Walgreens Coupon and Double-dipping

Woo Hoo, Woo Hoo!! This is the weekend --- it is double dipping weekend (that magical 2 day period when it is still September and at the same time, already October in Walgreen-land) AND there is a $off$$ coupon --- this time it is a $5 off $20 (much easier to use than the usual $10 off $40) In other words, this is the weekend that I really truly love Walgreens.

Go here if you haven't already gotten a copy of the Walgreens coupon --- you'll need it. And remember -- your total has to be $20 AFTER all of the coupons and deals come together (but not the Register Rewards or rebates)

First off, if you haven't gotten the free after rebate items, check that list first. You automatically make money with this weekend (and this is without the double-dipping scenarios!). You buy $20 worth of free-after-rebate products. You use the $5 OFF $20, which reduces your total to $15. Then you file for your rebate - and take the rebate as a Walgreens gift card (with a 10% bonus) and your rebate becomes $22.00. You're ahead of the game by $7.00 and you have all that stuff (there is some pretty good free-after-rebate stuff this month)

I picked up most of the free-after-rebate items during the last $ off $$ sale a few weeks ago. So for this one I used the two remaining items to fill in and get my total up to $20 (the store was out of them when I did the sale the last time) Go here to see how I did the free-after-rebate items already.

So for today, I used the double-dipping items for most of my $20. These are items that are in one monthly Easy Saver booklet as a coupon discount and in the other monthly Easy Saver booklet as a rebate. For these two days, you can use both the coupon discount AND file for the rebate. When you can combine that with a manufacturer's coupon it can become a really good deal --- and then layer the $5 off $20 on top of that.

For instance:
Garnier shampoo and conditioner $6.99 each (the big bottles for this one).
Buy 3 = $20.97 (can't use the $5 off $20 yet, because we're throwing all kinds of coupons at it)
- $9.00 -- from the $3.00 October EasySaver coupon (x3 for the 3 bottles)
- $3.00 --- manufacturer's coupons on Garnier from a tear off pad a while back
$8.97 oop
But -- there is a $10 rebate when you buy $20 worth of Garnier from the September EasySaver booklet --- so I'm ahead by just over $1.00 on this one

Pert Shampoo (I hate this stuff -- but this deal is so good, I'll do it and put the bottle in the donation bag for the food pantry)
its on sale right now for $4.29 (the big bottle again)
-$2.50 October EasySaver coupon
-$2.00 coupon from 9/7 SS
= FREE
But -- there is a $4.29 rebate in the September EasySaver booklet -- so I'm ahead of the game by $4.50 on this one. (which is why I'm buying shampoo I don't like!)

You can string together some excellent deals this way. Here was my first stab ---
3 Garnier
1 Pert
2 Glade Oil refills (I am addicted to that stuff now)
used the $1.00 coupon from the September EasySaver and the BOGO coupon from the 8/24 SS
2 Reach toothbrushes (used the $1.00 coupon fromt he 6/8 RP)
1 Adidas antiperspirant $1.99 with the in-ad coupon and I used the $1.00 from the 9/7 RP

I barely made it over the $20.00 mark after all the coupons --- so I paid out about $16.00 and I'll get $16.00 back in rebates (plus 10% for putting it on my Walgreens gift card!!) And I got $5.00 Register Rewards right away for the Reach toothbrushes.

You can really make some money with this whole deal. See what I mean:
$5 two Reach toothbrushes
$4.49 Crest Rinse Mouth Wash
$16.49 Loreal Revitalift Antiwrinkle Serum
$3.79 Pert Plus Shampoo=$29.77

-2 two Reach coupons from 6/8
-3 one Loreal Revitalift coupon from 7/20
-2 Pert Manufacturer coupon (I don't have the date of the coupon, but it was within the last month)
-2.50 Pert October Easy Saver coupon (coupon deal for October -- see!)

=20.27
-5 $5 off $20 purchase Walgreens coupon
=15.27 out of pocket

But wait ----- you get back
$5 RR for Reach products,
$4.49 RR for the Mouthwash
and $20.28 in Rebates for the Loreal Serum and Pert
so you're ahead of the game by $14.50. Can't beat that.

RedBox Movie Rentals

Well, I did it. I actually went and tried the RedBox for a movie rental --- it was painless, easy really. Now, those of you who know me, know I'm not likely to be doing it again really soon. Not because of the RedBox experience, just because sitting and watching a movie just isn't something we do around here. It just takes up too much time.
But the whole RedBox thing --- that was a snap.
For those of you who are scratching your heads right now --- RedBox is the chain of DVD rental kiosks in grocery stores. Around here they're in Stop and Shop (I haven't seen them other places, but then again, I haven't been looking either)
They charge about $1/day, which seemed rather reasonable to me --- our local video store gets more than that --- Which brings us to the caveat: you MUST return the RedBox video before 9 PM. I guess that's how they keep the price so cheap??
But it gets even better. You can rent movies for free — (and I just learned this part --- obviously, this isn't personal experience yet!) over and over and over again. Yep, you read that right.... apparently, Redbox offer promo codes for free one-night rentals, and you can keep on using the same promo code over and over again.
Here's how to get started:
1. Find your local Redbox. Check out the local Stop and Shop or click on over to their website for the kiosk finder (look here)
2. Go to the Redbox location, and select "Rent with a Promo Code"
3. Enter the code "Breakroom" and choose your movie
4. Swipe your credit/debit card (they're not stupid. They want to know how to find you and how to charge you if you don't return the DVD when you're supposed to. Remember return by 9 PM the next day or they WILL charge you!!) and get the movie

I also just learned that you can get the free Monday RedBox codes sent right to your cell phone --- I always just check a few of the blogs that regularly post the codes (something I probably should start doing here)
And -- the bonus ---it seems that every state with RedBoxes has some promo codes that can be used whenever you want (not just Mondays) This site will give you the codes for your state and will help you keep track of which ones you've already used (most of them won't work more than once with the same credit card (although if you ahve multiple cards, you can repeat codes fairly easily) Go to http://www.insideredbox.com/ for the codes for your state.
Have fun

Rite Aid: Week of Sept 21

At first, I wasn't to excited about Rite Aid for this week. But then I looked again --- and for the really new newbies who only have about 2-3 weeks of coupons collected -- its looking pretty good. Here's how to save at Rite Aid this week:

Suave Lotion or Body Wash--$1.99
Use $0.75/1 lotion from 09/21 RedPlum
Get $1 Single Check Rebate (#14, limit 1)
it comes out to about $0.24 after coupon and rebate

Suave Antiperspirant/Deodorant--$1.99
Use $0.75/1 from 09/21 RedPlum insert
Get $1 Single Check Rebate (#35, limit 2)
this one comes out to about $0.24 after coupon and rebate

Dawn Dish Soap--$.99 (I usually hold out for free Dawn, but this isn't a bad price, especially if you're new at this -- and you need dish soap!)
Use $0.50/1 from 08/31 P&G insert
$0.49 after coupon (no rebate on this one!!)

Garnier Shampoo, Conditioner or Stylers--2/$6.00
Buy 3 and use 3 $1/1 coupons from 09/14 RedPlum insert
Get $5 Single Check Rebate for buying 3
$0.33 each after coupons and rebate

CVS Week of 9/21

I'm a little irked with CVS right now --- I had my plan all set for how to maximize the $11.99 ECB on the L'Oreal Revitalift 2 day sale. Let's just say that 8 different CVS stores in 3 different states over the course of the two days had exactly ZERO of the product. And the best that anyone could do was offer me a raincheck for free Revitalift ---- How do I politely say "I really don't want the product --- its the ECB deal that I'm really after" ---
Anyway - here's what else I'm thinking for this week:
Transaction 1

L'oreal bare naturale I'm getting the eyeliner, cuz I actually really like this stuff - $7.99
Nivea for Men - $4.99
Adidas - $5.29
3 Johnson and Johnson buddies soaps $.99 each
Total: $21.24

Coupons Used:
$4/$20 CVS
$1 L'oreal coupon from 7/20
$1 Nivea coupon (don't know where I got this one)
$1 Adidas coupon
$3 Johnson Soaps coupon

$11.24 to be paid with ECB of course

Earn: 3 ECB, 4.99 ECB, and 4 ECB for a total of $11.99 ECB --- a tiny bit of profit -- not bad.

Transaction 2

Soyjoy bars 10/ $5.00 (my family loves these -- don't ask)
Schick Quattro refills BOGO
$3.00 off Soyjoy coupon 9/7
$4.00 Quatto coupon

You Can't Febreeze the Dog!!

Well, you CAN, but it doesn't work.

We had a crazy weekend around here. Several rooms in our house had an odd, funky kind of an odor. We went crazy cleaning --- stripping beds, mopping floors, pouring vinegar down drains -- the whole jazz. I went out to Walgreens and bought a boatload of cleaning products (mostly with Register Rewards and rebates on them). It didn't seem to matter what I did, the smell still lingered. I still caught a whiff of it every once in a while.

Finally, we were getting ready to leave to visit my mom --- and my husband put the dog in the cab of the pickup truck and seat-belted her in... He quickly returned with a question that only a bargain hunting husband will ever ask "With all the free cleaning stuff that Walgreen's gave us, is there anything that will clean the dog?" Needless to say, he had found the source of the funky odor!!

We scanned the pile of cleaning products and decided to try the Febreeze --- we sprayed the poor pooch down with a coating of Febreeze (she wasn't thrilled) and piled into the truck and hoped for the best.

It was a stinky ride to moms! And of course, the dog wanted to snuggle --- yech! At mom's we borrowed some Dawn dishsoap and washed the dog in the driveway so we could stand her for the ride home. --- Dawn works far better than Febreeze -- believe me.

Walgreens Coupon for 9/13 and 9/14

Walgreens is offering a coupon again --- another one of the $10 off of a $40 purchase. As usual with Walgreens, the $40 refers to the total after all coupons etc have been deducted ---

But --- that means its a terrific time to stock up on all of the free after rebate products (you automatically make 25% this way) and fill in with any clearance items.

So here's my plan for Walgreens today (I'm planning on hitting two different Walgreens because I'm hoping against hope for my number 1 item)

1. Magic Bullet -- this baby is normally around $50 (even at Walgreens) but there are reports all over the web that many Walgreens have them on clearance now for around $15 (much more to my budget's liking!!) I went to one Walgreens last week but they had none (not even in the regular price "as seen on TV" aisle). But let me tell you, if I find one of these at that kind of a price, I WILL be buying it ON THE SPOT (even without the $10 off $40 coupon in my hot little hand)

Now for my free after rebate items:
2. Vacuum bags -- these are on the free after rebate list at Walgreens. I didn't think I wanted them, but I've been convinced. All those summer clothes I'm getting ready to pack away will take up much less space in these babies --- and since in an old, old house, I'm pretty much limited to some attic storage and under the bed storage -- every inch counts. I'm planning on getting two of these (different sizes) because they both qualify for the rebate. Woo hoo.
3. Pert Plus -- I think I've still got one coupon from the 8/3 insert (which will make this even more of a moneymaker). We're not fond of Pert at our house, but it makes a terrific donation for our food pantry or for the battered women's shelter.
4. Excedrin Express Gels -- we go through Excedrin like candy -- (hmmm what does that say about my household, anyway??). I have some coupons from an earlier online printout that will make this an even better deal.
5. Nivea body wash for men -- I still have the coupon from 7/13 and hubby loves this stuff. free after rebate and the value of the coupon as a bonus..... good deal for me.
6. Crest Pro Health toothpaste --- there were coupons in the PG from Labor Day weekend -- plus free after rebate.
7. Revlon nail polish -- I don't really need this -- it will go to the battered women's shelter most likely -- but I still have the coupons from both 7/20 and 8/24, so good deal.

All of that will easily add up to $40 to let me use that $10 off $40.

I'll probably do a transaction buying Register Rewards products this week too --- (if I do that first, I can use the RR to pay for all of this stuff.... good plan!) Here are the ones I'm considering (I'm passing on the cough syrup deal for one)

Crest 500ml Pro-Health Rinse $4.49 get $4.49 rebate item plus RR on top of that!!
Buy 2, get $2, Buy4 get $5, buy 7 get $10

-$2.49 Shout Spray or Wipes
use the coupon from 8/10
Fantastic $2.49Windex Spray or Wipes $2.49
coupons from SS 7/20
Scrubbing Bubbles Wipes $2.49 or 16oz Foaming Spray-$2.49 on 2, bogo Scrubbing Bubbles Wipes
coupon 7/20-
Pledge Spray or Wipes $3.29
coupon from 7/20
Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Foamer $3.79
coupon 8/24
Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush MAX Starter Kit $3.79free Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush refill w/ purchase of Starter Kit and coupon from 7/20
Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber $3.79-$2.75 off action scrubber
Drano Gel $3.49
Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner $19.99 get $10 RR-$5 Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Starter Kit -$5
Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Starter Kit coupon 7/20
Buy 2 or more Listerine Products $11/2 get $6 RR
coupon from 7/27
Oral B or Crest $8/3 get $3 RR
coupon P&G 8/31
Buy 2 or more Delsym or Mucinex Products get $5 RR
Tylenol Allergy, Cold or Sinus Relief $4.99
Benedryl $3.99
coupon 7/27
Buy 2 get $5, buy 3 get $10 RR
Advil PM $6.99
coupon 8/17/08

CVS Part II 9/1/08

I know you're waiting with bated breath to use those Pantene coupons, but hold on a minute --- we're going to do a different deal first ---- a little slick, but you'll be agog.

Go to CVS --- and find the Accu-Check Diabetes Monitoring Kit. It will be in the back of the store by the pharmacy counter (which is where all of the diabetic supplies are located) It is on sale for $9.99.
Take it to the counter, along with something incredibly cheap (like a package of M&Ms) to get your total over the $10 mark.
Give the clerk your CVS card, and let the ring up go --- your total will be about $10.50 or so....
Give the clerk the $2/10 coupon that we clipped from the magazine the other day. Now, your total will be about $8.50. Use your ECB from the Covergirl transaction to pay. Your receipt will print out $9.99 ecbs. You're ahead of the game another $1.50.
Take the glucose monitor home and check it carefully --- they very often have a rebate for the full purchase price. If your box has a rebate form --- you want to use it and get the $9.99 back from the company.
Finally --- if a blood glucose monitor is not something you normally use, donate it to the Humane Society (they use them with diabetic cats), a Senior center, a local social services agency etc. There are many, many people who DO use a blood glucose monitor, for whom getting one is a major problem. You'll be a hero!!!

Beginners' CVS 9/1/08

Okay, newbies (we have a raft of really NEW newbies this week --- they'll only have the 8/31 PG coupons for sure!)

First Trip to CVS:
Remember to swipe your CVS card at the magic red coupon machine!!

Buy:

• Covergirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor B1G1Free - Use the B1G1Free coupon from the Sunday insert (8/31 PG). This makes BOTH of them FREE!! Woo Hoo
• Covergirl Wetslicks $5.99 Use the B1G1Free coupon from the Sunday insert (8/31 PG) You'll still be paying out of pocket for the first one. (older newbies, use your ExtraBucks from last week!!) Now, also use the $1/1 coupon from this Sunday's insert (8/31 PG) to make a $1 profit! At the bottom of your receipt - $5.99 ECBs. In effect you just got this makeup for free too!!
• 2 tubes of Colgate Toothpaste $2.99 - $2 ecbs = 99¢ (limit 2) Go here to print $1.50/1 IP coupon. This will make this end up as a moneymaker!!

Ready? Here we go!

Hand the clerk your CVS card. Let the clerk ring up all of your purchases and come up what what s/he thinks is your total. S/he will say something like: $24.00. Try not to giggle. Then, let the fun begin!!

Give the clerk your $4/20 coupon (remember we saved them from your receipts last week? -- New newbies, cross your fingers and try the magic red coupon machine)

Give the clerk your manufacturer's coupons ---- Your total should come down to about $8.00. Use your ECB from last week (or pay with cash, new newbies). And then wait patiently for your receipt --- it will take a minute or two to print out this week. You'll get $4.00 ECB for the toothpaste, and $5.99 ECB for the Covergirl Wetslicks. You're ahead of the game by about $1.00 already --- and the week is young!!

After you've successfully done this deal, come back and we'll put the Pantene coupons from this week's insert to very, very good use.

Why God Made Moms

This came in a forwarded email today (you know the kind) but I thought it was adorable and appropriate for a holiday weekend.... if you know who originated this, I'd be delighted to give credit.

Subject: WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power because that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

CVS 8/24

CVS is looking quite good to me this week. Here's my run-down and my plan.

Transaction #1

• 2 Revlon Nail Polish BOGO @ $4.59
• 1 Kotex 16 count box @ $1.49
• 1 Playtex Gentle Glide tampons 18 count box $4.99

Total $11.07

• Use $2 off $10 printable
• $1 off any Kotex product (7-20 SS or there is also one in the last issue of All You)
• $1 off Playtex (6-22 RP This is an older coupon for some of you -- if you don't have it, just increase your oop by $1 -- it will still be a good deal)
• 2 $2 off Revlon (7-20 SS)

Total OOP $3.07
You will earn

• $1.49 ECB from Kotex
• $3.00 ECB from Playtex

Transaction 2

• 2 CVS tampons with free liners @ $4.99 each
• 2 Zipfizz drink @$5.99 ea

Total 21.96

Use a $4/20 printout

Use your 4.49 from the last transaction

Total oop =13.96

BUT you'll get ECB for $15.98 (Your grand total so far is $1.05 and you have all of this stuff. But WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!)

Transaction 3

• 2 packages of Stayfree pads $9.00
• 2 tubes of Colgate $3.99 BOGO

Total $12.99

• $2/10 coupon
• 2 of the $1.00 off of Colgate from this past week's insert
• 1 BOGO coupon for the Stayfree from 6/29 RP

Total oop 4.49 (Pay with the ECB from above, so not really oop at all!)

Earn ECB of $5.00

FaceBook Flop: What a Mess!!

For those of you who haven't been following the FaceBook coupon saga ---- three words sum it all up nicely: What a mess!!

Click through to here to find an article that lays out the facts rather nicely

Then go here to find some perspective from someone who got caught in the mess (Note: I really respect IHeartCVS and commend the incredibly ethical behavior demonstrated through all of this --- if you scroll down to older posts on the blog, you'll see examples of what I mean. Classy individual who totally has a right to way more ranting than is being done)

Personally, I found out about the coupons while they were still very lucrative -- but being a FaceBook chicken, I delayed considerably. By the time I got there, the coupons were down to about $.50 off or so --- wasn't sure they really were even worth the toner and paper, but I did print out a few of them. Thankfully, I didn't get around to using them --- thus potentially destroying my reputation with several stores (at one of the stores I frequently patronize, the manager has been known to tell a particular balky cashier "This lady knows what she's doing. If she gave you the coupons, just put them through.") You don't come by that kind of reputation easily --- and I would be raging, blazing mad to have it ruined with a mess like this (which I think is a big part of IHeartCVS's point).

Check out Dana's post about ethical behavior --- its a tad preachy for my taste, but that's the audience at that blog, so....... But regardless --- she's got a point. We have to be ethically and morally responsible people..... period... end.

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary

I think that one of the internet abbreviations that tickles me most has got to be YMMV. I don't know why, it just makes me smirk when I see it. Well, today was certainly a YMMV kind of a day.

I did a fair amount of shopping: Stop and Shop, Big Y, Price Chopper, CVS, and Walgreens. (Whew!) Some stores, I did better than I had planned --- some stores were disappointing and deals didn't work out the way I had planned at all. It's just the way of things when you're stacking up sales, coupons and rebates/ECBs all over the place.

So here is how it all played out:

Stop and Shop: I did some fresh food shopping (fish and a few veggies that aren't likely to be at the farmer's market on Saturday). My sales hunting was limited to Windex (2/$5 and then coupons on top of that) and cat food (free coupons -- for the Humane Society). But when I got there, I discovered they actually had a better deal on the Cheerios than Walgreens --- where I had planned to do the Cheerios deal. So -- I shuffled my coupons around and worked the Cheerios deal in Stop and Shop (4/$6 less the Cheerios Challenge coupons -- ended up as 4/$2 Woo Hoo!!)

Big Y: I had rainchecks left from their 08/08/08 sale last week when they ran out of EVERYTHING. So I got two more boxes of Cheerios ($.88 each less a coupon for $.75 off two), and two cans of coffee ($.88 each). They also had L'Oreal Pro Vive shampoo on sale Buy One Get Two free -- and I had three coupons good for $1 each. It ended up at $1.99 for three bottles of shampooo. I really didn't save any money from the CVS L'Oreal deal, but I ended up with three bottles of shampoo instead of two.

Price Chopper: The only thing that really piqued my interest this week was the Scott toilet paper at 12 rolls for $5.99. That's not a bad price, but I had $.75 coupons and the flyer from Price Chopper had coupons for doubling any paper product coupon. Final price 12 rolls for $4.49. So, I bought 24 rolls. I have additional coupons, but I'm not sure I want to stockpile that much toilet paper. The food pantry can't take it because the rolls are not individually wrapped (one of the rules at the local food pantry). I'll have to decide before Saturday when the sale ends. We'll see.

CVS: This was hugely a YMMV kind of a trip. I planned to work the Johnson and Johnson deal with some smallish packages of Bandaids -- and I had a pile of coupons at the ready (realistically, I could have bandaided the entire US forces in Iraq with the bandaids from the coupons (hmmmm, that might have potential for the Charity Challenge....) But YMMV -- so only the funky super bandaids were working and the Neosporin. So I ended up with two tubes of Neosporin for just under $5.00 (paid in ECBs) and 5 ECBs back -- free Neosporin -- that's good. Then I hunted like mad (at two different CVS stores) for the toothpaste that is part of the glucose monitor deal. Not only couldn't I find it, but no one in either store had the first clue about it (I guess none of the other deal hunters in my area have tried this one yet eh???) I ended up with some Colgate that didn't work -- and a gift card for $5.00 because the shift supervisor at my favorite CVS was so terrific (Go Hollie!!) I couldn't find my Crest coupon in the mess I had made of my coupons by that point (I hate revising plans on the go). The Puffs tissues weren't the right ones (so the Grocery Game isn't foolproof then??)

Walgreens: the peanut butter deal worked flawlessly and I am the new owner of no fewer than 12 jars of peanut butter. The Kraft deal wasn't working at all (and they were out of Jello -- just bare shelves). But I did get the Hefty bags and some Jiffy Cornbread mix along with it). I also ended up with two AirWick oil warmers and two oil refills for free (didn't plan on them but I had the coupons handy and they aligned with the sale perfectly)

So, the next time I read YMMV, I'll smirk -- and then sigh --- such is life.

Body Shop: What a Deal!!

The Body Shop at the mall has a couple of deals going on right now --- and (as usual) combining them creates a super terrific deal.

Here's how it works:

Go here to get a coupon good for a free bottle of lotion (its the small, travel size, but its FREE!) You'll sign up to receive their email notifications of sales etc, and they'll email you a coupon good for the free lotion. Easy

Then go here to get a coupon good for a free pair of the "sweetest, softest socks on earth" (their words, not mine). This is a coupon that you can print out immediately. They're free with a $15.00 purchase.

Then go here and get a coupon good for $10 off of any in-store purchase of $10 or more.

Now, go to the mall and make a stop at the Body Shop. Pick out about $15 worth of yummy smelling slathery stuff for your body (or for a terrific gift basket for someone you love). Add the trial size lotion and the free socks. Give the clerk all of your coupons and a $5 bill --- WOW. All that stuff for a measly $5.

I'm liking the Body Shop better and better these days.

Thanks to Coupon Cravings for this hot tip.

Walgreens Week of 8/17

This looks like a pretty great week at Walgreens for me. Here's what I'm planning to buy:

Transaction 1

• 6 jars of Skippy peanut butter -- at 3/$5 that will total to 10.00. Minus 3 coupons for $1.00 off two jars comes to $7.00 oop ---- I'll get $4.00 in Register Rewards at the end.

Transaction 2

• 4 boxes of Cheerios at $1.99 each = $7.96 minus $4.00 worth of coupons from the Cheerios Challenge = $3.96
• since I have a full $4.00 in Register rewards to spend and I know that the Walgreens by me applies that to before tax purchases only, I'll ad in 2 boxes of Hefty zipperlock storage bags which are BOGO at $2.79. That makes my new total = $6.75 minus a $1.00 off two coupon for the Hefties = $5.75
• I'll pay that with the $4.00 Register Rewards from the first transaction and then I'll only owe them $1.75 plus tax. Woo Hoo!!

Transaction 3

• I'm repeating the Skippy transaction, but because I get differing versions of the paper, I don't have all of the same coupons --- so my $10.00 will only be less $2.50 in coupons (boo hoo) = $7.50 and I'll still get $4.00 in Register Rewards (before someone asks, I'm not paying for Skippy with the Register Rewards, because then the rewards wouldn't print out again.)

Transaction 4 (can't believe I'm doing this many transactions at Walgreens. I usually only do this at CVS!)

• Walgreens is doing a deal where if you buy $10.00 worth of Kraft products, you get $4.00 in Register Rewards. Since you know I collected a couple of copies of All You Magazine, you know I have plenty of the buy some Kraft product and get a ton of other ones free. I already know that Walgreens carries the Wheat Thin Crackers and the jello and that they count for this deal --- so that's my default plan 4 free boxes of Wheat Thins and a whole lot of jello to hit the $10.00 total. But I'm taking my whole strip of Kraft coupons from All You with me --- we'll see if I can put together something better on the spot ---- in any event, I'll walk out with $4.00 in Register Rewards --- With the Jello plan, I'll lay out about $4.00 oop.

Fifth and Final transaction!!

• 10 boxes of the Hefty bags = $13.95 less $5.00 in coupons = $8.95 Pay with the $4.00 Register Rewards from the last Skippy Deal and $4.00 Register Rewards from the Kraft deal and owe Walgreens a whopping $.95 (The cashier will likely have a canary!)

So -- all in all, I'll lay out about $13.00 and walk out with a boatload of stuff. I'm happy.

A Husband's Tale: Married to a Couponer

Ryan in Virginia has written one of the funniest, down to earth posts about life with a couponing wife. You have got to read it!!

Go here -- but first --- go to the bathroom, and then get some kleenex - I promise you, the laughter will cause tears to run down your cheeks. (For God's sake if you're reading this in Starbucks or some other free public internet site, don't click through now -- you will get some enormously strange looks when the howls of laughing recognition emanate from your body.)

Ryan is married to Dana Adams, who is a fairly new couponer --- you'll recognize all of the symptoms (and probably share a few of them -- and the symptoms you don't share -- they'll come, they'll come). While this is hysterically funny, it is also very high praise for his wife (read through the comments too -- there are some other wonderfully awed guys who cheer for their wives as they do the seemingly impossible.) I couldn't wait to forward it to my husband and a few other guys who support this crazy habit.

Rite Aid Week of August 17th

Rite Aid has some pretty good deals this week -- especially if you can scrounge up some of the coupons. I know I try to use coupons that are no more than 1 month old, so as not to frustrate my newbies -- but I'm going to mention one or two that are a tiny bit older today (newbies, just ignore anything that pre-dates your coupon collecting start date)

FREE STUFF

• Crest Toothpaste $3.19 1/1 coupon (8/3 P&G) Plus there is a SCR of $3.19= Overage aftercoupon & SCR. You make money on this purchase!
• L'Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo or Conditioner B1G1FUse B1G1F Use theL’Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss (7/13 SS)= Free after coupon
• St. Ives B1G1FUse B1G1F coupon (8/10 RP)= Free after coupon

Rite Aid has a ton of BOGO and Buy this, get that deals this week. Remember a BOGO isn't a good deal on its own. It's simply a sales device for the store. You want to match it with a coupon or a rebate to make it a good deal. Remember on all of these, you can use two coupons -- one for each item. That's the beauty of the BOGO sale paired with coupons. So here goes:

• Almay TLC foundation, and get Almay TLC lip color -- $1/1 (8/3 SS)
• Arm & Hammer Age Defying or Advance White Toothpaste (go the website and you can print two coupons for $1 off)
• Bayer Asprin $4.99 Use $2 coupon (7/27 RP)Combine w/ $2 SCR= $.99 after SCR & coupon
• Citre Shine Hair Care $1/1 (8/17 SS)
• Coppertone Sun Products - there have been tear pads of $1/1 coupons all over the Rite Aid and CVS around here. Look for them, they can make this a really good deal.
• L'Oreal Color Spa Moisture Actif Hair Color $2/1 (7/20 SS)
• L'Oreal Hip cosmetics $2/1 (8/03 RP)
• L'Oreal Lip color $2/1 (8/17 RP)
• L'Oreal Moisturizer, and get a L'Oreal cleanser $1/1 (8/10 RP)
• Maybelline volume seduction lip gloos, and get Maybelline Salon nail enamel*
• Nivea skin care, and get 1 oz tin of Nivea cream $1/1 (7/27 RP)
• Olay Body Wash, get Olay quench lotion (PG 8/03)
• Post Cereals $1 (7/27 SS)
• Revlon, cosmetics and grooming Implements $2.00 (7/20 SS)

Frugal Millionaires

I went to check my email this morning and an MSN story just popped out at me. They actually did a piece on frugal millionaires -- young people with a ton of money (okay, that's not me!) who choose to live simple, frugal lifestyles. Now -- frugal for me and frugal for them --- clearly different animals. One of them keeps a private jet.
But -- the article and the millionaires interviewed in it made some excellent points. Like: "What's the point of spending money when you can think of so many better ways to use it?" and "it's much better to earn interest for themselves than to pay interest to someone else"
The article included a link to another terrific article about creative donations to charity (also well worth the three minutes it takes to read) which led them up to my favorite quote of all: "Your own financial security depends far more than you may think on the financial, physical and spiritual health of others in your community, our nation, our world. When you share your good fortune by donating your money, time and talent to charity, you help create a stronger economy and a healthier, safer world."
You can read the entire article here. Think about it.

In the Garden

I made a sidetrip to White Flower Farm yesterday. How gorgeous -- did you know you can wander through the grounds and enjoy the gardens for FREE?? All they ask, is no picnicking and no pets. Wow!
The gardens were beautiful this time of year, so much is in bloom and looking wonderful. And the helpful staff was amazing. There was so much FREE gardening help and advice walking around that place!! And they went out of their way to be helpful -- they asked questions, chatted about all things gardening and not -- and offered suggestions of plants, methods, solutions etc. And they never tried to sell me anything. Really!! I walked away after about 2 hours having purchased NOTHING.
Having said that: they really have a couple of deals that simply cannot be beat and I wanted to show them to you here.
1. Naturalizing Daffodils click here to see the link for these. They are beautiful. You get 100 daffodil bulbs (don't be put off because it says narcissus -- daffodils ARE narcissus -- and they spread like mad. By the end of about 2 years, you'll have double what you planted. This is a fabulous spring garden for very little money. I know, I know, you can sometimes buy daffodil bulbs at Walmart or some other place for less money than this --- Did you ever notice?? They rarely spread or naturalize? And you're lucky if they keep coming back more than about 4 years. White Flower Farm isn't selling you those cheap expendable bulbs... these beauties will last and last --- and come up every spring. Can't beat that.... They also offer a "professionals mix" which is bulbs that are a little smaller than the ones above, but still bloom beautifully and naturalize wonderfully quickly... I happen to think they're a better bargain -- but then again, I'm cheap.
2. The Shade Garden -- oh my is this beautiful -- especially if your yard is like mine and you have tons and tons of shade. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the shady yard in terms of the cooling effect on the house and the pleasant places to sit in the hot summer afternoon. But the shade isn't much for the gardening side of me. In fact, most of the gardening quizzing that I did with the staff at WFF was around the deep shade portion of my yard. The lady at WFF explained that this plan is a 3 season shade garden that starts with the daffodils I showed you up above. (the catalog doesn't show that) Then the perennials emerge and hide the dying daffodil leaves -- and give you a gorgeous shady garden for the summer. How beautiful. Check out the plan here Its kind of expensive, but I'm looking at the plants involved and thinking that everyone I know is dividing and giving away hostas this fall (I picked up 5 or 6 on the side of the road earlier this summer that someone had dug up and was discarding) and the bleeding heart is easy to find someone who will give you a piece when they divide -- so that will take care of about half of the plants I'll need. I'm happy to give WFF my business for the rest.

Did I mention that WFF has a moneyback guarantee?? They really and truly honor it -- even if it was beginner gardener stupidity that caused the plant to die (that was the voice of experience, right there) And if you sign up for their catalog and refer friends, they start you out with a free $5 toward your first purchase (and for your friends too!) Gift certificates get you a 10% discount -- and there isn't a reason in the world that you can't do a gift certificate for your husband or wife and get the savings.... How much better can it get???

Finally, let me say that one of the reasons that I so like using White Flower Farm is that the plants were "born and raised" somewhat locally. The farm is about an hour away from us -- so the climate, soil etc are fairly similar. Plants that come to New England from southern climates often go into shock at the barren soil of our region, the frosty winters, and the wild temperature fluctuations of the late summer and early fall. I've lost so many lovely plants because of that. Plants that are born and raised here just don't know any better. They tough it out like good Yankees.

Been A'Viking!!

I met my sister at her work today to trade a few coupons and some items we had each picked up for each other (she a about a million Q-tips, which the Humane Society here loves, loves, loves). While we were accomplishing this, one of her colleagues referred to our shopping as "going a'Viking" and likened it to pillaging a village. The thought caught my fancy -- its a pretty funny image, wandering around CVS in a Viking hat putting together the coupons and deals --
Anyway -- here's my haul for today

Transaction 1
1 Roc Cleanser 7.99
1 Playschool Wipe 1.99
1 CVS travel size Qtips .50
Total 10.48 before tax
Minus
2.00 coupon from Richmond Parents
1.00 coupon for Playskool Wipes
2.00 coupon off any CVS skincare
5.00 coupon from Roc
end total oop .50

Transaction 2
Exactly the same as above

Transaction 3
Exactly the same as transaction 1 and 2

Transaction 4
Exactly the same as transactions 1,2,and 3 BUT --
now having spent 2.00 oop the register prints out 10.00 ECB for buying the Roc SWEET.

Transaction 5 (yup, I kept going)
2 bags of Dove dark almond candy at 2/6.00
1 bag of Hershey Bliss dark chocolate 4.29
total 10.29
minus
2.00 from Richmond Parents
3.00 from buy one get one Dove coupon
2.00 Hershey Bliss coupon
new total 3.29
paid with 3.00 ECB from last week
oop .29
and got 5.00 ECB from the chocolate

Transaction 6
4 bottles of CVS sunscreen 2.19 each but part of the sale for 2.00 each one, so really .19 each
1 bag of Werthers candy 1.50
total 2.26
minus 2.00 CVS skincare coupon
oop .26

Transaction 7
Alavert 5.99
2 tubes of Colgate BOGO at 2.79
1 bag of Hershey's miniatures at 2.50
1 travel size Qtip at .50
total 11.78
minus
2.00 Richmond Parents coupon
3.00 2x 1.50 Colgate coupons
2.00 CVS skincare coupon
4.00 Alavert Coupon from the company website
oop .78 AND got ECB for 3.00 for the Alavert

Which means that all in all I spent 4.11 oop and came home with ALL THAT STUFF!!! Plus I came home with 15.00 ECB that I didn't have when I started. WOO HOO. and I'm building toward another 5.00 ECB for the chocolate (the Werthers and the Hersheys count toward it again ---)

So --- how did you do???

I'm way over the transaction limit (technically -- but I'm happy, so who cares, really) but I added this to the $5 CVS challenge over at Keeping the Kingdom First

the 1930's Wife Test

okay, this is hysterical ---- and you've GOT to try it. Its basically a 100 statement list. You check those statements which are true about yourself --- and VOILA!! it tells you how you stack up as a 1930's wife --- funny, charming, dated ---- a lot of fun.... Try it out here:

106 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

All You Magazine

This is the magazine that is the Walmart special -- Walmart produces it, and only Walmart sells it. Its at the registers (not on the magazine rack out in the store) and it runs $1.97. You really, really, really want to get a copy of it every month (subscriptions are quite cheap, the card is inside the magazine) This month, you really, really, really want to get several copies of it. (I already have 2 and will be stopping by to pick up another copy (or two) before I'm done.
This magazine ALWAYS pays for itself in coupons (its loaded)!! But this month, it really outdoes itself. The coupons in ONE copy will pay for about 8-10 copies.

Here's how it works:
The items below alone MORE than pay for the effort and cost of getting the magazines.

You need only buy 3 packages of koolaid to get free:

• Kraft Salad dressing
• Mayer Hot Dogs
• Crystal Light
• Wheat Thins
• Kraft Singles Cheese

You'll be getting about $15.00 worth of free food for buying 15 pack of .20 koolaid (3 packs per free item) or $3.00.

But wait, there's more!! You'll also get a whole bunch of coupons besides that:

Some that I think might interest you (this is NOT a comprehensive list, my dears) for a complete list, see the CherryPicker's blog

• Jiff to go
• $1.00 Kotex product.
• $1.00 Ban product 1.5 fl oz or larger.
• $1.00 Orville Redenbackers Popcorn Cakes
• $1.00 Peter Pan Peanut Butter
• .75 Dole Fruit Parfaits.
• $1.00 Kellogs Mini Wheats Blberry Cereal
• .55/2 SunnyD Chilled Products
• $1.00/2 Del Monte Fruit Chillers
• $1.00/4 Boston Market frozen entrees.
• $1.00/2 Ore-Ida frozen potatoes
• $2.50 BIZ product.
• $1.00 Spot Shot Carpet Stain eliminator
• $1.00 Glade Odor eliminator.
• $1.00 2000 Flushes Toilet Bowl Cleaners
• 22oz Zout Laundry Stain Remover
• One day pass to Sam's Club

Shopping List Tool

This looks incredibly cool. Colette at WayMore4WayLess has developed a spreadsheet that keeps track of what's the deal at what store. I know that I'm always reading the blogs and the list at Coupon Mom and The Grocery Game and then when I get all done, I can't remember what I'm supposed to be buying and where I'm supposed to be buying it.
Keeping track of all of the coupons, advertised and unadvertised deals, rebates etc can be tricky, tricky, tricky. Colette has graciously put this spreadsheet on her blog for free downloading!! Way to go Colette!! Just click here and you can download the thing ---- try it (I'm going to!!) and then lets compare notes. (Don't forget to send Colette your feedback on this tool too. Just leave a comment on her blog.)
Yay to Denise Sawyer for spreading the word about this......

Introduction to CVS

I'm not going to sit and write out a guide to CVSing when this guide is sooooooo good.
Head on over to:

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/cvs-need-hand-were-here-help/28157-cvs-rookies-101-a.html

and read your little brains out on how to understand and work the CVS system......

Start with Rite Aid this Week! More for the Newbies

Start with RiteAid this week -- there are some freebies and some moneymakers ----

The difference is: with RiteAid, you put out the money and get your refund at the end of the month ---- file the rebate online at the RiteAid site but don't request your check until the end of the month --- you can only request one rebate per month --- if you ask for your cheque, then you can't claim any additional rebates this month --- they'll accumulate the rebates for you and send you one cheque at the end of the month -- just save your recepits as back up data until you get the cheque

So --- here we goBuy any of the following you can use or give away (they all end up being free) Most are only good until 8/9 so go this week. Pick up a copy of the rebate book at the front of the store where the weekly flyers are.

• Revlon nail polish 2.99 with a 2.99 rebate. (rebate #105) Limit 1. If you have the coupons from 2 weeks ago, you'll find a coupon for $1 off any Revlon. That will make this a moneymaker --- I think I saw one in this week's coupons too, but I'm not sure.
• Charles Worthington Haircare 4.99 with 4.99 rebate (#90)
• Gillette Men's Shampoo 4.49 less a 1.00 coupon in today's Proctor and Gamble insert and then a 3.49 rebate (#98)
• Olay Total Effects Revitalizing Cleanser 7.99 less 1.00 coupon from today's Proctor and Gamble insert and then a 7.99 rebate --- you make 1.00 on this deal (rebate #6)
• Gillette Fusion Razor 9.00 less 4.00 coupons from today's Proctor and Gamble insert and then a 5.00 rebate (#5)
• Bausch and Lomb ReNu Multiplus Solution 8 oz twin pack -- 9.99 with a rebate of 9.99 (#51)
• GE softwhite lightbulbs 2 pack 2.00 with a 2.00 rebate (#137)

If you guys eat cereal much --- the Rite Aid deal for Kelloggs cereal is pretty good this week too 1.99 each Raisin bran or other Kellogg's cereals --- less 1.00 off of 2 packages (kelloggs insert in today's paper) makes them 1.49 apiece --- pretty good. At the end of this you'll have carved up your Proctor and Gamble insert pretty badly --- keep holding on to it -- and hold onto additional ones if you can fish them out of the recycling bins -- the odds are that you'll get great deals at CVS later this month too.

Virgin CVS Trip for my Newbie Friends

You know who you are!! And I love all three of you dearly. Pretend I'm holding your hand with this. Ready?? Here we go

1. Go into CVS and ask the clerk for a CVS EXtraCare card --- they'll need a phone number and then you're good to go. When you get home, go to www.CVS.com and register your card. This will put you on the email list for periodic coupons etc.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE STORE to shop!!
2. Go to http://www.richmondparents.com/RPM_PDFs.htm download the magazine and go to pg 30 to find the CVS coupon. Cut it (snapshot -- you know how) and copy it multiple times to a page and save it to your harddrive. You can print this out and use it as many different times as you want until it expires.

3. Get out the paper and get the coupons out (file the ones you don't use this week --- they'll be useful later on. Here's the free stuff for this week (there may be more coming as deals get put together)Do NOT just go and do these solo --- you want to combine them with the ECB (extra care buck) deals and the coupon I just had you print out to get the most out of the whole thing.... just go find your coupons first.

Deal #1 (Your Virgin Trip) Buy:

• 2 Free Pert Shampoo:Pert Plus B1G1F @ $3.99Use (2) $2/1 MQ (8/3 P&G)= 2/Free!!
• Dawn dish soap $.88Use $.50/1 MQ (8/3 P&G)= $.38
• Crest toothpaste $2.49 and earn $1.49 ECB'sUse $.75/1 MQ (8/3 inserts)= $.25 after ECB & MQ
• Colgate Total $2.99 and earn $2 ECB's Use the coupon It'll give you for 1.50 off= Free after ECB & MQ

Now do this in this order!!

1. Hand them your CVS card

2. Ring up the order (do not show or give your coupons until they total)

3. Give them the coupon your printed for 2.00 off your total

4. Give them your pile of remaining coupons5. Your out of pocket total (OOP) should be 1.61 plus tax

6. At the bottom of your receipt you will find some coupons Among them: ECB for 1.49 and ECB for 2.00. This is CVS money to use the next time we do this--- save all of the coupons on your receipt-- but guard these like cash.....

"Check your receipt for a free gift coupon when you use your ExtraCard card during your first visit in August."

Rite Aid Trip

Rite Aid is not one of the drugstores that I favored for my Drugstore Game habit. Partly because I perceived that CVS was the easiest to play -- and Walgreens was the one with the benefit when the school supplies hit in July (that would be NOW--- and yes, it is paying me back handsomely)
But this week, I decided to do some work at Rite Aid. I was quite pleased -- although the immediate thrill of the CVS zero balance is not possible at RiteAid -- for those of us who are total thrill junkies --- But after the Single Check Rebate arrives --- woo hoo!! (I started a separate savings account for depositing rebates -- I'm curious to see how it grows. Obviously the CVS Extra Care Bucks won't go in there -- and neither will the Walgreens rebates since they grow by 10% by choosing to receive them as a Walgreens giftcard. I can't make 10% in the stockmarket these days!)
Anyway --- my RiteAid trip this morning netted the following:

• 2 packages of Revlon cream eyeshadow -- BOGO at Rite Aid, less 2 coupons good for $2 off 1 and SCR for $4.00-- made them free with about $1.50 overage
• 2 bottles of John Frieda Shampoo --- by one get the second one for half off at Rite Aid -- then $3.00 of two coupon on the display, $1.00 off one coupon from the paper, $1.00 off Rite Aid Beauty book coupon AND a $3.00 SCR coming to me. End of the list: less than $2.00 for the two bottles (so I figure I'm down by about $.50 right now)
• two bottles of Suave shampoo $.99 ea at RiteAid and 2 coupons for $1.oo any bottle -- free plus $0.02 overage
• 1 bottle of Advil $2.99 at RiteAid -- less a $2.00 coupon from the paper. (I think this puts me down about $1.50 total)

As soon as I submit my SCR requests --- I'm good to go.

Wonderful Evening: The Mount

We found a terrfic way to spend an inexpensive evening in an elegant setting!! What alot of fun. The Mount in Lenox MA is the restored summer home of Edith Wharton. It is one of the grand cottages from the Gilded Age -- and it is definitely grand and gilded. This beautiful residence has been painstakingly restored to its former elegance and grandeur. Currently, the Mount is facing foreclosure and is working very hard to increase visitors and donations. (We purchased a membership earlier this season to help support the cause -- you can go to the Mount's website and make a donation to save this gorgeous property too.)

One of their current offerings is an evening event on the weekends from 5:00 - 8:00 (I think they're trying to be a pre-Tanglewood event) You can enter the grounds for FREE, sit on the grand porch and have a glass of wine and some nibbles (they charge for the food and drinks) and walk through the gardens at your leisure. We attended last night's event. There were probably only a dozen other people there --- not crowded, not loud --- just lovely. Wine for both of us and nibbles ran about $20 and we spent over 2 hours wandering through the gardens, listening to the fountains, catching the breeze on the porch (it was deadly hot here this weekend) and enjoying the pianist playing under the awning.

I know, I know --- I could have had wine and nibbles at home for far, far less money -- but trust me, my patio and gardens DO NOT look like this.

Having noted that (rather obvious fact): I did make a quick list of the plants that were in the gardens. I have all of the plants in the Italian garden (shown to the right) but my garden does not resemble this in any way, shape or form. Seriously, the Italian garden is done with ferns, hostas, white nicotania, boxwood and ivy. That's it!! I kept walking around in circles, looking for what else was there that made it so glorious. Even the French garden (the photo at the top of the post) didn't have anything I don't know and love for plants. Its all about the way in which they're arranges and planted. And WOW!! what a difference that makes.

All in all, this was a really beautiful evening --- one that we'll definitely be repeating. I'm thinking this is a nice way to take friends for a quiet drink and some conversation without getting into the crowded restaurant scene. For the non-wine drinkers, they also offered soft drinks and a lovely sparkling water. This works for just about everyone I know.

Frugal Food: Pasta with Kale

Jen at FrugalUpstate is doing a terrific series on frugal foods -- some of her recipies are excellent and really deserve a look. She challenged readers to add to her recipie posting -- so here goes.

First off, be aware: we are in a really different place in our life-cycle than most of the "blogger mommies" (thank you Katie Couric for that term). We are a two person household most of the time. We entertain really, really frequently -- whether its kids, grandkids, in-laws, outlaws, friends or neighbors -- one of the things about living in a vacation destination area is that everyone uses you as an excuse to visit the destination. Add to all of this that many of the friends and relations we entertain are vegetarians or at least leaning in that direction: there are also a whole bunch of foodies in the mix. All of that means that the tastes and textures we prefer and use may not be what the frugal moms in the universe can get past their offspring's palates...

With that said: Pasta with Kale
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale cleaned really well and chopped into ribbons
1 onion sliced thinly (I use the mandoline)
1 -2 tsp of minced garlic in oil (depending on taste)
a few tablespoons of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 - 1 cup of raisins (depending on taste)
1/4 cup of feta cheese
3-4 tablespoons of chopped nuts (whatever is in the pantry)
1 box of bowties cooked according to the package directions and HOT

Heat the EVOO in a cast iron skillet --- saute the onion and garlic until fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the chopped kale and saute until wilted and softened. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Allow them to heat through for a minute or two. Pour the kale mixture into a large serving bowl and stir in the hot pasta. Add the feta cheese and stir one more time.

We serve this with fresh, crusty bread and good butter --- DINNER!!!

Two Drugstore Deals This Week

There are two extremely great deals at drugstores this week that I cannot resist (and one pretty good one)
First, the pretty good one. You might have noticed that last week Rite Aid (not my favorite, but still pretty good for deals) had the Herbal Essences shampoos and conditioners on sale. They were also in the monthly Single Check Rebate program AND there were coupons for them in last weeks paper on Sunday.... so at the end of it all, the shampoo and conditioner were FREE. But I had to be greedy. Herbal Essences also has a program going where some of the bottles are marked with codes that allow you to submit them for a free manicure and pedicure. I wanted to add that deal into the free shampoo. I know, I know, I'm greedy. Anyway -- neither of the RiteAids near me had any of the bottles marked with the free manicure/pedicure codes. So I passed on the deal and held onto my coupons. Greedy, I know.
This week, CVS has Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner on sale for 2/$5 -- mix that with the coupons for $3/2 bottles and we're down to $1 a bottle and it matches the RiteAid deal BEFORE the single check rebate. I'd only need to save an additional $2 to match the RiteAid deal fully. So, if I add them into a deal on something else and use the $3/$15 coupon --- I'll still end up with free shampoo, and I'll get my free manicure/pedicure too. Yep, I already checked, CVS has bottles with the codes -- lots of them.
The next deal is a Walgreens or RiteAid deal: Special thanks to Money Saving Mom for this one. (If you aren't in the habit of reading her blog --- get the habit!! She can really save you some serious time and cash)
Find a copy of Sunday's SmartSource insert (07/13). There was a coupon for B1G1 L'Oreal Vive Pro shampoo or conditioner. This same shampoo and conditioner is on sale B1G1 at Walgreens and Rite Aid this week.
So, if you buy 2 and use 1 B1G1 coupon, you'll get two free! (The store will give you one free as part of their promotion and the coupon will give you one free from the manufacturer!) Can't get any better than that!!
Last deal is a CVS deal (and one I never thought I'd want to take advantage of!!) Special thanks to iheartcvs for all of the details on this.
CVS is offering the 4 X 6 10 Page hardcover photo books ($3.99), Free after extra bucks, LIMIT 16 x 8 10 Page hardcover photo books ($7.99), Free after extra bucks, LIMIT 2Photo books

Some things you need to know:
1. You can't make photo book online for this offer. It must be made in store at the Kodak kiosk machine.
2. You can carry the pictures in any media device like memory card, CD, flash drive or etc. Make sure you arranged them in the order you want.
3. Offer is for 10 page photo books and It is 10 one sided pages4. For 10 pages, you can upload up to 54 pictures. But more number of pictures, smaller pictures you get. Best option is 2 per page or sometimes 3.5. You can choose different types of background. You can use your own pictures as the background but you have to edit option in every page. Select your pictures, and then it auto arranges them on the pages for you. You can also change the order, size, etc.6.
Your project will save there for about 2 days so you can reprint again if u want. But since so many number of photo book will be created this week, it’s better to ask
Now start stacking up the deal:
buy two of the 10 page photobooks for an initial total of $15.98
give them the 3/15 coupon
give them two (2) of the insert coupons:Kodak Photo Book $3 (7-31-08) (CVS and Wal-mart) SS 5/4/08Kodak Photo Book $3 (8-31-08) SS 6/8/08
pay the final 6.98 out of pocket (or with extra bucks) and get two photobooks AND $15.98 ECB back.
The only thing I'm not super thrilled with on this is that I end up with and ECB for 15.98. I'm looking for a way to combine this with some other deals (break up the two photobooks into two different transactions) so that I get two different ECB for 7.99 each rather than one huge ECB. I just find that the large ECB are really tricky to use.
Hmmm..... if I mix a photobook in with the Herbal Essences and........

Free Book: The Alchemist

I just finished downloading a new book to my Ipod --- thanks to SimpleDollar for letting me know about this freebie!! Here's what he has to say about the book:

Over the last few years, about twenty different people have recommended that I
read The
Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, but I’ve been avoiding it largely because of so
many other things to read. Well, now you can get it for free as an unabridged
audiobook, perfect for listening to on a long road trip. Just fire up iTunes,
visit the music store, search for “Paulo Coelho The Alchemist” and download it
for free (until July 14). I downloaded it and am saving it for an upcoming road
trip, where it’ll provide a worthwhile listen.

So off to Itunes I went --- you knew I couldn't pass up a freebie like this --- and now the book is sitting in my Itunes folder awaiting its deposit into my Ipod. But of course, I did some checking as to what I was getting here (you knew that, didn't you?)
Here's what Amazon had to say about it:

Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan
Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple
truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a
bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal
storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an
audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo
introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a
distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to
literally follow his dream.
Along the way he meets many spiritual
messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read
Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the
alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it
would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be
the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the
ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided
agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is
afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night
as they look up at a moonless night.
"Tell your heart that the fear of
suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that
no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every
second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

You can even access Paul Coehlo's blog.
This sounds like it will be an interesting listen for our upcoming road trip to Northern Maine.

Fourth of July

I love the Fourth of July! I love the parades. I love the fireworks! I love the concerts. I love the picnics!! I love being with family and friends. Its a pretty great holiday all in all.

So what are the budget plans around here for a terrific fourth??

Well, of course, we'll be attending the Pittsfield July 4th Parade. This is the largest parade in the Northeast (or so they tell me). It typically goes on for about 2 and half hours. I'll get there early enough to ensure a seat on the green in the shade. I'll spread out a blanket and set up a couple of lawn chairs and have my breakfast on the lawn. We'll be joined this year by my husband's mother and by some friends and their 86 year old mother. We've invited two other couples to join us, but haven't heard as of yet if they'll be coming. Unfortunately, the two mothers do not speak the same language, so they won't have much to chat about -- but it will still be fun. I'm making my grocery and packing list today -- I'll pack a thermos of coffee and a bottle of juice along with some frozen bottles of water to keep us cool. Then I'm thinking about blueberry muffin/coffeecake to keep everyone happy before the parade. Once the parade gets going, no one is thinking much about food (at least in our happy clan) Everyone is ooohing and aaaahing over the bands, the floats, and the gigantic balloons. We'll be hot and thirsty (another frozen water bottle, anyone?) -- but food won't matter just then.

After the parade, we'll head back home for the afternoon. I've got hamburgers (got a great deal at the supermarket this week) and salads to feed the clan for the main meal of the day. We'll fire up the grill and enjoy the shady patio. Even the dog will likely get some July 4th hamburger!! (She's already wearing her patriotic spirit in the form of a star-spangled bandana)

Late afternoon, we'll head over to the "big city" about 45 minutes away. They have a huge festival downtown at State headquarters. It will be long underway when we arrive --- but there will be concerts (usually a military band or two) and jugglers and street performers while we await the fireworks.

The fireworks are the highlight of the whole day -- they reflect off of the office towers -- all sheets of glass windows -- and off of the reflecting pools that are a part of the grounds of the state office buildings. Its beautiful!! It will be a long walk to wherever we've managed to park the car -- and we wont' rush, as we would just sit in the traffic jam anyway --- We'll get home late, tired and very happy.... Maybe popsicles to finish the day??? Or would that be gilding the lily.

The entire day will cost us a few gallons of gas (not as cheap as it used to be!) and the groceries I've already picked up --- not bad for a terrific holiday together with family and friends.

First Walgreens Rebate

I received my first rebate gift card from Walgreens in the mail today (or should I say gift CARDS?) Apparently one of the offers was a separate deal (not sure how) so it came as a separate gift card. So --- two gift cards in the mail today from Walgreens totaling just over $20.
I also finished filing my receipts for the June rebates from Walgreens, and they total just under $30. If the Walgreens website is correct, I should be receiving that in toward the end of the month.
When I finish out the July rebate deals, I'll be able to have Walgreens reload the card that just arrived (from the May rebate) so I shouldn't have to wait as long for the rebate to be in my hot little hands.
Speaking of which -- the July rebate looks pretty good to me. Here's my plan:

• definitely the Hebert candy bars for $.99 (what's to lose?? and what's not to love about free chocolate?)
• the Dr. Scholls gel pads -- I never thought I'd be addicted to these, but I bought a set last month when they were on Register Rewards and I love, love, love them. Another set with a big, fat rebate? Sure!
• Veet -- I go through this stuff like crazy in the summer. Its a good in-between the waxing solution without generating really coarse stubbly hair.
• Right Guard deodorant -- got my coupons all lined up -- with the coupon deduction, this is an even better deal
• Excedrin -- this is another product that we use alot of around here. And if the deal happens to be good on the Excedrin Migraine - that's so much the better.
• Alavert -- this isn't the time of the year when we go through this alot, but the fall is coming and we'll surely use it. I've been saving a coupon I received from the company especially for this.
• portable power for the Ipod -- I want to look at this one in person before I make a decision. We love our Ipods around here -- and on long trips we often run them down because we can't charge them back up while we're away from home. If this looks like a solution -- I'm in. We'll see
• Visa activation fee --- as far as I'm concerned, this is free money -- I usually give my niece and nephews gift cards for birthday's etc -- but I've avoided the Visa giftcard because of the fees --- I happen to believe that the kids should get my money, not the Visa corporation! But, I end up restricting them to one store, because of the gift card I give them. I feel a Visa giftcard coming on for the July birthday boy!
• Glade air spray -- with the dog, we're using this more and more. Might as well get some money back from Walgreens.
• Spray'nWash -- And I can do this deal more than once --- its on sale this week -- same price as at my beloved CVS -- but with the rebate, Walgreens wins. I have several coupons -- and I'll be stacking them all up and maxing out this deal. I'll just pile the bottles in the laundryroom cabinet and use them as I go.
• Box fan --- this was in the June Rebate catalog too and I wasn't going to do it --- until my sister sent me an email outlining the overlap between the June and July rebate catalogs and pointed out the fact that on purchases made during those 2 days YOU CAN SUBMIT FOR BOTH MONTHS --- add that in with the $5 off of a $20 purchase coupon and a couple of Register Rewards that I had and I've got a free fan. The fan is already purchased, and in fact, is already in my window and doing its job.

So all in all, I'm thinking that my July rebate might be somewhere in the neighborhood of about $50!! What I can't figure out is: Am I getting better at the Drugstore Game or did the deals get better?? I'll be glad when I start using the gift card -- it will make it that much easier to track the actual cost vs reward of the program....

I've Started the Drugstore Game

I had just about given up on this blog --- but now I've started playing the drugstore game and I'm back in the game.
My sister and I went shopping together a few weeks ago and my jaw nearly dropped as I watched her redeem coupons, ends of receipts etc and pay on 37 cents for three bags FULL of stuff. Right then and there, I announced "You've gotta teach me how to do this!!"
Well, she's a woman of her word. She began emailing me and walking me through the beginner steps of the Drugstore Game. She even gave me one receipt to redeem when she was over the limit already (what a terrific sister!!)
I cannot believe how easy this is to do. And I really cannot believe how much stuff (useful, ordinary, household stuff) can be bought for next to nothing just by paying attention and taking advantage of coupons, ends of receipts, and rebates.
I'm only working the Drugstore Game at CVS and Walgreens. Although we have RiteAid all over the place, I just can't juggle three stores as a beginner in the game. I might make just one rebate-able purchase at Rite Aid because they've got a $5 incentive for starting and using a new rebate account with them. Seems like a small task for $5.
Anyway --- my first trip to CVS (directed by my sister, of course) yielded two lip balms for $3.98 and print outs on my receipt that totaled $13.50 to spend sometime before 6/12/08 and two coupons good for $4 off of any $20 purchase. Not bad.
But I got better. My next foray included two large deodorants (different brand than we usually use -- but if we end up not liking it all that well, it can go in the donation bag for the church collection for the food pantry), 6 bottles of dishsoap (I think it was Sunlight or Ajax or one of those) and a bag of M&Ms for the jar in the office here. I used a coupon for $5 off of any $15 purchase (thank you sister!!), a coupon from a magazine for the deodorant, and the sales flyer that comes out weekly. I paid $.16 (yep!! that's 16 CENTS!!) and got back a recepit with $9.98 to spend another time at CVS (those would be Extra Care Bucks or ECBs).
I'm still learning the Walgreens game. I really want to get Walgreens down. During the summer, Walgreens carries some back to school stuff that comes in some funky colors. I started using them a few years ago to color code and organize the whole school (each grade level has its own color --- I do teaching resource binders for all of the classroom teachers and binders and folders for all of the students with whom I directly work). I usually spend about $50 during the summer to stock up on all of that stuff. If I can play the Drugstore Game at Walgreens well enough, I can cut that expense down dramatically. That would be super.

Hot Chocolate and Other Luxuries

This is going to sound silly -- but I cannot get over how many people do not know what hot chocolate tastes like. I realized this recently through two events: 1. I bought hot chocolate from a shop I normally enjoy -- this was not their "regular" hot chocolate. When I inquired if they had changed their recipe -- they were using the powdered mix because of a problem with their well - which necesitated the use of only bottled water. Yuck!! 2. A German friend of ours ordered his first cup of hot chocolate "out" -- and was horrified at the taste!! He had no idea that most places use the powder. He was even more shocked to discover the dessicated marshmallows that accompany many of the mixes. Yuck!!

I really can't recall the last time that we used the powdered mixes in our home. We have come to really adore true, hot chocolate. We've fallen hard for a little gadget from Mr. Coffee called a Cocomotion.

This is essentially a hot blender. It swirls the milk around and around while heating it. We start with cold fresh milk. Once the milk gets hot, we spoon in some shaved chocolate. The hot milk keeps swirling and the chocolate melts into it, yielding a lovely hot chocolate. We love the shaved chocolate from Nantucket Offshore. Yummy, dark shavings of chocolate in a small tin, ready to spoon into the hot milk. We also adore Schokinag European Drinking Chocolate. It comes in several flavors, but we like the Extra Dark. It melts smoothly into the milk and doesn't leave a mess at the bottom of the Cocomotion machine. Perfect.
On a cold wintery evening, we make a pot of real hot chocolate and sit by the fire and enjoy. Our German friend was thrilled to find someone in America who understood real hot chocolate. Other friends, who are accustomed to the powder, are surprised at the rich, delicious taste of "real" hot chocolate. And we have, frankly, become quite spoiled by it. Real hot chocolate probably doesn't cost me significantly more than the powdered stuff would. And we definitely enjoy it much more.

My Bedroom

I've been in my usual January frenzy of cleaning out, re-organizing, re-decorating and such. Its part of my annual routine. Every year, as I clean up the Christmas decorations, sweep up the pine needles, and pack it all away, I have this deep urge for a fresh new look about the house. I know that spring is still far away and I'm not ready to invest either major time or major money into this re-do project, but I need the change. I need my house to feel new again. I need surprises that delight my senses every time I walk into the room.
Right now I'm working on my bedroom. I dug out some of the remnant fabric that I'd hoarded and stitched up an easy duvet cover so that my old comforter has a fresh new life. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the project was. All straight seams and nice long seams too... that always goes quickly. The pattern called for buttons and fabric loops as buttonholes, but that was more than I was willing to do. I used simple velcro dots to close up the end of it. It works nicely and I'm quite happy with it. The green paisley fabric gives a deeper, more sophisticated look to the bed now.
Next, I replaced the balloon shades that I had under the curtains with some very simple Roman shades. Again, my stash of hoarded remnants came to the rescue. For this, I had a Buttercream General Store Stripe from Waverly at my disposal. Under the yellow floral curtains they add just the right pop to the windows. The Roman shades were almost as easy as the duvet cover. I had to invest in some skinny dowels to give the shade a shape as it rises and closes, but that was only a few dollars at the local hardware store.
So, now I'm looking hard at the furniture arrangement. I'm looking for ideas about how I want to arrange the furniture so that the rooms looks new and inviting. I want it to whisper to me when I walk in "come in, come in, rest, enjoy".
My current focus is the footboard end of the bed. I have a large upholstered bench that has long sat there. In my previous (single) life, my white wicker loveseat had that spot for itself. That loveseat is now part of the front porch collection and has been banned from the house itself as "too girly" by the male inhabitants here (funny, it doesn't bother them at all on the porch, they rather seem to enjoy it)
But I'm thinking about using something different this time... something less expected, maybe. I've thought about positioning my little writing desk at the end of the bed. It looks sweet there, but I'm a little concerned that I'll be continually knocking things off of it in the night. The other look that calls to me right now is a skirted round table (you know, the cheapy decorator rounds from the discount store) with my two slipper chairs (stolen back from the guest room) on either side. I think if might look sweet.
I'm also thinking that it might beckon us for a little tete-a-tete, drinks (mugs of tea or cocoa maybe?) before bed, but it could still also be clear for the actual nighttime sleeping (so nothing is in danger of crashing to the floor in the middle of the night).
After all, as much as the Budget Bon Vivant wants the fantastic decorator look ---- I do have to be practical after all.

Making My Flowers Last and Last

When I’m buying flowers for myself, I look especially for blossoms that are still closed – buds essentially. This way I can enjoy them opening as well as enjoy the open, full bloom. They last longer this way. Friends who are avid gardeners tell me that this also means that the flower was likely cut in the early morning which is also supposed to be better for the life of the blossom. I give the buds a gentle squeeze with my fingertips too. I want it to feel firm and fresh to my touch. Often budget flowers (especially roses) are mushy feeling and soft under my fingers. This is a sign that the bud is already rotting and dying. It may never open and if it does it won’t be lush and wonderful. It certainly won’t have the lifespan of the fresh, firm young bud. Just because I’m on a budget doesn’t mean I’m not a fussy buyer.

Now that the flowers are home – I want to ensure that they last as long as possible and provide the most enjoyment for me. I could just stick them in a vase and pour in the little packet of stuff that comes with them. But then, my poor flowers are unlikely to last a week. This is another reason to avoid the pre-packaged bouquets at the grocery store. They add to the temptation to just stick them in water --- after all, they’re already arranged, aren’t they?

When I first get the blooms home, I cut the stems down. I need to cut at least ½ an inch off the bottom, but usually I’ll cut quite a bit more. I set my vase on the countertop, fairly close to the edge. I hold the flowers near to the countertop with the stems dipping below the counter. This lets me see the vase and the flowers together in perspective. I can judge how tall the flower want to be for that particular vase. I cut my stems at an angle with super sharp scissors. Don’t use a knife – it’s an invitation to cutting your hand. If you can do it, cutting the stems under running water also seems to help a bit. Usually, this is more than I can manage. While I’m at it with the scissors, I strip off any leaves that will be below the water, or even likely to touch the water. They will rot and cause decay that quickly spread to the plant itself. Out they go.

I fill my vase about 1/3 full with warmish water. Sometimes I do add the packet of stuff that comes with the flowers, other times I add just a small splash of bleach. It seems to help keep the algae down and that adds to the lifespan of the flowers. I take the bouquet apart and arrange the flowers in the vase. I start out by putting in blooms at an angle, rather than straight up and down. This creates a nice circumference to the final creation. I have a thing about symmetry, so I try to keep track of that as well.

Each morning, I try to change the water in the vase. The more consistent I am about this, the longer my flowers seem to last. If the weather is hot and sticky, I also add a couple of ice cubes to the vase each afternoon or evening. When I’m getting ice for our drinks at dinner, I just slip a couple of cubes in the vase too. Keeping the water cool like this seems to help the life of the blooms as well.

After the better part of a week, some of my blooms are beginning to look sad. I take the entire arrangement apart. The sad looking blooms are tossed right away. No sense in waiting for them to die completely and spread their decay to the other blooms. The blooms that are still good are re-cut with my scissors. I take off another ½ inch or so. I wash out the vase and clean it well. Then I fill it with fresh water and another tiny splash of bleach and I rearrange the blossoms that remain to make a fresh and lovely bouquet. Sometimes, I need to use a different vase – one with a smaller opening or a different shape, in order to accommodate the reduced number of flowers.

By taking care of my flowers like this, supermarket bouquets typically last me two weeks or more. My home can always have fresh flowers – at little impact to my budget. That is definitely bon vivant.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Flowers are fun, flirty, and feminine. They are an inexpensive way to feel pampered and decadent --- IF you shop for them in frugal ways and use them in luscious, luxurious ways. Coming home after a busy, trying day to a vase of fresh flowers sitting on the coffee table, kitchen table, or nightstand is an understated extravagance. In my book, flowers brighten and improve any space. I love a vase of lilacs or lavender blossoms in the bathroom, peeking out at me from the back of the commode. A tall fluted vase of oriental lilies on my dressing table scents the air with their sexy, spice aroma. I adore my current pitcher of all white flowers, roses, daisies, mums, and carnations in the kitchen. A spray of Chinese lanterns, dried and proud can grace any livingroom elegantly. Flowers inspire. They reward, console, pamper and soothe.
However, frequent visits to your local florist are simply not in the budget bon vivant financial statement. As with everything else, I do visit my florist for educational purposes. I look carefully at floral combinations, vases, unusual arrangements and such. I need to learn, so that I can make my own decadent treat. But for acquiring my blossoms, I turn to other sources.
I use my local mega grocery story regularly. I avoid the prepackaged bouquets like the plague. They nearly always contain cheap flowers and too few of them. This is another place where more of one simple thing is just MORE. I buy the bunches of one single type of flower --- in my grocery store they are generally 3 bunches for $12.
I also love the farmer’s market for flowers. Again, there are some pricey bouquets that someone has lovingly put together and wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbon. These are for the less budget conscious than I. Here again, I am looking for loose, floppy bunches of flowers, freshly cut from someone’s garden that morning. I find that I do better when I’m shopping at the tent of a farmer who has a few flowers on the side, rather than a “flower farmer” who is primarily selling flowers.
I also watch the side of the road. No, I don’t mean that I poach on someone else’s gardening. I watch for those somewhat suspicious looking trucks that park in rest areas, pull offs, and empty parking lots selling flowers, fish, or furniture. I avoid the fish and furniture, but for flowers, what do I have to lose? Often times, these trucks have terrific deals on roses or seasonal flowers. They’re as fresh as the grocery store flowers and often fresher.