Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Couponers!

I know posts have been far and few between (due to the holiday season), but beginning in January, expect to see more deals, steals and bargains posted on a weekly basis. 

As we go into the New Year, I hope you'll join me in working even harder to become faithfully frugal. As Christ followers, we are called to be wise with our money - giving our first ten percent to God and then wisely investing the rest. Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) says, "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty." Simple tasks like planning your shopping trips, clipping coupons and waiting for items to go on sale as opposed to making impulse purchases, help you and your family prosper. And God will bless you - that alone is worth the time you set aside!

Becoming faithfully frugal requires discipline, too. Proverbs 13:18 (NIV) says, "He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored." And Proverbs 19:20 (NIV) reminds us to, "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." I don't know about you, but I'd like to considered wise!

Perhaps it goes without saying, but it's important to remember that when couponing interferes with our time with Christ or with our families, it quickly can become an idol. There has to be a middle ground, and finding that perfect balance is tricky.

Sure, money is the root of all evil. But it's not money that's evil - it's the focus on money that's evil. It's the attention you give it. And let's face it - when you coupon, you are lending your eyes, ears and attention to money (the money that you want to save). So be tread carefully. There's a balance. And when you find that place, you can be a blessing to your family and to others through your giving! There are few things more freeing or more rewarding than being able to give of your resources.

So let this be an encouragement to you as you embark into the New Year. Let's make a commitment together to plan out our shopping trips, to coupon diligently and to discipline ourselves financially. By becoming faithfully frugal we can become an incredible blessing to our families, pay down debt faster, put more money into the bank and live in greater freedom. And when we are living in freedom, we become available to what Christ would have us do.

So Merry Christmas! May this season bring you great joy and peace that follows you into the New Year.

Rite Aid Almost-Free Vitamins

Swing by Rite Aid to pick up Centrum Vitamins this weekend. Several are on sale for $9.99 (regularly $11.99) and you get $3 UP+ Rewards for each one you purchase. Want to make the deal even sweeter? If you purchase one Centrum Vitamin (Excludes Centrum Specialist & ProNutrients) AND one Centrum ProNutrients Product, you can submit for a $5.00 rebate online at riteaid.com
You must purchase both products to qualilfy towards rebate.

I purchased a Centrum Vitamins (100 ct) for Women under 50 and a Centrim ProNutrient for my husband's knee. Each were $9.99 and I used a $3/1 Centrum Vitamin coupon and a $5/1 Centrum ProNutrient coupon. I paid $11.98 out of pocket and received two $3 UP+ Rewards ($6), plus a $5 Rebate. When all is said and done it's as if I got $23.98 in vitamins for only $0.98!!

So once the snow stops, go snag a couple for yourself!

shaws tyson chicken

Shaws has Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips on sale this week for only $4.99 (regularly $9.49). They are typically at Market Basket for $6.49, so this is an incredible deal. And believe me when I say that the chicken is so, so good. Eric and I bake the strips and throw them on top of a salad for a quick dinner during the week. 

And what makes this an even better deal is that I had $0.75/1 coupons which doubled to $1.50 making each bag only $3.49! Shaws doubles up to four like coupons, so I grabbed four bags and headed to the register. I'd be shocked to come across a better deal for these chicken strips (so good!)

stop and shop

Tonight it was if the entire store was half off. It wasn't the best savings I've racked up, but that doesn't mean there weren't some fantastic deals out there. Here's the breakdown*:

General Mills Cereal is on sale for $2.50 each. You have to buy four boxes to get that price. I bought four 1lb. boxes (not the little boxes, kids), used a $0.50/1 box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a $1/3 General Mills cereal coupon. Four boxes for $8. (Originally would have cost $15.76 at full price. Boxes ranged from $3.79-$4.19 each.). You could get the boxes for much cheaper. For instance, you can use two $0.50/1 (which double to $1.00) on two boxes of Cheerios and two $0.50/1 on Cinnamon Toast Crunch). The total then would have been only $6.00. But my hubby loves Lucky Charms (and so do I!), so I paid the extra couple bucks to score the ones we wanted most. Also, you may notice that on the front of the boxes, with the purchase of two boxes, you get two free movie tickets! Major score.

Yoplait Yogurt (originally $0.75 each) is on sale for $0.50 each. I bought 10 and used a $1.00/10 coupon. Ten cartons for only $9.00.

*FREEBIE ALERT* The Yoplait yogurt sale also includes Yoplait Simplait yogurt. If you use a $0.30/1 coupon, you get one carton for free, plus $0.10 overage which applies toward the rest of your grocery bill! I only had one coupon, but I hope to find more printables online and go back for this incredible deal.

Hood Fat Free Country Creamer was not on sale, but it was only $1.39. And with a $0.50/1 coupon which doubles to $1.00, I got cream for my morning coffee for only $0.39.

Koffee Kup Hoagie Potato Rolls weren't on sale either. But I needed them for Eric's tuna sandwiches this week. They were only $2.99 with your card, which isn't bad for this brand.

You'll notice I got two packs of Energizer batteries. My Christmas garland requires three D batteries and these were on sale for $3.49 each (originally $5.29). With a $0.50/1 coupon, I got both for $5.98. If you have two $0.50/1 coupons, you can steal an even better deal!

Finish Quantum Tablets were on sale for $3.49 (originally $3.49). I used a $0.75/1 coupon making these only $1.99 after the coupon doubles.

Knorr Gravy mixes were on sale for $1.00 each (originally $1.75). With a $1.00/2 coupon, they are only $0.50 each.

Lime Away is essential for cleaning our shower (thank you, Hudson hard water which stains everything). It is originally $3.39 but was on sale for $2.39. I had a $0.50/1 coupon making this only $1.39 after doubling!

I needed black pepper and had a coupon for $0.50/1 McCormick spice. It was $1.99 at Stop and Shop and after the coupon doubled, it was only $0.99.

Ortega Taco Seasoning was on sale for $0.80 each (originally $0.93 each). I used a $0.50/2 coupon making these $0.30 each or $0.60 for both.

Stop and Shop branded hot cocoa was on sale for $1.39 (orginally $1.50). No, no coupon. Just a shopper craving chocolate!

Nestle Toll House Ultimate Cookies were on sale for $2.50 (originally $2.99). I used a $0.75/1 coupon which doubles to $1.50 making these delicious cookies only $1.00.

Tasti Lee Tomatoes were $2 per pound (originally $2.49/lb.). Just on sale and I'm making salads tonight :)

And lastly, there were coupons in the Stop and Shop flyer. They were valid only if you spent $25 after coupons. The coupons were for a Free Coca-Cola 2 liter, limit 1; A 4lb. bag of navel oranges for $1.69; A carton of Friendly's Ice Cream for $1.69 and a coupon for $1.99 on 80% ground beef. I purchased Friendly's Cookie Dough Ice Cream (originally $3.19, on sale for $2.50, but with coupon only $1.69). I also grabbed a 4lb. bag of oranges, a tray of 80% ground beef (originally $9.34, on sale for $7.00, only $4.66) and FREE Sprite (not pictured)!

Total Retail: $82.18
Total After Coupons: $41.66
Gas Rewards Earned: 42


*All sale prices are effective only with a Stop and Shop card. Click here to enroll now! (It's free!) All deals are valid through Thursday, December 6, 2012.