One Day Sale at CVS

I got an email earlier from CVS talking about a great one day sale going on tomorrow Saturday, December 17th. If you have the CVS card, go to your local CVS store and swipe the card in the coupon center to receive $25 worth of coupons. One of these coupons is for a great deal on 12 packs of cokes. You can get 3 for $8! They have not released details on the other deals available, but I will definitely be making the trip to pick up some 12 packs for our family.

Then after CVS I will be finishing up my Christmas shopping - just 3 more people and my list will be done! Only 7 more shopping days left...happy shopping everyone!

The Craziness of Black Friday

So yes I survived the craziness of Black Friday. Got to Walmart I thought a little early at 8:45 - nope not early enough - so did the rest of my small town. After parking at the very back of the parking lot, I walked the half mile in to realize there are no buggies left. Exactly how was I suppose to rack up in savings if I didn't have a buggy? Turned back around and walked around the parking lot until I found some guys who let me steal their buggy. Complete craziness!

Got back inside and pushed my way through the crowds. At times I just wanted to scream and give up but I kept pushing on thinking I was seriously insane for putting up with this. But after about 3 times around the store, I finally picked up a few of the items on my list and started to feel better. Of course walking around the store 3 times only took me 3 hours so by this time it was starting to clear out. I believe it was about 1:00 am when I finally checked out with everything that I had wrote down on my list. Mission completed!

Some of the highlights of my night/morning were the parents yelling at their kids to shut up, the teenagers who came just to "people watch" and block the aisles so you couldn't get through, the older gray hair man in Kmart the next morning at 5:30 am who got escorted out for fighting, and saw the same parents who told their kids to shut up at Kmart bright and early the next morning - seriously their poor kids didn't get any sleep! Oh yes you have got to LOVE the craziness of Black Friday!!!

Closing the Store Down

It's been awhile since I have been shopping. By shopping - I mean real, shop to you drop, much needed retail therapy kind of shopping! I didn't have to buy anything for anybody else. It was all for me and it felt good. Since I am really only able to do this once a year after my birthday, you can see why this is such a special time for me.

But for some reason when my husband came home, it took me awhile to get motivated to go out. Once I finally hit the stores, it felt just like the old days and I was grabbing clothes left and right. I knew I had to spend at least $80 to get use out of my $40 off coupon. Was you expecting anything less? Of course I had a coupon! This $80 total proved to be a bit more difficult to spend then I thought. Once I got to the register with my 5 items, the bill only totaled to $59 because a few of the items were either cheaper than the tag said or was on clearance which didn't count towards my coupon. I knew they were closing down shortly so I hurried to grab the $30 boots I was looking at but even those darn things were on sale too still making my total less than the required $80. By this time the other girl working there was pulling down the mall entrance gate and locking the front door so I started to panic. Thankfully the cashier offered me some $9.99 perfume up front and that ladies and gentleman is how I finally got my $40 off my final bill! So in conclusion I got 2 sweaters, 3 shirts, pair of black boots, and some really good smelling perfume all for a grand total of $65.80.

It's so funny because on any other day I would have been ecstatic see the prices lower than I expected. On this trip, I was throwing things at this poor woman just to get the $40 off! But now that I am home, I can appreciate my total savings of over $60 with Rue 21 and look forward to spending the $20 Rue Bucks I received for my next purchase. Hopefully next time, I won't be closing the store down with my insane need to save money!

Successful Shopping Week

 After celebrating my husband's birthday on Sunday, it was back to the usual grind hunting the ads in Sunday's paper for this week's best deals matched with my available coupons. I was excited to see several things that I needed to stock up on on sale this week including Purex laundry detergent (the only detergent I can use on my sensitive skin), Pledge furniture polish, and Smuckers jelly for my boys. There was also several free items to be picked up thanks to my little cheat sheets (see my list of favorite blogs). One of these items was Softsoap handsoap which was on sale at CVS for $0.99. Matched with my $2.00 when you buy 2 coupon these came out to be absolutely free. I guess CVS figured out this pretty quick because hand written on the sale tags were "Limit 2". No problem...I drove to Walmart to price match and got 2 more to use with the other coupon I had clipped! My final cost with both shopping trips was $15.74 for a total of 25 products purchased. I also received $7 worth of extra care bucks to use at CVS next week. So really I only spent $8.74 for all the below products! I would say I had a pretty successful shopping week!



Shopping Results Week of 11/06/11

CVS:

4 Pledge Furniture Polish 4/$12 - (2) $1.00 coupons = $8.00 (Receive $4 ECB)

2 Smucker Jellies 2/$5 - $1.00 coupon = $4.00 (Receive $3 ECB)

2 Softsoaps $1.98 - $2.00 coupon = FREE
Used $12 ECB from last week
Final Cost = $0.91 and received $7 ECB for next week
(Total Savings $34.62)


Walmart:
2 Smucker Jellies $1.88 each - $1.00 coupon = $2.96
2 Travel Size First Aid Kits $0.97 each - (2) $1.00 coupons = FREE
2 Travel Size Aquafresh Toothpaste $0.97 each - (2) $1.00 coupons = FREE
2 Snuggle Dyer Sheets $1.87 each - (2) $0.75 coupons = $2.24
2 Softsoaps (price match to CVS ad) $0.99 each - $2.00 coupon = FREE
1 Folgers Coffee (price match to Walgreens) $3.49 each - $1.00 coupon = $2.49
2 Purex Detergent (price match to Walgreens) $1.99 each = $3.98
4 Sets of Vampire Teeth 16 count (Clearance 75% off ) $0.36 each = $1.54
Final Cost = $14.83 for 17 products
(Total Savings $15.00)




Need Retail Therapy?

So if you are counting down the days until Christmas like me, there are only 51 more shopping days left. Have you started your list yet or are you waiting until the all so glorious Black Friday? Well if you are one of those who refuse to stand the craziness of Black Friday or just need some retail therapy this weekend, here is a list of great coupons in our shopping area:

 

• Aeropostale - $10 off $50 Purchase exp 11/6
• Barnes & Nobles - 50% off 1 Print Book for Facebook Fans
• Bath & Body Works - $10 off $30 Purchase exp 11/20
• Express - $15 off $30 Purchase exp 11/06
• JCPenney - $10 off $25 Purchase exp 11/07
• Kohl's - 15% off Shopping Pass exp 11/06
• Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic - 30% off Friends and Family Pass exp 11/08

If you are not getting out this weekend and need a great gift idea, try the Snapfish website for a great deal. Until November 8th if you enter the code MYFALLBKS, you can buy 1 photo book and get 2 for free. These make a great gift for grandparents and then you get to keep one for yourself! I did this last year for mine and Jake's parents and they loved it!

Hope these deals will help you save some money this holiday season! A special thanks to the Krazy Coupon Lady and my other favorite blog sites for their help on these deals! I have put up links to their sites on the right side of my blog. Have a great shopping weekend everyone!

Free is Good

Even though I wasn't feeling too well, I got all my coupons cut and decided to hit up CVS before a family dinner this past Sunday. My plan was all laid out but when I got to the register not one, not two, but three of my deals would not work like I thought it would. I tried to be nice to the cashier but when the 3rd deal, an email that CVS sent me for $5 off a $30 purchase, did not work I started to get really annoyed. I had proof of the email in my hand and had spent a total of $40 before applying all my coupons.

So long story short, I told him that I did not want the lotions which was the 2nd deal that did not work. He had to credit back my card, gave me a gift card for the tax I was owed, and actually gave me an additional $5 in extra care bucks back since the email did not work properly. As I walked out with my two bags, it totally hit me that I just got all these things for FREE and still have over $12 in extra care bucks to spend next week! So even though it was a total headache, I still have love for my CVS because as everyone already knows...free is good!




***My Totally Free Shopping Trip!!!***
4 Bottles of Dawn Dish Soap
3-Pack of Orbit Gum
Bag of Kit Kat Candy Bars
Crest Toothpaste
Schick Quattro Razor
***Total $24 value for FREE!!!***

*Deal of the Week*
Check out Food Lion this week for a great deal on General Mills cereal. They have it on sale for 2 for $5. If you buy 4 boxes, they will instantly credit your bill $4.00 making it 4/$6. You can also use coupons to lower this deal. Today I printed (2) $1.00 off (when you buy 2 boxes) coupons from http://www.coupons.com/ to make this deal 4 boxes for a $1.00 each!

Do You Kmart?

I am typically not a big fan of Kmart in Tullahoma. Every time I go in that store, they maybe have two checkout lines open and their product prices are a little higher than I like to pay. But I was on a mission for one Buzz Lightyear Halloween costume for my three year old, so I broke my ban and headed to Kmart. I was pretty excited to walk right in, found his size, and shocked that it was already 40% off making it only $14.50.

After my pleasant shopping trip last week, the Kmart ad in Sunday's paper caught my eye because all their costumes are 50% off this week. You will also see that if you are a ShopYourWayRewards member they are allowing unlimited double manufacturer coupons up to $0.99 for grocery, health, and beauty items only valid 10/23/11 thru 10/29/11. Since Krogers only doubles up to $0.50, I am a little excited to double my $0.75 coupons. So yes once again I am breaking my ban and heading to Kmart to pick up a few items! In the future, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more double coupon weeks! If you would like to check out this week's Kmart ad click on the following link: http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/WeeklyAdHome?storeId=10151&catalogId=10104&storeUnitNumber=9629

A New Week

Well I did it. The yard sale went well even though I missed the deadline to place an ad in the paper. I made just enough to get me started on some dreaded Christmas shopping which I will start that glorious day we all know as Black Friday. I just can't wait to fight the lines, play buggy war, and stay up all night with the other crazies! But its definitely all worth it to see my boys' faces light up Christmas morning!

Of course I think wow it's over so I can go back to my normal routine but nope this week is just as crazy as always. I really let the housework and laundry go as I was getting everything ready for the yard sale so for me this is mission #1. Then comes getting ready for the upcoming Halloween parties, two family birthdays this week, working the school fundraiser, both boys have snack days this week, and grocery shopping. I come to expect this craziness because as we all know a mother's job never ends!

Deals of the Week:

 If you are need of Halloween candy this week, be sure to check out CVS. They have 4 bags of select candies for $10 and you receive $3 Extra Care Bucks back to use next week. If you use (2) $1.00 coupons when you buy 2 bags of Starburst, Skittles, etc this will make the final cost 4 bags for $5.00 or $1.25 each. Also check out Kroger's this week for some great 10 for $10 deals. I am definitely going to be stocking up on some canned goods with all my Campbells Soup coupons! Happy Shopping!

Love Your Teachers

As I was checking my Facebook the other day, a friend from college was excited about getting a free admission ticket to the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN for simply asking if they gave a teacher discount and showing her school ID. My family is all the time looking for fun things to do but on my husband's teacher salary it can be hard to throw down a $100 or more on a day of fun. That post inspired me to search the internet for other places that may offer free admission or discounted offers for teachers in Tennessee. Below are just a few of the offers that I found:

• Adventure Science Center in Nashville offers free admission with school ID http://www.adventuresci.com/
• Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is hosting Teacher Appreciation Day Jan.16th 2012. Free Admission for Teachers with one guest. http://www.tnaqua.org/Education/TeacherOpportunities.aspx 
• Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville offers free admission with school ID http://countrymusichalloffame.org/teacher-s-resources/
• Nashville Zoo offers $10 off family membership with school ID/teacher license or $1 off general admission with TEA membership card. http://www.nashvillezoo.org/membership

If you have an active TEA membership card please go to http://www.teateachers.org/ and enter your membership ID number to search for many more great offers including:

• Save up to 30% on movie tickets when you preorder online.
• Free admission to Zanies Comedy Club with purchase of ticket of equal or greater value.
• Free pass to BounceU with purchase of ticket of equal or greater value.
• Free admission to Nashville Opera with purchase of ticket of equal or greater value.
• Free admission to Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville (Now don't get too crazy!)
• Free admission to Sam Davis Home and James K Polk Home with purchase of ticket of equal or greater value.

Trust me there are too many to list! So anytime the family is in need of a family day of fun, please plan ahead and surf the web for great deals in your area! If you are not the planning type, don't be afraid to ask an employee of the place where you are visiting to see if they offer any special discounts for teachers, military, senior citizens, etc...if you don't you could be missing out on a great deal!

Couponing Tips

If your budget has been feeling the strain and want to start the couponing process, I thought I would share a few tips that I have learned over my past 6 months of couponing. Believe me, it is definitely a learning process and I will take all the help I can get!

• Tip #1: Start following some websites that show all the great deals in your area. You can either follow them by email on their blog/website or most of them have a fan page on Facebook where they highlight the best deals. Some of the websites I keep an eye on is http://thekrazycouponlady.com/, http://www.southernsavers.com/, and http://www.iheartcvs.com/. (*Note: If you don't shop at CVS the "iheart..." websites have several other stores that that they keep up with such as http://www.iheartthemart.com/, http://www.iheartwags.com/, etc. Just do a search on the Internet and you will more than likely find your store.)
• Tip #2: Check your store's website a few days before the upcoming sales week starts for a sneak peek at what items will be on sale for that week. You can go ahead and start planning your shopping trip and line up the coupons you will be using. Not all stores will give you a preview but I know for sure that CVS gives you a sneak peek either Wednesday or Thursday before the upcoming week sales start.
• Tip #3: Ever wish you had bought more than one Sunday paper to cash in on that great deal in your store? Well if you check sites like http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/ a few days before the paper hits the stands, you will be able to see the coupons that will be in those all important inserts. It may not be the exact coupon and amount due to the inserts will vary for the different regions, but it will give you a good heads up on the company that are issuing coupons for that week.

Hope these tips help you in your couponing adventure! I know they do save me alot of time if I check out all these websites before I hit the stores! To the ladies who love makeup deals, I will leave you with a good deal at CVS I found last night from a recent search....

Deal of the Week:



Almay Intense i-color Shadow, Liner, or Mascara $5.99
Buy 1 and Receive $4.00 ExtraCareBucks (If you have a CVS card, this is a coupon good on your next purchase)
-Use $1.00 on One Almay Any Color Cosmetic Product from Walmart Ad insert 10/9 (exp 12/31)
Pay $4.99 plus tax and Receive $4.00 ECB
*Final Price $0.99 plus tax*

Sweet Family Deal on Groupon

Since I'm always looking for anyway to save a few bucks, I was pretty excited to check my email and find this great deal on Groupon to The Discovery Center in Murfreesboro. We took my oldest son there for his birthday last year and we had so much fun that he has already been asking me if we could go back this year. So YAY now i just have to decide which deal to get - the $12 for four admissions (a $24 value) or spring for the $25 for 10 admission punch card (a $60 value). Since it doesn't expire until April 2012, I may go ahead and get the $25 deal so we can go again on my youngest son's birthday. To get this same deal for your family, click on this link:  http://www.groupon.com/r/uu19234159

*Here are a few pics of all the fun we had last year!*

 

 

A Different Kind of Retail Therapy

My husband was talking to my 5 yr old the other night about how mommy use to go shopping every week and would always come home with bags full of clothes. Of course that kind of shopping came to an abrupt halt when I decided to stay home with my boys. I thought to myself...wow I really miss those days! But then it hit me that I have replaced that kind of shopping with a different kind of retail therapy. Let me just give you an example...

CVS - (4) Dove Shampoo/Conditioner, Dove Deo, Cover Girl Foundation, Cover Girl Powder,

Febreze Air Effects, Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit, and Swiffer Wet Cloth Refills

Total Price for these Products = $64.95

*Paid $12.17 Out of Pocket & Got $5 Extra Care Bucks to use next week*

Walmart - (2) Cover Girl Blush, (4) Johnson & Johnson Travel Size First Aid Kits, and

 (2) Old Spice Travel Size Body Wash

Total Price for these Products = $13.70

*Paid $0.70 + Tax Out of Pocket*

So its definitely not clothes but I am pretty excited about my new makeup and all the other items are things that my family will use. I mean you can never have too many first aid kits with two lil boys running around! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and a very special thank u to my lil coupon cutter who faithfully helps me every Sunday morning!!! Love him!!!



Mommy's Big Helper :)