I just listened to two audio chapters in Grocery University, which I introduced to you last week. Carrie, the blogger who made the 19-part series, has a lot of savvy tricks to reduce your grocery bill that were new even to me!
The first chapter is on menu planning, which cuts down on extra grocery trips and helps avoid eating out and ordering take out. The trick, Carrie says, is to make a grocery list around sales, then plan the meals based on what deals you’ll be getting. People usually do the meal planning first. It’s not about changing what meals you make, just timing them to sales.
Tip: Carrie compares grocery sales at five stores each week, but she only shops at the 2-3 stores with the most deals.
Her grocery list is comprised of:
Groupon has an ELF makeup deal for 57% off!
There are 33 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
Free cards - Get five free folded cards with Snapfish coupon code TRY5CARDS. Expires Aug. 31, 2011. Not sure if you pay shipping or it is totally free.
Free collage - Get a free photo collage measuing 8 x 10 inches from Walgreens with coupon code PRINTONE. Valid through Aug. 20, 2011. Chose in-store pickup for free shipping.
Free Breathe Right - Get a free sample of Breathe Right nasal strips. While supplies last.
Prices inch lower on notebooks starting Sunday at Office Depot. Will Staples and Office Max follow suit? If you are looking for back to school deals on clothes and shoes, check our daily roundup of the hottest store deals.
Office Depot deals Sunday Aug. 21-27, 2011
- 1 cent 1 subject note books
- 1 cent Office Depot Eraser Caps
- 50 cent Scholastic glue sticks
- 50 cent reams of paper after mail-in rebate
- 50 cent vinyl binder
- 50 cent Purell
- 50 cent 3-pack High Lighter
Staples deals starting Sunday Aug. 21-27, 2011
- 1 cent 120-packs of ruled paper
- 50 cent Scotch tape with dispenser (HOT DEAL!)
- 50 cent pencil cases
- 50 cent Avery glue sticks
- 50 cent spiral-bound notebooks
- 25-50% off all backpacks
- 50 cent ball point pens
- Print a Staples coupon for 20% off that expires Aug. 20, 2011.
Staples Bonus: Pay $10 for a Staples discount card that gets you 15% off on school supplies through Sept. 17, 2011. Excludes toner and ink, technology (electronics), gift cards, stamps, case paper, food, furniture, flash drives, cell phones and plans, services, and phone cards. You’ll need to spend $66.66 dollars to get your $10 investment back (15% off $66.66 = $10).
Office Max deals starting Sunday , 2011
- Next week’s ad has not been posted. Hoping for an update later today so check back!
Taking Friday off! Credit: Heater/Fotolia.com
I’m taking Friday off to spend time with my sister, who is visiting from California.
Enjoy your weekend!
~Julia
aka Bargain Babe
chrisinplymouth / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Women with health insurance will soon have one less expense. Health insurance plans are required to cover birth control starting on or after August 2012. For now, you’re stuck paying for it. So what is the cheapest birth control option?
The chart below compares the cost of 10 contraceptive methods. Keep in mind that these prices will vary based on location. The most effective options are listed first, with a dark line grouping additional options by efficacy as determined by Planned Parenthood. So options within two dark lines have roughly the same effectiveness.
Free movie tickets to 50/50 below.
There are 23 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
HOT! Free magazine subscriptions - ValueMags.com has four FREE magazine subscription offers right now: Popular Science, Outdoor Living (digital subscription), Bridal Guide, Ski, plus a 30-day free electronic subscription to USA Today. Not too shabby!
Free hair treatment - This free sample of John Freida root awakening treatment is still available from Walmart.
Free movie screening - Get free movie tickets to a screening of 50/50. Screenings in 10 major cities across the country. Sign up quick!
You can use My Coupon Database to search dozens of sites for more grocery and drugstore coupons available.
Ralphs – The Ralphs prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. Get all the Ralphs coupons later today. Our tips for saving money at Ralphs.
Safeway/Vons – Get all the Safeway/Vons coupons and deals later today.
Albertsons – Save at Home Mommy shares this week’s list of Albertsons coupons. Highlights include free Wish-Bone Salad Dressing or Spritzers, Ragu Pasta Sauce for $0.49 when you buy 2, and Skippy Peanut Butter for $0.99. (more…)
Book winner announced below!
I wish I had 10 copies of “First Comes Love, Then Comes Money: A Couple’s Guide to Financial Communication” to give out! Reading your comments, I’m reminded just how hard it is to talk about money and find a system that works for both people in a relationship. I’m also grateful that my husband is open and willing to talk about money. We don’t agree on everything, but being able to talk about money without anyone taking it personally is a gift.
And the winner and runners up are…
Free fries at The Counter on Aug. 19!
There are 19 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
HOT!!!!! Get a $10 CVS gift card for $6 through the daily deal site Saveology. I’m going to buy as many as I can! If you are a Facebook friend, you would have already heard about this deal.
Free Biore cleanser - Get a free sample of Biore pimple-fighting cleanser when you share your name, address, email, birth date, and answer 12 multiple choice questions about your skin care habits. Must be 18 to receive the sample. While supplies last.
Free movie codes - Rent two free movies with Blockbuster Express coupon codes 26PBCG2 and 68TTDR5, good through Aug. 22, 2011. Thanks, The Freebie Blogger!
micro10x/Fotolia.com
Bargain shoppers like you and me can get trapped by low-priced back to school clothes that appear to be a great value, but are cheaply made. The September issue of ShopSmart, published by Consumer Reports, says here is what to avoid.
Dresses and skirts – Elastic waistbands, no lining, sloppy stitching, crooked seams, and visible hems (they should be rolled).
Jackets – Big, cheap buttons, buttonholes with loose threads or raw edges, no lining (which helps the jacket fit better and keep its shape), labels sewed on sloppily, flimsy
This is your last chance to comment on my original contest post for a chance to win my review copy of “First Comes Love, Then Comes Money: A Couple’s Guide to Financial Communication.” So far 30 people have entered by commenting, so you chances of winning are drastically higher than playing lotto!
The book is a quick read and focuses not on balancing your budget but understanding how you and your partner interact with regards to money. There is a financial personality section (which one are you?) and a quiz called the Financial Relationship Index that indicates where you might cheat financially. The last part of the book shares basic financial communication tools to move forward, including a monthly “Money Huddle.”
To win my review copy, comment below on why you need this book. Comment by Aug. 16 at 11:59 p.m. EST to win! If you can’t wait, buy a copy from Amazon for $6 (orig. $15).
Burrs & Berries / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Kids want to look good at school; parents surveyed by the National Retail Federation are committed to “spend where you need to, save where you can.” Here is how to meet both needs by saving money on back to school fashion. So what are this year’s fashion trends?
Tip: We post back to school deals at Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, and more every Thursday.
- Color-blocking- This trend is huge! You may have already seen someone giving it a try by wearing bold colors at the same time, above. If done right, it looks chic, but it can quickly go south. The trick is to stay within the color family. Try a bold pink dress with a bright red cardigan and black patent leather flats. The good thing about this trend is that (more…)
This is not a picture of Glenn's new shoes. Credit: Stocksnapper/Fotolia.com
Longtime reader Glenn shared an incredible deal he got by triple stacking discounts. His story is almost too good to be true:
I just saved 90% off retail on a pair of Docker dress shoes at the Men’s Warehouse today. This isn’t a savings that everyone can get. As a member of the MW email club, I was sent an email giving me a chance to buy dress shoes for 40% off. Earlier, after buying two pairs of dress slacks, they sent me a $50 gift certificate on any purchase good through 12/31/11. I took the coupon and gift certificate with me, and they said I could use them together.
The shoes I selected were priced at $100. I saved $40 from the coupon and applied the $50 certificate to the balance leaving only $9.99 that wasn’t covered. Add $.87 sales tax, and I got a good pair of dress shoes for only $10.86! Plus, I used my Visa rewards card, so I’ll be earning 1% cash back on the purchase.
Glenn, I should not be surprised after you scored $199 in birthday freebies for just $4, but wow! I haven’t saved 90% off a new item for sometime so this is inspiring.
Got a hot deal to share? Email me.
This post brought to you by Cardpool, your source for discounted online gift cards.
No idea why I did not register for discounted gift card alerts until now. Buying gift cards online at a steep discount – up to 30% off the face value – is a quick and easy way to save. Combine coupons with a gift card you bought on sale and – WHAM! – huge savings. With a discounted gift card, I can easily bump up my over all savings to 50% off. Here’s what I did.
1. Register at Plastic Jungle, Gift Card Rescue or another site that sells (and often buys) gift cards at a discount. Both PJ and GCR guarantee the transactions, though it’s savvy to read the fine print so you know the refund process is if something goes wrong. I prefer Plastic Jungle because it has a bigger selection of cards than Gift Card Rescue, and also because I’m an affiliate so I earn a small commission if others use my link.
2. Set up email alerts for retailers you regularly shop at. I signed up for
So many hot coupons today!
There are 24 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
Free floss - Get a free sample of dental floss picks when you create an account at DenTek. Share your name, address, email, dob, gender, and create a password. You must be 18 to receive this free stuff.
Free Armani perfume - Get a free sample of Armani perfume when you share your name, address, and email. Look for a tab on the far right. While supplies last.
Seventeen mag deal - Get a year of Seventeen for cheap with coupon code WKLYSPEC at Best Deal Magazines. That makes it just $3.76 for the year! Ends Aug. 21, 2011.
