Feb 29, 2012

Special Restaurant.com Deal

Log-in to your ShopatHome account (click here if you don't have one). 
Do a search for Restaurant.com
Click on "Shop Now" beside the Restaurant.com header
Find Gift Certificates that you'd like at Restaurant.com and add to your cart. 
Enter "LEAP" as the promo code for 80% off. 
Get 35% cash back in your shopathome account!

We just got an invite from some good friends to join them for a pre-Paddy's Day celebration at Dandelion Market (an Irish Pub). He's from Ireland and plays in an Irish band that will be performing that night - so it should be tons of fun!!!  So, I checked on restaurant.com and there is a gift certificate on there for Dandelion Market on there! I paid $4 for a $25 gift certificate, and I'll get $1.40 cash back in my shopathome account! The certificate is good towards a $35 purchase + 18% gratuity (with no exclusions on alcohol or special events). When it's all said and done, we'll spend a total of $18.70 on what would have normally cost us $41.30!!! That's a savings of 55% (after you factor in the cost of the certificate, what we're required to spend, and gratuity)! Not too shabby for a fun evening out!!!

Easy "Free-Way" to rack up Swagbucks

Swagbucks are virtual dollars given by the site "Swagbucks" for doing various things through their site. You can watch movie trailers, take surveys, play games, answer a daily poll question, search the internet, participate in special offers, visit their facebook page and blog, and the list goes on and on. For all of these activities, Swagbucks will award a random number of bucks. When your Swagbucks account gets a high enough "dollar" amount, you can cash in your swagbucks for gift cards to places like amazon.com, starbucks, and hundreds of other places. So, if you don't have a Swagbucks account - go HERE to sign up and get an instant 30 Swagbucks(SB). Then, here are a list of my favorite low-time-commitment ways to earn swagbucks:
1) Download the toolbar so that when you log-on to your internet each day, you'll automatically get 1 SB!
2) Answer the daily poll (go to the top of the tool bar and click "earn" and then daily poll from the drop down menu). Answer the daily poll to earn 1 SB!
3) Print coupons from their data base (same as coupons.com) by clicking the earn column and then coupons. Click the coupons you want, print, and get 10SB for every coupon that you use!
4) Participate in these special no-cost offers for BIG SB's!!!
- Sign up for a 30-day FREE trial of Netflix and get 1,000SB! That's enough for two $5 amazon.com gift cards!!! Cancel before the 30 days and it won't cost a dime! Or maybe you'll be like me and decide that there is enough to watch on Netflix and just cancel your cable/dish service! It's hard to beat $7.97/month!!!
- Sign up for a 7-day FREE trial of creditreport.com and get 675SB!!! I called to cancel my membership, and they gave me 50% off if I agreed to stay. I'm still debating whether I'm going to or not. If I do, I get my credit monitored for 50% off. If I don't, I earned enough SB to get a $5 amazon.com card!
- Sign-up for a 14-day FREE trial of Luminosity and get 450SB! Just remember to cancel before your 14 day free trial is out, or your card will be charged! In the meantime, enjoy fun games to challenge your memory and sharpen your thinking skills - and enjoy another $5 amazon.com gift card!

There are bunches of other free offers for varied amount of SB's - you'll just have to browse around and see what tickles your fancy! Regardless, there are lots of ways to make big SB's with Swagbucks - even if you don't want to spend much time doing it! Have fun!!!

Feb 26, 2012

My Favorite "Couponing" Sites

One of the things I talk about a lot in my coupon classes is the value of minimizing your effort while maximizing your savings. One the of the ways to do that is to make sure you're NOT duplicating work that someone else has already done! There are so many resources on the web right now that do just about everything for you that you can imagine! Here are a few of my favorites that I would highly recommend subscribing to (meaning: get email updates from them). This will keep you from spending hours scouring the internet for good deals. Just look to these sites and they'll tell you where to go!



Hip2save.com - this is your all-in-one site. Need to buy your favorite shampoo and want to know if there is a printable coupon out there somewhere? Use hip2save's coupon database! Want to know what "Freebies" you can score? They have an entire section devoted to just that! New to couponing and want to see videos of just how it's done in the store? They have those! Want just basic deal match-ups for all the major stores like Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid? Hip2save (H2S) post those on a weekly basis and then updates throughout the week as applicable! This is such an amazing resource that I normally keep it open on my desktop and just hit refresh throughout the day!

Southernsavers.com - this is a lot like H2S, but just a little more simple. If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by the scope of information from H2S. There is a very simple "Learn to Coupon" tab that gives you the basics of how it works. There is a coupon database and there are deal match-ups for a lot of the southern stores - including my favorite grocery store: Harris Teeter.  I love the shopping list for Harris Teeter that you can create through Southern Savers. It's very well organized, has the links to the printable coupons right on the page, and has a super easy box that you check by every item that you'd like to purchase. I also like that there is a place for you to type in items to the shopping list that maybe aren't on her sale list! Very user-friendly site!

Welovefree.wordpress.com - is an even more scaled-back version of Southern Savers. If you're new to couponing and just want to get your feet wet - this is an excellent place to start. One of the nice things is that since it's a blog, you're not going to see a ton of advertisements - so it's "clutter free". I actually learned just about everything I know about couponing from the writer of this blog! She's proof that it doesn't take a lot of time to get great deals (she's a mother of 5!!!); just good old-fashioned organization and determination. She's not into posting every deal that comes around, just the very best ones! So if you want very straight-forward, no-frills updates on the best deals around - this is definitely the place to go.


Feb 24, 2012

Plum District/Netflix Deal = $15 profit

Plum District is running a national deal right now that gives you $15 Plum Dollars when you sign up for a Free 30 day trial of Netflix! That's even better than doing it through Swagbucks! 

Click here to sign up for a Plum District Account if you haven't already, and you'll get a $5 credit (in addition to the $15 credit for trying out Netflix). 

What's to loose? Nothing! 
What's to gain? Up to $20 in Plum District credit!!! 

Only good for brand new Netflix users! Make sure to read the instructions on how to get the credit!

Feb 22, 2012

Target Visit

I just got back from Target and found a few things that I've talked about in my Coupon Classes, so I thought I'd post a little update!


This is the almost the exact pack of toilet paper that was included in the amazing deal (that got me nearly a year's worth of toilet paper). The coupons in this pack are not quite as good as the ones in last year's (in my opinion) - but there are still some really good ones! This week at Target, you can do the following deal:
Buy 2 packs of this variety of Toilet paper for $10.49 each (normally $11.79) = $20.98
Use two $1.00 coupons (from Ebony Magazine)
Pay $18.98
Get $5.00 gift card back
Total Net Spent: $13.98 or $6.99/pack (which is over 40% off the original price)


As consumers, we've been programmed to think that if you buy a in bulk we're going to get a better price; but that's not always the case. I'm not sure if you can see the pricing on these pull-ups, but the top row shows the smaller 24-count packages of pull-ups for $9.49. The bottom row shows the large pack of 48 count pull-ups for $19.79. If you do the math, $9.49 x 2 = $18.98. That's the same number of pull-ups as the larger package for 81¢ less - just buy buying two smaller packages rather than 1 large one! Now, there is a promotion going on right now - if you buy 2 large packages you get a $5 gift card. If you do the deal, here are the coupons that you could use to make it pretty good: 
Buy 2 large packages of Pull-Ups for $19.79 each = $39.58
Use 2 Target Coupons here for $2.00 each
Use 2 Manufacturer Coupons for $2.00 each
Pay $31.58
Get back $5 gift card
Total Net Spent: $26.58 (for the equivalent of 4 packages @ $6.64 each)

OR, buy the smaller packages for a BETTER DEAL:


Buy 4 packages of the smaller packages of Pull-Ups @ $9.49 each = $37.96
Use 4 Target Coupons here for $2.00 each
Use 4 Manufacturer Coupons (from Sunday Paper) for $2.00 each
Pay $21.96 or $5.49 per package
*In order to get 4 Target Coupons, you'll need to print from 2 different computers since the print limit is 2!

This is another case of bulk not being better! The 3-pack of the Mento's UP2U gum sells for $2.99 at Target. When you pair the $1.00 manufacturer coupon with the $1.00 Target coupon here, it comes to 99¢ for the 3-pack, or 33¢ per pack - which is pretty good. However, the single packs sell for $1.24 and when you use a $1.00/1 single pack manufacturer coupon - that comes to only 24¢/pack. To make the deal even better, Target has also posted a Target Coupon for 55¢ off single packs. So, that makes them FREE!!! I didn't have access to a 2nd computer at the time I printed my coupons, so I could only print 2 Target Coupons - but I had 6 manufacturer coupons as was able to do the following deal:
6 packs of UP2U gum @ $1.24 = $7.44
Used 6 Manufacturer coupons for $1.00/1
Used 2 Target Coupons for 55¢/1
Paid 34¢ for 6 packs of gum or about 6¢/pack!!!!



Feb 19, 2012

Staples - free after rebate (Sunday/Monday only)

Here are the items that are available for FREE (after super easy rebate) this Sunday and Monday at Staples!!! If you've never done the easy rebates with Staples before - you're in for a pleasant surprise! So insanely easy and the rebates arrives relatively quickly (about 3-4 weeks rather than the standard 6-10)!!!

Staples 8.5 x 11" Copy Paper - 500 sheets - $5.49 - FREE after Easy Rebate
Staples PhotoPlus 4x6 Photo Paper, Gloss - $9.99 - FREE after Easy Rebate
Staedtler Maxum Ballpoint Pens, Extra Bold - Assorted Colors - $5.99 - FREE after Easy Rebate
Kleenex Standard Facial Tissue - 2 pack - $2.99 - FREE after Easy Rebate
Avery 8160 White Address Labels, Easy Peal - $12.99 - FREE after Easy Rebate

Feb 18, 2012

Ebony Magazine Coupons



Ok, this is for all of you who laughed at my having subscriptions to Ebony and Essence Magazines! This is what you can expect to find in the March issue of Ebony Magazine! :-) 
 

$5/1 Olay Professional Pro-X facial moisturizer
$2/1 Gillette Fusion pre/post shave
$5/1 Gillette fusion pro-glide razor or 6ct+ cartridge pack
$1/1 Crest toothpaste 4oz+
$1/1 Scope mouthwash 710ML+
$0.75/1 Oral-b satin glide floss or floss picks
$2/1 Vicks product
$1 Charmin product
$1 Charmin freshmates tub
$2/1 Pampers diapers or pants
$0.50/1 Pampers wipes 60ct+
$0.50/1 Dawn
$2/1 Swiffer (shows duster)
$1 Ultra duracell
$1/1 Cascade actionpacs
$1/1 Downy liquid fabric softener or unstopables
$1/1 Gain detergent or fabric enhancer

I'm hoping my copy comes in by Tuesday of next week so I can use some of these at Harris Teeter's Super Double Coupon event! The Charmin, Cascade, and Downy coupons will make for some really good deals! 

New Target Mobile Coupons and More!

Target Mobile Coupons - if you're not receiving them - just send the word "OFFERS" to 827438 and you'll start getting about 4 texts per month with mobile coupons. They'll text you a link that you then open on your phone. The link has a bar code that the cashier will scan. All applicable coupons will come off of your total ticket! Here's what's new:
64 oz Market Pantry Juice - $1.25 off
Archer Farms Trail Mix - $1.50 off
Multipack Fruit Snacks (Market Pantry or Archer Farms) - $1.25 off
Up & Up Paper Towels (6 pack) - $1 off
Up & Up Food Storage Item - $.50 off
Up & Up Boxed Diapers - $1.50 off
Sonia Kashuk Cosmetic Item - $2 off
Women's Xhilaration or Mossimo Apparel Item - 15% off
Liz Lange for Target Maternity Apparel Item - $3 off

A lot of these aren't stackable because they are Target brand items, but the good news is that there are rarely coupons for store brand items and they are fairly high value coupons. So it should make for some good deals!

Coldwater Creek is offering an extra 30% off its clearance prices AND totally free shipping on all orders. Use code WFH5609 to get the free shipping through Feb. 20th! The 30% should come off automatically!

Swagbucks is offering 1,000SB for those signing up for a free 30 day Netflix Trial! This is a super easy way to earn enough swagbucks to cash in for two $5 amazon.com gift cards! If you have no interest in Netflix, you don't have to renew! Just try it out and cancel before the 30 days are up if you're not interested in continuing!!! Warning: I thought I'd do that, and I liked it so much that I've kept it - so it is costing me $8.79/month now (with tax). On the flip side, we found so much that we like on Netflix, that we canceled our dish service. So, we're actually saving about $50/month! :-) Click here to sign up for swagbucks if you haven't already and you'll get started with 30 free SB's!

Feb 17, 2012

The Clymb - as low as FREE!!!

The Clymb is a deal site that features high quality outdoor and athletic clothing at a discount! It's offering a $10 credit to anyone who signs up (please use this link)! Plus, they've just reduced their shipping to a $4.98 flat-rate for the entire order! So, here are some amazing deals you could get: 


Women's Bria Knit Hat
Retails for $30
Clymb Price: $11.98
Minus $10 sign-up credit = $1.98 + $4.98 shipping 
Total: $6.94 




Women's Gracewill Shirt
Retails for $42
Clymb Price: $17.98
Minus $10 sign-up credit = $7.98 + $4.98 shipping
Total: $12.94




Men's Volt T-Shirt
Retails for $18
Clymb Price: $8.98
Mins $10 sign-up credit = FREE + $4.98 shipping
Total: $4.98 (and you'll have $1.02 credit left over!!!)



Sign up here for your $10 credit!

Feb 16, 2012

Restaurant.com Promotions


If you're already familiar with restaurant.com, then you may want to sign up for their newest promotion, which of course is a texting thing! You can text the code: R2ZN4B to the number: 78166.
You'll be entered into a drawing for a free $100 restaurant.com e-gift card AND you'll be signed up for their text alerts. I'm told that there will be no more than 4 texts per month - so don't worry, you won't be getting texted all the time from restaurant.com.

If you're not familiar with restaurant.com and want to know more about it - just continue reading!


Restaurant.com is a website that offers "gift certificates" to local restaurants at a discount. Here's what they have to say about their site: Restaurant.com serves as the community matchmaker, introducing great restaurants to great people. From appetizers to dessert, from wine to dinner, Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote the new and unique aspects of their restaurants while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost effective way. Your favorite restaurant is in your neighborhood – maybe you just don't know it yet. Restaurant.com is here to help.

So here's what you do:
1) Go to restaurant.com and enter your zip code.
2) View all the restaurants that are listed in your area and decide which one you'd like to go to.
3) There are usually a few choices on dollar amounts of the certificate, so decide which one you'd like. Keep in mind that there is normally a minimum purchase required at the restaurant. Ex. $25 gift certificate will likely be good towards any $35-50 purchase.
4) Add the certificate(s) you'd like to your cart and go to checkout.
5) Enter promo code for a discount off of your cost; normally anywhere from 60-80% off!
6) Pay for your certificates with a credit/debit card or Paypal.
7) Either print immediately to use right away, or save for a rainy day (certificates are good for up to a year)!

Current Promo Code: SNOWBALL good for a 60% discount!

I've been using Restaurant.com certificates for about 4 years now. They are a fantastic way to try new restaurants, or visit your favorite restaurants for a discount!!!

Feb 15, 2012

Harris Teeter Super Doubles = 75% savings!!!




Just wanted to show you what I was able to do at Harris Teeter this morning and how amazing Super Double Coupons can really be!!!






DeerPark Sparkling Water - $1.25 each
Bought 2 bottles = $2.50
Used 2 $1.00/1 manufacturer coupons ($2.00 each)
FREE (price was adjusted down to make it free - no overage given)

Colgate Toothpaste - $1.50
Used 75¢ manufacturer coupon ($1.50)
FREE

Rhodes Warm and Serve Rolls (not pictured) - $1.67
Used $1.00 manufacturer coupon ($2.00)
FREE
 
Halls Cough Drops - $1.50
Bought 4 packages = $6.00
Used 2 $1.00/2 manufacturer coupons ($2.00 each)
eVIC Coupon - $1.00
Paid 25¢ each

Puffs Plus Cubes - $1.50 each
Bought 2 boxes = $3.00
Used $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon ($2.00)
eVIC Coupon - 25¢
Paid 38¢ each


Hefty One-Zip Freezer Bags - Quart - $1.57 each
Bought 2 boxes = $3.14
Used $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon ($2.00)
Paid 57¢ each

Freshmates Tubs - $2.69 each
Bought 2 tubs = $5.38
Used 2 $1.00 manufacturer coupons ($2.00 each)
eVIC Coupon - 25¢
Paid 56¢ each

Hefty One-Zip Freezer Bags - Gallon - $1.97 each
Bought 2 boxes = $3.94
Used $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon ($2.00)
Paid 97¢ each

Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo - $6.45
Used $1.50 manufacturer coupon ($3.00)
Paid $3.45

*Egglands Large Eggs - $2.95
Used 35¢ manufacturer coupon (70¢)
Paid: $2.25

*So Delicious Coconut Milk - $3.27
Used 55¢ manufacturer coupon ($1.10)
Paid $2.17

Total Sale Value: $39.80
Total Spent: $12.86
Coupon Savings: 68%

Notes
*These aren't particularly great prices for Egglands Eggs and Coconut Milk, but I needed them - so I paid what I had to! Thankfully I had coupons to off-set the non-sale price a little bit! :-) But they do skew my figures slightly. If I didn't factor those items in and only got the on-sale with coupon items, the sale value of what I bought would have been $33.58, and after coupons I would have spent $8.44 or 75% savings.

A commonly asked question is: "Sure, you saved all that money - but how long did it take you to get all of that organized?" Well, honestly - this morning I spent about 5 minutes before I left (because my coupons were already clipped and sorted in my binder) and I spent about 35 minutes in the store. I had to go grocery shopping anyway - so the 5 extra minutes I spent this morning saved me about $38.50!

Also, I did buy other things not pictured/itemized - but they weren't on sale and/or I didn't have a coupon for them (fresh produce, meat, etc.). But, since my ticket totaled more than $50 before coupons, I was also able to use a competitor coupon that is in the Citypass book for $12 off of a $50 or more ticket. So, when all was said and done - I paid a total of $42.17 (with tax) for $104.55 worth of groceries!



Feb 14, 2012

This and That

Harris Teeter Super Doubles start tomorrow!!!! Woohoo! One of my favorite events that comes around every 6-7 weeks is Harris Teeter's Super Double Coupons! For those of you who are new to the coupon world in Charlotte (or anywhere in North/South Carolina) - Super Doubles is when Harris Teeter will double coupons with a face value of up to $1.99. Now realistically, there are no coupons above $1.50 in face value - and even those are fairly rare. So, the coupons that will do the most for you during this time will largely be the $1.00 coupons! I highly recommend checking out southernsavers.com to find all the match-ups for the Harris Teeter. She will give you customizable/printable lists for their advertised and un-advertised deals - plus links to print coupons when they're available online. It's a fantastic site and a HUGE time-saver!

USTA Players - did you know that you can get a $10 refund for playing in a sanctioned tennis tournament in 2012 if you didn't play in one in 2011?!?!?! It's super easy! Here's the information I got yesterday at the captain's meeting:
USTA North Carolina will offer incentives once again in 2012 for Adult League Players and Team Captains to participate in sanctioned tournaments. Each League Player who participates in a 2012 sanctioned tournament (but did not in 2011) may apply for a rebate of $10. Each Team Captain, who has 3 team members competing in the same 2012 sanctioned tournament (none of whom participated in 2011), may apply for a $50 rebate. The captain may apply for an additional $10 rebate, over and above the $50, if he/she competes in the same tournament with his/her team members. The $10 rebate is limited to one-time only per player or captain.
Looks pretty simple to me! I've only ever played in one tournament, but with this incentive - I think I may be looking for more to play in!!!

Pampers Gifts to Grow Program - even if you don't have a child in diapers, this might be a program you'd be interested in! In every tub of wipes and package of diapers, there is a 15 digit code that you can enter on the pampers website. That code is worth a varied number of points. You build up points that you can then use to  purchase items in their "reward catalog". It's really quite simple. It's certainly easier if you're actually buying these items, because you get the codes a lot faster. But, if you follow the hip2save website, she'll list 5-10 point codes periodically that you can use. Also, if you have your child in some sort of childcare facility where there are small children in diapers, ask the owners if they'll save the codes for you from their diaper packages. If you prefer Huggies, they also have a "Enjoy the Ride" program that works the same way. Some of the rewards include things like credit at Snapfish, coupons for free baby products (Dreft, diapers, wipes), games, toys, books, and there's even a Radio Flyer Tricycle on there! 

Bebe Bella is having a 70% off all Discontinued Apparel Sale. It includes all Satin and Minky Apparel! I've ordered several things from them and they are absolutely precious! Great for baby presents!!!

Sale Pricing
 Dress: $10.80 Retail $36.00
 Top: $9.00 Retail $30.00
Skirt: $6.00 Retail $20.00
 Capri: $6.00 Retail $20.00

 Code: satin70
 Expires: February 15th
 use code during checkout to receive discount
 **not valid with any other offer*
Visit www.bebebelladesigns.com 




Feb 12, 2012

Lot 18 - great deal on fantastic wine + free shipping!

Lot 18 is a deal site that sells exclusive wine, coffee, and chocolate; three of my most favorite things! :-)

Lot 18 has a deal going on right now for free shipping (normally $9.99) on some of their select 1/2 cases. They have a 2008 Ruston Cuvee Simone Napa Cabernet Blend 1/2 case of 1/2 bottles (375 ml) for $48. This may seem a little steep for 1/2 bottles, but a full 750 ml bottle retails for $26.99. So, if you purchased 3 regular size bottles (to equal the same amount of wine) at $26.99, you'd pay $80.97 + tax and shipping. Here you get 6 individual bottles for only $48 of a wine that rates #30 in the top 100 wines of 2012 (according to vinopedia.com). Plus - you get free shipping! This would make a great addition to a picnic basket, or a wonderful gift basket, or a little happy! Or this is a great option if you want just 2 glasses at a time; you won't have to worry about re-sealing the bottle! At only $8/bottle for such a high quality wine, that's pretty hard to beat!

Have a hard time justifying spending $4/glass of wine? Here's a little price comparison. My husband used to work in the restaurant business and the rule of thumb is to sell a single glass of wine for the wholesale cost of the bottle; that's a mark-up of about 3 1/2 times. So, if you go to a restaurant and pay $10 for a glass of wine (pretty average in my area), then you're drinking a roughly $10 bottle of wine wholesale, or about $13-14 retail. With the wine featured above, you'd be paying about $20/glass. Since most restaurants don't sell wines by the glass that are that high, you'd probably have to buy it by the bottle - which would likely cost you about $58 (or $12-14/glass - depending on whether you get 4 or 5 glasses out of the bottle).

So, paying $4/glass for a high-quality wine is a fantastic deal! Next time you want to have a girl's night - you could invite people over to your house and provide wine for everyone for the same amount of money that you would have spent on just yourself at a restaurant!

Please use the links above (or here) to sign up for a free account with Lot 18!

Feb 11, 2012

Celebrate (Cheaply)

Wednesday was my 9th Wedding Anniversary! That's a really long time - yet it feels like it has flown by! We're going out tonight for a super special evening and I wanted to share with you our plans (that include HUGE savings)!!!

First, our 16 month old is spending the evening with family friends through a "Babysitting Swap" system we worked out. I babysat for them a few weeks ago so they could go out, and now they're returning the favor! So our evening is already about $50 cheaper than it would have been because we don't have to pay a babysitter! Plus, Isabella is going to have a blast playing with their little girl! It's a win-win! :-)

Second, I bought fandango movie passes in April of last year through Groupon. I paid a whopping $2 for two movie tickets! If you've never purchased tickets through fandango - it's super easy. You just go to fandango.com and enter your zip code. It shows all the theaters in your town and the movies that are showing. Click "buy" next to the movie you want to see and choose the time! When you get to the check-out, enter in a promo code (if you have one). Pay and then print your tickets. Even if you don't have a promo code, it sure beats getting to the theater early, standing in line, and risking a sell-out! Groupon, Living Social, and lots of other deal sites feature movie ticket deals frequently, so keep your eye out! Buy them and save for a special occasion! In this case, we're saving $18 on our movie tickets!

Third, I bought a restaurant.com gift certificate for an amazing Indian Restaurant (The Blue Taj)! I was able to get a $25 certificate (good towards a $45 purchase) for only $2! So, we're saving at least $23 right there on our meal! If you're unfamiliar with how restaurant.com works - it's super simple! Just go to the website, enter in your zip code, and you'll see a list of lots of local restaurants offering gift certificates for varied amounts at a discount. Chose the restaurant you want and the gift certificate amount - and then go to check out. When you get to the check out, enter a promo code for a discount! There is always a discount available for anywhere from 50-90% off! Just check here on this blog before you go (down on the right-hand side) and I always have the current promo code listed! Once you've paid, print your certificate and take to the restaurant with you! Just make sure you look at the fine print before you go to the restaurant - some of them have holiday, weekend, or alcohol exclusions, and there is always a minimum purchase required.

So, we're saving $50 on a babysitter, $18 on movie tickets, and $23 on dinner; that's $91 saved! We're getting to have a super special night out without a lot of money spent! So cheers to 9 years and I hope you can use some of these money-saving tips for a special night out of your very own!!!

Feb 10, 2012

Hard to beat nearly FREE!!!!



Seven Everyday Sling is offering an amazing promotion! Go here and scroll down until you see this:

Shop: Seven™ Slings Gift Sets
Our 3 Piece Gift Sets include:

  • 1 Seven™ pouch sling. ($48 value)
  • 1 matching set of Seven™ baby leg warmers!  ($12 value)
  • 1 adult acrylic cuff bracelet with matching Seven™ sling fabric sealed inside! ($12 value)

A $72.00 value! Yours today for just $44.00!

Choose your size (look at sizing chart) and the pattern you'd like. Then enter the promo code VALENTINE and you'll get it for only $5! Just pay shipping (which is $11.95)! They will automatically put in a $3.50 "Size Exchange Insurance" - but you can remove that if you don't want it. This is a pretty awesome deal considering these types of slings normally cost about $45-50 in the boutiques!
 

If you're in the market for a nursing cover, then you should check out their sister site and try this deal:
3 piece Gift Sets include an Udder Covers™ nursing cover, a color-coordinated Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet and a pack of 4 Udder Covers™ breast pads! A $45.85 value! Yours today for just $37.00!.
  • Udder Covers™ allow mothers everywhere to breastfeed their babies in comfort, style and confidence anytime - anyplace!
  • Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet keeps track of what side you nurse from, what time and how long all on one wrist! 

Add the Gift Set of your choice to your shopping cart and then enter promo code SEVEN and you'll get it for only $5 + $11.95 shipping! Once again, a fantastic deal for just the nursing cover, which runs at least $40 in the big box stores!

Even if you're not in need of these items, they make FANTASTIC gifts! For a total of about $34, you'll be able to provide a new mom with a very unique sling, nursing cover, leg warmers, and 2 bracelets - shipped straight to your door. I've heard from several people who have bought these items and they say the quality is very good!



  (A BIG thank-you to Anna for the heads-up on this deal!!!)

Feb 9, 2012

Earth Fare - Welcome Home, Feed Your Phone, and Boot Challenge

If you haven't jumped on the Earth Fare band wagon yet, here are some pretty good incentives!

Text the word "EAT" to 71700 
and you'll get the following mobile coupons: 
$10 off a $25 purchase coupon (keep in mind, this coupon expires about 24 hours after they text it to you, so probably best to do it right before you go shopping!)

AND you'll be signed up for their on-going "Feed your Phone" promo. They are currently doing 7 days of mobile coupons, leading up to Valentine's Day.
Yesterday's Coupon: Free Chocolove Chocolate Bar with $5 purchase
Today's Coupon: Free Aura Cacia 13oz Bubble Bath with $10 purchase

**BE AWARE: these are mobile coupons and you will be charged text messaging fees where applicable!**

Also, go to www.earthfare.com and sign up for the "Welcome Home" promotion. You'll get a coupon for a free item every week, in addition to the sign-up bonus of a free whole chicken! This week's coupon is $3 off/lb of their filet mignon!

And lastly, be sure to take their boot challenge once a month - where you can exchange a commonly used household item (with harmful ingredients) for their better/healthier version for FREE! One of the cool things about this promo is that the item you trade in doesn't have to be brand new! They just want you to raid your pantry/medicine cabinet and get rid of the "bad" item and give theirs a try!

Feb 7, 2012

Fantastic Pampers Deal - Expires Today (Harris Teeter)

UPDATE: Though the sale on diapers ended on Tuesday, the Harris Teeter promotion will run through February 12th! You should have gotten $2.50/1 coupons in your boxes of diapers that you bought. If so, you can repeat the deal using the new coupons and also get an additional $15 credit on your VIC card. However, you are only allowed one P&G rebate per household. 


Harris Teeter/P&G Promotion on Pampers Diapers


Buy 2 boxes of Pampers Diapers on sale for $24.99/box
Buy 1 tub of wipes for $3.59
eVIC: load the $1.50 coupon for Pampers Diapers
eVIC: load the $.50 coupon for Pampers Wipes
Use two $2/1 Manufacturer Coupons for Pampers Diapers
Use one 50¢/1 Manufacturer Coupon for Pampers Wipes
Pay $46.57 + tax

Pay attention to the Catalina Coupons that your cashier should give you at check-out. You should get the following: 
This is a rebate that you get for spending at least $30 on P&G products. Fill out form and send it in with your receipt and you'll get a $10 rebate in 8-10 weeks! This is a promotion directly from P&G!

AND, next time you go into Harris Teeter and spend at least $15, you'll get $15 credit taken off of your total because you spent $50 on Pampers Products! This is a Harris Teeter promotion!
So, when it's all said and done - after you factor in your coupons, $15 Harris Teeter credit, and the $10 P&G rebate - you'll have spent a total of $21.57 (plus tax) on the equivalent of 6 packages of pampers diapers and 1 tub of wipes. I'd say that's pretty good! Hurry, the sale on diapers ends today!

CVS: Awesome Update to Coupon Policy!!!

Ladies and Gents, I'm thrilled to tell you of one more reason that CVS is my favorite store!!! They have just updated their coupon policy and you may now use TWO COUPONS on Buy One Get One Free promotions!!! Here is the update:

Two coupons may be used on a Buy One, Get One Free promotion 
as long as it does not exceed the item total
*Ex. Suave Shampoo is on sale for $2.00 Buy One, Get One Free and the customer is purchasing two shampoos; customer may use two coupons for $1.00 each and pay the applicable tax.

Buy One, Get One Free promotions may be combined with Buy One, Get One Free Coupons. Customers are responsible for paying applicable tax
*Ex. Suave Shampoo is on sale for $2.00 BOGO and customer has a MFG coupon for Suave BOGO. Customer will receive both items for free but will need to pay any applicable tax.


I know I've said it a million times, but I LOVE CVS!!!

A Few Current Deals!

Target

Buy Alexia Frozen Potatoes or Onion Rings - $3.09
Use $1/1 Target Coupon (click here)
Use $1.25/1 Manufacturer Coupon (available on coupons.com or through your swagbucks account - coupon tab)
Final Cost: 84¢

Buy 2 Charmin Double Roll 24 pk $12.99 each = $25.98
Use 2 $1/1 Charmin 9 pk+ regional Target Coupon (found in the 1/22 RP)
Use the $1/2 Manufacturer Coupon (found in the 1/29 PG)
Pay $22.98
Get back a $5 Target gift card
Final cost only $17.98 for both – just $8.99 per pack

Buy 4 American Greeting Cards for $1.29 each = $5.16
Use the  $2/3 Greeting Cards (Excludes Cards Under $1) Target Coupon (click  here)
Use the Buy 2 get 1 FREE American Greetings Cards (Under Flowers & Gifts on the left here)
Final cost only $1.87 – 47¢ per card!
*You must buy 4 cards because you're going to get one free with the manufacturer coupon, and the Target coupon will not apply unless you pay for at least 3 cards.



Lands' End

Free Shipping code - no minimum purchase!
Promotion Code: SPRINGPLAY
Pin: 6149

Remember to go through your shopathome or ebates account to get 2-2.5% cash back!
 

Free card at Cardstore.com! 
Just enter in code MCSFC0212 at the very end of the checkout process! You'll get a free card and they'll either ship it to you so you can send it yourself, or they'll send it to the person you'd like to send it to! You can even upload your signature! I love personalizing these cards with photos of my little one! Nice for a birthday or a little "happy"!

Feb 6, 2012

Little Reminders


1) When wanting to print internet coupons (normally found on coupons.com), log-in to your swagbucks account and do the following so that you can earn 10 Swagbucks every time you use one of those coupons:
Log into swagbucks (click here if you don't have a swagbucks account and want to set one up)
Click the "Earn" tab
Click "Coupons" from the drop-down menu
Click "clip" for whatever coupons you'd like
Click "Print coupons" when you've clicked everything you want
If this is your first time to print internet coupons, you'll need to download the "coupon printer". It's fast and easy!
Why do this? When you reach 450 swagbucks in your account, you can cash out for a $5 amazon.com gift card, or 635 swagbucks gets you a $5 Starbucks gift card - or choose from lots of others! The point is: if you're using these coupons anyway, why not get double the reward? Get the cash savings from the face value of the coupon AND the 10 swagbucks!

2) To find coupons on the Target website, scroll all the way to the bottom of the site and look under "Ways to Save" and click "Coupons". Or, you can go to www.target.com/coupons (sometimes this link doesn't work for me, so most of the time I just go through the main site).

3) Anytime you're shopping online (for anything but a deal site) - log into your ebates or shopathome account FIRST. Do a search for the merchant you're wanting to shop with and click the "Shop Now" button on the website. You'll be redirected to the merchant's site, but you'll earn cash back on whatever you spend! Not a member of ShopatHome or Ebates? Click on the links to sign up and start earning cash back for what you're doing already!!!

4) Download the Harris Teeter (if you're in North or South Carolina) and Savingstar aps if you have an iPhone or Android operating system! These aps are true time savers!!! Load those loyalty card numbers and click the coupons you want! This is such an easy way to save money without having to clip a single coupon!

Feb 4, 2012

Southpark Coupon Clippers - TOMORROW!!!

Hey there Charlotte Shoppers! Southpark Coupon Clippers meets tomorrow (Sunday) at 2:30 at Earthfare! Bring your un-wanted (and un-clipped) coupons and meet us in the cafe to clip and visit!

Don't forget to thank Earth Fare for being such a gracious host by buying a little something (their chocolate chip cookies are super big and super yummy and only $1.29)!

Also, if you haven't joined Earth Fare's "Welcome Home" - go to their website and do so now! You'll get a coupon for a free chicken for joining, and a coupon for 2 free large avocados with a $5 purchase! Perfect for a wonderful guacamole dip while watching the Super Bowl!!!

Harris Teeter Specials

I just got back from Harris Teeter and there were some really good deals that I thought you might be interested in checking out!

Vicks Nature Fusion is on sale for $5.99! 
Load the $3.00/1 onto your VIC card (must be eVIC member) 

Use the $3.00/1 manufacturer coupon from last Sunday's paper

Total Cost = FREE!!!




Kettle Brand Chips are on B1G1. At HT, that means they are really 1/2 off!!!
Buy 3 bags @ $1.84 each
Use 3 $1.00/1 manufacturer coupons from last Sunday's paper
Total Cost: 84¢ per bag


*The reason you buy only 3 bags is because you're only allowed 3 "like coupons" in a single transaction!

Through February 7th (Tuesday), HT is running a promotion on Pampers Diapers and wipes. If you buy $50 worth of Pampers products by Feb. 7th, you will get a $15 store credit loaded onto your VIC card. Here's what you do: 

Buy 2 large boxes (as pictured above) @ $24.99 each = $49.98
Buy 1 box of Wipes (as pictured above) @ $3.59
Load eVIC coupon for $1.50/1 box of Pampers Cruisers
Load eVIC coupon for 50¢ box of Pampers Wipes
Use 2 $2.00/1 box of diapers manufacturer coupons 
Use 1 50¢/1 box of wipes manufacturer coupon (will double to $1)
Pay $46.57
Get $15 back in credit on VIC card
Net spent: $31.57 (on the equivalent of 6 packages of Jumbo Diapers and 1 box of wipes)

Plus, you'll get $5 in coupons in each box of diapers!!!


Method Laundry Detergent is on sale for $6.49 for the 25 load bottle. 

Buy 3 bottles @ $6.49 = $19.47
Use 3 manufacturer coupons for $2/1 = $6
Pay Total of $4.49/bottle

*I did the math and it's a better deal to get the smaller bottles, than to get the larger 50 load bottle - when you factor in the sale and coupons! 



UPDATE: Target just released new mobile coupons and there is a $2/1 Method Laundry coupon! I don't know the price for Method Laundry detergent at Target, but when you stack the Target Coupon and the manufacturer coupon for a total of $4 off of one bottle - it might be better than this Harris Teeter price! To get Target Mobile Coupons - text "OFFERS" to 827438!

Feb 3, 2012

Free Energey Kit from Duke Energy

Click here to get a free energy kit from Duke Energy!!! This is totally free to North & South Carolina residents (and well as Ohio)! Just go here and fill out the form! 

Then in about 3 weeks, you'll receive this:
* Compact Fluorescent Bulb
* Low Flow Showerhead
* Energy Efficiency Limelight Style Night Light
* Kitchen Faucet Aerator
* Bathroom Faucet Aerator
* Water flow meter bag
* Combination Pack of Switch/Outlet Gasket Insulators
* Teflon Tape
* Hot Water Gauge Card
* Glow Ring Toy
* And more!

All You - great deal on Subscription!!!

Go here to get a subscription to All You Magazine for only $12! 

Not familiar with All You? It's a magazine sold only at Wal-Mart or by subscription that is filled to the brim with manufacturer coupons (coupons you can use anywhere, not just Wal-Mart). Each issue normally has anywhere from $60-$100 in coupons, so it is definitely worth the subscribing to! I definitely recommend it!

Feb 2, 2012

Paperless Couponnig!

Not into cutting coupons and trying to remember them when you go to the store?

Join Savingstar.com! Here's how it works (and it's totally free)!!!
SavingStar is the first national, fully digital, grocery eCoupon service, available for free at www.savingstar.com and on iPhone and Android mobile apps. There's nothing to clip, nothing to print.
Providing exclusive eCoupons redeemable at over 24,000 grocery and drug stores throughout the country, SavingStar’s eCoupons are linked to customers’ loyalty cards and offer a more convenient and eco-friendly way to save on groceries than paper coupons. SavingStar automatically adds the value of each eCoupon redeemed into users' SavingStar accounts, enabling them to pick their payout from cash to gift cards to charity donations.

Click 
Select the eCoupons you like and we'll link them to your store loyalty cards.




Shop 
Use your loyalty card at checkout (note: your bill will stay the same).




Save 
Your money is automatically added to your SavingStar account!



Then Pick Your Payout!

Once you save $5, choose from these payout options: PayPal, Bank Draft, Amazon.com Gift Card, or donation to the American Forest Association!

All you have to do is enter your zip code and they'll tell you exactly what stores they can link. Then enter your store loyalty card number and click the coupons you want! They just loaded new coupons this morning (Feb. 2nd) - so click now before they run out!!! Go to savingstar.com to get started now!