Confession: I can't live without my flat iron.
My head is chock-full of hair that is fine-stranded and wavy--not curly enough to wear it curly, but not straight enough to wear it straight. After letting it dry naturally post-wash, it fluffs up like a lion's mane.
My first flat iron lasted me about six years, then literally exploded last summer (not violently, but it definitely popped a side and stopped heating up). I hated trying to find a new one; there are a billion different combinations of sizes, styles, features, etc., and of course (as with most things) the nicest ones were way out of my frugal price range--and that was just in the Walmart aisle!
One of my new favorite online deal sites, GraveyardMall, has an awesome deal on a Conair flat iron with infrared heat, which apparently is gentler on the hair. This straightener retails around $100 and is on sale today (and possibly for the next few days, until they sell out) for $18 plus about $6 shipping. I would take advantage of it myself, except for the fact that I had to replace mine just last summer!
I'd recommend signing up for GraveyardMall daily emails. Sometimes the deals aren't incredibly useful, but they have great buys on "lots" of sunglasses with decent brand names, some stuff for the home, and occasionally electronics. It's one of my new favorites to check each day!
Showing posts with label Great Deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Deals. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Frappuccinos Half-Price at Starbucks starting Friday
I've been absolutely terrible about posting lately. Welcome to the last month of school for a teacher! I haven't even had a good shopping run in several weeks. But the fact that my cupboards, frige, and freezer are still full definitely attests to the benefits of couponing and sale-shopping! Even though I haven't shopped in a while, I'm stocked up.
I'm breaking my hiatus to share something that's not free... but half-price isn't bad!
I love Starbucks Frappuccinos. Always have, always will. It's one of my guilty pleasures. And to celebrate the new "fraps your way" promo, May 7-16 from 3-5pm is half-price Happy Hour on all fraps. Not a coffee fan? Good news for you, too--"frap" also includes creme-based beverages in strawberry, vanilla, chai, green tea, chocolate chip, or choose any syrup flavor and they'll make it into a creme frap.
Starbucks has always offered a variety of flavors and customization options, but now they're making a big, public deal about being able to personalize your beverage--not just the flavor, but the option to have it light (for most coffee-based beverages), choose your type of milk, extra coffee or espresso, whip or no whip, drizzle or chocolate chips on top... so now ordering a Frappuccino can be just as complex as ordering any other kind of coffee! I'm reminded of Tom Hanks' great line from You've Got Mail:
I'm breaking my hiatus to share something that's not free... but half-price isn't bad!
I love Starbucks Frappuccinos. Always have, always will. It's one of my guilty pleasures. And to celebrate the new "fraps your way" promo, May 7-16 from 3-5pm is half-price Happy Hour on all fraps. Not a coffee fan? Good news for you, too--"frap" also includes creme-based beverages in strawberry, vanilla, chai, green tea, chocolate chip, or choose any syrup flavor and they'll make it into a creme frap.
Starbucks has always offered a variety of flavors and customization options, but now they're making a big, public deal about being able to personalize your beverage--not just the flavor, but the option to have it light (for most coffee-based beverages), choose your type of milk, extra coffee or espresso, whip or no whip, drizzle or chocolate chips on top... so now ordering a Frappuccino can be just as complex as ordering any other kind of coffee! I'm reminded of Tom Hanks' great line from You've Got Mail:
"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what... they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino."
Saturday, April 10, 2010
CVS Couponing WIN
There are some weeks (like this one) in which I have neither time nor motivation nor really a need to do any big shopping/saving trips. I find, however, that I get antsy if I don't go out and get a deal somewhere.
This week's "saving fix," we'll call it, brought to mind some tips for couponing (particularly at CVS) that I thought I would pass along. For those that might be new to (or still struggling with) the whole couponing deal, I'm going to give the long story of my shopping trip.
Here was my shopping list with prices as marked:
~Stride Shift gum $1.49
~Pantene Nature Fusion $4.99 (x3)
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2)
~... and a Charleston Chew for hubby, who went along for the trip : ) $1.88
Total value = $28.32
Now, factor in the sales I got by using my CVS ExtraCare card:
~Stride Shift gum$1.49 $.99
~Pantene Nature Fusion$4.99 $2.99 (x3)
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2) regular price
~Charleston Chew regular price
Savings just by using my ExtraCare card = $6.50
Tip #1: Always use your ExtraCare card. Don't have one? Get one.
I also have coupons--I wouldn't be shopping without my coupons!
~ $2 off Pantene Nature Fusion (x3) that came in the mail with my full-size sample of the shampoo from VocalPoint. As if they weren't doing enough by sending me a free bottle of the stuff, they also saved me $6--proof that you should sign up for VocalPoint. It's a win-win. There is no drawback here!
~ B1G1 Head & Shoulders coupon from a recent newspaper insert
Additional savings from coupons = $11
Tip #2: Send off for as many free samples as you can. They often come with coupons.
Tip #3: Always plan and match ExtraCare sales with coupons.
Now comes the CVS-specific part: using (and chaining) ExtraCare bucks. ECB's are lovely little things that print on the bottom of your CVS receipt when you buy certain products and use your ExtraCare card. They can be used immediately on any CVS purchase. This week's ECB deals:
~ Buy Pantene, earn $1 ECB (so I earn $3)
~ Buy Head & Shoulders, earn $1 ECB (so I earn $2)
~ Buy Stride Shift, earn $.99 ECB
Tip #4: Match sales and coupons with ECB deals for money back on your purchases.
But I'm not done yet! Recently, CVS installed these handy little machines at the entrance where you can scan your ExtraCare card and get coupons printed instantly for you to use. I've gotten into the habit of scanning my card every time I go into the store, because I never know what coupons will print and how I might be able to use them. It never hurts to have extra coupons! But today I learned that these machines also print ECB's earned for the quarter. So I had $1 ECB to start myself off.
Tip #5: Always check the ExtraCare machine when you enter a CVS store.
So here's how my shopping trip went:
Transaction #1:
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2)
~Pantene $2.99
~Stride $.99
Subtotal: $13.96
- $4.99 (B1G1 Head & Shoulders coupon)
- $2 (Pantene coupon)
- $1 ECB (printed at the machine in-store)
Total with tax = $6.69
Total ECB's earned to use on my next transaction = $3.99
Transaction #2:
~Pantene $2.99 (2)
~Charleston Chew $1.88
Subtotal: $7.86
- $4 (2 Pantene coupons)
- $2.86 ECB's (from my last transaction) *Technically, my $.99 ECB was adjusted to $.86 because the ECB's cannot exceed the value of the transaction. Normally the cashier will not do this and will ask you to buy a small "filler" item. This lady was apparently feeling extra nice!
Total = just tax $.36
Total ECB's earned to use on my next transaction = $2
Tip #6: Do multiple transactions and chain your ECB's to spend the least amount possible out of pocket. (Really, in this scenario I could have planned my chaining better by buying the Head & Shoulders on a third transaction by itself, but there was a line growing behind me and I didn't want to be rude.)
Total value: $28.32
Total spent out of pocket: $7.15
Total ECB's I have to use on my next shopping trip: $3
Technically, if you figure in the $3 I have to spend next time, you could say I spent a net $4.15, which means I saved 85%. Ahhh. I've gotten my fix for the week, and I have enough shampoo to last me and my husband several months.
So, to summarize:
While each of these tips by itself will save you some money, you can save the most by using all these techniques at once. I.e., just using your ExtraCare card will save you some, but it really starts to be worthwhile when you match those sales with coupons and deals that get you ECB's; and when you chain those ECB's, it's even better.
CVS can be one of the more confusing places to shop, but as long as you have a strategy when you walk in the door, it can be one of the most money-saving stops on your shopping circuit. I hope this helps!
This week's "saving fix," we'll call it, brought to mind some tips for couponing (particularly at CVS) that I thought I would pass along. For those that might be new to (or still struggling with) the whole couponing deal, I'm going to give the long story of my shopping trip.
Here was my shopping list with prices as marked:
~Stride Shift gum $1.49
~Pantene Nature Fusion $4.99 (x3)
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2)
~... and a Charleston Chew for hubby, who went along for the trip : ) $1.88
Total value = $28.32
Now, factor in the sales I got by using my CVS ExtraCare card:
~Stride Shift gum
~Pantene Nature Fusion
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2) regular price
~Charleston Chew regular price
Savings just by using my ExtraCare card = $6.50
Tip #1: Always use your ExtraCare card. Don't have one? Get one.
I also have coupons--I wouldn't be shopping without my coupons!
~ $2 off Pantene Nature Fusion (x3) that came in the mail with my full-size sample of the shampoo from VocalPoint. As if they weren't doing enough by sending me a free bottle of the stuff, they also saved me $6--proof that you should sign up for VocalPoint. It's a win-win. There is no drawback here!
~ B1G1 Head & Shoulders coupon from a recent newspaper insert
Additional savings from coupons = $11
Tip #2: Send off for as many free samples as you can. They often come with coupons.
Tip #3: Always plan and match ExtraCare sales with coupons.
Now comes the CVS-specific part: using (and chaining) ExtraCare bucks. ECB's are lovely little things that print on the bottom of your CVS receipt when you buy certain products and use your ExtraCare card. They can be used immediately on any CVS purchase. This week's ECB deals:
~ Buy Pantene, earn $1 ECB (so I earn $3)
~ Buy Head & Shoulders, earn $1 ECB (so I earn $2)
~ Buy Stride Shift, earn $.99 ECB
Tip #4: Match sales and coupons with ECB deals for money back on your purchases.
But I'm not done yet! Recently, CVS installed these handy little machines at the entrance where you can scan your ExtraCare card and get coupons printed instantly for you to use. I've gotten into the habit of scanning my card every time I go into the store, because I never know what coupons will print and how I might be able to use them. It never hurts to have extra coupons! But today I learned that these machines also print ECB's earned for the quarter. So I had $1 ECB to start myself off.
Tip #5: Always check the ExtraCare machine when you enter a CVS store.
So here's how my shopping trip went:
Transaction #1:
~Head & Shoulders $4.99 (x2)
~Pantene $2.99
~Stride $.99
Subtotal: $13.96
- $4.99 (B1G1 Head & Shoulders coupon)
- $2 (Pantene coupon)
- $1 ECB (printed at the machine in-store)
Total with tax = $6.69
Total ECB's earned to use on my next transaction = $3.99
Transaction #2:
~Pantene $2.99 (2)
~Charleston Chew $1.88
Subtotal: $7.86
- $4 (2 Pantene coupons)
- $2.86 ECB's (from my last transaction) *Technically, my $.99 ECB was adjusted to $.86 because the ECB's cannot exceed the value of the transaction. Normally the cashier will not do this and will ask you to buy a small "filler" item. This lady was apparently feeling extra nice!
Total = just tax $.36
Total ECB's earned to use on my next transaction = $2
Tip #6: Do multiple transactions and chain your ECB's to spend the least amount possible out of pocket. (Really, in this scenario I could have planned my chaining better by buying the Head & Shoulders on a third transaction by itself, but there was a line growing behind me and I didn't want to be rude.)
Total value: $28.32
Total spent out of pocket: $7.15
Total ECB's I have to use on my next shopping trip: $3
Technically, if you figure in the $3 I have to spend next time, you could say I spent a net $4.15, which means I saved 85%. Ahhh. I've gotten my fix for the week, and I have enough shampoo to last me and my husband several months.
So, to summarize:
Tip #1: Always use your ExtraCare card.
Tip #2: Send off for as many free samples as you can. They often come with coupons.
Tip #3: Always plan and match ExtraCare sales with coupons.
Tip #4: Match sales and coupons with ECB deals for money back on your purchases.
Tip #5: Always check the ExtraCare machine when you enter a CVS store.
Tip #6: Do multiple transactions and chain your ECB's to spend the least amount possible out of pocket.Tip #4: Match sales and coupons with ECB deals for money back on your purchases.
Tip #5: Always check the ExtraCare machine when you enter a CVS store.
While each of these tips by itself will save you some money, you can save the most by using all these techniques at once. I.e., just using your ExtraCare card will save you some, but it really starts to be worthwhile when you match those sales with coupons and deals that get you ECB's; and when you chain those ECB's, it's even better.
CVS can be one of the more confusing places to shop, but as long as you have a strategy when you walk in the door, it can be one of the most money-saving stops on your shopping circuit. I hope this helps!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Insane deal on My Little Pony at Toys R Us TODAY ONLY!!!
Did you know that a B1G1 sale + a B1G1 coupon = two free items?
Take this B1G1 Toys R Us sale on My Little Pony today only (Wed. 3/31) along with this printable coupon for B1G1 (or, if you didn't throw it away already, the coupon is also in the PlaySaver insert from the 3/21 paper)... and you can get two free My Little Pony toys.
*Disclaimer: call your store before going, and make sure they accept manufacturer coupons in conjunction with store deals. Rumor has it some Toys R Us stores are picky about this.
Take this B1G1 Toys R Us sale on My Little Pony today only (Wed. 3/31) along with this printable coupon for B1G1 (or, if you didn't throw it away already, the coupon is also in the PlaySaver insert from the 3/21 paper)... and you can get two free My Little Pony toys.
*Disclaimer: call your store before going, and make sure they accept manufacturer coupons in conjunction with store deals. Rumor has it some Toys R Us stores are picky about this.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
50% off Crocs sandals
I just got a MyPoints email with some great promo codes on Crocs! All these styles are $14.99 (free shipping) with the code posted below the image. Click the image to go directly to the item on Crocs.com, then enter the promo code at checkout.
WAKE1499
(Women's, also available in purple with white straps)
PREPAIRSLIDE1499
(Unisex, also available in white/black, red/black, navy/silver, pink/silver, and aqua/silver)
KBAYA1499
(Kids', also available in navy, aqua, fuchsia, and pink)
WAKE1499
(Women's, also available in purple with white straps)
PREPAIRSLIDE1499
(Unisex, also available in white/black, red/black, navy/silver, pink/silver, and aqua/silver)
KBAYA1499
(Kids', also available in navy, aqua, fuchsia, and pink)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Product recommendation: Sweet Pea Forever
This post is the first of a new topic for the blog: product recommendations.
Occasionally, as part of my money-making endeavours, I get a chance to test a new product before it appears on the market. I've tested healthier versions of Campbell's soup flavors, hair care, body care, personal care, sunscreen, eye drops, cookies, taco shells, pasta sauce, dog treats (well, the dogs technically tested those!), a new line of Lean Cuisine meals, new varieties of Hot Pockets, and a few that I've forgotten at the moment. I've also gotten to try new products when they hit the shelves, through programs like Vocalpoint and Viewpoints. When I try a new product I love, I can't wait for it to come on the market so I can buy it--and so I can share my recommendations with my friends. So that's the new topic, and I'm going to backtrack a little to cover some of my recent tests. I hope you will be able to discover some great new products through these posts.
This summer, thanks to my membership with Mindfield, I got the opportunity to test four options being considered for a new fragrance concept at Bath & Body Works. Based on B&BW's long-running scent Sweet Pea, the new fragrance was inspired by youth, revolution, daisies, and peace signs. And this weekend, while hitting a mall sale to buy a gift, I passed by the store and noticed the fragrance had finally been released! The best part? They went with my favorite of the four fragrance options.
Sweet Pea Forever. The fragrance is described as "petals and citrus," and I think it's just delicious. I've kept the test bottle on my perfume shelf since the summer, rationing it and hoping they'd go with this fragrance so I could buy more--and now I can! : ) I definitely recommend it. There's also a Moonlight Path variant (called "Moonlight Madness") if you're more of a berries-and-musk person.
Mindfield Online is a company that signs me up for a lot of these, including a handful of tests for Bath & Body Works products (I just got an invite to another one today, in fact). If you know me, you know how I feel about B&BW--I just love it. It's one area in which I'm willing to splurge a little... but I still use coupons there! Here's one I received in my email today:
Use this in conjunction with the current Buy 2, Get 1 deal (or Buy 3, Get 2) for a total of half off the sticker price of 4 or 6 items.
Occasionally, as part of my money-making endeavours, I get a chance to test a new product before it appears on the market. I've tested healthier versions of Campbell's soup flavors, hair care, body care, personal care, sunscreen, eye drops, cookies, taco shells, pasta sauce, dog treats (well, the dogs technically tested those!), a new line of Lean Cuisine meals, new varieties of Hot Pockets, and a few that I've forgotten at the moment. I've also gotten to try new products when they hit the shelves, through programs like Vocalpoint and Viewpoints. When I try a new product I love, I can't wait for it to come on the market so I can buy it--and so I can share my recommendations with my friends. So that's the new topic, and I'm going to backtrack a little to cover some of my recent tests. I hope you will be able to discover some great new products through these posts.
This summer, thanks to my membership with Mindfield, I got the opportunity to test four options being considered for a new fragrance concept at Bath & Body Works. Based on B&BW's long-running scent Sweet Pea, the new fragrance was inspired by youth, revolution, daisies, and peace signs. And this weekend, while hitting a mall sale to buy a gift, I passed by the store and noticed the fragrance had finally been released! The best part? They went with my favorite of the four fragrance options.
Sweet Pea Forever. The fragrance is described as "petals and citrus," and I think it's just delicious. I've kept the test bottle on my perfume shelf since the summer, rationing it and hoping they'd go with this fragrance so I could buy more--and now I can! : ) I definitely recommend it. There's also a Moonlight Path variant (called "Moonlight Madness") if you're more of a berries-and-musk person.
Mindfield Online is a company that signs me up for a lot of these, including a handful of tests for Bath & Body Works products (I just got an invite to another one today, in fact). If you know me, you know how I feel about B&BW--I just love it. It's one area in which I'm willing to splurge a little... but I still use coupons there! Here's one I received in my email today:
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bi-Lo Meal Deals
Some of you may already know about Meal Deals from being Bi-Lo shoppers/couponers/followers of Jenny at Southern Savers. For those that haven't heard, read on and learn.
Most weeks at Bi-Lo, the weekly ad includes what they call a Meal Deal. Generally, you buy a frozen entree of some sort, and you receive a side item (sometimes two), a dessert or appetizer, and a 6-pack of Pepsi free. Granted, sometimes I think they jack the prices up on the main entree so they're not losing as much money (like 2 Tombstone pizzas for $11--that's a bit high), but the math always works out to make it a good deal. You can get an even better deal by using a coupon for any of the items included--even though they're free in the deal.
A recent example:
Buy a Stouffer's entree at $9.99; use $1 Stouffer's coupon printed online
Free Pepperidge Farm bread; use $.55 Pepperidge Farm coupon from newspaper (and since Bi-Lo doubles coupons up to $.60, that's $1.10 off your total)
Free Pepperidge Farm layer cake
Free Pepsi 6-pack
The total here was $7.89 (saving about $10). This fed a few guests we had over one weekend and gave us leftovers for a couple of days.
This was fresh on my mind today after grabbing this week's deal for dinner tonight. We got a lasagna, garlic bread, Mayfield's ice cream, and Pepsi--delicious! I love quick dinner options.
One thing I learned (thankfully from someone else's experience instead of my own, for once) is that you can only do one Meal Deal per transaction. The system will only let the items ring up free once per order. So, if you want to stock up, be sure to ask for separate transactions.
Don't forget that Bi-Lo also offers FuelPerks (see my blog post about the program) and that every $50 purchase before coupons and deals earns you 5 cents off per gallon of gas at Spinx!
Most weeks at Bi-Lo, the weekly ad includes what they call a Meal Deal. Generally, you buy a frozen entree of some sort, and you receive a side item (sometimes two), a dessert or appetizer, and a 6-pack of Pepsi free. Granted, sometimes I think they jack the prices up on the main entree so they're not losing as much money (like 2 Tombstone pizzas for $11--that's a bit high), but the math always works out to make it a good deal. You can get an even better deal by using a coupon for any of the items included--even though they're free in the deal.
A recent example:
Buy a Stouffer's entree at $9.99; use $1 Stouffer's coupon printed online
Free Pepperidge Farm bread; use $.55 Pepperidge Farm coupon from newspaper (and since Bi-Lo doubles coupons up to $.60, that's $1.10 off your total)
Free Pepperidge Farm layer cake
Free Pepsi 6-pack
The total here was $7.89 (saving about $10). This fed a few guests we had over one weekend and gave us leftovers for a couple of days.
This was fresh on my mind today after grabbing this week's deal for dinner tonight. We got a lasagna, garlic bread, Mayfield's ice cream, and Pepsi--delicious! I love quick dinner options.
One thing I learned (thankfully from someone else's experience instead of my own, for once) is that you can only do one Meal Deal per transaction. The system will only let the items ring up free once per order. So, if you want to stock up, be sure to ask for separate transactions.
Don't forget that Bi-Lo also offers FuelPerks (see my blog post about the program) and that every $50 purchase before coupons and deals earns you 5 cents off per gallon of gas at Spinx!
Bi-Lo FuelPerks
If you ever shop at Bi-Lo or fill your tank at Spinx, I'm sure you've seen advertisements for the FuelPerks program. If you haven't, go here to learn more or to sign up.
In a nutshell, here's how it works: shop at Bi-Lo with the newer-style My Bi-Lo BonusCard, which looks like this:
If you're still using the "old school" BonusCard, visit Customer Service during your next Bi-Lo trip. They can transfer your old card info (and applicable purchase points toward FuelPerks) onto the new card, which you can then use to redeem FuelPerks.
For every $50 you spend (before coupons--that's the good part) at Bi-Lo, you earn 5 cents off per gallon of gas on your next visit to Spinx, up to 20 gallons a visit. As far as I'm aware, the multiples of 5 cents accumulate indefinitely. By the time I redeemed my first FuelPerks reward last week, I had 30 cents off per gallon--and that was just for my purchases since December. This is definitely a perk for Bi-Lo shoppers, and now that I've seen what a difference it can make at the pump, I'm hooked!
In a nutshell, here's how it works: shop at Bi-Lo with the newer-style My Bi-Lo BonusCard, which looks like this:
If you're still using the "old school" BonusCard, visit Customer Service during your next Bi-Lo trip. They can transfer your old card info (and applicable purchase points toward FuelPerks) onto the new card, which you can then use to redeem FuelPerks.
For every $50 you spend (before coupons--that's the good part) at Bi-Lo, you earn 5 cents off per gallon of gas on your next visit to Spinx, up to 20 gallons a visit. As far as I'm aware, the multiples of 5 cents accumulate indefinitely. By the time I redeemed my first FuelPerks reward last week, I had 30 cents off per gallon--and that was just for my purchases since December. This is definitely a perk for Bi-Lo shoppers, and now that I've seen what a difference it can make at the pump, I'm hooked!
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