How to save money year-round for holidays...

Over the last few years, money has become tighter and tighter, so I've had to get really creative to stretch what we have.  One thing I have gotten especially good at is finding deals for holidays.

My first tip - go to your favorite store the morning after a holiday.  Be there when they open if you can so you get the best selection! Most stores mark everything 50% off the day after!  Last year the kids and I were at Target & Walmart the morning after Halloween, and we made out like bandits!  I bought both kids costumes for this year ~ K will be a flapper and D will be a magician.  I got both costumes for the price of one!  I also got a crazy lightup tee-shirt for D on clearance, as well as cupcake liners, tableware, decorative items, and so much more.  We are set for this years Halloween party! 

Same idea for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc!  We were on vacation last year in Florida the day after Christmas, but yes, I did go to Target and Walmart!  I would have been so mad at myself this November when I'd have to pay full price for Christmas stuff. So we went, we shopped, and we drove back to Atlanta with a big boxful of decorations, wrapping paper, candles, hand towels, Christmas cards and more.  Oh, and don't forget to check the baking section - the holiday sprinkles and cupcake liners, etc are usually on sale too! 

Just a few of the things I got for  1/2 price at Walmart, Target & CVS after Christmas in Florida last year!

One more after Christmas tip ~ You can buy Christmas candy like M&M's or jelly beans & gumdrops.  Save them in your pantry or fridge to use the red ones for Valentine's day treats and the green ones for St. Patricks Day!

If your Walmart recently brought fabric back in ~ check the fabric department the day after holidays - you can get holiday prints 1/2 off! I buy fabric for table runners, gift bags, etc.  Easy way to decorate frugally!

Check daily deal sites like Groupon, Half Off Depot. etc for deals at holiday attractions, restaurants and more.  I've already seen Haunted House Deals locally!

In Atlanta, the newspaper usually has a coupon on Thanksgiving Day for the Christmas light display at Lake Lanier that is good for 1/2 off the admission fee for Thanksgiving night.  That's a great deal!  Check local newspapers, or call local attractions to find out if they offer any specials, previews, etc.

Participate in local rewards programs: I'm in one for a local radio station that gives me points by email once a week to use in various contests - last year I won a gift certificate that paid for a nice gift for each of our kids at a local store.  The rewards program for a local tv station gives code words that I enter on their website.  Because of that program, we won 4 tickets to see Peter Pan when it was here in the Spring, plus we got to get a behind the scenes meet & greet with some of the actors, see the stage, see some of the puppets and props, etc - it was a total treat for us! 

Use Michael's & Hobby Lobby coupons for seasonal decor, gifts, and more.  Most every week there is a 40% off coupon in the paper or online - use it on something for your home or buy a gift for someone on your list and hide it away til Christmas! I try to do this all year long so I'll have several gifts for the kids by the time Christmas rolls around. Also check here for after-holiday clearance...In my Fall decor boxes that just came from the attic, I had some beautiful berry garlands that I got after Halloween last year for 70% off - I think they were $2 each!  I can afford to buy more pretty things when they are highly discounted! 

I like to check the dollar store before a big holiday: around the beginning of September for Halloween items,  beginning of January for Valentines, etc.  They tend to sell out of the cute stuff early.  (especially paper goods - if you need napkins and plates, cups and tableclothes)  And don't forget Goodwill and thrift stores...mine has a whole aisle of holiday decor all year round! I've gotten some cute Christmas & Halloween items there.

Use pharmacy deals to decorate for the holidays. I love when Target has their $10 gift card promo going on because I'll transfer one of my DH's prescriptions to Target, then get a $10 gift card for filling it there. I'm gonna have to fill it anyway, might as well get paid for it, right?!   I have gotten some really cute spring and fall merchandise using those cards! Kroger does this as well - but they will give you a $25 credit on your Kroger Plus card.  They always have an aisle or two of decor and gift items for every holiday, so spend it well!

Kohl's Cash is great for decorating your home for the holidays too!  I love to buy clothes for the kids there(during special sales you spend $50, get $10 Kohl's cash back) and save my Kohl's cash for a little spree!  My favorite thing to get with Kohl's cash is their birthday candles (the ones in a glass jar with sprinkles on top) for my friends and family.  Recently I've also started buying fun decor there too. Last month I used my Kohl's cash for a harvest candle and a box of faux acorns (vase filler) for my Fall decorating.  I don't like to spend "real money" decorating my house,  but I don't mind spending store rewards or gift cards! 

I hope these ideas will help you with some of the upcoming holiday sales (or after sales, I should say!)

Here are some pics to show what I've gotten over the last two years after Halloween...(actually just some of it, I've already started decorating, so alot has been put out!)   I'll shop the day after again this year to add to my stash - need to start working on some outdoor decorations next!

Looks messy, but this bin has stretchy mice, a black wreath form, funky scarecrow,napkins, plates, serving bowls, votive holders, platters, a cheesecloth "curtain" for my french door in the family room, and spider webs with creepy crawlies.  Plus David's magician costume-in-a-bag!

This has more decorative items - dollar store Ghost Motel & Witches Way signs, 1/2 price shirt, black light lamp, hair glitter, bat cookie cutter, tree, candles, and labels for jars/drinks. The cute little vintage bucket on the back right side (checked interior, vintage label on front) was 1/2 off at World Market! I printed out the subway art last year and put in a dollar store frame...

and a few more - 1/2 off cupcake liners & picks, 1/2 off scarecrow & snow globe (w/ scarecrow) from CVS last year, 1/2 off fabrics from Walmart, wooden black cat with ribbon was $1.91 at Goodwill, the skulls were 1/2 off from Michals, and the bronze pumpkin was a white one from the dollar store I painted. Plus white tulle for making ghosties! (use 40% off coupon at HobLob to get it so cheap!)

So I need to fluff the leaves more, I know - but this cute Welcome Friends birdhouse was $3.50 at CVS after Thanksgiving.  The bird is from the dollar store.   The hurricane is one of my Goodwill creations - a vase glued to a glass candlestick holder - filled with large balls from a fancy-schmancy bag of potpourri I got at Michael's with a 40% off coupon....

Love this look - the hurricane is from Pier 1 ~  I believe it was $9.99 & I had a $10 gift certificate from their Facebook page.  The acorns (bottom) were $12 from Kohl's - FREE w/ Kohl's Cash.  The smaller balls on top are from the same bag of potpourri mentioned above.  The candle was $9.99 at Kohls, but free with my Kohl's cash! It has a twine tie with a metal pumpkin charm on the front.  The garland is the one I got for 70% off at Michael's.  I just love all these elements together - the textures, the scent (the candle is Harvest Spice fragrance - yummm!) they work so well together.

You can really get some great things for cheap (or free!) just by shopping after the holidays for the next year, and utilizing sales, coupons & store rewards.

What is your favorite place to shop for holiday decor?

Hooking up with these hops this weekend:

Coupon alert ~ Free Reach Dental Floss!

Coupons.com has a $1 off any Reach dental floss coupon up right now.  I've got a link to them in my sidebar down on the right ~ click it, then click the personal care link and find the Reach coupon.  Check the box in the coupon, then print.  Once it prints, don't forget to hit the back arrow and re-check the box and print it a second time!

Walgreens and CVS have this on sale all the time for $1! Kroger too! So print two, then watch for a good sale! : )

Make easy $ at CVS ~ CVS Green tag rocks!!

One of my favorite money-making tips is this: Buy a CVS green tag (99 cents!) at CVS.  Attach it to your favorilte reusable bag, and stash it in your car.  When you have to make a CVS run (several times a week for me, ha!) take the bag/tag in and let them put your purchases in the bag, and scan the tag.  I actually have my tag on my key chain.  Many visits I only need one or two things, so I just carry them out in my hands or in my purse after purchasing them.  (The idea of the green tag is too save plastic bag use ~  as long as you don't leave with a CVS bag, whether you carry your purchases out by hand,  or use a reusable bag, the cashier will scan your tag.)

Why buy a green tag from CVS? It's a money maker for you, and a savings (on plastic bags!) for CVS.   Every 4th time you have your tag scanned, you'll receive $1 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB) printed out on your receipt!  Yes, CVS will pay you 25 cents to walk in and shop at their store.  Doesn't seem like much, but it will add up fast!! You can scan your green card once a day, so if you have a few small trips to make each week, scan it each visit. 

The best part of this post? The green tag is free after Extra Care Bucks this week through Saturday night! You pay 99 cents to buy it, and 99 cents in ECB will print out on your receipt. ECBs are like free money - you can use them on most anything in the store!

How to shop at CVS for free (or almost free!)

This year I have spent VERY little out of pocket at CVS.  I would say under $26 total since January.  Most of that is tax on my freebies each week! Here's how I do it. 

Each week, I look at the items they are selling that will give me Extra care bucks (Like CVS money) back.  Then I look at my coupons, and match up the best deals.  Of course, if it is something I don't need or use, unless it will cost me 0, I won't get it. But if we need it - I buy it.

For example: last week's sale featured Right Guard bodywash for $3.88 - and they would give you back $3 in ECB.  I had a B1G1 coupon, so I could get 2, use ECB from a previous trip to pay the $3.88 that would be due, then get $3 back.   You do this every week or other week, and you'll build up a "bank" of ECBs to spend when there are things you want and need! They usually are good for 3 weeks or so
before they expire - so keep an eye on the expiration dates of your ECBs!

Another tip - scan your CVS card at the red kiosk every time you go in the store and you'll get some great CVS store coupons! Today I got a $5 off 2 Revlon cosmetics which helped a lot on my Revlon purchase! CVS doesn't double manufacture coupons, but they will let you stack their store coupons with your manufacturer coupons!

This week I had my best CVS trip ever!

Bought 3 Airwick Ultra kits $6 on sale - used 3 $4 coupons

Bought 1 Neutra Air $2.50 on sale - used $1.50 coupon
Bought 2 Biore poducts - 1 strips, 1 cleanser - 2 for $15 on sale, used buy strips get cleanser free coupon
Bought 2 Revlon lipglosses $7.99 each, on sale for B1g1 50% off - used $5 off 2 CVS coupon, 2 $1 coupons
bought 1 Russell Stover egg - 74 cents on sale
bought 1 Gain dishwashing liquid 97 cents on sale  used $1 off coupon
bought CVS contact lens drops on sale for $2.99

Then it was time to pay.  I used these ECBs from previous trips: $8.99 ECB, $2.50 ECB, $3 ECB, and paid balance with my FSA card - it actually covered 2 items - the Biore cleanser (which was free with the coupon!) and the eye drops. My balance was zero.  (I consider items I buy with the FSA card to be free since the money for the card comes out of DH's paycheck - it isn't out of my grocery/drugstore budget at all).   Total saved on this trip? $79!

I got back $10 in ECB for spending $20 on the Airwick & neutra air, $5 back for the 2 Biore products, and 74 cents back for the candy egg!! And I still have some ECB I didn't use today! : ) LOVE CVS!!! (Don't forget to take your own bag, then scan your green tag - every 4th trip you will make $1 in ECB too!)

If you have questions about shopping CVS, please let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them! It's like a game ~ they pay you CVS monopoly money, and you use those with coupons to get items for practically free!!

Two great drugstore deals this morning...

If you bought a paper (or more - I bought 8 today - so many great coupons!)  check out the smaller Smart Source (there are 2) insert.   Ours had Steak N Shake coupons on the back of it, and the last page before the back cover had a $2.25 off 1 Finish Quantum dishwasher detergent.    At Walgreen's this week, these are on sale for $3.49, plus you get $1.50 back in Register Rewards. (RRs)  I bought one today, but will be going back for more.   I got 20 gel pacs for $1.25 out of pocket, plus $1.50 RR! This is a great stockup price, so I'll be getting at least 7 more!!  I won't have to buy detergent for months - and that means the $ I'd spend on it can go towards something else we need.  Timing & bulk buying is how I save the most!
UPDATE:  I have gotten 5 boxes so far: Spent $1.45 inc tax per box, then they gave me the $1.50 in RR... My stores are now out of these, so I'll check back Friday or Saturday for the other 2 boxes I want!!

Remember that you have to do multiple transactions at Walgreen's to get your RR on each box of Finish.  And you can't use the Finish RR on the purchase of more Finish.  Well, you can, but they won't give you the RR on that purchase.  So get as many boxes as you have coupons, but ask for them to ring each box up individually, so you get the RR's each time. Save the RR's for upcoming sales at Wags, or do like I do - save them for Publix, as they accept them as competitors coupons!

At CVS this week, they have a great deal.  Buy any 2 Revlon make up items or tools, get $7 Extra Care Bucks. (ECBs) I had $2.50 in ECB already, and I bought 2 pairs of nail clippers at $3.29 each.  That put me at $4.10 plus tax out of pocket, and then I received $7 in ECB to use next time I shop - yay!  I will put these in my donate box so that when David's school does another health box for Haiti drive, I can drop these two nail clippers in and they will be used by folks who really need them!  The $7 can be used for upcoming CVS sales.  I also bought 3 packs of Extra gum for $2 total, and got $1 ECB back.  We love Extra so it was a regular purchase for me. 

What's your favorite sale in the Sunday ads today?

Stick to your list to save big $$!

This week, I've made several small trips to Publix, and one to CVS. I love going to Publix a few times a week because I can use a Rite Aid or Kroger $5 off $25 or $5 off $45 coupon each time with my other coupons and sales to really maximize my savings! I make a list of the best sale items, pair each up with my coupons, store or competitor coupons, and try to always have a $ off $ coupon to use as well! Sticking to your list (which will be the best sale items) is how you can really save big - no impulse buys, just the best prices, matched with coupons so you can pay the least amount of money out of pocket!

This week Publix has one of the best deals I've seen on Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks. As part of the B1G1 sale, they are 2 for $2.59. Pair that with a 50 cent off 2 mfr coupon that doubles to $1 off, each box is about 80 cents! David eats these for school snack several days a week, so I'm stocking up!!

The Hillshire Farms smoked sausage is one of my husband's favorites. They were on sale 2 for $5, paired with a store coupon for $1 off 2, and a mfr coupon for 75 cents off, making it $3.25 for 2 packages of smoked sausage.

The Sargento cheese was on sale 2 bags for $4. Pair it with the store's $1 off 2 coupon, and I paid $1.50 per bag. That's rock bottom pricing for cheese!! And don't forget - you can freeze cheese, so stock up when it is super cheap like this!




The total spent out of pocket for the items in the picture was $13, the savings were $27. I got 3 boxes of Kleenex, 2 sodas, 1 Vitamin Water, 2 bags of Sargento reduced fat cheese, 4 packages of Hillshire Farms sausage, and 4 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks. (The retail cost for those alone would be over $12 usually!)

Next up is my CVS trip, which I made on the way home from Publix!
I got:
Dawn dishwashing liquid on sale for 99 cents, used 25 cent off coupon
2 Colgate Total toothpastes used 2 75 cent off coupons, got $5.98 ECB back (@2.99 each)
2 boxes Quaker True Delights Oatmeal on sale 2 for $5, plus $2 ECB back, used 2,
$2.oo off coupons
1 family size Herbal Essence Shampoo on sale for $6.49, plus $2 ECB, used $1 off coupon
2 bags Brach Candy Corn on sale for 99 cents each - used 2 99 cent off coupons from the CVS scanner machine
1 kids ibuprofen - no coupon, but we needed it! $3.00





I used $2 in ECB to help pay for this, but out of pocket I only paid $10 and change! AND best of all, I got $9.98 back in ECB to use later. In the words of my 16 year old - "how beast is that?!!!"

So again, I have to say how important it is to match up sales, coupons, store coupons, and deals that give you ECB back. I only get things we will use - the toothpaste will go in my stockpile, the shampoo is for my Katie-bug, and the oatmeal is something the kids eat all the time! It was a great deal because I needed it, had high value coupons, and they paid me ECB on top of it all! There were similar deals on makeup, facial products, and body wash, but I didn't need any of those, so I didn't get them!!!! So if it's a good deal, but you don't need it, don't waste your money!! : ) You're not saving $$ if you are buying things you don't need or use.

What was your best deal this week!?

How I play the Drugstore Game

Every Sunday morning I make the rounds - maybe an 8 mile trip in all - to the three chains near us: CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. The game is to use the rewards they give me to spend as little as possible each week, while earning more rewards to use the next week!!

Here's the list of what I bought/paid and what I left with rewards wise:

CVS:

2 boxes of movie candy (D and I are using our PopTarts freebie movie tix today!) 99c each

1 marshmallow pop for D 99 cents

4 Revlon nail polishes $3.99 each

Double AJC papers - $3

Used 4 Revlon $1 off coupons
1 CVS store coupon for $7 off $15 Revlon purchase
used $5, 99 cents, $2 & $2 Extra Care Bucks from previous weeks
paid $1.04 out of pocket, received $1 ECB for using my own bag & scanning my green tag, and $12 ECB for the nail polish ($3 ECB for each one) So now I have $13 to spend next week for free!

Walgreen's -
3 Nivea Lipglosses - $1 each
1 EOS lip balm $3
4 small boxes Pepperidge Farm milano cookies 99 cents each (perfect for the kids lunches!)

used 4 60 cent Pepperidge Farm coupons
used 3 $1 off Nivea coupons

Paid $5, got $3 Register Rewards for the EOS balm. (I can use this RR at Publix as a competitor's coupon!)


Rite Aid

2 Glade cinnamon apple candles $2.50 each
2 bags Mellowcream pumpkins for my mantle jar $1 each

used 2 B1G1 glade candle coupons, which made both candles totally FREE!

paid $2.34, got $1 UP rewards for the candles - can use on my next visit

so I spent less than $9 for ALL THAT STUFF! LOVE playing the drugstore game!

I'll try to take a pic soon - can't find my camera charger right now!

Warning! Don't leave the store without rainchecks!

This week I was reminded yet again why I love rainchecks SO much. A few weeks ago, CVS ran a sale on Purex 3 in 1 detergent streets. Normally $9.99, they were on sale for $5.99, plus $2 ECB back when you buy one. My store was out, so I got a raincheck for 1. I put it in my CVS envelope with a $3 off 1 coupon from the paper. Last week, they were back in stock again. And by then, I also had a $3 ECB gift card that came in the mail in a flyer, so I took my $3 off coupon, my $3 ECB and I paid all of 21 cents (tax) for 20 detergent sheets that retail for $9.99!! And I got $2 ECB back for it too!

If there is a good deal on something, and your store is out (this goes for grocery or drug stores!) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get a raincheck. CVS may only let you get one if there is a limit per card. If there is no limit, you can ask for however many you can use (or have coupons for!). CVS rainchecks never expire, and they are good at any CVS store. Grocery store policies vary, so check their rainchecks for expiration dates, etc. If you are combining a raincheck deal with coupons, remember to keep an eye on the expiration dates of your coupons, too! Don't let them expire, y'all - these are like money!!

How to get stores to pay you to shop!

One of my best savings tips is to shop where you will get paid back for shopping....for me, that means shopping at CVS, where they give you Extra Care Bucks, which are basically CVS cash. Also Walgreens has Register Rewards, which are given to you in the form of a catalina coupon. And Kroger has many catalina promotions too. Finally, Kohl's offers Kohl's Cash several times a year. Since yesterday, I've spent 88 cents, gotten 3 cents back at Kohl's, and here is what I got:

Double pack of Atlanta Journal Constitution - retail $3
2 Deli Kids Meals from Publix - $3.99 each
My Publix takes Kroger & Walgreens rewards/catalinas.
I used $7.50 in Kroger Catalinas
$2 in Walgreen's Register Rewards
$1 off 2 Deli Kids Meals coupon
total due: 80 cents

Then to CVS:

bought a tin of Cashews, $4.99
Bag of Werther's $3.49
2 Diet coke 2 liters, on sale 2 for $3
1 small bag m&m's 89 c

used
$10 CVS ECB
$1 off 2 cokes coupon
$1 off werther's
total due: 8 cents

Today at Kohl's :

B1G1 sale on my favorite For Every Body candles - regularly $9.99 each
bought 6 - 1 Lemon Meringue, 2 Birthday Cake, 2 Sea Glass, 1 Cinnamon Toast, total due $29.97, used $30 Kohl's cash from last weekend's back to school shopping
They paid me 3 cents - I paid nothing out of pocket! Receipt shows I saved $59.94!

All of these ECB, Register Rewards, and Catalinas were from items I would have purchased anyway - I just purchased them when they were featured with the rewards. It's all about timing! The Kohl's cash is the same way - I spent $165 for $189 worth of clothes for the kids, used a 15% off shopping pass, and got $30 in Kohl's cash back because I waited until that sale was in progress to get $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent!

Then I use the rewards for either more things we need, or as I did in all of the above trips, I splurged on lunches for the kids' first day at school, snacks, and those heavenly candles! I'll use 3 for gifts, and 3 for myself! LOVE them! So shop smartly by watching the sale ads for items you need that will give you rewards or catalinas back, and then use them wisely (or for splurging!) to stretch that grocery budget!

If you have any questions on how I coupon, please email me or leave a comment! I will do my best to answer any questions! And if you are in the metro Atlanta area, I do teach classes on my "semi-extreme" couponing!

Some Publix deals this week!

Yesterday was my first day out - yes, I survived the surgery!! Still have some pain, but feeling a bit better every day!

I took the kids to my sister's pool for a while, then we needed a few things to make dinners this week, so I made a list from southernsavers.com, matching sales to my coupons. Last week, in anticipation of the surgery, my daughter browned 2 lbs of ground turkey for me and batched it into bags in the freezer. I brown my turkey with worcestershire, garlic, pepper, and a dash of soy sauce. It looks more like ground beef that way, and doesn't taste different!! So on my Publix list: the BOGO Old El Paso dinner kits. Here is everything I got:

3 boxes Uncle Ben's brown rice - BOGO $2.29 - used 3 $1 off coupons
3 7th Generation Dishwashing Liquid - BOGO $2.99, used $3 $1 off coupons (One of these was already being used when I remembered to take a picture - bought 3, pictured only 2!)
Ocean Spray Blueberry Juice Cocktail - BOGO $3.25, ($1.62 e)- (only got one, to try) used 1 55 c off coupon
2 Hershey Bliss Chocolates (b/c I am a chocoholic!) BOGO $4.29, used 2, $1 off coupons
4 Old El Paso Dinner Kits, BOGO $2.95, used 2 60 c off 2 coupons
Raspberries - $2, used Publix printable coupon (from their In Season emails) for $1.50 off fresh berries

total spent: $11.09
savings $31.91

Then a quick Kroger run ~

I needed a few things that were on the mega sale there (buy 10, get instant $3 off)
all coupons up to 50 cents doubled, and the starred items are the ones that count towards the mega sale - I didn't take a pic of these items, they were melting from the heat!!

We bought
*4 boxes of Totinos Pizza Roll snacks $1.25 e, used 2 40 c off coupons
*2 blocks of Kroger cheese $1.77 e
Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (to go with those berries!) $1.99
Diet coke $1.09
Hunt's Pudding (for my dinner!) $1.00
*2 Kellogg's Poptarts - $1.99 e used $1 off 2 coupon
*Betty Crocker Cookie Mix $1.99 - used 50 c off coupon
Kroger brand gallon of white skim milk $2.08
*Kroger shredded sharp cheddar $1.77

spent $18.09
saved $16.30 - 48%

Today it is looking hot and steamy again, so we are heading to the pool, then to CVS to try the Hawaiian tropic deal - supposedly works if you buy 2 of the HT suncare sticks for $6.99e, use 2 $1 off coupons, and get $10 extra care bucks back! I'm hoping it works!

Y'all stay cool out there!

Some tips for couponing this week!

There is a print out coupon on either smart source or coupons.com for Taco Bell dinners ( at the grocery - includes dinner kits, taco shells, sauces, etc) that is for $1 off. Use that with the BOGO Publix sale - you get 2 for $2.69 - $1 coupon = 85 c each.

Marie Callender dinners are BOGO for $2.99 ~ use a $1 off coupon (I am pretty sure it is from All You magazine, this month), you get two for under a buck each - I got two of the Pasta Al Dente dinners.

Hunt's catsup is bogo for $1.39 - buy one, use 20 c off mfr coupon from the paper a few weeks ago = 29 c catsup!

Stayfree Pads are $2.85 e - use Publix BOGO coupon plus two $1.00 off coupons = 43 cents each
these are a great thing to donate to a women's shelter!

Kraft Cheese is 2 for $4 ~ there is a blinkie coupon (I got mine at Kroger this week) for $1 off 2 = $1.50 per bag

AT CVS: If you have any Extra Care Bucks to "play" with - get the Ban deodorant for $2.99, use $1 off coupon. Get back $2 ECB. Also buy 3 Power Bars (two flavors for this deal - peanut butter or cranberry oatmeal) for 99 cents each, get $2.97 ECB back. If you haven't bought a green bag tag - you should go ahead and get one for 99 cents. Attach to your own reusable bag, or just keep on your keychain and place your purchases in your purse after you pay - you earn $1 for every 4 visits that the tag is scanned!! It's an easy moneymaker - especially if you go to CVS often. We have 3 or 4 within a 5 mile radius, so I can pop in often and I always have them scan the tag!

Walgreens - Ecotrin is on sale for $2, and there was a coupon a few weeks back for $2 off. I only found 1, so I bought 1, paid 12 cents tax, and got $2 in Register Rewards. Bought a 2nd bottle, paid 12 cents plus the Register Rewards. I am planning on giving one to a new friend who takes low dose aspirin, and one to my mom if she does. If not, we'll find a place to donate it. The RR did not roll over (meaning if you pay with a RR from Ecotrin, it won't print another $2 RR for you) on this deal, unfortunately. But if you had a bunch of the $2 coupons, you could walk away wth a bunch of $2 register rewards (just make sure to do seperate transactions ie - buy one box, get the RR, buy the 2nd, get RR, buy 3rd, get RR) if you by them all together, they will only print one $2 RR. My Publix takes RR as a competitor's coupon so I save them to use at Publix!


At Kroger: One tip I can share about finding HEALTHY, good food for cheap involves Kroger. I prefer to go either super early, or in the early evening. I always make a beeline for the produce department and look for items with the orange/yellow markdown tags! Today I got: a bag of salad with cabbage nd carrots for 79 cents, 2 iceberg wedge salads with bacon/bleu cheese dressing for $1.99, a pack of 5 bags of Chiquita apple slices with cinnamon dip for $2.19 (and used a $1 off coupon!) Also the bakery had a wonderful loaf of garlic bread for $1.29 - with salad, that was a perfect dinner! I also picked up a pack of premium hamburger rolls that had been 2.49, but were marked down to 55 cents. If we don't use them by tomorrow (I've got chicken burgers in the freezer that would be perfect with these!), then I'll freeze them for later. Kroger often marks down their organic dairy products in an open refrigerator chest near the milk cases. We've gotten Silk milk for under $1, organic sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and more - all for under $1. They also mark down tofu items, veggie hot dogs, etc. Many of these can be frozen to use later.

CVS Super deal this week!

I am heading out this morning to do our biweekly shopping. CVS has a super deal: buy 3 Power Bars for $1 each, get $3 extra care bucks back - that means they are, in effect, free. My husband can't eat a lot at work, as he gets super-sleepy, but a protein-rich Power Bar is a good meal for him there.

You can do this deal once per CVS card. We have two - one for me, one for my husband. I'll go to two stores (both within 3 miles of home) so we'll have 6 Power Bars, and $6 in ECB! At CVS, I try to buy things we 1)need, 2)are on sale, 3) have coupons, and 4) get me ECB back for future trips! This deal fits 3 of the 4 qualifications - I don't have any coupons, darn it! I currently have $2 in ECB to spend, so I'll only pay $1 out of pocket for the first store's Power Bars!