May 7, 2011

Kellogg's Gas Rewards arrived

Remember this? On April 4 I told you about buying 90 boxes of cereal and getting 30 gallons of milk for free AND submitting for the Kellogg's Gas Rewards Card Rebate. My rebates arrived! They come in the form of prepaid MasterCards and are good on more than just gas. There's still time to get the Rewards Card. If another great Kellogg's cereal deal comes up, I will let you know. Keep in mind, you do not need receipts, just UPCs from select Kellogg's cereals.

Still time for 2 FREE collage prints

Walgreens has two codes for free 8x10 collage prints.You can use both codes per account, just not in the same order.
FORMOM
FREECOLLAGE
Hurry--you have until 11:59am Central Time!

Apr 24, 2011

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! We hunted eggs yesterday and this morning my kids enjoyed hard boiled eggs for breakfast.

No coupon inserts in the newspaper today!

Apr 22, 2011

Easy Hard Boiled Eggs

My kids love hard boiled eggs and I boil up a dozen or so per week. It doesn't matter what color the yolk is, my kids throw it out, but for those who care, this is the easiest way I have found that does not produce green/gray yolks.




Place eggs in a pot and cover the eggs with water






Cover pot
Cook on high until a rolling boil
Once rolling boil is achieved, leave covered, turn off burner and set timer to 14 minutes (I do not remove from burner)




Shock eggs by taking them out of the pot with a slotted spoon and placing in cold water








Enjoy!






Fred Meyer: 18 count eggs 3/$5 with in-ad coupon, limit 3
WinCo: 12 count eggs $1.08, limit 4
Safeway: 18 count eggs $1.99 with in-ad coupon (must buy $10 worth of groceries), limit 2
Chuck's Produce: 12 count eggs $0.99 , no limit stated

Apr 13, 2011

20 gallons of milk...easy come, easy go

Last week I mentioned getting 90 boxes of Kellogg's cereals and 30 catalinas good for free milk. I'm happy to report that Portland Police Sunshine Division picked up the cereal last Wednesday and yesterday the kids and I took care of the milk.
I made sure to bring my camera to photograph 20 gallons of milk in the trunk of the Honda Civic, but no photos were taken during our fastest trip to Albies--ever. When I purchased the cereal, I ordered 20 gallons of milk, since I was not going to buy out all the 2% milk at Albies and leave them with a big hole in their milk section. The guys at the 4th Plain Albies have made ordering easy--thank you Nate and Johnny! When I arrived at Albies yesterday I saw Johnny right away and he went and got the milk for me, checked me out, and put all the milk in the trunk--incredible service. Thank goodness, because I had two little monkeys that were not in the mood for another of mommy's couponing adventures. After Albies, we made the short drive over to Share House to drop off the milk. Off loading the milk went smoothly and my kids like making deliveries to Share House.

I'm disappointed about missing a great picture opportunity--I may never have 20 gallons of milk in the Civic again! In honor of our great milk donation, here is my little guy enjoying a tasty beverage.

Dinners

Since our financial month started I have not gone to the grocery store.
Monday we were treated to dinner at a friend's and yesterday we pulled out frozen breakfast burritos I made up a few weeks ago. Tonight it was simple baked chicken thighs, leftover potatoes, and canned green beans. Nothing exciting in the Rain household--except for the crazy amount of hail we had earlier!

Apr 11, 2011

$75 for a survey--my biggest yet!

Yippee! This $75 check was from a survey in which I participated in an on-line bulletin board. This is in addition to the 24 Opinion Points ($2.40) I earned for the 5 minute screening survey through Opinion Outpost.

The requirements were to answer questions on three specific days for 45 minutes each to earn $75. When I received the actual survey, the instructions indicated you only needed to answer the questions on two days to complete the survey! For me to give informed answers, I logged in three times over two days and spent at least 3 hours reading, listening, watching the information, and providing my answers.

This was the first time I had been selected to participate in an on-line bulletin board survey/discussion. It was interesting, sometimes dull, and in the end completely worth my time. The best part was getting the payment within two weeks!

Opinion Outpost is one of my favorite survey sites. I have earned $124.20 so far. Technically, I have had $95 worth of checks arrive in my mailbox over the past year and I have $29.20 to cash out at any time. Minimum earnings for rewards is 50 Opinion Points, $5 in the form of an Amazon.com gift card, 150 Opinion Points, $15 in the form of a Citi Gift Card. If you like money you can take to the bank, you need a minimum of 200 Opinion Points, $20 to request a check. My first $20 check arrived last May.

Go to Opinion Outpost to sign up.

Disclosure: My referral link is included in this post.

All You Magazine: Playboy for couponers

Admit it, you don’t read All You for the articles; you want to see what coupons are included! 

Ebates is offering a great deal today: 51% cash back from Magazines.com. You must go through Ebates to get this deal. In December, Ebates offered the same cash back deal and I took advantage of it. I have already received my check (Ebates pays quarterly) and am confident in sharing this deal with you. 
Go to Ebates
Type in "magazines.com" in the search bar and search
Magazines.com page will look like this
Click "Shop Now" and find your favorite magazine on magazines.com--it doesn't have to be All You


1 year All You subscription is $19.97 - 51% cash back = $9.79
2 year All You subscription is $34.00 - 51% cash back = $16.66

New Ebates users can choose their bonus:
$5 Ebates cash, which will arrive with your first check (put that sucker in the bank!)
Barnes & Noble $10 Gift Card
Home Depot $10 Gift Card
Target $10 Gift Card
Magazine.com $10 Gift Card

I am ordering 2 years of All You in my husbands name to get another subscription sent to the house. If you already have a subscription to All You, the subscription will be extended.


Disclosure: of course this post has my Ebates refferal link!

TLC's Extreme Couponing

This will be my only post on the show regarding extreme couponers. I will never see the show since we cut out cable years ago when we were serious about getting out of debt. However, I cannot avoid the damn thing! Well intentioned folks say, "Meghan, that's your show." "You should be on that!" "When are we going to see you on there?" Never. This show is bad news for couponers.
Last week Coupons, Deals, and More brought up an excellent point about Kroger (Fred Meyer and QFC are affiliated) stopping double couponing in the Houston area after an episode aired. Jill Cataldo wrote an interesting article on 4.6. The follow up article from 4.8 is pretty powerful regarding one extreme couponer's use of coupons. Instead of matching items, the couponer is matching family codes and the computer/cash register excepts them. I'm not sure after 60-some coupons why the cashier never read them to see if the correct product was being purchased or if there was a limit to the coupon. Coupon fraud is serious. What the manufacturer writes on the coupon is what the coupon is to be used for--not the coupon code, if you know how to read those.
As I teach in class, coupon fraud hurts everyone. The stores will not be reimbursed, the managers will come down on cashiers, and then cashiers will scrutinize every little coupon making saving less enjoyable and sometimes down right impossible. I have never had applause for my savings, but it is nice to run into friendly cashiers who understand and appreciate savings.
New coupon coding standards have been in the works for years and coupon changes are coming. More information will be stored on the coupon itself. Aside from being more product specific, coupon codes could become area specific and there goes trading for better coupon values! Although the show may hasten some changes, know that other changes have been on the way for a long time.

Apr 10, 2011

Update on JCPenney coupon policy

February 2, I discussed 15% survey codes being stackable with dollar off coupons. That is no longer the case! Stacking is gone, and I have not been to Penneys in a long while....

New month

Our financial month starts on the 10th. Today the envelopes get filled (well, tomorrow if I get to the bank). The grocery envelope will get $100 to last until the 24th and the charity envelope gets $40 to last all month. During tonight's Effective Couponing Class, I pulled out my grocery envelope and showed that there was $10 left from last month. Sweet! The extra $10 will be set aside to be used for a future Zaycon food order.
I'm challenging myself to keep track of exactly what is spent and how my family eats and hopefully this will not horrify me and give others helpful advice.
Dinner tonight was left-overs from last night. Ham, potatoes, and I'm not sure since I was teaching class...probably canned veggies. 
After class, I headed to Rite Aid to pick up some Gillette body wash. Gillette and Old Spice is on sale for $2.99 with a $2 +UP, limit 2 per household. Buy 2 and use a BOGO coupon from 4.3 P&G insert. Pay $3.48, including tax, and get 2 $2+UPs. Little money maker. I used +UPs from previous deals to pay and just paid tax with change I had.
The Rite Aid on 136th and Mill Plain has some Gillette and Old Spice body washes in a bin up front! Apparently Wasougal has, at least started the day with, an entire end cap of product. 162nd and 28th is out.
That's it for 4.10!

Apr 4, 2011

6 boxes of cereal 2 gallons of milk for $4

Until Tuesday, Albertsons has select Kellogg's cereal on sale 3 for $5.
Kellogg's Milk Catalina
Buy 3 boxes of Kellogg's cereal (12 ounces or larger) & Get 1 gallon of milk (up to $3.99) on your next purchase
Buy 6 boxes of Kellogg's cereal & Get 2 gallons of milk
Buy 9 boxes of Kellogg's cereal & Get 3 gallons of milk

The best bang for your buck is to buy 6 boxes of cereal, use $1/2 any Kellogg's cereal coupon Red Plum 3.6.11
Use 3 doublers
Pay $4
Get two catalinas each good for 1 gallon of milk

Every blog has mentioned the Kellogg's Gas Rewards Card Rebate. Keep in mind only Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Crispix that are part of the 3 for $5 sale also count towards the rebate. Albertsons on 4th Plain and Stapleton had tons of the sugary cereals, but no Corn Flakes, and few Rice Krispies, and Crispix.
***No Shelves Were Cleared***
***No Shelves Were Cleared***

I ordered 150 boxes of Crispix, Rice Krispies, and Corn Flakes last Wednesday. If you know a great deal is coming and you want a lot of the item, call the store and order! Notice there are no Corn Flakes--someone was not told about the order and the Corn Flakes were put out on the shelf. Oh well. This picture shows 90 boxes of cereal, a friend met me at Albertsons and bought what she needed from the order and this is what I brought home. 
Out of pocket: $60
What I came home with: 90 boxes of cereal and 30 calatinas good for 1 gallon of milk each
What I look forward to getting back: $50 in Gas Rewards Cards and blessing someone with $40 in Gas Rewards Cards
WTH am I going to do with this cereal and milk: I will keep about 7 boxes of cereal and the rest will be picked up by the Portland Police Sunshine division and 15 gallons of milk will go to Share House
Time invested: forget gathering all the coupons and calling the store to make the order; 2 1/2 hours in the store


Money Maker at Safeway

If you haven't done the McCormick Grinder money maker at Safeway, there's still time. The cat expires 4.10.11, but I cannot recall when the Grinders go off sale.
McCormick Catalina
Buy 2 Get $1.50
Buy 3 or more Get $2.50
the details can be seen in the picture (ETA: sorry--my pic is too small to read)
Every blog has mentioned this cat mid-March. I finally pulled my head out of my...well nevermind...and made it to Safeway. The deal is buy 3 McCormick grinders on sale for $2 each, use $1/1 from Red Plum 3.13.11, doublers, pay $1.50, and get back a $2.50 cat.
I like my deal better: pay 27 cents and get back $2.50.
Steakhouse Seasoning Grinders are reduced for quick sale to $1.59 until 6.30.11. The deal only works if you like this kind (my husband loves it) and you have to be able to find it. The Safeway on Mill Plain and 136th, does not have any more. If you find any other flavors reduced for quick sale, snatch them up!

Mar 3, 2011

Breakfast at Safeway and other deals


I was in Safeway the other day for something minor and the clerk said she hadn't seen me in awhile. I replied that there were no good deals lately. That has changed!

Quaker Oatmeal Squares $1.49 when you buy 4
Use $1/1 Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal Red Plum #2 1/30/11
Use a doubler for free cereal

Quaker Instant Oatmeal $1.77 with in-ad coupon; limit 4 and you must buy a minimum of $10
Use $1/1 Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Quick or Old Fashioned Oats Red Plum #1 1/2/11
~Instant oatmeal is 2/$5 this week and 4 boxes will get you to $10 after SW club card and before applying coupons. You can use doublers to get each box for 27¢.

Quaker Oatmeal Catalina 1/21/11 – 3/6/11
Buy 3 & Get $1
Buy 4 & Get $2
Buy 5 & Get $3
coupon off your next shopping order

**The best deal would be to buy 4 instant oatmeal, use the in-ad coupon and spend $1.08 and receive a $2 cat.**

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, including Simply Fruit roll-ups 99¢ when you buy 4 or more
Use
~50¢/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks General Mills 2/13/2011
~50¢/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers or Fruit Roll-Ups Smart Source 3/6/11 coming this weekend
~50¢/2 are also available on bettycrocker.com
Use a doubler for a total of $2/4 or $3/6 and you pay the same when factoring the catalina (hint: free!)

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Catalina 2/21-3/20
Buy 3 & Get $1
Buy 4 & Get $2
Buy 5 & Get $3
coupon off your next shopping order


My trip tonight included two orders of 4 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal Squares and 4 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. After all coupons and doublers I paid $3.04 for the first order and rolled the cat into the second order and paid $1.04 and still have a $2 cat for later. I could have done 4 orders and made money in cats, but my store has gotten serious about handing over the doubler and they no longer have ads available thanks to a bunch of piglets who took all the ads by Friday of Super Bowl weekend and left the store with no ads Saturday through Tuesday.

Feb 10, 2011

Zaycon Foods: $1.59/lb Chicken coming to Vancouver!


Zaycon Foods is bringing their trademark event to select locations in late January and early February including Vancouver! LIMITED QUANTITIES of high-quality, boneless skinless chicken breasts are NOW AVAILABLE UNTIL SOLD OUT.

• 100% natural chicken with no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients

• Comes fresh directly from the farm and has never been frozen

• Sold by the case — 40 lbs in each case ($63.60)

 NOTE: Each 40-lb case contains several small bags sealed in a larger bag inside the cardboard case

This is a great deal! I missed out the last time this deal came around since I could not get to Portland. They will have a drop off in Vancouver. 40 pounds of meat is a lot, but that's a screaming deal! Split a box with a friend or two! Go here for the details.

Vancouver Chicken Savings Event
Saturday, February 19, 2011
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Vancouver First Friends Church
2710 NE 65th Ave
South of NE Fourth Plain Road
Vancouver, WA 98661
Products Offered

* Breasts, Chicken (Fresh Boneless Skinless)
* Orders must be placed by Wednesday, February 16, 2011 (may sell out before then)

Portland Chicken Savings Event
Saturday, February 19, 2011
9:00 am - 10:30 am

Montavilla Baptist Church
9204 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
Portland, OR 97216
Products Offered

* Breasts, Chicken (Fresh Boneless Skinless)
* Orders must be placed by Wednesday, February 16, 2011 (may sell out before then)


disclosure: this post contains my affiliate link to Zaycon Foods, but I have NOT received a sample from Zaycon.

Feb 9, 2011

Free Hefty Plates and Bowls at Safeway

For those with the Joy of Football coupon book, now is a good time to use the $1/1 Hefty coupon. 50ct plates and 30ct foam bowls are on sale 2/$3 through 2/15. Bring your doubler and they are free. I am not a fan of disposable, but these are great to stock away for next years BBQ season, or, as I am hoping, a chili feed at  church.

Update on SW at Mill Plain and 136:
The ad is not available on the counter or in the bin. They are limiting them to one per family due to some greedy-greedy gumdrops last week. Apparently Pepsi products were a hot item and ad coupons were needed--and lots of them. Also, you need to hand over your doublers now. If this rule and the one ad per family stays in place, SW will cut down on multiple transactions. Oh well, RA is across the street and I turn my UPs into milk over there!

Albies Sale!

There is still time to get coupons for the upcoming Albertsons sale. Many of the coupons come from Smart Source 1/2/11--the denominations will vary by region and newspaper. The values I listed are ones I have seen available at clipping sites. The most I paid at a clipping site is 9¢ for the $1.50/2 Pam cooking spray.

Quick coupon match ups:

Chef Boyardee 35¢/3 SS 1/2
Healthy Choice Soup $1/2 SS 1/2
Hunts Tomatoes 45¢/3 SS 1/23
Hunt's Snack Pack* 60¢/3 SS 1/2
Ro*Tel $1/4 (from SW Joy of Football coupon booklet)
Peter Pan peanut butter 50¢/1 SS 1/2
Healthy Choice Frozen Meals B5G1 SS 1/2
Pam Cooking Spray 35¢/1 $1/2 $1.50/2 SS 1/23
Snapple $1/1 SS 1/30

*when searching on clipping sites, search "snack pack"

sites I have been using include



weclipusave.com
Dede

AND Twice the Value coupons this weekend! See you at Albies!

disclosure: this post contains an affiliate link: clicking through Manufacturers Coupons helps this site!

Feb 3, 2011

Gas up at Mill Plain Fred Meyer & Save 20¢ per gallon Fri-Sun

Fred Meyer is celebrating the Grand Opening of the Fuel Center by giving a 20¢ per gallon discount Friday, February 4 through Sunday, February 6. Scan your rewards card when you fuel up to save and be entered to win one of five $100 Fred Meyer Gift Cards. Also during daytime hours, there will be fun events including Fred Bear, food, giveaways and more.

The Mill Plain Fred Meyer is located at SE Mill Plain and SE Chkalov Dr. The price for a regular gallon was $3.159 when I drove by today. If the price remains the same for the weekend, prices will start at $2.959.

JCPenney Trip February 2: $34.49 (saved $429.43)

Many fantastic finds today. 
I went in today looking for something, but that item was still 60% off. So, I turned my attention to items that were 80% off or lower. I'm still in awe that a $60 purse was marked down to $2.97-95% savings! I had a 15% off survey coupon that stacked with a $10 off $50 coupon and I set off to see if I could find $50 worth of items that struck my fancy. I found 4 purses marked down to $2.97, 3 boy's tops, 1 pair of "comfy" pants for my daughter, 3 girl's winter coats, and, 2 Elmo sweatshirts. These 13 items came to $50.16. I used the $10 off $50 and 15% off survey coupons to save an additional $16.12. The total was $37.32 including tax (92% savings), or $2.87 per item.
How to stack JCPenney coupons here.


a little rant on spending vs saving
Clerks are irritating when they say, "You saved blah blah!" I know they are told to tell you what you saved and you walk away with that amount instead of what you spent as the last thing you hear before the clerk adds, "Don't forget the survey." Sometimes I even hear, "Nice job!" Really? Never would I spend retail on any item in this purchase. The purses were an absolute impulse buy. If I had not bought the purses, I would have bought a few more items for the kids, or maybe made it over to the men's section. For me, I must keep my eyes on the fact I spent $37.32 out of the clothing budget, which is $600 a year (with a little wiggle room here and there). As great sales continue this month (and they will) don't be suckered into a purchase that is out of your budget just because you will save xx dollars. If you don't have the money to spend don't spend it! It's not like I saved $429.43 and was able to put it in the bank--if I could, my husband's student loans would be paid off!

Feb 2, 2011

Effective Shopping: JCPenney

Did you know you can stack coupons at JCPenney? The most common stacking uses the 15% off survey coupon and a JCPca$h coupon. Survey coupons can be earned by completing a JCPenney survey. Survey access codes are found at the bottom of JCPenney receipts and are valid for 7 days; the coupon is valid for one month.
You can triple stack a survey coupon, JCPca$h, and a Rewards Certificate: 15% off survey can be stacked with $15 off $75 coupon or $10 off $50 coupon and a $10 off Rewards Certificate.
OR
15% off survey can be stacked with a $10 off Rewards Certificate and a percentage off email coupon or percentage off coupon sent to your mobile phone.

Here's what stacking will look like on your receipt (by the way--you will get some very long receipts if you buy lots of clearance items!).
My receipt contained 13 items and totaled $50.16 before coupons and tax. I used the $10 off $50 coupon and a 15% survey coupon for a savings of $16.12. The discounts do not come off at the very end; instead, the discount is applied to each item.

The item was originally $54: clearance for $2.97. Of the $10 I saved after spending $50, I saved 55¢ on this item. 15% off this item was 36¢. The total cost of this item was $2.06.

I love how JCPenney spells it all out. I know exactly how my discount was applied and if I need to return something, I know exactly how much I will get back.

Jan 28, 2011

Effective Tool: Little Helpers

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for...or put on my Christmas list.


Here are my little cherubs helping with the dishes. They enjoy this job. My son throws a fit when he cannot do this job! I know my little ones will age and lose the desire to help and I see it as my job to take full advantage while it lasts. No! My job is to cultivate their desire to help.
After putting my son down for nap yesterday my daughter saw me bringing the laundry up. I was not in the mood to fold laundry my goal for those few minutes was to put the laundry down and go read the paper. My daughter jumped up and said, "Can I help you fold laundry?" She was so excited and willing to help, so we spent the next half hour folding laundry. Admittedly, a 4 year old is not a great laundry folder, but she can sort and she's happy to take socks and put them away. She is also getting better at righting in-side out clothing--this skill takes a LOT of patience on my part and her part, but she's getting it! I loved spending time with her folding the laundry .

Jan 18, 2011

$20 Amazon gift card for $10 (or $5 for new members)

Now this is a great deal to get excited about!


New to LivingSocial? $5 credit--$5 for $20 Amazon gift card. Excuse me while I go shout this from the rooftops!

disclosure: yes, this post contains my referral link to Living Social!

Jan 17, 2011

Less Junk in the Trunk

This is a mess and it doesn't help that the trunk leaks. I'm switching over to Flip & Tumble. Currently a $29 voucher is available for $12 and if you have the $5 survey credit from last week, that's $7! What can you get with a $29 voucher at Flip & Tumble? I find the shopper bag most useful. For $5 a piece, you can get 5 shopper bags and a large carrying pouch. Or spend the extra $1 and get 6 shopper bags. Shipping on orders under $49 is $5. It's a steal and look at my trunk now.

Shopper bag information:
bag size = 17" x 23" = large enough for 3 half gallons of milk and then some I carry two gallon jugs in my bags
ball size = 3" in diameter = the size of a peach they fit in my coat pocket and I keep two in my purse
compacting system = standard non-stretch stuff sack
weight capacity = 25 lbs. = strong enough for a bowling ball or two
material = polyester
double layer fabric handle = comfortable carrying
washing instructions = machine wash cold, drip dry
plastic bags spared = 1,000+
More Flip & Tumble products located here


I keep a couple large bags for buying a lot of boxed items. The white bag is the large carrying pouch which had 5 bags in it at the time of this picture.What I really love about these little bags is the ability to keep them in the passenger seat so they don't get soaked in the trunk (one day I hope to post on the frugal way my husband fixes the trunk--so far he has replaced the weather stripped and that didn't help).

Tired of bringing home plastic bags with handles that break? Go to jasmere to get in on this deal by 8:59 am Monday!

Jan 14, 2011

Adventures in jasmere: Flashbags

I love to shop on-line and get great deals. Since I share these deals, I will also share reviews. Disclaimer: deals I review are not currently available, nor are they endorsed by jasmere or the company in the review.

One of the first jasmere vouchers I bought was for Flashbags: Large tote worth $56 for $24. I was intrigued and thought these would be great for my sisters and mother for Christmas and shipping was only $7.95 shipping for the whole order. Many things were learned during this process. First of all, my picture files were too small, so I had some learning and playing around with my camera’s settings to figure out. Secondly, Laura, the owner of Flashbags, assured me I had plenty of time as of November 30 when I sent in the small picture files and helped me figure out how large the picture file size needed to be. Since I am a procrastinator, being told I had time was not to my benefit. In addition, my beautiful, delightful children will not pose with each other and the other big obstacle was the fact my son was not interested in wearing clothes. Three weeks came and went. I took many, many pictures, but none were worthy of being put on a tote bag. Finally, I acquired three pictures for my Flashbags and sent them in January 2. The turn around time was amazing! The bags arrived 1/12! Now I have three beautiful totes waiting for birthdays so they can be sent to their rightful owners (even though I want to keep them ALL!).
sides of bag


I would order from Flashbags again—especially through jasmere or with a discount code (speaking of which, through 1/15—not a lot of time SORRY since it’s today for most of you! Enter AGIFTFORYOU for 50% off).

Interested in jasmere's curent voucher? Go HERE.

disclosure: my jasmere affiliate link is given above--using it will enable me to buy more stuff with pictures of my kids

Hot Topic Clearance Sale

Hot Topic Clearance Sale 
*FYI--it says an extra 50% off, but they have already figured that in and prices are as marked.

 All sorts of Hot Topic items included.
I'm partial to these ear plugs, among the many they had, it's a nice change from the standard circles.








If you were in the market for Lipstick Red Skinny Jeans I am sorry to inform you that they are out of stock.










If there is a must have, or many must have items at Hot Topic, go through Ebates for 4% cash back and you can use HTAJAN10 to save $10 off $50.


disclosure: this post has my ebates referral link--using it allows me to buy clearance jeans that I don't have to paint on

Junk in the Trunk: my love of reusable bags

I have been using resuable bags for eons. When I first opened a checking account I began supporting charities that would send a free tote bag as a "thank you." To say I wasted a lot of money on tote bags would be an understatement, but I still have many of them. Over the years my collection has grown and grown. This picture was taken AFTER giving away a bunch of bags. I use my bags everywhere--grocery stores, craft stores, drug stores, department stores, big box stores--if I am buying something, I have a bag!
Even when the bags are piled neatly in the trunk, they still take up room and we have the added issue of the trunk leaking which resulted in a few moldy bags last year.

green bag is holding 10 boxes of Fruit by the Foot
Last October jasmere first offered Flip & Tumble reusable bags and I love them! I stuff them and they can carry two gallon milk jugs! For Christmas I ordered more Flip & Tumble bags with no coupons!









I even ordered the mini shopper for the small panda and her brother since they were taking mine.

mini shopper

mini shopper tumbled


Currently you can get $29 worth of Flip & Tumble bags for $13 (55% off and it may go lower--everyone is charged the same LOW price after the sale ends). sign up for jasmere HERE


I already placed an order for today's jasmere voucher.
~Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Monday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
~This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
~Limited supply item - may sell out; max 1 per customer, please
~Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
~This voucher will expire on May 17, 2011.
~Flip & Tumble is a proud parner of carbonfund.org
~Shipping for orders under $49 is $5

disclosure: this post contains my affiliate link to jasmere--signing up helps me buy more reusable bags!

Fiber Plus deal at Rite Aid just gets better!

On the 9th, I posted on Facebook, but I will repost now since there is still time to get this deal at Rite Aid. If RA is out of Kellogg's Fiber Plus--get a raincheck!

Post from January 9:
Free Fiber Plus at Rite Aid (actually make money!). Fiber Plus is BOGO free ($4.79), you can use two 70¢ coupons from kelloggs.com pay $3.39, get back 2 $1 +UP rewards, then send in for the rebate (up to $4.49).

Save even more money with THIS coupon for $1/1. You will also get a chance to register, if you haven't already with Kellogg's. From there it says you can take a survey and after the survey you will get a $2/2 Fiber Plus coupon.

Why am I excited by this? Buy 2 Fiber Plus for $4.79, use 2 $1/1 coupons or 1 $2/2 coupon. Pay $2.79 and receive 2 $1+UPs to use on your next purchase--or have a jug of milk ready to go as your next purchase and use the 2 $1+UPs and pay 59¢ for milk bringing your total to $3.38 for 2 boxes of fairly healthy cereal and milk. Submit for the Mail In Rebate Offer: limit request per flavor of specially marked product per name, address or household. The question is then how many flavors does RA carry?? I have only seen cinnamon, but that store was wiped out!

Please keep in mind that the $1+UP per box will also print next week--do not ask the RA employees about it because they do not know. I am telling you Kellogg's cereal is part of a month long food promotion.

Thanks for the info on the $2/2 scrimpy!

Jan 13, 2011

Soup for you!

You know who you are....

Campbells condensed soup is on sale at just about every grocery store this week.

Safeway: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 2/$1

QFC: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 2/$1 (SpaghettiOs are also 2/$1)
Campbell's Condensed Soup Healthy Kids and possibly other varieties 1/$1
Select Harvest Soup 3/$5 printable coupon $1/2 Select Harvest


Albertsons: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 39¢ each; limit 6

Jan 11, 2011

A change

I have not liked the hosting site I was using for Saving in the Rain. I even took an html coding class--I learned a lot. The biggest lesson: I will not be writing my own code! The other thing I realized along the way: Saving in the Rain is not going to be a big site and I'm okay with that. My goal when I started was to help people and make some money. I made $40 in Amazon gift cards last year and while being truly honest with myself, I would continue posting if I made nothing. That will not stop me from posting referral links--a girl can try, right?


I have published 270 posts since I started on March 6, 2010. I moved 59 of them over--the ones I really like. I lost all links and most pictures--clearly, there is no budget here for web help! I will continue posting my favorite deals, but will not do match-ups since they are time consuming and you can get them from many, many, many blogs. The focus of Saving in the Rain is on helping others to become debt free. This means more of my own debt stories, posting useful advice, and sharing my lowest financial moments. It's easy to say that at 1am when the kids are asleep!

Speaking of my little ones, I must not let blogging and couponing over take me. It's easy to do, but my true job title is not blogger, it's Hug Giver-Food Preparer-Household CEO-Referee-Owy Kisser-Household Tidy Upper-Sassy Wife-Noise Reducer-Knitter-Believer-Household CFO-Friend-Photographer-Sister-Cake Decorator-Bath Giver-Cat Feeder-Mom-Daughter-Energy Saver-Driver-Degu & Fish Feeder-Lovey Finder-Jungle Gym-Kid Carrier-Money Saver. I reserve the right to edit my title at anytime!

If you stumbled across my site, WELCOME! If you've been with me for a while THANK YOU!

Effective Tool: Chest Freezer

Originally posted August 12, 2010

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for...or put on my Christmas list.



Thinking back to a time before we owned the chest freezer is painful! While we lived in the apartment, we had a sub par refrigerator. It was hard to keep two gallons of milk and there was no cheese or meat drawer, so we put in a small plastic 3-drawer unit to hold cheese and lunch meat. The freezer on that thing was sad. I think we lived in the apartment for one year and asked Professor's parents for a chest freezer for Christmas. It was a gift that keeps on giving! Now when butter, cheese, lunch meat, etc gets to my stock up price point I can! Plus there is plenty of room for 4+ loaves of bread that I buy in the clearance section every other week. Of course there is room for other items as well--I do love clearance meat and who doesn't like free Mission Tortillas?

This freezer came to us 3 years ago and has been invaluable. I love it so much we bought it a friend two weeks ago!

SwagBucks 2010 Review

Originally posted January 6, 2011

I have been a Swag Bucks member since around October 2009. Between October and 12/30/09, I earned 4 $5 Amazon gift cards, which I used on clearance toys and magazine subscriptions.

In 2010 I earned 31 $5 Amazon gift cards. $155 to spend on Amazon! I wish I could say that paid for Christmas and everything was wonderful, but it ended up getting spent on some much other needed items.

Cloth diaper liners $20
Growing Vegetables book and sippy cups $16
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24-Piece Food Storage Container Set—2 sets $22
Rigid rechargeable drill battery $51
1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer $11
Laminator $31 (not sure why I purchased this—one of those late night impulse buys!)

$151 spent on items that I would have bought anyway—except the laminator.
I did have $30 in Amazon gift cards to use for gifts from a survey site, so some of Christmas was paid for in Amazon gift cards!

I do have 12 referrals, of which 5 have 0 Swag Bucks, 3 maxed out at 1,000 Swag Bucks and the rest fall in between. I earn Swag Bucks for referrals who win for searching, up to 1,000 Swag Bucks. From my referrals last year, I earned 8 $5 Amazon gift cards, which is nothing to sneeze at. I want to be completely honest--$40 came from referrals who won from searches and I earned $115 from searches, Swagcodes, Daily Polls, logging into the Toolbar, NOSO, and Trusted Surveys. Will I be using Swagbucks in 2011? Of course!

If you haven't tried Swag Bucks--go check it out. You get Swag Bucks for searches, among other things and you can easily average 450 every two weeks, which is how often prizes are issued. Have fun!
Disclosure: This post contains my referral link.

$10 in credits! Takes less than 7 minutes for both deals

Originally posted January 6, 2011

Get a $5 credit to a new deal site: DealPulp
It looks like tomorrow's deal might be kids' books!

jasmere is offering a $5 credit to members who take a brief survey. Log in or sign up with jasmere and then take the survey.

Save your credits to make a deal you love less expensive! I can vouch that the jasmere credits work beautifully, as there have been surveys in the past and the $5 credit comes off your next order.

Disclosure: This post contains my referral link.

I'm still here...and teaching a couponing class next week

Originally posted January 5, 2011

For the most part you can find me on Facebook--Saving in the Rain http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saving-in-the-Rain/108621922498330

As usual, this site is having issues--I cannot link the Facebook page correctly. I am in the process of moving my site--no matter where I am, I can be found at savingintherain.com.

I have lots of things written out on a yellow tablet that I would love to share, but time is a real issue, as is wasting the little time I have!

The next Effective Couponing Class is Wednesday, January 12 6:30 pm

Real Life Church 2202 SE Bella Vista Road Vancouver, WA 98683

The focus will be on how to come up with a budget, use store sales and coupons to stay within that budget, and use drug store sales to get toiletries for free. Budgeting, store coupon policies, rewards programs, and mail in rebates will be discussed. Get ready for a jammed packed evening full of money saving tips!

*$5 for two people—bring a friend! Childcare provided.

$40 worth of shoes for $20 and Free Shipping

Originally posted December 16, 2010

New members of Mamapedia get a $5 credit. You can use it right away and get $40 worth of goods at ShoeMall for $15 with free shipping! I have enough winter shoes, so I will save my voucher for spring/summer and get some new shoes!

Highlights
* Just in time for Christmas, an amazing deal on shoes, bags, and accessories
* Choose from top brands including Reebok, Adidas, Crocs, Steve Madden, Fossil, Stride Rite, Sam and Libby, Skechers, & much more
* Buy one for yourself and delight a few girlfriends with their own vouchers as gifts

Details
* Redeem voucher code online
* FREE Shipping included
* Taxes not included
* Limit (1) voucher code per transaction
* Expires June 19, 2011
* No refunds or exchanges on expired or unused vouchers
* Cannot be combined with other discounts.
Voucher NOT valid on: Geox, Minnetonka, ECCO, Columbia, Camper, Naot, Sorel, Bogs and Harley Davidson.

Mamapedia's Stree-Free Promise:
Happy Moms is what we’re all about here at Mamapedia.All our Sweet Deals are chosen to delight you and your family.

Yet we know that as a mom, you can't always make spur of the moment dinner plans, or splurge on an impulse, or research the heck out a purchase... the way you did before.

So if you buy a deal and realize it doesn't work for your family – for any reason – we’ll give you a credit or your money back, no questions asked.

Isn't that a Sweet Deal?

Visit Mamapedia to get started.
Disclosure: Of course this post contains my affiliate link!

My Love of ReUsable Bags..and a great deal from Swirl

Originally posted December 16, 2010

Eons ago I wrote about Flip & Tumble reusable bags offered by jasmere. It was an insanely great deal on bags made from ripstop nylon. The shopping bags scrunch up into their own pouch and I love them. LOVE them. I love them so much that I ordered a bunch last night...with NO coupons! Shhhh! 6 Shopper bags, 2 Minis (the kids also like my bags), and 1 carrying pouch with shipping for $53.00. That was no deal (but I love these bags!!).

Imagine my excitement while reading my favorite deal sites, when I saw The Coupon Project talking about reusable shopping bags! Swirl is offering NEW customers a $20 credit when you purchase $20 or more with coupon code WELCOME1. Back in August, I mentioned Swirl Sample Sales by Daily Candy, but never ordered since I never found anything I liked and shipping is high. You cannot use the credit for shipping or taxes. Since I already had an account my husband signed up and bought me some reusable shopping bags for Christmas! You can find the Baggu shopping bags under Holiday Shop and then click Stocking Stuffers. I did not just jump into this deal blindly--I googled Baggu and found there price is $22 for 3 bags plus $5 shipping.

Eco-Friendly Baggu x3 are $22 - $20 (WELCOME1) = $2 + $9.49 (shipping) = $11.49 for 3 reusable bags made from ripstop nylon. Shipping is the cost of buying from some of these sample sites. I'm thrilled to get 3 more light-weight reusable bags for 50% off! The purple I ordered has already sold out!


If you are not madly in love with reusable shopping bags like I am, Swirl has many other sales going on--so check it out. Shipping is $9.49 if you order light weight bags or boots. Many of Swirl's items are very limited in quantity, so if you see something you like--jump on it!

Happy Saving!
Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links!

Groupon: $10 for $20 Worth of Plants, Pots, and More at The Plant Peddler

Originally posted November 29, 2010


For $10, Portland's Groupon side deal gets you $20 worth of plants, pots, and services at The Plant Peddler, which has been helping to furnish indoor gardens with an ever-changing selection of greenery for more than 20 years.

Those with surgically implanted green thumbs can find common houseplants (starting at $4.25 for 4" plants) alongside exotic tropical plant species, water-retaining succulent plants, and various cactus varieties. The shop also stocks decorative pottery (starting at $9.99), which includes the work of local and international artists, and baskets for displaying arrangements. The Plant Peddler provides a number of services including design assistance, product delivery, and home visits. Knowledgeable staffers can help transform stark indoor spaces with lush greenery that is beneficial to health and is said to be a natural mood-booster. They also can counsel clients in artful arrangement and plant maintenance in the home or office. And for less long-term commitments, rental plants are available to temporarily enhance the atmosphere for special occasions.
The Fine Print

* Expires Jun 2, 2011
* Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Must use in 1 visit, no cash back. Not valid with other offers.
* See the rules that apply to all deals.

Highlights

* Diverse selection
* Handmade pottery options
* Home delivery available

This Groupon can be found in Portland's Side Deal. I already bought one for myself and I think my husband might need one or two!
Disclosure: This post contains my affiliate link.

Living Social: SHOEBACCA.com $50 to Spend on Shoes for $25

Originally posted November 23, 2010


Latey Groupon, Living Social, and other social coupon sites have left Portland in the dust. If EVER there was a deal for the Portland area--it's Living Social's deal in Columbus.


If your feet hurt after a fun day outdoors or at the gym, it's time to get to the heart and sole of the matter: Not having the right shoes can really get things off on the wrong foot. Today's deal puts your paws on a path of enlightenment. Pay just $25 and you'll have $50 to spend on all athletic and outdoor shoes, gear, and apparel at SHOEBACCA.com. This online shop features more than 16,000 products from more than 150 brands like Nike, adidas, Keen, and Salomon. Gear up for the winter wonderland or kick-start your holiday shopping and try today's deal on for size; SHOEBACCA.com will even include free UPS ground shipping. Don't wait for the other shoe to drop; click "buy now" and you'll have the happiest feet around.
Kick an additional $1 off this deal when you "like" SHOEBACCA.com on Facebook.

FREE SHIPPING - FREE EXCHANGES - FREE RETURN SHIPPING

It's easy-when you are checking out, "like" Shoebacca--there's a box to do so right there and get your deal for $24!
I am loving the rain boots and the details of this deal. If you didn't know--I love boots, but my rain boots, although cute, are not what I want to wear often. My kids love theirs and they drag mine out too.
the fine print

• Includes Free UPS Ground Shipping
• Valid on ALL items including Sale
• Limit 1 per person
• Limit 1 voucher to redeem only
• Entire value of voucher ($50) must be used on one order by same customer; cannot be shared
• Additional restrictions may apply
• No cash value/cash back
• Entire value must be used in one visit
• Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
• LivingSocial Terms and Conditions - livingsocial.com/terms
• Promotional value expires on 05/24/11

FREE SHIPPING - FREE EXCHANGES - FREE RETURN SHIPPING

sold me on the deal. Now I just need to decide which ones I like best! Boot prices start at $39.99. Ready to order? Go to Living Social and check out Columbus' deal!
Disclosure: This post contains my referral link. Using it helps the site!

Effective Tool: Tools you use

Originally posted September 26, 2010

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for…or put on my Christmas list.


This effective tool is not so much about having an abundance of spatulas, measuring cups, measuring spoons, or cookie dough scoops, but having the tools you need when you need them.

I bake--a lot. Any chance I get I am baking. When I took the Wilton cake classes, I realized I needed more spatulas--especially when I made lots of frosting colors. Before that it was just of matter of having 3-4 spatulas for scraping batter out of bowls and not wanting to wash them in between bowls, pans, etc. The measuring spoons have been with me for years. When there is baking going on, I use one set for dry ingredients and one set for wet ingredients.

These tools were not bought in one day, it was a slow accumulation. I have always loved to cook. Some of these tools were gifts, some bought on sale and clearance, and some bought with coupons. Admittedly, it is hard to find kitchen items on clearance, but sales are abundant and when paired with a bonus coupon one can get a good deal. I brought spatulas, measuring cups and spoons with me to NY to make my sister's wedding cake (thank goodness I did!).

Here is some eye-candy for you to enjoy!

jasmere: reusable bags you won't want to leave in the car!

Originally posted October 4, 2010


I don't know about you, but the back of my car is filled with reusable bags--they're a mess! I will be getting some flip & tumble bags using the jasmere voucher!
Shipping & other details

* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Tuesday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Limited supply item; max 1 per customer, please.
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* This voucher will expire on February 5, 2011.
* Flip & Tumble is a proud partner of carbonfund.org

When you use the full value of the jasmere voucher ($35), shipping is $5.



This could be the most useful jasmere item I have seen! Remember--EVERYONE gets the same LOW price once the sale is over tomorrow at 9am PDT.

Get paid to print and redeem coupons--10¢ each!

Originally posted October 1, 2010

I have been waiting to confirm this; I knew it worked, but I wasn't going to pass it on until I saw the money in my account. You will get paid 10¢ per coupon printed and redeemed through InboxDollars.


The e-mails contained 20¢, 10¢, 90¢, and 10¢.


Nothing I like more than being paid to save!




What is this banner missing? GET PAID TO PRINT AND REDEEM COUPONS!

I have been using InboxDollars for a long time. I used them while I was in college and then let my account close while I was in Canada. I opened a new account last year and I do click the e-mails, but I will not waste my time doing the surveys. $1 for 20 minutes of my time is not worth it. Maybe for others who are in the right demographics and are being offered product testing, then the initial offering of $1 is worth it.
You can cash out at $30 or higher. Granted, this does take a long time if you are not shopping through InboxDollars, but InboxDollars has been around a long time, so I don't mind letting my earnings accrue slowly.
I will be reminding people to print their coupons through InboxDollars from here on out! Just keep in mind it will take 3 months or more to see the coupons credited to your account.

Disclosure: The link to InboxDollars is my affliiate link and clicking on it supports this site. Thanks!

Sunday Select from The Columbian

Originally posted September 30, 2010

A long while ago I had an advertisement from The Colombian for Sunday Select--a free delivery of ads and coupon inserts. Call The Columbian's subscription department and ask for Sunday Select 360. 694. 2312. When I called a few weeks ago I was told the program started on October 2, which is a Saturday. We'll see what happens this weekend!

Couponing to Christmas: Groupon Deals

Originally posted September 26, 2010

I was checking out Groupon deals on the east coast since they already started. Go to Groupon and click on Visit More Cities to select a city. All the deals I am highlighting are available online and good through 9pm Tuesday.

Atlanta: $10 for $20 Worth of Everyday Essentials from Soap.com -- includes shipping.

Pittsburgh: $10 for $25 Worth of Teas and More from Talbott Teas -- includes shipping.

North Jersey: $20 for Four Movie Tickets from Weekly Cinema ($56 Value) Tickets must be redeemed via Fandango or MovieTickets.com within 90 days of Groupon redemption. From what I can tell this is a great deal--normally this price is available only through a subscription and you can get this price without a monthly subscription!

Think about relocating for these unique deals!
Hartford, CT Groupon has a great tandem skydiving deal
Rochester, NY Groupon has a deal on a Pole-Dancing Workshop

Disclosure: this is my affiliate link--using it supports the site :)

Couponing to Christmas: deals ending tonight and tomorrow!

Originally posted September 26, 2010

As I have said before, I am a better deal hunter than sharer--sorry for the last second deals!



When you go to Groupon, click on Visit More Cities and select Pittsburgh. This deal expires at 9pm TONIGHT!



When you go to Groupon, click on Visit More Cities and select San Diego. This deal expires at 12am TONIGHT! This Groupon is valid toward shipping costs. For $10 you could get Yorkii Bag - Black Hole $14.99, Wrist Band $4.99 (great for wiping sweat, putting around your drink, or your coffee), and shipping!

Thanks couponsdealsandmore!



jasmere is offering creative and super-classy cards for any card-giving occasion.

A Tasty Cake

Originally posted September 24, 2010

This is what I do when I'm not couponing. My little sister got married last weekend and she asked me to make the cake. Of course! I should not have been so quick to jump in. The wedding was 3,000 miles away from where I live and she does not cook very much. I packed what I thought I would need and figured I would borrow the rest. Right. I was able to borrow some cooking racks since my sister had two 8" round cooling racks, but when you are dealing with a 16" base I was left using cutting boards to cool that part of the cake. I am so spoiled when it comes to baking at home with a Professional Kitchen Aid mixer. It did not occur to me that I would not be able to make double batches of batter or frosting. It turned out nicely, but there was a structural flaw and I made her and the groom cut the cake early so we could take it apart. The cake was chocolate with chocolate filling and coconut frosting with coconut shavings.

What post about a wedding would be complete without a picture of the happy couple (and a frugal tip)?


See the arch behind them? They bought the arch and grew the flowers themselves to decorate their friend's backyard! The arch comes apart in the middle and there were long flower pots at the base of each side--hidden by the other potted plants.

jasmere: Bonbon Charms & $5 credit for taking survey!

Originally posted September 7, 2010
Once again I am smitten with today's jasmere offer!

First the savings! Get the $5 credit for taking the 2 minute survey HERE to make this (or a future deal through Sept 20) even better. If you have not signed up for jasmere, sign up HERE.

Now, the deal!



Couponing to Christmas! jasmere: Live a charmed life with modern, hand-made, personalized silver jewelery from Bonbon Charms. Charm jewelry is a time-honored way to carry loved ones or cherished memories close to your heart. Bonbon Charms combines classic elegance with a modern twist - creating glass & silver charms with letters, words, dates - even pictures - full of sentimental value. Use today's $40 voucher and treat yourself to a necklace or bracelet you'll immediately treasure, and someday make an heirloom. If you haven't noticed--I LOVE personalized items.

The $40 voucher is currently selling for $18 (55% off) and could go lower. Your card is not charged until the deal ends and everyone pays the lowest price!

About jasmere

Jasmere seeks out lesser-known specialty retailers that deserve national attention. Jasmere's team of New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC- based shopaholics personally tests every product featured, using jasmere's negotiating power to offer you an exclusive discount. But don't let the low prices fool you. Every merchant featured on jasmere meets the highest standards of quality. You may not have heard of these websites, but you can be sure their products and services are the best around. They guarantee it. How jasmere works.

Shipping & other details
* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Wednesday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Up to 5 vouchers may be purchased, but only one may be used per transaction on the partner site.
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* A wonderful holiday gift, please note that bonbon jewelry is handmade to your order and may take 2-3 weeks for delivery. This voucher will expire on January 8, 2011.
* Shipping is to the continental US only and typically costs $7

Disclosure: This post contains my affiliate link.

jasmere: personalized handbags or tote bags, custom wallets or placemats

Originally posted September 3, 2010

Couponing to Christmas! Jasmere has a great deal and this gift is versatile! I love custom items; they are items you can give when you have run out of other ideas (but how many ornaments or T-shirts does one person need?)! These items are useful and can fill many needs/wants. This gift can be given to someone you would normally spend $50-$100 on. My sisters, SIL, and mother can be crossed off my Christmas list. I don't mind that they know where their gift is coming from--at Christmas, they will be beyond thrilled to have a useful gift with the kids' pictures!

Show off your favorite photo in a head-turning, eco-fashionable way, with a custom tote from Flashbags. They'll turn your snapshot into a 15" x 11.5" x 5" reusable bag - made with reinforced, recycled materials and given a durable, glossy finish. Currently $26--56% off and could go lower by Tuesday at 9am PDT.

There is a Bonus Feature too, if a large tote is not your thing. Currently $40 vouchers are $17--58% off and could go lower by Tuesday at 9am PDT. These vouchers are can be used together!

You Need To Know:

* Stackable vouchers means you will receive a single code regardless of how many vouchers you order (up to 5 vouchers per person). Order one voucher and get a code worth $40, two vouchers for a code worth $80, etc.

* Vouchers will be delivered via email on Tuesday; they will be activated by noon on Wednesday.

* These are single-use vouchers and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user

* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers.

* Flashbags typically offers flat rate shipping of $10, but will lower that to $7.95 for jasmere voucher holders who place their order by September 15, 2010.

* This voucher will expire on January 7, 2011.

Start crossing people off your Christmas list!
Disclosure: The link to jasmere is my affiliate link.

Effective Tool: Sock Box

Originally posted September 1, 2010
Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for…or put on my Christmas list.


We started using a sock box almost two years ago. I don't bother putting socks in the kids' rooms--all socks get matched and placed in a box near the shoes in the closet. The time and frustration savings have been amazing. The sock box works for the kids right now since Bear doesn't care what color socks he wears and, although their shoe size is different, the socks fit them both pretty much the same. I always know where the socks are and there is no running up to their rooms at the last minute!
The sock box itself cost $1. Shoe box sized storage can either be found at the Dollar Tree or Big Lots for $1, or wait for a sale. I have seen shoe box storage boxes at both Target and Fred Meyers on sale for $1 or less--no coupon needed!

jasmere: Kidlandia

Originally posted September 1, 2010
Couponing for Christmas, or just thinking ahead, I was really excited to see jasmere's latest offer. Currently a $70 voucher is on sale for $29 (59% off) and it could go lower. I have looked at all the customizable items you can get and have decided I can get two gifts out of one $70 voucher. I am really thrilled with the personal puzzles.


Names, animals, kreechers, buildings, transport, plants, and other stuff are all customizable! I wanted to see what it looked like so I entered Scrappy's name and put in a rainbow. Then I made the ship that is below "Scrappy's World" bigger. I can see that making this puzzle will take a while, but I can't wait until she gets it at Christmas! She loves puzzles! Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob, and Veggie Tales are also available!


I also checked out the USA Map Fine Art Print. I put in where we live and Grandma's House. I can definitely see this as a great gift with places of family named. ALL names can be clicked on and changed or moved. Since we have family all over the US, this could be a great gift. The puzzle is $39 and the Print is $29, which would work with the $70 voucher.
Shipping & other details

* New to jasmere? What we mean by "voucher".
* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Thursday; they will be ready to go as soon as you receive them!
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Up to 3 vouchers may be purchased, but only one may be used per transaction on the partner site (why?).
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* Shipping to continental US only; shipping costs typically range from $7.95-$11.95 and vary based on weight and distance shipped (rolled maps come in sturdy, protective packaging).
* This voucher will expire on January 2, 2011.

Remember jasmere bills your credit card AFTER the sale ends. At 9 am tomorrow, the sale will be over and everyone will be charged the lowest price!

Disclosure: This post does contain an affiliate link.

Effective Giving: Box Tops For Education

Originally posted September 1, 2010
I always pull the Box Tops For Education from all goods donated. Since my little ones are not in school, I give the BTFE to a school teacher at church or one of my friends' kids. The BTFEs accumulate quickly and more products have been added. Aside from cereals, check Ziploc boxes, Kotex, Pillsbury, baked goods, and various snacks from General Mills. Each BTFE is worth 10¢ to a participating school.

Until 9/22/10 Safeway is having a BTFE promotion. Looking for a "sweet" way to earn cash for your school? Buy any 4 participating Betty Crocker® Baking products at your local Safeway and you will get 15 Bonus Box Tops (Value to participating school: $1.50)! Purchases must be made in a single shopping visit and the Bonus Box Tops will print out instantly at checkout. I will let you know of any great sale match-ups!

Effective Giving: August Donation

Originally posted August 31, 2010

This includes items from July and August. Basically this donation cost me time: all grocery items were free (some cost a little and some gave overage) and all the drug store items were either money makers after rebate or I simply paid sales tax.
.:. 1 18-ct ob
.:. 1 72-ct wipes
.:. 2 Visine
.:. 5 Dulcolax 8.3 oz
.:. 1 Dulcolax 4.1 oz
.:. 11 Mac & Cheeese 7.25 oz
.:. 1 Chocolate Cheerios 11.25oz
.:. 20 Nature Valley Nut Clusters 5 oz
.:. 3 Ester-C 90-ct
.:. 3 chef Boyardee
.:. 4 BC Mashed Potatoes 6.6 oz
.:. 3 BC cake mix 18.25 oz
.:. 3 BC frosting 16 oz
.:. 3 Frosted Mini Wheat 15.8 oz
.:. 1 12-ct pads
.:. 3 16-ct pads
.:. 2 32-ct pads
.:. 3 22-ct liner pads
.:. 2 toothpaste 82 oz
.:. 5 razors
.:. 2 4-ct crafts
.:. 2 Pantene trial size
.:. 5 bag Rold Gold pretzels
.:. 2 pickles 24 oz
.:. 9 Gold n Soft margarine 15 oz
.:. 8 hotdogs
.:. 5 shredded cheese 2-cup
.:. 4 Land O’ Lakes butter and olive oil spread 7 oz
.:. 2 frozen veggies
.:. 2 cranberries
.:. 9 Kellogg’s Cinnabon cereal 10 oz
.:. 9 8-ct Poptarts
.:. 1 Fruit Loops 12.2 oz
.:. 2 52-ct Bounty paper towels
.:. 4 refried beans 16 oz
.:. 6 20-ct Motrin PM
Not everything is listed (somewhere in the garage is the rest of my list) and somethings are not shown. Once I took the picture and turned around there was more cereal and a few other things! Hopefully this all fits in the Civic with the kids!

Effective Giving: School Supplies

Originally posted August 31, 2010

Although my kids are not in school, I have been purchasing school supplies since early July. Now that I have a nice supply, we will head over to Share House and drop them off. As with any deals, I always keep my eyes open—whether it be school supplies or items to put away for birthday or Christmas gifts.

.:. 14 6-ct highlighters
.:. 1 10-ct Crayola markers
.:. 10 24-ct Crayola crayons
.:. 1 pencil case
.:. 21 10-ct pens
.:. 8 highlighters
.:. 6 pencil sharpeners
.:. 6 rulers
.:. 3 glue combo packs
.:. 6 blunt scissors
.:. 1 15-ct cap erasers
.:. 3 2-ct G2 pens
.:. 6 1-subject notebooks
.:. 3 20-ct Crayola washable markers
.:. 15 10-ct pencils
.:. 3 12-ct pencils

I did not keep track of the total cost, but no item cost more than 20¢. Most items were 5¢ or less, some items I only paid sales tax, and a few items were worked into deals that resulted in overage or money back from a mail in rebate.

ReStore Finds

Originally posted August 28, 2010

I do love the Habitat for Humanity ReStore--wish it was closer! The whole family went today--we were looking for door knobs and paint primer. The first thing I saw was two blue chairs. I have been looking for little chairs for the kids to go outside and it's too late in the season to get plastic chairs. These chairs are perfect--stackable and sturdy. Lots of doorknobs to be seen, but not what I wanted--maybe next time. Onto the paint! The two gallon cans are the same light pink color, which I plan to mix with a deep rose miss-mixed, or "oops", paint from Home Depot for the spare bedroom/office. I don't need to be in love with the color, I just need a brighter color--it's currently a flat, dull brown. I found a large container of gray primer, but I wanted a gallon or two of white primer. I also found some stacking bins for the garage for $1 each! Professor looked around at windows and cabinets and a rain barrel. He took measurements on a garden window for the kitchen and some cabinets. As he was measuring the window, I saw a 5 gallon bucket of white primer! This is more than I need, but for $15, you cannot beat the price! And who knows, I may use it all by the time I'm done!

After getting home and measuring the window and cabinet area, we realized we would have to wait on those items. I'm a little sad the cabinet will not fit the space, but there will be more cabinets. A quick check on-line at making rain barrels and where to get materials made me glad we did not jump on the rain barrel that was at the ReStore.

ReStore will be closed Saturday Sept 4 in observance of Labor Day.

Portland Metro ReStore
66 SE Morrison St
Portland OR 97214
503.283.6247 Map

Clark County Habitat ReStore
5000 E 4th Plain Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661
360.213.1313 Map

Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday thru Saturday
donations until 4:30 p.m.

Walgreens Coupon Policy!

Originally posted August 26, 2010
As a customer-focused retailer, Walgreens encourages the use of coupons by our customers in our retail stores, in accordance with the following guidelines.
Guidelines:
General

* All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
* Walgreens does not accept expired coupons.
* Coupons and their face value cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
* Competitor coupons are not accepted at Walgreens.
* Walgreens cannot accept coupons for items not carried in our stores.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register RewardsTM manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.
* Any coupon offer not covered in these guidelines will be accepted at the discretion of Walgreens management.

Sale Items

* Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for an item that is on sale.
* In the event that any item's selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.

Multiple Coupons

* When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
* The coupon amount must be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied. (For example, a $5.00 coupon for a $4.99 item will result in a $4.99 coupon value).
* When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons

* When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
* Sales tax must be paid for any Buy One, Get One Free coupon offers, if required by applicable state laws.

Internet/Print at Home Coupons

* Walgreens accepts valid internet/print at home coupons.

Register RewardsTM coupons

Earning Register RewardsTM

* Register RewardsTM will only print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period.
* Register RewardsTM can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions.
* There is a limit of one Register RewardsTM (RR) printed per offer per customer per transaction.
* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.

Redeeming Register RewardsTM

* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
* Refer to Register RewardsTM coupon for expiration date.
* The RR coupon value cannot exceed the total purchase amount. No cash back and no cash value for RR coupon.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including RR manufacturer coupons, must not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
* Register RewardsTM must be forfeited if the qualifying merchandise is returned.
* Register RewardsTM cannot be used toward the purchase of gift cards and pre-paid cards.
* Register RewardsTM can be redeemed for eligible items only. Ineligible items include but are not limited to:
*
o Prescriptions
o Tobacco products
o Alcoholic beverages
o Dairy products
o Lottery tickets
o Money orders/transfers
o Transportation passes
o Special event/entertainment tickets or passes
o Postage stamps
o Gift cards/phone cards/prepaid/Green DotTM cards
o Prescription Savings Club" memberships
o Health care services, including immunizations
o Any items prohibited by law

Print HERE