I Love Sharing Great Deals!

My son broke my laptop screen

2010-03-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA all week because my 2 year flicked my iphone charger against the back of my laptop screen and the entire LCD screen went out.

I did want to tell you that I did get over 200.00 worth of diapers this week for FREE between Rite Aid and CVS. I used some of my gift cards that I just received for rebates through Rite Aid and a lot of my ecb's that I had piled up from CVS, I rolled many of them and my neighbor let me use her card so I could get more also.

Please check out www.HIP2SAVE.com to see the scenarios. Word to the wise, her site says there's a limit of 3 packages of Pampers at CVS and I did transactions of 3 but it only gave me ecb's back for 2, so they manually printed the 3rd. They may not do this at another store though because the ad does state a limit of 2.

But these were some awesome deals, I got 18 packages of diapers and I was thrilled. My CVS will take Rite Aid's 5 off 25 competitor coupon too. I asked to talk to a mgr before I went shopping since I went to a new store and they had no problems but ask first!

These diaper deals end today so go grab some yourself :) I will try to post as often as possible but Dell thinks they might have my computer for a few days.

Freebies at Target

2010-03-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Jolyn over at Macomb Money Savers gave me a great rundown of items that were free or next to free at Target. Some items I bought I didn't picture but I will list them. Today, I ended up with 23 items for free and several I got with a few pennies of overage because my coupons were for 1.00 and several items were .97 or .99, gotta love overage!

Here's a list that I got from Jolyn's website of the breakdown:

$0.97 Johnson’s Buddies Bar (regular price)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 3-7 RP) or printable coupon here or here
FREE after coupon – great charity donation!
***This coupon beeps every time but it is a baby toiletry item and I've never had a problem, but just a heads up that they might question it.

$0.97 Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel, trial size (regular price)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 2-7 or 3-7 PG)
FREE after coupon

$1.82 Kids’ Band-Aid Bandages, 20 ct (regular price)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 1-3 RP)
-$1.00/1 Target printable coupon (click on “Kids Spring Savings”), limit 1 per transaction
FREE after coupon – great charity donation!

$1.99 Oral B Stages Toothbrush (price cut through 4-17)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 2-7 PG)
-$1.00/1 Target printable coupon (click on “Kids Spring Savings”), limit 1 per transaction
FREE after coupon – great charity donation! – thanks, Hip2Save!

$0.99 Reach Floss, 55 yd (regular price)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 6-14 SS, 10-18 RP, 1-3 RP, or 3-7 RP) or printable coupon (when you register)
FREE after coupon – great charity donation!

$3.50 Hanes Kids’ Crew Socks, 6 pk
-$1.00/1 printable Target coupon (click on “Kids Spring Savings”), limit 1 per transaction
$2.50 after coupon

GIFT CARD & “GET ITEM FREE” DEALS:
$2.50 Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Cereal, 18 oz
*Get a $5 Target gift card when you buy 4*
-$1.50/2 printable coupon here or here, or $1.00/2 coupon (from 3-7 RP), use 2, or $1.50/3 printable coupon, use 1
$0.50-$0.88 each when you buy 4 after coupons and gift card savings

I had a 5.00 gift card from a previous promotion so I used that to pay for these and if I would have brought more coupons with me, I could have done the transaction over a few times but I have tons of cereal in my basement as it is :) Only wish that this was good on the chocolate Mini wheats, my friend got me hooked on those! They taste just like cocoa puffs!

Deals I found at Costco

2010-03-16T08:42:00.001-07:00

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't encourage a lot of people to shop at Costco frequently but I did find what I thought were some pretty decent deals. None of these are "I must get in my car right now and head over there" deals but will save you several dollars. I wanted to share with you a few things that I found that I use a lot that will save me several dollars by purchasing them in bulk. These are items that most often, I am not able to get fantastic deals on or just coupons.

So, here's the breakdown:

Trash bags (200 ct) 11.59
*The last deal I got on trash bags was 1.00 for 15 Kroger brand, which breaks down to .066 a bag, the Costco bags break down to .057 a bag. I will tell you that the Costco bags are a much higher quality and drawstring and the Kroger bags were not.

**This is an item that I know you can get good deals on when there is a great sale but I was out of bags so I went with the best deal that would last me awhile.

Vegetable Oil 6.39
*This is a large container and even buying store brand, I normally pay about 2.99 for a large bottle, this large container will fill my large BOTTLE about 3 1/2 times so I figure a savings of about $4.00.

Organic Olive Oil 10.99
*We use a lot of olive oil and I normally buy store brand which runs abut 4.99 for a small bottle. I will be able to fill my small bottle about 3 times which will yield a savings of around $4.00.

Lunch Meat - Honey Turkey 7.01
*I found their lunch to be very inexpensive at 3.85 a pound and it tastes really good

Canned Mushrooms 5.79 for 12
*I use canned mushrooms for a variety of things and when I buy store brand they run about .59, so this is a savings of $1.29

Breadcrumbs 4.49
*I think this is a great deal. I use bread crumbs for a lot of things and normally I am buying a container every few weeks. Buying a 24oz container at Meijer runs 2.49, the amount I bought is equal to almost 4 containers, so this is a savings of over 5.00.

I also bought a large package of cheese, it was in the refrigerated dairy section, I did not include it in the picture because I opened it. It comes with 120 slices or 5 lbs and was 8.38. We were out and I knew all of this would get used fairly quickly so this broke down to about 7.5 packages of cheese that have 16 slices. This comes to about 1.12 a package and I thought this was a decent deal because, I don't remember being able to buy it recently for under 1.00. One thing you should know is that it is not individually wrapped.

So, maybe you'll find some of the deals will be worth your time, I was overall pretty happy with my purchases :)

FREE Snickers bars at Kroger

2010-03-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I just have not been very impressed with the sale ads for Kroger or Meijer in awhile! I normally go to Kroger to get my staple items that I need each week since it's closer than Meijer unless I know I'll be going a big trip at Meijer. Thanks to Jolyn at Macomb Money Savers, I scored 12 free Snickers bars today.

$0.50 Snickers, 3 Musketeers or Skittles Singles
-$0.50/2 Snickers coupon (from 2-21 RP)
FREE when you buy 2 Snickers with coupon

(this content above was provided on her website, Macomb Money Savers...thanks Jolyn, my hips are not going to be thanking you...he he)

Also, I was walking past the OJ and my family loves it but I hate paying almost 3.00 a container for their Tropicana:) Well, I noticed that 75% of the Tropicana on the shelves were expiring in 2 days. I had already hit up the reduced meat area and got some great deals there and I spotted a gentlemen with a name tag and asked him to come over. I told him that almost all the OJ was going to be expiring in two days and I was surprised it wasn't marked down. To make a long story short, the Dairy Mgr wasn't available for me to talk to but they welcomed me to go to the service counter. So, of course I did and they were happy to mark the 4 containers I was going to buy 50% off. Therefore, if something is close to expiring, don't be afraid to ask if they will mark it down :)

The items that I go to Kroger almost every week to get reduced prices on are bread and meat. We go through tons of bread here so when I can get a whole loaf under .50 and throw it in the freezer, I normally buy about 3-4 loaves a week.

SPECTACULAR DEAL !

2010-03-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I'm a Director with Southern Living at HOME. We just found out this morning that our very best seller, the Astoria Flatware Caddy is being permanently retired on Friday. I can't imagine why but I didn't want to let the opportunity go by without offering this at my discount of 25% off. This piece has 100's of uses and it's the one piece that catches everyone's eye at all of my home parties.

It retails for 69.96, I am offering a 25% discount off that price along with 12% shipping and 6% tax. So, I'm selling this at my cost, I'm doing this so you can benefit because it's a piece I LOVE so much!

Please let me know ASAP if you are interested as this is probably going to sell out, I need all orders by March 11th. Pick up (if you are in Metro Detroit) would be at my house, if you are in another area, we can work out the arrangements.

Here's a little bit more of a description:
This great, versatile caddy will make your tabletop shine. With four removable, thick glass caddies, stainless steel base & trim, and heavy weight, you simply can't go wrong.

It can be used in both formal and casual settings.

- removable handle for added versatility

- 4 removable glass caddies

- use each glass caddy as an individual vase or dish

- simple elegange and functionality in one beautiful container

Not intended for microwave or oven use.
Glass is dishwasher safe.
Hand wash the stand for best results.
Stand is not food safe.
Pick up the caddy by its base for maximum support.

8 1/4" x 8 1/4 " x 1 1 1/2" tall

This is a piece you will own for YEARS!!!

Favorite deals at Meijer this week

2010-03-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's pretty slim pickings at Meijer this and even slimmer at Kroger...but, here are my favorites for the week. Thanks to Jolyn at Macomb Money Savers, she is INCREDIBLE at putting these together!

$1.99 Post Classic Raisin Bran, 20 oz
-$2.00/1 printable coupon
FREE after coupon – great charity donation!
Bonus: Buy 4 Post Cereals (10 oz+) in one transaction, get a $3.00 checkout coupon valid on your next order. Buy 5 or more, get $4.00.

$0.69 Simply Asia Seasoning Mixes, packet (price drop through Mar 7)
-$0.50/1 coupon (from 2-7 RP)
FREE after coupon – Thanks, Makin’ It In Michigan!

$0.99 Frank’s RedHot Sauce, 5 oz (regular price – may vary by location)
-$0.50/1 coupon (from 12-13 or 1-24 SS)
FREE after coupon*

$0.99 Gatorade G2 Sports Drink, 32 oz (regular price – may vary by location)
-$0.50/1 coupon (from 1-10 RP, exp 4-10)
FREE after coupon*

$1.29 Starkist Sandwich Ready Tuna Pouch, 3 oz (price drop through Mar 7)
-$1.00/1 printable coupon
$0.29 after coupon – great charity donation!

$0.89 Barilla Piccolini or Whole Grain Pasta, 12-16 oz select varieties
-$1.00/2 coupon (from 3-7 SS), if our area paper receives this amount
$0.39 each when you buy 2 with coupon

$2.49 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bars, 10.4 oz select varieties
-$1.00/2 coupon (from 2-7 RP)
$1.99 each when you buy 2 with coupon

$0.40 Dannon Yogurt, 6 oz cups
-$0.75/6 printable coupon (print 2 per computer)
$0.28 each when you buy 6 with coupon

$2.00 Yoplait Yoplus+ or Fiber One Yogurt, 4 ct 4 oz (price drop through Mar 21)
-$1.00/1 Yoplus coupon (from 2-7 GM) $1.00/1 Yoplus and Fiber One printables
$1.00 after coupon

$2.00 Dannon Coolision or Danonino Yogurt, 6 pk (price drop through Mar 21)
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 2-7 or 2-28 SS)
$1.00 after coupon

$1.50 Oscar Mayer Meat Hot Dogs, 16 oz (excludes beef, cheese & fat free)
Bonus: Buy 2 or more in one transaction, get a $2.00 checkout coupon valid on your next order.
$0.50 each after checkout coupon savings

Ongoing great deals on bread

2010-03-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

We consume a lot of bread in this household, especially when it is fresh, I can sit down and eat half a loaf! I'm also known to make 4 slices of toast and spray my favorite "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray on it so that the butter flavor I like has no calories. Believe me I love the fancy dancy breads that sell for over 2.00 a loaf. But my Kindergartner really only likes white bread for his daily peanut butter and jelly. For at least the last month, I've been able to pick up Kroger brand bread for under .50 a loaf. The other day I picked up 6 loafs at .39 each and the expiration date wasn't until 4 days later. So, when you are shopping for bread, and you can go in the morning to do it (which is when they mark it all down), look for the bright yellow and red tags that say clearance. I buy normally 4-6 which last us about 2 weeks and I throw them in the freezer.

I just wanted to pass this deal along so you can enjoy some bread savings as well! Also, they have the reduced hot dog and hamburger buns like this ALL THE TIME!!

How far will your detergent go?

2010-03-07T07:29:00.001-08:00

Many of you will think this is silly but I have been wondering how far my 3x All Small & Mighty 32 load laundry detergent will go. You see, my friend Laura suggested that we try a smaller amount on everyday stuff and it got me thinking. So, I started marking on my bottle how many loads I'm doing so I can see how far it goes. I use about half of what they recommend which is a tiny amount, it's just barely enough to cover the bottom of the dispenser on our HE washer. But I haven't noticed any difference in our clothes. So, maybe this will inspire you to use less detergent, less shampoo and less on other things to make our freebies and very inexpensive items last even longer...I'm laughing as I'm typing this because it just sounds so FRUGAL! A lot of people don't mind wasting especially when they got it so cheap or free but I like to make it last without sacrificing the end result!

$1.00 All Detergent last day at Family Dollar

2010-03-07T07:01:00.001-08:00

I saw this deal but I wanted to verify that the coupons would work before I posted this. The coupon states 2.00 off any 50 oz or greater and the ad didn't specify. But I did grab 5 detergents for 1.00 each. Believe me, I don't need laundry detergent but I can't pass up the opportunity to get it for 1.00 each since I know it will get used and it will give me at least 30 loads worth for 1.00! And the type they had at this store was one I hadn't seen before in most other stores but it said safe in HE washers which is exactly what I need! So, if you want some 1.00 detergent, today is your day, hurry up! I'm not sure if they will extend a raincheck or not. You could always take the ad to Target and see if they will price match!

Interestingly enough, I asked them if they had anymore and she said no. I said how I loved how inexpensive they were with the coupon and she said "yeah, it's pretty stupid of corporate, they should wait to put this stuff on sale until after the coupons expire". Well, that opened up a whole can of worms. I tried to politely educate her that their company isn't really losing money since they will get reimbursed the 2.00 plus a handling fee. She still didn't seem to buy it but whatever, I got my detergent and that's what I went in for :) She was nice but it's amazing to me how uneducated the clerks are about coupons. I may just call their corporate offices to let them know....not to complain, I will not do that unless someone has been HORRIBLE to me, but just to tell them that they might want to educate their staff on how coupons work, because it seems logical that if you are going to accept mfg. coupons, you should know how they work, right? I felt bad that this lady thought their company was losing money on them when she told me their store is very, very slow and they've never even hit budget. There was maybe 3 of us in the store and she told me that is the normal pace, VERY SLOW. So, maybe her accepting coupons at such a high value makes her worry a bit about her job if she thinks the store is losing money. A little food for thought. Maybe I should try to find an article online about coupon redemption and when I have someone who obviously doesn't know how the process works, I can give it to them :) Might make for friendly transactions for many of us :) Luckily my cashier wasn't rude but I still felt bad as I was leaving!

Picking and choosing my deals

2010-03-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

I have a 2 year old so I'm having to pick and choose my deals a lot lately. I find that taking him to too many stores to try to grab all the deals ends up frustrating for both of us. He simply doesn't have the patience and likes to attempt to crawl out of the carts. So, I've been really picking and choosing my deals lately. I know that when I first started mega couponing, I would run out to get every deal but now, I'm pickier.

The stores I frequent the most are Meijer, Kroger, Rite Aid, and CVS. It always takes us FOREVER to check out at Walgreens and it's about 15 minutes from me so it's the farthest store from me. And the Register Rewards expire within 2 weeks and my store just won't accept any even if they are one day old and I ask permission. So, for me, its a rarity that I go to Walgreens. Additionally, it seems everyone else in the country has a much bigger ad than Metro Detroit, I think our ad is half the size. So, many of the deals on websites that I frequent don't apply to our stores here.

So, what I'm trying to say is I've tried hard to find balance in the household. Not many kids want to be stuck in a grocery cart for a long amount of time and so I don't venture out as much as I used to. But I will tell you that the savings my family has seen has been tremendous. My husband and I recently put me on a allowance/budget. So, I get money every 2 weeks and when it's gone, it's gone. This has helped me A LOT because I would do tons of 1.00 and 2.00 transactions and didn't realize how they could add up!

Another great recipe

2010-03-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a fantastic recipe from my friend Jolyn at Macomb Money Savers for Lemon Rice Pilaf. I made it yesterday and it was delicious. You could even add fresh asparagus to it. It was very easy to make, however, you need to make sure you have enough ingredients on hand. Almost took a whole small box of rice, 2-3 lemons to get the fresh lemon juice, it took one large container (like the paper container) of chicken broth plus half of a can I had in the pantry. Also, prepare this in your extra large skillet.

Enjoy...believe me, I did!

Thanks Jolyn!

Meijer Shopping Trip

2010-03-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

I went to Meijer yesterday and had a pretty good trip. My total out of pocket was $63.29, I saved $77.70 for a savings of 59%.

Keep in mind that I bought 6 packages of Johnsonville Brats with a raincheck and bought about 12.00 in juice.

Some of my favorite were Quaker Oatmeal at .88/box after 1.00 coupon, Ziploc bags that were .70 after coupons, but then I bought 4 boxes on two different transactions so I could submit for 10.00 in rebates. I haven't bought ziplocs since the beginning of the school year and I just ran out so it pays to stock up on these, Strawberries were 1.69 (and they were delicious!).

So, I will be receiving 10.00 back in rebates from these purchases :)

Cousin's corner!

2010-03-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here's another tip/recipe from my cousin Pam! She comes up with some great one and I love that she always gives credit, where credit is due! Thanks Pam!

Brown Sugar Scrub

baking soda
white sugar
brown sugar
sea salt
olive oil
vanilla extract

In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of white sugar, 3 tablespoons brown sugar; add tablespoon of sea salt, add tablespoon baking soda; stir until lumps are gone; should be smooth and basically one color; add tablespoon of olive oil, stir in; keep adding half spoonfuls of the oil, keep stirring until your scrub has the consistency of slush (I ended up using 3 tablespoons total); Add two drops of Vanilla and stir (I probably used a teaspoon).

This recipe is from Shiela Pierson, found at instructables.com

February totals

2010-03-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my spending in February:

Spent: 398.69

Saved: 550.10

Savings of 61%

Rebates due to receive for February spending: 58.49

My out of pocket spending was a little higher than usual but I did stock up on chicken and I did pay for my son's 2nd birthday party with this amount spent as well.

My Favorite Recipe of ALL TIME!

2010-02-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you my favorite recipe that is from my Aunt Peggy in California. I've been eating this dish since I was 9!

Cheese Strata

6 slices bread, toast each piece and butter ( I used I can't believe it's not butter spray, no calories and no difference in taste!)

Stack the toast and cut into cubes

Spray a 9 x 13 pyrex dish and arrange the bread cubes in the pan, yes that is my son's hand in the picture!

Beat together 4 eggs, 2 cups milk

Layer a 2 cup bag of shredded cheddar cheese and a small bag of cubed ham on top of the toast. Then pour the egg mixture on top. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes (cooking less than this has resulting in it turning out a little runny), I've played around with the time for many years and at this temp and time, it seems to let the egg and bread set well.

This is a fantastic dish, it does vary slightly from my Aunt's original recipe but its a keeper in my house!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years!

Incredible deals at CVS!

2010-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

I read on Hip2Save about Huggies wipes in the super mega big packages for 2.50, normally 7.99. They didn't have a sale sticker but when I scanned them under the red machine towards the front of the store, they said 2/5.00. Here's a fantastic transaction I made today:

5 packages of Huggies Wipes (enough to fill 3 tubs) 2.50 each
Spiderman valentines 75% off .75
2 Softsoaps at .88 each
1 Earinse 7.99 (free after ECB)
1 Colgate Max Toothpast 2.99

I used 2 .50 coupons from the March issue of All You for the Softsoap, one 1.00 coupon for the Colgate out of a recent All You and I used a 5 off 25 coupon. I have tons of ECBS so I'm trying to burn some, so I used a 10.00 ECB and a 9.00 ECB. I paid 1.22 out of pocket and received a 2.00 ECB for the toothpaste and a 7.99 ECB for the earinse.

Value of the products was 62.42, I saved 98%! I left plenty of wipes on the shelves in Walled Lake so I hope some of you can score this deal. I didn't take my coupon bin so I'm not sure if there are recent mfg coupons for these.

Favorite Store?

2010-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite store to shop at with coupons? Mine is probably CVS, they seem to always have good deals. I got out of Walgreens because it was the farthest for me to drive and my store never seemed to have stock. For some reason, check out always took FOREVER and there were times that the register would not take my coupons and the manager couldn't even get them to push through. It became aggravating so I just avoid it unless there is a really hot deal! I have so many ECB's from CVS, I don't even know what to do with them! I had about 50-60.00 at one time!

Would love to hear your favorite place to coupon :)

Rebates

2010-02-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

I am amazed at how much I have already received in rebates since the beginning of the year! 87.98 to be exact and I have another 75.00 I'm waiting to receive. My friend Laura suggested putting that money aside and collecting it all year long and then at the end of the year, you've got a nice rainy day fund! This is what I did last year and we were able to pay for at 75% of our annual ski trip (which ain't cheap let me tell ya!). I encourage you to start saving yours. What I do is I cash them at the bank because if that money is in my acct, I will spend it, I promise you!! And I collect it in an envelope and keep a tally of how much is in there.

Some of the rebates I've gotten so far are the Dulcolax from Walgreens a few months back, Proctor and Gamble rebate from Rite Aid, Rite Aid Single Check Rebates (monthly), SC Johnson Wax rebate that is still ongoing and a few others here and there.

Inexpensive pancakes!!

2010-02-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

As a mom of two young boys and one that is in Kindergarten, convenience at breakfast time is a must. I don't have time unfortunately everyday to make "from scratch" items. We buy a lot of waffles and pankcakes (frozen and normally store brand) and I was a little shocked last week when I grabbed a box of mini pancakes at Kroger that were 2.48 a box. This morning it "dawned" (LOL) on me that I had two nice size boxes of pancake mix that I know I got for under 1.00 a box and I think it might have even been under .50 for a 32oz box. I also thought about the many packages of chocolate chips I have that I paid .99 each for that are just sitting on my shelf.

So, I decided to make a big batch of mini pancakes and jazz them up a little bit with a few chocolate chips. I figured if the store could cook them and put them in a bag and then freeze them, then why couldn't I?

If my guesstimates are right, I used about 3/4 of a box of pancake mix and about 1/4 of the chocolate chips. Lets base this on the pancake mix being 1.00 a box (even though I'm certain I paid far less for it) and I paid .99 for the chocolate chips and that's 1/4 of the way gone. So for approximately 1.00, I made 50 pancakes that are double the size of the mini pancakes that Kroger sells. Not a bad deal and if I can keep making them this way, I don't have to worry about running out so quickly.

Just some food for thought....anyone else have any money saving suggestions that are doing right now?

New segment!!

2010-02-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

One of my cousins, Pam, who lives in Tennessee has come up with some clever recipes and ideas that I would love to share with all of you! Pam is an identical twin to Pat and my running joke to both of them is that I still after all these years, cannot tell them apart. When I look at pictures of them, it is visible that their hair style is completely different but when I was a kid, I'd be looking at one and say their name, and the one in the other room would answer. We've got lots of fun stories of my escapades as a child!

I'm going to call this new segment, Cousin's Corner!

To kick off the new segment, I'm going to share one of Pam's ideas/recipes!

We love Infusium detangling spray and use it all the time on Jennifer's long hair. It's not cheap so I searched for a recipe online. I found this one (super easy) and it works great. Very simple and just the right consistency/texture. Not too thick, not too runny.

Leave in Hair Conditioner spray

1 oz. conditioner (They say commercial grade. I used we had which was Aussie)

5 oz. water

put in spray bottle, shake (I used my our Infusium bottle)

I'm back from vacation!

2010-02-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

I was so busy getting ready to leave for vacation that I neglected to post that we were going on vacation!

Luckily we are back before Saturday since I want to hit up CVS for some very inexpensive vitamin supplements I take!

Getting coupons for your favorite brands

2010-02-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked how you can get coupons for your favorite brands especially if you don't see that they are ever in the coupon inserts. I highly recommend that you contact the manufacturer and ask them for coupons. Isn't their goal to have loyal customers? So, if you'd had luck contacting a mfg who is more than happy to send you some coupons, let us know!

On a slightly different note, if you are unsatisfied with a company's products, don't be afraid to contact them. I've had two instances where this has paid off:

1) John Frieda hair products - I really like the Luminous Volume products and I scored a bunch of these super cheap at Rite Aid last spring and after only using the shampoo a few times, I noticed the bottle was almost empty. When I looked at it closer, it looked like it might have been a design flaw since the bottle was designed to have the cap that dispenses on the bottom rather than the top and it appeared that when you set it that way, the shampoo would leak out. So, I called them, they asked me for a few codes off the bottle and they sent me a coupon for another bottle completely free!

2) Pampers Cruisers - I've been pretty loyal to Pampers(in fact, it's all I used for my first son, I love the powder smell they have before the are SOILED!) and have been alternating between Pampers and Huggies for my 2nd son. I noticed that my son was leaking though his diaper almost every time. So I gave Pampers a call and they very promptly sent me 2 coupons for 5.00 off. They asked me to try their Baby Dry (green box) product instead and see if those were better. They told me that I should get back to them if those leaked as well and they would have me send back the remaining ones and they would give me a refund. Personally, I like the cruisers A LOT better because the baby dry tabs are very plasticy (is that a word?) but they seem to be a little bit better.

So, here are my two examples of products I've have some issues with and the company has been happy to work with me!

Don't forget to let me know if you'd had success with this as well (or calling any mfg for coupons).

Sorry for my absence!

2010-02-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I had quite the dummy moment yesterday. I was going to post some great stuff on Friday and was home by myself with the kids and was a bit tired. Had everything ready to post yesterday morning when my internet connection became non-existent. Finally this morning after a full 24 hours without internet, I decided to call my provider. Well, nothing wrong with the connection.....it appears that my almost 2 year old hit a button on my keyboard that either turns on the wireless or doesn't. Well, guess which setting he hit. This computer is still fairly new and I had no idea to check this.

So, sorry about my absence!!! I won't bother to post about too many things from last week since you can't duplicate them now!

Happy Valentine's Day...my little Valentine had me up at 5:22 this morning, maybe the hubby will deem that my present will be a nap!

Just got home from church and thought I'd post to let you know I'm still around :)

Super Easy and Super Yummy Recipe!

2010-02-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Judy gave me this recipe and it's so easy and so good! With as cheap as I've gotten all the ingredients lately, I bet this meal which provided dinner for all 4 of us and lunch for me and the hubby the next day cost no more than $2.00.

Pasta Bake
Preheat oven to 425
Use 1 pound of pasta ( I use penne)
1 jar of sauce & 1 jar water

Spray your baking dish, then put in pasta, sauce and water and stir together. Bake 30 minutes covered, stir again, add 2 cups of shredded cheese to the top and bake 10 more minutes uncovered.

It is so easy and I promise you will enjoy! Thanks Judy!

What's wrong with this picture? Look close!

2010-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

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Well, if you can figure out what is wrong with this picture, it's the reason I scored these for .49 at Kroger yesterday! The sell date on these is 2/16/09. Great for the freezer....I'm really curious if anyone will comment!

Slow Cooker recipes

2010-02-07T12:48:00.001-08:00

Anyone have a tasty slow cooker recipe involving chicken? My husband is getting little tired of Chicken Picatta, Chicken Marsala, and chicken that has topping so I thought I'd see if any of my readers had a tried and true recipe you would lend??

Are there many deals this week?

2010-02-07T12:46:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you but I'm super excited about Kroger or Meijer deals this week! A lot of the free things at Meijer, I got a few weeks back and don't have anymore coupons. I still have to check out the drug store ads but there were only a few things at each store I need so I may just opt to go to one this week. I shop with my almost 2 year old in tow so going to only store makes things a little easier on us.

CVS & Meijer shopping trips today

2010-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

I went to CVS and Meijer today. I want to explain how this broke down as this may not be duplicable as far as the diapers are concerned.

CVS Spent 4.25
Saved 43.14

I bought 4 boxes of cereal that were 1.88 each (these normally go for 4.29 a box!), I used 1/2 coupons from 1/10 Red Plum insert

I called Pampers and told them that my son was leaking through their diapers and they sent me (2) 5.00 coupons to try a different type of diaper rather than the Cruisers I've been using.

I also used a 5 off 20 from Rite Aid, my store will accept competitor coupons, YOU NEED TO ASK FIRST before you do this as some stores may not allow this.

Meijer Spent 9.98
Saved 23.38

I went and got the following deals along with milk and Garden Fresh Salsa (is there any better out there and it's B1G1 free this week!)

0.50 McCormick Dry Seasoning Mix, packet
-$0.25/2 coupon (from 1-24 RP), use 2
-$1.00/4 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
FREE when you buy 4 with coupons*

$0.99 Lipton Cup-a-Soup Mix *NEW*
-$0.40/1 coupon (from 11-15 or 1-31 RP)
$0.19 after coupon* – great charity donation!
$1.50 Hefty Everyday Foam Plates (50 ct), Compartment Trays (20 ct), Strong n Deep Plates (20 ct), or Zoo Pals Paper Plates or Cups (14-24 ct) (price drop through Feb 21) *NEW*
-$0.50/1 Hefty plates or cups coupon (from 1-31 RP)
$0.50 after coupon* – thanks, LaTasha!

Thanks to Jolyn at Macomb Money Savers for the awesome matchups!

Chicken Enchiladas - this recipe is a winner!

2010-02-04T08:05:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share this recipe with you since several of the ingredients are part of Kroger's special this week!

1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel or Kroger brand mild)
5-6 cooked chicken breasts shredded
1 pt heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 T chicken granules
~20 tortillas
8 oz monterrey Jack or Mozzarella shredded cheese
Vegetable oil
Cook onion and garlic in small amt of vegetable oil just until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes and green chiles, and chicken. Spoon mixture into tortillas and place seam-side down in greased dish. Heat whipping cream and granules together (to dissolve) then pour over enchiladas. Top with cheese and bake 30 min at 350 F. Enjoy!

I boil my chicken and then shred it. This seems to be easiest for me. I only use about 1 package of tortillas and normally one package of Tyson skinless/boneless chicken breast.

This week I bought tortillas that were part of the promo at Kroger as well as Rotel. They both have fairly recent coupons.

We love this recipe at our house and I serve it a lot when we have company. It pairs great with Spanish Rice (which I still have tons of from when I stocked up about 6 months ago when it was on a great sale at Meijer!).

Enjoy!

I am in awe at my friend's generosity!

2010-02-03T16:53:00.001-08:00

I could not let this opportunity go by without giving "props" to my girlfriend Kim who drove ( I say 30, she says 20 minutes) over to my house with an incredible amount of things to donate to my local food pantry in Walled Lake, Hospitality House. I had to show you a picture (and this doesn't even show it all and yes, I know it isn't superb quality). My neighbors mom volunteers there twice a week and I thought Kim brought 5-6 bags of stuff which I was very grateful for.....well, I went in the garage and realized there was one more bag stuffed to the gills and 1 medium sized box and 1 LARGE box of stuff filled completely! Inside the bags and boxes were tons of bar soap, feminine hygiene products, aspirin...all stuff that I know the people on Thursday will be so excited about when they get to do their shopping and pick out their things for the next 2 weeks.

Kim is one of the most generous people I know (except when it comes to napkin rings, INSIDE JOKE!) and has become like a sister to me. I have learned so much from her over the last 2 years and can't imagine not having her in my life! She's taught me a lot about life, A LOT about the Lord and I am so grateful for her friendship and love. And today, I am just in awe of her generous heart.

My friend Laura Webber says that coupons really are a blessing since most countries don't receive them at all and are forced to pay full price for everything. Look at the impact and the blessings you can bestow upon others with couponing!

If you would like to donate to Hospitality House, please email me and I will be glad to give you their information.

Thanks Kim, you're the best!

Shopping at Kroger today

2010-02-03T09:19:00.001-08:00

Spent $79.03
Saved $42.90

It wasn't my best week but I was running low on staples like syrup, waffles (for the kiddos!), ketchup, juice, etc. Most of these things I didn't have coupons for. I did take advantage of the Mega Sale where when you buy a participating item, you get .50 off that item if you buy 10. I did stock back up on ground beef, I got them on Mgr's Special (that's the little cubby in the meat dept) so I saved several dollars on each package. I buy from that area a lot, and bring it home and throw it in the freezer. My total is also a little higher because I purchased two packages of frozen shrimp for 6.99. So my total is about 25.00 higher this week because of those deals I found.

Here is a list of the items I purchased with coupons that you should be able to duplicate. These matchups have been graciously provided by Jolyn at Macomb Money Savers.

$1.49 Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 8 oz brick or tub
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
-$1.00/4 printable coupon
$0.74 after instant savings when you buy 4

$1.69 French's Classic Yellow Mustard, 14 oz
-$0.50/1 printable coupon or 0.30/1 coupon (from 1-24 SS)
$0.19 or $0.59 after coupon and instant savings

$2.49 Solo Cups, 30-50 ct
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 12-6 SS) or $0.75/1 coupon (from 1-24 SS)
$0.99 or $1.24 after coupon and instant savings

$2.89 Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 Orange Juice, 59-64 oz
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
$2.39 after instant savings

Who wants a B1G1 free coupon to Ruby Tuesday?

2010-02-02T13:46:00.001-08:00

I came across (6) B1G1 Free coupons to Ruby Tuesday coupons that expire 2/11. The first 6 people to leave a comment on this post, I will send you each one! I will email you to get your address. I know I like saving money when we dine out, I'm sure I'm not alone!

January Totals

2010-01-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

This month was terrific! I stayed well within my budget and that's always a great thing!

Spent 283.64

Saved 1562.56

Savings Percentage 85%

Donated $335.87

Rebates due 6.25 (plus I've earned portions of the Healthy Heart & Proctor & Gamble rebate at Rite Aid, but need a few extra dollars to hit the maximum gift card)

Many coupons expiring today!

2010-01-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

Many coupons are expiring today so I would suggest going through your boxes and seeing what items you might want to buy using your coupons that will expire.

As I teach at my classes, in my personal opinion, it is NOT okay to use expired coupons unless you have the consent of the cashier or manager. People that abuse this hurt all of us. I've heard horror stories from cashiers of people who try to use coupons 6 months past their expiration and throw in some for items that didn't even have in their cart. You say, "well, how does that affect me"? Ever been treated badly by a cashier or you can tell they are not too thrilled with your coupon stack? It might be because they've seen a lot of people abusing them.

I must admit that I didn't always stick to the rules but I have made it my personal decision to make sure the coupons I'm using are within their expiration dates and are intended for the EXACT items I have in my cart.

A friend of mine pointed out that coupons are really a GIFT! We are one of the only countries that has the luxury of being able to use coupons.....therefore, thinking of coupons in this way, makes me so much more grateful that I am able to save so much for my family, give back to less fortunate families and educate others how they can trim costs off their monthly budget.

Happy Shopping!

Great Rite Aid Trip today

2010-01-28T11:26:00.001-08:00

I had a great shopping trip today at Rite Aid today! I bought $262.01 worth and I paid $5.40, for a savings of 97%.

I did several transactions, used 5 off 25 coupons on each transaction (since those expire soon), use high dollar mfg coupons (6.00) and Rite Aid Video Perks coupons. The Flex-a-min and Ostio products were buy one get one free and since I was technically buying two, I was able to use 2 6.00 mfg coupons on each transaction. I snagged 10 light bulbs for free because I got a raincheck for them when they were on sale for 1.00. I'm sure I'll be donating a great portion of the glucosamine products and am glad to do it since these items ranged from 13.99-19.99 a bottle

Time to donate!

2010-01-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

I bought many things that my family doesn't need today because I know someone at the food pantry will use them. I spent .30 out of pocket at Meijer today and am donating about 35.00 worth of food just from today's purchase. If you feel convicted to donate, PLEASE DO! My husband strongly disliked the amount of items that were piling up in our home so I find it is easier to donate weekly when the prices I paid are still fresh in my mind. My tax advisor at H & R Block (who has taken my coupon workshop by the way!) told me that you are allowed to write off how much the item rings up for on your receipt, so regardless if you paid .03, it if rings up 2.45, you can claim that full amount.

The value of the items I am donating are $104.30, I paid probably about 3.00 total out of pocket. Look how much I can make a difference with a couple dollars out of pocket, a little time, and my desire to help those less fortunate. There's no telling how many mouths this will feed and how many people will be excited at the items they can pick from!

Meijer Shopping Trip

2010-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

I have to tell you that I was looking all around when I stepped out of my car this morning since the Meijer I always go to got robbed 2 days ago! But I figure the likelihood of it happened again and this soon is probably pretty slim. I do feel us moms that are loading children into carseats and unloaded our purse, groceries, etc into the car can be caught off guard so make sure you are watching your surroundings. I never thought my store would get robbed because it's in a good neighborhood but I've learned it can happen anywhere. My own mother got held up at gunpoint right outside her grocery store a few years ago around the same time of the morning the Meijer got robbed on Monday, and my mom was in the first parking space closest to the entrance of the store. They grabbed her as she had just sat down in the seat but hadn't yet closed the door. So I always lock my door IMMEDIATELY when I get in the seat....point being, we have many distractions when we shop so lets be more aware of our surroundings!

Nevertheless, I had a good shopping experience today and am geeked that I was able to stock up on sour cream, american cheese and shredded cheese. They are running a great promotion (I didn't see it marked anywhere in the store but know it's a catalina deal that runs through the 31st thanks to Macomb Money Savers)

Spent 31.38

Saved 77.90

71% savings!

Check out how much of this I am donating....that post is to follow!

Free $10.00 Betty Crocker Booklet

2010-01-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

Follow this link and it should take you to a sign up page to get a free $10.00 Betty Crocker coupon booklet.

Potential problem at Walgreens on BIGI Bic Razors

2010-01-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

Word on the street is that the B1G1 free BIC razors are ringing up 5.99 for the first one and 1.00 for the second. When you combine this with the B1G1 free coupon from the newspaper inserts, both should be free and you should only pay about ~.80 in tax. At the store in Commerce Twp on Haggerty and 14 Mile, they will not price adjust to make the first one 6.99. Even though the ad clearly states buy one at 6.99, get the second free, the computer system is not allowing the coupons to be used in the way that most of us are used to. Talks with the manager are still not getting the problem solved. Some people are reporting that their stores are ringing up 3.49 for the 3.49 and 3.49 for the second.

Just wanted to let you know that there might be a problem. Don't be afraid to speak to your manager if you encounter this. If it still isn't resolved, call Corporate. The system should ring the same way for everyone. It's unfortunate when this happens but hopefully a resolution will happen soon.

Know your rights as a consumer! No matter how long someone spent waiting on you and ringing you up, if the transaction is more than you thought and you are not willing to pay what they show you owe, ask for the item to be removed. The problem with returning it later is that you will lose your coupon to use at another store.

Please let me know if you're encountering this issue. Some of us have been known to drive 10-15 minutes to a store to do a particular deal to find out they aren't ringing properly, so be careful :) If you can get this item to come out where you are just paying tax, I encourage you to donate them if your family won't use them! I gave my friend all my coupons so we could donate them this week and the manager told her "sorry" and that it's ringing up this way and there was basically nothing he could do.

Hiller's Deals - .30 Campbells soup & more

2010-01-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

I was looking at the ad I received yesterday for Hillers and found a cheaper price on Campbell's Tomato and Chicken Noodle soup. I was planning on purchasing it this week at CVS but found a better deal at Hillers

20 cans of Chicken Noodle or Tomato soup for $10.00 (= .50 each)
Use the $0.40/4 coupon from the 12/13 SS or 1/3 SS
Final cost is .30 when you buy 4

I also noticed that our favorite chips and salsa, Garden Fresh Gourmet (if you are local, you know the orange bag you find in the deli) is on sale for 2/5.00, that's better than the 3.50 I paid at Kroger yesterday. When I was a radio producer, we interviewed the owner on our radio show and what a nice guy. Do you know that they are the largest producer of fresh salsa in the country? Just a little tidbit!

I'll try to put together some more deals for Hillers but wanted to point this out since I met many Hiller's shoppers at my coupon class last week.

15% off everything at Kohls.com

2010-01-26T05:02:00.001-08:00

If you like getting great deals at Kohl's, use the promo code SHOPNSAVE valid for today and tomorrow only for an extra 15% off your purchase. Orders over $75.00 get free shipping too when you use the promo code FREE2U. Let me know if you get an great deals! Not long after Christmas I got really nice Carter's fleece footed sleepers for under 5.00 with free shipping. Happy Shopping!

My Kroger Favorites Week of 1/25

2010-01-24T16:46:00.001-08:00

These are my personal favorites and items I'll be shopping for this week:

$1.69 French's Classic Yellow Mustard, 14 oz
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
-$0.30/1 coupon (from 1-24 SS)
$0.59 after coupon and instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$2.27 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel or Scrambles
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
-$1.00/1 printable coupon (IE link) (FF link), print 2 per computer
$0.77 after coupn and instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)
Also available: $0.55/2 Cellfire e-coupon and $0.55/2 Shortcuts e-coupon (load to your Kroger card!)

$1.29 Pepsi Soft Drinks, 2 liter (plus deposit)
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
$0.79 after instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$2.49 Nabisco Snack Crackers, 6-10 oz
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 1-24 SS)
$0.99 after coupon and instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$1.49 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
$0.99 after instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$2.49 Tostitos Tortilla Chips or Salsa
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
$1.99 after instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$2.89 Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 Orange Juice, 59-64 oz
-$0.50 Big-Game Greats Event Savings
$2.39 after instant savings (when you mix & match 10 items)

$1.78 Hot or Lean Pockets Breakfast Sandwiches
-$0.55/1 Cellfire e-coupon (load to your Kroger card before Jan 25!)
$1.33 after e-coupon

$1.88 Dannon Yogurt, 4-6 ct select varieties
-$1.00/1 Dannon Danactive coupon (from 10-4, 12-6 or 1-10 SS) OR
-$1.00/1 Dannon Activia coupon (from 10-4 or 1-10 SS)
$0.88 after coupon

$1.99/lb Tyson Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

$1.00 Mini Carrots, 1 lb

(Thanks, Macomb Money Savers!)

Don't forget Kroger limits you (in the Metro Detroit area) to 3 identical coupons. If you want more of an item do separate transactions, just watch that you still purchase 10 of the mix and match items to still get your savings. For instance, you might need to do 2 purchase of 10 mix and match items in order to get your coupons doubled.

CVS Deals this week

2010-01-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite deals at CVS this week:

Soy Joy 6 ct. box $6=$6Ecb (limit 6)
Final cost FREE!

(These are normally found in the center aisle of the store, not with the individual Soy Joy Bars)

I got 6 boxes of these bars for free and donated them! You need to do these in 6 separate transactions. I had ECB's to start with, if you don't have any, you will pay 6.00 but then get 6 boxes and end up with 6.00 in ECB's after your last transaction (hope this makes sense!)

Glade Fabric & Air 22oz. or Oust Air Sanitizer 10 oz. $3.99 = $3Ecb (Limit 3)
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Oust Air Sanitizers
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from the 1/3 SS (there is also a $2/2 coupon found here)
Pay $3.99
Get back $6Ecb
Final Cost FREE + a $2 moneymaker!

At the stores I've gone to, the limit is actually 6. One way to check this is to look on your receipt. I've bought 6 cans of Oust and 6 cans of the Glade Fabric and Air. If you have the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons, buy in groups of 4 for the Oust.

The trick with some of the deals is to separate the transactions or you will end up with a large ECB and I personally prefer smaller sized ECB's.

Renpure Organics Shampoo or Conditioner Buy 1 at $6.99 and Get 1 Free
Final Cost $3.50 each (look for hangtags around this product that have a $3/1 coupon plus offer a “Try Me Free” rebate!)

Met-Rx or Pure Protein Value Packs or Single Bars Buy 2 Get 1 Free
Deal Scenario #1(based on on-line price):
Buy 3 Pure Protein bars priced at $1.89 each (3rd bar will ring up free due to sale)
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from the 1/24 RP
Use the $1/1 coupon from All You Magazine Feb 2010 Issue
Final Cost $0.30 each!

Deal Scenario #2 (based on on-line price):
Buy 3 Met-Rx bars priced at $2.69 each
Use the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon from the 1/24 RP
Use the $1/1 coupon from All You Magazine Feb 2010 Issue
Final Cost $0.56 each!

Ester-C Vitamin Supplement/All Sundown Vitamins Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Deal Scenario (based on on-line prices):
Buy 2 Ester-C 60 count tablets priced at $10.79 each (2nd one will ring up free due to sale)
Use 2 $5/1 coupons from the 1/3 RP (there is also a $4/1 coupon in the 1/24 RP)
Final Cost $0.40 each!

Crest Toothpaste 6.4 oz./Oral-B Indicator Toothbrush $1.99 = $1Ecb (Limit 1)
Deal Scenario:
Buy 1 Crest Toothpaste
Use the $0.75/1 coupon from the 1/17 PG
Final Cost $0.24!

(Thanks, Hip2Save)!
Please note that this list is just my favorites for the week. I try to buy things when they are SUPER-INEXPENSIVE! So there might be other deals that will be great buys to you!

Ivory Soap FREE At CVS this week!

2010-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

I already got this deal a few weeks ago but if you like to stock up on soap, here's a great freebie for you!

Ivory Soap 3 pack $0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 12/27 PG
Final Cost FREE!

If you are brand loyal, I encourage you to buy as many as you can and donate them!

(Thanks Hip2Save!)

Coupons at work!

2010-01-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

A friend/reader of mine shared with me her totals for January so far and I am truly amazed! Check it out.....

Spent $204.00

Value of products $3,336.00

Savings 93%

Way to go!!!

Rite Aid Deals this week

2010-01-24T05:10:00.001-08:00

I've seen a few things that I like at Rite Aid this week that are good to grab! This isn't a complete list of deals but items that I personally think are priced well.

Quilted Northern Bath Tissue Double Roll 12 pack $6.49
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/24 RP
Use the $2/1 Rite Aid Video values coupon found here
Final Cost $3.49!

Nature’s Bounty/Sundown Vitamins or Supplements/Flex-a-min Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Deal Scenario (based on on-line price):
Buy 2 Flex-a-min Super Glucosamine 2000 Plus Tablets 60 count priced at $13.99 each (2nd bottle will be free due to sale)
Use 2 $6/1 coupons from the 1/3 RP (there is also a $4/1 coupon in the 1/24 RP or found here: IE or Firefox)
Final Cost $1 each!

( I got tons of supplements at CVS last week for free, it was great, this can be a great donatable item since these items are really expensive and people can't normally afford these extras if they are struggling)

Maybelline Cosmetics 40% Off
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #61 when you purchase 1 Maybelline Mascara
Deal Scenario (based on on-line price):
Buy 1 Maybelline Great Lash Mascara priced at $4.89 (my store price was 5.19, so these totals might vary slightly) (should ring up at $2.93 due to sale)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/10 RP
Use the $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon found here
Get a $2 SCR
Final Cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker!

Skintimate or Edge Shave Gel 2/$4
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #50
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Edge Shave Gels
Use 2 $0.75/1 coupons from the 1/10 SS
Final Cost $0.75 each!

Airborne $4.99
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #37
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/17 SS
Final Cost $1.99!

Comtrex Cough & Cold $3.99
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #10
Use the $1.50/1 coupon from the 12/6 SS
Final Cost $1.49!

Coke and Coke Products 2 liter bottles 4/$5
Use the $1/4 in-ad coupon
Final Cost $1 each!

7-Up or Diet 7-Up 2 liter bottles 3/$3.99
Use the $1/3 in-ad coupon
Final Cost $1 each!

Aquafresh Toothpaste and Toothbrushes Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Deal Scenario (based on on-line price, store prices do vary a little):
Buy 2 Aquafresh Advanced Triple Protection 2X Whitening Toothpaste priced at $3.69 each (2nd one will ring up free due to sale)
Use 2 $1/1 coupons found here (there is also a $0.75/1 coupons from the 1/3 RP)
Final Cost $0.85 each!

Jif Peanut Butter/Welch’s Grape Jelly/Kudos Bars/Mom’s Best Oatmeal 2/$4
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Welch’s Grape Jellies
Use 2 $0.55/1 coupons from the 1/3 SS
Final Cost $1.45 each!

(Thanks, Hip2Save)

There are some other deals but they are a bit complicated and require multiple transactions. Don't forget to take your $5 off $25 coupon found here. I normally print off a bunch and keep them in my purse. These do expire soon but they are bound to come out with another one soon. And remember, use can use the $5 off $25 before all your other coupons so it's like getting $5.00 in merchandise in free! I snagged lots of Pampers for around 1.00 a package this past week since I used that coupon!

Meal Planning

2010-01-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

I am curious how my fellow couponers plan their meals? Do you plan ahead based on the sales for the week or do you try to plan according to what you have in your pantry?

Looking forward to hearing what works best for your family!

All Detergent .50, what a deal! ----UPDATE

2010-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

I apologize for getting this to you so late but Blogger seems to be having some problems lately and it wouldn't let me post very fast yesterday. I did finally confirm that my store at 15 Mile and Haggerty will price match Big Lots actual paper ad. I was able to buy the white 3x All Small and Mighty (32oz). Vanessa was my clerk at the service desk.

Let me know if you are able to snag this deal! And again, sorry I could not confirm it sooner, it took me a few days to get down to the location where I could get a paper ad. Target will ONLY match if you have the ad which states the week the sale is on and the price. They will not match a % off an item. But they didn't have a problem with it listing 2/5.00. I have heard that they will not allow you to use coupons when they price match but my store has allowed me to use coupons both times I have price matched. Of course, your experience could differ but hopefully you can enjoy the same!

Weekly totals

2010-01-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Overall, I had a great week. Got lots of stuff for free! Including Nivea Body Wash at Target, Bayer Aspirin at Rite Aid, and some serious moneymakers! I've added to my stockpile items that I will be able to donate to my local food pantry which I've really felt called to do lately. I am realizing how fortunate my family is and want to share products with others that will probably feel like a luxury! Remember, I'm always looking for great pictures of items you've been able to donate so please send those to me so I can post!

My totals f0r 2010 are:

Spent $155.99

Saved $ 1076.70

For a savings of 87%!

Great deals at Rite Aid

2010-01-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

I had a great time shopping at Rite Aid (kid-free!) last night! My initial plan was to buy Oil of Olay products and submit for the rebate but they didn't carry the cleanser I was looking for. So, I loaded up my cart with other items that were either incredibly cheap or ones that I would receive a rebate on! Before heading out to Rite Aid, make sure you print off their 5 off 25 coupon that you can find on Hip2Save. Here is a breakdown that I used and got on Hip2Save:

Crest Toothpaste 4.1 oz.; Crest ProHealth, Whitening Expressions or Plus Scope Paste, 6.0 oz.; Crest Neat Squeeze or Outlast Paste, 5.8-6.0 oz. or 7.4-8.0 oz. $2.99

Get a $1.25 Single Check Rebate #78
Use the $1.00/1 coupon from the 12/27 PG or 1/17 PG
Final Cost $0.75!

Maybelline Eye Cosmetics Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #67 (valid when you purchase 1 Maybelline mascara)
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Maybelline Great Lash Mascaras for $5.19 each
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 1/10 RP
Use 2 $1/1 Rite Aid video value coupons found here
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #67 (valid when you purchase 1 Maybelline mascara)
Final Cost $0.90 each!

Hall’s Cough Drops/Luden’s Throat Drops/Ricola Original Drops $0.99
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Ricola Cough Drops
Use the $1.00/2 coupon from the 1/10 SS
Final Cost $0.49!

Bayer Aspirin Coated Tablets 24 count, Children’s Chewable 32 count, Low Dose 32 count $1.99
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 10/25 RP or 1/3 SS
Use the $2/1 Rite Aid Video values coupon found here
Final Cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker! ( I was able to buy 10 because I had a lot of coupons!)

Cadbury Creme Eggs 2/$1
Use the $0.50/2 Rite Aid Video Value coupon found here
Final Cost $0.25 each!

Always Pads Always Clean 28 ct., Always Infinity 28-36 ct., Always Jumbo 38-48 ct.) or Tampax Pearl Tampons 36-40 count $6.99
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #2
Deal Scenario:
Buy 1 Always Infinity 28-36 ct
Buy 1 Always Infinity 14-18 ct
Use the Buy 1 Always large count and Get 1 Always 14-18 count free coupon from the 12/27 PG
Final Cost $4.99 for 2 boxes of Always!

Vick’s DayQuil or NyQuil, 6 oz. or 12 ct. $3.99
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #40
Use the $2/1 coupon from the 1/17 PG (there is also a $1.50/1 coupon from the 12/27 PG)
Final Cost $0.99!

John Frieda Root Awakening, Frizz Ease, Brilliant Brunette, Sheer Blonde or Luxurious Volume Hair Care Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 John Frieda Luxurious Volume Lavish Life Root Booster 6.77 oz for $6.99
Use 2 $1/1 Rite Aid Video values coupons found here
Use 2 $2.50/1 coupons found here
Final Cost $1.75 each!

Spent $5.37

Saved $80.05

93% Savings!

This scenario is a moneymaker since I will get back $6.25 in a Single Check Rebate!

I encourage you to donate!

2010-01-19T09:48:00.001-08:00

I filled 5 bags of grocery and health/beauty items for my local Food Pantry this morning. When I totaled up how much I was giving, I was amazed. There is over $130.00 worth of products on this table. I can honestly say that I paid probably no more than 3.00 (including tax) for all of this. Last week I loaded up almost $100.00 of items that I got at tremendous savings as well.

I encourage all of you to donate as much as you can. We just never know when we might be in a situation where we are reliant on a food pantry to feed our families.

I have saved a tremendous amount of money this month but I have purchased many things that I wouldn't have if they weren't free. Knowing I could donate them to someone who would benefit is well worth the time I spend shopping for the items and standing in the checkout lines!

If you have a picture of items you've been able to donate, I would love to see it!

All Detergent .50, what a deal!

2010-01-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Some people are reporting that their local Walmart and Target will not price match this deal. I will try Target first and see what result I get but it looks like this deal is going to vary.

One of my favorite websites www.hip2save.com, has a great deal listed on All Detergent. I've borrowed the text from Collin's website...

If you have a Big Lots nearby, then you’ll be excited to know that you can get killer deal by price matching their ad! Thru 1/23, they have All 2X, 50 oz. and All 3X, 32 oz. laundry detergent advertised 2/$5! Head on over to Walmart or Target with your local Big Lots ad and do a price match. They should be able to honor the 2/$5 advertised price. …AND to sweeten this deal even further, use two $2/1 coupons from the 1/3RP! Your final cost will be just $0.50 per detergent! What an awesome deal!

Did your area not get any $2/1 All coupons?
If that’s the case, you may want to head on over to eBay! It looks like you can score a lot of 10 to 20 $2 coupons for around $1 to $3 shipped.

Here is the direct link for the post

I seriously do not need laundry detergent but this deal seems excellent! .50 for 32 loads of laundry detergent? I'll take it!

Rolling your store dollars

2010-01-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

One of my friends pointed out in the very beginning of my couponing, how she tries to "roll" her store dollars. For instance, if I get an Extra Care Buck from CVS from a product I bought that offered this reward, my best bet is to buy another product using that Extra Care Buck that will produce another Extra Care Buck.

I have already received this month over $40.00 in rebates (most were submitted in December). It's fun to cash that money and I put it in an envelope and watch it grow!

I received a $20.00 certificate from Rite Aid. I like my Rite Aid (after having to banish the one I used to frequent b/c a store employee told me that she didn't LIKE me because I used coupons!) I found another store in my area that I've become very loyal to and even if the 1st store has a product that my current store doesn't, I'd rather wait until it comes in and give the business to the store that has offered me the best customer service.

I've been seeing deal scenarios on Oil of Olay products and so I'm going to take that $20.00 certificate and roll it into a product that will again, generate a rebate check. There is a deal this week at Rite Aid. Check out this link at HIP2SAVE for more details.

If you are reading this, please leave a comment :)

2010-01-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

I would love to know how people are reading this blog.....once I get up to 50 followers, I am going to do a great drawing.....please follow, won't you?

Updated January Totals

2010-01-16T17:27:00.000-08:00

So far, this has been a spectacular month!

Spent $111.75

Saved $ 776.91

Savings of 87%

Great savings at Meijer

2010-01-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

I went to Meijer today and knew it would probably be a long trip. Luckily, I knew a few of the sales clerks and they helped direct me to the person that was least likely to give me any trouble with my multiple coupons/transactions!! They had a great sale this week and I did stock up on a lot of items. One item that I've come to love is the Green Giant Steamers and almost everytime I do, the one variety I buy is low on stock. I really like the cut green beans, I prefer the whole great beans but when I can get frozen vegetables for under .30 that only require being turned on in the microwave and VOILA...well, I grab as many as possible. They were part of the buy 10, get the 11th free promotion so I got a raincheck. When your store is out of stock during a sale, make sure to get a raincheck!

I was pleased at my end result, I bought $246.38 and spent $67.83, $25.00 of that was used to buy carpet cleaning fluid for our new Bissell Spot Bot (which is AWESOME!).

I do wish we could use more than 2 identical coupons that will double. I could cut my check out time down by at least 20 minutes if I only had unlimited doubles! I never realized what a luxury it was at Kroger (until they took it away!).

I'll be sure to post my favorites of the week soon.

Totals for January to date

2010-01-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned, I want to become a lot more diligent at watching what I'm spending. The numbers speak for themselves, to date here are how things are looking for me....

Spent $96.41
Saved $373.96
79% savings

Super deals at Kroger

2010-01-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today I also went to Kroger and got free Gatorade, frozen vegetables for .30 after coupons and Quaker Oatmeal for .88. It felt great saving so much. I'm going to shop at Meijer on Friday and they are having a great sale this week so I wanted to get a few quick shopping trips out of the way this morning.

Please check out Macomb Money Savers for her AWESOME coupon matchups for all the local grocery stores.

I love getting products for free, don't you?

Serious deals at Target -.69 Electrasol, $8.16 moneymaker on Rolaids, donatable items

2010-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

I had a great shopping day today! One of my stops was Target and I wanted to tell you about some great deals!

I bought the 75 oz (the BIG box) of Electrasol Finish powder (rather than the gel pacs) with the recent $2.50 coupon that came in last week's paper. The coupon at first glance looks like its on the tabs only but it does say Finish on it and it went through without a problem (no beepage). I thought this was a great deal, although I do have enough dish detergent to last probably over 2 years now, but when you can get a great deal, I grab it!

Many of you might know about the moneymaker at Target for Rolaids. I have bought the packages of Rolaids at Walmart before but their computers are getting tricky at giving overage. If the item is priced under the coupon value, the system is asking the cashier if the coupon amount is valid. Target didn't blink an eye and I used my 6 $4.00/2 coupons that came in the 1/3 inserts. It said when you buy ANY 2 products listed (and rolaids was shown without any size restriction other than trial size), receive 4.00 off. They ring up 1.32 and so I made 8.16 in overage. Knowing this would probably be the case, I threw in a package of Huggies diapers that were 8.99 but I had a 1.50 coupon so essentially the diapers were free.

It's my desire to contribute more to my local area and donate a lot more items that our family either has ample stockpile of or that we won't simply use. I grabbed Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kits and Band-Aids for free today in the travel section of Target, using coupons (that didn't have any size restrictions) from the 1/3 inserts. I also had 1.00 off Kotex Hygiene Products (Target Store Coupon) and so I bought the smallest package in the travel section that were priced at 1.02.

My total before coupons was $65.37, and I paid 5.87 (3.32 which was tax), for a savings of 91%. Basically everything was free except the package of Electrasol!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

I am sorry for the delay in posts but my family had a very busy December so I gave myself permission to take a slight break from the blog. But I am back and energized and am loving some of the deals I'm seeing!

I've set some new goals for my spending and downloaded a terrific tracker that I found on Macomb Money Savers. If you look through her old posts on trackers, you should be able to find it. It was a link to another person's website. I want to be accountable for every penny I am spending and I found that 1.00 here and 1.00 there at CVS, Walgreens, etc can really add up. So stay tuned for my favorite deals.

While cleaning out my 2 large coupon boxes (they are more like storage bins), some of my categories were very large. My health care section alone was over 5" wide, so I decided I need to subcategorize. If anyone is interested, I will see if I can upload it somehow. I noticed how neat one of my friend's indexes looked and I copied her idea! I took card stock and made template for tabbed index cards. I think printed out 5160 labels and once I applied the label, I put clear tape over it to add some strength. Before I used the separators that you get in the photo boxes and those tore very easily and with all the flipping I do, I needed something to hold up better. I've included a picture so you have an idea as to what I did.

I'm still hoping to add to my followers so please add yourself :)

Great Black Friday Deal

2009-11-28T07:25:00.001-08:00

I swore I was not going to go shopping yesterday because of the crowds, but my husband wanted to venture out to Target. It was quite busy but not too bad. I did score a great deal on a Playskool Dinosaur. My friend at Macomb Money Savers (she does some AWESOME Meijer Matchups!) listed this deal at Meijer but I happened to stumble on it cheaper at Target. I was able to print 2 more coupons just now so I'm going back to get a couple for Toys for Tots. Hopefully you can find these too and remember to hit the back button and print again. Click here to see the link on the deal

Sorry for my absence!

2009-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit absent on the blog lately and I am sorry. Getting ready for Halloween, lots of coupon classes and my husband being out of the country left me with little time. And I have to say that there haven't been many awesome sales to write home about lately!

I haven't been to Meijer in over a month but I think I will head out tomorrow to grab some of the Macaroni Grill dinners. Check out www.macombmoneysavers.com for an AWESOME breakdown. I believe they are under a dollar each. I haven't gone to Meijer because there might only be one or two that peaked my interest and it wasn't worth loading the kids up! I did hit some good sales last week at Kroger with their mega event (cake mix, brownies, frosting).

This week I did hit the motherload at Target. Check out www.hip2save.com and click on Target, you'll find out how you can get free toddler flushable wipes. My kids bathroom cabinet is overflowing with these. I figured since they were free I can use them on my little guy if I run low on wipes. The coupons are for 1.00 off and I did get 10 tubs of regular baby wipes. They broke down to .57 each for 72, so I got 720 wipes for 5.70 which I thought was a great deal. The coupon is accessible (and you can print as many as you want at Organic Grocery Deals. Happy shopping!!!

All You Magazine 9.95 for one year!

2009-10-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

As a Director with Southern Living (since we have magazine subscriptions in our product offering), they have a special this month where you can get one year of All You for 9.95, please let me know if you are interested. The normal but still great price is 19.95 for one year. On average, they have between 70-90.00 worth of high dollar coupons each month. The sale price this month breaks down to .82 an issue and you will receive between approx. 850-1100 in coupon savings with this subscription. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested, it's only good for October! This also makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who enjoys couponing!

Free Ecotrin at Walgreens

2009-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

There was a coupon out recently on healthcare items where when you buy 2 you get 7.00 off and when you buy 3 you get 10.00 off, some of the items include Ecotrin and Citrucel. I remembered that Walgreens had Ecotrin priced pretty low. I scored 2 of the small bottles for free. I am going to try my luck at Walmart with the coupons to see if I can score some overage since they allow it and Walgreens does not. Happy Shopping! This is a great donation item, lots of people are aspirin therapy!

Moneymaker on Ziploc bags at Meijer

2009-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Forgot to mention that I got a bunch of Ziploc bags dirt cheap at Meijer that also qualify me for their $5.00 rebate. Check out the store matchups on www.macombmoneysavers.com and there is a link to the rebate, so this turns into a great moneymaking transaction!

Great deals and savings at Meijer today

2009-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

I just spent a few hours (way longer than I had hoped) at Meijer but did get some great deals. I've been spending a lot of time checking out at the uscan machines and it takes quite a bit of time doing multiple transactions so I'm spending the least amount out of pocket. Today, they told me to just let them know when I am ready to check out and they will open up a lane for me. I use a lot of Mealbox coupons and those have to be approved each time you use one. So, if you shop at Meijer a lot, go through the regular lane and see if it saves you some time.

Please check out Macomb Money Savers for a FABULOUS breakdown and matchups for this week's sale.

I stocked up on Campbell's soup, Kraft Cheese, Pillsbury Cookie Dough, Ziplocs, Voila instant meals and got FREE PIZZAS!

I spent 77.79, but saved 152.58 with my coupons and the cash back!!!

Note the bread you need to buy to get the checkout coupons is the FRESH Pepperidge Farm bread in the bread aisle and the wheat varieties, the white doesn't appear to be generating the catalina (Thanks for the tip on that Macomb Money Savers!)

Rebates, Rebates and more Rebates

2009-10-08T08:50:00.001-07:00

I just went to the bank and cashed my latest rounds of rebate checks and got 105.00 in cold hard cash, just for taking time to submit rebates! To date I have received about 250.00 in rebates starting late Spring. We are going on a skiing trip in December and by the end of this month, I should have enough to pay for our lodging expenses, how great is that! I want to encourage you to give rebates a try!

For instance, I do spend a lot of money at Rite Aid (or I should say a lot of money pre-coupons!). I get normally anywhere from 40-75.00 back from them monthly with their Single Check Rebate program. For September I have earned 42.00 that I should be receiving soon. In addition, I have been participating in their AWESOME Fall Gift of Savings program, enter all your receipts Sept. 13 - Oct. 17 and get up to a $20 gift certificate just for shopping there! This is pre-coupon totals! I received a 20.00 gift certificate that I rolled into another purchase and bought the Oil of Olay eye roller (I would have NEVER spent 21.99 for this normally) and I bought some Pantene Shampoo and qualified for a 20.00 rebate from Oil of Olay which will come to me in the form of a check that I can cash! So, just for shopping with my coupons, I earned all my Single Check Rebates as well as the Fall Gift of Savings Certificate for 20.00 and I got more products and I will be receiving a 20.00 check! This deal was incredible when I was able to score Huggies for less than 1.50 a package then submit the receipts to CareGivers Marketplace to get reimbursed another .75 making it less than 1.00 for a package of diapers that retails for 11.99. Rite Aid had a great rebate and sale on these but I earned an 11.00 credit for each package I purchased since that was the sale price and that is how the Fall Gift of Savings program works.

I'm a pretty happy couponer these days!

Need Conditioner, Soap, Toothpaste or Nail Polish?? CVS is the place to be this week!

2009-10-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

I just snagged some awesome deals at CVS! There are many coupon links right now to get a 5 off 25 coupon at CVS for taking their "flu quiz". I already redeemed this coupon last week and I scanned my card at the kiosk machine in hopes of getting one but did not. But I was smart enough to ask the manager if they would accept a 5 off 25 from Rite Aid since they accept their coupons in the pharmacy. He was glad to do it! See, never hurts to ask! See how my transactions broke down:

Thanks to Hip2Save for these great matchups below:

1st Transaction
Dove BodyWash 7.00
Tone 2 pack soap 1.88
Colgate Total Advanced 2.99
(4) Dove Conditioners at 4.99 each
Arm & Hammer Advanced White Toothpaste .01
=31.84 + tax
I used the coupons listed below, along with a 10 ECB, a 4 seasonal ECB I received on Sunday, 5 off 25 from Rite Aid, my total was 5.21 and I paid for that on a gift card I received from transferring a prescription and I received $10 ECB from Dove, $2 from Colgate, and $1 from Tone. I took those ECBS and made the following transaction:

(6) Revlon Nail Polishes at 3.99( I was uncertain if the coupon would be accepted since it said on any color cosmetic product but the manager said it qualified but I did ask him twice and told him I didn't want to buy them if they wouldn't get reimbursed and he insisted that it qualified)
(4) Arm & Hammer Advanced White Toothpaste .01
=23.98 (my total went above 25.00 after tax)

I used the 5 off 25 from Rite Aid, (6) 1.00 Revlon coupons and my 13.00 in ECB's from the transaction before and I paid 1.14 which I put on my gift card and got back 18.00 in ECBS! On my way home, I dropped all the nail polish off at my nail technician's business and she was thankful and surprised!

Here is the coupon breakdown according to Hip2Save's website, please visit them to print some of the coupons

Dial, Tone or Coast Bar Soap 2-3 pk $1.88=$1Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $1/1 Dial soap or body wash coupon from here: IE or Firefox
Final cost FREE + a $0.12 moneymaker!
**There is also a $0.35/1 in the 8/16 & 10/4SS.

Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste 4oz or 360 Acti Flex Brush $2.99=$2Ecb (limit 1)
Use the $1/1 toothpaste or toothbrush coupons from the 9/27SS
Or use the $1 Acti Flex Toothbrush coupon from here
Final cost FREE!

Revlon Nail products $3.99=$3Ecb (limit 6)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 9/13SS
Final cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker!

Buy $20 in select Dove products=$10Ecb (limit 1)
Deal Scenario:
Buy 1 Dove Body Wash $7
Buy 3 Dove Conditioners $4.49=$13.47 (Please note, my price at my store was 4.99 each so I bought 4 conditioners to get it past the 25.00 mark)
Total=$20.47
Use 1 $2/1 Dove Body Wash coupon from the 8/2RP
Use 3 $1.50/1 Dove Conditioner coupons from the 10/4RP
Pay $13.97
Get back a $10Ecb
Final cost $0.99 per item!
**Add $5 more in FREE items from other CVS weekly deals and you'll be able to use the $5 off $25. Final cost will be all FREE!

Just how much can you really save clipping coupons?

2009-10-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is a question I get asked ALL THE TIME! I went and got some fabulous deals at Meijer last week and want to show you how my savings broke down. I did need to do several transactions but got cake frosting and Betty Crocker Warm Delights for free as well as Lysol Disinfecting Wipes for .50, there were some other great deals too.

I spent $80.81, this is a lot higher than I normally spend!
I saved $106.79, my savings was over 60%!

I stocked up on a lot of juice for my family. We go through at least 1-2 jugs a week so I got about 15-16 containers (various kinds because most of my coupons were expiring). I snagged Northland Juice for .99 and V8 Smoothies that my 19 month old loves for 1.00 each. So my total was about 25.00 higher than it normally is (Motts was on sale for 1.77). But this is still a far cry from the $125-$160 I used to spend weekly!!

CVS Deals

2009-09-25T07:54:00.001-07:00

I just made my trip into CVS today and got some great deals!

I had 3.00 coupons on any Schick disposable razor so I was able to buy 18 packages at .99 each. There was a pricing error however! The shelf was marked .99 and some of the them were labeled .99 but most were labeled (sticker price) 1.29. I had 18.00 worth of coupons so I put 19 in my cart and figured I'd pay a little out of pocket. At the end of the purchase, we realized that they all rang up 1.29. The manager was very polite and gave me the price difference on all of them and handed me 3.00 for the law when something is marked one price and rings up another. I tried to give him the money back but he insisted.

I bought Zantac, but watch if you get this, mine rang up wrong and didn't spit out the ecb it was supposed to.

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste was free after ecb and 1.00 coupon

Mom's Best Naturals Oatmeal, click here for the link for a .75 coupon making the boxes .25 each (Thanks Hip2Save!)

I used my ecbs I've had in my purse for a few weeks and ended up paying 2.61 on a gift card and got 7.00 back in ecbs!

3 inserts this weekend, STOCK UP!

2009-09-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have been loving all the freebies I've been lately in the travel section at various stores (CVS, Target, Walmart). This weekend there will be 3 newspaper inserts and I have my eyes on a few products I'll be grabbing early next week!

The Proctor and Gamble insert is in this paper and they have 1.00 off any TIDE, you can grab these at Target in their travel section, the size is good for one load and who doesn't love FREE TIDE!

Also, I received a raincheck a few weeks back on Hefty Bags when they were sold out of them on the 10 for 10 sale. I notice there are 1.00 coupons on the Hefty Extend Fresh bags. I have used them to store vegetables but also kid snacks. When I'm able to get a great deal and buy multiple boxes, I find it easier to empty the boxes into one of the gallon bags to store it on the shelf. So I've been putting pretzels and other stuff in these. I received a bunch for free at Target since they price match and I had the Kroger ad with me and I used my 1.00 coupons. Therefore, if you got a raincheck for the Hefty bags, looks like there will be a 1.00 coupon to make those free!

LAST CALL ON Diaper & Pull-Ups deal at Rite Aid

2009-09-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

Don't forget about the amazing diaper deal at Rite Aid this week! Pull-ups qualify also. It feels wonderful being able to get diapers so inexpensive!

Hopefully you've been printing off as many of the 3.00 diaper coupons as I have!

Here is a new 5 off 25 coupon

Huggies are 11 each and you receive a 10.00 single check rebate

Go to Rite Aid and watch the new ad perk for huggies and print off a 2.00 coupon.

The diapers after the rebate come out to about 2.33 a package and the pull ups are around 4.00

Great deals at Walgreens

2009-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

I did a big run to Walgreens this morning and scoured the aisles to find the clearance deals! I picked up a few great things that just happened to be on sale too!

Welch's grape jelly 1.59, used .75 from www.coupons.com ends up being .84 and great for those pb&j sandwiches for the kids!

Geisha mushrooms 2/$1 with the in-ad coupon

Domino sugar (not sure of the size but they are in a cylinder) .37 (it looks like something you'd see in the office break room) I grabbed 5 of these!

Mentos spearmint gum .47, they did take my (4) .55 coupons and the computer allowed overage for some strange reason!

Aussie Hair Care 2.99 with a 2.00 register reward
Buy 2 at 2.99, use the $2/2 coupon from the 9/13 Red Plum insert and your final cost is .99 for each bottle (note you will not be able to get (2) 2.00 register rewards because the coupon calls for you to purchase 2 items at a time)

Carefree pantiliners 1.99 with a 1.99 register reward
Use the 1.00 coupon from the 8/30 smart source and after your RR, it is a $1 moneymaker! (The store told me you need to buy them separately or it will not print multiple RR's, the manager told me they have been noticing this trend lately)

If your store still has some, there are some great clearance deals on Febreeze & Glade candles and air fresheners, as well as Downy for under 1.50 and laundry detergent, unfortunately my store at 14 & Haggerty was all out of these items, but maybe you will have some luck :)

Coupon Class this Friday, Sept 11th

2009-09-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

I will be doing a class at 6:30 pm in Fowlerville, MI if you are interested in saving HUNDREDS off your grocery bill each month! As many of you know, you can expect to save 50-75% off your grocery bills immediately after taking this class! Learn all the tricks!

I will doing classes on Sept 20th in Livonia and Sept 24th in Livonia, please email me at gatlins2005@sbcglobal.net if you'd like more information. Thanks!

Want to save 90% when you dine out?

2009-09-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

I was a skeptic of this but found that it is completely legit! Didn't mean that to rhyme! Go to Restaurant.com and you can get gift certificates to restaurants in your area for 90% off. Enter the code NINETY and I believe it is only good for today. You can generally get these at at least 60% off but I have used them and never had a single problem! Be sure to look at the fine print, most restaurants require you to have 35.00 in food in order to use the 25.00 certificate and it varies for each vendor. Check it out if you eat at restaurants a lot!

UPDATE: I just got $225.00 worth of restaurant certificates to 3 places we love and I paid a total of $9.00 for all of them!

High Dollar Enfamil Coupon

2009-09-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a great coupon for Enfamil, $5.00 off 1 can. Be sure to hit the back button after the first one prints to give you another coupon!

Great deals at Target!

2009-09-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

General Mills Single Serving Cups 1.00 FREE After coupon!
Use 1.00 coupon from Organic Grocers (you can print as many as you'd like)

Accu-Check Aviva Diabetes Monitoring Kit $9.99, free after coupon and there is probably a rebate you can submit for 9.99 (which is the price the item will show on the receipt, if you want to get multiples, please ring them up separately, they normally only take 1 receipt per monitor)
Use the $10.00 coupon from the 8/23 SS

$0.50 Market Pantry String Cheese, single sticks FREE After coupon!
Use 1.00/2 coupon from Organic Grocers (again you can print as many as you'd like)

$1.00 Bic Crystal Pens, 10 pack FREE after both coupons
Use $1.00/2 from 8/9 SS
AND Use $1.00/2 coupon from Organic Grocers

I HIGHLY recommend ALL You Magazine

2009-09-07T15:42:00.001-07:00

As I mention at my coupon classes, I recommend getting a subscription to All You magazine just for the coupons. They have between $75 and $90 in coupons each month! If you would like to try this magazine out, I can get it for the cheapest rate since I'm a Director for Southern Living. I give you a discount on the order and it is well below the published price and other prices online. I have a few subscription cards left for 17.00 for 24 issues or $9.95 for 12 issues. You will get between $900-$1100 in coupons yearly for an unbelievable price. Please drop me an email to my main email account at gatlins2005@sbcglobal.net if you are interested in purchasing. Several people get multiple copies per month to increase their savings and the coupons are for good items! Please let me know if you have questions.

Great new website to check out on coupon deals

2009-09-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

While reading through my issue of the September All You magazine, there is a caption that says "Locate Coupons Fast". You can visit www.coupontom.com and plug in your grocery list and it will show you the coupons that are available for that item and will also let you know when the next coupon for that item will be available. I haven't tried it yet, but this is cool!

Vacation

2009-08-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Just wanted everyone to know that I am in on vacation in Tennesee until Labor Day. I even left all of my coupons at home too! Last time I made a trip, I carted my HUGE coupon bin and it was really hard to shop with my kids in the stores. So, I left everything at home

I did notice that I am getting low on diapers so I think I will try the Huggies Deal on diapers at Walgreens. You can get them for 6.49 a pack and while I normally don't pay more than 2.50 a pack, I discovered I have register rewards that are going to expire tomorrow and I am able to print off a coupon down here. I hate using them when I won't get one back but I haven't been loving Walgreens lately so it's not a big deal.

Just wanted to explain my absence! Please visit the websites on my sidebar that I recommend to stay up to date on deals.

Can't wait to start posting when I get back!

Rebate update

2009-08-26T05:35:00.001-07:00

I just added up all the rebates I'm putting in the mail today and it's actually to the tune of $120.87, I'm pretty geeked! It would have been more but I might have messed up on a Kelloggs rebate, we already threw away all the pop tart boxes and I forgot to grab the upc's off of them...oh well! 10.00 I could have gotten!

Rebates, rebates, and more rebates

2009-08-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have so much money in unredeemed rebates that I decided I better start mailing them in. I have about $80 worth going in the mail today. It takes a little time but it is well worth it when you get those sweet checks!

I have told everyone who takes my class that I cash my checks and then keep the money in an envelope which is going to help pay for our annual ski trip to Northern Michigan right around Christmas time.

There's nothing better than trying products that you can get for free! It does take a little time to fill out the paperwork, but do it when the kids are in bed while you are watching tv :)

I hope to encourage all of you to start rebating yourselves to collect some extra money.

Meijer Deals this week

2009-08-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

I've heard there are a few great buys at Meijer this week. I'm preparing to go out of town for almost 2 weeks so I'm going to try to squeeze in a shopping trip. Here are some of the best deals in my opinion:

$1.19 Velveeta Shells & Cheese Cup (regular price, will vary by location)
-B1G1 Velveeta Shells & Cheese Cups coupon (from 8-9 SS)
-$1.00/2 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon, exp 9-12
2 for $0.19 when you buy 2 with coupons ($0.81 moneymaker after checkout coupon) - Thanks, 1-2-3 Save!
**Get a $1 off your next shopping order coupon at checkout when you buy 2 to earn $0.81! A moneymaker! Buy 2 per transaction for the best savings!

$1.50 Hefty Foam Plates or Bowls or Zoo Pals Plates, Bowls, Cups or Cutlery
$0.50/1 coupon (from 5-17 or 6-21 RP) or -$1.00/2 printable coupon
$0.50 (or $1.00) after coupon

$1.50 Betty Crocker Frosting, 12-16 oz
-$0.50/1 coupon (from 8-9 GM) or printables here, here & here
$0.50 after coupon*

$2.00 Ziploc Bags: 15-20 ct freezer, 20-25 ct storage, or 15 ct produce
-$0.40/1 coupon (from 7-26 SS), use 2
-$1.00/2 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
$0.70 each when you buy 2 with coupons*

$1.34 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread, 2/7.5 oz tubs, 15 oz tub
-$1.25/1 coupon (from 6-28 RP)
$0.09 after coupon

$0.99 Pillbury Grands! Biscuits
-$0.35/1 coupon (from 7-12 SS) or $1.00/2 printable here or here
$0.30-0.50 each after coupon

HEALTH & BEAUTY
$1.97 Rimmel Mascara (40% off - price may vary by location)
-$2.00/1 printable coupon or coupon (from 8-23 RP)
FREE after coupon

$2.50 Pond's Towelettes, 30 ct
-$1.50/1 printable coupon or coupon (from 6-28 SS)
$1.00 after coupon

Thanks to Macomb Money Savers for the matchups!

Great Rebate Available on Blood Glucose Meter at CVS

2009-08-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

There is a great deal at CVS this week! Their Accu-Check Aviva Blood Glucose Meter is on sale for 10.00 and there was a 10.00 coupon in this past weekend's paper. Fill out the rebate form and you should receive a 10.00 rebate check. I did call the mfg and they said there is a limit of 2 per household. So, that means you can fill 2 out with the identical name and mail them in separately.

If you are planning to buy these and need a good home for them, me and a friend were donating them to a local dr's office for patients that couldn't afford them. We are only taking the rebate paperwork out, everything else should remain sealed.

Better late than NEVER! Deals for this week!

2009-08-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

I hosted a HUGE open house at my home and that took up a good portion of my week. I went to Meijer yesterday and got $173.29 in groceries and household stuff for $70.62, that's a savings of 60%! Now, my total was higher because I bought a birdfeeder for my son that was 4.59, a clearance swimming pool that was 9.99 and a clearance slip and slide that was 7.49, so I really only spent $48.55 in groceries.

I want to tell you about some of the deals that were great!

Meijer waffles, not on sale but there is a .50 mealbox, making them .75 each

$1.50 Lysol Neutra Air Aerosol, 10 oz
-$1.50/1 coupon (from 7-12 SS)
FREE after coupon
Buy 4, use 4 coupons with this $1.00/4 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon and this turns into a moneymaker!

$1.00 Kraft Easy Mac (regular price)
-$1.00/2 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon, exp 9-12
B1G1 coupon (from July Parents, Better Homes & Gardens or Good Housekeeping magazine)
FREE when you buy 2 with coupons - Great charity donation!

$1.67 Ken's Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, 7 oz
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 8-2 SS), use 2
-$1.00/2 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
$0.17 each when you buy 2 with coupons

$1.50 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, 10 ct (9 oz box)
-$0.40/1 printable coupon here or here or here or here (print up to 2 per computer)
or coupon (from 8-9 GM)
as low as $0.24 each after coupon (after checkout coupon savings)*
Best Scenario - Buy 5 and use 5 $0.40 off coupons (the first 2 will double, the 3rd will deduct face value):$7.50 for 5 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes-$2.80 in coupons ($0.80, $0.80, $0.40, $0.40, $0.40)Pay $4.70 for 5 boxes and get a $3.50 coupon off your next order at checkout!
Final cost: 5 boxes for $1.20! $0.24 each after checkout coupon savings!!![Get a $1.50 checkout coupon when you buy 3 boxes; $2.50 when you buy 4 boxes; $3.50 when you buy 5 or more boxes!]

$1.50 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, 35 ct
-$1.00/2 coupon (from 7-12 SS)
-$1.00/2 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
$0.50 each when you buy 2 with coupons

$1.25 Aunt Millie's Buttermilk or Cracked Wheat Bread, Honey Hot Dog or Burger Buns
-$0.35/1 coupon (from 5-10 RP)
$0.55 after coupon*

$1.00 Lipton Recipe Soup
-$0.60/2 coupon (from 6-28 RP)
$0.80 each when you buy 2 with coupon

$2.50 Smucker's Uncrustables, 4 pk
-$0.75/1 coupon (from 8-9 RP)
$1.75 after coupon

$0.40 Dannon Yogurt, 6 oz single cups
-$1.00/4 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
-$0.60/6 Dannon coupon (from 7-19 SS)
$0.13 each when you buy 6 with coupons (or less!)
Best savings scenario: Buy 12 Dannon yogurts; use 3 Meijer Mealbox coupons and 2 Dannon coupons (from 7-19 SS). Pay $0.05 each when you use 5 coupons!

$1.29 Breakstone's Sour Cream, 16 oz
-$1.00/2 coupon (from 8-9 RP)
$0.79 each when you buy 2 with coupon

Thanks to Macomb Money Savers for the above breakdown, they are a great resource!

I love posting but want to make sure that people are actually reading what I'm throwing out there, leave a comment so I know and I'll be glad to post more frequently as long as I know that people are looking :)

Have a great weekend! I am going to Target first thing tomorrow morning to do some retail therapy with all my coupons. I found a bunch that are good in the travel section and I'm going kid free so this should be fun!

Remember to leave me a comment so I know there are some readers out there!

Double Coupons at Kmart??

2009-08-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

Has anyone found out if there are double coupons at Kmart in the metro Detroit area? Let me know so I can post away...just a busy date and my husband has planned a date night for us to celebrate our anniversary.

I got behind on clipping my coupons and I've spent hours clipping, there are some good ones that if it is double coupons could score lots of freebies!

Ahhh....the joy of freebies!

2009-08-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I scored the motherload at Rite Aid today with Air Wick air fresheners! Thanks to my awesome friend Kim Matson, she did this deal and told me how awesome it was! I also got toothpaste, mentos, eye drops and scotch tape for free!

Total value of products is $232
I paid out of pocket $1.51 and I will receive a $5.00 rebate!

AWESOME!

Meijer scenarios-good week to stock up on some kid friendly products!

2009-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, I had a horrible experience with Meijer last week. Well, I found a few bargains and did quite a few scenarios that I wanted to share with you. I always have to do duplicate transactions and normally it's because of a catalina that will print when I buy a particular amount of a product. I do multiple transactions so I am spending the least amount of money out of pocket. Here are the items that I grabbed:

Thanks to Macomb Money Savers for this breakdown!

$1.69 Capri Sun Juice Drinks, 10 ct Original, Roarin Waters or Coolers
Buy 4 or more Capri Sun Juice Drinks 10 ct. and receive a $3 checkout coupon good on your next shopping order (between 8/9-9/5).
$0.94 each when you buy 4 after checkout savings

1/2 PRICE Snickers or M&Ms Ice Cream Novelties
-$1.00/1 coupon (from 6-7 RP)
around $1.00 each after coupon, price varies by location

$1.50 Clorox Bleach, 82-96 oz
-$0.50/2 coupon (from 8-2 RP)
$1.00 each when you buy 2 with coupon

$2.00 Dannon Danimals 6 ct drinks or 4 ct crush cups
-$1.00/1 Meijer Mealbox printable coupon
-$1.00/1 Dannon coupon (from 7-26 or 8-9 SS)
FREE after coupons!

$1.79 Kraft Cheese Singles, 10-12 oz
-$1.00/2 coupon (from 8-9 RP)
$1.29 each when you buy 2 with coupon

Here's how my transactions looked and I will explain why next to each one...

I started off with a $5 meijer coupon a nice customer let me have last week as well as $4 in Meijer cash (somehow you earn this to spend on non-grocery items, found this by the cataline machine last week)

#1
(4) Capri Suns at 1.69 each
Used $5.00 meijer coupon
Total = $1.46 and I used my gift card I received last week from the manager
This printed out a $3 catalina to use on my next purchase

#2
(4) Capri Suns at 1.69 each
Used $3.00 Catalina that just printed out on previous purchase
Total = 3.76 and I used my gift card yet again
This printed out a $3 catalina to use on my next purchase

#3
(2) Bags of Thistle Seed (Bird seed), B1 G1 Free @ 8.99
Kitchen Bags 2.99
Nectarines 2.28
Peaches 2.75
Cucumbers 3 for 1.00
Kraft Cheese (Can you believe I forgot my coupon for this?) 1.79
(2) Snickers Ice Cream Bars (50% off) 3.86
Honeydew 1.99
(2) M & M Ice Cream Bars at 2.44 each
(2) Meijer Napkins 3.00
Meijer cups 1.50
(10) Danimals Yogurts at 2.00 each

Used these coupons
(2) 1.00 off Snickers coupons
(2) 1.00 off M & M Ice Cream
(10) MFG 1.00 off Danimals Yogurt
(10) Meijer Mealbox coupons for 1.00 off Danimals Yogurt

Used my $3.00 catalina from the previous capri sun purchase and my $4.00 in meijer cash

Total = 24.78, I finished off my gift card from last week and I paid 10.02 out of pocket, I still got another 2.00 catalina for my purchase of meijer cups and napkins

#4
(2) Clorox Bleach at 1.50 each
=3.00
Used .50/2 MFG coupon that doubled to 1.00
Used 2.00 catalina from previous purchase

Total = .03 out of pocket!

Overall, I got $106.68 in merchandise, and I paid $10.02 out of my pocket ( I used the remainder of my gift card) so my total savings today was 91%!!!

Hot deal on Tyson Chicken Breasts

2009-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

I had to post about an amazing deal on boneless skinless chicken breast at Kroger. They are 1.87 per pound and I scored 15 packages today and with my coupons they were all under 2.00 a package. If you take your coupons to the Howell location (they might limit you to one transaction of just 3 like coupons, so you could potentially do 6 packages of chicken) you will get them for under 1.00 a package. There was a coupon for 1.00 off in the Smart Source insert I believe on 8-2 and then a .50 off recently too (they are orange coupons). You could do 3 of the 1.00 coupons and 3 of the .50 coupons or take all of your coupons ( I had 15 total) to your local Kroger and stock up. Under 30.00 for 15 packages of chicken ain't bad!!!

Testimonial from a class participant!

2009-08-07T05:01:00.001-07:00

I received this through my blog and wanted to make sure everyone saw this! People still do not believe me that you can save such incredible amounts using coupons!

Hi Dawn!!
Welcome back!! I had the pleasure of going to your coupon class at Keller Williams about a month ago and what a blessing it has been. I am actually having so much fun shopping now, who would have thought! I have never stock piled before so did as much as I could this week with all of the awesome deals and just have to tell you how great I did. My total OOP expense was $280. 06 and my total purchases were $945.69, for a total savings of $672.07. Plus should be getting about $70.00 in rebates!! Just had to share with you and let you know how wonderful and helpful your class was!! Thank you so much!!

I am doing a class this Monday in Livonia at the Keller Williams office, anyone interested in attending should send me an email so I can get you the details!

Totals from today's Meijer visit

2009-08-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

I was anti-Meijer for a very long time b/c their lines were always dreadful, well, you just can't beat their deals! Even though I had a bad experience today, my totals are still impressive!

$221.90 worth or products and I paid $71.47 out of pocket, that is a savings of 68%!

In the past, I was spending 125-150 a week on groceries, so this is a very big savings to only spend this much and get everything I need. This is actually about 25.00 higher than I normally spend but I needed basic items for recipes and baking that I didn't have coupons for.

Target has been hitting the mark lately!

2009-08-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

I am smiling as I report an update to my Target gift card purchases!

I started with a gift card that had 20.00 on it from transferring a prescription ( I transferred that prescription just yesterday to CVS and scored a 25.00 gift card from them!)

To date I have bought:
$433.36 in merchandise!

I returned something a few days ago and so my gift card balance went up to just over 26.00, as of yesterday my card still has on it $20.82! I will be receiving $30 in various rebates from my purchases.

I captured this latest round of deals by hitting the motherload in Crest Whitestrips and buying more Olay Quench lotion.

I would have never dreamed in a MILLION years that you could get this much!

Want to find out more, please inquire about my coupon classes. I need some enthusiastic women to spread the word for me!!

A BAD day at Meijer turned into a GOOD day!

2009-08-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I ventured off to Meijer this morning on a quick (or what I thought was going to be quick) grocery run. I had all my stuff organized and had figured out that I needed to do 7 transactions to get all my deals. I was told by the u-scan ladies that the regular clerks wouldn't mind at all if I walked up with that many transactions. So, I selected a guy that I didn't think would give me any grief....WRONG! I forewarned him that I had many transactions and a lot of coupons. I immediately had him questioning me about it and he finally said he wouldn't do more than 3 transactions. He wasn't rude with his words but he simply wasn't going to let me do 7 transactions. I explained to him that I was in a hurry b/c my son had a graduation ceremony at one of his summer camps and I was due to be there in like 10 minutes. He let me do 3 transactions, I had to load up the rest of my packed cart and go over to u-scan, resort everything and do my own transactions. I was so mad, mostly because I knew I was going to be late for my son. The u-scan clerk was fabulous and was a great help but told me there was no reason in the world that I should have gotten turned away.

Sure enough, I show up for the ceremony very late and missed the entire thing, my son getting his certificate and was the only mom out of 50 kids not there. I almost cried and the topper is that I paid a babysitter today so I could shop and go to this special day with my son, both were ruined b/c this guy wouldn't do his job.

I promptly got home and phoned the manager. He was wonderful and said that I should not have experienced that and it is absolutely no problem separating transactions. He gladly offered to give me a $25 gift card for my trouble and assured me that they would speak to the gentleman so this doesn't happen again. I told him that I got so frazzled that I missed giving the u-scan lady a bunch of coupons ($8.60 worth) and he said to come in and they would adjust my bill.

I went back in this afternoon and not only did he NOT verify that all my coupons were for items I purchased, he took my word for everything and just handed me a $10.00 bill for all the coupons I neglected to give them earlier, then gave me my $25.00 gift card. TALK ABOUT GREAT SERVICE!

The best part of the story is yet to come. I realized I had Meijer cash to spend so me and the kids did some more shopping and scored some good deals! As I was checking out at the u-scan machine, I noticed the lane next to me had an overflow of catalinas that had printed out and the patron didn't even notice. Some of them were for baby items so I asked if she was going to take them and she said no, to help myself. I am about the exit the store when I noticed there was a $5.00 off your next purchase that had printed. I took a few steps and then my guilt sunk in, I immediately got her attention and explained that this coupon had printed and I wanted to be honest about it and not rob her of 5.00 off her next bill. To which, she said "no, you keep it, I don't shop here that much". Being honest does pay off! I also found some crumpled up Meijer cash so me snooping in the next lane earned me $9.00 in free stuff at Meijer! How awesome and I have the $25.00 gift card to offset my purchases as well!!!

Target Gift Card

2009-08-05T04:16:00.001-07:00

I wanted to challenge myself much like my friend Laura at Sharpen Your Scissors to see how much product I could get out of a 20.00 gift card I received from Target (and it was for transferring a prescription!).

To date I have gotten:
$215.43 in products and I have a whopping $26.13 left on the gift card ( I returned something so I'm ahead of where I started, YIPPEE!)

I will receive a rebate from Kelloggs for $10.00, a rebate from Oil of Olay for $20.00 and I will get .75 from Caregivers marketplace!

So, how did I get this much? Well, I hit up the travel section hard one day and used all my coupons that applied to items that did not exclude travel sizes. I bought a bunch of pop tarts, tons of travel size olay body lotion, and I got the fabulous deal on the Crest Whitestrips (and was paid overage so I purchase a jumbo pack of diapers which I had a coupon for!).

I challenge you all to this fun little game I've started for myself!

FABULOUS deals at Rite Aid this week!

2009-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

These are the deals I scored at Rite Aid yesterday! I had two great gift cards that I used up and am waiting for another one to come in the mail from last month's rebates! I did borrow this text from Hip to Save, gotta give props to my FAVORITE site ever!

Werther’s Original Caramel Chocolate Candies $2.99
Get a $2.99 Single Check Rebate #146
Use the .55 coupon from the 4/26SS
Final cost FREE + a .55 moneymaker!

Crest Pro Health Toothpaste $2.79
Get a $2.79 Single Check Rebate #124
Use the 1.00 coupon from the 8/2PG
Final cost FREE + a 1.00 moneymaker!

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner $2.99
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #6
Use the $1 coupon from the 7/12RP
Final cost FREE!

Gillette Venus Razor $7
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate #127
Use the $2 coupon from the 8/2PG
Final cost FREE!

ReNu MultiPurpose Solution 8 oz Bottle Twin Pack $9.99
Get a $9.99 Single check Rebate #3
Use the $2 coupon from here
Final cost FREE + a $2 moneymaker!

GE Soft White Long Life Light Bulbs $2
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #151
Final cost FREE!

Duck Brand EZ Start Frustration Free Tape $1.49
Get a $1.49 Single Check Rebate #69
Final cost FREE!

Zantac 4.99
Get a $4.99 SCR and submit for an additional rebate through Zantac for another $5
It’s free + a $5 moneymaker!

After my coupons and using all my gift cards I did these transactions twice (on separate receipts) and spent a total of 13.66, I will receive $72.50 in rebates, making everything free with a $58 profit!

This is one of the best weeks I have ever seen at Rite Aid!!

CVS is the place to be these days

2009-08-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

I have had incredible luck at CVS lately. Each week, I am scoring all the school supplies for free! I've only had to spend minimal amounts in tax and have a huge stockpile now! Be sure to hit their 3 day sale because it's a winner! I find it is easiest to go with your ad in hand because many of the stores don't have the yellow tags on each item so you need a picture to match up with the item. My son won't use all of the items I've gotten so I'll either hold on to them or donate them! Nothing beats FREE, right?

Sorry for the long absence!

2009-08-04T16:57:00.001-07:00

I went on vacation and got some wonderful deals last week but not many that were duplicable to my readers. I scored some great overage at Target with Crest Whitestrips but it took many times and I didn't want to send any of you on a wild goose chase!

Thanks for your patience!

Shopping trip today

2009-07-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, when I became a coupon addict a few months past, Walgreens was my store of preference. Me and others have noticed a decline in the number of great deals and FREEBIES! Even one manager told me they have reduced their ads to only 8 pages. There are still good deals but not great like I was used to!

In my classes, I tell people to check many sites to help with their couponing such as www.hip2save.com, it's by far the site I check the most. I just wanted to caution you about relying on information posted about the Walgreen's sales before you load up your coupons and head out. 3 or 4 of the specials (Mentos, Excedrin, Scotch tape) that I had on my list of deals to grab were not listed in my weekly flier and were not on sale. So I drove 10 minutes out of my way Walgreens and left with 10 posterboards for .09 each ( I know, this is a good deal) and a package of free pens. But I thought the sales were going to be fantastic so I made the extra effort to get there this morning before we head out on vacation tomorrow.

So, just watch what you see online on these sites, while they are a FABULOUS resource, none of the main sites are based in Michigan so some of the sales can vary by region. Just wanted to save everyone some time.

I did snag some great deals at CVS! We love the convenience of Crocs but hate the price. My son's pair from last year are wearing out and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and paid $30 for a basic pair of Navy crocs. After coming home, I realized that was a dumb purchase. CVS like many others has knock-off Crocs for $5.99. I can get 5 pair for what I paid for one, so I got some for both of my kids for this year and next! THe school supplies are great there this week too!

Rite Aid is having a good sale if you take advantage of the Kimberly Clark promotion. You can purchase tons of razors and get a big money maker. I went first thing this morning and of course they didn't have enough, but I did collect a raincheck so I should be able to get enough to snag another $25.00 gift card! YIPPEE! Go to www.hip2save.com for more details on the promo, look under Rite Aid.

This week's shopping trips

2009-07-17T16:09:00.001-07:00

I had a great time shopping this week and scored some great deals! Many people ask me "how much can you really save by clipping coupons"? Well, I am going to start posting my weekly totals for you!

Week of July 12th

Value of products: $358.78

Paid: $85.20, a savings of 77% before you figure in the rebates I will receive

I will receive $33.66 in rebates and I received $23.00 in ECB's at CVS and $15.00 in Register Rewards at Walgreens to use on future purchases.

If I figured in what I will get in rebates and the store "credits", my out of pocket would be $13.54, a savings of 97%.

Great deals on Pantene!

2009-07-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

I discovered a great deal on Pantene products at Walmart! They carry trial/travel size products for .97 each. You can buy two of the trial sized items (one shampoo, one conditioner) and then get a free styling or treatment product for free. I used (1) coupon that was 1.00 off ANY two Pantene Products and in conjunction, I used the recent Buy One Shampoo and Conditioner and receive a FREE style or treatment product.

I didn't have any problems with this at my Walmart on Pontiac Trial but my friend did incur an issue but she was using a different coupon for the two trial sized products. I ended up paying 1.00 and got two small bottles of Pantene and a nize sized hair mask treatment! This deal did go through at the u-scan line at Meijer also.

Remember if you incur a problem to explain to the cashiers that the coupon states on ANY shampoo or conditioner. This coupon showed products that had a green top on them, it is fairly recent. The free product coupon was from the recent P & G insert 4th of July weekend.

Happy Shopping :)