Coupon Controversy...

Good afternoon everybody!

I officially started school on Monday, so for the next few weeks, or however long it takes me to get settled, my blogging will probably really slow down. I still have to make a weekly trip to Walgreens, but I'm not really actively searching for deals right now. Not only do I go to school super full time, but I also have 60 hours of field work to do this semester, which is tough when you only have one day off every week :( . But I am very excited to work with a new bunch of kids at my local Elementary School! Wish me luck! lol

Now, the deal that I got this past Tuesday has been turned into this whole big controversy over what ethical couponing is. What happened is there was a Dove deal that was producing a $6 RR for buying three of the single bars (on sale for $.99 this week). Apparently, this was a glitch in the system and they were able to stop this deal by Wednesday morning. However, many of us couponers did not realize it was a glitch, including myself. I've been doing this a long time and there have been previous RR deals that seemed too good to be true but they were in fact legit! So I truly thought this deal was another one of those lucky opportunities, and I cashed in on it. So my opinion about the topic is this:

If Walgreens makes a mistake on a promotion, we don't need to feel guilty about it. If we go into the store thinking what we're doing is a TRUE RR deal, then there is no wrong in that. However, for those who KNEW the deal was a glitch and purposely went after it with the mentality of "Oh I hope they don't catch us! I hope they don't realize what I'm doing is wrong", well then you need to check your motives. I personally had no idea the deal was a glitch when I picked it up Tuesday afternoon at multiple stores. By the time I came home I saw all the controversy and for a second felt bad, but then realized I shouldn't. I was just cashing in on what I thought was a legitimate deal. I mean just a couple weeks ago there was a deal where you bought the trial sized degree and got a $4 RR, which with coupons, made it a $4 money maker (EVEN BIGGER THAN THE DOVE DEAL!) but there was not a single claim of it being a glitch or a mistake. Sometimes Walgreens truly does have special money making deals that are unadvertised, and we can't point the finger and blame each other for being unethical couponers if we had no idea the deal was not supposed to be running. So before we all bite each others heads off and look down upon each other, realize that ethical couponing really starts with our attitudes. Going into a store thinking about how we're gonna clear the shelves, use the wrong coupons, and pretty much deceive the store is not something to be proud of. But cashing in a deal that appears to be a legitimate money maker is smart couponing. Please keep this is mind before I share my spendings and totals, especially since I got so much of the Dove! If anybody knows me, they know I'm couponing for positive change in this world. I'm doing this to help my friends and family, to help those in need, and to be a positive example for those around me. I would never knowingly bend the rules and manipulate the system....

So as I said, the Dove deal is not printing anymore, so there is no use in trying it, even though I would obviously tell you not to since the deal was a glitch!!

Okay! Here we go! lol

Since the limit for the Dove (in-Ad) was three per person, [And I make sure to respect this!] I made sure to go to multiple stores. Fernando was with me so we were each able to do a transaction wherever we went. In all the stores I went to there was a generous stock. Even though the deal ended up being a glitch and a mistake of human error, I am glad to say something wonderful came of it. I have a ton of Dove to donate to my local shelters/food banks. A blessing sure came out of this whole mess!

Transaction 1:

3 Dove Bar Soap Singles .99

2 Crest 3d Toothpaste 2/$5 get $3 RR

- (2) $.75/1 from 7/31 P&G

1 Arizona Tea .50 [Hubby's favorite =D]

Used $7 RR

Got back $9 RR total.

Total:

$1.10 including .63 of tax!!

Saved: $15.46

___________________________________

Transaction 2:

The revlon deal is fabulous!

3 Dove Bar Soap Singles .99

4 Revlon Eye Liner 40% off $4.49

1 Revlon Mascara 40% off $4.79

Used $6 RR

Got $9 RR!

Total:

$6.53 including $1.81 tax!

Saved: $39.20

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Transaction 3: [Different Store]

3 Dove Bar Soap Singles .99

1 Arizona Tea .50

Used $3 RR

Got $6 RR

Total:

$.72 including $.25 tax

Saved:

$6.49

_________________

Transaction 4-6 [Different Stores]

3 Dove Bar Soap Singles .99

1 Mini-Notebook .15

Used $3 RR

Get $6 RR

Total:

$.34 including .22 tax!

Saved:

$7.34

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Then I went to Wal-Mart with my fingers crossed, hoping the Bengay would FINALLY be in stock, and it was!! Thank goodness that incredible coupon has such a long expiration date! I used the overage to get some printer paper since I always need it!

4 Bengay $4.23

- (4) $5/1 Printable no longer available

1 500 ct Copy Paper $2.97

Total:

$.10

Saved:

$20.00!

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So at the end of the day, I got some great deals, including the awesome cosmetics from Revlon! I think I'll go back tomorrow to get some more since the price is SOOO good!

Total Spent:

$9.47

Total Savings:

$103.17

=D

So even though the Dove deal ended up being a glitch, I know I will make wonderful blessings come of the RR that I got from it! I'll be sure to find lots of great donation deals

For all those nonbelievers...

Hello my favorite people!

Whoever said couponing is a waste of time?? I bet most of us have been there at some point. Thinking, "How could all of these tiny coupons ever add up to big enough savings for me to invest time into clipping them?" I know I was one of those people.

Fortunately, most of us have gotten past that point and have realized HOW to maximize our savings. YAY!

This post is just a chance to me to show those of you who either still have doubts about couponing, or simply get discouraged when the savings don't seem to be extreme enough, that couponing truly pays off in the end. It may be an investment of time, but in the end, you'll have more than you need!

After my last post, I found myself in a sort of a dilemma. I was out of storage space for all of my couponing purchases =/ ...

Now I am DEFINITELY not one of those extreme couponers who would have my purchases overflow into other rooms of the house. I keep my stock neatly maintained and concealed. You wouldn't even know where I keep it all if you simply walked into our apartment. Lol. I do a good job of keeping it organized.

So anyways, I knew it was time for one thing! Gathering donations!! It was time for me to go through my boxes and storage containers and make some room for the new purchases coming my way =D

Some people may find it hard to give away what they have, but I love this part! I'm sure you guys know by now that part of my mission with couponing is to give things away to people I know that are in need, as well as strangers of course! So my husband helped me [LOVE YOU BABY!] go through box after box, reorganize, and fill up a box full of goods to donate. 

In the end this is what we came up with:

 

The box is full of lots of baby wipes, pads, tampons, deodorant, body wash, lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, vitamins, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream. All of this is valued at about $150. And of course I probably got it all for what, $10?

I know it seems hard to save a lot of money and to build up a stock but I promise you all that one day, you will have so much that you don't know what to do with yourself. And honestly, you never have to get as extreme as the people you see on the TLC show. Even if you simply aim to provide for your family, you will find that you have lots to give away to those in need! So keep up the great work! I encourage you guys to check through your overflowing boxes of great deals and make some sacrifices to give to those who need it much more than you do. It feels GREAT and it's a wonderful example to set for those around you. I hope you all find success in couponing on a level deeper than just stocking up selfishly.

Coupon for change in this world!

Rolling Rewards

Hey everybody.

Today's post should be simple enough. I made a trip to Walgreens because I had about $20 Register Rewards about to expire. Since there were a few things I really wanted, it was simple enough to decide what to go. But there were a few complications. For one, the first Walgreens I went to did not have the Omega Smart vitamins. I was expecting this and headed to the 24 hour Walgreens since they tend to have the best stock. Unfortunately that is the Walgreens I've had a couple of bad experiences at but I had to just suck it up and go there since my rewards were gonna expire. And finally, I had so many low RR ($1 and $2) So I had to find a lot of fillers. I was also worried the cashier might be overwhelmed with all the rewards I was using... 

I was able to find everything I needed in stock. There was even a ton of the crayons and full stock of toothpaste, plus a great selection of nail polish. Luckily, the cashier in cosmetics was one that I've seen before and I knew she was well educated on how to handle couples. On top of that, the manager was SO friendly! When the register froze up she just laughed it off until it was fixed and then told the cashier to push through my Revlon coupon (since it beeped). In the end, things went so smoothly and I got some amazing deals! 

Transaction 1:

1 Pert 2 in 1 Dandruff control shampoo/conditioner $3.99 get $3 RR 

- (1) $1/1 from 8/14 SS

1 Revlon Nail Polish $3.99 get $3 RR

- (1) $1/1 from 8/14 SS

1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste $4.99 get $3 RR

- (1) $1.50/1 from 7/31 SS

1 Omega Smart Krill Oil $10 get $10 RR

- (1) $2/1 here

1 Envelopes in Ad .69

3 Crayons in Ad .29

3 Rulers in Ad .29

Used $19.50 in RR and got $19 back.

Total:

$1.36 including $.96 of tax! 

That means my transaction was only $.40 before tax !!

Total Saved:

$58.49

I think the reason why the savings seems so high is because the Omega Smart Krill Oil is normally about $28. 

____________________

Transaction 2:

1 Pert 2 in 1 Dandruff control shampoo/conditioner $3.99 get $3 RR 

- (1) $1/1 from 8/14 SS

1 Revlon Nail Polish $3.99 get $3 RR

- (1) $1/1 from 8/14 SS

1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste $4.99 get $3 RR

- (1) $1.50/1 from 7/31 SS

1 Omega Smart Krill Oil $10 get $10 RR

- (1) $2/1 here

5 Gelatin  in Ad .20

3 Crayons in Ad .29

3 Rulers in Ad .29

Used $19 RR and got $19 RR back

Total: 

$2.12 with .91 tax

Total Saved:

$59.44

_____________________________

Total Spent:

$3.48 including $1.87 of tax!

Total Saved:

$117.93

Again, the savings seem a bit outrageous but it makes sense when your realize the vitamins are normally about $30 each. I was already able to give these to my FIL =D

I hope you all have some luck with the deals this week. I personally plan on going back later to hopefully get some more vitamins, plus more nail polish. Let me know how you guys end up doing!!

MAJOR Win =D

I am so excited for this post!

For my birthday in May, Fernando got me a $50 gift card. Instead of going on an impulsive shopping trip to my faaaavorite clothing store [DOTS], I decided to wait for a coupon special. When you sign up with dots, they send you coupons about once a month. Usually they are $10 off of $30 or $15 off of $50. Now that is nice and all, but when my grandma gave me $100 dollars out of love [TY GRANDMA!], I knew I wanted to make the money go a long way for some back to school shopping. 

Dots currently has a promotion on Facebook for a coupon when they reach 100k Fans. This is nice and all but they won't even say how much the coupon is for, and its tax-free weekend over here in FL THIS weekend. So I knew I couldn't wait for that deal to go shopping.
Well, then Dots sent out an email about the Foursquare APP on cell phones.

The current deal works like this:

Check in for the first time at DOTS using foursquare and get $10 off of $30
OR

Become the Mayor of that location and get 30% off. 

So of course I aimed for the mayorship. Fortunately for me, my local dots had no mayor! So I checked in, and as of today, I became MAYOR of my local dots on foursquare [Ask me on Facebook to explain this further if you are still confused].

So now I had the Tax-free weekend, a 30% of coupon, AND $150 of money given to me as a gift. I was READY!!

When I went to the store I was overwhelmed at the selection. But 2 hours later, I was ready to check out. Fortunately for me, more than half of the stuff that I loved happened to be on Sale or even Clearance! In the end, this is how the money worked out:

Before promotions:

$216.80

- 30% Off

= $151.76

- $100 Cash and $50 Gift Card

= $1.76!!!!! 

In the end, between promotions and the tax-free weekend alone, I saved $80.22!!! That's like $80 of clothes for FREE!!

Since I didn't have to pay anything with my own money except for the $1.76 and the rest was a gift, I'll count my spending/savings as what I spent Out of Pocket and what I saved from promotions and tax-free savings alone, not the fact that I had $150 of free money.

Now the best part is when you realize HOW MUCH stuff I got =D

Here are my tallies:

2 Pairs of Denim Jeans

3 Pants 

3 Dresses

2 Tank Tops

1 Cardigan

6 Dressy Shirts

That's averages out to about $8 per item!! Including 5 pairs of pants!

I highly recommend Dots to you guys. I feel like the clothes can be dressed down for school or relaxing, but also dressed up for dates and in my case, fieldwork! Plus they carry sizes from 0-24, so pretty much anybody can find really cute clothes for REALLY low prices.

Total spent:

$1.76

Saved: $80.22

Here is a pretty crappy cell phone picture of how much stuff I got :D

Random Thoughts..

Hello! Today has been one of those long, rainy days.. And I am REALLY bored! lol. That's where my blog comes in! It really is a fun hobby to keep up with! So here is a short post full of random information...

First things first! This Friday-Sunday is tax free weekend for Florida =D  That means me! I have been saving a gift card that my hubby gave me for my birthday back in May just so I could go on a fun shopping trip on tax free weekend! My absolute favorite store is Dots. Not only do they have low prices on clothes [Especially jeans!], but everything there is so fashion forward! Not only do I find really cute causal clothes there, but also tons of career gear for my field work at Elementary Schools. 

This past month Dots has been advertising a promotion on their Facebook page. When they reach 100,000 fans, they will give out a special coupon offer! Well as of today, they only need about 700 more Likes before they hand it out! I have been trying to spread the word because with tax free weekend coming up, a coupon would be fantastic! So spread the word, like their page, and go save some big bucks at Dots!  

Here is the link! Dots Fashion Facebook =D

And here are a few of the good deals out there that I recommend cashing in on!

Walgreens 

Expo Markers 2 ct. .99 each

- (1) $2/2 HERE

FREE!

Degree Deodorant Trial Size .99-1.29 

Buy 4 and get $4 RR

- (4) $.75/1 from 7/31 RP

= About $1-$2.50 OP and get $4 RR!

Moneymaker!

Publix

Freschetta Pizza $7.41 BOGO Free

- (2) $1/1 Here

= Less than $3 Each!

Ben N Jerry's or Starbucks Pint $4.79 BOGO

- (2) $.75/1 Starbucks HERE

Or I found $.55/1 Ben N Jerry's Tearpad coupons at Walgreens yesterday!

Those are just a few of the best deals I see out there right now! I won't be out shopping until Sunday so have a great weekend guys!

.... More Supplies =O

Goood Evening everybody!

I had a very interesting day... Since school starts back up for me in less than 2 weeks, I'm trying to put my energy into couponing to keep me occupied. Plus, when school starts, I'll be making fewer trips out to certain stores. Not only do I go to school super full time, but I also do field work at local Elementary Schools. It's a busy schedule but I can't wait to finish school and finally be a teacher! 

First I went to Walgreens to cash in on the Keri Lotion moneymaker, but of course my store had none. I actually went to the store on Saturday and they had 3 in stock. I think its pretty silly to not stock up before a major sale but they'll do what they want lol. So anyways! My experience was pretty good. It is Walgreens official policy to adjust a coupon value down if the item is priced lower than the coupon value. Since I wanted to get the .99 expo markers and I had a coupon for $2/2, I first confronted the manager to make sure I wouldn't have a problem at the check out counter. Fortunately, he understood my situation and instead of having them adjust the coupon value down, he had the cashier adjust the price of the markers up to $1.00. While this isn't the right way to do it, I honestly did not feel like making a deal out of it lol. So I ended up getting 8 packages of the markers for just tax!! The store still had plenty left over so I felt good =D

While some people ask me things like... Why do you buy items you aren't really going to use? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of couponing if you end up buying a bunch of stuff you don't even need?

Well my answer is No... 

Sure I coupon to save myself money, but my real passion is to coupon for others. Why make a teacher [Who we all know tend to spend a lot of their own money on supplies] pay full price for some supplies when I can take some time out of my day, pay pennies, and bless that teacher with a lot of stuff for the classroom!? It just feels like the right thing to do. If we live thinking that this life is all about taking care of ourselves, I feel like we will never truly be living. Giving to others makes the world a better place. It makes life a little easier for someone in need. So that's why I shop for things I don't need. Because someone out there DOES need it and I can get it for them at a much lower price than they can imagine.

____________________________

8 Expo Whiteboard Markers 2 ct. $.99 [Adjusted up to $1.00 each]

- (4) $2/2 Manufacturer HERE

These are an incredible gift to give to classroom teachers. I know how quickly they tend to dry out and when the time comes, they end up costing a lot of money. So I officially have 10 packages to share with local teachers =D

1 Crayola Crayons $1 get $1 RR

Used $1 RR P&G

Total

$.63 tax only!

Saved:

$10.49

Transaction 2

1 Crayola Crayons $1 get $1 RR

Used $1 RR P&G

Total

$.07 tax!

Saved:

$2.49

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Then I made two separate trips to Office Max. And have I got a story for you guys... It will probably be a long rant, just warning you!

Basically, the filler paper is on sale for .01 each, with a limit of 3 per person. And as humans we should all understand that limits are imposed for a reason, so that EVERYONE can get in on the deal. Well apparently people in my part of Miami don't know how to read. Or they simply don't care about "following the rules". If there is one thing that ticks me off the most when it comes to couponing, it is those people who CLEAR the shelves with selfish motivation. I mean really do you need 30 of the same item? At one time? REALLY? And when people abuse the limits that are set, it makes the company want to STOP offering those amazing deals. Sure they make tons of money, but that doesn't make it okay for us as customers to disregard the imposed limits like we're special or something lol. 

Well.. When I made my first trip into the store alone, I got 3 packages of the paper. In front of me I saw various people getting 6-9 packages. Of course it was annoying because the cashiers let them get away with it, but I just sighed and moved on with my day. But later, when my husband met me at the store, we decided to get some more paper, 3 packages each. Now keep in mind they had a HUGE stock of the paper. Probably 50 boxes carrying.. maybe 20 packages of paper each? What I saw next shocked me. There were 2 different people in line in front of me with 4 BOXES of the filler paper. REALLY?!? 4 Boxes???? Thats about 80 packages each, when the limit is 3... Sigh.

The worst part? The cashier was letting them purchase it all. And when other people saw that they were getting away with it, they sent their children to the back to bring some more boxes. By the time it was my turn in line, a total of 12 boxes had been purchased by 3 separate customers. One lady in front of me had 3 packages of paper, just like my husband and I and she confronted the lady in front, thinking that perhaps she didn't know there was a limit. But when she said "You know there is a limit of 3 right?"  the lady looked at her and did the whole "SHH" motion with her finger pressed against her lips as if saying "Yea I know. Be quiet!"

I couldn't believe it. They KNEW they were abusing the promotion. Since the line was so long I decided to wait until I checked out to confront any of the employees. Ironically, the cashier I had was strictly imposing the 3 per person limit. He even made people with 4 or 5 packages put the extra back. How could two check out lines next to one another be SO different towards enforcing the limit?

So I checked out, payed my .03 and went to the manager..

I simply told him that people were buying entire boxes. Now I know we're all past the age of "tattling" but this wasn't about selfish motives or revenge. It was simply the right thing to do. Why should anyone feel as if they are above the law? And why should we be expected to stay silent when we witness injustice in action? So I spoke up. I mean as a couponer I have witnessed how stores impose limits, people ABUSE those limits, and then the store decides to simply avoid the promotion in the future. If people aren't going to be grateful and respectful of the special prices, then why offer them? I knew it had to be stopped. I probably forgot to mention that by the time I was talking to the manager, another 3 people were lined up with 4 boxes each. Thats 24 BOXES of this filler paper GONE and not available to other people for the rest of the week. I just can't stand when people feel like they should be allowed to get away with breaking the rules. Saving money is a blessing, but when you do it with bad intentions and wrongful actions, it really taints the whole experience. 

Well the manager stopped the whole problem right away and even told the cashier at fault " I specifically told you NOT to sell the entire boxes". Sure I felt bad for him but he knew better, and so did the customers. Maybe if they didn't realize they were doing wrong then it would be understandable. But they were being secretive and cunning. It was so sad. In the end I felt good. At least other people can get the paper for the rest of the week, but unfortunately, there was probably only 5 boxes of paper left for the rest of the week because of all the people who got away with buying them.

So please guys, remember that saving money should be a positive experience. Follow the rules and respect the limits. We shouldn't want too keep it all to ourselves. Instead, we should want to bless others and enable our friends and family to get the same deals as we do. It's a much more enjoyable experience and blessing for everybody.

Ok I'm finished complaining lol. Here is what I got!

____________________

Trip 1:

3 Filler Paper .01

3 Papermate Pens .10

Total

$.35

Saved:

$7.11

Trip 2:

6 Filler Paper .01

Hubby got 3, I got 3, in separate transactions

Total:

$.06

Saved:

$8.88

_____________________

Then, I walked across the street to Office Depot. When a good price on Printer paper comes around, I just jump on it lol.

2- 500 sheet Ream Paper $6.49 get $5.49 Rebate

5 Scholastic Glue .01

And since the rebate will come soon, I like to say my spendings/savings as post-rebate.

Total:

$2.96 tax and glue

Saved:

$15.88

_____________________

So even though I dealt with some pretty annoying people today, I had a nice day. My husband met me for a post-couponing treat at Panera Bread =D  Again, that is why we coupon. To save on the things we can so we can enjoy the things it is hard to save on!

Total Trip:

$4.07

Total Saved:

$44.85

So in the end, I spent less than $2 on all of the school supplies I plan on donating. It probably would have cost someone else $30 retail. The field schools I work at are high-need schools. I can't wait to surprise the classrooms with tons of supplies that cost me pocket change!

Donations: