Emery Cat board - buy 1, get 1 free!

Emery Cat board is a new product to help keep your cat's nails trimmed. Go here to order a set for $19.95 (plus shipping&handling) with a free de-shedder comb and get a set and comb free (with additional shipping&handling). It also has a 30 day money back guarantee. 

This would be a nice gift for someone with cats!

Great deals at Staples starting 1/3

Staples is going to have some great deals this next week. You can see the ad here. I'm very much looking forward to FREE Avery binders after 100% Staples Rewards. If you're needing a binder for coupons, there's no better way to start than free.  The deal on paper is also nice if you print a lot of online coupons.

Please remember to sign up for a Staples Rewards card before going to the store!

Coupon Mom's new book only $9 at Barnes & Noble with code

Barnes & Noble is having a special deal until 1/6 on the Coupon Mom's new book, Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs.  With the coupon code W9A7Y3X, you'll save 40% off the cover price. To make the deal even better, you'll also get 10% off one additional item if purchased at the same time.

The code is for online purchases, but you can go here to print off a coupon for the brick-and-mortar store. Restrictions apply.

Hurry, print your coupons now!

Coupons online get reset tomorrow, so today is your last chance to print them before they disappear. Remember most coupons can be printed twice.
Smartsource.com
Coupons.com
Redplum.com

20% off all nutritional supplements at Earth Fare!

Earth Fare has a new coupon for 20% off all nutritional supplements here. Restrictions apply and this coupon expires 1/5.

Trip to Walgreens --- saved 88%!

Had to make a quick trip to Walgreens tonight because I had a $4 Register Reward that was expiring.  Register Rewards are just like cash (exceptions apply) and I am not one to throw money away.  I didn't see any reason to waste it either, so I took some coupons along to lower my total.

The Honey Nut Cheerios are on sale this week 2/$4 with a $2 Register Reward. *The ad says you have to buy milk too, but the reward will print out without it.* The Sally Hansen La Cross items are buy 1, get 1 this week.  I had 2 $1 Cheerios coupons (go to their website) and a buy 1, get 1 Sally Hansen coupon (Dec All You magazine). Basically, I got those 4 items free!
The little penguin post-its were on Xmas clearance for .99 (I love penguins!).

Total before coupons and RR: $24.07
Total out of pocket: $2.91
------------------------------
saved 88% and I have a $2 Register Reward for next time

Trip to Publix --- saved 86%!

If you read my after Christmas post here, you'll see that I was owed a refund after an item was scanned twice.  I received my refund yesterday and decided to look around since I was already there.  Managers were setting up the new Special Olympics displays.  There will be some great savings in those areas, so keep an eye out for peel off coupons and sale items.

I wasn't feeling too well (hence my lack of posts the last few days), so I just picked up two items.

The candle was free after manufacturer and Publix coupons plus $1.50 overage. The overage was very useful in keeping my total down (I paid more tax than I did for the items). I'll be using the tabs in my new coupon binder.

Total before coupons: $8.72
Total out of pocket: $1.22
----------------------------
saved 86%

It's that time again....a new year about to begin

Now is a good time to start thinking about New Year's resolutions.  While you're doing that, start going through your coupons.  A lot of coupons expire 12/31 so tomorrow will be your last chance to use them! It's also time to weed out the chaff of expired coupons.  Don't just throw them away! Some grocery and other stores do accept expired coupons; check with friends and relatives if there are none in your area.  If you can't find anyone, please consider sending them to military families. Military families stationed abroad can use coupons up to 6 months expired. Please see this post on SouthernSavers for more info.

Great new sweepstakes!

You should totally enter the Swash™ Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to NYC! If you win, you’ll need that Swash variety pack to take your clothes from crammed in a drawer to out the door. Enter now.You will need to be a member of Vocalpoint. Vocalpoint sends out exclusive coupons/samples periodically, so it's not a bad idea to be a member.

The importance of coupon organization

For most people, when they think of couponing, they think of someone spending hours cutting out coupons and stuffing them into a little handheld plastic organizer.  Heck, when I was a kid, that was how my grandma did it. If that works for you, that's great. However, there are other ways to organize your coupons and I'll explain below.

The first way and maybe the most common is the folder/ring binder method.  This involves cutting out coupons and putting them into a folder or organizer arranged into sections by product type.  For example, a section on household items might contain laundry detergent and toilet paper, but this is completely customizable by the user. It's up to you whether you cut out every coupon or just the ones you'll definitely use. A three ring binder with baseball card sheets and tab dividers are great if you decide to use this method.  The baseball card sheets are relatively inexpensive ($5 for 30 at Target by the Pokemon cards) and your coupons are completely visible and accessible. It also makes it easy to transport your coupons and catch unadvertised sales.

The second method is whole inserts organization.  This is the method I currently use. When I get the Sunday paper, I do not cut out ANY coupons. I keep my coupon inserts intact and use internet databases to locate my coupons when I make my shopping list(s).  It can be very time consuming to find a coupon without internet access, but I like this method because I don't want to be tempted to impulse shop. I take only the coupons I'll need when I go shopping.

The third method is a mixture of the first two methods.  Some coupons, like ones you know you'll use, you cut out and store in binders. The other coupons stay with the insert. I'm going to move to this method soon, because I print out a lot of internet coupons and they need to be organized.  I've also been buying inserts and coupons on ebay and I now have more coupons to sort through.

Feel free to use these methods or even make up your own.  The best method is the one that works for you and will keep you saving!

After Christmas Shopping ---- saved almost 60%!

Did some mega shopping today. Mom and I went to Walmart (2), Earth Fare, Target, and Publix to check out the after Christmas discounts and get some free stuff.

Missing from the pic is 2 large containers of Dean's French Onion Dip. I searched 2 Walmarts to get that 1 box of Ziplocs (the Christmas ones are only $1!).  The ice cream, 1 pie, and the candle were free. The grape juice was .01 at Publix (the penny item from the Sunday ad). The baseball card holders are for coupons (I'll cover that in my next post).

Trip Summary:

I bought 19 items in total.

Out of pocket with tax: $36.20

Savings and coupons: $48.86

---------------------------------

saved 57% ----- actually a little more*

*After you get home or after paying, it is very important to check your receipt(s). Sometimes the store will have a survey to fill out with the possibility of a prize, you may make a mistake you can learn from, or the cashier may make a mistake. In this case, my Publix cashier charged me for an item I didn't buy. That item cost almost $3, so my savings are a little more than indicated. Always check your receipts!

GameFly Year End Game Sale

Save up to 50% on all games plus free shipping until January 4th at GameFly. Now, GameFly games are used, but they are 100% guaranteed and will come with a new case and manual. I've been a member of GameFly in the past and had no problems with their service.

80% off at Restaurant.com + $10 gift certificate with any order!

Use the code CHEER at checkout and hit apply to save 80% on your gift certificates at Restaurant.com. This code makes $25 certificates $2 and $10 certificates .80 (exceptions apply)! Plus, with any order you will receive a $10 gift certificate for Restaurant.com to use later to get more savings at local restaurants.

Mail Call! Home Depot

Received a $5 gift card to Home Depot today. I won it in the Wendy's Home Makeover Combo Sweepstakes.  I only entered about 20 times over 4 days to win this card.  I like to enter sweepstakes because you just never know.  The best I've ever done is 2nd place in a contest held by a software company (I got a copy of every program they made for my prize). I hope I keep winning!

Win a $100 gift card to Lands' End!

Go here and become a Facebook fan of Lands' End to enter. There are 45 $100 gift cards available. If you're already a fan, you're already entered. Hurry 'cause this giveaway ends 12/27!

20% off $25 order of chocolate at Amazon

Click here to look at the selection of Olde Naples chocolates available from Amazon.  Put at least $25 worth of Olde Naples chocolates in your cart and enter code J9JX6OUS at checkout to save 20% on each participating item (restrictions apply). What a sweet surprise for someone this holiday season!

Walmart Value of the Day!

Today's value deal is an XBOX 360 Live Bundle with a $50 Walmart eGift card starting at $259. Each bundle includes at least 2 games! This would be a great gift if you still need one.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Today is my little sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mail Call! Excedrin and Kellogg's

Today in the mail I got a free sample of Excedrin courtesy of Sam's Club. They don't offer samples all the time, but you can receive them even if you're not a member (I am not). Their parent company, Walmart, offers samples all the time here.

I also got a $10 Bi-lo gift card from Kellogg's. Awhile back, I bought 10 boxes of Kellogg's cereals in one transaction at Bi-lo. When I paid, I was given a catalina for the gift card.  I ended up paying .41 per box after the gift card. I'm sure this gift card will really come in handy!

Earth Fare --- Free Ice Cream coupon!

Click here to view and print a coupon for free Earth Fare ice cream(any flavor) with purchase. Hurry, it expires 12/29!

Staples ---- today only coupon!

Staples has a coupon for $20 off any GPS. It is good today only; in-store, online, and by phone. If you're on the mailing list, you'll get an email and be able to print it.  Otherwise, the code is 61777.

The importance of buy 1, get 1 free

I talked to my sister the other night and she said she still doesn't quite understand how to save so much at the store. She's getting married soon and would like to save more. I'm planning to give her some hands on tips over Christmas. Couponing and saving can be daunting to someone that hasn't really done it before. I won't be seeing all of you over Christmas, so I'll be giving little tips on saving over the next few days.

Do you know someone that wants to save money, but has no coupons? Tell them about buy 1, get 1 free and similar deals. With buy 1, get one free, even without coupons, you will save at least 50%!

Or maybe you know someone that does use coupons, but never seems to save much money? Combine coupons with buy 1, get 1 free and save more than 50%!

With buy 1, get 1 free, I can even get 100% off. Combine a buy 1, get 1 free coupon with a buy 1, get 1 free sale and you get BOTH items free! I did this recently with paper plates and saved almost $8. I never would have bought them otherwise.

Most of you have probably seen how there are not a lot of high dollar coupons readily available (especially on groceries). Most grocery coupons don't go over $1 and not every store doubles coupons either.  Without buy 1, get 1 free, I would be hard pressed to save 50%+ on items over $2.

Buy 1, get 1 free is so very important when trying to save money. It's so easy too; all you have to do is buy the items. If you can combine with a coupon, you'll save over 50% easily. Wouldn't you like to save 50%+ everytime you went to the store? Just think of how much money you'ld save!

I hope this tip helped! Feel free to ask questions by email or in the comments below.

OT: Christmas Party

Grandma's nursing home had a Christmas party last night. It was nice and Grandma was in a good mood. She even knew who I was part of the time.

We got her a sparkly blue frog (handmade, bought at Prater's Mill). The nursing home gave us cookies, but we're giving them to her too.

Merry Christmas!

Giving back is not so hard

The reason for my Publix trip today was to buy food for my local food bank. I always gave in school, but since then, not so much. I'm planning to do this next year all year long.

I bought 30 items (plus some free balloons). I tried to get healthier items and things with some kid appeal.

As you can see, everything is name brand and good quality items. Since it is for the food bank, I had to make sure all were non-perishable, so there's no meat or produce. Most of these items were buy 1, get 1 and I had coupons for everything to help stretch how much I could buy.

I split the tax three ways with family members (see last post), so my numbers may be a little inflated.

Total before coupons and tax: $27.59
Total after coupons and tax: $4.04
----------------------------
saved 85% ----- about .13 cents per item (without tax, it was 91% and .08 per item)

Publix trip ---- saved 65%!

Made a quick trip to Publix today to pick up items for the food bank. I'll be talking more about that in my next post. Other family members had made some requests, so I ended up spending a little more than I wanted to. The $5 off a $50 purchase coupon from Sunday's Publix circular came in handy.

I had a very nice staff member help me find items. I've only been shopping at Publix for about 2 months and I still don't know where everything is located. I'm like a chicken with its head cut off in there most days. The coupon fairy kindly left 2 coupons on the potato chips which I'm very grateful for. I had extra coupons, but the items were not sold at that Publix, so I'll have to make it up to the coupon fairy later.

Publix trip overview:
The items I bought included dishwasher detergent, potato chips, and cooking oil.
*My favorite deal was Finish Quantum for only $2.80. It's normally $7.59 (63% savings).*

Total before savings and tax: $106.71
Total after savings and coupons: $37.68
------------------------------------
saved $69.03 ----- 65% off!

International Delight Holiday Giveaway!

Head over to International Delight's Facebook page and become a fan. Then go to the Holiday Giveaway tab and register to receive a coupon for 1 free pint by mail.  They're giving away 100,000! Hurry, their last giveaway went really fast!

Walgreens Trip today ---- saved 92%!

Went to Walgreens today because I had 2 $5 Register Rewards (Walgreens Dollars) from 12/16 that expired today. I didn't really need anything, but I wasn't about to throw away $10!

I went to IHeartWags to help get my list together. The links to online coupons and showing how to combine with store coupons/handouts are very useful.  I had a very hard time getting ahold of the Healthy Savings booklet, but I was able to use it to save a little more.

Walgreens trip:
I bought Viva paper towels, 1 Hot Wheels Car, 1 Walgreens Aloe Moisturizer, 1 Theraflu Liquid Sinus&Cold, 1 Theraflu 6pk Flu&Congestion, and 5 Yes to Carrots Lip Balms. I did 2 transactions because the special RR could not be used together.

I had these coupons:
$2 manufacturer coupon for Viva here
$2 manufacturer coupon for Theraflu (x2) here (where it says "get a free coupon")
$2 Walgreens coupon for Viva here or in-store
$2 Walgreens "Healthy Savings" booklet (in-store only)
In ad coupon to reduce Hot Wheels to .49
*There are $1 Yes to Carrots coupons in some Walgreens, but I had none.*

Subtotal before savings: $29.28
Paid $2.36 out of pocket after coupons and $10 in Register Rewards (tax included)
Received $3 in Register Rewards (from the Theraflu)
----------------------------------------
saved 26.92 ----- 92% off!

Thanks so much to IHeartWags!

Walgreens Dollars/Register Rewards expiring today!

If you took advantage of the buy $25, get $5 Register Rewards on 12/16, your $5 RR will be expiring today! So, get out there and start shopping!

Shipping upgrade code at Books-a-Million online

Enter SHP2GR9D to get an upgrade to 2 day shipping on orders over $50. You'll only be charged for standard shipping. This is great if you still have some last minute gifts to buy!

Up to $15 rebate on Tetra Aquarium Kits!

Click here to view and print a rebate form for up to $15 back on Tetra Aquarium Kits. They include the Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo kits I've seen for sale recently. Fish are good low maintenance pets for kids especially this time of year!

It is a PDF so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit to view.

A $10 reward card with every $50 you spend on Champs Sports Gift Cards

This offer is valid online and in-store through 12/20. Go to Champs Sports online for details and restrictions.

Office Depot $10 off $50 purchase code

Use code 12048193 to save $10 off a $50 non-technology purchase. This offer ends 12/24 and can be used online, in-store, and by phone.

Lane Bryant online savings of 30%-50% on any order!

Today through Sunday, Lane Bryant online is having a great discount offer! With the code 000305860 any order is eligible for 30% off, 40% for orders over $100, and 50% for orders over $200. Orders over $50 are also eligible for free shipping! Restrictions apply, so visit the website for details.

Save 15% off one item Barnes & Noble online

Use code M8W4D7R at checkout to save 15% off one item at Barnes & Noble. This offer expires 12/20 and will be applied after Member discount.

Finally! Hobby Lobby will begin selling online Jan 1st!

We'll be able to shop Hobby Lobby online here starting January 1st. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I hope the 40% coupons will work online too!

Earth Fare FREE $10 gift card with $50 purchase coupon

Earth Fare is now offering a FREE $10 Earth Fare gift card with a purchase of $50 or more coupon available to newsletter subscribers. Sign up for their newsletter to find out about future savings and promotions!

Free 2010 Calendar from Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker is giving out 2010 calendars to select subscribers of their newsletters. Go here to enter your email address and see if you're eligible to receive one. You may be asked to sign up for one of their newletters if you don't already subscribe to all of them. Quantities are limited and this offer ends 12/31/2009.

Dollar General coupon for Facebook fans!

Go to FaceBook and become a fan of Dollar General before Friday! You'll get access Friday to a coupon good for savings on Saturday! Click here to sign up; I hope it's something nice!

Mail Call! Olay Rebate & Food Lion Coupons

I sign up for lots of free stuff, like coupons and samples. I'm also diligent about applying for rebates.

Today I mailed out an Olay Rebate for buying two body lotions. I had two coupons to make the lotions free with purchase of a body wash from the P&G insert from 11/29 and I'm expecting to get $19.98 back from Olay. Do this deal today and tomorrow at Walgreens and get $5 Register Rewards for spending $25. The rebate form here can be used for two lotions. Found out about this from AThriftyMom, thanks!

Today I received 3 coupons from Food Lion for free items! I got coupons for free 11-12 oz bag Folgers Gourmet Selections, 10-12 oz bag Nestle Morsels, and 2 liter 7UP or Canada Dry. All I had to do was text message! *Please note you may be charged for texts depending on your cell provider plan. Also, I only had to send one text to get all 3 coupons.* Details found at CommonSenseWithMoney, thanks!

Preparing for a brand new shopping week

It's time again for the grocery ads to change here.  I spend time Tuesday night looking over the ads, making a shopping list, and matching up coupons to see what I will buy from the new ads.  Preparation is very important when couponing! I want to save the most I can and the time I spend preparing will be rewarded in the end. I've built up a nice stockpile the last few months, so there is not much I need this week. However, I'm planning to buy items for the local food bank and charities. Coupons and sales will allow me to give more items.

My Tuesday Night Routine
I start out by looking through the ads myself.  I focus on buy one, get one or more; percent off discounts; and items with store coupons. Online lists are great, but some items I need/want always seem to get left out. I do use the online shopping lists too; I especially like SouthernSavers and IHeartPublix.

After I have a preliminary shopping list, I use the coupon databases at CouponMom and CouponTom to see if there are coupons available. The online lists will also show if coupons are available and are great for learning about printable coupons. If an item on my list doesn't have a coupon, I consider whether or not to buy it. I try to shoot for a 30-50% discount without coupons if the item isn't something I desperately need or can't substitute something else for.

When I have my final list, I cut out my coupons and print any online coupons available. I then note how many coupons I have for each item and how many of each item I can purchase. For example, if I have a $1/2 coupon, I will make a note by the item that I have 1 coupon and will buy 2 items. This way I'm not fumbling with coupons while shopping and my trips don't take as long.

How do you prepare for a new shopping week?

Saved 90% at Bi-lo!

Bi-lo has a great deal ending today on Bounty Basics single rolls B1G1. When I went earlier in the week, I was only able to get one roll because I only had one coupon. Some people would say that is foolish, but I try never to buy without a coupon if I can.  Luckily, I obtained 5 P&G Saver inserts from 11/29 from ebay and they arrived yesterday.  That meant I could buy 5 more rolls of paper towels!

Bi-lo highlights:
I bought 5 items, all Bounty Basics single rolls. I used 5 .25 Bounty manufacturer coupons that doubled.

Sub-total before savings: $6.30   (this was unusual but awesome because most Bi-los had them at .69/each)
Sub-total after card and coupons: .65
-------------------------------------------------
saved $5.65 ----- saved 90%!

12 Days of The North Face Giveaway Dec 14-25

Rock/Creek Outfitters, which is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is starting 12 days of giveaways of The North Face items. The prize for each day is a surprise until the actual day. The North Face items are good quality and very pricey for the high end stuff, so if you know an outdoorsy person or you are one, Christmas could be real nice this year! While you're at the site, also enter their giveaway of a $500 gift card.

Go here to see the contest rules and sign up to be notified of each day's contest. You'll also be signed up for their mailing list when entering contests and you can still enter even if you're already a subscriber.

My Fudge is sick!

I apologize if the postings for the next few days are sporadic. My cat is very ill with a 105 degree fever and is not eating or drinking. We don't know what is wrong, but we hope the medication her vet gave her will help. She's my baby, so I'm a little preoccupied right now.

Thanks for understanding!

When deals go BAD

If you've been couponing or bargain shopping for any length of time, you've probably run into a deal that just didn't go your way....the product was out of stock, the coupon was expired, the store wasn't participating, etc. I've had two deals not work out this week, so I wanted to talk a little about what to do if this happens to you.

1) Review what might have gone wrong: Did you check the coupons throughly? Did you pick up the right item? Did the clerk scan in all the coupons? Is the store participating and stocked? Lots of things can lead to a deal going bad, so pay attention to what you can do to prevent that by preparing and throughly reviewing every aspect of a deal before it's time to shop.

2) Get a Raincheck: Stores do run out of items especially during big sales. Sure, you could go another day, but what if there isn't time? Or did you not have the coupon(s) needed? Get a raincheck and you'll be covered! Just go another time when the store will have plenty and you have coupons. Some stores do have limits and expirations on rainchecks so make sure to ask beforehand.

3) Make your own deal: If the product you want/need is not included in a sale, you can try to make your own deal. If you have coupons for other items on sale, you can try to save enough to pay for the item that is not. Coupons on items that will result in overages (ex. $1 coupon on a .80 item) are great for this. Also, use the highest denomination coupon you have for the cheapest size item available to maximize savings ($1 off a 1 lb item is better than $1 off a 2 lb item).


4) Move On! Despite your best efforts, a deal can go sour. Remember, deals come and go (usually about every 6-12 weeks for most items). If you miss it this go around, chances are another deal or an even better one are in your future. So, don't get hung up on what you couldn't do and prepare for the next one!

As for my two failed deals this week, on one I was able to get a raincheck and I will try again at another location; as for the other, the details of the deal were unclear and my clerk was uninformed, so I'm going to contact corporate. It may not solve anything for me, but maybe someone in the future won't be disappointed.

Victoria's Secret Pink panty deal

Go to Victoria's Secret and pick out 7 panties from the "Must-have Pink Panties" collection. Enter the code PANTY7 to get the 7 pairs for $24.50 (not including tax and shipping). That's $3.50 a piece! Hurry, this offer ends Sunday night.

Publix Coffee Deal

I don't drink coffee, but since a lot of people do, I always look out for deals on it. Today is the start of a new Publix Advantage Buy Flyer that runs until 1/8. Pick it up at the service desk if you don't see it out.

Inside the flyer is a coupon for $1 off Publix brand coffee when you also buy 2 International Creamers 16 oz.  If you were able to pick up the Facebook coupons for FREE International Creamer December 4th, you'll get cheaper coffee and free creamer!

(Thanks SouthernSavers!)

Great trips to Bi-lo and Publix! part two

After Bi-lo, we headed to Publix (they're on the same road). I didn't need much from Publix, but my friend hadn't ever been to Publix before and was curious. She really liked how nice it was and she was able to sample some pasta she had never eaten before. I have been really impressed with Publix ever since I started shopping there in October. The aisles are wide and clean, the employees are friendly, and the cashiers never have a problem with fistfuls of coupons.

Publix highlights:
I bought 17 items including pet food, cheese, and garbage bags.
** My favorite deal was a Publix coupon for free eggs when purchasing two bags of Sargento cheese. I also had coupons for the Sargento cheeses. I gave my friend the eggs since I got some free last week and we each paid $1.12 for the cheese. She had only recently tried mozzarella, so this was great for her! **

Subtotal before coupons and Publix card: 43.86
Subtotal after savings: 13.56
-----------------------------
saved 30.30 ----- 70% off!!!!!

Great trips to Bi-lo and Publix! part one

Yesterday a friend joined me to go grocery shopping. She's had a really hard year, just lost her job, and her food stamps haven't started yet.  Luckily, she has been diligent about stockpiling and didn't really need much at the store. Still, I thought shopping would be fun and maybe we could get some great deals!

Our first stop was Bi-lo. I had never been to that particular store before, so I called ahead to check on part of their coupon policy (this is always good to do before going to a new store). Because they accepted competitor coupons, I took a $2 off a $6 produce purchase coupon from Food Lion. I planned to get some pears for a great price, but unfortunately, they had not arrived yet. Still, we were able to get veggies for cheaper than they would have been at Aldi's.

Bi-lo highlights:
I bought 18 items including produce, bottled water, and meat.
** My favorite deal was on boneless beef chuck roast that was on sale for buy 1, get 1 free. My friend and I split the deal, so I got a roast for about $6! **

Subtotal before coupons and Bi-lo card: 89.27
Subtotal after savings: 47.51
----------------------------------------
saved 41.76 ----- 53% off!!!!!!!

Free Stuff from Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret can be expensive. Even simple panties can cost $7.50/pair. Sure, you can do the 5/$25 sale, but what if you don't want to spend $25? Why not get it for free?

I've been able to get 3 free panties within the last two months by doing one simple thing: joining Pink Nation. You need to sign up even if you already have a membership at Victoria's Secret. When joining Pink Nation, they offer a coupon. When I joined it was a free panty; however, if you join right now, you'll get a free solid tank with any Pink purchase AND $10 off any $50 Pink purchase coupon. Also, members can play a game right now to win a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase! It might take a while to win, but you can win once a day! Wow! New deals for members have been appearing regularly and I can't wait to see what I'll get free next.

A little tip for using the free solid tank with any Pink purchase; the least expensive Pink item I have found is Pink Pops. They are lollipops that only cost $1.50. So, you'll get a lollipop and tank for $1.50+tax....not bad!

Go to Pink Nation and start getting your free stuff today!

Lane Bryant ----- saved over 75%!

In the latest catalog, Lane Bryant had 3 really nice coupons: $15 off a $15 purchase, 40% off any regularly priced item, and a free Cacique panty with any purchase. Either of the last two coupons could be combined with the $15 off coupon for really great savings!

I've been needing a new belt, so I picked up one for $24.50 (ironically most of the belts were on sale for $14.50, so selection was limited). I decided not to use the free panty coupon since I've been getting so many free from Victoria's Secret lately (I'll tell you how you can too in the next post).

My trip:
one belt regular price 24.50
$15 off $15 purchase coupon -15.00
40% off coupon -3.80
---------------------
final total 6.23
savings of 18.80----77% off!

Staples trip --- even got free stuff here!

After going to Earth Fare today, Mom and I stopped by Staples.  I knew from reading other blogs that there were some deals on batteries and paper, two things we can always use more of. I made sure to carry my Staples Reward card.

Our trip:
We bought one 20 pack of Duracell AA batteries 12.99
We bought 2 reams of Hammermill 500 copy paper 4.99x2= 9.98
-------------------------------------------
pre-coupon total 22.97.....I used a 15% off any transactions coupon and a .75 Duracell manufacturer coupon

out of pocket total 20.58

Because I used my Staples Reward card, I will be getting back the full cost of the batteries in January.  I filled out the online rebate for the paper and will be getting a check for 7.98 in 6-8 weeks.

final total -.39  (20.58-12.99-3.99-3.99)  Basically, I got paid to shop at Staples today!

Earth Fare is great!

Went to Earth Fare this afternoon just to look around and do the Pantry Makeover. I found some jam and peanut butter with high fructose corn syrup in the kitchen, so I took those to trade out.  I also printed out an email from Earth Fare this morning with a coupon for a free poinsetta with any purchase.

The place was packed! When me and Mom walked in, we signed her up for the newsletter and got a free reusable tote bag and two coupon books.  We couldn't believe the selection of organic and natural food items. Some items even had coupons taped to them. There were free samples available ranging from chocolate to meat. As we were leaving, they were offering pictures with Santa. Mrs. Santa liked my shirt!

Our trip:

We got a free reusable tote bag FREE
We bought a bag of green bean chips my aunt likes for 2.14
We used our poinsetta coupon to get one FREE (saved 3.33)
We got one jar of  jam and one jar of peanut butter FREE (saved 10.48)
---------------------------------------------------
So overall, we bought $15.95 worth of items for only $2.14!

I'm sure we will be going again soon!

Preparation for Chattanooga EarthFare Opening Tomorrow

In advance of the opening tomorrow, I went to EarthFare's site and signed up for their newsletter and their Pantry Makeover. Click on My Health Journey to sign up for the Pantry Makeover.

The Pantry Makeover is an unique promotion offered by EarthFare to help rid your pantry of items with icky stuff like high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils and replace them with natural or organic EarthFare brand items.  It's very easy; you just sign up to get a coupon and take your unhealthy stuff to get swapped out for the healthy stuff absolutely free! I only eat natural peanut butter, so I'm going to take some Jif with me to swap tomorrow.

The new EarthFare is located at 1814 Gunbarrel Road between Target and Kohl's down from Hamilton Place Mall. The ribbon cutting is from 8-8:15 am. Please check the events calendar as there will be various events throughout the day. Hope to see you there!

Earth Fare opens December 9th!

Earth Fare's new location in Chattanooga is having its grand opening December 9th. Locals should be on the lookout for a mailer with a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $35 or more.

I'm very excited about this new healthy supermarket!

Food Lion Tradition Coupon Booklet

I got a small coupon booklet from Food Lion in my mailbox today. It has a cover photo of a mom making cookies with her two children. It contains over $15 worth of coupons, both store and manufacturer. Store coupons can be combined with manufacturer coupons to make for really good savings on an item.

Store Coupons
$1 off any two Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix
$1 off any one Betty Crocker Bisquick Pancake Mix, 40 ounce

.50 off any two Food Lion Brand Pretzels 10-16 ounce bags

.50 off any two Food Lion Brand Specialty Mustards 12 ounce

.50 off any one Food Lion Brand Peanut Butter 18 ounce

.50 off any one Food Lion Sweet Choice sugar substitute 9.7 ounce

$1 off any two Kellogg's Rice Krispies or Crispix 12 ounce box or larger

.50 off any one Shedd's Country Crock Spread 45 ounce

Manufacturer Coupons
$1 off two 2-liter bottles of 7UP or Canada Dry Ginger Ale when you also purchase one bottle of Mr&Mrs T Mix
.50 off any one Baker's Coconut 14 ounce
$1 off any three Coca-Cola 6 pack .5L bottles
.55 off any two cans Comstock Pie Filling or Topping
.35 off any one Crisco Spray product
$1 off any two Dixie products (Plates or Napkins)
.40 off any one Domino Sugar Product, 4-5 lb
$1 off any three Hunt's Tomatoes 14.5 ounce or larger
.75 off any one Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
.55 off any two Martha White Pouch Mixes
.50 off any one Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 ounce
$1 off any one Pompeian Olive Oil 16 ounce or larger
$1 off one bag of Tyson Any'tizers