December 31, 2009

Free at CVS!  Not even after ECBs, just plain free after coupons!  I used $3 coupons on the lip stuff, and a $1 coupon on the Dawn :o)  I did pay tax...but I don't remember how much that was and I didn't save the receipt, haha.


December 29, 2009


Haha, yes, I *have* already started Christmas shopping for next year.  I think I barely broke $100 on BOTH my kids combined for 2009's Christmas shopping...and trust me it was fulllll under that tree (and all over the living room, haha)  and this is how I do it, I start early, I shop clearance, sales, use coupons, use Amazon gift cards I get for taking surveys, and sometimes select gifts as my rewards for doing surveys for companies who use points to rewards systems.

Anyway, those PJ Sparkle dolls were marked down to $2.98, and the Hello Kitty crayon pens were .50!  :o)


ETA:  Actually, now that I think about it, I started shopping for Christmas 2010 even months before Christmas 2009, remember those Kmart toy clearance posts?  I picked stuff up then that I knew the girls wouldn't be ready for yet, but give them another year and they'll be good.  :o)




My total for all of this?  FOURTY-TWO CENTS.  Including tax!!  :o)

  • 4 Coke 2-liters - $1 each.  Used a $1/4 coupon.  Got $1 ECB for buying 3.... .75 each not counting the ECB, or since I generally pay mostly with ECBs, you could take the ECB "off the price" and say I "paid" .50 each.
  • 1 Cascade Gelpacks - $3.99, used a $1 coupon.
  • 1 Colgate Total - $2.99. Used a $1 coupon. Got $2 ECB.  Essentially free since I pay with ECBs!
  • 1 Gilette Fusion razor - $8.99, used a $4 coupon.  Got $4 ECB, so essentially just .99!
  • 1 Ivory soap 3pk - .99, used a $1...yay free + .01 overage!
  • 4 Kleenex - $2.39, on sale Buy 1 Get 1 Free.  Used a Buy 3 Get 1 Free coupon, so I paid $2.39 for all 4, just .60 each.  Not bad for the Kleenex brand, and the new anti-viral at that. 
  • 1 J&J Baby Shampoo travel size - .99, used a $1 coupon adjusted down.  Free!

I used a $15 ECB I got for doing a survey for CVS, and then paid .42!!  That ECB was awesome to earn, especially since I didn't have to roll any of my other ECBs into this transaction (why I bought the Cascade, the tissues, and the Coke, really since they weren't really free...I do tend to pick up the razors when they're .99 so I probably would have bought that though)...used that $15 ECB, got back $7 ECBs...normally that wouldn't be good for me, but I counted that $15 as "play money" if that makes sense...so it was nice to still earn ECBs from using it.  Almost like they "paid" me $22 for taking that survey in a way?  Yeah, I'm a nerd, I know.  ;o) 
Remember when I posted about the awesome detergent deal at Food Lion if the coupons I ordered came on time?  Luckily they did!  I scored fifteen bottles of detergent for just .99 a bottle!  I used a $2 coupon on each one and they were on sale for $2.99.  Even better than the deal at Walgreens that I was so excited about.  I'm thinking that between this sale and that one, I won't need laundry detergent for a looooooong time. 


December 21, 2009

Recently General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.



Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children’s diets.

Other cereal benefits:

  • Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children’s diets.
  • Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child’s diet today.
  • More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals.


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We love General Mills cereal around here, Ava recently told me that Lucky Charms was "the best cereal EVER," she gobbles it right up. My husband loves when I find a good sale on Reese's Puffs, it's his absolute favorite cereal. I'm very excited that they are reducing sugar, and I trust that General Mills won't skimp on taste. The information above was provided by General Mills, through My Blog Spark. They will be sending me four coupons, each for a free box of their cereal to try it out. I'll let you know if they're still "the best EVER!" :o)

December 20, 2009

CVS (backdated)





I paid 2.43 for everything, and then realized I'd been rung up for two of the Thermacare, I ran back in and they did a "return" and gave me back $2.50 (well, I gave them a penny since the Thermacare was $2.49)!  So it was entirely free, you can see what coupons I used on my receipt, and I got back several ECBs ($17.98 total) and I even made ECBs due to the mix up with them ringing up two of the same item, it generated ECBs and they let me keep them :o) 


December 14, 2009

I got this DVD as a reward for doing surveys with Opinion Square. I collect Disney dvds so this was great for me, and for the kids. We had a fun singing and dancing party the day it came :o)


Rebates and a $5 check from Magazines.com (sign up for their email list, and when they send you gift cards to your email, you can redeem them for cash/check by going to magazines.com/cash and entering the gift card code!)! The $5 Kmart gift card was a rebate type thing for buying Rice Krispies back when they were doubling coupons...I paid .25 a box for 4 boxes if I recall correctly, and then sent in for the gift card :o)

December 12, 2009

Target:

  • 2 Method hand soaps - $2.99, used $2 coupons, .99 each!
  • 2 Suave body washes - $1.52 each, used a $1/2 coupon, and they were $1.02 each. Not the best, but hubby was using my pretty smelling body wash, haha.
  • 1Gillette body wash, 1 Gillette deodorant...I can't even remember!! (I'm backdating this, the day I'm posting is actually 12/20), I do know the body was was free after I used a Buy 1 Deodorant Get 1 Body Wash Free coupon, and I was able to also use a $1 coupon on the deodorant.
  • 1 Tide Stain Release - $3.99, I used a $1.50 mfr coupon and a $1.50 Target coupon, .99!
  • 1 Fruitabu - Free! Recieved a free item coupon in the mail.
  • 2 Rayovac batteries - $1. Used $1 coupons on each, free!


Walgreens:

  • 12 All detergents - $3.50 each. Used a $2 coupon on each, took them down to $1.50 each.

I purchased 8 in one transaction, recieved a $5 Register Reward for spending "$25" (before coupons), and turned around and used that to buy4 more (and some Christmas candy! hehe)...so, not counting the candy because I would have bought that for stocking stuffers anyway, comes out to $13 for 12 things of laundry detergent! Just $1.08 each (before tax).

I ordered 20 coupons from eBay and gave half to my mom (who needs to start posting here *ahem*). I used PayPal from doing surveys so I didn't even have to pay for the coupons. I actually ordered 30 more recently in hopes that they come before Wednesday and I can hit up Food Lion since it's on sale for $2.99!!! It'll be just .99 a bottle, sweet! I'll give half to my mom again and hopefully we won't need detergent for a looooong time (yeah, right! haha).


Walmart:

  • 10 Snuggle fabric sheets - $1.86 each. Used a $2 coupon on each box, and got PAID $1.40 to buy these!
  • 1 travel size Skintimate - $1.47, used a $1.50 coupon and again, got paid .03!

I did purchase a few other items (like a much needed new hair dryer because mine had broken and it's just too cold to be running around with wet hair), so that overage went towards the other items.


  • 2 Index Card Cases
  • 1 Protractor
  • 2 Gift Label Packs
  • 2 Tissue Paper packs
  • 2 bags of bows
  • 1 Bic Soleil Razors
Everything was FREE (after ECBs for purchasing, and coupons also in the case of the razors) except for the candle, which was .74!

I paid with ECBs and I think I used .24 of my own money but I'm too lazy to go find my receipt right now. :o)
Went in to Hallmark to use one of those awesome $5 coupons, and found a sweet "New Home" ornament with the year on it, which was neat because it was the year we bought our first home. It was originally $15, on clearance for just $3.75! I purchased that and a sparkly snowflake ornament for $1.49, and only spent.55, including tax. :o)


I received two coupons for One Free Previously Viewed DVD at Blockbuster, as a reward for participating in eRewards and taking their surveys. We had a fun movie night watching Bolt! Super cute movie. I haven't watched Marley & Me yet, but I've been wanting to see it.

Didn't even have to pay tax! :o)