I know I haven't posted anything here in weeks. My excuse? I don't really have a great one. I'm busy, I'm tired of bargain hunting for the moment. I'm having a hard time getting the quantity that I need for my family when the sales do come along. I've decided to free up a lot of extra time and effort and just shop in bulk at Sam's Club (Costco is too darn far) for now. I'll leave this page up for posting sales and bargains that I come across. I'm not dedicating any real time to bargain hunting for now though. I just don't have the time. The effort is not worth it right now. :)
My Favorite Coupon Sources
Also Blogging At...
3:38 PM
Free Fall Healthy Samples and Night time renewal kit (I'm afraid of getting the tempurpedic sample...I seriously pine for one of those beds)
10:35 AM
I didn't take a picture of this trip, because I put everything away in my constant battle to keep clutter at bay, and forgot about a photo. Anyway, CVS has quite a few good ECB deals going on this week. Noteworthy to me were...
Spend $25 on Huggies, Gerber, etc and get $10 ECB. I got 1 pack of diapers, 1 pack of Pull-ups, 4 packs of stage 2 fruit. Total...exactly $25-$3 coupons -$10 ECBs...$12 for 2 packs of diapers and 8 tubs of fruit. I paid with Extra Care bucks left from my last trip 2 weeks ago.
Also, I picked up some fall decor for 50% off. There are seasonal Halloween items like candy corn, light sticks, and pumpkin containers for free after ECB. My CVS only had the candy corn left of the free items. I loathe candy corn, but figured the kids might want it. My CVS was also out of the free Gum toothbrush 2 pack, and the free after ECB Powerade.
I was disappointed as usual, due to the ECB deals always being sold out by Monday morning. I decided to consult my favorite "Jamaican photo lady" who I now know is named Eden (thanks goodness I have a name to use for her now in my mind), about when the ECB deals roll over. I had heard it was really Saturday night, not Sunday morning. She said Saturday around 4pm they roll over and I can get the new deals. This would require checking the ad on Hot Coupon World in advance, and I have been lazy about bargain hunting for a long time now, but it would probably be worth it. I will try it next week, and let y'all know how it goes!
If you haven't joined the CVS advisor panel, you should. I got another $10 ECB for filling out a short survey that they emailed me yesterday. It was definitely worth the 5 minutes it took to fill it out.
9:40 AM
There is a good clearance sale going on at Aeropostale. I know I'm a little old for this store, and I haven't bought anything there before, but I did put in a small order for a pair of jeans and 2 tops. A code that gives an extra 30% off clearance items is CLEAR30.
Here is what I got...jeans down from $50 to $11 with code, and 2 shirts down from $25 and $30 to $6.99 with code. Happy shopping!
11:45 AM
Kroger has boneless skinless chicken for $1.67/lb starting today. That is the best price I've seen in ages. I restrained myself to 8 packages so as to allow other shoppers to stock up also. I may check back in later in the week for more though. My receipt said I saved something ridiculous like $40 just on 8 packs of chicken.
5:26 PM
I stuck one toe in the water of bargain hunting today...I'm a little rusty. I needed baby food and training pants, so I picked up a few extra deals while I was out. Here they are...
Walgreens:
4 bags of candy (4/$10)($4 Walgreens rebate...you can do them online now!)(There are supposedly internet printable coupons for these, but I didn't have them)
2 25 oz bottles of Garnier Fructis $5.99 ($3 off coupon from October Easy Saver, $2 coupons from 5/4 Red Plum insert)
2 Glade 2in1 candles ($2 Walgreens Rebate, $1 coupons 9/14 Smart Source)
1 Crest toothpaste $1.99 ($1 coupon 9/28 P&G insert Walgreens Easy Saver Coupon $1)
16 Halloween pencils (in ad coupon 8/$1)
6 Halloween tatoo booklets (in ad coupon 3/$1)
$31.95 subtotal
-$14 coupons
$17.95 OOP
Rebates earned: $6
CVS:
Always Infinity 18ct- $4.98 free after ECB's
Colgate Max Fresh $2.99 ($2 ECB, $1 coupon 9/28 Smart Source insert)
32 oz Vitamin water $2.29 free after ECB's
Total: $10.95 (plus tax)
Paid with Gift Card.
Out of Pocket: $0
ECB's earned: $9.27
1:32 PM
Free samples and gift pack from Enfamil.
More Free baby stuff. Who doesn't love free stuff?
9:40 AM
Another $5/$20 Walgreens coupon. I have yet to use one of these since they changed it to $20 after all other coupons. I haven't done any of the monthly easy saver deals in ages though, so it may be worth it to start up those again using this coupon.
12:38 PM
I'm notorious for buying Disney Store Halloween costumes. I prefer to buy them after Halloween when they are on clearance, because they are great costumes, and my daughters really work the dress up thing...like ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, Disney does not have a very large selection of pirate costumes (they have 1), and my big girls decided that they should be pirates this year. The little ones aren't really old enough to express a costume preference yet, so they will all be running with the pirate theme this year.
So, I found myself like the average Joe, or average Jane in this case...needing to buy Halloween costumes in October. (gasp) The shame of procrastination. I don't really have time to scour the stores for 4 pirate costumes, and I challenged myself to keep the costume budget really low this year ($60 to outfit 4 kids was my goal...my price goals are such a fun little game to play...does that mean I'm mental?). I decided to turn to my old friend Google, to find suitable costumes, hopefully for a steal. To make it easier, I decided at this price point, I wasn't going to worry about quality (when I want that I shop at my beloved Disney Shopping).
I decided to go with a place called Costume Craze. (I Googled for a promo code when I got to checkout and came up with 10% off with code SNTEN). I was able to easily take care of the big girls' costumes. For L&X I had to get creative, I ordered a boy's and girl's pirate costume in tiny sizes, and depending on the fit I may have to rearrange the costume components to make them work for the right gender. Worst case scenario, I may have to do a little lazy woman's version of alteration on X's costume. It is darn hard to find baby boy pirate costumes (they are sold out everywhere). The coupon code took care of the shipping costs and I came in at $49. That leaves me $11 for any odds/ends. Not too shabby.
8:02 AM
11:15 AM
Ughhh! I have too many balls in the air right now. Between a baby who won't sleep, my current health issues, the terrible twos, blogging in multiple locations, homework and activities times 2 big kids, and hurricane recovery...I'm drowning over here. I've barely clipped a coupon in the past month. Not cool.
So, today I resigned my spot writing for Deal Spice, in order to free myself up from the psychological pressure of coming up with so many bargain related topics per week. I don't like to do things if I can't do them reasonably well, and I've been grasping at straws for writing material lately. I'll be bargaining it up here exclusively for now, without the mental pressure. Life is just too busy at the moment for unnecessary self induced pressure.
The new grocery ads start today. *IF* my baby decides to grace me with a nap today, I hope to get a list going for tomorrow. I had to dispose of the entire contents of my refrigerator during the power outage and am starting over.
9:17 PM
From our main blog. Back to bargain blogging ASAP...
Our internet just came back up an hour ago along with my parents' power. Our internet is always tied to their power for some reason. It was a long week with no internet.
I should have taken pictures around our neighborhood, but didn't. My mind hasn't been "all there" lately.
Last Thursday, Daniel came home early from work to take down all of our backyard stuff and store it in the garage. Afterward, we went to drop his car off inside my parents garage and picked up some pizzas for dinner.Friday we watched the ocean swell into Galveston and waited for the oncoming storm to start spreading in our direction. It was a long day of waiting. We got some last minute preparations finished. B filled a giant tub with water for me, in case we didn't have water for washing dishes.
The girls used their little hook & loom sets that Grammy got them, and we played several games of Sleeping Queens. I made dinner very early in case the power went out. Daniel complained about having dinner at 4:30pm and insisted the power would not be going out until late at night. The power abruptly quit at 6:30pm. The power had not been out for more than an hour when B smashed into J and cut her lip open...
I had all of the kids sleep in my closet so that I didn't have to worry about any windows breaking on them. It was also much quieter in there and less scary. It was like a puzzle fitting a crib, a crib mattress, and 2 twin mattresses in the closet.
The storm was extremely loud from 11pm-5am and it was miserably hot inside our house. It was SO loud that I went to sleep on my bathroom floor next to the children in the closet around 11pm. At 2:30 my bathroom ceiling started dripping water and flecks of drywall onto my legs. I spent the rest of the night up and down, and in and out of the garage listening to the car radio. B&J slept fine, L&X were up several times.
We awoke Saturday morning to our fence being mostly down, my hibiscus and Mexican lime tree being somewhat overturned, but that is about all. (the arbor and trampoline base were tethered to the ground with large emergency stakes and bungee cords)
Some of our neighbors lost large portions of their roofs down to the plywood, most fences were down, signs were bent or sheared right off, and many many trees were down. No flooding to speak of around here.
Saturday we cleaned up our yard, visited my parents, and I washed the first of several loads of dishes by hand. We also transferred all of our perishable food into coolers. The water lines were in tact, but not the power. The girls did not enjoy the lack of power, but they made do.
(sweaty baby)On Sunday, Daniel joined up with some service crews heading out from church and spent most of the day checking on people. It was hot and boring with 4 kids in the house, so I ran an extension cord out to my van, attached it to the power inverter, and ran a movie for the girls to break up the day a little. We did all of our cooking on the grill on Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday night, our neighbor was brought a generator and gas from his son-in-law, whose power had returned. He offered to let us plug into it (as it was quite powerful). So, we were able to plug in our refrigerator and a TV...it was great.
The temperatures turned cool on Sunday night which improved our experience greatly. The children spent a lot of time outdoors.On Monday, we unsuccessfully attempted to secure more gas for the generator, got a new post for our fence and some concrete at home depot, etc. Soon after we returned home, our power was restored at 3:30pm. Daniel returned to work on Tuesday morning. The children remain out of school for the remainder of the week.
We have been on limited water consumption due to the risk of our sewers backing up since the pumping station for our area remained without power. My parents' power was restored tonight, Thursday, and with it came our internet...hooray. That is our story...back to our regular blogging schedule tomorrow.
10:53 AM
We are expecting a direct hit from Hurricane Ike. Will return to the Bargain blog, after the storm.
1:28 PM
I fully intended to get a plan done and make it to the drugstores last night. Alas, it did not happen. I did get out, I did get some bargains, but the baby didn't allow me to make a plan before leaving the house...so no CVS or Walgreens.
12:37 PM
I'm dealing with a sick and cranky baby over here who doesn't want to nap...so I haven't looked at my ads yet. However, here are a couple of deals from reader Kelly...
Lands' End free shipping till Sep. 11. Promotion code is AUTUMN and PIN is 9432
And I am sure you noticed 3 bottles of Robitussin (11.97 total) earns $10 in Walgreens RR.
Thanks Kelly!
6:55 AM
Free Custom Fruit Rollup sample
Free Sears Padlock printable coupon (no purchase necessary)
Set of free lunch box notes
I'm going to make a CVS/Walgreens plan later. I doubt I'll be able to get my hands on anything being that it's already Tuesday...but I'll give it a shot, and post back later. Tonight is my "night out".
1:39 PM
2 items for today...
NASCAR is sponsoring free registration for the Bone Marrow Registry if you sign up online from September 7-22. There is normally a $56 to register to be a bone marrow donor. Sign up HERE, and they will send you the kit (I think you swab your cheek). Then, you send it back in and you are all registered.
Also, free 3 year subscription to Remedy magazine. Click below.
4:14 PM
8 free issues of Traditional Home magazine (no strings). Thanks to Frugal Freelancer.
12:08 PM
I scored some good deals on things that I really need a lot of today...cereal, apple juice, and granola bars. We go through endless amounts of these things every month. Safeway/Randalls is having a buy 5 get $5 off promo. I got 5 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats, 5 boxes of Rice Krispies & Cocoa Krispies, 5 boxes of Quaker chewy granola bars, and 5 bottles of Mott's apple juice, and scored $20 worth of deductions, plus $4.75 off in manufacturer coupons...bringing the total to...$26 plus tax. Not free, but I would have to pay at least double that, if I was one to pay full price on a week to week basis.
12:00 PM
I finally made a purchase from Down East Basics. I've heard good things about them, and have put things in my virtual cart there many times...but never bit the bullet and checked out. I think I've even put these exact two dresses in my cart several times. Today, I finally did it. For a whopping $30...I came away with 2 cute dresses from the clearance.
To read the long drawn out story of my big night out yesterday...go here.
2:20 PM
Things have been super busy. Also, guess who is now writing for Deal Spice? Yours truly. I'll be linking up from here to my posts there for your convenience, and to keep it from being dead around here when I am too busy to make multiple bargain related posts each day. Here you go.
Weekly Grocery Store Advertisements
12:22 PM
Free Secret Clinical Sample
*Wear any team logo into Chick-fil-a on Monday and get a free 3 count chicken strips. They changed the recipe. My mom prefers the old recipe. I'm neutral. They're different, not better, not worse, still good, just different...in my opinion.
$10 off of $40 purchase Walgreens coupon (good today and tomorrow). These haven't really been worth my time since they changed the wording to "after coupons", but perhaps you have a use for it.
5:19 PM
My bargain for today...I paid $3.29 per gallon for gas. I can't believe that I am happy about that price. I vividly remember paying 89 cents per gallon one glorious summer when B was an infant.
I have altered my grocery saving strategy slightly in the past few months to suit my busy level. I thought I might point this out as a tip for others who may be too busy at times to stalk the coupon deals. I've been shopping at the grocery store in my area that I've deemed to have the lowest prices (HEB) all around (not considering sales and coupons)and I've shopped there using the sale ad only and whatever coupons I have time to grab, if any. So far this has been working. It has prevented my grocery budget from skyrocketing despite rising prices, and my lack of time for hunting the bargains. The bargains I might add, have seemed few and far between lately, making it not as fulfilling to spend time hunting.
I'll be back with more bargains later.
3:49 PM
Here is a comment from reader "Kelly", left on my last post. She was looking for feedback from other readers, so I thought she would get more feedback if I started up a new post rather than leaving her comment dwindling in the comment section.
"Thought you and the other readers would enjoy this article: http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/784987.html However, I would like to know your experience regarding meat coupons on the beer and wine aisle. I shop Kroger in the same metro area as the woman in the article and checked the wine section today (forgot that the article also said beer). No coupons! Have you ever noticed them?"
In answer to your question, Kelly...I've never gone down the wine and beer aisle. Tragic I know, but since we don't consume alcohol...it never occurred to me to check there. Thanks for the tip. I'll start cruising through that aisle and post here if I find anything of interest. Anyone else? Feel free to comment if you have experiences to share.
7:32 AM
Okay, my last name has been removed from my articles. You are welcome to click on over to Deal Spice, and read them there. I'll be back to writing here (and possibly still there simultaneously) soon.
4:32 PM
I am on a little unexpected break from bargain blogging. I'm bargain blogging on another site for the next week, and I only have so many ideas each day, LOL. I'll be back...hopefully soon. I promise.
2:10 PM
Recycled Sticky Notes free sample.
Free year of Family Fun magazine. I love this magazine. I have gotten it free for a year several times. I am currently in the middle of a 3 year subscription that I got for $4 through a discounter, because when my last free subscription ran out, I couldn't find another free year offer anywhere.
Free year of Pink magazine.
7:54 AM
Free Lego Magazine Subscription. Click on your country on the right side of the screen.
3:35 PM
I restocked my house with groceries today. The kids have been making it impossible to bargain hunt at full capacity, so I just mainly used the sale ads, and clipped a few coupons. I got all of my produce, dairy, and meat from HEB. Items of note...baby back ribs $2.79/lb, pork tenderloin $2.97/lb, seedless grapes 99c/lb, and vine ripe tomatoes $1.99/lb (they haven't been much cheaper all summer).
Kroger has Blue Bell Ice Cream (half gallon) for $3.99. My stock up price is $3, so I only got 3. With the full price being around $5-6 lately...$3.99 was not too shabby. I also picked up free Pillsbury rolls & french loaf using the .35 cent coupons from the 7-13-08 Smart Source insert. I finally used my $2.25 off Electrasol coupon that was about to expire (on sale for $2.89). Also, buy one get one free boneless skinless chicken breasts (equates to $2.50/lb). I haven't been able to find these any cheaper recently so I caved and paid the extra 50 cents/lb over my usual stock up price of $2/lb. And finally, there have been several General Mills coupons out recently, so I used $1/2 coupon for 2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios at $2.69 per box (not a great price but I'm low on cereal).
Lastly, there was a special Kelloggs insert in this week's paper. It coincides with a Walgreens Register Reward Deal...
Buy $10 in participating Kelloggs products and get a $5 RR. My Walgreens was pretty cleaned out, but I did manage to get 2 boxes of Nutrigrain Bars, and 2 boxes of Special K with red berries....4/$10 minus $2 in coupons from the insert, earned $5 RR (breaks down to 4/$3 final if you want to look at it that way). Now, in the special Kelloggs insert there is a mail in rebate for $10 when you buy 10 participating products. My Walgreens was too cleared out to get 10 items though, so I passed on that for now. The rebate states that all items need to be on one receipt.
6:59 AM
I'm back from my vacation (paid for by bargain hunting an awesome deal on a hotel, cutting my grocery budget through coupons/deals, and working some from home). Paying for a vacation ahead of time and in cash was fun and rewarding.
Now, back to business. My house is a mess and I'm very low on groceries. Time to scour the ads, make a plan, and hit the road. I'll be back with a recap later today. Hope y'all had a great week!
7:05 AM
*Don't forget your $1.50 Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory today.
*We were in CVS yesterday trying to burn our remaining ECB's so they didn't expire while we are on vacation. My daughter B asked me to please explain to her what "bucks" were and why I was trying to spend them. I told her I would explain later because I was wrestling 2 irritable babies. Sure enough she came into my room last night and said, "Mama, now can you explain to me about the Extra Care Bucks?" She's a coupon queen in training. She seemed satisfied by the explanation.
*Enter a quick and easy instant win at Nestle.
*6 $1 Cheerios coupons here.
5:10 AM
Items of interest from the Centsible Sawyer.
Get a free year of PC World here. On a related note my free subscription to Woman's Day has already started arriving. I forgot how much I enjoy that magazine.
Go here to get a free Juicy Juice sippy cup.
Go here to get a free sample of Oatmeal Raisin Crisp cereal. This is my favorite cereal. Speaking of cereal...I made granola from scratch last Saturday, and have been eating it as my cereal all week. It is delicious. The recipe I used/tweaked only involved oats, applesauce, honey, Cheerios, and a tiny bit of butter and brown sugar.
12:57 PM
I basically got all of these free at 2 different Walgreens today. It was thrilling. Especially since I was completely out of training pants. Now I've got enough to last the duration of potty training. For those new to couponing, who find this all too difficult and confusing...I'm going to walk through it step by step, since this was a very easy transaction.
*I also picked up 2 little Cutter bug repellants and 2 sure deodorants. Tear out the Sure and Cutter coupons out of the July Easy Saver book pictured below, and get the Cutter coupon (6/15 Smart Source insert) and the Sure coupon (6/29 Smart Source insert). That combination will make the above items free. Ignore that part if you just want the diapers/training pants.
Here's what you do...get 3 bags of Walgreens diapers/training pants on sale this week for $5.99 per jumbo pack. You're going to want these 2 booklets pictured below. The Easy Saver catalog is always on the rack with the weekly ads at the front of the store. The other booklet is available by asking at the pharmacy counter.
These are the 2 coupons in question that you want to use (one is technically a manufacturer coupon, the easy saver I think, and one is a store coupon. You can use 1 manufacturer and one store coupon combined per item)
So, you get your 3 bags of diapers/training pants @$5.99 each...have them scan the 2 coupons (they don't normally need to keep the Walgreens coupons so you should just be able to keep them), and your total will go down to around $4.84 (it will deduct $2 per bag for one coupon, and $2.50 per bag for the other coupon)...then you pay. Along with your receipt will print out a $5 Register reward. It will look like these...
Your Register Reward is good on the purchase of basically anything at Walgreens (except things like alcohol, lottery tickets, etc).
Rinse and repeat as many times as you wish. Just don't use your $5 RR to buy more diapers. You can...but if you use one to repeat the same "deal" that you earned the RR on, a new $5 RR won't print out at the end. Of course that's your choice.
I did 6 bags at my Walgreens (she gave me an extra $5 RR even though I told her to go ahead and rip it up or take it back because I wasn't supposed to get an extra one. It was a register issue from her having to correct my total after we found the missing Pharmacy coupon book).
Then, I was on such a bargain high that I bribed my children to let me run into one more Walgreens down the street by letting them each pick out a candy item from the 2nd Walgreens. Worked like a charm. I got 6 more bags at the 2nd Walgreens and basically just paid for the $1.50 worth of candy the kids got.
Total Out of Pocket expense...around $18. Remaining: $25 worth of Register Rewards, i.e. free money to spend at Walgreens. In a nutshell about $100 worth of diapers for free. It was a fun morning.
8:24 AM
Today I will attempt to repeat the Walgreens Diaper Deal of 2 weeks ago. This time with training pants. I'm all the way out of training pants.
12:59 PM
This is my favorite find. A nice dark pleated denim skirt, with navy cotton attached under shorts ($3.50) and a cute little white eyelet top ($5). What is it about paying $8.50 for this outfit that makes me love it even more than I would have otherwise?
All 4 peas and I rocked the Old Navy sale bright and early this morning. It was a miserable hour with L throwing epic tantrums, and X being more irritable than usual (he's a man and he hates shopping already). I would not have done it for any other reason than the semi-annual clearance of the clearance sale. It was worth all the gray hairs I acquired in that hour. The big kids needed back to school stuff (we need warm weather clothes 9 months a year here), and I had exactly 2 pairs of shorts that were not maternity. I was a desperate woman. I told B&J what size to look for on the rack, and had them give me everything they wanted that was in their size(s). They were enjoying the freedom to buy whatever their hearts desired. Everything that didn't look like it belonged on a hooker, we bought. B kept handing me strapless tops, because she thought they were skirts. She could not understand why they would make shirts with no arms. I can't really understand it either, at least not for elementary school aged children.
L didn't need much (as she's not going back to school and has endlessly stuffed drawers due to having 2 sisters). I did get her beach shoes for our trip ($2.50) and this cute skirt ($3.50) and sweater ($2.50).
B's stuff. My favorite are the 2 shirts on the right.
J's stuff. My favorite is the outfit on the right.
Yay! Some everyday clothes for me (I still need more shirts, but didn't have time to browse). I bought every pair of bottoms they had in a size 0-2...for $6.50 each!!! The white things are a pair of lounge pants which I am currently lounging in. They are my new favorite pants. If I could wear them out in public I would have bought 10 pairs and worn them everyday (especially at the price of $3.50).
Total spent: $115...(29 items)
average price per item: $3.96 (some double that, some half that)
Cons of the sale: I did not see anything cute for baby X. The boys items were slim pickings in general, as was the size 2t for L. The bottoms were somewhat slim pickings for the big girls also. So, I will just need to pick up a couple of pairs of shorts or capris for them to balance out their existing wardrobes for back to school. Luckily they still have quite a few bottoms that fit nicely. I also still need to get them new school shoes.
8:31 AM
Rumor has it that the Old Navy 50% additional reduction off already clearanced merchandise sale is on. The trick is...it's only on at stores with a certain amount of clearance inventory that needs to be eliminated. I'm going to call my store and find out (though I'm told they may lie and say it's not on). I may need to go down and check myself.
2:08 PM
Some day, when I have more free time...yeah that will probably never happen...I would love to have an Etsy shop. I do so love the crafts. Unfortunately, I'm a busy girl. In the meantime, if you love Etsy, and you love a bargain, check out this blog with Etsy coupon codes from Etsy sellers.
10:17 AM
I stopped in for another round of the summer savings promo. I'm up to a very large stack of cake mixes, LOL. I also needed some frozen veggies, and they counted toward the promo. So, even though they were not a great deal (they were the normal price I would pay) I got them anyway.
4 frosted flakes & Pop Tarts (they were out of mini wheats) (4/$6 super coupon)
2 Sprite bottles 6pk (2/$3 super coupon)
5 Green Giant frozen veggies ( 3/$6)
6 cheetos & fritos... (3/$5)
4 BC cake mix (4/$5)
4 BC frosting ($1.50 each)
Total: approx $40.00 - $20 Coupon -(4-.50 frosting coupons doubled) $4 =
paid $16+ got a new $20 coupon
6:03 AM
I noticed in the ad yesterday that Office Depot is having a 1 cent sale this week. I usually only hear about these at Staples. Since we don't have a Staples...I've never gotten in on them. Normally, I get the school supplies through the weekly Target sales that happen during the latter half of the summer. I'm going to have Daniel run in on his way to work. Hopefully they won't be totally sold out already. Not being a Sunday shopper puts a huge kink in the bargain hunting, since most sales start Sunday and are usually ravaged by Monday morning. Here is what is on sale...
12 packs of pencil toppers (limit 5),
6" protractors (limit 5),
2 pocket folders (limit 20),
rulers (limit 5)
1:38 PM
Thanks to The Centsible Sawyer...
Free Sammie from Quiznos.
Free Burger on your birthday (sign up your whole family if you want) from Red Robin.
12:41 PM
If you like Cheesecake...the Cheesecake Factory is offering the price of $1.50 on all varieties of their cheesecake on July 30th. Some sort of anniversary type of thing. So stop in for some cheesecake, or take it to go. You can't beat that price for Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.
8:08 PM
Free crazy bread if you have a little Caesar's. (from the Centsible Sawyer)
3:32 PM
I'm home. I got the items that I was trying to get...and an eye exam. The price was not super cheap, but I do now have a $20 coupon to roll for the rest of the 3 week deal. My deals will be more impressive for the duration of the sale. I'm so mad because I realized that with the milk and bread I bought...my total was just over $50, and I could have used a $5 off $50 coupon from my Entertainment book...doh!
4 frosted mini wheats...6 (4/$6 super coupon)
2 coke bottles 6pk...3 (2/$3 super coupon)
5 Kleenex...7.50 (2/$3)
6 cheetos & fritos...10 (3/$5)
8 BC cake mix...10 (4/$5)
Total: $36.50...and a $20 coupon (could have been $31.50 if I had been smarter)
6:03 AM
I have an eye Dr appt this morning, and want to be fast out of the gate for the first day of this 20 day Randalls Promo. I'm sure I'll hear about better deals/coupon match-ups by checking Hot Coupon World after the first couple of days. Until then...I want to get in on the super coupons for this week (my kids go crazy for mini-wheats easily eating 2 boxes per week). So, here's what I'm shooting for today...
25 participating items...earns $20 off your next order Catalina coupon
4 frosted mini wheats...6 (4/$6 super coupon)
2 coke bottles 6pk...3 (2/$3 super coupon)
5 Kleenex...7.50 (2/$3)
6 cheetohs...10 (3/$5)
8 BC cake mix...10 (4/$5)
I'm going to check the Betty Crocker fruit snacks and Green Giant frozen veggies prices and for peelie coupons or blinkie coupons...I'll do 25 more on the fly if anything interesting arises. I'll report back later.
10:53 AM
Word on the street is that there is a new Randalls promo running from tomorrow 7/9-7/29. Sounds like it will be the same as the good ole "Rally to Savings". I remember the Rally fondly. I ended up with 50 boxes of cereal, tons of frozen veggies, dozens of cans of tomatoes, dozens of boxes of granola bars and fruit snacks. My grocery stockpile has been dwindling, and I'm ready for a new promo. I'm not sure what items will be on this one (and I hope Randalls participates), but the old deal was buy 25 items, get a $20 catalina for your next shopping trip, and we rolled and rolled until the deal was over. Check your grocery ads tonight/tomorrow for details.
3:21 PM
This is a new Coke Rewards item. If you drink coke...sign up for coke rewards. When signed in...search for taste of victory...0 points. Press redeem, and voila...they will send you your free 20oz Coke Zero (coupon I assume).
Now, if only they would make Caffeine Free Coke with Lime...I would be happy.
4:29 PM
Today only there is a $4/$20 CVS coupon. You would have had it emailed to you if it is activated on your card. You can use the instructions at I Heart CVS to check if you didn't get an email. I did not get an email and used those instructions to find out that I did indeed have one issued to me.
I had $16.50 in ECB's. So, I did 2 Coppertone Water Babies spray sunblock at $9.99 (which I needed), 40 ct OB tampons, and 1 Crest toothpaste. There were ECB's back on all of these items. There was an OB coupon in last Sunday's inserts. I had a $1 Crest coupon from a mailer of some sort. Final total was $3.xx, and I earned $12.50 in new ECB's.
2:46 PM
I am not one to buy generic diapers...I always buy Huggies or Pampers as long as I can get them for $5 per jumbo pack or less. But it doesn't really count as buying them, when they were free. So, I got 6 bags of diapers for negative 32 cents total. I planned to buy the kids water guns while I was there...so I used my Register Rewards that printed on the diapers, since I was going to spend that $ anyway.
I don't feel like retyping the details. So here is the info from the Bargain Hunter Lady.
"Buy 3 packages of Walgreens brand Jumbo diapers–on sale for $5.99 this week
Use $5/2 EasySaver coupon–this should take $2.50 off each pack of diapers
Use $2/1 Savings Book coupon–this should take $2 off each pack of diapers
Spend $4.47 plus tax out of pocket
Get $5 Register Rewards back
Free after coupons and Register Rewards!"
So I just pulled out the coupon from the July Easy Saver book at the front of the store...got the 3 packs I wanted...she rang me up...then she pulled the extra Savings book coupon out from under the register and scanned it (I didn't even ask when I didn't find it near the pharmacy counter). My total was $4.84 and a $5 Register Reward printed. I repeated one more time. Then, I used my Register Rewards to pay for the water guns.
5:27 PM
I don't think I've ever done one of these types of prize earning things before. You basically earn your choice of a bunch of different prizes (all around $250) by accomplishing the items listed below this post. I thought since Angie at Frugal Freelancer did it...I would give this one a try just for fun. She always manages to earn these things. Angie started my bargain hunting obsession 7 years ago when I saw her on the Today show and joined her mailing list. I've been following her awesome skills every since. Want to give it a try with me? Click the picture above. I'm shooting for the $250 Lowe's gift card to work on some house projects. If you're a blogger...post your personalized link on your blog and I'll bet you can do this too.
The way that I remember to do the required 1 search per day for the 2 consecutive days after joining...I go to the main page for Lucky Search in this case, then drag it up to my browser toolbar so that I can see it. When I'm done with the 2 day requirement...I just remove it from my toolbar. That is how I earned a big box of free Playskool toys from Cafe Mom last year.
- To get your Free Luck Prize, you must add 10 Eligible friends to your Personal Network. Eligible friends will be noted by a legend on the Account page.
- To be deemed eligible, your friends must have at least 10 people in their Personal Network, and they must be validated and active members, which means that they sign in and do at least one search on LuckySearch.com in 2 consecutive days following their registration.
4:48 PM
Get a snapfish account (free) through Publix here...and get 50 free prints and a free photo mug. I think this is today only.
2:44 PM
I barely ever leave the neighborhood anymore to go shopping. When I do (about once a week), I like to do all of my stops in one trip. Today was the day. With my faithful sidekick (Grammy) guarding the kids in the minivan for my short run-ins, I embarked on a whirlwind trip.
1: Deposited checks in the bank.
2: CVS: I'm totally out of Extra Care Bucks with the whole never getting out thing. The new lack of printable $/$$ coupons has put a damper on my CVSing. I'm also low on paper products. I wanted to get 4 packs of Charmin, but of course they only had one pack. So, I just did the deal with Bounty paper towels 8pk $5.49 (3) and (1) pack of 12 Charmin Big Rolls $5.99. The deal is $10 ECB back on $20 purchase of these items. Not great, but not bad.
3: Library. Kids got new books and books on CD. I paid a $9 library fine (from when a book was temporarily lost while I was busy giving birth and recovering). Not a bargain!
4: Randalls (Safeway): 99 cent ground beef!!! You can't beat that price. I also needed bread (3/$4). So I got $40 worth of ground beef for $13, and I was totally out of it too. I shouldn't need any for about 2 months now.
5: Chick-fil-a: Lunch for 5...Not a bargain!
6: Bed Bath Beyond: They didn't have the bedding I wanted in King size. Had a 20% coupon.
7: Target: 1 can of cashews, 2 12oz Kraft singles, 4 boxes Frosted Mini-wheats, 9 envelopes Kool-aid, 1 bag of baby carrots, 2 travel sized All small and mighty. Used 2 coupons from Sunday's Parade section for free cheese with purchase of 3 participating products (Kool-aid), Used 1 coupon for $3 off nuts (nuts were on sale for $3), used $1 off produce with purchase of the mini-wheats. Mini-wheats were 4/$10 plus a $5 gift card back. Used 2 $1 off All Small & Mighty any size from the 6/22 Red Plum insert. Final total $12 plus $5 gift card.
2:39 PM
I've been thinking about getting a few of these for an upcoming vacation. My oldest has a little trouble with sleeping too deeply on occasion with unfortunate results. It seems to flare up when away from home (I think all of the activity wears her out, plus the extra drinking...it's a recipe for disaster. So, if the sample doesn't look too much like a diaper, I'm going to pick up a pack. Here's the free sample.
12:47 PM
Dress like cows and get free combo meals at Chick-fil-a. Find the details here.
12:44 PM
I'm not a flip flop snob. I'm totally fine with the Old Navy cheapo flip flops. This Saturday only you can buy them for $1 per pair (limit 5 per customer). If I'm out and about Saturday, I'll definitely go pick some up. My kids can never find their flip flops.
12:31 PM
Sorry, I haven't been bargain hunting much lately. I'm still trying to get back on the ball with this blog. Ideally I want to post at least an average of 1 bargain per day.
Free Warm Delights Minis
9:45 AM
I should have posted this a while back, but its been busy. Today is the last day for it too. If you have an HEB near you they are having some great 5 for $5 deals. I now have my three month supply of sugar from this deal, 100+ lbs. Now I just need to get the mylar sealer to store them. You can also go to Walmart where they will match the price. They also the 3 and 8 packs of gum on the same deal. Great for your 72 hour kits if you need to put them together.
3:00 PM
I have never actually used any of the previous ones. Maybe this will be the week that I actually do it. Only time will tell. Here is the linky.
5:26 AM
which I'm not, read this...
From freep.com,
Ever wish you could shop designer sample sales without having to leave your home or office or wherever you keep your computer?
Well, now you can!
The Web site www.editorscloset.com hosts regular sample sales on designer goods. Recent sales have included specials from Betsey Johnson, Lancel, Lalique and Sonia Rykiel.
Prices are about 30% to 75% off retail. Which means a Betsey Johnson rayon leopard halter dress that sells for $305 was available for $115, making it a fabulous deal for a woman who can pull it off.
Usually you have to be referred by a member of the site, but www.editorscloset.com is making special accommodations for Free Press readers.
Just log onto the site, click on membership and, in the space that asks for referrer's e-mail, type: detroit@editorscloset.com
Membership is free. Within minutes, you'll be able to shop, shop, shop.
5:43 PM
Dole Strawberries are $4.88 for a 4lb box at Randalls/Safeway. I had a $5 Randalls coupon so we got 12 lbs and made jam.
2:43 PM
Emily's computer is dead. But, she told me that there is some type of awesome diaper deal going on at CVS, and she ordered coupons. I think she was talking about a deal next week, but I haven't seen the details of next week. Personally, I won't pay more than $5 per jumbo pack (the regular price is somewhere in the $11 range i believe). I checked my ad. Looks like $7.99 for Pampers with $5 in ECB with the purchase of $20 for this week. So, lets see... I know I have a bunch of Pampers coupons, and my CVS gets restocked Thursday nights. I think I'll try to stop in tomorrow and see if my CVS has any in stock.
7.99 x 3 packs = $24 - $3.50 pampers coupons - $4/$20 CVS
$17...earns $5 ECB so approx $4/pack (I have some ECB's to use so my Out Of Pocket (oop) will be lower than $17. It will be around $10 for 3 packs.
When I figure out what next week's deal is, or Emily gets on here...we will post it.
7:52 AM
This is a good one. I may have to stop in tomorrow even though I am going to be swamped.
Click here for the coupon.
7:06 AM
So, I never have time to bargain shop anymore with the whole "4 kids" business. In fact, I barely leave the house. Also, with gas prices, I like to consolidate everything into one trip since all my stores are bunched together on the same road. So, I waited until Daniel got home Thursday night and went on a whirlwind run for 3 hours alone. I'll try to post earlier in the week next time, I know this doesn't leave a lot of time for anyone wanting to copy the deals. 9 stops...
1. Bank: deposited $30 in little checks that I had hanging around
2. CVS:
3 boxes of Flavor Ice $1 each on sale
2 Deodorant 2/$6 earns $2 ECB and I had 75 cent coupons on each (I think)
Colgate 360 toothbrush: $3.99 earns $3.99 in ECB
Dial 3 pack: 1.99 Earns $1 ECB had a 60 cent coupon
Almay I-color eye shadow: $6.99 earns $5.99 ECB had $1 coupon
Wrapping paper for B's birthday (not pictured)- $3.99
Total: Just over $25- $5/$25 coupon-$3.10 manufacturer coupons- $7 ECB used Paid: $10 Earned $12 in new ECB
3. Gymboree: Returned baby gifts from mom (I had SO much newborn boy stuff). Got $100 on a Gymboree Store Credit for later use...like when he grows out of this stuff and needs new clothes.
4. Randalls/Safeway:
Tomatoes: 1.50/lb vine ripe
TX sweet onions: 88c/lb
Bread: 1.89 each
6 Hallmark cards: 99c each (buy 3 get a free case of coke)
4 cases soda: Buy 2 Get 2 free plus get 24 pack Dasani free
1 free case of Dasani
3 boxes Capri Sun: 1.99 each (I had a $5 off coupon left from Team Snack Promo)
*Disclaimer...don't get the A&W like I did, get all coke...it screwed up my deal and I ended up paying for 1 box of soda instead of zero boxes. It could have been 4 free cokes and a water with just the purchase of the 6 99 cent Hallmark cards if I had done it right.
Final total: $20
5. Walgreens:
I should have gone Friday to use the $5 coupon...but I had $20 in RR's expiring Thursday night and I didn't want to take the chance of losing the free $20. Total: $21.xx-$20 RR- Paid: $1.xx
6. Gas station (wanted to fill up before Memorial Day price spike): 10 cent/gallon Kroger discount. $3.61 per gallon...$68 ouch.
7. Kroger: Too many coupons used and deals to mention. Go read the Kroger section at Hot Coupon World if you are interested. However, I will mention that I did the diaper deal again.
Get $4 instant deduction on $20 in Huggies products. Limit 2 deals per transaction. I get the Huggies coupons in the mail...so I had a ton. Also, you can currently send in for a $5 rebate when you buy 3 packages of Huggies.
2 bags Pull-ups: $9.49 each
2 bags diapers: $9.49 each
1 Oatmeal and Shea butter wash: $2.99
Total: $40.95-$8 instant deduction-$8 Huggies Coupons-$5 Huggies Rebate
Final Total: $19.95 under $5 per jumbo pkg...not bad.
8. Chick-fil-a: Had a coupon for a free shake. $0, then I bought one extra to be nice to Daniel. So, 2 for the price of 1, I suppose.
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