Enjoying the Coupon "High" in West Michigan

Kmart doubles make me happy:)

2009-07-11T11:22:00.006-04:00

I figured after showing my toy deal before, I should post my Kmart Doubles Event shopping success as well! I made several trips, but my last trip through was my most eventful. I had a coupon for basically everything making most items free and a $5/1 for the $5.99 Pictureka game, which was used with a $5/$25 coupon which made my total after taxes -$2.38.

The cashier was confused when she tried to take $2.38 from me and the register was not letting her complete the transaction so called her manager over who pointed out that they OWED me the money! To which she quickly added that she was not going to "pay me to leave the store with merchandise", so I ran and grabbed an Oxy Clean spray to make my total more and made it out the door paying $1.70 for everything shown above! (originally priced it woudl have cost $43.88!)

One of my other trips I picked up the following (again thanks to buymore4less for the heads up on the sparkle/angel soft deal!) minus the contact solution which I bough at RiteAid for $0.10 after coupons!-- and paid around $7.00 (originally priced would have cost around $48!!!) I was happy about the paper products as I was getting low on towels!!!

Christmas comes early to Kmart Shoppers!!!!

2009-07-10T17:17:00.010-04:00

I am so excited about this post. And by excited, I pretty much mean totally and completely psyched!!!! For someone who has a difficult time getting ANYTHING ready by gift time - be it birthdays, holidays, etc., -- let's just say that if you managed to get more than 1/2 of your children's Christmas shopping completed by the beginning of July, you would feel this way too!

Thank you to buymore4less for the heads up on this STELLAR Kmart deal going on right now. Currently all of Kmart's clearance toys are an additional 50% off of the clearance price. (Note the $5 / $20 purchase in the linked post!) I only used 1 coupon, but am considering going back to see if I can get some of the same items broken up into smaller transactions to take advantage of additional savings.

Here is my haul which I know my kids will be TOTALLY PSYCHED about come Christmas morning....

Total BEFORE any sales/coupons $327.55 (or $347.20 after taxes!)
Now the part you have been waiting for...
Total AFTER coupons and clearance prices = $70.34 ($66.74 before taxes)!!! FOR EVERYTHING!!!

My favorite purchases are as follows:

Bionicles - originally priced at $39.99 and $29.99 were on clearance for $5 and $7.50!

The Eye Clops was originally priced $59.99 - on clearance for $18.50.

The Discovery Planet Lab - $29.99 - on clearance for $11.00.

The Cube World digital games - $34.99 and $23.99 each - on clearance for $4.50 and $3!

The Pictureka game was not on clearance, but I had a $5/1 coupon from a few weeks ago that I used off the original $5.99 price!

Tip - if you see something you think your children will like and it is not marked down, use the price checker and scan it anyway! The Discover Kids Lab did not have a clearance sticker but I knew my boys would enjoy it and it scanned for $11.00!!!!!

As my boys are older I was mainly focusing on the boys items, but there seemed to be a good variety of baby and girl items left as well!

As an added bonus, I will get 1% back on my purchases for using my K'Ching card and I received a coupon for a FREE Sharpie Retractable Marker :) Go here to see complete list of possible prizes.

Happy Shopping!!!

Free Veggie Tales movie

2009-07-01T11:22:00.003-04:00

Click here for details to receive a FREE Veggie Tale Movie (You must pay $2.99 shipping) when you sign up for the Big Idea's e-Newsletter. Select from Larry and the Fib from Outer Space, Where's God When I'm S-scared or The Ballad of Little Joe.

Great BOGO sale at RiteAid

2009-07-01T11:11:00.004-04:00

There are quite a few BOGO sales at RiteAid this week - one that you might want to take advantage of is the Stayfree BOGO sale. There is a BOGO coupon for any Stayfree in this past Sunday's Smart Source which makes for FREE Stayfree. I get two papers so was able to get 4 packs of Stayfree for FREE!
They also have their regular size chocolate candy on sale for BOGO so if you are holding onto any of those Mars Chocolate Relief coupons now is a great time to use them! I had two of those as well so walked away with 4 FREE chocolates as well!

Sorry - no picture. As my boys were with me 1/2 of the candy was gone by the time we got home ;)

Wednesdsay Arby's deal

2009-07-01T10:54:00.001-04:00

Freebie Wednesday at Arby's today!

Today's freebie is a regular beef 'n cheddar with purchase of any soft drink!

Upcoming deals:

July 8th
Free Orange Cream Shake with sandwich purchase

July 15th
Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase

July 22nd
Free RoastBurger with soft drink purchase

July 29th
Free FruiTea with sandwich purchase

August 5th
Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase

August 12th
Free Roast Chicken Club with soft drink purchase

August 19th
Free FruiTea with sandwich purchase

August 26th
Free Roast Beef ‘n Cheddar with soft drink purchase

meijer trip

2009-06-30T22:29:00.006-04:00

Wow, long time no post - between planning two birthday parties last week, tennis lessons for the boys and about a million other things, I find that I need a few extra hours in my day!

I had a good trip to Meijer today - since we are going out of town for the 4th and as two of my family members are out of town for the next few days, I am not needing to stock up on much this week, but I managed to find a few good deals at Meijer that I wanted to get...
At Meijer I took advantage of their buy 10 get 11 items $1 deals. I used two Sweet Rays coupons that were for $1/2 MQ (they expire on 6/30) and 1 $1/2 MQ peelie from the broccoli cole slaw, as well as 2 Meijer Mealbox coupons for $1/2 for the pasta and used the cake as my freebie 11th item and got everything for $5. At less than $0.50 a pop for each item I am feeling pretty good :-)

I also had a great trip picking up coupons from tear pads and various displays - either I just wasn't paying attention before I started couponing -- which very well may be the case, but I have noticed a definite increase in coupons around the store lately. Again, perhaps they have always been there and I just wasn't picking up on them!
I hope your shopping week is off to a good start!

ohhhh, ice cream!

2009-06-25T10:24:00.005-04:00

Being a true lover of all things ice cream, I plan on taking advantage of this awesome deal on Starbucks ice cream on sale at Walmart this week!
Starbucks pints are on sale for 2/$5 - use the $2/1 MQ from 6/21SS to get a pint for just $.50!!

And then if today turns into anything like our 90 degree day yesterday, immediately grab a spoon and dig in :)

Great Deal on Kool-Aid, Mac ‘n’ Cheese, & sugar at Meijer this week!

2009-06-24T10:29:00.002-04:00

Kool-Aid packets are on sale $2 for 20 at Meijer this week. In addition, when you buy 20, you can get a free 5-pack of Kraft macaroni and cheese for FREE!

Here is the scenario:

Purchase 20 of the Kool-Aid packets, 2 bags of sugar (my Meijer had sugar for $2.79) and 1 5-pack of the mac n' cheese. Use 2 of the coupons from the 6/21 SmartSource - (buy 10 packets of Kool-Aid, get $2 off any sugar). Also, if you printed the $.50 off 10 packets of Kool-Aid from coupons.com last month now is a great time to use them!

So depending on if you have the extra coupons or not, you can get the 20 packs of Kool-Aid, 5-pack of Mac 'n' Cheese and 2 bags of sugar for around $3.58 or $2.58 with the coupons.com coupons! Not too bad :-)

One day sale at Once Upon a Child

2009-06-17T20:35:00.003-04:00

Once Upon a Child is having a HUGE sale this Saturday on select fall and winter clothing. One day only! They usually have a nice collection of gently used children's clothing at reasonable prices. This store is also a great place to sell some of the clothing that your children have outgrown!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

From 9:00am - 1:00pm -

Save 50% OFF

From 1:01pm - 4:00pm -

Save 60% OFF

From 4:01pm - 8:00pm -

Save 70% OFF

I received this message from the Alpine location, so I am not sure if other stores are participating.

enter to win tickets to Year One movie

2009-06-17T16:02:00.002-04:00

Go here to fill out a form for a chance to win 2 tickets to see Year One at Celebration Cinema.

Ten (10) winners will be chosen at random Thursday, June 18 @ 10 a.m. and each winner will receive two passes to view the film at any Celebration Cinema Theater in the Grand Rapids area.

Sign Up for Two FREE Sample Packets of Emeril's Original Essence

2009-06-17T14:01:00.001-04:00

Go here to sign up to receive 2 Free samples of Emeril's Original Essence. Complete the online request form to receive two (2) free sample packets (.25 ounce each). Allow 8-12 weeks for delivery.

Get a FREE Root Beer Float on June 19 at A&W

2009-06-17T13:56:00.003-04:00

In celebration of their 90th anniversary, A&W is giving away FREE Root Beer Floats on Friday, June 19th from 2pm - 8pm. Offer good for a small float. Participation may vary. No purchase necessary. Limit one per customer.

Coupon for free slider at White Castle!

2009-06-17T13:53:00.003-04:00

Ahh, so many great memories of the slider!Go here to print a coupon to receive a FREE slider at White Castle . Offer expires July 12, 2009.

Free Arby's Wednesday

2009-06-17T11:24:00.001-04:00

Every Wednesday, Arby’s is offering a freebie with an additional purchase. This Wednesday (6/17), you can get a Free Regular Side Kicker with sandwich purchase.

And to help you plan your summer lunches, following is the schedule of their freebie promo for the rest of the summer:

June 24th
Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase

July 1st
Free Regular Beef and Cheddar with soft drink purchase

July 8th
Free Orange Cream Shake with sandwich purchase

July 15th
Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase

July 22nd
Free RoastBurger with soft drink purchase

July 29th
Free FruiTea with sandwich purchase

August 5th
Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase

August 12th
Free Roast Chicken Club with soft drink purchase

August 19th
Free FruiTea with sandwich purchase

August 26th
Free Roast Beef ‘n Cheddar with soft drink purchase

Enjoy!

Free Chocolate Friday!

2009-06-12T10:44:00.001-04:00

Remember to request your free chocolate today!

Every Friday through September, Mars will be giving away 250,000 coupons to be redeemed for your favorite Mars product. Simply go here starting at 9 a.m. ET to enter the giveaway. You can also enter your e-mail address to be sent a reminder.

You’ll receive your coupon by mail within six weeks. Limit four coupons per household during the offer period.

Thank you Mars Chocolate relief!!

2009-06-11T17:13:00.004-04:00

Thank you Mars chocolate relief!

My coupons for free chocolate arrived earlier this week and I am happy that I didn't run right out to use them as I matched them with a RiteAid BOGO sale on chocolate going on right now! YEAH! What is better than one FREE chocolate? How about 4 for $0.06!!! YAHOO! My boys were very happy to tag along on this shopping trip!

An even bigger bonus was when I went next door to Plumb's where I picked up the two coupons pictured above for BOGO on candy which I am hoping to use if I can snag two more of the Mars freebies!

Remember - tomorrow starting at 9:00 you can try for your FREE chocolate too!

Successful Kmart Trip

2009-06-08T15:57:00.005-04:00

I wasn't too thrilled after looking through the Kmart circular this week, but super doubles are exciting enough to get me to go to the store and I am pretty happy I went as I was able to get some great deals!
Total before coupons = $25.06 before taxes
Total after coupons = $6.89 - $3 K'Ching gift card rewards
Total OOP = $3.89

Register here for a $1/1 Wet Ones coupon - sold for $2.29 = $.29

Sign-up here for an Aveeno $2/1 coupon - sold for $3.19 but rang up at $2.19 = FREE

Go here for a $1/1 Cheerios coupon - on sale for 5/$10 = FREE

Use $1/2 Pringles coupon from P&G insert (either May or June) - on sale for 2/$3 = $.50 each

Use $1/1 Quilted Northern coupon from 4/26 RP insert - $5.29 = $3.29

I used a $3 Smart Rewards that I had been saving since a few weeks ago and WON a Sobe Life Drink (pictured) for my efforts!!!! That makes for $6 in gift card rewards, 2 sobe drinks, and 1 candy for participating in their Smart Rewards program! Not bad!

Kmart Super Doubles are back!!!

2009-06-08T10:20:00.003-04:00

Yeah! As I previously posted, Kmart Super Doubles are back this week and they are doubling coupons up to $2! You can go here to confirm if your location is participating.

They made a few adjustments to their program this time and some stipulations do apply:

Manufacturer Coupons up to $2
Does not include Kmart Store Coupons
Does not include Kmart Pharmacy Store Coupons
Does not include copies of manufacturer coupons
Limit 10 total coupons per customer per day (Hopefully you live close enough to make several trips if needed!)
Doubled up to current retail price of a single item

NOTE : I called my store and the woman who answered said that she did not believe that they were enforcing the 10 coupon limit at that location so maybe call ahead and see if your store is doing the same!!!

Make sure to sign up for their FREE K'ching Smart Rewards program at the store if you have not done so already.

It just takes a minute and there are all kinds of great bonus reasons to do so including the following:

Get 1% in rewards on qualifying purchases*
Take part in Kmart K'Ching Surprises, a chance to win prizes at checkout
Receive 10% in rewards on Cosmetics, Skin Care and Sun Care products*
Receive expedited shipping at the same cost as standard shipping when you shop at kmart.com**
Hassle-free returns
Enjoy in-store events, discounts and promotions exclusive to K'Ching cardholders

So far I have won a Sobe drink, Reese's peanut butter cups, and (2) $3 gift cards just for having my card scanned at checkout! And I only signed up last month!

Now through June 21st members can earn an extra 10% on all car care products, all Craftsman Lawn and Garden, and all swing sets.

Get a FREE Two Year Subscription to Shape Magazine

2009-06-05T12:24:00.002-04:00

Go here to complete a survey on yogurt and receive a FREE 2-year subscription to Shape Magazine! No credit card information is required.
Now if we can just find a link to look as great as she does we will be all set! I will keep looking!

Great post on saving ink!

2009-06-05T09:22:00.005-04:00

I type this one with my sister in mind as she was just needing to get more ink!!!Thank you to Bargain Briana for posting an EXCELLENT tip on saving your ink while printing IPs!!! Go here to read her post!

Have you requested your free chocolate yet?

2009-06-05T08:59:00.002-04:00

Remember to request your free chocolate today! I just requested mine!!

Every Friday through September, Mars will be giving away 250,000 coupons to be redeemed for your favorite Mars product. Simply go here starting at 9 a.m. ET to enter the giveaway. You can also enter your e-mail address to be sent a reminder.

You’ll receive your coupon by mail within six weeks. Limit four coupons per household during the offer period.

Couons, how I love thee

2009-06-05T08:36:00.010-04:00

Let me count the ways...

And for that matter, I love Target as well! Everything in this picture (minus one chocolate not pictured which my kids split) cost me a mere $4.92 after matching either a Target printable coupon or coupon from their mailer, along with a MQ for everything except the Bliss bars and the cereal (which I used the $1/1 printable coupons for a few weeks ago!) Total without coupons would have been around $24.81 before taxes.
The Target printable Bliss coupon expires tomorrow (6/6/09) so if you are heading over there make sure you get your last few FREEBIE chocolates!!

And not to desert my dear friend, Mr. Meijer - who, before I started using coupons, used to take a much larger chunk of our paycheck while I got much less each week....The following cost me $4.98!!! YAHOO!!! Total without coupons $27.85!
We are officially stocked up for the summer with 4 cases of FREE water and crackers and Crystal Light a plenty!!

And to round out my shopping trip, while I was unimpressed with CVS this week and had just planned on skipping it altogether, my lovely friend Tracy reminded me of the CVS deal on milk this week which is on sale for $1.99 with a $1 ECB (limit 2) making it ONE BUCK for a gallon of milk! So I picked up my 2 gallons for $4 and received $2 ECB back. AWESOME!

Kmart Super Doubles next week!

2009-06-04T08:14:00.004-04:00

Yeah! Looks like Kmart is offering their Super Doubles next week doubling coupons up to $2! You can go here to confirm if your location is participating.

They made a few adjustments to their program this time and some stipulations do apply:

Manufacturer Coupons up to $2
Does not include Kmart Store Coupons
Does not include Kmart Pharmacy Store Coupons
Does not include copies of manufacturer coupons
Limit 10 total coupons per customer per day (Hopefully you live close enough to make several trips if needed!)
Doubled up to current retail price of a single item

Make sure to sign up for their FREE K'ching Smart Rewards program at the store if you have not done so already.

It just takes a minute and there are all kinds of great bonus reasons to do so including the following:

Get 1% in rewards on qualifying purchases*
Take part in Kmart K'Ching Surprises, a chance to win prizes at checkout
Receive 10% in rewards on Cosmetics, Skin Care and Sun Care products*
Receive expedited shipping at the same cost as standard shipping when you shop at kmart.com**
Hassle-free returns
Enjoy in-store events, discounts and promotions exclusive to K'Ching cardholders

Go! Go! Go! $2/1 A1 Steak Sauce printable

2009-06-03T16:58:00.003-04:00

Go here to print a $2/1 coupon for A1 Steak Sauce. You can also enter to win steak for a year - how fantastic would that be to win!!!! Remember to hit the back button for two coupons!

Remember, there is a Meijer MealBox coupon for $1/2 (exp. 6/13/09) so depending on how much Meijer has them for this could make for very cheap steak sauce! Also, I believe it is around $2 at Walmart and Target.

Target: Free Men’s Degree Deodorant

2009-06-03T11:12:00.003-04:00

RedPlum has a $1.50/1 Degree deodorant Target coupon here. Print it twice as there are two opportunities to use it!

Stack this coupon with the $1/1 or .75/1 Degree deodorant coupons in the 5/17 RedPlum insert to score a free+OVERAGE or $.09 (or BOTH!) Degree Men’s Deodorant (Arctic Edge and Intense Sport) at Target! My store had it priced at $2.34!

The $2.34 price is not a sale price in my store so if they are out of stock this week - the MQ doesn't expire until 8/9/09 and the RedPlum coupon 30 days from when you print it.

Still as chance to get Burt's Bees today!

2009-06-03T11:06:00.002-04:00

As of 11:06 AM EST they have not opened up the giveaway for today so you might still have a chance! I was able to get yesterday and get a coupon for myself and my mom, but it was over in less than 5 minutes!

Go here starting at 9:00 AM sharp as they will go fast! Good Luck!

The refined fine print: The giveaway starts anytime between 9 a.m. and 12 noon EDT but no one knows exactly when! To equal the odds and give you the fairest chance at a free balm, we've randomized the giveaway to start anytime between 9 a.m. and 12 noon EDT. It could be anytime. For instance -- it may be 9:15 AM one day, 10:25 AM the next, or 11:51 AM the day after! We don't know either - and that's what makes it fun! And if you don't get it one day, you'll get your chance. The balm giveaway goes through June 20, 2009.

Meijer Crystal Light Deal!!!!

2009-06-03T10:38:00.008-04:00

Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom for sharing this great deal found at Meijer this week.

Hopefully you printed off all of those great Kraft coupons last month and have some of the Crystal Light coupons left over because this is a FANTASTIC deal!

There is a promotion at Meijer this week where if you buy 2 Crystal Light To Go boxes, you get a FREE 24 pack of Meijer Bottled Water. But it gets better, because there is also a Crystal Light promo right now where if you buy 4 boxes of Crystal Light you get a $2 OYNO catalina at checkout!

Buy 4 Crystal Light to Go packages - My store had them at $2.99 each
Use (4) $1/1 or 2 ($2/2) Crystal Light printables (you might need 2 computers to print 4 if you don't have any coupons left from last month!) from the Coupons.com button on my sidebar.
AND
Use (4) $1/1 Crystal Light printables from the Meijer Mealbox on my sidebar

Buy (2) 24-packs of Meijer bottled water $2.99 each
They ring up FREE at checkout

$3.96 for EVERYTHING after coupons and a $2 OYNO Catalina for purchasing 4 Crystal Light products! In my book that makes it $1.96 for everything above!!!!

If you printed out any of the Crystal Light Skin Essentials FREE coupons from last month - they are part of the deal too! You can either use them as one of the coupons to make your final price even lower, or pick up an extra box for FREE! So I didn't think of this until now, but you could probably print off a 5th Meijer MealBox coupon for $1/1 if you have the FREEBIE coupon to make it even less!!!

ON a side note - when you use the Meijer MealBox coupons MAKE SURE they come off the final price - sometimes they scan but don't take any money off and I have had to have the cashier reenter it!

+++ UPDATE+++

There are still Crystal LIght coupons available at the Kraft site if you did not reach your print limit last month! I just printed off one more coupon for the FREE Skin Essentials Crystal Light.

Win 4 Tickets to Dr. Grins Comedy Club!

2009-06-02T17:07:00.001-04:00

Go here to enter for a chance to win 4 Tickets to Dr. Grins Comedy Club at The B.O.B. Five (5) winners will be chosen at random Wednesday, June 3 @ 9 a.m. and each winner will receive four tickets to their choice of the following three shows:

Thursday, June 4 @ 9 p.m. (smoking & open mic + headliner)
Friday, June 5 @ 8 p.m. (non-smoking)
Friday, June 5 @ 10:30 p.m. (smoking)

Good luck!

great target deals

2009-06-01T14:24:00.002-04:00

I found some great deals at Target this week!

If you look on the end caps of the aisles, this is where you will often find clearanced items at Target. Over the weekend I was able to get everything shown below for $2.18!

I matched a Target coupon with a MQ for everything except the Act mouthwash and the Bliss bar. If you have not done so already, create an account at Target.com and this should put you on their mailing list to have coupons sent to your home. If you received the Target coupons in the mail, I used a lot of those to get the following:

Bliss bar - use Target printable coupon here
= FREE

Hefty plates - clearanced for $1.68
use .50/1 MQ from Sunday paper
use $1/1 Target Hefty coupon from mailer
=$.18

Act mouthwash - clearanced for $2.07
used $1/1 MQ
= $1.07

Mini Wheats - $1.99
use $1/1 from Kraft printables
use $.75 Target coupon from mailer
= $.24

Bandaid - $1.89
use $1/1 MQ from Sunday paper a few weeks ago
use $1/1 Target coupon from mailer
= FREE + $.11 overage

Rightguard - $2.49
use $1/1 Rightguard printable from a few weeks ago
use $1/1 Target coupon from mailer
= $.49

Not bad!

Free Chocolate Friday!!!

2009-05-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

Remember to request your free chocolate today!

You’ll receive your coupon by mail within six weeks. Limit four coupons per household during the offer period.

Nestle Cookie dough printable

2009-05-28T18:12:00.003-04:00

Yeah! The Nestle Refrigerated Cookie coupon for $1/1 seems to have been reset! Unfortunately the Meijer Mealbox coupon has expired, but these often go on sale for around $2 which paying around $1 for a package is good in my book :-)
Go here to get yours and remember to hit that back button for a second print! This is a Upromise item now too :-)

More CVS shopping...

2009-05-28T14:41:00.008-04:00

I went back to CVS today to do a little shopping for some freebies and had a mixed experience. Don't worry as I don't plan on documenting EVERY shopping trip to this store, however as this was my second trip with more items I figured I would let you know how it went :-)

While I did get a great deal paying .69 cents for everything pictured (subtotal was .34 cents with .35 cents tax!) (yahoo!), my coupon exchange was a little rough at best. Sorry for the horrible quality of the picture - I was too lazy to gather everything for a reshoot! Total savings of $17.37!The cashier ended up giving me all of my coupons so I really should not complain, however I had to ask her to adjust down the price for the (2) $1.50 St. Ives coupons (from the SS 5/10) after she said they weren't working on trail size which was priced at $1.49 and I had to point out that the coupon did not exclude trail size (PLUS one coupon worked and the other one wasn't going through - even though they were the same stupid coupon!). Then there was a problem with my two Sobe coupons working - one worked, yet the other didn't at first so it was ringing up that I needed to pay for at least one of the four drinks. Which don't get me wrong, still would have been a good deal, however knowing that they should ALL ring up for free I wanted to at least have her try again!

I was very nice and patient through the whole transaction as I didn't want to anger the cashier as she was the same one who was there yesterday so apparently we will probably get to see quite a bit of each other from now on! And in the end I did walk away with all I wanted but just hope that future transactions go smoother!

Go here for the BOGO Sobe coupon, which when used with the CVS BOGO sale on Sobe right now should get you some free drinks too!

As for the Ziplocks containers, I had read somewhere that they were clearanced, so keeping an eye out for those, I picked up the last two sets - marked down to .92 cents each and I used a $1.50/2 MQ from the Sunday paper (sorry, can't remember which insert but I think it was a SS!) making them .17 cents each!

Entering the world of CVS

2009-05-27T19:50:00.010-04:00

Being a newbie to the world of couponing and drug store shopping (drug store shopping with all of the perks that is!) I have decided to take my time learning each store.

I have been shopping at Walgreens for about two months and after successfully rolling about $4-$10 Registrer Rewards (RR) each week, I feel comfortable enough to move on and learn something new. Baby steps people! Hopefully anyone who has used MQ with Walgreens coupons and RR can attest to the fact that it takes a little getting used to matching the right # of coupons and order, etc.!

So today I dragged my littlest one who is now on Summer vacation to CVS to fill out the application to get my Extra Care Card (fear not! this is NOT a credit card!!!!). You can do this online also, but you will need to wait for the card to be mailed to you. After doing a little more research, it seems that this program definitely has some great perks and will be easy to use.

I started my official CVS shopping by keeping it small and only bought a tube of Colgate toothpaste that was on sale for $2.99, used a $1 off MQ coupon (here or the MQ from the Sunday paper a few weeks ago), paid $2 and received $2 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB) which I have pocketed for future use = FREE toothpaste.

SIDE NOTE: Funny enough, the thing that really got me hooked on couponing was reading a post where someone wrote that you should never have to pay for toothpaste - it should always be FREE!!!! What a concept!!!! And after successfully creating a stockpile of about 12 FREE tubes of toothpaste, here we are...

There are some definite perks to CVS that I can see already:

Earn 2% back with every purchase in-store and online at CVS/pharmacy and every 3 months your Extra Bucks will print on your store register receipt, or visit CVS/pharmacy online to print your Extra Bucks every quarter. That is like FREE money!

The ECBs seem to have a 30 day expiration whereas Walgreens is usually only a week.

You can link your Extra Care Card to your Upromise account and take advantage of the Upromise eCoupons! (Think of the savings if you can line up a MQ, CVS store coupon, sale item and a Upromise eCoupon!)

Use the red scanner at the front of the store to get CVS coupons (match those with MQ!)

Additional special offers print on your store receipt frequently throughout the year.

Receive special savings exclusively at CVS/pharmacy when you sign up for email offers. When you register your card at CVS.com and sign up for their e-mail list you should get a $4 off $20 coupon (Remember to use this coupon BEFORE any other coupons so you get the $4 off of the subtotal!)

So there you have it! I am excited to start using CVS and can't wair for to take advantage of all of the great deals out there each week!

1,000 FREE Burt's Bees Lip Balms Given Away

2009-05-27T18:59:00.001-04:00

Now this is a giveaway that I hope I can get! Not being a huge wearer of lipstick, I love a good quality lip balm!

Go here starting at 9:00 AM sharp as they will go fast! Good Luck!

The fine print: Burt's Bees is celebrating 25 Years. Complete the online form to receive one coupon good towards either one (1) Burt's Bees® Beeswax Lip Balm (tube or tin), or one (1) Honey Lip Balm, or one (1) Replenishing Pomegranate Lip Balm.

Calling all Lego Lovers!

2009-05-22T10:38:00.001-04:00

Now here is something my boys will totally LOVE!

Go here to sign up for a free 2 year subscription to Lego Magazine when you sign up for LEGO Club Jr.

Mars FREE Chocolate Friday Give-a-Way!

2009-05-22T10:31:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to register for your chance to get your coupon for FREE chocolate!

I couldn't get in last week but I got mine today :-) Free chocolate is always good!!!

The fine print: Offer valid from 9:00:00 AM ET to 11:59:59 PM ET on the Friday only of each week beginning 5/8/09 and ending 9/25/09 ("Offer Period"). Offer fulfilled as a coupon ("Coupon") redeemable for consumer's choice of one (1) single-sized package of any M&M'S® Brand, MILKY WAY® Brand, SNICKERS® Brand, 3 MUSKETEERS® Brand, TWIX® Brand and DOVE® Brand product (together, "Participating Products").

Offer good while supplies last.

Chips Ahoy $2 coupon tear pad alert!

2009-05-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

Watch your cookie asile for a tear pad containing a coupon good for $2 off when you purchase 1 package of Nabisco Chips Ahoy (8 oz or larger) and 1 Capri Sun product.

There is also a .55 cent Chips Ahoy coupon in last Sunday's paper the deal sweetens even more if you still have any of the $1 off Capri Sun coupons from a few weeks ago (of which, sadly I don't!).

Cheap treat scenario: At Walmart Capri Sun is on Rollback to $1.72 and the cookies are $2.98. With both coupons that would make for a nice snack for around $2.15 for both! And even better if the cookies go on sale in the next few weeks!

FREE Flip-Flops at Old Navy on Sat, 5/23

2009-05-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

If you don't mind fighting crowds, this Saturday, May 23, 2009, head over to Old Navy to get their solid color flip-flops for just $1. These are while supplies last so you'll probably want to head out early for the best selection of colors and sizes possible. There is a limit of 5 pairs of $1 flip-flops per customer so plan accordingly!

another Off! coupon

2009-05-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

updated a bit from my previous post....

If you have already gone here for a coupon for Buy one new OFF!® Clip·On^™Mosquito Repellent Starter Kit; get a FREE refill (up ot a $5 value) -- you can also go here to print out a coupon good for a BOGO of the repellent starter kits (up to a $10 value!)

There is also a Meijer Mealbox coupon good for $1 off one clip on repellent.

I would love for these little units to work! They would be great on our family's fishing trips throughout the summer :)

FREE Oscar Mayer Hot Dog Coupon (TODAY ONLY!)

2009-05-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't stock up on enough hot dogs last week...Kraft just keeps giving and giving!

Request your coupon for FREE Kraft Oscar Mayer Beef Franks TODAY!!! Wednesday May, 20, 2009 . Promotion ends at midnight (EST). Your coupon will arrive by mail in 4- 6 weeks.

Coupons and samples!

2009-05-20T08:27:00.005-04:00

Just in time for the mosquitos...Go here for a coupon for Buy one new OFF!® Clip·On^™Mosquito Repellent Starter Kit; get a FREE refill (up ot a $5 value) and then go here to print out a coupon good for a BOGO of the Repellent starter kits (up to a $10 value!)
^{**** There is also a Meijer Mealbox coupon good for $1 off one clip on repelent! ****}

Go here to request a FREE sample of Fancy Feast cat food or Purina Beggin Strips

Go here to request a FREE sample of Playtex Gentle Glide

Go here to request a FREE sample of Bodycology hand soap, lotion and body mist. in either coconut lime or brown sugar vanilla.

Go here to fill out a short survey and receive a couopn good for a FREE Goetze's Caramel Creams. We love these in our house!

Happy sampling!

BOGO ticket promotion from White Caps baseball and Kraft Singles!!!!

2009-05-19T14:35:00.005-04:00

Yeah! Great news for some fun and inexpensive family entertainment!!!! The Grand Rapids White Caps are participating in the Minor League / Kraft Singles promotion going on Tuesday nights now through September 1st! Bring a Kraft Singles package wrapper to the baseball park on the day of the game and Get ONE ticket FREE when you buy a ticket!

Stock up on those Kraft Singles using the Meijer Mealbox coupon found on my sidebar and the Kraft Singles coupons you hopefully printed last week! If not, you can still print some from here! They are on sale at Meijer right now for $1.59!!!!

Looks like I am set for at least two games for our family of 4!

Full details here.

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom for the heads up!

Free summertime movies at the Regent in Allegan

2009-05-19T11:06:00.001-04:00

For anyone in the Allegan area...there are some great free movies in the lineup at The Regent Theatre in Downtown Allegan. Starting in June, each week, the Regent will feature a different PG or G rated film at their matinees -Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Admission to the movie is free for all ages.

Here is the line-up:

June 1 – 5: “Journey to the Center of the Earth”

June 8 -12: “Kung Fu Panda”

June 15 – 19: ”Speed Racer”

June 22 – 26: ”Madagascar 2″

June 29 – July 3: ”Kit Kittredge: American Girl”

July 6 -10: ”Tale of Despereaux”

July 13 -17: “Hotel for Dogs”

July 20 – 24: ”Inkheart”

July 27 – 31 : ”Igor”

August 3 -7: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”

August 10 -14: ”City of Ember”

August 17 – 21: “Horton Hears a Who”

The Regent is located at 211 Trowbridge Street in Allegan or call (269) 673-2737.

Chance for Free movie tickets!

2009-05-19T11:01:00.000-04:00

Enter here for a chance to to win 2 tickets to see Angels and Demons at Celebration Cinema.

60% Savings at Restaurants.com PLUS $10 GC with every order!

2009-05-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

Wow! There is a great sale going on at Restaurants.com right now! Enter the promotional code TABLE at checkout to receive 60% off your Restaurants.com purchase! And as if that was not great enough, now through May 21st get a $10 gift certificate to Restaurants.com with EVERY ORDER!

The fine print disclaimer from Restaurants.com: The code for your FREE $10 Gift Certificate will be emailed to you within 24 hours. Please note the FREE $10 offer is not valid on Dinner of the Month purchases. This promotion offering 60% off at Restaurant.com and a FREE $10 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate with every order is valid from Tuesday, May 19, 5:00AM PST thru Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 11:59PM PST. When redeeming a Restaurant.com Gift Certificate, these savings cannot be applied. Offer cannot be applied retroactively.

We used our first Restaurants.com certificate a few weeks ago and it went very smoothly and was quite satisfying to get $25 taken off of our bill after paying only a few bucks for the certificate! I also really liked the fact that you can print your certificate right from your computer too so you don't have to wait for it to arrive in the mail!

What did you get in the mail today?

2009-05-19T09:02:00.002-04:00

My mail box has been full of fun stuff lately! Yesterday was a great day with over $40 in coupons and several freebies arriving!

Contained in the coupon books were two FREEBIE coupons - a FREE Hunts Catchup and a FREE Cascade Crystal Clear Rinse Agent!

Now get yours too!!!

Go here to request a Home Made Simple coupon book with over $30 of P&G coupons (Cascade, Swiffer, Dawn, Febreeze, Mr. Clean)

Go here to register and receive a coupon book with $10 worth of coupons from Conagra Foods. You can also print off a rebate form here to receive an additional coupon book with $34 worth of coupons when you spend $25 on Conagra brands including:

Offer begins May 3rd, 2009 and your request must be postmarked by June 9th, 2009.

Go here to sign up for the Biggby e-rewards club and get coupons in your inbox and a free grande coffee on your birthday!

Go here and here to get free samples of Aveeno Nourish hair shampoo and conditioner!

Great Meijer deals!

2009-05-19T08:35:00.001-04:00

I had a great shopping trip to Meijer yesterday using a handful of Kraft coupons, some Sunday paper coupons, and Meijer Mealbox coupons.

From my purchase above I used Meijer Mealbox coupons (print at the left on my sidebar) to match up to A1 Sauce, Kraft Singles, Kraft salad dressing printable coupons from last week and the Ragu and Knorr sides coupons from this Sunday's paper and 2 ($2 MQ) for A1 sauce from last week's paper. I also matched up the Kraft $2 off meat coupon I mentioned last week (hopefully you found some too!) and got three packages of FREE ground beef as they were marked down to $1.91!

You can also get MORE Kraft coupons here if you didn't print enough last week!

My total OOP for 21 items was $5.14 (after using $2.40 in bottle returns)
My total savings was $50.54!

20 Free picture prints at Meijer

2009-05-19T08:24:00.002-04:00

Go here to print out a coupon for 20 FREE prints when you order online using Meijer’s Next Day Photo service. Orders must be placed before 11:59 p.m. for pickup at noon the next day and you must pick the order up in stores. Offer expires at 11:59 PM on 5/22/09. Discount will not be applied until the time of purchase at Meijer. Limit 1 per customer. No purchase necessary.

Thanks Bargain Briana!

What Freebies did you receive in the mail today?

2009-05-13T17:06:00.000-04:00

Below are some of the freebie samples I received in the mail in the last two weeks!

Freebies not pictured:
-Dunkin Donuts coffee 4 cup sample
-Cottonelle toilet paper
- Crest White Strips
- Glad trash bag

Start getting your sample freebies!

Go here for a FREE sample of Always Infinity Pads

Go here for a FREE sample of Glad Force trash bags

Get yours too by going here:
Go here for a sample of John Frieda Brilliant Brunette® Liquid Shine

Go here for 3 Huggies diapers

And while my family has no use for the diapers, I have a friend with a new baby that I will be passing them along to for her little one!

Go here to request a free sample of Cottonelle Ultra Toilet Paper and Wipes.

Sometimes companies will include a coupon in the sample too!

FREE sample of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

2009-05-13T16:42:00.000-04:00

Go here to request a FREE sample of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.

You will need to join their mailing list, but can choose to opt out later.

CHEAP Pyrex Cobalt Blue baking dishes

2009-05-13T16:32:00.001-04:00

Dealnews.com posted a great find for Pyrex Cobalt Blue baking dishes!

I have a handful of Pyrex dishes and they are almost unbreakable! (Unless accidentally dropped by your husband from the top of a flight of stairs! Oops!)

WorldKitchen.com is offering a limited selection of Pyrex Cobalt Blue baking dishes priced from $.50 cents for 6 oz custard cups to $1.99 for 1-1/2 Quart or 3 Quart baking dishes! Apply coupon code "A20350 " to cut an additional 20% off.

You may need to register for the World Kitchen E-Club list in order to use this code. Signing up is free. Shipping starting at $6.95.

Great deal on Nestle Refrigerated Cookies at Meijer!

2009-05-12T22:45:00.001-04:00

Meijer currently has Nestle refrigerated cookie dough on sale for 2/$4

Go here to print off two manufacturers coupons for $1/1 Nestle cookie dough (you may need to register to access coupons) and then, go to the Meijer Mealbox widget in my sidebar to print off a coupon good for $1.10/2 packages

That should bring the total for 2 packages down to .90 cents for two or .45 cents each!!!

Most sites will let you print up to two coupons so remember to hit that back button and get your second coupon!

Happy baking!

FREE Crystal Light Cat at Meijer!

2009-05-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

$avings Makes ¢ents: FREE Crystal Light Cat at Meijer!

Thank you to Tosha at Savings Makes Cents for the heads up on a great catalina deal when you purchase the cheese and crackers deal from Meijer as I listed earlier! A catalina will print at check out for a FREE Crystal Light if you buy Wheat Thins along with the cheese. Tosha pairs the catalina with two of the Crystal Light coupons as well making for a great purchase!

Remember - Make sure to buy the Wheat Thins to get the catalina!!

Free sample of Quaker True Delights

2009-05-12T21:57:00.002-04:00

Go here to request a FREE sample of a Quaker True Delights Granola bar. They are DELICIOUS!!!! My favorite is the raspberry with chocolate. Yum!

Then go here or here to print off a manufacturers coupon good for $1 off a box of True Delights
and go here to print off a Target printable coupon for $1 off Quaker Snacks

Remember to print multiple Target coupons and I have been able to print about 4 of the coupons from the Quaker site!

My Target has them priced at $2.89 and with the two coupons that takes it down to .89 cents. You can only use one Target coupon per transaction, so you may need to do multiple transactions to buy more! I whole heartedly belive they are worth every penny, yet I am still watching for them to go on sale!

Scholastic Books Warehouse Sale

2009-05-12T13:24:00.002-04:00

Save Up to 80% Off the Cover Price at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale!

Stock up for Summer reading!!!

Remember to register for the Scholastic Books Warehouse sale which starts in TWO DAYS!

I am really excited! There should be some great deals if the 50% off Scholastic sale my kids school had last week. You will need to register online to get the special coupon to save $10 off a purchase of $60-$100 or $15 off a purchase of $100 or more, but you can register at the door too!

Go here to find a location near you!

$2 off meat Kraft Coupon on tear pad in grocery stores!!!

2009-05-12T13:14:00.002-04:00

I just returned from a trip to my local Grand Rapids Meijer store and found a FABULOUS surprise waiting for me in the cracker aisle! There was a tear pad with coupons for $2 off on meat/poultry when you buy any 2 participating Kraft products (BBQ sauce, dressing, mayo, A1, or Grey Poupon - basically everything we just got $1 off coupons for already)!!!! Loving it!!!!

Pair that with the FREE mayo this week or any of the other Kraft coupons!!

I am planning on going back for some more mayo and will take along a couple of these new coupons to get a nice discount on meat! Yahoo!

Win a Family Four Pack of Tickets to John Ball Zoo!

2009-05-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

Go here to fill out a form for a chance to win a family four pack of tickets to John Ball Zoo.

Five (5) winners will be chosen at random Tuesday, May 12 @ 10 a.m. and each will receive tickets valid for two adults and two children which can be used once any time during the 2009 season ($26 value).

Winners will be notified by email after 11 a.m. May 12.

Good luck!

$50 in Kraft Coupons (These won't last long!)

2009-05-11T09:04:00.008-04:00

Tara over at Deal Seeking Mom alerted us to great coupons over at Kraft! Below you will find instructions to register and then you will be able to print some GREAT coupons which you can match up for some AWESOME freebies this week! Hurry though as there is most likely a print limit on these!

You will need to follow these steps to register as only registered members can print them:

Register for the Kraft Community.
Login to the Delicious Summer Savings.
Print your coupons!

The coupons expire one month from print date and each can be printed twice.

Here are my thoughts for a couple of cheap and/or FREEBIE scenarios at Meijer this week…

Meijer has a special where you buy 2 boxes of Triscuits at 2/$5 and get 3 chuck kraft cheeses for $1 each (you must buy 3 to get deal)- I printed off two of the Triscuit coupons and 1 of the chunk cheese coupons ($1 off 2) and am hoping if I did my math correctly that it will bring my total to $5 for the 2 boxes of crackers and 3 packages of cheese!

Next, pair the $1 off Kraft Mayo and Miracle Whip coupons with the $1 off Mayo/Miracle Whip coupon from Meijer mealbox (can print from my sidebar at left) for FREE mayo! You can print the MealBox coupons multiple times. Yahoo! Both Mayo and Miracle Whip are on sale for $2 at Meijer this week.

Also, just noticed that Oscar Meijer hot dogs are on sale for 4/$5 and there is a coupon good for $1/2 packages and there is a Meijer MealBox coupon good for $1/2 - so if you print your coupon twice that is 4 packages of hot dogs for $1! YAHOO! Stock up for summer!!!!

You can also click on the coupons.com link in my sidebar to direct you to EVEN MORE KRAFT coupons!!!! Remember to hit that back button and print twice!

***** update ******
I just went to Meijer and purchased 8 packages of hotdogs (6 went directly to the freezer), 2 jars of mayonnaise, 2 boxes of Triscuit crackers and 4 bricks of cheese for $6.99!!!!!!
FOR REAL!!!

5/13/09 only - Free Arby's Roastburger with purchase of a soft drink

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

Arby's is offering yet another freebie item this Wednesday...

May 13, 2009 ONLY get a FREE Roastburger with any soft drink purchase!

Choose from the Bacon Cheddar, the Bacon Bleu, or the All American. Arby's Roastburger is the Burger Done Better - Never Fried. Never Greasy.

Arby's will have FREE Deals EVERY WEDNESDAY this summer!

GREAT deals at Target, Kmart and Walmart!

2009-05-08T15:17:00.003-04:00

Two more great days of shopping!!!!

Below are my purchases from my shopping today. I stopped at Kmart, Target and Walmart and picked up the following:

and my purchases from Kmart and Meijer yesterday:

Total BEFORE coupons/sales for everything pictured above = $130.93
Total spent OOP for everything pictured above= $35.67

- $3.80 in bottle return deposits
- $3.00 Kmart gift card reward
- $3.36 balance on Target gift card

After you figure in the money I will get back from the three items above, I figure it actually cost me $25.51 for everything!!! WOW!

Here's the breakdown:

Kmart
Still enjoying their SUPER DOUBLES coupon extravaganza! I could completely get used to shopping with double coupons...too bad that is not reality around here! Anyway, here is the breakdown of my GREAT Kmart purchases from the last two days (had to go twice in hopes that they would restock some items - which they did!!)

Day 1
Total BEFORE coupons/sales =$30.62
Total spent OOP = $8.62
Plus I received a Ka-ching reward good for the 1 FREE Reese's peanut butter cup shown below!

Day 2
Total BEFORE coupons/sales = $19.78
Total spent OOP = $3.11
PLUS I received a Ka-Ching reward for a $3 Kmart gift card essentially making everything below cost me .11 cents!!!!!

Meijer

Total BEFORE coupons/sales = $35.46
Total spent OOP = $14.03 (of which I will get $3.80 back for my bottle deposit)

Target
This was a great day at Target! I made two transactions and bought the following:

1st transaction:
Total before coupons/sales = $27.61

Total spent OOP = $8.78
PLUS I received (2) $5.00 gift cards from their candle promotion so basically spent $8.78 and received $10!

Which I turned around and purchased the following:

2nd transaction:
Total before coupons/sales =$11.62
Total after coupons/sales = $6.64
Total spent OOP = ZERO!! as I used the $10 in gift cards to pay for my purchase and have $3.36 remaining on one of my gift cards!!!

Walmart - No individual pictures, but for 2 Tabasco sauces and 4 travel size lint rollers I paid $1.13 for $5.84 worth of merchandise!

I am feeling pretty good!! Especially since a handful of the items above I will be using for my son's first communion party next weekend! I will blog about that later though as I plan on challenging myself to have a great party for my son - and not break the bank!

Kentucky Fried Chicken: FREE 2 PC Grilled Chicken Meal Coupon Printable until 5/6 ONLY!

2009-05-06T09:50:00.004-04:00

Go here to pring a coupon for a FREE KFC 2 Piece Grilled Chicken Meal. Coupon must be printed by the end of TODAY! Print NOW and you use up until May 19, 2009 - excluding Mother's Day.

Includes: 2 pc of Kentucky Grilled Chicken (manager’s choice), 2 individual sides, and a biscuit at participating locations. While supplies last. Limit 1 offer per coupon and one coupon per person per visit. The site says that you are permitted to 4 online prints! Remember to hit that back button!

Walgreens is giving away a FREE 8 X 10 photo TODAY ONLY!

2009-05-06T08:02:00.001-04:00

Walgreens is giving away a FREE 8 X 10 photo TODAY!

Walgreens is offering a free 8x10 photo enlargement today (Wednesday, May 6, 2009) when you enter the code MOTHER at checkout on their website or use the in-ad coupon in-store.

If you order online, remember to choose in-store pickup to ensure no shipping charges!

Go here for more details.

cheap easter egg dye

2009-05-04T18:26:00.004-04:00

When I was at Meijer on Sunday I noticed a ton of Easter egg dying kits on sale for around .14 or .16 cents each - located on an end cap in the greeting card section. Location may vary by store! Great price to stock up for next year!

Win 4 Tickets to the Grand Rapids Griffins!

2009-05-04T18:21:00.002-04:00

Win 4 Tickets to the Grand Rapids Griffins!

Go here to enter for a chance to win 4 tickets to the Griffins' game on May 6 at the Van Andel Arena vs. the Manitoba Moose.

Only one (1) winner will be chosen at random after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5.

Ka-Ching...and then some!

2009-05-04T17:39:00.008-04:00

With all of the glorious weather we have been enjoying, I have dedicated little time to my shopping efforts. I did however run a few errands today and got some great deals!

Our local Kmart store is participating in the Super Doubles event again and is doubling coupons up to $2 AGAIN! The circular that went out in the Sunday papers only advertised that they will double coupons up to 75 cents so the store was not crowded like last time making for some pleasant shopping!

Here are my purchases from yesterday and today...

Walgreens (done in 2 transactions)
I rolled $10.50 in Register Rewards (RR) that I had from last week making my total spent OOP = $3.39 and I received $6.50 in RR back for future purchases!
(Not shown in picture, but the total OOP also includes the cost of my two Sunday papers)

Target (done in two transactions)
Total spent OOP = $2.72
I used a BOGO coupon of the Sobe drinks, but got thristy so only one is pictured!

For the Quaker True Delights:
Use $1/1 coupon here
Stack with $1/1 Target coupon here

Kmart (done in two transacations)
Total spent OOP = $3.94Today was a good day at Kmart - I earned a free Sobe drink from their Ka-Ching rewards and had to return a damaged Lysol and got the full retail credit PLUS there was a peelie coupon for $1 off that the cashier applied to my total return which took an additional $2 off my total! Yahoo!

The razors, BBQ sauce, Sobe drink and Dry Idea were all FREEBIES after doubled coupons!!!

$2 off Dry idea coupon here

Total BEFORE coupons/sales/RR = $83.87
Total OOP = $10.05 for everything shown below
(not pictured - 2 of the Sobes and my 2 Sunday papers)

Coupons and freebies

2009-05-01T08:52:00.009-04:00

Go here for a handful of $1 off Kellogg's cereal coupons! These often go on sale for around $2 making for some cheap cereal :-)
Go here to print off a coupon good for one FREE BBQ pulled pork slider from White Castle. I have not tried this yet and have not been to a White Castle for quite some time, but I will say that I am intrigued...Go here to print off a coupon for an order of FREE regular buffalo chips from Buffalo Wild Wings
Go here to register and receive a coupon book with $10 worth of coupons from Conagra Foods. You can also print off a rebate form here to receive an additional coupon book with $34 worth of coupons when you spend $25 on Conagra brands including:

Offer begins May 3rd, 2009 and your request must be postmarked by June 9th, 2009.

Go here for a coupon good for a FREE 12 oz beverage from Seattle's Best at any Borders Books store.Wish we had one around here!

FREE 5x7 card from Hallmark.com

2009-05-01T08:17:00.009-04:00

Just in time for Mother's Day, you can order a FREE 5x7 paper card from Hallmark.com now through May 4th for any occasion! Go here and create a card up to $3.49 in value (excludes cards with sound and invitation/announcement cards). You can personalize some cards by adding photos too! Enter the code CARD4MOM at check out and you will get not only the free card but free shipping as well! How cool is that!

You will need to create an account if you do not already have one, but it only takes a minute.

Order cards by today for Mother's Day delivery!

Free PDF of the book The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

2009-04-29T08:56:00.004-04:00

Schuler Books is giving away free PDF copies of the book The Alchemyst by New York Times bestseller Michael Scott. Go here to download your copy now through May 8th.

You can also go here to print off a coupon good for a $1 off any beverage at the Chapbook Cafe inside Schuler Books' store, and go here for a coupon good for 20% off any regularly priced CD or DVD.

Lots of treats for the kiddos...

2009-04-29T07:49:00.008-04:00

Today is .31 cent scoop night at one of my favorite places - Baskin Robbins!

From 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM you can treat the family to a scoop of ice cream for .31 cents in honor of America's Firefighters!

***********

Also for the kids....

Barnes and Noble is having a Summer Reading program for children.

Here are the details:

1. Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing.

2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal (printed here)to record their books and complete an journal where they tell about their favorite part of each book and have the opportunity to create their own adventure. A parent/guardian signs the journal when it's complete.

3. Children bring their completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 26th & September 7th, 2009 where they will receive a coupon for a FREE book chosen from a list of paperback titles.*

Sounds pretty great!

********

And in sticking with the reading theme...
In celebration of National Comic Book Week, the main branch of the GRPL library will be holding a talk by author/ illustrator Ryan Hipp this Saturday from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm in the Storytime Room on Level 2 of the library. He will share how he got his start making books and music for kids and discuss the three most important rules for being successful at writing and drawing. He will inspire kids to explore their imagination and inspire creativity.

If you haven't been there before, the downtown library is really beautiful and a fun place to take the kids.

Save 20% at Barnes and Noble

2009-04-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

We read a lot of books in our house and I always love receiving coupons in my email from Barnes and Noble!

Enter the code H4E7B3W at check out to receive 20% off one item when making an online purchase. Offer good through May 2nd.

WOW! 80% off at Restaurants.com

2009-04-27T13:46:00.009-04:00

I have never tried purchasing gift certificates from Restaurants.com before, however for 80% off I am going to try it! (Thanks Dealnews.com!!) Enter the word "LUCKY" in the coupon code at checkout and it adjusts down the cost of the gift certificates.

There are certain restrictions that vary by restaurant and you will still need to tip the server based on the pre-certificate amount, but what a great deal!!!

I just ordered 6 gift certificates for a Thai restaurant that my family enjoys going to - (2) $50 gift certificates and (2)$25 gift certificates...all for $12!!!! The gift certificates for the restaurant I purchased them for requires a minimum purchase of $50 for the $25 GC and $100 for the $50 GC and there is no waiting for the certificates to arrive in the mail as you print them right from the computer!

I will report how the whole process goes when we use on of the certificates, but I am certainly intrigued :-)

If you are not familiar with Dealnews.com, it is a family favorite in our household - (my husband forwarded me the restaurant.com deal)! Lots of great deals are posted daily for all kinds of shopping goodness!!

Awesome Swiffer Purchase!

2009-04-24T23:12:00.010-04:00

Sticking with the Swiffer theme for this next post, I had the fabulous experience of actually having Kmart PAY ME .57 cents to purchase two boxes of Swiffer refills. How fantastic is that?

I purchased a Swiffer starter kit at Kmart yesterday using a $2 off coupon I received recently, which after doubling made the total OOP $6.49 before tax. Inside the box was a set of 3 coupons: $2 off a starter kit (which I passed along to a friend in hopes that she will have the same luck!), $2 off dry refills, and $2 off wet refills.Kmart has the refills priced at $4.29 each (covering an older price tag of $3.99 each - must have been marked up recently! ha!).

I had a .75 cents off coupon good for my next purchase that printed out when I bought the Post Trail Mix cereal a few days ago, so I used that to offset the amount I would owe. Well, that coupon doubled as well so the cashier actually PAID me .57 cents when all was said and done!All in all, that brings me about $8.58 closer to the $10 needed for the $5 mail in Swiffer rebate I mentioned earlier! Yahoo!

Swiffer rebate offer

2009-04-24T08:41:00.005-04:00

If you use Swiffer Sweepers, you can go here to print off a rebate form to receive a $5 Debit Card when you purchase $10 worth of Swiffer REFILLS or a $10 Debit Card when you purchase $20 worth of Swiffer REFILLS.

Qualifying purchases must be made between April 1, 2009 and May 15, 2009 and postmarked by May 30, 2009.

You can also go here to request by mail a coupon book good for Swiffer products . Now if only the coupons will arrive before May 15!

Free Schick Quattro Titanim Razor samples

2009-04-24T08:25:00.003-04:00

For the special men in your life - at least those old enough to shave! Schick is giving away samples of their Quattro Titanium razors here. The first and only razor to shave, edge and trim. Oh, la, la! Thanks Moneysavingmom.com!

***Wow. Hope you got your request in as it looks like they are no longer giving them out! ****

Multiple free diaper samples

2009-04-23T15:42:00.002-04:00

No, we don't need any these in my house, but if you have any little ones or friends that do...go here for a free sample of Huggies Snug and Dry. Go here to order 3 free samples of Huggies Pure and Natural diapers and then go here to order one additional sample from Walmart.

Go here for a free sample of Good Nights Sleep pants.
That is quite a collection of diapers freebies!!!

And while this breaks from the whole diaper theme, you can go here to order a free Milk Matters coloring book from the National Institute of Child and Human Development.

Possible Kmart Freebies (if in stock!!!)

2009-04-22T15:36:00.013-04:00

Go here to print off a coupon for $1 off any Kotex product. Kmart has 18 count boxes of tampons for $3.49 which makes for some pretty cheap feminine products after a double coupon is applied! Stock up!Go here to print coupons for $2 off V8 V-Fusion juice which is sold for $3.99 at Kmart. Double your coupon and it is FREE!!!! The coupon says it is for a specific flavor of the juice, however I had no problem using it at my Kmart for a flavor that was not listed.
Go here to print off a coupon for $2 off any Pledge Multi-Surface cleaner. It is sold at Kmart for around $3.79 which makes it FREE after doubled coupon!!!
Go here for $1/2 Campbell's soups (chicken noodle or tomato) which are on sale for $1 each at Kmart this week making them FREE after coupons!!!!!
Go here to print off a $2 coupon for Post Trail Mix Crunch Cereal. Kmart sells it for $2.79 making it FREE after doubled coupon!!!
Remember to hit the refresh button to print off two copies!!!! And even if your Kmart store is out of these items these are still good value coupons to use elsewhere!

Below is a picture of the items I picked up today and paid...wait for it...$5.16 OOP. The only items that I actually had to pay for were the Kotex which came out to $1.49 each. EVERYTHING ELSE RANG UP FOR FREE!!!!!!!!

FREE FoodSaver vacuum sealing bags

2009-04-22T09:16:00.001-04:00

If you own a FoodSaver vacuum sealing system, go here to sign up to receive 10 free Foodsaver freeze and steam bags. Offer ends May 31, 2009 or while supplies last.

Free paper shredding at Macatawa Bank

2009-04-22T08:12:00.005-04:00

Macatawa Bank is offering free paper shredding at the locations below, compliments of Rapid Shred!

Butternut Location Thurs., April 16 4-7pm
Maple Location Fri., April 17 12-3pm
Zeeland State Location Wed., April 22 4-7pm
16th Street Location Fri., April 24 3-6pm
Riley Location Mon., April 27 3-6pm
Allendale Location Wed., April 29 3-6pm
Grandville Location Thurs., April 30 4-7pm
Gaines Location Mon., May 4 3-6pm
East Beltline Location Tues., May 5 12-3pm
Hudsonville Location Wed., May 6 4-7pm

(Limit 2 grocery bags per household)

This might be a good idea if you have unearthed old important papers during your spring cleaning that you don't want to just throw away in the trash!

Ace Hardware - FREE reusable tote and 20% off Ace Brands

2009-04-22T08:04:00.003-04:00

In celebration of Earth Day, today Ace Hardware will be giving away one FREE reusable tote per person (while supplies last) PLUS, you will receive 20% savings on any Ace brand items that fit inside the bag (some restrictions apply)!

Check here for a location near you to see if they are participating !

Another free earth day tote

2009-04-21T17:44:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday, April 22 Walgreen's is giving out free reusable shopping totes in celebration of earth day. You will need to go here to print out a coupon which is also good for 15% off eligible store items or 20% off Walgreens or W brand items. Coupon must be presented at either the photo or cosmetic counter.

That works for me! Between the free totes the GRPL library handed out to each library card holder (we have three in the family), the two Target bags and if I get a Walgreens bag, I should have a nice collection. The trick is to remember to actually take them to the store and use them!

Free Cambell's Soup at Kmart

2009-04-21T13:57:00.005-04:00

There is an Internet coupon available here for $1 off 2 cans of Cambell's soups (Thanks Moneysavingmom.com!).Kmart has their Cambell's chicken noodle and tomato soups on sale for 5/$5 or $1 each making them free with the coupon! I just picked up 4 cans of chicken noodle for free! Yahoo!

63% Savings at Kmart Double Coupon Event

2009-04-20T14:21:00.010-04:00

I just returned from what I feel is a pretty successful trip to Kmart. I spent $27.43 OOP for everything shown below which would have cost $74.28 without coupons/sales items. That is almost a 63% savings if I did my math right! The Aveno lotion, Glade carpet odor eliminator and the Post cereals I got for free after coupons and the shampoos were only $1 each!

I went with the mindset of buying only things that I know we will use, or things that I could get for free so I think I did a pretty good job of not going overboard and just using a coupon for the sake of using a coupon!

Being new to this whole double couponing deal, I did make one purchase where I got kind of burned which was the dishwasher soap. I made the rookie mistake of using a $2.5o coupon that I thought would double to $4.50, but apparently when the ad says that they double coupons up to $2 it does not mean that if you have a coupon OVER $2 it will double it up to the $2. Lesson learned.

All in all, it was a good shopping trip. I do however favor my trips to Meijer, Target, Walgreens and Walmart. Their prices are consistently lower from what I was able to see walking through the aisles. Now if only they would double coupons in our area too!!!!

I will say that my stock piles have grown immensely over these last few weeks which should hopefully lead to fewer trips to the store over the long run when we run out of something.

Walgreens and Target

2009-04-20T14:00:00.001-04:00

These were from my shopping on Sunday.

I stopped at Walgreens to take advantage of some shaving gel register rewards and to buy my 2 Sunday papers for my coupons, and then headed to Target for the free totes. The shaving gel at Walgreens cost me $12 OOP but I received $12 in register rewards (RR) which I used to buy my newspapers and some other stuff so it was like getting them for free! I have $3 in RR left over to use next time I go there.

At target I picked up my 2 totes, 2 Dry Idea Antiperspirants (1$ each after using 2 1$/1 MQ), an Axe trial size shower gel (free after coupon) and 3 bags of fruit snacks (all free after coupons) all for $2 OOP done in three separate transactions! You can still go here to print off a $2 coupon for Dry Idea which is marked down at Target for $2 until the beginning of May if memory serves. Remember to hit the back button as you can print each coupon twice.

Kmart Double Coupons!!!

2009-04-19T20:49:00.012-04:00

Many Kmart stores are doubling, and even in some lucky places throughout MI and OH, are tripling coupons this week! The Kmart I am heading to will double coupons up to $2!NO stores in my area double coupons on a regular basis so I am quite excited to head over there to see what I can find!

Happy shopping!

Free Tote Bags at Target TODAY

2009-04-19T14:36:00.003-04:00

Just shopped at Target where they are giving out one of their reusable red tote bags with every purchase (1 per customer). Or two if you happen to go there twice! ha! Each bag has a target coupon attached to it for $2 off GE Energy Smart compact fluorescent light bulb package.

HUGE Scholastic Warehouse Sale!!!

2009-04-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

While my ultimate favorite place to buy books for my boys is at a Goodwill store (.49-.99 cents for a chapter book can't be beat!!!) one of my newer favorite places is at a Scholastic Warehouse sale. These are the same books that come home on the order forms from school, but usually at a fraction of the cost. And don't think it is just limited to children's books because they have a ton of adult books too -- fiction, cookbooks, self-help and coffee table books too!

Mark your calendars because there is a huge end of year sale coming up in the West Michigan area:

Caledonia
Scholastic Book Fairs 8280 Broadmoor SE Caledonia, MI 49316 (800) 451-7181	Thu., 5/14/2009 - Sat., 05/30/2009 Thurs & Fri, May 14 & 15, 9:00-8:00 Sat, May 16 & 30, 9:00-3:00 Mon-Fri, May 18-22, 9:00-6:00 Tues-Fri, May 26-29, 9:00-4:00

Go here to find a location near you!!

Choose from hundreds of items for $1 or less and register online now to receive a special coupon to save $10 off a purchase of $60-$100 or $15 off a purchase of $100 or more!

I have heard that the end of year sale is great and am excited to go for the first time! You will need to register and print off a pass to enter, but it only takes a minute!

pretty convincing

2009-04-18T15:09:00.002-04:00

I remember reading somewhere that the best way to show someone how great the savings can be from using coupons and a little planning is to line your purchases up in one place and take a picture. So knowing that I had a ton of great deals in the last two weeks, I gathered up a few items and did just that (all purchases were made at Meijer, Walmart, Target, RiteAid and Walgreens)

Total before: $118.27
Total after coupons, register rewards, and store deals (without tax): $20.22

And all this with being deprived of any stores around here that offer double coupons!

This does not take into account the food items I purchased throughout the week but am too lazy to gather those items up to put on here.

***** OK, so after I started thinking about it, the almonds were all purchased as BOGO and I did not tally up the cost of the freebie almonds in my total, so if I added that cost into it the total before would actually be more like $135!!!****

Flick's Family Film Festival

2009-04-17T16:55:00.000-04:00

Now through April 23rd, the movie Inkheart will be playing at Celebration Cinemas for the Flick's Family Film Festival.

The Flick's festival replaces the Dove Family Film Festival but still offers Dove approved films at the great admission price of $2.50 for adults with kids 12 and under getting in for free!!

We have seen two of the movies in this current festival and they have been great entertainment for my little boys at a price that makes me happy!!!

You can check out listing times in your area here.

Welcome!

2009-04-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

I am a stay-at-home mom of two wonderful and wonderfully active young boys and married to an equally wonderful husband. I am a newbie when it comes to coupon clipping, but I will be the first to tell you that it has become an obsession! The satisfaction of walking into a store and buying something and only paying a fraction of the cost has proved to be very satisfying!

Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned so far is that there are a ton of coupons on the Internet that are just waiting to be printed and a ton of extremely helpful websites out there so you don't have to go it alone in figuring out where to find the best deals!

I plan on using this site to showcase my savings (a little personal inspiration!) as well as direct you to fun deals along the way.

To give a little inspiration...on my first week of coupon shopping, I was able to make the following purchases spending $7.35 out of pocket (OOP).Total without coupons savings: $22.60.
- 2 pledge cleaners
-4 cans soup
- 1 gallon milk
-1 oreo cookie
-4 packs of yogurt

Total spent below: $2.14 OOP

Total without coupons: roughly $10.88
- 1 tube of chapstick
- 2 comet cleaners
- 1 kraft salad dressing
- 1/2 and 1/2
- Halls Cough drops

Pretty fun, yes? Everything pictured above was purchased for less than $12. WOW!

So thanks for joining me and happy shopping to us all!