Sunday Newspaper
The best place to find coupons is still the Sunday paper. I don't get the Sunday paper but I know people who do and since they don't use coupons they give me theirs. Even if you have to buy the paper though, I think it is still worth it. Just a few coupons will save you the cost of the paper.
Important: If you are just going to buy it weekly from a store don't bother buying it on a holidays. There are usually no coupons on holiday weekends. When in doubt check the coupon schedule link in the right sidebar.
If you want the paper delivered, I suggest signing up for the "weekender" deal where you only get the paper on the weekend. Why pay for it all week if you won't be reading it?! If you want really great coupons, consider buying the Milwaukee Sentinel (or ordering coupon inserts online) to get better coupons than the GBPG offers. Coupons are regional and larger markets get better coupons. I should mention that the big city papers include coupons but not store ads so if you want to look at the ads you will still need to get a GBPG.
Which brings me to my next point... more than one paper is a good thing! Try to get as many coupons as you can. To stock up on the best deals you'll need more than one set of coupon inserts. Ask your family and friends who don't use coupons to save theirs for you.
Internet Coupons
There are also TONS of coupons available online (see links in the coupons tab above). Get cheap paper from a deal when you can or from Wal-mart (about $3/ream) to print your coupons out. Sometimes a coupon prints at the top of a page with an ad below. If you hit cancel right after you see the coupon on the paper it will save you the ink of printing the whole ad. If possible, I print the coupon, rotate the page, and use the "other end" of the page to print the next coupon. I really like the coupon sites like SmartSource that let you print more than one per page. I hate wasting all that paper and ink.
Company Sites and Newsletters
Love Betty Crocker or Huggies or any major name brand? Sign up for their online product newsletter and you may find printable coupons in your inbox. Get on their snail mail list too while you're at it! Don't buy a name brand product with out at least checking for a coupon. CouponMom has a searchable list of coupons that were available in past Sunday papers. Most sites limit the number of coupons you can print (usually 2) but occasionally coupons are "reset" or more than one site will offer some of the same coupons so you can print more.
Also remember "sqeaky wheel get the grease". If you get a defective product or are not satisfied with something you buy call (or email) the company and tell them. They will usually send you a coupon for a free item and often even more. Even if you call and just ask a question sometimes you will get coupons as well.
ALL YOU Magazine
Several women's magazines have an occasional coupon or two on their pages. Keep an eye out if you subscribe to any. The best magazine hands down for coupons, though, is ALL YOU. This magazine has as many coupons as a newspaper insert and will pretty much pay for itself when you subscribe. It is sold at Wal-mart if you want to check out a few issues before subscribing or just buy it there.
Word of Mouth Programs and Freebies
Sign up for "word of mouth" programs and freebies when you can. You will find your mailbox full of coupons, often high value coupons come in the mail directly from sources like this.
Everywhere!
Keep an eye out... coupons can be found just about everywhere! Peelies are coupons that are stuck on a product and meant to be peeled off and used right away. Look for those red blinkie boxes at the store, they often have those right next to products that are already on sale! There are often coupons in or on product packaging. Coupons print with your receipts at some stores, usually for brands similar to the products you bought. Sometimes a friendly couponer will leave coupons on the shelf next to a product. Once you are looking, you'll find coupons everywhere!
Here is a list of helpful Coupon Terms and Abbreviations.
February 22, 2010
February 19, 2010
Pinecone Research
Pinecone is one of the better survey companies out there. They pay $3 per survey. You take a survey and a week later you get a check for $3. They are currently taking new members. Hurry if you're interested these spots don't stay open long.
Mega Swag Bucks Day!
Did you know that Fridays are Mega Swag Buck Days? If you search on Fridays there is a greater chance to earn MEGA Swag Bucks!!
I also just wanted to share this tip I got last week. It worked for me... you can get a free Swag Buck by going to the Swag Buck site and on the left side bar there is a link to “Special Offers.” Click on that and then on the “No Obligation Offers.” Skip all of the offers and at the end of all of them you will find a free Swag Buck code.
I also heard that if you sign up for the newsletter, you might get a free Swag code at the bottom of it. The newsletter link is also in the sidebar on the left. (This didn't work for me. I haven't gotten a newsletter yet.)
If you're not a member of Swag Bucks. I highly recommend you join! It's free!
If you are thinking about joining anyway, you might want to do it before Feb. 25th... apparently they are planning lots of great stuff for the Swag Bucks 2nd Anniversary!
I also just wanted to share this tip I got last week. It worked for me... you can get a free Swag Buck by going to the Swag Buck site and on the left side bar there is a link to “Special Offers.” Click on that and then on the “No Obligation Offers.” Skip all of the offers and at the end of all of them you will find a free Swag Buck code.
I also heard that if you sign up for the newsletter, you might get a free Swag code at the bottom of it. The newsletter link is also in the sidebar on the left. (This didn't work for me. I haven't gotten a newsletter yet.)
If you're not a member of Swag Bucks. I highly recommend you join! It's free!
If you are thinking about joining anyway, you might want to do it before Feb. 25th... apparently they are planning lots of great stuff for the Swag Bucks 2nd Anniversary!
February 18, 2010
Where do you keep your savings?
I'm no financial guru but I did come across this money tip in a financial book several years ago that has helped us tremendously. I know saving is hard, especially these days, but if you have money saved, or are working to save money, there are more options to "store" your savings than the basic savings account at the local bank or a jar buried in the backyard. :)
We had never considered putting our savings anywhere except a regular savings account. We, of course, had heard of Money Markets and Certificates of Deposit, but never really considered them because we though of them as more of an investment. To us "investment" meant risky and/or inaccessible money. We already had investments, we wanted our savings to be safe and easily accessible in case we needed it.
Have you ever looked into a Money Market Deposit Account? They are different than a Money Market Mutual Fund which is what I always thought of when I heard "Money Market". In a MMMF your money is at risk because they are not usually FDIC insured (although the government has recently passed some exceptions to this due to the economic times). However, a MMDA is always insured by the FDIC (up to $250,000). You should research MMDAs yourself, but I consider them a better way to save your money because they pay a lot more interest than a regular savings account. TEN times as much!
Unfortunately, these days that's not saying much, but every little bit helps. When we first opened our MMDA the interest rate was 5% and since we had been saving for a new house we saw very nice monthly interest payments (over $100!). It became very clear to me how some people can live on their investments. Our money did nothing but sit there and they PAID US!
The interest rate has dropped considerably in the last several years. The current interest rate for our MMDA is 1.2% but that is still more than TEN times the interest rate on our savings account at the local bank. The interest rate there is currently a pitiful .1%!! When we looked into opening our MMDA we went to Bankrate to see who was offering the best interest rates. We called our local bank to give them a chance as well but their rates were no where near the one we ended up getting at Capital One. We had never considered a national bank, but after a bit a research felt that it was a safe option.
Just for fun pretend you have $5,000 in your savings account. If you keep it at bank in a savings account that earns an annual percentage rate of .1% at the end of one year (with no deposits or withdrawals) you will have $5,005. That would be $.42 a month in earnings. Don't spend it all in one place! :) Now if you took that $5,000 and put in the national bank's MMDA that earns an annual percentage rate of 1.2% at the end of the year you'd have $5,060 or $5 per month. I'm not great at math but $5 a month is better than $5 a year!! That's making your money work for you! That's what rich people do and you should consider it too.
The more money you have or the higher the interest rate the better it gets! If you can deposit some money throughout the year you'll earn even more! It's the miracle of compound interest!
If you want to do some math, here is a Savings Calculator. Put in the amount you currently have in savings and the interest rate you are currently getting. Be sure to choose "compound annually" from the drop down menu since most interest rates are annual. Then go to Bankrate and look to see what kind of interest rate you could be getting elsewhere and pop that number in instead (today it's about 1.4%). What you see might get you thinking!
We have been very pleased with our savings working a little harder for us. I told my sister about our MMDA several years ago (a few months after we got ours--I was so happy because of those interest payments I tell you!) and recently asked her if she was satisfied her experience. She said she definitely was! She uses Capital One as well and she said that not only does she love the higher interest rate she thinks their customer service is excellent. She liked it so much she just recently opened second MMDA for her son's savings.
I'm not telling you what to do with your money. I'm just throwing this out there because a few years ago I wasn't aware of any of this and maybe it will help someone save a few more dollars!
[When researching MMDA and Savings accounts be sure to take into consideration: minimum initial deposit, minimum balances required, interest rate, monthly fees, ways you can access your money, free services (like checks) and number of transactions per month required or allowed. Like I said we chose Capital One's MMDA. It has NO minimum balance, NO monthly fees, free checks, and limited withdrawals. We've been very happy with them. If you have any questions let me know. And, no, I don't work for Capital One nor are they paying me for this glowing endorsement. Unfortunately, they don't even have a referral program! :)]
We had never considered putting our savings anywhere except a regular savings account. We, of course, had heard of Money Markets and Certificates of Deposit, but never really considered them because we though of them as more of an investment. To us "investment" meant risky and/or inaccessible money. We already had investments, we wanted our savings to be safe and easily accessible in case we needed it.
Have you ever looked into a Money Market Deposit Account? They are different than a Money Market Mutual Fund which is what I always thought of when I heard "Money Market". In a MMMF your money is at risk because they are not usually FDIC insured (although the government has recently passed some exceptions to this due to the economic times). However, a MMDA is always insured by the FDIC (up to $250,000). You should research MMDAs yourself, but I consider them a better way to save your money because they pay a lot more interest than a regular savings account. TEN times as much!
Unfortunately, these days that's not saying much, but every little bit helps. When we first opened our MMDA the interest rate was 5% and since we had been saving for a new house we saw very nice monthly interest payments (over $100!). It became very clear to me how some people can live on their investments. Our money did nothing but sit there and they PAID US!
The interest rate has dropped considerably in the last several years. The current interest rate for our MMDA is 1.2% but that is still more than TEN times the interest rate on our savings account at the local bank. The interest rate there is currently a pitiful .1%!! When we looked into opening our MMDA we went to Bankrate to see who was offering the best interest rates. We called our local bank to give them a chance as well but their rates were no where near the one we ended up getting at Capital One. We had never considered a national bank, but after a bit a research felt that it was a safe option.
Just for fun pretend you have $5,000 in your savings account. If you keep it at bank in a savings account that earns an annual percentage rate of .1% at the end of one year (with no deposits or withdrawals) you will have $5,005. That would be $.42 a month in earnings. Don't spend it all in one place! :) Now if you took that $5,000 and put in the national bank's MMDA that earns an annual percentage rate of 1.2% at the end of the year you'd have $5,060 or $5 per month. I'm not great at math but $5 a month is better than $5 a year!! That's making your money work for you! That's what rich people do and you should consider it too.
The more money you have or the higher the interest rate the better it gets! If you can deposit some money throughout the year you'll earn even more! It's the miracle of compound interest!
If you want to do some math, here is a Savings Calculator. Put in the amount you currently have in savings and the interest rate you are currently getting. Be sure to choose "compound annually" from the drop down menu since most interest rates are annual. Then go to Bankrate and look to see what kind of interest rate you could be getting elsewhere and pop that number in instead (today it's about 1.4%). What you see might get you thinking!
We have been very pleased with our savings working a little harder for us. I told my sister about our MMDA several years ago (a few months after we got ours--I was so happy because of those interest payments I tell you!) and recently asked her if she was satisfied her experience. She said she definitely was! She uses Capital One as well and she said that not only does she love the higher interest rate she thinks their customer service is excellent. She liked it so much she just recently opened second MMDA for her son's savings.
I'm not telling you what to do with your money. I'm just throwing this out there because a few years ago I wasn't aware of any of this and maybe it will help someone save a few more dollars!
[When researching MMDA and Savings accounts be sure to take into consideration: minimum initial deposit, minimum balances required, interest rate, monthly fees, ways you can access your money, free services (like checks) and number of transactions per month required or allowed. Like I said we chose Capital One's MMDA. It has NO minimum balance, NO monthly fees, free checks, and limited withdrawals. We've been very happy with them. If you have any questions let me know. And, no, I don't work for Capital One nor are they paying me for this glowing endorsement. Unfortunately, they don't even have a referral program! :)]
Free Magazine Subscription
UPDATE: Deal's over! Hope some of you got in on it
!
I just mentioned the other day that I get several magazines for free. In fact, I get so many that I have to pass up this offer for a free subscription to Family Circle. I can't keep up with the ones that I get already... and the guilt is killing me. :)
MoneySavingMom just listed another freebie magazine subscription this morning! If you are interested getting Family Circle for free... click here. And don't say I didn't warn you! :)
!
I just mentioned the other day that I get several magazines for free. In fact, I get so many that I have to pass up this offer for a free subscription to Family Circle. I can't keep up with the ones that I get already... and the guilt is killing me. :)
MoneySavingMom just listed another freebie magazine subscription this morning! If you are interested getting Family Circle for free... click here. And don't say I didn't warn you! :)
February 17, 2010
Free Long Distance Call
I found this in one of the magazines I get (if you read Freebies4Mom you'll end up getting lots of magazine subscriptions for free). Dial 1-800-FREE-411 and you can make a free 5 minute phone (long distance) call. The catch: you have to listen to a 20-second ad.
With cell phones and nationwide plans I know most people won't need this but I thought I'd throw it out there. If you are interested in free long distance for every call, all the time, I highly recommend Google Voice. If you have a "landline" and are paying for long distance Google Voice will save you some money. You definitely shouldn't be paying for any long distance calls!
With cell phones and nationwide plans I know most people won't need this but I thought I'd throw it out there. If you are interested in free long distance for every call, all the time, I highly recommend Google Voice. If you have a "landline" and are paying for long distance Google Voice will save you some money. You definitely shouldn't be paying for any long distance calls!
February 16, 2010
Plans for Shopping at Copps tomorrow, 2/17
Hi GB Savers,
Head on over to my blog to see what I have planned for sale/coupon match ups at Copps tomorrow. I should have mentioned that the Con Agra coupons were from a booklet I requested online and got in the mail. Most of the other coupons are from the paper or online printables. Happy shopping everyone!!
Head on over to my blog to see what I have planned for sale/coupon match ups at Copps tomorrow. I should have mentioned that the Con Agra coupons were from a booklet I requested online and got in the mail. Most of the other coupons are from the paper or online printables. Happy shopping everyone!!
Free Book for Moms
Just got this in my inbox... through February 19 Vision Forum* is offering one of its bestselling titles — Passionate Housewives Desperate for God — for free! You pay only shipping.How to Redeem Your Coupon:
Visit www.visionforum.com/phdg and use coupon FREEPHDG to receive your own copy of this book for free. You pay only actual shipping charges. This coupon expires at midnight on February 19, 2010 (CDT), and may not be combined with other offers.
*Vision Forum is a Christian publishing company and ministry dedicated to rebuilding the biblical family. Visit their website here.
Websites, Passwords and User Names... Oh My!
I visit a lot of websites. Often sites ask you to register so you can get special member only features or freebies or coupons. I used to frustrate myself by registering but then forgetting which email address I used to sign up, my user name, or password when I went back later.
To keep track I write down the info on a 4x6 index card. I file them alphabetically (by site) in an index card box. Now when I go back to a site and need to know my user name or password I just look it up quick instead of having to request the information by email. I also jot down any other info that might be helpful for that particular site (birthdays I used, security questions & answers, etc.).
Another tip is to have the same password for all these sites. Now I am not talking about your online banking accounts here! I am talking about sites like BettyCrocker.com or sites that don't include important personal information. Pick one password and stick with it...that way you'll always know your password. Most sites require at least one number in your password so throw in a number for good measure. :)
Sometimes your user name is your email address so if you plan on signing up at several sites create an email address just for that purpose. Having a junk email address keeps your regular inbox from being filled up with a bunch of special offers and ads.
I think I have mentioned this already to but just in case, I also don't use our real birthdates when filling out those forms. I just add one to the month and date and leave the year the same. It is to the point now that I am starting to think my birthday really is June 26th!
My hubby even has a few cards in the box. We keep it in the cupboard right next to the computer so it is easily accessible.
My Black Box
with cheesy, fake example card
To keep track I write down the info on a 4x6 index card. I file them alphabetically (by site) in an index card box. Now when I go back to a site and need to know my user name or password I just look it up quick instead of having to request the information by email. I also jot down any other info that might be helpful for that particular site (birthdays I used, security questions & answers, etc.).
Another tip is to have the same password for all these sites. Now I am not talking about your online banking accounts here! I am talking about sites like BettyCrocker.com or sites that don't include important personal information. Pick one password and stick with it...that way you'll always know your password. Most sites require at least one number in your password so throw in a number for good measure. :)
Sometimes your user name is your email address so if you plan on signing up at several sites create an email address just for that purpose. Having a junk email address keeps your regular inbox from being filled up with a bunch of special offers and ads.
I think I have mentioned this already to but just in case, I also don't use our real birthdates when filling out those forms. I just add one to the month and date and leave the year the same. It is to the point now that I am starting to think my birthday really is June 26th!
My hubby even has a few cards in the box. We keep it in the cupboard right next to the computer so it is easily accessible.
My Black Boxwith cheesy, fake example card
Vocalpoint and Word of Mouth Programs
If you aren't a member of VocalPoint yet I highly recommend that you join. VocalPoint is a "word of mouth" program that helps companies get the word out about their products. I think VocalPoint is the best of the best. I am often surprised by a little package from them in the mail. They'll send you a coupon for a free product and then several high value $ off coupons to share with friends. Sometimes you have to sign up for the samples and sometimes they just send them to you. [Right now VocalPoint members can sign up to get a free full size bottle of Pantene shampoo.]
Heather from Freebies 4 Mom has a whole list of these "word of mouth" programs you can sign up for here. I've signed up for a few of them and Vocalpoint is the best in my opinion.
Be sure to take advantage of the freebie offers that MoneySavingMom and Freebies4Mom mention. It takes less than a minute to request a sample or a coupon and you can get lots of great stuff for free! Most samples come with coupons and new samples (even from the same companies) become available all the time. (I do recommend using a "junk" email address because you'll be getting a LOT of emails!)
If you have a PC you can install Roboform to help you fill out freebie information forms faster or if you use Firefox you can install an add-on called AutoFill that will fill out forms with the click of a button. You can even set it for different profiles (one with your real email address and one for you junk email address).
Heather from Freebies 4 Mom has a whole list of these "word of mouth" programs you can sign up for here. I've signed up for a few of them and Vocalpoint is the best in my opinion.
Be sure to take advantage of the freebie offers that MoneySavingMom and Freebies4Mom mention. It takes less than a minute to request a sample or a coupon and you can get lots of great stuff for free! Most samples come with coupons and new samples (even from the same companies) become available all the time. (I do recommend using a "junk" email address because you'll be getting a LOT of emails!)
If you have a PC you can install Roboform to help you fill out freebie information forms faster or if you use Firefox you can install an add-on called AutoFill that will fill out forms with the click of a button. You can even set it for different profiles (one with your real email address and one for you junk email address).
February 14, 2010
A Few Good Festival Deals
These deals are good through this Saturday (20th):
Chuck Roast is on sale for $2.98 per pound, which is a decent deal but if you buy a roast you can get:
1 five pound bag of potatoes
1 two pound bag of onions
1 one pound bag of carrots
for FREE!
Post Cereal $1.68
Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles $.98
Pillsbury Flour 5# bag $1.48
Several items are $.77 with coupon (Limit 1):
Eggs
Chocolate Milk (half gallon)
Sausage links
English muffins
Be sure to check the red interactive coupon box at the front of the store. Sometimes there are manufacturers coupons available that match up with the weekly store coupons. (Even on the Flavorite brand!)
And... did you know you no longer have to cut out the Festival Newspaper coupons? Just stop by the service desk and pick up one of the flyers that have the store coupons (not the green sheet, that's separate) on them or hand them the whole newspaper ad. The cashier just has to enter one code for all the coupons and you don't have to cut them out. It's a win-win time saver for you and the cashier!
Chuck Roast is on sale for $2.98 per pound, which is a decent deal but if you buy a roast you can get:
1 five pound bag of potatoes
1 two pound bag of onions
1 one pound bag of carrots
for FREE!
Post Cereal $1.68
Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles $.98
Pillsbury Flour 5# bag $1.48
Several items are $.77 with coupon (Limit 1):
Eggs
Chocolate Milk (half gallon)
Sausage links
English muffins
Be sure to check the red interactive coupon box at the front of the store. Sometimes there are manufacturers coupons available that match up with the weekly store coupons. (Even on the Flavorite brand!)
And... did you know you no longer have to cut out the Festival Newspaper coupons? Just stop by the service desk and pick up one of the flyers that have the store coupons (not the green sheet, that's separate) on them or hand them the whole newspaper ad. The cashier just has to enter one code for all the coupons and you don't have to cut them out. It's a win-win time saver for you and the cashier!
Free This Week
Since deals have been so weak lately I thought I'd just try to highlight the freebies for you. For a complete list of deals head over to MoneySavingMom.com
CVS
Aussie (shamp, cond, styler) $2.99
-2 ECBs
-$1/1 Aussie Product (from RP 2/14/10)
=FREE (limit 1)
Colgate Advanced Toothpaste $2.99
-2 ECBs
-$1/1 Colgate Total Toothpaste, if you have it from All You 1/10
=FREE (limit 1)
Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste or Rinse $3.50 Earn 3.50 ECBs Limit 2
-3.50 ECBs
-$0.75/1 Crest Toothpaste
AND/OR
-$2/1 Crest Rinse (both from P&G 02/7/10)
=FREE plus overage after coupon and ECBs (limit 2)
Walgreens
Trident Gum $0.69 after in ad coupons
-$0.75/1 Trident Layers Gum (SS 02/07/10)
=FREE
If you know of any other free deals post them in the comments!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know a few of you are "new". First, welcome! Second, if you want to know a little bit more about the "how to" of deals at CVS and Walgreens there are some links in the right side bar under "Helpful Info". Money Saving Mom also has great tutorials on her site. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or though email.
CVS
Aussie (shamp, cond, styler) $2.99
-2 ECBs
-$1/1 Aussie Product (from RP 2/14/10)
=FREE (limit 1)
Colgate Advanced Toothpaste $2.99
-2 ECBs
-$1/1 Colgate Total Toothpaste, if you have it from All You 1/10
=FREE (limit 1)
Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste or Rinse $3.50 Earn 3.50 ECBs Limit 2
-3.50 ECBs
-$0.75/1 Crest Toothpaste
AND/OR
-$2/1 Crest Rinse (both from P&G 02/7/10)
=FREE plus overage after coupon and ECBs (limit 2)
Walgreens
Trident Gum $0.69 after in ad coupons
-$0.75/1 Trident Layers Gum (SS 02/07/10)
=FREE
If you know of any other free deals post them in the comments!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know a few of you are "new". First, welcome! Second, if you want to know a little bit more about the "how to" of deals at CVS and Walgreens there are some links in the right side bar under "Helpful Info". Money Saving Mom also has great tutorials on her site. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or though email.
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