REDBOX Codes

I signed up to receive texts from REDBOX. They periodically send out codes that get you free/very cheap rentals! I got a couple this morning:

TXR33MR $1.50 off your rental (Blu-Rays are $1.50) or you could still get the regular DVD :) expires 6/2

MAY26 will get you .50 off your rental. This code expires this evening at 11:59PM

Here are a few other that I stumbled upon.

DVDONME

DVDONYOU

BREAKROOM

GAMEFAN1

N6TRWTV (Blu-Ray for .50)

DVDATWAG (Only vaild @ Walgreens)

DRIVEIN (Vaild @Sonic's)

DVDKROG (valid @ Kroger)

REDBOX (First-time rentals...if you use a new card it will work)

DVDATWEG (valid at Wegman's)  

REDBOXHEB (valid at HEB) 

All codes are for $1 off your rental unless stated otherwise.

If you wish to sign up via text message, text DEALS to 727272. Also head over to the Redbox website and receive a code for signing up! 

Feel free to share some codes that you have found. I will add them to the list. Also, if you try a code and it doesn't work, let me know so I can remove it.

 

Free/Almost Free

Here is a link for $1/1 Nexcare product.  These bandaids can be found at Walmart for around $1.  My local Walmart isn't as low as others it seems but I will be going later to check it out! We go through a lot of bandaids around here so even .50/box is an excellent deal! Thanks Hip2Save

Head over to SmartSource and print off some coupons.  This is the same website that distributes the weekly SmartSource coupon insert in the paper.  The values on the website are sometimes lower than the paper, but since a lot of the coupons from the paper are regional, you may be able to find some coupons on the site that weren't available to you in the paper.  There is a .75/1 Mahatma Brown Rice coupon.  This is around $1.25ish at Walmart. You could possibly pick up this rice for around .50 if your Walmart sells it! Thanks Hip2Save

Update: I found the Nexcare bandaids for $1 at my local Walmart. It appeared to be the regular price here as opposed to a Roll Back price that I have seen others at their stores.  I also found the Mahatma Brown Rice for $1.34.

Things are finally slowing down!

The last couple weeks have been crazy over at our house.  Last week was Finals Week...very fun.  Then we had our son's birthday party on Saturday, and I have been trying to get laundry and other household things organized, all the while constructing our new house...whew! Anyway, I will now have more time to focus on the blog, couponing, and shopping! 

I attempted to go to Walmart today for a few deals.  I had all 3 of my daughters with me and apparently I thought that right before naptime was the perfect time to go.  Our 2-year-old was having mini-meltdowns and the 3-year-old (who is allowed to walk because the baby and the other one take up the basket) had to touch EVERYTHING! I managed to pick up the few things that I needed though.

Walmart 5/24

I bought:

1 Carefree panty-liner

1 4lb bag of Iams dog food

1 Lipton onion soup mix

1 bag of Goldfish

1 bottle of KY Jelly :p

1 travel size Secret Deoderant

1 mirror/brush combo thingy that my daughter wanted

   I used:

     1 Free Carefree

     $8/1 Iams dog food (This gave me $2.02 in overage)

     $3/1 KY Jelly (This gave me $0.33 in overage)

     $1/1 Secret Deoderant ($0.03 in overage)

The only things that I "paid" for were the Goldfish and the Lipton!

I paid $2.89 for everything. 

A few months ago if I was able to get all of this stuff for under $3 including tax, I would have been thrilled! I am very happy with what I did today, but now that I have been getting so much for so little...spending more than $2 at a store kind of freaks me out lol

I am so happy that I started couponing!! I love a challenge and now I always want to out-do myself!!!

This was a good opportunity to have Walmart "pay" me to shop...I almost wanted to wait and do it without kiddos.  I was going to leave out the Lipton and the other stuff I didn't have a coupon for, but I didn't want to have an issue with receiving money back.  I have their coupon policy handy of course, but I have ran into smaller issues than this before and didn't want to take the chance with crying kids.

Old Navy Flip Flops!

Tomorrow only...Saturday May 21st, Old Navy will be selling their famous flip-flops for only $1! Hurry down and snatch up yours. Limit of 5 per person. These will definitely go fast!

Giveaway!

Alright, we reached the goal of 25 Facebook Fans! Congratulations to Kelly M.! She is the Fabulous Fan winner and will be receiving an envelope stuffed with a ton of coupons!

Now we want the blog to get some action! Once we reach 50 blog followers there will be a giveaway of a full set of coupon inserts from a Sunday paper!

Follow the blog, fill out the form to enter (located at the bottom of the homepage), and then tell your friends!

Good Luck!!!

Facebook!

We are fully up and running on Facebook now!!! Once we hit 25 "Likes" I will be having a giveaway! A full envelope of wonderful coupons! Come on over!

Still Here

I have been MIA for a while! Between planning my son's 6th birthday party and studying for finals on top of all of the mom/wife stuff...I have been busy to say the least! I cannot wait until this semester is over so I can have a much needed break from school.

I haven't gone out shopping at all this week. I plan on heading to CVS and Target after my final is over. Will post up my shopping trips as soon as I get them organized! 

Happy Shopping :)

CVS 5/11

I bought...

(2) Colgate Max @$2.77ea (Raincheck from last week) +$2.77 ECB each! free toothpaste, and I made $1.50 on both!

     Used (2) .75/1 Colgate Max

(2) Carefree @$0.99ea

     Used (2) FREE Carefree

(2) Covergirl Lip Stain @$6 ea + $3 ECB when you spend $10 on Covergirl

     Used (1) $2.50/2 Covergirl products

(3) Oral-B Advantage toothbrushes @$2.50ea

     Used (3) $1.50/1 Oral-B Manual TB

Used $5/$25 CVS purchase (emailed)

         $3/$10 makeup purchase (from the CVS coupon machine)

         $7.98 ECB (extra care bucks)

I paid $.54 before tax...$2.03 total!

And I received $14 ECB

I should have been given $5.54 ECB but the manager didn't feel like doing the math so he just gave me $6! And for every $50 you spend on beauty products you get $5 ECB and my purchase today put me up to my $50 total.

Sunday Coupon Preview

Here is an idea of what you may find in this Sunday's paper. I check these out to gauge how many papers to get.  If it is a not so good week I will get 1, if it is a great week I will get 3. I love when P&G has an insert and I have gotten 6 before if a P&G insert will be included! Crazy...yes!

There is also a full schedule of what inserts to expect found here. There are no coupons distributed on major holiday weekends. For example: even though Memorial Day is on a Monday, there are no coupons in that previous Sunday's paper.

Coupons are regional. You may find all of these, be missing a few, and/or have some extras...

From Sunday Coupon Preview

5-15 Smartsource Coupon Preview

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Atkins Day Break Square 5 pack or Shake 4 pack Save $1/1 (7/31)
Atkins Bar 5 pack or Shake 4 pack Save $1/1 (7/31)
Bausch + Lomb Alaway Eye Drops Save $4/1 (7/31)
Bausch + Lomb Opcon-A Eye Drops Save $1/1 (7/31)
Claritin any Non-Drowsy 4 oz or 10-ct or larger Save $2/1 (6/12)
Claritin any Non-Drowsy 24-ct or larger Save $5/1 (6/12)
9Lives Dry Cat Food bag 3.15 lbs or larger Save $1/1 (7/16)
9Lives Wet Cat Food bag ONE 12-can variety pack, 12 individual cans, or THREE 4-packs Save $1 (7/16)
OFF! Area product: powerpad lamp, outdoor fogger, citronella candle or mosquito coil Save $1/1 (6/25)
OFF! Area product: powerpad lamp, outdoor fogger, citronella candle or mosquito coil Save $2/2 (6/25)
JELL-O refrigerated snacks Save $1/1 (6/15)
CHI-CHI’s Salsa jars or SNACKERS Salsa and Cheese cups 12 oz or greater Save $1/2 (7/31)
CHI-CHI’s tortillas Save $1/2 (7/31)
BAILEYS Coffee Creamer Save $1/1 DND (6/12)
Bausch+Lomb Alaway antihistamine eye drops Save $4/1 (7/31)
Bausch+Lomb Opcon-A eye drops Save $1/1 (7/31)
GM Cereal Basic 4, Chex, Fiber One, Honey Nut Clusters, Oatmeal Crisp, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Wheaties Save $1/2 (6/25)
Colgate ProClinical 4 oz or larger Save $1/1 (6/4)
MidNite, MidNIte PM / MidNite for Menopause Save $1/1 (11/30)
LAND O LAKES Fresh Buttery Taste Spread Products Save $.50/1 (7/9)
LAND O LAKES 1 lb Deli Cheese Save $1.00 (7/31)
LAND O LAKES packages of Deli Cheese Products Save $1/2 (7/31)
Pepperirdge Farm Bread or rolls Save $1/2 (7/31)
Juicefuls juice filled fruit snacks Save $1/1 (8/21)
Pepperidge Farm Cookies Save $1/2 (7/10)
LUNCHABLES lunch combos with fruit Save $1/1 (7/10)
OSCAR MEYER Sub or Flatbread Sandwiches, Cracker Combos or New Sandwich Combos Save $1/1 (7/10)
OSCAR MEYER Lower Sodium Turkey Bacon Save $1/2 (7/10)
OSCAR MEYER Hot Dogs Save $1/2 (7/10)
OSCAR MEYER Deli Fresh or 1 lb shaved lunchmeats Save $1/2 (7/10)
OSCAR MEYER Sandwich Combos Save $1/1 (7/10)
Ziploc brand bags Save $1/2 (7/9)
Ziploc containers Save $1.50/2 (7/9)
Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Bruch 2-in-1 kit or refill pack Save $3/1 (6/25)
Shout laundry products Save $1/2 (6/26) DND
STRIDE gum Save $1/3 single packs (7/9)
COTTENELLE Flushable Moist Wipes Save $1/2 36- count or larger tubs, 42 count refills or 1 72-count or larger refill (6/26)
Lysol Clean-Flip Starter Kit or Floor Cloths Save $1/1 (8/31)
Woolite Oxy Deep, Pet + Oxygen and Pet Urine Eliminator Save $.75/1 (5/31)
People magazine Save $1/1 (7/5)
HeluvaGood Sour Cream Dips Save $1/2 (6/30)
KOTEX linters 33 ct or higher Save $1.50/2 (6/25)
KOTEX pads Save $2/2 (6/25)
KOTEX Security Tampons Save $1.50/2 (6.25)
KRAFT Mayo or Miracle Whip Save $1/1 (6/12)
DOLE Fruit in Gel Save $.75/2 (7/31)
DOLE Parfaits Save $.75/2 (7/31)
Joint Juice product Save $1/1 (7/15)
Reynolds Wrap Non-stick foil Save $1/1 (6/30)
Reynolds Wrap Foil (excluding 20, 25,& 30 sq ft) Save $1/1 (6/30)
Kikkoman Products Save $1/2 (12/31)
PLANTERS Nutrition Bars (5ct box) or Big Nut Bars (5 ct box) Save $1/1 (7/31)
TEEKANNE Herbal Wellness tea Save $1.50/1 (6/30)
Method Laundry Detergent 25 or 50 load Save $1/1 (6/30)
Nylabone non edible chew Save $1.50/1 (6/21)
Nylabone edible chew or treat Save $1.50/1 (6/21)

5-15 RedPlum Coupon Preview

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Aquafresh iso-active Foaming gel Save $1.00/1 (6/26)
Aveeno sun protection product Save $1.50/1 (7/31)
Aveeno sun protection products Save $3.00/2 (7/31)
Benadryl topical product Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Black Box rebate offer Save $5.00 (7/31)
Brawny Paper Towels 6- roll or larger Save $1.00/2 ((8/11)
Caltrate Save $2.00/1 (8/22)
Caltrate larger size 155ct or larger Save $3.00/1 (8/22)
Carbona color & dirt grabber Save $1.00/1 (8/13)
Carbona stain devils Save $1.00/1 (8/13)
Centrum Silver Women’s, Centrum Silver Men’s, Centrum Women’s or Centrum Men’s 100 ct Save $2.00/1 (8/7)
Centrum Silver Women’s, Centrum Silver Men’s, Centrum Women’s or Men’s 100ct Save $5.00/2 (8/7)
Centrum Silver women’s , Centrum Silver Men’s, Centrum Women’s or Men’s 200 ct Save $10.00/2 (8/7)
Cesar entrees Buy THREE get ONE FREE up to Save $1.19 (8/6)
Cortaid product Save $3.00/1 (7/31)
FiberChoice product Save $3.00/1 (7/9)
Gillette Body Wash no trial Save $2.00/1 (6/30)
Gillette Deodorant Buy ONE GET ONE FREE up to Save $4.00 (6/30)
Goya Olive oil 17oz or larger Save $.75/1 (8/15) DND5
Goya Adobo 16.5 oz or larger Save $.55/1 (8/15) DND5
Grain Berry Antioxidant Cereals Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Grain Berry pancake or muffin mix Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Johnson & Johnson Red Cross Brand product Save $1.00/2 (7/31)
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats and/or Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereals 14oz or larger Save $1.00/2 (6/26)
Kellogg’s Cereals 8.7oz or larger Save $1.00/3 (6/26)
Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts 8 ct or larger Save $1.00/3 (7/10)
Kraft dressing 14 oz or larger Save $1.50/2 (6/12)
Land O’Frost Premium One Pound Save $.55/1 (7/31) DND5
Lawry’s Marinade Save $.50/1 (6/19)
Lawry’s Spice Blend Save $.50/1 (6/19)
L’Oreal Sublime Bronze product Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal Paris skincare Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal Ever Sleek, Ever Pure, Ever Strong shampoo or conditioner Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal Ever Sleek, Ever Pure, Ever Strong treatment Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal Studio Line Styling Product or L’Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Style product Save $1.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal haircolor product any Save $2.00/1 (7/10)
L’Oreal haircolor products any Save $5.00/2 (7/10)
Milo’s kitchen brand 100% real dog treats 3.3oz or smaller Save $1.50/1 (7/9)
Milo’s Kitchen brand 100 real dog treats 10oz or larger Save $2.00/1 (7/9)
Neosporin Lip Health product Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Neosporin and Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages product Save $1.50 on BOTH (7/31)
Nivea Body Lotion 8.4 fl. oz – 13.5 fl. oz. Save $2.00/1 (6/26)
Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite product 2.5oz-6.7oz Save $3.00/1 (6/26)
Osteo Bi-Flex caplets, softgels or powder no liquids Save $5.00/1 (6/26)
Polident products Save $1.00/1 (6/26)
Super Poligrip Products Save $1.00/1 (6/26)
Pup-Peroni dog snacks 4/8oz or larger Save $1.50/2 (7/15)
Scotties facial tissues 5 boxes or 2 multipacks Save $1.00 (6/18/`11)
Sensodyne ProNamel toothpaste Save $1.00/1 (8/14)
Sensodyne Toothpaste or iso-active foaming gel .75/1 (8/14)
Silver Palate thick & Rough oatmeal Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Smuckers toppings product Save $1.00/2 (8/31)
Snausages or Snow Somes! dog snacks 9.75 oz or larger Save $1.50/2 (7/15)
Sundown vitamins or supplements product Save $1.00/1 (6/28)
Turkey Hill half gallons or larger Drinks Save $1.00/2 (8/15)
Uncle Ben’s original converted brand rice products Save $1.00/2 (7/10)
Venus Razor or Venus Disposables Razor Save $2.00/1 (6/30)
Venus Refill Save $2.00/1 (6/30)
Whiskas dry food for cats bag Save $1.00/1 (7/9)
Whiskas tray Buy One Get One FREE up to .69 (7/9)
Wisk Laundry detergent 50 oz or larger Save $2.00/1 (6/26)

Swagbucks

Today is Friday and that means that it is Mega Swagbucks Day!!!

What is Swagbucks you ask?? It is basically a search engine like Google or Yahoo, except you earn points for searching and those points then turn into cool prizes! The best prize for your (Swag)buck is the $5 Amazon gift card.  After 450 Swagbucks you can redeem and get a card!! They take a few days to go through and you need to confirm them through your email account. Once you get the code, apply it to your Amazon account and it won't expire!! They can be stacked (used with other gift cards) so you could get some pretty cheap products. I just recently redeemed my 3rd gift card and purchased some items for my son's birthday party.

Click Here to join! You get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up.

More about Swagbucks:

Everyday you should at least do the Daily Poll and Click on the Trusted Surveys link. These are located under the "Earn" tab at the top of the page. You will get 1 Swagbuck for doing each of these.  There are also NOSO (no obligation special offers) Once you click through the steps you should get 2 Swagbucks. 

Surveys: There are surveys that they match you to. They usually offer quite a few Swagbucks for doing these but you may not qualify.

Profile Surveys: These are worth 5-10 Swagbucks and are generally pretty short! There are several available and they range in topics. They are located under the Trusted Survey tab and then just click profile. 

Toolbar: Download the Swagbucks Toolbar and earn an extra buck. 

Games: You can play games and earn


SwagTV: watch videos and earn   
Coupons: You can print coupons through Swagbucks!! For every coupon that you print AND redeem, you will get 10 Swagbucks! Pretty sweet! 

Swagcodes: These circulate all the time. They are usually active for a certain window of time and range widely in their value, usually from about 5-18 swagbucks.  You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, Swagbucks blog, and there are also spoiler sites that tell you the location of a certain code so you can find it easier.  Swagcode Spoiler is the site I frequent. Once you have your code, enter it into the "Gimme" box on the homepage and your Swagbucks will be added to your account!

General searches: Search through their website and it could earn you some extra swagbucks! I usually get about 7-12 on a normal day but on Fridays the amounts are generally higher. 

Referrals: Tell your friends and family!! If they sign up under you, Swagbucks will match you on their SEARCHES up to 1000 Swagbucks! It only works if they search. If they only do the surveys or polls, you will not get the swagbucks in you account.


A note: I just started doing Swagbucks a couple months ago, so I am very new at it as well. If you need clarification of anything I have posted or if you have another question, feel free to ask! I can hopefully answer it or point you in the right direction :)

Free Samples

Here are a few free samples that I stumbled across today.

-Head on over here and sign up for a free sample of John Frieda's Root Awakening Shampoo!

-"Like" John Frieda on Facebook and you can score a free sample of Smooth Style Shampoo and Conditioner. Just click on the Smooth Style tab!

-Here is a Carefree sample and they will send you a coupon as well.

-Here  is a sample of Kotex!

-Get a free Emeril's Seasoning Packet! Sign here at his website.  There are also coupons available to print.

-Head over to the P&G website and sign up for free samples AND the P&G savings booklet. These are distibuted 4 times a year in addition to the P&G inserts that come once a month in the Sunday papers. You will need to create an account.  If they are out of samples (they do go fast!) just be sure to check back :)

-At the Yoplait website, there is an offer for a Free cup of Yoplait Original Yogurt...If you live in CA, however you will receive a Buy2 Get1 Free coupon instead. Apparently we aren't allowed to free dairy products unless we purchase something...

I have also signed up at ALL You. They have daily free samples that are sent directly to your inbox so you won't ever miss out! You can even go to a previous day's sample and sign up if it is still available.

Walmart 5/10

First off, yesterday was Mexico's Mother's Day...Happy Mexican Mother's Day! I am so glad that I get 2 Mother's Days every year thanks to my beautiful babies ;)

I went to Walmart last night to take advantage of a couple freebies...I went in mainly for the Carefree liners.  I always walk down the laundry/dish aisle because let's face it...I am a dork and I love soap of any kind. I stumbled upon some travel size Cascade dishwasher tabs!! I just happened to have $1 ANY Cascade coupons that I had been saving for a sale. 

Here is what I bought:

(4) Carefree 20 ct liners @ $0.94 each

(4) Cascade Travel Dishwasher tabs @ $0.97 each

(1) Clorox GreenWorks dish soap @$2.57

The coupons I used:

(4) FREE Carefree liners up to $1 (from the 5/8 paper)

(4) $1/Any Cascade (P&G booklet)

(1) $1/Any Clorox GreenWorks dish (Peelie: a coupon that is attached to a product)

OOP (Out of Pocket) = $1.45+tax!

Not too bad! We needed the dish soap and that is the only reason I paid more than $1 for it, but at least I had a coupon! 

I would like to point out that without the dish soap, I would have only paid tax! Walmart also implemented a new coupon policy: If the coupon has a higher value than the purchased product, the remaining balance will be applied to the rest of the transaction...Fancy talk for: they will PAY you :) Since the Cascades were only .97, I had .03 extra for each one. This .12 was applied to my tax!

I will post my picture up later. Shopping trips and savings are way more exciting when pictures are involved :)

I am heading to CVS later and will post that trip/pic later on this evening as well.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Deals This Week

Here are a couple of deals that I am excited about this week:

• FREE Carefree liners(almost everywhere)...there were coupons in today's paper for a free 18-22ct pack!

• BOGO Clean & Clear Cleansers (Walgreens)...I have BOGO free coupons from the 3/27 RP

• BOGO Schick Hydro Razor&Cartridges (Walgreens)...I have a $3 off cartridges and a $1 razor

About BOGO Free Sales

    -If a product is on sale for BOGO free, you can use a coupon on both items.

             For example: if Purex laundry soap is on sale BOGO free $2.97, you could use a $1 off coupon on each of the soaps and pay $0.97 for both detergents.  

     - If you have a BOGO free coupon and there is a BOGO sale, you can get BOTH ITEMS FOR FREE!!!! The store pays for the original free item and the manufacturer pays for the item you are "buying" because you are using the BOGO Free coupon.

This concept is confusing...but once you get the hang of things it gets better.

     - If you have a coupon where you would buy item A and get item B free you can use an additional coupon on item A, IF the end code on the coupon is 01.  If the code ends in 14, then the BOGO free coupon attaches to both items.

         For example: P&G comes out with these types of coupons regularly.

                 Currently there is one for a free Gillette Bodywash when you buy a Gillette deoderant and the barcode ends in a 01.  There is also a coupon in the same insert for $1 any Gillette Deoderant.  You could use both of these coupons for the 2 items that you are buying.

           The deoderant is priced around $3 on sale (this does vary) the bodywash is also about $3.  You can use the $1/1 Gillette Deoderant and the BOGO coupon and end up with both products for around $2!

Following Match-up Blogs

Following blogs is an integral component of couponing.  Blogs take MOST of the work out of finding deals and matching up coupons that go with the deal.  Blogs will list the deal by store, coupon to use, and the location of the coupon. Here is the basic format for a blog match-up:

Target: Aquafresh Kids Toothbrush $1.99

           $1/1 Aquafresh Training Item (TQ-Target coupon)

           $1/1 Aquafresh Kids Toothbrush 4/17 RP

Decoding blog/coupon language

$1/1 = $1 off 1

4/17 RP= the coupon is in the Red Plum insert that came out on 4/17

Blogs I follow:

www.iheartcvs.com 

-CVS

www.totallytarget.com

-Target

www.iheartthemart.com

-Walmart

www.hip2save.com

-Daily freebies, HOT Coupons, essential coupon info, videos of shopping trips and coupon tutorials

simple2save.blogspot.com

- Coupon tips, money saving ideas, stockpile tips, and stock-up prices

www.allyou.com/coupons-deals/daily-free-samples-00411000069695/

- Daily freebies! Have free sample offers sent directly to your email. You can also search through previous samples and sign up if they are still available :)

The Basics

     There are two types of coupons out there. There are store coupons that can only be used at that particular store and there are manufacturer coupons that can pretty much be used everywhere. Certain stores allow you to use a store coupon AND a manufacturer coupon for the same item. This is called stacking. 

     Target is an excellent example of stacking and is the first store that I started with when learning to coupon.  On the Target website there are options to print coupons! Down at the bottom of the page where they have links to contact them and various other things, there is a link for coupons. Click on it and you come to about 15 pages of coupons (usually over 100). Not all of them are Target coupons, but some are.  A way to know for sure if it is a Target coupon before you print is to see if there are red codes or wording beneath the picture of the product.  Not all of the Target coupons will have this so you won't know until you print, but this is a little tip to see ahead of time.
    A deal that I will be taking advantage of this week at Target is the Aquafresh Kids Toothbrushes. They are on sale for $1.99. On the Target website there is a Target coupon for $1 off any Aquafresh Kids Training Product (this includes training toothpaste and the toothbrushes) I also have a $1 off one Aquafresh Kids toothbrush that is a manufacturer coupon.  I can use both coupons on one toothbrush and get it for free! Technically I am making a penny! Now a penny isn't a whole lot in the regular world, but in the coupon world it is a huge deal! Once you start paying pennies for tons of products, you will learn the true value of them. 

     The main stores I shop at are CVS, Target, and Walmart.  I occasionally shop at RiteAid and if there is a super fabulous sale that I absolutely cannot miss, I will go to Walgreens.  

     Some store are definitely easier than others to shop at.  Coupon policies vary greatly from store to store and it is a good idea to print out the coupon policies so you can become familiar with them and you should try and bring them with you in case you get a cashier that isn't familiar with the policies themselves (this happens more often than it should).  

     Next time we will get into the various drugstores and how you can use their store rewards to score tons of free stuff!

Coupon Organization

Now that you have your Sunday papers and your IPs you will need a system to store and organize them. There are several options when it comes to organizing your coupons.

1. The Clipless Method

               This consists of gathering the inserts from the Sunday papers, writing the date on the front, and filing them.  Then when you check the blog of the store you will be shopping at, it will list where you can find the coupon.  If it is in the 3/27 SmartSource, you go to your file box, pull the insert and clip the coupon! This is the easiest way to start out.  There is no messing with tons of clipped coupons, everything is organized nicely in your filing box.

      Downside: If you are shopping and come across an unadvertised sale or clearance item, you won't have your coupons handy to take advantage.  You will either need to go back later wasting time, gas, and money, and there is no guarantee that the product will still be there.

          2. The Accordian Method

                 This is the first method that I used.  I went to Walmart and bought a legal letter-size filer.  It had 13 separate compartments and I labeled each one with a category that I could sort my clipped coupons into.  I had the following categories: body care, baby care, health/medicine, household, diapers/wipes, oral health, make-up/face, hair, cleaners/air fresheners etc. I also had food lumped into one category but it got too messy so I purchased a 3x5 accordian file and filed the food coupons according to category as well.

              Downside: you cannot see your coupons all at once, you have to sort through them at the store if you see an unadvertised deal.

              At least you will have your coupons with you to catch the deal!

    

     3. The Binder Method

                 

              If you are a serious couponer, this may be the best system for you.  You will need a binder, at least a 1.5-2 inch to start out, baseball card holders, larger photo holders, and dividers.  With this method, your categories would be written out on the dividers and baseball card holders would hold your coupons.  This method takes a little bit more time to set up and keep up, but it has advantages.  Every coupon will have a place and you can easily reference your coupons because they will be organized by category and also by type. (ex: you can put your yogurt coupons near your milk coupons because they are sold in the same section at the store)

               Downside: the binder can be bulky...

Here is a link to some photos of the various organization methods. this blog is also a very good resource of information. http://simple2save.blogspot.com/p/organization.html

Where are the coupons??

Before we get into organization and more store info, we better discuss where to actually get coupons.

• Sunday papers

The main types of inserts that will come in the paper are:

     - SmartSource (SS)

     - Red Plum (RP)

     - Procter & Gamble (P&G) my favorite!!

     - General Mills (GM)

All coupons are regional and you may receive different coupons than your friend in another city.

The trick to getting the best coupons from the newspapers is to get the paper from the biggest city that you can find.  For example, I live in a small town...no local paper has coupons. I buy The Enterprise Record (Chico, CA) The Sacramento Bee, and The San Francisco Chronicle.  The Sac Bee and SF Chronicle by far have the best coupons.  One week there was a coupon for .50 off Franks Red Hot Sauce in the Enterprise Record. I picked up a copy of the SF Chronicle and found a coupon for a FREE bottle of the same hot sauce!! Coupons vary greatly by your region.

         Bottom line: get the biggest paper you can!

The SF Chronicle has a newsstand price of $3... The Sac Bee goes for $2 and The Enterprise Record goes for $1. Dollar Stores sell copies of the newspapers for $1, imagine that :) I have found the Sac Bee and Enterprise Record at Dollar Stores, but not the Chronicle.

•  Online

      Coupons are also available to print online. They are called Internet Prints (IPs) in coupon lingo.

   Here are a few websites that I use:

                         www.coupons.com

                         www.valuesforhealth.com (you will need to sign up)

                         www.redplum.com

                         www.smartsource.com

     A note: you can print from the SS and RP websites and they contain the same types of coupons that are in that week's insert, however, they are usually at lower values.

• Manufacturer Websites

     Simply go to a company website and see if there are options to print or receive coupons from your favorite brands! If there aren't any coupons available, you can email the company and tell them the product(s) you use and how much you enjoy them.  You could include that you are interested in coupons, but most will send you some for sending them a nice email.

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blogging experience! I hope to teach you some valuable tips that can save you money.  Saving money can be an intimidating task, however, with a little work (and some fun!) you can make saving money and getting good deals a part of your everyday life!!

I just started effectively using coupons a few months ago.  I am a member of an online coupon group that teaches newbies how to find deals, match-up coupons with sale items, and utilize store rewards systems.  I am happy to pass on tips I have learned from a great group of ladies!  I am still learning myself and I believe that this will help many of you.  Learning from someone who has recently been in the dark will hopefully work to your advantage.  I know how hard it can be to start out. It is overwhelming and frustrating, but sticking with it will bring great rewards.  We are all on our way to fabulous savings! 


Here is a link to the website that I am a part of, you do need to sign up to be a member, but it is free and full of wonderful information! COUPON Newbies