Friday, February 22, 2013

Ibotta

I just discovered something new. An App that allows me to earn money every time I go grocery shopping. Apparently, Ibotta (available on Apple and Android phones) can be used in conjunction with your printed coupons. 

Here's how it works:

1. Before shopping, log into the App and choose your offers. The more offers you choose, the more cash you'll earn.

2. Go shopping. 

3. After you check out, take a photo of your receipt and upload it into the App. Within 24 hours, your receipt will be verified.

4. Get cash loaded right onto your PayPal account or donated to any school in America.

Every time you redeem an offer, Ibotta will send you a new one. You can "like" it, or "dislike" it and they'll send you more personalized offers based on your thumbs up vs. thumbs down.

Sounds like a no-brainer... here's hoping it works!

If this works, that means if I go to Stop and Shop this week and buy Keebler Vienna Fingers or Fudge Shoppe Cookies which are on sale for $2.00 a box, if I log into my Ibotta before hand, I'll get a $1.00 deposit after I upload my receipt making these $1.00 each. If you have a coupon to use, too, they'll be practically free!

Anybody use this App before? I'm pretty pumped, not gonna lie <3

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

CVS Daily Deal

This deal is only valid today (2/19) and tomorrow! If you signed up to receive Deal of the Day emails from CVS, you should have received this one in your inbox this morning. Gain dish detergent is only 2/$1.00 with in-store coupon and an additional $5.00 minimum purchase. I'll use my Extra Bucks from my last purchase to reach that $5.00 minimum (see previous post on CVS), and will throw these in the cart, too.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Money Maker at CVS!

It's not too often that I impress the cashiers. But today was one of those days! I bought $35.92 in product at CVS and ended up MAKING $3.00. They paid me to shop the shelves! Let me explain:

This week if you spend $15.00 on select Dove products, you get $5.00 in Extra Bucks. Remember those? Essentially, Extra Bucks can be spent like cash on your next purchase. See my Notes if you'd like to learn more about Extra Bucks and in the ins-and-outs of CVS. I decided to take advantage of this sale. I bought:

One Dove Conditioner (reg. $4.99) on sale for $3.50
One Dove Shampoo (reg. $4.99) on sale for $3.50
One Dove Deodorant (reg. $4.99) on sale for $3.50

One Dove Deodorant (reg. $4.99) on sale for $3.50
One Dove Men + Care Body Wash (regularly $6.49) on sale for $4.00

I then used a $1.00/1 Dove Women's Deodorant and $1.00/1 Dove Men's Deodorant. I also used a $1.50 coupon (buy a Dove Shampoo, get a $1.50 off a Dove Conditioner) and a $2.00/1 Men's Body Wash coupon. Now, the $15.00 total that I need is before coupons. Before coupons, I had a total of $18.00 in product (regularly $26.49 total if it wasn't on sale). After coupons, the total dropped to $12.50 and I received a $5.00 Extra Bucks coupon to spend on my next shopping trip. It should also be noted that I snagged Dove products that had "BONUS" items attached to them (see them in the photo?). I scored a mini hairspray and deodorant just for doing some extra poking around.

But we're not done yet.

In the same transaction, I bought two bags of Halls cough drops. They were on sale for 2/$3.00 (regularly $1.99 per bag) and if you bought two, you received a $1.00 Extra Buck. I bought two and used a $1.00/2 coupon making each bag only $1.00, plus I got a $1.00 back in Extra Buck Rewards.

If you scan your card at the magic coupon machine at CVS, you'll get a $2.50/1 Colgate coupon. Combine that coupon with Colgate toothpaste on sale for $3.00 (regularly $3.99) and you pay only $0.50!

That random bag of almonds? Yeah. I got them for $0.01 because I logged into my CVS account online and there was a coupon for a free bag of 1.5oz Gold Emblem nuts (up to $0.99). 

Yesterday morning, I received a coupon in my inbox for $3.00 off a purchase of $15 or more. I used that, plus $9.00 Extra Bucks from my last trip.
$6.00 in Extra Care Bucks for
use on my next purchase!
Raincheck for Dove Men + Care

TOTAL: $3.01
VALUE: $35.92
EXTRA BUCKS: $6.00
 
AKA: $2.99 MONEY MAKER!


Side note: They were out of Dove Men + Care Body and Face Bars. They were on sale for $6.50 and I had a $4.00/1 coupon from the paper making it only $2.50. It would have been great toward the $15.00 total, but I got a raincheck so I can get the same price next time I go back.
 


Yes, the best part was saving that much money, but almost just as great was the cashier's reaction. As he was scanning in my coupons he watched as the total fell. "Whoa..." I laughed. "You don't have to pay for everything you know." To which he replied, "I guess coupons really do help..." No kidding, kid ;) Everyone can do this - and everyone should!

Happy Love Day, ladies and gents. Until next time.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Shaws Deals - These end tomorrow!

There are a few great deals at Shaws that end tomorrow - so stop by soon! This week they have their well-known "Pick 4" program. Pick any four meat products that have the "Pick 4" sticker on it for $19.99. I snagged two packages of Lloyd's Jr. Ribs, some Chuck Stew and a Chicken Pot Pie. I then used two $1.00/1 Lloyd's coupons, making all this meat only $17.99.

Another biggie is the Kraft Fresh Take packages. Eric LOVES it when I make chicken with the Parmesan and Roasted Garlic one, but they never seem to be on sale and I never have a coupon. Well, not only are they on sale for $2.50 each this week (regularly $2.99), but there were $0.55/1 coupons hanging right next to them! These double to $1.10/1 making each package only $1.40. 

Sargento Cheese is on sale for $2.50 a bag (regularly $3.59). I bought two and used two $0.55/1 coupons which doubled to $1.10, making each bag only $1.40. And last but not least - Jello. Who can resist a tasty treat? I had a $0.50/1 coupon from inside my last Jello box (Quick Tip: Always look inside before discarding any boxes! I have found coupons in toothpaste boxes, Italian ice boxes and more.)  The Jello Dessert cups were on sale for 2/$3.00. My $0.50/1 coupon doubled to $1.00 making it only $0.50! I also stumbled across Kozy Shack Caramel pudding that's on clearance because it expires soon. (You can freeze pudding though!). They were marked down to $1.25 each (for a pack of six) and I had a coupon for $0.50/2 which doubled to $1.00. I only paid $1.25 for 12 cups of pudding :)

TOTAL: $26.99 that includes four packs of meat!
VALUE: $52.68

Friday, February 8, 2013

Free E-Cards & $3 Coupon

Check it out! Visit Smart Balance and register to send three free Valentine's Day E-Cards and in return you'll get $3 off three Smart Balance items! Super deal especially since Smart Balance Spreadable Butter often goes on sale for $1-$2 each.

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

M&M's anyone?

Mars Candy (aka Valentine's Day M&M's!) are 4/$12.00. Sounds like a lot, yes. BUT if you combine that deal with one $1.00/2 coupon and one $1.50/2 coupon, you can pay only $9.50 out of pocket and get $4.00 Extra Care Bucks back to spend next time you shop. It's like getting four bags of M&M's only $6.00 or $1.50 each!

Shaws Pizza and Granola Bars

I didn't have time to really shop the shelves, but went in today to snag three great deals. Through Thursday, if you buy two Freshetta frozen pizzas they are only $2.99! Use a $1.50/2 coupon and pay only $4.48 for two. Fiber One granola bars and 90-Calorie Brownies are only $2.00 a box when you buy four. Four boxes at $2.00 a box is $8.00. Minus two $1.00/2 coupons and that's four boxes for only $6.00! These usually go for over $3.00 a box. This is a steal!

Last but not least, El Monterrey Burritos are 10 for $10 this week. Use two $0.50/2 that double to $1.00 and they are a quarter a piece.

Tell me what you find!

FREE Gold Emblem Snack Nuts at CVS

Got a CVS card? Log in to your account and click on "My Savings and Rewards" tab in the ExtraCare Card section. There's printable coupons that are exclusive for card holders! One of them is a coupon for a FREE 1.5 oz bag of Gold Emblem Snack Nuts. There's also a $3 off any eye care purchase of $12 or more and a $2 off a $5 purchase of hand or body lotion. Get printing!

FREE deodorant - TODAY only!

Don't miss out on today's Daily Deal at CVS: Speed Stick Deodorant for just $0.99! Combine that deal with a $1.00/1 coupon and it's FREE. Get the special in-store coupon here. There's a limit of one per customer and the deal is only valid today. What's better than free?!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Dollar Tree Stuffing & Sponges

The Dollar Tree sits adjacent to my gym, so I popped in to mosey around after my work out this morning and stumbled into two unexpected steals!

Brillo Estracell sponges (2 packs) are only $1.00 (duh) at the Dollar Tree Store. Combine that with a $1.00/2 coupon and they are $0.50 a pack or $0.25 a sponge!

Stove Top Stuffing boxes are there, too. Use a $1.00/2 coupon and you've got yourself stuffing for $0.50 a box. There are some great recipes on the back of the box, too, and even more online. I think I'm gonna try their Stuffed Chicken Roll recipe tonight!

Keep in mind that the fickle thing about The Dollar Tree is that every store varies in their inventory. I saw some amazing deals posted online, but was disappointed to discover that the products weren't sold in my local store. Bright side? It's an adventure every time you walk through the door! Happy hunting!



Friday, February 1, 2013

Stop and Shop

As I was perusing the ads for this week, I was anticipating on getting the majority of the deals at Shaws. And then I started flipping through the Stop and Shop ad - WAY better deals!

Here's the breakdown*:

Yoplait Light Yogurt with Granola. No sale, but only $2.25. I bought two, used two $0.75/1 coupons which doubled to $1.50 and paid only $0.75 each.

Red Baron Singles Deep Dish Pizza. Regularly $3.34, on sale for $2.00 each. A $0.50/1 coupon brought it down to $1.00 for a box of two! Lunch anyone?

Healthy Choice Steamfresh Meals. Typically $3.29 a box, on sale for $2.00 each. I used a $1.00/2 coupon making them only $1.50 each!

Bird's Eye Steamfresh Chef's Favorites. Regularly priced $2.00 each. I used a $0.50/1 coupon, which doubles to $1.00, making it $1.0o. 

Chex Mix. Regularly $2.45 per bag, on sale for Buy One, Get One FREE. I used a $0.50/1 coupon, which doubles to $1.00, bringing it to  $1.45 for TWO bags of Chex Mix. The coupon was an online printable coupon, but it has since expired. Hope you snagged it while it was up! Super Bowl is this weekend - great deal! (Side Note: You can use two $0.50/1 coupons which would make both bags $0.45! I just didn't have a second one on me like I thought I did.)

Kellogg's Rice Krispy Treats. So at Market Basket at their Customer Service station, there was a booklet of coupons. Inside, there was a $1.00/2 boxes of 8 ct. or more Rice Krispy Treats. At Stop and Shop they were on sale for $2.00 each (regularly $2.79). With the coupon, I got both boxes for $3.00 or $1.50 each! Plus, each box comes with a free music download. SCORE.

Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Regularly $1.79 a box, on sale for $1.00. Used a $1.00/2 making them $0.50 each! (Great for dip or pot roast!)

Knorr Rice and Pasta Sides. Regularly$1.25 each, on sale for $1.00 each. Used a $1.00/2 coupon making them $0.50 each!

Cooked Perfect Italian Meatballs. This was my favorite steal of the trip. Regularly $4.29 each, on sale for Buy One Get One FREE. I used two $1.00/1 coupons, bringing it down to $2.29 for 28 meatballs! Heck yes.

Stop and Shop 2% Milk. Regularly $1.99. No sale. We were out at home. 'Nough said.

TOTAL: $18.13
VALUE: $43.11

Let me know what you scored this week. And happy shopping!

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,     
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
-Proverbs 21:5


*Remember, all deals are only valid when you use your Stop and Shop card.