Food for Fines

Do you have library fines? Don't worry, no one is judging you. The good news is you have a chance to repent for your evil late book returning ways!

For the month of September, if you live in Jefferson County, Alabama you can exchange a can of food for every dollar you have in fines! This is so great because you give to the needy, pay off your debts and save money doing it too!

Just grab some non-perishable food from your stockpile and ta-da! All is well with the world!

Most libraries around the country have a program like this to pay off fines. Call your local library and ask when their food for fines program is.

The value of a penny

If I haven't convinced you to use coupons before maybe this will help...

The total cost of all of the items you see here is 1 penny.

Yes, that's right, that penny that was on the ground that you didn't pick up, was picked up by me and I turned it into all of this!

Using a combination of store sales, coupons, free samples, and CVS's extra care rewards program the total cost of everything ended up being one penny. I bought $40 worth of items that day that
are not pictured here but these were just a penny. Ahhhh.... it feels so good.....

What are you waiting for? Get couponing today!! http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ has helped me learn the tricks of the trade. Let her help you too.

Publix Weekly Penny Item

As if you needed another reason to love Publix here is one more - the Publix penny item!!

Each Sunday and Monday Publix has a mystery item that they price at just one penny! That's right, one penny! You might as well consider it free.

How it works: You must buy $10 worth of groceries (before coupons and the original cost of the penny item is included) and you can only get one item at that price per visit. There is a coupon in the ad in the Sunday paper but many stores do not require it. The Publix on 31 in Vestavia and Hoover, Alabama do not require the coupon. Make sure the checker discounts it though if you don't have the coupon.

Items that have been the penny item recently have been, apple juice, toilet paper, tortilla chips, salad dressing, window cleaner and more.

I save my shopping for Monday and there are two stores close to my house. I will go to one in the morning to get most of my items and get a penny item then. If there were items that the first store had sold out of I will then go to the other store to get the rest of my items and get another penny item.

Don't forget that Publix doubles coupons up to $.50 and you can pair a manufacturers coupon with a store coupon to maximize your savings. Also, don't forget that they also take competitors coupons so all those Bruno's $5 off a $30 purchase (pre-coupon savings) can be used as well.

Make Your Own Coupon Keeper

This picture is just another reminder that buying with coupons and store sales has its rewards. All of the items on this table cost me just under $25. Also, another reminder that the WIC program is a great way to be able to give your babies the nutrition they need. The items on the Lazy Susan in the center (cereal, milk, cheese, juice and eggs) were from WIC. To view my previous post about WIC and to see if you qualify click here.

Now... onto the coupon keeper....

Here is to all of you who say "If you haven't used something in 6 months, get rid of it." Well, I have a hard time following that principle because of days like today. I was in desperate need of a larger coupon holder and I didn't want to have to buy a binder and business card holder inserts. I estimated that to do so would have cost me around $10-$15 which would have defeated the point of all my coupon clipping these past few weeks.

So, this morning I went digging in an old drawer and found a picture holder from the 7th grade (yes, that would be 15 years ago). Thank goodness I didn't throw it out! There were a few crummy pictures in it and I hadn't touched it for years. I took the pictures out and created paper tabs (I cut my tabs using my Cricut but you can just fold over rectangles of paper) and stapled them to the inside. I then sorted my coupons.

Simple as that! They are now organized, easy to view, and easy to find. Now I won't be flipping through my messy stacks of coupons trying to find what I am looking for. It's a great way to reuse all those picture books you are not using.

Why Coupons Are Awesome!!!

So I have some great friends who are amazing and have inspired me to start using coupons. The picture above is from my first trip trying out the coupon technique the pros use. I have to admit is was a complete success and I couldn't be happier. The above items should have cost me $92.23 (before taxes) but instead I saved $64.02 and all of this food only cost me $28.21 (before taxes). I was grinning form ear to ear as I left the store revelling in my new triumph.

Now, let me tell you how I did it...

How to get coupons: You can get coupons from the paper, blinkies and stands in the aisles of the store, from ads at the front of the store, from signing up for free coupons and freebies from the manufacturers site, or there are a plethora of websites that will direct you to coupons you can print from your computer. Here is one that I like called Money Saving Mom. Collect as many as you can.

Use them with Buy One Get One Free deals: I shop at Publix which frequently has B1G1Free sales. When chips are normally $4 and you can B1G1Free you don't have to buy two to get the deal you can just buy one for just $2. If you also have a coupon for $1 off you end up paying only $1 for the chips that were normally $4 saving you $3! Many stores also double coupons that are 50 cents or less. So a 50 cent coupon is actually $1. Where you can really stock up is when you have more than one coupon. Check your stores B1G1Free deals for the week and plan ahead. If your coupon is for more that the price the remaining money is called overage and is deducted from another item.

Here's a breakdown of some of the stuff that I bought today and the savings.

A-1 Sauce Various Flavors

• Originally $3.79.
• B1G1Free Sale Price $1.90
• Coupon $2.00 off
• Total for each $-.10

Oscar Mayer Beef Jumbo Franks

• Originally $3.99
• B1G1Free Sale Price $1.99
• Coupon $1.00 off when you buy 2
• Total for each $.99

Kraft Dressings Various Flavors

• Originally $2.99
• B1G1Free Sale Price $1.49
• Coupon $1.50 off
• Total for each $-.01

Betty Crocker Turtle Supreme Brownie Mix

• Originally $2.55
• B1G1Free Sale Price $1.28
• Coupon $.50 off when you buy two but was doubled so it was actually $1 off when you buy two
• Total for each $.78 plus there is a coupon on the boxes for 2 free movie tickets with 10 UPC's all I need is 4 more from other participating brands and I get to see Harry Potter 6 for free too!

Lenders Bagels

• Originally $2.09
• B1G1F sale price $1.05
• Coupon $1.00 off when you buy 3
• Total for each $.71

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread Assorted Flavors

• Originally $1.99
• 4 or $5 sale $1.25 each
• Coupon save $1 when you buy 2
• Total for each $.75

Triscut Assorted Flavors

• Originally $3.19
• B1G1Free sale price $1.60
• Coupon save $1 when you buy 2
• Total for each $1.10

I also got a dollar off of the roast beef from a store coupon and the olives weren't on sale, I just wanted them. :) As you can see the savings are significant and I'm not even a pro yet. A friend of mine bought $180 dollars in groceries the other day and only ended up spending $60 a savings of $120!

Think of what this will mean to your budget as well as your food storage. You never know what is going to happen if you will loose your job, a grocery worker strike or a natural disaster with take out the food supply. Won't it feel good to know that your savvy shopping and the food you have stored up will be there when you need it? Doomsday's aside - I'm just happy that I now have brownies on hand for all those parties and Church activities that I will be asked to bring a treat to!

Free Hot Dogs

We all pretend that we are disgusted by them but let's face it... everyone loves hot dogs!

Go get yourself a coupon for a free pack! Oscar Mayer is giving out coupons for a free package. Click here to sign up.

Sign Up For Free Samples

Getting stuff for free is awesome. Free samples are the best because you can try something that you may think you want but just aren't sure enough to spend a lot of money to try. Getting free samples of things is also great because you can keep them as a "rainy day" item or keep it in a 72 hour emergency kit. For example a free sample of tampons comes in handy when you run out and it suddenly becomes an emergency. Or you use the last of the dish washing detergent but thank goodness you have that free sample to use before you can get to the store again.

On Walmart's site there is a section where you can sign up for free samples of items. There are also several places all over the Internet you can find free samples of things. Oh and if you're having a baby, sign up for every site there is, you will get free formula, baby products and checks for lots of money to go towards formula. Totally worth it.

If you are concerned about getting a ton on junk e-mail for signing up at these sites just simply open up an e-mail account that you can use for these things specifically. That way, special offers and coupons won't junk up your personal e-mail account.

Discount Days and Free Birthday Food at Moe's

Well, I just came back from a delicious dinner at Moe's. The best part about it? It was free!! If you go to their site you can sign up for their free birthday promotion. On your birthday they send you an e-mail with a coupon for a free entree. You have 7 days to use it. It's a simple as that! I saved almost $8 and had a lovely evening out with the family.

While I was there I was also informed that Monday's you get $1 off all burritos and on Tuesday's kids eat free! This is the Moe's in Vestavia, Alabama. I am not 100% sure if all Moe's have promotions on the same day so I would check with your Moe's ahead of time. The birthday dinner is applicable at all Moe's locations.

Free Movies From The Red Box

Many people love Redbox. Redbox is a DVD kiosk that is located in many grocery stores and McDonalds' around the country. You simply pay $1 to rent a movie for one day. If you keep it for longer than a day it is $1 for each additional day. The best part is you can return it to any Redbox in the country and is ideal for long car trips with the kids. If you go to their official site you can register and recieve a promotional code for a free movie.

At the site Inside Redbox you can register and you will be updated with promo codes for free rentals on a regular basis. I have never used Redbox but I have heard lots of others rave about it as well as the free promo code site.

I doesn't hurt to check it out, because what's better than a $1 movie rental? A FREE movie rental!

Baby Yourself with Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama has a great program for expectant moms called Baby Yourself. The Baby Yourself program is usually free with your insurance coverage plan. To enroll, just follow the link to their site or give them a call.

I participated in this program and was very pleased with what it offered. I had a nurse assigned to me who would call me periodically to see how I was doing. She would also remind me of little things to do that my doctor just didn't have time to tell me, like how much water to drink or foods to stay away from. If I ever had any questions I could call her directly. Not only did I feel special but I also had somewhere to turn to for questions to my answers, even the silly ones, when my doctors office was not available or the question was too trivial to make an appointment for.

They also shower you with free items and information. I received nice books, one was a dad's guide to pregnancy and the other was a book about health complete with charts on what to do in certain situations and when to take your baby to the doctor and when to treat it at home. I also received things such as large mugs for drinking water, items to help with breastfeeding, medicine droppers and more. When my baby was born the nurse called to congratulate me, followed up on how we were doing and sent a nice soft blanket.

It was a great program to participate in, I would encourage all with BCBS to join when you have a baby. If you don't have BCBS, check with your insurance provider. I'm sure that others have similar programs.

Free Gifts and Coupons from Publix

I love shopping at Publix and less than a year ago I signed up for a great program that they offer for babies, The Publix Baby Club

When you sign up for this club you get a free book "Caring for your Baby and Child" as well as several coupons for practical items in their store. Many of the coupons were for free items such as rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, cocoa butter lotion and more. They also send coupons for large discounts on items such as diapers, wipes and baby dishes. In addition, I received coupons for items that you just don't ever find coupons for like meat from their deli and other meats.

Before my daughter's 1st birthday I also received generous coupons for ice cream, cake and Mylar balloons. When I say generous I mean coupons that range anywhere from $1-$6. They also accept manufactures coupons and frequently have buy one get one free sales (where you don't have to get 2 things to get the discount).

Publix also has a program for preschoolers called the Preschool Pals Club. I have not yet participated in this program but if you visit the link you can view all of the things your preschooler can receive.

Another reason I love Publix - they have "car" shopping carts which keep my little one entertained (along with sanitizing wipes for the carts), free cookies for kids, free coffee for parents (though I've never tried it) and the service you get there is excellent.

Free Immunizations For Your Kids

Immunizations can get really expensive! Even if you have health insurance the co-pays can really add up. Did you know that you can get free immunizations for your kids?

Jefferson County here in Alabama has a program called Tot Shots. Each month at various places around town (mostly churches) nurses from area hospitals as well as nurses from the health department administer immunizations to children.

How it works: You call or go to the website and find the location and time of the Tot Shot Clinic near you. Clinics are held several places each month. Bring your child's prior immunization forms and they will give your child the immunizations that they need for their age. There is no financial hardship requirement or insurance necessary. Even if you have insurance you are welcome. Anyone is allowed to participate in this program. There is usually a short wait 15-30 minutes. They are very professional and take good care of the children. They also record and send the immunization information to your child's doctor. If you are not happy with the program you are not obligated to continue with it. But I would strongly recommend continuing to get immunizations through your family doctor.

If you don't live in Jefferson County, Alabama, call your local health department or ask your pediatrician for information about your areas' immunization program. Many health departments offer free or greatly discounted immunizations for children.

Don't allow your children to be unprotected from disease just to save cash. Check out programs like these and you will be glad you did.

Listen to Free Music

Okay, so everyone that I've talked to about what I'm about to post has laughed at me because I am the only 26 year old on the planet that is so technology impaired but I'm going to post about this anyway because maybe there is someone out there like me.

I recently discovered Playlist.com. It's the most amazing site! You can add as many songs as you want to a play list. You can put the play list on your Myspace, Facebook, Blog etc. or you can just listen to them straight from Playlist's site on your computer and much more. The best part is it's completely FREE!!

I have created 3 play lists so far, my favorite songs at the moment, one for kids songs for my daughter and one for Sunday songs. I love it! I will put my play list on and listen to it for hours while I craft, clean or just have a dance party with my daughter. A word of caution though if you are creating a play list for a child, make sure you sample the song before you put it on the play list. I discovered some of the Sesame Street Songs that came up on my search were not actually Sesame Street songs but rather vulgar parody songs of original Sesame Street songs, so just be careful.

I have posted my play list of favorites at the bottom of the page if you want to check it out!

Download and listen to free music

As with many women I am head over heels for all things Twilight. I was debating if I wanted the The Twilight Score music or not and I found this site which lets you listen to a sampling of each song. I love to listen to it over and over again. I'm going to ask for the full soundtrack for my birthday.

Beacuse of this I followed the link to Amazon MP3's and discovered a whole treasure trove of free and very cheap music. Most of the free music is stuff I don't immediately recognize but that is when you find the best stuff. It looked like there was a lot of classical, jazz, Christmas but also some more modern lesser known artists. They also only charge $.89 for regular song downloads and had entire albums between $4 and $8. Check it out!

Free Books for Your Preschooler

Dolly Parton has created a wonderful foundation for children called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

What it is: It is a program for preschool age children to receive a free book once a month.

Who can sign up: Any child ages 0-5 who lives in an area that participates in the program.

How it works: This description was taken directly from her site:

"A community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area. The community pays for the books and mailing, promotes the program, registers the children, and enters the information into the database.
From there The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home."

How to sign up: Visit her website . You can sign up and get all details there.

How I feel about it: My daughter is a participant and I think it is great! Each month she gets a new book in the mail. It is a lot of fun. They are very nice quality books and age appropriate. Thank you Dolly! We love reading your books!

WIC Program

What it is: WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children, and is a prenatal and post natal nutrition program provided by the government.

How it works: After you go through the initial application and process to sign up (see site for details) you are given "checks" each month with the items that you are able to purchase, appropriate to age. Each check will have a list and quantity of what you can get. You simply get the items on the list and use the check to pay for them. Most stores are participants. Items include, formula, juice, milk, cheese, tuna, beans, cereal.

Who is eligible:
Women:
pregnant (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth of an infant or the end
of the pregnancy)
postpartum (up to six months after the birth of the infant or the end of the pregnancy)
breastfeeding (up to the infant's first birthday)

Infants: (up to the infant's first birthday)

Children:(up to the child's fifth birthday)

*There are also income guidelines. Many people are surprised that they qualify. Check out this chart to see if you are one of them.

What I think about it: I think that this is a great program to help parents give their children the nutrition they need. Especially young parents who struggle to make ends meet. You can save your family a lot of money, especially on things like formula and dairy. It is also a fairly simple program to sign up for and participate in. If you are hesitant to use a government program remember this, you pay (or will pay) a lot in taxes, also it is not fair to your child to withhold nutrition in an attempt to save money. If you need it, use it!

Wallgreens Super Saver Program

Walgreen's has a great program to save you money. It's called their Super Saver Program.

What it is

Each month they publish a new Super Saver catalog. You can get it from their website or in the store. The catalog has a ton of coupons as well as rebates on select items. Many of the rebates are very good and cover a large portion of the cost of the item. Each month they also feature select items that are free.

How it works

Go into the store during the designated dates and purchase the items you need from the Super Saver catalog. Save your receipt. You can then redeem your rebate via Internet or mail. I have found that the Internet is the best way. You just go to their site and type in the necessary receipt code and they will review your receipt and either send you a check for your rebate or you can choose to get your rebate in the form of a Walgreen's gift card. If you choose this option they will give you an additional 10% of what your rebate is worth. I have received my rebate in less than a months time. *Note: the state taxes you pay are not refundable in the rebate.

What it's saved me

I've only been participating in this program for two months but the savings are already awesome. The following items are things that I have received for free through this program.

L'oreal face moisturizer - $19.99

Rimmel foundation - $7.49

Alamay mascara - $6.99

L'oreal facial cleanser - $6.99

8 x 10 photo - $2.99

Total Savings: $44.45