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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

House Party RiceWorks party!

Last month I won a Riceworks House Party. I was VERY excited because my snacking guilty pleasure is salty snacks. I had recently cut back on my potato chip habit because it was getting out of control. Some people prefer sweet, I prefer salty. I was anxious to try Riceworks - I had heard of them but never had the opportunity to try them. 
Delicious!! My favorite varieties were the Sea Salt and the BBQ Riceworks. I was worried that they may be bland but that was NOT the case at all - they were full of flavor and actually satisfied my "junk food" craving well! 
While I couldn't have the party as planned because of the snow, ice, and rain in our area, I shared my free bags and coupons with several friends and family. I find myself talking about House Party more & more - even with strangers! I can't believe it took me so long to discover this great company! I LOVE trying new products and I LOVE sharing goodies with people even more - I am the crazy person in the store who checks out your shopping cart and gives you coupons for what you're buying!!

If you want the opportunity to try new products for FREE and share them with your friends and family, check out House Party ASAP! 
http://www.houseparty.com/


If you are looking for a healthier, satisfying, salty snack, I highly recommend Riceworks. Check them out: 
https://www.facebook.com/riceworkscrisps

I'm back! And I bought a new printer!

My Facebook page was a much bigger hit with my family and friends than the blog, so I've been posting on there regularly for the past year. I'm hoping to get back into blogging, as I find that I always have a lot to say but don't want to express it on Facebook.

I want to write about a product that I recently purchased. Although I am an avid couponer, I have been using the same old printer for 8+ years; it came with the Dell computer that I purchased in 2003, the computer that has since been wiped out and is now used only by the boys for gaming. We had purchased an Epson all-in-one in 2008 which proved to be a complete waste of money. That thing cost $120 and the ink was $100 - it blew through full ink cartridges after only a handful of prints!! I just kept using the Dell since nothing was wrong with it......
These past few months I discovered that the printer is so old, they no longer make ink cartridges for it!! I finally gave in and decided to join the modern day technology and upgrade my printer.
We bought an HP Officejet Pro 8600 (wireless) for $149.99 at Staples. OH.....MY.....GOODNESS! I am in LOVE! It is incredibly fast, it produces quality documents, it's an all-in-one (fax, scanner, printer, copier), and several weeks later it is still on the demo ink cartridges that it came with (and says the ink is still full)! I have printed around 75-100 pages thus far. While it is a little big, that isn't an issue because I have a huge desk. That is the only con in my opinion, definitely not for someone that doesn't have space in their home office area.
I'm writing about my printer because this is a big deal for me. I am a firm believer in the phrase *if it ain't broke, don't fix it*. While new technology intrigues me, I am often the last to upgrade. I am beyond happy with my new printer so that's why I decided to write about it. I am proud to be a member of the HP Printer world!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Store loyalty/incentive programs

I am going to focus on the stores that I frequent, but if you want information about a specific store not listed I will gladly do the research for you.
Almost all stores have a specific loyalty card that you need to get certain sales; others have incentive programs. 

Shoprite
If you shop here at all, you most certainly should have the Price Plus card. There are a few extra incentive programs that go along with the Price Plus card - Your Bucks, Shoprite Family, and Cellfire.

Your Bucks is a free bonus program attached to your Price Plus card. Sign up today - you get an automatic $2.00 off your next purchase just for signing up! Periodically you will also receive bonus offers via email, and sometimes bonus dollar off coupons that will print from the Catalina machine (the machine that prints coupons at the register).
Sign up (free) here: http://www.shoprite.com/Cnt/ShopRite_Yourbucks.html

Shoprite's Family Rewards program is similar to Baby Bucks, but you don't have to spend a certain amount to get a coupon! Several brands participate in the Family program, and you earn 1 point for every $1.00 you spend on those products. There are earning periods, usually 8-12 weeks depending on what other promotions the store has going on, and those are followed by redemption periods. For example, during the latest earning period I have earned 357.8 Family points. What can I get with those points? $6.00 off my next purchase! And all I do is select my reward online and it attaches directly to my Price Plus card, so the $6.00 will come off the next time I shop. No printed coupons necessary! The trick is to always check the bottom of your receipt - it will tell you how many Family points you have and when you have to redeem them by.
100 points gets you $2.00 off, 200 points gets you $4.00 off, and so on.
Go here to sign up & start earning points today: http://www.shoprite.com/Cnt/ShopRiteFamily.html

Finally, Shoprite is partnered with Cellfire to save you even more money. Cellfire is an online coupon site where you select coupons that interest you and *add* them to your Price Plus card. The best part of Cellfire is that these coupons can be combined with manufacturer and store coupons - so you get even more savings! For example, let's say Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are on sale, 3 packages for $5.00. Cellfire usually offers .40 or .50 cents off one package, and you can usually find a manufacturer coupon for the same amount off 2 packages, plus it will get doubled. So if you bought 2 packages of crescent rolls you would get a total of $1.20-$1.50 off - almost like getting one package for free!
Sign up here for Cellfire (cell phone number required, but data/text alerts are optional): https://www.cellfire.com/getcfnow/index.php?szc=08731
Cellfire also has an app for Android and iPhone users - that way you can always stay up to date on the latest offers...even when you're in the store and forgot to add the new coupons to your card! 

And remember, most Shoprite stores double manufacturer's coupons up to .99 cents; and most allow you to combine a store (Shoprite specific) coupon with a manufacturer coupon! 
*Please note: Catalina deals that print out at the register are generally "manufacturer" coupons, with the exception of Your Bucks bonus offers or store catalina deals ($2.00 off your next purchase because you bought a certain amount of a product).

  Pathmark
If you ever shop at Pathmark, make sure you have their Advantage Club card. Again, most sales are not going to ring up without the card. 

Zavers - while Pathmark does not participate with Cellfire, they do have their own online coupon center that you can sign up with and attach coupons to your Advantage Club card. It works exactly like Cellfire, you select the coupons you want to add to your card and the coupon will automatically deduct at check-out. These offers can be combined with manufacturer and store coupons for additional savings.
Sign up here: https://zavers.com/signup

Pathmark also doubles manufacturer's coupons up to .99 cents

Also, be sure to register your Pathmark Advantage Club card online and sign up for emails - each week they will email you a coupon for a free item. They have offered tissues, lettuce, apples, and more (typically the coupons are valid for the beginning of their new sale cycle, Friday through Sunday). Generally you will have to spend a minimum of $10-$15 dollars to receive the free item.


Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop is typically more expensive than other grocery stores, but they will often have really good sales and they carry some products that you cannot find in other grocery stores.
Here you need the Stop & Shop card. They do not currently participate with any online coupon sites and do not have any other special programs (that I am aware of). 
They do double manufacturer's coupons up to .99 cents


Foodtown
Just like Stop & Shop, all you need at Foodtown is a Club card. They also double manufacturer's coupons up to .99 cents


CVS
CVS is my preferred drug store. First and foremost, make sure you have an Extra Care card. You may or may not have noticed, but most CVS stores now had a red machine somewhere near the front of the store. That is a machine that lets you check prices of products...but it is also a money saver! Simply scan your Extra Care card at the machine and it will print bonus coupons for you to use in the store (be sure to look at them, some are only valid for that day, others are good for a week or two). 


When you have an Extra Care card, be sure to register online at CVS.com for emails - you will receive bonus offers on a regular basis (free item, $4 off a $20 purchase, $5 off a $25 purchase, and more). 
CVS has what they call Extra Care Bucks (ECB's). These are wonderful little bucks! When you see the weekly circular or look online you may see a product that says FREE. For example, you may find a Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor advertised for $9.99, with $4.99 ECB's, and a small circle that says *check your newspaper for additional savings* (usually a $5.00 coupon). After you use the manufacturer coupon you will pay $4.99 for the razor, but you will get a coupon from the register for $4.99 to use on your next purchase. You're basically getting the razor for free, because you're getting your $4.99 back, you just have to spend it at CVS.
Sometimes they will have sales with ECB's where you can also use a manufacturer coupon and you will end up getting paid to buy the item! Let's say they have Curel Lotion on sale for $4.99 and you have a $2.00 manufacturer coupon and CVS is offering $4.99 back in ECB's. You will be getting paid $2.00 to buy that lotion. 
The ECB deals where an item will be free are generally less frequent, but they do happen. Currently there are 3 items that will be free after ECB's. On Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday (weekend) you will typically find dozens of free after ECB items. I will post about these when I see them (check my Facebook site).
*You can use as many ECB's as you want during a transaction, but the total ECB's cannot exceed the purchase total. For example, if you spend $28.99, you can use up to $28.99 worth of ECB's, but no more. 


Rite Aid
At Rite Aid you need a Wellness + Rewards card. This works similar to CVS and their ECB's. You have your card scanned when you check-out and in return you receive sale prices and coupons, called Up & Up Rewards. Up & Up Rewards work the same way as ECB's, you get money back to spend at Rite Aid on your next purchase.
Rite Aid also has a program called Single Check Rebates. While not as popular as it used to be, they sometimes still have items that are free after a rebate. You must sign up for Single Check Rebates, and all you need is your receipt - you complete your request online.
Sing up for Single Check Rebates here: https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/NewMemberPage.asp?
Just like ECB's, your total amount of Up & Up Rewards cannot exceed your purchase total.

Walgreens
Walgreens does not have an actual card that you need, but they do have an incentive program. They offer Register Rewards, which work the same way as ECB's and Up & Up Rewards. You get coupons/money back to spend on your next in-store purchase. During the holiday season, they refer to them as Jingle Cash.
The difference between CVS & Rite Aid versus Walgreens is that Walgreens is very strict with their redemption policy of Register Rewards.
Your Register Rewards must match the number of items in your transaction. For example, if you have 10 items you can use 10 Register Rewards coupons, but no more. And your Register Rewards cannot exceed the amount of your purchase.
It is a little more tricky to get great deals at Walgreens because of this rule. Again, I will post the really good deals on here or on my Facebook page.

I am going to stop here for now. 
Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. It can be scary and overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can do it with your eyes closed! And you will save a lot of money.

Please follow me on Facebook...  :)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Super-Savings-Mom/128643673869596?v=wall


 

Monday, January 17, 2011

House Party

Many of you who are my friend on Facebook already know about House Party. For those of you that don't, you will now! 
House Party is a free site that you sign up with to win......house parties! Hundreds of brands/products participate and there are parties available year round. Read more about how it works...
You sign up at: http://www.houseparty.com/ and fill out applications to host parties that interest you. Currently there are 7 parties available: Arnold bread Artisan Flatbreads, Freschetta pizza, Pull-Ups, Zatarain's Rice, Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Johnsonville Sausage, and DiGiorno pizza. You will fill out a brief application - House Party asks you about 20 questions to get a *profile* of you; you submit your application and wait to be selected. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will get every party you want; sometimes you may fill out several applications and not be selected. The key is to not give up! You will get chosen eventually! I signed up with House Party in April of 2010. Since then I have hosted an Oscar Mayer Hot Dog party and a Bey Blade Metal Fusion party. I most recently won a Durex Girl Talk party scheduled for the end of this month.
When you win a party you will be notified via email, so be sure to register with an email address that you check regularly. When you receive the email telling you that you are a *host*, you must confirm as soon as possible (a link will be in the email). Once you confirm it will ask you to set up your *Party Page*. About 2 weeks prior to your party, you will receive your party pack. In the party pack are several items related to your party. For example: in my Oscar Mayer Hot Dog party pack I received about 25 coupons for free packages of hot dogs, 2 coupons for free bottles of Heinz ketchup, 20 coupons for $1.00 of Heinz ketchup, Oscar Mayer tongs, 2 Oscar Mayer oven mitts, Oscar Mayer frisbees, Oscar Mayer softballs, and a bottle of Heinz Organic ketchup.
While you are not required to have the actual party, it is highly encouraged that you try to, or at least "share the wealth" and give some of your goodies to friends/family. I did have the Oscar Mayer party, and I am having the Durex party (I will post about that on here after it occurs). I did not have the Bey Blade party but I did share the toys/coupons with my oldest son's friends. 
Again, signing up is free...and all it takes is a few minutes of your time to sign up for the parties you would like to win. Your chances of winning a party are much higher than your chances of winning the lottery, so why not?  :)
In case you missed it above, sign up at: http:///www.houseparty.com/
Good luck!

Pampers Gifts to Grow points

Though my children are out of diapers, I still participate in the Pampers Gifts to Grow points program. You really don't even need to have children to participate (many of their rewards are generic - gift cards, photo prints, and more). First, I recommend that you follow them on Twitter and *like* them on Facebook. On Twitter they have what they call *parties* every so often where they will have a discussion for an hour or so and at the end give out a code for bonus points (anywhere from 10 to 200 points). On Facebook they usually post a monthly bonus code and additional codes for holidays or just because. 
If you do have children in diapers/training pants, be sure to save the packaging and enter codes - the points add up quickly! And don't forget - wipes have codes too!
Here is a bonus 10 point code found today (thank you Free Samples 2 Fill Up Your Mailbox).
Code: 4WJDHKU4RPP6PT2

Register at: http://en.giftstogrow.pampers.com/index.html

For Christmas 2010 I cashed out about 200 points and got our Christmas cards for free (just paid shipping). In 2009 I cashed out all of our points (over 1,000) and got gift cards to Applebee's. They have a variety of rewards to choose from.








Hi!

So I have decided to blog about my obsession - free samples, coupons, legitimate survey sites, saving money, and all things related to getting more for your money.
I hope to inspire other people to be as passionate as I am about saving money and getting the most for your money.
Some of you may have seen the special on TLC (The Learning Channel) called "Extreme Couponers"...I am by no means that crazy about couponing and stockpiling, but I do have some skills that I would like to share...and most will not take up too much of your time.

I will begin with an introduction...
My name is Jennifer and I am married with two children (boys), two dogs, and one cat. I live in NJ and shop at the same stores on a regular basis: Shoprite, Pathmark, Foodtown, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. In the winter I typically stick to 2 or 3 of those stores, but in the fall, spring, and summer I will go to as many stores as possible (depending on the gas prices) to get the most for my money.
My plan for this blog is to tell you how I make money (I am currently a stay-at-home Mom) and how I save money. I will post certain advertised sales, and even unadvertised sales if I get to the stores early enough in the week; I will also post about coupons to use for the sales to help you get cheap or free items.
Just to give you an example of how dedicated I am - this Christmas my husband and I were able to provide our children with hundreds of dollars worth of gifts without spending a dime out of our own pocket. I am active with several survey sites and I bank my earnings over the year and cash out in November. This year I had a total of $657 in cash and gift cards...not a lot of money, but when you don't have to open your wallet or swipe your credit card in order to put presents under the tree, it's a wonderful feeling, especially given the state of the economy (which is NOT recovered, no matter what the experts say).
I have been using coupons since I was doing my own shopping for just myself. Of course once I had a family, I got more involved and thrifty; having 2 growing boys and a husband with a hearty appetite, I need to be able to stretch our dollars so our refrigerators and pantry are always full. 
I am going to end here for now so as to not bore you too fast too soon.
If you have any questions/comments, please feel free to post - I will respond as soon as possible.
I hope to give some helpful advice on here...and to convert some non-coupon users into coupon lovers!  ;)
Thank you for taking the time to follow me! I appreciate it!

Jenn