Brooke Geery

Worst Shopping Trip Ever

On an especially rainy Sunday, I couldn't think of much better to do than hit a couple stores to go couponing, plus after my super successful Albertson's trip, I was feeling confident. But I made a few fatal mistakes. First of all, Sunday afternoon is probably the worst time ever to go the store. Not only is everyone else in Portland out shopping, but the deals at Target/Walgreens etc just started, so the shelves have already been cleared (and not yet restocked) by crazy couponers. Then, to make matters worse, I made the mistake of bringing Jared. He not only hates couponing cause I make him print me coupons all…
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Albertsons for 88 Cents!

Last night Timbro threw down the gauntlet and challenged me to do a totally free shopping trip. While I've gotten plenty of items for free so far, I'm yet to walk out without paying anything because I have this pesky habit of buying things I actually need when I go shopping. Today though, I came pretty damn close at Albertsons spending $.88 out of pocket and saving $12.96 or 94%. I could have gotten out totally free, but we actually needed tortillas and they were on sale (with in ad coupon) for $.99, so I had to do it. I got: 2 loaves of Franz crushed wheat bread (regular $3.39,…
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I Scream, You Scream, Ice Cream is Cheap at Safeway!

Of all the deals at Safeway this week, I must say I got the most excited about cheap ice cream, so I decided I would stock up. With the doubler (which incidentally I had no problem using a second in one week) the Breyers 1/2 gallons were $1.24, but an even better deal were the Magnum 3-packs, coming in at 99 cents each. I used all the coupons I had already printed (two magnum, 1 breyers) and now I have a freezer full of fattening deliciousness. I didn't wanna waste a slot on my doubler, so I also picked up some more chili peppers (I had two more coupons) and…
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Double Coupons at Safeway

So big drama in the Safeway couponing world this week! The wording on the doubler has changed, stating that only one doubler can be used per week (instead of per trip as before.) Honestly, I'm not sure how they're enforcing this one, but I figured I'd better make that doubler count! I bought: 4 cans of Mandarin Oranges $5.01 ($6.76 - .50/2 coupon - .50 doubler - .$75 catalina that printed out. Now these we're supposed to be on sale and I didn't get charged a sale price, but I am still too cool to argue, so I basically wasted some money here.) 2 cans of diced green chilis $.98…
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New to Me July 13, 2011

Thrift/vintage is somewhat of a cottage industry here in Portland. Options run the gamut between totally free stuff* that people around town leave on the sidewalk in boxes, to showing up at designated times for first dibs on bins full of junk&treasure at Goodwill, to standard thrift department stores, to curated collections of fine vintage threads and furniture that someone else found first (and admittedly had an eye for) and are offering to the public at a sometimes insane markup. *usually actual trash that should really be thrown out but people around here can't seem to bear the thought, occasionally something good Anyway, many useful things can be found through…
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Target Trip- July 12, 2012

This week Target is offering a $5 gift card when you buy two bags of Purina catfood, which happened to have a $2 off coupon on Facebook (explaining my new facebook fandom) and I thought, hey, that seems like a pretty good deal. So I printed off my coupons and headed to Target today to get some. When I got there though, I realized the bags in question were 3lbs (tiny) making $5.59 each seem like not such a good deal. But I drove all the way there... and I figure Willis and Tyra are worth it, so I went for it. One of the keys to couponing is multiple…
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Cheap Chapstick

Remember that Walgreens Register Reward I didn't know what to do with? Well, I actually put it to good use. I went snowboarding on Sunday and with summer snowboarding comes very chapped lips. I am really good at losing/washing Chapstick so I stopped at Walgreens in Sandy on the way up and picked up four sticks of Blistex (normally $1.69 each, on sale for $.99) and cashed in that $3.50. My total out of pocket (well actually out of the bottom of my purse) was $.46 and that's just smart shopping. Note: There are only 3 pictured. That's because I already managed to lose one. Duh.
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A Garden for Party Time!

Remember when I used to post before and after pictures of home improvements? These days, the house is pretty much done so the dramatic improvements are limited, and I've had nothing to blog. Lucky for me, there is no shortage of improvements to be made at Nate's house and this weekend, I decided I would up his curb appeal and put in a garden. I wish I had the real before picture, with the beds all overgrown with weeds, but you'll have to use your imagination on that part. Before After \ PS. I have a new hobby.
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Who Doesn’t Need More TP?

Walgreens is a harsh mistress when it comes to couponing, mainly cause they have some of the best deals, and get cleaned out quickly by other deal hungry shoppers, so I was half expecting to walk out empty handed on my mission for cheap toilet paper. But amazingly enough, the shelves were stocked with the 12 packs of Cottonelle I had coupons for and I grabbed the two I was after. Why two, you ask? Well the rumor was it would print a register reward if you bought two and hallelujah, it did, so I got $3.50 to use on a future purchase. All told I spent $9 out of…
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