Today was a great day for coupons! I was able to successfully retrieve my items from Walgreens and complete my transactions. While my transactions were thrown a little off-kilter by the removal of the newspapers, overall it still worked out to paying $30 for over $130 worth of product, with $26 in RR left over at the end (+$6 RR). Our friend with no knee cartilage and my husband with arthritis will both be grateful for that Joint Juice the next time they go to the gym!!
After Random (our year-old redbone coonhound) "helped" me knock all the ice and snow off the car, he was definitely deserving a reward so we piled our snowy selves in and went to PetSmart! We had a $10 Eukanuba coupon received for registering him on a puppy site and some Whisker Lickins coupons ($1/2) that made for a good deal with a coupon on the product + the sale on at the store.
Deal Scenario:
Buy 5 pouches of Whisker Lickin's cat treats - $5.00
use 2x $1.00/2 coupons (from Target's coupon generator or newspaper insert) -$2.00
Use 1x Get one Free when you buy 3 pouches (found on product) -$1.00
Pay $2.00 for 5 pouches or $0.40 each!
We also found some neat treats on clearance and picked up some ear medicine. All told we spent $10 for $40 worth of product or 75% savings!
Finally, Mia joined the fun for a trip to Homeland. We found some great clearance freebies (Herbal Essences with coupon expiring 1/31, Maybelline nailpolish with coupon found at Walgreens, Zest bodywash) and plenty of food even though I managed to forget my list!! As always, we made sure to buy one Maruchan Yakisoba found with the asian foods. Those 50 cent off coupons double to make them free on a permanent basis as they are priced at just $1.00! These make great "Running late for work, need a lunch!" emergency back-ups since they cook in the package they're sold in. The trip worked out to be 60% off (spent $38) for her and 84% off (spent $17) for me. Although there were some deals at Target and Walmart I had planned to hit on the same day, given the pleasant surprise visit and trip to PetSmart I opted to let these go and spend some time at home this evening instead. Sometimes it's good to remember that as great as all the deals are, there will be another deal again soon so not every one is critically important!!
One other thing we tried this weekend was the restaurant gift certificates advertised on Coupon Mom's website. We were able to score a $25 gift card to our favourite Thai restaurant for just $2!! While we will have to spend another $10 to reach the $35 minimum, that will make the whole meal just $12 + tip and taxes, and probably provide enough food for 3 or 4 people. Since the gift certificate was available for print immediately and is good for a year we are saving this for an evening we're feeling like going out with some friends!
All in all it has felt like a very rewarding snow-weekend. I got a lot of extra coupons printed, clipped and sorted and reorganized all sections of "the stockpile". The house is nice and clean and we are going into the new week feeling rested and well-prepared! I hope that everyone's weekend was a happy one and that those deal items are all in-stock when you go to buy them. (Tip: if you can't find the Vitamin Water lip gloss, check the photo counter! My Walgreens has it stashed over there and it took awhile to track it down. They had lots available though!!)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day Nineteen: Who Needs Cars, Anyways?
This afternoon, I hiked up to Walgreens for newspapers rather than digging the car out. Figured get some exercise and kill two birds with one stone!
My local Walgreens has frequently commented that the new week's prices start at 2pm on Saturday so I thought I'd give that a try since it would be less busy than usual due to the weather. It did not work, unfortunately, but they allowed me to set my basket aside for retrieval first thing in the morning when the new deals are on (it is not a 24-hour store). Bought my newspapers using register rewards and picked some up for a friend so she could hide from the weather for a little longer.
The deals posted in yesterday's link are confirmed. This is going to be a GREAT week for free stuff and register rewards at Walgreens! There are a couple of deals that ping-pong nicely so I will be making 4 transactions tomorrow. Hopefully they will get more Joint Juice in, they only had 2 boxes and I was hoping to pick up 4 as the men in the group could sure use some.
Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day of the month and many coupons will be expiring, including the Diabetes & You coupon book, sadly. It will be exciting to see what new deals come up in February!
My local Walgreens has frequently commented that the new week's prices start at 2pm on Saturday so I thought I'd give that a try since it would be less busy than usual due to the weather. It did not work, unfortunately, but they allowed me to set my basket aside for retrieval first thing in the morning when the new deals are on (it is not a 24-hour store). Bought my newspapers using register rewards and picked some up for a friend so she could hide from the weather for a little longer.
The deals posted in yesterday's link are confirmed. This is going to be a GREAT week for free stuff and register rewards at Walgreens! There are a couple of deals that ping-pong nicely so I will be making 4 transactions tomorrow. Hopefully they will get more Joint Juice in, they only had 2 boxes and I was hoping to pick up 4 as the men in the group could sure use some.
Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day of the month and many coupons will be expiring, including the Diabetes & You coupon book, sadly. It will be exciting to see what new deals come up in February!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day Eighteen: Extra Printables
If you are at home enjoying a snow-day as well, it might be a good time to start planning your weekend shopping trip! Walgreens is looking GREAT this week if the upcoming deals posted at Who Said Nothing in Life is Free are accurate!
Shop at Home has several categories of coupons. Collection #1 is those found at coupons.com and most commonly around the internet. Collection #2 is the SmartSource variety. And Collection #3 is a list of printable coupons from all over the place.
Some that I printed this morning to add to my collection:
$1.00/5 Bumblebee Tuna
$0.75/1 Butterball Ground Turkey
$1.00/4 Campbell's Soup
$2.00/ 20-ct.+ Non-Drowsy Claritin Note - printing Liquigels, Redi-Tabs & Tablets x 2 each yielded 6 of this coupon, all with different individual coupon codes.
$1.00/2 Classico Pasta Sauces
$5.00/1 Clorox Toilet Wand
$1.00/1 Formula 409 Natural Stone Cleaner (Click Offers & Promotions blade on the right)
$3.00/1 Greenworks Laundry Detergent, $0.50/1 Any Greenworks Product - Deal idea: combine $3 coupon with the Buy Laundry Detergent Get Cleaning Product Free coupon from the Healthy Lifestyles flyer for more savings!
$1.00/1 Hebrew National Franks (Do Not Double)
$1.50/1 Over the Moon Milk
$0.55/1 Pilgrim's Pride product (Do Not Double) reasonably priced chicken!
You can also click here for a $1.00/1 Tornados coupon! This will double at Homeland making them cheap or free depending on the sale! This was found on their Facebook page; they seem to do free product giveaways pretty regularly so it might be a good idea to become a fan.
The Home Made Simple/Refresh Your Nest Coupon Book is available still via mail. These coupons come in really handy for cleaning products! So far I have been able to order the booklet twice and highly recommend requesting one.
Shop at Home has several categories of coupons. Collection #1 is those found at coupons.com and most commonly around the internet. Collection #2 is the SmartSource variety. And Collection #3 is a list of printable coupons from all over the place.
Some that I printed this morning to add to my collection:
$1.00/5 Bumblebee Tuna
$0.75/1 Butterball Ground Turkey
$1.00/4 Campbell's Soup
$2.00/ 20-ct.+ Non-Drowsy Claritin Note - printing Liquigels, Redi-Tabs & Tablets x 2 each yielded 6 of this coupon, all with different individual coupon codes.
$1.00/2 Classico Pasta Sauces
$5.00/1 Clorox Toilet Wand
$1.00/1 Formula 409 Natural Stone Cleaner (Click Offers & Promotions blade on the right)
$3.00/1 Greenworks Laundry Detergent, $0.50/1 Any Greenworks Product - Deal idea: combine $3 coupon with the Buy Laundry Detergent Get Cleaning Product Free coupon from the Healthy Lifestyles flyer for more savings!
$1.00/1 Hebrew National Franks (Do Not Double)
$1.50/1 Over the Moon Milk
$0.55/1 Pilgrim's Pride product (Do Not Double) reasonably priced chicken!
You can also click here for a $1.00/1 Tornados coupon! This will double at Homeland making them cheap or free depending on the sale! This was found on their Facebook page; they seem to do free product giveaways pretty regularly so it might be a good idea to become a fan.
The Home Made Simple/Refresh Your Nest Coupon Book is available still via mail. These coupons come in really handy for cleaning products! So far I have been able to order the booklet twice and highly recommend requesting one.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day Sixteen: Tools of the Trade
Updated 2010-01-29 with link for the Pop Secret coupon.
Also, see Save-a-Lot's site for alternate coupons for most of the items listed in the Healthy Choice deal!
Anything that saves time is a lifesaver, and to this end I would like to highlight Homeland's list generator! Use this to browse the weekly ad online and choose items you wish to purchase.
Also, see Save-a-Lot's site for alternate coupons for most of the items listed in the Healthy Choice deal!
Anything that saves time is a lifesaver, and to this end I would like to highlight Homeland's list generator! Use this to browse the weekly ad online and choose items you wish to purchase.
While browsing, if you see an item you plan to purchase, you can click it to add it to a shopping list! Then, you can go to the Coupons tab and select coupons to print - these will show up in your grocery list! So even if you have reached your print limit on coupons.com and the coupon doesn't print, you will see that there is a printable coupon for your item. To see an example of this, choose Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers ($8.99) from page 8 and then choose "Baby" category in coupons and click $1.00 on any one Huggies Diapers. When you print or e-mail your list, they will show up together in the "Baby" category. This is another benefit of the list: it sorts items by category automatically, making it a little easier to find what you need. If you are like me and their organization isn't quite the same as yours, choosing the E-mail option will allow you to edit the list so you can set it up just the way you like it. You can even copy and paste part or all of it to merge with your own grocery list...so those great finds from other online sources can be piled in with your own match-ups!
Because I live in the Village, my local store is set as 9225 N. May Ave. This affects the circulars, as the Homelands on the North side of town have been having renovation sales for the past couple of weeks. This week's renovation sale flyer begins on page 9 of the 9225 N. May Ave store ad. It may be worth a trip for those of you on the South side if there are some deals you want to snag!
When looking at the Extra Savings booklet, on page 5 there is an ad titled "Eat Healthier Without a Lot of Change." This deal is totally busted! We have or can obtain coupons for virtually all of these items.
Pam - Sunday Paper, $0.35 off one ($2.49 for one after doubled coupon)
Egg Beaters - coupons.com had $1 off one coupons ($0.89 after doubled coupon)Swiss Miss - Target had coupons for these ($1 off 2?). Although the ones I printed expired others may still have some that were printed on a later day or it is possible they still have them.
Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers - Printable coupon from healthychoice.com no longer available. ($0.99 for one after doubled coupon)
Healthy Choice Microwaveable - Printable coupon from healthychoice.com no longer available. ($0.99 for one after doubled coupon) (three for $4.57 or $1.52 each after doubled coupon) and/or Healthy Lifestyles coupon flyer available at Homeland has one for a FREE microwaveable bowl when you buy 4 Frozen Entrées or Café Steamers. Healthy Choice Select & All Natural - healthychoice.com has $1/2 frozen meal coupons available now ($3.38 for two or $1.69 each after doubled coupon)
Orville Redenbacher SmartPop - $2 off 2 Smart Pop printed coupon ($3.58 for two or $1.79 each)
PeterPan Peanut Butter - Sunday Paper, $0.50 off two ($2.98 for two or $1.49 each after doubled coupon)
Snack Pack Pudding - ConAgra's Recession Payback Game gives a $0.50 off 3 DND coupon if you choose SnackPack for your coupon. ($3.40 for three or $1.13 each after coupon)
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers/Complete Meals - Sunday Paper $1 off one coupon ($1.39 for one after doubled coupon) or use the healthychoice.com coupon for this instead of Select/All Natural ($4.78 for two or $2.39 each after doubled coupon)Hunt's Tomatos - ConAgra's Recession Payback Game gives a $1.00 off 3 DND coupon if you choose Hunts for your coupon. ($2.45 for three or $0.82 each)
Healthy Choice Soup - coupon not found
It's a real shame that the ad states you cannot use any other coupons with the $3/10 in the paper. However, here are a couple of ways to beat that deal!
1x Egg Beaters
1x H.C. Fresh Mixers
2x Peter Pan Peanut Butter
3x Snack Pack Pudding
3x Hunt's Tomatoes
Total: $10.71 or $1.07 per item ($9.89 saved or 48%)
1x H.C. Fresh Mixers
2x H.C. Select/All Natural
2x H.C. Steamers (2nd coupon will not double)
1x H.C. Microwaveable
1x Egg Beaters
3x Hunt's Tomatoes
Total: $11.49 or $1.15 per item ($10.00 saved or 46.5%)
And of course, you can pick up any quantity of these items you desire. My list will probably include the Egg Beaters and a Fresh Mixer this week. These prices will be good until February 13, 2010.
When you go to Homeland, don't forget to pick up the Healthy Lifestyles coupon flyer. Two more match-ups from there this week include:
Dole Premium Blend Salad $2.19 (Extra Savings flyer, good until Feb. 13) - coupon is $1 off 2 Do not Double ($3.38 for 2 or $1.69 each)
Weight Watchers Yogurt 2 for $1 - coupon is $1.00 off ten Do not Double ($4 for 10 or $0.40 each). Match with up to 10 BOGO coupons from 1/14 SS to make this as low as $4 for 20, or $0.20 each! If, like me, you only have a few of the BOGO coupons the price will change proportionally.
Also, if you don't find the $1.00 off Tostitos Chips & Dip tearpad, you can use the $0.55 off one of each coupon from last week's Sunday Paper (1/24).
It has been brought to my attention that I was not the only one to have trouble with the Kraft catalina last week. Here are some copies to demonstrate that this was a real advertised deal, next time I will be sure to post them with the ad so printed copies can be taken to the customer service counter in case of a similar scenario.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day Fifteen: A Little Bit of Luck!
Target has some great toys on 75% off clearance right now, including a few varieties of Funkeys. I picked up a few for birthdays later in the year and saved a bundle! There were quite a few other items, several as low as $1.50. It is definitely a good time to stock up for the year. (Target visited was at NW Expressway and Rockwell).
If doing the CVS PepsiCo deal, be sure to check their website for matching store coupons! I have been kicking myself for not remembering two $1 off Stacy's Pita Chips (among several other items) CVS coupons that would have stacked nicely with my deal, turning it from breaking-even to a money-maker.
Grab a delicious Cheez-It coupon here!
Final advice for the day is to check the toiletries section at Homeland. On my last visit, I found a tearpad by the Crest display for a P&G Brands mail-in rebate for $10 visa gift card when you spend $25 on select P&G products in one visit. There is a HUGE list of brands, including but not limited to Swiffer, Vicks, Pepto Bismol, and Puffs. This will stack really well with upcoming sales for sure! (Homeland visited was at NW May and Britton).
If doing the CVS PepsiCo deal, be sure to check their website for matching store coupons! I have been kicking myself for not remembering two $1 off Stacy's Pita Chips (among several other items) CVS coupons that would have stacked nicely with my deal, turning it from breaking-even to a money-maker.
Grab a delicious Cheez-It coupon here!
Final advice for the day is to check the toiletries section at Homeland. On my last visit, I found a tearpad by the Crest display for a P&G Brands mail-in rebate for $10 visa gift card when you spend $25 on select P&G products in one visit. There is a HUGE list of brands, including but not limited to Swiffer, Vicks, Pepto Bismol, and Puffs. This will stack really well with upcoming sales for sure! (Homeland visited was at NW May and Britton).
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Day Thirteen: Color Outside the Lines!
With sadness, today I opened my last package of clearance paper from Walgreens. Back in December, they had 325 sheets of college ruled "filler paper" for just 87 cents! These made great filler items as well, to permit the use of Register Rewards if I had coupons for each item in my transaction. At almost 4 sheets to the penny, these have been a great tool for printed coupons. The smaller size (10.5" x 8") has not interfered with any of the coupons printing, nor have the lines given barcode scanners any problems. This will definitely be something I look for again in future, as the first package of paper I bought was $8 for 500 sheets or 1.6 cents per sheet!
Newly added to "Printable Coupons" today is http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/offers.shtml. They have been a great source of savings, often coming up with new coupons. While printing a Lysol coupon linked from Stretching a Buck this afternoon, I noticed that there were FIVE tabs full of coupons, not just one!! Be sure to check out all of them for more goodness!
Yesterday's shopping haul is below:
Walgreens - $9.43 spent, $39.48 saved (submitting full amount for Kraft $10 mail-in rebate), $1 RR (net loss $3.50RR)
CVS - $2.82 spent, $22.02 saved, $10 ECB (net gain $1 ECB)
Homeland - $43.15 spent, $85.90 saved, $5 catalina (net gain $5)
Total: $55.40 spent, $147.40 saved, 72.7% savings
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Day Twelve: Homeland Heads-Up
On one of my recent trips to Homeland, a catalina coupon printed with information about a money-back deal that would be coming up between 1/1 and 1/24.
Buy 5 Kraft Cheese products including:
Kraft Natural Cheese - Chunks, Shreds, Cubes, Sticks & Crubles
Kraft Cracker Cuts Cheese
Cheez Whiz Process Cheese
Velveeta Cheese Product
Kraft Bagel-Fuls
Liveactive Natural Cheese
Cracker Barrel Cheese
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cream Cheese Filling
Kraft Singles & Singles Select
Kraft Deli Deluxe
Kraft Deli Fresh Natural Slices
Kraft Parmesan Cheese
Kraft Grate-it-Fresh Parmesan Cheese
South Beach Diet String Cheese
Kraft String-Ums Cheese
Polly-O String-Ums Cheese
The catalina states "Buy (5) or More & Get $5.00 Coupon Off a Future Shopping Order. All Items Must Be Purchased In One Shopping Order. Limited to Product In Stock. No Cash Back. Offer Expires 1/24/2010."
There is a $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon here. Rumour also states that there will be a $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon in this weekend's paper. There was also recently a coupon from Kraftrecipes.com (no longer available unfortunately) for $0.55 off Velveeta 1lb or larger. Adding these three coupons together would yield $1.00 ($1.10 in the case of the Velveeta) off each of the 5 items as well as the $5 catalina coupon. This is something I am hoping to test for myself this weekend, as I have seen several offers like this from Homeland but have not tried any for myself yet (except for Dole salads but I'm not sure I picked the right variety on those.)
Also don't forget that you will receive a coupon for money off a Homeland gasoline purchase if you spend at least $25 before coupons (after sales pricing). The coupon amount varies based on the amount you spend. On my last trip I received one for $0.15/gallon off (up to 20 gallons) and the flyer states that up to 3 certificates can be used on the same fuel purchase, with a limit of 20 gallons.
$25 - $44.99 = $0.05 discount
$50 - $74.99 = $0.10 discount
$75 - $99.99 = $0.15 discount
$100 - $124.99 = $0.20 discount
$125.00 + = $0.25 discount
A couple more coupon match-ups that weren't listed on Simple Saving Savvy:
Luna Bars $1 - Buy 2 Get One Free formerly printable from lunabar.com or Mambo Sprouts - be sure to sign up for their free coupon booklet which is said to contain a $0.50/1 Lunabar coupon which would make these free!
Suave Shampoo & Conditioner $1 - $1/2 coupon (Variety Unconfirmed) from a recent Red Plum (Sorry, I clip all my coupons each week and since a blog wasn't in my plans, I hadn't been keeping track of which was from where. This will improve with time!)
Chef Boyardee $1 - Alternate coupon: $0.50/2 DND from the ConAgra Recession Game = $0.75/ea. This works out to about a penny cheaper than the $0.35/3 coupon if one doesn't have the All You coupon to pair with it, and/or can be stacked in the same transaction (with an additional 2 cans of Chef Boyardee) for extra savings!
Old El Paso Taco Shells - $1 - Get free Taco Seasoning with purchase of 2 Old El Paso products (peelie found on assorted Old El Paso boxes) = $2 for all 3 items or $0.67 each!
Finally, to finish things off with a new discovery, Coupon Forum has been added to the Recommended Reading links list. Just what it sounds like, this is a place where couponers from all over congregate to share information on coupons (printable and otherwise), mail-in rebates, and everything else coupon related! I am looking forward to delving more deeply into the various threads and categories.
Buy 5 Kraft Cheese products including:
Kraft Natural Cheese - Chunks, Shreds, Cubes, Sticks & Crubles
Kraft Cracker Cuts Cheese
Cheez Whiz Process Cheese
Velveeta Cheese Product
Kraft Bagel-Fuls
Liveactive Natural Cheese
Cracker Barrel Cheese
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cream Cheese Filling
Kraft Singles & Singles Select
Kraft Deli Deluxe
Kraft Deli Fresh Natural Slices
Kraft Parmesan Cheese
Kraft Grate-it-Fresh Parmesan Cheese
South Beach Diet String Cheese
Kraft String-Ums Cheese
Polly-O String-Ums Cheese
The catalina states "Buy (5) or More & Get $5.00 Coupon Off a Future Shopping Order. All Items Must Be Purchased In One Shopping Order. Limited to Product In Stock. No Cash Back. Offer Expires 1/24/2010."
There is a $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon here. Rumour also states that there will be a $1/2 Kraft Cheese coupon in this weekend's paper. There was also recently a coupon from Kraftrecipes.com (no longer available unfortunately) for $0.55 off Velveeta 1lb or larger. Adding these three coupons together would yield $1.00 ($1.10 in the case of the Velveeta) off each of the 5 items as well as the $5 catalina coupon. This is something I am hoping to test for myself this weekend, as I have seen several offers like this from Homeland but have not tried any for myself yet (except for Dole salads but I'm not sure I picked the right variety on those.)
Also don't forget that you will receive a coupon for money off a Homeland gasoline purchase if you spend at least $25 before coupons (after sales pricing). The coupon amount varies based on the amount you spend. On my last trip I received one for $0.15/gallon off (up to 20 gallons) and the flyer states that up to 3 certificates can be used on the same fuel purchase, with a limit of 20 gallons.
$25 - $44.99 = $0.05 discount
$50 - $74.99 = $0.10 discount
$75 - $99.99 = $0.15 discount
$100 - $124.99 = $0.20 discount
$125.00 + = $0.25 discount
A couple more coupon match-ups that weren't listed on Simple Saving Savvy:
Luna Bars $1 - Buy 2 Get One Free formerly printable from lunabar.com or Mambo Sprouts - be sure to sign up for their free coupon booklet which is said to contain a $0.50/1 Lunabar coupon which would make these free!
Suave Shampoo & Conditioner $1 - $1/2 coupon (Variety Unconfirmed) from a recent Red Plum (Sorry, I clip all my coupons each week and since a blog wasn't in my plans, I hadn't been keeping track of which was from where. This will improve with time!)
Chef Boyardee $1 - Alternate coupon: $0.50/2 DND from the ConAgra Recession Game = $0.75/ea. This works out to about a penny cheaper than the $0.35/3 coupon if one doesn't have the All You coupon to pair with it, and/or can be stacked in the same transaction (with an additional 2 cans of Chef Boyardee) for extra savings!
Old El Paso Taco Shells - $1 - Get free Taco Seasoning with purchase of 2 Old El Paso products (peelie found on assorted Old El Paso boxes) = $2 for all 3 items or $0.67 each!
Finally, to finish things off with a new discovery, Coupon Forum has been added to the Recommended Reading links list. Just what it sounds like, this is a place where couponers from all over congregate to share information on coupons (printable and otherwise), mail-in rebates, and everything else coupon related! I am looking forward to delving more deeply into the various threads and categories.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Day Eleven: An Old Friend
This afternoon we picked up the new "Wii Fit Plus" game which is basically an expansion pack for the Wii Fit. Besides being a ton of fun, cracking out my yoga mat reminded me of the "freebie" site that sent me the mat long before couponing came into my life: Club Bing (formerly known as Club Live).
Developed by Microsoft as an attempt to compete with Google (author's conclusions, does not represent any statements made by Microsoft), Bing is a search engine, and Club Bing involves a series of internet games that one can play to earn points. At one time there were no limits on daily points earned; however, this was changed a long time ago likely due to people like me who were so addicted they would earn enough points for an XBox 360 controller in one afternoon and got some of the highest-ticket prizes in a rather short period of time.
These days there is a limit of 1000 points per day, but the games are fun -particularly if you enjoy word games-and participation is completely free! The prizes take a few weeks to arrive in the mail once ordered and again, there are no fees for the delivery. Caveat: prizes change frequently so that rumba robot you've desperately been trying to save 30,000 points for might not be around at the end of the month no matter how faithfully you've played.
However, there always seems to be something worth getting, and the prize groups have really expanded from the video-game selections originally available to things like frequent flyer miles, collections of popular Food Network chefs, and the current top-pointers: a GPS system and a designer purse by Michael Kors.
Next Wednesday (January 27th) is a Double Points Day which means just what it sounds like. It takes some time for the doubled points to arrive but it's a good opportunity to score 2000 points for the same effort as 1000!
Developed by Microsoft as an attempt to compete with Google (author's conclusions, does not represent any statements made by Microsoft), Bing is a search engine, and Club Bing involves a series of internet games that one can play to earn points. At one time there were no limits on daily points earned; however, this was changed a long time ago likely due to people like me who were so addicted they would earn enough points for an XBox 360 controller in one afternoon and got some of the highest-ticket prizes in a rather short period of time.
These days there is a limit of 1000 points per day, but the games are fun -particularly if you enjoy word games-and participation is completely free! The prizes take a few weeks to arrive in the mail once ordered and again, there are no fees for the delivery. Caveat: prizes change frequently so that rumba robot you've desperately been trying to save 30,000 points for might not be around at the end of the month no matter how faithfully you've played.
However, there always seems to be something worth getting, and the prize groups have really expanded from the video-game selections originally available to things like frequent flyer miles, collections of popular Food Network chefs, and the current top-pointers: a GPS system and a designer purse by Michael Kors.
Next Wednesday (January 27th) is a Double Points Day which means just what it sounds like. It takes some time for the doubled points to arrive but it's a good opportunity to score 2000 points for the same effort as 1000!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day Ten: Isn't it Ironic?
Since one of the best deals this week was on Nyquil at Walgreens, it was of course my duty to become ill on Sunday, the day the sale started. It has been a long week of mostly not getting out of bed but I finally returned to work today and have been starting to sort through the week's coupons a little. My apologies for the lack of posts, there just wasn't enough energy to make it to the computer and my laptop has been a little cranky regarding internet connectivity.
Couponing to Disney has some upcoming CVS deals posted for those wanting to look ahead. Ester C Vitamin C looks like a good one - my boss, who has an entire desk drawer devoted to vitamins and holistic remedies, touts their merits on a regular basis. There is also a Dove's Men Care coming up. It's easy to get the girly stuff but sometimes more difficult to find body washes and deodorants for my husband that don't smell like flowers, so this is one I will be eagerly awaiting!
Recommended Reading updated with some new links, enjoy!
Couponing to Disney has some upcoming CVS deals posted for those wanting to look ahead. Ester C Vitamin C looks like a good one - my boss, who has an entire desk drawer devoted to vitamins and holistic remedies, touts their merits on a regular basis. There is also a Dove's Men Care coming up. It's easy to get the girly stuff but sometimes more difficult to find body washes and deodorants for my husband that don't smell like flowers, so this is one I will be eagerly awaiting!
Recommended Reading updated with some new links, enjoy!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Day Four: Plan of Attack
It was a great trip to Homeland! We scored a lot of freebies and had a lot of fun. Photos of the final haul and receipt are below. Everything in the picture was included in the $29.24 price, with savings of $81.63. Note that Homeland's savings %s don't include tax, which my personal calculations do factor in. For this trip, however, the difference is only a couple % so not a big deal.
The upcoming week looks like it's going to be a really good one! Head over to Abundant Food Savings to check out a preview of the coupons coming out and some potential matches. It has been a long wait for cheap Nyquil and especially since the Theraflu went so much faster that expected this winter, it is gratifying to see it will be so cheap this week!! Valerie was mentioning she would really like some 409 coupons and will be glad that there is going to be a $1/1 coupon for them this week! Other exciting coupons look like: Skippy Peanutbutter, Johnsonville Sausages, Brita Filters, Kellogs FiberPlus Chewy Bars, and a relatively high-value one for Knorr Side Dishes.
More links have been added to Recommended Reading.
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The upcoming week looks like it's going to be a really good one! Head over to Abundant Food Savings to check out a preview of the coupons coming out and some potential matches. It has been a long wait for cheap Nyquil and especially since the Theraflu went so much faster that expected this winter, it is gratifying to see it will be so cheap this week!! Valerie was mentioning she would really like some 409 coupons and will be glad that there is going to be a $1/1 coupon for them this week! Other exciting coupons look like: Skippy Peanutbutter, Johnsonville Sausages, Brita Filters, Kellogs FiberPlus Chewy Bars, and a relatively high-value one for Knorr Side Dishes.
In anticipation on Sunday the 17th, go to CVS' website and print out your "I Heart my Double Bucks" certificate good for 4% back instead of 2% on CVS/pharmacy brand items as well as $2 ECB for every 2 prescriptions. This lasts until March 15th!
More links have been added to Recommended Reading.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day Three: Down to the Basics
For those just starting out, the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming. Some articles that really helped me get a handle on things were those at Moms Need to Know and Stretching a Buck. One of the best pieces of advice was to start out looking to save just 10% in the first week. When that was accomplished, push for 20%, and continue increasing by 10% until an average savings of 90% was attained.
As a new couponer gains experience, increases their collection of coupons, and banks catalina deals (money back coupons that can be used on one's next purchase) their savings will grow naturally. Finding the right organization system is also key. I tried three before settling on my current system, and it is evolving somewhat to include a computer database which will be posted here upon completion.
New on the blog today is the Printable Coupons section. By no means comprehensive, this has some of the major sites for finding coupons. There may or may not be an update tomorrow depending on how the shopping trip to Homeland goes, but look for new content this weekend!
As a new couponer gains experience, increases their collection of coupons, and banks catalina deals (money back coupons that can be used on one's next purchase) their savings will grow naturally. Finding the right organization system is also key. I tried three before settling on my current system, and it is evolving somewhat to include a computer database which will be posted here upon completion.
New on the blog today is the Printable Coupons section. By no means comprehensive, this has some of the major sites for finding coupons. There may or may not be an update tomorrow depending on how the shopping trip to Homeland goes, but look for new content this weekend!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day Two: Into the Deep End
It looks like this is a fantastic week at Homeland, so be sure to visit "Simple Saving Savvy" (also shown in the links section to the right) for the first round of match-ups. My plan for the week's shopping is to meet up with Valerie (a fellow couponer encountered at CVS) on Friday evening to knock out Homeland together, as her computer is on the fritz so she is not able to access the current lists.
Tonight held an impromptu Walgreen's session with Mayalynn Rin, who scored over $100 savings and spent only half that, and picked up everything she needed for the $10 Johnson and Johnson Mail-in Rebate (Click on Beauty Care Savings Center on the left bar of coupons.com). We will go again on Saturday at 10pm, to catch that magical window when the sales prices from both weeks are active, although the register rewards for the new week will not print until after midnight. By going at this time we avoid the crowd, visit with the same cashiers, and maximize our chances at getting the hottest deals before they're all gone!
New today on the blog are the Freebies link section and "About the Author." It has also accrued its first fan and apparently been posted to stumbleupon. (Eek!) It looks like content will have to be generated at a faster rate than originally planned. Always good to stay on one's toes...
Tonight held an impromptu Walgreen's session with Mayalynn Rin, who scored over $100 savings and spent only half that, and picked up everything she needed for the $10 Johnson and Johnson Mail-in Rebate (Click on Beauty Care Savings Center on the left bar of coupons.com). We will go again on Saturday at 10pm, to catch that magical window when the sales prices from both weeks are active, although the register rewards for the new week will not print until after midnight. By going at this time we avoid the crowd, visit with the same cashiers, and maximize our chances at getting the hottest deals before they're all gone!
New today on the blog are the Freebies link section and "About the Author." It has also accrued its first fan and apparently been posted to stumbleupon. (Eek!) It looks like content will have to be generated at a faster rate than originally planned. Always good to stay on one's toes...
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Day One: A Profitable Obsession
As the list of couponers in my social circle grows, it seems simpler and more logical to post something that can be viewed at will rather than continuing to send e-mails infrequently.
My obsession with couponing began in October of 2009 when my best friend proudly showed me some of the items she had been getting using coupons after her boyfriend saw an article on the internet featuring one of the super-savvy ladies who get $200 groceries for less than $1 on a regular basis.
It didn't take long for a dabbling experiment to turn into a full-blown lifestyle change. The reward obtained from couponing is directly proportional to the time invested. As with anything, however, there are degrees of efficiency and thanks to the magic of the internet, there are more resources available than ever before. These are not the coupons of our mother's generation.
There are so many wonderful guides and blogs out there. It is not my intent to supercede any of these but rather to gather them, providing a list of lists for the people I care about and those encountered who share this passion.
My obsession with couponing began in October of 2009 when my best friend proudly showed me some of the items she had been getting using coupons after her boyfriend saw an article on the internet featuring one of the super-savvy ladies who get $200 groceries for less than $1 on a regular basis.
It didn't take long for a dabbling experiment to turn into a full-blown lifestyle change. The reward obtained from couponing is directly proportional to the time invested. As with anything, however, there are degrees of efficiency and thanks to the magic of the internet, there are more resources available than ever before. These are not the coupons of our mother's generation.
There are so many wonderful guides and blogs out there. It is not my intent to supercede any of these but rather to gather them, providing a list of lists for the people I care about and those encountered who share this passion.
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