Win a FREE Keurig

Those who know me, know I wouln't survive most mornings without my Keurig, so I'm letting you know about a give-away that I juts found where you can have a chance to win one of your very own..  I love these so much that I helped a guy sell a couple one at Bed, Bath & Beyond last weekend (they never would have been happy with that little Tassimo thing).

So if you are not on board the Keurig train yet, go enter this contest and hopefully we can get you there.

New Coupons Posted on Redplum.com

It's about time (IMO)!

Redplum has quite a few new coupons posted for printing, including....

• $1 Off Tums
• .55/1 State Fair product (like corndogs)
• $1 Off Quaker Oatmeal Squares
• $1 Off Jimmy Dean fully cooked sausage
• .75/ 1 Jimmy Dean sausage roll

Spending Goals: January Spending

Our budgeting month officially ended on Thursday, in my household. We run with our payroll on two week cycles (with a month being 4 weeks) and ending on Thursday (with payday being on Friday).

Again, it seemed as though my grocery budget just kept stretching last month and I really don't know where it all came from (although I am starting to think that some of it may have come out of my own cash fund... I'm really not sure).  I seem to be somewhat bad about "donating" my personal cash to other areas of the household (even when they don't need it).  I think it's just habit to reach into that one envelope sometimes; something I need to watch for and work on.

So the rest of the months shopping trips:

• Target -  $4.31 (for $4.31 worth of groceries - Apples are expensive!)
• Publix -  $1.8.05 (for 82.53 worth of groceries)
• Publix -  .45 profit (for $16.90 worth of purchases - my favorite trip ever! Yes, he actually gave me back .45 and I gave him nothing but coupons).
• CVS - 4.33 (for $51.80 worth of purchases)
• CVS - $5.94 (for $15.98 worth of purchases)
• Walgreens - $4.24 (for $25.52 worth of purchases)
• Rite Aid - .98 (for $8.74 worth of purchases)

End of Month Totals:
Paid: $253.60 for $767.02 worth of purchases
Saved: $568.98 (or 74.18%)

So far I'm not starting the new month out very well.... but that's another story.

Free CoffeeMate Friday

Just a reminder that Friday is Free Flavor Friday and CoffeeMate will be giving away coupons for FREE bottles of CoffeeMate on their Facebook page starting at Noon EST.  So be sure to log in, RSVP and get your coupon!

Kmart Doubling Coupons up to $2 This Week

If you have the Kmart Shop Your Way Card and spend at least $25, Kmart will double your coupons up to $2.

January 30 - February 5

You can see the details on their in-store circular, here.

Yankee Candle $10 Coupon

Yankee Candle has a new coupon available on their website for $10 off a $25 purchase. These coupons are good not just at Yankee Candle stores but also at other retailers that sell Yankee Candle (like Bed, Bath & Beyond).

Get the Coupon here.
Good till 2/27/11

Valentine Deal from Redbox: Rent 2 Get 1 FREE

When you rent 2 movies from Redbox in the same transaction they will send you a code via email to get a FREE Rental.  Click here for details.

This promo is good from 2/1/11 to 2/14/11

A Little Retail Therapy Today

After months of feeling like we up North, we had a beautiful day today with sunny skies and temps above 60 degrees.  Perfect weather for a drive.  We ended up at the Summit in Birmingham and found a couple of really great deals.

Who'd be thinking shorts sale in January? Evidently, Lucky Jeans.  They had a rack of ladies shorts out front with a sign that said "$19.99/pair wyb 2".  I love Lucky Jeans but I hate their prices, so I try to buy more often at the outlet or when I can catch a really good sale.  This was it.  We dug through the rack and I ended up in the dressing room with two pairs that were the wrong size (lucky me, they were too big).  I asked the salesgirl for help and she came back with 2 more pairs, one of which I liked the other not so much.  She wasn't have any luck finding the sale shorts in my size but she returned with 2 pairs in the next size down... as a ruse.  Her real reason in handing me those shorts was to tell me that she had another style not on the sale in my size that she'd hand me to try on and if they worked she'd give them to me for the deal price! WOOHOO!  Oh and yes they fit.

Next we went to Bed, Bath & Beyond.  We were actually looking for some ideas on how to organize this really annoying hall closet we have (it's like 17"w x 24"d - it fits the CostCo size bulk paper towels perfectly but not much else).  I didn't find anything for that but they did have the under the Keurig K-cup storage drawer.  As luck would have it I also had my coupons.  So we headed back to the car to grab the coupon to buy the drawer only to come back in and have my hubby get sidetracked by pans.  He found a set of 2 Calphalon pans.  Once upon a time I had a full set of Calphalon and I will tell you they are worth every penny.  I really hope my ex-husband is still enjoying that set of cookware.  As we looked around to see if we could find lids for these pans, I stumbled across a set of Racheal Ray Anodized cookware clearanced down to $150.  My coupon just found a new purpose.

The good news is that on the way home I think we might have finally figured out a way to organize that closet without spending any money.  At least I'm hoping so.

New Coupons on Coupons.com

Lots of new coupons this week on Coupons.com

• $1.00 off one (1) Simply Saline product
• $0.75 off Any ONE (1) SHAKE 'N BAKE Product
• $0.55 off on VLASIC Pickles, Peppers or Relish
• $2.00 off One Woolite All in One Carpet Cleaning
• $1.00 off One A Day Adult or Teen Multivitamin
• $1.00 off any Schiff Vitamin or Supplement
• $2.00 off Schiff MegaRed
• $1.00 off Schiff Mega-D3™
• $1.00 off OSCAR MAYER CARVING BOARD Meats
• $1.00 off 1 Bottle of Any A.1. STEAK SAUCE
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Children's Chestal
• $2.00 off any ONE (1) Oscillococcinum
• $1.00 off TWO Glade Scented Oil Candle refills
• $1.00 off Glade Scented Oil Candle holder
• $1.00 off Purina Cat Chow brand Cat Food
• $10.00 off BREEZE brand Litter System
• $1.50 off BREEZE brand Litter System
• $1.00 off (18) cans of Fancy Feast Elegant Medley
• $2.00 off Purina Mighty Dog Dog Food
• $1.00 off Purina ALPO brand Dog Food
• $1.00 off Purina Beneful Brand Snackin Slices
• $1.00 off Purina Fit & Trim Brand Adult Dog Food
• $1.00 off (24) cans of Fancy Feast Gourmet
• $1.50 off Glade Auto Spray Refill
• $0.75 off ONE package of Rhodes™ Warm-N-Serv
• $88.99 for 2 Pairs of Eyeglasses

New Pet Coupons from Publix

Publix has some new pet coupons available.  Go here to grab them.

• FREE Whiskas Temptations WYB 8 Whiskas cans food for cats
• $2 OFF Purina Beneful
• $1 OFF Pedigree dry dog food
• .50 OFF Publix dog treats

MEGA Swagbucks Friday

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Friday and that means MEGA Swagbucks day, so be sure to do your searches!



If you aren't a member of Swagbucks yet, then let me tell you why you should join - how about I've earned $40 in Amazon Gift Certificates in 2 months just for using their search engine and doing a few other random things through them (like watching SwagBucks TV or playing games on their site when I'm bored, or going through them to buy Groupon deals that I would have bought anyway).

It only takes 450 Swagbucks to earn a $5 Amazon giftcard, and you get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up!  I earn on average of about 25 Swagbucks a day just from doing regular searches that I'd normally do through Google or some other search engine.  Install their toolbar and that's another instant 1 point a day.

Click Here to Sign Up for Swagbucks and start earning Free Stuff!

My Walgreens Trip: Bank Error in My Favor

While at Walgreens today I noticed that there was an endcap with Gatorade and the signs still say that they were on sale 5/$5 (or 5/$4 with the Instant Value Coupon).  That's my GoTo price for Gatorade so I grabbed 5 along with the several other items I had in my cart.  When the cashier gave me my total of around $8 I thought it seemed a bit high but I paid him.  When I got to the car I realized that the Gatorade had not rang up for 5/$5 so I went back in.  Luckily, the manager was on hand so I showed her my receipt and told her that the Gatorade hadn't rang up right.  She flipped through the ad flyer then walked back to the display.  Evidently, those tags weren't supposed to be there.  Bank Error in my favor.

Not Shown: the 5 Gatorades

Purchased:
5 Gatorades @ 5/$5
2 Halls on sale $1e
1 Bakers coconut (clearance) $1.79
1 Clean & Clear moisturizer $6.79
1 Got2B $4.99
= $20.57




Used:
$2 Off Clean & Clear
$1/5 Gatorade Instant Value Coupon
$2 Off Got 2 B
BOGO Halls (rang up as $2 Off)
$10 RR
= $4.24 OOP (got back $2RR from purchase of Got2B)

The Couponing Rush

Today as I was standing at the counter at CVS and I saw the total $39.95 flash across the screen. I kinda freaked out a little.  "I don't have that much money!".  Ok, well I did but I didn't want to have to dip into something other than the grocery fund to buy this stuff.  I've been here before, with this freaking out and having to remind myself that the total won't be near that after all the coupons are run through.  Even so, you can't help but freak out a little and wonder "Was my math right?"  "What if it's more than I expected?". 

Some weeks I'm much better at the pre-trip math than others.  Sometimes it's hard to know how much something will run if you don't buy it every day and you can't count on the online prices because the prices in the stores are different.  Sometimes you end up seeing a great deal you didn't plan on and throwing it in.  It really doesn't matter how good I am at the math, I think it's a bit of a rush, similar to what you might get gambling; actually I think it's exactly the same as when I play a hand of poker and make a big bet.  I'm hoping it pays off.  To me it feels exactly the same.  My heart beats faster, I may sweat a little, I'm hoping my anxiety doesn't show but most of all I'm hoping my gamble pays off and I get what I wanted in the end.  Usually, I do... ok most of the time.  I have to say that the outcome is much more predictable with couponing than poker.

I don't know if I'll ever get over this feeling at the register.  In some ways I hope I do, in other ways the rush feels kind of good and makes knowing that you got that great deal feel all the better.  When you watch a total drop from $39.95 down to $4.33, how can you NOT feel good!  The folks who don't coupon, really don't know what they are missing.  That said, I can also understand how some folks can get addicted to that feeling and turn into the "extreme couponers" that just live for the deal.  Once you get one great deal, you really do want to find another one and it does become really hard to buy things without getting a deal.

My CVS Trip Today

Today's trip was quite excellent, I must say.  I ended up wiping out my ECBs, and spent about $10oop (out of pocket), but it was a good trip.

Totals:  $67.28 worth of product for $10.27 OOP

Not shown are the 2 bottles of Head & Shoulders (27oz), which I purchased in transaction #2.

Transaction 1:

• 2 Tilex Mold & Mildew cleaners on sale 2/$4
• 2 Old Spice Body Wash $4.99 (rang up  B1G1 50%)
• 3 Clean & Clear cleansers $6.49 each
• 2 Old Spice deodorants on sale 2/$7
• 1 Dove Visible Care body wash on sale $1.99

Total before coupons: $39.95

Used the Following Coupons:
$3 Off $15 Skin Care Purchase (from magic coupon machine)
$1 Off 2 Old Spice Deos
(2) $1 Off Tilex
(3) $2 Off Clean & Clear
(2) Buy Old Spice Deo, Get Old Spice BW FREE
$1 Off Dove Visible Care
$18 in ECBs
= $4.33 after tax  (got back $5 in ECB from the Clean & Clear)

I was thinking that Rite Aid had a better deal on Head & Shoulders, so I went there only to find that their deal was on a smaller size and resulted in not as good of a price per unit (I should have looked at the ad better).

Transaction 2:
2 Head & Shoulders (27oz) on sale for $5.99 each
= $11.98
Used $2/2 Head & Shoulders
$5 ECB from previous transaction
= $5.94 After tax

I was quite happy with this trip.  Although I have to say that there is a certain amount of freak out that your brain goes through when you see those totals before the coupons and think OMG! I don't have that much money on me!  LOL.

.50 OFF Tabasco Coupon

Time to spice things up a bit with a coupon for .50 OFF Tabasco sauce.

Grab It

FREE Pack of Ziploc Freezer Bags

Right@Home has an offer for a FREE 15ct pack of Ziploc freezer bags. All you have to do is be one of the first 2500 to register, so you better do it quick!

Click here to register.

FREE Dinner for 4 at EarthFare

When you sign up for their new site starting Feb. 9.  Click here for more details.

Possibly 4 Inserts Sunday!

This Sunday should be a good one, it looks like we may have 4 inserts this Sunday, including a Proctor & Gamble insert, 2 RedPlum and a SmartSource!





I'm already looking forward to the Proctor & Gamble insert and the (2) Jimmy Dean coupons in the RedPlum insert.  It looks like the other Redplum insert will have SEVERAL Dove & Suave coupons (yay)!

Cutting Our Grocery Budget by Over 60%

I just decided to do a quick look back and see just how much we've cut our grocery budget since we started budgeting.  I knew we'd cut it a fair amount just by budgeting at all, and I knew I'd been slowly cutting it down every couple of months since but when you look at just how far we've come in just a few months it's pretty amazing.

August 2010: $540 - that's what we spent on groceries (give or take a few dollars).  This didn't include anything we might have bought at the drugstore (while picking up prescriptions) and the sad part is that most of this was spent in small $10 quick trips.  It's amazing how those quick trips add up!

September 2010: This was the first month we started budgeting and started planning before we spent.  At that point our set grocery budget got chopped to $400 for the month.  My husband was initially shocked when he saw me coming home with 4 or 10 of a particular item we usually only bought 1 or 2 of but once I explained my plan, he came around.  My plan, I told him, was to get our grocery budget down to $50 a week.  This would include all the health & beauty items (not OTC drugs necessarily, as there is a small amount built into our "prescription" budget for that).

January 2011: Starting this month or grocery budget was at $50/ wk  and I'm still stockpiling.  The bulk of our stockpile is built but we are still adding to it as we realize there are items missing.  Oh and the bulk of our OTC meds are now included in that budget.

The crazy thing is that in addition to chopping our grocery cost by over 60% we've also drastically cut our dining out/ entertainment budget.  As with the grocery budget we cut that when we started budgeting (and we haven't adjusted it since) but we find that we don't go out to eat nearly as often simply because there's less desire.  We used to go out to eat just because there wasn't nothing that sounded good in the house, but with our great stockpile there's almost always something good to eat at home now, and we can make going out to dinner something a little more special, and use that entertainment budget for something besides eating

Free Samples

Today's Free Sample List

• Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal
• Pop Chips (sign up for Self's Jump Start diet for free and get a free bag of Pop Chips)
• Gas-X Prevention
  

Two Ways to Prepare, Print & E-file for FREE

H&R Block Free Edition - Free to prepare, print, and e-file! It's easy and guaranteed to be accurate! 

TurboTax Free Edition - Guides you to your Maximum Refund! Prepare, print, e-file FREE! 

My suggestion - try doing the process on both and see which one gives you the better return before you hit submit.  Chances are that they are pretty similar overall and should be pretty close on the numbers.  If not, I'd question if one is missing some key info either in their process or in the numbers you entered. 

.45 Net Profit at Publix (After Tax)

I'd already made my Publix run for the week yesterday and picked up a few bags of Halls on that trip, but then last night I had several more Halls coupons arrive in the mail.  Since the sale ended today I decided I'd better run back by there and use them.  Halls were BOGO for $1.65 and I had quite a few BOGO coupons and just received (5) $1 off coupons in the mail yesterday, making it possible to get 10 bags for free plus overage.

I knew there would be some overage but I was still shocked when I saw on the screen that the total was -.45 after tax.  I looked at the cashier (one of my favorites) and said "Caleb, do you really owe me money?".  He looked up and smiled and said "Yes, I do".

Gotta love it when trips work out like that.  And to think if those coupons had arrived a day later I wouldn't have gotten that deal.

And in case you are wondering, I got these great coupons thanks to friends at WeUseCoupons.com

Money Saving Tip: Get the Loyalty Card

It's amazing how many times I had turned down offers in the past for customer loyalty cards at various stores.  It seems like most every store has one now.  It started with the grocery stores, then the drugstores, now even sporting good stores have gotten in on the action.

There were always two main reasons I turned them down.  I was worried that they cost money (some stores do still charge for them, like major booksellers), or I just didn't have the time to fill out the forms.  The truth is that rarely do they cost anything (always ask this upfront), and often you don't have to fill out anything on the spot, they will just give you a card and you can then register it online.

There are two basic kinds of loyalty cards:

1. The Savings Card: This is typically what you will find at your drugstores and grocery stores.  If you want the sale prices as listed in their weekly ads you will need the savings card.  Sometimes you will get lucky and a cashier will be nice enough to scan their own if you don't have one, but often stores have limits on the number of items that can be purchased at the sale price with a card, so don't count on that.  Get your own card.  Once you get it, be sure to go online and register it at their website.  This will often lead to increased savings and extra coupons.  Stores like CVS will often email their card holders special coupons for dollars off a purchase of X amount (most often $4 off a $20 purchase) or a coupon for a % off your purchase.

These types of cards also often allow you to load coupons directly to the card.  This is the case with your grocery card.  You can load coupons directly to it from your grocery store website, as well as Cellfire.com & Shortcuts.com

2. The Loyalty Card: I see these most often in specialty stores, Dicks Sporting Goods now has one as does DSW Shoes.  These points earn you money back based on your purchases, at DSW you'll get a $10 Rewards certificate for every $150 you spend.  They will also send you a $10 reward just for signing up and special coupons throughout the year.

Whatever the type of rewards card, if it's free sign up for it.  If it's not free evaluate how often you shop at the store and also whether or not your current purchase may be enough to make it free.  Sometimes the savings earned on one purchase is enough to pay for the card (this is usually when I decide to renew my bookstore card).

Cellfire Football Promo Mystery Q

Cellfire is giving out another mystery Q this Thursday between 10am and 2pm PST, just log in and you can win a coupon good off of .50, $1, $2 or even $5 OFF your next grocery purchase.

While you are there be sure to load all the new coupons to your card, as there are quite a number of new ones available today.

Cellfire offers digital coupons that load directly to your store savings card, for stores like Krogers.  You can also use Cellfire on your mobile phone and get great discounts on retailers and restaurants.

How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half in 3 Easy Steps

When you see all these blogs and couponers who save these insane amounts on their grocery bill it's easy to get discouraged and think that you could never do that, or think it just takes too much effort.  The truth of the matter is that you can cut your grocery bill in half by just doing ONE THING.

1. Shop the Sales - plan your grocery purchases (and thus your meals) in accordance with what is (or is going to be) on sale.  Shopping sales alone will cut your grocery bill by 40-50% easily, without ever using a single coupon.  Each week, check the sale ads for your local grocery stores and look for the items you typically use.  Buy those items when they are on sale.

Now, granted, there are always going to be some staples that you need regularly that you can't get on sale when you need them.  For those items that are perishables, you will see little savings, unfortunately, but even those items do occasionally go on sale.  For non-perishable (or items that can be frozen)..

2. Stock Up - when the item is on sale, stock up.  Don't just buy what you will need for this week. Go ahead and buy several weeks worth.  The usual recommendation is anywhere from 1 months worth to 3 months worth. The reason for this is sales cycles.  Usually the items you see on sale now will be on sale again about 2-3 months (however, you may find them on sale again sooner at a different store chain).  You are basically spending more now to save much more in the future.  By buying it in bulk when it's on sale you avoid paying full price later.  This can save you as much as 2/3 off the price of this item over the course of 2-3 months.  If you eat a box of cereal each week that runs $2.99/box, and you see that cereal on sale for $1.99, buy 12 boxes and you've saved $12.  Of course, you could save even more by....

3. Using Coupons - clip coupons from the Sunday paper (or print coupons online) for items that you typically use (or might use).  When you find that item on sale, use the corresponding coupon with the sale.  This can often cut your price down 75% off the regular price.  If you use online blogs and websites that give you previews of upcoming grocery store sales you can even order extra coupons from a coupon clipping service (or ebay) so that you have more coupons to go with the stocking up principle.  Usually, buying coupons runs about .07 to .10 per coupon (sometimes you can get bulk amounts of coupons for an item on Ebay for as low as $1 for 30 coupons).

These are a few of my favorite places to check for Store Sale/ Coupon matchups:

• I Heart Kroger
• Passionate Penny Pincher (Publix matchups)
• Southern Savers
• WeUseCoupons - forum has special sections for every major grocery store across the country

Free Subscription: Elle Magazine

Grab a FREE subscription to ELLE magazine.

Free Subscription: Outside Magazine

Fill out a short survey and Rewards Country and get a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Outside Magazine, a magazine devoted to outdoor recreation.  This could make a great gift for the outdoorsman (or woman) in your life.

$10 CVS Gift Card for just $5

This offer is limited to 1 per person but they will go fast.  Grab a $10 Gift Card for CVS for only $5.

Publix Trip 1/24 - 80% Savings

Saved 80% today at Publix, despite that they were out of two of the items that would have been free with coupons (no worries, I got rainchecks).

Purchased:
10 Jolly Time popcorn 100 Cal 10/$10 (with raincheck from last week)
2 loafs of Arnold bread BOGO @ $3.99
3 Kraft dressings BOGO @ $2.93
2 Crisco Veg Oils BOGO $3.89
4 Hunts tomato sauce BOGO @ .99
6 Hunts diced tomatoes BOGO @ .99
Franks hot sauce 5oz @  $1.09
Smuckers Natural peanut butter @  $4.09
Publix yogurt @  $1.89
2 A&H baking soda @ .75 each
Bailey's Creamer (on sale) $1.50
2 Starkist fresh pack tuna @ $1.39e
3 Halls cough drops BOGO @ $1.65

= $82.53 (before special pricing)


Used these coupons:
(10)$1/1 Jolly Time
B2G1 Kraft dressing (Target)
.55/1 Crisco
.50/1 Crisco (doubled)
.45/3 Hunts tomatoes (doubled)
$1/3 Hunts tomatoes
.50/1 Franks redhot sauce (doubled)
.50/2 Arm & Hammer (doubled)
$1/1 Bailey's creamer
.50/1 Halls cough drops (doubled)
.50/1 Halls cough drops (Target)
BOGO Halls cough drops
$5/50 purchase (Star Market)

= $18.05 OOP (after tax)

Sunday's Coupons 1/23

There were two inserts in today's paper, 1 SmartSource & 1 Redplum. 
These are the coupons that were included in those inserts.

Redplum

• FREE Canine Carry Outs dog snacks wyb (1) Meaty Bone dog snack
• $1 / any L'Oreal Skincare product
• $2/ any L'Oreal Healthy Look, Creme Gloss Color
• $2/1 L'Oreal Paris Lash Boosting Serum
• $1/1 L'Oreal Paris Eye Cosmetic Item
• $3/ any 11oz standard size Elnett hairspray
• $2/ any L'Oreal EverSleek, EverPure or EverStrong conditioner
• $2/ any EverSleek, EverPure or EverStrong Treatment
• $2/ 1 bag of Pedigree Food for Dogs (8.8lb or larger)
• Buy 3 Get 1 FREE Pedigree+ Food for Dogs (up to $1.09)
• $1/2 Brillo Estracell sponge products
• $.55/ any 10ct or 18ct box of Brillo soap pads
• BOGO Whiskas Tray
• $1.50/1 bag Whiskas Dry Cat Food
• $1/2 Hungry Jack Premium hashbrown potatoes
• $1/1 Natures Bounty vitamins
• $2/1 Natures Bounty Your Life Multi
• $1/1 Estra-C powders, tablets or gummies
• $7/1 Osteo Bi-Flex
• $1/1 Disney vitamins
• $1/1 Sundown or Marvel vitamin
• $3/1 Flex-A-Min
• .35/1 Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mix, Cake Mix or Frosting
• .75/2 Ball Park products
• .55/1 Ball Park Jumbo beef franks
• .50/1 Mahatma or Water Maid Rice
• .75/2 Mahatma Rice Mixes
• $1/1 Eucerin hand or body product
• $3/ any SlimShot Liquid Portion Control
• $2/ 1 I-Cool for Menapause
• .50/1 Minute Rice product
• .55/ 1 Carton of eggs wyb (1) Kikkoman product

SmartSource

• .30/1 French's Yellow Mustard
• .75/1 French's Spicy Brown, Honey, Horseradish, Honey Dijon or New Dijon mustard
• $1/2 Campbell's Chunky soup or chili cans or bowls
• $2/ any size Biz
• $1/ any size Biz
• .75/ 2 Blue Diamond Almonds
• .50/ 1 Total cereal
• .50/1 Kix cereal
• .40/2 Pillsbury Italian Meal breads
• .75/3 Pillsbury refrigerated baked goods product
• $1/2 Hormel Pepperoni packet
• $1/ 1 Sabra Item 8oz or more
• $1.50/ any Sucrets product
• BOGO LALA yogurt smoothie
• .25/1 Rotel diced tomatoes
• .35/1 Crunch n Munch
• .45/3 Hunts Canned Tomatoes
• .35/1 PAM cooking spray
• $1/2 Orville Redenbacher's Goumet popping corn
• $2/ any Almay product
• $1.50/ 1 GoodNites Underwear (Jumbo pack or larger)
• $1/any Neutrogena Hand & Body lotion
• $1/ any Neutrogena Men product
• $4/ any Non-Drowsy Claritin-D
• $5/ Xenadrine ULTRA and Xenadrine RESULTS Pills and drink mix
• $.55/1 Heluva Good Sour Cream Dip
• $1/ any bag Tyson Anytizers wings
• $1/ any bag of Tyson Anytizers snacks
• .55/1 Breakstone's sour cream
• .50/ 2 Carnation Evaporated milk
• $1/1 Clearasil product
• .75/ 1 French's Honey Mustard dipping sauce
• $1/1 Friskies brand cat treats
• $1/ 1 Friskies brand Indoor Adventures cat treats or Friskies brand Hairball Remedy
• $1/ any Scotch Lint Roller
• $1/ any Scotch bran Pet Hair roller
• .50/ any FRANKS Red Hot sauce
• .75/ any FRANKS Red Hot sweet chili, wins or thick sauce
• .50/ any Tai Pei single serve appetizer or entree
• $1/ any Tai Pai multiserve appetizer or entree (16-24oz)
• .50/ 2 4-packs or (1) 12-pack or larger Cottonelle bathroom tissue
• .50/2 36ct or larger Tubs Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes
• $1/2 Pantene products (excludes trial size)
• $3/ 1 Perfect 10 product
• $2/ 1 Nice 'N Easy product
• .50/ 6 Dannon 5.3oz or 6oz cups OR any (1) 16oz-32oz product or 4pk or larger
• $2/1 package PULL-UPS training pants (Jumbo pack or larger)
• .75/1 FRENCH's Worcestershire sauce
• $3/ any Woolite detergent 50oz or larger
• .35/ 1 Comet Soft cleanser or Comet spray product
• .55/ 2 Pioneer brand gravy mix
• $1/2 Brookwood Farms products
• $1/1 Carpet & Room odor Eliminator Quick-dry foam
• $1/1 Delsym Children's or Adult product
• $2/1 4-6 hour Delsym Night Time product
• Buy 1 package Purina Beggin Get 1 7oz or smaller package Purina Busy FREE (up to $3.99)
• $1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh

Free Samples

• You-T Urinary tract health supplement drink
• Maximum Slim Green Coffee
• Galaxy Granola
• Teasta Teas 
• Pet Safety Kit

New Kraft Coupons on Target.com = FREE Kraft Homestyle @ Publix

The great deal on Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese at Publix just got better.  Target has several new Kraft coupons posted on their website (scroll to the bottom and look for the coupons link).

Included in those coupons is one for .75 Off Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese, so here's the deal.

At Publix (through Tuesday, possibly Wednesday depending on your sale cycle):

Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese BOGO ($2.59)
use (2) .50/1 Kraft Homestyle M&C printable (will double to $1)
-- OR use (2) $1/1 Kraft Homestyle (from 1/16 insert)
use (1) .75/1 Kraft Homestyle M&C target printable
= .16 MoneyMaker

2 New Rewards Programs at Rite Aid

There are two new Rewards programs starting at Rite Aid today. First off is the Winter Rewards where you can earn a $20+UP when you buy $100 worth of these items between 1/23/11-2/26/11.  The purchases that count towards these rewards are tracked, so all items do not have to be purchased in the same transaction or on the same date.

The other Reward program is the Heart Health Rewards.  You can earn a $20+UP for purchasing $50 worth of select items, or a $10+UP for purchasing $30 worth of these items.For the full list of items, click here.

Also, don't forget that a new set of Video Values coupons are available today, including another $4/$20 purchase coupon and several $1/1 coupons.  Last month I even managed to learn something while watching the videos, I learned how to read the ratings on the new light bulbs that are available and determine which ones will give better lighting (which came in handy with all the light fixtures my hubby has been replacing around our house this last week).

It's like my Grocery Budget Keeps Multiplying (Week 3 Spending Totals)

I posted last week about how I was running into the end of my grocery money before the end of the month.  I had 2 weeks left to go in my budget and only $50 left of the $200 we'd budgeted.  It's like the "loaves and fishes" as it keeps seeming to never go away.

First off, I spent about $35 last week, so either I added wrong somewhere or some money just magically appeared in my grocery envelope because there's still $35 in there.

Next, I got a check from Steak-Umms after I sent them a complimentary email on their product, for $12.96.  Then today I got another check in the mail, this time from Proctor & Gamble, it was my $20 Beauty rebate, for purchasing $50 worth of product in the last quarter of last year. (that $50 worth of product actually cost me a total of $7.37 after coupons and rebate).

So I may actually start next month with a little extra in the grocery fund.  I've still got a trip to make to Publix before Tuesday is over and I'm figuring that trip will probably cost me about $25 (depending on how much of what I want is in stock, although most of what I figure they are likely to be sold out of is the stuff I plan to get for free).

So where do I stand after Week 3 of 2011? (Week 1) (Week 2)

• CVS $2.14 (for  $27.75 worth of purchases)
• Walgreens 4.40 (for $8.98 worth of purchases)
• Publix $20.40 (for $35.68 worth of purchases)
• Walgreens $8.06 (for$11.97 worth of purchases, plus got back a $5RR)

I don't normally include the RR, ECB or +UP in these totals but it's mainly because I started the year with ECBs and +UPs.  I haven't been to Walgreens in a while so this is the first one in quite a while.  It will factor in when I go back next week as there are a couple of different things in their ad next week that I want to pick up.

Soup Swap

You Show Me Yours & I'll Show You Mine.....  Today is National Soup Swap Day, so what kind of soup do you have for me?

For you, I have  Taco Soup

1 Can Dark Kidney Beans
1 Can Light Kidney Beans
1 Can Black Beans
1 lb ground beef - browned (or cooked chicken)
1 packet Ranch Dressing
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can corn
1 can mushrooms (or fresh equivalent)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)


Add all items to stock pot and allow to simmer for 3-4 hours.  Serve with chips & tostito chips.  We like to use the Scoops tostitos as spoons.

You can also spice this up a bit by adding in some diced chili peppers or jalapenos.

This is by far our most favorite soup, and it has endless variety.  Don't like an ingredient, leave it out; wanna add something, add it.  You really can't screw it up!

Sunday Coupons

The full Sunday Coupon Preview is now up, there will be a Redplum & a SmartSource insert, as expected.

Check out the full preview here.

New Coupons

It's time to grab some new coupons....
There are several new coupons on Cellfire and Shortcuts to add to your shopper card.

Redplum :

• .50/1 Super Pretzel
• .75/1 Starkist SeaSations Entree

SmartSource :

• $1/2 Carnation Instant Breakfast
• .75/1 Carnation Instant Breakfast

Coupons.com

• $2.00 off One Woolite All in One Carpet Cleaning
• $1.00 off Schiff Mega-D3™
• $2.00 off Schiff MegaRed
• $1.00 off any Schiff Vitamin or Supplement
• $1.00 off one (1) Simply Saline product
• $0.55 off on VLASIC Pickles, Peppers or Relish
• $0.75 off Any ONE (1) SHAKE 'N BAKE Product
• $0.50 off New Hostess SmartBakes™ Streusel Cakes
• $0.55 off 3 boxes of JELL-O Gelatin or Pudding
• $1.00 off any Urinozinc Prostate Formula
• $0.50 off the Feb issue of Better Homes & Gardens

Swagbucks: Pick Your Teams for 8 Swagbucks

Check out the Swagbucks Blog and pick your favorite teams in the playoff matchups for 8 swagbucks (4 points per pick).

If you aren't sure how to enter SwagCodes, just go to the Swagbucks homepage and login, on the left side of the page you will see your Swagbuck totals and underneath that you will see a place that says "Enter Your Code". When you find a Swagcode enter it there to get your points.

Not a Swagger yet? Then today is the day to join since it's Mega Swagbucks day, which means you can win up to 1000 swagbucks for your searches. Plus you get 30 Swagbucks just for joining. It only takes 450 Swagbucks to earn a $5 Amazon card (which you can easily earn in a few weeks just by doing searches).

GiveAway: Amazon Toys & Games $10 Code

This code is only good until January 31, so I'm going to close this giveaway at midnight on Sunday 1/23.

To Enter just LIKE Money Saving Mode on Facebook

Leave a comment on Facebook to be entered. The winner will be contacted on Facebook and will have 24 hours to respond.

More Free Samples

And some more FREE Samples today....

• Bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
• Greens+ Omega Chai Seeds
• Arm & Hammer toothpaste (if link doesn't work, copy and paste - http://tryarmandhammer.com/
• Blast Energy Powder
• Olbas Lozenges (request via snail mail)
• Playtex Sport
• EgoTea China Sencha loose leaf tea
• Rogers Coffee
• Beech Nut Stage 4 Welcome Kit
• ADT Child Safety Kit
  

Free Magazine Subscriptions

Here are a few FREE magazine subscriptions that I've run across today...

• CBS Watch  (3yr subscription)
• American Baby & Baby Talk (plus more free baby related stuff)

20% Off Your Purchase @ Big Lots

Big Lots has put out a coupon for 20% OFF your purchase, which is good next week (1/22-1/30).

I was just thinking we may need to head over there to get some razors. They have a generic version of the Schick disposables that my husband loves, for just $2/pk.  Or, at least they did a month or so ago (you never know with Big Lots what they will have).

Free Coffee Samples

I love my Keurig, however the thing that made me love it more was finally figuring out how to use the My K-Cup that came with it.  Ok, I admit it, at first I had no reason to figure it out.  Then my friend sent me some real Guatemalan coffee beans (from Guatemala).  That gift left me in a quandary, first I had to figure out how to grind them, then I had to figure out how to make coffee.  You see the Keurig was the first coffee maker I'd ever owned. I would have no idea how to make coffee in a normal coffeemaker.  I figured it out and soon realized/ remembered that our Tribest Personal Blender has a grinder blade (which I found does grind coffee beans quite nicely).

I've seen a few good FREE coffee samples come across since I started getting free samples. There was the Starbucks Vanilla Fusion, for instance.  But, tonight I decided to really dig and see what I could I find and share, so here you go ... some FREE COFFEE

• Free Coffee Pod Samples
• Free Sample of Thomas Coffee
• Taster's Choice Instant Coffee
• Ethiopian Specialty Coffee Sample
• BrunoCaffe Coffee pod samples

How I Get Coupons I Need

I've been having so much fun today helping others find coupons they need and getting coupons I need in return.  I told you about WeUseCoupons.com a month or so ago. It's run by Nathan Engle (of Extreme Couponing fame).

This site is so awesome for getting tips on upcoming deals, getting preview of sale ads before they are available on the store websites and so much more. But, I think my favorite feature of the site is the Trader's Square.  There are forums there where you can post a RAOK (random act of kindness) to pass coupons on to others (or grab an RAOK from someone else), or TRADE coupons with others who might have what you need, and once you've spent a little time on the forums, you can even jump on a Coupon Train.

I joined my first Coupon Train today.  The idea behind this is just really cool to me.  You fill up an envelope of coupons to send to someone on the train and at the same time someone else on the train is sending you an envelope of coupons.  Then you get your envelope, take out what you want and add a few more and send it to the next person on the Train list.  How cool is that?  And people think snail mail is dying.  I've used more stamps in the last week than I usually use in a month.  But, in return I'm getting some great karma and lots of really great coupons for items I know we will use.

If you haven't checked out WUC yet, I definitely suggest doing so, especially if you are just getting started with couponing.  The articles there will answer your questions and the active members will help you along your way, as well.

CVS Extra Care Members Check Your Email

 I just got another coupon in my email from CVS, this week they sent me a 25% Off coupon good through Sunday.  If you are an Extra Care card holder then be sure to check your email and see if they sent you a coupon too.  Let me know what you got!

This will work out nicely for me with the Clean & Clear, buy $15, get $5ECB deal!

Love The Unexpected UPS Drops

When I saw UPS pull up at my door, I couldn't help but wonder what they could be bringing me. I hadn't ordered anything this week.  What could it possibly be?  Then I opened the door and found an envelope that was obviously a book from ReadItFoward.

It's funny how you sign up for things and forget about them.  That's what happened to me, I'd entered for a copy ofSusan Heyboer O'Keefe's *Frankenstein's Monster*.  I had completely forgotten about it and didn't expect anything to be coming, but there it was waiting on my doorstep.  A brand new book, FREE!

I love my FREE books.  I've gotten about a half dozen from ReadItFoward now.

Oh, and I just checked and there is yet another offer for a FREE book on ReadItFoward's Facebook page (at least the second one this week), so be sure to go enter for all of the FREE books and let me know which ones you get.

Hormel Money Maker at Rite Aid

There is a great money maker on Hormel chili (and other Hormel items) at Rite Aid right now.

Buy 4 Hormel Chili, or Compleats and several other items.

4/$5
- $1.50 / 3 coupon from Feb. All You (if you have it)
- $1 off Video Value coupon
- $.50/1 Hormel Video Value coupon

= 4/$2
Get back (5) $1+UPs

The first $1+UP is advertised in the weekly cicurlar when you buy 4 of the participating products.  The next (4) $1+UPs are part of a separate unadvertised food items promo.

What You'll Find in Sunday's Paper

This week you can expect to find two coupon inserts in the Sunday paper, 1 Smartsource and 1 Redplum. For a preview of which coupons we can expect in those inserts click here. or click the banner below.

Sunday Coupon Preview & Publix Matchups

There are a couple of coupons coming Sunday that go with the current Publix sale (which started today) and may make it worth waiting till after you grab your Sunday paper to do your Publix shopping (I will be).

Kraft Salad Dressing $1/2
On Sale BOGO ($2.59)
-stack with B2G1 Target Printable Coupon
= 3/$1.59

Hunts Tomatoes .45/3
On Sale BOGO (.97)
= 3/$.55

Coupons vary from region to region, so here's hoping we actually get these.  Be sure to check out the Sunday Coupon Preview for a preview of what to expect in Sunday's inserts.

Publix Pet Coupons

Publix has released some new store coupons for Pet owners, you can grab them here.

• $1 Off Whiskas
• $1 Off Purina dog or cat treat
• $2 Off Pedigree dry dog food
• $2 Off Publix cat litter

Free Samples

• FREE 1-Year of Bridal Guide magazine
• Maggi soup
• Covergirl NatureLuxe
• Cinnabon Cream of Wheat
• GoodNites Underwear 
• Sinus Rinse from NeilMed 
• EAS Myoplex Bar or Shake
• Durex PLAY lubricant (18+ only)

Kraft Homestyle M&C Coupon

If you didn't get the $1/1 Kraft Homestyle coupon in your paper Sunday, you can still grab the $.50/1 coupon on their Facebook page. This will double at Publix making it the same as the $1/1. Print two of them and you will get 2 bags for $.59

Just go to their Facebook page then click the "Homestyle" tab for the coupon.

Blog Hop Skip & a Jump

Check out this blog hop for more great blogs to help you save a buck!

Free YoPlus Yogurt at Publix this Week

There are two highlights that I see for this coming week at Publix.

YoPlus Yogurt $2 BOGO
use (2) .50/1 YoPlus coupons (which will double)
= FREE YoPlus Yogurt

Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese $2.59 BOGO
use (2) $1/1 Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese (1/16 insert - although did not appear in N. AL)
= 2/.59

For the full preview of what will be on sale at Publix, check out Passionate Penny Pincher

$20 Off @ AMF Bowling

Go Here to sign up and get a coupon for $20 Off at AMF Bowling for your party of 4 or more bowlers.

Time To Clean Out Your Coupon Organizer

I was just going through my coupons getting ready for this weeks sale at Publix when I realized that  I had a ton of recently expired coupons that needed to be trashed. 

So take a few minutes and go through your organizer and toss all the coupons that have expired lately to make room for all the new coupons that are coming.

Clean Up & Earn Swagbucks

Yet another great way to earn some easy Swagbucks is to trade in your old Video Games, cell phones & books. Not every trade in is going to be worth as much as you might get by another method (selling/trading on Amazon or listing it on Ebay). I had 3 games sitting on my desk that we'd previously tried to trade-in locally, with no success. I logged into Swagbucks to see what I could get for these games that would bring me little to nothing via another means and snagged and easy 780 swagbucks. Before submitting I double checked the games against Amazon's Video Game trade-in option and found that Amazon would only take one of the 3 games.

Next, I'll be going through my books. I usually swap my books with others via PaperBackSwap but I have many that have been sitting here for over a year with no interest. If I can get Swagbucks for them, then I'll happily trade them in via that route instead of waiting for someone else to say they want them.

Trading in your old stuff on Swagbucks is a great way to clean up and get rid of old stuff that's just taking up space in your house, and get something decent in return!

Free Samples

• John Frieda hair care (choose from several free samples)
• Focus Factor
• Nicorette
• Purina Beneful Incredibites 
• Tena Ultrathins
• Biggest Loser Workout Mix (free download)

Follow Me Back Tuesday Bloghop

$10 Off Battery Coupon at PepBoys

Get a $10 Off Coupon for a new battery at PepBoys, just click here

and click here for a coupon for a FREE brake evaluation

Sales Tax on Coupon Amounts

I don't remember how he phrased this, but hubby said something as we were leaving Publix tonight about how you only pay taxes on the amount after all the coupons.  I was quick to correct him that it doesn't quite work that way.  Unfortunately, we do live in a state where we have to pay sales tax on food purchases to begin with.  As if that's not bad enough, we get stuck paying sales tax on the amount of our purchases pre-coupon.

This is a common question and a common misconception about coupon use.

Coupons are considered currency as far as the stores are concerned.  The stores are reimbursed on the manufacturer coupons that are used, by the manufacturer, however they (the store) still have to pay sales tax on the full sale. Since it is their regular practice to pass sales tax on to the consumer (which is who is really responsible for paying it anyway) they pass on the full amount.

Since store coupons are really nothing more than extended sale, we don't pay sales tax on that amount.  This is why if you have a coupon for a "FREE" item or a coupon that makes an item free when combined with a particular sale, you'll still end up paying something out of pocket.

 To get a better image of how this works, take a look at my CVS trip from Sunday.  You'll find that the total of all of my items (before coupons) was $21.95.  I used $18.25 in manufacturer coupons (which is what ECBs are considered as well) and a $4 store coupon.  My total tax liability was $1.44 (which is 8% of $17.95; or the amount after the $4/20 coupon is subtracted).  

If you get lucky and you have several coupons that create an overage and all of your items are free after coupons you may reduce your tax liability.  This happened for me last week at CVS when my total after coupons was <.13>, and I actually paid less than the tax total out of pocket.

CVS Trip 1/16

It seems that my hubby has been making all my shopping trips with me this week; not by design, just for convenience.  He's learning a lot in the process about how all of this works (see my earlier post on rainchecks and stay tuned for my post on paying sales tax with coupons).

So yesterday he was with me when I went to CVS.  This trip didn't go quite like I had planned, because I did my math wrong (and did it based on coupons I didn't actually have).

So here's what I got:

• 2 bottles Listerine (500ml)
• 2 tubes Colgate Total (6oz)
• 1 Blink Tears (5oz)

I used the following coupons

• $1.50/2 Listerine
• .75/1 Colgate
• $1/1 Colgate
• $4/1 Blink Tears (peelie coupon on package)
• $4/20 CVS purchase coupon
• $10 ECB earned from last week's purchases

(If you read my "Plan of Attack" earlier in the week, then you know I based my plan on using (2) $1/1 Colgate coupons and (2) $1/1 Listerine coupons.  The problem with my plan was that I didn't have (2) 4$1/1 Colgate coupons (although I would have if I'd gotten Sunday's paper before making this purchase) and I didn't have (2) $1/1 Listerine coupons (well, I did but they weren't valid for this size). The lesson here is double check your coupons (and the Sunday Coupon Preview) before you head out to shop.

That said, I still came out ok, paying only .70+tax OOP (or $2.14) and I earned $8 in ECBs to use later.

Saving Money with 50% Off Deal Sites

This weekend, we've used 3 different restaurant deals we got at Groupon or Living Social, for a total savings of $43 on 3 meals.

While there are many more deals we think about purchasing, we find that we save the most by only buying deals for places that we already go regularly and only buying one deal at a time.  Although, there are some deals we've considered buying multiples of and kind of wish we had done so (especially when we like the place enough to use the deal the very next day).  But, I know why businesses like sites like Groupon and Living Social, and it's simply because they make money off the deal. 

Here's how it works:

1. They are guaranteeing sales.  By having you purchase your meal upfront, they know they have the sale whether you redeem your certificate or not.
2. You've paid but if you don't claim your deal, you can lose it. Most 50% off deals expire in 6 months.  These aren't gift certificates with no expiration date.  If you don't use it in time you will lose it.
3. Chances are you will spend more than your certificate amount.  Keep in mind your certificate does not include gratuities and often there are particular exclusions to the certificate (whether it be certain days or certain items).  So be sure to read the fine print before you purchase.  I recently read on another blog a complaint from a young woman about a 50% off deal she purchased for a hair salon.  The certificate was $25 for a $50 hair service, the problem is that her hair was long and therefore didn't fall into the $50 hair service price range.  If you are looking at a deal for a service, make sure you look at it just like you would a restaurant, the certificate covers the amount stated, which may or may not be enough to cover the full service.
4. Recidivity Rate - the #1 reason that businesses would sign up for a deal site like this is that they know that a certain (and typically pretty high) percentage of users won't use their certificate at all.  The highest percentage of users will use their certificate on the first day it's available to them.  However, by making it not available to you until the day after you purchase it they actually decrease this percentage a good bit.  After that first day the % of people who won't use the certificate at all goes up exponentially.

So if you are going to purchase deals on Groupon or other similar sites, make sure it's for something you will use very soon after you purchase it, and don't purchase deals so often that you end up with a backstock of deals that you have to use before they expire. 

What's a Raincheck For Anyway?

So I had hubby with me when I went back to Publix to grab a few things today.  While they had most of the items that they were out of when I went last week, they were still out of the Jolly Time popcorn (that would be free after coupons).  On the way out I stopped at the Customer Service desk to grab a raincheck.

When we got to the car, hubby asked "So what does that raincheck thing do anyway?"  So I explained.

A raincheck is the stores written commitment to you to sell you the item they are currently out of when they get it back in stock, at the sale price.  The raincheck guarantees you the sale price when you return after the sale is over. 

Rainchecks can be a great way to save a little extra or to delay spending a little.  If you don't have a coupon for an item when it's on sale, it gives you a little extra time to get some together.  That said, while the customer service person isn't likely to go run to the back or send a bagger to check to see if they are really out of stock on something, you shouldn't ask for a raincheck for an item that is actually in stock.  But, if you do have to ask for a raincheck, ask for a raincheck for the maximum amount allowed, and then do what you can to get more coupons together, before you purchase the item.

Since my local stores have been out of the Jolly Time popcorn all week, and the stuff is free after coupons, I'll be doing my best to track down more coupons before I purchase it with the raincheck.  I now have an extra month to do so.

Free Samples

A few interesting free samples today....

• Eco-Drinkshield - a dishwaster safe bottle top to turn your disposable water bottles into a reusable one.
• Cyndi Bands hair bands
• Young Again pet food for cats
• BeingGirl Tampax/Always sample pack
• SHOUT Color Catcher
• free cup of Yoplait Yogurt
• Gucci Guilty fragrance
• Charmin toilet paper extender
• Redken for Men 2in1 Conditioning Shampoo
• Powerbar Energy Gel Blast
• OXY Clinical skin care
• Dentek Floss Pik

Financial Peace University - Take the First Class FREE

As you may recall, hubby and I took the Financial Peace University series during the last quarter of last year. While we were already pretty gung-ho before taking the class, we learned A LOT. With the new year beginning, many new classes are also starting up and Dave now offers to let you take the first class for free, so you can decide if you think it will be for you (before you pay).

We were pretty well committed to taking the class before going to the first class. However, had we not been so committed we might have ended up waiting after taking the first class. For us, it was simply that we didn't feel the leader of our class was the best she could have been. While the class itself is taught by Dave Ramsey himself, there are local "coordinators" or leaders for each local class. IMO, they should do more than just push "play" on the DVD. They should be there to coach you and encourage you and make sure you are on track.

That said, another good reason to wait until your first class to actually pay is that many of the locations can offer you a discount on the class price from what the online price is. I think the class is about $130 if you pay online and we paid $100 after our first class. The one downside of this is that you most likely won't get your class materials until your second class.

The good news is that once you pay for FPU once, you can take it as many times as you like. So if you pay before you start the class and decide you aren't "feeling" the local coordinator you can look for a different local class. IMO, unless you have a spouse that is super gung-ho about changing your spending/saving ways and getting on a budget (and you are just as gung-ho) you really need to have a good local class and coordinator to ensure that you get the most out of the class. Otherwise, it's too easy to hear the info and say "yeah that's great, we should do that" but not really do anything about it.

Now that we've paid and gone through the class once, I'd actually like to do it again in about a year or so. I know it is the type of class that you will get something more out of each time you take it.

Click Here to Find a Class Near You. (I just checked and there were 17 classes starting up within 25 miles of us in the next couple of weeks).

Is it Spring Yet?

I don't know about you but I am very ready for Spring. As far as I'm concerned, we had enough winter last week to last us several winters (and luckily, we live in AL so I'm hoping it will be the last of Winter that we see).  Snow was fun when it first arrived, it was pretty and something different.  But, after a week of looking at it I'm just glad to see it's going away.  What about you are you ready for Spring? 




Be sure to click the button above to check out some other great blogs and see their thoughts on Spring.

Oh and just 8 more weeks till we Spring Ahead (I'm so looking forward to those longer days!)

1/2 way through the month and 3/4 of the way through the money (Weekly Totals Week 2)

So it's the 16th and we have $50 left in our grocery envelope, which means I've already spent more than $150 this month on grocery and drugstore items.  Our current budget is $200/month and I had some cash left from last month.  I also have a $12 check that I received from Steak Umms as a response to my request for coupons (hey, I'll take that!).

Out of $50, at least $20 of that will spent on milk and peanut butter in the next two weeks.  Paul is down to his last jar of peanut butter (which means I'm looking at least 3 more before the month is over @about $4/jar, and another $10 for milk for both of us.  Then I need to get by Walgreens and get him at least 10 more Gatorade's while I can get them 5/$4.

After this month, we definitely won't be getting the full monthly allowance out at once. We usually get it out of the bank in 2 week increments, but we accidentally got out a full months worth at the start of this month and I think that's thrown off spending to some degree.  The thing is while I've done some deal shopping, I've not done much of it in comparison to what I'd done in previous months. 

If we have to, we can adjust the budget and increase our grocery fund, but I'm hoping to not do that.  Most of our spending was still in that first week of the month (granted we were snowed in for half of this week, which helps).

So here are the purchases for this week (see week 1 here)

• CVS - $2.90  (for $55 worth of purchases)
• Rite Aid - $6.07 (for $30 worth of purchases)
• Rite Aid - $10.40 (for $45 worth of purchases)
• Publix - $46.44 (for $122 worth of purchases)

Sad thing is that on that Publix trip they were completely out of several of the items I wanted to get (granted with the exception of a meat cut that was on sale they were items that would result in very little OOP and great savings).  

So far this month I've spent just under $175, with a savings of just under $335 (or 69%).

Free Samples

You may never need to buy shampoo again with all these great samples....

• Nexxus ProMend shampoo & conditioner
• HAIR TRIGGERED by Erik Prautsch SmoothSmooth shampoo & conditioner
• Head & Shoulders
• Flexitol medicated foot cream
• Crest 3D White Strips
• Emergen-C vitamin drink mix

40% Off 1 Item at Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby has their 40% off any ONE Item coupon out again this week.  Be sure to print it off and take it with you when you head out shopping.

Why FREE Samples are awesome!

Often when we think of free samples we think "is it really worth giving them my info just for a small sample of something?".  At least I know I've thought that.  But, I'd like to share my thoughts on why it is worth while.

1. There are some products you don't use a lot of and often a FREE sample can be all you need to last a very long time.
2. Sometimes free samples are more than just a sample.  In the last few months I've gotten some really awesome "samples", where I thought they were just going to send me a "sample" and what I got was a full size product or several.

• Right @ Home samples - I received a box of full size cleaning products (4 different kinds of cleaning wipes, probably $20 at full price in the store).
• Coffee - I've gotten "samples" of coffees from 3 different companies that were definitely more than just a taste.  Green Mountain coffee sent me 4 Keurig K-cups and a travel coffee mug and all I had to do was ask.
• Scotch Blue Painters tape - a full roll, just waiting for us to need to paint another room.

3. They almost always come with really good coupons!  I don't hesitate to ask for a sample on a product I know I will use (especially if it's something I already use) because I know it will come with a coupon so that I can later buy that product at a much reduced price.  Usually, the coupons that come with samples are of a higher dollar value than coupons you may find elsewhere.

All that said, I know a big worry about asking for free samples is wondering where else your address may end up.  So far I've not seen a major increase in junk mail since we started getting free samples, but I have saved a good bit of money.  There are some sites that I will hesitate to ask for a free sample from. I'm not a fan of sites that have obviously been translated from another language, or of going through hoops to get a free sample.  I'll give you my name & address (and even an email address) but don't ask me pages and pages of survey questions.  If I won't sign myself up for it, you won't see me sharing it here.

Sunday 1/16 Newspaper Coupons

There were two inserts in my paper today, here in North ALabama, and here's what they contained....


Proctor & Gamble

• $1/1 Covergirl product
• .35/1 Zest bar or bodywash (or Safeguard multi-pack)
• .25/1 Ivory bar/ bodywash or liquid handsoap
• $3/1 Olay Regenerist Facial Moisturizer or Cleanser
• $1/1 Olay Facial Moisturizer or Cleanser
• $1.50/1 Dayquil
• $1.50/1 Nyquil
• $1/1 Vicks product
• $1/1 Prilosec
• $10/1 Crest 3D White 2 Hour Expressions or Professional Effects Whitestrips
• .75/1 Crest toothpaste (4oz or larger)
• .75/1 Oral B pulse CrossAction or TWO Indicator or Cavity Defense Manual toothbrushes
• $4/1 PUR or PUR flavor options system
• $2/1 PUR pitcher or Faucet mount multi-pack replacement filters or PUR refrigerator filter
• $1/1 Cheer detergent
• .25/1 Gain dishwashing liquid
• B1 Febreeze Fabric refresher, G1 Air effects or Fabric Refresher
• B1 Febreeze NOTICEables Refill, G1 Febreeze NOTICEables warmer
• $1/1 Febreeze candle
• $5/1 Febreeze Flameless Luminary starter kit
• $2/1 Febreeze Home Collection diffuser
• $2/1 Febreeze Home Collection candle
• $1/2 Pringles Super Stack cans
• .50/1 Pringles Snack stack or stix
• $1/2 cans Fat Free Pringles

Smart Source

• Red Lobster $4/2 dinner entrees
• Red Lobster $3/2 lunch entrees
• .55/1 butterball breakfast/lunch meat
• $3/1 AcneFree kit
• $1/1 Acne Free non-kit treatment
• $1/4 cans Progresso soup
• .50/1 Yoplait FiberOne multipack
• .50/1 Yoplait YoPlus 4 pack
• $3/1 Viactiv
• $1/1 Silk almondmilk
• $1/6 cans Purina Friskies Selects or (1) 12ct variety pack Purina Friskies canned cat food
• $1/15 5.5oz cans or (2) 12ct or (1) 24ct or larger pack of Purina Friskies canned cat food
• $1/1 3.15lb or larger bag of Purina Friskies dry cat food
• $1/1 4.4lb or larger bag of Purina Dog Chow or Puppy Chow
• $1.50/1 17.6lb or larger bag of Purina Dog Chow or Puppy Chow
• .50/1 6ct package of White Castle microwavable hamburgers or cheeseburgers
• $1/1 Dulcalax product
• $3/2 Dulcalax products
• $1/1 Children's or adult Mucinex product
• $1.50/3 Snyder's or Hanover pretzels
• $1/1 Jergens (7.5oz or larger) moisturizer
• $2/ any 24ct or higher Zantac
• $1/1 Colgate Total
• .35/1 Blistex
• $1/any DenTek Floss Pick $2 or more
• .50/2 Dole Fruit bowls
• .25/1 SunnyD product
• $2/1 ICaps vitamin formula
• $4/1 OPTI-FREE ReplenISH twin pack
• $2/1 Systane product
• $3/1 SCOTT bath tissue (6ct or larger) AND 1 package SCOTT Naturals Flushable moist wipes (Publix store coupon)
• $1.50/1 SCOTT Towels, Long Lasting Roll (Publix store coupon)
• $3/1 box Huggies diapers (Publix store coupon)
• $7/2 ENFAMIL large powders (Publix store coupon)
• $2/1 Kotex or U BY Kotex product (Publix store coupon)
• $1/1 ALL laundry detergent
• $1.50/1 ALL laundry detergent (84 load or larger)
• $2/2 Snuggle fabric softener liquid or dryer sheets
• $1/1 CustomEyes Mascara or any REVLON eye product
• $2/1 ColorStay Aqua mineral makeup or any REVLON face product
• $1/1 Colorburst Lipgloss or any REVLON lip or nail product
• $2/1 5.25lb or larger package of Purina Beneful brand dog food
• $1/1 Skintimate Cream shave
• $1/2 Skintimate Moisturizing Shave gels (2.75oz or larger)
• $2/1 Schick Quattro for Women razor or refill
• $1/1 Surf laundry detergent
• $1/1 Duncan Hines Amazing Glazes desert topping
• $1/1 Duncan Hines 100% Whole Grain muffin mix
• $1/2 Bob Evans refrigerated side dishes
• .50/1 Gortons item
• $1/1 Welch's Healthy Start 100% juice
• $1/1 Welche's Refrigerated Juice cocktail (any flavor)
• $1/1 bottle LOUISIANA wing sauce
• $1/2 12oz bottles of LOUISIANA hot sauce
• $2/2 KOTEX pads
• $1.50/2 KOTEX liners (33ct or higher)
• $1.50/2 KOTEX Security tampons
• $1/1 box Celestial Seasonings tea (not valid on K-cups)

$2 Zicam coupon in Parade Magazine

Before you toss your paper today be sure to check the Parade Magazine for a $2 Zicam coupon!

Rite Aid Deals Week of 1/16 (Money Makers)

There were so many great deals at Rite Aid this week that I felt I should put them in a separate post.

Rite Aid

Halls Cough Drops & Halls Defense 2/$3 (get $1+UP)
- use .50/1 Video Value Coupon (Jan)
-use $1/1 printable from Halls website (no longer available)
-use .50/1 from February ALL You magazine
= $1.50 OOP, get back $1+UP
Final Price = as low as FREE!


Hormel Chili 4/$5 (get $1+UP wyb 4)
use $1.50/3 coupon from February All You
use .50/1 coupon from Video Values
pay $3
get $1 +UP
I've heard that you will also get (4) $1+UPs (as part of an unadvertised +UP deal)
= Final Price $2/4 (or $2 Money Maker)


Rite Aid Facial Tissue, Bath Tissue, or Simplify Bath Tissue – $1.00
Get $1 +UPR
= FREE after +UPR
(I've heard that if you buy 10 of these products you will get an additional $3+UP)


There are also some great deals to be had with a
Buy $30 worth of various products and get a $10+UP
this includes
Bounty 8 Pack Paper Towels $6.97
Gillette antiperspirant & deodorant or body wash $3.97
Old Spice Fresh Collection or Red Zone antiperspirant or body wash $3.97
Prilosec 42ct $24.97
Vicks Dayquil/Nyquil/ Sinex $4.97
Oral B Cross Action toothbrush $2.97
Crest Toothpaste $2.97
Tide laundry detergent (50oz liquid or 70oz powder) $5.97

DrugStore Deals Week of 1/16 (Walgreens & CVS)

There are always many more deals than I will report here.  The ones I report are ones that are of interest to me (just so ya know).

CVS
Listerine .5L $3.99 (get $1ECB) Limit 2
$7.98 - (2)$1 coupons = $5.98
get $2 ECB - 2/$3.98

Colgate Total $2.77 (get $1ECB) Limit 2
$5.54 - $1 coupon - .75 coupon = $3.79
get $2 ECB = 2/$$1.79


Blink Tears $7.99 (get $4ECB)
- $1 Q = $6.99 - possibly a $4Q on box = $3.99
get $4ECB = $2.99

$16.76 - $4/20Q = $12.95 - $10ECB = $2.76+tax OOP
or
(if the $4Q for Blink is on the box) = $12.76 - $4/20 - $10ECB = pay just tax OOP (will probably need a small filler).

I've found that on some occasions if I make sure to give them the $4/20 and my ECBs first, before giving them the other manufacturer Qs that they will allow the overage from the other Qs to eat into the tax. (This worked for me last week).  If that's the case I could walk away from this transaction with less than the tax OOP.


Walgreens
Thermacare heat wraps (singles) $2.50
(receive $2.50 RR) = FREE

Gatorade or G2 - 5/$5 - $1/5IVQ = 5/$4

IVC's are Instant Value Coupons located in the coupon books you will find at the front of the store (usually next to the current weekly ads).  These coupon books are monthly and you can stack regular manufacturer Q's with the coupons in this book for extra savings.

Read It Forward

Have you checked out ReadItForward yet?  If you love to read, this is a great way to not only get some free books, but get to read books before they are mass released.  When you sign up you are "entered to win" the book you sign up for.  I have received at least 4 different books from ReadItFoward in the last 4 months and there was only 1 that I requested that I wasn't able to gett .

The books you receive are ARC (Advanced Reader Copies), many times these books are available before the book is released or you will get a paperback when only the hardcover copy of the book is available.  On the back of the book there is a note sheet where you can fill out what you loved about the book and why you think a particular friend will enjoy the book.  The idea is to pass the book on when you are finished reading.

The current giveaway is for Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, you can sign up to win a copy here until January 20.  Be sure to like them on Facebook or sign up for their email list for early notifications of future book giveaways.