Another Rite Aid trip

Everyone should know by now that I just can't go to Rite Aid only once in a week when there are good deals... I went back to Rite Aid today to pick up more toothbrushes and see if I could use my raincheck from paper plates.

Transaction #1

2- Arm & Hammer Spinbrush- $8.99 (spend $10 get $5 +Up Reward)
$2.00 off coupons from here or here or here
** $6.99 for 2 PLUS another +Up Reward! **

$17.98 before coupons and discounts
-$8.99 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$2.00 coupon
-$1.00 off $1.00 Video Values coupon
-$5.00 +Up Reward redeemed
=======================
$.99
+$.42 tax
-$1.00 SCR check from last month
======================
** $.41 OOP PLUS $5.00 +UP Reward earned!

Transaction #2

2- Thomas the Train Arm & Hammer Spinbrush (spend $10 get $5 +Up Reward)
$2.00 off coupon from here or here or here
** $5.49 for 2 PLUS $5.00 +Up Reward earned! **

4- Dixie Ultra Paper plates- $3.99 BOGO w/ raincheck
** My Wellness Plus discount made each package $3.19 and she just did the second one free so I got an even better deal! **
$2.00 off 2 Dixie Ultra coupon from April & May Video Values
** $1.19 for 2 packages!! **

2- Snickers Peanut Butter- $.79 (get $.88 +Up!)
** $.79 each OOP PLUS 2- $.88 +Up Rewards!

$32.92 before coupons and discounts
-$17.47 Wellness Plus savings and sales (and raincheck)
-$6.00 off coupons
-$1.00 off $1 Video Values coupon
-$3.00 off $15.00 survey coupon
-$5.00 +Up Reward redeemed
===========================
$.45
+ $.56 tax
===========================
** $1.01 OOP! ** PLUS $6.76 in +Up Rewards earned!!

So, I spent a total of $1.42 for everything in the picture and have another $6.76 left in +Up Rewards to spend next week!

I did have problems again with the kids' toothbrush- they ended up scanning the girl's toothbrush that was in the picture in the ad again (they had to do this the other day) since these didn't ring up BOGO like they should have. I ended up throwing in the Snickers candy because I wanted to use my $3 off $15 coupon and my subtotal wasn't high enough. Another great week at Rite Aid!

Diaper deal at Target

If you're new to couponing and not yet ready to venture for the drugstore deals, this is the week to get diapers at Target. They are doing their buy 3 jumbo packages for $8.99, get a $5 gift card deal. This was one of my favorite diaper deals when I started couponing before I started shopping at Rite Aid and Walgreens. I was starting to run low on diapers and had a $5 Target gift card already to use towards the diapers. I did 2 transactions so that I could keep my out of pocket low by using the gift card earned from the diapers.

Here's what I ended up doing:

Transaction #1:

3- Huggies Jumbo Pack- $8.99
3- $3.00 off printable
** $5.99 each PLUS $5 gift card for buying 3! **

$26.97 before coupons
-$9.00 coupons
-$5.00 gift card from promo a couple weeks ago
=============
$12.97
+$1.32 tax
=============
$14.29 OOP


Transaction #2:

Seventh Generation Multi-Purpose Spray- $2.49
$1.00 off printable previously available at allyou.com
$1.00 off Target mobile coupon
** $.49! **

2- Heinz Ketchup- $1.99
2- $2.00 off printable previously available
** 2 for FREE!! **

Huggies Wipes- $5.49
$.75 off from homemailer
** $4.74 **

$12.96 before coupons and discounts
-$1.00 sales
-$6.73
-$5.00 gift card from transaction #1
============
$.23
+$.42 tax
============
$.65 OOP!

So, I spent a total of $14.94 OOP for 3 packages of diapers, wipes, 2 bottles of ketchup and cleaner!!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!

You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.

Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.

Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!

Coupon refresher...

I'll post my Target shopping trip from today later, but I wanted to re-post this previous posting about buying diapers. I wrote this last May. It's been awhile since I've bought diapers at Target and remembered how excited I was when I first got a deal on diapers at Target...

Originally posted 5/5/2010

I thought it was time to take a minute and share my shopping history/ strategies with everyone. I have always used coupons... but it never really made a difference until last year when I started "couponing."

What's the difference between using coupons and what I refer to as "couponing?" Before, I'd buy a big box of diapers for $29.99 at Target and use a $1.50 off manufacturer coupon and think I got a good deal... What would I do now? I'd wait until there was a sale or promo on diapers and use the coupon with a sale to get an even better deal... like last week, jumbo packs of diapers were $8.99 and when you bought 3 you'd get a $5.00 gift card.

I never used to buy small packages of diapers because I thought it was a better deal to get a bigger box. When you do a little math, you'll see that most often you'll spend less when you buy smaller quantity because it's a higher percentage off... does that make sense? When I first started couponing, I started figuring the per item price (my cell phone has a calculator on it so it's pretty easy to do quickly in the store) and was surprised at the difference.

Here's an example:
Huggies Diapers- box of 108 size 4 diapers- $34.98 (Walmart online price) or $.32 per diaper
Huggies Diapers- jumbo pack of 27 size 4 diapers- $8.99 (regular price most places)- or $.33 per diaper

Using the $3.00 off 1 coupon scenario since this was the most recent big Huggies coupon:
Use the coupon on the box= $.30 per diaper
Use the coupon on the jumbo pack= $.22 per diaper

That's a significant difference! To make a deal like that even better (which I did last week at Target), I'd use Target store coupons with my manufacturer coupons. Last week I had 3- $3.00 off Huggies manufacturer coupons and 3- $2.00 off Huggies Target coupons that had came in some wipes packages a couple months ago. So here's what I was able to do:

3 Jumbo packs @ $8.99 each= $26.97- $9 (3- $3 off manufacturer coupons)- $6 (3- $2 off Target coupons)= $11.97 for 3 jumbo packs of diapers. Plus, last week Target was giving a $5 gift card when you bought 3 jumbo packs- so after gift card- I got 3 jumbo packs of diapers for $6.97!! That's only $.09 per diaper!! I hate to even think how much money I wasted on diapers for my now 3 year old! If only I would have learned how to do this sooner...

My Walgreens trip

I promised the breakdown of my Walgreens shopping, so here it is:

Transaction #1:

Splenda- $2.99 (buy 3, get $4 RR)
$3.00 off coupon from 4/17 SS
** FREE PLUS $4 money maker after RR! **

Luster White 7 Toothpaste- $4.99 (get $4 RR)
$1.50 off coupon from 4/3 SS
** $3.49 OOP PLUS $4 RR **

Stayfree Maxi- $2.99 (get $3 RR)
$1.00 off coupon from 3/27 RP
** $1.99 OOP PLUS $3 RR **

2- Act II Single Popcorn- $.99
$.74 in-ad coupon
** $.25 each ** I picked these as my filler items!

$29.23 before coupons and discounts
-$10.30 sales
-$1.48 in-ad coupons
-$11.50 coupons
-$5.00 Register Rewards redeemed
==========================
$.95 OOP
+ $.48 tax
==========================
$1.43 OOP PLUS $11 in Register Rewards earned!

Transaction #2

2- Nexcare Bandages- $2.99 (w/ mail in rebates on the box- can get 1 of each of the 3 types)
$1.00 off 2 Nexcare Bandages printable
** $2.49 OOP each PLUS $5.98 in mail in rebates to submit! **

Stayfree Maxi- $2.99 (get $3 RR)
$1.00 off coupon from 3/27 RP
** $1.99 OOP PLUS $3 RR **

2- Act II Single Popcorn- $.99
$.74 in-ad coupon
** $.25 each ** I picked these as my filler items!

$12.75 before coupons and discounts
-$1.80 sales
-$1.48 in-ad coupons
-$2.00 coupons
-$5.00 Register Rewards redeemed
========================
$2.47 subtotal
+ $.54 tax
========================
$3.01 OOP PLUS $3 Register Reward earned AND $5.98 in Nexcare rebates!

Walgreens shopping

I went to Walgreens this morning because I had $6 in Register Rewards expiring today. I am getting much better at Walgreens shopping. I managed to keep my OOP pretty low and turn the trip into a moneymaker after rebates!

$41.98 before discounts and coupons
-$12.10 sales
-$17.50 coupons
-$2.96 in-ad coupons
-$6.00 Register Rewards used
----------------
$3.42 subtotal
+$1.02 tax
----------------
$4.44 OOP PLUS $10 in Register Rewards earned AND $5.98 in rebates from buying the bandages!

I'll try to post the individual matchups tonight.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Strange Rite Aid shopping trip

I had another one of those "What just happened" shopping trips this morning. I had a plan, and then it went wrong... but then it ended up working out great.

Here's what I tried to do:

4- Arm & Hammer Kids Spinbrush- $7.49 BOGO (spend $10 get $5 +Up Reward)
4- $2.00 off coupons from here or here or here
** $6.98 for all 4 PLUS $5 +Up Reward!! **

2- Peeps- $.99 (impulse buy- I love Peeps!)
1- Robin Eggs- $.99

I thought my OOP was higher than it should have been, but didn't know why so I just went with it. When I got the receipt, the +UP Reward didn't print, and I saw that instead of the toothbrushes ringing up BOGO the computer had just given me my Wellness Plus discount.
First attempt:
$35.93 before discounts and sales
-$9.00 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$15.00 previously earned +Up Rewards
-$8.00 coupons
======================
$3.93 OOP
+$1.44 tax
$5.37 OOP

So, the cashier had the manager come up to correct it. He ended up grabbing the girls toothbrush since that was the one in the picture and it appeared to ring up correctly. He returned all 4 toothbrushes I got for $5.99 each (giving a refund of $25.40). Then he rang up 4 of the girls toothbrushes and used the $25.40 that was refunded to pay the $15.88 total for the 4 toothbrushes, giving me cash back of $9.52. And, the +UP Reward printed. So, I ended up walking out of the store with $4.15 more in my pocket than I came in with.

So, I think this is what the transaction totals ended up looking like:

$35.93 before discounts and sales
-$17.98 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$15.00 previously earned +Up Rewards
-$8.00 coupons
======================
-$5.05
+.90 tax
=$4.15 BACK IN CASH-- PLUS my $5 +UP Reward printed! Not exactly as planned, and I forgot my $3 off $15 survey coupon... but a great shopping trip! I love these battery toothbrushes for my boys and this was a great deal. I did use $15 in +Up Rewards, but between the +Up Reward and cash back it was worth it!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Easter- we've had a busy weekend and I need to catch up on all my blogs to see what I'll be shopping for this week.

Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll get some great deals posted once I find them!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!

You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. Check out my posting about all the different ways to earn points. I'm earning between 75-100 each day now that I've found so many different ways to earn points.

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.

Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.

Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!

On a roll!

This has definitely been my week for couponing! We had a house showing today so I figured it was a good time to get some groceries.

$150.94 before coupons and sales
-$28.10 sales
-$18.36 in-store promos (buy cereal get free milk, buy bread get 2 free, etc)
-$36.99 coupons
=====================
** $67.49 OOP!! **
(will be $64.50 once I go back and get a refund for getting overcharged for strawberries)

It was a very strange checkout experience... I had a terrible cashier that took forever. She was from a different department and got pulled to the registers. I had a couple free coupons and I didn't know the prices of the items. She didn't know how to look up the prices, and when she asked the cashier next to her he told her to give the full value of the coupon. I did the right thing and told the other cashier that the items did not cost that much and he told me not to worry about it. So, I ended up geting a couple moneymakers! I had 2 Free Philadelphia Cooking Creme coupons and they were $2.99 and they keyed the coupons for $4.49 each so I made $1.50 for each one! But, when I got home I did see that I got overcharged for strawberries- somehow she got them to ring up at $4.99 instead of $2.00, so I already called and will go get the difference this evening.

Some of the best deals were Greenworks Dish Soap for $.23 and free milk for buying Nutri Grain bars and Rice Krispies. And, of course I made sure the Nutri Grain bars we grabbed had the Cars 2 codes on them so we can get a $5 gas card or $5 concession cash. I also found in my coupon binder a $2 off coupon for Greenworks glass cleaner when you buy Greenworks multi-purpose spray so I had to do 3 transactions so I could get both cleaners for only $.23 also. When you buy 2 Greenworks products, you get $2 off instantly but you can only do so once per transaction. There were $1 off peelies on the dish soap, but you can also print a coupon from the Greenworks website to use. I also stocked up on frozen veggies which were only $.55 after my $1 off 3 coupons.

Use the links on the left to get to Meijer matchups for this week. There are definitely some good deals this week. I haven't been posting my Meijer pictures lately because I haven't been getting as many great deals- but I think to get 57% savings with an $8.99 bottle of wine included is worth bragging about!

FREEBIES at Walgreens!

It's been quite a week for couponing for me-- definitely one of my best at the drugstores! Walgreens has a mid week sale this week and I ended up getting a bunch of last Sunday's paper so I figured I'd get lots of kids toothpaste. I went to 2 different stores so that I didn't clear any shelves!

6- Aquafresh Kids toothpaste- $1.99
6- $1.00 off coupon from 4/17 SS
6- $1.00 of coupon from Walgreens monthly booklet in store (only has to scan once)
** FREE!! **

4- Peeps Chocolate covered marshmallow- $.75
2- $1.00 off 2 printable previously available
$.25 coupon from Walgreens monthly booklet in store (only has to scan once)
** $.23 for all 4 (I don't know how this happened- they should have all been free but 2 scanned at $.75, one at $.71 and one at $.79 so when it took off for the coupon it only took 3 off **

$17.46 before coupons and discounts
-$1.80 sales
-$7.96 manufacturer coupons
-$6.75 Walgreens coupons
=============================
** $.95 OOP!! **
My pre-tax subtotal was only $.23!! All the rest was tax!

25 pt Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards code!

Here is a new Huggies Enjoy the Ride code worth 25 points:

BKWHDMMLPCXCPGB

Go to Enjoy the Ride Rewards to register and enter codes. Make sure to check your videos and polls- you earn points for watching videos and taking polls too!

Thanks Couponing to Disney.

Also, check and see if you have any new polls or videos to earn more points.

If you are just now joining Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards, check out all the previous codes I've posted here to get lots more points!

New 10 pt Pampers Gifts to Grow code

If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 10 points:

JRYHAFFCR6WDPHY

Thanks Hip 2 Save!!


Go here to join Pampers Gifts to Grow if you are not yet a member- it's a great rewards program where you can get gift certificates and rewards.

Check out the previous Gifts to Grow codes I've posted here.

Rite Aid #3

So when I got home yesterday I had my weekly envelope of coupons from my aunt. Inside were 2 more Nivea coupons! I was only $2.07 away from another Nivea +Up Reward so I had to go back.
I won't post all the matchups since you can see them in my earlier postings but here are my totals:

$34.77 before coupons and discounts
-$10.76 sales
-$3 off $15 survey coupon
-$5 +Up Rewards redeemed
-$14.78 coupons
-----------------------
$1.23 OOP- only $.13 before tax PLUS $5 more +Up Rewards earned!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

LOTS of ways to earn Swag Bucks!

I know I've been talking a lot about Swag Bucks lately, but I keep finding new ways to add more points, and more points = more FREE gift cards!

Here are some great ways to earn points:

-Daily Polls- every day there is a new poll and when you vote, you get 1 Swag Buck

-NOSO (No obligation special offers)- every day you can click through the special offers and when you get to the end you get 2 Swag Bucks when you enter the phrase listed on the screen

-Trusted Surveys- just for checking to see if you have any new surveys you get 1 Swag Buck. You can also check and see what survey profiles you have available and you will receive the number of advertised Swag Bucks for completing each profile. Plus, you can complete the surveys and earn the posted amount of Swag Bucks.

-Coupons- any coupon that is on coupons.com can be printed through the coupons tab. Print and use the coupon and get 10 Swag Bucks for each redeemed coupon. The credits take 8-12 weeks to credit to your account and the credits are only for redeemed coupons. Be a coupon fairy and leave any coupons you don't plan to use at the store for even more Swag Bucks!

-Special Offers (my new favorite!)- earn Swag Bucks for random offers- watching videos, signing up for email newsletters, etc. I suggest creating an email account just for this so that you don't get a bunch of junk emails in your regular email. I am earning a TON from this- last night I played a McDonalds game 3 times (really simple, click a button to hook a fish) and earned 33 Swag Bucks! There are several different tabs to click when you go into Special Offers, and I've had the best luck going to Gambit and Radium One. I've watched a bunch of videos and probably earned close to 100 Swag Bucks since I found this section last week.

-Videos- On your Swag Bucks main page, look for the "WATCH A VIDEO EARN 2 BONUS BUCKS" to show on the screen. Click the image, watch the video and get 2 Swag Bucks. Keep clicking the image on the main page and keep earning 2 Swag Bucks per video until it says that there are no more available videos- I've earned 20-30 points each day this week now that I've been watching for this! I do have more luck getting more videos early in the morning.

-Searching/ Surfing- Instead of just typing in websites you plan on visiting, search using Swag Bucks and you will possibly WIN Swag Bucks. They are random, and your chances and amount of Swag Bucks are higher on Mega Swag Bucks Fridays. Sometimes you just get the credit, other times you may have to enter a phrase or word to verify that you are a real person.

-Refer your friends and family- You can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points. If you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral. Then start referring your friends to boost your Swag Bucks. Just make sure that you only have one account per household (address) or else you risk both accounts being revoked.

Do you have any other tips? I am going crazy earning Swag Bucks right now! I just looked and I have earned 65 Swag Bucks already today!

$.01 Rite Aid trip!

I'm pretty sure this shopping trip is one of my best shopping trips! I got my subtotal down to ONLY $.01!! I went in with a stack of coupons for cleaners- I wanted to leave myself options so that if they didn't have something I wanted, I had backups planned.

Here's what I bought today:

3- Nivea Body Wash- $3.99 (spend $15 get $5 +Up Reward)
3- $3.00 off coupons from 4/17 RP
** $.99 each PLUS I'm only $2.07 away from the +Up Reward! **

2- Children's Advil- $5.59 ($6.99 before Wellness Plus discount)
2- $2.00 off coupons I picked up at the doctor's office
$3.00 off 2 Video Values coupon from March
** $2.09 each! **

~~ Below are all items that fall into the spend $30 get $10 +Up Reward ~~
2- Mr Clean Magic Eraser 2pk- $1.99
2- $.75 off coupon from direct mailer
** $1.24 each **

2- Lysol Concentrate- $2.50
$1.00 off 2 coupon from 4/17
$1.00 off Lysol Video Values coupon
** $1.50 each **

2- Ziploc Bags- $2.50
$1.00 off 2 coupon from 4/3 SS
$1.00 off 2 coupon Video Values coupon
** $1.50 each **

4- Airwick Spray- $1.69 BOGO
BOGO Airwick from 4/17 (Up to $1.39)
** $.15 each!! **

$57.43 before coupons and discounts
-$14.96 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$3.00 off $15.00 purchase from filling out survey
-$10.00 +Up Reward redeemed
-$1.00 off $1.00 Video Values coupon
-$2.00 off $10.00 Video Values cleaning bonus coupon
-$24.28 coupons
===========================
$2.19 total OOP-- my subtotal was $.01 before tax!! I ended only paying $.19 since I used a $2 SCR check from last month. PLUS I earned my $10.00 +Up Reward for buying cleaning items AND I'm $2.07 away from another Nivea +Up Reward!

SUPER Rite Aid trip this morning!

I still have to get my picture but I had a super Rite Aid trip this morning. My before tax total was $.01 for $57.43 in goodies!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Rite Aid March Summary- oops!

I was just looking through my postings and realized I never hit "publish" on this one! Here's my March Rite Aid summary-- definitely higher OOP for March, but I'll hopefully be making up for it in April!














$276.95 before coupons and discounts
-$84.08 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$15.00 survey coupons/ Video Values $ off coupons
-$48.00 +Up Rewards redeemed
-$57.13 coupons
=================================
$72.74 OOP!
-$1.00 Single Check Rebate
=================================
$71.74 after rebate!
That's 74% savings- so not too bad, but hopefully April will be better!

Rite Aid shopping #1

It's a great week for some great deals at Rite Aid. I went and got most of what I wanted for my first trip, knowing I needed more planning before shopping again. There's a $10 +Up Reward when you buy $30 in select cleaning/household items (which are on sale) and I figured I'd do that in a couple shopping trips.

4- Nivea body wash- $3.99 (spend $15 get $5 +Up Reward!)
3- $3.00 off Nivea women's body wash coupons from 4/17 RP
1- $3.00 off Nivea men's body wash coupon from 4/17 RP
** $.99 each- $3.96 total OOP PLUS $5.00 +Up Reward!! **

~~Spend $30 in select household/cleaning items, get $10 +Up Reward~~
2- Bounty basic paper towels- $6.39
2- $1.00 off from P&G Everyday Savings Book
** $5.39 OOP **

4- Gain dish soap- $.89
4- $1.00 off coupons from P&G Everyday Savings Book
** $.11 moneymaker for each one! **
When I gave these coupons to the cashier I told her the soap was only $.89 and she just let me have the overage!

$46.60 before coupons and discounts
-$12.60 Wellness Plus savings and sales
-$1.00 off Video Values coupon
-$3.00 off $15.00 purchase from completing survey
-$18.00 coupons
-$10.00 +Up Reward redeemed
=================================
$2.00 OOP!!! My pre-tax total was only $.30!! Plus I earned $5.00 in +Up Rewards and I've "spent" $16.34 towards the cleansers +Up Reward.

Earn even MORE Swag Bucks!!

In addition to being Mega Swag Bucks Day today and having higher chances of earning bigger rewards, be sure to check your Swag Bucks homepage for EARN 2 EASY SWAGBUCKS from watching a short video. For me, it keeps popping up and I keep clicking on it and I've earned 14 Swag Bucks already this morning! The videos range from 30 seconds to 3 1/2 minutes and your account gets credited as soon as the video ends.

Check out my previous postings on how to boost your Swag Bucks by printing and using coupons!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!

You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly.

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.

Another great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.

Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!

Pampers Gifts to Grow= 50 point code good ONLY tonight!

If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 50 points:

happybdaypamprs

Thanks Rose Knows Coupons!!


Go here to join Pampers Gifts to Grow if you are not yet a member- it's a great rewards program where you can get gift certificates and rewards.

Check out the previous Gifts to Grow codes I've posted here.

How much can you save this year?

I was working on entering my receipts into my savings tracker today and wanted to see where I was at as compared to last year. I looked over last year's totals and am still impressed with how much I saved! I'm still not done entering my receipts from the past month so I don't know how I compare yet...

2010 Savings
$4417.81 saved in COUPONS
$3717.58 saved from shopping SALES
$488.80 earned in mail in REBATES
** $8624.19 SAVED IN 2010!! **

If you're just starting to get into couponing, know that it does take a bit of time, but last year was my first full calendar year of couponing and you can see how much the savings added up!

Rite Aid shopping

Last week I had wanted to use some Biore coupons while Rite Aid was offering a $10 +Up Reward when you buy $20. I found another BOGO coupon and figured I could do the deal twice in the same transaction and get 6 Biore products and 2 +Up Rewards!

2- Biore Pore Strips- Combo pack- $7.99 (w/o Wellness Plus 20% discount $9.99)
1- Biore Pore Strips- basic pack- $6.39 (w/o Wellness Plus 20% discount $7.99)
2- Biore Foaming Cleanser- $6.39 (w/o Wellness Plus 20% discount $7.99)
1- Biore Detox Scrub- $6.39 (w/o Wellness Plus 20% discount $7.99)
$41.54 total before coupons
Coupons used:
3- Buy a pore strip get a cleanser free coupon from 3/6 SS
3- $1.00 off Biore Product coupon from inside boxes of previously bought pore strips
** $19.37 for all 6 items!! **

$54.13 before coupons and discounts
-$10.40 Wellness Plus savings
-$5.00 previously earned +Up Rewards redeemed
-$22.17 manufacturer coupons
-$2.00 off $2 Video Values coupons
-$3.00 off $15 purchase for completing survey
====================================
** $11.56 OOP!! PLUS 2- $10.00 +UP Rewards earned!! **

Now, for some reason the second +Up Reward didn't print. Although my total before coupons in Biore products was $41.54 one item (I'm guessing the detox scrub) didn't add towards the total for the +Up Reward. The manager ended up "returning" all the items and then ringing them up again and the 2nd +Up Reward printed. I was happy with that because I didn't have to call customer service and wait for them to mail me one.... otherwise, an awesome trip! Plus, on both receipts I got survey codes so I can get 2 more $3 off $15 coupons!

Walgreens shopping

I had a $5 Register Reward expiring and planned a great Walgreens trip-- I think after 3 weeks of really shopping Walgreens, I might be getting better at Walgreens shopping! I got my out of pocket down and got a lot of goodies!

Transaction #1

Carefree Pantiliners- $.99 (get $1 Register Reward!)
used $1.00 off manufacturer coupon printed from Catalina machine previously
(or $.50 off coupon from 3/27 RP)
** FREE!! PLUS $1.00 moneymaker after RR!! **
~~ The cashier did adjust the price of the liners to $1.00 so the coupon would scan. ~~

2- Always Maxi Leak Guard Plus pads- $3.00 (buy 2 get $4 Register Reward!)- this is a month long deal
2- $1.00 off coupon from 4/3 P&G
** $4.00 OOP PLUS $4.00 RR= FREE after RR! **

Peeps- 5 pk- 2 for $1 w/ in-ad coupon (filler items!)

$10.50 before coupons and discounts
-$1.58 sales
-$3.50 coupons
-$3.00 Register Reward redeemed
======================
$2.42 OOP PLUS $5.00 in Register Rewards earned!!

Transaction #2

Carefree Pantiliners- $.99 (get $1 Register Reward!)
used $1.00 off manufacturer coupon printed from Catalina machine previously
(or $.50 off coupon from 3/27 RP)
** FREE!! PLUS $1.00 moneymaker after RR!! **
~~ The cashier did adjust the price of the liners to $1.00 so the coupon would scan. ~~

Reeses Eggs- $2.50
3- Whoppers Eggs- $1.50
-$1.00 off 3 coupon from 4/3 SS
-$5.00 off Hersheys purchase Catalina previously earned
** $1.00 for all 4 bags of candy! **

$10.02 before coupons and discounts
-$1.96 sales
-$7.00 coupons
================
$1.06 OOP PLUS $1.00 Register Reward earned!!

Total for everything in the picture:
$20.52 before coupons and discounts
-$3.54 sales
-$3.00 Register Reward redeemed
-$10.50 coupons
================================
** $3.48 OOP PLUS $6.00 in Register Rewards earned!! **

Yes, I still prefer shopping at Rite Aid, but I am getting the hang of Walgreens and am managing to get some great deals. My donate boxes are getting pretty full and hopefully I'll get a chance to go drop it off soon! I just can't pass up freebies!

Random coupons and deals

$.75 off Smuckers spread, jam or preserves- Use at Meijer this week 18oz is on price drop for $1.67= $.92 after coupon!

Thanks Saving Addiction!

$1.00 off 2- 20oz Coca-Cola or Dasani beverages

$1.00 off Alexia frozen food product

Thanks Printable Coupons and Deals!

$.55 off 2 dozen eggs!

$.35 off Golfish Grahams- these are often included in the $1 sales at Meijer

Thanks Hip 2 Save!

New Disney Movie Rewards codes

Go here to enter a couple new Disney Movie Rewards codes!

J5RN24XPV9- 5 pts
SURPRISE- 3 pts

Thanks Couponing to Disney!

Another Viewpoints $5 promo

If you like Amazon gift cards, here's another way to earn one for $5-- write 5 reviews for Viewpoints!

- The reviews must be at least 700 characters (NOT words- characters- and there is a character counter so you know how many you have written- it's not as bad as it sounds)

- Must be written between April 7- April 18, 2011

- Must be of a product within the following categories:
Home Appliances
Kitchen Appliances

- Must be about real products; inappropriate or bogus content will be removed.

Go here to read all the details about the promotion. I have done three of these now and received the gift cards every time! The gift card will be emailed to you within a month of the promotion completion. At first I was going to skip this one but when I looked at all the different types of appliances I can definitely write about 5 (think blender, mixer, toaster, crockpot, etc.).

Cars and Incredibles deal at Best Buy!

There is a great deal starting today at Best Buy on Cars and Incredibles Blu-Ray combo packs. They are both priced at $24.98 and you get $10.00 off instantly when you buy them together. Plus, there are Disney coupons you can use AND you get a FREE ticket to Cars 2 in each combo pack! We already own these on DVD but to upgrade to the Blu-Ray and get the free movie tickets this is my time to upgrade to Blu-Ray. From what I can tell, it looks like the Incredibles combo also comes with the digital copy- and I love putting these movies on our IPod touch to watch on the go!

$24.98 Cars on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack
$24.98 Incredibles on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack
-$10.00 off for buying together
-$10.00 Incredibles printable coupon
-$8.00 Cars printable coupon
============================
$21.96 plus tax PLUS you get 2 FREE movie tickets worth up to $8.50!

I'll be heading out this afternoon to pick these up!

Thanks Couponing to Disney!

Boost your Swag Bucks!

I don't mean to push an issue, but if you're not using Swag Bucks yet, you're missing out! You can now print all your coupons.com coupons on Swag Bucks AND you get 10 points for each redeemed coupon. That doesn't seem like much, but if you're going to be printing and using coupons anyways, why not reward yourself a little? I'm even trying to be more of a coupon fairy with my printable coupons- I get Swag Bucks if they get used, and if I'm not going to use it, I'll leave it in the store and let someone else get the savings and I'll get the Swag Bucks! It does take some time after you use the coupon in order to get your account credited (8-10 weeks) but once you start seeing the coupon credits in your Swag Bucks history you'll keep getting pleasantly surprised when you notice a big boost in Swag Bucks!

Why care about Swag Bucks? Because you get paid to do things your normally do online! Swag Bucks is a search engine- I stay logged into Swag Bucks and instead of using google, yahoo or another search engine or typing a website in directly, I "search" in Swag Bucks. I usually win 2-3 times per day, 7-11 points in each win. That adds up!

You can also check NOSO (no obligation special offers) special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day.

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks. For I think 700 points, you can also get a $5 Paypal credit. It's no effort, and it's free gift cards! I use all mine towards $5 Amazon gift cards- this has helped with Christmas shopping, buying diapers, magazine subscriptions and everything else you can buy from Amazon!

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting. The other great thing about Swag Bucks is you can refer friends and family and you earn points for their wins as well up to 1000 points! So I do ask that if you do decide to sign up, please use the links in my Swag Bucks postings or put down Sarahspendsless as your referral.

Do you have any questions about Swag Bucks? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!

More coupon information!

Apparently everyone is on the same page this week trying to clear up any mis-information about coupons. One of my favorite blogs, Hip 2 Save, puts together a weekly video series, and this week's "Coffee with Collin" is "Proper Coupon Usage- Unextreme and Uncomplicated!" Collin also reviews some basic coupon info on this posting so I would highly recommend checking it out.

If you're new to couponing, this is a great site with loads of coupon information.

Couponing the right way

Last week TLC started a new TV series called Extreme Couponing. I am very disappointed in the show and the network for airing what they aired and hope that they do better in upcoming episodes. Bargains to Bounty found an article online by Jill Cataldo about one of the shoppers featured on the show that is definitely worth reading and I am very disappointed that TLC chose to air someone with shady practices instead of finding some of the thousands of couponers who follow the rules.

You can save a TON of money by couponing. However, you have to make sure you are doing it correctly- using the correct coupons on the correct items, following store policies and not trying to get away with anything shady. There are SO many deals that you can get using coupons the correct way. Last year was my first full year of big time couponing and I don't have my numbers in front of me, but I think my total coupon savings was around $4000 for the year. Saving $4000 while following the rules and store policies- that's good enough of a savings for me!

I wanted to give everyone a bit more information about coupon usage and if you have any coupon questions (can you...?, should you..?, etc.) please leave comments or email me directly.

Here are a few coupon reminders:
- DO NOT photocopy printable coupons- most printables allow a 2nd print by using your browser's back button- if you want more prints, use a different computer, borrow a friend's computer, etc.- do NOT photocopy!

- DO NOT use coupons on items or sizes other than what the specific coupon is for

- QUESTION any coupons that look too good to be true- I don't think any manufacturer's would ever publish any free product coupons or really high value coupons that could be circulated via email- if you are emailed a coupon that's a PDF or other similar file- don't use it. Using a counterfeit coupon at a retailer means that the retailer will NOT get reimbursed by the manufacturer and they may change coupon policies if they have too many losses. See Bargains to Bounty's posting "Beware of Counterfeit coupons" and "What you need to know about recent printable coupons" for more details about this and links to more information.

Why do I care about something that was on TV? My fear after seeing the show Extreme Couponing is that some retailers will see how coupons can be misused and make their coupon policies more strict. Manufacturers reimburse retailers when you redeem your coupons there, and if the coupons are used incorrectly or if the coupons are fraudulent, manufacturers may refuse reimbursement and stores will lose money.

I doubt that nothing will happen with the woman featured in the show (other than her reputation and credibility is now ruined) and even though she did appear to use the coupons fraudulently, since it was for a TV show the transactions weren't "real" and everything was staged.

Did you see the show? What are you thoughts?

Rite Aid

This is my first attempt at blogging from my Blackberry so we'll see how this turns out.
I didn't make it to Rite Aid until Thursday and was surprised they were still well stocked on razors.

Gilette Fusion- $9.99 (get $5 +Up Reward)
$5 coupon from direct mail (or $3 from 4/3 P&G)
** $4.99 PLUS $5.00 +Up Reward **

$13.59 before discounts
-$3.00 sales
-$5.00 coupons
-$4..00 previous +Up Rewards
** $1.59 OOP PLUS $5.00 +Up Rewards earned!

I had also wanted to get some Biore products but my store was out of pretty much everything. The spend $20 on Biore get a $10 +Up Reward is all month long so I still have plenty of time for that one.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Feedback

I'm looking for some feedback from my readers! I know that the last couple months have been pretty dull around here, and I'd like to find out more about what you would like to see on the blog.

Do you want more store matchups? Do you want more coupon information and how-to information? What would you like to know about using coupons?

Please let me know what you would like to see- you can leave comments or email me directly at sarahspendsless@gmail.com.

Thanks!

It's Mega Swag Bucks day!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each to get 4 extra points each day which really do add up!

You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. I just received 80 points last week from coupons!

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.

Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!

Walgreens shopping

I had Register Rewards expiring and they had some good sales so I have done quite a bit of Walgreens shopping this week.

6- Purex Detergent- $1.99 with in-ad coupon
$1.00 off coupon from 2/20 or 3/13 RP
** $.99!! **

Spend $10 in select products, get a $3 RR
Febreeze Spray- $2.46
$1.00 off coupon from home mailer
** $1.46 **
2- Swiffer WetJet Refills- $4.71
2- $1.00 off coupon from when I bought my Wetjet
** $3.71 each **
I spent a total of $7.44 on these 3 items and got $3 back in Register Rewards!!

3- Colgate Toothpaste- $2.99 (get $3 RR)
$.75 off from 4/3 SS
** $2.24 OOP PLUS $2.99 RR! **

Coca-Cola 2 liter- $1.79
BOGO coupon from direct mail
** $1.79 for 2! (I know that this would have been cheaper at Meijer but I needed more items to use my Register Rewards!)

3- Reeses Peanut Butter Egg- $.39 (I needed these as fillers)


I did a couple transactions so I'm just going to give you the grand totals:

$69.80 before coupons and discounts
-$11.09 sales
-$19.00 Walgreens in-ad coupons
-$12.29 coupons
-$9.00 previously earned Register Rewards
===================================
$18.42 total OOP PLUS I have another $9 in Register Rewards to spend next week!
Again, my goal is to lower my OOP at Walgreens and I would have done a bit better but my kids were wild at the checkout during my last tractions and I ended up forgetting to use a RR.

I do like to stockup on things like laundry detergent, but 3 of these are going to a friend-- I have plenty and I'm trying to get her hooked on coupons!

Yes, another Pampers Gifts to Grow code!

Yes, another 10 point Pampers code! There have been so many Pampers codes lately!

If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 10 points:

WELCOMEGTGPTS10

Thanks Hip 2 Save!

Also, you can earn 20 bonus points on Pampers Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive, or Cruisers Diapers. You will earn 20 bonus points on the next Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive or Cruisers diaper code you enter before April 8th. (This offer is limited to ONLY the first qualifying code you enter during the promotion.)

Go here to join Pampers Gifts to Grow if you are not yet a member- it's a great rewards program where you can get gift certificates and rewards.

Check out the previous Gifts to Grow codes I've posted here.

Huggies Enjoy the Ride rewards

Here is a new Huggies Enjoy the Ride code worth 5 points:

BKKJSJHSWMZWPGB

Go to Enjoy the Ride Rewards to register and enter codes. Make sure to check your videos and polls- you earn points for watching videos and taking polls too! I had a new poll and a new video for March.

Thanks Hip 2 Save.

Also, chec,k and see if you have any new polls or videos to earn more points.

If you are just now joining Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards, check out all the previous codes I've posted here to get lots more points!

One more Pampers Gifts to Grow code!

If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 10 points:

GTGREWARDS4MOMS

Thanks Hip 2 Save!

Also, you can earn 20 bonus points on Pampers Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive, or Cruisers Diapers. You will earn 20 bonus points on the next Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive or Cruisers diaper code you enter before April 8th. (This offer is limited to ONLY the first qualifying code you enter during the promotion.)

Go here to join Pampers Gifts to Grow if you are not yet a member- it's a great rewards program where you can get gift certificates and rewards.

Check out the previous Gifts to Grow codes I've posted here.

What is a good sale? Becoming a smarter shopper...

One of my pet peeves is all the different advertising techniques retailers use to get you to spend more money than you expected or make you think you're getting a better deal than you really are. Have you ever really thought about the different ways deals are advertised and what really is a good deal and what's not?

These are a couple that I often see:

Buy two, get one FREE!!
Buy one, get one HALF OFF!!
Buy one, get one FREE!

*************************************************
Buy two, get one FREE- This is the same as 33% off- but you're having to buy 3 items to get that- is that really a good deal?? This is a sale that I often see at Kohls- and if you would just wait, within a week or two the same item would probably be on sale 50% off, and you'd only be buying one so it would be a better deal. The buy 2 get 1 free makes you think you're getting a great deal but what the retailer is really doing is getting you to buy more than you intended or need....

Buy one, get one HALF OFF- This is only 25% off- but by advertising buy one get one half off you think it's a great deal. Kohls often does this sale (as well as many other stores!) but it really isn't a good deal- a 25% savings for us bargain shoppers is nothing- I usually aim for at least 50% savings.

Buy one, get one FREE- This one is a decent deal- it's 50% savings, but if you only needed one of the item, you'd be better off waiting for it to go on sale on it's own instead of paying full price for the one item you needed.

Realize that marketing and advertising companies use these tactics because they work- people see the sale sign and usually don't analyze the discount too much. You see free and think it's a great deal. Be a smarter shopper and don't fall for their tactics. Before you make a purchase, look at the savings- is it really a good savings or not?

See more of my shopping tips here.

CHEAP laundry detergent at Meijer!

I had read somewhere that there may be tearpads at Meijer for Purex laundry detergent, and as I was shopping at the Shaver Rd. store in Portage I found a tearpad right next to the Purex on sale!

Purex laundry detergent $2.99 (regular price $5.99!)
$2.00 off coupon from tear pad
** $.99!! **

I am normally pretty particular about my laundry detergent, but for $.99 I'll try this! I got 3 bottles- each a different kind!

Rite Aid

Yes, I did make another Rite Aid trip this week- I know- big surprise, right? I have been carrying around a raincheck for several weeks for Dixie Ultra plates and they finally had them in stock, and I needed batteries for my son's crib mobile.

2- Rite Aid batteries- 4 pack C- $6.99 BOGO
** $6.99 for 2 **
I have not tried Rite Aid batteries before but they were the best deal...

3- Dixie Ultra Plates- $1.97 (w/ raincheck from sale a few weeks ago)
$5.00 off 3 Dixie Ultra plates Rite Aid Video Values coupon from March
** $.91 for 3 packages of plates!! **

$26.72 before coupons and discounts
-$13.05 Wellness Plus savings, sales and raincheck
-$5.00 Video Values coupon
-$7.49 previously earned +Up Rewards
===================================
$1.18 OOP!!!
No +Up Rewards earned but this was a great trip getting something I needed (batteries) really cheap by using my +Up Rewards!

Pampers Gifts to Grow code

If you are a Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards member, here is another new code worth 10 points:

CesarChavez2011

Thanks One Momma Saving Money!

Also, you can earn 20 bonus points on Pampers Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive, or Cruisers Diapers. You will earn 20 bonus points on the next Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive or Cruisers diaper code you enter before April 8th. (This offer is limited to ONLY the first qualifying code you enter during the promotion.)

Go here to join Pampers Gifts to Grow if you are not yet a member- it's a great rewards program where you can get gift certificates and rewards.

Check out the previous Gifts to Grow codes I've posted here.

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day!

It's Mega Swag Bucks Day today! This means more Swag Bucks for your same everyday searching. Make sure to check special offers (you don't have to sign up for anything, just browse through them and you now get 2 points), answer the daily poll and check for surveys each day for one point each and there are 4 extra points each day which really do add up!

You can also print coupons and you get 10 Swag Bucks per redeemed coupon- I'm just starting to see the points started to get credited regularly. I just received 80 points yesterday from coupons!

It's a great way to get free gift cards and rewards for everyday internet surfing! My favorite reward is a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swag Bucks.

I don't have the toolbar and still earn tons of points (I don't want any more programs running on my computer). I just keep signed into Swag Bucks all the time and use them to find the websites I'm visiting.

Are you signed up for Swag Bucks yet? Do you have any questions about it? I was very hesitant at first, but I'm earning $10-$20 per month in Amazon gift cards and love it!