WOOOHOOOO I love freebies!!

So lately I have been a lucky girl! I wanted to share with you guys some of the things I have won or am suppose to be getting for FREE!

Alot of brands have their own Facebook pages now and pretty often they will give away coupons for free products! Here is what I have recieved so far

Free coupon for Always Infinity
Free coupon for Stacys Pita Chips
Free coupon for Coffemate Creamer

Here is some other free things I have recieved in the mail/store

Free tampons from Tampax
Free pads from always
Free Sample of Prevacid
Free photo collage from Walgreens

Some contests I have won!!

Free jar of Pace salsa
$5 from Cheerios
Digiorino Pizza party - 6 free pizzas and 15 $4 coupons

and of course the big kahuna my trip to MONTANA!!!

Well I guess my point is to let you guys know it takes just a few minutes and you can win too! Here are some contests you can try to win too!

Old Orchard has a win FREE juice for a year sweepstakes available! Just go on over here to enter and you could win a 2 oz can of frozen juice concentrate a week for a whole year– that’s a total of 52 FREE cans! They allow one entry per household per month.

Kikkoman has a $10,000 Dream give-away sweepstakes to play! Just go on over here for a chance to instantly win $10,000 or various other Kikkoman prizes, such as cookbooks, celebriduck and Kikkoman products! Good Luck and let me know if you win!



Pace is giving 129,000 first price winners a coupon for a FREE Pace product, with a maximum value of $4! The odds of winning seem better then most sweepstakes. 1 in 20 will win a FREE jar! If you win you’ll receive the coupon in the mail.

If you need a code you can use SAL235.



The Honey Nut Cheerios Sweet Rewards Give-Away will have a new $5 gift card winner every 10 minutes, 100 winner’s a day! They will be giving away a total of 40, 608 $5 Gift Cards between June 1st-March 9, 2010!

use this free code: K30FR-H4F3H-7720 .

You may enter a code up to ten times per day. You may use the same code more than once too! The best part–you can win up to 10 time during the promotional period! That’s a total of $50 in FREE money you could win!


Pampers has a great promotion available on their Facebook page! Currently, when you become a fan of Pampers on Facebook, they’ll donate a diaper to charity (up to 200,000 fans)! Not only that, but everyday, for the next 25 days, one lucky fan will win a years supply of diapers! Plus, you can enter each day for even more chances to win!



Dove has a fun “Spin For Your Skin” instant win game! Just go on over here and either register or login to your Dove Dimensions account. After doing so, you’ll be able to play the instant win game by trying to match 3 Dove Beauty Bars (you’ll have 3 chances). The winners be awarded coupons for FREE 2-packs of Dove bar soap!

Head on over here to enter to win FREE milk for a year and just for entering you’ll be able to print a milk coupon! You’ll see this coupon offer advertised in the bottom left hand side after you find out if you’ve won or not.

GOOD LUCK! (thanks Hip2save)

I saved $116 @ Publix!!!

So I get a lot of crap from people because I do so much of my saving at Walgreens. We here was my big test to tackle the big scary grocery store and I think I did really well!!! One thing I learned today and it may be different at your Publix but they accept Register Rewards from Walgreens!! How exciting! Needless to say I used up all my register rewards but I mean how much toothpaste does one girl need!

I won't list all the things I bought because it is a lot. My reciept is literally 4ft long

Total before any savings $  284.28
Total savings $116.00
Total oop $168.28

How awesome is that!! Now I know $168 is still a lot but we have not been grocery shopping in a lonnnngggg time. You should see how much stuff we got!

I did get a lot of free things too like 16 lightbulbs, 8 toddler meals (im giving these to my babysitter) & chocolate milk.  I even bought $50 worth of formula!

theresa shops a lot

Ive been slacking on my blog... but not on my couponing

Walgreens 1/12/10
Walgreens Tampons 1.99
Brownie 2.29
Thermacare 2.49
Kleenex Tissues

Total $3.41
Wags Gift card $1.76
Total OOP $1.65
Total Savings $5.65

Walgreens 1/12/10 Second trip
3- Kotex tampons on sale
Clearance xmas candy
Coke for JJ
Total OOP $2.36
Total Savings $11.02

Walgreens 1/15/10
Bayer Meter
Colgate toothpaste
Thermacare
Alka seltzer
Bayer Meter
Drink for me

Total OOP $2.82
Total savings $148.87

Walgreens 1/16/10
2- Bic Razors (3 packs)
2- Scrubbing bubbles
Men's hair gel
2- Neosporin lip
2- knee highs
4- Revlon lip gloss
1- Revlon eye shadow

Total OOP $2.54
Total Savings $83.12

Walgreens 1/17/10
Palm Beach Post \
Sun Sentinel
2- Wet ones
2- Revlon Concealor
2- Planters peanuts

Total OOP $ 1.66
Total Savings $35.28

Target 1/17/10
Glade sense and spray
Johnson and Johnson body lotion
Birthday present
2-Toys for Hunter
20 questions game

Total OOP $10.16
Total Savings ~$40

Can't figure out

How to get the continue reading links off my posts.... ugh this is frustrating. I have been trying to figure this out for over an hour. Yes it is 1:30am. This is what happens when you take a 4 hour "nap" when you come home from work.

Note to self...

Spell/Grammer check all blogs before posting them! Oops!! Please forgive my errors!!

Walgreens trip 1/10/10

So yesterday I needed to get the Sunday paper for my coupons of course! I have come to find out that Walgreens sells them for just $.99 which less then some places. This trip to Walgreens was a little a lot more different then usual. I had JJ with me. Now the pressure was on to show him how I am saving us money and still getting things we need. You see he is so stuck on how I have 5 diabetes meters now and I have tried to explain to him how they 1. cost me nothing 2. am donating them to my brother in law and 3. I MADE money by buying them. I get how it can be confusing but I was determined to show him. I still don't think he is that impressed after our trip as others are of my Walgreens adventures but hey maybe he will one day until then I will keep on saving! The great thing about this trip that I wanted to share with you guys is that I was able to buy things that we needed and did not have coupons for there were no deals to buy them yet I still was able to pay next to nothing for them. This is the biggest reason I am so into Walgreens. I promise there is a reason behind all my craziness. So here is what we got.

Transaction #1
Red Baron Pizza $4.99
Colgate toothpaste $2.99
    -$1 coupon
    - Recieved $2RR
           after the RR that makes this FREE
(2) Revlon Eyeliner Clearance $2.19/Each
     - $2 coupon
     - Buy get one 50% - $1.10
          Do the math I made $.72 on this deal!
Thermacare wrap $2.49
     -$1 coupon
     - Recieve $2.50 RR
            After the RR that makes this FREE plus a  $1 money maker!
- Used $5 RR from previous purchase

Total $ 3.37 (free for me because a used a gift card!)
Recieved $2.00 RR
Recieved $2.50 RR

Transaction #2

Merita bread $1.50
Lotion for JJ $5.29
Thermacare wrap $ 2.49
     -$1 coupon
     -Recieved $2.50 RR
Honey bunches of oats Clearance $1.75
(2) Newspapers $.99/each
- Used $2 RR, $3RR, $3RR & $2RR from previous purchases

Total $2.70 (free for me because I used a gift card)

Recieved $2.50 in RR

So I hope you guys can see that even though it just looks like I am just buying things to buy them I'm not. I was able to buy things we needed ( the pizza for dinner -lol-, the lotion for jj, bread etc.) that I didn't have coupons for and still get them really cheap! I basically got all that stuff for almost less then the price of the pizza!! I'm telling you this couponing stuff is worth it!!!

Oh I forgot to write how much I saved...  Total on both $44.80 - Saved $38.73- Made $5 RR ( I already used the toothpaste RR on the second transaction)

I feel like I almost shouldn't write this.....

After such a crappy year, as far as finances, luck, and just crappy things happening (except hunter of course!!!!!), last year 2010 just had to be a better year for us. We are only in the 11th day and I think things are starting to look better for us! I almost feel like if I talk about them it will jinx us in some kind of way but I have faith things will be good. I thought I might share some of the things going on or that have happened to us recently that has made us =)!!

1. Trip to Montana!! I know I've talked about this to anyone who wants to listen to me. We received our first package with all our release forms and such on Saturday. It was sent overnight from NE on a Saturday! These people don't play around. We are finishing up the paperwork today and I will send it back to them tomorrow via FEDEX overnight already paid for. They say we should hear something in the next 4 weeks as far as our dates but it looks like it's going to be in March! This is really soon compared to how long some of the others who have won this trip had to wait. This trip is such a blessing to us. Not to get all God-ly or anything but I always tell JJ when things are getting bad to always make sure we are doing what is right even if our situation sucks and it will always come back to us in some way. Well this is a HUGE way and we are so grateful for it! It is coming at a perfect time too, right around our anniversary! I think we may have a hard time topping this in the future!

2. This one is silly but I won a free house party from Digiorno. Now this is a website that I get emails from once in awhile and you apply to be a host for different themed parties. Well apparently I did this a few months ago and I was chosen look what we will get

•1 Party Planner Booklet
•6 DIGIORNO Host Gratuity Coupons - pizza for party day!
•15 DIGIORNO Guest Coupons
•1 Supreme Pizza Cutter
•15 Party Rally Beads
•1 Football Pot Holder
•1 Refrigerator Magnet
•Party “Believer” Stickers

I am super excited about all the coupons. We are planning on having a Super Bowl Party on Feb 7th, and guess what we will be serving! Oh how nice would it be if these were high value coupons!! I will definitely be applying for more parties in the future!!! Check out the website, seriously there are all kinds of parties. For example my sister applied for the turkey bacon party! The website is houseparty.com

3. We had the nicest surprise on our doorstep when we got home yesterday. There was a box of Huggies and a warm car seat blanket thing for Hunter. We had no idea who they were from! There was no note. Well something told me to check our answering machine and tada, it was a neighbor acquaintance of ours! Her and her little girl dropped them off at our house. She said she wanted to get us something when Hunter was born but that they were out of town and she figured people have SOOO MUCH stuff when the baby is born and it runs out eventually and then there is nothing. How nice of a surprise! I was really really grateful.

4. I am so glad I can upon the world of couponing. After such a stressful financial year last year I knew we had to make some changes. I have already saved so much money for our family and I am grateful to all the women out there who take the time and post all the deals out there to make my couponing that much easier!

5. I got another surprise on Saturday in the mail. My best friend sent me a pair of shoes. Now I know that might not sounds very exciting but I never buy anything for myself anymore and when I do I don't spend very much money. Now don't get me wrong I don't walk around wearing rags or anything but I just don't spend the kind of money I use to on stuff like clothes and shoes. So to get these amazing pair of heels in the mail from my best friend who knew how much I loved and wanted these shoes was such a nice surprise. I haven't found a reason to wear them yet but I did have them on while I did some dishes! lol

I guess the reason why I wrote about these things is because I wanted to share how truly grateful for everything I have in my life. The good the bad the ugly it doesn't matter what it is. I just always have to remember that it will get better! Here is to a great 2010!!

My name is Theresa.. How can I help you?

I by no means am a coupon expert. Everyday I have learned more and more. I have had a bunch of people ask me all kinds of questions. I just wrote a long message to a friend trying to help her get started. I thought I might post it here too. Like I told my friend please ask me any questions you have.

Okay so here is how I got started.. Which was only about a month or so ago! I found this Blog its hip2save.com she has explanations on a lot of the major stores especially Walgreens and CVS she posts deals all day long on different things. I learned SOOOOOO much spending time reading her blog. It is pretty time consuming to get started to be honest but I promise it is so worth it!



1. Yes and no. There are some things that I buy to get the deal. Like take the cookies for example. I have 6 of them now. No we do not need 6 boxes of cookies but it was a good deal and technically I did not pay anything for them.


My biggest thing that I have been trying to do is buy things that I might not necessarily need now but will need in the future. Like this week I bought 3 boxes of diswashing detergent. I didn't need it all now but I only paid $1 per box (instead of $5.50) anddd I made $1RR for future purchases. So I'll be good on that for awhile. Same goes for toothpaste, tooothbrushes, tampons all of that kinda stuff. Even razors which I'm, sure you know are sooooooo expensive. So instead of us running out and having to go spend $30 on razors I will make sure we already have them.


Yesterday I needed milk and tosittos and JJ was going to stop @ the store on his way home and I told him no I'll go because I knew I could get it for nothing. So you saw I bought both of those items, both which I needed yesterday (we had people over for the football game) and I did not have a coupon for either item. But I sitll got them for free from working them in with other deals and from other things I had bought earlier in the week.

Please tell me if I don't make sense.

2. Yes every Walgreens has RR. The best way to work it out in Walgreens is to check out in cosmetics if possible. There usually is not a line and the cashiers are normally a little patient.

3. Begin by starting to collecting your coupons. And buying 1-2 copies of the Sunday paper (last week I got mine for free because I had RR) Clip your coupons and start organizing. If you go on Collin's website hiptosave.com she will show you how to make a coupon binder. That is what I have and it is really and easy way to be able to see what all you have.

Seriously her website is awesome! You will learn a lot!

Honestly it is a lot of work to get started. But it is really worth it and once you get it going you will spend less and less time on it.

Ask me any questions you have!! One of my biggest things is always have a plan BEFORE you go to the store and stick to your plan. I usually make a list of what exactly I am buying, when I am going to spend, how much I am going to make and how much it should cost me. Sunday I'll see what deals they have and I'll post a simple Walgreens scenario on my blog to kinda give you an idea on how to get started.


The grogery store is a whole other story. I'm still trying to figure it out. One of the biggest ways to save like at Publix is to get one of thier ads (you can find it online) and see what their BOGO stuff is for the week. Then pair those deals up with the coupons you already have. For example: Let's say I can't believe it is not butter is buy one get on free (BOGO).

ICBINB normally costs $2 each (I'm making this up By the way lol)

so if they are BOGO free then you will get two for $2! Which is great. But here is how to make it better. Pair that deal up with 2- $1 coupons which will take another $2 off so you are getting both butters for free!!!!!! You can use two coupons because you are purchasing two items even thought the are BOGO. Make sense??


Let me know how I can help you! I know it can be very overwhelming at first. I want you to be able to save lots and lots of money so you can spend as much time with Colton!!!!!

Walgreens Trip 1/7/10

There was just too many good deals going on at Walgreens this week to pass up making some money for future purchases!

I went by the store last night and did two transactions.

Transaction # 1

(4) 24 packs of Aquafina water - $5.99 each
- $2 RR from cookies
- $3 RR from Neosporin
- $5 RR from Bayer
- $5 RR from Bayer
- $8 from Walgreens in ad coupon
          The deal with this coupon is it said with this the pack of water would be 3.99 but it had a limit of two cases. A lot of times even if there is a limit the coupon will ring up and let you use it on all of them. In my case it did. $2 off per case X 4 cases = $8 savings

Also Walgreens had buy $20.00 of Pepsi products you get $10 in RR (Aquafina is made by Pepsi) So since my total was over $20 before any coupons- my purchase qualified for this.

So my total was $23.96 before any coupons and $.96 after!!! Plus I got $10 RR to use on my next transaction. (oh and actually it cost me nothing out of pocket because I used a gift card!)

Transaction #2

Gallon of Milk $2.79
Electrosol $5.49
- On sale for $3.49
- $2.50 Manu coupon
- Recieve $1 RR
Bayer Meter $14.99
- $14.99 manu coupon
- Recieve $5 RR
Stacy's Pita Chips $3.99
-On sale for $2.99
- FREE COUPON
(2) Small boxes of Chips Ahoy $2/3
- On sale for $.99 /box
- Recieve $2 RR
(2) Neosporin Lip care $5.49 each
- On sale 2/$8
- (2) $3 coupons
- Recieve $3 RR
Revlon Eyeliner $5 something normally
- On sale for $2.19
-$2 coupon
Tostitos $3.99

I used the $10 RR I made from the water

Before coupons $98.42 after coupons $2.34 and made $ 11.00 in RR (this one didn't really cost me anything either because of the gift card I still have!!!)

Most of that total was the meter which is normally like $60 something.. It rang up for the sale price so before I handed over my coupons my total was $40something. Pretty good huh!!! I needed the milk and tostitos because we were having the neighbors over for the game so I got ALL of that for less then the price of the milk!!

$122.38 for $3.30 And made $11RR

We are going to MONTANA!!!!!!!!!!

So last night I was checking my email and I saw something from Marlboro. Now I have been registered with Marlboro for awhile mostly to get the coupons for our parents (I figured if they are going to smoke as least I can help them save some money) and to enter the amazing contests/giveaways they have all the time. Like about a month or so ago I "made my own brand" and got free t-shirts for both JJ and I with out brands on them. They are pretty nice. I have gotten towels, stuff for the grill. The nice thing about it all is that there is no Marlboro advertising on any of their stuff (there use to be). So anyway back to my trip to MONTANA! So I got this email last night and it said something about confirming my trip to the Marlboro ranch I am so glad I opened it! I confirmed my registration and that was it! I should have a package in the next few days with all the paperwork (backround checks stuff like that!) I stayed up reading anything I could find from other people who have been and seriously this is a trip of a lifetime!!!!! I don't know when we are going yet, we do not get to pick the days but I told JJ we are going no matter what! If it is still cold enough when we go (FYI it is -8 there today) you can go snowmobiling, dog sledding, tubing, ziplining and all kinds of other stuff. If we go when it is warmer they have Fly fishing, horseback riding, off roading and more! Just seeing the pictures of the ranch this place is beautiful. It is all set up as a old country town from like the 1800s. The bathrooms have old claw foot tubs and even those old fashion toliets that you have to pull the chain. And the best part is it is all FREE!!! I mean everything!! They even send you luggage to travel with!!

Walgreens Trip 1/5/10

So when I picked up Hunter from the babysitters house on Tuesday Mrs. Jeanie told me Hunter needed formula. So on our way home from dinner for Rachelle's birthday I told JJ I needed to stop by Walgreens to get some formula. Of course he started giving me this lecture about not buying all kinds of crazy stuff we don't need (he still doesnt get the whole couponing thing). I told him I'll be right back but that I needed to buy 4 things here is why

(2) Cans of Enfamil
(2) Boxes of cookies

I had a $4 coupon and a $5 coupon for the formula plus I was going to use (2) $5 RR from previous trips. Because I was using 4 coupons I had to buy 4 items. The reason I chose the cookies is because I got $2 in RR for buying them so they were free!

So I got two cans of formula two boxes of cookies and spent a little over $10 and made $2 in RR

I saved over $20!!!!

Good quick trip to CVS & Walgreens!!!! 1/5/10

So JJ's Granny asked me to go pick her up some neosporin today. There was some confusion as to which store it was at but  I went to CVS first- no neosporin- but here is what I did get

Wrapping paper
12 pack Aquafina
Colgate toothbrush
(2) Nivea Lipgloss
Nivea Body Wash
Stride Gum

Here is how I saved:
The wrapping paper was orig 2.99 -75% off so I paid $.75
The water was orig $3.49 on sale for $2.49 and I got $1ECB
The toothbrush was orig $3.99 on sale for 2.99 I had a $1 coupon and got $1 ECB
The Nivea lip gloss were orig 3.99 and I had a BOGO coupon
The Nivea Body Wash was orig 5.99 I had a $2 Manufacture coupon and a $2 CVS coupon
                Spend $10 on Nivea products get $5 ECB
The stride gum was 1.29

The only reason I bought the gum (I wish I had picked up something cheaper) is because you can not have more coupons then you have items. I had a total of 8 coupons (I used 3 different ECB's from a prior purchase) therefore I needed to have 8 items.

All this ended up costing me $5.93 OOP (Out of pocket) and I have $7 in ECB for next time.

TOTAL SAVINGS $ 21.23!!

Then I went to Walgreens here is what I bought

Transaction 1
(2) Neosporin - for Granny

They were on sale for 2/$8 and I got $3 RR which Granny let me keep. So I made a free $3RR for nothing!

Transaction 2
(2) Chips Ahoy
Electrasol
Skittles

- So on the cookies the only reason I bought them was to check to see is a particular deal was working. They were on sale for $.99 . They had a deal going on if you bought (2) Chips Ahoy  in the larger size you got $2RR.
- The Electrasol was orig $5.49 on sale for 3.49 I had a $2.50 coupon and got $1 in RR
- The Skittles were on sale for .69

So this is what happened. My ORIGINAL (before the skittles) total was 3.24 after my coupons I tried to use a $3 RR I had from a previous purchase but could not because the tax was more then $.24. So I through the skittles up there to be able to use the $3 RR

All of this cost me $.98 OOP (out of pocket) and I have a total of $6 RR for future purchases!!!!

TOTAL SAVINGS $10.20

Let me know if something does not make sense!!!

My super shopping!!

Sooooo today ws a fun day of shopping

I started off @ Walgreens here is what I bought

Breeze meter

Contour meter

(2) Newspapers

Sippy cup for Hunter

All of this should have cost $145.16 but I only paid $2.93

Next I went to Old Navy. Last weekend I bought a pair of jeans without trying the exact style I bought on and needed to exchange them. While I was there I exchanged the jeans I bought last weekend and bought another pair of jeans.

They should have cost $37.09 I only paid $17.74

Then we went to Bed Bath and Beyond I bought

5 Yankee Candle Votives

Countdown to Christmas sign

They should have cost $13.96 I only paid $4.59

Then off we went to Target. There we bought

Pampers (big box)

Pamper wipes

Huggies wipes (big box)

(2) Glade plug ins

Tide

Wrapping paper

(2) 2ft trees

This all should have cost $89.62 I only paid $27.32

Lastly I went to Walgreens again. I went a second time (to a different store) to be able to get 2 more meters.So I bought

Breeze Meter

Contour meter

Electrosol (dishwasher stuff)

(2) Vanity fair plates

This all should have cost $152.16 I only paid $2.45

Most of my savings today was from the meters I bought. They retail for $69 or something like that. I'm going to give these to my sister for my brother in law and his parents. Like I mentioned in another post the biggest reason I bought them is because I made $13 in Register Rewards for Walgreens (basically they are like gift certificates that I can use toward future purchases). I made a total of $27 register rewards today!!  

Moneymaking deal @ Walgreens

So for the month of January Walgreens has an amazing deal going on. The have two different meters for diabetes on sale for $14.99 paired up with the coupons I have for $X off up to $30 that makes the meters free!!! Here is where it gets better. The two meters which the coupons are good for qualify for $5 in RR each and when they are purchased together you get another $3! So that is a total of $13 in RR for FREE!! WOOOOHOOO! Now before you wonder what exactly I am going to do with these meters seeing that neither JJ or I are diabetic we will donate these to family members who are!! I have 5 of these coupons so by using all of them I will make $31 in RR towards future purchases @ Walgreens!!!! Paired with a sale Walgreens will be having in a couple on diapers I will be able to stock up!!!

Sunday paper coupons!

Whoever knew that my Sunday excitment would be what coupons will be in the paper! But whatever I am all for saving $1. So tomorrow is a big coupon day, there should be 5 inserts in tomorrows paper. One cool thing I learned about is that you can buy Sunday papers @ the Dollar General... for $1 instead of $1.50. Hey every little bit adds up. This week will be a good idea to grab a couple extra papers!

EDIT: SUNDAY PAPERS ARE $.99 @ MY WALGREENS- SO I ALWAYS GET THEM FOR FREE WITH RR!!!

Ways to make extra money

So I have been doing online surveys for awhile. The two websites that I frequent the most are Survey Spot and Survey Savvy. Just in the past month alone I have made an extra $10. Now I know that does not sound like a lot but hey every little bit adds up! I know some people who take surveys more frequently then I do and they make an extra $50 a month, and that is my goal to increase the $$ that I make just by taking surveys. Both websites will send you a check in the mail and they don't take very long to come in. I take this little bit of extra money and put it in Hunter's piggy bank. Just think if I can get it up to $20 a month after 1 year that is an extra $240! For just a short amount of time. So check them out, can't hurt right?

Surveyspot.com
http://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=3431194&action=join

Walgreens trip 12/31/09

So this trip did not work out as planned. Normally before I go into a store especially Walgreens and CVS I have a plan. I write down everything I plan on buying and in what order, how much it is going to cost me and what $$ I will make to go towards future trips. So I ran over to Walgreens after work with my list & huge book of coupons. This is what I planned to buy

2-Theraflu
2-Lipton Tea
2-La cross tweezers
3-Chex Mix
New Years party decor
Tissues

I knew I had to go to at least get the tweezers. They were BOGO free and I had a coupon for BOGO free, so they would both be free!! So I ended up getting two pairs of tweezers for free a $15 value!

Next I planned on buying the Theraflu which was on sale for $3.99. I had a $2 manufacture's (manu) coupon and a $2 Walgreens(WAGS) coupon (side note: at places like WAGS you can use both coupons on one item. but there is a couple of things to know about it 1) ALWAYS give them the manu coupon first then the WAGS coupon 2) can not have more coupons then you have items so if this was the only thing I was buying I would need to throw in a small filler item, something cheap!) Ok so my theraflu would have been free! The deal with the Theraflu was that if you purchased the Theraflu and Lipton tea you would get $4 in Register Rewards (good toward a future purchase). Well this is where my problem started the girl could not get my manu coupon for the Theraflu to scan so she went  ahead and scanned the WAGS coupon (even though I asked her not to scan it yet and made sure it was on the bottom of my stack of coupons)... therefore my manu coupon was useless now and instead of it being free it cost me $2.

In this transaction I also tried to purchase 3 bags of chex mix which were on sale for 3/$3. I had 1 $.50 coupon and one $1/2 coupon but she could not get them to scan either so I told her I didn't want them and put them back. They would have cost me $.50 a bag! Ugh I hated to miss out on this deal.

I also bought a box of Puffs tissues which were on sale for $.89 and I had a $1.00 coupon. So they were free! (FYI if the coupon is more then the item purchased they can adjust the coupon down)

That was it for my first tansaction. It should have cost me about $7.00 but because of the issue with the Theraflu coupons it did not work out to my advantage. So I paid $9 and change but got $4 in RR (register rewards) for the Theraflu/Lipton deal. This should have cost me ~$27.00 so I still got a good deal.

On to my second transaction. I planned to buy the Theraflu/Lipton deal again (to make $4 again in RR) but because of the issue I had the first time I told her I did not want them. So I just purchased the New Years stuff I wanted which was $7.99 and used my $4 in RR from the first transaction so it cost me $4.

Things I learned about this trip, always check out in cosmetics (they are usually more willing to help), hold on to any store coupons until after the manu coupons are ALL scanned.

All in all it was not a terrible trip, I was just a little discouraged because it did not work out exactly as planned and I did not end up with any RR to use towards next week BUT all of the stuff was really free for me because I used a gift card I got for Christmas!

Welcome to 2010

So when I started this blog my goals were to keep everyone updated on my pregnancy. As you can see toward the end my posts ended abruptly and with Hunter coming three weeks early it seemed someone else had a different plan for us. Now fast foward to almost 6 months later and a new year. Every new year that rolls around I would make new years resolutions and more then likely within a short period it went out the window and I resorted back to the way things were before. The last 6 months have changed my life (in every good way possible) and now more then ever I have come to terms with the way things are and have decided it is time to change. After Hunter was born I was so lucky to be able to stay at home with him for 10 weeks. I enjoyed this time more then anything but it went by too fast. Ever since I've gone back to work I have been trying to figure out how JJ and I can make it on one salary. I knew we would have to make some changes. During my pregnancy I obsessed over this website for moms and moms to be. One day while reading some of the posts one of the moms mentioned a blog that she read and it helped her learn how to save money in so many ways. So I started reading the blog too and I have learned so much! I then made the decision that I to can learning the world of couponing and so my journey begins. I have been couponing for about two months now, well maybe not even that long. Since I have started I have already saved a good bit of money. Like one trip to CVS I was able to get almost $30 of Energizer batteries for less then $1!! Now I am still learning how everything works and how to work the deals to the best of my advantage but I thought if I write about it then I can hold myself more accoutable to stick to my resolution and make it a forever lifestyle change! So now I'll begin to blog about my couponing adventures.