This is a great week (and day) at Walgreens. Thank goodness I had to wait until today to shop so I could use my $5/20 coupon!
Biofusion Olive Oil Leave-In Conditioner $5.99 - $5.99 Rebate = FREE (Limit 2)
Living Solutions Vacuum Bag Extra Large $9.99 - $9.99 Rebate = FREE (Limit 1)
Living Solutions Vacuum Bag Large $5.99 - $5.99 Rebate = FREE (Limit 1)
Swiffer Floor Refills $3.99 - $.50 coupon = $3.49
Skintimate Shaving Gel $2.19 - $1.20 Walgreens coupon - $.55 MFG coupon = $.44
MINUS $5 off of $20 purchase Walgreens coupon
TOTAL
Purchased $40.14 worth of items
After sales, MFG coupons, Walgreens coupons and rebates = $1.07 OVERAGE
Woo-hoo! That's a good feeling. I would have added on the Pert deal which is $3.79 Sale - $3.79 rebate-$1 coupon = $1 Overage, but Walgreens was sold out. I'll just have to go back for that deal.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Starbucks Rocks
It's funny how only a couple years ago, I was starting to perceive Starbucks as this over-priced, "they're taking over every street corner" sort of company. But recently, the local Starbucks has participated in our town's Relay for Life (fundraiser for the American Cancer Society) and given away FREE coffee throughout the 24-hour event. YUMMY! This past year we were right next to their campsite.
Now it's gotten even better. A month ago I signed up for the Starbucks Card Rewards, by registering a $5 Starbucks gift card that they had sent me for FREE for buying some ground coffee. I STILL haven't used the $5 balance on that card because of all of the freebies they send me through this program! Just for signing up, Starbucks sent me a postcard for a free Starbucks drink in any size. The promotion running today through tomorrow (July 25-26), is that if you present your registered Starbucks card, you can get a free Vivanno Drink. This new creation is like a smoothie. Not that a free drink was enough, when my husband and I ordered ours, the barista gave us two coupons for free Vivanno drinks. The coupons expire Sept. 30, 2008. SWEET!
If you haven't done so, register your Starbucks card and get your free Vivanno smoothie (or maybe two of them)!
Now it's gotten even better. A month ago I signed up for the Starbucks Card Rewards, by registering a $5 Starbucks gift card that they had sent me for FREE for buying some ground coffee. I STILL haven't used the $5 balance on that card because of all of the freebies they send me through this program! Just for signing up, Starbucks sent me a postcard for a free Starbucks drink in any size. The promotion running today through tomorrow (July 25-26), is that if you present your registered Starbucks card, you can get a free Vivanno Drink. This new creation is like a smoothie. Not that a free drink was enough, when my husband and I ordered ours, the barista gave us two coupons for free Vivanno drinks. The coupons expire Sept. 30, 2008. SWEET!
If you haven't done so, register your Starbucks card and get your free Vivanno smoothie (or maybe two of them)!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Amen, Sista!
This blogger has learned another way to save at the grocery store; something which I have learned as well over the years.
Another Way To Save At the Grocery Store
Another Way To Save At the Grocery Store
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Redbox
This is a great little DVD rental service with many machines set-up inside or outside of grocery stores. I finally got a chance to use my first free code today.
Use only Monday, July 21 - TW87WR
To sign up for you own account, see movies available, and find a Redbox near you: Redbox
How to Use Redbox Free Rentals
1. First sign up at Redbox (you'll get a free rental for signing up).
2. Find a machine and title you like using the website.
3. At the Redbox machine, in the bottom-left corner you will see "Use a Redbox code". Press that button to avoid being charged.
4. After entering your promo code, you'll select your DVD title and enter your email for a receipt (I came home to find the receipt in my inbox already).
5. You'll then need to swipe your credit card. Your card will not be charged unless the DVD is returned late. You can confirm this with the balance equaling $0.
I am very excited to watch "Vantage Point" tonight! Great selection of DVDs for rent and a great price (FREE!!). I will be using this every time a code comes out.
Use only Monday, July 21 - TW87WR
To sign up for you own account, see movies available, and find a Redbox near you: Redbox
How to Use Redbox Free Rentals
1. First sign up at Redbox (you'll get a free rental for signing up).
2. Find a machine and title you like using the website.
3. At the Redbox machine, in the bottom-left corner you will see "Use a Redbox code". Press that button to avoid being charged.
4. After entering your promo code, you'll select your DVD title and enter your email for a receipt (I came home to find the receipt in my inbox already).
5. You'll then need to swipe your credit card. Your card will not be charged unless the DVD is returned late. You can confirm this with the balance equaling $0.
I am very excited to watch "Vantage Point" tonight! Great selection of DVDs for rent and a great price (FREE!!). I will be using this every time a code comes out.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Making Money With Surveys
I have been a faithful panel member of survey companies since 1999. It started as something to do in my spare time as a college student to make a little extra spending money. Now, it's still something I do on the side, but I have had such great experiences that I have started to share this information with my friends and family. I only stay with reputable companies that PAY or give me great opportunities for at-home product testing (more on that below). If a company only gives out sweepstakes entries for one or two prizes a month, I don't stay. Why? Because as everyone is these days, I am busy. I work full-time, go to grad school part-time, have a husband and attempt to have a social life. I have found that these "sweeps only" surveys not only waste my time but also cause me to get behind on the actual "for pay" surveys, which then causes me to lose that opportunity since those quotas fill up fast. Here is everything I know about surveys/research studies.
Types of Studies
***LOWER PAYING***
1. Online Surveys - You get an email when one is available and fill it out completely online. These can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
2. Paper Surveys - You get a survey delivered in your mail box. Usually the company is also an online survey company and you have opted in for paper surveys. These can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
3. Phone Survey - You get a phone call when one is available. Usually the company is also an online survey company and you have opted in for phone surveys, or you have taken an online "screener" and opted to continue the study by phone. Phone surveys can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
***HIGHER PAYING***
4. At-home Product Test - These I LOVE. After completing a "screener" survey to make sure that you match that type of product (ie: you like 2-ply toilet paper, you drink alcoholic beverages), you will be sent the free product to use at home. After using the product for a certain length of time, you will be sent an email notifying you that the follow-up survey is ready. You will receive your incentive after completing the final survey. Note: You probably will not finish using the product by the time the email is sent to you and usually the company lets you keep the rest.
5. Long-term studies - These surveys are on the same topic and are sent to you periodically over a long period of time. I am currently involved in a year-long study like this now.
6. Online Forums - You log into the forum community usually once a week to provide feedback on the topics listed.
7. On-location Research Studies - After qualifying, you drive to a site to look at products in person and provide feedback. I have used handheld computers, pen & paper, and face-to-face interviews to give my feedback in the past.
8. Focus Groups - These could be online or in person. Participants meet together at a certain time and place to give feedback on a product. There is a moderator who asks questions and directs discussion. The in-person focus groups I've been to have always been taped (so you can't be camera shy).
Important Information to Know About the World of Survey Taking
1. NEVER pay to join a survey company. People are on the internet to scam you out of your money. This is a red flag for me.
2. Always look through the survey site before you sign up to find out what options are available for payment and if the company is reputable (they won't have dead links on pages). If you don't like what you see, don't sign up.
3. Once you do sign up, provide every bit of information they ask for on the profile surveys. These profiles are used to match you up with up-coming surveys and you don't want to miss a great paying one because you didn't provide the needed information.
4. ALWAYS take EVERY survey the same day you receive it. This builds trust between you and the company. This will allow you to have more opportunities for paying surveys and be able to do more of the higher paying opportunities from the list above.
5. It's okay to be in many panels and do multiple studies at once. As long as you keep everything straight, you're good to go.
6. Every once in a while I'll check the survey company site for cashing out my earned money and updating my profile. Many things have changed in my life in the past 9 years, and the types of surveys I receive have changed along with me.
7. DON'T expect this to be your full-time job. I deposit my money into my savings account towards buying a house. I don't rely on it for day-to-day needs.
8. Incentives are different for each company. Options are usually cash (check or Paypal), gift cards/certificates, prizes, and charity donations.
Survey Companies That I Use
Lightspeed Panel
My Survey
Viewpoint Forum
Greenfield Online
Zoompanel
Global Test Market
Global Opinion Panels
Mindfield Online
Survey Savvy
Types of Studies
***LOWER PAYING***
1. Online Surveys - You get an email when one is available and fill it out completely online. These can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
2. Paper Surveys - You get a survey delivered in your mail box. Usually the company is also an online survey company and you have opted in for paper surveys. These can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
3. Phone Survey - You get a phone call when one is available. Usually the company is also an online survey company and you have opted in for phone surveys, or you have taken an online "screener" and opted to continue the study by phone. Phone surveys can be complete surveys within themselves or a "screener" for another type of study below.
***HIGHER PAYING***
4. At-home Product Test - These I LOVE. After completing a "screener" survey to make sure that you match that type of product (ie: you like 2-ply toilet paper, you drink alcoholic beverages), you will be sent the free product to use at home. After using the product for a certain length of time, you will be sent an email notifying you that the follow-up survey is ready. You will receive your incentive after completing the final survey. Note: You probably will not finish using the product by the time the email is sent to you and usually the company lets you keep the rest.
5. Long-term studies - These surveys are on the same topic and are sent to you periodically over a long period of time. I am currently involved in a year-long study like this now.
6. Online Forums - You log into the forum community usually once a week to provide feedback on the topics listed.
7. On-location Research Studies - After qualifying, you drive to a site to look at products in person and provide feedback. I have used handheld computers, pen & paper, and face-to-face interviews to give my feedback in the past.
8. Focus Groups - These could be online or in person. Participants meet together at a certain time and place to give feedback on a product. There is a moderator who asks questions and directs discussion. The in-person focus groups I've been to have always been taped (so you can't be camera shy).
Important Information to Know About the World of Survey Taking
1. NEVER pay to join a survey company. People are on the internet to scam you out of your money. This is a red flag for me.
2. Always look through the survey site before you sign up to find out what options are available for payment and if the company is reputable (they won't have dead links on pages). If you don't like what you see, don't sign up.
3. Once you do sign up, provide every bit of information they ask for on the profile surveys. These profiles are used to match you up with up-coming surveys and you don't want to miss a great paying one because you didn't provide the needed information.
4. ALWAYS take EVERY survey the same day you receive it. This builds trust between you and the company. This will allow you to have more opportunities for paying surveys and be able to do more of the higher paying opportunities from the list above.
5. It's okay to be in many panels and do multiple studies at once. As long as you keep everything straight, you're good to go.
6. Every once in a while I'll check the survey company site for cashing out my earned money and updating my profile. Many things have changed in my life in the past 9 years, and the types of surveys I receive have changed along with me.
7. DON'T expect this to be your full-time job. I deposit my money into my savings account towards buying a house. I don't rely on it for day-to-day needs.
8. Incentives are different for each company. Options are usually cash (check or Paypal), gift cards/certificates, prizes, and charity donations.
Survey Companies That I Use
Lightspeed Panel
My Survey
Viewpoint Forum
Greenfield Online
Zoompanel
Global Test Market
Global Opinion Panels
Mindfield Online
Survey Savvy
CVS for the Week of 7/13
Coupon Cravings has it all laid out for you.
CVS Deals
AND to sweeten the deal, get a $3/$15 CVS coupon!
Go to The Valley Breeze Newspaper
Click on the right side bar where it says "Search the Breeze" (an orange and white box)
Under "Search this Week's Ads" type CVS and click "Search"
It will pull up the PDF File (This means you can use it more than once)
Thanks BeCentsAble!
CVS Deals
AND to sweeten the deal, get a $3/$15 CVS coupon!
Go to The Valley Breeze Newspaper
Click on the right side bar where it says "Search the Breeze" (an orange and white box)
Under "Search this Week's Ads" type CVS and click "Search"
It will pull up the PDF File (This means you can use it more than once)
Thanks BeCentsAble!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
New Samples for 7/10/08
Stayfree free sample and a $1 coupon (Thanks BeCentsAble)
Free food at Quiznos (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Free Slurpee on 7/11
Garnier UltraLift Pro-X Free Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Eucerin Redness Relief Free Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
San Antonio Coffee Roaster's Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Download your free copy of Coupon Mom's Advance Grocery Saving Strategies (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Free Aveeno sample and coupon (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
True Lemon/True Lime/True Orange Sample (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Pantene Color Expressions sample
Tide with Dawn Stainscrubbers (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Kotex Sample (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Free food at Quiznos (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Free Slurpee on 7/11
Garnier UltraLift Pro-X Free Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Eucerin Redness Relief Free Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
San Antonio Coffee Roaster's Sample (Thanks Frugal, Freebies and Deals)
Download your free copy of Coupon Mom's Advance Grocery Saving Strategies (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Free Aveeno sample and coupon (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
True Lemon/True Lime/True Orange Sample (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Pantene Color Expressions sample
Tide with Dawn Stainscrubbers (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Kotex Sample (Thanks Money Saving Mom)
Look What Came In the Mail Today!
Samples, Coupons, Rebates and Checks, oh my!
Quaker Simple Harvest Cereal with a $1 off coupon. Sorry, offer expired. :0(
Dove Pro Age Body Lotion with a $1.50 off coupon. Find it here.
Multigrain Cheerios, find it here.
Escada Moon Sparkle Perfume, find it here.
Covet Perfume, find it here.
Home Depot Garden Club Coupons (perfect for the patio garden I'll be creating!). Signup for the club and you receive biweekly emails on promotions and these coupons in the mail. Find it here.
2 Longs Rebate Gift Cards totaling $25 from a Kotex and Covergirl promotion in May. The Kotex ended up being free and the Covergirl make-up was VERY cheap after the gift cards and coupons.
Procter & Gamble coupon book which is awesome! Savings on Swiffer, Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Mr. Clean and Iams products. I didn't realize how may P&G products I used until last weekend's P&G insert in the newspaper. Now even more coupons from P&G. Score! Find it here.
A $13 check from Viewpoint Forum, a reputable survey company I belong to.
Even though it was a bill, I had a pleasant surprise at a greatly reduced electric bill. We recently moved and our old apartment had appliances from the 70s that sucked up electricity like crazy. Our new apartment has brand new appliances, and even though we've added a washer and dryer to the list, the bill was still way lower than the old apartment!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Media Is Catching On
NPR did a report on the online culture of coupon/frugal blogs. I can just imagine this catching on to larger media outlets. LOL, hope this doesn't blow our cover!
Click here to listen
Click here to listen
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Longs Drugs July Rebate Catalog
I'll be focusing on Longs Drugs a lot since the blogs I frequent don't really cover this gem of a store. For the first time I've seen, there are rebates according to week of purchase.
Free after rebates
7/4-7/10
Garnier Fructis Hydra-Curls or Curl & Shine Haircare (limit 1)
Gillette Hair Care for Men (limit 1)
*add $1/1 coupon from P&G insert and it's a money maker!
7/11-7/17
Nivea for Men Body Wash (limit 1)
7/18-7/24
Joint Juice Glucosamine Supplement, 6 pk. (limit 2)
*add $1/1 coupon from newspaper insert and/or from here and it's a money maker!
7/25-7/31
Just for Men Touch of Gray (limit 1)
Other Deals
Always Maxi Pads $1 rebate on 2 + B1G1 coupon from P&G insert (limit 1)
John Frieda Volume Hair Care $6.49-$4 rebate-$1/1 coupon from newspaper insert = $1.49 (limit 3)
Jergens Naturals Moisturizers $6.99-$4 rebate-$1/1 coupon from newspaper insert = $1.99
Oral-B Advantage $1.99 (sale)-$1 rebate-$1/1 coupon from P&G insert = FREE
Crest Glide Floss $2.99 (sale)-$1 rebate-$1 coupon = $.99 (limit 2)
Blog Lists
You can find the blogs that I have found most helpful on the right column of this page. This way you can access them at anytime and not have to search for this post. My hubby (the tech genius he is), helped me set up an RSS feed in my Mail application on my Mac for each blog. All I have to do is open up my mail and all of the new unread posts are there waiting for me. I also find it helpful for saving any posts for future use. If you need help doing this, contact me!
My First Post!
Hi, my name is Anne (hi, Anne!). I've been addicted to sales, coupons and freebies since becoming an adult and having to pay for stuff on my own. Recently I stumbled upon some wonderful blogs that feed my addiction, in a healthy way, and I've been laughing all the way to the bank. These blogs do such a great job that I will post links to them in my next blog. I am not trying to replace those blogs at all. What I found is that many of the people writing those blogs don't live on the West Coast (which I do) and are mothers (which I am not...yet). So this blog is to create a forum for sushi eating, latte sipping 20-somethings who only do that stuff when there's sale and a coupon involved. This blog will also focus on stores that are in this region of the country, which I feel have been entirely overlooked by other blogs because, well, they don't know that the stores exist!
As much as this will be a great way to get steals and deals out to other people, I unfortunately can't promise regular posts. I work full-time as a teacher and I'm going to grad school part-time for a Master's degree. I am happily married and have a needy cat. Yes, all of these demands at the same time. So I will probably be able to post more during summer than fall, but I'll do the best I can. Here we go!
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