Friday, August 31, 2012

This week's great articles and deals

In case you missed them, here are some of the great articles listed this week at Frugal Follies!
      And here are just a few of the amazing coupons, money-making opportunities, and deals listed here this week:
            Don't miss another article or deal - follow on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to my RSS feed.  Or subscribe via e-mail by putting your address in the box in the right sidebar.

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Publix: BOGOs without coupons - a good deal?


            This week, I bought a lot of BOGOs without coupons.

            Usually I don't do that.  I try to combine BOGO deals with coupons to get the best deal I can.  But when there's a BOGO deal without a coupon, it usually is still a good deal compared to purchasing a similar house-brand item at full price at ALDI or Walmart.

            So if it's something that goes on sale rarely, I'll buy it on a BOGO sale even without a coupon.  But if it's something that's on sale regularly, I'll let it go and wait for a better sale.

            Publix had BOGO deals on items that often run out quickly here in the Frugal Follies household, so I ended up going for the good deals!

            There were coupons for $1.00 off 1 Athenos Feta and one Dole Salad, but unfortunately my store did not carry Dole salad. I wasn't sure I wanted to buy it at full price anyway.  So I got the feta without the coupons.  Can't wait to use it to make my Feta and Tomato Pasta!

            And I also got hummus, sour cream, and sundried tomatoes (all BOGO) without coupons.  I had planned to get cottage cheese without coupons as well, but then I found 70¢ coupons from a blinkie coupon machine right on the shelf.  Yay!  I love finding unexpected coupons!

            I also got Bush's beans with this $1.00 off two BUSH'S Baked or Grillin' Beans coupon, and 6 boxes of cereal, using 2 $1/3 Target coupon stacked with 2 $1.00 off any 2 Kellogg's Cereals coupons and 1 $1.00 off any 2 Kellogg's Cereals coupon.

            And I got 4 Smart Balance butters with a BOGO coupon as well as 2 $1.10 off when you buy any ONE Smart Balance® Spreadable Butter coupons.  And I was able to get a great price on Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers (I didn't know they had a whole wheat variety!) with two B2G1 Nabisco cookies or crackers coupons.

            Here's all the details on what I got:

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            Penn-Dutch: Reaching the minimum on a dollars-off coupon


            To save money on groceries, I often use dollars-off coupons - coupons that say you get $X dollars off on a purchase of $XX or more.  These are often listed as $X off $XX or $X/$XX in couponese.  For instance, at Publix I use the $5 off $50 Doris Italian Market Recyclebank coupons to save each week.  (Doris is considered a competitor to my Publix store.)

            At Penn-Dutch, I've been using the $2 off $10 purchase coupons that have been appearing in the Community Marketplace section of the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel each week.  There's a coupon in today's (August 31st) paper, good through Wednesday, September 5th. (There may be different versions of the Community Marketplace section based on your area; not all sections may have the Penn-Dutch ad.) Unfortunately my Publix does not take Penn-Dutch coupons as a competitor, so I've been heading to Penn-Dutch to get on-sale produce deals each week.

            So if you're using a dollars-off coupon, you need to make sure that your total is above the minimum.  It is the pre-coupon total that counts, not the total after coupons are used.  I go through the store with a calculator, adding the prices of items as I put them in my cart.  That way I know I've reached the minimum.

            But what if you get to the cashier and find out you didn't reach the minimum?  This could happen because an item was actually priced lower than what was listed on the shelf.  Most people would find that to be a happy thing, but if you can't use your dollars-off coupon, the price cut actually costs you money.

            Another way this could happen is that if you bought items sold by the pound and weighed them yourself on the produce scales, but the scale at the register shows a lower weight.

            That's what happened to me at Penn-Dutch this week.  I weighed my items and figured my bill would be $10.50 before the $2/$10 coupon.  But when I got to the register, it was only $9.93.

            Ack, what to do?  I checked the impulse items near the register, but there was nothing under $1.00 to get.  In the past when this has happened at other stores, I've bought a pack of gum that cost 39¢.  But no help this time.

            But the cashier had an idea: she took one of my tomatoes out of the bag and weighed it again, taking the total over $10.  Then, after the transaction was completed, she sent me back to the produce section to pick up one more tomato.

            This way, she didn't hold up the line of people behind me for me to get one more item from the aisles, and I got another fairly cheap item that I can use anyway.

            Here's what I got on that trip:


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            Top printed coupons

            Here are the most printed online coupons for the week... have you printed them yet?  Be sure to do so before all the prints are gone and these coupons are no longer available!

            $1.00 off HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER meat$1.00 off HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER meat

            $1.00 off and 3 Kellogg's Cereals$1.00 off 3 Kellogg's Cereals

            $2.00 off Any Sally Hansen Manicure Nail Color$2.00 off Any Sally Hansen Manicure Nail Color

            $0.50 off (1) Bob Evans Refrigerated Side Dish$0.50 off (1) Bob Evans Refrigerated Side Dish

            $1.00 off Any One Jar of Fleischmann's Yeast$1.00 off Any One Jar of Fleischmann's Yeast

            $1.00 off any (1) Silk Pure Almond half gallon$1.00 off any (1) Silk Pure Almond half gallon


            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            ALDI: Cheap tortillas!


            At ALDI this week, I found a pretty decent bargain: packages of 20 tortillas for $1.49 each.  I found this deal on an endcap with other Mexican foods, which were still too highly priced to purchase.  But at $1.49, the pack is cheaper than the ones ALDI normally sells at $1.99 in a different aisle.

            I picked up four packs, since we go through them quickly.  Each time I go back to ALDI, I'll be checking to see if the price of the tortillas drops further.  If they do, I'll stock up even more!

            I seem to have misplaced my receipt, so these prices are from memory.  Here's what I got:


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            Save on baking

            I love to bake.  When I need to replenish my supply of baking goods, I usually head over to ALDI, which has the lowest regular prices on flour, sugar, and the like.

            But during certain times of the year, the grocery stores have great deals on baking supplies.  About a month before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, you'll find great deals on baking supplies. 

            Deals come other times of the year too, so keep your eyes open for them and stock up when the sales are available.  And if you use one of the coupons below, you'll save even more!



            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Shop & Earn is back at Swagbucks!


            Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day, where you can get lots of Swagbucks just for doing searches! (Do searches the easy way with the Swagbucks toolbar, or use your Android phone.) You can also earn Swagbucks for finding Swagcodes, answering polls and surveys, filling out profiles, watching videos and Swagbucks TV (on the site or on your Android phone), trading in media items, doing tasks, and considering special offers and no-obligation special offers.

            And I have some great news about Swagbucks: Shop & Earn is back!

            You can earn Swag Bucks while you shop online. Instead of heading directly to the site where you want to make a purchase, go to Swagbucks Shop & Earn first.   There you'll find links to over 250 online stores, including Target, Kohl's, Sears, and many more.  Check to see if the store you want is there.

            Click on the link to the store where you want to make a purchase, and when you complete your order, you'll earn Swag Bucks based on the amount of your purchase.  At Target, you'll earn 3 Swag Bucks per dollar; at Sears, the rate is 4 Swag Bucks per dollar.  At other stores, you might earn 5, 8, or even 11 Swag Bucks per dollar spent.

            Join Swagbucks today to start earning points toward prizes like $5 Amazon.com gift card codes!

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Ziploc coupons and more!

            SavingStar
            Here are the latest e-coupons from SavingStar. Visit now and download these coupons to your store loyalty card - when you purchase the products, you'll earn in your SavingStar account.


            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Thursday, August 30, 2012

            Delve Into Your Finances in 2012 August update

            Welcome To Delve into Your Finances in 2012!

            This year, my goal is to pay off my home equity line of credit once and for all!

            This month, here's how we did:

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            Free Swiffer pads and more!

            Here are some freebies recently found by That Freebie Site!
            • Free 2-Pack of Swiffer WetJet Extra Power Pads (First 50,000)
            • Free T-Shirt
            • Free Poligrip
            • Free Sample of Clear Scalp Therapy Shampoo
            Sign up for the mailing list at That Freebie Site and get the latest freebies delivered to your inbox!

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            National store deals for the week of September 2, 2012

            Would you like to know what's on sale the week of 9-2-12 at the national chain stores?

            Stop by A Full Cup to find out what's on sale starting Sunday at:
            Looking for a different store?  Click here for the full list.

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Free Lansinoh and more!

            Here's are some of the great product samples listed right now at MySavings - go check them out!
            • Request Free Lansinoh Baby Product Samples
            • Start a Free Subscription to Martha Stewart Living Magazine
            • Join Xenadrine's Sampling Program & Receive Free Samples
            • Free Hot Turkey Roasters at Arby's on September 6th
            • Obtain a Free Subscription to W Magazine
            Click here to see all the deals at MySavings.


            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Giveaway: Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel


            Ants, ugh!  One of my least favorite memories of ants happened when I was a newlywed living in a small apartment.  Lacking pantry space, we put our boxes of cereal up on top of the refrigerator.  One morning I got a bowl, poured myself a bowl of Raisin Bran, and saw it was filled with ants!  Ugh!

            (Why did I remind myself of that memory?)

            We called the landlord to get an exterminator out.  Once we bought a house, an exterminator was high on our priority list for services we needed.  And we've had one ever since, despite the expense.  No way am I having Bug Bran for breakfast again.

            If your budget just can't accommodate an exterminator and you want to learn how to get rid of ants, you should definitely give Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel and Ant Bait a try!  The Ant Gel kills the ants that are bugging you now, and the ant bail provides long-term protection.

            The Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel effectively controls ants.  It contains a fast-acting active ingredient, but it's also slow enough for foraging ants to return to the colony and feed the bait to larvae and queens.  That way, the entire colony is killed.

            The Ant Bait provides long-lasting ant-killing power.  It's also child-resistant - you don't have to worry about your child getting any of this on hands or in mouths.  That seems so much safer than spraying for bugs!

            And here's some great news - Combat is sponsoring a Bug-Free Backyard Bash Sweepstakes!  One lucky winner will receive $1000 for their very own Bug-Free Backyard Bash.  The winner will also receive an assortment of Combat brand products to ensure ants don't spoil their Bash.  The Bug-Free Backyard Bash sweepstakes ends on September 14th at 3:00 pm PDT.  Click here to enter.

            Would you like to try Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel?  The Gel and the Ant Bait are available at many local stores.  Click here to find a store near you.

            Or would you like to try it for free?

            Frugal Follies is sponsoring a giveaway for a free box of Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel!

            To enter, use the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is open to readers US residents 18 and older.  This giveaway ends on Friday, September 14, 2012, at 12:01 am.  A winner will be chosen randomly soon after the end of the giveaway.  The winner will be contacted by email, and the winner must respond within 72 hours.  If the winner does not respond, that person will be ruled ineligible and another winner will be chosen.

            Good luck!

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            Air Wick $2 off coupon




            For those of you who love sweet-smelling air in your home, here is some super news for you!

            AIR WICK® has partnered with the National Park Foundation to create three new amazing scents for the fall season:
            • Acadia Sweet Vanilla & Pumpkins
            • Shenandoah Apple Harvest
            • Great Smoky Mountains Warm Spice & Twilight 
            They all sound yummy!  Which one do you like best?

            And here's even more good news for coupon savers: Register with AIR WICK® Fragrant Homes Club, and you'll receive a printable coupon for $2 off any 2 products from the National Park Fall Collection. Combine this coupon with a drug store sale to save even more - or maybe get one for free!

            To get your coupon, click on "Get a $2 Coupon" above, then click "Join Now."  This offer is really popular, so get it now before it's gone!  If you receive a database error or no response after filling out the information, it's because everyone loves this offer that the server is getting overwhelmed.  Try again in a few minutes and it should work.



            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Free Working Mother subscription



            All mothers are working mothers. Here's a great magazine that's aimed specifically at moms who work outside the home, but has great tips for every mom. And it's free!

            Enjoy a free 6 issue subscription to Working Mother magazine, compliments of StartSampling.com. Working Mother is the only national magazine that helps moms with careers balance their personal and professional lives.

            Please note, the signup form has other offers listed on the bottom - you do not need to sign up for any of them to get your free magazines.

            Click here for your free subscription!

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Free cereal, cat food, sticky notes, and more!

            FreeFlys

            Here are the latest freebies from Freeflys!  I love getting free samples of cereal - they're perfect for snacks for my kids!











            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            New coupons: Bausch and Lomb, Avent, Remington

            Here are some of the latest coupons to hit the Internet!  As always, numbers of prints are limited, so if you know you'll want to use these coupons in the next month (before they expire), go ahead and print them now!

            $3.00 off Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food$3.00 off Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food

            $3.25 off when you any ONE Bausch + Lomb Alaway® antihistamine eye drops$3.25 off when you any ONE Bausch + Lomb Alaway® antihistamine eye drops

            $1.00 off when you buy any ONE AVENT Toddler Cup BPA-Free & NATURALS$1.00 off when you buy any ONE AVENT Toddler Cup BPA-Free & NATURALS
            Save 15% On Remington Replacement Heads and CutterSave 15% On Remington Replacement Heads and Cutter

            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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            Wednesday, August 29, 2012

            Feta and Tomato Pasta (Frugal Food Thursday)

            feta tomato pasta


            Welcome to Frugal Food Thursday!  If you have a great frugal recipe, please link up below! 

            One of my favorite shopping secrets is that Publix often has unadvertised deals! These are deals that either they chose to keep secret until you find them at the store, or deals that came about too late to get into the weekly ad. I find out about them at I Heart Publix each week before I head to the store to get my deals.

            Often they are for refrigerated food like salad dressing, fresh salsa, or cheese. Often I've seen unadvertised deals for feta cheese. When I see one, especially if there is a matching coupon, I always scoop it up!

            I love to combine feta with tomatoes - they just seem to go together well.  Add some olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and serve it over pasta, and you have a wonderful pasta meal!

            Here's the recipe:

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            Jolly Time Popcorn Review



            It's back to school time, which means it's time for the refrain, "Mom, can I have a snack?"

            Once my daughters get home from school, they're tired, and they want a snack. Now. But of course, I want to give them a healthy snack, and not too much!

            So I was excited to give Jolly Time Popcorn's Back to School Trio a try.

            All my kids love popcorn, though to save money, I make it with an air popper instead of purchasing microwave popcorn bags.  I received the air popper as a wedding present some 19 years ago.  I remember thinking, "Huh?" when we received it.  But today, it's one of my most frequently used presents - definitely a great gift!

            But the kids were super excited to see the three different varieties.  First, we tried the Healthy Pop® Kettle Corn 100 Calorie Bags.


            The bags are smaller than the usual microwave popcorn bags - perfect for my hungry kids.  It's a smaller serving, so they don't get as filled up.  And it takes less time to microwave, so they get to eat sooner! The directions said to cook until 1-3 seconds went by without a popping sound.  But I let it go too long, and ended up burning the first batch.  Ugh.

            I set the timer for less time and microwaved another bag.  This one didn't burn, but there were a few more unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bag than I'd like to see.  The kids tasted it and... they loved it!  The slightly sweet taste went well with the crunchy, salty popcorn goodness.  This bowl was gone almost as soon as I put it on the table!  And then they asked for more.  (Nope!)

            The next day, we tried the other two varieties: Healthy Pop® Butter Flavor 100 Calorie Bags and Blast O Butter® Minis.

            The Healthy Pop Butter popcorn was pretty much what you want from a microwave popcorn - light butter flavor, check!  Healthy, check!  Crunchiness, check!  Great snack, check!


            The Blast O Butter lived up to its name - it was much more buttery (butterier?) than the previous kind.  I thought it was a little greasy.  But it reminded the kids of movie popcorn, and it would be great to eat which watching a movie at home.  Plus it comes in a small bag, not those gigantic ones that you buy at a theater.

            Overall, we really enjoyed these, especially the Kettle Corn.  I would definitely buy it if it went on sale at my local grocery store.  And if there were matching coupons for the product as well (please release some coupons, Jolly Time folks!),  I would stock up!

            Want to learn more about Jolly Time?  Become a fan on Facebook or follow on Twitter.  And check out these great Jolly Time Recipes!

            I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.



            (This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

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