A Tree Hugger's Two Cents

Walgreens Deals 1/10-1/16

2010-01-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

First I really have to apologize for my absence, I know I don't have a huge following, but I do feel like I've been slacking, we are still packing for my husband to leave for 400 plus days! (Which is sadly any day now within the week.) It has made preparing for him to go SO nice though to just pick from the shelves and bins of our stockpile to send him off with all the body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dish soap, lotion, dental floss, snacks, and so many other things that we got for FREE, or close to free. It will drastically cut down his spending when we'll be on a very strict budgets with two households basically on one income, and it will cut down his trips to the store allowing him to rest whenever he can :).

Now, back to some deals.

This is on of the best deals in a VERY long time:

I followed a scenario from Crystal at Money Saving Mom and got the following:

4- 6oz Lubiderm Daily Moisture Lotions $3.99 each
2- 2.5 oz Aveeno Active Naturals daily moisture $3.29 each
2- 5 oz ROC Exfoliating Cleansers $8.49-$9.99 each

Use:
4- $2/1 Lubiderm from 1/10 SS or from here
2- $2/1 Aveeno Baby or Body (Active Naturals Face will work as well) From 1/10 SS or from here
2- $3/1 ROC 1/10 SS or from here
$1/1 Lubiderm Lotion from Diabetes and You Magazine (located by pharmacy if you don't already have one) - will deduct $4

These products are all buy 1, get 1 50% off this week, according to the scenario you would pay $8.85 plus tax OOP and submit for $10 when you buy $30 Johnson and Johnson rebate...
HOWEVER-
I did this and ONLY bought these products, only used THESE coupons and my total came to a mere $1.92! I didn't use a single RR either!

So perhaps the store I went to was ringing differently, or perhaps the original source for the scenario hadn't ACTUALLY tried it, which is the case with A LOT of blogs.

Either way it's free stuff! In my case I'll be making a $7.60 profit after postage!

Some other great deals this week:

BIC Soliel and Comfort 3 - on sale 2 for $10
use: B1G1 Free in 1/10 SS
and $3/2 from Walgreens January coupon booklet
= $1.00 plus tax for each set of razors- and I was skeptical but I tried a Twilight today- and they were awesome!

Nivea Body wash on sale for $4.99, $2.00 in RRs
Use $2/1 Nivea Body Wash from 1/3 insert
= $0.99 after coupon and RRs

Oust Spray- B1G1 Free this week at Wags,
use B1G1 Free coupon from 1/3 and get BOTH for free!
(some stores may require you actually buy one, in that case, buy 1 and get 3 free!)
= as low as free for 2!

Bayer Meters are still $14.99 all month long, you can buy a Breeze2 and a Contour
use 2-$30/1 Bayer Meter Coupons
= FREE, PLUS $13 in RRs for every two that you buy, $5 for each plus $3 for buying 2 bayer products!

Colgate toothpaste - Max White or Max Fresh, on sale $2.99, get $2 in RRs
use $0.75/1 from 1/3 insert
= as low as $0.24 after coupons and RRs

Check out some other great deals for Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid here

happy hugging!
-danielle

Earth's Best Diapers for as low as $1.50 a pack!

2010-01-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

I apologize for my hiatus, we've had a lot going on with a recent move from KY to WI and on top of that preparing for my husband to leave on a mission for over a year! Busy, busy bees.

Anyways, we made a trip to Toys R Us today for some cheap diapers, we have been using cloth, but the next best thing are environmentally friendly sposies- and that these are! They are chlorine free and made of earth-friendly materials. With the move and DH leaving for so long we are trying to lighten my load so we stocked up for super cheap, I got 18 packs of diapers for $31.50 plus tax!

Earth's Best Jumbo packs of diapers are on sale Today and Tomorrow ONLY for $5 a pack, and if that wasn't a great deal it gets even sweeter!

There was an Earth's Best Printable for $1.50/1 but it's no longer available, it expired at 12:01am today, so I apologize for not having that link, but you can go here and print a $2/1 coupon for Earth's Best (this Q can also be found in the in-store ad as well)

Between my sister and I we scored 24 packs of diapers for under $45!

I'm so thrilled! They didn't have a lot of the sizes I needed- so I grabbed a few in larger sizes (or you could get newborn and 1's) I just plan to do an even exchange when they restock with the sizes I'll need in the near future (3's and 4's).

happy hugging!

I promise to be back soon with some excellent deals for the New Year! Don't forget to grab your 1/3/2010 papers- they're rumored to have over 5 inserts in some areas!!!

-danielle

Walgreen's 4-day sale, $19 Money Maker!

2009-12-05T22:38:00.001-05:00

Find out how to make $19 this week at Walgreen's!

We're on a roll in Wags land, check out these freebies for the four-day sale!

Conair Brushes or Scunci Hair Accessories $2, get $2 RR = FREE

Stim-U-Dent 100 pack $2, Get $2 RR (plaque remover) = FREE

Renu Multi-Purpose Plus Solution Twin Pack 8 oz each $9.99 get $10 rr
use $2 Renu Multi-Purpose here (this IP can be printed 4 times!)
use $1/1 Renu Multi-purpose here (may not display for all zip codes but 85013 is said to work) thanks
iheartwags
= FREE with possible $1 or $2 overage!

Neutrogena Men's Skin Care $4.99, get $5 RR (shave cream & face lotion)
$2/1 Neutrogena, any All you magazine 12.18.09 Issue page 35 (thanks iheartwags)

= FREE, plus $2 overage with coupon!

Stayfree Femine Care Maxi 16 or 24 pk or Ultra Thin Pads 16 pk $1.99 get $2 rr
$1/1 Stayfree here
= FREE, plus $1 overage!

Just For Men Touch of Gray Hair Color $6.99 get $7 rr
use $2/1 just for men Touch of Gray IP here
send in - $7 mail-in-rebate just for men Touch of Gray MIR
= FREE, plus $2 overage!

There is also a Spend $25, receive $5 in RR promotion, it is expected that it will be based upon your total BEFORE coupons - I'll make sure to update after my trip tomorrow and see how it works!

My two cents:
Buy one of everything that ends up FREE after RR's

Just for Men touch of gray hair color $6.99
Scunci Hair Accessory $2
ReNu Lens Solution $9.99
Stay Free Maxi Pad $1.99
Stim-u-Dent $2
Neutrogena Men's skin care $4.99

Use:
$2 Renu Multi-Purpose here
$2/1 Neutrogena, any All you magazine
$1/1 Stayfree
$2 just for men Touch of Gray IP

Total before coupons: $27.96
Total after coupons: $20.96 plus tax, $33 in RR (product RRs plus $5 on $25 purchase)
Send in $7 MIR, and turn the transaction into a $19 Profit!

Please feel free to share your Walgreens deals for the upcoming sales!

-happy hugging!

.danielle.

The Best of Walgreens - Week 12.6-12.12

2009-12-05T21:23:00.004-05:00

Walgreens has some more great freebies and money makers this week!

Chinet Paper Plates Sale 2 for $5, Buy One at $2.99, Get One FREE with in-ad coupon
use (2) $1/1 IPs here
= $0.50 each!

Nabisco Crackers 2 for $4, Earn a $3 RR WYB $10 or more of participating products:

Wheat Thins, 10 oz., Ritz 16 oz., Triscuit, 9.5 oz.

My Two Cents:
5 boxes of crackers (either Triscuit or Wheat thins)
use $1/1 Nabisco Crackers or Easy Cheese coupon from 11/8/09 SS insert
use $1/2 off Triscuit or Wheat Thins, (will deduct $2.50) - from Walgreen's Diabetes & You booklet (found by the pharmacy)
= FREE plus $1 overage after coupons and RR

Schick Quattro Razors $6.99, Earn a $3 RR when you buy one

Use $2/1 coupon from 11/22 SS insert

= $1.99 after coupon and RR

Triaminic 2 for $10, Earn a $5 RR when you buy two
Coupons available:
Use $3/1 Triaminic Thin Strips from 12.6 SS insert
Use $2/1 any Triaminic from 12.6 SS insert
Use $1.50/1 Triaminic Printable here
Use $2/1 coupon from Walgreens Healthy Savings coupon booklet

My two cents:

Buy two boxes of Triaminic Thin Strips
use (2) $3/1 coupons from 12/6 SS insert
use $2/1 coupon from Walgreens Healthy Savings coupon booklet (will deduct $4)
= FREE plus $5 MONEY MAKER after coupons and RR

OR

My two cents:

Buy two other Triaminic products (spray or syrup)
use (2) $2/1and Triamini coupons from 12/6 SS insert
use $2/1 coupon from Walgreens Healthy Savings coupon booklet (will deduct $4)

= FREE plus $3 MONEY MAKER after coupons and RR

Theraflu 2 for $10, earn $3 RR when you buy two

Theraflu 6 packets, Liquid 8.3 oz, or Vapor Patch 6 pk

My two cents:

Pick any two products (make sure if you're using the 'Diabetes and You' Booklet, that you grab Sugar Free)
$2/1 Theraflu or SS 10/18/09
$2/1 Theraflu from Healthy Savings Booklet (will deduct $2 PER item) OR ...
$1.50/1 any Theraflu peelie (located right in front of the Theraflu products at Wags)
$2/1 Theraflu Sugar-Free night time Severe cold & cough 6-pack - Walgreens Diabetes & You Booklet Holiday 09/Winter 2010 (will deduct $2 for each 'sugar-free' item)

= as low as FREE plus $1 overage after coupons and RR

I'll be back with more freebies from the 4 day sale starting 12.9!

happy hugging!

.danielle.

Walgreens Freebies & Money Makers!

2009-12-05T00:47:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the late posting on these deals, but the good news is that you still have one more day to grab these freebies!

Natrol Acai 60 ct. sale $4, get $4 RR
use $3/1 any Natrol product here or $3/1 in box of previously purchased product
= FREE, plus $3 overage!

Complete multi-purpose solution 12oz $7.99, get $8 RR = FREE
sweeten the deal with a $1/1 from the 10.29 SS insert

Good Hair Accessories $2, get $2 = FREE

Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix 2 for $5 sale, get $2
$1/1 IP here
= $0.50 each

Dentek Floss Picks $2, get $2 RR = FREE

I ran out tonight while running around picking up some (free) boxes we need for the move and I ran Walgreens on the way and snagged a few of these deals and used up my last few RRs that are expiring this week!

I also apologize for not having any fun pics of the stockpile from the last few trips, we're in the middle of getting ready to move, but I hope to get a couple pics up tomorrow of all the freebies from this week!

My store was out of the Natrol Acai but the B1G1 pack is suppose to work as well for the deal, I'll run out tomorrow morning and see if I can't take advantage of that great money maker!

... and here I was complaining they didn't have enough fabulous RR deals this week, I guess I retract that complaint!

happy hugging!

.danielle.

My Walgreen's Rant

2009-12-04T22:31:00.001-05:00

So I LOVE Walgreens, let me just put that out there first.

However, I am getting so irritated with their lack of stock, EVERY time I go in to find something whether advertised freebie or not - they NEVER have it. Now, if I was going the last day of every sale every week, or if I was going in and buying all they had and complaining because they wouldn't restock it would be one thing, but I literally make it in the first two or three days of every week and they are always out! I'm not talking one Walgreens either, I visit all three stores within 20 min of my house and there were ALL out of what I was looking for, 1 store of the three had ONE of ONE product.

Come on Walgreens, can't you PLEASE learn to stock things a LITTLE better? Especially if it's advertised!

Ok, rant over... my irritation however, is still very much here.
We'll be moving soon, hopefully that Walgreens will be much better stocked!

Do you ever have problems with things being in-stock at your Walgreens?

.danielle.

Using up those Register Rewards, $15 Glade Money Maker!

2009-12-03T21:32:00.002-05:00

Walgreen's Trip no. 2 this Week

Transaction 1.

(2) Men's Pert Plus Normally $3.99, Sale $1.99
(I didn't have a coupon but it was on clearance for $2.99, and then on sale this week for less than the clearance price!)
= $1.99 each

(2) Gillette series men's deodorant $4.49
used 2 - $1/1 any Gillette men's deodorant or body wash
= $3.49 each

(2) Gillette series men's body wash $4.99

used 2 - Buy any Gillette men's deodorant, Get any Body wash FREE
= (2) FREE

(If your husband use's the Gillette fusion razor- as I posted yesterday you can get BOTH items free with the catridge purchase with the Walgreens sale, but since my dh doesn't use them and we didn't have coupons we settled for just getting the deodorant and body wash deal)

(1) Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel Shaving Gel normally $4.99 - on sale this week for $2.99
used 1 - $1/1 Gillette shave prep product
= $1.99

(2) Febreze Sprays normally $3.99 - on sale 2 for $5
used 2 - $1/1 any Febreze air freshener sprays 11.29 PG insert
= $1.50 each

(2) Glade scented oils glass candle holders $3.99 - on sale 2 for $5, get $2 RR
(3) Glade scented oil candle refill packs
used 2 - $1.50/1 any scented oils candle holder or refill pack
used 2 - Buy any scented oils candle holder, get a refill pack FREE
used 1 - Buy any two scented oil refill packs, get a third one FREE
total for all 5 items = $2, $1 in register rewards = $0.20 each!

*note* this is the BEST deal I've found on Glade period... I usually always pay $0.50 or $1.00 for a package of 4 products with the combined coupons and seeing Target is always out of the holiday Glade for the $5 giftcard deal. I also REALLY wish Walgreens carried the holiday Glade, I LOVE the holiday glade, and Target is ALWAYS out!

Check out the end of this post and find out how to make this glade purchase a $15 Money Maker!

Secret Deodorant $3.99, $2.29 with in-ad coupon
(3) Secret Deodorant sticks
used 2 - $0.50/1 any Secret deodorant product 11.22 insert
used 1 - Buy 2 Secret deodorant products, Get one FREE 11.22 insert
= $1.19 each

(8)Holiday Pencils (fillers) normally $0.39ea. or 4 for $1, 8 for $1 with in-ad coupon
= $0.12 each

I used $16 in RR that were expiring today (otherwise I would have held out for more freebies!)

total OOP = $9.41, $3 in RR
total savings = $59.30

Transaction 2.

(2) Bic Soleil Cartridges (yellow and red package) normally $7.99- on clearance for $3.79
used 2 - $2/1 Bic Soleil Razor or blade cartridge 11.22 insert
= $1.79 each

(2) Glade Fragrance collection 4 oz candles 2 for $5 - $1 RR
used 1 - $3/2 any Glade Fragrance collection product 11.22 insert
= $1 each

Total: $6.33 OOP with tax, and $1 in RR back!
total savings = $15.98

(I forgot to grab fillers and the stuff near the counter just wasn't worth it, so I didn't use any previous RR's on this transaction, sadly I think it's my worst purchase savings-wise in over a month! It was still a great deal though, and you can't beat still saving over 73%!)

Walgreen's also has a 4 day sale flyer this week as well with specials from the 12/2-12/5, I'm going to see if I can't find a way to get some better deals with the last few RRs I have expiring at the end of the week!

Please share any deals you found this week at Walgreens! I know I'm hoping some better RR deals come out next week!

Glade $15 Money Maker

If you haven't submitted it already... you can get the glade as little as FREE like in my above purchase, repeat the above transaction scenario 3 times and submit each receipt with this SC Johnson Rebate Form for $15 back in Rebates, after spending $0.00 on the products, it becomes a $15 Money Maker! (minus tax on the free items and postage).

SC Johnson is offering the $5 Rebate on any 3 products listed:
(each household can submit the rebate up to 3 times - mail each rebate seperately)

Drano
Fantastik
Glade
Nature’s Source
Off
Pledge
Raid
Saran
Scrubbing Bubbles
Shout
Windex
Ziploc

happy hugging!

.danielle.

I'm on a Winning Streak!

2009-12-03T15:47:00.003-05:00

I NEVER win anything!

So you can imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago I won a free SIGNED copy of the new Five for Fighting CD from Jamie @ I'm a Money Magnet's blog giveaway! I thought for sure that would be the extent of my luck for the next 30 years!

Much to my surprise, I couldn't sleep last night, I was just searching the web and entering my daily search to gain a chance to win the Superprize from Publisher's Clearing House on their website, when BAM! I was an instant winner! It's much like Izaroo, or other search and win sites, only your daily searches enter you in a chance to win sweepstakes, etc. Find out more here.

I won 1 of only 20, yes 20 $25 instant win giftcards, I had a choice between a $25 Starbuck's gift card or $25 in cash, I chose the cash option because there are no Starbucks in the area. The odds in winning were something like 1 in 30,000 - so it's not insanely rare- but how cool- no offers to sign up for, no cancellations to make later, all I did was try to search the internet!

After an instant win like mine you have 30 minutes to claim your prize, I had the claim form filled out within 30 seconds (it had a clock ticking on the screen) - and I had just wandered over to do one search, so I made $25 for literally less than ONE MINUTE of my time!
It made my day, and my faith in winning has been restored!

Have you won anything exciting lately? Please share!

happy hugging!

.danielle.

Free $20 Target Gift Card!

2009-12-02T23:43:00.002-05:00

I previously posted about how I received $100 in giftcards for just $2 now find out how to get $20 in Target giftcards for FREE!

Sign up for a free trial membership with Live Well here and you'll get a membership confirmation e-mail within 2-3 days, then they will send you another e-mail within 3-5 business days to fill out a form and claim your $20 Target gift card. I've waited to cancel my subscription until after I receive my gift cards, but I know several people who cancel right after receiving the claim form for the gift cards. (Make sure to sign up through my link, if you just google the page it will and sign up from there the offer is only for $20 cashback from Flowers.com)

Don't forget to mark your calendar to cancel your subscription within the first month if you don't plan on keeping the service!

*Remember* you can do these offers once every 6 months

In case you missed it find out how I got $50 in Gas cards and $50 in Lowe's cards for just $2 here!

Please share any other free offers you may come across!

happy hugging :)

.danielle.

Rite Aid & Oil of Olay Rebate

2009-12-02T18:25:00.004-05:00

Rite Aid Week of 11.29.09-12.5.09

RITE AID

Gillett Fusion Razor - $9.00

$4/1 Gillette Fusion Razor (Power or manual) – 11.29 insert

5 Single Check Rebate

Total Cost= FREE

Crest Toothpaste $2.49

$0.75/1 Crest Premium toothpaste MQ 11.22 or 11.14 insert

$1.50 Single Check Rebate

Total Cost= $0.24

Febreze Noticeables - $5.99

$1/1 or $2/1Coupons (I apologize for not being specific I know there are several that have been in the past several week’s papers)

$2 Single Check Rebate

Total Cost = $2.99

Align - $28.99

While I haven’t actually purchased this myself, and it isn’t a “almost-free-kind of cheap” product this is one of the best prices I’ve seen on the product, so I wanted to make sure to post it for a possibly interested reader ;)

$5/1 MQ from 11.29

$10.00 single check rebate

Total cost= $13.99

Olay Regenerist Facial Products, Lotion and Cleanser Buy One, Get One 50% off

Oil of Olay Rejuvinating Cleanser $9.99
Oil of Olay Eye product (It was either eye cream or make-up remover) $9.99
$3/1 Oil of Olay Regenerist Facial Product 11.29
$3/1 Oil of Olay Regenerist Facial Product 11.29
-$4.98 for B1G1- 50% off sale

= $8.98 plus tax for both products

Oil Of Olay Facial Products Rebate $20

Get $20 back when you buy $50 worth of Olay Facial Moisturizers, Facial Treatments, or Facial Cleansers by 12/27/09.

Valid on purchases between 11/27/09 and 12/27/09
Postmarked by 1/08/2010

My two cents:
Oil of Olay Rebate Deal

1. Buy 4 Olay Regenerist products @ $9.99 on B1G1 @ 50% off promotion
Use (4) $3/1 Olay Regenerist Facial Products 11.29 PG&E
     Total product value= $39.96, you pay $17.96

2. Then choose from one of these following scenarios to meet the requirement of $50 in products

(Best Deal) Buy 1 Olay Regenerist product @ $10.99 or more (they range from $9.99 to $39.99) & use    use $3/1 Regenerist Facial Product 11.29 insert
      Total product value = $10.99, you pay as little as $7.99

OR

Rite Aid had several products ranging from $3.99 to $9.99 that were eligible for the B1G1 @ 50% off sale and the rebate.

Buy any combination of those Olay products that adds up to a VALUE of more than $10.05
Ex:
3 products @ $3.99
Total product value = $11.97, you pay $9.97

OR

You can pick up a moisturizer or cleanser that were priced at $10.99
use $1/1 any Olay Facial Moisturizer or Facial Cleanser 11.29 insert
Total product value= $10.99, you pay $9.99

Download Rebate form HERE

Total Value of Olay products when you use a scenario provided above = the lowest value is $50.95.
You pay as little as $25.95
Submit for MIR - $20

Total you pay in the end for $50 worth of product = as little as $5.95, that's an 89% savings!

happy hugging :)

.danielle.

Free Batteries!

2009-12-02T16:59:00.001-05:00

Staples currently has a promotion for FREE, yes I said FREE batteries!

No coupons needed!
All you need is a Staples Rewards Card

You can get a Staples Rewards Card for free just buy signing up for one at the counter- it's a store card that keeps track of your purchases, you can earn money back on purchases made in store and sometimes they'll offer great deals like this! We use it when we buy our ink and toner cartridges and when we turn them in to be recycled all the time.

Here's the promotion going on from now until December 27th.

Buy any pack of Durracell batteries priced at $12.99, get $12.99 back in Staples Rewards = FREE BATTERIES!

You can do this promotion twice per week, so make sure if you have one nearby, you stop in there from now until Christmas and stock up on FREE batteries!

With small children, this promotion is a blessing, especially with Christmas approaching it's always the one thing Santa forgets at our house!

(Note: If you do not already have a Staples Rewards Card and you sign up, make sure you give it a few days before you make a purchase. I was told once before that if you get a new card it will take a few days for your information to get sent in and into the system before your card will be active and they can start tracking your purchases etc.)

happy hugging!

Walgreens - December is Here!

2009-12-02T16:45:00.001-05:00

Walgreens Week of 11.30.09

I have about $45 in Register Rewards to use up before the expire in the next few days, so this week will be Walgreens crazy!

Nivea Lip Care (Lip balm or lip gloss) Sale. $0.99 (Normally $2.99)

The 11.1.09 inserts had Nivea - product coupons “Buy 3 Lip Products get a 13.5oz lotion for FREE” & “Buy one lip product get one free”

My two cents:

Buy 3 Lip products @ $0.99

Buy 1 lotion at $6.49

Use B1G1 Lip product

Use B3G1 Lotion

= $1.98 plus tax!

I price matched at Wal-Mart because all three Walgreen’s within a half of our house were sold out.

If you can’t find them at Walgreen’s you can do what I did at Wal-Mart

They won’t allow you to use both coupons on the “package” idea but you can get 3 lip products and the lotion for $2.97 plus tax after price-matching with the Walgreen’s ad (you WILL have to have another item in your order so grab a filler unless you had other shopping to do.

Even if you pay the $2.97- you’re still getting an awesome deal! I LOVE this stuff!

Dawn Dish Soap $1.59

With in-ad coupon $0.99 each.

$0.20/1 MQ from 11.29 insert

= $0.79 each.

Just in time for holiday gift wrapping-
Scotch Tape Buy 1 @ $1.79, get one FREE (with in-ad coupon) (the larger size is also on the promotion buy 1 at $3.79, get one FREE)

Secret Deodorant sale $2.29 (with in-ad coupon)

Buy 2, Get 1 FREE from 11.22.09

Total for 3 - $4.58 plus tax

Men’s Shaving Deals

Gillette Fusion Manual or Power Razor System $8.99- $4 Register Rewards

Use $4/1 MQ from 11.29.09

Total $4.99, $4RR = $1 after coupons and RR

Gillette Fusion Power razor cartridges 4 or 8 pk - $14.99-$24.99

Walgreens weekly deal Gillette Fusion or Fusion power cartridge and get a Shave Gel, Deodorant, or Body Wash Free

My two cents: (this would make a great gift package for a dad, husband, boyfriend, etc.)

Gillette Fusion Power Razor ($8.99)

Gilletta Fusion Power Razor catridge 4-pack ($14.99)

Gillette Deodorant ($4.99 value qualifies for free with cartridge purchase)

Gillette Body Wash ($5.99)

$4/1 MQ from 11.29.09 (as suggested above)

- Get Deoderant FREE with purchase

Use Buy a Gillette Deodorant, get a Body Wash Free MQ from 11.14 or 11.22 insert

$1/1 Gillette Deodorant 11.29 insert

$1/1 Gillette Body Wash 11.29 insert (may or may not let you use this)

Total= $34.96 plus tax before coupons, etc.

Total after coupons= $22.97 plus tax, $4 in register rewards = like paying $18.97 – it’s not FREE but it’s still a great deal, especially on essentials!
Gillette Fusion Hydra shave gel sale $2.99

Use $1/1 shaving prep product from 11.29 insert

= $1.99

Olay Body Wash Sale $2.99

Walgreen’s sale- buy an Olay Quench lotion (20.2oz $7.99) get an Olay In-Shower body lotion FREE

My two cents:

Olay Ribbons or Olay Quench bodywash $2.99

Olay In-shower body lotion $4.99

Olay Quench Body lotion $7.99

Use Buy any Olay Body Wash, Get a Lotion FREE – MQ 11.29.09 Insert

Total= $2.99 plus tax!

Foldger’s Coffee 11.3 oz Sale 2 for $5

Use (2) $1/1 from 11.22 insert, or internet printable

= $1.50 each

BIC Lighters sale $2.99 each

Luminere Candle lighter – normally $5.99

$1/1 BIC Lighter Luminere Candle, Multi-Purpose lighter MQ 11.22.09 insert

= $1.99 plus tax

Febreze Air Effects Sale 2 for $5

(2) $1/1 Febreze Air Effects Spray Manufacture’s Coupon 11.29.09

= $1.50 ea. Plus tax

Oral-B Register Rewards

Select Oral-B products 2 for $5, get $3 in Register Rewards = 2 for $2

My two cents:

2 Oral-b Floss Picks @ $2.50 each.

$1/1 Oral-B Floss Picks 45 count or larger MQ 11.29.09 insert

Total $3.00 plus tax, $3 in RR = FREE

Kids’ Dental Care Register Rewards

Oral-B stages toothbrush or tooth paste, Zooth character toothbrush, Crest Sesame Street Toothbrush

4 for $10, get $5 in register rewards – 4 for $5 without coupons

My two cents:

(2) Oral-B stages tooth pastes

(2) Zooth Toothbrushes

Use: (1) $1/2 Oral-B Stages toothbrushes

(1) $1/2 Zooth or Oral-B stages toothbrushes

Total: $8 plus tax, $5 in RR = $3 after coupons and RR

Glade Register Rewards

Scented Oil candles, Fragrance collection 4 oz candles, Scented oil Refills, etc

2 for $5, $1 in RR

My two cents:

Two Glade Fragrance Collection 4 oz soy based candles $2.50 each

Use- (2) $2.00/1 any item in the Glade Fragrance Collection MQ 11.22.09 USA Weekend (I think) Insert

$1 plus tax, $1 in RR = FREE

Glade Deodorizer Register Rewards

Sale $5.99 each, $2 RR

$3.00/1 Glade Fragrance collection Reed Diffuser or 11 oz. candle – peelie
$3 plus tax, $2 RR = $1

There are some great fillers this week:

Holiday Pencils are 8 for $1 – they’re SO cute, and they definitely weren’t a waste- they’ll make excellent stocking stuffers

happy hugging!

.danielle.

Walgreen's Make-up deals!

2009-11-23T15:09:00.001-05:00

Walgreen’s 11.23

Rimmel Eye Products 50%

Lash Extender Mascara - $7.29 – 50% off = $3.65

$2/1 Rimmel Eye Product- November All You Mag = $1.65

Rimmel Eye Shadow- $4.49 – 50% 0ff= $2.25

COVERGIRL DEAL

Covergirl TruBlends Foundation – clearance shade $4.79

Covergirl TruBlends Micro Minerals Blush- $11.49

Used: Covergirl Buy 1 foundation Get one face product FREE From 11.1.09 insert

$2.50/2 Covergirl products from 11.1 insert

= $2.29 for BOTH products!

Mars Candy - $0.69

4 bags of M&Ms

2 Snickers bars

$0.49 each with in-ad coupon

(5) Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons from 11.8 insert = $0.08 each!

Total: $12.37 – used RR

I saved $42.89 just with coupons, plus the $12 in RR!

OOP = $0

(Note: I had Nexxus Mousse on my original receipt but it was suppose to be taken off and wasn’t, so I went and returned it and received cash back more than I paid for the tax on my card, which led to me paying $0 out of pocket and taking total advantage of RR)

After finding this out- while it may not be the best practices, it was an unintentional was around paying OOP- if you buy an item that is about the same as you’d pay OOP for tax after coupons and RR, and return it you’ll get your OOP back! After the return of the mousse the cashier didn’t take off my bill it was a savings of 100% plus!

Rite Aid 11.22-11.28

2009-11-22T21:36:00.002-05:00

Rite Aid

Not a lot of fabulous Rite Aid deals

Wonderful Pistachios 2 for $5 -

(2) $1/1 Manufacture’s Coupon from 11.15 insert = $1.50 each.

Domino sugar $0.99 for 2lb package –

$0.50/2 MQ from 11.15 insert = $0.75 each

Puffs facial tissue $0.99 sale –

$.25/1 MQ from 11.1 = $.75

Ocean Spray & V8 cranberry juice 2 for $4-

(Ocean Spray) $1/1 IP or peelie or $1/1 V8 IP Savings Center = $1 each

NyQuil Sale $3.99 –

$1.50/1 MQ from 11.8 = $2.50

Infusium Shampoo and Conditioner $3.99 –

$2/1 MQ from 11.22 = $1.99 each

Rite Aid just started a new Single Check Rebate for the Holidays as well:

Offer #549

VALID ONLY ON PRODUCTS PURCHASED 11/22/09 - 12/24/09

Up to $20 Rite Aid Gift Certificate
Spend $25.00-$50.00 for a $5.00 Rite Aid Gift Certificate OR

Spend $50.01-$100.00 for a $10.00 Rite Aid Gift Certificate OR

Spend $100.01 or more for a $20.00 Rite Aid Gift Certificate

Please let me know if you found any other great deals this week at Rite Aid!

happy hugging!

-danielle

Walgreens 11.22-11.28

2009-11-22T18:25:00.002-05:00

Walgreens November 22nd-November 28th

Kleenex - $0.89 with in-ad coupon – use $1/1 from Healthy Savings booklet = FREE Kleenex, add $0.50/3 from insert for a $0.50 overage!

Sunkist 4/$10 – use(4) $1/1 Manufacture’s coupon from 11.15 insert = 4/$6 ($1.50 each)

Nabisco crackers 5 for $10 (use $1/1 or $1/2 internet printables) get $3 in Register Rewards, you can do this twice and submit for the $10 rebate from Nabisco when you buy 10 boxes of Nabisco crackers, as low as FREE after coupons RR and rebate!

Coffee Mate- B1 @ $2.49, get one free- use $1/2 coupon = $0.75 each.

Select Kellog’s cereal 2 for $5 – printable $1.50/2, $1/1 and more found at Coupons.com or Redplum, plus $1 RR, so as low as $1.00 each after RR and coupons.

DeMet’s Turtles candy 3 for $4, use $1/1 (says 7 oz, but I’ve had Walgreen’s accept coupons on different sized products from time to time) from 11.15 insert = 3 for $1

Starbucks Ice Cream 2 for $5- use $1/1 Internet printable = $1.50 each

Mars Candy $0.49 with in-ad coupon – use B1G1 from 11.15 insert- two for $0.49 each, or if you have several coupons they will let you stack them on the free, so in my case I’ll get 4 for the price of one!

Enfamil Formula is a weekly register rewards- $2RR, if you have a $5 Manufacture's coupon, or printable IP you could get as much as $7 off = $15 a can.

Ricola Cough Drops are on sale for $1- and $1 in RR = Free

There are some great fillers this week too like: 8 Christmas tumblers for $1, 10 gift sacks for $1, and household gloves $0.39

As weeks before the $4/1 Nexxus coupon is still in the store coupon booklets, you can get a free can of hair mousse 2 oz.

Huggies Diapers are on sale for $8.99 pair with a internet printable $2/1

Huggies Wipes are 2 for $5, use the $2/1 diaper product (IP no longer available)= $0.50 each

Revlon Beauty Tools and select make up- B1G1, use $1/1 from 11.15 as low as $2.99 for 2

Rimmel Eye cosmetics- 50% off – use $2/1 Rimmel Mascara from November All You Magazine = as low as $2.00

Loreal Cosmetics B1G1 @ 50% off – use $1-$3 coupons found in All You Magazine and 11.15 inserts

Loreal Revitalift $2-$5 off sale, plus $1/1 from 11.15 insert

Hydrogren Peroxide is also 4 for $1 this week!

Please share any other spectacular Walgreens deals you may find!

happy hugging!

-danielle

Road Trip on a Budget (Part 1)

2009-11-22T13:14:00.003-05:00

The deals in the stores this week aren't that fantastic, I will be posting some; however, I wanted to do a 'traveling on a budget' series this week since the holidays are approaching. As if the holidays aren't tight enough for most of us with gift-giving, big dinners, etc. we all have to travel a lot, whether to a a few different houses in the neighborhood, or if you're like us - different states! Were military and currently stationed in Fort Knox, KY, but we make several trips a year to see my family in Wisconsin (an 8 hour drive) and to New Jersey to see my in-laws (about 14 hours).

Tip #1- Gas: We normally earn points with our Kroger card to save $0.10 off a gallon with fill-ups, but it's not feasible to thinkg we'll find Kroger fill stations all the way to New Jersey! I posted earlier about some giftcards I had received for free- and I'm so glad we planned ahead and held onto them! I got $50 in gas cards for $1! Check out my post FREE MONEY to find out how! The offer also came with $40 in rebates on Gas, they won't come into effect until after January- but we'll have them when the time comes! Anyways, We will save $50 on gas by using those cards, which is about 25% off of what we would normally spend in the round trip. (We also had my in-laws sign up for the deal, and paid them the $1, told them we could take care of cancelling so we could get another $50 in free gas!)

Another option would be to get a credit card that gives you rewards, X amount off per gallon, or cash back on gas, but ONLY use it for gas and make sure to budget so you can pay it off as soon as you get home, or it will defeat the purpose! Don't forget to take the most fuel efficient vehicle you have as well!

Tip #2- Vehicle: We have an almost 5 month old baby girl, and traveling with a baby, as I'm sure many of you know, is not great for vehicles that lack cargo space. So if you're like us - you'll rent a minivan or other larger vehicle to travel. We both have SUVs, but we just can't fit us all and the baby's things in one car. It's easier to travel to WI because my sister has young children and my grandmother has a daycare, so we can travel with less baby gear. Anyways, the Entertainment Books have excellent coupons for car rental services, such as free days, free weekends, up to gas cards with your purchase! We get a military discount which saves us about $50, but I know there's a coupon in the book that is comparable.

Ask the employees for their expertise. We really need the space of a minivan, but we both own SUVs so we didn't consider there was something in-between. The woman I spoke with offered up the idea of making a reservation for an 8 passenger SUV, like a Chevy Traverse- not only would it have the cargo space we need, but it would save us $250 and we would get UNLIMITED miles, which you cannot get with the Minivan. She also said they are so busy with the holidays, that if they happened to have that unavailable the evening we come for our vehicle, we would get a minivan for the same price! I definitely suggest calling, rather than making reservations online as well. Online they can't apply discounts as well, or talk you and help you get the best deal. Consider fuel efficiency as well, our cars are 6 and 3 years old, where as the models the car rental place has are much newer and better serviced, we got excellent gas mileage on a minivan rental we had last year- better than my SUV and I have one of the best fuel efficiency rated SUVs!

Tip #3- Lodging: It's common sense to stay with a relative for most people. I have some severe allergies to my in-law's house, and we have a hard time fitting the four of us into the small bedroom that was once my husband's, but we make it work. When you think about the comfort vs. savings it makes sense in the end. When you're visiting, you're rarely spending time in your hotel, especially around the holidays- there are always plenty of things to do and see, so you're paying for a few extra square feet, definitely take the room offered, no matter your relationship or space constrictions, I promise, once you realize how much $$ you're saving, it'll be worth it!

If you HAVE to stay at a hotel, check out the Entertainment book for coupons for specific hotels, or extra discounts at websites such as Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia, etc. Fortunately we have our miltiary discount when and if we need to stop and stay on the road, but sometimes the coupons in the book are better.

Tip #4- Food: This is by far the biggest expense when traveling, and so many people TRY to cut costs, but we're going to DO IT this time. Traveling and eating is never incredibly healthy, but we're going to try our best! I think the biggest thing is planning ahead, just as you would with meals during the week, it's even more important with traveling.
Here's an overview of what we'll be taking in the car:

Chex Mix (we got about 10 free bags over the recent weeks, but we'll only be packing a few)
Cheez-it cracker- small boxes ($0.50 each @ Wags last week)
Sandies cookies ($0.50 each @ Wags last week)

I'll be making my Breakfast Cookies - only a little easier version- with packages of oatmeal cookie mix I got for $0.40 each, I'll add in some flax seed and dried fruit - each pacakges makes about 2 dozen cookies that's less than 2 cents a cookie!

We'll be taking a cooler with carrot sticks, string cheese, sandwiches, and yogurt and fruit.

and the Entertainment Book will come in handy yet again- IF decide to stop for some fast food we have coupons in the books for Free burgers and B1G1 meals at some places.

Hopefully these tips will help you when traveling over the holidays!

I'll be posting more abou the budget we set, and how the trip goes this week as we'll leaving tomorrow night. I'll also be posting how well we stick to our strict budget for the trip!

happy hugging!

-danielle

Krogering and other nonsense

2009-11-19T23:05:00.003-05:00

Kroger

I decided to use up my ecoupons this trip!

(6)I can’t believe it’s not butter baking sticks – Catalina deal – buy 2, get $2 off next order

($2.16 at my store- some stores have them priced down- and they are actually a money-maker at Meijer, but I just won’t make it there before Saturday)

(6) $1/1 Manufacture’s coupon- printable- and insert 11.15.09

Total for each set= $2.32, got $2 OYNO

I split the transactions up as well because I wasn’t sure if it would print multiple Catalina’s- and I used all the Cats on the rest of my groceries

Johnson & Johnson Baby oil $1.89 (Buy one, get $1 OYNO cat)

$1/1 Manufacture’s coupon from baby booklets, but you can also go to Johnson and johnson’s site and print one

Total= $0.11 profit

Dole Salad Mix- (Italian blend on special 2 for $5) –

$1/1 MQ =$2 each

Riceworks - $3.99 - sale 2 for $5 (organic rice snacks)- how i LOVE organic product coupons!

$1/1 blinkie right by product
= $1.50 each-

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix 2 for $4

(4)$0.40/1 MQ (doubled) 11/15/09 insert

(2)$0.40/1 Cellfire & Shortcuts

= (2 of them were $0.40 each, the other two were $.80 each)

Betty Crocker Frosting

(2)$0.50/1 MQ (doubled)

(2)$0.50/1 Cellfire & Shortcuts

= $.40 each

Yoplait yogurt 10 for $6

$.50/6 IP (doubled)
$.50/6 Cellfire
= $0.35 each.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights $1.99

(2) $.50/1 IP (doubled)
(2) $.50/1 cellfire & shortcuts
= $.50 each

Contonelle (I purchased 2 but they didn’t both show up) $3.69 each.

(2)$.50/1 IP @ manufacture’s website (doubled)

(2)$.25/1 Cellfire & shortcuts

=$2.44 each.

McCormick Grinders 10 for $10

5 @ $1.00

$1/1 MQ from 11.1 insert and IP = FREE

McCormick Gravy packets some 4 for $5, others 2 for $1

(3) $0.50/2 MQs 11.1 insert (doubled)

= as low as FREE!

Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough 2 for $4

$1/1 IP

$1/1 MQ from November All You Magazine

$0.55/1 Shortcuts

= $0.73 each

Target

There is a new coupon policy in effect with their new coupons coming out, so I took advantage of using the multiples I could print while the last

I picked up 9 packages of wipes for $3.18!

K-Mart

Viva 2 pack of paper towels – on sale 2 for $8

(2) $2/1 IP

=$4 plus tax

It’s hard to believe I had all the success I did today with two kids in tow, I can’t WAIT until my husband is home and I can hunt down some deals with a little less stress!

happy hugging!

-danielle

Walgreens 11.18.09

2009-11-19T22:44:00.002-05:00

Holy Hair Care!

Walgreens

Aussie shampoo, conditioner, and some styling products (I found my Walgreens was lazy- they only had some of them marked on sale when in fact when I got to the other store there were far more on sale, so if you see something you want just double check because it may not be marked.) Anyways…

Aussie Hair Care- on sale for $2.99 (buy one, get $2 Register Rewards – weekly)

$1/1 Manufacture’s Coupon (an insert from October)

So after coupon and register rewards its FREE!

(I actually went online and purchased a bunch of these for only $1.99 so I could take advantage of this sale)

Mixed Berry Ricola cough drops

$1.99, on sale for $1.00 (Buy one, get $1 RR- weekly)

$0.50/1 Healthy Savings coupon booklet

Now- if you’ve shopped at Walgreens before you know you can only do one RR per transaction for the same promotion—so as you can guess this took me 19 transactions- thankfully the store was dead, and I had an ANGEL of a cashier

Each transaction was $2.73 and I received $3.00 in RR. In the end I only paid tax, and ended up making $9 off the Ricola RR this week thus far!

On one transaction I added in 2 Nexxus mousse cans- FREE with $4/1

Puffs tissues $0.89 with in-ad coupon

$0.25/1 Manufacture’s coupon from 11.1.09

= $0.64 each!

I picked up some Nursery water as well with my combo coupons, and used the $0.50 Sandies and Crackers as fillers- as well as the bobby pins and hair ties which were clearance for $0.25 each!

Now I’ll touch on the “buying” of coupons, you can check out sites like www.hotcouponworld.com, www.afullcup.com, and Ebay and Coupon Masters. Sites like these you can trade coupons for ones you need, or pay for the clipping and shipment of coupons to you. It is illegal to sell or barter coupons, but you can pay for their time and shipping. It’s not something I would recommend on a regular basis, but for freebies or to stock up on something you use a lot for the future it can be a great idea.

This week I got 19 free things of shampoo/conditioner/styling products and 18 free bags of cough drops- and the best part is the HUGE stack of RR I have to use on some great deals next week! In a case like this you are investing a little bit, for instance I took out $20 cash in addition to what I had in register rewards- but I still came out making a profit after tax, and it really is a great cycle of just reusing your money!

happy hugging!

-danielle

Go Green!

2009-11-18T19:43:00.004-05:00

This week is National Green Week!

So take a minute to think about a few things you could do to lessen your impact on our earth.

If you're in a neighborhood like ours it isn't easy! If we wanted recycling to be picked up at the curb we had to pay an extra $30 a month in addition to our trash pick-up to have it done, and that's not feasible in our budget- so instead we have to make weekly trips to the recycling collection trailer in the nearest town which is about a 15 minute drive. Hopefully you can just set yours out at the curb! :)

However we do a lot of things around here for the planet, beginning with cloth diapers- you can largely decrease the amount of things you attribute to a landfill by cloth diapering your baby, disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste, and no one knows how long it really takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years. Not only are they great for the environment, but they save a TON of money and they're SUPER cute. (Ok, so if you're like me and many of the mom's I know who CD you get sucked in to how cute they are) however, you can reuse them for more than one child. In the end, you'll still save money and do a huge part in not attributing to the $300 million spent annually just to dispose of disposable diapers. You can always sell them if you don't need them for more than one child, yes, people will buy your gently used cloth diapers!

Many other benefits include the lack of diaper rash, and lack of harmful chemicals on your baby's bottom.

Check out some great ways to try cloth diapers:
Try Cloth at Jillian's Drawers for $10
http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10
Or check out some other great cloth diapers retailers:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/
http://www.bumgenius.com/
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/
http://www.drybees.com/
http://www.hyenacart.com/

I could go on and on...

A lot of people are worried about the laundry but it really isn't bad, it's an extra load maybe every 2 or 3 days, and our water bill hasn't risen at all. If you use disposables before you've had experience with blow outs and washing messy clothes- and we have yet to have a blow out in cloth diapers.

If cloth doesn't seem like your thing, perhaps a more "green" version of a disposable diaper sounds like it's something you would want to try Seventh Generation makes a more green version as well as G-diapers- it's more of a hybrid version of the two. Target also carries a "natural" version of a disposable diaper in some stores.

You can consider making your own baby food as well, - even better if it is from your own garden!

A lot of people seem to think 'going green' is a trend, and is costly, more more often than not it will SAVE you money. You can get tax credits for efficient appliances, save money on your energy bills, and often find coupons for new 'green' products that are put on the market.

Another thing we are big on is cleaners- I find Vinegar, or other natural cleaning products clean just as well, and smell even fresher!

Hang your laundry out on the line, turn the lights off when you're not in the room, we never have lights on in the house during the day, such simple things can make a huge difference.

This year our big GREEN purchase is going to be a "fake fireplace" heater, we aren't sure which we're going to go with yet, but a friend of the family had one last year and said they didn't even need to turn their heat on all winter and that it cut their electric bill dramatically- and that was in Wisconsin! I'll keep you posted as to which we go with and how it works out.

There were coupons recently in the Sunday newspaper for Marcal paper products, even for a FREE roll of toilet paper, napkins, etc. I wish I could get some to review, but they don't have them in any of our area stores. :(

Things can be very basic as well, sort your garbage, recycle, reuse wipe containers for storage boxes, buy refill bags instead of tubs, send toliet paper and paper towel rolls, kleenex boxes, empty milk jugs to your children's school or local elementary school for crafts. Consider sending all your child's 102 McDonald's toys as well! Recently we went through my scrapbooking stuff, my daughter's small 'happy meal' toys and everything that would be "trash" to us was sent to the school as little trinkets for their 'prize' boxes in the classroom. A lot of classrooms have wishlists- and rather than go out and spend money on items or donate cash be resourceful, everyone understands that budgets are tight, especially this time of year, and to be able to reuse on top of fulfill their needs is win-win situation!

We do a TON of coupon clipping in this house and before the old ads and paper scraps get recycled they are first put in a scrap box for my daughter, she paints, cuts, uses what she wants, and then her left overs are recycled- it beats paying $1.98 a pack for construction paper- and I think it stretches her imagination further!

Take a minute to think about a few simple things you can do to make your household a little greener.

happy hugging!

-danielle

Misled yet again!- but still a great price on stocking stuffers!

2009-11-17T16:55:00.003-05:00

I am crazy about money-saving blogs, love them, love the tips, and generally enjoy reading them (OBVIOUSLY- or why would I have my own!) However, I am really starting to get fed up in the 'saving for the masses' blogs that send you out there with your coupons and a budget and think you're going to get this great deal and then you either spend more than you planned because the information was incorrect, or you end up with nothing.

Case in point:

Hasbro Card Game Deal @ Kroger this week Buy 1, Get 1 Free.
In this weekend's edition of USA Weekend there was a coupon for Buy 1, Get 1 Free.
SO MANY blogs have raved about this deal and getting 4 games for FREE- but that is most certainly NOT the case.

With your Kroger Plus card the games come out to $2.99 each for the sale, and the cashier has to enter in the price for the free manufacture's coupon = $2.99 off your order- so in the end for two games you would pay $2.99 plus tax, or for four games $5.98. Considering they are usually $5.99-$6.99 each, it's still a great deal, but I wanted to post the CORRECT information!

(I DID take this to the manager of the store regarding the regular price at $5.99 so that is what the coupon should be discounted for- and we have a generally generous Kroger in regards to their coupon policy, etc. and they did not budge- because the coupons states you MUST PURCHASE on item to get another free)

Now, I would have accepted 4 games for the price one one- awesome deal for stocking stuffers- but in our recently decreased budget $6 is a big deal when you shop the way we do. I would just prefer some more honesty- or perhaps first-hand experience. When shopping with a cash-envelope system and you expect to pay so much hand over your coupons, etc. and your total comes out to much more, not only can it be irritating and time consuming but you can potentially lose out on a deal, or perhaps not be getting the best deal possible.

I hope all of you are finding these tips HONEST and HELPFUL! :)

happy hugging

-danielle

Free Newborn Portrait!

2009-11-15T20:28:00.004-05:00

New Baby Portrait Special Offer

"Print out this coupon and to receive One 8 x 10, Two 5 x 7s, and 8 Wallet Portraits absolutely Free! A beautiful portrait package from Olan Mills - America's Premier Portrait Studio"

http://www.olanmills.com/coupons/11freecoupon.asp

You can search for locations on the website, but they are found at stores like Kmart and Meijer.

They are good for any baby 3 months and under, pictures can be pricey so this is a great way to capture some of those first moments for free! They also have some other great package prices and printable coupons for your older children or family portraits!

happy hugging!

danielle

Swagbucks & Alice.com

2009-11-15T14:48:00.005-05:00

If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks you need to! I've earned some great prizes in a short amount of time!

Go here to sign up, search the web and earn free stuff for doing what you already do!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/danielleyg

They now have a prize- well I just noticed it for Alice.com it's for a $5 e-gift card at Alice.com. I just opened a new account with Alice, and it was on a promotion where after spending $40 you get $10 free. However, I noticed this great deal on Swagbucks- it only takes 12 swagbucks to get $5 for Alice.com- and it says it's only valid on a new membership, however if it won't allow me to use the code in my account, I can just open a new code for my husband. This is spectacular because it takes 45 Swagbucks to get $5 at Amazon.com and I am collecting those to save up for something for the house. Whereas $4 at Alice can be used towards things we really use and need, for instance yesterday I got 2 packages of Kotex panty liners for $0.041 each, Dawn dish soap for $0.84, and paper towel for $0.59 a roll. So it may not be a lot but it is definitely more practical and much easier to obtain!

Don't forget about the black Friday event at Swagbucks coming up! Search your little hearts out so you can get even more for you free money!

happy hugging

-danielle

Walgreen's Money Maker $$$

2009-11-15T14:42:00.005-05:00

This week the Accu-Check Aviva monitor is on sale at Walgreens- I saw it for $29.99 when I was there today, but it's advertised in the paper for $14.99. There is a mail-in-rebate(MIR) in the package for $14.99 so even if you just do that it's FREE. However, when combined with the $10/1 coupon from the 11-8-09 insert you can potentially make a profit of $10 off the monitor!

I've read about people using these as money makers all the time, I guess my question for those of you who do that- WHAT do you do with the monitors? The tree hugger part of me has a hard time throwing it away, but one would think it's not safe to open, send in for the MIR and then resell... unless you know someone who has diabetes... ? I would love to donate it- but again, if it's opened due to needing the info for MIR who would take it?

I'm interested to hear though IF you've taken advantage of these deals before what you do with the meters/monitors.

happy hugging!

-danielle

Superb Sunday Savings

2009-11-15T14:25:00.005-05:00

Superb Sunday Savings- I've never looked forward to the end of the weekend so much before!

(well they’re good all week) :)

Walgreen’s ad is out today but I tried to go right away so I would have first-hand deals to share!

I picked up 4 gallons of Nursery Water 2 for $3, $1/2 Walgreens coupons (deducts $2) and $1 off 4 Nursery Water website coupon (sign up and you can receive 2 coupons each quarter- 8 coupons a year! Plus they e-mailed me 2 extras! = $0.75 each!

Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice - $2/7 - $2/5 with in-ad coupon, plus $2/1 internet printables = $0.50 each! We aren't having holidays here this year but it'll make an excellent addition to some wine we'll be taking to the in-laws or for that price- throw it in a gift basket!

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers meals on sale $2/5 plus (2) $2/1 Internet printables from the Healthy Choice website = $0.50 each!
They had a very limited selection of what they carry but the sweet sesame with a little hot chili sauce is great!

Goldfish Crackers – 2/$3 – used (2) $0.75/1 printable coupons from Pepperidge farms website = $0.75 each!

Nexxus Mousse - $2.99 or 2 for $5 – Walgreen’s Coupon $4/1 = up to three FREE in one transaction

Almay foundation $9.99 ($10 in register rewards – monthly) = FREE

Breathe Right nasal strips $5.99 - adult 10 pack $2/1 Internet printable @ website = $3.99 (get $4 in Register Rewards - monthly) = FREE

Ricola Mixed Berry Cough drops $1 – (get $1 Register Rewards- weekly) = FREE
To make it even sweeter use the $0.50/1 coupon in the Healthy Savings Booklet (it is the booklet that was handed out during Flu vaccine clinics- but ask the manager- our Walgreens had extras) In this case not only are they free, you get $0.50 extra back!

I picked up a few on sale items without coupons as well as fillers Cheez-it crackers and Sandies are $0.50 (we’re leaving on a trip for Thanksgiving and I couldn’t pass up snacks for the car for $0.50!

Thankfully I had a new cashier who was very patient, I split up my transactions into 5 different ones and I made about $2.50 off the cough drops!

If you’re planning on taking advantage of the monthly Almay register rewards, cough drops, or Welch’s, I suggest you go early in the week. They didn’t have the Welch’s out yet, so I just asked if they could bring a case out, and the cough drops were already half way gone! I also got the last foundation, so never underestimate the other savvy shoppers out there, I’ve learned my lesson after I got my 6 free boxes of Kleenex last week and went to get 6 more and the 3 stores I went to were sold out!

I won’t break down every transaction, and all the Nursery water is missing from the picture as well as a few other items but TOTAL I saved $76.19 and I paid $11.10 out of pocket- AND I got $14 in register rewards from my purchases- now that’s what this is all about!

Walgreen’s is NOT a single-mom friendly store- my husband is at training in Georgia for the week and I thought it would be easy peasy – not so much, between carts that don’t fit a baby carseat, and a baby in a sling grabbing at everything- I worked up a sweat in the store and I was a hot mess, I think I’ll be saving my shopping trips for when the oldest is at school and I’m COMPLETELY organized!

i hope you're all having fabulous weekends, happy hugging!

-danielle

Just a thought....

2009-11-14T22:43:00.004-05:00

Today is a break from deal posting...

If I would have thought I'd have one complaint about couponing I probably would have guessed it would be the time, but I've really come to enjoy it, and while I am still trying to figure out how to make it less time consuming I think that learning that is part of the "art."

I have however come to really dislike misleading information. I read A LOT of other blogs about couponing, sales, financial management, etc. I will be the first to admit that I often look to them before my shopping trips and to make my savings even sweeter, but I was REALLY misled this past weekend and it wasn't fun.

I know a lot of blogs post about sales all over the country, etc. but they've been doing them for a long time and they don't actually go take advantage of the sales, so I think my approach is definitely going to be more first-hand. I was just so disappointed to think I was going to get a spectacular deal because someone posted THEY had gotten it, but anyway you put it- it didn't come out that sweet (this comes after I held up the line for about 10 min making sure it was exactly as they posted with the exact coupons.) Grr! I guess that's the downside of people trying to save a lot of people a lot of money.

After saving at least 65% on every purchase I've made (including dining out) over the past 4 weeks, I'm happy to say things are going well!

We've even got a stock pile started- after the Target web coupon on wipes we have about 40 packages of wipes in our garage on a shelf- all of which were either free or under $0.50! My husband thought it was too cool to be able to walk out to the garage when we were out of Nursery water and see 8 gallons sitting on a storage shelf in the garage.

Today was another freebies day, 6 more boxes of free Kleenex, 2 free bottles of Cranberry juice, more free Nexxus hair care, free Jell-O, free baking powder and salt, free Covergirl lip color and more! (And I still have $20 in Register Rewards left over from Wal-Greens)

My FAVORITE deal of the day was the $5.99 issue of Vanity Fair with Robert Pattinson on the cover (i know- i'm THAT lady) I purchased two- (one for my best friend in Germany) only rang up $1.99 each! That was my full-price splurge for the week.

With my husband out of town for the next week I'm going to cut down my shopping trips, but thankfully while I was at Kroger today they had a Saturday Night Special and I got 3 packages of bone-in Pork chops- normally $21 each, for $5.00!

There are some more fantastic coupons coming out tomorrow, don't forget to grab your paper!

Oh! Christmas is almost here and if you have little ones you ALWAYS need batteries- Kroger has 4-packs of Duracell batteries for only $1.88 (normally $3.49) and there were $0.75/1 coupons in the 11.01.09 inserts- we stocked up!

have a fabulous weekend!

happy hugging!

-danielle