END OF MONTH REMINDERS

It's the end of the month. Remember to print out any coupons you were thinking about printing at coupons.com and add ecoupons to your Fred Meyer card from shortcuts and cellfire. The coupons available at all these sites might change tonight. Remember that the maximum limit ecoupons is 50.

Read More.....looking for his rewards card.



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Kelloggs $10 Bonus Bucks Offer

Wow! Kelloggs really wants my cereal business!!! First the air miles promotion (ok, I'm showing my age), then multiple years of free DVD's, and now this:

Kelloggs has a new promotion that is good thru 9/30/10.
  • Buy 3 specially marked packages Kelloggs cereals (Frosted Flakes, Mini Wheats, Fruit Loops, Raisin Bran).
  • Enter 3 codes from specially marked packages (ALL AT ONCE).
  • Receive $10 Bonus Bucks by mail.

This promotion is UNLIMITED and your categories are Movie Cash, Sporting Goods Cash, Electronics and Toy Cash, Book Cash. There is a big list of stores that accept these including Fred Meyer, Sports Authority, Target, Albertsons, ToysRUs and Walmart. Bonus Bucks must be used by 10/31/10. You can read all the details here. I haven't seen any in the local stores, but I must admit, I haven't been down the cereal aisle lately. Please post a comment if you find them.

Read More....thinks it must be time for breakfast!


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WW 9/23 - yeppers! that's a deal!

Hmmmm...thinkin' the large might be the way to go on this one...




Read More...he's wondering if he can add them all together.....



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Mozzarella Cheese at Winco


UPDATE: I found some at the Winco on Fairview/Milwaukee in Boise, so this is also a local deal. Cheese was $2.98.

Here's some exciting info from Being Frugal is Fabulous. One of her readers found Precious Mozzarella, 1 lb.:
$3.15 (it was $3.09 at her store).
There were $1.50 off Peelies right on the Mozzarella
Final Price: $1.65!

Also found were $1.00 peelies on Oberto Beef Jerky, so if that is an item you typically buy, be sure and check them out at your local WinCo. I have not checked local WinCos in the Treasure Valley, if you find some, please let us know in the comments.

Read More....Looking forward to lasagna!



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Albertsons Vista/Overland

Albertsons on Vista and Overland still has about a dozen Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers chopped broccoli in the clearance freezer bin for $1.25 as posted on athriftymom They also had quite a few rolls of postal paper on clearance near the bakery for 50c each.

Read more... loves eating his veggies.

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Macy's $10 coupon

There is a lot of excitment about a charity promotion going on at Macys. Donate $1 and receive a $10 Macys coupon good on $10+. Unfortunately, there is a wide variance on how the promotion is being handled. Some stores are requiring a $5 donation, some stores limit it to one per person, and some stores are selling them in unlimited quantities to anyone. Obviously, if you can get a $10 coupon for only $1, that is like buying a $10 bill with a $1 bill. Gee, if you are lucky enough to have a Macys that will let you get as many as you want, that's a great way to stock up on small purchases, like socks or undies, kitchen gadgets or sale items. Each register has a stack of the $10 coupons, so even if you're told at one register they are all out, go to another register and keep asking. You can't stack them, meaning you can't use two $10 coupons to buy a $20 item. The fun part is finding great deals in the $10.xx range.

I haven't been able to confirm if the Treasure Valley stores are participating or not. If you get any info, please post it under comments. Thanks to refundcents for the heads up!

Read More.... looking for some new clothes!

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Staples -- sneak peek 9/20

If you're just dying to see what Staples has in store for next week...well, you're in luck!

Go HERE to see what's on sale.



Read More...loves the sneaky goodness of a preview!




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**UPDATE** HOT SEARS COUPON!!!

**UPDATE** This coupon is not being accepted by Sears.

My buddy, Janet, tried to use this coupon today. The Boise store manager had received a message from Sears corporate not to take the coupon -- so, it's not being accepted. At this point, the manager didn't know what would be done about it being in Seventeen magazine. Neither coupon will be accepted tho.



Original Post:

Starting tomorrow (9/15) thru 11/14/09, score some FREE Juniors fashions at Sears.

Hurry and print this coupon http://www.sears.com/ue/clth/link_jrfashion_coupon.pdf

There is no minimum purchase. Savings apply to juniors’ apparel only. Not valid on Lands’ End merchandise, Outlet Store purchases and catalog orders. One coupon per purchase, not valid on prior purchases.

~~C'ya Janet

THANKS to RefundCents for the info!
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Friday humor -- don't mess with kids!

You may have seen some of these before. Today I needed a little pick-me-up, so I thought you might as well. Here's me sending you a couple of giggles. Enjoy!


Seven Reasons Not To Mess With Children

1.) A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, 'When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah'.
The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'
The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him'.


2.) A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'
The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.'
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'


3.) A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to 'honor' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'


4.) One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?'
Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mummy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'


5.) The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'


6.) A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, 'Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.'
'Yes,' the class said.
'Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?'
A little fellow shouted, 'Cause your feet ain't empty.'


7.) The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'


Read More...yep, out of the mouth of babes! Gotta luv it!



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$5 Off Purchase at Grocery Outlet

Click HERE to participate in a survey by the Grocery Outlet Bargain Markets for a $5.00 coupon off any purchase (excluding dairy and alcohol). The survey takes about 10 minutes and at the end you will be able to print out the coupon, which is valid through 10/10/09. But, if you want to take advantage of this you better do the survey today as it wont be around much longer.

I haven't been in Grocery Outlet in a few years, so I can't tell you what you will find. The only location I could find in the Treasure Valley was on Fairview (across from Channel 7). Here's their website if you want to look for other locations http://groceryoutlet.com/

Thanks to Leah at La Vida Cheapo for this tip.

Read More... He's Saving His Pennies.


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Freds -- coupon policy change!

**UPDATE** Here is a different contact to express how you feel about this coupon policy change. The previous contact numbers were in merchandising. This contact phone number is for operations -- apparently Freds wants all concerns / complaints / feedback to be handled by their corporate "talking head" and not their other employees. Expect to hear the same explanation of "everyday low prices" as the strategy and "appreciation" for your business & feedback.

Melinda Merrill, Director of Public/Corporate Affairs
800-858-9202 ext. 3830
melinda.merrill@fredmeyer.com

Per Cheri Judy, Director of Operations, there will be a communication to the stores this week -- once that memo hits the stores (thinking today or tomorrow) THEN there will be a 1 week grace period for the current policy! So, we can use the current Albs doublers at Freds until they expire next week Tues. SWEET! This will also give us another Freds ad to look through & potentially use them with.


Original Post below:

This was such a short lived opportunity! I was totally fearful once the current policy got out as common knowledge Freds would pull it. Yep. They sure did.

**The current policy will be grandfathered in for this week.**

I have posted it HERE in case you need it for reference. I don't think it matters anymore whether you actually ask for the policy at the store since it's going away. As there are Albs doublers this week, you can still take advantage of this policy for a few more days.

Today I spoke with Lance K. at Freds Zone 6 Regional Office (Treasure Valley) to verify some information. Over the past month, I have been in correspondence with both he and Kent C., Director of Grocery at Freds corporate. I was really hoping to get them to see the potential of catering to the couponer buyer, but alas! it's not to be.

Freds believes their current strategy of "everyday low prices" will make them viable into the future. I believe they are behind the times on what their customer base needs these days; NONE of the corporate / regional folks I spoke with even knew there was such a buyer as a "couponer" or the blogs or the strategy or the stockpiling....and on and on...

So, what's the deal now? Great question. Per Lance, Freds will have a new policy which will not be available to the public. Huh? I asked him how was I to know what the rules will be & he said my store director would explain them. La Vida Cheapo has a GREAT post HERE that outlines how Freds will take coupons -- nothing exciting -- pretty much back to the normal stuff.

The only way a company will make a change is if it hears from its customers. If you want to chat with or send an email to Freds about this policy change (good or bad), here are some Freds corporate contact info:

Corporate Office, Customer Relations 800-858-9202
(then use ext. below)

Steve Fox, VP of Merchandising ext. 5647
steve.fox@fredmeyer.com

Kent Criss, Director of Grocery ext. 5640
kent.criss@fredmeyer.com


Read More...totally bummed...freakin' bummed...&%#!& bummed...



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LOL -- how would your husband do?

Holy cow! You guys have just gotta read THIS story from The Bargain Jargon. I was laughing out loud.

How would your husband do? Post a comment and share!

Mine? Oh, yeah, he would be looking around in a daze...eventually, I think he would be able to pull it off. At least, as long as I had my cell phone on me! *smile*


Read More...he's not volunteering for this...nope...not gonna...
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Payless shoes discount coupon

Click here for a 15% coupon -- good thru Oct. 4th. Valid in stores or online! SWEET!

Thanks to RefundCents for the info!

Read More... Thinking of shiny new shoes!
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WW 9/16 -- save with store coupon.... huh?



Read More...he's thinking this might not be that good a deal...LOLOL!




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Freds -- Lunchables for CHEAP!

There is a GREAT deal at Freds for lunchables that BEATS Albs price!

Check out the details on THIS post by Discount Queens!

SWEET!


Read More...he's got a crush...something about a tiara....



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Freds -- new FM Extra Savings book!

The new Freds Extra Savings book is available today! The ad and coupons are good through 10/13. Grab a couple to have on hand!

If you need it now, the first item I noticed is the Challenge Butter on the back page:

Challenge Butter 2/$5 16 oz
$0.50/1 IP here
1 Albs doubler
Final Price $1.50

This is a decent price even if you don't want to mess with using a doubler. However, as we are entering the "season of baking," there might be something better yet! *smile*


Read More...he's full of excitement on getting MORE coupons!



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Albs -- early a.m. doublers run

This is what I did first thing this morning. I really LOVE the Special K Blueberry cereal, so I printed and begged friends to get four coupons to use this morning.

Here's my two doubler transactions this morning:


Total OOP $1.45 ($2.08 w/tax)

4 boxes Special K cereal
1 box Special K snack crackers
4 boxes Ritz Crackerfuls


To see how the pricing for this works, check out the receipts!



Read More...man, lovin' the deal! Click on me to see the receipts...





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Albs -- stock status & info on 9/16 ad

Hello all! Here is what I know about the new ad that just started. I was at the store bright & early this morning -- the reason is really long so we'll just skip that part -- and did a couple of transactions.

Here's what I found out:

Campbells Select soups -- all the select soups except for the Light Selects should be on the 4/$5 promo. Not all of the soups have tags yet or are ringing up at the correct price. The 12 street Nampa store is fixing it now. I alerted the manager at the Greenhurst store. Hopefully, this issue will be fixed soon.

Ritz Crackerfuls -- if you want these, you better act fast. These have been hard for Albs to get enough stock from the warehouse -- the mfg. isn't getting them to the warehouse. So, it's just one of those things that will most likely run out quickly.

Buy 4 save $5 instantly -- with 4 $1/1 MQ and 3 doublers == FREE (just pay tax)

Wheat Thins -- YES! These are part of the promo for buy 4 save $5 instantly. You can print the $1/1 IP here (IE link).

Buy 4 save $5 instantly -- with 4 $1/1 MQ and 3 doublers == FREE (just pay tax)


Read More...he's ready for more! Bring it on!


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Albs -- my doubler transactions

I wasn't sure what I would find at the store today. So, it was nice to run across a few things to use doublers on that I was excited about getting.

Here's how I used my doublers today:

Total OOP $5.24
(5.91 w/tax)

3 Hormel Compleats meals
5 Green Giant Steamers veggies
1 Rhodes rolls

I did this in 3 transactions using 3 doublers in each transaction.





Here's how the pricing breaks down:

Hormel Compleats meals $1.99 (clearance price)
1 $0.75/1 MQ SS 8/16
1 doubler
Final Price $0.49

Green Giant Steamers veggies 2/$3 and $1.79 (clearance price)
1 $0.50/1 MQ SS 9/13
1 doubler
Final Price $0.50 to $0.79

Rhodes rolls $1.69
$1/1 MQ SS 6/14 -- (7/19 or 8/16 inserts too)
1 doubler
Final Price $0.69
(one of our doubler favs!)


Read More...just double me done for today!



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Freds -- Ragu for $0.32 each

This promo ends tomorrow 9/15! So, if you're interested, ya better get going! I REALLY didn't need any more spaghetti sauce, but hey, this was too cheap to pass up!

UPDATE! Heads up! You CAN use a FM store coupon with an Albs doubler! Whoot! It just depends on what type of FM store coupon you're trying to use. A specific price off of a transaction will work, i.e. take $2 off when buy X number of items. A price point coupon won't work, i.e. you get 4/$5 or something like that (see here for my oops! FM-doubler transaction).

Here's how I did this transaction:

Total OOP $0.95 ($1.08 w/tax)

3 jars Ragu sauce

I decided to get the white sauce for more variety. Also, since these jars are only 16 oz, I like to get an awesome deal to feel like I'm getting some value for my money.


This deal was sweeter because the Freds monthly Extra Savings ad has the Ragu as 3/$5. However, these sauces rang up at $1.55 -- which is 3/$4.65 -- so, I was $0.35 ahead before I started with the coupons! SWEET!

I had picked up three of these coupon booklets so I had another Buy 3 get $2 Unilever coupon (back cover) to use. This means when you buy 3 items you save $0.67 on each item.

Here's how the pricing worked:

Ragu sauce 16 oz $1.55
Bought 3 for a total of $4.65

$0.30 store discount (Albs doublers) -- did this 2 times
$0.30 MQ SS 9/13 -- used 2
$0.50 EQ here
$2.00 in Unilever savings

Final Price $0.95 or $0.32 each

This transaction could be done with three Albs doublers. For me , since the $0.50 e-coupon was so close to the amount I'd get with a MQ & doubler, I decided to save a MQ / doubler and just let it ride. *smile*



Read More...he wants me to make garlic pizza now -- yum-o!



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Albs -- doublers on Wed 9/16

Doublers again on Wed! Whats a girl to do!?

Well, at least some of the "outs" will hopefully be filled with the Tuesday night trucks. It also takes a little pressure off getting any last minute doublers from Sunday used up!

DEEP BREATH! Here we go again...


Read More...says THANKS to Frugal Chic Living for the info!


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Albertsons Gas Rewards

I received a catalina yesterday night, announcing changes to the Albertsons Gas Rewards Program.

Effective Sept. 17, 2009 (this Thursday)

  • New Gas Rewards will expire 30 days from the date of issuance.
  • This change will only apply to Gas Rewards earned on or after Sept. 17, 2009.

Complete program details available at the Service Desk at participating stores or inside Express fuel centers.

The way I read this - the good news is I don't have to rush down to the fuel center to use up the rewards I was accumulating. The bad news is that somehow, I have to keep track of WHEN I earned the reward to make sure I use it and don't lose it.

I will contact Michael Power, Area Satisfaction Manager for SuperValu to see if there will be an immediate changes to the receipt as far as noting when the rewards will expire. I personally would also like them to re-insert my earned total, so I can see how close I am to another 5c discount.

~~C'ya Janet


Read more..... not sure he's taking any more road trips!

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Freds -- e-coupon transaction

So, this works but the steps need to be done in a very specific order to capture all the savings possible. These prices are still good through 9/15! So, if you want to do this, you've got a chance.

Here is the transaction I did yesterday morning.


Total OOP $3.58 ($4.02 w/ tax)

1 Bertolli pasta dinner
2 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter cubes

Steps:
Scan items
Give MQs & FM store Qs to clerk
LAST -- just before pay -- scan FM rewards card



Here's how the pricing worked out:

These items are part of the FM Unilever sale -- buy 3 and save $2. This means when you buy 3 items you save $0.67 on each item.

Bertolli pasta dinner $5.99
$0.67 Unilever savings
$1/1 IP here
$1/1 EQ here
Final Price $3.32

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter $3/5 -- $1.67 each
Purchased two for $3.34
$1.33 Unilever savings
$0.75/1 IP here -- used two
$0.25 EQ here
Final Price $0.26 for both -- or $0.13 each


Read More...he's excited to bake with this butter -- rock on!



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Freds -- doublers transaction

Okay, so here's another tip if you decide to do this at a Freds store. I did this transaction yesterday morning. Here's what I found:

If you are going to use doublers at Freds, DON'T use them in conjunction with another FM instore coupon.

The way the doublers have to be entered is RIGHT AFTER the item you intend to use it on -- each item -- and the line says "store discount." Because of this, when you use another FM store coupon, you won't receive the "benefit" of doubling your coupon. The FM computer will only allow the item to be reduced to the amount of whatever value is on the instore coupon...THEN the MQs will be taken off.

So, I learned the hard way on this one -- I pretty much wasted a set of doublers since they didn't do anything for me in price savings.

Here's my transaction:

Total OOP $14.81 ($15.85 w/tax)

10 Campbells soup cups
2.2 lbs Oranges
1.5 lbs Roma tomatoes
4.15 lbs Red grapes


I wanted to buy the grapes -- yum-o! -- and I since I only had 5 $0.50/1 Campbells soups MQs left, I thought I would give this a try! Yep. This was a learning experience.

Here's the receipt:

It's okay to scan the FM rewards card at any time.

The first three soups have a $0.50 store discount. The FM instore coupon was to buy them 10/$10 or $1 each.

So, when the FM instore coupon was scanned, instead of taking off $0.79 from each soup, it only took off $0.29 from the first three soups. This was the amount to get those down to $1 and nothing less than that.

$1.79 retail
$0.50 store discount (Albs doubler)
$0.29 FM instore coupon
Final Price $1.00






Read More...he's a little bummed but...I just fed him a few grapes! All good!




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Tribune vs. Statesman inserts 9/13

WOW! This is amazing. The Statesman got 5 inserts & the Tribune got 4 inserts! Also, there were a couple of additional coupons in the ID Statesman SS (see below) vs. the Tribune. Both papers got the three Albs doublers.


Here is the couple additional coupons
from the SS All Pro Lineup insert.

Green Giant $0.50/2 frozen veggies
Green Giant $0.50/1 Fresh Steamers








Here is the additional insert view & coupon list:

SMARTSOURCE #2 (GENERAL MILLS)

Betty Crocker Box or Pouch Potatoes, excludes Potato Buds, any .25 (11/7/09)
Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, 17.5oz+ .40 (11/7/09)
Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-ups, etc. .50/2 (11-07-09)
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Bowls or Mini Bowls .50 (11/7/09)
Chex Mix Bars .50/1 box (11/7/09)
Chex Mix or Chex 100 Calorie Snack, 4.5oz+ .50/2 (11/7/09)
Fiber One Chewy Bars .40/1 box (11/7/09)
General Mills Cereals $1 on 3 (10/24/09)
Hamburger, Tuna, or Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals .75/3 (11/7/09)
Nature Valley Granola Bars .40/1 box (11/7/09)
Nature Granola Nut Clusters $1 (11/7/09)
Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls .50/2 (12/5/09/09)
Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads, any .40/2 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough $1 on 2 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust .35 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Savorings Bread Bowl Bites .55 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Savorings Product .55 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Simply Refrigerated Cookie Dough, any $1 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Special Edition Cinnabon Cookie .55 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands Sweet Rolls .50/2 (12/5/09)
Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries .55/2 (12/5/09)
Progresso High Fiber Soup .25 (11/7/09)
Progresso Soups, any .50/2 (11/7/09)
Romanos Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites Dinner Kit $1 (11/7/09)
Totinos Crisp Crust Party Pizza Products $1 on 4 (12/5/09)
Totinos Rolls Snacks .40/2 (12/5/09)
Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit $1 (11/7/09)
Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entrée $2 (11/7/09)
Yoplait Delights Yogurt Multipack $1 (11/7/09)
Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipacks $1 (11/7/09)
Yoplait Go-Gurt Yogurt, any flavor .75/2 (11/7/09)
YoPlus or YoPlus Light Yogurt, 4pk $1 (11/7/09)
Yoplait Yogurt Cups, any or Yolplait Original or Light Smoothie .40/6 (11/7/09)


Read More...he's not sure what to do with all the goodies! *smile*



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Freds -- raincheck baby!

Yeah, I can't even follow my own "new" rules for posting the first week I make them. Well, at least you know when I will post -- anything else is like B1G1 free...or a bonus size product (just that little bit extra for free). LOL.

Freds is open 'til 11:00 p.m. -- so get that raincheck! I was able to get a raincheck this morning because of the OUTs mentioned below. The sweetest part is the FM raincheck is good for 60 days -- cool way to stretch a good deal to buy more when you're ready & have used up some you did buy!

Nampa store stock

Country Oven bread -- OUT -- only 4 loaves on the shelf (sourdough).
FM Peanut Butter -- restocked on the crunchy kind. Good stock on both now.
FM Jelly -- only one out is the blackberry kind.

Lots of bananas for $0.47 lb
Lot of pears & apples

8th Continent Soy Milk -- OUT as of this morning
priced at 2/$5 good thru 9/15

Lysol Products -- 50% off -- good thru 9/26
Sprays 32 oz $1.49
Liquids 40 oz $1.64
Wipes 56 ct $2.99
(now just need new Lysol Qs!)

LOTs of clearance -- check it out!

Glade candles (vanilla & refresh) 5.5 oz $3.99 clearance
$2/1 MQ P&G 8/30 (pretty sure) -- exp. 9/30
Final Price $1.99



Read More...he's got his umbrella out...don't think he heard me correctly...raincheck!



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Walmart -- a "regular" shopping trip

Sometimes ya just have to go shopping & get some stuff. I did use a bunch of coupons...but still bought items that I just wanted or needed (no coupons). Hark! What's that I hear? Could it be?? Yes! A couponing tip!

Here is the tip for newbies -- you WILL have to do "regular" shopping trips sometimes for things other than perishables. Stuff won't be on sale. You won't have a coupon for that item. The more you stockpile the less it will happen, but it will happen. Don't freak. It's perfectly normal. The goal of couponing is to reduce overall what you spend on groceries. It is NOT just to buy stuff only if it has a coupon. Seriously. No joke. Not even cracking a smile. Please don't tar & feather me, folks. This is my personal philosophy, and it helps me keep stuff in perspective.

Here's how I did at Walmart today:

Total OOP $38.05
($41.27 w/tax)

Biggest expense item...the deli lunchmeat!
*shrugs shoulders*
Spent $9.91 on some awesome pastrami.

So, all the rest cost me $28.14 before tax.



I was low on canned beans, so I needed to buy some as I'm making chili for my book club. It's totally easy to make. I'll share when I make it.

The other "splurge" is the Sara Lee hot dog buns. They are the only buns I've found that actually stay a "bun" when you open them instead of becoming two separate pieces. Worth it to me.

I was able to use some high value coupons to reduce my OOP. Here's the items w/coupons:

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers $2.74 - $2.78
$2/1 IP here
Final Price $0.74 - $0.78

Dawn dish soap $1.12
$0.50/1 P&G mailer here
Final Price $0.62

Pillsbury Grand Biscuits 8 ct $1.38
$1/2 IP here
Final Price $0.88
(there is a $1/1 IP out there, but I never could get it to print -- ck ATM previous posts)

8th Continent Soy Milk 1/2 gal $2.58
$2/1 IP here
Final Price $0.58

Starbucks ice cream 1 pt $2.58
$2/1 MQ SS 6/21 (expires 9/13 -- hurry if you have any left!)
Final Price $0.58


Read More...he's totally looking forward to eggs, biscuits, bacon & juice for breakfast!




Read More...

$9 in Febreze Coupons & rebate

It's pretty awesome to get coupons to make your home smell awesome on the cheap!



Print up to $9 worth of Febreze coupons -- go HERE.

$7 in savings with Febreze coupons
30 day guarantee for Febreze NOTICEables
$2 off Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator

The Febreze NOTICEables promo says it's guaranteed to freshen for 30 days when you use the low setting or your money back! This is the "no risk" part. *smile* That was just in case you missed it. LOLOL.



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FREE Two Signature Scent Samples

Signature Scent makes custom scented bath and body products.





Visit their website HERE to request to free samples. There is a link to see the entire list of scents available -- just pick two you like, type in the info, and submit! Easy-peasy! Lovin' it!

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Fight Ovarian Cancer -- WIN Washer & Dryer!

Well, this is pretty awesome! Check it out when you get a minute!


Help Fight Ovarian Cancer & Win A New Washer & Dryer!

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Kelly Ripa & Electrolux have teamed up and launched a campaign to help raise support for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund's mission is to raise funds for research to find a method of early detection and a cure for ovarian cancer.
Kelly
Electrolux and Kelly Ripa have begun "Text-A-Thon For A Cause". From now until September 30, you can donate $5 by texting "KELLY" to 85944 from your mobile phone (standard text messaging rates may apply). You can also log on to www.kelly-confidential.com, every time you log on to the site you will be entered for a chance to win a luxury front load washer and dryer from Electrolux in Turquoise Sky, the color inspired by the teal ribbon of ovarian cancer awareness.
washer
Also, on the website you can send a virtual t-shirt to a friend, helping spread awareness. For each t-shirt sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF)! You can also purchase a limited edition T-shirt designed by Kelly, and 100% of the proceeds will also go to OCRF!

So what are you waiting for there are t-shirts to send, t-shirts to buy, texting to be done and a washer and dryer to be won!
All for an excellent cause so get moving!


Read More...yeah, it's teal....bet it washes clothes really nicely!! THANX Janet!




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6 Free Wings at T.G.I. Fridays


You can get six free Buffalo Wings at football watching parties at participating T.G.I. Friday's restaurants on:

Thursday, Sept 10
Sunday, Sept. 13
Monday, Sept 14


So, yeah, found this one "in time" to miss the first day! Urrgh! There are still two days to work with here. It might be a nice break in the routine to take advantage of this! The catch is you have to be in the bar & the game is on. Go HERE to find the location nearest ya! FOOOOTTBAALLLL!


Read More...he's droolin' already! Jeez!
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Target -- nampa store info



There's not a whole bunch going on at Target this week worth mentioning. It was pretty slim pickings last night.

If you wanted to try the GM Cocoa Puffs "price match with Walgreens & coupon" scenario outlined by Discount Queens HERE, there were about six boxes on the shelf last night. I wimped out on this one....just don't need another two boxes of cereal to figure out where to store them!

NO Cheerios cups on the shelf (again) when I looked.


Here only a couple of things I saw worth mentioning:

Archer Farms Soy Milk -- closeout $1.88 each
the expiration date was too close for me, so I optd out

Kool Aid, 5 packs in pkg $0.50
end cap in the frozen food section

Kleenex, travel pkg $0.33
end cap by the dog food

Kellogg's Rice Crispies 8 bar $1.75
Buy two for $3.50 -- get $2.00 off store bread
This is the kelloggs coupon booklet MQ -- if you have this one



Read More...he's just glad I got doggie biscuits...gotta keep my mongrels happy! LOL!



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Temple Touch Thermometer Giveaway

The Temple Touch Thermometer from ReliOn is completely non-invasive and gives clinically accurate readings within seconds. My Charmed Life is giving away one of these thermometers. Sweet!



Visit My Charmed Life for entry details. The giveaway ends September 18.



Read More...he's just charmed by how nice this is (very punny -- ha!)...
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What's the best way to reduce my debt?

This is a fantastic site to visit to get a grip on what you owe, what you should pay, etc. It's a free tool you can use to set a "debt free" goal and how the heck you're gonna get there!

How cool is this? No embarrassment. No one looking in your financial "underwear" drawer. Just you and your computer figuring out how to get it done.

Go HERE for the tool from NIH Federal Credit Union. You don't provide any sensitive data. The tool just needs your balances, interest rates, payments, and extra money to put toward the bills.

Read More...says THANKS to Another Thrifty Mom and Janet for this timely info!




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Reminder! Fred Meyers: FREE Butter

Reminder! This sale is available until 9/15. This is pretty awesome!!

Fred Meyers: FREE I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! from Bargain Hunter Momma -- THANKS!


In the back of the Fred Meyers Extra Savings booklet* you can find a "Save $2 w/ a purchase of any (participating) 3 items" coupon. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter products is one of the participating items. A few weeks ago, I found a $1.00/1 coupon for the butter sticks in the
Parade magazine. If you also found the coupons you can get butter sticks for FREE.

Better yet, you can find the coupons on ebay as well.


*Here is a deal scenario:*


I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is 3/$5.00

* USE: Fred Meyers $2.00 coupon

* STACK WITH: (3) $1.00 coupons or $.75 coupon printable here
* FINAL COST: $.75 or FREE (depends which coupons you use) for 3 packages of butter sticks


*Fred Meyers Extra Savings booklets are usually found in the front of the store with the weekly ads. You can also locate the booklets by the customer service desk. Sometimes, Freddy's will have the same coupons found in the booklet on the shelves- look for the orange coupons
scattered throughout the store.


Happy Blogging,
Julie
aka Bargain Hunter Momma

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Rethinking posting on CG

I am a person that hates excuses on a regular basis. Sure, stuff happens to all of us once in awhile, but when it starts to "happen" ALL the time...well, that's a pattern. With me, trying to post daily is just not working. I don't want to continue to make "excuses" on why today I couldn't get it done.

So, just what in the h-e-double-l is a gal to do? I've decided to put some boundaries on when I'm gonna post on this blog. I'm planning on backing off and only posting Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Since my blog isn't a do-or-die-to-get-the latest-info kind of site, I think anyone who visits me will be able to live with this too. *fingers crossed*

For me, it came down to this: I really do want to be a couponer first & a blogger second. I've been focused on getting content for this site...not actually going to the store & scoping out stuff. Getting content...it's not nearly as much fun as finding the killer deal to share with you all.

I'm really sorry if this bums any of you out. It does me too! However, this is something I've been thinking about for awhile...and it's time.

*crooked smile*


Read More...he's gonna miss his daily quotes....but understands why...




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WW 9/9 -- Light it up!

Pigeon Point Lighthouse



“Once per year at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse they shut down the weak insipid modern (presumably electric) light and switch over the the 5 kerosene lamps and fresnel lens of the original, as it was 135 years ago.”

Okay, okay...so it's not exactly "wordless" today. *smile*


Read More...he's got on his pirate outfit on....ahoy, maties!


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Free Scholastic Book

Free Magic School Bus Book!
What a great freebie! Just call this number: 1-800-490-9198 and request item number EPA420-K-07-001 to get a FREE copy of The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up. You can check out more info on this offer here http://www.epa.gov/OMS/schoolbus/outreach.htm.

**Limit one request per household. Allow 7-10 business days for delivery.
Thanks to Hip2Save and Coupon Saving Game for the info.

C'ya -- Janet
Read More...... Can't wait to read more!
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Labor Day Weekend -- limited posts

Heads up! I won't have many posts over this three day weekend. So...hey! Go have some fun & forget about the "coupon" mindset for a bit. There will be some great sales this weekend, so that will be something to check out. Otherwise, I hope you are able to spend time with family & friends and have a blast!

My husband and I have lined up a few house & yard projects we want to get done this weekend. I plan on sweating & working. Oh, yeah. Do I know how to live it up or what?? I do still plan to hit a couple of stores this weekend, but again, it will be limited posting.

I just didn't want anyone to think I was MIA or their computer was acting up.


Read More...he's only concerned when I'll let him have a brownie....*smile*




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$10 in Lysol coupons!!

Lysol has $10 in printable coupons at this link available after you sign up: http://tinyurl.com/lyqrjt
, Ashley S, NC


Read More...he's looking for cheap, cheap....lovin' the potential here...


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Kleenex -- B3G1 and Walgreens deal!

Hello! if you have any of the "buy 3 kleenex, get one free" coupons from stores (found mine on display at safeway) it is a good deal to combine with this weeks walgreens flyer coupon of buy one, get one free.
So you would pick up 4 kleenex total at 2.29 each, totaling 9.16 before coupons.
Then the walgreens coupon deducts 4.78, leaving a 4.38 balance.
Then your manufacturer coupon deducts 2.29, leaving a balance of 2.09 for all 4 boxes, or about .52 a box.
HTH, Debra B, OR


Read More.....*ah* *ah* *choo*....it's that time of year! OH! ...not on your sleeve!!

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Refund Cents --- too funny t-shirt!

**UPDATE** Sweet! A reader asked about this t-shirt, so I did a little more digging! You don't have to join to buy a t-shirt. To find the buying info, you have to click on Subscriptions and scroll all the way to the bottom.

HERE is the link to get you there. They run about $15 for the SS tees and $17 for the LS tees. I'm just gonna put this as part of my grocery budget....if I'm in a better mood 'cause of it when I'm shopping, that totally counts as "to the good" in my book! LOL!


Top 10 Reasons NOT To Get Behind Me in Line t-shirt -- man! I am so seriously considering joining JUST to buy this t-shirt! LOLOL!

Here ya go! This is what the t-shirt looks like...



10)I have OCD: Obsessive Coupon Disorder
9) I'm the crazy coupon lady you've heard about. Really.
8) I saved $59.22 on a $60 order. I'm trying to beat my record.
7) If patience isn't your virtue, change lines.
6) I'm protected under the Right-to-Coupon Act.
5) "Price Check"
4) Five separate receipts should do it.
3) I may be slow, but my groceries are free.
2) I have coupons, and I know how to use them.
1) This hobby is paying for my next cruise!



Read More....his size is extra small if anyone has a membership already! *smile*



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1/2 off Serendipity -- next 48 hours

A Thrifty Mom sent me this info -- let's spread the word!

Oprah gave out a coupon code for 1/2 off Serendipity and it's good for the next 48 hours.

Go HERE to ATM for all the info!


Read More...he's loves it when watching TV pays off!




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Free Trees and Plants!!

Does your yard need some new plants or trees? For just the cost of shipping ($7.95 for a tree!), you can get free plants and trees.



Check out this info HERE from Angela over at the CouponProject and discover how.

C'ya -- Janet

Read more..looking into sprucing up the yard!
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Programs to participate in...

This is simply an awesome list of programs to get free coupons & products in exchange for your opinion! I won't take the thunder from Frugal Chic Living -- so go HERE to find out the scoop on these programs:

Kraft First Taste
BzzAgent
General Mills Pssst
House Party
SheSpeaks
VocalPoint


Read More...he's always ready to share his opinion...LOL..no surprise there!



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DIY Microwave popcorn -- snackilicious!

Here's a money saving tip from Frugal Freebies and Deals - make your own microwave popcorn.

Even though we're couponers and can get microwave popcorn fairly inexpensively, check out this post and make some on your own. Be creative and add your own toppings. Enjoy!

Check our Jen's post HERE for all the info!


Read More...he's checking out the movies we own now....
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Albs -- no doublers this weekend!

On a previous post about putting your papers on hold this weekend (as there are no coupon inserts), a reader asked if there would be Albs doublers. *smacks forehead here* I called my contact at the 12th street Albs, and he verified there would be NO doublers this weekend.

So, putting your paper on hold is totally a-okay! Eco-friendly here I come! LOL!

Now for me, as I'm getting the last few weeks of my Tribune subscription, that would be okay to put the entire subscription on "vacation" hold. You can do this online HERE & you can put it on hold as late as tomorrow too. There are three options when you go online -- at no fee -- hold them & deliver later, give them away or prorate the month for the weekend you won't get. Easy-peasy.

The ID Statesman has (thank goodness) the "couponer special" part of my subscription separate from the normal weekday + weekend subscription. I actually have two different subscription accounts. My husband would have a fit & fall in it if I canceled his paper this weekend. Oh, boy! That would not be a good thing.

You can register for an account with the ID Statesman HERE and also put your subscription on a "vacation" hold too. The options available are donate, redeliver or extend subscription. Sweet! It's totally awesome I can cancel just part of my subscription for this weekend.

Hope this helps!


Read More...he's only focused on what foods to cook (at eat!) this weekend...



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Freds -- Free (or cheap) Knudsen Juice

Check out this deal at Fred's - no doublers required!

Knudsen Juice, $2.00 (some were priced $2.50)
-$1.00 Printable
-$1.00 Fred Meyer Coupon
=FREE! (or $0.50 each)
Limit 2

Find this Fred Meyer Coupon on the back cover of the September "Naturally Preferred" magazine in the organic section of Fred Meyer (it's a free magazine) and the coupon expires 9/30/09. There is also a 25% off Nutrition Now Kids' Rhino Supplements coupon - these are on sale this week for 30% off. There are also some manufacturers co's in the magazine: $1 off any Annie Chun's item (exp 3/31/10), $1 off any 2 Amy's products (exp 11/30/09), $1 of any 2 Simply Organic Spices or Grinders and $1 off any Kashi organic cereal (exp 10/31/09).

As noted above there is a limit of 2 Knudsen Juice per order.


Thanks to FrugalChicLiving for the info! Love the Freds posts!!!!!

C'ya -- Janet



Read More...says THANKS to Janet for passing along this whoot-iffic info!
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September -- sales to expect this month!

September Sales Cycle -- thanks to Becentsable!

Back to school; time to fill up on snacks! Pudding cups, Capri suns, fruit snacks, cereal sales start up hard again, peanut butter/jelly.

Also, like clockwork, there will be Prego coupons in August, and plan on getting lots and using them in a hurry before they expire in September when the spaghetti sauce goes on sale. Sauce wars between Ragu and Prego this month.

Campbell’s soups will go on as well and there will be coupons in the end of August for these as well.

Lunchables are on sale this time of year, too.

Back to School Supplies and Apparel

Gardening Supplies

Housewares

Bicycles

Canned Goods


So, I'm thinking....spaghetti sauce wars?! After the killer Ragu sale recently at Albs....wow! I don't know if this Ragu/Prego sauce war will get as many takers as in previous years. Anyone have Ragu sauce Qs left?



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Albs -- NO IP coupons for FREE stuff

**UPDATE** Has anyone done this lately? There was a comment posted by a reader that this worked -- IP coupon for a free product at Albs. Anyone have anything else to add?

It makes me want to search the internet for IP coupons to test it out...yep, adding that to the list...let's see....#167 is the taken....so #168 it is! Jeez Louise!


Original Post:

This is a "must pass along" for me. Heads up folks! I missed this at first when I was scanning their posts in my RSS reader. I don't know if anyone else did, but it sure is something we need to know!

A Little Albies 411
via Fabulessly Frugal by AJ on 8/24/09

When I was at Albertsons tonight, two of the checkers were talking about internet printable coupons and they will no longer accept any printables that are for a free item. They will still take insert coupons for free items, but no printables. They had a memo with 3 fraudulent free printables that caused the new rule. Just FYI!
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FREE Huggies sample! Whoot!

Okay, so it's only 1 diaper...but hey, 1 free diaper is 1 less ya have to buy! LOL!


Go HERE to get your free sample from Walmart! SWEET! Or is that Dry? *smile*



Read More...says THANKS to She Saved for the info!




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Holiday weekend reminder - no inserts!

Wow! It's been so crazy this week! I just got a reminder that I thought I should pass along! This weekend is fast sneaking up on me! That Labor Day Holiday is just a plain quiet walker...*tip toe* *tip toe* *tip toe*

This holiday weekend we won't get coupon inserts. If you don't want all those papers without all the goodies (inserts), please just give your paper a call and put a hold on delivery for this weekend!

Whoot! Hope you all have a wonderful one!


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WW 9/2 -- smoochie

Sorry this is a little later than normal. I might actually find time to share why....maybe...


Read More...heya! I really needed a smooch today! Holy cow!




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Freds -- P & G e-coupons reset!

The Kroger P&G eSaver coupons are reset and ready to load to your Kroger cards! For those of us using the Fred Meyer rewards card...well, this means us too!

Go HERE to load your rewards card.

There are 48 new electronic coupons and are good through October 31.
Thanks to RefundCents!

Remember! You can only load a maximum of 50 e-coupons at once from all sites combined, so load as you go.


Read More...loves these posts from Janet! Whoot!


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Albs -- Gas Rewards - watch out!

Heads up folks!

Here's some awesome info from my buddy Janet:

Did you know that one way to redeem your Gas Rewards at Albertsons is to take your receipt to the Fuel Center cashier, and they will key in your Preferred Card number by hand and assist you in getting your fuel discount? Did you realize that if you lose or throw away your Albertsons receipt, ANYONE can cash in YOUR gas rewards?


Albertsons currently prints your entire rewards number as well as your current total Gas Rewards balance on each receipt that your preferred card was used. Your preferred card number is located under the store name, phone number and director’s name - right near the top of the receipt. Your gas reward balance is located at the bottom portion of the receipt.


During a recent visit, employees at the fuel center I frequent actually suggested that I shred my Albertsons receipts. I was stunned - this is a grocery receipt, not a credit card receipt! Come on people, REALLY?!?!? The front end manager inside the store seconded the suggestion. I have been having a hard time wrapping my thoughts around this concept, but at the same time, I have "lost" 80c in rewards. These are rewards that no one in my family used and they had not expired.


I made numerous phone calls to Albertsons Customer Care, in the spirit of investigative reporting. I finally received an email yesterday from Michael Power, Area Satisfaction Manager for SuperValu.


He stated in his email "I understand your concern about having the Preferred Card number printed on the receipt and its potential for use by someone else to redeem your earned Fuel Rewards. We are aware of this possibility as well and are in the process of removing it from the receipts. The timing of that procedure is coinciding with a register system upgrade which is taking place this fall. That is our timeline for the removal of the Preferred Card number as well as a number of other enhancements to make our customers experience better.


I appreciate your feedback and ensure you we are taking the precautions necessary to help avoid and losses of your earned Fuel Rewards."


Part of the issue Albertsons is facing when they attempt to change/correct this, at least at the store level, is that there are many customers who have lost their Preferred Cards and rely on their phone number to make their grocery purchases, and a receipt to get their gas rewards. (If you are one of those people, perhaps you should request a new card - they are free and Customer Care can add your old points to your new card.) Taking off the preferred number, or reducing it to just a 4 digit number is just a basic programming change - it won't require a lot of work to implement at the register. Albertsons may have to "prepare" their customers for procedural changes in advance of this fall system upgrade. I will keep you posted as I become aware of any changes.


Fred Meyer also lists your Rewards number on your receipt. I have not contacted them to ask if they are implementing any changes to their receipts, mostly because I’ve been having too much fun with the ecoupons and using Albertsons doublers to contact them. The money saving loss if someone uses your number at Fred Meyer is potentially much lower – their maximum discount at any given time is 10c, compared to the up-to $1.50 at Albertsons.


I wanted all the Gossip friends to be aware of this issue and strongly recommend that you treat ALL your Albertsons and Fred Meyer receipts like gold, until changes are implemented.


Read More...says THANKS to Janet for this post! All of us need to be aware!


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Albs -- last minute Reeses doubler idea

This is a sweet (pun intended) deal! There are Reeses peanut butter cup snack pkgs. on sale 4/$5 at Albs. At the Nampa 12th street store, there are some by the CS counter.

Here's the deal:

Total OOP $0.45
($0.58 w/tax)

Reese's peanut butter cup snack pkg.
$0.55/1 MQ SS 8/23
1 doubler
Final price $0.15 each



Read More...he's so glad I coupon! LOL!



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