Back to School Fun

I have to admit, I think I'm more excited about Lily starting Kindergarten this year than she is just for the back-to-school shopping! I always looked forward to the time when my parents would take my sister and I shopping for new supplies for the upcoming school year. Then packing and repacking our new backpacks with all our goodies in the days that followed. Now I get to relive those days vicariously through my 5-year-old. I can just smell the new crayons and paste now.

With so many great deals coming up, it's best to be prepared before hitting the stores with your little students. As you probably know, most schools have a supplies list for each grade noting which items will be needed for the year. If you don't have a list, don't panic. (We all made it through school just fine without said list.) However, your child's school website may have this information. I have even seen flyers in the stores themselves.

If you're in the market for a new backpack and/or lunch box, look for a combination set. You'll save yourself time and a headache once in the store with your indecisive child if you only have to make one choice. If you can, look on your store's website with your child at the available options for backpacks and lunch boxes as far as character, color, and style are concerned. With decisions made in advance, you'll both be happier.

Also keep in mind that things like Kleenex and Lysol wipes may be requested of each child's parents to supply the classroom. So hang on to those coupons and wait for a good sale to stock up!

Happy back-to-school shopping!

Free Leaves!

Head over to VocalPoint and grab your freebie! They are giving out coupons to try Fresh Express for free! Who doesn't like free?

$.02 Papermate Pens at Target!

Looks like it's that time of year again - BACK TO SCHOOL! Yes, it's upon us, and Target might be your one-stop shop for all those necessary supplies. There are some great printable coupons for supplies, so you might want to head over to Target.com HERE and print those before they're gone!

Papermate Black Ballpoint Pens, 10-pack - $1.02
$1.00/1 Papermate Writing Utensil Item - Target Printable
Final Price: $.02

Menard's: Adult/Child Combo Toilet Seat

I think this is absolutely fantastic. Why haven't I ever seen these before? Well, I might just have to go pick one up. Actually, I was thinking about getting a new toilet seat anyhow because our old one is, well, old. Why not get a bonus kids potty seat integrated into it? Awesome deal!

Finesse Clean + Simple Hair Products at Walgreens, $5.00 Moneymaker!

Finesse Clean + Simple Product $3.99, On Sale thru 7/9

Buy One Get One Free

Use 2-$1.00/1 Finesse, Any from SS 5/8
OR Use 2-$1.00/1 Finesse Hair Product, Any from All You 05/2011
$2.00/1 – Finesse Product, Any, Mail in Rebate – (finessehaircare.com)
Pay $1.99, Receive $5.00 Register Reward
Submit $2.00 Finesse Rebate
Final Price: $5.00 Moneymaker after Mail in Rebate, when you buy 2


Thank you, budgetsavvydiva

Gerber Graduates Lil' Entrees

Have young kids at home?

Gerber Graduates meals are on Rollback at WalMart right now for $1.78 (down from $2). PLUS there's a $1 off one coupon HERE from coupons.com. Not bad at $.78 each! Stock up now for 'in a pinch' lunches or suppers!

Coupon Extremists: Zeal For Savings Resulting in Thefts

Interesting article about how the new "fad" of couponing has led some people to the extreme of stealing newspaper coupon inserts. Unfortunately, the idea of the newspaper box relies totally on the honor system. Something I naively took for granted before reading this article. Although, I always buy my Sunday paper at my local gas station, so the temptation never enters my thoughts. And more often than not I have the gas station clerk ask me, "you know you have more than one paper here, right?" Yes, I know. It's intentional. I don't subscribe to my local Sunday paper mainly because there are occasionally Sundays when there are no inserts included (ie, holiday weekends), and times when I choose different quantities based on the quality of the coupons included. I'd have to make a special trip to pick up more papers anyhow. I digress. Read the article. It'll really open your eyes to the "business" of couponing. Frankly, I enjoy the entire couponing process. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't lower myself to outright theft!

The Binder

If you don't already have a coupon binder, GET ONE! It's not as difficult a task as it may seem. It will keep all your coupons organized and make compiling your shopping lists a breeze with each needed coupon at your fingertips. Here's my binder -

I borrowed the following instructions from The Krazy Coupon Lady. You can find a link to the PDF file for the dividers/table of contents here.

How to Organize Your Coupons: Binder Method

Buy a Quality Binder

• Invest up-front in trusted name brand binder
• Use an office supply store coupon to lower out of pocket expense
• Best time to buy: August and September at Back-to-School sales

Two Methods: By Date or By Category

• By Category (my binder)
• More time up front, less time shopping
• Smaller binder needed (2-3 inch)
• By Date
• Less time up front, more time getting ready to shop
• Larger binder needed (5 inch)
• Look for a binder with a crease to be able to expand if needed

Supplies

• By Date
• Tab dividers to separate by week
• Sheet protectors, 100+ pages
• By Category
• 9 pocket baseball sleeves. 60-75 sleeves should be plenty. (I purchased a box of 100 sleeves at a sports card store for $15.)
  
• Pencil pouch
• Small pair of scissors
• Calculator to estimate total cost or figuring price per unit/ weight
• Writing utensils

How to Start

• Tear apart inserts at seams and stack like pages
• Staple pages together

How to Organize

• By Date
• Write dates that insert came out on each page
• Insert each page into its own sheet protector
• Put junk ads back to back to save on space

• By Category
• Cut out each coupon from stapled pages
• File coupons within categories
• Print off binder categories from the free PDF link
  
• You can use tab dividers for each category for easier sorting
• Sometimes coupons will need to be cropped or folded to fit

Saturday Night Meijer Run

Here's what I picked up at Meijer tonight:

20 - Healthy Choice Cafe' Steamers
(regular price $3.39, sale 5/$10) = $40
Used 10 - $1/2 printable coupon (saving $10)
FINAL COST: $30 (vs. $67.80 regular price)

4 - Hungry Man Frozen Dinners
(regular price $2.59, sale 5/$10) = $8
Used 2 - $1/2 printable coupon (saving $2)
FINAL COST: $6 (vs. $10.36 regular price)

3 - Aunt Millie's Multi-Grain Bread
(regular price $3.39, sale Buy1, Get2 free) = $3.39
FINAL COST: $3.39 (vs. $10.17 regular price)

1 - Coffeemate Creamer
= $2.39
Used $.55/1 printable coupon
FINAL COST: $1.84

Total Spent = $41.23
Total Saved = $49.49 (55%)

Woohoo, I'm blogging!

Okay, girls (and guys if applicable). Here's the blog I promised you. DON'T ask where I found the time to create this. Here I will give you updates on my weekly shopping adventures, my best couponing tips, weekly deals, coupon match-ups, and anything else I can come up with to help save everyone those precious pennies. Hopefully we'll all be able to learn something. I'm looking forward to all the feedback, questions, concerns, and comments from everyone.