Cereal Sample

I just saw a commerical for this:

Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal sample, and $3 in savings. I'm assuming that means coupons. :)

$5 Off At Walgreens-July 31st

There's a new Walgreens coupon!!! It's $5 off of $20 or more, valid tomorrow only. The $20 needs to be before taxes and after coupons.

Frugal Scoopable Kitty Litter

After realizing what a budget buster kitty litter is, I decided to "make my own". Well kind of....

I have started mixing equal parts scoopable kitty litter and "regular" kitty litter. The scoopablity is the same, if you know what I mean. Just at a lower cost! :)

I bought 14 lbs of scoopable litter today and had about 7 lbs left in another tub. I then added (2) 10 lb bags of regular litter that that I got today. So today, for $5.91 I made roughly 40 pounds of budget scoopable kitty litter. Yay!

Kroger-July 29

Before Walgreens, I ran into Kroger. It was all worth the trip since I was needing gas. Kroger is the only place in my area to sell E-85. Which is what my SUV runs on. Anyway, check out my deals! The prices listed are the "sale" prices.

2 Tidy Cats 10 lb. "regular" kitty litter $4.00
2 Irish Spring 3 pks $3.00
2 Softsoaps $3.00
2 Speed Sticks $2.00
2 Warm Delights Minis 2 pks $4.00

minus
$5.00 off Mega Event Sale
(2) $1.00/1 Tidy Cats, (2) $1.00/1 Speed Stick, (2) $.50/1 Warm Delights coupon doubled, (2) $.30/1 Irish Spring coupon tripled, (2) $.35 Soft Soap coupon tripled.

Plus sales tax, $.32=$2.42 OOP. Total saved (per the receipt) $21.40 or 91%. 91% is a good way of thinking about it! I made the trip an adventure by letting my daughter do the self check out. It made up for the fact that the childs cart was unavailable. She loves to push that around, but she had fun today too!

My First Walgreens Rebate

Tidy Cats kitty litter is on sale at Walgreens. Yay! So while I was there, I decided to make my first rebate purchase. Here's what all I got:

14 lb Tidy Cats SCOOPABLE Litter $4.99
(3) 2.75oz Skinmates $2.97
Pert Plus 13.5 oz $3.79

minus
Walgreens coupon making the Skinmates $.99 each (up to 3)
$2.00 off Pert, (3) $.55 off Skinmates, $1.00 off Tidy Cats, all from the newspaper (various weeks).

Plus $.55 sales tax= $7.65 OOP.

Once I got home I did my rebate. SO EASY! Duh, why didn't I do this sooner? Anyway, I did it online and opted for the Walgreens gift card. That will give me 10% more back. Doing the rebate on line was faster and saved me $.42 for a stamp. So I should be getting $4.16 back, making my kitty litter purchase really only $3.49. It's way more fun to think of it that way! I think I'll make it a game and see how much I can roll onto the card by Christmas just from rebates.

This trip, I went to a different Walgreens. Thank goodness. Everything I needed (read:kitty litter) was in stock, it was clean, and they had coupons taped all over the store! I found my third shaving cream coupon this way.

Three Cheers for Recycling!

The City of Wylie has recently decided to change "trash companies". When I read all the information, the only exciting difference I noticed was that recycling would now be picked up weekly. It is currently every other week, and that is sometimes not often enough.

Well, today my new cans arrived. We can now recycle #1, #2, AND #3, #4, #5 and #7 plastics!!!!! That's reason for celebration in my book. I know....it will be a small party. I accept the fact that I find really lame things fun and exciting. :)

It's a Cat Sample!

It seems there are more dog samples than cat samples. Anyone agree, or is it just me?

Here's a Meow Mix Wholesome Goodness sample from Walmart. My cat will be excited!!

And yes, Walmart is dropping the hypen/star and the new little thing is called a "burst". Read more about Walmart's changing logo here.

CVS-July 27

Not my best trip, nor my worst! I didn't even walk in the door last week. The deals just aren't appealing to me. My goal here was mouthwash, so $1.98 wasn't awful...but I could have done better! I did decide to "splurge" on the exfoliating face cloths, which raised my OOP $1.49.....I hope they are worth it.

Listerine $4.00
2 Intuition razors $7.98
Revlon Lip Gloss $9.99
CVS face cloths $3.49

MINUS
$.55 Listerine cpn from yesterday's paper
(2) $4.00/1 Intuition cpns from paper a while back
$2.00/1 Revlon cpn from yesterday's paper (I think!)
$2.00 CVS brand face care cpn
$11.00 ECB

$1.98 OOP, and $10.99 in ECB back.

Albertsons Mega Event

So, I kept my promise and returned the Redbox movie and ran into not only Albertsons but also CVS yesterday. Here's how I did at Albertsons:

2 Six Packs of Water $2.00
2 Powerades $2.00
1 Planter's Peanuts $2.50
3 Kool-Aids $.50
3 Pictsweet Veggies $3.00
2 Hormel Chili $2.00
1 Loaf of French Bread $1.50

MINUS
$5.00 Mega Event Savings (you must get 10 qualifying items)
$1.00/1 Powerade cpn from paper
$3.00 Planters IP cpn, ($.50 overage even after Kool-Aid)
$.55/2 Hormel Chilis coupon from a magazine
Free French Bread Cpn (one the spits out with your receipt, save these!!!)

$2.82 OOP....pretty good, huh? I usually don't waste money on bottled water, but for a final price of $.50 each I'm hoping to hide them in the pantry for guests or something. My receipt savings was $20.35, but I always take that number with a grain of salt!

Sunday "Sweeps"-July 28th

Only a couple of (new to me) sweeps with the coupons today.

Listerine Smart Rinse, is giving away a trip for 4 to the Nickelodeon Family Suites as a grand prize. Plus $25 and $50 gift cards. Fine print says you must have a child between 6 and 12 at time of entry. Enter here to enter.

And....get your $1.00 Off Smart Rinse Coupon Here.

I also found a Kraft Back to School sweepstakes. You can enter daily and 5000 lucky winners will recieve a $50 gift card!! You need to enter a UPC from a participating Kraft product, I had one in the pantry. Enter to win here.

Weekend Redbox Codes

Be sure to read this post at BeCentsAble for 3 different codes to use this weekend. I used THX0708 at Walmart today. The kids love surprise movie rentals!! :)

I wrote down 2 codes, just in case. Then once I "paid" I handed it to the family next to me. They were happy (and surprised). Yay, free movies!!

The awesome thing is, Redbox can be returned anywhere. So, I have an excuse to go to Albertsons tomorrow. I need an excuse with the 100 degree heat these days. Plus, Albertsons is closer to the house and will cost me less in gas. :)

Some deals at Walmart!

I was in desperate need of staples (as in eggs, milk, bread, cheese, etc) today, so I ran to Walmart after the kids got up from their naps. I wanted to get the nuts and the Luvs and ran into a few more deals (cereal, Snuggle, Yogos) while strolling around. Here are just a few things that I thought were worth mentioning.

Luvs 30 pk-$7.47 Everyday Low Price!! After my $5 coupon, $2.47. Still a good deal with a $1 Luvs Diapers coupon.

Malt-0-Meal cereal 2/$2 minus (2) 1.50 IP coupons=Free ($1 overage). Or, use this $1.00 off Malt-O-Meal coupon for free cereal.

Electrasol GelPac $3.97 minus $2.25 coupon from Smart Source last Sunday=$1.72. Price may vary on this one.

2 Yogos, $1.67 & $1.68=3.35 minus (2) $1.00 coupons (thanks Irene)= $.68 each

2 Planter's nuts $2.68 each, minus (2) $3.00 Planter's IP coupons (no longer available)= Free ($.64 overage) but I did have to buy 6 Kool-Aids to use this coupon. So it was like the Kool-Aid was half price. :)

Power Aid $.60 minus $1.00 newspaper coupon = Free ($.40 overage). This was the only one I found, they were sold out!

Snuggle Peach Blossom Sunshine (only) $3.97 minus $1.00 newspaper coupon=$2.97 it was cheaper than Wally World brand and smells really good!

10 packs of Huggies Clean Team wipes, $1.72 each minus (5) $3/2 newspaper coupons=$.22 each, $2.20 for 10 packs!!

Gots lots of other stuff with coupons (of course) and I only spent $39.95. Not too bad since I had so many basics to get this week.

I cleaned out my coupons today and have a few trips to make before the end of the month!! I wanted to hit Albertsons this week. Their mega sale looks good, buy 10 qualifying items get $5 off. Some free stuff if you look through your coupons (Power-Aid)!! Anyway, I'm hoping CVS will have something good on sale (a P&G coupon...please!), and I have some good Target coupons that I can stack that I have to use.

Find anything good this week? Know of any good deals that expire soon?

Free Vivanno at Starbucks

Have a registered Starbucks card? Well then head to Starbucks today or tomorrow (July 25 or 26) for your free Vivanno. They do sound yummy!

I recently recieved a $10 Starbucks card for cashing in Pamper points, but I have yet to register it. I guess I'll get on the ball before I run errends. Who can run errends without passing one (or 2 or 3) Starbucks?

Click here if you need to register your Starbucks card. Enjoy!

Sunsilk is on the way.

Remember the Sunsilk samples I requested here (April 4th)? I just got an e-mail that they are on the way. At least they are coming!! I seem to remember that a coupon should be enclosed as well. Haven't requested your sample yet? Click my link. :)

New Samples!

There are new samples available from Wal-Mart, yay!

Oatmeal Crisp cereal, sounds yummy. I'm like Seinfeld, I have tons of cereal in the pantry.

Gillette Shampoo for men.

Member's Mark Formula from Sam's, two types to choose from.

With this 100 degree heat I just can't get in the shopping mood. I feel so bad getting the kids out, since my son sweats like crazy in the car. Yes.....I do have A/C. Haha! With that said, samples are awesome since they show up.

Notice the new Wal-Mart logo? Are they getting rid of the "-"? Will it be Walmart instead of Wal-Mart? Just one of the weird things I go around wondering about!

Only 3 Percent?

According to Nokia, only 3 percent of "unwanted" cell phones are recycled. Come on people, I know we can do better than that!

Click right here to learn more. If you type in your zip code at the top of the page, you'll be given a list of local cell phone recyclers. The closest location to me was an Office Depot.

I'll have to admit, I've never recycled an old cell phone. But, I've never thrown one away either! Every cell phone I've even owned is here. They are all scattered throughout the house in the kids toy baskets, beats paying $10 for a toy phone.

Thanks to Earth 911 for the information.

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by April at Little April Big World!!

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Let's see 6 things about me.....

1. I can't pass an open door without closing it, pass a light without turning it off, or pass a toy out of place without picking it up, etc, I'm an OCD neat freak.....I pick up after the kids way too much!
2. I love office supplies, especially new ones!! I can wait months to open something, I like to admire it in the package.
3. I hate to clean SO much I have cleaners (totally NOT frugal, I know!). I said I was a neat freak, not a clean freak. There is a difference!! :)
4. I pick my split ends.
5. I think Rob & Big is the funniest show, not really a quirk. Just something you probably wouldn't guess about me.
6. I don't like to swim. It's just so much work, the changing, the lotion, the drying and changing back. Ugh! Maybe if I had a pool in my back yard, I'd feel different. :)

Now, I have to tag 6 people. Let's see.....

Tasha at Comical Coupon Cents
Jesabella at Addison's Super Frugal Mom
Debbie at eBay Mommy
Ginger at Attention Target Shoppers
Amanda at Only On Sale
Missy Mommy at The Thrifty Mommy
Momma Val

Oops, that was 7.

Spreading the Bzz!

As a member of BzzAgent, about once a month, I get to try a new product and help spread the word (bzz). My most recent product was the new Teddy Grahams Trail Mix. Yippee!

As a household, we're already huge fans of Teddy Grahams. My kids love them and I think they are great since they have added calcium. I love anything with added calcium! Anyway, these new Teddy Grahams have been a big hit. They include all the things the kids like to snack on anyway, except it's all in one box!

The Bears & Bees variety include Teddy Grahams, Honey Maid Graham bees, pretzels and yogurt covered raisins, and the Bears & Cheese variety have Teddy Grahams, pretzels, raisins and Cheese Nips. I will say the kids wish each variety had more raisins!!

Since pretzels, raisins, and crackers are usually on our "to pack" list for outings in the car, I like the Teddy Grahams Trail Mix because it's a one bag snack and will include something for everyone!! The MSRP for a box is $2.99, so keep an eye out for a coupon and/or a sale.

Speaking of BzzAgent, last month I got to try Back to Nature all natural nuts and trail mixes. They were YUMMY!! The Nantucket Blend was my favorite, but the problem is I can't find them in the store. I've looked by the produce nuts and the snack nuts. Has anyone seen them? Where?

Need Samples?

I think I'll try some samples to get my blogging back on track. My mailbox could always use the company. How about yours?

1/2 Pint sample of Anna Sova Luxury Organic paint, you get to pick any color! I think I'll use mine to paint some of the stuff the kids have made at Home Depot. UPDATE--This sample is gone! That was fast!

Markal Marker sample, you can pick up to 3 samples!

Box of Zoe's Granola Bars, they are crunchy-licious!

64 Ct. Box of Huggies Soft Skin Shea Butter Wipes from Martha Baby Steps.

Wildflowers Seeds from Bentley Seeds.

Tide TotalCare from the Wal-Mart sample page.

Benefiber Sachet, this is a new Benefiber single-serve stick sample from Wal-Mart.

With a mailbox full of samples, I don't even care about getting bills........thanks to Free Grabber for some of the leads!

Took a Trip!

We took a weekend trip to Oklahoma. We had lots of fun, but man I'm worn out!

I always hate all the "post trip" catching up. I have unpacked and sorted the mail, that's it. I still have the paper and coupons to look through, washing, eBay to ship, and my daughter has summer school this week. She's taking a twirling class. It's only 40 minutes, but I still have to drive her there and wait.

I guess I'll be back on track this afternoon. I hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Be careful of "Sales"

Here's an e-mail I recieved from my step-mom, it's a good reminder about careful shopping and knowing your prices!

"I saw in the Giant grocery ad that storebrand yogurt would go on sale starting Friday, 20 for $10. So I wasn't going to buy any 'til next week sometime, certainly not yesterday when I stopped for milk. As I walked in I got to thinking, hmmm, isn't the regular price something like 7 for $3? You betcha! As you can guess, I bought several at 43 cents each instead of 50 cents on sale!"

Just because it's "on sale" doesn't mean the price has gone down. Just a reminder to continue to be smart shoppers, I know you already are! :)

Thanks Irene!!!!

Special K2O water at Albertson's

This week (July 12-22) at Albertson's, the Special K2O Protein Water is on sale 10/$10. I used the 10 $1.00 off Kellogg's Special K product coupons I recieved from VocalPoint. That's 10 free protein waters!!!!

If you haven't signed up with VocalPoint yet, give it a try! You're missing out on lots of coupons and samples and that just show up in the mail! :)

Coffee Creamer Coupon

It's a $.35 Off International Delight coffee creamer coupon!! I hope you have a store nearby that doubles & triples coupons. And while you're at it, visit the International Delight website for some fun instant win games. My step-mom won $20 or $25 there a while back. Remember, you won't ever win if you don't play!

Kroger and Albertson's in North Texas will both triple this coupon, giving me $1.05 off! Yippee!!

Eating Out for Almost Free!

Last week it felt like all we did was eat out. Here's what we did:

Wednesday for lunch I took my son to Sonic for his free Wacky Pack Kids Meal. This was from signing up with the Sonic Birthday Club, in order to not feel bad, I bought a grilled cheese sandwich for $1.40. Then I ran across the street to Starbucks and used my coupon for a free iced coffee. I know, you're thinking iced coffee and a grilled cheese, yuck! I'm cheap, what can I say! P.S. My daughter was with Grandma and ate with her (Sonic), and hubby was at work.

That night for dinner I decided to order pizza. We used one of the coupons the kids received from the Texas Reading Club for Papa Murphy's, it's a take and bake pizza place. We had a 1/2 price off any pizza coupon so we got the family size. Total out of pocket, $5.97. No tax since the pizza isn't cooked! :) Not only did all four of us eat dinner, but half of the pizza was still left.

Thursday, hubby was off all day. So for lunch we ate the rest of the pizza before we headed to the mall to hang out and let the kids play at the playground. Remember, last week we were still in clean and dry mode because of the cast. We did splurge (haha) on a 1/2 price drink at Sonic. Sonic has happy hour from 2-4, I believe it includes fountain drinks and slushes. Total spent $1.08. Then, we had dinner at my mom's.

Friday, my husband was back at work. So my mom and I took the kids to 7-11 and we all 4 enjoyed a free Slurpee! Next stop was Chick-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day. The kids looked so cute!! I just used the print outs from the Chick-fil-A website. We all had cow ears on. My daughter wore spots and a tail and my son wore the sandwich board. And in typically Chick-fil-A style (the are SO nice!) we all 4 ate totally for free! I was expecting to pay for sides and drinks. It was so much fun, we are definitely going again next year. The kids loved dressing up and getting to play too!! Total spent $0.

Total spent over the 3 days, $8.45. We all ate and the kids had tons of fun. What's better than that?

eBay-The fall selling season has arrived!

Yesterday, July 15th, was the unofficial start to the fall selling season on eBay! Yippee!! I'm am so ready for sales to pick back up. May and June are traditionally slow, so I hope no one has become discouraged. I sure have not. Now is the time to list and make $$$.

Be sure to read these two recent posts: The eBay Selling Coach wrote about using keywords in your title, how to look them up, etc. And eBay Mommy shared a link to a video about how to rise to the top of eBay's search page. I didn't watch the video. She said it's about 10 mintues long, but I think it might have been the one that bored me a few months ago. I'll give it a try again on Friday, before I do my listings. I'll be in the right frame of mind then. :)

Any eBay success stories? I'll share my best auction, if you do first! It's a good one, and you'll learn something about me.

Celebrate!

The cast is off and my son's arm is as good as new! Check out how the kids finally got to spend the afternoon....outside getting wet (and dirty). They had so much fun. They were both so good playing inside for 6 weeks and keeping a 2 year old boy clean and dry and entertained has been quite the challenge. So, we picked up a kiddie pool on the way home from the doctors office to celebrate. Next stop, the "real" pool at Grandma's!

My son picked out the pink pool. I think he's been inside playing tea party with my daughter too much! :)

CVS-65 Cents OOP and an ECB profit!!!

I ran into CVS today for Excedrine since hubby is out. He didn't like all the different kinds I got a while back (Back & Body, Migraine, etc) and requested regular Excedrine. :)

Herbal Essences shampoo & conditioner $5.00
2 Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Polish $1.98
Excedrine 100 ct $10.29
2 Gas-X Thin Strips $11.38

Minus the following coupons:

$3 off $15 CVS Coupon
$5 off 2 Gas-X products CVS coupon (came out with my receipt a while back, I knew I saved it for a reason!)
(2) $1.00 off Gas-X Thin Strips from Sunday's paper
$3/2 Herbal Essences from P&G insert last week
$3.00 off Excedrine 50 ct or more CVS coupon (from my receipt a while back)
$2.00 off Excedrine coupon from Sunday's paper
$3/2 Sally Hansen nail color coupon from Beauty Handbook
$7.00 in Extra Care Bucks

Total out of pocket........65 cents plus $10.00 in ECB back, so that was really a profit of $2.35!!

I did have one more $1.00 ECB that I could have used and had adjusted down or used it with a filler. But since she didn't adjust the Sally Hansen coupon like she should have, I thought $.65 was a fair price. Think so?

There is a $3/15 CVS coupon!!

Be sure to check out this post at BeCentsAble about how to get yours!! The coupon was in The Valley Breeze, an online paper from Rhode Island. Click on search, search ads, type in CVS, you get the idea.....since you're searching for it yourself, you can be sure it's a legit coupon. :)

Thanks to BeCentsAble for the weekend heads up. I will try to make a CVS run today. :)

July 15th-Wienerschnitzel has free food!

Get a free Original Chili Dog or Kid's Cone (made with Tastee Freez) tomorrow, July 15th from 5-8 pm, at Wienerschnitzel. They are celebrating National Hot Dog month!!

Click here to find one near you. There are lots in California!

Also, sign up for the Wiener Lover's Club for more freebies. A Chili Dog as a thank you, a Corn Dog on your birthday and another Corn Dog on your sign up anniversary.

Random Newspaper Findings!

Here's what I found in the newspaper that might have been missed.

Visit Science Diet for a $5 coupon for dog food. I didn't print this one (since I don't have a dog), so please let me know if there are any problems!

Dollar General and Suave have a sweepstakes for a $10,000 Education Grant, there is also a PDF file to print the entry form and mail it in. I will have to mail them in. Since I want the grant to be in my kids names (duh!), it won't accept the online entry since they are under 13.

Read The Thrifty Mommy's recap of what you can get for a PENNY at Office Depot this week. Better hurry, I'm sure it won't last long.

Get a free Healthy Kid Kit from Orajel. You need to purchase one product, mail in the receipt and UPC, etc. Kinda like the Glamour thing I did a while back. That was so worth it. Maybe work some Orajel into a CVS deal......! Info is on the bottom right of the Parents Promo page.

Find anything else?

Free Pull-Ups Potty Training DVD-coupons inside!

Head over to Big Kid Central, and order your copy of the Huggies Potty Training DVD.

I ordered one a few months ago and finally broke it out this afternoon. I think my son's about ready and I was waiting until the arm situation was over. The cast comes off Tuesday (I hope!). Anyway, for those of you that are requesting a DVD or have already done so, OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY!! There are coupons inside, so grab them!! I would have been really disappointed if I'd let them sit in there and expire. Just a heads up for those who might not need the video for a few months, etc. :)

I will say that the DVD did answer one question for me. I'm not new to potty training, just new to potty training a boy! Haha.

Free Slupree at 7-11 Today

Since today is July 11th, 7-11 will be giving away a 7.11 ounce Slurpee for free!!!!!

That might make the perfect drink for the drive to Chick-Fil-A.......7-11 is right by the house. :)

Thanks to BeCentsAble for the post!!

Target Coupons

Look what I got in the mail yesterday....Target coupons!! These are super fun because they can be "stacked" or used in addition to a manufacturers coupon!!

Without looking through my coupons, the first one that caught my eye was $.75 off Ziploc Bags or Containers. Now remember, Ziploc 25 ct sandwich bags are stocked at the register and only cost $1.00. That would be only $.25 for 25 bags, awesome deal!! I'm sure I have a good manufacturers coupon to stack with it. Maybe get 2 packs of bags for free/super cheap......?

In addition to the fun Target coupons I also got: Purina Cat Food (3 oz bag) sample, John Frieda Weather Proofing Collection sample, another Pantene Brunette Expressions sample (this was from Wal-Mart, the other I got was from Pantene) and a new box of goodies to try from Bzz Agent. That's 2 days in a row with a box packed full of FREE goodies. Yippee!!

Friday is Cow Appreciation Day!!

Ready to celebrate with the cows? Tomorrow, July 11th, Chick-Fil-A is celebrating Cow Appreciation Day. This means free food!!

Dress head to toe like a cow and you will get a free Combo Meal!! Breakfast, lunch or dinner. Not up for the head-to-toe cow look in the 100 degree heat? Just partially dress like a cow, and you'll be rewarded with a entree. Visit Cow Appreciation Day for ideas and tips for dressing up. Check it out, it will be very easy and not embarrassing, I promise!

I'm taking the kids for lunch. It doesn't hurt that Chick-Fil-A is in a SuperTarget parking lot. Looks like I'll have to go to Target as well, darn it. Haha. I have some coupons burning a hole in my pocket!

Not sure where your closest Chick-Fil-A is??? Click here to find out.

Thanks Kathie (my dear friend from college) for the link with all the info!!

Another Free CFL Bulb

These things are awesome!! Save some "green" and the planet at the same time. We have really seen a difference on our electric bill after we started using them exclusively.

The Million Lights Project is where you'll request your bulb and learn more about CFL bulbs and the good you can do by making the switch.

Thanks!!!!

Mail Box Goodies & New Samples

Here's a picture of today's mailbox goodies. Sorry for the bad picture, I'm not a big fan of the flash but the sun was already down before I got around to grabbing the camera. :)

1. Pantene Brunette Expressions shampoo and conditioner sample, and a $1 off Nice 'n Easy coupon. Get your sample here!!

2. Cheerios MultiGrain sample. Get yours here, from Wal-Mart.

3. Crystal Light single serving drink mix, with a $.50 off coupon on the back. Also no longer available (from Wal-Mart).

4. $31 in Procter & Gamble coupons, free Cascade Crystal Clear Rinse Aid coupon inside!!!! Sign up at Clean Home Journal. They are changing their name next month to Right@Home.

And.....here are some new samples!!!

Seattle's Best Coffee

Airborne Seasonal

Spa Kit from Mirena-I personally recommend Mirena.

Thanks to Free Grabber for the hot samples, as always!! Miss some of the samples? Subscribe to my blog at the left and you won't miss a post.

New Sweeps from Glamour

Here's the two new sweeps from the newest Glamour magazine:

Win a New York weekend getaway for you and 3 friends, plus $300. $300.......seems like that would go quick shopping in "hip boutiques" in New York. From Vassarette, one time entry, open until Aug. 4th.

Enter to win an AT&T phone from At&T and team USA. That's all for Glamour.

Here's one more sweepstakes from Gymboree!

Win gifts from Minnie Driver's Baby Shower, it's not as cheesy as it sounds. Grand prize is $1000 Gymboree Gift Card (yippee), the complete Brand New Baby collection, 6 months of Gymboree classes and Gymboree music and DVD's. Pick me, pick me!!

Recycling - Batteries, Paint & More!

Need to clean out the garage? Ever wonder where to recycle a battery, motor oil or a paint can? Wonder no more!! Head over to Earth 911. It's a fun eco-information site. Recycling, alternative fuel vehicles, composting, green shopping, etc. I personally think the entire website is useful and awesome, but I know everyone isn't an environmental geek like me.

So anyway, under recycling, you can type in batteries (or paint or whatever) and your zip code. Then you will have a list of everyplace in your area to recycle your item. Cool huh? My brother, Mason, could have used this on Saturday, we had just discussed where to recycle batteries. :)

Once I had looked up battery recycling, on the side bar popped up a list of "clean up/green up" events in my area for the next year. Seems to be a one stop shop for a lot of "green living" information.

I was lead to Earth 911 by reading my daily eco-living tips from Ideal Bite. There is a cute green box on the left of my blog to sign up. It's free of course!!

Not Even Blog Worthy!

That describes my trip to Wal-Mart. They didn't have about 6 or 7 things I was looking for, Muir Glen, Tava drink, nevermind. It was a lot! All I ended up getting was staples (milk and fruit), a few things with coupons and 6 things totally free with coupon. Like Cascade Rinse, coupon from the Clean Home Journal a while back and Kashi Vive, coupon from Vocalpoint. You get the idea.

The only thing "exciting" part of the trip was that I got ten 2 oz. packs of cat treats for $.32 each. Purina Whisker Lickin's are $1.07 each and I had 5 coupons for $1.50/2. The cashier asked how many cats I had. Just one!!! Haha.

Free Vitamins (14 day supply)

Here's the link for a free 14 day supply of Nature Made Vitamins. They are liquid softgels and have a few diffenrent kinds to choose from (for her, for him, calcium, etc).

I got some a while back, it's a great sample!

Funny!

The Fast Fixin's coupon enforcement team visited my blog today. Please be sure to read the comments of this post . I already changed the post, but I had mentioned hitting the back button to print coupons a second time and got scolded. Fair enough, I just found it a bit funny. They do have really good chicken so only printing one round of coupons would still be good. :)

Wally World

Last night I got a huge Wal-Mart list ready. I usually only make in to Wally World every month or two. It's a love/hate relationship. I usually head over when I have lots of "free/super cheap item" coupons, because they have such a huge selection and I'm tired of looking for the products. I want to thank The "Cent"sible Sawyer for her Wal-Mart deals. I knew what I needed to get, but having a ballpark on the prices is always super helpful.

Example: Muir Glen Tomaotes are about $1.16 a can ...or $.16 each after you use the $1.00 coupon from the coupon bar on the left. But, I have yet to find these anywhere! Anywhere meaning Kroger, Albertson's or Target. Haha.

A few months ago Wal-Mart was the only place I found the Zout, that was free with rebate. Zout, by the way is AWESOME. It got out blue cake icing from my carpet and my daughter's dress. Love it!

Hubby has volunteered to watch the kids so I can have some mommy time. I wouldn't classify grocery shopping as "Mommy Time", but I am excited about being able to pay attention while they are ringing me up. I'm hoping to avoid a situation like this. Even worse, read about Addison's Super Frugal Mom rough weekend at couponing. It's so frustrating to be treated badly because of coupons!

So anyway, I'm off to the land of large selection and long lines. I opted to go today, hoping to avoid the Sunday evening crowd. I am also hoping the store will be all stocked and pretty when I get there. A girl can dream, can't she! Wish me luck, and I'll report back later. :)

Three More Samples!

Here's 3 more that I stumbled upon.

Scott's Xtreme Rags -like a shop rag....do people still call them that? Thanks to My Good Cents for that one.

Purex Laundry Detergent, thanks to The Nest Egg!

Gillette-you can pick body wash or shampoo. From Sam's Club, skip the member # if you don't have one.

Free Samples-July 5

Here's just a few samples that I found to be good enough to request. :)

Old Spice Body Wash-from the Wal-Mart sample page.

Nivea Shave Gel -Wally World!

Wal-Mart's Sample Page -double check and make sure you haven't missed any good samples!! While you're at it, check Kroger's sample page as well. The Betty Crocker Warm Delights is back, and the Potty Training video.

Cosmopolitian Magazine -4 issues only, from StartSampling, you must sign in first!

Sally Hansen sample -take the 5 question "quiz" for your sample.

2 Free CFL bulbs -From Green Energy Watch, WOW!!

Dove Sampoo and Conditioner-from Dove.

Thanks to Little April Big World and Free Grabber for some of the leads!! :)

Happy 4th of July!

Free Stuff

Thanks Irene, for reminding me about CoolSavings.com. I have been a member for a long time but haven't visited the site in a while.

In under 2 minutes this morning, I requested a free sample of Clean and Clear and requested 2 free years of Parents magazine. I hope I haven't already requested Parents. To be honest, I've requested so many free magazines lately, I'm losing track! But, free magazines equals free coupons!!

CoolSavings also has a link to sign up with Vocalpoint, it's a P&G thing. I've gotten lots of fun free samples over the past year. They just show up. I received five $1 off Kellogg's and one B1G1 Kellogg's coupon in the mail from them last week. They sent Oil of Olay samples a few times. Vocalpoint just adds to my mailbox's happiness. :)

Planter's $3 Off Coupon

Thanks to Thrifty Florida Mama for posting the links to 8, yes 8, different spots to print your $3 off Planter's coupon. The ones you've used will already be highlighted. I guess I'll go get more nuts!

Before you use it, check around for deals at stores in your area. Kroger I think is giving a $4 catalina when you purchase 3 Planter's nuts, other places they are on sale for $3 (free with coupon). Look for a deal first! I usually head over to the Grocery Gathering at BeCentsAble, they have a TON of stores all over the country listed. :)

Back to School, Sales & eBay

With July 4th here, back to school is around the corner. I have already gotten a "Back to School" ad from Toy's R Us. Next weekend Wal-Mart should have some good deals on school supplies. My gosh....already??? So anyway, I'm looking to really stock up on crayons, glue sticks, etc. this year. I'm thinking ahead for birthday parties (crayons and an activity pad for favors), maybe set up a craft table for the kids at Christmas, etc. Remember, the biggest rule of frugal shipping is to STOCK UP when things are ON SALE.

And now my favorite part of Back to School time....... eBay!!

The fall selling season "officially" starts mid month. That's just over a week away. Are your fall auctions ready? Mine are pulled and I've begun sticking some things in my store, just so they are at least exposed. You can't sell something that's not listed! Once an item is at least listed, it's super easy to "move" it to the store from an auction, and vice versa.

While I'm talking about eBay, I have one small piece of advice. I have tried many different price points for starting my auctions. I have stopped starting things at $.99 unless I'll be happy with it selling for only $.99. Yes, you want your auctions to attract bidders, but I'm not selling to lose money! Come up with a fair starting point, maybe $3.99 or whatever. Low enough to spark interest and get the bidding started, but I won't lose money if it sells for only $3.99. I might only make a buck or two after eBay and PayPal fees, but I'm not losing money. Price items at the lowest price you've be comfortable making on it. If my item doesn't sell, then I think of an overall fair price for it an move it to the store. It will sell!!

$1.00 Fast Fixin's Coupon

There is a $1.00 Fast Fixin's Chicken coupon on my coupon bar at the left. Once you print it, it has instructions on print 5 more $1.00 off coupons for signing up with Fast Fixin's. Be sure to read the comments of this post. :)

This is the chicken that can be found on sale sometimes for $1.00 (10 oz package) that I raved about here. It has added calcium and my kids think it's the best chicken, it is pretty yummy!! It goes on sale at Kroger and Wal-Mart around me, Kroger being the only place I have personally found it on sale.

I also love to use the $.50 off 6 Yoplaits, since Kroger or Albertson's will double that to $1.00.

Be sure to print coupons while you can!! And thanks for using my coupon bar!! It's so easy, huh?

UPDATE!!!!!!!

8/25/08-Looks like you can only get Fast Fixin's coupons by SNAIL MAIL request. I noticed this while at Walmart last week. Better plan ahead for deals!! I still think that offering (5) $1 coupons is way too much. Issue (2) $1 coupons, accept that America will print those twice, and move on. By the time the coupons arrive in the mail, most people won't even bother to redeem them, since the "sale" the got them thinking about a new kind of chicken will be over. And the coupons might expire before the next sale. Offering them by snail mail seems to be taking a "step back". Here's another idea, try issuing coupons in the NEWSPAPER. I guess they are worried that (heaven forbid) someone might buy mulitiple papers.....gasp! Those are all just my personal opinions and no one has asked my advise on increasing sales and market share. :)

My CVS/Glamour Goodie Bag

My free CVS/Glamour Bag that I sent off for in early May came today!!! I was so excited. Check out all the goodies it came inside.

Wylie is having their fireworks tonight. The kids are bathed and dressed and ready to hop in the car. Since they start at 9:30, I'm going to have some sleepy bears on my hands tonight. Hubby has to work.........snif snif.

Have a great 4th of July. I'll be heading to CVS to use my coupon. :) Be safe!!

CVS-26 cents OOP

Here's what I got on a super quick run into CVS yesterday. We needed the Cascade and hubby needed mouthwash (he was going through the Smart Rinse like crazy!).

1 Cascade $5.49

1 CVS Mouthwash $3.79

1 CVS Make-up removing cloths $2.99

1 Gummy Bears (perfect filler for the kids!) $.99

minus

$1.00 off Cascade (from the Clean Home Journal a few months back)

$2.00 off CVS branded skincare (limit one per transaction)

$10.00 in ECB

=$.26 OOP for the things I needed, how awesome is CVS?

I got back $2.99 for the cleansing cloths (not $1 like the monthly books says) and I also got my $3.50 Spring Spending ECB as well. Which will help out when I go use the $4/20 coupon I just got in my e-mail box from CVS this morning!!!! Mine is valid only tomorrow, July 4th! Looks like I'll have to go back, huh?

Thanks to I Heart CVS for the coupon and hidden ECB deal!

UPDATE!!--The ECB for the cleansing cloths has been "corrected" by CVS and is only paying $1 back in ECB like advertised in the Monthly Deal book. This will still be "free" after coupon, just not a money maker. :(

A Target coupon bites the dust!

I just read over at Attention Target Shoppers that Target is no longer accepting the $5/$25 Toy coupon. That's such a bummer!! I just talked about using it here. At least I made it through the kids birthday's with some toy discounts and excuses to go to Target! :)

P.S. The new Wylie Target has finally broken ground. Yippee!

CVS Coupon Alert!

I found this coupon at CVS today. It was on the metal "newspaper" rack that they keep their weekly ads on.

Included:

$2.00 off any Skin Effects purchase
$2.00 off any 24.7 Minerals or 24.7 Skincare purchase
$2.00 off any CVS Brand defining skincare purchase
$1.00 off two Smartwater 1 liter bottles
$1.00 off two Dasani or Evian 1 liter bottles

Also, don't forget to scan your Extra Care card everytime you go to CVS. You scan it at the "price check" machine and coupons come out the side. Yesterday, I got 2 free bags of pretzels. I recieved a $1/2 CVS brand snacks coupon and I found pretzels for 2/$1......free pretzels!!

I did a tiny transaction today, I'll post it later. We're heading out to "help" hubby wash his car.