Frugal Fun and Fortune

Goodbye Blogger, Hello Wordpress!

2010-04-26T02:41:00.002-04:00

Well, my fellow blogger buddies...it's been fun while it lasted.

Time to head on over to the new wordpress site! Yeah! =)

This is the last post you will ever see on Blogger. My new web address is and always will be www.frugalfunfortune.com! So go check it out, and let me know what you think of it!

Be sure to bookmark the new site!

Share Your Savings Saturday - Link Up!

2010-04-24T13:18:00.005-04:00

A big thanks to all of you who have been linking up every Saturday with your incredible savings! Keep 'em coming!

I went to Publix and CVS this week.

Here's what I got at Publix:

2 Silk soymilks
2 bags Lays kettle-cooked chips
4 boxes Orville popcorn
2 boxes Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal
1 package slicked almonds
4 bottles Dentyne ice gum
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 gallon milk
1 onion
2 sweet potatoes
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch cauliflower
1 package Angel Soft toilet paper
2 packages Kraft shredded cheese
1 garlic bulb
2 lemons
8 lbs oranges
1 dozen eggs
2 packages cookies
1 package frozen spinach
1 package Romaine lettuce
1 package frozen flounder fish
1 can black beans
1 can vegetable broth
2 Glade Relaxing Moments candles
2 whole wheat Mueller's pasta
1 package mushrooms
2 Hunt's ketchup
2 Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean sprayers
2 Scrubbing Bubbles refills

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $151.00
Total saved from sales: $38.15
Manufacturer coupons used: $40.21
Store/Competitor coupons used: $18.35
Total amount saved: $96.71
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $54.29

*I also made a quick trip to CVS to pick up some toothpaste, Advil, and mascara. Here's a picture with a savings summary below:

Total paid out of pocket: $.77
Total saved: $17.94
ECB I walked away with: $10.50 ($7 earned from this transaction, $3.50 that I previously had but didn't use on this transaction)

So with Publix and CVS combined, I spent a total of $55.06 (and saved a total of $114.65) on groceries this week.

April Totals:

1st Week: $41.34
2nd Week: $62.02
3rd Week: $55.06

Total spent for month of April so far: $158.42
Total savings for month of April so far: $319.19

***Looks like we're $8.42 over so far this month, so we'll have to be careful next week to make up for it!

New to saving money on groceries? Try this series for helpful information on how to save.

Not sure how to use coupons? Try this post for couponing basics!

Want to start saving at Publix? Check out the Publix Basics post to learn all about it!

What About You: How did you do this week? Share your deals and scenarios below by either linking up to your blog or commenting!

Note about linking to your blog: Please leave a link that goes directly to your savings post, rather than your home page, so that everybody can easily see your great deals! =)

Looking forward to seeing how some of you save each week!

***If you are reading this post by e-mail or reader, you will need to click over to the actual blog post in order to see everybody's links!

Coupon Insert Preview - 4/25

2010-04-23T23:35:00.000-04:00

You can go HERE to see what coupons will be in this Sunday's newspaper! Looks like there will be 2 inserts - SS and RP.

What About You: See any awesome coupons you're excited about?

This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Freely Giving Friday: How Beautiful Couponing Can Truly Be

2010-04-23T19:44:00.007-04:00

Go HERE for an explanation of what Freely Giving Friday is all about!

Most of you know that one of the main reasons my husband and I coupon is so that we can give more away to others. Even though we have very little in the eyes of many, we feel that we have been abundantly blessed. Couponing has enabled us to give in a way we never imagined possible.

I wanted to share a reader's testimony that I received in an e-mail a while back. I thought it would inspire you. It's so amazing what an impact coupons can have on other people in our lives. I will keep the reader's name anonymous, since this is pretty personal...

"I just wanted to say thank you, Meagan! Without your blog, my family wouldn't eat as well as we do...I would never have the time to pick through the ads and coupons in order to find the very best deals...I would constantly worry about our next grocery trip breaking us...I wouldn't have a stockpile to live off of if needed.

BUT MOST OF ALL...I wouldn't have been able to help a dear friend today. You see, I heard that her mom hadn't bought groceries for a few weeks in a row.. I also heard that she didn't even have $4 to buy a few newspapers this weekend. She works very hard, full time, for minimum wage. She lost her husband a few years ago, which led to financial distress beyond belief.

Yes, times are hard for everyone. But the fact that some of us have a stockpile of food and others of us can't even afford coupons, is quite saddening. I was able to bring her about $50-$75 worth of food and toiletries and it didn't even put a dent in my stockpile. I'm so blessed with so many things in this life. It is by God's grace alone that we could help a friend today. Please, I ask that you post a segment to urge other couponers to try and help just one person that they know in need. Can you imagine the possiblities that will open up? Good Luck, and God Bless!"

That, my friends, shows us all just how beautiful couponing can truly be. I beg you to follow in this reader's example and use your couponing skills, freebie items, and stockpiles to bless others! It is such a joy!

Thank you so much to the reader who shared her story with me. Very touching.

You can go here to see previous Freely Giving Friday posts.

What About You: Do you have any stories about how couponing has enabled you to give more to others? If so, feel free to comment below! Or e-mail me with your story, and I will use it as a guest post on the next Freely Giving Friday!

Photo Credit: Deeble on Flickr

CHEAP Shoes At Payless!

2010-04-23T19:10:00.004-04:00

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm completely against consumerism. And I'm a firm believer in wearing your shoes until they are literally worn out. Any time I'm tempted to buy a new pair of shoes just because I want them or think they're cute, I think about the millions of beautiful poverty-stricken children running around barefoot in this world. It sets my priorities straight pretty darn quickly. Most of those kids would give anything to have our dirtiest, most worn-out pair of shoes we own. I digress...

I wear 2 pairs of shoes to work most of the time: my black dress shoes or my beige clogs that I have had since I was in middle school (not even lying - I swear). The clogs are a top-of-the-line brand. My dad bought them for me as a birthday gift. They are still in almost perfect condition. They're just that durable! But my black dress shoes - they're almost worn through the bottom, and the fabric on the heels has worn down so much so that it hurts to walk. So, I decided it was time for some new shoes. *sigh*

I sought out the best deal I could find on shoes. I have a couple of places I usually look. I ended up finding a great online deal at Payless Shoes, so I thought I'd pass it along to those of you in need of some nice, inexpensive shoes. Here's what to do:

Go sign up for or log-in to Shop At Home.
Type "Payless Shoes" in the search box.
Once you've found it, click on "shop now." Shop At Home offers 8% cashback for Payless Shoes online purchases!
Right now, Payless has everything Buy one get one 50% off. Any kind of shoe you want! So add 2 pairs of shoes to your cart, and the 2nd one will automatically be discounted to the 50% off price.
Through April 30th, use the coupon code 30584 to get an additional 15% off your total.
Choose to have your shoes shipped to a store location near you. This makes shipping FREE.
Place your order. You'll get some really inexpensive shoes, plus you'll get 8% cash back! And if you're a new sign up with Shop At Home, you'll also get another $5!

*Please note: The Shop At Home cash back rebates usually post to your account around 30-60 days after your purchase. And if you're a new sign-up, you'll get the $5 sign-up bonus with your first purchase rebate (as long as you make a purchase within 60 days of signing up).

*Even if you don't want to do this deal, I highly recommend signing up for Shop At Home. It's a great cash back program! You can get cash back on so many different sites - it's incredible!

Happy Shoe Shopping!

What About You: Find any great deals on shoes?

Publix Deals (4/22 - 4/28)

2010-04-22T19:12:00.011-04:00

If you are new to couponing at Publix, start here. If you're a beginner, be sure to check your store's coupon policy. Every store takes different competitor coupons. Florida stores do not double coupons. In other states, check your store for info on whether or not they double coupons. Prices vary slightly from store to store, depending on your area.

***Deals that I think are spectacular (rock-bottom price) and would consider buying myself are marked!

Looks like an awesome week at Publix! I think the best deals are actually the non-BOGO deals, especially all of the great Organic deals! FREE granola bars and cheap frozen fruit? Oh yeah! Anyways, here are the best deals I see this week:

Buy One Get One Free Deals With Coupons:

***Yo Plus Yogurt (4 packs of 4 oz cups) - BOGO $2.50
$1/1 printable coupon here or here
$.50/1 from 3-21-10 SS or 4-18-10 SS
*Best Deal: Use (2) $1/1 coupons to pay only $.25 per pack!

***Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta (12 to 16 oz box, assorted varieties) - BOGO $1.79
$1/2 printable coupon
$.75/1 from 4-11-10 SS (regional coupon - did not find in my insert)
*Use the $1/2 to pay only $.40 each! If you're lucky enough to have the $.75/1 coupons, you can use 2 of them to pay only $.15 each!

***Pillsbury Toaster Strudels (6 count box) - BOGO $2.49
$1/1 printable coupon
$.55/2 from 2-7-10 GM
$.55/2 printable coupon
$.75/3 from 3-7-10 SS
*Best Deal: Use (2) $1/1 coupons to pay only $.25 each!

***Edwards Pie Slices or Singles Desserts (assorted varieties) - BOGO $3.09
$1/1 printable coupon
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.55 each!

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix (17.5 oz pouch, assorted varieties) - BOGO $2.19
$.40/1 from 3-28-10 SS
$.40/1 printable coupon
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.70 each! If your store doubles, pay only $.30 each!

***Cheez-Its Crackers (assorted varieties) - BOGO $4.09
$.75/1 Duos printable coupon
$2/2 competitor coupon from Walgreens April coupon booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Buy 2 boxes of Cheez-Its Duos. Stack (2) $.75/1 coupons with (1) $2/2 competitor coupon. You'll pay only $.30 each!

***Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats Bread (12 oz bag) - BOGO $2.99
$.60/1 from 2-7-10 SS
$.55/1 printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use (2) $.60/1 coupons to pay only $.90 each!

***Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers (12 oz bag) - BOGO $2.39
$.40/1 from 3-28-10 SS
$.50/2 from 3-7-10 SS
$.50/1 printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use (2) $.50/1 coupons to pay only $.70 each! If your store doubles, pay only $.20 each!

Dole Salad Blends (assorted varieties) - BOGO $3.59
$1/1 Tearpad coupons
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.80 each!

Kellogg's Cereal: Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies, or Honey Smacks (assorted sizes) - BOGO $4.09
$1.50/2 Rice Krispies from 3-28-10 RP
$1/2 Rice Krispies from 4-11-10 RP
$1/2 Rice Krispies printable coupon
$1/3 from 4-11-10 RP
$.70/1 Blinkie
*Best Deal: Buy 2 boxes Rice Krispies, use the $1.50/2, and pay only $1.30 each!

***Nature Valley Granola Bars or General Mills Fiber One Bars Value Pack (assorted varieties and sizes) - BOGO $5.49
$.40/1 Nature Valley from 3-7-10 SS or 4-18-10 SS
$.40/1 Nature Valley printable coupon here, here, here, or here
$.50/2 Fiber One from 3-7-10 SS or 4-18-10 SS
$.40/1 Fiber One printable coupon
$.50/1 Fiber One 90 calorie bars from 3-7-10 SS (if included in sale)
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $2.45 each! If your store doubles, pay only $1.95 each!

Whole Fruit Sorbet (1 pint carton) - BOGO $2.99
$.50/1 from 3-28-10 RP
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $1 each! If your store doubles, pay only $.50 each!

Contessa Shrimp - regular or microsteam (9 to 12 oz package) - BOGO $6.99
$1.50/2 from 3-28-10 RP
$1.50/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $2.75 each with coupon!

Starkist SeaSations Fish Fillets (11.4 oz box) - BOGO $5.99
$2/2 from 2-14-10 RP
*Use coupon to pay only $2 each!

Pompeian Olive Oil - Classic Mediterranean or Extra Light Tasting (32 oz bottle) - $10.99
$1/1 printable coupon
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $4.50 each!

Campbell's Chunky Soup (assorted varieties and sizes, excludes fully loaded) - BOGO $2.45
$.50/2 Chunky Healthy Request from 2-7-10 SS
$1/3 printable coupon
$1/3 from "Live Wholeheartedly Now" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Use the $.50/2 to pay only $.98 each! If your store doubles, pay only $.73 each!

Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Honey Maid Grahams, or Ritz Bits (assorted varieties and sizes) - BOGO $3.07
$1/2 from Nabisco calendar home mailer
*Pay only $1.04 each with coupon!

***Purina Tidy Cats Litter (14 lb) - BOGO $6.99
$1/1 from 2-7-10 RP
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $2.50 each!

***Shout Laundry Stain Remover With Trigger (22 oz bottle) - BOGO $2.99
$.55/1 from 3-21-10 SS
$1/1 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
*Best deal: Stack (2) $.55/1 coupons with (2) $1/1 Publix coupons to get FREE Shout!
*Eligible for SCJ rebate.

***Windex Cleaner (16 oz bottle) - BOGO $3.49
$1/1 multi-surface cleaner from 3-21-10 or 4-11-10 SS
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/1 multi-surface cleaner printable coupon
$1/2 from 3-21-10 or 4-11-10 SS
$1/2 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Stack (2) $1/1 coupons with (1) $1/2 Publix coupon to pay only $.25 each!
*Eligible for SCJ rebate.

***Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner (22 oz can) - BOGO $3.29
$.75/1 from 3-21-10 SS
$.50/1 from All You magazine (March 2010)
$2/2 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Stack (2) $.75/1 coupons with (1) $2/2 Publix coupon to get FREE Scrubbing Bubbles!
*Eligible for SCJ rebate.

Glade Scented Oil Refills (2 count package) - BOGO $5.49
$1/1 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $1.75 each!
*Eligible for SCJ rebate.

Other Buy One Get One Free Deals:

***Post Cereal: Selects, Great Grains, or Trail Mix Crunch (assorted sizes) - BOGO $4.41

Margaritaville Tortilla Chips (6 oz bag) - BOGO $1.99

***Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (6 pack) - BOGO $2.47

Pepsi Products (2 Liters) - BOGO $1.85

Arizona Tea or Fruit Drink (20 oz bottles) - BOGO $1.33

Blue Bird Donuts - Frosted or Powdered - BOGO $2.59

Green Giant Canned Vegetables (assorted varieties and sizes) - BOGO $1.33

Simply Potatoes (20 oz bag, assorted varieties) - BOGO $2.60

Stouffer's French Bread Pizza (2 count) - BOGO $2.99

Knorr Sides (assorted varieties, 4 to 6.4 oz pouch) - BOGO $1.53

Tiger Thai Shrimp (8 to 14 oz package) or Calamari Rings (16 oz package) - BOGO $7.99

Diner's Choice Mashed Potatoes (32 oz package, assorted varieties) - BOGO $3.89

La Famiglia DelGrosso Pasta Sauce (26 oz jar, assorted varieties) - BOGO $6.99

Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce (19 oz bottle, assorted varieties) - BOGO $2.19

Mt. Olive Sweet Relish or Pickles (16 oz jar) - BOGO $2.19

Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, or Twix Candy (22.34 to 22.55 oz bags) - BOGO $6.59

Great Non-BOGO Deals:

***Cascadian Farm Granola Bars or Cereal - $1.99
$1/1 printable coupon here or here
$2/3 Publix coupon from Earth Day booklet found in-store or printable coupon
$1/1 Whole Foods coupon from Whole Deal flyer (March/April 2010) or printable coupon
*Best Deal: Stack $1/1 manufacturer coupon with the $1/1 Whole Foods competitor coupon to get FREE granola bars or cereal!

***Cascadian Farm Frozen Fruit, Vegetables, or Potatoes - $1.99
$1/1 printable coupon here or here
$2/3 Publix coupon from Earth Day booklet found in-store or printable coupon
*Best Deal: Buy 3 packages. Use (3) $1/1 coupons and the $2/3 Publix coupon. You'll pay only $.32 each! Woo Hoo! I love almost-free frozen fruit!!!

***Snyder's of Hanover Organic Pretzels (8 oz bag) - 2/$4
$1/1 from 4-11-10 SS
$.50/1 Publix coupon from Earth Day booklet found in-store or printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.50 each!

Kashi Cereal - 2/$5
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/3 Target printable coupon
*Best Deal: Buy 3 boxes, and stack (3) $1/1 coupons with (1) $1/3 Target coupon. You'll pay only $1.17 each! Not bad for organic cereal.

***Silk Soymilk - $2.99 (regular price)
Buy one get one free from 4-11-10 SS
$1/1 from 2-21-10 SS
$.55/1 Publix coupon found in Earth Day booklet in-store or printable coupon
*Buy 2 soymilks. Use the BOGO coupon, the $1/1 coupon, and (2) $.55 Publix coupons. You'll pay only $.45 each! GREAT price!
***This is really more of an ongoing deal, but I haven't updated the Dollar deals in a few weeks.

Del Monte Fruit Chillers - 3/$5
$1/1 printable coupon here or here
*Pay only $.67 with coupon!

Egg Beaters - 3/$5
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
*Pay only $.67 with coupon!

***Healthy Choice Frozen meals - 4/$10
$1/2 printable coupon
$1/2 from 3-28-10 SS
$2/4 Publix coupon from Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer found in-store
*Best Deal: Buy 4 meals. Stack (2) $1/2 coupons with the $2/4 Publix coupon. You'll pay only $1.50 each!

***Sunchips - 2/$6
$.55/1 tearpad found in-store
$.55/1 Publix printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $1.90 each! Really good price for this brand of chips.

***Scotties White Facial Tissues - $.99
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/3 Publix printable coupon
*FREE with the $1/1 coupon! Add the Publix coupon for possible overage!

***All Small & Mighty Detergent (32 to 50 oz bottle) - $2.99
$2/1 from 2-7-10 RP
*Pay only $.99 with coupon!

***Ziploc bags (assorted varieties and sizes) - 2/$7
Buy one get one free sliders from 4-11-10 SS
$.40/1 from 3-21-10 SS
$1/2 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Buy 2 package of Ziploc slider bags. Use all 3 coupons above. You'll pay only $1.05 each!

Best Produce Prices:

***Florida Sweet Corn - $.50
***California Navel Oranges - $.79/lb
***Bananas - $.59/lb
Strawberries (16 oz package) - 2/$5
Cucumbers - 2/$1
***Red Seedless Grapes - $1.29/lb
Cantaloupes - 2/$4
***Florida Grape Tomatoes (1 pint package) - 2/$4

Go HERE to see ongoing/unadvertised deals under one dollar!!! (Last updated on Saturday, 4/3. I need to update this - plan on doing so over the weekend.)

Go here to see the Publix weekly ad on their website. Go here to see the remainder of the Ad with coupon match-ups!

Thanks goes to I Heart Publix for her help in compiling many of these deals!

If you have any questions or want to share about your deals, feel free to comment below or e-mail me! Happy Publix shopping!

What About You: What are your favorite deals this week that you plan to snag!?

*This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Two More Earth Day Freebies!

2010-04-22T18:55:00.000-04:00

Hope your Earth Day is going great! Here are 2 more Earth Day freebies:

***Looks like this one is already gone! Sorry!*** ~~Go here to sign up for the "going green challenge" and you'll receive a FREE bottle cap magnet! I love magnets, and this one looks pretty sweet.~~ (Thanks, Savvy Spending!)

Kellogg's is offering a FREE reusable tote bag with the purchase of any 2 Kellogg's cereals. Go here for the order form! (Thanks, Savings & Stewardship!)

Enjoy!

What About You: Having a fun Earth Day yet? Freebies should at least make you happy!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T08:54:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to say Happy Earth Day! Be sure to do something "green" today to help keep our earth loved and cared for! :)

Don't forget about all of the great Earth Day freebies, and be sure to enter the giveaway for the Seventh Generation gift pack (environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaners)!

Enjoy your day, and be thankful for this beautiful planet we live on.

GIVEAWAY: Seventh Generation Spring Cleaning Gift Pack!

2010-04-21T23:38:00.004-04:00

Just recently, My Blog Spark gave me the opportunity to try out some great Seventh Generation cleaning products. The cleaning products came just in time - yep, spring cleaning! We had our lease renewal, which usually gives us a good excuse to do some deep cleaning. It felt so nice to get the house looking spic n span again (and it's really great for reducing my stress-level).

Now all of you know that I have a laundry closet overflowing with free-after-coupon cleaning products, but I decided to try out some of these awesome environmentally friendly and non-toxic Seventh Generation products. I must say - I loved them!!!

The cleaners kill 99.99 % of germs botanically. The thyme and lemongrass scent was SO pleasant - such a clean and refreshing smell! It was a really nice change. I didn't have to smell any harsh chemicals on my hands or appliances. I felt like the cleaner got the job done, but without leaving toxic chemicals and smells all over the place. These non-toxic cleaners are very kid-friendly, for anybody who has children. I used the products on everything, and they worked great! The wipes were very convenient, and the paper towels were really durable (we used them for everything - from cleaning to everyday use).

You know what else is great about Seventh Generation? They put out hot high-value coupons quite often! In fact, I loved these products so much that I decided to pick up a few more cleaners last week. I was able to get them at Target for only $.99 a piece, after stacking coupons. So it's definitely possible to save on these natural cleaning products.

Would you like to give Seventh Generation products a try for FREE? Seventh Generation, through My Blog Spark, is offering up one spring cleaning gift pack for one of my readers! The gift pack includes everything pictured above: multi-surface disinfectant cleaner, bathroom cleaner, disinfectant wipes, 2 rolls of 100% recycled/unbleached paper towels, a cleaning caddy made from recycled plastic, and a copy of The Conscious Kitchen.

You can enter this giveaway up to 5 different times:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me how you try to be environmentally friendly, or how this cleaning product will help you keep your home free of toxic chemicals that are bad for the environment! It is Earth Day this week, after all. :)

2. Become a fan of Frugal Fun & Fortune on Facebook, or let me know that you're already a fan.

3. Subscribe to Frugal Fun & Fortune by e-mail or in a reader, or let me know that you're already a subscriber.

4. Follow me on Twitter, or let me know that you're already a follower.

5. Join my Blog Frog Community (introduce yourself if you'd like!), or let me know that you're already a community member.

Be sure to leave your name on your comment. In past giveaways, I have had a couple anonymous entries. I have no way of knowing who you are unless you leave your name! Thanks!

Remember - leave a separate comment for each way that you decide to enter the giveaway. For example, if you become a fan on Facebook, be sure to come back to this post and leave a separate comment telling me that you did so. The more comments you have, the better chance you have of winning!

I will choose the winner this Sunday (4/25) at 11 pm EST via random.org, and announce it in a post on this blog. The winner will have 3 days to respond.

Good luck everybody!

*Disclosure: Seventh Generation and My Blog Spark provided me with a free gift pack to review, information, and additional gift pack for a giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Helping Out Your Favorite Bloggers...

2010-04-21T20:56:00.005-04:00

My good friend Shelly, over at Coupon Teacher, did a fabulous post about helping out your favorite blogger (regardless of who it might be)! I just thought I'd pass in on to you guys, because it's definitely worth reading. You can go HERE to read it.

I am not just a blogger. I am a blog reader, as well! I read over 50 blogs on a daily basis. All of the things Shelly lists are things that I used to never do, but now always do. Why? Because now I'm on the other side of it and see it from the blogger's perspective.

I never realized how much it meant to a blogger when readers comment on posts...

I never realized that e-mails *mean the world* to a blogger...

I never realized that bloggers care about and are very interested in readers sending them deals!

Interaction - it's the key. I love blogging, but what would blogging be without YOU? I most love blogging on the days when I get many comments on posts, personal e-mails from readers, and interaction on my Facebook or Twitter pages! When there is no interaction, bloggers feel like they are writing for nobody - to an empty space. It's quite depressing!

You may think you're just a "little reader" in the huge blogging world, but I promise you're not. Never think that way. Readers are the most important part of blogging. Without readers, blogging is pointless!

So go leave your favorite blogger some LOVE, whether it's me or somebody else out there!

I love all of you! =)

FREE Kotex Sample Pack!

2010-04-21T20:49:00.004-04:00

Go here to get a FREE Kotex sample pack! You get to take your pick between 4 different ones! The word is that you can sign up for multiple packs, not just one! Give it a try, I guess? =)

My mailbox is overflowing with free feminine care product samples! Just a tip, though - these are GREAT for donating to women's shelters!

What About You: Were you able to sign up for more than one?

Thanks, Savings & Stewardship!

FREE Sample Of Eucerin Lotion!

2010-04-21T20:44:00.002-04:00

Go here to request a FREE sample of Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion! Enjoy!

What About You: Like this freebie?

Kroger Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

2010-04-21T20:37:00.002-04:00

Here are the best deals I see on Dian's list this week:

Country Crock Spread - Sale 10/$10
use $.50/1 3/7 RP – Final FREE

Fast Fixin’ Chicken 6-8 oz – Sale 10/$10
use $1/1 April Issue all You – Final FREE

Dial Liquid Hand Soap – Sale 10/$10
use $.35/1 3/7 RP – Final $.30 each

Pillsbury Grands! – Sale 10/$10
use $.30/2 3/7 S - Final $.55

Hunt’s Snack Pack – Sale 10/$10
use $1/3 April Issue of All You – Final $.67 each

**Kroger stores are divided up into different regions. Depending on your region, the sale cycle starts on a different day of the week, and some of the deals could vary. So just be sure to check your local ad each week! Happy Savings!!!

Be sure to head on over to Dian @ Grocery Shop For Free to see the rest of the awesome deals this week at Kroger!

Thanks, Dian!

What About You: See any sweet deals you plan on grabbing?

FREE Sample - o.b.Tampons!

2010-04-21T20:32:00.002-04:00

Go here to sign up for a FREE sample of o.b. tampons (and it comes with a cute carrying case, too!)

What About You: Are you stocked up yet on feminine products, simply from all the samples you get in the mail practically every day? ;)

Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!

FREE Mini Dessert At Carrabbas!

2010-04-21T20:26:00.004-04:00

Go become a fan of Carrabba's on Facebook (err - I mean, go "like" Carrabbas), and you'll be able to get a coupon for a FREE mini dessert with the purchase of any entree! Enjoy!

Oh - and while you're over there, how about "liking" Frugal Fun & Fortune!? ;)

What About You: Do you like Carrabba's?

Thanks, Saving Money Living Life!

Harris Teeter Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

2010-04-21T20:18:00.004-04:00

Here are some of the best deals I see on Shelly's list this week:

Buy One Get One Free Deals:

Arnold Wide Pan Breads $1.84 - $1/1 3/28 SS
Tidy Cats 20 lb. Litter $2.49 - $1/1 02/07 SS
Purina Dog Chow or Puppy Chow, 17.6-20 lb $7.99 - $2/1 printable coupon

Other Great Deals:

Seventh Generation Dish Liquid $1.99 - $1/1 01/10 RP
Tylenol Allergy 8 oz. or 24 ct. $4.99 - $3/1 03/14 RP
Ortega Salsa 2/$4 - $0.75/2 04/18 SS

Be sure to head on over to Shelly @ Coupon Teacher to see the rest of the great deals this week at Harris Teeter!

Thanks, Shelly!

What About You: Grabbing any of these deals this week?

Food Lion Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

2010-04-21T20:09:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the best deals on Barbara's List this week:

Sargento Shredded Cheese, 2/$5
Receive Sargento Cheese Snacks Free
$0.40/2 Sargento Natural Shredded Cheese, exp. 4-30-10 (SS 01/31/10)
$0.50/2 Sargento Natural Shredded Cheese, exp. 4-30-10 (SS 01/31/10)
As low as $2.25 ea. wyb2 + Free Sargento Cheese Snacks!

Coffee Mate Liquid Creamer (16 oz.), 3/$5
$0.75/1 Coffee-Mate Text Alert
$0.75/1 Coffee-mate Liquid or Powder printable
$0.75/1 Coffee-mate Liquid Creamer, exp. 5-07-10 (RP 02/07/10)
$0.50/1 Coffee-mate Liquid Creamer, exp. 5-7-10 (RP 2/7/10)
$1/2 Coffee-mate Liquid Creamer, exp. 5-7-10 (RP 02/07/10)
As low as $0.91 ea. after coupons!

Lay's Chips, $2.99
$1/1 Lays Potato Chips, exp. 4-25-10 (SS 03/14/10)
$1.99 ea. after coupons!

Maxwell House Coffee (11.5-13 oz.), 2/$5
$0.75/1 Maxwell House Coffee printable
$1/2 Maxwell House Coffee printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/2 Maxwell House Product printable
$1/1 Maxwell House Coffee, exp. 5-31-10 (SS 3/21/10)
$1/1 Maxwell House Package, exp. 5-31-10 (SS 03/21/10)
As low as $1.50 ea. after coupons!

Angel Soft Bath Tissue (9 Mega, 12 Double, 24 Single Rolls), $4.99
$0.50/1 Angel Soft Toilet Paper printable
$1/2 Angel Soft Toilet Paper, exp. 5-14-10 (RP 2/14/10)
$0.50/1 Angel Soft Toilet Paper, exp. 5-14-10 (RP 02/14/10)
$4.49 ea. after coupons!

Gain Laundry Detergent (50 oz.), $4.99
$1/1 Gain detergent, exp. 4-30-10 (RP 03/21/10)
$3.99 ea. after coupons!

Head on over to Barbara @ ClipperGirl's Savings Spot to see the rest of the great deals this week at Food Lion!

Thanks, Barbara!

What About You: Will you be picking anything up at Food Lion this week?

Heads Up! Print Now, Save For Later - Tone Body Wash!

2010-04-21T19:58:00.003-04:00

Just a heads up that starting this Sunday (4/25), Walgreens will have a freebie deal on Tone body wash, so you might want to hurry over here to print this $1/1 coupon now while it's still available!

Here's the deal you'll be grabbing:

Buy 1 Tone Body Wash (18 oz) at $3.99, get back $3 RR
$1/1 printable coupon
*FREE after coupon and RR!

So if you want to get this deal next week, go print the coupon now!

What About You: Excited about some free Tone body wash?

Thanks, Common Sense With Money!

Earth Day Freebies!

2010-04-20T23:35:00.004-04:00

So I know Earth Day is still 2 days away, but I figured I'd go ahead and post about these freebies a little early. If I wait until tomorrow night after work to post them, some of you might miss it!

Here are some great freebies being offered on Earth Day, 4/22, Thursday:

Origins is giving away FREE full-sized skincare products! Simply bring in one of your current skincare items that you use right now, and you'll be able to trade it out for a full-sized sample of Origins face wash or cleanser. This was announced on their Facebook page. I would definitely call ahead at your store to make sure they're participating in this!

Walgreens is offering their printer cartridge ink refills for only $1 on Thursday (with the in ad coupon that came in their weekly flyer)! Go here to see a list of printer cartridge models that they refill! Check your local ad or store to make sure they're participating! (Thanks, Faithfully Frugal & Free!)

Pottery Barn is having an Earth Day celebration for kids on Thursday! So be sure to check that out!

Don't forget that CVS is offering their Green Bag Tag for FREE this week after ECB!

Get a free Disney cap when you take in 6 empty water bottles or coke cans to your local Disney store!

Get a FREE reusable tote bag at Babies R Us with this coupon (purchase required). Plus, you'll get 25% off the clothing that you stuff in the bag!

Are you a teacher? If so, go here to give your feedback about how you're keeping your classroom green. You'll get a FREE reusable tote bag!

Trade in 5 plastic bags at Target, and you'll get $1 off any reusable tote bag!

That's all I've found so far, but I'll give you a heads up about any more that I find before Thursday! Happy Earth Day!

What About You: How are you being green this week?

Thanks goes to Moms By Heart for many of these Earth Day Freebies!

Target Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

2010-04-20T22:40:00.004-04:00

Don't forget to take the coupon policy and/or price matching policy with you, to avoid any discrepancies at the register!

Sales may vary by region, so be sure to check your local ad for these deals.

***I decided to start splitting up the ongoing deals into newly added and previous deals. Hopefully this will help you in finding the newest deals that I add each week!

Here are the best deals I see at Target this week:

New Weekly Deals:

SoBe Lifewater (20 oz) - $1
Buy one get one free printable coupon
*Pay only $.50 each after coupon!

Thomas English Muffins or Bagels - $1.89
$1/1 honey wheat variety from All You magazine (March 2010)
$.55/1 from 4-11-10 SS
*Pay as low as $.89 with coupon!

Ziploc bags and containers - $2.27
$1/2 or $.40/1 bags from 3-21-10 SS
$1.50/2 or $.55/1 containers from 3-21-10 SS
$1/1 vacuum pump or zip n steam bags from 3-28-10 SS
Buy one get one free slider bags from 4-11-10 SS
*Best Deal: Depending on which varieties are included in the sale, any of the coupons above would make for a great price on these! If the slider bags are included, you could use a BOGO coupon and a $.40/1 coupon to pay only $.94 each!

Seventh Generation Dish Soap - $2.49
$1/1 or $2/2 printable coupon (when you sign up)
$1/1 from 1-10-10 RP or 4-11-10 RP
*Pay only $1.49 each after any coupon above!

Green Works All Purpose Cleaner (32 oz) or Wipes (30 count) - $2.49
$1/1 wipes printable coupon
$.75/1 cleaner printable coupon
$.50/1 from 4-18-10 SS
*Pay as low as $1.49 with coupon!

New Ongoing/Unadvertised Deals:

Motrin PM (20 count) - $3.99
$3/1 from 4-18-10 RP
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to get it for FREE!

Pure & Natural bar soap (2 packs) - $1.68 (on clearance at some stores)
$2/1 printable coupon
*FREE after coupon!

Pure & Natural hand soap - $2.50 - $3.99
$2/1 printable coupon
*Pay as low as $.50 with coupon!

Kandoo Flushable Refill Wipes (42 count) - $1.65
$1/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*Pay only $.65 with coupon!

Chex Mix - $1.50
$.50/1 from 3-7-10 SS
*Pay only $1 with coupon!

Coffee Mate Creamer (16 oz) - $1.79
Buy 2 get 1 free printable coupon
$.75/1 printable coupon
*Buy 3 creamers. Use (1) B2G1 free coupon and (2) $.75/1 coupons. You'll pay only $.69 each!

N.Y.C. Color Cosmetics - $1.72
$1/1 from 4-18-10 RP (might be regional)
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.72 with coupon!
***Better deal at CVS this week!

Bic Silky Touch Disposable Razors (10 pack) - $2.94
$2/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.94 with coupon!

Dannon Dan-O-Nino Yogurt (6 pack) - $1.97
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.97 with coupon!

Silk Soymilk - $2.69
Buy one get one free coupon from 4-11-10 SS
$.75/1 from 2-21-10 SS
*Buy 2, use both coupons, and pay only $.97 each!
***Better deal at Publix, due to an additional Publix coupon!

Scotch Fur Fighter - $4.99 to $5.99
$4/1 from 4-11-10 SS
*Pay as low as $.99 with coupon!

Bellybar Pregnancy Nutrition Bars (5 count) - $7.99
$3/1 printable coupon
$4/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.99!

Infusium 23 Conditioner - $4.38 (clearance at some stores)
$3/1 from All You magazine (May 2010)
*Pay only $1.38 with coupon!

Previous Ongoing/Unadvertised Deals Still Valid:

*Personal Care/Beauty*

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion - $4.99
$3.75/1 from 4-11-10 RP
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.24 each!

Dove Men + Care Body Wash (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
*FREE with coupon!

St. Ives body wash, moisturizer, or body scrub (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 3-21-10 SS
*FREE with coupon!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleaner (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*FREE with coupon!

Arm & Hammer Toothpaste (travel size) - $1.07
$2.50/2 from 3-21-10 SS
*Buy 2 and use coupon to get both for FREE!

Degree Girl Just Chance deodorant - $2.34
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.84 each with coupon!

Degree Men Invisible Stick - $2.34
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.84 each with coupon!

Suave 24-Hour Protection Twin Packs - $2.94
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.72 each with coupon! (There are 2 twin packs, so it's 4 deodorants!)

Ky Jelly - $3.24
$2/1 from 1-31-10 SS
*Pay only $1.24 with coupon!

Reach dental floss $.97 (select types)
$1/1 coupon from 3-7-10 RP, 1-3-10 RP, 6-14-09 SS, or 10-4-09 RP
*FREE after coupon!

Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara - $2.89
$3/1 from All You magazine (March 2010)
*FREE with coupon!

Fusion Razors (1-pack in new packaging) - $4.99 at some stores
$4/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*Pay only $.99 after coupon!
***Go here to see a picture of what this specific razor looks like that is on sale.

*Health/Medicine*

Halls Cough Drops (30 count) - $1.19
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.19 with coupon!

Benadryl Itch Relief Stick - $2.50
$5/2 from 4-11-10 RP
*FREE after coupon!

*Household*

Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Kits - $7.99 to $8.99 (depends on store)
$5/1 from 4-11-10 SS
Buy one kit get a refill free printable coupon
Buy 3 Scrubbing Bubbles products, get a $5 Target gift card from 4-11-10 SS
*DEAL: Buy 2 starter kits and 2 refills. Use (2) $5/1 coupons, 2 free refill printable coupons, and the Target coupon. You will pay as low as $5.98 out of pocket, and get back a $5 gift card! That's like paying $.98 for all four products!!! THEN - submit for the $5 SC Johnson rebate! It's a moneymaker!
***Or you can do the deal at Publix to pay nothing out of pocket at all.

GE Energy Smart Light Bulbs - $2.99 (starting price)
$1/1 printable coupon
$2/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to get FREE light bulbs!

Soft Scrub Total Kitchen Cleaner - $3.49
$2/1 printable coupon
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.49 each!

Snuggle Dryer Sheets - $2.96 to $3.99 (depends on store)
$3/1 from 3-28-10 RP
*FREE - $.99 with coupon!

All laundry detergent (travel size) $1
$1/1 printable when you sign up here
*Free after coupon!

Tide (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 3-7-10 PG or 4-4-10 PG
*FREE with coupon!

Downy (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*FREE with coupon!

Rayovac Batteries - $1 in the Dollar Spot
$1/1 printable coupon (coupon has reset!)
*FREE with coupon!

*Grocery/Food*

Act II Popcorn (3 count bags) - $1 in Dollar Spot
$.40/1 from 2-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.60 with coupon!

Del Monte Canned Vegetables - $.50
$1/8 from 3-21-10 RP
*Pay only $.37 each after coupon!

Seattle's Best Latte - $1
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS (regional coupon)
*FREE with coupon!

Nescafe Taster's Choice Stick Pack (7 count) - $1
$.50/1 from 2-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.50 each after coupon!

*Games/Toys*

Various $2/1 DVD coupons HERE. Might make for a great deal on a movie!

*Baby/Kid Products*

Johnson's Baby Cotton Swabs - $1.38
$1/1 from 3-7-10 RP
*Pay only $.38 after coupon!

Mr. Bubbles Bubble Bath - $1.77
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.77 with coupon!

Johnson's Soap Buddies - $.99
$1/1 from 3-7-10 RP
*FREE after coupon!

Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 printable coupon
*FREE after coupon!

*Pet Care*

***Purina Mighty Dog Canned Food - $.55
$3/5 from 3-28-10 SS
Try me free coupon from 3-28-10 SS
*FREE with try me free coupon or $3/5 coupon!

Be sure to let me know if you see of any other great deals, or any of these that seem to no longer be valid. Thanks!

Happy Freebie Hunting!

What About You: What freebies did you snag this week at Target?

Thanks goes to Stretching A Buck, Pocket Your Dollars, Spend Less Save More, and Hip2Save for their help in compiling these deals!

FREE Puffs With Lotion At Walmart!

2010-04-20T21:36:00.003-04:00

If you recently received your free Puffs With Lotion sample in the mail from Vocal Point, then you know that it came with some great $1 and $.50 coupons!

Puffs With Lotion (72 count) is supposedly priced right around $1 at Walmart. That means you can grab a box for FREE with your $1 coupon!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Have you signed up for Vocal Point yet? If not, get on it! You're missing out!

Thanks, Adventures In Savings!

HOT Buy One Get One Free Lays Kettle-Cooked Chips!

2010-04-20T17:57:00.002-04:00

Go become a fan of "Be Snack Ready" on Facebook, then click on the "free coupon" tab. You'll be able to print a coupon for buy one get one free kettle-cooked Lay's potato chips!

The coupon expires on May 15th. I was able to print two of them!

What About You: Do you like these chips? They are my favorite.

Thanks, Passion For Savings!

Getting Thin In 2010: Stress and Relaxation

2010-04-19T19:45:00.006-04:00

Last week I told you that I would be sharing about the biggest obstacle I face when trying to lose weight. So here it is, as promised. S-T-R-E-S-S.

What stresses you out? For me, it's just life in general. I don't know if it's my personality type, my circumstances, or if it's just normal...but life is stressful. And you know what? I don't think that will ever change. There will always be another bill to be paid, a job to wake up to in the morning, a car transmission that goes out, a messy house, a pile of laundry, sickness and death to face, depression to beat, and much more.

I'm pretty sure the only thing we can do about that is to change our attitudes and outlooks on life, and effectively handle stress.

So how does this affect my weight loss? It just does - in many ways. The stress of life is more than enough for me to handle by itself. I can't pile on one more thing to worry about - losing weight. Weight loss requires attention, dedication, and a positive attitude. I tend to lose my focus and motivation when I'm stressed out about life, and that just leads to a really negative attitude. This is one of the biggest reasons I tend to just give up on losing weight. It's up, down, up, down, up, down. The cycle never ends. I'm sure you've experienced this as well, if you've ever had to battle with weight loss.

So what to do? RELAX. Simple enough to say, not so easy to actually DO. Relaxation is not something to be taken lightly. It's something all of us need as human beings. It helps us recharge and refocus. It gives us that escape from day-to-day life that we need, so that we're ready to face reality again with a positive attitude!

How do you relax? I think it differs from person to person. Some people enjoy staying at home, watching a movie, reading a good book, cooking, or doing crafts. Others might enjoy going out on a date with their husband, having a family day out, going to the park, or chatting with a loved one over coffee. You might even find exercise to be your favorite way to "relax" and get away from it all.

For me, it's 6 things. God, quality time with my husband, being in the middle of nature, reading, playing or listening to music, and cooking. Those are the 6 things that make me the most happy in life. They help me relax. They are my escape. They put things in perspective for me.

This past weekend, my husband and I spent almost the entire 2 days together...and it wasn't me on the computer and him on the guitar, while we ignored each other for the most part. It was quality time together. We spent almost an entire day out in the middle of nature, which is our favorite thing to do together.

And you know what? I didn't dread Monday morning nearly as much as I usually do. I feel good. I'm not overwhelmed by life like I usually am. And as a result, I'm not being tempted to give up on my weight loss journey.

Mental and emotional health is just as important as physical health, anyways...

Progress To My Goal: 6 pounds lost, 24% of the 25 pounds I'd like to lose. I only lost 1 pound last week, but I'm happy about it. Oh - and I'm on Day 6 of 30 Day Shred! Feeling great!

What About You: What causes you stress and how do you deal with it? Do you think relaxation is important in your weight loss journey?

*Photo Credit: Ken on Flickr

FREE Solo Cups At Schnucks!

2010-04-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

Do you have a Schnucks near you? If so, here's how to grab some FREE Solo plastic cups this week!

Solo Plastic Cups (18 oz) - 10/$10
$1/1 coupon found on package
*FREE after coupon!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Do you shop at Schnucks? Is it a store you'd like to see weekly deals for? If so, now is the time to speak up! =)

Thanks so much, Megan!

Walgreens Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

2010-04-19T18:24:00.002-04:00

New to couponing at Walgreens? Start here!

Prices and sales may vary slightly by region.

Looks like somewhat of a slow week at Walgreens to me. Here are the best deals I see:

Weekly Register Rewards Deals:

Buy 1 Nature's Bounty Vitamin D at $5, get back $5 RR
$2/1 printable coupon here, here, or here
*FREE, plus a $2 moneymaker, after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 Colgate Total toothbrush at $2.99, get back $2 RR
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$.75/1 printable coupon
*As low as FREE after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 Colgate Pro-Clinical toothpaste at $3.99, get back $2 RR
$1/1 from 4-11-10 SS
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 Nice 'n' Easy hair color at $6.99, get back $2 RR
$2/1 from 4-18-10 RP
*Pay only $2.99 after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 pack Energizer Batteries at $5.99, get back $1 RR
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*Pay only $3.99 after coupon and RR!

Other Great Deals:

Black Forest Gummies - $.39
$.55/2 printable coupon
*Buy 2, use coupon, and pay only $.12 each!

St. Ives Body Wash - Buy one get one free ($3.29)
$1/1 from 3-21-10 SS
$1/1 printable coupon
*Buy 2, use 2 coupons, and pay only $.65 each!

Dawn Dish Soap - $.99 (with in ad coupon)
$.50/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*Stack coupons to pay only $.49!

Aleve (24 count) - $1.99
$1/1 Aleve D from 3-21-10 SS (if variety included in sale)
*Pay only $.99 with coupon!

Huggies Diapers - $8.99
$3/1 Huggies printable coupon here, here, or here
*Pay only $5.99 after coupon!

Huggies Pull Ups - $8.99
$2/1 from 3-28-10 SS
$2/1 Walgreens coupon from April Coupon Booklet found in-store
*Stack coupons to pay only $4.99 each!

Angel Soft toilet paper (12 double rolls) - $5.49 (with in ad coupon)
$.50/1 from 2-14-10 RP
*Stack coupons to pay only $4.99! Great price on toilet paper! (This same deal is at Publix through Wednesday).

Monthly Register Rewards Deals:

Buy 1 package U By Kotex tampons at $3.49, get back $2.50 RR
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
*FREE after coupon and RR

Happy Savings!!!

What About You: Share your deals, scenarios, questions, or suggestions in the comment box below!

Thanks goes to Common Sense With Money and Moms By Heart for their help in compiling many of these deals!

Another CVS Deal: FREE N.Y.C. Nail Polish or Eye Liner!!

2010-04-19T17:52:00.004-04:00

Here's one more deal to add to your CVS list this week!

N.Y.C. eye liner or nail polish - Buy one get one free ($1.99)
$1/1 from 4-18-10 RP (possibly a regional coupon)
$1/1 printable coupon
Buy one get one free coupon from All You magazine (May 2010)
*Use (2) $1/1 coupons to get 2 FREE products! Or, use the BOGO coupon to get 2 FREE products!

Happy Savings!

What About You: What crazy colors of nail polish do you like? I personally really like lime green, pink, and purple! =)

Thanks, The Coupon High!

FREE eCookbook: 27 Mexican Recipes!

2010-04-19T17:39:00.003-04:00

Go here to download a FREE copy of 27 Simple Mexican Recipes, just in time for Cinco de Mayo coming up!

(Just enter your e-mail address and skip the couple of offers that pop up. Then click on "Latest Free eCookbooks" to download your Mexican Recipes eBook! Or, if you've already signed up for the e-mail, you should be able to just click the X in the top left-hand corner!)

What About You: Got any great Mexican dishes?

*This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

HOT $1.50/1 Classico Pasta Sauce!

2010-04-19T17:31:00.004-04:00

Go here to print a HOT high-value coupon for $1.50/1 Classico Pasta Sauce! Wait for a BOGO at Publix, use 2 of these coupons, and you've got yourself some FREE pasta sauce!

I would hurry hurry hurry on this one! High-value coupons like this always disappear quickly on coupons.com!

What About You: Got any good pasta dish recipes?

Menu Plan Monday!

2010-04-19T00:17:00.003-04:00

Why is Menu Planning so important, and how does it affect a grocery budget? If you've been asking yourself what the big deal is about menu planning when I share my menu with you each week, be sure to go visit A Few Short Cuts to check out the guest post I did on menu planning a while back. I think it will help shed some light on this subject for you...

Well, the weekend is over, and Monday has once again rolled around. What a bummer! Planning my weekly menu always cheers me up a bit. Maybe it's because I love planning, or maybe it's because I love cooking. Who knows? ;)

Here's what I have planned for this week:

Monday - Homemade pitas stuffed with veggies/lettuce (leftover meal from last week's menu)

Tuesday - Pasta With Mushroom Garlic Sauce

Wednesday - Southwestern Quinoa Casserole

Thursday - Dinner with family (we do this every week)

Friday - Fish and Various Veggie Sides (haven't quite decided yet)

Saturday - Morningstar Black Bean Burgers (with these homemade buns), Sweet Potato Fries, & Side Salad

Sunday - Baked Pasta Casserole

We do cook Vegetarian (although we eat seafood from time to time). To read more about how this affects our budget, check this post out.

What About You: Got anything delicious planned for this week? Feel free to share recipes!

Want some more inspiration for menu planning? Visit Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie's website! 400+ bloggers gather there every Monday to share their ideas!

CVS Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

2010-04-18T09:55:00.005-04:00

If you're new to "working the couponing and ECB system" at CVS, start here!

Here are the best deals I see at CVS this week:

Weekly ECB Deals:

Buy 1 package Thermacare heat wraps at $2.49, get back $2.49 ECB (Limit 2)
$1/1 printable coupon
*FREE, plus $1 moneymaker, after coupon and ECB!

Buy 1 Colgate Total toothpaste at $2.99, get back $2 ECB (Limit 1)
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$.75/1 printable coupon
*As low as FREE after coupon and ECB!

Buy 1 CVS Green Bag Tag at $.99, get back $.99 ECB (Limit 1)
*FREE after ECB! (See what this is all about HERE)

Buy 1 Halle Orchid or Halle perfume (prices start at $4.99), get back $5 ECB (Limit 1)
*If you can find the smallest bottle that is only $4.99, it will be FREE after ECB!

Buy 1 Cover Girl Volume Exact or Lash Exact Mascara at $5.99, get back $4 ECB (Limit 1)
$1/1 from 3-7-10 PG or 4-4-10 PG
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and ECB!

Buy 1 Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste at $3.99, get back $2 ECB (Limit 2)
$1/1 from 4-11-10 SS
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and ECB!

Buy 1 Edge or Schick Hydro shaving cream at $2.79, get back $1.80 ECB (Limit 2)
*Pay only $.99 after ECB!

Buy 1 Advil (5o count) at $3.99, get back $1 ECB (Limit 1)
$2/1 from 1-31-10 RP
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and ECB!

Buy 2 Kellogg's Cereals (2/$5) and a gallon of milk ($3.19), get back $3 ECB (Limit 2)
$2/2 or $1/1 Kellogg's cereals from 3-28-10 RP
$1/1 T.G. Lee milk printable coupon
*Buy 2 cereals and 1 milk. Use (1) $2/2 or (2) $1/1 coupons for the cereals. Use the $1/1 printable coupon for the milk. You'll pay only $2.19 total for 2 cereals and a gallon of milk after ECB! SWEET deal!
***I think this deal is most likely regional, so check your local ad.

Other Great Deals:

CVS Facial Tissues or Toiler Paper (single rolls) - $.99
$1/1 CVS coupon from price-scanning machine (has been printing for many!)
*FREE with coupon!

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste - $1.88
$1.50/1 from 3-21-10 RP
*Pay only $.38 with coupon!

Ivory Soap (3 pack) - $.99
$.25/1 from 3-7-10 PG
*Pay only $.74 with coupon!

Starbucks Frappuccino Singles - 2/$3
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.50 with coupon!

Dove Deodorant - Buy one get one free
$2/1 Visibly Smooth printable coupon (if included)
$1.25/2 from 3-18-10 RP
*Best Deal: Buy 2 Visibly Smooths, use (2) $2/1 coupons, and get them both for FREE or really cheap!

Xtra Laundry Detergent - $1.49
*Good price for laundry detergent!

Method Laundry Detergent - $5.99
$2/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $3.99 with coupon!

Happy CVS-ing!!!

What About You: How did you do this week at CVS? Feel free to share deals and scenarios below in the comments section!

Thanks goes to The Thrifty Mama, Moms By Heart, Money Saving Madness, Cha Ching On A Shoestring, and Common Sense With Money for their help in compiling many of these deals!

Rite Aid Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

2010-04-18T09:50:00.002-04:00

Here are the best deals I see on Lynn's List this week:

U by Kotex $3.49
$3.49 SCR #36
$1/1 Kotex RA Video Values (Mar) (if valid on this type of Kotex YMMV)
$1/1 U by Kotex printable
$1/1 Kotex U Product, exp. 6-30-10 (ALL YOU Apr ‘10)
better than FREE after coupon & SCR

GE Reveal 2/$6
$2/2 SCR #7
$2/2 BONUS REBATE SCR #207
$0.50/1 GE Reveal RA Video Values (Apr)
$1/1 Select GE Products, exp. 5-5-10 (SS 03/07/10)
$1/2 GE Reveal printable (IE) or printable (FF)
better than FREE after coupons & SCRs

TGIF Snacks $0.99
$1.50/1 TGIF Snacks
FREE after coupon

Reeses 2/$1
$0.55/1 Reeses Dark Peanut Butter Cups, exp. 5-31-10 (SS 03/14/10)
FREE after coupon

Be sure to go visit Lynn @ Maven of Savin' to see the rest of the deals and transaction scenarios this week!

Thanks, Lynn!

What About You: Snag any great Rite Aid Deals this week?

Ingles Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

2010-04-18T09:46:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the best deals I see on Julie's list this week:

Buy: (2)Post Honey Bunches of Oats $2 each
Use: $1/2 coupon 3/14 SS insert
Pay: $3 for two boxes

Buy: (2) Cascadian Farm Veggies (2/$4) or Cereal, Cereal Bars, & Fruit Spread (2/$5) or Frozen Fruit 2/$6
Use: $1 Cascadian Farm printable coupon & $1 Cascadian Farm printable coupon (when you sign up for email) & $1 printable coupon
Earn: FREE Ingles shopping bag wyb 2
Pay: 2 products & Free bag for as little as $2 (after two coupons)

Buy: (6) Totinos Party Pizza0 $1.25 each
Use: Two .50/3 coupons 4/18 SS insert
Earn: $2 off your next shopping order (Catalina coupon)
Pay: $3.50/6 ($0.58 each)- After doubled coupons & Catalina
* Catalina offer runs through 5/30

Be sure to head on over to Frugal Shopping With Julie to see the rest of the great deals this week at Ingles!

Thanks, Julie!

What About You: What deals do you see at Ingles this week?

FREE A&W Root Beer Float or Freeze!

2010-04-17T19:28:00.004-04:00

If you go sign up for the A&W Mug Club, you will immediately get a coupon e-mailed to you for a FREE root beer float or freeze! In addition, you'll get coupons periodically e-mailed to you throughout the year.

Enjoy!

What About You: Do you like root beer floats? I LOVE them!

Thanks, Penny Pinchin' Mom!

FREE Sample of John Frieda Root Awakening Hair Care!

2010-04-17T19:21:00.002-04:00

Walmart has a brand new sample available! Go here to request a FREE sample of John Frieda Root Awakening Hair Care! Enjoy!

What About You: Have you tried this stuff?

FREE Crochet Patterns eBook!

2010-04-17T19:07:00.003-04:00

Go here to sign up for a FREE Crochet Patterns eBook! It contains 56 pages of Crochet stitches and patterns!

(Just enter your e-mail address and skip the couple of offers that pop up. Then click on "Latest Free eBooks" to download your Crochet patterns eBook!)

Other crafty eBooks that are still available:

FREE Recycling Crafts eBook
FREE Scrapbooking eBook
FREE Beading Crafts eBook
FREE Kitchen Crafts eBook

Enjoy!

What About You: What are some of your favorite crafts projects?

*This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Share Your Savings Saturday - Link Up!

2010-04-17T17:38:00.003-04:00

I'm getting Share Your Savings Saturday up just a little late today. Sorry! This week I hit up Publix, CVS, and Target.

Here's what I bought at Publix (pictured above):

2 packages Yoplait Fiber One yogurt
2 bags Doritos
2 boxes Lucky Charms
2 bottles 7UP
2 packages Craisins
2 bottles Pompeian extra virgin olive oil
2 Soft Scrub Kitchen Cleaners
1 package Ramen noodles
4 Odwalla protein shakes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can chick peas
3 Dial NutriSkin handsoap pumps
1 package tortillas
1 package Broccoli florets
1 package Romaine lettuce
1 bunch green onions
5 oranges
2 boxes Near East couscous
1 container cream cheese
1 tomato
1 bunch bananas
1 package strawberries (16 oz)
1 bunch cilantro
2 sweet potatoes
1 avocado
1 garlic bulb
1 vitamin water
1 bag sunchips
2 cartons Trop50 OJ
1 red bell pepper
1 package walnuts
2 sweet onions
1 cucumber
*I also picked up another $50 BP gas card for only $40! That goes into the gas budget, though.

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $130.81
Total saved from sales: $37.58
Manufacturer coupons used: $24.22
Store/Competitor coupons used: $12.50
Total amount saved: $74.30
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $56.51

At CVS, I bought everything that is pictured above (plus 4 more rolls of toilet paper for FREE a couple days later). Here are my totals:

Total paid out of pocket: $.85
Total saved: $20.47
ECB I walked away with: $9.00

At Target, I spent a total of $4.66 and saved $19.28! You can go here to check it out and read all about my awesome cashier!

With Publix, Target, and CVS combined...
~Spent This Week: $62.02
~Savings This Week: $114.05

April Totals:

1st Week: $41.34
2nd Week: $62.02

Total spent for month of April so far: $103.36
Total savings for month of April so far: $204.54

***Looks like we're about $3 over so far this month, but we'll easily be able to balance that out over the rest of April!

New to saving money on groceries? Try this series for helpful information on how to save.

Not sure how to use coupons? Try this post for couponing basics!

Want to start saving at Publix? Check out the Publix Basics post to learn all about it!

What About You: How did you do this week? Share your deals and scenarios below by either linking up to your blog or commenting!

Note about linking to your blog: Please leave a link that goes directly to your savings post, rather than your home page, so that everybody can easily see your great deals! =)

Looking forward to seeing how some of you save each week!

***If you are reading this post by e-mail or reader, you will need to click over to the actual blog post in order to see everybody's links!

Where I've Been Today =)

2010-04-17T16:14:00.011-04:00

This past week was a really rough one for me. My husband surprised me with an outing today to help take my mind off of things. We drove out to Hanna Park near Atlantic Beach (about an hour drive for us!). It was really nice. We walked the beach, talked, enjoyed some good weather and time together, and then hiked the nature trails out there. Just thought I'd share a few pictures from the adventure.

It was really beautiful back on the trails...

We found this secret pathway up some really STEEP sand dunes. But being the outdoor adventurers that we always are, of course we climbed them. (And in the process lost a flip flop and slipped multiple times). It's kind of hard to tell from this picture just how steep the pathway was, but here you can see me climbing up!

It was so worth the spectacular view, though. Again, picture doesn't do it justice. It was like our own private area!

Had to pause on top of the dunes for a picture with my hubby and his new haircut. He He.

Unfortunately, we didn't find much wildlife, but we did see this very exotic looking plant. I've never seen it before, even in all my studies on the nature trails at my college campus while studying Biology! I think it must be specific to the sand dune habitat. I thought it might be a carnivorous plant, but I tried to look it up when I got home. Not sure? Any ideas? Check it out:

So that was our adventure for the day! On the way home, we stopped by Mochi in the Town Center to get some delicious yogurt. If you live in Jacksonville and haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend that you do! It's sooooo yummy, nutritious, eco-friendly, low-calorie, and pretty inexpensive for what you get!

What About You: What are you doing for fun this weekend?

The Best Target Cashier I've Ever Had...

2010-04-17T15:52:00.002-04:00

Most of you probably know that I try to avoid 3 stores: Target, Walmart and Walgreens. Why? Their employees are usually not very coupon-friendly or educated on coupons. I honestly just get kind of tired of being accused of coupon fraud, theft, and unethical behavior. I don't need somebody telling me that, just because they think it's not possible to walk out of a store with a bag full of freebies. I know that I am an honest and ethical couponer. So I usually stick to my 2 favorite stores - Publix and CVS - unless I really want to get a great deal at one of the other stores.

The ongoing freebie deals have been piling up at Target for a couple of weeks now - deals that I actually cared about. A lot of times the trial-sized freebies aren't worth it for me to deal with the unfriendly cashiers, but I decided it was time to suck it up and go to Target this week...so I did.

This was the Target on US 1, in St. Augustine. My cashier's name was Geyna (I'm pretty sure). Usually I go for the younger males or females, but lately I have not had much luck with them. They are too unsure of themselves and try to tell me I can't use any of my coupons. So I tried a different tactic this time. I went for a lady who looked like she knew what she was doing. I got the vibe that she had been there a while. And you wanna know what? I'm pretty good at reading my cashiers! She was INCREDIBLE.

She did not blink one eye when I handed her 8 coupons that exceeded the amount of the corresponding trial-sized products. She proceeded to price-adjust them all down to $.97! I was shocked. I said, "Thank you so much for being such an informed cashier about coupons. You just made my day. This is the easiest transaction I've ever had at Target with coupons." And she told me, "Yep! No problem! As long as the coupon doesn't exclude trial-sized items, you're good to go!" GASP. FINALLY - somebody who is educated on how coupons work!!!

She was wonderful. I was all ready to whip out my Target corporate coupon policy, but no need to. She knew her stuff.

I got everything pictured above for only $4.66 after tax. I saved $19.28 with my coupons. I think $4.66 is pretty good, considering one of the Sheer Infusion lotions would have been $5.99 + tax just by itself!!

Couple of things I wanted to let you know, also:

I did not find the Pure & Natural bar soap that was supposed to be on clearance.
I found the Pure & Natural hand soap pumps, but they were $3.99 (not $2.50).
I found the suede ottomans. Some were on clearance, others weren't. It was color-specific. For example, the hot pink one was on clearance while the brown one wasn't. The lowest priced one was still $13.98, making it $8.98 with the coupon. Wasn't worth it to me.

Happy Target shopping! And if you happen to be at the one on US1 in St. Augustine, look for Geyna! =)

What About You: Snag any great Target deals lately?

HURRY Buy One Get One Free Fandango Movie Tickets!!!

2010-04-16T19:16:00.003-04:00

I'm loving all these great Tropicana Juicy Rewards! Today's reward is a *HOT* one! You can redeem 2 Tropicana points to get a Fandango code for buy one get one free movie tickets!!! Woo Hoo! With the price of movie tickets these days, I'll take it.

If you're a new sign-up, here's how to get 2 points:
1. When you first become a member, take their short 4 question survey to get 1 point!
2. Go fan them on Facebook to get a code worth 1 point!

Or if you're already a member, you probably took advantage of your BOGO coupons for Tropicana Juice just recently. Check your cartons for codes worth many points! I just got 2 codes worth 6 points each from my Trop50 cartons! I now have 12 points. Yay.

Once you have your 2 points, head on over to their home page to redeem them for your buy one get one free movie code to use on Fandango!

You can only redeem your points for this offer TODAY. But once you have your movie code, you have through June 15th to use it!

Enjoy, and Happy Movie Savings!

What About You: What movies are you interested in seeing right now?

Thanks, Savings & Stewardship!

Happy Mega Swagbucks Friday!!!

2010-04-16T06:42:00.003-04:00

Oh. My. Goodness. I don't think I've ever been this happy that it's a Friday. This week has been so long, tiring, and stressful. I can't wait to be home from work, and I haven't even left yet.

I love Fridays! And Mega Swagbucks just makes it even more special! Don't forget to search extra today with Swag Bucks. You have a greater chance of winning the BIG bucks today since it's Friday!

And be on the lookout for codes! The Swag Guy likes to give out codes on Fridays. He loves Fridays just as much as I do, I think! ;)

Good luck! And if you haven't signed up for Swag Bucks yet, you're totally missing out. Be sure to go here to learn more about this great program!

What About You: Win any big ones?

Free or Cheap Pure & Natural Soap At Target!

2010-04-16T06:33:00.004-04:00

There's a brand new printable coupon for $2/1 Pure & Natural product. You might be able to snag some free or cheap soap at Target with this coupon:

Pure & Natural hand soap - $2.50
$2/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.50 with coupon!

Pure & Natural bar soap (2 packs) - $1.68 (on clearance at some stores)
$2/1 printable coupon
*FREE after coupon!

All right - that's it. I'm gonna have to break down and stop by Target on the way home this afternoon. Too many deals popping up!

What About You: Did you find this at your Target store?

Thanks, Give Me Neither!

Huggies Coupon - Reset?!

2010-04-16T06:28:00.002-04:00

I was going through the coupons on Coupons.com while doing the Publix match-ups, and I noticed that the Huggies coupon has re-set once again! So hurry over here to print a $3/1 Huggies coupon if you haven't gotten yours yet. You should be able to print it twice.

Also, don't forget about these other 2 links!

What About You: Stocked up on cheap diapers yet? ;)

Publix Deals (4/15 - 4/21)

2010-04-15T23:11:00.015-04:00

If you are new to couponing at Publix, start here. If you're a beginner, be sure to check your store's coupon policy. Every store takes different competitor coupons. Florida stores do not double coupons. In other states, check your store for info on whether or not they double coupons. Prices vary slightly from store to store, depending on your area.

***Deals that I think are spectacular (rock-bottom price) and would consider buying myself are marked!

I feel like it's been weeks since I last posted new Publix deals! 10-day sales are gone...Back to normal! It's not a LONG list this week, but almost everything on the list is a GREAT deal!

Buy One Get One Free Deals With Coupons:

***Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies or Sandies Shortbread Cookies (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $4.05
$.55/2 from 3-7-10 RP
$1/1 Sandies printable coupon
$2/2 competitor coupon from Walgreens April coupon booklet found in-store
$2/2 peelies
*Best Deal: Buy 2 packages of Sandies cookies. Combine the $2/2 Walgreens coupon with (2) $1/1 manufacturer coupons to pay only $.05 for 2 boxes of cookies!

***Orville Redenbacher Popping Corn (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $3.09
$.75/1 new cheese-flavored variety from 3-28-10 SS
$.40/1 from 3-28-10 SS
$2/2 100 calorie smart pop printable coupon (manufacturer coupon)
$1/2 Publix coupon from Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer found in-store
$1/4 various ConAgra products from 3-14-10 SS
$1.50/4 various ConAgra products printable coupon
*Best Deal: Buy 2 smart pop varieties. Stack the $2/2 coupon with the $1/2 Publix coupon to pay only $.05 each!

***Mueller's Pasta - regular or whole wheat (Assorted Varieties, 12 or 16 oz box) - BOGO $1.29
$1/3 printable coupon
$.55/2 from "Plan On Pasta" 2010 Calendar home-mailer
*Best Deal: Use the $.55/2 to pay only $.37 each!

***Hunt's Tomato Ketchup (24 oz bottle) - BOGO $1.75
$1/2 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$1.50/4 various ConAgra products printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use the $1/2 to pay only $.38 each!

***Smart Balance Spread (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $3.09
$1/2 from 3-21-10 RP
FREE Land O Lakes when you buy Smart Balance rebate form
*Use the coupon to pay only $1.05 each! THEN, submit for the rebate to get a coupon for a FREE Land O Lakes butter!

***Quaker Instant Oatmeal (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $3.99
$1/1 printable coupon (manufacturer coupon)
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/1 printable coupon (when you create your day)
Get a free Naked Juice when you buy Quaker oatmeal - Publix coupon from Family Style magazine
*Use (2) $1/1 coupons to pay only $1 each! Get FREE Naked juice with the Publix coupon, too!

***Duncan Hines Premium Muffin Mix (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $3.29
$1/1 coupon from magazines: Family Circle (Feb 2010), Southern Living (Feb 2010), Better Homes & Gardens (Feb 2010), Taste of Home (March 2010), Martha Stewart Living (Feb 2010)
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.65 each!

***Kellogg's Frosted/Unfrosted Mini-Wheats (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $4.19
$1/1 or $2/2 from 3-28-10 RP
$1.50/2 printable coupon
$1/2 from 4-11-10 RP
$1/2 printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use either (2) $1/1 coupons or (1) $2/2 coupon to pay only $1.10 each! This is a good price for Mini-Wheats.

***Prego Spaghetti Sauce (45 oz jar, Assorted Varieties) - BOGO $3.69
$1/1 from 2-7-10 SS (if Heart Smart variety included in sale)
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.85 each!

Hebrew National Kosher All Beef Franks (Assorted Varieties, 11 or 12 oz package) - BOGO $5.19
$.75/1 from 3-7-10 SS
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $1.85 each!

Totino's Pizza Rolls or Pillsbury Savorings Snacks (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $4.13
$1/2 Pillsbury Savorings from 1-31-10 SS
$1/2 Pillsbury Savorings from 3-7-10 SS
$.55/1 Pillsbury Savorings printable coupon (manufacturer coupon)
$1/2 Pillsbury Savorings printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use (2) $.55/1 coupons to pay only $1.52 each!

Gorton's Fish Sticks, Fillets, or Portions (Assorted Varieties) - BOGO $5.49
$.40/1 from 2-21-10 SS
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $2.35 each! If your store doubles, pay only $1.95 each!

Hormel Premium Chicken (12.5 oz can) - BOGO $3.39
$1.50/3 from 3-7-10 SS
*If your store is true BOGO: Buy 4 and use a coupon to pay only $1.32 each!
*If your store is NOT true BOGO: Buy 3 and use a coupon to pay only $1.20 each!

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream or Starbucks Ice Cream (1 pint carton) - BOGO $3.91
$.75/1 Starbucks Ice Cream printable coupon
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $1.21 each!

***Dentyne Gum (40 or 60 count bottle) - BOGO $3.29
$1.50/1 from 2-28-10 SS
*Use 2 coupons to pay only $.15 each!

***Earth's Best Organic Baby Food - 6 months and up (Assorted Varieties, 4 oz jars) - BOGO $.99
$1/6 from American Baby magazine (March 2010)
$1/7 from Parenting magazine (Feb 2010)
$1/7 printable coupon
*Best Deal: Use the $1/6 to pay only $.33 each!

***Crest Toothpaste (Assorted Varieties, 6.4 oz tube) - BOGO $2.69
$.75/1 from 3-7-10 PG
$1/2 from 4-4-10 PG
$1.50/1 Pro-Health variety from 3-21-10 RP (if included in sale)
*Best Deal: If Pro-Health is included in sale, use 2 coupons to get FREE toothpaste!

***Glade Candles (4 oz jar) or Scented Oil Candle Refills (4 count package) - BOGO $3.59
$.75/1 Relaxing Moments products from 4-11-10 SS (if variety is included in sale)
$1/2 candles - Publix coupon from "One Store. One Stop" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: If Relaxing Moments variety is included, stack (2) $.75/1 coupons with the $1/2 Publix coupon to pay only $.55 each!

***Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner (22 oz can) - BOGO $3.29
$.75/1 from 3-21-10 SS
$.50/1 from All You magazine (March 2010)
$2/2 Publix coupon from "There's Value In The Family" booklet found in-store
$1/2 Publix coupon from "One Stop. One Store" booklet found in-store
*Best Deal: Stack (2) $.75/1 coupons with the $2/2 Publix coupon to get FREE Scrubbing Bubbles, plus possible overage!
***Don't forget about how you can score FREE Extend-A-Clean right now!

Other Buy One Get One Free Deals:

Ruffles Potato Chips (Assorted Varieties, 9 or 10 oz bag, Excludes Baked or Light & Natural) - BOGO $3.99

Arnold Whole Grain Bread, Grains & More, or Country Bread (24 oz loaf) - BOGO $3.69

Publix Deli Pre-Sliced Sweet Ham (12 oz package) - BOGO $5.29

Powerade Drinks (32 oz bottle, Assortied Varieties) - BOGO $1.25

***Tombstone Pizza (Assorted Varieties) - $5.95

Tai Pei Entree (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $2.99

Cole's Garlic Bread (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $2.79

Kraft Easy Mac (Assorted Varieties) - BOGO $3.49

Simply Potatoes (24 oz package) - BOGO $2.67

Aunt Jemima Pancakes or French Toast (Assorted Varieties and Sizes) - BOGO $2.77

Bacardi Fruit Mixers frozen concentrate (10 oz can) - BOGO $2.39

Mix 1 Enhanced Protein Shakes (Assorted Flavors, 4 packs of 11 oz bottles) - BOGO $6.99

Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner, Cook Top Cleaner, Carpet Cleaner, or Granite Cleaner/Polish (12 or 22 oz bottle) - BOGO $3.99

Clear Eyes Eye Drops (15 mL bottle, Assorted Varieties) - BOGO $3.99

Publix Triple Blade Razors (3 or 4 count package) - BOGO $4.99

Great Non-BOGO Deals:

***Peter Pan Peanut Butter - 50% off (originally around $2.50)
$1/2 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$1.50/4 various ConAgra products printable coupon
$1/4 various ConAgra products from 3-14-10 SS
*Best Deal: Buy 2, use the $1/2 coupon, and pay only $.75 each!

***Silk Soymilk - $2.99 (regular price)
Buy one get one free from 4-11-10 SS
$1/1 from 2-21-10 SS
$.55/1 Publix printable coupon (click on either blue book or yellow "coupons" tab)
*Buy 2 soymilks. Use the BOGO coupon, the $1/1 coupon, and (2) $.55 Publix coupons. You'll pay only $.45 each! GREAT price!
***This is really more of an ongoing deal, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it in case I don't get to the update on the dollar deals soon enough!

***Kraft Shredded Cheese (14 or 16 oz package) - $3.99
$2/2 Blinkie
$1.25/1 Publix printable coupon
*Buy 2, stack the $2/2 with (2) $1.25/1 Publix coupons, and you'll pay only $1.74 each! AMAZING price! (You will need 2 computers for this, b/c the Publix coupon has a print limit of 1 per computer).

Yoplait Yogurt (4 or 6 oz cup) - 20/$10
$.40/6 from 3-21-10 SS or 4-18-10 SS $.50/6 printable coupon here, here, or here
*Use a $.50/6 coupon to pay only $.42 each!

Jell-O Snacks (6 pack) - 3/$6
$.75/1 gelatin snacks printable coupon (most stores will probably take this)
$.35/1 from 4-11-10 SS
*Use the $.75/1 to pay only $1.25 each!

Kellogg's Raisin Bran Cereal (20 oz box) - $1.99
$1.50/2 printable coupon
$1/2 from 4-11-10 RP
*Use the $1.50/2 coupon to pay only $1.24 each!

***Angel Soft Toilet Paper (24 regular rolls, 12 double rolls, or 9 mega rolls) - $5.49
$.50/1 from 2-14-10 RP
$.50/1 from "One Stop. One Store" booklet (manufacturer coupon)
*Use a coupon to pay only $4.99! You know my rule - $5 or less is a great deal on this size toilet paper!

Best Produce Prices:

Cantaloupes - 2/$4
***Red or White Seedless Grapes - $1.49/lb
Baking Potatoes (5 lb bag) - $2.49
Broccoli or Cauliflower - $1.99
Publix Romaine Hearts - 2/$5
***California Navel Oranges - $.69/lb
Red or Golden Delicious Apples (3 lb bag) - 2/$5
***Publix baby carrots (16 oz bag) - 2/$3

Go HERE to see ongoing/unadvertised deals under one dollar!!! (Last updated on Saturday, 4/3)

Go here to see the Publix weekly ad on their website. Go here to see the remainder of the Ad with coupon match-ups!

Thanks goes to I Heart Publix for her help in compiling many of these deals!

If you have any questions or want to share about your deals, feel free to comment below or e-mail me! Happy Publix shopping!

What About You: What are your favorite deals this week that you plan to snag!?

*This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Grocery Store Weekly Deals Round-Up (4/14 - 4/20)

2010-04-15T22:36:00.004-04:00

To save some time, and since I'm running behind this week, here is the round-up of the grocery stores I usually highlight:

To see the best Harris Teeter Deals this week, be sure to visit Shelly @ Coupon Teacher!

To see the best Kroger Deals this week, go check out Dian's list @ Grocery Shop For Free!

To see the best Food Lion Deals this week, don't forget to stop by and see Barbara @ Clipper Girl's Savings Spot!

To see the best Winn Dixie Deals this week, head on over to see Sarah @ Fiddledeedee! (She doesn't have them posted quite yet, but they should be up within the next day or so).

Happy Savings!

Thanks to all my awesome blogging partners for these awesome grocery store deals each week! I will be back to highlighting them individually next week!

What About You: See any great deals worth snagging?

FREE Faux Suede Ottoman?!?!

2010-04-15T22:21:00.005-04:00

photo credit: Hip2Save's readers

WOW. This is too good of a deal to believe. If you happen to be at your local Target store, be sure to look for this deal!!!

Some people have found the above-pictured purple faux suede ottoman on clearance at Target for only $4.98!!! Use the $5/1 ottoman Target printable coupon to get it for completely FREE!

Some people also found it for $9.98, making it less than $5 after the coupon. Still a fantastic deal!

WOW! Keep in mind - this will definitely vary by store.

What About You: Did you find this deal at your Target?

Thanks so much, Hip2Save!

FREE No Nonsense Knee Highs!

2010-04-15T22:18:00.003-04:00

It has been reported that some Walgreens stores have the No Nonsense Knee Highs priced at 2 for $1. You can find them near the cosmetics counter. Use the $1/2 coupon from 3-21-10 SS to get these for FREE!

What About You: Did you find them at your store?!

Thanks, Money Saving Madness!

Freebie Round-Up

2010-04-15T21:48:00.004-04:00

I've been extremely busy these past 2 days. Sorry for not being around very much. To play catch-up really quick, here are the best freebies that popped up while I was MIA:

Hurry! I think this one is only good today since it's a "Tax Day Freebie." Go become a fan of Regal Cinemas on Facebook to score a coupon for a FREE small popcorn! Just scroll down the page and you'll see it in the left column. (Thanks, A Few Short Cuts!)

Sign up for a FREE 2-count sample of Cascade ActionPacs (plus coupons!) (Thanks, Clippin' With Carrie!)

Request a FREE sample of Stayfree Ultra Thin Overnight pads. This is a new sample, so you should be able to request it even if you recently requested one! (Thanks, Deal Seeking Mom!)

Did you miss out on the M&M's Pretzels Facebook freebie a while back? Looks like it is back, so hurry over here to try to grab one if you missed it last time!

If you have a can of Red Gold tomatoes lying around, go here to enter the UPC code and score a FREE tote bag!

Enjoy all your freebies!

What About You: Which is your favorite freebie? =)

One More Tax Day Freebie - Subway!

2010-04-15T07:44:00.003-04:00

In addition to the other great tax day freebies, here is yet one more!

When you buy any foot-long sub at Subway today, you'll receive a FREE sub of equal or lesser price! Buy one get one free? I'll take it!

As always, I recommend calling your local store ahead of time to make sure they're participating in this promotion.

What About You: Gonna grab this deal today?

Thanks, Spend Less Save More!

Got Toilet Paper???

2010-04-14T20:17:00.005-04:00

So let me just let you in on a little secret: Those great CVS paper product coupons that I told you about? They are printing from the price-scanning machine like CRAZY. I ran by CVS last night and scanned both of my cards and got 2 coupons per card! And then my friend Jen went by today, and got TONS of them. So she picked up 16 rolls of toilet paper, among other things...

Check out her haul:

1 frizz-ease shampoo

1 frizz-ease conditioner

1 frizz-ease gel

2 dove conditioner

4 black olives

2 dial nutriskin body washes

2 colgate proclinical toothpaste

4 3pk dentyne gum (12 packs)

5 bags jelly beans

1 pair slippers

3 sticks cocoa butter

6 travel lotions

2 packs hair ties

16 single rolls of toilet paper

Total Spent: $31.90 (no ECBs used)
Total ECBs she walked away with: $28.98

Ya-hoo! Go Jen! =) I'm so happy for her. This is one of her first successful CVS savings trips! She's becoming a pro! Everyone congratulate her below in the comments section!

Oh - and just so you know, this toilet paper really isn't that bad (considering it's FREE). I thought it would be really rough and gross. It's a little thin, but I don't find it to be too rough at all. And thin can be good. I tend to waste more when it's thicker!

Wordless Wednesday: "Haircut"

2010-04-14T19:58:00.003-04:00

My long-haired, pony-tail wearing hubby decided to give himself a BUZZ CUT tonight (without even telling me ahead of time!!!)

See other Wordless Wednesdays here

Tax Day Freebies Tomorrow!

2010-04-14T19:40:00.003-04:00

Are you breathing a sigh of relief now that tax season is almost behind us? I know I am! With Kyle being self-employed, taxes are not fun for us. (We always pay, never get a refund.)

Here are some tax day freebies to help you celebrate that it's all said and done with!

Free Starbucks Coffee when you bring a reusable travel mug

Go here to print a coupon for a free taco at a participating Taco Del Mar location.

Stop by Cinnabon between the hours of 6 pm and 8 pm tomorrow to receive 2 free cupcake bites!

Stop by a participating Maggie Moo's location between the hours of 3 pm and 7 pm to get a free sample of their ice cream pizza!

Enjoy all your tax day freebies! And I would call your local stores just to make sure they're all participating before making an extra drive. =)

What About You: Which tax day freebie excites you the most?

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Two More Winners For Scrubbing Bubbles $3 Coupon!

2010-04-13T23:34:00.003-04:00

Two of the winners of the $3 Scrubbing Bubbles coupon e-mailed me tonight to let me know that they ended up finding the "One Stop One Store" booklet at their Publix today. They were both generous enough to offer up their coupons to a new winner. So the 2 winners who will be receiving their coupons are:

Christina Lynn
Julianne H.

Please e-mail me asap with your mailing addresses so that I can get these coupons mailed out to both of you! Thanks!

And to the other 6 of you who won - your envelope is in the mail. You should get it in the next day or two.

Ingles Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

2010-04-13T23:30:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the best deals I see on Julie's list this week:

Buy: Post Raisin Bran/Shredded Wheat Cereal $2
Use: $2 Post printable coupon
Pay: FREE

Buy: Muir Glen Tomatoes 28 oz $1.67
Use: $1 Muir Glen printable coupon (join the Connoisseur's Club)
Pay: $0.67

Buy: Ray O Vac Batteries $1
Use: $1 printable coupon (become a Facebook Fan) OR $1/2 coupon 3/21 SS insert
Pay: FREE or $1/2

Tyson Boneless Chicken Breast $1.88 a pound

Doritos $1.98

Be sure to head on over to Frugal Shopping With Julie to see the rest of the great deals this week at Ingles!

Thanks, Julie!

What About You: What deals do you see at Ingles this week?

Two New Huggies Coupons Links!

2010-04-13T21:47:00.005-04:00

Looks like there are 2 new links for $3/1 Huggies coupons! Woo Hoo! You should be able to print twice from the following links:

$3/1 Huggies Link #1 (Thanks, The Thrifty Couple!)

$3/1 Huggies Link #2 (Thanks, Jen!)

Happy Diaper Savings!

What About You: Where do you plan to snag some cheap diapers with these coupons?

Target Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

2010-04-13T20:25:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to take the coupon policy and/or price matching policy with you, to avoid any discrepancies at the register!

Sales may vary by region, so be sure to check your local ad for these deals.

Looks like a great week at Target! There are some good weekly deals, as well as some hot new ongoing deals! Here are the best deals I see. And I starred a few that look like really hot deals to me!

New Weekly Deals:

Vitamin Water - $1
$1/2 from 4-11-10 SS
*Pay only $.50 each with coupon!

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers - $2.50
$1/2 from 3-28-10 SS
$1/2 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$1/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $2 each with a coupon!

***Buy 5 Kellogg's Special K Cereal or Snacks at $2.39 each, get back a $5 gift card
$1/1 Special K granola printable coupon
$1/1 Special K Fruit Crisps printable coupon
$1/1 Special K Crackers printable coupon
$1/1 or $2/2 Kellogg's Cereals from 3-28-10 RP
$.75/1 Special K Fruit Crisps from 2-21-10 RP
*Best Deal: Buy 5, use (5) $1/1 coupons, and pay only $.39 each after gift card!

***Buy 1 Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Starter Kit at $12.99, get back a $5 gift card
$5/1 from 3-21-10 SS
*Pay only $2.99 after coupon and gift card!

***Buy 2 Gillette Fusion manual razors at $6.99 each, get back a $5 gift card
$4/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*Buy 2, use 2 coupons, and pay only $.49 each after gift card!

***Buy 2 packages Cottonelle Tissue (30 packs) at $14.99 each, get back a $5 gift card
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
$.50/1 from 3-14-10 SS
$.50/1 printable coupon
*Pay as low as $11.49 each after coupons and gift card! Pretty good price on toilet paper! (Keep in mind they're THIRTY packs of double rolls! I did the math, and it meets my rock-bottom price for toilet paper.)

Buy 2 packages of Huggies Big Packs at $19.99 each, get back a $5 gift card
$3/1 printable coupon
$3/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $14.49 each after coupons and gift card!

Ongoing/Unadvertised Deals:

*Personal Care/Beauty*

***Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion - $4.99
$3.75/1 from 4-11-10 RP
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.24 each!

Suave Professionals Shampoo - $1.92
$1/2 from 3-14-10 SS
$1/2 Target printable coupon
*Buy 2, stack coupons above, and pay only $.92 each!

***Dial Nutriskin Hand Soap - $1.37
$1/1 Target printable coupon
$.35/1 from 3-7-10 RP
*Stack coupons to pay only $.02!

Dove Men + Care Body Wash (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 from All You magazine (April 2010)
*FREE with coupon!

St. Ives body wash, moisturizer, or body scrub (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 3-21-10 SS
*FREE with coupon!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleaner (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*FREE with coupon!

Arm & Hammer Toothpaste (travel size) - $1.07
$2.50/2 from 3-21-10 SS
*Buy 2 and use coupon to get both for FREE!

Degree Girl Just Chance deodorant - $2.34
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.84 each with coupon!

Degree Men Invisible Stick - $2.34
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.84 each with coupon!

Suave 24-Hour Protection Twin Packs - $2.94
$3/2 printable coupon
*Pay only $.72 each with coupon! (There are 2 twin packs, so it's 4 deodorants!)

Ky Jelly - $3.24
$2/1 from 1-31-10 SS
*Pay only $1.24 with coupon!

Reach dental floss $.97 (select types)
$1/1 coupon from 3-7-10 RP, 1-3-10 RP, 6-14-09 SS, or 10-4-09 RP
*FREE after coupon!

Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara - $2.89
$3/1 from All You magazine (March 2010)
*FREE with coupon!

Fusion Razors (1-pack in new packaging) - $4.99 at some stores
$4/1 from 2-7-10 PG
*Pay only $.99 after coupon!
***Go here to see a picture of what this specific razor looks like that is on sale.

*Health/Medicine*

Halls Cough Drops (30 count) - $1.19
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.19 with coupon!

***Benadryl Itch Relief Stick - $2.50
$5/2 from 4-11-10 RP
*FREE after coupon!

*Household*

***Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Kits - $7.99 to $8.99 (depends on store)
$5/1 from 4-11-10 SS
Buy one kit get a refill free printable coupon
Buy 3 Scrubbing Bubbles products, get a $5 Target gift card from 4-11-10 SS
*DEAL: Buy 2 starter kits and 2 refills. Use (2) $5/1 coupons, 2 free refill printable coupons, and the Target coupon. You will pay as low as $5.98 out of pocket, and get back a $5 gift card! That's like paying $.98 for all four products!!! THEN - submit for the $5 SC Johnson rebate! It's a moneymaker!
***Or you can do the deal at Publix to pay nothing out of pocket at all.

***GE Energy Smart Light Bulbs - $2.99 (starting price)
$1/1 printable coupon
$2/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to get FREE light bulbs!

***Soft Scrub Total Kitchen Cleaner - $3.49
$2/1 printable coupon
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.49 each!

Snuggle Dryer Sheets - $2.96 to $3.99 (depends on store)
$3/1 from 3-28-10 RP
*FREE - $.99 with coupon!

All laundry detergent (travel size) $1
$1/1 printable when you sign up here
*Free after coupon!

Airwick Freshmatic i-Motion Ultra or Scented Oil Starter Kit - $6
$5/1 from 3-7-10 SS
$4/1 from 3-7-10 SS
$2/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack a manufacturer coupon with the $2 Target coupon to get these for FREE!

***Seventh Generation Disinfectant or Wipes (35 count) - $2.99
$1/1 printable coupon
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Pay only $.99 after stacking coupons above!
***Some bottles have a $5 rebate hangtag on them. If you can find these, do the above transaction 3 times and submit for the $5 rebate for a $2 moneymaker!

Tide (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 3-7-10 PG or 4-4-10 PG
*FREE with coupon!

Downy (travel size) - $.97
$1/1 from 4-4-10 PG
*FREE with coupon!

Rayovac Batteries - $1 in the Dollar Spot
$1/1 printable coupon
*FREE with coupon!

*Grocery/Food*

Act II Popcorn (3 count bags) - $1 in Dollar Spot
$.40/1 from 2-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.60 with coupon!

Del Monte Canned Vegetables - $.50
$1/8 from 3-21-10 RP
*Pay only $.37 each after coupon!

Seattle's Best Latte - $1
$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS (regional coupon)
*FREE with coupon!

Nescafe Taster's Choice Stick Pack (7 count) - $1
$.50/1 from 2-28-10 SS
*Pay only $.50 each after coupon!

*Games/Toys*

Various $2/1 DVD coupons HERE. Might make for a great deal on a movie!

*Baby/Kid Products*

Johnson's Baby Cotton Swabs - $1.38
$1/1 from 3-7-10 RP
*Pay only $.38 after coupon!

Mr. Bubbles Bubble Bath - $1.77
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.77 with coupon!

Johnson's Soap Buddies - $.99
$1/1 from 3-7-10 RP
*FREE after coupon!

Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo (travel size) - $.99
$1/1 printable coupon
*FREE after coupon!

*Pet Care*

***Purina Mighty Dog Canned Food - $.55
$3/5 from 3-28-10 SS
Try me free coupon from 3-28-10 SS
*FREE with try me free coupon or $3/5 coupon!

Be sure to let me know if you see of any other great deals, or any of these that seem to no longer be valid. Thanks!

Happy Freebie Hunting!

What About You: What freebies did you snag this week at Target?

Thanks goes to Stretching A Buck, Pocket Your Dollars, and Hip2Save for their help in compiling these deals!

FREE Sample of Head & Shoulders For Men!

2010-04-13T18:26:00.004-04:00

Go here to sign up for a FREE sample of Head & Shoulders Hair Endurance For Men! I love it when there are freebies for the men in our lives. Makes them appreciate freebies and couponing a little more. ;)

What About You: Have a hubby that might use this?

Thanks, Adventures In Savings!

FREE Starbucks Coffee On Thursday (4/15)!!!

2010-04-13T18:13:00.004-04:00

Starbucks is offering a FREE cup of coffee this Thursday (4/15). All you have to do is bring your own reusable travel mug! You can get more information HERE.

What About You: Free coffee?! Oh yeah!

Thanks, Savings & Stewardship!

FREE Sample of Aveeno Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner!

2010-04-13T18:06:00.002-04:00

The great Aveeno Nourish sample has returned! Go here to sign up for a FREE sample of shampoo and conditioner! Enjoy!

What About You: Have you tried this? I got a sample last Fall and loved it!

FREE Sample Of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner!

2010-04-13T17:59:00.002-04:00

Go here to sign up for a FREE sample of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner! I'm lovin' all these great hair product freebies!

What About You: Do you like Dove hair care?

Thanks, Mojo Savings!

Just To Let You Know!

2010-04-12T23:51:00.007-04:00

Few things I thought I'd let you know before I get to bed:

1. The Scrubbing Bubbles deal at Publix is even better than I thought, if you have multiple coupons to purchase at least 3 of them. You can submit for the SC Johnson Rebate, which means a great moneymaker!

2. Target Deals and another great giveaway are coming tomorrow evening!

Have a great night!!!

Winners of the $3 Publix Coupons For Scrubbing Bubbles!

2010-04-12T23:34:00.006-04:00

I have some great news for those of you who commented on the Scrubbing Bubbles Coupon Giveaway yesterday...

Maria, a very generous reader, offered up 4 additional $3 coupons when she saw how many people were missing out on this deal! They are in the mail on the way to me right now, and I should be getting them tomorrow!!! (Thanks so much, Maria!)

I also decided to throw 1 more coupon in there, just to make it a nice even number. So here are the 8 people (via random.org) who will be receiving a $3 Scrubbing Bubbles Publix Coupon:

Nicole
Jeanne M.
Vanessa
Heather A.
Silvina
Wendy H.
Christina M.
Jennifer Is.

Winners - Please e-mail me at frugalfunfortune(at)gmail(dot)com with your full name and mailing address! I'll get them all out by tomorrow night, hopefully. They expire on April 21st, so you'll have about a week to use them!

FREE eBook - 42 Recycling Crafts!

2010-04-12T23:13:00.005-04:00

This is a pretty cool freebie eBook! Go here to get a free download of the eBook 42 Ways To Recycle Crafts.

Kind of cool - nifty craft projects and you're bettering the environment by recycling. I like!

(Just enter your e-mail address and skip the couple of offers that pop up. Then click on "Latest Free eBooks" to download your recycle crafts eBook!)

What About You: Sound like something that might interest one of your kiddos?

This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Getting Thin In 2010: Back On The Road To Success!

2010-04-12T22:35:00.005-04:00

Well...it's been 3 weeks since I decided to get serious again about this weight loss goal. I've been praying about it, eating less, and (starting today) moving more!

By eating less and praying about it, I finally got the scale to budge. You know I've been up and down with this since February (wow, I really didn't think it had been that long). As of my weekly weigh-in today, though, I'm back down to almost the lowest I've been since I started trying to Get Thin In 2010! I have lost exactly 5 pounds.

Progress To My Goal: 5 pounds lost, 20% of the 25 pounds I'd like to lose.

Today I started back on Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. WOW - I am out of shape! I'm excited to start feeling good about myself again, even if I just get a little toned and don't lose as many pounds as I'm hoping to.

You know...there are bad days, and there are good days. Life happens, eating out with friends is a reality, and eating cake at a birthday party is enjoyable.

I'm just trying to stay positive, not give up, and put the "bad days" behind me. On the days that I mess up, I try to start over the next day and forget about it, rather than giving up and blowing it completely. My progress has been like molasses. I used to be able to lose weight in no time at all. My life is different now, though, and I have to try to push through, despite my present circumstances...

I'll try to update you again next Monday when I weigh-in again! Also, I think I will talk about the number one factor that inhibits my weight loss. Until then...

What About You: How is your weight loss coming? Are you meeting your goals? Share below!

TGI Friday's Potato Skins = FREE With Coupon!

2010-04-12T18:36:00.002-04:00

So remember that great $1.50/1 printable coupon for TGI Friday's Snacks that I told you about? Well, guess what? There are no size restrictions on it!

So go pick up a small bag of the TGI Friday's potato skins, and you should be able to get it for FREE or close to free with your $1.50/1 coupon! Yippeeeee!

They are supposedly priced on sale for $1.39 right now at Walgreens, so maybe that's a good place to start looking for them!

What About You: Any price checks at various stores?

Thanks, Living Rich With Coupons!

FREE Samples Of L'Oreal Everstrong!

2010-04-12T18:30:00.003-04:00

Looks like Target is trying to keep up with Walmart. Yep - they're now offering samples, too!

This was being offered a couple of days ago, but the link wasn't working right. Looks like it's working now, so try one of the links HERE or HERE to request a FREE sample of L'Oreal Everstrong shampoo, conditioner, and treatment!

What About You: Have you tried this stuff yet?

Thanks, Saving Everyday!

HOT $1/1 Scotch Brite Coupon!

2010-04-12T18:17:00.003-04:00

There is a high-value $1/1 printable coupon available for Scotch Brite right now! This is a legitimate coupon, because it is hosted on the manufacturer's website. It is also a PDF coupon that you can print as many times as you want. It doesn't expire until June 30th!

I would go ahead and print as many as you need right now, in case they pull it. Often when a hot PDF coupon like this is released by the manufacturer, they don't realize how quickly it will go "viral" with so many frugal bloggers and money saving readers out there! So print print print!

The single packs of Scotch Brite sponges can usually be found for $1 or less at Walmart or Walgreens. If not, stores put these on sale for $1 all the time. That makes for FREE sponges! Woo Hoo!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Grabbing this coupon for later use?

Thanks, Money Saving Madness!

FREE Sample Of Philosophy Anti-Aging Moisturizer!

2010-04-12T18:11:00.003-04:00

Go here to sign up for a FREE sample of Philosophy's Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Moisturizer via Facebook!

What About You: Do you like Philosophy?

Thanks, Mojo Savings!

Jamba Juice: Buy One Get One Free!

2010-04-12T17:58:00.002-04:00

Through 4/25/10, you can use this printable coupon to get a free drink with the purchase of another one! Enjoy!

What About You: What's your favorite Jamba Juice drink?

Thanks, The Thrifty Mama!

Menu Plan Monday!

2010-04-12T09:00:00.020-04:00

Why is Menu Planning so important, and how does it affect a grocery budget? If you've been asking yourself what the big deal is about menu planning when I share my menu with you each week, be sure to go visit A Few Short Cuts to check out the guest post I did on menu planning a while back. I think it will help shed some light on this subject for you...

Here's what I have planned for this week:

Monday - Homemade pitas stuffed with veggies/lettuce

Tuesday - Black Bean Burritos

Wednesday - Dinner out with a friend; Kyle will eat a frozen meal

Thursday - Dinner with family (we do this every week)

Friday - Oriental Salad (have to get this recipe for you!), cheese/crackers, celery

Saturday - Sweet Potato Curry over rice

Sunday - Veggies Dream Cucumber Sandwiches

We do cook Vegetarian (although we eat seafood from time to time). To read more about how this affects our budget, check this post out.

What About You: Got anything delicious planned for this week? Feel free to share recipes!

Want some more inspiration for menu planning? Visit Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie's website! 400+ bloggers gather there every Monday to share their ideas!

GREAT News - More FREE Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer!

2010-04-11T19:57:00.010-04:00

**UPDATE: This deal is even better! Buy 3 products and submit for the $5 SC Johnson rebate to make it a moneymaker!!!**

So for those of you who missed out on the awesome $5/1 Scrubbing Bubbles printable coupon that went so fast...

Great news! There is a new $5/1 coupon in today's smart source insert! (4-11-10 SS). PLUS, there's a new printable coupon that makes the deal sweeter. These coupons will make for a great deal at Target this week. (I'll post about it tomorrow). But it makes for an even better deal at Publix, because you pay NOTHING out of pocket!

Here's what you want to do at Publix:
Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer - $7.99
S.B. Extend-A-Clean Refills - $3.99
$5/1 from 4-11-10 SS
Buy one sprayer, get a refill free printable coupon
$3/1 Publix coupon from "One Store One Stop" booklet found in-store
*DEAL: Buy 1 sprayer and 1 refill. Use all 3 coupons above. You'll get sprayer and refill for FREE! That's a $12 value! Yippee!!!

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

Now I know many of you have had troubles finding the "One Stop One Store" coupon booklet at your Publix. I was lucky enough to have them at my store (For once! I never have coupon booklets at my store!)

Well, I just so happen to have a few extras. ;) So who wants one? Comment on this post, and I will randomly pick 3 of you to receive a Publix $3 coupon tomorrow night (Monday) at 10 pm. Please don't comment if you've already done this deal or have already found this coupon booklet. I want this to be for those of you who have not been able to find this booklet at your store, and therefore haven't been able to take advantage of this awesome deal.

~~So comment away!!!~~

Oh, and just so you know - this stuff ROCKS. I've been using the shower one for the past week, and it's awesome!!!

Heads Up On A Couple Great Deals!

2010-04-11T19:26:00.006-04:00

I decided to get a head start on this week's shopping. I actually got my Publix and CVS trips all finished tonight! Yay - Makes life so much easier not having to come home from work to go shopping!

Anyways, I found 2 surprise deals at Publix and CVS!

At Publix:

Dial NutriSkin hand soap - $1.59
$.35/1 from 3-7-10 RP
$1/1 Target printable coupon
*Stack coupons to pay only $.24 each! Woo Hoo! I grabbed 3 of them!
*I'll add this to the Dollar Deals list.

At CVS:

I scanned my Extra Care card at the price scanning machine, and I got a $1 off any CVS paper products. I knew that the single rolls of CVS brand toilet paper are $1, so I went to grab one of those. Turns out - they're on sale 2 for $1! So here's what I did:

CVS brand toilet paper (single roll) - 2/$1
$1/1 coupon from price-scanning machine
*I bought 2 single rolls, and my cashier let me use the $1 coupon. I got both for FREE!

I have an extra card in my husband's name that I rarely use (one card is enough to keep track of), but I decided to scan that one to see if I could get another coupon. I did! So I bought 2 more rolls with his card - completely FREE!

I'm usually pretty picky about my toilet paper. I like Angel Soft, Quilted Northern, or Cottonelle. But we are down to one roll at our house, so I was really glad to get these 4 rolls to tide us over until I see an awesome deal on toilet paper in the next week or 2!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Any luck with these 2 deals?

Walgreens Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

2010-04-11T14:39:00.003-04:00

New to couponing at Walgreens? Start here!

Prices and sales may vary slightly by region.

Here are the best deals I see this week at Walgreens:

Weekly Register Rewards Deals:

Buy 1 Schick Hydro Shaving Gel at $2.99, get back $2.99 RR
*FREE after RR!

Buy 1 Schick Hydro 3 razor at $7.99, get back $5 RR
$3/1 disposable razor from 3-21-10 SS
*FREE after coupon and RR!
*(Still not sure if this new razor is disposable or not. Let me know.)

Buy 2 Tylenol, Sudafed, or Benadryl cold/allergy relief products at $4.99 each, get back $5 RR
$5/2 from 4-11-10 RP
*FREE after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 Schick Quattro disposable razors at $5.99, get back $1 RR
$4/1 from 3-21-10 SS
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and RR!

Buy 1 Colgate Pro-Clinical toothpaste at $3.99, get back $2 RR
$1/1 from 4-11-10 SS
$1/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $.99 after coupon and RR!

Other Great Deals:

Ban Deodorant - $.99 (with in ad coupon)
$.40/1 from 3-7-10 SS
$.75/1 invisible solid from 3-7-10 SS
*If invisible solid is included, stack in ad coupon with $.75/1 coupon to pay only $.24 each!

Carefree Pantiliners - $.99 (with in ad coupon)
Buy one get one free coupon from 3-28-10 RP
*Stack coupons to pay only $.50 each!

Vitamin Water - $1
$1/2 from 4-11-10 SS
*Pay only $.50 each with coupon!

Snuggle - $3.99
$3/1 from 3-28-10 RP
*Pay only $.99 with coupon!

Tresemme products - 3/$10
$2/1 printable coupon
*Pay only $1.33 each with coupon!

Mazola Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $3.49
$.50/1 from 3-21-10 SS
*Pay only $2.99 with coupon!

Monthly Register Rewards Deals:

Buy 2 Biore products at $5.99 each, get back $5 RR
Buy one get one free coupon from 3-7-10 SS
*Pay only $.50 each after coupon and RR!

Buy 4 Velveeta Shells Cups at $1 each, get back $1.50 RR

Buy one get one free printable coupon

*Buy 4, use 2 coupons, and pay only $.50 for 4 cups after RR!

Buy 3 John Frieda products at 3/$15, get back $5 RR
$2.50/1 printable coupon (use 3, you'll need more than 1 computer)
*Pay only $.83 each after coupons and RR!

Happy Savings!!!

What About You: Share your deals, scenarios, questions, or suggestions in the comment box below!

Thanks goes to Common Sense With Money and Moms By Heart for their help in compiling many of these deals!

CVS Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

2010-04-11T14:34:00.005-04:00

If you're new to "working the couponing and ECB system" at CVS, start here!

Here are the best deals I see at CVS this week:

Weekly ECB Deals:

Buy 1 Dove shampoo or conditioner at $4.49, get back $4.49 ECB (Limit 1)

$2.50/2 or $1.50/1 from 3-28-10 RP

*FREE, plus a $.50 moneymaker, after $1.50 coupon and ECB! Or buy 2, use the $2.50/2 coupon, and pay only $1 each!

Buy 1 Dial NutriSkin body wash at $5.49, get back $4.50 ECB (Limit 1)

$1/1 printable coupon

*FREE after coupon and ECB!

Buy 1 Schick Hydro 3 Razor at $8.97, get back $6 ECB (Limit 1)

$3/1 Schick disposable from 3-21-10 SS

*FREE after coupon and ECB!
*(Still not sure if this new razor is disposable or not. Let me know.)

Buy 1 Dentyne Gum (3-pack) at 2/$3, get back $1 ECB (Limit 1)
$1/2 from 2-28-10 SS

*Buy 2, and pay only $.50 each after coupon and ECB! It's like paying $.17 per individual pack!

Buy 1 Colgate Pro-Clinical toothpaste at $3.99, get back $2 ECB (Limit 1)

$1/1 from 4-11-10 SS

$1/1 printable coupon

*Pay only $.99 after coupon and ECB!

Buy $15 worth of John Frieda or Biore products, get back $5 ECB (Limit 1)

*Deal Idea #1*

Buy:

2 Biore Cleansers at $6 each

2 Biore Pore Strips at $6 each

Use:

2 Buy one get one free coupons from 3-7-10 SS (regional coupon)

*You'll pay only $1.75 each after coupons and ECB!

OR

*Deal Idea #2*
Buy: 3 John Frieda products at $5 each
Use: (3) $2.50/1 printable coupons (you'll need more than 1 computer for this)
*Pay only $.83 each after coupons and ECB!

Other Great Deals:

St. Ives body wash, body moisturizer, or apricot scrub (travel sizes) - $.97

$1/1 from 3-21-10 SS

*FREE with coupon!

Nescafe Tasters Choice - $1

$.75/1 printable coupon

*Pay only $.25 with coupon!

Simply Asia Bowls - Buy one get one free ($1.99)

$.50/1 from 2-7-10 SS (regional coupon)

*Buy 2, use 2 coupons, and pay only $.50 each!

Vitamin Water - $1

$1/2 from 4-11-10 SS

*Pay only $.50 each with coupon!

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers - Buy one get one free ($3.99)

$1/1 from 3-28-10 SS

$1/1 from All You magazine (February 2010)

*Buy 2, use 2 coupons, and pay only $1 each!

Filippo Berio Olive Oil - $3.99
$1/1 printable coupon here or here
*Pay only $2.99 with coupon!

Purex - Buy one get one free (price?)

$1/1 printable coupon

*Buy 2, use 2 coupons, and get cheap laundry detergent!

Happy CVS-ing!!!

What About You: How did you do this week at CVS? Feel free to share deals and scenarios below in the comments section!

Thanks goes to The Thrifty Mama, Moms By Heart, Money Saving Madness, Cha Ching On A Shoestring, and Common Sense With Money for their help in compiling many of these deals!

Rite Aid Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

2010-04-11T13:55:00.003-04:00

Here are the best deals I see on Lynn's List this week:

AMO Complete Multi-Purpose Solution $7.99
$7.99 SCR #34
FREE after SCR

Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste $2.99
$2 SCR #59
$1/1 Crest Premium Toothpaste, exp. 4-30-10 (P&G 04/04/10)
$1/1 Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste coupon from sample box
FREE after coupon & SCR

Post cereal $1.88
$2/1 Post Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts Cereal printable
$1/2 Post Cereal, exp. 4-25-10 (SS 03/14/10)
$1/2 Post Honey Bunches of Oats, exp. 4-25 (SS 3/14/10)

FREE - $1.38 after coupon

Nivea Lip Care $2.99
$2 SCR #38
$0.99 after SCR

Be sure to go visit Lynn @ Maven of Savin' to see the rest of the deals and transaction scenarios this week!

Thanks, Lynn!

What About You: Snag any great Rite Aid Deals this week?

FREE Milk Bone Essentials Dog Treats At PetSmart!

2010-04-11T13:32:00.003-04:00

PetSmart has Milk Bone Essentials dog treats on sale for $2 with your Pet Perks card (free to sign up for in store or online). Use the $2/1 printable coupons available HERE and HERE to get them for FREE!

You can definitely print the one at coupons.com twice. And the other one at least once, maybe twice. So that's 3 to 4 FREE bags of dog treats!

Supposedly, this sale runs through May 2nd, so you have a while to grab them! Go here to find a Pet Smart location near you.

Happy savings for your furry friend!

What About You: Does your dog like these?

Thanks, Money Saving Madness!

FREE Kraft Mac & Cheese!

2010-04-11T13:28:00.003-04:00

Go become a fan of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese on Facebook. Then click on the "Free Cheesy" tab to get a coupon mailed to you for a FREE box of Cheesy Explosion mac n cheese!

Enjoy!

What About You: Have you tried this stuff? The Cheesy Explosion, I mean?

Thanks, Sarah's Deals!

The 3 Winners Are...

2010-04-10T23:44:00.004-04:00

photo courtesy of flickr.com

The 3 winners (via random.org) of the $20 eShakti gift certificates are:

Sara (sadimill@xxxx) with the following comment:

I would get a dress! I am a small size and have the opposite problem - most pants and dresses I buy are too big. I have to get many clothes tailored, because who wants to wear clothes that hang on them?

The White Family with the following comment:

I love the dress and the customability (made that word up) of the store. How cool is that!

Rhonda L. with the following comment:

I would love to have a new dress. I have 3 weddings coming up.

Congratulations on winning! Please e-mail me at frugalfunfortune(at)gmail(dot)com to get further information about your e-gift certificates! Please respond within 48 hours, or I will have to choose another winner. Thanks!

Thanks to everybody else who participated in the giveaway. Many more to come!

Coupon Insert Preview - 4/11/10

2010-04-10T23:39:00.002-04:00

You can go HERE to see what coupons will be in tomorrow's newspaper! Looks like there will be 2 inserts again - SS and RP.

What About You: See any awesome coupons you're excited about?

This post contains affiliate links. Rest assured this blog will always be in the best interest of the reader. I would never promote anything that does not have my stamp of approval on it!

Marina Shares Her Publix Savings!

2010-04-10T20:53:00.003-04:00

Marina e-mailed me with her awesome Publix savings from this week! Check it out:

What she bought (pictured above):

1 $50 BP gas card
4 coffee mate creamer
2 packs of guacamole
2 scrubbing bubbles starter kit
4 boxes dog treats
2 half gallon organic valley milk
2 boxes kashi herb cracker
2 cracker barrel cheese
2 yellow squash
3 zuchinni
1.5 lbs of tomato
2 lbs of banana
1 english cucumber
1 bag of goldfish
2 bags of sunflower seeds
2 32ct bayer aspirin
1 midol
1 pineapple

Total Before Savings $149.38
Total saved from vendor coupons $33.22
Total saved from store coupons $33.50
Special Price savings $15.51
Total Savings $82.23
Total Paid $67.15

Ummm...She paid $67, and the gas card alone cost $40 (with the $10 off coupon)!!! That means she got everything in the picture for a mere $27.

Woo Hoo! Go Marina! Everyone be sure to congratulate her in the comments below!

What About You: Do you have some killer savings to share? If so, you can link up or comment on Share Your Savings Saturday. Or, feel free to e-mail me with a picture and summary of what you bought/saved, and I will try to post it! I usually try to pick out one reader's savings at least every other week to highlight! (My e-mail is listed under the "about me" section on the right).

Heads Up - $5 Walmart Gift Card In Mail!

2010-04-10T17:08:00.003-04:00

If you see a Walmart home mailer in your snail mail box over the next few days, don't trash it immediately thinking it's just junk mail! Many people have been receiving $5 Walmart gift cards this week!!

What About You: Did you get one? Not me, unfortunately.

Thanks for the heads up, Fun & Frugal Moms!

Awesome Aquafresh Coupons!

2010-04-10T17:04:00.002-04:00

There are tons of awesome AquaFresh printable coupons available here!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Do you like AquaFresh? I'll definitely take it for free at CVS! He He.

Thanks, Spend Less Save More!

More Printable Coupons!

2010-04-10T16:29:00.004-04:00

In addition to the hot $1.50/1 Wheatables coupon, here are a few more I just found that are definitely worth printing:

Buy one get one free SoBe Lifewater (save to use at a BOGO sale at CVS to get 2 for free!)

$1.50/1 Wholly Guacamole (Thanks, Frugal Living & Having Fun!)

$1.50/1 TGIF Snacks

$1/1 Uncle Matt's organic orange juice (Thanks, The Thrifty Mama!)

$1/1 Expo Washable Markers (Thanks, Stretching A Buck!)

$1/1 GE Energy Smart lightbulbs

$1/1 Pepperidge Farm cookies

Happy Printing & Saving!

What About You: Which ones will you be printing?

Troubles printing this coupon? Try this helpful tidbit!

*This post contains coupon affiliate links. I earn a small amount of money when you print coupons from select links above. However, I would never promote anything that is not in the best interest of the reader.

FREE Sample of EAS Chocolate Cream Energy Shake!

2010-04-10T16:20:00.004-04:00

Go here to sign up to receive a free bottle of EAS Chocolate Cream Energy Shake! Enjoy!

What About You: Have you tried these? I tried the EAS bars, and they were actually pretty good!

Thanks, Mojo Savings!

HOT $1.50/1 Wheatables Coupon!

2010-04-10T16:16:00.003-04:00

Go here to print a high-value coupon for $1.50/1 Wheatables! You can print 2 by hitting your backspace key after the first one prints. Hold on to them for a great sale!

Happy Savings!

What About You: Do you like these?

Troubles printing this coupon? Try this helpful tidbit!

FREE Pint of Benjamin Moore Aura Paint!

2010-04-10T16:10:00.004-04:00

Go here to print a coupon for a FREE pint of Benjamin Moore Aura Paint! What an awesome freebie! The colors are beautiful!

It's only a pint, but it might be good for a small project (maybe even just for arts & crafts). On the same page as the coupon, you can also find a location near you that carries this paint.

Enjoy!

What About You: What will you use your free pint of paint for?

Thanks, Maven of Savin'!

Share Your Savings Saturday - My (almost) no-coupons Publix trip, CVS, and Walgreens!

2010-04-10T14:59:00.005-04:00

This week has been crazy, so when I got home on Tuesday night I was just not in the mood to go to the grocery store. Plus, I had to do CVS and Walgreens runs (deals way too great to pass up this week). Then I remembered that the Publix ad is running for 10 days, so next week's trip will be the same sale when I go shop! Therefore, I came up with a great idea...

I decided not to use any coupons on this week's trip at Publix, so that I could make it easy on myself. I didn't have to prep before I went, no coupons to clip, nothing. I just grabbed my weekly menu plan, and headed out to the store. As you can see, I picked up almost all produce. I used a few competitor coupons, but that's all. I will pick up the coupon/sale items at next week's trip. It was nice to have a break this week, though. I think everybody should do a "no coupons" trip every once in a while, just to prevent coupon burnout!

On a side note...After I handed the cashier the few competitor's coupons, she looked at me with a shocked face and said, "That's all?" LOL. She couldn't believe I didn't have another stack of manufacturer coupons to hand over to her (I always divide mine into 2 piles to make it easier on them - store and manufacturer). Funny!

Anyways, here is what I bought at Publix this week (pictured above):

2 bags Doritos
1 bag Santitas tortilla chips
1 box Saltines (just craving them, for some reason!)
1 package Romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch bananas
1 bunch cilantro
3 onions
2 apples
2 limes
1 tomato
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
5 oranges
1 bunch grapes
1 avocado
1 package walnuts
1 green bell pepper
1 Publix salsa
1 loaf bread
1 cracker barrel cheese
1 package butter
1 package mushrooms

Total Before Sales and Coupons: $51.82
Total saved from sales: $9.79
Manufacturer coupons used: $0
Store/Competitor coupons used: $9.75
Total amount saved: $19.54
Total paid after all sales and coupons: $32.28

I also bought a gas card, but didn't factor that into this trip. That comes out of the gas budget, not the grocery budget. =) I also stopped by Walgreens and CVS this week. Below you'll find the progress on that:

CVS Trip (pictured above):
Total paid out of pocket: $1.72
Total saved: $42.39
ECB I walked away with: $11.50

Walgreens Trip (pictured above):
Total paid out of pocket: $7.34
Total saved: $28.56
RR I walked away with: $5

So with Publix, CVS, and Walgreens combined, I spent a total of $41.34 (and saved $90.49)! Definitely under budget this week! Yay!

April Totals:

1st Week: $41.34

Total spent for month of April so far: $41.34
Total savings for month of April so far: $90.49

New to saving money on groceries? Try this series for helpful information on how to save.

Not sure how to use coupons? Try this post for couponing basics!

Want to start saving at Publix? Check out the Publix Basics post to learn all about it!

What About You: How did you do this week? Share your deals and scenarios below by either linking up to your blog or commenting!

Note about linking to your blog: Please leave a link that goes directly to your savings post, rather than your home page, so that everybody can easily see your great deals! =)

Looking forward to seeing how some of you save each week!

***If you are reading this post by e-mail or reader, you will need to click over to the actual blog post in order to see everybody's links!

I Haven't Left You, I Promise =)

2010-04-10T08:46:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past 2 days. My life has been a whirlwind. First of all, we renewed our lease this week, so we were busy with that. Then, last night we went on a family outing to a baseball game with my husband, in-laws, and all my brothers and sisters. We saw an awesome fireworks show and Mark Schultz in concert. It was a lot of fun, but I didn't get home until quite late. Life has just been piling up, too. So much to do, so little time.

Then the real kicker. Thursday night I was extremely excited because I almost had my new site up and ready to go...until I found out that the site was basically not working in Internet Explorer for some reason. Needless to say I had a ~~crying fest~~ really awful night. So I have been dealing with that for the past 2 days, contacting support, ~~crying some more~~, etc.

To be quite honest, it really took a toll on me. Last night I was considering just quitting blogging all together. That's how upset this entire thing has made me. Something you might not realize is that a blogger's life is extremely stressful and difficult. It's just hard. You put in hours upon hours working on the blog, trying to make it the best it can be. At least a couple times a week, you get extremely nasty comments from readers that make you so upset that you just lose all your motivation for blogging. Not to mention all of the behind the scenes work that it requires. Oh, and we're supposed to have lives...I forgot about that one!

So yeah, luckily I have a great support system of bloggers (especially my best blogging buddy Rose) who have been there to encourage me and not let me give up. And even more...I am so grateful to have such awesome readers. Any time I get pushed to the limit and want to just throw my hands up in surrender, I remember all of you. I remember all of the e-mails from people who have been blessed as a result of this blog. I remember how many encouraging e-mails I get, which make all of those nasty and rude e-mails worth it!

I love you guys. This morning my sister is taking me out for a late birthday surprise, but I'll be back this afternoon to play catch up! Have a great day!

FREE Pouch of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley Rice!

2010-04-10T08:40:00.004-04:00

This link has been a little tricky over the past few days so I had not posted it yet. It seems to be working just fine as of right now, though, so I decided to tell you about this great sample!

Copy and paste the link below into your browser in order to request your free sample of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley Rice:

http://bit.ly/freeunclebens

Enjoy!

What About You: Did it work for you?

Thanks, The Thrifty Divas!

New Sample of Crest 3D Whitestrips!

2010-04-10T08:30:00.004-04:00

Walmart has another Crest 3D Whitestrips sample available! Even if you requested one a couple months ago, you should be able to request another one.

Enjoy!

What About You: Have you tried these?

Two Sets Of Whole Foods Printable Coupons!

2010-04-08T20:56:00.002-04:00

It looks like there are 2 sets of Whole Foods coupons right now! Some are doubles, but there are quite a few that are completely different. So be sure to check out both sites:

Let's Retake Our Plates
Whole Deal

Remember if your Publix accepts Whole Foods competitor coupons, you can stack these with manufacturer coupons to get great deals on organic products at Publix!

Happy Savings!

What About You: See any goodies?

Thanks, I Heart Publix!

Quick Reminders!

2010-04-08T19:09:00.003-04:00

Really quick...

Don't forget that there is NOT a new Publix ad tomorrow! The current one will run through next Wednesday!

Be sure to enter my current giveaway for the $20 eShakti clothing gift certificate! It ends this Saturday night.

Have a great night! I might be MIA just a bit, because...drum roll please...the new site is almost done!!! I've been working frantically! =)

Now for dinner...yummy Bow Tie Pasta Medley!

Frugal Fun and Fortune

Goodbye Blogger, Hello Wordpress!

Share Your Savings Saturday - Link Up!

Coupon Insert Preview - 4/25

Freely Giving Friday: How Beautiful Couponing Can Truly Be

CHEAP Shoes At Payless!

Publix Deals (4/22 - 4/28)

Two More Earth Day Freebies!

Happy Earth Day!

GIVEAWAY: Seventh Generation Spring Cleaning Gift Pack!

Helping Out Your Favorite Bloggers...

FREE Kotex Sample Pack!

FREE Sample Of Eucerin Lotion!

Kroger Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

FREE Sample - o.b.Tampons!

FREE Mini Dessert At Carrabbas!

Harris Teeter Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

Food Lion Deals (4/21 - 4/27)

Heads Up! Print Now, Save For Later - Tone Body Wash!

Earth Day Freebies!

Target Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

FREE Puffs With Lotion At Walmart!

*HOT* Buy One Get One Free Lays Kettle-Cooked Chips!

Getting Thin In 2010: Stress and Relaxation

FREE Solo Cups At Schnucks!

Walgreens Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

Another CVS Deal: FREE N.Y.C. Nail Polish or Eye Liner!!

FREE eCookbook: 27 Mexican Recipes!

*HOT* $1.50/1 Classico Pasta Sauce!

Menu Plan Monday!

CVS Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

Rite Aid Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

Ingles Deals (4/18 - 4/24)

FREE A&W Root Beer Float or Freeze!

FREE Sample of John Frieda Root Awakening Hair Care!

FREE Crochet Patterns eBook!

Share Your Savings Saturday - Link Up!

Where I've Been Today =)

The Best Target Cashier I've Ever Had...

*HURRY* Buy One Get One Free Fandango Movie Tickets!!!

Happy Mega Swagbucks Friday!!!

Free or Cheap Pure & Natural Soap At Target!

Huggies Coupon - Reset?!

Publix Deals (4/15 - 4/21)

Grocery Store Weekly Deals Round-Up (4/14 - 4/20)

FREE Faux Suede Ottoman?!?!

FREE No Nonsense Knee Highs!

Freebie Round-Up

One More Tax Day Freebie - Subway!

Got Toilet Paper???

Wordless Wednesday: "Haircut"

Tax Day Freebies Tomorrow!

Two More Winners For Scrubbing Bubbles $3 Coupon!

Ingles Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

Two New Huggies Coupons Links!

Target Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

FREE Sample of Head & Shoulders For Men!

FREE Starbucks Coffee On Thursday (4/15)!!!

FREE Sample of Aveeno Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner!

FREE Sample Of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner!

Just To Let You Know!

Winners of the $3 Publix Coupons For Scrubbing Bubbles!

FREE eBook - 42 Recycling Crafts!

Getting Thin In 2010: Back On The Road To Success!

TGI Friday's Potato Skins = FREE With Coupon!

FREE Samples Of L'Oreal Everstrong!

*HOT* $1/1 Scotch Brite Coupon!

FREE Sample Of Philosophy Anti-Aging Moisturizer!

Jamba Juice: Buy One Get One Free!

Menu Plan Monday!

GREAT News - More FREE Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer!

Heads Up On A Couple Great Deals!

Walgreens Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

CVS Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

Rite Aid Deals (4/11 - 4/17)

FREE Milk Bone Essentials Dog Treats At PetSmart!

FREE Kraft Mac & Cheese!

The 3 Winners Are...

Coupon Insert Preview - 4/11/10

Marina Shares Her Publix Savings!

HOT Buy One Get One Free Lays Kettle-Cooked Chips!

HOT $1.50/1 Classico Pasta Sauce!

HURRY Buy One Get One Free Fandango Movie Tickets!!!

HOT $1/1 Scotch Brite Coupon!

HOT $1.50/1 Wheatables Coupon!