Calendars 50% off at Snapfish!

All customized calendars are 50% off until August 31st at Snapfish.

Use code: SHOPCAL50

I order these every year for my parents' Christmas present. Great gift for grandparents - full of pictures of the grandkids!

Under Construction

Please excuse the mess on my blog. It is under construction right now. Hope to have it done in the next few days.

Thanks!

Free Autographed Photo of a Disney Character

Are you or someone you know a complete Disney fanatic? Maybe it's your child who is a Disney fan.

Get a FREE autographed glossy photo of your favorite Disney character by writing to:

Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

As soon as I get some more stamps, I will be writing to get a Tinker Bell photo for my daughter. I'm so excited!

Disney Movie Reward Code

Enter the code GOOFY at Disney Movie Rewards to receive 50 points!

This is a big bonus code. Get it while it lasts!

New Coupons!

There are new coupons at coupons.com.

Lots of good ones to use on food for July 4th and other cookouts!

Swagcode Available Right Now!

There is a swagcode available right now on this blog post from the SwagGal. It is worth one Swagbuck!

Note: Have a search engine handy for the answer to enter into the Swagcode box!

Are you not swagging yet? Then use my Swagbucks Widget on the right, or the banner above to join!

Summer Sale at E.B. Spider - 2 Ways to Save!

Summer Sun Headband pictured above.

I'm having a summer sale in my Etsy shop, with two ways to save!

Buy a large cupcake purse, get a small one FREE!
(Sale good through June 24th - limit 2 free)

Spend $15 before shipping, get a 10% off coupon - good on your next order (Sale good through June 27 - limit 1 coupon per person)

Custom orders are accepted! Let me make something that your little girl(s) will LOVE!

E.B. Spider - crocheted accessories from the web

Have you been swagging?

Hope you've joined Swagbucks. If not, you really should! I'm amazed at how fast these Swagbucks can add up.



Use my Swagbucks widget on the right (below the "About Me" section) to join and search!

Are you new to couponing?

Many of my friends and family members are getting into couponing. Those that aren't that into it are giving their coupons to me, which I can't really complain about. :)

If you are new to couponing, this post is for you. It is filled with useful websites, tips, and much more.

Where to Find Coupons

You can find coupons just about anywhere. Below are the places you can find them, organized by category.

1. Sunday Newspaper.
Subscribe to your local newspaper. If you can get more than one city's paper, get more than one. Coupons differ from area to area. Typically though, the larger city has the most coupons.

2. Direct from Companies
If you have an issue with a product, contact the company. I did this just last week. The company informed me that they would be sending me coupons in the mail. If you just want to compliment a company on one of their products, go for it! They will probably send you coupons for that too. If they don't offer, ask! The worse they can do is say no.

3. Coupon Books
Many times companies like Proctor and Gamble will put out a coupon book with multiple products in it. See my past posts on free coupon book offers here. Also, often schools will sell coupon books that include coupons to restaurants.

4. Websites to Print from
Go directly to these websites to print your own coupons. Typically, you can only print 2 coupons per computer. If you have multiple computers, make sure you set them up to be able to print. That way you can have even more coupons!

http://coupons.smartsource.com/
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.coupons.com/

5. Websites to Purchase from
I know what you're thinking. "Purchasing coupons? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of HAVING coupons?" Some websites "sell" coupons. In reality they aren't selling the coupons, they are selling the time it takes to clip and mail the coupons. Per Ebay's policy, people are also not allowed to sell actual coupons, but what you're paying the seller for is their time. Don't worry about this, because the price of the coupons always exceeds the amount you are going to pay.

http://www.thecouponclippers.com

6. Store Websites
Check out your favorite store's website. It may have a section where you can print exclusive store coupons.

7. Newsletters
Sign up for email newsletters for stores and companies. They often will send you coupons, free offers, and sale alerts. You may want to set up a different email account just for these newsletters.

Coupon Tips

1. Know the price of the items you buy often. You have to know what the regular price is in order to know what's a good deal. A deal to one store is expensive compared to another store. You can write these prices down or just memorize them.

2. Organize your grocery coupons by store sections. For example, I have my coupons organized by: Medicine/First Aid, Health & Beauty/Toiletries, Dairy, Meats & Frozen, etc. Create the categories by how you shop, what you shop for most often, and skip the ones you don't buy from.

3. Print what you need. When it comes to printing your own coupons, don't print WAY more than you think you will use. You will just waste paper and ink.

4. Print fast! Some printable coupons go fast. If you are going to use them or know someone who will print them as much as possible and FAST. Kraft and diaper/training pants coupons usually go REALLY fast. I know this somewhat contradicts #3. :)

5. Clip coupons that you don't want. Keep them in a seperate section or envelope. You can always swap with someone who does want them or give them to a family member. See below for places to swap with other people.

Shopping with Coupons

1. Plan your menu and grocery trips around the store's weekly ad. Assuming you know what the good deals really are, use the flyer to make your list. Only buy things that are on sale. If you really want to stretch your dollar, only buy things that are on sale that you also have a coupon for. You will be amazed at how much you can save this way.

2. Make store envelopes for the stores you shop at. These can help you save money at the grocery store. Make your weekly list, add it up, then match it up with your coupons and subtract those. Then, you will have a specific list and an amount that you will expect to spend. Stick to the list and you will have no surprises.

3. Carry your coupon folder with you. Have it with you on your grocery trip, but leave it in the car. Sometimes stores have sales that are unadvertised in the weekly ad. You may find an amazing deal that you also have a coupon for. You can park your cart and go out to the car to get it. Keeping the folder in the car prevents you from adding a lot more stuff to your cart. I usually have $10 extra in my budget, just in case I catch an additional good sale. If I don't find a great one, it doesn't get added to my cart.

4. Combine store and manufacturer coupons. This is an amazing way to save. Many stores have their own coupons which you can "stack" with a manufacturer coupon. This means you get twice the discount on the same item.

5. Don't be afraid to stock pile. If you have the room to store it, buy things in advance. Buy for the month or 2 months ahead. When I go to the store, I rarely have anything in my cart that will make a meal. I love to stock pile on side dishes, juice, toothpaste, toilet paper, and snacks for my daughter. I rarely find deals on hamburger meat, chicken, or porkchops, so I just buy those at Walmart. Everything else I buy in multiples when it's on sale and I have a coupon for it, like I described in #1.

6. Know your store's coupon policy. This one is a little more complicated. Sometimes one store will take a coupon and another store of the same chain will not. This is where we like to say YMMV, which means Your Manager May Vary. Some managers will let you use some coupons, and some won't. Typically, stores have a coupon policy which you can find on their website. If not, contact their cooperate office to get a copy. It wouldn't hurt to carry a copy of this with you to the store, but it's usually not necessary. Some stores won't stack coupons, some stores will. Some won't accept internet printable coupons. It's important to know this before you go.

Places to Swap Coupons

A Full Cup - This is a FABULOUS website! They have a forum for each store, category of coupons, coupon tips, and much much more. If you trade coupons with someone, there is even a trader rating that you can give feedback on the person you traded with. I just did my first trade this week.

Coupon Moms - Coming Soon! This groups will be a place where moms can discuss coupons and saving money, as well as swap coupons. Stay tuned!

Online Groups - I'm sure there are many Yahoo and Google groups that are dedicated to couponing. Do a search for them. You may even find a locate coupon group.

Family/Friends - Get together on a certain day of the week to swap coupons. You may even want to keep a list of coupons your friends/family members are in search of.

New Swagbucks Widget

Did you notice my new Swagbucks widget on the right? Feel free to use it to search the net. Sign up for Swagbucks to start earning points for searching the net. I'm sure you search the net anyway, so why not get paid for it?

Once you sign up, check out all the cool prizes you can redeem your bucks for. I personally like all the gift card options (Victoria's Secret, Target, Amazon, Disney Shopping, etc.).

Refer friends and get swagbucks when they earn them too. You can also put the widget on your website to refer even more people!

Use the widget on the right of my page to join. Thanks!

How to Get More Coupons

I recently received a box of snacks that a family member bought for my daughter. Upon opening them, I noticed the snacks just didn't look right. I immediately looked at the expiration date. Nope, doesn't expire til Sept 2009. Hmmm....

I then decided to email the company. I described the issue I had with the snacks, and also added that while I used to buy their brand of snacks exclusively, I since had to switch to another brand because theirs was increasingly hard to find.

Within 2-3 days, I received an email back. In this email, a lady explained why the snacks may have looked the way they did. She also mentioned that for a while, I may not find this product on the shelves. I assume this is because they are changing it slightly. I was VERY excited to read that the company will be sending me coupons in the mail! What a great company!

If you want to receive more coupons, contact those companies when something goes wrong. Better yet, contact them when something goes right! Bad news always travels fast, so it's always surprising to hear GOOD news. The worst they can do is to say "no" to sending the coupons. But, from what I've heard, companies usually volunteer to send you coupons. It's worth a shot. Now get to contacting!

Free MP3 Song Download

Rhapsody has a free song to download, everyday! Make sure you check it everyday to see which song is available. All MP3s are IPOD compatiable!

You can find the song of the day here.

Tide Stain Release Coupon

Tide has a new product in their line, that is being released in late July. It is Tide Stain Release. It will come in powder, liquid, and a duo pack.

You can get a $1.50 off coupon for Tide Stain Release here.

YouData Pay Day is Tomorrow!

Make sure you head over to YouData and click on those ads!



If you are not a member of YouData and want to find out more, please see my original YouData post here.

Tombstone Helps Pay Your Bills!

Save up to $15 on your utility bill by sending in Tombstone UPCs. Go here for more information.

And remember, 12" Tombstone pizzas are on sale at Food Lion this week - 2/$8.00!

MIA for a While

I will be MIA for about the next two weeks. I have a vacation coming up, and I have yet to pack.

I'm so excited though. It's my favorite vacation destination....
Disney World here I come!

Proctor & Gamble Coupon Book

For those of you who signed up for the PG coupon book that I spoke about here, it should be on it's way to you soon. I received mine yesterday and it has a lot of great coupons in it!

Swagbucks

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been super busy getting ready for my upcoming trip to Disney World. YAY!

Anyway, I wanted to post something today about Swagbucks. Swagbucks allow you to search for things online, lets you earn points on those searches, and then lets you redeem those points for merchandise or gift cards. Click below to join!

A.C. Moore Coupon - 50% off

This coupon is good today through Saturday 4/18. Get 50% off one regular priced item. Find the coupon here.

.

Green Works Coupon

I absolutely LOVE Green Works. It smells great and doesn't make me sneeze myself to death when I clean my bathrooms. It's tough on dirt but gentle on the nose. I cannot say enough good things about this product!


"$0.50 off any Green Works product" coupon can be found here.

My Food Lion Deal

On Saturday I went to Food Lion because they had a lot of things we use on a regular basis. This was the first time that I bought for the months ahead, instead of just for the week ahead. Because of this, I have discovered just how unorganized my pantry is. I really must remedy that soon.

Anyway, here are the deals I scored with my MVP Card:

Lays Potato Chips -
B2G2 Free - 4 for $7.98

Hamburger Helper -
$1 each - 10 for $10.00

Pasta Roni Sides -
$1 each - 5 for $5.00

Green Giant Frozen Veggies -
$1 each - 5 for $5.00

Ball Park BunLength Beef Franks -
B1G1 Free - 2 for $3.36

Huggies Baby Wash -

B1G1 Free - 2 for $3.40

Motts for Totts Juice -
2 for $3.00

Hunt's Sloppy Joe Sauce -
$1 each - 2 for $2.00

Misc. Items -
$4.89

Total Savings - $36.09 + $3.00 in coupons = $39.09
Grand Total Paid OOP - $43.83


The deals here are only good through today. So hurry if you want to steal some of these deals!

YouData Payday is Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is payday on YouData. Be sure to head over to their site today and click on those ads!

If you are not a member of YouData, and want to join, go here.

If you would like to read more about YouData, you can find my original post about it here.

Free Disney Movie Rewards Codes/Offers - 300 points!

If you are not familiar with Disney Movie Rewards, allow me to explain a little.

Most Disney DVDs come with a sheet inside that has a code on it. If you sign up for DMR, you can go online and enter these codes to earn points. You can then use these points to buy Disney merchandise on the DMR site.


Below are 3 ways to earn up to 300 points!

Jiminy - 10 points

Superbark - 15 points
Budderball - 25 points
Papers - 50 points


Log in to the DMR site and then click on the link here, you can fill out that survey for 100 points.

Log in to the DMR site and click on Blu-Ray (at the top). You can click on "skip intro" on the "tv" on your screen. Next, click on "play all" in the upper left corner of the "tv screen". Once all the videos play through, you will receive your points.

FREE Parfumes Intimes from Victoria's Secret

Show your VIP Angel Card and get a Deluxe Sample Set ($15 Value). See the offer here.

.

Free Precious Places DVD from Mattel/Fisher Price

Mattel is offering a FREE Precious Places DVD for your little princess. Go here to sign up for it.

***Please allow 12-14 weeks for delivery.****

Note: In my experience with these free DVDs from Fisher Price, it never takes as long as it says.

$1 Coupon for Nature's Source Cleaner

Find a $1 coupon for Nature's Source Cleaner here.

.

FREE Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2 Pack

I adore these magic erasers. They get marks off walls just beautifully. Go here to get your freebie!

.

Simple and Delicious Coupon Book

Simple and Delicious is giving away coupon books with $10 in savings on ConAgra food brands (Chef Boyardee, Hunt's, and more). I hear there is a coupon for a free bottle of Hunt's Ketchup inside it! Click the image or go here to sign up for it.

$10 off this Crocheted Baby Blanket

I am desperately trying to get rid of this baby blanket. I am taking $10 off it's regular price ($45) until 4/10.

This is a great deal on a soft, handmade baby blanket. It will be shipped by USPS Priority Mail.

Click the image to see more photos and more info about it. Thanks for looking!

Michael's 30%, 40%, and 50% off Coupons

3 Coupons that are valid from April 6-11. The 30% off coupon is valid on April 10, and it is off the entire purchase.

Coupons can be found here.

Coupon Book of Cleaning Brands - from Proctor & Gamble

Save on cleaning brands that you already use: Dawn, Mr. Clean, Cascade, Swiffer, and Febreze. This coupon book has over $30 in savings.

Click here to fill out the form. It will be mailed to you in 6-8 weeks.

I just signed up for mine today. Oh the suspense!

House Party - Free Stuff if you Host a Party!

Have you heard of House Party? I have. In fact, I've been a member for about 6 months I think.

What is House Party?
House Party lists events on their website, and HP members can apply to host one of these events. Each event is sponsored by a brand, a product, a TV show, etc. If you are chosen as a host of one of these events, HP will send you a FREE party pack containing lots of freebies, coupons, and other cool stuff.

For more information, click here.

How do I participate?
Simply join HP (which is absolutely free), find an event you want, and apply. You may not always get to host the parties you want, but be patient. Your time will come.

I've hosted 1 party already, and will host another party this month.

Free Children's Song Downloads - 6 CDs!

Mega Bloks is offering free downloads of 6 children CDs. These would make great birthday party soundtracks. Or, if you're like my little one, just turn them on inside and start dancing! Click the image to go to the download page.

Parents Magazine Deal

I just ordered a subscription to Parents Magazine. I went to the link here and ordered a 3 year subscription for just $12. That's a greal deal to begin with! Think about how much one magazine costs at the grocery store.

When ordering the subscription, I chose the "Bill Me Later" option, thinking I would get a bill in the mail. Well, a few days later, I got an email that said if I paid now, I would get another year's subscription for just $1.97. I paid right away and got a 4 year subscription for a total of $13.97. What a deal!

If you don't want to order the magazine, here's a tip. You can find free past issues of the magazine here. Just scroll down and you will see the issues listed on the left side.

Today's Toys R Us Deal

Here's today's Toys R Us deal.

Get $5 OFF ANY purchase of $49 or more. Starts 3/31/09 5pm - 11:59pm
Use code: toyscoupon30 (all lower case)

10% off Lowes Coupon

This coupon is supposed to be for people who are moving, but if you want, you can tell a little white lie and use it anyway. I won't tell!

The coupon is good on a purchase up to $5,000. Find the coupon here.

Michael's Deals - 50% off Coupon and Yudu Screen Printer Deal

I have two Michael's deals to report today.

The first one is a 50% off Coupon - good through April 4th.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The other deal is a rebate, when you purchase the Yudu Personal Screen-Printing System. Purchase the Yudu System from Michael's between 3/13/09 and 9/28/09 and receive a $50 Michael's gift card. The rebate form can be found here.

I believe the Yudu System is about $200.

Paypal Shopping Deals

Just before I logged into Paypal this morning, I noticed a link to some online shopping deals you can receive when using Paypal to pay.

Click here to see these great deals from ebay, American Eagle, Toys R Us, and more!

Make Money for Clicking Ads (via Paypal)

There are many scams online that claim you can make money for clicking ads or taking surveys. Well, I have found one that is NOT a scam. Seriously.

YouData is a company who pays you to click ads. You don't even have to let the page finish loading. Just click and you're done!

The earning for each ad is about $0.20, but hey, every cent helps, right? YouData will pay you via Paypal, every week (usually on Friday - Yay Payday). On average I make $2-$3 per week. It can certainly add up!

YouData will give you ads every few days or so, so you have to keep checking back. You probably won't get a ton of ads per week, but will get enough to make a few bucks.

Here's a little more info about it:

Dear readers,

I found something that I think you will like. The company's name is YouData. They are trying to convince consumers like us that we should be the ones controlling our own data and selling our own attention, not third parties like broadcasters, newspapers, and spammers. By creating a MeFile at YouData.com, I now control what ads I see and when I see them. Best part - I am selling my attention directly to interested advertisers, for real money. That's right, I get paid for giving them my attention. I can use the funds to buy music and video online, donate to charities, give to my favorite blogs and websites, or keep the change myself and do whatever I want with it.
It's real. They pay. You should check it out.

Click this link to sign up. My MeFile ID, kittiekathchick, in the "Referral Code" will tell them I sent you.
http://www.youdata.com/join/kittiekathchick

Toys R Us Twitters?

Yep! Toys R Us Twitters. In fact, sometimes TRU posts exclusive Twitter coupon codes in their Tweets, as well as their weekly sales.

If you are on twitter, and would like to follow Toys R Us, go here: http://twitter.com/toysrus
Find all of TRU's daily deals on their blog as well: http://blogs.toysrus.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I scored a TRU Twitter deal just the other day:

Disney 2 in 1 Harness Buddy - $24.99
Little Einsteins 2 Pack Cups - $7.99
Subtotal: $32.98 - $10 off $30+ purchase (twitter code) =
$22.98 + shipping

Toys R Us and Babies R Us - Member Rewards

Do you shop at Toys R Us and Babies R Us a lot? I can't even tell you how much I shop there. We pretty much go every week to one or the other, and sometimes both.

If you shop at TRU and BRU a lot, then you absolutely need to sign up for Rewards R Us.

What is Rewards R Us?
Rewards R Us is a program that basically keeps track of how much money you spend at TRU or BRU.

How does it work?
Once you sign up, they will snail mail you a membership card, and two handy keychain cards (LOVE those!). Make sure you hand your card to the cashier whenever you are about to purchase something at TRU or BRU.

What are the benefits?

• Members of Rewards R Us get occasional coupons in the mail, for members only shopping nights.
• There will be promo periods throughout the year where you spend a specified amount of money and get $5 R Us Certificate. For example, the current promo is for every $150 you spend from Feb. 1 - Apr. 30, you get $5 R Us Gift Certificate. (We won't talk about how much I have spent. It adds up quicker than you think!) If you shop online, even shipping counts toward your money spent!
• Earn free diapers and formula (buy 9 get one free)
• For a complete list of the benefits, go here.

Welcome!

Welcome everyone to my new Couponing/Saving blog.

I've recently been involved in coupon clipping and pinching pennies. (Can this be some sort of new sport or reality show? I think us moms would benefit from watching stuff like that. Quick! Flood ABC with emails! Just kidding.)

Anyway, I hope you all benefit from my posts, or the other posts I will be linking to on this blog. Happy reading!