Happy New Year!

Wow! What a crazy month of December. I have tried to keep up with blogging more recently, but December hit and I had no free time. I'm afraid now, we have some serious Christmas clean up to do, and I need to update my coupon box, but I am hoping to be back early in January to continue. :)

Happy New Year everyone!!

Weekly Grocery Deals

Alli over at Couponing For 4 has a great breakdown of this week's grocery deals. Check them out here!

Dominick's Deals

Jewel Deals

Thanks, Alli!

Mailbox Monday

My list of mail freebies:
1. ESPN Magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
2. Mueller's Plan on Pasta calendar and coupon book (Still available here. Don't enter a birthdate into the form - there is some kind of a glitch.)
3. Playtex Sample with 1.00 off coupon from Walmart. (Go here to get yours.)
4. My $50 NFLShop.com Gift Card (I won this from Alli at Couponing for 4!)

Check out all the rest of Mailbox Monday posts at A Frugal Friend!

Weekly Drugstore Deals

Check out Hip2Save's list of CVS and Walgreens deals! I love how she lays them all out. It's so easy to follow and the lists I use every week!

CVS Here

Walgreens Here

This Week's Shopping Trips

Walgreens Trip:
Original Price: $80.40
Sale Price: $61.37
OOP Price: $15.66
I used $35.21 in Q's and $10.50 in RR, and earned back $6.00 in RR.



CVS Trip:
Original Price: $28.44
Sale price: $28.44
OOP Price: $0.47
I used $17.97 in Q's and $10.00 in ECB, and earned back $10.00 in ECB.

Friday Favorite - Coupon Mom

One of my absolute favorite sites is CouponMom.com! Actually, this is how I started on my whole coupon journey. I happened to be home one morning when Stephanie Nelson (aka Coupon Mom) was on Oprah. I watched the entire show and was fascinated at the video footage of Stephanie shopping at her local grocery store. She started with $100 dollars worth of groceries and cut it down to under $20!! It was truly amazing! That week, I jumped on her site, read her ebooks, checked out the forums, and learned so much about saving money! I highly recommend you check out this site whether you're a beginner or have been couponing for ages! I learned a lot from Stephanie and the members on the forum. My favorite feature on the site is the Grocery Coupon Database. You select your state, then search for a certain product and a list comes up of what week's insert your coupon is in. Super helpful! Check it out!

Some Noteworthy Deals

Hip2Save has a post on how to get free International Delight Coffee Creamer for Facebook Fans. Check out all the details here.

Alli at Couponing For 4 has a great deal on magazine subscriptions for only $5! Chech out all the great deals here!

The Thrifty Mama has a deal to get your Christmas cards and return address labels for free! Check out the details here.

The Bargain Jargon has a link to an awesome 2.00 off Clean and Clear coupon! Go here!

Fistful of Coupons found a great score! Check out her post here on how to get a a free Aveeno tote bag.

Weekly Grocery Deals

Alli over at Couponing For 4 has a great breakdown of this week's grocery deals. Check them out here!

Dominick's deals

Jewel deals

Request for a friend

A friend of mine entered a contest to win a trip to Copenhagen to attend and report on the UN Climate Change Conference. All votes for Divina would be greatly appreciated! Click the link here to see her video and vote on the right side! (It will prompt you to log in. You can select facebook, twitter, or just their site to log in.)

Thanks everyone!

Mailbox Monday

My list of mail freebies:

1. Gameinformer magazine (We got this free from Gamestop when we reserved a game.)
2. 2 Different Forbes magazines (no longer available.)
3. Shape magazine (no longer available.)
4. Coupons and recipies from Bridgford. (You can sign up here.)
5. 4.00 coupon for Iams dog food. (This came from P&G. You can sign up here.)
6. Free sample and coupon of Oregon tea (no longer available.)
7. Free sample of Olay Body Wash (sign up here for yours.)
8. Coupon for a free box of Little Debbie cupcakes (for being a facebook fan, no longer available.)
9. Free sample of Kashi trail mix bar. (availble here.)
10. Free jar opener and lots of Del Monte coupons from Vocalpoint. (Sign up here.)


Check out all the rest of Mailbox Monday posts at A Frugal Friend!

Weekly Drugstore Deals

Check out Hip2Save's list of CVS and Walgreens deals! I love how she lays them all out. It's so easy to follow and the lists I use every week!

CVS Here

Walgreens Here

I can't wait to use my abundant ECB and RR!!

This week's Shopping Trips

Walgreens Trip (on Thanksgiving):
Original price: $97.26
Sale Price: $65.86
OOP Price: $38.28
I used $22.58 in Q's and $5.00 in RR. Then got $35.00 in RR back.



CVS Trip:
Original Price: $75.67
Sale Price: $67.06
OOP Price: $30.94
I used $15.12 in Q's and $21.00 in ECB. Then I got back $57.45 in ECB.

Mailbox Monday

Here's my list of freebies in the mail this week:

1. ESPN magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
2. Elle magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
3. Coupon for a free Marzetti Apple Dip (The link is no longer available.)
4. 6 Pantene coupons. 5 are $1.00 off and 1 is $2.00 off (These are from vocalpoint. You can sign up here and get lots of good freebies all the time!)
5. $1.00 coupon for Stayfree products.
6. Sample of Stayfree overnight pads. (You can get both of these through All You.)
7. Free full size Loreal Mascara. (No longer available.)
8. Some great coupons for a local restaurant, Chicago Joe's.
9. My giveaway win from Tia Saving Cents. I won a temple thermometer!

Check out all the rest of Mailbox Monday posts at A Frugal Friend!

Weekly Drugstore Deals

Check out Hip2Save's list of CVS and Walgreens deals! I love how she lays them all out. It's so easy to follow and the lists I use every week!

CVS Here

Walgreens Here

This Week's Shopping Trips

Walgreens Trip:
Original price: $38.69
Sale Price: $28.41
OOP Price: 10.67
I used $11.47 in Q's and $6.00 in RR. Then got $8.00 in RR back.



My quick Aldi Trip.
Total spent: $6.10



My CVS Trip:
Original Price: $63.03
Sale Price: $43.99
OOP Price: $14.74
I used $21.25 in Q's and $8.00 in ECB. Then got back $21.00 in ECB

Friday Favorite - EBates

One of my favorite sites is EBates! I use EBates every time I shop online. EBates offers a cash back percentage on your online shopping. Each store has a specific percentage (JCPenney is 4% back). But there are always specials. Like right now, Old Navy is 10% back! This is the highest I've ever seen a store on EBates. The best part is, you can still use all your coupon codes! This is just one more way to rack up the savings! They also offer a $5.00 sign up bonus! Sign up here!

Some Noteworthy Deals

Thrifty Jinxy has a post here on how to get a free sample of Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips.

Hip2Save has an amazing deal on Kraft Food and Family magazine and cookbook. Check out her writeup of the deal here.

Coupon Geek has some great ideas for Christmas crafts here. You can also link to add your own ideas!

Check out Walgreen's Black Friday deals and ad! I heart wags has it here, complete with coupon match ups!!

Money saving Mom has a great upcoming coffeemate deal here! I love this stuff!!

Weekly Grocery Deals

For whatever reason, I no longer get the Jewel and Dominick's ads on Wednesday. I used to get them every week, but all of a sudden they stopped coming. So, I always forget to look at the ads until I decided to head out to the store and then I have to look at the ad online and try to find one in the store. And, to make things worse, i am still just not great at the grocery game. (I have much better luck at drugstores.) So.... check out Couponing for 4's great lists here:

Jewel Deals

Dominick's Deals

Check Out This Great Giveaway

Over at Couponing for 4, there's a great giveaway going on! You can enter to win a $50 gift card to NFLShop.com. Check it out here!!

Mailbox Monday

I got some great freebies this week:

1. Martha Stewart Living magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
2. Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
3. Kraft Food and Family magazine (free subscription no longer available.)
4. $5 off $5 coupon for Hallmark found inside my Martha mag.
5. Pocket calendar from Food and Family mag.
6. 1.00 off Starbucks bagged coffee coupon found inside my Rachael Ray mag.
7. Coupon for a FREE box of Uncrustables (go here and submit an after school organizational tip and they'll send you a free coupon.)
8. Home Made Simple coupon book with $35 worth of coupons (go here and get yours.)
9. Free Post It pen from Office Max (no longer available.)
10. Being Girl Sample Pack - this includes some samples of tampons, pads, and a coupon for a FREE box of Always Infinity (go here to sign up for yours.)
11. Some cute Christmas stickers and To/From labels (from the American Lung Association.)
12. My $10 Visa gift card from my Staples Easy Rebate. (This came pretty fast, considering I bought the product not even a month ago.)
13. Some great KMart toy coupons.
14. Some great Jewel coupons.

Check out all the rest Mailbox Monday posts at A Frugal Friend.

And the Winner is......

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

18 

Timestamp: 2009-05-12 16:03:22 UTC

Using random.org, the winner of the $10 gift card is:

dneese26!!

*I have contacted the winner via email. If I don't hear anything back by Friday night, a new winner will be chosen. Thanks to everyone for participating in my first giveaway!*

Don't forget!! Cheap Ice Cream Tonight Only!!

Tonight only!! From 5 til 10 PM! 31 cent scoops!! You can read more info here. I would recommend calling ahead to make sure your nearest Baskin Robbins is participating.

I love JCPenney!!

I love JCPenney!! I think they have the best doorbusters, and it seems that everytime I need something and am dreading trying to find a good price on it, Penney's has a big sale shortly after that. I have to say, I also have been very impressed with their customer service! For me, that's a big plus!! The last time I shopped when they had coupons off for $10 off $50 or $15 off $75. I was only trying to use the $15 as I had a lot of stuff that I was purchasing. The cashier explained to me that the coupons will take off percentages of each iem, so that it totals at $15 and then proceeded to use BOTH coupons, saving me $25!! (Your milage may vary on this though, I don't think all cashiers would be willing to do this.) I have also found that I have never had problems returning anything, EVER! Even online orders or catalog orders. I placed an order online over the weekend, and even got a phone call just to thank me for ordering and to let me know when the item will be shipped. I just want to give credit to my favorite department store for a job well done!!

JCP Deals:
$10 off $10 code: MOMSGR8
Checkout the Wednesday clearance deals here.
Big sale this weekend!! Preview here.

Make sure you shop through ebates for 4% back!!

Blog Break Last Week

Sorry for the lack of posts last week. Unfortunately, my uncle passed away last weekend and I spent last week with my family. As I'm sure you all understand, I will be slow getting back on a blogging schedule. Since I have been back home, I am catching up on other things and blogging is just not top priority. But I hope to get some shopping done by the end of this week, and post some deals when I'm done. Until then, check out this weeks deals from Hip2Save:

CVS here
WAGS here

100th Post Giveaway!!!!!

I can't believe this is post number 100!! I have been frugally shopping now for 7 months, and I can't believe how much I have learned. I'm also really excited about what I've been able to share with other people, so to continue that, I have a $10 Walgreens gift card to give away to one lucky reader.
Rules to enter: Just leave a comment on this post. Please leave an email address or website so I can contact you. One entry per person please.
Deadline to enter is 5/7. The winner will be chosen via random.org and posted on 5/8.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Great Deal on a Hair Straightener

If anyone is in need of a hair straightener, this is a great deal!! Originally $170, you can get it for $15 Shipped!! Just click here and add it to your shopping bag. It is priced at 19.95, but if you enter the code SEXY10, it takes an additional $10 off!! You will need to pay shipping, around 5 or 6 dollars. Also, if you shop through Ebates you will get an additional 6% back. Free to sign up here!!

This week's Jewel Deals

By Thursday, I STILL haven't opened my inserts or ads from Sunday. I also didn't open the grocery ads that came in the mail on Tuesday, BUT Faithfully Frugal has a post of some Jewel highlights here. Check it out.

4/5 - 4/11 Weekly Deals

Since it's Tuesday and I still haven't opened my ads, I thought I would at lease post links to someone else's deals. Better that than me posting it on Friday, right?

Check out CVS delas here.

Check out Walgreens deals here.

Saturday Shopping

Jewel Trip:
Items : 18
Regular Price: 57.57
OOP: 17.00
Savings: 70%

I di try to get the Wheat Thins, but they were all sold out of the Artisan flavors. (This is what the BOGO Q specifies.) So I got a rain check, and we'll see what happens when I try it.


Walgreens Trip
Items : 11
Regular Price: 16.39
OOP: .25
Savings: 98%
RR Left: 2.00

I didn't have to use any RR. Walgreens has Mento gum on sale for 1.00 (only when you buy 2 or more) and I used 11 1.00 off coupons from 3/1. *I believe this is a monthly deal, so you can still get yours!*


We also did a little bit of clothes shopping at Sears on Saturday. They were having a huge clearance sale. (We actually didn't know this, we were just killing some time and decided to go into Sears. I also think this sale runs for another week.) They had an extra 30 %off all clearance items. We walked out of the store with 10 items, originally $422.98!! We only paid $88.86 (8.26 in tax). Still, that's 70% off. We each got a couple of things, plus I was able to snag a birthday present and a Christmas present out of the trip. (Not presents for me.) Here's a picture of Brian modeling some of his new stuff. The jacket he got originally cost 100.00, more than what we paid for all 10 items!!

Friday Shopping

Jewel Trip:
Items : 18
Regular Price: 57.57
OOP: 17.00
Savings: 70%

I got the Smart balance tubs for 2.00 each, they're on sale for 2.50 and you can use the 1.00 off 2 from the 2/1. Then I stacked these with the Buy one tub, get one butter blends sticks free coupon from 3/1 to get 4 packages of sticks for free. Super Pretzels are on sale BOGO @ 3.59. Use the .75 coupon from 2/22 or 3/15. Make sure you use one coupon for each one you buy (even the free one!) I also had one more free gum coupon from 3/15. I did plan on buying some more super pretzles. We LOVE these and with the coupons they were only 2.09 for 2 boxes! But I snagged the last three boxes, so I grabbed a rain check good through the end of the month. Also, I didn't bring all my coupons with me, but Wheat Thins are BOGO and there is a BOGO Q from 3/15. This sale is going through April 15th, so I will be heading back there for some wheat thins. I have never tried to use a BOGO Q with a BOGO sale, but I have heard that you will get both items for free! (You do pay tax, of course.) So I think I may go do this today or tomorrow and I will update when I get home.

Coupon Geek has a list of Jewel deals here.



Walgreens Trip:
Items : 4
Regular Price: 17.96
OOP: .58
Savings: 97%
RR Left: 2.00

My subtotal was zero!! All I paid was .58 in tax!!! I used the 2.50 off equal coupons from 1/4. These expire today, so if you have them, go use them for some free equal! Plus I used my free softsoap coupon I earner earlier this week.

CVS Trip This Week

From this trip:
Items : 14
Regular Price: 59.47
OOP: 5.06
Savings: 91%
ECB Left: 17.98

I used 7.99 EDB and got back 9.99, plus the 7.99 I didn't use. Also, I will send in the rebate on the Organix shampoo, so there's another 4.99.
I wasn't very excited about these deals this week, but I wanted to use a 5.00 off 30.00 coupon that expired on Monday. (You can use those before all your other coupons!)

Check out all of this weeks deals here.


March End CVS Totals:
Items : 90
Regular Price: 274.82
OOP: 65.81
Savings: 76%
ECB Left: 17.98

All March Shopping:
Items: 264
Regular Price: 682.40
OOP: 203.51
Savings: 70%

Plus: 2.00 RR, 1 FREE softsoap body wash, 17.98 ECB, and 4.99 MIR.

A bit more OOP than I would like, but it's so great to see this improvement from just a few months ago. We are all stocked up on cereal, coffeemate, pasta, and some other everyday needs. April should be a much lighter shopping month. This is only 6 months after I learned how to shop the smart way, and although it takes some time, and I am not always on top of everything, it is so great to have the freezer, fridge, and pantry all stocked up!

WAGS Trip This Week

From this trip:
Items : 34
Regular Price: 74.86
OOP: 7.49
Savings: 90%
RR Left: 2.00 plus a free Softsoap Body wash

Pretty good! I used 18.00 in RR that I had saved up from last week, and earned back 2.00 for next week. At any of the Walgreens near me, if you use RR then none will print. So I always do one transaction for everything that doesn't give me RR and use last weeks. Then I do another transaction for this week's RR.

Some freebies from this trip:
Equal: on sale for 2.50, use 2.50 from 1/4
Reynold's Wrap: use WAGS Q for .89, and use 1.00 off from 2/8. (MONEYMAKER)
Reese's: Free hershey's bar with 20 oz. Coke product.
Gum: with FREE coupon from 3/15.
Chapstick: 1.99 with 1.99 RR

Check out all other deals here.

March End Walgreens Totals: (This is without my trip from Spring Break)
Items : 99
Regular Price: 205.84
OOP: 62.49
Savings: 70%
RR Left: 2.00 plus FREE softsoap body wash

Here's the pic of the bottom of my receipt from the first transaction. LOVE IT!

Weekly Grocery Trip

*Not a great picture, but I was really trying to get everything in*

I did this trip on Monday, so some deals have expired, but there are a few still going on.

Items : 45
Regular Price: 91.52
OOP: 44.14
Savings: 52%

Not as great as last time, but still more than half of what it would normally have been. That's generally my goal when shopping. I stick to my budget, stick to my list (for the most part), and try to aim for 50% savings or more.

Some highlights:
Activia Yogurt normally 2.95, on sale for 2.00, less 1.00 coupon = FINAL COST 1.00
Del Monte fruit cups normally 1.85, on sale for 1.00, less 1.00 coupon = FINAL COST FREE!!
Wrigley's gum 1.25 less free item coupon = FREE GUM!

You can still get the gum if you have the coupon from 3/15.
DelMonte fruit cups are still on sale use coupon from 3/1.

March End Grocery Totals:
Items : 75
Regular Price: 201.74
OOP: 75.21
Savings: 63%

Not bad!

Spring Break Last Week

So sorry I didn't get any posting done last week. I spent my spring break at my mom's and while I thought I would get quite a bit of blogging done, I was busier than I thought. Plus, I got sick. So of course, nothing got done. I did a little shopping while I was there, however. I thought it was a great opportunity to see how well I could get WalMart deals and Dollar General deals. I was disappointed in both trips. I didn't find ANYthing at dollar general, and I spent way too much time in walmart. So, I think I will stick to my favorites. I did have one really good Walgreens trip while visiting. I walked out of the store paying 4.00 and saving 65.00!! I also did some shopping this week since I've been back home, and hpe to get that posted tonight or tomorrow.

Also, big coupon wekkend coming up!! This Sunday will have 5 inserts! Yes, 5!! It looks like we will be getting 4 papers. Hip2Save has the info here.

I will be looking over the Jewel ad that I got yesterday and finding some good deals to be posted tomorrow!

Here's the bottom of my Walgreen's reciept from my trip home.

Tuesday WAGS Trip

Yes, my stuff is still in the cart. Both the kitchen table and counter were covered, so I just took it in the cart.

From this trip:
Items : 9
Regular Price: 25.91
OOP: 13.31
Savings: 49%
RR Left: 10.00

This Month:
Items : 65
Regular Price: 130.98
OOP: 55.00
Savings: 58%
RR Left: 10.00

YAY!!! I love it! I will be taking full advantage of the Listerine deal this week!!

Tuesday CVS Trip

From this trip:
Items : 16
Regular Price: 59.05
OOP: 7.66
Savings: 87%
ECB Left: 15.98

This Month:
Items : 76
Regular Price: 215.35
OOP: 60.75
Savings: 72%
ECB Left: 15.98


Check out this week's CVS deals here!

Monday WAGS Trip

From this trip:
Items : 25
Regular Price: 59.58
OOP: 19.40
Savings: 67%
RR Left: 4.00

This Month:
Items : 56
Regular Price: 105.07
OOP: 41.69
Savings: 60%
RR Left: 4.00


NOT BAD! I went on Monday, took this picture on Monday, and started this post on Monday. But now it's Thursday and I never finished it until now, soooo check out all of this week's deals here. (Since I'm now being lazy)

17 Money Saving E-Books for Only $17

I thought I'd take this moment to let you know about a great offer from our friends at LivingOnADime.com and MoneySavingMom.com. Many of you are familiar with Crystal, Tawra and Jill's money saving, get-out-of-debt, frugal living and homemaking tips.

Well, they have just contacted me to let me know that with the rise in the price of groceries, they have decided to team up to offer you their two grocery savings e-courses along with a huge pile of bonus items. Even better, they are offering this Savin' O The Green 17 e-book package to our readers for $17, a substantial discount off of the regular price of $75 for these e-books.

The e-books that are included in this offer are:

Supermarket Savings 101 eCourse with audio downloads

Grocery Shopping On A Budget eCourse

Money Saving Meats e-book

Saving On Cleaning Supplies e-book

Eating Healthy On A Budget e-booklet

Is Eating Out Eating You Up? e-book

224 Meals In A Hurry e-book

Grocery Savings e-book

Menus That Make Cents e-book

Plan Ahead Leftovers e-book

Quick Dinners e-book

Menu Planning Made Easy

Simply Centsible Breakfasts

Simply Centsible Suppers

Kids Recipes

Menus On A Dime

470 Crockpot Recipes

For more information on this exciting offer, go here.

Swagbucks

You may have noticed the Swagbucks banner I added to my blog. First I want to say, I really don't want to overload my blog with buttons, banners, and advertisements. There's nothing wrong with any of these things, but personally, I find it a little distracting. There I am reading someone's blog and all of a sudden the banners and switching and ads and moving around and then I don't remember which part I was at. I know that you can earn money blogging by having ads and other things, and I don't want to offend anyone who has banners and buttong on their blogs, I just want to keep mine mostly banner free.

That being said, I added the Swagbucks banner to my blog. I have heard about awagbucks from various different people and blogs, but never really got around to checking it out. Now, I really wish I had sooner! Swagbucks os basically just another search engine (like Google) that rewards you for searching. For signing up, you get three swagbucks to start with. Then through searching the internet, you will randomly get awarded swagbucks. At first, I thought it would really not be worth it, but it a little over a week I earned 65 Swagbucks. You use your Swagbucks to buy items from the Swag store. They have a 5.00 Amazon gift card for only 45 Swagbucks. the best part is, once you sign up, tell your friends about it. When a friend signs up through you, you will earn one swagbuck for EVERY swagbuck they earn! Get started and sign up here today!

How To Shop

How to shop? Sounds funny, huh? What I mean is how to coupon. When I started this blog, I was just excited to track my own shopping expenses and watch how much I could get for how little. I figured that as I got better at finding deals, my cost of shopping would go way down. And it has! What I didn't realize when I started blogging was how much I would enjoy it. I love reading other blogs, and I really do like posting on this one, it just doesn't happen all the time. I had hoped that by the time I figured out how to get the best deals at every store, that I would sit and write a how to post (like How to CVS.) I think at this point, I have figured out what works best for me and I am able to explain it okay to others, but I don't think I would really get the point across. So, I know some of you are just starting your own frugal journey or maybe you have been for a while already, but I would like to link you to Hip2Save's how to posts. I think she does a wonderful job explaining how to get the deals to work for you.

How to Shop CVS here
How to Shop Walgreens here and then here

March Grocery Savings

Here is the one major grocery trip we have made so far in March. the new ad for Jewel just started today, so I am hoping to go over it and get some Jewel deals posted. I just wanted to say that the cheese deal I did last week is still going on, but just until Sunday, March 15th. You can get 7 bags or bricks of Kraft cheese for just 1.00 after OYNO coupons. Check out all the details at Mummy Deal's post here. BTW, somehow I did this deal wrong and ended up paying 4.00 for 7 bags of cheese. If you're worried about buying more than you think you will use, remember: bags of cheese freeze really well. And in whatever shape you need to get them all into the freezer. I did the cheese deal twice, then bought the rest of my groceries using the 2 10.00 OYNO Qs.
My Jewel totals for March so far:
Items : 30
Regular Price: 110.22
OOP: 31.07
Savings: 72%

*Although I am supossed to be done shopping this week, I will be making one small trip tonight for cabbage and red potatoes. They just went on sale today and since Brian is 100% Irish, corned beef and cabbage is a nessecity for St. Patrick's Day!*

*UPDATE:* Kraft cheese deal should be working until 3/22. Thanks, Mummy Deals!

March WAGS Savings

Again, there are two pictures because I went twice. The first pic is from last week's deals and the second from this week's deals. There are some great deals going on this week and this month for you to get!
My WAGS totals for March so far:
Items : 31
Regular Price: 99.49
OOP: 22.29
Savings: 78%
RR Left: 4.00

Great Weekly Deals:
Garnier Fructis Hair Care 2.99 (use 2.00 ESQ and 1.00 Q from 2/8 or 3/8) = FREE
Smart Balance Tubs BOGO @ 2.99 (use 1.00/2 from 2/1) = 1.00 each
Coffeemate BOGO @ 2.49 (use 2 1.00 from here) = 2 for .49
Glade Sense and Spray or Lasting Impressions 7.99 (use 4.00 ESQ -this will take off 8.00- and the BOGO Q here or here and the 3.00 or 4.00 Q from 2/8) = 4.00 profit!
Right Guard or Dry Idea Deodorant 2.99 with 2.00 RR = .99
Gillette Fusion Gamer Razor 8.99 with 4.00 RR (use 4.00 Q from 2/8) = .99
Red Baron Pizza 2/5.00 (use 1.00/2 Q from 3/1) = 2.00 per pizza

MAJOR HUGGIES DEAL!!
Buy three packs of Huggies at 10.00 each, use 3 5.00 Q from here.
Pay 15.00 OOP, and get back 10.00 RR
For more info on this deal, check out Coupon Geek's post here.
As I don't buy diapers, I tend to over look the great deals, but this one seems to be a really amazing deal. I thought it would be better explained by someone who does buy diapers.

These are not all of the deals, just the ones I think are great. You can find more listed here.

March CVS Savings

Sorry for the multiple pictures, but it was three separate shopping trips and I had hoped to be back and posting in between trips. So... My CVS totals for March so far:
Items : 60
Regular Price: 156.30
OOP: 53.09
Savings: 68%
ECB Left: 14.99

Not bad! The first two pictures are from last week's ad, but the monthly deals can still be done. And the last picture is from Monday, so all of those are still possible.

Great deals this week:
Palmolive dish soap 1.49 with 1.00 ECB (haven't found any Qs yet) = .49 LIMIT 2
Vasaline lotion 3.69 with 2.00 ECB (use the 1.50 Q from 1/18 or the 1.25 Q from 3/8) = .19 or .44 LIMIT 5
Secret Flawless 3.99 with 1.00 ECB (use the 2.00 Q from 2/22) = .99 LIMIT 1
Crest Pro Health 2.99 with 2.00 ECB (use 1.00 Q from 2/8 or .75 Q from 3/1) = FREE or .24 LIMIT 1
Schick Quattro 8.99 with 5.00 ECB (use 2.00 Q from 2/8) = 1.99 LIMIT 1
Blade Energy Drinks 2/3.00 (use 2.00/2 Q from Tear pad at CVS) = .50 each
Renuzit Tri Scents 4.99 (use 4.00 Q from 2/22) = .99
Zone Perfect Bars 1.00 (use 1.00 Q from 3/1) = FREE
This is not all of them, just the ones I think are great. You can check out more here.

Great deals this month:
CVS Vitamin D 2.99 with 2.99 ECB = FREE LIMIT 1
Sure Deoderant 2.99 with 2.00 ECB WYB 2 (use 2 1.00 Qs from 1/10 or here or use .75 Q from 3/1) = 2/1.98 or 2/2.48 LIMIT 2 (meaning you can buy 4)
I also did the 2.00 ECB for Always Infinity, but only because I had a free product Q
You can find more monthly delas here.

March Update

Hello again. Well, I think I wasn't quite ready to jump headfirst back into the blogging world last month. I hate that I haven't been regularly posting for two months, but there's not a lot I can do about it now. Since I posted last, I have been trying to catch up on my couponing pile. Yes, pile! I should have taken a picture of it. Really, I had around 80 coupon inserts to get through. I did get them all clipped on Friday, just in time for this weeks papers. I have to send out a big thank you to our neighbor who has been giving us extra inserts. I had 30 from the last two weeks alone! I was also able to get some shopping done at the end of last week and over the weekend. I have some great pictures to post and some awesome deals to share that are still going on. I can't promise I will have them all up tonight, but I will try. (Otherwise, look for them tomorrow.) I also have to give an update on our $40 challenge. (you can find my original post here.) We have been sticking to the $40 a week. And doing it pretty well. I can't vouch for the end of January, because I didn't go over our reciepts yet (if anything, it is under our budget), but since the beginning of February, I have been adding $40 to the envelope. We did let it build up for 2 or 3 weeks and did a grocery trip mid February. We then let it build up again the last two weeks in order to do this weeks shopping. (We ended up with about $110 for this past weekend. $30 from last week, $40 from this week and we used next week's $40 since we won't be home to do any shopping. I won't be adding money this Thursday, I will wait until next Thursday.
Sorry for such a long and babbling post, but I am still here, just going slow at the moment. Thanks for sticking around!!

Did You Miss Me?

Sorry everyone! I don't really even have an excuse for not blogging in about a month. Isn't that sad? Really, I have been getting used to a new schedule. On top of that, I have been looking for a job. Good news: I found one. I am now part time nannying. Throw that into the schedule, and it is packed!! Not that there's anything wrong with that! I have to say that I love being busy and, not to mention, having a job! However, I think my blogging may take a hit. Along with shopping. Along with my busy schedule, Brian and I have not been home on the weekends. Yes, the whole weekend. Generally, if we have something to do out of town on the weekends, then we just plan on staying out there for the whole weekend. HOWEVER, I have not gone shopping in weeks. Really!! Luckily, when we were shopping, I had really stocked us up on a lot of things. But now I have a stack of inserts from a month to cut out and organize and plan a trip. Soooo.....long story short: sorry fpr not blogging in FOREVER and I will be posting some freebies and coupon links this week, then I'm hoping to be organized by this weekend. And I can post my insane shopping trips next week, plus a plan for CVS and Walgreens.

Friday Morning Goodies...

Free Subscription to Elle Magazine here (Thanks Mom on a Mission!)

Free Charmin Mega Roll Extender here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$.55 off Sunny D Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1.50 off any No Nonsense Product Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Mummy Deals has the scoop on how to register for the CVS Advisor board. You could earn extra care bucks each time you fill out a survey! Check it out here.

$.50 off Skinny Cow Q here (Thanks Coupon Geek!)

Free Tampax and Always Sampler Pack here

$40 Challenge Update

I didn't get this posted last week, but we have been really working this $40 a week. At the end of last week, we ended up with 3.46 left over. I added $40 on Thursday (early since we had to grocery shop then because we went to my mom's for the weekend). We got some great deals with our $43.46. We did Jewel, 2 CVS trips, 1 Walgreens trip, and 1 Target trip. I don't have pictures to post as all but Jewel were trips while we were at my mom's. As of today, we have $1.80 left. Tomorrow, we will add $40 and have this for the week. There are some great deals out there, so I will try to post as much as possible.

St. Ives Coupon

Go here to print a $2 Q on any St. Ives product! This expires on 2/14, so I will be on the lookout for a good deal on this! Remember to hit the back button and print 2. If I find a really good deal, I'll print more later from other computers, then stock up on this.

Deals This Week

Okay, I thought I would get lasts weeks up in a reasonable amount of time, but it didn't happen. So I thought I would get this weeks up, and SURPRISE! it also didn't happen.

Here are some sites to see this weeks deals:

CVS:
The Thrifty Mama's breakdown here
Hip2Save's breakdown here

WAGS:
The Thrifty Mama's breakdown here
Hip2Save's breakdown here

New Restaurant.com Coupon Code! 60% off

Right now, you can get a $25 gift certificate for only $4! At Restaurant.com, pick your restaurant and at checkout enter the code EXCLUSIVE. You can also get a $10 gift certificate for only .80! These will print right from your computer, you won't have to wait for any shipment. Each restaurant has specifics for how the certificate can be used so make sure you read these. Great gift idea if you still need some ideas.

Thursday Morning Goodies...

$1 off Johnson's Baby Wash Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1.50 off CoffeeMate Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off Egg Beaters Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free Sample of KPak Shampoo here

The Thrifty Mama has the scoop on getting free magazines and also some great coupon books. Check it out here.

Wednesday Morning Goodies...

Hip2Save has the scoop on entering to win a bunch of free product coupons from Kraft. Go here to check it out.

Don't forget to sign up for your free bottle of Suave today! You can sign up for one per household until 11:59 tonight! They will mail the coupon to you in 2-4 weeks. Go here to sign up.

Tuesday Morning Goodies...

Free Sample of Febreeze Sport here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free Sample of Nutri-Grain bar here (Thanks Mummy Deals!)

Free Sample of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser here (Thanks Coupon Geek!)

Free Sample of SoftSheen Carson's Optimum Care Dandruff Solutions Hair Care Treatment here (Thanks Coupon Geek!)

Free Sample of Rachel Ray's Nutrish Dog Food here

Free Sample of Dove Hair Care here

Monday Morning Goodies...

$1 off Quaker True Delights Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!) Scroll down about halfway to the coupon.

$2 off Kashi cereal bars Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off any 2 Kashi products Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$2 off Perude Perfect Portion Chicken Breasts Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$2 off Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$.55 off Little Debbie Snack Pack Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free Sample of True Lemon here

Free Sample of Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn here

Free Sample of Tide here

WAGS Trip 1/7

I did this in 2 transactions. Here's the breakdown: (I know it looks like a lot of junk food, but we will not be eating all of this ourselves)

Trans 1:
4 Reeses Whips Bars REG: .89
2 Garnier Shampoo REG: 4.29 SALE: 2.99
2 Garnier Conditioner REG: 4.29 SALE: 2.99
1 Garnier Styler REG: 3.99 SALE: 2.99
3 Ben and Jerry's REG: 4.29 SALE: 3.00
2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refills REG: 3.49 SALE: 2.50
2 Stayfree Pads REG: 7.29
1 Package Tortillas REG: 1.19

REG Total: 60.33
SALE Total: 48.28

Used:
-7.29 BOGO Stayfree Q from 1/4 RedPlum insert
-1.00 Garnier Shampoo or Condition Q from 11/9 or 1/4 RedPlum insert (used 4 of these)
-1.00 Garnier Styler Q from 11/9 or 1/4 RedPlum insert
-1.00/2 Resses Whips Q from 1/4 insert (used 2 of these)
-2.50/2 Glade Candle Refills Q from 12/7 SmartSource insert
-3.00 off Ben and Jerrys printable Q (this is no longer printable*) (used 3 of these)
-1.56 WAGS Q: Resses Whips 2/1.00 from ad
-10.00 WAGS Q: Garnier 2.00 from ESC
-6.00 WAGS Q: Stayfree 3.00 from ad

Final Total: 4.93
Tax: 2.51
7.44 on WAGS GC, so OOP: Nothing!
Will Get back: 2.20 ESR for Glade Candles


Transaction 2:
2 Ben and Jerrys REG: 4.29 SALE: 3.00
5 Garnier Stylers REG: 3.99 SALE: 2.99
6 Resses Whips REG: .89
2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refils REG: 3.49 SALE: 2.50
1 small bag of Cheetos REG: .99

REG Total: 41.84
SALE Total: 32.28

Used:
-1.00 Garnier Styler Q from 11/9 or 1/4 RedPlum insert (used 5 of these)
-1.00/2 Resses Whips Q from 1/4 insert (used 3 of these)
-2.50/2 Glade Candle Refills Q from 12/7 SmartSource insert
-3.00 off Ben and Jerrys printable Q (this is no longer printable*) (used 2 of these)
-2.34 WAGS Q: Resses Whips 2/1.00 from ad
-10.00 WAGS Q: Garnier 2.00 from ESC

Final Total: 3.44
Tax: 2.26
5.70 on WAGS GC, so OOP: Nothing!
Will Get back: 2.20 ESR for Glade Candles
Money left for the week: 3.46

*I know the Ben and Jerrys Qs are no longer printable, but there is a glitch. Go here and enter in your email address, it will email the link to you and you should be able to print 2 if you hit the back button in your browser. Send it to more than one email to print more. I'm not sure how long this will work, but it's worth a shot.

Friday Morning Goodies...

Free Sample of Cream of Wheat here (Thanks Mom on a Mission!)

Free Sample of Soy Joy bars here (Thanks Mom on a Mission!)

There weren't many yesterday and today, but hopefully by Monday there will be a lot.

Wednesday Morning Goodies...

Free Sample of Mary Kay mascara here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off Toaster Strudel Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$2 off Listerine Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$2 off Johnsons and Johnsons Baby Products Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$4 off Tylenol or Motrin IB Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$3 off Splenda Q here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$10 off $25 for Yankee Candles Q here (Thanks MummyDeals!)

Tuesday Morning Goodies...

Free sample of Quaker Mini Delights here

Free sample of Barbara's Bakery Organic Cereal here

Free sample of Sunsilk here

Free Ziplock Back to Basics Gift Pack here (only to first 5,000 people)

Coming Tomorrow....

I wanted to get this done today, but SURPRISE! I didn't.
So, I have to finish cutting all of my inserts tonight and then do some deal matchups tomorrow. I will have these posted sometime tomorrow....I'll aim for before noon.

CVS 1/04

Brian's Card Bought:
1 Garnier Shampoo REG: 4.29 SALE: 2.99
1 Blade Energy Drink 4 pack REG: 4.99 SALE: 4.97
1 Infusium 23 Shampoo REG: 6.99 SALE: 3.50
1 10 Pack Pocket Tissue REG: 1.00
1 Rabbit Ears Antenna REG: 12.99

REG Total: 30.26
SALE Total: 25.45

Used:
-5.00/25.00
-1.59 ECB
-2.59 ECB
-2.99 ECB
-8.99 ECB
-1.00 Garnier Q from 11/09 Redplum insert
-3.00 Infusium Q from 12/28 P&G insert

Final Total: .29
Tax: .66
OOP: .95
Got Back: 2.00 ECB on Garnier and 2.00 ECB on Blade
Money left for week: 2.16


My card bought:

1 Colgate Total REG: 2.99 SALE: 2.50
1 Garnier Conditioner REG: 4.29 SALE: 2.99
2 Blade Energy Drink 4 Packs REG: 4.99 SALE: 4.97
1 Blistex REG: 2.29
5 Tribunes REG: 1.99

REG Total: 29.50
SALE Total: 27.67

Used:
-5.00/25.00
-1.50 ECB
-2.99 ECB
-11.98 ECB
-1.00 Garnier Q from 11/09 RedPlum insert
-.25 Blistex Q from 11/16 SmartSource insert
-1.50 Colgate Q here

Final Total: 3.45
Tax: 1.37
4.82 on Gift card
OOP: nothing
Got Back: 2.00 ECB on Garnier and 4.00 ECB on Blade
Money left for the week: 2.16

The Blistex had a price sticker that it was .99, so I went back to look and it was left over from last week so I brought it up to the front and he gave me cash back for the difference. Also, I had another Colgate to get the ECB deal, but my other coupon wouldn't scan, so I will get that next time making them both free.

With return, money left for the week: 3.46

Aldi Trip 1/03

2 boxes Pancake Mix
1 10 lb bag Potatoes
2 boxes Pasta
1 bag Egg Noodles
2 bags Rice
2 cans Black Beans
6 cans Refried Beans
2 cans Olives
2 jars Spaghetti Sauce
1 bottle Vegtable Oil
2 Spices
2 boxes Chocolate Pudding
2 Parmesan Cheese
2 boxes Corn Muffin Mix
1 box Fruit and Grain Bars
1 box Saltines
1 Cooking Spray

Total: 36.08
Tax: .81
OOP: 36.89
Money left for week: 3.11

How Great is This!!

Look what we got! I can't believe it! So, we live in Chicago and don't have a car. Which is fine....usually. We used to go grocery shopping and just buy like 4 bags worth of groceries so we could each carry 2 home and then buy a lot of stuff at Walgreens. When I started couponing in October, we really started buying a lot more. With coupons, we've been able to buy a lot more stuff without spending any more money. Plus, we have been trying to stockpile when there is a great deal on something. Although we love having more groceries and never running out of toothpaste, laundry detergent, and shampoo; we have not enjoyed carrying all this stuff home. I have been looking for a cart like this to help us carry everything home. Of course, I can't find anything. I figured the thrift store would be our best bet, but I still wasn't able to find one. While at my family's Christmas Eve dinner, I was talking about my blog and how I've been looking for one of these carts. Lo and behold, my aunt and uncle just happened to have one in their basement. I couldn't believe it! I'm not kidding you, I was so excited! I am still telling people all about this cart! I just had to post some pictures. It really does hold a lot of stuff and it's easy to push and get on and off the bus.

So a big thank you to my aunt and uncle for this wonderful cart!!!

$40 Challenge

Brian and I are trying a new method for our shopping. I had been setting monthly goals for our shopping and we have been pretty good on ending the month right around our budget. Sometimes a little over and sometimes a little under. But we have not been keeping up with our budget throughout the month, just checking at the end of each month and then determining if we need to spend less or not.

So, we are going to try a new tactic. I am now taking $40 out of the bank each week and keeping this in an envelope along with my ECB and WAGS GC. This is it. All we get. $40 for groceries and our other shopping needs. Of course, special occasion shopping is different. Birthday presents and such will not come out of this envelope. I am hoping this will help us decide if its an item we really need or just something we want. Maybe next month, we will be able to cut on envelope to $30 a week. for now, we will be trying $40. I will be bringing a calculator with me always to help out in the store and get the best possible deals. We are hoping to go to Aldi once a month and then do other grocery shopping at Jewel for the rest of the month and make small trips here and there to CVS and Walgreens. I will keep posting how we are doing and feel free to join me with whatever amount works for you and your family.

Revlon Beauty Sample Update

Sorry everyone! The revlon beauty sample is not legit, just spam. Hip2Save has an update on this here. If you signed up for this, just delete the email the send you.

Monday Morning Goodies....

Sign up to print Nestle coupons here and get emails with more! (Thanks CouponGeek!)

Super Pretzel coupons mailed to you. Sign up here (Thanks CouponGeek!)

Free pancakes at IHOP on Feb. 24th. More info here. (Thanks CouponGeek!)

$1 off Pepperidge Farm Tim Tam Cookies here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off Diet Ocean Spray here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off 2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese coupon here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off one Heinz Ketchup and $1 off Ore-Ida Fries coupons here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off MorningStar coupon here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free popcorn when you buy any drink at AMC Theaters here. This expires 1/15. (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Hip2Save has the scoop on getting discount magazine supscriptions for as low as 3.50 here.

Free Sun-Maid Raisin Recipie Booklets here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Scrubbing Bubbles coupons here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free sample of beef jerkey here

Free Suave on Jan. 14th. Go here on the 14th to get yours.

Some Success Stories from Last Week

I know I didn't post these as they happened, but I thought I would still share some since some deals are still attainable.

Jewel Success:

Not a great picture, but I had to use the counter instead of the table.

Bought:
1 lb Johnsonville Italian Sausage REG: 3.99 SALE: 3.50
2 Packages Jennie-O Turkey Sausage Links REG: 4.29 SALE: 3.50
2 Packages Jennie-O Ground Turkey REG: 5.49
4 Tennessee Pride Sausage REG: 3.99 SALE: 2.50
2 Eckrich Sausage REG: 4.39 SALE: 3.00
1 Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce REG: 4.49
2 Johnsonville Bold Sausages REG: 3.99 SALE: 3.50
4 Holiday Glade Scented Oil Candle Holders REG: 3.49 CLEARANCE: 1.74
3 Imperial Spread Margarine REG: 1.50 SALE: 1.00
1 Package Jewel Hot Dog Buns REG: 1.99 SALE: 1.25
1 Box Clorox2 REG: 5.19

REG Total: 86.40
SALE Total: 65.37

Used:
-.75 Johnsonville Ground Sausage Q from ...an insert (can't remember)
- .55 Tennessee Pride Q x4 from ...an insert (can't remember)
-1.00/2 Eckrich Sausage Q from 11/2 Smartsource insert
-.55 Johnsonville Bold Sausage Q x2 from ...an insert (can't remember)
- 2.00 Glade Candle Holder Blinkie Q x4 (You can use the 2.50 from the 12/07 Smartsource)
- 20.00 Jennie O turkey Q (I won this in a blog giveaway)
- 4.49 FREE Country Bob's Sauce Q here
- 5.19 FREE Clorox Q got this in the mail. I can't find a link for this now

Final Total: 22.64 and I paid with a gift card I got for Christmas, so OOP: NOTHING!

It looks like a lot of sausage, but...well, okay it IS a lot of sausage, but believe me, this will last us probably 6 months. I froze most of it and we will be using it to make all kinds of stuff. I'm not sure which of the Jewel deals will still be going on, just because not everything is advertised. If your store still has the glade candle holders, these are a great money maker. I found mine with the left over Christmas stuff. FYI, it doesn't have any candles with is, just the holder. I'm waiting for the candles to go on sale. I figured, even if I can't use them for a while, it was worth the overage.

CVS Success:

Brain's card bought:
3 boxes South Beach Bars REG: 3.99 SALE: 2.50
1 Blade Energy drink 4 pack REG: 4.99 SALE: 4.97
1 3 pack DVD Dual Layers REG: 9.99

REG Total: 26.95
SALE Total: 22.46

Used:
- 4.00/20.00 CVS Q
- 9.00 ECB
- 2.00 South Beach Q x3 here
- 1.00/2 South Beach CVS Q from Diabetes book found by Pharmacy

Final Total: 2.46 OOP
Got back: 2.00 ECB from Blade
The Blade deal is still active, I think for all of January.


My card bought:
1 Loreal Mascara REG: 7.49 CLEARANCE: 1.87
9 Sally Hansen Nail Polish REG: 2.69 CLEARANCE: 1.35
2 Dawn REG: 1.99 SALE: BOGO

REG Total: 35.68
SALE Total: 16.01

Used:
- 2.59 ECB
- .50 Dawn Q x2 from 12/14 P&G insert
- 3.00/2 Sally Hansen Nail Polish Q x4 from CVS Reinventing Beauty coupons found near the front of the store

Final Total: .42 OOP
CVS has a lot of Makeup on clearance, each one has a sticker on it, so check it out. I got all 9 nail polishes for only .15!

Walgreens Success:

Bought:
2 Walgreens Reuseable bags REG: .99 SALE: .50
2 Breyers Ice Cream REG: 6.29 SALE: BOGO
2 Folgers 13 oz. REG: 4.99 SALE: 2.99
1 Monopoly Choc. Game REG: 9.99 CLEARANCE: 2.49
4 boxes Christmas cards REG: 3.99 CLEARANCE: .99
1 100 ct WAGS aspirin REG: .99
4 Bags Bagel Chips REG: 2.59 SALE: .99
8 Packages Christmas Gift Tags REG: .99 CLEARANCE: .24
14 Christmas Gift Bags REG: .25 CLEARANCE: .06
2 Lays Chips REG: 3.99 SALE: BOGO
4 Pepsi 12 packs REG: 3.99 SALE: 3.54
6 Christmas Wrapping Paper REG: 1.99 CLEARANCE: .49

REG Total: 109.14
SALE Total: 48.52

Used:
-3.54 buy 3, get 1 Pepsi Wags Q
- .99 FREE Wags Aspirin Wags Q (this was mailed to me, not sure why)

-.50 Folgers Q from 12/28 P&G insert
- .25 Folgers Q from 12/28 P&G insert
- 4.00 RR
- 5.00/20.00 WAGS Q (mailed with the aspirin Q)

Final Total: 34.24 OOP
The Christmas clearance was great! If you get all your stuff now at 75% off, you won't need to get any next year!



* I did a CVS run today and will post it tomorrow morning, I also should put up this weeks great deals at CVS and Walgreens tomorrow*

Friday Morning Goodies...

HealthESavers has some great printable coupons for healthier food items. Check out what they have here. (Thanks Money Saving Mom!)

Coupons.com has new coupons for January. Check them out here.

$1 off Tyson Heat N Eat coupon here

Some Cheap Entertainment Ideas

In 2009, I would really like to make an effort to go to more events in the city. Being so close to so many different plays, musicals, museums, and concerts, I think we don't take advantage of them as much as we should. One problem is the cost. I would love to go see a play every weekend, but the cost of parking, food, and tickets make this almost impossible. Some options for cutting the cost down: take public transportation and have dinner at home before you go out or if you're going for the day (like to the museum or zoo) bring lunch with you. If you have your heart set on eating out, check out restaurant.com and get a discounted gift certificate to use that day. Make sure you read the specifications and use a coupon code.
To counter ticket prices, I have found a few great options. I love to use Goldstar Events to find discounted tickets. This is not just a Chicago thing, so feel free to check this out. I have an old post here with links to their website. If you use the link there, I get a bonus on my account. :)

Some ideas in Chicago:
Check out the Chicago Symphony Orchestra website. This page has the dates for the Civic events, many of which are free or very cheap. This is not THE Orchestra, but still worthwhile to check out the events.
Alos, you can sign up for Broadway in Chicago email alerts here. They will send you emails of special deals before they are avialable to the public. You can go here to see the current special deals open to all. Right now, they have Jersey Boys and Dirty Dancing tickets around half price.