Coupon Tips!

For my friend Jenn.

A super quick list of coupon tips

1. MC= Manufacturer's coupons - most common is the coupons you get in Sunday's paper. However you can also find them attached to boxes, mailed to you with samples, given away at stores with free samples, or a million other ways.

2. Store coupons - those coupons specific to stores - i.e. Publix, Target or Winn-Dixie.

3. Always know the store's coupon policy. For instance, Publix accepts competitor's coupons, so you can use that $5 off a $30 purchase Winn Dixie keeps sending you in the mail at Publix.

4. Separating transactions at CVS - This works with Extra Care Bucks or ECB. When you purchase things that get ECB, they don't print out until AFTER you purchase them. Use those to pay for the next transaction. There's a bit of puzzle placing for this, trying to make it so it comes as close to $0.00 as possible.

5. You can use STORE coupons and MC for the same product. The store is paying for their coupon and the manufacturer of the product is paying for theirs.

6. If something is BOGO you can use TWO (assuming they are X amount off of one item) coupons unless it says somewhere in fine print that you can't.

7. ECB - Read all about them here.

8. Read those Sundays ad and make a list of the deals you want to buy and match up coupons ahead of time.

9. In order to save money, you have to make a pact with yourself to only buy things on sale. Stock up on things like cereal, condiments and such so they last you until the next sale.

10. NEVER throw away a coupon. Use it or give it to someone else to use. Besides, you never know when you may need it.

Want to know even more? Visit Hot Coupon World's Tutorial.

Yes, sometimes you have to buy things you don't need in order to get things for free (getting them both for free), but here are some ideas for the extra 20 things of deodorant you have, or the extra toothbrushes...

1. I like to send a lot of my stuff in care packages to troops in Iraq.
2. Give it to charity
3. Sell it at a garage sale
4. Use for gift boxes at Christmas time for the needy
5. Use as stocking stuffers.
6. Give to your friends.
7. If it is appropriate, use as favors for birthday parties. (Like candy, fun pencils and pens, toys, etc...)
8. Find new uses for the product.
9. If it is nice, give as a gift

Anybody else have any ideas out there?

My deals

CVS this week:

Transaction 1:
Starburst bag $2.50
Starburst bag $2.50
Jelly Beans $2.00
Jelly Beans $2.00
Nips $.88
Nips $.88
Revlon Lip Gloss $9.99 ($1/1)
2 sure deodorants (2 $1/1 MC)

Total: $26.53
-$3.00 coupons
-$22.98 ECB
.82 Total!
$17.99 ECB back!

Transaction 2:
Bandaid Ultra $2.99 ($.50/1 MC)
CVS AAA battery $5.99
CVS AA battery FREE
Garnier Serum $12.99 ($1/1 MC)
Garnier face wash FREE ($1/1 MC)

Total: $21.97 ($34.68 if you count the free stuff above)
-$2.50 coupons
-$17.99 ECB
$1.56 Total!
$2.00 ECB back!

Making those cupcake cones

Sarah over at Fiddledeedee! asked about the birthday cupcake cones.

Here's what I did:

Buy 2 packs of regular sized cake cones
1 thing of frosting
sprinkles
Box of cake mix

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Make packaged cake mix as directed. Place each cone in a muffin holder (so they don't fall over as easy. Fill about 2/3 full (to just about the start of the large spread part). Bake in oven about 12-15 minutes or until stick inserted in center comes out clean.

That's my version. I saw another version at Betty Crocker that seemed kinda cool. You can see the recipe here, although it is way more work.

I made the holder out of a box and glued wrapping paper to it. For the holes I just traced around an extra cone and then cut out with a knife. Scissors were too bulky.

And there you have it!

Really?

So dropped the kiddo off at daycare where I learned...she's moving...in four days...30 miles away!

What the heck? I mean, who does that? Four days notice??? I swear drama just follows me around. If it weren't so darned annoying, it would be comical. If anyone has any names or numbers, send them my way!

Or a rich, hot, single guy who wants to marry me and let me stay home with the kiddos and give his millions away to charities and *GASP* pay full price for diapers! You can send them my way too.

And welcome to my nifty new readers! I hope you enjoy my endless babbling.

Did you miss me?

Vacation. It is a wonderful thing. I shall post about it later, but just wanted to let everyone know I am still here. =)

Happy weekend!

Who doesn't like to win something?

Beat the Heat Summer Contest
Introducing our summer contest!
The winner will be awarded a bumGenius 3.0 Starter Kit: 18 diapers, diaper sprayer, a dozen cloth wipes, and a bottle of odor remover.
Here is what we need from you:

1) It's hot. So hot you force your kids to share the kiddie pool with you, only after adding a couple pounds of ice.
What do you do to beat the heat? Answer this question and receive one entry.

Click here to answer this question and enter the contest

No purchase necessary. Entries will be received through July 31. A winner will be randomly selected by August 10.

I'm getting all domesitcated.

Well, sickly today, so I stayed home. Thought I would post instead of being a TOTAL sleeping bum all day.

Yesteday I baked and decorated my first every cake. It is for a birthday. Not too shabby for a first stab at it. The circle could have been rounder, and the icing not so bumpy, but hey, whatever. Lately I've been all domesticated, cooking and cleaning and making things. I seriously gotta stop that!

P.S. I am not contagious, so everyone can enjoy the cake.

Kiddy Butter!

Well, another week, and a very long weekend!

BabyK and I are headed out to get our photos taken in the morning. Family portraits and two year photos. Yipee! I absolutely LOVE the work that Jacob does. See his work here. He did our photos last year also, but then moved, but he's in town and has agreed to the challenge once again. I highly recommend him if you need some photos taken. Relaxed atmosphere, quick turn around and gorgeous photos. I'm trying to figure out what we should wear. It's gotta match, but not be matchy matchy, be comfy, yet look nice...so many decisions!

Oh, and I am very excited to see the fireworks tomorrow.

Okay, funny BabyK story. We were driving in the car today and BabyK kept repeating the same phrase over and over.

"Butter, mommy! Kiddy butter! Now!"

Butter? I am sitting there trying to decipher what the heck is saying. No, it wasn't kiddy butter. He keeps pointing then trying to reach his hand to me. And that's when I got it. He has a scab on his thumb from chewing on his thumb (in addition to sucking on it) and wanted me to "kiss it and make it better" = "kiddy butter." So, at the next available parking lot we pulled over to ceremoniously kiss his finger better. haha.