The Old Spaghetti Factory

The Old Spaghetti Factory is celebrating an anniversary on January 6th from 5 pm to closing. Prices are unbelievable for spaghetti dinners. $3.45 is the most expensive one on the menu!

They have 3 locations in Utah, one is in Orem! Check out the website for locations and menu and more information. http://www.osf.com/anniversary.html

Bath and Body works Sale!

Bath and Body works is having their Semi-annual Sale, The big one! Signature Collections are only $3 and Lots of other things are on sale too!

Shop in store and Online! sale goes from today until the 31st!

After Christmas Sales!

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, full of love and happiness! But, don't forget to go shopping!

Right now,Target has their Christmas selection on sale for 50% off. It will soon go to 75% off, and then eventually 90% off. The selection will dwindle as time goes on, but things will be cheaper. Its up to you to decide if you want it at 50% off or take the chance of waiting and have it be gone! I would be checking there often for sales.

Also the toys are all on sale too. I found some great deals on toys for my kids back in their toy section. A lot of things are on clearance.

A lot of stores are having after Christmas sales. Check the stores often and good luck!

Clothes Shopping!

I love clothes shopping more then couponing! Finding cute clothes for pennies is so thrilling to me. I pay about 4 dollars for a shirt, or pants for my kids, and about 6 dollars for an outfit for my kids. I wont pay much more then that unless its something they really need, or its really, really cute.

Sales times of clothes: I know that Target and Gap, and Aeropostale always have clearance racks. Other stores do to, but these are the stores I shop at a lot! I can go in there and always come out with cute things for really cheap. I have found shirts for me for only 3 dollars at Aeropostale, and a pair of jeans for only 13 dollars at the Gap. I am willing to pay about 10 dollars for a shirt, and about 15 dollars for jeans. I rarely pay more unless its something I feel like I "have" to have!

I typically buy clothes for my kids in advance. I will shop for summer clothes at the end of summer and buy them big so they will fit next summer. Same with winter.

I know that clothes tend to go on sale the first week in September for Labor Day sales. I like to hit the mall on Labor Day weekend. Thats the only one I can think of right now because I am not in shopping mode right now. I hybernate in the winter, 1 because its christmas season, and there are just way to many people out, and 2 because its soooo cold!

I have stopped shopping at second hand stores for things because I feel like I can get the things I am looking for new for probably a better price if I watch the sales and be patient!

A lot of clothes shopping is just hit and miss, (but not always), I check Gap, Aeropostale, and The Childrens Place, Target, and a lot of other stores often. Get to know the clearance racks, where they are and whats on them, at your favorite stores, chances are, you will find great deals if your patient and watching the sales!

Slowing Down

I have a very large food storage. I have listed in a previous post how I don't have to buy things, and haven't had to buy certain things in years. I am so stocked up that I have taken a break from shopping. I only buy the things that I don't have, or that I need. Which is what I was doing before, but now its even less.

Since the sales tend to cycle, there is not much that I want right now, I will wait until the next cycle comes through.

Christmas is so crazy for me, I will hopefully pick up on posting after the holidays!

Stocking Stuffers!

One place that I like to go to get stocking stuffers is All a Dollar, or Dollar Tree. I am sure most people know about dollar tree, Everything in the store is 1 dollar or less! They have bags of candy and toys, and everything for your child's, or your stocking.

I try to do more toys and gifts then candy. My kids are still little, and I don't want to end up eating all the candy, and I don't want them to have it either!

So when your thinking stocking stuffers this Christmas, or even gifts for friends and neighbors, think Dollar Tree.

Just one step closer to getting Christmas done!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy your turkey and stuffing, have a wonderful day!

Zoo Lights!

The Hogle Zoo is starting their Zoo lights on Nov 29. It will go from 5 pm-9 pm.

link here

From the Website:

Join us as we flip the switch to turn on our second year of ZooLights!
Opening night festivities include:

• Santa flips the switch at 5 pm
• First 200 guests receive a free ZooLights canvas bag!
• Live music by Go Dog Go and Doc Young's Family Band
• Opening Night Beastro Special: 1/2 off ZooLights lighted mug - ONLY $4 (regular $8)!
• Holiday shopping at the Wild Zootique

It looks like a lot of fun if you arnt going anywere for the holidays! A great activity for kids and adults!

Black Friday is coming!

Black Friday is coming, get prepared now for your shopping extravaganza. The day after thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. You can check out the deals at blackfriday.com.

I wont be going out this year. There is nothing that I really want. I am all done with most everyone on my list. I love facing the crowds so I will miss it, but not enough to go out with nothing to get.

Some stores even have the same deals online so you don't have to face the crowds if you don't want to!

Don't forget about Cyber Monday! Get all the online deals next Monday! The biggest shopping day online all year!

Rebates

Lets talk about rebates.

A rebate is when a company says you buy this item, mail in a form, and the company will pay you back. In hopes that you forget and never send in the rebate.

There are many different kinds of rebates. There are store rebates where the store will give you the money back for the item, manufacture rebates, where the manufacture will give you money back for the item, and there are instant rebates where the rebate will be taken off at the register, you will not mail anything in for this type of rebate.

Rite Aid and Walgreens fall under the category of store rebates. The store is taking a loss on these items to give you the rebate. You mail your rebate to the store directly.

Beer rebates fall under the category of manufacture rebates. The Beer company wants to give you money back for the items you purchased. You purchase the items from the store, but the store has nothing to do with this type of rebates beyond the purchase. You send these rebates to the manufacture to get redeemed.

Instant rebates are rebates that are taken off at the register, so once your rebate has been taken off at the store, there should be no more work involved with this type of rebate.

I hope this answers some questions about rebates. Let me know if you have any questions about anything really (coupon, shopping, deal related). I am here to help!

Sparkpeople.com

My husband and I have been wanting to watch our weight. We looked at Weight watchers and other plans but due to our cheap-wadness, we decided to go with Sparkpeople.com. They are an online program that is supposed to be just like weight watchers online program.

So far, we are in love with this program. It has meal trackers, fitness trackers, and even message boards where you can get extra support. We have been using spark people and are very happy and comfortable with it.

They also provide healthy recipes to try that are delicious! They have so much stuff, I cant even list it all. Check it out!

Jolly Time Popcorn at Albertsons

Jolly time pop corn is on sale at Albertsons for 3 for 5. There is a rebate that you can pick up right at Albertsons for a $5 gift card to Albertsons when you buy 3 jolly time popcorns! Just mail in the rebate!

This rebate is safe to do!

Hogle Zoo

Feast With the Beasts on Thanksgiving at the Hogle Zoo.

Last year, our elephants got a special 800-pound pumpkin to smash, and this year their great pumpkin will be even bigger! (from their site)

This could be great for families who cant make it home for Thanksgiving. Spend Thanksgiving with the animals at the zoo. I have never been,but I have heard its not too crowded and loads of fun.

Mervyns Sales

Since Mervyns is going out of business, I have been watching them. Right now everything is 40-60% off. This will be really nice for Christmas gifts and things you love from there that you want to stock up on. So keep watching!

Haaga's Mattress~Great deal!

I have found a great deal on mattress. The twin mattress is only $39. They are great for kids. My husband said it will last our daughter until she is 10. (she is 2 right now). We picked on up, but I am not sure how long this sale will run for.

Haagas Mattress Orem Location:
1032 So. State St.
802-6050

Concerns for Mail in Rebates

My husband just sent me This Article about MIR (mail in rebates). Its not something that you need to be concerned about right now, just keep an eye out for any upcoming rebates during this holiday season. I just want to look after my fellow couponers!

Story Time at Borders

I have gone to Borders a few times to get books and saw a flyer saying they have story time every thursday at noon. Its in the kids section of the store.

Borders- Riverwoods
4801 N. University Ave

224-2720

Get Free Stuff From KSL

So, I have started to look on ksl for a few items, and have came across the free section. I talked about ksl in previous posts about getting stuffed gently used and how you can find great deals. Well in this free section, you can get stuff for free! I have seen Twilight Tickets for the midnight premier, fire wood, freezer chests, pets, a lot of baby items, and much more. They go so fast, so you have to call right away or else it will be gone.

Its definatly worth checking out.

To get there go to Ksl and the click on Classifieds, and scroll down until you see FREE and click there.

AF Dollar Cuts Anniversary Sale- TODAY!

Today products are 20% to 40% off. Kids hair cuts are $8.50, and adults are $9.50. This is the American Fork location from 8 am to 7 pm. phone number- 492-2721.

I got this information from the Savvy Shopper.

Walgreens $5 off $20 purchase

Another Walgreens Coupon for $5 off $20 dollar purchase!

get coupon here

Today and tomorrow only!

Neighbor Christmas Idea

I know as the holidays are approaching fast, we stress and wonder what we should get for our neighbors for Christmas. I want to list some sites that I have found with plenty of idea. Some are quite original, and other fun and simple. You are bound to find something that you can do!

Deseret News Article
100 easy neighbor gift ideas
How to choose Christmas gifts for neighbors

There are a few ideas. I usually do a plate of goodies, but this year, I am doing a chocolate bar with a cute saying which I haven't decided on one yet, but I have a bit of time. Anyway, i hope this helps someone, and gets you in the mood for Christmas!

Free Kidney Screening

There will be a free kidney screening on Saturday November 22.

LDS Church
1050 North 600 West
Orem

10 am-2 pm Saturday November 22

Call 226-5111 for an appointment

Sponsored by: National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho
BSA Eagle Project

If your parents or siblings have diabetes or high blood pressure, or anyone in your family has kidney disease you should call to make an appointment.

I am definitely going to make an appointment for me and my husband.

Savers Veterans Day Sale TODAY!

Today is Savers Veterans Day sale! Every used item is half off. 8am-9pm!

Here are 10 shopping tips for shopping at savers and other thrift stores. (taken directly from savers website Savers.com)

Top 10 Thrift Shopping Tips:

1. Dress to try things on quickly and easily, especially during busy sale days. Slip-on shoes, minimal layers, and thin, fitted undershirts are good options. A great tip for pants is to wrap the waistband around the neck - if the ends touch comfortably, they will more than likely fit.
2. Try things on and don't rely on tag sizes, because the clothing could have shrunk in the wash.
3. Look in multiple departments. A kid's large will sometimes fit, and girls can look for blazers and other pieces in the boy's department. Also, for accessories like belts and hats, check both the men's and women's departments which tend to have crossover items.
4. Look for good basic shapes and quality fabric, as dye can restore faded clothing to its original richness or change the color entirely. Need a black turtleneck? Pick up a white one and a box of black dye for a new-to-you basic.
5. Don't miss out on great shoes, which could easily be re-soled or re-heeled.
6. Stock up on inexpensive secondhand staples. Jeans, coats, turtlenecks, and sweaters are easily found in like-new condition.
7. Use slightly worn clothes and shoes as inspiring canvases to create personalized, "reconstructed" fashions. Bleach pens, paints, fabric scraps and beads are all good materials to create new fashions.
8. Check for holes, including the back of collars and sleeve seams. But remember, many nicks and spots are easily covered with fun appliqués and patches.
9. Shop early and often and keep an eye out for specials. Our stores often have Manager's Specials and other savings events, so keep an eye out for promotional signage when you are in the store. Also, sign up for our free E-newsletter to be alerted early to special sales and discounts.
10. Stay open-minded. With more than 5,000 refreshed items hitting the shelves daily, shopping our stores is a predictably unpredictable adventure!

Their website was pretty interesting. I was impressed.

Carls Jr.

I love Carls Jr. They are kinda pricey, if you dont have coupons, but really good. One thing I have found there that is a great deal, is their .99 cent burgers and spicy chicken sandwiches. They are so big! Bigger then any other .99 cent burger I have ever seen. I love their fries too. They are crisp and they also have fry sauce! yum yum.

If you are looking for a cheap meal, get the .99 cent burger or spicy chicken sandwich. A meal is around 3 dollars.

What going to be on sale the month of November?

NOVEMBER -
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
• Quilts and Blankets
• Heating Devices
• Turkey, Sweet Potatoes
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods

Check out the whole list of Seasonal sales cycles here

Home Depot- Christmas Light Deal

Home depot is offering to give you 3 dollars off your purchase of LED Christmas lights when you bring in your recycled lights to trade. Today and Tomorrow only! (Nov 8-9).

Limit of 5 $3 discounts per customer.

Check your ad or call the store for more details. You can check the ad online here.

Food Storage Tips

The purpose of bargain hunting is to build your food storage so that you don't have to pay full price for anything. You just go to your basement and get what you need when you need it. One thing that needs to happen is food rotation. What good is stale, spoiled food? How much did you save on food that has gone bad? not much.

Do you buy it just because its on sale? Don't! If your family doesn't use it, it doesn't save you money to buy it. It doesn't do any good to spend money on it and have it sit on the shelf until it goes bad.

Check expiration dates on items before you buy them. Make sure that they have a long enough expiration date so you can put it at the bottom of your stash and rotate.

Sales this week! HOT HOT HOT!

There are so many deals this week at Albertsons and Smiths. Lots of stuff on sale for dirt cheap and some even free!

Albertsons: General Mills promo: get $15 OYNO when you spend 30 or more on certain combinations of products.

Smiths: Mega event. Get $5 off when you buy 10 participating items with a limit of $15 per transaction.

You can check PYP for items and prices, or check your ads. There are just to many to list here.

PYP Smiths
PYP Albertsons

Have fun with these their HUGE!

The sales started Wednesday and will go until next Tuesday.

Halloween Clearance

A lot of stores have their halloween items for 75% off! RUN!

Target
Kmart
Roberts
Shopko
many more!

I was able to get zip lock bags, Halloween costumes for next year, some boxes of pretzels and some other fun Halloween decorations for a great price!

I think Target will have the items at 75% off then take it to 90% off, but there wont be much left at that point.

Also, I believe that most places still have the candy at 50% off.

Mother's Cookies are no more!

Mothers cookies are going out of business! No more circus cookies, no more taffy cookies! I am so sad! My kids will never remember the taste of a circus cookie. They were the best cookies ever! Stock up before they are gone! I have heard that some stores are putting them on clearance for .50 cents a bag. Get them while you c an before they are gone forever!

Satisfied or Not?

Call the manufacture.

I have had 2 incidents where I have had to call the manufacture on a product. One was digorno pizza, and the other was Coca Cola.

I called digorno pizza to complain about the way the pizza cooked. I love their products and just cooked one the day before and it turned out fine, but this one didn't. I was really surprised when he offered me a coupon. I was like wow! The coupon was for a free pizza.

The coke one, I wasnt upset about and decicided to call just to let them know. My sprite can in my 12 pack had no sprite in it. It didnt leak or anything, just nothing was put in there. I called and guess what? they gave me a coupon for a free 12 pack of soda. awesome!

So the point is, if you are dissatisfied with a product you can call the manufacture and they will take care of you.

Also, if you love the product, you can call and tell them you love it, They will probably give you some coupons.

Just remember Be honest.

And The Winners Are...

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I really wish that everyone could have won. Thanks to Bellas Bows for the flowers to give away!

So, the winners are:

katie
and
crazycottonkids

Congratulations! katie gets pink and crazycottonkids gets purple!

Email me your address and I will send them out right away! Flipflop241@gmail.com

Free Bag from Target

Ok, this is so cool. Target is offering a trade. You give them 5 of your target grocery bags, and they will give you a reusable tote bag.

Reusable tote bags are great. Harmon's gives you money back when you reuse your bags, or use a tote bag. So you can save even more.

So this tote bag is a start. You can get more info about your bag here.

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone enjoys their Halloween!

OVER! I want to remind everyone that today is the last day to enter the contest for the Flower hair bows from Bellas Bows. Click here to see the contest and comment! OVER!

Also, don't forget to go shopping tomorrow and the rest of the week for Halloween clearance! Get your costumes for next year! Get decorations for next year! Get candy if you don't think you got enough already. Have fun!

The Childrens Place

This week at the mall, The Children's Place is having a huge sale. Take 50% off the already reduced price. I got sweaters and shirts between 3-5 dollars. There are some good deals there for girls, but not really for boys. I think there were like 6 clearance racks for girls but only 2 for boys. There are coupons out there to get 15% off, what a deal! Even without the coupons, its a great deal!

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

One thing that I like to do on Halloween is to have Pizza for dinner. Its fast, easy and good. There are a few great sales this week on pizza.

*Harmon's has Digorno, California pizza kitchen and tombstone pizza on sale for 5 for $15. They are also offering a rebate form for 15 dollars off your purchase of 5 pizzas. So 5 free pizzas. You can pick up the rebate form in Harmon's. Check out their ad for more details.

The Digorno and California pizza kitchen pizzas are the single size pizzas for 1 person, but the tombstone pizzas are the regular size ones.

*Target is also having a deal on pizza. buy 3 Digorino pizzas (Regular size) 3 for $16 + a $5.00 gift card to use on your next purchase! The will give you the gift card at the register.

*Papa Murphy's, good ol' Papa Murphy's Jack O' lantern pizza only $5.99 each. Usually they have a limit of 3. This sale will go until Halloween night.

Any of these deals would be awesome for your beer pizza rebates if you haven't used them yet!

OVER Bellas Bows Giveaway! OVER

Bellas Bows has given me 2 flower daisies to give away to 2 winners. One pink one, and one lavender one. Winners will get one flower each. Here is her blog. I did a review of Bellas bows, check here.

Here are the rules:

1. Post a comment to enter the drawing.
2. Anonymous comments are not allowed.
3. You may only enter once.
4. October 31st will be the last day to comment.
5. Winners will be announced on November 2nd.
6. Winners will be selected randomly.

Mervyns going out of business!

I love to shop at Mervyns for my kids clothes and shoes. They had some great sales. I am sad to see them go out of business, but them going out of business means 1 good thing... Liquidation sale! everything must go. I have heard rumor that they must have everything gone by January so watch for some great prices from Mervyns.

Free Halloween Candy at Albertsons

Albertsons has some great sales this week that will get you free halloween candy. 6 Hot pockets (coupons for these from paper inserts), 2 Hawaiian punch, and 2 Graham crackers were the ones I got. there are a few more. Buy a certain amount of each product and get a free bag of candy, or pizza. Must have the instore coupon, they are found all over the store at the Orem locations, and are in the ads. Free bounty paper towels when you spend 25 dollars or more! Great deals!

Great Price on Chicken at Maceys!

Boneless chicken breasts are $1.19 a lb at Maceys this week. The only problem is you have to buy 40 lbs totaling $47.60. Great deal if you have the freezer space! This sale will go until Oct 28th.

10 Free 2-Liters at Albertsons

Sunkist Orange, Seven Up, and A&W Root Beer are $1.00 each at Albertsons. If you buy 10, a rebate will print at the register for $10.00 back. You just mail it in with the items circled on the reciept and they will give you your $10.00 back! Its that easy!

Sunkist Orange, Seven Up, and A&W Root Beer are the only ones that will trigger the Catalina rebate, even though all the flavors are on sale.

Rite Aid- Free TV Converter Box

You can get a TV converter box from rite aid for free this week with the Government issued coupon. go to this site: https://www.dtv2009.gov/ Sign up for your coupons and get your free box! You can go in get a raincheck while you wait for your coupon to come (if they don't have any in the store).

Orem Library- Lap Time

The Orem public Library has this thing called Lap time. Its for babies and toddlers. Its held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, every week. It is so much fun! Someone comes and helps moms and babies sing and do finger plays. Some of the people are great! others not so great! but the kids love them no matter what! It starts at 10 am and lasts 20 minutes, and right after is Story Time. We tried that once, but had to leave early because my daughter is too young. That is for older kids.

Its free, and fun!

Bellas Bows

I have a little girl and I love to do her hair. I love to experiment and make it cutesy and frilly. I found a blog that sells bows, flower clips, and beanies and more! Its called Bellas Bows. I just got my order and was thrilled!

Everything was perfect, she put them on a card to make them stay in place, and in little baggies, everything arrived perfect!

I ordered 1 beanie, 7 -2 inch flower clips, 2 bows, 2 large flowers. She was so nice, she threw in an extra 2 inch flower for free! These are great quality and exact color match of the pictures.

Here are pictures of some of the things I ordered.


I traded box tops for them! She needs box tops for her daughters school in Tooele that has just opened up, Settlement Canyon Elementary. She is looking for as many box tops as she can get. She also sells them, at a decent price of course.

If you are interested email her at bellasbows@gmail.com , she is easy to work with, and responded quickly to my emails. She got my order so fast! If your looking for bows, or beanies, or any accessories, check out her blog. I highly recommend Bellas Bows!

PS: A little preview: I will be doing a give away on my blog sometime this week. I will be giving away a couple of 2 inch flowers from Bellas Bows!

The search is over!

I finally found a Halloween outfit for my son!I found it at Kmart! Its a cute Dinosaur, and I think it will be really cute on him. their costumes are all on sale, it was only 12 dollars!

Anyway, While I was at Kmart, I looked around at all their clothes. They have been having a clearance sale, its been going on for a while, but there was some cute stuff left. I was getting outfits for babies for only 1.99. Check it out, there is still some cute stuff left!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

So, I haven't found my 12 month a costume yet. Well actually that isn't true. I found him one at the DI for only 4 dollars. I have been looking for a costume for him for about 2 months.This week, I started frantically looking. I have a family party to go to on Sunday, and no costume for my son! so after going to the mall 3 times this week, and going to savers every day and finding nothing, I decided to go to Old Navy, Ross, and Tj Max with no luck. So headed to the DI. I was desperate to find anything. I found a decent one. Not my first choice, but I didnt care at this point, I was just happy to find anything and be done with looking!

I took it home and washed it, and it was so nice and clean. I tried it on him. It didnt fit! It was too small, he couldnt move his little legs, he couldnt crawl, he just kept rolling around and screaming.

So here I am with no costume for my son. I am so sad. Anyway I came acrossed this website. Not really helpful for me in my situation, but could be helpful for you. And I though some of the ideas were pretty funny and creative. Here it is.

Great Sales at the Mall this week!

I went to the mall on Monday and Wednesday, and Thursday this week, you could call me a Mallaholic! I found some great deals at the mall this week!

Bath and Body Works is giving away a free lambi with any 15 dollar purchase. These are so cute and soft. The come in great with black, all black, white with brown, white with pink. On Monday I got the black one. I really want the white with brown one too! They spray one of their new scents on it too. Also with any purchase you get a gift guide. It has upcoming products and coupons in it! I got some wall flowers. Monday was the last day for the wall flowers. I just happened to be in there on Monday and got lucky. But go in and get a lambi!


Macy's had baby clothes and kid clothes for really cheap. I got some whole outfits for only $4.99, and some shirts for my daughter for 4.99. While I was there I was talking to an employee. She said they were going to have their 2 day sale today and Saturday. Also she said there will be trick or treating both days, and kids can dress up in costume and everything!

Mervyns is having a take 50% off the already 75% off price sale! I got a bunch of kids clothes, and jewelry and other items for really cheap! I am talking 2 dollars each!


The Childrens Place was having a sale too! So many sales this week! I got these two shirts for 4,99 each. Which I think is a bit much, but they were really cute.


Gymboree had clothes including these shorts for $4.99. I got these Bermuda shorts for my daughter. I didn't know they made these for kids!


I also saw a Kiosk for a store called Twilight Fanfare, for all of us Twilight Fans. They had all their items for up to 50% off! I would have stopped, but my kids were done!

Lots of sales at so many stores! I didn't even look at them all. Mariposa is going out of business and all their clothes are marked down.

Wendys Frosty Coupons Are Here!

Every Halloween Wendy's has a coupon book for free frostys. They are 1 dollar and have 5 coupons for free Jr. frostys in each book. So basically its 5 frostys for 1 dollar or 20 cents each!

You have to wait until after Halloween to use them but they are good until Feb 9th.

I got 4 books because we have 4 people in our family. That makes it so we can go 5 times for a special treat for family night. We Love Wendys!

My Hair Stylist.

I am very picky about my hair. If I like my hair, then I am a happy mom.

I went without cutting my hair for about a year because I had a bad experience with a hair stylist. I couldnt find one that I liked and refused to go to just anybody. I hate when people say its just hair, it will grow back, because it takes like 3 months to grow back! I want to look cute now!

One day my husband came home with this business card and said I should go to her to get my hair cut. I was very hesitant because the previous experience was really bad! I made the appt and have never looked back since!

I found her at the Metropolitan Salon in Provo, Charisse Williams. If you are looking for a new hair stylist, I highly recommend Charisse.

She cuts my hair exactly the way I want. I have always wanted long hair, but my hair is so thick and has a weird calic that makes it look like I have been wearing a pony tail. I have always had it short because I didn't know any other way.

I went into my first appt with Charisse, I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I told her that I would like long hair, but I cant wear my hair long. and she said why? Why couldn't you have it long? and I said, I don't know, its too thick, I have never been able to have it long. and she said, If you want it long, we can do it long. And she did it long, and I have never gone back. I went from short and poofy to long and in style. She thinned my hair like you wouldn't believe. I didn't know hair could be thinned! I wish someone would have told me sooner! But now I love it, and I am growing it longer and longer.

She is fantastic!

Check out The salon's Blog. You can read about Charisse and other stylists at the Metropolitan Salon.

Metropolitan Salon
230 N University Ave
Provo UT 84601

Call Charisse to make an appointment:
374-3110
710-7789

Don't forget to tell her Flip sent you!

Pizza or Deli Rebate

Here is one of the latest beer rebates. It would be good to use it on Papa Murphy's pizza. Get some free pizza! Or really cheap! I am not sure the prices on the pizza, but whatever you spend, you will get 15 back!


Save $15 on Deli items, Pizza or Chicken-minimum purchase of $15 required.
Offer valid on all deli items, including meats, cheese, platters or trays, chicken, fresh take ’n bake or frozen pizza, and all prepared foods from the deli.
no beer purchase required. Compliments of Budweiser.
Purchase must occur between 10/1/08 – 11/30/08. Received by 12/15/08

I have a few extra of these rebate forms if anyone wants them.

EZ Take Out

We decided to try a new place to eat instead of our "usual" Chinese. We tried the EZ Take Out.
We had never been there before, and I can say we will never go back. The place wasn't bad, it was just over priced, and I felt like I could make the stuff at home and it would taste the same (or better).

We ordered 2 double burger combo meals and 1 burger for the kids to share. We got our meal and the burger patties were so thin that the 2 patties were actually like 1 normal sized patty. The meat was thin, but they tasted really good. (just not worth the money)

The fries were the shoe string fries you can buy at the store for .99 cents a bag. The didn't serve many with your meal, they came in this tiny tray. I was really shocked. One double patty combo meal cost $6.50.

We decided to try the "Wild Fries" with one of the meals, which are the shoe string fries covered with the "Special Sauce" then covered with cheese and fried onions. I didn't like them, but my husband did. He had to us a fork to eat them though. They cost .50 cents extra so his meal was 7.00.

They are having a special on their regular 1 patty burgers for .99 cents. We both agreed that it was a great deal for the burger for the kids. It was really big, and fed them nicely.

So the food was ok, but not worth the money. We will just have to keep going to Apollo Burger. It to is pricey, but so good! But thats for another review!

Halloween Clearance

I went to Michaels and Roberts during the week, and they had their Halloween clearance at 50% off. They have some dang cute stuff.

I would still wait until it got closer to Halloween to buy anything because they might drop even more. But just keep an eye out at all stores for their Halloween clearance.

Stores used to clearance their holiday stuff the day after the holiday, but it seems that the last few years they have been putting it on clearance weeks before the holiday has even come.

Jump On It

I love to take my kids to Jump On It. I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old. Well guess what? Kids 3 and under are free! So I take the kids, and I watch them play and leave when we want to.

The nice thing about Jump On It, is that there are 2 jumping areas. One for older kids, and one for kids 4 ft and under (and their parents).

I see coupons around for Jump on it for the older kids. But if you have kids 3 and under, Free is great!

Host a House Party

What is a house party? Its a party that you host from your home, you get a lot of free product, coupons, and samples for you and your guests. Its a way to keep friends and families connected.

Check out this link to apply for your own house party!

http://houseparty.com/

Sign up and receive emails about upcoming house parties.

Basically a company wants their product to get out there so they form a party around their products and let you try their products for free. You have to apply, and you don't always get accepted to host the party.

Winder Farms?

Ok, now its my turn to ask you all a question. What are your thoughts on Winder Farms?

I am looking into starting with them. There is a really great deal right now, goes until Oct 31, you can get it from the Utah Milk Man Gary. But you must sign up through him to get this deal.

I know that the products are more expensive, but I am concerned for my children and all the hormones that go into food now. I am willing to pay more, when I get discounts on other things.

I am interested in your experiences with Winder, and what products you like and anything else you think I should know about them. You can help me decide whether or not to sign up!

Haunted Village

Among the shadows lurk the Terrors of the past Haunted Village at This is the Place Heritage Park.

I found coupons at the Orem Maceys for 2 for 1 admission, or $5 off 15.00 admission. (not recommended for children under 12) At the customer service desk.

The site says the coupons are available at Macey's and Dans http://www.thisistheplace.org/events/thv.html

Fine print on coupon:
2 for 1 valid Monday- Thursday. $5 off valid Friday and Saturday. Must present coupon at the time of purchase Valid October 10-31,2008. Not to be used with any other offer or membership discount.

Haunted House are costing more and more each year, this could save you a bit if you have a tradition to go, or just want to go to one this year!

Halloween Candy

This week Rite Aid has halloween candy on sale for $1.99 for a fun size bag of Reese's, Hershey's or Snickers.

There are coupons out there for Hershey's, Reese's or Kit Kat size bags $1 off 3. and
M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, 3Musketeers, Twix, Skittles, Starbursts, $1 off 2.

$1.65 for Reese's or Hershey's

$1.49 for Snickers

Now is a great time to stock up!

A little Tip about P&G Inserts...

Once a month the P&G insert comes in the paper. The coupons usually expire in one month. I decided to stop cutting them, keeping them around for when I need a coupon out of there. I only use one or two coupons out of there each month, It saves me so much time! Time saved not having to cut them, and time saved not having to throw them out of my binder when they expire!

Keeping Track

I am going to share my cool toy with everyone. My husband made this for me because he is awesome. Its a spread sheet that tracks rebates, stores you go to, original cost of Items, how much you spend, and save. It is great for comparing months, seeing your spending go down, and your savings go up!

Download Now

To Kill A Mockingbird~Free from Orem Public Library

If you are an Orem Resident, and like to read, the Orem Public Library is giving away a free copy of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird until October 17th. Only 1 copy per household.

Here is more information from there website: http://www.orembigread.org/

Walgreens $5 off $20 purchase

Oct 3rd and 4th only. Another coupon from Walgreens!

Unfortunately, Walgreens has changed their fine print of the coupons, it now says excludes postage stamps. There are other exclusions so read carefully.

The coupon states that you have to use all coupons and discounts before you use this coupon, so you have to spend 20 dollars after all your coupons.

Here is the printable coupon: http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp

Remember the sale is today and tomorrow only!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in Concert

The legend of Sleepy Hollow is at the Historic American Fork Amphitheater October 3rd, 6-11th, and 13th.

When purchasing tickets online, enter the code SLEEPY08 for $5 off family ticket, or $1 off individual ticket!

From the site:

A Utah family friendly Halloween tradition, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in Concert brings Washington Irving's Headless Horseman to life with music performed by orchestra, sound effects artist, and fully costumed chorus and narrator. A Story in Concert™, Sleepy Hollow offers a complete story-telling experience supported by the mediums of music, theater and festival.

The perfect Halloween activity for kids (and a great date night) Sleepy Hollow ranks high among Halloween treats for Utah families. Please enter the Sleepy Hollow site for ticket prices and show information and to discover more about our colonial Harvest Festival, complete with historic games and activities for the whole family.

You can visit the site for more details: http://sleepyhollowshow.com/

Target In-Store Coupons

Target has in-store coupons on their website at target.com, that you can use with or without manufactured coupons to get a better deal.

Instructions to get to their coupons:
1. Go to target.com
2. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page
3. Click on Super Target coupons + Specials
4. Click the big red print button ( Valid coupons must be printed with the red "Print" button.)
5. All the coupons should be checked, you can un-check any coupon you don't want.
6. Press Print

The great thing about these coupons is that you can print them right from your target store computers. The same machines that do the baby and wedding registries will take you to Target.com. You can save paper and ink.

Walmart?

A lot of people think that shopping at Walmart is the cheapest way to shop. I disagree, I haven't shopped at Walmart in almost a year due to some bad experiences. I vowed never to go back, and I haven't since.

I have been able to save $1433.32 (2 months worth of savings) by using coupons and sales, without shopping at Walmart.

I now shop at Target and LOVE IT! I rarely have to wait in line at the check stands, they are cleaner, they have better customer service, they have better quality items, and I love their clearance sales!

Rice Wok

If you live in Orem, and like Chinese food, you have to try this Chinese place called the Rice Wok.

http://ricewokrestaurant.com/

We love this place, we have a tradition to go once a week (but usually turns out to be once every 3 weeks), get a bunch of food, and eat leftovers for 2 days!

They are so good, and they have coupons!

Order a ham fried rice and get one free!
Free pot stickers on orders over $20 dollars!

The coupons are on their take out menu, you don't have to have the coupon to get the deal, just tell them when you call, or pick it up.

They have a small place to sit, but its best to order take out. They also have delivery although I have never done delivery.

101 Tips to Save Even More

Here are 101 tips to save even more money on your grocery bill. Some of them I like and agree with, other I think blah, who would do that? But thats just me.

Check it out, I have learned a lot from it. Its a PDF file. I found this on another site on the internet.

Johnson Buddies Free!

At Smiths, Target, and Walmart there are Johnsons Buddies for around .99 cents.

There are coupons out there for:

Tylenol Children’s, Children’s Motrin, Pediacare, Desitin, Johnson’s Buddies product, Johnson’s Bedtime Toddler Wash, and Johnson’s No More Tangles Shampoo and conditioner products, any excluding trial sizes. $3/3.

and

Johnson’s Baby product, Desitin product, Infants’ Tylenol, Infants’ Motrin, Mylicon, and Simply Soothing for Baby & child Noses, any excluding trial sizes. $3/3

At Smiths there is a catalina for $3 off 1 johnson product. You will get this when you buy 3 johnson buddies.

But Watch out at Target! They are not so nice about it. I was able to do it by buying another product so I would pay more then just tax.

These smell so good and are easy for kids to wash themselves. They last twice as long as regular soap. Here is a description and a picture of the soap.

Update on the Cornbelly's Corn Maze

A couple of days ago I talked about Cornbellys Corn maze, look here. I now have a little more details. I heard rumor that the coupons didn't start until later in the day so I called Cornbelly's corn Maze to find out for sure.

The coupons start Friday (today) at 4 pm and go all day Saturday. Everything is included that would be included in the price of a regular priced ticket except the haunting because that doesnt start until next week.

Some things are never included like laser tag, and other games. So you will have to pay extra for those if you want to participate in those activities.

Cornbelly's opens earlier in the day on Friday, but the coupon is only valid at 4 pm and after. But it will be valid for Saturday all day!

Free Ice Cream- Cold Stone Creamery

Today only, Cold Stone Creamery is giving away free ice cream to support the make a wish foundation.

Make-A-Wish Creations” inspired by Jack and Emily, two Wish Children.

• Jack's Creation - Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge
• Emily's Creation - Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat® and Yellow Cake

September 25th from 5:00 - 8:00PM, guests will be treated to a 3 oz. serving of Jack or Emily's Creation. All donations will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Here is their website for more details.

Thanksgiving Point Corn Maze

Its that time of year. Haunted houses, corn mazes, and tricks and treats. One of my favorite holidays, Halloween. Thanksgiving Point Cornbellys Corn Maze has tickets on sale for this weekend for only .93 cents!

Valid Sept 26th and 27th only.

Check here for more info and tickets!

Check here for the website for the maze. Check out the regular prices! This is a steal!

An even better oreo deal!

Ok, so there are many options for the oreo deal. look here and here. I have seen an even better deal. There are peelies out there for get 1 dollar off when you buy 2 packages of oreos. Use that with the instore coupon and you get 2 oreos for 2 dollars! Hurry the sale ends today!

Prescriptions at Albertsons

I found out that Albertsons in Utah will no longer accept competitors coupons for prescriptions starting Oct. 1. They said it would be all locations. I was at the Albertsons at 1600 N Orem.

Free Birthday Cake on First Birthday at Albertsons

Albertsons Bakery offers a free birthday cake on your childs first birthday! Its an 8x8 round single layer and they have 8 different decorations you can choose from and they will write whatever you want on it, and its Free!

I found this deal at Albertsons Orem Utah Center Street. Check you Albertsons to see if they do it in your area!

Dont Go Overboard!

Its really easy to get caught up in a good deal. Buying things you don't really want, or need, You think its saving you money, but really your just throwing your money away.

Buying too many of an item that is going to expire before you can use them.
Buying items just because they are a good deal that you aren't going to ever use.
Buying items that you don't like, just because they are a good deal.

I know these seem like common sense, but really when you get caught up in a good sale, you can really go overboard.

Its all a learning experience, and the good thing about nonperishable food is that you can donate it to the food bank, or food drives. A great way to rotate your food storage if you buy something you decide you didn't like after all.

Even better Oreo Deal!

Albertsons is having a sale on their Oreos as I mentioned here.

There are peelies on oreo bags that say buy 1 oreo get 1 dollar off milk. I found the peelies at Orem Center street Albertsons.

So buy 2 packs of Oreos use the instore coupon to get them for 3 dollars. and use 2 milk peelies.

So you get 2 gallons of milk and 2 oreos for 6 dollars total!

Free Mac and Cheese

I mentioned in a previous post about Mywesternfamily.com. Check it out here.

I thought this weeks free deal was worth mentioning. Free Western Family Macaroni and Cheese with coupon found at mywesternfamily.com. Watch the clip and print the coupon.

Oreo Cookies and more!

I don't know about you, but at our house, we love Oreos! Double Stuff Oreos. Right now at Albertsons Oreos and Chips Ahoy Cookies are on sale for 2 for 3 dollars with the in-ad coupon. There is a limit of 2. 14-18 oz.

yum yum.

Also if you spend $25 in one order, you can get a free Tree Top Apple Juice 64 oz with in store coupon

They are also having a great sale on cereal. There are to many "options" you will have to check your ad.

The First Few Months

The first few months of using coupons can be deceiving. You may feel like your spending the same, or more money. I know I did. But I could see that I was bringing home a lot more groceries then I did before coupons.

After a few months of stocking up on items, you start to settle down, look at the sale, and say, thats a good deal, but I don't need that, I don't need that, I don't need that. And you realize that your monthly budget can go down, and you are spending less. It takes about 3 months, more or less, but when it happens, its a very noticeable change.

The first 3 months, I was overwhelmed with coupons. I felt like it was a full time job. My husband was worried about money and how much I was buying. He would say, I know its a good deal, and I can see that coupons are a good thing, but I hate to spend that much money! I would remind him that it take time to start seeing the savings, to be patient. And then all of a sudden, I didn't feel overwhelmed anymore, I didn't feel like it was a full time job, and I could even point out some good deals in the ads.

You will start to remember what coupons you have, so you can easily point out the good deals in the ads, and everything will become easier. It just takes time, practice and patience.

Using Coupons the Right Way.

Using coupons can give you a rush, or a thrill when you get a really good deal. But we have to remember to be honest to get that deal. We need to make sure that we are using the coupons properly and ethically.

1. Make sure the items that your getting match up to the coupon. Size, brand, amount of items, and everything that you need to make that coupon work.
2. Make sure your coupon has not expired.
3. Read the fine print. Make sure everything has been met to be able to use that coupon. If it says only one per transaction, don't try to use more then one.
4. Do not copy coupons and try to use them. Its illegal.

There are many more things that we need to watch out for to be honest with our coupons. Its getting harder to use coupons because of people who abuse the system. A lot of stores in Utah County are not taking printable coupons any longer because of coupon fraud. Walgreens is cracking down and its harder to get good deals there. A lot of these stores have lost money due to bad coupons.

Lets try and be honest and ethical. Make the stores like us and want us to come back and shop there.

Rainchecks

When you go to the store for your item and find that the shelf is clear, no need to stress, get a raincheck. A Raincheck will allow you to get the item for the price you want at a later day when they have the item in stock.

Some stores have expiration dates on their rainchecks. I know that Albertsons' policy just changed to one month for your rain checks.

But its just something to know, you don't have to be frustrated that you wont get your item, you can just get it later. Just hope that your coupon doesn't expire before you can get to the items!

Transfer or New Prescriptions

Did you know you can make money by filling a prescription? There are many coupons and deals floating around where you can actually make money or get your prescription for free!

Right now, Rite Aid has a promotion going on until the end of November that says, transfer your prescription here, and get a Free $30 dollar gift card. All you have to do is transfer your prescription from a different store other then another Rite Aid, and they will give you your gift card.

There are some limitations you will have to ask your Rite Aid pharmacy if the deal is going on at your location, if the deal will work for you, and see if you can get a hold of the coupon!

Just keep your eye out for deals on prescriptions. Now you can find something good about filling a prescription!

SLC's Dine O' Round

Dont forget about SLC's Dine O' Round! September 12-September 27 This is a great way to try those restaurants that you don't ever go to!

I doubt that my family will participate because we don't go to SLC very often, and its not worth the gas to drive there just for dinner, but if you live in SLC you can take advantage of it!

From their website:

Fall Dine O' Round; September 12-September 27, 2008. Patrons are able to choose from a two-course lunch for $10, or a three-course dinner priced at either $15 or $30 per person. Downtown Dine O' Round is an ideal way to explore new restaurants or revisit old favorites. There are no coupons, no punch cards, and no strings attached!
As a reward for your support of Dine O' Round, Utah Symphony and Opera offers a 10% discount on any performances in September. Just use the promotion code "dineoround" when you're purchasing tickets online, on the phone or in person. Visit www.usuo.org for performance schedules.

Dinner and a show!

Check out the website for more details and which restaurants are participating!

http://www.downtownslc.com/events/dine-o-round.htm

Shelf Reliance- My Dream!

Some day I am going to have the Shelf Reliance food rotation Systems!

You can always get a discount on these shelfs, they are pricey, but totally worth it! They can hold small medium and large size cans. you can pick which one is right for you and your food storage. They are a must have!

I don't have these yet, but it is my dream. I have seen them in action and fell in love. Don't bother trying the "cheaper" brands, Shelf Reliance is the only one that can support as many cans as they say. The other brands collapse and break, not worth the money or the mess.

Their website also has other information. It has a food storage calculator to help you figure out how much you need for you and your family, and other useful tips. Check it out!

My Stockpile

I just wanted to list items that I wont have to buy for at least year because I stockpiled using deals and coupons.

Non-Food:

Shampoo
Conditioner
Diapers
Bath Tissue
Tooth Paste
Deodorant
Dish Soap
Hand Soap
Lotion
Cleaning supplies

Food:

Rice A Roni
Mac and Cheese
Soda
Oatmeal
Pasta Sauce
Canned Peaches
Granola Bars
Peanut Butter
Katsup

This is where the savings start rolling in. I will continue to buy these items if they are free, pay me to take them, , or I notice I am I see a deal I just cant refuse, or I start to get low and there is a sale.

Now I can focus my energy on other items and I am on my way to lowering my grocery bills even more!

Papa Murphy's Pizza

Customer Appreciation Days! Get a Large Pepperoni for only $4.99. limit 3. Call and see if your local Papa Murphy's is participating. September 8-11, 2008


We love Papa Murphy's Pizza! They Freeze well! Awesome deal!

Free Burgers from Wendys! Coming to a city near you!

25 cities. 8 months. Over 25,000 hamburgers. 50,000 gift cards. Wendy's is going coast-to- coast to celebrate our delicious hamburgers. At each event, our mobile kitchen is serving hot 1/4 lb.* Singles, made with your choice of toppings. Each Taste Tour stop is filled with fun trivia, prize giveaways, an art contest, and much more!

http://www.wendys.com/news_and_offers/great_taste_tour.jsp

I am so excited for this! We are huge Wendy's Fans!

Gently Used Items part 2

Yesterday I told you about ksl and craiglist. I forgot to mention Savers and the D.I. (Deseret Industries) These places are great for finding your gently used items. Savers has sales and promotions that are actually pretty cool. Every monday every specific colored tag is .99 cents. I have gotten Strollers, Exercausers, and other toys for the kids for only .99 cents. they also have sales on holidays, and they have punch cards to get even better deals.

Gently Used Items

There are some items that I would never buy used. But there are some that are great to get gently used for a great deal.

Most of the time I have found that I can get the same item for new, for around the same price, if I am patient and wait for it to go on sale. But sometimes I cant wait, or I don't mind it being gently used. Then I turn to Ksl.com or craigslist.com There is also Ebay.

These are great sites to get gently used items that you need.

List of Prices

Here is a list of prices of items that Shelley from Pinching Your Pennies has created. It is called the Price Points List.

You can use this spreadsheet as a guide to see what a good price is for items.

3 star means that its not that great of deal.
4 star means that its a good price if you need the item.
5 star means to stock up!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pK8hPG06iUDQSGKQcXqg8VQ

Albertsons- Box Tops Sale is Here!

Its that time of year! it started yesterday! There are many things on sale, like fruit snacks, Pillsbury items, Progresso soup! There are coupons out there for many of the items! Great sale! Check it out!

Case Lot Sales!

Its time to take advantage of the case lot sales! Harmons started on Monday, and Maceys will start on the 17th, and Smiths will be starting soon!

Harmons had some great sales on baby wipes, and Kraft mac and cheese, and a lot of other items! check it out!

Coupon Websites

There are many different Free websites you can go to that will actually tell you the deals for your stores. Here are a few that I like.

PinchingYourPennies.com

SavvyShopperDeals.com

HotCouponWorld.com

CouponMom.com

There are many others that are free, and Others that you can pay a fee. Find what works for you and get involved!

Dont have the coupon you need? Try Trading

Trading is a great way to get coupons you want for coupons you wont use. you can post a trade list on the website you use for couponing if they have one, and trade away. A lot of people are generous and give more then what you asked for. That is just a bonus and not expected, but is nice.

There is no specific way to trade. What I do is look at what I want, and see what they have. I dont care about money amounts, if i want the coupon, I want the coupon. I almost always throw in extra coupons. I look to see at their wish list for anything to throw in that they specifically like, or things simmilar.

Rebates

Rebates are a great way to save money and often make money off your purchases. Walgreen's and Rite Aid have rebates every month in their catalogs you can view online or pick one up at the store.

Rebates that I have been doing lately besides Walgreen's and Rite Aid are Beer Rebates. Rebates from beer companies. The great thing about these for people living in Utah (and some other states) is that no beer purchase is required.

You can find these beer rebates at your local grocery store down the beer isle, sitting on boxes, or taped to the wall, or on displays, and sometimes in the meat section.

They usually want you to purchase items like hot dogs, chips, condiments, deli items, and meat. Occasionally they will have some for gas, electronics and other items. They are always coming out with new rebates for different things!

I keep all receipts. When I get a new rebate, I look through all the receipts that I already have and use those. So they are items that I all ready purchased, and would have without the rebate. Some items I am lucky and get to go out and buy Papa Murphy's pizza, we don't get that often, but for 3 dollars for 3 pizzas (after rebate), I couldn't refuse!

When you send in a rebate, Keep a copy of the rebate form, and the receipts and the date that you mailed the rebate, so if there are any problems, you can look to your records.

The hard thing about Rebates is that you have to pay the money upfront and get it back in return, but its well worth it when you can get the items for cheap(er), free, or make money off the item.

Seasonal Sales Cycles

This is a MUST HAVE for couponing and sales!

Seasonal Sales Cycles

JANUARY -
Historically, Quaker has hot deals on cereal/all items. We see Pepsi/Tostitos go on sale mid-January (again, rebates abound for these). Other items of note this time of year are chili, side dishes, anything for hearty/warm meals.
• Post-Holiday Sales
• White Sales
• Sports and Weight Loss Equipment
• Computers
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
· Organizers, Rubbermaid totes, shelf organizers, planners, filing cabinets

FEBRUARY –
many of the same food items as January
• Electronics
• Floor Coverings
• Housewares
• Furniture
• Candy and Chocolates

MARCH -
Frozen food month. You'll find many stores are offering free freezers or fill-a-bag deals. Between March and April, look for spring cleaning deals, so many cleaner items will be on sale. With Easter, looks for eggs, ham, Kraft products to cycle into good sales. Paper products like towels, napkins, plates are starting to come on strong. Beverage items.
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Winter Sports Equipment
• Gardening Supplies
• Luggage

APRIL –
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Coats and Hats
• Paint
• Wallpaper
• Jewish Foods and Eggs

MAY -
get ready for summer! Here come loads of deals on BBQ sauce, frozen veggies, baked beans, and condiments of all kinds, summer-time meats (ribs, hotdogs, and ground beef). Also with all the holidays, look for tons of paper goods that match the holiday and pick them up after clearance. These deals generally continue through September!
• White Sale - Linens and Towels
• Spring Cleaning Supplies
• Auto Maintenance
• Home Maintenance
• Sodas & Bottled Water, Hot dogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments, Paper & Plastic plates & cups
* Raid/Off bug repellents and sunscreens

JUNE –
• Summer Apparel and Accessories
• Pianos
• Television Sets
• Building Materials and Hardware
• Dairy Products

JULY –
• Air Conditioners
• Summer Sports Equipment
• Sportswear
• Craft Supplies
• Sodas, Hotdogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments

AUGUST –
• White Sale - Linen and Towels
• BBQ and Patio Equipment
• Back to School Supplies
• Bathing Suits
• Fresh Fish and Vegetables
• Breakfast foods (Cold cereal-Juice-Waffles-etc)
• Cold lunch items for in lunch boxes

SEPTEMBER -
back to school; time to fill up on snacks! Pudding cups, Capri suns, fruit snacks, cereal sales start up hard again, peanut butter/jelly. Also, like clockwork, there will be Prego coupons in August, and plan on getting lots and using them in a hurry before they expire in September when the spaghetti sauce goes on sale. Sauce wars between Ragu and Prego this month. Campbell’s soups will go on as well and there will be coupons in the end of August for these as well. Lunchables are on sale this time of year, too.
• Back to School Supplies and Apparel
• Gardening Supplies
• Housewares
• Bicycles
• Canned Goods

OCTOBER -
Stock up on holiday foods – Stove Top, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth, cranberries, marshmallow, ice cream, pie shells, whipped cream, pudding. Look for great Kraft deals again this time of year. Piggyback those Kraft coupons when you can. Crackers are a biggie - going on for $1 or less a box. Lots of extra deals like $ off cheese WYB crackers. The real kicker is the after Christmas food deals! Save your coupons because pie fixings, fried onion, broth and canned green beans will be on deep discount. I got those onions for .50 a can, normally almost $4. These generally continue through December.
• Cars
• Houses
• Fishing Equipment
• Crystal, Silver, and Glassware
• Candy
· Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)

NOVEMBER -
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
• Quilts and Blankets
• Heating Devices
• Turkey, Sweet Potatoes
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods

DECEMBER –
• Toys
• Gift Items
• Party ware
• Post-Holiday Sales
• Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat
• Canned goods (broth, soups, etc)

Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough and any food related to a holiday.

Continual sales are candy, popcorn, chips, anything snacky, cereal (heavier in the fall/winter, but still around in the spring).
Frozen food sales seem to centralize on a brand and the switch brands the next month. I think the manufacturers buy slot time for sales. So last month, Stouffers was on sale hard, now lean cuisine is. Save the entire frozen coupon and then keep checking back for the brand of the month.

Frozen pizzas go on sale in the fall and then again the spring; not often in the summer because people don't want to turn their ovens on in the summer.

By all means, this isn't everything that you can get on sale, but if you follow the cycle and stock up (I never buy BBQ sauce in the winter), then you can get where you have enough on hand and only need to refill when the items are in season. The result is that you spend less and less with each successful cycle.

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Sources: Various numerous sites on the internet

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and some tricks that might come in handy with couponing:

B1g1f sale- you can use 2 coupons for a b1g1f sale. Example: Poptarts are on a b1g1f for $2. and you have coupons that say 50 cents off one. you can use 2 coupons because you are getting 2 products and get them for $1.

B1g1f sales and B1g1f coupons: When using a b1g1f coupon combined with a b1f1f sale you can use 2 coupons and get 4 items free. Example, B1g1f sale on hot dogs you have 2 coupons for b1g1f. You can get 4 packages of hot dogs and use 2 coupons for b1g1f and get the other 2 free from the sale. All for packages for Free! (YMMV-This may or may not work depending on your checker at your store. Sometimes they allow it, sometimes they don't.)

Coupons on Smallest Size product: To get the best deal you use your coupons on the smallest size possible. Travel sizes are the best. Unless the coupons says a specific size or says Not valid on trial size or travel Size, you can use your coupons on these items, and get them for free.

Clearance Items: If an item is on clearance, you can still use a coupon for that item.

Store coupons and Manufacture coupons: You can combine store coupons and manufacture coupons together on 1 item. example: Huggies Diapers are on sale for $8.99. You have and store coupon for 2 dollars off and a manufacture coupon for 1 dollars off. Use both coupons and get the diapers for $5.99.

Albertsons- Ball Park Hot Dogs!

Right now Albertsons is having a b1g2f! yes, thats Buy 1 get 2 free on their Ball Park meat hot dogs. One package is 3.99.

There are blinkies out there, or tear pads that say buy 2 ball park hot dogs get 1 pack of Sara Lee Buns Free! 6 packs of hot dogs and 3 packs of Sara Lee Buns for 7.98.

The sale Started Yesterday! and will go until next Wednesday!

Sears Kids shoes!

Sears right now has a sale on their shoes for b1g1 half off. They have a selection of children's shoes clearance starting at 4.99. I bought 8 pairs of shoes for 32 dollars + tax. RUN!

What I did, What you can do!

Yesterday I got one pack of

Jumbo Huggies Diapers regularly $11.49 for $4.61 and 2 tubs of wipes regularly 3.00 for .17 cents each. Totaling $4.94. Yahoo! Tax was included in the pricing!

What I did.

Huggies Diapers is on sale for 9.49 at Walgreens this week. I had 2 (4 dollars off total purchase) RR's that are going to expire on 9/1 so I decided to use one RR and 1 manufacture coupon for 1.50 dollars off 1 pack of diapers equaling 3.99 plus tax.

Huggies wipes are on sale for 2 for 5 I used the other RR and a coupon for .50 cents off. Totaling 0.00 plus tax.

What you can do...

Huggies diapers have a RR print out for 2 dollars off next shopping trip when you buy 1. you can use a coupon for 1 dollar off (which are right in front of the diapers at Walgreens, or most other grocery store) and get them for 8 dollars plus a $2 RR

Wipes are on sale for 2 for5. there are .50 cents off one tub of wipes you can use 2 and get 1 dollar off. so it would be 2 for 4.

Those are good prices for diapers and wipes!

1 coupon per purchase VS 1 coupon per transaction-

I want to tell the differences between 1 coupon per purchase and 1 coupon per transaction. This often gets confused.

1 coupon per purchase VS 1 coupon per transaction-

Once in a while, you will get some inexperienced checker who will tell you that you can't use your 10 coupons for cereal for your 10 boxes. She will say, It's one per purchase! Yes, she is absolutely right, its one per purchase. I am purchasing 1o items, so I can use 10 coupons. Each item is considered a purchase. Every item together is considered a transaction. Unless the coupon says one item per transaction, then you are safe to use all your coupons!

Western Family Deals

Check out Mywesternfamily.com every week for a coupon for a free item. This week its Western Family Duo Cookies.

They will do this for 10 more weeks. This week is the 3rd week, so there will be many more products to get for free!

You have to watch the webisode to get the coupon. Take the coupon to any store that sells western family products. the coupons are only good for the week before they expire.

How to Make a Binder

Here is my recipe for the binder method.

Ingredients:
zipper binder with a strap
base ball card holder page protectors (Michaels or Roberts 40% off coupon)
page dividers
calculator (All a Dollar)
scissors (All a Dollar)

Categories I use:

Baby	Bread & Cereal
Cleaning Supplies	Fridge
Desserts	Meat
Medicine	Paper Goods
Personal Hygiene	Misc. Coupons
Restaurant Coupons	Rebate Receipts
Receipts to keep	Receipts to Return Items
Freezer Items	Canned and Jarred Items
Boxed and Bagged Items	Gift Cards
Air Fresheners	Tooth Paste and Brushes
Deodorant	Laundry Detergent
Target In-Store Coupons	Misc. In-Store Coupons
Walgreen's In-Store Coupons	Rite Aid In-Store Coupons

Directions:

Organize your categories in your binder using your tab dividers. place at least 2 page protectors between each category, you can add more later as you need them. place extra in back of your binder for easy access.

I did a personal hygiene, toothpaste, and deodorant category because I tend to get a lot of these coupons and it is easier for me to have them separated then to search through just one category. same with Boxed and Bagged, and Bread and Cereal, and others. I just put the main category like Boxed and bagged first, and Bread and Cereal behind it. Remember is your binder, you can organize it any way you like. I am just giving you an idea of what I do.

Place coupons into page protectors. Try to get the product and the expiration date in the front so you can easily see them. Most coupons will fit right in, other will have to be folded.

Walgreens $5 off $20 purchase

http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp

Use Aug 22, and 23 only!

Every so often Walgreens will come out with a coupon for $5 off $20 purchase. You have to read the fine print there are some exclusions, but if you use these properly, you can get a great deal! Part of the fine print says must spend $20 after all coupons and discounts. So you have to plan on spending $20. You can use these on rebate items, so you can make money off your rebates, or you can use them on items that don't normally go on sale and save that way.

You can find the Easy Saver Catalog and Walgreens current ad at http://www.walgreens.com/default.jsp Or you can go to your local Walgreens and pick them up there.

Right now, there are 7 items this month that you can receive free after rebate.

Walgreens soft white light bulbs 4 pack or 3 way single
Vacuum bags (2 rebates)
Biofusion Organics or Olive hair care
walgreens pitcher Filter replcement cartridge
Jane Be pure mineral powder, brush or foundation
Pert Plus 2 in 1 Shampoo or conditioner 13.5 oz

These are the items, you will have to go to the catalog for more detail.
There are coupons out there for the Pert plus. $2/1 or $3/1. You would make 2 or 3 dollars depending on which coupon you used! I also have a rebate form from Pert Plus that is a try me free. You can submit your receipt to them go get another 3 or so dollars free! But you must have the rebate form!

Just because an item doesn't say free in the catalog, doesn't mean its not free! You can use coupons and get it free, or even make money off it, if the item is on sale.

Or you can use this coupon on items that don't go on sale, like stamps. I use so many stamps each day. I am going to be getting stamps with this coupon.

How to get started:

First you need to know a few things about coupons and sales, they are friends. I often have people ask, "Isn't it just cheaper to buy the generic brands?" NO! That is a common misconception of couponing. You do not get your coupons and rush out and buy the product. You wait until the item goes on sale and then by using your coupons and the sale, you get the item for a great deal! Sales and coupons are fantastic!

The idea of using coupons is that you stockpile. You buy 10 bags of cereal when normally you would have bought 1 at a time. You buy it when its at a good sale price, and use coupons, and then you wont have to buy it for a long time and you got a great deal! If you buy 10 bags of cereal then you need 10 coupons right?...

There are many ways to get coupons. The best way to get coupons is the Sunday Paper. You are going to want to order a few papers every Sunday from your local Newspaper. Other ways to get coupons are from blinkys- blinkys are little red when you boxes you see when you walk up and down the isle at the store they have a blinking dot, hence the name blinkys. They have coupons in them for specific items. Catalinas print out at Smiths and Albertsons when you buy specific products. They are usually great coupons. Printable coupons are coupons you can print off the internet and use at your store. Peelies- peelies are coupons that are stuck to the item for sale. another way to get coupons is to trade them. I trade the coupons that I wont use, like dog food, cat food, and whatever else I wont use for coupons that I need and will use.

Find out your store's coupon policys. Do they double, triple? Do they accept printable coupons? you need to know before you go!

You need to get organized. There are so many ways to organize coupons. There is a box method, a binder method, a filing method, find which method works for you and get organized. I prefer the binder method.

Find a group to join. I like Pinchingyourpennies.com. There you can print out a shopping list and they rate the sales for you. This site is a great tool.

Just remember, using coupons is as easy or as hard as you make it!