There are a few HOT deals at QFC this week and I wanted to make sure you were aware of them! These run through 5/22. You can get the e-coupons at QFC.com.

My favorite deals have been highlighted in red.

Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries
Buy one, get one FREE
Bottom line: $1.99 each
($2 at Fred Meyer through Saturday)

Whole or Cored Pineapple
$2.50 each

Red Ripe Tomatoes on the Vine
$0.99/lb

Colored Bell Peppers
$1 each

Personal Seedless Watermelon
$2.50

Pork Shoulder Roast
$1.49/lb

Whole Northwest Steelhead
$2.99/lb
(This sounds like a great price for fresh fish to me! Thoughts?)

QFC Large Eggs, Dozen
$1

Breyer’s or Ben & Jerry Ice Cream $2.50
$0.50/1 Ben & Jerry’s e-coupon
Bottom line: $2

Ranger Free-Range Chicken
25% off
(Vegetarian fed, locally grown)

Mentos Gum $1
$0.55/1 coupon from 3/25 SmartSource
Bottom line: $0.45

Sweet Corn on the Cob
$0.44 each

Pepsi Soft Drinks, 2 liter
Buy 4, Get 2 FREE ($1 each after sale)
$0.55/1 Next coupon from 4/29 Moments to Save insert (if included, exp 5/19!)
Bottom line: as low as $0.45 each

Blue Diamond Almonds, 6 oz $2.50
$0.60/2 – $1/3 coupon from 5/13 SmartSource
Bottom line: as low as $2.17 each

Kettle Brand Tias! Chips $3.99
Buy one, get one free
Bottom line: $1.99 each

USO/Save $4 Instantly Promotion

QFC is running a promotion similar to Fred Meyer’s – save $4 instantly when you buy any 10 participating products – and $1 will be donated to the USO, supporting our military families. This works out to a savings of $0.40 per item. Note I’ve just selected a few of my favorites below…

General Mills Cereals $2.39/$1.99
(Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch pictured)
$0.50/1 Trix printable coupon (Coupons.com)
$1/2 General Mills cereals printable coupon (Coupons.com)
$1/2 General Mills Cereal printable coupon (SmartSource)
Bottom line: as low as $1.49 each

Gevalia Coffee $7.39/$6.99
$1.50/1 e-coupon
Bottom line: $5.49

Challenge Butter $2.99/$2.59
Isn’t there a coupon for this somewhere? Couldn’t find it tonight. Hmmm.

Van Camp’s Pork & Beans $0.79/$0.39

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish $1.39/$0.99

Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 8 oz $1.39/$0.99
$0.55/1 Philadelphia Indulgence Cream Cheese printable coupon (if included in sale)
Bottom line: as low as $0.44

Oreo Cookies $3.19/$2.79

Sargento Cheese $2.39/$1.99
$0.55/1 Natural Cheese Snack coupon from 4/22 SmartSource
Bottom line: as low as $1.44

Capri Sun $2.39/$1.99

Quaker Quakes $1.39/$0.99

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars $2.59/$2.19
$1/2 e-coupon
Bottom line: $1.69 each

Nestle Cookies $2.79/$2.39
$1/1 coupon from 3/25 SmartSource
OR $1.25/2 printable coupon
Bottom line: as low as $1.39

Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat $3.79/$3.39
$0.55/1 Deli Carvers lunch meat printable coupon (if included)
Bottom line: $2.84

Fuze or Snapple $1.25/$0.85

Kashi Pizza $4.99/$4.59

Silk Soymilk $2.99/$2.59
$1.50/1 printable coupon (requires registration)
Bottom line: $0.99

Dannon or Yoplait Multipack $2.39/$1.99

Tide or Sun $5.89/$5.49
$1/1 Tide coupon from 5/13 P&G (limit 4 like coupons)
OR $0.50/1 Tide e-coupon
Bottom line: as low as $4.49

Sensodyne Toothpaste $4.39/$3.99
$1/2 – $1/1 coupon from 5/6 Red Plum
Bottom line: as low as $2.99

Have you found any deals at QFC lately?

Keep an eye out for this great coupon booklet in your local Albertsons store!

Here is a complete list of the coupons you’ll find inside (I’ve highlighted my favorites):

• Lindsay Olives $1/2 (manu coupon, 6/16)
• Stockman & Pub Burgers $1/1 (store coupon, 6/20)
• Wild Harvest $2 on prepackaged salad & Olive Oil (store coupon, 6/20)
• Essential Everyday item $1/1 (purchase must be at least $1, 6/20)
• Truvia $1/1 (manu coupon, 8/15)
• StoneRidge Creamery Frozen Novelties $1.50/2 (store coupon, 6/20)
• Lofthouse Iced Cookies $0.50/1 (store coupon, 6/20)
• Best Foods Mayonnaise $1/2 (manu coupon, 6/16)
• Culinary Circle Frozen Pizza & Breadsticks $1/1 (store coupon, 6/20)
• Pasta Salads $0.50/lb (chipotle chicken, cheesy bacon ranch, gazpacho – deli, 6/20)
• Dixie or Vanity Fair Plates, Bowls or Napkins $1/2 (manu coupon, 6/16)
• Homelife 24+ forks, spoons, knives $1/2 (store coupon, 6/20)
• B1G1 50% Equaline Sun Care Productse (store coupon, 6/20)

Now some of these coupons pair up pretty nicely with this week’s sales! Observe:

Lindsay Olives $1.49/$0.99
$1/2 Booklet Coupon
Bottom line: as low as $0.49 each!
(Part of this week’s buy 10, save $5 sale)
PS the coupon reads “do not double,” but I’m checking to verify if you could in fact double it should we get doublers this Sunday. 

Dixie or Vanity Fair Plates, Bowls, or Napkins $2.49/$1.99
$1/2 Booklet Coupon
Bottom line: as low as $1.49 each!
(Part of this week’s buy 10, save $5 sale)

The Essential Everyday is by far my favorite coupon in the line up! This week, there is an Essential Everyday sale running…buy 6 participating items, save $3 instantly.

Essential Everyday Toaster Pastries & Fruit Snacks $1.50/$1
$1/1 Booklet Coupon
Bottom line: as low as FREE – $0.50

I’ve also used a similar booklet coupon to snag FREE Essential Everyday Pasta before. I bet you there would be some good options in the canned bean or condiments sections, too! Let us know if you find a freebie!

Sizzlin’ Summertime Giveaway is Back!

I’m also excited to share that Albertsons is bringing back their summer-long Sizzlin’ Summertime Giveaway! You will earn game pieces just for shopping at Albertsons, along with bonus pieces for buying participating products marked throughout the store.

In the front of the coupon booklet, you’ll see a complete list of the prizes available to win this year (along with the number of prizes available):

• $1.0 million cash (1)
• $50,000 vehicle of choice (3)
• $50,000 cash (3)
• $25,000 Harley-Davidson or Boston Whaler (6)
• $25,000 Backyard Makeover (6)
• $10,000 Family Vacation (10)
• $5,200 Groceries for a Year (20)
• $5,000 Camping or ATV Package (20)
• $1,000 Gas Grill (50)
• $500 REI Gift Card (100)
• $250 Albertsons Gift Card (250)
• $250 Weekend Getaway (250)
• $200 Kindle Fire (300)
• $100 Grocery Cookout Albertsons Gift Card (600)
• $50 Gift Card Mall Gift Card (800)
• $20 Albertsons Gift Card (2,000)
• $10 Cash Prize (10,000)
• $5 Cash Prize (25,000)
• $2 Cash Prize (125,000)

Plus as last year, there will be many instant win prizes as well! I did hear that many of you won the instant prizes and several of you told me you won the gift cards. One dude in my area also won a boat.

I’m hoping for the Harley. Don’t you think I’d make a hot motorcycle mama? Hmmm. On second thought, I’ll take the cool million.

PS if you’re planning a trip, make sure to check out this week’s Albertsons Coupon Deals! And do not forget to enter for your chance to win an awesome picnic set and food courtesy of Albertsons!

There is a new Ocean Spray juice coupon you’ll want to print and save for a good sale coming to Safeway this Friday, May 18th! With the coupon, you get one Ocean Spray Cherry Juice drink for FREE when you buy any 64 oz. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.

The Ocean Spray Cranberry juice will be $1.67, and is part of a four day sale that will run 5/18 – 5/21. Use the printable coupon to get juice for $0.84 each….

Here’s how the deal will work at Safeway from 5/18 – 5/21:

Buy 1 Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drink & 1 Ocean Spray Cherry Juice Drink at $1.67 each
B1G1 printable coupon (Coupons.com)
Bottom line: $0.84 each!

If you’re planning a trip, don’t forget the FREE eggs!

Thanks, Grays Harbor Deals!

Probably one of the most awesome freebies EVER

Are you following me on Facebook yet? If not, seriously. You need to. Good things happen to those that follow me there…

A couple weeks ago, a particularly HOT tip was left up on my Facebook wall, from reader Jessica. I decided to highlight it as a status update:

Now I hadn’t checked into this myself, but lo and behold! SEVERAL Coupon Project readers confirmed that they were getting new refrigerators…

And today, reader and dear friend Kelly shared with me that yes, in fact, she did get her refrigerator (pictured below and at top)! How awesome is that?

Kelly had this to add:

The whole process was so easy!

They scheduled the inspector the same week. The fridge came a week later. The guys were super nice (so much so that I had to mention it). The fridge is a perfectly brand new Fridgidare. With a tag of $599!! They also brought me a new shower head and light bulb {all from Puget Sound Energy}

Others of you mentioned that the fridge had to be 20 years or older and your primary fridge (garage/secondary fridges don’t count). You also need to have them come out and inspect it to see if you qualify. Call PSE at 1-877-341-2314 for more information.

HUGE thank you to reader Jessica for leaving that tip on The Coupon Project Facebook wall - and all of you who take time out to share your tips there, too. It’s so appreciated.

You might have heard about Safeway’s new Just4U program, or wondered what it’s about.

To get started, you will need to register at Safeway.com. If you already have a Safeway Club Card account, you can do this by entering in your Card number, or the phone number associated with your account. (It’s easy.)

Once logged in, you’ll be able to get personalized deals and access to e-coupons you can load to your card. These update every Wednesday, so you can check back every week to see what’s new. (Fitting, since today IS Wednesday!)

When I clicked on the “Personalized Deals” check out what I found:

All you need to do is click “Add” and the offer will be automatically loaded to your card! Buy the item and present your card at checkout for the discount and/or special prices.

Make sure to register your Safeway Club Card, or sign up for a new Just4U account so you can get a FREE dozen eggs at registration!

What do you think about Safeway?

Tomorrow, I’ll be attending a blogger event hosted by Safeway to discuss more how the Just4U account works. If you have any questions or feedback about this program, or ideas you’d like me to share, please leave a comment and I will do my best to share those tomorrow!

Also, you might have noticed that I’ve not posted Safeway deals regularly here on the blog for the past few months. Crystal from Frugal Chic Living had been doing them faithfully for me, but needed to step back due to family commitments (I get that, totally!). Anyhow, I’m curious to know – do you/did you use these matchups? Do you regularly shop at Safeway? What issues (if any) have you encountered with using coupons or finding the stock you need at Safeway stores? I’d love your candid feedback.

Earlier this week, I received this beautiful picnic set courtesy of Albertsons…

Inspired by this and the beautiful Western Washington weather we’ve been enjoying, I decided to picnic on the beach with my two littles.

So I asked my Facebook pals about some good picnic ideas… and there were many… fried chicken, pasta salad, fruit, french bread, and peanut butter and jelly were just a few suggested. The overall theme was bright, light, fresh, and flavorful.

Building on this theme, I created a recipe. I’m going to call it Angela’s Mediterranean Bean Salad. (I’ve never had a bean salad named after me, so why not.)

The ingredients are few, and the prep takes about 2 minutes.

1 can great northern beans, rinsed (I used Essential Everyday – Albertsons’ brand)
1 vine-ripened tomato
1/4 cup jarred roasted peppers
good handful of fresh basil, shredded
pinch other herbs, fresh or dried (I used fresh sage, oregano)
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Isn’t that beautiful? I let mine chill in the fridge for a couple hours before our picnic. Just the perfect, light dinner I was craving. Also perfect because you’ll impress the other picnickers and they won’t be any the wiser it was cheap and quick to make.

I also packed some fresh berries (probably my favorite fruits!) and garnished with mint from my garden. (Wherever I can use mint, I often do.)

We found a nice spot of beach, next to a driftwood for our picnic. The cool thing about this pack? It comes with a blanket. Handy!

It also came with a side pouch to pack a bottle of wine. Since I was picnicking with the kids, sparkling cider it was!

Ah! A perfect picnic plate! My Mediterranean Bean Salad, Crusty Rosemary Bread (from Albertsons Bakery fresh today!) with olive oil and raspberry balsamic for dipping, hummus with jicama, cucumbers, and red pepper, and the berries…. perfect, cooling food for a hot day!

After our dinner, the kids played on the beach…

While I took in some hot Albertsons deals…

Oh! And let’s not forget dessert, shall we?

This is my non-dairy take on one of my favorite treats: rice pudding! Simply take a can of coconut milk and cook in some rice (I used Essential Everday Instant White Rice today – but long grain and jasmine are also excellent). I also like to throw in about 1/4 cup of raisins to plump up in the coconut liquid. Then add about 1/4 cup of sugar (I used raw) and season with about 1/2 tsp of cardammom and I added a few fennel seeds for interest. Once the rice is cooked (should be just a few minutes for the instant), remove from heat and add a touch of vanilla. I like mine chilled.

So one note here, lest you decide to replicate my lovely picnic on the beach. There is sand on the beach. And kids and sand and really pretty picnic food don’t always go together. In hindsight, I should have brought several picnic blankets or left the kids or maybe just sat on a table, but I had this idea in my head of dining on the beach and when I get ideas in my head, I’m not so inclined to let them pass….

Suffice it to say we had quite the fun with sand and both kids ended up promptly in the bath when we got home, plus the backpack and all its contents got a good cleaning out.  Even so, I’ve half a mind to try this beachy picnic thing again for my husband’s birthday later this month as a date night. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

OK back to my rough life…

Enter the Giveaway

One lucky Coupon Project winner will receive the same picnic backpack set pictured above, along with lots of food to help get you started on packing a better picnic…

Some of the food items include Duncan Hines cake mix, MiO Water Enhancer, Cheez-its, Barilla pasta and pasta sauce, Hellman’s Mayonnaise, Snapple, Lipton Tea, and French’s Mustard. (And that’s just some!). I’m not sure what the total value of this package is, but I think it’s safe to say it’s well over $100 – a very generous prize courtesy of Albertsons.

To enter, leave a comment on this post that will serve as your official entry. For fun, I’ve love to hear where you’d picnic with your family or friends this summer and/or what you’d be likely to pick up at Albertsons to pack along! One entry/email per person, please. (Also, please note that sometimes when I run contests like these the comments go automatically into moderation. Please refrain from leaving a second comment until you are sure your comment has been approved and posted correctly.)

This contest will run one week and will end on Wednesday, May 23rd and the winner will be randomly selected at 12 pm PST. 

Disclosure: Albertsons provided a picnic pack and the food pictured above along with a gift certificate for my review. They will be providing the same for one of my readers. No other compensation was provided. The opinions and concept for this post are my own. For more information on how this site makes money, please visit my Disclosure Policy. 

Here are the best coupon deals I could find for you at Albertsons for the week ahead!

First off – I’m excited to say that this ad has an announcement that there will be another Sizzlin’ Summertime Giveaway and this one will have a guaranteed $1.0 million winner! (Folks, that could buy a lot of stuff with Twice the Value coupons!) You will earn game tickets for just shopping at Albertsons as well as buying specially marked items for “bonus tickets.” Last year, a man won a boat at one of the stores in my area - how cool is that?

Make sure to check back at the blog tomorrow morning – I have a very special giveaway courtesy of Albertsons you won’t want to miss!

As always, my favorite deals have been highlighted in red.

Applewood Smoked Thick Sliced Bacon
$1.99/lb (when you buy 4 lbs or more – limit 10 lbs)

Foster Farms or Albertsons Whole Fryer Chicken
$0.79/lb (limit 2)

Knorr Rice Side Dish
Buy 10 for $10, get an 8-piece Dark Fried or Grilled Chicken for FREE (Value $5)
OR Get a Rotisserie Chicken for $0.99!

Tostitos Chips or Dip $2
$1/2 Tositos Chips coupon from 4/29 Moments to Save insert (limit 1 per customer – exp 5/19!)
Bottom line: as low as $1.50 each

Cheetos $2
$1/2 coupon from 4/29 Moments to Save insert (limit 1 per customer – exp 5/19!)
Bottom line: $1.50 each

Heinz Ketchup, 36 oz bottle
$1.67

Dole Classic Romaine, Greener Selection, Just Lettuce or Spinach $1.88
$0.50/1 printable coupon (Facebook – Salad Circle)
Bottom line: $1.38

Tyson Breaded Chicken, $4.99
$0.75/1 – $1.50/2 Tyson Breaded Chicken strips coupon from 4/29 SmartSource
Bottom line: $4.24

Smart Balance Spreadable Butter, 7.5 oz $1
$1/1 coupon from 5/6 SmartSource
OR $0.75/2 printable coupon
Bottom line: as low as FREE

Yoplait Greek Yogurt Cups $1
$0.50/2 coupon from 3/24 SmartSource (exp 5/19!)
Bottom line: $0.75 each

Rhodes Warm ‘n Serve Rolls $2.50
$0.50/1 – $1/1 coupon from 5/6 Red Plum
Bottom line: as low as $1.50

California Pizza Kitchen Pizza $4.99
$1.50/2 coupon from 4/29 SmartSource
Bottom line: $4.24 each

Stouffer’s Farmers’ Harvest Entrees $2.50
$1.10/2 printable coupon
Bottom line: $1.95 each

S&W Beans $1
$1/2 S&W Collection beans coupon from 2/12 SmartSource (if included – exp 5/31)
Bottom line: $0.50 each

La Tortilla Hand Pressed Corn Tortillas, 12-ct
$1.50

Vlasic Relish $1.67
$0.55/1 coupon from 4/1 SmartSource
OR $1/2 tearpad coupon has been in select stores
Bottom line: as low as $1.12

Filippio Berio Olive Oil
Buy one, get one free
$1/1 printable coupon

Emerald Breakfast on the Go $2.50
$1/1 coupon from 5/6 Red Plum
OR $1/1 printable coupon
Bottom line: $1.50

Pepperidge Bag Goldfish Crackers
$1.50

Mom’s Best Natural Cereals $2.50
$1.50/3 printable coupon (requires registration)
Bottom line: $2 each

Kauai Coffee, 10 oz $6.99
$2/1 coupon from 4/15 SmartSource
Bottom line: $4.99

Zyrtec Allergy Relief, 25-30 ct $15
$4/1 coupon from 4/29 Red Plum
Bottom line: $11

Lysol No-Touch Starter Kit with One Refill $6.99
$3/1 coupon from 4/15 SmartSource (limit 2 like coupons)
Bottom line: $3.99
Bonus Game Piece Item!

Hormel Refrigerated Entree $6.99
Buy one, get one free
$1/1 coupon from 4/15 SmartSource
Bottom line: as low as $2.49 each

Albertsons Split Chicken Breast
$1.29/lb

Crystal Light Drink Mix $2.69
$1/2 coupon from 5/6 SmartSource
Bottom line: $2.19 each
Bonus game piece item!

Essential Everyday Promotion

Buy 6 Essential Everyday products and save $3 instantly.

Toaster Pastries or Fruit Snacks $1.50/$1

Cereals (Honey Nut, Toasted Oats, Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, Crispy Rice) $2.25/$1.75

Bars (Granola or Fruit & Grain) $2.25/$1.75

Cereals (Raisin Bran, Granola, Honey Oats and Flakes, Bran Flakes,
Shredded Wheat, Cini-Mini Crunch, Crunchy Oats Squares) $2.50/$2

Oatmeal, 42 oz $2.50/$2

Bars (Good Day, Fiber Max) $2.50/$2

Battleship Promo

When you spend $20 after coupons on the following items, you’ll get a coupon for a free adult ticket to the movie Battleship. There may be others in the store, too.

Coca-Cola Soft Drinks, 2 liter $1.50

Powerade or Powerade Zero, 8-pack or Glaceau Vitaminwater $3.99

Powerade or Powerade Zero, 32 oz $0.69

Glaceau Vitaminwater, 20 oz or Smartwater 1 liter bottle $1

FUZE or Honest Tea $1

Coca-Cola Soft Drinks, $5.99

Chips Ahoy! $2.50
Bonus game piece item!

Ritz or Ritz Crackerful $2.50
$1/2 Crackerful coupon from 4/1 Red Plum
Bottom line: as low as $2 each
Bonus game piece item!

Planters Peanuts, 16-20 oz $3.49

Instant Savings Spotlight

Save $5 instantly when you buy any 10 participating products.

Sunny Delight Drinks $1.50/$1

Best Foods Mayo or Grey Poupon Mustard $2.99/$2.49

Albertsons Spring or Purified Water, 24-pack, 16.9 oz $3.49/$2.99

Starbucks Coffee or K Cups $8.49/$7.99

Planters Nut-rition or Pistachios $5.99/$5.49 

Pepsi Soft Drinks, 2 liter $1.50/$1*
$0.55/1 Pepsi NEXT coupon from 4/29 Moments to Save insert (exp 5/19 – if included)
Bottom line: as low as $0.45

Wish-Bone Salad Dressing $1.99/$1.49*

Propel Fitness Water $1/$0.50*

A1 Steak Sauce $3.49/$2.99

Keebler Club Crackers $2.99/$2.49*
$1/3 printable coupon (Coupons.com)
OR $1/2 Keebler crackers coupon from 4/1 Red Plum
Bottom line: $1.99 each

Sunshine Cheez-it Crackers $2.99/$2.49*

French’s Mustard – brown or yellow $1.49/$0.99
$0.30/1 coupon from 5/13 SmartSource (limit 2 like coupons per trip)
Bottom line: $0.69

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce $1.49/$0.99

Snapple Tea or Fruit Drinks $4.99/$4.49

Mt. Olive Kosher Pickles $2.29/$1.79*

Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese or 
Deluxe Mac ‘n Cheese $2.29/$1.79

Mott’s Applesauce, 6 pack $2.29/$1.79

Barilla Pasta $1.25/$0.75*
$0.55/1 Barilla Plus pasta coupon from 4/29 SmartSource (if included)
Bottom line: $0.44

Jell-O Pudding or Gelatin $1.25/$0.75*
$0.50/2 coupon from 5/6 SmartSource
Bottom line: $0.50 each

Lindsay Ripe Olives$1.49/$0.99*

Rice-A-Roni or Pasta Roni or Pasta Roni Easy Salads $1.25/$0.75*

MiO Liquid Water Enhancer $3.99/$3.49*

Jet-Puffed Marshmallows $2.99/$2.49
$0.50/2 coupon from 5/6 SmartSource
Bottom line: $2.24 each

M&M Medium Package, 9.9 – 12.6 oz $2.99/$2.49
$1.50/2 10.9oz+ coupon from 5/6 Red Plum
Bottom line: $1.74 each

Duncan Hines Cake Mix $1.49/$0.99*

Mott’s Apple Juice, 64 oz $2.49/$1.99

TREsemme Shampoo, Conditioner, or Hair Styling $3.50/$3

McCormick Grill Mates Spices $1.49/$0.99*

7-Up, A&W or Sunkist, 6-pack 16.9 oz $3.49/$2.99*

Dixie Plates, Bowls or Cups $2.49/$1.99*

Vanity Fair Plates or Napkins $2.49/$1.99*
$1/2 napkins coupon from 4/1 Red Plum
Bottom line: $1.49 each

Palmolive Liquid Dish Detergent, 25 oz $2.49/$1.99
$0.25/1 coupon from 4/29 SmartSource (limit 4 like coupons – exp 5/19!)
Bottom line: $1.74

U by Kotex Pads, Tampons, or Pantiliners $3.99/$3.49*

* These are all bonus game piece items.

See something I’m missing? Leave a comment.

I’m excited to share that I now have newspaper subscription deals for a number of papers in California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah!

Buying multiples of the local newspaper is how I get several copies of coupons delivered to my door each week. I’ve made this offering as a tab under “Getting Started” on my site for future reference:

Check out the Discounted Newspapers page for subscription deals near you. It’s possible that this will expand, so check back from time to time.

And don’t forget the News Tribune deal if you’re local (greater Tacoma area, Washington).

I’ve enjoyed our Vitamix for over a couple months now and I can say we use it virtually every day. It’s been one of the best purchases we’ve made, and I wanted to share my thoughts on why we made this splurge along with ideas for saving on one.

Why We Chose Vitamix

First things first. You should know that a Vitamix is not an inexpensive piece of equipment (on Amazon: for $378 as of today)! It is not your average blender, either. I struggled using a $30 blender to make green smoothies and it was no mean feat. We also had purchased a juicer over on Craigslist but it didn’t get used simply because it was inconvenient to clean and expensive to buy enough produce to make even a single glass of juice.

Here’s ultimately why we decided on a Vitamix:

• To incorporate more whole plant foods into our diet.
• To blend produce that a normal blender can’t handle.
• To make better use of the produce we buy and create less waste.
• To make soups, sauces, salsas, and other food (occasionally).
• Because it is very quick to use, and quick to clean.

If you just want to make a smoothie with some bananas and strawberries? You probably don’t need a Vitamix. But if you want to experiment particularly with greens (such as kale, spinach, collards, dandelion, etc.), a high-speed blender will more easily and thoroughly do the job. While there are certainly other brands you could choose out there, we ultimately decided on Vitamix given their longstanding reputation and long warranty. My parents have had a Vitamix in their house since before I was born, so their positive experience also weighed into our decision.

Ways to Save

Some of you may have sticker shock when you first consider a Vitamix. It is a serious investment! So today, I wanted to provide some ideas for how you might save on one:

• Swagbucks. You can earn “swag bucks” that you redeem for prizes including Amazon gift cards. This would take quite some time to save up enough, but in a year’s time, you may have enough to make a decent dent on a purchase. (You can head to Amazon to see the many Vitamix models for sale.)
• Costco. I’ve heard that Costco offers the Vitamix from time to time at a reasonable price.
• Buy used. If you don’t mind buying used, keep an eye on sites like Craigslist. I have had family members find used ones for around $100 this way, and that’s a killer deal on Vitamix. Garage sales may be another option, too.
• Demonstration Models. Now I’ve never tried this, but I was listening to my Dave Ramsey CDs recently and he suggests in his negotiating lesson to “hang out” at the demonstration areas particularly at the end of an event. Ask what they plan on doing with the demonstration unit(s) – who knows? You might find yourself a deal! We see the Vitamix folks at the Puyallup Fair every year.
• Start an ING account. When you sign up for a FREE ING Checking account, you’ll get $50 bonus money! We have an account there, and I love it. I set up an automatic withdrawal from our primary checking to our ING account. This money comes out first thing every month and I’m amazed how this simple practice has grown our savings. (For more information on this promotion, check out my post from a couple weeks ago – the bonus is still good.)

More Thoughts on the Vitamix…

I know that spending a few hundred dollars for a high-speed blender may sound frivolous. But consider how much money some will spend on diet programs, products, shakes, and supplements! Call me crazy, but I think what you really need for healthful living and weight loss is whole plant foods. Case in point, I’ve lost 20 pounds since the start of this year. I didn’t do any 30 or 60 or 90 day challenge, sign up for fancy personal training, or buy overpriced shakes or prepackaged, processed diet food or sign onto any pyramid marketing scheme. All I’ve done is work to make better food choices! And for the past couple months most days I’ve enjoyed a tall smoothie full of nutritious goodness.

I question how sustainable some of the fad diets are – you put all this money in, but do you get the lasting results you want? After watching my parents use their Vitamix for decades (this last one they bought is on its 10th year!), I’m convinced that this is something you could do long-term. Stepping off my soapbox…

To end this post, I thought I’d leave you with a few imagines of creations I’ve made over the past couple months….

Strawberry - Basil

Almond Butter - Banana - Raw Cocoa - Coconut Oil

Bok Choy - Lamb's Lettuce (made from ingredients pictured above)

Dandelion & Collard Greens - Pear

Beet - Beet Greens - Strawberry

Arugula-Basil Pesto

I’d love to hear how you use your Vitamix or other thoughts you might have for saving on one, too.

There are some pretty nice, high-value beverage printable coupons up at Coupons.com today – and I wouldn’t wait around to print them if you’re interested.

Also, the following are direct links which means you’ll go right to the coupon you’re looking for – no hunting around or messing with zip codes.

• $1/4 Old Orchard Frozen Concentrate
• $1/1 Very Cherre Tart Juice
• $1/2 Old Orchard Cranberry Naturals
• $1/2 Healthy Balance reduced-sugar juice
• $1/1 Welch’s Sparkling Beverage (reads “available at Walmart”)
• $1/1 Silk Fruit + Protein (still available!)
• $1/1 V8 Fusion Smoothie, 36 oz

The $1/4 Old Orchard is a particularly good coupon. With the right sale, this coupon can be quite good. For these and other great coupons, please check out Coupons.com.