Clearly the idea of getting an entire thanksgiving dinner for free is better in principle than the more usual “free turkey” deal. However, like so many of these deals over the last few months, you need to look at the details before deciding that this one is for you. Here are the details for a typical deal:

1. First, the Thanksgiving Dinner is valued at $59.99 and it consists of: one 10 – 12 pound turkey, 2 pounds of mashed potatoes, 2 pounds of stuffing, 1.9 pounds of gravy, 1 pound of cranberry relish, 2 pounds of green bean casserole, 2 pounds of candied yams with apples, a 10” pumpkin pie, and 12 dinner rolls.

2. Second, you receive the $59.99 meal for free by having it count as a 20% discount on a one-time $300 purchase at the store.

3. Third, and most importantly, before you qualify for the 20% discount (in the form of a coupon), you have to spend more than $800 in a set period of time. And, of course, the amount of time you have to redeem this discount coupon is very limited.

The new site

Tablespoon.com

is designed to provide a huge reference of searchable commercial kitchen-tested recipes (like the ones from Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and their other brands), along with your own recipes, and share them with friends and family. You can also rate the commercial recipes.

There is also a large block of 100 printable coupons to go along with the recipes. (The site is currently in beta testing, but I understand the coupons will link up with recipes soon). The printable coupons are powered by Coupons.com, and include some from the coupons.com monthly site, as well as other coupons exclusive for site members.

I’ll admit, I’m getting overwhelmed by the number of electronic and printable coupon sites to keep track of, but this site seems to offer some fairly good coupons in a large range of categories.  Here’s an example of what you can find in this month’s 100 coupons, with a face value of $153.75:

Tablespoon.com coupons

Save $.50
on any one (1) StarKist® Pouch Product

Save $.50
when you buy ONE any variety Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen vegetables

Save $1.50
on Any ONE (1) DiGiorno Ultimate Toppings Pizza Product

SAVE $1.00
on ONE package of Kellogg’s® Special K® Blueberry Cereal (11.4 oz. or Larger)

Save $0.50
on any ONE (1) Steamfresh® Lightly Sauced vegetable or pasta variety

Save $.50
when you buy ONE TUB any flavor/variety Betty Crocker® Frosting

Save $.40
when you buy any flavor Box or Pouch Betty Crocker® Potatoes (Except Potato Buds®)

Save $1.50
when you buy two (2) 15 oz. or larger package of COFFEE-MATE® Liquid or Powder any variety

Save $.50
when you buy any variety 19 OZ. – 24 OZ. ONLY Green Giant® Frozen Bagged Vegetables

$1.00 off
FOUR (4) or more rolls of Scott® Long Lasting or Mega Roll Paper Towels

Save $2.00
on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Diapers

Save $.50 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Crescent Dinner Rolls

SAVE $1.00
on any ONE package of Kellogg’s™ Special K™ Protein Shakes (4 ct. or Larger, Any Flavor)

Save $1.00
On any ONE (1) Snuggle® Fabric Softener or Sheets

Save $.50
when you buy SIX any variety Yoplait® Yogurt cups (Includes Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, …

$.75 OFF
on your next purchase of Del Monte Gold® Extra Sweet Pineapple!

$.50 Off
any THREE (3) packages or ONE (1) BundlePack® of KLEENEX® Facial Tissue

Save $1.10 on THREE
when you buy THREE any flavor Progresso® Soups

Save $.55
On any ONE package of Keebler® Sandwich Crackers

Save $1.50
on any ONE (1) bag of Steamfresh Meals

Save $1.50
On One (1) Pkg HORMEL® Refrigerated Entrée

Save $.55
when you buy Original Cheerios® cereal (the one in the yellow box)

Save $.30 on TWO
when you buy TWO any size/variety Refrigerated Pillsbury® Grands!® Biscuits

Save $.50 on TWO
when you buy TWO any variety Green Giant® Frozen Boxed Vegetables

Save $1.00
on Any ONE (1) California Pizza Kitchen Crispy Thin Crust Pizza

Save $1.00 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Chex® cereals

Save $.60
when you buy 40 OZ. OR LARGER Original Bisquick® OR Bisquick Heart Smart® Baking Mix

Save $1.00
Off One Ore-Ida® Steam n’ Mash™ Potatoes

Save $.75
when you buy any Kix® cereal: Kix®, Berry Berry Kix® OR Honey Kix®

Save $.50
when you buy any flavor 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER Chex Mix® OR Chex® 100 Calorie Snack

$1.00 off
when you buy EIGHT (8) rolls or more of SCOTT® Extra Soft Tissue

SAVE $.40
when you buy any flavor Yoplait® products listed: • Yoplait® Go-GURT® Yogurt • Yoplait® Kids Cup…

Save $1.00
On any TWO packages of Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies Treats® Crispy Marshmallow Squares

Save $1.00
on Any TWO (2) Packages of Maxwell House Coffee (10.5 oz. or larger)

SAVE $0.75
on any ONE package of Kellogg’s® Special K® Chocolatey Pretzel Bars (6 ct. or Larger)

Save $2.00
with purchase of two GE lighting products (Redeemable only at Target)

Save $1.50
on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Little Snugglers or HUGGIES® Little Movers Diapers

Save $1.00
when you buy two (2) Ghirardelli Baking Products

Save $.75
when you buy MultiGrain Cheerios® cereal

Save $1.00
on ONE Kellogg’s Corn Flakes® Touch of Honey Cereal (12 oz. or Larger)

Save $3.00
on Any ONE (1) HUGGIES® Pure & Natural Diapers

Save $1.00
when you buy any flavor Yoplait® Delights™ Yogurt Multipack

Save $1.00
when you buy any flavor YoPlus® OR YoPlus® Light Yogurt 4-pack

Save $.40 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Sweet Rolls or Grands!® Sweet Rolls

Save $5.00
on a My Little Pony purchase of $20 or more.

Save $1.0
when you buy any flavor Yoplait® Fiber One® Yogurt Multipacks

SAVE $.40
when you buy ONE BOX any flavor/variety Nature Valley® Granola Bars

Save $.50
when you buy ONE any variety Progresso® Broth

Save $1.00
On any TWO packages of Kellogg’s® Special K® Bars (6 ct. or Larger, Any Flavor, Mix or Match)

Save $.40
when you buy any flavor 17.5 OZ. OR LARGER Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix

Save $.50
when you buy ONE any flavor Betty Crocker® Warm Delights® Bowls OR Betty Crocker® Warm Delights® Mini…

Save 75¢
On any 1 (one) Weight Watchers® cheese or cream cheese item.

Save $.50 on TWO
when you buy TWO packages of Pillsbury® Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts

Save $2.00
on GE Energy Smart® compact fluorescent lighting product (Redeemable only at Target)

Save $.55
when you buy ONE PACKAGE any variety Pillsbury® Simply…™ Refrigerated Cookie Dough

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) Mr. Potato Head® Spud Buds™ toy

SAVE $1.00
On any ONE package of Kellogg’s® Cinnabon™Bars (6 ct., Any Flavor)

SAVE $3.00
ON 1 MAYBELLINE NEW YORK PULSE PERFECTION VIBRATING MASCARA

SAVE $1.00
On any ONE package of Kellogg’s™ Special K™ Crackers (4.62 oz. or Larger, Any Flavor)

Save $.40 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Italian Meal Breads (Includes any Loaves, Breadsticks, Dinner …

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® DinoRoars™ Hatchlings toy

Save $1.00 on TWO
when you buy TWO PACKAGES any variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Cookie Dough

Save $.75 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Refrigerated Holiday Cookies

Save $.80 on TWO
when you buy TWO any flavor Yoplait®

Save $1.00
Good on any Aleve Cold product.12 hours of sinus relief with one pill.

Save $3.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® LULLABY GLOWORM™ toy

Save $1.00 on TWO
when you buy any TWO Progresso® Products (Excluding Soup and Broth)

SAVE $1.00
on any ONE (1) HÄAGEN-DAZS FIVE™ 14oz ice cream product

Save $3.00
on one tube of Nexcare™ Cold Sore Treatment

SAVE $1.00
on any Jergens Naturals® Daily Moisturizer 16.8oz or larger

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® Activity Ball toy

Save $1.00
on Any TWO (2) packages of California Pizza Kitchen Flatbread Melts

Save $.55
when you buy any flavor/variety Pillsbury® Savorings® products

Save $10.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® Musical Sit ‘N Spin™ toy

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® STEP START WALK’N RIDE™ toy

Save $.75 on 2
when you buy any TWO Frozen Pillsbury® Grands!® Biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls, OR Mini Cinnamon Rolls

$.50 off
when you buy one (1) package of any Tetley Tea

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) MR. POTATO HEAD® Silly Suitcase™ toy

Save $.75
when you buy Whole Grain Total®, Total® Raisin Bran, Total® Honey Clusters®, Total® Cranberry Crunch,…

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® SWING ‘N SCORE BASEBALL™ toy

Save $10.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® Dance Cam™ toy

SAVE $1.00
Good on any flintstones multivitamin product

SAVE $1.50
when you buy any flavor Wanchai Ferry™ Frozen Entrée

Save $1.10
when you buy any flavor Wanchai Ferry® Dinner Kit

Save $.75
when you buy any Fiber One™ Frozen Muffins

Save $2.00
on any ONE (1) Energizer® Hearing Aid Battery pack

Save $1.00
when you buy ONE BAG any flavor Nature Valley® Granola Nut Clusters

Save $.50
when you buy any flavor/variety Fiber One™ Box Muffin Mix

Save $2.00
on the purchase of (1) MR. POTATO HEAD® or MRS. POTATO HEAD® toy

SAVE $.50
when you buy any flavor Chocolate Chex Mix® 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® Busy Ball Popper™ toy

SAVE $1.10
when you buy any flavor Romano’s Macaroni Grill® Restaurant Favorites™ Dinner Kit

Save $1.50
Good on any TWO (2) POISE® Liners

Save $.40
when you buy any flavor/variety LÄRABAR®, JOCALAT® or JamFrakas™ bars

Save $1.50
Good on any TWO (2) POISE® Pads

Save $5.00
on the purchase of (1) PLAYSKOOL® Tumble ‘N Twirl Top™ toy

SAVE $1.00
ON ANY ALKA-SELTZER PLUS PRODUCT 10 CT. AND LARGER (EXCLUDES ALKA-SELTZER ANTACID PRODUCTS)

SAVE $1.00
ON ANY ALKA-SELTZER PRODUCT 12 CT. AND LARGER (EXCLUDES ALKA-SELTZER PLUS COLD PRODUCTS)

SAVE $1.00
on Zyrtec® Itchy Eye Drops

Save $1.00
on any box of Barbara’s Organic Cereals

I’ve been a member of their advisory board and rewards program for years, and in all honesty they are aware I can’t use SAM-E since my accident, as it may interact with some of my other meds. Still, it’s a nice change. I’m always encouraging people to sign up for newsletters, advisory panels, and send emails with compliments to manufacturers of their favorite products. Usually people just receive free product coupons, loads of free products to try, coupons to share. A few people have even received trips to California to participate in panels in person, and my sister even received a nice trip to Disneyland. But a job offer is always interesting.

The job offer was extended to their advisory board, people who have used the product and people who have been on their product panels, as well as people who visit their special product website. “Applications” have closed, but still…who knows what the next email may bring in.

You can find out more about this opportunity here, or sign up for other Nature Made panels, or other manufacturer panels and opportunities from our guide page here.

Guide to Brand Contacts for Coupons, Newsletters, and Special Promotions

Each offer is designed to secure your loyalty and commitment to shopping exclusively at that store prior to Thanksgiving (and hopefully spending quite a bit on those holiday “extras”), but it’s possible to still receive great deals, nearly free groceries, and still obtain free turkeys and other meat. You just need to know the rules and play the game to win!

Types of offers:
Here is the basic information for each type of free turkey offering:

1. Spend $300 at one store. These offers are the most common. Here’s how they work:

• Spend the required amount, usually $300, at the store during the six weeks before Thanksgiving, approximately between 10/16 – 11/26.
• Present your SAME club/store card to the cashier each time you shop between the qualifying dates. Membership and card are required to track your purchases.
• Registers will automatically keep a running tally of purchases during the qualifying period. You’ll see your current total at the bottom of the receipt so you will know when you have met the requirements. You can also see if your purchases aren’t qualifying, so if you don’t believe you are receiving full credit, take your receipt to customer service and ask about it.
• Qualifying purchase prices are calculated

*before taxes,
*excluding the face value of manufacturers coupons, and
*after store coupons, sales/card price deductions, double/triple coupons, or extra value (store) costs
and exclude prescriptions, gift card purchases, postage stamps, lottery tickets, and items prohibited by law such as cigarettes and alcohol.

• Once your qualifying purchases have met the $300 limit, you will qualify for your free turkey or other item. There is a usually a CHOICE of free item, since not everyone wants or needs a turkey. Choices usually include:

• Free store or local brand frozen turkey, up to 22 pounds
• Free store or local brand ham
• Free store or local brand turkey breast
• Stouffers lasagna, 90 – 96 oz
• An equivalent dollar savings, per pound, off any other turkey, turkey breast, or ham
• $10 off any other meat

• Check your local store to determine what is or isn’t included in their offer.
• There is a limit of one free turkey per family/household.
• Some stores print out a redemption code on the bottom of the receipt. This is important! The code only prints once, and you will need to provide that code at the register when you want to redeem it for your free turkey, so pay attention, keep your receipts, and bring them with you. Other stores “automatically:” deduct the price of your turkey if you purchase it after qualifying; again, keep your receipts and pay attention to ensure you receive proper credit.
• Most free turkey offers expire immediately after Thanksgiving, so redeem them promptly!

2. Purchase $40 in qualifying products at one store.  Common at A&P stores, here’s how they work:

• Purchase $40 worth of participating brand products during a two week period and receive a redemption code for a free turkey. There are typically three separate offers prior to Thanksgiving: P&G, Kraft, and Unilever or General Mills.
• You must present your SAME club/store card to the cashier each time you shop during the qualifying two week period. You’ll see your current total of qualifying purchases at the bottom of the receipt, so you will know when you have met the requirements. You can also see if your purchases have not qualified.
• Qualifying purchase prices are calculated

*before taxes,
*excluding the face value of manufacturers coupons, and
*after store coupons, sales/card price deductions, double/triple coupons, or extra value (store) costs

In other words, if a $10 item is on sale for $8, the $8 would count towards the qualifying purchase. If you have a 50 cent coupon that doubles, the manufacturers portion of the coupon, 50 cents, would not be discounted from the qualifying purchase (although it still counts off of your receipt as it normally would), but the stores doubled portion of 50 cents would be discounted – you would “pay” $7 for the item, but $7.50 would be credited towards the qualifying purchase.

Again, there is typically a choice of free store brand frozen turkey, a Stouffers vegetarian lasagna, or $10 off your choice of meat purchase valued at more than $10.

• Each two week offer is limited to one free turkey offer.
• While this may seem like a better deal than the $300 purchase, and it can be, it has it’s own limitations. First, you only have two weeks to complete the deal, and only certain products qualify. For example, during the first two weeks, purchasing P&G Downy may qualify, and Bounce may not. If your total purchases reach only $39, you don’t qualify, unless you shop again and purchase additional qualifying purchases to reach the total. If you don’t complete the qualifications during the two week period, the total does NOT roll over to the next offer. The following two weeks may be Kraft, again only certain items qualify. Buying $40 of Kraft cheese may not be appropriate for your needs, or storage, and again, if you fall short of the $40, the offer does not roll over to the next deal.
• If, however, you can meet these requirements, you have the opportunity to earn a free turkey three separate times. And if you only want one turkey, it’s a great opportunity to get free steak, roast, ham, or other meat. Consider your December holiday meals, and plan ahead.

3. Electronic Turkey Credits/Coupons. This is also a common offer, but the requirements are unique. Here’s an example of the current Food Lion offer:

• Shop 6 of 8 weeks
• Present your SAME MVP store/shopper card AND a Free Turkey Card available at the store to the cashier to enroll in the promotion.
• You MUST enroll in the promotion specifically, it is not automatic by using your shopping card.
• Spend $45 per shopping trip using the same MVP/store card.
• Check your cash register receipt after each weekly $45 purchase to track the number of electronic turkey credits you have earned. Only one shopping transaction each week is counted, and the $45 must be spent in one transaction.
• You must earn SIX different WEEKLY credits.
• The reward? A $20 OYNO credit generated at the cash register. Since this $20 electronic coupon is good towards any item (with the a few exceptions such as alcohol and tobacco), it’s a great offer for reducing your holiday grocery costs.
  The electronic coupon expires 12/8.

Tips for Offers

Now the good part…how to maximize your savings!

First, recognize the limitations and benefits of each offer for your own needs. If you don’t need $40 of Proctor and Gamble items, that offer may not work for you. If you can’t shop regularly at one store, that offer may not work for you.

Second, realize that a free turkey is worth about $10. Spending $300 on items that you don’t need will be a waste if you really just need the $10 turkey.

Third, stack the offers! Here’s one way:

Spend $300 at one store, buying higher priced items that you rarely have coupons on. For me, it’s often Biotene mouthwash, sometimes particular spices for the holidays. I also need a new shower curtain liner, and by price matching sales at other stores, I can get the same price and the turkey. Add in coupons for FREE products to boost your totals without spending more money. It’s also a great time to redeem any rain checks you have from previous sales, combined with coupons to bring the out of pocket costs way down. Last year I met one $300 limit with only $12 out of pocket. That’s ONE free turkey.

Spend $40 using sales and coupons on other items. For me, I’ve been waiting to get a Swiffer wet jet. Yes, a bit expensive, but with a $10 coupon, a sale, and some other items, I met the $40 limit, and received the $10 credit for free meat or turkey. I’ll probably plan ahead for Christmas and buy a ham. The wet jet, well, I usually mop, but for muddy shoes days, the quick clean up is something I’ve wanted for over a year, and have been saving up for the right coupon/offer. For the Kraft offer, $40 on Seattles Best coffee, on sale and with coupons, is just what I will need for holiday guests. I needed to buy this anyway, and it works out perfectly – another $10, probably on roast.

These are just a few of my ideas on making the most of the “free turkey” promotions while saving money and buying items I need, not what the store needs me to buy. As always, consider the possibilities, and do what works best for your budget.

Photo Source: sonicsquirtgun

Here’s the thing: it does take time to save money. It takes time to clip coupons (even online coupons), make shopping lists and pare them down to the right set of purchases, organize for the shopping trip and then shop. On the other side of the coin, it also takes time to earn money to spend and that usually comes with it’s own unique set of headaches and problems. Truth be told, these days I feel more secure in my ability to save money at the cash register than to spend without concern and hope to make more money later.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve not lived the perfect life when it comes to spending and saving money. For years my career dictated that I live a fast paced life: working 100 hours a week, eating out more often than at home, shopping for groceries on an emergency basis, loading up the cart without lists, without a solid idea of what we really needed to buy, and without a plan for what we would cook in the coming week. And then there was coming home from the store to dump out the previous weeks unused milk, fruit, salads, opened cans and bottles of condiments and dressings – lots of waste and expense that added up to a different kind of unwanted stress.

From time to time I would try to correct this situation by using the “weekly budget” approach: fill the cart but only spend so much per week. That took its own special toll on me because I still wasn’t very organized: I would end up taking lots of little side trips to pick up items I had forgotten or only just recently realized I would need in the coming week. Still a lot of waste, and the budget had no slack for the reality of unforeseen needs that would inevitably crop up, such as family or friends coming for a visit, colds and other illnesses requiring OTC and prescription medication, health and beauty items… it was always something!

I’ve also done the “hyper-organized” shop every sale at every store approach. This didn’t work for me either.

What I do now is fairly simple:

(1) I collect the ads for every store I shop at in the local area. These are usually delivered to my home via newspaper or mail from Wednesday to Friday night. Once in a while I have to stop by a store to pick up their ad: I only do this for stores I frequently shop in.

(2) I make an initial shopping list for each store, all in one sitting. While this can be time consuming, it ends up making a huge difference in the amount of time I eventually spend shopping, and I save more. Also, the more I know about my current inventory of groceries and household products, the less time I have to spend on this step. There are tradeoffs to be considered and a few examples from the recent past may be helpful:

• A couple of weeks ago, every store in my area was having a sales promotion for Proctor and Gamble products. Knowing this, I evaluated specific sales prices, overall deals, and chose the best one or two deals that satisfied my needs. For example, the “Buy $40 and get $10 off my next order” deal is a way to save money in the future. This might be a great deal if I need $40 worth of Downy, Bounce, Charmin, etc., or if the store is having great sales prices too. Another store was running a “Buy $40 and save 10% immediately“ sale. For me, this is probably a better deal because I don’t have to plan a separate shopping trip in the future and I don’t have to worry about the $10 coupon from the first deal expiring before I remember to use it. A third store had sales prices that were 25% lower than the sales prices at the first 2 stores. For my needs, this is often an even better type of deal because it eliminates the tendency to over-buy in order to meet the $40 spending requirement. I also don’t have to calculate the total value of qualifying purchases in my cart if I find that one item on my list is already sold out. Naturally, I accounted for the number and value of coupons I had and store policies on doubling coupon values before I made a final choice between these different deals.
• Every store I shop at was recently having a sale on Progresso soup. The prices were identical from one store to the next. Again, the coupons I had, store policies on doubling coupon values, and limits on the number of soup cans that could be purchased in one transaction were taken into account before I picked a store.
• One store had a “$10 off $40 in purchases” coupon in their ad. I wanted a Swiffer Wet Jet that is normally priced at $20. I had a $10 off coupon for the Wet Jet and could get to $40 with additional purchases that met other household needs (food, cleaning products, etc). $10 off plus $10 off was the equivalent of my getting the Wet Jet for free, and I had coupons for the other times as well, so the savings were significant.
• One store had a “spend $300 in 4 weeks and get 20% off your next purchase” deal. As a heavy-duty couponer, this deal didn’t appear likely to work to my advantage since I would have ended up spending a lot to save very little.

(3) Having considered the major sales promotions at each store, I carefully look through my coupons before I make my final selections of stores, items and sales. The process at this stage goes something like this: If I only have 1 Downy coupon and 1 Charmin coupon, that $40 Proctor and Gamble promotional sale would yield very limited savings. However, if I have 10 Downy coupons and 10 Charmin coupons and I have both the need and storage space for the products, this would work out to be a fantastic opportunity to save a lot for products My family uses in large quantities. Here again, I account for the fact that every store has different coupon policies, including doubling coupon values, limitations on the number of coupons that can be doubled or used on a specific item. While this step can be time-consuming, it is key to achieving savings of 50% to 90% rather than 25%.

(4) Final down-select. Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, I like to shop at only one or two stores a week, in a single trip. Since I systematically stockpile groceries and household cleaning items, this approach tends to work best for me.

So, what are the benefits to all this work? Well, obviously I am not driving all over the County to get to every sale, so I save on gasoline, time, and stress. Less obvious, but equally important:

• I’m less influenced by any one store’s marketing campaign. For instance, the “Best Price This Season” banners for a specific brand of soup at 10 cans for $10 don’t pull me in to a store if I already know that every store in the local area is offering that same price.
• I’m less attracted to sales where I may have to buy items I really don’t need so that I can reach a spending threshold (a “$10 off of $40 in purchases” type of deal). Sometimes, paying a few cents more for an item in another store can be more cost effective.
• I’m much more familiar with regular and sales prices for the groceries I normally purchase. Writing down sales prices reinforces them in my memory, so I can very rapidly tell if a sale on a particular item is just so-so or spectacular. This saves me both time and money.
• I’m far less prone to impulse buying. If an item in a store has greater than usual appeal to me, I have the information and experience to rapidly recognize a bargain price from a severe over-price.
• What I save on a weekly basis, I apply to my rainy day emergency fund. These days it can be hard to build up any kind of savings, but I find that with careful planning and sticking to a reasonable weekly budget, I can put a little away each week for those inevitable challenges that crop up at the most inconvenient times.
• Finally, I always have the supplies I need on hand. From day to day and week to week, this turns out to be a real time saver and stress reducer.
  
  
  Does it work? According to store records (and their way of accounting), our family has saved nearly $10,000 this year. Of course, that’s not quite accurate because I would never pay full price for anything. Put it a different way: my budget for the last 40 weeks works out to roughly $4,000. I’ve spent less just over $1,000. A savings of nearly $3,000 works great for me. If some of the approaches I’ve outlined are a good fit, they may just work well for you too. Give it a try and see what happens!

General Mills and Small Planet Foods (Muir Glen and Cascadian Farm organics) have created the
Mills Advisory Panel (MAP). MAP membership is currently open to US residents age 18 and over. Panelists complete online surveys and sample products, and in doing so influence the look, taste, and experience of General Mills and Small Planet Foods products.

Membership and participation is completely free, and has a few perqs too! Here’s more information:

How does MAP work?
For each study, members receive an invitation by email to participate. The panel research will be conducted on the Web. All you need to do is click on the link, or copy and paste the website address into your browser window. Then, simply follow the instructions on the screen to complete the survey. You are never obligated to participate in research.

How often can I participate?
MAP panel members will be invited to participate approximately six to twelve times per year in different types of projects, and no more than fifteen times a year. For each study, you’ll receive an invitation by E-mail to participate.

What’s in it for MAP members?
As a member of the Mills Advisory Panel, you may receive different types of compensation depending on the type of research project you participate in. For many projects, you will be awarded MAP points that can be redeemed for various prizes after you’ve accumulated a minimum number of points. For other types of projects, you may receive a free product to try or some other type of compensation. The invitation for each project will state the compensation.

If you are interested, sign up at
Mills Advisory Panel

Now supermarkets are offering similar online mall programs that provide rewards good for future grocery purchases. For example, A&P stores recently introduced their new Rewards Online Mall. Under this program, you can shop at 1000’s of stores online and earn cash back rewards for grocery shopping at A&P affiliated stores. Getting started is easy:
(1) Login through your local grocery store link, such as superfreshfood.com
(2) Register your Club card #
(3) Click the link to the Rewards Online Mall website
(4) Access over 1000 popular online retailers and shop through these links using your Club card to accumulate rewards (average is 3% of your checkout total)
(5) For every $10 of accumulated rewards, a rewards certificate for $10 good towards grocery purchases at your local A&P store is sent to you.
(6) Redeem your Rewards certificates at grocery checkout to reduce your cash outlay for groceries.

Well sometimes you can. Many stores offer “price matching”, meaning if you find the item advertised elsewhere for less, the store will “match” the competitions lower price. Additionally, many stores “guarantee” to offer the lowest price. So if you find a lower price than theirs, they will match their competitor’s price, pay you the difference, or refund your money for that item.

These offers can be very attractive and also save you money if you understand the rules:

1. “Price matching” or “guaranteed lowest price” apply to identified items only. This means the competitor must be selling the same brand, product, variety, flavor and/or quantity/size, with no exceptions. Even if the product is a “bonus size” item, you can generally only price match to another identical bonus size item, not a smaller or larger size. If the price matching store does not offer the identical item at that time, they will not match a competitor’s price.

2. The competitor’s price to match must be an advertised price and the advertisement must be dated the same week (or within 7 days) of the matching price store’s sale.

3. The prices being compared must be at a competing store in your local area, which could be your county, town/city, or a smaller area. In addition, many price matching stores will only compare prices at similar businesses, i.e. grocery store to grocery store, drug store to drug store, craft store to craft store and so on. Drug stores will typically not march grocery store prices. If you aren’t sure, call or email your store and ask for clarification.

4. It is up to you, the consumer, to find the lower prices and provide proof of the competitor’s price. This is usually accomplished with an original copy of the competitor’s ad. Some price matching stores will also accept computer printouts of online ads if they can independently verify them, but this is not a general practice. Again, the burden of proof is on the consumer.

5. Most price matching and price guarantee store policies exclude competitor’s “special buys”, liquidation sales, club discounts, clearance items and “percentage off” sales.

6. Most price matching stores limit the number of items that can be purchased at a competitor’s lower price: the limit is typically in the range of 1 to 4 items.

7. Other competitor discounts, such as double coupons, may not be acceptable to a price matching store as a means of getting a lower price on an identical item. Also, price matching stores usually don’t match competitor’s coupon policies, so the final price with coupons or other discounts may provide a lower price at a competitor’s store.

The contest is simple. Grocery Coupon Guide has just started a brand new Twitter account – all you need to do is to follow us on Twitter and ReTweet the contest. Doing this will automatically enter you into the contest to win the 2 free Bertolii coupons. The contest ends Wed. September 30 and 12:00 pm (noon) Pacific Standard Time and I will pick a random winner from those that have entered at that time.

If you have any questions about this contest, please leave a comment below.

Those pink colored packages are making their way back onto the store shelves as Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) approaches. This is a great opportunity to save money on grocery items and support a great cause – a true Win – Win situation!

As one example, Proctor & Gamble is making a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) for every P&G brand saver coupon redeemed next month. The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s mission is to save lives through early detection and to provide mammograms for those in need. In support of this program, grocery stores are running promotional deals on specific P&G products in October, so the savings can be significant when combined with the right coupons. You save more on the products you need, P&G and the grocery stores sell more product, and NBCF receives much needed cash to support outreach and services for women. Everyone benefits in support of a great cause.