Sunday Coupon Preview 8/1

Wow. You do not want to miss getting this Sunday's newspaper.. in fact I might recommend getting two! There are going to 4 coupon inserts in this Sunday's newspaper! I think it might be because it's the "back to school" season. Whatever the reason you do not want to miss out. There will be 2 redplum inserts, 1 smartsource insert, and 1 P&G insert. To see a full list of all the coupons offered click here. Can't wait to get all of these coupons! :)

Note- coupon inserts do vary region by region. To try and guarantee the most amount of inserts buy the newspaper that has the largest circulation. Also, this week might be a good week to see if you can score extra newspapers for free through coffee shops or your local library.

Harris Teeter Savings This Week

I feel like I picked up tons of food this week at Harris Teeter! However, I went a little over my budget (I try to set a goal of $30 a week, down from $40). But I am going to give myself a little grace because I did pick up a few things for a baby shower we are hosting this weekend! :) Here is a list of what I got below:

• 10 cups of Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt: 10/$5 (used a -$1 coupon) $4 for 10
• HT eggs: e-vic special .67
• HT Baked Beans: $1.47
• Turkey Tenderloin: $8.99 (used a -$5 coupon on it because it needed to be sold by the next day) $3.99
• Angus London Broil: $10.21 ( was on sale B1G1 so it ringed up half price, plus used a -$1 beef coupon hanging on a near by bottle of wine) $4.10
• Gallon HT Skim Milk: e-vic special $1.97
• HT Fat Free Half&Half: vic special $1.47
• Krunchers Chips: vic special $2.99 (used a -.75 coupon that doubled) $1.49
• Total Cereal: e-vic special $1.99 (used a -.75 coupon that doubled) .49
• Townhouse Crackers: vic special $2.49 (used a -.75 coupon that doubled) .99
• 4 Healthy Choice Lean Cusines (for Zach while I am out of town): B1G1 special (plus -$1 off 4 coupon) $4.70 for 4
• Rewrapped Bananas: $1.12
• True Lemon drink mix: B1G1 ringed up half price $1.49 (used a -$1 coupon) .49
• HT Coffee: vic special $2.50
• Eggo Waffles: vic special 2/$4 (used a -$1 off 2 coupon) two for $3
• Pretzels: vic special $2.50 ( used a -.75 coupon that doubled) $1

Total Spent: $34.28

Total Saved: $40.45

Not a bad week at all. We had the steak last night and it was awesome! ;) Plus there are leftovers for steak sandwiches this weekend for Zach. How much did you save this week? I would love to hear from you!

It's Mega-Swag bucks day!

It's Friday which means it is Mega-swag bucks day! That means that Swagbucks is rewarding in larger sums of "bucks" today. This morning I have already won 14 "bucks"!

If you have not heard of Swagbucks, it is only the latest tool in helping you to save some money. By simply making Swagbucks your home page and using it as your online search engine, Swagbucks will reward you points or "swagbucks" randomly. After you have accumulated a certain amount of bucks you can trade them in for gifts or gift cards. My favorite is 450 Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon gift card. I collect the gift cards until I have a nice amount to trade in for an awesome gift or a treat for myself...and it costs me nothing! I highly recommend this tool.

If you do not have a Swagbucks account simply click on any of the links above and start enjoying your "bucks"!

Note- by clicking on any of the links above you are a referral of mine and I earn extra "bucks". Sign up and referrer your friends and family to get the same!

Tax-free weekend around the corner!

I love getting feedback from my readers and someone reminded me to mention that North Carolina's tax free weekend is coming up! Aug. 6th-8th there will be certain items that you can get tax free. ( I am sad I will be out of town!) Here are the limits:

• Clothing- $100
• Footwear-$100
• School Supplies - $100
• Sports recreation equipment- $50
• School Instructional Materials- $300
• Computers- $3,500
• Computer supplies- $250

To see more information click here. To find a different states tax free weekend click here

Marriage & Money

Now, Zach and I are pretty new to this thing called marriage but if there is one thing I have learned in a little over a year is that we spend money differently. More than getting used to living together, we found the challenge of budgeting a bit difficult. I think what surprised me more than anything was that talking about money/budgets effected us both differently which in turn effected our marriage. However, it's an area of our marriage we have to talk about continuously.

The first real shock of marriage for me, was being accountable to someone else! I can remember the first time after we got back from our honeymoon that I was going to go spend money apart from Zach. Even though Zach and I had set a spending limit that we each could spend without having to discuss with the other, it was strange to think I was spending some of OUR hard earned money. No longer was it just mine or his, it was ours. I think in this respect it has brought us a lot closer together because we feel like a team. We are working together to achieve certain goals; buying furniture, saving for a house, going on vacations, saving for our retirement, saving to have kids, and everything else in between!

It's so nice that when we did come together to discuss our budget we were on the same page (for the most part. loll!). We agreed with the ratio of 10,10,80. Give 10% to the church, save 10%, and live off of 80%. Not to mention our ambitious goal of only living off of one paycheck and saving the other completely (except for 10% to be given to the church). Last year, money was too tight to really save one entire paycheck, but it is still a goal we are working towards. Which we both find exciting!

I think the reason Zach and I feel a need to set ambitious goals is because we really want to be good stewards of what we have been given. Zach and I have been very blessed to say the least. We were fortunate enough that neither one of us had to take out student loans for our college education, neither one of us has ever had car payments, and neither one of us have any debt! We would like to continue this into our future, one of us perhaps a bit more intense about it then the other. Who could that be? :)

However, just because we share the same goals does not mean that we go about achieving them the same way. Again, we both spend money differently, and that effected the process of our first major purchase in our marriage.....

*To be continued next week*

Note- Every marriage is different and at the end of the day you have to do what works for you. The story above is what works for Zach and I.

Free Sample of Lacoste Perfume

There is an awesome free sample available for Lacoste Perfume. Click here. Simply fill out the information and wait for it to arrive. Note: the check box for question number 3 is under gender. Pick from 4 different scents. I am excited about this free sample.

Thanks The Modern Frugal Family!

Old Navy Coupon

Today (7/29) through Saturday (7/31) you can get $2 Camis at Old Navy. You need to bring in this coupon or simply tell the person ringing you up " CAMI 4 ME". There is a limit of 5. Just thought I would pass this along. Enjoy!

Thanks Chicks dig deals!

Smart Balance Coupon

Sign up to be a Smart Balance member and get a $2 off coupon on milk! Once you register, go to the products tab and click coupons. These half gallons are normally priced around $3.68 at Harris Teeter making this a pretty good deal. I am hoping there will be a sale one week on them to get an even better deal!

Harris Teeter Deals Week of 7/28- 8/3

So I am a bit disappointed, Harris Teeter is not having Triple Coupon week. However there are some really good B1G1 deals this week that I am excited about. See some of my favorite deals below.

E-vic specials: limit 1

HT Gallon of Milk (excludes organic) $1.97

HT bread .67

HT Eggs .67

Total Plus + Omega 3s Cereal $1.99

- use .75 off coupon here to make the total .49

Vic Deals:

B1G1 Free HT Lean Ground Turkey

B1G1 Free Top Round London Broil or Top Round Roast

B1G2 Free (that's right by one get TWO) Ez Peel White Shrimp

Eggo Waffles 2/$4

- use a $1 off 2 newspaper coupon expires 9/19/10.

B1G1 Free Skippy Peanut Butter

B1G1 Free Wisk Laundry detergent

- use a $1 off coupon here

Remember if you just get one item out of the B1G1 free items, the product will ring up half price. For information on how to shop at Harris Teeter click here. For a full list of vic deals this week visit Harris Teeter's website.

Groupon Deals

So I have been waiting for a good Groupon Deal to come along so I could share it with you- and today I found one I love (and I think my husband will love!)

If you don't know about Groupon, it is a website that offers a daily deal during the weekdays. They offer huge discounts on anything ranging from restaurants, spas, work outs, and really just about everything. Each day it is something different. Today's deal for the Raleigh/Durham area is a one hour golf lesson, for $29. ( I can't decide if I should get it for Zach or use it for myself so that maybe I can play golf with him one day!) The deal for the Charlotte area is for a 12 class session of fitness boot camp for $39! Normally the savings are over 50%! Again, it's another great way to save money. My Mother has even used it as a great way to give gifts. ( I mean who wouldn't want an hour long massage as a gift? Not to mention, my Mother got to give a great gift without breaking the bank!)

I believe Groupon is only located in major cities, so check to see if they offer it for yours. If not, I still recommend signing up to areas you might visit often so that you can still see the daily offers. Who knows you might see one that would be great for a family member in that region!

Click on any of the links above to sign up.

*Note for signing up through these links, I receive a referral reward. Pass it along to your friends and family so that you can get the same!*

P&G Coupons and Samples

Proctor and Gamble is a massive company. You most likely use a ton of their different products. Well, I have some exciting news. P&G sent me an email and let me know that this Sunday they will have a coupon insert valuing in over $104 worth of savings! So be sure to pick up at least 1 copy of this Sunday (August 1st) newspaper. Even more exciting is that they are offering tons of free samples and coupons right now through their website. Simply click here and sign up to get access to these samples and coupons. You can actually pick the ones you want. I got some coupons for a few brands of laundry detergent, body wash, paper towels, and napkins. Not to mention I also signed up for free samples of tampons, shampoo, and conditioner. Be sure to get yours!

*Again, I recommend creating a "coupon" email account so that you do not over load your current inbox with tons of emails!*

Answering your coupon questions!

Reader Sara wrote me an email asking a great question: "how do you keep all your coupons organized? do you carry them with you at all times? do you always plan ahead? just curious to see how you handle this because i'm sure at any given point in time, you have a crazy amount of coupons cut out and saved....i could see my purse being over taken by coupons! haha."

Once you have started to cut coupons you will quickly realize that coupons might take over your life! Have no fear, there are TONS of different ways to organize your coupons. The important thing to remember is do what works for YOU! I can not stress this enough. There is no right or wrong way, so long as you are happy with it. I do strongly recommend keeping your coupons with you at all times (I keep mine in my purse or car) so that you will not be "caught" without them. However, again you need to do what works for you. I actually use two different coupon organization methods. :)

Now some different ways to organize...

• You could invest in a coupon file folder ( I know for a fact that they are sold at Walmart and I am sure Target has them too) they are normally located in the school supply section and it is a small wallet size folder that has tabs. I organize mine by months. (you can do either months the coupons expire (I do this) or by the month you got the coupon) Example: this past Sunday...would go under July's tab, it's up to you. I also separate within each month food item coupons from household/beauty item coupons with a simple index card. For example: under the month of Sept. you would look in and see food coupons first and then find an index card followed with all household/beauty item coupons. Then would be the October tab.
• You can get a coupon binder.... I would wait and do this until you have more coupons then you know what to do with. Most likely starting out a coupon file folder should work. I will explain a coupon binder in greater detail on my blog at a later date. ( I am hoping to do a video of this!)
• Another way to organize is you can take a shoe box and create your own organizing system. For example: I have seen one woman who organizes her coupons according to items or brands so it looks like this: An index card with General Mills, one with Huggies, one with Organic Valley, one with Post, one with Dole...etc. She keeps them in alphabetic order... so when she needs dippers she knows to look under H for Huggies and P for Pampers.
• Another way ( I know too may ways right) is to keep the inserts whole. In other words do not cut the coupons out until you need them. There are tons of coupon database systems ( I am not that advance yet on my blog-sorry!) but I could show you one.. where people list the coupon and the date it was published with it. So every Sunday you could just put sticky notes on the inserts to mark the date... and then go to the database and see what coupons to cut out of your inserts (I suggest giving them a "home" in your house so you know where they are) and cut the coupons you need for that shop. A great coupon database system for this is couponmom.com

Again, organizing really comes down to you and what works for you. So think it over and don't stress. Again, think big picture! Saving money and bringing down costs. Please don't hesitate to email me with any of your coupon questions!

Honey Nut Cheerios Coupon & Deal

Right now Harris Teeter has Honey Nut Cheerios on sale for $2.50 a box. And if you play the Honey Nut Cheerios game, not only could you win a chance to have a year's supply of cheerios but if you don't win you still receive a .75 off coupon! Since it would double at Harris Teeter that would make your the total cost $1! Not a bad deal! Make sure you go to Harris Teeter today through, tomorrow starts their new week of sales.

Thanks Freebies4Mom!

Here goes nothing!

Alright, I need everyone to send up a prayer for me. I have an interview tomorrow morning! I am hoping to break into a completely new field and I am excited about the opportunity to do so. (Don't worry, I am going to still be blogging about my saving adventures- after all it's one of my passions to save money!) However, in getting this job I would still be fulfilling this passion.

You see, Zach and I have designed a plan that we think is going to work best for us. We will live off of his paycheck and whatever I make we will be saving! ( I will discuss this at more length in my series Marriage & Money, which I will post sometime this week!) This job would be such a huge blessing for us to work toward our goals. Thank you in advance for all of your support. I will update you on how it goes... stay tuned!

Coupon for ALL YOU

Yay! This is exciting. So yesterday I wrote a post on where I get my coupons from and one of my sources is the All You magazine. This magazine is found only at Walmart. Well, today I found a coupon for .75 off of one issue! Print it out and take it to Walmart to get even more savings. Saving on savings. Love it!

Thanks MoJo Savings!

Seventh Generation Product Coupons

Here are some coupons for different Seventh Generation products. You do have to sign up, but I think it's totally worth it to save some money on household items that are also green! The coupons expire 30 days after you print them and you can print each one twice.

*side note- if you don't have one yet I highly recommend you create a "coupon" email account. I use a free email service ( a few are: google, yahoo, hotmail) and use that email address when I sign up for free samples or coupons. It's free, takes a few minutes, and saves you money!

B1G1 Baskin Robbins Coupon

I don't know about y'all but I am getting a bit tired of all of the HOT weather lately! I found this great coupon and I can't wait to use it to help cool down. Get a cone of soft serve ice cream at Baskin Robbins and get one free! Go here for the coupon. The coupon expires on Aug. 8th so be sure to use it quickly.

I think Zach and I might have a little after dinner date sometime this week and enjoy some ice cream!

Thanks Chicks Dig Deals!

Where to find coupons...

It's Sunday! Which means, I hope you picked up a copy of the newspaper today for all of the money saving coupons. However, scribing or picking up a newspaper on Sunday is not the only way to get coupons. Here is a list of where I get my coupons:

• I always pick up a newspaper outside the grocery store down the road. The $2 I spend on the newspaper pays for it's self with all of the coupon savings I get from it. I always check Sunday Coupon Preview to see if there will be coupon inserts in this weeks paper.
• On Sunday's I am feeling super ambitious I head over to our local coffee shop (Starbucks, Barnes & Nobles, or Dunkin Doughnuts) to scan for left behind newspapers. I can't tell you the number of times I have gone and found newspapers near the trash can- waiting for someone else to read them, and take the coupons home! I have even asked a local Starbucks what they do with their leftover newspapers and they have showed me where they set a pile of them for anyone to take! This is a great way to get FREE coupons. I have also heard of people asking their local library if they can have the coupon inserts-most were happy to do so. * the way I look at it, it can't hurt to ask*
• The internet is a great coupon source. There are tons of websites that offer great deals Coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com are just a few to name.
• Requesting free samples or writing your favorite company/brand. Many times, companies will include coupons with the free samples or send you some for being a loyal customer.
• Look for peelie's on product labels at the grocery store that offer coupons. (Example: I was going to buy some shredded cheese, and saw that the kraft cheese had a peelie on it, making it the best offer on cheese!)
• Or sometimes walk through the wine section of the grocery store to look for hanging coupons on bottles of wine. Most of these coupons are off of meat, cheese, or produce (which are hard to come by) and if you read the label on the coupon most say "no wine purchase necessary". Free for you to take. :)
• The last source that I have for getting coupons is a magazine called "ALL YOU" it is sold only at Walmart stores (unless your order a subscription) for $2.99. Most issues contain over $50 worth of coupons inside and sometimes up to $100+! The magazine pays for itself and is also a great read offering money saving and household tips.

Where do you get most of your coupons from?

Upcoming CVS Deals

I said I would post some deals that will be available at CVS starting tomorrow, here are a few that are great if you are just starting out.

Bausch & Lomb Biotrue Solution 2 oz.

Costs 2.99 but get back 2.99 ECB

-$2 off coupon here (makes it .99 and still get $2.99 ECB)

U Kotex tampons

Costs $4.99 but get back $4.99 ECB

- $1 off coupon here (makes it $3.99 and still get $4.99 ECB)

Thanks Southern Savers!

Family and Frugality

So this may shock some of you.... I was not raised in a particular frugal type of family! We (Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, and I) were fortunate enough and very blessed that we had very little we desired because if we wanted it, we normally got it.* Instead we lived a very nice lifestyle and got to take advantage of some of the benefits that hard earned money can give you. We went on some awesome family vacations: ski trip out west, bahamas, many trips to California, Disney World, and renting a houseboat in Idaho (my favorite trip). My mother has a wonderful sense of style and so our house is beautifully decorated, and although any one will tell you that it is lovely they will also tell you that our home is the most laid back home. (spilt a glass of soda? no worries just mop it up with a dirty t-shit left from brother on the floor-lol) Our fridge is always packed with tons of food, so much so that friends of the family know to make sure to smell/check the expiration date of what they are getting ready to eat. :)

Having been raised in this type of household, I think the reality that I might not get to live that kind of lifestyle or be able to provide that for my kids one day became really overwhelming. I realized that at this time in my life I have to work hard to stretch my dollars so that we not only live but also save.

Then something kind of crazy happened, and I know many of you feel it too. The economy took a dive. Suddenly the "comfortable" lifestyle for not only my family but for many others had to change.

However, I think it has allowed us all to reflect on things. Sure, we miss the vacations but the more I started to think about it the more I realized I loved the vacations because of the intimate time we got to spend together as a family. Yes, it was nice to see a new place, but the memories created through laughing are what I cherish most. I loved growing up and our family always entertaining others, but now I realize it wasn't about throwing a really great party- instead I value the sense of community that my parents instilled in us. As for the fridge, I have learned that more isn't necessarily better which has helped us to keep our costs lower.

My family is all in town visiting Zach and I this weekend and it's so nice that we all get to simply be together. Here's the crazy part: Our hanging out is not centered around money instead around our living room table playing board games into the wee hours of the morning, laughing and enjoying each other's company. It's true what they say, the best things in life don't cost money. And you can't get more frugal than that! :)

*note* my family was raised to be thankful for everything we ever received, and each of us has carried that into the way we live our lives.

Stay tuned- next week I am going to begin a blogging series on Marriage & Money.

Shopping at CVS starting guide

One of my favorite stores to get awesome deals at is CVS. I love them for many reasons: they have an awesome rewards program, they except coupons, they are EVERYWHERE, and I have found most of the staff extremely nice. Here are the ways to make your dollar really stretch at CVS. (I cringe when I have to pay full price for any household item: toothpaste, paper towels, detergent, toilet paper, etc.)

First off, if you don't have a CVS card... you need to get one. You can go into your local store and get one or sign up online. Their card allows you to receive special in-store coupons (they print at a kiosk at the store), it rewards you for buying featured items in their weekly ad, and it gives you special gifts. (last week I got for free a hand sanitizer pen!) So go get a card.

Now that you have a card here is how you maximize your savings:

CVS has a rewards program that is called Extra Care Bucks. Literally, for buying certain things featured in the weekly ad at the store, you will get money back to spend at CVS at a later time. (they print out on the bottom of your receipt when you check out)

You then can use this "cash" to buy other things that will reward even more extra care bucks.

Now here is where you can really maximize is by using manufacturer coupons on products to stretch out your extra care bucks even further.

Let's do an example:

Last week I bought some Celsius Green Tea at CVS. It was on sale for $7.99 but if you bought it and had a CVS card (which I do) you were to get $7.99 extra care bucks printed at the end of your receipt. Meaning next time you went to the store you had a free $7.99 to get whatever you wanted.

Now here is where the deal gets even better-- I had two different coupons for the Celsius Green Tea. Both where manufacturer coupons. One was a $2 off coupon from the internet and the other was a $3 off coupon from the newspaper.

CVS lets you stack coupons...which means combining an internet coupon with a printed one!

Therefore I only paid $2.99 for the Celsius Green Tea but was still given $7.99 in extra care bucks to spend at a later time! I basically made money off of the product!

Now it can get even better because CVS sometimes will send out "special" coupons that take money off of your total order. They are coupons that look like this: $3/$15 or $5/$20.... meaning spend $20 dollars and take $5 off (making your total to $15) or spend $15 and take $3 off (making your total $12). I basically look at this money as free money. And it's a great way to maximize savings,

Think about it: on your next shop, if you used the $3/$15 coupon plus your extra care bucks $7.99 (continuing with the example above) You are only going to spend $5 out of pocket for $15 worth of stuff. Again if you were to use manufacturer coupons as well, you could make your costs even lower!

I have shopped at CVS before and paid .26( that's right 26 cents) for $30 worth of stuff! You really can make it work.

Now if you are starting out.. I recommend starting small. Buy just one or two items that offer you back ECB's (extra care bucks). Almost every week CVS has a deal that "is like getting the item for free" where they offer the money back in ECB's. (example: last week the Celsius Green Tea) I would start with something like that, just to get you going!

I am going to try and post later on today some deals that are coming for the new week at CVS (CVS ad week runs from Sun.- Sat.) Meaning this Sunday there are new deals.

I know it's a lot to take in. So if I missed anything or if you have any other questions please leave a comment or email me so I can make sure to clear it up! Thanks!

It's Mega-Swag bucks day!

It's Mega Swagbucks day!

Do you know what swagbucks is? It's only the new latest tool in helping you to save more money!

Swagbucks is a online search engine (like any of the others) however, it rewards you for your online searches. It rewards you in swagbucks which then you trade in for awesome prizes and gift cards. Friday's are Mega swagbucks day meaning you can earn even more bucks through searching!

Some of my favorite gift cards are the $5 amazon and the $10 starbucks card! The way I look at this is that almost every day I end up searching for something on the internet (whether it's directions, a website, or a good deal for something) and I figured why not get rewarded for it?

I have been using swagbucks for about 2 weeks and I am already at 324!! Woo Hoo! What's even more is that if you refer friends or family you will earn up to the first 1,000 bucks that they do!

I simply made swagbucks.com my homepage when I open up my internet and simply type in whatever I am looking for from there. Apparently you can download a toolbar to make searching more accessible, but I felt uncomfortable doing that. Making it my homepage has worked well for me.

At the rate I am going I should be able to get a gift card in a month. If I keep up at this rate I will have 12 gift cards a year...or at least $60 in amazon gift cards to spend! Not a bad deal considering I would be searching anyways.

If you are interested in joining swagbucks.. join here. Join today and receive a free 30 swagbucks! Enjoy your gift cards. Love saving and earning money!

*Note, by clicking on the links above, you will be under my referral. Make sure to then refer all of your friends and family for you to earn extra swagbucks!*

Another great Freebie

I don't know about you, but I don't function in the morning without a cup of coffee. Well, right now Gano Express Coffee is offering a free sample. Head over to their website to get in on this awesome freebie. I am sure there are limited quantities available, so head over there soon to get yours! Enjoy!

Thanks Mojo Savings!

Get it Quickly- another awesome deal!

So earlier this week I posted about restaurant.com having a great deal of getting a $25 gift certificate for $3... well for the next 24 hours you can get a $25 gift certificate for $2!!!! That is a savings of 80%. Wooo Hooo. Click here and type in your zip code to find a restaurant in your area you like. Then proceed to check out. Enter in the promo code: PLATE and hit apply. If for some odd reason that code does not work... you can always still use the code TASTY to still save 70%. Enjoy your meal and your savings!

Following a Passion: Part 2

To see the preivous post on folowing a passion click here:

After I had been cutting coupons from the newspaper for a little while, I decided I wanted to try and find more coupons to continue maximizing my savings. I soon discovered the world of internet coupons- which are just as good if not better than newspaper coupons. I found that by typing into search engines particular coupons I was looking for ( to match up with a sale going on at a store) that there was a whole other world of people like me who were trying to keep their grocery bills low!

Checking blogs became like checking email for me. I probably was looking at them every other hour. (Zach can confirm this). So after months of following blogs and continuing to get the best bang for my buck, I decided my obsession with coupons and saving money had really become a passion of mine.

I am hopeful that in doing something I am passionate about, not only will I love my work and help others but also be able to contribute to our household income. My even greater hope is that my passion for saving will reveal and inspire ways for you and your family to do so as well!

Cheers to saving money! :)

Organic Valley Coupons

Here are some GREAT coupons for tons of different Organic Valley products. (Mom, I know you will love these!) I am huge fan of Organic Valley in general and especially love their milk and cream cheese. When paired with a sale, or using them during a triple coupon week could make for some HUGE savings.

Now you do have to answer a few questions...but it took me less then a minute to do (mainly asking what groceries do you buy organic. Also, if you have never printed coupons from your computer before you will need to download some software. coupons.com has the software available not to mention some other great coupons to print. :)

Both coupons.com and Organic Valley are apart of *Truste* which proves they are reliable sources.

Sunday Coupon Preview

Want to know what coupons are going to be in this week Sunday newspaper? Then click here. You can sign up to receive emails each week telling you what coupons will be in the paper, or just visit the website every week to check in. This is a great way to get a head start on planning your grocery shop or let you know if you should pick up some extra papers! :)

note* This sunday there will be a coupon for luigi's Italian ice for .50....which is on sale at Harris Teeter this week. Not to mention the rumors of triple coupon next week!

Some of this week's deals at Harris Teeter...

Deal at Harris Teeter this week!

(lots of yogurt deals-lol)

Here are few that I found just quickly looking through my coupons:

• Dannon Yogurt (fruit on the bottom) 10/$5 (special e-vic price 10/$4) Use the $1 off of 10 newspaper coupon (exp. 8/8) Pay either $4 for 10- making it .40 a cup (if e-vic member $3 for 10- making it .30 a cup)

• Daisy Sour Cream 2/$5. buy 1 at $2.50 and use the .50 newspaper coupon (exp. 7/31) and pay $1.50

• Sargento cheese 2/$4. Get both and use the $1 tear pad (look in the store for one )coupon (exp. 8/31) Pay $3 for both.

• Danimals yogurt $1.99. Use the $1 newspaper coupon to make it .99.

• Danactive yogurt 2/$4. Buy 1 and use the $1 newspaper coupon (exp. 7/31) Pay $1 for 1.

• Luigi's Italian Ice B1G!. Get one and use the .50 newspaper coupon (exp. 7/31) half off plus another $1 off.

• Watermelon .69 lb obviously no coupon..but a great deal and who doesn't love watermelon in the summer!

Leave a comment below if you find any great deals at Harris Teeter this week!

Shopping at Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter coupon policies ( make sure you check the bottom of the post for some special notes!)

Alrighty, so now that we have a running list of coupon terms (here) it's time to get to know how different stores coupon policies work.

My favorite grocery store in the region is by far Harris Teeter. In almost every store I have been in is clean, welcoming, and the customer service is wonderful. Not to mention they have some awesome coupon policies which help us to save tons of money.

How to Save at Harris Teeter

• First off, you have to be a vic (very important customer) card holder to get all of the vic sale items in the store. You can sign up for a card at the customer service front desk.

• If you want even more "special" rewards or offers be sure to sign up for their e-vic membership. Not only will you receive weekly emails with what's on sale at the store, but also get super awesome specials offered to you. You can sign up here online.

• Harris Teeter will double up to 20 coupons per day with a face value of .99 unless other wise stated on the coupon (for example: .55 would become $1.10 off of that product) any other coupons you give would just be redeemed at their face value.

• B1G1 free items will ring up half price if you just buy 1. This is where you can look for some great savings when paired with a coupon that gets doubled. ( For example: a few weeks ago there was sale on a type of bread B1G1 free, I only bought 1 (which made it $2.30) and then used a .75 off coupon from the internet that got doubled. Meaning for 1 loaf of bread I paid .80 when normally it would have cost $4.60!)

• There is a catch on B1G1 free items..Harris Teeter will only allow you to use 1 coupon for the item, not two since you are "getting 1 for free".

• Harris Teeter will except internet coupons and even double them (so long as the coupon doesn't say differently). However they do NOT except coupons from the internet that are B1G1 free. (They had issues in the past of people using fake ones).

• If the store is out of something that is on sale... get a RAINCHECK. They never expire/go bad and you can still use your money saving coupon with it when you do use it (so long as the coupon has not expired).

Extra-extra savings!

I know, Harris Teeter is already an amazing place to get some good deals, but every once in a while it gets even crazier! These are the weeks I live to shop (you can ask Zach)...TRIPLE COUPON WEEK and SUPER DOUBLE WEEK

Now these are special weeks that Harris Teeter puts on normally every 4 to 6 weeks. (They have been doing it more frequently given the state of the economy the past year)

• Triple coupon week is when Harris Teeter triples the value of your coupon! (For example that same .55 coupon is now worth $1.65 and your .75 coupon is worth a huge $2.25!) This makes for an insane amount of deals to be had!

• Super double coupon week is where Harris Teeter will double coupons with a face value of $1.98 or less. ( This is a great time to use your larger coupons to get some big savings.. a $1.50 coupon means you get $3 off the item!)

• Again, with both types of special weeks they will only do the first 20 coupons you use a day. So during these weeks I am at Harris Teeter almost every day! :)

Hopefully now you can see why I love Harris Teeter so much! Later on today I will post some deals that are going on this week on vic special. ( Harris Teeter's week runs from a Wed. to Tues. meaning the new deals start Wed.)

A special note:

*Some coupons say "do not double" across the top of them but normally do any ways. A trick I have learned is to look at the first number on the coupon barcode..if it starts with a 9 it will NOT double..however if it starts with a 5 it usually does! ;) My suggestion is to try it out one time with a "do not double" coupon and see what happens!*

*Also, it is RUMORED that Harris Teeter will be running a triple coupon week NEXT week (the 28th-3rd)...I will keep you posted on this. But that means it's a good time to start gathering up coupons. Later on this week I will let you know where I get my coupons from...there are more places than you know! lol*

To see a full list of Harris Teeter's coupon policies click here

Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner sample available

Yay! Here is an opportunity to get your first free sample. There is a free sample available this morning for Nexxus shampoo and conditioner that is being offered through Walmart. Simply click here and it should take you to the page.

You do have to fill out your address (so that they can mail you the sample) and answer a few questions, but the 30 seconds it takes to fill it out is so worth it! See post below!

Please let me know if you have any problems with the link! Thanks.

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Free Samples are the Best!

Here are some free samples that I have received over this past month:

Another way to help drive down your out of pocket costs are free samples. Free samples are smaller versions of products for consumers to try out. Many manufacturer companies use free samples as a marketing tool and for us it's a great way to stretch our dollar! Here are some more reasons why free samples are great:

• They are wonderful for "emergency situations!"Have you ever started to run the laundry and then realized you were out of detergent? Or gone to wash your hair and forgot that you were out of shampoo? Well, free samples help solve those "emergency situations".
• They are great for traveling. My husband's family lives in Canada and so we travel at least a few times a year. Now that most airlines are charging for checked bags.... we try to bring our luggage on board. Free samples are the perfect size for going through security!
• You can use them to create a nice welcome basket for your guests. It's such a nice gift to offer to your guests that make them feel loved and thought of. The best part is whatever your guests don't use (since they are all packaged individually) you can recycle over to your next guests that come. I simply leave a jar/box of samples in our guests bathroom.
• Most offer you money saving coupons! With almost all of those products pictured above I received a coupon. The best part about this, is that the coupons that come with the free sample normally don't expire for a LONG time. This is great because it gives you more time to pair the coupon with a sale....which makes for the greatest savings!
• It's a great way to try or test out a new product.
• And last but not least who doesn't love getting mail! In the past week I received 4 different free samples. It's like getting a present with no strings attached! I love it!

Make sure to continue watching my blog because I am going to begin posting links to free samples that I find!

*Hot Deal*

This is an awesome deal right now. If you head over to restaurant.com you can get a $25 gift certificate for $3! That is a savings of 70%!!!

Go to the website and enter in your zip code. The website will then display restaurants in your area. Find a restaurant that you enjoy or perhaps would like to try out and click on the button for a $25 gift certificate for $10 (this is what it normally costs- which is still a good deal). Once you proceed to check out at the top of the page enter in the promo code: TASTY. It should take off $7 which means you are only paying $3 for $25 worth of food! :)

Zach and I have used this before to explore new places to eat in our new city. We found a cute local sushi place and the $25 gift certificate helped us get a lot more for our money. In fact, I believe that the great deal made the sushi taste that much better. ;)

Coupon Terms

I know what you're thinking.. there are coupon terms to know? Most of them are common sense but in terms of this blog it will be helpful in the future so you know what I am referring to. Here are a few terms to get us started!

Man. Q's = manufacturer coupon ( a coupon that is printed and published by a manufacturer company.. these are mostly found in newspapers or printed ads)

Peelie= a coupon that is found on a package of a product that you can peel off and then use

Blinkie= those annoying coupon dispensers found in grocery stores that blink and reveal coupons (I used to run around the store as a kid and collect them! lol)

Store Q's= coupons that are printed by a specific store to be used at that store

Cat Q= Catalina coupons ( they are found at grocery stores and print out for you after you finish your order, they are manufacturer coupons that are printed based on your buying patterns..they are linked to your store card)

DND= Do not double (printed on some coupons meaning a store may not double them)

SS= Smart Source (a coupon insert found in Sunday newspapers or online)

RP= Red Plum (another coupon insert found in Sunday newspapers or online)

P&G= Proctor and Gamble (company prints out coupons on their select products, insert comes in the Sunday newspaper about 4 times a year)

BOGO= Buy One Get One Free

ECB= Extra Care Bucks (amount of money found on the bottom of your CVS receipt for you to use on your next in-store purchase)

Stacking= combining two coupons for the same product. (ex. a coupon cut out from the newspaper and one printed from the internet)

I am sure I have forgotten some terms: So I will update this post as needed. Can you think of any terms I have left out? If so feel free to post or add your comments!

My Savings at CVS and Harris Teeter

So yesterday I went and picked up a few things at CVS (second picture) and Harris Teeter( First picture)... check it out:

Harris Teeter

1 Nature Valley Thin Granola Bars (used a .50 internet coupon)

Santitas Tortilla Chip - no coupon

2 boxes of Barilla Pasta (used a $1 internet coupon)

2 boxes of Post Raisin Bran (used a $1 internet coupon)

1 Rst. Chicken (used a $3 coupon the store put on it)

2 pkgs. of Mission Tortilla's ( e-vic special)

1 Romaine lettuce- no coupon

Total Saved: $22.46

Total Spent: $13.81

CVS

2 Sobe Life Water's ( used an internet B1G1 free coupon)

Celsius Green Tea (used 2 man. coupon- one from the internet ($2) and one from newspaper $3)

1 box of wheat thins (used $1 coupon printed from facebook)

1 package of Huggies ($1.50 newspaper coupon) Side note* using for an upcoming baby shower- I am not expecting...at least not at this moment! :)*

1 CVS hand sanitizer pen (used a cvs store coupon)

2 Pnt. pro-v hair stylers (used a $2/2 coupon)

Bic Disposable Razors ( used a $3 coupon.. acutally bought these at Harris Teeter...)

Total Saved: $ 31.08

Total Spent: $ 7.79

EBC's earned (to use toward's my next purchase): $12.99

Not a bad start to a week! Let me know what you saved!

Later this week I will post a few starter tips for shopping at CVS and how to stretch your dollar there...stay tuned!

Following a Passion

Well- here goes nothing. I have started this blog in an effort to pursue one thing I am really passionate about- SAVING. I have no idea how this blog will be recieved or if even anyone will see my words here; but I hope to simply spend some time sharing with others what I love.

Saving money became a priority to me once I graduated from college and soon realized I had to spend money in order to live! (Shocker, I know). I think the reality that my hard earned money quickly went out the door was a surprise to me and made me want to stretch my pay check as far as I could. Lucky for me, one of my part time jobs at that time was a cashier at a grocery store, which would forever change my life- I was introduced to COUPONS!

Seeing the insane amounts of money that costumers would save gave me the curiosity to look into coupons. Almost instantly I was hooked. By simply pairing up coupons with weekly sales I was able to significantly reduce the amount of money I was spending on food in my budget. What was even more was I found that every time I went to the store and had huge savings I got a rush of adrenaline that left me feeling elated. I would spend $2.32 on $25.38 worth of goceries..I mean I was practically stealing from the store!

It's hard not to get hooked after such success. So after I had been cutting coupons regularly I began to look for other ways to indulge my new passion, which I will share later on this week!