Hallmark $5 off $5 purchase coupon & more!

As I was thumbing through my free magazines this weekend, I found a FUN coupon!

$5 off your total purchase of $5 or more at Hallmark stores! Valid through 12/24/09. May be combined with other in-store offers and used towards sale merchandise. May not be combined with other coupons. Not valid on gift card purchases or Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED.

I found the coupons in:

Martha Stewart Living (Dec '09) pg. 74
Woman's Day (Dec. 1, '09) pg. 33

THEN....in my Parents Dec. issue there is a coupon on pg. 84 for $10 off the recordable storybook The Night Before Christmas with any Hallmark purchase. Regularly $29.95. Coupon is required. While supplies last, limit 3 per coupon.


It does say on the back that it cannot be combined with other in-store offers or coupons so you can't use it with the above $5 coupon.

Thanks PYP!

Other Mothers free sale

If you live in my area, make sure to put this sale on your calendar. Other Mothers, one of my favorite places to shop for my kids, is putting a twist on their monthly 25 cent sale.

Usually the last weekend of the month they have a 25 cent sale where they get rid of things that were donated but don't sell in the store. I love going to those sales. However, this year they have decided to do something a little different. Here is their announcement from their website:

BIG OTHER MOTHERS BOISE NEWS!

We are having our first GIVE BACK FREE EVENT.

The location will be 2 doors west of Other Mothers Boise store.

The hours will be from 10 am-when you are done.

The first day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, we will give each customer a large recyclable bag.

Everything that they can fit in the bag is FREE.

Before you donate to other business/charities, save your "get rid of pile" and put it in our huge event that will truly help others.

Warmest wishes, The Other Mothers Team

Thanks, A Thrifty Mom!

Rite Aid this week, plus the Gift of Savings Program

There are a few good deals at Rite Aid this week. Check my post on the PYP blog to find out about the new Gift of Savings Program they have going. PLUS a shopping scenario to find out how you can get overage on your shopping trip!

New Winner for Smart Spending Resources Giveaway!

The first winner for the Smart Spending Resources giveaway did not respond within 72 hours, so a new winner was chosen via random number generator. The new winner is commentor #10!

Rowley Family said...

We need all the help we can get. My husband is in school and we would really like to get out of debt as fast as possible!

November 15, 2009 9:06 AM

Congrats Kenz! Please remember you have 72 hours to reply to my email or a new winner will be chosen.

$10 credit to Shutterfly

Thanks Utah Deal Diva for this info!

If you use Shutterfly and would like a $10 credit, read on! Simply by going here and registering for the Parenting.com Baby and Child model search, you'll get a code that you can add to your Shutterfly account that's good for $10 off any order! {Credit does not apply towards shipping costs.}

Make sure to check the box at the bottom of the registration form that states "Yes, I want to receive future special offers from Shutterfly via email and save $10 off my order at Shutterfly.com. New members also get 50 Free prints!"

Here are a few more coupon codes you can use at Shutterfly right now:

• HOLIDAY25: free shipping on orders of $25 or more
• SHIP30: free shipping on orders of $30 or more
• THREEFREECARDS: Receive three free holiday cards with any order!

After you fill out the simple form, you'll receive a code that you will either need to save somewhere for later use, or just log in to your Shutterfly account and enter it in the "Special Offers" section. The code doesn't expire until November 2010!

Coupon Binder Organization

Remember last week when I posted a picture of my coupon binder? I couldn't even close it!
(Sorry for the bad pictures. Our camera is going out and we are looking for a new one).

I was in need of a coupon organization makeover! I did some research and found a HUGE binder that would work to hold all my coupons. I get 6 copies of the Sunday paper so it accumulates quickly. Here she is folks....whalla! My new HUGE coupon binder!

Isn't she beautiful! This is the Case-It Dual 500 dual binder 2-in-1 zipper binder. What a name, huh! I have been in love ever since the Fed Ex man came with her. As you can see, she expands up to 5 inches...which gives me plenty of room to store all those coupons. I can zip it closed with ease.

In the front are pockets where I keep the current weekly ads. I don't like going to the store without them. I also keep my weekly coupon list here for easy reference.

The front opens up to reveal lots of compartments for storage. Pens, calculators, highlighters, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Now to the coupons. See my post below on how I organize my coupons. That is a separate post in and of itself. This binder is perfect for lots of coupons as it has two sets of binder rings. One large and one small.

The larger ring on the left is where I keep my Smart Source and Red Plum inserts. The right side is where I keep my Proctor and Gamble and General Mills inserts.

In the very back I have a pouch where I keep printable coupon, catalinas, and other items I will be using soon. Behind that I am putting clear holders to put the rest of my printable coupons, store coupons, and catalinas. I will have a separate page for each store, ie Target, Albertsons...so I can keep everything together.

In the very back is another storage compartment for whatever you need. Right now this is where I have my calculator, pens, highlighters and such. I might move them though. I haven't decided if I like them there.

The binder is pretty heavy, but it also has a shoulder strap too! Awesome.

If you are liking this idea, get your binder on Amazon. I checked around and Amazon is the cheapest place to buy these bad babies. Order a 'filler item' to get your price up to $25 and you will get free shipping. I just googled 'filler item' and found something for .20 cents. Here is a link for easy ordering.
Caseit Dual500 Dual Ring Zipper Binder, Extra Large, Purple (Dual 500 PUR)

Here is the LINK to the Case-It website for more info on the binder. But Amazon has the best price.

Let me know what you think! Go here to see how I organize my coupons.

How I 'clip' my coupons

In the past couple of months I have changed how I organize my coupons. Since I get so many Sunday newspapers (6), I thought I would share how I now organize my coupons. I no longer clip my coupons and store them in a file. It would take me forever and they would not fit! Here is what I do.

When I get my inserts I rip them apart at the spine so each page is separate. Then I lay them out in piles of the same page. Sometimes when the inserts are thick I have 15 pages, other times I have less. It just depends on how thick the inserts are. Then I staple each set together.

My baby loves watching me do this, lol!

Then after I have stapled each set I label it on the front, like so. The date and what insert it is (SS=Smart Source). There are also Red Plum inserts, General Mills inserts, and Proctor and Gamble inserts.

Then I stick them in sheet protectors by date. I also organize them by insert. So all my Smart Source inserts are together, Red Plum are together, etc. When I need a coupon I just take out the stapled set and cut out what I need at the store.

So far I really like organizing my coupons this way because it cuts down on wasted cutting time. Many, many times I would spend time planning out my trip, clipping the coupons I needed then when I got to the store they were out of what I wanted and I was left with a mess of coupons to refile. Now I cut only what I need when I need it. I love it! And as the coupons expire I just take out the whole insert. So easy.

And I know you are wondering how in the world I find the coupon I need, right? SUPER EASY. PinchingYourPennies has a updated weekly list of available coupons in alphabetical order. So I print out that list, keep it in my binder and I am good to go. Takes me 2 minutes tops to find what I need.

I do have some folders in the back of the binder where I keep printable coupons, store coupons, and catalinas. I still have lots of clipped coupons so I will be carrying around my accordion file for a little longer.

My next post is on my coupon binder, so stay tuned!

Oh, and I only pay $12 a month for the daily paper PLUS 5 Sunday papers. Then a friend gives me her Sunday paper too. It is so cheap to buy it that way instead of separately. I make up the $12 cost EASILY every month. Many times I triple or quadruple the savings. If you live in my area I can tell you how to get that deal. If you don't, call your local paper to see if they offer a deal on multiple Sunday subscriptions.

Why do I get multiple Sunday papers? Because it gives me more coupons so when there are great deals I can stock up! Its a great way to build up your food storage without breaking the bank.

Updated Target coupon policies

Target has changed several parts of their price matching policy in addition to their printable coupon policy. You can now only print 2 of Target's printable store coupons per computer and you must print from their website. So sad...gone are the days on multiple prints. But I can understand why. And maybe there will be something left on the shelves for everyone now! See the Target website for more details on that.

Go to Surviving the Stores for more detailed info on what you can do at Target when it comes to using coupons and price matching. This is a post you won't want to miss.

Frugal Living Friday: Used Item Swap

Welcome to Frugal Living Friday! Each week I will feature a tip that can help us stretch our budget and live more frugally! If you have a tip that you want shared on Frugal Living Friday, let me know and you could become a guest blogger for a day.

Let's face it: money is tight right now for many people across the country. The stress on many people's shoulders for financially supporting a family is overwhelming. Costs for everything is so high...clothes, toys, food, education, etc. I feel overwhelmed many times too with how to make sure we can stay ahead somehow.

Here is one idea I wanted to share with you that may help. Maybe you have done this before but if not.....consider putting a swap together! A swap where you bring unwanted items to share with others and in return you can take another's unwanted items. And it's all free.

We did this at my church last week and are doing it again this weekend on a stake level. It's such a great way to help others. Participants coming bring things they don't need or want anymore: books, clothes, toys, home decor, shoes, etc. Just make sure it is in usable condition...no junk. Everyone puts their items on tables. Then you can go "shopping" and take whatever you need. Awesome, huh!

It's a win-win: clutter is cleared out of homes and people get some things they need at no cost. It is a good way to recycle things and help those in your community.

Have you participated in a swap before?

Amazon Wii deal plus $50 gift card!

Here is a SWEET deal! Amazon is offering a $50 gift card to their site with a purchase of a Wii and a Wii Fit! If I didn't already have these I would jump on this deal now! We love our Wii and Wii Fit and use them all the time. My kids especially love the Wii Fit more than I do. Here are the steps:

1. GO HERE and check the box next to all three items to add them to your cart.

2. Then click “Add To Cart” (It will show your total as $339.98)

3. Once you get to the final page of the checkout process, it will take off the charge for the $50 gift card, making your total just $289.98!

4. BE SURE to select “Free Super Saver Shipping” when you check out. (A different option will be checked, so you will have to change it).

The Amazon prices for the Wii Console and Wii Fit are right around where they are from other retailers ($200 for the console & $90 for the Wii Fit), BUT the great thing about this deal is that you get the $50 Amazon gift card FREE!

HURRY THOUGH, ITS ONLY VALID THROUGH SUNDAY!

Thanks, Surviving the Stores!