More end of the year savings!

More savings to ring in the new year!

Entirely Pets: www.entirelypets.com

Also Use Coupon Code

YEAREND2010

to receive

15% OFF
ANY SIZE ORDER!

* Coupons cannot be combined with any other offer.

JoAnn Fabrics

 

Staples

Print this page to redeem this offer in store.

Valid in store only. 20% OFF office supplies, ink and toner, case paper and furniture!* Associate scan UPC before completing sale: Coupon Code: 31941 *Valid through 1/1/2011 in Staples U.S. stores only. Limit one per customer, nontransferable. Discount applies to office supplies, ink/toner, paper and furniture only, excluding HP ink and toner. Not valid on purchase of calendars, planners, desktop or laptop computers, tablets, netbooks, computer media, batteries, consumer technology, printers, fax and copier machines, HP ink and toner, appliances, safes, shredders, custom printing orders placed online, services, promotional products, Beats Audio™ products, Amazon Kindle® products, gift cards, cell phones and cell phone services, phone cards or postage stamps. Each item purchased can only be discounted by one coupon, applied by cashier in order received. Coupon not valid if purchased or sold and must be surrendered. No copies/facsimiles. No cash/credit back. Not valid on prior purchases or on purchases made with Staples® Procurement Cards or Staples® Convenience Cards. Coupon does not include tax

New Years Goal:Meal Planning & Recipes

One of my New Years goals (notice it is a goal and not a resolution) is to do better at meal planning and expanding our cookbooks.  I know there are a lot of other mommies out there that struggle with meal planning or have a limited source of recipes so my plan is to daily blog on dinner for the next night and to share the recipe so you can expand your cook book as well.  If you have a suggestion for dinner or a recipe to share please do and I will blog and share it with our friends!

Well, why wait for the new year?  Let's have some practice runs :) 

So, what's for dinner tomorrow night?

Savvy Savings!

Who doesn't love a great deal?  Here are some more savings!

www.kodakgallery.com (through Target) 

Buy One Wall Calendar, Get One Free:
Offer valid through 1/6/2011. No coupon required. Buy one 12-Month Photo Wall Calendar, get one free. Offer excludes Poster Calendars, Magnet Calendar Sets, Accordian Fold Calendar and Same-Day Pickup orders. Discount will automatically be applied at checkout, not including sales tax or shipping fees. May not be combined with other offers. No substitutions, transfer rights or cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Discount only valid at www.kodakgallery.com.
20% Off Pro Prints and Collages:
Offer valid through 1/6/2011. No coupon required. Receive 20% off Photo Collages and Pro-Color, Pro-Metallic, and Pro Black & White Professional Prints. Offer excludes Same-Day Pickup orders. Discount will automatically be applied at checkout, not including sales tax or shipping fees. May not be combined with other offers. No substitutions, transfer rights or cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Discount only valid at www.kodakgallery.com.
$0.10 4" x 6" Print Sale:
Offer valid through 1/6/2011. No coupon required. Receive $0.10 Premium 4" x 6" Prints. Offer excludes Same-Day Pickup orders. Discount will automatically be applied at checkout, not including sales tax or shipping fees. May not be combinable with other offers. No substitutions, transfer rights or cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Discount only valid at www.kodakgallery.com.
Free Birth Announcements:
Offer valid for a limited time only. No coupon code necessary. Recieve up to 20 Free 5 x 7" Photo Paper Cards (sold in sets of 10) by choosing one of our specified Baby Announcements. All applicable Baby Announcements are indicated by a 'Free' flag at http://www.kodakgallery.com/free-birth-announcements/pc-Products-c-Free_Birth_Announcements. Discount automatically applies to indicated Cards at Checkout. Offer excludes Shipping charges. Regular pricing applies to any additional Card sets in your order. No substitutions, transfer rightsor cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Discount only valid at www.kodakgallery.com
50% off Hello Kitty Photo Books:
Offer valid for a limited time only. No coupon required. Receive 50% off of Hello Kitty Medium Picture Window Hard Cover Photo Books. Cannot be combined with other offers. Does not apply to Same-Day Pickup orders. No substitutions, transfer rights, or cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Valid only at www.kodakgallery.com.
Free Photo Contact Cards:
Offer valid for a limited time only. No coupon code necessary. Receive one free set of 50 Mommy Cards. Discount automatically applies at Checkout. Offer excludes Shipping charges. Regular pricing applies to any additional Mommy Card sets in your order. No substitutions, transfer rightsor cash equivalents will be given. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue promotions at any time. Discount only valid at www.kodakgallery.com

Barnes & Noble

Looking for Store Coupons? CLICK HERE

• The coupon code J7L4L9J lets you take advantage of the offers listed on this page.
• The coupon code may only be used once, so be sure you take advantage of as many offers as possible in your order.
• Simply enter the coupon code J7L4L9J at checkout to get the discounts below. This offer expires January 3, 2011, so shop now.
• Please note: This coupon is not valid on the purchase of NOOKbooks.

Happy Savings!

Does your green cleaner do this?

Last year Lilly decided she would take her crayons and do a little artwork....on the floor/carpet of our home office.  I tried Spray and Wash and it didn't even fade the color so I just left it figuring I would go back later and try something else and put a little more effort into it. 

With all of the free paint I received I decided tonight was the night to finally clean, reorganize, paint, and make my office my own.  The walls are now painted, the bookcases are organized and now it is clutter free.  I am so excited to start working in there!  Then, I saw it.  The crayons.  While I love my daughter and all of her artwork it had to go unfortunately.  I sprayed Prespot on the crayons and then some Sol-U-Mel  and a couple of minutes later when I went back to try to scrub it off; it was gone.  I just blotted the carpet dry and was done! Pictures are below of my easy carpet clean!  Does your green cleaner do this?  

My before picture: the crayon on the carpet

My after picture, no crayon!

I hope you all have a great night and week!  Happy green cleaning!

Take off your shoes for a healthier home

While I was cleaning my office tonight and transforming it to my home office I came across this article I tore out of the USA Weekend and thought I would share.  What a great article to show why we should not wear shoes in the house :)

 

Take off your shoes for a healthier home

You can reduce dirt indoors — and save time and money, too.

Priscilla Totten • March 21, 2010

• • FReddiNewsvinBuzz up!T

If you adopt a “no shoes indoors” policy, you can reduce the amount of dirt brought into your home, and you'll actually save time and money, according to Shift Your Habit (Three Rivers Press, $14), a new, tip-filled book by Elizabeth Rogers. That policy can produce a big payoff: Rogers estimates that eschewing shoes will result in annual savings of $10 on cleaning products and at least 25 hours shaved off your housekeeping routine.

“Floors and carpets will look newer longer,” she writes, “postponing the need for deep-cleaning and/or eventual replacement.”
Your health may improve, too, if you live in an area with high levels of pollen, dust or other allergy triggers, because you won't track all that sneeze-inducing stuff into your home. If you have indoor-outdoor pets, restrict them to a few areas of your house to cut allergens further.
To shift your shoe-wearing habit, Rogers advocates wearing slippers or socks indoors to keep your feet and your floors clean. “Walking barefoot can lead to carpet stains and premature wear,” she says, because “dust and dirt mix with oils on the soles of the feet.”

Savvy Savings!

New York & Company: Free shipping with any order $75 or more.  Promotional code 6330.

Fisher Price Store: www.fisher-pricestore.com  has 20% off any toys already on sale.  Promotional code 2011SALEM.  Ends 12/27/10.

GREAT DEAL FOR TEACHERS AT MICHAELS!

Kohls: Take an extra 15% off your entire on-line purchase: HOHOHO15.  Expires 12/28/10

Walgreens: Get 4x6 prints for 10 cents when you order 75 or more.  Use code HOLIDAY10.  Get 4x6 prints for 11 cents when you order 50 or more.  Use code HOLIDAY11.  Get 4x6 prints for 12 cents when you order 25 or more.  Use code HOLIDAY12.  Get 40% off all photo books using the code BESTGIFT.

Signing Time: Save 10% on your order with promotional code: save10.  Expires 12/31/10

Winkflash:  www.winkflash.com  Save 60% off of all calendars.  Code: NEWYEAR2011.  Expires 12/31/2010.

Joann Fabrics

Last Minute Savvy Savings!

If you are needing that last minute gift or needing that last minute sale, then look no further!

Toys R Us
Open 24 hours;All  Leapster 2 items 50% off
All Crayola items-buy 1 get 1 50% off


Kohls
Free standard shipping if you order $50 or more PLUS you can redeem your Kohls cash online.

Walgreens
Last minute photo gifts are 25% off with the coupon code HURRY25
4x6 prints are 10 cents if you order 75 or more with the coupon code HOLIDAY10
4x6 prints are 11 cents if you order 50 or more with the coupon code HOLIDAY 11
4x6 prints are 12 cents if you order 25 or more with the coupon code HOLIDAY12


Borders
Save 33% off one single item with the coupon code BYM8211M

Barnes & Noble




XM Radio



Michaels

Have a wonderful holiday and happy shopping!

Savvy Savings!

Lilly's Christmas gift this year from us is a transformation of her play room wall.  We will be taking one wall and transforming it into a magnetic/chalkboard wall (this will rid our poor fridge of all the magnets and avoid the need to buy an easel that will just take up more space).  So, tonight Lilly and I ventured out to Home Depot to get the paint and supplies needed for her room.  We picked up the magnetic paint and the chalkboard paint then the salesman offered me whatever paint I wanted in the cart in front of the paint center for FREE!  My mom and I had ideas on repainting parts of the house but we hadn't gotten around to it since she hadn't been feeling well and well, new paint just wasn't in our budget.  I looked at the colors available and they were very similar to the colors my mom and I had picked out.  So, tonight I left with 12 GALLONS of paint, 2 quarts of paint, and 5 sample colors of paint for FREE! 

It was just perfect timing as Bryan had actually stopped into Home Depot last night to look at the paint and it wasn't available.  I was actually told that the corporate office was coming in tomorrow and that all of that paint had to be gone so gone it went!  I will definitely post up some pics of our newly painted rooms throughout our home as we get them done!

Savvy Savings Sunday!

CVS

Hershey Single Bars with card 2/$1; with coupon from todays paper buy one get one free. You get both for .50!

For all other grocery deals see my previous post :)

For all you green mamas out there check out http://www.piggypaint.com/  They are a company that makes completely green, non-toxic, chemcial free nail polish for girls.  I'd love to order some myself but their colors are somewhat limited.  If you do try some before me let me know how it is! 

Have a great week, stay warm and happy savings!

Hugs!

Savvy Savings!

Tonight I went grocery shopping before our "big snow storm" and spent $231.41 saving $185.21 between 3 stores.  It seemed that a lot of the items on sale were things that we normally stock up on and use frequently when we cook our meals.  So for $231.41 this is a snippet at what we got:

12 boxes of kleenexes (Kroger .99 then had a coupon for buy 3 get 1 free!)
30 bags of steamer frozen veggies (our favorite!) (Marsh 3/4.98 had coupon for.50 off (doubles to $1) 2 bags)
6 half gallons of ice cream (Marsh $3 each, had coupon for $2 off)
4 gallons of milk ($2 each)
6 bags of shredded cheese (Meijer, 3/$5; Marsh, 1.98; had coupon for 1.00 off a bag)
24 cans of soup (tomato/chicken noodle) (Meijer .49 had coupon for .40 off 2)
30 boxes of cereal (Kroger 1.79; had coupon for $1 off 2)
1 package of tomatoes
4 bags of salad (Meijer, marked down to 1.34 a bag)
2 boxes of saltine crackers (no salt) (Meijer, $2)
2 boxes of popcorn (usually we make it on the stove but this is a nice treat) (Meijer; 3/$5; coupon for .50 off which doubled)
2 donuts (for my sweet little girl who loves a little smackeral of a treat)
15 cans of broth (Marsh 5/$4; had coupon for .50 off 5 cans which doubled to $1 off)
1 package of sour cream
1 package of chip dip (Marsh, $1.50 had coupon for .75 off)
2 bags of chips (Meijer $2)
2 jars of spaghetti sauce (3/$4; only bought 2 since my coupon was buy 2 jars get a free box of pasta)
1 tub of butter (Meijer; $2.39; coupon .30 off then doubled)
bananas
3 loaves of bread (Kroger ($1.99 coupon .40 off then doubled)
2 bags of rice cakes
5 cans of Reddi-Whip (for when the in-laws visit at the New Year) (Kroger, $1.50 had coupon .40 off, which doubled)
6 cans of tomato juice
dozen eggs
17 boxes of pasta (Meijer, .89)
10 boxes of Mac N' Cheese (Meijer, 10/$6)
1 cream pie (special treat) :) (Meijer, $3; had $1 off coupon which is awesome for a $7 pie!)
1 jar unsalted peanuts
3 packages of flour
6 cans of tomato sauce (Meijer, .68)
6 cans of chili beans (Meijer, .68)
6 cans of diced tomatoes (Meijer, .68)
1 package of muffin mix (Meijer, $1.01; coupon for .55)

So all in all, we did great for not going grocery shopping in 3 weeks and just stocking up on the foods we always eat :)

Oh, another thing to add....if you are using recyclable grocery bags, you may want to invest in a Mommy Clip.  You can purchase them in the baby section of a store.  It is great to clip your bags on and then attach it to the cart handle for easy access!  Just don't forget it on your cart!

If anyone is interested in coupon sessions please let me know.  I am starting to schedule sessions in January. Also, if you are interested in switching stores and saving even more money let me know.  There is a great incentive for those that switch stores by December 16.  I promise you great savings and no disappointments!

Have a great rest of the week.  Stay warm, dry, and healthy!  Happy Savings!

Super Saving Sunday

MARSH:

Reddi Whip 2-$4  Coupon .35 from 11/14 newspaper doubles for one can of Reddi Whip to be $1.30 each.

Parkay products 4/$5  Coupon .75 for 2 products from 11/14 newspaper; final price is $1.75 for 2 products of Parkay.

Yoplait Go-Gurt 2/$4  Coupon .75 for 2 products from 11/14 newspaper; final price is 1.63 for 2 products of GoGurt.

Swanson Broth 5/$4  Coupon for .50 doubled for 5 cans from 11/7 newspaper; final price is $3 for 5 cans of broth.

KROGER:

Betty Crocker Potatoes $1 each; Coupon for .50 doubled from 11/14 newspaper; final price is $1 for 2 boxes.

Carnation Evaporated Milk $1 each; Coupon for .50 doubled from 11/10 newspaper; final price is $1 for 2 cans of evaporated milk.

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 2/$3; Coupon for .40 (when buying 2) doubled from 11/21 newspaper; final price is $2.20 for both; $1.10 for each.

WALGREENS:

Coupon in their ad for .79 per box of Kleenex.  Coupon for .50 for 3 boxes of Kleenex. Final price is $1.87 for 3 boxes of Kleenex.

Remember all of these sales are only good until this Wednesday!  New ads and deals start Thursday/Friday morning!!!

Have a great week and Thanksgiving!

A Savvy STEAL!

We were in the market for a double stroller of some sort since I have Lilly with me and watch a little one as well.  Walks were tough since both wanted to be in the the stroller so out I went shopping.  Of course, there was no way I was going to the store to spend $100+ dollars for any stroller so I set out to shop in the comfort of my own home on Craigslist! 

I came across a Joovy Caboose stroller (similar to a Sit n' Stand).  The seller was asking for $75 for a stroller that was only used a few times and in 'great' condition.  A brand new stroller retails from $130-200 (more on the 200 side if you don't buy it on-line)

Let's just say one persons 'great' condition is definitely different than another persons 'great' condition.  For me, great condition would be gently used but still in out of the box condition. 

He dropped it off this morning and it was in LESS than 'great' condition.  It had mold all over the handles, cobwebs, crumbs, dirty all over  It was definitely not in great condition and definitely not worth $75.  I got him down to $45 since he did deliver it to me and saved me a 2 hour drive there and back. 

I took some Sol-U-Mel, rubbed it over the handles and the mold was just erased away.  Gave it good vacuum, washed down the rest of the stroller (including wheels) with Tough & Tender and then sprayed Sol-U-Guard disinfectant over the stroller to get rid of the smell and just disinfect the stroller. 

See below the before & after pics and my great buy for today!

You can't see the mold too well on the first handle but you can see it on the second handle.

My 'brand' new stroller all cleaned up and ready to roll!  It is in now 'GREAT' condition and in out of the box condition!

My great 'steal'!

If you have any hard to get stains off and would like to try some new cleaning/household products let me know! 
As you can see they work wonders!

Savvy Savings!

Here are some good deals that end in the next few days to take advantage of!  Happy Shopping!

www.fisher-pricestore.com has an extra 30% off items already on sale!  Coupon code is XTRA30.  Ends TOMORROW!

Walgreens has 30 4x6 prints for $3!  Coupon code is PASSALONG.  Ends Saturday.

Barnes & Noble has 10% off your ENTIRE order.  Coupon code is B7M3X3XGJGA.

Super Saving Sunday!

Finally a great week in coupons! 

I am also very excited to announce that I will be setting appointments for coupon seminars for those that are interested.  I will share with you the ins and outs of couponing, how to set up your coupon system, how to make a grocery list by goig through the ads with your coupons, how to use coupons, how to save the most on your orders, and how to go green all with putting those green dollars in your pocket! 

I will do one-on-one seminars, small group, or you can even hold a green party that goes over all of the above.  Plus, another special bonus, coupon swapping!  Free money!  What could really be better and really, you need to ask yourself what you would/could do with the money you are saving? 

We can meet in person for those in the Indy area but those outside of Indy we can always mee over the phone, so no worries, everyone can go green!

If you are one that follows my blog and wants to go green like my family by going green in your home with products and money in your pocket, set up your appointment!

Here are today's deals:  (There are some good ones out there!)

On the back of the USA Weekend is a coupon for 2 free 5x7 HP Photo Greeting cards that can be used at either Walmart or Meijer.  More coupon offers are at hp.com/go/retailphoto2

Marsh

Yoplait Yogurt 10-$5 Todays newspaper has a coupon for 50 cents off of 8; double the coupon; final price is $4 for 10 yougurts.

Sargento cheese 2-$4 Todays newspaper has a coupon for 55 cents off of 2; final price is 1.73 each with the coupon when buying 2

Tyson Chicken Anytizers-2-$6 I have 2 coupons for $1 off each bag so for 2 bags they are only $2 each.

Marsh brand cream cheese $1 each

Yoplait Go-Gurts 2-$4; Todays newspaper has a coupon for .75 off of 2 boxes; with the coupon each box is only $1.62 per box

Reddi Whip 2-$4 Todays newspaper has a coupon for .35 off of 1; with the coupon doubled the Reddi Whip is $1.30 final price

Aunt Millie’s English muffins are $1.50 each

KROGER

Bananas 39 cents/lb

Idaho potatoes $1.50 bag

Green Giant boxed frozen vegetables .88 each; 11-14 newspaper has coupons .60 off 3.  So you pay $2.04 for 3 boxes which ends up being .68 each

Kroger large eggs $1 dozen

Kroger is still continuing their buy any 10 of their specified items and get $5 off.  They have some good items but there are not a lot of coupon opportunities (since I spent all of my coupons at Marsh last week).

They do have Kraft Mayonaisse for 2.49 if you buy any 10 items and there is a $1 off coupon in todays newspaper so it would be 1.49 with the coupon.

Meijer

Gallon milk for $2

Meijer Tissues $1 box

Bisquick $2.50/box with the .50 coupon from todays newspaper and the coupon doubled it would only be $1.50/box

Betty Crocker cookie mix $1.50 with the .40 coupon from todays newspaper and the coupon doubled it would only be .70/bag

Walgreens

Welch’s Sparking Grape Juice normally 2/$6, on sale 2/$5 (this is a store coupon, make sure you get the coupon out of the Walgreens coupon book in the front of the store or it will ring up at $3 each), with todays coupon from the newspaper $1 off you get 2/$4

Kraft Mayo on sale for $1.99 with todays $1 coupon from the newspaper it would only be .99

CVS

Fiber one bars you pay 3.99 with your CVS card but you get 3.00 in extra buck rewards so you only pay .99 for the box after you use your extra buck rewards.  There is also a coupon in the newspaper for .50 off 2 boxes. 

Have a wonderful week!

Hugs!

Super Savvy Sunday!

Some great deals at Marsh this week!

This week at Marsh they have their awesome sale that if you purchase any 10 of their specified items you automatically get $5 off on top of the items having a great sale price!  So for EVERY 10 specified you buy you automatically get $5 off!  You can buy 10 of the same item or you can mix and match.  This week I purchased 50 of those items and received $25 off my purchase!

Here are some of the deals I got:

Green Giant Large Bag of Frozen Vegetables: the ad price is $2.49 and when you purchase 10 they are $1.99 each.  I had a $1 coupon so each bag I purchased was $.99 each.

Ritz crackers: add price is $2.49 and when you purchase 10 they are $1.99 each.  I had a $1 coupon so each box was $.99 each.

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls: the ad price is $1.69 and when you purchase 10 they are $1.19 each.  I had a $.35 coupon (which doubled) and made each package $.49 each.

Homemade Ice Cream: the ad price is $2.99 and when you purchase 10 they are $2.49 each.  I had a coupon for $1 off each package so I paid $1.49 for each

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks: the ad price is $1.99 and when you purchase 10 they are $1.49 each.  I had a coupon if you purchase 2 you get .50 off which doubles to $1.  So each box was only $1 each.

Yoplait Delights: the ad price was $2.49 and when you purchase 10 they are $1.99 each.  I had a $.50 off coupon which doubled to $1 so each package was only $.99 each.

Betty Crocker Cake Mix: on sale for $1 a box.  I had a $.50 off coupon which doubled so the boxes I purchased were FREE!

Another great deal at Marsh is Tuttorosso Pasta sauce.  We were in need of sauce for lasagna and saw that Marsh had it for $1 each.  Well worth the cost.  The sauce was just as good or really even better than Ragu or Prego.  It does have a zest of spices so if you like spices and a great pasta sauce this is a great deal!

So in the end my total was $267 but after my Marsh card was swiped and coupons were used I only spent $118 for groceries that will last us quite a while!

Have an awesome week!

Savvy Saving Sunday!

Boo on not-so-great ads and coupons!

Here are some deals for this week (sorry there are not a lot!)

Kroger

General Mills cereal  $1.49 each with $1.00 off coupon from 10-31 FINAL PRICE 4.96 for 4 boxes.

Sunny D $1 each with .25 coupon FINAL PRICE .50

On a side-note for those that want to "go green" Kohls has their recyclable collapsible totes on clearance for .79 each which is a great deal since the bags are normally 1.99 each.  Note that the bags are located back by customer service so if you look for them at the front of the store they will not be there the new design that is 1.99 will be there.  I use my Kohls bags everywhere when I shop instead of the plastic bags.  Target and Marsh will give you .05 back for each bag you use.  The great thing about the Kohls bags are that they hold at up to 5-6 plastic bags worth of groceries,  they have long handles so you can put them over your shoulders and carry them comfortably and they hold 3 gallons of milk!  I store mine by putting all of the bags folded into one bag and then putting my binder in there as well.  Now, to prevent the loss of your recyclable bags in your cart since it is the first thing that goes in, purchase a mommy-clip.  You can find these at Babies R' Us and I am sure you can find them at Buy Buy Baby.  They are only $8 and you can clip it on your cart handle and then hang your bags from it.   Another use for these bags is for your recycling.  I put all of my recycling in the bags and drop them off the recycling every week (or so I try)   So all in all, these bags are definitely a great buy!

Have a great week!

Target Disappointment

I love, love, love Target.  I'm lucky that I have 4 within 20 minutes of me :)  Then today I saw this....  Makes me very disappointed.  I thought that it was just me that maybe I had missed a coupon being scanned and now I have been the "hawk" that they mention in the article anytime I use coupons.  Be forewarned.....

Customers clipped on coupons at Target

Target, aware of the problem since August, blames a computer glitch that fails to credit some coupons fully.

By GREGORY KARP, Chicago Tribune

Last update: October 28, 2010 - 9:44 PM

 Related Content

• Blog: Target's coupon problems just aren't adding up

Target Corp., the mass merchandiser with about 1,750 stores nationwide, for months has been shortchanging its customers who use certain manufacturers' coupons by crediting them for a fraction of their face value. And they've been aware of the problem since August, the Minneapolis-based retailer admits.

Target is calling it a computer glitch. Avid coupon users are calling it an outrage.

"If I am not going to get the full value of my coupons, I will redeem them elsewhere," said Carrie Rocha of Maple Grove. Rocha, creator of the couponing site pocketyourdollars.com, went to Target on Wednesday and piled her cart full of the 10 frozen entrees required to redeem her $4 coupon. The register took off $2.54 -- the price of one entree -- instead. "I am getting comments on my blog of frustration from shoppers and really kind of a sense that it's probably not worth using coupons at Target," she said.

"I've never heard of this happening at any supermarket," said Stephanie Nelson, founder of CouponMom.com and author of two books on couponing.

 A Target spokeswoman said Wednesday she had no information on why the problem was happening or why it hasn't been resolved.

"We are aware that some coupons are not scanning for the full amounts," Target spokeswoman Erika Svingen said. "We are aware of the issue and are diligently working on a fix for that and will implement it as soon as possible."

Coupon use soared during the Great Recession. Some 3.3 billion coupons were redeemed in 2009, a 27 percent increase from the year before, according to coupon research site CouponInfoNow.com.

What may be most disconcerting to many Target shoppers is that the coupon problem has been ongoing since at least midsummer.

'We apologize'

Target has instructed cashiers to check coupons to ensure customers are getting the full value, Svingen said. "We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our guests," she said. "Anyone who does not receive the full coupon amount at the register can bring their receipt to guest services for a refund of the difference."

Shoppers complained primarily about coupons that require the purchase of multiple items. Multiple-item coupons make up a quarter of all coupons, according to Inmar Inc., which helps retailers and manufacturers manage coupons.

But Rocha is quick to caution that the glitch spans wider than that and low-value coupons have also been affected. The comments section on her latest Target blog entry is peppered with complaints about transactions involving coupons and Target gift card giveaways.

The glitch appears to stem from a common practice among retailers. Stores won't allow a coupon to reduce the price of an item to less than zero. Otherwise, it would have to pay the customer cash for buying the item. Free is the best they will do, which is also Target's stated policy.

In Target's case, the application of that rule seems to be fuzzy. Coupon expert and blogger Jill Cataldo said she's been shortchanged by Target registers eight or nine times in recent months.
It adds up

"I have no vendetta personally against Target, but it's not fair at all," said Cataldo, adding that she doesn't believe the company is cheating customers intentionally. "Many coupon shoppers are savvy and watch the register like a hawk. But a casual coupon user may not realize it until they're home, or not realize it at all."

Rocha suggests shoppers tally up the value of their coupons and mentally subtract them from the subtotal before handing them to the cashier. "If they tell you your total is $43.25 and you know you have about $9 in coupons, you can do the math."

Retailers typically submit for reimbursement the face value of coupons. If applied, in Rocha's example, Target would get $4 from the manufacturer, netting the retailer $1.46 cents.

It quickly adds up over many items over hundreds of customers at Target stores nationwide, Cataldo said.

Target on Wednesday had no comment on what will happen to that money.

Star Tribune staff writer Kara McGuire contributed to this report.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
http://www.startribune.com/templates/fdcp?1288407044877

Savvy Saver Sunday!

Another week of not so great coupons and ads L  The sales in the area are not too bad.  Marsh has their 99 cents sale on some of their products.  Kroger has a 10 for $10 and if you buy 10 you get $5 off sale going on. 

This week Kroger has cinnamon rolls for $1 each.  I also have a coupon if you buy 2 you get 40 cents off so for 2 packages of cinnamon rolls they are $1.20 for both.

Meijers has the Trop50 orange juice on sale for 2.50 and there is a $1 coupon so you can get one for $1.50.  They also have Jello on sale for 2/$1 and from the 10-17 coupons there is a coupon .50 off 2 so in the end; they are free!

Marsh has their Aunt Millies bread buy one get one free and there is also a 55 cents off coupon.  Another great deal at Marsh is the Dole jarred fruit.  They are .99 each and there is a coupon from the 10-17 newspaper that has .50 off 2.  So in the end they are both .98!

Hopefully in the weeks to come the ads and the coupons get better!  Have a wonderful week to come!

Super Savvy Saving!!!! Free 8x10 from Walgreens

Walgreens is having a free 8x10 collage print!  Enter the coupon code 8X10TREAT.  This great deal ends Saturday 10/23.  (This is a great idea for Christmas gifts!)

My New Best Cleaning Friend!

Sol-U-Mel is my new best cleaning friend!  My darling 3-year-old decided to decorate our couch with pen; beautiful but still not the decorating we are looking for.....I dabbed Sol-U-Mel on a towel and wiped it right off the couch!  Amazed!  Every mommy with little ones should have this stuff!

Savvy Savings and Being Green!

When I first talked with Hillary a little less than a month ago we found out we had so much in common.  We talked about our endless and countless trips to Target to get that "one thing" we needed but ended up buying a ton more.  I mean, come on, their dollar rack.  You can easily walk out with $70 from Target just from the dollar rack. She told me when I start my new "green" journey the trips to Target will be few and when you go in you will look for mostly food or that item you couldn't get with this awesome wellness company.  I listened and agreed but deep down I thought, seriously, I still have to use my coupons.  It can't really be that much cheaper than using a coupon, right?  I mean, I was getting fabric softener for $1 to $1.25 and that was for the good stuff after it was on sale and I had a coupon. 

Well, in less than a month she has proven to me that it is so true.  I have only been to Target once and that was to pick up ingredients for a cake I was baking.  $24.  Normally, we spend about $500 on groceries, cleaning items, etc. a month.  In going over what we have spent with groceries so far this month (half way through the month) we have only spent $150 and then only $50 in our cleaning and other household products.  We have already started to save so much money!  It is absolutely amazing and that is only buying food from the stores here in the area and all of our wellness and household items from the wellness company.  So, come on, see what it is all about.  Go green both in your home and in your wallet!  We promise, you won't be disappointed!  Have a great week!

Savvy Saver Sunday!

 From Red Plum 10/14 coupons

CVS:

Mentos Gum 15 ct- buy one get one free; $1 off coupon; get both for .59

Nivea Mens Wash 4.99-$3 off coupon; 1.99 final price

Today, Sunday, October 17 is the last day to get two 5 lb. bags of Gold Medal flour for .68 each with a $15 purchase and pumpkins for 1.99; must have a coupon from the Thursday paper!

Sunday Coupons:

Kroger: Texas Toast 1.99 if you buy 10 of their qualifying items after .40 coupon-$1.19

$10 off coupon for Krogers Rug Doctor rental.

I'm hoping for better coupons in the weeks and holidays to come!

Oh, I have to add we have tried and love the Diamond Brite.  It is a dishwasher cleaner and every time we have used it we have only had to use 1/4 of what we normally use PLUS our dishes have at the end of the cycle been cleaner than any other dishwasher detergent we have used.  Amazed and looking forward to trying more products and sharing more reviews! 

Savvy Saver Sunday!

Here are the deals from the ads/coupons today....grocery savings will follow in the next few weeks.   In going through the ads and my coupons I found some great deals but couldn't track when I received the coupon so you know when it was out in the newspaper so here is my next little tip....when you get your newspapers, cut out your coupons, quickly just write the day of the newspaper so when I refer to it you know for sure it is the right coupon.  Since I have just started doing this today the grocery deals will come in a few weeks as I will have the dates on the coupons and can help guide you to more savings.  Kroger seems to have some good sales if you are committed to buying 10 of an item and they also have their 10 for $10 sale this week too!

Below is the deals from todays ad (please remember we are going green and not purchasing cleaning and beauty products from our local stores so you will not find those deals here):

In the USA Weekend, there is a coupon for 2 FREE 5x7 cards from Walmart!

CVS: Crest Whitestrips; buy one get $10 extra bucks, plus $5 off coupon.

CVS: Vicks NyQuil: you pay $9.99, get $2.00 extra bucks, plus $1.50 off coupon; after using extra bucks you pay $6.49

Walgreens: Prilosec OTC: you pay $22.99, get $5.00 register rewards, plus $3.00 off coupon; after using register rewards you pay 14.99 for a 42 count box; if you purchase 2 boxes, you still get one $5 register rewards but there is a $7 off coupon.

CVS: Buy 2 Cover Girl Ageless get $6 extra bucks, plus $5 off coupons when you buy 2.

Have a great week!

Christmas in October and our reviews!

We got our big order of products this week and it felt like Christmas! The three of us were going through all we had ordered and trying it all. I had mixed up all of our cleaners (tub and tile, pre spot remover, and stain remover (great for us that have kids that feel the house is their canvas). I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the fact that I can have my fabric softener and laundry detergent under the sink and not have to leave it out. The containers are small but the amount to use is HUGE! Yesterday, Lilly wanted to take a shower with The Gold Bar and she loved it; rubbed it all over :) it leaves your skin feeling soft but not dried out. I tried the body wash, shampoo and conditioner and I loved all of them! The body wash has a great smell and it feels silky. I used half the amount of shampoo and conditioner I normally use and no products after and my hair feels so soft! I don't know if it feels like that for other hair types or just mine because it is thin. I did notice a huge difference if I shampoo/condition my hair first and then leave the conditioner in until right before I get out and then rinse. It feels even more soft and easier to manage. The organic crackers are awesome! Those will be hidden and not shared; sorry Bryan and Lilly! The lip balm makes your lips feel soft and smooth instantly and the Renew lotion...oh my gosh! It is like no other! Both Lilly and I put some on last night (just a little bit) and after we rubbed it in; our hands were not greasy like that normal just putting lotion on feeling and oh so soft! That makes me regret all of the lotion I bought last year. I haven't found anything in our new products I haven't liked. I am so excited to get more green cleaning products to add to my collection that my order for next month is ready! Plus, I am super excited to try the make up! As we continue to use our products, order more, use them we will continue to blog our thoughts on our products for our going green journey! We are off to our retreat for the day! Get ready for Savvy Saving Sundays tomorrow! Enjoy this beautiful day!

Savvy Saving Sundays!

Mark your calendar for Savvy Saving Sundays! 

Every Sunday I will share with you the deals from the ads and how to match them up with the Sunday coupons to get the best deal!  For my Indy followers, there will be a special addition for you from our local grocery stores!  Get your binders, scissors, coupons, and ads ready for Savvy Saving Sundays!

My First Blog & Coupons!

First, I have to thank Hillary.  Without her, well, I wouldn't be where I am today.  She is a great support, friend, and a great inspiration!  Plus, she has gotten me blogging!  I also have to thank my wonderful family; my wonderful and supportive daughter and husband and of course I can't forget my awesome and supportive parents!  So with that being said, my first official blog :)

I LOVE coupons!  If you know me well enough you know that and if you really know me you've seen me in action! I've been named the Coupon Queen and hold the title well.  Sunday mornings are one of the best days of the week.  Coupons in the newspaper!  The next best day?  Shopping day!  I actually have three delivered to the house every Sunday morning.  Our local newspaper had a special for $1 a paper and I took advantaged of that and ordered three.  I look at the coupons, if they are good and I know it is something we can stock up on and it is regularly on sale I will go to the Dollar Store and buy more.  This past weekend I bought 9; so I had 12 total newspapers.  I pull each page out, line up the same page and cut once.  They all get organized in their little sections.  (As I go through my huge coupon binder I throw out the old as I put in the new to prevent any future disappointments of having a good coupon and not being able to use it). 

Then, I go through each of the grocery store ads one at a time.  Since I have just organized my coupons I know what coupons I have so if I see it on sale I just need to grab the coupon.  I then go and make my list.  I write down what it is, how many I need, price, and then a circled c if I have a coupon.  So, fruit snacks (3) 1.99 (c) then pull the coupon to paperclip to my list.  Then, I go through the other store ads. If I see the same product cheaper I will cross it off the previous list and add it to the new store list and move the coupons over.

Yes, it can be time consuming especially at first however, it is SO worth it!  We have saved hundreds of dollars on a single grocery trip.  (Just recently, I have a sub total of groceries of $610 and ended up only spending $264 after the store sales and coupons).  This has become a competition (with myself) and my goal...to save at least 50%  on groceries and to beat the last trip.  Also, a lot of prep work actually saves you time at the store.  Writing out your list like I have allows you to go into the store, know exactly what you are getting and how many.  Then follow the golden rule, if you don't have a coupon, it's not on sale, and it is not a necessity (milk, bread, eggs, fresh fruits/vegetables) don't buy it!  Smart shopping is the first step to smart saving!

My coupons in the baseball card holders.

My Coupon Binder!

The BEST envelopes for those big coupons; I have one specifically for my Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons!