Thursday, June 23, 2011

What we are Up to?





Swimming Lesson!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Coupon Blessing 6/19/2011

These items are good deals (free or cheap) that can be used for personal use or donated. This week, the deals require two transactions in order to reduce out of pocket expenses. IF you have Extra Care Bucks (ECB) from last week, it will greatly reduce your out of pocket for the week.

CVS Pharmacy

Transaction 1-Hershey's Bliss 8.6 oz for $5.99
Use $1 off coupon from May 1st Smart Source and purchase one pack (limit is one). If you have your ECB from last week you will pay $0.99 plus tax. Otherwise your out of pocket in NC is $5.45 and you earn 5.99 in ECBs.

Transaction 2- (2) Pantene Pro-V Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler 5.7- 12.6 pz fpr $3.49 each plus (1) Dep Or LA Looks All gels (20) oz for $2.99 each.
Use $3 off when you buy 2 Pantene products from 6/19 Smart Source plus $1 off L.A. Looks product from the 5/15 Smart Source plus $5.99 ECB from Transaction number 1 to pay tax only. I did this earlier today and my tax was $0.77. You will earn $4 in ECB from this transaction. These items make EXCELLENT Donations!!!

Even if you don't have ECB from last week you still have spent with tax less than $7 and have 4 ECB to spend next week or on something else you need.

After doing these transactions if you have another $3 off coupon for the Pantene you may also purchase 2 more items, using the 4 ECB from Transaction number 3 pay less than $1 including tax and have additional items to start a stockpile with!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Paid to shop at Harris Teeter

A couple of weeks ago, Harris Teeter sent me a notice that one of the stores in Winston-Salem was beginning "Express Lane" services. Basically, this is where you place your order online, drive up push a button and they bring the order out to your car. To entice me to try this new service, they gave me a $10 off $50 and are negating the service fee of $4.95. After some investigation into how they would honor coupons, I decided to try it send we were already going to be in Winston anyway. Coupons work this way, when you pick up an order you hand over the coupons, they are held until you order again and then subtracted from that order total. I bought only items that were on sale and I had a coupon for. I ended having almost $18 of coupons. Today as I was starting to prepare for the "Super Doubles" event starting on Wednesday, I realized that there were several items on sale this week and others with coupons are a really good deal, so I decided to place a second "Express Lane" order today. My calculation had my total after subtracting last weeks coupons to under $2. I did receive a call while at the pool, that one of the items I ordered was out of stock and a second she did not realize it was coffee cream and not coffee. I was blown away when she brought our order to the car and handed me $5.59. Yes even my receipt says -$5.59. After checking it out on the way home, my conclusion is that either by choice or mistake, I was not charged for the three items that were initially missing from the order. I am pleased and excited to finally in the same week, save over 90% (CVS on Thursday) and be paid to show!!!

Friday, June 17, 2011

CVS Rocks this week!

I have been able to make 3 trips to CVS this week and each one leave me wanting to go back again! They have a few really good deals this week.

First was my trip on Sunday, Orbit gum is on buy one get on sale this week, I combined it with a coupon for 1.00/2 and brought home 10 packs of free gum. I was also able to get some free deodorant by combining a regular coupon with a store coupon. My favorite deal of the week is 2 Liter Diet Coke for $0.79! I ended up spending $4.35 and saving 26.83 or 72%.

For my second trip, I took Haley along and was VERY disappointed to find the store out of Diet Coke. We each got rain checks for these. We did purchase the free razor deal and I was able to use a rain check for Allegra.

On Thursday after taking Haley to the Doctor, we decided to check out the Salisbury CVS. I will say the girl behind the counter was rude but it was still an awesome trip. For this trip I combined coupons that I found hanging several weeks ago on Cokes and a regular paper coupon for Pringles. I was also able to use a rain check for the Pro Health Mouth Rinse that I missed 2 weeks ago. We purchased 2 L of Crest Pro Health, 10 2-liter Sodas and 7 cans of Pringles for $5.30 and saved $51.21.

This was an awesome week of shopping at CVS. I may go once more to stock up on the 2-liters if I can find a space to store them!

Monday, June 13, 2011

What's Happening?

I have been so tired several night for the past couple of weeks that I have been in bed around 9pm.

It is daylight from 5:30ish am until 9ish pm, this makes going to bed prior to 9 really impossible.

Last Thursday we took both little girls for an eye appointment. Lily's eyes are improving but we are going to continue patching four hours a day for another 4 months. Kendall has begun to cross and we have started patching her right eye 1-2 hours a day.

Kendall HATES the eye patch. The first day she asked to take it off 4 times and actually took it off and threw away behind my back. We have added coloring and stickers to the eye patch and she at least tolerates for an hour without removing but still ask if she can take it off at least one time.

After the eye appointment, we spent time and money at IKEA. We bought a shelving unit for our bathroom and some nice baskets to go on it. Matt has stained and assembled, it makes that area feel more complete.

I also made a trip to Walgreens on Thursday, spent 4.50 and made 5.50 in register rewards. I also discovered on their rain checks they actually list the price minus the Register rewards, so now I have to locate my coupons and return for cheap razors.

On Saturday, we visited both Food Lion and Costco as well as picked up a online order from Harris Teeter. I am very impressed with Harris Teeter and plan to try the online version again to see if it works on special events.

I have been working alot of hours close to full time so trying to keep up is hard.

Our square foot garden is producing!!! I plan to post pictures on Wednesday but so far we have been able to harvest and use a couple of squash, 5-10 cucumbers and enough green beans to serve as a side dish! Matt is still growing and using the herbs so this has been really awesome to have our own produce.

CVS has several fun deals this week including Diet Coke 2-Liters for 0.79 so I will be making 3-4 trips this week and plan a post with all the details on Thursday!

Haley has finished school, last Friday and will be volunteering at the hospital I work at, 4 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays all summer.

It is dark and almost 10pm so I am going off to bed.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Coupon Blessing 6/12/2011

I aplogize for my absense over the first 12 days of June but I have been one busy mom. I am hoping to catch up on some post over the next few days as things are settling into a routine busy.

These items are good deals (free or cheap) that cna be used for personal use or donated. This week, the deals require two transactions in order to reduce out of pocket expenses. IF you have Extra Care Bucks (ECB) from last week, simply do this as one transaction using them.

CVS Phamarcy

Transaction 1: Schick Hydro 3 or Hydro 5 Razor $8
Use $4 off coupon from 6/12 Smart Source and purchase 1 razor. Out of pocket cost $4 and you will earn 4 ECB.

Transaction 2: Schick Hydro 3 or Hydro 5 cartridge 4 pk $8.97
Use $2 off Schick Hydro refill from 6/12 Smart Source plus the 4 ECB from Transaction 1 to pay 2.79 plus taz. You will earn 4 ECB from this transaction.

Purchasing these together makes it awesome to donate. However, I will only be purchasing the Razor because I have discovered that I can buy Razor for less than $1. This amount makes them all disposable!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

May In Review

Blogging: I definitely increased over April with 12 total post. Matt is complaining that one or so didn't count because it was a picture of the garden but hey at least it is an improvement. The goal is 15.
Devotions
: I sucked this month. I am honestly ashamed of how little time I have spent. So this is number one on the improvement list for June. Goal: 3 per week.

Couponing/Grocery Budgeting: After two awesome month of coming in right where I had budgeted, this month we are way off! I have spent around 1500 on groceries this month. The good news is that this included the money for entire summer of the co-op and also the expense for the square foot garden that we planted. I have added to the stockpile this month but now in June, I plan to focus on meat and staying way under the $800 budget.(Not sure why I can't seem to un-bold the above statement?)

Financially
: Catching up from April so nothing new paid.

Weight
- Have not even stepped on the scale!