Midwest Coupon Clippers

Cudding Coupons and Saving You Some Moolah


I am a 50% Saver, not 90%…AND THAT IS OK!

By 8 Comments

Hi everyone Admin. Shelly here!

I have been couponing for just over a year. I have watched the Extreme Couponing show and seen the stock piles and stock piles .

That is NOT me, and that is NOT how I care to coupon. I do NOT coupon to get my total to absolute zero, and I hope that no one feels like they have to either in order to be successful at couponing.  I am a 50%-60% saver with coupons and will always be!

I used to feel in order to “fit in” to the coupon world, I had to save over 85%, THAT IS SO NOT HAPPENING. Every week I still need: 2 gallons of chocolate milk , 1 gallon of vitamin D milk and 1 gallon of 2% milk. There are never coupons for milk (in my area) so if its on sale…GREAT, if not, I pay full price.

I started couponing after I had my second child. I was tired of spending over $200 a week on groceries. I wanted to save money to help out my family. I did not need a stockpile of 100 toothpastes or 300 cans of soup, We just don’t have the room for all of that AND my husband told me if come home with 100 tubes of toothpaste he would send me to my mother’s (LOL).

What I do stock up on, is fruit boxes, cereal, and juice boxes. We use these very quickly and they wont sit in my cupboard for more than a month.

The big question is “What if I don’t have a coupon”????  You know what? I still buy the product if I need it. 🙂 My husband loves the fact that I save money, but he still has HIS products he loves and won’t sacrifice. The money that I save from couponing, following sales, and shopping in sale cycles allows me to buy his favorite shampoo, even when its not on sale. 🙂

I felt the need to write this to help any fans out there who THINK they are not GOOD couponers just because they still have to spend money on food or necessities 🙂 WE ALL Coupon differently, IF YOU ARE SAVING MONEY, Even if it is 25%, THAT IS STILL GOOD!

Join our Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/WisconsinCouponClippers
Follow our Blog and bookmark it at: http://www.midwestcouponclippers.net

ASK QUESTIONS, We are here to help!

20 Years Later…I can FINALLY Leave the House!

By 6 Comments

20 Years Later…I can FINALLY Leave the House!

I know this is kind of a Taboo Topic, but I had to share this with all of you! I have literally suffered for 20 plus years when it is “That time of the Month” for me. Once I turned about 16, my menstrual cycle got so heavy, when it was that time, I could barely leave the house the 2nd and 3rd day of my cycle. No matter which SUPER PLUS Tampon I used (and yes I tried them all) I would flow through within a matter of a half hour, Even after my doctor put me on Birth Control to try and help manage it.

For 20 years, the only Tampon that would make it even bare able with a Maxi Pad on at the same time was Tampax Super Plus. (With these I could at least last an hour, sometimes two until I flowed through)

Recently (and yes, it was because I had a coupon for them and found a really good sale) I decided to try U Kotex. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. I keep asking myself, “WHY DID I NOT TRY THESE SOONER?” I have been using U Kotex Super Plus  now for the last three months, and it is the first time in my life I can go and do what I want when I want during my Menstrual Cycle! YES, EVEN on my heaviest Days!

If you have suffered like I have, Please, Give U Kotex a try, You will be happy you did, I guarantee it! I have not been endorsed in anyway from U Kotex for this blog post, I wanted to write this post because their Tampons have truly made a HUGE difference in my lifestyle and wanted to share this with you all!

You can get a $1/1 Coupon HERE right now!

 

 

How to have Bricks Coupon Mailed to you…

By Leave a Comment


How to have Bricks Coupon Mailed to you…

(NOT all Bricks Coupons are Mailable)

Many times when it is a Bricks Coupon, We will let you know that it is Mailable. Here is how to get the Coupon Mailed to you…

When a Coupon that is mailable comes out, Simply click on HELP (Highlighted below on picture) It will bring up a form where you will fill in your contact information. (I will add a picture below that shows what the form looks like)

Simple as that! Your Coupon should arrive in the Mail within the next two weeks!


Here is the form that will come up once you have clicked HELP

Cutting the Apron Strings – Do I have to?

By Leave a Comment

Cutting the Apron Strings

Above is my baby, my only baby… Alex. In one month Alex will be graduating High School and will be starting college in Fall. I honestly can not tell you were the time has gone, It seems like just yesterday his Father and I were taking him to his first day of Kindergarten.

Well, the time has come to let him spread his wings and fly and start a whole new chapter in his life, Time for Mom to “Cut those Apron Strings.”  Am I ready for this? NO, If it was up to me, I would be tucking him in my Apron Pocket and keeping him there FOREVER!

I have gradually been trying to prepare myself for this for the last few years. But guess what? IT HAS NOT WORKED! As the months have been passing, it is not getting any easier, and now that it is ONLY A FEW MONTHS AWAY, it is getting really hard!

Now…You would think he is going hours, or even a state away…he is not, he will only be about 25  minutes from home, which is STILL NOT MAKING IT ANY EASIER.

His father and him like to joke with me about it, seeing as I have informed them talking about it is “Against the Household Rules,”  Which actually charges them all the more to see my reaction. Just little things through out the weeks, like “Alex you should take that for your dorm room” from his Dad, or “Mom I will miss your cooking every night.” from Alex. (Now this would be sweet in most cases, but this is him being a little pain in the butt because when it comes to cooking, I am no Rachel Ray.)

I have ALWAYS been very involved in Alex’s life, and I will be the first to admit, sometimes to involved. I am one of those Mama Bear’s who is VERY PROTECTIVE of my cub, I always have been and ALWAYS will be! I always know where he is, who he is with, and what he is up to. I was one of those Mom’s who would have wrapped him in bubble wrap if I could have. He did not learn to ride his bike until he was almost eight because I was afraid he would hurt himself, YUP that is me!

When we went for his orientation we were told “DO NOT call them, let them call you!” The moment they said this, My husband and Alex both looked at me. I am pretty sure I even laughed out a little giggle at this thought, I can GUARANTEE YOU that will not be the case! lol.

How am I going to handle this? I am not sure yet…But I do not really have a choice do I? I am sure there will be A LOT of tears, A LOT of phone calls, and A LOT of Dinner Visits up in Oshkosh!

What do I know? I know I have one AMAZING teenager, who if still attached to my “Apron Strings” or Not is going to turn out to be one AMAZING Man someday. The string on the Apron may be getting much longer, but it will always be there, because he will ALWAYS be my baby!

Shop the Sale/Coupon Cycles

By 1 Comment

Shop the Sale Cycles at YOUR Grocery Store

Do you buy your groceries as you need them? Or do you shop your stores Sale Cycle? Have you noticed in your couponing efforts, certain coupons come out at certain times of the year? This is a GREAT example of how the stores sales run also. Certain sales, at certain times of year!

If you understand how the Stores Sales Cycles work which usually pair up pretty good to the Coupons that are released, you will be able to build a  nice stockpile in no time!

Currently as I type this, It is almost Summertime, Which means Coupons for Condiments are coming out soon, (Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Mustard, etc.) which is good for my family, because we only have three bottles of  BBQ Sauce left from last Summer. Did I mention all the BBQ Sauce I bought through out last summer I did not pay ANYTHING for, and in fact many were $$MoneyMakers$$ when I paired a good sale with a Doubled Coupon.

YOU CAN DO THIS ALSO! Start shopping the Sales/Coupon Cycles and you will save a GOOD AMOUNT on your Groceries each year!

January: January is usually the Month for Diet and Health and Wellness! You will see a lot of Diet Foods, Granola, Vitamins, etc. January is also Super Bowl, Which means you will find Coupons for Dips, Chips, Crackers, etc. With it being the Winter Months, you will also still see Hot Beverage Coupons, like coffee, tea, hot cocoas, and so on.

February: February is a HOT MONTH! Valentines Day, National HOT Breakfast Month, and National Canned Food Month! Expect to find Chocolate Coupons, Waffle, Breakfast Sausages, Aspirin, and lots and lots of Canned products, Fruits and Veggies especially.

March: March is National Frozen Food Month and time for SPRING Cleaning! You will find a large variety of Frozen Meal Coupons, Pizza, Frozen Veggies, Popsicle and More. You will also find many Cleaning Supply Coupons and sales to match. GREAT time to stock up on these if you have the room! Watch your sales, and you can get them for next to NOTHING!

April: April is a little slower when it comes to coupons! You will see some Egg Coupons, Candy Coupons, Organic Foods and Kosher product coupons, but when it comes to April, it is a slower month for Coupons.

May: MAY IS HOT! You will start to see the Condiment Coupons, Sun lotion Coupons, Bug Spray Coupons, Soda and bottle water coupons, WAIT THERE IS MORE… Hamburger and Brat Coupons (Grilling time) baked beans, hot dogs, paper and plastic plate coupons! You get what I am saying! It is also Cinco De Mayo, so watch for Tortilla and Salsa Coupons. I LOVE MAY COUPONS!

June: June is National Dairy Month. It is time for Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream, cottage cheese, and many, many more. These items are a little harder to stockpile…but REMEMBER you can freeze Milk and Cheese!

July: July is a continuation of June. A LOT of meat coupons, condiment, items like that. GREAT time to have a FoodSaver on hand!

August: August means BACK TO SCHOOL, which means you will find GREAT Sales on School Supplies and even Coupons to use on them! At these prices it is the perfect time to stock up for the year! Let’s face it, those pencils the kids go through FAST! Back to school also means “Lunch box” items go on sale! Juice boxes, Snack Packs, Peanut Butter, Fruit Snacks, and so on.

September: September is a continuation of Augusts Back to School sales, AND lets add Tomato Items. Spaghetti Sauces, Soups, Canned Tomatoes.  Time to stock up for those colder days and be ready to make Spaghetti and Chili!

October: October means it is time to get ready for the baking season! During October you will see lots of Sugar, Flour, baking powder, baking soda, etc. Coupons. You will also start to see Gravy Coupons, Stuffing Coupons, more of these starting to pop up.

November: November is the time for Seasonal Sales and Coupons. Baking items, Holiday Foods, Crackers and Snacks, Turkey, and more. (IF you are going to stock up on Flour, FREEZE or Refrig. it to keep away the pantry moths)

December: In December you are still going to see the “Holiday” sales, but you are also going to start to see cold cuts, soda coupons, and “celebration” type sales and coupons start to come out. I always stock up on my chips and jars of dip during this time.

10 Ideas to Reuse Plastic Shopping Bags

By Leave a Comment

I know there are several times when I shop that I forget to take one of my re-useable shopping bags so I end up getting another plastic bag.  I now have a plastic bag collection, so I decided to search if there were things around the house that I could use the bags for(besides recycling them at the store) and here are some of the uses I found.

1. If you know how to crochet you can use the plastic bags same as you would yarn to create a rug (which would be great for a mud room), purse, tote bag, etc.  Pretty much anything you can make using yarn you can use plastic bags as a replacement. Click here to go to eHow

2.  You can use them as packing filler in packages rather than newspaper or packing peanuts.

3.  Keep some in your car to cover muddy shoes.

4.  Great to keep in a diaper bag to wrap used diapers before throwing away.

5.  Use them to line a kitty litter box to speed up cleaning.

6.  You can use them to stuff both shoes and purses to help them hold their shape while being stored.

7.  Use them to cover outdoor plants.

8.  Use them to cover your hands to pick up dirty or sticky items.

9.  Use them to cover the table for kids arts projects.

10.  Put ice in  bag for a quick ice pack.

Jell-O Shots w/ a Twist

By 1 Comment


Jell–O Shots w/ a Twist

 

Cut an Orange (Lemon or Lime) in HALF and shell it out. Mix the jello shot (1 cup hot water, box jello, 1 cup various liquors), stir till dissolved, then add the jello mix to the half shell and refrigerate for 3 hours or more.

Once solid, slice and serve!

Smorgasbord for your Roses (Kitchen Foods they will THRIVE on)

By Leave a Comment

 


Smorgasbord for your Roses

Want some BEAUTIFUL ROSES?
(Works for Tea Cup roses also) Add these three foods in the soil on a regular basis.

Crushed Egg Shells

Egg Shells supply nutrients to the plant, helps deter snails, and the decomposition helps support the bloom.

Cut Up Banana Peels

Banana Peels gives your Roses the BOOST of Potassium they need!

Used Coffee Grounds

Coffee Grounds give your Roses Nitrogen!

The $22.79 Cadbury Creme Egg

By 10 Comments

The $22.79 Cadbury Creme Egg

(The BEST I have EVER had!)

Written Easter of 2012

Let me start by saying, there is a reason for EVERYTHING in this world! Even my yearly craving for a Cadbury Creme Egg! I am not looking for praise or recognition, just a reminder to everyone to Pay it Forward in life <3 ~ Micki

The Cadbury Creme Egg is BY FAR my favorite Candy! There is nothing better then cracking it in half, licking out the creme, and then eating that AMAZING smooth milk chocolate! As a child, my mother made sure my Easter Basket was filled with them. And doing the best I could, I would ration them, eating only one every few days, seeing as I had to wait a year for them to come around again! As I have gotten older my Mom still to this day makes me up an Easter Basket and puts some in for me!

Last night, after a nice Dinner and evening with my husband, we were driving up Highway 41, when suddenly the craving hit me, I had resisted the temptation for the whole Easter Season so far!  Being close to the Kwik Trip by Fox River Shopping Mall, Hubby pulled in. (After twenty years of being together HE KNOWS when my sweet tooth hits, it is in his best interest to fulfill my request)

It was about 11pm, As we were pulling up to the Gas Station, there was a guy walking around the parking lot talking on his cell phone, which at that point, I thought nothing of it. We walked into the gas station, and I made a bee line to the Candy Section, Spotting a whole box of these little Gems. Glancing at the price, $.79, I thought to myself, “Oh My how the price of Candy has gone up in my 40 years of life!”  No hesitation though, I had to have it!

Walking up to counter, standing there was the Parking Lot Cell phone guy at that register next to me, he was talking to the Cashier and talking to someone on his cell phone also. Not trying to be nosey, but hearing, “No, it is not working, I am not sure what to do!” During this time the other Cashier was checking out a lady in front of us. As we stood there, we next hear “It is off of 41.” I still have not put two and two together. It is our turn next to check out, a few more minutes have passed. Behind us we hear him calling someone else, and him say “I can’t leave, they won’t let me.”

At this point two and two is equaling four! Hubby and I both look at each other at the same time. Looking over at the other cashier, My husband asks, “How much does he owe?”  The Cashier says, “$22” as my husband is already handing her his Debit Card. I turned around to the guy who is still on the phone trying to find someone to bring him some money and say to him, “Don’t worry, we got it!”  He literally stood there with shock on his face, then out came “No, you can’t do that.” After a little bit of persuading, he said, “At least give me your cell or address or something so I can send it to you.” I just kept saying “Not a problem, Do not worry about it.”  He keeps saying “Thank You, You have no idea what this means!” Shakes my husbands hand and turns and hugs me, and still as he is walking out the door with us is saying “Thank you and God Bless you both!”

We climb into our SUV, He climbs into his Mini Van and you can still see the shock on his face as he is dialing his cell phone. As we get back on the Highway, Carry and I both look at each other smiling, not saying a thing, Just smiling, as I slowly eat my Cadbury Creme Egg, Enjoying it more then ANY other one I have eaten in my life!

WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING to do something so little, that I know had a huge impact on not only us, but on the guy we helped, the Cashiers who both Thanked us and said it was so kind of us, and the other customers in the Kwik Trip who all stood there with surprised looks on their faces.

I would like to think, at some point, hopefully this guy will be in a situation similar to what just occurred and look back and do the same and Pay it Forward.  That $22.79 Cadbury Creme Egg was the BEST I have ever eaten, worth EVERY CENT!

Starting a Raised Vegetable Garden

By Leave a Comment


Starting a Raised Vegetable Garden

There are two VERY IMPORTANT things to follow when starting a Garden!

1) Size. ALWAYS start smaller…You can add on! Never make it bigger then you are able to maintain and keep weed free.

2) Find the right location. You need an area that gets a good amount of sunshine through out the day! The More Sunshine the better!

Your first step will be to lay your garden out. I prefer to use Cardboard, (Pizza boxes actually), but you can use newspaper also. Then take a shovel and put a trench around the square you have laid out. Pick up the boxes or newspaper, and dig up the sod within the square. Just enough to bring up the roots of the grass, then lay the boxes back down.

Now it is time to build your box! Make sure you use rot resistant lumbers. I prefer cedar two by six boards and galvanized screws. (Will not rust) Use a level and make sure your box is level or else you will have problems with water pooling.

TIME TO ADD THE DIRT!

Use quality top soil, rotted manure, and compost. Mix it up, level it off, and your garden is ready to go! The GREAT thing about Raised Gardens is that each year you just add a little manure and compost and you are ready to go!  I also like to add some used coffee grounds and crushed up eggs shells to my soil, and my plants LOVE IT!

Deals

More Deals

Coupons

More Coupon Posts

Sweeps & Giveaways

More Sweeps & Giveaways