When you shop at Drugstores, you will soon begin to see coupons for a dollar amount off another dollar amount ($3 off $15 or $5 off $25 etc). Occasionally, you will also get these coupons for use at grocery stores.

To find these coupons for Drug stores:

1. Look at the bottom of your reciept. Sometimes they will be printed there.
2. Scan your CVS card at the CVS price scanner. It may just print one for you.
3. Subscribe to this blog. We will post links to printable versions of these coupons when we find them.

To find these coupons for grocery stores:

1. Pay attention to your catalinas. Sometimes they will print there.
2. Pay attention to your mail. Sometimes they will be mailed to you.

Here are a few tips to help you make the best use of these coupons:

1. Use $ off $$ coupons to help pay for items that are free after rebate. Drug stores often have items that are free after rebate. However, you have to pay for those items before you get the rebate. So, if you can use a $ off $$ coupon to lower your out of pocket cost, you can actually "make" money when you get your rebate b/c your rebate will still be for the full price of the item.

2. Use $ off $$ coupons for items that are already on sale for a rock bottom price. Sometimes (especially when using these coupons at a grocery store), there aren't any items available that are free after rebate. What do you do then? Many people make the mistake of using these coupons on regular priced or average sale priced items. While these coupons can make those items a rock bottom price, they are better used on items that are already on sale for a rock bottom price. That way you can get things for less than the rock bottom price.

For example, say crackers on on sale for $0.50 a box. This is a great price by itself, but stacking it with a $ off $$ coupon makes it even better. Using a $3 off $15 coupon on $15 worth of crackers makes them each $.40 a box.

3. Use $ off $$ coupons for "free" or deeply discounted groceries. Sometimes there aren't enough free or rock bottom deals to get your total to the amount required in order to use your $ off $$ coupon. When this happens, many people make the mistake of not using the coupon. This is often unwise.

A few examples:

*Say you have $12.00 in items that are free after rebate or rock bottom deals. If you go buy these items without the $ off $$ coupon, you will spend $12.00. If you add $3 in other items you need (preferably some that are on sale for at least decent price), you will still spend $12, but you will get more items.

*If you were going to spend $13 in items that are free after rebate or rock bottom deals, you would spend $13 without the $ off $$ coupon. If you add $2 in other items you need (preferably some that are on sale for at least decent price), you will actually spend less: $12 instead of $13, and you will get more items.

*Even if your total is less than than that, but still close (say $10), it is still worth it to use the coupon. If you just bought your $10 of items without the $ off $$ coupon, you will spend $10, but if you add $5 in other items, you will be able to use the coupon and will spend $12, meaning you actually got those $5 worth of items for just $2. That is more than 50% off! If these items were already on sale, you just got a great deal!

My general rule is that if my total is greater than or equal to the required purchase amount minus the 2 x the discount amount, I will add items to bring my total up. So:

*For a $3 off $15 coupon, if my total is $9 ($15-$6) or more, I will add items to bring my total up to $15.

*For a $4 off $20 coupon, if my total is $12 ($20-$8) or more, I will add items to bring my total up to $20.

*For a $5 off $25 coupon, if my total is $15 ($25-$10) or more, I will add items to bring my total up to $25.

*For a $8 off $80 coupon, if my total is $64 ($80-$16) or more, I will add items to bring my total up to $80.

4. Keep your total as close to the required purchase amount as possible, even if you need to do multiple transactions.

If you are planning on buying $30 worth of items and have two $3 off $15 coupons, you should do two transactions of $15 intead of one transaction of $30. This way, you can use both $ off $$ coupons: saving $6 instead of just $3.

Even if you are only planning on buying $24 worth of items, you should do one transaction of $15, and use one $3 off $15 coupon. Then add $6 more in other items, and do a 2nd transaction of $15 in order to use the second $3 off $15 coupon.


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The Entertainment book is on sale again for just $20 today with FREE SHIPPING.

If you sign up for "auto-renewal," you will save an additional $5, making the book just $14.99 What is auto-renewal? Basically, they will send you an email 1 mo before next year's book is published. If you don't cancel before it is published, your card will automatically be charged and you will be sent next years book (minus a $5 discount). You can sign up for auto-renewal as part of the checkout process.

Shop through SHOPATHOME, and you will also get $7 cash back (yes, that is $7 dollars, not 7%) making this book just $7.99!!

If you are unfamiliar with this book, it is filled with hundreds of 2-for-1 or Buy one, get one 50% off discounts for activities and restaurants in your area. It is regularly $45.

If this is your first time shopping through SHOPATHOME you will also get a $5 bonus, making this book just $2.99 through SHOPATHOME . WOW!


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There are currently many titles of Blue-ray discs that are 60% off at Amazon. This may be a good time to build your collection! They are eligible for free shipping when you spend $25 or more total.


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I just had a little girl in July, and after having two boys it has been so fun getting her all dressed up in the adorable dresses everyone gave us. However, I had not bought any headbands or bows etc. for her because the prices I'd found just seemed completely outrageous!

Then a few weeks ago I found the Flower Bucket Boutique.

Jamie at The Flower Bucket Boutique offers Kufi hats for $4, beanies for $2, headbands for $0.95, and flowers for $2-$4! She has sizes from infant all the way up to adult. She even has other fun items such as buttons, baby leggings, and baby Ugg boots.

The Flower Bucket Boutique is an Etsy shop. If you are unfamiliar with Etsy, here is some general info:
*In order for something to be sold on Etsy it must be handmade.
*Anyone can open a "shop" on the Etsy website to sell something they have made.
*The quality of items can vary greatly.
*Often, you will overpay for shipping.
*If you want to order multiples of an item or a different color than what is etc, you must contact the seller directly to make arrangements.

When I found this shop, I was a little worried about quality b/c of her great prices and willingness to combine shipping, but I decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised. Here is what I found:

*I contacted Jamie around 5:00 pm her time a few weeks before Christmas. If you are a Mom, you know how crazy things get around 5:00! She responded within minutes. This was true every time I contacted her.

*I had very specific colors and items that I wanted as I was purchasing items for our family pictures. Jamie was very helpful and accommodating as I made all my special requests and changed my mind multiple times.

*Shipping was very very reasonable. She only charged $4 for NINE items. Many similar shops charged $1-$3 for your first item and $0.50-$2 for each item after that.

*The items arrived within week even though she had to special order a flower for me.

*The quality of each item I received was superb. Samantha wore a flower to church on Sunday and she got compliment after compliment. I even had 3 people email me afterward to tell me how cute she looked and ask where I had gotten the flower.

So, if you are looking for some great accessories for your baby, little girl, or even for yourself, I would highly recommend The Flower Bucket Boutique! Go get something to dress up the new clothes you or your little girl just got for Christmas!

You can also visit the Flower Bucket Boutique blog where she has even more items available: items that you can't get from her Etsy shop, like a a new line of couture wool hats for winter and slouchy beanies that fit infants, teens, and adults!

She also just informed me that they we will be adding new flower styles after Christmas and are already purchasing new flowers for springtime.

**All Photography from this post by Impact Photography Group**
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You may have noticed that many of my post include a reference to earning cash back when you shop online through a few different websites. Some of you have asked what this is all about.

Basically, it is an awesome way to "earn" money while shopping online. Cash back is different than coupon codes. Coupon codes save you a percentage off of your purchase. Cash back is a % of your purchase or a rebate that you get later, after your purchase. However, many of these websites also list coupon codes that you can use in addition to earning cash back. So, How does it work?

1. Sign up / register at each cash back website.

2. Visit a cash back website before you order something online. (I suggest visiting them all to find out which one is offering the highest cash back that day)

3. Search for the store you plan on shopping at from within the cash back site.

4. Check for any coupon codes you may be able to use to save money on your purchase at the store you plan on shopping at.

4. Link to the website you plan on shopping at by clicking on the link provided on the cash back site.

5. A percentage (it varies between store and cash back site, but will be clearly listed) of your purchase will be credited to your cash back account. (Occasionally a set dollar amount is credited instead of a percentage, but this will also be clearly listed)

6. Once you reach a certain dollar amount of cash back, you will be sent a check (or on some sites you can opt to have it credited to your paypal account).

While you shouldn't buy things just so you can earn cash back, if you plan on buying something online anyway, this can be a great way to put a little extra cash in your pocket. My husband and I put the cash back we earn from these sites as well as our credit card into our "date night" fund, allowing us to enjoy some great nights out for free!

The following three sites are the ones I am most familiar with / personally use regularly. If you sign up through the following links, you will get a $5 credit in your cash back account when you make your first purchase:

Shopathome

Cashbaq

Ebates

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On of the most helpful things I do each time I shop is to pick up the ad/circular when I walk in the store and take it with me while you shop. Why?

• Occasionally, items advertised on sale aren’t correctly marked in the store. If you have the ad with you, you can quickly reference it to help you find the correct item.

• If an item that is part of a rebate deal is out of stock, you will be able to quickly find another item to replace it with if necessary.

• You will have quick access to any in-ad coupons you plan on using that trip.

• If anything rings up incorrectly with the cashier, you will already have a handy reference to help correct the mistake.

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Just a reminder that tomorrow is the last day you can get a $20 Gap gift card when you buy any pair of Men's or Women's jeans. You can get a $10 Gap gift card when you buy Kid's or Baby's jeans.
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Just a reminder that tomorrow is the last day you can get 20% off Old Navy Gift Cards with this coupon.

This is a great deal if you often shop at Old Navy b/c you can then use that gift card later to pay for things you have a coupon for or that are on special clearance or sales: you will essentially be getting an additional 20% off those items!

Please note: this is an in-store deal only and you must print the coupon and bring it with you to the store in order to get the deal.
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When I began grocery shopping this way, we lived in a very small apartment with very little storage space. We have since upgraded to a slight larger condo, but still need all the storage space we can find for our large stockpile of food. So, I've had to be creative in finding places to store our food. One of the best I've found is under our beds.

I've never taken any great pictures of my "under the bed stockpile", but my friend Angela, at Queen B has:



Also, I've always just cut boxes to fit (which is a big pain), but she had the great idea to use produce boxes from Costco. They slide easily under the bed, are free, and are sturdy!


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People have often asked me why I bother spending money on coupons when I am trying to save money. I think the following example will help illustrate why:

Last week, crackers were on sale for $0.99 - $1.49 at Safeway. These were crackers that my family eats often. Often enough that I find it hard to keep a good stock of them.

So, I bought 20 coupons for $1 off each box of crackers. I spent $4 total through Ebay on the coupons.

There was also a $10 rebate available when you buy 10 crackers.

So, here was the breakdown:

10 crackers at $0.99 &; 10 crackers at $1.49 = $24.80
+ $4 for the coupons = $28.80
- $20 saved from the coupons: $8.80
- $10 rebate = $1.20 profit!

I did get three coupons with my Sunday paper.  So if I'd just used those and hadn't bought extra coupons, I would have spent $11.80 for the same crackers.  So, sometimes it is well worth the 2 min and few $$ it takes to buy coupons.

So, how do I know when to buy coupons and what coupons to buy?  Well, if there is an awesome deal like the one above, I always try to buy the coupons at least the day before the sale starts (if you get the circular early), or the day it starts at the latest.

I also use Sunday Coupon Preview. This website lists the coupons that will be available in the upcoming Sunday paper. Each week (or at least the weeks I find the time), I quickly scan the upcoming coupons. I look for three things:

• Coupons that match the upcoming rock bottom sales from the store circulars.

Matching a rock bottom sale to a coupon is a great way to save, but in order for it to really work, you need to be able to stock up on that item at the sale+coupon price. Buying multiples of specific coupons allows you to do this.

• High value coupons:

If a coupon has a value of $1.00 off 1 or more for an item I have seen on sale in the past for that amount or less, I often believe it is worth buying. I will likely be able to get the item for free/next to free with a good sale.

• Coupons for items my family uses a lot of:

As in the above example, having multiples of coupons for items you family uses a lot of can help you keep these items in stock without having to pay full price for them. Even without the rebate, I would have only spent $0.44 for each box of crackers. Had I only bought the $0.99 crackers, I would have gotten them all for free.

When I find coupons I would like to buy, I head on over to The Coupon Master or The Coupon Clippers to buy my coupons. If they are out of stock, the price seems a bit high, or I want more coupons than they allow one person to buy, I head on over to Ebay to see what I can find.

**Note:  Buying & Selling Coupons is illegal.  However the two sites I've listed above do not charge for the coupons.  Instead they charge you for their time to find, clip and mail you the coupons.  Most auctions on ebay will state the same thing, and if they do not, you should not buy from them** 

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I am often asked why I buy things I don't need when they are being sold "free" (after rebate) at a drug store. There are two main reasons:

1. I can "make money" by buying the item with a coupon.

Say, for example that a razor is on sale for $9.99 with a rebate of $9.99. If I have a $3 off coupon for that razor, I can pay $6.99 at the register and get $9.99 back from the rebate. Essentially, I "make" $3.

2. I need to "roll" ECBs at CVS.

CVS does all their rebates through their ECB program. You don't get cash rebates there. You must use the rebate (which prints as a coupon on your receipt and is called an Extra Care Buck or ECB) to buy other items at CVS. ECBs expire one month from when they are printed. If you don't use them, you lose them. (You can learn more about the ECB program by reading CVS 101)

I try to only buy things that are on sale for a rock bottom price. Some weeks, CVS just doesn't have many items I need on sale for rock bottom prices. So, instead of wasting my ECBs by using them for items that aren't on sale for a rock bottom price, I "roll" them by buying "free" items that I don't need. These items generate more ECBs with a later expiration date. That way I can use them to buy items in the future: items I do need that are on sale for a rock bottom price.

The next question I get: What do you do with all those un-needed "free" items?

I donate them. I give them to a neighbor, a friend, a homeless person, a shelter. There are plenty of people who can use them who don't have the means or resources to get them on their own. This way, I feel like I can help others without straining our family's budget.
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Just a reminder that the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters will be on sale today through, Tuesday and Wednesday for $8, starting at 7 a.m. Customers will be assigned numbers as lines build. There is a limit of one robotic toy per person, and Walmart said there will be a minimum of 20 sold per day at smaller stores and more than a 60 day in its largest retail outlets.
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I'm off! We are taking off to visit my family for two whole weeks! We haven't been home in over a year, so I am really looking forward to this! It will be great to take a break from real life (including crazy Frugalicious shopping) for a while and just enjoy playing with my kids, siblings and parents. I love the Christmas spirit and can't wait to soak it all in.

So, expect things to slow down around here for a bit, though I won't stop posting great deals altogether. I've pre-scheduled a few great deals to post already and if I happen across any more, I will be sure to post them as well. However, I hope you can join me in enjoying a slightly slower pace for a few weeks as we all enjoy the holidays.

ALSO...In lieu of all the regular deal posts, I have scheduled a different "Frugalicious shopping tip" to post each weekday while I am gone. I will give you give you tips on stockpiling, organization, other frugalicious websites, coupons, drug stores and more. So, be sure you check back often!

Merry Christmas!
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Save 10% off any one item at Staples with this coupon (see fine print for exclusions)

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This is an awesome deal. From now until Christmas Eve (December 24th), you can get 20% off Old Navy Gift Cards with this coupon.

What makes this deal so awesome is that you can then use that gift card later to pay for things you have a coupon for or that are on special clearance or sales: you will be getting an additional 20% off those items!

Please note: this is an in-store deal only and you must print the coupon and bring it with you to the store in order to get the deal.
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From now until Christmas Eve (December 24th), you will get a $20 Gap gift card when you buy any pair of Men's or Women's jeans. You will get a $10 Gap gift card when you buy Kid's or Baby's jeans.
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This awesome Fisher-Price Manny's Transforming Tool Truck is on sale at Amazon right now for just $29.99 (regularly $62.99). Get it shipped in 2-days for FREE with Prime.

I I hadn't already spent our entire Christmas budget, I would totally get this for the boys.

Remember, if you want it, go quickly. Deals change all the time on Amazon.
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Amazon has the Leapfrog Tag Junior reader right now for just $14.99!!! This is an AMAZING price. You can get FREE 2-day shipping with Prime or you can get FREE super saver shipping if you spend over $25 total. I've been waiting all season for a great price on this reader for my boys and thought I'd got a great deal at $19 each (also on Amazon) a few weeks ago. I haven't seen this anywhere else for less than $30.

Remember to snag this quickly as it is on Amazon and the prices change quickly.

As a side deal, you can get a free ABC Animal Orchestra book (around a $10 value) for your new reader when you link it online to the leapfrog learning path.


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From now until Dec 20th, get a free lip product (up to $8) with any purchase at Bath & Body Works.
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I LOVE Quiznos, so I just had to post these Quiznos coupons I found.

Get Free chips and drink with the purchase of a large sub, and/or $1 off a Med or $2 off a large Double Cheesesteak sandwich.


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Walmart announced today that starting Monday, it will stock up on the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters and sell them for $8, starting at 7 a.m. Dec. 21-23. Customers will be assigned numbers as lines build. There is a limit of one robotic toy per person, and Walmart said there will be a minimum of 20 sold per day at smaller stores and more than a 60 day in its largest retail outlets.

As a side note, this Saturday, they will also be offering an 8GB iPod nano for $145 that comes with a free $50 iTunes gift card.

Thanks, Money Saving Madness!



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Here is another offer for a free personalized video from Santa. Enjoy!

Thanks, For the Mommas!

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Last week, Target had the DVD/Blueray combo for G-Force advertised at $29.99, which meant it was less expensive to get it at Walmart.

But they have lowered that price this week and are selling it for just $22.99. Stack the following two coupons to get it for just $7.99!

$5 off any Blue Ray (Target Coupon)
$10 off G-Force (Manufactures Coupon)

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