I'm still alive!

Greetings all!

I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking.
Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time to work on this blog.

I have been busy on my other blog Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling.

In fact, it's been nominated for Funniest and Best Variety for the Homeschool Blog Awards!  I'd love it if you voted!

So, if you miss me, please feel free to check out my other blog until I have more time to play here too!

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Get a head start on your Christmas Cards.

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Get a head start on your Christmas Cards.: Vistaprint is offering a great deal and I thought I'd pass it on. For only $4.99, you can get 20 Cards, 140 Labels and 1 Engraved Pen! Us...

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Free Assessment Tests Available

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Free Assessment Tests Available: Just in case you wanted a source for state assessments which are free, here you are. Texas releases their previous assessment tests and a...

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Sunday Coupon Preview

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Sunday Coupon Preview

Sunday Coupon Preview

CVS on Saturday

Nothing like waiting until the last minute!  Becentsable.net was my sorce.
Prevacid 28 ct $18.99
Submint Free Mail in Rebate Prevacid 24HR from 9/18 SS (coupon amount will be deducted)
$4 off from 9/18 SS insert
Final Price: Free


Dawn Dish Detergent $.97
Use $.50 Dawn Plus from 10/2 P&G
Final Price: $.47

Now the retail was $26.33 and I paid $13.93 which is only a savings of 47%.  I will recieve a rebate for $14.99 (cost - coupon) which means I will have actually earned $1.06 on this purchase.

Walgreens on the way to 4H

Kansascitymamas.com was my starting place, but the razor deal was made sweeter from the FB promotion.
Schick Hydro Razor $8.49
One Free coupon from FB promotion
$4.50 RR
Betsy's Price: Free+

•Bayer Aspirin - $0.99
With in-ad coupon
$1/1 Bayer Aspirin Product, exp. 12/31/11 (RP 09/11/11)
Betsy's Price: FREE

I ended up having to purchase a $0.59 candy bar because my coupons would take me over zero.

So my retail was $15.96, but I paid $0.57.  That's a savings of 96%.  Then I received $4.50 in RR which means I was paid $3.93.

HyVee after 4H

I used kansascitymamas.com as my source for deals.

•Musselman's Apple Sauce - $1.39
$.75/2 Musselman's Apple Sauce printable
Betsy's Price $1.02 each

•Jack's Frozen Pizza - $2.50
$0.75/1 Jack's Frozen Pizza printable
Betsy's Price $1.50

•Betty Crocker Helper - $0.88 (2-day sale)
$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meal, exp. 11/5/11 (GM 09/11/11)$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals, exp. 11/26/11 (GM 10/02/11) Pay $.63 each after coupon

I actually remembered to check for the retail prices knowing that HyVee doesn't do that on their receipts.  My retail total would have been $22.30, but I paid $10.33.  That's a savings of 54%.
PLUS
My HyVee does $0.10 off per gallon with today's HyVee receipt, so we scored that, too!

Price's Trip to Price is Right

Found my deals form Kansas City Mamas.

Best Choice Flour  $0.98

Red Gold Tomato Promotion: Buy 10, Get $5 off instantly at checkout
•Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies - $0.66
$0.75/1 Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies printable
Purchase (10) Red Gold Tomatoes with Chili's at $.66 each
Use (2) $.75/1 printables
Get $5 off at checkout
Then I found $0.55/3 blinkie coupons and I used 2.
Betsy's Price: FREE plus $1.00

•Dannon Activia Multipack - $2.00
$1 off Activia Selects or Multipack, exp. 11/27/11 (SS 10/02/11)
Betsy's Price $1.00 after coupon

•Tyson Frozen Grilled and Ready Product - $2.50
$1/1 Tyson Frozen Grilled and Ready Product, exp. 10/31/11 (SS 07/31/11)
Betsy's Price $1.50 after coupon

My retail total would have been $21.96.  I paid $3.48 OOP which is a savings of 84%

Sunday Coupon Preview

Apple Market vs. Aldi's

I figured out what I was going to purchase myself.  I couldn't get any great deals with coupons, but I still got good deals.

Best Choice Chili beans $0.39
(Aldi's is $0.55 the last I checked.)

Best Choice Sugar $1.69
(Aldi's is $2.39.)

Pilgrim's Boneless Skinless Chicken $1.99/lb.
(Same brand on sale at Price Chopper for $2.49 which is about the same at Aldi's)

I would have paid $25.07 at Aldi's and not been able to use coupons, so even paying $19.41 without coupons is a savings.  I ended up saving 23% over Aldi's.

Bzzing about Scrubbing Bubbles

I'm as special agent.  A BzzzAgent in fact.  I get to try things and bzz about them!



See my pretty
blue toe nails!

Today the bzz is about Scrubbing Bubbles^® One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner!

Now get this, one step doesn't just mean there is only one thing to do, but it means you only take ONE STEP with your foot!

I wanted to blog about this earlier, but I was waiting for my landlord to fix my toilet.  I didn't want to put it on and then have to take it off only to put to back on.  But it really wasn't an issue because it's so easy to attach.  You just clip it over the toilet rim!

So simple to attach and too use!

You just place it where it's easy for you to step on twice a day.  For me, I had to place towards the rear of the bowl because Mija was finding ways to "accidentally" step on it when she went potty.

A very willing toilet bowl cleaner!

I have coupons!  I have coupons for both the actual One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner and for refills.  If you see me around, ask me about them!

Tips on Keeping the Food Budget

Smockity Frocks and the 4Moms have posted articles about saving money on the food budget.  I definitely thought them worth sharing here.

I know I need constant reminding and encouragement to do the right thing in serving my family this way while this world tells me that I "deserve a break today." So, it is beneficially convicting to have Smockity remind me, "Become a grocery steward."

Anyway, here is Smockity's link: Tips on Keeping the Food Budget. Her article has the links to the other 4Moms.

Micheal's Deals--costumes?

Michael's is having a special sales promotion this month for decorations and costumes.  We don't do Halloween, BUT I have a birthday party coming up for mija (I can't believe she'll be 7!) in which she wants a Tangled birthday.  She even wants to dress up like Repunzel from the movie.

With that in mind, I'll definitely be checking this out and thought you might want to as well!

Free Aerospace and Denfense Calendar

A cool looking 2012 calendar for free!

Click HERE to request yours!

Sunday Insert Preview

Check out the coupons for this Sunday

Last Sunday was a coupon windfall.  Let's see what this week holds...

10 Secrets of Debt Collectors

I know the goal is not to deal with debt collectors, BUT sometimes it just happens.  It seem to happen even more these days with unemployment and forclosure rates at all time highs. 

Did you know that before they even call, they assume you are a liar?  Read more HERE.

Price Chopper--chopped off 70%

I got my deals from Kansas City Mamas.

•Welch's Grape Jelly - $1.50
$0.75/1 Welch's Sparkling Juice Beverage, Juice, Jelly, or 100% Grape Juice printable
Betsy's Price $.75 after coupon

•Old Orchard Juice - $2.29
$2/1 Old Orchard Cranberry Naturals printable
$1/1 Old Orchard Cranberry Naturals Product printable
Betsy's Price: $0.29 and $1.29
•Nabisco Wheat Thins - $1.99
$1/1 Nabisco Wheat Thins printable
Betsy's Price $.99 after coupon


•Ragu Pasta Sauce - $1.69
Buy Two, Get FREE American Beauty Pasta
$0.75/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce, exp. 10/9/11 (RP 09/11/11)
Betsy's price:  $2.64 for all three or $0.86 each

•Johnsonville Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage - $2.50
$0.75/1 Johnsville Smoked Chicken Sausage, exp. 1/31/12 (RP 09/11/11)
Betsy's price $1.75

•KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce - $0.79
$0.50/1 KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce or Marinade, exp. 11/30/11 (SS 08/21/11)$0.50/1 KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce or Marinade, exp. 12/31/11 (SS 09/25/11 R)
Betsy's Price: $.29

•Pillsbury Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwich - $2.00
$1/1 Pillsbury Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwich printable
$1/1 Pillsbury Frozen Egg Scrambles or Biscuit Sandwich, exp. 12/3/11 (GM 09/11/11)Betsy's Price: $1.00

Kraft Foods Promotion
Save $5 When You Buy 5 Products
Prices show after the $5 is taken off.
•Planters Peanut Butter - $0.99
$0.75/1 Planters Peanut Butter, exp. 10/2/11 (SS 08/21/11)
Betsy's Price: $.24 after coupon
(I got 5 to get the deal.)

Then while there, there was a sample person who was passing out $1/1 coupons for Velvetta Queso Blanco.

Velvetta Queso Blanco on sale $1.99

$1/1 coupon

Betsy's Price: $0.99 each

I also had a coupon for a free bottle of Pantene.  That  was $3.99.

Here are the facts.  I purchased $79.59 for only $24.15.  That's a savings of 70% which isn't bad considering I had no double coupons.

Sunday Insert Preview

Some Health Deals

I've come across some health deals that might be beneficial for some.  I thought I'd share in case you may be one of them.

EYES:

How about a $10.00 coupon when you purchase 2 pair of glasses for $99.

Locally, we have EyeMasters:

If you have VisionWorks, you can use this one:

DENTIST:

Need to find a dentist.  Our challenge is finding one that works with you if you don't have insurance!
Find the right dentist in your area. Any budget. Any insurance. Fill out the form & promptly receive a call from 1-800-DENTIST who will match you to the dentist who best meets your needs.

ARTHRITIS:

Receive an Arthritis Guide booklet FREE! This exclusive guide is our gift to you for joining the Arthritis Connect online support community. Learn about:

• Knee Pain Relief
• Healthy Eating Tips for Arthritic Inflammation
• Exercise Management Tips
• Symptoms and Treatments
• And more…

Restaurants.com 80% off

This 80% off offer is good until next Friday, September 30.

How Whole Foods "Primes" You to Shop

I'm posting this because, while I'm sure Whole Foods is the master, many stores use these same practices to woo us into buying.  Something good to consider.


How Whole Foods "Primes" You to Shop

by Martin Lindstrom
Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Have you ever been primed? I mean has anyone ever deliberately influenced your subconscious mind and altered your perception of reality without your knowing it? Whole Foods Market, and others, are doing it to you right now.

Find out how they are doing it by reading the rest of the article here.

TIme to check Sunday Insert Preview

Super Schick and Quattro Coupons

Coupons.com has posted some high amount coupons for razors.  I think there will be some great deals coming up with CVS and/or Walgreens.


People in my class had asked me if I print every coupon.  My answer was no.  High value ones like these that are likely to go with RR or ECB, however, I do. 


Print yours, too!


•$1.00 off any one Schick Hydro or shave gel




•$5.00 off any one Schick Intuition Refill 6 ct.


•$0.75 off one Edge or Skintimate shave gel


•$6.00 off two Schick Disposable Razors


•$5.00 off one Schick Hydro Razor


•$5.00 off one Quattro for Men Razor


•$5.00 off one Quattro for Women Razor or Refill

Cities on the Cheap--Free Field Trips & Activities

I know I've talked about Kansas City on the Cheap.  I've gotten discounts at various places and have ended up with several free field trips for mija just by checking it out!  It even keeps track of Groupon, Living Social and more for you.

Well, I did a little research for you and found that there are several cities that have their own versions of "on the Cheap".  Just go to Cities on the Cheap and see if your city is listed!

Vistaprint - 6 Free Fall Products

You know I like Vistaprint.  I get free things from them all the time!

This week they are offering 6 free fall products.  These deals are only available through this Friday, Sept. 23.  All you do is pay shipping. 

Think Christmas gifts. Planning a party for the holidays?  Get the invitations. All kinds of possibilites!


Here's the special deals:

1 Free Photo Wall Calendar
Impress family, friends or customers with customized wall calendars. Choose icons, add captions and highlight individual dates. Upload your own photos from your computer, Facebook, Picasa, or Flicker or select from hundreds of designs. (Shipping starts at $5.67).


1 Free Photo Flip Book
Create a special keepsake with our handy 4" x 6" flip books. Upload your photos and customize with captions. Includes 10 pages with 1 photo per page. (Shipping starts at $6.01)

1 Free Tote Bag
Perfect for everyday use, our 100% canvas tote bags can be customized with your name and message. Choose from 24 designs. (Shipping starts at $5.67)

250 Free Business Cards
Perfect for networking, interviews, mommy cards and more! Choose from 45 professional designs and customize with your text. (Shipping starts at $5.67)

10 Free Invitations
Have an upcoming event? Take it up a notch by sending your guests premium invitations. With over 1,000 designs to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect cards to suite your event. You can even send them in matching envelopes. (Shipping starts at $4.52)

1 Free T-Shirt
Choose from a variety of designs and personalize with your own text or photos! Great for cheering for sports teams, team events, family photos and more! (Shipping starts at $4.41)

More Birthday Gifts--kind of

I've been attempting to report on my "gifts" for my birthday month.  The totally free meals are still yet to come!

Aveda mailed me a postcard.  I get "a free Personal Blends Pure-Fume Spirit or body care product (worth up to $25) custom-blended with the aroma of my choice."   Now that's a present!

Compare that to Walgreens where I received:

That's right.  I get 500 of the points I don't like!

But that's still better than Dove which sent me a link for a chance to win a prize.  It's my birthday!  All I get is a chance?  I means at least send me a high amount coupon no one else gets!

Sunday Insert Preview

Free Money & Free Field Trip at the Federal Reserv...

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Free Money & Free Field Trip at the Federal Reserv...: Yup, you read correctly. You can have a free field trip AND get free money at the Federal Reserve's Money Museum ! We went to the one in K...

Museum Day, Sept. 24 = Free Field Trip!

Mrs. Price is Right about Homeschooling: Museum Day, Sept. 24 = Free Field Trip!

September Deals: What to Buy Now

It was great to see this.  We're thinking about getting mija a bicycle for birthday or Christmas. (Ssh.  Don't tell her!) We're going to KMart to check for sales and use the lay-a-way! 

Sunday Coupon Inserts

How to Save on Family Passes.

This post is from SavingsLifestyle.com.  It had an interesting idea on how to save money about family passes.  Make sure to check how many people are covered by the pass in which you are interested. Not all are so generous with coverage. Also check if there is an expiration date.  For instance, the Kansas City Zoo's passes all run from March 31 to March 31, so purchasing a pass in January that will only last 3 months isn't such a great deal.

How to Save on Family Passes



My best friend and I love to take our kids on fun outings but it can be super expensive if we don’t have passes for the places we like to go. Getting a season pass is a great way to save money, we like to visit the Museum, the Zoo and Kings Island, but to get a pass for all three is about $600 (depending on your family size and which level of pass you get).

Read what she did HERE.

One Income Living in a Two Income World

I came across anarticle entitled, "One Income Living in a Two Income World."  I love how she deals with the misconceptions and realities of being a one income family.  Some of her tricks are long term goals, but definitely worth the effort!


One Income Living in a Two Income World

by Deborah Taylor-Hough

I hear it all the time: “It must be nice making so much money you can be home with your kids. We could never afford to do that.”

Excuse me?! Our family of five lives on an income which could easily qualify for several low-income programs. We make so much money, huh? Where is it?!

Now please don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. My husband and I have voluntarily, and quite happily, chosen this frugal lifestyle. But it’s funny to hear the misconceptions others have about our finances.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

The assumption seems to be, if you’re home with your children full-time you must be rolling in piles of money. Common urban folk-lore unsettles us with the “fact” that it will cost over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to raise each child to adulthood.

According to those figures, it would cost over half a million dollars to raise our three children! Gulp. . . .

Maybe the numbers are accurate if I bought my children’s clothing exclusively at up-scale specialty stores, sent “Buffy” and “Skip” to ultra-expensive private schools, and outfitted their rooms with the latest audio/visual equipment and top-of-the-line designer crib ensembles.

REALITY

But the reality in our neighborhood is drastically different. Nearly every family on our block has consciously made the choice, at least for a time, to make the necessary sacrifices so one can parent can be home with their young children.

I hope you won’t think we’ve all dropped out of life and taken up an existence of soap operas and bon-bons. Far from it. Many of the women have cottage industries or attend college. Some do consulting work to stay abreast of their professions. A neighbor stays home with her children, actively pursuing a writing career.

But even with additional part-time incomes, the families on our street don’t make the money that statistics claim we’ll need to adequately raise our kids. But raise them successfully, we will!

THE SECRET

So, what’s the secret to “one income living in a two income world?”

Read her tricks HERE in the article.

Happy Birthday to me this month!!!

I already mentioned that CVS gave me $2 ECB because it's my birthday month.  Other birthday goodies are starting to roll in.

TGIF--Free Dessert (with purchase of an entree)
and a
Starbucks Ice Cream--$1/2 coupon

The free meals will come closer to the actual date!
I'll keep you updated on my birthday gifts.

WomanFreebies---another source of freebies

You know me and finding freebie sites!  I LOVE it!!  It's fun seeing what I get in the mail everyday.

Well, here's another freebie site I'm frequenting.  It's WomanFreebies.com.  The hardest part was giving the year I was born!  You can answer the additional questionaires for more freebie opportunities if you choose.

This is a great time to sign up because tomorrow a Clorox 2 coupon will be offered as part of the launch of "Mom Will Never Know" which premiers exclusively on WomanFreebies.com.

So, sign up with me, and let's see how many freebies we can get!!

Labor Day Weekend at CVS

Went to CVS tonight. Got a couple of deals from BeCentsAble.net.
Free Milky Way or Dove Bar $1.19
Extra Care Coupon from scanning
Betsy's Price: Free

Kashi Cereal or TLC Bars 2/$6
$1.50/1 off package
Betsy's Price: $1.50

Suave Body Wash $2
Use B2G1 from 8/14 RP
Final Price: $1.33 each (Willing to pay this much since we need body wash.)

I also picked up a pack of gum for Mike.

I paid $1.08 OOP for $16.56 in items which is a savings of 92%. I actually earned $3 in RR. $1 was for using my green bag tag. $2 was just because it's my birthday month. I don't care how I earn them; they all spend the same!!! That means I made a $1.92 profit which is a savings of 112%.

Coupons Restocked at Coupons.com

First of the month.  Time for coupons to restock.

Here are some of the coupons at Coupons.com.  Notice the ones for games...time to start thinking about Christmas!



Pillsbury


•$1.00 off Pillsbury Sweet Moments desserts

•$0.40 off TWO Pillsbury or Grands! Sweet Rolls

•$1.00 off Frozen Pillsbury Egg Scrambles

•$0.50 off TWO Pillsbury Toaster Strudel pastries

Cereal

•$0.75 off Fiber One cereal

•$0.50 off Cereal Treat Bars

•$1.00 off 3 General Mills divisional cereals

Yogurt

•$0.75 off any two Yoplait products

•$0.50 off 2 Yoplait Greek Yogurts

•$0.40 off six Yoplait Yogurts

Pizza/Snacks

•$0.40 off TWO Totino's Rolls Snacks

•$1.00 off FOUR Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza

•$1.00 off Totino's Pizza Stuffers

•$0.75 off 1 Kashi Frozen Entree or Pizza Product

•$0.40 off 1 Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast

•$0.50 off any 5OZ. OR LARGER Bugles Corn Snacks

•$1.00 off off any box of Kashi TLC Snack Cracker

•$0.50 off any Chex Mix 4.5 oz. or larger

•$1.50 off any 2 boxes of Kashi TLC bars

•$0.75 off (2) Nature Valley Granola Bars


Misc Food and Household
•$1.00 off 2 Any Spic and Span Product

•$0.55 off any Chore Boy Product

•$0.75 off one (1) Solo Cups, Plates or Bowls

•$0.50 off Fun da-middles Cupcake Mix

•$1.00 off 3 can/bowl Campbell's Healthy Request

•$1.00 off ONE (1) CAN OF 3-IN-1 MULTI-PURPOSE OIL


Health & Beauty

•$1.00 off any JOHNSON'S Baby Powder

•$0.30 off Original Carmex Lip Balm

•$1.00 off on one (1) 4 oz. or greater Carmex Skin

•$1.00 off MAYBELLINE NEW YORK FIT ME PRESSED POWDE

•$1.00 off MAYBELLINE NEW YORK FIT ME FOUNDATION

•$3.00 off on any Flex-a-min product

•$2.00 off on any Ester-C The Better Vitamin C

•$4.00 off ON ONE BOTTLE OF FOCUSfactor

•$4.00 off ON ONE BOTTLE OF OMEGA DHA 900 Redeem at

•$4.00 off ON ONE BOTTLE OF OMEGA FACTOR 3


Games

•$5.00 off one SIMON FLASH, SCRABBLE FLASH, YAHTZEE

•$4.00 off the purchase of one MONOPOLY game

•$4.00 off the purchase of one CONNECT 4 game

Check out this Sunday's inserts!

Nothing much to look at, however, since there are no coupon inserts this Sunday.

Labor Day, bah humbug!

Free 8x10 Canvas from photo!

Canvas People takes your photo and makes it into a canvas!  I just made one from a family photo we recently took.  It's not often you can get your siblings and their families all together at one time!  I thought it was worthy of a canvas!


Here's all you need to do.  It only takes a couple minutes, literally!


1) Choose and upload the photo you would like printed
2) Choose what size. (8x10 is free + shipping/handling after $50 credit)
3) Chose any "extras" (this cost extra)
4) Enter shipping information
5) Pay the $14.95 shipping/handling (this is still a GREAT deal for one of these)

SwagBucks...come join me!

Come join me at SwagBucks!

I mentioned at my couponing class how I use SwagBucks to earn free things.  I've gotten Kindle accesories, curriculum, and clothing all from what I've earned from SwagBucks.

And it's so easy!!

Just click one of the links or the picture to the right and sign up.  No credit card or anything to required.  All you will have to do is acknowledge the email confirmation they will send you. (Check your junk mail if you don't notice it. Sometimes it ends up there at first.)

There are many ways to earn SwagBucks.  I regularly use the Swag Bar for my searches in order to have the chance to earn SwagBucks.  The search bar is powered by Google and Ask.com.

You can also earn through daily deals (Groupon, Living Social, Tippr), and answering polls and surveys.

Find out for yourself!  Just go to SwagBucks and sign up.  Remember to confirm when you get your email and TaDa! start saving!