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.

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 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.

Cheap ways to lift weights

You don't need a gym membership or fancy equipment to get toned muscles. You can get that work out without feeling like your working out or spending a lot of money. Here are some easy ways to get buff.

When going for a walk, working out to a video or just watching TV, grab cans of food from your cupboard. Do reps with them just like you would with regular dumbbells. When you want more weight, use bigger cans, or take old milk jugs and fill them with either water, beans or rice to add extra weight. Change positions to pinpoint all areas of your body.

One thing I like to do, and my daughter loves, is to lay on the ground flat on my back and bench press her into the air multiple times. I will also have her sit on the tops of my feet while I lay on my back. I lift my feet in the air with her on them as I do a crunchie and make faces at her. It's a great leg workout and she thinks it's a fun ride.

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