Free Skinny Cow

Go here and print the Skinny Cow b1g1 free coupons.  Then- this week 1/1-1/7 at CVS you can buy 2 boxes (that have 6 in each) which are on sale for b1g1 free and get both for FREE!

Yay!

Make your own sale week

It's a slow week as far as coupon match ups go- but the good news is you can make your own sale shopping those christmas 50% off racks!  In addition to great candies- be on the look out for table items like napkins, papertowels, cups, plates- and of course at Target you can shop their baking holiday items too!  I still haven't made it to Target this week- I'm just plain pooped.

However- I did venture to CVS.  They have their 5pack Zyrtec for $5.99 with a $5.99 extra care buck.  I had a $2 coupon so this was a money maker on an item we use- score!  I also bought their Theraflu warming product.  It's on sale for $4.77 (if I am remembering right- that is close if nothing else) and I used the $3 coupons from a couple weeks ago.  Buy 2, get a $3 extra care buck.  So I bought 2- $9.54.  Used 2 $3 coupons- $3.54.  Got back a $3 ECB- $.54 for two packs of cold and flu medicine.  I know I will be glad to have this if we need it this winter.  ALSO- keep in mind that there is a $5 giftcard rebate here when you buy any theraflu- but it's not good with coupons.  But still, you might buy an extra, it will be free after the rebate!

While at CVS- check their christmas clearance, it seems to include lots of toys and such as well!

And at Staples this week you can print a coupon here for 15% off of anything you can fit into the free reusable bag they will supply you with.  They have lots of christmas clearance going on too- and this is good on that as well!  Not to mention- just a good time to buy any ink and such you might need at a discount!

Old Navy Groupon

Last month- Groupon offered a deal to Old Navy where you buy a $20 voucher for $10.  I did- and I used it to buy some gifts for Christmas.  Not only did I get the stores sale price, but I paid with an instant 50% savings certificate!

And guess what?  They are doing it AGAIN!  Click over to Groupon where you can buy a $20 old navy voucher for $10.  Good in their store only and the promotional value expires 1/28/12- but your original $10 you paid never expires.  Regardless- I know I'll be going there before 1/28!!!

You are allowed to buy one for yourself and one as a gift.  I gifted one to my husband so that I could buy two.  Not sure if that is 'legal' or not- but it worked!

Puttin' a plan into action

Every chance I have gotten in the past several months to scarf up cheap candy and handlotion, I have.

And now it is time to use it up.  I am making small treat bags for all of the ladies in the school office, various gym/art/music teachers, bus drivers, and other school people.  In them are a large tube of nice hand cream and gobs of wrapped candies.

All total for 14 or so of these giftbags I have calculated that I spent just under $8.  Each tube of hand lotion retails for about $5, so I think this is a heck of an accomplishment.  This time of year it is hard to be able to give a little something to those that you want to and not break your budget into 1000 pieces.  I think these are nice little gifts that I hope these folks will receive with joy in knowing that we remembered them at such a special time of year.

I am doing something similar for the kids teachers- only I'm including some car wash certificates in the bag as well. 

CVS 12/18

Wow- there have been a few good deals the past weeks, but nothing really newsworthy (if you will).  Plus with all the extra hub bub of the holidays- I've slacked.  Sorry.

Walgreens ad this week is none too impressive.  I did see in their store though that they are beginning to clearance their holiday foods (pumpkin, frenchs onions) so just a reminder to keep an eye out.  When you pair that discount with a coupon you can rock it.

CVS 12/18
I am lovin' the spend $30 get a $10 giftcard deals at CVS lately.  Plus- I typically get either a gas card or a cvs card, so it's a win win!

Total paid $21.29.  Got back a $10 gift card and $3 in extra care bucks ($2 from hersheys and $1 from my green bag tag.)

The Hersheys pot of gold are $3.99 but are part of the spend $30 sale- as is the toblerone and m&m's.  My total before coupons was well over $40.  Also- when I scanned my card at the machine, I got a $3 off 2 pot of gold coupon and $1 off 2 m&m coupon- woohoo!  I used my $1 mq's with those as well, the $.50 mq's for the toblerone, $1 off 2 mars mq and the buy 2 get 1 free hersheys mq.  I had $5 in extra bucks I used too.

Good shopping day!  Plus now I have enough candy to finish all of the school staff and teacher gift bags, as well as boxes of chocolates for a few treasured folks as well!

CVS- free vitamins!

I don't have a picture to include- sorry.  But I wanted to get this out here in case you want to try and take advantage of it this week as well.

Centrum Pro Nutrients vitamins- $9.99
These are included in the spend $30 get a $10 gift card sale.  (You can pick from various cards- but I typically pick a Shell Gas Card, CVS giftcard or American Express giftcard).

$29.97 3 Centrum Pro Nutrients at $9.99 each
-$21 3 $7 Centrum Pro Nutrients MQ from the 12/11 Smart Source
$8.97 plus tax

PLUS earn a $10 gift card.  Free vitamins.

Also- be sure to scan your CVS card at the magic coupon machine- I got a $5 off any Centrum coupon to boot which made this deal even better!

Marsh Triples Again!

I can not begin to tell you how much I LOVE it when Marsh Triples $1 coupons.  It seems like they are doing it a few times a year- and always on really short notice.  And I so appreciate that they do it- it makes it so much fun for those of us who trim coupons and try to stretch those grocery budgets!

I apologize for this general picture- but I was in an enormous hurry trying to get Sam to school and get back to the hospital to be with mom.  But I couldn't pass the opportunity to shop that morning, so I crammed it in.  Actually, I ended up leaving all no perishable items right there in the middle of the kitchen floor- no time to put them away!

In addition to those bags of groceries is two cases of diet coke and 4 12 packs of various other sodas as well as 2 capri suns and a few frozen things that I slapped in the freezer in the garage.

My total before coupons- $404.82.
After coupons- $103.93.

I purchased 137 items including canned veggies and fruits, skinless chicken breasts, cheese, juice, yogurt, butter, cookie mixes, chips, cereal, ziplocks, crackers, cookies, sausage, and on and on and on.  When they do these sales- you can use 2 'like' coupons, which means you can buy 2 of any item when you have a coupon for each.  Any more than that just rings at face value.  And all coupons up to $1 triple.  It's a couponers dream- and I loved it!!!!

Cheap vanilla!

Wowza!  Not sure how I missed it in the ad- but CVS has their spices on sale this week for $.88.  Included in that sale- real vanilla extract and the big bottles of imitation vanilla extract.  THAT is a heck of a price!  If you can't find it in the store- be sure to grab a rain check!

Catchin up

I failed to post last week.  I just did.  Between sick kids and a crazy week- it just didn't happen.  I picked up a few sale things here and there- but nothing too exciting.  Except that printable spend $50 at target and get a $10 giftcard back.  It was only good for a couple days- but still exciting.  Hopefully some of you got to take advantage of it too.  Otherwise, I'm sorry I didn't share BEFORE it expired.

On to this week.

CVS 12/4/11

$1.27 candy canes
$2.97 3X.99 american greeting cards
$4.50 3X1.50 werther carmels
$5 2X$2.50 m&m's
$1.99 revlon emery boards (tag said $3.99)
$3.19 revlon nail clippers
$18.92 total before coupons

-$2 cvs printable coupon wyb 3 american greeting cards
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's
-$1 cvs mailer coupon wyb 2 m&m's
-$1 mq revlon beauty tool
-$1 mq revlon beauty tool
-$1 werther mq (printed from internet, maybe target site?)
-$1 werther mq (printed from internet, maybe target site?)
-$1 werther mq (printed from internet, maybe target site?)

Paid $9.92 cash (used some extra care bucks to whittle that down even more)

Received back $6 EB wyb 2 revlon tools, $3 EB wyb 3 american greeting cards, $1 EB wyb 2 m&m's.  My EB for the candy canes for $1.27 didn't print, so the cashier manually printed it and apparently when they do that they automatically round up- so it printed for $2.  So all total I received back $12 in extra care bucks.  Another money making week!

There are some great grocery items included in the spend $30 get a free $10 giftcard promo this week.  I will go back and work out a deal for that- but last night just wasn't the night.  If you haven't participated in that promo yet- you should.  I typically try to pair coupons with items in the spend $30 category.  As long as you hit the $30 BEFORE your coupons, you will get the gift card.  And they issue it right then!  I've gotten Shell gas station cards, CVS giftcards and American Express giftcards.  It's great!