A good week to shop at CVS

I love CVS but lately I haven't been shopping there as much but I plan to go several times this week. If you bought a newspaper today with coupons then the deals are sweeter but never fear, even if you don't have newspaper coupons you can still get a good deal this week.

First, Buy $20 of Robitussin, Advil, Nyquil, airborne or Dimetapp and get $10 Extra bucks.
Here is a $3 printable coupon for Robitussin.
Here is a $1.50 coupon for Dimetapp
or use the same link from the Dimetapp to get $1 off Advil


My plan:
Buy 2 Dimetapps and 1 Robitussin=$20
Use 2 Dimetapp coupons and 1 Robitussin coupon=$14
Get $10 back
If you use Robitussin more and have coupons from 9/23 you can do this:
Buy 3 Robitussins=$18
Buy 1 Advil=$4
Use the printable coupons (3 Robitussin and 1 Advil)= $12 out of pocket
get $10 back and send in the receipt and labels for $5 refund on Robitussin. You made $3!

My 2nd trip: Buy $20 in triaminic, theraflu, zicam, halls, mucinex, delsym and get $10 back.

Here is a $1 printable on Theraflu
At CVS there is a display with the Halls Prohealth boxes that are buy one box of prohealth get a bag of drops for free. I am going to try to use these coupons to get the Naturals drops that are part of the deal.

My order:
1 Delsym=$9 ( I swear this is the best cough medicine!!)
2 Halls Prohealth=$8
2 Halls Naturals=$4
Minus the 2 free coupons for the naturals
Minus my $10 Extrabucks from the Robitussin deal
I pay $7
Get $10 back to use for trip #3

Buy $20 in Tylenol, Motrin, imodium, pepcid, mylanta, or neosporin and get $10 back
There were many Tylenol coupons in today's paper!
Here are some printable Tylenol coupons. Also, my CVS had a cardboard display of Tylenol Rapid Release that included coupons for $2 off. And some Children's Tylenol products have $1 peelie coupons attached to them.

My plan:
2 Tylenol Cold Rapid Release
2 Children's Motrins
Use 2 $2 Rapid Release coupons from the display
and 2 $1 motrin coupons from today's paper
plus my $10 Extra bucks from the Halls Deal.
I will pay $5 and get $10 back

Next deal, Buy $15 in Dove products get $5 back plus in today's paper there was a mail in coupon for a free tote bag when you buy $15 in Dove.

Okay, more later, gotta put the kids to bed.

Time to Schedule Family Photos!

Get ready for Christmas cards with this great deal from JC Penney Portrait studios. You get a free 8X10, no sitting fees, and additional sheets for only $3.99! This is a great discount. Offer is good thru February 2008. Print your coupon and call for an appointment. Our family just might see you there!

JCPENNEY coupon here

Some new deals!

Today I am totally exhausted but I couldn't wait to tell you about some new great deals and steals out there in cyberland for kids gifts.

First, Amazon is having a clearance sale on some Children's Book. See the link Above! There are many titles under $1! These would make great stocking stuffers, gifts for children's gift exchanges, teacher's gift basket, or Toys 4 Tots. Plus there are many titles that are buy 3 get the 4th book free! How cool is that!

Second, Hasbro has a 25% off your entire order code + free shipping right now thru October 8th when you use the code 25FALL. You can use this code multiple times! Last year I did most of my Christmas shopping with this code! There are some great toys, my girls like "My Little Pet Shop" and Caleb wants "Transformers and Nerf Blasters". The big Transformer that Caleb wants is $89 at Wal-Mart, I can get it with this code shipped to my house for $67. It is the Ultimate Movie Bumblebee.

There are some things for stocking stuffers as well. The Tooth Tunes Toothbrushes would go great in a stocking.

Finally, Children's Place has now reduced prices again to 50% off. I told you they probably would but the selection is less now than it was a week ago.

Happy Shopping!

It's a Girl!

We were blessed to find out today that our new little one is a baby girl. My due date is now February 9, 2008. She was all scruched up in a tiny ball but very cute indeed. Caleb cried and pouted for about 3 hours at the news he was not getting a brother but I trust in time he will love his new little sister. I told him to look on the bright side- He won't have to share a room or toys. We have no idea what we will name this one but it will have to start with a "c'. If you love any girl names that begin with C leave them in a comment. We are looking for ideas!

An easy way to earn a few $$- Sell books you already have

I recently found an online service that will buy books from you. You enter the books ISBN number found on either the back of the book or on the inside publisher page and they make you an offer. You then print out a pre-paid mailing label, put them in the mail, and they pay you via check or paypal. This weekend I sold $9.42 in books to them. I will put them in the mail on Monday. I should receive my paypal payment within 7-10 days.

The catch? None except that they are selective about the books they buy. I must have entered 25 book numbers and they only accepted 6 of them. So, I have 19 books that I'm going to take to "Book Gallery West" at Gainesville's Millhopper Square for either cash or credit. Or I could simply donate them to Goodwill. Either way, my closet is less cluttered and I have a few bucks in my paypal account.

I use paypal to buy things on ebay or at one of the many stores online that accept paypal. I have never once added my own money to my paypal account. I just fund it through money I earn through taking online surveys, selling things at half.com or ebay, and now by selling books at cash4books.

Check it out! Chances are you have some books collecting dust that could earn you some money.

Click on the "Cash 4 Books" logo above to get started.

Good prices on children's clothes at The Children's Place.com

To answer Donna's great question: You can use the $10 off code multiple times. No limit.

The Childrens Place has 30% off all of their early Fall line of clothes for sizes Newborn to 14. Use code NMS97 for $10 off a purchase of $30. Shipping is a flat rate of $5.00

There are some really good deals to be had. Check it out before it's all gone.

BTW, if you are short on funds at the moment, the prices will probably go to 50% in the next week as they get ready for the Christmas/holiday lines. Not sure when the $10 off code expires but probably very soon.

Hovercraft and Roboreptile: great price at Amazon.com

This is an amazing price for Wowwee Roboreptile. Originally $119, now for $24.99. Toys R Us has this listed now for $79. This toy has been on the top sellers list for toys for a while and this is the best price I've seen on it. Adults and kids love this toy. Also, if you buy $25 in toys you get a free subscription to Cookie magazine. If you decline the mag you get a refund of $9.99! You get the reptile for $14.99. WOWWEE!! If you don't have a kid to buy for, grab one and sell it on ebay!

Amazon.com currently has the Tyco Remote Control Hovercraft on sale. Originally this was $79.99 but is now $24.99. It has excellent reviews and received 4 out of 5 stars. This will make a nice Birthday present for Caleb who turns 8 on October 27th. Grab it now and save it for Christmas for your little boy, nephew, cousin, or husband (who is really just a kid at heart). Find it displayed to the right.

Do you have an account with INGdirect.com?

If you don't you should get one. INGdirect is an online bank that pays 4.3% interest on savings that you have with them. They are only online so they can pay more interest since they don't have any physical buildings to maintain. They are FDIC insured and have been around for at least 7 years online.

How do you have an "online" account?
First, you register your information with them and include your current bank information. They then send a small deposit to your bank. It is something around $.13. You then confirm the amount they sent you and you have an ING account.

How do you put money into the account?
I have an automatic savings plan which withdraws money from my regular account on the 15th and 30th of each month. This way I don't think about the money. You can also log into your ING account and tell it to transfer the money if you don't want automatic withdrawl.

Why do I want an online account?
I like it because it actually pays interest more than .1% like my other bank. Second, the money is seperate from my bill-paying and spending money. I can't drive up to the ATM and get it. I have to think about what I really want to do with the money.

Do you have sporadic bills that you only pay a few times a year?
This is a good place to keep your money. Decide what you need to pay (property taxes, Christmas budget, summer vacation, etc.) and set up a seperate account for each. Divide the amount you need for the year by 12 and deposit that amount of money each month. For example, if you wanted to spend $1200 on Christmas you would deposit $100 each month. It will sit there and earn interest and it will be there when you need it.

If you are interested in getting a free ING account, email me at adh913@yahoo.com and I will send you a referral link in an email. You will then get a $ bonus for opening the account.

If you already have an ING account let me a comment and let me know how you like it!

Pumpkin Bread YUM!

It actually looks and feels a tiny bit like Fall outside today. I know it is too good to last very long since Fall is almost non-existent in Florida. It still makes me crave "fall foods". I made this pumpkin bread on Sunday and it was delicious. Pumpkin is very healthy for you! It is full of fiber, which promotes weight loss, and is full of Vitamin C. I took some to work to share with friends today and they raved about! (Thanks Sheila and Erin!) It is a simple deal:

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ground ginget to make 2 tsp. I actually just shook the little containers until it looked like enough spices and it smelled good.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan or muffin pan. Mix pumpkin, eggs, milk and oil in bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice, and salt. Stir until moist. Spoon into pan and bake for about 1 hour for a loaf or 18 minutes for muffins. It would be wonderful sprinkled with powdered sugar or if making muffins top with cream cheese frosting.

Cheap dress-up/Halloween outfits at amazon.com

Kids love to dress up! And if your family does the trick-or-treat thing these costumes can double as Halloween outfits and then as dress-up outfits. Letting kids play "dress-up" including little boys is of great educational value. It teaches kids to see things from other's viewpoints, enhances communication skils, and allows kids to tap into their creativity.

These outfits are at Amazon.com and if you've shopped sales at amazon then you know that prices can change very quickly. If the price is high, then the sale is over. Here are your choices on the right.

Christmas ramblings- Living debt free

I decided to make my Christmas list of people outside of our family that we buy gifts for. When making a list it is easy to overlook someone. Be real about your Christmas list. For example, at my job I have chosen to participate in "Secret Pal" program. We buy small gifts throughout the year for one other person. I need to remember her for Christmas. Also, if your kids have their own organizational Christmas parties, remember those gifts, too! I know that each of my girls will have a party at their Dance Studio. Caleb just joined Boy Scouts so I don't know if I will need a gift for a party there yet.

Put your own family first. This may sound selfish but your hard earned money should go toward your husband or wife and kids. It is nice to remember others at Christmas time but truly it is the thought that counts. Many times we let our own ego get in the way of our budget or desire to live thrifty/frugally. What I mean is, we want to impress the people we are buying for. This is non-sense. I know that my family and friends would rather receive a small, thoughtful gift that came from what I had to give, rather than going in debt to buy them a gift. Going in debt is no gift to them and certainly not to you!

Start shopping now. As my dear sister-in-law Jennifer at www.keepersofthehomejm.blogspot.com showed in her latest post, buy things now that are on sale or on clearance. Check my blog daily for good deals. Yesterday I posted some good deals at JCPenney.com.

Do you have any questions about Christmas on a budget? Leave me a comment and I will try to answer you.

Get Started on Christmas Gifts Today!

Here are a few good deals I found while browsing the shopping boards at fishingfordeals.com. I have officially begun my Christmas shopping!

JCPenney.com- $10 off a $10 purchase when you use VISA. I used my bank "visa debit card" and it worked like a charm. It works on their outlet stuff, too! I did a search for "outlet" and then choose two items. When checking out use promotional code "VISATEN".

I bought:

These chicken plates with holder. Were $29.99 on sale for $9.99

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.aspx?DeptID=2652&CatID=38455&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=109d0cc&ProdSeq=3&Cat=wall+decor&Dep=Online+Outlet+Store&PCat=HOME+ACCENTS&PCatID=30841&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=22&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=30841&RefDeptID=2652&Page=1&CmCatId=26523084138455

I also bought this electric throw. Originally $49.99 on sale for $19.99. This is for my husband who is cold all winter. Now I can keep him warm and the heater on low!

http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.aspx?catnum=QF720-1510&action=Edit&ItemSeq=0&EditRefPage=http%3a%2f%2fwww5.jcpenney.com%2fjcp%2fbag.aspx&cmBagLookup=True&CmCatId=Bag

I bought these in seperate orders. First order I added a maternity shirt on sale for $4.99.

Total value today: $95

Paid with shipping: $22

Two gifts down! Take a look through their site. I'm sure you'll find a good deal!

Can you really get a deal at the grocery store?

Yep, you can still get a deal at the local grocery stores but you have to be smarter than they are! Here are a few trips I made this weekend:

My kids like to take their lunch to school, along with a snack everyday. It can be expensive if we don't plan it just right. But I believe the lunchroom food is not that great so taking their lunch ensures that there is something they will eat. For Caleb this is especially important! He never eats.

1. Winn-Dixie
Here's what we got at WD:
**4 Nabisco snack packs: (They have 8-10 snack bags in each package.)
1 Fig Newton, I Ritz Bits cheese crackers, 1 marshmallow assortment, 1 cookie assortment
They were Buy one, get one free so $2.45 each.
** I gallon of milk
** 20 individual serving size boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (kids like these as snacks and while heavy on the sugar side, they are made with whole grain!)
Total before Card and coupons: $38.xx
Total after Card and coupons: $11.16
I saved 66%
coupons I used:
*buy 4 packages of Nabisco cookies and Get a gallon of milk free
*(10) $1 off any 2 packages of General Mills Cereals. These coupons do not state you have to buy the big boxes of cereal, so I bought the small ones which were priced $.50 each. They were completely free after coupon!

2. Food Lion (Lake City)
We were in Lake City on Saturday for my niece Gabby's first birthday. She's a doll!
While over there I headed to Food Lion with my coupons. I won't list everything I got there but here are the highlights:
30 (yes, 30) packs of Kraft Handi-snacks pudding
30 packs of Jell-o fruit gels
4 boxes of Nilla Wafers
5 cans chicken noodle soup
lunch meat
10 pounds sugar
and a couple other items.

Total before card and coupons: $56.xx
Total after card and coupons: $11.61
I saved 80%!
Coupons used:
*(12) $5 off when you buy 5 Kraft items (The pudding and jell-o packs were on sale for $1 each so they were all free after coupon)
*Nilla wafers were on sale for Buy One, get one free so I used another free milk coupon when you buy 4 Nabisco cookie packs. (Really I only paid for 2 boxes because the other 2 were free!)

I spent the remaining grocery money at Wal-mart where I bought fresh fruit, frozen veggies, and some chicken breasts.

Total grocery money spent this weekend: just under $75