My Canvas Photo Book Giveaway

The Freebie Blogger is hosting a giveaway for a photo book from MyCanvas ($100 value). All you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway post and you are entered in the drawing. So head on over there and enter. She also has a code you can use to get a free 8" x 8" photo book. These books would make great holiday gifts.

Upromise

I believe that everyone out there who has children should sign up for a Upromise account. It's such an easy way to earn a little extra money for your child's college expenses and its completely free. I actually signed up before my daughter was born. While Upromise won't take the place of regular contributions to a college savings account for you child, it is an easy way to add a little extra to what you're already contributing. the savings are not huge, but I am not one to overlook free money.

Once you have a Upromise account, you simply link you grocery store cards to your account by typing in the numbers. You can also add your CVS card and even your credit cards. Then, you can also take advantage of their eCoupons. You simply go to their website, select the coupons you are interested in and they are put on your cards. Once you buy the items the coupon specify, the dollar amount of the coupon is credited to your Upromise account. If you don't buy the items before the coupon expires, nothing happens. So I always add every coupon listed that I think I might possibly use.

Another way to add extra money to your Upromise account is through their eRewards. Right now, if you sign up for eRewards, they credit your account with $5.00. Then you can earn additional money by completing surveys. So far I have earned $7.35 just from eRewards. Not much, but a decent return for the few minutes it took me.

You can also send invitations for you friends and family to contribute to your child's account. The link is on the Upromise homepage. I sent to this my mother. Now I just need to get her to register her store cards. I think this is a great way for grandparents to help contribute to their grand kid's education.

There are other ways to earn listed on Upromise home page. The ones I talked about above are just the ones that I use. Some of the other earning methods include shopping through links on their homepage and getting a Upromise credit card. If you don't already have a Upromise account, it is worth at least taking a few minutes to check out their website.

Click to Make Donations

I'm sure that at one time or another we have all received an email telling us about a site that you can go click on to generate donations for a charity. This month I received several related to breast cancer research. This works because the advertisers on the site pay the charity based on the number of clicks they receive each day. If you have a few minutes a day you can do this to generate money for various charities at no cost to yourself. There are lots of different charities that have this click to donate free option on their site.

One Click At a Time is a website that has compiled links to a lot of these sites for you. They even have them categorized for you so you can easily find charities you want to support. Take a few minutes to visit their site and see if there is something you would like to support for free. I'm sure that you can find something. With the way the economy is lately, charities can use all the help they can get.

Here is a list of the categories they currently have:

• Animal
• Environmental
• Health
• Hunger
• Children
• Women
• Homeless
• Other

Wedgie Free Wednesday

Today is Wedgie Free Wednesday at Hanes. Every Wednesday Hanes gives away 500 free pairs of panties. You can go to their website and enter to win a free pair. You pick the size and style that you want. I got my first free pair from this yesterday. They don't notify if you win, the underwear just shows up in your mailbox. You can also win multiple times which is great.

JC Penney Coupons

About two weeks ago I received one of JC Penney’s $10 off a $10 or more purchase coupons in the mail. So when I got my mail yesterday I was very surprised to receive yet another of these coupons. If you also received one, please note that it is only good until Saturday. If you didn’t receive one, you can still use a code to receive this discount online. I love using these coupons to pick up clothing for my daughter. I usually head for the clearance rack first and then check the sales racks. Right now I’m thinking ahead to Christmas gifts and what I could get using the coupon. This coupon can make for some great deals.

To take advantage of this discount at JCPenney.com, use coupon code DOOR39. Don’t forget that shipping and handling will be added to your order. This code is good today through November 1st.

Menu Plan Monday

Right now our freezer is so full that I litterally have to push everything in there and slam it closed. So this week I decided to cook meals from the freezer. We need to clean some space out to give our poor freezer a break.





Here is our menu plan for this week:

• Pizza
• Steak and Broccoli Soup
• Chicken Salad Croissant Roll
• Baked Ziti
• Toasted Sandwiches
• French Toast and Sausage

To check out more menu plans, head over to Org Junkie.

CVS Today

I didn't get much at CVS this week; just the Bic Cmfort 3 Advance Razors. I debated getting some more candy, but we don't need it. We have more then enough candy for Halloween.

Here is the breakdown of my transaction:

• 2 Packs Bic Comfort 3 Advance Razors $11.98
• 2 Coupons for $3.00 ($6.00)
• ECB Used ($5.26)
• Total OOP $1.13 (includes tax)
• ECB Earned $8.00
• Upromise Earnings (e-coupon) $3.00

This transaction actually earned me $4.61. Granted $3.00 of that is in my Upromise account, but hey, it's still money. We'll take any help we can get planning for college expenses.

November All You Magazine

I was very happy to find the November issue of All You magazine in my mailbox yesterday. For some reason I never received my October issue. I did report it to them and they are adding an issue to the end of my subscription to make up for it. So that is good.

As a funny side note, my husband saw the issue sitting on the dining room table. He asked if it was another magazine I got free. So I had to tell him that no, I actually paid for this subscription. His response was, "Are you ok? You actually paid for something." I guess he's getting a little to use to me getting stuff super cheap or free.

Here are the coupons in the November All You:

• 2000 Flushes Blue Plus Bleach $1.00
• Accent Seasoning $0.75 off 1
• Banquet Select Recipes $0.40 off 2
• Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes $1.00
• Cottonelle Toilet Tissue Double Roll AND Cottonelle Fresh Moist Wipes $1.00
• Dole All Natural Mixed Fruit Jar $0.75
• Dove Cream Oil Body Lotion $1.50
• Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk $0.55 off 1
• Glade - Buy one Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Refill , Get one Holder Free
• Glade Scented Oil Candle Holder $2.00
• Glade Scented Oil Candles Refill Buy 2 Get 1 Free
• Glam Eyes Mascara Buy 1 Get 1 Free
• Halls $0.50
• Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers $1.50 on 3
• Heinz Seafood Cocktail Sauce $1.00 off 2
• Ore-Ida Steam And Mash Potatoes - Free with purchase of any 2 Ore-Ida frozen potatoes
• Hormel Chili Master $1.00
• Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats $1.00
• One A Day Women's Prenatal Multivitamins $2.00
• Orville Redenbacher's Natural Gourmet Popping Corn $1.00
• Pounce Cat Treats $1.50 off 2
• Roxy Hunter DVDs $3.00
• Slow Churned Light Ice Cream Holiday Limited Edition flavors $1.00
• Splenda $1.00
• Spot Shot Non Toxic Instant Carpet Stain & Odor Eliminator $1.00
• Suave Hand or Body Lotion 18 oz or larger $1.00
• Total Cinnamon Squares $0.75
• TrueNorth Nut Snacks $1.00
• Tyson Frozen Breaded Chicken Products $1.00 off 2
• White Castle Hamburgers $0.50
• White Cloud Bathroom Tissue $1.00

Is it just me, or are the coupons just not as good as they use to be?

Free 30 Rock Season Premier Episode download

If you have the October 27 - November 2 issue of TV Guide, you have a code to download the Season Premier episonde of 30 Rock free. You can even download it now, before the episode airs. The code is good until 12/31/2008 though so you don't have to worry about missing out.

To get your code look at the front cover of your TV Guide. If you are a subscriber the code is at the top of your address label. It is even labeled ITunes Code. If you bought your issue at the newsstand, the code is above the upc code (lower left corner of the cover).

My free episode is done downloading now, so I'm off to watch it. Enjoy your if you have the code. If you don't have the code, you can watch the season premier on Thursday 10/30 at 9:30 on NBC.

Another Great Freebates Week at Rite Aid

Starting Sunday October 26th, Rite Air is having another great freebates week. Here are the items that are free or super cheap after rebates:

These rebates valid three days only: 10/26 to 10/28,
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday:

Charles Worthington Dream Hair Shampoo, Conditioner or Stylers
$6.99 sale price this week- $6.99 SCR= FREE

Citre Shine MiracleShine Mist, Pomade or Gloss Gelee, 2 - 3.4 oz.
$3.99 sale price this week- $3.99 SCR= FREE

These rebates valid this week only:

L'OrealAge Perfect Radiance Perfector Tinted Moisturizer, 1.7 oz.
$15.99 sale price this week- $15.99 SCR= FREE

Kotex Maxipads
14 - 24 ctLightdays Pantiliners 34 - 64 ct.Security Tampons, 18 ct.
$3.00 sale price this week- $3.00 SCR= FREE

Axe Shock Shower Gel 12 oz.or Axe Shower Detailer Tool
$3.99 sale price this week- $3.99 SCR= FREE

Oral B Artica Toothbrush, 1ct.Excludes power toothbrush.
$2.49 sale price this week- $2.49 SCR= FREE

DentaBurstTeeth Cleaners, 12 ct.
$1.99 sale price this week- $1.99 SCR= FREE

GE Power Source Strip - 6 outlet
$5.00 sale price this week- $5.00 SCR= FREE

GE Indoor Extension Cords - 6 or 9 ft., White or Brown
$2.00 sale price this week- $2.00 SCR= FREE

Adidas Antiperspirant, Deodorant, 2.6 - 3 oz., Body Wash 13.5 oz or Body Spray 4 oz.
$3.99 sale price this week- $3.00 SCR = $1.00
Use $1.00/1 MQ Adidas Deodorant, Body Spray or Body Wash (from 9.7.07 Red Plum) to make this free

Sally Hansen Lip Treatments
25% Off This Week
Free After SCR up to $7.50

Freestyle Lite Meter
$ 29.99 sale price this week
Use RA coupon $45.00 off Freestyle Lite Meter from the Inner Strenght Magazine found in RA stores (not available as printable) Exp. 11.15.08.= FREE

Green Dot Visa or Mastercard Prepaid Card
$9.95- $9.95 SCR= FREE

Aargh! Forgotten Food Going Bad

This morning I pulled a pack of frozen breakfast sandwiches out of the freezer because I wanted to bring them to work. It's convenient to have them in the freezer at work because there are many mornings when I walk out of the house and haven't had breakfast. I had them sitting on the counter right next to my lunch bag and I still forgot them. I didn't even realize it until I was at work. I am so upset. What good does it do to save money buying the stuff when it just gets wasted? I just can't believe that I did that. It's just so frustrating to waste food like that.

Does any else have this problem, or am I the only forgetful one out there?

Tackle It Tuesday - CLR Edition

When I first heard about the CLR Tackle It Tuesday Contest I was excited because I figured this would give me an incentive to really do some serious cleaning. I have not done a serious cleaning in my bathroom in over a year. My husband didn't wanting me using household chemicals while I was pregnant and then once my daughter got here there just wasn't time. We have been doing quick cleanings in there, but it was past time for a good scrub.

I received my complimentary bottle of CLR Bath & Kitchen cleaner very quickly. When the package arrived I took the time to read the back of the bottle to make sure that I would be using the product properly. After reading all the warnings on the bottle I decided that I didn't want to use the product while my daughter is around. I realize this may be a bit much, but she is only ten months old so I don't want her breathing in those chemicals. I also had to go buy some rubber gloves since the bottle tells you to wear them while using this product. This weekend my husband was finally able to take care of her for me long enough for me to work on the bathroom.

Here are some pictures of what my bathroom looked like before I started cleaning.

Once I got my Before shots taken I shut the bathroom door and turned on the exhaust fan. I kept the door closed while I was working because I didn't want the fumes getting out and into my daughter's room which is right down the hall. As I started spraying the shower the fumes became a bit much. They do say to use the cleaner in a well ventilated area, but this is a bathroom and the best I can do is run the exhaust fan.

After spraying, scrubbing and rinsing following the instructions on the bottle, I took a look at my cleaned shower. Here are the pictures.

Looking at my shower, I didn't feel that the CLR cleaner did a better job on the tiles then any other cleaners I have used. I even feel like I could have gotten better results if I had used soft scrub with bleach like I usually do. The CLR cleaner did do a very good job on the chrome though. My faucet and drain were both extremely shiny.

By the time I was finished with the shower the fumes from the cleaner were overwhelming and I was starting to get a headache. I took a break outside of the bathroom for a few minutes to let some of the fumes clear out of the bathroom. Since the fumes were getting to me so badly, I decided to finish the bathroom with a different cleaner.

Here is a close up my sink after using a different cleaner.

You can see that it is just as clean as my shower and I didn't have the fumes to deal with. The cleaner I used instead was actually pleasant smelling and worked well. I decided to scrub my shower again with it to see if it would get the shower any cleaner.

Here are final shots of my sink and shower after everything was put back and all the cleaning was complete.

The second cleaner didn't seem to get the shower any cleaner then the CLR did. I don't have any way of knowing if the second cleaner would have gotten it as clean as the CLR by itself, but I do think that it would have judging by the results on my sink.

I feel that CLR Bath & Kitchen cleaner did an ok job. It got my shower clean, but I feel that I could have gotten it just as clean with a product that did not have quite as strong fumes and require the use of rubber gloves. Now that I'm a mom I find that I prefer cleaning products that aren't full of warnings. If I was in the store looking at this product, I would have immediately put it back on the shelf when I saw that it required the use of rubber gloves. I feel that I can get a different cleaning product that will do just as good of a job without being so harsh. Besides, I hate wearing rubber gloves. I have no plans to use the CLR Bath & Kitchen cleaner again. I don't feel that it's a bad cleaner, it just isn't something the works for my family. I will be passing on the container of cleaner I received to a neighbor that it interested in trying it. Who knows, she may wind up loving it.

Head over to 5 Minutes For Mom to check out other reviews of the CLR Bath & Kitchen cleaner.

Walgreens Yesterday

Here is everything I picked up at Walgreens yesterday. As you can probably tell, we love the Lysol Neutra Air spayer. I was so excited to see the deal on these because the one I have is just about empty. I did save one of my coupons for this weekend. That way I can hit the double dips and make money buying one. I love it when I can make money buying a product I love.

I also wanted to note that I had a great experience at my Walgreens yesterday. When the candy I picked up rang up I noticed that it wasn't on sale. The cashier called the manager over who noticed that I had picked up the snack size instead of the fun size. She went over and got the correct packages for me and did an exchange on the candy. She was great and I really appreciate the wonderful customer service I typically get at that Walgreens.

Here are the details of my transaction:

• Lysol Neutra Air $23.96 ($5.99 * 4)
• Fusion Power Razor $8.99
• Candy $10.00 ($2.50 * 4)
• Alkaseltzer Cold $4.99
• Excedrin Express Gels 80 ct $11.98 ($5.99 * 2)
• Theraflu $4.99
• Gallon of Milk $2.99 (not pictured)

Coupons Used:

• Lysol Neutra Air $20.00 ($5.00 * 4)
• Fusion Razor $4.00
• Mars Candy $2.00 ($1.00 on 2 * 2)
• Excedrin $4.00 ($2.00 * 2)
• Theraflu $2.00

Register Rewards Received:

• Fusion Razor $4.00
• Alkaseltzer $5.00
• Excedrin/Theraflu $8.00

Rebates Pending:

• Candy $4.00
• Theraflu $2.99

Here is the summary of my transaction:

• Total Out of Pocket: $38.48 (includes tax)
• Register Rewards Received: $17.00
• Rebates Pending: $6.99
• Net Out of Pocket: $14.49

CVS This Week

This picture shows everything that I picked up at CVS yesterday for a grand total of $7.71 out of pocket. After I get back my rebates that will be reduced to $3.72. I did also pick up a second pumpkin pail. It didn't make it into the picture because my daughter already claimed it. I wound up going to two different CVS stores looking for the candy corn Hershey Kisses. I still didn't find them and my coupon expired yesterday. At least I did score some other good deals. Here are the details of my transactions:

Transaction #1:

• Excedrin Express Gels 20ct $1.99
• Funlight $0.99
• Excedrin Coupon ($2.00)
• ECB ($0.50)
• Total Out of Pocket $0.51 (includes tax)
• ECB Earned: $0.99 for Funlight
• Rebate pending $1.99 for Excedrin

Transaction #2

• Candy Corn $2.58 ($1.29 * 2)
• Huggies Jumbo pack diapers $19.98 ($9.99 * 2)
• Huggies Wipes $2.79
• Playskool Wipes $2.79
• Pumpkin Pails $1.98 ($0.99 * 2)
• Funlight $0.99
• Huggies Coupons ($2.00) ($1.00 * 2)
• Playskool Wipes Coupon ($1.00)
• ECB ($23.96)
• Total Out of Pocket $5.35 (includes tax)
• ECB Earned $15.55 ($2.58 candy corn, $10.00 diaper deal, $1.98 pumpkins, $0.99 funlught)
• Rebate pending $2.00 for Huggies from Caregivers Marketplace

Transaction #3

• Excedrin Express Gels $1.99
• Poweraid $1.69
• Sunday Paper $1.88
• CVS Excedrin Coupon ($3.00)
• Poweraid Coupon ($0.75)
• Total Out of Pocket $1.85 (includes tax)
• ECB Earned $1.69 (for Poweraid)

Since I had several transactions I also got a bunch of CVS coupons on my receipts. Now I just need to look through them all and match them up with upcoming sales.

Menu Plan Monday

This week we're going to eat from our stash of food in the freezer and pantry. Our freezer is so full that I literally had to cram the last bag of veggies in there after our shopping trip Saturday. So, here is our meal plan for this week.

1. Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese
2. Stuffed shells
3. Tacos
4. Pancakes and sausage
5. Lasagna
6. Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese

Check out the other posts at Org Junkie to see what goodies everyone else is cooking up this week.

Walgreens $5 off $25 Coupon

Walgreens has a $5 off of $25 coupon out for today and tomorrow (Fri 10/17 - Sat 10/18). You can get the coupon here. Be sure to read the fine print because your $25 total is after all other discounts and before taxes.

Here is my scenario for the coupon:

• Chemistry Shampoo $9.99
• Nivea Body Wash $4.99
• 2 Gillette Shampoo $9.98
• Loreal Cleanser $7.99
  

Total Before Coupons $32.95

• Nivea Coupon ($1.00)
• 2 Gilletee Coupons ($4.00)
• Loreal Coupon ($1.00)
  

Subtotal $26.95

• Walgreens Coupon ($5.00)

Total Before Tax $21.95
Rebates Due: $27.97

All of the items on my list have rebates on them. The only thing that isn't free after rebate is the Gillette Shampoo. The rebate on that is $5 on 2 bottles. Now I just need to hope that they have it all in stock.

What scenarios have you come up with?

Freebie Blogger All You Giveaway

The Freebie Blogger is giving away a 2 Year subscription to All You magazine. Check out her post on how to enter here

Barnes & Noble Cafe Free Drink

Barnes & Noble currently has printable coupons available on their website. The first coupon states that it is for a Complimentary Cappuccino. If you read the fine print, it is for a free tall caffe late, cappuccino, espresso, freshly brewed coffee or hot tea.

The second coupon is for 15% off of one item.

The coupons expire October 31, 2008 and are not good at college bookstores or Starbucks cafe locations. Click here to get your coupons.

Works For Me Wednesday (A Little Late)

I'm a little late with my Works For Me Wednesday post this week. Sorry about that, my day was a little crazy yesterday. Anyway, the item that works for me this week is the Medela 80ml Breast Milk storage containers. Check out the picture below.

When my daughter was first born these bottle were the perfect size for one serving of her "milk." Medela makes a nipple and ring that fit this container perfectly. As my daughter grew I still used these containers to send her milk to daycare. Now that she is supplementing with formula I find these containers to be a great way to serve premeasured formula powder. I can slip one of these containers with the formula powder in my purse along with a bottle with the water already measured out. No matter how long we are out the bottle is good. I just mix it when she's ready to eat and we're good to go.

I do also have one of the special forumla dispense containers that I tried using, but I feel that these containers work so much better. With the medela containers you only need to take one serving with you, not three. And the container is much smaller so it fits better in a purse or diaper bag. I have even used these containers to take cheerios with us when we're running out. They would work well for any small portion of a dry snack. We have definitely gotten our moneys worth out of these containers.

To check out other Works For Me Wednesday postings, head over to Rocks In My Dryer

CVS Just For Men Money Maker

CVS has Just For Men hair color free after ECB October 19-25. (It's $7.99 and gives back $7.99 in ECBs.)

You can get a coupon for $2.00 off Just For Men here.
Then you can get a rebate form for $8.00 here or here

By purchasing your Just For Men at CVS with the coupon, you make $2.00. Then, when you send in the rebate you make another $8.00. So, you can make $10.00 just for buying some hair color. Whoo Hoo! This is my kind of deal.

Redbox Rentals

Before yesterday I had never rented a movie from Redbox before. Something about renting a movie from a vending machine just struck me as weird. Well, I have been seeing the codes for free Redbox rentals for awhile now and last night I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

After picking my daughter up from daycare I stopped by the grocery store to use the Redbox machine they have there. It was very easy to do the rental using the free code and my movie popped right out. It was quick and painless. As long as I keep seeing the free Redbox codes on Mondays I think I will keep renting. It was a nice movie night for my husband and I. We don’t get many of them since we cancelled our Netflix account.

What do you think of the Redbox rentals?

Restaurants.com 80% Off

There is a code for 80% off at Restaurant.com. Their normal price is $10 for a $25 gift certificate. When you use code EIGHTY you that $25 gift certificate for just $2.00. And if you follow the link from your ebates account you can get 15% cash back. The 80% discount code expires on October 15th.

Make sure that you check the terms and conditions for the restaurant you choose. Some of them stipulate that they are for dinner only and have certain dollar amounts you must order to use the certificate. The conditions don't seem bad, you just want to make sure you are aware of them.

Note: Their site is really slow right now. It looks like a lot of people are on there ordering gift certificates.

Thanks to The Freebie Blogger for posting about the discount code.

Tackle It Tuesday

Ok, this week I decided to tackle my home office. It started to get out of control while I was on maternity leave back in December and January. Then, once my daughter arrived and I got even busier, the office got even worse. It was to a point that I could barely walk into the room and neither was useable. So I finally took some time to start cleaning up in there.

This is technically not the before picture because I did some work in here before I took the picture. I had to clean up some so that I could get my little helper into the room with me. So while she napped I cleaned up the floor a bit. You can see that the room is still a mess.


This is the "after" picture. There is still work to be done, but I am now able to use my desks. The tubs of my daughter's outgrown clothes have been put in the attic and all of the paper and stuff from the desks has been sorted. I still need to file and tidy up some, but definite progress has been made. After over four hours of working I was exhausted and glad I finally took the time to tackle this room.

Menu Plan Monday

I had a busy weekend cleaning so once again I didn't do my weekend cooking. At least I did get the grocery shopping done and the meals planned. We don't have much exciting planned this week, but it will do. Here is our meal plan:

1 - Spaghetti and meatballs
2 - Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese
3 - Chicken Salad Wraps
4 - Bacon Cheeseburger Roll Up
5 - Broccoli cheese soup and biscuits
6 - Game Night, dinner at my parents

For more menu ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday on Org Junkie.

We Love Yard Sales

Since the weather has cooled down a bit the yard sales are picking back up. We have been hitting a lot of yard sales on the weekends. When you have small children yard sales are great places to pick up toys and clothes for them. This weekend we picked up the weeble wooble castle in the picture. I had planned for it to be a birthday gift for my daughter, but as you can tell by the picture she is alredy playing with it. My husband didn't want to wait to give it to her.

Have you picked up anything good at a yard sale recently?

Sunday Shopping

On our shopping trip Sunday we decided to hit Rite Aid first since this is a crazy freebate week there. When we got to Rite Aid there weren't any cars on the parking lot so I was wondering if they were even open. They were though and we were able to get in and get our freebates.


Here's what we got:
Chapstick True Shimmer $1.99
Theraflu Warming Relief $3.99
Lizard Lips $0.99
Triaminic Vapor Fan $3.99
Comtrex $3.99
Soft Lips 2 pack $2.99
Cherry Chest Rub $2.99
Little Nose Mist $3.99
Chloroseptic Spray $2.99
LypSyl $1.99
Simply Saline Cold $4.99
Simply Saline Baby $3.99
Bee MD Throat Drops $2.49
Zucol Cold Care $5.99
Excedrin Express Gels $3.99
Sucrets 2.99
Total (with tax) $54.58
Rite Aid Rebate Due $54.34
Chapstick Rebate Due $1.99
Sucrets Rebate Due $2.00
Net Profit: $3.75

Next up was Walgreens. We didn't get much there this week. I guess that makes up for getting so much last week. Here is what we did get:

Bounty Basic $0.89
Glade Plug Ins $3.98 (2 * $1.99)
Zout $3.99 (Buy 1 get 1 Free) Get your rebate form here
Bounty Coupon ($0.25)
Glade BOGO Coupon ($1.99)
Zout Coupon ($0.55)
Total (with tax) $6.61
Walgreens Rebate Due $2.00 ($1.00 for each of the Glade)
Zout Rebate Due $3.99
Net Cost of Items: $0.62

My total profit for the day's shopping was $3.13. I'm pretty happy with that. Now I need to go put away all my purchases and fill out rebate forms.

How did you do with your shopping this week?

Starbucks Pick of the Week

If you're going to Starbucks, don't forget to ask for your Pick of the Week card. Some Starbucks have them sitting on the counter where you can just grab one, but at most Starbucks you have to ask for them. If you're nice they may even have some left from previous weeks that they will give you too.

This week's pick is A Shot to The Stars by Whitley. It's the song and the video. I belive they will have a new artist on Tuesday. Next time I go I will let you know if they have a new artist available.

Walmart Today

Today we made a quick stop at Walmart. Here is what I got:

$10.34 2 - 2 packs Airwick gel refills
$2.82 Airwick Express Gel Warmer
$4.94 Sure Max
$1.88 Sunday Paper
$5.97 Febreeze Noticeables
$1.00 Kotex liners
$2.91 3 - Johnson Buddies Bar Soap
$3.13 Cascade Rinse Aid
$3.36 4 Gallon Jugs Water

Subtotal $36.35

Coupons:
($1.00) On 2 Airwick Refills
($2.82) Free Airwick Warmer when you buy refills
($2.50) Sure Max
($5.00) Febreeze Noticeables
($1.00) Kotex any
($3.00) Johnson Buddies on 3
($3.13) Free Cascade Rinse Aid

Total Out of Pocket $19.82 (includes $1.92 tax)

I'm submitting a rebate for the Sure Max for $4.94. Once I receive this, my net out of pocket will be $14.88. I don't think that's too bad. The expensive item was the Airwick refills. My husband loves these and we were out.

To get a copy of the Sure Max rebate form, click here.

CVS Today

On my way home from work today I decided to stop at another CVS to see if they had the Always Infinity that is free after ECB this week. I stopped at my regular CVS on Sunday and they didn't have any. Anyway, the CVS I stopped at did have them although there was only one more when I left. I was happy to get my two packs. Since I paid with $8.99 in ECBs I only had to pay $0.97 out of pocket and got back $9.97 in ECB for my next visit.

I had debated even stopping since it is so late in the week. I figured they would be out of them, but this CVS didn't even have the sale sign on them. I guess that's why they still had a few left. Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I stopped. I even got some coupons on my receipt that may work well for me.

One of the coupons was for $1.50 off the Candy Corn Hershey Kisses. the idea of this particular flavor is a bit gross to me, but if I can get them free I just may be willing to try them. Has anyone out there tried this flavor yet?

Did you get any good deals at CVS this week?

Free Subscription to Plenty Magazine

Free 2 Be Frugal posted about how to get a free subscription to Plenty Magazine courtesy of Pepsi. Plenty magazine is

"The leading magazine for eco living, offering a fun, irreverent look at today's environmental news and issues."

Click here to get your free subscription. Click on the green guy and it will take you to the form.

Jewish Apple Cake Recipe

A recipe for Jewish Apple cake to help you take advantage of all the good deals on apples you can find this time of year. For even more apple recipes, check out Life As Mom's Apple Recipe Swap.

Jewish Apple Cake Recipe

First peel and cut 5-6 apples in chunks about the size of a thimble. Sprinkle in 2 tsp. of cinnamon and 5 tbsp. of sugar. Set aside.

Into a large bowl measure:
3 C Flour
1/4 C Orange Juice
2 C Sugar
3 tsp Baking powder
1 C Cooking oil (I use olive oil)
2 1/2 tsp Vanilla
4 Eggs
1 tsp Salt

Beat these ingredients together until smooth and pour half the batter into a large greased tube cake pan. Arrange half the apple mixture over it. Pour in remaining batter and top with rest of apple mixture.

Place in preheated 350 oven and bake about 90 minutes until done. Remove from pan, let stand on rack to cool.

This recipe is a family favorite. My father has actually been asking for it so I guess I'm going to have to make one soon too.

Money Making Walgreen Trip

I had a great money making trip to Walgreen tonight. This is thanks to their rebate program and coupons from Right At Home. You can get all the cleaning product coupons listed in my purchase here. They have over $30 in coupons on their site right now and you can print them all twice. Just use your back button.

Here are the details for my purchase:
$19.99 Scrubbing Bubble Automatic Shower Cleaning Kit
$7.98 Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush Max (2)
$5.00 Shout Gel (2)
$5.00 Fantastik (2)
$3.98 Glade Carpet & Room Deodorizer (2)
$10.36 Lindt Chocolate Bars (4)
$0.75 Hershey Kisses

$53.06 Subtotal

Coupons:
($10.00) Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner
($4.00) Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush Max (2 @ $2)
($3.00) Shout Gel (2 @ $1.50)
($3.00) Fantastik (2 @ $1.50)
($2.00) Glade Carpet & Room Deodorizer (2 @ $1)
($1.50) Lindt Chocolate Bar (2 @ $0.75)
($5.18) Lindt Chocolate Bar BOGO (2 @ $2.59)
($4.00) Lindt Chocolate Bar WAG Coupon (4 * $1)
($3.00) Register Reward from previous purchase

Total OOP $20.57 (Includes $3.19 in tax)

Rebates Due:
$10.00 Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner
$3.00 Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush Max (2 @ $1.50)
$2.00 Shout Gel (2 @ $1)
$2.00 Fantastik (2 @ $1)
$2.00 Glade Carpet & Room Deodorizer (2 @ $1)
$1.90 10% Bonus for gift card

$20.90 Total Rebate Due

There are other coupons in the link above for some more good deals at Walgreens through Saturday on Pledge and Windex. Check them out.

This would have been an even better deal if I had been able to pay with my gift card rebate from last month. However I still haven't gotten it. It was mailed a few days ago so I hope to receive it soon. I had to get a new gift card this month because my old one wouldn't swipe anymore and some of the cashiers had serious difficulty typing in the gift card.

Free Lindt Chocolate at Walgreens

Money Saving Mom has a post on how you can get free Lindt chocolate at Walgreens this month. Check out her post here for the details.

She also suggested freezing the choclate and using it in gift baskets for the holidays if you'va already got a lot of chocolate on hand. I love that idea and will definitely be freezing some of mine. Of course I will have to hide it in the freezer so my husband doesn't find it.

Free Samples

I think that the postal person on the route for my house must wonder about me. For the last few months I have been requesting a lot of free samples. It makes it fun for me because you never know what you’re going to get in the mail. Some days you don’t get any samples and then you’ll get a day where the mailbox is stuffed so full that you can barely open it.

One great source of free samples is Walmart. They have a regularly changing list of samples and the samples arrive fairly quickly.

Another great source of free samples (and a whole lot more) is Freebies4Mom. I check her site every day and have found lots of good information there.

I also like to check out Start Sampling. I have gotten some free magazine subscriptions from this site along with some other free samples.

Don’t feel like you need to request every sample just because they are free. If the product isn’t something you or a family member will use, don’t request it. There are enough free samples out there that you will be able to request plenty of things that you will use.

Do you like to request free samples? Do you know of any good sites to find free samples?

Free Halloween On a Dime eBook

Living On a Dime is currently offering a free e-book Halloween On a Dime. The book contains lots of tips for having a frugal Halloween. There are tips on costumes, decorations, parties and a bunch of recipes. If you’re looking for some good Halloween ideas, check it out here.

Do you have any frugal Halloween tips to share?

Works For Me Wednesday - Shopping Notebook

My shopping notebook is one item that I almost never leave my home without. In my notebook I write down my list of which items I want from which stores. Then I clip my coupons to that list. This way, my list and coupons are all in one place.

In the back of the notebook I have an evelope with my CVS card, ECBs and CVS coupons. In the front of the notebook I have an envelope with coupons that I want to use soon. This envelope usually has coupons that I can use to get items free or really cheap at several of the stores I typically shop at. This way I always have those coupons with me. I like to keep this notebook in my purse. That way, if I have a few extra minutes and I'm near one of those stores, I can take advantage and run in and get my shopping done.

Having all my lists in one notebook also keeps me from having several lists and coupon piles in my purse. I did the seperate list thing previously and I was always losing a list or leaving it home. I can't tell you how many times I got to the grocery store and realized that my list and coupons were at home. Since I've developed the notebook system, that almost never happens.

Once my shopping is complete, I like to slip my receipt and any catalinas into the front of the notebook. Once I get home I can pull out the receipts to either be filed, input for rebates or clipped to a rebate form for submission. Any catalinas get clipped to the list for that store if they are $$ off or relate to an item on the list. If the catalina is a coupon for something I may buy inthe future I file it in my coupon box. When I have $$ off catalinas and no current list for that store, I just leave the catalina in the front of my notebook. This way it is easy to find when I do make a list for that store.

I also like to keep a list of rebate items I am looking for on one of the pages. I list the specific item, applicable purchase dates and rebate amount limits. This way, if I see a good price on one of those items while I'm out I can pick it up. I'll also note if I've heard that there are rebate forms out there for something. This way I can keep an eye out for the form (peelies, tear pad, etc).

This notebook system has been working very well for me. I love having my list with me at all times. Since I'm always so busy it's nice to know that I have the ability to stop whenever possible.

Check out Rocks In My Dryer for other great Works For Me Wednesday posts.

Music Giveaway

I have some codes for free music on iTunes that I would like to give away. These are from the Starbucks Pick of the Week cards. I had duplicates of several songs and would like to share the music. The codes are for these songs:

1 El Arbol By Ersi Arvizu
2 Yes, I'm Cold By Chris Bathgate
3 Was I On Your Mind By Jessie Baylin

Please keep in mind that you need to have an iTunes account to download these songs. I will randomly select a winner on Sunday October 12 and email them the codes for the songs. If you would like to enter complete the form below and submit.

Rite Aid Next Week - Free Cold Medicine

Starting this Sunday, October 12th, Rite Aid will have a lot of cold related items free after rebate. The list includes things like cold medicine, nasal spray, throat lozenges, and so forth. I plan on being there bright and early Sunday morning. Here is a list of the products:

Rebate #116
NeilMed
Nasaflo Neti Pot, includes 50 premixed packets
Up to $10.99 SCR

Rebate #117
Ayr
Saline Nasal Rinse Kit + 100 refills
Up to $6.99 SCR

Rebate #118
NeilMed
Pediatric Sinus Rinse Starter Kit
Up to $4.99 SCR

Rebate #119
Simply Saline
Sinus Kit
Up to $6.99 SCR

Rebate #120
Theraflu
Warming Relief Liquid, 8.3 oz., any variety
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #121
Excedrin Express Gels
Extra Strength or Tension, 20 ct.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #122
Triaminic
- Cough Syrup, 4 oz., or
- Congestion Spray, 6.7 oz., or
- Thin Strips, 14 ct., or
- Soft Chews, 18 ct., or
- Vapor Fan, 1ct.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #123
Children's Advil
Liquid, 4 oz., any flavor
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #124
Children's Throat Cooler
Strawberry or Grape, 6 ct.
Up to $2.99 SCR

Rebate #125
Mentholatum
Cherry Chest Rub for Kids, 1.76 oz.
Uo to $2.99 SCR

Rebate #126
Little Colds / Little Noses
Little Noses Saline Mist, 1.7 oz. or
Little Colds Descongestant Plus Cough, 1 oz.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #127
Simply Saline
Allergy & Sinus Relief or Baby, 1.5 oz.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #128
Simply Saline
Nasal Mist Cold Formula, 3 oz.
Up to $4.99 SCR

Rebate #129
Hyland's
- Sniffles'n Sneezes 4 Kids, 125 ct., or
- Cough Syrup, 4 oz.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #130
Breathe Again
Adult or Child Nasal Spray, 3.3 oz.
LIMIT: TWO (2)
Up to $7.99 SCR

Rebate #131
Zucol Coldcare
Original, Menthol or Orange Creme, 18 ct.
Up to $5.99 SCR

Rebate #132
Sambucol Immune System Booster
- Syrup, 4 oz, or
- Lozenges, 30 ct.
Up to $7.99 SCR

Rebate #133
Comtrex
Cough & Cold or Cold & Sinus, 20 ct.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #134
Bee M.D.
Natural Cough Drops, any flavor, 21 ct.
Up to $2.49 SCR

Rebate #135
Nexcare
Microvex Cold Sore Treatment, 0.07 oz.
Up to $8.99 SCR

Rebate #136
Novitra
Cold Sore Relief Cream, 0.25 oz.
Up to $8.99 SCR

Rebate #137
Orajel Cold Sore Treatment
- Brush, 0.5 oz., or
- Overnight Patch
Up to $6.99 SCR

Rebate #138
Softlips
Lip Conditioner 1 or 2-pack
Up to $2.99 SCR

Rebate #139
Chapstick
True Shimmer, 0.15 oz., any flavor
Up to $1.99 SCR

Rebate #140
Buckley's
Buckley's Cough Mixture or Chest Congestion, 4 oz.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #141
4Way
Nasal Spray, 0.5 oz.
Up to $3.99 SCR

Rebate #142
Sucrets
Throat Lozenges, 18 ct. or Sucrets Ice
Up to $2.99 SCR
2$ MIR good until 1/31/09 - FORM

Rebate #143
Chloraseptic Max
- Sore Throat Spray, 1 oz., or
- Max Wildberries Lozenges, 15 ct.
Up to $2.99 SCR

Rebate #144
Lizard Lips
Lip Balm, 0.15 oz
Up to $0.99 SCR

Rebate #145
LypSyl
LypMoisturizer, 1 ct
Up to $1.99 SCR

Since my daughter and I have already had our first cold of the season, I am looking forward to stocking up on medicine. It’s so much better when you can get it for free. This way we shouldn’t have to run out while we’re sick. Now I just need to replenish my Kleenex supply.

Tackle It Tuesday - Coupon Box

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday, I decided to tackle my coupon box. It had gotten completely out of control. There were a bunch of expired coupons in the box, 2 weeks worth of clipped coupons in an envelope waiting to be filed and another 2 weeks worth of inserts waiting to be clipped. So I clipped all my coupons, sorted and filed them. Then I went through my coupon box, threw out the expired coupons and clipped all the coupons for the same products together. Now my box is organized and I can easily find the coupons I need. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with it now.

Here is the picture of my coupon box after I finished. I forgot to get one before I started. I use index cards to mark each section. Within the sections I use envelopes with the flap cut off to store the coupons. The front half or so is all food coupons. The back half is all household items. Within those sections all of my categories are arranged alphabetically. In the very back I keep spare index cards, small scissors and a copy of the current Walgreens monthly book. The box is a photo storage box I picked up cheap at Michaels. This system has evolved from a smaller system I previously had. It works for me right now, but I could easily see it evolving again in the future. I'm one of those people who is always looking to make improvement in my organization systems.

Sneaky Ways to Save

I read a post today over at The Wisdom Journal about 17 Sneaky Savings Strategies. It got me to thinking about my own savings plan. While we do have some savings setup, I feel like it isn’t nearly enough.

Right now we have a portion of our pay direct deposited to a savings account at a completely different credit union then the one where our checking account is. We did this because when we have the accounts at the same institution they are linked and it is way too easy to just transfer money back over to checking whenever you “need” it. By making is slightly more difficult to spend the money we are much more conscious of when we are spending our savings.

In addition to the primary savings account, we also have some other automatic transfers setup. First is the transfer to our Christmas Club account. Second is the transfer to the in case we owe taxes account. And third is the transfer to another savings account that is linked to our checking account. This account operates as our overdraft protection account. Each of those transfers is done every pay. In addition to those, we also have a monthly transfer setup to our daughter’s 529 account. I love that these transfers are automatic. This is a great way to make sure that you pay yourself first.

You would think that with all of these automatic transfers going on I would be happy with our savings. Yet, I feel like I should be doing more to save. I think is a result of my worries about where our economy is headed. So I am still constantly looking for ways to tighten our budget and save more money. It seems like all of my cutting back recently has just opened up more spending in other areas and thus my “savings” have been consumed and not truly saved.

My plan right now is to start saving $10 a week every time I don’t get lunch out at work. I use to eat out at least once each week. I have been really good about cutting that out this year although I do still eat out periodically. So I think I will start saving that money for myself. I will start this week and let you know how I do with it when I do my October monthly summary.

Which method will you use to boost your family's savings?

Menu Planning Monday

Well, I was bad this weekend and didn't do my Sunday cooking. My daughter and I are just getting over a cold so I just wasn't up to cooking. So we have several quick and easy meals planned for this week.

This Week's Dinners:
1 - Macaroni and cheese with tuna
2 - Tuna noodle alfredo
3 - Pizza-dillas
4 - Chicken salad wraps
5 - Smoked sausage
6 - Tuscan Romano Basil Marinated Steaks
7 - Leftovers, free night

September Monthly Summary

I don't have a complete monthly summary for September because I didn't start most of my logs until late in the month. The only log that I had going for the whole month of September is my rebate log. So here are my rebate totals for September

Rebates Requested: $221.79
Rebates Received $168.83

For October I plan on also keeping a savings log. I want to see if all my time clipping, filing and sorting my coupons is worth it. I think it is, but it will be nice to have a number to go with my thoughts. I'm also keeping a log of the various "freebies" I get and the source. Hopefully this will help me determine the sources that are worth my time and those that aren't. I also like numbers so that I can track my progress.

Do you keep track of any of your savings and spendings? Do you think coupons, rebates and so forth are worth your time?

My Sleeping Angel

This photo of my sleeping angel is for the contest over at 5 Minutes For Mom to win the Lily Rose bedroom set. When I was younger (and heck, now too) I always wanted a completely matching bedroom set. So I would love for my daughter to have one.

Walgreens Today

Today I feel like I had a really good trip to Walgreens. Here's what I picked up:

Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foam $3.99
Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel (2) $7.98
Glade Plug Ins (2) $3.98
Glade Flameless Candle $5.99
Just For Men Hair Color $6.99
Sub-Total $28.93

Monthly Coupon Just For Men ($1.00)
Internet Coupon Just For Men ($2.00)
Shower Foam Coupon ($1.00)
Toilet Gel Coupons ($2.00)
Plug Ins BOGO Coupon ($1.99)
Flameless Candle Coupon ($5.00)

Total Before Tax $16.94

Rcvd Register Reward for Flamess Candle $3.00
Rebate for Just For Men $6.99
WAG Scrubbing Bubbles Rebate $4.50
WAG Plug Ins Rebate $2.00

Total $$ Back $16.49
Net Out of Pocket $0.45 + tax

Works For Me Wednesday - Teething Feeder

The item that has been a complete life saver in my house this week is the Sassy Teething Feeder. My daughter is teething and will not use a teething ring or a pacifier. Thankfully I had purchased this feeder during the summer for my daughter to eat fresh fruit with. We simply fill it with frozen fruit and she muches away. The cold fruit soothes her gums and stops her crying. This works for her when Tylenol, Motrin, Orajel and so forth does not.

Prior to the Sassy feeder we had one made by another company and I have to say that the Sassy one is much better. It comes with a lid which makes it much easier to travel with. You can also replace the mesh bags. And it comes apart for easy cleaning. We love this so much that I even bought one and gave it as part of a baby shower gift recently. I love it, love it, love it!