Show Me Saturday: Wholesale Club Shopping

Are you a member of a wholesale club like Costco, Sam's, or BJ's? Go here to watch my Youtube video about shopping at BJ's.

I activated a 60 day trial membership offer to BJ's I received in the mail. Did you receive this? If not, you can try a one day membership here. Brad's Deals also posts offers for BJ's trial memberships when they are available.

BJ's is the only wholesale club that accepts manufacturer coupons and allows those manufacturer coupons to be combined with BJ's store coupons. This would be the place to take any high value coupons you have. Just remember that many items at BJ's will not be a deal if you are coupon user. I discuss some of those items in the video. I plan to go to BJ's several more times in the next month for a few Christmas presents and then will let my membership expire.

While I was at BJ's I used a coupon for a free Alka Seltzer product valued up to $12. You might be able to score some high value coupons by writing to companies or calling them and explaining that you like their products, would like to try their products and/or had a problem with their product.

Hip2save blogger discusses this and listed many companies that will send coupons upon request here. This might be a great way to stock up on some coupons and it shouldn't take you more then a few minutes of your time.

Please let us know about your experiences at BJ's!

Happy shopping!

~Thriftynester

FREE Holiday Address Labels

Sending holiday cards soon? Go here to get your holiday address labels. When you get there select labels under holiday on the left side. You can personalize them however you like and there are many options. You could also make them into gift labels or upload your own photos.

140 address labels are FREE. You will only pay shipping of $2.95!

~Thriftynester

Series: Gift Stockpiling

Welcome to a new weekly series! Each Thursday I will tell you more about how to create a gift stockpile and fill you in on great opportunities for your stockpile throughout the week.

I wanted to photograph my closet where I store my gift stockpile, but there are several readers that might see their Christmas gifts so I couldn't do that. Instead I photographed the tags from my Target shopping experience yesterday and the free Connect Four game.

Today I had about 15 minutes to spare on my drive home so I stopped in Target and quickly hit all their endcaps around the store. I scored BIG. I was able to find 3 Christmas presents and 2 things that we need in our household for very little money. The following are a few rules that work for me (find a version that works for you):

• Get organized! Make a general list of people you shop for throughout the year and their likes and dislikes. I always leave some extra space on this list because sometimes you need a gift for a secretary, new friend, or gift exchange party.


• Put the list somewhere accessible. I keep my list in my coupon binder. There is no reason to have it if you can't find it. Also, decide how you will manage gifts when you get them. I note what I got and put a sticky note with that person's name on it so I don't forget or loose the gift. I also keep an extra small box where I put general gifts that are not for any specific person. (Ex: pretty candle, stationary, neat pens)


• I will only buy items if they are at least 75% off. I didn't start out with this rule, but as I got better about shopping this way I found that it isn't that difficult as long as I consistently look for items.


• Know where the clearance section is in your favorite stores. Target is my favorite store for gift stockpiling, but I also frequent Tuesday Morning (in Garner, NC), Borders, REI, and Brad's Deals.

If you still aren't sure about gift stockpiling consider the points below:

• You will be shopping endcaps at Target anyway looking for good coupon deals.


• You will find amazing stuff for nothing. Yesterday, Target in Garner had $100 old fashioned popcorn makers on sale for $25 and a $129.99 nice George Foreman grill on sale for $25. Borders (at Six Forks and Wake Forest Road in Raleigh) has nice candles 75% off and $50 Baby Delivery Room survival kits for 75% off. Do you really want to miss these sales?


• It suddenly seems crazy to pay full price for stuff after you start noticing all the clearance!

Hopefully this will get you started thinking about a gift stockpile. I have a lot of fun finding silly gifts and unique gifts for friends and family. I also don't have stress about gift finding because I do it all year.

Head over to Target this week and do a few coupon deals. Then hit their end caps and grab some great stuff for nothing! Let us know in the comments section if you find anything we need to run and buy!

~Thriftynester

More Coffee-Mate Coupons

Coffee lovers, you are in luck! Coupons.com just released another high value Coffee-mate coupon. Now you can stock up on more creamer! I am very excited because the winter flavors have been released in stores, so now I can stock up on pumpkin spice and gingerbread Coffee-Mate without breaking my grocery budget. Hopefully a local store will offer these on a deal soon to make it a better offer. I'll keep you posted if I snag a great find!

Get MORE Coffee-mate!

High Value Glade Coupon

Go here to print Glade soy candle BOGO coupons and go here to print $3/2 coupon. Then save these for a great sale. If you are new to couponing you will be excited to know that several places including CVS will allow you to use a BOGO coupon with their BOGO store sale to get 2 items completely free. (Savvyteacher and I did this with Cover Girl makeup at Rite Aid recently and we scored $40 in free foundation. We just paid tax!)

Now you just have to watch for a BOGO sale on Glade soy candles. I also watch the Target endcaps for these as they move pretty quickly through Target and I have been able to get them free or close to free.
Candles is another example of something to stockpile so you are never out of pocket very much!

Freebie Alert

If you are shopping in Victoria's Secret any time soon you can get FREE Beauty Rush Lip Gloss with a free bra fitting. This lip gloss would be another thing to add to your gift stockpile or an extra treat for you. (Offer expires 11/15/09)



~Thriftynester

Target Deal

Hubby and I went to Target on Sunday afternoon to fill 2 new prescriptions. We brought the $10 gift card coupons we scored in the Target ad several weeks ago. I previously discussed these coupons and how I shop the Target sales here.

We had 20 minutes to burn while we waited for our prescriptions so we quickly hit the endcaps around the outer perimeter of the store along with a few specific aisles. I was pretty excited by what we were able to find!

Here's the deal...

• 1 bottle of Snuggle fabric softner @ $4.69, used $3 off coupon from 10/4 Red Plum insert(We are low on this so I needed to buy it.)


• 2 boxes of Kashi cereal @ $2.75 each, used 2 $1.50 coupons (Kashi cereal coupons are availabe here) (My rule is cereal must be about $1, but less is always better.)


• 1 GE CFL lightbulb on clearance @ 87 cents (originally priced at $3.79), used $1.25 coupon from 10/4 Smart Source insert


• 3 Post It Note cubes (I already gave 1 away.) @ $1.47 each (originally priced at $5.99 each)


• 1 Hasbro Connect 4 game @ $4.99, used $5 off coupon here (Thanks Savvyteacher!)


• 1 Halloween tutu @ $4.99 for our dog, Molly's costume (not pictured)

Total bill: $14.86

Total Out of Pocket (OOP): $0

*I put all of this on gift cards from new prescriptions and transfers. I have $15 on gift cards left for future purchases. The game was free (going to the gift stockpile), the lightbulb was a moneymaker, the cereal,Snuggle and tutu were needed, and the Post Its were over 75% off for my gift stockpile.

~Thriftynester

Restaurant.com has a deal for you!

Go here to score great deals on gift cards for your local restaurants! Restaurant.com has released a new promo code that will allow you to get $25 gift certificates for just $2! All gift cards are 80% off. The promo code is TREATS. Gift certificates are good for one year. Stock up while you can!

For all our Raleigh area readers, I'm stocking up on gift certificates for Amedeo's! We LOVE this restaurant. Great, local eats! I will be using my Restaurant.com gift card so I will have no out of pocket expense! Wondering how I will do this? Go here to read my post about Restaurant.com and how I limit my out of pocket when I shop for gift certificates on their website.

Looking forward to another CHEAP date night with Hubby!

~Thriftynester

Gift Stockpile Item: Kodak

Did you get your Kodak Gallery giveaway free $15 code yet? If not, go here to learn more about this opportunity as it is still available. I did this deal and then I made my husband do it! We were able to get $30 off our total and we just paid $6 total ($3 each) for the ornaments above. (This picture doesn't do my ornaments justice. They are really cute!)

These ornaments (and/or the other many cute photo items on Kodak's website) are examples of things that can end up in your gift stockpile. I plan to put them in my fur babies stockings!
I always hunt for bargains that will make cute gifts for my family and friends. My rule is that items must be at least 75% off or I won't buy them.

Take this opportunity to find some great bargains for your gift stockpile. By the way, isn't it nice that you don't have to get off your couch to get this deal! I love online shopping.

Later this week I am starting a weekly series that will show you how to create an amazing gift stockpile. I can't wait to share my tips and tricks with you!

Enjoy.
~Thriftynester

Free Sample

Go here to request a free sample of Oregon Chai tea. This is yummy stuff and I enjoyed the sample I received previously. Often times high value coupons come with free samples so I always get freebies for items that interest me!

~Thriftynester

FREE at Food Lion

*I'm sorry the link below wasn't working earlier today! I just realized what I have been doing wrong when I add links and I won't make that mistake anymore. The link is working now!

Are you running low on eggs? You can score a free dozen at Food Lion this week. Go here to Southern Savers blog for the $1 off coupon. (Eggs are priced at 88 cents.) You will also see all the other Food Lion deals listed for the week.

Food Lion Coupon Policy:

• They accept manufacturer's coupons.
• They accept internet coupons if they scan.
• They do not accept internet coupons for free products.
• They accept their own store printable coupons, but these may not be combined with manufacturer's coupons.
• They do not double coupons.
• You may only use one Food Lion printable coupon per like item per transaction.
• They do not accept competitor's coupons.
• They do not give overage.

~Thriftynester

Series: Site Showcase Sunday

Deals, deals, and more deals. Head to Brads Deals to find the best of them. Brads Deals is a website that has a plethora of online coupon codes as well as coupons that can be printed out and used in many stores nationwide. Each day Brads Deals features the best deals online on a variety of products. I check this website nearly every day and use it for my gift stockpile. I already have many great gifts for Christmas and birthdays for less.

The website is well organized and has enticing search categories such as Top Deals, Newest Deals, Online Coupons, Printable Coupons, By Category, By Store, Most Recent, or Popularity.

Brad Wilson, of Brads Deals estimates that he has a coupon for at least 90% of stores that you shop at! It takes just a moment to check his site for possible deals before making purchases and it could save you hundreds of dollars! You can also sign up for email alerts or suscribe via RSS feed.

I just bought the Halloween collar below for my fur baby Joey through a post I saw on Brads Deals.

Series: What's FREE Week of 10/25

This week was extra good for me with the freebies. I got many free after coupon, more money makers, and some great samples in the mail! This week I received the Always pack with samples plus a free product coupon, more gum, got the Neosporin Lip health for free, a soy candle, cough medicine, lotion and much more! I used my overage (when you "make money" on a product you can use that towards other products) to buy toilet paper and some other things. I also got a new fiction novel in the mail from requesting from Paperbackswap (see here for more info on that!). What was FREE for you last week? Leave a comment and let us know!














What's FREE this week?

CVS

-Campbell’s Tomato Soups 2/$1 Use the $1/2 coupon from here
-Crest Spinbrush $6.99=$2Ecb (limit 1),Use the $2/1 or $3/1 coupons from here, Final Cost $1.99
-Spend $20 on Covergirl products=$8Ecb, Prices starting at $2.88, use several $1/1 coupons for a great deal

(*See more CVS deals here thanks to hip2save*)

WALGREENS

-Dove Bar Soap $0.99 with in ad coupon, Use the $1/1 Dove face care coupon
-Dove Hair Care-- buy 1 at $4.99, get 1 FREE=$10RR (on 8)
Buy 8 Dove Conditioners for a total of $19.96
Use 8 $1.50/1 coupons from the 10/4RP
Pay $7.96
Get back a $10RR
Final cost 8 for FREE + a $2.04 moneymaker!

*These monthly deals still available this week*
-Chapstick Fresh Effects: Cost $2.99 with a $2.99 RR
-Robitussin To Go: Cost $2.49 with a $2.49 register reward, use $1/1 coupon for moneymaker
-Halls Refresh: Cost $1, with a $1 RR
-Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion: Cost $6.99, get $6.99 RR- there is a $1.50 printable, see here for the link
-Dentek Floss: Cost $2, get $2 RR, use the $1/1 from today's paper for moneymaker

(*See more Walgreens deals here thanks to hip2save)

Rite Aid

-Vaseline Intensive Care Sheer Infusion Lotion $4.99, $4 Single Check Rebate #7,Use the $1.50/1 printable or the $1/1 coupon from the 10/18 Red Plum Insert
-St Ives Elements Skin Care, Apricot Scrub, or Collagen Elastin Moisturizer 10 oz 3.99, Get a $3 Single Check Rebate #132,Use the $1/1 coupon from the 9/20SS
-GE SoftWhite Light bulbs (2 pks) 2/$2,Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #11 (on 2)
-Kotex Maxi Pads $2.99,Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #109, Use the $1/1 coupon from here

(*See more deals here thanks to hip2save*)

Good Luck with your FREEbies this week! Check back next week to see what we got FREE this week and share your success!

--Savvyteacher

Great Deals on Hasbro Games!

Hasbro has had some great coupons out lately for several of their games. They just released more, including $5 off coupon for Connect 4. At Target you can find the full size Connect 4 on sale for $10, making this only $5! You can also use the coupon on the travel size Connect 4 (found in the luggage area on the end cap). These travel size games are $4.99, so it would make this size FREE! Go here to get your coupons for Connect 4 and also many other games and toys by Hasbro. I got a couple today using the $4/1 and plan to go back and get some more. These will make great additions to presents for kids, Christmas, and also I'll use them in my treasure box at school. Go get yours and let us know if you find a good deal with the other coupons!

--Savvyteacher

Picture courtesy of http://www.games-for-wii.com/hasbro-family-game-night.htm

Quick Walmart Trip

Today on my lunch hour I did a quick trip to Walmart and got some good deals! I was able to score some freebies. I only paid for the cereal. It was priced at $2.50 and I used a coupon so I only paid 50 cents and tax!

Total Out of Pocket: $1.50


Here's the deal:

• 3 Friskies Natural Sensations priced at $1.86 each. Used 3 FREE coupons from 9/27 Smart Source insert


• 2 Rolaids priced at $1.82 each. Used $4 off 2 from 10/4 Red Plum insert


• 1 Carefree priced at $1. Used $1 off any Carefree product from a magazine insert
  
• Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal $2 off coupon here


• 2 Mars candy coupons for $1 off any 2 bags (50 cent bags next to the registers)

*I attempted to find some of the razor deals other bloggers have posted, but my Walmart had higher prices on all of those. I also looked a good price on Snuggle so I could use my $3 coupon, but it was a great deal so I will hang on to it.

Enjoy your shopping trip!

~Thriftynester

Kroger Deals- Nature Valley and Bumble Bee Tuna

Since moving I am not quite as conveniently located to a Kroger store, and have been a bit out of touch with shopping there. Tonight I decided to swing by, and remembered how much I LOVE Kroger! Not only do they always have amazing manager special deals, but they do a lot of 10 for $10 items, have great meat sales, and do a lot of promotions that involve buying a certain amount of products to get an instant amount off at checkout.

The Nature Valley bars and Nut Clusters are on promotion that if you buy 4 participating products you'll get $4 off instantly, making these each $1.50. There have been several $1 and $1.60 off coupons for the Nut Clusters and also 50 cent for the bars (which double to $1 off)... make each of these items just 50 cents each!

Get the deal!
Print off the Nature Valley Nut Clusters coupons here (you have to scroll through the pages to find, and then you can print twice. Hint- once you print it once, you can then find it usually on the last page to print the second time). Then also print 2 copies of it here (you might have to register, but it's free, then print and click the back button to print it twice). I also found the coupon here if you need more to print! (Again, scroll!)

Also, Bumble Bee Tuna pouches are just $1.19. If you happened to print the $1/1 coupon, you can get them for 19 cents like I did!

--Savvyteacher

Series: Cutting Your Grocery Bill

As my stockpile has grown, I am constantly looking for ways to continue to cut down on my grocery bill in other areas. The most expensive part of my grocery bill has always been produce and proteins.. until I discovered manager specials!

Kroger and Lowes are some of my local stores that have amazing manager special deals. The thing about manager specials is that it can be hit or miss. The trick is to go more often, and not during peak days and hours. I find that week nights have been the best for finding deals.

What are manager specials? Manager specials are marked down items that are near expiration dates. The most common kinds of manager specials are meats, produce, and bakery items.

This week I got milk for $1.80 and eggs for $0.60 at Lowes, then meats marked down almost 50%, yogurt for $0.25 (after mark down and a coupon), and marked down bread at Kroger.












So next time you're at your local grocery store, be on the look out for those manager special tags and find your deals! Stayed tuned for more info on Shopping the Manager Specials!

--Savvyteacher

Fun and Cheap Christmas Stockpile

We are into the second half of October so if you haven't already, start thinking about and planning for holiday gifts for your loved ones! My goal is to find unique gifts that are 75% off or more. When I find these great items I buy them and stockpile gifts for friends and family. The hunt is always fun and I always note what I buy and who I am giving it to so I don't forget!

I went to Borders (on E. Six Forks Road in Raleigh, NC) and bought many great things for 75% off. My total came to$25.03 and I saved $69.65! The bag pictured above contains several Christmas and birthday gifts. The bag was one of many different prints on sale that will be a gift for a friend who loves colorful flowers!

If you see Borders soon stop in and see what you can find! Perhaps you can cross some names off your Christmas list. Hopefully you find some fun and unique gifts!

Happy Shopping!
~Thriftynester

Why Samples Pay You!

Recently I posted about why I sign up for so many samples onlines and the reasons I find this beneficial. This week was no exception! In the mail I recieved an Always pack that had several samples of pads and tampons, but also had a coupon for a completely FREE pack! I am guessing that paired with a deal I can turn that freebie into even more.


So, start now... Get your FREE sample pack!

--Savvyteacher

News About Coupons

Check out all the stuff in the picture above! It was bought several months ago during a triple coupon event at Harris Teeter. Almost all of it was FREE or nearly free. This picture is an example of why I spend time cutting coupons, printing Internet coupons, sorting coupons and organizing coupons. It is pretty amazing what I can get for nothing when I actually use coupons. I've decided my hourly wage is pretty high to cut and organize coupons (as long as I actually get out and find the deals consistently).

Last week, I told you about Rachel Ray's show and all the interesting facts about couponers here. This week, I have another interesting quick article for you. This article discusses the world of couponing. It reminded me how overwhelming the coupon world can be when you first enter it. Here are a few things to think about when you are reading:

• You CAN learn the tricks of the coupon world quickly.
• You CAN spend $50 or less per week on groceries. I now budget about $150 a month and we generally stick to this budget. (A year and half ago we were well over $300 and I have no idea what we bought.)
• If you really want to get stuff for free, you MUST build a stockpile. (That means you will buy several tubes of toothpaste when it is free or a moneymaker instead of running to Target to pay $4 for toothpaste when you need it.)
• Be friendly with other couponers. I have learned a great deal about coupon rules and policies over the last year by asking other people with binders open at the grocery store my questions. By nature they are mavens and will likely share their knowledge happily!
• You MUST be organized! I mentioned this last week. It is that important. Find a method that works for you and be consistent about clipping and organizing your coupons.

Happy reading!

~Thriftynester

Inexpensive Christmas Idea: Kodak

Update: I just finished doing this deal for my husband and I. I got 2 Christmas ornaments with my pets' adorable faces on them for FREE (normally priced at $12.99 each). I just paid $2.99 shipping for each one. Total OOP was $5.98. What a great deal on cute ornaments!

Did you notice the Kodak Gallery giveaway on the other blogs? They are giving away $15 gift codes and 40% off codes toward anything from the Kodak Gallery website. I went here and entered my email address and then my contact info. Then it said I would get the $15 gift code via email! Hooray!

This is a great opportunity for me to get another Christmas present CHEAP for a family member. I will probably do something for my grandma with some family photos. She loves being able to look at her family on a photo mug or wall calendar.

Start thinking about Christmas now so that you can scratch people off your list early and spend very little out of pocket for Christmas, but still give creative and wonderful gifts to the ones you care about!

Cheers!
~Thriftynester

Add a FREEBIE to Your Stockpile

Do you have the $4 Gillette Fusion razor coupon? Check your binders! (It was a newspaper coupon.)

Target has marked these down to $3.97. I found mine on a clearance endcap by the pharmacy at the Target in North Hills (Raleigh, NC). It was free and could be a 3cent money maker for you!

I also got $2.87 Honey Bunches of Oats cereal for 87cents! I use a $2 coupon from here to buy my cereal.

I spoke about Target deals and stockpiling when deals are great here.

My total out of pocket (OOP) was $1.24 for the razor and cereal!

Happy Shopping!

~Thriftynester

Saving Money with Citipass

One great way to enjoy a social life, experience different local places, and save money, is using a Citipass or Entertainment Book. These discount books are a fabulous, fun, frugal way to enjoy going out on the town, while saving money.

These books are usually around $25 and you make your money back in just a few uses. I am lucky enough to have gotten one free the past couple years because of fundraisers at the school I work at and have really enjoyed using the coupons and exploring the city.

What I also love about the book is that is includes a variety of coupons. There are several restaurant coupons of varied price points, coupons for BOGO tickets to many local theaters, places of entertainment such as golf courses and arcades, as well as many store coupons.

Whether you are a local and know many places around town or newer to the area, the discount books not only offers great deals, but highlights local places. Many times I find new and exciting places that become a favorite!

Thiftynester and I love to use our discount books to explore new places around the city and have fabulous but frugal social entertainment. Look for our new series coming soon on how we enjoy going out for less with Citipass!

--Savvyteacher

Series: What's FREE Week of 10/18

This week I scored many freebies after coupons, and other freebies after gift card. The pictures above show my Target run and one of many Walgreens deals this week. The first picture is from the Target deal, and total I spent $2.11 OOP (out of pocket). I transferred a prescription to Target, so I got a $10 gift card which I used for my purchases. Some of the items were on clearance, the Fabreeze, Chex Mix and Renu were free after coupons, and it was .90 for each of the Nature Valley bags... great deal!

Walgreens has been hot for deals this past month, and all I paid for the items in the second picture was 55 cents! Because some of the items were moneymakers, meaning that they were freebies after register rewards and I had a coupon on top of that, the overage went to pay for the soups that were only about 30 cents a piece after coupons anyways.











What did you score FREE last week? Post a comment with your deals, samples, or coupons you got this week.


What's free THIS week?

CVS

-Glade Reed Diffuser or Soy Candle $6.99=$6.99Ecb (limit 1)Use the $3/1 coupon from the 10/4SS for a moneymaker
-Neosporin Lip Health $5.49 Use the $3/1 printable coupon,receive $2.50 off Instantly (CVS Clip Free Coupon)
-Women's Degree Deodorant Invisible Solids (travel size) $0.99
Use the $0.75/1 or $1/1 coupon from the 8/2RP (depends on region)

(*See more deals here thanks to hip2save*)


WALGREENS

-Buy 2 Pert Plus 12 or 13.5 oz $2.50 each=$2RR
Use 2 $1.50/1 coupons from the 10/18SS (if the "For Men" variety is included)
Or use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 9/13SS

*These monthly deals still available this week*
-Chapstick Fresh Effects: Cost $2.99 with a $2.99 RR
-Robitussin To Go: Cost $2.49 with a $2.49 register reward, use $1/1 coupon for moneymaker
-Halls Refresh: Cost $1, with a $1 RR
-Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion: Cost $6.99, get $6.99 RR- there is a $1.50 printable, see here for the link
-Dentek Floss: Cost $2, get $2 RR, use the $1/1 from today's paper for moneymaker

(*See more Walgreens deals here, thanks to hip2save*)


Rite Aid

-EOS Lip Balm $1.99, Get a $1.99 Single Check Rebate
-Little Colds Cold Formula $3.99,Get a $3.99 Single Check Rebate
-Little Colds Mucus Relief or Sore Throat Melt $5.49,Get a $5.49 Single Check Rebate
-Cepacol Fizzlers $4.99, Get a $4.99 Single Check Rebate

(*See more deals here thanks to hip2save*)

Good Luck with your FREEbies this week! Check back next week to see what we got FREE this week and share your success!

--Savvyteacher

Site Showcase Sunday: Sunday Coupon Preview

It's Sunday, so that means two things. First of all, new coupons! Every week when Sunday rolls around, I get a little bit excited the night before thinking about all the new coupons I will get, clip, organize and put to new and exciting deals.

Sunday also means time to showcase another website. Last week we introduced you to Site Showcase Sunday where we will highlight a website we find useful. This week as I was getting excited about my new coupons, and with knowing many of you are just getting ready to coupon, or are new couponers, the Sunday Coupon Preview is the perfect site for today!

If you have just begun couponing, or want to start, this site will be helpful in previewing the coupons before they come out in the newspaper on Sunday. This information helps me decide how many newspapers I will buy that week. It also allows for planning ahead of time for shopping deals for the week because you can see your new coupons in advance.

This not only helps me decide about how many papers to buy, but it gets me excited for coupon day and the chore of cutting apart the coupons. Those of you who have couponed awhile, know that it can be a big job, so staying excited and being creative with fun ways to clip is part of keeping the momentum going!

I love Sunday Coupon Previews!

Remember, coupons are regional and may vary slightly in amount and kind, but generally are nearly the same!

--Savvyteacher

Get your Sunday Newspaper!

Many of our new readers are new to couponing or interested in starting. If that is you, remember to get your Sunday paper tomorrow and clip your coupons! This is the first step in your coupon journey.

If you haven't already decided how you will organize your coupons, I suggest putting them into two piles as you cut. Food items, and non food items. If you are still deciding how to organize you can use envelopes in the meantime. The two ways I have used over my year of couponing is the expandable file organizers and the binder system.

Stay tuned for more posts on coupon organization and look forward to a video blog clip of how to organize your coupons!

Happy Clipping!
--Savvyteacher

Show Me Saturday

New Series at Carolina Frugal! Every week, Show Me Saturday will give you tips and tricks on how to score the best deals and navigate the coupon world. Our First Showcase: Target.

I LOVE Target! I try to go in with my binder on my lunch hour for about 45 minutes at least twice a month. If I only have 10 minutes to shop, I just run in and hit all the clearance sections I am familiar with and try to score deals. Be consistent and you will get amazing stuff for at least 75% off. Think Christmas. Think birthday gifts. My goal is to use coupons to make items free or close to free. Items I buy for my gift stockpile must be at least 75% off before I will get them. If you start early you will get many amazing things!

When you watch the video you will see some great deals! I shopped clearance end caps around the outer perimeter of the store. It is important that you learn where the clearance endcaps are in your store and watch them often. Be patient and you will get the best deals.

I look a little crazy in this video, but it was my first time doing it. I'm glad I have a hair appointment scheduled today. My hair is a bit nuts!

Get in your car and go to Target. Don't forget to check the Target deals listed here.

Happy shopping!

~Thriftynester

Cheap Gift Idea for a New Mom

This is a great opportunity to get a nice gift for a new nursing mommy! Go here to get a quality nursing cover for FREE. (The one pictured above is available.) You will pay $8.95 in shipping only. Use promo code "onefree" to get an Udder Cover valued at $32 free!

I did this deal several months ago and gave it to my friend in a gift basket after she had her baby. She LOVES it and is still using!

~Thriftynester

Become a Facebook Fan

There have been many great deals for becoming a fan of facebook pages lately. I've taken advantage of several and received free samples, high value coupons, and 2 bottle of expensive shampoo! Here is another opportunity offered by Shutterfly until November 15th.

If you become a fan of Shutterfly, you will get a FREE 8X8 photo book. You will pay shipping, but that is very little for this item. It would make a great gift for someone. I am planning to get one and add pictures of my puppy. It will be a very cute, CHEAP memory book!

Go here to become a fan. When you get there click "become a fan." On the next page it may prompt you to create a family tree, just hit the back button and you will be back on the Shutterfly promo page with a code to make your professionally bond book for free!

Enjoy!

~Thriftynester

Food For Thought

When I first started couponing I was embarrassed so I walked around the store with my fistful of coupons and tried to keep it all organized in my purse while I shopped. That lasted about a month. I decided I could be brave and I put all my coupons in a binder! Yes, I am that coupon lady who goes through the store with my binder out and proud. I remind myself that I am saving thousands of dollars each year by cutting coupons consistently.

Rachel Ray discussed couponing on her talk show recently and her guest Bill Rancic shared a few staggering facts about couponers that I thought I would pass along here. (I didn't love all his ideas, but these facts are amazing!)

• Each year $400 billion worth of coupons are printed, yet less than 1% are ever claimed.


• The group of individuals that most uses coupons make $75,000 a year or more! (Tell that to the person behind you in line that judges you.) The group of individuals that make $25,000 per year or less use the least number of coupons.


• Couponers need to be organized! This was a point Bill Rancic made several times. It is really important that couponers find a method of organization that works!

You don't need to remember all these numbers. Just remember that your time is well worth it! You are saving many dollars over the course of the year. Click here to see this story.

Keep cutting!
~Thriftynester

A Deal for the Coffee Lovers

Harri

Ok, so I admit. I am a coffee addict. I love coffee so much, especially going out for coffee and picking it up, but I have learned to love to make it at home because of my favorite Coffee-Mate creamers. I love a coffee deal, and so free or cheap creamer is right up my alley!

Awhile back I got stocked up with free creamer from Harris Teeter super double deals, although not my favorite brand. While I enjoyed trying some new kinds of creamer, I still always am looking for a good deal on Coffee-mate.

Of course free creamer is always better, but 68 cent creamer isn't' too bad! Right now at Harris Teeter Coffee-Mate is on sale for $1.68 a bottle. You can print coupons for $1/1 bottle right now on the coffee-mate sight in two ways. You can sign up for an account and print coupons, but you can also send a "cup of confidence" by writing a positive note for women looking to dress for success in order to find jobs in the work place right now. Coffee-Mate is taking donations right now in order to help women build more confidence for entering the work place by helping them with dressing for success. If you send a note you can print off the coupon.

Two great things.. promoting confidence for women, AND coupons for delicious creamer! My personal favorite is Sweet Cream during any season, but I am in love with their pumpkin spice, gingerbread, and peppermint mocha during the winter season and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival in stores!

I want coffee creamer coupons!

Happy Coffee Drinking!
--Savvyteacher

Ragu and Skippy Walgreens Deal

This past month at Walgreens has been filled with amazing deals, insane freebies, and many moneymakers. I found another amazing deal that you just don't want to miss this week!

For those who already coupon, this deal is going to be very good for you...but those who haven't started yet can still make a good deal (and maybe an incentive to start getting the Sunday paper!).

The Deal: Buy 8 participating products and receive $8 in register rewards. I chose to stock up on Ragu pasta sauce and peanut butter, and these were also good prices plus I had coupons!

Both the Ragu and Skippy are 3 for $5. Purchase 8 (any combination) for a total of $13.32 plus tax. If you coupon, you should have $1.25 off 3 Ragu and if you get 6 of them you can use 2 coupons. Many of you may also have skippy coupons, you can use that to sweeten the deal even more!

The Results: 6 jars of Ragu Pasta sauce and 2 jars of Skippy Peanut Butter for a total of $2.11 OOP (out of pocket, after the register reward) meaning these were just over a quarter a piece!

Enjoy stockpiling your pantry for less!
--Savvyteacher

More Ways to Recycle Your Books!

It's time for another post on more ways you recycle your books, save money, and get new books to read for a very minimal fee! Previously I posted about using local used book stores to sell your books, I use that for many of my old teaching resources and heavier books (since postages is involved in PBS, PaperBackSwap). See here for more details for that post if you missed it.

What is PaperBackSwap? PBS is an online community where you can swap books, meaning you can recycle your books but also get new gently used books to read from others! The swapping is entirely online and they have a huge catelog of books ranging from fiction to cookbooks, children's literature to biographies. There is something for everyone, and you can even swap DVD's.

Also, when you sign up and post 10 books to your account that you want to swap, you'll get FREE credits to start you off that you can use to choose new reading material. The site is user friendly, and when someone requests a book they send you an email, and you follow a few easy steps. You can eve print off the shipping label at home, then toss it in your mailbox for convienent delivery. It's easy to use, is a good way of recycling books, and fun to get new reading material in the mail.

How do I get started? Click here, sign up (make sure you put in my nickname, savvyteacher as your referral!) and then start loading books onto your online bookshelf.

Happy Reading!
--Savvyteacher

For the Frugal Fashionistas!

Great deal for those who want frugal, fun, fashionable, and best of all FREE underwear (or those who just want the free underwear!).... Victoria Secret once again is offering FREE underwear.

If you've already signed up for their free rewards program then you know that once in awhile you get an awesome postcard in the mail that allows for completely free underwear. This offer allows you to either sign into your current account, or create a completely free account in order to print a coupon for a free pair of underwear and also a $10 off bra purchase. More and more companies are moving towards online offers for printing coupons versus mail.

All you need to do is go to the page, sign up for a free account, and print your coupon. Take the coupon into the store and show your ID and you get a free cute pair of underwear.

Yes, I want FREE underwear!
(Thanks, hip2save)

Enjoy!
Savvyteacher

Stockpile Your Pantry!

This is a picture of my pantry after a few weeks of triple coupons and super doubles at Harris Teeter. I am well stocked on the essentials! Keep in mind I live in a household of two people and I shop for myself. Because of this, I don't need many multiple items in order to feed a family and my essentials last much longer. For all of you working professionals out there that are single, or a household of two or three, let me show you how you can save on your grocery bill. Follow along with me as I "Cook from the Pantry" over the next month and show you how to make healthy, more impressive, delicious meals for one or two with everyday items from your pantry. I will share with you how to stock your pantry, why it is an important and key part of saving money on your groceries, and how to cook using these ingredients. You'll find a weekly post with me checking in to share new recipes and ways to use your stockpile and stretch your dollars.

My challenge? Eat from the pantry for a month, creating delicious and healthy recipes from every day items. My weekly budget will be $20 to spend at the grocery store for fresh produce and proteins, but the rest will come from my stockpile (pantry and freezer). This low budget will allow for me to save on my grocery bill for the month, while making use of items I already have.

--Savvyteacher

Site Showcase Sunday: MyPoints

It is Site Showcase Sunday! We are starting a weekly series that you absolutely can’t miss reading every week. We will feature a website that is useful, interesting, and helpful to you!

This week I’m featuring two websites as I used both of them to score a fabulous deal. They are http://www.mypoints.com/ and http://www.restaurant.com/.

Last week I received a FREE $25 gift card for http://www.restaurant.com/ from MyPoints! I was so excited. This gift card will allow my husband and me to go out to dinner for very little out of pocket at many great restaurants. This is an opportunity for us to be frugal, but still enjoy a wonderful date night.

So let me tell you about the deal…

For the last five years I have been a member of http://www.mypoints.com/. It is a website that allows you to earn points to redeem for a variety of gift cards. It’s free to sign up. It’s easy. It’s worth a few minutes of your time, a few days a week. I created a separate email for MyPoints and I check it about three times each week. I read emails, take surveys, and occasionally make purchases online. MyPoints thanks me by giving me points for each email. It takes some time for me to accumulate enough points to redeem, but I’m patient.

After about 6-8 weeks I usually redeem MyPoints. I used to always get gift cards to Panera Bread as I enjoy eating there, but now I stick to getting cards for restaurant.com. The best part about redeeming MyPoints for a Restaurant.com gift card is that it costs me several hundred points less then the cost of a Panera Bread card (or many other popular cards).

According to Restaurant.com they “serve as the community matchmaker…Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote new and unique aspects of their restaurant while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost effective way.” What this really means is that I get CHEAP gift cards to use at local restaurants. To make it even better, their gift cards go on sale. I usually wait until many of their gift cards are 80% off. Then I login and buy them with the gift card I redeemed at MyPoints so I am out of pocket very little!

For example, I bought a gift card at 80% off at a great local restaurant. It was normally priced on Restaurant.com at $10 for a $25 gift card. Since it was 80% off I was able to snap it up for $2. I used my Restaurant.com gift card I redeemed from MyPoints so I was out of pocket nothing! When I actually redeem the gift card at the restaurant on my date night my husband and I will spend about $10. (It is a $25 gift card, but it stipulates that you must spend $35 to use the gift card.) We will spend about $10 plus tax and tip to enjoy an appetizer, 2 entrees, a dessert, and 2 drinks on a Saturday night. AMAZING!

I’m looking forward to a cheap date night very soon and fun local restaurant!

Happy Eating!
Thriftynester

Series: What's FREE Week of 10/11!

This is a picture of many of the free items I got last week (and many more not pictured!). My freebies included items I got free after coupons, samples in the mail, and even free drink coupons from the Starbucks challenge. Are you ready to get free items this week? Follow along with us this week, and then let us know what YOU got free this week!

What's FREE this week? See below for many freebie offers, these are only some of many!

CVS

• 3-Day Sale Sun-Tues:
• Halloween Nylon Treat Bags 99 Cents, 99 cent ECB
• 4-in-1 Pumpkin Carving Tool 1.99, 1.99 ECB

(*See more deals here thanks to hip2save*)


WALGREENS

• Chapstick Fresh Effects: Cost $2.99 with a $2.99 RR
  Robitussin To Go: Cost $2.49 with a $2.49 register reward, use $1/1 coupon for moneymaker
  Halls Refresh: Cost $1, with a $1 RR
• Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion: Cost $6.99, get $6.99 RR- there is a $1.50 printable, see http://hip2save.blogspot.com/2009/09/walgreens-deals-927-103.html for the link
  Dentek Floss: Cost $2, get $2 RR, use the $1/1 from today's paper for moneymaker

(*See more Walgreens deals here, thanks to hip2save*)

Rite Aid

• Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm .075 oz $2.29, $2.29 Single Check Rebate
• Carmex Lip Balm 3 pk tubes $1.99, $1.99 Single Check Rebate

(*See more deals here thanks to hip2save*)

Good Luck with your FREEbies this week! Check back next week to see what we got FREE this week and share your success!

--Savvyteacher