Wednesday, January 28, 2009

great coupons

Here's a great site to get some coupons from. Try and wait for a good deal and you might be able to score a few free items!!

Also, you can print a few of these and take them to Homeland this week. (I know, not my favorite store...for so many reasons...). Anyway, there is a store coupon for $3 off when you buy 5 participating Quaker products in their weekly ad that came in the mail yesterday. 5 boxes of oatmeal =$10 - $3 = $7, - $6 (3 $1 coupons, doubled) = $1. That's the best scenario I can come up with, but I'd say that's pretty good!!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

walgreens trip 1/25

As you probably expected, I didn't get it posted as early as I thought. We've been battling coughs, colds, stomach bugs and even a fall on the ice! What am I - 80 yrs old?!? Anyway, here's what I picked up this week:

Colgate toothpaste - $2.99 - a .75 coupon I had and I received a $2 register reward - like paying 25 cents!

Revlon Matte Make up - $9.99 - it's in the EasySaver Rebate book - I'll receive $10.98 on my gift card - like being paid 99 cents for getting it!

Kelloggs Cereal - a few kinds were $1.99 each and I had a couple $1 off coupons - $.99 each

Pretty good trip - nothing too spectacular, but I'm trying to learn how to "stockpile" certain items while they're really cheap or free, so it will benefit me in the future! So far, we seem to have enough toothpaste, cereal and candle products to last us through 2010 ;)

Also, make sure you go here and sign up to receive your coupon for a free Diet Dr. Pepper in the mail. It will be a nice surprise in a few weeks - and even if you don't drink it, surely you know someone who would!

You should be able to find some nice sales on "snacky" food this week (Superbowl parties). I would love to have told you of these, but we're a little iced in at the moment. Maybe I'll get out tomorrow... then again, if I don't get out, I'm really saving money, right?!? Stay safe and warm, everyone!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

target deals

I stopped by Target on the way home from a birthday party to snag a few good deals. I must say, it's easier to bargain shop without the little people in my cart!

In the spirit of saving money, I've been trying to deal with coffee from home instead of getting Starbucks. It's going pretty good so far, but I bet it will taste really good with this FREE Coffeemate! Print off this coupon. This week Target has some marked 2 for $3 which makes one only $1.50, or $0.00 after your coupon.

Go here and print off the yoplait and ocean spray coupons for $1 off each. Combine them with these manufacturer coupons (yes, you will hand in both the store and mnfr coupons) for the yogurt and juice. The yogurts are .52 each before coupons, but (.52x8=4.16-$2=2.16/8=) .27 each after. Not free, but still a nice deal. There are several juices marked $1.99 each, which will end up being FREE after the 2 $1 coupons.

If you didn't use up your South Beach coupons at Wgreens a couple weeks ago, you can get boxes for 33 cents a piece after using these $2 coupons. When it first came out it was an unlimited print, but they might have restricted it since then.

Print the Johnsons' Buddies coupon (link is below in the Babies R Us posting) if you'd like some free soap, but don't need/want the temptation of going into BRU. They are marked at .97 each, or FREE after the coupons.

For my girls that are just trying to get started - don't forget to pick up a Sunday paper tomorrow! Even if you don't have time or energy to clip those coupons, pull out the inserts and put them in a safe spot for later use! There should be 2 this week (Smart Source and Red Plum). I even check mine before buying it to make sure no one has pulled them out already... sad, I know, but it does happen. Hope you're having a great weekend! I'll try and post by Monday any great Wgreens deals I'm going to get this week.

Friday, January 23, 2009

babies r us

Couple things I noticed while I was there today:

1. additional 30% off sale/clearance prices at the front of the store - if you stock up for next fall/winter or just need a few things to get you by till spring

2. I picked up 2 Johnson's Buddies bars of soap (they have a mesh cover that helps your toddler/preschooler grip the soap/lather - kinda neat) for free with this coupon. Print it out twice - most internet coupons will allow for 2 printings.

3. $15 gift card when you buy 3 cases of pampers - not the best deal, but if you can pair it with 3 $2.00 off coupons it would be kinda like paying about $34 a case. Kinda. But what I DID get excited about was this next one:

4. Rewards R Us is a new program that I really wish they would have had 6 months ago... or 5 years ago, for that matter. I don't even want to think about the total amount of money we have spent at this store over that amount of time! Anyway, sign up and you can get every 10th case of diapers you buy for free! We like to stock up on cases when they have their $5/1 or $10/2 sales or coupon deals going on. You can always pair them with manufacturer coupons and it is usually the best deal we can find. So, add one free case after 9, and that's even better!! I'm guessing that coupons will be coming your way to lure you into their store, too. You'll also get $5 back after every $150 you spend. Again, not a big deal, but it's "free money" if you're going to be spending it there anyway. Did I mention I think our family alone might have paid for their newly remodeled store?? Ugh. Hopefully lots of mamas get to take advantage of this program at the beginning of their motherhood journey! ;)

raise your hand, raise your hand...

...if you're Sure! Is that even their commercial anymore? I don't know, but I am sure that I like to get things for free. Here's a couple manufacturer rebates good for 3 free deoderants. Make sure you read them before you buy the product b/c it looks like you need to find specially marked packages and/or stickers on the products. It would be a money maker if you can use a coupon on it too!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

whew!

What a week! Between work, coughs, colds, and more work, I wasn't sure if I'd get on here in time to tell you about my week. But obviously, I made it!

*Walgreens this week:
2 Natural Instincts hair color @ 5.99 = 11.98(-$5 coupon) =6.98
1 Natural Instincts hair color clearanced @ 3.89 (-$2 coupon) =1.89
1 Pantene shampoo@ 5.99 (-$2 coupon) =3.99
-these 4 items before coupons were over $20, which earned me a $5 Register Reward good on my next purchase, after coupons it was $12 which is a great deal (as long as you would have bought these items anyway). And I have a "free" $5 to use another time.

2 Sunsilk shmp/cond @ 3.50 = 7.00 (-$2 coupon) = 5.00
1 eight pack of Lever2000 soap @ 5.99 (-$1 coupon) = 4.99
2 Ragu spaghetti sauce @ 1.99 = 3.98 (- .75 coupon) = 3.23
1 Skippy peanut butter @ 1.99 (-.60 coupon) = 1.39
-these six items purchased earned me a $6 Register Reward (gonna have to call that an RR from now on), so all that for around $15

1 Renu contact solution 12 oz + a travel size too (clearanced) @ 3.59 (-$1 coupon) = 2.59 (WOW!)

I used a $3 coupon off $10 or more (um, it was right on the front page of their ad for all to see - why not use it?!?), handed in a $5 RR from a previous purchase (see how those will come in handy??), used my Walgreens gift card that had about $14 dollars on it in rebates from December and paid about $12 out of pocket. I loved looking at all that stuff knowing it only cost me $12!! AND I have $11 in RR to use another day! What a good trip!

*SAMS - I bought diapers & toilet paper (pampers and charmin - we don't skimp with generic on either of these) - and mailed off my receipt to P&G to get a $10 gift card back in the mail - not bad for something I buy anyway.

*I received my $5 rebate check from Energizer - this is something I had already received a Walgreens rebate on, so it was just pure profit!

*I mailed off my Orajel manufacturer rebate for $8 - once again, already received the Walgreens rebate - cha-ching!

So there's my proof on how this coupon/rebate game really works! It seems slow till you get the hang of it, get a good coupon stash going, have enough turn around time to actually see the rebates get back to you, etc. Hang in there for a month or two before you decide if it's worth your time/energy. I decided to get serious a couple months ago and it is SO fun to see what I'm able to save! If I can save $20/week?? That's a thousand dollars over a year! In my family, that's a good two months (maybe 3?) of groceries! I know, I know, those who are true frugality experts probably just had a heart attack over spending that much in two months... I just claimed to love a good deal - never claimed to be very thrifty!! ;) Hope my pep talk can help some of you if you're just getting started! I'll try my best to post earlier in the week to give you ideas of what you can do - this week just got away from me!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

free samples

So, they won't fill your pantry, or really cut your grocery bill, but it sure is fun to get something for nothing! :)

Quaker True Delights

Hansen's Junior Juice Water

Boost Kid Essentials Drink

Bausch&Lomb Lens Cleaning Tissues

Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal

Cream of Wheat

various - go here from time to time to find new ones available - they're from Wmart

sams club deals

Here's a good deal for me b/c I buy this stuff at Sams once a month anyway! Spend $50 on P&G products (for us, it's Charmin, Era & Downy) and they'll send you a $10 Sams gift card.

And if you're not a member and are thinking about doing it - this week is a good time! Sign up by Jan 21st and you'll get a $25 gift card. So, if you could do both deals (I can't :( - already a member) it would be like a $5 membership... kinda - depends on how you look at it.

Lots of people don't do the Sams thing, b/c the prices aren't that great. I agree, however:

1. Kids = the less trips to the store, the better
2. Fewer trips to the store = less money spent (you know how you go into Wmart for one or two things and come out with a cart totaling $75?)
3. I really have found that we eat better when I have the stuff available in our freezer (veggies & meat) - you're less tempted to go out to eat, buy ingredients to make more complicated things, etc.)
4. And lastly - (careful, this one's kinda dorky) - it's just a fun family trip for us! ...electronics when you walk in the door for the hubby, free samples for the kiddos, and someone to push the cart for me! We all win! (okay, so I like the samples, too.)

Anyway - it works for us. I'll be taking advantage of the $10 gift card deal and thought I'd pass the info on to you! :)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

walgreens 1/14

Alright. I don't really know the correct bloggy way to say all this, so just bear with me. Bottom line is that the total cost for my purchases this evening was (drum roll, please.........) $ 0.80! Yes, that said 80 cents! Here's the break down:

*2 Fuze drinks @ 1.79 each (um, not a deal, but Paul asked for some and I wasn't hitting 2 stores)

*1 2 pk of Lever soap - on sale for $2.01 (I don't know about that value, but we were OUT of soap)

*1 orajel cold sore brush for $8.49 (I don't have a cold sore, but I suppose I could before October 2010 when it expires - why'd I get it? remember those double rebates?? read on!)

*2 colgate toothpastes with a free toothbrush on each - $1.02 (they were buy one get one free with an in store ad coupon and I added a $1 coupon on one and a .75 coupon on the other - yes, you can do this - weird, I know. Seems like coupon fraud. Adding a mfr coupon onto an item that the store coupon is free for. But I suppose it makes the store more money back if the mfr gives them the value of the coupon. Now it makes sense. And I am not going to coupon frauder jail.)

*2 starbucks candy boxes - on sale 2/$10, used the $6/2 ($6 when you buy 2) coupon in the easy saver catalog, so I paid $4 for these.

*2 starbucks frappacinos - unadvertised sale I saw as I was getting Paul's drinks - it pays to be a nice wife! Anyway each one was free when you bought a box of starbucks candy. So, $4 for two fancy boxes of candy and 2 fraps. YUM! Don't be upset when you get Starbucks candy for Christmas next year! HA!


I used the $3 off any $10 purchase (in ad coupon) at the new wgreens only (51st & 145th).

Total at the register: $18.13

I'll get $9.33 back on my wgreens rebate card ($8.49 for the orajel + the extra 10%)

I'll get $8 back from the orajel manufacturer rebate.

And that's how my stuff will cost 80 cents.

Now, if I had REALLY been on the ball and not had two little distractions with me, I would have remembered to use my $1 off the orajel coupon. THEN I would have MADE 20 cents on the deal, but still, not bad! Maybe you'll remember to use it! That deal is good all month long.

Someone asked me tonight, did I have all this planned out? Not really. I knew I needed some soap and Paul's drinks, but knew that wouldn't really be a good price there. I knew of the toothpaste deal and wanted to get that. I was going to get the orajel if they had it, then thought I needed a starbucks before church and that's when I saw the candy/drink thing. So, not really planned, but kinda sorta. Some people are fanatics and can finagle all sorts of things. I think if I were on a tighter budget, that leftover money would have been used on necessities, rather than starbucks, but do whatever works for you!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

double rebates!!

Okay. Get these manufacturer rebate forms:

http://www.autozone.com/images/in_our_stores/store_rebates/ventfresh_0911_08.pdf

and

clip the orajel cold sore med rebate from this Sunday's paper. There's ALSO a $1 coupon for it too! What?!? You don't have a Sunday paper? Well, you certainly need to get one every week if you intend to play my fun game. $2. $2 well spent. Promise. I'm pretty sure you can still pick one up at QT.

Now, if you will buy these items at Walgreens this month and take advantage of their easy-saver rebate program, you will get rebated twice (if that's not a word, it is now)! All the info you need for the easy-saver catalog is online, and if you enter your receipts online, they'll give you an extra 10% - which I just think of as covering my tax. It's not a scam - it really works! If you have questions on that, feel free!

you could pay more, but why?

I don't even know if that is still their catch phrase anymore, but at 12:01 am (eastern time) http://www.suave.com/nomics/index.html is giving away free hair products. To save you time on the math, that is at 11:01 pm central time. So if you're up at that hour, go ahead and fill in your info to get your free bottle! Oh, and I would imagine if a million women are logging onto their site at once, it's probably going to crash, but it never hurts to try!

Monday, January 12, 2009

here we go!

Sorry for the confusion, but there's no coupon for a free lunch on here...yet. But, I told a few friends that I would be happy to share a few of the coupon deals I use, and a blog is about the easiest way to do this.

I certainly don't have the time to be one of the moms that can feed her family of 12 on $25 a week, conquer every grocery store within a 15 mile radius, nor do I find it necessary to get 10 Sunday papers for the coupon inserts each week. However, I do think it will be fun for us to find a couple deals, share a few tips, and of course get a couple laughs out of it as well! I'll try my best to be punctual about it (for those of you that know me well, please, stop laughing) and if you run across a great deal or bargain - e-mail me or put it on a comment so everyone can benefit from it!

Of course there are TONS of coupon sites, discounted stuff, etc, out there in the blogosphere, but I plan on posting stuff that is super super cheap (and useful), free after coupons and/or rebates, or my favorite - things you make money on getting!!! (I have to admit, if I am making money on it, I don't really care how useful the item is - ie bald guys head wipes? 'nuff said...) Happy Shopping!! - E :)