Thursday, December 31, 2009

Walmart Deals 11/31/09

Here are my picks of deals that can be found at Walmart. Looks like there are some pretty good deals right now. Yay! No driving 45 minutes for me!

C&H Brown Sugar (1-lb.), $1
$0.45/1 C&H Sugar printable (regional)
$0.55 after coupon!

Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, $2.34
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Mix or Syrup, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 8/30/09) and/or...
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Mix or Syrup, exp. 4-30-10 (RP #2 1/3/10) and/or...
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Mix or Syrup printable
$1.84 each after coupon!

Cuties Clementine Oranges, $4
$0.55/1 Cuties, exp. 1-6-10 (SS 12/6/09)
$3.45 after coupon!

Blueberry Special K Cereal, $3
$1/1 Special K Blueberry Cereal printable
$2 after coupon!

Rold Gold Pretzels (1-lb.), $2.50
$1/2 Rold Gold Pretzels printable
$1 after coupon!

Natures Pride Honey Wheat Bread, $1.97
$0.75/1 Nature’s Pride Purchase printable
$1.22 after coupon!

Ivory Soap (3 ct.), $1.18
$1/1 Zest, Ivory or Safeguard Body Wash or Bar Pack, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
$0.18 after coupon!

Neosporin Lip Healthy, $4
$3/1 Neosporin Lip Health printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1 after coupon!

Always Infinity Pads (28 ct.), $6.97
B1G1 Always Infinity, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
$3.48 each after coupon!

Always Cleansing Cloth (40 ct.), $3.17
B1G1 Always Pad, Clean or Feminine Cleansing Cloth, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
$1.58 each after coupon!

Stayfree Pads (16 ct.), $2
$1/1 Stayfree Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1 after coupon!

All Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent (50 load), $5
$2/1 All 2x Ultra or Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent, exp. 1-10-10 (RP 12/6/09)
$3 after coupon

Tide Stain Release Duo Pac (50% More Limited Time), $5
$3/1 Tide Stain Release (Larger Sizes or any Limited Time Offer Pack) , exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
$2 after coupon!
I've always wanted to try these!

Glade Aerosol Spray, $0.97
$0.75/2 Glade Aerosol Sprays printable
$0.60 each after coupon!

Similac Advanced Early Shield Formula (23.2 oz.), $21
FREE Similac Right Now wyb 2 Similac SimplePacs, exp. 1-15-10 (SS 12/13/09)
$14 each when you buy 3!

Pull Ups Training Pants, $8.97
$2/1 Huggies Pull-Ups Training Pants printable
$6.97 after coupon!

Pampers Diapers, $8.97
$2/1 Pampers Diapers or Pants, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
$6.97 after coupon!

These deals were found from a list that was put together by Deal Seeking Mom.

I started to do the groupings for y'all, but my computer is acting up and my kids are driving me crazy while I do this. I might try and do it later for y'all.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Refurbished Wagon

I bought this wagon a few months ago at a garage sale for $5. Some of you might remember it. It was from one of my first posts. My wonderful husband fixed it up for our 16 month old son for Christmas. He loves it! He couldn't stop climbing in it and he was even pulling his 5 1/2 year old sister in it. My husband only spent a couple of dollars on red and black spray paint and used sandpaper, wood and wood stain we already had.

Before...


After...

It just goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money on a great gift and it doesn't even have to be brand new! We had four other gifts for our kids that we found at thrift stores. I hope this next year I can find more great finds like this to give my kids for presents.

Monday, December 28, 2009

End of the Year Debt Analysis (2009)

  • Credit Card #1 PAID 9/09
  • Credit Card #2
  • Hospitals PAID 7/09
  • Auto
  • Rental House Mort.**
  • My Student Loans
  • Hubs' Student Loans

Total Debt:
12/09-$154,071.71
9/09-$156,116.37
9/09-$157,596.49
3/09-$164,336.93

Not bad for less than a year. I'm pretty surprised. For those of you who don't know, my husband had lost his job at the end of March. Right after I made a plan to get out of debt. So I didn't even get to start it. He was out of a job for 2 months and finally was able to get rehired, but for a lesser position, making less money, and we had to move ourselves 1,000 miles! Then we had to pay rent here and our mortgage on our home until it was rented out. So, I'm so glad we didn't get behind on all our bills. (If you are a new reader, make sure you read our story and find out all the drama that happened around the time when my husband lost his job. When it rains it pours!) Looking at my husband's student loans, I found out that they haven't budged since the last time I looked at the balance. Not even one cent! So all we are doing is paying interest. But I think it's due to double the payment probably within the year, so I need to hurry up and get a couple of these paid off so I can afford that payment!

**Our old house we lived in before we had to move. We are currently renting ourselves until we know if we are going to stay here for a while or move somewhere else.

Target Shopping List (12/27-1/2/10)

These are my picks of deals that can be found at Target this week. And I've grouped the coupons below for this list with the wording from the coupons so hopefully they are easier to find.

Prices may vary by region.
Freebies are in RED.

Campbell’s Chunky Soup (bowls or cans) $1.50 each
Buy three and use $1.50/3 printable coupon
Final price: $1.00 each after coupon

Buy 3 Coke Products (12 pks) for $3.33 each, Get free 8 pk of Powerade
Buy 3 12-packs and the 8-pack of Powerade
Final price: $2.50 each after sale

Archer Farms Ham Steaks—estimated price $2 for a small one
Use the $2/1 Target Archer Farms Ham coupon
Final price: Free or close to it after coupon

Green Giant Fresh Broccoli—priced as low as $0.99 at some stores
Use the $1/1 Green Giant Fresh produce Target coupon printable coupon
Final price: Free or close to it after coupon

New 0n going deals (go to Pocket Your Dollars for the older on going deals)

Tide travel size $0.97
Use $1/1 from 12/27 Proctor & Gamble insert
Final price: Free after coupon

Ivory Soap (single bar) $0.97 (can you confirm if this price is correct?)
Use $1/1 from 12/27 Proctor & Gamble insert
Final price: Free after coupon

Mott’s Apple Juice 64 ounce $1.79
Use $1/1 Target printable coupon
Final price: $0.79 after coupon

Morning Star Farm Products—on temporary price cut in most stores to $2.99
Buy two and use $2/2 Target printable coupon
Plus, use two $1/1 printable coupons (IE) or (FF)
Final price: $0.99 each after coupons

(This is an abridged list that was put together by Carrie at Pocket Your Dollars)

Coupon List:

Target.com:

Single Printables (may or may not have to register):

Inserts:

  • $1/1 Tide Product, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)
  • $1/1 Zest, Ivory or Safeguard Body Wash or Bar Pack, exp. 1-31-10 (P&G 12/27/09)

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas. I'll be back on Monday hopefully. It's been a crazy couple weeks trying to finish up Christmas presents to ship out, my daughter's birthday, my son going from two naps to one and then two kids being sick. And I'm still not 100% feeling better. I'll promise to be a better blogger! That is, if my computer decides it wants to cooperate!
Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Free Christmas DVD

I don't know why I didn't think about posting this sooner. But you can get a free copy of Joy to the World. I think if you order in now you can still get it before Christmas. When you click the link, you will see other DVDs, but just go to Joy to the World and fill in your information.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Shopping Trip 12/12/09

It's been kind of a slow week for the blog this week. My five and three year old both have been very sick this week. My three year old on her birthday too. Poor baby. And then I wasn't feeling well all week. Finally yesterday I was feeling much better. Anyway, that's why I hadn't been posting anything this week.

It's been a while since I've been shopping. With my coupons anyway. I'm still trying to get the hang of all this. I think what makes it harder is that I have to drive 45 minutes to go to stores that have sales. All we have where I live is a Walmart. I hate how they don't do sales! Anyway...

We went to Super Target....
  • 4 cans Betty Crocker Frosting $1.36: MQ = $0.86 each
  • 1 box Keebler Flips + 4 Fudge Stripe Cookies $2 ea.: MQ + $5 GC = $0.40 each
  • Glade Products, 4 @ $2.50 + $2.99: MQ + $5 credit = $0.40 each (I didn't realize that one of them was $2.99 and not part of the gift card deal, so when I told her that I should have gotten a gift card for them, she checked that I had five Glade products and just gave me a $5 credit on by bill)
  • Hormel Compleat $1.84: MQ = FREE + $0.16 overage!
  • 2 Command Hooks $2.49: MQ + TQ = $0.49 each
  • Charmin $11.99 + Bounty Paper Towels $9.99: MQ + $5 GC = Charmin $9.24 + Bounty $7.24
  • 2 Kodak Fun Saver Disposable Camera $3.89: TQ = 2 FREE + $2.22 overage!
  • 2 Mussleman's Totally Fruit $1.54: MQ = $1.14 each (I'm sure I had $1 off coupons for these, but it only took off $0.40 ????)
  • + the $0.20 for my reusable bags

And then a few other things that I had to get for birthday presents and other things:

  • Up & Up cotton swabs
  • Disney CD player
  • Disney Fairies Beauty Kit
  • Barbie
  • Hello Kitty Necklace and earrings
  • Hello Kitty Backpack Clip

I think she might even accidentally gave me an extra $5 off. I'm not sure. Maybe the Kodak camera coupon. And whenever I do the gift card deals, I always do those first in a separate transaction so I can go ahead and use it right away. With little hands always finding their way into my wallet, I'm sure I'll lose them! :)

Spent $77.67 Saved $63.91

45% Savings!

Since I'm new to the area, I'm still trying to find the good grocery stores to shop at. A friend told me about Russ's Market and I think I'm in love with this store now! Great service too! We weren't sure if we should have tipped the guy who brought out our groceries for us though.

10 for $10 Sale:

  • 10- 1/2 gallons of milk
  • Roma tomatoes ($0.92)
  • 4 Oscar Mayer Lunch meats
  • 10 Michelina's frozen entries: 2 $1/5 MQ = $0.80 each
  • 6 Knorr Sides $1/3 MQ $0.83 each (should have been $0.67 each. He missed one of my $1/3 coupons)
  • 5 Imperial Margarine
  • 1 loaf of french bread
  • 3 Lipton Onion soup or dip mix

+ Bird's Eye Frozen Veggies $0.79 each: MQ = $0.67 each (should have been $0.54 each, but he missed another coupon!)

+ Roast Beef deli meat $4.58 (not on sale)

Spent $46.82 Saved $43.07

48% Savings

And then I saved $0.04 a gallon (I think $.40)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Walgreens Deals 12/13-12/19/09

Here are my picks of deals that can be found at Walgreens this week. I have a list of coupons need for this list at the bottom.
.
Week-Long Deals (Non-Register Reward)
.
Lubriderm Lotion –on sale 20% off
Use $2/1 coupon from 10/11 Red Plum insert
Plus, use $1/1 coupon from the free Diabetes & You booklet (ask for one at the pharmacy counter)
Final price: $0.03 after coupon (assumes full price was $3.79)
.
Campbell’s Gravy 2/$1
Buy 4 and use in-ad coupon
Final price: $0.25 each after coupon
.
Lindsay Olives $0.99
Buy 2 and use in-ad coupon
Final price: $0.48 each after coupon
.
Progresso Soup $0.99 each
Buy 3 and use $1.10/3 printable coupon or
Buy 2 and use $0.50/2 Progresso Soups, exp. 12-19-09 (SS 10/25/09)
Buy 4 and use$1/4 Progresso Soups, exp. 12-19-09 (SS 10/25/09) , $1/4 Progresso Soup, exp. 1-9-10 (GM Everyday Saver 11/15/09)
Buy 1 and use $0.25/1 Progresso Rich & Hearty Soup, exp. 1-30-10 (SS 12/6/09) Final price: As little as $0.62 each after coupon
.
Select General Mills Cereal $1.99
Use $1/1 any size box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms or Trix printable coupon for IE or printable coupon for FF
Final price: $0.99 each after coupon
.
Week-Long Register Reward Deals
.
Buy 1 Complete Multipurpose Solution at $7.99, Get $7.99 Register Rewards
Use $1/1 coupon from 10/25 Red Plum insert
Spend $6.99, get $7.99 in Register Rewards back
Final price: Better than free after coupon and Register Rewards
.
Buy 1 Gillette Fusion Razor at $8.99, Get $4 Register Rewards
Use $4/1 coupon from 11/29 Proctor & Gamble insert
Spend $4.99, get $4 Register Rewards back
Final price: $0.99 each after coupon and Register Rewards
.
Dimetapp 4oz 2/$10, Earn a $3 RR when you buy two
Pay $3 for two after coupons and register rewards
This is from a list that was put together by Carrie at Pocket Your Dollars.
.
Coupons you will need for this list:
.
Walgreens:
  • Campbell’s Gravy (in ad, buy 4)
  • Lindsay Olives (in ad, buy 2)
  • Lubriderm-$1/1 coupon from the free Diabetes & You booklet (ask for one at the pharmacy counter)

Inserts:

  • $2/1 Lubriderm Body Lotion, Cream or Ointment, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 10/11/09)
  • $0.50/2 Progresso Soups, exp. 12-19-09 (SS 10/25/09)
  • $1/4 Progresso Soups, exp. 12-19-09 (SS 10/25/09)
  • $1/4 Progresso Soup, exp. 1-9-10 (GM Everyday Saver 11/15/09)
  • $0.25/1 Progresso Rich & Hearty Soup, exp. 1-30-10 (SS 12/6/09
  • 1/1 Complete Blink-n-Clean Lens Drops or Contacts Lubricant Eye Drops, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 10/25/09)
  • $4/1 Gillette Fusion Razor, exp. 12-31-09 (P&G 11/29/09)

Coupons.com:

SmartSource.com:

Singles (you may or may not have to register):

Walgreens is a little bit harder to do. But I like it this way. I wish the other sites that I check would do it this way! Next week, I might try and do the complete lists.

Target Deals 12/13-12/19/09


This is some of my picks of deals that can be found at Target this week. I'm also trying something new. This weekend, I was trying to gather printable coupons and had the hardest time trying to figure out which coupons came from what source, so I can just print them all at the same time to save paper. So today, I'm taking my picks and catagorizing the coupons for you. I'm putting all the Target coupons in a group, and if there were some from Coupons.com, they would be in a group, and the inserts are in a group. There is also a group for single print coupons (you can only print one at a time) and you may or may not have to register for these. I hope this helps. It sure is going to help me. I might try and do the entire list, not just my picks. What do y'all think? Do you like this? Do you think others would like this too?
Prices may vary by region.
Freebies are in RED

Weekly Deals:

Del Monte Canned Vegetables $0.50
Buy 4 and use $1/4 printable coupon
Final price: $0.25 each after coupon
Or….
Use $1/8 in 11/15 Red Plum insert
Final Price = $0.38/ea when you buy 8

Grade A Eggs (dozen, large) $0.99
No coupon needed, this is a sale price
Final price: $0.99 with sale price

Kraft Cheese (7 or 8 oz blocks or shreds) $1.67
Buy 2 and use $1/2 in 11/15 Red Plum or 11/22 Smartsource insert
Final price: $1.17 each after coupon

New On Going Deals:

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Cocoa $1.19
Buy two and use the $0.50/2 coupon from the 11/15 Smartsource insert
Plus, use two $1/1 Target-issued printable coupon
Final price: Better than free after coupons

Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup $0.58
Buy 4 and use $1/4 printable coupon
Final price: $0.33 each after coupon

Cheez-It Crackers (9 oz) - $1.99.ea
$1/2 Keebler Crackers or Sunshine Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, exp. 2-7-10 (RP 12/13/09)
Final Price = $1.49/ea

Thanks to Carrie at Pocket Your Dollars. You can find other's at her blog and you can find the older on going deals there too.

Coupons you will need for this list:

Target Printables:

Single Printables (you may or may not have to register):

Inserts:
  • $1/8 Del Monte Fruits, Vegetables, Tomatoes or Fruit Cup Snacks, exp. 1-10-10 (RP 11/15/09)
  • $1/2 Kraft or Cracker Barrel Natural Cheese, exp. 12-31-09 (SS 11/22/09)
  • $1/1 Kraft Velveeta Cheese, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 11/15/09)
  • $0.50/2 Swiss Miss Cocoa, exp. 12-31-09 (SS 11/15/09)
  • $1/2 Keebler Crackers or Sunshine Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, exp. 2-7-10 (RP 12/13/09)

I'm also going to try this with Walgreens too, but I have a child home sick today, so it might be a while. Let me know if you want me to do this for other stores.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Mega SwagBucks Day

Don't forget to do your searching through SwagBucks! You can earn in 10, 20, 50 or 100 increments.

What is SwagBucks? You can earn Bucks just by searching online, which most of us do any way. It only takes 45 bucks to earn a $5 Amazon e-gift card. And you get 3 bucks just for signing up to get you started. You can also earn bucks through SwagCodes. You can find them in the toolbar, newsletters, blogs, swidgets, etc. It's super easy!

Also earn points by rating websites with iRazoo and earn Amazon e-gift cards. Find out more about it here.

Earn Free Prizes or Cash by rating websites through iRazoo

This is very similar to SwagBucks. If you sign up for iRazoo, you can search the web then click on websites to rate them. You get eight points per website, but you can earn an additional eight points if you write a comment (just make sure you write the comment before you rate the site. I had to learn that lesson the first time I did it). So you can earn 16 points per website you rate. iRazoo will give you 50 points just for signing up to start you off. You can earn a $5 Amazon gift card in 10 days, which is a little faster than SwagBucks. But if you do both, you can earn about $25 in Amazon gift cards a month (depending on how much you search and rate), maybe more. I think that's better than taking surveys! If you have any other questions just email me at kouponkueen (at) gmail (dot) com.

Tag Reading System Books $5.99! (possibly free)

If you have a Tag Reading System, Amazon has books for it for $5.99! They also have others on sale for a good price too like $7.99 and $9.99. They also have other toys on sale too.

Thanks EADFL

And if you have been searching the web with SwagBucks and rating websites with iRazoo, you could be getting these for free by buying up Amazon gift certificates with your bucks or points.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Daily Deals + up to 7% cash back! (Possible money maker on crocs!)

I found another online store that does daily deals:
Crocs Deal of the Day (chickadee flip flops $4.99, plus others)

Save even more by buying through an Online Rebate Program and get $5 just for signing up:
CashBaq 5%
Mr. Rebates 7%
Ebates 4%
Shop at Home 7%
(the five dollars will cover the price of the shoes, then get 7% back!)

Other Deal of the Days
Target Daily Deals (Fisher-Price Elmo Live $39.99, plus others)
Disney Store's Deal of the Day (Create-Your-Own Fleece Throw Blankets starting at $9.99)
Walmart's Value of the Day (Tom Tom GPS $89)
JC Penny Daily Deal (Sterling Marcasite & CZ Set $39.99)

Cash Back Programs:

Target:
Upromise 2%
CashBaq 2%-5%
Mr. Rebates 4%
Ebates 5%
Shop at Home 5%

Disney:
Upromise 3%
CashBaq 2%
Mr. Rebates 4%
Ebates 3%
Shop at Home 5%

Walmart:
Upromise 1%
CashBaq 2% - 5%
Mr. Rebates 3%
Ebates 2%
Shop at Home 3%

JC Penny:
Upromise 3%
Mr. Rebates 2%
Ebates 3%
Shop at Home 3%

Please email me if you have questions about these online rebate programs. kouponkueen (at) gmail (dot) com

Monday, December 7, 2009

Target Deals 12/6-12/12/09


Here are a few of my picks of the deals that can be found at Target this week from a list that was put together by Carrie at Pocket Your Dollars.

If you have problems at Target, you may want to take a copy of Target's price matching policy and Target's coupon policy.

Prices can vary by region.

Freebis are in RED.

Buy 2 Quaker Oatmeal Squares (16 oz), Oatmeal (10 pk), and selected others $2.75, Get Free Tropicana or Trop50 Orange Juice (64 oz)
Buy two Pancake mix (if included from sale) and use two $1/1 printable coupons or
Buy two granola bars and use $1/2 printable coupon or $1/1 True Delights from 12/6 Red Plum insert (if True Delights are included from sale)
Plus use $1/1 Trop50 printable coupon
Final price: As low as $1.25 each plus free orange juice after coupons and sale

Betty Crocker Frosting $1.36
Use $0.50/1 printable coupon and printable here and from 11/15 GM insert
Final price: $0.86 after coupon

Nestle Morsels $2.00
Use $1/1 printable coupon (after registering)
Final price: $1.00 after coupon

Buy any Hasbro game $10 or more, get Hasbro card game free
Buy Hasbro game valued at $10 or more, then choose Scrabble Slam!, Rook, Monopoly Deal, Go Fish! or Pictureka as your card game
Use corresponding Hasbro game printable coupon or $5/1 Boggle from 12/6 Parade magazine within Sunday paper
Plus, use buy one select Hasbro card game, get one free coupon from 11/15 Parade (or was it USA Weekend?) magazine
Final price: Price varies, but you’ll pay for the board game and get two card games free
***Deal idea***
Buy Boggle for $12
Buy 2 Scrabble Slam!, Rook, Monopoly Deal, Go Fish! or Pictureka card games
Use $5/1 Boggle coupon from 12/6 Parade magazine within Sunday paper
Use buy one card game, get one free from 11/15 Parade magazine within Sunday paper
Final price: $7.00 for all three games

Gift Card Offers

Buy 5 selected Keebler and Sunshine snacks at $2 each, Get a $5 Target Gift Card (Buy specially marked packages to get a $10 toy voucher too)
Cheez-It Crackers. Use $0.75/1 printable coupon (after registering and if included in sale)
Pecan Sandies Crackers. Use $1/1 printable coupon (after registering and if included in sale)
Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies. Buy 3 and use $1/3 Keebler cookies printable coupon or $1/2 printable coupon
Keebler Flip Side Crackers. $1/1 printable coupon if included in sale
More Keebler printable coupons (available after registering)

Buy 5 Glade Plug Ins Oil Refill (1 pk), Candle (4 oz), Scented Oil Candle Tin, or Oil Candle Refills (4 ct) for $2.50 each, Get a $5 Target Gift Card
***Deal idea***
Buy 1 Scented Oil Candle Holder
Buy 2 Scented Oil RefillsBuy 2 Jar Candles
Use Buy 1 Scented Oil Candle Holder, Get 1 Free Refill Pack coupon from 12/6 Smart Source insert and
Use $2/2 Scented Oil Candle Refills from 12/6 Smart Source insert and
Use $1.50/2 Jar Candles from 12/6 Smart Source insert
Spend $6.50, get $5 Target gift card
Final price: $0.30 each after coupons and gift card

Buy 2 Similac Advance with Early Shield, Sensitive or Isomil Formula (23 oz) for $21.49, Get a $5 Target Gift Card
Use two $2/1 Target-issued coupons from 11/15 Smartsource insert
Plus use any manufacturer-issued coupons you may have been mailed
Plus you can pay with any Similac checks you may have been mailed
Spend $38.98, get $5 Target gift card (assumes you don’t have any manufacturer-issued coupons)
Final price: $16.99 each after Target coupon and gift card

On Going Deals (new this week)

All Small & Mighty or 2x Laundry Detergent (travel size) $0.97
Use $2/1 coupon from 12/6 Red Plum insert
Final price: Free after coupon
**Coupon will likely make the register beep since it is higher value than the product

Snuggle (travel size) $0.97
Use $2/1 coupon from 12/6 Red Plum insert
Final price: Free after coupon
**Coupon will likely make the register beep since it is higher value than the product

older deals

Purina Friskies Party Mix Cat Treats $1.24
Buy 2 and use $2/2 coupon from the 11/15 Smartsource insert (exp 2/14) and stack with
$1/2 Target-issued printable coupon (exp 12/26)
Final price: Better than free after coupons

Purina Whisker Lickin’s Cat Treats $0.88
Buy 2 and use $1/2 coupon from the 11/15 Smartsource insert and stack with
$1/2 Target-issued printable coupon (exp 12/26)
Final price: Better than free after coupons

Rolaids 3-pack $1.57
Buy 2 and use the $4/2 coupon from 10/4 Red Plum insert (exp 1/4)
Final price: Two free after coupon

Cesar Bistro Entrée
Use Target-issued buy one, get one free coupon from 10/18 Red Plum insert (exp 12/31) and stack with
Manufacturer-issued buy one, get one free printable coupon
Final price: Two free after coupons

Hormel Compleats $1.89
Use $2/1 coupon from October issue of All You magazine (exp 12/14)
Final price: Two free after coupons

Dove Deodorant (travel size) $0.97
Use $1/1 coupon from 10/4 Red Plum insert (register will likely beep because item is valued less than coupon. Cashier should manually adjust the coupon value down to $0.97) (exp 12/27)
Final price: Free after coupon

St Ives Lotion (travel size) $1.00
Use $1/1 coupon from 11/15 Smartsource insert (exp 12/31)
Final price: Free after coupon

Airwick Freshmatic starter kit $4.99
Use $5/1 coupon from the 11/15 Smartsource insert (exp 12/27)
Final price: Free after coupon

Rayovac Alkaline Batteries (2-pack in dollar spot) $1
Use the $1/1 coupon from 10/18 Smartsource (regional) (exp. 8/21)
Final price: Free after coupon

Hefty One Zip (with travel size items) $1.00
Use $1/1 coupon from 11/1 Red Plum insert (exp 12/31)
Final price: Free after coupon

Renu Contact Solution (travel size) $1.67
Use $2/1 printable coupon (registration required) or $1/1 printable coupon here
Final price: As low as free after coupon

Renu Contact Solution (travel size) $1.67
Use $2/1 printable coupon (registration required) or $1/1 printable coupon here
Final price: As low as free after coupon

All Small & Mighty $1.00 (travel size)
Use $1/1 printable coupon after registering here
Final price: Free each after coupon

Joint Juice $1.00
Use $1/1 printable coupon
Final price: Free each after coupons

Honey Bunches of Oats Pecan Bunches $2.24
Use the $2/1 printable coupon
Final price: $0.24 after coupon

Del Monte Canned Vegetables (14-15 oz) $0.66
Buy 8 and use $1/8 in 11/15 Red Plum insert (exp 1/10)
Plus, use $1/6 Target-issued printable coupon (exp 12/12) or
Buy 6 and use $1/4 Target-issued printable coupon (exp 12/12)
Final price: As low as $0.33 each when you buy 6 ($0.41 each when you buy 8) after coupons

Quaker Oatmeal Cups $1.00
Buy 2 and use $1.25/2 coupon from 8/30 Red Plum insert (exp 11/30)
Final price: $0.38 each after coupon

Select Command Hooks $2.49
Use the $1/1 Target-issued printable coupon and stack with
$1/1 manufacturer-issued printable coupon
Final price: $0.49 after coupons

Kellogg’s All Bran Crackers $1.99
Use $1.50/1 printable coupon
Final price: $0.49 after coupon

Musselman’s Totally Fruit $1.54
Use the $1/1 printable coupon here
Final price: $0.54 each after coupon

Friday, December 4, 2009

Frugal Tip: Family Pictures (and edit for free)

It really is a good investment to spend money on a nice digital camera. You can take as many pictures as you want. If you take 200 pictures, there has to be at least one good one. Of course it's always nice to get a professional to do it, but I know when I go to Sears and get my kids' pictures taken, I can easily spend at least $150 (I like to get the CD so I can post them on my personal blog and then into my blog book)! If going to a professional is just not in the budget, but you want family pictures, have a friend take them for you. You can use your camera or if your friend has a better camera see if you can use theirs. Offer to take their family photos in exchange. And if you have a nice camera and don't need a family picture, you can always just take you kids by themselves if you need a picture for whatever reason (i.e. Christmas Cards). I find some of the best pictures on in nature or next to really old buildings. For my Christmas card pictures this year, I took my kids into the woods. I dressed them "formally" and the pictures came out awesome. The best time to take pictures is when it is overcast outside. I wouldn't recommend going out when the sun is blazing unless that is the only time you can do it. I did have to pose them so I could get a decent group shot to send out, but the best pictures are the ones that you let happen naturally. Just let your "subject" walk around, do their own thing and click away. Sometimes the funny faces or the crying faces turn out to be my favorites. It doesn't matter if you take 500 pictures. It's not going to cost you anything to take more pictures. I think we took 260 in probably about a 20-30 minute time frame with my small kids. You can download Picasa 3.5 for free to edit your pictures. I have Adobe to edit my pictures and can't figure it out. I find this to be much easier. I even used it to create my header on my blog. For Thanksgiving, my uncle used my camera to take a family picture, but it was crooked. I was able to straighten it out through Picasa. Just remember to copy the picture and re paste it into your folder before you edit. Just in case you mess up, you still have the original. I did that recently! Opps!

Do you have any tips to take better pictures?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

FREE 140 Personalized Holiday address labels

Do you need free address labels to go with you free photo cards?


You can get 140 free personalized holiday address labels! All you pay is shipping & handling of $2.99. To get your free 140 address labels, go to VistaPrint. Then click on “Holiday” on the left side, and then “labels”.

Also, when you are checking out, VistaPrint may try to offer you other “upgrades”. Upgrades will add to you total cost. When you’re done, you will have 140 customized holiday labels!
I personally will not be taking advantage of this offer. I don't know if I'll be at the same address next year and can print my own cheaper than the shipping costs. But they definitely won't be as cute as these here! Maybe they will offer it again next year. I know Vista Print offers a lot of freebies from time to time.

Thanks EADFL

Frugal Tip: Christmas Cards/Pictures/Letter

Last year for Christmas we were really struggling. I love to send out Christmas cards and send pictures and write a letter, but didn't have the money to do it. So I put pictures into our Christmas Letter and put a cute border around it and I had my Christmas letter with pictures. I just picked a few pictures of the family from the past few months and from a few significant events from that year. I probably went a little overboard with the pictures, but I LOVE pictures! I just made the word document into three columns and placed the pictures in and sized them. Before I put them into the document, I copied the photos I wanted to use, cropped them and saved them to a different folder to make them easier to find. (Sorry, I can't remember exactly how to get the pictures in the the document. I have to play with it. But I think you go to "insert" and do it from there). I was in love with this letter. And I'm sure it was fun for people to receive and see all those different pictures of the kids.



(Of couse, this is if you are not able to take advantage of the free photo cards deal)

FREE: 50 Photocards & 100 4x7 prints

Supposedly this code is still working. Use promo code newbaby at SeeHere.com for 50 free photo cards and envelopes. My sister used this code Monday and paid about $3 for shipping. When I did mine a couple weeks ago I had free shipping too and I was able to do 5x7's (not sure if you can still get the 5x7's, but I saw someone post that they got the smaller ones, but it's worth a try if you want the 5x7's) . I was very surprised how quick I got them too.

What I love about these photo cards is that I can add how many pictures I want, where I want them, how big and what angle. Same thing with the messages. Super cute! I'm glad I was able to do these. We were wondering what we were going to do for Christmas cards this year. I think my husband was pretty impressed.

Also, if you are new to SeeHere, you can get 100 4x7's for free using promo code prints.

If this code is not working, Later, I'm going to post a frugal way to do Christmas cards/pictures/letters.

FREE UP Soundtrack HURRY TODAY ONLY!

Download the soundtrack from UP 100% FREE! Use code latimesdisney (case sensitive). Expires today, December 3rd at 11:59PM! Thanks to Carrie from Pocket Your Dollars. This would be a nice frugal present for any kid. Put it on a CD for your child to bring to school to his/her classmates! Just print up a cute cover and a cheap jewel case (or really, even the paper sleeves would work). Super cute!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Breast Feeding Cover $8.95 SHIPPED

A friend of mine on facebook just told me about this great deal. At UdderCovers.com they have these cute breastfeeding covers for $32. But if you use the promo code babykiss you get $32 off. All you pay is the shipping and handling. My friend said that she paid $8.95 for it. Somtimes the codes can be case sensitive (just learned that last week!) so try it this way first then, if it doesn't work try it all caps. Leave a comment if you've had difficulties and figured it out. Thanks Ruth!

JC Penny Deal of the Day + $5 Free + CASH BACK

The other day I posted about online stores who have daily deals. I found out that JC Penny has it too. Just go here.

Also get cash back by shopping through an Online Rebate Program.
Upromise 3%
Mr. Rebates 2%
Ebates 3%

Here are the other deals of the day:
Target Daily Deals
Disney Store's Deal of the Day
Walmart's Value of the Day

Cash Back Programs:
Get $5 just for signing up for most of these.

Target:
Upromise 2%
CashBaq 2%-5%
Mr. Rebates 4%
Ebates 5%

Disney:
Upromise 3%
CashBaq 2%
Mr. Rebates 4%
Ebates 3%

Walmart:
Upromise 1%
CashBaq 2% - 5%
Mr. Rebates 3%
Ebates 2%

December Produce

Produce in Season

Anjou Pears
Berries: Cranberries~Waning
Bok Choy
Bosc Pears~Peak
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts~Peak
Carrots
Cauliflower~New
Celeriac/Celary Root
Celery
Cherimoya~New
Comice Pears~Peak
Currants, Red
Daikon Radish~Waning
Dates, Fresh~Peak
Fuerte Pears
Grapefruit~New
Haas Avocados~New
Kale
Kiwi
Kumquat
Lemon
Mandarins/Tangerines~Peak
Mushrooms, Wild~Peak
Napa Cabbage
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts
Oranges, Navel~New
Parsleys
Parsnip~Waning
Quince
Red Cabbage
Rutabaga
Salad Mix
Savoy Cabbage
Spinach
Squash, Winter~Waning
Sunchoke
Sweet/Yams~Peak
Turnips~Peak

Cash Back with Ebates

I signed up for another Online Shopping Rebate Program at Ebates. It works the same as the others. You shop at online stores through their site and you get cash back! And you get $5 just for signing up! And what I love best about these kind of sites is that you can click on what ever store and it will tell you what kind of sales are going on and promo codes!

Here are a few of the stores you can get cash back from by shopping through Ebates:

Target 5%
Walmart 2%
Old Navy 10%
Snapfish 12%
Kohl's 4%
Macy's 5%
Barnes & Noble 8%

Hear are a couple others that I've signed up for:
It's good to sign up for a few. Some offer better percentages back and one online store might be on one, but not the other.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Sales and Deals to look out for in December

Sales/Deals

Christmas dinner/Holiday party foods
Party/Deli platters
Cold Cuts
Sour Cream, dips
Crackers, chips
Soda
Ham
Stuffing mix
Potato mix
Butter
Fresh Potatoes
Gravy
Bread/rolls
Frozen Pies
Green Beans
Fried Onion
Cream Soups
Broth
Pie Filling

Baking Supplies
Flour
Sugar
Butter
Cream
Cake Mix
Brownie Mix
Muffin Mix
Breads
Pie Crust
Marshmallow
Whipped Cream

Wrapping paper, cards, ribbon, bows, tape

Egg nog
Party Supplies, paper plates, napkins

Clearance Items:
Post Thanksgiving clearance
Fall decor and craft clearance
After Christmas clearance

Occasions:
Hanukkah
Winter Begins
Christmas
New Year's Eve
Kwanzaa

Homemade Gift: Etched Glass


Sorry the picture isn't better. It's kind of hard to get a decent picture of it.

I did this for four presents last year. They were a big hit and now I love making Christmas gifts. They are frugal and so much more personal. I etched some casserole dishes for my parents, my husband's mom, his dad and step mom, and brother's family. I bought a four pack of dishes for around $30 at Walmart. The cream, I bought (Armour Etch) at Hobby Lobby. It is $20, so make sure you bring a 40% coupon. You can get them in the paper or you can sign up for their weekly ad and get them sent to your email. I had a hard time finding it in the store. If I remember correctly, it's by glass panels to make stain glass. So basically I got 4 gifts for $42 (that's with the 40% Hobby Lobby coupon. I'm sure you can find this at Michael's or other craft stores and I know Michael's has 40% coupons every once in a while). And I have a lot left over for other gifts. I also made a bank for my nephew for his birthday using a KraftyBlok I found at Hobby Lobby. It's kind of like those glass blocks or bricks that you find in bathrooms. That's the best way I can describe it. My friend that told me about this says that she etches her name on all her casserole dishes so when she makes a meal for someone or brings a dish to a potluck, she knows she will get her dish back!
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Here are the directions from the bottle:
1. Cover the glass or mirror with Contact brand vinyl. Next, trace your design through carbon paper onto the vinyl [or you can use stencils to trace in on]. Cut out the design with a hobby knife and peel off pieces of the vinyl to create a stencil. Where the vinyl is removed will become the etched design when you are finished.

2. Overlap the outside edges of the stencil with masking tape to protect he surrounding glass from the etching cream.

3. Apply a thick layer of Armour Etch Cream brushing up and down, then left and right to spread the cream over the entire stenciled area. Allow etching cream to remain on glass 5 minutes.

4. Wash off all traces of Armour Etch Cream with ordinary tap water. Remove the vinyl and thoroughly clean the glass using window cleaner.
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To make life easier you can use a Cricut, if you have one, and use that to cut out your vinyl. I was going to do that this year with my mom's but when we pulled it out, the cord was missing.

I've also monogrammed a vase. And at my sister's request, I'm etching glass bowls for my nephew for Christmas. (I found clear glass bowls at Walmart for a $1 each!) Another project I've thought of, but haven't done yet, is etching a mirror. Just glue a ribbon on the back with a bow to hang it. Perfect for a little girl.

This is permanent. Some people think that it is just a film that makes it look like etched glass, but it's not. It's really etched. When I'm washing away the cream, I can feel pieces of glass. So be careful!