Crazy Coupon Mom - Big Money Saving Ideas for the whole family!

Complete Rudeness!

2009-09-30T09:53:00.003-05:00

Early this morning I had to go to Brentwood for some things, and since Harris Teeter was right near by I decided to stop by and see if they had any awesome deals. Now, really Harris Teeter rarely has something that I would call a good deal, but none the less, I thought I'd try. So with two little girls in tow, I load my cart, my coupons, my diaper bag and enter the store. I peruse the isles and really didn't find anything that I couldn't get cheaper at Kroger. After about 10 minutes, I decide- I'm good and I leave the store.

Now if you've not been to the Harris Teeter in Brentwood, let me preface this by saying that the entire parking lot is sloped with a giant hill entrace on all sides. I am parked 3 parking spots from the cart return- I do this on purpose so I can get a cart when I arrive and can return it when I leave without leaving my kids in the car and trekking 1/2 way across the parking lot just to return the cart- because frankly- I"m not leaving my kids in the car for any length of time just to return a cart.

So, I go out to the car and open the doors. I unload the diaper bag and coups, pick up Maddie and then pick up Allie and put her in her seat. My cart at this point is right next to me not moving a bit. I start buckling Al all the while holding Maddie and all the sudden a wind comes and apparently carried away my cart all of about 10 feet into this womans cart who is parked right next to the cart corral. She gets soooo mad and starts in- "Thanks so much- I really appreciate your cart being hurled into mine..... blah blah blah" So I look at the Lady still holding Maddie and obviously buckling Allie and say " I'm so sorry" and start walking toward it to retrieve my cart. She looks at me and says in the snottiest way- I got it. So fine- issue over right? OOOOH no. I finish getting both kids in the car and go to start it when this crazy biotch out of no where rams what I assume to be my cart in to my freakin van. Right in to the front passenger door. It startled me so much that I stalled out my automatic minivan... At this point she looks at me and says " serves you right ". What- my cart hits yours on accident, so you ram yours into my car to get revenge...

Seriously- how rude. I was RAGING- I wanted to get out of the car and beat this snooty 40 somthing wench to a pulp. In my younger more spirited days, I just might have, but no... I"m with my kids- this lady may have a gun- she's obviously not right. So I pull out of the parking space and she proceeds to drive up on my tail and rev her engine- mind you she's driving a silver Ford focus... Everyone is looking at her like she's crazy so I know its not just my imagination... So I turn out and she is tailgating me, revving and at one point honked her horn for like 10 seconds. Now I'm actually a little scared that some psycho is now stalking me and my kids so at the next light, I roll down my window look back and yell at her- I'm calling the police and waved my phone around a bit.. What do you know- she make the first right hand turn she could. Apparently 40 year old Brentwood trophy wives don't like jail.... Whatever- all I can say is Southern Hospitality- yeah right.

I think I like super doubles more than triples....

2009-08-27T20:26:00.004-05:00

So today I spent about 2 hours couponing with my girls, spent $14.95 at Kroger and $35.18 at Harris Teeter and got a ton of loot! Both stores in Brentwood are doubling coupons up to $1.98, so I got to use all my bigger coupons. Let me just say that shortcuts and esaver came through for me today too, as I got overage on several items! Awesome! I forgot to take a pictures before I put it all way, but here's the break down:

Kroger Transaction 1

2 cheerios
4 Fruity Cheerios
2 total cereal
--------------------
OOP$5.67
Paid 14% of the retail price

Kroger Transaction 2

1 dannon yogurt
raisinetts
apples sauce
pillsbury cookies
kroger coffee creamer
2 boxes of trix
2 boxes of total
2 boxes of hamburger helper
1 dial handsoap
another yoplait yogurt 4 pk
pampers wipes
2 fruit by the foot/gushers snack variety pack
loreal vive conditioner
1 natures valley granola bar
welches cold fruit juice
fiber one yogurt
----------------------------
OOP 9.28
Paid 16% of the retail price

Harris Teeter

4 fruit 2 o drinks
1 92 count box of pampers baby dry which accounted for 19.99 minus $2 of coupons
1 lipton tea box
wacky mac
snyders lunch pack pretzels
3 herbal essence conditioners
1 styling gel- free :)
4 chicken breast pkgs for .88cents a pound
1 gallon of milk
--------------------------------
OOP 35.18
Paid 35% of the retail price

Look What I Did With $6.01

2009-08-16T19:54:00.002-05:00

First let me just say HOLY SMOKES! Today my cousin Shaunna, who actually taught me how to coupon, and I made a couponing trip to Harris Teeter and Kroger today in Brentwood and wow- let me just say it was an exciting trip! Between the two stores, I got 3 relishes, 4 bbq sauces, 6 packs of gum, 1 suddenly salad, 2 edge shaving creams, 10 boxes of cereal and 8 jars of baby food- ALL FOR $6.01. I can't believe it!

The best part of the whole trip is that I ran into 3 people that I know, which for me is hilarous, because I don't know hardly anyone in TN. Anyways- if you haven't gone yet- you better go soon! Triples end on Tuesday!

I Feel Like I Hit The LOTTO!

2009-08-12T13:03:00.002-05:00

Ok, well maybe not exactly, but close! I heard about Harris Teeters Tripling coupons this week just last night and I immediately started getting organized, printing lists and gathering my coups! I also checked with some more veteran couponers in my area (thanks Lisha and Michelle) to see if Krogers would be tripling as well, but when they called to find out,the answer was no.

So after a great trip to HT, I headed over to Krogers just to make sure that the answer was not different today and much to my dismay- it was still a no. So my sister had to get a couple things anyways so we were perusing the aisles of Kroger and she saw the manager walking to the front of the store with a sign that said "we are Tripling coupons! So of course I almost tackled the man to find out the details and he told me that just 10 minutes ago, corporate called him to let him know that they would be tripling until next Tuesday! YEAH!!!!! So I found tons and tons of things that I needed for just a few cents and then a few things that I had to have regardless of coupons or not. All in all I saved $79.56 at Harris Teeter and spent $24.49. At Kroger, I saved $76.63 and spent $45.38. In case you don't want to do the math, I paid 44% of the retail price overall :) Are you inspired to go yet? I did it with two kids and the help of my darling sis and it was a blast! So here are the things that I got for absolute free or super cheap:

Harris Teeter:

Free:

Suddenly salad-2
wacky mac-2
welches grape jam-2
hidden valley ranch dressing-1

Cheap:

Trix Cereal
Ziplocs
Scrubbing Bubbles
Snyders Pretzel Sandwiches
Ragu spagetti sauce
Oooh- and All small and Mighty- had coups and it was a great deal b/c I can only use that kind, so I was happy!
Can't believe its not butter spread
Kroger:

Free:

Hidden Valley ranch
Cheerios
Wishbone Spritzers

Super Super Cheep:

Nutrigrain bars
Fruit Loops
Pillsberry Pizza Crust
Knorrs Side Dishes- 10 cents each
Suave Body Wash- 20 or 30 cents each
jello
ragu again
Lipton Tea
Cookie Crisp
OJ
Land o Lakes butter spread- free because what I got was orange tagged- not carrying anymore.

There is more stuff I just can't read these stupid receipt abbreviations to remember what all I got, I should have taken a pictures! All in all- I am thrilled to pieces! I got a ton of things that I was out of and filled up my pantry again! I do have to go tomorrow to get a few fresh things but in the last 10 minutes of our shopping excursion, my kids hit their limit and I knew we had to go or it was going to get so ugly even I would be embarassed, and that is hard to do... so anyways- go and get some goods and tell me what I missed out on!

CVS This Week

2009-08-07T09:09:00.002-05:00

So I don't need a ton of groceries this week, but I did desperately need diapers so here are my two CVS transactions! I went at like 8:00 at night to avoid the cranky cashier and my shopping trip was truely a pleasure!

Transaction 1

1 soft soap serums body wash $4.99
1 CVS Aprin $1.99

Coupons Used
1 Free Asprin Product coupon from CVS -$1.99
3 Extra Care Bucks from previos purchses -$3.00

Total Out of Pocket $ Paid- $ 2.48 and got back $4.00 Extra Care Bucks for my next purchase

Transaction 2

2 Pampers size 3 Jumbo Pack of Diapers $ 20.00

Coupons Used:
2- $1.00 of manufacturers coupon -$2.00
4 ECB from Last Transaction- $4.00

Total paid including tax $15.95 and got $5.00 ecb back for next transaction! Very excited!

Not So Coupon Crazy, Just Plain Crazy

2009-07-20T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well- it has been nearly 8 months since my last post. I actually can't believe that anyone still checks me out to be quite honest, but by some stroke of luck, there are nearly 500 every day.... wow... thanks guys! So.... honest truth, I have not been "couponing" since my daughter Madison was born nearly 7 months ago.... until today!

I've been saying for over a month that I need to get back into it, but really until now, I've felt like hero taking two kids to the store and coming home with ANYTHING on the list. Needless to say, I feel a bit more organized and in control, so I'm back on the wagon! I'm commiting here and now to buy, beg, borrow or dumpster dive for atleast 2 papers worth of coupons each week. This week, I bought- didn't want to over exhert myself on my first run. After throwing out about a million expireds, I reorgainzed my newly cut coups and set off to Kroger.

I spent $120- saved $58.98 so not too bad considering I was out of nearly everything and I had to buy diapers for Mad, Pullups for AL and Formula for which I had no coupons. I know it is not as good as usual, but.... I had to start somewhere.

Here was my fav deal-

Pullups- 8.99
- $5.00 mailer coup
- $2.00 short cuts loaded on card

Also got some cheap chex mix and cheerios thanks to shortcuts and printables.

I'm signing off for now, but I'll write again this week as I think this blog is great motivation to keep on keepin on :)

Walmart Finds

2008-12-02T15:08:00.002-06:00

Well- I made one last major trip to Walmart before baby comes and I was surprised at all the great deals that I found without having any major preparations before going to the store. Here's what I found

Green Giant Steamers- 2 for $2.00- Use the printables that expire 12/3 or the MQ from the insert and they are FREE!

Chex Cereal- Huge Box was $1.66- Got 3 and I used a GM Peelie that I found for $3 off 3 and got each box for .66 cents.

Cocoa Puffs- $1.88- Used another GM peelie as above and got each box for .88 cents

Trix Cereal- $1.98- Used another GM Peelie- got each box for .98 cents

Nestle Toll House Break and Bake were $2.23 each- got 2 and used $1.50 MQ making each one $1.48- Yes I am taking the easy way out for Christmas baking :)

Pop- yes pop not SODA- was on sale so I got a few of those for a treat.

Sweet Potatoes were majorly discounted- .25 cents per lb over 75 % savings.... but since I didn't know how to cook them, I passed :( Now I wish that I had bought some. I wonder if you can cut them up and freeze them- any advice anyone? I know my mom would have known what to do with them when she gets here for Christmas...hmmmm. I might have to go back if they can be frozen.

I did look for a few Christmas presents for my daughter- we are trying to do more creativity based presents and not so many darn noisy, battery eating toys this year. We have already bought a couple things off Amazon on cyber Monday, so I really just needed a few more things. This is what I came up with- Several coloring books for .97 each- including Handy Manny- her FAV, 64 crayons for $2.00, a huge set of markers for $3.16, construction paper for $1.50. Finger paints are on their way from Amazon along with a Playdoh set and an Aqua Doodle and a magna doodle. Wow- I hope this helps her be creative, because I can see its going to be a pain in the neck for me to clean up all of this fun :) Oh well- all in a days work for mommy. Let me know if you find any other great Walmart deals!

MIA for 2 Weeks

2008-11-18T21:20:00.003-06:00

Well it has been over 2 weeks since I have written about anything, but I am back online and looking for deals. I've been very preoccupied with weekly OBGYN appointments an hour away from home and dealing with a planned surgery for my daughter. Now that all is well and everyone is back on their feet, I am back to scouring the ads for deals.

In an effort to save some money and time that I did not have last week- I made a point of not going to the store for an entire week. Surprisingly enough, I made it with one exception of running out of milk, but last week I spent a total of $3.36 for my gallon of milk- total. The most surprising thing was that by not shopping last week, I still did not have empty cupboards this week. We ate a lot of leftovers last week as I was soooo not up to cooking and we even pulled out a few meals from the freezer that I had made and froze for occasions just like this one. Anywho- this week, I spent a total of $45.00 on grocerys/drugstore items.

Here's how it went down- I got $70.00 worth of food at Kroger for $20.60- this was by far one of my personal best shopping trips. My fav finds were Kroger cheese 3/$5.00, Frozen Pillsbury biscuits and rolls just .99 after MQ, and Birds Eye Steamers only.30 per bag after MQ from paper.

I also went to Publix to take advantage of the b1g1 betty crocker frostings. I actually screwed this one up b/c I forgot they were b1g1 so I got three instead of four and could not use my third coupon, so I ended up paying 31cents for 3 tubs of yummy frosting... still not too bad and it will come in use for holiday baking!

Today I ventured to CVS to do the battery deal where you buy $20.00 of duracell and get $15.00 ECB back. I looked for the $5.00 off coupon around the batteries, but no luck- I waited too long to go I guess :( I did do that deal, but I also did a transaction before that where I got the Crest Pro Health for $3.49 and get $3.49 ecb back- so I got two which was the limit and used .75cent coupons for each and then used 2 ecb to help pay for the deal. Anywho-also had to get some nail polish remover, hair clips for Allie, ect... and the one and only kind of deoderant that I can wear which was a nice $5.49 for 1 tube., so that was not so great. I'm so lucky to have sensative skin right :) Anyways- after all was said and done, I spent $24 and left the store with $15.00 ecb. I need to be better about rolling over my ecb, but I have a hard time buying things that I REALLY don't need or have a use for just to "roll them over" so instead I find that I'll use my ECB on things that I do use.... well- enough rambling for one night. Off to bed :) Thanks for checking the site after all this down time!

Sarah's Product Review

2008-11-06T16:31:00.004-06:00

I don't have tons to write about this week because I have been trying to stay home and not shop so I decided that I will do a review on a product that I recently tried and purchased again today! Drum Roll Please... Today we are going to talk about contact solution- exciting I know :) haha I'm joking about it being exciting. At any rate, I would like to announce that the Target Brand Contact Solution is fabulous! I LOVE it and I love the price! At only $2.94 per bottle, it is less than a third of the price I normally pay for my regular brand which is Opti Free No Rub Express at about $9.00 per bottle. I usually never find coupons for my brand of contact solution and I HATE to spend that much money on something so trivial... ok, maybe not trivial, but boring none the less! I always find coupons for the Replenish Opti Free with the only problem being that it sends my eyes into red, burning oblivion for hours. Now- as I'm writing this, I remember that last weeks paper did have a coupon in it for $3.50 off of Opti Free No Rub Express, but I have not found any deals to make it better than my target solution for $2.94- although I am still on the lookout! Anyways- if you use the same brand as I do and would like to try something new- try out Target :) Alrighty.... there is my nugget of info for the day- Peace out!

CVS and Kroger Finds

2008-11-03T16:05:00.005-06:00

Before I say any more- let me say this..... I do not know how I am ever going to shop with two kids. Allie is such a handful when we are shopping it makes me crazy! I thought taking a little treat of smarties candies with us might help, but OH NO. I thought that the "cool cart" might help- ya know the one that is impossible to drive because it has a big red car attached to the front of it? DOUBLE NO. Wel if you have any advice, please comment! Ok. Now that I have vented, let me tell you about my finds today

CVS

Bought
2 Pampers Easy Ups for $20.00
-( 2 ) $2 MQ
- $14.00 ECB
Total OOP was $2.60
Got back $5.00 ECB for next time.

I hated to use all my ECB, but it was a decent deal and I was out! I knew this deal was coming and Allie used her last pullup last night :) Talk about cutting it close!

KROGER

Did the 10 for $15.00 deal-

Got 7 boxes cereal
2 Viva Paper Towels
1 Toaster Strudel

Used Toaster Strudel Coup .35 cents doubled= $.80cents for 1
(2) Viva Coupons for .50 each doubled = $.50 cents each
Used three coupons value of $3.00= $1.07 per box woohoo!

Oh MY GOSH! Just looked at my receipt again and realize that I had another .75 cents taken off because of the shortcuts coupon for KIX cereal- YES! I like that shortcuts thing- I just wouldn't count on it- just nice for a bonus- so now it is .96cents per box! There are some coupons on the toolbar to the left for cheerios and different cereals so you may want to use some of those if you don't have any larger coupons to use for this deal!

Also got some cottonelle tp- the 4 pack for .99cents. Used the shortcuts preloaded coup for .50cents off and then a .25 MQ doubled made it free!

I got some other stuff with coupons- but I won't bore you with all the details. I will say to check your mail- yesterday I got a ton of Kroger Coupons in the mail so today I got a free thing of tomatoes and oj... be on the lookout!

Freebie Friday

2008-10-31T12:06:00.002-05:00

Free Magic Eraser from Mr. Clean by clicking here

Free Cascade Rinse Agent click here

If you do nothing else- do this one! Sign up here for Psssssst. and you will get free samples, tons of coupons and if you like you can fill out the surveys and get to have your say. I do fill the surveys out when they send them to my email b/c I don't ever want them to stop sending me stuff! Yesterday I got a free Venus 5 blade Razor in the mail with 4- $4 off coupons that expire 12/31/08. Last week, I got a full pack of gum with coupons (which my daughter got into and literally ate 8 pieces of gum) and kashi cookies with coups. I literally get stuff every week!

For a huge list of other freebies- click here

Walmart Bargains

2008-10-30T14:49:00.002-05:00

Today at Walmart, I found Gillette Fusion Razors for $4.94 in the regular razor isles. If you use the manufacturers coupon for $4 off that expires on 10-31-08 its only $.94 cents for a very nice razor! Woohoo! ( Did I mention that I love mens razors to shave my legs with?) I've been reading that there is a gift pack of Gillette Fusion razors on sale for $5.00 somewhere in the store, but I haven't found them yet, and this package was nothing special so I doubt that it was meant as a gift pack.

I also found the Green Giant Steamers veggies are still only $1.23 per bag and with the $1.00 printable, they are only 23 cents per bag! I stocked up on these!

Nothing else too exciting to report except that it is Allie's Birthday so I'm off to bake her a cake :)

K-Mart Finds!

2008-10-28T20:56:00.003-05:00

To start off, I will say that this double coupon days was not as exciting as the first one because I found out about it so late and practically all the free stuff was gone already. That being said- I did still get some good deals and lots of free stuff! I was able to get 1 Gillette Mens Shampoo- smells so darn good!, 2 Garnier Fructis Conditioners, 1 Aussie Hair Gel, 1 Pampers 64 ct. wipes, 3 bags of Hersheys Dark Chocolate , 2 Trident Splash Gum Packs. My total out of pocket cost was $2.11. There were lots of other "good" deals but I really wanted to see what I could get for "free" and by free I mean pay nothing but tax.

The only thing that I will say is that you have to watch the prices during check out. The chocolates originally rang up at $2.50 each instead of $1.49, so that would have brought my total $3.00 higher than it should have been. The lady was very nice and did a price adjustment to match what the shelf said the price was- but at any rate, watch the prices! Happy shopping!

K-Mart Double Days Now through November 1st!

2008-10-28T13:37:00.002-05:00

Changed my mind- maybe this week is not so lame after all! YEAH! I've been reading that tons of K-Marts are doubling coupons again, but nothing near me was on the list. I decided to call just to see and what do you know- MY KMART IS DOUBLING! So- there is a whole list that other people have already compiled of free/cheap stuff that you could find- so click here and here if you would like to see it! I've heard its the same deal as last time- double up to $2.00 for total of $4.00 off- no printables- no overage- limit of 4 of same item. Either way- I'm checking the list now to see what I can come up with :) I'm hoping for food stuff- I need to work on that stockpile now as it has dwindled :)

Slim Pickins

2008-10-28T13:13:00.003-05:00

Well- the slim pickins is in reference to the deals that I want to do this week. Nothing in the ads got me running to the store on Sunday morning or even excited for Monday morning- but here are a few deals that I have come up with to get you a few "free" things! This has been a sadly slow week for couponing, so I guess I get to save my energy for next week!

CVS

I got a printable coupon with my ECB's last week for $10 off any $20 Loreal Makeup Purchase so today I went and bought 2 of the Bare Naturale Mascaras which were $9.99 each. I used the $10.00 off coupon first and then (2) MQ for $5.00 off the Bare Naturale Mascara each. I only paid tax which was less than a $1.00. I just tried it, and its not bad for free Mascara- but I still love my lash perfect by covergirl- the kind in the purple tube- but this will have to do until that kind is free :)

Kroger

Cottonelle 4 packs are still $.99 at my store so the coupons that we got in the paper doubled will make them free... also there is a coupon that you can load onto your kroger card at www.shortcuts.com- I think this might make you $.50- but not totally sure. Either way- Free TP is hard to pass up!

I also read that the Celestial Seasonings Tea's are still 10 for $10- so they could be free too if you still have coups.

Red Box Code- Good for October 27th

2008-10-27T12:54:00.002-05:00

Redbox distributes a code every Monday that you can use for 1 free rental. The code expires tonight at midnight.

The code for today is: 93NCA5

To use the code, do the following: on the first screen select "Rent With Promo, enter the code, choose your movie and swipe your debit or credit card (this is in case you don't bring the movie back. They will put a $1 charge on your card to hold the movie, but if you return the movie by 9 pm the next day, the charge will be removed).You can use 1 code for each debit/credit card that you have, so to rent multiple movies, just do the above process with each card.

And as a personal shout to my mom who is skeptical- there are redbox locations at the Walmart on 441 and 466 :) None at the McD's by you. LOVE YA

Free Relish at Walmart/ Super Cheap Lil Swimmers at Kroger

2008-10-24T08:22:00.004-05:00

Well- today I hit CVS, Kroger and Walmart with my still potty training daughter, brother in law and sister in law. I'm sure they all had a ton of fun... hahaha... but I had to get some things done before my daughters birthday party.

We went to Kroger first, got some free chocolate milk, free celestial seasonings tea and cheap sunny d and Puffs. ALSO- Little Swimmers were on sale for $2.50 and I had a $1.50 coupon so I got a package for next year for baby for $1.00- Woohoo! Then it was off to Walmart.

Just a heads up that Walmart has small jars of relish for $1.00 and if you use this $1.00 printable here, you can get it for free! I was able to print it off several times and I got three because we go through so much. I had no problems using the coupon and even the cashier was impressed. Now, if only I had coupons for the other stuff I had to buy :(

I also looked for cascadian farms frozen veggies because those would be just .27cents per bag after MQ but apparently, my Walmart doesn't carry that brand. I'll have to check a different Walmart when I'm out. Also there is a Fusion Razor Gift Pack for $5.00- that you can use the $4.00 manufacturer coupon and get it for just a $1.00 but, again, my Walmart didn't have that either. Will have to check on that too.

CVS had everything that I needed diapers, pullups, desetin, playskool wipes and those toothbrushes for $3.99. They took all my coupons and so I paid $21.00 out of pocket and got back $14.00 ecb. Not awesome, but I got what I needed and I know that I"ll do better next week!

New Rex Box PromoCode

2008-10-22T13:19:00.001-05:00

The promocode for tonights RedBox is :

BREAKROOM

Remeber to return it by tomorrow at 9:00pm to avoid any charges! Happy Movie Watching!

Kroger 10 for $10 = Free or Nearly Free Stuff!

2008-10-21T16:21:00.002-05:00

I just noticed that the Kroger ad is out already- so now I'm a little confused. It was coming out and running Wednesday to Tuesday- but apparently- they did a switcharoo on me. There are lots of good deals, but here are some of them that I will be taking advantage of this week!

1 Box Celestial Seasonings Tea $1.00 - $1.00 MQ (Manufacturers Coupon)= Free tea
3 Nestle Nesquik @ $1.00 each= $3 minus (3) -$0.50 MQ doubled= 3 Free Nesquiks
3 Sunny D 64 oz Drinks @ $1.00 each=$3.00 minus (3) $.25 coupons doubled= $1.50 for 3
4 Puffs Tissues @ $1.00 each=$4.00 minus (4) .25 MQ doubled= $2.00 for 4 boxes tissues

I am also going to try and find some pizza roll coupons b/c I love them and those are on sale too! For a full list of all the Kroger Matchups this week- click here

My First Homemade Gift

2008-10-20T13:08:00.004-05:00

My brother in law, John, and his wife of 1 week, Rose, will be passing through tonight on their way to their new home in North Carolina. John has been assigned to an Air Force Base in NC, so this will be a brand new start for them. We already have the wedding present covered, but I wanted to do something special since they are getting a new place too! Since two presents are not exactly in the budget this month, I decided to try making my very first homemade gift. Unfortunately, I am not a creative quilter or a skillful baker so Thank God I am a little creative.

I found a basket that I bought 2 years ago and have never used and some things from my stockpile and this is what I came up with. (If you have been couponing long, these items should look VERY familiar :) At any rate- I'm sure the goodies will come in handy for them!

Taking This Sunday Off

2008-10-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

Thats right- you are reading correct. I am taking this Sunday off- sort of. I won't be clipping any coupons this week because I looked over the Taylor Town Preview and saw that there was literally not a single thing in the paper that I would use- I know. Crazy right? I am loaded up on airfreshners- I have tons of shampoos- so no papers for me today. The only coupon that I would have for sure used was the Loreal Pro Vive coupon, but it wasn't worth buying the whole paper for one coup. I am going to try and focus on the totally free coupons this week to see how well I can do. Oh- On a positive note- the Walgreens in my area is still doing the 99¢ papers, so that is awesome news for next week!

Anyways- even though I didn't buy a paper doesn't mean I won't take advantage of some good deals this week! I am already planning out my CVS trip for Tuesday. I will definitely be taking advantage of the Huggies Diapers/Johnsons/Playskool deal- buy $25 and get $10 ECB back because I have 1 in pullups at night time and 1 on the way and I have NO diapers for her yet, so I guess it is time to start stocking up! The plan is to buy 1 pullup, 1 baby diaper, 1 playskool wipes, and 1 desetin. The sub total will be $25. 79
- $2.00 huggies coupon
- $2.00 pullups coupon
- $1.00 desetin coupon
- $1.00 playskool wipes coupon
- $5.00 ecb

Total $14.79 out of pocket and $10 ecb back

This will definitely be the most I have spent out of pocket in a long time, but since I really need the pullups anyways- its either spend $12.00 at Walmart for one thing of pullups or $14.79 at CVS and get back $10.00 ecb. I choose the second! Also, my aunt and cousin are doing so well at Walgreens, I am feeling inspired to give the Walgreens program a try this week! I will keep you updated on any deals that I find! My question for you is what good deals are you going to do this week? Leave a comment and give everyone some ideas!

Freebie Friday

2008-10-17T14:42:00.002-05:00

I am going to start keeping a list and posting it every Friday of websites that you can go to and sign up for free samples. I know that I have mentioned it before, but its not just the sample that is awesome, but also the coupons that they send with the sample and after you have already used the sample. It usually takes about 6-8 weeks to get it, but I have continued to sign up for things and some of the best coupons that I have gotten have been from samples and mailing lists that I got onto on purpose. If you would like to try, below are some places you could start!

To get a free Schick Quattro Razor click here
To get a free sample of Always Infinity Pads click here - This one is from Walmart and the ones from walmart always come!
OxyFresh Toothpaste sample here
$10 in coupons from Betty Crocker by signing up for a free emailed newsletter click here

Review on Shortcuts.com and P&G E-Saver

2008-10-17T14:20:00.003-05:00

Good Afternoon All! Sorry I skipped yesterday, but motherhood was calling! I had my 32 week OB appointment and my daughter had a doctor appointment as well- so blogging was thrown by the wayside!

Today I hit up Kroger and was able to come home with some good deals- thanks in part to the coupons I loaded onto my Kroger card. While I was walking through Kroger, I noticed that Trix were on sale for $1.99. I had printed a coupon from my coupons.com sidebar for $0.55 off any box of Trix and then I had loaded another $0.55 coupon onto my card from Shortcuts.com. Grand total for my nightly snack of cereal was $0.89 for one box. Pretty good! Then I found 1 single roll of bounty paper towel for $1.39 and I had a coupon for $1.00 off that I got in the mail yesterday as a part of a Pampers mailing list that I am on. So I thought I was getting it for $0.39 but I forgot that I had loaded my card with a $0.25 coupon so I actually got it for $0.14- awesome! The only flaw that I found with the online program was that I bought a 4 pack of Cottonelle for $0.99 and I had loaded a $.50 off coupon from esaver and it did not take it off, so I guess the system is not perfect. I guess the way I will look at it is that my esaver and shortcuts.com coupons will have to be icing on the cake. If its a good deal before that coupon, it will be extra good if the system uses my esaver coupon.

Other deals that I took advantage of were milk for $2.99, Softsoap for $0.99- I bought 5 because I had 5 coupons for $.35 off and when that was doubled, it made each one $0.30. Its not free- but pretty cheap and I was out in one bathroom, so it was definately time to get some!

Oh- and the best part... I have been craving Krispy Kreme Donuts for MONTHS now and my sweet sweet hubby found a gas station that sells them- only problem is that the day he decided to stop and get me one on his way home- the donuts were about 3 days old according to my tastebuds. Anyways- the Krispy Kreme guy was at Kroger making a delivery when I checked out, so I HAD to get some. So I wasted $3.00- but it was totally worth it :)

Target - Kroger - Publix Deals!

2008-10-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

Target

Green Giant Carrots- $.99
Use printable coupon here and get for free

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars--$2.00 each Buy 3 and use 3 $0.50/1 printable here combined with $1/3 in 9/14 SmartSource insert$1.17 each after coupons

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mascara--$6.99 each
Use $5/1 from recent insert $1.99 each after coupon

Tide -$0.99
Use the $1/1 ANY Tide coupon from October P&G insert Free after coupon

Horizon Organic Milk (8 oz.)--$0.99
Use $1/1 coupon Free after coupon!

Johnson's Buddies Soap--$0.99
Buy 3 and use $3/3 coupon from 09/14 insert Free after coupon

All Small and Mighty (travel size)--$1.00
Use $1/1 coupon Free after coupon

Degree Deodorant (travel size)--$0.99
Use $1/1 couponFree after coupon

Tylenol (trial sized)--$1
Use $1/1 coupon printable here - Free after coupon

Glade Plug-In Oil Warmer--$4.14
Use $4/1 coupon from recent insert $0.14 after coupon

Dove Deodorant (travel size)--$0.99
Use $0.75/1 coupon$0.24 after coupon

Kraft Mac and Cheese microwaveable cups--$0.70 each
Use $1/2 coupon from recent insert $0.20 each after coupon

Kroger

Kroger has a program where you can load coupons onto your Kroger Plus Card to use while you are shopping. You can sign up at http://www.pgesaver.com/Sites/PG_eSAVER/Page/HomePage/ to take advantage. There is also another website that does the same thing- http://www.shortcuts.com/ These coupons can be used in addition to regular paper manufacturers coupons, so I'm going to give it a try. There were three things that I found you could get for nearly free or free when you use the e-coupon and a manufacturers coupon which are Crest Toothpaste, Herbal Essences Shampoo, and Febreeze Noticeable's, and Cottonelle Toiletpaper.

I am not going to post every single deal because there are tons of websites that already do a good job of that and frankly- they do it better than I could! To check out all of the grocery deals at Kroger, visit http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/kroger-southeast/170324-ad-10-12-10-17-matchups-done-finally.html The best deals that I saw was milk on sale for $2.99, boneless chicken breasts $1.99 lb, tomatoe's on the vine $1.28lb and doritos 3/$5.

Publix

Cereal Deals- Frosted Mini Wheats and Kelloggs Cereals are both b1g1 free and both have a printable coupon to the left on the coupon bar. If you use 2 coupons on two boxes, it would work out to about $1 per box of cereal. Not too bad :)

All the other deals are listed here: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/publix/171359-publix-ad-10-15-08-10-21-08-10-16-08-10-22-08-some-areas.html

Rookie Mistakes and Redbox Updates!

2008-10-14T14:20:00.003-05:00

For those of you who were waiting to see my experience with the Redbox movie rental- wait no more! It was awesome! Netflix is getting cancelled :) I checked my debit card and the $1 charge has already been refunded and the best part was that I could return it to any redbox location, so since I was going the opposite way of where I picked it up, I just returned it to Walmart while I was there. PERFECT! According to my math, we were paying $9.95 per month with Netflix for one movie out per time, take into account shipping and watching time, we were getting about 6 movies per month. With Redbox, we will get 4 free movies per month or more if I can find codes and then it will be $1.00 for the rest of the movies that we will rent. Will definately save money- not alot, but I'll cut a corner where I can.

Next- My friend and I went to CVS so that I could help her get a handle on CVSing and also help out with her cute little son. Well- I should have paid a little more attention to what was going on in the ad. First we both bought the wrong size Colgate because we trusted the store signage, not what the ad said was a participating ounce size- 4 oz not 7.9oz. So- I had to return it and get the correct size as of course my ECB did not print out. Then we did the propel/sobe/gatorade deal- and our ecb did not print out for that either- had to call corporate- they will get the issue resolved asap and get my ecb to me withing 72 hours. Then my friend bought the infinity pads which did not print out ECB either. UGGG! The customer service rep had no good excuse for that mishap. Anyways- this was the first time that I have ever had an issue with ECB not printing, but of course it had to happen the day that I am showing a newbie "how easy" it is to get free stuff at CVS. Oh well- I think she believes me that this is a one time glitch- hopefully :) The moral of this story is to check the ad and recheck it to make sure that you are getting the correct product in the correct size and then check the price when things are ringing up right and finally check your receipt before you leave the store to make sure that all of your ecb's have printed.

We plan to go next week again, now that she has ecb's to roll over- so that will be fun! If you would like to see what will be on sale next week- click on the link to view the ad-http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/members/stratusxp-albums-cvs-october-12th-october-18th-2008.html

Tomorrow I'll be posting the best deals from Kroger, Publix and maybe even target/walmart if I have time! Check in again :)

Something New to Try!

2008-10-13T12:19:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen those movie rental boxes at McDonalds or Walmart? They are called RedBox. I have been contemplating canceling our netflix account but I have been worried that will spend more renting them than I would on our $9.95 movie plan through Netflix. I think I have a solution.

A couple days ago I signed up for a coupon from Redbox that will give me a coupon code for a free DVD rental. They promised to send me one atleast once per week. I got my first one today so I am going to try it. Here's how it is supposed to work:

The code expires tonight at midnight and the code for today is: 7CB23W

To use the code, do the following:

On the first screen select "Rent With Promo, enter the code, choose your movie and swipe your debit or credit card (this is in case you don't bring the movie back. They will put a $1 charge on your card to hold the movie, but if you return the movie by 9 pm the next day, the charge will be removed).You can use 1 code for each debit/credit card that you have, so to rent multiple movies, just do the above process with each card.

If you want, you can try it too, the worst you could be out is $1 or you can wait for me to post tomorrow and let you know how it goes :) Either way- I hope it is cool, so I can cancel NetFlix and save some more moolah!

Best CVS Deals- October 12-18

2008-10-12T08:53:00.004-05:00

Buy 1 Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste at $3.49, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
**Deal** Use $1.50/1 coupon from August, September or October All You magazine issues or this printable coupon http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/SpecialOffers.cvsp?Section=OurCompany
Free after coupon and ECBs

Buy 5 Sobe, Propel or Gatorade at $5, Get $3 ECBs (Limit 1)
*DEAL* Buy 5 Sobe, Propel or Gatorade at $5
Use 2- $1/2 coupons from CVS Reinventing Beauty Booklet
Free after coupons and ECBs

Spend $10 on CoverGirl Cosmetics, Get $3 ECBs (Limit 1)
*DEAL* Buy 1 CoverGirl Foundation at $5.49 & Buy 1 CoverGirl Invisible Concealer at $4.79
Use buy one foundation, get one face product free coupon from 9/28 PG insert
Use $1/1 coupon from 9/28 PG insert
$1.49 after coupons and ECBs

Spend $10 on Swiffer Products, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)
*DEAL* Buy 1 Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit at $7.99 and Buy 1 Swiffer Dusters Starter Kit at $6.99
Use buy Swiffer Sweeper, get Swiffer Dusters coupon from 9/28 PG insert
Use $1/1 Swiffer Sweeper printable coupon
http://www.swiffer.com/swiffer/en_US/promotions.do?utm_source=swiffer_home&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Save%2BOver%2B15
$1.99 after coupons and ECBs

******NON-ECB DEALS******
Mars Candy: M&Ms, Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Starbursts and Skittles fun-size 2/$3.
*Deal* Buy 2 bags
Use $1/2 from 9/28RP
$1 a bag after coupons

Revlon Face, Eye, Lip, Nail or Beauty Tools--on sale B1G1
*BEST DEAL* Buy 2 Revlon Nail Clip Deluxes at $2.99 each & Use 2 $1/1 Revlon Beauty Tools coupons
$0.99 for both after coupons
*Could Also Do* Buy 2 Revlon Color Items- use 2 $2/1 and get $4 of the item that you are paying for...

Right Guard Sport, Xtreme, Soft & Dri or Dry Idea--on sale B1G1
*DEAL* Buy 2 Right Guard Sport deodorants at $3.29 each
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from 9/14 Red Plum insert
$1.29 for both after coupons

To View the CVS Ad Online- click here http://cvs.shoplocal.com/cvs/default.aspx?action=entry&pretailerid=-99973&siteid=172&storeID=2366295

For All the CVS Deals- go to http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=935177

2 Posts in One Day

2008-10-10T12:22:00.003-05:00

My Trip to Walmart-

Bought:

5 Green Giant Steamers- 1.23 each= 6.15 (2 were printed from the coupon bar to the left)

2 Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes- 1.27 each= 2.54 ( Also Printed from the coupon bar :)

Total 8.69 before tax

Coupons Used

5 Steamers Coupons for 1.00 off each= $-5.00

2 Muir Glen Coupons for 1.00 off each=$-2.00

Total 7.00 coupons used

Paid Out of Pocket 1.69 for all that food stuff.

I also bought a drink holder for Justins lunch for 1.00 and a halloween treat holder for 1.00, but that is besides the point :) This is just to show that coupons from the paper are good, but so are the printables! I already used the diced tomatoes for Chili Mac last night though- so hopefully a new printable will come out so I can get a few more!

5 tips for Couponing at the Grocery

2008-10-10T12:02:00.003-05:00

Now that I have gotten my fix for writing about CVS, I feel like I can tear myself away from it for a moment to talk about shopping at the grocery stores. There are a few basic things to keep in mind that will get you well on your way to some major savings.

1.) At most stores, you can use 1 store coupon and 1 manufacturers coupon per item. If the price of the item is less than the amount of the coupons you have, some stores will just adjust the price so that you get the item for free while others will allow the difference as an "overage." You are not entitled to overage, but it is nice when you get it.

2.) Many stores double coupons- you just have to ask so that you know which ones do and for how much. For instance, the Publix and Kroger in my area will double coupons up to .50 so if I have a coupon worth .50 off, its now worth $1.00 off.

3.) Look at the ad online before you go to the store so you know what coupons you will be needing. Especially look for buy-one-get-one free (b1g1) items because you can use a coupon on each item. Again- for instance. Say you buy land o lakes butter for $1.99 and its b1g1. Then say you are shopping at Publix and you have 2 coupons for .50 off. Once those 2 coupons are doubled, you get both items for free! Woohoo! As a side note- I find that b1g1 free are the only thing that I shop for at Publix because everything is more expensive there, but its worth the stop on my way to Kroger :)

4.) Take two small envelopes with you in your coupon box. Before you go to the store, put the coupons that you would like to use in one envelope. Then when you actually get to the store, check the prices and put the items in your cart, transfer the corresponding coupon into the envelope for the cashier. That way, you are organized when you get to the check out.

5..) Last note- DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT hand over a whole stack of coupons to a cashier. Hand them out one by one after you see the amount deducted from your bill. Remember that you have worked hard for your deals/coupons and you don't want someone else to accidentally ruin your shopping trip by skipping coupons or not deducting them. I always ask the cashier if they want the items lined up with the coupons or if they want them in the end. I've had them do it both ways, but atleast you are giving them the option.

Couponing at CVS

2008-10-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

For any of you who know me personally, you know that I LOVE CVS more than any other store! I find that their program is very easy to follow, they consistently have good deals, and they never give me a hard time about using coupons so long as they are used on the right products. I'll just say that I rarely even run into a glitch so long as I pay attention to the quantity limits.

If you want to give CVS a try, here is what you need to do. First of all go to the store and sign up for an Extra Care Buck's Card. The application is with the cashiers and it is very basic- name, address- so they can send you coups, and your email. I urge you to put in your correct email because they also email out special coupons that you can print from home! Once you have your card- put it on your key chain right away so you so NOT lose it.

Now, go get an ad and take a looksie. Nearly every ad, there are things that are free after extra care bucks (ecb). So for instance, I bought 1 Vitamin water for 2.29. When I checked out, an extra card buck printed out for $2.29 that I can use like cash on my next transaction. The trick is to use coupons whenever possible so you actually spend less that what you are getting back in extra care bucks. I didn't have a coupon, so that didn't work for me, but I did have extra care bucks from my purchase a week ago, so that paid for my water that gave me more ECB's for next time. The easiest way to illustrate this is to show give you a run down of my purchases and you'll see how it works.

First the cashier scans my ECB card on my key chain and I purchased:

1 vitamin water- 2.29

1 always infinity pads- 4.98

1 Box Pediasure granola bars- 1.49 on clearance

1 More box of Pediasure granola bars- 1.49 on clearance

2 CVS pocket kleenexes for total of .99

So total cost was 11.24 plus tax less the following coupons and ecb from last transaction

-1.00 pediasure product coupon

-5.79 ecb from last time

-3.00 ecb from last time.

Total Paid Out of Pocket- 65 cents. (45 cents plu 20 cents tax)

When my receipt printed out- I got 2.29 ecb from water, 4.98 ecb from pads, and 2 CVS coupons that can be combined with manufacturers coupons for $3.00 off fusion razors- my favorite- how do they know :)

Yeah! And that is why I love CVS! You can do this week after week after week and so long as you use ligitimate coupons on the right products, you are not doing anything wrong, you are just being a smart shopper. One other thing to remember is to check out the clearance isle or table. They discontinue things all the time to make room for more stuff and they mark down things up to 90% off, so if you can combine that with a coupon- you have potential for some cool free stuff! I don't normally buy pediasure granola bars, but since they were a good deal and a healthier option of a snack on the go for my kid, I felt like 50 cents per box was worth using up a little of my ecbs :) The other thing to remember is that even if you don't need the items right this second, it is worth it to purchase it if you can get it for free or super cheap. If I left anything out, just post a comment and I'll be glad to answer if I can :)

Couponing 102- Organizing Your Stash of Coupons

2008-10-08T12:47:00.004-05:00

Alright- Now that you know how to get coupons, here's what you do to get them organized. There are two ways that I know of- the coupon box and the coupon binder. My coupon box is pictured to the left- I know- its not that cute but it works great for me. It is just an index card box with index cards to divide coupons into categories- it literally cost me $1.50 at Walmart and the only thing I have done since I set it up is upgraded the size of the box and added more categories. I wanted something I could carry in my diaper bag all the time with me, so I chose the box.

My suggestion with the categories is to set them up by the type of item, not by brand, but you can of course try both ways. I have had to become more specific as I aquire more coupons- for instance, I used to just have dairy- now I have yogurt, cheese, and then everything else goes into dairy. My groupings are as follows, in alphabetical order of course- airfreshners, baby stuff, canned veggies, canned fruits, canned other, cheese, cereal, cleaning products, condiments, deoderant, diapers, drinks, frozen, frozen veggies, frozen desserts, garbage bags, handsoap, HBA, kleenex, kroger coupons, laundry items, lightbulbs, makeup, meat, medicine, office supplies, paper towel, pasta, peanut butter/jelly, pillsbury items, publix coupons, razors, salad- bagged variety, shampoo, snacks, soups, spagetti sauce, spice/marinades, toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste/mouthwash, vitamins, and ziplocs.

The other method is to use a binder like you would put baseball cards in. You would buy the little baseball card pages and organize them in the same fashion as above. The reason I opted out of this one, is because at first I tried to use one of the premade "coupon envelopes" that have like 13 slots for coupons but this was too small and confining for me and I felt like the binder would be the same way. Regardless, it is totally up to you how you want to do it and if you find a better way for either one, PLEASE tell me! I am always up for suggestions! So go get your coupons organized because tomorrow I"ll show you all the fun things I got at CVS today for a grand total of 65 cents and then you'll want to go do the same! Happy Organizing!

Couponing 101- Lets Get Started!

2008-10-07T11:56:00.008-05:00

After much debate and lots of urging from family and friends, I have decided to jump into my very own coupon blog. I have been posting some of my great finds with pictures which was great, but it didn't really explain how I got to the point of paying so little for so much stuff. My goal is just to condense a lot of information into a user friendly resource for new couponers so they can save money too!

The first week, I am going to focus on couponing basics and from there I will move onto different deals and scenarios at my favorite stores like CVS, Kroger, Walmart and Target. During the first week, there will be 5 parts, one every day, so that by Saturday, you will know all the basics and you will be ready to get your coupon box all set up for shopping! The first question to answer is how to get coupons. Here are 7 ideas that will help you get started~ If you have questions or suggestions, please leave me a comment!

Couponing 101- Aquiring Coupons!

1. Your local newspaper- This is the easiest and fastest way to get a lot of coupons into your hot little hands! There are 3 different coupon inserts but not every paper includes all of them. If your paper doesn't carry all 3 inserts, you may want to check into getting a different paper.The easiest way to find out what inserts your local paper carries, go to http://www.hotcouponworld.com/ click on "coupon resources." Then click on "inserts by state." Find your state and compare what inserts it gets with other local papers. Personally, I have been going to Walgreens to get their $.99 Tennessean, but I’ve seen signs that this was the last week for that promotion, so I will be on the lookout for a new place to get papers. Many people have the paper delivered to their home, but I haven’t found a good enough promotion to make it worth my while yet. Notice I say yet, I keep checking just in case. I usually buy 3 papers and I know for a fact that the coupons I use, pay for the $3 worth of papers every time!

2. Ask friends and family to save their inserts for you. Lots of people get a newspaper, but don't use any of the coupons. For example, my sister works the night shift at a hospital and actually gets them out of the break room at the end of the night for her and I.

3. The internet. Ok, here’s my plug: First of all, my little coupon printer over to the left is an advertisement for me. You support http://www.crazycouponmom.com/ every time you print coupons from there. I am in no means going to get rich from you printing coupons from there, but if you need the coupon anyway, it would be great if you printed from there. I have also put up some great sites for printing coupons from the internet. I don’t receive anything for referring you there, but they are the sites that I have found to have the best coupons and be the easiest to use. A few stores do not take IP's or internet printables and at some stores, there seems to be discrepancies. For instance, according to Walmart's coupon policy that I found online, they do accept IP's, but I have heard that some cashiers there had never even seen one and thought that they were photocopied coupons. I have never personally had any problems with IP's but if it happens to you, I would just ask for a CSM to clarify the coupon policy. I also have resorted to taking in a copy of the stores coupon policy, so that if there are discrepancies, they can easily be resolved. Walmarts coupon policy can be found at http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx

4. Blinkies and Peelies- Keep your eyes open while at the store. Many stores will have special displays that have coupons or there are little machines called blinkies that distribute coupons. I have gotten some of my best coupons from these blinkies or tear pads just sitting next to merchandise. Peelies are like stickers and they are found on products that you can just “peel” off and use.

5. Get on their mailing list. I signed up with Kroger and they have on 3 occasions sent me coupons for $7.50 off any $50.00 purchase- good one per week for 4 weeks, and remember that is $50.00 before coupons, so it was an awesome bonus to the other coupons that they sent me as well.

6. Free samples. The best part of free samples are the coupons that come inside the sample! I have not gotten one sample that did not come with a coupon. This may also get you on their mailing list to receive more mail from them. I don’t see it as junk mail, I see it as a gift from the company. It makes going to the mail box less depressing and after a while you will come to enjoy your trek to the mailbox, as you may receive more free coupons and samples than bills per day!

7. Purchase Coupons- If there is any awesome deal that you have to have coupons for, you might consider buying them. There are two websites that sell coupons: The Coupon Master and The Coupon Clipper. I have never used these services, but I have heard very good things about them.

When you are actually looking for coupons, you will find that they are everywhere. Keep your eyes and ears open, and you will be amazed at how fast you can accumulate a large stash of coupons.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2008-10-06T11:50:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, we went to the coolest Pumkin Patch with Allie. First off- They had baby farm animals like goats and pigs and cows to go feed which was so cute because Allie knows all the names of the animals now and so she can ask to go see them again and again. I"ll just say, I'm not sure of why the obsession with Chickens, but we spent a lot of time with the chickens. She was also a big fan of the goats- Maybe thats because they were on the roof of the goat house... but at any rate, we spent a good hour on animals. Next we went to the kids play area and she played in a "corn box" much like a sand box, but better. I actually had to physically go in and drag her out, otherwise, we might still be at the pumpkin patch right now. We rode play tractors, tire swings, attemped a hay maze and climbed on stacked bails of hay until the heat got to be too much. On our way out, we let Allie pick out a pumpkin and I'll have to say- she did a good job. She knows it is hers and does not want anyone carting it off anywhere, so she keeps a very close eye on it!

I am definately paying for the trip to the pumkin patch though as my back is still killing me and its Monday. The worst part of it is that I can't sleep, so I know that my patience is not what it should be. I've tried literally everything tylenol, baths, hot pads, ice and really the only thing that helps a little are these yoga positions that I found online. Maybe once Madison is born, I'll take a class, because I think I'm a believer now. I hate sitting around, so this is quite torturous for me and poor Allie does not understand why I won't play on the floor with her. Anyways- My sweet hubby cleaned the whole house on Sunday which was so awesome because, I'll be honest, the three of us can wreck a house in a hurry, so I hate to get too far behind. Thats pretty much our weekend in a nutshell- I think I'll clip some coupons now and sit on my fanny just a little more :(

K-Mart Goodies!

2008-10-02T08:45:00.003-05:00

I'd like to start by saying that last night was the nicest of shopping experiences that I have EVER had at K-Mart. I am not a regular shopper, but the deals yesterday were too good to pass up. I thought that I would go without Allie or Justin but as it turns out, Justin needed to work late, so I took my potty training tot with me! We actually made about 7, yes 7, trips to the bathroom with one pee pee success so it was all worth it, however, being 30 weeks pregnant, I will admit all that walking has my back aching! Anyways- thats a whole another post.

The shoppers were sooo nice! Pretty much everyone who was there at 7:00pm were all couponers. Everyone was helpful- pointing out things that could be free if you have the right coupons. There was no dirty looks, no competition for items, just lots of happy helpful couponers! It was a little funny b/c there was so much action in the HBA and Food Isles, and the rest of the store was DEAD. Anyways- I walked away with a lot of good deals. I spent $7.10, $4.00 of which I can attribute to good ole Tennessee sales tax of 9.75%. I did get a Pert rebate on one of my bottles, so I'll turn that in for $2.99 with a final out of pocket of $4.11. Not too shabby for what we got :) I'm sure there were more deals to be had, but frankly- I had already been to Publix and Kroger earlier and poor Allie was so over couponing after about an hour. So, if you haven't already been, go see if there is anything left :)

Get You and Your Coupons to K-Mart ASAP

2008-10-01T13:00:00.003-05:00

I just read at www.commonsensewithmoney.com that K-Mart is doubling coupons up to and including $2.00! I won't elaborate because she already did such a great job of compiling all of the information, but I did call 2 of our K-Marts here in TN just to see, and both are knowingly participating! She also lists out what you can find for FREE or super cheap, so check it out! I am soooo excited b/c there is not a store around here that doubles more than .50cent coupons- so don't call me- I'll be at K-Mart- sans hubby and child :)

Paid 11% of the Actual Retail Price Out of Pocket at CVS

2008-09-29T12:00:00.003-05:00

My trip to CVS was prompted by a need for Q-Tips and some expiring extra care bucks- so this is what I came up with.

2 CVS Cotton Swab- 2 X $1.50= $3.00
Gillette Fusion Razor $9.99
1 Covergirl Clean Makeup $5.49
1 Covergirl Concealer $4.79
4 Dawn Hand Renewal Dishsoaps- 4 X $.99= $3.96

Coupons Used
-1.00 Dawn
-1.00 Dawn
-1.00 Dawn
-.96 Dawn
- 4.00 Gillette Fusion
-4.79 Covergirl buy foundation- get another face product free
-5.00 $5/$25 CVS coupons
-7.00 ECB

Total OOP- $3.96 including tax

The subtotal was $2.48 plus tax which comes to $3.96 out of pocket and saved $31.33. This was a pretty good shopping trip but I also learned something today as I am still a newbie. I could have paid even less out of pocket if I would have had another 52 cents worth of something so that I could have used my $3 ecb from last week. I couldn't use it because the ecb value has to be less than the subtotal before tax in order to use it. Anyways- I paid $3.96 out of pocket and left with my $3 ecb from last week, $5.79 ecb from the covergirl makeup, and $5.00 ecb from the razor. Not too shabby! All of the stuff that I bought, I can eventually use, but since I got 89% of it for free, I would like to get a big stockpile going this winter and then have a sale in the spring and make some money! Cross your fingers and wish me luck!

Random Thoughts....

2008-09-24T07:29:00.002-05:00

Well its been over a week since I've written so I thought it must be time for a new post. Nothing too major has happened here but there were a few minor points to highlight...

1. The return of NORMAL programming is back! Yeah! After last years writers strike, I thought we would never get back to this point, but to my eternal gratefulness, Greys Anatomy AND the Office will be returning on Thursday night. the question for me is which one to watch live and which one to TiVo? Regardless- this is probably in the top 3 highlights of my week :)

2.Do not put your kid on the kitchen counter! For a long time now, Allie has been sitting on the kitchen counter while I make dinner. She watches and is far away from the stove, so I always thought she was pretty safe. I never have left her feet dangling and she has never moved before, so it has always been a nice little treat for her to get to sit and talk to momma and have a sippy cup while I cook. So on Saturday, Allie was sitting on the counter and Justin questioned if that was really a good idea. I assured him that we do it all the time and it has never been a problem and then all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I see her falling head first to the floor.Great timeing... I feel like the worlds worst mom ever! The image still makes me sick to my stomach :( Poor Al! Well, she got a huge goose egg on her head, but her pediatrician assured me that she is fine... (As in she will live or as in she will be her same old self?) Anyways- right after it happened, she was of course inconsolable and I was worried that she may have broken a bone or something even worse. She can talk, but of course would not as she was very upset... which takes me to point #3.

3. Classic Toys rock! We had found a Mr. Potato Head at Walmart and had bought it for her birthday in October. Justin went and grabbed it out of the closet during all of the crying (mine and hers) and showed it to her and she immediately stopped crying and was able to answer our questions- Where does it hurt? Can you move your arm? She has played with that thing non stop for the last 3 days. So just when they say that American kids watch too much TV and play too many video games, my kid is happy with a Classic, non battery powered, unplugableinable classic Mr. Potato Head. Maybe I'm not the worst mom in the world after all :)

Thank God for the Terrible Two's

2008-09-12T11:38:00.005-05:00

Even though Allie's 2nd birthday is 2 months away- I firmly believe that she is already in the terrible two's! She is normally very sweet, but I have seen an increase in temper tantrums, have to have it my way fits, and all out crying for no apparent reason. Now I realize that hopefully this is a phase and we will get through it, but it does not always help me to remain patient and effectively parent... How do I know this... Well- yesterday Allie told me to "Go Away" which is something that I tell her to do when she is whining for no reason and she won't allow me to help her get over her issue. Maybe its not the best method- but hey- Allie is my first and I am still learning too.

Anyways- all that background to say this. Yesterday Allie woke up from her nap about 1/2 hour early, but I didn't really think much of it and I let her get up. She grumbled around the house for about an hour and I was at the end of my rope! I suggested that she go lay down in her bed again. She didn't fight the idea so I led her back up to her bed and laid her down. Once she was in bed she said "lay down mommy- PLEASE?" Well. The please sealed the deal. I could not resist. Normally there is no way I would lay down with her b/c I do NOT repeat do NOT want to have to lay with her every night to get her to go to sleep again, but since it was the second nap of the day, I figured why not? Well- I am really glad I did. I know that I could have used the time to clean or cook or whatever, but I felt like 20 minutes wouldn't turn the house into dump, so I laid down. She ever so carefully tucked me in just like we do for her and then she gave me a hug, never let go and went right to sleep! After about a half hour, we both woke up, but it wasn't the usual- WAKE UP MOMMY- it was a nice sweet "Sleep good mommy?" Anyways- the moral of my story- Peet and repeat has come to stay so I better watch what I say and I'm glad that I took the time to stop doing work and hang out with my kid :) I think she liked it and I know I won't soon forget it!

$7.98 spent- $105.97 saved :)

2008-09-02T12:32:00.005-05:00

CVS Transaction #1

6- 12 oz suave body washes

2 colgate total advance

4 covergirl outlast lip stick- which I just tried and LOVE !

2 covergirl wetslick lipstick- which I also love and just tried!

Coupons Used

3 b1g1 free coupons values of $9.99./ $9.99/ and $5.99

2 -$1 off for toothpaste

3- b1g1 free suave coupons valuing $6.00 total

$ 5 off $25 coupon from CVS

$ 14.78 Extra Care Bucks

Total Paid Out of Pocket- $5.12

Transaction #2

2- 8 count rice krispie treats

3 cascade dish detergents

1 febreeze noticeable airfresheners

Coupons Used

3- $1 off cascade products

1- $5 off febreeze noticeable

1- $1 off two rice krispie treats

$ 9.99 in ECB from transaction #1

Total out of Pocket Spent- $2.86

Extra Care Buck Earned for next shopping trip $9.00 :)

Not too bad! Now, I have to say that the thing that I HAD to have was just the dish detergent- and even that was on sale- but all the other stuff will be used and I look at it this way- that I bought 3 things of dishwasher soap for my grand total out of pocket expense of $7.98- and got all the rest for free plus $9 to spend next time. Can I just say that I LOVE CVS! P.S. The trip summary at the bottom of the receipt says that with both transactions- I saved $73.48 and $32.49! Wooohoo! If you don't have a CVS card- get one- its free!

We're Back!

2008-08-25T12:39:00.006-05:00

From Vacation that is... North Carolina was awesome! More beautiful than I ever imagined- actually it is one of the nicest places that I have ever been to. Everywhere we went, there were mountains and waterfalls and wildlife- it was just what the Dr. ordered for a fun, relaxing vacation. We were camped right on the lake and it was sooo beautiful! Somewhat of a hazard for the kids, but beautiful none the less and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way! Justin spent alot of time fishing and I think the boys biked every day except one, so he came back worn out and tired, yet refreshed- if that is possible. Allie and I spent lots of time with the women and children which was fun in itself as we visited a fish farm, nature trails, the campgroud lake ect. I got to do something I have always wanted to do which is swim in a waterfall and it was AWESOME! The water was probably only about 50-60 degrees, but all in all- it makes my list of top 10 things I have done in my life! If I wasn't preggo- I would have done the sliding glass rock too, but since I am, there's always next year!

Over all it was an awesome vacation but just because it was awesome, doesn't mean there weren't a few hitches for you to laugh at. So, we coast into the campground Saturday night averaging about 8.9 miles per gallon of gas with the Pathfinder pulling the camper. YUP- its 300 miles from home to campground so you do the math on cost.... As soon as we get backed in, it starts raining... no big deal- We don't melt. Now let me just say that ALL problems during this camping trip revolved around water- yet Saturday night was the only night that it rained.

Anyways- as soon as the water was hooked up, I turned on the kitchen sink to rinse out Allie's sippy cup only to find that the sink spicket leaked profusely after shutting off the water... Again- no big deal- we brought all paper cups/plates ect so we won't have to do too many dishes anyways.

Sunday morning the guys went for a bike ride. Upon returning, Justin got into the shower and started getting cleaned up. After a few minutes of him in the shower, I ran into the camper to grab something and water was GUSHING from under the walls and door of the bathroom. The whole floor was flooded with dirty Justin water, but I didn't mind because it only took SIX bath towels to sop up the water... after all- we had 3 left for the rest of the week :( Anyways a little duct tape and Justin's handy self- our shower was back in commission. I'll just say that the crack in the bottom of the tub was much larger when we returned the camper than when we originally picked it up b/c there were 4 adults and 1 baby who used it atleast once per day for 5 days.

I could go on for days, but we are back at home now and I still need to catch up on laundry! Hopefully it will be a tradition and we can go back next year! It wouldn't have been nearly as fun without all the family that was there, so hopefully they will want to come back next year too! Alright- laundry is calling.

Baby Update 23 Weeks

2008-08-14T15:50:00.007-05:00

Today we had our 23 week appointment and everyone looks good so far! The baby's heart sounds good, I've only gained 4 lbs total, and the baby is moving and kicking just fine! We are very excited for her arrival- yes I said "her" for those of you who haven't heard already :) Allie is very excited about the baby- she likes to say Hi Baby and kiss my tummy- but we'll see how it goes when baby arrives for good. 17 weeks to go.

Justin recently painted Allie's new big girl room and then painted the baby room exactly the same. They will be decorated different, but I liked having the paint the same that way no one can feel left out :) Anyways- you get the idea by the looks of Al's room.

CVS- Couponing Very Seriously

2008-08-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

Since becoming a stay at home mom, I have done several things to keep our expenditures to a minimum and work on paying off debt of student loans and car loans. My favorite way of saving money has been to start couponing. The funny thing is that I used to say that I HATED cheap people. Yes- I actually said that, but that was when I was working in real estate with people who wanted a castle at the price of a shack. Anyways... my favorite store has become CVS. I never shopped at CVS before I started couponing because I thought that Walmart just had the lowest price on everything, therefore, by shopping there, I was getting the best deal... well let me be the first to admit that I was wrong! Walmart is great for some things but CVS has so much stuff that I can get for free, that I do as much shopping at CVS as possible. Don't believe me? Look at my trip to CVS below and see for yourself. Now, this wasn't the greatest trip ever, but I really needed Diapers for vacation so I could not really wait for them to go on a major sale. Even so, I still came out at a fraction of the price!
Purchases-

1 Huggies Wipe- 80 ct.
2 Packages of Huggies ultra jumbo pack diapers- 34 ct.
2 johnson and johnson baby wash
1 CVS mouthwash

Used 4.50 in coupons
Used 17.50 in CVS Extra Care Buck and Store Coupons

Paid 8.71 Cash out of my pocket and got $5 extra care buck and a $5 off $25 purchase to use on my next transaction

North Carolina Here We Come!

2008-08-13T12:59:00.000-05:00

We are counting down the days until vacation to North Carolina! We leave first thing Saturday morning and we are all totally excited to get out of TN and have some down time. This whole vacation will be a new adventure for us because we have never camped in a camper, or taken a child camping, or went on vacation with other families. We plan on just relaxing, hiking, swimming in the lake, canoeing, and fishing. Allie is already talking about seeing her cousins Emmy and Jake again- which- how does she know- she is not even 2 yet, but somehow she knows that they will be there.

My sister and her boyfriend will be staying with us so hopefully I will have some funny things to share when we arrive back in TN- just a little closer than before. Mind you- there will be 4 adults and one child in about 50 sq feet of space... no I'm not exaggerating- its small. The camper has 4 twin beds and a table that makes into a full size bed. I could sit on one bed and touch all the others at the same time if I had enough arms. Regardless of space, I know it will be a fun time! Well-I'm off for now, but will write when I get back!

My Second Very First Blog.....

2008-07-08T13:06:00.001-05:00

Ok. You all know that I tried this once before with Justin but got lazy because I relied on him to do it all. This time, I have taken ownership and will be in charge of the blogging for this family as I do have alot more spare time than he. So in an effort to remember all of the important things that go on and to keep our family and friend informed, I proceed with my Second Very First Blog Entry.

Vacation- I am soooo excited- practically counting down the hours! We are going to Michigan this weekend for my little cousins Birthday Party! We haven't been in MI since February of 2007, so we are well overdue! We will be staying at Aunt Cindy's which is my favorite place to stay because it is just sooooo homey! No walking on eggshells at this house! Lots of room to move around and lots of yard for Allie to run around in. Justin is very excited to swim in the pool as we are mourning the loss of use at our pool in Florida. Community pools are most definately not the same. Who wants to swim in a cesspool of little kid pee.... not me! Anywho- It will be a great time to catch up with family and just relax!

Allie is sleeping so I must do housework... until the next time- peace