One last time- diapers.

Leave a comment- we ALL want to know how many packages of diapers you took home from Walgreen's during last week's sale. How many did your friends and family add to their stockpile? It'll be fun to know how everyone saved!

I'll go first, so don't be shy! Let us see how you did!

Coupon links- some good ones!

If you've already printed off coupons from these sites, odds are you won't be able to print off more for a while- companies tend to "reset" their coupons monthly. Most will require a very short registration in order to get to the coupon, but that's not bad, because next month when you go in to get more, you'll just have to log in. I use the same log in and password information for ALL of them, that way I won't forget!

Are any of you able to print off coupons from SmartSource? For some reason, no matter what I try, I can't do it.

Here you go!

Get $30 in coupons from Right@Home. These are great-wish I could get more! Ex. of products: scrubbing bubbles, shout, windex, pledge....

Here's one for $1 off V-8 Fusion

Save $2 on 2 boxes of Kellogg's cereal (selected varieties) here.

Carnation Instant Breakfast is offering a $2 coupon- limit 2

Save $1.50 on any Spice Islands spice

Are you gellin'? Save $2.00 On Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles

I was quick to print this one off! Midol- Save $2- ya never know!

Save $1.00 on Pert Plus Shampoo here.

Click on this link for a booklet of coupons from Proctor & Gamble cleaning products- for over $27 in savings. (Booklet will be mailed)

Ziploc BOGO coupon- found here.

Save $2 on Excedrin Express Gels by going here.

If you're going to be near Target....

Do you have a bunch of GLADE coupons that you wondered how to use? Now through 12/15 Target is running a special on the Glade Holiday Collection- from what I understand, if you buy 4 of the following items, you receive a $5 Target Gift Card. With the right coupons, this is a money maker for you! Let's hope Target keeps their shelves stocked so we can all run out and use those coupons! We should have plenty of time between now and 12/15...and our houses should smell so good! :)

Glade Scented Oil Candles
Glade Scented Oil Refills
Glade Jar Candles
Glade Plug-in Oil Refills
Glade Wisp Flameless Candles

Just a few notes/observations to help you figure this one out:

If you have purchased any of the scented oil candles/refills/wisp in the recent past during the Walgreen's sales, check your packages...I'm hearing there are coupons inside.

You can find coupons for some of these products on coupons.com and the Glade website.

The November issue of All You (found at check-out stands at WalMart with lots of coupons inside) has $2 off Scented Oil Holder

The free $5 Gift Card only applies to the Holiday Collection scents.

Although Febreze Holiday scents may be right next to the Glade, they don't work to get the gift card.

There are no signs advertising this.

If you're unsure if the item you're interested in buying qualifies for the gift card, scan it using one of the self-scanners. If it qualifies, it should say "gift card eligible". Or if in doubt, ask an associate.

Only 1 gift card per transaction. If you are trying to buy several sets of these, have them rung up in multiple transactions.

Look for items priced $2.50 and in these scents: Apple Cinnamon, Glistening Snow, Evergreen. Other scents may not work- let us know if they work for you!

You can roll one Target gift card into the next purchase. Not like Walgreen's where you have to bounce between deals due to manufacturer.

Here's how it worked out for me:

I bought 4 jar candles (glistening snow) @ 2.50 ea.- $10.00
I used 4 $2.00 coupons- $8.00 off
Paid $2.00
Received a $5.00 gift card.

I also had BOGO free coupons printed from glade.com. When I have more time, I'll go back and use those along with my $5.00 gift card to pay my out-of-pocket.

Not too shabby...I have nice-smellin' stuff for the house that Target PAID me $3.00 to take off their hands.

Just think! Do this enough times at $3 profit- buy a Christmas present with the extra cash you've made!

Fillers- like it or lump it! That's just the way it is.

Good morning! I received lots of email yesterday about the use of "fillers" by those of you who are anxious to hit the stores and need to know just why in the world I needed to throw purse packs of kleenex in with my purchases! Let me explain.

Coupon usage, although we consider it a beautiful thing, is actually quite complex! All stores in all chains (Walgreen's, Target, CVS, K-Mart, WalMart, etc.)have their registers set up to accept ONE manufacturer's coupon for EACH item purchased. If you exceed one coupon per item, the register goes completely haywire and begins to spit, sputter and in most cases, start beeping at you like a rabid beast.

If the one coupon per item rule was as simple as it seems, life for all would be far-less complicated.....albeit not nearly as fun (for those of us who are seeking super-cheap or free products!). The exceptions to this rule are Walgreen's and Target....especially Walgreen's.

As you know, Walgreen's puts out all sorts of their own STORE coupons (Target does too, just not as many as Wags) that seem to be hidden throughout the store. It's almost like a treasure hunt sometimes- finding coupons hidden in the pharmacy area, at the cosmetics counter, tear-off pads, etc. Sometimes Walgreen's issues coupons found in the Sunday newspaper inserts that are marked "to be used exclusively at Walgreen's"- which is considered a STORE coupon- one of their own. Of course, they also have coupons in the weekly circular and Easy Saver booklet, too.

Walgreen's rule about using manufacturer's coupons along with their own store-issued coupons is: you can use ONE manufacturer's coupon per item, and as many of their different store coupons as apply to the item being purchased as long as the store coupons have differing bar codes. For example: you might find Tylenol cough and cold on sale in their weekly ad for $4.99. Say you have a manufacturer's coupon for Tylenol cough and cold for $1.00 off. Of course, that can be used. But then you notice there's an Easy Saver coupon for $1.00 off Tylenol cough and cold. That can be used in conjunction with your manufacturer-issued coupon. So now you have 2 coupons to use on the one product. Additionally, you discover ANOTHER coupon for $1.50 off any Tylenol product back at the pharmacy department in one of Walgreen's fliers. You can use that one, too! Yes, you can use all three (1 manufacturer's coupon and BOTH store coupons) for a total coupon discount of $3.50 off of the price of $4.99. By knowing about all of the secret coupon sources, you can save big!

But what does this do to the cash register that's programmed to accept one coupon per item purchased? In Walgreen's case, (Target, too) nothing. The cash registers recognize their own coupons, take off the discount and don't freak out when multiples are used. That's why you're able to use coupons out of their booklets and keep them to use again and again- the registers recognize them as their own store discount.

At this point, just to summarize, we know that an unlimited amount of store coupons can be used along with 1 manufacturer's coupon, right? Read on.

Using the Tylenol example above, let's say you have a sick child at home, you're in a hurry, you left supper in the oven and you're husband is cranky about having to watch the kids for 10 minutes while you run to grab some medicine for the night. You're not there to browse around the store sniffing out the bargains. You need Tylenol, you needed it an hour ago, so you grab it and head to the register. Now we all know that once this couponing business gets in your blood, it's hard to ignore the fact that you've got that $1 coupon in your purse! No matter how rushed you are, you still want to get the product as cheaply as possible, right? Being the savvy shopper you are, you also know you can save extra cash by pointing out the coupon in the ES booklet, which you do- and you've saved even more. So, after all of your store coupons and your 1 manufacturer's coupon have been used- you remember you have that $2.00 Register Reward left over from buying Kellogg's cereal the day before. You think, "Hey, well, now's just as good as any other time to use it!" So you hand it over to the cashier. Guess what?! The register is going to beep.

How do I know the register is going to beep? You're buying 1 item. You're using 1 manufacturer's coupon. You're using 1 or 2 store coupons. The store coupons don't count toward your item/coupon ratio- you could use 50 store coupons (if they had 50 different barcodes!) and it wouldn't count against the item/coupon ratio. But your register reward DOES count.

Any time you use a register reward to pay toward your purchase, you must keep in mind that it is counted by the cash register as a manufacturer's coupon!!! Just look at one- it will say something like, "Compliment's of Dr. Pepper" or something like that- and along the top, it will read, "manufacturer's coupon". So, you'll have to throw something tiny on the counter to add to your item count. I don't care if that item costs a penny! The cash register will now recognize that you are purchasing 2 items and using 2 manufacturer's coupons. All will be right. The register won't start to blow steam, hiss, or eventually blow up.

So, the key point to remember is you can't have more manufacturer's coupons than the number of items you're buying. If you're like me (remember yesterday's post and the sample shopping scenario with rolling the register rewards?) this situation will happen often- using a RR to pay for another purchase, but the items ALL have a manufacturer's coupon applied....just make sure you add a super cheap "filler" to tell the register that everything is okay.

One more thing...Walgreen's doesn't give cash back if you're using a RR worth more than your total purchase. Be sure to pay with the lowest value RR possible to keep your out-of-pocket expense as close to $0 as you can.

I hope this helps clear up the "filler" mystery! Feel free to ask any questions that you come up with!

This week at Wags

Anyone but me finding Walgreen's shopping a bit dreary recently? Where are all of the great register rewards finds? If Walgreen's is changing their marketing strategy, let me be the first to say, "Boo! Hiss! Bad idea!" It was recently reported that Walgreen's third quarter earnings were up- and company execs credited coupon-ers and bargain shoppers for the higher-than-expected numbers. Note to Walgreen's: Don't start gettin' stingy with us....we'll find our deals somewhere else! Even if I have to make a weekly trip to Springfield to "play around" in CVS stores all day!

(Okay, I just slapped myself! Time to shake this funky attitude I seem to have today. Now I'm trying to be optimistic and thankful for the specials they DO have this week, although there aren't a lot of "gotta run out this second and grab it before they're gone" offerings. Darn it. **another slap/other cheek!** I'm better now.)

Here's my list for this week:

Jif Peanut Butter- sale 3 for $5.00
Buy 6 for $10.00
Use 3 $1.00 off 2 jars (-$3.00)
New price- $7.00 for 6 jars of Jif.

Coffee Mate Creamer (liquid) - sale $2.49 (BOGOfree)
Use 2 .55 cent coupons (-$1.10)
New price- $1.39 for 2 bottles of creamer.

Quaker Oats (cooking oats, not instant)- sale $2.79 (BOGOfree)
Use 2 $1.00 coupons (-$2.00)
Use IVC (coupon from ad to get sale price)
New price- .79 cents for 2.

Progresso Soup- sale 4 cans for $5.00
Buy 2 @ $2.50
Use IVC (coupon from ad to get sale price)
Use 2 $1.10 coupons (printed) (-$2.20)
New price- .30 for 2 cans of soup
*if you don't have the link to this printable, email me or leave a comment- I'll get it to you. You are allowed to print 2 per computer.*

Clabber Girl Corn Starch and/or Baking Powder- sale 2/$1.00
Use IVC (coupon from ad to get sale price)
Use .50 cent coupon for each (-$1.00)
New price- Free!

Kellogg's Cereal (Raisin Bran, Special K, Smart Start, Frosted Mini Wheats)
Sale- 4 boxes for $10.00...gives a $2.00 Register Reward
Buy 4 boxes @ $10.00
Use 4 $1.00 coupons for various qualifying cereals (-$4.00)
New price- 4 boxes for $6.00
Receive RR- $2.00
In the end, 4 boxes of cereal for $4.00 or $1.00 each!

Kleenex Tissues- sale $2.19 (BOGOfree)
Buy 2 @ $2.19
Use 2 .40 cent coupons (-.80 cents)
New price- $1.39/2 boxes

Glade Freshening Spray- sale .99 cents
Buy 2 @ $1.98
Use IVC (ad coupon to get sale price)
Use BOGOfree coupon (-.99cents off)
New price- .99 cents/2 bottles

SoftSoap Bodywash- sale $3.99 ea. receive $4.00 RR when you buy 2
Buy 2 @ $7.98
Use 2 $1.00 internet coupons (-$2.00)
New price $5.98
Receive $4.00 Register Reward
In the end, pay $1.98 for 2 bottles

Colgate Toothpaste- sale $2.49
Use Easy Saver coupon- $1.00 off
Use manufacturer's coupon for $1.50 off
New price- +. 01 overage/free!

Venus Intuition Razors (Only if you got in on the VocalPoint survey a while back)
Sale- $6.99
Use Easy Saver coupon ($-3.00)
Use $4.00 off coupon from VocalPoint (-$4.00)
New price- +.01 overage/free!
*If you would like information on VocalPoint, let me know! They keep sending me all kinds of free stuff- (really good stuff!) and lots of high value coupons!)*

Kotex products- sale 2/$6.00
Use $1.00 Easy Saver coupon
Use 2 $1.00 manufacturer coupons
New price- 2/$3.00

Sudafed PE 10-24 count or Sudacare 3 pack shower soothers- sale $3.99 ea.
Buy 3, get $5 RR
Buy 3 at $3.99- $11.97
Use 3 $1.50 coupons (-$4.50)
New price- $7.47
Receive $5 register reward
End up paying $2.47/3 products

To roll the register rewards from one product to another, I will probably do this:
(Remember, you can't use your RR from say, SoftSoap to buy more SoftSoap or else the register won't print off another RR. You need to alternate between products with differing manufacturer's for this to work right!)

Upon arriving at Walgreen's, I'll grab my buggy and locate the following: (by the way, I have lots of other items listed above that I will be purchasing during this week. If you're just starting this, don't confuse yourself and try to buy it all at once! Break it down in small transactions like I'm about to illustrate.)

Locate in the store: 2 bottles of SoftSoap, 3 boxes of Sudafed, and 4 boxes of Kellogg's cereal. I'm going to be doing 3 different transactions. Before going to the register, find a cheap "filler" item, such as a purse-size pack of kleenex, a single pencil- something super cheap that you're not using a coupon for! You will need one for a couple of the transactions below. I will be doing a "lesson" on fillers in an upcoming blog very soon. Until then, just trust me. This item can range from a value of a penny to whatever, but obviously, the cheaper the better. It can be a .15 cent pack of kleenex or a box of jello- something you will put to use later- just make sure it's cheap! Again, you need 2. I'll get the kleenex.

First place the SoftSoap on the counter
After using coupons my total will be $5.98 plus tax. I will have to pay this out of pocket. But I will receive a $4 RR at the end of the transaction. I will then use the $4 RR on......

In my basket, I will have 3 boxes of Sudafed ready for my next transaction. I'll place these on the counter along with a "filler"....my little pack of kleenex for .15 cents. I'll use my coupons and the total will be somewhere around $7.62 for the 3 boxes. Then I'll hand over the $4 RR I received from the SoftSoap. The register will deduct that $4 and my new total out of pocket will be $3.62 for the 3 boxes of sudafed and my kleenex. I will receive a new register reward of $5.00 at the end of this transaction.

Then, I'll put the cereal on the counter and my "filler" (kleenex) for the 3rd transaction. I'll use my coupons and my total will be $6.15. I will then hand over the $5 RR from the Sudafed, and my balance will be $1.15 for 4 boxes of cereal and a package of kleenex. I'll pay the $1.15 out of pocket, but then receive another register reward for $2 to use next time.

So, all in all: I'm leaving the store with 2 softsoap, 3 sudafed, 4 boxes of cereal and 2 packs of kleenex for my purse. My total out of pocket will be around $10.75, but don't forget about the $2.00 RR I still have from the cereal.....so it makes it a new total of $8.75 for all.

Email me with questions! Gotta go start cooking a roast in my crockpot!

A special thanks to my husband...and to many others.

I'd just like to take a minute to publicly thank my husband for his former military service: for all he had to do, had to endure, had to sacrifice, had to cope with, had to witness, and had to lose while serving our country. You are and always will be My Hero.

Happy Veteran's Day
to all who have served- both former and active-duty You make me so proud, and I am forever indebted to you. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed.

Thank you, BJ.
Thank you, Grandpa.
Thank you, Trent.
Thank you, Tye.
Thank you, Dave.
Thank you, Marden.
Thank you, Chris.
Thank you, Bobby- for what you're about to do.

BJ and I are in the process of adopting a soldier to send care packages to- we feel as if we've been given a blessing with our "stockpile" and want to share items we have in excess to those who are overseas- those who may not have all they need, who could use a little bit of comfort from home, who could use a friend. I encourage everyone to do the same. Countless men and women are sacrificing everyday....for us.

Jodie against Wal-Mart or is it Wal-Mart against Jodie?

Well, BLECKH. (Bleckh= a word used to describe disgust...irritation...agitation. One uses said word when more common words fall short of expressing true disgust. It should be noted that when attempting to pronounce the word "Bleckh", one must try sounding as if they are coughing nasty substances from the bottom of their lungs.)

Figured out my mood? Well, here's a good one for you. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do about it. Any advice?

Sunday evening, I went to WalMart to ad-match and use coupons. I had my plan perfectly planned out. It was beautiful. It looked like I was going to buy enough groceries (and stock up on some other things) to last at least a week- and the only items I was paying much for at all was going to be milk, bread, eggs, bananas, etc. (Anyone ever seen any banana coupons? Wouldn't that be great?)

At the register I was told by a CSR (customer service rep) after scanning everything in twice at two different registers and having problems with my coupons....that I had saved enough money with the ad-match that she would not take my coupons off my total. The register would require an override, and she wouldn't do it because SHE thought I had saved enough already!

Is this legal? When all of my ad-matches were legit to deny me the use of my coupons because I was saving TOO MUCH money? When I explained to her that WalMart's policies clearly state how happy they are to match their competitor's ads....and how their coupon policy reads that they are supposedly coupon-friendly....and how I don't recall reading anywhere how a CSR had the authority to deny a customer the right to use coupons at her own discretion. She wouldn't budge.

I asked to speak to the manager on duty- all the while keeping my cool but RAGING on the inside. She supposedly called for a manager, but after about 20 minutes of waiting, the manager never arrived. My phone rang- my hubby was wondering if I had gotten lost- and he was starving! I told the CSR to just forget it. To have fun putting away the buggy-full of groceries, because I wasn't waiting any longer. I'd just go over her head, her manager's head and call the corporate office the next morning. She acted as if that didn't phase her at all.

I left empty handed, so frustrated and so very disappointed. How can an employee so blatantly refuse to adhere to her own company's written policy? She acted as if my savings were actually coming out of her paycheck or something ridiculous like that. You'd think she'd be glad to see someone come in and save money for their family- quite the contrary.

I've cooled down enough now to call corporate. I'll be doing just that when they open- and I'll let you know how it turns out. It's JODIE against WALMART...let's see who wins. Wish me luck!