MadCoupons.com Giveaway!

We are giving away a package that will include 5 copies of each insert from the most recent weeks paper!! Good luck!! To hear the archived episode of the NE Coupon Queens go to http://www.tenacityradio.com/archivea a Rafflecopter giveaway

Woolite Rug Stick....SCORE!!

So there I was....

That is how most of my OMG stories start and this one is no different. As a couponer you know how hard it is to pay full price for anything, I dislike Hannaford stores purely for that reason and never usually shop there even though there is one just down the street from me. Well, this morning I had to grab some half and half for my coffee (yes even I can sometimes run out of necessities) in my defense I've just moved and haven't been able to do a haul in over a month (so sorry my coupons...it hurts to see you die!). So there I was in the cold aisle grabbing my cream when I saw a discount bin which had a couple of Woolite Rug Sticks. I didn't have coupons for them but they had $3.00 off coupons on the box. I decided I wanted to give the product a try soooo I grabbed one. 

I went to checkout, and they rang up at $3.75 before coupon!!! The coupon being $3.00 off means I only paid $0.75 for the system which is regularly $14.99!!! So being me...I had them put the transaction on hold and ran all the way to the other end of the store and grabbed a second! Be sure to check the bins at Hannaford this week to see if they have the rug stick too!

Soooo here is the math:

Regularly: $14.99

Total Regular Cost: $29.98

Total Sale Cost + Coupons: $1.50

Total Saved: $28.40

Most of you are most likely familiar with the percentage of savings that you hear about on shows like Extreme Couponers. Here is the formula to calculate your percent of savings:

Saved ÷ Value = % Savings

What has been saved is pretty easy to figure out it's what you paid - your total in coupons and store savings. Most stores actually calculate this for you now and it can be found at the bottom of your receipt.

Value is the altogether cost of the items so add your Saved + Paid together. This is the ACTUAL value. 

Then just divide these two numbers to get your percentage.

I will use this formula regarding the Woolite Rug Stick deal to show you what I mean:

28.40 (saved) ÷ 29.98 (saved + paid) = .94% Saved

It's always satisfying and extremely important to see your savings percentage. It helps you to see whether you are succeeding or where you may need to change some things. If you can save even 52% or more your doing a fabulous job!

As promised on the show .... Your Guide to Food Expiration and Best Before Dates

Hey gang!

If you heard the show this week, you know that we were talking about how long you can keep items in your stockpile before you should really toss them. Those little dates on the package? Yeah, those aren't really for "us". Those are simply a guide to let the store know how to appropriately rotate their stock. Even if it says "Best Before" or "Freshness Guaranteed Until", those dates are truly meaningless once they hit your stockpile.

Now, that's not to say that you shouldn't pay attention to those dates - you just have to do a little creative math! If you store foods appropriately, (stockpile in as cool and dry a place as you can manage, with your fridge below 40 degrees etc.) your foods will last WELL beyond those little stamped dates. Here's a handy chart from gourmetsleuths.com to give you an idea of the actual life span of your hard earned bargains!

FRESH FOODS
Product	Cook or Freeze By
Beef	3-5 days after purchase
Butter	2 weeks to 2 months unopened
Cream & half and half	3-4 days from sell by date or snif it!
Eggs	3-5 weeks from carton date
Fish	1-2 days wrapped tightly and well chilled or iced.
Ground meat	2 days after purchase
Hard cheese	6 months unopened, 3-4 weeks opened, stored airtight. Its OK to cut away mold, it does not spoil the whole block of cheese
Hot dogs	7 days after sell by date
Luncheon meats	7 days after sell-by date
Milk	5-7 Days past the sell-by date. Don't use if it smells sour. (See California Law )
Pork	3-5 days after purchase
Poultry	1- 2 days loosely wrapped
Soft cheese	1 week unopened or 2 weeks for cream cheese.

View: Comprehesive food storage guidelines chart

PROCESSED - SHELF STABLE PRODUCTS
	Unopened, After Purchase	After Opening
Baked goods	2 - 7 days. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
Baking powder	Replace every 6 months to a year. To test it: mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/2 cup hot water and the mixture should bubble immediately.
Baking soda	Replace every 6 months to a year. To test: mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons of vinegar and the mixture should bubble immediately.
Canned goods - high acid	18 months	3-4 days
Canned goods - low acid	2-5 years	3-4 days
Canned meats, shelf stable	2 to 5 years/pantry	3-4 days
Flour	Varies by variety. All-purpose flour, stored in cool, dry location can store indefinitely. Refrigerate whole wheat and higher-fat flours. See FAQs
Juices	shelf-stable, bottled. Store for 12 to 18	3 - 5 days
Powdered seasonings	6 months to a year past "best by" date. .	1 month Spoilage is unlikely but quality will degrade. If seasoning mixes add fats, watch for rancidity
Salt		Does not "expire".
Sugar		Never (unless it is exposed to moisture and becomes too difficult to use

Bread And Cereal Products

Food Pantry (Room Temperature Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F) Freezer (0°F) Baked quick breads 4-5 days 1-2 weeks 2-3 months Bread 5-7 days 1-2 weeks 3 months Bread crumbs and croutons 6 months Bread rolls, unbaked 2-3 weeks 1 month Cereals, ready-to-eat 2-3 months 1 year Cereals, ready-to-cook 6 months Corn meal 1 year 18 months 2 years Doughnuts 4-5 days 3 months Flour, cake, all-purpose 1 year 1-2 years Flour, whole wheat 6-8 months 1-2 years Pasta 2 years Pies and pastries 3 days 4-6 months Pies and pastries, baked 1-2 months Pies and pastries, cream filled 2-3 days 3 months Pizza 3-4 days 1-2 months Rice, brown 6 months Rice, white 1 year 6-7 days+ 6 months+ Tacos, enchiladas, and burritos (frozen) 2 weeks 1 year Waffles 4-5 days 1 month

Packaged Foods And Mixes

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
muffin mixes	9 months
Cakes, prepared	2-4 days		2-3 months
Cake mixes	6-9 months
Casserole mix	9-12 months
Chili powder	6 months
Cookies, packaged	2 months		8-12 months
Crackers, pretzels	3 months
Frosting, canned	3 months
Frosting, mix	8 months
Fruit cake		2-3 months	1 year
Hot roll mix	18 months
Instant breakfast products	6 months
Pancake and piecrust mix	6 months
Pancake waffle batter		1-2 days	3 months
Toaster pastries	3 months
Sauce and gravy mixes	6 months
Soup mixes	1 year
Spices, Herbs, Condiments, Extracts
Catsup, chili, and cocktail sauce	1 month*	6 months	1 year
Herbs	6 months		1-2 years
Herb/spice blends	2 years		1-2 years
Mustard	2 years	6-8 months*	8-12 months
Spices, ground	6 months		1-2 years
Spices, whole	1-2 years		2-3 years
Vanilla extract	2 years
Other extracts	1 year
Other Food Staples
Bacon bits	4 months
Baking powder	18 months
Baking soda	2 years
Bouillon products	1 year
Carbonated soft drinks (12 oz. cans)	6-9 months
Carbonated soft drinks, diet (12 oz. cans)	3-4 months
Chocolate, premelted	1 year
Chocolate syrup	2 years	6 months*
Chocolate, semisweet	2 years
Chocolate, unsweetened	18 months
Cocoa mixes	8 months
Coconut, shredded	1 year	8 months	1 year
Coffee cans	2 years	2 months	6 months
Coffee, instant	6 months
Coffee, vacuum-packed	1 year ^
Coffee lighteners (dry)	9 months		1 year
Cornstarch	18 months		2 years
Gelatin	18 months
Honey, jams, jellies, and syrup	1 year	6-8 months*
Marshmallows	2-3 months
Marshmallow cream	3-4 months
Mayonnaise	2-3 months	12 months
Molasses	2 years
Nuts, shelled	4 months	6 months
Nuts, unshelled	6 months
Nuts, salted			6-8 months
Nuts, unsalted			9-12 months
Oil, salad	3 months^
Parmesan grated cheese	10 months
Pasteurized process cheese spread	3 months	3-4 weeks*	4 months
Peanut butter	6 months
Popcorn	1-2 years	2 years	2-3 years
Pectin	1 year
Salad dressings, bottled	1 year^	3 months*
Soft drinks	3 months
Artificial sweetener	2 years
Sugar, brown	4 months
Sugar, confectioners	18 months
Sugar, granulated	2 years
Tea bags	18 months
Tea, instant	2 years
Vegetable oils	6 months
Vegetable shortening	3 months	6-9 months
Vinegar	2 years
Water, bottled	1-2 years
Whipped topping (dry)	1 year
Yeast, dry	Pkg. exp. date

Vegetables

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Asparagus		2-3 days	8 months
Beets		2 weeks
Broccoli		3-5 days
Brussels sprouts		3-5 days
Cabbage		1 week
Carrots		2 weeks
Cauliflower		1 week
Celery		1 week
Corn (husks)		1-2 days	8 months
Cucumbers		1 week
Eggplant		1 week
Green beans		1-2 days	8 months
Green peas		3-5 days	8 months
Lettuce		1 week
Lima beans		3-5 days	8 months
Mushrooms		2 days
Onions	1 week	3-5 days
Onion rings (precooked, frozen)			1 year#
Peppers		1 week
Pickles, canned	1 year	1 month*
Frozen potatoes			8 month
Sweet potatoes	2-3 weeks
White potatoes	2-3 months
Potato chips	1 month
Radishes		2 weeks
Rhubarb		3-5 days
Rutabagas	1 week
Snap beans		1 week
Spinach	8 months
Squash, Summer		3-5 days
Squash, Winter	1 week
Tomatoes		1 week
Turnips		2 weeks
Commercial baby food, jars	1-2 years^	2-3 days
Canned vegetables	1 year^	1-4 days*
Canned vegetables, pickled	1 year^	1-2 months*
Dried vegetables	6 months
Frozen vegetables			8 months
Vegetable soup		3-4 days	3 months

Fruits

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Apples	Until ripe	1 month
Apricots	Until ripe	5 days
Avocados	Until ripe	5 days
Bananas	Until ripe	5 days (fully ripe)
Berries	Until ripe	3 days	1 year
Canned fruit	1 year	2-4 days*
Canned fruit juices	1 year	3-4 days*
Cherries	Until ripe	3 days
Citrus fruit	Until ripe	2 weeks
Dried fruit	6 months	2-4 days+
Frozen fruit			1 year
Fruit juice concentrate		6 days	1 year
Fruit pies, baked		2-3 days	8 months
Grapes	Until ripe	5 days
Melons	Until ripe	5 days
Nectarines	Until ripe	5 days
Peaches	Until ripe	5 days	1 year
Pears	Until ripe	5 days	1 year
Pineapple	Until ripe	5-7 days	1 year
Plums	Until ripe	5 days

Dairy Products

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Butter		1-2 months	9 months
Buttermilk		2 weeks
Cottage cheese		1 week	3 months
Cream cheese		2 weeks
Cream-light, heavy, half- and-half		3-4 days	1-4 months
Eggnog commercial		3-5 days	6 months
Margarine		4-5 months	12 months
Condensed, evaporated and dry milk	12-23 months^	8-20 days*
Milk		8-20 days
Ice cream and sherbet			2 months
Hard natural cheese (e.g. cheddar, swiss)		3-6 months	6 months
		4 weeks*
Hard natural cheese, sliced		2 weeks
Processed cheese		1 month	6 months
Soft cheese (e.g. brie)		1 week	6 months
Pudding		1-2 days*
Snack dips		1 week*
Sour cream		2 weeks
Non-dairy whipped cream, canned		3 months
Real whipped cream, canned		3-4 weeks
Yogurt		2 weeks	1-2 months

Meats

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Fresh beef and bison steaks		3-5 days	6-9 months
Fresh beef and bison roasts		3-5 days	9-12 months
Fresh pork chops		2-3 days	4-6 months
Fresh lamb chops		3-5 days	6-8 months
Fresh veal		1-2 days	4-6 months
Fresh ground meat (e.g. beef, bison, veal, lamb)		1 day	3-4 months
Cooked meat		2-3 days	2-3 months
Canned meat	1 year	3-4 days*	3-4 months
Ham, whole		1 week	1-2 months
Ham, canned	1 year	1 week*	3-4 months
Ham, canned "keep refrigerated"		6-9 months
		1 week*	3-4 months
Shelf-stable unopened canned meat (e.g. chili, deviled ham, corn beef)	1 year	1week*
Ham, cook before eating		1 week
Ham, fully cooked		2 weeks
		1 week*
Ham, dry-cured	1 year	1 month
Ham salad, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days
Bacon		2 weeks	1 month
		1 week*
Corned beef, uncooked		5-7 days	1-2 months
Restructured (flaked) meat products			9-12 months
Sausage, fresh		1-2 days	1-2 months
Smoked breakfast sausage links, patties		1 week	2 months
Sausage, smoked (e.g. Mettwurst)		1 week	1-2 months
Sausage, semi-dry (e.g. Summer sausage)		2-3 weeks*	6 months
Sausage, dry smoked (e.g. Pepperoni, jerky, dry Salami)	1 year	1 month*	6 months
Frankfurters, bologna		2 weeks	1-2 months
		3-5 days*
Luncheon meat		2 weeks	1 month
		3-5 days*
Meat gravies		1-2 days	2-3 months
TV beef and pork dinners			18 months#
Meat based casseroles		3-4 days	4 months
Variety meats (giblets, tongue, liver, heart, etc.)		1-2 days	3-4 months
Vinegar pickled meats (e.g. pickled pigs feet)	1 year^	2 weeks*

Fish

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Breaded fish			4-6 months
Canned fish	1 year	1-2 days*
Cooked fish or seafood		3-4 days	3 months
Lean fish (e.g. cod, flounder, haddock)		1-2 days	6 months
Fatty fish (e.g. bluefish, salmon, mackeral)		1-2 days	2-3 months
Dry pickled fish		3-4 weeks
Smoked fish		2 weeks	4-5 weeks
Seafood-clams, crab, lobster in shell		2 days	3 months
Seafood-oysters and scallops		1-2 days	3-4 months
Seafood-shrimp		1-2 days	1 year
Seafood-shucked clams		1-2 days	3-6 months
Tuna salad, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days

Poultry And Eggs

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Chicken nuggets or patties		1-2 days
Chicken livers		1-2 days	3 months
Chicken and poultry TV dinners			6 months
Canned poultry^	1 year	1 day*
Cooked poultry		2-3 days	4-6 months
Fresh poultry		1 day	1 year
Frozen poultry parts			6-9 months
Canned poultry		1 day	3 months
Poultry pies, stews, and gravies		1-2 days	6 months
Poultry salads, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days
Poultry stuffing, cooked		3-4 days	1 month
Eggs, in shell		3-5 weeks
Eggs, hard-boiled		1 week
Eggs, pasteurized		10 days	1 year
		3 days*
Egg substitute		10 days	1 year
		3 days*
Egg yolks (covered in water)		2-4 days	1 year
Egg whites (For each cup of egg yolk add 1 Tbs. of sugar or salt)		2-4 days	1 year
Wild Game
Frog legs		1 day	6-9 months
Game birds		2 days	9 months
Small game (rabbit, squirrel, etc.)		2 days	9-12 months
Venison ground meat		1-2 days	2-3 months
Venison steaks and roasts		3-5 days	9-12 months

Also, as we mentioned on the show, the USDA and FDA do NOT mandate expiration dates for any food or food products besides baby formula. Some states have stricter guidelines but there is nothing in the federal statutes, so really it's about consumer responsibility! Just follow the guidelines above, remember to rotate your stockpile, and you'll be maximizing the value of what you're bringing home! Remember, it doesn't matter how cheap that box of cereal was if you have to throw it out before your family eats it!

Questions? Post them below and we'll be more than happy to help you out!

Free Milk Coupon Finally Working!

Free Milk Coupon Finally Working!

Check out this great blog post by Chrystie Conns - as featured on TLC's Extreme Couponers doing Maine proud! - for this great way to get a GALLON OF FREE MILK! Any brand too! Thanks CC!

Frugal Friday Feature - Mad Coupons

We have a fantastic one this week gang!

I first heard about Sarah Carbary and her site through their Facebook page. She gave me the opportunity to try out their services, and I have to say, I'm very impressed!

First, her website has a plethora of resources to help out any couponer, either novices or EXTREME! In an easy to find format, Mad Coupons lays out a weekly coupon preview, a Couponing 101 and FAQ and coupon database. She also offers couponing classes if you happen to live in Washington state. She also does giveaways and right now you can win a KINDLE FIRE! Be sure to get in on that!

As opposed to some sites that sell individual coupons, Mad Coupons sells the ENTIRE INSERTS from the Sunday paper. Yes, the same thing that you buy at the grocery store - without all that pesky newspaper to recycle! I have to admit, I frequently purchase a Sunday paper, pull out the inserts and stick the whole paper into the recycling bin unread. I typically read my news online, and am in the habit of doing the same for sales flyers, and frankly, the amount of paper I waste doing that is horrendous! That's where Mad Coupons comes in!

For only $20 you can purchase TEN whole inserts from whatever is included in that week's newspaper. Remember a few weeks back when there were four inserts? Yes, you'd get all four TIMES TEN! Yes, FORTY inserts were sent out that week - shipped anywhere in the US - for just the $20. When you factor in that each weeks paper contains between $100-200 in potential savings through coupons, you can see how quickly that would add up!

They even mark coupons down to "clearance" prices a few weeks after the paper has come out. Let's not forget that weeks when there is only due to be one pack of inserts, like this week! :( , you could be SAVING money purchasing the inserts rather than buying multiple papers. My local paper is $1.75 so it would make MUCH more sense for me to just get the inserts!

(Giveaway secret word #2 - colgate)

They also have the option of five packs, which is what I had shipped to me. It came in a nice and sturdy USPS Priority Mail cardboard envelope.




Inside I was pleasantly surprised to see the inserts nicely wrapped in plastic bags. Very important for those of us in New England! You never know when the weather will be bad here, and having the inserts so beautifully wrapped is crucial. As we've talked about on the show, "coupons are currency", and if you wouldn't leave your wallet out in the snow, you don't want your coupons out there either!



Just look at this thick stack of coupons! My five-year-old came along and saw them and said, wide-eyed, "WOW! That's a LOT of coupons!" What can I say? I'm training him well! ;)



Would you look at all these coupons? Jealous? Don't be! YOU CAN WIN A FIVE PACK OF YOUR OWN! Yes, Mad Coupons has graciously offered to sponsor a GIVEAWAY featuring a FIVE PACK of whole inserts for you to try out! Stay tuned to the radio show, blog and facebook page to find out all the details!

Shaw's Wish Big Win Big Sweepstakes - LAST DAY!

Yup, all the hullabaloo winds down tomorrow. Let me guess, you're just "one away" from winning a slew of prizes. So are we! This is the final pile I have to go through, so cross your fingers for me! I'll do the same for you and be sure to comment if you've won! We'd love to celebrate with you and mention it on the show!

- Summer