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Posted by Darlene on February 19, 2012 at 3:09 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
Remember all that FREE Fresh Express I was getting last month? I was picking up Fresh Express in reduced produce at Shaw’s and using a $.55/1 coupon (coupon doubled) to get FREE bags of salad or sometimes for $.15 per bag.
I don’t know how many bags I bought throughout January, but I see by a quick count in my $12 Challenge that I picked up something like 21 bags during the last 2 weeks of the month. And I’m sure I missed some transactions. I bet in all of January I picked up at least 40 bags… and I ate salad every day. Sometimes all day!
I know for sure when the coupon expired on 1/31 that I had 16 bags of salad in my refrigerator. They were all either the tender greens or the red leafy and those last so long! It’s really only iceberg and romain (the wet lettuce) that does not last that long.
What’s my point? I have none, really. Oh… yes I do! It’s that you don’t have to walk away from reduced produce just because you think it will go bad. As you can see, my lettuce is awesome and the exp date on the bags (this was taken from two bags, one red and one green) was 1/29. The only reason the salad is wet in the pic is because I washed it.
My other point is that it’s very possible to stock up on stuff, even stuff like lettuce and not waste it! You just have to be willing to eat what you have in stock. I the only person who ate all the salad I bought, with the exception of my mother eating it maybe a few times. JUST ME! And I never tossed any out. Every single bit was consumed. I know I had 16 bags on Jan 31 and today is Feb 19, so that means I ate 16 bags in 19 days! I enjoy saving money SO MUCH that I’m willing to eat the same thing over and over again (it helps that I’m not fussy) so I don’t have to spend money on other things. Is salad the only thing I ate? Of course not. I have lots of stuff in my stockpile. But I filled up on salad first.
And now I will miss my daily salad feast. Hopefully Fresh Express will come out with another coupon because once I get something for FREE, I never want to pay for it again. I wonder how long I’ll go now before I buy salad again?
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Posted by Darlene on February 9, 2012 at 10:10 am I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
Hannaford put out a new PDF coupon for Hellmann’s mayo. This would come in super handy if it could be stacked with a manny Q, but according to Hannaford’s written coupon policy, they do not allow stacking.
If you’d like Hannaford to allow coupon stacking, read this entire post… you can help!
Hannaford Store Coupon for $1/2 Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, 22 oz – exp 2/29/12
I believe customers have the power to make changes! I just got off the phone with Robin Woodbury, the Consumer Affair Specialist for Hannaford, and she said “we do not allow coupon stacking because it does not fit in with our everyday low price strategy.”
That is the best answer she could give me. That answer was not good enough for me… lol!
I told Robin I’m starting a campaign to get their coupon stacking policy changed and that she could expect some calls. She was very nice and said she would relay any customer concerns about coupon policies to the team of people who make the decisions.
If you want to leave Robin a message, call corporate at 1-800-341-6393 and ask for Robin Woodbury’s voicemail. If you can’t think of anything to say, all you have to say is your first name, which Hannaford you shop at, then say “please allow coupon stacking.” That’s it! If you want to say Deals by Darlene (or Darlene Michaud) sent you, that’s fine too. But, I have a feeling she’ll know I sent you :O)
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Posted by Darlene on February 3, 2012 at 3:56 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
Someone already scooped this up!
I got a free Similac Feeding kit in the mail. It must be something I signed up for, but that I certainly do not need (I’ll admit, I go overboard with requesting free samples).
If you would like this kit, and if you live in or near Sanford, ME, email me and it’s yours! We can arrange a time for you to pick it up, or if you are in town, I’ll be happy to bring it to you.
I only opened the box to take the pics. This is new, just got it. You get the items you see and you also get (4) $5.00 OFF Similac coupons.
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Posted by Darlene on February 3, 2012 at 10:41 am I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
I will be working double duty for the next week because I am one of the guest bloggers who will be posting deals for Chrystie Corns over at I Love to Gossip while she’s on vacation in Hawaii!
In case you don’t know Chrystie yet, she appeared on TLC’s Extreme Couponing. You may have also seen her on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette during family visits with her sister, Ashley Hebert.
If you have not done so yet, please head on over to the I Love to Gossip facebook page and “like” it! Then head on over here to meet the other guest bloggers!
I’m super excited to be a guest blogger for Chrystie. She is by far the main reason I am now a couponer and a blogger. I just hope she can kick back and relax a bit in Hawaii and not think about coupons and blogging… too much. Aloha, Chrystie!
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Posted by Darlene on January 15, 2012 at 9:57 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
These shopping trips are part of my $12 Challenge (see here)
at Shaw’s on 1/15
3 boxes Mueller’s pasta, reg $1.25, sale $.79 each
2 HeluvaGood dips in reduced dairy, reg $2.19, reduced to $1 each
2 Hood cottage cheese, I think reg $1.99 each, reduced to $1 each
2 bags Fresh Express Harvest Peach Kit salad, reg $2.79 or more, reduced to $.99 each
1 packet Kool-Aid in reduced grocery, $.13
Used (3) $.55/1 Mueller’s pasta coupons
Used (2) $.50/1 HeluvaGood dip coupons (NLA)
Used (1) $1/2 Hood cottage cheese coupon
Used (2) $.55/1 Fresh Express coupons (email me)
Total before discounts and coupons was at least $17.82
the register did a funny thing with tax as it sometimes does when using coupons and I ended up with a negative balance of $.11, so they paid me!
After discounts and coupons I paid ZERO and got an $.11 overage
at Hannaford on 1/15, Transaction 1
1 package (.60lb) beef bologna from the deli, $2.09
1 package chicken hearts, $1.47
1 can Hannaford brand dog food, $.65
1 can My Essential cranberry sauce, $.79
Used $2 off Hannaford Deli coupon
Used $1 off Hannaford Meat coupon
Used $1 off any Hannaford purchase coupon
Used $1 off any My Essential purchase coupon
Total before discounts and coupons was $5.00
After discounts and coupons total was ZERO
I paid just $.04 tax
I also got a $1 off produce catalina coupon
at Hannaford on 1/15, Transaction 2
2 small cans Hannaford brand dog food, $.50 each, total $1.00
Used $1 off any Hannaford purchase coupon
Total before discounts and coupons was $1.00
After discounts and coupons total was ZERO
I paid just $.05 tax
I also got a $1 off produce catalina coupon
My total for the two transactions at Hannaford was just $.09 tax
I found a dime in the parking lot so I ended up with a penny overage :O)
I’ve decided when I find coins in the parking lot while shopping for this challenge, I’m putting them in the pot in honor of my father (see why here)
Tonight I bought a total of $23.82 worth of stuff before taxes
My total OOP was ZERO with a total overage of $.12
Here’s where I stand with my $12 Challenge after tonight’s transactions:
Total purchases so far before tax is $162.11
Total OOP so far including tax is $3.98
I still have $8.02 cash plus $3.00 ExtraBucks for CVS, so I have $11.02 total left to spend!
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Posted by Darlene on January 14, 2012 at 10:01 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
My father could not walk past a coin on the ground without stopping to pick it up. He would go out of his way… way out of his way… to check if that shiny thing he spotted might be a dime or a nickel or even a penny.
After he died, I started picking up coins because I know my father is sending them to me. My son also picks up coins in honor of his pepere. And when I’m out with my granddaughter and we find a coin on the ground, I tell her it’s from her grand pepere.
Sometimes I test my father to see if he’s listening. Tonight when I walked through the store parking lot, I spotted a penny. I picked it up and jokingly told my dad I wanted to pay for my groceries with that penny. I usually keep all the coins I find in a jar, but I was willing to part with that one, if that’s what my father intended.
As I shopped, I added up my purchase like I always do:
(4) boxes Mueller’s, FREE with coupon plus a $1.24 overage
(1) squash from reduced produce, 78¢
(2) packages Johnsonville sausage, $3.99, each with $2 off peelie, and I had (2) $1 off coupons, total 99¢ each
My total so far was $1.52. I needed to spend over $2 because I had a $2 catalina coupon I wanted to use. So, I grabbed…
(1) bag of onions, $1.49
I hated to buy the onions because they were not reduced and I did not have a coupon for them. But, my mother has been asking for onions and the bag brought my total to $3.01. I liked that number. After my $2 catalina, I would pay $1.01. I could hand over a dollar bill and also use my penny. It was not a penny transaction, but it was a good enough sign for me.
As I watched the screen while the cashier rang up my items, I noticed the sausage rang up at $3.99 but then it took 50¢ off. The same thing happened to the other package. Another 50¢ off. Two discounts I was not expecting. I was bummed that my total would be messed up. I was so flustered that I could not do the math. I could not see that I had just gotten an extra dollar off.
After my coupons, my new total was $2.01, not $3.01. I handed over my $2.00 catalina then heard the cashier say these awesome words…
Your total is one penny.
I love and miss you dad!
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Posted by Darlene on January 4, 2012 at 2:16 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
Join me at TOPS in Sanford tonight and get your weight loss resolution off to a great start! I would love to meet the local couponers who follow my blog at a TOPS meeting. You will be surrounded by new friends who are all in the same weight loss boat… then maybe we can hit Shaw’s after the meeting for some reduced produce! LOL! I hope to see you there!
Read on to see if TOPS is right for you (it is… it’s right for everyone :O)
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is a non-profit weight loss support group open to women, men and children (ages 7 and up). Join TOPS ME 113 in Sanford this Wednesday and start your journey to healthy weight loss through weight loss education and support from your TOPS family.
TOPS meetings are fun and inspirational! There is no set weight loss program to follow at TOPS. Instead, TOPS encourages you to follow a healthy lifestyle and to develop a food plan that works for you. Weekly weigh-ins will help keep you on track and membership is affordable (it’s more than affordable… it’s CHEAP!).
Stop in and see what TOPS meetings are all about! You can attend your first TOPS meeting for FREE then decide if you want to join. And bring a friend along! The more support the better!
You can attend a meeting this Wednesday, January 4 (or any Wednesday)
Sanford Fish and Game Club
Route 4, Sanford, ME
Weigh In: 5:00pm to 5:45pm
Meeting: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
New members are encouraged to arrive at 5:00pm for their first visit.
Registration fee is ONLY $28 per YEAR which includes your TOPS magazine!
Dues for chapter 113 are only $2.00 per week! There is also a once a year $4 chapter gift fee that you pay with your annual dues.
Official TOPS website
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Posted by Darlene on January 1, 2012 at 9:59 am I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure. Image by Billy Frank Alexander
Happy New Year to all my facebook fans and blog followers! I am looking forward to my first full year of bringing you awesome coupons and fantastic deals! Thank you for getting me off to a great start in 2011. I appreciate all your support. I hope we all save tons of money in 2012!
Darlene
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Posted by Darlene on December 30, 2011 at 5:25 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure.
This is a pic of just the coupons I printed for the end of the month. This is in addition to all the coupons I printed at the beginning of the month and throughout the month (those fill a shoe box). I didn’t have a ruler handy, but that is a big box of tissues behind the coupons. The stack of coupons is taller!
Phew! I’m done! Now, let the filing begin!
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Posted by Darlene on December 30, 2011 at 2:25 pm I use affiliate links in some of my posts. I may earn a commission if you use my links. Full disclosure. Reduced Refrigerated Produce at Shaw's in Sanford, ME
I have been shopping in the Sanford Shaw’s reduced sections for several months now. I often post about my finds and even take photos to share with my readers so they can run to Shaw’s if they see anything they like.
I love, love, LOVE that Shaw’s offers reduced food AND that they let us use manufacturer coupons on the reduced items (and the coupons still double!!!). By shopping for reduced food, I have saved mega bucks! I get free eggs, free milk, free cheese, free hummus, free lettuce… let’s just say I get lots of free and super cheap stuff by shopping reduced. But, shopping the reduced sections is not always a perfect experience. I know this first hand.
My Very Rotten Potato
Last October, I picked up a 10 pound bag of potatoes in reduced produce for $2 (you can see that shopping trip here). The potatoes were in the original paper bag, so I could not check the quality. When I opened the bag, one potato was sooooo rotten… that… that… that… it had maggots all over it. Yes, it did. Lots of them. For some odd reason, the potato did not stink. But man, was it rotten.
I took the entire bag to Shaw’s and showed customer service the little critters. The store manager was not there, but when I spoke to him the next day, I explained what happened and I suggested that next time they have potatoes in the paper bags that they open the bags and sell the potatoes in clear plastic so we can see what we are getting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen potatoes in a paper bag since.
And if you think I’m nuts for still shopping reduced after the maggot episode, I totally understand that stuff like that happens. I don’t hold it against Shaw’s. There were absolutely wonderful in the way they handled my buggy ordeal.
My Reader’s Rotten Coconut
A reader on my Deals by Darlene facebook page shared her recent reduced coconut purchase. I had posted that Shaw’s had reduced coconuts for only 25¢. My coconut was perfect (you can see it here). My reader’s coconut was not. Hers was rotten and moldy.
I suggested to my reader that she let Shaw’s know about the coconut because it will help everyone in the long run. The more Shaw’s knows about the quality (or lack of quality) of their reduced items, the more the reduced sections will improve! I have seen a big improvement in the quality of reduced items over the past few months. That’s probably because they actually listen to my suggestions!
Ways YOU can Help Shaw’s Improve Their Reduced Sections
1. Make suggestions! I will suggest to Shaw’s (without mentioning any names) that next time they sell reduced coconuts, maybe they can crack the coconuts open, put them on the little green tray, wrap them in plastic wrap then toss them in the refrigerated section of reduced produce instead of on the non refrigerated carts. Then we can see what we are getting and they won’t be putting out bad fruit!
2. Point out the bad stuff! Whenever I see something in reduced that has gone too far, I point it out to whoever is in charge. I do it nicely. They want to know. They really do. Sometimes they say people buy the overly ripe stuff to feed to their animals. When they say that (and they say it often), I always insist suggest if it’s meant for animals, they need to knock the price down to next to nothing. And now I’m thinking maybe they should start a separate section for overly ripe food for wild stock… if that’s their true intent. Hey, that sounds like a good suggestion!
3. Discuss price with the managers! For weeks, I was buying potatoes for 29¢ per pound or less in reduced. Then the price suddenly jumped to 59¢ per pound or more and it stayed there for two weeks! On three different occasions I spoke to three different managers and whole-heartedly express my sadness about the price increase. I was spoiled rotten (no pun intended) and wanted my cheap potatoes to be dirt cheap (pun intended). I guess the 3rd time was the charm, because next time I shopped the potatoes were back down to 29¢ with only minor increases in price now and then.
4. Tell them what you want to see in reduced sections! I have heard through various followers that the Shaw’s in Sanford has just about the best reduced sections around! If you want your store to offer more reduced items, tell them! Tell them Deals by Darlene wants YOU to get great deals too! And when I post photos of the goodies I find in reduced, print them and show your store manager! Seriously. You should do that :O)
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