A Year of Free Stuff

Tags

coupons, discounts, family, freebies, home, how to save money, money, saving, saving money, tips, top 8, value

2011, the year where Extreme Couponing had its own show. I don’t clip many coupons, since I don’t buy many prepackaged food items (except when pasta is on sale 10 for $10 and I have a lot of $1/1 coupons… yay, free pasta!) and I usually buy generic brands.  My extreme couponing takes on a slightly different meaning.

What's in your wallet?

This is my top 8 tips:

J.C. Penny had quite a year of deals for me!
In March their circulars had a one day sale with a $10 coupon off any purchase (including sale & clearance items) $10 or more… I grabbed a stack of circulars (the sale was ending in two hours) and went to town. I checked out merchandise 6 different times (I would’ve continued but I had an appointment to get to), making sure my purchases were no more than $12. I spent a total of $9 to purchase Hubster 3 new polo shirts, 3 sweaters for myself and a few candles for the home
In April they mailed a similar coupon, and I received two in the mail! I got Pumpkin two nice shirts, and only spent $1!
I got similar coupons throughout the year!!!

Victoria’s Secret loves to send out free panty coupons paired with a $10 off a bra purchase coupon. The trick is to get the free panty and not spend money on a new bra. The values for the free panties run $8.50 – $10.50. This year I scored more than one a month, totaling over… $150 of free undies! Once upon a time I used to spend too much money in this store, now they’re paying me back.

Fresh Step cat litter offers Paw Points for each purchase, which you save to earn items for your cat. Luckily, my grandmother saved her points for me (or it would’ve taken me 5 years) and I earned a pet drinking fountain, $25 value. Plus, I got a one-year free subscription to some of my fav’ magazines! Just for cutting out a piece of cardboard!

Bed Bath & Beyond has been my biggest source of free items this past year. I have a BB&B Mastercard when I earn gift cards (which don’t expire) to spend in their store. I used instead of my check card to pay for co-pays, groceries, gas, everyday items and paid it off every month (I firmly believe you shouldn’t carry a balance on a credit card or purchase items that you don’t already have the money to pay for). I earned on average $20-$30 or more a month to spend! When we moved into our apt, I received a 20% off entire purchase. When we moved into our house we received it again… They often send out coupons for 20% one item or a $5 off a $15 purchase and paired with my credit card rewards gift cards, you can’t go wrong!
I scored 6 parson dining chairs ($400 in-store price) for a grand total of $75, and that included shipping!
Oil rubbed bronze bathroom accessories: 2 waste baskets, 1 Q-tip holder, and 2 toothbrush holders I spend $4
2 free Copco mugs & 3 free lunch bags
Plus I have more rewards waiting to be spent!

CVS - Extra Bucks are fantastic and there are so many was to earn them… I was strolling through the store while waiting for a prescription to fill, and I saw a 20 oz. can of cashews of clearance for $6. I scan my card at the kiosk and saw that I have $6 Extra Bucks waiting for me. Over a pound of free cashews? You can’t beat that!
Pairing in-store sales with product coupons, I’ve scored many quality beauty items at almost no cost or even free!

Coupon Sites – There are tons of website advertising deals and coupon match ups for all different stores, Groupon, CouponMom, MamaCheaps, etc…  Find a few sites that you like and like them on FB, then you don’t need to keep checking the site, they’ll pop up when you’re on FB. I really like Thrifty Wifey (yes, the name did it for me). The site helped me get Hubster a fantastic shop vac that we desperately needed for 50% off!

RedBox or Block Buster Express – We canceled our Netflix this summer. When Hubster wants a movie, he doesn’t want to wait two days for it, so we’re lucky that our town has two RedBox kiosks and a Block Buster Express. A simple google search will give us free rental codes. You can only use the code once per credit/check card. So we swipe Hubster’s check card, then mine, then his credit card, then mine and then we retire the code once we’re out of cards to swipe. Then we google a new code, afterall 3-4 movies per week can really add up…

Weis Gas Rewards – Many grocery stores have different gas incentive programs. At our local grocery store, you get 10¢ off per gallon for every $50 you spend. You rack up your gas points for three months and then get to redeem them at a Sheetz gas station. Pus you get an additional 3¢ off per gallon when you use your Sheetz Rewards card. You can fill up your vehicle, up to 20 gallons. If your car doesn’t hold 20 gallons, you can fill up your second vehicle with the remaining gallons on the same day. This summer I saw a man fill up his SUV completely free, and I knew it was time to make Weis my main grocery store. Even if you’re extreme couponing you’ll add up some gas rewards to use.

Now if only I could use all these deals to pay off my college loans!

Happy New Year! May the New Year bring you love, happiness, good health and a little extra cash in your pocket!

What is your favorite money-saving store, site or tip?

Hubster’s Coal Bin

Tags

coal bin, coal stove, heating system

Naughty or Nice? I’m getting coal for Christmas!

I’ve been tying up some loose ends before Christmas. No new recipes or crafting… some repeats of my favorite though. I thought it would be appropriate to share Hubster’s weekend project, since it’s been way to long since I have.

When we purchased our house we got a really awesome coal stove with it. The previous owner kept the pile of coal on the basement floor. We wanted a coal bin… on wheels… One Hubster could slide over, add the chute to fill and the roll back in place. So we needed heavy-duty castors for the bottom. The bin is bigger than the size recommended for a ton, but Hubster just wanted to make it a little bigger.

Hubster's Coal Bin & Chute

I’m really excited about the coal, it means I have a good excuse to have it extra toasty warm this winter… now we just need to get the coal.

What project has your loved one completed recently?

Our To-Do List Before Moving

Tags

moving, moving day, new home, new house

Every thing is packed up and ready to go… the key is in our hands, but we have a few things to do first. I’m a planner; I like everything laid out & prepared and sometimes I over think things. I am flexible, but the Girl Scout in me is always prepared…

#1 ICE (In Case of Emergency) & Other Numbers
Have emergency contacts ready, you never know what might happen. Know where the closest hospital with emergency room is located. If you have pets, have a new veterinarian ready and an emergency center if separate. Do you know who your new family doctor and dentist will be? Get referrals from your current doctor/dentist before you move. Have a takeout menu for at least one good local restaurant.

#2 Flea Bomb
The previous owners are supposed to have had the carpets cleaned before they left (even though eventually we’ll be ripping them out). My Dad gave us this good tip: Since the previous owners had a dog and cat, flea bomb it (after all it is summer). Especially since we have our own dog and cat. So after closing yesterday, we set up a few flea bombs and headed for the hills.

#3 Clean, Clean, Clean
Hubster thinks I’m a little crazy and obsessive with this one, “Why do you want to wipe the walls, we’re just going to paint over them.” Sorry Hubster, but I just need to make sure every nook and cranny is cleaned first. Get the scrubbing done now and then cleaning will be easier to maintain… I’ve got a huge box of cleaning supplies ready to work wonders.

#4 Stock Freezer
Who has the time or money to keep eating out when you’re moving? Or the time to cook?  I’ll have more on this tomorrow.

#5 Spackle, Sand & Paint
We have to agree on colors? Again? At least we know what our furniture and drapes look like, so we don’t clash.

#6 Update Important Information
With a plethora of paperwork and documentation, it’s hard to keep it all straight.

What else did you do before moving in to a new home?

At Last

Tags

good news, home owners, moving, moving day, new home, new house, postaday2011, transition

Recap:
We sold our home last autumn and have rented an apartment while continuing our search for our dream home. We ‘ve been living with the bulk of our possessions packed away in storage, I always needed another item that was hidden in the back. Meanwhile, we spent many, many hours with our patient realtor.

Update:
I’ve been reviewing my moving tips about packing boxes and suitcases, because it has come to that time where we are officially homeowners again! I wanted to wait until we closed to post anything, afraid that something would fall through last-minute.

Our house will need a lot touch ups, updating & landscaping, but it has a great layout and flow about it.  Some of my favorites? The two-story entry, the master bath, and oh, did I mention the breath-taking view?

At Last

Over the next month, my posting may become sparse again. I’m not sure how long we’ll be without internet, but I’m hoping to avoid a hiatus by filling my queue each time I’m near a computer. We have our apartment until the end of the month when everything will need to be moved into our new home. We’d like to be able to clean and paint everything before we move the boxes and furniture. We’re hoping on being able to move everything in one trip; with a large moving truck, our car, SUV & trailer filled to the brim.

Did I mention that our next month is filled with birthdays, showers and weddings??? Hopefully we’ll get a lot done this summer, before school starts again in August.

At last!

What joys do you have this (almost) summer day?

Living out of a Suitcase

Tags

essential items, moving, moving tips, new house, packing tips, suitcase, what to pack

When many people move, they say they’re “living out of boxes”. The chaos of unpacking overwhelms and the steam to unpack dwindles. I’d rather live out of a suitcase than a box… pretend you’re going on vacation and pack what you think you’ll need for a week or two. Keep the packed suitcase in the car, not the moving truck and you’ll have what you need at your fingertips.

Although I’ve mentioned some of these items in the “Open Me First Boxes,” they’re also essential in the suitcases. For example, my electric toothbrush is packed in my suitcase and a spare toothbrush is in the Open Me First Bathroom Box.

Suitcase Essentials:
Underwear & socks (pack many extra of each)
Extra shoes
Weather appropriate clothing
Pajamas
Slippers
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Personal toiletries
Make-up
Hair dryer
Small first aid kit
Lint brush
Small travel umbrella
Passport & other important documents
Prescriptions

*If moving during the school year have kids include any school supplies or books they may need.

What is the one luxury item you would bring in your suitcase?

Moving Tip: Open Me First Boxes

Tags

easing the transition, essential items, moving, moving tip, new house, open me first, packing tips, transition

When packing to move, you should designate one box in each room to be opened first. This will easy your transition, you’ll have the basics for each room quickly available before unpacking hem remaining boxes.

Instead for using cardboard boxes like I did for most of our belongings, I used large plastic storage bins. Make sure your open me first bins are the last on the truck, so they are ready to be the first boxes.

Kitchen:
Tea bags & Tea kettle (For you coffee drinkers: coffee, coffee filter and coffee maker)
Pet food
Pet food & water bowls
Foil, Plastic Wrap & Zipper top baggies
Dish detergent
Hand soap
Dish Towel
Roll of paper towels
Scissors
Disposable cutlery, plates, cups (hot & cold) & bowls
Frying pan & Spatula
Medium pot
Strainer
Wooden spoon
All purpose cleaner
A few trash bags
Box of pasta
Jar of sauce

Bathroom:
Bath towels
Bath math
Toothpaste & Toothbrushes
Toilet Paper
Shower curtain and rings
Shampoo, conditioner, soap
Shaving cream & razor
First Aid Kit
Prescriptions
Hand soap
Hand towel

Master Bedroom:
Bed linens
Blankets
Pillow
Phone charger
Curtains (there may not have one hanging up or they may not be thick enough, a good night’s sleep is important when moving)
Alarm clock

Children’s Bedroom:
Bed linens
Blankets
Pillow
Night light (even if they don’t normally need one, they may want one the first few nights in a new house)
Favorite stuffed animal
Favorite toy
Favorite book

Office: (or where ever you pay your bills)
Stamps
Envelopes
Pens
Laptop & charger
Checkbook
Information for utility companies
Address book

Laundry Room:
Small packages of laundry soap & dryer sheets (the free samples you get in the mail are perfect, if not buy a few trial size ones)
Misc. Cleaning supplies (*An extra canister of Clorox Wipes is essential)
Iron & Spray starch

Make sure yo have your suitcases with all of your essentials ready, each member of the family should have their own.

What is the one essential item you couldn’t go without?

Packing Tips – Before the Move

Tags

moving, moving tips, organization, packing tips

A few days ago I mentioned our move. I don’t know yet when I’ll have internet access again, so I left a few posts in the queue. I’m not on for blogging about the past, however of course I wrote these before we closed the door on our home and headed out on a new journey.

Organization is key when moving!

 

Packing Pumpkin's Room

 

Set up a packing kit:
Clear packaging tape
Colorful Duct Tape
Thick markers
Boxes, you’ll need big and small
Pen
Index cards
Twist Ties
Ziplock bags
Packing foam, newspapers, etc…
Apron or Utility Belt (to keep supplies handy)

*For each room I used a different color duck tape to easily identify which boxes go into which rooms. I used teal for Pumpkin’s Room, purple for the living room, blue for the kitchen…

*Designate one box in each room to be the first one unpacked.

*If placing stuff in storage, clearly make the box you are taking with you and the ones going to storage.

*Keep small items together in a zipper top bag to prevent small pieces from getting lost.

*Use twist ties to keep cords bundled together.

*Label TV, DVD player & video game cords.

*Label the outside of the box with a thick dark marker. Thin markers, pens and pencils are not very visible.

*Label the wider sides of the boxes, on both sides. Keep it consistent will make reading the boxes easier.

*When packing items into a box, write a list of everything going into the box (this is a great job for a kid). Tape list on outside of box, so you can easily see what’s in there. I also used color coated index cards.

*Use blankets & towels to wrap electronics and other fragile items.

*Go to the liquor store  for packing boxes. Some of them have cardboard dividers perfect for keeping breakables safe.

***Keep a boxer cutter or scissors handy for opening all these boxes when you move in!!!! Stash it in the glove box of the car so you can get to it easily.

 

Boxes, Boxes Everywhere

 

Tomorrow’s Moving Tip? Open Me First Boxes…