Midnight Blog

I should be cleaning. And I will. MAJOR yard sale tomorrow at 485 N. State Street. So much to do. I want opinions if anyone is willing to share them. Everyone has seen the TLC show Extreme Couponing. And we have all noticed the multitude of bandwagon blogs out there offering FREE stuff everywhere. Obviously nothing is free. But it can be drastically reduced by utilizing certain tactics and rewards. I am going to ask a couple questions. If you are so inclined, please feel free to answer honestly.

1: I do not advertise myself as an Extreme couponer. Hopefully just as a person who wants to help change the way people shop to maximize their weekly budget. Do people want to know how to get massive amounts of things like pasta, or ketchup for little money? Or do they just want to know how to lessen their weekly bill, and even get better stuff for less money?

2: Do you want to know about free community events?

3: Prioritize what constitutes the biggest portion of your weekly spending.

A; Food- B; Personal products- C; Pet care- D; Home care (lawn, paint, cleaners etc...)- D; Vitamin- E; Organic items- F; Entertainment 

My Shaw's list 8/26- 9/1

Shaw’s General Mills Promo; Buy 10 select items (mix and match) get $5 off instantly.

These are my top 10 picks.

*Cascadian Farms organic bars - $2.50: use $1 Website Q, print 2

http://www.cascadianfarm.com/coupons/default.aspx

*Bisquick Complete mix- $2: use 50 cent printable Q (will double)

http://www.couponnetwork.com/?utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate#utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate&page=4

*Hamburger Helper - $1.25: use 80 cents off 4 printable Q

http://www.couponnetwork.com/?utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate#utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate&page=4

*Chex mix - $2: use $. 75 printable Q from Pssst Pillsbury (warning, application is lengthy, but ultimately you will get 2 Chex mix free after discount and coupon doubles.

http://pssst.generalmills.com/

*Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls - $2.50: use $.50/2 printable Q

http://www.couponnetwork.com/?utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate

*Progresso Soups - $2: use $1/4 Q from Box tops insert

*Betty crocker Brownie mix - $1.5: use $.75/2 from 8/27 insert (coupon will double)

*Pillsbury Grands biscuits - $1.50: use $.30/2 Q, will double

 http://www.couponnetwork.com/?utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate

*Tonitos Pizza or Pizza Rolls - $1.50: use $.40/2 printable doubler

http://www.couponnetwork.com/?utm_source=MySavings_Media_Network&utm_medium=Affiliate

*Betty Crocker potatoes - $1.50: No Q but $1 each after $.50 deduction


MAKE SURE THEY TAKE OFF THE $5!! It did not work for my order tonight. Use your phone calculator if it helps. It is your money. DO THE MATH!!!

Remember to take $5 off total after all coupons for accurate total. If it helps, take $.50 off each item as planning your list. ****Please note, if you go for 20 things, you may have to go to the service desk to get the second $5 reimbursement. There have been complaints that it is not accommodated at the checkout.


P.S. Other good yogurt deals are: 

*Yoplait Greek 10/$10- use $1.50/5 Q from previous circulars


*Activia Selects 10/$10 - use $1/3 Q from previous circulars.

Dear Borders, Whatever!

Just from a recession point of view, I don’t feel badly that Borders is going out of business. The good news is I found $65 in gift cards in my daughter’s room while de-hoarding today. (Pre-hurricane yard sale Saturday.) The bad news is they jacked the price up even more than they already were so that the 50% was not exactly wonderful. I mean, I should shut up right? They were gift cards therefore free to me, but this is why companies like that will lose in the long run, and they should.

The good news is that in addition to the 4 books my daughter got, we got Avatar the movie. Awesome flick. I can’t wait to see it again.

The better news is that from cleaning that abomination of a room, I found “Spice World” on VHS, STILL WRAPPED, WITH THE POSTER AND ALL!!! LOL!! Shame on me. What else do you think I will find? Be nice ;)

LMAO!!!!

Okay, Veet facial hair remover WORST PRODUCT EVER!!!!

So these strips are pretty small and in all my infinite wisdom, I tried them on my eyebrows. Not only did they not remove one single hair, the strips did not dry and the gooey wax stuck to my skin, and didn't come off with hot water. So, I got in the shower, used Biore scrub on my lids, and now I look like a mental patient from the broken blood vessels on my eyes.

It gets better.  Every time I open my eyes, my lashes stick to my lids. When I dried my face with a towel, I got lint on my lids. This crap is in my hair and it won’t comb out.

Dear Veet, I hate you. I got this garbage for free and I still want my money back.

LMAOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Stacking Tactics

I want to focus on four major stores here. There are many times when you are able to stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon for a like item. When you can combine said item with a good sale price, these things can be close to free, if not actually “pay you” to take the item home.

Target: I have never had a problem with a coupon overage at Target going toward another item. My advice is to be discreet. Do not take your binder in the store. The bottom line is that every retailer reserves the right to restrict their clientele for whatever legitimate reason. I personally do not want to fight the issue. Just don’t advertise, plain and simple.

www.Target.com  Requires registration.

Walgreen's: Word on the street is that Wags will soon be going to a card. YAY!!!! No more shelf-clearing at Wags. Walgreen's has in-ad coupons and puts out a monthly coupon booklet. It is usually by the door. But their policy is much stricter. You can still stack coupons there, but the number of items purchased has to be more than or equal to the number of coupons being used. This ratio also includes the use of previous rewards. Anything scanned counts as a coupon. The only loophole is that sometimes their in-ad coupons count towards multiple items, therefore you can accommodate the ratio because they only have to scan the coupon once for 2-4 items. It can get very convoluted.

CVS: Very simple. CVS coupons are on their site, at the bottom of your receipt, and in the big red Magic Box when you scan your card.

Rite Aid: Rite Aid coupons are in-ad coupons, sometimes on their site or emailed to you, and you can earn them by watching videos and printing coupons. Video values link is below. Also requires registration.

http://riteaid.adperk.com/

Tisk Tisk

I am going to be very unpopular in the coupon world in about 30 seconds. I am (and have been,) seeing many sites that that utilize coupon information to basically shelf clear and hoard. There is no other way to say this. Shelf clearing and hoarding is basically the most selfish aspect of couponing. Many people claim they donate these items. Well, I want proof. Honestly, if you are going to post a picture of 100 boxes of pasta, Show me a picture of 75 of them going to a food pantry.

This kind of selfishness is going to be the reason manufacturers get REALLY stingy with the dollar value of their coupons. Stores are already limiting your total “like item” purchase per transaction (as they should), and drugstores will likely get equally stingy with their rewards. I don’t blame them. Couponing is not a “Job” in which you get paid $30 to clear the shelves of one product. That concept is basically grotesque, in my humble opinion.

Don’t misunderstand, I have ABSOLUTELY capitalized on the weekly freebie. ONE AT A TIME!! My worst violation was 30 cereals in one week, in which I paid $1 each, and there were PLENTY on the shelf. And believe it or not I am almost out of cereal. I don’t think I would even do that again because I felt too funny about it.

Bottom line, these sites that condone shelf clearing are doing the rest of the consuming population a MAJOR disservice. And they will be the reason couponing is eventually and inevitably ruined for all of us.

Payin' it forward.

Met with a lady tonight. Nicest woman. Turns out we have mutual friends. She has been trying to make a class, but it would just never seem to work out. So I gave her the rundown as I thought a certain tactic would be more conducive to her shopping schedule. She bought me coffee. I LOVE COFFEE!!!

This is not a long story. It really does not have a lot to do with couponing actually. Some people need something that only you can give them. Information, attention, an ear, a hand up in the right direction. I am not going to be specific but this is a scary time in life for me. I made time for someone today when I really did not have it to give, and there was a piece of mail waiting for me when I got home. It is a piece of mail that I did not think I was going to get, and if I did, I was not sure if the information was good for me, or bad. I got a lot going on right now, and this piece of mail just equaled “Jackpot” in the long run for me.

I’ll try to keep my religious beliefs out of my blog for the most part, but THANK YOU JESUS!! Pay it forward whenever you can people. You will get it back 10 fold.