Can you say a bargain?

I know, I've done this before, but I just can't help myself. Because of my sale/coupons buys hubby took more than enough shaving cream, deodorant, toothpaste, and razors to last him the entire year - or at least that was the plan. I'm sure the other guys are going to look at him funny, but I don't care. I saved money!

Here's another one that I did today at CVS. The only thing not included in the pic was 3 boxes of tissue which we took to LMA's school to help out with supplies.


All for less than $10! The deodorant alone was originally priced at $2.79 and the toothpaste was $3.29 each. This week with the CVS card you get $2 back when you purchase Right Guard deodorant, up to three (that's $6 back right there).

Am I good or what?




Yes, dear. This is next year's supply of toothpaste, shaving cream, and deodorant. And yes. Those m&m's are for me.

Personal shopper anyone?

So tonight I scored big on groceries.... and I'm not even done for the week. Our local store was offering "doubler coupons" for manufacturer coupons up to $1.00. They only had four printed per circulation, so it really made it seem as though you could only use four per transaction. Fortunately, I read fine print and it did not say that at all. The only stipulation was that you had to purchase $15 worth of groceries prior to coupons.

Things on grocery list/items on sale that I also happen to have a $1 manufacturer coupon:
Tribe Hummus (larger container $5.99 Buy One Get One FREE)
Tropicana 50 (2 for $5)
Vitamin H2O (10 for $10 - I hate when they do this, just say it's $1 each!)
Special K cereal (all varieties 2 for $5)

I purchased: 6 boxes of Special K, 2 Tropicana 50, 4 Vitamin H2O, and 2 containers of Hummus.

Total: less than $11

Between doubler coupons from the store and manufacturer coupons, I totally scored!

Personal shopper anyone? I wouldn't charge very much.

A long time coming

In November, hubby will be leaving to go to school in Georgia for 7 weeks. He can fly down if he wants to, but he'll be without transportation while there (besides public transportation, that is). They do recommend taking a vehicle if you can just because you never know if you are going to be on or off post. I'm sure there will be a handful of people who don't have vehicles and will be hitching a ride, but hubby's not one to impose on people if he can help it.

So with only one vehicle right now, we needed to start shopping around for another vehicle for me. With the deals on the 2009 vehicles since the new 2010 are coming out on the lots, dealers are desperate to get rid of their overstock. Throw Labor Day weekend sales and events, and now made it the perfect time to purchase a car.

After two and a half years of only having one vehicle (and let me tell you, there have definitely been some hard times), I finally got me a new ride!




A new, with only 13 miles on it, 2009 Hyundai Tucson. This vehicle really reminds me of my Toyota Rav4 - drives just like it and is about the same size. We made sure to take BOTH car seats (still can't believe I had to take into consideration two car seats). Little Man even seems to like it as well. When we ventured out for our Sunday ritual to IKEA this weekend, he really wanted to take Mommy's new car (we took Daddy's truck in case we bought anything big, like a new big boy bed). And the perfect part, is that it fits right within our budget, it's not too small or too short where I need to bend over to fit everyone in their car seats, and a 5-year Bumper to Bumper Warranty included to boot! Oh and don't forget an XM satellite radio built into the radio!

It'll still take some getting used to from driving Daddy's big Ford F-150, but I'm pretty sure I'll catch on fast.

Sweet deals

Since late last year, we have had a Sunday morning tradition. We venture out to IKEA for their steal of a deal breakfast for only 99 cents! We also pick up a cinnamon roll and some of their yummy Swedish pancakes (they kind of remind me of crepes). Be there before 10am and coffee and tea are FREE. We spend $6.25 for three small breakfasts, a cinnamon roll, pancakes, coffee and tea (we bring juice for LMA). You can barely spend that for one person at IHOP!

And every Sunday we spend time over at the kids section which is conveniently located right across from the cafe area. Little Man spends a good deal of time playing with the train set - if there are any trains left to play with that is - while we relax on the sidelines letting our food digest. He's also really excited when they come out with new toys. IKEA's new catalog just recently came out and not only did they DECREASE some of their prices (Imagine that! A place that is actually decreasing prices, not increasing them), they also came out with some new things. Included in the new items is a mini-kitchen set up for kids. It's a little on the pricey side, although I have to admit I haven't looked into prices of kitchen set-ups for kids, it is nicely put together. It even has red lights under the burners, a little microwave above the sink, and storage down below for all their kitchen needs.

When we've had enough of watching him play or just want to get moving, we make our way through the marketplace downstairs to the "AS IS" section. Here you can find scratch and dent items, or even items that have been discontinued, for marked down prices. If you get really lucky, you'll find a scratch and dent item still in the box with barely any damage for close to 50% off the original price (which has happened with two pieces we have purchased).

I have been wanting to get a new table/desk area for my scrapbooking room. The set-up I have now is definitely adequate, a nice corner unit that hubby built, but it would be nice to have things spread out a little more. Hubby thinks I should have a desk that angles slightly, like an architect's desk, so I can really see the layouts that I'm working on. I think I just need a taller chair or a lower table. We were planning on waiting until we moved next year to help cut down on weight. Alas, he wanted to spend money on me so I wasn't going to argue.

A few weeks ago we noticed a desk set-up that had the legs and table top sold separately. The legs were triangular shaped and had the capability of slanting the table top if you wanted. Originally priced at $30 per leg, we picked up one leg for only $9.99 with no apparent damage. Since the legs were actually a discontinued item in white, we knew we could pick up another one for only $20 if we didn't come across another "AS IS" one later. We also found a nice white table top with minor damage along the edge which could go against the wall for only $2.99, originally priced at $30.

The only thing about "AS IS" items is that they are final sale. They can't be returned... and for obvious reasons. When we got home, I remembered that the amount of space that the chair could fit under the table top would be limited because of the triangular shaped legs. The tabletop would work, and for only $3, if I changed my mind later it wouldn't be a big set back.

Last week, we hit jackpot! I had been looking at this set up in the catalog:


A nice tabletop with a lip so your items wouldn't slide off the table. This one also has a nice glass piece so if I wanted to add a light box later I could. For only $9.99 I picked up the table top. The only damage? A minor scratch along the edge. What sold for originally $99.99 we picked for less than $10!

And on top of that, we found another white triangular leg for only $9.99 as well. So for less that $30, I was able to purchase the table set I wanted that was originally priced at $159.99!!

I love IKEA! Now if we could only find the extendable toddler bed at a discount for LMA before next year's move.

Stepping up in the world

Yesterday, we made our first big purchase as soon-to-be parents of two children. A double stroller. We really weren't planning on purchasing it this early since we still have three months left to go, but we couldn't pass up the deal.

We ventured to Target to browse and to make one purchase. As I was walking by the infant department I started telling hubby how I had decided to go with the brown double stroller from Target rather than the black from Babys R Us (both are the same price). When I glanced back at the strollers, I noticed a sale sign near the double stroller I was referring to. You couldn't miss this sign. Because the color was being clearanced and it was only sold at Target, the bright red numbers that read "$119.99" yelled out to us. Okay, to me. For a double stroller originally priced at $169.99, we couldn't pass this up.

I send hubby up to customer service to inquire about more in the back while I ventured with Little Man to the toy section. Hubby comes back with bad news and good news. Bad news: Turns out the sign was actually intended for the single stroller system. According to the associate, she didn't think there were anymore doubles left in the store anyways. As hubby was double checking the boxes, he reached for one and noticed it was the brown we were looking for! They were both surprised. Good news: Even though the sign was misplaced, she was willing to honor the price!

Little Man was so excited, for whatever reason, to be taking home a "double stroller". As soon as we got home, he wanted to help Daddy put it together and ride in it.

The best part about this stroller system is that Little Man could technically ride in either the front or the back if he wanted to sit in the normal seat. When he gets a little bigger and can't fit in the seat, we can remove the rear seat and he can sit backwards facing me.

We're really hoping that this his is way of being excited about his new baby brother, but I have a feeling it's just because it's a new "toy". For the rest of the day, he proceeded to tell us, "I really like the double stroller". He even had this to say about his stroller...

Coupons 101

Last month I posted about my new found aspiring career to save money by using coupons. I'm not talking one or two coupons with your grocery order. I'm talking $27 worth of coupons! Which is exactly how much I saved yesterday when I went grocery shopping at our Army commissary (I saved $21 two weeks ago).

So I thought I would spread the love and give you a few links to some of my favorite coupon websites. Make sure to bookmark these, you may want to check them on a daily basis (if you have time of course).

Moms By Heart is a mother of five who, feeling the tough times in the economy, decided to spread the "love" by sharing her found deals. From codes for a free Redbox movie to links for Target coupons (which take both manufacturer and Target coupons for the same item making these FREE or close to it) to coupon codes for online catalogs. This site is a must to visit!

Hot Coupon World is great for printing more Target, CVS, and Walgreens coupons. There's also a database available for coupons, but I haven't used that much yet.

Coupons.com is a great place to check out grocery coupons, coupons for local restaurants, and entertainment.

Coupon Clipper you can purchase coupons... if they are still available. For cents on the dollar you can pick up and have shipped to your house a handful of coupons.

A few others to check out include:
Surviving the Stores
Red Plum
The Freebie Blogger

And just in case you would like more proof of the savings you can get from coupons, take a look:


All of the above (from a combination of Target and our Army commissary/grocery store) for $3.39 including tax. Just by using manufacturer coupons from either the newspaper or online. So get out there and save some money! And let me know if you have any other sites that are worth checking out.

Bargain hunting kicks a**

Over the past month or so, I've really gotten into coupon clipping and saving more money for our family. I mean, who couldn't use a few extra dollars each month? I can't remember how it started, but I know it started with Moms By Heart blog. Not sure where, when, or even how I came across this blog, but this Mom puts together a compilation of savings from Target, Wal-mart, CVS, and Walgreens. Along with a few other blogs that I've come across the way, I've managed to get some pretty good deals over the past week.

I now present, exhibit A:


Last week alone, although not in the same purchase, I managed to purchase all of the above merchandise for ... wait for it...


$7.62 including tax

That's right! Can you believe it? All that would have normally cost me $23.59 plus tax (and yes, that is three Aveeno moisturizers, Johnson's baby wash, and two tubes of toothpastes with toothbrushes)!

Okay, so it may not be as good as Catwoman who managed to get three packages of Huggies diapers, four packages of Huggies baby wipes, gobs of applesauce, beaucoup room deorderizer, two bags of dog food, and fresh meat for a measly $27 including tax, but I'm working on it. I'm not that good yet, but I am aspiring to be just like her some day.

If you're curious to know more about my coupon shopping online, let me know. I'll hook ya up.

Why women should not take their husbands shopping

I just had to share this one. This is why women should not take men shopping against their will. Hope it gives you a good laugh!





After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her
husband accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart.

Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men--he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.

Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women--she
loved to browse. One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local Wal-Mart.

Dear Mrs. Fenton,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance
cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at
5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to
the women' s rest room.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away."

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on lay-away.

6. September 14: Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.

7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. September 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the anti-depressants were.

11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.

12. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his
"Madonna look" by using different sizes of funnels.

13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

And last, but not least

15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!"

Regards,
Wal-Mart

Sears has a secret

Found this in the September 2007 Parents magazine and thought I would share it:
Sorry, Sears, but we just had to tell everyone about your highly unpublicized, only-available-in-stores, and very generous program: KidVantage Wearout Warranty. It applies to all the clothes (except socks and underwear) you buy for your child.

The Lowdown:
If the item wears out before your kid outgrows it, Sears will either repair it or replace it with the identical item in the same size or, if it's unavailable, a similar item of equal value in the same size.

The warranty covers all children's sizes and up to big kids' size 6 in shoes.

Just take the worn-out pants or the torn t-shirt to your nearest Sears store - and make sure you have proof of purchase.

No matter where you shop for your children, always ask about the return/exchange policy - you never know what you might dig up!