Life Update + How to Maximize Your Savings at BJ's Wholesale Club

Whew! It's been a while since I last posted!! I guess it's time to get back into things...

The last few months have been absolutely life-changing and incredible. I lost my job (for good reason), had three weeks off and began taking classes at The National Personal Training Institute. NPTI is the first and as of yet only hands-on, intensive learning program for personal training. I've been there for six weeks so far and it is astonishing how much I have learned! On Day 1 I was wondering how in the world I was ever going to learn all of the stuff on the syllabus, and how on earth I was ever going to become an effective trainer. Fast forward to the end of week six, or day 30, and I am a completely changed person inside and out. I have found a new love for all kinds of different fitness equipment, a confidence I never thought I could have, and I am fitter than I ever thought I could be. Just one example of body transformation is this -- on day 1 I could barely squeak out 5 push-ups in a row... now I am up to 20, and can perform 15+ on an unstable surface. It is really remarkable and it is so motivating to me as a trainer. I am learning that YES, I CAN... so my intent with my clients will always be YES, YOU CAN!!!

ANYWAY, onward to the main event here.

Do you shop at wholesale clubs? I do. I have memberships to all three of the big ones in the US, currently -- Sam's Club, Costco, and BJ's. But the one that stands out is BJ's, and here's why. They accept any and all manufacturer's coupons. Their program is fantastic. Here are a few lesser known highlights to their coupon policy:

• You can combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons. This means if you have a $1 off coupon provided by BJ's, and a $0.75 off coupon from the Sunday newspaper, you can use both.

• You can use TWO manufacturer's coupons for one item. You must have two (no doubling). I always use the self-checkout lanes so I can scan my own coupons. Example: I have two 55 cents coupons for Almond Breeze almond milk. I scan both for a total savings of $1.10. (This is particularly awesome when you have a $1 off BJ's coupon, too-- then you get an 86 oz jug of almond milk for $1.79!
  
• You can use two different coupons for the same item, too. So, if you have a $1 off coupon for Wholly Guacamole, and a $0.50 off coupon for Wholly Guacamole, you can scan both for a total savings of $1.50.
  
• If you forget your coupons or for some reason don't receive them at your house (I don't!) Go to the counter and ask for the latest coupons and they'll hand you a stack. Merry Christmas!
  
• At the front of the store there are also quite a few coupons to take a gander at. A few months ago there were coupons for organicgirl, and $1.50 off a bag of organic apples (THAT was a good couple of weeks!).

To boot, BJ's prices are already great on many items! They often have instant rebates on certain items and their store brand is also noteworthy. I recently snagged a great deal on a 16 oz. container of vanilla extract. Regular price was $8.99, but there was an instant rebate that brought the price down to $6.99, which put the price per ounce at 43 cents, which is lower than what I usually pay (99 cents/oz., at Aldi).  And I don't have to buy it as often! I plan on using the larger container to refill my smaller Aldi container.

Here are some of my favorite things to buy at BJ's... with or without coupons! There are a lot more things I buy there, too, but these are my staples!

• Organicgirl greens -- they have a HUGE variety of organicgirl greens ranging in price from $4.29/lb to $4.99/lb for the Super Greens mix (tasty!). I usually go for the spinach to use in my smoothies... for a while they had 55 cent off coupons stuck to the Super Greens containers that I peeled off and used on the spinach occasionally... -- I've also been able to print off an unlimited amount of $2 off any organicgirl product coupons in PDF format online. I used a total of 4 coupons, before the coupon expired (one on each box -- I did NOT use more than one per product, because I felt that was being a little too greedy!) which saved me a total of $8 -- essentially, that's almost two entire pounds of spinach for FREE.
  
• Organic quinoa -- $4.99 for a 2-lb bag. Costco's got 'em beat by a few cents on this one, at $9.79 for a 4-lb bag, but if you're on a budget or tight on space (it is recommended to keep quinoa in the refrigerator), then the 2-lb bag is perfect. And you don't need to wash this variety!
  
• Nasoya tofu -- $3.99 for two packages -- I've seen coupons, too! Same price as Whole Foods' store brand, but MUCH better price that Whole Foods for Nasoya brand.
  
• Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk -- $3.79/ 86-oz jug. Every time I go to Publix, I "harvest" about 4-6 of their $0.55 cents off coupons for Almond Breeze to use at BJ's :::guilty::: ... and I use two each time I buy a jug. It's always a good day when BJ's has a coupon, too. PLUS... the jugs are really sturdy and easy to pour. I save some of them and use them to store my homemade laundry detergent!
  
• Wholly Guacamole -- $6.99 for four packs -- NOT a better deal in comparison to Aldi's two packs for $2.99, however... I am about to buy some with $1.50 in coupons which WILL make it a better deal! It will make each package $1.37 as opposed to $1.49. Every penny counts!
  
• Organic apples -- currently $8.49 for a 5-lb bag, which equals out to $1.69/lb. NOT a bad price for organic apples. Publix usually has regular apples for higher than this. We always buy organic apples because it is #1 on the list of recommended produce items to buy organic due to pesticide content. Spinach is on there, too! I used to have apples on hand at all times but have taken to buying them every other week or so because of the price.
  
• Bananas -- $1.39 for a 3-lb bag ($0.46/lb) -- not a better price than Aldi, but close... Aldi's bananas are currently priced at $0.44/lb.
  
• Greeting cards -- I recently discovered this... birthday cards, holiday cards, the whole shebang -- 50 percent off!!! I will never buy another card at Walgreen's for as long as I live (unless I forget and am in a rush... lol).
  
• Raw sugar -- use it for baking delicious dark chocolate brownies ($5.99 for 4-lbs) I am not 100% on this, but I think I paid $3.99 for 2 lbs at Whole Foods, so this is the better deal.
  
• Organic carrots - $2.99 for 2 lbs  (this is the same price as when Publix puts theirs on sale!)
  
• Agave nectar -- $6.99 for a big 44-oz bottle (AMAZING DEAL! Better than Costco's two 22-oz containers for $7.99)
  
• Morningstar Farms veggie burgers -- $11.99 for 16 large patties (they are DELICIOUS and I love to microwave them a bit and cut them up/mash them for use in veggie tacos or skillet dinners!) Coupons for these items are always readily available and I see them in BJ's coupon books all the time! Remember -- you can use maximum 1 store coupon + 2 manufacturer's coupons!! 

I subscribe to the Sunday paper, which often has some good clippable coupons, but I also like to print coupons... my favorite place to print them is at Krazy Coupon Lady... click the name to go to the printable coupon list. A few times a month (I should do it more often...) I go through the entire list and look for items that I use. If you have more than one computer in your household, install the coupon printers and bookmark this site so you can print more of the same coupons -- there are usually limits of 1-2 on each coupon from the same computer.

Well, that's all the tips I have for right now! Happy saving... remember, every coupon you use for an item you are going to buy anyway is MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!