you buy 2 coupon.  Which is the better buy?

Here's some math:

Shoppers Drug Mart 6-Pack $4.99
$1 off coupon ~ $3.99/6 rolls = $0.67/roll
$2.50 off when you buy 2 ~ $7.48/12 rolls=$0.62/roll

Rexall Pharma Plus 2-Pack 2/$5
$1 off coupon ~ $1.50/2 rolls = $0.75/roll
$2.50 off when you buy 2 ~ $2.50/4 rolls = $0.62

In both cases it was better to use the $2.50 when you buy two than the $1.00 off.  This makes sense: $2.50 divided by 2 units is $1.25 off per unit versus $1 off per unit.

If the golden rule of couponing were to hold, the 2-pack should have a lower after coupon unit cost than the 12 pack.  The surprising thing here is that combining sale prices with coupons has pushed both options to be just $0.62 per roll!  There is no difference in per unit cost between the two sizes.

Looks like there isn't always a hard an fast rule you can use.

Although both have the same unit cost, I will be buying the larger size.  Why?  I like my coupons to give me the most bang for my buck.  With the 6-pack, one coupon would give me 12 discounted rolls.  With the 2-packs, each coupon would only discount 4.

Coupon Matchup for the Week of Aug 26-Sep1

OK, here it goes, the flyer/coupon matchups I'm excited about this week:
No Frills - Ziplock 40's $1-$1=FREE
Superstore - Old Spice $1.99-$3 WUB 2=$0.49
Shoppers - Cottonelle 12 $4.99-$3=$1.99
Metro - Scrubbing Bubbles $7.49-$5.00=$2.49
Walmart - Finish $4-$1=$3
Giant Tiger - Glad sandwich bags $1.97-$1.00 = $0.97
Canadian Tire - Sunlight Dish Soap $0.88-$0.25=$0.63
Loblaws - Lever 200 4pk 2/$3-$1=$0.50
Loblaws - Colgate Total $1.59-$1=$0.59
Superstore - Heinz beans $0.69-$2WUB5=$0.29
Stouffer's Bistro Meals $0.50 after $1.50 coupon at Loblaws, Shoppers, No Frills, Independent
Bounty paper towels Shoppers 6-pk $4.99, Rexall 2-pk 2/$5

My Coupon Binder

I went out to lunch with some of the girls I used to work with and with whom I've remained friends. I complimented a girl on her large purse saying she could fit a coupon binder in there and sadly joked I can only fit a folder in mine. There was a pause, then everyone wanted to see my coupon folder! It hadn't occured to me there would be much interest, but I whipped it out any way.

My coupon folder is a plastic accordian folder I bought at the Dollar Store a few years ago. Every once in a while I reorganize the folder to make couons easier to find on the fly. Right now I have each section grouped by type and sorted alphabetically by brand. My categories are other, entertainment, restaurants, food, cleaning, and health & beauty. Each month or so I go through the coupons to take out those that have expired that I haven't caught yet.

It seems to be working for me. I took DH on a scouting mission to the Dollarama nearby because they now take coupons (yay!). He was worried that it would take forever, but we just scanned the aisles for name brands and when I found one I knew I had a coupon for, I was able to find it easy. He said he was surprised we were so quick because usually I get lost in there and I hadn't gone in with any real plan.

A lot of couponers seem to have a zippered coupon binder. I see the appeal, but I'm not quite at the volume of coupons where I would need that yet. Everything fits in the folder nicely and the folder fits nicely into my normal size purse. This means I can take the coupons with me wherever I go, not just when I'm planning a big haul.

To get started couponing, I would even suggest just throwing loose coupons into your purse. As you get more, you can pick out an organization system that will work for your lifestyle and level of couponing.

Starbucks and Dairy Queen Birthday Deals?

So we're celebrating a birthday today. DH has been excited for months about his birthday rewards. I'm excited he's excited about deals. Here's the deals he's excited about:

Starbucks: when you register your Starbucks giftcard you get a free coffee on your birthday. He got turned away at his first store. Aparently they don't do this (or any other) deal. The next store politely explained that Starbucks will mail him a coupon on his birthday. So, he won't end up getting the free coffee on his birthday. Let's call this one a belated birthday deal.

Dairy Queen: when you sign up for the Blizzard Fan Club you get emailed a buy one Blizzard get one free coupon to use on, or up to two weeks after, your birthday. The only issue I have with this one is he usually gets a medium but upsizes to Large when it's his birthday whereas I only usually get a mini. So, we get my $1.99 mini free and we spend an extra buck on his. For us it doesn't turn into that big of a deal. But, he likes going for his birthday, so I'm more than happy to go.

I was excited to try out a eat free on your birthday restaurant tonight, but he chose to get poutine. No arguments from me, both our meals came to $13, way better than we can get at a restaurant even with the free meal.

Happy Birthday DH!

Surprise Deal at Food Basics - Natrel Milk, Nestle Ice Cream, Bistro Entrees

I went to Food Basics yesterday for their $3.88 Natrel milk. I had a $1 off coupon from my milk bag the week before and was excited to get 4L of milk for $2.88 and get another coupon. Unfortunately the coupons are only on the 2% milk and they only had 2 bags of skim left (it was a very good sale). Still milk for $2.88 is awesome, and because skim milk freezes well, there's no harm looking for another 2% bag later this week.

Anyway, we used the opportunity to add some general items to the stock pile. Excited about our new freezer, wanted to pick up some of the sale ice cream $1.99! We got 4 cartons, but again, I wouldn't mind more... This time just for flavour's sake.

On the way back to the cash was the surprise deal. Select Stouffer's Bistro Entrees were on sale for $1.99! I had picked up a few $1.50 off coupons at the Beer Store when we did our last empties run, so the frozen meals were only $0.49! The boxes also had Stouffer's points, so I will probably register for that to get the deals there too. I was very happy on the way home!

Mail in Rebates: Please send me money!

Today I mailed off two mail in rebates. One was from the Smart Source flyer reimbursing me for buying the new Finish Quantum dish tabs. The other was for a $5 gas gift card off my box of Frosted Flakes. I think both of these were great deals.

It usually takes a few weeks for the checks to roll in and often I forget that I have cash coming to me. I think some companies take advantage of this and don't send out the rebates.

With the companies I mailed today, I'm confident that I will get my cash back and am on the look out for more great mail in deals.

Coupon Matchup for the week of Aug 19-26

Here are the matchups I'm excited about this week:

Food Basics:
Natrel 4L milk $3.88 - $1 (Natrel bag) = $2.88 plus all the free coupons on the bag!

Metro
Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer $7.49 - $5 (Smart Source) = $2.49
Glad Kitchen Catchers $5.99 - $1 (Honeycomb box) = $4.99

Rexall Pharma Plus:
Finish $3.99 - $1 (Smart Source) = $2.99
Finish 20 ct MIR up to 7.99 (Smart Source)

Walmart:
Ziplock Sandwich bags $2.50 - $2 WUB 2 (smart source)= $1.50
PLUS
B2 Ziplock products & save $3 on Club House La Grille 30 Minute Marinades (printable)

Shelf Coupons August 18 at Rexall

So I was at the Rexall this morning to weigh and mail my coupon train submission. I took a few minutes to walk the aisles and to see which coupons were currently out. I can see myself using a couple, but some I just collected hoping they'd be on someone's train wishlist in the future. Here's what I found today:

$1 off Pantene
$1 off Tresemme styling products
$1 WUB 2 Fixodent
$1 Lever 2000 Citrus Fresh 4 or 8 pack
$2.50 Tinactin