My husband and I value vacations but don’t want to break the bank trying to enjoy ourselves. That is no fun when you return home! So we save up, try to find discounts where we can and then commit to enjoying ourselves without all the “we can’t afford it” lines.

Here is how we save:

1. Share a residence – for several years now we have gone in with another family to rent a house for the week. We like to vacation at the beach and the houses that are closest to the beach are often bigger homes. Therefore, splitting the cost makes them affordable for the week. It usually ends up being much cheaper than renting a hotel room and with a lot more amenities.

2. Shop VRBO – when we are looking to rent a house I always use VRBO. (this is not a sponsored post). Have you ever used it? There are a gazillion places listed that you can rent all over the globe. It is my first place of research usually when I am ready to find a residence. We have used VRBO for our honeymoon in Roatan, Honduras; for our vacation to Hawaii; for our trip to Panama City Beach, Florida; and for recent trip to Outer Banks, North Carolina. We have always had a great experience. And the house we just rented even came with baby equipment. Score! One less thing to pack in the vehicle!

3. Plan your meals – I love eating out like the next person. Especially on beach vacations where you can dine on local seafood. But every night is a little much. The last few years I have frozen some OAMM meals and packed them nicely in the cooler to take with us. The ones that are mostly defrosted when we get there we eat the first few days. And we proceed from there. This saves us money because we aren’t eating out every night, we aren’t buying overpriced groceries at resort locations and it saves us the time of meal preparation on the night that we eat in.

4. Coupons – I use coupons on the items that I purchase to make food before we leave. And then I make a list of the items that we are going to need to purchase once we arrive. We don’t pack EVERYTHING we will need in the way of food or there wouldn’t be room for diapers! I then go through my coupons and cut out any that correspond or that I think that I might use on items on our “to buy” grocery list. No use saving money at home just to waste it while we are away. And no need to drag my coupon binder all over the world!

5. Grocery Savings Cards – Do a search on Google Maps and find out what grocery stores are located near your vacation destination. Do a little research to find out if they have a store loyalty card. If they do apply and have one mailed before you go or pick one up when you get there. At one of our vacation destinations the local chain actually just scanned a card for us seeing that we were out-of-towners. That was super nice. Perhaps ask about that before you start your shopping or fill out the application.

6. Rewards Cards & Programs – There are many ways to earn rewards with different companies and credit cards. I save up points throughout the year and redeem them prior to vacation to cut our vacation costs. Here are a few that I utilized on our recent vacation:

• Swagbucks – I redeemed my swagbucks for Amazon.com gift cards for some of the last minute supplies that we needed like floaties, ear plugs, etc. There are lots of other things that you can redeem your swagbucks for. There are airline tickets, restaurants.com, Starbucks are just a few.
• Tropicana Juicy Rewards – I searched here for entertainment and dining discounts for near where we were staying. This vacation didn’t have a lot of options so we didn’t end up using any rewards but if you collect Juicy Rewards (which you should) you should check do a search near the zip code where you are staying.
• Cellfire – They have coupons you can download or use right there from your phone which is one way to save money. But they also have discounts for area attractions and dining locations sometimes as well. It is an easy way to potentially save money. Whenever I am in a new location, I change the zip code in my cellfire phone application to the zip code where I am staying. I then peruse the deals and discounts to see if there are any I can use.

7. Credit Card Rewards – I know many of you swear by Dave Ramsey and the envelope system. In this household we only use the envelope system for problem areas like eating out. The main reason we don’t use it is that I love some credit card rewards! And we have a long history of NOT abusing credit cards, we pay the total amount in full each month (otherwise the rewards are null). Prior to leaving on this trip I used my DiscoverRewards to get us a nearly free hotel room for our journey down there (we broke it into 2 days). It was so nice to save that way. I also looked into getting restaurant and gas cards for us to use along the way as well. It definitely saved us money to be eating for free while we were traveling.

8. Search the blogs – You obviously are a blog reader if you are reading this post (especially if you have made it all the way to this point in this post. . .he he)! Do a swagbucks search for “blogs (city you are going to) discounts”. You might just find a handful of well written blogs that can direct you to great savings. Here in Dayton, Ohio (I know you are all considering vacationing here) we have Deals for Dayton. Chances are the place where you going has a great blogger eager to help you out!

9. Off Season – whenever we can we travel in the off season. Sometimes, like this last vacation, it isn’t too terribly “off” but we try. That way you shave hundreds of dollars off most everything from lodging, to food, to gasoline.

10. Ask for a discount – there is no harm in asking! The worst thing they can say is no. There were several places this last week that we checked on discount opportunities. Whether it is AAA or student or military or AARP there is no charge to ask!

What about you? What do you do to save money when vacationing? Or do you just splurge?

This post is linked up to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

Cellfire is an online and mobile phone application where you can load discounts for grocery items or local venues to your grocer’s card (or cell phone) and have them automatically taken off at the register. No clipping coupons! It is the ultimate in coupon savings for those that don’t like all of the mess of coupons (or for those looking to further their coupons savings). In addition to grocery offers, they often have other store offers as well. When we head out on vacation I always enter the zipcode of the location we are headed to see what great deals are being offered.

If you haven’t already signed up it is quick, easy and painless. And you did hear me say you save money, right?

I have to admit, one of the reasons I haven’t mentioned them here lately is that the last few times I have gone to load coupons, there just hasn’t been that much to choose from, especially in the area of our grocery lists. But Cellfire is working hard and they are promising that they have great things in store in the coming months. Starting with this promotion in June!

Throughout the month of June they are giving YOU the opportunity to win a $100 grocery gift card. (By my calculations that is about one persons portion of the summer menu costs.) Over the course of the month I will be highlighting 3 of the coupon specials throughout the month. Each time I talk about the products you will have a chance for up to 3 entries. So if you respond to this post and the additional 3 as many times as you are allowed you could enter up to 12 times! (I promise, I will make entries easy on you.)

The 3 products I will be featuring are Bisquick, Yoplait Cups and Chex Mix. Why am I telling you? Because this is a cooking blog and I LOVE to see you share your own recipes and ideas for serving these products. So keep that in mind as we move through the month of June.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED THE DRAWN WINNER WAS DEBBIE FELLOWS.

Here is how you can participate today (leave separate comments for each thing you do for your entry to count – up to 3 entries allowed):

1. Leave a comment about which coupons you went and downloaded to your grocer’s card.

2. Tweet this: Win a $100 grocery gc from @cellfire & @onceamonthmom – find out more here – http://onceamonthmom.com/cellfire-june-promotion/

3. Answer the question – Have you ever used cellfire before?

At 34 weeks pregnant it has been more than necessary for me to slow down my daily routine and cut back. However, I really wanted to go stock up on some of the great sale/free items this week. So, being the kind sole that she is, my mom came over to help cart the little guy around so that I could get my little retail “high”. Here is what I got (and you can too)!

Target

I just love Target. I don’t know what it is but it is just one of my favorite general merchandise places to shop. I reviewed all of the sales and coupon deals at Stretching a Buck and then headed off for these items:

My $8.37 Target Purchase!

• 7 packs of Up & Up Baby Wipes – $1.47 each ($10.29)
  • 7 -$1.00 off Up & Up Wipes Target Coupon (-$7.00)
• 1 pack of Up & Up Baby Wipes (bigger size) – $1.97
  • 1 -$1.00 off Up & Up Wipes Target Coupon (-$1.00)
• 4 packs of GE light bulbs – $2.14 each ($6.42)
  • 2 -$2.00 off GE light bulbs Target Coupon (-$4.00)
  • 2 -$1.00 off GE light bulbs manu q (-$2.00)
• 3 Tide (Trial Size) – $.97 ($2.91)
  • 3 -$1.00 off one Tide (-$3.00)
• Total BEFORE coupons: $27.37 (with tax)
• Total AFTER coupons: $8.37 (with tax)

For more information on how to work up your own scenario please visit Stretching a Buck or Mommy Snacks.

Walgreens

I don’t normally shop at Walgreens. I usually stick to CVS no matter what but I really needed to stock up on wipes. Yes, I know I just bought 8 packs at Target, but I have a new baby coming. That is two bums to wipe people! And they had a great sale on Huggies as well. Here is what I got:

My $17.18 purchase at Walgreens!

• 2 Huggies size 4′s – $8.99 each ($17.98)
  • 2 -$2.00 off Huggies (-$4.00)
• 1 Huggies 216 count wipes – $5.99 each ($5.99)
  • 1 -$1.00 off Huggies wipes manu q
• 2 Libby canned pumpkin – $.99 each ($1.98) **I needed a “filler” item or two to get my before tax total to over $25 for using the last coupon.
• -$5.00 off $25 purchase
• Total BEFORE coupons: $29.78
• Total AFTER coupons: $17.18

Not the cheapest overall total but a great price for diapers and wipes if you ask me!

You can find sale item breakdowns and some great scenarios at Common Sense with Money. Check it out!

You have until Saturday 11/14 to get the same/similar deals yourself (longer for the Target wipes deal), so get to it!

• Coupons.com (you can also get to coupons.com through the ad in the right side bar)
  • $1.00 off 1 Welch’s Juice
  • $1.00 off 2 Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls (not on Oct menu but coming in Dec)
  • $1.00 off 2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta (not on Oct menu but coming in Dec)
  • $.50 off 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts
  • $1.00 off 2 Progresso Products (not broth or soup)
  • $.50 off 1 Progresso Broth (not on Oct menu but coming in Dec)
• Cellfire
  • $.50 off 1 Progresso Broth
• P & G eSaver
• Shortcuts.com
  • $.50 off 1 Progresso Broth
• Upromise

Happy Couponing

When I was at Blogher I met this great woman who was starting into the CVS thing and was really dumbfounded. We tried to explain it to her a bit more but really practice does help. AND you do screw up every once in awhile. Like me for instance. Take today’s scenarios. I got lots of great stuff for a great price but I did mess up one of my transactions so it wasn’t as “golden” as I would have liked. I thought I would share so that you know that you aren’t alone. Even those who blog about it get it wrong sometimes.

Scenario #1

Bayer Contour Glucose Monitors

• Bayer Contour Bloodglucose Monitor $14.99
  • manu q for up to $30 off = -$14.99
• Bayer Contour Bloodglucose Monitor $14.99
  • manu q for up to $30 off = -$14.99
• Total BEFORE discounts = $29.98
• TOTAL OOP = $0 (Earned 5 ECB’s)

Scenario #2 (the mess up)

Huggies, Bic, and Edge

• Huggies Supreme Jumbo Diapers $9.00
  • manu q = -$1.50 off Huggies
• Huggies Supreme Jumbo Diapers $9.00
  • manu q = -$1.50 off Huggies
• Bic Soleil Razor $6.99
  • manu q = -$3.00 off Razor or refill
• Edge Shave Gel $2.99
  • CVS register coupon = -$1.00
• $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon (my CVS accepts competitor q’s)
• Total BEFORE coupons = $27.98
• Total OOP = $17.52 (Earned $7 ECB’s – $3 on razor, $4 on Huggies)

I screwed up because I was suppose to give the cashier my earned ECB’s from the first transaction plus $10 in ECB’s that I had from a previous transaction so that my total would have been under $5 dollars. OOPS. Not her fault so I just went on with it and used my ECB’s in the next transaction. NOTE: I don’t usually use my ECB’s towards formula. I have to have that and there is usually very few ways to get it cheap & earn ECB’s. However, buying it at CVS always earns me currently ECB’s which is nice.

Scenario #3

Similac & M&M's - the perfect combo for baby and mom

• Similac Formula $22.99
  • Kroger coupon = -$3.00 (my CVS accepts competitor q’s)
• M & M’s $3.00
• $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon (my CVS accepts competitor q’s)
• -$12.00 ECB’s
• Total BEFORE coupons = $25.99
• Total OOP = $9.99

Scenario #4

Coke & candy

• Coke 12 pack $3.25
• Coke 12 pack $3.25
• Coke 12 pack $3.25
• Coke 12 pack $3.25
  • Rite Aid coupon = -$2.00 off 12 pack**
• Twizzlers Sweet & Sour $2.00
• Twizzlers Sweet & Sour $2.00
• Twizzlers Sweet & Sour $2.00
  • manu q = -$1.00 off 3 Twizzlers
• Hershey’s Bars $3.00
• Hershey’s Bars $3.00
  • manu q = -$1.00 off 2 6 packs
• $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon (my CVS accepts competitor q’s)
• -$15.50 ECB’s
• Total BEFORE coupons = $25
• Total OOP = $.96 (Earned $8 ECB’s – $5 candy, $3 Coke)

**Just realized as I was typing this that I could have printed out 2 of these coupons and saved another $2. DUH. See, I am learning all the time too!

Total BEFORE coupons for the day = $108.95

Total OOP for the day = $28.47

Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

For more great ideas on how to save money at CVS visit The Centsible Sawyer: CVS Superstars or Keeping the Kingdom First: CVS Challenge!

First, let’s start by reviewing what I purchased at the grocery stores this week. I had A LOT left to purchase. And I had to do at least on of these stops with a 7 month old in tow! Not an easy feat people! Here is what I got (for prices see the updated grocery list):

Aldi

*Sorry no picture! I was in a hurry to get all of this stuff to the freezer!

Kroger

*Sorry no picture! I had the 7 month old and we had just spent an hour at the store and going through coupons. He wasn’t exactly “happy”!

Meijer

Meijer Purchase 3/23

*Ah, a picture! Nice (will be nicer when I get my camera back)!

March Final Total = $260.14 ($4.33/meal)

Final March Grocery List

We definitely spent more this month than in February. However, I am still really pleased with this savings. We are eating salmon and shrimp folks! I am not sure there is any place (that doesn’t have a drive thru) that you can get a shrimp dinner for under $5! And, this is still less money per meal than I spent before I was shopping the sales and using coupons! So, yes it is more money than last month, but we are also eating some gourmet foods at a fraction of the cost! Pretty exciting!

On Sale $9.99

Thanks to Amy in Ohio for sending this little tid-bit my way! (She says she was reading about all the good deals over at Mommy Snacks and got real excited).

Anyway, Ikea is having a sale this weekend that happens to include a $9.99 stockpot! This is an AMAZING price. It is originally $34.99. To top it off you can clip print the coupon and get a free breakfast too! The free breakfast is for three days (Friday-Sunday), the stockpot is ONLY on sale Sunday. So if you leave near an Ikea I would venture to say it is well worth your time to get yourself an inexpensive stockpot. You will obviously be needing it for your OAM Cooking!

I was excited to meet Tricia & Cortney of Once a Month Mom at the BlissDom Conference in Nashville, and even more excited that they included me, a non-Ohioan (I’m from Virginia), in their activities! They’re fantastic!

I was so intrigued by the once a month cooking concept that when I got back home I immediately sent them an email to ask for a guest post on how to get started. In turn, they asked me for a post on how to save on groceries, so here are 7 tips to save big on food.

1. Get a Store Loyalty Card. Okay, most people have a store savings card to get the special prices in the weekly ads, but don’t overlook those mailings and emails from the stores. Both Kroger and Harris Teeter have been known to send out coupons for free products, as well as special members-only offers.
2. Load Up on Electronic Coupons. Another benefit to having a store card is being able to add coupons to your cards to be redeemed at check-out. These are still new, so they’re not available everywhere yet. Kroger shoppers can go to Shortcuts.com,  Cellfire or P&G eSaver to find coupons to upload. Safeway shoppers can access P&G eSaver right now.
3. Keep Your Eyes Open for Printable Coupons. I love printables, so hit Coupons.com or  SmartSource.com for great coupons to print and cut out. It also pays to visit your favorite brands, like JohnsonsBaby.com and BettyCrocker.com for great printable coupons. Use these coupons when grocery items are on sale to maximize savings!
4. Stock Up During Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGO) Sales. BOGO sales are great on their own, but you can also use one coupon on each item. So if you get two items, make sure you use two coupons. This is a great way to save big!
5. Stack Your Coupons. Some retailers, like Target and Walgreens, offer coupons that can only be used at their stores. Use these coupons along with manufacturers coupons on the same product for extra savings. By doubling up you may even get products for free or nearly free.
6. Look for Double and Triple Coupon Deals. Some grocery stores double or triple coupons and often only on certain days of the week. Check your local stores and shop the days when they’re multiplied.
7. Snag Rebates and Free-bates. Look for rebates and free-bates which refund you the full purchase price. You can make money in some cases when you use a coupon and then get a full price free-bate. The ads for these deals can lure you in so don’t forget to send in the forms.

Erin Gifford blogs at CouponCravings.com to share the best grocery, retail and drugstore deals. She can also be found on Twitter at Twitter.com/CouponCravings.

So what were my results you ask? Well don’t let me keep you waiting. On all of the groceries for Cortney and I, I spent $145.66! That’s it! That was at least 50% less than any time I have ever done OAMC! That equates to $2.51 per meal! WOW! We are eating a main entree for a family of four for well less than $3/meal! AWESOME! And that is after making the choice to spend a little more money purchasing whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, and brown rice. (For our breakdown of grocery savings/spending check out my completed grocery list here).

Now some of you are going to point out that we got a free turkey from Griggstown Quail Farm that we used and that is how we saved so much. I beg to differ! I also figured up how much we would have spent had I bought chicken breasts instead of having the free turkey. The total for the groceries would have been $168.22, which is still only $2.90/meal! A great savings if you ask me!

So if you are wondering if the 8 hours in your kitchen in one day is worth it, I would suggest doing the math. I like the old saying, “Time is Money”. If you have some time you can devote to this (and really you are saving yourself time every evening) you can really save yourself and your family some money. I think it is totally worth it! I am liking that we only spent $77 for our family for groceries for over half the month.