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.

Thursday Morning Goodies...

Get a free copy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Wine here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!) This is an ebook, not a hard copy.

Free Menopause Survival Kit here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!)

Free Earthbound Farms recipe brochure here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!)

Free Sample of OxyFresh Toothpaste here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!)

Free Bausch and Lomb lens cleaning tissues here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!)

Free Bee Pollen here (Thanks MoneySavingMethods!)

Free Sample of Invisible Glass Wipes here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$1 off Totino's Pizza Rolls coupon here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

$3 off Ben and Jerrys Ice Cream Copuon here (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Free Sample of Gold Bond Ultimate Soothing Lotion here

$1 off Bounce Lint Roller here

Get a Free Reach Flosser here

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I wish you a happy and healthy new year and hope you all had a great time ringing in 2009!