Donations this week

Originally posted May 5, 2010

This is what I have to donate this week. Most of this was purchased yesterday, but there were things accumulating in my stockpile. There are 78 boxes of cereal in this picture--mostly healthy ones (Frosted Mini Wheats, Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran Extra, Crispix, Cascade Farm Organic, Fiber One)!! I don't have all my receipts in front of me to know what I spent, but I know the 12 boxes of Wheaties Fuel was 25¢, after factoring the $4 catalina. I paid $1.16 for the 4 boxes of Cascade Farm Organic Granola. My big splurge/oopps is the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They were on sale for $2 each. I had a $1/2 coupon and two 55¢ e-coupons. Each box cost 70¢; that's a lot when you consider I received $7 in catalinas for every 4 boxes of cereal I purchased on Tuesday at Albertsons when my total was $3-$5, depending on coupons. I paid nothing or $1 for every 4 boxes after catalinas. Wow, for not having the receipts next to me, you can tell I like numbers and I just realized I purchased 78 boxes of cereal for an average of nothing. Other items I pulled from my stockpile include pasta, canned tomatoes, Hamburger Helper, Betty Crocker Potato mix, a can of fruit, Tree Top drink boxes and granola bars.

Where is this going? Some cereal will go to a local family. The rest will be split between Share House and Stamp Out Hunger. Go to your pantry and see what you can give!

Print coupons NOW and earn doing it!!

Originally posted April 29, 2010
It's the end of the month and it's time to print off coupons. You never know when high value coupons are going to reach their print limit, so if you see a great coupon, print it out. Plus, coupons will reset, or disappear, and new ones will be added  May 1.
Earn while printing coupons!
You can earn 10 cents per coupon printed and redeemed through InboxDollars.

Now I print my coupons and click links sent to my e-mail; points are slowly racking up and I will cash out at the end of the year to off-set Christmas shopping.

Disclosure--links to InboxDollars contain my referral number. There is a $5 bonus for signing up and you can cash out after $30.

Keep me out of the Dollar Store!

Originally posted April 24, 2010
I knew I was in trouble when my sister wanted to go in the Dollar Store after a quick trip to Trader Joe's. TJ's was easy--I needed castile soap and a cat scratcher. Both were in the budget and I walked out of TJ's without sampling the carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting.
The Dollar Store is problematic for me. First of all, I never know what they have and I never have a list. Secondly, some of the items are good deals and I LOVE a deal! I told my sister I would only spend $10 including tax, so that limited me to 9 items. I had 2 aprons, 4 coloring books, and 4 cards (2/$1). I could get one more thing. Then I saw the Sesame Street themed party items. Well, my little Elmo lover is turning 2 soon! Since I would have to get something anyway....
I was happy to find the eyeglass repair kit since I knew my husband wanted one. When I triumphantly showed him, he said he just wanted a jeweler's screwdriver. Hmmmm, I think that will cost more than $1. Travel toothbrush caps, spray on detangler, and emery boards were going to be purchased at some time. My "big" impulse buy was the bra hooks--they do NOT look like the ones on TV!
Finally, I actually was looking for another Turbie Twist. My mom uses them and I used one for the first time in January and I love them!! My daughter likes them too, so I bought a generic one for her in purple. I used to use a large towel to dry my hair and I don't any more! Using less towels = less laundry = less water used = more money saved!! I hang dry everything, so electricity for the dryer has not gone down.

Desperately Seeking Elmo Unders

Originally posted April 22, 2010
The trip to Kohl's did not produce any Elmo unders, but I did snag Wonder Pet unders--3 pairs for $1.60!! Only size 4T-strange, but I will make good use of them in the future! Oh well, the little man's birthday is coming up and grandma needs gift ideas.
We also made a donation run to Share House. I should have taken a pic, but I was in a hurry. I keep a very detailed list in case the IRS would ever like to see it. So far the standard deduction has always been more, but one day we will have a house. Here is the breakdown of what we donated:
21 boxes BC Potatoes
3 boxes Poptarts
6 boxes Quaker TD Instant Oatmeal
11 boxes Benadryl
6 boxes Rice Krispies
4 boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars
1 box Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal
6 bags GG Valley Fresh Steamers
8 boxes OM Lunchables
20 tubes various Pillsbury products

Fred Meyer Trip April 12: paid to shop!

Originally posted April 12, 2010

3 transactions, which included clearance bread, coupons and catalina on the potatoes, coupons on the clearance Glade--and mail in SC Johnson $5 Rebate , which can be done 3 times! I have enough Glade for 1 2/3 rebates and I have more glade candle coupons at home! I spent $4.82 and will get back $5 from SC Johnson, plus I have to purchase one more SC Johnson product before July to get another $5 rebate.

Are you a Swaggernaut?

Originally posted April 9

Fridays come and go, but today I was reminded early that it is Mega Swag Bucks Day at Swag Bucks! What is Swag Bucks? Swagbucks.com is an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks." I have not spent a dime on swagbucks.com. I search everyday and sometimes complete special offers. My goal is at least 20 Swag Bucks a day. Today I scored 40 Swag Bucks searching for my daughter's favorite show!
Since October, when I started, I average enough Swag Bucks for two $5 Amazon gift card a month. At Amazon, you can enter in lots of gift card codes if you have them! My goal is to save up for Christmas. I'll be honest, I am not doing well saving the gift cards! I needed diaper liners and found them on Amazon and at the same time bought some books for the kids. It didn't cost me anything, but my Christmas fund is down. I won't be able to fund all of Christmas with my gift cards, but it is helpful!
What do I get out of referring you to Swag Bucks? Aside from the satisfaction of knowing you are also enjoying saving your money, I get matching Swag Bucks for the first 1000 Swag Bucks you earn. Start searching, save for something you want, and have fun!

One Step Back for Couponers

Originally posted April 2, 2010

Woman Accused Of Fake Coupon Scheme

video: http://www.kptv.com/video/23023520/index.html
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland police are building a case against a woman accused of using fake coupons to rack up thousands of dollars in stolen items.Officers arrested Nancy Yun late Friday night on suspicion of stealing a vacuum cleaner, but police said the incident was only a portion of the crimes she is alleged to have committed.Officer Barbara Glass said Yun printed hundreds of fake coupons for stores such as Kohl's and Safeway. Yun then used the coupons when purchasing items and sometimes returned the items to get gift cards, police said.So far, officers have seized numerous items, such as batteries, hair products and over-the-counter medicine, that they said were purchased with the coupons.Glass said that the more she digs into the case, the more it unravels."This is new for me. I don't think I've seen something this sophisticated as far as fraud," Glass said. "She was exceptionally organized."No one was available for comment at Yun's home Wednesday. Investigators said they suspect Yun may have been putting the scheme into practice for months or even years."People who do things like this don't just hurt the stores, they hurt everybody," Glass said.Investigators said Yun will likely face more charges as they sift through mounds of evidence. Police they also hope other businesses will come forward if they believe they've been targeted by the suspect.
WTH?? If you watch the video, you will see OTC medications, which have been free with the use of legal coupons and/or Register Rewards. With the time she spent making illegal coupons, she could have been using coupons legally to get many, many free items.
With coupon use (and coupon fraud) on the rise, it is important to use coupons legally and by the store's rules. There are still plenty of free items to go around (just do multiple transactions)!