saving4aseason

Sure Deodorant Money Maker- Walgreen's

2010-05-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

I went to Walgreen's tonight to get my free Sure deodorant and much to my surprise found some with a "Try Me Free" sticker on them. I not only got them for free from Walgreen's but now I get to send in for $2.99 rebate.

Saving For College

2010-05-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

We just had a milestone in our family. One of our sons graduated from college with a bachelor's degree. He is the first person in my husband's family to ever get a 4 year college degree. When we first started having children my husband was very determined to save for our children's college educations. You see, he came from a family that told him it was stupid to go to college. We started our children's college savings accounts when the son that graduated this past weekend was born. At that time we had 2 boys and when our daughter was born we started hers. This is how we did it. We had an automatic debit come out of our checking account for 18 years for $100/month per child. There were many times when we wanted to stop it because things were tight but we made it work and knew that in the end it would pay off. Over the course of 18 years we put approx. $21000 in each of our kids accounts and when it was time for them to attend college they each had a little over $30000. WOW! I'm so glad that we were able to give our children this gift. It has opened up so many more opportunities for them to explore because they aren't saddled with tons of student loans and college debt.

I'm not sure who celebrated more, our son or us. I also want to give tons of credit to my son because he lived a very frugal lifestyle during his college years to make it work.

Why Don't We Get Out of DEBT????

2010-04-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a question! This was posed to us in our Financial Peace University class last night. There are many answers to this question but one of my reasons is that I don't like saying NO. I don't like saying NO to my children. I don't like saying NO to my spouse. I don't like saying NO to my friends and family. And I especially don't like saying NO to myself. One of the things that was brought to our attention is that we've lost HOPE. That really got my attention. I want my hope restored and I want to get this heavy load off my shoulders. It's going to take work, HARD work and discipline. No more excuses. It's time to start saying NO to everything but the necessities for a time. That's right. It will just be for a time. We can do this and the rewards will be so worth it. Here are a few steps that will get us going with "gazelle" intensity.

1. Quit borrowing.
2. Get $1000 in an Emergency Fund.
3. Pray really hard!!
4. Start selling stuff.

Our heavenly Father is really rich and he loves us like crazy! He has a plan for us to prosper. We can only do His work if we are not in bondage to a lender.

Walgreen's OOP $3.81 for $82.61 Worth of Items

2010-04-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

I did great at Walgreen's today.

Transaction #1 & 2

6 3M Packing Tape
1 Stayfree Maxi Pads
1 Plackers Dental Stix
1 Nestle Crunch Bar (filler)
Total OOP= $.32+ tax

Did this twice and used $2.50RR that I had from last week each time. I received back a $3RR and a $2RR from the above transactions x 2.

Transaction #3

8 Hallmark Graduation Cards
5 3M Packing Tape
Total OOP= $1.87+ tax
Used 2 $2RR and 1 $3RR from the above transaction. Received back a $5RR from the 8 Hallmark $.99 cards.

Transaction #4

2 Ziploc Freezer bags
1 Plackers Dental Stixs
1 Butterfinger
Total OOP= $1.30+ tax

This was actually a MONEY MAKER because I still have a $5RR and a $2RR from the last 2 transaction.

$3.19 MONEY MAKER

Walgreen's $.08 Money Maker

2010-04-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

I did well at Walgreen's today too!

3 Puffs Tissue
8 Black Forest Gummie Bears
1 Kotex U Tampons

Total OOP= $2.42 but received back a RR for $2.50

Go To Meijer NOW!!!

2010-04-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing trip to Meijer today. I did 4 transactions. My total OOP was $38.36 for $173.27 worth of groceries! Woooohoooooooo!!! Here's what I got:

9 Kraft Chunk Cheese
10 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes
8 Betty Crocker Frosting
4 Freschetta Pizza
4 (5 pack) Kraft Mac & Cheese
6 Kraft 100 Calorie Cheese Packages
6 Breakstone Cottage Cheese Doubles
1 gallon milk
2 1/2 gallons Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk
4 Capri Sun
2 (12 pack) Nabisco Snack packs
2 Greenworks wipes
4 Dial Hand Soap
2 Oreo Fudge Cremes
2 Bisquick
3 Sub Lunchables
1 Miracle Whip
5 Oscar Mayer Lunch Meat

I also did two of my transactions backward so I still have coupons for $6 off my next order. Thanks Saving Addiction for all of the match ups!

Coupon Teacher: 6 Ways to Help Your Favorite Blogger (Even if it isn’t me)!

2010-04-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

Coupon Teacher: 6 Ways to Help Your Favorite Blogger (Even if it isn’t me)!

Go to the above link to read a great article by a fellow blogger on how to best support your favorite bloggers.

Pamper Yourself With Aveda

2010-04-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

This would be a great idea for Mother's Day!!!!

Picture it: you steal away (somehow) one afternoon and slip into a soothing spa—you sip licorice-tinged tea while delightful attendants massage aromatic mango scrub into your hands, expertly loosen the kinks from your neck, deftly touch up your makeup and fill your surroundings with chakra-stimulating scents. Now imagine the cash register, where you stand ready to settle up for your treatments and the bottle of Aveda Hand Relief cream you now hold. And it rings up….zero…zero….zero.

As fantasies go, it’s a good one. But thanks to Aveda’s Stimulus Package, it can come true today. It’s one luxe freebie you should grab before it’s gone. Here’s how…

Your road to the Aveda Stimulus Package starts with printing out a coupon. It specifically entitles you to the following at a participating Aveda salon, spa or store:

a free five-minute stress-relieving neck and shoulder massage
a free Stress-Relieving Hand Ritual
a free makeup Finishing Touch
a free Aroma Sensory Journey
a free cup of Aveda’s (very tasty) Comforting Tea
a free "lavishly sized" sample of Aveda Hand Relief cream

I'll let you know once I do this!

Thanks Hip2Save!

Summer Fun!

2010-04-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

Are you planning on making any jams or jellies this summer? My friend over at Saving Spectacular let me know about a catalina going on at Meijer from now until 6/13 if you buy Sure-Jell, Certo or any MCP pectins. There is also a tear pad for $1/2 by the product at her Meijer store.

Buy 2, Get $1 oyno
Buy 3, Get $2, oyno
Buy 4, Get $3 oyno

I'm going to scope out the coupons and put them aside to see if these products go on sale.

Do Your On Line Shopping Through Ebates and Get Cash Back!!!

2010-04-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to tell you about Ebates, a shopping site that gives you up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop online. You can shop at over 1000 stores including Barnes & Noble.com, Gap, Target, Buy.com and Expedia. Plus you get additional savings with exclusive coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales! Sign up with Ebates today and we'll each get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase!

Saving Money on Meat

2010-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Saving money at the grocery store meat counter is easy, just follow a few simple tips and tricks. Cutting up a large roast can be a real savings.

Start at the grocery store by looking at the cuts that are available. The difference between a large roast, and a steak, beyond size is price. That same steak that you pay 6.99 a pound for came from a roast that you would pay 4.99 a pound for. Go ahead and get the large roast, cut off some steaks, and maybe some stew meat, the rest can be a nice roast for another night. You will need to consider how much bone is in the piece of meat you are purchasing. Bones can make it harder to cut your roast into steaks.

Don't be afraid to ask the meat department if they have a large roast available, usually they will be more than willing to accommodate you. Learning the various cuts of meat is to your advantage. A roast with lots of bones will have a limited ways of preparing. On the other hand sirloin is more expensive, but you will have a greater variety of cooking options.

When you get your roast make sure you cut it right away (if you didn't already have the meat department do it for you). When cutting steaks, cut across the grain for the most tender steak possible. If you want thick steaks then stick with 1 to 2 inch thick slices. If you want thin breakfast or sandwich steaks, then partially freezing the meat is the best option. This will enable you to control the thickness a little easier.

When cutting stew meat, it is better to cut a thick slice and then cut into smaller pieces. Also make sure you cut your roast so it fits in your pan. Remember to leave some fat on the roast, steaks and stew meat for flavor, since most of the flavor is in the fat.

When buying a whole chicken to cut up make sure you compare prices of pieces. Sometimes it is cheaper to by leg quarters rather than a whole chicken. Cut the chicken in half, so you have breasts and thighs on one half, back and wings on the other. Next cut the wings off, and cut the back in half. Cut the thighs off at the joint. Cut the breast in half down the center. If you like drumsticks rather than leg quarters cut the drumsticks off at the joint.

One of your options is to ask the meat department if they will cut your beef or pork roasts for you. My local Meijer has cut pork loin and ham for me in the past. Don't be afraid to ask them at the meat counter for advise or assistance!

Is It Time For A Class?????

2010-04-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have had many of you that I have shared my excitement about my deals say they would like me to teach them how to do the deals. I've been thinking about teaching a class but I need to know how many are actually interested in doing it before I make arrangements for a place to have the class. If you are interested in coming to a couponing class please send me an email or leave a comment. I would do the class somewhere in the Battle Creek/Marshall area of south west Michigan depending on where most of the attenders are coming from. There will be NO charge just a fun night of learning how to cut your grocery bill and ideas on saving money. Get excited. This will literally change your life!!!

Free Target Reusable Tote in Celebration of Earth Day

2010-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Remember...Today ONLY, Sunday, April 18th, Target will be giving away FREE Reusable totes in celebration of Earth Day!!

Also, check out the center pages of your Target flyer today. They are designed to help you do your part to save our planet. They’ll turn into an envelope for you to use to mail off 5 of your Target shopping bags. Simply fill out your information and mail them off to the following address to get a $1 off coupon for any reusable bag up to $1.49.

Terracycle
121 New York Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08638

Money Makers This Week

2010-04-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

How did you all do this week with deals? I actually did several deals that I will be getting rebates back on. I also did the Rite Aid Benadryl deal this week to qualify for a $20 Rite Aid gift card and $25 SCR. Yes, that's right, I now have enough Benadryl for the next 10 years! I ended up spending $20 OOP for $80 worth of Benadryl but will receive back a total of $45 with the two above rebates/gift cards for buying it. I also did 3 SC Johnson deals and will be sending those each in for the $5 rebate. I bought Ziploc bags, Shout wipes and Scrubbing Bubbles.

I learned a very valuable lesson today. I went to Target to do a couple of my coupon deals. My daughter went with me and after our purchases were rang up I told her it cost me more than I thought it would. She just kind of smiled and told me that she had thrown a couple of things in the basket that I wasn't aware of. Serves me right for not paying attention to what she was putting up on the belt.

Dumb Budget Busters

2010-04-17T19:12:00.001-07:00

I went with my daughter today to upgrade our cell phones. It always makes me anxious when we change our cell phone plans. It seems like it takes about 3 months to tweak the plan so the charges are correct. I found the article below that addresses several items to consider so you don't break your budget. Check it out!

Dumb Budget Busters

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Lovin' Scoopful & Bike Giveaway

2010-04-17T19:02:00.001-07:00

Lovin' Scoopful and Scwinn are offering a giveaway in celebration of the ice cream new flavors. They will be giving away a Schwinn 700c Ladys Gateway bike worth $200 and $25 worth of Lovin' Scoopful coupons. Click on the link below to enter. Winners will be chosen on May 11th.

Lovin’ Scoopful Ice Cream & Bike Giveaway

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Johnson's Body Lotion

2010-04-15T16:55:00.001-07:00

SWEET SMELLING DEAL!!!!

I found Johnson's body care Melt Away Stress Lavender & Chamomile Lotion 11oz. at Target tonight for $1.13. There is a $1 coupon in 3/28 RP.

My favorite lotion for $.13!

I Hooked One....

2010-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love finding deals, saving and using coupons. My coworkers have heard me talking about all of the good deals I get. Some have been interested but not enough to catch the bug. Yesterday I helped one of my coworkers make a plan and provided her with the coupons to go out and get the deals she had listed. She sent me a pic and text earlier today that she got $101.87 worth of items for $28. This is AWESOME! Do you think she's hooked?????

Deer Interference

2010-04-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I had good intentions of posting last night but on our way home from our Financial Peace class a deer ran into our car. Thankfully, we have full coverage on this one. I have driven this road multiple times a day for 20 years and never hit a deer. It was dusk and they were moving all over the place. We had to wait for the police officer for over an hour and a half because he was at 2 other deer hits. One of my husbands coworkers came and took the deer and will process it for venison.

So, let's talk about the emergency fund that we learned about in class. Dave says....you should start with $1000.00 in a savings account so that when an emergency comes up it ends up not being such an emergency and you won't have to use those dreaded credit cards to pay for your "emergency". If our incident last night had been our fault we would have had a $500 deductable or if we had been driving any of our other cars they wouldn't have been covered. This would have put us in a very tight spot without an emergency fund. Thankfully, we were able to sit there and wait and not worry, blame or argue about the financial cost of a silly deer not stopping for traffic.

Here are a few ideas to help you fund an emergency fund.

have a garage sale

work extra hours if available

child care for someone

eat out of your pantry for a month

stop eating out until it's funded

trim your grocery budget

cut your cable to the very basic or totally out until it's funded (easier in summer)

tell your kids !!!NO!!!!!

sell a vehicle or "toy"

do odd jobs for someone else

Money Maker at Target

2010-04-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Buy 3Travel Size Shout Wipes and Make $2.09 to $3.74

Buy 3 Shout 4-Pack Travel Size Wipes $.97 = $2.91
-$55 x 3 SS 3/21
Total OOP= $1.26 Submit to SC Johnson for the $5 rebate (can do 3 per household)
$3.74 Money Maker after submitting rebate

Still a Money Maker without coupons (some Target stores won't allow coupons on travel size products)

Buy 3 Shout 4-Pack Travel Size Wipes $.97
Total OOP= $2.91 Submit to SC Johnson for the $5 rebate (can do 3 per household)
$2.09 Money Maker after submitting rebate

Thanks Totally Target for this deal!

Serving Our Country

2010-04-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am a very proud aunt! I have two nephews that are overseas serving our country and two nephews that are in ROTC. One of my nephews that is overseas called my husband today to let the family know that he is safe. He's in a war torn country but has talked about the beautiful scenery that he wakes up to every day (mountains). He talked about the children he sees and asked that we send crayons and coloring books. He told us the children's eyes light up if you give them a simple pen. This nephew of ours has turned into an amazing young man. He is one of a kind to be able to know that he's where God meant him to be and be able to find the beauty amidst the war.

Please pray for our solders. They are doing a very selfless duty by serving our country.

WE LOVE YOU!

Shopping Trip Today

2010-04-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

WalMart

6 Scotch Brite Sponges
4 Benadryl Itch Sticks
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Wand
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel
2 Chicken Broth
1 Artichoke Hearts
Total OOP= $6.66 Total before coupons $28.44

Walgreen's

Transaction #1

1 Schick Shave Gel
1 Schick Razor
Total OOP= $2.98 I used a $5 RR I had from previously. I received back $5 RR and $3 RR.

Transaction #2

2 Carefree 56
2 Carefee 22
3 Ban Solid
2 Twizzler (Brent the black is for you)
Total OOP= $2.70 I used the $5 RR from transaction #1.

Transaction #3

3 Ban Solid
3 John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner
3 bags Easter Candy
Total OOP= $11.21 It wouldn't let me use my RR from previous transactions.

Total OOP= $16.89 and I came away with $8RR. Total before coupons was $69.37.

Meijer

2 5 pack Mac & Cheese
2 Capri Sun
2 TGI Friday Snacks
4 Cottage Cheese
1 Chopped Spinach
1 Mushrooms
6 Mentos
Total OOP= $6.72 Total before coupons $29.76

Target

Transaction #1

5 Kellogg's Special K Cereal
Total OOP= $6.95 received a $5 gift card

Transaction #2

2 Gillette Fusion Razors
Total OOP= $ 1.52 I used the gift card from the previous transaction

Transaction #3

This one was a mess!!

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Cleaner
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Wand
I paid $13.77 OOP and realized once I paid that my coupon for a FREE toilet wand when you buy toilet gel took off the gel price which was less. I went to the service desk and she wasn't able to make the computer recognize it correctly. I ended up getting my $5 gift card from this transaction and she also gave me $6 customer satisfaction coupons to make up for the coupon not working.

Total OOP= $22.24 and still have $5 gift card and $6 customer satisfaction coupons. Total before coupons $41.14.

Because God said so......

2010-04-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the feeling that God was telling you to do something? Do you listen and look for opportunities where he tells you to bless someone else? I just had an experience where I thought God was telling me to do something. I can tell you right now I'm sure I've missed many of these opportunities and I questioned this one a couple of times. Here's what happened. I was shopping at Meijer and picked up 1 Kraft Mac & Cheese 5 pack with the coupon that you can get juice drinks for free that givemeneither posted on her blog. While I was getting the juice boxes I thought I should get 2 and do the deal twice. I don't have any little ones in my house anymore and we rarely eat Mac & Cheese. I bought both and headed out to my car. As I was walking to my car a young dad and his daughter were walking behind me. His daughter looked to be about 3 and he was talking really sweet to his little one. A thought popped into my mind that I should bless them with one of my Mac & Cheese and juice boxes. I thought no I can't do that. He's going to think I'm crazy. I continued walking to my car and guess who was parked next to me? LOL! I unloaded my groceries and was starting to get in my car all the while listening to this young dad and his daughter. Once again I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to give them to him. OK God, here it goes. I put the two items in a bag and asked him if they like Mac & Cheese. I handed the bag to him and he had this crazy smile on his face. He thanked me and told me to have a great day. Was it worth it? Absolutely!! I hope God appoints me for more opportunities like this. If you've had something like this happen to you I would love to hear about it.

Rite Aid

2010-04-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

I made my first trip to Rite Aid and did two transactions.

Transaction #1

4 Benadryl $4.99 x 4= $19.96 + tax= $21.19
- 2 $5/2 Benadryl
- $5/$20 Rite Aid Video
Total OOP= $4.96+ tax

This total will go towards the two rebates that are available on Benadryl and allergy medicine.

Transacton #2

1 Schick Hydro Razor $8.99
1 Crest 3D Toothpaste $2.99
1 Complete Contact Solution (B1G1 Pack) $7.99
1 Visine $4.99
= $24.96 + tax= $26.46
- $5/$25 Rite Aid Coupon
- $3 Schick Disposable
- $1 Crest 3D
- $3 Complete
- $2 Visine
-$2 in-ad Visine
Total OOP= $9.96 + tax

Will get back:

Schick SCR $8.99
Complete SCR $7.99
Crest 3D SCR $2.99

Money Maker $5.05

Rite Aid 4/11 to 4/17 MONEY MAKER Scenario

2010-04-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have a Rite Aid scenario that should be a HUGE money maker. Right now you can get back a $20 Rite Aid gift card for purchasing $75 worth of Benadryl or Zyrtec and you can also get a $25 SCR for buying $50 worth of allergy medicine. There is a great deal this week that will qualify you for both of these deals.

4 Benadryl $4.99 x 4= $19.96
1 Trident Super Pack $1.50
= $21.46
- $5/$20 Rite Aid Video Reward
- 2 $5/2 Benadryl (RP 4/11)
- 4 $1 RA Video March
- $1 Trident (SS 4/11)
= $1.46 + tax if you don't have the video values from March it will be $5.46

Do the above deal 4 times and you will qualify for both of the above allergy medicine rebates. You will pay $5.84 with the video values from March and $21.84 OOP if you didn't print them. This should be either a $39.16 or $23.16 MONEY MAKER.

You can also do the above deal with the Rite Aid $5/25 from HERE and it will look like this:

6 Benadryl $4.99 x 6= $29.95
-$5/$25 Rite Aid coupon HERE (use zip 43666)
- 3 $5/2 Benadryl (RP 4/11)
= $9.95

Do this deal 2 times and the first deal once. It will still be a $19.64 MONEY MAKER and that's without the Video Values from March. You can purchase additional coupons from HERE to do this deal.