Walgreens and Walmart Deals

I got everything pictured for $4.61! Here's the breakdown:

Walgreens:

• 1st transaction: Stayfree pads $2.99, get $3RR. Used $1/1 (SS 4/25/10) = paid $1.99, got $3RR
• Schick Twin Disposable Razors (12 pk.): $5.99, get $1RR. Used $2/1 (SS 4/11/10)
• Infusium 23 Leave-In Treatment: $4.99. Used $3/1 (May All You) and $2/1 (May Walgreens Coupon Booklet) = free
• Hershey Bar = $0.89. I realized as I was checking out that I needed a filler item to use my $3RR, so I grabbed this for Jesse.
• Total paid: $1.99 and $2.75. I have $1RR for next time as well, meaning my net total is $2.74 out of pocket!

Walmart:

• We needed rice. Great Value Brown Rice: $1.58.
• Sun Chips: $3.38. Used free coupon from Facebook promotion.
• Rimmel Eye Color Trio: $3.97. Used free coupon from March (?) All You.
• Total paid: $1.87 for the rice and tax.

Free Sample: Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions

Go here to get a free sample of Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions from Sam's Club. You do not have to be a member to get this sample.

Thanks Freebies 4 Mom!

What to Join...

Have you ever wondered how to get some of the best free samples, coupons, and products? One of the easiest ways to get free stuff is to sign up for word of mouth programs.

My absolute favorite is Vocalpoint. They send out mailers every so often with high value coupons, as well as free samples (Puffs with Lotion, DelMonte Fruit Naturals, and Pantene, to name a few recent ones). In the past I've also been able to sign up for additional freebies from their site, including a full sized bottle of Pantene Nature Fusion.

Another good one is Kraft First Taste. This one gives it's members coupons for free products to try some of Kraft's newest ideas. I've gotten free Digiorno 200 calorie pizzas, Oreo cakesters, and Philadelphia cream cheese minis. They also have the opportunity to provide feedback via short surveys and community forums. I've found that the more you participate, the more likely they are to pick you for the next free product coupon (because not everyone gets every coupon). I only do the surveys, and I've still gotten several.

This one I just signed up for today, so I can't say for sure what they do and how well they do it yet, but it's worth a shot. Know and Tell has you fill out a short survey so that they can match you with brands that want your feedback on their products. Sounds easy enough to me...we'll have to see what I get matched up with.

I'm sure there are more - these are just the ones that I've found so far.

2 Free CFL Light Bulbs!

The Free Lightbulb Initiative, part of Energy Efficient Now, is sending out 2 free CFL light bulbs to anyone who fills out the simple request form (until they run out). We've switched some of our light bulbs, but not all.

What I'm Reading...

The Simple Dollar posts about how "if it's yellow, let it mellow..." and rinsing and reusing ziploc bags saves you money. Or not.


The Greenest Dollar talks about turning down or off your air conditioner for the summer.


Deal Seeking Mom gives you 8 Ways to Feed Your Coffee Addiction for Less.

In honor of Earth Day, Think Twice Before You Toss. Could you use part or all of that? Could someone else? We are really good at throwing out usable things in our house...but I'd like to remedy that.

Garage sale season is coming! For some, it's already here. Read Money Saving Mom's 10 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale - you should probably listen to her, because she just had a sale that totaled over $1,000!

Free Red Gold Reusable Tote

At our house, we're trying to convert to reusable grocery bags. We have thus far been less than successful, because while we have 2 bags (yes, only 2 so far), I keep forgetting to put them in the car. I've been trying to get bags for free, although I do want to get a few or several at Walgreens this week - they're 3/$1 with the in-ad coupon.

So...here's a way to get another one. Go here to get started. Sign up for the Red Gold email newsletter (it usually comes with coupons). Purchase at least one can of Red Gold tomatoes (I already had one in the cupboard, but the coupons are good enough that I've been buying a lot lately). Enter the codes as requested and wait for your tote. You have until May 7, 2010.

Homemade Crafts: Knitted Coffee Cozies

Knitting is one of my favorite crafts to pick up every now and again. I especially love little projects like this that can be easily completed in one sitting. As part of our effort to live a greener life, I made us a few reusable coffee cozies. (And yes, it would be ultimately greener to just bring our own mugs, but we don't always remember, whereas I can just have one or two of these in the diaper bag all the time).

Here's one in action. It ended up being a little bigger than I thought it would be, but it still works. The measurements, for those interested, are basic knitting stitching, 15x64 (pink), 15x56 (yellow), and 15x60 (multicolored), but they're all basically the same size - just different yarns I had leftover. So, if I make more, which I probably will, I'm thinking 10 or 12 for the smaller measurement, and 56-60 for the larger one.

Free Sample: John Freida Root Awakening

This is one of my favorite kinds of hair care - it smells so good! Sign up for a free sample from Walmart here. Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

What I'm Reading...

Money Saving Mom talks about cleaning out the clutter.

Christina from Northern Cheapskate guest blogs for SC Johnson. Here are her tips for living a greener life for free.

8 Things People Never Told You About Having Kids.

Finally, an article about couponing for people who hate couponing. I don't see how anyone could hate couponing! but then again, I've been the victim of the rude stares of people in the grocery store lines behind me who feel I'm wasting their time by saving money, so...this article is for them.

Free Sample: Stayfree

Click here for a free sample of Stayfree thin overnight pads.

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Homemade Crafts: Bubble Magnets

Materials needed:

• Fun pictures/patterns from magazines
• Scissors
• Silicone glue (I got a tube at Hobby Lobby for $3.99)
• Marble things (like you put in vases for fake flowers - I had some in my craft supplies already, but they're usually pretty cheap)
• Magnets sized to fit with your marbles (I got an 8-pack at Hobby Lobby for $1.99)
• Q-tip or toothpick to spread the glue

Directions:

• Trace around marble on magazine pages and cut out circles.
• Glue cut-outs onto magnets.
• Put a dot of glue on center of picture. Add marble and press down. The glue spreads out and disappears. It's pretty cool to watch. I would recommend putting a glob of glue on a disposable surface and working with your q-tip or toothpick from there.
• Let dry for 24 hours and use.
  

The finished product. Not too shabby. I found directions for these here.

Total cost: Depends on what supplies you have. For me, it was $5.98 plus tax. However, if I want to make more, all I need is more magnets. The glue will last for many more projects, and as you can see in the first photo, I have plenty of marbles.

Free Socks!

I did this one tonight and I actually got a free pair of socks! Become a fan of NoNonsense on Facebook. Each night at 9pm CST, be one of the first 100 to click the link on the left hand corner of their wall page, and you can get a free pair of socks mailed to you. They go fast (tonight they were gone in less than a minute), but if you happen to be online at the time, you may as well try.

Free Sample: Aveeno Nourish Haircare

Click here to get your free sample of Aveeno Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner. Just fill out a short survey about what hair products you currently use and pick one of three options.

Free Starbucks on 4/15/10

Here's one I know I'll be taking advantage of: Starbucks is offering free brewed coffee to anyone who brings in their own travel mug this Thursday, April 15.

Thanks, Common Sense with Money!

Free Box of Kraft Mac & Cheese

Become a fan of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese on Facebook and sign up to get a coupon for a free box or single cup of their new Cheesy Explosion mailed to you.

Thanks Freebies 4 Mom!

Free Sample: L'Oreal Everstrong

Go here to get a free sample of L'Oreal Everstrong from Target. I like shampoo and conditioner samples because they're easy to pack to take on trips, and they usually come with coupons!

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Free Uncle Ben's Rice!

Go here to request a free full bag sample of Uncle Ben's rice. Thanks Common Sense with Money!

Free Sample: Purex 3-in-1

Free sample of Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets here. I have wanted to try these, mostly because I'm curious. I think they're a little expensive, but I suppose if they work well, they're at least really convenient.

Free Sample: Suave Professionals

Get a free sample of Suave Professionals from Target here. Thanks Money Saving Mom! This is the first of hopefully many samples from Target.

I've Been Gone...

I know, I know, right after I promised to post more, I decided I needed a break from blogging, from couponing, from a lot of things that had been taking up my time. Truth be told, I spent quite a bit of time catching up on Lost, and I like hanging out with my family, we took a trip, my work schedule changed, and so on and so forth, so other things got pushed aside for March.

And that's okay. One of the cool things about couponing, for me at least, is that it's a hobby. Yes, it saves money, and yes, it's fun to see how much I can get for how little, but it's not necessary, especially with the changes we've made in our eating habits (several of the items I bought in my most recent post are being donated).

We didn't stop using coupons, and I didn't stop clipping them and printing them (well, aside from when we ran out of ink). In fact, we probably saved over $20 in diaper coupons alone. But I didn't feel like saving receipts, typing up posts, or fighting with a whiny baby while trying to take pictures of piles of groceries, especially considering my dining room table is almost always full of stuff. I needed a break.

So, now I'm back, I'm excited about finding deals again, and I may post more often, but I'm not making any promises. This is still just a hobby, and that's how I like it.

Savings last month: somewhere around $30
Savings so far: $306.71

Deals of the Week: Target and Walgreens

This was a pretty good week for deals, especially deoderant.


Target:

• Air Wick iMotion air freshener: on sale for $6 (used $5/1 from SS 3/7/10 insert and $1/1 Target printable) = FREE
• 4 Degree deoderants: $1.97 each (used two $3/2 printables and one $1/1 Target coupon from Target mailer - I don't know how to get on their mailing list, but my boss is on the list and he gives me most of the coupons) = $0.88/4, or $0.22 each!
• 2 Suave twin-pack deoderants: $2.94 per pack (used $3/2 printable) = $2.88/4, or $0.72 each!
• 2 Stove Top stuffings: $0.99 each (used $1/2 printable - no longer available)= $0.49 each!
• 4 Campbells cream of mushroom: $0.75 each (used two $1/2 printables) = $0.25 each!
• 2 Betty Crocker cookie mixes: $1.39 each (used $1/2 from Betty Crocker mailer) = $1.78/2, or $0.89 each!
• 2 Nestle Toll House chips: $2 each (used two $0.75/1 printables - no longer available) = $1.25 each
• 10 Del Monte corns: price matched Cub ad for $0.47 each (used two $1/5 printables - no longer available, but here's a $1/4, which is better) = $0.27 each!
• Total spent: $14.03. Total saved in coupons and sales: $38.37!
  

Walgreens:

• 1st transaction: 1 Dove conditioner: $4 (used $2/1 printable) = paid $2.30, got $4RR
• Halls Vitamin C drops: $0.99 with ad coupon (used $1/1 SS 3/28/10) = FREE!
• 4 Betty Crocker frostings: $1 each (used two $0.50/1 printables and one $1/2 from Betty Crocker mailer) = $0.50 each!
• BIC disposable razors: $4.99 (used $2/1 SS 3/28/10 and $1/1 April Walgreens coupon booklet) = $1.99
• 4 Hershey's candy bars: $0.39 each with ad coupon
• Used $4RR. Paid $2.02, so spent $4.32 total. Total saved with coupons and sales: $25.37

Total spent: $18.35. Total saved: $63.74.

Savings this post: $63.74.
Savings so far: $276.71