Thursday, July 31, 2008

I'm a Blogging Maniac!

I have started 4 more new blogs last week. I'm still tweaking them but I have a clickable link for each one below. I will have a screenshot of each one up and running by next week. I'm waiting for my new computer, which will have a newer paint program installed. Please check them out and let me know what you think.

WAHM Adventures

The Cajun Blogger

House of Bargains

Organized Pantry

Start a Gift Closet

I have a nice size walk-in closet with lots of shelves. I love having an older home since there is so much space in the house. I'm actually going to move my gift closet to the spare bedroom soon. I have a box filled with body wash, lotions, candles, shaving cream (usually the smaller travel size ones), razors, and so on. These are items I collect from sales and free items I get in the mail. I give out several gift bags filled with these items for Birthday and/or Christmas presents. I usually spend less than $50 for all these items in the box. I give out close to 10 bags per year which makes them around $5 each or sometimes a little more. But never more than $8 each. The recipients love them, and look forward to getting one each year.

I also buy toys that I find on clearance for those last minute invitations to a party. All of my nieces and nephew are too old for toys so I don't buy as many as I once did. I give all my nieces the gift bags, and my nephew will now get either a DVD or a game for his system. I also like to buy really nice picture frames that I find on clearance for wedding presents. Now that I'm selling Tupperware, then I am giving more of it for presents. I can get sets much cheaper with my 25% discount. I might break up a big set of many items, and just give a few items to one person, and the rest to another.

Having the gift closet has been a really big money saver for us. Many times we get last minute invites for something. Instead of stressing about having to shop and spend money we might not have, then all I have to do is go shopping in my closet for the right gift. I also have a couple of gift cards if all else fails. I get these from several pay to click programs I do daily. It might seem like a lot of work but it's really not. I shop all year long so I don't have to spend a lot of money at once. I would suggest putting even $25 a month to the side to stock up on great sales when you find one. I spend less than $400 a year on gifts and that includes presents for ourselves.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #14

Today's thrifty tip is use vinegar as a fabric softener. I started using about 1/4 cup with each load and have noticed that the towels and clothes are softer. They also smell fresher. Vinegar is a great way to neutralize odors. If you have dark colors that would bleed like red or purple, then soak them in a sink or basin of vinegar. It locks in the color so it won't bleed on your other items.

Summer is Almost Over

School starts on August 7th so our summer is much shorter for us, but we also got out of school on May 21st. I just can't believe it's almost August. The days are really flying. I can't say I will miss this heat. I'm ready for cooler weather. Not cold but just not mid 90's everyday.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #13

Today's thrifty tip is to use vinegar as a disinfectant for cleaning counters, the sink, and even your bathroom. I also use vinegar to mop my vinyl floors. It's safer to use and much cheaper than chemical based cleaners. There are also no toxic fumes. I find the odor usually dissipates in an hour or two.

Pay with EBillMe

I came across this great site called ebillme where you can pay bills without using your credit card. Yes you heard me correctly no credit cards. Basically you do your online shopping with the merchants on their website and select ebillme at checkout. Then add them to your online bill payment system on your bank's website. Once you add them as a payee, you schedule your payments from your bank. It was so easy and extremely secure. They do offer free buyer protection.



EBillMe also has a great promotion for your first purchase. Spend $100 or more to receive a $20 Gas Card! This offer is good until September 30th. They offer many great merchants like TigerDirect.com, Buy.com, Crutchfield, and more. I went shopping at Tiger Direct to do some early Christmas shopping. I will definitely use ebillme.com again.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Don't Forget Your Passport

I don't have one since I have to leave the country, but if I did then do I really want to stand in line and wait? Of course and I can now go online to get a passport. It's the first site online that offers this service, and you can get yours in as little as 24 hours. Check out this great site today to learn more and save more time.

Friday, July 25, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #12

Today's thrifty tip is use an old toothbrush to clean your sink faucet. I do this weekly and it really does get all the grime out that is hard to reach with a bigger brush. I also use it to clean the lip on the inside as well as around the drain opening. You can even buy a cheap 50 cent one to use just for cleaning. Just make sure to keep it with your cleaning supplies.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #11

Today's thrifty tip is clean your jewelry with toothpaste. This works wonderful and a huge tube of Ultra-Brite is 88 cents at my Wal-Mart. Even a tube at a dollar is cheap and will last for months. The expensive cleaners are at least $4.00 a box. I just use an old toothbrush or a cheap 50 cent one from the store. My rings come out sparkling, but just be sure to close the sink drain before cleaning.

How Did Hurricane Dolly Sneak In?

Maybe I need to pay more attention to the news but it seems that Hurricane Dolly sneaked through the backdoor. I heard it entered the Gulf on Monday, but then yesterday it was approaching South Texas and North Mexico as a hurricane. I was shocked that it had moved so quickly in such a short amount of time. Usually hurricanes can take days building in the Gulf. In a small way I'm glad it moved this quickly since it didn't have time to build into a more powerful Hurricane. In other ways I'm a little surprised by how little coverage it got from the media. I guess we should be glad since the gas prices seem to be holding steady. I just hope everyone in the path stayed safe and can rebuild quickly.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #10

Today's thrifty tip is to use baking soda, vinegar, and boiling hot water to clear a clogged drain. What you do is pour a cup of baking soda down the drain first. Then pour a cup of vinegar behind it which will fizz. Then put the stopper in and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Then take out the stopper and pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. This works for me pretty much every time, especially, in the kitchen sink. The bathrooms don't always work since it's usually a hair clog so then I usually use a bent wire hanger to get to the clog. I do use the baking soda and hot water mixture to keep them clear and smelling clean. It's cheaper than using expensive drain cleaners plus safer.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

More Than Just a Trinket

As a bride there is so much to do before the big event, but one thing that can be hard to figure out is choosing your bridesmaid gifts. You don't want to buy them just anything, and it should be special since you asked these special ladies to walk in your wedding. If it is an accessory ,then try to consider giving them something that can be used other than on your special day.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #9

Today's frugal tip is use hot boiling water or vinegar to get rid of weeds. Just be careful not to use around plants. This is great for use in walkways or your driveway. This is much cheaper than chemicals and safer to use.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Have You Ever Noticed?

Have you ever noticed that the older you become, how much faster the days fly by? If I'm really busy with projects and life in general then it seems even faster. I also find the beginning of the week just drags by, but by Friday then the weekend is gone, and it's Monday again.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #8

Today's thrify tip is to use instant grits to kill black ant hills. This really does work. The theory is that the grits are eaten which then will expand in the belly killing them. The main one you need gone is the queen ant. I also read it's best to do it right before it rains since the water will speed the process. I have also watered the hill, after applying the grits, with a watering can. Again this does work for me but I never used it on any other kind other than the black ants in my yard. We are fortunate not to have fire ants.

Some people will say it didn't work for them or it's not true that the ants can eat the grits. I only that I do use the instant kind of grits and sprinkle them generously before rain, and they are gone in 1-2 days. I also buy the store brand for even more savings. I like it since I'm not using chemicals in my yard, and safe to use around kids and pets.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Check Out Your Stores for Clearance Items

I went shopping at a local store that were clearancing clothes plus take an extra 20% off the already reduced prices. I bought $210 worth of clothes for my son and paid $52 with tax for all of it. I bought winter clothes for this year but did snag a couple of summer shirts. Here is a list of what I bought all size 7. The Levis were on sale plus I 2 20% discounts (the extra one and I had a coupon good on any item including clearance). I used the other coupon on the other pair of jeans.

Set of 2 Cars PJS ($5.32 for both pairs since it was a special set deal)
Spider Flannel PJS
Levis Jeans
South Pole Jeans
Lee Khaki Carpenter Pants
Nike S/S Shirt
2 Different Adidas L/S Shirts
Nike Wind Pants

Then I had bought 4 tops at Dillards for $17.23 with tax.

Ralph Lauren S/S Top
Shrek L/S Shirt
Charter Club L/S Shirt
Silver Surfer S/S Top

Lastly I stopped at Wal-Mart yesterday and picked up 4 pairs of shorts on sale for $3 each. I am well stocked for next summer and this winter. I paid a total of $82.xx for all these clothes. It never hurts to check out the clearance racks of your stores since you never know. Sometimes I found unmarked sales like yesterday at Wal-Mart. I spend around $100 a year on his clothes and shoes. I do have several pairs that I got on clearance from last year waiting in my closet. I only stock a size ahead of what he wears. I will buy size 8 clothes when the winter goes on sale in January next year. I used to buy more of his clothes used but it's hard to find his size, and I still feel I'm doing really well with the clearance racks. I never pay more than $4-5 unless it's a nicer dress shirt but usually under $8 for one or two of those. We need more summer clothes than winter so his winter clothes can usually last for 2 years in a row.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #7

Today's thrify tip is cook more meals from scratch. Even with the higher costs of food, it's cheaper to cook a homemade meal than to eat out. I even started making my own breads instead of buying them at the store. They taste better and are more filling. I plan my menus by the week but some do a monthly plan to save more time. I prefer a weekly basis since I have a better idea of appointments or things that come up during that week. It's also easier to cook with dietary restrictions in mind.

Travel Safe

I know a lot of people wonder if they should purchase travel insurance on their vacation. Airline costs are at an all time high, and having it will cover most flight cancellations plus it covers your baggage. It's not very expensive and usually about 5% of your total trip. If you get sick or hurt on your trip, then it cover those medical expenses. You would want the most protection you can get, especially when traveling out of country.

Friday, July 18, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #6

Today's thrifty tip is completely turn off or unplug your electronics and appliances that aren't in use. I don't mean the stove, fridge, or washer/dryer but things like your stereo, TV, microwave, and computer. I started doing this for the last few months and have noticed a difference in my electric bills. They still use energy even when you turn it off as it's in standby mode. I have my computer on a power strip with a switch and have put my tv and dvd player on a similar strip. Now I just turn off the strip when I'm done with these items at the end of the day.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #5

Today's TMR tip is to clip coupons. I know some people don't have time or I don't use that brand. If you really want to save on brands that you already use then you should be clipping. Even organic coupons are more available than in the past. I admit I don't use a lot of coupons for food but where I really save is on our health/beauty items and OTC meds. I already wrote an article about it and rebates so copy/paste the link if interested.


http://www.thriftymommaramblings.com/2008/06/rebate-coupon-chat.html

Back to the Basics Using Cash

I am a big Dave Ramsey fan and started using a cash only system. I was already doing a cash envelope system before I read his book, The Total Money Makeover, but I became more disciplined after reading. It's rare in today's world to find a financial book telling you to use cash only and no credit cards. After we dug our way out of debt, we swore off using credit cards forever. I was very happy that he felt the same way he did about them.

The main reason I like using cash is once it's gone in a certain envelope then we stop spending for the month. I do over budget in our food envelope for those great sales. On average we spend $250-300 a month in food. It was closer to $200-250 for a family of 3, but with costs on the rise then I upped our budget. I also had to increase our budget for gas. It was a $100 a month but not it's up to $150 so not terrible but not having debt does make it easier to swallow.

We have $1200 worth of expenses monthly which includes everything from food, gas, utilities, gifts, household items, insurance, clothes, gas, and spending money. We put about $1,000/mo in savings. We have different things we are saving for like newer car, repairs, vacation and remodeling for the house. I have it marked how much money is in each category.

The main concern I hear is what if I have an emergency? That is why you put 3-6 months of living expenses into a liquid account so you don't need a CC. I have a debit card linked to that account as well as checks so I don't have to walk around with thousands of dollars on me. That's the other concern I hear often. I might get robbed if I carry cash. I never walk around with lots of cash and most of the time have $5 or less on me. When I do plan to shop then I bring a certain amount with me and sometimes a little extra so I get take advantage of an unadvertised deal.

Even Adults Get Acne

As an adult in my 30's I still can't believe I have to live with acne. I'm too old for breakouts but that's not true. Many adults still get pimples, blackheads, and even boils. This great site called AcneCuresRevealed.com has great articles as well as product reviews on many treatments. I rarely use acne cream too much anymore, but I still use a foaming face wash made for acne prone skin. I also moisturize my skin which has helped tremendously. Check out the site and learn more facts about acne.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #4

My tip for today is yet another laundry tip. I have a lot of these and not sure why but it seems pretty easy to cut back in this area. There is very little effort involved unlike many other tips I have read. I cut all my dryer sheets in half. I do hang most of our laundry on the line but there are times when I do use my gas dryer. A box of sheets will last twice as long and not as overpowering as the whole sheet. I also only buy when I get a box for under 50 cents but by using half the sheet I save twice as much on each box.

Cold Air is a Must in This Heat!

I know many people say that cold air is a luxury but for me in this heat it's definitely a must. I live in very humid South Louisiana so no way I could I survive these summers without my cold air in my car. I'm very frugal in many areas but having a working air conditioner is one of the things I splurge on, especially, when the temperature is 95+ on a daily basis.

The Air conditioning compressor in my husband's truck has went out so we are definitely looking into this great site. They offer a warranty on all their parts they sell and Free Shipping! That is a great deal with the high gas prices.

Stay Tuned for a Chance to Win Free $50 Tupperware GC!

At the end of the month I'm starting a drawing for 3 Tupperware prizes. The top prize will be a $50 online Gift Certificate (I ask that you please spend it on my site), 2nd place will be a bowl set worth at least $25 or more, and 3rd prize will be a Tupperware item worth around $10-15. The drawing will start either start next week or the last week of this month and run thru Labor Day. The drawing will be Tuesday September 2nd. All winners will be emailed and I will post first names on the blog. There will be many great ways to win an entry and some things will give you multiple entries. Stay tuned for all the details coming soon.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #3

I didn't have a chance to get a new tip yesterday since the weather so bad yesterday. Today's tip is install a low flow shower aerator. I didn't buy a special shower head but just an aerator that fits on your existing one. I got one from Lowes for about $5 and it pays for itself in a month or two. This will not only save you money by turning off the water with a side lever while lathering, but you will help conserve our natural resources.

I love doing the things that not only save money but help conserve. I feel twice as good. If you are worried about lower water pressure then don't be concerned. I haven't noticed any difference.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away!

We just had some really bad thunderstorms pass and it just started raining again. My backyard looks like a lake. The front is even worse since there is a lake of water on the highway. Of course people don't slow down and just zoom thru it. It looks like a waterfall where my drainage ditch is located. It's been raining almost everyday since June. I feel like we are going to wash away soon. I got some pictures after it finally slacked off.



Saturday, July 12, 2008

TMR Frugal Living Tip #2

My second tip for today would be to wash your clothes in cold water. This will save you energy. I also turn my dark colored clothes inside out, especially, my dark blue and black clothes. If you have some items that are stained or dirty with oil or grease then try pre-soaking those items in a warm water and then wash on cold. My husband can get dirty from his job but this works for our family.

A Great Device

A couple of years ago my computer was so infested with spyware and viruses that I had to wipe it and start over. I thought I had saved all my pictures but when I tried to restore them then nothing happened. I was very upset so I decided then it was time to buy a flash memory device of some sort. I finally decided on a USB flash pen drive that could hold 2GB of memory. I got it for under $25 and it works great. I love that I can download my pics onto my friends/relatives computers. I don't even have a 1GB used yet so it holds lots of pictures.

Friday, July 11, 2008

TGIF!

I'm just so glad it's Friday and the weekend is almost here! I don't have any plans, but I love having my husband home for the weekends since he works really long hours during the week. It's even nicer since he got off much earlier today than normal. I hope you have a great weekend and be safe!

TMR Frugal Living Tip #1

I decided to post a series of frugal living tips daily. TMR is an abbreviation for Thrifty Momma Ramblings. I will try to post a new tip everyday except for weekends, since I get busy with my husband home. There are literally thousands of ways to cut costs in all areas of our lives. I don't do every tip but I do apply many of them to our budget.

My first tip for today is to hang your clothes on a clothesline. The weather has been very unpredictable so I have a chain that runs the length of my washroom. I can hang a good bit of clothing on the line. I do have a dryer that runs on natural gas but I like hanging sheets outside on a nice sunny day. An inside line would be better for those that have snow or allergies. I also wash a load every other to every 2 days instead of waiting for the weekend.

A Hair Raising Story

Nope not a horror story, unless you consider shaving your head one, but a story on hair. My son was begging me to shave his head so I did with a pair of clippers we have. I do have a couple of different size guards so I used a one. It was super easy to do and my hubby was impressed and asked for me to do his without a guard. He loves it and has told me it keeps him much cooler when working. He wanted to accept his fate since his hair is receding, but it really didn't look bad.

A good pair of clippers from a box store is about $30-40. They both got their hair cut every 4 months so 4 cuts a year each. I'm still letting our son have a cut for Christmas time but most of the year it will be kept around a size 2 guard and a 1 for the summer. His cuts were $11 each so that saves me $33 a year. My husband's cuts were $14 each, and he wants to keep his clipped all year so that saves $56 for a total of $89 per year! The clippers paid for themselves in 3 cuts. I have had these clippers for well over a year so hopefully they won't need to be replaced for several years. I wasn't good at actually cutting hair but this is something anyone can do.

More Insurance Talk

I know I talked about the benefits of having life insurance, but I wanted to chat about what kind of insurance one should look into getting. This is my opinion but I would only get term life insurance. Many financial experts agree that whole life insurance is a waste of money. If you are looking into it for investment purposes then you are better off investing in either a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA. A term policy is extremely affordable and you can always convert it later if you want, but I am really happy with the term policies we have. I spend $35/mo for both of us and we have a rider for our son.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

A Little Piece of Nostalgia

My dad's birthday is coming up next month, and he is making the big 65! I have been trying to think of something special to buy him. I keep thinking of a great pocket watch for him. There is something nostalgic about them, and he used to tell us stories about his grandfather's watch. I think this will be a great memento that would be great for him to pass on to his grandchildren one day.

Jewelry For all Occasions

Jewelry is a great way to express your individuality and a great finishing look for costumes. This site has a great collection of Celtic jewelry from earrings, necklaces, rings, pendants, and so much more. There are pieces for everyday wear or even special occasions. All of the pieces are made from genuine sterling silver. The jewelry would also make great gifts.

Get Your Free Coke Zero Coupon Today!

Get a FREE Coke Zero Coupon from Mycokerewards dot com. If you aren't a member then sign-up for a free account. Once you are in then click on rewards/sweeps and then by points by 25 and lower. Then finally click down 4 times and you should see Coke Zero 400 Free Coke Zero 20 oz for 0 points so click on it to redeem your coupon. It says should receive in 2 weeks when you get the email. Click on the link below and this is 1 per account and good until July 14th!

Click Here for the Coke Zero Coupon!

Monday, July 7, 2008

My Great Deal From the Paper

This weekend I was scouring a free paper we receive that is basically a whole paper full of classifieds ads. There are great deals listed at times so I like to browse since you never know what will be listed. I came across a deal for a Little Tikes twin size race car bed. We bought my son a futon bed a few months ago but it's just not working well. The character sheets he wants for his bed are so much more expensive for full size if you can even find them. We had a twin size a couple of years ago but my husband thought it was better to go with the full size bed we got for free from his parents. I have been kicking myself ever since for getting rid of the twin bed.

When I came across the ad I was intrigued. These beds sell well and usually sell for more than the asking price. I called and she was desperate to get rid of it and needed the space it was taking up in her garage. I sent my husband over with the truck and it was in pristine condition. She even gave us an almost brand new twin mattress with bunk bed box spring and a brand new set of yellow sheets. I paid $200 for the bed. It's the red one with the bookcase headboard and a toy box at the foot of the bed. These retail for $400 new and the bed looks almost new. There are a couple of light scuffs on the corners. The best part is that when it's time to sell the bed then we can recoup almost all of our money. We got such a great deal and still can't believe she gave us a new mattress. We put the futon bed in our spare room to keep for company. I also got a killer deal on that one from the furniture store.

We only have full size bedding so we had to buy twin size bedding for our son. So we went to Wal-Mart yesterday and found a Speed Racer comforter for $18. I wanted the sheets but thought it was odd they weren't marked down. Hubby scanned them and it rang up at $7! I was very excited to get the whole set for $25 and he will be able to use these for several years. I also splurged on another set of character sheets for him so we spent about $50 with tax for 2 sets of sheets and the comforter. We now have 3 sets and I still plan on using his other full size comforters for now.




Sunday, July 6, 2008

Second Week of July- More Great Shopping!

This has already been another great week of shopping all the great sales! I mainly shop the drug stores each week. I also snagged an awesome deal at Wal-Mart with a set of Speed Racer twin sheets. They weren't marked but rang up at $7! I got the last set at my store. I also got the matching comforter for $18 so a total of $25 for bedding is fantastic. Here are my deals for today.

Rite-Aid I spent $23.16 and am getting back $17 in rebates so I spent $6.16 for all this (once I get my check).

2 Herbal Essence Shampoos
1 Gilette Clinical Deodorant
1 Infusium Shampoo
1 Pro-Health Toothpaste and Mouthwash
1 Venus Razor

Then we went to CVS and got the following:

4 Bic Soliel Razors & Cartridge Refills (8 $4 coupons)
2 Olay Ribbons Body Wash (2 $2 coupons)
1 Olay Face Wash ($1 coupon)
1 Olay Moisturizer ($1 coupon)
2 Febreeze Fabric Spray (2 $1 coupons)
3 Febreeze Air Effects (2 free) & 50 cent coupon
1 Febreeze Candle ($1 coupon)
1 Febreeze Oil Warmer (got free with a coupon I requested a couple of months ago)

I spent almost $20 with tax for all of it and I still have $12 in ECB's to use. The most expensive stuff was the Febreeze and Olay. I got the face wash and moisturizer for me and the body wash will also go in the gift baskets. The bottles were huge and my sil will love them.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Find Jobs in Chicago, IL Area

Looking for a new career change or planning on moving to Chicago? Then you will want to look at a great website that can help you find Chicago jobs. The Chicago Career site can help you find that special job. You can search for jobs by industry or company, post your resume on the site, and many valuable resources. The site is very easy to navigate and organized. You can also read articles regarding your current career or the one you are considering for the future. This site is a must for anyone in the Chicago, IL area.

Market Your Website/Business

I'm always looking for ways to market my business or website. I have a Tupperware business so handing out ink pens would be a great way to market it. Here are some ways you could use to start marketing pens. People love free pens so leave them at a bank, grocery stores with a cashier, after you sign your bill at a restaurant, or give them as freebie with an order.

Picture Of My CVS Deals

Here is a picture of all the stuff I got for $15. I forgot to take one and I had it all lined up for hubby to see when he got home. He was impressed how little I paid for all of it. Over half of it was for stuff to put in my gift baskets.


Thursday, July 3, 2008

First Week of July- Great Shopping Day!

I already know I've had a post titled I love CVS but I really do love that store! I did most of the monthly deals and some of the weekly ones today. I saved a lot of money and am keeping a few items to put in my gift baskets I make for Christmas. I still need to get the Bic Soliel Razors monthly deal but my coupons haven't come in yet. They are well stocked at the moment so hoping that lasts. I also got some stuff at Rite-Aid today. I did 3 transactions at CVS.

Rite-Aid
1 Degree Clinical Deodorant- $6.99
2 RA boxes of Dryer Sheets (B1G1F) $3.19
1 Pert Plus (25% more bottle)- $2.50
1 Pert Plus Botanical- $2.50
1 Gum- 99 cents
1 Softsoap- $2.99

Coupons:
$1 Softsoap
$2 Pert Plus
$3 Pert Plus
$2 Degree
Total $8 in coupons

Grand Total with tax- $12.79 and I'm getting back $6 in Rebates from RA and $2.50 TMF Pert Plus Rebate so then grand total is $4.29! Not too shabby and I really needed dryer sheets and these were the huge 100 count ones! I would have bought more but these were the last 2 in the store. They were also out of the Dove Clinical and Oxy Freebies. Oh well.

Then I headed to CVS for the deals. I won't post them like above since it's too many to list but I will say I got the Free Liners, Tampons, 6 of the Sure Deodorants, 8 Softsoap bottles (B1G1F), 2 Coppertone Baby Sticks, Swiffer Duster and Refill, Right Guard Clinical Deo, and Vaseline Lotion. I got all of these items for $15! I am getting back a $2.89 rebate for the Sure. The total after the rebate for $12.11 and I have almost $23.49 in ECB's. I still need the Bic razors/refills and the CVS brand Face Wipes which I have a $2 beauty coupon to print. The coupon is too huge so I need to work on that later today. Once I get my rebates back then I spent less than $20 for all this stuff. I mostly spent money on the Softsoap body washes but these make great additions to my gift baskets. I spend around $5 per person and I give 6 of these away each year. I usually donate the extras to either the women's shelter or my Church.

I could have gotten my $12 total down to under $2 if I had used another $10 ECB but I wasn't thinking. I am still proud of how I did even with the extra $10 upfront. I still have it but just in the form on an ECB but I really like rolling the old ones into new ones. Share your totals and deals. I would love to hear about them.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Great Freebie Site!

I have recently found a great freebie site called Free Stuff. They have featured freebies daily that change. Some of them are from Walmart but some aren't. You can check freebies by a certain category and even post some great coupons to print. You should check them out by clicking on the link.