Rimmel & L'Oreal Makeup - $0.12 Cents!!!

I have been waiting for an awesome deal on cosmetics; and I found one over the weekend. I went to my local CVS and saw that a ton of Rimmel and L'Oreal Cosmetics where marked down 50%-75% off. I snagged 3 mascaras, 1 lipstick, 1 eyebrow pencil, 1 foundation and 1 eyeshadow and my total was $2.96!

Here's how I worked it. I had a ton of L'Oreal and Rimmel London makeup coupons. The Rimmel were the best, $1.00 off any item. I had a $2.00 of L'Oreal foundation coupon as well I used. So with the discount, most items where $1.24 to $1.24. Add $1.00 off manufacturer coupon, and that's paying $.12 cents for awesome name brand makeup.

The deal will last only as long as the makeup lasts. So check out the CVS's in your area to load up on your favorite cosmetics!

Free Pack of Oscar Meyer Hotdogs @ Safeway Today!!

ACT NOW! Sale ends today!

Ok, So I had a ton of coupons for $1.00 off Oscar Meyer hot dogs. Safeway has them on sale right now for $1.99. Also, they have an in-ad coupon that will take the price down to .99 cents. Add in my $1.00 off coupon, and we are walking out the door with free hot dogs. Which is great, because summer is grilling season. You can freeze hot dogs, and have a good supply all summer long.

Here's how to do it. I had manufacturer's coupons. You guys know I stock up on coupons by visiting the many lovely recycle bins throughout my neighborhood. So I went into Safeway, I got 5 packs of Oscar Meyer hot dogs. I also grabbed a copy of the store ad. You only need one coupon. Once the in-store coupon is scanned, it will work on each item you have. So I may have 5 packs of hot dogs, but I also have to scan one in-store coupon to get the savings on all 5.

My Safeway has self-checkout (which I love.) It allows me to take my time, and make sure everything is ringing up properly. Cashiers are wonderful, but they go so fast. I don't want to miss something. Machines are not perfect, and they do make mistakes.

First I went ahead and scanned all my hot dogs. Then I scanned my 5 manufacturer's coupons. This took the hot dogs down to .99 cents each. Then I scanned one in store, and it took my total down to .12 cents (the tax.) It was important to scan my manufacturer coupons first. If I had done it the opposite way, I would have a .5 cent credit. Often the coupons won't go through, or the manager says they cannot do that no matter what the store coupon policy says. So I learn to pick my battles. Getting the hot dogs for free was good enough for me.

So if you have any of the $1.00 off coupons, hurry in to Safeway today.

A side note. Many of us also have the $1.00 off 2 Oscar Meyer hot dogs. These work great too. You can take the price of each pack of hot dog down to .99 cents each. Use 1 manufacturer coupon on 2, taking $1.00 off. You can 2 packs for .98 cents. That .49 cents a pack. Still an awesome deal!

Couponing Pt 2 - How Microsoft Excel Makes It Easy

So I have my coupon binder. I also have master coupon list in an Excel document. And each week, I make an Excel worksheet for each individual store I shop. Below is an example of my Safeway list this week.

ITEM	SALE PRICE	COUPON	TOTAL	NOTES
Pepsi 2lt	$0.69		$.69 x 4	$2.76 total
Capri Sun	$1.79		1.79 x 2	$3.58 for 2
Corn	$1.98		$1.98	for 12 ears
Lucerne Shredded Cheese	$2.00		$2.00	spend $4.00
Safeway Drumsticks or Thighs	1.99lb		$9.95
Barilla Pasta	$0.99		0.99 x 2	$1.98 for 2
Wishbone Salad Dressing	1.19 w/sf coup	1.25 off 2	$1.13	for 2
Welch's Grape Squeeze	1.69 w/ SF coup	.55 cents off 1	$1.14	limit 6
Totinos Pizza Rolls	$1.00	.35 cents off 1	.65 cents x 4	$2.60 for 4
Totinos Party Pizza	$1.00	.50 cents off 3	$2.50	for 3
Sunny D	$1.00		$1.00
Safeway Fries	1.99 w/SF coup		$1.99	limit 4
Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs	.99 w/SF coup	1.00 off 1	$0.00	limit 5
Heinz Ketchup	1.69 w/SF coup	.25 cents off 1	$1.44	limit 2
Jack Daniels' Bbq sauce	$0.99	.55 cents off 1	0.44 x 2	.88 cents for 2
Safeway Buns/Rolls	.99 w/SF coup		.99 x2	$1.98 for 2
Vlasic Pickels	BOGO		$2.99	for 2
formula	$5.00		$5.00

And here's a look at a Walgreens one - and how I note Register Rewards

ITEM	SALE PRICE	COUPON	TOTAL	NOTES
Hawaiian Tropic	BOGO	1.00 off 1
Arm & Hammer Detergent	BOGO	1.00 off 2
Poptarts	$1.99	1.00 off 3	$4.97	for 3
Kelloggs Raisin Bran	$1.99	1.00 off 2	$2.98	for 2 boxes
Orbit Gum	.69 w/ Wal Coup	1.00 off 2	$0.38	for 2 packs - limit 4
Folgers	$2.79	1.00 off 2	$4.58	for 2
Campbells Chunky Soup	1.50 w/wal coup		$1.50	limit 4
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh	$2.50	1.00 off 2	$4.00	for 2
Oxi Clean Laundry Products	$2.99	3.00 off 2	$2.98	for 2 items
Palmolive	0.89 w/wal coup		$0.89
Walgreens Freezer Bags	.99 w/wal coup		$0.99
Off Repelent	3.99 w/wal coup	.75 cents off	$3.24
Fashion Tote Bags	$2.99		$2.99
Arm & Hammer Toothpaste	BOGO	1.00 off 1
Kids Aquafresh Toothpaste	.99 w/wal coup		$0.99
Illy Coffee Drinsk	$2.00		$2.00	get $2 Reg Rewards

So each week I go to the online ad for all my stores. Lets say today I am looking at Safeway. You can use the actual circular...whichever works best for you. I open my Master coupon excel list. This list is categorized just like my coupon binder. I update it regularly, so it accurately tells me what coupons I have.

Next I open last week's Safeway Excel list and delete everything but my headers. I start fresh each week. No need to have 100 old Safeway lists on your desktop.

So I have 3 things going right now. My Safeway Excel sheet, my Master Excel sheet and my online Safeway ad. So I begin to browse what is on sale. If I find an item on sale I use or would like to try, I go to my Master list and see if I have a coupon for it. If I do not, I do a Google search to make sure there are no printable coupons available. If there are no coupons to go along with the sale price, I would typically not get the item or add it to my list. However, if the sale price alone is an incredible deal...I add it.

I put the item name in column 1 of my Safeway Excel list. Column 2 is the sale price. Column 3 lists any coupon I have for that item. Then I use a calculator to total what my price paid will be with sale price, coupons, etc.

Notes are really important as well. If a sale item is limited, say I can only buy 3...I note that. If I plan on buying multiple of that item, I note that as well. As you get the hang of this system, you will realize what is important to notate.

This system is not for everyone. Some people prefer to hand write their lists. Others head to the store with their coupons and browse around for deals. Some people write lists on envelopes and place the coupons they need inside. Couponing is about what works for you...I cannot stress that enough. You are not just budgeting your money here, you are budgeting your time. So you have to find a system you can master. One you enjoy using. A system that saves you money and time.

My system works for me. When I go into a store, I have my coupon binder and my Excel list. I also take extra time to browse the aisles and the discount bins. Many stores have unadvertised sales, and you can get amazing deals.

Also, always pick up a store ad when you go inside. I use it as a reference. Sometimes sale items are not marked.

Lastly, be prepared to alter your shopping list and maybe even your budget....a little. Stores do run out of items, especially sale items. Don't ever be afraid to ask for a rain check on a sold out sale item. Most stores offer rainchecks. And if you find an incredible unadvertised deal, grab it if you have the money to do so.

Bottom line...shop smart. I always plan ahead, and plan for the unexpected. Find your own system and strategy, or use mine (it does work).

We will get even deeper into couponing in part 3 ;)

Couponing Part 1 (Not for the Extremist) ;)

Here's my beef with extreme couponing. Its unrealistic. The TLC show is fun to watch, but it is not real every day life. Those shopping trips have taken weeks of preparation to do. Remember...this is all for the cameras. Most couponers do their couponing on a much smaller scale. I really one woman broke down how many hours she devotes to each part of her extreme couponing. I started wondering when she spent time with her kids, husband or friends? You don't want to be so extreme that other areas of you life fall away. Remember what is most important. We coupon to have a better life...not to have no life at all.

First rule: You will never get every deal, nor do you need every deal. Just because you can get shampoo this week for .22 cents...does not mean you need to get it. Especially if you already have 10 bottles in your linen closest. Couponers need to know when to walk away. Do not consume your house with items. There shouldn't be stacks of cans underneath your kid's bed. I mean to each his own, but you are seriously interested in couponing...you can go the normal route or the extreme route.

I personally devote about 10 hours a week to couponing. Sometimes a little more depending on what sales are going on. Like right before Memorial Day we know that meats, condiments and buns are going on sale.

So if you are a total coupon newbie, please stop and take a breath. You will be overwhelmed by all the coupon sites, blogs, advice and more. Google extreme couponing and you might have a small panic attack.

I am not an extremist. But I do find awesome deals, and I do shop smartly. Here's how...

First, you want to understand that most deals do not work unless an item is on sale and you have a manufacturer coupon for it. Or if you have a manufacturer coupon and an in-store coupon. So let's say Charmin Toilet Paper is on sale. The 6 Big Roll pack for $4.00. And you also have a coupon for $1.50 off any Charmin toilet paper. Total price paid will be $2.50 (plus app. taxes of course.)

Another example. Your store has an in-ad coupon (found in the store weekly circular or something online) for Pine Sol $1.99. And you have a manufacturer coupon for $.55 cents off Pine Sol. Well then your price paid drops down to $1.44. BUT WAIT!! If your store doubles coupons...then your price paid actually drops to $0.88 cents!

Many stores double coupons up to .99 cents. My local Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter do. On occasion, the store has triple coupon days (totally awesome.) When a store doubles, that means any coupon you have under .99 cents will be doubled. So your savings double. It took me a bit to master this. To know which stores do what. Every store and every region is different. You should look up your local store's coupon policy online...or better yet just give them a call for the most up to date answer.

The best coupons are in your Sunday paper for the most part. I know many couponers buy 30 or more papers per week, but I think that wastes a lot of paper and takes a lot of money away from their overall savings. I get 1-2 papers each week. I then take the kids on walks and bike rides. Along the way I stop at one of the 20+ recycle bins throughout my neighborhood and grab discarded coupon inserts. Its actually fun. An adventure. You never know what you will find. Many offices have recycle bins as well. Some people even volunteer at their local recycling plant. Or a fun idea is to get coupon buddies. I advertise on craigslist and got several of them. We send an envelope out each week to one another full of coupons we don't need. It's a win win.

I store my coupons in a binder by category. Some people do it by expiration date. Some use a coupon organizer they carry around. And really it doesn't matter how you sort and store your coupons, as long as you do it the best way that works for you. For tips on how to create an awesome coupon binder, check out The Krazy Coupon lady. I love her.
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/2010/09/24/how-to-start-your-coupon-binder-this-ones-for-you-kathie-lee/

But like I said...find a way that works for you. I went through a few different methods of couponing before I master what works for me.

On Sundays, I usually spend about 2 hours clipping coupons. If you kids are old enough to help, ask them. Or have your significant other or best girl friends. Get together for wine and a movie. Clip while you chat. Or have the kids read a book to you while you clip. There are ways to get clipping done without missing out on family time.

Mondays during lunch, I usually organize my coupons. I have a sandwich at my desk and get to work on my coupons. I save money, because I don't go out for lunch. I am not missing any key time with family or friends. Plus its usually pretty quiet around my office at lunch time. I can concentrate and get a lot done.

Throughout the week I plan, and I also keep a lookout for any online coupons. Most sites allow you to print 2 coupons per computer.

I usually get my shopping down late in the week. I have a Walgreens & CVS right near my job, so sometimes I go over during lunch or right after work and snag the great deals. And I try to do one big grocery shopping trip a month. Then each week I only have smaller trips to make. I usually stop on Friday as I head home.

The point is not to make couponing your life. I don't go to every store. My top 4 are usually Walgreens, CVS, Giant and Safeway. I get amazing deals. I find Target gets too complicated. And even with sale price and coupons, often their items are still priced way out of my budget. I also go to Wal-Mart when I can. But its harder to plan since most prices and deals are not advertised.

So, grab the paper this weekend. Check out http://www.coupons.com/ for great printable coupons. And get an organization system down that works for you. Then we will move on to Part 2 of Couponing :)

I'm Addicted

I was thinking the other day about some of the biggest money wasters. I mean times we literally throw money away. The worst our feeding into our addictions. We pay for convenience. We give in to temptation. We get lazy as hell. I do it. I actually very addictive personality. I cannot try anything just once. Probably one of the main reasons I never tried any hard drugs; I just never wanted to go down that road.

In order to curb our addictions, we first need to identify them.

Smokers! I have been an off again/on again smoker since I was 18. Stupid...stupid...stupid! You know how much I have spent on cigarettes since I first started smoking? Over $10,000 dollars!!! Its true. Around $5 bucks a pack, going through a pack a day for 8 years on and off. I mean $10,000 could have been a down payment on a house. Or I could have bought a car out right. It shows me that in 8 years I could have saved $10,000 dollars if I just put $5 a day into savings instead of into cigarettes. So really think about that. Sit down and do the math yourself.

If you have been a smoker for 20 years, you've spent $36,400 dollars.

30 years, you've spent $54,600 dollars.
50 years and you have spent $91,000 dollars.

I started playing a game with myself. I quit cold turkey and started putting $5 a day into savings. If your brand was $4 or $3 bucks, you could do that too. The point is to find that money like you would if you wanted a pack of cigarettes. Put it into savings, and pretend its gone just like the pack you would have smoked. If you are 20 years old, and you did just that until retirement age (65) you would save over $80,000 dollars plus interest in you keep it in a savings account.

So you and I both know the health risks. If you smoke, odds are you won't make it to 65. But if you quit, and you save...you could be looking at a pretty sweet retirement.

Sometimes if we sit back and really look at the figures and the facts...we realize it's not worth it. It's just not.

Ummm Excuse Me...I Asked for Medium Well!

My mother says I am a serial complainer. Well I am...sort of. But I have some making up to do because for years I left so much unsaid.

I am talking bad food, bad service, the wrong order, a long wait, the wrong change...I could on and on. I cannot tell you how many restaurants and fast food chains I have dined at, and had bad food or service. I can be picky. I like my chicken sandwich a certain way. No one ever seems to listen. 9 times out of 10, my chicken sandwich is wrong. Now if I am paying $5 to $10 bucks for a darn chicken sandwich; well I expect it to be right. But when it wasn't, yes I sent it back. Or sometimes if I went to the drive thru, I'd get home and be all pissed. But mostly I was mute. Sure, I moaned and groaned to whoever was within hearing range. Just didn't take the next step.

Here's a little secret. Restaurants want your feedback. And managers want to please us. They want us to come back. Almost every restauant across the country has a website. So go on it some time, dolls. It is amazing what we've been missing out on.

First, if you have a complaint...then let them know. Most websites have a link at the bottom titled "Contact Us." Use this link to let the restaurant know what they did wrong. Always do this. I have complained about a meal I had 3 weeks ago. Now you don't want to push it. Only issue a complaint for a recent purchase (say the last month or so) and make sure the complain is legiment. If you are complaining just to get a free meal, then you are stealing. And you are giving that restaurant an unfair rep.

So if you have a real complaint or concern, let them know. It can pay off big. In the last year, I have issued complaints to a handful of restaurants.

McDonalds - My chicken sandwich was wrong. I complained. Received $5 in McDonald's bucks in the mail.

Wendys - I went there late. Hey they were open. Maybe they shouldn't have been. The fries were cold and nasty. My sandwich was as tough as a brick. I complained. Received 2 coupons in the mail, each for a free combo.

Outback - My favorite place in the world, let me tell you. Usually really good service. But a few times I got carryout, my steak was not cooked correctly. One time I got no bread (I LOVE THEIR BREAD) and on occasion my mushrooms were cold (Just ewe.) So one night when my order was not up to par, I finally complained. I received an apology email from the local manager, and a gift certificate in the mail worth $45 bucks.

Pizza Hut - It was wing Wednesday, and we wanted some wings. I placed the order online and was given an estimated wait of 1 hr for delivery. An hour later I called to check the status. The guy told me it was on it's way and then hung up on me. A half an hour later, I called back and asked for the manger. My $20 order went down to $11 bucks. And my pizza and wings finally arrived another 15 mins later. Apparently wing Wednesday is a popular night.

So...this is about standing up for yourself as a consumer. I have probably spent a small fortune at McDonald's throughout the years. So if my order is wrong, I feel I deserve a complimentary meal on them. And most restaurants feel that way too. They messed up, and they want to make it right. I will say that holds true for most places. But there are exceptions. I have issued complaints to Popeyes and Starbucks before...never heard a peep.

Now its not all about the bad. I strongly recommend you go leave the compliments too. Often you will be placed on their mailing list, and receive great coupons via email or snail mail. Plus, if a restaurant really does an awesome job...you should tell them. It helps motivate them to continue providing excellent customer service.

Let me also recommend coupons. Just last week IHop had a half page of coupons. One was buy 1 meal, get 1 free. So when a friend said she wanted to grab a bite, I suggested (drum roll please)...IHop! We got a $10 meal, got one free and split the cost of the second. I walked out paying $7 bucks for a really great meal. We both saved...so it's a win win. And who doesn't love those friends who are not interested in the coupon. I am happy to hop on their bandwagon. If they want to pay full price, by all means do so. I am going to hand my coupon right over and walk out of there paying nothing but the tip.

Now there is big talk about the site Restaurants.com. In truth, they are pretty awesome. It just rarely works for me. The restaurants listed in my area are usually ones I have never heard of or be a patron of. Some are way out of my price range, discount or not. This is definitely not the site for fast food lovers either. But, it does work for many. You can sometimes get incredible deals. But make sure they are restaurants you frequent. They should be ones you enjoy and can afford. Don't buy just because there is a great deal. You may get their and find out their cheapest entree is $40 bucks! So be smart about it. If you find a great deal on an unfamiliar restaurant, take a moment to research the place. Most have online menus and pricing. I check the site regularly. If a deal comes up like a $25 dollar Outback gift card for $3 bucks...well I will probably be buying 10 of them. Most never expire. So if you find the right deal for you, go for it.

People also talk a lot about Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com. Another case where you can get great deals. It all comes down to your own personal interests. You will usually get 1 email a day annoucing that day's deal. They are local deals. For Groupon, you may see a deal for 2 movie tickets for $11 bucks. If ten people take the deal, you all get the savings. Living Social has a daily deal that you can take advantage of. Usually half price massages or a dozen cupcakes half off. Sites like this tend to annoy me to be honest. I guess they are just not for me. I have maybe gotten 2 or 3 great deals from using these sites. I guess the problem is the deals are in no way tailored to me. I don't have time or interest in ballroom dancing, or expensive massages or cliff diving. I know many people do have these interests. But I find most of the deals are for people with a bit higher budget than mine. You have to judge for yourself. Sign up freee and watch your email for the next couple of weeks. Maybe you are rolling in deals and loving every minute of it. But maybe not. Either way, it doesn't really hur to get the emails. You never know when a great deal may come your way :)

For me, being on a budget felt like it would suck the fun out of life. I love to dine out. So when I can go it for free, I jump all over it. I love restaurants where kids eat free. I try to take advantage of every opportunity I can, so that being on a budget does equal zero social life. And I really want you to know you don't have to give up on eating out altogether either. Of course you  may want to cut back if you are eating out every day. But you can treat yourself and your family; and do it smartly. So hit the town sometimes. You deserve it. Just don't pay an arm and a leg to do so.