Gymboree, Part 2

I have to tell you about a trip I just made to Gymboree. Before I left I decided that if I found some good stuff, I would aim to get $50 in clothes to get the Gymbucks. I got there about 30 minutes before closing and then felt rushed to add up all my deals, ending up flustered at the register with a huge pile of clothing. I started to put stuff away when the sales clerk (Patrice) reminded me that the sale was actually 20% off the lowest price on the tag. PLUS I had a 20% off coupon.

When I heard that, I lost all control. I bought almost all of it. I bought clothing for children who aren’t even conceived yet. But I couldn’t resist the 0-3 month girls gingerbread sleeper. And all those cute boys sweaters. And some girls 3-6 month summer stuff. I have a friend in Texas. She’ll need that! Patrice was so patient, staying past closing time and was just as excited for my deals I as was!

So there I was, figuring the total would be at least $130. I braced myself for it. I knew I was getting several outfits for friends, so that eased the pain. But there was no pain. The total: $53! I added up the original price of all the clothing, and without sales and coupons it would have cost $341. I saved $288!

The best deals were bodysuits that ended up being between .65 cents (!!!) and $1.91. Boys sweaters were also a steal– $2.55! It allowed me to “splurge” on matching pants. I got 14 pieces in all. Those prices were even better than used items at my local consignment shop. Plus I got Gymbucks to redeem later!

So if you have a baby boom going on or want to dress your little one, you might want to grab a copy of Parent’s magazine for the 20% off coupon (I got mine in the September issue, not sure if they are in others) and go shopping! Quite honestly I’m considering checking out other locations if I can find another 20% off coupon And if you live in the Philly ‘burbs and end up at the Plymouth Meeting Mall, go see Patrice. She’ll set you up!

Let me know if you get any great deals this weekend at Gymboree!

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After some arm twisting, I finally got my BFF Nicky to spill the beans on how she works the Ultimate Triples sales at Harris Teeter. Even if you don’t have a Teeter close by, she shares tips we can all use. She’s the one who got me started on couponing, and as you know I haven’t been the same since!

By the way, I’m not sure if you have a “stereotypical” picture of a coupon-er in your head, but if so Nicky will shatter it. She’s totally beautiful, has a gorgeous family, still finds time to stay in shape, has an immaculate home… I could go on an on, but let’s just say she has her act together and looks great doing it. And she’s going to kill me for writing that. 😉

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I’ve never written a “blog entry” before, so bear with me…Carrie and I love to share our fun deals and steals when we find them, and she asked that I share my latest finds with you all. As a stay-at-home mom of three little ones, I try to save as much money as possible on our grocery bills. It can be a lot of work at times, cutting coupons and matching them up to the store’s deals each week, but when I see our savings, I know it is all worth it for me and my family.

Living in North Carolina, I like to do my grocery shopping at Harris Teeter. They have been on a roll lately of hosting “Triple Coupons” (where they triple coupons up to 99 cents) and “Super Doubles” (where they double coupons up to $1.98). This is when I add to our stockpile…buying cosmetics, pastas, seasonings, snacks, etc for FREE or very close to free at times. You can find “match-ups” online that breakdown a list of all of the items at the store that week that are free, under $1.00, or under $2.00. I print out those lists, highlight the items that I want to buy, find the coupons in my organizer, and hit the stores running! (OK, not really….pushing a full cart of kids limits my running!) If you shop at Harris Teeter, some good websites to find these “match-up” lists are Southern Savers and Hot Coupon World.

Every store has their own coupon policies, so it’s important to check that out (like at Harris Teeter you can only use 20 coupons per day). It might seem a little overwhelming at first, but start small and keep going, because it pays off! I recommend sticking to only a couple of stores and their deals each week because otherwise, it gets to be way too overwhelming! For example, I pretty much only hit Harris Teeter and Target, but on occasion, may go to Bi-Lo or CVS. Nobody has time to find the best deal at EVERY store!

Harris Teeter is having “Triple Coupons” this week, and yesterday I bought all of this for $9.80! (My 4 year old is really excited about the frosting that we’ll dye to decorate Halloween and Christmas cookies!) Edited to add: total savings= $58!!!

I went back today to use another 20 coupons and spent $13.69 on all of this! (and, no, my grapes do not have mold on them – not sure why they look that way in the picture!!) Edited to add: total savings= $55!!!

Yes, it was a little bit embarrassing yesterday when I was buying my groceries and the check-out lady said, “I didn’t recognize you without all 3 of your kids in tow!” (I was shopping alone and it was paradise!), but it’s all worth it in the end!! And, should saving lots of money really be embarrassing anyways?!? Good luck, and let me know if you got any great Harris Teeter deals!

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Seriously, when you save THAT kind of money who cares what anyone else thinks. Nicky was the first person I ever sent a “look what I got for 8 cents!” photo, and now it’s become sort of a tradition. Her oldest daughter gets so tickled when she sees her mommy taking photos of groceries! But it’s really fun to have someone to share your Freebies and Cheapies with. Thanks so much, Nicky, for taking the time out of your busy day to share with us! Those of you who shop “The Teeter”, this latest round of Ultimate Triples started on the 16th and I think it runs for a week. Happy shopping!

Speaking of Freebies and Cheapies, did you get any great deals this week? Leave a link to your blog post about it, or if you don’t have a blog shout it out below in the comments! Definitely let us know if you hit up The Teeter!

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Comments

tinahead81 says

September 18 at 12:42 am

no harris teeter in jersey, but about 3 weeks ago i saved $70 @ a&p! i almost fell over and thought, “i must do that again!” haha thanks for sharing!! :o)

Carrie says

September 20 at 1:11 am

Woah, tina, that’s great! No Harris Teeter OR A&P here, unfortunately. I’m still trying to find a good balance between a great grocery store AND good sales/coupon stacking!

Shell says

January 10 at 3:47 pm

I really need to check out my coupons and head back to Harris Teeter!