FREE Sample

Lots of great freebies today!  I had the best mailbox day yesterday as a result of signing up for these free samples.  So let me again say, sign up!  It's so much more fun to get free goodies in your box than a bunch of bills and junk.  I have also found so many new favorite products that were previously unknown to me through samples and high value coupons.  Which proves to marketing companies everywhere that this works to their advantage.  Ha.  But truly, my home is full of a much wider variety of household, beauty and food products because of samples and coupons.  Nay sayers seem to believe that coupons limit you.  And we know that is just not at all true. 

So sign up.  It's FREE.  And fun.  And makes for a very happy mailbox!

Thanks Hip2Save!

FREE Sample

Click the image to request a FREE sample (3-pack) of these handy little Placker's flossers.

Thanks Hip2Save!

FREE Clean & Clear Bodywash At Walgreens Next Week!

Starting this Sunday May (OMG how is it May already??) 08, Walgreens will have a great Buy One Get One FREE sale on Clean & Clear body wash.  Plus...you should have a BOGO Clean & Clear body wash coupon from the 3/27 SS insert.  Which means you can buy TWO and pay only tax!!


I've seen lots of confusion lately on BOGO sales and coupons.  So let me share what I do know for sure.

Coupon policies are our friends! 

When I first started couponing, I read blogs that said as much over and over and nodded my head and then did not a darn thing about it.  Until a particular Walgreens manager refused to follow the policy.  Then I started printing off each store policy and adding it to my big coupon binder.  It's always with me.  I can reference it if I have a question.  And I can reference it if a manager tries to not follow it.  And I can reference it (this is when I ref it most often) when a cashier is unfamiliar with a store policy because they were never trained on the details.  It is worth every last drop of ink (and you can totally print these in draft too) to have that security blanket with you at all times!

To a store, manufacturer coupons are like cash.  Not all cashiers realize this.  But every valid coupon has a remit address and also notes that the store will be reimbursed for the face value AND shipping and handling.  A good store manager should welcome coupons as they are a win-win for both stores and customers.

So when a store runs a BOGO Free sale, you can (unless otherwise noted in a store's coupon policy) also use a BOGO Free coupon.  The store is giving one to you for free.  And the coupon is your cash tender to pay for the second item.  To you, it's a piece of paper that you clipped from the Sunday paper.  But to the store, it's sort of like a check.  They will cash it in for $$. 

So you are not stealing!  Never let a store tell you otherwise.  I've so been there and I know it's demoralizing.  But that's why you have your printed coupon policies.  They are your backbone in this coupon game.

Oh and you still have to pay tax on the PRE-COUPON PRICE.  So if a non-food item is on regularly $7 but on sale for $5, you will pay tax on the store's sale price of $5.  If you have a coupon for $5/1 and you live here in NY, your tax will be $0.40.  So while yes, I am claiming that the body wash will be FREE, it's not exactly free as you will still have to pay tax on the pre-coupon price.  So if it's not an item you actually need/use/like, free isn't always worth it.  But in the case of body wash, something I love and seem to go through quickly, just tax is as good as it gets!

FREE Nivea Body Wash

This is perfect timing as I have a few trips coming up this summer.  I love getting samples of products I already use at home.  They make it so much easier to travel and know you have your favorites on hand. 

Today's All You sample is Nivea Body Wash!  Click the image to sign up quickly!

MORE Great Coupons

As I was putting away the Swiffer starter kit, I noticed that it says on the side that it includes $4 in coupons.  Being a coupon-aholic, I peeked inside to find $9 in coupons!  Score!  I'm not sure I am motivated to go back to Walgreens for a third time this week.  Honestly, it's pushing it for me to go there once in a week and by Monday afternoon I had already been twice.  But they are good until 12/31/11 so a fun surprise to hang on to.

That's something I have learned.  When it comes to coupons and sales, there will be another one.  It's OK if you miss one or many in a given week.  You can't win them all.  And it's not a big deal.  There will be another sale and more coupons in a few months.

Swiffer Deals At Walgreens

OK so there are some great deals that I noticed last night when looking through the Wags circular and other favorite blogs.  In the middle of the Walgreens circular this week is an ad noting that if you spend $10 on select products (including Swiffer, Mr. Clean and more), you will receive a $3 Register Reward. 

Of course, after planning and plotting last night, I got to the store to find that my prices were higher on some things, lower on other things and out of stock on some others.  This is typical.  As a couponaholic, you have to learn to go with the flow.  My back up plan is always my giant coupon binder.  And it actually worked out so well as I found a coupon I didn't realize I had for $5/1 Swiffer Starter Kit.  I believe the coupon was from the P & G coupon book that was mailed to me months ago. 

I had to do this in three transactions in order to keep my out of pocket costs as low as possible.  I still hate the dumb Walgreens coupon to item ratio rule.  It forces me to buy extra crap- such as those caramels.  But even with the added items, I still did pretty great.


Transaction #1:
(1) Swiffer Starter Kit  reg. $10.95, sale $8.99
(1) Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2 ct.  reg. $2.59, sale $1.94
(2) Caramel candy  reg. $0.39

-(1) $5 RR from Gillette yesterday
-(1) $5/1 Swiffer Starter Kit
-(1) $1.50/1 Mr. Clean Magic Eraser from 5/1

Out of pocket ... $1.15 ($0.94 of that was tax)
Earned ... $3 RR from Swiffer/Mr. Clean


Transaction #2:
(1) Noxzema Razor 4 ct.  reg. $??, sale $3.99
(1) Caramel candy  reg. $0.39

-(1) $2 RR from Eez-Thru yesterday
-(1) $2/1 Noxzema print or from 5/1 paper (sadly I did not get that coupon)

Out of pocket ... $0.73 ($0.35 of that was tax)
Earned ... $3 RR from Noxzema Razor


Transaction #3:
(1) Gillette Fusion ProGlide Kit  reg. $12.99, sale $9.89
(2) Caramel candy  reg. $0.39

-(1) $3 RR from Swiffer/Mr. Clean in Trans #1
-(1) $3 RR from Noxzema Razor in Trans #2
-(1) $4/1 Gillette Fusion from 5/1

Out of pocket ... $1.52 ($0.85 of that was tax)
Earned ... $5 RR from Gillette Fusion

So in total, here's what I did in just a few minutes at Wags today...

Total value purchased ... $34.91

Paid out of pocket ... $3.40

Percentage saved ... 90%

Earned and still unused ... $5 RR