Showing posts with label Deals and Freebies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deals and Freebies. Show all posts

CVS Freebies

Posted by My Heart Song

8/22/2012

It's been a long time since I've shared any CVS freebies or deals. The reason? Because I haven't taken advantage of any CVS freebies or deals lately. Other things have taken priority and couponing has been pushed to the back burner. 

And I'm ok with that. I know there are seasons of life when priorities shift and less important things are put on hold. Couponing is definitely not a top priority and can easily be set aside. 
  
However, this week I made a trip to CVS and walked away with 6 items for 40 cents total. I had coupons that when paired with this week's sales made for free or almost free items. 


Here's what I got: 4 cans of Bumblebee tuna, 
1 box of Pop Tarts 
(on clearance, because of the Olympics packaging), 
1 bottle of Herbal Essence conditioner.

Total before coupons = $8.63
Total after coupons = $0.40
I had a coupon for a free Herbal Essence product, a $2 off CVS coupon good for any product, 2 coupons for $1 off 2 Bumblebee products. The tuna was on sale for $1 per can, so after coupons it was 50 cents per can. I also had $1 in Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card to use only at CVS). After all of that, my total was 40 cents out of pocket. That's less than 7 cents each for those 6 products. 

Thank you, CVS!

0 comments

When Life Gives You Apples...

Posted by My Heart Song

6/27/2012



When life gives you apples, make applesauce! 
And lots of it! 


Last week we were given two large boxes of apples, which were left over from a church event. I spent the next 3 days with 2 crockpots running almost constantly to make applesauce out of the apples. 

My daughter helped use the apple corer/peeler/slicer (a favorite Pampered Chef item). 

She had quite a system set up, so the peels would fall right into the compost bucket.

We also shared some apples with friends and neighbors. 

What a blessing! 

1 comments

One Man's Trash...

Posted by My Heart Song

6/19/2012 

One man's trash is another man's treasure. 

Well, last week my husband came home with a drumset he'd seen sitting on the side of the road with a "FREE" sign on it! 

Do we need a drum set? Well, that depends on who you ask. I don't think so. But my 4-year-old son thinks it's "awesome." My 8-year-old daughter thinks "Hmmm. If it's in the basement and I go to my room upstairs, will I still hear him banging on those things?"  

So for now, we have a drum set in our basement. 

I cannot imagine why someone would set it on the curb as trash. It's got to be worth something. And we may try to sell it after the novelty wears off (but before it ends up broken). 

We aren't true drumpster-divers. But when we look around our house, we remember that dozens of pieces of furniture and other items have been given to us or obtained for free (or dirt cheap). When one lets go of the "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality, you discover that you can live with less and find that there is plenty of life still in many used items. 

Maybe I'll make a list of all of the used/free stuff we have in our home. Hmmm. A post for another day. 

Right now I'll sit back, relax, and listen to my son enjoy the free drum set! :-)

0 comments

My Best Deal of the Year

Posted by My Heart Song

12/12/2011

On Cyber Monday I was able to buy something I've been saving up for - this Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Here's how I got it FOR FREE!

Regular price at Amazon.com is $279.99.

They ran a sale on Cyber Monday, marking it down to $259.99. This item qualified for Super Saver shipping, which means shipping was free.

I had saved up enough Amazon.com gift cards, which I'd earned through Swagbucks to pay the balance. I had been saving for over a year, for such a time as this, knowing that this mixer would eventually go on sale and eventually be mine!

There was also a $50 rebate offer on this model.

In addition, they were giving away a $24 magazine subscription that could be opted-out of, which I did, thus refunding the $24 in cash.

You can see how I not only got the mixer for no cost out-of-pocket but also am receiving back $74!

So I now have a mixer that I'm using almost daily... and loving! And it cost me nothing! In fact, it is almost as if I was paid money to take the mixer off Amazon's hands! You can see why some people call this "shoplifting with permission." I did nothing wrong - just used the deals, rebates and gift cards to turn the purchase of a mixer into a money-making prospect!

This qualifies as my best deal of 2011. Yeah for deals!

1 comments

A day for provision

Posted by My Heart Song


12/5/2011

Last Monday was my day. My day for God to remind me that He's there and He cares even for the little details of life. My day for things to be poured into my lap.

First, I took advantage of a Cyber Monday deal at Amazon and bought something for myself that I've been saving up to buy for over a year. I was able to get an AMAZING deal on it, which I'll share another time. But I was thankful and excited that the time had finally come and patience paid off.

Second, my mother offered to give us a Christmas tree. Yes, we have a Christmas tree already. However, it is not in the greatest shape. As a matter of fact, a piece or two fell off when we put it up this year. So when we visit my mom later this month, we'll be able to pick up a new-to-us tree.

Third, I opened my mailbox and found a homeschooling magazine WITH MY CHILDREN on the cover! Over a year ago I had submitted some photos to them for their consideration. A few months ago I heard back that they had chosen one of the photos for their fall magazine cover. So I knew it was coming but I didn't know when. Last Monday it arrived in the mail and looked great. How fun!

Fourth, my curriculum company sent a free Christmas gift to their customers and that arrived on Monday too.

It was an exciting day! I must say that it didn't end well, however. My son had an earache at bedtime which resulted in a trip to the 24-hour urgent care clinic where we sat from 10:30 pm until 1:30 just waiting for a doctor. It was 3:15 A.M. when we got home. At least we had a diagnosis - an ear infection - and medicine to help.

I guess you could say that I felt a bit like Cinderella - having a great day soaking in the deals and at the "stroke of midnight" it had ended! :-)

When God provides for us in unexpected ways - it's a blessing to receive His provision and see the generosity and thoughtfulness of others. It was a blessed day!

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

11/7/2011

Here are a few deals I've found lately.

Each item in this picture was under $1 thanks to sale prices and coupons at my local Kroger. The toothbrushes were 25 cents each. The gum was 19 cents per package. The cans of pineapple were around 70 cents each. The small cans of baked beans were around 30 cents each.

These items were all free at Kroger, thanks to coupons and sales. Savings of about $12.

And these items were free at CVS last week, thanks to coupons and sale prices and Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card to use only at CVS). Savings of about $6.

I like getting things for free. A few dollars saved on these items means those dollars can go elsewhere - to savings, or to buy more groceries to give to a food pantry, etc.

Here's to stretching those hard-earned dollars!

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

10/19/2011

Deals around town? Yes, there are still some to be had.
Here are some freebies I've picked up lately.

I don't regularly shop at WalMart. I do shop there, though, when I have coupons that paired with their sale prices will result in free items. Everything in this picture was better-than-free after using coupons (meaning that the coupon took off more than the cost of the item, so the overage was applied to other items I was purchasing). 4 free 12-pack razors, 2 Renuzit air fresheners, 2 Covergirl make-up items, 1 travel size Old Spice body wash, and 1 box of Idahoan potatoes. WalMart will also price-match other store prices, so I picked up milk at the lowest local price while I was there.


A blog that I check now and then - http://couponproblog.com/ - sent me these coupons as a promotional incentive. 5 coupons for free Dole fruit items.

Free helps to stretch our grocery budget. I like free!

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

10/4/2011

A few deals I've gotten lately.

First, a mailbox freebie - a Swiffer duster and other Swiffer coupons.
Excellent free item!

Last week CVS had a deal on Softsoap. I was able to get 2 bottles of foaming hand soap for less than $2 and earn back $4 in Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card to use at CVS in the future). I liked the deal but I was also excited because I'd recently read here about making your own foaming hand soap and I lacked the special dispenser. So now I've got soap to last a while and a dispenser to make my own soap when these are empty.

And I just bought these 3 items for a total of 50 cents at CVS yesterday, thanks to coupons and deals. I also got back $1 Extra Care Buck to spend at CVS next time. I live very close to numerous CVS stores, so it's not out of my way to shop there and it's easy to take advantage of great deals when they come.

I like deals! :-)

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

9/26/2011

Here are a few things I've picked up recently for free.


I purchased this book - The Bears on Hemlock Mountain - from Amazon.com for my daughter. It was completely free (including shipping) using Swagbucks gift cards I'd earned.

These two items were free at Kroger this week. I had a coupon for a completely free candy bar and a $5 off coupon for a Schick Quattro razor (these retail at more than $6 but were on sale for $5 making them completely free after the coupon).

2 packages of Skinny Cow chocolate candy and 1 package of CVS brand bandages. These items were free at CVS, thanks to rain checks (ALWAYS get a rain check at CVS for items that are out of stock. This happens often at my local CVS stores. If the store regularly carries the item, they will give a rain check for the sale/deal so you can use it later when the item is back in stock. Rain checks NEVER expire, so hold on to them and pair them with a coupon in the future to get a great deal).


This was a mailbox freebie - a free sample I'd signed up online to receive that arrived this week. Free sample mouthwash, dental floss, and coupons.

We also were given a watermelon and a few dozen ears of sweet corn recently... at no cost to us.

Enjoyed anything free lately?

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

9/12/2011

Deals. Deals.
Honestly, I haven't taken advantage of too many deals lately, but here are a few freebies.

These 2 Renuzit air fresheners were free at WalMart. Priced at 94 cents, I used a $1 off printable coupon to get them free plus 6 cents overage (that was applied towards other items I was buying).

These 3 sample Suave items and coupons arrived in my mailbox last week. Samples of body wash, lotion and hair spray... all for free.

I'm hoping that you've been able to snag more deals than I have, though I'm always thankful for whatever I can get for free!

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

8/29/2011

Here are a few deals I've taken advantage of recently.

At WalMart, I picked up 2 packages of dental floss, 2 packages of Kotex pads, and 2 packages of Ball pectin (to use for canning jam). All of these were BETTER THAN FREE. How does that happen? When an item is less than $1 but the coupon is for $1 off, WalMart gives you back the overage. So the dental floss was 88 cents, but my $1 coupon gave me the floss for free and an additional 12 cents off other items I was buying.

I picked up these items for less than $1 each.
Pull-up flushable wipes for 64 cents (after $1 off coupon).
Visine for 62 cents (after a $3 off coupon).
Bic 12-pack of razors for 57 cents (after $2 off coupon).
The Dial soap was 18 cents (after a 35 cents off coupon was doubled) at Kroger.


A month or more ago I received a coupon for a free package of Jif-To-Go. I picked that up last week while doing my regular grocery shopping.
Total cost = $0.

I love free!

0 comments

Mailbox Monday

Posted by My Heart Song

8/22/2011

Here are a few of the freebies I received in the mail recently.

All of this for free: a Huggies onesie, 1 high-value Huggies coupon, 2 samples of Huggies diapers, 2 samples of an off-brand diaper, a free Scholastic book for my daughter (part of a summer reading program deal), and a free copy of the book "No Longer a Slumdog" (still available here). All free. All received in the mail. Can't beat it!

A sample of Motts for Tots apple juice, along with 3 coupons.

Not a mailbox freebie, but an exciting deal:
Last week at CVS I was able to get a pack of gum, 2 bottles of body wash and 2 candy bars for less than 25 cents total! I didn't get a picture of that deal, but it sure felt good to use spare change to pick up 5 items!

Three cheers for deals!

1 comments

Mailbox Monday

Posted by My Heart Song

8/8/2011

Here are a few freebies that arrived in my mailbox last week.


A coupon for a free Aussie shampoo product.
A coupon for a free Nestle Drumstick product.
A sample of Crest mouthwash.
A sample of Downy Unstoppable scent booster.
A sample sheet of Shout instant stain remover and a coupon.
A sample box of Honey Nut Cheerios and a coupon (box is missing from picture - was "sampled" before I snapped the picture).

Also missing from the picture are 2 free magazines I received - This Old House and Architectural Digest.

I like free. How about you?

0 comments

Deals Around Town

Posted by My Heart Song

8/2/2011

After taking some time off of deal hunting, here are some deals I found last week around town.

These "back to school" items were super cheap at CVS last week, due to sales and Extra Care Bucks that I had accumulated. For 6 rolls of tape and an 8-pack of pens, I paid a few cents for tax but earned back $2 in Extra Care Bucks to spend on a future purchase at CVS.

Dawn dish soap is on sale at Kroger for $1, which ended up being free after using a 50cent coupon that was doubled to $1. I had 3 such coupons, so 3 free bottles of Dawn. It has been years since I've paid for dish soap, thanks to repeated deals like this on Dawn. I had a coupon for a free bottle of Country Bob's steak sauce, so that was completely free also.

These items were not free but were less than $1 each, thanks to coupons. Pull-up flushable wipes were 18 cents. Crest was 25 cents per tube. Bengay ointment was 98 cents after a $5off coupon. A 12-pack of disposable razors was also 98 cents.

The best deal of the week, though, were our oodles of free blueberries! My old college roommate lives less than an hour away. Each year she graciously invites anyone to harvest blueberries on a few acres in her backyard. We always take her up on the offer, as my family loves blueberries. Here are 13 quart bags of blueberries that we will freeze and use throughout the year for snacks and baking. Thank you, Leah!

Here's to saving money on these "small" things so we can spend on what is truly important in our lives!

0 comments

Mailbox Monday

Posted by My Heart Song

8/1/2011

Here are a few free items that I've gotten in the mail recently.


A few weeks ago we mailed in the forms for H.E.Buddy's summer reading program. A short while later, we received all of these items: 2 t-shirts (in the sizes we indicated on the forms), 2 pencils, 2 bookmarks, 2 reading certificates. All free.

I also received this coupon for a free bottle of Suave body wash and the coupon for a free Herbal Essence product. Also pictured is a free book that my daughter earned (technically not mailed, but picked up at the local store) through the Barnes and Noble summer reading program.

Yippee for free!

0 comments

Chick-Fil-A Free Lunch

Posted by My Heart Song

7/8/2011

Today is Cow Appreciation Day - that special day that comes just once a year when Chick-Fil-A restaurants give away free food for those dressed like a cow. Although I've known about this for years, this is the first year that we participated. And indeed, we enjoyed a completely free lunch - drinks, fries and sandwich/nuggets. For us, that was almost $20 worth of food for free! We love Chick-Fil-A!

0 comments

Works for Me Wednesday - Summer Reading Programs

Posted by My Heart Song


6/8/2011

Summer is here and here in Indiana we have had the 90-degree temps to go with it! One of my favorite things about summer: summer reading programs that reward my kids for reading.

We LOVE books at our house and you can't beat FREE books!

Happy reading!

0 comments

Super Savings Saturday

Posted by My Heart Song

6/4/2011

Here are a few of the deals I picked up this week.

Tiny Prints was offering free Father's Day cards last weekend. I ordered a few and they arrived this week. What a great deal - personalized text and photos, pre-printed envelope - at no cost to me at all, not even for shipping!

At CVS this week, I picked up two candy bars for nothing. They were 2 for $1 and I had $1 in Extra Care Bucks to use so they were completely free and generated another $1 in Extra Care Bucks to use on my next CVS purchase. I also used a rain check for GUM flossers since they were finally back in stock after a sale back in April. The sale was $2 per package and it generated $2 in Extra Care Bucks, making it basically free. I also had coupons to get my out-of-pocket price even lower, so these were a great deal for me.

At Walmart, I picked up these items for free: 2 packages of Wilkerson razors, 1 Breakstone's 100 calorie cottage cheese snack item, and 2 packages of Kotex pads. All were completely free after coupons. Any of these items we won't use will be donated to a homeless shelter.

Also at Walmart, I picked up 3 packages of Pull Up flushable wipes for 24 cents each, after coupons.

I shop at Walmart only when I have coupons that will result in free items, which puts me there once every 4 weeks.

Did you find any great deals this week? They are out there, waiting to be found!

0 comments

Super Savings Saturday

Posted by My Heart Song


5/28/2011

I didn't do much bargain shopping this week. However, I did get these two items for completely free, from coupons I had received in the mail. A 4-pack of Breakstone's cottage cheese and a tub of Cottonelle flushable wipes.

I found milk on sale for $2.19 per gallon at my Kroger store, marked down as the sell by date got closer. Also found some pound cake marked down to 89 cents, which worked well with fresh strawberries at home.

Did you find any deals this week, or, as my friend says, did any deals find you? :-)

0 comments

Super Savings Saturday

Posted by My Heart Song

5/14/2011

It was a crazy week at our house, so I didn't spend much time on saving money (I was trying to save my sanity) :-)


I did pick up two free photo collages from Walgreens. Every few months they will have a coupon code that makes these completely free. Last weekend there were two codes, so you could get two 8x10 photo collages completely free (if you picked them up at your nearest Walgreens store). These are handy for your own scrapbooks or albums, or for giving to grandparents or other friends. You choose your own digital photos, the title, the background color... all done online. Each collage is regularly priced at $3.99, so getting it free - it's a good deal!

I didn't leave my house a lot this week. Honestly, I was scared to... with 4 little children in tow! But staying home is a serious money-saving strategy! The minute you walk out the door, you will be met with marketing and ad campaigns designed to make you feel that you "need" to go buy products to make you happy. Those ads coupled with your own desires for stuff will cause you to be tempted to buy items that you may not need at all.

Now, our home is not completely free from all marketing either (think websites, magazine ads, direct mailings, etc). However, if I keep my feet at home, I will not be tempted to walk down more aisles, stick more stuff into my shopping cart or buy food or drinks to satisfy my hunger. Keeping busy at home saves us money!

Happy Saving!

0 comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)