Note To Self: Do Not Grocery Shop On New Year's Eve!

Man, it was CRAZY out there today!  I actually wanted to grab a few things from Tom Thumb, but after I drove into their parking lot I decided that crackers and tampons were not that crucial, and I drove right out.  I had a whirlwind shopping day even without that stop, though.  I did two transactions at CVS, Aldi, grabbed my wipes from Babies R Us from that deal I told you about on facebook last night, and went to Kroger.

First, at CVS, I bought two 42 count boxes of Prilosec.  They were on sale for $24.99, and you got $7 ECBs back (limit 2).  I then plan to submit for this rebate, that will give me a $25 Mastercard giftcard.  Both had to be purchased in a single transaction for the rebate.  I was so excited about this rebate deal because my husband has to take these and it seems like we are always running out!

Shelf Price:  $57.58
Sale Price:   $49.98
Used $7/2 coupon from 11/28 PG:  $42.98
Used $8.79 in ECBs from my last trip:  $34.19  (that's $17.10 per pack) --already 41% Savings!
Then I got back $14 ECBs, so it was like I only paid $20.19, or $10.10 per pack.
Then, when I receive my rebate in 6-8 weeks, it will be like I actually made $4.81!

My second transaction was this:

Shelf Price:   $32.64
Sale Price:    $25.83
Price After Coupons and $14 ECB's from above:  $0.96!  97% Savings!  And I got back $11ECBs.

Be careful if you do the razor deal, because only the Power type is giving back ECB's.  I got the wrong type at first, even though it was under tag for the sale.  They quickly exchanged it for me since they were the same price and I got my missing $4 ECBs without much trouble.  The Christmas stuff was all half off, and I found my girls a Disney princess ornament for next year for only $1.99.

Bypass Tom Thumb, and on to Aldi.  I didn't get a picture of this purchase, but it was just my needs for the week.  It was mostly great produce deals, trash bags, butter, and chicken nuggets (I know, how dare I run out!)  I spent $37.39.  Hopefully, I won't have to go back this week except for milk and bread.

From there, I went to pick up my baby wipes at Babies R Us.  Now, if you live in the Dallas area, you may know this particular store that is off of Town East Blvd, or at least you know the area.  The Town East exit is a madhouse nearly any day of the week because the mall, and just about everything else known to man in Mesquite, TX is on that exit.  Today it was beyond insanity.  I must have waited through 5 red lights just sitting on the exit ramp of I-635 waiting to turn onto Town East.   I was beginning to wonder what had possessed me to do this, but this is why:  $7.57 with tax!  3 for the price of 1!  I was out, too!

One more stop, and it is at Kroger.  My husband really wanted me to pick up some of the International Delight creamers that were $1  There were $0.55/1 coupons on their website, making them just $0.45 each (our store stops doubling at $0.50, sadly).  I planned to get some Coast soap that would have been free after the coupon from coupons.com, but they were all out.  I ended up grabbing a few things I hadn't planned on, like the dog food my husband reminded me about, and two whole chickens that were on sale for $0.59/lb today only.  I also had a few of the $2/1 Quaker Oatmeal coupons left that were expiring today.  I thought I was just out of luck, but I happened to walk down the aisle and notice they were on sale for $1.99!  Yay for free oatmeal!

Here is what I got:

Shelf Price:  $58.87
Sale Price:   $42.37
Price Paid After Coupons:  $23.88  --60% Savings!

Man, after all that, I am all shopped out!  I hope you enjoyed reading about my shopping adventures today.  My cat certainly enjoyed the aftermath...

All told, I spent $104 on what should have cost $210.  That's 50% savings not even factoring in a savings at Aldi, and their prices can't be beat!  I also have $11 ECBs remaining for CVS, and will have $25 coming in the mail!

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BzzAgent: Gerber Graduates BzzCampaign--Would You Like a Coupon?

It has been a long time since I have mentioned anything about BzzAgent.  That is because the BzzCampaigns are few and far between.  I am happy to be able to tell you about it once again.  I got a small box in the mail when I returned from my Christmas travels containing three Gerber Graduates items, and a stack of coupons.

Pictured are some fruit snacks and a fruit twist.  There was also a small cereal bar that I attempted to give to my poor teething, runny nosed, not wanting to eat anything 17-month old the other day.  I'm pretty sure she licked it and tossed it right onto the ground, but the dogs seemed to enjoy it.

I have to admit that I am pretty disappointed  in this BzzCampaign, but I guess Gerber is probably more to blame for the contents of my package.  BzzAgent kind of hyped it up making it sound like we would be getting like one of almost the whole line to try, so I was kinda of expecting at least one of the meals instead of just snacks.  Also, the BzzCampaigns I have done in the past have included fairly high value coupons to pass out among friends.  This time the coupons are for $0.75/2 Gerber Graduates items, which considering their shelf price, I don't consider that a really great deal.  I suppose they would be nice to have if I made a habit of purchasing these items already, but I do not.

That being said, I am offering  to mail two coupons to anyone who would like them.  I have 8 to give away, so 2 each will go to the first 4 people to comment and email me their mailing address.  You must comment first, as I will honor the order of comments on this blog post.  Comments on Facebook will not count.  The only thing I ask is that you actually redeem the coupons, and email me back once you have tried the items to let me know what you think.  If you don't think you will use the coupons, but have a friend that you know buys these, send them over!

The BzzAgent site is interested in having people try items and getting their honest opinion of those items.  They also want us to have conversations about the items, share the coupons for the items, and see what others have to say about the items so that we can report back about it.

If you would like to become a member of BzzAgent, and be eligible for these type of campaigns, you may register here.  In the past I have gotten to try items such as Tom's of Maine toothpaste, Fruit2Day drink, Boston Market, Scrubbing Bubbles, and more.  You will get an email when a campaign is available for you, and if you get an email, you nearly always qualify.  It's a very nice program, and I enjoy it a lot.

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New Coffee-Mate Coupon

Go here for a new coupon for $1/1 Coffee-Mate creamer (15 oz or larger).

Thanks, Couponers United

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In The Mail While We Were Traveling

I had quite a bit of mail while we were away.  I received a huge booklet of coupons from Proctor and Gamble from a rebate I had submitted a while back.  I got my free sample of Dove from Sam's.  I got my sample of Kashi GoLean Crunch and coupons from Vocalpoint.  I got my other FREE Excedrin coupon, and my $3.50/1 Excedrin coupon.  Plus, I received payment for two surveys I had completed: one was a $2 bill from a short survey (that I honestly do not recall taking), and the other was a $30 check for participating in a facewash product test last month.  I love doing those!

I had two other things in my mailbox as well, but they will get their own post in a bit. What have you gotten in the mail lately?

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CVS Trip 12/19 And Year To Date Savings

I just made quick trip to CVS to use my ECBs that would be expiring while we are away visiting family next week.  Here is what I picked up, and then I will tell you how I did it.

Shelf Price:  $31.08

Sale Price:  $24.17

Price Paid After Coupons and $11.59 ECBs from last trip:  $2.22--93% Savings!!!

Plus: I received $8.79 in ECBs to use next time!

--I picked up a Pantene shampoo and conditioner.  These are on sale 2 for $6.97, and get $2 ECBs wyb 2.

    --I used the BOGO free coupon from the 11/28 P&G

--I picked up 2 Listerine on sale for $3.49, get $2 ECBs each (limit 2).

   ---I used 2  $0.50/1 coupons from the Sunday paper.  There are many to choose from, most recently the     9/19 or the 10/10 RP, but I used some that were older than that.

--I picked up a ThermaCare heat wrap that was $2.79, get back $2.79 ECBs (free after ECBs already!)

  --I used this $1/1 coupon (scroll to bottom)

I intended to get some of the Revlon nail polish that was on sale for $3.99, get $2 ECBs (limit 6), but I could not find any coupons for them.  I had several coupons for the NYC nail polish, some from ALL YOU magazine, and some from coupons.com that say CVS on them.  I did not think they were on sale, but when I got there, I noticed that they were buy one, get one 50% off.  I got 6, and had 5 $1/1 coupons.

Plus, when I got home, I noticed this on the bottom of my receipt....

Yes, that says year to date savings of $1052.08!  I LOVE CVS!

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Sunday Coupon Preview 12/19: No Inserts

There are no scheduled coupon inserts for tomorrow, or next Sunday either, from the looks of it.  On January 2nd the coupon inserts should resume.  If you want to take a look at the insert schedule for 2011, you can do so here.

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A New Family Friendly Deal Site: The SavvySource

I wanted to tell you about another site that sometimes offers great deals.  The site is called The SavvySource.  This site is a little bit different than the daily group buying sites that I have told you about, such as Groupon.  This site focuses on giving parents information and ideas to entertain their children.  When you sign up, you will register with a certain city, and then from time to time there will be deals available in that city.  A few months back, I was able to buy my family a half price membership to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science, which includes the children's museum.  We had already talked about getting a membership at full price, so when this offer came along I was quick to snap it up.

There have been a few other offers recently that I have been interested in, but sadly I waited too late and missed out on them.  But every single offer that they send out has interested me because of one simple fact: the site is geared toward parents with small children on a small budget.

I like this site so much that I have added their widget to my blog.  I chose to have it cycle through all the different cities' deals, but you can click on it and bring up your city at any time.

I am also adding this site to my Group Coupon Sites page for easy reference.  I suggest signing up with them right now if you are a parent and would be interested in these deals.  They send out emails whenever they are available, so if you register, you will never miss out on an opportunity.

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Coupon: $0.75/2 Red Gold Tomatoes

Go here to print your coupon for $0.75/2 cans of Red Gold Tomatoes.  Must be 10oz or larger size.

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Buy One Get One Free Special K Coupon

Special K is offering a Buy One Get One Free printable coupon right now on their website.  You will have to sign in or create an account.  They expire on 1/14.  If we can find a BOGO sale before then, this could get us two free boxes of cereal.

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Free Athenos Yogurt From Kraft First Taste

I just logged into my Kraft First Taste account after receiving an email from them and I found an offer waiting for me.  I will be getting a coupon by mail for a free Athenos Greek Yogurt.  Go check your account and see if you have the same offer.  These have been know to vary greatly, which certain people getting free coupons, others getting money off printables, and others not having an offer at all.  I'm not sure how they decide who gets to try what, but I'm glad to be included this time around.  Let me know if you were among the chosen. ;)

If you do not have an account, sign up!  Last summer they had a program where they sent out a whole page full of completely free coupons, 6 total, for lunchmeat, bacon, snack items, etc.  They do not always email when there is an offer, and you always have to request the offers, so it is a good idea to check in from time to time.

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Kroger Trip 12/13

I had a great trip to Kroger tonight, and not just because I saved a ton of money.  I usually try to run out to the store when my husband first gets home from work and the baby is still napping.  When I do that, I'm always in a rush to get back home for dinner.  Well, I had planned to do that today, but it just didn't happen.  I just wasn't ready.  So I decided to go out after dinner.  The kids were asleep, and I was in no rush, so I decided to bring along a few extra coupons that I knew would double and triple, just to check the prices out.  The store was practically empty, and I leisurely spent about an hour and a half walking up and down the aisles sorting through the coupons I had brought along and deciding if I wanted to use them, or wait for a sale.  I found many unexpected freebies (or pretty dang close to it) by doing this, things I would have never had a chance to look for.  Here is everything I ended up coming home with tonight (click to enlarge):

Shelf Price:  $114.18

Sale Price:  $80.55  (after $10 deducted from Mega Sale)

Price Paid After Coupons:  $24.32    79% Savings

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New Kellogg's Coupons Available

Kellogg's has released several new coupons for many of their products.  You can find them here.

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Free Yoplait Coupon

Yoplait is giving away 1 million FREE cups of yogurt coupons by mail.  Go here to request yours.  Just over 10,000 had been claimed when I requested mine, so there should be plenty left!  But hurry.  They won't last forever.

Thanks, Faithful Provisions

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Tom Thumb Trip 12/12

I finally made it out to Tom Thumb today.  They had two sales that I wanted to take advantage of.  The first was a Buy 5, Save $5 sale on various types of crackers.  The other was a Buy 3, Save $6 sale on teas and coffees.  I also picked up some of my favorite Celestial Seasonings teas that they had for $2.  I used the $1/1 coupon from this morning, and one I had from earlier as well.  I also had a Catalina that had printed for a FREE Idahoan potatoes.

Here is everything I picked up.  Not pictured is a bag of Bird's Eye steamfresh vegetables that had already been put away in the freezer.

Total Shelf Price:  $35.55
Sale Price:  $16.92
Price Paid After Coupons:  $6.07   83% Savings!

For the cracker deal:
I bought 2 Nabisco Premium Crackers, 2 Wheat Thins, and 1 Triscuit
I had two $1/1 Nabisco Premium (no longer available).  Made these free after coupon wyb 5.
I had two $1/1 Nabisco cracker from 11/14 SS and $1/1 Wheat Thins from facebook.  Made those $0.49.

Bottom line was $1.50 for 5 boxes of crackers or $0.30/box.

For the coffee/tea deal:
I bought 2 Taster's Choice Singles (20 ct) ($0.99 each wyb 3 participating items) and 1 Lipton Pyramid tea ($1.99 each wyb 3 participating items).
I used 1 $1/1 Tasters Choice Stick pack from 9/12 RP made one coffee free.  I only had one coupon.
I used 1 $0.60/1 Lipton tea from 11/14 RP (expired today) made the tea 1.29

Bottom line was $2.29 for tea and 2 coffee or $0.76 each.

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Birthday Freebies!

Well, it is December now, the month of my birth.  I have had the pleasure of checking my email these past few days and finding many birthday wishes.  No, they are not from friends and family, but from businesses.  Mostly restaurants.  Many restaurants have options on their websites to input your email address and birthday, perhaps also those of your family members.  They promise to email you special offers on your birthday and throughout the year.  This is some of what I found waiting this morning:

Those are all for absolutely free food from Red Robin (free gourmet burger), Denny's (free grand slam *must be used on my birthday), IHOP (free Rooty Tooty Fresh n Fruity or something of equal or lesser value), Weinerschnitzel (free corn dog).

I have also recently gotten offers from Chili's and Macaroni Grill for free desserts and from Auntie Anne's for BOGO pretzels.  

I do not recall what other places I registered with, so as it gets closer to my birthday, I expect to continue getting these wonderful emails.  Free food (that I don't have to shop for and cook) is honestly one of the best birthday gifts I can think of! =)

If you want to get offers like this, all you need to do is go to the websites of your favorite restaurants and see if they have a birthday program.  I have provided the links to the one's I have mentioned above, but there are many, many more out there. Often you will get an offer of some sort immediately after signing up, so if there is a place you are planning on dining at in the near future, check them out right away.  Try to sign up at least a month before your birthday.  Many places send out the offers early in the month, so you do not want to miss out.

What offers have you gotten for your birthday?

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Reminder: Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day!

Just a quick reminder that every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day, and you have the chance to win even greater amounts of swagbucks with a single search.  I've heard rumors of up to 200 at one time!  I know a few who have gotten 50.  Personally I've never been so lucky.  I did win 21 a few nights ago, and I was super happy about that!

If you have not signed up with Swagbucks yet, you can do so here, and start earning points to redeem for cool stuff!

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Mailbox Checks

My mailbox has been pretty slow lately.  I really hasn't warranted taking a picture in quite a while.  While this does make me sad, and I hope to soon have a mailbox day that is photoworthy, I have decided to try a little something different.  

For the past few days I have been posting what I have gotten (if anything) on my facebook page.  I thought this would make it easier for you to comment and for me to get to know some of you.  I would absolutely love for you to come and leave a comment each day letting us know what was in your mailbox, too.  I'd love to know if you guys are getting the offers that I post about.  And if you know of others, feel free to share those, too!

Hope to hear from you guys on facebook!

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50 FREE 4x6 Prints From Snapfish

Right now at snapfish.com, you can get 50 free 4x6 prints using the code HPINK50.  This code is valid for new or old accounts.  I am not sure how long it will last, so if you need to print some pics, hurry.  It let me link to my facebook uploads, and it was really quick and easy to do.  I am so excited about this because I take pictures all the time and never print them.  So, if you are like me, then this is the deal for you!

Thanks, Saving Money and Living Life

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New E-Coupons

There are new e-coupons available at both cellfire.com and shortcuts.com.  Load them to your shopper cards while they are still available.

*Reminder:  If you have more than one store in your area that participates in cellfire, check out their ads before you load the coupons, and only load the ones you will use.  Once you load them to one store card, they will no longer be available to load onto the other store card, so choose wisely.

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Free Samples

Here are a few free samples that are available to request:

From All You:  Nescafe Taster's Choice

From Walmart: Starbucks, Prilosec, and Vaseline lotion

From Sams:
Poise (no membership # required)
Dove Shampoo/Conditioner  (no # required)

Other:
Gas-X
Gas-X Prevention 
Oxy Clinical
Herbal Essences  (may be valid only in the UK)

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Group Coupon Sites

I am currently working on adding a new page to my blog that lists all of the group coupon deal sites that offer daily deals by city.  It is still a work in progress, but I wanted to share what I have had a chance to compile so far.  I will be adding to these as I find more and am able to.  This is what the page will look like as of now.  Please let me know if there is another site that you know of and have used in the past so I can check it out and add it to my list.:

Group coupon sites are becoming the new trend these days.  They seem to be popping up all over the place, and having local offers for most major cities.  The way that they work is this:  the business offering the deal sets a minimum number of people that must buy the deal before the deal will be valid.  There is not usually a maximum number.  Once the minimum amount is reached, the deal is valid, and the page will tell you if the deal has been validated yet.  The page will also tell you the details of the deal.  Many of them have a certain time limit in which you are allowed to use it.  Some will be valid only on certain days or times, so be sure to read the fine print before purchasing anything to assure that you will be able to redeem it.

Here are some of the sites that exist.  New ones are popping up all the time, it seems, so I will try to keep this updated.

Groupon

Buy With Me

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Sunday Coupon Preview 12/5

Looks like tomorrow will be a big coupon day, so you may want to grab a paper.  The insert schedule says that we should get 3 inserts:  a Red Plum, and SmartSource, and a P&G.  Seems a little strange since we got the P&G last week too.  Also, there is not a list of what coupons will be in the P&G, so I guess we will see about that one.  There will be a good selection in the other two, however. (click the link above for details).  Toiletries, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, and diapers! (and lots more!)

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Excedrin: 2 FREE Bottles

Excedrin has some great offers available right now.  At their site you can request 3 coupons by mail:  Free bottle of Excedrin Extra Strength, Free Bottle of Excedrin Migraine, and (if you scroll down a bit) $3.50/1 Excedrin PM.

You have to click on the offers individually and fill in your address information on each, but after you finish one it takes you right back to the page with all of them on it, so you can just click on the next one.

My husband says nothing gets rid of his headaches as well as this stuff does, so I'm really excited about these.

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Check Your Email: $5/$30 CVS Coupon

I just noticed an email from CVS that had a $5/$30 printable coupon.  It is valid through Sunday.  The email also had a link to "like" them on facebook for a coupon good for 20% off non sale items.

You can scan next week's ad here if you have already been this week and want to see what sales are coming up.    Looks like a lot of Christmas stuff and not a lot of ECB deals.

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