Great Deals week of 10/30/11

I had a great day at Walgreen's yesterday!  I did 3 transactions and got a bunch of stuff I will actually use!  So anyway here is what I did:

Transaction #1-

(2) Crest Pro-Health 4 oz. toothpaste 2/$7

(2) Ricola Dual Action Cough Drops $2 ea.

         Total: $11.00

Coupons:  (2) $1/1 Crest toothpaste MQ

                (1) B1G1 free Ricola cough drops 

                (1) $3 RR I had left over from last week

I paid $4.85 out of pocket and received $5 RR for the toothpaste and $2 RR for the Ricola

Transaction#2-

(1) Pantene 12.6 oz Shampoo 2/$7 so $3.50

(1) Pantene 12.6 oz Conditioner 2/$7 so $3.50

(1) Nivea Body Wash 16.9 oz. $3.99

(3) Hunt's tomato sauce 3/$1 with in ad Q

         $11.99

Coupons:  (1)$1/1 Nivea women's body wash

                 (1)$3/2 Pantene Product

                 (1) $5 RR from previous transaction

                 (1) $2 RR from previous transaction

I paid $1.84 out of pocket and received (2) $2 RR for Pantene and Nivea

Transaction #3-

(2) Crest Pro Health 4 oz. toothpaste 2/$7

(3) Hunt's tomato sauce 3/$1 with in ad Q

(3) single packs Trident gum $0.69 with in ad Q so $2.07

Coupons:  (1) $1/1 crest toothpaste

                 (1) $.75/1 Crest toothpaste

                 (1) $1/3 Trident gum

                 (1) $2 RR from previous transaction

I paid $4.86 out of pocket and received (1) $5 RR for Crest 

I then used that $5 RR from Transaction #3 towards 3 Sunday papers. So in the end I got approx $39 (sale prices)  or $60 (reg. price) worth of product for $13 and I still have a $2 RR reward to use later!  Not bad huh?

Now, if you still have any of those $8/2 Covergirl cosmetics head on over to CVS...this really only works if you have 4 of these coupons:

  Buy (8) CoverGirl blushes $4.99 they are B1G1 half off.  This adds up to $30 and with $32 worth of coupons you pay NOTHING and you get a $10 gift card!  That is an AWESOME deal!

I hope you have a Happy Halloween and Happy MONDAY!!!

Great Deals This Week 10/24/2011

You all know I think couponing can be very beneficial for the pocket book but I have realized recently that I need to rethink buying everything that happens to be a good deal.  I mean, do I really need to buy a ton of diaper wipes when none of my kids are in diapers (although there are many other uses for diaper wipes, they would dry out before I ever got around to using them)?  Or contact lens cleaner when no one in my family wears contacts?  I think not!  So I have committed myself to only buy things that I will use unless it is going to be a money maker.  Here are some things that caught my eye yesterday while going through various websites, sales flyers, and the newspaper that I will be taking advantage of:

Wal-Mart:  Axe shower gel, 12 oz.  $3.99

                  Use B1G1 Free Axe Shower Gel Coupon

                  Final price: $1.99 each when you buy 2

Walgreen's:  Kleenex Cool Touch Tissues, 40 shts.  $1.50

                    Get $1.00 in Register Rewards when you buy 2

                    Use (2) $.50/1 Kleenex Cool Touch Cpn.

                    You will pay $2.00 out of pocket but will receive the $1.00 in RR making the final price $.50                        each when buying two.

            

                   Colgate Dental Care, ProClinical, or Total Advance 4 oz. toothpaste $3.00

                   Get $4.00 RR when you buy two

                   Use (2) $.75/1 Colgate Total, Max Fresh, or Sensitive

                   or (2) $.50/1 Colgate toothpaste

                   You will pay $4.50 or $5.00 out of pocket depending which coupons you uses and will receive $4.00 in RR making the final price either $.25 or $.50 each when you buy two.

                    Old El Paso Taco Shells $.99

                     use $.50/1 El Paso product

                    Final price $.49

There were some great deals in the Safeway flyer as well but I threw it out before writing any of it down so take a look at the Nature Valley, Kettle Chips, Starbuck's Frappucino 4 packs for some great deals if you have coupons from the paper and the Safeway flyer!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Mix & Match

 Okay, so I kinda missed posting yesterday due to technical difficulties.  But the good news is today you get both cleaning and indulging!  I actually think this topic could be considered both.  Anyway, you know those glass jar candles?  You are nodding your head right?  I really hope you don't throw those away after  the candle burns out that would be such a waste!  The jars and containers from your jar candles can be used for so many different things.  We use them to contain cotton balls, q-tips, flossers, bath salts, decorations (i.e. shells-see pictures), spices, buttons, pens, etc. My favorite candles are the ones from Bath & Body Works.  They smell great and the containers are awesome, my husband and I usually pick up a few when they go on sale.  Michael's also has good candles for great prices, if you can get them on clearance all the better!  You might however ask....how do you get the wax out?  Well this is my husbands special secret but I'm gonna tell you anyway!

When you are at the end of the candle put on some latex gloves or use a dish towel to keep your hands from burning (be very careful!).  While the wax is still in liquid form pour out as much as you can.  Then, take a dry paper towel and wipe the remaining wax out.  This all must be done fairly quickly because if the wax hardens you'll end up having to scrape it out or I suppose you could heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds as long as the container is microwave safe. I will usually throw them in the dishwasher at this point just to make sure there isn't any lingering residue (please only do this when there is no more wax in the container, I would imagine you might ruin your dishwasher otherwise.) Now your candle holders are ready for decorative and/or utilitarian uses!

The containers with silver lids are from BBW candles.

Candles from Michael's used for cotton balls and flossers.

Fanfiction rec of the week:  Worth the Burn by My-Bella

A night of Halloween trickery & secrets leads to some unexpected treats for Bella. Will this night of debauchery be a one time occurrence? Or will Bella & Edward risk the burn and attempt a relationship? Rated "M" for mature language & situations.

I figured since we are getting close to Halloween I would recommend a Halloween fic.  This story has some humor, lots of mis-communication, and of course love! Enjoy.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY (AND TUESDAY ;))

Giveaway contest are a great way to earn Christmas gifts.  My sister's blog The Guide is hosting a Christmas gift giveaway where she will be reviewing and giving away great gifts for the holidays.  Right now she is giving away a Chugginton die cast set which looks great for a boy over the age of 3.  Check it out here and enter to win.  Also, check out the other contests she has going on.  I will be letting you know when new giveaways become available.  Good Luck!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Time to Clean Out Those Expired Coupons!

So if you don't already know, the October Proctor & Gamble PriceSaver came out yesterday.  This means last months coupons are expired.  So take the time, go through your coupons, and trash all of the expired ones.  This also helps to make space for all the new coupons.  I don't know if it was a nationwide thing or not but there were some extra inserts in our local paper (SacBee) this weekend including a Pepsico one.  

If you are new to couponing may I give you some advice?  Get a big D-ring binder, some dividers, and some baseball card sheet protectors.  Since I have taken to buying several Sunday papers it has really helped to have my coupons organized this way.  It makes the coupons easy to see at a glance and keeping them organized by category makes it even easier to find a particular coupon.  This is helpful when standing in the middle of the store with a couple of kids hanging off the cart begging for toys and candy!  You never know when you might run across some clearance items or an unadvertised sale, so ALWAYS bring your coupons with you.  Here is a list of categories I use in my coupon binder:

Safeway

Walgreen's

Target

CVS

restaurant coupons

refrigerated

frozen

condiments

snacks

grains (this includes rice, pasta, bread, cereal)

beverages

baking supplies

canned and boxed dry goods

medicines & vitamins

health and beauty ( I separate within this section by dental, shaving, makeup & facial treatments, hair care, body treatments, personal products)

household ( I separate with in this section by (paper goods, office supplies, fragrance)

cleaning products ( separated by laundry, dish-washing, bathroom, kitchen, misc.) 

  

I hope this helps with your coupon organization.  If you have a tip please leave a comment.  HAPPY MONDAY!

New on DVD and FF Rec

The newest Transformer movie, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, is being released this Friday, Sept. 30th.  I have to say, when I saw this movie in the theater I was really impressed.  I know it is not very girly to say but the effects were stellar and the new female lead is much better than the old one.  Here is a list of places and prices where you can get the movie on Friday:

                          Amazon.com:   2-Disc B-ray+DVD = $19.99

                                                                        DVD = $16.99

                                    Target:   2-Disc B-ray+DVD = $20.00

                                                                        DVD = $16.00

                                Walmart:    2-Disc B-ray+DVD = $19.96

                                                                        DVD = $16.96

                                Safeway:    2 Disc B-ray+DVD = $23.99

                                                                        DVD = $16.99

                   Safeway is offering (1) 2-liter of Pepsi

                   when you buy the movie between 9/30/11-10/7/11

Fan-Fiction Rec of the Week:     Work in Progress by araeo

This is a Twilight fic and is all-human, alternate universe.  Bella, Edward and the usual suspects are adults living in Seattle.  They hit it off after a klutzy accident and E awakens B's ovaries, who never hesitate to voice their pervy opinion in B's head.  Rated M for language and lemons.

This story is hilarious as Bella is in constant conversation with her ovaries in regards to the sexy, Dr. Edward.    

Read this one for a good laugh and some sexy times remember lemons = sex so if you are not 18 or into that sort of thing please do not read!      

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!  Do something nice for yourself :)                                          

Household Uses For Lemons

Lemons are common place in my household especially when the tree in our backyard is ready to be picked.   While there are many uses for lemons in cooking and baking there are also many ways to use lemons to help keep your kitchen clean and smelling fresh.  So the next time you use a lemon to flavor your favorite dish don't throw the rind away try these lemony fresh tips.

Tea Kettle: fill your teakettle with water and add a handful of lemon rinds.  Bring to a boil then turn of the heat.  Let it sit for about an hour, drain, and rinse well.  This will get rid of those mineral deposits.

Coffee Pot:  (not the machine but the carafe)  add ice, salt, and lemon rinds to the empty pot.  Swirl the carafe for a minute or two, then drain and rinse well.  This will leave your pot nice and sparkly.

Garbage Disposal:  when I am done with a lemon whether I have used it for cooking or cleaning I never throw them in the trash can.  I chop them up and throw them in the garbage disposal.  This cleans the disposal and makes the kitchen smell great.  I also do this with orange peels.

Microwave:  I always feel really weird about using chemical cleaners for the inside of the microwave...it just doesn't seem right.  Try this instead;  fill a microwave safe bowl half full with water and add  some lemon rinds. Heat on high for about 5 minutes until the water is boiling and condensation has accumulated on the side, top, and bottom of the microwave.  Very carefully remove the hot bowl and use a cloth to wipe away the splatters.

I hope these tips are useful to you, let me know how they worked!  Have a HAPPY TUESDAY!

Great Deals and Coupon Tip

There are some great deals happening this week on groceries.  Safeway is having a huge stock up sale.  If you purchase at least 8 of the 3,000 items included in the sale you will receive an additional $.50 off each item.  Some of those items have coupons available for additional savings.  Here are some of the deals I took advantage of (only valid through 9/27):

Philidelphia Cream Cheese (2 sm. tubs):   Reg. price: 6.98

                                                               Card Svgs:   .40 -

                                                               J4U eCpn: 3.29 -

                                                               Store Cpn: 3.29 -

                                                               Mfg. Cpn : 1.00 -

So, I ended up making $1.00 on this but I am not sure I was suppose to. I am not all that knowledgeable on the J4U eCoupons and how they interact with other coupons but I was watching when the cashier scanned all of my coupons and he did not have to manually enter anything.  Essentially I had 2 B1G1F coupons and a $1/2 coupon. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams (1box ea.):   Reg. price:    $12.57

                                                                                                         Card Svgs:        6.90 -

                                                                                                         Mfg. Cpn :        1.00 -

That is three boxes of cereal for $4.67 or $1.55 each!

Kleenex Tissues (2 boxes):   Reg. Price: $3.98

                                            Store Cpn:  2.00 -

                                            Mfg. Cpn :    .50-

Two boxes of Kleenex for $1.48 or $.75 each!

Here is my coupon tip of the week:  When sitting down to clip your coupons make it easier by making the double paged inserts into single paged ones.  The pages will separate easily if you tear down the center fold. This gives you a small piece of paper to deal with while cutting.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Nail Polish and Reading

I don't go and get pedicures very often...usually only in the late spring when I start wearing sandals and flip flops again, but I do like to keep my toes polished.  Every season the cosmetic companies come out with new colors so I like to pick up a couple.  This weekend at Walgreen's I picked up a few new shades of Revlon's Top Speed nail polish and got a pretty good deal.  They have Revlon on sale 40% off and if you spend $10 or more you get $3 back in register rewards.  There are also some $1 off coupons available out there (my Wags had a tear pad in the store at the cosmetics counter) so after sale price, coupons and register rewards you could potentially pay $1.89 each when you buy three.  That is a pretty good deal for some good quality polish yeah? At the very least go and check out the new shades for Fall!

Fan-fiction has become an obsession of mine in the last two years and while I wish I had a knack for creative writing I really don't so I stick to reading. There is fan-fiction for everything from books to movies to TV shows.  I am particular to Twilight fan-fiction myself and would like to use this venue to recommend/review whatever I happen to be reading.  While there are fics available for every age group I tend to gravitate towards the more "mature" selections.  Saying that, most of my rec's and reviews will be in that category. Right now I am currently reading A Simple Twist of Fate by WellMadeMistake over at Fanfiction.net .  It is a short and sweet, all-human, love story between college-age Edward and Bella. Here is the summary from the website:

AU, All Human Edward has moved cross country from Washington to Florida to attend school after ending a nasty relationship, only to find himself instantly attracted to a beautiful brunette he sees in traffic. Rated M for language and lemons.

FYI: AU=alternate universe; lemons=sex scenes

Check out A Simple Twist of Fate here.

Have a HAPPY WEDNESDAY and do at least one thing to indulge yourself!

Coupons....Worth it?

All of my adult life I have debated whether it is worth the time and effort to scour store ads and coupon books trying to find the best price on cheese.  I've wondered if I drive the fifteen minutes it takes to get to Wal-Mart to save a few bucks am I really saving more than I'm spending in gas when Safeway is just two minutes up the street.  Do I really want to change my 15 year standard of buying Prego brand marinara to Barilla just because it is on sale and I have a coupon for it?  Now that I have a family of five to feed, which is getting more and more expensive as my toddlers have turned into growing boys and a preteen girl who are always hungry I have had to reevaluate my views on coupons and sales. 

A few weeks ago after seeing the results of my sister's almost obsession with coupons I decided to give it a go.  She turned me onto a few websites and I took it from there.  I visited a website called Wild for Wags (Wags=Walgreen's) and discovered that not only does this woman post all kinds of great deals and links to coupons that can be printed on the web, every Saturday she posts a buying scenario.  Her scenarios are very detailed and even include links to certain coupons, prices, and which issue of the coupon booklets you can find certain coupons in.  She also runs a site very similar site that deals with Target. This was a great way to dip my toe into the world of coupons.  I was so excited when I walked out of Walgreen's that first time and I had a box of Estroven that I actually made $2 on.  I kept looking over my shoulder thinking someone was going to follow me outside and tell me I had done something wrong...either because I left the store with essentially more money than I came in with or because I'm not old enough to even need Estroven.  As I said earlier, I was excited...so excited I had to tell my husband, who looked at me like I was nuts and asked if maybe I could find deals like that on stuff we actually needed, my mother, who wanted the Estroven, and my sister, who I think might have shed a tear at my succumbing to her corruption.

So is it worth it?  I think if you can stay organized and sane, spending time scouring the sales ads and coupons for good deals are worth it.  Driving the fifteen minutes to Wal-Mart? Well, if I am going to buy a large amount and will be saving at least $10 buying the same items from a closer store, then yes it's worth it.  Ditching Prego for Barilla?  Jury is still out on that one ;P 

Next Week:  Tips on how to get started with coupons including organization and time management.  HAPPY MONDAY!