Free Pencil Box Calculator & Couponizer Coupon Code for August

Receive this FREE gift for back to school organization!
HURRY...while supplies last, EVERY ORDER of $20 or more will receive this Pencil Box with a Calculator!

Keep track of expenses before and during shopping with this handy tool. This Pencil Box with 8 digit calculator with LCD display comes with 1 watch battery and raised plastic keys. Orders of $20.00 or more placed on or after August 1st will receive this gift.

August 22nd-28th - use code backtoschool10 and get $3.00 off purchases of $25.00 or more.

Sunday Walgreens SCORE!!!

Walgreens is having a great back-to-school sale starting today, so don't miss out!

Here's how I'm ending up with $45.11 worth of items for less than $10.00 ($21.77 is actually an office supply expense that I will be reimbursed for by my company, but I used my coupons to save them some money, too):

• Schick Intuition Razor - Sale price of $8.99, less $4.00 coupon from ALL YOU magazine and $3.00 in Register Rewards - total cost $1.99 (plus tax)
• 2 packages of FIVE Bic Bright Liner highlighters - Sale price of $0.49 EACH - total cost $0.98 (plus tax)
• 2 bottles of Dawn dish detergent - Sale price of $0.99 EACH - total cost $1.98 (plus tax)
• Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste, 5.8 oz - Sale price of $3.49, plus $3.49 back in RR (Register Rewards) - total cost FREE
• Expo Washable Dry Erase Markers, package of 6 - Sale price of $5.99, less $3.00 off Instant Value Coupon in July coupon book, less an additional $1.00 manufacturer's coupon - total cost $1.99. HUGE SCORE for this pen addict!!! (I've noticed that this varies by area, depending on regular, non-sale price. Some states sale price is only $3.99 and the Instant Value Coupon is for $1.00 off. I'm guessing that this is because New York City regular prices are higher to start with. These markers usually sell for about $10.49 here.)
• I also picked up my 2 inkjet printer ink cartridge refills - $10.00 each (plus tax) with last week's in ad coupon (normally $12.99/each), less reimbursement from my company - total cost FREE.

My total before coupons, etc. was $45.11
Less $8.00 in coupons = $37.11 (tax included)
Less $3.49 and $3.00 in Register Rewards = $30.62
Less $21.77 reimbursement from my company on the ink cartridges = a total cost to me of  $8.85

Some of My Money-saving Tips

I join store and product loyalty programs! I've saved a bundle on groceries with my Waldbaum's card, CVS card and now with my Rite Aid card. I've signed up for cards with all of the supermarkets in my area, and keep the small ones on my keychain so that I always have them with me. I also participate in Rite Aid's Video Values program, where you can earn coupons and register rewards by watching short advertisment videos. PLUS with product loyalty programs, you get extra coupons and sometimes free product samples.

I also read my local store circulars when they're delivered on Thursdays to see what's going on sale Sunday, and plan ahead. Then, I look through the coupons in my Couponizer to see which (if any) items have manufacturers coupons and/or store coupons or register rewards good for that week. I combine coupons and register rewards wherever possible. This week, I used Walgreens register rewards to get $5.70 worth of items for only $0.70!

Certain things go on sale regularly at least once a month, like my Maxwell House French Roast coffee and Weight Watchers/Lean Cuisine meals, so I wait until they do, and then I stock up and use coupons to save even more!

Today's Walgreens SCORE!!!

2 liter bottle of Diet Pepsi - $1.99 plus $0.05 bottle deposit and $0.18 NYC sales tax ($2.22)
ActII Microwave Popcorn 3 pack - $1.99
Dozen eggs - $1.49
Total=$5.70

LESS a $5.00 Walgreens Register Reward from a previous purchase.

Actual total spent - Only $0.70 for all of the above items! It pays to save those Register Rewards!

Day 5 of the ALL YOU Grocery Challenge

Cost of today's meals - This was a "spend" day, since my sister and I ate breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts:

- Breakfast: 1 large Dunkin' Donuts Hazelnut Coffee and Bacon/Egg/Cheese on English Muffin - $4.76 (sadly, no coupons for either)
- Daily Pot of Coffee - $0.00 (stockpiled supplies purchased 7/3/2009)
- Lunch - Leftover fruit salad - $0.00
- Snack - None (wasn't hungry)
- Dinner - Leftover rotisserie chicken and leftover homemade pork fried rice - $0.00 (Chicken purchased, portioned and frozen 7/3, made the pork fried rice on 7/11/2009)
- Evening snack - 1 bag Walgreen's microwave popcorn - $0.44 (3 boxes/$4.00, 3 bags per box)

Beverages - water/coffee (I drink a lot of both:-)

Total cost for 7/17/2009 - $5.20

Total cost to feed me so far this week - $14.13

Today's Coupon Bonanza:-)

Here's an example of using coupons when items go on sale.

This week, my local Waldbaum's was offering TRIPLE coupons, and today was the last day of the sale. So, early this morning, I walked to the supermarket to make the most of my coupons. Below are the details of my "score":

5 Lean Cuisine meals on sale for $1.99/each with Valued Shopper card = $9.95
less 1 store register coupon for $1.00 off 1 Lean Cuisine = $8.95 (or about $1.79/each)

1 Package Weight Watchers cheese slices = $3.99
less 75-cent coupon TRIPLED = $1.74

1 1.5 qt container of Turkey Hill Light Ice Cream on sale for $2.49 with Valued Shopper card = $2.49
less $1.00 off manufacturer's coupon = $1.49

3 Morningstar Farms products (veggie burgers, sausage scrambles) on sale 3/$10 with Valued Shopper card = $10.00

1 bag Dole frozen fruit = $4.49
less 75-cent coupon TRIPLED = $2.24

Total for all of the above items after coupons and Valued Shopper card sale discount = $24.02
Total without coupons and Valued Shopper card sale discount = $51.59
Total savings = $27.57

And I have the receipt to prove it:-)

The ALL YOU Grocery Challenge Begins!

Today is the first day of the ALL YOU Grocery Challenge! I have signed up to feed my family of one for $25/week for the next four weeks! This is going to be a major test of my Couponizing and using up stockpiled food skills. (You can use previously stockpiled food as part of the challenge, without using up any of your $25/week allowance.)

To aid me in this effort, I am making use of a free online service called SpringPad to create weekly meal plans, an inventory of my current pantry/refrigerator/freezer contents, a shopping budget, and more. I'm making all of my lists and plans publicly viewable. You can follow me there under the user name MsCarolM.

Do you think I can do this? We shall see!

Coupon Tip - How to Maximize Coupon Savings

This is a fairly simple tip, but it's amazing how much you can save doing it.

Wherever possible, combine coupons with sales. I save a bunch doing this. I know certain items that I always buy often go on sale at my supermarket. For example, I buy Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers frozen entrees every time I go food shopping. The last time they went on sale, they were 3-for-$6.00! Now, add a doubled coupon for 75 cents-off 2, and you're getting three entrees for $4.50 - that's only $1.50 each!

Make sure you find out what your supermarket's policy is on coupons and sale items. Mine accepts coupons on sale items, and doubles them up to 75 cents on the first coupon. If I have multiple coupons for similar items, they only double the first one, and they don't double anything over 75 cents. Still, it's a great way to save!

Are You Having Fun Yet?

As part of my goal of giving myself away for free in 2009, I set up a free online community on Ning.com called Fun with Finances 101: Relieving the Stress of Money Worries One Laugh at a Time. It's a place for sharing suggestions, helpful web sites, coupon savings information, support and encouragement during these tough economic times.

Everyone is more than welcome to join the community! I'm not setting any rules like "you have to post in the forums every day", but as in life, you need to show up. It's a work in progress, and I have no idea where it will lead, but it should be a really fun adventure!

As part of my mission to help people do more with less these days, I'm now starting this blog, which will contain tips and info on ways to save money, and will also feature information on The Couponizer system, and how it can save you more than money. I ordered one and saved over $38.00 the first time I used it. So, I signed up to become a Couponizer Coach, because I think it's a really awesome product!