With graduation just around the corner you may be thinking about how much you are going to have to spend on gifts, the good news is that you don't have to spend a lot to give a great graduation gift, and better yet it's not too late to start planning for next year's gifts and save even more. Remembering back to when I graduated high school, the gifts that I still remember are the ones that I could really use, things like clothes, or luggage. Things that would help me as I headed off to college, or things with special meaning. Cash is great but not only will the graduate not remember it later, it costs you more and it will likely be gone before it can do them any good.
Here are a few ideas to help you give big without spending big!
1. Dave Ramsey's Graduate Survival Guide - this is a new product from Dave Ramsey geared toward graduates and right now it has a promotional price of just $19.99. The best thing about this gift is that it will not only save you some money but it will go a long way towards helping new graduates save money. This new DVD discussion is hosted by Rachel Cruze (Dave Ramsey's daughter) and includes a reference book. Topics include basics like balancing a check book, credit cards, part-time jobs, student loans and other practical advice about money.
2. Save Money On Gifts with Cash Back - If you purchase a gift for your grad online you can save some green by going through a cash back site like Ebates. These sites allow you to shop on most websites, getting the same deals you would normally get but also getting a percentage of what you spend back in your pocket. For instance, right now you can get 5% back when you shop at Brookstone through Ebates, 3.5% back at Things Remembered (think monogrammed) or 6% back from Barnes & Noble.
3. Discount Gift Cards - go through Ebates to purchase gift cards online and get the same % back, or get discount gift cards online through reseller sites like Plastic Jungle. Even if your graduate isn't a reader, if they are planning to head off to college in the fall they will appreciate a gift card to Barnes & Noble (now one of the largest suppliers of college text books). Just keep in mind that if you give a gift card as a gift, it may end up on Plastic Jungle, which works by providing those with unused / unwanted gift cards a way to sell them for cash, and also a place for others to buy them at a discount.
4. Plan Ahead - If your graduate isn't graduating this year, you have time to plan ahead. Instead of spending actual money, you can always get their gift for free by signing up for Swagbucks and earning points for doing things you already do. Then, you can trade those points in for actual items or Amazon gift cards that you can use to purchase their preferred gifts, without spending an actual penny.
5. Get Creative - One of my favorite gift ideas for any special occasion is a creative idea that my mom passed along to me. This works especially well if your grad is heading off to college or planning to move out on their own or travel over the summer. Start with a large container that they can re-use often and easily. If they are moving out on their own you might start with a hamper or nice kitchen or bathroom trash can. If they are heading off to college a nice laundry basket, backpack or small piece of luggage (these last two work great if they are planning to travel over the summer). Fill the backpack or travel bag with travel size hygiene products. Fill the laundry basket with laundry soap, & fabric softener or fill a backpack with notebooks and school supplies (or mix and match with a little of everything).
6. Use Your Stockpile - we all have a huge stockpile of drug store items, so either use the idea above or create a gift basket using some of your stockpile items. They will especially appreciate these items if they are heading off to college (or traveling).
7. Magazine Subscriptions - Whether it's their favorite hobby or a magazine geared towards their chosen profession or college major, a magazine subscription is a gift that keeps giving (and reminding them of you) for at least a year. This is another area where Ebates comes in handy, currently offering 26% cash back at Magazines.com (and often doubling to 50% cash back).
8. Personalized Coupon Book - Create your own IOU book of coupons that the graduate can redeem at a later date, include coupons for "batch of cookies", "care package of 4 items of their choice", "laundry service", and a "home cooked meal". Whether they are heading off to college or out on their own, these are comfort items they will appreciate.
9. Ream of Resume Paper - If they are graduating from college, this is something that will come in handy for them as they head out into the world of job-hunting.
10. Netflix Subscription - A Netflix subscription allows them to get what they want when they want it, and you can choose how much of a gift you want to give, whether it's 1 month of online viewing for just $7.99 or a full year of streaming plus unlimited DVDs (1 out at a time) for $119.88.
Avoid gifts that are graduation themed. While they are cute at the moment, within 6 months they will be tossed aside and forgotten.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Free Sample of Woolite Dry Cleaners Secret
Send in your dry cleaner receipt and this form to get a free sample of Dry Cleaner Secret from Woolite. Give it a try and see if you can save some money on your dry cleaning bill.
$5 Off $10 At Ulta!
Here's a sweet coupon for Ulta shoppers, click over to print a coupon for $5 off a $10 purchase at Ulta. There's also a code available for use online.
Interview With The Couponer: The Coupon Diva Desirea
To get us started, I'm interviewing Coupon Diva Desirae from My New Addiction Savings. She will be featured on the April 27 episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC, so be sure to watch for that.
Julie: How / Why did you get started couponing?
Desirae: I started couponing about 4yrs ago when my husband just graduated from college, working 2 jobs & we just had a baby. We were living paycheck to paycheck, driving one car and had over $30,000 in student loans to pay. I couldn't stand living like that anymore so I looked into couponing and after that it was history...
Julie: What made you decide to participate on the Extreme Couponing show?
Desirae: Because I wanted to show families & mothers around the world that you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. That you don't have to spend your last dime on food, and you don't have to worry about providing for your family. You don't have to be extreme like us but you can start somewhere.
Julie: How do you feel about all the controversy that has occurred recently about the show? Do you worry that it may affect how viewers view you?
Desirae: There is tons of controversy about the show. People believe we are the reason for everything [changes to coupon policy] that is going on right now. When really it's because of coupon fraud and people misusing coupons. If the show wasn't here they would blame it on something else. The thing people need to realize is that its TV. we don't shop like this daily, weekly or all the time. This was the film crew following us for 1 day to 1 store. We are trying to show you that you can save extreme. Stockpilers dont buy 500 mustards in 1 shopping trip it takes us weeks or years to get that much. But we are just showing you that you can save extreme & that it's possible. Also almost every single one of us on the show pre-ordered their [groceries]. It might look like shelves got cleared but really its our part cleared and then the store comes behind us to restock the stores stock!
Katie asks: Why buy and hoard things you get with coupons, especially if you are never going to use them? Why not donate?
Desirae: I dont consider it hoarding. Hoarding to me is living in filth, having no clue what you have, expired food & greedy, not donating. I donate everything. My neighbors, family and friends are welcomed to come over anytime to get what they need. I give to the great dane rescue, the pregnancy centers, and shelters. What I use I keep for myself & what I don't need I give away.
Just because they don't show the giving part on the show don't assume we don't donate
Abed asks: How do you have time to Coupon to that extreme, work, keep the house clean, and spend time with your family?
Desirae: I ask myself that often! I am a wife, mother, cook, housekeeper, photographer, extreme couponer, blogger, & about to be a college student. I just have to find time to balance everything.
Julie: Do you ever have moments where you wonder if all the effort is really worth it?
Desirae: Nope, because I know it's worth it. When I can feed my family on $150 a month I know its worth it. I will never ever ever pay full retail for anything. Even if i win the lottery i wouldn't stop :]
Julie: What do you hope comes from this show? Do you think the overall lasting effect will be positive or negative?
Desirae: We are always going to have those negative people that are either jealous, or don't have anything to do with their time. People aren't always going to agree with what I do. Instead of them creating negative all over they need to find time to create positive. Extreme couponing is like talking about abortion or Obama. Someone is always not going to agree with my actions or beliefs.
Julie: If you could give one piece of advice to new couponers, what would it be?
Desirae: To be organized & don’t get overwhelmed! Start off slow & don’t overdo yourself or you will get burnt out. Don’t try to be like me in the first week of couponing because it’s taken me a long time to get where I am! Stay organized so that you can stay focused & have more drive to coupon!
Thank you to Desirae for taking the time to answer our questions. You can get to know Desirae better on her blog, Facebook and Youtube Channel.
Coupon Noob Strikes Again - $1.53 OOP at CVS
This week, I tried to plot out my own trip to CVS. I looked at a few scenarios online, but they didn't quite work for me because it was things that we wouldn't have used. So this week, I took a stab at making my own scenario. One thing that I was disappointed about was I didn't get some of the coupons in my Red Plum that were talked about on other websites (The -$3/1 Nieva Body Wash Coupons in Red Plum). I can only assume that they were region specific. So I had to redo my scenario a couple of times.
On to the savings!
Transaction #1
(1) CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm - $6
(1) CoverGirl Eye Shadow - $5.79
Using -$2.50/2 CoverGirl product, PG 4/03
(1) Aquafresh Kids toothbrush - $1
Using $1/1 Aquafresh Kids Toothbrush RP 4/17
Total Before Coupons and tax- $12.79
Total AFTER Coupons, $10 ECB from last week plus tax - $0.19!
The CoverGirl products were get $3 ECB WTB $10 worth of CoverGirl products, Limit 1
Transaction #2
(1) Edge Infused Shave Gel - $3.29
Using .55/1 Edge Shave gel, SS 3/20
(2) Colgate Toothpaste 4.6 oz - 2 @ $1 Each
Using (2) $0.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste SS 4/03
(1) Easter Grass - $0.99
Total Before Coupons and tax - $6.28
Total AFTER Coupons, $3 ECB from transaction #1, $1 ECB from last week plus tax - $0.60
On this order I got a $2.30 ECB for buying the Edge Shaving Gel and a $0.99 ECB for buying the Easter grass.
Transaction #3
(1) Paas Classic Easter egg coloring kit - $1.99
(1) Clearance bag of Pepperidge Farm Milano Mint cookies (I had my daughter with me) - $0.85
Total before Coupons and tax - $2.84
Total AFTER Coupons, $2.30 ECB from Transaction #2 and tax - $0.74
Total OOP for all transactions - $1.53 for $21.91 of merchandise!
Buying the Paas egg coloring kit, got me another $1.99 ECB. So for Next week I have $1.99, $0.99 and $1 ECBs to start with.
On to the savings!
Transaction #1
(1) CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm - $6
(1) CoverGirl Eye Shadow - $5.79
Using -$2.50/2 CoverGirl product, PG 4/03
(1) Aquafresh Kids toothbrush - $1
Using $1/1 Aquafresh Kids Toothbrush RP 4/17
Total Before Coupons and tax- $12.79
Total AFTER Coupons, $10 ECB from last week plus tax - $0.19!
The CoverGirl products were get $3 ECB WTB $10 worth of CoverGirl products, Limit 1
Transaction #2
(1) Edge Infused Shave Gel - $3.29
Using .55/1 Edge Shave gel, SS 3/20
(2) Colgate Toothpaste 4.6 oz - 2 @ $1 Each
Using (2) $0.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste SS 4/03
(1) Easter Grass - $0.99
Total Before Coupons and tax - $6.28
Total AFTER Coupons, $3 ECB from transaction #1, $1 ECB from last week plus tax - $0.60
On this order I got a $2.30 ECB for buying the Edge Shaving Gel and a $0.99 ECB for buying the Easter grass.
Transaction #3
(1) Paas Classic Easter egg coloring kit - $1.99
(1) Clearance bag of Pepperidge Farm Milano Mint cookies (I had my daughter with me) - $0.85
Total before Coupons and tax - $2.84
Total AFTER Coupons, $2.30 ECB from Transaction #2 and tax - $0.74
Total OOP for all transactions - $1.53 for $21.91 of merchandise!
Buying the Paas egg coloring kit, got me another $1.99 ECB. So for Next week I have $1.99, $0.99 and $1 ECBs to start with.
New Publix Coupons
There are several new Publix coupons available here, including a $.55 off Yoplait Delights yogurt and $1/1 Fiber One bars, as well as a few other General Mills coupons. These are Publix coupons so they can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for even more savings!
6 Free Items at VistaPrint for Easter
VistaPrint is always running some great promotion or another. If you need business cards, there is really no reason to pay full price for them as you can almost always get 250 of them for free with Vistaprint.For Easter, they are also offering a free pen, tote bag, photo flip book and several other items. Just click here to see the current deals.
Amazon Has Coupons!
Did you know that Amazon has coupons? I had no idea until I saw a reference to them on another blog today, but they do! And sometimes those coupons mean really good deals. You can check out Amazon's Coupon Page here
to see what great offers are currently available.
to see what great offers are currently available.
Free Sample: Texas Pete Hot Sauce
How to Get the Sunday Coupon Inserts If Not In Your Sunday Paper
For some reason, not all areas get the Sunday Coupon Inserts as part of their Sunday paper. Evidently, there are different contracts each paper has with the insert providers, so your paper may only carry inserts from one or two or none of the three insert providers (SmartSource, Redplum, and Proctor & Gamble). Not to worry, if you are one of the unlucky ones, there are other ways to get your inserts.
By Mail: In some areas these inserts are mailed out to your home instead of included in the Sunday paper. Personally, I think this is a nice perk as it would save you a bit of money. If you have a PO Box it's even better because you can often find extra copies that have been left behind by other box holders who don't want them.
If the inserts are not included in your Sunday paper and are not delivered to you automatically, you can sign up to have them delivered at the provider's websites. To see if Redplum is included in your local newspaper and where to find it, click here. You can also sign up to receive the RedPlum Mail Package here.
If your area does deliver the inserts via regular mail, you may want to stop by the post office the day after they are delivered to see if they have any extras. You can also check around the PO box area for those left behind by others.
By a Different Paper: If you live near a larger city, you may want to pick up that paper instead of your local paper, as it's more likely to have more inserts.
Extra Sources: Some areas may have other local freebie papers that include copies of certain inserts. For instance, in my area there is a small paper geared towards military and government contractors, called "The Redstone Rocket" which usually includes the weekly SmartSource insert.
Ask Friends & Neighbors: If your area does include the coupon inserts but you don't want to pay for the paper, ask your friends and neighbors if you can have their inserts. Most of them probably don't use them and would be happy to save them for you, rather than throwing them away.
By Mail: In some areas these inserts are mailed out to your home instead of included in the Sunday paper. Personally, I think this is a nice perk as it would save you a bit of money. If you have a PO Box it's even better because you can often find extra copies that have been left behind by other box holders who don't want them.
If the inserts are not included in your Sunday paper and are not delivered to you automatically, you can sign up to have them delivered at the provider's websites. To see if Redplum is included in your local newspaper and where to find it, click here. You can also sign up to receive the RedPlum Mail Package here.
If your area does deliver the inserts via regular mail, you may want to stop by the post office the day after they are delivered to see if they have any extras. You can also check around the PO box area for those left behind by others.
By a Different Paper: If you live near a larger city, you may want to pick up that paper instead of your local paper, as it's more likely to have more inserts.
Extra Sources: Some areas may have other local freebie papers that include copies of certain inserts. For instance, in my area there is a small paper geared towards military and government contractors, called "The Redstone Rocket" which usually includes the weekly SmartSource insert.
Ask Friends & Neighbors: If your area does include the coupon inserts but you don't want to pay for the paper, ask your friends and neighbors if you can have their inserts. Most of them probably don't use them and would be happy to save them for you, rather than throwing them away.
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