How Do You Organize Your Coupons?

When I first started couponing I actually made my own coupon organizer.  I took a standard letter size plastic folder and cut it down and used packaging tape to move relocate the tie.  It wasn't super deep and I made the dividers out of recycled folders, but it worked. 

I only had about a half dozen or so categories set up in it and it was getting to the point where I just needed something that gave me a little more room.  Another issue I was having with it is that I typically keep our grocery cash in the organizer when I'm shopping and I kept losing loose change out the holes on the sides.  So, last week when I was at Hobby Lobby and they didn't have the item I'd gone in there with my 40% off coupon to get and I saw coupon organizers on display I decided to pick one up.  I hate it!

On the surface, it seemed like it would be so much better than the one I had. The accordian style allowed it to expand further.  It has a hard pocket in the front providing a place to store my cash while shopping, as well as a pen and whatever else I might want to put in there.  But, here it is a week later and the thing is already tearing up.  The plastic this organizer is made out of us is a much harder plastic than the one I'd made, because of this it doesn't want to stay open when I open it and it's harder to open, in general, when I want to get into it.  The accordion style makes it want to flip over when it is left open (unless it's sitting up against something to keep it from doing so).

So give me some suggestions.  What do you use to organizer your coupons?  While I do typically pull out the coupons I will be using for a shopping trip so that they are separate,  I do like to have all my coupons with me just in case I find a deal I wasn't expecting when I get to the store.  So, I need something that will hold them all without being a suitcase (I've seen a few organizers that are pretty huge), but I also have enough coupons that I can't get away with the smallest organizers that don't expand either.

Hamburger Helper Coupon

Hamburger Helper Coupon

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Read My Feed Weekend

I'm participating in "Read My Feed" weekend. Be sure to click the link above to find other great blogs about saving money!

Wow! Black Friday Deals!

I don't particular need these items... but these are some good deals!

OfficeMax:
 - - HP Photosmart All-in-One Wireless Printer $69.99 (I had this printer prior to the Epson I have now and I really liked it.  The only reason I didn't get another one is that they changed the ink so that it no longer has the 5 color cartridges.  The Epson does a lot better on ink, imo, but for this price I'd buy the HP in a heartbeat!)

Best Buy
- - Nsignia Blu Ray WiFi Blu Ray Player $89.99
- - Itunes $50 Gift Card for $40 (in case you missed the $50 gc for $30 at Walmart earlier this month)
- - Verizon Droid Incredible $1 (with 2yr contract - new or upgrade)
- - Logitech Harmony 650 Remote $49

Wal-Mart (electronic deals start at 5am on Friday, everything else starts at 12:01am)
- - Magnavox Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Player $59
- - 8GB Ipod Touch $225 (plus get a $50 Wal-mart gift card)
- - LG Blu-ray Player (wi-fi sold separately) $94
- - HP Photosmart Plus wireless all in one $74
- - HP AIO Wireless printer (all in one) $44
- - Philips SonicCare Essence toothbrush $37.74
- - Set of 10 picture frames (or 12 opening montage frame) $7
- - Brother Limited Edition project runway sewing machine $50
- - Sony Blu-Ray disc player (wi-fi adapter sold separately) BD270 $ 94 (Saturday Only)
- - Sony Blu-Ray disc player (with wi-fi) BD570 $158 (Saturday Only)
- - Justin Beiber cd $10 (just threw that in there to see if you were paying attention)

Walgreens
- - Nivea for Men Shave Gel - $2.99 - $2.99 RR FREE after register reward
- - Colgate Toothpaste - $2.99 - $2.99 RR = FREE after register reward
(There's a ton of these type of deals, so be sure to check out the ad)

Target
- - Free $10 gift card when you spend $100 between 4am-10am Black Friday
- - Ipod Touch - $225 (plus get $30 Target gift card)
- - Sony Wireless Ready Blu Ray player BDP-S370 - $99

Sears
- - Craftsman 10in Table Saw w/ steel stand - $89
- - 50% OFF Dyson Floor Cleaners



There are a ton of great deals this Thanksgiving weekend, the one thing I want is a wifi Blu Ray player that will play Netflix.  It looks like the best deals are on those and on printers (if you want/need a wireless printer this is the time to get one).  I'll be interested to see what the Cyber Monday deals look like on these two items.



To check out all the Black Friday Ads, go to http://www.blackfriday.info

Massive Coupon GiveAway

I posted this last week but the winner never claimed the prize.  So the first person to email me (drunkitty 2000 at Yahoo) with their mailing address will get a pretty massive envelope of coupons.  Some of them expire pretty soon so I really want to get them out to someone so they can be used.

Drugstore Deals 11/14-11/21

Walgreens
Puffs facial tissue.89 (with in ad coupon) - .25 coupon = .64
Green Giant veggies .59/each (with in ad coupon) - .50/2 coupon = .59/2
Epsom salt 3lb - 2/$3 (with in ad coupon)
Infusium Shampoo or conditioner $5.99 - $3RR - $1coupon = $1.99


CVS
Palmolive .99 - .50 coupon = .49
Vaseline lotion $6 - $1.50 ECB - $1 coupon = $3.50
Domino sugar $2.99 - .40 coupon = $2.50
Aussie/ Herbal Essence hair products $2.99 - $2ECB - .50 coupon = .49 (limit 1)
(if you have the $2 off clairol family product coupon from last week's P&G insert, that will make this a better deal)

Rite Aid
Aussie/ Herbal Essence hair care $2.99 - $2+UP - .50 coupon = .49
(you can also use the $1/2 coupon, depending on the +UP limit, or use the same deal listed above for CVS)
Libby's Pumpkin, Carnation Evap Milk, Green Giant Veggies - 10/$10 - $4+UP (wyb 10) - .55 carnation coupon - .50/2 Green Giant coupon
Ghiradelli Squares 2/$5 - $1+UP - $1/2 Coupon = 2/$3
Dayquil/Nyquil $3.99 - $1+UP -$1Dayquil/Nyquil coupon (there was one of each in the P&G insert last week) = $1.99 each
Advil Cold & Sinus (part of Buy 5 and save $10) - $1/1 Advil C&S or Advil Congestion coupon (not sure what the limit is on buying products with pseudoephadrine)
French's French Fried Onions 2/$3 - $1+UP - (2).50 coupons = 2/$1

Kraft Mac & Cheese Game & Coupon

Have fun playing this spin to win game on the Kraft website and pick up your free coupon while you are there.  You can keep playing till you get the coupon(s) you want.

Coupon GIveAway Winner!

Shanee is the winner of my latest give-away.  Shanee, if you will please email me your mailing address I will get said coupons (and some other sample size items) out to you ASAP.

drunkitty2000 at yahoo

Just Because it's a Deal doesn't mean it's a GOOD Deal

Lots of websites are doing these "Daily Deal" email alerts, along the same lines as Amazon's Gold Box Deal.  I've noticed that many bloggers seem to get caught up in sharing these deals, as if just because they exist they are a good deal.  One that I noticed recently that got a lot of play was a Wal-mart deal on a printer.  Even I got caught up in that one, I mean an All-in-One printer for just $30? But then I looked a little harder and found that it wasn't that good of a deal.  The regular price on Amazon was only $40 and I found other websites where you could easily get the same printer for $30-$35.  Granted the shipping from Wal-mart was a super cheap .97, but still.  Then I looked a little harder and realized that this was one of those printers where to replace the ink cartridges would cost you as much as a new printer.  Granted at only $30, it's hard to find ink for much cheaper, but the ink cartridges on this printer were a little high, IMO.

I've seen other deals that were along the same lines, and the moral of the story is don't get caught up in "deal" adrenaline.  Do some research before you buy and make sure that item you are buying is really worth spending ANY money on.  You also may want to ask yourself the question, "Do I really need this?".  I have to ask that question a lot when I see something that seems like a really great deal.  I mean, yeah, if you are going to give it to me for free I'll take it.  But, do I really want to spend my money on this?

Another thing in this same category that I see a lot, are all these survey sites, etc.  Remember that nothing in life is really free.  At the very least you are giving them your contact information.  Check the privacy policy.  Who are they passing your info on to?  What is the real price for all that free stuff?  Is your time really worth so little?  There are a handful (if not more) of these survey sites that will have you jumping through hoops just to get a "free sample" of something.  Chances are it's something you don't even need anyway.  And even if it is something you'll use, is it really worth that 10 minutes (or more) of your time? Aren't there better things you could have used your time for? (like reading this blog?lol).  I could easily be on the computer 24/7 filling out surveys and such just to get free items or get $5, etc.  And maybe for some it's worthwhile to do that.  Just make sure you ask yourself the question before you spend the time, and that you really think about what you are trading for what you are getting.  Is it really worth it? Is it really a good deal?

Rite Aid

Ok, so I got to Rite Aid yesterday to find that the sale ad at the store was different than the sale ad online.  This isn't unusual for Rite Aid, but it made me a little unhappy since two of the major deals I wanted to pick up were not on sale here (the Nivea and the Halls cough drops).  The upside was that in the in-store ad was another of the "transfer a prescription get a $25 gc" coupon.  The coupon is good until Nov. 20.

I've noticed that most of the time if our local stores are running this coupon that the Rite Aid ad does not show up in the paper.  That said, I'm now up to about $125 in gift cards from Rite Aid for transferring prescriptions (yes I take a lot of prescriptions). 

Another upside to shopping (and getting your prescriptions filled) at Rite Aid is their points program. Each dollar you spend earns you a point and you get 25 points for each prescription you fill.  As those points add up so do your discounts.  There are a few levels of discounts with the final one being 20% off all of your purchases.