FREE Book From Read It Forward - Signs of Life

Read it Forward has a new Free Book offer, head over to their Facebook page to sign up for a free copy of "Signs of Life" by Natalie Taylor. This is her personal memoir of how she dealt with losing her husband just 4 months before the birth of her first child.

GiveAway Reminder

Just a reminder about the giveaway I've got going through April 6. You must comment in the giveaway post for your entries to count.  Check out the original post for the ways you can enter (you can enter up to 4 times, be sure to leave a comment for each one you do).

Dial For Men GiveAway

Head over to Facebook and "like" Dial For Men, then enter their giveaway for a chance to win free product and over 400 other prizes.

Free Scissors!

Who doesn't need an extra pair of scissors around the house (especially with all these coupons to clip!). MailFinity is offering anyone who requests a free pair of scissors, so go sign up!

Sunday Coupon Preview!

We were all totally expecting the new P&G insert last week, but for whatever reason it should arrive in our papers this week. At least it was a good coupon week last week. The P&G should have the usual great coupons we expect, including the BOGO Gillette and Old Spice coupons. In addition to the P&G, we should also see another Smartsource and a Redplum insert!

Keep your eye on all the latest insert updates via the Sunday Coupon Preview!

Coupon: Kraft Light Salad Dressings

Download and print this coupon for $1/2 Kraft Light Salad Dressings!

COUPON: $1 Off Al Fresco Chicken Sausage

This is one of those products I'd never tried until I found a great deal combining a sale and coupons.  Now, it's something we love but we still only buy it when it's on sale and I have a coupon!  Here's a coupon for $1/1 Al Fresco Chicken Sausage!

Free Sample: Degree Women

"Like" Degree Women on Facebook and sign up for a free sample of their new Degree Women Expert Protection with MotionSense (and also be entered in a giveaway for $1,000 Zappos gift card!

Deal on Truvia at Publix

There's a really good deal on Truvia starting today at Publix (tomorrow at some stores). It's on sale for $2.99 for a 4.9oz box, and there is a coupon stack available.  Check your binders for a $1/1 Truvia manufacturer coupon (they are in the inserts often, and also in All You magazine) and also check for a $1/1 Publix store coupon that was in the paper within the last couple of weeks.  Using both together will bring the final price down to just $.99

Free Sample: Biore Cleanser

Head over to Biore's Facebook page and choose your favorite in their Face-Off Challenge then request a free sample.

3 Dave Ramsey Items Just $30

Don't miss a great opportunity to make-over your finances with 3 of Dave Ramsey's best-selling books and/or products for just $30.  We are avid Dave Ramsey fans in my household and have been through Financial Peace University, so I can't tell you how much I'd recommend you take advantage of this deal!  Deal good through Friday, April 2.  These also make great gifts for graduations. 

Up to $14 worth of Arm & Hammer Coupons

Arm & Hammer has some new coupons posted on their website, so be sure to stock up.  The coupons include:

• $1/2 A&H laundry products
• $1/1 A&H Clumping cat litter
• $.50/1 A&H carpet & rug deodorizer
• $1/1 A&H toothpaste

Choose It Brew it Contest! and K-Cup Coupon!

Go here to enter the Green Mountain Choose It, Brew It Contest.  After you entered, be sure to print the  coupon good for $1/2 select brands of Keurig K-cup 12ct boxes.

Honored!

I'm honored that 247Mama from Carter Chaos choose me for the Stylish Blogger Award!

The "rules" for the award are to:

1. Thank and link back to the person that has given you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 10-15 blogs you feel deserve the award

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award.

Instead of just contacting the blogs that I would award this to, I'm going to tell you who they are (and contact them too) - these are the blogs that I follow regularly: Passionate Penny Pincher, I heart Publix, Simply CVS, Fibro My What?, Dining Dragon, BeCentsable, FrugalLivingandHavingFun, TotallyTarget, Coupons Make Sense, & Cha-Ching on a ShoeString.

There are probably a hundred others I could give this too as well, all who have helped me learn the ropes of couponing or dealing with Fibro or some other topic I enjoy reading about.

Now for the 7 things about me.

1. I live in North Alabama and have most of my life.

2. I'm married and we have chosen to be child-free. A rare choice, but I give all the props in the world to those of you with children, you are far better people than I will ever be.

3. We have 2 cats that think they own the house.  One is a white calico named Tisha or Tasha or Tissue (depending on who's calling her).  The other is a brown and black tortoise named Skitty. Both are females and both are jerks.

4. I work from home and have primarily for the last 12 or so years.

5. I have on sibling (a brother), who lives on the other side of the country.  We are almost 8 years apart in age.

6. My favorite hobby is reading, but I also enjoy painting (and don't do it enough).

7. I like to new learn things and will research something to death if it interests me or if I have questions about it.

Coupon: $.75 Off Reynolds Wrap

Here's a coupon for $.75/1 Reynold's Wrap. This will go with the new sale at Publix this week, Reynold Wrap Heavy Duty foil will be BOGO!

Get the Publix MatchUps

Laurie over at Passionate Penny Pincher has the coupon match-ups posted for the new Publix sale starting tomorrow (Thursday, in some areas).  You can check it out here. Be sure to tell her that you stopped in from Money Saving Mode!

FREE SAMPLE: Eucerin

Grab a FREE Sample of Eucerin on their Facebook page.

$5 Off Scott EZ Seed

Scott has a coupon on their website for $5 Off their new EZ Seed product.  This grass is guarantted to grow even in the hardest to grow areas.  We'll be giving it a try, as our yard manages to combine all the features that make growing grass just about impossible!

Papers Missing Inserts

Boo :(  I picked up two copies of the paper this afternoon and both were missing the Redplum insert!  So, not happy.  The sad thing is that I knew it when I bought them. I'd scoured through the whole lot of papers at the store and did good to find two that even had both the Smartsource inserts (and I have to say, that second SmartSource was skinny).  I really should have just passed and headed to a different store but we'd already been out all afternoon and had had to turn around and go back out to get the papers when we got home and realized we'd forgotten them. 

There's a lesson here.  Use the Sunday Coupon Preview (and my usual posts letting you know what to expect) and double check your papers to make sure they are all there before you buy.  If they aren't find a different place to buy them.  And now I need to take my own advice.

Free Produce

So this afternoon I found a way to possibly score some free produce.  We stopped by the local farmers market to see what they had and the sign out front said they had some "field greens". When I found them the guy was messing with them. I asked if this was all the field greens (because there wasn't a lot) and he said, "Yes, would you like to take them all for free?"  Well, yeah if they are free!  He said he was about to close up and was going to throw out what was left but if I wanted them he'd let me take them all for free.  The market normally stays open till 5 but he was closing early, so I guess we got there just in time.  We ended up with about a pound and a half of greens for free.  Most of them are mustard greens but they are really good.

So, that got me thinking, perhaps stopping by the Farmer's market (or any local road side stand) shortly before they pack it up for the night is the best way to go.  You never know what you might score.  And, it never hurts to become a regular either for getting a few extra deals here and there.  We aren't quite regulars yet, but I have a feeling by the end of the summer we will be.

Spending Goals: Budget Check-Up

12 Weeks into the year and I don't feel like we are doing too bad, although I know we can do better.  At 12 weeks in, we've spent $826.29 on groceries and drugstore purchases.  That's $68.85/wk and about $76 more than we budgeted for.  Typically, when I go over budget, it comes out of my personal envelope.  Paul hates that I do this, but I figure groceries are something that I primarily deal with so if I go over budget, it's on me and I should take care of it.

As far as I'm concerned, our April budgeting period started on Friday (based on a 4wk budgeting period), and so far we are doing pretty well.  With 4 trips under our belt, we've only spent $25, which leaves us plenty to pick up more fresh produce throughout the week.

Total Spent This Year: $826.29
Total Saved: $1957.98 or 73.28%

Got Our Kitchen Prep Set (another great Housewares Deals deal)

My hubby brought in a package this morning with a shrug.  "I don't know what it is but it's too big to be a book".  When I finally got a chance to look at it, it took me a minute to remember that I'd ordered the deal I posted about last week from HousewaresDeals.com for the two cutting boards and three resin coated knives.

I was a little disappointed that they weren't orange, as they appear in the pictures, but red.  Could just be that my color is off on my laptop...lol.  But, I was happy with the overall product.  I'd mentioned it to Paul before ordering and he concurred that he thought it sounded like a good deal at just $14 (with another $4ish for shipping).  The package arrived quickly and we pulled the items out and they all looked good. 

I grabbed the paring knife this afternoon and used it to peel a kiwi.  Hubby had just commented on what a pain they are to peel and I had it peeled in about 30 seconds with that knife.  It was SWEET! And the Kiwi was pretty darn good too!

This is the second deal we've purchased from HouseWaresDeals.com.  The first was a spice rack, which we bought two of (one for my mom) and have been very happy with both the rack and the spices.

Coupon News: Ex-Target Employee Accused of Coupon Fraud

Maybe all these new coupons policies aren't so much because of their worry of abuse by couponers, but by the employees!

Evidently, this guy was working a scheme with some friends where they would come in with high dollar coupons for one item and then he'd override to allow them to use them on other more expensive items (like cell phones).  Evidently, he was also manipulating gift cards.

Read the article here.

Might Want to Get an Extra Paper Tomorrow!

This Sunday's paper is looking to be a GREAT one for coupons and you might want to pick up an extra copy or two.  We usually only buy 1, but we'll be buying 2 this week with all these great coupons.

Check this out (and these are just some of the ones that I personally am looking forward to)....

$1.50 Off Colgate Total Advanced
$2 Off Bic Disposable Shavers (Hybrid, Soleil, Flex 4, Comfort 3 Advance)
$1/2General Mills cereals
BOGO Clean & Clear Body Wash
$1/1 Clean & Clear any Save
BOGO Axe Shower Gel or Detailer
$1/1 Dove Beauty Bar 6- bar pack
$1/1 Dove Body Wash 10oz
$1/1 Dove Men+Care Body and Face Wash

Check out the Sunday Coupon Preview to see the list of what to expect tomorrow, and figure out how many papers you need to buy!

Publix Trip: $20.05 - I wish I had a picture

With the big changes we've made this last week, it's had a big impact on the way we shop.  We've decided to incorporate a LOT more fresh fruit and veggies into our diet and, as you all know, those can get expensive.  My husband's first instinct after last week's $30 Kroger trip was to up our budget. I felt (and still feel) like we can do this without changing our budget.  Granted, I've yet to stay exactly within the $50/wk budget but I'm getting closer and closer.  Last night we went to Publix and picked up a few sale items and a whole lotta produce and managed to spend only $20.  He's pretty set on exactly what he wants to eat but I'm a little more flexible, so I tried to look at what was on sale.  The four things he HAS to have are apples, grapefruit, celery & cucumber.

Here's what we got for that $20


Green Beans (packaged) = $1.41
2lb white seedless grapes (on sale for $1.69lb) = $3.36
Bag of Red Grapefruit (on sale) = $2.99
Celery = $1.49
Bag of Granny Smith apples = $4.99
Cucumber = $1.99 (on sale)
Package Strawberries (on sale 3/$5) = $1.67
Sliced Mushrooms (on sale) = $1.69
2 packages Kraft shredded cheese @ 2/$4 = $4
4 Kraft chunk cheese @ 2/$4 = $8
1 Weight Watchers Ice Cream bars @$4.89 BOGO = $2.45
Egglands Best Eggs @$2.59

=$36.63 (after sale discounts)
-$4/$40 Kroger Q
-$.50/1 Egglands Best (doubled)
-$1/1 Weight Watchers ice cream bars
-(2)$.55/1 Kraft Cheese
-(3)$1.50/2 Kraft Cheese (Target Q)
-(3)$1.50/2 Kraft Cheese (Publix Q)
-$1/1 Kraft Cheese
$1/1 (I have no clue what this was).

=$18.53 + tax = $20.05

As we were ringing out the guy bagging asked the other guy about the Publix Q for the Kraft Cheese, because it says "retailer coupon" but rings as a "manufacturer coupon". The guy ringing me is a csm (and my favorite cashier) and he said that yes it was a manufacturer Q but it didn't beep so he took them all. He still had another q to scan as he was saying this and I mentioned that it might not go through because I may have too many then. He said it scanned so no issue.  Cool!

Looking back at this, that's still a lot of produce for just $20 and we got the cheese basically free!

I Got Highlighted on the ChaChing Challenge!

Kaley over at Cha-Ching on a ShoeString, highlighted my blog yesterday and somehow I totally missed it until today.  She's been running a Cha-Ching Challenge where she shares her weekly savings and invites others to do the same, then she picks one each week to highlight.  This week she picked me and it makes me happy :)

Set Your DVR: Extreme Couponing Series Premier April 6

It's less than 2 weeks away, so it's time to set that DVR to start recording the new series of Extreme Couponing. Check out the preview below!

I've Never Had to Work So Hard To Spend $10!

I had a $10 ECB (that's Extra Care Bucks from CVS) that was going to expire this weekend and I needed to spend it. I'd been watching the ads for the last month looking for a great deal to roll it into or just a great deal to spend it on and hadn't really seen anything that we needed that seemed worth it.  This week I saw a couple of really great deals in the ad, but they were so great that they mostly equalled out to FREE, so I ended up wondering around for about a half hour trying  to find ways to spend my $10.  The first $6 went pretty easily... 2 boxes of cereal and a bottle of Head & Shoulders... it was that last $3.01 that was giving me issues.  Here's what I ended up with only after my husband happened across a $.50 package of cocktail straws (something he'd been asking for for a while).

2 Boxes of Total Cereal: On Sale 2/$5
5 Dawn dish detergent: On Sale $.97
2 Listerine (8.5oz): On Sale $1
1 Head & Shoulders: On Sale $4.99
1 Formula 409: On Sale $2.50
Cocktail Straws: $.49

With all that it seems like hitting $10 would be no problem, but factor in these coupons....
(2) $1/1 Total Cereal
(3) $1/1 Dawn Hand Renewal
(2)$.50/1 Dawn
(1)$2/2 Listerine, etc (Random list of J&J products) printable
(1)$1/1 Head & Shoulders
(1)$.50/1 409

And in the end the whole lost cost me just over $1 out of pocket and I got back another $2ECB from the Head & Shoulders.

Fear the Mail No More

I can't say I've feared getting the mail in a long time, but for the last few years it's just become rather dull.  We pay most of our bills automatically, and really don't have many bills to begin with (the upside of being debt free).  Most of what came in our mail was just confirmations in regardes to insurance or updates to various things, oh and the constant credit card applications.  There were times when we'd go a week without bothering to check out mail, because there just much worth checking it for.

That all changed when I started working to save money.  Now, every day getting the mail is like Christmas. I wait for the Mail person to show up and I can't wait to see what they brought me.  Today was no exception and it felt like Christmas when I opened the mailbox and found two boxes inside.  Here's what was in those boxes...

 

On top is the free sample of Mio Water Enhancer.  It looks like it might be a really good way to add some occasional flavor the to the massive amounts of water that I drink. 

Below that is the Beauty Bag from Target that I posted about a couple of weeks ago.  The bag itself is quite nice and will come in handy for carting small amounts of make-up various places.  Inside it were several different samples and $25 worth of coupons for beauty products from Target.  WOOT!

Working Out on a Budget

image credit FunnyAnimalSite.com


I posted a little bit last week about how we are working out on a budget.  Since then I've gotten my husband on the EA Sports Activebandwagon and he is also doing the 30 Day Challenge.  I'm happy to say that I'm now almost 2 full weeks into it and I'm still holding strong.

A couple of nights ago I even used some of my Amazon credits (earned via Swagbucks, thank you very much) to order an extra leg strap, so that we can work out together.

In the past (when I thought I had money) I've worked out with a trainer, and I have to say there are upsides to having a trainer, but overall, I think that EA Active does the job just as well, if not better.  The routines are very similar to those I would have done with my trainer.  We were in a gym and would also use the weight machines, but the trainers I've worked with always tended more towards a circuit style training, which is what EA Active uses.  The biggest upside I find to using EA Active is that it's an every day kind of thing (almost).  It's actually set up to work you out for 2 days, then you rest for 1 day and then back to the 2 days of working out, and so on.  Even when I could afford a trainer, the most I went was two days a week, what was I doing the other 5 days of the week?  At best, I was getting on the treadmill, and that's just not enough if your goal is to actually lose weight.  I did lose weight, but no faster than I probably would have just doing weight watchers alone.

With a trainer, I had someone to hold me accountable. They would look at my food journal and ask me what I did when I wasn't with them.  But, what's the worst that could happen? They'd give me a disappointed look.  This time it's different, because if I'm going to work out five days a week, I have to be doing it for me.  I am doing Weight Watchers at the same time, but more to help me keep myself in line with what I eat.  With the new Weight Watchers system I actually find it hard some days to eat enough food.

Working out on a budget, is all about using what you have.  Whatever you have.  If you have a Wii, you can pick up a used copy of EA Active on Amazon for under $20 (and you can probably do the same in a local video game trade in store).  If you don't have a Wii there are still plenty of great free and cheap options for working out, that don't require a gym membership or a trainer and with the weather getting nice, the options are just increasing.

• Walk the dog (if you have one), if not just go for a walk
• Go for a hike, find local trails and start wondering them. You'll be amazed at what you'll find.
• Go for a bike ride (most of us have an old bike in the garage, you just might want to air up those tires first).
• There are plenty of great exercises you can do without leaving your house 
• Crunches
• Push Ups (start out slow by doing pushups against the wall while standing, as you get better, do them with your hands on a chair or the couch, then work your way to the ground).
• lunges (side and front lunges really work your legs)
• Walk or run in place.
• Look for free workout videos on Youtube (there are plenty).
• Don't have hand weights? Grab a couple of cans of vegetables or bottles of body wash

Whatever you do, don't use money as an excuse not to get a good workout.  The only excuse you have is yourself (and I know, because I was my own excuse for way too long). FWIW, I've lost 2 pounds so far!

Tips for Saving on Produce

I just read a great tip over at The Krazy Coupon Lady about how to save money on produce, that was something I never would have thought about.  The gist of the tip is to weigh your produce even if it's produce that isn't priced by weight (ie. pre-bagged fruit, items that are priced per item), as the items typically do vary in size and weight and by weighing the items you can make sure you get the most bang for your buck.

In a way, I do this by "eye" with things like peppers that are usually priced by item, I always try to find the biggest one. But, I never thought about weighing them and I never had a clue that bagged fruit that says "xlbs" just means that's the minimum weight.  What a great tip!

Do you have any great tips to save money on produce?

The Value of a CSA

CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are sprouting up all over the country. I first heard of them last year when a friend of mine told me about the wonderful vegetables and fruit that she and her husband were getting from one of the local CSA's.

With a CSA you not only get LOCALLY grown vegetables and fruit at a great price, but in some cases you can event get them delivered.  My husband and I have made a renewed effort in the last few weeks to incorporate more fruits and vegatables into our diet and have quickly realized that there's a high price to pay for eating healthy, and there's rarely any coupons available for this type of food.  However, there are ways to save some money and CSAs may (or may not) be one way to do it.

Here in North AL, I've found two different CSA possibilities.  The first is Doe Run Farms out of TN. This is the CSA that my friend, Amanda, is a member of and having seen pictures of the quality of the produce that she gets each week, it's quite amazing.  Not only that but the amounts of produce that she gets for the price is quite good as well.  A mini-share with Doe Run Farms will run you $495 for 18 weeks (they run the shares by season and to get in on the Spring/Summer share we have to sign up by next weekend - that's if there's even any room left).  $495 over 18 weeks averages out to $27.50/wk.  From what I've seen of my friend's shares, I think this is probably equavalent to Grow Alabama's Silver (mid-level) share.  So probably a better price per unit, however you do take the risk of getting items your household may not eat.  Doe Run Farms added a few different add-on packages this year, to allow those who want to get more tomatoes, cheese or fruit than what comes in their normal share.  Of course, these extra packages do cost extra in addition to your normal share price.

The second CSA which I just came across today, is Grow Alabama.  This is an organization of farmers from across AL, with drop-off points in various locations (their website says they even do home and office delivery).  They have 3 different levels, the smallest (the Bronze share) is $24.75/wk.  The share that I believe is most equivalent to the small share at Doe Run Farms, is the Silver share at $31.25/wk (which gives you 6 different items, with 4-5 servings of each).  There's no set time you have to stay in the program but they do require a 30-day cancellation notice (during which time you will continue to receive - and pay for- your share).  The biggest upside I see to this program is that you can customize your share box by logging in each week and choosing from what is currently available, or you can select to permanently substitute and item that you know your household will NEVER eat.  Their website also provides a chart as to which items are available during which months, to allow you to easily see what you might be getting.  Another plus I see is that since this is a co-op of farmers, there ideally would be more variety than if you were getting everything from just one farm.  From their website and from the lady at one of their drop-off points that I talked to today, they also offer add-ons of a variety of items from fresh eggs to chickens and various meats.

We actually spent about the same amount last week at Kroger, and if we continue on these healthy eating habits will likely be spending this much every week..  However, at Kroger we got to pick out exactly what we wanted, and chances are that with doing a CSA we'd still be at the grocery store filling in some of the items that may not be in season.  Actually, we spent about $28 at Kroger and then another $10 between CostCo (for salad mix) and a local vegetable stand (tomatoes & onions).  I like the flexibility of the Grow Alabama program, however there's still the fear of waste.  Granted, there could just as easily be waste when we buy from the grocery store or the roadside stand, if we don't eat it.  Knowing that we will be getting more each week should encourage us to eat it.

What are your thoughts? Would this save you money? Have you ever joined a CSA? Did you find it worthwhile?

How to do a Code Hunt on Swagbucks

There is currently a Swag Code Hunt going on on Swagbucks.  These are like little scavenger hunts for codes. For some folks they just aren't worth the time that you have to invest, for others they are a really fun way to earn a few Swagbucks.  Many who haven't done them before (and many who have) just get frustrated with them, myself included at times.  But, it helps if you understand how they work.

How Swag Code Hunts Work:

1. Swagbucks will give you a clue (often on either their Facebook page, Twitter or in their blog) for where to go for the next clue.  For instance they may tell you to search for a particular word in the Swag Store (as they did today).  If they do this, then you want to go to Swagbucks and choose the Swag Store from the options on the left side of the page.  At the top you will see a search bar, there you will type in the word that they told you to search for.

2. Open each of the items that are returned and look for the next clue.  Usually, it will be pretty obvious, but no matter how obvious it is sometimes it will be so obvious that you will miss is anyway.  I've had to go back through the results a couple of times to look again because I've missed it.  Once you find the next clue, do what it says to find the following clue and so on.  For instance, if the next clue tells you to go find a particular word in the Swagstakes, then go to the Swagstakes section of Swagbucks and enter the word it tells you in the search bar and repeat the directions as given for finding the next clue in the Swag Store.

If you aren't very familiar with the Swagbucks store, these code hunts will get you familiar quickly.  But, the best way to find your way around is to go back to the main Swagbucks homepage and then choose the section the directions are telling you to search from the menu on the left side of the page.

Sometimes a Code Hunt may send you to Swagbucks TV and tell you to find a hint or a code there. This can be the most frustrating area to search because you don't know at first if the hint is actually IN a video or in a description.  It will usually be in a description BUT you will most likely need to watch the video to get the full clue.  IE. it might ask you a question about something you see in the video, then tell you to do something with the answer (like search in another area of the site for the answer you found in the video).

Eventually, you will find an actual Swagcode somewhere.  They look something like ThIsisASwaGCod3 (that is not a real swagcode).

So what do you do when you finally find the Swagcode?  Head back to the Swagbucks homepage and enter it on the right side of the page where it says "Enter Your Swagcode".

ALWAYS copy and paste your swagcode because as you can see in my example above they are a mixture of upper and lower case and numbers that can sometimes be hard to read correctly.  If for some reason, you copy and paste you get a message that you entered an invalid Swagcode, go back to the page where you found the code and reload the page. Then copy and paste it again.  They will often change the Swagcode to keep people from sharing it with friends.

Help Japan PLUS 50 Bonus Swagbucks for New Signups!

Swagbucks isn't just about helping yourself get free stuff, they are also about helping others and right now you can help out by donating your Swagbucks to Help Japan. Swagbucks is asking that you donate some of your Swagbucks (as little as 5, as many as you'd like) to go directly to All Hands Volunteers, a 501(c)3 organization.  If you'd like to donate some (or all) of your Swagbucks, just click here and select the amount you'd like to donate. Swagbucks will be collected and then converted into a cash donation (you can view the conversion chart on the donation page).  This is an easy way to help out without even feeling it.

And in the spirit of giving back, for those who are new to Swagbucks, if you sign up now they are offering you a bonus 50 Swagbucks (this is on top of the usual 30 bonus Swagbucks that they typically give, for a total of 80).  When you sign up just enter the code: HelpJapan during registration.  This offer is valid until 11am PDT on April 8, 2011.  If you are new to Swagbucks, you may be wondering what it's all about.  Swagbucks is an easy way to earn FREE stuff online and by FREE stuff I mean anything from Amazon gift cards to electronics.  You earn points (called Swagbucks) by doing things you normally do online (like searching the web using their search engine), or by entering special codes that they make available from time to time, or even by trading in your old video games, books and cell phones.  Then you take those Swagbucks you earn and trade them in for real tangible stuff.  To give you an example, I've already traded in for $70 in Amazon gift cards so far this year (that's about a $5gc each week).  Give it a try and with this bonus you are already more than 20% of thew way towards your first Amazon gift card (that's if you don't decide to just donate all your points to Help Japan).

$1 Deals at Staples Next Week

I was so bummed when I missed the great deals on envelopes a couple of weeks ago at Staples, but all good deals really do come back around.  Next week Staples is running a bunch of $1 Deals and included on that will be 25 packs of envelopes, among other things.  There are actually envelope deals in the $1, $3 and $5 category.

Thanks Frugal Living and Having Fun for the heads up on these deals.

$1 Deals (Limit 2)

• Bic Matic Grip 0.7 mm Mechanical Pencils 5/Pack
• Staples Small memo Book, Top or Side-Bound Assorted Designs
• #10 Envelopes, Pull & Seal 25/Pack
• Staples Business Card Holder
• Scotch Magic Tape With Dispenser 3/4″ x 300
• Staples ClipBoard – Brown (9″x12.5)
• Staples Journal With Pen (80Sheets) Assorted Colors
• Westcott Preferred 7″ Scissors

There are also quite a few great $2 deals and some great Easy Rebate offers, as well.  For the full ad check out Staples.com (click on the link for their weekly ad, then you'll be able to view the ad for the "upcoming week" as well).

FREE Book From Read It Forward

Read it Forward has another free book offering on their Facebook page. This time it's for Erik Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" and it looks to be another excellent offering from RIF.

The last book I got from them was "Radio ShangRi-La", by Lisa Napoli and it was an excellent read.  If you enjoy a book with some hope and happiness then this is one to read. If you enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love then this is a book you will enjoy as well. While her journey isn't quite as deep or intense, the destination is just as good.

FREE Suave!

There are two ways to get up to 3 full size bottles of Suave Professionals product today.  First off, go to their Facebook page and like them then click the "giveaway" tab.

Then go to their website and play the "Can You Tell" game.  In the game you will be asked to pick which model was styled with Suave Professionals vs which one was styled with salon brands.  They have a salon professional come in and give their "expert" opinion and you can go with that or go out on your own.  If you get 4 out of the 8 right you will get coupons for 2 full size products.  There are other prizes as well depending on how many you get right and you can choose which prize you want to receive.

Have fun!

Is Cable Worth the Cost?

This is a question we've been pondering since we started working hard to save money.  I called about 6 months ago and got our cable bill lowered by about $25 (by cutting off the premium channels we were paying a discounted rate of $5/month for, and by getting their current deal which cut our internet bill in half).  The promo that cut our internet bill in half was only for 6 months, so that is about to come to an end.  I need to call and see if there are any new promos available (really, I should have already called a couple of times).

However, for the last few months I've been really wondering if it's even worth it to have cable.  We currently use Netflix on one of their lowest plans.  We pay about $10 a month and get 1 DVD out at a time and unlimited streaming movies.  We use the streaming a lot more than we watch the DVDs, it's just easier.  Lately, I've been looking at a similar option for watching current television seasons that is also available on our bedroom DVD player - Hulu Plus.  Not every show we would want to watch is available there, but most of them are.  The biggest thing I noticed that was missing was an HBO show that we don't get to see anymore since we gave up premium channels (it was the only reason we got the premium channels in the first place).

Hulu Plus has a free One Week Trial, and I haven't tried it yet simply because it is only available on our bedroom TV.  The Tivo in our living room doesn't get Hulu (but it does get Netflix).  Hulu Plus does have commercials, so it's not like it's a huge improvement over regular television, actually that would be a downgrade, since we currently are able to fast-forward through commercials with Tivo.  However, it's only $8/month as opposed to what we currently pay for cable (around $50/month).  Of course, we'd have to spend some money to get something in our living room that would access it.  I'm currently looking at the Roku system. which would give us access to not just Hulu but also Netflix and Amazon VOD (all except the Hulu is available on our current Tivo).  I just counted up my Amazon gift cards (that I've earned through Swagbucks) and found that I have just enough to buy the lowest end model ($70!) if I chose to do so.

So, what are your thoughts? Is cable worth the cost?

How Much Are You REALLY Saving?

There was a thread recently on WeUseCoupons.com that asked how to determine how much you are really saving.  I thought it was a good subject and wanted to write a little more on the topic.

It's so easy to get hung up on the "I saved 90%" posts and even to get hung up on saving a high % yourself.  I know I have gotten to where it bugs me if I don't have a savings of at least 70% on any given shopping trip.  I've also convinced myself I'm saving more at Publix because my % of savings is higher there than it is at other stores.  However, I have to remind myself (and you) that it's not the percentage you save, but the dollars!

There are really two mistakes that we make that have us thinking we are saving more than we are.


1. Focusing on the Percentage! This is just what I was talking about above.  When you get focused on the %, you aren't really thinking about the dollars.  You can save 90% all day long but if you are spending twice as much as you would have or buying things you wouldn't have to get that 90% then it doesn't really matter.  In order to get a 90% savings you typically have to buy a lot of items that end up being free or giving you overage.  That's great if those items are things that would normally be on your shopping list, but if you are buying them just because of the "savings" then it's not really savings.

2. Buying Things You Wouldn't Normally Buy! just because they are on sale or free.  In most states (mine included) you still pay sales tax on the full amount prior to coupons.  Sometimes that tax can add to more than you might be saving or getting back in overage. If you are buying an item just because it's FREE, it's not really FREE.  If you are buying it because it will give you some sort of overage, you have to do some calculating to determine if the overage is really overage (after you pay tax).  I see this a lot also on items that produce Register Rewards (or similar programs).  If you are buying something for the Register Reward it will produce, you have to remember you are still spending money out of pocket to get that Register Reward.  The only time that I think it's worthwhile to do this is when you already have a Register Reward that's about to expire and you need to roll it (or them).

The best way to make sure you are really saving money is to stick to only buying products you'd normally buy (and will use) and to track your total spending.  I use the Spending Tracker from the Coupon Project to track my total spending and savings.  Remember that the % you save on each trip isn't nearly as important as staying within your budget and spending less overall.

New Coupons on Coupons.com

Here are just a few of the new coupons available on Coupons.com this week. 

$1.00 OFF 1 Weight Watchers Sweet Bakery Items
$1.00 OFF 1 Hidden Valley Salad Kit
$1.00 OFF 1 Power of Fruit Frozen All-Fruit Bars
$1.00 OFF 1 Truvia Sweetener
$1.00 OFF 1 Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty Carton * use at Publix sale this week
$1.00 OFF ONE (1) 3-pack of any TEMPTATIONS by JELL-O
$1.00 OFF 1 Kashi TLC Soft Baked Cereal Bar
$1.00 OFF 1 Kashi Berry Blossoms cereal * use at Publix sale this week
$0.75 OFF 1 Fruit2O 6-pack
$0.75 OFF 1 Roman Meal Bread
$0.50 OFF 1 any flavor/variety Nature Valley Granola Bars
$0.50 OFF 1 BOB EVANS POTATO WEDGES
$0.50 OFF 1 package of KRAFT HOMESTYLE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
$0.50 OFF 2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
$0.50 OFF 2 flavor 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER Chex Mix OR Chex 100 Calorie Snack
$0.50 OFF 1 can of Diamond Crystal Sea Salt
$0.50 OFF 1 package of any Tetley Tea

Publix Coupon Matchups

Check out Passionate Penny Pincher for this week's Publix Coupon Matchups

FREE Subscription to Woman's Day

FreeBizMags is offering up FREE Subscriptions to Woman's Day.

Chili's Coupons

Chili's has a promo going right now that if you get your friends to join their email list you can get a Free Appetizer or even a Free Burger

I get their email newsletter and it's great as they often send out coupons for free appetizers and free deserts as well as other discounts and promotions.  If you like Chili's, I'd definitely encourage you to sign up.

New SnackPicks Coupons

Kellogg's has some new coupons posted on SnackPicks, including:

• $1/2 FiberPlus bars
• $1/2 Special K products
• $1/2 Keebler Townhouse crackers 

and 4 or 5 more.  Grab your coupons here.

Sunday Coupon Preview for 3/27

It looks like we should be getting some nice coupons this coming Sunday including a couple of good BOGO Qs.  We are expecting as many as 4 inserts this week including a new Proctor & Gamble, a Redplum and possibly 2 Smartsource inserts!  To see updated full previews of what to expect check out the Sunday Coupon Preview.

The Redplum is expected to have at least TWO BOGO coupons! One for Axe Shower Gel/Detailer and another for Clean & Clear body wash!  We are also expecting several Dove+Men Care products (rare!).

Weight Watchers Coupons

Here are a couple of new coupons available for Weight Watchers products:

• $1/1 Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty (redeemable at Publix)
• $1/1 Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty (redeemable at Kroger) 

If you have both stores in your area, you should be able to stack these coupons at Publix, for even better savings.  And if you get ALL You magazine, there's also a $.50 Off Coupon that will stack with these.

New Coupons on Target.com

Whether you shop at Target or do what I do and use them at Publix (or another store that accepts competitor coupons), the Target website is a place you want to check regularly for new coupons.  They have quite a few new coupons available this week.

Here's the ones I'm printing today:

• Oscar Mayer weiners Buy 3, Get 1 FREE (will go with the Publix sale this week or next week)
• $1.50 Off Kraft Cheese (will go with next week's Publix sale)
• Oscar Mayer DeliFresh lunch meats Buy 3 Get 1 FREE
• $.75 Off Oscar Mayer Carving Board lunch meats
• $.75 Off Planters snack product
• $1 Off Oreos (ok, I'm not printing this one, but thought you might want to).
• $1.50 Off Archer Farms nuts (10oz or larger)
• $1/2 Jimmy Dean sausage products (9.6oz or larger)
• $1 Off Carnation Instant Breakfast
• $1/2 Special K cereals
• $1.50 Off Select General Mills products
• $.75/1 Fiber One cereal
• $1/2 Select General Mills cereals

Keep in mind that Target coupons are typically store coupons, so they can be stacked with Manufacturer coupons.  However, occasionally the coupons you find on Target's website are Manufacturer coupons.  If that is the case you'll see it printed on the top of the coupon.

Spending Goals: March Week 3

I thought we were going to do ok this week, then we both decided we really wanted to change our eating habits.  So what is this going to mean for our stockpile? I don't know.  For now, it will stay put, luckily most of it is things we will eventually eat anyway.  The major change for both of us was the desire to incorporate more fruits and vegetables.  With that in mind, we spent about $30 at Kroger yesterday on nothing but fresh veggies (and a newspaper).

You can see my last update (for the first half of March) here.

•  Publix - paid $49.46 for $110.63 worth of groceries (3/18)
• Walgreens - paid $1.66 for 31.94 worth of products (3/19)
• Rite Aid - paid $.32 for $34.69 worth of products (3/19)
• Kroger - paid $29.92 for a whole lotta veggies (3/20)

So far for this month, we've spent $212.39 for $646.25 worth of groceries and drugstore items, for a savings rate of 71.34%.

I'm thinking that next week the only shopping I'll be doing will be drugstores (I've got plenty RR, ECBs & +UPs to spend).

Following the Wal-Mart Coupon Policy?

I have to say that I'm glad I'm not. I'm even more glad I don't really shop there because I think I'd be insane by now.  In following other blogs and seeing updates to Wal-mart's coupon policy it seems like it has changed about once a week since the first of the year (and that's their corporate policy), their store's haven't even kept up with the policy as it has changed, so I don't really know what customers are expected to do.  All I can say is that they do need to get it together soon and decide what their final policy will be and enforce it at the store level, then stick with it, before they lose any more customers.

To date.... first they were taking competitor coupons, then they weren't, then they were AND they were even taking $ Off Purcahase Register Rewards (from Walgreens and similar) and now they aren't taking those but they are still allowing cash back on overage transactions.  I'm figuring that will probably change too in the next week or so.

Rite Aid Trip 3/19

When I got to the store and looked through the ad I noticed that there was nothing mentioned about the Clean & Clear +UP deal (however, the in-ad coupon was present for a change).  I decided that the coupon stack (and the amount of +UPs I have) made this a good enough deal even without getting more +UPs, so I picked up 3 Clean & Clear items.  While shopping, I did something I don't do often enough and actually kept a running total of my items on my calculator. I thought I had the math all figured out on how much I'd need in order to use my +UPs and even picked up 2 pieces of candy as filler, so that I could use $7 worth of +UPs.  I just forgot to take into account the 10% off I get for Silver status.  I'm still learning and luckily, I had another +UP that was $1 less than the 2 I'd planned to use.

3 Clean & Clear items @ $5.84 (after 10% Wellness discount)
- (3) $2/1 Clean & Clear in-ad Qs
- (3) $2/1 Clean & Clear printable Qs
3 packs Dixie paper plates @ $1.97
- $5/3 Video Value Q
1 Blistex @ $1
- $.35/1 Q
2 Russell Stover candies @ 2/$1

- $3/$15  Servey Coupon
- $6 +UPs
= .32 OOP (got back $5+UP and another survey invitation)

This is a huge savings considering that we have always bought our paper plates at CostCo. When I was in CostCo yesterday I noticed their price for 170 of the same paper plates is over $12. I got 135 paper plates for less than $1 (before using any +UPs).

Saturday was an awesome day for drugstore shopping, for me.  I'm finding that even though stores might be out of items at the end of the week, the trip, overall, is less pressure-filled than it would be earlier in the week. The stores are less busy and I can take my time a little more.  And since the stores aren't as busy the cashiers don't mind multiple transactions as much or taking their time to ring you out.

Walgreens Trip 3/19

I'm feeling more and more comfortable with Walgreens. Granted it doesn't hurt that this trip didn't need to involved multiple transactions (although the cashier was more than ready for me to have them).  I started off with $9 in RR (left over from the Swiffer/Schick deals last week) and I was initially worried that I'd only be able to use 1 per transaction (as it seems that some stores set this limit and some don't), so I did the easy thing.... I asked before I checked out.  The girl I asked confirmed that I could use as many as I had so long as my number of coupons did not exceed the number of items purchased.  As luck would have it, they had a great filler for me this week with the 3 padded envelopes for $1.  I'd also read mixed reviews on the ability to use the BOGO Right Aid coupon on top of the BOGO sale.  I didn't ask about this, I just tried it and the cashier did it without saying a word.

So here's what my transaction looked like:
1 Listerine (1L) @ $3.99 (sale)
-$1 coupon
2 Right Guard @ BOGO $4.49
-BOGO coupon
1 Dial Nutriskin lotion @ $4.99 (sale)
-$2 coupon
2 Blistex @ $1 (sale)
- (2) $.35 coupons
6 Scotch padded mailers @ 3/$1 (with in-ad Q)

=$10.66 - $9RR = $2.66 OOP (got back $4RR from Listerine & Dial)

Kitchen Prep Set - $14 on Housewares Deals

HousewaresDeals.com 's offering today is a set of 3 Resin covered stainless steel knives and 2 cutting boards for just $14.  Reading up a little on these types of knives online, they are known to be quite sharp and the resin covering keeps them from sticking to food.

Farberware® 5 Piece Prep Set

This 5 Piece Prep Set will have you slicing and dicing like a pro! The 3 piece knife set features resin-coated stainless steel blades that reduce the sticking of food to the knife, allowing for easier, more efficient cutting. The ergonomically designed handles provide a sure, comfortable grip. 3 piece set includes: 8 inch chef's knife, 5-1/2 inch utility knife, and 3-1/2 inch parer knife. Hand wash only. Also included is a set of 2 polypropylene cutting boards that feature nonslip accents for stability while cutting and reversible sides to double a chef's cutting capacity. 8x10 inch and 11x14 inch sizes. Dishwasher safe.

Check out the Deal at HousewaresDeals.cohttp://www.housewaresdeals.comm

$2 For 5 One-Night Rentals

Groupon has a great National Daily Deal today, offering 5 One-Night movie rentals for just $2 at Blockbuster Express locations.  Get this deal on Groupon.

FREE SAMPLE: Dove Men+Care

Click here to snag a Free Sample of Dove Men+Care (my Dad swears by it)

$2 Off Silk Soy Milk

Head over to Silk vs Milk and login or register to take the "Silk Vs. Milk" Challenge and get a coupon worth $2 Off your next purchase of Silk. Silk is on sale right now at Publix 2/$5, so this coupon makes it just $.50.  Evidently, there is also a $1 Off coupon in the Spring Publix Family Style magazine.

-thanks MOJO Savings

FREE Cup of Yoplait Still Available

March is National Nutrition Month and there´s no better time than now for you and your family to commit to more wholesome snacking options.

 Yoplait is still doing their Million Cup giveaway, if you haven't already "liked" Yoplait on Facebook and received your free cup, be sure to head over and do so. I've already gotten my coupon and I know I'll be using it as we eat a ton of yogurt around here.  I especially love that Yoplait light is now using Splenda to sweeten their product instead of aspertame.  Now that I'm attempting to do "Weight Watchers" again, yogurt has become an even bigger part of my diet.  Lately, I've been really enjoying Yoplait's "Yo-Plus" yogurt with added fiber, since that seems to be the one thing I can never get enough of in my diet naturally.


From Yoplait's Facebook page you can explore the many nourishing options that Yoplait has to offer - with varieties like Yoplait Light, Yoplait Original, Yoplait Fiber One, Yoplait Kids and Yoplait Delight Parfaits. Each product offers different benefits, and loads of variety, to make eating well a no-brainer. Here are five great ways to 'get your snack on' with Yoplait this March!

1.  Start spring off right with Yoplait Light´s Two Week Tune Up Plan - Replace breakfast and lunch with a cup of your favorite flavor of Yoplait Light, a whole grain and a piece of fruit and you could lose 5 pounds in two weeks. Go to Yoplait.com for full diet details.
   
2. Get more calcium with Yoplait Original style yogurt - Now with two times the calcium of the leading yogurt (50 percent of the Recommended Daily Value) in one convenient 6-ounce cup*, Yoplait Original style yogurt is committed to women´s health, offering a product that has even more of the calcium women need for strong, healthy bodies. Grab a free cup while supplies last during the Million Cup Giveaway on Yoplait on Facebook!
   
3. Try the newest flavor from Yoplait Fiber One - Yoplait Fiber One´s new Blueberry flavor yogurt is packed with filling fiber, calcium, vitamins A and D, real fruit and the great taste of blueberries. With only 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat, this deliciously creamy yogurt won´t break your calorie bank.
   
4.  Stress less over snack time with Yoplait Kids yogurt - With a wholesome and fun snack like Yoplait Kids yogurt in the fridge, you can feel good about what your children are eating at snack time. Yoplait Kids provides an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and has 25% less sugar than the leading kids´ yogurt**. With yummy flavors, and favorite friends like Dora and Lightning McQueen on the packages, Yoplait Kids is a hit with moms and children alike.
   
5.  End the day with a Delight Parfait from Yoplait - Even with two luscious layers providing a double shot of rich and creamy yogurt, these 100 calorie indulgences from Yoplait contain only 1.5 grams of fat per serving. Now available in two new flavors, Chocolate Éclair and Cherry Cheesecake, you can enjoy a dessert that´s 100 percent guilt-free.

*Leading yogurt has less than 25% Daily Value calcium per 6 oz.

**Yoplait kids has 9 grams of sugar per 3oz. the leading kids' yogurt has 13 grams of sugar per 3oz. 

Information shared in this post was provided by Yoplait and MyBlogSpark, opinions are strictly my own and are in no way inpacted by any possible compensation or prize.  By posting this information I do have the opportunity to win a prize pack from Yoplait and MyBlogSpark

Sunday Coupons 3/20

We had 2 coupon inserts this week, 1 SmartSource and 1 Redplum and it only took me 3 stops to finally find a store that had papers in stock WITH coupons in them.  Evidently, there is a coupon thief at one of my local Rite Aid's that likes to steal all the inserts!

So here's what we had in my paper (Huntsville Times) this week:

SmartSource

• $1/2 Ken's 16oz Dressings
• $1/1 Ken's Marinade
• BOGO Ken's 8 or 9oz Dressing
• $10 MIR for Hill's Science Diet
• $1.50 Off any GenTeal eye drops
• $3 Off any Zaditor eye drops
• $1/2 General Mills cereals
• $.75/3 Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper
• $1/5 Totino's Party Pizza
• $.50/1 Fiber One Cereal
• $.50/1 Kix cereal
• $1/2 Cherios
• $1 off Wonderful Pistachios
• $1/3 Birds eye or Birds Eye Steamfresh varieties
• $3 Off any twin pack Clear Care or Aquify Multi-purpose solution
• $1.50/1 Clear Care or Aquify Multi-purpose solution
• $1/1 Playtex Personal Cleansing Cloths product
• $1.50/1 package of Pull-Ups
• $1.50/1 package of DEPEND Underwear in Prints and Colors
• $1/1 package of DEPEND product
• $5 Off Advanced Hydroxycut
• $1 Off Any Sea Best bagged product
• $1/2 Louisiana Fish Fry Products breading items
• $1/1 Zest 18oz body wash
• $1/1 Zest 3-bar multi-pack or larger
• Get FREE Warmer Unit WYB AirWick Scented Oil Refill
• $1/1 AIR Wick Scented Oil twin refill pack or 2 single refills
• $.55/1 Edge Shave Gel
• $1/1 Schick Quattro Titanium disposable razor package
• $3/1 Schick Quattro Titanium razor, trimmer or refill
• $1.50/1 4lb (or larger) bag of Purina Little Bites
• $1/2 6oz or smaller packages of  Purina Beggin' any variety
• $1/2 10oz packages of Purina Beggin' any variety
• $1/1 Zantac product of 24cot or larger
• $1/1 Woolite detergent
• $.35/1 Mentos Gum (15pc or larger)
• $1/1 Lysol Neutra Air Fabric Mist
• $1.50/1 Lysol Neutra Air Aerosol can
• $4/1 AirWick Freshmatic starter kit
• BOGO AirWick Freshmatic Ultra Refill
• $2/1 Schick Intuition razor or refill
• $1 Off Joint Juice supplement drink
• $.55/1 any size Disposer Care
• $.55/1 any size Washer Magic
• $.55/1 Dishwasher Magic

Redplum

• $1/1 Always Maxi or Ultra Jumbo Pack
• $1/1 Pedigree Dentastix
• $1/1 any size of Pedigree Breathbuster
• $1/1 L'Oreal Root Rescue product
• $2/1 shade of Preference
• $2/1 L'Oreal Paris Skin Care product
• $1/1 L'Oreal Paris Eye Cosmetic Item
• $1/1 L'Oreal Paris Cosmetic Item
• $1/2 Mars Easter products
• $1.50/2 Suave body lotion products
• BUY 2 Suave Body wash products GET ONE FREE
• $.50/1 Suave deodorant product
• $.50/2 Suave Professionals styliing products
• $.50/2 Suave Professionals shampoo or conditioner
• $.50/2 Suave Kids shampoo or conditioner products
• $1/2 Indoor, Kitten, Skin & Coat, Dentabites or Hairball Temptations Treats for Cats
• $1/1 Cesar treats
• $1 Off Southern Living magazine
• $1 Off People
• $.55 Off any Endust product
• $4/1 Gillette Fusion Proglide Cartridge Manual or Power
• $1/1 Sundown vitamin or supplement
• $1 Off any Disney or Marvel vitamin product
• $2/2 bags of Purina Cat Chow or Purina Kitten Chow
• $1/1 Smucker's Snack n' Waffles brand waffles
• $.75/1 package of any Sara Lee pre-sliced meat
• $7 Off Zyrtec 70ct
• $4 Off Zyrtec 24ct or larger
• $3 Off any Zyrtec-D 12ct or larger
• $1 Off Goody's 16ct or larger
• $1 Off BC 18ct or larger
• $1/2 Minute Ready to Serve rice products
• $1/1 40ct or 9.8oz spoonable Truvia natural sweetener

To get a head start on what to expect in next Sunday's paper, check out the Sunday Coupon Preview.

FREE Chips at Kroger

There was an ad in with the coupons this week that Kroger is giving away FREE bags of Frito-Lay chips (2.5-3oz) on April 1 from 3-8pm (no coupon necessary, while supplies last).  The picture in the ad was of Lay's chips along side Sun Chips.

100 Follower GiveAway Complete!

WOOHOO! Money Saving Mode officially hit 100 Followers on Google Friend Connect AND we've more than passed 100 "likes" on Facebook! Thanks to everyone who helped me hit this goal.

And now for the giveaway. As I promised last week, I'm choosing one lucky reader who entered the contest in this thread, to receive a $10 Amazon gift certificate.

Debbie Does Coupons .com said...

Followed you with GFC

Winner has been contacted.

FREE SAMPLE: PowerBar Protein Bites

PowerBar is giving away a FREE Sample of their new Powerbar ProteinPlus Bites.  Just click here to sign up for your free sample.

FREE Creamer for VocalPoint Members

If you are a Vocal Point member, head over here and sign up for your free pint of Coffee House Breve Creamer from International Delight, if you aren't a Vocal Point member you can sign up and get this deal, too!

Ipod USB Travel Kit $3.15 at Amazon

Here's a hot deal on a Apple iPod USB Travel Kit with Car Charger/ Travel Adapter/ Cable at Amazon.com, this kit is white and it includes an interchangable charger with car charger and travel wall charger.  This is a pretty sweet deal as it's rare to find just a car charger or just a wall charger for under $10.

While you are there you may want to pick up this  Rapid Travel Charger for iPod for only a penny (that's right just $0.01 plus shipping).

24 pack Ziploc Storage Containers $8.60

Amazon has a really good deal right now on their Ziploc Storage Containers . Get 24 containers (variety pack) for just $8.60.  This is an excellent deal. And if you are an Amazon Prime Member it will ship for FREE!






thanks Because Cheaper is Better

FREE SAMPLE: Kellogg's Mini Wheats Touch of Fruit

VocalPoint is offering up a FREE SAMPLE of the new Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Touch of Fruit cereal.  Just click here and fill out the info to grab yours.

$10 Amazon Card Giveaway - Enter Now

Head over to this post to enter NOW for your chance to win the $10 Amazon card.  I've noticed lots of new likers today (we hit the 100 mark on Facebook) and we are just 6 followers shy on GFC, but surprisingly not all of you have entered the giveaway.  Go enter, because as soon as I see that I've passed the 100 mark on BOTH Facebook and Google Friend Connect, I'll be picking a winner from the entries on the giveaway thread, here.

Don't Miss Your Chance!

COUPON: BOGO Athenos Hummus

Head over to Facebook and "like" Athenos to grab a coupon for BOGO Hummus.  You can occasionally find this on sale for as low as $1 and it makes for not only a great snack but you can use it in recipes too.

Take a Virtual Snack Break with Yoplait

Join Yoplait Greek and Maria Menounos for a live virtual snack break, because it´s time for a better snack! Please see attached and below for details of the virtual event that will take place on Thursday, March 24. Simply log-on to register.

Yoplait Greek invites you to join Maria Menounos, Access Hollywood Correspondent and author of the upcoming book The EveryGirl´s Guide to Life, registered dietitian Christina Meyer-Jax, and Allison Curran from Yoplait Greek, for a live virtual snack break.

When: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 12:30-1:15 p.m. PT (3:30-4:15 p.m. ET)

Where: Log-on to http://event.xfactorcom.com/sd/yoplait/20110324/ (password: "Yoplait" - case sensitive) - Pre-register to receive a free Snack Pack**

Why: Let´s face it, we´d all like an upgrade every now and then

Event Features:
- Maria´s expert organization, health, recipe and lifestyle tips
- A sneak peek of Maria´s new book
- Introduction to the new and improved Yoplait Greek
- Launch of the Better Snacking Sweepstakes
- Live Q&A and snacking poll

** If you pre-register by March 21, Yoplait Greek will send you a fun Snack Pack including Yoplait Greek coupons, a meal planner, a reusable grocery bag and a pocket organizer.

Sunday Coupon Preview

It appears that we will have at least 2 inserts in the paper this Sunday; a Redplum and a SmartSource.  I'm hoping it's a better coupon week personally as I have really had to dig to find coupons I would really use in the paper since the first of the year.  How are you feeling about the inserts we've seen so far?

This week we will be seeing some new coupons for things like Edge shave gel, $4 off Gillette Fusion razors (love these), & B2G1 Suave body wash, these all give me hope.  If you'd like to check out the preview of what's coming in this week's coupon inserts and see what's going to make it worthwhile FOR YOU, then please check out the Sunday Coupon Preview.