Book: All in Good Time

If the description below peaks your interest, then this is the book for you!

"A few dollars wasted here, a few minutes lost there...it all ads up, and soon you're stretched thin, stressed out, and wishing you had more free time and financial resources for the important things, like your family - and yourself...It's time to get your house - and schedule - in order. The secret to streamlining your life is in the timing: knowing exactly when to do, buy, travel, or try..."

This wonderful book that I speak of is "All in Good Time" by Tara Kuczykowski and Mandi Ehman.

This book has been on my Kindle wish list for a while now, but I didn't think the electronic version of this book would be very effective for me. This seemed like the kind of book I would want to write in, bookmark, and tuck away in my couponing bag of tricks as a resource for whenever I needed it.

Luckily I came across this Barnes & Noble printable coupon (which expires tomorrow) and finally had a guilt-free reason for buying the non-digital version (15% off is always nice). It brought the price of the book (found in the Reference section) down to $12.75, a minimal price for what I hope will be a great investment in my sanity ;)

For more information on this book, click here.

Triumph at Target Part II

Today's quick trip to Target was a spur-of-the-moment, let's-see-what-clothes-they-have-on-sale kind of trip. It didn't really stop at clothes, but you get the picture...

Total Savings: $46.90

First things first. If you haven't printed the Mossimo and Merona coupons from Target's website, do that now! I'm serious...stop reading, go to a computer, and print those coupons pronto. They are $3 off coupons that expire today, and you will kick yourself for not using them. I promise! Well, maybe not literally kick yourself, but you could score some super duper cheap casual tops that you are sure to wear this upcoming holiday weekend.

Pictured above are 3 lace Mossimo tank tops that are on sale for $6 AND they are available in all sorts of bright spring colors. I was lucky enough to have 3 coupons on hand, so I only paid $3 each. Great deal, huh? But wait...it gets better!

Also pictured above are 2Merona  scoop neck tops that I found on clearance for $4. That's right, you guessed it...after using (2)$3 off coupons, I only paid $1 for each one! So if you haven't printed those coupons yet, I suggest you go print them and make a quick stop at Target to stock up on some always-needed casual tops. You'll thank me later...maybe ;)

If all you wanted to know about were the clothes, then I suggest you stop reading, print those coupons, and head on over to Target to take advantage of some sweet prices! If you are weird like me and get excited about cheap toiletries, then please continue reading...

I had some extra coupons from yesterday's trip that I wanted to use up, so I scored more cheap Aquafresh toothpaste and Up & Up travel size cotton balls. Feel free to look at yesterday's post to see the specifics on those sales.

Another Target coupon that you HAVE to print right now is the Degree coupon. The coupon is $2 off 2 Degree deoderants, and Target has their combo pack on sale for $3.99. Because there are 2 in a pack, this qualifies as 2 items, so the $2 off coupon applies. After the coupon, you are getting a Degree 2-pack for $1.99. These deoderants usually run about $3 each regular price.

A few cool clearance finds pictured above are Energizer Max 10-pack batteries ($5.61) and Colgate toothbrushes 3-pack ($3.14). Combined with manufacture coupons that I had from Sunday's paper, these always-needed items came with a pretty sweet price tag :)

The Garnier Fructis conditioner and Quaker Oats Real Medleys were purchased because I had a Target printable coupon and manufacture coupon that I was able to pair nicely for a great price.

Triumph at Target Part I

To a couponer, there is no greater feeling than walking away from a store with a bag full of goodies and a wallet equally full. Allow me to share my successful Target trip with you.

Ta-da!

Paid $2.59 before taxes

Up & Up Ibuprofen

$0.97 each - (2)$1 Target printable coupon = 2 for FREE

Aquafresh Toothpaste

$3.00 - $1.50 Target printable coupon - $1 manufacture coupon = $0.50

Up & Up Cotton Balls

$0.99 - $0.75 Target printable coupon = $0.24

Revlon Eyeshadow

$4.69 - $2 Target printable coupon - $2 manufacture coupon = $0.69

Dial Hand Soap

$1.29 ea. - (2)$1 off 2 Target printable coupons - $2 off 4 manufacture coupon = $1.16 total

Once again, these are more necessities that we'll always need at the house. I even got some ibuprofen for free that will be used to restock my medicine cabinet at work (you know who you are!) :)

Boring Necessities Needed

While I admit that this post isn't exactly oozing excitement, it's a simple reminder to us couponers: Buying necessities isn't necessarily fun, but is one of the main reasons that us crazy coupon people keep up this money saving habit. We always need toothpaste, toilet paper, face cleansers, and if you're anything like me, nail polish!

Total Net Cost: $3.88

Since the items pictured here are your normal everyday got to have sort of items, I'll skip the long drawn-out paragraphs and just explain how I got these items for cheap. I'm sure a few of you may want to copy my shopping trip at your local CVS and Walgreens, so I'll just get right to it.

Walgreens

Cottonelle

$5 - $1 May coupon book coupon - $0.50 coupon from Sunday's paper = $3.50

Wet n Wild Nail Polishes

$0.99 each - (3)$1 coupons from Sunday's paper = 3 for FREE

CVS

Biore Facial Wipes

$2.87 - $2 coupon from magic coupon in-store machine = $0.87

AquaFresh Travel Toothpaste

$1.27 each - $1 online coupon = $0.27 each

Because I used my CVS Green Tag, I also earned another $1 ECB off my next purchase :)

Like I said before...while today's shopping trip wasn't exactly a fun-filled exciting life-changing experience, I did get some things that we always need around the house...for less than a drive-thru meal at your favorite fast food chain.

Allergies & Eyes

While it seems that everyone is glad the cold wet weather has passed, a few of us, ahem, me!, are struggling to share in everyone's joy when it comes to bright sunny HOT days. Don't get me wrong...I'm glad my husband can crank up the grill again and I can start showing off my pedicures again. BUT, I am NOT glad that I have to start carrying those annoying little Kleenex packages in my purse and have random sneezing spells and itchy eyes. But on the bright side...the flowers ARE prettier during this time of year :)

Ok. Enough of my allergy season rant. During my lunch hour today, I made a quick stop at CVS to hopefully take advantage of the great deal they were running on contact solution and allergy medication. Luckily, there were three little purple boxes of Allegra waiting just for me. And I guess a lot of people aren't needing contact solution this week because their shelves were full of Complete contact solution. So here are my winnings from CVS. Ta-da!!!

Allegra (5 count): Sale price of $6.99

- (3) $7.00 coupons from Sunday paper

=3 boxes for FREE

Complete Contact Solution: Buy one at $8.99 get $8.99 ECB

I used $8.50 in ECB that I earned on my last shopping trip, so I applied those to this purchase, leaving only $0.49 for me to pay out of pocket. SCORE!

AND I used my Green bag tag, scoring me another $1.00 ECB.  

Total Savings: $30.47, plus an additional $9.99 ECB to use on my next purchase. It's like CVS paid me to take this stuff off their hands! :)

In closing, while I'll have to endure sneezing spells and sore throats during our church Easter picnic and bike rides through our tree-lined neighborhood, at least I'll be well-equipped for whatever nature throws my way. And the next time I have to pop an Allegra to stop the itchy watery eyes, I'll do it with a smile knowing I didn't pay a dime :)

Freezer Cooking?

For the past few weeks, I've spent quite a bit of time online trying to find new recipes and some inspiration to get behind the stove and get CREATIVE. Today I came across this post about freezer cooking. Because this way of cooking forces you to plan your meals ahead of time, you aren't tempted to eat out as much because you always have homemade food ready to eat within minutes. And it's healthier too!

I have a co-worker who swears by this method, so I may have to give it a try this weekend.

What about you? Does anyone do any bulk cooking? What do you like most about it? What do you like least about it? Any favorite recipes you want to share? :)

Thank you Krazy Coupon Lady for sharing this post!

How to Score Free MAC Makeup!

If you are a MAC girl, then this post is for you! :)

I recently came across a very interesting article on The Krazy Coupon Lady's blog. I had no idea that MAC had a program that encourages recycling and rewards its customers with free makeup.

If you are a die-hard MAC wearer, I encourage you to click here to find out how you can score free MAC makeup. And no need to worry, this isn't some kind of scam. I would never do that to you! :)