The New Naturally Frugal Mama

Up To 227 Item in the $25 CVS Challenge!

2010-03-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on updating my $25 CVS Challenge - having a baby has cramped my shopping & blogging style :) I had/have $1.54 left, but that was a little deceiving because when I did transaction #39 on Nov. 26, they gave me $5 cash because I initially forgot to use the coupon. So I really had $5 & $1.54 on a gift card before I did the following transactions.

Transaction #42 (Jan. 17)
$1.76: 1 each VO5 shampoo & conditioner
$6.00: 1 6-pack Soyjoy Bars
$.99: 1 CVS Green Bag Tag (I hope you have this easy way to earn ECB's!)

Used $2.00 ECB
Used $4.98 ECB

Paid $1.80 cash

Transaction #43 (Jan. 17)
$12.00: 2 6-pack Soyjoy Bars

Used $2.00 ECB
Used $3.00 ECB
Used $6.00 ECB

Paid $1.00 cash

Transaction #44 (Feb. 5)
$1.25: 1 LaraBar
$2.99: 1 Colgate Maxfresh Toothpaste
$.75: 1 Reese's Peanut Butter Egg

Put $.49 on gift card

Transaction #45 (Feb. 15)
$.38: 1 Snickers Heart
$2.31: 2 VO5 shampoo & 1 VO5 conditioner
$2.99: 1 Aussie conditioner
$2.99: 1 Colgate Total Advance toothpaste
$3.50: 1 Crest ProHealth Mouthwash
$3.50: 1 Crest ProHealth Toothpaste

Used $2.00 off Crest Mouthwash coupon
Used $1.50 off Colgate toothpaste coupon
Used $1.00 off Aussie conditioner coupon
Used $10.98 ECB

Put $.20 on gift card

Transaction #46 (Feb. 28)
$4.50: 3 Kind Bars
$5.00: 2 Colgate Total Advance toothpastes
$4.99: 1 Softsoap Serums bodywash
$1.50: 1 Powerbar Gel

Used 2 $1.50 off Colgate total toothpaste
Used $1.00 off Powerbar gels coupon
Used $6.99 ECB
Used $2.00 ECB
Used $2.00 ECB
Used $1.00 ECB

Put $.03 on gift card

Transaction #47 (Feb. 28)
$14.99: 1 Accu-check Aviva blood glucose monitor

Used $5.00 off coupon
Used $9.99 ECB

Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #48 (Mar. 19)
$9.99: 1 24-pack CVS Premium bath tissue

Used $2.00 ECB
Used $3.00 ECB
Used $4.99 ECB

Broke even - no OOP

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $3.35 (transactions 21-30) + $.09 (transactions 31-40) + $.49 + used cash + used cash + $.49 + $.20 + $.03 + $.00 + $.00 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $24.18

ECB's earned: $9.50 + $2.20 cash (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Stuff I've Gotten So Far:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 bottles Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
4 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
5 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
9 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
34 SoyJoy Bars
4 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
4 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser
1 pack Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash
1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)
1 32 ounce bottle CVS Brand Apple Juice
1 2-liter bottle Sprite
1 Revlon Nail Polish
2 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool
1 Halloween Nylon Treat Bag
1 bag Brach’s Candy Corn
1 Boston Globe
1 Boston Herald
1 Nova Max Glucose Meter
1 Gillette Fusion Razor
2 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion
1 Degree Ultra Clear for Women deodorant
1 St. Ives Body Wash
1 Bic Soleil Razor
1 Colgate 360 Toothbrush
1 small pack Reese’s PB cups
1 Snickers King-size Bar
1 Schick Quattro Razor
1 Nivea Body Wash
1 Crest Pro-health mouthwash
1 Oral-B Single Manual Toothbrush
2 Hot Wheels Cars
1 Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash pack
1 Nature Valley granola bars 2-pack
3 VO5 shampoos
1 CVS Green Bag Tag
1 Colgate Maxfresh Toothpaste
1 Snickers Heart
2 VO5 conditioner
1 Aussie conditioner
1 Crest ProHealth Mouthwash
3 Kind Bars
1 Softsoap Serums bodywash
1 Powerbar Gel
1 Accu-check Aviva blood glucose monitor
1 24-pack CVS Premium bath tissue

CVS Challenge: $1.54 left!

2010-01-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

I did my first transaction of 2010 this past week, and plan on heading out today to get the newspaper, as well as the SoyJoy bars that are free after ECB's. You can find out more about this week's deals here. CVS is also doing a deal until 2/14 where you can get ECB's on multipacks of items (which is what I did in the following transaction); find the details here. There was a display in the front of my store; the sale items were not in the aisles that I expected them to be, so ask an employee if you can't find what you are looking for.

Transaction #41 (Jan. 12)
$4.49: Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash pack
$6.99: Nature Valley granola bars 2-pack

Used $2 ECB, bonus on last quarter's purchases
Used $2 ECB
Used $2 ECB
Used $5 ECB

Put $.49 on a gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $3.35 (transactions 21-30) + $.09 (transactions 31-40) + $.49 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $23.46

ECB's earned: $9.98 + $5 cash (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Stuff I've Gotten So Far:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 bottles Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
4 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
6 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
4 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
3 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser
1 pack Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash
1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)
1 32 ounce bottle CVS Brand Apple Juice
1 2-liter bottle Sprite
1 Revlon Nail Polish
2 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool
1 Halloween Nylon Treat Bag
1 bag Brach’s Candy Corn
1 Boston Globe
1 Boston Herald
1 Nova Max Glucose Meter
1 Gillette Fusion Razor
2 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion
1 Degree Ultra Clear for Women deodorant
1 St. Ives Body Wash
1 Bic Soleil Razor
1 Colgate 360 Toothbrush
1 small pack Reese’s PB cups
1 Snickers King-size Bar
1 Schick Quattro Razor
1 Nivea Body Wash
1 Crest Pro-health mouthwash
1 Oral-B Single Manual Toothbrush
2 Hot Wheels Cars
1 Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash pack
1 Nature Valley granola bars 2-pack

Grocery Couponing for Lazy People

2010-01-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so maybe that's not the best title. I've gone back & forth and called this post "The Simplest Ways to Save Money Using Coupons" or "Couponing Made Easy". Here's how this post came about.

As I've been talking to people lately about couponing and saving money on groceries and household products, I find that many people are overwhelmed at where to start. They know to buy newspapers to get coupons, and look at circulars for good deals - but what then? Do you clip all your coupons? Go to multiple stores? How do you keep organized? How do you make it work without too much work and how do you make sense of it all?

A good place to start is reading this post I wrote a while ago on the basics of couponing. This was written about couponing in general and is a little bit more high maintenance than what I do now. Now I'm going to tell you how I save money on my groceries, specifically, recognizing that the way I go about things may not work for everyone.

I do not spend a lot of time couponing and grocery shopping. I already spend more time than some because my older son eats dairy, soy & wheat free, so buying groceries for him requires visiting at least 3 different stores on a regular basis. Also, having an almost 2.5 year old and an almost 2 month old, I don't have a ton of time to read blogs, and find out all the deals, etc.

So here's what I do on a weekly or biweekly basis:

1. Get the weekly circulars to the stores you frequent. They come in the mail here Thursday, Friday or Saturday, but since most grocery sales start on Friday and many stores do weekend sales or 3-day sales, I sign up to get them e-mailed to me. They usually come on Thursday. I also have one that is snail-mailed to me. I did this by commenting in their contact form on their web page.

2. Buy at least 1 Sunday newspaper a week. The Sunday paper is generally the one that contains the coupons, but this can vary by region, so double-check. The Sunday papers here cost between $2.00-$3.50, so if it's a lean week, I may just buy one, but you can read here about why I sometimes buy multiple copies. You can find out here what the inserts for the week are scheduled to be, so you can plan ahead.

3. Browse the circulars to see what's on sale that you can use. I look not only for frequently-used products, but also any sales that boast a coupon off your next purchase (called a catalina). For example, Shaw's, a local chain, often does a sale on certain lines of products that if you buy $20-$25 in product, you get a $5-$10 coupon off your next visit. That's $20-$25 before coupons, and the products are on sale, so you can often get really good deals. You can see here how much free or almost free stuff I've gotten!

4. Find out if those sale products have coupons. You can find regional coupon lists at Coupon Mom or national lists at Hot Coupon World where you can do a search for a product and see if there an any coupons to match.

5. Only clip the coupons you know you'll use. When time permits, I browse the coupon inserts to see if there are any coupons for products I use often. My son can only eat certain brands of snacks and cereal, for instance, so if I see a coupon for his brands, I clip them and carry them in a envelope in my purse. Otherwise, I do not clip any coupons. I file the inserts in a filing cabinet by date and clip them when I know my coupon matches for the week.

6. Buy what's on sale whenever you can, and match the sales with coupons. This may be stating the obvious to some of you, but buy your staples when they go on sale. Most things go on sale at some time, especially staples such as meat, beans, rice, frozen veggies and fruit, pasta sauce, canned goods, paper products, cereal and milk. I never, ever pay full price for meat, frozen veggies, and most cereals. Since my son is on a special diet, sometimes we do need to pay full price for some essentials. We balance that out by getting other basics on sale.

7. Pick 1 or 2 main blogs, and just check for weekly deals. For grocery shopping, I don't always check for deals. The things we buy are pretty standard. The one exception is if I see that Shaw's (mentioned above) is having a catalina deal, I will go to Hot Coupon World to find coupon match-ups with the on-sale products. I also sometimes go to Coupon Mom for grocery deals. Her site is similar to Grocery Game, but it's free. She organizes the site by region and store, so if you already know you're going to Shaw's, you can select your state, then that store, and find out if anything is free or really cheap that you want to pick up while you're there.

That's it, folks. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's really not. I also don't do it every week. Some weeks all I pick up is produce, which makes up almost 50% of our grocery budget. Otherwise, I shop the sales & keep my pantry & freezer stocked.

5 Coupon Inserts in Today's Paper!

2010-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had a chance to get the newspaper today, go get one - or three, like I did! And I had to shovel out my car in order to get my papers. Find out here why sometimes I get multiple copies of the newspaper.

Starting Off the New Year! Cheap Books & Free Gift Cards

2010-01-03T02:03:00.000-08:00

With the New Year upon us, people are making New Year's Resolutions, including financial ones. Many are buckling down and trying to find ways to save money, or even make money. I'm reminded of a few of my old favorites, and a new one.

Oldies But Goodies:

Couponing! Review some of my posts on successful couponing.

Swagbucks: earn Swagbucks by searching the internet, and cash them in for gifts cards or merchandise! In the year since I joined, I've cashed in my Swagbucks and gotten close to $100 in gift cards (for Starbucks, iTunes, and Amazon.com) and a book on organizing :)

InboxDollars: read e-mails, click on the links, and earn cash.

$25 CVS Challenge: See how I've gotten 180 items, and still counting, spending only $25 at CVS!

Other ways to make money on the internet, including my posts on getting a $500 Sears card & a $500 IKEA card.

And a newbie:
Paperback Swap: It's a great way to get rid of books that you don't want & find books you're interested in. Basically, you "post" books by searching for books you have that you want to get rid of. If someone else then selects one of your posted books, you print out the label Paperback Swap creates for you, put the book in a mailing envelope or for smaller books & attch the label, or use Paperback Swap's mailing wrappers (printed on regular paper). You then attach postage & mail the book. When the book is received, you get 1 credit, and the person keeps the book. That credit can be used to pick a book you'd like to get shipped to you. You also keep the books that are shipped to you; you don't mail them back. If you post 10 books upon joining, you get 2 "start-up" credits, so you can start receiving books right away.

Continuing the $25 CVS Challenge

2009-12-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

I've been absent for a while, with very good reason; I had a successful HBAC on November 16th! So we've added another male to our family. So between the dog, my husband, and our 2 sons, there is a lot of testosterone around here :)

I was laying low for quite a while, but I did manage to sneak out to the super-convenient CVS up the street on Thanksgiving and do some money-making deals for my never-ending $25 CVS challenge.

As I was tallying up my numbers today for this post, I realized I made a mathematical error back in July. Oops! I actually have more money left than I thought! Because CVS sometimes makes mistakes on my transactions, sometimes I get refunds. They can't give you back ECB's, so they put that on a money card. If you pay out of pocket, they can give you cash(like they did on Thanksgiving when I forgot to include my $5 off coupon in my transaction - oops!). So I actually have just over $2 left! That's why it's called the never-ending CVS challenge :)

Transaction #38 (Nov. 26)
$4: 1 Degree Ultra Clear for Women deodorant
$7.99: 1 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion
$3.99: 1 St. Ives Body Wash
$2.88: 1 Colgate Total toothpaste

Used $1.50 off Colgate Total coupon
Used $1 off St Ives coupon
Used $1 off Vaseline lotion coupon
Used $5 ECB
Used $9.99 ECB
Used $.37 ECB, adjusted down

Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #39 (Nov. 26)
$6.99: 1 Bic Soleil Razor
$2.99: 1 Colgate 360 Toothbrush
$0.89: 1 small pack Reese’s PB cups
$1.59: 1 Snickers King-size Bar
$9.99: 1 Schick Quattro Razor

Used $2 Bic Soleil Razor coupon
Used $1 Colgate Toothbrush coupon
Used $2 Schick Quattro Titanium Razor or Refill coupon
Used $5 off $15 CVS coupon
Used $3 ECB
Used $7.99 ECB
Used $1.46 ECB, adjusted down

Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #40 (Dec. 21)
$5.99: 1 Nivea Body Wash
$2.88: 1 Crest Pro-health Mouthwash
$4.98: 2 ThermaCare Neck to Arm Wrap (1-ct)
$2.99: 1 Oral-B Single Manual Toothbrush
$1.69: 2 Hot Wheels Cars, $1.69 (B1G1)

Used $2/1 Nivea Women’s Body Wash coupon
Used $4 ECB
Used $8 ECB
Used $2 ECB
Used $.89 ECB
Used $1.59 ECB

Put $.05 on a gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $3.35 (transactions 21-30) + $.00 + $.00 + $.04 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.05 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $22.97

ECB's earned: $13.98 + $5 cash (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Stuff I've Gotten So Far:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 bottles Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
4 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
6 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
4 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
3 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser
1 pack Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash
1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)
1 32 ounce bottle CVS Brand Apple Juice
1 2-liter bottle Sprite
1 Revlon Nail Polish
2 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool
1 Halloween Nylon Treat Bag
1 bag Brach’s Candy Corn
1 Boston Globe
1 Boston Herald
1 Nova Max Glucose Meter
1 Gillette Fusion Razor
2 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion
1 Degree Ultra Clear for Women deodorant
1 St. Ives Body Wash
1 Bic Soleil Razor
1 Colgate 360 Toothbrush
1 small pack Reese’s PB cups
1 Snickers King-size Bar
1 Schick Quattro Razor
1 Nivea Body Wash
1 Crest Pro-health mouthwash
1 Oral-B Single Manual Toothbrush
2 Hot Wheels Cars, $1.69

Getting Some Free Gift Cards

2009-11-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

With the economy the way it is & the holidays coming quickly upon us, I've been hearing from people lately, "Who should I buy presents for & how do I afford them?"

My first suggestion is to join Swagbucks. I've got 280 something Swagbucks myself, after having recently cashed a bunch in for 2 Amazon.com gift cards, a Starbucks gift card and an iTunes gift card. If you haven't heard about Swagbucks, you need to! Basically, you log in and use their search engine (which uses Google & Ask.com) and you win Swagbucks which are redeemable for gift cards and other stuff. This is the coolest of my "free" recommendations because you are simply being rewarded for something you do anyway!

I also use Mypoints and InboxDollars. Both programs reward you for reading e-mails and then clicking on the links. The difference is that My Points pays in gift cards, whereas Inbox Dollars pays in cold, hard cash. Again, I can refer you to these programs if you'd like. You can simply click on this link for InboxDollars, but for My Points, I have to refer you via e-mail. Inbox Dollars will give you $5 just for signing up. Also, if you use credit cards, now is the time to cash in your rewards!

Also, here are some posts on how to make money on the internet, including my posts on getting a $500 Sears card & a $500 IKEA card. Believe it or not, I still have $75 on my Sears card & $375 on my IKEA card. Since I'm due to have a baby in the next few weeks, I'm not sure I'll be doing much Christmas shopping unless it's by e-card :)

The Shaw's Deals are Rolling!

2009-11-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

I went to Shaw's yesterday & today, and the deal is working!

My first transaction, I didn't get any cats going through self checkout, and the customer service person said sometimes that happens at self checkout. Thankfully, they forced the cats for me. I heard later that the Old El Paso products are NOT producing a catalina, so I think that was the real issue.

Today, I went to a different store. I did the deal 2 more times, and it worked both times! I was careful to only buy things that were clearly marked with the big, red, "Get $15" tag. The $15 tags have the UPC on them, so you can double-check.

Here are the products I bought:
8.9 oz Cheerios
Progresso Beef Broth
Progresso Traditional Soups: Italian Wedding, Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Wild Rice
Scott's Mega Roll
PB Cookie Mix
BC Cake Mix: Yellow or Devil's Food
BC Frosting: Chocolate or Vanilla

In yesterday's transaction, I spent $14.67, and got $15 back for next visit. It would have been more of a profit but I bought my son a LaraBar :) Today, I spent $26.30 and got $30 back. 6 boxes of Cheerios, 2 cartons broth, 6 cans soup, 2 cake mixes, 2 tubs frosting, 2 cookie mixes, 5 rolls of paper towels. I didn't even use that many coupons!

Hope this information helps some of you :)

So Delicious Coconut Coupons!

2009-11-06T09:44:00.001-08:00

When I was printing out some coupons for the Shaw's Deal this week, I noticed 3 So Delicious coconut product coupons are available at Coupons.com. There is alos a LaraBar coupon. Go print them out :) They're on one of the last "food" pages for me, and it allowed me to print them out twice.

Awesome Shaw's Catalina Deal This Week!

2009-11-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

Do Not Miss the deals at Shaw's this week! Spend $30 on participating products through November 11 and get a coupon for $15 off your next shopping order!

They're fofering the usual cake mixes and frostings, but also soup, broth, taco ingredients, paper towels, cereal, tea, and pasta sauce. Definitely some natural-leaning products available :)

Check out Wicked Cool Deals for coupon match-ups. HotCouponWorld is reporting that this deal is doubling & tripling - meaning you don't have to do a ton of separate transactions!

I hope to go tonight or tomorrow to try this out. Woo-hoo! Free groceries!

Update on $25 Personal CVS Challenge

2009-10-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Still pregnant (37 weeks!) and still working on my $25 personal CVS challenge. Here's the update :)

Transaction #34 (October 6)
$2.99: Colgate Total Toothpaste
$3.99: Revlon Nail Polish

Used $1.50 off Colgate Total
Used $.50 ECB
Used $4.98 ECB (adjusted down)
Broke even - no OOP

I had some ECB's I needed to use, so I went ahead and bought my newspapers with them.
Transaction #35 (October 11)
$3.98: 2 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool
$.99: 1 Halloween Nylon Treat Bag
$.44: 1 bag Brach’s Candy Corn
$3.50: 1 Boston Globe
$2.00: 1 Boston Herald

Used $9.99 ECB
Used $4.99 ECB
Used $3.00 ECB
Used $2.92 ECB (adjusted down)
Broke even - no OOP

I have more transactions that CVS royally messed up because I used a raincheck that had been filled out incorrectly, so I'm going to do my best to make sense of it here.

Transaction #36 (October 27)
$9.99: Nova Max Glucose Meter
$9.99: Gillette Fusion Razor

Used $4.00 off Gillette Fusion Razor coupon
Used $10.00 ECB
Used $3.00 ECB
Used $2.00 ECB
Used $.98 ECB (adjusted down)
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #37 (October 27)
$4.99: 1 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion

Used $1.50 off Vaseline lotion coupon
Used $3.49 ECB (adjusted down)

Broke even - no OOP

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $3.35 (transactions 21-30) + $.00 + $.00 + $.04 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $22.92

ECB's earned: $15.49 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

I still have my $2.08 left to spend, but I no longer have a profit margin. I'm OK with that because look at all the stuff I've gotten!

1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 bottles Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
4 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
5 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
3 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser
1 pack Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash
1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)
1 32 ounce bottle CVS Brand Apple Juice
1 2-liter bottle Sprite
1 Revlon Nail Polish
2 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool
1 Halloween Nylon Treat Bag
1 bag Brach’s Candy Corn
1 Boston Globe
1 Boston Herald
1 Nova Max Glucose Meter
1 Gillette Fusion Razor
1 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion

Close to Wrapping Up My CVS Challenge

2009-09-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

I only have $2.08 left to spend in my $25 personal CVS challenge! In aniticipation of wrapping this up, I've actually been letting the CVS cashiers adjust my ECB's down. I've only lost pennies here & there, but I'm trying to maximize the ECB's I do have. Because of this, my profit margin has decreased. Plus, my transaction today cost $3.80 (the balance when figuring in coupons & ECB's spent versus earned), but it was stuff I needed for after the new baby comes.

In other great news, a brand new CVS opened just a few blocks from my house!! They sent out some coupons, which I used in Transaction #33 below. It's quite large and has a different set-up than I'm used to, but I couldn't be more excited!

That said, here's what I've been up to:

Transaction #28 (September 11)
$6.99: Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
$6.98: 1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste, and 1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash

Used $3/1 Schick Disposable Razor
Used $1.98 ECB
Used $3.98 ECB
Used $3.98 ECB
Used $6.99 ECB
Put $.04 on a gift card

Transaction #29 (September 14)
$4.99: 1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
$2.99: 1 Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste

Used $1.50 off Colgate coupon
Used $1.98 ECB
Used $3.79 ECB
Put $.75 on a gift card

Transaction #30 (September 21)
$5.98: 2 Dry Idea roll-ons

Used 2 $2.00 off Dry Idea roll-on coupon
Used $1.98 ECB
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #31 (September 21)
$2.99: 1 Dry Idea roll-on

Used $.99 ECB
Used $2.00 ECB
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #32 (September 29)
$10: 1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
$6: 1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
$1: 1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
$8: 2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)

Used $1.00 off Duracell multi-pack coupon
Used $1.00 off Bounce multi-pack coupon
Used $.20 off Dawn coupon
Used $1.50 off Bounce Dryer Bar coupon
Used $2.50 off Bounce Dryer Bar coupon
Used $5/$20 coupon (for giving CVS my e-mail address)
Used $1.00 ECB
Used $1.81 ECB
Used $6.99 ECB
Used $4.00 ECB
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #33 (September 29)
$2.99: CVS Brand Apple Juice
$1.99: 1 2-liter bottle Sprite
$.05: bottle deposit

Used $1.99 off Srpite
Used $3 off any CVS product

Put $.04 on gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $.07 + $.66 + $.00 + $.06 + $.00 + $.92 + $.85 + $.04 + $.75 + $.00 + $.00 + $.00 + $.04 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $22.92

ECB's earned: $25.99 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $2.23 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 bottles Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
4 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
4 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
3 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser
1 pack Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste
1 Crest with Scope Outlast Mouthwash
1 Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot (2-pk.)
1 Duracell AA (16-pk.)
1 Bounty Basic 6 Big Rolls
1 Dawn (10.3-oz.)
2 Bounce Dryer Bar (1-ct.)
1 32 ounce bottle CVS Brand Apple Juice
1 2-liter bottle Sprite

More CVS: $25 Personal CVS Challenge

2009-09-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

I am close to coming to the end of my $25 CVS challenge! It's been over 7 months, and I've acquired a whole lot of stuff: 142 items so far! I've spent $22.09, leaving me $2.91 to spend in addition to the $32.67 in ECB's I have.

Here are my last few transactions:

Transaction #21 (July 27)
$.13: 1 Cow tale candy
$1.98: 2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
$1.98: 2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
$.99: 1 Caliber Index Card Case
$.99: 1 Caliber Sticky Notes

Used $6.00 ECB
Put $.07 on a gift card

Transaction #22 (August 2)
$7.99: 1 Blink Tears eye drops
$10.00: 2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)

Used BOGO free Stayfree
Used $1.50 off Blink Tears eye drops

Used $.99, $4.00 & $5.98 ECB's
Put $.66 on a gift card

Transaction #23 (August 2)
$1.98: 2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
$1.98: 2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
$3.00: 2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
$1.98: 2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
$1.98: 2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
$2.59: 1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL

Used $1.98, $4.96, & $3.98 ECB's
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #24 (August 11)
$9.99: 1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup

Used $1.98, $1.98, $1.98, $2.00, & $.99 ECB's
Used $1 off Revlon coupon
Put $.06 on a gift card

Transaction #25 (August 16)
$1.98: 2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
$1.98: 2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
$3.98: 2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
$3.98: 2 Caliber Recycled School Box
$6.99: 1 Philips Earhook Headphones

Used $.93, $7.99 & $9.99 ECB's
Broke even - no OOP

Transaction #26 (August 24)
$1.98: 2 Caliber Composition Books
$3.79: 1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
$.99: 1 Tot Stapler

Used $1.89 & $3.00 ECB's
Used $1 off Carefree coupon
Put $.92 on a gift card

Transaction #27 (August 31)
$3.75: 3 Larabars
$6.99: 1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser

Used 4 $1.98 ECB's
Used $2 off Glade Reed Diffuser coupon
Put $.85 on a gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $15.91 (transactions 11-20) + $.07 + $.66 + $.00 + $.06 + $.00 + $.92 + $.85 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $22.09

ECB's earned: $32.67 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $9.74 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
2 Colgate Total toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons,, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Colgate Total toothpaste
1 Cow tale candy
2 Pilot Easytouch Pen, 2 Pk
2 Caliber 100-Page Composition Books
1 Caliber Index Card Case
1 Caliber Sticky Notes
1 Blink Tears eye drops
2 Stayfree Pads (28-48 ct.)
2 Caliber Brand Pens (20-ct.)
2 Caliber pharmacy 1-Subject Notebooks
2 Caliber Compass/Protractors
2 Caliber Flexi Rulers
2 Caliber Glue Stick (3-pk.)
1 CVS Mouthwash, 250 mL
1 Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mouse Makeup
2 Paper Mate Pens, 10 pk
2 Caliber Filler Paper (150-sheets)
2 Caliber Mini Composition Notebook
2 Caliber Recycled School Box
1 Philips Earhook Headphones
2 Caliber Composition Books
1 Carefree Ultra Protection pads
1 Tot Stapler
3 Larabars
1 Glade Scented Reed Diffuser

Shaw's Deals This Week!

2009-08-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Shaw's is having a deal this week where if you purchases $25 of certain products, you get a $10 catalina off your next purchase. I went out to see if the deal works on pre-sale prices, and it does!

Here's what I got. The tuna & pizza are also free this week with coupons.

Transactions #1
$7.50: 3 boxes Rice Krispies (psp $4.49)
$7.50: 3 boxes Frosted Mini-Wheats (psp $4.29)

Used 1 $1.50 off coupon 2 boxes Frosted Mini-Wheats (printable)
Used 3 $1.00 off 1 box Rice Krispies coupons (Vocalpoint)

Out-of-pocket: $10.50
Catalinas received: $10.00

Transactions #2
$7.50: 3 boxes Rice Krispies (psp $4.49)
$7.50: 3 boxes Frosted Mini-Wheats (psp $4.29)
$2.00: 2 Tony's Pizza For One
$2.00: 2 Bumble Bee Premium Chunk Light Tuna pouches

Used 1 $1.50 off coupon 2 boxes Frosted Mini-Wheats (printable)
Used 2 $1.00 off 1 box Rice Krispies coupon (Vocalpoint mailer)
Used 1 free 1 box Rice Krispies coupon (Vocalpoint mailer)
Used 2 $.50 off Tony's Pizza For One coupons (doubled) (6/7 MartSource insert)
Used 2 $1.00 off Bumble Bee Premium Tuna coupons (6/14 Smartsource insert)

Cashed in $5 catalina from deal 2 weeks ago (I don't count this toward overall out-of-pocket since it was part of another deal)

Out-of-pocket: $4.00
Catalinas received: $10.00

Total overall out-of-pocket cost = -$.50!

Yes, that's a negative, people!

There is a lot of other stuff that's on sale this week, but I had some good coupons for this stuff and didn't really need any of the other items. Check out HotCouponWorld for more details!

More CVS School Supplies!

2009-08-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

What's up with all the 3-day school supply sales? I shouldn't complain, as I'm reaping the benefits and rolling my ECB's without any trouble! Another one starts tomorrow, so be sure to check out the details :)

Here are some highlights:

Caliber or CVS Brand Pens (20-ct.) or Wooden Pencils (10-ct.), $.99
Get $0.99 ECBs (limit 2) = FREE after ECBs!

Caliber or It’s Academic Book Covers, $0.99
Get $0.99 ECBs (limit 2) = FREE after ECBs!

Caliber or CVS pharmacy 1-Subject Notebook, $0.99
Get $0.99 ECBs (limit 2) = FREE after ECBs!

Poly Portfolio, $0.49
Get $0.49 ECBs (limit 2) = FREE after ECBs!

Coconut Product Coupons!

2009-08-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

You guys REALLY need to get over to Coupons.com, click on "Foods" and scroll through. You will find 3 great So Delicious coconut product coupons (on page 6 for me!), which Coupons.com has let me print 4 times so far!

Quick!

Four More CVS Transactions

2009-07-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've done 4 more transactions for my personal CVS challenge based on all the school supply sales of the past 3 weeks.

Transaction #17 (July 19)
$1.98: 2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
$1.98: 2 memo books

Used 2 $1.98 ECB's - broke even

Transaction #18 (July 20)
$3.98: 2 Pencil packs, 24-count

Used 2 $1.98 ECB's

Put $.02 on a gift card

Transaction #19 (July 20)
$4.00: 2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets

Used $1.00 ECB
Used $2.97 ECB

Put $.03 on a gift card

Transaction #20 (July 26)
$1.89: 1 CVS Tampons,, 10-ct
$1.98: 2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
$0.99: 1 Pencil Case
$2.88: 1 Colgate Total toothpaste

Used $1.50 off Colgate coupon
Used $6.00 ECB

Put $.25 on gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $.97 + $1.78 + $2.59 + $0 + $4.11 + $6.16 + $0.00 + $.02 + $.03 + $.25 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $19.53

ECB's earned: $28.80 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $8.43 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
2 Colgate Total toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis
2 Papermate Pen, 10-ct
2 Pencil packs, 24-count
2 Filler Paper packs, 150 sheets
1 CVS Tampons,, 10-ct
2 Composition Books, 100 sheets
1 Pencil Case
1 Colgate Total toothpaste

CVS: More School Supplies!

2009-07-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

CVS is having another 3-day sale on school supplies, many of which are once again free after ECB! Colgate is also on sale. The sale ends Tuesday night at closing, so be sure to head on over! They were out of a number of things when I visited one location, but I found enough stuff that I spent a $6 ECB. Also, you can get rain checks, even on 3-day, Free-after-ECB items, and they do not expire!

Today's CVS Challenge Purchases

2009-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

The CVS school supply sale that I took advantage of today is great! I was a bit concerned after my last transaction because I walked away with a $16 ECB & a $4.98 ECB. Big ECB's can be hard to spend! But I got my money's worth today, and ended up with much smaller ECB's - and a lot of them!

Transactions #16 (July 12)
$1.98: 2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
$1.98: 2 12″ Wood Rulers
$1.98: 2 School Glue
$5.98: 2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
$2.98: 3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
$7.98: 2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
$7.98: 2 Tylenol Arthritis (20-24 ct.) with coupons, MONEY MAKER!

Used $4.98 ECB
Used $16.00 ECB
Used 2 $2.00 off Tylenol coupons from 5-17-09 Red Plum circular

Put $6.16 on gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $.97 + $1.78 + $2.59 + $0 + $4.11 + $6.16 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $19.23

ECB's earned: $26.98 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $6.91 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
2 Colgate Total toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads
2 Caliber 1-Subject Notebooks
2 12″ Wood Rulers
2 School Glue
2 5″ Pointed Tip Scissors
3 Paper Mate Grip Pens (8-ct.)
2 CVS 5-Subject Notebook
2 Tylenol Arthritis

CVS School Supply Sale!

2009-07-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up that CVS is having a 3-day sale on school supplies, many of which are free after ECB! Notebooks, rulers, pens, glue, scissors - I went tonight and found everything I wanted.

Deal Seeking Mom has all the details. It ends Tuesday, so be sure to head out soon!

CVS Challenge, Continued

2009-07-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more CVS transactions. I have about $12 left to spend.

Transaction #14 (June 8)
$8.99: 1 Pampers Cruisers packages

Used $1.00 off Pampers coupon (adjusted down to 99 cents)
Used $3.00 ECB
Used $5.00 ECB

Balance was $.00.

Transaction #15 (June 27)
$16.00: 16 SoyJoy Bars
$4.98: 2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
$9.98: 2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads

Used 2 $4 off Always Coupon
Used 2 B1G1 SoyJoy bars coupon
Used $2 off 10 SoyJoy bars

Used $7.98 ECB
Used $2.00 ECB
Used $5.00 ECB

Put $4.11 on a gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $.97 + $1.78 + $2.59 + $0 + $4.11 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $13.07

ECB's earned: $20.98 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $7.07 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
2 Colgate Total toothpaste
2 Mennon Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Pampers Cruisers packages
16 SoyJoy Bars
2 Thermacare Heat Wraps, 1 ct boxes
2 Always Infinity 32 & 36 ct maxipads

News - I'm Pregnant :)

2009-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that I've not been as active on this blog in the past - say - 4 months. There's a very good reason for that.

I'm about 5 months pregnant. With our 2nd son.

So that's the big news :) I'll still continue working on my 2 challenges & updating you on those, as well as various deals as they come up. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon :)

Making Money on the Internet

2009-07-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in central Vermont, on a family vacation, and not doing much frugal shopping. I am, however, contemplating how I will use my $500 IKEA card!

Speaking of gift cards, you don't have to sign up for offers and spend money to get gift cards. You can get them for free! Have you joined Swagbucks yet? I've got 200 something Swagbucks myself, after havig recently cashed a bunch in fr gift cards. If you haven't heard about Swagbucks, you need to! Basically, you log in and use their search engine (which uses Google & Ask.com) and you win Swagbucks which are redeemable for gift cards and other stuff. This is the coolest of my "free" recommendations because you are simply being rewarded for something you do anyway! If you want to be referred, simply click on this link and I think I get some referral credit :) I tried 2 other search engine reward programs that I didn't like at all. Swagbucks is definitely the way to go, especially since there is no special toolbar you need to download.

I also use Mypoints and InboxDollars. Both programs reward you for reading e-mails and then clicking on the links. The difference is that My Points pays in gift cards, whereas Inbox Dollars pays in cold, hard cash. Again, I can refer you to these programs if you'd like. You can simply click on this link for InboxDollars, but for My Points, I have to refer you via e-mail. Inbox Dollars will give you $5 just for signing up.

My IKEA Card Arrived!!!

2009-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

My IKEA card is here! That was SO fast! 5 weeks and 1 day from the day I started the deal, and only 2 weeks since they received my paperwork and I was approved! And yes - I called to verify the balance :)

Want to do your own gift card deal? Read my journey from end to beginning here.

My $500 IKEA Gift Card Was Approved!

2009-06-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm 6-8 weeks from a $500 IKEA gift card! I checked my status this afternoon and found this message:

You have been approved by the sponsor(s). Your redemption certificate was processed on Jun 9 2009 12:04PM. Your free gift will be mailed out within 6 to 8 weeks of the processing date.

-- Thank you.

Woo-hoo! That was fast :) To read my 1st update, click here. Also, if you want to do your own gift card deal, I suggest surfing over to MoneySavingMethods.com to read more about it.

$500 IKEA Gift Card Challenge, Update 2

2009-05-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here's another update on my $500 gift card challenge.

Since May 24th, I've been waiting...and waiting.....and waiting for my Platinum offers to approve (to read my 1st update, click here). I was starting to get pretty discouraged! Carrie over at MoneySavingMethods.com said generally, the offers approve in 10 day cycles, so by the 11th day, the offers that are going to be approved should have been approved. Well, yesterday was the 11th day, and nothing else approved. 2 of the offers that had not yet approved were ones I had to cancel early, and I wondered if that affected the status. So I surfed through some of the other offers to see if I could do a couple more, but none of them looked appealing and all of them required mailing something back after the trial period (and I would have had to pay for the initial shipping & handling). Whatever is sent back should be sent with delivery confirmation (thus needing to be sent priority mail), and since the postal rates went up again recently, I decided to wait a few more days, lest I spend extra money that I didn't need to spend.

I woke up this morning, checked my status, and all 4 of my outstanding offers approved!! Woo-hoo!

I printed out the necessary forms and mailed them off this morning. So far, I have spent $58.60. I will have to mail one other thing back, and possibly more if I didn't read the fine print correctly. Now, I wait and see how long it takes to get the gift card :)

CVS Personal Challenge Update

2009-05-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

My goodness! Every time I go to CVS lately, they are out of everything I want. I went Monday & found nothing. I went again today, just praying they restocked because I had 2 expiring ECB's - and I found most of what I wanted. So I was thankful for that.

Because of the CVS drought and my life being busy, I let 2 ECB'sexpire at the beginning of May :( But my experiment proves you can bea CVS slacker and still score lots of nearly free stuff!

Transaction #12 (from May 9)
$6.67: 2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
$3.34: 1 box Frosted Flakes
$3.99: 1 Adidas A3 Deodorant

Used $1 off Adidas Coupon
Used B1G1 Frosted Mini-wheats coupon in Vocalpoint mailer
Used $2.89 ECB
Used $4.00 ECB
Used $1.00 ECB

Put $1.78 on a gift card

Transaction #13
$7.98: 2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
$2.99: 1 Colgate Total toothpaste

Used $1.50 off Colgate coupon (internet coupon from a while ago)
Used $2.00 ECB
Used $5.00 ECB

Put $2.59 on a gift card

Total spent so far: $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $.97 + $1.78 + $2.59 - $10 rebate - $7.99 rebate = $8.96

ECB's earned: $17.98 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $8.18 (minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner
2 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats
1 box Frosted Flakes
1 Adidas A3 Deodorant
2 Speed Stick Pro deodorants
1 Colgate Total toothpaste

$500 IKEA Gift Card Challenge, Update 1

2009-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

I said in my last entry that I'd be updating you as I work on earning a $500 IKEA gift card. I'll be documenting my time spent on the deal, as well as money spent on the deal.

I began the deal at 9:15 PM on May 19th. It took me about 40 minutes to pick 8 offers (2 "Silver" offers , 2 "Gold" offers , and 4 "Platinum" offers) that I wanted to try (for a fuller explanation, see this entry). I was careful to read the fine print (how long is this "free" trial? what is the true cost? do I have to send the product back if I cancel my membership?), so that I could try and spend the least amount of money, and not have to send a lot of stuff back. I e-mailed myself the terms to each of the offers, clumping them together by offer type (Silver, Gold, and Platinum), so it was only 3 e-mails and not 8. Then I e-mailed myself the terms of the overall gift card deal, as well as the link to check to see if my offers were approved.

Then I spent about 15 minutes, reading through the deals again and getting myself organized. I set up a daily reminder in my Gmail calendar, reminding me every morning to check the status of the various offers. Thankfully, I-deal, the company who organizes these deals, makes it easy to check; simply go to the web page, enter your e-mail address, and they show you a list, saying whether the offer is approved or pending. I also included in my calendar reminder the date I need to cancel each of the offers, in chronological order. Some of them are "free" for 7-10 days; others are "free" up to a month. I wanted to be really organized so I wasn't having to search through all of my e-mails every day to remind myself which ones to cancel.

By the next morning (May 20th), both silver offers were approved. On May 23rd, both gold offers were approved. As of now, none of the platinum offers have approved.

Today, May 24th, I called to cancel 2 offers that only had a 7 day trial. One of these offers has not yet been approved; this will be a test to see whether or not it still goes through, or if I have to do another offer. This particular one was $1 for 7 days, but then it costs $24.95. It's not worth the additional cost.

So far, I have spent $36.17. I will have at least 1 more charge, plus return postage, as 2 of the products need to be mailed back. This isn't too bad, as last time I spent over $70, just for the initial costs.

For more information on how I started doing these deals and what I've learned so far, go to this entry about my $500 Sears gift card.

CVS & Another $500 Gift Card

2009-05-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends! I've been busy. I have 1 CVS transaction that I still need to post toward my CVS challenge. I went again earlier this week, but they didn't have anything I wanted. Bummer!

The big news is that I started another deal for a $500 gift card last night. This one is for a gift card to IKEA! Sometimes the company opts to send you a check or a general Visa card, but since I used the same company that sent me the $500 Sears card, I imagine I will get the IKEA card.

I'll be documenting this journey as well for those of you who are considering doing one of these deals. Stay tuned!

Walk For Hunger

2009-05-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, May 3, the Simonds' family will be participating in Project Bread's 2009 Walk for Hunger.

Why are we walking? Because many Massachusetts families are seeing their monthly income stretched beyond capacity. They are forced to go without food in order to pay their rent, utility, and medical bills. The demand for emergency food has never been greater with pantries and meal programs supported by Project Bread serving 43.4 million meals last year alone. Hunger is not just an urban problem — it exists in nearly every community throughout the state.
The money that we raise by walking as much as we can of the 20-mile route will directly help hungry people. Since we will have Bear was us, we are aiming for 5-10 miles. Funds raised through the Walk support more than 400 emergency food programs in 128 communities statewide.

Please donate to our walk to help us make a difference and reach our family fundraising goal. Thank you for your support of us and of hungry people.

About Project BreadAs the state’s leading antihunger organization, Project Bread is dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts. In addition to organizing the annual Walk for Hunger and supporting emergency food programs statewide, Project Bread also advocates systematic solutions that prevent hunger in children and that provide food to families in everyday settings.

CVS Transaction #11

2009-04-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

I did another CVS transaction this week, counting toward my personal $25 CVS challenge.

Transaction #11
$15.00: 6 3M Hooks
$2.99: Garnier Fructis Conditioner

Used $1 off Fructis Coupon (from tearpad, but they're also in 1/4 insert)
Used 5 $2.50 off 3M Metal hooks printable coupons
Used $1.99 ECB
Used $1.58 ECB
Used $1.00 ECB (my "cash back" from last quarter)

Put $.97 on a gift card

Earned $7.00 in ECB's

Total spent so far (I changed the format of this so it's more clear): $21.61 (transactions 1-10) + $.97 = $22.58
ECB's earned: $21.36 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)
Profit: $16.77 (includes $10 rebate & $7.99 rebate, minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I've gotten:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream
6 3M Hooks
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner

CVS Money Maker: 3M Metal Hooks

2009-04-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

I went to CVS yesterday to continue my personal CVS challenge (will post my transaction later), and to get me some free hooks!

Right now, if you buy $15 in certain 3M products, you get a $5 ECB back!

Here’s the deal:
Buy 6 Command Metal Hooks at $2.50 each
Use 6 $2.50/1 printable coupons
Receive $5 ECBs

My CVS only had 5 metal hooks, so I bought a different type of hook and only made $2.50. Still, even if you can only find 4 metal hooks, you're breaking even and getting some hooks out of the deal! Or you can use one of the other coupons on a product that fits the deal.

CVS Challenge, More Transactions

2009-04-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm still here! My son has been sick for over 2 weeks, and that certainly put a damper on my shopping. I also haven't gotten any of my rebate checks in the mail yet, so my balance is running low and I'm only trying to snag the best deals. But I have 2 old transactions to post, plus one I did yesterday. I'll update the totals at the end of all 3 transactions.

So here goes:
Transactions #8 (of my CVS challenge)
$1.99: Paas Egg Dyeing Kit

Used $2 ECB

OOP after tax & ECB's: $0
ECB's earned this transaction: $1.99

Transactions #9
$1.58: 2 bags Easter Grass
$3.98: 2 Easter baskets
$3.49: Skintimate Shaving Cream

Used $3.49 ECB
Used $5.00 ECB

OOP after tax & ECB's: $.59
ECB's earned this transaction: $9.05

Transactions #10
$5.76: 2 Crest Pro-health Toothpastes
$2.89: 1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream

Used 2 $1 off Crest Coupons (3/15 or 4/5 P&G insert)
Used $3.49 ECB
Used $3.00 ECB

OOP after tax & ECB's: $.17
ECB's earned this transaction: $8.65

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 + $8.67 + $1.05 + $1.01 + $.27 + $2.16 +$0 + $.59 +$.17 = $21.61
ECB's earned: $17.93 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)
Profit: $13.47 (includes $10 rebate & $7.99 rebate, minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I got:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
1 Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
4 Crest ProHealth toothpastes
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum
1 Paas Egg Dyeing Kit
2 bags Easter Grass
2 Easter baskets
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream
1 Edge Infused Shaving Cream

Getting Free Gift Cards

2009-03-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

I used my $500 Sears card today to buy a 7 quart crockpot for $24.99! I'm so excited! It's at the store, waiting for me to get it. If you factor in how much I had to spend in order to get that $500 Sears card, I really only paid like $5!

Speaking of free gift cards, have you joined Swagbucks yet? I've got 271 Swagbucks myself, just waiting to be cashed in. That could get me a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, or Target. If you haven't heard about Swagbucks, you need to! Basically, you log in and use their search engine (which uses Google & Ask.com) and you win Swagbucks which are redeemable for gift cards and other stuff. This is the coolest of my "free" recommendations because you are simply being rewarded for something you do anyway! If you want to be referred, simply click on this link and I think I get some referral credit :) I tried 2 other search engine reward programs that I didn't like at all. Swagbucks is definitely the way to go, especially since there is no special toolbar you need to download.

I also use Mypoints and InboxDollars. I've got over 3000 MyPoints (also worth various $20 gift cards!). Both programs reward you for reading e-mails and then clicking on the links. The difference is that My Points pays in gift cards, whereas Inbox Dollars pays in cold, hard cash. Again, I can refer you to these programs if you'd like. You can simply click on this link for InboxDollars, but for My Points, I have to refer you via e-mail. Inbox Dollars will give you $5 just for signing up.

More CVS

2009-03-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Good news! The free Crest toothpaste deal for this week appears to have a limit of 2, not 1! I bought one earlier in the week, and it didn't say "Limit Reached" on my receipt. So I got another one today, and received another ECB! Now it says "Limit Reached", so the limit seems to be 2.

Transaction #7
$3.49: Crest ProHealth Enamel Care toothpaste
$4.79: Post Trail Mix cereal, 2 boxes (buy one, get one free)
$12.87: St. Ives Facial Scrub, 3 tubes
$2.38: Doublemint gum, 2 slimpacks
$1.19: Wrigley's Spearmint, 1 slimpack

Used $1 off Crest coupon from 3/1 P&G insert
Used 3 $1 off St. Ives Facial Scrub from 3/8 SS insert
Used $2 off Post Trail Mix cereal printable
Used 3 Free slimpack gum coupons from 3/15 SS insert

Used $5 off $15 CVS coupon
Used $5 ECB
Used $2.99 ECB

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $2.16

ECB's earned this transaction: $8.49

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 + $8.67 + $1.05 + $1.01 + $.27 + $2.16 = $20.85
ECB's earned: $16.98 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $13.28 (includes $10 rebate & $7.99 rebate, minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I got:1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
Extreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
2 Crest ProHealth Enamel Care toothpaste
4 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack
3 packs gum

Hopefully, my $10 rebate will come soon! Otherwise, I might use up the money on my gift card.

CVS Challenge Continued

2009-03-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

I went to CVS on Tuesday to pick up the free Crest toothpaste, only to discover that I had $12 in ECB's, ready to expire the next day.

Oh, no! ECB emergency!

So I went home to gather my thoughts & figure out the best way to spend those ECB's. So here's Transaction #6 from yesterday:
$8.99: Schick Intuition Plus razor
$14.99: Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
$3.49: Crest ProHealth Enamel Care toothpaste
$4.79: Post Trail Mix cereal, 2 boxes (buy one, get one free)
$7.99: Ensure 6 pack

Used $4 off Schick razor coupon from 3/22 Smart Source insert
Used $3 off Ensure coupon printable
Used $1 off Crest coupon from 3/15 P&G insert
Used $2 off Post Trail Mix cereal printable
Used up to $30 off Bayer Contour Meter from 10/26 RP, 2/01 RP or 3/22 SS insert ($14.99 in this case)
Used $4 ECB
Used $8 ECB
Used $2.99 ECB

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $.27

ECB's earned this transaction: $6.49
Will also get $7.99 rebate for Ensure

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 + $8.67 + $1.05 + $1.01 + $.27 = $18.69
ECB's earned: $16.48 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)
Profit: $14.94 (includes $10 rebate & $7.99 rebate, minus 2 42 cent stamps)

Stuff I got:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist MouthwashExtreme Energy Shots
1 Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
1 Maybelline Dream foundation
1 Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
1 Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
1 Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
1 CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct
1 Schick Intuition Plus razor
1 Bayer Contour blood sugar meter
1 Crest ProHealth Enamel Care toothpaste
2 boxes Post Trail Mix cereal
1 Ensure 6 pack

I also got a $5 off $15 coupon that expires on Saturday. I may take advantage of the St. Ives deal and buy some more cereal!

CVS & Walgreens Runs

2009-03-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today, I hit Walgreens for a few deals and to cash in one of my register rewards from the Huggies deal last week.

I also went to CVS to continue gathering purchasing for my $25 CVS challenge. I honestly haven't been to CVS in several weeks. I got my newspapers at Shaw's last week, cashing in some of my $88 in catalinas (I found another one hiding in my wallet!), so I didn't even hit CVS for that. But I stopped by CVS because there were a few good deals this week.

I almost forgot to add this transaction from February 28th! Here's what I picked up in transaction #4 of my $25 CVS challenge:
$7.50: 2 bottles Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
$9.49: Maybelline Dream foundation

Used $2/1 Maybelline coupon from 2/8 insert
Used $3 off Maybelline CVS coupon from mailer (it pays to give them your address!)
Used $4 off 2 Mylanta coupon from 1/4 insert
Used $2 ECB
Used $4.99 ECB

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $1.05
ECB's earned: $11.00

Transaction #5 from today:
$4.99: Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz. (this deal ended Tuesday, but I forgot and bought it. Since the tags were still up, the very nice cashier force-printed a $5 ECB for me!)
$2.99: Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
$2.99: Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
$2.99: CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct

Used $2/1 Dry Idea roll-on coupon here
Used $5 ECB
Used $6 ECB

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $1.01
ECB's earned: $12.98

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 + $8.67 + $1.05 + $1.01 = $18.42
ECB's earned: $24.98 (This does not include the ones I cashed in)
Profit: $16.56 (includes $10 rebate, minus 42 cent stamp)

Stuff I got:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
3 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
Extreme Energy Shots
Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit
Maybelline Dream foundation
Irish Spring Body Wash 15-18 oz.
Dry Idea roll-on deodorant
Colgate Maxwhite toothpaste
CVS Vitamin D 400 iu, 100 ct

$86 in Catalinas

2009-03-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

I did quite well at Shaw's this week. I did the Kraft deal 4 or 5 times. Then, I discovered over at HotCouponWorld a hidden Crystal Light deal: buy Crystal Light On-the-go packets at 3/$1, and get a $2 catalina toward your next purchase! I bought 36 at the regulaer check-out, and then did several transactions, buying 6 at a time, and paying with a $2 catalina. That worked out well because I didn't have to pay any money out of pocket!

Shaw's discovered that this was going on and limited it so that you could only get 1 catalina at a time. So yesterday, Bear & I went to 2 stores, buying 3 packets per transaction. This meant I did have to pay $1 out of pocket for each transaction in order to get my $2 catalina.

There are some issues with the freezer coupoon book as well. First of all, the Hood frozen yogurt coupon expired in May, 2008. Originally, the manager said they would still take them, but they didn't have any frozen yogurt. Almost every store is cleaned out. I went to another store that said the coupon was not meant to be printed and was not redeemable. I had to go back to yet different store to get a refund on the Planter's Trail Mix since I was overcharged. They had a sign up saying the coupon should read 5/31/09, but they were out of the item anyways. And then I went to a completely different Shaw's that I had never been to. They are honoring this coupon, and they had tons of frozen yogurt. At this point, my freezer is super-full, and I can't eat dairy, so I only got 2 containers.

The second issue is that many stores are completely cleaned out of the products that are free. I was able to get some veggies and bagels, but no corn on the cob anywhere. Thankfully, the coupons are good until 4/2, so hopefully I can score some corn - that is, once I eat some of the food in my freezer :)

As a result, I have $86 in catalinas that I need to spend in less than 2 weeks. I also have a very full freezer, as yesterday I went to Stop & Shop and bought 10 10-ounce bags of spinach (along with 3 pounds of strawberries and some sale apples); they were on sale for 99 cent a piece, and I couldn't resist stocking up on spinach for my green smoothies. So I see a lot of canned goods and lots of dehydrating in my future!

More Shaws Freebies

2009-03-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Shaws has a coupon book available called "Cool Savings"; they had them at customer service, though at HotCouponWorld, it's been reported that they are on display at the freezer section and at other places throughout the store. There are lots of $1 off coupons, but also coupons for free frozen yogurt (this coupon is expired, but the booklet is new, and the manager said they would still take it), free bagels, free veggies, free pie crust, and free frozen lemonade. Some coupons are store coupons (which can be combined with manufacturer's coupons), and some are manufacturer's coupons.

There were plenty of booklets there, so I asked if I could take a few :) Make sure to grab some when you're doing your catalina deals this week!

One More Shaw's Run!

2009-03-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

My husband had a meeting in the heart of the city, so I went to a different Shaw's to score some more deals.

Here's Transaction #3: (I'll put the shelf prices in parentheses):
1 Starkist Albacore Tuna Pouches ($2.19 each): $1.67
3 box South Beach Peanut Butter Cereal Bars ($3.79): $2.50
1 box Kraft Bagelfuls ($2.50): $2
1 pouch Planter's Trail Mix ($2.19): $1.25 (more on this later)
2 Jell-o Pudding 6-packs ($3.99): $6 ($3 each)

Coupons used:
1 $1 off 1 Starkist Creation pouch, ALL YOU March?
3 $1 off 1 SB Cereal bars coupon, Smart Source 2/8 insert
1 $1 0ff Bagelfuls printable
2 $.60 off 1 Jell-o Pudding printable (doubled!)

Total shelf cost: $26.23, $18.42 sale price total
Minus $7.40 coupons equals: $11.02
Received $10 catalina, Cashed in a $10 catalina
True cost: $1.02

My Planters trail mix rang up as $2.19, not $1.25 as it should have, but since I was in a self check-out lane, I went to customer service to get the difference refunded. Check your receipts! It rang up incorrectly both times.

Shaws Deal: $10 off next order

2009-03-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Shaw's is doing another one of their catalina deals: save $10 off your next order when you buy $25 participating products. The deal runs from 3/1/09 to 3/14/09 and is based on shelf prices. You can roll the catalinas, meaning if you do one transaction and get a $10 catalina, you can use it on transaction #2 and still get another catalina. There are also quite a few freebies (and cheapies!) available this week.

I went & did 2 transactions this morning. The 1st was just products from the promotion. The 2nd was more as I was trying to use the 97 cent Cheerios coupon, as well as the fact that I just needed lots of stuff :)

Here's Transaction #1: (I'll put the shelf prices in parentheses):
1 box Wheat Thins ($3.29): $2.50
3 boxes Triscuits ($3.29 each): $7.50 for 3
3 Starkist Albacore Tuna Pouches ($2.19 each): $5 (3 for $5)
1 box South Beach Peanut Butter Cereal Bars ($3.79): $2.50
1 box Kraft Bagelfuls ($2.50): $2

Coupons used:
2 $2 off 2 boxes Nabisco crackers coupon, Smart Source 1/25 insert
1 Buy 2, Get one Starkist pouch free coupon, Red Plum 2/22 insert
1 $1 off 1 SB Cereal bars coupon, Smart Source 2/8 insert
1 $1 0ff Bagelfuls printable

Total shelf cost: $26.02, $19.50 sale price total
Minus $7.67 coupons equals: $11.83
Received $10 catalina, True cost: $1.83

I'm not going to type out all the details of what I got in this transaction - just the freebies and the products that go toward the catalina - but here's a summary of the rest. I got bananas, brocolli (on sale 99 cents/lb), sliced turkey breast ($1 off coupon, on sale $4.99/lb), 12 cans Del Monte tomatoes (10 for $10, used $1 off 12 coupon from 2/8 Red Plum), 4 cans No Salt Del Monte Tomatoes (10 for $10, used $1 off 2 coupon from 2/8 Red Plum - 50 cents a can!), 2 Tropicana OJ's (2/$6, used $1 off 2 coupon from 1/4 Red Plum #2), and one box of Cheerios, 14 oz ($3, used 55 cent printable which doubled, used store coupon from circular "97 cent Cheerios if you spend $25 after all coupons and discounts", including cashed in catalina from previous transactions - Cheerios money maker!), and then the freebies and catalina stuff:

Transaction #2 Freebies & Money Makers!
3 Quaker Snacks 3.08-4 oz: $1 each
2 Frank's RedHot Sauce: $1.29 each
8 pouches Carolina rice mix: 3 for $2

Coupons used for those products:
3 $1 off 1 Quaker snacks coupon (making them free!), 1/18 Red Plim insert
2 Free up to $1.29 Frank's RedHot coupon, 3/1 Smart Source insert
$1 off Shaws coupon Frank's RedHot ($1 money maker!)
4 $.75 off 2 Carolina rice mix which doubled ($.66 money maker!)

Toward catalina:
2 boxes Triscuits ($3.29 each): $5 for 2
6 Starkist Albacore Tuna Pouches ($2.19 each): $10 (3 for $5)
1 loaf Arnold Whole Grain Classics Bread ($3.99): $2.50
1 Planter's Trail Mix ($2.19): $1.75

Coupons used:
1 $2 off 2 boxes Nabisco crackers coupon, Smart Source 1/25 insert
2 Buy 2, Get one Starkist pouch free coupon, Red Plum 2/22 insert
1 $1 off Arnold's Bread coupon, ALL YOU March magazine

Total shelf cost: $25.90, $19.25 sale price total
Minus $5.34 coupons equals: $13.91
Received $10 catalina, True cost: $3.91 for promotional stuff

Here are the products included in the catalina promotion. Check HotCouponWorld for coupon matches.
2 for $4
Crystal Light Drink mix
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Snacks
Kraft Bagel-fuls

2 for $5
Kraft Dressing
Kraft American Cheese Singles
Oscar Mayer Deli Creations
Oscar Mayer Fast Franks
Grey Poupon Mustard
Nabisco Snack Crackers
Arnold Whole Grain Classics Bread
Kraft South Beach Living Cereal Bars
Nabisco Cakesters

2 for $6
Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip
Kraft Deli Fresh Natural Cheese Slices
DiGiorno or California Pizza for One or Flatbread Sandwiches
Claussen Pickles
Jello gelatin or pudding snacks
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Shaved Deli Meat
Oscar Mayer Fully Cooked BaconNabisco
Oreo cookies
Nabisco 100 Calorie packs granola bars
Kraft Polly-O String Cheese

3/$5
Starkist Albacore Tuna Pouch

4/$8
CapriSun or Roarin Waters Juice pouches

4/$5
Planters Trail Mix (this rang up as $1.75 for me)

10/$10
Kraft Easy Mac

Walgreens Run

2009-03-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

I went to Walgreens today and wanted to update some of the info I posted earlier in the week to reflect local inserts and prices, as some of the prices and Register Rewards were different. I also added a couple of moneymakers!

Here's what I actually picked up:
Colgate Total Toothpaste 4 oz. ($2.99)
Use $2.50/1 coupon from Easysaver Catalog
Use $1.50/1 coupon from ALL YOU March magazine or printable that's been floating around the web
$1.01 overage after coupons

Revlon Emery Boards ($1.79)
Use $1 coupon from Easysaver catalog
Use $1/1 coupon from 2/8 RP inserts
$.21 overage after coupons

Colgate Toothpaste Max Fresh or Max White, $3.29
Get $3.50 RRs
(I couldn't find a regular Colgate coupon in my 2/22 insert)
$.21 overage after RR

Blink Tears Eye Drops (0.33-0.5 oz.), $7.99
Get $8.00 in RRs
Use $2 off from Red Plum 3/1 insert
$2.01 overage after coupons

Vaseline Intensive Care Rescue Lotion, $2.84 (lotions are 25% off shelf price)
Get $2 RRs
Use $1.25/1 Vaseline Intensive Rescue Care coupon from Red Plum 1/18 insert
$.41 overage after RR & coupon

I tried to do the Nabisco cracker deal with 4 packs in one transaction, and they wouldn't take 2 coupons, so it was $1.98 for 4 packs. Maybe you'll have more success!
Nabisco Ritz Crackers (4-8 oz.), $1.99 (Buy One, Get One)
Use $2/2 Ritz, Wheat Thins or Triscuit coupon from Smart Source 1/25 insert

Even with the Ritz cracker snafu, I made $1.73 on my transactions. I also picked up the Wal-Zyr 24 hr allergy relief 5ct ($3.99) that is free after rebate this month.

Olive Juice Bags Giveaway!

2009-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

Check out this Bag-of-the-Month Giveaway from Olive Juice Bags!

Olive Juice Bags is a manufacturer of funky affordable fabric bags, all made in the USA. They are eco-friendly because the company has found a way to utilize overrun fabric and keep it from being thrown away. Repurposing the fabric means less waste in the landfills. Because of this, many of the bags are unique: five-of-a kind, two-of-a kind or even one-of-a kind.

You can enter the Bag-of-the-Month Giveaway now through August 31st, 2009 by simply blogging about the contest! For each blog entry, you will receive an entry into the contest. Remember that you need to send the link to each of your posts (maximum 1 per day) to olivejuicebags@comcast.net, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win the featured olive juice bag-of-the-month. There will be one winner per month, six total.

What a great way to get the word out about their business! If you sign up for their newsletter, you will receive discounts and special promotions.

So go over to Olive Juice Bags and check out what they have to offer!

Lots of Free-Afer-Rebate/Register Reward/ECB's This Week!

2009-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of stuff this week that's "free" after rebate, register reward & ECB's. I hit CVS yesterday, but am snowed in now, so Rite Aid & Walgreens will have to wait!

Here's some of the weekly deals I'll be picking up, or have already picked up:
Walgreens Money Makers
Colgate Toothpaste Max Fresh or Max White, $3.49
Get $3.49 RRs
Use $0.75/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Toothpaste coupon from Smart Source 2/22 insert

Blink Tears Eye Drops (0.33-0.5 oz.), $7.99
Get $7.99 in RRs
Use $2 off from Red Plum 3/1 insert

Vaseline Intensive Care Rescue Lotion, $2.69
Get $2 RRs
Use $1.50/1 Vaseline Intensive Rescue Care coupon from Red Plum 1/18 insert

Reach Toothbrush, $0.99 (w/ in-ad coupon)
$1/1 Reach Toothbrush coupon from Red Plum 2/8 insert

And a Walgreens freebie:
Nabisco Ritz Crackers (4-8 oz.), $1.99 (Buy One, Get One)
Use $2/2 Ritz, Wheat Thins or Triscuit coupon from Smart Source 1/25 insert

Rite Aid Moneymaker:
Soothe Eye Drops, $7.49
Use $3/1 Bausch & Lomb Soothe Lubricant Eye Drops coupon from Smart Source 1/18 or 2/8 insert

Rite Aid free after Single Check Rebate
Ocean Complete Nasal Rinse, $8.99
Sinus Buster Sinus & Headache or Allergy, $8.99
SnoreStop FastTabs or NasoSpray, $8.99
SnoreStop Extinguisher, $12.99
Novitra Cold Sore Treatment, $7.99

CVS free after ECB's
Act Total Care Trial Size, $0.99
Carnation Instant Breakfast, $4.99
Slimquick Energy Shot (2-pk.), $4.99

For a full look at what's available this week, check out these blogs: Rite Aid, CVS & Walgreens as well as the monthly deals: CVS & Walgreens (thanks The "Cent"sible Sawyer & Deal Seeking Mom!). I'm waiting for my Walgreens rebate in the form of a gift card to arrive, so I'm holding off on the monthly deals till then.

Free After Rebate

2009-02-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

MoneySavingMethods has highlighted some items that are free after rebate, including Sure with Natural Extracts. Many of these rebates are good until the end of 2009, so I hold on to the forms and try to combine them with a coupon or an ECB/Register Reward deal to make them money maker. Check it out!

Also, check out my Rebates 101 post for an intro to rebates.

More CVS Finds & Money Makers

2009-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today, I continued gathering purchasing for my $25 CVS challenge! This week, the Natural Dentist mouthwash is a $2 money maker after rebate, and the Renuzit TriScents is a $.51 money maker after ECB's. You can read more about this week's deals over at Common Sense with Money or Deal Finding Mom.

Transaction #3
$7.98: 2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
$19.98: 2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
$4.99: Extreme Energy Shots
$5.49: Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit

Used 2 $2 off Natural Dentist coupons
Used BOGO Stayfree coupon from 1/4 insert
Used $4 off Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit from 2/22 insert
Used $5 off $15 CVS coupon printed out on last receipt
Used $10 & $3 ECB from last transaction

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $8.67
ECB's earned: $18.99

Will also get $10 in rebate for mouthwash.

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 + $8.67 = $16.36
ECB's earned: $18.99
(This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $12.21 (includes $10 rebate, minus 42 cent stamp)

Stuff I got:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
1 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps
2 Stayfree Pads, 16 ct
2 Natural Dentist Mouthwash
Extreme Energy Shots
Renuzit TriScents Air Freshener Starter Kit

Free Kashi Entry

2009-02-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

Get a free Kashi entree! Your coupon will be mailed in 2-4 weeks.

My Shaws Adventure

2009-02-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

I finally ventured out to Shaw's this morning. I'm glad I did because I made 87 cents buying 20 cans of soup, and got some other cheap stuff as well.

Transactions #1
10 cans Healthy Choice Soup, $1 each
2 pouches Starkist creations Mango Salmon, $2 each
3 pouches Starkist light tuna in oil, $1.25 each

Used 4 $1 off tuna coupons from vocalpoint mailer
Used BOGO tuna coupon from vocalpoint mailer

Paid $12.75 OOP
Got $10 off your next purchase catalina
I was supposed to get another $1 off catalina for the tuna, but it didn't work

Transactions #2
10 Traditional Progresso Soup @ 3/$4
3 bottles spring water @ $.89 each
.55 lb Healthy Ones deli ham ($3.99/lb)
.35 lb Healthy Ones deli turkey ($5.99/lb)

Used 2 $1/4 Progresso coupons from 2/8 newspaper insert
Used 2 $1.10/1 Progresso coupons
Used 2 $.55 off Healthy Ones lunchmeat which doubled
Used $10 catalina from last purchase

Paid $3.84 OOP

So the Healthy Choice soup worked out to be free, the Progresso was a moneymaker of $.86, the 5 pouches of tuna were $2.75, and the lunch meat (almost a pound) was a little over $2 (could have been free if I bought less).

Not too bad! Most of the soup will end up at the food pantry, which is pretty cool! I could have done the Progresso deal one more time, but Bear (my son) was getting antsy. 20 cans of soup is enough :)

Why Do I Need to Buy More Than 1 Newspaper? Why I Get Multiple Copies of Coupons

2009-02-18T11:36:00.001-08:00

I recently had someone ask me why I get multiple copies of the newspaper. When I started couponing again last October, I noticed fairly quickly that many of the good deals required you buy more than just 1 of the product, therefore requiring more than one copy of the coupon. Some deals even require that you have 3 or 4 copies of the coupon. Also, when things go on sale, having multiple copies of the coupon allows you to better stockpile items. I actually buy more than 1 type of Sunday paper as well. In my town, we have 2 different papers, and they each carry slightly different coupons, so I get at least one of each.

When I began to buy more than 1 newspaper, clipping coupons became a lot more work! Now, I have a new organizational system for my coupons that doesn't require I actually cut them out of the paper. I mainly use HotCouponWorld's coupon database searching system, which is pretty thorough; they even have links to printable coupons, such as Target store-specific coupons. I also download the list of coupons from Taylortown or another source and put them into a spreadsheet, so I have that for quick reference.

Buying one newspaper is a good start; you'll pretty quickly see that it pays for itself. Buying 2 or more papers, especially on coupon-packed weeks, can really jumpstart your couponing!

My $25 Personal CVS Challenge

2009-02-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

So far, I've done 2 transactions in my $25 personal CVS challenge.

Transaction #1
$1.99: CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
$2.49: Excedrin, 10 count

I got a 40 cent discount on the aspirin because my health insurance has a deal with CVS.

Total OOP (out-of-pocket) after tax: $4.28
ECB's earned: $4.48
20 cent profit

Transaction #2
$3.75: Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
$5.98: 2 Neutrogena facial soaps

Used $2 off Mylanta coupon
Paid with $1.99 & $2.49 ECB's from transaction #1

Total OOP after tax & ECB's: $3.41
ECB's earned: $13.00

Total spent so far: $4.28 + $3.41 = $7.69
ECB's earned: $13.00
(This does not include the ones I cashed in)

Profit: $5.31

Stuff I got:
1 bottle CVS Chewable Aspirin, 36 count
1 bottle Excedrin, 10 count
1 bottle Mylanta Ultimate Strength Mint
2 Neutrogena facial soaps

CVS Money Makers This Week

2009-02-17T16:47:00.000-08:00

There are some money makers at CVS this month, and for one of them, you don't even need coupons!

Neutrogena Facial Bars:
Buy 2 at $2.99 (works on regular & fragrance-free)
Get $10 ECB's (buy 2 Neutrogena products, get $10 ECB)
$4.02 money maker!

Mylanta Ultimate Strength (Cherry or Mint):
Buy up to 5 at $3.75 each (price in Boston)
Use $2/1 printable or $4/2 Pepcid, Mylanta, Lactaid, Rolaids, or Imodium Product coupon from 1/4 Red Plum insert
Get $3 ECB back for each (these are hard to find!)
$1.25 money maker for each one!

Rite Aid Today & Tomorrow

2009-02-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

Rite Aid has some good coupons, only good tonight & tomorrow: $5 off $20 & $10 off $30. There are some free-after-rebate items that you could use this to help finance, or stock up on something you need that's on sale. Check out these suggestions from Frugal RI Mama & Southern Savers.

Shaw's Catalina Sale

2009-02-13T06:39:00.001-08:00

Shaw's is having another one of their catalina sales this week: buy 10 products, get $10 off your next purchase. Check out HotCouponWorld for details. Definitely an opportunity to stock up & maybe even make money!

Walgreens Update

2009-02-11T12:26:00.001-08:00

I went back to Walgreens to pick up another Gillette Fusion Gamer razor yesterday. I decided I would try to find some of this month's free-after-rebate stuff since I was already there. I found the contact solution, the Zucol & the Thermacare. The prices were all marked wrong on the shelf, but when I price-checked them, they were all within the range allowed by the rebates. No sign of the Revlon stuff, even though there was huge sign advertising the Revlon Age Defying Spa line in the front of the store. Bizarre.

Hotcouponworld Recommends 19 Survey Sites that Pay

2009-02-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

Hotcouponworld has compiled a list of 19 survey sites that are legit, really pay people, and have minimal spam.

This is great news!

I've seen on the other blogs I read that completing surveys is a good way to earn extra money, so a month or two back, I set up a special e-mail address just for doing surveys. I did this because I was worried about my inbox being filled with spam. The problem? I never remember to check it!

I'm already a member of MyPoints & Inbox Dollars (see my side bar for the link to Inbox dollars), but I should check out some of the others. I may still try to use that special e-mail address, but I'd rather have it all come to one inbox. So, thanks Hotcouponworld for doing this research so I don't have to!

Free This Week at Shaw's & Walgreens

2009-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

Free This Week at Shaw's & Walgreens
Here are some freebies you might want to pick up this week:

Shaw's
Gum/Butlet Micro Tip Toothbrush 1 ct, 10 for $10: Use $1 off coupon from 12/7 Red Plum insert = FREE!

Walgreens
Gillette Fusion Gamer, $8.99: Use $4 off coupon from 2/8 P&G Insert, get $6 Register Reward = $.76 Money Maker after tax!

These razors were not with the regular razors. They were on display at the cosmetics counter. If you can't find them, be sure to ask!

Free After EasySaver Rebate this month:
Revlon Age Defying spa concealer or foundation, $9.99: Use $2 off coupon from 1/11 or 2/8 Smart Source insert = Money Maker!

Revlon Creme lip gloss, $9.99: Use $2 off coupon from 01-11-09 or 2/8 Smart Source insert = Money Maker!

Zucol ColdCare 18 pack lozenges, $7.99: Use $2 off coupon from 2/1 Smart Source insert = Money Maker!

Garnier Fructis wonder waves hair care 6.8 to 13 oz., $3.99: Use $1 off coupon from 11/9, 1/4 or 2/8 Red Plum insert = Money Maker!

Walgreens Multipurpose contact lens solution 4 oz., $1.99 = FREE!

Thermacare heat wrap single trial size neck, shoulder and wrist--free after rebate item, sale price $2.49 = FREE!

Make sure to double-check prices before buying these. To be honest, I went last week & the only item I purchased was the Fructis. I found the contact solution, but it was $3.99.

Organic Grocery Deals - Staying Green on a Budget!

2009-02-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

Ooo! Look at this site that a friend told me about!

Something I've noticed that is different about me is that I eat a lot more produce and a lot more naturally than many of the other bloggers who post their grocery budgets and purchases. I don't say that to brag; part of that is by choice and part of it is out of necessity as I deal with the food sensitivities in my house. But it's been a challenge for us to keep our grocery budget down when we are spending so much on produce & natural foods.

Well, the site I found, Organic Grocery Deals, helps you to go green on a budget! They have forums that talk about gardening, saving money on produce by eating in season, organic and natural product information, coupon trading, green living tips, book recommendations, organic news, deals, and more. They even have posts about the deals at Whole Foods!

So whether you know a little about going green or a lot, get help and ideas at Organic Grocery Deals!

My Personal $25 CVS Challenge

2009-02-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year, I bought a $25 CVS gift card. My plan was to see how much stuff I could get over the course of several months (maybe a year?) using only the gift card, coupons & ECB's.

I spent the month of January staring at my gift card and my red CVS card, trying to figure out how to zero out my current ECB's so I could truly start from scratch. I never did find a solution :)

So what I've decided to do is use a different CVS card until I use up my ECB's on my 1st card, and then just get rid of the 1st card. You see, I've had 2 CVS cards for a while. Before you think badly of me, my husband's health insurance sent us a shiny white CVS card a few months back. They have some agreement with CVS that if we use that card, we get a discount (20%, maybe?) on CVS brand OTC medication. I have not been using it to routinely double up on all the good deals. First of all, the people who do this, I have no idea how they keep all those ECB's straight! I hear of people using 4 cards, and my head starts spinning. ECB's are card-specific, and there's no way I could keep all that straight! I've only bought 1 thing that was free after ECB's on my husband's card, and that was something that was actually for him. I think the rule is that each person in the household can have one anyways, so I don't think I've broken any laws. I still have about $36 in ECB's for my old card. I plan on buying my newspapers with them, plus a few random other things. But most of my buying will go on my new card.

But all new purchases will go on my shiny new white card. I'm going to try to maximize it so I get the most for my money. I'll keep you updated as to how it goes!

Get Something off your Wishlist by Entering Hotcouponworld's Valentine's Day Contest!

2009-02-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

As you know I periodically highlight giveaways in my blog. Well, here's a great one for Valentine's Day!

HotCouponWorld is picking 5 lucky folks who will a $50 gift (or gifts!) for Valentine's Day, and they even pick up shipping!

This item HAS to be something for you! All us frugal folks often scrimp & save so much that we rarely get anything for ourselves. Simply go to the "SHOP" tab on HotCouponWorld's menu, search for the gift(s) you would like for Valentine's day and link the page with the gift(s) you'd like back here.

So if you're worried that our significant other won't remember to get you something for Valentine's Day, head on over to HotCouponWorld and pick something out for yourself! You must have your Valentine's Day gift posted no later than 2/13 at 12 midnight Pacific Standard Time.

CVS Aspirin update

2009-02-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

I mentioned yesterday that I could not find the Children's aspirin that's free after ECB's. I just read over at HotCouponWorld that the ECB's are printing with certain adult aspirins; read the post for details.

If you haven't joined HotCouponWorld, you should! I was a lurker for a long time, but I'm glad I finally registered.

Organic Coupons

2009-02-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

Affluent Pauper has posted a huge list of organic coupons; check it out!

Deals This Week

2009-02-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights of the deals at CVS & Walgreens this week, thank you Money Saving Mom & the Centsible Sawyer.

I went to CVS this morning, and here's what I had hoped to get:

Buy 2 Stayfree pads at $3.99 each
Use 1 B1G1 coupons
Spend $3.99 out of pocket
Get $4 ECBs (make a penny!)

Buy 1 CVS Children's Chewable Aspirin (36 ct.) at $1.99
Get $1.99 ECBs (Limit 1)

Buy 2 Loreal Revitalift Products, Get $10 ECBs (Limit 2)
Buy 2 cleansers or toweletters at $5.99 each
Use 2 $2/1 coupons from the 01/04 RedPlum insert
Spend $7.98 out of pocket
Get $10 ECBs back
Free plus $2.02 overage after coupons and ECBs

Buy 1 Excedrin 10 ct. at $2.49, Get $2.49 ECBs (Limit 1)
Free after ECBs

CVS was out of Excedrin, the L'Oreal products and I couldn't find the children's aspirin. Here's what I did instead:

Buy 2 Stayfree pads at $3.99 each
Use 1 B1G1 coupons
Spend $3.99 out of pocket
Get $4 ECBs (make a penny!)

Buy 1 Extreme Energy 6-hour shot at $4.99
Get $4.99 ECBs (Limit 1)
Free after ECBs

I have NO idea what I'm going to do with energy shot; I probably couldn't drink it if I wanted to (which I don't!). But the Stayfree is a REALLY good deal. You can buy 5 packages total over the month of February and get $2 ECB for every package you buy. This is a great way to use up any ECB's that might be expiring.

The Cost for my $500 Gift Card

2009-01-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

Someone asked how much money I had to spend in order to get my $500 gift card to Sears. Good question! So today I set out to figure that out.

I have spent $70.71 so far (I still have to buy 2 DVD's from Columbia house, but I'll be getting 6 DVD's for about $40-$50 out of that), a good portion of which would have been avoidable if I had known some of the tips I laid out in my post. I had said I think I could have done it for under $50, and I was right!

I'm going to try another deal in the near future, and I'll let you guys know what I spend on that one.

Money Saving Meal Planning

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Money Saving Mom has a guest post about how to save money by meal-planning.

I agree with a lot of what she has to say, especially when she outlines some of the benefits of meal planning:

You save time and money at the grocer when you do go shopping, because you’ve got a plan!

You spend far less dining out or picking up takeout.

I do my meal planning a little differently, as is outlined by my November meal plan experiment. I made a list of about 15 dinners, based on what I had in my freezer. I tried to pick days on the calendar to make them, but my minor OCD rose to the surface and I couldn't do it. So instead, I just put the list of meals on the refrigerator next to my calendar of the month, and wrote them in as I went along. It actually worked out quite well.

The article is definitely worth reading!

This Week

2009-01-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/01/rite-aid-deals-for-this-week-1.html

A Strange Sunday

2009-01-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today is definitely a strange Sunday. I went to Walgreen's to get papers & use my $10 Register Reward from 2 weeks ago. I only picked up a couple of things: 1 Sunday paper (they only had 1 copy), diapers with a $1 Register Reward, canola oil & some Gatorade for my husband. Later, I went to the corner store to get a couple more papers; they're $1 cheaper here, so I got 3 total instead of my usual 2. No grocery trips or trips to CVS or Rite Aid. No scouring the coupons before going to Walgreen's. Just a simple trip to pick up a few things.

A strange Sunday indeed.

My Super Crazy Surprise - I Got a $500 Gift Card

2009-01-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

You know those on-line offers, those crazy pop-up ads, that ask you silly questions like "Do you like Best Buy or Circuit City?" and then offer you gift cards or cash for completing offers?

I did one. And it worked.

Yes, I'm serious. I got a $500 gift card to Sears, and it's real. I checked the balance on-line.

So how did I do it & why was I crazy enough to try it?

A few months back, I discovered Carrie over at Money Saving Methods, another popular blogger in the frugality blogging world. She completes on-line offers and claims to have a lot of success doing it. Her site is very detailed & has a lot of information on how to succeed in completing your offer.

What's the gist of an on-line offer, or a "deal", as I call it? With the deal I did, you need to complete 8 different, individual offers. The offers are for all sorts of things: credit reports, free trials on teeth whiteners, Blockbuster on-line or makeup, quotes on auto insurance, etc. Some of them will require a small fee out of pocket; others are true "free trials". Most require you give a credit card number. Yes, I know that's scary. I'm say more about that later.

Anyway, after perusing Carrie's site, I figured I'd try to do a "deal". I followed Carrie's directions carefully and chose offers that I, for the most part, was interested in, like Netflix & eMusic. I also had to pick a few that I wasn't interested in in order to fulfill the requirements. I had to wait about 10 days for all my offers to finalize and be approved. Then, I sent in the paperwork, was officially approved by the company after about 2 weeks, and received my gift card 5 weeks later. The whole process took a little over 2 months.

Here are some things I learned in the process of doing my "offer".

If you take advantage of free trial offers, the longer the trial, the better. I did a deal with I-deal, and I could check their website whenever I wanted to see if my "offers" had been approved. I picked a few offers where the "free" part was not very long, and ended up having to pay for the 1st month of whatever the service was.

Pick free trials where you don't have to send the product back. Read the fine print. Many offers will start your trial by sending you a small sample of their product. If you choose not to continue past the free trial, some require that you return the product; otherwise, you have to pay for the product, the cost of which is often hefty.

Pick offers that are low cost, in case you don't get approved quickly. If the product or offer costs $5/month, it's not as important that you are approved in a timely manner because you're not out a ton of money.

Pick offers that genuinely interest you. We joined Netflix, which after the free trial costs us less than $9/month. I joined Columbia House, picking the lowest purchase requirement, and got several DVD's at a low cost. I got 25 free downloads from eMusic.

Pick reputable companies whose names you recognize, and use a credit card you can check on-line. Since you need to give a credit card number, try & pick companies like Blockbuster & Columbia House. Also, use a credit card that has a good monitoring system and a proven track record of safety.

Check your offer status frequently. The majority of my offers were approved in the first 3-5 days. One offer was a straggler and was approved at 8 days. The last offer was still not approved at 10 days, so I completed a different offer (eMusic) to fill in the gap. eMusic approved immediately, and I met my quota.

If you want to try one of these offers, I'm definitely not an expert on them; I'd head over to Carrie's blog, which is quite detailed, and start reading. She's happy to answer any questions about the process.

The big question: what will I buy with my gift card? We're going to get an additional freezer for about $200 and think about what to do with the rest :)

Swagbuck Bonus Today

2009-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

Go to the Swagbucks site, and click on the box that says how many Swagbucks you have.

There's a box that says "Have a SwagCode?". Enter GreenThursday to get a free Swagbuck! It's case-sensitive.

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

2009-01-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

I'm traveling to California tomorrow and will be gone for nine & a half days. I'm sure I will post occasionally because I'll be mourning the lack of a CVS there. There is a Walgreens, however! But I'm even considering leaving my coupon book at home. Imagine that!

And I have a super-exciting update for you guys, though you may think I'm crazy! I got a big pay-off with very little effort and I'm excited to tell you guys about it.

In the meantime, here's a great freebie my husband sent me: How To Get 1,525 Free Digital Prints :)

UPDATE: Free SoyJoy at CVS

2009-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Just as you all know - the free SoyJoy bars are listed in next week's sale circular which starts Sunday. So if you can, head out today or tomorrow to get those bars!

BIG NEWS: 60 Free SoyJoy Bars at CVS!

2009-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

In less than a week, we are traveling to California & will be gone for 9 days. I realized yesterday that a good portion of CVS ECB's that I had left over from December's 2-day sale would expire while I was there. I promptly went to CVS's site, and to my dismay discovered there are no CVS's anywhere near where I will be!

While I was mourning the demise of my ECB's & trying to contemplate a scheme in which I could spend these, I found out about an unadvertised deal that is free after ECB's. You can now get either 5 or 10 boxes of 6 SoyJoy bars, depending on where you live, totally free! Bear (my son) and I ran out this morning and made money by purchasing 10 boxes of bar, as well as some of the other free after ECB items for this month, in 2 transactions. I had 2 $4 off $20 coupons, so I made $8!

You need to be this in 2 or more transactions, though. I would recommend buying 5 boxes in your 1st transaction. You could also buy one box at a time if you don't have any ECB's saved, and pay for each subsequent transaction after that with the ECB's you received in the previous transaction. After buying 5 boxes, look at your receipt and see if it says "SoyJoy bar limit reached". Some people are reporting they could only get 5; others are saying it worked with up to 10. There are coupons in the 1/4 paper for SoyJoy bars, but they are not meant to be used with the boxes.

One other warning: I really needed to search for these bars to find them. They were not with the individual SoyJoy bars in the diet needs/nutritional bars section. I checked the grocery section & the candy section as well, since some people were reporting they had found them there. Finally, I found them on display at the end of an aisle near the pharmacy.

Special thanks to my friend E & Common Sense with Money for the heads up on this deal! CSWM is the only blog I have found reporting this, so news of the deal is not widespread yet. It looks as if it's a month-long deal, but if I were you, I'd head to CVS & get some SoyJoy bars! Now i just have to figure out what to do with mine since we can't eat soy :)

Shaw's Scores!

2009-01-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

I went back to Shaw's today to try again & see if the register rewards really were printing on the prices before sale. And they were! I must have done something wrong in my transactions yesterday.

I got 13 boxes of cereal (including 5 boxes of Cascadian Farms organic granola), 1 box off muffin mix & 1 box of granola bars. I had a coupon for every product, and I did it in 2 transactions. I paid $24 and change out of pocket, and received $30 in register rewards! I didn't try to roll the RR; they cannot be used on Procter & Gamble products, anyway, though none of the food items are P&G. I sort of felt as if I was already saving so much money that the least I could do is pay cash :)

So get thee to a Shaw's now!

This Week's Deals

2009-01-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys picked up extra copies of the paper yesterday. I got 4 myself, paid for in ECB's :) Nows let's check out some of the deals where you can use them.

Walgreens has a couple of things worth picking up this week. Finish/Electrasol Gelpack 20 ct. is $3.49. Pick up a copy of this month's EasySaver booklet and use the $1.50 Easy Saver Rebate #31, plus a $2.50/1 Finish/Electrasol Powerball Tabs, Gelpacs or Quantum from yesterday's paper, and this is a money maker.

Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Cond or Styler is on sale for $2.99. Use $2.00 EeasySaver Coupon on page 8, plus $1.00 coupon yesterday's paper, and you make a penny :)

Also, Bayer Aspirin is on sale for 4 for $20. Use 4 $1 off coupon, you'll get back a $10 register reward, and mail in the form in yesterday's paper for a $10 rebate, making this a money maker.

Shaws is having a deal where if you buy $30 of certain products, you get $15 in register rewards. Many are saying this works on shelf prices, not sales prices. Either way,you can still use coupons & get some great deals! I picked up diapers, organic granola, organic spaghetti sauce, 2 boxes of Bisquick for the food pantry, granola bars and orange juice for a fraction of the normal cost because I also used coupons. Go to your weekly Shaw's circular & it's on page 8.

CVS also has deals on toothpaste & more Garnier Fructis stuff. CVS
Colgate Total Toothpaste is 2/$5, and you get $1 back in ECB's for each one you buy (limit 3). There's a $1.50 coupon floating around the internet, but some are questioning its legitimacy. You also get $2 ECBs when you buy more Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner or styler at $2.99 (limit 1). Use a coupon from the paper & make a penny.

Rite Aid has more Free-after-rebate SoyJoy bars, and there was a coupon in my insert for $3 off when you buy 10 bars (others got a $2 coupon), making this a moneymaker.

I've already hit Shaws & CVS and will check out some of the other stores later this week.

Five Coupon Inserts Tomorrow!

2009-01-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

I heard through the grapevine that there will be 5 (count them, 5!) coupon inserts in tomorrow's paper! I'll definitely be checking it out, cashing in some of my CVS ECB's for extra copies. Make sure to check the paper's before you buy them because sometimes, people steal the inserts.

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products

2009-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

I made my 1st cleaning product yesterday! After I vigorously cleaned the bathroom, with the window open to release the cleaning fumes (despite the outside temperature being 14 degrees), I came downstairs to find my husband ripping open the dishwasher. We have not sufficiently cleaned it since we moved in; after all, you put detergent in and it cleans itself, right? WRONG. It was clear the previous owners hadn't cleaned it either, and the thing is really old.

I'd been wanting to try & make my own cleaners for a while and had recently purchased the ingredients to do so. The problem was I didn't have any empty spray bottles. This was remedied during CVS's awesome 2-day sale a few weeks ago, where I scored 5 bottles of Arm & Hammer's new Essentials cleaners. Since you mix water and the little bottle of cleaning solution yourself, the bottle comes empty. PERFECT! Here's what I put in it:

Anti-bacterial Cleaner
3 cups water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon regular dish soap or Castille soap
1/3 cup white vinegar
12-15 drops lavender essential oil
12-15 drops tea tree essential oil

Put all in spray bottle and shake it up.

This was a perfect solution for cleaning the dishwasher parts, since I was concerned about the cleaning product residue then getting all over our dishes.

Need a cheap place to get essential oils? The 2 cheapest places I've found are Vitacost (where I get almost all my vitamins) & Puritan's Pride. I ended up purchasing my EO's from Vitacost because they had more of what I wanted & it was a teeny bit cheaper.

Healthy Coupons!

2009-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

Check out this healthy printable coupons, including a $5 off coupon for Carlson's Cod Liver Oil & $2 off two Organic Valley products!

Happy New Year to All!

2009-01-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope 2008 was good to you.

I plan on having a great 2009! I hope you'll continue to grow with me as we strive to live frugally and naturally, blessing others in the process!

Deals of the Week

2008-12-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

Deal Seeking Mom has a good round-up of the deals this week:

CVS
Rite Aid

Go to Common Sense with Money for Walgreens, including the new EasySaver Rebate items. It's important to note that you can only choose 1 Revlon product, even though the ad showes the 3 options. Only 1 Revlon rebate is available per household. Not all the blogs are reflecting this, so I wanted to point that out.

Make sure to submit your Walgreens rebates for December this week! They're due January 3rd.

Have You Been Surfing Through Swagbucks Lately?

2008-12-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

I have to say I'm really enjoying Swagbucks. I explained more about Swagbuucks in a previous post, but basically, you use the Swagbucks search engine (which uses Google & Ask.com) and you win Swagbucks. I already have enough Swagbucks for a free gift card, but I'm saving them up.

I wanted to applaud a friend of mine, who I'll call E, because she has been faithfully using Swagbucks and has earned 33 Swagbucks for herself & for me! So if you join (through me, please!), invite your friends to join. You win up to 100 matching Swagbucks for each friend you invite!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my readers! Celebrate by heading over to Don Francisco to get a free sample of coffee. Or you could head out tomorrow & stock up on decorations for next year, as they will be on sale!

It's Like Christmas!

2008-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have gotten so much great stuff in the mail the past few days that it feels like Christmas! Oh, wait, it is Christmas! But all this great stuff in the mail makes it really feel like a holiday :)

First, I got a $10 check. A few weeks back, I received a $10 virtual gift card via e-mail from Magazines.com. Money-saving Methods pointed out the fine print: you could request your gift card in the form of cold hard cash! This is truly remarkable because I am not really a regular customer. As a birthday gift to my sister, I annually renew her subscription to a magazine. It's actually cool because Magazines.com will automatically renew it for you (and I am prone to forget!). A few month ago, Magazines.com sent me another $10 gift card for fun, and I got a free magazine subscription with it. That arrived today as well!

Then today, I received 3 things from Rite Aid: my November rebate (over $118), my Gift of Savings $20 gift certificate, and my free Diabetes tote, full of coupons, samples, rebates, and even free music downloads!

I also received a CD that I pre-ordered months ago & had completely forgotten about. And I hit my 2nd CVS (hit the 1st one last night) and the 2nd one had the Arm & Hammer Essentials cleaners. I scored 5 of those, more Listerine, and more Right Guard and made some money in the process!

And I became an aunt again yesterday! Merry Christmas to me!

CVS 2-Day Sale Starts Tomorrow!

2008-12-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

Are you guys ready for the awesome freebies tomorrow at CVS? Common Sense With Money has a great round-up of your options.

Free Photos!

2008-12-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Money Saving Methods has a great heads up on a free photo deal.

Order an 8X10 print from Walgreens.com to be picked up at your nearest Walgreens, enter FREEGIFT as your coupon code, and get a free 8X10!

Order another 8X10 print from Snapfish to be picked up at your nearest Walgreens, enter WALFREE as your coupon code, and get another free 8X10! If you're not already a member of Snapfish, go here first to order 50 free prints.

I know the Walgreens deal works because I just did it, but Snapfish's site is not working for me right now. I'll have to try again later.

Edited: Snapfish is now working, but unfortunately, it's making me pick it up at a different Walgreens. Oh, well; it's still free!

My Coupon Book

2008-12-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share my coupon book with you, as well as why I chose this organizational method.

Free Olay Regenerist at Walgreens

2008-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Through Saturday at Walgreens, Olay Regenerist cleansers or moisturizers are on sale buy-one-get-one-50%. Then, you can get a $15 gift card back from OLAY by mailing in this form.

I hit up Walgreens this morning, and grabbed 2 Olay Regenerist deep hydrating mousse cleansers for $9.99 each. I had trouble figuring out what was a cleanser, so I just picked one that was fairly obvious :) They both rang up as $9.99, but then $5 was taken off. I used the $5/2 coupon from the 12/14 newspaper insert, used my last $5 Register Reward from the Walgreens 4-day sale, and paid $5.23 (with tax) out of pocket, so after the gift card rebate, this is a moneymaker!

This would make a great stocking stuffer, but I think my son's a little young for it :)

Beware of Restaurant.com

2008-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today, a random charge showed up on my credit card for $14.95 from Shopping Essentials. Being that it's Christmas season, I was wondering if maybe my husband picked something up without me knowing. I googled the name & phone number, found all sorts of warnings, and decided to call the 888 number that was included in the charge (that's always a red flag - very few legitimate companies include a phone number in their charges).

So I called and asked for my money back, as well as cancelling whatever service I had been signed up for. When I pressed the person on the phone, I found out they got my name from Restaurant.com. WHAT??? I bought some gift certificates about 2 months ago and somehow they signed me up for some additional service from Shopping Essentials.

Just wanted to give you guys a head up on this! Buyer Beware. I am not happy with Restaurant.com right now and will probably never buy anything from them again.

CVS 2-Day Sale: Sunday & Monday!

2008-12-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Are you guys gearing up for the 2-day sale at CVS thise Sunday & Monday? Tons of freebies, and even money makers!

Check out some of the coupon matches at Hot Coupon World.

Time to roll those ECB's!

Free Drinks on Christmas Eve

2008-12-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

It appears that Peet's Coffee is giving away free coffee & tea on December 24th. They are seeking donations, though, and the money will be given to the charity that each location chooses.

I'll definitely be checking it out! Thanks, Coupon Cravings, for the heads up!

CVS 2-Day Sale

2008-12-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Keeping the Kingdom First has brought us some good news.

CVS is having a 2-day sale, December 21st and 22nd, with lots of Free after ECB items!

Check it out :)

Giftcard Giveaways

2008-12-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

OK, money-saving buddies. There are some serious giveaways that you really don't want to miss:

$500 Home Depot Gift Card (only 24 hours! from Money-saving Mom)
$500 Walmart Gift Card (from Coupon Cravings)
$500 Walmart Gift Card (from Keeping Kingdom First)
$500 Walmart Gift Card (from Centsible Sawyer)
$100 Walmart Gift Card or Item of your Choice (from Common Sense with Money)

I may come back & add more at my leisure :)

Visit Money-Saving Mom's giveaway list for more that might interest you (like alpaca socks).

Raw Coconut Fudge

2008-12-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

I made some raw coconut oil fudge this weekend. Here's the original recipe:

1 1/2 cups coconut oil
1 1/2 cups raw honey
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, tastes fine without it)

Dump it all in the blender and mix till smooth. Pour it into a pan (I use a 9x13 glass pan) and let it set up. Depending on your climate and time of year you may need to refrigerate it if it's over 70 degrees or so in your kitchen. Cut into small pieces and try not to eat it all the first day.

********

I made a half recipe & put it in an 8X8 pan, and it was really thin. I just stirred it in a bowl. Next time, I will use wax paper to line the pan, a little less salt & less honey. Also, I need need to keep it refrigerated.

This would be good with some raw almonds or shredded coconut.

Walgreens 4-Day Sale

2008-12-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Walgreens is having a 4-day sale, and if you spend $25 pre-coupon, you can a $5 register reward back!

The best way to go about this is to find things that have a high pre-coupon price to meet the $25. Here are a couple pre-coupon prices from my store.

$7.49: Arm & Hammer laundry detergent (on sale for $1.99)
$4.49: Walgreens Ibuprofen (on sale for $1)
$1.29: Hydrogen Peroxide (on sale for $.39)
$3.79: Domino's Sugar (on sale for $1.99)
$1.50: Carnation Evaporated Milk (on sale, $.99)

Add in a few items that are free after rebate (like Scotch tape, use the coupon from the insert) or discounted with rebate (Hershey's candy, use coupon from insert), and you could score some serious product!

One of my transactions was 2 peroxides, 3 evaporated milk, 1 ibuprofen & 2 Arm & Hammer.

$26.55 before coupons.
-$17.82 Walgreens Coups
-$2.50 Manufacturers coups (50 cent off 2 on the milk from insert, 2 $1 off laundry detergent from A&H site)

$6.23 OOP (which I put on a gift card I got from doing a rebate), get $5 RR

Got to Walgreens.com to find some good deals!

Bless Back Project

2008-12-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

On Sunday November 30th at church, envelopes were distributed to different individuals and families at random. Taking an envelope was voluntary.

Inside the envelopes was money of different amounts. The rules were simple.

1. You can't give the money back.
2. You can't spend it on yourself.
3. You have to bless someone else.
4. You have to tell us what you did with the money.

My husband & I took an envelope. When we got it, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: use coupons & register rewards to see how far I could multiply it! My husband had been thinking the same thing, so off I went!

I took the $20 I received, and early in the week, I went to Walgreens. I took advantage of the Reach deal & got 2 packages of dental floss for $6.30, and I earned a $6 register reward.

This past Friday, I went to Shaws & got a ton of baking mixes & frostings for $9.52. I also got 4 cans of cream of coconut for $3. You can read the full story on that here. Not the healthiest choice, but that's a serious amount of baking, and nothing says Christmas like baking!

I also used the money to purchase a stamp. I'll use that to mail in a rebate for free Smart Start. Actually, that one was a moneymaker because I had a dollar off coupon. I also got 2 Russell Stover Private Reserve Luminary Boxes that are free after rebate. I fronted the initial money for those 3 things since I'll get it back in a rebate in several weeks. And no need for a stamp for the Russell Stovers because I can do that rebate on-line.

I brought the following to the local food pantry today:

6 tubs of frosting
7 Cookie Mixes
3 boxes of Bisquick
1 cake mix
1 supreme brownie mix
3 cans Goya Cream of Coconut
1 box Smart Start cereal
2 boxes Russell Stovers candy

(My son wanted to help organize!)

I forgot to ask if they take dental floss! If not, I'll give it to the women's shelter the next time I go.

So here's what I spent so far:
$6.30: Walgreens
$.42: stamp
$12.52: Shaws
minus $1 coupon for cereal
Total: $18.24

So I still have $1.76 in cash & $6 in a register reward to spend at Walgreens!

On that same Sunday, November 30th, our church collected its annual offering that goes to a project called "One Day to Feed the World". We are annually challenged to consider giving one day's income to feed the hungry of the world. The program has corporate sponsorship, so our gifts are multiplied by up to 4 times!

So our choice to use the money to donate goods to the food pantry felt even more appropriate.

I'll let you know later what I spend those last few dollars on!

Free 2009 Walden Media Calendar and DVD

2008-12-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is a fun one!

Register with Walden Media, and get a free calendar, as well as a free copy of the movie "Amazing Grace"! My husband & I just watched this movie, and in his words: "It was much better than I expected." I loved the movie and it got me all revved up about the issues of modern-day slavery that are too often ignored.

So go register!

Amazing Shaws Deals

2008-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed at what I scored at Shaws tonight.

First of all, the deal is on shelf prices (meaning the price marked on the shelf), not sale prices.

Awesome.

I'll just show you my 1st transaction (I did 4) to give you a taste of what is waiting for you at Shaw's.

1 Cookie Mix (regularly $2.39)
2 Tubs of Frosting (regularly $2.19)
1 box of Bisquick (regularly $3.79)

Before scanning Shaw's card: $10.56
After scanning card: $6.96

Coupons used:
$2 off $10 from Shaw's circular
$.75 off cookie mix from coupons.com (it was doubled, though it says "do not double" on the coupon)
$1 off Bisquick from recent insert
$1 off 2 tubs of frosting from recent insert

Total after coupons & savings: $1.46

Pretty cool, huh?

It's too labor-intensive to outline all of what I did, but here's what I got for $9.52:
6 tubs of frosting (oops! I bought one Cream Cheese frosting that was $2.19, not $1.25)
7 Cookie Mixes
3 boxes of Bisquick
1 cake mix
1 supreme brownie mix

Normally the 3 boxes of Bisquick alone would cost more than $9.52.

I spent $12.52 altogether, but that includes 4 cans of the Goya coconut cream, using 2 75 cent coupons that were doubled :)

Altogether, including the Goya, I saved $42.17 :)

Print out all the Betty Crocker & Bisquick coupons at Coupons.com (see my sidebar), gather all your coupons from recent inserts, and head to the closest Shaws. Even if you don't eat a lot of this stuff (as we don't), you have an opportunity to seriously brighten someone's Christmas. All of this food will be going to a food pantry as part of what I mentioned here (more details when I'm done spending).

This Week's Shaw's Deals

2008-12-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Starting tomorrow, Shaw's has some good deals! And I'm doing some scheming to make the most of them :) I was given a challenge to use $20 to bless someone this Christmas, and I've decided to put my couponing to work!

If you're into baking mixes, check out these transactions, taking advantage of a $2 off $10 of certain products (you will need to grab 2 store circulars):

Transaction #1
Bisquick: buy 1, use $1/1 coupon from insert
B.C. Cookie Mix: buy 4, use 2 $1/2 coupon from insert
B.C. Frosting: buy 2, use 1 $1/2 coupon from insert

Final OOP: $5.29 (using $2 off $10 coupon)

Transaction #2
Bisquick: buy 1, use 1 $1/1 coupon from insert
B.C. Cookie Mix: buy 2, use 2 $.75/1 printable coupon (see coupons in sidebar)
B.C. Frosting: buy 4, use 2 $1/2 coupon from insert

Final OOP: $4.29 (using $2 off $10 coupon)

Someone at Hot Coupon World said you might be able to do this deal using shelf prices rather than sales prices. This could be even sweeter! I'm hoping to go tomorrow, so I'll let you know if it works.

Walgreens: $5 off $25 Scenario

2008-11-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Click on my blue coupon bar thingy on the right to get your $5 off $25 coupon, good this Monday & Tuesday only. There is a condition; your total needs to be $25 after coupons & cashed in register rewards.

There are still deals to be had! And the great thing about this one is it does not require any coupons!

Here's what I plan on picking up:
Freestyle Blood Glucose Monitor: $9.99
$9.99 mail-in rebate on box

Right Guard Professional or Dry Idea Clinical Strength.: $5.99
$5 ESR (Walgreens EasySaver Rebate)

Bald Guyz 16 pack Head Wipes or Moisture Gel, 4 oz.: $4.99
$4.99 ESR (Walgreens EasySaver Rebate)

2 Reach Ultra Clean Products: $6.00 (I'm not using my coupons since I used them this morning, but there's a BOGO, as well as a $1 off floss)
$6 Register Rewards

Out-of-pocket: $26.97 - $5 coupon

Register Rewards: $6
Rebates: $19.98

Small Profit of $4.01

There is also a Colgate deal that you can incorporate if you are short or an item is missing: $2.99 for certain Colgate products, receive $2 Register Rewards. There are some $1 coupons floating around, but I've used mine already.

Rite Aid Savings

2008-11-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

We went to Rite Aid on Saturday, got the free-after-rebate items (universal remote, which my son has already lost, 3 Maybelline make-up items, and Fructis conditioner), and picked up a very basic digital camera that was on sale for $89.99, plus $4.50 tax. Our old digital camera, which I'm pretty sure we've had for 4.5 years, has been taking pictures that look like this:

We bought this camera because it had a $40 rebate. We also used a $5 off $25 coupon that we got for registering with the Rite Aid site. And we spent enough already on the camera, as well as other free after rebate items, that Rite Aid is mailing us a $20 gift certificate as part of their Gift of Savings program! That means we really only spent $29.49 on the camera!

Can't really beat that :)

This Week's Deals

2008-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

I'm still reeling from my serious CVS scores on Thanksgiving Day. There are a couple of deals this week at Rite Aid, Walgreens & CVS, but nothing to get too excited about. Deal Seeking Mom has some pretty good wrap-ups.

And if you're the praying type, say a prayer for the family of Jdimytai Damour, a Walmart employee who was trampled to death as shoppers pushed him down in order to save a few dollars. Truly sad. This is not the first person hurt in a stampede at Walmart. There must be a better way to do this.

My CVS Jackpot

2008-11-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

I snuck out of my Thanksgiving gathering this afternoon to hit CVS. They had everything in stock except for the universal remote, which I hope to score tomorrow at Rite Aid (free after rebate, of course!).

So as I crunch on a big raw salad with home-grown bean sprouts, let me tell you about my 3 money-making transactions.

I hit CVS with 2 $4 off $20 coupons, 2 $8.99 ECB's & 2 $15 ECB's, as well as $8.39 on a money carded from a failed transaction last week. My goal was to put at little as possible on the money card (which acts as a gift card) and have as little out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses as possible.

I went into CVS armed with a list of deals & a spreadsheet of cost after coupons in order to maximize my ECB's & minimize my OOP. This was the 1st time I had done this, and though I was fairly confident in my work, I wasn't positive that it was correct.

Here was my 1st transaction (in which I made a mistake, so watch carefully!):
Schick Quattro Trimmer $7.99 Earn $6.00 ECBs
Use $2/1 Printable HERE

Sally Hansen Max Growth $3.79, Get $3.79 ECBs (Limit 1)
Johnson's Soft Lotion at $5.69, Get $5.69 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 printable here

Colgate Total Advanced, Clean, Advanced Fresh or Whitening $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use $1/1 coupon from recent Smart Source insert

Aussie $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use $1/1 coupon from recent P&G insert

Covergirl Smoothers Powder $5.99, Get $5.99 ECBs (Limit 1)
(I didn't use a coupon on this one because I only had 1)

2 Hershey's King Size Bars $1.00 (Limit 1)
Use B1G1F Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bar from recent insert

Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons, 36 ct $7.99

Manufacturer's Coupons as outlined above): -$6.00
-$4 off $20 CVS coupon from recent receipt
-$8.99 ECB from earlier in the week
-$15 ECB from earlier in the week

Total OOP: $5.44
Put on my money card

I knew I did something wrong because I expected to pay less OOP, so upon reviewing the transaction, I realized I grabbed the wrong size package of tampons. So they refunded that purchase onto a money card.

Transaction #2
Covergirl Smoothers Foundation $7.99, Get $7.99 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 any Cover Girl Product from recent insert

2 Loreal lipgloss $6.99, Get $6.99 ECBs each (Limit 2)
Use 2 $1/1 any LOreal Lipcolour from recent insert

Manufacturer's Coupons as outlined above): -$3.00
-$4 off $20 CVS coupon from recent receipt
-$8.99 ECB from earlier in the week
-$5.69 ECB from Johnson's Soft Lotion in transaction #1

Total OOP: $.30
Put on my money card

Transaction #3

Bic Soliel $5.99, Get $5.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use $3/1 Bic Soleil System Razor from recent insert

Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons $3.99, Earn $3 ECBs (Limit 1)
Colgate Total Advanced, Clean, Advanced Fresh or Whitening $2.99, Get $2.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
(I only found 1 Colgate coupon in my stash & used it on transaction #1)

Phillilps Headphones $6.99, Get $6.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Garnier Nutritioniste cleansing towelettes (25 ct.) $5.99, Get $5.99 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 Garnier Nutritioniste Cleanser or Moisturizer from recent insert

1 Gatorade G2 20oz $1.49, Get $1.49 ECBs (Limit 3)

Manufacturer's Coupons as outlined above): -$4.00
-$4 off $20 CVS coupon from Transaction #1
-$15 ECB from earlier in the week
-$3.79 ECB from Sally Hansen Max Growth in transaction #1

Total OOP: $.65
Put on my money card

OK, so besides getting all of this stuff, I now have $67.39 in ECB's, as well as $10+ on 2 money cards, as well as another $4 off $20 coupon.

I also made $22 on this venture! At least as far as I can tell, factoring in the refund & the confusion of buying the wrong product!

Not too shabby :)