Born 2 Save!

Cheap Draino alternative!

2010-03-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog and came across nice little recipe to unclog a drain without using Drain. Check it out here

Huggie's Deal @ Safeway!

2010-03-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ran out tonight for some more of the FF deal....I bought some MA frozen meals today and we had them for dinner. DH said he would take them for lunch and for $.25 each, I ran out late to pick up some more! Also found a good Huggie's deal too!

10 Michael Angelos frozen meals @ $2.50 ea - 5 B1G1F mq
1 Reeses dark choc @ $.89 - $.55 q = FREE chocolate!!
3 Crest toothpaste RC price @ $.99 - 3 $1 mq = FREE
bananas @ $1.42
Huggies diapers Jumbo pack @ $8.99 - $3 mq - $3 eq
- $10 FF cat from earlier today
- $4 cat from HBO deal
Total: $3.26, plus I earned another $10 FF cat!
Not bad for 10 lunches and a package of diapers!

You can load the eq on your card here
I really can't take any credit for this though, Arizona Savings has an awesome blog and she shows some really great deals with eqs. Read her post here about combining them with MQs. I personally have never had a problem and have really enjoyed the overage you can get with these!

Score at CVS!!

2010-03-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

I have been out of town and haven't done a lot of shopping lately, but I did make a run out today to CVS since I noticed that their Purex is B1G1F. I still have Purex B1G1F qs left to make for FREE laundry detergent! (Sorry, didn't get a pic before I hurried and put things away while the kids were sleeping!)

YMMV on this one though, my CVS openly takes expired q's and EB's.

8 Purex detergent @ $6.49 ea - B1G1F sale - 4 B1G1F qs (expired) = FREE
6 Glade soy candles @ $3.49 ea - 6 Free qs (expired) = FREE
2 Orbit multi-packs @ $1.50 ea - 2 $1/1 IP = .50 ea (also goes toward buy $10 in easter candy get $3 EB)
2 hairspray @ $2.49 = 4.98
- $5/$20 CVS q
- $4 EB (expired)
- green bag tag scan
Total: $.72 OOP!!

Thanks to a tip by Arizona Savings, I gave my EB before the MQs. Doing this will make the EB cover your tax. If I tried to give it to her after the MQs it would have beeped and only allowed for the amount before tax. Since in AZ we pay tax on the pre-coupon price, this is a great way to reduce your OP.

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On a side note, here's a tip I'm learning more and more of. My FP baby monitor stopped working one day- I had the volume up, they transmitter and receiver were on the same channel, they were both plugged in, etc. It just stopped working. Instead of just throwing it away I decided to call the number on the instruction manual. I talked to a nice lady who took my information, got some info about the monitor and what was going on. She said it sounded like the transmitter was bad and ordered me a new one- FREE OF CHARGE!! How awesome is that? It always pays to ask!

Albies $.56 and It Pays to Speak Up!!

2010-01-16T21:38:00.001-08:00

I've got a little time tonight so I wanted to post this. Made an Albies run tonight to grab some lettuce that I'm going to need for a salad tomorrow. We are going to a last-minute thing so I wasn't prepared to being this assignment.

1 head iceburg lettuce = $.78 with in-ad coupon
3 ct. romaine head lettuce = $2
2 O Organics yogurt @ $.88 ea - $.50 department discount (the yogurt expire 1/18)- $1 O Organics q (found in the in-store coupon magazine looking thing. It is good on any O Organics frozen or dairy product and good until 1/31/10) = $.24 OVERAGE
- $2 Safeway cat
Total: $.56

Unfortunately, Albies will no longer be taking competitor's coupons after 1/20/10, so if you have some you were planning on using you better do it quick! It's too bad because for me there won't be much motivation to shop there anymore since they don't double q's on a regular basis and unless like all the other grocery stores around here. I am not sure if this applies to the pharmacy as well. I sure hope they will continue to take competitor q's for transfer scripts!
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I also wanted to mention something I received in the mail the other day. I received 2- $5 Pampers q's! This came from me sending a quick email to Pampers letting them know that I was disappointed with their Cruisers diapers and that my son leaks out of them every single night (he does not leak out when I have him in Huggies or the regular Pampers). Someone from the company wrote me back and said basically that he should be in a bigger diaper, which I do not agree with, but they sent me the coupons as a good gesture. Yeah! I'll pair them with the sale at CVS for $8.88 and try to find a $5/$20 q for some cheap diapers.

**UPDATE** I found a CVS $5/$20 q here. I would hurry and print it as the one available last week got pulled before the end of the week

Rite Aid Jealousy---Awesome Diaper Deal!

2009-12-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am so jealous that we do not have a Rite Aid in my area. I was all excited the last time I went to my mom's because I thought she had one by her but it was changed to a Walgreen's. I usually just skim over these deals, but I know there are some of you out there who are fortunate enough to have a Rite Aid, so.......check out this post HERE for details. Looks like you need to act fast as one of the promotions ends this week, but basically she is showing how to get 6 packages of Huggies for as low as $2.49 each!!

Also, Coupons.com has a coupon for $3 off the Comforts brand diapers. These are found at Kroger stores. I bought some a while ago with a $3 peelie and they ended up being $2.99, although I'm not sure what the price is right now. I have to say they were not my favorite, but for cheap diapers I used them!

Hope this helps someone!!

Safeway Deals + Diaper Deals

2009-12-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

I have to admit with Christmas around the corner I've been trying to wrap up projects around the house on my days off and have not done a ton of coupon shopping. It definitely helps that I have been Christmas shopping throughout the year when a good deal would come along so I am pretty much set without having to do a lot at the last minute.

Safeway has had some good deals lately, they have a good deal on Nabisco crackers wyb5 get $5 off. There are current Nabisco coupons for $1 off any cracker, makes the Cheese Nips FREE and most other crackers $.49. They were out of Cheese Nips at my store so I held on to my q's, promotion ends 1/7/10.

They also have coupons from now until Christmas Eve where there is a free item each day with a $20 purchase (today was dozen eggs, tomorrow is little smokies!). Now is a good time to whip out those coupons for free items to bring your total to $20. Went tonight for some milk (sorry, no picture):

gal milk $2.19
dozen eggs - FREE with Christmas coupon and a $20 purchase
6 Mr. Clean Spray and refill @ $1.99 each wyb3 or more - (3) free spray wyb refill (the computer automatically takes off the original price of $3.99 = all 6 FREE
9 Barilla whole grain pasta @ $1 - (9) $.50/1 mq = FREE
sugar substitute @ $6.99 - FREE mq = FREE
3 bananas @ $.39/lb
6 Lucerne cheese @ $.99 ea - $.30/1 peelies (did 2 separate orders as the limit is 3) = FREE
Total = $4.29 on a gift card

What I can't figure out, and maybe KC can help me since I know you've had tax issues at Safeway before, is why my OOP was so high. My receipt says that tax is $1.24 and since everything else was free except the milk then my total should be $3.43. I don't know!
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I've also been asked about diaper deals, this is probably the best one this week at WG's:

Huggies are $8.99 with a $2 RR
Scenario:
Buy 1 @ 8.99
- $1.50 q from SS 11/15 (look around though for other q's you may have, I know I have $2 q's from something)
- $1 WG's coloring book (this was available like back in August, may be hard to find now)
Pay $6.49 and get back $2 RR
Like paying $4.49/pack

Remember not to use your $2 RR from this to buy another pack of diapers as it would not generate another $2 RR. If you don't have the coloring book, $5.49 is a still good deal on Huggie's. My personal 5-star price is $5 or less on brand name diapers, so not a bad deal!!

I Have to Apologize.....

2009-10-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

...for my absence in posting lately!! I have to admit that everything just caught up with me and between my family, work, husband being in school, church duties, garage sale, potty training, and keeping up with my house I just had to let something go and it has been my blog. So, I apologize for not having posted. I haven't been doing a ton of shopping lately, but I did have RR that I needed to try and roll, so here is what I did yesterday before work (the WG's by my work is awesome and is 24 hr so I can pop in there early in the morning before work). I did about 7 transactions but here is a general breakdown of what I got:

2 Crest toothpaste (with travel size toothpaste) 2/$4 - (2) $1 mq, got $2 RR = FREE
Hydrogen peroxide $.29 (filler)
5 caramels $.33 (fillers....I did plan well enough for the coupon to item ratio so I had to throw these in the use my RR. If I planned better I would have been able to get more hydrogen peroxide or cute cheap Halloween things they have this week.....oh well!)
2 Scope mouthwash 2/$7 - (2) $.75 mq, got $4 RR = $.75 each
5 Robitussin $2.49 - $2 IP, got $2.50 RR = $2.01 MM!
2 Trident layers gum 2/$2 - (2) $.75 IP, got $1 RR = $.50 MM!
5 Gillette razors (this is all my husband uses!) $8.99 - $4 mq, got $6 RR each = $1.01 MM each!
2 Quaker granola bars and 2 Quaker oatmeal 2/$5 - (2) $1/2 mq, got $5 RR = 4/$3
8 Ragu pasta sauce $1.66 - (8) $.50 mq, got back $8 RR = $.16 each (not pictured)
5 Oral B 1-2-3 toothbrushes $3.79 - (5) $1 mq. ** I goofed here because I read somewhere that these were a monthly RR and I realized on the first transaction when the RR didn't print that it was a last week thing. It would have messed me up using my RR if I put them back. I may return them though since it kills me that I pretty much paid full price!**

All in all I spent $62 RR and $13.xx OOP got back $64 RR and a whole lot of things my family will use or can sell at our next garage sale.

Don't Forget About These....

2009-09-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here's just a quick reminder of some things that you may want to get in on that are expiring soon!

- I know I mentioned this in my previous post, but the Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate has to be submitted by 9/30. Look for the (however disgusting) Cookie dough Pop Tarts that have the free movie tokens on the back to sweeten the deal even more!

- Schwan's $10 in free food expires 9/30 (limit one per address)

- 3M and Post-It Label TMF rebate, must be purchased by 9/30

- Free Beechnut Starter Kit (sure to include some great coupons and samples!)

- Free Mrs. Field's cooki e on 10/1 from 11 am-1 pm

- Free Cake Mania game, download from Amazon

- Free Tales of Monkey Island game, download from Amazon

(Thanks, ATS and FrugalSuz)

Catching Up!! CVS, Target, WG's

2009-09-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have been such a blog slacker this past week! I have really been focusing on catching up on things that have been neglected lately [read: my floors really needed to be cleaned, among other things!], and really haven't been doing much coupon shopping. I do apologize for the lack of posting though! I did manage to work out a few deals though:

WG's:
Stopped into a WG's I don't normally go to and found the Ghiradelli Luxe chocolate bars on clearance for $.65 from $2.59. The best part is that the September coupon booklet (found by the ads) has a q for $1/2, so only $.15 each!! I snagged 26 of them, plan to use for melting during the holidays. (Believe it or not, I didn't even take them all and I showed another lady the deal so she got some too!). Look out for other chocolate clearance, I saw Hershey's Bliss on clearance for $1.29 and there are $1 mq's out there.
26 chocolate bars @ $.65 - $13 from WG's $1/2 q (you only have to give them one 1 and it will take off $1 for every 2 you buy)
Total: $4.02

Target:
10 Pop Tarts clearanced to 1.28 - .75 Target q - $1/2 mq
4 Rimmell mascara (only show 1) @ 2.24 - $2 mq
Pumice stone (not on sale or q, but I really need this for hard water marks on my toilets)
Huggie's wipes @ 1.47 - $1.50 Huggie's IP (no longer available but coupons.com has a $2 on any diaper product q)
Comet @ .89
Total: $5.36, paid with a g.c.
++I will submit the Pop Tarts for the $10 Kellogg's rebate, so essentially a $9.70 MM!!
If you haven't done this rebate already, remember the last day to have your stuff postmarked is 9/30!

CVS:
1 Contour glucose monitors, raincheck to $14.99
Hefty trash bags @ 9.49 - $2 mq
Revlon eye shadow @ 6.19 - $3 CRT - $1 mq (could have used 2 if I had them with me)
- $5/$30 email
- $3 EB
Total: $3.52, paid with a g.c.
++ I earned $10 EB for the Contours

Target & Costco Price Codes!

2009-09-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

My sis came across this site that lists the price codes for Target & Costco. I knew some of this already but found it interesting. This will be helpful with Target clearance to know whether or not it will be marked down again. Hope you find it helpful too!

Pricing codes at Target

*Items with prices ending in $__._9 are the regular price
*Items with prices ending in $__,_8 are discounted
*The small numbers in the top right corner of the price tag indicate the percentage discount you’re getting off of the regular price (for example, if you see “75”, that’s 75% off the regular or original price)
*if the price ends in a 4, such as $5.94, that signifies that it is the last time an item will be marked down
*if you see " * " it mean this item have more than one location somewhere on salefloor like endcap

Albies Old El Paso Catalina Dea ++ Ad Matching at Targetl!

2009-09-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

I made a trip to Albies to use some Target cereal q's before they expired today. I also came across a great deal on Old El Paso products. This week Albies has the Old El Paso products $.75 wyb 6. Well, it just so happens that wyb 6 OEP products a $3 catalina prints! There is also a $.60/2 q on Coupons.com. Print 3 of these (you'll need access to more than 1 computer as you can only print 2 per computer), pay $2.70 and get back a $3 catalina. Remember, these catalinas are not like WG's RR that do not allow you to buy the same items and get another catalina. If you purchase 6 items and use a $3 catalina from a previous purchase you WILL get another $3 catalina!!

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I also stopped by Target and got a few things (sorry, don't have a pic right now):
6 GM cereal cups @ $1 - (6) $1 Target q's
2 Glade Room & Air freshener @ 3.29- (2) $2 Target q's (found on bottles) and (1) B1G1F mq
Clearanced flip flops @ $1.74
Total = $1.52

I stopped by Guest Services to clarify their ad matching policy. Unfortunately, it sounded like it would vary GREATLY from person to person and it may be harder than even price matching at WalMart (which, if you haven't noticed, I avoid whenever possible!)

She told me that the don't price match % off, B1G1F, any promotions like Fry's Mega Event (Buy 10 items get $5 off), and will not substitute Target brand items for store brand items on sale. I guess that was kind of expected, BUT then she also told me that if an ad that states that you need a card to get that price they will NOT match it! So, basically that crosses off everywhere but WG's and Albies (when you're talking grocery/drug stores). I was kind of disappointed as I initially saw a lot of great deals in our future but now it seems like it will be harder. She also said that it will definitely be easier to bring your items up to Guest Services and have them do the price matching there, except for produce. Be sure to have them price match your items first, then give coupons.

Good luck and let me know if of your experience with this! :)

Emily's Deals!

2009-09-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

My sister, Emily, is an awesome couponer and huge supporter of my blog! It's been fun in the last year since she moved close to me to get her addicted to coupons and share deals. She came from the "Land of No Doubles" just as some of you may be in now. Just remember that you can still get some great deals even if your stores don't double coupons! Be sure to check out the PYP board for your state to see your local deals!

Here's what she got:

Target

6 buddy soap

6 colgate

1 johnson and johnson baby lotion

2 baby johnson q-tips

6 skittles

20 cereals

=$2.30

Kmart

1 96 ct huggies diapers

2 newborn huggies jumbo pack

1 fisher price sandles

20 wipes

2 fabric softener

1 pkg chinette plates

5 secret deoderant

2 cascade detergent (jet dry)

=$25.50 (i think)

Have pictures of your great deals?? Feel free to send them to me! jengirl7@gmail-dot-com

Hot New Coupons + Free Box of Granola Bars!

2009-09-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Looks like several coupons at Coupons.com have reset, including:

- Huggie's $1.50 off any diaper product (that's how I scored all these free wipes!)
- Ajax soap $1 off
- McCormick spice, herb, or food coloring $1 off
- Gold - n-Plump all natural chicken $1 off

Don't see these with your zip code? Check out 55555, 30133, 85712

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I don't usually post about free samples, but this is a good one! It's not just a sample but the whole big box!

Go on over here and fill out the form for a coupon for a free box of Quaker Fiber & Omega-3 granola bars. I'm starting to love all these Facebook freebies!

Restaurant.com: $25 Gift Certificate for $1!!

2009-09-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

--UPDATE: I forgot to mention this code expires at 3 am PST on 9/13--

Restaurant.com has a new code for 90% off gift certificates! Just enter the code NINETY at checkout and get $25 gift certificates for $1 and $10 gift certificates for $.30!! Can't beat that!?!

Also, go through Cashbaq to purchase your gift certificates and get 20% back.

If you're not familiar with either of these, check out this post here.

Fry's

2009-09-10T12:07:00.001-07:00

I finally made it over to Fry's on the last day of the sale with quadruple and matching competitor coupons. I just haven't had the energy to do much shopping...maybe it was my 2 yr old that kept me up all night puking!

I took in my receipt from last week on the Hefty bags that were $1 but were on sale for $.88 this week. They gave me the difference = $1.32.

12 Bounty paper towels @ .88 - (12) .25 mq quad to .88
7 Softsoap @ $1 - (7) .35 mq tripled to $1
Kroger cottage cheese @ .97
Milk @ 1.99
broccoli @ 1.39
Hunt's ketchup @ .88 - .20 mq quad to .80
French's mustard @ .88 - .50 mq quad to .88
French's honey mustard @ .88 - free honey mustard peelie wyb regular mustard
2 Kroger cheese @ .97
Kroger blsl chicken @ 1.67/lb = $4.48
DDP @ 1.39 - $1 mq wyb 2 candybars and DDP (can you tell hubbie was with me?!)
2 Reese's cups @ 2/$1
$20 Fry's gift card
- $10/$50 F&E coupon
- $2.50 catalina
- $2 catalina
Total = $22.50!
With the $20 g.c. I shouldn't have to pay anything OOP for at least a week! Plus, I transferred my prescription to Fry's, paid $2.97 and got $30 loaded to my g.c. using the Safeway transferred prescription coupon from the ad a couple weeks ago.

B1G1F Boost Essentials + Printing Coupons

2009-09-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

Claire, thanks for your comment. This one's for you!
Click here for a B1G1F coupon for Boost Kid Essentials. Unfortunately, the Target coupon expired 9/5 but using this you can still score a good deal. Also, if you haven't already, go on over here and sign up. You will get to print a $5 coupon that can be used with this. It also looks like they have a Taste Challenge and will refund you the purchase amount if your kids don't LOVE it! This is a great way to make this type of thing a money maker by using the coupon to purchase the product then sending in for the rebate!

Also, remember that you are able to print 2 coupons per computer by hitting the back button on your browser. If you have access to more than one computer or have family/friends who don't use their coupons you can score a lot by using their computers.

Express Coupon!

2009-09-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

If you're planning on hitting up the mall tomorrow, you may want to take this coupon with you. $10 off $20 or $20 off $60 at Express, good through September 13th. Can also be used online and combined with sales. Shipping is a flat $8.

(That's for you, Chris! :)

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Also, Bath and Body Works has coupons for FREE items with purchase here and here. Great for gifts or stocking stuffers!

CVS

2009-09-06T23:33:00.001-07:00

Ran over to CVS yesterday since I had EB that were expiring. I was wanting to use up some of the rain checks that I have but they were still out of some items, although I did use my Febreeze rain check. Just a tip, when they give you a rain check on items that you have to buy $x.xx amount and get $x.xx EB and there are multiple items that count toward your total, clip out the ad and staple it to your rain check. It really makes things easier when checking out!

4 Febreeze noticeables starters @ $6.50 - (4) $5 mq and (1) $3 mq
2 Febreeze fabric odor eliminators @ $5 - B1G1F mq*
LA Looks gel $3.99 - $1 mq
Children's Advil clearanced to $.69 - $1 mq adjusted to $.69
Barbie kite clearanced to $.39
4th of july garland and flags, clearanced to $.50 ea
- $4/$20 CVS q from pharmacy (ask about their RediFill program and they are supposed to give you a booklet that has 2 of these q's)
- $5 EB
Total = $5.10
++ I earned $15 EB for the Febreeze

*I had another $5 EB I was going to use buy he said I would lose $2.xx on it since my subtotal was only $2.xx. I thought I had it figured out better than that where I would be able to use it. If there weren't people behind me I would have ran back and got something I needed, like hairspray to cover it and be able to use it. I looked at my receipt later and it looks like he scanned the B1G1F q twice so that is why my total was so low and I wasn't able to use my EB.

My CVS had their summer stuff at 75% off so some good deals there too.

Also hit up Target one last time for the q's that expired yesterday. Didn't get a picture though:

3 Skittles @ $.52 - (3) $1 Target q
2 Kid Essential nutrition drinks @ 7.99- (2) $5 mq - (2) $2 Target q
10 Buddie's soaps @ .97 - (10) $1 Target q adjusted to .97
4 J&J safety swabs @ 1.29 - (4) $1 Target q
14 cereal cups @ $1 - (14) $1 Target q's
2 Glade soy candles @ $2.37 - (2) $3 IP
8 AF string cheese @ $.40 - (4) $1/2 Target q
Microphone toy @ $2.50 (starting to stock up for stocking stuffers!)
Total: $3.44

More Free Food!!

2009-09-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard already, Chik-fil-A is offering a free chicken sandwich to anyone who comes in wearing anything that has a sport's team logo! Tomorrow, Labor Day only!
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Also, I just read that Arby's has extended their free food on Wednesdays through the end of September. Here's the schedule:

September 9th: FREE regular roast beef sandwich with soft drink purchase

September 16th: FREE regular sidekickers with any sandwich purchase

September 23rd: FREE roastburger with any softdrink purchase

September 30th: FREE FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

(Thanks, Slickdeals)

FREE Udder Cover!!

2009-09-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Get a FREE Udder Cover with the promotion code 'ONEFREE'. That's right, absolutely FREE! Regular price is $37 and all you have to pay is $8.95 shipping. I personally LOVE mine, so if you know any nursing or soon-to-be nursing mothers this would make a great gift!

(Thanks, Emily!)

And the Winners Are......

2009-09-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Rogers said...

$21.48

and

Jaymie and Donna Jones said...

I am guessing $20.00

My grand total for all these items was $21.71

I said that it wasn't one of my best couponing trips, but you win some and lose some and for The Rogers and Jaymie & Donna Jones- YOU JUST WON!!

Do you have pictures of your great deals?? Feel free to share them!

Look for another contest in the future!

My First Trip to Kmart!

2009-09-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

So I have never really been a fan of Kmart, their prices seem to be much higher than the other stores I shop at and it's not super convenient to go there. But, thanks to Julie and my sister's persuasion I made a trip. Boy I'm glad I did! I was limited in my coupons though since I wasn't planning on going and was not very organized. (Good to see you Shannon!)

This week they are having Super Doubles up to $2, so basically any coupon up to $2 will double. They are the only store in AZ that I know of that does this, and it seems like they have been doing it more lately. As I said though, I haven't been before a lot having to do with hearing a lot that they are always out of everything unless you're there the first day of the sale. We seemed to do pretty well today though! I had to do several transactions though because I didn't want a leftover Kmart catalina since I don't make it there often.

1st transaction:
5 Secret spray deodorant @ 3.79 - (5) $2 mq doulbled to 3.79 (found in the Kmart savings book at customer service)
Total = $.81
++Plus I earned a $5 onyso catalina

2nd transaction:
12 tubs Huggie's wipes @ 2.99 - (12) $1.50 IP doubled to 2.99
1 large box Huggie's diapers @ 19.99 - $2 mq doubled to $4
2 Lifesavers @ 1.99 - (1) B1G1F mq - (1) $1 mq doubled to $1.99
- $5/$50 Kmart coupon
Total = $14.34

My last wipes q only doubled to $.29, not sure why and the way their system was set up it wouldn't let her subtract one of the tubs without taking off one of my qs that did double correctly...I didn't have time to really try to work it out so I just let it go. Also, it wouldn't let her use the $5 catalina from the previous transaction probably b/c I used the $5/$50.
++ I earned another $5 catalina for buying the Huggie's big box

3rd transaction:
1 package Huggie's diapers @ 9.99 - $2 mq doubled to $4
- $5 catalina from 1st transaction
Total = $1.23

4th transaction:
1 package Huggie's diapers @ 9.99 - $2 mq doubled to $4
2 tubs Huggie's wipes @ 2.99 - (2) $1.50 doubled to 2.99
- $5 catalina from 2nd transaction
Total = $1.47

Grand total spent = $17.85!

I don't usually buy the big boxes of diapers, but considering that it generated the $5 catalina so I was able to get the other diapers I decided to do it. For me, brand name diapers @ $5 or less is a 5 star price and with the way things worked out I got the equivalent of 5 jumbo packs of diapers for about $3.20 each!

Sale ends tomorrow, and the $5 catalina on the big box of Huggie's IS rolling!

Target, Yet Again!

2009-09-03T16:05:00.001-07:00

I just can't seem to keep away from Target lately! I went to a Target that I don't normally go to and was lucky to find most of what I was looking for. The only problem with doing this is that you don't know the cashiers and which ones are coupon friendly! My cashier was sweet, but didn't really know what she was doing. I thought my total was high since I was expecting more overage and even had a Target g.c. in my hand to have her put some $$ on in case I went into the negative. Ends up now that I'm home and looking at my receipt she didn't even scan at least 10 of my Target coupons. I wasn't paying too close attention since my 2 yr old was hanging on to my neck and I was late for a meeting.

1 Johnson baby lotion @ 2.19 - $1 Target q - $1 mq
7 Buddie's bars @ .97 - (7) $1 Target q
4 Boost Kid Essentials @ 7.99 - (4) $5 IP and $2 Target q
3 Glade candle holders @ 1.67 - (2) $2 mq and (1) $2.50 mq
4 Glade refill cadles @ 2.50 - (3) buy candle holder get refills free mq and (1) B2G1F mq
4 All travel size @ 1.02 - (4) $1 mq
5 Tide travel size @ .97 - (5) $1 mq
18 Skittles @ .52 - (9) $1 Target q (she would only take 1 q per 2 Skittles)
13 GM cereal cups @ $1 - (13) $1 Target q (I'm almost to my goal of 40)
Tic Tacs @ 1.02
2 Dry dog food @ $4.29 - (2) $3 mq (she missed scanning one of my coupons) and (2) 1.50 Target q
8 cans dog food @ .84 - (4) B1G1F mq and (4) B1G1F Target q

Total = $6.76 ($2.29 was tax, saved $103.87!)

Cheap Kitchen Set!

2009-09-02T23:59:00.001-07:00

Sears has a 22 piece kitchen set 50% off for only $9.99. This would make a nice wedding gift! Choose ship to store to avoid the $7.50 shipping fee.
(Thanks, Slickdeals)

--------------------------------
Remember, if you haven't already, go on over here and take a guess in my first contest!!

You Love Panda Too?

2009-09-02T23:35:00.001-07:00

I came across this coupon here for Panda Express buy a 2 item entree get 1 entree free! We LOVE Panda Express, my husband and I can eat for under $10!

Also you can save your receipt and do the survey that is on the back. You will receive a code for 1 free entree wyb a 2 item entree. I constantly have a receipt in my wallet so if we ever stop by there we get a 3 item entree plate for the price of a 2 item entree plate.

We have also found an awesome Panda Express Orange Chicken recipe that we make about every other week. You can find it here. I don't use the Costco chicken like she recommends, rather I stir fry my chicken unbreaded and make the sauce. It is YUMMY!!

--------------------------
Speaking of free food, TGI Friday's has a coupon out for B1G1F Entree! Good through 9/7.

CVS Today + New Week of Grocery Shopping!

2009-09-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

I was in desperate need of some hair spray and have EB expiring this weekend. I always love it when I have EB to use when I'm buying things that I couldn't necessarily get cheap/free any other way!

2 hairspray @ 2.69
1 Hershey's bar for s'mores @ 1.99
1 pkg cookies for camping on clearance @ .25
- $1.99 CVS q for FREE chocolate bar (not only was this expired, but I couldn't find the CVS brand chocolate bars. She told me they accepted the expired CVS q's and that I could get a Hershey one instead!)
- $5 EB
Total = $.67

Remaining balance for the week: $35.98 - $.67 = $35.31

Don't forget the new grocery ads start this week. Be sure to check your PYP board for any great deals in your area! If you're in AZ, Fry's is still quadrupling coupons and taking competitor's coupons! There was a $3/$30 Fresh & Easy q in the ad today, or try this link for a $10/$50 q! Remember at Fry's, give these to the cashier first then the rest of your coupons, unlike at Albertsons where your total has to be $30 or $50 (if using those coupons) after all other coupons.

Speaking of Albertson's, they are also quadrupling this week! (If you're not in AZ you may want to call your store first to find out if they are as stores in Idaho/Utah are owned by a different company than the ones here :)

Contest!! Guess How Much I Spent?!?

2009-09-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Alright ladies and gents (yes, there are men out there who are as coupon crazy as we are) get ready for Born2Save's 1st contest! Today we are going to play "Guess How Much I Spent". Here's how you play. Look at the picture below and leave a comment guessing my total OOP for all these items (I will admit it's not my very BEST shopping trip as many of these items used to be free after coupons, like many of them were here. However, given that the price of food has risen 5%+, I would consider it a good deal!). Here's a list of the items in the picture:

25 jars Beech Nut stage 2 baby food
11 Hefty One Zip bags
2 Kraft Mayo w/ Olive oil
11 boxes fruit snacks
4 boxes Quaker granola bars
2 boxes Fiber One bars
1 box True Delights granola bars
3 Nature Valley granola bars
2 Quaker Fiber granola bars
5 Hamburger Helper
9 boxes Quaker Simple Harvest oatmeal
2 boxes Quaker breakfast cookies
1 king size Reese's

Want more than one chance to guess? Here's how you can earn up to 3 guesses:

1st guess- This one's free, consider it a present just for visiting my blog :)
2nd guess - Tell your friends/family about my blog by writing a post on your own blog and/or Facebook page
3rd guess- Become a follower of my blog (you get this 3rd guess if you already are)

Remember, each guess has to be a separate comment in order to count. The 2 people with the closest guess will win! (Yes, you can guess more than the amount - this isn't the Price is Right!)

What's the prize?
You will receive tokens and an order form to choose from the Kellogg's Movie Lovers Collection, shipped right to your home, completely FREE!

I know it's not quite like winning the lottery, but hey! It's FREE and it's FUN!

Contest will end Friday 9/4 at 8 pm PST so hurry, start guessing away! Good luck!!

Are You a Fan??

2009-09-01T08:41:00.001-07:00

I'm not so into this whole Facebook thing, but these awesome deals may get me jumping on the bandwagon!

Go on over here and sign up to become a fan of Baja Fresh and you can print a coupon for a FREE BURRITO today only from 2-5:30!! Be sure to read the Terms & Conditions.

Also, sign up to become a fan at Victoria's Secret over here and you can print off a coupon for 2 free undies, good today(9/1) only. Look for the coupon under the Secrets tab.

(Thanks, Slickdeals)

And, if that's not enough, go over here to print a coupon for a free Frutista Freeze drink at Taco Bell! Coupon states one per person but doesn't expire until 12/31/09!!

(Thanks, Sherri!)

Target + Freebies!!

2009-09-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

Target:
7 Kid Essentials drinks @ $7.99 - (7) $5 IP - (7) $2 Target q
6 Buddie's soaps @ $.97 - (6) $1 Target q (adjusted to $.97)
8 Skittles Crazy Cores @ $.52 - (8) $1 Target q
Total = $4.02!

Starting week's budget: $40 - $4.02 = $35.98 for the rest of the week
Don't forget to check out the Target coupons as some of the good ones expire 9/5!

Fry's Accepting Competitor's Coupons + Albies is quadrupling!

2009-08-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy about this! For a limited time Fry's is accepting competitor's coupons, including Albies, Safeway, Bashas, WalMart, Fresh & Easy. Yeah! If you're using a F&E $3/$30 q (found in today's Republic) just be sure your total before coupons is $30. Hand them that q first then all other coupons. It's like instantly saving 10%! Remember Fry's and Safeway are quadrupling coupons this week also!

For another great deal at Fry's, go on over to redplum for a $1/1 Hefty One Zip coupon. These would be free at Fry's this week or everyday at WalMart.

Also, looks like Albertson's is quadrupling coupons through next Tuesday (9/8). Should make for some great deals there too!

I Have To Apologize....

2009-08-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

....for my poor attitude in this post! I really am so excited to share deals that I find and am grateful to others who share their deals too! My biggest goal for this blog is to help others save money through couponing and finding deals as I know what a great blessing that has been to our family. Having said that, if you've ever had high hopes of being able to get a deal and spent time getting coupons and everything in order, loaded up the kids in 110+ degrees and walked in only to find empty shelves you can understand my FRUSTRATION (thanks, Shannon, for understanding!). So, I've been thinking about this and a few things I could have done differently to avoid that.

- Shop early. I shouldn't have waited until the last day of the sale! I had an opportunity earlier in the week to stop by Albies and I put it off. (I did stop by WG's twice before and they were out every time). Also, try to get in on monthly deals early. A month may seem like a long time but goes by way too fast!
- Know what day your store gets their shipment. That way you can get there on the day they have stocked and hopefully find what you are looking for.
- Go to more than one store. If you are in the habit of only shopping at the store closest to your home, work, etc., stop by a different one the next time you are out. You may be surprised at how one store may be completely out of something and another store is well stocked. You may also notice price differences. The WG's by my house and the one by my work had a $1 difference in the price of the wipes!
- Remember that when an item is put on clearance when it's gone, it's gone. If you're unable to find a clearanced item the only thing we can do is be happy for the lucky person that got a good deal (and then go to the next store to try and find some :)
- Plan ahead. You can see the upcoming sales ads at iheartwags, iheartcvs, and iheartriteaid. Also PYP has been getting ad preview for grocery stores (at least in AZ). Use these previews to plan and get your coupons ready.
- If all else fails, ask for a raincheck! (The only exception to this is with WG's and their RR.) I have had good luck at CVS with getting a raincheck and then waiting until a $x/$xx coupon comes out to redeem it and get an even better deal.

Idaho Falls - Get a Free $10 Mall Gift Card!!

2009-08-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you live in Idaho Falls, ID (yeah for Idaho!) go on over here to claim your free $10 gift card to the Grand Teton Mall!! (Make sure the screen you are seeing is showing the 2nd banner and will say how many gift cards are left and is not the one talking about bringing $75 in receipts to Guest Services). All you have to do is complete the registration form, print the e-mail voucher and take it to the mall Sept 17-19th during mall hours to claim your gift card. Keep in mind they are supposed to check your ID when picking it up.

All the other malls I checked out were out of their gift cards :(

Once Again, Target and FINALLY WG's!

2009-08-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

For some reason my husband just LOVES going to Target! I know it's a cool store and great deals and all (not that he's looking for free items or anything, but he just loves it!) Anyway, so yesterday we went over there just to look around I ended up getting some more q deals, and some things I wouldn't normally buy because he was with me!

12 Skittles @ $.52 - (12) $1 Target q (I got overage on each one of these)
4 J&J Safety q-tips @ $1.29 - (4) $1 Target q
1 J&J Baby wash @ $2.19 - $1 Target q and $1 mq
2 Gerber bottles @ $.99 - (2) $1 Target q
1 baby fingernail clippers @ $1.49
2 muffins @ $1.29
1.12 lb bananas @ .50/lb - $.50 Target q
1 soda @ $1.49
Cream of Wheat @ $3.44 (wasn't prepared to be buying this but DH requested it. He's been better about eating breakfast at home so I don't mind buying it. In the end it saves us a lot!)

Total = $6.82
I was just looking at my receipt thinking my total was high. It looks like he didn't scan my 2 Gerber coupons. I'll be taking in my receipt for that and either returning the bottles or having them give me credit for the coupons. So, actual total is $4.82.

I also had DH drop me off at a WG's near his parent's hoping I'd be lucky and find some Huggie's wipes. I was so excited to see some on the shelves!

WG's:
8 tubs Huggie's Wipes @ $3.29 - (8) $1.50 IP - $16 from Back 2 School booklet
Index cards @ 1.69
Total - $2.26 (all in tax!)

Remaining budget: $5.74 - $4.82 -$2.26 = - $1.34

I went over budget, dang it!

Looking back at my week there area a few things I could have done differently:
- Obviously having DH with me at Target didn't help, but it was fun to spend time together.
- My Albie's trip was a bust and I picked up a few things thinking I would get overage again on the Skittles but the cashier adjusted them. I should have had her take a few items off at that time, but oh well, we'll still use them.
- I know I am going to get a $10 Kellogg's rebate on the Pop Tarts and 2 free movie tickets so that purchase is actually a money maker
- The biggest expense for the week was getting my ink refilled so I could print those fabulous Target q's! I'm looking for a cheaper way to do this. Where do you buy your ink??

Hitting Up Target

2009-08-28T20:59:00.001-07:00

I had big plans for Target today, and for the most part it came through for me!

1st transaction:
5 True Delight granola bars @ $2.54 - (5) MQ
Total = $7.89
PLUS, I got a $5 g.c. for buying 5. Figuring in the g.c., these are cheaper here than at Fry's this week.

2nd transaction:
6 Johnson & Johnson child's safety q-tips @ $1.29 - (6) $1 Target q
1 J&J baby lotion @ $2.19 - (1) $1 Target q
2 J&J Detangling spray @ $2.89 - (2) $1 Target q and (2) $1 MQ
2 J&J Baby oil gel @ $2.99 - (2) $1 Target q and (2) $1 MQ
1 J&J Baby powder @ $2.19 - (1) $1 Target q and (1) $1 MQ
6 J&J Buddies bar soap @ $.97 - (6) Target q's (adjusted to $.97)
4 All Small & Mighty travel size detergent @ $.97 - (4) $1 MQ (adjusted to $.97)
10 Skittles @ $.52 - (10) $1 Target q's (adjusted to $.52)
10 Pop Tarts, marked as $1.92 but rang up @ $1.46 - (10) $.75 Target q's and (5) $1/2 MQ**
2 AF Artisan Cibatta bread @ $.99 - (2) $1 Target q (adjusted to $.99)
1.03 lb bananas @ $.50/lb - $.50 Target q
6 Sponge Bob Colgate @ $.52 ea - (6) $1 Target q's (adjusted to $.52)
2 Chef Michael dry dog food @ $4.49 - (2) $1.50 Target q's and (2) $3 MQ***
8 Nexcare bandages @ $.82 ea - (8) $1 IP (adjusted to $.82, this expires 8/31)
6 Candy bars @ $.52 ea - (3) Target B1G1F q and (3) Free candy bar coupons

Total = $5.36!! ($2.38 was tax!)

Remaining budget = $18.99 - $7.89 - $5.36 = $5.74

**I found the Pop Tarts that had the free movie tokens on the back. Unfortunately it looks like the only ones are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, which are d-i-s-g-u-s-t-i-n-g!!! Oh well, for $10 Kellogg's rebate and 2 free movie vouchers I'll find some one to give them to!
***If you know me you're probably looking at this strange since I don't have a dog. Well, for free I'll get it and sell it at my garage sale!

I felt bad for the people behind me in line as the cashier had to adjust so many q's. They were very nice and patient (and luckily so was my cashier) and amazed at my savings ($84.28!!) I invited them to view the blog, so if you're seeing this, WELCOME!

I know sometimes shopping at Target can be a pain as a lot of cashiers try to interpret their own rules when it comes to coupons. One thing you can do is arm yourself with knowledge about Target's coupon policy. You can even take a copy of the Target coupon policy (see below) with you so you are prepared. Expect your coupons for overage to be adjusted (I would say this happens to me 2/3 times) but also be prepared it they are not adjusted! You could always throw in a pack of gum or something up by the register if you see that you are going to go into the negative. The Target coupons do say one per transaction and I know some cashiers would make you purchase each item in a separate order, but I always ask before I start to avoid the hassle.

Here's the coupon policy: (from Hip2Save)

Thanks for asking us about using coupons at Target. Coupons are a great way to save even more when shopping with us, and it's easy to use them at our stores. Because of the variety of coupons available to our guests, we do have some guidelines for how coupons can be redeemed at Target.

When accepting coupons, we use the following guidelines:

- We accept two kinds of coupons: Target-issued and manufacturer-issued.
- We'll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless either coupon prohibits it.
- We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item; in this case, we're able to adjust the value of the coupon to equal the price of the item.
- We can't accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
- All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier while you're checking out.

For questions about using a specific coupon, we encourage you to stop by Guest Service and ask to speak with the Guest Service Team Leader. They'll do their best to help while you're in the store. If you still have questions after speaking with them, please call our Guest Relations team at (800) 440-0680. Either way, we're here to help!

We appreciate the opportunity to share this information with you.

Sincerely,

James
Target Guest Relations
www.target.com

I also saw a sign at the front of the store as I was leaving that said that Target will price match any competitor's current ad! I've seen discussion about this but never anything definite like that. I'm wondering if it's more for electronic items and such or if it applies to grocery items as well. I didn't have time to ask at Guest Services, but I'll be sure to find out more info on this!

Guess What Today Is??

2009-08-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Free Chocolate Friday!! Doesn't free chocolate just make your day?!?

Every Friday you can click on this link to get a coupon for free chocolate mailed to you if you're one of the first 200,000 to sign up. Yeah for free! Even bigger yeah for free chocolate!!

Combine the coupon they send to you with the Target B1G1F coupon (RP 8/2) for 2 free bars of chocolate!!

WG's and Albies

2009-08-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

I've been really slow lately in going out and getting the deals. Maybe part of it is that it is SO DANG HOT so that I don't want to drag the kiddos out or that it seems whenever I do make a trip out lately everything is gone!

Albies:
Went in for the Huggies wipes deal (guess I should have stocked up before I posted the deal on PYP) - shelves completely cleared! I did manage to get a raincheck for 2 tubs. I also looked at getting their chicken that was $1.57/lb and it really did not look good. There was still a lot of fat and skin on it so I opted to wait until Fry's has another Tyson chicken sale. I was also going to redeem some of my rainchecks from last week but, to my luck, the shelves were empty! Here's what I did manage to get
3 onions @ $.50
1 bunch green onions @ 3 lb/ $1
bananas @ $.59/lb - $.50/lb Target q
6 Skittles @ $.50 ea - (6) $1 Target q's adjusted down to $.50
Total= $2.47

WG's:
As you can probably guess, there were no Huggies wipes, no Zyrtec clearance, etc. I did need to get my color ink cartridge filled. Last time it failed the print test so I didn't have to pay for it, but what was in there only lasted me a couple weeks. I decided to try it again and walah! It worked!
1 color ink cartridge refill = $12.99
Total = $14
I honestly wasn't thinking it would work but I figured while I was in there I would drop it off. I didn't have the $5 off $25 purchase coupon with me so I may go back tomorrow and try to return it then buy it with other items to use the q.

Remaining budget for the week: $35.42 - $2.43 - $14 = $18.99 for the rest of the week.

Bath & Body Works Coupon!

2009-08-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

I love it when BBW comes out with coupons. Print this off and take it with you for a FREE travel size signature item with any purchase, valid through 9/8. If you can find the new P.S. I love you scent it is on sale for $1! These make great stocking stuffers or gifts!

Plus, if you plan on spending $15 or more you can use this coupon for a free signature home or body item.

Flip Flop Deal!

2009-08-27T00:21:00.001-07:00

I don't usually post a lot of online deals since there are SO MANY! But, I came across this and these are really cute flip flops for only $9.99! Use the code AUG25 and the pin 2412 to get free shipping. Go here to see all their woman's clearance foot wear!
Plus, speaking of shoes, Crocs.com has their 'sometimes ridiculously ugly yet oh so comfortable' shoes on sale B1G1F, PLUS use code slx8797 for an additional 25% off, and to top that.... FREE SHIPPING!! I saw some kid's shoes as low as $14.99. Hurry though, these usually go fast!

(Thanks, Slickdeals!)

2009-08-27T00:17:00.001-07:00

Remember this post about Restaurant.com? Well, they have another coupon code out for 80% off. Use the code TASTE at check out to receive your $25 gift certificates for only $2!! Looking for a new place to try this weekend? Check this out first! As always, be sure to read any restrictions the gift certificate may have.

WG's

2009-08-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

I stopped by WG's real quick today to see if they had any of the Zyrtec that is on clearance (the Hive's variety is on clearance for $3.29, plus there is a $3 IP and wyb 2 get $5 RR). Of course they didn't so I picked up some poster board for an upcoming garage sale

4 poster boards @ $1.29 ea
- in ad coupon 4/$1
Total = $1.08

Remaining budget for the week: $36.50 - $35.42 for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow I plan on going to Albies to get the Huggie's wipes deal before the sale ends and use my raincheck on fruit snacks to roll with their catalina deal:
buy 3 get $1.50 off
buy 4 get $2.50 off
buy 5 get $3.50 off
purchase dates 8/14 - 9/6

(Thanks, PYP!)

Also, as a side note, I've been reading scenarios for the WG's $5/$25 q and it looks like YMMV as to whether or not they enforce that the $25 has to be AFTER all other coupons. Good luck! Let me know how you did!

Walgreen's $5/$25 coupon good through 8/29

2009-08-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Just received an email from WG's, they have a new coupon out starting tomorrow 8/26-8/29 for $5 off a $25 purchase. Unfortunately it does state that the $25 purchase has to be after any other coupons or discounts. Hip2Save has a great deal scenario, especially if you are just starting to do the "Walgreen's thing". I'm still deciding what I am going to do since I don't have any RR right now to bring down my initial OOP and I don't like the fact that the RR expire in 2 weeks so I have to use them pretty fast. (Don't forget that if you received a RR from a promotion and use it to purchase items for that same promotion the new RR will not print). Albertson's will take them but will only take 1 per person (YMMV). I might use it to get my ink cartridges refilled though since I don't normally have a coupon for that.

Let me know what deals you come up with using this coupon!!

Safeway Transfer Prescription Coupon!

2009-08-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister just called and let me know that in tomorrow's Safeway ad there is a coupon for a $30 gift card with a transferred prescription!! The other great thing is that it doesn't expire until 9/30! Don't forget that Fry's and CVS also accept this coupon, so we've got time to earn some gift cards!!

Sweet Pop Tart Deal!

2009-08-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

I noticed as I was cutting out my UPC's from my Pop Tart deal for the Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate (register on the bottom right to view form, another rebate form found in the RP 8/2, or check your stores for a Fuel for School booklet) and noticed that a couple of the boxes had tokens for Free Movie Tickets! Just send in 5 ticket tokens from specially marked packages of Pop Tarts and the form found inside the box for a free movie ticket. It says it's for the Star Wars movie but if you read it the ticket can be used on any move. Limit 5 tickets per address. FYI- The only ones I found were on the Cookie Dough variety (gross, by the way, but way worth the free tickets!)

So, combine your Target q's with the mq's from RP 8/2, the Kellogg's rebate and free movie tickets and you've got ONE SWEET DEAL!!

Speaking of sweet Target deals, check out these posts here here, and here. (Thanks, Hip2Save)

The word of the day....

2009-08-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

...is OVERAGE!! Got to love those Target deals! (Does this picture look familiar?)

10 GM cereal cups @ $1 - (10) $1 Target q's = FREE
10 Skittles @ $.52 ea - (10) $1 Target q's = $4.80 OVERAGE
6 Sponge Bob Colgate toothpaste @ $.52 ea - (6) $1 Target q's = $4.80 OVERAGE
5 Nexcare bandages @ $.97 ea - $1 IP = $.15 OVERAGE
1 box crayons @ $.20
2 peach cups @ 2/$3
3 coupon organizers (see upcoming post on ORGANIZING!)
5 toys from the dollar spot (for gifts)

Total = $3.50
The nice lady at customer service offered to ring me up after I made a return. She all the coupons through, so of course YMMV on the overage. This only seems to happen for me about half of the time, but you definitely need to be prepared if you do get overage.

Beginning balance = $40 - $3.50 = $36.50 for the rest of the week!

Target Again and Albies

2009-08-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

I dragged the kiddo's to Target again to get more free cereal and Skittles and to Albies to redeem my raincheck for free milk. It's always a YMMV if the cashier is going to give overage on coupons like the Skittles, so I was prepared with some deli meat just in case she did. UNFORTUNATELY, she did not, but I still got some yummy meat that I know we will use.

Target:
10 Skittles @ $.52 ea - (10) $1 Target q's, adjusted = FREE
10 GM cereal cups @ $1 - (10) $1 Target q's = FREE
4 Nexcare bandages (in travel section) @ $.97 ea - $1 IP (adjusted) (these expire 8/31)
Buffalo chicken deli meat = $5.24
Total = $6.23

Albies (sorry, no pic):
6 Fiber One yogurt, rainchecked to $1.50 - (6) $1 mq
8 Yopliat Go-gurt, rainchecked to $1.49 - (4) $.80/2 IP (cheaper than buying them at Costco for $7.79/32)
1 tomato @ $.88/lb = $.54
3 tubs Huggie's wipes @ $2.50 ea - (2) $1.50 IP and (1) $.50 mq = $2 OVERAGE (If you have not printed your Huggie's diaper product $1.50 q I would suggest printing it before it's gone)
2 gal milk @ 1.99 - raincheck for FREE milk wyb 3 Fiber One yogurt = FREE
3 Albertson's brand cheese @ $.97
3 Skittles @ $.50 - $1 Target Q = $1.50 OVERAGE
Total = $15.68

I think I went over my $40 budget this week though! Remaining: $9.01 - $6.23 - $15.68 = -$12.9!! That is okay though because I returned some things to Target that I bought previously that returned $22.xx to my debit card.

If you would like to hit up Target's deals for this week, check out this post for deals and coupon match ups. There are quite a few good deals with the Target q's alone! Happy Shopping!

Kroger/Fry's deal on diapers, diaper survey, & Fry's Mega Sale

2009-08-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

Go on over here to print a q for $3 off Comforts brand diapers, found at Kroger/Fry's. These are regular price $6.99, so only $3.99 after q. I personally did not like these the best, but when you're in a pinch a diaper is a diaper!

Speaking of diapers, I have received my box of diapers for the Diaper Survey. What an easy way to get free diapers and $10!! I'm on the second package (they send you 3 packs of 23) and while I would not have purchased the diapers for a baby in size 1, they work fine! The next package I get to use is Pampers. I just fill out the quick questionnaire, have 2 phone calls where you read off your answers from the questionnaire and then they send you $10. Easy!

Also, don't forget to check out the Fry's Mega Sale (in Arizona) at PYP. There are a lot of items that are cheap with coupons and there's no limit to the number of awards you can receive!

Yeah for Target!!

2009-08-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

Ran to Target today and was so glad I did! I'll probably make another run tomorrow since some of the Target q's expire 8/22.

Glade candle - clearanced to $2.74 - Free mq = FREE
5 Skittles @ $.52 - (5) $1 Target q's = $.48 overage on each!
Renuzit Air Freshener Spray @ 1.94 - $1 Target q - $1 mq = $.06 overage!
10 Poptarts @ $1.46 (shelf price said $1.52) - (10) $.75 Target q's - (10) $1/2 mq = $.21 each
3 Archer Farms Artisan Bread @ $.99 - $1 Target q = FREE
5 General Mills Cereal cups @ $1 - (5) $1 Target q's = FREE
5.15 lb gala apples @ $1.49/lb - (3) $1/1 lb apples Target q (I should have paid better attention to the weight of the apples as I only had 3 coupons!)
Total = $6.79!!

PLUS I will submit for the Kellogg's $10 rebate when you buy 10 items (see RP 8/2). There are supposedly more than one of these forms out there and you can submit for more than one just make sure the forms you are sending go to different PO Boxes.

Guess what the trick-or-treaters will be getting this year? Skittles and Pop Tarts! Oh the parents are going to love me!?!

Remaining Budget = $15.80 - $6.79 = $9.01 for the rest of the week!

Learning the ropes!

2009-08-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

I got this email from one of my friends, just wanted to share it! I used to feel the same way about WG's and CVS until I really started learning the ropes of getting great deals there. Now I they are 2 of my favorite stores for coupon shopping! I didn't learn in one trip though, so just keep going bit by bit and you'll be a pro before long! As always, feel free to ask any questions!

Love the blog, I do have to say its kind of addicting, I have told everyone about it. I used to hate walgreens and CVS thinking that everything was so over priced. I was very nervous to try it out, but went for the first time today and did good. The only thing I need to do better is the whole 1st transaction and then the 2nd, so that way I dont end up with a bunch of RR just chillin in my wallet. I am learning a lot keep it coming....

Great WG's deal!

2009-08-18T22:39:00.001-07:00

Starting tomorrow, 8/19 - 8/22 WG's will have a special 4 day ad and basically you will receive a $5 RR for spending $25 on practically everything (except gift cards, stamps). Also, it's $25 BEFORE coupons!

This would be a great time to combine this with the current RR deals so you can start rolling them.

Hip2Save has posted some deal scenarios to go with this.

Looks like WG's Photo is also running some specials this week, including Free photo clings on 8/19, 20 free 4x6 prints on 8/20, 8x10 scrapbook page for only $.99 on 8/21, and 50% off photo books on 8/22. Time to work on those photo projects!!

Safeway and Albies

2009-08-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

I just glanced at the ads before we left last week and didn't realize the deals Albies was having! This afternoon as I was getting ready to go I checked over at Pinching Your Pennies and saw the awesome BTFE deals so I gathered my coupons and the kids and headed over there. Of course they were out of most things, but that's okay! I've got rain checks now. Who knows, maybe they'll double coupons in the next month which would be SWEET! (I apologize for not being good at taking pictures, I was in a hurry to get things put away tonight!)

Safeway:
4- 1 pt blueberries @ $.99
Total = $3.98, used gift card so $0 OOP

I picked up some pamphlets at the checkout that say "Help Abbey Beat Muscular Dystrophy". There are a lot of great coupons in here, although most of them do say 'Do Not Double' and start with a '9' so they won't double. Still is a great way to build up your coupons. There is also a q for FREE any Freshpet Product 1 lb or smaller. I don't have a pet, but these are good to use to donate or even build up your order to use a $x/$xx coupon.

Albies:
6 boxes Hamburger Helper @ $.79 - (2) $.75/3 mq
1 gal milk @ $1.99
1/2 gal chocolate milk @ $2.69 - Free choc milk wyb 1 gal white milk IP (q automatically takes off $3.75, so $1.06 overage on this)
3.12 lb of bananas @ $.59/lb - (2) $.50/lb Target q
Lettuce @ $1.29
3.29 lb gala apples @ $1.69/lb - (3) $1/lb Target q
1 green bell pepper @ 2/$1
Deli sliced chicken (This is a treat for DH to motivate him to take his lunch to work!) $10.96
Huggies wipes (72 ct) $2.50 - $2 WG's q found in their Back 2 School coupon book (these are on sale through 8/23. Not a bad deal for a tub of wipes!!)
- $5 catalina
- $.15 bag credit (I didn't know Albies did this!)
Total = $16.09

Costco:
2 pack Alpine Valley bread
Total = $8.11 (I have got to take the time to make my own bread!!)

Budget for the week: $40 (I know I had overage from last week but we spent money on our trip for food so I'm going to just start over and not roll any overage) - $16.09 - $8.11 = $15.80 for the rest of the week.

Catching Up!!

2009-08-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! Looks like there was a lot of deal action while I was gone for my sister's wedding! I'm glad to be home and getting back into the swing of things! While I was in Idaho though I was able to go to Albie's and get in on the Kraft promotion. I would have definitely bought different things if I lived there, but I bought things that would travel well that we would use anyway. Spent $20.64, got back a $5 catalina and a rebate form to submit for $20 rebate. Remember this goes through 8/23 and is limit 1 per household.

WG's, CVS, Fry's

2009-08-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry my posting has been a little slow, I'm trying to get ready to leave tomorrow for my sister's wedding so I most likely won't be posting while I'm gone. I did get to hit up a couple of this week's sales though.

WG's

4 Easy Mac cups @ $1 - $1/4 q from Back 2 School book* and (2) $1/2 IP
4 BIC pens @ 2/$1 - (2) $1/2 mq (These were donated)
Total = $1.17

*The IP's beeped when the cashier scanned them. I later looked at my receipt and saw that the $1/4 Back 2 School coupon rang up as a manufacture coupon. This means they should not be used with other manufacture coupons. It was assumed that this was a store coupon since it didn't say manufacture coupon and also because this book is exclusive to WG's. Having said that, the fact that this is a manufacture coupon means it could be used at other stores, however YMMV. There is a high value $2 Huggies wipes 64+ ct. coupon on it.

CVS

1st order:
2 Huggies diapers @ $9 ea
2 Protractors, raincheck item to $1.50 (These were donated)
2 Flex rulers, raincheck item to $.99
4 candy bars @ 2/$1 (needed for fillers)
- $4/$20 from pharmacy for asking about ReadyFill
- (2) $3 Huggie's coupons
- $1/2 candy bar mq
- $14 EB
Total $.45
+ I received $4 EB for Huggies and $5 EB for school supplies

2nd order
1 Contour glucose monitor @ $14.99
1 Revlon mineral makeup @ $9.99
2 Huggie's diapers @ $9 ea
- $4/$20
- $2 Revlon
- $30 Contour*
- $5 EB
Total: $4.47
+ I received $5 for Contour and $9.99 for Revlon

* My CVS card was on the counter from the previous order. The cashier must not have scanned it until after ringing up my purchases because if that is done the discounts aren't taken off each individual item but rather in a lump sum at the end. So then when he scanned my Contour q for up to $30 off it took the whole $30 off instead of having him adjust the discount to the $14.99 sale price of the item. This put my total at -$14.xx. I kind of had to think fast and the other 2 packages of diapers were sitting there so I had him scan 2 of them to bring me back to a positive total and then I ran back and got a couple more packs. I'm not complaining, I can always use more diapers! I didn't think though about the other $1.50 Huggies coupons I had with me which would have brought my total to $1.xx!! Oh well! Maybe if I have time I'll take them in.

Fry's
Went in today for the last day of the chicken sale
6 packages BLSL chicken @ $1.67
4 cans tuna @ 2/$1
1 carton eggs @ $.89
- $3/$15 meat purchase I got in a pack of Fry's coupons that was mailed to me
- $5 catalina from the crazy cereal deal
Total: $12.67

My new budget for this week is $40 + $5.68 rollover from last week starts me at $45.68 - $1.17 - $.45 - $4.47 - $12.67= $26.92

Free Scrubbing Bubbles!

2009-08-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Go on over here and sign up to receive Scrubbing Bubbles bulletins. They will send you a FREE shower caddy!

I have had these in the past and it is nice to help keep the shower clean in between cleaning it. The refills can get expensive though so I just filled mine up with some bathroom cleaner I had at home!

Free food this week!

2009-08-10T00:53:00.001-07:00

Remember this? It's back! This Tuesday August 11th there will be free tacos at Jack in the Box again! Print your coupon here, no purchase necessary!

Then on Wednesday don't forget Arby's for their free Chicken Roastburger with the purchase of any drink, no coupon needed!

Yeah for free food!

Cheap kids patio table!

2009-08-10T00:29:00.001-07:00

Walmart has this cute little patio table set with umbrella and 2 chairs for $20!! They have Handy Manny, Tinkerbell, Cars, Barbie, and Princess.

Weekly deals

2009-08-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the deals for the week. I'm just going to link to sites that have posted the deals already since I'll be super busy this week getting ready to leave Wednesday. If there's a store you would like to see on here, let me know!

CVS - click here. I also posted about deals here. Don't forget to use the $5/$25 coupon.

WG's - click here and look for the Back 2 School coupon book, preview here plus more deals here

Rite Aid- click here and another deal here

Staples - click here. Be sure to use the in ad $5/$50 coupon AND 10% off coupon for even better deals!

Target - click here

Have a great week!!

What a Waste!!

2009-08-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

I read in a magazine a little while ago that the "average" family throws away $75 worth of food a month. Seriously?!?! If you look at it from the standpoint of my $40 Monthly Challenge that's equivalent to nearly 2 weeks worth of food for our family. I have been thinking about this since I read it and have been brainstorming ideas to avoid becoming an "average" family. Here's what I've come up with:

- Designate an area in your fridge for leftovers. That way you know where they are and that leftover meatloaf doesn't get stuck in the back to mold.

- Only dish up what you think you can eat. This can be especially hard with children as they are completely bipolar in their eating. You can always dish up more for them if they happen to finish what they have.

- In our home we love leftovers (because that means mom doesn't have to cook all the time!) We always make extra and take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

- Designate one day of the week (maybe choose your busiest day) as "Leftover Day". Use that day to finish off the leftovers in your fridge.

- Portion out your servings. When I buy packs of fresh chicken I trim it and place 3-4 of the boneless breasts in a Ziploc bag. That way when I need chicken I already have the amount that I generally need for dinner plus the leftovers for lunch.

- Only buy what you can eat. It doesn't save you any money to buy an extra gallon of milk because it's on sale if it's just going to go bad before you can drink it. Comprende?

- Be aware of your fresh fruits/vegetables. Keep in mind that some things spoil much quicker than others. I learned this the first time I bought raspberries and blackberries. I was used to being able to keep my fruit in the fridge for a couple days but by the time I got around to washing and freezing these I ended up throwing them all away.

- Learn little tricks that help to keep you from throwing things away. Did you know that limp celery can be revived by placing the ends in some water? Same with cucumbers. Leftover rice can also be brought back to life by adding a LITTLE water and microwaving with the lid on.

- Become a professional "goolash chef". In our family, that would be my husband. He does an awesome job of looking at what we have that needs to be eaten and coming up with a delicious meal. It's actually kind of fun to see what you can come up with!

- Consider buying a Food Saver. You can take leftovers or any food and put it in either a container or bag and vacuum and seal it. This helps to prevent it from going bad before you use
it.

- Keep a freezer journal and record what is in your freezer. I personally don't do this but I thought it would be a good idea to start one. That way you know exactly what you have, which is especially hard to do with a big chest freezer!

What things do you do in your family to avoid becoming "average"?

New code, 80% off at Restaurant.com

2009-08-09T00:17:00.001-07:00

Restaurant.com has another great code to give you 80% off their gift certificates. This makes a $25 gift card $2!! Seems like this month the 80% off code came out early, but no complaints here!

If you're new to Restaurant.com, go over here and read about it. Just enter the code PORTION at check out to receive the discount (maybe next month the code will be 'control' :)

Michael's coupon

2009-08-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

I found a 50% off any regular price item for Michael's over here. I have been making necklaces for my sis's wedding and really wanted to get them done as cheaply as possible! I'm not sure if they'll have an ad this week so if they don't here's coupon for ya. Expires 8/14.

Cheap/Free snacks at CVS!

2009-08-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite store has done it once again! Go on over here and you can print coupons from the CVS website. The first coupon that shows up for me is $1 off Frito Lay, including Smartfood. I know the other day I was in there I saw a (small) bag of Smartfood snacks for $.88. I'm not sure how big it was though and the coupon is good for 5 oz or larger. Hopefully we can get cheap/free snacks with it!

Don't forget to hit the back button on your browser to print it again.

CVS & Kohl's

2009-08-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

I ran to CVS this morning to finish up getting rainchecks for the week. I LOVE CVS rainchecks because they don't expire and I can wait until I have a good $/$$ coupon or some EB that need to be rolled. I picked up one for the Blink eye drops and the Electrasol and got a few other things. I also asked about my $3 Pampers coupons from my purchases this week. They were much nicer than the ornery cashier the other day and gave me $6 for them which I added to my $2.75 budget.

1 Ragu @ $2 (to finish up what I needed to get the $3 EB for buying $10 in Unilever products)
1 White cheddar popcorn @ $1 (have you tried it? It's delicious!)
2 Gold Emblem candies (stocking up for our upcoming road trip) @ $.99 ea
2 4-pack CVS brand AA batteries (BIGIF)
- $3.79 CRT for free batteries
- $3.79 BIGIF batteries weekly sale
- $1/2 Gold Emblem candy CRT
- $1 EB
Total = $3.07
+ I earned $3 EB for the Ragu

Remaining budget: $2.75 + $6 - $3.07 = $5.68 for the rest of the week which if unused I will roll over to next week.

Then I went over to Kohl's. There were some pants I saw last week that I wanted but didn't get. Armed with my $10/$20 peelie and 15% off email I found them and they were $4 cheaper than last week! I asked the cashier and she said if I brought my receipt in from last week they would give me the difference. Hmm... hopefully I'll be back in that area today! This also goes to show why you should keep your receipts.

1 pair of pants @ $19.99
1 shirt @ $4.99 (this was mainly to bring my total to $20 since I don't think Kohl's has many cheap fillers)
= $24.98
- $10
- 15% coupon
Total = $13.47

I was figuring it out too if I wanted to go back and get a few more shirts. I could get 5 shirts @ $4.99 for the same price! That's less than $3 a shirt!

$5/$25 CVS coupon and 8/9 CVS deals

2009-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been thinking about giving CVS a try, now is a great time! Go on over here and take the short health quiz. You will then be able to print the coupon. Mine is good until 8/22 and you can print it multiple times but it will alert the cashier that it has already been used. You may use a different computer though to take the quiz and print another. Be sure to hand it first to the cashier.

Here are the best deals for the week:

Contour Meter $14.99 get $5 eb Limit 1
-$14.99 Bayer Breeze2 or Contour Meter, up to $30 SS 3/22/09

M&M Mars singles 2/$1
-$1 off 2 Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers or Milky Way Brand Singles Bars(2.0 -2.13 oz), any RP 7/26/09
also qualifies towards candy get $5 eb WYB $15 Limit 5

Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse $9.99 get $9.99 eb
-$1 Revlon Color Cosmetic Product, any SS 7/19/09

Sharpie Accent Highlighters 4 pk $.99
-$1 Sharpie accent highlighters

Even if you didn't have any EB or coupons from the paper you could start your CVS trippin' with this coupon:
1 Contour - $14.99
1 Revlon - $9.99
1 Sharpie highlighter - $.99
Total = $25.97
- $5/$25
- $1 Sharpie IP
Pay $19.98 and get $5 EB and $9.99 EB

This isn't GREAT, but if you're looking to get into it this week it is a start. If you had a Contour coupon you would only pay $4.98 and get the same EB.

If your coupon doesn't expire until 8/22 like mine then you could wait until next week when there are more school supplies free after EB.

Caliber Recycled School box $1.99 get $1.99 eb Limit 2 3 Day Sale

CVS brand or Caliber Filler paper 150 sheets $.99 get $.99 eb Limit 2 3 Day Sale

CVS brand or Caliber mini composition notebook $1.99 get $1.99 eb Limit 2 3 Day Sale

Paper Mate Pens $.99 get $.99 eb Limit 2 3 Day Sale

Philips Earhook Headphones $6.99 get $6.99 eb Limit 1 3 Day Sale

Also, don't forget to ask the pharmacist about the ReadyFill program and they will give you a $25 coupon booklet with 2 coupons for $4/$20 purchase plus others! (They are advertising all over that you get the coupons just for ASKING, although I've had 2 pharmacists tell me you had to sign up for the program to get it. You can gently remind them that it says you only have to ASK!)

Using this coupon you could get everything that is FAEB, plus throw in a filler that is at least $1.09, use the $4/$20, pay $16 and get back $18.91 in EB.

From iheartcvs

Cheap Oil Change

2009-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Goodyear Auto Service has a coupon here for $20 off $20 purchase good through 8/21/09. Valid at participating centers, so I would be sure to call yours and make sure they will accept it. This should make for a cheap oil change as they start about $25.99!

Go here to find a store near you.

Got milk? Free cereal at Fry's

2009-08-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy right now since we were starting to run a little low on cereal (read: we only had about 20 boxes).

Remember the Honey Bunches of Oats catalina deal I talked about here? Well, I saw that Fry's had their HBOO cereal on sale $1.88 and so I went this morning to see if it would work. Well, as you can see, it did! Here's the details on the catalina:
Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
Purchase between 7/17 - 8/9
Buy 3, Get $2 OYNSO
Buy 4, Get $3
Buy 5 or more, Get $5
1st order:
5 boxes cereal
Grapes @ $.77/lb
Onions @ $1/lb
- (5) $1 cereal mq
Total = $8.22, paid for with g.c. from the Amp deal = $0 OOP
+ I got a catalina for $5 ONYSO

2nd order:
5 boxes cereal
Tyson chicken @ $1.67/lb
- (5) $1 cereal mq
- $1 Tyson chicken mq
- $5 catalina from previous order
Total = $2.08- $1.78 remaining on g.c. = $.30 OOP

3rd order:
5 boxes cereal
Tyson chicken @ $1.67/lb
- (5) $1 cereal mq
- $1 Tyson chicken mq
- $5 catalina from previous order
- $.15 BYOB (Bring your own bag, they give you $.05/bag)
Total = $1.62 OOP

4th order:
5 boxes cereal
Tyson chicken @ $1.67/lb
- (5) $1 cereal mq
- $5 catalina from previous order
- $.15 BYOB
Total = $1 OOP

5th order:
5 boxes cereal
Tyson chicken @ $1.67/lb
- (5) $1 cereal mq
- $5 catalina from previous order
- $.15 BYOB
Total = $2.45 OOP
+ I still have a $5 catalina that I plan on using next week when my budget resets to get more chicken. I will combine that with a $3/$15 meat purchase coupon I received in the mail today so I can restock our chicken.

Remaining budget = $8.12 - $.30 - $1.62 - $1 - $2.45 = $2.75! I think I'm done for the week but I'm so glad to have succeded in my first week.

Now what am I going to do with all that cereal? Here's where couponing and food storage mesh together. The cereal doesn't expire for 1 year, so basically we have all year to eat, share, donate, or even dry pack can the cereal. When you are able to get things on sale and can stockpile you are building your food storage so when things come up financially or you just aren't able to make it to the store that day or week you still have something to eat!

I have a friend who is major into food storage. She tells people to take $10 a week and buy things that you can put in your food storage so if you need a meal you have one. Spaghetti, canned soup, cereal (you can eat it dry if you have to), canned chicken, etc. are all things that you can buy little by little to put into your food storage. Now throw couponing into the mix and you should have that extra $10 to spend on food storage items so you're not spending any more money than you were before, but you're building your food storage.

Free Chocolate Friday!

2009-08-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Every Friday you can click on this link to get a coupon for free chocolate mailed to you if you're one of the first 200,000 to sign up. Yeah for free! Even bigger yeah for free chocolate!!

Combine the coupon they send to you with the Target B1G1F coupon (RP 8/2) for 2 free bars of chocolate!!

WG's & CVS

2009-08-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

I returned to WG's to pick up my ink and they were still stocked with Ragu and Skippy so I decided to pick up some more. The color ink cartridge failed, meaning they couldn't sell it to me. When this happens these usually still work for a while so I basically got a free refill. The bad news is that they changed the price on the ink refills for $12.99 for either black or color. Black used to be $10. Sorry, no pics for right now. I'll try to get them up later.

1st order:
4 Ragu @ $2 ea
4 Skippy PB @ $2 ea
- (3) $5 RR (these were from a while ago when it didn't print at the register. I called and they mailed them to me)
Total = $1
+ I received a $10 RR for buying 8 Unilever items

2nd order:
1 black ink refill @ $12.99 (ugh! I'm going to have to check but I think I can buy a new one at Target for about this price!)
- $10 RR from previous purchase
Total = $4.07

CVS

1st order:
1 Contour glucose monitor, raincheck priced to $19.99 - $19.99 mq
1 pkg Pampers @ $10. Would have had a $3 mq for this but it wouldn't scan and the grouchy cashier would not manually enter it! I hate it when they are stingy! I may take it back with my receipt and try to get them to take it.
1 Skippy PB @ $2
2 Chocolate eggs @ $.50 ea (thanks to the 2 yr old that tried to bite into both of them!)
- $4/$20 (coupon given for asking about the Readyfill program at the pharmacy. The pharmacist told me that I had to sign up for the program even though there was a sign right in front of me advertising the coupon book when you ASK about the program. When I pointed that out he gave me one)
- $5 EB
Total = $4.87
+ I earned $5 EB for the Contour (Raincheck from last month) and $3 for the Skippy (I bought the other $8 in items earlier) and a CRT for free Absolute Divine chocolate bar!

2nd order:
1 Contour glucose monitor machine, raincheck priced to $19.99 - $19.99 mq
1 Pampers diapers @ $10 (I didn't even try to use this coupon!)
1 Vapomist plug in clearanced to $2.20 (I used these a lot on DD when she would get sick)
1 Snicker's bar $.22 (the little stinker bit into this one too!)
- $4/$20
- $5 EB
Total = $4.09
+ I earned another $5 EB for the Contour and $5 EB for buying 2 Pampers

Not getting the Pampers coupons really hurt my budget here!

Remaining budget for the week: $18.08 - $1 - $4.87 - $4.09 = $8.12 (For right now I'm not including the ink in this budget as it technically is not groceries or h/b items)

Success!

2009-08-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

I always love hearing how people are saving money, especially when I've been able to help out in that process! One of my readers (there I go, sounding like I'm all big time! I make myself laugh!) emailed me her success story:

I thought I would share my success since I owe most of it to you! Yesterday I went to Smiths and my total was about 70 dollars and after all my coupons I only paid 34! And i was getting high priced things like bee killer, makeup, shampoos, etc. I was really excited. It was double coupon day at Smiths(i found that out from PYP website). Thanks for doing your new blog! I have fun reading it and I am SLOWLY learning the tricks of the trades.

YEAH!! I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing! Feel free to write about your own success stories!

Don't forget to check out the grocery deals in your state on PYP

Going to IKEA this weekend? Kid's eat free through 8/16!

2009-08-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

Feel like beating the heat to go to IKEA? Well, here's something else to motivate you! Kid's 12 and under can choose from three meals for FREE! Read more about it here.

Look out for another Kohl's coupon!

2009-08-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

Word is that tomorrow's paper will have another Kohl's $10/$20 peelie on it! I'm starting to really like this place! Did you get one in your area last week? (see last week's post here) I'm just curious how wide spread this is since it was valid in several states.

Also, sweeten the deal with a 15% off coupon emailed to you once you sign up for sales reminders. It says that it can't be used with any other percent-off coupons, which the peelie is not so you should be able to use both. As I said before though, I haven't had any experience with this but I may just have to try it out!

**UPDATE**
You CAN use the 15% off q with the peelie!! Here's the link

Buca di Beppo coupon expires 8/9

2009-08-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

Don't forget this great Buca di Beppo $10/$20 purchase coupon, it expires 8/9! It's good even on curbside pick up so you don't have to fight the crowd.

Cheap Entertainment!

2009-08-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used an Entertainment book? They are wonderful, and now you can get them for CHEAP! Go over here and get 2 of the 2009 editions for only $10! These usually retail for $30 each!! Plus, shipping is only $1.98 for both books but you do have to buy 2 to get this discount. BUT, even if you only use it once you can pretty much got your money's worth! This is a great way to try new restaurants using B1G1F coupons. Click on the link to view the restaurants that are listed in each book.

Hurry! Offer good while supplies last! If I remember right they coupons expire the end of November.

In the Mood for Micky-D's or Arby's?

2009-08-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd be posting a deal from McDonald's, but here goes.

Buy a Angus Third Pounder and get a free medium drink and fries. Not a bad deal!

(Thanks, Hip2Save)
*************
Don't forget too that tomorrow only Arby's will be giving a way a free Regular Roast beef with any drink purchase. No coupon needed to get this deal.

Each Wednesday through August you can get yourself something free. Here are the upcoming offers:

August 12th
Free Roast Chicken Club with soft drink purchase

August 19th
Free FruiTea with sandwich purchase

August 26th
Free Roast Beef 'n Cheddar with soft drink purchase

Kohl's Clearance

2009-08-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like Kohl's clearance is getting even better. Now you can go here and get kid's clothes starting at $2. Plus if you're a Kohl's charge card customer you can take 15% off with code KOHLSMVC15 and free shipping with MVC1617.

(Thanks, Slickdeals)

Plus, go through Cashbaq and get 3% back on your purchase! Also, if you haven't signed up to receive emails form Kohl's, now is a great time! Sign up to receive e-mail alerts and they will email you a $5 off coupon plus 10% off for your next visit!

Safeway & CVS

2009-08-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

We to CVS this morning trying to get in on the deals for the week. As can be expected, everything I wanted to buy was gone. Oh well, got rainchecks and will go back once I get a $4/$20 q. Met Kelsie there to show her the ropes a little. She's going to do great! :)

I did try to get the Vitamin water MM again but it didn't go so well this time. The $3 EB didn't print. When I pointed it out to the cashier that my receipt says "Buy Vitamin water, get $3 EB" she was confused and called the manager who called the 1-888-SHOP-CVS line and was told it was supposed to print $3 EB when you buy a 12 pack. This is definitely a YMMV though as there have been a lot of posters talking about getting this still.

1st transaction:
1 Vitamin water @ $1.25
2 Ragu sauce @ 2/$4 (go toward the Buy $10 get $3 EB)
- $5 EB
Total = $.25

2nd transaction
1 Vitamin water @ $1.25
Shredded wheat clearanced @ $.47
1 caramel @ $.33 (filler item)
- $2 EB
Total = $.05

The cashier ran my 2nd order through while the manager was on the phone. I may return the Vitamin water since I really don't need it and didn't do a good job of rolling my EB with this one!

Safeway:
Safeway brand Diet Sprite (we like this for marinades) @ $.37 with in ad coupon
Quaker granola bars @ $.99 with in ad coupon
2 cans pineapple @ $.77
2.24 lb bananas @ $.59/lb
3 Honey Bunches of Oats @ $.199 - (1) $2 IP from here (look on the bottom right, only lets you print one) and (2) $1 mq from SS 7/26
7.92 lb Bottom round roast @ $1.77/lb = $14.03
- $1 catalina
- $2 catalina
- $14.28 gift card from months ago when I transferred my prescription there
Total = $7.53 EXCEPT I noticed when I got home that they must have scanned one of my roast twice because it shows that I got 4 packages. I will take my receipt in to get my $3.91, so actual Total = $3.62, Plus I got a $2 catalina for buying 3 Honey Bunches. I also got a raincheck as they were out of the almond kind and will buy 5 @ 1.99 - (5) $1 mq = $4.95 and get back a $5 catalina!

Rollover budget $22 - $.25- $.05- $3.62 = $18.08

New Coupons at Smart Source

2009-08-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Smart Source has some new coupons out - a lot of cereal, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury. It is a good idea to print these for future sales. Link here.

Don't forget your free tacos!

2009-08-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

Print out this coupon to receive 2 free tacos from Jack in the Box this Tuesday, 8/4! Yeah for free food!

WG's and CVS

2009-08-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of my challenge and I'm already starting to feel a little nervous only because I really want to stock up on roast at Safeway for $1.77/lb and chicken will be on sale for $1.67/lb starting Wed. I need to replenish my stockpile as much as I can with these deals.

I stopped in at WG's before work today since I was a little early. I was excited to see that they had their photo stamps clearanced out to $7.59 from $30! I have read that these are on clearance but the only other one's I saw were still $14.99. That's cheaper than buying them at the Post Office, and you get to have any photo you choose put on them with free shipping. I also took advantage of the Unilever RR deal.
1st transaction:
8- Ragu pasta sauce @$2 = $16 - (4) $1/2 q from here (keep hitting the back button fo unlimited prints!) or use Ragu Pasta Sauce, any $1/2 (9-27-09) RP-8/2
Total = $12 Plus I earned a $10 RR for buying 8 items.

2nd transaction:
2 - Photo stamp kits @ $7.59
- $10 RR
Total = $5.52

Don't know what a RR is? Check out this explanation.

CVS
1st transaction:
Lemonade and Simply Orange Vitamin water @ $1.25 ea
1 CVS popcorn
2 strawberry & peanut butter M&M's clearanced @ $.22 ea
- $4 EB (adjusted to $3.96)
Total = $0 OOP!
+ I earned $3 EB for buying the Vitamin water and I got my free gift coupon for a 4 pack of batteries. These happen to be on sale B1G1F so next time I go I will get 2 packs FREE! I read about the Vitamin water producing $3 EB on SlickDeals. That means that you pay $1.25 for the Vitamin water and get back $3! Sounds like a $1.75 MM to me! It only works on certain flavors and it only gives you one no matter how many you buy in a single transaction.

2nd transaction:
1 Lemonade Vitamin water @ $1.25
1 Skippy peanut butter @ $2
- $3 EB from previous transaction
Total = $.25 OOP
+ I earned $3 EB for buying the Vitamin water

3rd transaction:
1 Simply orange Vitamin water @ $1.25
1 Skippy peanut butter @ $2
- $3 EB from previous transaction
Total = $.25 OOP
The EB from this transaction didn't print, I guess becase the Simply orange doesn't make it print. My receipt did say that I had not reached the offer limit so the manager checking me out manually printed the EB. This is a great new thing that they are able to do at CVS now so if your EB doesn't print say something and they can make it print for you.

I also got rainchecks for all the Back 2 School items that are free after EB (FAEB) as well as the Blink eye drops and Electrasol dishwashing tabs.

Budget: $40 - $12 - $5.52 - $.25- $.25 = $22 for the rest of the week.

My $40 Weekly Challenge!

2009-08-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so this week starts my $40 weekly challenge! Yeah! I'm excited to get started and see how much i can really save. I have chosen $40 as our budget after looking at how much I usually spend at the grocery store as well as CVS and WG's. I am not going to include eating out in this budget, however, grocery and health/beauty/household items will be included. I'm definitely going to do my best to stay within this budget and may have to adjust it.

As we go throughout the week I'll keep track of how I'm doing with my purchases. Keep in mind that in our family there is me, my husband, our 2 yr old and 3 mo old. I have also built up our stockpile to have 3+ months worth of shampoo/conditioner, toilet paper, Kleenexes, diapers, wipes, razors, deodorant, body wash, toothbrush/toothpaste, dishwasher detergent, soap, laundry detergent, household cleaner, etc. Of course, this may not be the ideal number for everyone and should be adjusted should you choose to take on a challenge of your own.

Feel free to post any comments if you're taking on a challenge of your own. Good luck!

Great Week at CVS!!

2009-08-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you're not into shopping at CVS, this is a GREAT week to start! There are a lot of small EB (Extra Bucks) offers so your OOP (out of pocket) would be small.

I absolutely love CVS! I have stocked my home with free H&B items, diapers, toys, even decor FREE from CVS.

So, here's the low down on CVS and EBs:

- First things first. If you don't have a CVS card - sign up in the store and get your card. Always be sure to give the cashier your card when checking out to benefit from the savings. You will also earn 2% back each quarter on what you spend.

- Look at the ad. Each week you will see items that offer EB (Extra Bucks) when you meet the purchase requirements. For instance, this week the ad states that Blink Tears or Gel Tears are $7.99 with $7.99 EB. That means when you buy that item the EBs will print on the bottom of your receipt. They are usually good for 1 month and can be used on the next purchase.

- Look for coupons to match up with EB deals. Going back to the Blink example, the RP 5/31 insert has a coupon for $4 off! That can be used to buy the item and then you will get the EBs.

- Scan your CVS card in the store. First thing I do when I walk into CVS is scan my card on the price scanner. This will print the CRTs (or store coupons) that are available for you at that time.

- Pick up your items.

- When you check out, hand the cashier your coupons in this order:

1- Any coupons that are for $/$$ (For example, when you sign up with a CVS card they periodically email you coupons for $4 off a $20 purchase). Your total may go below that amount after coupons, so always hand this one over first.

2- CRTs

3- Manufacture coupons

4- Extra Bucks. Keep in mind the the EBs are for a certain amount. If you subtotal is less than the amount of the EB you will need to buy something else or it will be adjusted and you will lose the difference.

So, back to our example with the Blink Eye Drops. You will have the cashier scan your CVS card, scan the Blink Eye Drops for $7.99. You then hand her the q for $4 off. Pay $3.99 + tax. On the bottom of your receipt you will receive $7.99 EB to be used next time. You just made $4 profit!

You may find that HOT deals like this run out quicklt. BE SURE to a raincheck. CVS rainchecks do not expire so they can be used when it is convenient.

The trick to CVS is to "roll" your EBs. Ideally you would take that $7.99 and buy items that will give you at least $7.99 back with minimal OOP. That is why this week is so great! There are a lot of $.99 items that are giving $.99 EB. Buy those items and roll the EB onto the next so that you don't have to pay OOP. Here's the list of EB items that stand out: (Thanks, Frugalsuz)

Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or CVS Sticky Notes (2 pack), Glue stick (3 pack) OR Pencil/Ink Eraser (1 count) $0.99, get back $0.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or CVS One Subject Notebook (70 - 80 sheets) $0.99, get back $0.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or CVS Ball Point Pens (20 count) OR Wooden Pencils (10 pack) $0.99, get back $0.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or Its Academic Compass OR Protractor $1.50, get back $1.50 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or Its Academic 5" Pointed OR Blunt Tip Scissors $2.99, get back $2.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or Its Academic 12" Flexi Ruler $0.99, get back $0.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Caliber or Its Academic Stretchable Book Cover $0.99, get back $0.99 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: 2-Pocket Poly Portfolio $0.49, get back $0.49 EB (Limit 2) = FREE
Sun/Mon/Tues Only: Softsoap Nutri Serums (15 oz) $4.99, use $1 coupon (from Reinventing Beauty magazine) and get back $4 EB (Limit 1) = FREE
Blink Tears or Gel Tears $7.99, use $1.50 coupon ($3 coupon possibly coming in this Sunday's paper) and get back $7.99 EB (Limit 1) = $3 or $1.50 profit (or FREE without coupon) *There is a $4 coupon in the 5/31 RP that expires 8/1. If your store starts sales early = $4 profit
Electrasol (20 count) $4.50 - spend $20 and get back $10 EB (Limit 1), buy five Electrasols and use five $2.50 coupons (7/12 SS) = FREE
Stayfree ($5) and/or Visine Drops or Wipes ($3.99), spend $10 and get back $5 EB (Limit 1). Options: buy two Stayfree and use BOGO coupon (6/28 SS) = FREE or buy three Visines and use three $3 coupons (6/14 SS) = $2.03 profit
Pepsi 12 packs five for $12, get back $2 EB (WYB 5, Limit 1) = five for $10 or $2 each

Let me know if there are any questions and Happy CVS Shopping!!

Grocery Store Ads

2009-08-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that I'm not 100% sure how I want to go about posting grocery store deals. So, what I'm thinking about doing right now is referring to one of my favorite websites, Pinching Your Pennies. This is an AWESOME site that lists grocery store deals by state. If you click on the top bar that says Screaming Deals By State it allows you to choose your state. From there, most states have a wide network of people who pair up the grocery ads with any available coupons. This site also has a Coupon list so that if you are looking for something in particular you can scroll the list of current coupons in alphabetical order by brand name. (This list is limited to Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, Utah, and Virginia. If your state is not included in this, let me know and I will direct you to another resource). Keep in mind that the coupons are manually entered so they may not appear the same day the coupon comes out in the paper. I find this site very helpful as it is people who are actually in your area posting about the deals they are finding.

One of the tricks to maximizing your savings with coupons is to *obviously* match up a coupon with a sale. Going back to when I first started looking at coupons I looked at that $.35 coupon and thought sarcastically "Whoopee! I get $.35 off an item that is $2.49! It's cheaper to just by the store brand." Now I look at that $.35 coupon and think "Okay, when that item goes on sale for $1 and my coupon doubles to $.35 I can get it for $.30! Or even better, maybe it will go on sale when the store is tripling and quadrupling coupons! Then I would get it FREE!"

First thing to do is find out which stores in your area double coupons. This is something that is done automatically at the register on a daily basis. At least in Arizona, coupons are doubled/tripled/quadrupled up to $1. That means that a coupon worth $.25 will double to $.50, $.40 to $.80, $.50 to $1, $.60 to $1, etc. The stores that will ALWAYS double your coupon are: Fry's, Safeway, and Basha's. Albertson's does run specials when they double/triple so be on the look out for that.

When you see a coupon listed as a match for the item on sale, it will look like this:
Land O Frost Premium One Pound Lunchmeat, any variety .55/1 (8-31-09) RP-5/31
First it tells you what the coupon is for: Land O Frost Premium One Pound Lunchmeat, any variety
Next it tells you the value of the coupon: $.55 off one package
Next it gives the expiration date: 8/31/09
Finally it tells you the insert it was found in: Red Plum (RP) insert in the 5/31 paper.

So to match up this coupon with the sale, you will go to your RP insert from the 5/31 paper and cut it out. Now you're ready to take it to the store!

One thing that I will be doing that I personally have found very helpful is to post pictures of the things I have bought at the grocery store. I'm a visual learner so this helps me to see the sales and perhaps pick up on something that I didn't notice was in the ad.

Let me know if this helps those of you who are just starting out and if you have any questions! :)

Coupons at Betty Crocker

2009-08-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Log in to your account at Betty Crocker and click on the tab that says "Save $17 in coupons". You will be able to print two of each. These may be nice to hold onto for an upcoming sale.

Free tacos at Jack in the Box on 8/4!!

2009-08-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Print out this coupon to receive 2 free tacos from Jack in the Box this Tuesday, 8/4! Yeah for free food!

*********
Also, did you sign up for your Free food from Schwan's? Don't let yourself be number 500,001 to sign up! :)

New 25% off Children's Place Coupon!

2009-07-31T14:41:00.001-07:00

Remember my trip to the mall yesterday? Well, I was one day too early because the Children's Place just came out with a new 25% off coupon! It's only good through this weekend so if you make it to the mall be sure to take it with you. Otherwise, this 15% off coupon is good through 9/7.

Don't forget tomorrow- Free Food From Schwan's!

2009-07-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder - this starts TOMORROW!!

Starting August 1st, the first 500,000 NEW home delivery customers customers who sign up over here will get $10 in free food!!

*No purchase necessary. Offer ends 9/30/09 and limited to the first 500,000 new residential/household customers (i.e., have not purchased any products from Schwan's Home Service, Inc. within the past 14 weeks) who are located in an existing route of Schwan's Home Service. Limited to one offer per residence/household and may not be combined with any other offer or promotion. Local and state sales taxes may apply. Other restrictions apply. For complete details, visit www.schwans.com/free. Void where taxed, limited, or restricted.

Kohl's $10/$20 peelie on newspaper today! Great Target toy clearance!

2009-07-31T14:17:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check your paper today for Kohl's $10/$20 purchase peelie. Coupon states it is valid in AZ, CA, ID, NV, TX, and UT. Offer good July 31-August 1.

I was so excited to see this! Last time they had this I got 3 shirts for $8.xx (I did have a $5 merchandise credit that I used).

I ran over there this morning since I have just discovered there is one close to my house. I've been needing to get some new clothes since things are just not the same on this old body after child #2 was born 3 months ago!

I was able to get 2 coupons (the newstand by the library had a bunch of free papers with these) and snagged 3 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, and a pair of shorts for the little man when he gets older. Did 2 transactions and spent $25.89, saved $94.21! The lady in front of me had at least 10 of these and just did one transaction after another. The coupon does state One per person per transaction, so YMMV on using more than one. I just went to different registers to do my 2 transactions.

When I got home there was an email from Kohl's for 15% off your purchas e. It doesn't say that it can't be combined with other offers, just that dollar-off discounts would be applied before this one. I haven't shopped at Kohl's enough to know about their coupon policies, but from the sounds of this you could give them your $10/$20 coupon then this for even more savings!
********************Also, I've seen a lot of people reporting that Target has toys 75% off! May be a great time to stock up for Christmas! If you find any Hasbro games on clearance you could also use this coupon for $5 off. Word is that the Cranium Cadoo is on clearance for $3.75, so this is a potential MM (money maker!). Let me know if you find any good deals!

It's Friday! That means free chocolate

2009-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm slow to post this, hopefully there is still some free chocolate to be had!

Every Friday you can click on this link to get a coupon for free chocolate mailed to you if you're one of the first 200,000 to sign up. Yeah for free! Even bigger yeah for free chocolate!!

15% off Walgreen's 7/31 ONLY and RR explanation

2009-07-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Walgreen's has a great coupon valid tomorrow 7/31 ONLY for 15% off eligible items and 20% off Walgreens and W brand products. Be sure to read the fine print for exclusions and it does say to use only at the photo or cosmetic check out. I'm planning on taking my color ink cartridge in to have it refilled. I usually can catch this when they're having a sale but haven't seen one in a while so I guess I'll have to fork out the $15- 15% discount = $12.75 to have it filled.

Speaking of ink cartridges, I have a little tip when you get your ink cartridges refilled. If they bring it back to you and say that the test failed, keep it and try it. Basically they test it after filling it and it has to perform well enough that they can sell it to you. If it fails, they give it back to you and do not charge you for it. I have found that a lot of times because they did fill it, it works well again in my printer. It may not last as long or give as good of a print, but hey, for what I'm using my printer for (mainly coupon printing) a FREE refill works for me!

Some other good deals that I see with this:

Tuf Ultra Trash bags
in-ad coupon for $2.99 (if I remember right, these are regular $5.99)
- 15%
Total = $2.54 Not the best deal, but I need these so I'll get a box and then look for a better deal in the meantime!

Conair Gel Grips Hair Dryer
on sale for $14.99
-15%
$12.74, Plus you will get $10 RR (Register Rewards)
Total after RR = $2.74

Now for an explanation of RR if you are not familiar with them. Basically at WG's they run weekly/monthly promotions where when you buy certain products you get a certain amount back in the form of a catalina, or the little strip of paper that prints out with your receipt. This RR is a manufacture coupon and states that it is redeemable at WG's and is for a dollar amount off your purchase (aka ONYSO). So basically you buy something and get a coupon that is like money to use on your next purchase. Unfortunately at WG's, your RR will not "roll" which means that if I had 2 blow dryers and paid $12.74 for the first one and used the $10 RR I got from the first to buy the 2nd, it would not print another $10 RR for me. You can, however, "roll" RR from different promotions. So, taking the example from before. If I used a RR that I received from buying, say shave cream, to pay for the hair dryer then I would get another RR print out. The real "trick" to the game is to keep these rolling between different promotions. You may also use coupons on a product that has a RR (if the RR doesn't print, don't let them tell you it is because you used a coupon!) CLEAR AS MUD??

Albertsons and Walgreen's

2009-07-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this one, unfortunately the sale ended 7/28.

Albertson's

4 boxes Kellogg's cereal @ 4/$10 = $10 - $1 MQs = $6
2 gallons milk = FREE for buying 4 cereal
2 Sara Lee bread @ $.97 with in ad coupon= $1.94
5 lb potatoes (should have bought these at the Farmer's Market!) = $2.99
6 Easy Mac @ 3/$1 with in ad coupon (did 2 transactions since the limit was 1) = $2
3 Jimmy Dean breakfast croissants @ 3/$10 - $3 in ad coupon = $7 (cheaper than Costco)

Used $10 RR

Total = $10.12

WG's

2 bubble mailers on sale @ $.39 each = $.78 - $.50 MQ from 7/26 RP

Total = $.34

*If I had more than one Sunday paper delivered, which I plan on doing SOON, a better deal would be:

Buy 4 @ $.39 - (3) $.50 MQ = $.06 + tax for all 4!

Trip to the mall!

2009-07-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

I loaded up the kids this morning and made a trip to the mall. I was looking for a necklace for my sister's wedding. Well, needless to say I didn't find a necklace but did find some other great deals! I love to buy clothes for my kids the year before they will fit into them and for whatever reason, the Big Guy thinks that summer is over and has ordered that summer apparel be put on Clearance. Fine with me! I'll stock up for next summer! Before I left I checked for coupons at Mommy Saves Big

Here's the breakdown:

JcPenney's:
6 rompers
2 Carter's onesies
pair of swim trunks
2 shirts
1 pair of shorts

I printed off this coupon to take with me for 15% off. What I didn't realize is that it is not good on Clearance merchandise. However, the nice cashier gave me 15% off so that I would not have to run home to get a previous receipt then come back to get the discount. Each JCP receipt has a website on the back that you can go to within 7 days and get a code for 15% off your next purchase, including clearance.
Total = $30.19, saved $97.99!!

Children's Place

1 button down dress shirt
1 pair shorts
3 pk bodysuits

Used 15% off coupon from here.

Total = $10.08

When I was in line at the Children's Place I overheard the lady ahead of me say she had a coupon at home. The cashier said she would have to come back with it to get the discount. I let her use my coupon since it says it is for multiple purchases. She was very grateful and gave me a 30% off Friends & Family coupon for GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic this weekend. I had just bought some sandals at the GAP, so I took them back and used the coupon (and picked up a couple shirts for me since I had it!)

GAP

Size 5 brown leather sandals
2 shirts for me

Total = $8.04

Where do I get my coupons?

2009-07-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first questions I get asked. After all, it's great to know how to use coupons, but if you don't have 'em, ya ain't gonna use 'em!

So, let's talk about where to get coupons. There are several resources for coupons. Some are easier to come across than others, but here's the basic low down (straight from my handout for when I teach classes):

- Sunday newspaper. Get a subscription to the Sunday paper, and ask family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who don’t use coupons to save their inserts for you. I would recommend the Arizona Republic’s deal for $1/week if you only want the Saturday and Sunday paper (there are subscriptions available for multiple papers also). The most common coupon inserts you can expect in your paper are: Smart Source (SS), Red Plum (RP), and P&G. The P&G insert usually comes out once a month. (The Sunday before a holiday usually does not have any inserts)

- Other newspapers

- Online

Coupons.com
Smartsource.com
Redplum.com
Bettycrocker.com
Couponbug.com
Kraftfoods.com
Shortcuts.com and Cellfire.com (Load coupons onto your grocery store card, comes off instantly at the register)
Mommy Saves Big Awesome site for retail store coupons. I always check this before I go shopping!
Krazy Coupon Lady This is a website that I just found and LOVE! She has put together all these IPs that are so useful! Coupons are listed in alphabetical order so it is so easy to find what you are looking for.
Target.com or Target Coupon Generator (I prefer the latter). Did you know Target regularly has their own coupons? Pair them with a manufacture coupon for an even better deal! Read about that here. You can even print these from the gift registry computers inside the store. Scroll down to Grocery coupons then choose the ones you want to print right there in the store.
Gerber.com (Sign up to get formula coupons)
Pampers.com (Sign up and often they send you diaper coupons)
Huggies.com (Sign up and often they send you diaper coupons)
Enfamil.com (Sign up to receive formula coupons)
Similac.com (Sign up to have coupons sent to you) Even if you don't use these formula coupons there are moms who are ALWAYS looking for these! They can be given away or even traded for coupons you need.
If there is a certain item that you prefer, look up the website. Often times they will have coupon offers on there.

- Stores. Sign up for the store’s savings card and they sometimes send coupons to your home. Most stores also have little coupon machines in the isles. Called “blinkies” for the little blinking light, you can often find some valuable coupons there.

- Ebay. You can buy coupons in large numbers for very little money. See post here and here for example

- All You magazine. Found only at WalMart for $2.24, it is a monthly magazine that has a lot of coupons. I posted about it here

So does that answer some questions?? Please let me know if you still have questions. BTW, I'm thinking of hosting a coupon class at my house on a Saturday. How many of you would be interested in that?

FREE groceries!

2009-07-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

That's right, FREE groceries!

Kraft is offering a SuperValu promotion where you buy $25 in participating products and get a catalina for $5 off you next order AND you can send in your receipt for a $20 rebate. That adds up to......FREE GROCERIES!

Go on over here to read more about it and see the list of participating products.

I'm so jealous! I guess the Albertson's here is owned by a different company because it does not show any stores in my area although there is one around the corner. I checked Idaho and Utah though and it looks like those are all participating. So you all go get your free groceries and I'll be here thinking about how great it would be! :)

Free ShamWOW!

2009-07-29T22:51:00.001-07:00

I've you've ever wanted to try the ShamWow but haven't, now is your chance! Go on over here, take a brief survey and they will send you 2 ShamWow towels. You'll be saying WOW!!

Thanks, Bargainmoms!

Great Buca di Beppo coupon! Save 80% at Restaurant.com!

2009-07-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Buca di Beppo has a great $10/$20 purchase coupon! Can't beat that, especially since their portions are so HUGE that you could easily share an entree. Anyone want to meet for lunch?!? :)

**********************
Another great site for deals on restaurants can be found at Restaurant.com They offer printable gift certificates that can be used at different restaurants in your area. Just be sure to read the terms as they require a minimum purchase and most of them automatically add an 18% gratuity on the pre-coupon price. These are great though to try out new restaurants, to go somewhere nice for a special occasion or to get a discount when you have a large party.

Each month toward the end of the month they start to discount the gift certificates, like right now if you enter the code NAPKIN at checkout it will take 80% off your order!! That makes a $25 g.c. $2 instead of $10! Also, these don't expire for a year so you have plenty of time to use them. Go through Cashbaq and get a $5 bonus for siging up plus 10% at Restaurant.com.
Cashbaq is easy and it's FREE! All you do is go to their website first before making an online purchase. Find the website you're looking for in Shop by Store or Shop by Category, click on it and get a percentage back on what you spend!

Have you tried out a new restaurant using one of these gift certificates? How was your experience?

$30 in coupons from Home Made Simple!

2009-07-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Looking to build up your coupon stash? Go over here and sign up to receive $30 in coupons from Home Made Simple, including one for a free Cascade Rinse Aid.

At first I was reluctant to start signing up for this type of thing. Most of the time you get sent regular emails about products, special promotions, etc. I found it easiest to set up a separate email account that I register for these things so when they send me emails it's not junking up my personal Inbox.

Free food from Schwan's!

2009-07-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's the Schwan's man!! When I was younger I remember him coming to the door. My mom would always get us kids those push up pops. Yummy!

Well, starting August 1st, the first 500,000 NEW home delivery customers customers who sign up over here will get $10 in free food!!

*No purchase necessary. Offer ends 9/30/09 and limited to the first 500,000 new residential/household customers (i.e., have not purchased any products from Schwan's Home Service, Inc. within the past 14 weeks) who are located in an existing route of Schwan's Home Service. Limited to one offer per residence/household and may not be combined with any other offer or promotion. Local and state sales taxes may apply. Other restrictions apply. For complete details, visit www.schwans.com/free. Void where taxed, limited, or restricted.

I'll post a reminder when the day comes. Yeah for free food!

B1G1F Jamba Juice

2009-07-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Jamba has a coupon for B1G1F smoothie, good through 8/9!! Great way to cool off in this dreadful AZ heat!!

Fry's

2009-07-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Fry's is having another one of those promotions where you buy 10 participating items you get $5 off (or $.50 off each item). It looks as if the Fry's I went to was TRIPLING coupons as I expected to pay a little for some of the items but didn't! Prices shown reflect discount:

Participating items:
10 Amp energy drinks @ $.99 = $9.90 *See below for explanation
6 Propel drinks @ $.49 - $.50 MQ = $.51 overage each
4 Smart water @ $.49 - $1 MQ = $.51 overage each
6 Dole peaches/parfait cups @ $1.39 = (2) $1 MQ and (2) $1/2 MQ = $4.34
2 Dole peaches in jar @ $1.39 = $2.78 - $1 MQ = $.78
4 Playtex handsaver gloves @ $.49 - $1 MQ = $.51 overage each
1 Dixie bowls and 2 Dixie plates @ $1.49 = $4.47 - $.55 blinkies DND (looks like the cashier did suppress these although they started with a 5)
1 3-pack Extra gum $1
4 3-pack Irish Spring soap $1 - $.35 MQ (Tripled) = FREE
4 Lady Speed Stick deodorant $1 - $1 MQ = FREE
3 Softsoap $1 - $.35 MQ (Tripled) = FREE
6 Quaker Chewy granola bars @ $1.49 - (3) $1/2 MQ = $3
5 Quaker Quakes rice cakes @ $.49 = $2.45
2 Kraft salad dressing @ $1 - $1 IP = FREE
Non-promotion items:
2 Always infinity pads @ $4.39 - $4 MQ = $.78

Total = $24.70 ($3.36 was tax)
**Plus, I got a catalina for a $10 gift card for buying 10 Amp drinks** (Promotion runs through 7/29, but you CAN roll the catalina, meaning you pay for the first set of 10 then use the catalina to purchase the next set and so on.)

Cheap Lipstick!!

2009-07-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

E.l.f. is having a 75% off sale on their mineral lipstick making them $1.25 each! Just enter code GETLIP at checkout to see the discount, shipping is $6.95 for orders under $75. But wait! It looks like the $75 total is BEFORE the discount!! I put 20 tubes of lipstick in my cart and the total was $25. Not that I'm going to buy 20 tubes of lipstick though........... :)

You a book worm? Check out this free book!

2009-07-26T23:36:00.001-07:00

There's a program over here where you can sign up to get a free book mailed to you. Choose between the 3 and it looks like they offer new books monthly. I have never heard of any of these, but hey, you can't beat free!

How to know when to stock up & Target update

2009-07-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

When I first started couponing and deal shopping I had a hard time knowing what a good price was and when to stock up. Over time and through personal experience I have in my head what I want to pay for something depending on what I've seen it go on sale for before. I have also noticed the cycle of sales and coupons and that the same sale seems to come around about every 4 months. There is a great resource over at one of my favorite websites, Pinching Your Pennies that gives you Price Points and rates items by what is a 3, 4, or 5 star deal. Keep in mind though that this is someone's opinion so you own personal price points may be a little different. This is also a good thing to go off when you're shopping somewhere like the Dollar Store, where what appears to be a "good deal" is not always. As my Mom always says "You've got to know your prices!" (Thanks, Mom!)

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Also, I updated the Target post below as their Smart Ones are on sale this week. Makes for an even SWEEEETER deal!!

Born 2 Save!

Cheap Draino alternative!

Huggie's Deal @ Safeway!

Score at CVS!!

Albies $.56 and It Pays to Speak Up!!

Rite Aid Jealousy---Awesome Diaper Deal!

Safeway Deals + Diaper Deals

I Have to Apologize.....

Don't Forget About These....

Catching Up!! CVS, Target, WG's

Target & Costco Price Codes!

Price codes- Costco

Pricing codes at Target

Albies Old El Paso Catalina Dea ++ Ad Matching at Targetl!

Emily's Deals!

Hot New Coupons + Free Box of Granola Bars!

Restaurant.com: $25 Gift Certificate for $1!!

Fry's

B1G1F Boost Essentials + Printing Coupons

Express Coupon!

CVS

More Free Food!!

FREE Udder Cover!!

And the Winners Are......

My First Trip to Kmart!

Target, Yet Again!

Cheap Kitchen Set!

You Love Panda Too?

CVS Today + New Week of Grocery Shopping!

Contest!! Guess How Much I Spent?!?

Are You a Fan??

Target + Freebies!!

Fry's Accepting Competitor's Coupons + Albies is quadrupling!

I Have To Apologize....

Idaho Falls - Get a Free $10 Mall Gift Card!!

Once Again, Target and FINALLY WG's!

Hitting Up Target

Guess What Today Is??

WG's and Albies

Bath & Body Works Coupon!

Flip Flop Deal!

WG's

Walgreen's $5/$25 coupon good through 8/29

Safeway Transfer Prescription Coupon!

Sweet Pop Tart Deal!

The word of the day....

Target Again and Albies

Kroger/Fry's deal on diapers, diaper survey, & Fry's Mega Sale

Yeah for Target!!

Learning the ropes!

Great WG's deal!

Safeway and Albies

Catching Up!!

WG's, CVS, Fry's

Free Scrubbing Bubbles!

Free food this week!

Cheap kids patio table!

Weekly deals

What a Waste!!

New code, 80% off at Restaurant.com

Michael's coupon

Cheap/Free snacks at CVS!

CVS & Kohl's

$5/$25 CVS coupon and 8/9 CVS deals

Cheap Oil Change

Got milk? Free cereal at Fry's

Free Chocolate Friday!

WG's & CVS

Success!

Going to IKEA this weekend? Kid's eat free through 8/16!

Look out for another Kohl's coupon!

Buca di Beppo coupon expires 8/9

Cheap Entertainment!

In the Mood for Micky-D's or Arby's?

Kohl's Clearance

Safeway & CVS

New Coupons at Smart Source

Don't forget your free tacos!

WG's and CVS

My $40 Weekly Challenge!