31. March 2008 by Lisa.

Not all Dollar Stores accept manufacturer coupons, but Dollar General does. I must say that they take coupons at face value though. No doubling/tripling here. Dollar General isn’t a true dollar store as not all items are priced at $1.

Some deals worth mentioning:

Colgate Toothpaste 6.4 oz.
Sale price 2 for $3
Use two 75c off coupons from this week’s paper
Pay 75c/tube.
Personally, I get all my toothpaste for free at CVS. If your CVS is always out of toothpaste stock, this may be a good deal for you.

Degree or Dove Deodorant 2.6-2.7 oz.
Sale price $2
use 75c Dove coupon or $1 Degree coupon

Stayfree assorted varieties
Sale price $3
Use $2 off coupon

Carefree To Go 18-22 ct. Regular or Long
Sale price 10 for $10
Use $1 off coupon
Pay nothing!

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31. March 2008 by Lisa.

If you saved your Walgreens inserts from Sunday’s paper, you’ll see Softsoap 7.5 oz. is on sale for 99c if you use the store coupon. Combine that coupon with the 35c manufacturer coupon and you’ll only pay 64c. Limit 3 per store coupon. That means you would use 1 store coupon and 3 manufacturer coupons to get 3 bottles at 64c ea.

Remember Walgreens has some wonderful freebies in rebate deals. I just don’t like rebating, but I know plenty of people who love it.

Free after rebate deals: Wal-Zyr 24 hour Allergy Relief, Jane Be Pure Mineral Blush or Kabuki Brush, Colgate Toothbrushes, Aquafresh Toothpaste, Tums Quick Pak, Freestyle Lite Blood Glucose System

Walgreens also offers register rewards similar to CVS, but I’ve heard bad things on the boards about people not getting their rewards after they’ve doled out the cash. Their rewards system, seems to me, is a little trickier than CVS. I’m doing well with CVS and I’ll stick with it. I only do Walgreens coupon stacking deals.

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31. March 2008 by Lisa.

There are many monthly deals, but I’ll only post the freebies. There are two:

CVS/pharmacy Pain Relief Rapid Release Gelcaps 24ct.
Buy one at $3.99 and get $3.99 back in ECB’s
Limit 5

Precision Xtra (I believe this is a glucose monitor)
Buy one at $19.99, and get $19.99 back in ECB’s
Limit 1

These deals last all month, even if the shelf stickers don’t let you know. Sometimes monthly deals are advertised in the weekly ads, and only have the shelf stickers up the week they’re in the ad.

Always keep your latest CVS receipt to make sure you don’t purchase a monthly deal when you’ve already met your monthly limit. I once overdid a toothpaste deal without realizing it and lost $15 in ECB’s. As soon as I purchased and saw the new receipt, lacking all the ECB’s I was anticipating, I attempted to return the toothpaste and that’s when I found out CVS doesn’t accept returns if you paid with ECB’s (otherwise people would cash in their ECB’s for money through returns). A painful lesson. I’ve learned not to fret over losses like that. I’ve rolled those ECB’s so many times and have been paid to take home so many products that I figure I can throw CVS a bone now and then. I chalk it up to the learning curve. Just keep and check those receipts!

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30. March 2008 by Lisa.

Fresh Express Green & Crisp Salads (9-12oz)
Sale price 10 for $10
Buy one, triple your 35c coupon from the insert of 3/9/08

Blistex Lip Balm
Sale price 10 for $10
Buy one, triple your 35c coupon from the insert of 3/31/08
This coupon expires Monday.

Softsoap Liquid Handsoap 7.5 oz.
Sale price 10 for $10
Buy one, triple your 35c coupon from the insert of 3/30/08

Remember, Tom Thumb only triples first of like coupons, so if you want more than one of each of these items, just do multiple transactions (one transaction for each coupon you have).

Now, if you’re going to get multiples of all three items, group one of each item in a single transaction, because they’re not “like” coupons.

I’ve had cashiers tell me Tom Thumb doesn’t triple any coupons - only double up to 50c. Ask for a manager. I guess the cashiers missed it in their training. They do triple up to (and including) 39c coupons.

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29. March 2008 by Lisa.

We always hear about how much we need to take care of ourselves by eating right, getting plenty of rest, water and exercise, etc. Taking time just for me is what I consider pampering myself. In my younger, single years, it was just a way of life. Now I plan for, long for and sneak those moments into my schedule whenever I can.

On a cold night, after the kids have gone to bed I love a hot bath. No music. I’m tired of listening to people all day long. No books. I never could figure out how people read in the tub without ruining their books. No candles, just complete darkness and quiet. I stay in there until the water starts to get cold or my insides start to hard boil. Then I get out, get in comfy PJ’s and go directly to bed. I sleep like a baby.

On a cold day I love a cup of hot chocolate.

Sundays after church we go out to eat lunch after church and I look forward to the long, uninterrupted (now that my children are getting older) nap I get to take. I don’t cook dinner. It’s usually something like popcorn and apples if we’re not still stuffed from gorging at lunch.

Occasionally, when my husband or daughter can watch the boys, I’ll head off to Half Price Books with my list and browse until my cell phone rings and someone is pleading for me to return.

On those rare days when I’m the only one home for any length of time I don’t do anything productive. Sometimes I just crank up the stereo and play 70’s music and make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies to eat until I get a migraine.

I might break out my Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain DVD and work on my talentless passion. Yes, I try to draw. It’s more like a struggle than a try. Still, the exercise of it all is something I consider fun.

What do you do? I’m always up for new ways to pamper myself.

Posted in HOME & FAMILY | 1 Comment »

29. March 2008 by Lisa.

Buy any 10 participating items, look for the double yellow tags throughout the store, get $5 off with card. Limit 3 rewards per transaction.

Some of the items included:

Fritos, Cheetos, Scott paper towels, Peter Pan pb, Clorox bleach, Healthy Choice meals, Cheez-It, Betty Crocker Potatoes, Betty Crocker Pouch Cookies, Keebler Fudge cookies, Marie Callender’s pot pies, Philadelphia soft cream cheese, Progresso light soup, Pillsbury pizza crust, plsbry french loaf, 4 pk buttermilk biscuits, Pep. Farm Goldfish Crackers, Plsbry cinnamon or crescent rolls, grands or golden biscuits, Gatorade, Lipton side dishes, Manwich, Betty Crocker cake mixes, Hormel chili w/ beans, Kroger toaster treats, Kroger pretzels, ice creams, mustard, hot wheels, etc.

Take all your coupons! There are too many items to list. Just look for the double yellow shelf tags throughout the store.

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28. March 2008 by Lisa.

I’ll be posting April 2008 Monthly CVS deals soon, but one deal is reportedly already working.

Softsoap Radiant Spa Body Wash
Buy at $4.99, get $4.99 in ECB’s
Limit 5
This is a wash item, but if you have coupons you’ll receive an overage.I haven’t confirmed this deal in our area, so check before you buy.

Posted in CVS DEALS | 1 Comment »

28. March 2008 by Lisa.

Everyone knows about FlyLady.com, but do you use it? I have taken what they’ve taught me and I have altered it to fit our own home management schedule (doesn’t that sound grand? “Home Management Schedule”). Chores are done all throughout the week so that the house is clean by Friday afternoon - the day I teach piano. Then we can actually have company over the weekend without going into freak-out, cleaning-frenzy mode. I love her definition of chaos - “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome”. Admittedly our house is usually in a state of chaos, but people come and go anyway. Just hope they’re not judging me too harshly. I guess they’re not. We actually do get repeat visitors and people do let their children come over - probably crossing their fingers in hopes they won’t catch a disease while at our house.

Just scheduling in the weekly/monthly/biannual chores keeps me from going nuts. Even if I don’t get to everything in my weekly zone, I get more than nothing done. It really helps since we don’t have a maid. Ah, to be wealthy.

Do you fly? What are the nuggets of cleaning wisdom you’ve gotten from FlyLady or anywhere else? I’m always looking for help.

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26. March 2008 by Lisa.

Here are two of my favorite sources.

Rainbow Resource Center

1-888-841-3456

Call for a free catalog. It is over 1,000 pages and has great product descriptions. Best prices for new material. I use it as a reference too. If you order $150 of product, you don’t pay any shipping. You might consider going in with others on an order. Also, if you pay with a check, you get 2% off your order total.

Vegsource.com

For used material. This is a vegetarian website, but well-known to homeschoolers who want to buy/sell used books. Scroll down the left column, far down, to find homeschooling section. This is an extensive buy/sell board. Even though one buys from individuals, I’ve never had a problem with it.

I like to go to a local homeschool store, homeschool book swaps and book fairs to get a hands on look. Most of my purchases are non-consumables. I have three children and want all three to get to use what I buy.

Posted in CURRICULUM | No Comments »

26. March 2008 by Lisa.

Sale ad 3/26-4/1

10/$15 Ad. When you buy 10, you instantly get $5 off making it 10/$10

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Roll Ups, Gushers
BC Cake Mix or Frosting
BC Cookie Mix or Warm Delights
Chex Mix or Bugles
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
BC Hamburger/Chicken/Tuna Helper
Old El Paso Taco Shells
BC Specialty Potatoes
Totinos Pizza Rolls
Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
Green Giant Boil in Bag Vegetables

They have a 10/$20, save $5 when you buy 10 sale.

Nature Valley Granola Bars or Crunch Bars
Fiber One or Curve Bars
BC Box Muffins
GM Golden Grahams, Cocoa Puffs, Cheerios, Berry Burst Cheerios, Cookie Crisp, Cheerios Oat Clusters Crunch
Pillsbury Chub Cookies (?)
Green Giant Corn on the Cob

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