Couponing Advice and CVS for Beginners

So many friends and family have asked me how I get all my great deals and let me tell you I get great deals!!! But the real kudos go to Jenny at SouthernSavers, Erica at IHeartCVS, and many others! I just found one blog after another and just started reading up on this phenomenon. I have saved over 50 to 75% on my grocery bill (mostly on cleaning and toiletry supplies, plus some food items, esp. milk!).

Here's a little list of some of my favorite money saving helpful sites:

1. Jenny at SouthernSavers is so helpful. She has lots of good plans on how to grow your Extra Care Bucks at CVS and get lots of free and low cost items. Each week she has a grand plan for CVS that makes going there so easy!

Here's her guides for couponing: http://southernsavers.com/getting-started-guides/

2. And the one that started it all: Erica at: I Heart CVS. Her site will give you all the latest news on CVS and any deals that are upcoming so that you can plan your trips accordingly. Also so you can collect the correct coupons for your shopping trips. Erica also has the latest news on the hard to find CVS coupons like $3 off of $15 purchase, which are so helpful in making a great shopping trip even better!

3. Denise Sawyer, The "Cent"ible Sawyer, has explained how to CVS in a very easy to understand way. Check it out: http://thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com/2009/02/cvs-for-beginners.html

http://thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com/2009/02/normal-0-microsoftinternetexplorer4.html

She also has deals on Walgreens, Target, WalMart, Aldi's, Kroger, and Meijer's. She's been in the Aug and Sept Woman's Day magazines. And she's one of the 11 Mom's (thru WalMart). She's got a BlogTalkRadio show. She's a real helpful resource.

4. And a new one that I found today: Nickles N Dimes. Becky has lots of stores that she checks on, so go over to her site and see what kind of deals you can get!

Have a blessed day!

Cute Grandbaby

She is just adorable and I just can't get enough of her. I have to get some more pictures. She grew a ton and I haven't taken any pictures of her lately other than with my cellphone!! Thank goodness it's a new one and it takes pretty good pictures! Here's a cute video of her.

Have a blessed day,

Freebies

Free DVD: http://www.responsibilityproject.com/guide/

Free Hypoallergenic Pillowcase: Zyzal is offering a free hypoallergenic Pillowcase when you call 1-888-669-9992. The call is all automated. You will need to press 1, then 1 again, (possibly 1 one more time), and then enter your shipping information. US only.

Free Car Rental: Now through March 31st you can get a free weekend car rental through Hertz!! Use code PC#127595 when making a reservation for any economy or full size car. One free rental per month. (You will still have to pay for gas and any insurance if needed).

Have a wonderful day,

Where'd the time go???

I started working out with my s-i-l at the local ymca starting the beginning of the year. She and my m-i-l work out of their house babysitting so the best time for her to go to the y was just before she would be picking up the kids from school in the afternoon. Since I don't work a full time job, I said that'd be fine. Little did I know that splitting my day up like that would take a lot of adjusting!! Plus I was sick with the flu for a solid week - it was horrible. I prolly went through 3 boxes of tissues!! But this middle of the day thing has messed me all up!!

I do enjoy working out again. And yesterday we started a routine in the pool. I use to be on the swim team back in HS and I have always been a swimmer. I've always tried to have a pool or a lake near where I live. Since I've lived here in IN it's been very hard to get to water and I've really missed it. But boy am I out of shape in the pool. I remember back in HS before school we had to swim a mile - this is before school - and then during school we had another time in the pool, so I use to swim a lot then. Then after HS I didn't swim as much but I did do a lot of other physical activtities - lots and lots of hiking (I lived in the desert and we use to hike the hills around them) and I worked construction for many years. I was (key word: was) in good shape. No longer am I in anywhere near good shape. I've gained about 25lbs in the last 10-12 yrs and although I'm tall and most would say not super fat, I haven't been comfortable with myself in a long time! So this whole working out thing is a super thing - other than I have got to figure out how to manage my time much better!!! My shopping has suffered!!! And now we just got tons of snow and I have no food in the house - my DH is gonna be soooo mad! :-)

Have a blessed day!!

Long Time But I'm Still Saving Money!!

Here's the picture from Thanksgiving but I don't think I'll have a picture of all the stuff from the Dec 21 & 22nd shopping! CVS was giving away the store! On the Thanksgiving Day shopping trips I bought all this for under $4 dollars! I got tons of candy for a Christmas gift that I was making for friends and family. The candy bars are for my MIL and there's also a baby's 1st Christmas ornament. A fish aquarium (really cool - I think Rain will love!) Lip stick, razor, Dove facial cleaner, cookies, contact cleaner, and 2 pretty purses with lotions attached. I think I did pretty good that day.

Then today (& yesterday) I bought tons of stuff for pennies on the dollars PLUS they gave me tons of ECB's back. An ECB is CVS money that you can use at CVS just like money, so if they have an item like they did this Sunday & Monday for LOreal make-up for 6.99 with an 6.99 ECB printing and I happen to have a $2 off coupon - it's like they are paying me to take their make-up off their hands!! I say sure, no problem. I got tons of stuff for next to nothing.

I hope you all have been reading up on how to do your deals and steals - workin' the system with either IHeartCVS.com or SouthernSavers.com (or even CouponMom.com). They are all great help in making CVS work for you. Just do a little reading and start out with small items and work your way up.

Normally CVS is an expensive little store but if you know how to shop there you can really make out!!

May you all have a blessed Christmas!

Huge Giveaway on The Centsible Sawyer

$500 Yes, you are reading that right, can you believe it?!?!?!? $500 Who couldn't use $500 dollars right about now? Even if Christmas wasn't just 2 weeks away - oh my gosh, it's only two weeks away folks!!

Anyways go on over and check out Denise's site - I'm not sure when it's over but prolly soon!! It's over on Monday the 15th so you have time!! She has some great ideas for helping you save money!

Cool (easy) rebate coming up!!

CVS will be having some really good deals the week of the 21st thru the 27th and if you can get two newspapers this weekend (& possibly for the next little bit at least) you can get work on getting something really cool: A bonus coupon book from P&G worth $120!! It has tons of coupons in the booklet they will send you - most are worth $1 and over. You have to buy $50 worth of products during a month and a half and there's lots of different products in the list of items that qualify as P&G products.

When I read the fine details I couldn't tell if you had to buy the $50 worth of P&G products all on one receipt (which wouldn't have been so great but somewhat doable at CVS) but I emailed them and they were very nice and emailed me back and said No, it doesn't have to be on one receipt!! So save those receipts dated from 12/14/2008 and 1/31/2009!!

Go to: http://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/en_US/jsp/EDS_Page.jsp?pageID=Year-of-Savings for all the details and a list of the products and the rebate form that you have to mail in with your receipt(s).

Some of their products that qualify:

• Febreze
• Old Spice
• Secret
• Charmin
• Luvs
• Pampers
• Puffs
• Duracell
• Camay
• Ivory
• Olay
• Zest
• CoverGirl
• Always
• Tampax
• Dawn
• Joy
• Head & Shoulders
• Pantene
• Herbal Essences
• Clairol
• Bounty
• Mr Clean
• Swiffer
• Cheer
• Era
• Gain
• Tide
• Gillette

Okay, I know that you are gonna go shopping sometime in the next week or two and I'm sure that most of the products on the list are things you usually buy anyways, so keep your receipts!

Have a blessed day - sorry I've been slack lately!!!