First things first, I do not consider myself to be a very competitive person. In fact, I'm the least competitive person I know (ha ha, yea, it's a stretch for a joke). Anyways, I am VERY competitive with myself, which sounds strange, but since I started on this savings journey 1 year ago, it has almost become a kind of game that I play with myself. Me and my wallet VS. the stores. Well, this year, I decided that I was crazy. Read on and you'll see why. I decided that I wanted to set a budget for Christmas this year of $100. Not per person, for everyone. Let me go on... we generally buy gifts for about 25 people (including my husband, myself, son & dog). And we have never really had a budget for Christmas spending. Strange right?? Even last year, I just set a goal to save and use coupons, but I never paid much attention to how much we were spending as a grand total. Well this year I decided (after setting that ridiculous $100 goal), to count it up and see how much we were spending. I calculated it based on how much we would spend in our "cutting back" minds and it ended up being over $700. For someone that cringes when she spends more than $25 at the grocery store, this is HUGE! Now, obviously the $100 budget is ridiculous. When I first told my husband, I believe he laughed, then said, "If you could do that it would be awesome."
Now, let me go on to say that I realize that a $100 budget for 25 people would equal out to $4 per person. Clearly, that is insane. And no, I am not shoplifting. What I am doing is using things like mypoints, swagbucks and more to get gift cards and getting gifts for free. Now I realize that if you are new to couponing, or even new to some of these "reward earning" sites, it is probably too late for this year, but in the next few weeks I will be sharing with you how I was able to save up enough points from various websites to get gift cards to cover most of our Christmas shopping. (And let me say that I am not one of those people that sits on a computer 24/7 - the way I have earned points through each of these sites is easy and something that anyone could do).
Ok, enough of my rambling. I cannot say much more about the gifts I have bought for Christmas or the amount spent yet, since the recipients haven't received them yet and might read this site and I don't want to give anything away. But I will say that the gifts I have gotten so far are valued at way more than $4 per person ;).
If you've kept reading til now I applaud you. I guess my "not blogging for 6 months" equals one insanely long blog post! Ok, so on to the good stuff.
Are you looking for cut back on your Christmas spending? Um, I would guess that MOST people nowadays would say yes. If you are, here is a way I'm going to help you with that. As I said before, after Christmas has come and gone I will give you all the details of some sites I have used over the past year to help earn gift cards to help pay for gifts this year. But since there's not THAT much time left til Christmas (I won't dare give a countdown), I do have 2 sites that can help you make a slight dent.
Ok, the little one is fussing so this will be fast and furious.
1. ItsThoughtful.com - sign up through here and first, you will help me out, and second you can then send the link along to your friends or post on your facebook wall. Once 15 of your friends sign up through your referral link, you will get a $25 Amazon gift card. By the way, this site is FULL of great Christmas ideas!!! Even if you decide not to sign up, I would definitely bookmark it for future reference!
2. ShopItToMe.com - sign up through here and again, you will help me out :), and then you can again invite your friends to join. Once 10 friends sign up through your referral link, you will get a $10 gift card (and you can choose from a list of different gift cards). This is a daily shopping site, and they do send quite a few e-mails, so I would recommend giving them your special "couponing" e-mail.
Now, the best thing about these 2 sites, is that you do not have to buy ANYTHING, you do not have to give any credit card info, nothing! All you do is get your friends to sign up and you get rewarded. Just from doing the 2 sites above, you have the potential to get $35 in gift cards towards Amazon.
Note: this is not my pathetic cry for people to sign up through my link. Obviously, I would like it very much and it would help towards my Christmas goal, but if you choose to sign up through someone elses that is fine too. I just wanted to share these to help put a dent in your Christmas spending as I try to do so for myself as well.
Ok, this post is probably long enough. If I hear of any new gift card deals like the above soon, I will be sure to post. Til next time... :)
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Saturday, November 20, 2010
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Ok, so I don't know where Carmen is and I also don't know where I have been. Well, I guess I do, I have been consumed in the world of toddlerhood. Hard to find a minute to sit down, much less get on the computer and write on my blog. Has it seriously been 6 months? It's pathetic and I do apologize. But, I'm attempting to make up for it. And I'm really hoping that soon I can figure out where in the world my background went?????
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http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/ab5/rdr11884/?action=view¤t=signature.png
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Google Reader
So after gaining some attention to my blog after my recent GetRichSlowly.org video contest win , I feel like I need to pony on up and get back into the blogging scene. I took a little break there to try and earn a little cash with my Every Party has a Pooper idea (which I'm thinking of branching out and making some Depends creations for retirement/over the hill parties - eh??). But, I'm back and here to share a quick tip. My friend, Jennifer introduced me to the world of Google Reader a while back and my world has never been the same since! If you haven't heard of google reader and are a money-saving-blog-reader like myself, then you have got to check this out! Go on over here to check it out. You can sign in with your google account if you have one, or you can sign up for a google account for free (perhaps to use when you sign up for coupons and newsletters!!). Then, you just add the blogs you want to follow and it puts them all in one nice neat area to browse through instead of going to each and every blog. I love this because I get on my iPod touch when I'm nursing my son, and I can just flip through really fast to see the different deals I want to pursue. Definitely makes the deal-hunting way easier. In fact, I'm really looking forward to the day that I have saved up enough swagbucks to get my iPhone so I can even check the deals when I'm out and about. Yea - don't laugh at me, you have to be on top of things to get the really good deals!
Ok, so while you are setting up your google reader, here's a list of some great websites to add to your reading list:
frugaliciousdef.blogspot.com - duh!
hip2save.com - seriously gives SO much information on the different deals out there!
katycouponers.blogspot.com - if you want to learn how to totally work the Randalls system!
thefrugalfind.com - another good one that covers everything from freebies to Target deals!
stretchingabuckblog.com - yet another good one for grocery deals and freebies!
Ok, so there's a few to get you started. Don't take on TOO many blogs to follow, or you will find yourself reading through TONS of repeats. Best to stick with a few really good ones and trust that they will give you all the info you need to know!
Ok, so while you are setting up your google reader, here's a list of some great websites to add to your reading list:
frugaliciousdef.blogspot.com - duh!
hip2save.com - seriously gives SO much information on the different deals out there!
katycouponers.blogspot.com - if you want to learn how to totally work the Randalls system!
thefrugalfind.com - another good one that covers everything from freebies to Target deals!
stretchingabuckblog.com - yet another good one for grocery deals and freebies!
Ok, so there's a few to get you started. Don't take on TOO many blogs to follow, or you will find yourself reading through TONS of repeats. Best to stick with a few really good ones and trust that they will give you all the info you need to know!
I like clean butts and I cannot lie!
Ok, so I know that at times my Frugalicious blog seem to be more babylicious than anything else, but I want to give a quick shout out to the Randalls mom-to-mom brand of wipes. If you have ever given your baby blueberries, then surely you can appreciate a good blueberry diaper/butt. And if you haven't, well let's just say that they can easily stain a fair-skinned baby's bum like my son! Now, to be honest, my favorite wipes all around are Huggies. If I had my way I would always use Pampers diapers and Huggies wipes. But, I am frugal, so I will use whatever I can get for cheap/free. I received some mom-to-mom wipes as a gift, so I decided to go ahead and give them a try. I seriously don't think Pampers wipes stand a chance against a BBP (blueberry poo). Maybe their thick wipes, but even still, I'm not sure how they would hold up. Huggies would probably do slightly better, but the thing that gives the Mom-to-Mom wipes a HUGE advantage is that their wipes are textured. I'm not just talking little bumps, these are some serious microscrubbers! (That face wash commercial just came to mind.) They are exactly what you need to grab hold and give a good scrub - without having to scrub your baby's bottom raw. So, by all means if you can get Pampers or Huggies wipes for free - DO IT! But when you are in a pinch or with a baby with a purple rear - head to Randalls and get you some Mom-to-Mom wipes!
Homemade Baby Food
Need some more motivation to make your own baby food? Last week I purchased over 30lbs of food to make into baby food (should have checked my freezer space first because it is really tight, but I'm planning on cooking a 10lb turkey I've been saving in there, so that should free up some more space!). Anyways, just to give you an idea - I've already priced out the sweet potatoes to see how much it costs per ounce and I was shocked! I bought the sweet potatoes for $0.99/lb (normally I wait til they are more like $0.59/lb, but I wanted to grab just a few to have since I was having a cooking marathon!) - and when all was said and done, I made sweet potato baby food for $0.04 per ounce!!! A can of baby food sweet potatoes at the store costs around $0.50 for 2.5 oz - so by making it yourself you can make it for one FIFTH of what it costs to buy it!!! I'm still in the process of portioning and freezing, so I'll let you know the other deals once I find out how many ounces I've made!
**By the way, a VERY smart friend of mine, Christina, told me when she made her food, she just put it in ziploc bags so she wasn't waiting around on the ice-cube trays to freeze, empty, wash and dry - then she just snipped a corner of the ziploc bag and basically piped the food out into the ice-cube trays when ready. It is SOOOO much easier and probably the only way I will do this from now on. And my husband mentioned that he thought it looked fun =)
**By the way, a VERY smart friend of mine, Christina, told me when she made her food, she just put it in ziploc bags so she wasn't waiting around on the ice-cube trays to freeze, empty, wash and dry - then she just snipped a corner of the ziploc bag and basically piped the food out into the ice-cube trays when ready. It is SOOOO much easier and probably the only way I will do this from now on. And my husband mentioned that he thought it looked fun =)
Mother's Day
So, I've been thinking of something for a while now, but today seems like a good day to talk about it with it being Mother's Day and all. Here it is: You don't truly appreciate your mom until you are one. I love my mom dearly, but I don't think I 100% appreciated her and all she's done for me until I became a mom myself. So here's to the moms!
Here's to the moms that hear something on tv about nipple clamps and all they can think of is nursing their teething baby; the moms that drink a beer, not for the social drinking aspect of it all, but rather to increase their milk supply for their baby; and the moms that buy brown shoes to accessorize with their poo-stained clothes. It's the hardest job in the world that you don't understand til you are in it, but it is also the best job in the world! So, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Enjoy yourself (and maybe have a beer - for your baby's sake of course!)
Here's to the moms that hear something on tv about nipple clamps and all they can think of is nursing their teething baby; the moms that drink a beer, not for the social drinking aspect of it all, but rather to increase their milk supply for their baby; and the moms that buy brown shoes to accessorize with their poo-stained clothes. It's the hardest job in the world that you don't understand til you are in it, but it is also the best job in the world! So, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Enjoy yourself (and maybe have a beer - for your baby's sake of course!)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
DIAPERS!!!
Ok, so I have to share some info with you guys on a super hot diaper deal right now.
Right now, when you redeem your points at pampers.com - you can get a $3 off coupon for diapers.com for every 150pts.
So, here's what you can do to score some super cheap diapers!
1. Redeem your points. (to get WAY cheap diapers you would need to use 9 coupons (1350 points) and you would pay $1.45 for 5 JUMBO PACKS!)
2. Mail in 5 Pampers coupons from last week's paper (Randalls also has blinkie coupons for $2 off any Pampers diapers - so you could grab 5 - mail them in and get $10 off)
3. You will get an email from diapers.com when your coupons have arrived and been credited to your account.
4. Log in and order 5 Pampers jumbo packs (9.99 each) - plus you can use the $1.50 instant eCoupon (will only deduct $1.50 once)
5. Use code SAVE1095 to get an additional $10 off (that's my special referral code, if you'd like to help me out!)
Oh - and it gets better because right now when you enter codes at pampers.com from packages of pampers with dry max, you get double the points!
Right now, when you redeem your points at pampers.com - you can get a $3 off coupon for diapers.com for every 150pts.
So, here's what you can do to score some super cheap diapers!
1. Redeem your points. (to get WAY cheap diapers you would need to use 9 coupons (1350 points) and you would pay $1.45 for 5 JUMBO PACKS!)
2. Mail in 5 Pampers coupons from last week's paper (Randalls also has blinkie coupons for $2 off any Pampers diapers - so you could grab 5 - mail them in and get $10 off)
3. You will get an email from diapers.com when your coupons have arrived and been credited to your account.
4. Log in and order 5 Pampers jumbo packs (9.99 each) - plus you can use the $1.50 instant eCoupon (will only deduct $1.50 once)
5. Use code SAVE1095 to get an additional $10 off (that's my special referral code, if you'd like to help me out!)
Oh - and it gets better because right now when you enter codes at pampers.com from packages of pampers with dry max, you get double the points!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Don't get Discouraged!
Last night, I was invited to be a guest on an internet-radio show for Stubborn Facts Radio. It was fun because it was something I had never done before and I got to talk about one of my favorite things: couponing! You can check out the interview by clicking here.
So, it's kind of strange because one of the questions I was asked was for my advice to new-couponers out there, and my advice was to not get discouraged. You will inevitably run into people that try to bring you down because they are jealous of how you save money. Whether that person be the manager at a grocery store that insists on checking out your receipt because they are convinced the cashier did something wrong because you couldn't possibly pay $0.70 for a cart full of groceries (which turns out to all be totally legit) or perhaps just some disgruntled person in line behind you that feels you are taking up too much time with your 2 minutes of coupon scanning, only for them to get up to the cashier and take 5 minutes as they put $10 on each of their credit cards. So, my advice was simple: don't get discouraged.
Funny that my advice was something so simple, and yet here I am today, TOTALLY discouraged. Turns out, my "Coupon Rap" video that won?? me $500 through the GetRichSlowly.org video contest is being questioned in reference to whether or not it was my own creation. I won't comment on this much because it just gets me heated and honestly, it's not worth it, but it does get me discouraged. Obviously there are people in this world that enjoy knocking other people down. A few months ago, I made a different video and entered it into a contest to win a MacBook. I didn't win, and I accepted that. I didn't spend my day searching for any possibly loophole to take her prize away from her and give it to someone else who didn't truly win. I was happy for her and moved on. So, all I will say is this. Yes, I purchased the karaoke version of a song on iTunes to use as background music for my video, but I spent the time to create my own personal lyrics to the song with my couponing information. If we are really getting technical, the person that truly deserves to win the $500 prize is the person that filmed their baby and nothing more, since that is something they did actually personally create.
Speaking of, time to shake the haters off and go get my baby =).
So, it's kind of strange because one of the questions I was asked was for my advice to new-couponers out there, and my advice was to not get discouraged. You will inevitably run into people that try to bring you down because they are jealous of how you save money. Whether that person be the manager at a grocery store that insists on checking out your receipt because they are convinced the cashier did something wrong because you couldn't possibly pay $0.70 for a cart full of groceries (which turns out to all be totally legit) or perhaps just some disgruntled person in line behind you that feels you are taking up too much time with your 2 minutes of coupon scanning, only for them to get up to the cashier and take 5 minutes as they put $10 on each of their credit cards. So, my advice was simple: don't get discouraged.
Funny that my advice was something so simple, and yet here I am today, TOTALLY discouraged. Turns out, my "Coupon Rap" video that won?? me $500 through the GetRichSlowly.org video contest is being questioned in reference to whether or not it was my own creation. I won't comment on this much because it just gets me heated and honestly, it's not worth it, but it does get me discouraged. Obviously there are people in this world that enjoy knocking other people down. A few months ago, I made a different video and entered it into a contest to win a MacBook. I didn't win, and I accepted that. I didn't spend my day searching for any possibly loophole to take her prize away from her and give it to someone else who didn't truly win. I was happy for her and moved on. So, all I will say is this. Yes, I purchased the karaoke version of a song on iTunes to use as background music for my video, but I spent the time to create my own personal lyrics to the song with my couponing information. If we are really getting technical, the person that truly deserves to win the $500 prize is the person that filmed their baby and nothing more, since that is something they did actually personally create.
Speaking of, time to shake the haters off and go get my baby =).
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Lunch Meat!!!
Ok, so I know I've been slacking on my posts lately - and I'm really hoping this infant tylenol recall doesn't mean I'm in for some nap-less days, which would lead to even less posting!
Anyways, you have got to head to facebook and check out Oscar Mayer (click here)! Right now you can enter a contest to try and win a ride on the weinermobile, and just for entering the contest, you get a coupon for $2 off any Oscar Mayer lunchmeat. If you click your back button, you should be able to print 2 per computer! Randalls currently has the Oscar Mayer deli lunch meat on sale for Buy One Get One FREE! I'm not sure the price of one, but let's say it's something insane like $4.99. Use your 2 $2 off coupons (you ARE allowed to use 2 coupons on a buy one get one free sale) - and you will pay $0.99 for 2 packs of lunchmeat! Awesome! I'm hoping to make a Randalls trip tomorrow, so I'll let you know the outcome then!
Anyways, you have got to head to facebook and check out Oscar Mayer (click here)! Right now you can enter a contest to try and win a ride on the weinermobile, and just for entering the contest, you get a coupon for $2 off any Oscar Mayer lunchmeat. If you click your back button, you should be able to print 2 per computer! Randalls currently has the Oscar Mayer deli lunch meat on sale for Buy One Get One FREE! I'm not sure the price of one, but let's say it's something insane like $4.99. Use your 2 $2 off coupons (you ARE allowed to use 2 coupons on a buy one get one free sale) - and you will pay $0.99 for 2 packs of lunchmeat! Awesome! I'm hoping to make a Randalls trip tomorrow, so I'll let you know the outcome then!
SHOCKED!
First off, I'm not a winner. I do not win at things. I do not buy lotto tickets, even scratch offs because I just don't win.
Ok, so a few weeks ago, I decided to enter a video contest from getrichslowly.org. I entered 2 videos into the contest, 1 for my financial success story (which I already posted on here), and 1 for my financial tip. Now, the rules were the video could only be 2 minutes long. So, I went for a "music video" approach, and crammed a TON of info into 2 minutes. Honestly, it's was really hard to get it down to 2 minutes, so you may have to go back and pause to get all the tips that are thrown in. Yes, it's embarassing, but it was also a lot of fun to put together.
So, the real exciting/shocking part - hence the title of this post - is that I actually WON the video contest for my financial tip! $500 cash money!!! I'm so shocked still! I'm not really sure when it will totally sink in. Now, to some people $500 may not seem like much, but to me - it is like I won the lottery! To some, $500 is a nice pair of shoes, but to me $500 is 4 months of groceries/toiletries for my family! So, it may sound crazy when I say that I want to use the $500 to buy a new camera for my family, but let me explain...
I have a horrible memory. I remember random things from my childhood (i.e. I can TOTALLY kick butt at Super Mario 3 on Nintendo and I remember every secret still), but overall, I have a horrible memory. I can't remember that I was a counselor at summer camp or what our house looked like when I was growing up. And to be totally honest, it scares me. I am worried that one day I will actually be like the lady on the Notebook and my husband will have to tell me the story of my life. With that being said, I really cherish pictures and videos. My baby boy is already 8 months old, and I'm terrified of when the time will come when I forget some of his firsts or when I forget how the first night in the hospital after he was born, he made little noises all night long while he was sleeping. So for that reason, I really cherish videos and pictures. This is why I have been budgeting $75/week for groceries for my family since the beginning of 2010. I take out $75 cash, and whatever I don't spend, I put towards my camera fund. Well, I have $485 saved so far, but I'm thinking of putting that money towards the next 4 months of groceries, and using the $500 from my video winnings to buy a new camera to capture these precious moments!
(Though to be totally honest, I might throw in a manicure/pedicure for myself since that is something I would normally NEVER spend money on myself for =) )
Ok, so a few weeks ago, I decided to enter a video contest from getrichslowly.org. I entered 2 videos into the contest, 1 for my financial success story (which I already posted on here), and 1 for my financial tip. Now, the rules were the video could only be 2 minutes long. So, I went for a "music video" approach, and crammed a TON of info into 2 minutes. Honestly, it's was really hard to get it down to 2 minutes, so you may have to go back and pause to get all the tips that are thrown in. Yes, it's embarassing, but it was also a lot of fun to put together.
So, the real exciting/shocking part - hence the title of this post - is that I actually WON the video contest for my financial tip! $500 cash money!!! I'm so shocked still! I'm not really sure when it will totally sink in. Now, to some people $500 may not seem like much, but to me - it is like I won the lottery! To some, $500 is a nice pair of shoes, but to me $500 is 4 months of groceries/toiletries for my family! So, it may sound crazy when I say that I want to use the $500 to buy a new camera for my family, but let me explain...
I have a horrible memory. I remember random things from my childhood (i.e. I can TOTALLY kick butt at Super Mario 3 on Nintendo and I remember every secret still), but overall, I have a horrible memory. I can't remember that I was a counselor at summer camp or what our house looked like when I was growing up. And to be totally honest, it scares me. I am worried that one day I will actually be like the lady on the Notebook and my husband will have to tell me the story of my life. With that being said, I really cherish pictures and videos. My baby boy is already 8 months old, and I'm terrified of when the time will come when I forget some of his firsts or when I forget how the first night in the hospital after he was born, he made little noises all night long while he was sleeping. So for that reason, I really cherish videos and pictures. This is why I have been budgeting $75/week for groceries for my family since the beginning of 2010. I take out $75 cash, and whatever I don't spend, I put towards my camera fund. Well, I have $485 saved so far, but I'm thinking of putting that money towards the next 4 months of groceries, and using the $500 from my video winnings to buy a new camera to capture these precious moments!
(Though to be totally honest, I might throw in a manicure/pedicure for myself since that is something I would normally NEVER spend money on myself for =) )
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Run to Kroger for FREE potatoes!
Ok, so if you are near a Kroger, you have to try to get there at some point today. Right now the Betty Crocker potato pouches are on sale for $0.89 (normally $1). Ok, load the coupon for $0.40 off one Betty Crocker potato from cellfire.com or shortcuts.com - and then print out 3 coupons from coupons.com, bettycrocker.com, smartsouce.com - whereever you can print them.
Ok, so here's what it will look like:
3 potato pouches - $0.89 ea = $2.67
-$0.40 loadable coupon = $2.27
-$0.40 printable coupon (you have 3 of these and kroger will double them to $0.80 each) = $-0.13!!! (you will have to get some other item because kroger will not pay you the $0.13, and it makes matters easier if you have something else to take the overage or else you will end up with very confused cashiers)
and the best part is - you will get a catalina coupon for $3 off your next order at kroger!!! (today is the last day for the catalina) - so my tip - print as many coupons as you can and go take advantage of this deal, rack up some free money to Kroger, and you will be set on mashed potatos for a long time! =)
Ok, so here's what it will look like:
3 potato pouches - $0.89 ea = $2.67
-$0.40 loadable coupon = $2.27
-$0.40 printable coupon (you have 3 of these and kroger will double them to $0.80 each) = $-0.13!!! (you will have to get some other item because kroger will not pay you the $0.13, and it makes matters easier if you have something else to take the overage or else you will end up with very confused cashiers)
and the best part is - you will get a catalina coupon for $3 off your next order at kroger!!! (today is the last day for the catalina) - so my tip - print as many coupons as you can and go take advantage of this deal, rack up some free money to Kroger, and you will be set on mashed potatos for a long time! =)
Monday, April 12, 2010
What have I been doing???
So, I'm going to go ahead and admit that I have been stretching myself too thin. Between a rolling baby boy, shorter nap times, my usual couponing, housework/cleaning, my video entries for the getrichslowly video contest, and my new "business venture", I've got NO time anymore! But anyways, I've decided to try my hand at making some diaper creations and selling them on etsy.com. You can check out my facebook page here and feel free to forward it along if you know of anyone looking for a different/unique baby gift. I've had my diaper cupcakes listed for about a week now and they have gotten 30 views, but I went ahead and lowered the price today so that I can get back some of the money that I have initially invested. With your help maybe I can actually sell all of my items!?!Thursday, April 8, 2010
Needing some get-out-of-debt advice?
Ok, so a friend of mine told me a while back about this awesome website Get Rich Slowly. Check it out! There are tons of good tips on how to save money. Also, while you are there, check out the video contest section. You can see the videos that have already been submitted to either get some money saving tips, or hear a success story. I've finished my success story video and included it here if you want to check it out. Warning: I lay it all out there. No hiding our money situation, I just told it how it is. Perhaps this will shine some light into why I have to be as frugal as I am, but believe me, it is well worth it to get to stay home with my baby boy. (Although I would rather be elsewhere while the dog is having the liquidy poos all over the house...)
Oh yea, and I will be posting my financial tip "music video" soon - probably sometime this weekend is when that will get wrapped up! =)
Oh yea, and I will be posting my financial tip "music video" soon - probably sometime this weekend is when that will get wrapped up! =)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
More Diapers??
Well, it's another good week at CVS for diapers. This time, it's Huggies!
Here's what you need to do:
1. Go to CVS and scan your card at the price checker in the store - hopefully it will print out some coupons for you. When I went, I happened to get a coupon for $2 off a $10 baby purchase - I've heard of lots of people getting this one!
2. Get 2 packs of Huggies diapers (on sale 2/$17.98)
3. Go to check out and hand over your coupons:
-$2 off $10 purchase (if this CVS coupon prints for you)
-$3 off any huggies diaper printable coupon (from coupons.com) - USE 2 of these!
4. You will pay $9.98 if you get the $2 off coupon for CVS (I'm counting on people getting it as long as you have a scanner thing in your store that works because I have only started shopping there in the past few weeks so I don't think it has anything to do with their long time customers)
5. You will get back $5 Extra Care Bucks to use towards something else (maybe more diapers if you need them) - or save for a future deal because they will expire about 1 month from when it prints out. So, in a way, you have only paid $4.98 for 2 packs which equals out to $2.49/pack which is about $0.08 per diaper!!! This is an awesome price for diapers and I've actually noticed Huggies holding up much better than Pampers in the "monster poo" contest!
*By the way, if you joined RecycleBank like I talked about here hopefully you've found a way to earn enough points for your $5 off any Huggies diaper coupon?? If so you can use that coupon on this deal to get the diapers for $0.05 each!!!
Here's what you need to do:
1. Go to CVS and scan your card at the price checker in the store - hopefully it will print out some coupons for you. When I went, I happened to get a coupon for $2 off a $10 baby purchase - I've heard of lots of people getting this one!
2. Get 2 packs of Huggies diapers (on sale 2/$17.98)
3. Go to check out and hand over your coupons:
-$2 off $10 purchase (if this CVS coupon prints for you)
-$3 off any huggies diaper printable coupon (from coupons.com) - USE 2 of these!
4. You will pay $9.98 if you get the $2 off coupon for CVS (I'm counting on people getting it as long as you have a scanner thing in your store that works because I have only started shopping there in the past few weeks so I don't think it has anything to do with their long time customers)
5. You will get back $5 Extra Care Bucks to use towards something else (maybe more diapers if you need them) - or save for a future deal because they will expire about 1 month from when it prints out. So, in a way, you have only paid $4.98 for 2 packs which equals out to $2.49/pack which is about $0.08 per diaper!!! This is an awesome price for diapers and I've actually noticed Huggies holding up much better than Pampers in the "monster poo" contest!
*By the way, if you joined RecycleBank like I talked about here hopefully you've found a way to earn enough points for your $5 off any Huggies diaper coupon?? If so you can use that coupon on this deal to get the diapers for $0.05 each!!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
CVS = good deals on diapers!
Ok, so it looks like CVS is the place to be the next 2 weeks for their awesome diaper deals! This week, here is what you want to do to get good deals on Pampers!
You will need to do 3 transactions - I did 2 yesterday and plan on going back for the 3rd sometime this week (and maybe even a 4th while I'm there - I'll explain...)
Transaction #1: buy jumbo pack of pampers - $8.97 - $2 pampers coupon (from paper) = $6.97 (and you will get back $3 ECBs = Extra Care Bucks)
Transaction #2: jumbo pack of pampers - $8.97 - $2 pampers coupon - $3 ECBS (that you got from transaction 1 - they print on the bottom of your receipt!) = $3.97 (and you will get another $3 ECB)
Transaction #3: same as transaction 2 - you may or may not get another $3 ECB - the limit in the paper says 2, but some people are reporting that they are able to do it a 3rd time and it works - you'll just have to see, but either way, you will pay $3.97 for this transaction
ok so totals from all 3 transactions = $14.91 or $4.97 per pack of pampers, which comes out to $0.16 per diaper. That is a great price for Pampers!
If you want, you can go ahead and get some toothpaste with a 4th transaction to get yourself ready for next week:
Colgate total toothpaste = $3.99 - $1 colgate coupon (from paper) = $2.99 (IF you got $3 ECB from transaction 3 - use them and you will pay nothing! If not, you are still basically getting the toothpaste for free after you get a $3.99 ECB for this transaction!)
ok, now you are set for next week:
Next week CVS will have Huggies on sale 2/$17.98 (this is $8.99 which seems to be a normal price for grocery stores) BUT you will get $5 ECB when you buy 2!
So here's what you'll do:
buy 2 jumbo packs huggies = $17.98 - 3.99 ECB (from toothpaste) - $6 (use 2 of the $3 printables - can find them on facebook, coupons.com or the huggies website!) = $7.99 or $4 per pack = $0.13 per diaper AND you will have a $5 ECB to use towards your next purchase!!!
*If you are really in need of diapers, you could do another transaction with the huggies, but you won't get another $5 ECBS - but here's the math in case you are curious:
2 jumbo packs = $17.98 - $5 ECB (from previous transaction) - $6 (2 $3 printables) = $6.98 or $3.49 per pack = $0.11 per diaper!
By the way, I was definitely planning on heading to Walgreens this week to take advantage of their register reward deal on Huggies (buy 3 @ $8.99 - get $3 Register Rewards) - but after seeing the deals at CVS, I'm definitely going to just buy my diapers from them instead!
You will need to do 3 transactions - I did 2 yesterday and plan on going back for the 3rd sometime this week (and maybe even a 4th while I'm there - I'll explain...)
Transaction #1: buy jumbo pack of pampers - $8.97 - $2 pampers coupon (from paper) = $6.97 (and you will get back $3 ECBs = Extra Care Bucks)
Transaction #2: jumbo pack of pampers - $8.97 - $2 pampers coupon - $3 ECBS (that you got from transaction 1 - they print on the bottom of your receipt!) = $3.97 (and you will get another $3 ECB)
Transaction #3: same as transaction 2 - you may or may not get another $3 ECB - the limit in the paper says 2, but some people are reporting that they are able to do it a 3rd time and it works - you'll just have to see, but either way, you will pay $3.97 for this transaction
ok so totals from all 3 transactions = $14.91 or $4.97 per pack of pampers, which comes out to $0.16 per diaper. That is a great price for Pampers!
If you want, you can go ahead and get some toothpaste with a 4th transaction to get yourself ready for next week:
Colgate total toothpaste = $3.99 - $1 colgate coupon (from paper) = $2.99 (IF you got $3 ECB from transaction 3 - use them and you will pay nothing! If not, you are still basically getting the toothpaste for free after you get a $3.99 ECB for this transaction!)
ok, now you are set for next week:
Next week CVS will have Huggies on sale 2/$17.98 (this is $8.99 which seems to be a normal price for grocery stores) BUT you will get $5 ECB when you buy 2!
So here's what you'll do:
buy 2 jumbo packs huggies = $17.98 - 3.99 ECB (from toothpaste) - $6 (use 2 of the $3 printables - can find them on facebook, coupons.com or the huggies website!) = $7.99 or $4 per pack = $0.13 per diaper AND you will have a $5 ECB to use towards your next purchase!!!
*If you are really in need of diapers, you could do another transaction with the huggies, but you won't get another $5 ECBS - but here's the math in case you are curious:
2 jumbo packs = $17.98 - $5 ECB (from previous transaction) - $6 (2 $3 printables) = $6.98 or $3.49 per pack = $0.11 per diaper!
By the way, I was definitely planning on heading to Walgreens this week to take advantage of their register reward deal on Huggies (buy 3 @ $8.99 - get $3 Register Rewards) - but after seeing the deals at CVS, I'm definitely going to just buy my diapers from them instead!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Want some cheap Disney movies??
If so, head to ToysRUs tomorrow (I believe that will be your last chance!). Right now, when you reserve a copy of Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (have to reserve both for this deal I'm talking about - and you will have to pay $10 - $5 per DVD/Blu-Ray) you will get $15 off the disney movie of your choice priced $19.99 or more. Well, there is also some strange disney promo going on where the register takes off an additional $5! So, I guess you technically could get a $19.99 movie for free - personally, we opted for a blu-ray for $29.99, so in the end it cost us $9.99 - still an awesome price for a blu-ray in my opinion. So basically, if you go and reserve your copy, you will have to put $10 down, but save $20 off the price of a different Disney movie!!!
Ok, then on Tuesday, when you go to pick up your Toy Story movies, you will have already paid $5 towards the price of each, and they are having them at a special price of $16.99 each when you buy both together. It gets better - Hip2Save has explained HERE how to get 2 $10 off coupons to use. Ok, so the math will look like this:
Toy Story = $16.99 -$5 you already paid - $10 coupon = $1.99
Toy Story 2 = $16.99 - $5 you already paid - $10 coupon = $1.99
So IF you buy a blu-ray from ToysRUs like I did, you will pay $20 upfront + $3.98 (toy story movies) = approximately $8 per blu ray!!!
If you find a blu-ray for $24.99 you will get a better deal, but for me I wanted to get a blu-ray that we would actually watch, rather than one I would still have to pay $5 for that we wouldn't. Anyways, if you want this deal - better head out fast because the Toy Story movies come out Tuesday!
Ok, then on Tuesday, when you go to pick up your Toy Story movies, you will have already paid $5 towards the price of each, and they are having them at a special price of $16.99 each when you buy both together. It gets better - Hip2Save has explained HERE how to get 2 $10 off coupons to use. Ok, so the math will look like this:
Toy Story = $16.99 -$5 you already paid - $10 coupon = $1.99
Toy Story 2 = $16.99 - $5 you already paid - $10 coupon = $1.99
So IF you buy a blu-ray from ToysRUs like I did, you will pay $20 upfront + $3.98 (toy story movies) = approximately $8 per blu ray!!!
If you find a blu-ray for $24.99 you will get a better deal, but for me I wanted to get a blu-ray that we would actually watch, rather than one I would still have to pay $5 for that we wouldn't. Anyways, if you want this deal - better head out fast because the Toy Story movies come out Tuesday!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Kroger - March 17-23
I haven't been shopping at Kroger lately, but this week they had some good deals that I didn't want to pass up. These deals are good until next Tuesday (the 23rd), but I've heard some possibility that some of the sales may go on for an additional week - but if you want to snag some of these deals, your best bet is to make it there sometime before next Tuesday.
Quick note: For the Buy 8 Save $4 deals - you can mix and match - you don't have to buy 8 of the same item to get the $4 off!
Some freebies:
Snickers - $0.50 (part of buy 8 save $4 deal) - $0.50/2 coupon from paper (doubled = $1) = 2 FREE
Ronzoni pasta - $0.75 (wyb 8) - $0.75/1 printables here and here (can print 2 at each site!) = 4 FREE (more if you have access to more than 1 computer)!
Scotch Brite sponges - $0.50 (wyb 8) - $1/2 printable here = 2 FREE! (this is a pdf file so you can print it MANY times!)
Some other deals:
Garden of Eatin chips - 2/$4 - $1/1 printable here = $1 each!
Bananas - $0.39/lb
Ok, 2 more things then I'm done:
1. Pantene Nature Fusion shampoos & conditioners are on sale for $2.97 at Kroger - IF you are a member of Vocal Point, you probably signed up for the FULL size sample of Pantene shampoo that came this week - along with it was 3 coupons for $2 off 1 pantene Nature Fusion shampoo/conditioner - that means $0.97 for Pantene shampoos and conditioners which is a GREAT price for Pantene. If you are not yet a member of vocalpoint, sign up here. You get to try so many new products for free!!!
2. Tide with Febreze Sport - OMG! That is pretty much all I can say. My husband works out everyday at lunch and so he accumulates stinky clothes pretty fast. Well, I don't really want to do small loads of laundry EVERY day just to wash those clothes, but while I was pregnant my sensitivity to smells drove his workout clothes to stay in the garage until laundry day - horrible huh? Well, a few weeks ago I got a sample of Tide w/ Febreze Sport in the mail - and it was AMAZING! So, when I saw it on sale today at Kroger for $5.88 - I pulled out my $1 off coupon from the paper and will gladly pay the $5 for it! Usually, I do NOT like to pay that much for laundry detergent, but my nose says this is well worth it!!!
Diaper coupons!!!
Quick - if you have any little ones in diapers or know someone who does, you'll want to print out these coupons!
Both coupons are for $3 off any 1 Huggies Diapers. The first one can be found at coupons.com. For the second one, you will need to become a fan of Huggies on facebook. Click here to see their fan page.
You should be able to print 2 coupons at each site - so a total of 4 $3 off coupons! I hear there are some good diaper sales coming our way in the next few weeks where you can use these coupons! Til then, happy printing!
Both coupons are for $3 off any 1 Huggies Diapers. The first one can be found at coupons.com. For the second one, you will need to become a fan of Huggies on facebook. Click here to see their fan page.
You should be able to print 2 coupons at each site - so a total of 4 $3 off coupons! I hear there are some good diaper sales coming our way in the next few weeks where you can use these coupons! Til then, happy printing!
CVS Advisory Panel
Do you shop at CVS? Well, even if you don't and you live somewhere close to one - you have GOT to sign up to become a member of the CVS Advisory Panel. (Click here to sign up). They will e-mail you surveys from time to time (I signed up maybe a month ago and just got my first survey today) - and then they will give you Extra Care Bucks (like cash you can use at CVS!) for completing surveys. I just did one that maybe took a grand total of 5 minutes of time and got a coupon for $5 Extra Care Bucks! Wahoo!!! Now to decide what to get???
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