Toy Clearance!

I have a love of saving money, couponing, and clearance hunting! I share a lot more of that on my instagram but I thought I would share a quick tip about toy clearance here on the blog today.

Every year in July Walmart and Target clearance out a ton of toys. They are looking to make room for the new toys that will be released for Christmas and they want them out of their store, ASAP! This is great news for clearance hunters because the prices drop fast. I have been to Walmart twice in the last week and from the first trip to the second the prices had dropped substantially. Many of the toys get up to 90% off, but if you see something you really want I suggest buying it at 50% or 75% since it could sell out.

On Saturday I went and stocked up on a ton of toys. Now, I know I have no idea what my daughter will be into yet. She could not care for Frozen at all, however most of the toys I've been buying will be gifted to her before she turns two. I'm guessing that up until age 2 she will be excited for any toy (I'm also hoping for the same with clothing since I've been clearance hunting for clothes for quite some time too!)

I always grab items for the other kids I buy for and do need to go back and get some more items for them as well. I love that by buying toys on clearance I can still spend the amount I want to spend on them but get them so much more for the money! (Also I buy for 4 kids who all have birthdays in December/ January so that's 8 gifts between birthdays and Christmas- clearance shopping is the way to go!)

Here's everything I picked up during my second round of shopping. The first round I picked up some Frozen barbie dolls. (Again, if my daughter has no interest in Frozen they are something I can sell at a yard sale someday- brand new in package or I can pass them on to someone else who does like Frozen)

Both of the bigger toys were over 50% off, which was great for larger toys. I love that I can give Ellie the little seahorse for Christmas this year and will save the other toys for future birthdays and Christmases. I actually picked up the puzzle because I know a ton of people who love to do puzzles and can use it as part of a gift and the LOL surprises are for some little girls who love LOL and opening surprises. 

I am planning on going back for another round because I desperately need to stock up on boy gifts for my friend Rachel's son and my new nephew Max. I find it much more exciting to buy for the girls, but there are great deals for the boys as well. 

I haven't been to look at the Target toy clearance yet, but generally the prices are higher than Walmart but you can get good deals there too. 

Do you stock up at the toy clearance sale? I know this will be great going forward when Ellie is invited to birthday parties and we need to purchase for more kids. It's not only a great way to save money, but an awesome way to be able to gift more. I love being able to give a ton of toys to my favorite kids!

Ebates!

Have you heard of Ebates?

I think Ebates is one of the best websites I have ever been a part of and I thought I would give you a little reminder about it before Cyber Monday starts up.

Ebates is a website where you can actually earn money for shopping online. Before I order anything online I go to Ebates first and log-in that way whatever I spend online will go through Ebates and I will earn money back. (I actually have an alert bar on top of my browser that tells me if I'm on a website where I can activate Ebates which is really handy!)

You've probably seen commercials for Ebates on tv and I'm here to tell you that it's completely legit. I have received checks multiple times and it's a great way to make a little money back when you're doing your online shopping- especially during the holiday season!

To sign up- Click Here!


**This is NOT a sponsored post. I am stating my own opinions**

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

I did a pretty small haul this week for couponing, only stopping at CVS. I do plan on completing a Rite Aid haul sometime before the sales change on Sunday which will be shared in next weeks wrap-up!

My first trip to CVS consisted of...

1 Stayfree Pads 18 count @ $2.99
used $1 coupon from the newspaper
Paid $1.99 and received $1 back in ECBs

1 Pack of Venus Razors @ $9.49
used $3 coupon from the newspaper
used $3 off $10 shaving CVS coupon 
Paid $6.49 

1 Burts Bees Chapstick @ $3.29

In addition to the coupons above, I used a $4 off $20 coupon, making my coupon total $11.

I paid $5.59 out of pocket and received $1 back in ECB. Not the best deal I've ever completed, but not bad considering I wanted to buy Burts Bees for my chapstick addiction!

My second trip to CVS was just to complete my razor deal so I didn't take a picture since the razors are the same ones that I purchased above.

1 Pack of Venus Razors @ $9.49
used $3 coupon from the newspaper
used $1 in ECBs
Paid $5.49

I paid $6.15 out of pocket and received $3 in ECBs to use for next time!

This week I saved $15 just using coupons! Not bad at all!

How much did you save this week?

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

I actually went coupon shopping this week...woohoo! However, no free samples came in the mail this week. That was definitely a bummer.

At CVS...

2 Dial Handsoaps @ $2 each
used $1/2 coupon
Paid $3, received $2 back in ECB

2 Dial Body Washes @ $3 each
used $2/2 coupon
Paid $4, received $2 back in ECB

2 CVS Cotton Rounds @ $3.50 each
1 Disinfectant Wipes @ $5.49
received 30% off because of the CVS bag deal.

1 Just The Basics Paper Towel @ 79 cents
used 79 cent off CVS coupon
FREE

CVS Reusable Bag @ 99 cents
used 99 cent off CVS coupon
FREE

1 Benadryl Itch Stick @ $3.69
1 Benadryl Anti Itch Gel @ $7.99
Received $5 back in ECB

I also used $19 in ECB, and for some reason the register took off $1.50 for Hallmark cards...I'm not sure why!

I paid $11.39 out of pocket and received $9 back in ECB! Awesome!

Then at Rite Aid...

4 Crayola Chalk 12 counts @ 47 cents each

2 Maybelline Mascaras @ $7.49 each
used two $2/1 coupons, making each one $5.49
received a $5 +Up Reward for buying both

1 Wet and Wild Eyeshadow @ 99 cents
used $1 coupon
one cent Money Maker!

I paid $14.10 out of pocket and received $5 +Up for next time, not bad!


How did your couponing go this week?

I hope you have a great weekend! I'm heading off to a secret location for Rachel's Bachelorette Party this weekend, which I will update you on when I get back! =)

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

Wow, it was a busy week around here! I had a ton of deals I wanted to take part in, and I have a few that I still want to finish up…

The first thing I picked up was something un-pictured. I picked up a Lysol No Mess Max Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner at Walmart and submitted a rebate form, making it free! (Once I receive my check of course!)

Then later on Sunday I stopped in at CVS..

4 CVS Flavor Chews in Peppermint @ $1.49 each

I received $1.49 ECBs for each one, making them FREE!

2 Almay Shadows @ $4.99 each

On sale buy one get one 50% off, making them $7.48 total

used two $4/1 coupons, making them FREE!

I used a $5 ECB to cover the cost of the Flavor Chews.

I paid $1.38 in cash, and received $5.96 in ECBs!

On Monday, I decided another trip to CVS was necessary to get some amazing deals.

(sorry for the blurry pictures!)

2 Charmin 16 packs @$9.99 each
I used two $1 off 1 coupons, making each on $8.99
I also received $5 ECBs back for this purchase. 
$12.98 total, OR $6.49 a pack. (OR 20 cents a roll!)

6 CVS Flavor Chews in Peppermint @ $1.49 each, $8.49 total
I received $8.49 back in ECB, making this FREE.

2 Ban Wipes @ $3.39 each or $6.78 total
I used one FREE Ban coupon, making them both $3.39.
I submitted for a rebate to get $3.39  back, making them both FREE!

I also used my $5.96 in ECBS from my last transaction.
Then I used a $2 off $10 beauty purchase.

I paid $24.71, received $13.49 back in ECB's, I also will receive $3.39 back in rebates for the Ban. Not a bad deal!

On Tuesday I decided to check out a few deals at Walgreens.

6 Sharpies @ $1.29 each
I used an in-ad coupon, making each sharpie 39 cents
They are also on sale for b1 g1 50% off
Paid 20 cents a piece or $1.20 total!

2 Ziploc Bags @ $2.50 each, $5 total.
used $1 off 2 coupon
I received $1 back in Register Rewards
$3 total, $1.50 each!

I paid $5.92, and will have $1 to spend next time!

On Thursday I decided to take a trip to some stores that are a little bit further away...

At Target I picked up:

Method Hand Wash @ $3.19
5% off with Target Cartwheel, final price: $3.03

2 Apple Cinnamon Cheerios @ $2.99 each, $5.98 total
used $1 off 2 boxes,final price $2.49 each, $4.98 total.

2 Reddi Wip @ $1.99 each
15% off with Target Cartwheel, making them $1.69 each.
used two $1 coupons, making the final price 60 cents each!

Horizon Milk @ $3.99

Paid $12.59 for 6 items, not bad!

Then I went to Staples...

Bic Matic Grip Pencils $1.50
Multipurpose Paper $7.99
used coupon for $3.99 off

I paid $5.89 total…but I will submit for rebates on both these items, making them completely free!

Then it was time to head to Harbor Freight Tools...

This flashlight was $6.99 originally
The sale price was $1.99
I used a coupon for a free item, I PAID NOTHING!


Then I quickly stopped in Walgreens for an AMAZING deal!

Morton Epson Lotion @ $8.99

This was on sale for $6

I paid $6.42 out of pocket, but then received $6 back in Register Rewards. 

This product, after Register Rewards was 42 cents! AHHHH-MAZ-ING!

How was your couponing this week?!

How To Save Money: How To Make a Couponing Shopping List

Although I spend a lot more time making my shopping lists now that I coupon regularly, I enjoy spending the extra time because I end up saving so much!

When I first started couponing I had no idea where to start, I knew i wanted to save money but I wasn't sure how I would manage to save enough to make it work. So I visited The Krazy Coupon Lady website. Low and behold, they do all the work for you over there! 

Now, on Saturday or Sunday I usually head over to their website and see what they are going to be shopping for that week by clicking "Deals" and then clicking "Let's Shop". I use their shopping list as a guide, picking and choosing the deals that make sense for me to pick up. Just because something is free doesn't mean you need to get it. Also, just because you don't need something free doesn't mean that you shouldn't pick it up and gift it to someone else. 

When I make my lists they usually look something like this:

Walgreens

1 Morton Epsom lotion 8 oz $6

get $6 RR

6 Sharpie Permanent Markers 39 cents each

use ad-in coupon

final price $1.17

2 ziploc bags 20 count $2.50 each

use $1/2 coupons

pay $4 get $1 RR

I make sure that I have a general idea of what I'm getting before I head into the store. I also clip all of the coupons that I plan on using to my list and make sure that I'm ready to go before I walk in the building. 

Now, after I do my initial shopping I generally find other deals that I want to complete as the week goes on. I usually find these deals at The Krazy Coupon Lady, or on youtube at CouponToProvide or HipToSave. Those are my favorites to check out right now and they often have a few deals that I hadn't heard of or thought of!

So that's how I make my Couponing Shopping Lists, I hope that it helps you start yours! Next week I will be sharing information about Couponing Apps!

How To Save Money: How To Store Coupons

Welcome back to my How To Save Money Series!

Today I'm going to be sharing with you a couple ways to store all the coupons you gathered last week. Now first let me tell you that I don't discriminate between coupons, I keep pretty much every coupon that comes my way just in case. The only coupons I don't keep are for restaurants or stores that are nowhere near me and I will not be going to. Otherwise, I hold onto every last coupon that I find.

I have shared before how I organize my own personal coupons, so let's start with that.

The Binder Method

Once upon a time, I shared this post where I described and showed how I organize all my coupons.

I chose to use the clip right away method. I clip my coupons as soon as I get them and I find that it works better for me. I like that all my coupons are sorted by category and everything is ready to go when I make my shopping list. I don't have to worry about clipping after I make my list and finding all the coupons inside stored inserts. There are a lot of benefits to this method, however lets talk about another way.

The Insert Method

During this method, there is no clipping unless you are actually going to use a coupon.

source

I do see the beauty in this method, it saves you time to be able to just store all your inserts and then clip those coupons only when you find that amazing deal. I think this definitely works if you're someone short on time and you only are getting your deals from other websites. If you plan on making your own deals it will be hard to know exactly what coupons you have unless you flip through each and every insert. 

You could potentially use a binder to hold each of your inserts, just to keep them all together. I have also seen people use a file box to hold all their inserts, and of course people who just stack them up by date on an office shelf, to each their own!

Either of these methods will keep you organized and ready to get some great deals, but you have to get started making your own organization system right now!

Next Wednesday I'll be sharing how to plan your couponing trip and make your shopping list, see you then!

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

It's Friday everybody! Woohoo!

This week in couponing, I didn't do a ton- but I got a few free items which is always a great thing.

First stop was Bath and Body Works, I had another coupon to get a free soap so I chose one of my favorite scents, Caribbean Escape.

This soap is $6.50 originally, meaning I saved $6.50 getting it for free.

I popped into Macy's to get my free sample of Origins Vitazing. I've always been interested to try Origins products so I'm really excited to see how this works for my skin.

At Target I purchased a 7th Generation Dish Liquid @ $4.76
I used $1/1 manufacturer coupon, $1/1 target coupon, and 10% off Target cartwheel coupon.
I also received 50 cents back from Ibotta.
Amazing Deal!

At Walmart I had a few money makers I wanted to get so I would be able to get something I needed for  really cheap!

Schar Wafers @ $1.64
used $3/1 coupon
$1.36 Money Maker!

2 Zest Soaps @ 97 cents a piece
used $1/1 coupons
6 cent Money Maker!

Lint Roller @ $2.88

I ended up paying $1.80 for everything, less then the lint roller would have cost if I bought it alone, which is why couponing is so amazing!

How did your couponing go this week?

Weekly Couponing Wrapup!

Hey everybody! Wow, what a great week for couponing!

On Saturday night, I was waiting for a friend to get home in Warwick so I ran into AC Moore thinking I would just look around. I managed to find some great deals!

Yarn for a future baby blanket @ $6
On sale from $9.99

9 Scrapbooking sticker pages @ $1 each
On sale from various prices such as $2.33, $1.66, $1.99 etc..

16x20 picture frame @ $12

Not bad, for some things I will definitely be using!


I started out on Sunday with CVS where I purchased…

2 Crest Be Vanilla Mint toothpastes @ $4.99 each
I used 2 $1 off 1 coupons to make each one $3.99, or $7.98 total.
I received $4 ECB for each one, $8 ECB total. 
Which made this a 2 cent money maker!

6 Purex laundry detergents @ $6 each, or $36 total
They were on sale Buy 1 Get 2 Free, making them $12
I used a $2 off 2 coupon, and a $1.50 off 2 coupon, making them $8.50 total, or $1.41 each.
I also applied this towards my Savingstar deal (Buy $20, get $5 back)
Meaning, I spent $8.50 and I'm getting $5 back…which makes these $3.50 total OR 58 cents a piece. AMAZING!

I purchased two local newspapers but was not charged for them which I feel so guilty about, but didn't notice until I got home!

2 Eucerin lotions @ $1.27 each
I thought that these would be part of the Eucerin sale but they didn't work which was really disappointing.

I also used a $4 off $20 purchase coupon.

I paid $16.46 out of pocket, got $8 back in ECBs, and will be getting back $5 through Savingstar!

Then I went to Walmart where I was disappointed by the lack of selection...

2 Welch's Guava Pineapple juice @ $2 each

1 Aquarium Gravel @ $1.98

1 Rimmel Nailpolish @ $1.50
I used a $1 off coupon, making this 50 cents!

I paid $7 out of pocket for those items which is pretty good!


Then at Rite Aid…

1 Sure Deodorant @ $1.50
I used $1 off one coupon, making it 50 cents.
I received 50 cents in UpRewards, making it FREE!

1 Mucinex Allergy 5 count @ $7.50
I used a $5 off one coupon, making it $2.50
I also used a $2 Rite Aid coupon, making it 50 cents.
I am submitting for a $2.50 rebate, making it a $2 MoneyMaker!

2 Stride Gum @ $1 each, $2 total.
I used a 25 cent Rite Aid Coupon, making it $1.75.
I received a $1 UpReward, making it 75 cents!

1 Renuzit Cone @ $1.19
With Savingstar this week, I'm saving 100% on this item.
Making it FREE!

I also rounded up to the nearest dollar to donate to children's charities (21 cents)

I paid $5, but will be getting money back through Savingstar and the Mucinex Rebate, which is an excellent deal!


I also went to Stop and Shop and did two transactions…

Bananas @ $1.39 (39 cents a pound!)

Honey Ham @ $7.68

Finish Dishwasher Tablets @ $4.69
I will be applying for a rebate, getting this all back- making it FREE!

4 Apple Cinnamon Cheerios @ $3.99 each, $15.96 total
I used two $1 coupons, making this $13.96 total. 
(Not the best deal but I REALLY needed cereal!)

Lysol power and free wipes @ $3.50
I will be applying for a rebate, for $3, making this 50 cents!


How did you do this week?!

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

I have been getting SO many great deals lately. Soon, I will be doing a series here on the blog on how to save money with different tips about all the couponing apps I use, as well as how to save on specific items and at specific stores. However, for now I will just share some deals that I have done in the past week.

On Tuesday I went to both Walmart and Staples. I didn't take any "haul" pictures, however here is what I picked up:

10 Rolls of double sided tape for 97 cents each (AMAZING deal!)

Baby shampoo to clean my makeup brushes @ $1.50 each

Burts Bees 4 pack @ $9.97

Loofa @ $2

Mouthwash @$3.97

Wrapping paper @ $3.97 each

Step Stool @ $16.94

Bra Washing Bag @ $1.17

Packing Tape @ $1.88

Burnable DVDs @ $15.97

DVD cases @ $6.97

Cotton rounds @ $2.04

I didn't use any coupons on this trip, however I was excited by the low prices, gotta love Walmart!

At Staples:

5 Scotch washi tapes @ $2 each

2 Martha Stewart bookplate labels @ $4.99 each

Sustainable Earth hanging files @$11.79

Not cheap, but all things I needed!

On Wednesday I stopped by Bath and Body Works to pick up a few items. 

I bought the three new lotions from the brand new Hawaii collection. They were on sale 3 for $12. I also picked up an antibacterial hand sanitizer for $1.75. My total was $13.75 plus tax.

Lucky for me, I had a couple coupons!

I used a 20% off coupon and a coupon for a free hand sanitizer! My total was $10.27 which I think was a great deal!

Later on Wednesday night I did a little couponing at Walgreens and CVS.

At Walgreens:

I picked up…
9 Sinful Nail colors at 99 cents a piece (on sale from $1.99!!!)
2 packages of Lysol wipes on sale 2/$4
and 2 Suave conditioners on sale 2/$2.99.

I used two manufacture coupons for $1.50 off each Suave conditioner, meaning that I picked up those Suave conditioners for free!

My total was $17.21, and I earned 2700 reward points! I probably could have gotten the total down lower with other coupons, but considering I will use all these items, it is a pretty good deal!

(Oh, and those nail polishes aren't for me…you'll see what they're for later in the year!)

At CVS:

I bought…
1 M&Ms Birthday Cake at 75 cents (earning 75 cents back in ECB…FREEBIE)
3 M&Ms Pretzels at Buy 2 get 1 free. (Making all 3 $2 total!)
7 Hallmark Cards @ $1.99 each, which totaled $13.93.

I used two CVS coupons…
The first was Buy 3 Hallmark cards, get one free. The limit on this coupon was $2.50. Despite the fact that I didn't spend $2.50 on any of the cards individually my cashier still took $2.50 off- SCORE!
The second coupon was for $1.50 off three cards.

My total for the 7 Hallmark cards ended up being $9.93, or $1.41 each. Not bad for a bunch of blank cards that I will definitely use in the future.

My total for my CVS purchase was $13.46, which wasn't bad at all!

Also this past week I placed several orders online.

I purchased 151 prints for free on Shutterfly. I used points on Mycokerewards.com to get 50 prints free, and then on top of that they had a deal for 101 free prints. I placed two orders and just paid shipping on each of them.
Printing pictures is really important to me, however I don't like to shell out a ton of money which is why I always wait for one of these deals to pop up OR I use my points to buy myself free prints.

I also purchased some things on Aerie.com during their sale. (Including a not on sale bathing suit top….whoops). I always wait until the underwear is on sale 7 for $26.50.

On top of all those purchases, I used my points on Birchbox in order to get a free item! There was free shipping on this item as well, which I was so excited about. I'm sure you will be hearing more about this soon- I plan on doing a few product reviews soon!

Overall, I ended up saving….
$6.01 at CVS
$16.98 at Walgreens
$3.48 at Bath and Body Works
$22.65 at Shutterfly
$15 plus shipping at Birchbox
$26 at Aerie

For a grand total of: $90.12 saved!


How much did you save this week? Did you complete any coupon deals?

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

Man this time of year is so full with coupons and sales and it's unbelievable! I could totally become one of those hoarder ladies with all the things that can be picked up for super cheap or free!

On Saturday, Bath and Body Works hosted their first ever Buy 3 get 3 Free deal in stores. I wasn't going to go..until I saw a deal on TheKrazyCouponLady.Com that made me want to go! Although the deal didn't work quite as well as I thought it would, it was still awesome and I'm glad that I stopped in there.

Yes, I walked out of there with two bags...one of them being HUGE. I was that girl.
I purchased...

3 Merry Cookie candles @ $10 a piece
3 Tis The Season candles @ $10 a piece
1 Amber Glow shower gel- FREE with coupon!

I used a coupon found online for a free item with a $10 or more purchase, getting me a shower gel for free!

I spent a little over $60 for all these items...I thought they would have been $30, but they charged the normal amount ($20 a piece) instead of the usual sale price of $10 a piece. So each one ended up being $10...$60 for candles instead of $120...I'm okay with that =)

On Sunday, I needed to pick up a few items for my Buffalo Chicken Dip, so I made a list of things that I wanted to buy and found a ton of coupons online and set off to do a big shopping trip.

At Walmart I purchased...

2 Bertolli Meals @ $6.48 each
3 Apple Cinnamon Cheerios @ $2.98 each
2 Great Value Cream Cheese @ $1.76 each
4 Great Value Chunk Chicken @ 98 cents each
4 Wonka Pixistick Candy Canes @ $2 each
1 Kraft Cheddar Cheese @ $3.58
1 Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips @ $2.98 each

I used...
$1 off 2 Wonka Candy Canes coupon, found on coupons.com
$1 off 2 Wonka Candy Canes coupon, found on coupons.com
$1 off 3 Cheerios, from newspaper.

Spent $43.62, saved $3. Not great, but every little saved helps.

At Stop and Shop I purchased...

Stamps and a Gift Card =) A girl can't have coupons for everything!

At CVS I purchased...

3 Pretzel M&M's (My dad had already stolen one at this point...) Buy 2 get 1 free @ $1 a piece
1 Macadamia Deep Repair Masque @ $35.99
1 QTips @ $5.29
2 Hershey Kisses @$3 each

I used...

$1.10 off two bags of Hershey Kisses coupon, found on coupons.com
Buy 1 get 1 Free Pretzel M&M's coupon, found on coupons.com.
20% off purchase CVS coupon (mailed to me) for $8.86 off.

$20 in ECB (the cashier accidentally scanned one of my $5 ECB twice and told me not to worry about it..gotta love a good cashier!

I spent $21.77, and saved $33.79! I also received $3 back in ECB to use next time!

Since I'm all done with my Christmas shopping, I'm not looking to get great deals on gifts, but can't help pass up some great deals offered this time of year! It's always helpful to stock up! Also, I plan on hitting the after-Christmas sales where Christmas decor and wrapping supplies are always on super sale. If you've never been- I highly recommend it. NEVER pay full price for wrapping paper!

That's it for couponing this week! See you next week!

Weekly Couponing Wrapup!

I know I posted a couponing wrap-up earlier this week but I did go back and get a few more deals this week that I wanted to share with you.

On Tuesday, I went back to CVS to get whatever freebie deals I could take part in!

2 Starbucks drinks @ $3, received $3 ECB back= FREE

Gum @ $1, received $1 ECB back= FREE

Somnapure @ $1.99, received $1.99 ECB back= FREE

CVS Anti Diarrea @ $4, received $4 ECB back= FREE

Gillette Venus Razor @ $7.39, used $1 coupon, received $5 ECB back= $1.39

I used $13.60 in ECB, and donated a dollar to St. Jude's Hospital during this transaction. I paid $4.73 out of my pocket and got $14.99 back in ECB's to use next time!

I also got this adorable pillow from the Target Dollar Section for only $3 on Wednesday! So cute and so cheap!

I've also been doing quite a bit of online shopping to get some presents done. Here are some online deals I've taken advantage of...

Cabelas FREE shipping on gift cards.
Diamond Candles FREE shipping on $50 or more
Avon FREE shipping on $30 or more
Amazon Coupon code: BOOKDEAL on books that I purchased
Bath and Body Works 20% off coupon, 6 for $20 soaps, Buy 3 get 3 free lotions/shower gels, and 2 for $22 candles

Happy couponing everyone!

Couponing Wrapup!

My couponing wrapup is coming to you guys a little early this week simply because these deals are only good through Wednesday! I want to make sure you can take advantage of them- because they are great deals!

Here's what happened at CVS:

I went in CVS to pick up one item and quickly realized it was my lucky day because there was an entire table of free items in the front of the store!

I bought:

Hershey Chocolate Bar @ $1.55
CVS Pantyliner 20 count @ 99 cents
Orbit Gum @ $1
2 Toothbrush sets @ $4 total
Colgate Toothpaste @ $3
Glade Oil Base Warmer @ $1.25
CVS wipes @ 99 cents
Total Home Laundry Detergent @ $1.79
Just the Basics Paper Towels @ $1
Stay Free Pads @ $4.19

Pre-coupon Total: $19.76 + tax

I used a $5 ECB
$2.50 off Colgate CVS coupon (making the toothpaste 50 cents)
25% off CVS coupon, taking 78 cents off (because it only works for full priced items)

This brought my price down to $11.65 (including tax)

Then I received my ECB...
79 cents for the Hershey chocolate bar
$1.25 for the Glade
$4 for the toothbrushes
$1.79 for the laundry detergent
99 cents for the pantyliners
99 cents for the wipes
$1 for the orbit gum
$1 for the paper towels

$11.81 in ECB

I paid $11.65 and got back $11.81 to spend next time...? Awesome!!!!

I will be heading back to CVS to pick up the rest of the items they have listed for free that I didn't pick up this time. Why not if it's free?

Get over to CVS and Have a great day everybody!

Weekly Couponing Wrapup!

This weeks couponing haul, again comes from CVS, my favorite store!

1 Owl Candle Holder, regularly $4.99, on sale for $2.49
1 Leaf Candle, regularly $6.99, on sale for $3.49
1 Pepsi, regularly $1.99, on sale for $0.89
1 Paper Towels, regularly $1.19, on sale for $0.79, used 79 cents off coupon, = FREE
1 Gillette Shave Gel $2.27.  (thought I would be getting $3ECB back..but didn't....)
2 Burts Bees Chapstick $3.29 each

In addition to the paper towel coupon, I used $7 in ECBs, making my total $9.46!

Not bad at all!

and how could you say no to these decorative items at 50% off?!

I love them, and definitely need to beef up my fall decor for when I have my own home someday, and at 50% off prices, I definitely can't say no!

How did you do couponing this week? Planning any big Christmas couponing?

I hopefully will have some Christmas deals for you soon, I am getting excited for the holiday season and want to make sure it's an affordable one!

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

Happy November!

Wow, I can't believe today is the first day of November- we're almost in that holiday season again! That means that it's time to really focus on saving money so I have some extra money for Christmas gifts!

I also have started ordering some Christmas presents online and plan to use coupons as often as possible in order to keep my Christmas gift costs low.

So this week here is what happened:

I placed three orders on Shutterfly. I had two user-specific codes for 50 free prints (received from mycokerewards.com). The third order was for 101 free prints with a user-wide promo code that I shared with you on Wednesday.

Shutterfly total saved: $30.15

I also used a promo code at Kohls.com.

Kohls total saved: $15

I also went to CVS to do a little couponing haul this week.

I purchased:

2 Charmin Ultra Soft 4 packs @ $3.79 each
2 Purex Laundry detergents @ $3.50 each
1 Listerene Mouthwash @ $3.99
2 Covergirl Mascaras @ $7.50 each
1 Always Infiniti Pads @ $5.49

I used:

$1/1 Always Infiniti- making it $4.49
$1.50/2 Purex, making them $5.50 total
$4.50/2 Covergirl, making them $10.50 total
(2) $1/1 Charmin, making them $5.58 total
$2/1 Listerene, making it $1.99

I also used a CVS coupon for $4 off a $12 cosmetics purchase, making the $10.50 mascara total come down to $6.50!

My total was $26.51, and I saved $26.76 total at CVS this week!

My total savings for the week is $71.91!

How did your couponing go this week?

Cheap Literary Character Halloween Costumes!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you are reading this after having a fabulous weekend. It was definitely an exciting weekend around here complete with two Halloween parties and lots of sports-watching and cheering on my New England teams!

I didn't plan the theme of my Halloween costumes this year, I honestly decided what I was being as I went along through the weekend, but I ended up being two literary characters and didn't spend a single cent on either of my costumes! I thought I would share them on here since I try to do couponing posts and save you some money if I can- so now I will show you how you can create both of these costumes for basically no money out of your pocket!

On Friday night I had a Halloween party and my group of friends was going to be attending the party as Harry Potter characters. Since I have blonde hair, I decided to go as Luna Lovegood.

For this costume I collected a few items that I already had around my house...

-A black graduation robe
-A Harry Potter collectible wand
-A gray sweater
-Black pants
-Sneakers
-A magazine

This costume would work for any character from Hogwarts/Harry Potter. In order to make it seem more like Luna- I took a recent issue of Cosmo and taped a "Quibbler" cover page that I found on google images. I made sure to tape it upside down because if you've read the books or seen the Harry Potter movies, you know that Luna is seen reading her fathers magazine upside down!

I also curled my hair for the party since Luna's hair is never completely straight. Plus why not curl your hair when you are given the occasion? =)

I had a great time at the party and definitely enjoyed being in a warm, comfortable costume! This costume was so easy to put together and was definitely recognizable. I highly recommend dressing like a Harry Potter character if you're looking for a quick, easy and cheap Halloween costume!

On Saturday night I decided to dress up as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.

My first step was to watch a youtube tutorial and learn how to do Katniss's well-known braid.

Although I had to try three times in order to get it to a place where it looked okay, it really wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I started off with a dutch (or reverse) braid off to the left side of my head and then began adding pieces of hair into each side of the braid. Once all the hair was part of the braid, I just continued it and pulled it to the right side of my head.

I am no hair expert, but I think it turned out pretty well! If you are interested in doing this hairstyle, I highly recommend this youtube tutorial!

For my outfit, I wore a black t-shirt, my black North Face jacket (to resemble Katniss's windbreaker), gray baggy pants, and black boots.

I'm also extremely lucky to have a handy and crafty father who helped me make a bow and quiver. We used a packing tube and taped off the bottom so I could put an arrow inside (my brother gave me an old arrow that no longer has a point). He used some rope and a leftover plank of wood to make my bow (which actually worked!).

I'm sure you have something around your house you could use to make these items!

There's no reason to spend a ton of money on Halloween costumes! You can easily make a costume from things around your house and save a ton of money in the process!

What were you for Halloween this year?!