Saturday, January 31, 2009

More deals


Here is the pic of everything I got at CVS..total out of pocket cost.....=.74 cents (I spent ECBs and also earned an extra $5.00 ECBs on this transaction)! Click on the picture to enlarge it, to spare me from having to type out everything I bought.


Walgreen's:

Milk-2.99 per gallon

Hersey's bagged candy-in ad coupon=$1.89-you can use your $2.00/2 coupon on this deal-if the sizes are correct.

Pop tarts-2/$3-use your -$1.00 off coupon!

Loreal-bogo (coupons will be in tomorrow's paper-if you do not have any)

Pert-$1.99 after instant coupon (from the NEW easy saver that comes out tomorrow!) Use manufacturer's coupon with this deal to make it .99 or less!


There are TONS of free after rebate items available too-if you do that.

Now...I just LOVE getting a new easy saver booklet-it is always packed full of great coupons! The new one is no exception! (Thanks Mr. Manager for giving me one early ;) Are are a few of the good ones:

-$1.00 off Bic razors (use your $2.00 off one along with the store coupon)

-$2.00 off Schick razors (use your manufacturer's coupon too!)

-$4.00 off Ecotrin pain reliever-there was a coupon in last Sunday's paper for this item too!


Just a short note on Publix-they have Nabisco wheat thins and triscits bogo this week. Use your -$2.00/2 manufacturer's coupon and they are just two boxes for .79 cents!

Stacy pity/bagel chips are 2/$5-use your -$1.50 coupon and they are just $1.00 per bag (we bought the cinnamon and sugar ones-YUM!)

Happy shopping everyone!

CVS

Sorry I never got to put in the deals at Publix this week...I have been busy! I hope by now that you have kinda gotten the hang of it. Anyhoo-here are the deals at CVS-starting tomorrow.
Campbell's soup- 2/$1 (limit 6)
Vo5 shampoo/conditioner 2/$1 (limit 6)
Gain laundry detergent $4.97 (limit 4)
Kellogg's cereal $1.88 (limit 6)
Palmolive dish soap .77 cents (limit 6)
Glade candles, plug ins, glass scents, oils 4 for $10-earn $5 ECBs when you buy 4 = 4/$5.
Dove/Degree deodorant $2.29 each
Loreal lip color- bogo
Johnson's and Johnson's baby products-$2.99 each
Colgate, Aquafresh, gleem or ultra bright toothpaste-.99 cents

Use your coupons to save even more and even get things for FREE! (sorry I do not have time to go over which coupons to use and how much it makes them!).

I have not gone over the Walgreen's ad yet-I will update this post when I do.

I just have to thank God for HIS favor in ALL things......HE has given me favor with the managers to get these ads and prices early!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Today

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Today has been a long day for me! I worked on last week's coupons, got the oil changed (getting ready for our vacation!), talked to my Mom-online for a long time, ordered a portrait for a former client ( a 16x20-on board-turned out flawless!! I LOVE my camera!), delivered the portrait for the client, took Brooke to the doctor (she had a 103 degree fever when she got home from school.....my poor baby! Y'all pray she gets better soon! She is on antibiotics now), picked up Brooke's meds, finished supper and dishes, did some laundry and now I am beat! Brett thought he had no work tonight...since the last time he asked they said "no"-then, while I was picking up Brooke's meds they called him-demanding to know where he was at! Uh.....HOME! Since they never told him he had a job! I HATE that limo company!! There is NOTHING fair about it-NOTHING! They claim he is "self employed" but expect him to do WHAT they say, WHEN they say and for what PAY they say! Crazy! Anyhoo-at least it is a job...when he gets work!
I am just so tired from running all day and I miss him so much.....:(
I can not wait to spend our vacation together-he has a whole week off!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Cereal deal!






I went to Publix and got the Post cereal! I went to 2 different stores because the one store was out of the "Honey Comb" kind. I asked the managers of both stores if there was a limit-and both told me to get all that I wanted! I got 52 boxes all together (26 in each store)-I also got 6 cans of Rotel (for negative-.03 cents) so I paid out $12.97 for 52 boxes of cereal and 6 cans of Rotel! People looked at me like I was NUTS...my cart was over flowing with cereal! Spencer made me laugh.....he told the manager, that rang us up at one of the stores, "all of this cereal is not for us....we could not fit it in our kitchen! We are gonna give some to the hobos!". I could NOT believe he said that! I have told him that we do not call homeless people "hobos"-but he "forgot". In his defense, he DID correct himself, once he realized it! Anyhoo,I hope that you all were able to get in on the deal too! Sorry it was late notice! I just got my Sunday coupons-today, so I did not know until this afternoon.

Cereal, for just .25 cents?!

Yep! that is right! Today is the LAST day-but Post cereal is bogo at Publix. $1.50 for 2 boxes! Use your -$1.00 off 2 coupon (THIS week's paper) and they are just .25 each!

Sisters..........

Yesterday morning, after "hitting the gym", I went to Tanya's house for coffee-I just love her house, it is so beautiful and I enjoyed her company tremendously! Tanya bought me the cutest travel mug-with my initial on it! I just love it! I need to take a pic so I can post it! She also bought me a "I Love Lucy" calendar for my purse.....along with some chocolate goodies! She pulled my name at Christmas-and since she was not able to make it to the December GNO-I have not even seen her!
I am so blessed to have a few people in my life that I can REALLY open up to, and share that bond with! I do not take it for granted-not even a little! I remember a time in my life when I was STARVING for that closeness-and I can not thank God enough for sending me my "sisters"!

Last night I went out with Karen and Jodi....it was supposed to be our monthly "Girl's night out"-but several of the "girls" were unable to attend! Never the less, Karen and Jodi and I went and we had a great time together! We ate at Ruby Tuesday's-LOVE the salad bar there! Karen and I then went on to see the movie "Bride wars"-it was a cute movie, but once again, I do not think it merited a "PG" rating! Kinda scary how the last 2 "PG" movies I have seen had so much "PG-13" stuff in them! I guess America will just continue to lower the standards-until we can not even turn on our TVs! Perhaps it is already near that point now! It just angers me-it angers me even more that there is nothing I can do about it! Anyhoo-I thought the movie WAS "PG-13"-Brooke told me today that it was "PG"-that her friend saw it and told her all about it.

Now, I must go to the dentist...yuck! It is just for an exam-I will have to come back for a cleaning (sounds like a way for them to make more $-imho!). Anyhoo-I already know that I need 2 root canals and I just wanted to see how much money it will cost with my insurance-I want to get them done before I lose my insurance!!
Well-I gotta run! Hope you all have a great day!

FYI...here is the link that we use to check out movies that we worry may be questionable-NOW, we will be checking out ALL movies!
It is a movie review website-from a Christian's perspective (by "focus on the family")!
http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/index.cfm

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Such a proud mother.....


I know that my blog has been taken over by coupon craziness lately-so I am trying to incorporate more of the "day in the life of the McCann family" part! I wanted to share something that Spencer did today. This morning he was telling me and Brett about a boy in his class who lied about him, and caused one of his "friends" not to like him anymore. He said that the boy told his "friend" that Spencer was "bad"-I think meaning not a good influence...? Anyhoo, we told Spencer that he should just try to ignore the boy that lies (since we have also heard other things that we do not like in this child....like he does not believe in God!). A while later, as we were getting ready to walk out the door to go to school, Spencer showed me a book and said "I am gonna bring this to read while I wait for my teacher (they have to wait in the cafeteria every morning, until it is time for school to start). I looked at the book and he said "it is not a Bible, but it has scriptures in it". It was a "light for my path" book. He then opened it up and pointed to a scripture and said "here is a verse about lying"-he said, " I think I will show this verse to _____ (the boy's name) , because he will go to the lake of fire if he doesn't stop lying"! I really believe he was sincere in his concern for the little boy's soul! At such a young age (he's 8)! Nothing makes me more proud, as a mother, than to see my children LIVING for God!!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Check this site to see how you can get 2 Glade lasting impressions for just $1.99 at Walgreen's!
http://hip2save.blogspot.com/2009/01/walgreens-deal-glade-air-freshener.html

The blogger is incorrect about being able to use the coupon found inside the glade box as well (to make $ on the deal)....since that would be using 2 manufacturer's coupons on the same item. However, $1.99 is a great deal for TWO of these!

Free redbox rental


Here is today's redbox code: 57VH9L...enter it (BEFORE you check out!) and you'll get a FREE rental! I HIGHLY recommend the movie "Though none go with me"-it can be found in several different redboxes in our area! It is a great movie that you can watch with the whole family! I would like to purchase this movie...if you see it for sale anywhere-let me know!

Our date night!


Last night, Brett and I celebrated our 14th anniversary by going out on a date! We left around 2 pm and we walked around Citrus Park mall for a while, then we stopped by "The fresh market"-the yummiest store-ever, packed with all kinds of healthy (and not so healthy!)goodies! My favorites there are dried pineapple, Bourbon pecans, and trail mixes. After we loaded up on goodies, we went to the Melting Pot-my favorite restaurant! Brett had ordered, a head of time, that a flower arrangement be set out on our table before we arrived! So sweet! When you buy that package, they also take your picture-we have several years worth of melting pot pictures to look back on!We always order the fiesta cheese fondue-YUM! I got the house salad-with a sweet honey dressing (Brett got Cesar salad), then we got the court bouillon classic-with chicken, steak, terryakki steak, sun dried tomato chicken and shrimp. It also comes with all kinds of veggies! They serve it with the yummiest sauces! Yogurt curry, plumb sauce, terryakki, cocktail sauce, green goddess-they are all so amazing! Then....the manager treated us to a chocolate fondue-since Brett delivers tanks there! We got the tiramisu with dark chocolate! It comes with cheesecake, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, brownies and marshmallows. I was so full that I could barely walk out of there! BTW-I am paying for it today!! I always feel sick the day after I eat too much! Anyhoo-we had a really great time together last night! Every year, I kid around with Brett and tell him that the only reason he stays married to me is so he can keep going to the Melting Pot every year! After we ate, we went to see the movie "Marley and Me"-the plot was decent, but I was unhappy by all the "junk" they put in it! For a PG rating, I would expect a lot less cussing and a WHOLE lot less sexual references! I am SOOO glad that we did not take our kids to see it!

Well, that is how our date night went-I really enjoy spending time with Brett, we always have a great time and a laugh a lot!
yeah, yeah! I know we have a lot of pictures of us kissing...well, that is because we kiss a lot! LOL! BTW-Brooke was our photographer last night-I just did a little "editing"!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Walgreen's trip

Here are the deals that I took advantage of...let me know what you come up with too!

6 boxes of Kellogg's cereal-$1.99 per box, -$1.50/2=$1.24 each!
12 cans of Campbell's soup (chicken noodle and tomato)-in ad coupon =.69 cents each,-.40/2=.49 cents each!
10 Pantene products (conditioner, styling products)-on clearance for $1.29 each-$3.00 off 2=NEGATIVE .21 cents each!
2 Dove travel size deodorants. .99 cents each-$1.50 ANY 2=.24 cents each!
2 Sunsilk hair products-on clearance for $1.19,-$2.00/2=.19 cents each!
1 Colgate total toothpaste-on sale for $2.99, -$1.50 coupon=$1.49 (earn $2.00 RR= a .51 cent money maker!)
I also used a $10.00 register reward from last week, making my total $5.63...and I earned $2.00 more in register rewards, making my cost $3.63 for everything!

FYI-our church has a food pantry and we service local families and homeless people, we are in desperate need of canned goods (preferably with a "pop top" lid!). If you have anything you would like to donate-please let me know! Thanks!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

CVS & Walgreen's deals for next week!

Recently updated!

I do not have a lot of time but I wanted to give everyone a heads up on some of the CVS deals-starting tomorrow! Here are the freebies that I found:

**Gillette, head and shoulders, pantene shampoos-on sale for $4.99, you get $3 ECBs back=$1.99 if you use your coupons you can get them for free! (Ex--$2.00 off any Gillette shampoo) Limit 5

UPDATE! **Gillette fusion razor(the "gamer" version), on sale for $7.99, you get $4.00 ECBs-use your -$4.00 off coupon and it is free! Limit 1 (these are a new version of razors and they will be in stores 1/30-not before)

**Almay-when you spend $10, you get $5 ECBs! Use those $1.00 coupons now and check your CVS for clearance on Almay products.

I have the ad for Walgreen's too-but I have not gone through it yet. I will let you know what I find!

Ok....Walgreen's:

**Printer ink refills-on sale for $5 less $5.00 mail in rebate (if you do those)= free. They do not refill the ink for my type of printer :(
**Revlon color silk hair color-in ad coupon makes it $1.99, use your man. coupons to save more!
**Reynolds wrap foil or wax paper-in ad coupon makes it .89 cents, use your $1.00 off coupon to make it free! (the manufacture coupon states "excludes 25 sq ft"-the Walgreen's coupon is for the 20 sq ft one.....sounds nuts but it will work becuase it is NOT the 25 sq ft one!
**Loreal HIP-bogo (use 2 of those -$2.00 off coupons!)
**Maybelline lip or nail products-bogo (use 2 coupons!)
**Listerine mouth wash-on sale 2/$9. Buy 2 get $4.50 in RR back=$4.50/2. Use 2 -$1.00 off coupons= 2/$2.50
**Dove or Degree deodorant-in ad coupon makes them $1.99-make sure you use your manufacturer's coupon too!
**Ban deodorant-in ad coupon makes it $1.99-use along with your manufacturer's coupon
**Excedrin-bogo, use 2 coupons (if you have any left from last week's FREE Excedrin at CVS)
**Colgate toothpaste-on sale for $2.99-get $2.00 RR when you buy 1=.99 cents each. Use those $1.50 printable (if you can still find them online-google it and see what you come up with) and it is a .51 cent money maker!
Those are the deals I found while glancing through the ad.

Happy shopping!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Brooke's hair


Brooke has been begging me for WEEKS to color her hair darker-so I finally did it (since I got the hair color for FREE-lol!). Here's what we came up with-she is happy, I think it is a bit too dark, but I think it will lighten up some after a few washes.

My shopping trip


Today I had some time to kill, before meeting Brett for lunch, so I ran to CVS, Publix and Target . Here are the deals that I got:

9 Loreal eyeliner pencils
5 Loreal liquid eyeliners
2 Loreal mascaras
3 (4 packs) of BIC Soleil razors
4 Reese's whipps candy bars
8 bars of Johnson's and Johnson's Buddies soap
2 bags of Luden throat drops
6 bags of Hall's cough drops
2 bottles of Dawn dish soap
1 bottle of Gillette men's shampoo
2 bottles of St. Ives body wash
1 bottle of rubbing alcohol
and
4 bottles of Fantastic multi purpose cleaner!
My total-all three stores together, was $8.58!! AND...I did not spend ANY reward bucks-that was JUST with coupons alone!

When I add up the savings, listed on the bottom of my receipts it totals....$197.73!

On my CVS receipt, my subtotal was NEGATIVE -.57 cents-I paid .76-for the remaining tax!

It takes a lot of time to coupon....but it is SOOOOO worth it when you can save such big bucks! Take the time...and you will be hooked too! :)

Publix



Here are the deals that I have spotted at Publix this week.....the sale starts today!

Juicy juice-bogo, -.50 off 2=$3.09 for 2
Kellogg's nuti-grain bars-bogo, -$1.00 off 2=$2.79 for 2
Kraft/seven seas salad dressing-bogo, -$1.00 off 2 =$2.27 for 2
Dole fruit gel or parfait bowls-bogo, -.75 off 2 =$1.69
McCormick garlic powder-bogo, -.25 off 1 =$2.49 for 2
Keebler cookies-bogo, -$1.00 off 1 (printable coupon-print 2!)= $2.11 for
Emerald nuts-bogo, -$1.50 off 2= $4.29 for 2
Orville Redenbocker popcorn-bogo, -$1.00 off 2=$4.07 for 2
Red Baron pizza-bogo, -$1.00 off 2=$4.97 for 2
Yoplait yougurt-20 for $10.00-.40 off 6=$2.60 for 6
Halls cough drops-bogo,-.50 off 1=.70 for 2
Fantastic cleaner-bogo, -1.00 of 1= .89 for 2
All these prices are listed in the Publix flyer, as I said last week-in this area they are CHEAPER, but since I do not know that exact prices, I am using the flyer's "save up to" to determine the prices.

There are LOTS of other bogos, but these are the ones that I have coupons to match up with. When the coupon says "$x.xx off ONE" be sure to use TWO coupons on the bogo deals, if the coupon says "$x.xx off TWO" then you can only use one coupon for every bogo deal you get. Sounds elementary...but you'd be surprised how many people are confused by this!

ALSO, I have a call into the district manager for our area-to ask about Publix's policy on using a bogo COUPON on a bogo deal (making the item completely free!)-stores vary on their policies and I wanted to double check before using my bogo coupon for Speed stick deodorant on Publix's store bogo deal this week! I see no difference between a store "deal" vs a store "coupon"-in which case it would be perfectly acceptable to do, but we'll see what he has to say-I will be sure to let you know when he calls back!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Brrrrrr......






It is freezing here in Florida!! All you "Yankees"-quit laughing at us...lol! This morning the yard was iced over and the cars were covered in ice! Brett took Bubba to school early, for tutoring, and he said that the windshield washer fluid ran out while he was driving and the window iced over and he could not see! He has to pull over to scrape off the ice! I told the girls how I used to love to slide across the grass while it was iced over, so we went into our neighbor's yard (since our yard barely HAS grass right now!) and they slid across the lawn! Such fun...it is the little things in life that really excite me!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Woo hoo!

I got to meet Brett for lunch today, we ate at Subway.....I am REALLY excited about going to The Melting Pot on Sunday-to celebrate our anniversary!! It is my favorite place to eat!! The food is so good that it is INSANE!!

I also did my grocery shopping today and I was so excited to see how much I saved at Publix!! I spent $121.58 and I SAVED $170.45!!
At Walgreen's I bought 8 jars of peanut butter (on sale for $1.99, minus the -.60 cents off coupon from this week's paper= $1.40 each!), 2 packs of Razors ($1.21 each-with the $2.00 coupon from this week's paper!!), 4 sunsilk hair products (on clearance for $1.19, minus -$2.oo off of 2 coupon=.19 cents each!), 1 Maalox (also on clearance-and I had a coupon), and 1 Similasan ear product, my total was $17.37 and I got a $10.00 register reward to use on next week's deals!

The biggest find at Publix was the whole wheat pasta-b1g1 free -.55 cents off of each=2 for .29 cents! Lysol spray cleaners were b1g1 -$1.00 off each one=2 for .69 cents!
Happy Shopping!!

***I just added up all the savings (listed at the bottom of my receipts) and between Publix, Target and Walgreen's today I SAVED $275.73 (NOT counting the $10.00 in register rewards I earned at Walgreen's) !! I spent less than $150.00 total!***

14 years today!




I do not have much time this morning, but I wanted to share how blessed I am to be married to the man God gave me...Brett is such an amazing husband, friend, Daddy.......in my all my childhood fantasies, I never dreamed that marriage could be so fulfilling! I am so grateful for ALL the God's blessings and the favor of God that has been on my life throughout the years!! Happy anniversary Honey! 14 years and counting!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I've broken the "code"!!

I think I have finally gotten the hang of the Walgreen's register rewards system! Last night I was thinking-and it HIT me! You've already read how I got the Skippy and Ragu deal-and earned a $10 Register reward....I was wondering if it would work to use that $10 on ANOTHER/ DIFFERENT deal! My question was...will it still print out the reward if you pay with a reward...and YES, it does! I asked the manager and he told me that he was not certain, but said we could try and if it did not work, then he would void the transaction, but it did! So, if you earned $10 on one deal-you can use it to earn MORE rewards on other deals-just not the same deal! So, you could just keep rolling them back and forth if you wanted to! I got the Aleve-D deal (Brooke has a cold)-if you spend $20, you get $10 in register rewards-with my coupons my total was $16-minus the $10 earned for the skippy/ragu deal - I paid $6.00 cash and got back $10 in RR! I used it to buy a whole MESS of stuff that was on clearance (ex-Visine tears $2.19 minus my $2.00 coupon=.19! Loeral foundation $3.19 minus $3.00 coupon= .19) My total out of pocket expense was $2.71 (subtotal was only .75!) and I SAVED $141.78!!
On that order I got:
2 of the chocolate covered macadamias
3 Visines
3 nail polishes
3 Loreal concealers
2 Loreal foundations
3 Tylenol arthritis
1 Bio shampoo
1 Bio conditioner
2 Welches grape jelly (squeeze bottles)
1 (3 pack) of dial soap
and a tube of chap stick.....for $2.71!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Free stock Pictures for bloggers!

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FYI

Target has Luden's throat drops for $1.12 (regular price)..use your -$1.00 off coupon and they are just .12 cents (no tax!)!

I missed another one...

I just came from CVS and they have Excedrin (24 caplets) on sale for $1.99 each...use your $2.00 off coupons (from several weeks ago) and they are FREE!! I got 5 boxes and I walked out without having to pay ANYthing-since there is no tax!

UPDATE: There are printable ones available on the internet..sorry I do not have the link-google it! I printed our 4 and went back and got 4 more boxes....9 total-for FREE!

ALSO...the code for the FREE Redbox rental (good for today only!) is K6W3G4 ! Type it in and your credit/debit card will not be charged anything! Be sure to get it back in the box by 9:00 pm tomorrow though...otherwise it is $1.00 per day!
This morning we slept in..I love lazy days when you have no where to be! After we all woke up and got dressed (9:00 am) we ran an errand and we went to the gym. The girls took a class at the gym over the weekend that allows them to work out with me, so we did our weight training and then 30 mins of cardio the "cross trek"! I have really enjoyed my membership to the YMCA...I was crushed when I lost my "Shapes" membership a few years ago, but now I am glad to be at the Y-where we can work out together! Anyhoo, I wanted to share another deal at Walgreen's this week. They have "Mauna Loa" chocolate covered macadamia nuts on sale for 2 for $4.00, you can also use the coupon in the easy saver booklet for -$3.00 off any 2, making them just .50 cents each! Total with tax is 2 for $1.28. Just thought I'd share!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

FYI


If any of you still have those -$4.00 off any 2 Rolaids products coupons-at Sweetbay the regular price of the three packs is only $1.79 each-making them free there too (there is no tax)! They will just take off $3.78 for every 2 packs that you buy-for every coupon that you have. Thankfully, I got over 20 papers given to me the week that those coupons came out-it was the week before last, when there was 5 inserts in the Sunday paper!

Everyone keeps asking me what I am going to do with so many Rolaids-we'll they can also be used as calcium supplements, so I have been using them for that reason! Plus, I will be giving a ton of them away too! (I will save you some Mom!)
There are 47 boxes (3 packs in each box) in the picture!

Today's deals!




I hope that some of you were able to get out and take advantage of some of the deals at CVS and Walgreen's today! I was able to get the Reese's whips candy bars (ALL for FREE!) to qualify for the $5.00 gift card-so now I have 42 candy bars (a whole case-and then some!) sitting in my house! Thankfully, I am not tempted by them :) We will save some and then give most of them away. I also noticed some great deals on Loreal makeup at CVS. They have several things clearanced down to 75% off and then I used my $2.00 off coupons to make them super cheap! I paid just .37 cents for mascaras!


At Walgreen's I decided to go for the deal where if you buy any 8 items listed-you get $10 in register rewards. I bought 4 jars of Skippy(on sale for $1.99+ I used coupons) and 4 jars of Ragu (on sale for $1.99 + I used coupons)to qualify. I also bought the Blue Diamond almonds (b1g1 free with the store coupon-and I used Man. coupons too), and some make up (that was free). My total was $15.54 after coupons and I got back $10 in register rewards! So essentially I got it all for $5.54!
Let me know what great deals you find!

I a going to try to post pics from the Brookesville Raid later! BTW-Brett did really well on his sermon this morning..I am very proud of him!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

As promised...

RECENTLY UPDATED!!!!


I do not have much time...the kids have class at the YMCA at 9:30 this morning, but I wanted to share what I have found so far in tomorrow's CVS and Walgreen's ads!
I have to admit, this week's ads are a bit disappointing-not too much for free, but there are still some decent deals available.

CVS-buy $15 worth of Hersey's products-get a $5.00 gift card! SUPER deal if you have the coupons (from 2 weeks ago) for $1.00 off 2 Reese's whips candy bars! They are on sale for 2 for $1.00 this week!! So, you get 30 candy bars and a $5 CVS gift card for FREE (by mail-it will automatically be mailed to you)!

CVS's freebie this week is CVS brand allergy medication. Buy it for $3.79 and you'll receive $3.79 in ECBs! Limit 2

Get $10 ECBs when you buy 2 Maybelline mineral products (prices start at $7.99 each-but use your coupons to make it an even better deal!)

Clairol Natural Instincts pay $5.99 get $2.00 in ECS...there will be coupons in tomorrow's news paper for this product!

PEPSI- SPEND $20 GET $10 ECBS (limit 1) AQUAFINA 12 PK 2/$6, GATORADE 32.0Z./PROPEL/SOBE 4/$5, lays 10.5-11 oz. 2/$6, pepsi 2 liter 4/$5, pepsi 12 pk. 4/$12, stacys chips 2/$6, tostitos 10-13 2/$6

Cover girl-spend $10 get $3.00 in ECBs...there will be a coupon for cover girl products in tomorrow's paper (if my sources are correct...there will be one for -$2.50 off ANY cover girl item...this is not yet confirmed though-sorry). If there IS a $2.50 off coupon you can buy 4 CG items (prices start at $2.77 according to the CVS ad) to make the offer requirements=$11.08 minus 4 -$2.50 off coupons = $1.08 (not including tax) and you get back $3.00 ECBs, making it a $1.92 money maker!


Walgreen's-I have not looked at the entire ad yet. I did see that they have Vicks brand/NyQuil on sale and when you buy $20 worth (before any coupons you have!) you get $10 in register rewards, if you spend $15 (again before your coupons!) you get $5 in RRs! I know that there are several coupons for these items...I just have not had the time to look up the amounts yet (I think they are for $1.00 off each). They will not be free, but they would still be a great deal!

I also wanted to tell you about a great deal that I got yesterday at Walgreens! They have a box of Rolaids (with 3 rolls in each box) on clearance for $1.69 each. Two weeks ago there was a coupon, in the Sunday paper, for "up to $4.00 off of any two Rolaids products (excluding trial sizes)"....so I got 8 boxes for free!! Check your local Walgreen's to see if they also have them clearanced! FYI-every store has different clearance sales and prices-I have noticed as much as a $2 difference from store to store clearance prices!
Another reason to shop the whole store and keep your eyes open!

Now, for all you "newbies" that have just taken my class, do not get discouraged because you do not have the coupons needed for these great deals...use it as an incentive to buy those papers and clip those coupons and you will be caught up in no time at all!! Happy shopping!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Publix



Ok...so here are some of the great deals at Publix!

b1g1 Smucker's preserves -.35 off of each one, cost $2.69 (or less!)for 2!
b1g1 Muller's pasta -.55/2 or -.55/1 , cost .84 for 2 or .29 cents for 2 (depending on what coupon you have)!
b1g1 Motts juice-$1.00 off of each one (when you choose Motts tots-since that is what the coupon is good for), cost $1.13 for 2 bottles!
b1g1 Quaker instant oatmeal-.70 or -$1.00, cost $2.35 for 2 (with -.70 coupons) or $1.75 for 2 (with -$1.00 coupon)
b1g1 Yoplait Go-gurt-.75/2, cost $2.24 for 2!
b1g1 Lysol all purpose spray cleaner-$1.00 off of each one, cost .69 for 2!!
Electasol dishwasher detergent-$2.50 off of each one, cost $2.79 for 2 boxes (32 tabs in each box).....the Target deal is still better than this (if my math is correct). The bonus pack of 25 is on sale this week for just $3.25-the $2.50, they are just .75 each box.

That is all I have time for right now....keep in mind that I am going by the prices listed in the ad. For instance, the ad says "save up to" $3.13 on the Motts juice...meaning you save however much they cost, since you get one free. BUT, I have noticed, at the Publix that I shop at, the prices are always lower than the "save up to" listed in the ad-so you may be getting an even better deal!!

Let me know how your shopping trips go!! Sorry I do not have time for more!! Check the ad-you will find lots more of these great deals!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Civil war

Tomorrow I am going on a field trip with Maddie's 4th grade class. I am the "class mom" and "class photographer" so I "get" to go on all the field trips and be at all the class events. I was kinda looking forward to this trip, actually! UNTIL I found out that it is NOT the Civil war reenactment. I guess that happens on Saturday. I have always wanted to see that and photograph it, of course! I guess we are going to be walking though make shift camps of the yankees and confederates....it will still be kinda cool. I will post some pics when we get back home. It is supposed to be freezing cold tomorrow...and Brookesville, where we are going, will be even colder! AND....the entire field trip will be outdoors! I will be sure to bundle us up!

I took the Zumba class again tonight! This time Maddie joined Brooke and me-but she said she will NEVER do that again! I think it was a little too challenging for her....she kept asking "how many more songs?!". I warned her that it was gonna be tough-NOW, she believes me! I really have fun in that class! It is just a great way to "let loose" and have fun while working out! I have to modify a little on the last song (there is some bending) and I try to to "jar" my back too much while I am dancing! I think that it is ok, because I did not feel any additional pain after last week's class. I am just trying to learn what I can and can not do-since my back surgery. I really feel great....most of the time, but bending still bothers me pretty badly.
Well, Brett is typing out his sermon notes on the other computer-he's preaching on Sunday morning. I think I am going to turn in early tonight-I want to make it to the gym before we have to be at the school tomorrow...so that means waking up at 5:55 am! :( I really have enjoyed being back at a gym. I know most people say they hate to exercise but I truly have learned to love it! BTW-my "no diet" diet has been working well! I have only lost 3 lbs but I have managed to keep my sanity-lol!!! I seriously have not counted a single calorie, carb, fat gram or point and it has been liberating! How are all my other "no diet" diet buddies doing?

I plan on trying to get the deals for Publix this week posted tomorrow afternoon. I realized that my shopping day is the last day for Publix ad (wed) so I want to get it to you all early-so you can take advantage of the great deals too! I will also try to post CVS and Walgreen's ads on Saturday night-so you guys get a "head start" on the rest of the world!!

STILL searching!

I am STILL searching for the perfect name for this blog! Out of the few names that I came up with, everyone (who voted!), except for one person voted for "Lifestyles of the nifty and thrifty"-I think the name is ....."ok" but I am not thrilled with the "nifty" part (can anyone offer a better word to go there?). I am still open for suggestions...so, until I find the perfect name, you may see a different title each time you visit my little "no name" blog! I am REALLY glad that I registered my domain name as my own full name-so at least the address will always be the same! :)

BTW-I am looking forward to hearing about all of the great deals that those who took my class have found! Leave me a comment (so everyone can read your tips!) or email me if you are unsure of how to do that!! Happy shopping and Happy sharing!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

FYI

FYI...if you want to print coupons from this site, scroll down until you see the sidebar that has "printable coupons".....you can click at the very top of that bar "see all coupons" or else at the very bottom ..."by coupons.com" and it will pull up ALL the coupons you can print....for free! You just click the ones that you want and at the very end it will print only the ones that you clicked on! Or, you can always just print one, that is featured there, by clicking "quick print".
When you print your coupons....I get paid! :)

I have also noticed some pretty cool things on the Google ad sense side bar! I had never clicked on it myself, but I just clicked on one of them and it brought up a screen for all kinds of free samples...I had to enter my name and address 1 time-I skipped the offers I did not want and clicked "submit" for those I did want and they entered all my info for me! I think it was "eversave" that I clicked on....the ads change every few mins I think-so you may have to wait until you see it. Again....I get paid when you click!

Today's shopping trip

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Last night's class was so much fun....I loved seeing the expressions of the ladies' faces when I told them some of my tips! I really hope that they will "run with it" and save their families tons of money....and have extra to share! I meant to share a few of the scriptures that I carry in my coupon box....but I pulled the card out the night before and forgot to put it back in. So, since all of you now have my blog address-I will share them here!

"He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses." Proverbs 28:27

"He who earnestly seeks good finds favor....." Proverbs 11:27

"He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and HE will pay back he has given." Proverbs 19:17

These are a few of my favorite verses to remember when I am able to bless someone with the "seed" that God has given me!

On to Today's grocery trip!
Here are a few of the great deals I got a Publix:

Ken's steak house salad dressing-b1g1 free, price= $2.99/2, use -$1.00 off 2 coupon and they are 2 for $1.99!

Campbell's select harvest soup-b1g1 free, price= $2.39/2, use -.75 off 2 coupon and they are 2 for $1.64!

Kellogg's Special K cereal bars-b1g1 free, price=$3.19/2, use -$1.00 off of 2 coupon and they are 2 for $2.19!

Betty Crocker fruit snacks-b1g1 free, price= $2.49/2, use .75 off of 2 coupon and they are 2 for $1.74!

Dannon Yogurt-on sale for 10 for $4.00, use -$1.00 of 10 coupon and get 10 for just $3.00!

Smart balance butter spread
-b1g1 free, price=$2.89/2, use -$1.00 off of 2 coupon and they are 2 for $1.89!

Here is an example fo how using your coupons on clearance items can be done. Publix has a store coupon for $5.00 off 2 boxes of Loreal hair color. Loreal has a $2.00 and 1 box coupon as well. At my Publix there was some of the Loreal hair color on clearance for $4.00 per box. So, since I bought 2 boxes it cost $8.00, but then once you take off the $5.00 Publix coupon they are $3.00 total, take off the $2.00 off EACH box coupon from Loreal and they are -$1.00! Now.... the color is dark brown and I will never use it-but since I got it for FREE (or better than FREE!) I bought them anyway and I will find someone who will use them!! Let me know if you are interested!! Another reason why you should clip EVERY coupon....even if it is a product that you do not use!

My total today at Publix was $142.00 and I saved $104.22! Not as great as last week but not too bad-huh? The guy in line behind me stood there amazed as the cashier started taking off my coupons and once I paid he looked at me and asked "just how much did you SAVE?". I told him "$104.22" and he said "What!? Are you serious?" then he said "I wish my wife would learn how to do that!".We were just discussing last night if people get frustrated with me or not, and I have to say that I get more reactions like I did today then any negative reactions! BTW-because the store was really busy, the manager was running a register and I went in his line, HE even made a comment about how much money I saved and how he was just starting to use coupons himself! So, that should put your minds at ease a bit......the MANAGER rang me up and he did not have any issues at all with my coupons!! I told Brett that I need to make up some business cards and when people are stunned by my total, I will hand them a card and charge them for a "private lesson"....lol!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Coupon class

I am so excited about the coupon class tomorrow night!! I have talked to several people and I think that we will get some great money saving tips from each other! So far, I think that we have 17 people who rsvp'd as "yes"....and 5 who were not sure yet! We are going to have a great time!! I will be sure to take pics and post them on this blog!!

Today




This morning I met Carol for breakfast at Panera bread....we chatted until about 11:00 am, I have enjoyed getting to know her all over again! Then, I ran to CVS to get this week's deals and I also ran back to Walgreen's! At CVS they have "Soyjoy" bars (a 6 pack) for $6.00 and you get $6.00 in ECBs back! There is a limit of 5, but once I got my 5, the receipt still said I was eligible for this deal (usually when you reach your limit, it say "offer limit reached")-so I got 5 more boxes....for FREE-since there is no tax on food!I actually made a buck on the deal-since I had a $1.00 off coupon. So I got $60.00 in reward bucks back and only had $1.03 out of pocket cost (since I did not want to break a $2.50 reward buck for just $1.00-you lose the remaining amount, since they do not give ECBs back as change). I also got another pack of "nuta-trim" gum-now I have reached that limit. SO, always check your receipt-at the bottom it will tell you if you have reached your limit or not-do not just go by the signs or ads!


At Walgreen's I got another 8 tubes of Colgate, 12 tubes of Aquafresh, 4 boxes of Equal and 2 cans of OUST! The only thing I paid for was the Aquafresh...which were .24 cents-minus the overage from the Colgate so, more like .12 cents each!

The picture above is just what I got today!............and YES, there are still products left on the shelf......for NOW, so hurry!




The girls have been trying to attract birds to our bird bath and our feeder-we bought another feeder, that is SUPPOSED to be squirrel proof, but those stankin' rodents are SMART! They have figured out how to hold on the the pole and not put too much weight on the feeder, so it will not close off the food doors! Anyhoo, I bought the bird seed that said "attracts red cardinals"-not really thinking that it would attract anything but doves (which is what we normally see)-but the last several days we have a red cardinal "couple" (the girls can tell male and female apart!) who comes to eat and drink in our back yard! I love to look out of our huge back window and see them!! It is so sweet! It reminds me how God provides for ALL His creation!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Walgreen's

I went back to Walgreen's tonight....I got 4 boxes of equal (100 count packets) and 4 cans of Oust air freshner spray and my subtotal was ......... $.00!! I paid tax only-so I had to pay .54 cents! WOW! I just love getting things for free!
Well, my sources were right! I went to Walgreen's after church-I got 2 Oust sprays, 4 tubes of Colgate (with free toothbrushes included in the packaging), 6 tubes of Aquafresh whitening toothpaste, 3 boxes of equal (100 count packets), 2 bottles of Dial hand soap, and 2 lady speed stick deodorants. My total was $4.15 !
BTW-CVS has Christmas items 90% off right now-and then CVS by me still had makeup sets and other gift items! I got 2 makeup sets-that were $14.99 for just $1.49!

I have been meaning to blog about how proud I am of my kids! They have jumped on the "fasting" band wagon-without ANY prompting from me or Brett! ON THEIR OWN, they decided what they wanted to fast and for how long they are going to fast for. Brooke has given up her NEW Nintendo DS (that she just got for Christmas and she LOVES!), Maddie has been giving up ALL drinks but water, chocolate and DS, and Spencer is fasting CANDY! (If you know Bubba-you know that one means a LOT to God! lol) At first he was going to fast computer, cause he "doesn't really go on it that much anyway".....I explained that we should give up something that means a LOT to us-not something that we do not care about..he then decided he would fast candy, so God would know that he loves HIM more than candy-how sweet is that!? I am truly proud of each one of the kids, for deciding on their own to fast along with me and Brett! I am believing God for great things for our family this year!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

My sources say.......

Walgreen's has a lot of great deals coming up (starting tomorrow)! Here are some of the great deals I have found:
Aquafresh toothpaste on sale for $2.99-use easy saver coupon (for -$2.00 off) and they are .99 cents. Use the .75 off manufacturer's coupon (found in last week's paper) and they are only .24 each!
Equal sweetener is on sale for 2/$5-use the manufacture's coupon for -$2.50 off (also found in last week's paper) and you get 2 boxes for FREE!
Speed stick deodorant is on sale for $1.99-use your b1g1 free coupon (last week's paper) and you get 2/$1.99!
Dial hand soap is B1G1-use the .35 off coupon and you pay just $1.79-for 2!

That is just a few of the deals I got "word of"! I "held my tongue" last week, until I could verify the info I got-and sure enough-it was correct! I am assuming that it will be correct this week too! Happy Shopping!

I am REALLY excited about the coupon class on Tuesday night!! I hope that you are all able to come!! I had to laugh and one of my friends (who's name I will withhold!). She was nervous about putting my tips to use, for fear she would be arrested for coupon fraud! (I think-HOPE that she was just kidding about that!) It reminds me of one time when I was with my Mom and we got about 20 packs of olay soap for free-when we were walking out of the store she said " I keep thinking that someone is going to come running out of the store to arrest us"! I know that it can be a little nerve racking at first-but TRUST me when I say I would NEVER do anything I felt was dishonest and I certainly would not tell someone else to do it!! I even made some phone calls to managers of our local stores-just to verify everything I already knew (in preparation for my class). Truthfully, I had a question about a Publix coupon-for YEARS I have been combining the store coupons with manufacture coupons at Publix and just last week I saw that it says "can not be combined with any other coupon" at the bottom! I had never noticed it before-but I knew that it could not be correct since all the cashiers EXPECT me to have a manufacturer's coupon for every store coupon I have (I have a reputation it seems ;)! I called the manager and told him what the coupon says and he said that it has always been their policy to accept manufactures coupons along with their store coupons and he was not sure why that was printed on there...unless it meant no other "STORE" coupon. So.....rest assured....my nameless friend......I will NOT have to come bail you out of jail!............At least not for coupon fraud! LOL

Friday, January 9, 2009

Fun with the girls!


Brooke has a friend spending the night tonight and we all tried on some REALLY RED lipstick-just being silly! I really like Lindsey-she is a lot of fun! I am so glad that Brooke has her as a friend!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

ZUMBA!


Tonight Brooke and I Bravely conquered....the "ZUMBA" class at the YMCA! Zumba is a Latin dance class that gives you an aerobic workout. Wow, that was FUN! We laughed through most of it...we really had NO idea what we were doing! Thankfully, the instructor and other "dancers" were really nice and they helped us through it! Brooke said that it was great "bonding time". I think we will make it our Thursday night tradition (since Brett wants to workout on Thursday nights, it works out great!) Try something new this week....you might be surprised!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

FYI




For all you you lucky ones-who have dishwashers that actually work.....Target has Electrosol dish tabs on sale for $3.25 (this week only!). In the Sunday paper (I think it was this week's paper) there was a coupon for $2.50 off...that makes them just .75 cents each!

My grocery shopping went well today! My total at publix was only $104.92....and I SAVED $107.38!! I love it when I save more than I spend! That is for the entire week's worth of groceries (except milk, which I get at Sam's)! A few people have asked me "well....what about groceries?"-when I talk to them about coupons (probably because I am always blogging about saving money on personal items) , well, there is you answer!! YES, you can save money on groceries too!! Now.....I have to go put them all away-now THAT is the REAL work!!

Update: I figured out all my totals combined from today's shopping trip (Walgreen's stores and Publix)...TOTAL amount spent= $125.96 and TOTAL amount SAVED = $410.75!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

WOW!


Today I went on a shopping SPREE!! I can not wait to have the coupon class so I can show each of you how to do this too! Let's see.....Kmart-my total before coupons was $66.97 and I paid only $17.79! At Walgreens, my total was $115.35 and I paid $15.46...AND I got BACK $9.00 in register rewards!! I turned around and used the register reward bucks on my second order...that one was totaled at $98.64 and after coupons and my register rewards, I paid $2.95!! SO, I got $247.71 worth of products for just...(drum roll please!) $36.20!! At CVS I got 2 speed stick deodorants and 2 Colgate toothpastes and came out with 5 more ECBs than I went in with!!
All together I got:
6 Oust starter candles
4 Oust refills
2 Reynolds foil
4 Lysol all purpose cleaner
4 Arm and hammer all purpose cleaner
2 (3 packs) of dial
1 Chloraseptic throat drops
2 Speed sticks
2 Sally Hansen's nail growth polish
2 Sally Hansen's nail files
4 bottles of Loreal foundation
4 tubes of Loreal concealer
2 boxes of Benefiber
1 box of Slim quick energy shots
4 boxes of Kellogg's cereal
21 boxes Colgate toothpaste
1 box of Auquafresh toothpaste
1 box of Hersey's 100 cal snacksters
8 Reese's whips candy bars
and
1 fuze drink!
Obviosly, we can not use ALL of this, so we GET to GIVE it away!!
I LOVE being able to bless other people, I am grateful to God that HE provides "seed to the sower"!!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Double Coupons!

FYI-Kmart is doubling coupons up to $1.00 this week! There is a limit of 25 coupons per person per day (so bring your husband and kids along ;)-they count as customers-right?) and only 4 of the same exact coupon can be used. Happy shopping!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

So much.......








There is so much to talk about today! Where to start?! Let's see, this morning we went to church and observed the children's church...Brett and I take it over starting next week and we wanted to see how things were done! Right now, it is REALLY small! In fact, today, it was just our 2 kids! There used to be a few more kids that attended but they have not been there the last few weeks. Our church is starting up a sidewalk Sunday school program and I think that it will draw more kids in! Also, right now our service starts a 8:30 am-since we share a worship team with Highest Praise, once we are able to start it later I think that will help too!

After church, I went to CVS to grab all this week's deals! Let's see.......I got shampoo and conditioner , 4 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, a pack of Nutra gum and 2 boxes of Listerine whitening pens...my out of pocket cost was $3.04 total! It would have been less but I did not have a ECB (extra care buck) to use that was less than that! If I would have used a $3.50 one-for example-I would have lost that extra .46. I came in with $46.47 in ECBs and left with $46.48 in ECBs!!

After lunch I ran up to Walgreen's, they have some awesome deals this week! First, let me say-today's paper had 5 coupon inserts!! FIVE...and they all have really great coupons in them! Anyhoo-BUY EXTRA papers this week (Tampa trib sells for just .50 each)! Walgreen's has Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner and hair products on sale for $2.99. The Walgreen's "easy saver" booklet (located at the front of the store) has a coupon for -$2.00 these products. THEN, today's paper has a -$1.00 coupon off "GF" shampoo/conditioner and a -$1.00 of "GF"hair products. Making them FREE! I got 10 shampoos, 10 conditioners, 3 conditioning masques and
16 hair products (hairspray, gel..) and I only paid the tax on each of them!! Also, at my Walgreen's there is Loreal lip gloss on clearance for $2.19 and today's paper has a -$2.00 off coupon....making them .19 cents! I got 10 of those too! BTW...when you use a coupon from the easy saver booklet you only need ONE coupon-so if you buy 10 "GF" products, the ONE coupon will take off $20.00 (so do not worry about cutting out a bunch of coupons!)

After we went shopping, we went to Wall Springs park to feed the fish and just goof off a bit. That spring is LOADED with mullet! We even saw 2 snook! Too bad there is "no fishing" in the spring! I will post pics! Tonight, Brett and I are meeting some of his family at Cracker barrel for supper! Yum!




This is a glider rocker and ottoman that one of my sistas ,"Jodi", gave me!! Thanks Girl! ;)

Friday, January 2, 2009

Our New Year's Day

Brett had the day off yesterday, so we were able to spend the day together as a family! My favorite "peeps" to be with! We went to the mall to take advantage of the semi annual sales. We stocked up the children's church "Bible buck store"! A little bit of money can go a loooong way with the sales that we found! Kaybee (is that how you spell that store? I am too lazy to get up and look at my receipt!) toy store is going out of business, they have 50%-70% off the lowest price on everything! We got lots of little stuff (color books, candy, ....) and a few bigger items too!

Last night we all watched the movie "Pilgrim's Progress" together. Spencer has informed me that it is now his favorite movie........next to Prince Caspian (from the chronicles of Narnia)! He is actually watching it again this morning! I fell asleep at the very end....our DVD player is broken in the living room, so we have to watch DVDs in our bedroom-it is hard to stay awake while laying in a dormia! (Seriously y'all , I love my bed!) Anyhoo, I know that the movie sparked LOTS of questions with the kids......they finally moved the conversation out to the living room-once I asked them too (I was half asleep!)! Mom guilt ..........again! They were having seriously deep spiritual conversations and I could not wake up enough to participate! Anyhoo, it is a good movie and I encourage you to watch it! The Christian bookstore, in Palm Harbor, has it for only $5.00 right now-they'll be out of business by the end of the month though, so you may want to go soon!

So, today, we are going to straighten up the house a bit and then go to the YMCA. We qualified for a partial scholarship so we took advantage of it! We paid $10 to join and then $35 a month for the whole family (reg price is $100 to join and $70 a month!). When we get our tax return back, we are going to set aside the $35 a month for the 6 months (which is how long our scholarship is good for-then we'll reapply and either raise or lower it, based on our income)-so it will not come out of our budget. The YMCA in Trinity has pools (one has a large slide for the kids), indoor basketball courts, along with the workout equipment and exercise classes! It will be a nice place to go with the kids over the summer! The YMCA closer to our house is much smaller, but I plan on going to that one to work out. It is a really nice facility-very new and clean, I like that it is smaller! With the membership we have, we can go to any of them-so it is nice to have options.

Well, I need to get up, clean up, take some Tylenol for this headache!, and go to the gym....I really missed not having a gym anymore-I feels so good to say that!
Happy Friday everyone!