Kroger Product Reviews

Hi friends!  I joined the MyMagazine Sharing Network last year using my Kroger card number, and I'm loving how many free products I'm getting to try.  After you sign up, you are chosen for "missions" and are then able to try free items in exchange for feedback and social media sharing, etc.  

I haven't done a "mission" in awhile, but I was recently invited to try vitaminwater active as well as some summer barbecue must-haves including McCormick Grill Mates Bottle Blend Seasoning, Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies, Lays Original (Kettle) Chips, and Kleenex Wet Wipes.  Here are some of my take-aways:

• My husband liked the vitaminwater active, but I did not actually try it because the sugar count was higher than I like in a beverage (mostly due to my Type 1 Diabetes).  I appreciate the use of natural sweeteners, but I still thought 26g of carbohydrate was a lot for one serving!  I would buy this drink again for a good price (like the $0.84 price right now at Kroger), but my husband didn't like it enough to buy it above other similar drinks.  For reference, we tried the lemon-lime flavor.
• We tried the McCormick Grill Mates seasoning on grilled hamburgers last night, and I really liked it.  I am used to buying celery salt to season hamburgers, but this was just as good, so I will likely purchase this again based on price/availability.
• Keebler Chips Deluxe cookies are already a favorite of mine, so I enjoyed having this sample.  We don't buy these cookies on a regular basis, though, because my son has a peanut allergy, and this package says that they "may contain peanuts" due to the M & M component.  I highly recommend these otherwise :)
• The Lays Original kettle chips were my favorite part of this sample pack!  I am a sucker for chips, especially kettle chips, and the Lays brand did not disappoint!  I will definitely buy these again.
• Kleenex wet wipes have been very handy to have in my purse, but I cannot imagine buying these on a regular basis when baby wipes seem to be a cheaper and comparable option.

Overall, I was pleased with the samples I received in these two missions.  These samples and missions make me a happy Kroger shopper, and I am excited to purchase some Lays Original kettle chips again soon - maybe without sharing them this time!

Now, I'm onto the next mission!

XOXO,

Alisa

Kroger MyMagazine Sharing Network - Organic!

Hi friends!  I recently joined the MyMagazine Sharing Network using my Kroger card number, and I'm loving how many free products I'm getting to try.  After you sign up, you are chosen for "missions" and are then able to try free items in exchange for feedback and social media sharing, etc.  

Kroger has recently started advertising (at least more heavily) their wide variety of organic food/drink options, so I was excited to be chosen for this mission.  Here are a few of the highlights!

• We did not love the Bush's Organic garbanzo beans, but I think this was because they were garbanzo beans :)  I will likely try some of Bush's Organic beans in a different variety in the future if they are a reasonable price.
• We did like the Garden of Eatin' Ranch and Nacho chips but would probably not choose them over Doritos brand.
• We really liked the Simply Organic Tostitos Scoops chips and would probably choose them over other tortilla chip options if the price was decent.
• I love the mild, organic Pace salsa and will likely buy it again, especially with coupons!
• My son has a severe peanut allergy, so we did not try the organic peanut powder.
• I do not drink sugary drinks, but my husband liked the Santa Cruz lemonade and the Sweet Leaf tea.  We have not been able to find the Teas' Tea.
• We have not yet tried the RXBAR or the Horizon milk or mac & cheese, but I have a feeling my kids will love the Horizon brand items, and I like the idea of organic options for kids.

Overall, I was pleased with the variety of organic options (and digital coupons!) Kroger offers, but I don't think I will buy many of these items again without coupons, mainly because these items (bottled tea, canned lemonade, garbanzo beans) are not items that I am typically buying, with the exception of chips and salsa.

Now, I'm onto the next mission!

XOXO,

Alisa

Tax-Free Weekend & Back-To-School Shopping 2017

If you're like me, you love the thrill (and the math) involved in finding a great deal, especially around back-to-school time. Check out some of my favorite back-to-school deals below, and don't forget that this weekend (Fri 8/4 - Sun 8/6) is tax-free weekend in Virginia.

(Please note that a few of my links include referral codes, but I promise these are apps/websites/items that I use myself and recommend!)

ONLINE DEALS

Bentgo Kids Lunch Boxes (1- or 2-pack) on Groupon - I have been eyeing these things for awhile now, and I think $19.99 each (I bought a 2-pack for $39.99) is about the best deal I've seen yet. This price is NOT cheap, but I do think it's a good deal, especially since I've heard they hold up for years. Also, my kids are already OBSESSED and want to eat lunch out of them every day, even when we're at home :)  

[Don't forget to use ebates for online purchases! Groupon has 3% cash back right now.]

Carter's/Oshkosh Shoes - Kids' shoes are expensive, and I hate the thought of paying more than $20/pair. Lots of shoes on the Carter's/Oshkosh website are B1G1 FREE right now, so I got two $38 pairs (which might be a bit of a mark-up in the first place) for $38 total ($19 each). Plus, as long as you buy something from both Carter's AND Oshkosh right now, you get free shipping, so I just made sure I got one of each brand of shoes.
[Don't forget to use ebates for online purchases! Carter's has 2.5% cash back right now.]

And, if you happen to be an Amazon Prime shopper, here are a couple of decent deals:
Glue Sticks - $7.88 for 30 glue sticks (about $0.26 each)
Ticonderoga Pencils - $7.87 for 30 pencils (about $0.26 each) ... but I think you can beat this deal in a store!


IN-STORE DEALS

Staples - Go to staples.com and check out the weekly ad. You should find a 20% off coupon, plus a list of this week's great deals, including Crayola crayon 12-packs for $0.50, Ticonderoga pencil 12-packs for $1 (WHAT!), composition books for $0.50, Elmer's glue stick 8-packs for $2.50, and packs of copy paper (750 sheets) for $1 after a mail-in rebate!

Target - Some of the best deals I see right now include Elmer's glue sticks 5-packs for $0.99, Crayola markers for $0.99, Fiskars scissors for $0.99, and Ticonderoga pencil 30-packs (pre-sharpened!) for $5.99. There's also a clothing deal going on this week. Don't forget to check offers on your Cartwheel App if you shop in-store, and, whether you shop online or in-store, you can use your Target REDcard (check out the debit card option, seriously!) to save an extra 5%.

Walgreens - I would highly recommend heading to Walgreens this week with a school supply list in-hand. My store was sold out of $0.99 Ticonderoga pencil 10-packs, but there were lots of other good deals including $0.99 Fiskars scissors, $0.99 Crayola markers, $0.99 Crayola water colors, and more!

Walmart - Walmart always has good deals on school supplies, but I am LOVING the Kleenex deals right now! Here are two good deal scenarios (I did both!):

• Buy three (3) Kleenex 85-count tissue boxes for $0.88 each. Use one (1) coupon for $0.75 off of three boxes (note that the coupon changes from $0.50 off to $0.75 off if you "share" online). Then submit for two (2) Ibotta rebates on Walmart Kleenex single boxes (limit 2) and get $0.50 x 2 back! This brings your total to $0.89 for all three boxes!

• Buy one Kleenex bundle pack for $3.68. Use one (1) coupon for $0.75 off of three boxes (note that the coupon mentioned above can be printed exactly twice if you go back to the page). Then submit for an Ibotta rebate on a Walmart Kleenex bundle pack (limit 1) and get $1 back. This brings your total to $1.93 for all four boxes!

Is your head spinning yet? I love this stuff, so let me know if you have questions for me! I think I have the shopping covered, but I might need help with the whole sending-my-baby-off-to-school thing if anyone has any advice to share ;)

XOXO,
Alisa

Beech Nut & Pampers!

Beech Nut Baby Food

My baby girl refuses to eat baby food these days, but I still want to share this great deal with you guys! If you're willing to use rebate apps (Ibotta & Mobisave), you can save $5 on 10 jars of Beech Nut Naturals baby food. This makes them around $0.50/jar instead of $1/jar, which is awesome!

• Buy 10 jars of Beech Nut Naturals baby food. (Make sure you check the label and get Naturals instead of another type.)
• Submit your receipt for $2 back (on a purchase of 6+ jars) with Ibotta.
  *NOTE: THIS REBATE IS ONLY GOOD AT KROGER, TARGET, OR FOOD LION.
• Submit your receipt for $3 back (on a purchase of 10+ jars) with Mobisave.

Make sure to check your apps for these rebates before you shop. Go ahead and "select" them before you buy your items, and reach out to me if you have any questions about redeeming your rebates!

Pampers Rewards

Do you collect and enter Pampers codes from packages of diapers and wipes? I do, but I haven't done much with them (I think I entered a sweepstakes with them once), until I made an awesome discovery earlier this week! Check your point totals now because if you have 700+ points, you can "buy" a coupon for $5 off of a Pampers purchase, or if you have 1300+ points, you can "buy" a coupon for $10 off of a Pampers purchase. My $10 coupon is on it's way in the mail now ... hooray!

I love saving money on baby stuff, and I hope you can use some of these ideas :)

XOXO,

Alisa

 

And don't forget the babies!

Lots of people are back-to-school shopping this month, but I know that some of you are looking for sales on baby stuff, too! If you're in need of diapers and wipes, here are a couple of great deals ...

HUGGIES WIPES (56 ct & 72 ct) are part of the Buy 5, Save $5 Mega Event at Kroger right now. If you can find some (I know they sell out quickly), these wipes are only $0.99/pack ... as long as you're buying 5 items on the deal. Print some coupons for $0.50 off one package of Huggies wipes, and you'll get them for $0.49/pack!!

PAMPERS DIAPERS (Baby Dry, Swaddlers, and Cruisers) are 2/$17.98 at CVS through Saturday, 8/6. If you buy 4 packs, you can use FOUR $2 off coupons, and you will earn $10 in ExtraBucks to use on your next transaction at CVS. Be sure to check your CVS app or go to the in-store coupon kiosk because I had a diaper/wipe coupon for $5 off of $25 which makes these diapers about $0.10 each - HOORAY! :)

*Note: If you use the Checkout51 rebate app, you can also earn $1.50 back for one pack of Pampers Swaddlers diapers.

Diaper on, friends!

Alisa

Tax-Free Weekend & Back-To-School Shopping 2016

This weekend (Fri 8/5 - Sun 8/7) is tax-free weekend in Virginia! This tax savings applies to most school supplies and clothing items, so it's a great weekend for back-to-school shopping. You can read more about qualifying items here, but the main rule seems to be that each school supply item must be under $20 and each clothing item must be under $100 to qualify. Read below for more ideas on back-to-school savings!

School Supplies:

• Get a ream of printer paper for $0.01 after mail-in rebate at Staples. Print a coupon to lower the in-store price, and then submit your rebate request online as described on your receipt. If you print 4 coupons, you can buy up to 4 reams of paper using this same deal!
• Check your Cartwheel app for back-to-school savings at Target including 5% off of all up & up school supplies and up to 25% off select backpacks. Don't forget to use your Target REDcard (debit card) for an extra 5% savings on all purchases!
• Walmart tends to have the lowest school supply prices if you want to do all of your shopping at one store. This week, you can get Crayola crayons for $0.50, Crayola markers for $0.97, and one-subject notebooks for $0.17!
• If you're in the market for electronics, check out the current Ibotta offer for $5 back on a purchase of $100+ at Best Buy. Lots of calculators and laptops are on sale right now (although individual items over $100 won't be tax-free). If you sign up for Ibotta using my referral code, you'll get an extra $10 back, and I'll earn $5 :)

Clothing:

• I was SO EXCITED to see an Ibotta offer for $5 back on a $40+ Old Navy purchase last week, but this offer isn't showing up for me today :( Ibotta offers do sometimes vary by user, so check your app now (and keep an eye out for Old Navy offers in the future).
• Through Saturday, 8/6, you can use this coupon for $10 off of $25 (or $20 off of $50) at JCPenney! If you get snail mail from JCPenney, you probably got a coupon recently for $10 off of $10 (my favorite coupon ever!!!), so check your mail stack before you go shopping.
• Use this Kohl's coupon for $10 off of a $40 back-to-school purchase, good through 8/17.
• If you haven't already done so, download the Coupon Sherpa app and check it before making a purchase at any store. This app tends to have the same coupons that come in catalogs/mailers, without the hassle of clipping and carrying coupons.

I don't need many school supplies this year since my littles are still little and my "teaching" is only part-time, but I still get pretty excited about Sharpies and Expo markers! Let me know if you find any awesome deals yourself ... and happy shopping!

XOXO,

Alisa

BABY FOOD & DIAPERS!!

I *love* finding good deals on baby food and diapers, and I also love sharing these deals with you! To maximize your savings on these deals, you are going to want to download the CVS/pharmacy app, the Kroger app, and the mobiSave and Ibotta rebate apps. By using my Ibotta referral code (huppdnt), you'll earn $10 towards your first $20 "cash out" requirement, and you'll help me earn $5 :)

Kroger (or Walmart) Beech Nut "Naturals" Baby Food Deal

Instead of $1 each, Beech Nut "Naturals" Baby Food jars are currently on sale at Kroger for $0.89 each. If you buy 10 of them, you should be able to use a Kroger e-coupon, a mobiSave instant rebate offer, and two Ibotta rebate offers ... SCORE!

Buy 10 jars of Beech Nut "Naturals" baby food at $0.89 each = $8.90

Subtract Kroger $1 e-coupon (if you buy at least 5 jars) = $7.90

Get back $0.25 on "any baby food" with Ibotta = $7.65

Get back $2 on "Beech Nut Naturals" (if you buy at least 6 jars) with Ibotta = $5.65

Get back $2-$3 with mobiSave, depending on your offer. Mine was $3 off of 10 jars = $2.65

*PS: If your mobiSave offer is for $2 off 5 jars, you will only need to buy 6 jars to do this deal (because 6 jars are required for the Ibotta rebate).

*PPS: If you want to shop at Walmart instead of at Kroger, you won't have a $1 e-coupon, but the Beech Nut Naturals price will probably be a little lower to begin with, so the deal should be about the same, if not better!

CVS Pampers Diapers Deal

You can get a good deal on Pampers diapers at CVS this week using sale prices, paper coupons, and the Ibotta rebate app ... but if you happen to have a good CVS-based coupon (download the app or head to the in-store kiosk now to check), you can get a great deal!

Buy 4 packs of Pampers diapers (Cruisers, Swaddlers, Baby Dry) on sale for $8.99 each = $35.96 

Receive $10 in CVS ExtraBucks (for spending $30+ on select Pampers) = $25.96

Use 4*$1.50 = $6 in Pampers coupons from coupons.com = $19.96

*Note: You might want to print a couple of each type of coupon (Cruisers, Swaddlers, Baby Dry) so that you can decide what you want in the store, based on inventory. Make sure to print at least one Cruisers coupon and buy at least one pack of Cruisers diapers so you can take advantage of the Ibotta rebate below.

Get back $1.50 on "any Pampers Cruisers" with Ibotta = $18.46

$18.46 is not a bad price for 4 packs of diapers, but I was able to get an even better deal using CVS app coupons such as "$5 off $25 diapers" = $13.46 ... so CHECK YOUR APP (or go to the red in-store kiosk). The more I use these types of coupons, the more of them I seem to get ... so why wait? :)

Let me know if these posts are helpful to you! And, if you're getting ready to download Ibotta anyways, please consider using my referral code (huppdnt).

Happy shopping!

Alisa