Savings with Style!

Start Saving with Style with Southern Coupon Belle! I'm now COUPONING IN CoMo!
What happens when a Coupon Expert in one region of the USA moves to another area of the country? I have started over learning new stores, coupon policies and building a reasonable stock pile and savings routine from scratch since October 1, 2011. I was an expert in Atlanta and the South but now happily reside in Columbia, Missouri!

I've searched other blogs and sites but I can't find someone else in my shoes so hopefully reading how I started over can help you! Whether you are a seasoned couponer in a new area OR a beginner- I know I can help walk you through what to do and help you start saving big! Starting over has made me realize how newbies to coupons feel and made me walk a grocery store aisle or two in a beginner's shoes again! Email me at southerncouponbelle@gmail.com and let me know how I can help! Thanks for reading and taking this journey with me!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Great Prevacid 24HR Coupons

Check the back of your Parade Magazine for coupons for 24 Hour Prevacid. One coupon is for $6 off 14-28 count and the other is $10 off 42 count. Coupons expire 3/27/10.
Click here or go to Freebies from Southern Coupon Belle to get the Monday code for a free movie rental from Redbox.

Deal on Purex 3 in 1 Sheets at Walgreens this week!

The deal on Purex this week is buy 2 for $9.00 and get a $1 Register Reward.
In the 2/21/10 Red Plum, there is a BOGOF coupon. Buy 2 and get both for $3.50 after coupon and Register Reward. Great price!!

There is a limit of 1 coupon printed per offer. However, there isn't a loyalty card so how would they track if you did this deal a couple of times over the week? And don't try to use the Purex RR you get on another Purex shop or you won't get another RR. And when you use the RR and other coupons, remember that the RR is treated like a coupon so you must have the same number of items as you have coupons. A filler, like a pencil or piece of candy, may be needed to get the numbers of items equal to the number of coupons.

I use the Purex liquid for everyday but like the idea of having these around for trips and vacations so I'm packing as little as possible.

If you need help with the deal- just email me!

New Freebies at Sister Blog

Go here for new freebies including free Excedrin, free appetizers at Macaroni Grill and free meal at Zaxby's!!

http://freebiesfromsoutherncouponbelle.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Kudos AGAIN for www.restaurant.com

I will sing the praises over and over but I LOVE Restaurant.com!!! Another winner tonight with a new restaurant added in our area that we had noticed and interested in.
We had an incredible meal- it's an Irish Public House called Durty Kelly's. We had 2 appetizers- they gave us one, authentic fish and chips plus have enough food left over for lunch tomorrow.

What I love the most about this program is the restaurants being offered are so unique and different. For the most part, they are not chains, offer a variety of food and it's been so nice finding restaurants to eat at that are worth it!

Through tomorrow- the code SAVOR will get you 80% off the gift certificates.

$5 Rebate from Jennie-O Turkey

Go here or http://jennieo.apfco.com/
All the details, time line, instructions etc. are out there.

There is plenty of time to take advantage of this rebate so figure out which stores carry the line, check the Coupon Mom Coupon Database often for coupons or keep an eye out for Manager's Specials or markdowns to really take advantage of this rebate.

More details are out there at one of my FAVORITE blogs by a wonderful friend. Gotta give credit for this great rebate!! Click here or http://prohomemaker.com/?p=446

Friday, February 26, 2010

Save over $10 from Arm & Hammer Products

Click here or http://www.armandhammer.com/Resources/SavingsCenter.aspx?utm_source=Multibrand_Feb_2010&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Coupons&utm_campaign=Multibrand_Feb_2010

Ace Hardware- Bring your own bag

Bring Your Own Bag in this Saturday and get 20% off anything you can put in your bag!

Get details at www.acehardware.com and find a location near you!

Codes for Kohl's through Sunday

Free Standard Shipping off $75 or more: SHIPNSAVE
15% off any purchase: BIGWKND
20% off when you spend $100 or more: WKNDSAVE

Or click here or http://f.chtah.com/i/31/1097160769/022510bmsm_print.htm?om_rid=B56yAo&om_mid=_BLh3H4B75BwclO& for your in store shopping pass.

Check the Kohl's website for Extra Savings Hours and all the details on the big sales this weekend.

80% off at Restaurant.com

Use the code SAVOR through Sunday, February 28th. You can get a $25 gift certificate for $2!!

Happy Eats!

Virtual Career Events 3/8-21

I know many are looking or know someone that needs to find a job.
From March 8-21, the AJC will be hosting a Virtual Career Event.
Click here or www.virtualcareerevent.com and find your city.

Atlanta Journal is hosting the virtual career fair here in Atlanta.

Use P&G Coupons- Give Clean Water

Every coupon redeemed from the March 7th Proctor & Gamble coupon insert will equal one day of clean drinking water for children in developing world countries.

You can get more information here or http://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/articles-tips/why-a-glass-of-clean-water-makes-a-difference?edstempseg=YF&utm_source=YF&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March10Newsletter.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hot P&G Website: Everyday Solutions

Love this site and you should register.
http://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com

Click on the Samples and Coupons Tab to get GASP! LOL Samples and Coupons.

Enjoy!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Sister Blog- Freebies From Southern Coupon Belle

I've been horrible about keeping it updated but worked for a couple of hours tonight.

http://freebiesfromsoutherncouponbelle.blogspot.com

Or you can link to it on the right under My Favorite Links.

Check often- I'm going to be better about keeping it up to date. I love getting freebies in the mail!

$100 Coupon Book From P&G is back!!

Go here or http://www.thankyoumom.com/coupons.jsp to print out the form to receive a book of $100 in coupons from Proctor & Gamble

Circle the P&G products and their prices purchased between 02/01/10 and 04/15/10 on your receipts. (You can have more than 1 receipt) When you reach $50 before tax and coupons, fill out your form and send in. Address and all the instructions can be found at the website above. You can also see the featured coupons that you'll get in the booklet and they are good!! Your request must be postmarked by 04/30/10.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Living Smart 101: Lessons Learned Using Restaurant.com GCs

Okay- want the good news or the bad news first? Let's go with the bad so we end on a good note!

I wouldn't call it bad news, just not thinking our game plan completely through and not understanding or remembering the time or year and the location of the restaurant in downtown Charleston. It was simply a multitude of factors that when all came together- made the gift certificate a bad choice for our family tonight. What happened?

I got a FREE GC for a restaurant called Charleston Beer Works. When we got there Friday night- it was full of 20 somethings and not a child in site. DUH! You are saying- "It's called Charleston Beer Works!" No- it is a child friendly place and I checked it out beforehand- what was wrong was WHEN we decided to go. Any weeknight or a time of year that Charleston tourism is not at its lowest- we would have no problems. There was an arcade, air hockey tables, a kid's menu- it didn't mislead when claiming to be kid friendly. What I forgot was when tourism is slow when the weather is cold, that downtown Charleston on a Friday night becomes your typical college town.

What I would do next time? Call ahead and find out if a certain night or the weekend is the ideal time to use your GC plus ask specifically if that particular time/night is kid friendly. No big deal- just hadn't thought of these factors in the past plus I was trying to use the GC in a different city.

Good news- we used a GC Thurday night for a place on Sullivan's Island called Seel's Fish Camp. I now have a new restaurant in my top 5 for Charleston. We all four ate like kings, the food was wonderful, the portions huge and the atmosphere was perfect to kick back as a family and enjoy our supper. We had fried scallops, oysters, shrimps, hand cut french fries and onion rings plus Blue Crab Dip for drumroll please... $12.80 plus tip! Came to just over $20 for a family of four and it was DELISH!

Lesson learned here- getting GCs for new restaurants whether in your town or for vacation can help you find some simply wonderful places to eat! And if they aren't much more than above par in the taste category- at least one of the nights you are gone, you saved some money. But more often than not- when we've tried new places- we are always excited and happy when we leave. And we come back for more.

Restaurant.com is a simple concept, a cheap way to eat out and splurge plus get to try new places. All that being said doesn't exempt this concept or you using it to avoid coming across some speed bumps from time to time. Just think ahead, have a Plan B and do some research so you won't have to slow down for the bumps in the road!
It definitely worth the hit or misses because you save a ton and get to enjoy great food!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

New Uploadable Coupons Available!

Go to shortcuts.com, cellfire.com and through Kroger's (or affiliate) website to get a down of uploadable coupons available right now!

And don't forget you can stack these with printed manufacturer's for even more saving!

Refreshment Recess at McDonalds Weekdays

Participating McDonalds are running a promotion from 2-5 on weekdays calls Refreshment Recess. Buy 1 beverage and get another of lesser value for free!

Limited time and you may want to call and see if your location is participating.
Get details at www.refreshmentrecess.com

Monday, February 15, 2010

New beauty magazine for a new source for coupons!

Found a new, FREE magazine that's being sent out from Proctor and Gamble. Go to www.rougemag.com and sign up to subscribe to their new beauty magazine, Rouge. I just signed up but I read that people get their first issue and it had a stash of coupons in it.

Enjoy!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Purex, Pillsbury and Vitamin Catalinas at Kroger are rolling.

Hey!
I've meant to tell you earlier but the catalinas are rolling for the Purex, Pillsbury and then the $2/2 Disney Gummy Vitamins.

What I mean is I'm able to use coupons and the catalinas I got on the last shop together and then 2 "Off your next order" and 1 coupon for the vitamins spit back out. So you can "roll" the deals and really max out the Daytona promotions (Buy 10 specific items and get $3 off your order).

Great deals- we are stocked up in all areas and maximum savings!

Go to my latest Kroger list just below for more information on these deals.

Living Smart 101: Drying your own herbs

I always tell you to look for the orange and yellow Manager's Special stickers at Kroger. They are everywhere and in every department! And I was telling a group the other day that it becomes instinct to just scan the store and find them.

One area these stickers frequent is the Produce Department, especially in the ready to serve salad mixes, pre-cut veggies etc. And they frequently mark down their Private Selection fresh herbs. You may see them for .99 cents and wonder what to do with them. EASY!! Dry them.

Save your spice bottles and wash well. When I get these bunches of herbs, I simply wash them, dry them off and then place on paper towels on my "formal" dining room table. There's a vent above where I put them so the heat coming on may or may not help. All you need is a place to keep them out of the way and another option is to hang them. I make sure they are in a single layer and I turn them a couple of times during the 5-7 days it takes to be completely dry. That is very important- if they aren't 100% dried out then I worry about contamination when stored in the closed bottle. Once they are dry, I either crush it up or remove from the stems into my bottles. Tonight, I did an entire spice bottle of dried dill for .99 cents! That would be 4-5 times in the store for that amount and the herbs are organic as well.

So far, I've dried basil, dill and cilantro. We aren't huge cilantro fans and I never hear any of the stars of Food Network talk about dried cilantro but I found the taste to be more milder when dried.

It's easy so next time you see them marked down- give it try! It's very Martha Stewart to dry your own herbs and you are saving money! I plan to extend my herb garden next summer to really stock up!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Deals at Publix this week!

Here's what I liked at Publix this week:

Marzetti Dip- BOGO (in the produce section)
Coupons: 1/31S and 11/22S Sale Price: $1.85 Final Price: .85 or 77% off
Stacy's Pita Chips or Bagel Chips
Coupon: 1/24S Sale Price: $2.00 Sale Price: $1.00 or 70% off
Nabisco Crackers BOGO 6.6-10oz box
Coupon: 1/24S Sale Price: $1.63 Final Price: .63 or 81% off
French's Classic Mustard BOGO
Coupon: 1/24S Sale Price: .94 Final Price: .34 or 82% off
Heluva Good! Dips BOGO
Coupon: 1/24S Sale Price: $1.00 Final Price: FREE or 100% off
McCormick Chili Mix BOGO
Coupon: 1/24RP Sale Price: .58 (must buy 2) Final Price: .33 or 71% off
Nabisco Ritz Crackerfuls BOGO
Coupon: 1/10S Sale Price: $1.63 Final Price: .63 or 81% off

Deals at Kroger this week!

Here's what I like at Kroger this week:

Gortons Crunchy Popcorn Shrimp
Coupon: 1/24S Sale Price: $2.50 Final Price: $1.70 or 66% off
Disney Vitamins BOGO
Coupon: 1/24RP Sale Price: $3.50 Final Price: $2.50 or 64% off
Note: Buying one spit out a $2.00 off 2. If you bought one, then had 2 coupons to buy two more then you could stock up and stack the three coupons. There is also coupons in 1/3R1
HOT! Purex Laundry Detergent
Coupon: 1/10RP Sale Price: $2.19 Final Price: $1.49 or 63% off
Note: Prices reflect the Buy 10 get $3 off promotion this week. I noted earlier that you can receive a catalina where if you buy 2, you get $4 oyno or buy 3 and get $5 oyno
Gatorade 32oz
Coupon: 1/10RP Sale Price: .69 Final Price: FREE or 100% off
Gortons Shrimp Temptations or Grilled Shrimp
Coupon: 1/3S1 Sale Price: $3.00 Final Price: $2.00 or 67% off
Johnson Buddies Soap
Coupon: 1/3R1 Sale Price: $1.09 Final Price: .09 or 92% off
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits 8 count
Coupon: 1/3GN Sale Price: .99 (must buy 2 and price is after promo) Final Price: .69 or 66% off
Note: There is also coupons in the 12/6S
Betty Crocker Muffin Mix (price is after promo)
Coupon: 1/3GM Sale Price: $1.69 Final Price: .69 or 70% off

If you bought all these items, you'd pay about $13.00 and save 67% off!
Happy Krogering this week!

Free Grand Slam this Tuesday Plus How to Get Free Lunch at Denny's

On Tuesday, February 9th from 6am to 2pm, receive a free Grand Slam breakfast!

Be one of the first 500,000 to sign up for the Denny's Reward Program and you'll receive a coupon for a free hamburger and fries the first week of March (3/1-3/7)

Go to www.dennys.com

HOT DEAL on Purex at Kroger!

Stumbled on this deal but boy is it sweet! Purchase 2 Purex laundry detergent and get a $4.00 Catalina for off your next order when you check out. Purchase 3 of more and get $5 off your next order.

What makes this deal sweet is Purex is part of the buy 10 get $3 off deal. With a coupon from the 1/10 SmartSource, the final price after the promotion is $1.49. I bought 5 so my final cost with this catalina is technically .49 cents each!! If you bought 3 then you are getting them FREE (if you did the promotion 10/$3 off as well) with overage just under .50 cents.

I'm going to do the deal again and see if it rolls another Catalina. With this promotion, the coupons and the catalina- you could really stock up on laundry detergent this week! And Purex has an HE version but my store only had 2 left when we went today. I needed them to make the promotion deal so I bought non HE that I will take back when they stock back up. Great example of having a Plan B or quick thinking when working the 10/$x off deals. I'll update if we get another catalina this week!

There was also a $2 catalina that spit out for purchasing Pillsbury products. It didn't explain what the deal was but I bought 4 cans of Grand Biscuits. We also did the Disney Vitamins and got a $2.00 coupon catalina when you buy 2 Disney Vitamins. It can stack with coupons so we'll be stocking up on the kids' vitamins too! Great week for Krogering!

Living Smart 101- Become a cook and save money!

We just did our lists for Kroger and Publix and it's amazing how geared up the stores get for "the BIG Game!" My Kroger had a chicken wing bar, lots of dips and other game food was prepared and just waiting for you to take it home.

The benefit? No ingredients to buy, no prep time, cook time then clean up time.

The disadvantage? You are paying at least twice if not 3-4 more times what it would cost you to make it. And I guarantee at least 95% of the time, you can make it better.

We're having 2 different types of wings tonight. Got 2 dozen wings for $5.00. Handcut fries and some other goodies that were minimum cost. I would estimate our meal for more than 4 people will cost right around $12.00. And best of all- it's good!

Whether you could go on Top Chef or a mess in the kitchen- it's not hard when you've got a game plan. Go to sites like Food Network or www.allrecipes.com and type in what you want to make. At www.allrecipes.com- look at the reviews and anything I want to do- it's got to have the highest review. The reviews are great also because people will give suggestions on how to modify the recipe if it needs it or to make it better. And by these reviews, you can tell if this recipe sounds like it would be a hit in your household. Same thing on Food Network- if it's Paula Deen's recipe then you know it's gonna be good!

Trying your favorites at home saves money not just at the grocery store but by not eating out. There are sites like www.copykat.com that show you how to copy your favorite dishes, desserts, appetizers and salad dressings from your favorite places to eat. And if you can't find something specific- google the restaurant, the dish and "recipe" to see what you can find. There's also www.everylastrecipe.com. But even if you choose not to "copy" a restaurant dish, we find that cooking from home far exceeds eating out. Plus there's not ridiculous charge for tea and no tip.

So be adventurous in the kitchen and the results should not only please the palate but the wallet as well!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Living Smart and Coupon 101: Savings Sensation!

That's my new buzz word. I finally thought of a catch phrase that explains why the game of saving money and using coupons is so much fun.

What is the Savings Sensation?

1. The internal happy dance you want to do when the total drops at the check out line.
2. The thrill you get pulling into said checkout lane and you know how good the total percentage of savings and final $$ amount will be.
3. The anticipation of the shop and how many items you are going to buy for X amount of $$.
4. The smug look you give the cashier when they get excited about how much you saved. Smug look so you make it seem like this is no big deal but above happy dance is being contained.
5. The excitement you have when you know the Sunday paper is going to have extra inserts and your "master plan" to buy more Sunday doubles than usual.
6. The disappointment that while it is a holiday weekend, there will be no coupons in the Sunday paper.
7. Being resourceful and planning a week of meals based on the big score at the store that week like free healthy bread or cheese.
8. The "shoplift like" feeling you get when someone in front of you left Catalina coupons on the machine and you quickly swipe them like it's wrong or something.
9. When checking out- you purposely do not put your loyalty number in or swipe your card until the end or middle of the checkout so you can watch the total fall quickly!
10. Buying a product because it is free even though you have enough of it to last a long time. You can simply just not walk away from free or close to it!

I joke but if you are into this game of saving money- you know I am 100% right on all of the above. I had a new friend make an incredible comment on her Facebook page (Thanks Julie!) where someone said coupons were "too much work." Julie shot right back that it wasn't and you are paying yourself $100/hour to get the lists and coupons together each week. And she is 100% correct! You play this game smartly, master the different stores and lists- you couldn't make what you save each week at a part time job. And you will have more food and more items you need and use plus some that you get to try in the process.

And one thing I do promise- email me and I'll help you. I want to help, I want you to experience the Savings Sensation and I'm not out here making money on the blog- I'm here to help. I can walk you through the stores, if you have a question then probably one of the 100s that read each day have the same question or I can direct to an earlier post that will help!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Living Smart 101: Why Buy THAT??

When I teach how to save money, I'm often asked why I buy the things I do not need or use but are free or close to it.

The Answer is.... Why not?
I mean, it is free or not a lot out of pocket even if it does require a rebate that may come a month later.

The Bonus? You never know when you need an item like this one and guess what? YOU ALREADY HAVE IT and IT WAS FREE OR CLOSE TO IT!

Another benefit is it's fun to try new products and several freebies over the years have become staples in our household. And it saves time and hassle. I once had really dry skin on one of my arms and had medicated lotion that I got for free after rebate. It took care of it right away and not only saved me the time going to the store to get an ointment but also the potential time and trip to the dermatologist. I'm certainly not suggesting self-medicating or diagnosis but it can't hurt on simple ailments or hurts to try a product that's appropriate first.

And it's just plain fun. A Savings Sensation when you leave the store knowing you only paid pennies if anything at all for a cart full of items. And it's fun trying out new stuff!

So pay attention to the drugstore and grocery deals each week. If you are using Coupon Mom, go to the far right category, % Saved, and click on the upside down triangle to get the list to come up with 100% and down itemized. Take advantage of these deals and start stocking up on a variety of items for free or close to it!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Product Review: Motivated Moms

I used to follow another site that helps you keep your house clean and organized but when I found Motivated Moms- I was in love! It's easy to follow, just a few things to do a day beyond the basic upkeep but best of all- it simplifies your life!!

You can purchase for $8.00! the entire year to download and pick your version. You can choose from a 1/2 or full page version and you can even choose a version that includes daily Bible reading to get you through the Bible by year's end. What I do is print each week out, place on a clipboard and just check off as I complete a task.

I don't sweat it or stress if I don't finsh a day completely. I just try to have it all complete by Friday. I like having everything in order by the weekend so we can enjoy the weekend and not cleaning or doing laundry. Another feature I love is she makes me do tasks that might not come automatically to mind like cleaning hair brushes. She also breaks down those tasks you hate to do like cleaning the refrigerator. On her system, you clean one shelf at a time instead of tackling the entire frig.

Go check it out and see an example of a typical Motivated Moms week. I really like the system and even my husband has complimented how extra clean the house is! And the more you get into the system and tasks repeat themselves- they become easier and quicker to complete.

See the link on the right to go check out Motivated Moms! I think you too will fall in love with the system!