Great Shopping Trip

Normally my husband and I shop at the Commissary for our primary grocery needs, because they are often the cheapest and there is no tax. However, lately I've been doing pretty good at Kroger. Kroger will double coupons up to $1, and if you have a good coupon and are able to mix it with a good sale price, you can make out pretty well. Let me tell you about today's trip.

I bought 10 items, and after everything rung up, I paid only $7.98. That's about 80 cents a product. Every single item had a coupon, and three of them had freebie coupons:

1) Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce-$3.79
*With free coupon found here-FREE

2) Goldfish Cinnamon Graham Crackers-$2.19
*after 75 cent coupon plus 25 cent Kroger bonus-$1.19

3) Chicken of the Sea canned tuna-$0.89
*after 25 cent coupon plus 25 cent Kroger bonus-$0.49

4) Colgate toothbrush-$2.50
*after $1.49 Plus Card savings, 55 cent coupon plus 45 cent Kroger bonus-$0.01

5) Welch's refridgerated juice-$2.09
*after 75 cent coupon plus 25 cent Kroger bonus-$1.09

6) Coffee Mate 16 oz Hazelnut creamer-$1.59
*after 75 cent coupon plus 25 cent Kroger bonus-$0.59

7) Inernational Delight 16 oz creamer-$1.56
*after 23 cent Plus Card savings, 40 cent coupon plus 40 cent Kroger bonus-$0.53

8) Chavrie Goat Cheese-$5.99
*with free coupon found here-FREE

9) Dole salad mix-$3.18
*with $1 off coupon-$2.18

10) Bananas-$1.09
*with free coupon from Chiquita email inquiry-FREE

That's how you do it! One thing I learned about recently that you can easily do too is to email various companies to tell them either that you like their product or that there was a problem and some of them will send you nice coupons, like Chiquita did for me. :-) What awesome shopping trips have you had lately?

Birthday Freebies

I just celebrated a birthday and I'm still enjoying the perks of some of these freebies. Keep in mind, some will send you an email the week before your birthday and the coupon will expire a week after your birthday. Some send it right on your birthday and it expires (usually) a week later. A few are only good on your birthday and a couple come through snail mail. I would suggest you set up a "junk" email account so you're not bothered by a bunch of promo emails. However, don't forget to check that account regularly, as a lot of these eclubs will often send you something just for signing up, and they also send you perks throughout the year as well.

Some freebies are better than others. My favorite are the entrees. Get water to drink and you have a whole meal for free. I usually still tip though so the meal ends up costing a couple bucks. Still, not bad! Some of them require a meal purchase so they're really only useful if you had intended to go there anyway. And the buy one get one free offers are best if you plan to go out with a friend. In any event, happy birthday and happy freebie finding!

Best Birthday Freebies

Breakfast:

Denny’s-free Grand Slam breakfast (only on your birthday)

First Watch-free entrée

Appetizers:

Buca di Beppo-free small dessert or small appetizer (with entrée purchase)

Joe’s Crab Shack-free appetizer with entrée

Lone Star Steak House-join the eclub for a free appetizer with entrée purchase on your birthday

Texas Roadhouse-free appetizer of sidekick of ribs with entrée purchase

Entrees:

BD’s Mongolian Grill-free stir fry

Benihana-free meal

Moe’s Southwest Grill-free entrée

Noodles and Co-free bowl of noodles

Red Lobster-$5 off two adult dinner entrées

Red Robin-free gourmet burger (entrée)

Ruby Tuesday-free burger/sandwich entrée (back page of menu)

Spaghetti Warehouse-free spaghetti entrée and spumoni sundae

Drinks:

Borders-free coffee

Caribou Coffee – Create an account and be sure to update it with your birthday. They will send you a coupon for a free coffee drink on your birthday.

Dunkin Donuts-free beverage

Sonic-FREE medium Tots, a regular CreamSlush® Treat or a medium drink

Starbucks-free large drink (with registered card)

Tropical Smoothie Café-join Club Tropical for a free smoothie on your birthday

Ice Cream/Dessert:

Applebee’s-free dessert shooter with entrée purchase

Baskin Robbins-free scoop

Ben & Jerry’s-free scoop

Buffalo Wild Wings-free dessert

Champps-free slice of mile high ice cream pie (with any purchase)

Chili’s-brownie sundae with purchase of entrée

Dairy Queen-BOGO 16 oz Blizzard (join the club at the bottom of the page)

Friendly’s-free single cone with any purchase

Great American Cookies-cookie cake slice

MaggieMoo’s-free kid’s size ice cream on your birthday

Rita’s-buy one get one free

TGI Friday’s-join Give Me More Stripes for free dessert with entrée purchase

The Melting Pot-free chocolate fondue for 2 (when you purchase any Big Night Out or the combination of any two individual entrees and a cheese fondue)

Tumbleweed-free Margarita sundae