Meals, Steals & Family Deals

What I Really Want for Mothers Day

I have been observing for the last 2-3 weeks, commercials on TV suggest a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, a beautiful card, and of course the hubby if you have one, should really buy some sort of gift, preferably jewelry.
We have been trained that these traditions are what validate us the other 364 days of the year. It’s a chance to hear “You’re a Great Mom & we love you for it. Better yet, today we are going to cut you some slack.

As for me, I’m thinking a little bigger. What I want for Mothers Day this year and from this point forward, is for mothers to band together and support each other not just on mothers day but EVERYDAY! Let’s face it, some people are better at it than others. It’s like they don’t even have to try…they are just that good at it. I also know some other Mothers who give it their absolute 100% all just to keep up.And somehow still feel they have fallen short.

No one wants their child to feel like their friends mom is better than the one they got stuck with. The truth is, unless you’re really blowing it, your children rarely sit in judgement of you.

It’s more a mom vs. mom thing, a self created never ending competition. That’s what I’d like change. I would never trust someone that is a parent and could not admit to at least 1 dozen night of laying in bed and honestly praying for a do over for one of those days. You know the days I mean, the ones in which no matter what you did, you still feel you failed as a parent. All you can do is promise yourself that tomorrow is a new chance at getting it right.

If you find yourself surrounded by a group of moms who seem to have it so together, with perfect kids on honor roll, the star of their sports team and nary a hair out of place trust me all while wearing a fantastic outfit, don’t believe it.
Being a mom is hard work.

So, I suggest this year for Mothers Day, we all give ourselves and each other a pass. No more competing to prove who the best mom is. No passing judgements on the mom who brings store bought cookies to the bake sale, while you took the time to make and decorate a cake from scratch. No body wins a darn thing in these imaginary mom offs. So what if instead of wasting time on that kind of behavior, the very kind we try and teach our children not to have, we have each others back.

The very best gift any of us could receive this yea, aside from the homemade cards and adorable school projects, is to gift each other all year round with praise and support. We can start accepting the idea that everyone is doing the best they can. Every family dynamic is different. While you may have yours mastered, don’t be so sure that you could do better than any other mom is doing dealing with her reality and family dynamic. Instead of judging, send a smile. Offer the frazzled looking mom real support by admitting that you have your share of rough days too. Be proud when your child does something well, but you should be just as proud for the other children in your child’s class, when they do something well, as well. Take a minute and find the other parents and tell them something nice about their son or daughter. There is no better gift than hearing from another parent, how much they like your child, or have observed how smart and funny they are. There is no better mom in the world than one that is full of love, grace and humility. A mothers greatest gift she can give her children is an honest reality about what it means to be a mom.
So this week I present all of you mothers with a coupon compliment.
I hope if you already have someone in mind while reading this that you take a minute to print it and give it away to a mom who could really use it.

Expired Groupon Coupons

Since it launched in 2008, Groupon has been a huge success. In case you have never used Groupon or any other similar site, the premise is that if enough people get together, they can use the idea of a mass group purchase to create savings power. In big cities all across
the country, there is always a huge variety of things to do. Groupon gave small businesses the chance to mass sell products or services that is usually only offered by large corporations.

Here is an example of a current deal in and for the Orange County area.

The offer for The Body Shop, pay $10.00 for $20.00 worth of goods. Straight up 50% savings. As great as that deal is, you always have to look at the fine print of the deal and make sure there are no hidden rules as to how, when and where to redeem the coupon. This deal is simple, with the exception of it not usable for online purchases, it is straight forward with a great value.

However, not all coupons sold through Groupon are as easy to use. Recently, an $8.5 million dollar class action lawsuit was settled for that very reason. The lawsuit was brought forth by consumers who bought the coupons in a rush, because the deals have
a very short window in which they can be bought. Also, the details for redemption were often confusing for the customer. Many small business owners did not expect for people
to buy the deals and immediately try and use them. Often the consumer was not able to use them because the vendor did not have the stock, salons didn’t have appointments
available for several weeks, or simi the worst part was that the coupons had short expiration dates. The result was a very unhappy customer.
Luckily, and aside from the law suit Groupon has restructured some of their policies.

Now what do you do if you have had a bad experience with Groupon? What if the vendor
will not honor it? What if it expired? The good news is you can now do something about all of that. Log into your Groupon account, under your login name, go into “My Account” it will list the current status on any coupons you have bought in the past. It also lists unused or expired coupons. Groupon is now offering to credit back the purchase price of the coupon into your account. If you paid $10 for $20 worth of goods,
you will only get the price you paid back in the form of Groupon Bucks.
This allows you to purchase any new coupon that they are offering. Now that you know to make sure you read the fine print before purchasing, it will make your decisions easier.
Even if your coupon expires, from now on you will at least be able to reclaim your purchase price.
To claim your credit, go to www.Groupon.com, log in and go to My Groupons. Select
“show all”. Then you can request a credit. A real, live person is available if you call.
1 (888) 375-5777 Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm CST. The coupons need to have been purchased between 2008-2011 to qualify for a return.

Earth Day Freebies 2012

This blog is being brought to you by the letters W.,A.,S.,T. & E.

I had planned all week, to round up all the freebies that stores are giving away to celebrate Earth Day 2012. Then, in an odd coincidence, I was cleaning up my “coupon drawer” ( I know…who has a coupon drawer?)
I do. I have a coupon drawer where I keep not only coupons but also sales circulars and my shopping trip receipts. I keep these receipts for rebates and proof of purchase for certain coupon programs and giveaways.

Alright you… yes YOU, stop snoring. I’ll get to the point.
Laying on top was a receipt from Rite Aid. I glanced at it. It was for the purchase of 1 AMP Energy drink. That’s it, just 1 item but the receipt was 2 feet long.
.

As I looked in my drawer, I realized that all of my receipts from Rite Aid were at least this long. After the purchase info, it was full of store survey info, a Wellness member point balance reminder, an ad for another program the store was running…blah blah blah. It occurred to me that if they are giving these out, all day, everyday to all customers… that’s a whole lot of WASTE is going on.

Being Earth Day weekend, it just really stood out for me as another reminder that it is very important we all make an attempt to go green in as many ways as possible, ways the we can control. Clearly, a receipt for 1 Amp energy drink doesn’t need to be longer that a couple inches. Stores use the receipts as additional sales and marketing tools.We can’t really control that. Here are just a couple quick reminders of things you can do every day to do your part to celebrate Earth Day, everyday.
1. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Just keep them in your car. It doesn’t take long to make it a good habit.
2. Buy a reusable travel mug and use it instead of paper cups at your favorite coffee place. Also, get yourself a PVC free reusable water bottle.
3. Conserve water. Shorter showers, double check your sprinklers to make sure they are running properly, install eco-friendly shower heads and toilet flushing devices.
4. Change out your old school light bulbs for the new energy efficient, and cost savings type.
5. ( MY FAVORITE) Clip your coupons digitally with your smart phone. You can load them straight to your grocery rewards card by going to your stores web page. Also try the apps Coupons.com, Cellfire.com ShortCuts.com, Grocery I.Q., SavingStar and Shopkick.

Now for the FREEbies:
Earth Day is April 22, 2012. I have compiled a list from various emails I received as well as website updates of restaurants & stores that are participating in some sort of give away or savings.

Amazon.com
Get a $2 MP3 credit at Amazon by clicking Enter Your Code and entering the code MOMROCKS. This code expires on April 22, 2012. You have to enter the code today because it expires 4/22.

Alternative Apparel:
Shop their site www.alternativeapparel.com and save 20% on all orders on 4/22/12 by using promo code FOREST

Barnes And Noble:
Receive 20 percent off all Earth Friendly toys at Barnes and Noble. No coupon code required. (Also, free shipping on any order $25 or more)

Disney:
Stop into a participating Disney Store on on Sunday, April 22 and receive a free reusable shopping bag. Bring 5 plastic shopping bags to any Disney Store to be recycled. Click on upcoming events to see the offer on the Disney Store Website

Kelloggs:
Get a Kellogg reusable shopping bag with purchase of any TWO Kellogg’s Cereals or Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts (10 oz. or larger). While supplies last. You just have to pay postage of $1.75
Purchase them at your favorite store and then download the order form here

Also if you head on over to Kelloggs.com and print $10.00 in various Kellogg Cereal coupons.
Combined with sales this week at Ralphs or Albertsons, you can pay as little as $1.47 per box.

* *

LOWES
FREE trees on 4/22 – 4/23 While supplies last. Lowes has partnered up with AmericanForests.org and will be giving away up to 1,000,000 trees on Earth Day. Get there early, or call ahead to make sure your local store is participating and has stock.

Michaels
Earth Day Tote Make-It Take-It
Sun, April 22, 1pm – 3pm Decorate a trendy tote for Earth Day. Ages 3 and up. While supplies last

Hot Deal at
Origins
Get a FREE full size moisturizer. Bring your current skincare to any Origins counter and trade it for a full-size of one of our high-performance moisturizers. You will need to print a form first and bring it to the counter with you. Get Form here.

Pottery Barnes Kids
PBK is offering you the chance to shop learn about the planet and pick up a FREE pack of sunflower seeds to plant at home and an issue of National Geographic. Check out PBK’s events and in store activities here.

Starbucks:
Bring in your reusable cup and get a FREE hot or iced coffee or a hot or iced tea on 4/22

Target:
Target will be giving away free reusable bags to each guest, while supplies last. Stop into Target on Earth Day, April 22nd to receive your free bag.

Also this week the National Park Service is offering free entrance all this week, April 21-29. Please visit the site here for more details. So, for us OC Families, this is a great chance to head sooth to Cabrillo National Monument. Cabrillo has one of the first light houses built on the West Coast. The park is set up to allow people and families a day of easily self guided tours. Check in at the visitors center and sign the kids up to earn their Junior Ranger badge while visiting the park. A great Freebie, family day and a learning experience all rolled into one.

Decoding UPC Codes.

Look around your house. Actually for the sake of this blog, look inside your pantry and refrigerator. Notice that every single item has a UPC code on it? Even our fruit and vegetables are getting a sticker or invisibly barcoded for scanning. Clearly it’s not as blatant as this picture but trust me it’s there.

A while back, an email went viral, where friends forwarded to friends a list of how to tell, based on UPC Code where your product was being made. The general fear being that anything from China and Taiwan should be avoided since they do not have the same rules, laws and manufacturing processes that we feel is safe here. Especially when it come to food consumption.

In general this is how UPC Codes look Country to Country:
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 is Made in Taiwan (see sample below)
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 – Central America

All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.

Wow! This list is so helpful right? Well no, not actually.

The problem is, UPC codes do not tell the whole story. In fact processed food can sometimes contain so many different components that the UPC code wouldn’t apply at all.
The absolute best way to tell where something is made, is it is stamped right there on the label. Hopefully, everything you are buying says manufactured in ( insert a U.S. city here). Even that doesn’t guarantee much. Final packaging can all take place in a place as American as Indiana, after they received dried ingredients from all over the world. The ONLY safety guard is that usually U.S. companies will at least be aware of the manufacturing processes of their co-producing partners. (HOPEFULLY)

There is one positive thing to learning your UPC Codes, and it has nothing to do with manufacturing. It has everything to do with coupons. Now, do now ask me why or how, but for some reason this is a rather controversial subject in the coupon community. Some people say it’s fine because in retail such as clothing, the idea of having a UPC Code cross over for a sale is considered perfectly fine. When it saves you .50 cents on a tube of toothpaste….not so much.

Without boring you with the minor details, lets just say that sometimes a coupon comes out and it is for a very specific item.
I’ll use a random example of DiGiorino Pizza. There is a .75 coupon available you can find it here

If you read the coupon after it prints, it states it is good on any size between 12.6oz (single serve) and 36.8 oz (family size) So depending on the sale, this coupon might be better used when the Family size goes on sale for $4.99, rather than the single serve when they go on sale 2/$6. This is a family judgement call. Sometimes its easier to have individual servings for your kids depending on schedules and sometimes, you’d rather serve one meal you all eat together.

Other times a coupon will be published in the paper or print out and it will state it is for a certain item. Cereal is a great example for this. It will appear the coupon is for a particular Kelloggs cereal. With a picture of Cornflakes right on it. However the UPC code, if you know what to look for tells a different story. The UPC code reveals that the coupon is good for any cereal in the Kelloggs family. What Kelloggs really wants you to do is buy the item pictured. It’s the power of suggestion. As a couponer, what you really need to do is make sure you are following, not breaking any rules. If the UPC is open ended and covers the whole “FAMILY” line of product, you are doing nothing wrong by buying Apple Jacks instead of Cornflakes.Especially if your store is having a sale on Applejacks. Don’t worry there is no actual Tony the Tiger who will come pouncing upon your door.
IF, however the coupon clearly states .50 cents off the purchase of 1 Kelloggs Cornflakes, no exceptions, or lists a certain size restriction, DO NOT cheat the system. Do not take it up with the grocery clerk, who I assure you has nothing to do with coupon printing.

Now here is my attempt to explain as best I can with a coupon I have on hand what to look for and what it all means:

(please do not print this coupon, it is from My printer and will be considered fraudulent if multiples are printed)
You can see that the coupon’s bar code starts with a 5 to indicate that it is a coupon.
The 71921 is the DiGiorno manufacturer ID. The next three digits (170) are called the family code. The next two digits (75) are a value code. The final digit (7) is the normal check digit.( It’s an algorithm no one actually needs to know how to use)

The family code and value code are set up by the UPC center for the manufacturer. A coupon will often be usable for a whole family of products. For example, a coupon might be good for four different kinds of cereal as I mentioned before that are made by the same manufacturer. the vc represents the value of the coupon (they range from .25 cents to $4.00. The manufacturer sends the grocery store or retailer the data that tells the computer register exactly which products fit the family code, and exactly how much to take off. When the coupon is scanned, the POS computer:

Decodes the family code
Checks to make sure the customer purchased an item from the family
Decodes the value code
Sends the discount back to the cash register

I don’t know if this will help or not. I know I personally prefer to know if I can use a simple coupon on anything in the line or if I have to buy a specific item. It saves me time at check out, not to mention when I plan ahead and make a weekly budget based on the sales circulars.

Please follow Meals, Steals & Family Deals on Facebook.

Here are some great coupons for this week at Coupon Network, Just click the pic:
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218 Additional Coupons can be found at var ci_cap_scriptId = “40548″; var ci_cap_bid = “1063300001″; var ci_cap_format = “300×250″; ">">Coupons.com.

Coupons for a Cause. Operation Easter Basket

These past few weeks, the local C.A.T (Community Action Team) lead by Justin Rudd got together for a yearly event called Operation Easter Basket. This years goal was to put together 1800 Easter baskets for underprivileged children in the community. I volunteered to come in on Good Friday for a couple hours. I had other things to do, but once I got there and saw amazing the project was, I knew I was staying longer. I felt totally privleged and blessed to be a part of it.

I joined in with a really wonderful group of people got together and went to work.
On the previous day other volunteers had been doing the same thing and local residents had been stopping by with drop offs.

As I walked in the door I was thrilled to see that there were already several hundred baskets neatly organized for boys and girls by age group.

The entire day day was filled with so many wonderful people, pitching in and working together. No one had a specific job, we all just saw what needed to be done.

Some people were great at keeping things organized, many made basket after basket, some ran to get more supplies as we ran out. Others made trips back and forth to parking lot to load up trucks and vans.

Throughout the day, community groups would show up to pick up the baskets and take them back to the children who would be getting them. Some of the groups we helped were The Long Beach Mission, Womans Shelter, Tarzana Treatment Center, NAACP, some local middle schools and teen outreach centers and many others.

The event organizer Justin explained to a class of first graders who brought in 30 pre made baskets, the reason we are doing this. Times are tight financially for many families all over and that some children, unlike themselves, would not be getting Easter baskets this year unless we all helped, and they really seemed to get it. One little boy mentioned that the Easter Bunny was 50,000 years old. Perhaps they felt it was time for poor old Easter Bunny to get a vacation of sorts. And financially speaking, it seems that yes, even the Easter Bunny has fallen on hard times.

Then before us sat about 8 tables, literally filled with items that people had dropped off for the rest of us volunteers to create some special baskets with. There were coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals, games, books, toys, matchbox cars, hair ribbons etc. the list went on and on.
The thing that surprised me the most was how much stuff had been donated for older teenagers as well. Tons of personal care items such as toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, new make up, boys socks, girls socks, razors, and the like. Many people forget that yes, while most holidays are for young children, there re just as many disadvantaged teenagers. I had decided before coming to volunteer my time that I would also bring a couple bags full of teenage necessities. I was thrilled to put together so many baskets. All of the items I brought in with me with the exception of the dozens of socks I bought that morning, all came from me using coupons to stock up and goods and toiletries that I buy for such occasions. But more about that later.

I watched as 4 volunteers in the morning turned into 20 volunteers by 1:00 p.m. Let me say, this was no assembly line. Not one basket was the same. I watched as every volunteer thoughtfully selected items that would go into every basket. These baskets were made with love. In fact, these baskets had more unique and special items than any prepacked store bought basket. In fact several of us ladies had said that these baskets should not feel cheap or chintzy. They should feel special. By the end, they all looked exactly like the baskets a parent makes for their own children.

We were joined by 3 local beauty queens. Megan O’Connell-Barbre; Miss Southern California Cities. Helen Rigby; Miss Teen Southern California and Mary Zendejas; Ms. Wheelchair California.

So the goal was 1800 baskets, we made it to 1639. It thrills me that 1639 children who would have gone with out, will get to experience the joy of having an Easter basket filled with candy, toys and other goodies just like all of us at OC Family and our readers children will as well.

So this is a coupon blog right? Of course it is. I just wanted to share the above story and remind people that coupons and savings do not just apply to your own household. You can use coupons for a cause.

I have a teenage son. I have no reason on the planet to buy baby items. But I do. Why? Well, when a great coupon comes out for Johnson & Johnson for $2.00 off baby wash, and I see that it is also on sale at my local drugstore for $2.00, of course I buy it. It’s free, the store gets reimbursed by the manufacturer so no one loses there. Plus, the bonus is that I get to save up all these types of things and donate tons of great items to charity through out the year.

I would really like to urge all the readers of this blog to consider doing the same. Always keep a look out for those special items. Also I try and post weekly freebies on my Meals Steals & Family Deals Facebook page.

If you are interested in starting to build a charity box here are some links to get you going.

This weeks freebies include:
Rite Aid:
eos Shave Cream 7 oz or BIC Twin Select Silky Touch Disposable Razor 10 ct $2.99 get $2 +UP limit 4

Use this coupon from the sunday paper-$2 Bic Disposable Razor (ets) (exp 04/15/2012) 03/18/2012 S. If you dont have it, you can order it here:

Walgreens:
Reach Total Care Plus Whitening Toothbrush $2.99 get $2 RR
Plus use your $1.00 off ANY Reach toothbrush coupon from 3/4/12 SS Sunday paper coupon = FREE

Buy Luster White for $4.99 out of pocket. Use .75 cent coupon from 3/18 SS insert. get back $4.00 in register rewards, total cost .25 cents (plus tax)

CVS:

Colgate Total 4-4.2 oz, MaxFresh or MaxClean 6 oz, or 2-in-1 4.6 oz $2.99 get $2 eb Limit 2

-$1 Colgate Total Advanced FOUND at coupons.com
-$1 colgate max fresh toothpaste 4 oz + $1 off (exp 5/30/12) man. coupon “redeemable at cvs/pharmacy” Reinventing Beauty 03/2012 booklet
-$.75 Colgate Toothpaste, 4 oz+ (exp 04/14/2012) 03/25/2012 SS sunday paper.
Makes this item FREE or no mor than .25 cents depending on coupon you use.

Depend Silhouette or Real Fit 3 ct $3.99 get $2 eb Limit 1

-$2 depend real fit for men or silhouette for women (cvs coupon)
-$2 depend absorbent products
-$1.50 4/15/12 inserts
Makes item FREE or no more than .50 cents depending on coupon used.

NatuRelief chewable tablets 30 ct $8.49 get $8.49 eb Limit 1

-$1 NatuRelief Product (exp 09/30/2012) 03/11/2012 SS
-$1 NatuRelief (exp 07/31/2012) 01/15/2012 SS
-$1 NatuRelief Product (exp 05/31/2012) 11/06/2011 SS

Makes item FREE or even a $1.00 MONEY Maker if coupon used.

So there you have it. a way to start stocking up for free. Even if these are not items you use, there are always others in need. Please not only the terms of coupons should be used. Please do not try an exceed purchase limits and stock up unnecessarily just because something is free. Do it mindfully and for the right reasons.

Happy clipping!

Getting Real @ Ralphs / Our Semi Break Up

Last week, my post was all about the end of Ralphs double coupon and reward program. ( I started picturing a break up between me and Ralphs)

This last Tuesday, I was invited to a pre launch event held at a few Ralphs stores in Orange County, Los Angeles and the South Bay Area.
( I was excited, it was like Ralphs saying “Come and meet my parents, because I really like you“)

As soon as I walked in, the signage was very noticeable…all over the store announcing the new slogan Ralphs- get real {low prices}.

At this point the signage was only in a few stores. ( We would be changing our Facebook status in the next day, from doubles to singles)

I met with Kendra, the Vice President of Ralphs public relations. Let me just say, it was really nice to attach a face to a company. She was a very friendly, working mom who also uses coupons and was honest about knowing the dynamics of grocery shopping and cooking for a family.

Before we got the details of the new program, we watched the commercials you probably now have seen on TV a hundred times.
Kendra told us that this was the biggest campaign and most money that Kroger, parent company of Ralphs has ever spent on a campaign and internal price restructure. ( hmmm… they were hinting around around to a few friends before making it official)

So the main question was “Why no more doubles”? For a coupon user, like myself as I mentioned before, it feels like a break up. (You know like the kind where the other person says…”but we can still be friends”. I thought to myself, ” If were not together anymore can we really still be friends?…I don’t know Ralphs…I just don’t know”)

But, after hearing about the program, the answer could be defined simply enough with the word “sustainability”. Ralphs needed to make some changes now, in order to keep prices low long term in the future. (The old, it’s not you it’s me line) in this case it happens to be true. In my opinion, Ralphs really did need to do price reductions and I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought so because that’s what this whole thing is about. (Ralphs is thinking about our future together *sigh*)

Surprisingly enough, I found out that in the Orange County market, coupon use is a single digit number, so less than 10% of Ralphs transactions are purchases with coupons. Wait….what??? That shocked me. (So it’s not about other people *phew*)

The real reason Ralphs did away with double coupons was to relaunch a new pricing format that would embody the idea of sustainability and really reflect long term price changes. Ralphs has been working behind the scenes for over 6 months with all the manufacturers on pricing. Sure every week, they are still going to run “get you in the door promos” but you will see a price reduction on almost every item in the store. ( Ralphs isn’t dating anyone else…Ralphs just likes to flirt with every one)

In fact 8000 items in grocery, 3700 in household/ personal care and 1100 in produce…all priced reduced.

Ralphs still values its coupon using customers. In fact they are adding even more digital coupons to there website. These can be clipped and loaded straight to your rewards card. Currently, there are 150 available on the site.
( They mean it, they really want to be friends)

As I have mentioned in past blogs, the Ralphs rewards is now going to be mainly of use on the gas program. You go to any participating Shell station and enter your Ralphs rewards # or home phone and you will immediately see a price reduction of .10 cents per gallon, up to 35 gallons. This will take 100 of your rewards points. The savings here is a max of $3.50 cents. That part is a bit of a let down because though it’s apples and oranges, I can save $3.50 with just a few coupons. In fact if it was apples to apples, that would be no savings at all to a coupon user. (Ralphs is suggesting I go see their new girl friend…salt in the wound Ralphs…salt ..in the… wounds.

Ralphs will continue to send out it’s quarterly coupons. These are very household specific. They send you coupons based on what you buy the most. The only thing missing be will be that fantastic Ralphs reward check that was usually $15.00 or more based on all of your points. The equivalent of when your ex writes a Happy Birthday message on your Facebook wall….. (See I’m a nice person. I still care..sort of.)

Ralphs felt that after listening to it’s consumers, as much as they all loved getting those checks, they really wanted more of an immediate relief. Because of the economy, many people need and want to save money right now. With all the price reductions, 11,000 SKU’s company wide, that should definitely be doable. ( Ralphs listened to it’s friends. They all said Ralphs could do better than you, you’re a total double coupon user)

This weeks circular also has a new campaign running called “Quarter Back” for every item you buy once you have bought at least 4 of the items in the promo, you get a quarter back in terms of a catalina coupon at check out. I got $4.25 for mine. I bought some of the sale $1.00 items so essentially this made the items only .75 cents. I love this. ( Now that I think about it, I really only was exclusive with Ralphs for the double coupons. I’m kind of looking forward to seeing other stores too)

Also, look for the new Cue Star in your local store. It’s a TV display panel telling you how many lines are currently open, how many need to be open and how many will need to be opened in the next 30 minutes. This is mostly in an attempt to speed up your check out time. Currently average wait is 4 minutes and Ralphs would like to get that number under 30 seconds. That would be amazing… I have never waited anywhere less than 30 seconds so heres to hoping Ralphs can pull it off. This seems more like in in house tool. (Ralphs, I don’t need to know how well your doing after you kicked me and my doubles to the curb.)

I definitely can say that Ralphs did not make these changes to discourage it’s coupon users, but rather to lower it’s prices for everyday customers in what is a highly competitive and every change world of groceries.

So for me, it’s not really a break up at all. They are offering value now and I can still coupon. We both win. ( Yes Ralphs, Yes… we can still be friends.)

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The end of the Double Coupon.

I heard about this coming….I didn’t want to believe it, but this last week when I got my Ralphs ad, there it was in a big BOLD front of the flyer add. As of April 1, 2012 Southern California Ralphs stores will no longer double coupons. Ralphs will accept coupons at face value only.

Ralphs is owned by Kroger. They stopped this practice almost everywhere else except Southern California in the last year. Two years ago, Ralphs stopped doubling coupons that were over $1.00.(ahhhh the good old days) So, even though they were doubling, the max was still only $1.00. But still, as I mention in the this blog using a stack of coupons all together and having them double to $1.00 each ads up to a lot of savings. Also, Ralphs will no longer be sending out quarterly rewards certificates (unless you use your Ralphs Rewards Visa card for purchases.) This is a huge bummer to me personally, as mine were usually in the $30 and up range. But you can’t control these things…it is what it is, I just plan on looking for solutions.

Now what? Well, now it’s just time to rethink it.
Just like all the grocery chains did 2 years ago when Ralphs made the change, I expect all the other grocery stores to follow suit. Currently, Vons still doubles up to $1.00. Kmart has special sale days that they pre advertise and they also double up to $2.00. Of recent, Albertsons has been including coupons in the weekly ad, that allow you to double up to 3 coupons in one transaction. Specialty stores such as Whole Foods offer their own store coupons. Some Target Super Centers have already amazing prices plus you can stack the MFQ and the store Q for double savings. Find whatever option works best for you, or use a few different stores for you weekly grocery, cleaning and personal shopping.

Word on “Coupon Street” ( I don’t actually live there but I do the occasion drive by to get the scoop) is that Ralphs is going to be making up for the double coupons by drastically changing pricing. That’s good for them, because Ralphs is one of the more expensive grocery stores if you are not using coupons. If they don’t change their prices, I don’t see a lot of people continuing to shop there, especially those that are coupon users. This economy has changed everything. All the stores are making less profit as manufacturers increase their costs and pass it along to the stores.

What I want readers to know, is that coupons are not the only part of saving BIG money when grocery shopping. They key is really the sales. When you see a sale and know it’s 50%- 75% less than the normal price….that’s when you stock up. For example, this week Ralphs has Ragu sauces on sale for $1.00 They are normally $2.39 that is a 61% savings without even a coupon.

That’s just one example, but every week every store does have at least a few items that are on a really great sale. Get to know the prices of the items you buy the most. Go out for those special items, buy in stock up mode when it is worth it.
Also, not all coupons were meant to double….there are still $1.00 coupons available in the Sunday paper, online and electronic coupons that you can load to your rewards card. As long as you get your pantry items stocked up you shouldn’t see to much of a price change over time.

And the news to look for : Ralphs will announce a new program called “Get Real” on March 28. Whether this deals with lower prices as I mentioned above, a totally new rewards program, or something completely different, You will still save money using coupons, you might not even notice this change affecting your budget.

How to Find Coupons

I get asked the same question a lot. It is always “Where do you get all your coupons?” I use coupons from a lot of different sources to save money on groceries, personal care and cleaning products.

So my answer is…there are a lot of answers to that question. Yet they are are very simple. I have covered various sources in past blogs but a refresher never hurts.

First, buy the Sunday paper every week. That is where the bulk of coupons come from. The trick is to clip and organize your coupons and wait to use them until items go on sale. Just because a coupon comes out this Sunday doesn’t mean you have to use it the same week. Most coupons have at least a 30 day expiration on them.

Store advertisements: the weekly circulars that arrive in your mailbox always have a t least a few coupons in them. If they are marked as a “manufacturer coupon” you can use it at any store. If you clip it from Vons you can still use it at Albertsons. If it says “Store Coupon” only, then you can only use it at the store it’s printed for.

Online: There are a couple sites that offer new coupons each week. The coupons tend to overlap somewhat but each Tuesday, they do get restocked for new prints.
visit www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
and www.couponnetwork.com

Social Networking:
Almost all major brands have finally crossed over into this new media and have Fan pages on Facebook. These pages often run monthly coupons, especially during new product intros. Also, some brands will use Twitter to direct you to coupon links for their products. The also give out tons of free samples. When ever I get a free sample of something, 9 times out of ten the sample comes with a coupon for the full size product.

Brand websites. If you have a specific brand or product line that you are very dedicated to, go right to their website and look for coupons offered straight from their page.

Emails. Sign up for email newsletters and updates from companies and you will be sure to be notified when they are offering new coupons, savings or promotions.
Magazines: The best magazine for coupons by far is All You. The subscription runs about $20 for the year and they run at least $50 to $100 dollars of coupons on it per month. Totally worth the cost of the subscription. All you is also tied into the coupons.com printable coupon database for weekly deals. But it here ALLYOU.com, if you share the site on FB or Twitter with a friend you can save an additional $5 off a yearly subscription.

Electronic Coupons. AKA E-Coupons. You go to sites online and or through your smartphone and Apps and clip coupons that digitally load straight to your card. Every Major grocery chain also has their version of E-Coupons that you can load straight to card.
Try www.SavingsStar.com.
www.shortcuts.com and www.cellfire.com

Clipping websites: These are great for those times when you forgot to get a Sunday paper or for ordering a lot of a certain coupon.
My favorite is “>TheCouponClippers.com. I would recommend signing up and ordering coupons from this sight. It’s a great way to get your coupon binder full of useful current coupons and it’s a great time saver since everything is precut for you.

Aside from that, it’s always great to follow a coupon discussion board that is broken down by store and type, that way if there are any hot deals. you will know about it in time to take advantage of the sale and coupon that goes with it.

Also, Meals Steals& Family Deals has a Facebook fan page that you can follow for daily and weekly updates for coupons. I also have Pinterest board that I send current coupons too every 2 weeks…so follow me there as well.

Saving at the Gas Pump with your Grocery Rewards Program

In the last few weeks, you can not watch the news, read an article online, or log into facebook with out seeing at least 265 rants one post daily about gas prices. People are truly outraged, as they should be. Putting all politics aside, for the resourceful there are a few solutions we can all use right now, to start making at least a slight difference in our weekly refill at the pump.
Too bad they don’t run coupons for gas the way they do for potato chips right? I did spot this little funny on Pinterest:

I have seen this all over Facebook in the last few days:

I really feel bad about how much the price of gas is going to further affect the already struggling American families get back on track. So I wanted to make this blog as helpful this week as possible and find some resources for saving money at the pump.

Use your Loyalty Cards Rewards program
Several Southern California grocery and super center chains are offering a tie in with gas stations to offer savings on price per gallons. It’s not a lot….but it is something worth doing. Up to an $1.00 off per gallon, read on to find out how.

Ralphs Grocery-

Ralphs Grocery stores have teamed up with Shell Oil Company.
You can redeem 100 Ralphs rewards points to earn .10 cents off per gallon in any single fill up transaction. Up to 35 gallons per visit ….but hey that is a $3.50 cent saving you otherwise would have got.
The process is simple it works like this: the process at the Shell pump work?
1. If paying inside, see cashier BEFORE inserting your Ralphs rewards Card.
2. BEFORE you insert your payment card, follow the screen prompts to initiate the Ralphs discount process.
3. Insert your Ralphs rewards Card, or manually enter your alternate ID or your loyalty card number found on the back of your loyalty card or key fob. (Your alternate ID is almost always your home telephone number)
4. Select your form of payment and fuel grade.
Here is a video to show you how the transaction will look at the pump:

You are going to want to make sure your Ralphs reward card information is correct and up to date. Log in and do that here.

For a list of Shell Stations near you use this location finder.

Vons- Rewards Points.
There are 3 ways to earn everyday.
1. GROCERIES: Every dollar spent on equals 1 point.
2. GIFT CARDS: Every dollar Spent equals
2 points. (some exclusions apply American Express, PayPower, Mastercard, My Choice, Vons, Visa, Only 1 Visa, NetSpend and RE-loadit Cards do not earn double points)
3.Prescriptions: Each Rx filled earns you 50 POINTS! Special tip: Transfer your prescription to Vons and earn a $25 Gift Certificate off your next $50 or more grocery purchase. Details HERE

It’s easy to use.
• 100 points = 10¢ off per gallon
• 200 points = 20¢ off per gallon
• 500 points = 50¢ off per gallon
• 1000 points = $1 off per gallon WOW!!!!

Your accumulated Vons Rewards points expire at the end of each following month so it’s a great idea to cash them in and apply them at the pump.

The only downside to this program is that the savings are at Vons Gas Stations only. As you ma have noticed there are not a lot these locations in Orange County. To find the nearest one too you use this Vons Gas Station Location Finder here. Just type in your zip code.

Fuel up at the warehouse Stores
Membership-based stores like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club have discounted gas. In some cases, you can use affiliated credit cards to get a double-dip discount: Pay less at the pump and get a cash back bonus. For instance, the Costco-branded TrueEarnings American Express card lets customers earn three percent cash back on up to $3,000 in gas per year.

CREDIT CARDS:
Using a credit card to save on gas seems like an oxymoron considering the interest rates that credit cards charge. But there is a smart way to do this. Normally, we all use cash and or our debit cards to pay for gas. Do not let that habit change. Instead what you do once you apply for and open an account with one of these Fuel Reward credit cards. Log into your online bill on the same day you make your gas purchase and make an online payment from your bank account directly to to credit card for the amount you spent in gas. You still earn the reward but do not carry an end of month balance that will be charged interest, late payments or over limit fees.

First Great Fuel reward Card I recommend
Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back (apply through this link) The Chase Freedom Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back is my favorite gas rewards credit card. There is no annual fee because it works for the consumer in two key areas. First, all cardholders are eligible to receive $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first three months. (with the prices of gas, and sharing with a spouse, getting to That $200 bonus is the largest offered by a base credit card today and it’s pretty simple to obtain. THAT is a HUGE 40% SAVINGS on gas.
PLUS, it offers a standard 5% Savings and cash back rewards on select purchases. This includes gas purchases. So even after the $200 cash back reward, you will still continue to earn 5% cash back on yearly purchases. Other purchases will earn you 1%. Cash back rewards do not expire.

PenFed VISA Platinum Cashback Rewards Card Apply HERE
There is no annual fee. To open an account you have to make a one time donation of $15. Very low interest rate of 9.9 percent through June 2014
PenFed VISA Platinum Cashback Rewards Card offers card members a guaranteed 5% cash back on all gas purchases every day of every year, with no cap to the amount of rewards that can be earned and cash back is rewarded monthly.

True Earnings Costco American Express This is a card that will work in conjunction with the warehouse discount gas pricing I mentioned above. This card is for people with really good credit, no annual fee. 3% cash back is earned on all gasoline purchases, 2% cash back at restaurants and on travel with 1% cash back earned on everything else, including Costco. Unfortunately, there is a limit to the amount of cash that can be earned at the 3% level ($90) at which point you’ll earn 1% cash back.

Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card – $100 Cash Back – The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card includes a $100 cash back bonus after signing up and making $500 in purchases during the first three months. This is not a specific gas promotion, but if you follow what I suggested and treat this card as a gas card, you will definitely spend the $500, and that equals a 20% savings on gas. Just don’t forget to pay off these new charges as soon as you make them. This is also a great tool for anyone trying to bump up their credit score.
Then, all cardholders will be provided 5% cash back on rotating categories through the year and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Other tools:
Smart Phone Apps.
Try Gas Buddy, this app is FREE, you can also use this site online at www.GasBuddy.com. By zip code it will show you what gas stations near you are charging for regular, mid level, premium and diesel gas on any given day.

I will ad that for anyone struggling with paying for gas, do not forget that you can make up for it by cutting back on your grocery bill by using coupons. Please follow Meals, Steals & Family Deals on Facebook. I posted over 70 new grocery and personal care item coupons last week. I also post retail and restaurant coupons for additional family savings.

Grocery Chain vs. Warehouse Store

I know a lot of friends who shop at the warehouse stores such as Costco, Sams Club and Smart & Final and swear by it. Many people feel that it saves them more money and time than using coupons. So I decided to check it out for myself.

First of all, I will say that yes, those warehouse stores have pretty much any and everything anybody could possibly need to stock up their food, bathroom or cleaning supply closets. On principle, the idea is that since you are buying in bulk, you are saving money.

I decided to put it to the test. I went into my local warehouse store this week (Costco) and actually found it to be MORE expensive than the grocery store at full retail. FULL RETAIL! Ahem. Sorry that stuck in my throat. I realize that you can use coupons at all of these stores. I wanted to see if using coupons along with the bulk price was more cost efficient than how I am currently doing it.
For example:

A case (12) of Campbells Chunky Soup, Chicken Noodle at Costco:
$17.99. I can use 1 $2.00 of 5 coupon which makes it $15.99
or $1.33

This week at Ralphs,( on varying weeks other local grocery stores run the same specials, but Ralphs is my store of choice) Campbells Chunky Soup brand is on sale for $1.49 per can if you buy 10 items in the mega sale, any combination. Plus at checkout you get an additional $2.00 coupon for your next visit.
I happen to have 5 .50 cent on 2 coupons that double to $1.00 each.
Buy 10 Chunky soups = $14.90 less $5.00 in coupons = $9.90
PLUS I earned $2 off my next trip…..all said that equals only .79 cents per can.

On to Ritz Crackers. Currently also part of the Mega 10 deal at Ralphs. They are $2.99 per box. Less my $1.00 on 2 coupon makes them $2.49 pb.
Costco had a box of four for just under $17. I could use one of my $1.00 coupons on that, so at $16.00 it’s $4 per box. That’s 75% higher than with a sale at the store. 75% is what I try to SAVE not Spend Extra.

I continued on…an on…and found that most other items ran true to this same idea.
Conclusion:
I don’t think warehouse stores are cheaper for grocery items. What they are is more convenient. 7-11 is convenient to but would you grocery shop there?
There are other rationals for warehouse shopping.
I realize things you have to factor in:

1. Amount of trips.
If you only have to bulk grocery shop every 3-4 weeks, you are saving on gas and time.

2. Speaking of time:
If you warehouse shop, you do not need to look at weekly circulars for sales. You also do not need to spend time clipping coupons. Time is money for some people. I get that. If you are well paid as it is and spending family time or leisure time is more valuable to you than what you would save, then warehouse shopping is a true value.

3. Waste:
I have a small family. Even with a growing teenage son, it doesn’t make sense for me to buy in bulk. Also, the thought of a vat of
mayonaise kinda freaks me out a little (OK… A LOT. However, if you are a family of 4 or more, I can see how quickly groceries would go and using example # 1 makes even more sense.

4. Storage:
Who has room for giant size everything? Not me. But many do so BONUS! But where is the storage? All over the house? The garage? If it’s inconvenient….it’s not really storage.
5. Variety:
The problem with bulk is it is ALL the same. At the grocery store if I have to buy 12 soups, I can buy as many different varieties as I like, not just 12 cans of chicken noodle.

Getting back to #3, that’s my biggest problem. WASTE. Every week I have to toss produce, bread, chips, cereal etc that goes bad or gets stale. I hate this. It makes me feel so wasteful.

America throws away 40% of the food we manufacture, yet we have a welfare program. It makes little sense except that I get that my lettuce going bad isn’t going to help “feed” anyone. Yet, I struggle when throwing out stale chips. I know we aren’t going to eat them but feel true guilt as a picture how thankful others would be to have them.

There is a great book called American Wasteland by Jonathan Bloom. You can look at his website WASTEDFOOD here. The book is also available at AMAZON here:

Some very helpful tips to be gained from this book.
1. Meal plan, shop accordingly and execute.
This is a great family tool as well. I need to incorporate this more. On any given day I plan to make one thing and my son wants something different. If I plan ahead and he can see it on a menu… say on the fridge….I’m less likely to get complaints or last minute changes at dinner time. I make sure I have what I need ahead of time, which leads to less last minute trips to the store where you pay full price for items.

2. Utilize leftovers.
Sometimes (all the time in my house) you cook by recipe amount or box directions. That leads to leftovers such as to much rice or pasta etc. So many things can be incorporated into new meals within a day or 2. My perfect example is if I make Spaghetti one night, I always plan a soup within 2 days of that. Spaghetti noodles in soup??? No ….right? Wrong. Just take a knife and cut them into inch long portions and when making homemade chicken noodle…it fits perfectly. (note: DO NOT keep rice or pasta longer than 2 days in the fridge, the yeast in them contributes to high bacteria growth in short time spans)

3. Change your habits.
Habits are hard to break. You’re busy, your kids have practice, tutoring etc. on the schedule, the EASIEST thing to do is to pull through a fast food right? Of course it is but it’s also a terrible habit. If you just drive home, and cut up some celery, carrots and broccoli your kids will eat it. The snack then provides YOU the time to cook a healthy, cost efficient dinner.

Once again, I have to say COUPONS WIN. All things compared, even my friends who warehouse shop still end up running to the grocery store at least once a week. ( I asked) It’s just a matter of planning and plotting.

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