Much More Time Than Money

$1 off Kellogg's Cereal coupons x 28!

2009-05-05T10:32:00.003-05:00

I know this blog has really fallen by the wayside. I'll save you the laundry list of excuses and just say "pregnant" and "toddler." I had to make everyone aware of these great coupons, though.

There are 7 different Kellogg's cereal coupons for $1 off. You can print them twice here (or on my sidebar), and then go to the Kellogg's site and print each one twice more! That's 28 coupons total! Time to stock up on cereal!

For the locals here, County Market has Kellogg's cereals 2 for $4, so with your coupons you can get it for $1 a box! For everyone else, print the coupons now and hold on to them for when Kellogg's goes on sale!

Huggies Diaper Deals at Walgreens

2009-03-09T12:34:00.006-05:00

This is the week to use your Huggies diaper coupons! If you haven't printed any yet, hurry and do it now. If you printed them when they first came out, you may be able to print a second set since they were reset. The two big coupons are:: $5 off one Huggies Gentle Care product and $3 off one Huggies Natural Fit product. Follow the links or use the sidebar. You can print each coupon twice!

If you're new to getting deals at Walgreens, check out my Walgreens Basics or this might not make much sense. You will earn $10 RR when you spend $25 (before coupons) on any combination of the following items:

Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers or Training Pants: $10

Huggies Wipes (182 or 232 ct): $6

Kotex Products: 2/$6

Scott of Cottonelle TP 12-pack: $7

Kleenex: 3/$4

Poise/ Depends: $12

What we need most in that list is diapers, so here are a few diaper scenarios:

(3) Huggies Gentle Care Diapers @ $10 each = $30

-(3) $5 off coupons= $15

-------------------------------------

$15 OOP, receive $10 RR

(2) Huggies Gentle Care Diapers @$10 each=$20

(1) Huggies Natural Fit Diapers @ $10 each=$10

-(2) $5 off coupons

-(1) $3 off coupon

---------------------------------

$17 OOP, receive $10 RR,

REMEMBER that you can't roll our $10 RR into this deal (you can use it for another RR deal, just not the same one). At Walgreens, you can use your RRs on pretty much anything, but if you use it in the same deal that you got it, the new RRs will not print. So you could use your $10 in a 2nd diaper deal, but your 2nd $10 RR won't print, making it not as good of a deal.

If you're worried about using your $10 RRs before they expire (in 2 weeks) you can always use them to purchase free-after-rebate items, then you can get the money back on a gift card, which doesn't expire, and get some free products as well!

More Huggies Coupons!

2009-03-07T14:37:00.003-06:00

Not only are the high dollar value Huggies coupons still available, they have been reset, so you can print them twice again!!

The two big coupons are:: $5 off one Huggies Gentle Care product and $3 off one Huggies Natural Fit product. Follow the links or use the sidebar. You can print each coupon twice! Hurry and print them now!!

Next week I'll outline how to get the best deal at Walgreens with these coupons!

$5 off and $3 off Huggies Coupons-- Print now, Save for deal later

2009-02-28T13:28:00.005-06:00

There are some high dollar value Huggies coupons now available: $5 off one Huggies Gentle Care product and $3 off one Huggies Natural Fit product. You can print each coupon twice!

Print them now before they're gone! You can print them from my sidebar (I usually click on "See all coupons" at the top of the coupon printer, then select the coupons I want) or follow this link. You can print each coupon twice from your computer. (If you are printing from the sidebar, just refresh the page, then you will see the same coupons again.)

I would recommend saving these coupons to use at Walgreens March 8-14. Word is that Huggies jumbo packs will be on sale for $10 and there will be a deal where if you spend $25 in Huggies products (before coupons, of course), you will get $10 in Register Rewards (basicallyin other words, $10 off your next transaction). That will make for a very good diaper deal!

So, print the coupons now, and when the sale comes up, I'll give you the scoop! If you don't have little ones in diapers, this would make for a very useful and inexpensive shower gift!

Free Sub from Quiznos

2009-02-23T12:47:00.004-06:00

Quiznos is giving away a million subs. Sign up now to get a personalized coupon for a free sub sent to you! You have to use the coupon within 5 days from printing and may have to show ID in order to use it. When my coupon came it went straight to my "spam" folder, so be sure to look for it there!

Sounds easy enough, right?! Hurry, because I'm sure these will go fast!

20 Free 4x6 Prints at Walgreens-- Today Only!

2009-02-20T12:22:00.002-06:00

Today you can get 20 prints free at Walgreens!

Order online and use the promo code: ONEDAY, then pick them up in the store!

Diapers at Walgreens

2009-02-19T12:35:00.004-06:00

You can get some cheap diapers this week at Walgreens! In the ad, there is a coupon for $3 off Walgreens brand diapers (jumbo pack). The coupon also goes for Walgreens brand wipes and formula. Also, this month you automatically get $2 off at the register when you buy 2 jumbo packs of diapers of any brand (see EasySaver catalog for details).

So here's the deal:

1st pack Walgreens diapers $8.99

2nd pack Walgreens diapers $6.99 (the $2 is taken off in the price of the 2nd package)

[give cashier the in-ad coupon. takes of $6 ($3 per pack)]

Total= $9.98 for 2 jumbo packs

Never heard of Walgreens diapers?

I have heard great things about them, but I'm trying them for the first time myself (well, my baby is). There are 2 kinds: premium in the light green package (comparable to Huggies or other name brand diapers) and regular in the white with red accent package (comparable to store brand diapers). The jumbo size packs are $8.99 for each kind, but the regular diapers have a few more per package (for example, size 4 packages have 30 premium diapers or 34 regular diapers).

I always do the math when it comes to diapers. We aren't too picky about the diapers themselves, as they all have the same end anyway, if you know what I mean. In our experience, newborn liqui-poo leaks out of the expensive diapers just about as often as the cheap diapers. As long as my baby's bum isn't allergic to the diaper, we're good to go. So the math on these (for size 4) is 14.7 cents for regular and 16.6 cents for premium. That's even a little cheaper than Target diapers (which are by far the cheapest regular-priced diaper and the ones we always use) and just the regular Walgreens diapers seem higher quality. I'll let you know how they work!

Free Photo Books from Shutterfly and Picaboo

2009-02-19T11:48:00.003-06:00

I got an email today with an offer from Shutterfly for a free 20-page 8x8 photo book (regular $29.99)! The promotion code is PHOTOBOOKS. You have until March 10th to create your book. If you're new to Shutterfly, you also get 25 free 4x6 prints added to your account. Shipping is $7.99. Additional pages (after 20) are $1 each.

Click on th 8x8 Story Book. Then press the orange get started button on the right. (Don't select from the "shop by occasion" list. Those are designer pages and your book will cost $34.99.)

I also found that you can get a free 20-page 6x8 softcover photo book (regular $9.99) from Picaboo. The promotion code is 1PFMDB-WE. The offer lasts through March 31st. You can get a hardcover instead, but you'll be charged $10 for it. Only the softcover book is free. Shipping is $7.99. Additional pages (after 20) are $.99.

CVS Basics

2009-02-18T12:27:00.000-06:00

Getting Deals at CVS

Getting a CVS ExtraCare Card
You can sign up to get a CVS ExtraCare card when you make your first purchase in the store. The limit is one card per household. The card allows you to get all of the good deals, and at the end of each quarter, you get a small percentage of your total spending back (in the form of ExtraCare Bucks).

Earning ExtraCare Bucks
By purchasing certain items, you will receive ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs). Your ECBs will print out on the bottom of your receipt. Just cut off the ECB portion of your receipt and use it like cash on your next transaction. The weekly store ad (which is available at the front of the store) tells what items will generate ECBs. There is also a monthly ad available at the front of the store that has ECB deals and other deals that last the whole month. There always seems to be at least one “free-after-ECB” item.

Spending ExtraCare Bucks
ECBs can be used just like cash. They print out in the increments they were earned ($2 for this item, $3.98 for that item). You can combine as many as you want to pay for a transaction. You will not get change for your ECBs, so be sure your total is very near or a little bit over the total value of ECBs you are using to pay or you will lose the difference. Your ECBs can only be spent by you or someone who has your CVS card. Your ECBs will have an expiration date on them, usually a month after they were earned. If you don’t use them, you’ll lose them, so be sure to pay attention!

The most important thing to remember is that you should spend your ECBs as carefully as you would spend cash. In order to preserve the mindset of “free-or-very-cheap-after-ECB,” you must be judicious in how you use ECBs.

Sweetening the Deals
Doing multiple transactions is a great way to get the most for the least.

Say there are three items you want to get that each cost $3 and are all “free-after-ECBs.” Instead of buying all three at once for $9 out-of-pocket (OOP) and getting $9 of ECBs to use in the future, you could buy one of them for $3 OOP which will earn $3 of ECBs. Then you will use those ECBs to buy your second item which earns another $3 of ECBs. Those ECBs will pay for your third item. For a total of $3 cash you purchased all three items, and have $3 of ECBs for your next visit. Using your ECBs to generate more ECBs is called “rolling” your ECBs. (Note: For the sake of
simplicity, I didn’t include tax, but in the real world they’re not so nice.)

Many times, using a coupon will also make an item “free-after-ECBs.” You can even make money on purchases by using coupons.

Colgate Total is on sale for $3 and earns you $2 ECB. Normally I would have to pay $3 OOP, but I have a $2 off coupon, so I only pay $1 OOP and earn $2 ECB. That’s free toothpaste and a net profit of $1!

Occasionally, other coupons will print at the bottom of your receipt. Some of them are $/$$ coupons ($5 off a $15 purchase, etc). You should always present these coupons before other coupons and ECBs. Otherwise, your total may not be high enough to allow you to use the coupon.

Walgreens Basics

2009-02-18T12:18:00.000-06:00

Getting Deals at Walgreens

Instant Value Coupons
The weekly Walgreens ad (which can be found at the front of the store) has coupons in it. Usually the coupons are for a certain price (rather than a certain amount of money off the price). Each coupon has a limit of how many of the item you can get for that price. The neat thing about these is that they are store coupons. They can be "stacked" with a manufacturer coupon, as well. Combining the savings of a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon will often get you free or cheap items (or even earn you money).

Register Rewards
Register Rewards (RRs) are coupons that print at the register for a certain amount of money off your next transaction. The ad will tell you what item or combination of items will earn you RRs. Often, the amount of the RRs depends on the quantity of the items you buy. It usually is a much better deal to buy in the highest quantity. You can use RRs like cash on your next purchase. They usually expire 2 weeks from when they were awarded.

For example, recently there was a RRs deal with some Unilever products: Buy 8 qualifying items and get $10 RRs, buy 6 and get $6 RRs, buy 4 and get $2 RRs. Among the participating items is Skippy peanut butter on sale for $1.99. That's not a fabulous price by itself (though much better than ridiculous regular prices at drugstores), but if you factor in the RRs, it becomes a great deal. I bought 8 jars of peanut butter for $16 and got a $10 RRs. I will use the $10 RRs like cash to get another good deal, rather than spend it on a normal-priced item, so it was like I paid $6 for 8 jars, or $.75 a jar. The cashier gave me a funny look and asked me if I really liked peanut butter or if I was making something special. I couldn't think of anything witty, so I just told him the truth: peanut butter is a great food storage item, so I stock up when it's a good price.

Note: You can use RRs to pay for purchases that will earn you more RRs, as long as the RRs you are using as payment originated from a different RR deal. For example I could use the $10 RR to pay for $10 worth of Robitussin (which will earn me $5 RRs), but if I use it to pay for another 8 jars of Skippy (or any other products in the Unilever deal), I wouldn't get the $10 RR again. You can alternate between two deals, but you can't keep rolling the RRs into the same deal.

EasySaver Catalog: Coupons
Each month there is a new EasySaver catalog available at the front of the store with the ad. It's a small, but thick little booklet that has coupons and rebates. The coupons in the EasySaver catalog are similar to the in-ad Instant Value coupons, only they are valid all month long and they are usually for a certain amount off (like a normal coupon). They can also be stacked with manufacturer coupons. Sometimes using a store and a manufacturer coupon together will exceed the price of the item. The excess is called “overage.” This money will go toward other items in your transaction! A few EasySaver coupons seem to be highlighted each week in the ad. The items will usually be on sale one of the weeks in the month, making it an even better deal.

For example, there was an EasySaver coupon for $1.50 off Sure deodorant in the November catalog. One week in November, Sure was on sale for $1.99, making the deodorant $.49 with the coupon. There was also a manufacturer coupon available for $1.00 off Sure. I stacked that coupon with the EasySaver coupon and got free deodorant plus I made $.50. The overage helped pay for the rest of my purchase.

EasySaver Catalog: Rebates
EasySaver rebates are the friendliest and least risky kind of rebates out there. You can do them online, so there isn't even the cost of a stamp involved. Plus, if you opt to have your rebate put on a Walgreens gift card (rather than just receive a check, which is also a valid option), you will get a 10% bonus added to your rebate amount. Once you get your gift card, you can have future rebates added to the same card, so you don’t even have to wait for it to come in the mail. There are 30+ rebates available every month, including at least one "free-after-rebate" item. The catalog has a quick list of all the rebates for the month, as well as a detailed description of each one, along with a picture. Like the EasySaver coupons, the weekly ad usually highlights a few rebates each week by putting the items at a sale price that makes the rebate go even further. Most rebates have a limit of one, but occasionally you can earn the same rebate more than once.

For example, in January there was a $5 rebate for getting a printer ink cartridge filled. I think the normal price is around $10, but one week's ad had an ink refill on sale for $5, making it free after you get your $5 rebate (or earn $.50 if you choose to get your rebate on a Walgreens gift card).

Other Notes
I have heard from some people that Walgreens will only accept as many coupons as you have items. This means that if you are using 2 coupons for one item, you need another item that doesn't have a coupon (or one coupon that covers 2 items). Any RRs that you are using also count as a coupon. The easiest way around the possible problem is just to count your items and coupons before you get to the register. If you need to, you can grab a box of pudding or some $.30 knee highs. It has never been an issue for me.

I'm Back!

2009-01-27T16:32:00.003-06:00

If you are reading this, then you are a trooper for sticking with me after over a month with no posting. Between, being sick, family, holidays, sub-zero temperatures, trips, more sickness, and, no doubt, a little laziness, I have not done much shopping in the past month! Thankfully, we have plenty of most everything on hand, so the shopping wasn't missed by anyone.

In the next little bit, I will get back into a routine of posting good deals I find, along with printable coupons and freebies. I also want to start posting about baking and cooking ahead of time, as our family saves time, money, and headaches that way. If you haven't already, I encourage you to follow some of my favorite frugal bloggers. I'll start with three, so as not to overwhlem you. They blog like it's there job (for some of them it is), so they are more reliable than, well, me! Check them out!

Money Saving Mom
Frugal ideas, deals, and coupons, menu planning, baking and cooking ahead

Deal Seeking Mom
Deals, coupons, freebies, links to other frugal mom blogs

Leaving Excess
Ideas for simplifying your life, living by a budget, and cooking and storing food

I should have given you these links before I dropped off the planet, but better late than never, right?

Free 8x10 at Walgreens

2008-12-18T22:06:00.002-06:00

Through Saturday December 20th, you can get a free 8x10 print at Walgreens. Log on to Walgreens Photo, upload a picture and use the coupon code FREEGIFT at the checkout. Then you can pick it up for free at your Walgreens. You can even grab some of this week's deals while you're at it. This would make a great gift!

Spend your Thanksgiving ECBS on Monday at CVS!

2008-12-18T14:02:00.005-06:00

This Monday, December 22nd, there are quite a few Free-after-ECB items at CVS! This would be a great time to roll (use them up and get more) your ECBs. You specific scenario will depend on how many ECBs you have and what you want to get. Here are a few of the things I might be getting. There are quite a few more in the ad, so check out the CVS ad scan preview. (Note: There are 2 sections in the ad that have free-after-ECB items, so keep scrolling down.)

Listerine 16.9 oz $2.99 (limit 5)

ThermaCare neck to arm heating wrap $2.49 (limit 3)

Excedrin Express Gels 20 ct $3.99 (limit 1)

Arm & Hammer Essentials multi-surface cleaner or degreaser $2.99 (limit 5)

-$1.00 off Arm & Hammer Essentials (click on Get Coupons)

Right Guard Professional deodorant $5.00 (limit 5)

Halls Naturals 25 ct $2.59 (limit 1)

This Week's Deals-- All in One (through Dec 20th)

2008-12-16T21:50:00.007-06:00

Every year at this time of year I think about how next year I will have all the Christmas crafting and shopping done long before now so I can enjoy the season more and not be rushing at the last minute. This year is no different. Hopefully next year will be.

Here's the deal summary for this week:

Walgreens

Progresso $.99 w/ in-ad coupon

-$1.10 off 1

- $1.00 off 2, $2.00 off 4 Progresso

General Mills Cereal $1.99

-$.55 - $.75 off various General Mills cereals

Oral-b stages toothbrushes 2/$4, Buy 2, get $2 RR

Skippy 2/$3

For more deals that might interest you, check out the Walgreens ad.

CVS

Probably not anything I'm interested in this week, but stay tuned for next week's deals (I'll post them by Saturday). There are lots of free after ECB items to get on Monday (no ECB deal after Monday).

If you have expiring ECBs or really need to go to CVS, you can check out this week's CVS ad.

Meijer

Juicy Juice $2.25

-$1.00 off Juicy Juice

Gold Medal All-Purpose or Unbleached Flour $1.88

Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes $1.50

-$.75 off Betty Crocker cookie mix

Green Giant Steamers $.79

-$.60 off Steamers --may be gone now :(

Yoplait $.50

-$1.00 off 4 Yoplait Light

Philadelphia Cream Cheese $.99

-$1.00 off 2 Philadelphia cheam cheese

Auntie Millie's Healthy Goodness Bread $1

Apples $.79/lb

Campbell's Cream Soups $.60

Walgreens 4-Day Sale Success

2008-12-10T15:46:00.006-06:00

For those of you who were wondering, this week's 4-day sale is working the same as last week's! The $25 total needed to earn $5 Register Rewards (for $5 off you next purchase of $5+) is before any coupons!

My Walgreens didn't have the 4-day sale ad out. I told the worker at the beauty counter that I saw it online and was looking for it. She grabbed a copy for me. Check walgreens.com to make sure your store is participating.

This is what I got for $.50 out of pocket:

Here's the breakdown:

2 A & H Degergent @ $6.99 = $13.98
2 Walgreens Ibuprofen @ $3.99 or 2/$7 = $7.00
3 Walgreens cough drops @ $.99 = $2.97
1 Hydrogen Peroxide @ $1.29
=$25.24 (before coupons and tax... )

-$10.00 (in-ad coupon for A & H will take off $5 for each one)
-$5.00 (in-ad coupon for Ibuprofen)
-$1.80 (in-ad coupon for cough drops)
-$.90 (in-ad coupon for hydrogen peroxide)
-$1 (A & H printable)
-$1 (A & H printable)
=$5.54 total after coupons

-$5 RR earned last week

Paid $.50 out of pocket! (I don't know where that other $.04 went)

Some Great Printables (and where to use them)!

2008-12-09T12:08:00.003-06:00

$1 off 1 Johnson & Johnson Buddies product
USE: on Buddies bar soap (at CVS it's $1.19, I hear it's around a dollar at Walmart)

$1 off Rayovac Batteries
USE: on Rayovac batteries in the One Spot at Target

$1.00 off Mission Better For You Plus Tortillas
USE: wherever you can find Mission tortillas (it's hard out here in IL)

$2 off 4 and $1 off 2 Progresso
USE: Progresso is $.99 at County Market this week, will be $.99 at Walgreens next week

CVS (through 12/13)

2008-12-09T11:57:00.003-06:00

Deals are a little slim at CVS this week. If you have all your ECBs you earned over thanksgivng, you may want to hold on to them. There are deals coming up, I promise. There are a bunch of "free after ECB" items coming up the week of December 21st (actually it's a 2-day sale Sun-Mon). I'll talk about those later.

This week there's:

Powerade (32 oz) $1.59, earns $1.59 ECB,
=FREE after ECB

Energizer batteries
Spend $20, get $10 ECBs
AAA,AA 8 pack, C,D 4 pack $5.99
4 pack rechargeable save $2 off 8.99-26.99

Hershey's Candy
Spend $20, get $10 ECB

Complete Eye Solution $8.99, eanrs $8.99 ECB,
- $2.00 off Complete Eye Solution
=$6.99 oop, $8.99 ECB earned

Walgreens (through 12/13)

2008-12-08T16:09:00.005-06:00

I'm a little late getting this up this week. The best part of the week is the 4-day sale (Wed- Sat) anyway, so don't bother going until tomorrow.

Spend $25, get $5 in Register Rewards ($ off your next purchase)
If this works like last week's 4-day sale, the $25 is before coupons, which means you can actually make money on this sale or get really good prices. Check back here tomorrow and I'll report if it is working like last week.

Here are the things that caught my eye. For more deals, check out the weekly ad and the 4-day sale ad (I think these ad scans are a lot easier to go through than the ones on walgreens.com).

Scotch Magic or Gift Wrapping Tape 3-packs 2/$2
- EasySaver rebate $2 = FREE (though you'll pay $2 oop now)

Coke 12 packs 3/$10, earns $2 RR (this one's for you dad)
= like paying 3/$8
note: You CAN do this in conjunction with the $25 deal and get multiple RRs printed.

Arm & Hammer detergent (reg $6.99) $1.99 w/ in-ad coupon
-$1.00 off A&H = $.99

Aleve 20-ct gelcaps, 24-ct caplets (reg $4.79) 2/$5 w/ in-ad coupon
-$1.00 off Aleve = $1.50

Walgreens Ibuprofen 50-ct (reg, $3.99 or 2/$7.00) 3/$3 w/ in-ad coupon

Walgreens Cough Drops (reg. $.99) $.39 w/ in-ad coupon

As you go through the store, look at the price on the shelf (for things that you have a coupon for) to calculate your total before coupons. Make sure it is above $25, then calculate it with all of the coupons (the in-ad coupons will take off the difference of the price on the shelf and the price on the coupon). If you took advantage of the good in-ad coupon deals, you should be able to get your out of pocket to around $5. Then, you will get $5 RR!

Remember that at Walgreens, you can't have more coupons than items, so always be sure to double check before checking out. With the A & H detergent above, you will use 2 coupons (one in-ad and one manufacturer internet coupon), so you'll need something else that doesn't have a coupon (something that's just on sale w/o a coupon). Oh, and when you redeem your RRs, that counts as a coupon too.

Scenario #1
2 A & H Degergent @ $6.99 = $13.98
3 Walgreens Ibuprofen @ $3.99 and 2/$7 = $10.99
1 Walgreens Cough Drops @ $.99
=$25.96 (before coupons... watch register to verify it goes over $25, if not add something)

-$10 (in-ad coupon for A & H will take off $5 for each one)
-$7.99 (in-ad coupon for Ibuprofen)
-$.60 (in-ad coupon for cough drops)
-$1 (A & H printable)
-$1 (A & H printable)

=$5.37 out of pocket, earns $5 RR

Scenario #2
2 A & H Detergent @ $6.99 = $13.98
3 Coke 12-packs = $10.00
2 Walgreens cough drops @ $.99 = $1.98 OR 2 3-pack Scotch tape $2
=$25.96

-$10 (in-ad coupon for A & H will take off $5 for each one)
-$1 (A & H printable)
-$1 (A & H printable)
=$13.96 out of pocket, earns $7 RR (plus $2 in EasySaver rebate if bought tape)

Walgreens Moneymaking 4-Day Sale

2008-12-04T18:28:00.004-06:00

In case you haven't heard, there is a 4-day sale (through Saturday) going on at Walgreens in most locations (check the Walgreens in your area, to make sure your Walgreens is participating). The exciting part of the ad is that if you "spend" $25, you will get a printout for $5 off your next order. I say "spend" because for this promotion, the $25 is before coupons.

I just spent $2 out of pocket and walked away with a $5 off my next purchase coupon and this:

In the ad, there is a coupon to get Wal-itin (Walgreen's version of Claritin) for $.99, limit 4. The price on the shelf (which is a sale price too) is $6.99.

$6.99 x 4 = $27.96 (which is over the $25)

-$24 (coupon takes $6 off each box to make them each $.99)

-------------------------------------------------------------

$3.96 (I got another $2 off because I had a $2 RR I got when I bought Colgate Total yesterday)

There you have it! You can do this same transaction and get 4 boxes and make a little money, or you can figure out your own scenario. You could get whatever you need and just use Wal-itin to bump your total up to $25 ($6.99 bump per box). If you have any coupons that make a product near-free, this would be the time to use them, as the full price will go toward your $25 purchase. Post a comment and let me know what you get!

Hint: You can have other items in your transaction that earn RRs as well. For example, if you spend $15 in Coke products as part of your $25 transaction, you'll get a $5 RR for that, as well as the $5 for spending $25.

30 Photo Cards for $.48

2008-12-02T12:31:00.003-06:00

Here is another FABULOUS deal! I'm not sure how long it lasts, so hurry!

Here are the instructions for getting the deal. (You might want to right click and open it in a new window so you can use her codes and instructions, as well as my hints). Feel free to leave comments here if you have questions. I did a little experimenting to see what the codes work for. Here are a few hints to save time and help you navigate the site:

Sign up for your 75 free prints (you don't have to use them now)
Upload some photos into a new album
After you upload your photos, choose "Cards & Invitations" under "Shop"
Scroll down until you see "Our Best Value 5x7 photo print cards" and click on "See all 5x7 photo print cards." Choose from these designs.
You can either do three sets of the same card or 2 of one and 1 of another. I don't know if all three can be different, but I imagine so.
Make sure to choose to pick them up (I'm picking them up at CVS, but there are other places as well), so your total spent is $.48!

In addition to the 30 cards, you get a credit for 75 free prints to use within the month.

Free Capris from Christopher & Banks!

2008-12-02T11:09:00.004-06:00

Hurry and check out Christopher & Banks to get some free capris (or $10 off something, no minimum order). The best part is that there's free shipping! I went through the whole order process and didn't even have to give credit card info!

Use the promo code: 81015

Check out the capris! I don't know how long this lasts, so go place your order now! This could be a free gift for someone on your list, or a special treat for you!

Thanks Moms by Heart for the heads up!

How to Use Your $5 off $25 coupon at Walgreens (12/1 & 12/2)

2008-12-01T23:23:00.004-06:00

Planning a trip to Walgreens this week? Make it on Tuesday and you use this $5 off $25 Walgreens coupon (or on sidebar). Your order must reach at least $25 after all other coupons. A good strategy is to get things that have an EasySaver Rebate or will earn Register Rewards. You will have to spend money out of pocket, but you can get it back in rebates and RRs.

Here are some ideas:

Right Guard Professional or Dry Idea Clinical Strength deodorant $5.99
EasySaver Rebate for $5 makes it $.99 (though you'll pay $5.99 oop)

Bald Guyz haed wipes $4.99 (any bald guys on your Christmas list?)
EasySaver Rebate for $4.99 makes it FREE (though you'll pay $4.99 oop)

Reach dental floss (30 yds) or Reach toothbrush 2/$6
Buy 2 Reach products (floss or toothbrush) and get $6 in Register Rewards ($ off next order), so it's FREE (though you'll pay $6 oop) See ad for details.

Colgate Total or Max Fresh toothpaste $2.99
Sign up at Colgate.com to get a $1 off coupon (I got one a while back)
Earns $2 in Register Rewards, so it's FREE (though you'll pay $1.99-$2.99 oop)

All 2x Ultra laundry detergent (12 loads) $1.79
Print coupon for $1.00 off All, makes it $.79

Holiday M&Ms 2/$4 with $1 off 2 coupon from EasySaver Catalog

Dove Chocolates 2/$4 with $2 off 2 coupon from EasySaver Catalog

If you bought all of these (choosing either 2 M&Ms or 2 Dove), it would cost right around $25 (you'll have to do your own math, depending on what coupons you have). Use the $5 off $25 coupon (expires at the end of Tuesday), making your total $20. From there, you will get $8 back in Register Rewards and $9.99 in Easy Saver Rebates ($10.99 when you get your 10% bonus for getting your rebate in the form of a Walgreens gift card). So when all is said and done, these things will cost you about a dollar. Not bad!

Check out the Walgreens ad for more deals.

Steve & Barry's

2008-11-20T23:10:00.008-06:00

I have never been to a Steve & Barry's until today. The one in Champaign, up by Sam's Club is closing down this weekend. I went to see if they had any good shelving they were getting rid of for a great price (for our garage), but instead I found some great deals on kids clothes.

Everything in the store is 4/$5

(or $2.98 each if you buy an amount that isn't a multiple of 4, but that would be silly)

(unfortunately, it doesn't include shelving)

I really had to restrain myself, but if want to stock up on baby shower gifts or need some clothes, it's a great buy! They have clothes for all ages and genders, but I mostly stuck to the baby stuff because my time was limited. No promises on the grown-up clothes. You might have to do some digging to find the sizes you want, but for the price, it's definitely worth it!

Pictured above are a few of the things I got: some baby boy gifts and matching spring/summer dresses for the girl cousins on my side of the family!

Back in the Grocery Groove-- My Highlights for the Week

2008-11-19T22:45:00.005-06:00

Here are my grocery highlights:

Meijer (through 11/22)

Green Giant Steamers $.89

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes $1
**$.40 off Idahoan Mashed Potatoes =$.60

Pillsbury Sweet or Crescent Rolls $1.25
**$.35 off Pillsbury Crescent Rolls =$.90
**$.35 off Pillsbury Sweet Rolls =$.90

Cool Whip Topping $.89

Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.25
**Catalina Deal (prints a coupon for money off your next order): Buy 5 -- get $2, Buy 6 -- get $3, Buy 7 -- get $4... time to stock up and freeze cream cheese!

County Market (through 11/22)

Campbell's Cream Soups $.50

Imperial Margerine 1lb $.49

County Market Butter 1 lb $1.99

BirdsEye Steamfrech veggies $1

Jet Puffed Marshmallows of Marshmallow Creme $.99

County Market Apple Juice 64 oz $1.50

Schnucks (through 11/25)

Freshlike or Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies $1
**$1.00 off 2 bags of Freshlike Veggies =$.50/bag

Pillsbury All-purpose Flour 5 lb $1.50

Pillsbury Cake Mix $.50

CVS Deals (through 11/22)

2008-11-17T11:26:00.002-06:00

Duracell Batteries are the hot item this week, so if you need to stock up on batteries, check out this deal:

Spend $20 on Duracell batteries, get $15 in ECBs (use like cash on your next order).
AA and AAA 8 packs, C and D 4 packs, others $5.99
AA and AAA 16 packs, C and D 8 packs, others $9.99

You can use your $15 ECB on Thanksgiving weekend at CVS to get lots of things free (you'll get more ECBs back).

Skippy peanut butter 2/$3

Scrubbing Bubbles $2.50
- $2.00 off Scrubbing Bubbles =$.50

Windex $2.50
-$2.00 off Windex = $.50

Pledge Furniture Polish $2.50
-$2.00 off Pledge = $.50
(Let me know if these printables do or don't work for you... I printed them over a month ago and don't know if this url is still good.)

Also, if you haven't scored you free-after-ECB toothpaste, pick up a 2 tubes of Crest Pro-Health toothpaste (look for it in the monthly ad by the store entrance).

That's all that interested me. See if you find something great in the CVS ad!

Walgreens Deals (through 11/22)

2008-11-17T11:12:00.003-06:00

Chex Mix $.99

- $1.00 off Chex Mix (print 2)= FREE

Skippy Peanut Butter 2/$3.00

I didn't find much else that I was interested in. Check out the ad and see what you find!

The Coupon Clippers

2008-11-14T17:17:00.006-06:00

While the best way to get coupons is for free, there are times when investing a little money in coupons will save you more in the long run. One way to do that is with The Coupon Clippers. They buy lots of Sunday papers (yes, the entire paper) and clip all the coupons, then charge a handling fee for their efforts (coupons themselves cannot be bought and sold). You pay anywhere from $.05 to $.30 for each coupon (from what I've seen), pay a $.50 administrative fee (covers credit card/PayPal fees), and pay for the stamp. Some coupons have a minimum order (must order 5 of this coupon), others have a limit (can only order 10 of this coupon). You also must have a $3 subtotal (before shipping and administrative costs) before you check out, meaning the least amount of money you can pay is $3.92 ($3 order, $.50 admin fee, $.42 shipping).

Be sure to factor everything in when you decide if ordering coupons is worth it. I have to already know what I'm going to use a coupon on before I am willing to make an order. This means it's either an item we are loyal to and will be buying anyway (say you only buy Huggies), an item that I know is on a good sale in the coming weeks (did you know that you can peek at Walgreens and CVS ads for the coming weeks?), or an item that I can almost guarantee will be on sale in the coming weeks. I especially watch for coupons I can use on items with a rebate (you get a reabate on the price before the coupon) or items with special deals (free after ECB at CVS, for example).

Saturday morning is when the new week's coupons are available to order, though you can view them the day before (under Tracker). Some of the coupons go pretty fast.

Here's an example of what I'm planning to order tomorrow:

$1.00 off Steamers @ $.12, limit 10
so 10 coupons for $1.20
**I can guarantee that Steamers will go on Sale for $1 before the coupon expires in January. That means you can get 10 bags of steamers for $1.20 (not including the admin fee and shipping)**

$.40 off Skippy peanut butter @ $.08, limit 10
so 10 coupons for $.80
**I am already planning on stocking up on PB when Skippy is 2/$3 next week at both CVS and Walgreens, so I know I will be able to use these coupons and save $3.20 ($4 - $.80)(not including the admin fee and shipping)**

I'll need to find another dollar's-worth of coupons to meet the minimum, but even with these two coupons it is worth it for me.

If you're planning on making an order this week, I would recommend coupons for Thanksgiving weekend at CVS (many things are free after ECBs, so coupons will make for a profit). Also, there is a coupon for $1.00 off Sure deodorant that will work great in conjuction with an EasySaver coupon at Walgreens the week of Nov 23 (=free deodorant plus $.50 overage). I already got these coupons for myself, my mom, and 2 sisters all at the same time.

I know this can be confusing, especially if you're just starting. Please comment or email me if you're having trouble. I am happy to help!

Thanksgiving Weekend Plans for CVS

2008-11-14T11:02:00.010-06:00

There are lots of items that are FREE after ECB (Extra Care Bucks, printed at the bottom of your receipt to be used like cash on your next transaction). Of course CVS is hoping that you'll go out and buy a bunch of these in one transaction, then end up with a bunch of ECBs that you'll either forget about or come back and use on ridiculous regular prices. We're smarter than that, right?

I'll show you my plan that only requires $3 (and some change) out of pocket, will get lots of free things (toothpaste, shampoo, razors, lotion, tampons, chocolate, etc), and will finish you off with over $15 in ECBs (which I will show you how to wisely use on good sales in the future).

Before I begin, I will warn you that my plan includes several coupons. I don't get the paper, but I occasionally order coupons at The Coupon Clippers when I know that the money I save/earn will be lots more than I spend on the coupons. (I was going to explain about The Coupon Clippers here, but it was getting long, so I'll explain it in my next post.) In this case, the coupons minimize the number of transactions necessary to keep the out-of-pocket minimal and rack up the ECBs. I planned this scenario to do with my mom and sisters when I'm home for Thanksgiving. I ordered the coupons for all 4 of us and it came out to $2 of coupons per person. Not bad!

FREE after ECBs that I used in my scenario (see Ad Scan for more)
Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste $2.99 (earns $2.99 ECB) limit 2
Aussie shampoo, conditioner, styler $2.99 (earns $2.99 ECB) limit 2
Hershey’s King Size candy $1.00 (earns $1.00 ECB) limit 1
Johnson’s softlotion $5.69 (earns $5.69 ECB) limit 1
Gatorade G2 20 oz. $1.49 (earns $1.49 ECB) limit 3
Bic Soleil razor $5.99 (earns $5.99 ECB) limit 2
Garnier Nutritioniste towelettes 25 ct. $5.99 (earns $5.99 ECB) limit 1
CoverGirl Smoothers pressed powder $5.99 (earns $5.99 ECB) limit 1
L'oreal lip gloss $6.99 (earns $6.99 ECB) limit 1

Deal from Weekly ad
Playtex tampons 18 ct $3.99 (earns $3 ECB) limit 1$.99 after ECBs

MY SCENARIO
I rounded things up a penny for typing and reading ease ($3.99 = $4)

Transaction #1
1 Soleil razor $6 - $3 coupon = $3
= $3 oop, earn $6 ECB

Transaction #2
1 Soleil razor $6 - $3 coupon = $3
1 Aussie shampoo $3 - $1 coupon = $2
1 Hershey candy bar $1
=$6 pay w/ ECB from T#1, earn $10 ECB

Transaction #3
1 Aussie shampoo $3 - $1 coupon = $2
1 Garnier towelettes $6 - $1 coupon = $5
2 Gatorade $3
=$10 pay w/ ECB from T#2, earn $12 ECB

Transaction #4
2 Colgate $3 = $6 (maybe $1.50 less with printable, buy something for $1 if using coupon, already used mine)
1 CoverGirl Powder $6 - $1 coupon = $5
1 Gatorade $1.49
=$12.50 pay w/ ECB from T#3 +change, earn $13.50 ECB

Transaction #5
1 Playtex tampons $4 - $1 coupon = $3
1 Johnson’s softlotion $5.69 -$1 coupon = $4.69
1 L'oreal lip gloss $7 - $1 coupon = $6
=$13.69 pay w/ ECB from T#4, earn $15.69 ECB

Make adjustments depending on the items you will use. If you're new to this, I'd be happy to help you organize them into transactions that will minimize the out-of-pocket. Just tell me what you want to get and what coupons (if any) you have. I think it's fun!

Free Snapfish PhotoBook-- Just Pay Shipping

2008-11-14T09:57:00.005-06:00

Snapfish is offering a free 20-page 8.5 x 11 inch photo book with a custom cover for a very short time. You still have to pay shipping (which I believe is $6.99), but I would say it's still a fabulous deal and would make a great Christmas gift.

I know it's kind of late notice (I've been behind on blogging this week), but if you sign up for your coupon by tonight at midnight and then have your photo book all put together and ordered by Sunday night, you can still take advantage of this offer. Can you guess what I'm working on today?

UPDATE: You will now have until Saturday Nov 22nd to finish your book (so many people responded to the offer that the site is being really slow now). If you haven't signed up for your coupon you can still do so tonight!

$40 in Change = $50 in Gift Cards

2008-11-14T09:41:00.004-06:00

Coinstar has a promotion through December 7th:

Convert $40 in change into a gift card or eCertificate and you can send away for a free $10 gift card or eCertificate to the same location.

Check out Coinstar to find the locations around you and what gift cards are available at each location. Once you have entered your zip code, click on the yellow gift icon under each location to find out what gift cards are available. If there is one where you'll be spending $40 anyway, then go check all the dresser tops, couch cushions, and purses for spare change and make $10 on this offer. A form will print out at the bottom of your receipt for you to fill out and send in to receive your gift card. Check here for details on the offer. Oh, and there are no fees when you opt to have your change converted to a gift card or eCertificate!

Thanks Liz!

Walgreens Deals (through 11/15)

2008-11-10T22:10:00.001-06:00

Kellogg’s Cereal (Smart Start, Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran) 4/$10
earns $2 RR (to use on next transaction) which makes it like 4/$8
Use $1 off coupons is you still have them from a while back. I saw some Mini Wheats coupons on my sidebar just a little bit ago. I have several for $1 off Smart Start (which usually doesn't go on sale for $2), so I'll be using those.
=4 for $4 after coupons and RR

Royal pudding 4/$1 (with in-ad coupon)

Betty Crocker frosting $.99 (with in-ad coupon)
-$.55 off Betty Crocker frosting
=$.44 after coupon

Carefree Pantyliners $.99 (with in-ad coupon)
-$.50 off any Carefree product
=$.49 after coupons

Kotex (pads, tampons, liners) 2/$6
earns $1 RR (to use on your next transaction) which makes it like 2/$5
-$1 off Kotex pads (2), $.75 off Kotex tampons, liners (2)
= 2/$3 after coupons and RR

There are several other good deals on baking items. Check out the Walgreens ad and see if there's anything else you need.

REMEMBER: You can't have more coupons than items, so just make sure to count before you checkout. If you need more items, try the pudding (it's $.25 each and one in-ad coupon works for up to 8)

CVS Deals (through 11/15)

2008-11-08T21:56:00.005-06:00

St Ives Body Wash $3.99 (earn $ 3ECB) limit 5 (THROUGH MONDAY)
- $2.00 off St. Ives (coupons is for St.Ives Elements, but it works)
=FREE + $1 overage after coupon and ECB

Fructis shampoo, conditioner, or styler $2.99 ($2 ECB) limit 1
=$.99 after ECB

Palmolive$1.49 ($1 ECB) limit 5
=$.49 after ECB

Listerine Agent Cool Blue Tinting Rinse $3.99 (get $3 ECB) limit 5
-$1.00 off Listerine coupon
=FREE after ECB and coupon

Glaceau Smart Water 1 liter $1.59 ($1.59 ECB) limit 1
= FREE after ECB

Some Current Coupons... and How to Use Them!

2008-11-06T17:29:00.000-06:00

Here are some great coupons to help build your stash! I also included some sales (or regular prices) where you could use the coupon to get a great deal! Whether you're going to use them this week or not, I recommend printing them now while they're available and convenient. Try right clicking on each of the links, then choosing for it to open in a new tab or window so you can easily find your way back to this list.

$2.00 off any Goody Ouchless product (PDF, so you can print multiples)
Target and Walmart have many different packs or hair bands for $2.12
Cost after coupon= $.12

$1.00 off Green Giant Steamers (also on sidebar and here, print twice)
Walmart $1.08, County Market $1.00, Schnucks $1.00
Cost after coupon= FREE or $.08

$2.00 off Honey Bunches of Oats Just Bunches
Walmart $2.82, Meijer $2.88, or hold on to it for when they'll be free
Cost after coupon= $.82-$.88

$1.00 off Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour 5 lbs
Walmart $2.76, Schnucks $1.69
Cost after coupon=$.69-$1.76

$1.00 off 2 Green Giant Boxed veggies
Schnucks $1.00
Cost after coupon= $1.00 for 2

$1.00 off 2 BirdsEye Freshlike Vegetables (also on sidebar, print twice)
Meijer $1.00
Cost after coupon=$1.00 for 2

$.40 off Betty Crocker Potatoes (also on sidebar, print twice)
Walmart $.98, Schnucks $1.00, Meijer $1.00
Cost after coupon=$.60

Also, grab the printable coupons that I used at Walmart last week , that I recommended for groceries this week, and that I listed for this cereal sale.

Cereal at Schnucks (through 11/11)

2008-11-06T16:05:00.004-06:00

General Mills cereal (Cookie Crisp, Honey Nut Cheerios, Reese's Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch) is 5 for $10 this week. You get a printout for $5 off your next order when you buy 10 boxes. Here are the coupons to use to get the best deal:

$1.00 off Honey Nut Cheerios (print 2)
$.75 off Cookie Crisp (also on sidebar, print 2)
$.55 off Reese's Puffs (also on sidebar, print 2)
$.55 off Honey Nut Cheerios (also on sidebar, print 2)
$.55 off Cinnamon Toast Crunch (also on sidebar, print 2)
$1.00 off 2 General Mills Cereal

There are more coupons than you need to do the "buy 10" deal. If you use two of each of the first five coupons listed above you will save $6.80.

10 boxes @ $2.00 each = $20.00
less $6.80 = $13.20 oop, get a printout for $5.00 off your next order
like paying $8.80 for 10 boxes or $.88 each

Even if you don't have a Schnucks, print these coupons! There will be other opportunities to get great deals with them!

Free 8x10 at Walgreens (through 11/8)

2008-11-06T14:46:00.004-06:00

Go to Walgreens's Photo Center, upload a picture, order an 8x10, and use the coupon code: FREEPIC in the checkout to get it free (you might have to pay taxes). This would make a great Christmas gift for the grandparents!

More Tips on Getting Coupons

2008-11-05T13:00:00.003-06:00

Besides printable coupons, there are lots of other ways to find coupons without buying the paper.

Blinkies
Look down the aisles of your stores for the little red blinking coupon machines. Grab a few. Save them for a good deal. They are manufacturer coupons, so they can be used at any store.

Front of the Store
I mentioned a while back that I found a stack of coupons by the ads at Meijer for completely free butter spread. You'll find all sorts of coupon books if you keep your eyes peeled.

Sample Day
If your store has a sample day (Saturday for most stores), chances are they are passing out coupons with the featured items. I grabbed some last week at Meijer.

Newspaper Inserts
Even if you don't receive the newspaper, you can probably get your hands on one. Talk to your neighbors and friends who get the newspaper. Ask if they use the coupon inserts. If they don't, then ask if you can have it. I would guess that most people who take the paper are not avid couponers and would have no problem giving it up.

In or On Packages
Last year there was an sale on Quaker granola bars for $1 a box. Printed on the inside the box, there was a coupon for $1 off your next box. You better believe that I bought a bunch, brought them home, cut up the boxes, then went back for more (and more, and more) for free.

Look Around
The last 2 times I was in Walgreens, I found some stray coupons that someone left in a cart. Seriously. It was like the coupon fairy had sprinkled my cart.

Grocery Deals (through Nov 8th)

2008-11-04T09:00:00.006-06:00

County Market
Steamers $1 (10/$10, but you don’t have to get 10 to get the price)
-$1.00 off Green Giant Steamers (also on sidebar)=FREE

Progresso $1
-$1.10 off 1 Progresso Soup = FREE
also -$1.00 off 3 Progresso Soup = 3/$2.00

Hamburger Helper $.77
-$.80 off 3 Hamburger Helper (on sidebar too) = $1.51 for 3 boxes
Thanks Angela!

Quaker Cereal 2/$4.00

Check out the County Market ad to see if there's anything else!

Meijer
Jello (if you still have coupons for $1.50 off 2 small boxes-- not available this week)
Last week buying 3 in one transaction was pringing a $2 Catalina deom Kraft (can use on anything though). Worth a try!

Taco Shells/ Salsa (Mealbox coupon for $1.50 is back!)
Shells (12 or 18 count) = FREE with $.20 overage
Salsa = $.35 still a great deal

Kellogg’s cereal 5/$10
- $1.00 off Kellogg's coupon= $1 per box
Note: this is a hot coupon, so print now! If it doesn't work, try it in the morning. I heard that the print limint (total, not individual) is reset daily. Also check coupons.com in the morning if there aren't any $1 Kellogg's coupons now.

Betty Crocker Mashed or Specialty potatoes $1.00
-$.40 off Betty Crocker Potatoes (on sidebar too) =$.60

Grapes $.88/lb

Check out the Meijer ad to see what I missed.

Please share any other great grocery deals you find this week!

Did You Vote?

2008-11-04T00:20:00.004-06:00

Go get a free scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's!

Go grab a free doughnut at Krispy Kreme!

Or, if you live in Champaign where there isn't a Ben & Jerry's or a Krispy Kreme...

Go to Smoothie King

wearing your "I voted" sticker and get a free smoothie!

Round Barn (behind Arby's on Springfield)

Campustown (on Green St. next to Murphy's) Thanks Liz!

Drugstore Deals (through Nov 8)

2008-11-03T20:22:00.001-06:00

I didn't find too many drugstore deals that I was excited about this week. Let me know if you find anything great.

CVS
Crest Pro-Health toothpaste 4.2 oz $3.49 (earns $3.49 in ECB)
-$1.00 off Crest Pro-Health toothpaste
= $2.49 oop, earns $3.49 in ECB
[This week's ad says limit 1, but monthly ad says it is good all month limit 2. I would say 2 is safe. If your ECBs don't print, you can show them the monthly ad where is says limit 2.]

See this week's CVS ad here.

Walgreens
Almay Mascara is FREE after November's Easy Saver Rebate.
This week Almay Makeup is B1G1 (buy one, get one free) so, if you buy your Almay mascara this week (for $6.99) you'll get one free! You will get your $6.99 back with your November Easy Saver Rebate (plus 10% if you choose a giftcard rather than a check). So you'll get 2 tubes of mascara for FREE!

See this week's Walgreens ad here.

Printables! Grab them now!

2008-11-01T17:24:00.003-05:00

The coupons.com coupons have been updated. You can scroll through my sidebar or go to coupons.com. You can print 2 of each coupon. Grab them now and we'll match them up with good deals in the weeks to come! Some of my favorites are:

$1.00 off Steamers (these go on sale all the time for $1, so they'll be free)

$.75 off Betty Crocker Cookie Mix Pouches (these go on sale for $1, so they'll be $.25)

$.40 off Supreme Brownie Mix (Mmmm... love brownies)

$.40 off Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes (on sale for $1 at Meijer through 11/08, lots of yummy flavors, great for when you're in a hurry)

$.75 off Bisquick

$.60 on 3 Yoplait (also $.50 off 6)

Other great sources for printable coupons:

eatbetteramerica.com

smartsource.com

Betty Crocker

Coupons Inc (list of Bricks)

If you're new to couponing, check out my post on printable coupons and coupons in general.

Snail Mail: Samples and Coupons

2008-11-01T17:10:00.002-05:00

Samples are a great way to get free stuff. They usually come with coupons, too! And hey, it's always fun to get mail, right!? Here are a few samples I've found:

Head and Shoulders

Kotex plus printable coupons on the same site

Valesine Intensive Care Lotion

Nature's Bounty Tote

Bear Naked Granola

Airborne

Sign up to receive coupons by mail:

Febreze, Dawn, Swiffer, Mr. Clean, etc coupon book with $27 of coupons

Ivory Soap $2 coupon by mail

Today's Shopping List

2008-10-31T10:40:00.008-05:00

As soon as the little one wakes, we're headed out. I've got my coupons all printed and ready to go! Here's my list, (in case you need a little inspiration) along with links for the printables.

Here's a little tip for those of you who are new to couponing. After looking at ads and blogs, I make up my list. I have an envelope for each store. I write my list on the outside of the envelope and indicate which items I have coupons for and how much they are for (or how much I expect to pay and how much I expect back in Catalinas, ECBs, RRs, etc). I put the coupons in the envelope for the store that I'm going to use them at. This prevents me from having to dig through my main coupon holder in the checkout line and not being able to find the ones I need.

Even if you're not heading to the store today, I would suggest printing these coupons now. They are all great coupons, so get your stash started! You can print most of them twice. They print best in Internet Explorer.

UPDATED

WALMART (Prices may vary by area, special thanks to Deal Seeking Mom and Money Saving Mom)

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $1.27
-$1.00 off Green Giant Steamers =$.27

Nestle Hot Chocolate (10 pack) $.1.00
- $.75 off Nestle Hot Chocolate = $.25

Kraft Bagel-fuls $2.12
-$1 off Kraft Bagel-fuls = $1.12

Kotex pantiliners (16 or 18 ct) $1.00
-$1.00 off Kotex = FREE

Nestle Toll House Morsels $1.98
-$1.50 off Nestle Toll House Morsels =$.48

Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour 5 lb $2.76
- $1.00 off Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour = $1.76

Ziploc Sandwich bags (25 count) $.75 *Couldn't find these
-$.75 off Ziploc Bags = FREE

Below are deals at someone else's Walmart, but I passed on them since my Walmart had higher prices. I left them on here so you can at least print the coupons and hold on to them for a good deal. Maybe your Walmart has better prices.

Toaster Strudels $1.50 *My Walmart had them for $2.12
-$1.00 off Toaster Strudels =$.50

Chex Mix Bars $1.98 *My Walmart had them for $2.56
-$1.25 off Chex Mix Bars = $.73

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix Pouch $1.00 *My Walmart had them for $1.50 :(
-$.75 off Betty Crocker Cookie Mix = $.25 (coupon may not still be available)

Progresso Soup 3/$2.00 *My Walmart didn't have this deal. It was $1.50/can
-$1.10 off 1 Progresso Soup = FREE
also -$1.00 off 3 Progresso Soup = 3/$1.00

MEIJER
Eggs $.99

Cheese 8 oz $.99 (buy 4, get $2 Catalina) *All out :(

Taco Bell Salsa $1.48 or Taco Bell 12 or 18 ct shells 1.04
-Mealbox coupon for $1.50 off (No longer available, I printed plenty, thank goodness, if you're in the area, I can give you a couple) =FREE + overage

Jello $.50
-Mealbox coupon for $1.50 off 2 (Still available) = FREE + overage

Strawberry Shredded Mini Wheats 4/$10
-4 coupons for $1 off box of Mini Wheats (no longer available) =$6
Receive $3 Catalina (coupon of next order= 4 boxes for $3

COUNTY MARKET
Imperial Margerine $.39 (limit 4)
Sugar 4 lb $1.29 (limit 3)

ALDI
Milk $1.99
Carrots 2 lbs $.59
Onions 3 lbs $.69

WALGREENS
Bubble Mailers 3/$1.oo with in ad coupon (get at at front of store), limit 9

TARGET
I'm going to try this at Target! If it's a deal at my Target, I'll let you know in a separate post!

Did these deals work for you? What else did you see? Let me know what you found, the good and the bad!

Cheap Cheese at Meijer

2008-10-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

Meijer has 8 oz blocks of cheese on sale for $.99 through tomorrow (limit 4). To make this deal even sweeter, you get $2 off your next order with the Catalina (coupon that prints at the register). Thanks for the heads-up Liz!

Combine this with some of the other Meijer deals this week and it's definitely worth a trip! See you there!

Rudimentary Rules Regarding Rebates

2008-10-28T10:11:00.010-05:00

A few years ago, my husband and I did the Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) madness for the first time. We checked all the ads and decided what (if anything) was worth standing in long lines outside (thankfully is was Arizona, so it wasn't cold) in the middle of the night so we could fight our way into the store when the mobs rushed the doors and take as few elbows as possible when reaching across crowds for it. Then there's always the risk that your item is long gone before you even walk through the door. A large portion of these items advertised at too-good-to-be-true prices invovle Mail-In Rebates (MIR), at least in the computer industry. Though we didn't come home with everything we went for, we did get some sweet deals (or at least would become sweet once we received our rebate checks). After sharing our adventure with the rest of the family in town and getting a much-needed nap, we began on the paperwork that would make our deal worth all of our trouble. I had my first lesson in rebates.

Since that first experience with rebates, here is what I have learned:

Finding Rebates
Watch for items at the store or in ads that say "Try me Free." An example of this is the Sure deodorant offer I listed recently. The package has all the information you need to make the rebate submission or will refer you to a website that does.

You can search the internet for rebates for products you buy or would like to buy. Let me know if you find one and I will post it on this site! I have listed a few to get you started in the spreadsheet at the bottom of this post.

Note: Walgreens and Rite Aid have their own rebate programs that work really well and are much easier than MIRs. I will talk about them in the future. If you're dying to know about them now, check out their websites.

Buying a rebate item
For individual MIRs (not Walgreens or Rite Aid rebates), make sure to buy only one item with a rebate in your transaction, as you will almost always need to send the original cash register receipt in with the rebate.

Double check the offer to be sure that you have the correct item.

Use coupons when you can. Coupons will usually more than cover the cost of the stamp to send in your rebate. Also, rebates don't cover taxes, so your coupon can pay for or offset taxes. Anything more is just bonus. Lots of people wonder if you will get the full purchase price of an item back when you use a coupon. The answer is yes. Your receipt will have the full purchase price on the receipt. Coupons are usually subtracted at the bottom of a receipt, but the receipt will not specify what the coupon is for.

That said, if you use lots of coupons (in general), it is a good idea to make sure that your total out of pocket is at least what the full purchase price for the rebate item would be. The only time that I have ever heard of this being a problem is when you use CVS Extra Care Bucks to pay for your whole transaction (they ring up as a coupon), you don't spend any money out of pocket, so the rebate company doesn't think you paid anything for your item (even though you did pay your hard-earned ECBs). If this doesn't make any sense, don't fret. You probably won't ever be in this situation.

Requesting a Rebate
Keep your stuff together. I have an envelope in my coupon organizer that I put receipts I am saving for rebates right after I check out. Don't throw away your item's packaging, because you're probably going to need some of it.

Make your submissions as soon as possible, otherwise you will inevitably lose your receipt and UPC or just plain forget. The reason why rebates are such great deals is that lots of people who buy an item with the intention of requesting a rebate fail to do so. Companies know that.

Read the offer thoroughly. Note the date that the offer must be postmarked by. Note what information needs to be included. Will they accept printouts of the rebate form or do you need an original? Do they want you to circle your purchase? Follow the directions. Make sure you bought the correct item.

Write very clearly. If they can't read your address, they can't send you a check. It's that simple. Also, double check to be sure that you addressed your envelope correctly.

Document your rebate for your own records. If there is a discrepancy or your rebate is contested, you will need the information that you submitted. You can make a copy of the items your sending (receipt, form, UPC) or scan them into your computer. Lately I have been taking a digital photo instead. If you do a photo, just make sure it is clear enough to read all the important numbers.

Following Through
Keep your rebates organized. If you do several rebates, it will be easy to forget when you sent them in, how much they're for, and when you should expect them. I suggest making a simple spreadsheet to keep track of your rebates. You could start from when you first find an offer (I have some listed in the spreadsheet below), then update it when you make the purchase, request the rebate, and receive your check.

Your check will be for the purchase price on the receipt. Most rebates say on the form that the rebate is up to a certain amount of money. Those prices are usually higher than a price that the item would actually be at your store. You will not get this exact amount of money, just the purchase price at the store you bought it from.

If the estimated time has elapsed and you have not received your check or any communication from the company, contact the company yourself.

Here is a spreadsheet for your Rebate Records! I even started you out with a few!

Note: This link will open a Google Document. To save it to your computer, click on the "File" menu (within the Google Documents) and choose to export the file in whichever format is your favorite!

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-10-27T21:12:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the Meijer Mealbox coupon for $1.50 off 2 boxes of Jello gelatin and pudding coming back (to find out more about Mealbox coupons go to the bottom of this post), I want to share with you my new favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies because it calls for pudding!

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (from AllRecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Speaking of baking... here are some great Nestle baking coupons. Grab them now and hold on to them until the holiday sales! You can print each coupon twice.- $.75 off chocolate chips-$1.00 off 2 cans of Libby's pumpkin-$1.50 off 2 packages of refrigerated cookie dough-$1.00 off 2 cans evaporate milk.

Deals This Week (through 11/1)

2008-10-27T09:53:00.005-05:00

First, check out CVS today! Last week I gave a heads up about deals for Monday (some still available later in the week), so be sure to print your coupons and go get the deals! I just got back from CVS and posted some updates for CVS.

I just posted some deals for Meijer, as well. I just got back from Meijer and it was awesome! I posted updates!

I will post deals for Walgreens and RiteAid later on. I hear that Walgreens isn't too exciting, but Rite-Aid has some great rebates this week.

I just tried to see where the closest Rite-Aid is and was super sad to find that there isn't one here! We just moved here a few months ago and I really thought I saw one as I was driving around. Bummer! They have lots of "free after rebate" things this week! If you use coupons you can even make some money! For those of you who do have a Rite-Aid, check out Deal Seeking Mom for some sweet deals.

County Market's site is down now, so stay tuned for that one, as well.

This Week at Meijer! (through 11/1)

2008-10-27T08:15:00.007-05:00

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (4 lb) $7.49

Dozen Eggs $.99

Taco Bell Salsa 20% off= $1. 48 (or 18 taco shells are only $1.04)
-Meijer MealBox coupon for $1.50 off (page three, see note at bottom if you are new to MealBox)
FREE + overage

Jello sugar-free (4-serving) on sale 6/$3 (can also use for regualar gelatin or pudding, price varies, at Meijer on Prospect all Jello gelatin is $.50, not just sugar-free)
-Meijer MealBox coupon for $1.50 off (page two, see note at bottom if you are new to MealBox)
FREE plus overage, you MAKE $.50 with each coupon you use!

Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheats 4/$10
-Use 4 $1 off coupons from sidebar or here
-Get an instant $2 off at register (This didn't work for me)
-Get a printout for $3 off your next order
You'll pay $6 OOP, but get $3 for your next purchase, (thanks cheapsk8mom!) I haven't tried it at my Meijer, but will give an update on how it goes!

I just got back from Meijer and I'm smiling big! I didn't see 4 for $10 advertised in the cereal aisle, but I did find it where the sales are (between food and clothes, straight ahead when you walk in). It is the 21.5 oz size (NOT the smallest size). I only found the Strawberry Delight (21.5 oz) and regular (24oz) Mini Wheats. If you don't have coupons for this yet, check the coupons.com sidebar, or the site itself. The coupons come and go, so I have been stocking up. Let me know if you are having trouble finding coupons and I'll help you. Note that any of the coupons for new flavors can be used on any of the new flavors, not just the one pictured. Be sure to grab some taco shells and jello to take another dollar off your order!

Meijer MealBox Coupons Explained
It isn't hard to print these coupons, but I will give detailed instructions for anyone who may need them. So don't be intimidated by the length of the next paragraph!

Use Internet Explorer. Go to the page and find the box outlined in blue that says Meijer Mealbox Beta. Click on the tab (within the box) that says "specials." There are several pages of coupons (currently 3). You can scroll through them using the page numbers just above the top of the first coupon. When you find ones you want, click "add to shopping list" and press "ok" in the little box that pops us. When you have chosen all the coupons you want, click on the tab "shopping list" (next to "specials") . Then press "print list" near the top of the box. It will give you a popup with 3 checkboxes. I only leave "coupons" checked. Click "print" in the next popup. Another small window will open up shoing the coupons. Click on "file" and then "print." That should cover it.

The 2 coupons I mention about for gelatin/pudding and taco shells/salsa are both good until 11/15, so print out as many (or more) than you think you can use before then. They do not limit you to how many you can print, but they may limit you to one of each particular coupon per transaction (though you could do several back -to-back transactions).

Walgreens on Saturday

2008-10-25T01:26:00.010-05:00

If you've looked around any other couponing blogs, you have probably seen this coupon. It's even available in my sidebar. It's a Friday-Saturday $5 off a purchase of $20 or more at Walgreens. My initial thought was, "Well that means I have to SPEND $15 to save $5."

Think again.

It's true that $15 must leave my hands, but if all goes as I now have planned, I will get every cent of it back.

Let me explain.

The October EasySaver Catalog (3" x 7" pamphlet you'll find by the ads at the front of the store, take as many as you like) is good through the 25th of the month. The November one is also out and also in effect. Things purchased Saturday (and Friday) can qualify for rebates for both months.

The way Walgreens does store rebates is pretty cool. You register on walgreens.com, put in some details from your receipt(s), and request your rebate. No stamp required! They will either send you a check or you can opt for a Walgreens gift card. If you choose a gift card, they will give you an additional 10% (a $10 rebate will be $11 on a gift card). You can reuse the same gift card each month. They will "reload" it with the next month's rebates, so you don't have to wait for a new one to come in the mail. Pretty cool system.

So, they key is to spend money that you will get right back in a rebate (or Register Rewards, which are printed coupons for a given amount off your next transaction, but I didn't have any of those in my planned transaction).

If something doesn't work out, I can always grab one of the "free after rebate" items so my total is over $20 after coupons and before tax. There are 3 for October and 2 for November. If's it's really close (I imagine I'll be $.02 off) I'll just grab a candy bar.

My total will be just barely over $20, then $5 will be taken off with the coupon up above. I will pay $15 OOP (out of pocket). I will receive $15.40 ($14 + 10% for choosing gift card). We can consider all these goodies FREE!

That's my plan. The only thing I'm a little unsure of is if the M&Ms are really on sale 2/$5. Hopefully everything is stocked. I'll post an update on how it goes!

FYI- You can get the manufacturer coupons I refer to in the spreadsheet here:

Arm & Hammer click on "get coupons"

Air Wick Freshmatic tons of other coupons, too

The M&M coupon for $1 off 2 is found in the October EasySaver catalog.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled!

2008-10-24T21:50:00.005-05:00

I went to Meijer today to redeem coupons for Free Taco Shells and Jell-o Pudding, and found another source of coupons! At the front of Meijer on the shelves where all the ads are (behind where the greeter stands), there were several stacks of nice coupons! Since my couponing is fueled primarily by printable coupons (we don't get the newspaper), I am always on the lookout for other coupons. One of the coupons I found was for a free tub of Promise butter spread. There was a whole stack at Meijer on Prospect. If you're at Meijer, be sure to look around and under the ads at the front of the store for great coupons!

As a side note, I used my last Jell-O coupon and unfortunately it is no longer available to print on the MealBox Site (argh , should have printed more). The taco shells are, though. Today I noticed an 18-pack of Taco Bell taco shells for $1.30 (the same price as the 12-pack)! The coupon is for $1.50 off, so you make $.20 on each one, and now you can get 50% more in the package! Wahoo! We had tacos just the other night. Next time I think we'll have taco salad!

The Art of Finding Printable Coupons

2008-10-23T19:00:00.006-05:00

I have had lots of people ask me how I find my printable coupons. Here's the scoop:

Looking at other blogs. As soon as I get my site overhauled, I'll put up links to all my favorites. Until then, a few are: Money Saving Mom, Deal Seeking Mom, and Be CentsAble.

Checking the Hot Coupon World database. It's not always up-to-date, but it's a great place to start. Put what you are looking for in the box labeled description. Both general ("toothpaste") and specific ("Crest") are fine. You can put in the type of coupon you're looking for (choose "printable" from drop down menu).

Check my sidebar. You can scroll through the coupons or click to see them all. They change pretty regularly. Be sure and grab the good ones when you see them. Cereal coupons for $1 off show up pretty frequently!

Looking on manufacturer's sites. They want you to buy and become loyal to their products, so they give you coupons to encourage you! If you see something on sale, look up the manufacturer and see if they have a coupon.

I very rarely use a coupon on an item at full price, unless it is a product we would buy at full price. For example, I have used Clean & Clear facewash for over a decade. I usually buy it at Wal-Mart. I googled the manufacturer's site and sure enough there was a Clean & Clear coupon for $2 off any product (and I could print it twice)! Since this is something I will buy whether or not I have a coupon, the coupon (and it's a big one) is just money in my pocket!

Hearing from YOU! Try searching for manufacturers of products you are loyal to or will be buying anyway or found on sale. Leave a comment and share what you find!

Making Plans for Next Week: CVS

2008-10-23T11:57:00.014-05:00

I glanced over the CVS ad for next week and found a few things that stood out. I'm sure there are more that I will end up posting later, but here's a quick heads-up.

UPDATE: Links fixed :)

If you didn't get your Kashi cereal at Walgreens last week, you have another chance! Next week at CVS, it's 2/$5.00. You can print off 2 coupons for $2.00 off a box of any Kashi cereal and another 2 coupons for $1.00 off Go Lean Crunch. So you can get 4 boxes of good healthy cereal for $4.00!

If you go on Monday, the fun size candy bars are 2/$3.00. If you haven't already printed this $1.00 off coupon for Nestle LINK UPDATED fun size candy (you can also try this link if the other doesn't work right), you can print off 2 and get 2 bags for $1.00!

There is also a $1.00 off 2 bags of Mars candy that you can print from my side bar (scroll through if you don't see it). Get 2 bags for $2.00! Make sure to go on Monday though! I was only allowed to use one of these coupons per transaction (more than one wouldn't scan), so I had the cashier split my transaction.

You can get some overage with SoyJoy nutrition bars. Next week they are 4/$4.00 and you get $4 EB (ExtraCare Bucks-- printed out at the bottom of receipt for use on next transaction) when you buy four, so it's like getting them free! Apply this $3 off 5 coupon and you'll make some money! 5 bars for $5 - $3 coupon = $2 OOP (out of pocket) + $4 EB! You get the bars for free and come out ahead $2! (thanks Coupon Cravings)

Advil PM Liqui-gels are on sale for $.99. You can print a coupon for $2.00 off any Advil PM. Free Advil PM plus $1 overage! The ad says quantities are limited and there won't be any rainchecks for this one. I had trouble finding this at first. It is in the travel size section since it's just 8 count.

For you locals, the CVS on Mattis and Springfield was out of Mars candy and I couldn't find the Advil. I went to the CVS on Neil and Green and found everything though! The Advil was in the sample section and also up by the register.

My first transaction cost me $.05 out of pocket:

2 bags M&Ms funsize candy 2/$3.00
-$1.00 off 2 bags (see above for link)

2 Advil PM Liqui-gel 8 ct @ $.99 = $1.98
-2 coupons for $2 off Advil PM = -$4.00

The $2 extra from the coupon overage went toward the $2 I had to pay on the candy. I paid five cents tax!

FREE Deodorant plus a dollar!

2008-10-23T10:12:00.003-05:00

Find Sure deodorant with this packaging, use this $1.00 off coupon to pay for it, then send in this rebate for the purchase price! (Thanks Be CentsAble!) Since it's a mail in rebate, you will have to pay for a stamp, but the overage from the coupon will more than take care of that, so the deodorant is still free!

You can buy it anywhere, of course, but if you could combine it with this offer at CVS this week (buy $10 in Sure deodorants and Pert Plus shampoo and get $5 EB) , that would be extra cool! It depends on how much the deodorant is, whether or not it would be worth it. (The more expensive, the better.)

FREE (and even better) at CVS This Week (through 10/25)

2008-10-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

Stop by CVS and grab some free things this week and make some money as well!

Excedrin Express Gels 20ct $1.99
Coupon for $2.00 off (you can print tiwce)
Get 2 boxes FREE

This one is going to sound funny. My husband doesn't need or want this, but I figure it will make for a good gag/over-the-hill gift for someone. You can make $10 on this one. Read on:

Touch of Gray men's hair treatment $7.99
Coupon for $2.00 off (requires simple registration)
Get $7.99 in Extra Care Bucks (printed out at the bottom of receipt for use on next transaction)
Mail-in Rebate for $8.00
Touch of Gray FREE + $10 overage!

32 oz Powerade $1.69 (limit 1)
Get $1.69 in Extra Care Bucks (printed out at the bottom of receipt for use on next transaction)

Butler GUM 2 pack Toothbrushes $3.99 (limit 5)
Get $3.99 in Extra Care Bucks (printed out at the bottom of receipt for use on next transaction)
These were out at my CVS. I'll check back later in the week.

If you get the Excedrin and Touch of Gray in your first transaction, you can use your EBs to pay for your Powerade and Toothbrushes in your next transaction. You'll get plenty more EBs you can roll into next week's deals!

See the whole CVS ad here

County Market Deals This Week (through 10/25)

2008-10-20T18:42:00.007-05:00

There are a couple of sweet deals at County Market this week. You can print a few coupons to make them even sweeter!

Yoplait 6 oz. yogurt, Light, Thick'n Creamy, or Custard: $.39 each (limit 10 per visit)
Coupon for $1.00 off 4 Yoplait Light (you can print twice)
$.39 x 10 = $3.90 - $2.00 = $1.90 for 10 yogurt cups or $.19 each!

Nestle Funsize Candy Bars 2/$3.00
Coupon for $1.00 off a bag (you can print twice)
$1.00 for 2 bags or $.50 each!

Goldkist Whole Chicken $.69/lb (average chicken is 4lb) = $2.7
Don't know what to do with a whole chicken? Put it in the slow cooker until the meat falls off the bone. Use it in your favorite chicken recipe or just out of the pot. It's really easy! There's no complicated carving when you use the slow cooker!

County Market Milk 2/$5.00
This is cheap for County Market, though Aldi is generally the cheapest place for milk. It always seems to be $1.99 there.

I would recommend printing the above coupons even if you don't live near a County Market because they are really good coupons! Hold on to them and check the deals in your area.

To see County Market's ad online go here.

Printable Coupons Specifically

2008-10-18T22:03:00.005-05:00

Do you feel like you can't be a successful couponer because you don't subscribe to the newspaper? Think again! Here are a few keys to printing coupons online:

Many online coupons come directly from the manufacturer's site. More often than not, they will want you to register with them. I have a special email account that I use just for this purpose (I'm partial to Gmail). Then my regular email doesn't get too out of control. It is nice to have all my coupon and special offer mail in the same place.
Coupons that don't come directly from the manufacturer's site (as well as many that do) usually require a "coupon printer." The device is very user friendly, safe, and easy to download (as long as it is a reputable coupon site... no promises on the sketchy ones). Once it is downloaded you are good to go. You can click on my coupons.com sidebar to download the printer. Once you have the coupon printer installed (or maybe even before) you will see all the coupons available at coupons.com in my sidebar. You can scroll through (or click on "see all coupons") and them and print them directly. They change periodically.
Generally, you are allowed to print online coupons twice, though it depends on the coupon. I usually press back or go through the process again to see if I am allowed to print another. If I am, great. If not, it will tell me that I have reached the limit for this coupon. While I know I could find ways around this, I feel it is important to respect this and be honest in printing online coupons. Some stores have decided to not accept printable coupons because of fraud and dishonesty, fortunately, none that I know of in my area. Let's not ruin it for everyone by cheating the system.
If you're having trouble installing a coupon printer application or printing from it, try switching browsers. Firefox is my browser of choice, but I have found a few coupons that don't like Firefox (so I reluctantly copy the address into IE and print).
Cut out your coupons. This may seem like a no-brainer for the seasoned couponer with binders and filers galore, but a first-timer may not think of it. Not only is it easier for you to organize, your cashier will be much happier, as well.
Recycle! Save money and trees by printing your coupons on scrap paper!
One good resource for online coupons is Hot Coupon World's database. Put what you are looking for in the box labeled description. Both general ("toothpaste") and specific ("Crest") are fine. You can put in the type of coupon you're looking for (choose "printable" from drop down menu).

If you're new to couponing altogether, read Coupons in General.

Coupons in General

2008-10-18T15:49:00.008-05:00

If you're like me (or like I was), you're probably wondering how clipping (or printing) a coupon for some cents off here and there is going to ever make a dent in your grocery bill. For those of you who are skeptical and/or new to the art of couponing, let me explain a few of my secrets:

Never use a coupon on an item at regular price. Obviously, $0.35 off a box of granola bars that costs $2.99 is far from a stellar deal. Though every bit helps and will add up eventually, you can do much better. Read on.
Wait until the sale price is good (or great) before using your coupons. When your granola bars are on sale 2/$3.00, your $0.35 coupon makes a bigger dent. Matching coupons up with sales is key.
Find out if any stores in your area do double or triple coupon days. Stores usually have a maximum amount they will double (i.e. coupons up to $0.50) and sometimes a maximum number of coupons they will double in a transaction (i.e. up to 15 coupons doubled per transaction). Combine this with a sale, and your coupon gets a lot more mileage. Your $2.99 granola bars are now down to $.80 a box.
Look for store coupons as well as manufacturer coupons. They can be combined to go toward the same item. This is a great way to get things free (see example of Pert Plus in the previous post). Store coupons can be found on store websites, in their ads, and monthly circulars. Manufacturer coupons can be found online, in newspaper inserts, in magazines, on tearpads or blinkies in the store aisles, or in your mail.
Clip and print coupons for any items that your family uses or would use if you got them dirt cheap or free. When you find coupons you're pretty certain you will use, it is much easier (at least for me) to clip or print them when you come across them, than try to find them when the sale actually comes up. If you don't use them, you haven't lost much.
Clip all high dollar value coupons. If you scroll through the coupons on the sidebar, for example, you should find some coupons for $1 off Kelloggs cereal. In Utah there were always 10 for $10 cereal deals at one store or another. That would mean free cereal! Here the lowest I have seen it go is 2/$3 (though I've only been here 2 months), but $.50 for a box of cereal is still pretty good! High dollar coupons don't usually get doubled, but they go a long way with sales. But, once again, don't just use the coupon because you have it, even if it has a high value. Wait for the deal to come along.
Plan to stock up. When you can legitimately get more than one of a coupon, do it! If you stock up on things you know you'll need and use, you won't have to make extra trips to the store to go buy them at full price. Having a food (and other essentials) storage is a great idea anyway!
Don't stress out and overdo it. Though you may have more time than money, don't overspend yourself saving. It's true that every little bit counts.

To you couponing newbies:
Did this all make sense?
What other questions or curiosities do you have?
Are you excited to start saving or still not convinced?

To you seasoned savers:
Did I miss anything?
What other general couponing advice do you have?

Free Shampoo at Walgreens Next Week

2008-10-18T14:34:00.006-05:00

Regular size Pert Plus 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner $3.49
-coupon for $2.50 off (from October EasySaver Catalog*)
-coupon for $1.00 off or $1.00 off (you can print 2 of each)
FINAL PRICE= free

You can print off 2 coupons at each of the above links and grab as many EasySaver catalog coupons as you want, so you can get 4 bottles for free (you might have to pay tax).

*EasySaver catalogs are found on the ad rack at the front of the store. They come out each month and are filled with coupons and rebates. There are plenty at the store on Kirby and Neil in Champaign. The best part is that these coupons can be used in conjunction with manufacturer coupons. Just remember that the number of coupons you use in your transaction cannot exceed the number of items in your order. So, if you use two coupons on this item, you have to have some item (value isn't important) without a coupon.

Baby Carrots at Super Target for Free or Very Cheap

2008-10-17T15:34:00.004-05:00

photo thanks to wisegeek.com

I am sad that there is not a Super Target near where we live in Illinois, but I thought all my friends back in Utah (and any one else near a Super Target) would be able to benefit.

Target has a great coupon for $1 off 1- to 3-lb. bag Green Giant baby carrots (excludes organic). This week a 1 lb. bag is on sale for $.99, though I think they are normally just $1.29. Depending on when you go, the could be free or very cheap. The coolest thing is that there is not a limit of how many coupons you can print! The coupons are good until 11-08-08. It's time to stock up!

Kashi Cereal $.50 a Box!

2008-10-17T11:03:00.003-05:00

At Walgreens this week (through Saturday, Oct 18), Kashi cereal is 2/$5. A $2 off coupon makes it $.50! You can print 2 coupons.

Note: This (and many other online coupons) requires you to register with their site. I have a specific email account set up just for this purpose. It will let you print 2 $2 off coupons.

There is also a $1 coupon here that doesn't require any sign up. You can print 2 coupons.

If you don't already have a coupon printer installed, it will prompt you to install it. It is easy to install. This same coupon printing application is used for printing many many coupons online, so it's worth your time and effort.

The limit at Walgreens is 4 boxes. If they don't have any, they will write you a raincheck!

Meijer

2008-10-16T21:30:00.001-05:00

My first couponing adventure was at Meijer. For those of you who don't live near a Meijer, keep reading. You can't do the first 3 deals listed, but I bet you could find the last three on sale at Wal-mart of you local grocery store and still get them free or super cheap for the printable coupon.

I got all this for $2.44:

Here's the breakdown of what I got and what it cost:

2 boxes of 12 taco shells @ $1.30 each = $2.60
- 2 MealBox coupons for $1.50 off (on page 3) = -$3.00
--------------------------------------------------------
FREE (+ $.40 overage)

2 boxes of 4-serving Jell-o @ $.64 = $1.28
-1 MealBox coupon for $1.50 off 2 = -$1.50
-------------------------------------
FREE (+ $.22 overage)

2 boxes of 4-serving Jell-o Pudding @ $.84 = $1.68
-1 MealBox coupon for $1.50 off 2 = -1.50
-------------------------------------
$.18

4 Boxes of Green Giant Boxed Veggies @ $1.00 = $4.00
- 2 coupons for $1.00 on 2 boxes = -$2.00
--------------------------------------------------
$2.00

1 box Honey Bunches of Oats- Just Bunches @ $2.00
- 1 coupon for $2.00 off a box= -$2.00
--------------------------------------------
FREE

2 boxes South Beach High Protein Cereal Bars @ $2.00 = $4.00
- 2 coupons for $2.00 off one box = -$4.00
-----------------------------------------------
FREE

I spent: $2.44 total

I printed more of the jello and taco shell coupons. Mealbox coupons are unlimited. They don't expire for a while (though I think you'll only be able to print them this week). I plan to use a few every time I'm in the store.

CVS and Walgreens: Doing the Drugstore Thing

2008-10-16T10:54:00.008-05:00

Drugstores are a whole different animal. I went in to drugstores a few times in college and couldn't believe the ridiculous prices. I had no idea why anyone would go there for pretty much anything... besides drugs. I have recently learned that if you work it right, you can get some great deals.

Each drugstore does their own rewards or money back program. At CVS, they're called "Extra Care Bucks" and Walgreens calls the "Register Rewards." Basically it is free money that prints with your receipt that you can use on your next purchase. It isn't a surprise, like sometimes at the grocery store, though. The weekly ad will tell you if a product qualifies for "EB"s or "RR"s. Many times the reward is worth the same as the price you pay for the item, making it essentially free (though you have to fork over the money initially, and spend money at the store later). It also is not uncommon for you to make money on a transaction by using a coupon (see vitamins and Dimetap below). You have to be smart about how you divide up your transactions to minimize your out of pocket expenditures.

Here are a few examples from my week:

At Walgreens I got:

Royal gelatin 5/$1.00

Dimetapp on sale for $3.99 [also: if you buy 3, you get $10 RR]
I printed 3 coupons for $2 off each one
----------------------------
$1.99 each or $5.97 total

I spent $6.97 (plus tax) and got $10 RR

This was a pretty big spend (though still a great deal, especially considering what it would cost be if I had to run to the stor at 3am for something like this... it's good to have on hand), as far as doing the drugstore thing goes, because it was my initial investment. I will use my $10 RR in the coming weeks for other purchases that will likely also result in additional RR money.

At CVS I made a few transactions (some on different days, others back to back) in order to minimize the out-of-pocket spending.

Transaction #1

2 Nature's Bounty vitamins, buy 1 get 1 Free = $4.99 (earns $2 EB)
-2 coupons for $2.00 off = -$4.00
-------------------------------------
$.99 (earned $2 EB)

1 CVS bar soap @ $.99 (earns $1 EB)
----------------------
$.99 (earned $1 EB)

$2 spent, $3 EB earned

Transaction #2

idential to #1: $2 spent, $3 EB earned

Transaction #3

1 Colgate Total Toothpaste @ $3.49 (earns $2 EB)
-1 coupon for $1.50 off
-------------------------------------
$1.99 (earned $2 EB)

1 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste @ $2.99 (earns $2 EB)
-1 coupon for $1.00 off
-------------------------------------
$1.99 (earned $2 EB)

2 CVS bar soap @ $.99 =$1.98
----------------------
$1.98 (earned $2 EB)

$0 spent, $6 EB used, $6 EB earned

Transaction #4

Tampax tampons (40ct) plus venus razor, on sale for $5.99 (earns $2 EB)
----------------------
$5.99 (earned $2 EB)

$0 spent, $6 EB used, $2 EB earned

So at CVS, I spent a little over $4, got everything in the two pictures above, and still have $2 EB in my hand to use in the future!

Please let me know if you have trouble printing any of the coupons I link to on my site. I can help you troubleshoot or fix the link.

Let the Savings Begin!

2008-10-16T10:25:00.003-05:00

For the first time in our married life, we are without an income. Mike is in grad school and I'm a stay-at-home mom. Although we've always lived pretty frugally, we'd like to keep the spending down even more since we don't have an income (unless you count student loans)!

I've recently started learning the art of couponing. Like any girl who gets a good deal, I want to tell everyone about it. However, I didn't want to clog up our family blog with all my savings sharing because, let's be honest, everyone who frequents the site just wants to see pictures of our cute little babe. On this blog, I plan to post the stellar deals I find around town, as well as money-saving ideas!

Enjoy!