If You Love Swagbucks...

If your a fan of Swagbucks, then you're going to love MyPoints! At MyPoints you can earn points for doing the things you already do, like; shopping, reading emails, playing games, searching the web, taking surveys, and more! Now, I know that Swagbucks addicts are probably thinking How can I join MyPoints and do these things, when I already do all of this with Swagbucks? I totally understand what you mean. But, the good thing about MyPoints is that A) They have certain websites for you to shop at that Swagbucks doesn't offer, and B) You can receive 3-10 emails from them every day and simply view the website in the email for points. I've only been viewing the websites for about a week and I already have over 900 points! They will also send you survey invitations if you choose, and even if you don't qualify, they'll still give you 10 points for non-qualification. So, technically you can continue to do all of the things you do with Swagbucks (searching the web, taking the polls, etc) and still earn points at MyPoints.

You can redeem your points in their rewards section for almost any gift card imaginable! Even some that Swagbucks doesn't offer like Wal-Mart! You can even redeem your points for gas cards, airline miles, and hotel discounts. So go ahead and join MyPoints and start
earning some points! You'll be happy you did!

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Free Huggies Sample!

Head over to Target.com for a free sample of Huggies Snug and Dry diapers. You can choose from size 3, 4, or 5. Check it out quickly because deals like this never last very long!

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Cheap Huggies wipes at Walgreens

Huggies wipes are $2.49 at Walgreens this week. There is also a $1 off Huggies wipes coupon in the July coupon booklet. You will find this booklet at the front of the store near the weekly ad. There was a $.50 off Huggies manufactures coupon in the paper a while back or if you are on Huggies mailing list they sent a coupon for $.75 off wipes (with a couple of coupons for diapers as well.) With these manufactures coupons you could get the wipes for either $.75 or $1 since Walgreens allows you to stack on manufactures coupon with one Walgreens coupon. I normally use cloth wipes at home but I do use disposables for going out and I prefer Huggies (unscented) to most others.

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Eight Weeks to a Cloth Diapering Stash at $20 per week - Week Three

First make sure to check out week 1 and week 2 so that you know what is going on! I am showing you how it is possible to cloth diaper using only the money you would usually spend on disposables. There are many ways to do this and I will show you some examples!

Week three:

Week three will be fairly easy. The first thing you will want to do is buy some wet bags. Wet bags are great for when you go out with your diapers. They also work for baby clothes that have gotten dirty or other things. This two pack from Kushies sells on Amazon for about $11. Make sure you are signed up for Amazon mom (it's free!) for 2 day free shipping. These wet bags work great, I have four of them myself. However they are not "large" even though they say they are. Each one will hold 5-6 diapers or 3-4 bigger diapers. They do work great for diaper bags even with the drawstring closure. You can also use them at home since you will be washing every day for a while. Use the remaining $9 to buy one or two more diapers. Again try eBay, cottonbabies clearance (free shipping) or diapperswappers. Check out week 2 for recommendations on brands and what to look for on eBay or diapperswappers.

Continue using your "flats" and covers when you need to and using your pockets or AIOs for outings and at night. If you need a little extra absorbency (especially at night) there are lots of things you can use. T-shirt material can be folded into a pocket or just stuck inside of a cover for extra absorbency.  By now you should be getting the hang of what works for you and what you like and what you don't. Stick with it, sometimes cloth diapering is hard at first but once you figure it all out you will probably before it to disposables (I know I do anyway!)

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Step 2: How to Organize your Coupons

First off, you have to decide whether you're going to clip every coupon as you receive it, or whether you're going to store your inserts, magazines, etc in their entirety and just clip the coordinating coupons as you find deals.

How do I decide which method is best for me?
That's easy! Are you the kind of person that goes to the store for 3 things, and walks out with a cart full? If your an impulse shopper, then you'll want to use Method #1. This way, you'll have all of your coupons with you at all times. If you see something that isn't on your list, you can quickly see if you have a coupon for it. If you are the kind of person that makes a shopping list and sticks to it, then Method #2 will work for you.

If you're going to clip every coupon as you receive it (Method #1), read on. If you're planning to store your inserts and magazines (Method #2), you can skip down to Method #2.

Method #1:
I used a method that many couponers believe to be the simplest way to organize and find coupons. The binder method. You may not think you have nearly enough coupons to fill a binder, but once you start clipping 95% or more of the coupons you get your hands on, you'll be thankful that you chose the binder method. I really started couponing just 8 days ago, and my binder already has over 60 pages full of coupons.

What You Need:

• 2-3 inch Binder (if you have small children, I recommend getting one that zips closed)
• 7-8 Packs of Tab Dividers
• 50-100 Pages of Clear Baseball Card Holders

1. First you want to separate your coupons into categories. You can make up your own, or you can use what I use. This is the printable Table of Contents and Dividers from The Krazy Coupon Lady, aka Joanie Demer (the first couponer to premiere on TLC's Extreme Couponing show). 
2. Once you've separated all of your coupons, you want to fill out your dividers. (I have the category written on the front of the divider and on the tab.) 
3. Now it's time to add some baseball card holders to your binder. (Since I have 36 categories and only 65 baseball card holders, I have some categories with two holders and others with only one. It depends on how often you get coupons for certain categories.) 
4. Now you can start putting your coupons into their spots. (I put them by expiration date, so the closest date is in the front and the farthest dates are towards the back. This is very time consuming when your putting your binder together for the first time, but it will be much easier to upkeep. You may have to trim coupons or fold them to fit them in their place holders.)  
5. I also keep one card holder in the very front of my binder with all of my full size membership cards in it. This way, if I ever look on my keys and my key chain is missing (or I have the wrong set of keys), then I still have my membership card with me.

Once you're all done, you will be SO proud of your binder, you'll know it was worth it. It will be SO easy to find coupons in a hurry!  

Method #2:
If you are the type of person you plans every shopping trip down to the penny and never strays, then this is the method for you. You'll be planning every single transaction prior to going to the store and only bringing along the coupons that you plan to use.

What You Need:

• 2-3 inch Binder (if you have small children, I recommend getting one that zips closed)
  
• 150-200 Clear Page Protectors

1. First you will need to gather all of your newspaper inserts, and magazine pages with coupons, tear them into single pages, and sort them by date. (I've heard that it's easier if you put the newest ones in the back.)
2. You'll want to write the date the newspaper came out on each single page somewhere, and the month each magazine came out on those pages too.. (This will help when your looking through price matches and you need to find the 7/3 P&G insert quickly.)
3. Next you'll want to get your binder out and put all of your page protectors inside your binder.
4. After that, your going to want to start putting your inserts in the page protectors. (If you have an insert that has an advertisement on the back with no coupons, you can put another one behind it, back-to-back, to save space.)

Once you've got all of your inserts in your binder, your ready to go. It will be very simple to find coupons for price matches this way.

Great job! Now you've got all your coupons sorted and your ready to find those low, low prices. In the next step we'll talk about all of the great resources that are available online for clipping, price matching, and talking to other great couponers.

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Deal of the Day - Amazon video games

All video games and accessories are buy one get one free until July 9th! Amazon has really good prices on video games anyway so this is a pretty awesome deal! You can also use Amazon gift cards that you earned from Swagbucks or from doing surveys at Opinion Outpost. If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks or Opinion Outpost check them out! I make a little extra money through both each month.

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Step 1: Where do I get all of these coupons?

In this step, we are going to discuss how to get your hands on those all too valuable coupons.

1) Newspaper Inserts - The very first place to look for coupons is obviously in the Sunday paper. You can either do this by going to the store and buying the paper every weekend (just make sure the plastic insert is inside your paper before you pay for it), or you can subscribe to the Sunday edition by calling your newspaper or going online. If your a new subscriber, they normally have really good deals on the Sunday edition.

2) Magazines - I subscribe to All You magazine, which you can also buy monthly at Wal-Mart. This particular magazine has a great deal of valuable coupons in every issue.

3) Printable - These are coupons that are available from numerous websites. You have to be very careful with internet coupons though. Some stores do not accept them due to fraud. Check with your stores and make sure they accept them first.

4) Peelie - These are coupons found directly on the package. You don't have to use these at the same time you purchase the product. I suggest peeling these off as you put your items on the belt, or else the cashier will scan it right away.

5) Hangtag - These are coupons or forms found hanging from a tag around the neck of a bottle or jar.

6) Catalina - These are the coupons that are dispensed from the small machine at the register after your purchase. They are only redeemable at the store that it printed at or at stores that accept competitor store coupons.

7) Blinkie - These are the in-store SmartSource coupons that are located in a dispenser near the product, usually from a red blinking box attached to the shelf.

8) Product Packages - Another way to find coupons is to look on the inside of boxes and bags of already purchased, empty items. For example; Jimmy Dean almost always has coupons inside their boxes of breakfast foods.


That is a great start to accumulating your coupons. In the next step we'll discuss how to organize and store your coupon collection.

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Become an Expert at Couponing

Have you seen the new show Extreme Couponing? It's a little crazy, I know, but realistically I believe many people are jealous of the fact that someone can walk out of a store paying just under $20 for over $1,200 worth of groceries. I know I am!

Well, I've been slowly but surely working on becoming a couponer. I've nailed the basics and I'm moving on to building a stockpile. I don't need a grocery store in my basement (heck...I don't even have a basement), but I would love to have enough of my family's every day necessities on hand so I don't have to worry about running out of toilet paper (which happened last week :-P). So, I'm going to start small, by stocking up on things my family uses often like; toiler paper, body wash, toothpaste, Coca-Cola, rice, pasta, etc.

I am going to be spending this week walking you through the basics of couponing. My goal is to share the planning with you, so you can successfully start to create your own stockpile in the next 6 weeks. Hopefully you'll all be able to save 65% or more on your groceries. Amy and I will also be sharing our couponing shopping trips with you. Of course, you want to see proof that it can be done...even by beginners like us! :-)

Couponing FAQ's

How much time will I have to spend clipping coupons and browsing sales ads?
The good news is, there are a lot of resources online that do a good amount of the work for you. You obviously will still have to clip coupons, but depending on which option you choose to do this, it may take you as little as 5 minutes a week (as much as 15 minutes). Using the resources available online, you will most likely spend 15-20 minutes "browsing ads".

What exactly is a stockpile?
A stockpile is a reserve amount of items your family uses everyday. Some people choose to buy large quantities of items they will never use, just because they got it for pennies. I am not going to teach you how to do this. I am only going to show you how to create a stockpile that simply suits your family's needs.

What happens when I can't find a coupon for something?
One of the first things any couponer will tell you is to be open minded. Brand loyalty goes right out the window if your really looking to save money. For example; if Foldger's does not offer coupons but Maxwell House does, then think about trying a new brand. This doesn't mean that you can't say "Well Foldger's coffee is my one item I refuse to change." Of course you can, and I'll show you how to buy that Foldger's coffee when it's at it's rock bottom price (and only when it's at it's rock bottom price). You'll learn how to never pay full price for your groceries again!

When will I start seeing a difference in my grocery bill?
This depends on many factors. If you already clip coupons, then your one step ahead of the crowd. If not, you'll have to start collecting coupons to build up a supply. If you follow my lessons, in the next 4-6 weeks you will undoubtedly start to see your grocery bill go down.

Keep a look out for our first step on How to Become an Expert at Couponing, Step 1: Where do I Get all of These Coupons?

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Toys R' Us Shopping Trip - July 2nd

Luke's Poppy gave him a gift card to Toys R' Us for his birthday since he was out of town. So, when I got an email the other day from Toys R' Us saying all Crayola Color Wonder was on sale for buy one get one free, I knew I had to take him to use his gift card. He had a bunch of Color Wonder kits on his birthday wishlist that no one had gotten for him, so it worked out perfectly. The total came to $51.94 before sales, and I only paid $28.97 for a savings of 44%. Not too bad without any coupons!

Product	Reg Price	Sale Price	Coupon	I paid
Color Wonder Stow N’ Go	$14.99	$14.99 (BOGO)	N/A	$14.99
Color Wonder Toy Story Kit	$8.99	$0.00	N/A	FREE
Color Wonder Chugginton Kit	$8.99	$8.99 (BOGO)	N/A	$8.99
Color Wonder Dino Train Kit	$8.99	$0.00	N/A	FREE
Word World DVD	$4.99	$4.99 (BOGO)	N/A	$4.99
Word World DVD	$4.99	$0.00	N/A	FREE
TOTAL:	$51.94	$28.97	$0.00	$28.97

He was so excited to get home and start coloring, and of course I was excited to save so much money! :-)

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Eight Weeks to a Cloth Diapering Stash at $20 per week - Week Two

My apologies that it took so long for me to get around to week two, I've been pretty busy lately! If you missed week one make sure to check it out and keep an eye out for the next 6 installments! This isn't an exact guide, it is just to show people that cloth diapering CAN be affordable. I just want to show everyone that it is possible to build a cloth diaper stash simply by using the money that would have been spent on disposables.

Kawaii diaper

So it's a new week and you have the $20 to spend that you normally would be spending on disposables (remember we are estimating.) Maybe you're sick of using your receiving blanket "flats" or maybe you actually liked them. Either way you will be buying some "fancy" diapers this week. I laugh when people refer to pockets or AIOs (all in ones) as "fancy" because they are actually really simple! If you've ever seen pocket diapers from brands like Happy Heinys you may wonder how you could possibly afford them. Happy Heinys are GREAT diapers (I have several.) I normally would recommend a brand like them or Thirsties because they are made in the US. However there are cheaper diapers to be found. You will have several options this week as far as which pocket diapers to buy, you will end up with at least two diapers but hopefully three or four.

Option one: Sunbaby Diapers on eBay. Do a search for Sunbaby diapers and lots of listings will come up. These are primarily sold on eBay and they are NEW. These diapers are made in China but they are a very good diaper for the price. You should be able to get three of these with your $20. If you find some that are pre-owned you may be able to get four.

Option two: Kawaii diapers. You should be able to get 2-4 Kawaii diapers for this price. Another "made in China" diaper but also good for the price. Like Sunbaby they are one-size pockets meaning they will fit your baby as long as it is under 35 pounds. Kawaii diapers have a website or you can check out option three.

Option three: Diapperswappers will have pre-owned and new diapers including Kawaii and Sunbaby in their FSOT (for sale or trade) forums. As I have mentioned before there can be a LOT of drama on this message board but it is still very good for buying or selling diapers. You should easily be able to get 3 diapers if not 4 for your $20 if you buy pre-owned. Scan the "Pockets" section for Kawaii and Sunbaby. You should also be on the look out for older style Fuzzibunz or bumGenius diapers as they often sell pretty cheap. While you are there you should definitely check out the FFS section (free for shipping.) Some of the FFS diapers are in rough shape but sometimes you'll be able to find some really nice diapers and you only have to pay shipping. Also check out the "Lottos" which are found as a subforum in the FFS forum. Many sellers who offer FFS lottos want them to go to those who truly need them, so if this applies to you definitely check it out.

Option four: Check out cottonbabies.com clearance. They often have AIOs or pockets for about $10. You would only be able to get two, but the shipping is free and these are new diapers (sometimes seconds.)

Once you have your diapers you can use them for going out. 2-4 should be plenty for an outing that lasts several hours. Continue to use your covers/"flats" at home. Next week you will be getting more pockets and soon after you will be getting a wetbag and other supplies that you need. Continue to wash with regular detergent and don't forget to skip softeners/bleach/dryer sheets. If you have questions regarding this post or anything related to cloth diapering send us an e-mail or comment here, we'd be happy to help!

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CVS Coupon Trip - July 2nd

I had a few coupons that I lined up with the sales at CVS, so I planned a very small trip yesterday to pick up some things. I had to go out anyway, and it was the last day of the sale, so I wanted to grab them. The total price was $22.16 before my CVS card and coupons, and I only paid $8.46! That's 62% savings! :-)  Here's what I got...

Product	Reg Price	Sale Price	Coupon	I paid
Pantene Pro-V Shampoo	$4.99	$3.49	-$3.00/2	$1.99
Pantene Pro-V Shampoo	$4.99	$3.48	N/A	$1.98
OB Tampons (40 ct)	$8.49	$4.50	-$1.00	$3.50
Old El Paso Tortilla Stuffers	$3.69	$1.99	-$1.00	$0.99
TOTAL:	$22.16	$13.46	-$5.00	$8.46

I also got $2 in ExtraBucks for buying the two bottles of Pantene. For those that don't know, ExtraBucks are similar to Walgreens Register Rewards. They are like free CVS gift cards to use on a future purchase. I definitely think it was a good trip for me! :-)

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Walgreens Coupon Trip - July 2nd

 

This is my couponing "loot" for the day.  I use coupons from time to time but have never really put much effort into it. Going to Walgreens or any other drugstore on a Saturday (last day of the week for their ads) is never a good idea but I ended up getting all but 3 things from my list. I don't have an exact amount for what everything was but here is a general idea:

(2) Tylenol Precise $8 regular price - $3 Walgreens Coupon - $5 Manufactures coupon = FREE!

(1) Reach toothbrush $3 sale price - $1 coupon + 2 RR = $2 spent, 2 RR received

(3) Colgate Toothpaste $1 sale price - .75 coupons = .75 for all 3!

(4) Pringles Super Stacks $6/4 sale price - $1 coupon + 2 RR = $5 for 4 plus 2RR

(2) Twizzlers $2/3 sale price + 1 RR = $3 spent plus 1RR

I meant to get some Dove products at Walgreens but they were out of what I wanted. We went to Wal-Mart for a different reason but we noticed the Deodorants were buy one get one free (2 in one package for the price of 1) so the $2 coupon that I had ended up being an even better deal!

(2) Dove Mens Deodorant (2 packs) $3.79 regular price - $2 coupon = $3.58 for FOUR.

(2) Dove Mens Body Wash (plus free gift!) $3.79 regular price - B1G1 coupon = $3.97 for two plus bonus

All in all it was a good day. I ended up spending about $16 at Walgreens and coming home with 5 in Register Rewards for next week. So I basically spent $11 for $35(ish) worth of stuff. For those who aren't "couponers" Register Rewards print out for certain items at Walgreens. They are like a gift card to use on your NEXT Walgreens purchase. I also spent just under $8 at Wal-Mart for for $22.74 worth of stuff. I had intended to buy the Dove products at Walgreens for even more Register Rewards but those who shop on Saturday can't be picky. :) I found another coupon for $2 off deodorant (I knew I had one more!) so I will go back and get another 2 pack for $1.79 tomorrow. I also meant to buy the Dove Men's bar soap but Josh doesn't like bar soap so I am giving those coupons ($4 off!) to my mom.

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Weis Coupon Trip - July 1st

Last night I went on my first shopping trip as a couponer. I don't think I did too bad for my first trip either! I saved a total of 53%! The total price was $78.45, and after my club card and coupons, I only paid $36.64! Woo-hoo! That  feels good! Here's what I got...

Product	Reg Price	Sale Price	Coupons	I Paid
Coca-Cola 12 pk	$5.39	$2.40	N/A	$2.40
Coca-Cola 12 pk	$5.39	$2.40	N/A	$2.40
Coca-Cola 12 pk	$5.39	$2.40	N/A	$2.40
Coca-Cola 12 pk	$5.39	$2.40	N/A	$2.40
Barq’s Root Beer 12 pk	$5.39	$2.40	N/A	$2.40
Marcal Small Steps 4 pk	$1.99	$1.29	-$1.00	$0.29
Dove Men+Care Soap 6 pk	$6.99	$5.00	-$4.00	$1.00
Kraft Mayonnaise 30 oz.	$4.69	$2.50	-$1.00	$1.50
Crystal Light Tea 8 pkts	$2.99	$2.00	-$1.00	$1.00
Fast Fixin’ Dino Nuggets	$6.99	$6.99 (BOGO)	-$1.25	$5.74
Fast Fixin’ Chicken Tenders	$6.99	$0.00 (BOGO)	N/A	FREE
Banquet Crispy Fried Chicken	$10.79	$8.99	N/A	$8.99
Johnsonville Chkn Sausage	$4.99	$2.99	-$1.00	$1.99
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls	$1.39	N/A	N/A	$1.39
Baileys Coffee Creamer	$3.69	N/A	-$1.00	$2.69
TOTAL:	$78.45	$46.84	-$10.25	$36.64

If this was only my first couponing trip, and I only spent about 10 minutes planning it out, imagine what I could do in a week. And I'll show you how to save this much money every time you shop too! Starting on Monday, we'll be premiering a series on How to Become an Expert at Couponing. Stay tuned. You won't want to miss how you can cut your grocery bill in half...or more!

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