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Coupon Abbreviations
  • SC = Store Coupon
  • MC = Manufacturer Coupon
  • SS = Smart Source
  • RP = Red Plum
  • PG = Proctor and Gamble
Coupon Terms
  • WYB = When You Buy
  • B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free
  • .75/1 = 75 cents off one item
  • .75/3 = 75 cents off three items
  • EXP = Expiration Date

Going Nuts? I can help you understand coupon terms and abbreviations

Friday Finals: Sweet Home Alabama

on 3.20.2010 at 1:34am
Jenny 29 Comments

I hoped to get this typed up before spending my evening traversing between Alabama and Tennessee.  It didn’t happen though.  I’ve decided after tonight that I’m going to retire to this part of the world someday, it’s very beautiful and everyone many folks have some form of livestock in their yard which makes my children very happy!

Enough about country living.  Our savings this week, we made it out to Rite Aid and Publix and did pretty good.

Rite Aid:
Total before sales, coupons, and rebates: $56.92
Total spent after rebates: nothing, we made $10.52 profit!

Publix:
Total before sales and coupons: $44.15
Total spent: $18.40
Total saved: $25.75 or 58.2%

Weekly Totals:
Before sales and coupons: $101.07
Total Spent: $7.88
Total Saved: $93.19 or 92.2%

How did you do this week?  Leave a comment or link to your savings post.

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    • thefrugalfreeloader

      You're definitely the queen of saving! 93%?!

    • a_shrader

      That is just awesome…..and feel free to live in TN!!! We love it!

    • Erika

      Jenny, I just wanted to tell you thank you so much! I have been an extreme couponer for almost two years now and have used many sites in the past but you are the BEST BY FAR. Thank you for your time, commitment and precision. I still have to use another site for groceries because I live in Minneapolis MN. I am so grateful words cannot express how I feel. I have given your site to everyone who will listen. Technically we are a poor family (earn less than poverty level for family size) and we have such an abundance we donate often. Awesome job! I am so RICH! Thanks!

      • nowkacoupons

        Ditto. Jenny, thank you for what you do for us. God bless you in your generosity!

      • Kathy

        What site do you use for groceries? I live in Rochester.

        • Erika

          Kathy, Sorry for the slow response. I use pocketyourdollars.com Carrie matches Roundy's (Rainbow, Pick N save and another I can't think of.) They are all the same sales ad because they have the same parent CO. Cub foods as well. I do not know what stores you have down there. HTH. She does a good job. Also, becentsable.net is a great resource to find blogs that cover your grocery stores. Jenny is still the most precise (and my favorite) but I appreciate the work anyone is willing to put in to save me time and money! I hope it is OK to post this here.

    • Kat

      Jenny – Love you! Love the site! I give the link out to everyone who'll listen. You rock; however, not everyone living in Alabama has livestock in their yard. This is something I have to remind friends and relatives who do not live in the south. Please do not perpetuate the myth. We southerners, of course, know you're only joking but that doesn't help those who've never set foot in the great state of Alabama.

      • 3monkeysmom

        I'm in AL too( about 30 mins outside B'ham). While we may not ourselves have livestock in our own yards…chances are we know someone who does!!!! Just on the road I live on alone, I can see donkeys, horses and cows.
        Better livestock than rusted cars on cinder-blocks!!!!

    • Danni

      We're glad to have you down here! Being born and raised in Alabama and now living in Tennessee as an adult, I can appreciate your desire to retire here. It is beautiful indeed!

      Thanks for all the Southern kudos and daily savings updates!!

    • Janet Dimond

      Found your site 3 weeks ago and it's really helped me with some of my bargains! This week bought 4 boxes of Kellogg moni wheats for $1.04 at Target(after 2 manufacturer coupons, Target coupon and $5 gift card which I still have!) And Smart One frozen dinners at Shop Rite…bought 10 net cost $1.67.($1.67 each bought 10 for $5 off manufacturer coupon got 2 Catalina coupons $5 each) picked up other sale items immediately Arnold bread($1.99( Trop OJ $2.50(had coupon), stouffers Mac & cheese $1.27, 3 Herr's Tortilla chips) Actual out of pocket was about $11.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000031947078 Jackie Mercer Burt

      I never used coupons before I started following your site seven weeks ago. I had the best week ever this week and I got a ton of stuff. Here's my week:

      Rite-Aid
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $112.65
      Total spent after rebates: NOTHING – $2.36 PROFIT
      Total savings: 102.09% SAVINGS

      Kroger
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $34.17
      Total spent after sales & coupons: $6.10
      Total savings: 82.15% SAVINGS

      CVS
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $19.98
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: NOTHING – $2.00 PROFIT
      Total savings: 110.01% SAVINGS

      Target
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $67.26
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: $5.78
      Total savings: 91.41% SAVINGS

      Office Max
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $54.26
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: NOTHING – $10.00 PROFIT
      Total savings after 118.43% SAVINGS

      Walgreens
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $39.77
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: NOTHING – $0.71 PROFIT
      Total savings after 101.79% SAVINGS

      Toys-R-Us
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $71.05
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: $28.96
      Total savings: 59.24% SAVINGS

      Publix
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $75.85
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: $11.53
      Total savings after 84.80% SAVINGS

      Totals for the Week:
      Total spent before sales, coupons and rebates: $474.99
      Total spent after sales, coupons and rebates: $37.30
      Total savings after 92.15% SAVINGS

      If I would have had some will power and not bought my kids 2 (two) DVD BlueRay Movies and 8 bags of easter candy ($39.88) I would have actually been PAID $2.58 TO GET ALL OF THIS STUFF (valued at >$400) FOR FREE!

      May you and your family be blessed as you have blessed ours!

      • lovesavingmoney

        Wow.. you did awesome!!! Would LOVE to know how you did it!! Thats is great!

    • Angie

      I was just checking your site before attending the coupon class this morning in Huntsville, AL. I am bringing 15 women from my church along with me and we are looking forward to learning everything we can from you. I have been following your site for about a year now and have done pretty well couponing, but am interested to see if I have missed anything. I am looking forward to today.

      Also, Alabama, especially Huntsville, is a wonderful place to live and raise children. We went from I-75 in Atlanta being in our back door to 9.2 acres of land here. The quality of living here is just amazing and the people friendly. I hope you experience Alabama at its best while you are in town visiting.

    • erinstanford

      I just wanted to say AMEN to SWEET HOME ALABAMA!

      LOVE your website, by the way! ;)

    • melissa

      went to publix yesterday best deal i have ever gotten!!!!! My total before savings was 83.00 and after savings i ended up paying 19.00!!!!! YaY!!!! they had there similison ear drops on a clearance rack for 1.00 and i had a 2.00 off coupon so got it free plus a dollar overage!!! I used the revlon coupon from targets website for 1.00 off revlon beauty tool and i got 1 pk of 10 emery boards for free! Used my 1.50 off planters and got sunflower seeds for like 10cents, chips for .99 and used the 1.00 off one lance crackers and got 8 packs of crackers for 3.52!!!!! Got my lettace free, and celery free with the buy 2 tacobell kits for 2.00 something and got 1.00 off produce!!! I was so proud of myself with this shopping trip!!! Best deal yet!! I had lots of other deals but way to many to list ! lol.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lee-Watts/1423308353 Lee Watts

      I love the South! I've lived in South Carolina & TN and have great hopes of returning to the “south” after I graduate college in FL- to me and maybe some other people FL is not “the south” because unlike the many great southern states, most of FL just doesn't feel that way, if anyone else knows what i mean. I've never been been to alabama but would love to travel there as well as Louisianna. Hooray for Southern Charm!

    • Bobbie

      Love your title “Sweet Home Alabama”. Love to go places but always love to get back home. Also love your site although I can't seem to do quite as well I do pretty good. Been rebating for years but love the coupon matchups on your site. The reason I don't do as well the store is out of something and then that messes me all up. LOL We would love to have you in ALABAMA!!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/Leviathan2 Damien Barber

      Rite-Aid:

      Total before coupons, sales, rebates: $75.26
      Total spent after rebates: $0.90
      Percentage Saved 98.8%

      Publix:
      Total before coupons and sales: $101.52
      Total spent: $34.93 (pre-tax)
      Percent Saved: 65.6%

      Though I may be getting some Cottonelle this weekend now that I found a Publix store coupon to sweeten the deal even more.

      We also took advantage of the Buy 2 get 1 Free Hasbro card games Coupon which we purchased at Target (also using a $5 off coupon). The total there came to about $7 for 3 card games after coupons.

      And my wife scored 5 anti-bacterial hand soaps and a lip gloss from B&BW for $16.50, Saving $18.70!!!

    • Jennifer Meyer

      This week at Publix I got 2 jugs of Welches grape juice, 2- 6 packs of Welches grape juice, 2 Lance cracker packs, 3 Fast Fixins popcorn chicken, 2 V8 juices, 4 Chefboyardee cans, 2 Windex spray bottles, 4 lg. Ragu sauces, and a $50 BP gas card all for $53! Plus, the Chef boyardee and the windex have rebates! Thank you Jenny for all you do!!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000031947078 Jackie Mercer Burt

      It took me a while, but I think I got it all….

      Kroger (Total OOP -$6.10)
      Bought: 3 Bags Kraft Mexican Style Shredded Cheese, 1 Pkg Kraft Singles, 4 Scotch Brite Sponges, 4 cans Del Monte Tomatoes
      1 Lunchable without drink, 4 pkg Bumblebee Premium Tuna.
      Used : $1/1 Kraft Cheeses; $2/1 Kraft Shredded and Kraft Singles; 2-$1/2 Scotch Brite Sponges; $1/4 Del Monte Tomatoes; $1/2 Bumblebee Tuna and 2-$4 off for Mega Event. **I thought I had a free lunchable added to my Kroger Card, but found out it had expired.

      Rite-Aid (Total OOP +$2.36)
      Trans #1: Bought: 2(60 ct) Band-Aids, 1 (15 oz) Johnson’s Baby Wash, 1 (15 oz) Johnson’s Lotion, 1 (2 oz) Desitin, 1 bottle Visine, 2 (9.25 oz) cans Planters Cashews.
      Used: $5/$25 Riteaid; $3/1 Visine Store, $2/1 Visine, $3/3 Johnson’s, 2-$.50/1 Bandaid; 3-$1/1 Johnson’s Store
      Rebates: $22.94 towards J&J $25/$50 Rebate and $5.99 towards Planters $3/$15 Rebate

      Trans #2: Bought: 3(60 ct) Band-Aids, 1 bottle Visine, 1 Box Post Shredded Wheat Cereal, 2 Johnson’s & Johnson’s First Aid Tape, 3 Neosporin
      Used: $5/25 Riteaid; $3/1 Visine Store; $2/1 Visine, 2-$3/Band-Aid & Neosporin, 1-$1/1 Neosporin, 1-$.50/Band-Aid, 1-$2/1 Post Natural Cereal; 2-$1/1 Johnson’s First Aid.
      Rebates: $26.91 towards J&J $25/$50 Rebate* had $1.99 towards from previous Carefree purchase

      Trans# 3: Bought: 8 (8-oz) bags Hershey’s Easter Candy
      Used: 2-$2/3 Hershey’s and 1-$1/2 Nestle’s

      CVS (Total OOP +$2.00)
      Bought: 2 Sense & Spray Starter Kits
      Used: 2-$3/1 Sense & Spray and 1-$3 ECB Last Week
      Rebates: $4 ECB

      Target (Total OOP -$3.04)
      Trans# 1 Bought: 4 (12 ct) Boxes Pop-Tarts
      Used: 2-$1/2 Poptarts (Target)

      Trans#2 Bought: 2 (7.5-oz) Dial Liquid Hand soap;, 3 (16 ct) Slim Jims, 2 (.47 oz) Benadryl Itch Relief Sticks, 2 (15 oz) Up & Up Baby Bath Nighttime, 2-Airwick I-Motion Freshmatic Ultra Starter Kits, 2 (15 oz) Up & Up Baby Hair and Body Wash, 2 Johnson’s & Johnson’s Buddies Bath Bars
      Used: 2-$1/1 Dial Target Store Coupons; 2-$.35/1 Dial; 3-$1/1 Slim Jims; $4/2 Benadryl; 4-$1/1 Peelies for Up & up; 2-$1/1 Johnson’s, 2-$1/1 Airwick Target and 2-$5/1 Airwick; $5 Gift Card

      Office Max (Total OOP +$10.00)
      Bought: 1 Case Paper, 2 boxes (50 ct) #10 Peel & Seal Envelopes, 1 box (12 ct) Black Sharpie Markers
      Used: $10/$50
      Rebates: 100% Reward for Paper, Envelopes and Sharpies

      Walgreens (Total OOP +$1.75)
      Trans#1 Bought: 2-(8-oz) cans Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds; 2-Cadbury Eggs; 2 Chocolate Bunnies;
      Used: 2-$.50/1 Blue Diamond; $4.00 RR from last week

      Trans#2 Bought: 1 Colgate Total Toothpaste;
      Used $.75/1 Colgate
      Rebate: $4 RR

      Trans#3 Bought: 2 Oral B Cross Action Toothbrushes; 4-Cadbury Eggs
      Used: BIGI Oral B, $.75/1 Oral B and $4 RR
      Rebate: $2 RR

      Trans#4 Bought: 1 Colgate Total, 1 Big Roll TP
      Used: $1/1 Colgate and $2 RR
      Rebate: $4 RR for next week

      Publix (Total OOP -$11.53)
      Trans#1 Bought: 2- 10 ct Pop Secret Popcorn, 3-boxes Oreo Cakesters,1-Sure Solid Antiperspirant, 2-Bags Frozen Fixin Chicken Tenders, 1-Sara Lee Pound cake, 1-lb Strawberries, 1-Tub Cool whip, 1-Big Roll Paper towels, 1-Sudafed Sinus Spray, 2-10 ct 1-(3 pk) Orbit Gum, 2-8 pk Lance Peanut Butter Crackers, 2-boxes Uncle Ben’s Rice
      Used: 1/2 Pop Secret; 3-$1/1 Cakesters; 1-$1/1 Sure store; 1-$1/1 Sure; 2-$1/1 Fast Fixin’ Store; 2-$1/1 Fast Fixin’; $1.75 off strawberries with SL; $1/1 Sara Lee, $1/1 Coolwhip; $1/1 Orbit; 2-$1/1 Lance; $1/2 Uncle Ben’s; Penny Item Coupon; $2/1 Sudafed Store, $4/1 Sudafed

      Trans#2 Bought: 1-Sure Solid Antiperspirant, 1-Big Roll Paper towels, 1-10 ct Sudafed PE, 2-Johnson & Johnson Gauze Bandages
      Used: 1-$1/1 Sure store; 1-$1/1 Sure; Penny Item; $2/1 Sudafed Store, $2/1 Sudafed; $1.50/2 J& J Store; $1/1 and $.50/1 J&J First Aid

      Toys-R-Us (Total OOP -$28.96)
      Bought: Princess & the Frog Blue Ray DVD Combo Pack, Astro Boy Blue Ray and 2 Cadbury Eggs
      Used: $10/$50 Purchase, $10/1 Princess & the Frog Blue Ray DVD, $3/1 Astro Boy Blue Ray DVD
      Rebate: $5 Princess & the Frog and Bandaids

    • sasha

      Publix:
      Before sales and Q $167
      After $73

    • michelle

      March to Savings Sale going on at Krogers..

      This was my first “real” savings after coming onto Southern Savers for about 5 weeks and learning about how to do all this and build up my arsenal of coupons!

      Kroger March to Savings is buy 8 participating products and get $4 off instantly. My experience allowed me to buy 32 participating items in one checkout.
      I spent $20.75 and saved $30.99!

    • kelli

      We had a strange shopping week last week. I had some free product coupons that I used at Victoria's Secret and Walmart. The Lane Bryant here is going out of business, so I bought a few things for an insane discount. We both were also trying to get the J&J rebate at Rite Aid for as little OOP as we could. Here's the break down.

      Victoria's Secret: I had 2 free panty coupons and one of them was a free $10 too!
      total before sales/coupons: $29
      total oop: $0
      total saved: $29 or 100%

      Walmart: I had 3 free excedrin coupons (mine, fiance's, aunts)
      total before sales/coupons: $11.30
      total oop: $0 (no tax on drugs here)
      total saved: $11.30 or 100%

      CVS
      total before sales/coupons: $202.81
      total oop: $0 (I used a gift card from returning some makeup that was messed up. I stll have $9.68 on it)
      total saved: $202.81 or 100%

      Kroger
      total before sales/coupons: $124.83
      total oop: $0 (I was unpacking some boxes and found a gift card with $16.16 on it, not sure where it came from but free money is always good. I still have $7.66 on it!)
      total saved: $124.83 or 100%

      Lane Bryant: going out of business sale, a lot of stuff was marked to $6.99 and then it was 60% off of that. I bought a few costumey things and a pair of jeans I want to be able to fit into. :)
      total before clearance: $285.50
      total oop: $11.76
      total saved: $273.74 or 95%

      Food Lion: my fiance wanted some pipe tobacco, that was $5 of our oop
      total before sales/coupons: $85.97
      total oop: $15.55
      total saved: $70.42 or 82%

      Rite Aid
      total before sales/coupons: $208.64
      total oop: $10.02 or a profit of $49.98 after SCR
      total saved: $198.62 or 95% – 100+% savings after SCR

      I only bought 1 paper last week because I wasn't impressed by the coupons, that was $1.05

      I also got $22.50 in MIRs this week

      Weekly total
      total before sales/coupons: $948.05
      total oop: $38.38
      total saved: $909.67 or 96%
      total after SCR and MIRs: Profit of $21.62

    • kristanlynn

      it's my second week doing this and i think i did GREAT!

      Harris Teeter
      Before coupons- 75
      After coupons- 30

      Kroger
      Before coupons- 72
      After coupons- 36

      Publix
      Before coupons- 96
      After coupons- 32

      Food Lion
      Before coupons- 37
      After coupons- 7

      Target
      Before coupons- 22
      After coupons- 6

      CVS
      Before coupons- 82
      After coupons- 20

      Grand total
      Total OOP- 131
      Total Saved- 253

      What I got:
      10 pork chops
      4 steaks
      3lbs of meat… See More
      2 pckg lunchmeat
      2 windex
      1 box 82 luvs diapers
      4 betty crocker warm delights
      4 cans veggie
      3 frozed veggie
      1 straweberries
      14 yogurts
      3 renuzit airfresheners
      2 natures own loaves of bread
      2 peppridge farm swirl loaves
      3 jose ole taquitos
      5 15 ct pizza rolls
      2 pckgs hotdogs
      6 pillsbury toaster strudel
      1 renuzit odar elimintor spray
      2 kellogg poptarts
      1 airwick iMotion started kit
      2 glade sense and spray kits
      3 hamburger helper
      2 pckgs borden cheese slice
      6 dove deoderants
      2 degree for men deoderant
      2 right guard deoderants
      2 pckgs of keebler fudge cheesecake cookies
      5 motts apple juice
      8 V8 fusion juice
      2 dial body wash
      1 reynolds foil wrap
      1 rotiserrie chicken
      1 kens salad dressing
      2 listerine
      1 gillette fusion razor
      1 gillette fusion refill cartridge
      1 gillette fusion shave gel
      4 boxes kraft mac n cheese
      2 gallons milk
      2 uncle ben rice
      2 boxes of angel hair pasta
      1 lysol sanitze spray
      2 ALL small & mighty detergent
      1 coffee mate creamer (the big one)
      2 purdue chicken nuggets

    • http://www.facebook.com/lynnwbutler Lynn Whitlock Butler

      We are looking into moving to Hunstville from Atlanta…where would we look if we wanted a little bit of land? My husband's been out of work for over a year now, so not much money to buy anything with. But what areas would you recommend we look in? I really don't know where to start. Any suggestios from anyone would be great!

      Jenny, you live in Huntsville? And THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for doing this website. It's saved me so much! We're so broke right now but the kids keep commenting on how we have so much food for being so poor! Thank you!!!

    • Sara

      Jenny,

      Thanks for the Extreme Couponing class yesterday in Huntsville. We don't have any livestock in our yard :-), but we would welcome you to Sweet Home Alabama any time.

      I follow several other coupon blogs, but I'm loyal to you & Southern Savers. Blessings.

    • mjroberson5

      So glad you love AL & TN – I grew up in Bama and have spent the last decade in the TN/North GA area! Love it! :) Of course, you are always rocking the deals!

    • Marynell

      I was great meeting you Sat in Huntsville, AL, and you are a great speaker/teacher! I first wondered if I could sit still for two hours since I am not used to sitting for very long, but the time passed very quickly….not only because of your wonderful info but b/c you kept us entertained as well!! So glad I went. I recommend your classes to anyone….whether they are really good couponers or not…everyone can learn something! Thanks for coming to Huntsville and glad you liked Alabama!!

    • Marynell

      I was great meeting you Sat in Huntsville, AL, and you are a great speaker/teacher! I first wondered if I could sit still for two hours since I am not used to sitting for very long, but the time passed very quickly….not only because of your wonderful info but b/c you kept us entertained as well!! So glad I went. I recommend your classes to anyone….whether they are really good couponers or not…everyone can learn something! Thanks for coming to Huntsville and glad you liked Alabama!!