A few goodies

I'm so glad that I've been able to go into Meijer the last month or so without the lighting bothering me. So we've been going about once a week, because I scope out their recycling dumpsters for coupon inserts. Normally I walk away with at least something; some weeks I get a whole bag from the newspaper of extra inserts!

Anyway so today I was able to snag just about 4 inserts with a few from yesterday's paper. Which is good, because I actually bought a paper yesterday, and it only came with a RedPlum insert! What the heck?!

At Meijer I got a few deals.

Frank's Red Hot @ .99 - .50 q doubled up to .49= FREE

Kraft 100 Calorie pack which my DH loves=$2.79

Pampers wipes @ $2.00-$2q=FREE, will give to my sister-in-law

Egg Beaters @ $2.00-$1q=$1.00

4 cans of Dole mandarin oranges @ $1.00 each -(2) .50 off 2 qs doubled=$2.00 for 4 cans or .50 each

2 Coffeemates @ $1.00 each- (2) .75 qs doubled up to .25=FREE, bought these for my mother-in-law, but I may see if I can use these in a dessert recipe.

Total before qs=$13.78

I paid: $5.93

My Coupon Wishlist :)

Since I'm getting into couponing pretty hardcore, I decided I'd compile a pretty detailed wishlist for any partners I get for swaps or for anyone who wants to trade with me. These are the coupons I can always use.

I shop at Giant Eagle (doubles up to .99), Kroger (doubles up to .99), Meijer (doubles up to .99), Wal-Mart, CVS, and Walgreens.

Dairy
* Weight Watchers ice cream and novelty ice creams
* Skinny Cow ice cream and novelty ice creams
* Cottage cheese
* Breakstone's Cottage Doubles
* string cheese
* Kraft 100 calorie cheese packs
* Kraft singles
* Any shredded cheese
* Babybel cheese

Bread
* Arnold Select Sandwich Thins
* Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats
* English muffins
* any Weight Watchers bread products

Meat & Produce
* Any produce
* Fresh Express bagged salad
* any pickles
* any meat
* Oscar Mayer lunch meat
* Oscar Mayer hot dogs
* Hillshire Farms lunch meat
* Johnsonville sausage
* any chicken sausage
* any seafood
* Gorton's products
* Jennie-o turkey products
* any tuna
* Bumblebee tuna salad, seafood salad, and chicken salad kits
* any Lloyd's product
* any Curley's product

Baking
* Splenda
* Muffin mixes especially Martha White's
* any cookie, brownie, or cake mixes
* frosting

Condiments, Sauces, and Seasonings
* Manwich
* any ketchup
* Miracle Whip
* any spaghetti sauce
* Tabasco
* any hot sauces
* any brand taco seasoning
* any brand taco sauce
* any spices

Frozen
* Lean Cuisines
* Smart Ones
* Healthy Choice
* any frozen veggies
* Green Giant Just for One
* Eggos
* Aunt Jemima pancakes
* Lean Pockets
* California Pizza Kitchen
* Newman's Own pizzas

Canned/Dry Mixes/Pastas
* Hamburger Helper
* any spaghetti or pasta
* Wacky Mac
* Crystal Light 2 qt mixes
* Kool-Aid packets
* any Campbell's soups
* any Progresso soups
* any broths
* any brand canned vegetables
* any brand canned fruit
* any cereal

Snacks
* Fiber One granola bars
* any 100 calorie packs
* Slim Jims
* Quaker granola bars
* Quaker rice cakes and minis
* Jolly Time popcorn
* Mentos gum
* Any gum
* Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats
* Graham crackers

Health & Beauty
* Always pads
* Depends adult underwear
* any toothpaste or toothbrushes
* any body washes
* bar soap
* liquid hand soap
* contact solution
* mouthwash
* any deodorant for women or men
* any shampoo or conditioner
* Axe body spray
* any colognes
* disposable razors
* Gillette razors for men
* Johnson's Buddies
* Bandages

Paper Products & Cleaning Supplies
* toilet paper
* tissues
* trash bags
* any Ziploc style bags
* Sun laundry detergent
* any brands laundry detergent
* Cascade Action pacs
* Dish soap
* Dish detergent
* Spray & Wash

Drinks
* Snapple
* any diet pops especially Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke, Diet Stewart's
* any tea bags

Pets
* Tidy Cats litter
* The World's Best Litter
* any cat treats
* any dry cat food
* wet cat food

Other
* Any restaurant coupons, any FREE items

What I don't want, don't use, or can't use...
* Baby products
* Alcohol or tobacco
* Paper towels or napkins
* Yogurt
* I rarely wear makeup
* Any cleaning supplies that aren't listed above
* Dog items
* Paper plates
* Medicines
* Condoms
* Pregnancy tests

Today I emailed:
Keebler
Nabisco
(both regarding their 100 calorie packs)
Fresh Express

Master List- Emails to Companies

Here is where I will update when I email companies and when I receive feedback from them. All will be complimentary emails unless noted.

B


Better'n Peanut Butter


C

Clif bars- nothing

D

Don Miguel- free item coupon and another coupon
Dr. Pepper

E

Eggland's Best- an email saying that if I gave them my address they'd send me some coupons, so I did, but received nothing

F

Fiber One-nothing


G

Gorton's
Green Giant-nothing


H

Horizon Organic

K


Kleenex- nothing


M

McDonald's- complaint- received $10 in gift certificates
Mrs. T's- 2 .55 coupons


P

PopChips- nothing
Purina Tidy Cats litter- received (2) $2.00 coupons

S

Skinny Cow- received (2) .50 cent coupons
Smart Ones- received (4) .75 cent coupons; emailed again 5/2011
Snapple- nothing
Splenda- received a nice package with a boatload of recipes, a Kool-Aid stirring spoon (I told them I always use Splenda instead of sugar when making Kool-Aid), and (1) $3.00 coupon
Stewart's Cream Soda- nothing

W

World's Best Cat Litter

It PAYS to complain....

I had a horrible experience at McDonald's the night we came back from our cruise. I got a 5-piece Chicken Selects that made me violently ill. I emailed them to explain that I thought the food had spoiled, and I got $10 in gift certificates. It was worth the fact that I threw up all my chicken and got a bloody nose, lol.

Coupons from Companies

About a week ago, one of my favorite blogs, Money Saving Mom, had a post about how it pays to email companies. In the past, I have sent snail mail letters to companies to compliment them or to complain, but it never occurred to me that I could have the same success by emailing them. What an inexpensive, convenient way to get coupons that I will use. So I've been emailing companies and I will post about my successes (and hopefully no failures).

I've had one success so far with an extremely quick turn-around. Since DH & I are doing Weight Watchers, I emailed Smart Ones to tell them how we love and rely on their frozen meals. I received an email thanking me and telling me that I'd be receiving some coupons in the mail. Yesterday I received an envelope from Heinz with 4 75-cent off any Smart Ones product coupons. I already used them all :) They doubled at Meijer, making for some cheap lunches. Just in time, because our freezer was getting empty.