Monday, July 27, 2009

CVS Deals - 7/25-8/1/09

If you're planning to hit CVS this week, I definitely recommend that you do it by Tuesday evening to get in on the three-day sale, which looks amazing! Thanks MoneySavingMom for your help!

******3-Day Sale--Deals Good Through July 28, 2009 Only******
Buy 1 Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste or 360 Toothbrush at $2.88, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 coupon here or $1/1 coupon from the 7/12 SmartSource insert
Free plus overage after ECBs

Neutrogena Cosmetics--on sale Buy One, Get One Free
*Deal*
Buy 2 Neutrogena Products at $3.49 each
Use 2 $3 coupons from the 6/21 RedPlum insert or the August All You magazine
Free plus possible overage after coupons and sale

Buy 1 Caliber 100-Page Composition Book at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Caliber Pencil or Index Card Case at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 package CVS Erasers, Push Pins, or Binder Clips at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Pilot Easytouch Pens (2-Pack) at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Swingline Tot Stapler or Caliber Sticky Notes (2-pack) at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 2)
Free after ECBs

******WEEKLY ECB DEALS******
Buy 1 CVS Tampons at $1.89, Get $1.89 ECBs (Limit 1)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Aussie or Herbal Essence Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styler at $2.99, Get $1 ECB (Limit 1)
*Deal Idea*
Buy 1 Styler and 1 Shampoo or Conditioner
Use B1G1 coupon from the 7/26 RedPlum insert and $1/1 coupon from the 7/5 P&G insert
$0.50 each after coupons and ECB

Buy 3 Kashi products at $3.33 each, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)
Buy 3 and use 3 $1.50/1 printables here, here, here or here
$0.17 each after coupons and ECBs

Buy 2 Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent at $3.50 each, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 3)
Use 2 $1/1 printable coupons
$1.50 each after coupons and ECBs

******NON-ECB DEALS******
Bic Triumph Pens (2-4 packs)--On sale Buy One, Get One Free (2 for $3.99)
Buy two and use 2 $2/1 coupon here
Free after coupons and sale

******MONTHLY ECB DEALS FOR JULY******
Buy 1 Bayer Contour or Breeze 2 Glucose Meter at $19.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use up to $30/1 coupon in the 3/22 SmartSource or 3/1 RedPlum inserts
Free plus overage after coupon and ECBs


If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Monday, July 20, 2009

McCafe Monday!




Stop by any McDonald's location today (Monday, July 20, 2009) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m at participating locations to get a free Iced Mocha or Hot Mocha. More details here.

Easiest way to know if your store is participating? It'll have a huge banner on it's roof saying "McCafe Monday!" lol ;-)
If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Simple Savings: Matinees

Matinees
The simplest way to save on movies is simply to go early enough that you still qualify for matinee rates!  The times of course, depend on the movie theater you wish to attend.

Bulk Tickets
Some theater chains sell tickets in bulk packs at a reduced price!  Using AMC as an example, you can purchase tickets here.  With these you have to be careful though! Gold tickets are good any time, but silver tickets aren't good for special engagements, and not within the first week a movie comes out.

Cheap Summer Movies for Kids
Many chains offer cheap summer movies for kids.  These are generally movies that have been out for some time, but the ticket is free or cheap.  Don't expect the savings to reach out to concessions though.  Again, using AMC as an example, information is here.

Now, I'm off to catch a matinee of the Johnny Depp movie.  Have a good weekend!
~Katharine

If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Friday, July 10, 2009

Mega-Shopping Trip!

Wow, I haven't done a trip like this in ages! I hit CVS, Walgreens, Target, and Stop and Shop in under 2hrs (including travel time)!! Now that I'm finished bragging, let's cut to the chase:

CVS
3 - Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal (to donate, I kind of think they're yucky) @ 3/$10 w/$5ecb
Used: 3 $2/1 coupons here and $3.98ecb
Total: $0.02oop and $5ecb back (a $1 MM)

Walgreens
2 - Keebler Pecan Sandies @ 4/$10 w/$5RR
2 - Keebler Fudge Strip cookies @ 4/$10 w/$5RR
2 - caramel candies from the counter @ $0.33each
Used: 1 $1/1 Pecan Sandies coupon (no longer available), 2 $1/1 Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies coupon here, 1 $0.55/1 any Keebler cookie coupon here, and $6RR from Listerine
Total: $1.11oop (funny, I paid more for the caramels--in cash--than I did for 4 boxes of cookies! $0.45 vs. $0.66 in favor of the caramels)

Target
Transaction #1:
2 - Kashi Heart 2 Heart cereal @ $2.66each
1 - Renu contact solution travel size @ $1.52
Used: 1 BOGO TQ here, 2 $1.50/1 Kashi coupon here, and 1 $1/1 Renu any size coupon here
Total: $0.18oop
Transaction #2:
2 - Edge Advanced Shave Gel @$1.90each
2 - Rayovac batteries @ $1each
1 - Crystal Light on the go drink mix, 3ct @ $0.99
Used: 2 $1/1 Edge shave gel, 2 $1/1 Edge or Skintimate Target peelies, 2 $1/1 Rayovac
Total: $0.78oop
(fyi: I f-ed myself in this one, forgot about the overage on the shave gel)
Transaction #3:
Repeated #1
Target Total: $1.14

Stop and Shop
2 - Special K Blueberry @$1.67each
Used: 2 $1/1 Special K Blueberry coupon here and 2 byo-shopping bag discounts (-$0.10)
Total: $1.24

All of these deals are good to be re-created tomorrow, should anyone wish to attempt!
In conclusion, my total was $3.49oop for 9 boxes of cereal (5 of which I'm keeping), 4 boxes of cookies, 2 shave gels, 2 contact solutions, 2 batteries, and 1 Crystal Light! My goal is to keep the cereal on average $0.50/box, which I totally accomplished, even excluding the boxes I gave away!
If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Go Green-->Go Frugal

I will always remember my first real summer job--I was a camp counselor at a city camp for children with special needs and all of 18 years old. The main reason why it stays with me is that the kids in my group were so inspirational and funny--to be honest I've never met any other group of people with such a sincere enjoyment of what life has to offer. But the less emotional reason is that it represented a turning point: it was the first job that I actually had to drive to myself and with another person who worked there (luckily, it was my sister, yay!).

The responsibility of getting ourselves to work is something we've all learned to deal with, whether we drive, take public transportation, or telecommute. Most of these options are seldom rewarding, though, and all seem to take just a little more of our hard-earned money our of our pockets than we'd like. There is, however, a way to get a little bit back!

After surfing the big, white waves of the internet, I found NuRide--a website that lets you earn points for every carpool, telecommute, or use of public transportation you take and exchange those points for great rewards! At first I was a little suspicious, since the fastest way to earn points is referring people, it seemed a little like an environmentally-friendly Ponzi-scheme. Happily, this did not prove to be the case. They offer seriously great rewards, like Dunkin' Donuts gift certificates and free tickets to local amusement parks or baseballs games (donated by local sponsers, so offerings vary)! Best of all, they don't spam you or sell your email address; in fact, the only piece of mail I've gotten from them was my DD gift certificate, lol!

This is a great way to go green and get back some of the money you spend commuting in the process. Think: driving yourself through rush hour traffic while drinking expensive coffee or going green while enjoying a free breakfast? Don't over-think it ;-)


If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Target Deals - 7/5-7/11

An amazing week, so definitely try to get out there and work these deals! Target is something of a challenge for me, mostly because each of the cashiers enforce the rules differently (some allow overage applied to your total, some adjust the coupons down, others don't accept coupons that create overage, etc), but the possible deals are so worth the experimentation. :-)

*****WEEKLY DEALS*****

Degree for Women Fine Fragrances Deodorant and Body Mist--$3.29
*Deal Idea*
Buy 1 Degree Fine Fragrance deodorant
Buy 1 Degree Fine Fragrance body mist
Use 1 $1.25/1 Degree coupon from the 5/17 RedPlum insert
Use B1G1 coupon from the 6/28 RedPlum insert
Plus, use 2 $2/1 Target printable coupons here
Free plus possible overage after coupons (Thanks, Saving with Shellie!)

Kashi Cereal (GoLean Crunch, Heart to Heart, & others)--$2.66
Use $0.50/1 Target printable coupon or B1G1 Target printable coupon
Stack with $1.50/1 Kashi Cereal or TLC Bars (IE or FF) or $1.50/1 when you sign up here
Free to $0.66 each
*Deal Idea*
Buy 1 Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal (10 oz.) at $2.66
Buy 1 Kashi Cereal (any kind) at $2.66
Use 2 $1.50/1 printable coupons listed above
Use 1 $0.50/1 Target printable coupon
Use 1 B1G1 Target printable coupon
Free plus possible overage after coupons!

Kashi Waffles--priced at $1.99 to $2.50 at most stores
Use $0.25/1 Target printable coupon
Use $1.50/1 Kashi waffle coupon here or here
$0.29 to $0.79 per box of waffles

Kashi Crackers (10 oz.)--$2.50
Buy 2 and use $1/2 Target printable coupon
Stack with 2 $1.50/1 coupons you can print when you sign up here
$0.50 each after coupons

Kashi Trail Mix Bars (6 count)--$2.50
Buy 2 and use $1/2 Target printable coupon
Stack with 2 $1.50/1 Kashi Cereal Bars or 2 $1.50/1 Kashi Cereal or TLC Bars (IE or FF)
$0.50 each after coupons

Eggo Bakeshop products--$1.50
Use $1/1 coupons here or here
$0.50 each after coupon

*****ONGOING DEALS******
Pace Specialty Salsa--$2.09 each
Stack with the $2/1 or $1/1 in 4/26 Smart Source insert
$0.09-$1.09 after coupons

Renu contact solution (travel size)--$1.52
Use $1/1 coupon here
$0.52 after coupon

Rayovac Batteries (2-4 ct.)--found in the $1 spot at Target
Use $1/1 coupon from 6/21 SmartSource insert
Free after coupon

Nexcare bandages (travel size)--$0.99
Use the $1/1 coupon here
Free after coupon

Cottonelle wipes (travel size)--$0.99
Use $1/1 coupon from the 06/07 SmartSource insert
Free after coupon

Joint Juice (single serve bottles)--$1
Buy 2 and use B1G1 coupon and $1/1 coupon here or from the 4/26 SmartSource insert
Get two free after coupons

Banana Boat Sunscreen (trial size)--$0.99
Use $1/1 in 5/3 SmartSource insert
Free after coupon (Thanks, NWA Deals!)

AXE Shower Gel (trial size)--$0.97
Use $1/1 coupon from the 4/5 RedPlum coupon insert
Free after coupon

Johnson's Soap Buddies--$1
Use $1/1 coupon from the 3/8 or 4/26 RedPlum insert
Free after coupon

A1 Steak Sauce (small bottles)--$2.09
Use $2/1 from the 5/10 SmartSource insert or here
$0.09 after coupon

Single Serve Cups of Edy’s Ice cream--$1.19 each
Use $1/1 Target printable coupon
$0.19 each after coupon

Bounty Basic Paper towels (single roll)--$0.99
Use $0.25/1 manufacturer's coupon in 6/7 P&G insert
Stack with $0.50/1 Target coupon from the 6/21 Smartsource insert
$0.24 per roll after coupons (Thanks, Mercedes!)

Dry Idea Deodorant--$2.49
Use $2/1 coupon here
$0.49 after coupon

Dawn Pure Essentials Soap--$2.49
Use $1.50/1 in the 6/7 P&G insert
Stack with the $0.50/1 Target coupon in 6/21 SmartSource insert
$0.49 after coupons (Thanks, My Frugal Adventures!)

Bare by Solo Cups (24 ct) and Plates (15 ct.)--on sale for $1.50/each
Use $1/1 printable coupon or $0.75/1 printable coupon
$0.50-$0.75 each after coupon


If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Monday, July 6, 2009

Walgreens Deals - 7/5-7/11

Not a good week, but as I had $12RR that were about to expire, I rolled $6 into the Listerine deal and spent the rest...actually none of these deals are good to roll. I'd recommend getting in, refreshing your RR, and sitting it out the rest of the week :-(

***WEEKLY DEALS***

Mars Chocolate Singles Bars--$0.89 after in-ad coupon (regularly priced at $0.89 each)
Buy 1 and use 1 free coupon from the Free Chocolate Fridays promotion
Then give the in-ad coupon
Get one bar free plus possible overage

Goody Ouchless Flex Hair Accessories--$3.99
Use $1/1 coupon here
Get a full-price mail-in rebate which will print as a Catalina coupon when you check out
Free plus small money-maker after coupon and full rebate

Starbucks ice cream (pints)--on sale Buy One, Get One Free (2 for $4.79)
Buy 2 and use 2 $2/1 coupons from the 6/21 SmartSource insert (or 2 $1/1 printable coupons)
$0.40 each after the coupons

24-pack of Nestle Bottled Water--$3.99 after in-ad coupon
Use $1/1 printable coupon
$2.99 after coupons

***WEEKLY REGISTER REWARDS DEALS***
Buy 4 packages of Keebler Cookies or Crackers at $2.50 each, Get $5 Register Rewards
Use 2 $1/2 Keebler cookies printable coupons
$0.75 each after coupons and Register Rewards

Buy 4 Glide Floss at $2.50 each, Get $3 Register Rewards
Use $1/1 coupons in the 6/7 P&G insert
$0.75 each after coupons and Register Rewards

Buy $10 worth of CoverGirl cosmetics, Get $3 Register Rewards
There are $1/1 and $2/2 coupons in the 6/7 P&G inserts as well as the 6/28 Parade Magazine
These could possibly be as low as $1.25 per product after the coupons and Register Rewards

***MONTHLY REGISTER REWARDS DEALS***
Buy 2 Dove Antiperspirant Ultra Clear or Body Mist Products, Get $2 Register Rewards
*Deal Idea*
Buy 2 Dove Travel Size Deodorants at $0.99 each
Buy 2 Dove Body Mists at $4.49 each
Use 2 "Free Body Mist When You Buy Dove Deodorant" coupons from the 6/28 RedPlum insert
Use 1 $1.50/2 Dove Deodorant coupons from the 6/7 RedPlum insert
Spend $0.48 plus tax out of pocket, Get $2 Register Rewards

Buy 3 Listerine (500ml) Reach Ultraclean Toothbrush, or Reach Ultraclean Floss at $3 each, Get $3 Register Rewards
Buy 3 and use 3 $2/1 coupons here (use zip code 33013 for a $2/1, some only show a $1/1 coupon)
Free after coupons and Register Rewards


If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Sunday, July 5, 2009

CVS Deals - 7/5-7-11

******WEEKLY ECB DEALS******
Buy 3 Post Trail Mix Crunch cereals (on sale 3 for $10), Get a $5 ECB (Limit 1)
Use 3 $2/1 Post Trail Mix Crunch coupons--you should be able to print at least 3 per computer
Get 3 boxes of cereal free plus $1 overage after coupons and ECBs

Buy 1 Caliber or CVS Pencils (20-pack) or Double Blade Pencil Sharpener at $0.99, Get $0.99 ECBs (Limit 3)
Free after ECBs

Buy 1 Accu-Chek Aviva Diabetes Monitoring Kit at $9.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)
Send in $4.99 mail-in rebate (in box)
Free after rebate and ECBs

Buy 1 CVS Pantiliners (22-count) at $0.89, Get $0.89 ECBs (Limit 1)
Free after ECBs

Buy $10 Worth of select Febreze products, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 5)
Includes Febreze Candles or Noticeables Starter Kit--$6.50; Air Effects--$3; or Fabric Refresher--$5
*Deal Idea*
Buy 2 Febreze Noticeables Start Kits at $6.50 each
Use 2 $4/1 coupons from the 7/5 P&G insert
Free after coupons and ECBs

Buy 2 Dawn Dish Soaps at $1 each, Get $1 ECBs (Limit 1)
Buy 2 and use 1 $0.50/1 $0.20/1 coupons from the 6/7 or 7/5 P&G inserts
$0.15 each after coupons and ECBs

Buy 1 Colgate Total Advanced or Sensitive Toothpaste at $3.49, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 coupon in the 6/28 SmartSource insert or the $1/1 coupons here
$0.49 after coupon and ECBs

Buy 1 select P&G shampoo or conditioner at $4.99, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 3)
*Deal Idea*
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders shampoo or conditioner at $4.99 each
Use 1 B1G1 coupon from the 7/5 P&G insert
Spend $4.99 plus tax out of pocket
Get $4 ECBs back
$0.99/2 after coupon and ECBs

Buy $15 worth of CoverGirl cosmetics, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)
There are $1/1 and $2/2 coupons in the 6/7 P&G inserts as well as the 6/28 Parade Magazine
These could possibly be as low as $1.10 per product after the coupons and ECBs

**Sunday and Monday Only**

Buy 1 Caliber or CVS Transparent or Invisible Tape at $1.49, Get $1.49 ECBs (Limit 3)
Free after ECBs

******NON-ECB DEALS******
St. Ives facial scrub (trial size)--$1.49
$1.50/1 from the 5/10 SmartSource insert
Free after coupon

Dove Hair Care products--on sale Buy One, Get One Free
Buy 2 products at $3.99 each and use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 6/7 RedPlum insert or here
$0.99 each after coupons and store sale

L’Oreal Lip Color--on sale Buy One, Get One Free
Buy 2 products at $5.99 each, Use 2 $2/1 coupons from the 6/14 SmartSource insert
$1 each after coupons and store sale

******MONTHLY ECB DEALS FOR JULY******
Buy 1 Bayer Contour Glucose Meter at $19.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use up to $30/1 coupon in the 3/22 SmartSource or 3/1 RedPlum inserts
Free plus overage after coupon and ECBs


If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Friday, July 3, 2009

Free Replacement Flags


Goin' Postal, a packing and shipping company, is offering free replacement flags in limited quantities this month. See this post from The Pinch for more details.

Hit up this link for locations near you.


Happy 4th of July!

~Katharine

If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email

Free Toiletries - An analysis

I know most of you guys already know this - but for those who don't, but keep in mind you can get sufficient quantities of almost any toiletries for free if you are willing to be patient and have the space to stockpile a bit.  Through the CVS rewards program, or travel size containers from just about any store...

Here's a quick analysis I threw together assuming one person, with prices from Peapod (Stop & Shop / Giant's shop from home service).

Toiletry Frequency Cost Yearly Cost
Shampoo 12 per year $.89 - $9.99 $12 - $120
Conditioner 12 per year $.89 - $15.99 $12 - $192
Toothpaste 4 per year $1.99 - $4.99 $8 - $20
Body Wash 12 per year $2.50 - $7.49 $30 - $90
Liquid Hand Soap 12  per year $1.50 - $4.49 $6 - $54

So for one person, depending on what products you start out using, you could save anywhere from $68 per year to $476 per year.  I imagine that the people at the higher end of this spectrum aren't about to go out and start couponing, but they could save $400 a year by switching to the cheapest products.

And this is assuming only the simplest toiletries are taken into account.  If you use shaving gel, hand soap, or other products I haven't listed here, think about how much more you might be able to save.

~Katharine

If you enjoyed this article please considering buzzing it on PF Buzz - Submit to PFBuzz.com

Also you can  subscribe to the Femmes Frugal by reader or
subscribe to The Femmes Frugal by Email