While writing this, the Swiffer rebates weren’t appearing on ibotta.com, but they are appearing in my app, so those savings may be hit or miss for you.

ibotta Rebates (your mileage may vary on these)

• $2.00 rebate on one Swiffer Duster Refill (Any variety, any size) – Expires 1/25/15
• $2.00 rebate on one Swiffer Wet Jet Refill (Any variety, any size) – Expires 1/25/15
• $2.00 rebate on one Swiffer Sweeper Refill (Any variety, any size) – Expires 1/25/15

Join my ibotta team and add to your savings when you buy every-day items!

Coupons.com Discounts

• $2.00 off one Swiffer Starter Kit (Excludes Swiffer Bissel Steamboost and trial/travel size) – Expires 2/19/15
• $0.75 off one Swiffer refill (Excludes Swiffer Bissel Steamboost and trial/travel size) – Expires 2/19/15
• $2.00 off two Swiffer refill (Excludes Swiffer Bissel Steamboost and trial/travel size) – Expires 2/19/15

It was with a small amount of fanfare that my wife and I discovered his tolerance (if not appreciation) for Zarbee’s cold medicines/remedies.  We hadn’t heard of this brand before, nor had we considered purchasing it until we saw a number of great rebates on ibotta.

Yep, we’re still using ibotta and it’s still working quite well for us, both in saving money and earning us some nice deals on our typical purchases.  This has been a very welcome assist during the holiday season as well.  More money for toys…for the kids.

While I won’t get into the entire Zarbee’s story, I will say that if you’re looking for a new type of cold medicine for your kids, or even for yourself, give this a look. They have both immunization/vitamin “gummies” and honey-infused cough and mucus reducer syrups that pass the “picky kid test” and also do a great job in, you know, handling cough and cold symptoms.

Bring on the deals!

ibotta has a number of rebates on Zarbee’s products right now, making it a great time to check this brand out, if you haven’t already.

• $2.50 back on Zarbee’s Mighty Bee Immune Support Gummies (21 ct) at Target
• $5.00 back on 2 Zarbee’s Day/Night Cough and Throat Relief (6 ct) at multiple stores
• $.50 back on Zarbee’s Children’s Cough Syrup + Mucus Reducer (4 0z bottle) at Target
• $2.50 back on Zarbee’s Baby Immune Support + Vitamins (2 oz bottle) at Target
• $.50 back on Zarbee’s Baby Cough Syrup or Mucus Reducer (2 oz bottle) at Target

Please join our team!

One of the great features of ibotta is the teamwork bonuses and goal rewards.  This month, there are three $10 bonus levels that can be earned (for a total of $30 in bonus pay) along with a variety of product bonuses when you buy multiple quantities and combinations of select products.

To take advantage of these great money-saving offers, please join my ibotta team and start saving today!

Using the app is simple, maybe too simple, if you’re used to having to go through multiple steps to redeem a rebate. After you’ve browsed the list of possible rebates, take a photo of your receipt and then select the eligible items that you’ve purchased. Once you’ve made your selections, submit the receipt image and wait for your rebate confirmation notice from Checkout 51. See, I told you it was simple.

The rate to cash out your earnings is higher than other apps in this category. Set at $20, you’ll need to redeem a few purchases before you are able to have your money sent to you.

We haven’t spent as much time using this app, so our total earnings aren’t as high as what we’ve received using other apps and services, but this looks to be a nice way to augment your savings, especially on items that you purchase on an every day basis.

Download Checkout 51 today (iOS App Store or Google Play Store) and see how much you can save!

Playing after the school’s mascot of the pirate, she created a contest where students collect Box Tops in an effort to move their pirate ship along a treasure map. This is where I get to help out in designing a banner that is hung in the hallway of the school. It’s a great way for the kids to see how their class is doing as the year rolls on and, to be honest, it’s a fun opportunity for me as well.

Here’s to hoping our program for this year is as successful as in years past!

A few weeks ago, I started using ibotta, an iPhone and Android app that gives you rebates for items that you’d purchase any day of the week (and a few that you might not).  Milk, eggs, bread…the basics. Those all have rebates available from stores that we shop at. That’s a huge key to the success of this app, and it’s appeal.

You don’t need to visit a store that you might not be familiar with to make your purchases and save a little money. Target, Walmart, Costco, CVS, and many others are all participating in ibotta’s rebate program.

How does it work?

As much as I like to save money, if the process is complicated or consumes too much time, I won’t do it. The process to save with ibotta is dead-simple.

1. Browse through the available products and find what you need to purchase.
2. Unlock your savings by taking a poll, viewing a video, answering a quick quiz, or learning more about the product, or posting about the item on Twitter or Facebook.
3. Once you’ve unlocked the discounts you can make your purchase. Just remember to save your receipt!
4. After you’ve bought your items, redeem the discount by scanning the UPC barcode on the products and take a photo of the receipt.
5. Finally, submit your rebate request and you’re done. You’ll receive email updates (and app notifications) when your rebate has been approved.

Show me the money!

There are a variety of ways to “cash out” your earnings once you’ve started saving. You can link your PayPal account, Venmo account, or a variety of gift-card options.  You’ll need to accumulate a minimum of $5.00 in rebates before you can transfer your funds, but that can be accumulated easily if you find a few great deals to get you started.

Lisa and I have been having great success with ibotta after only a few weeks of use. We have both redeemed over $45 (each) in rebates. That’s literally, money in the bank.

A diamond in the rough.

Last week, I replaced my well-used iPhone 4S with an iPhone 5s. No big deal, right? Well, with a possible iPhone 6 right around the corner (and knowing my 4S wouldn’t make it much longer), I wanted to make sure I got the best deal I could.  Thankfully, I found a rebate from Best Buy on ibotta that gave me $20 back on a $200 purchase. Coupled with a few additional savings measures, I only needed to spend $100 on a phone that retails for $299.

While the Best Buy rebate is a bit of an edge case, there are similar discounts and offers that you can find on ibotta. You just need to find what works for you.

Other apps and services that can help you add to your savings:

In addition to ibotta, I have been using a few other apps to help maximize my savings. Every little bit helps, right?

• Target’s Cartwheel
• Coupons.com
• ebates.com
• Gazelle.com

If you want to give your everyday savings a boost, give this app a shot.  And while you’re at it, please join my ibotta team and start saving today!

Download ibotta from the Google Play Store.

My middle son asked which Marvel character was my favorite so I went with Spiderman, but I quickly changed that to Venom because, let’s face it, Venom is a badass. Mid-kid replied with Spiderman and my oldest replied with Deadpool. I then turned the tables a bit and asked who their favorite DC character was.

After I was met with a collective “huuuh???” with the DC mention, I kicked things off with Batman (again, badass). Mid-kid lost interest and wandered off, so I was left with my oldest son. He looked at me and said steadily, and without hesitation, “Catwoman”.

This was my opportunity to throw a “huuuh???” his way. He then explained why she was his favorite, and for a moment, I felt the innocence of his childhood come to a screeching halt.

“You know…”, he reasoned with the same unwavering conviction as before, “she has a really nice…”. Pause. There was a pause. My male/neanderthal/primitive-mind filled the pause with so many possibilities. Rack. Boobies. You name it, I thought it. I then felt a sadness creep in that I didn’t expect.

Was this the turning point when my oldest went from “innocent kid” to “gutter-minded man-child”? What happens now? Would all of his interests soon change? Would I need to have “the talk” or “a talk” or “one in a series of talks” with him? “Where are the brakes? He’s growing up to fast!!!”, my mind ranted and echoed. This entire inner monologue too place in just under five seconds. That may be a new record, even for me. Back to reality…

The pause ended and he resumed his explanation. “She has a nice…motorcycle”. Motorcycle? Did I hear that right? Women don’t have motorcycles as part of their natural anatomy. Bullet dodged! I started chuckling at his response and he got mad, thinking I was making fun of his selection.  I had to reassure him that I wasn’t laughing at him, necessarily.  It was a combination of relief and a few other emotions that escaped and formed a jovial response. I asked if she had any other assets that he liked.

“She has a cool helmet that looks like a Storm Trooper!”, he exclaimed. “That’s cool!”, I replied.  Seriously, that’s freakin’ sweet. If I had a motorcycle, I’d want an awesome helmet to go with it, and Storm Trooper helmets are slick. “Anything else?”, I asked. “Yeah”, he replied, “she has whip.” Oh goodie…a whip (again, my mind went places it probably shouldn’t). It looks like I might get to have one of “those talks” after all.

The first was a “Private Drive” sign.  He wanted this to be posted on a stick in our front yard to let people know that we had a private drive, and that they weren’t to enter.  He didn’t want the bad people to come and take our house.  The only place I can think of that has a Private Drive sign is my parent’s house, so I’m fairly certain that’s where he got the initial idea from.  It was his second sign concept that had me confused.

After I helped him spell out Private Drive (which he flipped the “d” around on, Toys R Us-style) I asked him what he wanted to have his next sign read.  He replied, “I want to make a No Screw sign”.  Now I have a tendency to run my mind through the gutter when certain, um, key words are mentioned, and this was no different.  I was, understandably, a bit concerned and held my breath awaiting his answer when I sheepishly asked him “Oh, really…what’s that sign for?”.  In my mind there were two possible outcomes for this question.  One good…the other, not so much.

Thankfully his answer fell on the side of childhood innocence.  He wanted to make a sign to let people know not to bring screws into his room because, as he put it, “they’d start to build stuff and my room’s already built.  It’s done.”.  After a quick exhale and a “thank God” thought, I gave him another sheet of paper to draw on.  After making his sign he asked for tape and hung it on his door.

As I tucked him into bed that night, he left me with one final set of instructions (in a stern voice). “Now Dad, you have to remember that’s a screw on the sign.  It’s not a rocket, or a pin, or a missle…it’s a screw.”  My reply was quick and to the point, “Don’t worry, I WON’T forget that!”.

Me with a Bee

Tim with the Hamburger Helper Hand

Now there are several things that I loved about NBTU.  One was that I was surrounded by Crazy Box Top Loving People like myself for an entire day.  AWESOME!!!! I learned a few tricks and have several new ideas that I want to try this upcoming school year! YAY! And I got a LOT of free stuff.  And when I say A LOT, I mean A LOOOOOOT!

Box Top Items Tim and I received at the Expo Portion of NBTU

The picture above is all the items that Tim and I received during the Expo Portion.  We both were registered, so we got two of everything.  The items included are:

2 boxes of Sunkist Fruit Snacks, 2 boxes of Honey Nut Chex, 2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch, 2 boxes of Nature Valley Oats N’ Dark Chocolate Granola Bars, 2 snack sized Chex Mix bags, 2 boxes of Golden Grahams Treat Bars, 2 Cans of Progresso Soup, 1 Freezer Quart Sized Ziploc Bags, 2 boxes of Old El Paso Taco Shells, 2 Fiber 1 90 Calorie Brownies, 1 Divided Rectangle Ziploc Containers, 2 Packs of Avery Note Tabs, 2 boxes of Hamburger Helper Ultimate Cheeseburger Macaroni, 2 Rulers, Pencils and Sharpeners from Boise Paper, 2 AWESOME Lunch Totes from Yoplait, 1 Decadent Supreme Cake Mix from Betty Crocker, 4 t-shirts from Hanes, a box of Fun da-middles from Betty Crocker (tried this at NBTU and OMG….YUMMY!!!!) and two reusable shopping bags from Betty Crocker, two from Cub Foods, and two from Hanes.  We also got some free coupons for Pillsbury and Suddenly Salad items, and a 50 cent off coupon for Green Giant.  Not bad?!?  Oh, and we both won $10 Target gift cards.    Nice, right?

Items that we received in our Coordinator Thank You Bags.

So if that wasn’t good enough, we also got the gift bags pictured above.  Items included were:

2 Heavy Duty Freezer Ziploc Bags, 4 Small Twist and Lock Round Containers (LOVE THESE!!!), 4 books (When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, which Carter loves!!), 2 boxes of Golden Grahams Treat Bars, 8 Boxes of Zoo Pals Funtensils (which I use for b-day parties!!!), 2 Cascadian Farm Organic Fruitful O’s, 2 packs of Hefty Cups and Plates, 2 Box Tops for Education Plastic Cups with Straws, lots of sticker sheets, 2 Box Top Clings, 8 packs of Avery Note Tabs, 4 Avery Pocket Tabs, and 4 Packs of Land O Lakes Coupons which are each valued at $4.35.  All of these items were included inside a Ziploc Big Bag.  So glad that Tim came with me, we got twice as much stuff.  

Tim in the Money Machine

So if that wasn’t enough…..we each got a chance in the money machine.  There are no pictures of me in the machine….but there is video that hopefully will be posted soon.  I ROCKED the money machine and scored over 1000 Bonus Box Tops for my school.  Tim will be practicing in the shower with the blower for the jumping castle and some sheets of Boise Paper……as he only earned 65.  

All the BONUS BOX TOPS we earned at NBTU

These are all the bonus box tops we earned in the Money Machine, plus the 200 I received for doing an interview before the conference started.  

Items we purchased at the Company Store at the General Mills' Headquarters

They have an AWESOME Company Store in the General Mills Headquarters.  They sell all sorts of General Mills products.  I picked up some NEW Thomas the Train fruit snacks, some cool Fruit Roll-Up Stickers, and Dunkaroo’s….which I’ve never seen in the store, but they are SERIOUSLY YUMMY!

I LOVE BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION!!!!!!

Overall, Tim and I earned 1,357 Box Tops at NBTU!!!  I had so much fun, and can not wait for next year!!!!!

About a month before the rummage sale last year I made Tim help me bring all the shelving from our basement into the garage.  We ended up having four 5-tier shelves and several tables worth of stuff to sell.  Carter had his Kool-Aid and Rice Crispy treat stand set up, and we had  a pretty decent rummage sale.

This year I’ve been thinking about whether or not we should have a rummage sale.  I still have ALL the baby stuff downstairs, and all the boys old clothes.  Trouble is, I’m not sure if we want to have another baby yet, so we probably should hold on to most of the stuff.  But the boys have some toys that they don’t play with anymore that we could probably get rid of.

So today I told Carter we were going to go through all his toys and he needed to find twenty things that he didn’t play with anymore.  I could think of at least ten right now without going through his stuff.  He thought about it for about twenty seconds and then came up to me and said, “I know what I want to sell at the rummage sale Mom….Cooper, Cooper, Cooper, Cooper, Cooper, Cooper, and Cooper.  How many things is that?”

What do you even say to that???

“Well Carter, I’m not very good at math, but I think that would only be ONE thing…..and I’m pretty sure you can’t sell your brother.  And even if you could, I’m fairly certain that he’d be returned after a few days.”