Anyone willing to be a mentor?

[dreamcatcher1962]

Thanks Nettie for posting the link for the Shake n Bake Recipe.
We use that occasionally as well. I`ll have to give it a try.

[Nettie]

Ok, this is what I plan on stocking up on this week:

Sobeys:
Christie crackers are on sale for 3/$4.98. I have a bunch of $0.75 Wheat Thin coupons making them $0.91 per box. These were coupons found on tear pads in the aisle.
Big 8 Water 12pk $1.99 (This isn't a great deal, but I'm buying it just incase we get the hurricane)
The back page of the flyer has 10 for $10 deals. I'll probably pick up a few things since they are only $1. Such as onion soup mix, microwave popcorn and dish soap.
Hamburger for $2.77/lb (This is an okay deal, once in awhile it goes to $1.99/lb but I'm out so I need to get some)
BOGO Carrots and/or Onions for $2.89 (making each $1.45)

Lawtons:

Shreddies or Honeycombs Cereal for $1.99 each


Superstore (if I get there):
Janes Chicken Strips for $4.99 (half price)
Campbell's Condensed Soups $0.59
Sussex Butter $2.99
Robin Hood Quick Oats on sale for $1.99 -Regular $3.29 (I have alot of $0.50 coupons), or someone said there are $1.00 coupon-zone coupons at superstore, though I don't have any.
Carnation Evaporated Milk $1.25 each (I have $1.00 coupons found in a booklet in the aisle)
Chapman's Ice Cream $2.99 (Perfect time to use $5.00 coupon if you have one. Chapman's will send you one per year if you call them and ask for it)
Bertolli Olive Oil 1Liter $5.99 ($1.00 coupon)

This is the best thread to tell you what the best sales are every week. There will be a new thread each week. It's not updated yet, but it will be. http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/316247-...h-13th-canada/


It seems like a slow "stock up" week this week (and last week for that matter). Hopefully next week will be better!

[Nettie]

Thanks Nettie for posting the link for the Shake n Bake Recipe.
We use that occasionally as well. I`ll have to give it a try.

Your welcome. I really hope it's good. This will save me alot of $$ throughout the year. If not, that same site has a few different versions of the shake-n-bake recipe. Some you have to keep refrigerated though.

[smurf8488]

thank you for the shake and bake link we dont use it much but yet we ar stil always stocked on it...thank you as well for the stock up list a few of those items on the sobeys list i didnt see also didnt click about coupons like he christie crackers... also nettie i know you probably dont have a no frills near by but they have there Bertolli Olive Oil 500ml on for $3.00 with 2 coupons and 2 bottles makes it same size but cheaper then superstore maybe you can price match it...something ive yet to do:D

[dreamcatcher1962]

Lactantia Butter is also on sale at GT this week for $2.97 so if you have the .75 coupon it makes it $2.22/lb.
Butter doesn't get much cheaper than that.

Smurf- Thanks for the heads up on the Bertolli, I missed that one.
Zellers has Lady Speedstick on sale this week for $1.99. I'm not sure if the coupons I sent you will work on them or not, you will have to check the store to see if they have the same type on sale. (I think the coupon was for "Infusions", sorry, I can't remember exactly)

Thanks Nettie for the heads up on the Carnation Milk, I didn't see that either. I just did a trade for some of those coupons so will have to wait until they arrive. Hopefully they will get here before the sale is over.

[Nettie]

thank you for the shake and bake link we dont use it much but yet we ar stil always stocked on it...thank you as well for the stock up list a few of those items on the sobeys list i didnt see also didnt click about coupons like he christie crackers... also nettie i know you probably dont have a no frills near by but they have there Bertolli Olive Oil 500ml on for $3.00 with 2 coupons and 2 bottles makes it same size but cheaper then superstore maybe you can price match it...something ive yet to do:D

Good deal! If I go out of town this weekend, I'll have to try and get to a No Frills. Thanks!

[iggysbabysitter]

I'm from NS, but I'm in Ont right now... I was wondering, is it possible to use flyers from outside the province at your favorite stores? My Walmart will accept the flyers from Toronto (2 hours away). Perhaps use your cell phone to pull up pics of flyers from Ont and Alberta (since those tend to have the better prices). I go home to Greenwood every Christmas, and getting good prices is hard (especially when I forget to bring flyers to use for pm'ing)... but then finding the coupons was even harder.

I like the Hillbilly housewife site, she posts healthy recipes to use to stretch your money, and things to start your stockpile with (rice, beans, etc) and how to make them taste great. There are also recipes to make your own convenience food mixes (cheaper, healthier Hamberger Helper mix was good). Before I started couponing I was stockpileing the basic staples, but also had learned to do my own jam, jelly, applesauce, pickles... and I got most of the produce for free or super cheap (garden and apple trees/discount shelf at the grocery store). It's easy to do once you've been shown how (or be adventurous and learn online)... I had to have my MIL beside me through jelly making for my first 8 batches, now I do it all the time. Jars are easy to get cheap or even free, a simple large pot with a good thick bottom and a dollarama spatula are all I use, rings and seals can be found cheap. I love this because I can give some as Christmas gifts, so many people will not indulge in homemade hot pepper jelly until it's made just for them (yum), and I experiment with flavours (I just combined hotpepper and crabapple to make a warm/hot jelly! Mmm)

I have a family member who works for Sobeys. She says a lot of the coupons they get for their demo days are not put out on display because people just drop them all over the store if they aren't on a tear pad, it gets messy. So, try asking the customer service staff or the manager if there are any coupons not on display. I had been given a stack of $.50 off helluva good dip coupons, some over priced cracker $.50 off... and starbucks coupons (for the at home stuff), but they had short expirey dates. I hate asking, but I have had luck getting a few.

The best way to get great coupons is to contact the companies you like, hate, use or want to start using. I called Palmolive last year to ask if their new ultra stuff would kill my septic (bleach, antibacterials kill the stuff that makes a septic tank work... and then they flood... ew). They thought that was a great question, answered to the best of their ability and offered me some coupons (if they hadn't offered I would have asked for some) and I recieved $5 toward their products. I called Nescafe and let them know I love coffee, but didn't like the bland taste of whatever product I just tried (always keep the packaging, they ask for all the info on it), and was given $7 toward thier line (2 free canisters of cappachino, yum). In the begining I was gathering up stuff from my pantry and bathroom, plopping the stuff down by the laptop and writing an email to the company site about specific items (upc codes! They want them!)... easier than phoning because I can do it when the kids are in bed. Phone (or email) any company you can to ask a question, make a comment, or just ask for some coupons, the worst they can do is say no so you have little to lose (unless they say no AND you get stuck with a long distance call to pay- so stick to the 1-800 numbers).

Practice scouting for SCOP. I keep track of prices of things I like to buy... but, hey, somethings weird- the whole line is reg price, but that tag (matching upc#) is lower. So I scan it at the price checker and usually find it rings up wrong. Woohoo! SCOP for me! I check clearence, too. I've found free chocolate because the shelf has the new price, but the item was not yet marked down in the computer.

Sales/Flyer rotation is trickier. I tend to aim for a 12 week rotation on most food items seasonal for others. I had been depending on a 9-12 week rotation on $2/box kelloggs sale everytime I see the CZ Kelloggs B3S$3 coupon... it didn't happen as I thought it would at the begining of Sept... instead one obscure grocery store put them out for $1, and I scored lots FREE with price matching. But, keep an eye out for cheap condements in June, cheap stationary/school supplies/drinkboxes/snacks in Aug/Sept, flour/sugar should drop in Nov/Dec (and most baking supplies) unless you buy at BulkBarn, then they are on sale every 3rd flyer, and have $3 coupons (I buy flour at $6-$7/10kg, I stock up when it's less than that; I buy sugar at $2/2kg, but I really stock up if it's less than that- I need tons for jelly making). Turkey is cheapest in Ont in mid Dec (I bought 6 or 7 large birds for $.77/lb), eye of round is under $2/lb every 3 months. But these are Ont prices, look into whether your Walmart will price match a flyer on a cell phone or printed at home, I know my No Frills will only price match their local competition. I kept a note pad list of items I got good deals on, and when, so that was my rotation tracking.


Checkout some prepping sites... you don't have to prep like you're going on Doomsday Preppers, but they have lots of ideas on what/how to add to the stockpile. Personally I love those youtube videos... I'm prepping to ease my family food budget by couponing, growing and making my own supplies and hunting. Checkout youtube for homesteading as well, they do a lot on how to can, dry, preserve foods and build rotation storage shelves cheap.

I make my own laundry detergent, using the powdered recipe from the Duggars, super simple, and no irritation problems. It cost me around $22 for the first batch (a big box of washing soda, a big box of borax and a bar of laundry soap- probably would have been cheaper if I'd called the companies for coupons first), but there was lots of borax and washing soda leftover to make more batches... I just needed more soap. I think I worked it out to be $.03/load, could be less because the new HE machine uses even less (the recipe says use 1tbsp, I use a little less). I bet I could use soap from my stockpile to make this stuff, too. One evening of grating/mixing made me enough for over a year. And to make liquid fabric softener easier to pour and not over fill I half fill an empty dish soap bottle with water, top up with fabric softener and shake... this still works well watered down a bit, and the squeeze bottle is easy to control instead of pouring from a huge econo jug. Or just use plain vinegar, you end up with a clean fresh smell with no hint of vinegar.

Being in NS you may have the ability to go fishing I miss that. Mackerel is super easy to catch, and I don't recall there being a limit (that was years ago)... so a $35 licence and a $10 rod can be a good investment (add a $1 bucket to carry your catch home in and leftover meat scraps for bate)... maybe a freezer to store your catch in. Get to know the fishing spots, I have friends in Halifax who catch the most lovely trout. And your kitties will like it, too.

I'm sorry I'm too far away to help you better, but I think you've gotten a lot of great responses Everyone here is so helpful!