Toy Deal

Do you have an Ebates account?  Do you have someone on your list who would love something from The Disney Store?  Have I got a deal for you!  (Have I got a deal for you? I feel like a used car salesman!!) 


I don't do this very often, but this is a great deal!  20% off, free shipping AND 8% back - who wouldn't like this?!


Okay.  Your steps for getting this deal.


*If you don't already have an Ebates account - sign up for one.  This will allow you to get the 8% back on your Disney purchase.  They are also giving gifts to new signups that are received after your first $25 purchase.  Bonus!


*Do a search for Disney and get to The Disney Store.


*Do whatever shopping you want and then go to the checkout.


*In the Promo Code box enter FAMILYFUN20 to get your 20% off one item.


*Enter TOYSHIP in the Promo Code box to get free shipping on your order.  You have to have at least one toy or plush item in your cart for this to work.


*Continue finishing your checkout process and you are done.


Things to keep in mind - The 20% off is only for one item and can only be used one time, so shop wisely.  To use the free shipping code you have to have at least one toy or plush item in your cart.  8% Cash Back is only through Ebates, but the two promo codes can be used regardless.  I think this deal might actually end today.


Hope this helps you to round out or finish up those Christmas lists!


**In the interest of full disclosure - The Ebates links are attached to my account and I will be compensated for any new accounts signed up using said links.  Thanks in advance!

Good Couponing Site

Just a quick post to let you all know about  Coupon Divas.  There is all kinds of good stuff on this site.  I've been trying to get things ready for our back to school shopping this weekend with our oldest two.  Although it's great to have a tax free weekend for purchasing all the kids stuff,  I also want to make sure I've got coupons to go along with it all.  There is a link just for retail coupons here.  (Check the expiration date on them before printing.)

Also available are 'back-to-school' deals, 'kids eat free' link and so much more on the home page.

Happy Shopping!!

Books

I love books.  I mean LOVE books.  I'm always on the look out for a good book to read.  I must admit that my reading is somewhat limited for the sheer fact that I have a very short window of time to read.  One of these days I'll share a list of books I've read.  Not today, though.  :)
Today I wanted to share The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase.  I've only just started reading it, but already I'm intrigued and hopeful.  I happened upon it at the local library on Saturday.  And, since I'm working to cut back on our grocery bill each month, I thought this might give me some more motivation and dinner ideas.  I'm hoping to give an update in a week or so to let you know what I think about it.  For those of you who might want to get it earlier, I wanted to get the word out that such a book is available.
*Just so you all know - I could care less if you purchase any of the items I post about from Amazon.com.  It's just the easiest way for me to link to them.  I always look for any book I want to read at the library and suggest you do the same.  :)
**Also.  Thanks for the info about downloadable PDFs.  I'm tweaking my files for easy printing, but hope to have them available soon.

2011

I'm welcoming 2011 with open arms.  I always get excited at fresh starts and the prospect of getting things organized and accomplished in my life.  I even spent more than 2 hours, an early birthday date with Kevin, going over our goals and thoughts for the new year instead of going to a movie or eating our at a fancy restaurant.  Things we want to do on an individual basis and as a family.  Thankfully, my White Chocolate Mocha was there by my side to nurse me through the tough decisions.  Two pages of notes and scribbles later, I feel as if we have a good handle on 2011 and some very attainable goals.

One area that I'm determined to do better in is saving at the grocery store.  *sigh* It really does take a LOT of time and effort to stay on top of this area.  So, my goal is to take our grocery bill down to $125 a week (or less).  I know I can do it.  I'm just going to have to put in the effort.  

My first step is to make out a meal plan.  I haven't decided if I should do it weekly, biweekly or monthly.  What do you all do?

Next step will be to set aside the time to look at the sales and get coupons together.  Very grateful for Savings Angel!

Finally, I'm going to have to make sure I have the coupons on hand to use.  This shouldn't be difficult, but they will still need to be purchased.  Related to this step is knowing when and what coupons are going to be in the papers.  So, to help me, and maybe some of you too, I've copied and pasted an insert schedule below.  This will be printed off and in the top of my coupon file so I have no excuses.  Plus, now that you all know, there will be some accountability for me. :)  (I'll try to post every so often to let you see how I'm doing.)

2011 Sunday Coupon Insert Schedule

Date: December 13th, 2010

---

2011 Sunday Coupon Insert Schedule (Smartsource Coupon Preview 2011, Redplum Coupon Preview 2011, Proctor & Gamble Coupon Preview 2011, General Mills Coupon Preview 2011)

January
2— (2) Smart Source (2) Red Plum and General Mill
9— Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Proctor & Gamble
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum

February

6 — Smart Source
13 — No Inserts scheduled (Valentine’s Day)
20 — Smart Source, General Mills and Procter & Gamble
27 — Smart Source and Red Plum

March
6— Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — (2) Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble

April
3— No Inserts scheduled (Easter)
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source and Red Plum
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum

May
1 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
8— Smart Source and Red Plum
15 — (2) Smart Source and Red Plum
22 — Smart Source and Red Plum
29 — No Inserts scheduled (Memorial Day)

June

5 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
12 — Smart Source
19 — Smart Source and Red Plum
26 — Smart Source and Red Plum

July
3 — No Inserts scheduled (Independence Day)
10 — Smart Source and Red Plum
17 — Smart Source
24 — Smart Source and Red Plum
31 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble

August
7 — Smart Source and Red Plum
14 — Smart Source and Red Plum
21 — Smart Source and Red Plum
28 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble

September
4 — No Inserts scheduled (Labor Day)
11 — Smart Source and (2) Red Plum
18 — Smart Source and Red Plum
25 — Smart Source and Red Plum

October
2 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
9 — Smart Source and Red Plum
16 — Smart Source and Red Plum
23 — Smart Source and Red Plum
30 — Smart Source and Red Plum

November
6 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
13 — Smart Source and Red Plum
20 — Smart Source and Red Plum
27 — No Inserts scheduled (Thanksgiving)

December
4 — Smart Source, Red Plum and Procter & Gamble
11 — Smart Source and Red Plum
18 — No Inserts scheduled (Christmas)
25 — Procter & Gamble

Couponing: Ready To Shop

*** I meant to have this out on Saturday, but life happened.  Just a little delayed.  Enjoy!:)

Well?  Have you started gathering coupons and looking at websites yet?  Are you ready for some great savings on things like food, toiletries and even toys?

Look at what some of my friends and family have been able to do when using coupons.

Heather G. was able to purchase all of the above for only $107.56.  All of this would have cost her over $664 had she not used coupons.  What a savings!

My SIL, Sara, bought all of the above for about $105.  (Not including my adorable nephew.  He's priceless!)  Plus, she is getting $77 back in rebates.  Go over to her blog, Striving To Be a Good Stewart, and get the goods on how she did it.

I posted a picture on Thursday's post showing my purchase from Walgreens the previous week.  My purchase there totaled $74.65.  Below is the receipt.  I didn't have any Register Rewards (RR) to use, but I did receive $24 in RR for my next purchase.  (Walgreens Register Rewards are Catalina coupons which print up separately from your register receipt after you purchase qualifying items. The Register Rewards can be used like cash on your next purchase.)*

In the Saint Louis area, there isn't much choice which drugstore you shop.  CVS recently came to the area, but Walgreens is the most prevalent. So, that is where I go.  :)

Now.  Here is how I get ready to shop.

First thing to do is look through the fliers.  See what's on sale.  Is it a good price?  Will you use it?  I mean, really, unless the thing is free, there's no point in spending money on something you won't use.

Next, I get on Savings Angel.  This is my favorite site for helping me with my shopping list.  It's just personal opinion.  SA allows me to move the items around on my list, delete items I've changed my mind on and even change the number of items I want to get.  Then I can print off a list that is nicely ordered and ready to go.  I can even search for what coupons might be out there for a certain item.

Get a list.  What items do you need?  Are there things on sale that would be good to go ahead and stockpile so you don't run out later?

After you compile your list, start gathering your coupons.  I buy either 3 or 4 papers each weekend.  This allows me to buy multiples of a sale item at a good price.  Example?  Ever buy Hamburger Helper at 25 cents a box?  Truly worth the price of a couple of extra papers.

Each store has different a different coupon policy.  Make sure you know the policy before going in to shop.  Walgreens will only allow as many coupons as items.  CVS will allow more, but you have to be careful the order the cashier rings them up.  Most sites, like CouponMom and SA, have all this information listed out for users and put together much better than I can do.

I thought I would go through my shopping trip to give you an idea of what I did and what I saved.

Purchased:
Fusion ProGlide Razor - $9.89 (sale)
3 Bayer Asprin - $2.99 each
Pampers Wipes - $2.50 (sale)
2 Tampax Pearl - $5.29 each
MidNite - $7.99 (sale)
2 Gillette Body Wash - $4.99 each
6 Old Spice Deodorant - $2.99 each
2 4-pack AA Energizer Batteries - $2.99 each (sale)
2 Nature Made Fish Oil - $10.99 each
3 John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner - $5.00 each (sale)
Pantene Shampoo - $4.00 (sale)
Pantene Mousse - $4.00 (sale)

Total Before Coupons = $134.01

Coupons Used:
$4 ProGlide
Walgreens coupon for Bayer Asprin reducing price to $.99 each (limit 3)
3 - $1 Bayer Asprin
$ 2 Pampers
Tampax sale Buy One get One 1/2 off
$ 2 Tampax
$ 1 Tampax
$ 1 Midnite
BOGO Gillette Body Wash ($4.99 saved)
$ 2 Energizer
$ 2 Energizer
BOGO Nature Made sale ($10.99 saved)
$ 2.50 Nature Made
$ 2.50 Nature Made
$ 2 John Frieda
$ 2 John Frieda
$ 2 John Frieda
$ 1 Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner
$ 1 Pantene Style Product

Total Out of Pocket after Coupons: $69.17 + tax

Register Rewards (RR) received: $24 to use on next purchase
$2 for Midnite (buy 1)
$10 for Gillette ($25 purchase)
$5 for ProGlide (buy 1)
$2 for Pantene (buy 2)
$5 for John Frieda (buy 3)

Quite a savings!  Another way to save is to break your list up into multiple transactions.  This would allow you to use the RR from one transaction immediately on the next transaction.  Do be careful as a P&G RR cannot be used to purchase other P&G products with RR.

Okay.  Now.  Go out and do some major shopping!  I would love to hear about any of your shopping successes, too.  Either comment here or got to the Facebook page and leave a comment there.  Have fun!


*http://couponing.about.com/od/beautyandhealth/a/walgreens.htm

Couponing: Organization

Can you guess what's in this handy little box?  All my coupons.

I've got them organized by Date, Type and Source.  No cutting required.  (I believe I'm a little OCD in some parts of my life.)

There is a Key in the lid of the box to help me keep up the system that has been started.  Too many little hands have tried to 'help' me clean out and reorganize, so this helps me to remain consistent.  :)  The colors are nothing but Post-it brand page markers (glued down to last through the previously mentioned 'help').




All the hanging files have the date inside the little tab.  I used the page markers here, as well.  That way it's super easy when changing the date.  Another benefit is the sticky keeps the label in place.  I found that the little white papers would just fall out as I was going through and getting coupons out.  Plus, after 2 uses, the white papers were done.

Within each hanging file is a labeled manila file folder.  These folders have a dark pink label (Red Plum) or orange label (Smart Source) depending on which circulars were out for that week.

In the very front of the my box are files for other types of coupons.  Here is a run down of these.

Printed. These are coupons printed off the internet.  So many sources for these!  Coupons.com, Eversave.com,  and CoolSavings.com just to name a few.  Also, check out the product's web site or Facebook page.  Many times there will be extra coupons found there.  Keep in mind when printing off the internet you are typically allowed 2 coupons per computer.  Just hit the 'back' button to print the second one.

Mailed.  I get MANY coupons through the mail.  Huggies, Pampers, Lowes, Gerber and such.  Get on some mailing lists and this will start the influx.

P&G and GM.  These are circulars that come in the Sunday paper just like the SS and RP, but not every week.  P&G (Procter and Gamble) sends out their coupons about once a month and GM (General Mills) is very irregular.  I keep them separate just because it makes sense to me.

Other possible files to have - Rebates, Store Coupons or Restaurant.

There are other ways to sort and store your coupons.  Sort by genera (groceries, toiletries, paper goods, ect.) or expiration date.  Store in an accordion envelope system, purchase a coupon sorter online, a recipe box or even a 3 ring binder with baseball card holders.  All of these methods will require you to clip the coupons before storing.

Organize in a way that make sense to you.  Otherwise, the whole process will be a huge frustration.

Tomorrow we will work on getting your coupons together and ready to shop.  Each store has its own policy when using and combining coupons and it can be a little tricky at times.

Take a look back at yesterday's post, Couponing!, by clicking here.

Remember to leave a comment either here or on the Facebook page if you have some suggestions or information that will help others.  I'm trying to cover all the bases; however, with all the distractions around here, I'm bound to forget something. :)

Couponing!

Walgreens purchase.

Couponing is something I love to do.  Well.  Not the actual clipping, hunting the internet and making out a list.  BUT, walking out of a store with bags full of items bought for half or less of their 'suggested retail price' is a great feeling!  Ever had that feeling?  I mean, seriously, who doesn't like free stuff?

ANYONE can save huge amounts on groceries, toiletries and drugstore items.  It really isn't hard, but it can be somewhat time consuming.  And overwhelming.  I thought I would try to help others with a few post dedicated to this pass time with some ideas and good sources.  Feel free to leave me comments with the same.   I am by no means an expert. :)

First, I thought I would give you all some sources.  Easiest way to find these is to just do a search on the internet.  Yeah, no-brainer, I know.  Some that I have found and liked over time?

1. Coupon Mom (free)
       This site is a great, no frills location for information.  (Hey.  It is free.)  Coupon Mom will help you locate the deals and corresponding coupons.  Provides a blog and forum for members, too.

2. The Grocery Game ($)
       A great site as well, The Grocery Game does all that Coupon Mom does and just a bit more.  There is a fee per store list for this site, but it may be worth it to an individual.

3. Savings Angel ($)
       This is like The Grocery Game in many ways.  There are a few features that set it apart from most.  There is a fee for this site, as well, but it is a flat rate and not a per store fee.

These are the three sites with which I am the most familiar.  I know there are others out there, so start searching and looking around to see what might work best for you.   Tomorrow I'll share some coupon organizing ideas with you.

Have something to help me (and others) do an even better job of saving money?  Don't be shy!  Leave a comment either here or you can hop on over to Facebook and comment there.  I love comments! :)