Too Long...

It's been too long since I've posted! With all the crazy changes in our lives, I haven't had any time to blog about my coupon endeavors. I am still faithfully couponing as often as I can, but it is difficult to find the time! Here are a few tips as we enter into the holiday season:

**Keep your eye out for cheap or free items for stockings or gift fillers. These may include candles (there is a great coupon for $3/2 Glade items), lip gloss (great coupons for Nivea and Blistex), candy bars (buy1, get 1 coupons for Hershey's), small toys or Pez dispensers. I have found many of these items recently, especially in the sale sections.

** Take advantage of the $5 coupon for Hallmark stores to stock up on holiday, birthday or anniversary cards. Hunt for the $0.99 cards and get 5 for free! You are able to print the coupon twice per computer, so take advantage of this great deal! When I went this evening, the fall decor was 75% off and I was able to get 3 adorable plaques for just $1 after my coupon and discounts! Hurry to get your deals while they're available!

** Make your Christmas budget last by shopping on the sale racks. Right now is the prime time for summer items to go on sale at a very low price. While tank tops and skirts aren't the most practical items to wear right now, you can pair a tank with a cardigan, or wear tights under a skirt to make it more winter appropriate. Wal-Mart always had good deals on jewelry which are nice stocking stuffers or fillers to complete an outfit!

** Gift idea: Scarf and glove set bought last year after Christmas $1.50, flower pin for coat $1, long necklace $1, matching earrings $1, lip gloss $0.50, Card-free = $5 for an awesome gift!

Happy Shopping!

Wal-Mart Sales! Shop NOW!

I would HIGHLY suggest spending some time in Wal-Mart's sale section within the next few days! Many of their "summer" items are on sale. This is the time that I stock up on extremely cheap gifts for the following months!

For example, I just bought 3 ceramic candle warmer skirts for $0.50 each! They are super cute and are perfect wedding shower gifts (many of which I will be attending over the next year). Sometime last year I bought a few candle warmers for around $2 each and these skirts will look great with them. All I need to add is a large good smelling candle and I've got a great gift for about $5.00. To make it even better, I can add a plug-in and room spray that I've gotten for free and make a cute basket!

In addition, there are really cheap paper products for parties. If you are planning on hosting a birthday party, I even saw banners and invitations for $1 each. Happy shopping!

Free Clothes!

It is the season for back-to-school shopping, and as a teacher, I need some clothes too! Luckily there is an awesome coupon out for Christopher & Banks! Go here and get your own $10 coupon off any purchase! This coupon is good for clearance purchases too, and guess what?!? There are several racks priced at $9.99. If they tell you that your purchase must be $10, just ask them to make the coupon for $9.99! You don't even have to pay tax!! This is the best deal ever!

Cheap Clothes from Aeropostale!

AEROPOSTALE CLOTHES!!

Here is a code to use on Aeroposatale's homepage here!!
**Your item must be at least $10 in order to apply the promotion. It will not be deducted from shipping and handling charges. This code is good through 12/31/09!! Use this for Christmas gifts!

LS_ZG8F4

Aeropostale has $10 t-shirts online for both guys and girls, and now through Sunday 8/2/09 there is a $5 flat rate shipping fee with the code FLAT5. So you basically can get a few t-shirts for just $5!

Meijer Trip

I usually don't do my grocery shopping on Sundays, but this time I didn't want the store to be out of the products I wanted to buy! I took a little while to get my coupons together and printed some offline. Here is a highlight of my best deals:

10 for 10 get the 11th Free items:

Coffee Mate creamer $1
-use $0.50/1 coupon=free!
2 Aunt Millie Loafs of bread $2
-use (2) $1/1 coupons from coupons.com=free!
2 Warm Delights $2
-use (2) $1/1 coupons=free!
3 Colgate toothpastes $3
-use (3) $1/1 coupons
-use Meijer Mealbox $1/3 coupon= free + overage!
2 Angel Soft Bath Tissue $2
-use $0.55/1 coupon from coupons.com=$1
Frozen Corn $1
*free item

**General Mills Cereal Special**
Buy any 4 General Mills cereals and get a $2 coupon for your next purchase
**NEW** Buy any 3 General Mills cereals and get a coupon for a free gallon of milk or buy 6 cereals to get a coupon for 2 free gallons of milk!

Scenario:
Buy 2 boxes of Banana Nut Cheerios $4
-use (2) $1/1 coupons from coupons.com
Buy 2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios $4
-use (2) $1/1 coupons
-use $1/2 coupon

Total=$3
**Get $2 coupon for next purchase
**Get coupon for a free gallon of milk

Rite Aid Deals!

My husband and I have recently found out that we will be moving because I got a job! Horray! Not only are we moving, but we are planning on buying a house to our new town! As we have been searching for the right house, I've been searching for anything that might be nice to have in our new home: cleaning supplies, plug-ins, decor. I hit the jackpot this week at Rite Aid! All of the candles and plug-ins I found were marked at these prices 75% off! The Glade candle was the best deal because it was $2.50 and then there's a $2 mail in rebate to make it only $0.50! Here's what else I got:

2 Loreal Finger nail polishes $1.24 ea.
-use (2) $1/1 coupons=$0.48
Air Wick Candle $2.50
Glade Candle $2.50
2 Glade refills $0.87ea.
Shave Gel $3.29 and $1.99
-use $1.50/2 coupon=$3.78
3 Glade Oil Candles $1.74 ea.
Oral-B Toothbrush $2.99
-use $1/1 coupon=$1.99
Oreos $0.79 (filler item)

Total=$25.15 (after tax but before coupons)
-Use $5/$25
After all coupons $15.65

Rebates:
$4 for nail polish
$1 for shave gel
$2 for Glade candle
$1.50 for Oral-B toothbrush

Total Rebates $8.50

Total out of pocket expense $7.15!!

**I was really surprised because the nail polish was supposed to be $2.99 ea. but they rang up at $1.24 ea., which after the mail in rebates makes them a money maker! These will make nice additions to gift baskets!

KMART SUPER DOUBLE COUPONS!!

It's been a while since I've shopped at any other stores other than my usual Meijer run each week, but KMart's super double coupons lured me in! KMart will double coupons up to $2! This means that your $2 coupon will double up to $4!! Remember that they do not give overage during these special deals. My wonderful husband decided to go with me so we could take advantage of the deals and do two separate transactions! Well, it didn't work out as well as we had anticipated, but we had some good deals nonetheless!

Coupon Rules for super double coupons:
1.) You must have $25 in spending before coupons
2.) You may only use 10 coupons per transaction

Proctor and Gamble have a deal when you buy $25 worth of P&G products, you receive a $5 catalina coupon at the register. My husband and I thought that you could use it on your next transaction, so I rang up first and then passed the coupon off to him. Well, it turns out that the coupon is only good for purchases made next week! Bummer! Anyways, here's what we did:

Transaction #1 (P&G Deal)
2 Pantene Pro-V Full and Thick products $3.33/ea.
-use two $2/1 coupons = free!
2 Pantene Pro-V stylers $3.33/ea.
-use 2 buy one Pantene Full and Thick product and get a styler free = free!
2 Cover Girl Eye Shadows $2.99 ea.
*All Cover Girl eye makeup is buy one get one half off
-use two $1/1 coupons=$0.50/ea.
2 Herbal Essences Products $3.33/ea.
-use two $1/1 coupons=$1.33/ea.

Total=$3.66+tax
**Get a $5.00 catalina coupon

Transaction #2
1 Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Lotion $8.49
-use $2/1 coupon=$4.49
2 Men's Degree Deodorant $2.33/ea.
-use two $0.75/1 coupons=$0.83/ea.
2 Lysol Neutra Air Freshener $2.67/ea.
-use buy one get one free coupon
-use $2/1 coupon=free!
1 Lysol Disinfectant Wipes $2.66
-use $1/1 coupon=$0.66
4 Pringles=$1.50/ea.
-use two $1/2 coupons=$0.50/ea.

Total=$8.81+tax

Overall, we spent less than $15 out of pocket for 19 items which makes each item only $0.75!! Altogether we saved about $40 in coupons (that doesn't include the sales on the items)!

Needless to say, I am very happy that My toiletry closet is full again and we'll be shopping for our shampoo from home!

Long Time

It's been a while...

I haven't blogged in a while since I have finished up my grad school program and my husband has returned home from his deployment. Things have been so busy that I haven't had any time! Well, I've decided to come back and continue posting things! Here's some recent deals that I have found!

At Meijer:
For a healthy choice for Macaroni & Cheese, try the new WHOLE WHEAT style!
Starting July 3rd, buy 4 boxes and get $1 off at the register.

Here's a deal to try:
Buy 4 boxes of Whole Wheat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for $1/ea
Get $1 off at the registe.r
Use coupon for buy 3 get 1 free
Final cost for 4 boxes = $2!
**This would make an easy summer meal with a salad and some fruit!

Helluva Good French Onion Dip $1.19
Use manufacturer coupon for $1
Use Meijer Mealbox coupon for 25 cents
Final cost = free!
(I did this and got a $1 off catalina couponat the register to do it all over again!)

Over the past month, I've gotten lots of salad dressing and BBQ sauce for free. Each week new coupons come out and then different salad dressings go on sale. I've stocked up on italian dressing for a few months! This means that we'll be having pasta salad and BBQ chicken! This is such an easy and affordable meal during the summer! Here's how I make my pasta salad:

16 oz. multicolored rotini pasta- $0.89
1 bottle Italian dressing- free
Italian seasoning- $0.06
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese $0.25
4 eggs $0.30
2 small tomatoes $0.50
1 chopped Bell Pepper $0.50
Total Cost=$2.50

Pair the pasta salad with BBQ chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts- $2.40
BBQ sauce = free

Total meal cost= $4.90!!
Plus, you'll have plenty of pasta salad left over for other meals!

Enjoy the good deals while they last and the summer meals you can make from them!

Wal-Mart Deal!!

I just went to my local Wal-Mart and visited a few others out of town over the weekend, and found a set of two place mats and two washcloths for only $1!! The place mats are solid colors for summer: blue, teal, coral, lime green, and the napkins are white with stripes of all those colors. I snagged a few to give as gifts in baskets I have been creating. I also happened to stumble upon 4 adorable napkin rings for .75 each! Some Wal-Marts even had plastic serving plates to match for $1, the ones with a built-in bowl in the center to hold dip. These would go great together! Hope you are able to get to Wal-Mart to snag these good deals!

Gift Buying: 102

I haven't had much time on my hands lately to update my blog. I'm substitute teaching at the school where I'm student teaching and it is really exhausting! I did however get the chance to put together a few ideas to continue my previous post on gift buying. Since spring is here, that means lots of bridal and baby showers! It means mothers' day and people moving into new apartments and houses! We all need some gifts to give, yet don't want to spend a lot of money! Here's how to do it:

I first want to mention a few amazing deals I've found over the past few weeks at Wal-Mart. My youngest sister-in-law is in middle school and LOVES High School Musical. I always keep an eye out for the merchandise to go on sale because it can be so expensive. If you know a pre-teen or teen who loves High School Musical or Hannah Montana, then you need to take a quick trip to your nearest Wal-Mart! Here are some things that I found that I intend to give for Christmas:
-HSM winter hat and glove set $1
-2 HSM keychains that play music $2
-HSM hairbands $1
-HSM sleeping bag $5 (it lights up too!)
**I can't believe I found all this stuff for under $10!! Everything was so cheap, but she's going to love it!

Wal-Mart also had other merchandize marked way down. Here are some things I got for my nieces, nephews, ect:
-Dora the Explorer umbrella $1
-Winnie the Pooh light-up pens .10/ea
-Tinkerbell sleeping bag $5 (also lights up!)
-Ironman fleece blanket $5 (also lights up!)
-Scarf and glove set .50 (This will make a great women's Christmas exchange gift)
-Black cashmere scarf .50
**Like I mentioned before, you should shop ALL YEAR LONG for Christmas and birthdays. It really pays off in the long run! Now I can be stress free because half of my shopping is done and I spent about $5 for each of them, getting them amazing gifts!

Since I can often get sprays, candles and plug-ins for little to nothing, I stock up on them in common fragrance scents. This way I can put them all together for a nice gift that still looks expensive! I also like to specialize them with something else meaningful, like a journal, book or piece of jewelry. This means that I'm only really paying for the specialized gift since everything else was free. I usually spend $5 or less on something like this. Here are some gift ideas that I came up with from things I already have stocked in my closet!

House warming/bridal shower/gift exchange:
-Hawaiian Breeze room spray- .50
-Hawaiian Breeze plug-in- $1.50
-Hawiian Breeze candle- $2
-orange colored antibacterial soap to match-free
*Cute basket from Goodwill for $1
=$5

Spa Package:
-Clean linen/sunny days plug in- free
-Waterlily rain glad candle- .22
-Exhale body lotion- free
-Satin Care shave gel- $1
-Disposible razors- free
-Lavender hand soap- free
*Cute basket from Goodwill for about .80
=$2

Bachelorette gift (to take on honeymoon)
-Travel bags $2.50
-Suave travel lotion-free
-Satin Care shave gel- $1
-Dove deodorant- $1
-Dove soap-free
-Crest toothpaste-free
-Kotex pads- free
-Disposible razors- free
-sample shampoos and conditioners-free (these are great because they don't leak and you can just throw them away when you're done and not feel guilty!)
-KY Jelly-free
-Cute underwear- $1 (can usually find on sale at Wal-Mart)
=$5.50

Here are just a few ideas that I have come across that I wanted to share with you all! I've only spent $35 on all that I have mentioned! I'm planning on everything (including the kid stuff) covering 7 gifts! Who hoo! I'm on a roll! The best thing is that my husband's family is planning on doing a gift exchange among the grown children and their spouses. This will save us from buying 5 gifts! I would highly suggest the same for your families if there are people who need to cut back :) Besides, Christmas is not about gifts, but Jesus!

I hope this advice helps you make creative gifts for friends and family that will help you save money and feel proud of the gifts you give! Good luck shopping!

Rite Aid March 29

Rite Aid Deals!

There are some good mail-in rebate deals this month at Rite Aid! For this scenario, I'm planning on getting back $7.74! If you follow this scenario and spend $15 out of pocket here, and $35 at Meijer you're total will be $50 for the week (and you'll be getting almost $8 back in rebates).

Magnum Razor $4.99

Almay Makeup $5.99
($1/1 coupon in some papers)

Colgate $3.74
-.75/1 coupon

General Mills Cereal 2 for $5
-(2) $1/1 coupons from eatbetteramerica

Candy Bars 2 for .88
-buy one, get one coupon
-$1/1 coupon

Suave Hair Products 2 for $3
-$1/2 coupon

Total before coupons + tax = $25.25

Coupons
-$5/$25 Rite Aid coupon
-$5.19-$6.19 in coupons
-$7.74 Mail-in Rebates

Total = $6.32-$7.32

Meijer Deals March 29

Meijer Match-ups

Hello all! Meijer has some good deals this week! Check them out! Also, be sure to check out my recipe for Taco Pie that I will be posting soon. Many of the things on sale this week are ingredients for this recipe! In fact, I'm making Taco Pie tonight for a coupon party I'm hosting! It's my husband's favorite meal and I'm sure he'll be missing it tonight. Remember that Meijer doubles coupons up to $1.00!!

Yoplait Yogurt .50/ea, buy 6 for $3.00
-.40/6 coupon = $2.20

Rice Roni $1.11/ea, buy 4 for $4.44
-$1.00/1 coupon = $3.44

Sour Cream .99
-.55/1 coupon = free!

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.50/ea, buy 2 for $3.00
-(2) .25/1 coupons = $2.00

Pillsbury Cinn Rolls $1.50
-.30/1 coupon = .90

Freschetta Pizza $4.77
-$1/1 coupon = $3.77

Air Wick Refills 2 for $5
-$1/2 coupon = $4.00

All Detergent $3.50
-.45/1 coupon = $2.60

Colgate Toothpaste $2
-.75/1 coupon = $1

Colgate Toothbrush $2
-.75/1 coupon = $1

Suave Lotion $2.50
-$1/1 coupon = $1.50

Suave Deodorant $1.79
-.50/1 coupon = .79

Other sale items:
Meijer shredded cheese $1.50/ea (best deal)
Strawberries $1.50
Bagged Salad $1.66
Meijer Brand chips $2

Buy all this for only $35.00
**Tip: Add one pound of ground beef and taco seasoning to your list to make taco pie this week!

Gift Buying: 101

For all you last minute gift-shoppers, this post will hopefully change your way of life! I love to save money in every area of our budget, not just on groceries and toiletries. Over time I've branched out to find ways to save with purchasing gifts. I hope that the following tips are helpful to you this year as you prepare for birthdays, bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, and Christmas!


Keep a list of people to buy for. Each year the list fluctuates for the gifts you need to buy, but you'll almost always be looking for wedding gifts, birthdays, and Christmas. My husband's side of the family is very large and there are two gift exchanges. In addition to this, I usually have at least two other gift exchanges for work or for a group of friends. These gifts can sneak up on you at the last minute and it can be tempting to actually buy a $10 gift for the $10 gift exchange. I'm here to tell you that I shop year-round for gifts so I can stay well below that amount :)

Set a gift budget. One of the best things to do is to put money in an envelope each month to save for buying gifts. This way you don't have to shove out a bunch of money each time a special occasion rolls around! This also helps keep you in check with how much you're spending. If you want to spend more on a special wedding gift, try and get a good bargain on a birthday gift to even out your spending.

Where to shop. Now that you have a budget and know who you will be buying for, you can keep an eye out for good deals on things for these people. ALWAYS CHECK THE SALE SECTIONS! If you don't check the sale sections, you'll miss all the good stuff! For example, I know that two of my friends are having babies this year. I've kept my eye out for things for their baby showers. This is what I've put together in the gift pictured above (less than $4):

-1 package Huggies disposable changing pads from Wal-Mart, free w/coupons
-1 travel package baby wipes from Wal-Mart, free w/coupons
-1 Johnson's baby shampoo from Wal-Mart .22 w/coupons
-2 travel size Johnson's baby lotions from Wal-Mart, free w/coupons
-Glade candle $1.50
*In addition to this, I'm going to add these things to the gift:
-1 Baby Scrapbook (new) from Goodwill .79
-1 picture book from the Family Christian Bookstore, .99

The Family Christian Bookstore. This is a great place to shop for any occasion. They always send out coupons each month and have additional sales. You can usually buy books and cds between $5-$10. These are great gifts to buy ahead for birthdays, weddings, Christmas stockings or gift exchanges. I just bought Sacred Marriage for my husband and I for only $9.

Goodwill. Some of you might be totally surprised by this, but I'm telling you that it is a great place to shop! Many stores like Target and Wal-Mart donate some of their returns and last season items to Goodwill! My husband and I have gotten two new bookshelves from there for only $25 ea. I've also found brand new journals, place mats, scrapbooks, cards, and winter gloves at great prices! I try and shop here once a month to see what they have.

Wal-Mart. This store has never failed me. One of my favorite places to find gifts is in the $5 movie bin! You can always find a good movie in there. Also, Wal-Mart drastically marks down jewlry and other accessories. I've found pairs of earrings for $1/ea and recently bought a winter scarf and glove set for $1.50! The best time to hit Wal-Mart is the days following Christmas. I stock up on bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper and boxes because everything is half off or more. I also look at the holiday gifts and usually buy cosmetic bags, candle holders, candles, and fingernail kits for super cheap. This is also the best time to look for men's gifts because they have men's holiday gifts half off, and you can get some exchange gifts for great prices. Online you are able to get free samples of different products sent to you that you may be able to use in gift baskets (I'll tell you more about this later).

Drug Stores. These are places like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. At these stores, you can usually get free fragrance plug-ins, sprays, lotions, body washes, cleaners and more! Never pass up the opportunity to get something free with your coupons. You never how you might be able to use it.

**Now you can get started on shopping for your gifts year-round! In the next blog, Gift Buying 102, I'll tell you more specifics about the things that I look for. I will also give you some other gift basket ideas that will only cost you about $5! Until then, stock up on free samples from Wal-Mart and check out the sales at the other stores mentioned. You'll need to build up a good stock in order to create multiple gifts.

Meijer Deals March 22

Meijer Milk Madness!

There are a few good deals at Meijer this week. If you need milk, or your family drinks a lot of it, then this is the week for you! Check out my coupon match-ups to get the best deals and free milk!


Kraft Cheese 1/2 price

Pears .87 lb.

Knorr Pasta Sides $1
-use $.75/2 coupon and get them both for only $1 (after the coupon doubles)

Buy 3 Kellogg's and get 1 Gallon of milk free
-Pop Tarts $1.50 ea, buy 2 and use $1/2 coupon = $2.00 for 2 boxes
-Kellogg's cereal $2 ea, buy 1 and use .70/1 coupon = $1.00 (after coupon doubles)
**Spend $3 and get a free gallon of milk!

Buy 2 Ritz crackers and get a gallon of milk free
-Ritz crackers 2 for $5, use $1/2 coupon = $4

Yo-Plus Yogurt $2
-use $1/1 coupon = $1.00

Purex Detergent & Fabric Softener 2 for $5
-use .55/1 coupon for softener
-use .35/1 coupon for detergent
-pay $3.30 for both after coupons double

Air Wick i-motion starter kit 1/2 price
-use $4/1 coupon = free-$1

**I'm not planning on buying many groceries this week. I've done a good job of stocking up so far when things have been on sale that I don't need much. I found a few good deals, and I'll spend less than $20 for everything above. I'll store away the detergent and fabric softener for all the laundry I'll have to do when my husband comes home! The Knorr sides have great rice pouches that I like to take for church group because they're easy and make a good amount! Also, I keep a look out for great deals on fragrance plug-ins because they are great little gifts to add in baskets for bridal showers, baby showers or birthday gifts! There's a post coming soon on free items to stock up for gifts!! I shop year-round for all gift occasions and it has saved me so much money! Stay tuned :)

Rite Aid March 22

Rite Aid Deals March 22

So I had to do a little research to see what good deals were going on this week. I have a $5 coupon for Rite Aid when you spend $25 up front (that means before applying coupons). You can get your own by registering with MyRiteAid.com here. I've found some great deals this week, so I'm planning on finally using it! Also, I'm planning on transferring my two prescriptions there in order to get two $25 gift cards! If you're interested in doing this too, go to the Rite Aid website and download the coupon and follow the directions. For this scenario, you only need one of the $25 gift cards. Here's my plan:

Buy 1 Almay makeup, get Almay Eye Makeup remover free
-use $1/1 coupon from this week's paper
Buy 1 Huggies Pull-Ups $9.99
-use $2/1 coupon = $8.99
Buy 2 Kotex items 2 for $6
-use .75/1 tampons -use .75/1 pantiliners = $4.50

Total before coupons = $25
Minus $5/$25 coupon = $20 Minus $4.50 in coupons =$15.50
**Pay with one of the $25 gift cards

Mail-in Rebates: Buy 2 Almay products = $5 rebate 1 Huggies = $2 rebate 2 Kotex products = $1 rebate
Total Rebates = $8.00

This is a great deal, if you have a prescription to transfer and get the $5/$25 coupon here. You make money from this deal! You don't pay anything out of pocket, and get back $8.00 in rebates!

Other Rite Aid Deals:

Always Tampon Products $2.99 with $1.00 Mail-in Rebate (MIR)
Purex Detergent or Fabric Softener- Buy 1, Get 1 free
-use .35 coupons from paper
Angel Soft Bath Tissue .99
Purina Cat/Dog Food $3.99
-use $3.50 coupon from here
Air Wick Aerosol Spray .79
-use buy 1, get 1 coupon -use $1/1 coupon =21 cents overage!!

Meijer Deals...Hurry!

My Amazing Lysol Deal: 43 cents for 10 items!

I made my weekly Meijer visit on Tuesday. While I didn't get all the deals I was looking for, my trip wasn't wasted because I found the best deal on Lysol cleaning products!! All cleaning products are 1/2 off which makes them about $1.29-$1.59. I had a $1/1 coupon for bathroom cleaner and another $1/1 coupon for kitchen cleaner. While I was looking around, I noticed pealable coupons on the Lysol spray that had coupons for the cleaners. I pealed a few of these and grabbed some more cleaners. I also noticed that the NeutraAir spray had a special: Double packs for the price of 1 and I had coupons for these too! Here's the deal I got:

3 Lysol Kitchen cleaners $1.29 ea= $3.87
-(3) $1/1 coupons = $.87

3 Lysol Bathroom cleaners $1.49 ea = $4.47
-(3) $1/1 coupons = $1.47

2 Double packs of Lysol NeutraAir spray $3.09 ea = $6.18
-$2/1 coupon
-Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon = $1.09

Total for 10 Lysol products = $3.43
***$3 Mail-in-rebate when you buy 3 different Lysol products

Total after Rebate = 43 cents!!!!

CVS Giftcard Giveaway!

CVS Giftcard Giveaway

For those of you who like to enter contests to get free stuff, go here to The Coupon High to register to get a $10 CVS giftcard!! Register soon because it ends March 21st! Don't miss your chance!

Meijer Deals March 15

Meijer Deals March 15

I can't wait to go to Meijer this week! They are having their by 10 items for $10 and get the 11th item free sale! I always love these deals, especially when I have lots of coupons! Check out the match-ups below and get some great FREE stuff!

General Mills Cereal 2 for $4
-$1/1 Multigrain Cheerios coupons from the Eat Better America coupon booklet sign up here
-$1/1 Muligrain Cheerios from newspaper
-$1/3 coupon
-*I got a coupon from the register from my last trip for $1.50/4
**Buy 4 boxes for only $3.50

Freschetta Pizza $3.99
-$1/1 coupon = $2.99

Block Cheese $1.66ea
**Will go great with my free Wheat Thins from CVS!

Lysol Products 1/2 price
-use the many coupons from the paper, and if you buy 3 different products, you can get a $3
mail-in rebate!

Wishbone Dressing $1.66 ea
-$1/1 coupon = .66

10 for $10, get 11th Free Scenario:

4 Crest Toothpastes
-(2) .50/1 coupons
-$1/1 coupon
-.75/1 coupon
= free!

2 Aquafresh Toothpastes
-(2) .75/1 coupons
= free!

1 Angel Soft 4-pc toilet paper
-.50/1 coupon
= free!

3 Green Giant Frozen Veggies
-.50/1 coupon
-$1/1 coupon from Eat Better America Coupon booklet sign up here
-$1/3 coupon from Eat Better America Coupon booklet sign up here
= free!

2 Betty Crocker Cake mixes *11th item free, 12th item free with coupon
-.75/2
-One is free because it's the 11th item, the other is free because the coupon doubles to $1
=free!

**With this scenario, you can get 11 items for FREE!!
**Here are some other things you can add to your make your grocery trip complete with the 10 for $10 deal:

Strawberries
Dole bagged salad
Meijer canned chicken
Michelina's frozen meals
Hamburger Helper
Betty Crocker potatoes

CVS March 15

CVS Deals & Scenarios

There are some great deals at CVS this week! Lots of ECBs to get! When I went to CVS today, I had a $4/$20 coupon that expires today. I am signed up to get their e-mails; I would highly recommend doing that for both CVS and Rite Aid because they will send you some good coupons. I had the cashier ring up two different transactions so I could use two of the $4/$20 coupons, and so I could use the ECBs from the first transaction to pay for the second! Check it out:

Transaction #1:
24 oz Dove Body Wash $7
-$1.50/1 coupon
Dove shampoo & conditioner $8
-(2) $1.50/1 coupons
Irish Springs Body wash $4.99
-.50/1 coupon
2 Wheat Thin crackers $2 (these are small boxes, but they're free!)
-$2/2 coupon

Total before coupons= $22
-$4/$20 coupon
-$7.00 coupons
Total after coupons and taxes $12
+$4.99 ECBs for the Irish Springs Body Wash (only effective until 3/17)
+$5.00 ECBs for spending $15 worth of Dove products

Transaction #2
24 oz Dove Body Wash $7
-$1.50/1 coupon
Pantene Shampoo and Hairspray 2/$7
-$2/2 coupon and a buy one get a product free
2 Men's Degree Deodorant 2/$7
-$1.00/2
1 Dove Deodorant $3.50
-$1.25/1

Total before coupons= $24.50
-$4/$20
-$9.25 coupons
-$9.99 ECBs from previous purchase
**Paid only tax!
+$5.00 ECBs for spending $15 in Dove products
+$2.00 ECBs for buying 2 Pantene products

Other Deals:
4/$10 Glade products (get $3 ECBs when you spend $7)
-use any coupons from 3/15 paper
Colgate $2.99 (get $2.99 ECBs)
-.75 coupon from 3/15 paper
Quaker Oatmeal 2 for $5 (get $5 ECBs when you spend $15)
-use (3) $1/2 coupons

So I only spent about $6 overall today after Extra Bucks (saving over $30) and have $7.00 ECBs to use for my next visit! I have officially stocked up on shampoos and body wash, which I've been waiting for! I'm trying to stock up on things now while I have the time to shop for the good deals, so I might not have to shop as much when my husband comes home! I hope many of you find this helpful! For other good deals, visit moneysavingmom.com for a full list!

Coupon Basics

I started as a beginner couponer about two years ago before I was married. I began without help from coupon blogs because I didn't know they existed! Here are some basics about couponing and using them at different stores. I hope this helps you on your way to saving money!

1.) Subscribe to the newspaper in your city. Having the newspaper delivered to you house/apartment saves you money because you get a discount and you're not spending the gas to drive somewhere to get one. I'm always excited every Sunday morning to run downstairs and have that golden package already at my door! This is where I find the majority of my coupons. If you have a friend or neighbor that doesn't use his/her coupons, ask for them. You never know when you may want to stock up on an item and need more than one coupon to buy it!

2.) Find a good coupon site online. I prefer coupons.com because you can download the coupon printer once and then print off any coupons you find in the future.

3.) Invest in a hand-held calculator, a coupon organizer and a good pair of scissors. The calculator is nice to have available when figuring out the cost of items after applying coupons. You can purchase a nice 13 section folder at Target in the dollar bins to organizer your coupons. This will save you so much time when you're compiling your grocery list or when you see an item on sale at the store and are looking for a coupon to go with it.

4.) Meijer. Meijer is my favorite grocery store. Meijer's coupons double up to $1.00, which means that if you have a coupon for .25 then it will double to .50, and if you have a coupon for .55 then it will only double to $1.00 because that's as high as they double. Other coupons for more than $1.00 are rung up at face value. For example, you may have a $4.00 coupon off one Venus razor. You will simply get $4.00 off the razor at the checkout becasue it cannot double. Meijer also has coupons in the Meijer Mealbox online. These are different from the ones you would get in the newspaper. These coupons can be used alongside the ones from the paper. They also give you catalina coupons that spit out at the register. Something to note about Meijer is that when they have a sale item advertised for 3 items for $5, you DO NOT have to buy 3 of that item to get the sale price! You can purchase only one of the items for $1.66.

5.) Kroger. Kroger also doubles coupons, but you need to have a Kroger Plus Card in order to get the sale prices. Also, you can go to Kroger.com and upload coupons to your Kroger Plus Card that will be deducted from your total automatically at the checkout.

6.) CVS. This store is another great place to shop specifically for toiletry items. CVS does NOT double coupons; they are simply taken for face value. However, they do have an Extra Care Bucks program where you receive a generic coupon for money toward your next purchase. You must apply for an Extra Care Bucks card in order to get the deals from CVS. When you do so, you will receive about 50 free 4 x 6 prints that you can pick up in-store. An example of Extra Care Bucks is: Crest toothpase may be on sale for $2.99, and you will get $2.99 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). This means that that a coupon will print out at the end of your receipt that says $2.00 in ECBs. The next time you shop at CVS, you can use your $2.99 toward any purchase in the store! It is great to build up your ECB stash in order to purchase other items that will earn you more ECBs (this is called "rolling" meaning that you use ECBs to pay for items that get you more ECBs and to continue the cycle).

7.) Rite Aid. Rite Aid is another one of my favorites beceause they have mail-in rebates. Rite Aid does NOT double coupons either, but they do have some great deals. With the mail-in rebate system, you have to pay for the item up front, but then get the money back in a check the next month. There is a way to make money with this. For example, Herbal Essences Hair Spray is $2.99 and there is a full price $2.99 rebate. Well, you have a $2.00/1 Herbal Essences coupon to use! So you pay .99 out of pocket (oop), and then you will receive $2.99 the next month in rebates-- that means they just paid you $2.00 to buy that hairspray!

8.) Wal-Mart and Target. These two stores are very similar, and I usually shop at them when I can get things for free. Neither of these stores double their coupons; they are only taken for face value. Most of the time, I only use the larger coupons at these places ($1.00 coupons or more). These stores already have low prices, so sometimes you can get something for free with a coupon without it having to go on sale. For example, Gillette Body Wash is always $2.00 at Target. A $2.00/1 coupon will enable you to get that item for free! Wal-Mart always has Johnson & Johnson Bath Buddies for .97 and oftentimes you'll find $1/1 in the newspaper, so you actually get .03 in overage (*overage is the left over amount that you have from using a coupon). Overage is awesome because it goes toward paying for other things you need to buy. Even though it's only .03, you may buy 10 of the item and have 30 cents overage, which may cover the cost of another item!

9.) Walgreens. I hardly ever shop at Walgreens, but I found some great deals this week. I'm unfamiliar with the stipulations, but I have a general idea. Walgreens does NOT double coupons, but they do have an Easy Saver catalogue that comes out each month with coupons only good at Walgreens. These Easy Saver coupons can be used with newspaper coupons, which often leads to free stuff! For example, a Glade fragrance kit costs $7.99, but you get it for free by giving a $4 coupon from the newspaper and a $4 coupon from the Easy Saver catalogue. Walgreens also has both register rewards (which are similar to CVS Extra Care Bucks) and mail-in rebates (like Rite Aid); however, you cannot use register rewards to pay for an item with which you will receive more register rewards (this is the part I don't really understand, so I don't shop there very often).

My advice is to choose two or three stores that you want to follow closely for their deals each week or month. It is stressful to try and shop at all of these places each week, so stick with your favorites, and hit deals at the off stores when you find them on bloggs. I hope this helps you on your way into the wonderful world of coupons!

Target Deals March 8

I'm usually not a big Target shopper, but I found a few good things this week. My husband has been using the Gillette body wash, we have 2 cats and I have been wanting to try the carpet deodorizer! What a great trip. Here's the breakdown:

Glade Carpet Deodorizer $1.66
-$1.00/1 coupon (.66)

(3) 8.4oz Men's Gillette Body Wash $6.00 ($2.00 ea)
-(3) $2.00/1 (free)

3.5lb Purina CatFood $3.79 on sale
-$3.50/1 you can get here (.29)

3.5lb The Goodlife Recipe Cat Food $3.99 on sale (This is a new kind)
-$3.00/1 (.99)

Total before coupons $15.44 - $13.50 = about $2.00

**If you buy Men's Gillette body wash, the 8.4oz bottles are always $2.00 at Target. Sometimes there are coupons for buy one, get one free in addition to a $1.00/1, so you can get them for about .50 each (if not free).

Easy Friday Night Meal!

This is one of my favorite recipes! I found it on the back of Meijer brand shredded cheese, and it has been a faithful recipe. Since this is a pizza recipe, it works great for a weekend meal. I love this recipe because I usually have most of the ingredients. I always keep my eye out for the pizza crust on sale because it keeps in the frig. I usually have cheese in the freezer since I stock up when it's on sale. I've included a price break down for how much I can normally get the items on sale. Enjoy!

Pepperoni Bread

Ingredients:
-1 can Meijer Pizza crust $1 (during their 10 for $10, 11th free sales)
-2 eggs .25
-1-1/2 Teaspoons Oregano .05
-1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese $1.00 ($2.50 for can)
-1 Package Pepperoni $1 for small package at Meijer
-8 oz shredded cheese (I like the Colby Jack blend for this recipe) $1.66 at Meijer when 3/$5
Total Cost: $5.00

Directions:
-Preheat oven 325 degrees
-Spead out pizza crust on pan with foil (don't stretch)
-Mix eggs, oregano, and Parmesan cheese
-Put 3/4 mixture on crust
-Top with cheese and pepperoni
-Roll up and pinch seems together
-Spread remainder of egg mixture over top
-Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown

**Feel free to add any other ingredients into the recipe. Bacon, banana peppers, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onion are all great add-ins as well.

**You can add a salad, pasta salad, or corn for your complete meal!

Wal-Mart Deals March 8

I am usually a regular Meijer shopper since I can find the best deals with coupons and sales, but this week I found some great deals at Wal-Mart! This week there are clothes marked down to $1. I would recommend stocking up with some pants and sweaters to use for next yeart! The Johnson's Buddies aren't pictured because I already gave them away! I don't have any children yet, but I love finding deals for other moms! Here is a breakdown of everything I got:

2 Huggies desposible changing pads $5.64 ($2.82 ea.)
-(2) $5.00 coupons for Huggies Gentle Care items ($4.36 overage)

16ct Huggies wipes $1.25
-$3.00 coupon for Huggies Natural Care item ($1.75 overage)

2 2oz. Johnson & Johnson lotions $1.94 (.97 ea.)
-(2) $1.00 coupon for J&J (.06 overage)

7oz Baby Shampoo $2.17
-$1.00 coupon for J$J

5 Johnson's Buddies soaps $4.85 (.97 ea.)
-(5) $1.00 coupon for J&J (.15 overage)

Lysol Neutra Air $2.00
-$2.00/ 1 Lysol spray (free)

20 ct. Always pantilners $.93
-$1.00/1 from mail sample (.07 overage)

3oz Suave Lotion $.97
-$1.00/1 Lotion (.03 overage)

3 Mentos Gum $3.84
-(2) $1.00/1 and (1) .55/1

**I found a shirt, sweater, and jeans all for $1.00 ea = $3.00
**I also bought a pair of jeans for $3.00
**And a pair of much needed shoes for $20.00

Total before Coupons $49.59 - $27.55 in coupons = about $24.50

With the overage in coupons, I was able to get the dollar clothes for free! I really only had to pay for the $3.00 jeans and the shoes!

(Tip) From coupons.com you can print off (2) each of the Huggies coupons both the $5.00 ones and the $3.00 ones. If you're able to print another set of them from another computer, then you can go to the store with four of each coupon. You will end up with $15.72 in overage. Have fun shopping!

First Post!

I am really excited to finally start a blog! I have been so inspired by many other wives and mothers who are blogging about how to improve finances by couponing, meal planning and budgeting, so I have decided to do the same. It is my main goal to serve the Lord by having a humble and frugal heart. I aspire to live like the Proverbs 31 woman who provides so diligently for her household that her husband and children rise up and called her blessed. I hope that I can appeal to other women who want to give the most to their families. This is such an exciting journey!