Progresso Recipe Starters: Product Review & TARGET Deal!

So while I was hunting around Target yesterday for Pumpkin Spice M&M's (game changer - I FOUND THEM!), I came across Progresso Recipe Starters. I seemed to see coupons just about everywhere for these last winter, but I had never tried them. At $1.50 to $2 regularly, it seems a little pricey to me. However, Target had them on sale this week for $1.52, and I had a coupon, so I thought I would give one a try. We have been eating pretty healthy lately to get ready for our trip. I think each of us has probably eaten a salad every day for the last 2 weeks (we LOVE salad)!

So while this wasn't the healthiest option ingredient-wise, it still made for a nice and quick dinner.

Here's the deal:
Buy 1 Progresso Recipe Starters, $1.52
Use (1)  $0.50/1 Progresso Recipe Starter Cooking Sauce Pouch coupon (Zip Code 90210)10% off Progresso Recipe Starters Pouch 9 oz. Target Cartwheel (Should take off .15)
= $.87 each

And if you use Savingstar, make sure to click the $.50/1 Progresso Recipe Starters offer, to save even more!



Now onto the review..
We purchased the Creamy Three Cheese. Both of us were craving some type of taco, so this worked out great. All you had to do was add shredded chicken (ours was cubed because it was leftover, but still worked great), shredded cheese, and 4 tsp of taco seasoning. We heated the sauce in the pan with the taco seasoning, added some shredded cheese, and the chicken. It was so simple, especially because our meat was already cooked and just needed to be heated up with the sauce!

We served this with crunchy taco shells. I was under the impression that we had tortillas, and was pretty disappointed when I got home and we didn't have any! It was great on the crunchy shells. I think next time we'll try to use it as a base for quesadillas!

Donation Time: $20 Challenge

In a post about a month ago, I described how I was going to challenge myself to spend $20 during August on food and products that would be donated to a local charity. My goal was to take that $20 and maximize it the best that I could within that 1 month period.

Well, I'm so excited to say that, as of September 1st, I had spent almost the entire $20, but I had purchased... $211 worth of products!!!!

A lot of time and planning went into strategically making sure these trips went off without a hitch, and for the most part, they did!

Disclaimer: I do purchase some of my coupons from clipping sites online. This probably added $6-8 to my total expenses, but because I was purchasing coupons anyways for my personal use, I decided not to include them in the total amount spent.

Items to be donated include:
48 bottles of Suave shampoo/conditioner
30+ Zone protein bars
20 boxes of cereal
14 boxes of Poptarts
6 packages of BIC disposable razors
4 4-packs of Snack Pack pudding
8 packages of Betty Crocker mashed potatoes

.. and a few other items I picked up along the way!

I am so excited to be taking over 130 items to our local women's shelter! I challenge you all to take $5, $10, or whatever you can spare, and use your couponing skills to help the less fortunate!! It's really fun & a great cause. Plus, it's fun to stock up on great deals that are freebies/cheapies, especially when they're things that you may not use. May as well take advantage of the awesome deals and share the benefits with others less fortunate than ourselves!!

My TOPS Trip: Week of 8/31

I'm sure many of those reading this don't have a TOPS Friendly Markets, but I wanted to share a GREAT deal I got there this week!

This week, Tops has a special promotion going on for certain Kellogg's products. When you purchase 10, you'll instantly get $10 off at the register - so that's like an additional $1 off per item!

I quickly scoped out my coupons and the items on sale to see what deals would work best for me. I was trying to gather the last of my items for donation to a local women's shelter, and maybe a few items for us.

Here's the breakdown I ended up with! And wait til you see my total spent.. I was so excited!

Pop Tarts
Purchased: 10 @ $1.67 each = $16.70
Used: (2) $1/3 Poptarts printable coupon (KelloggsFamilyRewards.com - this one does not require any rewards points to print!)
Used: (1) .40/1 Wild Cherry Poptarts coupon
Used: (2) $.75/1 PopTarts printable coupon (cashed in 500 points on KFR website)
= $16.70 - $10 instantly - $1 - $1 - $.80 - $1.50 - $1.50 = $.90 for 10 boxes!



Eggos, Poptarts, and Cereal
Needed to purchase 10 total to get $10 off
Purchased: 4 Eggos, 1 Rice Krispies, 1 Keebler cookies, and 4 Poptarts (Eggos and Keeblers not pictured)

Total:
4 Eggos @ $2.50 = $10
1 Keebler cookies = $2.50
4 Poptarts = $6.67
1 Rice Krispies = $2.50
= $21.68

Used:
(2) $.75/1 Eggos (Cashed in KFR rewards points)
(1) $1/2 Eggos (from 8/3 RP)
(1) .50/1 Rice Krispies coupon (from Kelloggs.com, no points needed)
= $21.68 - $10 off instantly - $1.50 - $1.50 - $1 - $1 = $6.68 for all 10 items


Betty Crocker Potatoes = $1 each
Purchased 8
Used $1/2 peelies that I had from purchasing them prior
= 8 for $4


CLIF Mojo Bars = 10 for $10
Purchased 3
Used 3 $.50/1 coupons (from a July SS insert)
= Free!!


Before coupons and store sale prices, my total was $71.79!
After store sales and coupons.. My total was $11.54!!
I saved $61! How exciting! I probably could've done a little bit better on the Eggo/Poptarts haul.. but I had forgotten a few coupons at home and I decided it wasn't worth it to try and come back the next day to save one more dollar. Plus, most of this is going to the women's shelter.. Hope they like PopTarts!


One more thing - Can you believe that there are so many flavors of Pop Tarts?! Holy cow. I purchased a total of 14 boxes, and not one flavor was a repeat. Plus, there was probably 4 or 5 kinds I didn't buy.. How crazy! 

Giant Eagle Deals: Week of 9/4-9/10

Hey everyone! Crazy how time flies, isn't it? I feel like summer just started. I spent all winter and spring preparing for my cousin's wedding, and before I knew it, it was summer. Now I spent all summer enjoying the beach, a visit to Charlotte with my cousins, and planning our Disney vacation coming up! Before I knew it, summer was gone. For me, my birthday (August 22) typically marks the end of summer. Now that there's no back to school for me, my birthday and Labor Day weekend typically mean that summer's over. But now we have fall to look forward to! And for me, fall means a Disney trip. We are so excited! I will probably be lacking on updates for the month of September. We leave in a week and a half. We're definitely ready and we both need the break from work and the hustle and bustle. I'll try to update as much as I can, but with an exam coming in October, I'm a busy bee.

Now, what you really came here for - some awesome GE deals!

I'll update this list as I find more great deals -- but for the best GE deals, please visit Lady Savings' Giant Eagle matchups!

Prego Pasta Sauce - $1 off instantly when you buy 4
Purchase 4 Prego Pasta Sauce @ 4 for $6
Use: (2) $0.75 off any TWO (2) Prego Italian Sauces (-$3)
= 4 for $3 = .75 each!


Super Pretzel = BOGO FREE = $1.49 each
Use either 35¢/1 SuperPretzel Soft Pretzel Product
Or 50¢/1 from 8/17 RP (exp 9/25)
= $.49 when you use the .50/1 coupon, or $.79 when you use the .35/1!

Rice Krispy Treats = $2
Use: $.75/2 Rice Krispy Treats from 8/3 RP
= $2.50 for 2 boxes, or $1.25 each

Dannon Multipacks Yogurt or Danimals = $2

Use: $1/1 Dannon danimals smoothie pack from 08/24 SS (09/24/14) – if included
Or $1 Off 1 Dannon 4-pack or 3 5.3oz singles from 08/17 SS (10/19/14)
Or $1/1 Printable Coupon
= $1 each!

Eggo Waffles, Bites, Toaster Sticks, or Muffin Tops = $2
Use $.75/1 Kellogg's Family Rewards coupon if you have it!
OR use $1/2 Eggo Frozen Product, from 8/3 RP
= 2 for $3 with $1/2 coupon = $1.50 each!

Welch's Farmer's Pick 100% Juice = $2.50

$.75/1 Welch’s Farmer’s Pick 46oz from 07/13 RP (09/30/14)

= $1 each!

Pillsbury Cookies: Buy 3 Get 1 Free + Coupon Stack @ Target!

This is a pretty sweet deal! Through 10/4, Pillsbury Ready to Bake cookie dough is on sale Buy 3 Get 1 Free @ Target.

These cookies freeze well and are so easy to make. They're found in the refrigerated aisles.

To get this deal, you'll stack 3 types of offers. This is a great deal for those getting started, or those who have been doing this for awhile!

PURCHASE:
4 Ready to Bake Cookie Dough @ $2.54 each = $10.16
- 1 FREE ($2.54) = $7.62
Use: 10% off Cartwheel (Should take off .76)
Use: (2) $1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough (Target Coupon)
Use: (2) $1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough (Manufacturer Coupon, from coupons.com)
= $2.85 for all 4!

Kellogg's Family Rewards: How to Earn Points!

When I first started couponing, I hated anything that was extra work. It's hard enough to find deals, keep up with clipping and printing coupons, and actually using them is a whole different story! Kellogg's Family Rewards is something I put off for a long time. I thought I would never get enough points to actually purchase a coupon, and that it would be a total waste. I was so wrong. Between March and now, I've accumulated over 2,000 points! Most of those aren't even from products I have purchased, but from codes that have been publicly given by Kellogg's.

Kellogg's products go on sale pretty frequently at Giant Eagle. Between Keebler, Kellogg's, Morningstar, Eggo, Cheez-It, Townhouse, Austin, Famous Amos, Club, and Pop Tarts, it's hard to keep track. I bet most of you didn't even know those were all technically Kellogg's brands!

Coupons for these products do appear, but they're generally not as high value as many couponers would like. They're typically $1 off 2, $1 off 3, etc. Couponers generally like to see coupons that are $.75/1 (they'll double), $1/1, etc. That's where KFR comes in.




Kellogg's Family Rewards is a great site. They have coupons that you can print for free, no points needed, just by signing up. When you do sign up, you're eligible to earn points. 

Points can be earned two different ways. You can purchase products and enter the codes on the inside of the package, and you can come across public codes that Kellogg's puts out regularly. It helps to "like" the Kellogg's Family Rewards Facebook page, because they share codes there too sometimes! There are also special offers, listed on the site, where you can earn extra points by purchasing certain products. Now I wouldn't purchase a certain product at regular price just to earn points - that defeats the purpose - but the coupons given by earning points are great. You can "purchase" coupons with your points. For 500 points, you can print off a $.75/1 coupon. For 1000 points, you can purchase a $1.50/1 coupon. These can be for any product you choose. $.75/1 coupons are even better than the $1.50/1, they're half the points and they double at places like Giant Eagle! 

When you "purchase" a coupon, you'll receive a link in your email. You can click that link to print your coupons. Also, you can print 2 of that coupon, so go back and click it again to print. Then you just take the coupons with you to the store to start saving. It's really a great site, and it's so user friendly.

Just don't forget to check your boxes for codes - I've thrown a few of mine away, and I'm never happy when I do it! :)

Giant Eagle: Cereal Deals for Week of 8/28

Because these deals are somewhat complex, I've created a separate post for them. After all, the reason I created this blog is to help people learn. Sometimes I feel like I'm just typing out the deals but not necessarily in a way that someone who's never couponed before would understand. So I hope this helps!


Cereal is one of the EASIEST things to get for free at Giant Eagle. General Mills releases coupons all the time. You can find these on www.coupons.com or www.bettycrocker.com/coupons pretty regularly. Giant Eagle frequently puts cereal on sale - I swear General Mills on sale at least twice a month, and Kellogg's usually once or twice.

Kellogg's puts out less coupons than General Mills (in my opinion), but that doesn't mean Kellogg's coupons are hard to get. I'll follow up this post with one describing Kellogg's Family Rewards program. It's free to sign up, and you can earn points pretty easily. There are codes on each Kelloggs, Keebler, Morningstar, Townhouse, etc. product that you buy. You can enter these codes onto the website to earn rewards points. When you earn rewards points, you can cash them in for coupons! For each coupon, you can print it twice. So twice the coupons! Kellogg's Family Rewards also has coupons that anyone can print, without using KFR points!

Something that is very important. Not all General Mills and Kellogg's cereals will be included in this sale. Pay close attention to the tag and the size of the box. Make sure you're picking up the ones labeled for the sale, and not the huge boxes that are $4 apiece that aren't included!



Now, on to the deals...



KELLOGG'S: Buy any 4 participating cereals (4 for $10), get $4 off Milk
This is an "instant savings" deal. When the register sees that you've purchased the 4 qualifying cereals, it should automatically deduct $4 from your bill. That being said, you should still purchase milk and do the deal properly, as opposed to some who may just use this as an opportunity to get $4 off their bill, but not purchase the required milk. Don't be one of those people! Couponing properly is essential to stores giving us great deals in the future!

Cereals that are included:
Apple Jacks
Corn Pops
Mini Wheats
Frosted Flakes
Crunchy Nut
Krave
Froot Loops
Raisin Brand (Certain varieties)

Coupons Available:
75¢/1 Printable Coupon (Obtained by using KFR points) – BEST Coupon
$1.50/1 Printable Coupon (Obtained by using KFR points) – BEST Coupon$1/2 Kellogg’s Cereals 8.7oz+ Limit 4 coupons from 08/03 RP (09/14/14)
$1/2 Frosted Flakes Printable
$1/2 Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Cereals 14oz+ from 07/27 RP (09/07/14)
$1/3 Kellogg’s Krave, Frosted Flakes, Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Honey Smacks and/or Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Cereals 8.7oz+ Limit 4 coupons from 07/27 RP (09/07/14)
$1/2 Mini Wheats Printable Coupon
$1/3 Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, Krave or Froot Loops Printable Coupon
$1/3 Special K Printable Coupon



I'm assuming most of you don't have the KFR coupons, so let's assume you have 2 $1/2 coupons. That's the next best thing, and they're easily obtainable!

Purchase: 4 cereals of your choice.
Use: (2) $1/2 coupons (can be any of the above, just make sure your cereals match the coupon)
= $8 for 4 cereals, plus $4 off milk! Assuming you were buying milk anyways, that's like $1 per box!


For those of you that do have the KFR points to spare, I suggest doing it this way.
Use 2 $.75/1 coupons (Only purchase 1 with your points. This should be 500 points. You can get 2 prints from each). They'll double to $1.50 off.
Use 2 $1.50/1 coupons. Again, only purchase 1 with your points. This coupon is 1,000 points. You can print 2.
= $10 - $6 in coupons = $4 total, PLUS $4 off milk! That's like paying for the milk, and getting the cereal for FREE!!





GENERAL MILLS: 1 Box FREE When You Buy 4 = 5 for $8This is another "instant saving" deal. Usually at Giant Eagle, you would be able to use 5 coupons on this deal, because the value of the cereal ($2) will come off instantly.

Cereals Included:
Multi Grain Cheerios
Cheerios
Cocoa Puffs
Trix
Total

Coupons Available:$0.85/1 box Trix cereal Printable Coupon
$0.75/1 box Multi Grain Cheerios cereal Printable Coupon 
$0.75/1 box Trix cereal Printable Coupon
$1.10/2 Select Cheerios Printable Coupon
$1/2 General Mills Big G cereals from 08/03 SS (09/13/14)$1/3 General Mills cereals from 08/17 SS (09/27/14)$1/3 General Mills Big G cereals from 08/24 SS (10/04/14)$1/2 General Mills Cheerios cereal boxes from 08/24 SS (10/04/14)$1.00 off 2 BOXES any flavor Cheerios cereals
75¢/1 Multi Grain Cheerios Giant Eagle eOffer (exp 8/31)50¢/1 Trix Giant Eagle eOffer (exp 8/31) or SavingStar Deposit (exp 8/31)

According to LadySavings (and I agree), the best deal is to do the following:
Buy 3 Trix an 2 Multi-Grain Cheerios ($8 total)
Use (2) $.85/1 Trix coupons (link above)
Use (1) $.75/1 Trix coupons (link above)
Use (2) $.75/1 Multi Grain Cheerios coupons (link above)
These coupons will all double.
= $8 - $1.70 - $1.70 - $1.50 - $1.50 - $1.50 = Just .10 for 5 boxes!