Goodwill Outlet stores are spreading fast. There are now at least 145 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Is there one near you that you don’t know about? Use our directory to find out.
Michaels $2 Grab Bags
Head’s up: Michael’s has $2 grab bags again! Pictures of today’s haul are over on my Facebook page.
I popped in Michaels yesterday afternoon to pick up something I needed for a project, and my daughter spotted a bin of $2 grab bags by the door.
I had heard people talk about these online, but I’d never gotten in on the action. I just always seemed to be too busy for a trip to the store, when I heard the bags were out. Looks like luck was finally on my side.
If you haven’t heard about this bit of bargain-shopping fun yet, here’s the deal: Michaels takes all of their unsold holiday merchandise and clearance items, dumps them in shopping bags, and sells the bags for $2 each. You can’t open the bags in store, but you can see enough through the plastic (and peeking through the top of the bag), to get an idea of what you’re getting.
We poked around in the bin a bit, and picked out 10 bags to buy. So what did we get for our $20? Let me show you … [Read more…]
Couponing at Dollar Tree
I headed into Dollar Tree this morning with a fistful of coupons, and I came out with some killer deals. Did you know they accept coupons? Yep, they sure do. And that’s great news with all the name brand products that they stock these days. Here’s what I scored:
Jennie-O bacon for $.45 a pack, after a $.55 Coupons.com coupon (no longer available) …
and Super Pretzel Poppers for $.50 a bag, after a $1-off-2 Redplum coupon (1/25 RP)
Pretty amazing deals don’t you think?
I was hoping to snag some more $.45 Cobblestone buns (using a Coupons.com coupon that a reader tipped me off to), but they were out today. I’ll just tuck those coupons away for my next trip.
Want to snag deals like these?
The Krazy Coupon Lady does a weekly Dollar Tree coupon match-up.
I’d also recommend printing a copy of Dollar Tree’s coupon policy, so you’re familiar with the rules.
A Couple Things to Note:
- Some products sell out quickly, but they get restocked regularly. They were out of bacon on my last couple trips, so I just held on to my coupons until they had more
- Don’t be surprised if you have a coupon that doesn’t work from time to time. I tried to use a Snyder’s Pretzel coupon today, but the register wouldn’t take it. Sometimes manufacturers make smaller versions of a product for Dollar Tree, and their barcode just isn’t included in the coupon (even if there are no size restrictions listed). You may get a cashier that’s willing to manually enter it for you, but a buck is already a great deal, so I’d just let it go otherwise. If you’re going to be shopping week after week, I think it’s more important to develop a good relationship with the cashier.That’ll save you more in the long run
Are you a Dollar Tree couponer? I’d love to hear what items you’ve been snagging for free or cheap.
See Also:
My $.32 Grocery Trip
Usually grocery shopping isn’t my idea of fun, but my last trip was a blast. I shop at Kroger, and their latest Mega Event started Wednesday. It included sales on several items that I’ve been needing to stock up on, so I printed a BUNCH of coupons, and headed out.
Here’s what I got:
- (8) boxes of Hefty gallon freezer bags
- (9) boxes of Ronzoni whole grain pasta
- (1) bottle of Welch’s Farmer’s Pick blackberry juice
- (2) bags of Lay’s Kettle Cooked chips
- (2) half gallons of Turkey Hill iced tea
- (7) packages of Biscoff cookies
My Total Before Savings: $69.84
And here’s how I got it down to $.32:
The Mega Event and other sales took $39.52 off of my bill
Coupons took off another $10
And then I redeemed $20 in Catalinas that I earned the previous week
That left me with a $.32 balance to pay. Pretty cool.
Better still: The Mega Event is a two-week sale, so I should be able to do a lot of these deals again next week when the coupons reset for July.
Want to Get Coupon Deals Like This without Putting a Ton of Time into It?
It’s a lot easier than you might think. This shopping trip took me 15 minutes to plan. That’s doable right? The key is to let other people do most of the work for you. Find a deal blogger that covers the store or stores that you shop at most, and follow them. If there’s a killer deal, they’ll post it. If there’s a coupon that matches up to a sale, they’ll tell you where to grab it, and if there’s an unadvertised special, they’ll tell you that, too.
Since I shop at Kroger, I follow KrogerKrazy.com. I just drop by her site several times a week to see what she’s posted, and I jump on any deals that excite me.
Still Think You Don’t Have Time to Coupon?
Then, consider this: Since that 15 minutes of planning saved me $69.52, that translates to an hourly rate of $278.08! Now, I don’t know what you make, but that’s definitely more than I make in an hour.
Target Cartwheel Trick
Calling all Target Cartwheel users. A cashier taught me a neat trick, and now I want to pass it on to you. [Read more…]