20 FREE Staples Greeting Cards

Get 20 FREE Holiday 5x7 Cards from Staples with this Staples Coupon. Coupon Valid 11/13-11/19

Bottled Water Hair Rinse - An Extreme Couponer

You know you're an extreme couponer when you..... rinse your hair in bottled water you stockpiled with coupons!  

Well, then call me an Extremely SMART Couponer because on Friday that's just what I did and it may have been the best rinse I have ever had!

Friday evening started like most nights at my house, whining children, teeth brushing, vitamins, stories, luvs and tucking kids in to bed, then off to the store to find hidden deals at my local grocery store.  After arriving home at around 11pm and working on the computer for about a half hour I decided to jump in the shower.  I had just finished rinsing the conditioner from my hair when I spontaneously decided to condition my crazy mob of curly red hair yet one more time (with you guessed it, my favorite conditioner... which is?).  I slathered on the conditioner and was massaging it through my hair when... the power went out.

"Tim, turn the lights back on, you jerk!" was my first reaction.  You see, my sweet Macgyver husband is quite the joker.  Even the nieces and nephews have named him "Uncle Teaser Tim".  But when I called my dear hubby he very clearly was startled from slumber to answer me.

What to do!?! No power = no water and I was dripping with soap.  Sweet Macgyver (yes, notice the change in tone) said I should just wait it out and the power would come back on soon.  Seriously?  You want me to stand here slimy and cold for what could be hours until the lights miraculously reappear?  That option clearly wasn't even viable in this lifetime so option #2 - the Nestle bottled water rinse event began.

I certainly was grateful for an amazing food storage at that moment!!!  Tim ran for a 24 pack of bottled water from the pantry and I put some pots on the gas stove which we lit manually.  Once the water was warm enough, Tim gently poured the water over my head into the sink via a battery powered lantern.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh - sweet relief!  Surprisingly 24 bottles of Nestle Pure Life Water is just the right amount of water needed to rinse conditioner from my hair.  (Note to self:  Always keep bottled water in the pantry and stock up the next time it's on sale!)

Thanks to my hubby and my food storage a serious hair crisis was successfully managed and peace was restored.  FYI - the lights came on 3 hours later, as did the blaring TV!

Butter Prices Coming Down - Stock Up Time!

Ok - I don't know about you but I am totally unwilling to pay $2.50-$2.99 for a pound of butter! I've been fortunate to have a frozen stock of butter that has lasted me for some time but I am getting low.

Fortunately, Thanksgiving has had historically low butter prices galore. Watch for prices to come down over the next few weeks - but this price break will not likely last long. If you see a great deal on butter you'd better buy a couple extra pounds and freeze them for later!

Couponer Caught Shoplifting!

Ok - so it wasn't a full time, coupon hoarding deal seeker that got caught shoplifting this week - it was my 3 year old "don't forget to use the news coupons mom!" son who was caught red handed stealing cinnamon decorator candies this week!

My Sweet Cayden the Shoplifter!?!

Yesterday, I finished my regular shopping (since Thursday is sort of my day off - but I'm so addicted to deals I can't stop myself from looking) and headed out to the car with an awesome cart full of deals and that's when he showed me.  With a sweet and very happy smile on his face, my 3 year old pulled a bottle of red hot candies out of his fireman's hat.  What!?!  I was so busy getting deals myself that I hadn't noticed his sly bottle pilfering.

I immediately expressed that we don't take things from stores without paying for them, it's called stealing and that he'd have to go back inside and return them.  Cayden was dutifully repentant and sullen when I explained that you can get in big trouble for taking things without paying for them.

We went back in to the store and he returned the item with a quiet "I'm sorry I tooked your candies".  The bagger kindly asked him to not do it again and Cayden again repeated that he was sorry.  After getting in the car I called "daddy" and let Cayden explain what had happened and we again discussed it at home later that night.

I remember taking a saltwater taffy from a store when I was about 5 and my mom making me do the same thing, and no, I have never stolen anything since!  Do you think I did the right thing?  Should I say more to Cayden?  Should I have said less?

I will admit I did get a private laugh out of his thievery though!  Check out what he took:

It's on clearance!  My son or what!?!  (I took the picture to blackmail him in my later years!)

*HIGH* Value Make Up Coupon!! - What Does Face Product Really Mean?

UPDATE:  Blush and Sponges are included = MONEY MAKERS at almost every store, including Walmart!!

This Sunday, across the nation hundreds of thousands of ecstatic women will awake to find an amazing $8.00/2 CoverGirl Face Product coupon in their P&G Coupon Insert.  My first reaction to hearing about it was complete amazement and that "drug free" high feeling I'm always talking about.  :)  My next thought was how much this coupon will unknowingly be used improperly by a lot of those same shoppers.  It's not like couponers are doing anything unethical in this situation - it's really CoverGirl's fault, but shoppers are going to end up looking like we're cheating when the coupon likely won't be accepted and beeps at the register!  Many of us will be denied the ability to use the coupon because it won't scan.  So, I thought I'd explain what types of products these coupons are really intended for so that, hopefully, no one gets frustrated on this one.

If you check your coupon binder right now, you'll notice several current Loreal Cosmetics coupons.

• Loreal Lip Product Coupons
• Loreal Infallible Lip Product Coupons
• Loreal Powder, Blush, Concealer or Primer Coupons
• Loreal Eye Product Coupons
• Loreal Cosmetic Face Product Coupons

All of these coupons seem pretty obvious as to their intended product for purchase, except the last coupon; Face Products.  Umm, that's the only place I wear makeup.  It's not like I wake up in the morning and put mascara on my fingernails!  Makeup, for most of us ;) is only worn on our faces so it makes logical sense that Face Product coupons should cover the entire line of L'Oreal cosmetics in this case - but it actually doesn't.

Loreal Face Product Brands

"Face Product" cosmetic coupons usually refer to foundation type cosmetic products, powders, blush and concealers.  Most times if you try to use these coupons on eye shadow or lipstick, the register will beep and reject your coupon because that's not what the manufacturer intended for you to buy.  I think they should definitely be more specific on the product that they want shoppers to buy, but unfortunately they don't always do that.

CoverGirl Face Product Line

The $8.00/2 CoverGirl coupon will still make for some amazing deals - even FREE makeup!!!  Just be prepared to use the coupon on Face Products ONLY for the best results.  (Each Manufacturer can differ on what they term "Face Products".  This is a YMMV situation.)  I'll try to do some test buying next week and see what products this coupon can be accepted on.  I'm thinking it should scan on facial sponges, puffs and other Face Product applicators as well.  If so, that means you could make money at Walmart on the overage.  I'll keep everyone updated.

Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles Giveaway Winner!

WINNER UPDATE:  Congratulations linsabeth@gmail....   -   Have fun with these awesome cupcakes on your child's 1st birthday!

Please email me your name and address so I can get your prize mailed out to you!

And don't forget this *HOT* $0.85/1 Fun Da Middles Coupon!!!!

The Corporate Downsizing of America - Every Ounce Counts!

The shelf tag still reads 11 oz.  
but is suddenly a 9 oz. bottle!

The latest in corporate downsizing has just hit the market!  That's right, Gain Dish Liquid is now wanting shoppers to forget that they used to sell 11 oz bottles of Gain at Walmart but now magically, just days later, the bottle has mysteriously lost 2 ounces.  Well, it is on sale for less money of course - NOT!  That's right - the new and unimproved 9 oz Gain Dish Liquid, is still selling for the original asking price as the 11 ounce bottle.  WHAT THE................. ?

Last week Gain Dish 
Liquid was 11 oz!

This is why brand loyalty can cost shoppers more than they imagine!  I think manufacturers, and retailers alike, are hoping repeat brand loyal customers will carelessly grab their trusted favorite brand right off the shelf without even noticing the shrinkage.  Now, I understand the market isn't so great right and that manufacturers and stores need to drive revenue to survive.  I just think they ought to both be up front about it.  I still won't be happy (Netflix), but at least I won't feel lied to!

I thought I'd share a past column I wrote regarding this issue that you might find interesting:

I was reminded this week as I was rotating my food storage how much every ounce counts.  As I put my groceries away after a great week of shopping, specifically some Scrubbing Bubbles cleaner, I noticed that my 25-ounce can had mysteriously shrunken to only 22 ounces.  Where did my extra 3 ounces go?  No, it wasn’t a specially marked can with an extra 15% included for free and it wasn’t any type of special buy – it was just gone!  My 3 ounces had vanished without a word from SC Johnson or anyone else. 

Package sizes are becoming smaller, but prices aren’t and The Great Shrink, as I call it, has actually been happening for years.  Manufacturers, faced with a difficult economy have two choices, raise prices or reduce package sizes.  Both money-saving methods are in practice today, but smaller package sizes aren’t readily noticed by consumers.

You may recall the Dreyers ice cream fiasco of 2008, when cartons dropped from 1.75 to 1.5 ounces, much to consumers’ chagrin. "Downsizing is nothing but a sneaky price increase," says Edgar Dworsky, former Massachusetts assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division. "I'm waiting to open a carton of eggs and see only 11."  

Image Source: http://www.eatmedaily.com

Everything from Dial bar soap to Rice A Roni, Country Crock spread to Lays potato chips has seen size reductions in the past few years.  And check out the “dimple” under your Skippy Peanut Butter jar; somehow it’s growing!

Many shoppers cringe at the thought of computing, either by calculator or brainpower, the cost per ounce on their grocery purchases each week.  While these calculations may bring a slight increase in shopping time — size matters. More than ever shoppers need to know what they’re purchasing and at what cost.

One thing to consider in deciding whether or not you have the time to bother with price-per-ounce costs is that nowadays many major grocer and retailers often do the work for you.  Shelf tags today often list ounce costs for shoppers; no calculating required.  If unit costs aren’t already listed, a small calculator tucked in your purse or coupon organization system will do the trick. And practically every cell phone on the market has a calculator application.  I keep my phone in calculator mode during every shopping trip for some easy math.  Plus, there’s the added benefit of becoming a math whiz for all the adding, subtracting and multiplication you’re doing in your head.  In reality, price-per-ounce cost computing takes only seconds but can equal real savings. 

Lastly, remember, bigger isn’t always better.  The bigger the box doesn’t necessarily mean bigger savings.  Just because you can buy cereal in 10-pound boxes at warehouse stores doesn’t mean your price-per-ounce costs are any kind of real savings.  And, if you’re planning on using coupons to reduce your out-of-pocket expense, your savings will best be applied to the smallest packages allowable. In fact smaller boxes are almost always the bigger savings when using coupons.

So now I’m faced with the choice to clean only 85 percent of my bathtub in protest or buy more Scrubbing Bubbles.  And while I’d definitely like less housework, like the rest of America I’ll just have to buy more – as I echo in a loud and bellowing voice with hands clenched, “Curse you, scum!” (That is unless my husband wouldn’t notice that his half of the tub still has a ring?). America may have to endure The Great Shrink for a while yet, but arming ourselves with per-unit costs can help shoppers make wiser purchases and smarter buys for their money.

A Savvy How To: Recycled T-Shirt Bibs

Cayden and his favorite t-shirt bib!  It's time for a new one!

I think bib makers must be delusional when they make them so stinking small! Maybe babies drool directly under their chins, but toddlers skip that whole neck region and go straight for spilling down their round and protruding little bellies! Yep, my little 3 year old has perfected the art of spilling most anything red down the front of his white Sunday shirt and into his lap whenever possible and all while avoiding the little bibs meant to protect his clothes and mother's sanity.

So at our house we use recycled t-shirt bibs (when we remember to put them on before Sweet Cayden gets to the food that is!) These bibs were actually my Macgyver husband's idea so kudos to you sweetheart! All it takes to make these is some sharp scissors and an old men's t-shirt.

Recycled T-Shirt Bib:

Step 1: Trim front sides of t-shirt to desired width. I usually leave 4-5 inches to cover my kids shoulders as well as their bellies!  Don't worry about cutting super straight lines as the edges of the shirt will curl once cut and washed.

Step 2: Cut away the excess back and arms of the shirt, rounding the back collar approximately 2-3 inches long.

Step 3:  Trim bottom of t-shirt to desired length.

Step 4:  Cut remaining t-shirt into household rags.

The pictures above make the t-shirt look pink.  It's really maroon :)

I can make these bibs to perfectly fit each of my children and I'm simply utilizing things I already have in my home.  They may not be elegant dinner party ware, but they do the job day to day and save me laundry headaches every time we use them PLUS Free cleaning rags!

Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles Prize Pack Giveaway!

WINNER UPDATE:  linsabeth@gmail....   - Have fun with these awesome cupcakes on your child's 1st birthday!  Please email me your name and address so I can get your prize mailed out to you!
 

This week I had the opportunity to try a new and exciting product on the market - Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles.  I'd been wanting to make these innovative treats and was thrilled when I was sent a free mix, muffin pan, cupcake liners, hot pad and cupcake liner notes to try! 

To say these ooey gooey cupcakes were a hit with my kiddos is an understatement for sure, and so easy to make.  My cupcakes turned out EXACTLY like the ones pictured on the box - gotta love it!

Baking Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles is a breeze!  Just prepare the batter, like any other cake mix, and fill 12 muffin liners 1/3 full.  Next, squeeze filling mixture 20 times (the kids though this was fun!) and then cut open the corner of the package and divide between the cupcakes.





Make sure to not let the filling touch the sides of the liners.  (It's ok if the filling sticks up a little bit.)




  




Then top the cupcakes with the remaining batter, making sure to cover the filling.

Bake as directed and voila - perfect Fun Da Middles!

And check out this *HOT* $0.85/1 Fun Da Middles Coupon or the Fun Da Middles Facebook Page!  And guess what?  I have another prize pack just like mine to give away!!! Wanna win?

Just fill out the form below and tell me where you'd serve Betty Crocker Fun Da Middles - An upcoming birthday party, family gathering or just for fun?  I will randomly draw one winner on Monday, 9/26 at 10 am.  For up to 3 extra entries:

Like Savvy Shopper on Facebook (1 Extra Entry)

Friend Amy TheSavvyShopper on Facebook (1 Extra Entry)

Follow Savvy Shopper on Twitter (1 Extra Entry)

Disclosure: The Betty Crocker Fun da-middles product, information, and giveaway have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions written are my own.

FREE Crest Complete Toothpaste Sample - Vocal Point Members

It pays to be an active participant on websites like Vocal Point or Kraft First Taste!  These promotional marketing sites send full size and travel size freebies PLUS free product coupons for members to sample and then ask them to complete brief surveys about their product likes and dislikes.

What you may not know is that the more samples you receive and answer surveys for, the more samples will be offered you!  If you receive a free sample or coupon offer, make sure you answer the SUPER brief survey after trying the product or you won't be offered any more free samples in the future.  I was just offered a "secret" Free Crest Sample for being one of Vocal Point's most engaged members!

If you are an active Vocal Point member check your email for this free Crest Complete Sample!

Not signed up with Vocal Point or Kraft First Taste yet?  What are you waiting for - it's FREE!

How to be a Student Savvy Shopper - Shopping On a College Budget

As an avid deal seeker for families throughout Utah I am frequently asked if it’s equally possible for student shoppers to save money on their grocery and retail purchases.  “Absolutely” is my immediate response! Regardless of your marital or even educational status, saving money is easily attainable for every walk of life.  Of course, there are unique challenges for any demographic, but getting around these issues just takes a few considerations.

The first decision a student shopper must consider is storage space.  College/apartment living space is considerably smaller than a rental home.  When you’re sharing 4 cupboards with 6 roommates, who’s eating what and who actually paid for it becomes cloudy at times.  Consider buying in group purchases for the entire apartment.  Assigning one shopper for all the roommates can actually save the group significantly more money when you’re able to buy in bulk or case lot sales.  It doesn’t even have to be that big of a roommate grocery co-op.  Consider sharing pantry staples like block cheese, milk, bread, boxed cereal, flour, sugar etc…  One roommate won’t likely be able to eat a 2 lb block of cheese before the mold creeps in, but per ounce it’s 50% less than buying an 8 oz block. Divide equal roommate amounts into reusable storage containers for portion control. Sharing food and shopping skills can pay off for everyone, as long as you’re willing and able to share!

The next consideration is budget. Students, like families can add savings and stretch their budget using coupons.  If you’re buying as a group, multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions are great for shaving  a couple hundred dollars off your monthly grocery bills.  If you are buying for one, consider printable coupon websites like Coupons.com and Smartsource.com.  These websites offer free multiple printable coupons for everyday products, including milk, cheese, cleaning products and personal hygiene items.  Users are allowed to print 2 of each identical coupon per website.  And don’t forget manufacturer Facebook pages and websites as a great resource for printable coupons!  These online and in-print savings really add up!

Lastly, student shoppers definitely need to consider shopping the ads.  That means buying items when they go on sale at stock up prices.  You may only eat ramen noodles and mac and cheese, but both of these items go on sale for 60% off retail price at multiple times throughout the year.  When you see a case lot sale on your favorite Asian noodles or cheesy pasta, buy a case and store it under your bed.  The next time you need a pack, just shop your “under the bed store” where everything is always on sale and never go hungry again (just don’t store your stinky gym shoes there too!).  Don’t know what  to buy or when an advertised “Stock up” deal is really a deal?  It’s easy – just shop the front page any grocery or retail ad.  These items are called “loss leaders”.  In other words, the store is leading you in to shop at their store by displaying their hottest prices (lowest revenue products) on page 1.  Of course, the goal is to have you buy your entire grocery list as well, not just front page items, while you’re there, but that’s up to you.  Page 1 is a great place to start.

Being a student and savvy shopper can be synonymous.  Implement these simple shopping strategies and educate yourself to save!  For more ideas on how to save money at the grocery store and for customizable, free shopping lists for your favorite grocer or retailer, visit www.savvyshopperdeals.com, your source for savings.

Extreme Couponing Arrests on the Rise

With the rise in Extreme Couponing, Extreme Coupon Theft was bound to follow...

I read a complaint just yesterday from a woman in Utah who has had their assisted living facility coupon copies stolen right out of the lobby!  I can't even tell you how many times I've heard of shoppers detailing brazen thefts from their own driveways and front porches.

I'm not sure how someone justifies taking coupons out of elderly care homes or even off of someone's front porch for that matter.  As you may know the Daily Herald has removed all copies, save 1, from vending racks across Utah County due to theft.  Many newspaper companies are having to move vending racks inside convenience stores to protect them from would-be coupon nappers.

I was glad to hear that arrests are increasing in response to these violations.  Believe me, I understand the value of coupons and what using them can do for every family that chooses to implement them in their shopping strategies, but stealing them?

I came across this article just this morning.

"Police, supermarkets and newspapers have reported thefts of newspapers and weekly inserts in Arkansas, Idaho, Texas, Alabama, Florida and California. They have attributed the thefts to extreme couponing, as coined by the TLC reality show. The program, which debuted in April, shows people cutting their grocery bills by hundreds of dollars through the strategic use of coupons. 

Most recently, a 34-year old woman in Arkansas stole 185 copies of the Springfield Morning News that were left outside of a grocery store for pick-up. The woman, who is a member of a coupon club, claims she didn't know she was doing anything wrong. 

In Alabama, the Cullman Timess has also seen an increase in the number of newspapers and inserts stolen. Sam Mazarra, the newspaper's circulation manager, said, "Over my 31-year career as circulation director, it has never been this bad." The newspaper has issued a $500 cash reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of someone stealing newspapers"  The Huffington Post

WOW -  rewards for coupon thieves!  Now that's one I didn't see coming.