How I'm Saving Today

Well, this week I have not saved a lot. I have actually spent a lot.

So how does that count for a blog entry on how I'm saving today? Well, what I have been spending on has been bills and debts. Because I got paid three times in September and I budget a month ahead, I realized that I had an extra paycheck! So, after checking and double checking that it was indeed an extra check (I use two paychecks per month's bills and because there are more than 24 paychecks each year there will be an extra check once a year), I re-allocated the money into my budget for bills and debts that we needed to pay.

This came just in time too because our dog had two trips to the vet in the last week because he unexpectedly got sick and we ended up spending almost $800 for the emergency vet appointment, xrays, blood work, regular vet appointment, and his standard vaccines (which he was due for). Ugh. So we were really grateful to have the extra money. Also, we are really glad to have pet insurance which will reimburse us for a large chunk of these vet costs. We have had VPI for a number of years and the reimbursements for standard vet appointments and medicines alone pay for the monthly premium. So if you don't have pet insurance I would recommend it because the peace of mind far outweighs the minimal costs. We were glad we didn't have to think twice about whether to take our dog to the emergency vet or whether the vet should do an xray (which costs $100 alone!).

With the rest of the money not spent on vet bills, we have paid some human medical bills which have been sitting on the mail table wondering how they were going to get paid, as well as paid an extra payment to the credit card. We also socked away a little bit more into our savings account for our trip next year out to California for my sister and her fiance's wedding. How I'm saving today is to be responsible with extra money and pay bills and our savings account first, rather than blow a chunk on new shoes or a fancy dinner and still have to pay more interest on our debt later.

How are you saving today? Post a comment below!

Read More

Super Double Coupons (Up to $1.99) at Bloom on Sunday!

This Sunday, October 30, Bloom grocery stores in the DC area will be having their Super Double Coupon Event!

This is the best kind of double coupons! Bloom will double any manufacturer coupon up to $1.99 for one day only. This means that if you have a $1.00 coupon, it will double to $2.00, if you have a $1.50 coupon it will double to $3.00.

There are only 20 coupons allowed per visit, per day so you will need to strategically plan your purchases, but this is a great opportunity to get some items for free or almost free!

Check out Beltway Bargain Mom for more information on the Super Double Coupon Event.

Also check out Capitally Frugal for some of the best deals to get at Bloom this week (October 26- Nov 1) including:

Crest Toothpaste – $2.00
Use $1.00/1, 10/16 P&G insert
Final Price: $1.00 (Free on 10/30)

Coffee-mate – 3/$5
Use $0.55/1, found here.
Final Price: $0.56

Aunt Jemima Great Starts Breakfast Entree – $1.00
Use $1.00/1, Facebook coupon. (You need to watch the video.)
Final Price: FREE

And Check out Bloom's website for your local store's circular so you can plan a greatly discounted shopping trip!

Read More

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin

I am a BzzAgent and, as such, I am sent products to honestly review. I recently received from BzzAgent two products from Burt's Bees' new Sensitive Skin line to try out and they are so superb that I thought I would share my review with you all!

The Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser has everything I want in a sensitive skin face wash. It is creamy, fragrance free, soap-free, 99% natural, in a recyclable bottle, and has calming ingredients like cotton to help to protect my skin from irritations and aloe to soothe it. The cleanser leaves my skin feeling soft, clean, and moisturized. I have oily skin and this cleanser cleaned me right up without over-drying or over-moisturizing. In fact, my skin actually improved after using this cleanser for a few weeks and I had fewer breakouts and whiteheads along with smooth and fresh skin. From a cost saving perspective, the cleanser comes in a big 6oz bottle which will last for months and only costs $10. It is available on the Burt's Bees website as well as at drugstores. Target even has store coupons on their website this month for Burt's Bees Sensitive Solutions products which you can stack with a $2 off coupon on Burt's Bees' facebook page!

The Burt's Bees Sensitive Daily Moisturizer also contains all the soothing natural qualities of the cleanser. It is fragrance free, 99% natural, and has cotton extract to protect and soften my skin. It is a light daily moisturizer which my oily skin prefers but it still moisturizes thouroughly and absorbs quickly. The only drawback to this moisturizer is that it doesn't have sunscreen in it which I really prefer to have in my daily moisturizer as an added protection for my fair skin. The moisturizer comes in a 1.8oz container which seems small but you really don't need much more than a pea sized amount. It retails for $15 on the Burt's Bees website and is also available at drugstores nationwide.

I hope you like natural products as much as I do because that is the added perk about Burt's Bees products. The company does not test on animals, uses natural and eco-friendly ingredients, uses packaging made of recyclable or post-consumer recycled ingredients, protects the bees that pollinate our crops from Colony Collapse Disorder, and is a general, all-around great company which I am proud to support by purchasing their products.

Read More

WeReward Review: Earn Cash for Mobile Check-In's!

Yes, you read that post title right. You can actually earn cash for your mobile check-in's! WeReward is an amazing app that is available for both the iPhone and Android phones, it's free to download and use, and it pays you just for taking a picture of yourself in a store or restaurant.

Easy as pie. In fact, if you went out to get pie this is how you would use WeReward:

When you get to the store, open the WeReward app and look up the store by name. If the store is participating with WeReward, you can get paid 50 cents or more to check-in. If the store doesn't participate you can still get 10 cents to check-in.
When you find the store, check-in by taking your picture with the store's logo or with your purchase. The app gives you the option to say something about your experience at the store but you don't have to if you don't want to.

Voila! You just made 50 cents!

You can check-in all day everyday if you want. There is no limit on the number of check-in's you can make each day, but you have to wait about 10 minutes in between places. Also, if you just take a random picture and try to game the system then WeReward won't approve it. Some of my favorite places to check in that participate with WeReward in the DC area are Starbucks, Safeway, Baja Fresh, Five Guys, McDonalds, and 7-11. Honestly, I'm at Safeway all the time so getting paid 50 cents each time I shop really adds up!

You can also get paid for tasks such as taking a picture of your dog and a bag of Hill's Science Diet dog food. The tasks usually pay 75 cents to a dollar each. And, if you refer your friends to WeReward you can get paid 10% of their check-in earnings!

The app pays you by PayPal and it really works! I just cashed out for over $50 bucks last week. The money was immediately transferred from WeReward to my PayPal account. Kaching!

You can link your WeReward account to Twitter, Foursquare, or Facebook, and you can report some or all of your check-ins to your favorite social media outlet.



So come on and try it out! Go here to download the app and get to earning!

Read More

Best Deals at Safeway this Week: October 19-25

Here's some coupon matchups for the best deals at Safeway this week.

Be sure to use your Club Card to get the best deals and load coupons onto your card from Safeway.com in the Just4U section. No need to clip from the circular, just load electronically! Just4U has all the in-store coupons from the circular as well as other manufacturer coupons. Ecoupons do not double but sometimes they will stack with paper coupons. According to Safeway's coupon policy: "Coupon stacking policies for manufacturer coupons apply to paper and electronic coupons that have been loaded to a club card."

Remember, Safeways in the DC area double coupons up to $.99! YAY!

Red Tomatoes on the Vine- $.98/lb

80% Lean Ground Beef is $1.79/lb (Extreme Value Pack)

General Mills Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams, Chex Mix Treats or Milk 'n Cereal Bars- $1.49 with in-ad coupon
Use $.50/1 Lucky Charms Treats, Golden Grahams Treats, Chex Mix Treats, or Milk 'n Cereal Bars 9/11/11 General Mills insert
Final Price: $.49 each

All Detergent is $3.49 with in-ad coupon
Use $1.00/1 All Detergent 10/2 RedPlum

Marie Callender’s Frozen Meals $2.00
Use $1.00/3 – Marie Callender’s Single Serve Meals – (mariecallendersmeals.com)
Final Price: $1.67 each when you buy 3

Healthy Choice Frozen Meals $2.00
Use $1.00/3 Healthy Choice Meals from SS 10/21
or $1.00/3 – Healthy Choice Meals – (healthychoice.com)
Final Price: $1.67 each when you buy 3

Clorox Bleach $2.29
Use $0.25/1 Clorox Bleach – (clorox.com)
Final Price: $1.79

Pine-Sol $2.99
Use $0.50/1 Pine-Sol – (pinesol.com)
Final Price: $1.99

Pillsbury Egg Scrambles $2.49 with in-ad coupon
Use $1.00/1 Pillsbury Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwiches – (bricks.coupons.com)
Final Price: $1.49

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel $2.49 with in-ad coupon
Use $0.50/2 – Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, Toaster Scrambles Pastries or Pillsbury Pancakes – (couponnetwork.com)
Final Price: $1.99 each when you buy 2

Welch’s Grape Juice, 64 oz. $1.99 with in-ad coupon
Use $1.00/1 Welch’s Grape Juice from SS 9/25
or $0.75/1 – Welch’s Sparkling Juice Beverage, Juice, Jelly, or 100% Grape Juice – (tastetheharvest.com)
Final Price: $.49 -$.99 depending on which coupon you use

Kettle Chips, 8.5 – 9 oz. $1.98 with in-ad coupon
Use $1.00/1 Kettle Brand Chips from RP 9/25
Final Price: $0.98

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $1.49 with in-ad coupon
Use $0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit By The Foot, Fruit Gushers or Fruit Roll-Ups from SS 10/09
Final Price: $.99 each when you buy 2

Progresso Traditional or Rich and Hearty Soups $2.99
Buy 2 Get 3 Free
Use $1.00/4- Progresso Soup – (progressosoup.com)
or $1.00/4 Progresso Soup from GM 9/11
Final Price: $0.99 each when you buy 5


For more Safeway matchups for this week, check out Moneywise Moms and Krazy Coupon Lady.

Read More

Look what came in the mail!

Wow! What a week for freebies in the mail!

Here's what I got:

Target beauty bag- freebie from Target's website a few weeks ago which includes
-sample of Ponds cleansing towlettes
-sample Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner
-sample of Burt's Bees Radiance moisturizer
-sample of John Freida Full Repair shampoo and conditioner
-sample of Tresseme Naturals shampoo and conditioner
-sample of L'oreal Youth Code moisturizer
-mini cosmetic bag
-$20 worth of Target coupons

Dove Go Fresh! body spray sample and coupon from Dove website a few weeks ago

Downy Unstoppables laundry scent booster sample from Vocalpoint (a great site for samples and coupons)

$10 Gift Card to Safeway from Daily Feats (earn points for good deeds, and they add up so quickly!)

$15 Visa Gift Card from Opinion Outpost (see...paid surveys actually pay off! This site is great and your earnings add up quickly)

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser sample from Biore website a few weeks ago

And that big box o' freebies? That's my new BzzKit from BzzAgent!! They sent me two full size bottles of Frederic Fekkai shampoo and conditioner along with info on the brand and samples to give out. This brand is great and I am so excited to try the shampoo and conditioner. Watch for my review in a few weeks!

Read More

Plum District Deal for Half off Beauty Products at Bloom.com!

I am such a sucker for beauty and cosmetics items. Seriously, I could just hang out in Sephora for hours browsing and trying products. :) But beauty products, especially the good stuff, gets expensive. So what's a girl on a budget to do? Get this Plum District deal for half off beauty products at Bloom.com!

For only $20, you can get $40 worth of beauty products from 150 top brands including Revlon, Burt's Bees, Stila, OPI, Ole Henriksen, Cargo, L'Oreal, Redken, oh the list can go on! They also have an extensive selection of natural and sensitive skin products to choose from.

The deal also includes free shipping, 3 free samples, and $2 in BloomDollars (so its actually $42 worth of products!)

Here's the fine print: the voucher must be used all in one transaction, the deal expires 12/31/11, deal cannot be combined with other offers (like other promotional codes)

This is a great way to get that skin cream you're squeezing the last bit out of the tube or to get some great holiday gifts for friends and family. Here's some great options for gifts to get you started:

Stila Positive and Pretty Palette- $14

Cake Beauty Treat Yourself Trio- $30

Priti NYC French Manicure Kit- $37.50

Pop Beauty Goddess Clutch Smokey Eye- $32

Old Henriksen Three Little Wonders Mini In Box- $35

And I am sure that the site will be doing holiday gift set promotions and discount deals as we get closer to the holidays, so snag this deal now and save it for the best prices!

Read More

All You Magazine Only $1 an Issue!

Right now through October 25 Amazon is running a special promotional offer for 6 Months of All You Magazine for $6! That's only $1 an issue and each issue is packed with coupons, often including free item coupons! I have been wanting to try out this magazine as I have heard that this is a great source for coupons so I am excited for this short run promotional offer. The magazine is only available by subscription or at Walmart. They are also offering longer subscriptions at discounted prices if you want a year long subscription of more.

Read More

Couponing Basics: Part II: How do you get coupons?

Coupons are like money; you use them to pay for items just like cash. But, just like money, they don't grow on trees. (Although they are made from paper :))

So where do you get these magical cash-like paper bits?

There are a variety of sources for coupons. Some will require a small amount of overhead investment (such as a newspaper subscription) and others are completely free. I personally have used all of these methods to obtain coupons so find what works best for you.

1. The newspaper.
In the DC area, The Washington Post is your best source for coupons. It has the standard RedPlum and SmartSource coupon inserts as well as occasional Procter & Gamble inserts and is widely available. You can purchase the Sunday edition with the coupon inserts at your local grocery or drugstore for $2 each week (totalling $104/year) or you can get a subscription to the paper. The Washington Post offers daily, weekend only, and Sunday only home delivery subscriptions for DC area residents. The prices for these range from $1.85/week for daily service ($96.20/year), $4.50 for a Fri-Sun weekend subscription ($234/year), and $1.85/week of Sunday only ($96.20/year). These subsription rates are available online at http://subscription.washingtonpost.com. Sometimes there will be an extra surcharge depending on your delivery area, just FYI. So the best deal is either a daily or Sunday only subscription, depending on your preference. The Post is a great paper and will keep you well informed about what is happening in the world so take a glance through and read at least one article before ripping open the coupon insert section and putting the paper in the recycling bin. Keep yourself educated and informed, as well as frugal!

Occasionally there special subscription deals available which are even better, like this one that Living Social is running right NOW! Through this Living Social deal you can purchase a yearlong Sunday-only home delivery subscription to the Washington Post for only $26!!! That's a 70% savings over the standard Sunday-only subscription price!! I have been waiting for a sale to come along so I am snagging this now and I suggest you should too!

2. Ask your friends or family who subscribe to the paper for their coupon inserts.
My mom and my sister save their coupon inserts for me each week. They both live nearby and I see them at our weekly family dinner so it is not complicated to pick up the inserts. By picking up an extra couple of copies of the coupon inserts I am able to use multiple coupons to purchase multiple products to stockpile (more on that later). If you have family nearby that get the paper, ask them if they can save the coupon inserts for you if they don't use them. You can also ask friends and neighbors. This is a free way to get coupons and can easily be the only source of your coupons if you consistently get them. Just don't forget to pick up the coupons regularly from people and it's always a nice gesture to drop off some free items you obtained through those coupons, like a few tasty cookies you whipped up from a free cookie mix you got with a coupon. Show your gratitude.

3. Scavenge
If you want something for nothing you are going to have to work for it. There are many places to get free coupon inserts which require a little planning to get, but they are free and help pay for your groceries so isn't it worth it? Stop by your local Starbucks or other coffee shop on Sunday mornings and early afternoons. There are often many leftover newspapers and coupon inserts that people leave behind after they finish their coffee and muffin and you can scoop up the coupon inserts for yourself. Alternatively, you can swing by your local coffee shop or grocery store on Monday mornings and ask the manager if they have leftover Sunday issues which they will be getting rid of. Perhaps you can purchase these from them for a discounted rate (it's yesterday's news after all) or you can take them off their hands and drop off at the local recycling center. And finally, you can dumpster dive. Ask the local recycling center if they will allow you to look through the paper dumpster for coupons or look through community recycling bins. The paper recycling is often just that, paper, so it's not gross, but it may be a good idea to wear plastic gloves just in case and to protect against paper cuts.

4. Print your coupons online
With the small overhead of paper and printer ink, you can also obtain printable coupons online. There are many sites including CouponNetwork, RedPlum, SmartSource, and Coupons.com. Facebook also has many coupons available on manufacturer's Facebook pages so follow your favorite brands for savings. Many manufacturers also have coupons available on their websites. My blog and many others will alert you when good coupons are available on these sites.

One of my favorite ways to print coupons online is through MyPoints and Memolink. These sites link up to some of the sites listed above but give you points for redeeming the coupons your print through them. So its a double-win! You can learn more about these sites here.

One thing to remember about printable coupons is that they often only allow 2 prints per computer and sometimes the coupons run out of prints overall. So if you want a coupon, print it right away and if you want more than two use a second computer.

Another tip is to use the back side of already-printed upon paper. If you printed out a newspaper article to read, don't throw it away. If the paper is in good shape and will feed through your printer, then print your coupons on the blank side. Eco-friendly and frugal!

5. Peelies and Tearpads
Keep an eye out when you are in the grocery store because you may find coupons stuck to the product which you peel off to use (peelies) or coupons on a little pad next to the product which you tear off to use (tearpads).

Please practice good coupon etiquette and don't take all the coupons. Take a few but leave the rest for someone else who also wants to save some money.

6. Store Circulars
Your store circular may have store coupons in it which can be stacked with manufacturer coupons (more on that in a later post) for greater discounts, so keep an eye out for those coupons as you look for what's on sale this week. Also, sometimes drugstores such as Walgreens, CVS, and RiteAid will have special coupon booklets in their stores so look for those as well. CVS and Rite Aid will also mail and email you coupons if you sign up for their rewards cards and register that card on their website.

7. Samples and Direct Mailings
Signing up for free samples from products you love (or may love, given the opportunity to try them), often not only gives you the sample but also usually come with coupons for that product. The manufacturers figure, correctly I may add, that if you try it and love it, then you will want to but it. And what more incentive to buy do you need than a coupon? I love free samples (and I love getting mail..as long as its not a bill) and when you sign up for samples another perk is that often the company will continue to mail you occasional coupons. Sometimes just signing up for the email list from your favorite companies will result in emailed coupons too.

8. Purchase Coupons Online
On Extreme Couponing, you will often see couponers buying 20-100 of an item. How do they do that? Are they gathering 20 copies of coupon inserts from their neighbors? Yeah, some probably are. But most are buying coupons on Ebay or from coupon clipping services. Coupons have no monetary value and are illegal to sell, but you can pay for someone's time spent cutting them out. So often people will sell coupons for a 5 cent clipping fee (or something comprable), not the face value of the coupon. I have bought coupons from various sellers online. I have used CouponDeDe as well as Ebay. There are tons of clipping services out there so keep on looking for the coupon you need.

I usually only buy coupons online when they meet a few requirements:
1) The coupon won't expire before I have a chance to use it.
2) It's for a product I will use (a lot)
3) It's for a non-perishable item (no use in having 20 of something that will spoil before I can use it)
4) It will make a product almost free when it goes on sale
5) The product is on sale a lot so I know that I can get the deal I want
6) It's from a reputable seller. Check seller ratings and reviews of clipping sites
7) I'm not paying more for the coupons than the product is worth.

Watch out for fraudulent coupons which can be sometimes sold online. If you see a coupon that's way to good to be true (like $3 off a pack of Tic Tacs), it probably is. The safest are coupons which you got in the paper but you need more of. That way you know that it's a real coupon.

Stay tuned for more Couponing Basics! Next week we will discuss how to organize your coupons.

Next Post: Couponing Basics Part III: Organization Is Key

Read More

Mystery Shopping Review: Corporate Research International

Corporate Research International (CRI) is a legitimate mystery shopping company which I have personally worked for and have been paid by. The company contracts with retail stores, gas stations, restaurants and all kinds of other companies to mystery shop their stores. CRI hires people like you and me to be independent consultants (read: you are not an employee of CRI) and conduct these mystery shops. I live in the DC area and there are lots of mystery shop opportunities here offered by CRI. In addition, CRI has shops available across the 50 states and even is looking for international mystery shoppers in places like Puerto Rico, Mexico, Russia, Canada, India, Sinagpore, Spain, Malaysia, and Brazil (to name a few).

CRI offers online scheduling so you can log onto their website and view available mystery shops in your area. CRI has put together a short training presentation in their Auditor University area for each company to instruct you on how to conduct the mystery shop, which are quite helpful and easy to understand. The presentations are followed by a short quiz which is required before you can schedule yourself for shops for that company. Once you pass, you can assign yourself a mystery shop, print out the instructions, and get to it! Most of the mystery shops require a small purchase (which is usually reimbursed) and/or photographs to document your shop.

Shop questionnaires for CRI are completed online and usually require little writing. They will ask you many questions for which you fill in information from your receipt, select your answer from a list of given options, or write a few sentances to give details. Negative answers, where you said that the store was out of an item in stock or the store clerk did not do a required action, will need to be documented so make sure to explain what happened. You can upload photos of your receipt and other necessary photographs to the CRI website. Usually, my shop reports for CRI take only about 5-10 minutes since I take notes based on the shop questions right after I complete the mystery shop so it's easy to remember what happened when I fill out the report.

Unlike most mystery shop companies, CRI pays quickly. Most companies will make you wait about a month to batch your shops together and send you payment, but CRI pays you the following Friday for any shops you complete. For example, shops that are completed and accepted on or before Monday are paid the following week on Friday. CRI can pay you by PayPal or by direct deposit to your bank account. I receive direct deposit payments from them and CRI will email me a few days before and say that I will be receiving a payment soon.

If you make a mistake on your mystery shop report, CRI will have a member of their staff email you and ask you to fix the report. Sometimes, a CRI staff member will call you to ask you to take a mystery shop in your area which they have to get completed soon, but you are free to decline if you can't do it. CRI will raise their shop fees (that's the amount they pay you) if a mystery shop is not completed so sometimes it's best to wait to assign yourself a mystery shop as the fee may go up in a week. But then you are also taking a gamble that another shopper won't take that shop. If you really want a shop, assign it to yourself and over time you will learn which shops in your area will go up in fees and are worth waiting on. When scheduling online, many shops for the current month only give you a 3 day window, so you often cannot schedule for next week. But sometimes the online scheduler shows shops that are for later dates and sometimes for the next month. Be sure to double check the date you sign up for and read over the paperwork carefully as failure to complete a shop correctly or at all can impact your shopper rating which, in turn, may lower your ability to complete shops for CRI in the future.

If you want to sign up to be a mystery shopper for Corporate Research International, you can email me at earningmytwocents@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation right away. Good luck!

Read More

Best Deals at CVS this Week: Oct 16-22

Here are some coupon matchups for some of the best deals at CVS this week. Prices change on Sunday.
Remember to scan your ExtraCard card at the coupon machine (usually near the door) for in-store coupons.

Almay Intense i-Color Shadow, Liner or Mascara $5.99
Buy 1, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 6
Use $1.00/1 Almay, Any Color Cosmetic Product from Walmart Ad Insert 10/9 (exp 12/31)
Pay $4.99, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $0.99

Suave Invisible Solid Deodorant, 1.4 oz $1.00
Use $0.25/1 Suave Deodorant Product from RP 10/16 (exp 11/13)
Final Price: $0.75

Gillette Venus Pro Skin, Embrace or Breeze Razor, 1 ct $8.99
Buy 1, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 2
Use $2.00/1 Venus Razor or Daisy Disposable Razor from PG 10/16 (exp 11/30)
Pay $6.99, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $2.99

Schick Hydro 3 or Hydro 5 Razor 1 ct or Cartridges 4 ct $8.29
Buy 1, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Use $2.00/1 Schick Hydro Razor from RP 10/16 (exp 11/13)
or $2.00/1 Schick Hydro Refil from RP 10/16 (exp 11/13)
Pay $6.29, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price $3.29

Dawn, 9-10.3 oz $0.97
Use $0.50/1 Dawn Plus products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
or $0.25/1 Dawn products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
or $0.20/1 Dawn Plus products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
or $0.20/1 Dawn products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
Final Price: $0.47

Buy 2 Hershey’s Snack Size, Nestle, Mars Chocolate or Wrigley’s Fun Size Assorted 9.34-12.5 oz or Twizzler’s Twists 22 oz $2.50
Use $1.50/2 Nestle Fun Size Bags Halloween Candy 11.5oz or larger from RP 10/16 (exp 10/31)
or $1.00/2 – Wonka Bags or Nestle Butterfinger, Cruch or Baby Ruth Fun Size or Miniatures printable
and use $1.00/2 Hershey’s Snack Size, Nestle, Mars Chocolate or Wrigley’s Fun Size Assorted 9.34-12.5 oz or Twizzler’s Twists 22 oz CVS Coupon (from cvs.com)
Final Price: $1.25 each when you buy 2

Pantene Pro-V Shampoo, Conditioner, 12.6 oz or Styler, 5.7-11.5 oz $3.49
Use $3.00/2 Pantene products, excluding trial size, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from RP 9/25 (exp 10/31)
or $1.00/2 Pantene products, excluding trial sizes Limit 4 Like Coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
Final Price: $1.99 each when you buy 2

Theraflu packets, Vapor Patch 6 ct., Warming Syrup 8.3 oz, Caplets 24 ct. or Children’s TriaminicLiquid 4 oz or Thin Strips 14 ct. $5.50
Buy 2, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Use 2 $2.00/1 Theraflu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold with Lipton Green Tea and Honey Lemon Flavors from SS 9/25 (exp 12/3)
or 1 $3.00/2 Theraflu products from SS 9/25 (exp 12/3)
or 2 $1.00/1 Triaminic Fever Reducer/ Pain Reliever product from SS 10/16 (exp 12/31)
or 1 $3.00/2 Triaminic Products from SS 10/16 (exp 12/31)
Pay $8.00, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $2.50 each when you buy 2

Read More

Best Deals at Rite Aid this Week: Oct 16-22

Below are some coupon matchups for this week's Rite Aid deals. Remember to roll your +UPs to spend less out of pocket by breaking your purchase into a few transactions and using the +UPs from the first to pay for the later transactions.

Remember to sign up for the Wellness Plus card and use it to get +UP Rewards to spend in the store as well as discounts when you accumulate points. The great thing about Rite Aid is that they allow you to stack a Rite Aid Store Coupon with a Rite Aid Video Values Coupon (http://riteaid.adperk.com) as well as a Manufacturer Coupon. Rite Aid also has Single Check Rebates (SCR) on lots of items every month which only requires you to enter your receipt number online and they mail you a check at the end of the month. So stacking coupons x3 + SCR= tons of savings!

Blistex Cold & Allergy Lip Balm $1.49
Buy 1, Receive $1.49 +Up Reward
Pay $1.49, Receive $1.49 +Up Reward
Final Price: FREE

St Joseph Aspirin $4.99
Buy 1, Receive $4.00 +Up Reward
Use $1.00/1 St. Joseph 80mg Aspirin, any size from SS 8/7
Or $1.00/1 St. Joseph 81mg Aspirin, any size from SS 9/11
Pay $3.99, Receive $4.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.01 MONEYMAKER

Organix Cough Drops $1.50
Buy 1, Receive $1.50 +Up Reward
Pay $1.50, Receive $1.50 +Up Reward
Final Price: FREE

Blistex Cold & Allergy Lip Balm $1.49
Buy 1, Receive $1.49 +Up Reward
Pay $1.49, Receive $1.49 +Up Reward
Final Price: FREE

Zarbee’s Natraflu Nighttime Cough and Sleep Drink $6.99
Buy 1, Submit for $6.99 Single Check Rebate
Pay $6.99, Submit for $6.99 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: FREE

Saline Soothers Moisturizing Nose Wipes $1.00
Buy 1, Submit for $1.00 Single Check Rebate
Use $0.50/1 – Saline Soothers Wipes printable
Pay $0.50, Submit for $1.00 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $0.50 MONEYMAKER

Conair Color Vibes Hairbrush $2.99 ($2.40 if you have the 20% discount!), On Sale thru 10/22
Buy 1, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Use $1.00/1 – Scunci Bendini or Conair Hairbrush video values coupon
Pay $1.99, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.01 MONEYMAKER

Buy 4 CoverGirl Cheekers Blush $4.39
Buy 4 CoverGirl Cheekers Blush $2.15
Buy 1 Gain Detergent $5.00
Spend $30.00 on the following P&G products, Receive $10.00 +Up Reward
Use 4 $8.00/2 CoverGirl Face Products from PG 10/2 (coupon should be adjusted down to $6.54/2)
And Use $0.50/1 Gain detergent or fabric enhancer from PG 10/16
Pay $4.50, Receive $10.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $5.50 MONEYMAKER

Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara (reg. $7.99) $4.79
Buy 1, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Use $2.00/1 – Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara video values coupon
Paid $2.79, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.79

Buy 1 Suave Professional Shampoo $2.69
Buy 1 Suave Professional Conditioner $2.69
Use $2.00/2 – Suave Items video values coupon
And Use Buy 1 Suave Professionals Shampoo or Conditioner, Get 1 FREE up to $3.00 from RP 10/2
Final Price: $0.35 each when you buy 2

Stayfree Pads or Carefree Liners $3.00
Buy 2, Receive $3.00 +Up Reward
Use 2 $1.00/1 Stayfree product, any from SS 8/21
Or $0.50/1 Carefree product, any from SS 8/21
Pay $4.00, Receive $3.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.50 each when you buy 2

Buy 6 Snickers Fun Size Bags $15.00
Spend $15.00 on the following items, Receive $5.00 +Up Reward
Use 2 $1.50/3 M and Ms Fun Size Milk Chocolate Candy, M and Ms Fun Size Peanut Chocolate Candies, M and Ms Fun Size Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies, Snickers Fun Size Bars, Snickers Fun Size Peanut Butter Squared Bars, Snickers Fun Size Almond Bars, Milky Way Fun Size Bars, 3 Musketeers Fun Size Bars, 3 Musketeers Fun Size Dark Chocolate Mint Bars, Twix Fun Size Bars, any bags 8.67 oz. or larger from RP 10/9
Pay $12.00, Receive $5.00 +Up Reward
$1.17 each when you buy 6

Theraflu, Triaminic, and 4 Way Nasal Spray $5.00
Buy 2, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Use $2.00/1 Theraflu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold with Lipton Green Tea and Honey Lemon Flavors from SS 9/25
Or $3.00/2 Theraflu Products, any from SS 9/25
Or $2.00/1 – Theraflu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold with Lipton Green Tea and Honey Lemon Flavors printable
Or $3.00/2 – Theraflu Products printable
And Use $1.00/1 Triaminic Fever Reducer Pain Reliever product from SS 10/16
Or $3.00/2 Triaminic products from SS 10/16
And Use $1.00/1 – Triaminic video values coupon
And Use$1.00/1 – Theraflu video values coupon
Pay $5.00, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $1.50 each when you buy a Theraflu and a Triaminic

Sucrets Throat Lozenges $2.99
Buy 1, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Pay $2.99, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.99

Similisan Cold Relief for Children $3.99
Buy 1, Submit for $3.00 Single Check Rebate
$1.75/1 Similisan product, any from SS 9/11
Pay $2.24, Submit for $3.00 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $0.76 MONEYMAKER

Boiron Arnicare Gel $6.99
Buy 1, Receive $6.00 +Up Reward
Pay $6.99, Receive $6.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.99

Jergens Lotions 10 oz $4.29
Buy 2, Receive $5.00 +Up Reward
Use 2 $1.00/1 Jergens Moisturizer, any 7.5 oz. or larger, or Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer, excluding 2 oz. Body Moisturizer from SS 10/9
Pay $6.58, Receive $5.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.79 each when you buy 2


You can find more great deals at Rite Aid at TheKrazyCouponLady.com.

Read More

How I'm Saving Today

Last weekend I ended up spending quite a bit stocking up on grocery items, but to balance it out I spent almost nothing this week (except for buying gas) and I don't need groceries for a while (unless they are free!). I got my 20 Balance Bar coupons in the mail ($.55/1) which I had ordered on Ebay and I went to Safeway Tuesday night to use them while Balance Bars were still on sale for $1.00. So they were all $.10 moneymakers! I also used a coupon to get almost free handsoap and used the overage to pay for coffee filters, which never have coupons. My total came to -$.22! Safeway has a policy not to give cash back from coupons so I didn't get the 22 cents but but I walked out with all this stuff without paying a cent! YAY!

Read More

Best Deals at Safeway this Week: October 12-18

Here's some coupon matchups for the best deals at Safeway this week.

Be sure to use your Club Card to get the best deals and load coupons onto your card from Safeway.com in the Just4U section. No need to clip from the circular, just load electronically! Just4U has all the in-store coupons from the circular as well as other manufacturer coupons. Ecoupons do not double but sometimes they will stack with paper coupons. According to Safeway's coupon policy: "Coupon stacking policies for manufacturer coupons apply to paper and electronic coupons that have been loaded to a club card."

Remember, Safeways in the DC area double coupons up to $.99! YAY!

**Fri, Sat, Sun Only**
Cheerio’s $1.88
Use $1.10/2 – General Mills Cheerios – (boxtops4education.com)
or $1.00/2 – Basic 4, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, or Dora the Explorer – (smartsource.com)
or $1.00/2 Cheerio’s from SS 9/25
Final Price: as low as $1.33 each when you buy 2

**Fri, Sat, Sun Only**
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crunch $1.88
Use $0.75/1 – Cinnamon Toast Crunch – (bricks.coupons.com)
Final Price: $.38

Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough $1.99 With in ad coupon
Use $0.75/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough from SS 9/25
Final Price: $1.24 each when you buy 2

Carefree Pantyliners $1.00
Use $0.50/1 Carefree Product from SS 8/21
Final Price: Free

Charmin Bath Tissue, 12 – 16 rolls $5.99 With in ad coupon
Use $0.35/1 Charmin Product from P&G 10/02
or $0.25/1 Charmin Product from P&G 10/02 (regional)
Final Price: as low as $5.29

Brawny Paper Towels, 6 roll $5.99 With in ad coupon
Use $0.50/1 Brawny Paper Towel from SS 9/25 (regional)
or $1.00/2 Brawny Paper Towel from SS /25
or $0.50/1 Brawny Paper Towel from RP 8/14 (regional)
or $1.00/2 Brawny Paper Towel from RP 8/14
Final Price: as low as $4.99

Quaker Granola Bars, 6-8 oz $2.00
Use $1.00/2 Quaker Chewy Smashbar or Granola Bars from RP 8/28
or $0.75/2 Quaker Chewy Smashbar or Granola Bars from RP 8/28 (regional)
Final Price: $1.25 each when you buy 2

Tide, 50 oz. $5.99
Use $2.00/3 Tide Detergent from P&G 10/2
or $1.00/2 Tide Detergent from P&G 10/2
or $0.50/1 Tide Detergent from P&G 10/2
Final Price: from $4.99 each

Hershey’s Snack Size Bag’s $2.50
Use $1.00/3 – Reese’s, Kit Kat, or Hershey’s Snack Size Bag – (smartsource.com)
or $1.00/3 Hershey’s Snack Size Bags of Reese’s, Kit Kat, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, York, Almond Joy, Mounds, Payday, Jolly Rancher, Milk Duds, Whoppers or Twizzlers from SS 9/25
Final Price: $2.17 each when you buy 3

Silk Milk, 64 oz. $2.79
Use $0.75/1 – Silk Milk – (facebook.com)
or $0.75/1 – Silk Milk – (soymilk.com)
Final Price: $1.29

Johnsonville Chicken Sausage, 12 oz. $3.99
Use $0.55/1 – Johnsonville Chicken Sausage – (smartsource.com)
Final Price: $2.89

Yoplait Greek Yogurt, 6 oz. $1.00
Use $0.30/1 – Yoplait Greek Yogurt – (bricks.coupons.com)
or $0.50/2 – Yoplait Greek Yogurt – (couponnetwork.com)
or $0.50/2 – Yoplait Greek Yogurt – (coupons.com)
or $0.50/2 – Yoplait Greek Yogurt – (smartsource.com)
Final Price: $0.40- $0.50 depending on which coupon you use

For more Safeway matchups for this week, check out Moneywise Moms and Krazy Coupon Lady.

Read More

The Happiest People..

Photo Credit

Read More

Couponing Basics: Part I: Couponing = Food Security

Today I will be starting a post series on couponing basics which will cover some basic principles of couponing including coupon stacking, organizing, figuring out the best deals, buying coupons online, and stockpiling. If you have other topics or questions you would like me to cover please email me at earningmytwocents@gmail.com or leave a comment.

If you are new to couponing, i'm sure you are asking yourself all kinds of questions:

So what is all this couponing business? Are all couponers like those on Extreme Couponing? Can I really save 50-90% on my groceries and drugstore purchases regularly? Will this become a huge time suck? Will I become obsessed with saving money and penny pinching? Will I become protective and possessive of my coupon binder and stockpile? Is it even worth it? Where do I start?

It's easier than you think, no it's not a time suck, yes you can save tons!, and no, you do not need to go overboard and treasure your coupon binder as a member of the family. I have found couponing to be a valuable money saver and a new, fun hobby.

Here's my story.

A few months before our wedding last year, my husband lost his job, I started a new job, and I started graduate school. It was an adjustment to say the least. I was crazy busy with wedding planning, learning the ropes at work, and wading through graduate school homework each week. When my husband lost his job we decided to take stock of where we were in our careers and financially and determined that there was no time like the present to get moving on our goals. So we decided that it would be best for my husband to finish his degree full time (while he was working full time he was taking one college class in the evening but it takes for-ev-ah to finish school that way) so that we could both be done with school in just 2-3 years.

We looked at our budget and figured that we could make do if we squeezed our as much as we could and cut out unnecessary expenses. So we got down to business hitting the books, getting super excited about our wedding, and paying the bills. But after the wedding we ran into unexpected expenses. My husband had some health problems and while we have health insurance, the bills still started piling up. We wanted to save for a house one day and realized that there was no way we would be able to do that while barely keeping our heads above water. The stress was definetely getting to us.

Then one day I saw Extreme Couponing on TLC. Yes, really. I know many people hate the show and think that it unfairly portrays couponers as product-obsessed hoarders who value their stockpiles and coupon binders more than their families (which are valid points about the show) but it blew..my..mind. I had used coupons for a couple of years but usually clipped a few and put them in an envelope and then forgot to fish them out of my purse while at the store. So I was quite intrigued by the show and realized that I had been doing it wrong.

For starters, I watched the show and saw them explain some basics of couponing such as coupon doubling, stacking coupons, and buying in bulk to stockpile. Then I jumped on the internet and surfed until I found Krazy Coupon Lady and Coupon Mom. Both are free sites, have helpful videos, great tutorials, and coupon matchups. I also got the Krazy Coupon Lady book Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey (which I highly recommend). Coupon Mom also has a book out called The Coupon Mom's Guide To Cutting Your Grocery Budget in Half. The books and websites gave me all the details on couponing in an easy to understand format and I started to try my hand at couponing which I found to be really fun in addition to saving a lot of money. I have a type-A personality and I like to analyze and organize so couponing is a great fit.

Over the past few months that I have been couponing, I have saved on average about 57% on my grocery bill. For us, that means that we are purchasing twice as many groceries each month than we had previously. So our pantry is stocked come the end of the month and we are not totally out of food money either, which is a relief because it's really sad to reach the last week of the month and wonder what you're eating other than rice and beans. Previously, we had just gone into the next month's food budget a bit early but then we were always doing that so our food budget was only lasting 3 weeks out of each month. Now it lasts the full month and we are building a small stockpile so we will be able to lower our food budget in the future and save some of that money.

So for me, couponing means food security. It has given us the ability to make our food budget last for the entire month and now we are getting to the point where we can shave off some money from the food budget to pay some bills or save and we can still get by just fine. I spend only a couple of hours a week clipping coupons and planning my shopping trips. I go to the drugstore about once a week and to the grocery store about once a week. I also spend some time reading personal finance and coupon blogs which have coupon matchups and articles on living frugally. When I started I went more often and ended up spending more because I was excited about couponing and the great deals I could get, but not I have grown a small stockpile so I can pass up deals on things I am already well stocked on, so that saves money too.

The next post will discuss how to get coupons so stay tuned!

Next Post: Couponing Basics Part II: How Do You Get Coupons?

Read More

Best Deals at CVS this Week: October 9-15

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week. Prices change on Sunday.
Remember to scan your ExtraCard card at the coupon machine (usually near the door) for in-store coupons.

This week the coupon machine is giving out $3 off a $10 cosmetic purchase coupon (expires one day after printing) and a $2 off Rimmel cosmetics coupon.

Crest Plus Scope, 2.7 oz Travel Size $2.49
Buy 1, Receive $2.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 2
Use $2.00/1 Crest Complete Toothpaste, Scope Dual Blast Rinse, Oral-B Complete Floss, Oral-B Complete Toothbrush from SS 9/11 (exp 12/31)
Pay $0.49, Receive $2.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $1.51 Money Maker

American Greetings Cards $0.99
Buy 3, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Pay $ 2.97, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: Free

Playtex Gentle Glide or Sport Tampons, 36 ct $7.99
Buy 1, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Use $2.00/1 Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons, 18 ct or larger from SS 8/14 (exp 10/9)
or $1.00/1 Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons, 18 ct or larger from SS 10/2 (exp 11/30)
or $1.00/1 Playtex Sport Tampons, 14 ct or larger from SS 10/2 (exp 11/30
Pay $5.99, Receive $3.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $2.99

Nature Made Fish Oil, 60-250 ct or Vitamin D, 100-300 c $7.99
Buy 1, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Use $1.00/1 Nature Made Fish Oil from SS 10/2 (exp 11/2)
Or $1.00/1 Nature Made Vitamin D from SS 10/2 (exp 11/2)
Pay $6.99, Receive $4.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $2.99

pur-Absorb Iron Supplement, 28 ct. $15.99
Buy 1, Receive $15.99 Extra Bucks, Limit 1
Pay $15.99, Receive $15.99 Extra Bucks
Final Price: Free

You can find more great deals at CVS and other stores this week at Krazy Coupon Lady and Coupon Mom.

Read More

Best Deals at Rite Aid this Week: October 9-15

There are some great cold & flu season freebies this week at Rite Aid with +UP Rewards. Here's some of the best deals and how to roll your +UPs.

Remember to sign up for the Wellness Plus card and use it to get +UP Rewards to spend in the store as well as discounts when you accumulate points. The great thing about Rite Aid is that they allow you to stack a Rite Aid Store Coupon with a Rite Aid Video Values Coupon (http://riteaid.adperk.com) as well as a Manufacturer Coupon. Rite Aid also has Single Check Rebates (SCR) on lots of items every month which only requires you to enter your receipt number online and they mail you a check at the end of the month. So stacking coupons x3 + SCR= tons of savings!

Bayer Aspirin Product - $2.99
Get $2.00 UPR
use $1/1 Bayer Aspirin Product (SavingStar.com) *does not come off total but deposits into your Savings Star account
and use $1/1 Bayer Aspirin Product, exp. 12/31/11 (RP 09/11/11)
Free after coupon & UPR

Blistex - $1.49
Get $1.40 UPR
Free after UPR

Burt's Bee Throat Drops - $1.49
Get $1.49 UPR
Free after UPR

NeliMed NasaMist - $5.00
Get $5.00 UPR
Free after UPR

Preparation H - $3.00
Get $3.00 UPR
use $2.00/1 Prep H Printable
Free + $2.00 Overage after coupon

Cepacol - $2.50
Get $2.50 UPR
Free after UPR

Rite Aid Hand Sanitizer - $1.00
Get $1.00 UPR
Free after UPR
Limit 4

Zarbee's Children Cough Syrup - $5.99
Get $5.99 SCR
Free after SCR

Carefree Product - $1.00
$1/2 Carefree Product Video Values printable
$0.50/1 Carefree Product, exp. 10/31/11 (SS 08/21/11)
Free after coupons

Chloraseptic Spray or Lozenges - $3.99
Get $3.00 UPR
use $1.00/1 printable
Free after coupon & UPR

Comtrex - $3.99
Get $3.00 UPR
$1/1 Comtrex Item, exp. 12/31/11 (Rite Aid Flu Coupon Book)
Free after coupon & UPR

Emergen-C Immune+ - $3.49
Get $3.49 SCR
Free after SCR

Hyland's Defend Cold Relifef - $5.99
Get $5.00 UPR
$.99 after coupon

Alka-Seltzer Plus - $5.50
Get $5.00 UPR wyb 2
$1/1 Alka-Seltzer Plus Video Values printable
$1/1 Alka-Seltzer Antacid, or Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Product printable
$2.00 each after UPR & coupon


How to Roll Your +UP Rewards to Spend Less Out of Pocket

Transaction #1
Preparation H Totables Wipes 10ct- $3.00
Rite Aid Hand Santitizer 8oz- $1.00
use $1/1 Preparation H printable
pay $1.00, get $3 +UP from Preparation H and $1 +UP from Rite Aid Hand Santitzer
The Preparation H is a $2 money maker so even if you wouldn't normally use it you can get it and donate it

Transaction #2
Blistex Lip Ointment- $1.49
Cepacol Sore Throat Lozenges 16-18ct- $2.50
Total: 3.99 + tax, use $4 +UP Rewards from previous transaction (if it doesn't work get a small chocolate covered cherry for fller, its only 15 cents)
get $1.49 +UP from Blistex and $2.50 +UP from Cepacol

Transaction #3
Chloroseptic lozenges 15-18ct or Spray- $3.99
Burt's Bees Throat Deops- $1.49
use $1/1 Chloroseptic printable
Total: $4.48, use $3.99 in +UPs from previous transaction, pay $.49 cash
get $3 +UP from Chloroseptic and $1.49 +UP from Burt's Bees

Transaction #4
NeilMed Nasa Mist 4.2 oz- $5.00
Total: $5.00, use $4.49 +UPs from previous transaction, pay $.51 cash
get $5 +UP from NeilMed

Transaction #5
2 Alkaseltzer Plus Cold Relief- $5.50 each ($11)
$1/1 Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Video Values coupon
(2) $1/1 Alka Seltzer product printable
Total: $8.00, use $5 +UP from previsous transaction, pay $3 cash
get $5 +UP

Total Bought:
Preparation H Totables
Rite Aid Hand Santitzer
Blistex Lip Ointment
Cepacol Sore Throat Lozenges
Chloraseptic Lozenges
Burt's Bees Throat Deops
NeilMed Nasa Mist
2 Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Relief

Paid Out Of Pocket: $5.00, and you have a $5 +UP for future purchases = FREE!!!

Thanks Living Rich With Coupons for great Rite Aid matchups! See the LWRC site for a complete list of Rite Aid matchups.

Read More

Best Deals at Safeway this Week: October 5-11

Here are some of the best deals at Safeway this week.

Be sure to use your Club Card to get the best deals and load coupons onto your card from Safeway.com in the Just4U section.

No need to clip from the circular, just load electronically! Just4U has all the in-store coupons from the circular as well as other manufacturer coupons. Ecoupons do not double but sometimes they will stack with paper coupons. According to Safeway's coupon policy: "Coupon stacking policies for manufacturer coupons apply to paper and electronic coupons that have been loaded to a club card."

Promotion Friday 10/7- Sunday 10/9: Spend $75 or more in a single transaction, get a $10 off your next order coupon. This $75 threshold must be met after club card savings and all other discounts and savings. **I called my local store to clarify whether this meant $75 after manufacturer coupons and was told that it probably did. If anyone tries this and gets the coupon with a total that dropped below $75 after coupons please let me know!

Friday - Sunday Only:
Classico or Barilla Pasta Sauce- $1.49 each
$1/1 Barilla Pasta Sauce 8/28 SS = $.49
$1/1 Classico Pasta Sauce 44oz printable= $.49

Barilla Pasta 12 to 16-oz. Selected varieties- $.89 each
$1/2 Whole Grain Barilla 9/11 SS= .39

Mission Tortillas 10-ct. Soft Taco or 30-ct. Corn. Selected varieties.- $1.49 each
$1/1 Mission Artisain Tortillas printable= $.49

Nabisco Premium Saltines or Kraft Handi-Snacks 11 to 16-oz. Saltines or 5.52 to 6.54-oz. Handi-Snacks. Selected varieties.- $1.75 each

Dannon Activia or Light & Fit Yogurt 4-pack, 4 to 6-oz. Selected varieties. $1.99 each

Betty Crocker Helper Dinners- $.99 each

Planter's Peanut Butter- $1.49 w/ in-store coupon (limit 4)

Nabisco Snack Crackers 5.5-10oz selected varieties, incl. Triscuit and Wheat Thins- $1.99 w/ in-store coupon (limit 4)
$.75/1 Ritz Crackerfuls (if included) printable= $.50
$1/1 flavored Wheat Thinks printable= $.99

Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs or Snackwells Cookies- $1.99 w/ in-store coupon (limit 4)
$1/1 Snackwells printable= $.99

Fiber One Bars 5ct box- $1.99 each w/ in-store coupon (limit 4)
Just4U eCoupon $.40/1 + $.40/1 GM 10/02/11 or Smartsource.com
probably will not stack since both manufacturer coupon so, price is $1.59 w/ ecoupon and $1.19 with paper coupon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday Only: Totino's Party Pizza- 5 for $5 ($1 each)
$1/4 Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza coupon General Mills insert 9/11
$1/4 Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza printable Couponnetwork.com= $.75
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25% off Safeway brand frozen products w/ in-store coupon (limit 10)

Balance Bars- $1.00 each
use $.55/1 9/11 SS = Free

Rancher's Reserve Roast Beef- 50% off

Safeway Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (in extreme value pack)- $2.49/lb

80% Lean Ground Beef- $2.49/lb

Pristine Green Seedless Grapes- $1.49/lb

Fall Squash- $.99/lb

Maier's Italian Bread or Thomas' Twin Pack English Muffins- $1.99 each

Fresh Express Family Size Shreds or Salad Kits- Buy 1 get 1 Free

Kraft Salad Dressing 14-16oz- Buy 1 get 1 Free

Weight Watcher's Smart Ones frozen meals- 5 for $10 ($2 each)
$1/5 Just4U eCoupon
$3/10 SS 8/7/11= 5 for $7 ($1.40)

Sargento Natural Slices 6.67 to 8-oz., Kraft Shredded Cheese 6 to 8-oz., Kraft Singles 10.7 to 12-oz., Kraft Cooking Cream 10-oz., Lucerne® Chunk Cheese 8-oz., Sorrento Stick or String Cheese 13.3 to 16 -oz., Selected varieties.- Buy 2 get 1 Free
$.55/1 Sargento snacks 8/28 SS
$.50/2 Sargento slices 8/28 SS
prices vary

Pepsi or 7-Up 2 liter- $.99 each
Just4U e-coupon for $.55 off Pepsi Max 2 liter= $.45 each

Tyson's Breaded Chicken Selections (frozen)- $5.99 each

Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Lunchmeat, Hillshire Farm Sausage or Ball Park Beef Franks. Selected varieties.- $2.99 each

12-Pack refreshe(TM) or 8-Pack Natural Soda- 5 for $10 ($2 each)

Nivea Lipcare- $1.00 each
$1/1 from 10/2 RP= Free

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios17-oz. or Lucky Charms 16-oz. Cereal -$2.49 each
$1/2 Cheerios varieties 9/25 SS= $1.99 Honey Nut Cheerios
$.50/1 Lucky Charms printable Coupons.com= $1.49 Lucky Charms

Gatorade 32 oz or Propel 24 oz- Buy 10 get 5 Free
$1/5 SoBe, Propel printable
prices vary

Kikkoman Soy Sauce 10oz- $1.99
$/1 Just4U ecoupon or $1/1 from Safeway Muscular Dystrophy coupon booklet or $1/1 SS 05/15/11
Final Price= $.99

U by Kotex 18ct liners- $1.00
$1/1 printable= Free

Tombstone Original Pizza- $2.99 w/ in-store coupon
$.75/1 9/18 SS = $1.49 each

Pillsbury Crescent or Cinnamon Rolls 8-13.9 oz- $1.99 w/ in-store coupon
Just4U e-coupons for $.50/2 crescent rolls + $.40/2 crescent rolls printable SmartSource.com (sometimes they stack, depends on the ecoupon)
if stack & paper coupon doubles, final price is $1.24 each

For more Safeway matchups for this week, check out Moneywise Moms and Krazy Coupon Lady.

Read More

My Shopping Trip: CVS & RIte Aid

I hit up the deals at CVS and Rite Aid this week and thought I would share with you all what I did. Hopefully this will inspire you to do some stock up couponing of your own! Why pay full price, ever?!

At CVS I took advantage of the buy $15 of participating products, get $5 Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) promotion to get some cleaning/air freshener products I needed. And I also used my $4 off a $20 purchase coupon, as well as some ECBs I had. I also used the high value Covergirl coupon from this weekend's paper to get free blush and bronzer.

1 Mr. Clean Magic Eraser- Reg. Price $3.69, Sale Price $2.50
2 Febreze Air Effects- Reg Price $3.69, Sale Price $2.99
1 Swiffer Wet Jet Refill- Reg Price $6.79, Sale Price $3.99
1 Febreze Noticeables Refill- Reg Price $5.49, Sale Price $3.99
2 Cover Girl Cheekers (1 Blush & 1 Bronzer)- Reg Price $5.29, Sale Buy 1 get 1 50% off ($2.65)
Total Before Coupons: $21.41

*Note: The blush didn't automatically ring up the second at 50% off so I had to ask a manager to correct the price. Always double check the price on the screen because sometimes it's not coded right in the computer system.

Coupons Used:
$4 off $20 CVS purchase
$1/1 Magic Eraser from Right At Home mailing
(2) $1/1 Febreze Air Effects from Right At Home mailing
$1/1 Febreze Noticeables from Right At Home mailing
$8/2 Cover Girl face products from 10/2 Smart Source
$8 in Extra Care Bucks from previous transatcions
Scanned Green Bag Tag (gives you $1 ECB every 4 transactions)

Total After Coupons: $1.45.
I got $5 in Extra Care Bucks back on my receipt, so the transaction was a $3.55 moneymaker!
Total Saved: $33.53 (saved 110%)

At Rite Aid I got some items which will be free or super cheap after Single Check Rebates, as well as cold medicine I needed. I split my purchase into two transactions and rolled my +UP Rewards to spend less out of pocket. Remember, Rite Aid lets you stack a manufacturer coupon with both a Rite Aid store couopon and an Rite Aid video values coupon.

Transaction #1
NoNonsense Panty Hose- Reg Price $3.49, Sale Price $2.99
Profoot Heel Cream- Reg Price $8.29, Sale Price $4.99
Total Before Coupons: $7.98

Coupons Used:
$1/1 Profoot product printable (also was a hang tag on product but my printable expired first)
$1/1 NoNonsense video values
$2 +UP Rewards from previous transactions

Total After Coupons: $4.46
I got back $3 in +UP Rewards ($1 from NoNonsense and $2 from Profoot), so more like $1.46
Also, the Profoot has a $3 Single Check Rebate
Total Saved: $13.80 (including the +UPs & rebate) (saved 113%) <---moneymaker!

Transaction #2 (ouch! some of these were not on sale but I needed them and had some stacked coupons)
Theraflu Lipton Green Tea- Reg Price $6.49
Excedrin Tablets 100ct- Reg Price $9.99
Crest Enamel Shield 4.2oz- Reg Price $3.99, Sale Price $2.59
Total Before Coupons: $19.07

Coupons Used:
$1.50/1 Excedrin 80ct or higher manufacturer coupon
$1.50/1 Excedrin 80ct or higher Rite Aid store coupon from circular
$1/1 Excedrin video values coupon
$2/1 Theraflu Lipton Green Tea manufacturer coupon
$1/1 Theraflu Rite Aid store coupon from circular
$1/1 Theraflu video values coupon
$3 +UP Rewards from previous transaction

Total After Coupons: $6.07
Also, the Crest has a $1.60 Single Check Rebate
Total Saved: 16.00 (including rebate) (saved 78%)

Read More

Free L'Occitane Hand Cream!

L'Occitane is giving away a coupon on it's Facebook page for free hand cream! Head over to the L'Occitane USA page, like them, and click on the Free Hand Cream tab. Sign up with your information and a voucher will be mailed to you in two weeks. Then take the voucher to your local L'Occitane store to pick up a travel sized hand cream (5ml) for FREE!

As an added bonus, when L'Occitane USA gets 250,000 fans, they will upgrade the voucher to the 10ml size hand creme!

Note, this giveaway page doesn't work on mobile devices so use an actual computer to sign up.

Thanks, Reward Port!

Read More

Best Deals at CVS this Week: October 2-8

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week. Prices change on Sunday.
Remember to scan your ExtraCard card at the coupon machine (usually near the door) for in-store coupons.

Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers $8.99, On Sale thru 10/8
Buy 1, Receive $1.00 Extra Buck
Use $3.00/1 Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers from SS 9/11
Also scan $2.00 – Huggies Little Mover Slip-On – (SavingStar.com) *This is an ecoupon that will deposit into your Savings Star account which you can later cash out through PayPal
Pay $5.99, Receive $1.00 Extra Buck
Final Price: $2.99

CoverGirl Foundation, Powder or Blush Concealer (excludes Clean Liquid makeup or powder), Prices starting at $ 5.99
Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off
$8.00/2 Covergirl Face Products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
Final Price: As low as $0.50 each

Edge, Skintimate Shave Gel or Cream (excludes travel size) $1.99
Use $1.00/1 - Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave – (cvs.com)
or $0.55/1 Edge shave gel, 7 oz or larger from SS 9/25 (exp 11/6)
Final Price: $0.99

Scope Dual Blast, 750 ml $4.49
Buy 1, Receive $1.50 Extra Bucks, Limit 2
Use $2.00/1 Crest Complete Toothpaste, Scope Dual Blast Rinse, Oral B Complete Floss, or Oral B Complete Toothbrush
Pay $2.49, Receive $1.50 Extra Bucks
Final Price $0.99

Dawn, 9-10.3 oz $0.97
Use $0.50/1 Dawn Plus products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
or $0.25/1 Dawn products, Limit 4 Like coupons per transaction from PG 10/2 (exp 10/31)
Final Price: $0.47

Buy 2 Ricola Drops $1.99
Use 2 $1.50/1 Ricola cough or throat drops, 45 ct or larger from SS 9/11 (exp 11/30)
Pay: $0.98

Spend $15.00 Receive $5.00 Extra Bucks when you purchase select Dove or Lever Products, Limit 1
Deal Idea: Buy 4 Dove Shampoo or Conditioner, 12 oz or Styler, 4-9.25 oz $3.00
Buy 1 Dove Men+Care Deodorant, 3 oz $3.49
Use B1G1 FREE Dove Hair Care product up to $6.00 Includes Shampoo, Conditioner, Deep Treatment Conditioner, and Syling products from RP 10/2 (exp 10/30)
and use $1.00/1 Dove Men+Care Deodorant 3 oz from RP 10/2 (exp 10/30)
Pay $8.49, Receive $5.00 Extra Bucks
Final Price: $0.69 each when purchase all 5

You can find more great deals at CVS and other stores this week at Krazy Coupon Lady and Coupon Mom.

Read More

Best Deals at Rite Aid This Week: October 2-8

There are a ton of great deals at Rite Aid this week so add to that stockpile! Prices change on Sunday.

Remember to sign up for the Wellness Plus card and use it to get +UP Rewards to spend in the store as well as discounts when you accumulate points. The great thing about Rite Aid is that they allow you to stack a Rite Aid Store Coupon with a Rite Aid Video Values Coupon (http://riteaid.adperk.com) as well as a Manufacturer Coupon. Rite Aid also has Single Check Rebates (SCR) on lots of items every month which only requires you to enter your receipt number online and they mail you a check at the end of the month. So stacking coupons x3 + SCR= tons of savings!

There is an Aveeno Deal at Rite Aid this week for Buy $30 in Aveeno Products and get a $10 UP Reward.
Buy 4 Aveeno Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner $5.99 each
Buy 1 Aveeno Naturals Skin Relied Calming Lotions $6.49
Buy 1 Aveeno Naturals Skin Relief Calming Lotion $3.24 (50% off)
Total: $33.69
-(4)$2/1 Aveeno Hair Care Coupon
-$3/2 Aveeno Coupon (need two computers to print 4 coupons)
-$2/1 Aveeno Shampoo Video Values Coupon
Pay: $20.69
Get a $10 UPR
$1.78 each after coupons & UPR

Dove Hair Care - $3.50
Get $5.00 UPR wyb $15.00
BOGO from the 10/2 RP
$0.75/1 Dove Hair Care Product printable
$1/1 Dove Hair Care, exp. 9/30/11 (ALL YOU Aug '11)
$2/1 Dove Shampoo, Conditioner or Styling Item Video Values Coupon
Deal Idea:
Buy (5) Dove Hair Care $17.50
-(2) BOGO Coupon in 10/2 RP
-(1)$.75/1 printable Dove Coupon
Use $2.00/1 October Video Values Coupon
Pay $7.75
Get $5.00 UPR
$2.75 for 5 or $.55 each

Oral B Complete Action or 3D White Toothbrush - $5.99
Get $2.99 SCR
use $3.00/1 in 10/2 PG
Free after coupon & SCR (submit on Rite Aid website for Single Check Rebate)

Pert Shampoo - $2.00
Get $2.00 UPR
Get $1.00/1 in 10/2 SS
Free after UPR

Profoot Product - $4.99
Get $3.00 SCR Get $1.00
$1/1 Profoot Product printable
Free after SCR, UPR & Coupon

Scope Mouthwash - $4.00
use $1.50/1 coupon in 10/2 inserts
Get $2.50 UPR
Free after UPR & coupon

CoverGirl Face Product
Buy One, Get One 50% Off
$8/2 CoverGirl Face Product, exp. 10/31/11 (P&G 10/02/11)
Deal Ideas Here for Money Maker Blush or Foundation

No Nonsense Items - $2.99
Get $2.00 UPR
$1/1 No Nonsense Items Video Values printable
Free after coupon & UPR

You can find more great deals at Rite Aid this week at Living Rich With Coupons.

Read More