Staples Deals

Staples has a couple of good deals right now. First ink, through 12/19/09 Buy $50 in ink, get 20% back in Rewards and $6 back per recycled cartridge. This is double the 10% and $3 you usually get. This Reward is in the form of a Staples coupon that they mail out quarterly. You must sign up for Staples Rewards (free and easy to do). You can also recycle up to 10 cartridges per month. This is a good deal if you need ink.

The best deal though: FREE BATTERIES. Also need Staples Reward, but buy a 20 pack of AAA or AA Duracell Batteries and get the full purchase price of $12.99 back in the form of a couple for Staples mailed out in January. Limit of 2 per customer per week. Offer good through 12/26/09.

Albertsons

So I have been waiting for the new Albies ad, because we have been 5 days without any sales...that is forever in coupon land. I even went and bought the liberal granola-y paper today hoping to get the ad early, which is was not in. So finally I got it and big disappointment. There are no fantastic promos or freebies or double coupons. Apparently, they want to promote Red Box though because there are 3 ways to get free codes. I don't know about you, but I would much rather have catalinas then Red Box codes.

Anyway the best deals I can see

*Del Monte Fruit Naturals $1, use $1/3 coupon for 3 for $2

*Yoplait Yogurt $0.39 with in ad coupon (limit 9), use 0.40/6 from 11/8 SS or .50/6 from coupons.com (sidebar)

*Nestle Morsels $1.69 with in ad coupon (limit 3), use 0.50/1 from 11/1 RP

*Freschetta Pizza $3.99 with in ad coupon, use $1 coupon from coupons.com

*Lots of B1G1 meat deals

*Lots of good (not great) prices on Albertson's brand products.

*PG Promo, Spend $20 get $5 Cat and 5 Red Box codes

Here are the products and matchups from Sundays (11/29) PG

Dawn $2.29, 0.25 coupon

Tide $10.99, 0.35 coupon

Febreeze Luminary $14.99, $3.50 coupon

Febreeze Candle $9.99, $2 coupon

Prilosec $25.99, $3 coupon

Charmin $9.99, 0.25 coupon

Puffs $1.29, 0.25/3 coupon

Bounty $9.99, 0.25 coupon

Pampers $19.99, $2 coupon

Old Spice Deodorant $3.69, $1/2 coupon, also free body spray with 3 deodorants coupon, and free after shave with three deodorants coupon.

Covergirl 25% off, save $1 on any product coupon

Other product included, but no matchups from Sunday. P&G coupons tend to expire at the end of each month, so Sundays insert will be worthless after 12/31/09. Not the best prices ever and the P&G coupons are sometimes skimpy, other than the b1 get something free ones. You will get much higher P&G coupons in the mail or in package inserts. If you are going to do this promo, look for $15 coupon booklets in some specially marked packages. (I have seen them on Pampers and Tampax recently) I might have some coupons for Cascade and paper towels (from mailings) that I will use to stock-up. For more matchups check out a thrifty mom

Off to bed now, as you can tell I am tired :) I will expect better next week Albertsons, don't disappoint again.

Monthly deals: December

What is a good deal this month? December is the best time to buy
*toys and electronics
*new-model cars-dealerships want to meet end of year goals
*homes-the best time to the year to buy is between Christmas and New Year's. Owners are usually in a generous mood through the holidays and also want to close the deal before the new year.

Also, be sure to check out After Christmas Sales, especially December 26, for great deals.

Store Secrets: Cyber Monday, Coupon Code, & Ebates

Today is Cyber Monday, the internets version of Black Friday. I must admit the deals look better to me and best of all, no crowds. The deals are popping up fast. hip 2 save, maven of savin, my frugal adventures and the coupon project all have several great posts of Cyber Monday deals.

Here are the secrets for shopping online:
1) You must sign up for ebates. This is an online rebate system that send you cash back on percentages of your total purchase price, anywhere from 3 to 20%. Almost every online store in on their site. You must go through their page first, but other than that it is super easy. Simply log on to ebates, then find the store you want on their list, click on it, and shop as usual. Ebates will credit your account for your rebate amount. Today is a great time to sign up, because they are offering additional promotions to new members and lots of stores have double ebate rewards today (like 10% instead of 5%).

2) Always look for a coupon code for your store. You might get free shipping, an extra percentage off, or a free gift. You can google it, but my favorite is retail me not because it wades through the spam for you and just gives you legitimate codes.

Check out this deal to practice these two secrets. (Yes, you can practice, just don't fill in your credit card!)
1) Go to ebates and find Victoria's Secret (VS purchase earn you 6% back).
2) Choose 3 of the 3/$30 sweaters.
3) Add one "free" scarf
4) Go to checkout
and enter codes:
vssave20 (20% off single clothing item)
scarf09 (free scarf)
3for30 (3 sweaters for $30)
5) Your total should drop to $30.99, great deal!

Now you have one more secret in your arsenal. Please don't ever pay full price online again.

Black Friday Winner

Nicole won the Black Friday contest for sharing her deal of $3 Walmart PJs. Thanks Nicole! Next week, I will send you a set of coupon inserts!

Rite Aid 11/29-12/5

It is the start of a new month of SCRs. Don't forget to request your check from November. Also Gift of Savings is in full swing, get a $20 gift card back for spending $100 (before coupons and rebates). Coupons.com and smartsource.com both have $5/$25 coupons, so check there first.

Freebies & Cheapies:

*Gillette Fusion Power Razor $9, $5 SCR, Use $4/1 coupon 11/29PG to score another free razor.
*Oral-B Stages toothbrush $2.49 , $1.50 SCR, Use the $1/1 coupon 11/1PG for a free toothbrush.

*AMO Complete Multi Purpose Solution $7.99, $7.99 SCR, Use the $1/1 coupon 10/25RP
Final cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker!

* Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers/Training Pants $8.99, Use the $1.50 or $2 coupon 11/29PG. Did anyone else get their free sample of the Extra Protection Diapers, they are wonderful!

*Duracell SCR, spend $15 get $5 SCR, Duracell is on sale 40% off this week. There is also an in ad coupons for $2 off a AA or AAA 12 pack, making the price $7.49 each (tricky, two equals, $14.98). There is also a 0.75/1 coupon in the 11/22 SS for 4 pack or larger. Plus there is another in ad coupon for buy a AAA 20 + 5 pack, get 10 photo greeting cards free. Lots of different opportunities to get to your $15. A great rebate for this time of year. Remember, you don't have to buy all $15 in one transaction either. Your total just has to be $15 before the end of the rebate period 12/26.

**Another great coupon I liked in the paper, Take an extra 10% off toys and bikes with in-ad coupon(no limits) at Fred Meyer.

I am also anxiously awaiting the new Albertsons' ad. I am curious, since their old ad expired on Thursday, so they have no specials right now? I might have to go see for myself tomorrow.

Black Friday: Rite Aid Edition

I am a little late posting this, sorry busy Thanksgiving. Please check out
hip 2 save and the coupon project for some very comprehensive deal matchups and lists for Black Friday

I am probably only going to make it to Macy's tomorrow as that is all the time I have. I was very excited to see they had a $10/25 coupon and 15% of entire purchase coupon. Hopefully I will find some good ways to use them.

I did go to Rite Aid today! It was so good! Here is the breakdown:

* 4 Ziploc bags, on sale for $1.88 each, used 2 $1/2 from 11/15 SS, $5.52, plus will send off for S C Johnson rebate, total 0.52 for four boxes!

*2 Wet Ones Wipes, on sale for $1.88 each, used 2 $1.50/1 coupons, 0.76 for two containers.

*Schick Quatro Titanuim Razor, priced at $1.99 (usually $10.99), used $2 coupon from 11/22 SS, overage of a penny.

*Schick Intuition Razor, priced at $1.99 (normally $9.99), used $2 from 11/22 SS, overage of a penny. Note my Rite Aid said only one razor (of each) per family, I have originally planned for two.

*Gillette Shave Gel, on sale for $1.99, SCR for $1, used .55 from 11/1 PG, total: 0.44.

*Bic Soleil Razor, on sale for $5.99, used in ad coupon for $4 off stacked with $2 coupon from 11/22 SS for a penny overage.

*Herbal Essences Shampoo, on sale for $2.99, SCR for $2, used free product coupon from facebook promo, $2.99 overage.

*Huggies Overnight, $11.99 (no sale just needed them) used $2 printable from coupons.com, on pack 3 of 5 for free pack SCR.

*Oral B Cross Action Toothbrush, $2.99, SCR $2.00, used 0.75 coupon from 11/1 PG, total: 0.25.

*Scope Outlast Mouthwash, $3.99, SCR $3, used $1 coupon from 11/1 P&G for penny overage.

*Tampax Pearl, $3.99, SCR $3, used $2 coupon from previous Walmart sample (sign up for those at walmart.com) for $1.01 overage!

*6 Huggies Wipes on sale $2/4 (my store was really well stocked) used various $.50 and $1.00 coupons in my collection for inserts, mailings, etc... Total $8.50.

I also used a $5/25 purchase, found on coupons.com right now. My total out of pocket was $28.40 (which of course was money I earned on previous months' SCRs) and I will get back $11 in SCR and $5 back from SC Johnson, so really $12.40 for all of this, barely enough to cover the diapers. Plus all of the prices before coupons and rebates ($61.19) goes towards my Gift of Savings Gift Card. Now is a great time to give Rite Aid a try if you are still haven't. It is so much fun to bring home great products for pennies on the dollar.

Store Secrets: Black Friday

It is almost here: Black Friday! I love this day, not because I love pushing people, crowds, and getting up at 4:00 am. It is more about a tradition of shopping and starting the holiday season. I am not a camp outer, I usually will make it to the stores about 8:00 am. I like to just spend the day with my girlfriends and sisters/mom (if I am that lucky) out shopping. I am only going to go to the stores in my town, which aren't many. Look tomorrow for the deals and some links to help you get started. Make sure you get a paper EARLY tomorrow so you can scan the ads during the football games. If you want a sneak peak, here are the scans of the ads for most stores.

*A little caution though, Black Friday is the KING of loss leaders. Cheap TVs, computers, etc...to get you in the door and spend more. There are usually limited amounts of these products, so don't be tempted to buy something (you don't need) just because you are there. It is always good to have a plan and a list! :)

So now I am thinking of a little contest. Leave a comment about one Black Friday deal you found or did find. I will randomly draw a winner and that winner will receive one set of coupon inserts. The contest is open until Sunday at midnight.

Happy Shopping and Thanksgiving!

Q & A

Q & A: question from a reader:

I have heard and seen expressed by many couponers that it is usually the best deal to use your coupons to buy the smallest size items you can (trial or travel sizes.) I am having a hard time understanding this concept - sure you get lots of free stuff by doing it that way, but what if you really need and use that item, a travel size really isn't going to last very long. So maybe that's the key, those coupons you have that aren't your regular items, you can use for small sizes but ones for things you would use regularly use for a more normal size product. I don't know - what is your take?

Good question, I have been going to address coupon/product size for awhile now. First of all I am not a huge fan or the travel section, simply because most of that stuff, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, I can get free or very cheap by doing other deals, especially at drugstores. A lot of couponers on other blogs might get 10-12 copies of the Sunday paper, so they have 10-12 copies of every coupon. Buying ten travel size bottles of mouthwash for free, easily equals a larger bottle, even though it is less convenient to use. The reason most couponers say to buy the smallest size, is because it drives your out of pocket expense lower. For instance if the 24 oz size is $1.99 and the 36 oz size is $3.19 and you have a $1 coupon, it is the better deal to use it on the smaller size. Ounce per ounce, it is usually cheaper to do it this way. I usually buy the smaller size (not trial) because of this. Three more things to consider when using coupons:

1)How often you use this item? Many jumbo size items, might go bad before you use it all anyway, so the smaller size is better. If you use it everyday, the large size might be better.

2)Try not to be brand loyal. There are some things I have to have a certain brand of and so I watch for sales on these, but for the most part for me, juice is juice, cereal is cereal, shampoo is shampoo, cleaner is cleaner, etc, etc... Some brands that have been around for years have few coupons, whereas newer brands have lots of coupons. When a product is released, it usually is quickly followed by coupons, sales and rebates. This is a great time to try new products. You might find one you love better than your old standby.

3) How often do you see coupons for this product? I will use Huggies Diapers for an example. About once a month Huggies has coupons in the paper, often they are on the internet, and I can request to get them from the website. Since I usually have a coupon for Huggies, I will buy the smaller size because I know I can get another one soon. Some products like Dreyers Fruit Juice Bars (one of my favorites) only come around about twice a year. I might consider buying a larger size on this because a coupon is so rare for this item.

I hope that helps. It is really up to personal discretion. Remember your primary goal is drive down your out of pocket expense, so look for the best deal for you. Have a question, let me know because someone probably has the same one. Email me at dealsbydawn at yahoo dot com.

Step #11: Making it a habit

People always say to me, "Coupons take up too much time and I never save that much." This statement is true if you haphazardly coupon now and then, but if you are couponing a lot, it becomes a habit. A habit that changes your way of thinking about shopping. Now, rather than get what I need right now, I buy what we use(with coupons) when it goes on sale. That way I am ahead of the game when I go to make my favorite recipes. Case in point, Albertsons today, spent $59.06 for 64 items or just 92 cents an item! I saved $111.83, wow!

Some of this stuff is for this week and Thanksgiving, but a lot of it isn't. Cranberry sauce, canned fruit and veggies (kids stacked them for the pic :)...), Rhodes rolls, stuffing, butter, and Miracle Whip were just on good sales and stuff we use for our meals, so I stocked up. Also the turkey was only $2.68 for an almost 12 pound turkey. Our Albertsons ran out of the 16-22 lbs turkeys that were part of the buy $25 worth of groceries get a Village Market Turkey for 23 cents per pound. They substituted smaller turkeys, which was fine by me, because this was just for my family of five for a special dinner. I went with my Kindergarten daughter, so I also ended up with straw, Cheese-its and Lunchables (and said "no" to probably 100 other things) that weren't at the best price ever, but fun for my kiddies. All in all a great shopping trip. Couponing has become a habit for me and that way I am able to save and still buy the things I want and need.

When you take a little time each day (1/2 hour of less to review blogs for me) and a little time to plan trips (about 1 hour for Albertsons trip and 15-30 minutes for Rite Aid for me) you can save 50% or more. Which if you think about it is a pretty good habit to have. It is also a habit that gets easier with time. Don't give up, I can't believe all that I have learned in a year and am still learning.