Recently, Precious who writes Frugal Makes Cents shared that she is planning a cross country move and was looking for guest posts, so I offered to share my thoughts on rebates!
My previously posted Though Provoking Thursday post was shared once again today on Precious's blog.
Precious and her husband have been retired and debt free for several years, and I love gleaning her wisdom from learning to live a full life of frugality!
Thank you again Precious!
Hip2Save has two awesome deals for TP this week:
Walgreen's Cottonelle deal!
Rite Aid's Quilted Northern deal!
***One thing that Hip2Save didn't mention were the $1/1 manufacturer coupons for Quilted Northern from the newspaper a few weeks ago!
I LOVE Black Friday (I actually call it PINK Friday!)- I haven't skipped shopping these terrific sales in 13 years! I was worried that I may go into labor while shopping, two years ago, but thankfully my son stayed locked and loaded and on the inside where he belonged!
Do I plan to shop again this year... you betcha!!! I usually leave the house at 4:30am. My breakfast is usually a leftover slice of Thanksgiving turkey washed down with a gulp of Cherry Coke (similar to fruit juice don't ya think?)- and I'm out the door!
Usually I head to Meijer first, since they are a 24 hour store and I don't need to stand in line! Most items are on display and you can put them in your cart, you just can't check out before 5am. (Door buster deals usually don't hit the floor until 5am.)
Then I hit Kohl's- more or less to stay in the warmth until Jo Ann's opens (next door). I heart the crafty girl store. Finally, I round out my morning by going to the drug stores. I was pleasantly surprised to score 64 count boxes of Crayola's for $.99 and Matchbox cars for $.39 at Walgreen's last year.
Are you planning on shopping the Black Friday sales? If so, how early will you be heading out (will you even bother sleeping at all?)? Do you have any shopping strategy that you'd be willing to share?
I'm excited to see what deals may pop up this year!
Woo Hoo! We're sharing the gift card wealth between 5 lucky $10 Target gift card winners!
Winners: Please send me your address in an email! Happy spending!
Non-winners: (majority rules-wink!!!) Don't worry, I'm on the verge of another milestone give away! Check out the number of Sharpen Your Scissors Followers... *almost* 300!!!
#42: Mikekimpohlandfamily said...
You are linked to my facebook, I left message for my FB friends to follow, let me know if they follow, and to enter this contest. I also tweeted on my twitter about your blog.
I have an insider tid-bit from an extremely reliable source... its about Walgreens!
Rumor has it that the Metro Detroit area will once again be experiencing the 16 page weekly sales flyer- instead of the rinky-dinky 8 pager that we've been shopping from.
Look for the changes to begin in January 2010... I'm counting the days!
I take time each week to read the local sales flyers, just so that I can be aware of what is on sale for the week.
I keep my eyes open especially for buy one get one FREE sales, since I can spend one Manufacturer's coupon per product: meaning one coupon on the item that I am paying for and one coupon for the item that I am getting for FREE, thus lowering the price of the item that I actually have to spend money on!
I especially LOVE matching buy one get one FREE coupons to a buy one get one FREE sale... meaning the store gives me one product for FREE and my coupon gives me the other product for FREE, so receive BOTH products for FREE!
This week, Rite Aid had Herbal Essence shampoo, conditioners and stylers on a buy one get one FREE sale. I also had (6) buy a shampoo/conditioner and receive a FREE styler coupons.
6 shampoo/conditions and 6 stylers = FREE!
BUT... to make this deal even sweeter (um, if you consider purchasing tampons sweet in the least!) I also spent a $5/$25 purchase coupon especially for Rite Aid.
I was able to use this additional $5/$25 coupon because before I handed over my (6) FREE styler coupons, my purchase total was $27-ish, since each Herbal Essence product was $4.59.
My $27 total qualified me to spend the $5/$25 (so FREE box of $5 store brand tampons) and then I handed over my Herbal Essence coupons - leaving me only needing to pay the 6% sales tax!
***I printed my coupon so long ago that I can't find the link, but Common Sense With Money offered this link to a $4/$20 coupon to Rite Aid! Enjoy!
Are you looking for a way for your kids to learn the spirit of giving this season?
Sarah emailed me a reminder that Samaritian's Purse, a global outreach program, will be collecting shoe boxes filled with goodies for less fortunate children to receive this Christmas.
This organization has been collecting shoe box sized gifts for years, in fact, last year alone 7.9 MILLION kids received gifts from people just like you and I! This year, boxes are being collected between Monday 11/16 and Monday 11/23!
You may click the link above to read more about the gift collecting and distribution, and to find a collection location in your area, and then enter your zip code here (once you find your location, you will have the drop off address and times available for drop off!).
Personally, I think that this is an easy giving opportunity- especially with all of the great coupon deals that we are able to purchase! I'm excited to start this tradition with my son this year!
In fact, I will be dropping my gift box off at the Berkley, MI location at 11am on Wednesday, November 18th, and then I will be heading to the Oak Park McDonald's (with a play land... and it would be a great time to spend those McDonald's Halloween coupons!!!) following the drop off. I'd LOVE to donate and dine with you if you are interested in partnering with Operation Christmas Child this season! (Drop me a comment below so that I can keep my eye out for you!)
*Berkley Community Church
2855 Wiltshire Rd, Berkley MI, 48072,
Get Directions
Phone: (800) 498-8562
*Oak Park McDonald's
26550 GREENFIELD RD, OAK PARK, MI 48237
Here is some information for gift giving:
1. HOW TO BEGIN:
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.
2. BOY OR GIRL?
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork to the right. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
3. FILL WITH GIFTS
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. Use the gift ideas provided on the bottom of this page.
4. INCLUDE YOUR DONATION
Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.
5. DROP OFF
Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during our collection week November 16 - 23
GIFT IDEAS
TOYS small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc. SCHOOL
SUPPLIES pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
HYGIENE ITEMS toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.
OTHER Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)
A PERSONAL NOTE In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)
DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans
I've got to be honest, stories like this (and most likely yours as well) just tickle me PINK!
Check out how savingindetroit was inspired to begin spending coupons...
"I have officially joined he couponing world and thought I would start my own blog, taking my readers through the start-up process of clipping coupons. It all started a few weeks back after taking a free class at my local library called "Meet the Coupon Lady".
I walked into the class with a closed mind about the whole idea and really just wanted to get out of the house for a few hours. I was pretty intrigued, I admit, after hearing how cheap the Coupon Lady was able to buy a table full of products that I use everyday. I admittedly still thought, what was an extra $0.25 here or there. It didn't seem to add up, although the Coupon Lady's monthly grocery bill was about a tenth of mine!
After the class, I went home and pretty quickly sat down at my computer to look up the list of websites she recommend her pupils to take a look at. The websites listed pretty great deals and so I printed out the online coupons (from sites such as coupons.com or smartsource.com), since I didn't at that point have the coupons from the Detroit Free Press or Oakland Press.
A few days later I went to Meijer and tried a few of the best deals, all of which worked. As I left the store that night, I felt as if I were stealing from it! I couldn't believe I was able to buy so many things for close to 50% off. From that night on, I have been hooked! It has only been about a month, but my stockpile (multiples of products that I use regularly in my home) is growing everyday. I might just have to buy a storage shelf to hold everything. "
Reminders:
1. $50 Target gift card giveaway!
2. Coupon class in Ann Arbor, 12/10
