Find a better Credit Card

I know this isn't the norm post but it is worth the mention. With all the economy problems we are all trying to figure out how to save money and eliminate debt. I ran across this article in the ALL YOU January issue and thought it was worth telling you all about.

Check out Billshrink.com which is an unbiased site that compares current credit card offers based on your needs and recommends the best card for you. While having a credit card isn't the best thing, it is sometimes a necessity to have for your credit or other reasons. Just keep in check and if you can't, then don't have one! Simple enough! We opened one at our Credit Union and they have been great! There was no charge for a balance transfer, we got a rate below 10%(private info, so I'm not going to say the actual rate) and they shouldn't be affected by the new credit card law rate hikes.

Check out Whatbills.com, billeo.com, and mybillq.com which are free online services that email you when bills come due. These might be great things for anyone who doesn't already have a feature like this through their online banking.

Disclaimer: I haven't checked out Billshrink.com yet myself but I think ALL YOU is a great magazine full of interesting and creditable stuff.

My Publix Run 12/20

What I purchased:

1 Newspaper (since there weren't any inserts-but some other goodies!) $1.89

2 Tostitos Crisp Round Chips $3 each

1 1/2 pounds of Lean Ground Beef $2.15 & $3.30 ( I didn't know they were only 1/2lbs- oops!)

3 Banquet Pot Pies $.57 each (a cheap meal when paired with rice)

2 Fabuloso Cleaners BOGO $2.19( love this cleaner- no rinsing req.)

1 Blue Cheese Salad Finishers $2.99

1 Bistro Chicken Salad Finishers $3.69

1 Publix Spring Salad $1.50

1 Blue Cheese Crumbles $2.50

1 Sorrento Fresh Sliced Mozzarella Cheese $3.99 on sale

1 Tropicana Orange Juice $2.50

3 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $5 for all 3

2 Barber Chicken Parmesian 2 for $4.99

1 Smart Balance Stick Butter $3.49 (b/c I needed it, but I had a coupon!)

4 Kraft Shredded Cheese $6.67

2 Oscar Meyers lunch meat $5.00

2 Hunt's Ketchup $1.75

-$5 off $25 purchase Publix coupon (on flyer that is in the newspaper)

-$1/1 printable Barber coupon X 2

-$1/1 Publix Barber coupons X 2

-$1.50 Free Publix salad wyb Sargento Salad Finishers

-$.25/1 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls X3

-$1/1 Sorrento Cheese coupon Publix

-$1/1 Tostitos Publix coupon X2

-$1/2 Oscar Myer Cold Cuts

-$.75/1 Sargento Salad Finishers X2

-$1/1 Smart Balance Butter

$1/1 TR/Cave Blue Cheese

-$1/1 I don't remember

-$.50 I don't remember- it doubled

Total OOP: $41.07( more than I had planned, but we still got some really good deals-the hubby came with as we were childless this night!!)

Saved $45.47

Share your deals with me..... I want to hear!

My Kroger Run 12/20

Here's what I did at Kroger on Sunday:
4 Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup $.75 each
1 Crest Toothpaste $1.50
1 Theraflu Warming $4.99
2 Bird's Eye Steamfresh Veggies $1 each
4 Green Giant Boxed Veggies $1 each
1 Knudsen Sparkling Organic Grape $2.50
2 Welch's Sparkling Juice $2.99 each
Bag of White Onions $1.99
2 Kroger Brand Large Eggs 18ct. $1.89 each
2 Stonyfield Organic Yogurts $.49 each (manager's special)
2 Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk (single size) $1 each
1 Bertolli Spaghetti Sauce $2.00
1 Box of Benefiber Sticks $4.99
1 Pack of Pioneer Gravy(b/c I like the taste of this one for my biscuits and gravy breakfast!!) $.79
2 Gum Toothbrushes(2 count) $1 each
2 Carnation Evaporated Milk $.99
Bananas $.39lb= $2.47
1 Ronzoni Smart Taste noodles $1.59
2 Energizer AA Battery packs (4ct?) $2.55 each

-$1/4 Campbell's Cream of soups
-$.75/1 any Crest Premium Paste 6oz P&Gesaver
-$2/1 Theraflu printable coupon
-$2/1 Theraflu ecoupon
- $.75/1 X 2 Gum Toothbrushes coupons
-$.50/2 Green Giant Boxed Veggies coupon
-$.50/2 Cellfire Green Giant
-$.50/2 Cellfire Green Giant
-$.50/1 X 2 Bird's Eye Veggies(doubled=FREE) coupon
-$1/1 Welch's Sparkling Juice coupon
-$1/1 Welchs Sparkling Juice coupon
-$.60/1 Bertolli Pasta Sauce coupon
-$.75/1 X 2 Gum Toothbrush coupon
-$.50/1 X 2 Bird's Eye Veggies(says excludes Steamfresh, but that is all they have now, their "new" packaging- so it worked!)
-$1/2 Carnation Evaporated Milk coupon
-$.75/1 Ronzoni Pasta coupon
-$1/1 X2 Energizer Batteries coupon
-$1/1 Benefiber coupon
-$2/1 Benefiber ecoupon
Total OOP: $33.29 (33 items sold) Saved $42.85 Earned 53 Fuel Points


Not bad!! How did you do at Kroger? Or did you even go this week, as it was kind of a slow one. I had to get a raincheck for the Sanderson Farms Fresh Split Chicken Breast $.99lb :-(  But hopefully they will have it back in stock next week!

FREE International Delight Coffee Creamer!

QUICK! The first 100,000 people who click HERE, then click on the "Holiday Giveaway" tab to fill in their info on the International Delight Coffee Creamer Facebook Page will receive a coupon for a FREE pint of Coffee Creamer!

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Enjoy!

FREE Scissors!

QUICK! For a limited time, you can get a FREE pair of Scissors HERE!

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Enjoy!

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Thanks KC Penny Pinchin Mama!

Super Center or Grocery Store?

If you have been around Southern Savers for a while or attended a workshop, you know how I feel about supercenters: they can never compete with local grocery stores.  However, I have noticed that many people still seem to think that shopping at supercenters is the way to go.  In an attempt to prove to you that you will save more money at grocery stores, I did a little test this past week.  I took all of the on-sale items at Publix and Kroger and went into my local supercenter to look at how their prices matched up.  To put it simply, they didn’t.
It may seem to be slightly biased to select only the on-sale items and compare but my particular local supercenter (and I suspect yours does as well) advertises “Always Low Prices”.  In other words, their prices are always as low as they will get and they will not run a lower sale.  Also, as you know, I only buy on-sale items.
After taking all the listed prices, I calculated the effect of coupons on both the grocery stores and the supercenter, remembering to double where it applied.  I did the math based on buying one of every item on the weekly Southern Savers list.  If it was a store brand, then a comparable brand was chosen at the supercenter.  The results were:

Publix On-Sale Items Plus Coupons: $139.84
Same Items with Coupons At SuperCenter: $196.80

Kroger On-Sale Items Plus Coupons: $203.99
Same Items with Coupons At SuperCenter: $243.65

This again was pretending to only buy 1 of each item, and using Southern Savers we want to stock up for 6 weeks,  which would only make the amount saved greater.  To put these numbers in perspective,  let’s say that you went to Publix and purchased only one of the on-sale items for a month (4 weeks) instead of the supercenter.  You would save over $240 a month!
I hope this is convincing and shows you how much money you could be saving.  I know that the supercenters are convenient and it can be easy to shop there.  But if you really want to save money, the grocery stores are really the way to go.
Let’s dispel one other myth with these numbers too:

“Aren’t B1G1 prices increased so you really aren’t saving??”

Looking just at the Publix B1G1 deals and comparing the cost after coupons to the cost at the Super Center it truly shows that the Big Box store can’t compete with a grocery sale price.  “Buying” one of each B1G1 item the numbers are:

Publix Buy One Get One items with coupon $43.22
Same items with coupons at SuperCenter: $81.17

Buy one get one deals are normally sold at the top retail price, but this shows that getting 50% off the top price is a considerable savings over the “everyday low price” at the supercenter.

If you still aren’t convinced, let me know what you would like to see compared next!

**Publix numbers did not include any competitor coupons since each area is allowed different coupons.

By Jenny at SouthernSavers

ALL YOU's list of Blogs they love

5 coupon blogs we love

1.The blog: Coupon Geek 

• Go there for: Tons of coupons, free promotional codes, and directions to uncover special rebates and promotions.
• Why we love it: The woman who runs Coupongeek.net is not unlike the typical All You reader: a stay-at-home wife and mom of two young children, committed to saving money for her family. Eager to share the great deals she found online, the self-described “coupon geek” created this blog to spread the savings to her friends and family: it simply ballooned from there.

2. The blog: Baby GoodBuys 

• Go there for: Anything and everything child-related! This blog is perfect for frugal parents who want options.
• Why we love it: Geared towards families with younger children, this blog is dedicated to bringing parents the very best deals on the baby essentials. Along with the featured coupons and deals, product reviews and suggestions are offered to help the unsure buyer. Looking for a DIY fix? There’s a section that shows you how to make your own cute outfits, accessories, and even snacks for baby.

3. The blog: The Frugal Girls 

• Go there for: In addition to coupons, the site also features other fun deals like free samples, mp3 downloads, and easy recipes for money-wise snacks and meals.
• Why we love it: This blog makes couponing quick and easy by providing identifying pictures and easy-to-spot links that bring visitors right to the source of the savings.

4. The blog: Common Sense with Money 

• Go there for: Click here for a no-nonsense approach to couponing, and save big on other great deals― including free samples, budget recipes, and product reviews!
• Why we love it: The mainstreamed look of this site helps with navigation, which is broken up into sub-categories to make sifting through the coupon heap even easier. Focusing on major retailers such as Walgreens and CVS gives this blog an edge, so hop online before you hit the stores!

5. The blog: Money Saving Mom 

• Go there for: Aside from the coupons, promotional codes, and other great deals, there are tons of helpful tips, ideas and strategies for saving money in other places of your life as well. Well worth the click.
• Why we love it: When it comes to saving money Crystal Paine took a cue from her own mother, who taught her the art of couponing at an early age. So it’s no surprise that her blog is a goldmine for other frugal mommies.

Shop Like A Champ

CouponWinner.com is a website I just found that you can go to and compare the best discounts that stores are offering. Coupons, Promotional Codes, Free Shipping Coupons, Web Coupons, etc. Check them out and see how much you can save the next time you shop online or go to a store!

$5 Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure Blu-Ray Combo Pack!

Wow! You can currently purchase Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure for just $5 after you use THIS $5 off Target coupon and THIS $10 off Manufacturer's coupon! To access the $10 coupon manufacturer coupon, just log in to your Disney Movie Rewards account, then add the code GIFT to have access to it! I know where I'll be going tomorrow- Hurry because both coupons expire 12/24/09!

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Enjoy!

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Thanks SD!

My CVS Run 12/20

I did 5 transactions!!! To try and keep my OOP low. Here's what I did-

Transaction1:
1 Oral B Satin Floss 55yd $2.88
1 Nivea Body Wash $5.99
- $2 ECB from last week
-$2 Nivea Body Wash printable coupon
Total: $5.40 Saved $5.11 Received $5 ECB Nivea, $2 ECB Oral B

Transaction 2:
1 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $6.99 in ad
1 Aleril 4ct Natural Sleeping Aid $1.99
 - $1 ECB Green Tag
-$2 ECB Oral B
-$5 ECB Nivea
Total: $1.46 Saved $9.00 Received $5 ECB Revlon, $1.99 ECB Aleril

Transaction 3:
1 Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $6.99 in ad
1 Listerine Antiseptic Mouth wash $3.99
-$1 ECB Green Tag(it printed out 2 on the first receipt- why? I don't know, but I'll take it)
-$1.99 ECB Aleril
-$5 ECB Revlon
Total: $3.65 Saved $9.29 Received $5 ECB Revlon, $3 ECB Listerine

Transaction 4:
1 Almay One Coat Mascara $4.99
1 Glade Lasting Impressions $6.00
1 CVS Travel Size Lotion $1.49
-$1.49 coupon for CVS Lotion(FREE)
-$2 Glade CVS printable coupon(adjusted down from $3 b/c of my subtotal being $.99) ?
-$3 ECB Listerine
-$5 ECB Revlon
Total: $1.65 Saved $18.48 Received $3 ECB Almay

Transaction 5:
2 Secret Clinical Deodrant $7.50 each
1 Glade Lasting Impressions $6
5 Rain Gum Packs $.99 on sale (hubby loves this gum plus I needed items to get my total up to use a $5 off $25 purchase coupon)
- $1 ECB Green Tag
- $3 Almay ECB
- $3 Glade CVS printable
-$3 I don't remember, ha!
-$5 off $25 purchase coupon that a lady in front of me in line gave me! :-)
Total: $12.04 Saved $26.47 Received $4 ECB Glade, $5 ECB Secret


Final Totals for all 5 Transactions-
Total OOP: $24.20
Total Saved: $68.35
ECB Left over to use next Week: $9 ECB, so really you could say today only cost me $15.20! My deodorant alone would have cost that(an item that I have to be brand loyal on :-) I am also now able to send away for a rebate on the Secret Clinical Deodorant- Buy 4 before Dec 31st, 2009 and get 1 Free! YIPEE! Also got $3 off any Benefiber coupon and a $2 off Worlds Largest Reese's cup (a CVS exclusive item) that printed at the end of my receipt!

So how did you do at CVS this week?

I'll tell ya'll later about my funny customer admirer of coupon ladies story!