2000 FAN GIVEAWAY! USA RESIDENTS ONLY!

Welcome to the 2000 FAN GIVEAWAY!   This is for USA residents ONLY!  Anyone who signs up who lives outside of the USA will be disqualified. 

OUR SPONSORS ARE:



AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN and the free gift and no shipping charges is:

$10.00 GIFT CARD!

SHAUNA the SCENTSY EXPERT!  and the free gifts with no shipping charge is:

Surfer Chick Scent Circle
Bubbly lemon tonic and guava frolic with sweet cherries and blackberries in this youthful scent.

Kahiko Hula Scent Circle
Say "aloha" with exotic passion fruit, mango, and papaya.

 Jessica Collamati, MARY KAY Indep. Rep

is giving a 30% off COUPON for any of her Mary Kay Products!  No shipping fee!

 

DAWN of COUPON COUSINS is giving away 2 COUPON INSERTS  (no charge for shipping!)

Please remember to THANK the SPONSORS for their gifts when you receive them.  As always you will have 48 hours to respond to the sponsor when you win your gift!   Thank you for playing!!  Good Luck!

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup
Serves 6

1/2 pound ground beef, extra lean
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
5 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups kale, thinly sliced
1 cup orzo pasta
1/3 cup carrot, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, meat, egg, cheese, basil and onion
powder, shape into 3/4 inch balls.

In a large saucepan, heat broth to boiling, stir in kale, orzo, carrot and
meatballs. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook at a slow
boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir frequently to prevent
sticking.

Per serving: 280 Calories; 8g Fat; 24g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 578mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I like bread with soup so either bake some in your
bread maker or buy a nice loaf of crusty bread to go with this. Add a salad
if you want, but you've got tons of green stuff going on this hearty soup.

VEGETARIANS: Skip the meatballs by omitting first 3 ingredients. Add extra vegetables to
vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

KOSHER: Use beef broth instead of chicken.

$200 VISA Gift Card Giveaway!! July 27th to August 10th, 2011 One Winner!

Wow!  A $200.00 VISA Gift Card Giveaway!  Just think of all the Avon Products or Back-To-School items that you could buy for that amount of money!   Incredible!   And all you have to do to get this chance to win it is simply LIKE the following pages and enter to win on all the spots on the Rafflecopter!   GOOD LUCK!  Here are the sponsors who are participating:


Dates: July 27th to August 10th
Prize: $200 Visa gift card - one winner
Sponsored by:

1. A Dime At A Time
2. Oh My Gosh Beck!
3. Avon Products by Carolyn
4. Clever Couponeer
5. Let's Start Saving Now
6. Racing and Saving Mama
7. Coupon Cousins
8. My SoCal Life
9. Cori's Coupon Corner
10. Saving Green In The Bay
11. Baby Coupons & Stuff
12. Ni​fty Mom
13. Howard House Reviews
14. Mommy's Money Saving Madness
15. Keeping Cents
16. Sassy Saving Moms
17. Texas Frugality
18. Always​ Searching for Savings
19. Hayden Coupon Mom
20. Freebies​ and Deals
21. Mommy Octopus
22. Nifty Thrifty Savings
23. Twingle Mommy
24. Beauty Brite
25. Semmes Savers
26. Fab Steals and Deals
27. Dollars 2 Dimes
28. Mommy's Crazy 4 Coupons
29. The Krazy Coupon Queen

Giving up the JUNK FOOD for HEALTHY FOOD!

Yep, you heard it here! John and I are on a mission now to eat healthy and give up the JUNK FOOD for the HEALTHY FOOD!

No more junk food!

And instead we are switching most things to this:

So we've traded in some things lately for some really good junk food options:

POTATO CHIPS are out and POP CHIPS are in!
SODA is out and FLAVORED and VITAMIN waters are in!
ICECREAM is out and SKINNY COW is in!
CANDY is out and SKINNY COW CANDY is in!

We've joined CLUB SKINNY and are going to get rid of some pounds we put on from junk food!

We want to know just who is with us on this endeavor?  

So no more chocolate bars for John for clipping coupons  but instead he gets Skinny Cow Candy!  It's worth it to be healthy and wise!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Soylicous Melter and Tart Chunks

 I won this Soylicious.com Tart Melter in a GIVEAWAY!   I give this a 10 out of 10!   It came with three packages of tarts: Cinnamon and Clove Bud, Eucalyptus & Mint and Asian Fig.    All three of the scents are
absolutely wonderful!  I will definitely be buying more tarts when I am done using all the ones that I have!

This is what they have to say about the melter:  "Plug-in Warmers: Our Electric Plug In Warmers, feature two piece construction so you can remove the bowl to make a quick and easy change between your favorite fragrances. You can also purchase these warmers with your choice of 2 tart chunks. The bulb is 15 watt and the warmer will rotate while plugged in, transforming into a night light after you remove the wax bowl."

This is what they have to say about the tart chunks:  Tart Chunks: Our tart chunks are made with the same process as our candles, superior melting time and scent throw. Order from our expansive line of fragrances or create your own by mixing two or more of our delicious flavors for instance (Cafe Latte/Vanilla = Vanilla Coffee Bean).

I would highly recommend buying their warmers (aka melters) and tart chunks.   At least the three scents that I received.  The scents just fill the whole living room and kitchen!  They last long too.   I was able to get three days of constant warming out of two chunks at a time.  

Chicken Breasts in Caper Cream Sauce

<We tried this recipe given to us through ALL RECIPES and it was just delicious!   Thought I would pass this on to all of you!>

Prep Time: 5 Min 

Cook Time: 15 Min

Ready In: 20 Min

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1 teaspoon lemon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Directions:

1.	Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed, and garlic powder.
2.	Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place breasts in skillet, and increase heat to medium-high. Turn chicken frequently, until brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken to a warm serving platter, and cover with foil.
3.	Return skillet to stove, and increase heat to high. Whisk in whipping cream, whisking continuously until reduced to sauce consistency, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in capers. Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

 

Conversations with Carolyn: Coupon Binder!

Conversations with Carolyn: Coupon Binder!

My CVS TRIP today! Super Savings!

My CVS trip today!  Here's what we bought:

M&M's  (2/$6.00) with a coupon for $.75/2
GAIN ($11.66)  I had the TIDE coupon and they didn't have any TIDE   :o(
SCOTT paper towels ($4.44) and I sent the wrong coupon   :o(
COTONELLE toilet paper ($9.99) and no coupon   :o(
DURACELL regular came with a glue stick (scrapbooking!)  ($5.99) and a coupon for $.75/1
DURACELL rechargeable ($5.99) and a coupon for $1.50/1

We spent the $30.00 to get a FREE $10.00 GAS CARD

Total:  $52.10
Saved:  $21.66

The paper towels and toilet paper went to the STOCKPILE (it's growing now.!  2 shelves are filled will have to clear off the top shelf for more now) 

Remember, we are ETHICAL COUPONERS... we don't buy it unless it's something we regularly buy.  We don't buy what we don't use, don't clear shelves, but we use our coupons and save!   The M&M's are for my husband for being the coupon clipper!

1200 FAN GIVEAWAY (there's a charge for shipping on some items)

Welcome to the 1200 FAN GIVEAWAY
(plus the charge for shipping on some of the sponsor's items)

The following Sponsors are offering their giveaway items!

AVON PRODUCTS by CAROLYN
This is FAR AWAY and values at $10.00 and there's a $1.00 shipping charge to the winner. Be sure to only sign up for this prize if you are willing to pay the $1.00 shipping charge via Pay Pal!

DIVA DUST by NICOLE of SLUMBER PARTIES BY NICOLE  (shipping charge to winner is $5.00)
 Be sure to only select this prize if you're willing to pay the $5.00 shipping charge.  Thanks!

 

$5 Inspired Silver Gift Card Photo by Angie of Angie's Angel Help Network  (no charge for shipping!)

LOVE SPELL HAND AND BODY CREAM 2 oz.  by KITTY of GIRL NATURE  (There's a shipping charge of $2.00 on this prize.  Only sign up for this prize if you're willing to pay the $2.00 shipping fee via PayPal)

Love Spell Fragrance Oils: Blend of Summer Flowers and Orange.

With ingredients like Safflower Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamins A, C and E and a Botanical Extract blend of Chamomile, Comfrey, Cucumber and Aloe, our ultra moisturizing Paraben Free Hand and Body Cream is luxury for your skin.

$5.00 AMAZON.COM GIFTCARD by Patti of SHORE SAVINGS WITH PATTI (no charge for shipping)

Note about the shipping.  This is something that I now I have to do.  We vendors pay for the price of the prize and we can't pay for the shipping of the items.  That must come from you.  These are not terribly high fees but we who sell products are business people and this is coming out of our pockets to ship.  Thanks for your understanding.

Sunday trip to CVS!

This was a total coupon and sale shopping trip!  It may not look like much to the EXTREME couponers, but for an ETHICAL couponer like us, this was just great!   The whole order came to over $70.00 without coupons and we saved $30.00 some and got a $10.00 gas card to go with it!  The Hershey bars are for the man responsible for clipping all my coupons, my hubby!  Thank you John! 

The toothpaste, shampoo, soda pop and one of the pickles went to our mini but nice looking STOCKPILE!

900 FAN GIVEAWAY!

 CONGRATS WINNERS!  You have 48 hours to contact the sponsors of your prize!





Congratulations fans of AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN!  We just hit 900 fans and we're having a giveaway!   The following sponsors are offering products in this giveaway:


COUPON COUSINS from DAWN:

$5.00 GIFT CARD

 

OR 

WENDY HINES ...    she does a lot of book and product reviews.

Christine’s Coupon Swap 

AVON PRODUCTS by CAROLYN

 

SHORE SAVINGS WITH PATTI

Here is how you enter:

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

 

Have you ever wanted to have a gift of $100.00 on a gift card to spend however you 

wanted to?   Well this is your lucky chance!   Twenty bloggers, including me, got together

and decided to make your dream come true!   So here you have the chance at winning this 

$100.00 Amazon.com giftcard!   What would you buy with your gift card?

Here's how to enter:  

Go follow each of us on Facebook using the Rafflecopter widget below. That's it! You get one entry for every page that you enter... so to increase your chances of winning, you'll want to make sure to like all twenty blogs.

We're even giving you some daily bonus entry opportunities! You can come back once a day and tweet our giveaway or share it on Facebook for one bonus entry each.

This giveaway will open for entries at 12:01 am (EST) on Thursday 7/7 and close at 11:59 PM (EST) on Thursday 7/21!
 

The following blogs are in this together:


Oh my gosh, Beck!
A Dime At A Time
Conversations with Carolyn
Baby Steps with H2O at home
The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug
Aubut Family
Makobi Scribe
Simply Stacie
Rockin' Deals
Our Family World
Libby's Library
Staying Me...
Beauty Brite
Just Married with Coupons
Let's Start Saving Now
Racing and Saving Mama
The Centsational Saver
A little of this A little of that...
Someday I'll Learn
Brag All About It

WACKY WEDNESDAYS on AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN!

New twist for the Wacky Wednesday's gals...  To play you have to FOLLOW my blog first and reply here first.  I need to get you all to come to my blog and have a look around!   There's always information here pertaining to Avon Products by Carolyn and a lot more!   Use this LINK to get back to my page on FaceBook!   Thanks!

ps...  to FOLLOW go to the page front, right HERE and at the top on the left it says FOLLOW and click on that. Thanks!

The winners have been selected!

We have the WINNERS for the  LUAU POOL PARTY Giveaway! The winners have 24 hours to reply to me and then I reselect winners.  Thank you to everyone who took place in this giveaway and for all the fans who joined AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN.  The next giveaway is at 700 fans and today we just hit 600! A special thanks to the SPONSORS who gave from their hearts!!  You all are the best  :o)

SAMANTHA was contacted by email and won PATTI's GIFT!  Congrats!

SHANNON was contacted by email and won my POOL PARTY toys!  Congrats!

RACHEL was contacted by email and won MICHELE's GIFTS!  Congrats!

CYNTHIA was contacted by email and won TEANA's GIFTS!  Congrats!

DEB was contacted by email and won SHAUNA's GIFT!  Congrats!

DARLENE was contacted by email and won NICOLE's GIFT!  Congrats!


All of these gals have to be verified by the sponsor they won from and then they can be declared as WINNERS!

Shore Savings With Patti!

Hi everyone!  Today I want to share with you about my favorite BLOG!  It's SHORE SAVINGS WITH PATTI  Just click on the name of her website and you will be sent there. 

Patti has some incredible coupons!  Ones that you don't always see with other bloggers.  This is what I've
experienced.  She's also got an incredible FB page...  and that you can find HERE  And you can also follow her on TWITTER!.

Patti lives at the beach in New Jersey!  She has an incredible family and she's just a delightful and funny gal!
I'm a total fan!

She was the first person to sign up for sponsoring the LUAU POOL PARTY!   So be sure to follow Patti and please thank her for sponsoring!

Conversations with Carolyn: Luau Pool Party Giveaway for 500 FaceBook Fans!

Conversations with Carolyn: Luau Pool Party Giveaway for 500 FaceBook Fans!

Avon Products by Carolyn

AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN is my fan page on FaceBook.  I have fun games on Wednesday's called Wacky Wednesday because the games are goofy!   I have FLASH AUCTIONS and advertised specials.  Come here to get your products from Avon at some wonderful prices.  I sell BOTH Avon and Mark products.  All your Avon shopping in one convenient place! 

National Consumer Panel and the scanner!

I joined the NCP!  You can too and for a short time now you can receive the scanner and take part in their program.  The National Consumer Panel consists of people from all demographic and geographic areas of the United States. By scanning the barcodes on their purchases and completing surveys, panelists' consumer voices make an impact in the marketplace. NCP is an operational joint venture between the two leading consumer insights providers in the United States - The Nielsen Company and SymphonyIRI Group.

Just click on the NCP link and begin!

My husband the coupon clipper!

He'd do just about anything for those two candy bars that we got with a coupon!  Wooo hooo he clipped
ALL of my coupons for me this weekend!  Thank you John!

Coupon Binder!

If you're looking for a way to organize your coupons then you may want to consider buying a binder (top pic)
and the loaded coupon book that goes inside (bottom pic).  

A coupon binder is a great way to organize all your coupons!  You simply clip what you need and then go through the binder sections (they are baseball card inserts) and slip your coupon into place!


In the loaded coupon book that I bought this is what is included:

NEWBIE SALE!!!

Description:

•  24 High Quality 9 Pocket Coupon Pages with 40 repositionable and hand-labeled Tabs and 8 blank Tabs (all placed on the pages)

• Alphabetized 40 Top Grocery Coupon Categories (scroll down for the list)

• Coupon Lingo Breakdown List

•  Tips and Tricks Page

• Top Printable Coupon Websites and Best Coupon Blogs to Follow

• Coupon Category Index

•  2 recent Sunday coupon inserts

Inserts: 
Smart Source 6/26   Click here for Preview
Red Plum: 6/26  Click herefor Preview

Residents of PA will be charged 6% sales tax.
ALL KITS WILL SHIP MONDAY DUE TO SALE

$19.99!  Excellent price! 

CLICK ON THE BANNER!

Luau Pool Party Giveaway for 500 FaceBook Fans!

Avon Products by Carolyn Fans:  



We are having a LUAU POOL PARTY GIVEAWAY now that we reached  500 fans!  When you are COMMENTING (one comment at the end of this blog entry per action), please include your email address where I can reach you if you win this giveaway!  If you don't include your email address, your comment will not be entered into the drawing. 

Here are the gifts that will be sent:

From Carolyn all gifts from Party City!  What a great place to shop!

Summer Ballon Centerpiece
Sticky Catch Game
Flip Flip Luau Banner
Tropical Breeze Invitations 20 CT
Blue and White Beach Ball 13 inches
Octopus Beach Ball 9 inches
Splash Ball Combo Pack
Splash Fling Toy 2 piece

DID you JOIN Carolyn's FB page? (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.
DID you JOIN Carolyn's BLOG? (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.

AND from the following SPONSORS:

Shore Savings with Patti

DID YOU JOIN Patti's Page (click here)  make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.
DID YOU JOIN Patti's Blog? (click here)  make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.


Money $aving Michele

Did you JOIN Michele's FB page?  (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.
Did you JOIN Michele's BLOG? (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.



Wickless Expert Shauna McDonald

 DID you JOIN Shauna's FB Page? (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.

Teana Lewis-Hoyle

 DID you JOIN Teana's FB page?  (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.

Nicole Roseberry

DID you JOIN Nicole's FB page?  (click here)  Make one comment on this giveaway page about doing this.  This will be checked.


There will be ONE WINNER selected from all the comments to this contest by Random.org
The WINNER will be chosen on SUNDAY night, JULY 3rd, 2011 at 9pm ET!

I REMOVE COMMENTS without EMAIL ADDRESSES as these do NOT count for the giveaway so be careful and make sure that you've followed the directions.  The only entries that will count are the individual ones that include your email address. 

If you do not claim your prize in 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

You must be 17 to participate.   You MUST reside in the USA. 

Disclosure:
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. As winners you are providing your information to the sponsor and not to Facebook. The information (name & email) you provide will only be used for contacting the winner and sponsor. Although I am facilitating the giveaways, I am not affiliated with these organizations, nor am I endorsing their products or services, unless otherwise indicated. Once winners are selected it is up to the winner and the sponsor to make arrangements for delivery of the item. By filling out the forms you are consenting.

Privacy Policy: You are giving me your name and email at this time when commenting. I will use it ONLY to contact the Sponsor with the winners information.

IGiveYouGetGiveAlways 400 FAN GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to Conversations with Carolyn! Yay to the 400 FANS! This giveaway is for all of you on that group.

I will be using the RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR to correspond with the number of your comment and that will be the winner of:

1. 100 coupons!
2. Forever 21 Leopard Print Foot Cushions!
3. Forever 21 Hello Kitty Tissues!
4. Avon Silicon Gloves!


So start commenting with your name and FB profile name, your email and tell me something about my blog that you like. YES, you do need to leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway.
And be sure that you LIKED my page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avon-Products-by-Carolyn/191175717600896

HAVE FUN!
*FB requires this:
a. A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.

b. Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

c. Disclosure that the participant is providing information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook.

Ding! Dong! AVON CALLING! FIRST CONTEST!

This is my first contest with the gals (or guys) from my page on FB,

and this is for the first responder who places an order of just TEN DOLLARS at
and they will receive two items from FOREVER 21 (my favorite store online for clothes for me!) and these items are:

1. LEOPARD PRINT FOOT CUSHIONS
2. HELLO KITTY TISSUES (for your child! or for a child you know!)

Sooooo the first one who places that order and comments here is the winner! It's that easy.

All orders can happen at:
http://carolynmullin.avonrepresentative.com/

You can visit AVON PRODUCTS BY CAROLYN at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avon-Products-by-Carolyn/191175717600896


THIS CONTEST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FACEBOOK or THEIR EMPLOYEES. THEY ARE NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING. THE CONTEST PLAYERS ARE RELEASED OF ANY RELIABILITY.

The winner will need to email me at
carolynjm@live.com
with their address so I can mail the gifts to them!

HAVE FUN!

Couponing 101: The Basics

A manufacturer’s coupon is a piece of paper with a discount for a specified product printed on it. The coupon can be used at most stores that carry the specified product. To receive your discount you must purchase the product and give the cashier the coupon. The cashier will scan the coupon and the coupon amount will be deducted from your purchase. You then pay for the remainder of the purchase.

Coupons may only be used once. You may not buy ten boxes of cereal and scan the coupon for $1 off cereal ten times. The store will only be reimbursed for the single coupon you scanned – they will then lose $9 for the nine additional times you scanned the coupon.

You may use one coupon per indicated items purchased. If you have two coupons to save $1 on one box of cereal, you can buy two boxes and use both coupons. The coupon will say “one coupon per purchase.” This means you may not use both $1 coupons on one box. If you purchase two boxes then you may use two coupons.

You may not use two coupons on one item. You may not buy one package of diapers and use ten coupons on it. You may only use one of your coupons on the diapers. You may, however, use one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon on one item.

Coupons may not be copied. Copying coupons is illegal. You can however obtain multiples of coupons in legal ways. You can buy multiple papers or order multiples from a clipping service.

Read the wording of the coupon and ignore the picture! Manufacturer’s usually put a picture of their most expensive product on the coupon to make you think that is what you have to buy. If you actually read the terms of the coupon, it will usually say “save on ANY brand xyz product.” That means you can buy even the least expensive product and still save with the coupon!

You can use a coupon on an item that is on sale or clearance too! Occassionally I will have a store clerk tell me otherwise, but it is usually cleared up with a chat with a manager or a call to corporate.

If a product rings up higher than advertised or they miss one of your coupons, let them know! I always read over my receipt before I leave the store to make sure everything is correct. Any mistakes over $1 are pointed out to customer service. $1 may not seem like much, but let me put it in perspective. I visit roughly 3 stores per week. If each store overcharges me “just $1″ at each visit then I am being overcharged $156 per year. It is usually more than $1 though, and rarely takes more than a minute at customer service.

Stand up for yourself! If you are using coupons correctly then shop with confidence. Many times the cashiers are just misinformed. Be calm and confident when you explain why you CAN use the coupon. If the cashier still doesn’t accept it, ask nicely to speak to a manager. It is your money and you should not feel bad about being a smart shopper!

There are no stupid questions! If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I would be happy to answer!


Get some coupons!

* The Sunday newspaper is a great source of coupons. Buy the newspaper with the largest circulation in order to get the best coupons. You can sometimes get them cheaper by buying a double pack. I find that a good rule of thumb is to purchase one newspaper per family member.
* Ask your friends and family for coupons. If they get a newspaper but usually throw out the coupons then they’ll probably be happy to give them to you.
* Peruse the Internet. There are many great online printable coupons to be found! You can find a list of Internet printable sites here!
* Use a clipping service. If there is a great coupon that you would like to have multiples of then you might consider ordering the coupons from a clipping service like The Coupon Clippers.
* Check the store. There are many varieties of coupons that you can find in the store. See a list here.

Organize your coupons!

* Envelopes. You can start by clipping and putting them all in an envelope or check file. But, once you’ve been couponing for a few weeks you will need something bigger.
* File by insert. With this method you just file your inserts by date in a box and use an online coupon database to find the coupon you need. This method doesn’t require much work but you might miss out on unadvertised deals by not having all of your coupons with you at the store.
* Coupon Binder. With this method you would clip all of your coupons and file them in baseball card holders in a three-ring binder. With this method you can carry your binder to the store and have all your coupons with you while you shop. You can see my coupon binder here!

Know your store’s coupon policy!

* Loyalty Cards. If your store offers a loyalty card then make sure to get one. Some stores only give the sale prices to card-holders. Loyalty cards are Free!
* Double/Triple coupons. Double/triple coupons is when the store will take your 50¢ coupon and double it making it $1. This is done automatically at the register, you do not have to do anything to take part in this promotion. First, find out if your store doubles/triples coupons. If they do then find out the maximum double/triple value and how many they will double/triple. 

* Stacking coupons. Some stores will allow you to use one store coupon (the discount is provided by the store) and one manufacturer coupon (the discount is provided by the manufacturer) per item.
* Internet coupons. Find out if your store accepts Internet coupons.
* Competitor coupons. Some stores will accept competitors coupons.
* Expired coupons. Some stores will accept expired coupons!

Make a plan!

* Weekly Ads. Read the weekly store ads to see what is on sale and which stores have the best prices on the items you need. If you don’t get the weekly ads delivered you can usually view them on the store’s website.
* Coupon Matchups. See if you can match coupons to the sale items to get an even better deal! Some websites do this for you. Couponing 101 provides weekly coupon matchups for CVS, Walgreens, Albertson’s, Brookshire’s, and Kroger.
* Pricematch. Some stores, like Walmart, will pricematch. This means that if grapes are on sale for 99¢/lb at Kroger, you can take the ad to Walmart and at checkout tell the cashier that you would like to pricematch the grapes. Show them the ad and they will sell you the grapes for 99¢/lb versus their higher price.
* Make a List! Don’t go to the store without a list. Lists remind you what you came for and keep you from buying items you don’t need.
* Rainchecks. If your store is out of the sale item, get a raincheck! Go to customer service and ask for a raincheck for the item you wanted. They will fill out a piece of paper with the item details and price. Then you can come back another day (usually no more than 30 days) and buy that item at the sale price by giving the cashier the raincheck. This also gives you more time to gather coupons for the item! You can still use a coupon if you are using a raincheck.

Don’t be fooled!

* 10/$10 promotions. You do not have to buy 10 items to get the $1 price! The only exception to this rule is if the ad states that you must! Those times are rare and are usually for items that are buy x get y free, final price 2/$5, etc.
* Rock-bottom prices. Don’t go out and use your coupon immediately! If you use that 25¢ off toilet paper right away when it’s not on sale you aren’t reaching your saving potential! Wait until toilet paper goes on sale for $1 then use the coupon. If your store triples coupons then you could get the toilet paper for only 25¢! Matching sales with coupons is getting a great price. Combining sales plus coupons plus another promotion (rebates, double coupons, store coupons) is getting the best price!
* “One per Purchase.” Most coupons say “one coupon per purchase” somewhere in the fine print. Cashiers will try to tell you that that means you can only use one coupon per transaction/day. This is NOT true! One per purchase means that you can only use one coupon per item purchased! So if you are buying 10 items and have 10 coupons then you can use them all!
* Leave the kids at home! Shopping with kids will distract you and cause you to buy items not on your list!
* Make a Pricebook. Start paying attention to prices and keep a list of items you regularly buy with the best and regular prices for those items. This will help you when you see that canned veggies are on “sale” for 10/$10 but the regular price is actually 99¢!
* Limits. Stores will sometimes put limits on the item to make you think it’s a great price! If cereal is just on sale 2/$4 you might not even notice it. But if it’s on sale 2/$4, limit 2! then you will likely think it’s a great price since they had to put a limit on it!
* Shop early. If you have couponers in your area then it’s best to get to the store as early in the sale as you can!
* “Bigger is better.” The cost per unit of the bigger box of cereal may be less than the smaller one but with coupons and sales the smaller box is likely a better deal.
* Watch the cashier. When checking out pay close attention to the price screen to make sure everything rings up at the correct price. Also, make sure that the cashier scans all of your coupons. Coupons sometimes stick together or get dropped or the cashier will scan the coupon but not realize that it didn’t go through. Kindly point out that they missed one and they will correct it.
* Check your receipt. BEFORE leaving the store look over your receipt to make sure everything rang up correctly and all of your coupons were scanned. If there is a problem take it to customer service immediately so they can fix it. If you leave the store and come back at another time then it might not be fixable. If the cashier missed a coupon and you notice right away it’s easy to see the mistake. But, if you come back later after several other coupons have been added to the cashier’s stack or the stack is gone then there is no way to prove that they missed a coupon.

Build your stockpile!

* Start slowly. Don’t buy a ton of everything as soon as you get started or you will blow your budget! A stockpile takes time. Set aside a part of your weekly grocery money for stockpiling and do what you can with what you have.
* Buy for the future. If an item goes on sale for a great price (or free!) then buy more than you need for just the week. Typically sales go in 12 week cycles so you only need to buy enough for 12 weeks. So, if you eat 1 box of cereal per week then when you find cereal at a rock-bottom price then you should buy 12 boxes. This way you have cheap cereal that will last you until you can buy it at a rock-bottom price again.
* Know how much you use. Start paying attention to how many bottles of shampoo, packs of diapers, boxes of cereal, etc. you use. This will help you to have a better idea of how much you should buy and to not go overboard! If you only eat 1 box of cereal a month then there is really no need to buy more than a few boxes or they will just go to waste.
* Donate it. Every couponer will eventually go overboard and buy too much of something. If there is no way you will use it before it expires then consider donating the item to a shelter or food pantry."

Coupon Lingo

Sunday inserts:

P&G = Procter & Gamble Sunday insert
RP = Red Plum
SS = SmartSource
GM= General Mills


Coupon lingo:

$1/1, $1/2, etc. = One dollar off one item, one dollar off two items, etc.
2/$1, 3/$2, etc. = Two items for one dollar, three items for two dollars, etc.
BOGO = Buy one item get one item free
B2GO = Buy two items get one item free
Blinkies = Grocery/drugstore coupon dispensers with blinking lights
Cat = Catalina coupon, prints from a separate machine when your receipt prints
CRT = Cash register tape, usually used when referring to CVS coupons that print with receipt
ECBs = ExtraCare Bucks, CVS loyalty rewards system
ESRs = EasySaver Rebates, Walgreens monthly rebates program
FAR = Free after rebate
IPQ = Internet printable coupon
IVC = Instant Value Coupon, Walgreens’ store coupons found in ads and ESR booklet
MFR = Manufacturer
MIR = Mail-in rebate
OYNO = On your next order
OOP = Out of pocket
Peelie = Peel-off coupon found on product packaging
PSA = Prices starting at
RRs = Register Rewards, Walgreens’ Catalina coupons
SCR = Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid monthly rebates program
UPC = Universal Product Code, bar code on a product
WT = Wine tag, no alcohol purchase necessary to use these coupons
WYB = When you buy



SS = SmartSource
RP = RedPlum
GM = General Mills
PG = Procter & Gamble
AY = All You Magazine
UN = Unilever
KB = Kelloggs/Keebler

SWAGBUCKS FRIDAY !

post coming soon!

FREEBIE FRIDAY!! Coupons and Deals

Well this has been a good day so far.  I did MISS the $5.00 coupon for the BOUNTY.  That went fast!  But I saved, saved, saved all over the place today.

First, we received a coupon for OMAHA STEAKS (USA only) Ordered our OMAHA STEAKS for Father's Day dinner. We've got this great coupon for an order of: 

(2) 5 oz. Filet Mignons, (2) 5oz. Top Sirloins) ( 4) 4 oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts 

(4) 4oz. Omaha Burgers (4) 3 oz. Gourmet Franks (4) 5 3/4 oz. Stuffed Baked Potatoes PLUS 6 FREE Omaha Steaks Burgers! Reg. $139.00 NOW ONLY $39.99 and you can get this too by going thru SWAG BUCKS search engine and write OMAHA STEAKS and then click on the address for them.  Then type this in the URL:

http://www.OmahaSteaks.com/DNH   or you can call 1-800-811-7832 and ask for 45069PNH!  

If you are going to place this order, please send a comment to me here.  It's nice to know who is reading here!  Thanks!

Second, I placed my order for my swimsuit today at JCPenney and went through SWAGBUCKS search engine to do it.  I ordered my swimsuit and because I saved $28.00 on the order of the suit, I went ahead and spent that money on a beach cover up and 4 pair of shorts!  Wooo hooo!

Today in the mail I received a bunch of coupons I ordered from http://www.TheCouponClippers.com

and that only cost me $3.96 for coupons good through August! 

I want to share with you that I'm doing a giveaway of 87 or more coupons for a member 

selected from joining I Give U Get Give Aways and Coupons at: 

http://www.facebook.com/IGiveUGetGiveaways

She's going to do this giveaway when the membership reaches 400 LIKES.  So please LIKE the page and share the link with your friends!  I have some great coupons that I don't use because I am a brand shopper and my husband is particular about the items we use.  If you LIKED the page, please comment here!

In email today I received a response from the The National Consumer Panel that:

Hello,
Thank you for your continuing interest in the National Consumer Panel. We are very pleased to announce that your household has been selected to receive a scanner!

To ensure that we send you the proper equipment for your household, please click on the following link, or copy and paste it in your browser's address field (don't paste it into a search engine's search field):
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(If you're not interested, please let us know why by selecting the link above. Your opinion is important to us.)
Remember: As an NCP panelist, you'll be eligible to receive great gifts and be entered into our many sweepstakes!
We look forward to your participation in this exciting program!

Sincerely,

Lynne Morrison
National Director
National Consumer Panel

In my devotional reading today I read Isaiah 49:1-13 and one thing that I'd like to share from this passage: The middle verse (Isaiah 53:6) says, “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” pointing toward Christ’s saving death. Isaiah 49:3 calls the Messiah “Israel” in order to identify the Messiah with His people. Not only is Jesus presented as humble in verse 5, but He is presented as Savior to the both Jews and the Gentiles.  If you're a Christian or Jew you have much to look forward to!  If you'd like to know how to accept the Lord as your Savior just write to me and I will share that with you.

Burger Contest ... I hope I win!

I entered the Burger Contest that was held by the LA Times.  This ran over the Memorial Day weekend.  Contestants were asked to write up their recipe for their favorite burger and to provide a picture of it.  I made my LOW-CARB GORGONZOLA AVOCADO BURGER WRAP-UPS.    Since the recipe is "out there" now and if it is one of the winners it will be printed in the Food Section of the Times, I'm going to give you the recipe.

LOW-CARB GORGONZOLA AVOCADO BURGER WRAP-UPS.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Jennie-O ground turkey
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup egg beaters
1/8 cup thinly chopped baby carrots
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 tsp Emeril's Original Essence
1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or fresh parmesean cheese)

4 pieces of Jennie-O turkey bacon
1 med. avocado
4 large leaves of romaine lettuce
4 slices of gorgonzola cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the above first 9 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2.  Separate the mixture into 4 equal portions and place on grill.
    Grill to your desire!

3.  While the burgers are grilling, place 4 pieces of turkey bacon, cut in
    half, in a spray coated pan and place on low.  Turn over after cooked on
    one side.  Set aside.

4.  Half and slice up one medium avocado (about 4 slices lengthwise from each side).

5.  Place one slice of gorgonzola cheese on each finished burger and microwave all
    four hamburgers for 1 minute or until cheese has melted.

6.  Assemble hamburger on top of one leaf of romaine lettuce and wrap the lettuce
    around the burger.   Ready to serve!

Serves: 4

Living here in California and wanting to be healthy, I try to find the most healthy way to fix our meals.  I hope that the readers (who will choose the winners) will see this meal for the desire to have a healthy option and are favorable!

Ethical Couponing

 Here are steps you can take to maintain the integrity of your coupon usage and ensure that more deals are always around the corner:

• Do not use photo-copied coupons. Only original coupons clipped or printed from reputable sources are valid.
• Read all restrictions. If a coupon says one per household, you may not use one for each child. If the coupon reads “one per visit,” you must visit the store multiple times—even if it is in the same day—to redeem multiples of that coupon.
• Use coupons only on the product indicated. There are brand, type and size restrictions listed on most coupons.
• Pay attention to limits. You may only use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per item. Some stores impose additional limits on coupon acceptance and/or doubling.
• Be sure to use coupons before their expiration date. Some stores may have policies allowing expired coupon acceptance, but check with the store manager. A coupon redeemed past its expiration date means the store may not be reimbursed for the coupon.

It is important to practice ethical couponing as coupon fraud and misredemption affect consumer pricing for everyone. Any lost revenues will be reflected in price increases with fewer and less beneficial promotions. Stores that are victims of coupon fraud will also tighten their coupon policies and altogether cease promotions that are valuable to smart shoppers.

What are the penalties for coupon fraud?

Penalties for those convicted of coupon fraud related crimes vary by each case and the number of laws violated.

As of this date:

Longest prison sentence: 17 years

Highest financial penalty: $5 million

Prison sentences of three to five years are not uncommon. Financial penalties generally vary, but have often been in excess of $200,000.

Not one defendant has been acquitted in a CIC (Coupon Information Center) related coupon fraud case since operations began in 1986.

You don't want to be a statistic and I'd rather be an ethical couponer than save something on a jar of peanut butter!

John's Retirement Today!

John (my husband) retired today!   Wooo hooo!   We've been waiting for two months to finally see this day arrive (since the day he put in for his early retirement).  Those have been a long two months for me.  We were counting weeks, then days and then hours!

While John was at work I went shopping at VONS (used some coupons!!) and set up for his party.

For his retirement we went out to dinner at Pirate's Grub and Grog ( a great restaurant that we've been going to for 10 years now and one of our local favorites!)   I had a lobster tostada and he had fish and chips.  YUM!  We ate some popcorn before the start of the meal but not that much and we both ended up bringing our dinners home here to finish tomorrow for lunch.

For the after party we had more popcorn and each a piece of cheesecake!  I bought the single slices of cheesecake so he could have strawberry and I could have regular.  I never got to snap his photo of him eating his cheesecake because I was busy in the other room.

Tonight I'm wiped out!

Diane's Digressions

Diane's Digressions

I want to recommend this BLOG to all my friends. Diane and I went to  Philadelphia. Biblical University together. She's a missionary in Russia. I can't wait for her to come back home for three months next year. I want to have her here for at least a week. I will run her all over the place and chat with her into wee hours of the morning. ANYWAY... Diane has a flair for writing and is full of great book suggestions and she shares about the books she's read and the work she does as a missionary in Russia. 10 stars for Diane!

YouTube - YOU HAD ME AT WOOF by Julie Klam

YouTube - YOU HAD ME AT WOOF by Julie Klam

I just received this book on tape and am starting to listen to it today! I'm so excited!

I'm not a real fan of Cesar Milan but Julie Klam seems like the real deal. I really bought this

book on tape for my mother in law (Shirley) who is in a nursing home really close to

us. I have another book on tape for her to start while I'm working on this one.

The other book on tape is OOGY (another dog story).  Enjoy the video!

Julie has a dream about a Boston Terrier.  She feels this dream is a sign to her.  She researches Boston Terriers and finds out that they are suitable for apartments and allergy free.  They are nicknamed The American Gentleman.

This sounds like a great dog to have!  I would love to check out Boston Terrier rescue when Sandie passes (not for many years I hope).  This is great that she gets her dog from the rescue.

Her stories about how Otto gets along with other dogs and how she made friends with other people and their dogs and knew them as the dog's name "owner."  That's how we know people and their dogs at the beach here.