Tons of FREEBIES!

Oh these are my favorite posts!! It's my own site, and I still get excited when these pop up! lol. ;) FREEBIES!
Here is a list of great freebies this week!!

Freebies from stores:

Essence of Beauty Hand Cream from CVS
Salon Grafix Haircare at RiteAid
Reach Toothbrush at Walgreens
Batteries at Office Depot or Staples

Free Food:

Slice of Cheese Pizza at Sbarros!
Entree from Moe's

Freebies for Christmas:

Music Downloads
Advent Calendars, Activity Calendars, Ornaments, etc

Gift Tags, and Gift ideas

I'll give you that to start, and I'll be posting a compilation of free samples too! Happy Shopping!!

My journal for today!

I don't normally post journals here, I like to keep it all about savings, challenges, and recipes. However, I wanted to share some great news!!
I had an interview today for a full time position with a great company, and-- I GOT IT! I'm very excited! It's not in the field of my chosen career, but until I get my bachelors degree, it would be difficult for my to find a full time career in that field. But I am still interpreting part time until then.
Also, I leave today for Ohio! For those that don't know, I grew up in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and just moved to Rochester, New York only 3 months ago. I moved here for a number of reasons, but college was the main. It'll be great to go home for roughly 4 days and spend time with my amazing family and friends! My son has been visiting Ohio for the last two weeks, the longest I've ever gone without seeing him, so I can NOT wait to hold him tight and bring him home!!!!!

Don't fret, I'll still be posting freebies daily, and keeping the weekly store deals coming! Keep me posted on how your shopping is coming along this week! Do any of you have plans for the money you are saving? I know many people put the money they saved on groceries in a savings account for something specific. I, personally, can't do that currently, but I'm just curious to see how many of the readers here do that!? Have a great day everyone!!

My shopping deals so far this week!

Well, I had a couple free hours last night and so I went out to do my deal shopping! I have only been back into my couponing for a couple weeks, and because it takes a couple weeks to get really good at getting the deals (because you need those Sunday coupons!), I didn't get a ton. BUT- I still did pretty well!
Unfortunately, Toys R Us was clear out of the $1 Trivial Pursuit games, but I did pick up some other deals elsewhere. I also found out that the Walmart locations near me (I'm new to NY) do not double coupons everyday. That was disappointing. lol.

Here are my deals from Target:

I picked up my two free placemats, and my coffee creamer that should have been 4¢ each if I remember correctly. However, the total came to FREE before the cashier even scanned my last coupon! (Some places will scan all the coupons and give you the cash back, but some places just scan the coupons until it's free only.) I thought it was strange, but didn't think too much of it. (Usually you have to pay at least a few cents in tax!) I checked my receipt today, and she didn't scan one of the mats, so that's why it was completely free, instead of roughly 20¢ or something.

Subtotal for everything (inc. both mats): $9.96
Total after coupons: FREE
Total savings: $9.96
Total percent of savings: 100%

Now, on to my Walmart shopping trip! Here is what I got:

I had a coupon for everything I purchased. (Once you get your coupon stash up, that's how it should work.) There were some things that weren't necessarily "deals" or freebies, but I needed them anyways, and had coupons, so I purchased them. They'll hurt my savings percentage, but none-the-less... lol.

Subtotal for everything: $79.92
Total after coupons and tax of 8%: $46.20
Total savings: $33.72
Total percent of savings: 42.2%
Total percent of savings IF I had only bought the deals listed on my site: 53%

Honestly, that percentage is one of the lowest I've had in years, BUT- it's still a great savings! Normally my average is 75%-95% savings.

Share some of your great deals this week! Leave a comment! Happy shopping!!

Wegmans Deals for the week of November 26

Again, Wegmans doesn't have a single deal this week that I feel is worthy to post.. However, I feel it's necessary to share so that you can make your own decision on it! So, here are the deals for Wegmans this week!
Happy Shopping!

Meijer Deals for the week of November 25th- December 1st

Finally, here are the deals for Meijer this week! We don't have them here in upstate New York unfortunately, but I know many of my followers shop at Meijer! Remember Meijer (check your local store) will double coupons up to 50¢, and any coupon from 51¢-99¢ will be brought up to $1. They will do this for 2 of the same exact coupons per order. (Not the same amount, but for the same product.)

Earthbound Farms Organic Green Onions, Baby Cut Carrots, or Salad: 4/$5
75¢ off 1 EarthBound Farm Organic Productprintable coupon
Total: 25¢ each

Yoplait Yogurt Cups: 10 for $5
Use 30¢ Yoplait Simplait Yogurt printable coupon
30¢ Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt Cups printable coupon
40¢/6 Yoplait Yogurt printable coupon
50¢/8 Yoplait Cups from SS 11/11/12
40¢/6 Yoplait Cups from SS 11/11/12
30¢ Yoplait Simplait Yogurt from GM 10/07/12
40¢/6 Yoplait Cups from GM 10/07/12
50¢/8 Yoplait Cups from GM 10/07/12
Total: As low as FREE after coupon

International Delight Coffee Creamer: 2 for $3
Use $1 International Delight Creamer printable coupon
55¢ International Delight Coffee Creamer printable coupon
55¢ International Delight Product printable coupon
$1 off 2 International Delight Coffee Creamer from SS 11/11/12
Total: As low as 50¢ each

Krusteaz Bread Mix, Crumb Cake Mix, Muffin Mix, Cookie Mix, or Bars: 2 for $3
Use $1 off 2 Krusteaz Product coupon from SS 10/14/12
Total: $1 each wyb 2

If you find anymore worthy deals for Meijer this week, keep me posted! Happy Shopping!!

Kroger Deals for week of 11/26/12

I'm being a little bit lazy today AND Kroger doesn't really have that many great deals this week, if you ask me. So, I'm only posting a link to where you can find the deals this week! (I miss living in an area that had Kroger! Can you say "GAS POINTS?!" lol) Here are the deals for Kroger this week!
Happy Shopping!

Monopoly Millionaire Game for as low as $4.88 !

It's Christmas time, and I'm sure you know some friends or family that would love to receive games. (I do! I do!) There are many coupons available currently for games, but here is a great deal on a classic game that you can't pass up!
Go grab the $5 printable coupon over here first. Currently the game is priced at $9.88 at Wal-Mart or $14.99 at Target. Use the coupon and get it for $4.88 at WalMart, or $9.99 at Target (for those who don't shop Walmart!)
Happy Shopping!

Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie Coupon!

Yummo! One of my favorite types of cookies now has a coupon available! Go here to get your $1 off coupon. Remember, you can print this twice! (After you print the first one, click on "coupons" again, on their page.)
I'm not sure where this could get you any freebies, but it's a great coupon to use in general! Happy Shopping!

Target, FREE Holiday Placemat!

Don't you just love Target? I love Target! I especially love their home decor, and now you can get their holiday placemats FREE!
Their Threshold Placemats are on sale this week for $3 each, and there is a coupon $3 off 1 printable coupon here! Which means you'll get the placemat for free. Last I knew, you could print the Target coupons as many times as you want, allowing you to receive more than one. As always, double check with your local store for limitations.
Happy shopping!!

Toys R Us: Trivial Pursuit Game for $1

November 27th, and 28th ONLY, Toys R Us will be having their Trivial Pursuit Board Game on sale for only $1. They have set a limit of 2 per customer, and no rain checks will be offered!
As always, check your local listings to make sure they are a participating stores. I KNOW that the Rochester, NY area, and Cincinnati, OH area ARE participating! Happy Shopping!!

1 Year- Taste of Home Magazine Subscription for just $3.99

You can get a one year subscription to Taste of Home when you use the promotional code TURKEYTIME at the time of check out. And, you can buy up to four years for this low price! Happy Shopping!!!

Target: Creamer for 4¢

Here's a great deal happening at Target this week! Especially if you love coffee with creamer.... MMMmmm.. my coffee is brewing right now actually!

Buy 2 International Delight 16 oz. Creamer: $1.79 each
Use 2 of the printable coupons for $1 off 1
Stack with $1.50/2 printable Target coupon(for 16 oz. size)
Total: 4¢ each!
And YES, stores such as Target and Meijer allow you to use a manufactorer's coupon WITH their own store coupon on the same single item. So go for it.. go get your yummy creamer! Mmmm, coffee time for me! Happy Shopping!!

How I organize and prepare my coupons! With pics!

When people find out that I'm an "extreme couponer" the first question is always, "How do you do it?!" I feel that everyone is different, and it all depends on how much time you are willing to put into couponing. The more time you put into your couponing, the more you'll save, and the more products you'll be able to stockpile and use. So, with that being said, my preference on organizing my coupons may not be the best method for you. It took me a couple years to master the right method for me and my busy schedule. I've tried everything from: clipping only the coupons I think I'll want to use (DON'T DO THIS! lol); or using baseball card holders in a 3-ring binder to hold all the coupons I clipped; or even organizing my clipped coupons based on where the products were placed in the stores: "dairy," "cold," "frozen," "hair products," "cleaning supplies," etc. Now, here's the EASY, and time saving method I use now! First, I have a large carrying case that I have labeled by months (first half of month, and second half of month). Obviously I won't need all of the months at the same time (no coupon would be good that you bought in January, once September comes!) but it felt right to do it this way for me.

You can purchase one of these pretty inexpensively at Target, Walmart, etc. I think mine was around $5 or so.

Ok, now that is done, on to the coupons! I don't clip them. At. All. "WHAT??!?" Yes, you read it right.. I do not waste hours on end anymore by clipping all of the coupons from the weekly inserts.

I keep them in "magazine" form, and place them in the corresponding month (beginning of the month or later in the month). Then, when I know I'll need to use them for a deal, I find the right insert, find the coupon(s) I'll be using for freebies/cheap deals, and clip it.

About once every month or two, I check on the older coupon inserts and throw out the expired ones. Again, I don't clip anything, but I'll just tear out the good pages, and reinsert them in the correct folder. If I spot a coupon that I KNOW I'll use, whether the item will be free or not, I go ahead and clip it and place it in an envelope that I keep in the front of my carrying case. This allows me to carry only the envelope to the store with me, and use the coupons on the daily items I purchase. (I do not lug this carrying case around FYI. lol) I also buy 1-5 newspapers each week, depending on how good the coupons are, or how many inserts there are. If the paper has a SmartSource and another insert like P&G, I'll probably buy 4-5 newspapers. The reason for this is because it allows me to purchase many more things with my extra coupons, and stock pile the items that I get for free. (Yes, you'll get probably $40-$200 worth of freebies every week.) Stock piling is nice for many obvious reasons, but it also helps because at the end of the year if I have too many products that I won't use, I can donate them to local shelters. So, I got the items for free (sometimes I even 'get paid' to purchase them!) I use what I want, and get a tax write off, WHILE donating and helping others. Not a bad deal. ;) At any rate, this is the easy and organized way I keep track of my coupons! It saves me hours of work from cutting ALL the coupons ahead of time, and it's super easy to find the coupons I need, when I need them. I hope this helps you in some way! Let me know if you have any questions or opinions! Let me know how you stay organized!

Walmart Deals for the week of November 25 - December 1

Well, here it is: the deals for this week for WalMart! Enjoy! And for my beginners, don't forget that most printable coupons can be printed twice, doubling your savings and stock piling!

Mt. Olive Relish: 98¢
Use $1 coupon from 11/18 SmartSource
Total: FREE

Mt. Olive Hamburger Dills: $1.50
Use $1 coupon from 11/18 SmartSource
Total: 50¢

Hormel COMPLEATS Microwavable Meal: $1.98
Use $1 printable coupon
Total: 98¢ each

Birds Eye Steamfresh Varieties: $1
Buy 2 and use 50¢ off 2 coupon from 11/18 SmartSource
Total: 75¢ each

Hormel Sandwich Makers Product: $1.66
Use $1 printable coupon
Total: 66¢

Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough: $2.50
Use $1.50 printable coupon
Total: $1 each

Baileys Coffee Creamer: $1.88
Use $1 coupon from 11/18 SmartSource
Total: 88¢ each

Happy Shopping! Let me know if I need to add a deal that was missed!

CVS Deals for November 25 - December 1

Here are the CVS deals for this week! If you're new to CVS shopping, check out my CVS 101: Tutorial. (It's an old format, but the rules are still the same!)
There's not as many deals this week as last, but there are some!
Here we go:

Blistex: $2, Get $1 ECB (Limit 1)
Use $1/2 coupon from 11/12 SmartSource
Total: $1 each after coupon and ECB

Carmex Healing Cream or Lotion: $4.99 Get $3 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1 coupon from 10/21 SmartSource
Total: $0.99 after coupon and ECBs

Buy 2 Robitussin or Dimetapp Liquid at $5 ea, Get $3 ECBs (Limit 1 deal)
Use $2 printable coupon (print twice, use both)
Total: $1.50 each after coupons and ECBs

Zantac: $8.99, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 3)
Use $5 coupon from 11/11 SmartSource OR
Use $2.50 coupon from the All You magazine, February issue
Total: As low as $1.99 after coupons and ECBs

Gillette Fusion ProGlide or Venus Razor, Cartridges (4-8 ct) or ProGlide Styler, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $5/1 coupon from 10/28 or 11/25 P&G
Or use $4/1 coupon from 10/7 Red Plum
Total: As low as $1.99 after coupons and ECBs

Luden’s or Burts Bees Throat Drops: $1.99
Buy 2 & use the $1 off 2 Printable Coupon
Or $1 coupon from 10/21 SmartSource
Total: As low as $0.66 ea. after coupon

This week if you spend $30 on P&G items, you get $10 in ECB's. If you need to stock up on these items, or use your ECBs to rollover and use, then this is a good deal for you:
Buy 3 Tide Detergents: $5.94 each
Buy 1 Charmin: $5.94
Buy 1 Bounty Paper Towel Pack: $5.99
Use $2/3 Tide coupon from 10/28 P&G coupon insert (these P&G coupons may be in the insert from yesterday also)
Use $.25 Charmin coupon from 10/28, 10/14, or 11/25 P&G insert
Use $1 Bounty coupon from 10/28 P&G
Pay $26.50 out of pocket, get $10 ECBs, makes them just $3.30 each after coupons & ECBs!
Keep me posted if you spot a great deal that isn't posted!! Happy Shopping!!!

Caribou Coffee- 20 days of deals!

Caribou Coffee is offering daily deals in their locations for the next 20 days! Text BOU20 to the number 65017 to receive the information daily, on the deals offered. Thanks MSM!

Coffee-Mate coupon! $1.50 off 1

Log on to facebook and click here to get your coupon for $1.50 off of coffee-mate. By the way, you can print this coupon twice! (Like most online coupons) (If it's your first time printing a coupon, you may need to download/install a coupon printer system. That is completely normal! Happy shopping!

ThredUp Credit for $15

Today ThredUp is giving out a $15 credit on a first time purchase. Just go here to sign up and shop around. Use the code CYBER15 at the checkout. You'll have to pay for the shipping, but the clothing is inexpensive so it'll get you some free items! Happy shopping!