This was the last day to use up those coupons and get all of your saving done. We didn’t use that many of the coupons but enough that it adds up to a nice little amount. You know, if you’re going to buy it anyway, it is nice to save a couple of dollars in the process.
San Pelligrino mineral water
San Pellegrino Bottled Mineral Water – It’s possible that I’ve written about this before because we buy it fairly often, especially when we’re having friends over for dinner. I think it has a better taste than a lot of the mineral waters, personally. And with the bubbly nature of it, you can add juices, nectars, and fruit to it and have a nice fizzy type drink that looks way more impressive than it is. For instance, around Christmas we added some frozen whole cranberries to it and it looked so pretty and festive. I use it to cut the Langer’s Mango Nectar and make it into a lighter mango spritzer drink because I love the mango nectar but it can be a bit heavy. 12, 750 mL bottles for $11.50.
Leg of Lamb – We were having some friends over for dinner so we decided to try a leg of lamb recipe. And we were in luck because Costco carries them with the bone out and all trussed up in a little net. It was really nice lamb though. The only unfortunate thing was that there was still a little too much fat on it so we had to cut it out of the little net and do a little trimming. It is kind of a necessity to do that trimming though because the fat, if it is thick, can give the lamb an unpleasant taste. We did a good job roasting it, if I do say so myself, since it still had a nice pinkish center and was juicy and delicious. We served ours with some mango chutney and it was the perfect mix. The size of just over four pounds was perfect for our group of eight too; not too many leftovers (I’m not a fan of reheating lamb, that when it gets tough, I think). 4.23 pounds for $3.99/pound, $16.88 total.
Yes, filing taxes can be easy.
Intuit TurboTax Deluxe for Federal Returns – We have been using TurboTax for years. We tried something else one year but quickly realized it was a mistake. The other reason we like using TurboTax is because we also use Quicken and the two work nicely together and that cuts down on some of the time we have to spend entering numbers from one place to the other. It’s so easy to use though because it asks questions in normal, everyday language instead of IRS speak, so it is very understandable. I think the interview type format also helps you out by coming up with deductions and other things that you might miss or not even think of on your own. Of course, if you really like looking at all those forms and line 12B and 23C things, you can go directly to the forms too. Also, as you are going through the process it keeps a running tally of how much you owe or how much your refund is; so you always see it. Which could be a good thing but sometimes makes you just want to cry. The other good thing is that they help you accurately value any charitable donations you might have made (obviously, the non-money donations) so that instead of you thinking that the old jeans were worth $2, they’ll tell you that indeed they are worth $20 (or something similar). And maybe the greatest thing is that it checks for errors and your likelihood of being audited before it lets you file. So, the audit risk meter lets you see things that may flag you for an audit and make sure that the information is accurate and correct. Plus, you get to do your e-filing of your returns for free (up to 5 returns), which used to cost around $10, I think. Oh yeah, and the software will work for either Windows or a Mac. $31.99 ($41.99 – $10 off coupon).
Be a smarty pants
The Handy Science Answer Book – This is awesome and would be great for kids. It’s got answers to all kinds of science questions, stuff you didn’t even know you wanted to know. And the answers are written in a way that makes it actually understandable and easy to read. There are over 600 pages of questions and answers to keep you, or your kids, entertained for ages. Here are just some of the questions: what would cause frogs and toads to fall from the sky like a rain shower; what is wormwood; what is cryonic suspension; what is a donkey engine; and obviously a whole lot more. It covers everything you could have ever wondered but didn’t have a scientist around to ask. I wish I had had one of these growing up, that’s all I can say, because it beats the pants off of the old encyclopedia set (yes, I’m so old I grew up in the Stone Age without the Internet). And if this doesn’t cover everything you wanted to know they also have a book for physiology and anatomy. Who did invent Calculus (and was it always used for torturing young math students)…now I know the answer! $12.49.
Coupons – So, over the 20 days that the coupons were good this is a summary of our savings situation:
- 5 Cheese Take and Bake Pizza: $9.99 – $3 coupon = $6.99
- Bellatoria Ultra Thin Crust Pizza, 3 pack: $12.99 – $3 coupon = $9.99
- Charmin Toilet Tissue, 30 jumbo rolls: $18.59 – $2.50 coupon = $16.09
- TurboTax Deluxe: $41.99 – $10 coupon = $31.99
- Swiffer Dusters, 20 dusters: $12.39 – $2.50 coupon = $9.89
- TOTAL: $95.95 – $21.00 in coupons = $74.95
This was definitely not the best coupon book for me, however, we did save $21 and that’s not bad for only buying a few items that we would have been buying anyway.
1
Susie //
2009.01.31 at 10:19 pm
Awww I didn’t see the Pelligrino coupon! I remember before you had said that at your costco (or maybe a friends) you didn’t have to have the coupon book with you to get all the discounts.
They only do specific items at our store. Like one week it was the pork chop coupon and you didn’t have to have the coupon to get the discount. They do it a lot with the pizza’s/deli food too. I wish they would just do it with all the items. I’ve had to go back to the service desk a few times to get my coupon discounts (my fault for not pointing out the additional coupon). It was super easy but still.
I stocked up for our superbowl party today and they had Wii’s and the Wii Fits out at my store. They had probably 20 or so Wii’s and maybe 6 or 7 Fits. Did they ever come into your store?
2
mamacita //
2009.02.01 at 1:27 am
Leftover lamb -> Shepherd’s Pie
3
Kimberly //
2009.02.01 at 8:41 am
Oh man, I hadn’t even thought of Shepherd’s Pie! Darn…well, I guess I’ll have to come up with another recipe with leg of lamb that I can try out then.
4
Kimberly //
2009.02.01 at 8:57 am
Hey Susie, didn’t mean to lead you astray, but the Pelligrino didn’t have a coupon. It was full price. I’d love it if they would have a coupon for that though.
It’s interesting that they don’t do the coupons the same way at all of the stores. At ours you don’t need the physical coupons unless you are going through the self-checkout lanes.
They had the Wii, but not the Wii Fit, for about 30 minutes a couple of weeks ago. They go through them so fast at our store, it’s unbelievable. The funny thing was that they had the accessory pack for the Wii Fit – a yoga mat and the little cover for your balance board – recently but not even a hint of the Fit.
5
Susie //
2009.02.01 at 2:38 pm
Phew! I feel better
I’ve seen coupons for the other kind, the name escapes me Perrier(?) I think that’s what it’s called. I’ve seen coupons for that in the book before. Yea this is the first time I’ve seen the Wii’s or the Fit in stock since that time in October I saw it.
What’s funny is after I posted I remembered that I didn’t need the coupon book one day. The checkout had all of them out for me but the two or three times after that I did need it. Weird.
6
pja48142 //
2009.02.01 at 9:35 pm
I used to love Pellegrino water until I woke up one morning all puffy. I had a lot of the Pellegrino the night before. When I looked at the label and saw how much sodium was in each bottle of Pellegrino, I haven’t bought it since. I love it, but I wish Costco would cut a deal with one of the other sparkling waters that has no sodium in it. Much better for you.
7
Kimberly //
2009.02.02 at 10:44 am
If you’re looking for a water alternative, Costco (at least ours) is now selling La Croix in a can. They have a case with 3 different flavors – lime, lemon, pure – for $6.99. So, it is free of calories and sodium and is actually cheaper than the Pellegrino too.
8
CostcoShopper //
2009.02.02 at 11:08 am
Did anyone else have a Super Road Show at their Costco this weekend? Wow, we did and it was awesome. There were at least 25 demo stations. I wandered around but I think my favorite product that I had not seen before was a Martha Stewart/Kirkland Brand Olive Tapanade. It has 2-3 different kinds of olives, green, kalamata, pimentos, onions and is delicious. My two kids would have eaten it with a spoon instead of on pita chips.
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EFroh //
2009.02.02 at 8:51 pm
Just an FYI, but Kashi just issued a recall on some of their chewy granola bars, including the types sold by Costco. If you have any in the house, you might want to check their dates:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/kashi02_09.html
Love your blog!
10
John W Simon //
2009.02.05 at 6:27 pm
Can I order 1 dz long stem roses from my local store(Federal Way) to available to pick up 2/12. ? John
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Kimberly //
2009.02.05 at 6:43 pm
John, I don’t know all of the ins and outs of the floral department at Costco warehouses. So, I would suggest that you call them and ask. It’s possible that they are willing to do this. But I also know that at our local store, they always have a TON of roses for Valentine’s Day to make sure they don’t run out. To be on the safe side though, I’d call your local store.