Reflections

As 2012 comes to an end, we all start to reflect. We reflect on things we did and things we didn't do . We reflect on the new family we gained as well as those we lost. We reflect on new experiences and those we passed up. We reflect on the goals we set this time last year and hope we saw progress.

As I reflect on 2012, one word comes to mind: thankful.

Thankful for the family God has blessed me with. 

Thankful for the friends in my life. 

Thankful for the job that I have. 

Thankful for the roof over my head.

Thankful for the clothes on my back.

Thankful for all the laughs, hugs, and kisses.

Thankful for the little things that made me smile.

Thankful for everything Extraordinary that happened in 2012.

Remember my motto?

"Saving on the ordinary to enjoy the Extraordinary!"

As the year comes to an end, I look back on 2012 with no regrets and look to 2013 with eagerness and great expectations. Money can't buy happiness, we all know that. But let's all try to save a little more on the ordinary stuff in life to make the Extraordinary possible.

Free Redbox Rental

I have a confession. 

I've never rented a movie from Redbox. Crazy, I know!

And it's not because I don't want to.

It's because I don't know what to do. And I try my best to avoid situations that are going to make me look less than intelligent.

So why today's post about Redbox? Because today I found out I could get a movie for FREE! Yep, that'll motivate me more than anything to get out of my comfort zone :)

So what do you need to do?

All you need to do is go to the Redbox website to get started. Create a redbox.com account, pick a DVD you want to rent, and complete the reservation so it's waiting for you at your favorite Redbox kiosk. I chose the one closest to my job so that I can just pick it up on my way home. The next time you return to redbox.com to reserve a DVD, you'll have a credit in your account good for a free one-night rental. Simple!

Yes, I'm proud to say that tonight I will be one of those people standing in line at those snazzy red machines. 

Savings for Everyone

Hi Friends!

Geez...it seems like FOREVER since I've been on here. Wait, it HAS been forever. Life has been super duper busy lately...lots of traveling for both work and pleasure. But things seem to be slowing down...well, my version of "slowing down" may be a little different than yours...but for me, I'm having more free time than I've had in months. And I like it!

To ease myself back into the blogging world, I decided to keep this post simple. I figured if I started back slowly, I might actually be able to keep up with it this time. Fingers crossed...

So I came across a few really cool coupons today that I thought I'd share with you. Make sure you pay attention to expiration dates because a few of these are expiring soon.

New York & Company

TODAY...1 Day Only

In Store Only

Save $30, $60, $90

Expires July 12, 2012

Free Starbucks Refreshers

Friday, July 13

Noon-3PM

Enjoy a free Tall 12 oz. Starbucks Refreshers beverage at participating stores

No purchase necessary

Limit 1 per person

Barnes & Noble Surprise Savings

Save 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, or 50% On One Item*

*Discount will be revealed at Checkout

Expires in stores July 15, 2012 

Customized Mousepad $4.99 Shipped

Must use above link and code MOUSEADYORK for discount

Pay $1 for mousepad and $3.99 for shipping

**and get 40 prints FREE when you sign up

Expires July 31, 2012 

Cinemark Coupons

Sign up for their weekly emails and get weekly discounts

I got this offer in my inbox today

Book: All in Good Time

If the description below peaks your interest, then this is the book for you!

"A few dollars wasted here, a few minutes lost there...it all ads up, and soon you're stretched thin, stressed out, and wishing you had more free time and financial resources for the important things, like your family - and yourself...It's time to get your house - and schedule - in order. The secret to streamlining your life is in the timing: knowing exactly when to do, buy, travel, or try..."

This wonderful book that I speak of is "All in Good Time" by Tara Kuczykowski and Mandi Ehman.

This book has been on my Kindle wish list for a while now, but I didn't think the electronic version of this book would be very effective for me. This seemed like the kind of book I would want to write in, bookmark, and tuck away in my couponing bag of tricks as a resource for whenever I needed it.

Luckily I came across this Barnes & Noble printable coupon (which expires tomorrow) and finally had a guilt-free reason for buying the non-digital version (15% off is always nice). It brought the price of the book (found in the Reference section) down to $12.75, a minimal price for what I hope will be a great investment in my sanity ;)

For more information on this book, click here.

Triumph at Target Part II

Today's quick trip to Target was a spur-of-the-moment, let's-see-what-clothes-they-have-on-sale kind of trip. It didn't really stop at clothes, but you get the picture...

Total Savings: $46.90

First things first. If you haven't printed the Mossimo and Merona coupons from Target's website, do that now! I'm serious...stop reading, go to a computer, and print those coupons pronto. They are $3 off coupons that expire today, and you will kick yourself for not using them. I promise! Well, maybe not literally kick yourself, but you could score some super duper cheap casual tops that you are sure to wear this upcoming holiday weekend.

Pictured above are 3 lace Mossimo tank tops that are on sale for $6 AND they are available in all sorts of bright spring colors. I was lucky enough to have 3 coupons on hand, so I only paid $3 each. Great deal, huh? But wait...it gets better!

Also pictured above are 2Merona  scoop neck tops that I found on clearance for $4. That's right, you guessed it...after using (2)$3 off coupons, I only paid $1 for each one! So if you haven't printed those coupons yet, I suggest you go print them and make a quick stop at Target to stock up on some always-needed casual tops. You'll thank me later...maybe ;)

If all you wanted to know about were the clothes, then I suggest you stop reading, print those coupons, and head on over to Target to take advantage of some sweet prices! If you are weird like me and get excited about cheap toiletries, then please continue reading...

I had some extra coupons from yesterday's trip that I wanted to use up, so I scored more cheap Aquafresh toothpaste and Up & Up travel size cotton balls. Feel free to look at yesterday's post to see the specifics on those sales.

Another Target coupon that you HAVE to print right now is the Degree coupon. The coupon is $2 off 2 Degree deoderants, and Target has their combo pack on sale for $3.99. Because there are 2 in a pack, this qualifies as 2 items, so the $2 off coupon applies. After the coupon, you are getting a Degree 2-pack for $1.99. These deoderants usually run about $3 each regular price.

A few cool clearance finds pictured above are Energizer Max 10-pack batteries ($5.61) and Colgate toothbrushes 3-pack ($3.14). Combined with manufacture coupons that I had from Sunday's paper, these always-needed items came with a pretty sweet price tag :)

The Garnier Fructis conditioner and Quaker Oats Real Medleys were purchased because I had a Target printable coupon and manufacture coupon that I was able to pair nicely for a great price.

Triumph at Target Part I

To a couponer, there is no greater feeling than walking away from a store with a bag full of goodies and a wallet equally full. Allow me to share my successful Target trip with you.

Ta-da!

Paid $2.59 before taxes

Up & Up Ibuprofen

$0.97 each - (2)$1 Target printable coupon = 2 for FREE

Aquafresh Toothpaste

$3.00 - $1.50 Target printable coupon - $1 manufacture coupon = $0.50

Up & Up Cotton Balls

$0.99 - $0.75 Target printable coupon = $0.24

Revlon Eyeshadow

$4.69 - $2 Target printable coupon - $2 manufacture coupon = $0.69

Dial Hand Soap

$1.29 ea. - (2)$1 off 2 Target printable coupons - $2 off 4 manufacture coupon = $1.16 total

Once again, these are more necessities that we'll always need at the house. I even got some ibuprofen for free that will be used to restock my medicine cabinet at work (you know who you are!) :)

Boring Necessities Needed

While I admit that this post isn't exactly oozing excitement, it's a simple reminder to us couponers: Buying necessities isn't necessarily fun, but is one of the main reasons that us crazy coupon people keep up this money saving habit. We always need toothpaste, toilet paper, face cleansers, and if you're anything like me, nail polish!

Total Net Cost: $3.88

Since the items pictured here are your normal everyday got to have sort of items, I'll skip the long drawn-out paragraphs and just explain how I got these items for cheap. I'm sure a few of you may want to copy my shopping trip at your local CVS and Walgreens, so I'll just get right to it.

Walgreens

Cottonelle

$5 - $1 May coupon book coupon - $0.50 coupon from Sunday's paper = $3.50

Wet n Wild Nail Polishes

$0.99 each - (3)$1 coupons from Sunday's paper = 3 for FREE

CVS

Biore Facial Wipes

$2.87 - $2 coupon from magic coupon in-store machine = $0.87

AquaFresh Travel Toothpaste

$1.27 each - $1 online coupon = $0.27 each

Because I used my CVS Green Tag, I also earned another $1 ECB off my next purchase :)

Like I said before...while today's shopping trip wasn't exactly a fun-filled exciting life-changing experience, I did get some things that we always need around the house...for less than a drive-thru meal at your favorite fast food chain.

Allergies & Eyes

While it seems that everyone is glad the cold wet weather has passed, a few of us, ahem, me!, are struggling to share in everyone's joy when it comes to bright sunny HOT days. Don't get me wrong...I'm glad my husband can crank up the grill again and I can start showing off my pedicures again. BUT, I am NOT glad that I have to start carrying those annoying little Kleenex packages in my purse and have random sneezing spells and itchy eyes. But on the bright side...the flowers ARE prettier during this time of year :)

Ok. Enough of my allergy season rant. During my lunch hour today, I made a quick stop at CVS to hopefully take advantage of the great deal they were running on contact solution and allergy medication. Luckily, there were three little purple boxes of Allegra waiting just for me. And I guess a lot of people aren't needing contact solution this week because their shelves were full of Complete contact solution. So here are my winnings from CVS. Ta-da!!!

Allegra (5 count): Sale price of $6.99

- (3) $7.00 coupons from Sunday paper

=3 boxes for FREE

Complete Contact Solution: Buy one at $8.99 get $8.99 ECB

I used $8.50 in ECB that I earned on my last shopping trip, so I applied those to this purchase, leaving only $0.49 for me to pay out of pocket. SCORE!

AND I used my Green bag tag, scoring me another $1.00 ECB.  

Total Savings: $30.47, plus an additional $9.99 ECB to use on my next purchase. It's like CVS paid me to take this stuff off their hands! :)

In closing, while I'll have to endure sneezing spells and sore throats during our church Easter picnic and bike rides through our tree-lined neighborhood, at least I'll be well-equipped for whatever nature throws my way. And the next time I have to pop an Allegra to stop the itchy watery eyes, I'll do it with a smile knowing I didn't pay a dime :)

Freezer Cooking?

For the past few weeks, I've spent quite a bit of time online trying to find new recipes and some inspiration to get behind the stove and get CREATIVE. Today I came across this post about freezer cooking. Because this way of cooking forces you to plan your meals ahead of time, you aren't tempted to eat out as much because you always have homemade food ready to eat within minutes. And it's healthier too!

I have a co-worker who swears by this method, so I may have to give it a try this weekend.

What about you? Does anyone do any bulk cooking? What do you like most about it? What do you like least about it? Any favorite recipes you want to share? :)

Thank you Krazy Coupon Lady for sharing this post!

How to Score Free MAC Makeup!

If you are a MAC girl, then this post is for you! :)

I recently came across a very interesting article on The Krazy Coupon Lady's blog. I had no idea that MAC had a program that encourages recycling and rewards its customers with free makeup.

If you are a die-hard MAC wearer, I encourage you to click here to find out how you can score free MAC makeup. And no need to worry, this isn't some kind of scam. I would never do that to you! :)

Saving Some Green

Maybe it's the warmer weather, the greener grass, or just that I've missed blogging...

Whatever it is, I am pumped and motivated to keep this blog going. Just because I haven't posted anything on here since January doesn't mean I've stopped couponing. I still clip coupons, seek out the sales, and get the paper every Sunday. Confession: my Husband gets the papers for me every Sunday. He is absolutely the BEST!

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day today, I decided to sport my green Howdy t-shirt and head to CVS and Target to save some green :)

Paid: $25.58
Saved: $38.21

You got it! All of this for only $25.58. Not only was I able to save some serious "green", I also scored a $5 Target gift card and $5.99 ECB from CVS. Net cost after receiving these two items was only $14.59. We spent more on Chinese takeout last night than we did for all of these household necessities.Remember my motto? I like to save money on the ordinatry to enjoy the Extraordinary.

And T-Jins was just that...Extraordinary ;)



Cheap Meds

It feels good to be back in the world of coupons and blogs! It's crazy how much I get distracted by the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This is definitely my most favorite time of year, so I give myself a "break" from couponing and blogging to focus on more important things like family, turkey & dressing, family, LSWO events, family, tamales & menudo, and family :)

This was a CVS deal that I got on New Year's Eve. What better way to ring in the new year than with cheap meds? Hopefully we'll never need them, but if we do, at least I got them for cheap.

Each Theraflu was on sale for $4.77 and if you bought two, you got $3.00 ECB. I had (2)$3.00 off coupons, so I got each Theraflu for only $1.77! AND $3.00 ECB to use on my next shopping trip. After coupons and ECBs, I only paid $0.54.

And THAT is the reason I keep doing this crazy hobby :)

I have a lot of success stories to post, so I apologize in advance for inundating you with posts (the After Christmas Sales were just too good...I couldn't help myself)