It Pays To Know - CVS's Coupon Policy

CVS/pharmacy will accept coupons printed from the Internet. They must have a legible barcode that scans at the register.

If the coupon does not scan at the register, the cashier should politely inform you that they are unable to accept your coupon. CVS does not allow manual overrides at the register for coupons printed from the Internet.

The CVS registers are set to allow 1 CVS coupon and 1 manufacturer’s coupon per item. However, the staff should be allowing customers to use Extra Bucks in combination with other CVS coupons since these are coupons you have “earned.” In addition, similarly they should be allowing the use of “offer at the register” coupons which would be an open offer of $3 off of $15 or a certain dollar amount off of a specific item. Since the registers are programmed to only accept 2 coupons (1 CVS, 1 manufacturer) per item if the number of coupons exceed the items purchased a member of management will need to assist the cashier in processing the coupons.

You can use coupons towards a clearance item but the coupon will be adjusted if it is more than the price of the item. The BOGO coupon allows you to purchase 2 items and get them both for free. With the manufacturer’s coupons you can combine one with one CVS coupon. You will be responsible for any tax due.

CVS does not accept competitor coupons except for Pharmacy coupons.

Be Green - and Save Green - Keep Your Freezer Full

A full freezer takes less energy to keep cold than a freezer with lots of empty space. A full freezer will also stay cold longer if you have a power outage.

If you have any empty space in your freezer, fill empty plastic containers with water and place in freezer. It's easy to pull them out to make room for food when you grocery shop.

It Pays To Know - Harris Teeter's Coupon Policy

•Harris Teeter accepts 20 double coupons per day per customer/household with VIC card; all others redeemed at face value. No orders may be separated that would allow the 20 coupon limit to be exceeded.

•Harris Teeter doubles manufacturer’s coupons up to face value of $0.99; with total amount not to exceed $1.98 or entire retail of item; whichever is less.

•Harris Teeter doubles up to three identical items with manufacturer coupon; additional coupons for like item will be honored at face value.

•No internet coupons will be doubled or tripled. No competitor coupons will be doubled or tripled.

A Great Little Budget Tip! Little Splurges Add Up

Give up all those little vices like bottle water, vending machine snacks, fancy coffee drinks, etc. for a quick shot in the arm for your budget.

Just $5 a day adds up to a savings of $1,825 a year.

Be Green - and Save Green - with Programmable Thermostats

Save $40 off your utility bill this year just by turning down your thermostat by 2 degrees.

Or, install a programmable thermostat to automatically use less A/C or heat while you're at work and asleep, and expect to save about $180 per year on energy bills.

Home thermostats are easy to install yourself, too! Check out this handy website that walks you through the installation in seven easy steps, as well as how to select a thermostat, how to properly set and use your thermostat,and more.

BONUS: Installing a digital, programmable thermostat in your home will avert about 1,800 pounds of air-polluting CO2 per year. If 10,000 people install programmable thermostats, in a year we'll prevent the CO2 created from the overall energy of 450 Americans during that year.

Beware of Gift Cards

If you haven't already heard, a lot of retail businesses will be closing by the first of the year. Some companies are going completely out of business. A lot of retailers are closing poor performing stores, or stores in more economically depressed areas throughout the country.

I have compiled a list of currently known chains that have announced that they will be going out of business and/or closing stores by the first of the year. This list will probably get bigger by the end of the year because some retailers are waiting to see how they do with holiday sales before making a decision to close.

The good news is that you can probably get some really good deals at the stores and/or chains that are closing.

The bad news is that you should probably reconsider purchasing gift cards for Christmas this year. And, if you currently have gift cards, it would probably be a good idea to use them as soon as possible.

Personally, I plan to use all of the gift cards that I have, regardless of the company that they are with, before the end of the year.

Going Out of Business/Bankruptcy

Circuit City

CompUSA

Friedman’s Jewelers

Goodbye Levitz

KB Toys

Lillian Vernon (catalog retailer)

Linens and Things

Pep Boys

Sharper Image

Value City Discount Department Stores

Whitehall Jewelers

Wickes Furniture

Store Closures

84 Lumber

Ann Taylor

Ann Taylor LOFT

Banana Republic

Bombay Company – (1 physical store & all online sales)

Cache

Catherines

Catherines Plus Sizes

Children’s Place

Dell

Dillard’s

Disney Stores

Eddie Bauer

Ethan Allan

Fashion Bug

Foot Locker

Gap

Gordon’s Jewelers

Hollywood Video

Home Depot

It’s Gotta Go

J. Jill

J.C. Penney

Kirklands

Lane Bryant

LOFT

LOFT Outlet Stores

Lonestar Steakhouse

Lowes

Macy’s

Mappins Jewelers

Movie Gallery

Office Depot

Old Navy

PacSun

People’s Jewelers

Pier 1 Imports

Piercing Pagoda

Rite Aid – (28 stores in Nevada)

Saks – (1 store in Ft. Lauderdale)

Sprint Nextel Corp

Starbucks

Steve and Barry’s

Talbots

The Charming Shoppes

Urban Interiors

Wilson’s Leather

Zales Jewelers

Zales Outlet

If you do get stuck with a gift card that you can’t use because the stores in your area have closed, you may not have a total loss. You may be able to sell or trade your unusable gift cards on eBay, Cardavenue, Gift Card Buy Back, Plastic Jungle or Swapagift.com. Be prepared to get less than the balance available with your sale or trade though. Or you may be able to get the full value of the card by using it for an online purchase with the company that issued it.

Holiday Cash (or How to Make Extra Money)

The holidays are a financial strain for most people anyway; add in the current struggling economic woes, and most of us have even less cash for holiday gifts and festivities than usual. If you find your Christmas list larger than your budget, you can try these last minute cash generators to help ease the crisis. Or, if your Christmas shopping is done, you may want to seize this opportunity to put a little extra something in your bank account to help tide you over the next few months.

1. Have a yard sale.

I know that Christmas isn’t the time that most people think of having yard sales, but this year just may be the exception. Everyone is looking for a good deal this year, so more people are open to alternatives to the big mall prices. Plus, there are the dedicated yard sale shoppers who have limited “shopping opportunities” this time of the year. This may actually be the best time to have a yard sale that you’ll get for a while.

If the weather is just too bad where you are to have a yard sale…

2. Take your stuff to a flea market.

Most area’s have an indoor flea market of some kind, and again, you have the dedicated flea market shoppers who are out in full force this time of the year looking for a bargain. Some people go to flea markets for inexpensive entertainment, and if something catches their eye, they will spend more on a spontaneous purchase than they might otherwise. If you have some bigger ticket items, this may just be the outlet you’re looking for to unload them.

3. Sell on eBay.

eBay is always a great outlet for selling the unwanted and unused items around your home. Granted things are selling as well on this online auction giant’s sight like they did even a year ago, but it’s still possible to make some extra cash if you price it right from the start, and offer shipping at cost. Your best bet here is with new, popular, or collector’s items.

4. Gather your books.

Cash4books.net buys books in good condition at a fair price. I’ve sold some books here myself, and got more money for them than I would have anywhere else. Type in your books’ ISBN numbers and see what they will buy. Complete the transaction online, print out a prepaid mailing label, pack up the books and send them off. In just a few days you will receive your choice of either a check in the mail or a deposit to your PayPal account. It doesn’t cost you a cent – not even for postage. (When I sold my books they gave me a bonus for using PayPal.)

5. Put it on consignment.

This is sometimes the best place to sell larger items, like furniture, and high ticket items such as designer clothes, antiques, and jewelry. Keep in mind that you will only collect if the item sells, and you only get a percentage of the selling price. Make sure you find out what their pricing, discounts, length of time they will keep an item, and unsold items policies are. You don’t want to find out after 90 days that they donated your Wedgewood china to the Salvation Army, and you don’t even get the write-off!

Which brings me to my final suggestion…

6. Forget the cash.

Donate your unwanted items to charity and take a tax write-off. It’s not money in your pocket right now, but it does mean that you will have a larger tax refund at the first of the year. And that may just be worth more than you could get at a yard sale anyway. To get everything you are entitled to for your donations, check the up-to-date lists of fair market values at TurboTax’s itsdeductible.com and use the free online software to track your donations. Don’t forget to take pictures and collect your tax receipt!

P&G Bonus Coupon Book

Proctor & Gamble has a great promotion going right now. Purchase $50 worth of any Proctor & Gamble products Dec. 14th-Jan. 31, mail in the appropriate receipts and qualifiers, and receive a Proctor & Gamble bonus coupon book worth $120. The coupons included in the bonus book are:

Always®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Always pad or feminine wipes	3
Bounce®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Bounce	3
Bounty®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Bounty	3
Charmin®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Charmin	3
Clearblue®	SAVE $3.00	on any ONE Clearblue Test	3
Crest® toothpaste	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Crest toothpaste 4.2 oz or larger	3
Dawn®	SAVE $0.50	on any ONE Dawn	3
Downy®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Downy	3
Duracell®	SAVE $1.00	on any 4 pack or larger of Duracell CopperTop, Ultra Digital™, PowerPix™, or Ultra Lithium	3
Febreze®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Febreze Fabric Refresher (excludes single travel and décor sizes)	1
Febreze	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Febreze NOTICEables™ starter kit	1
Febreze	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Febreze candle	1
Fusion™	SAVE $2.00	on any ONE Gillette® Fusion razor	3
Fusion shave care	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Fusion shave care	3
Gain®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Gain detergent	2
Gain	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Gain fabric softener or dryer sheets	1
Gillette	SAVE $2.00	on any ONE Gillette Clinical Strength or TWO antiperspirant/deodorant products	3
Gillette	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Gillette body wash (except trial size)	3
Gillette hair care	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Gillette hair care	3
Iams®	SAVE $2.00	on any ONE Iams dry dog or cat food	3
Metamucil®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Metamucil or Fibersure™	3
Olay®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Olay bar pack, body wash or in-shower body lotion (except trial size)	3
Olay Definity®	SAVE $5.00	on any ONE Olay Definity moisturizer	1
Olay Regenerist®	SAVE $5.00	on any ONE Olay Regenerist moisturizer	1
Old Spice®	SAVE $2.00	on any TWO Old Spice antiperspirant/deodorant products	1
Old Spice	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Old Spice body wash (except trial size)	3
Pampers®	SAVE $2.00	on any Pampers diapers or pants	3
Pepto-Bismol®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Pepto-Bismol	3
Prilosec OTC®	SAVE $2.00	on any ONE Prilosec OTC	3
Pringles® Stix	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Pringles Stix, Snack Stacks®, Minis or Select products	2
Secret®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Secret antiperspirant/deodorant	3
Swiffer®	SAVE $3.00	on any ONE Swiffer Wet Jet® or SweeperVac® starter kit	1
Swiffer	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Swiffer Sweeper or Swiffer Dusters®	1
Swiffer	SAVE $0.50	on any ONE Swiffer refill	1
Tampax®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Tampax 18ct or larger	3
Tide®	SAVE $1.00	on any ONE Tide detergent	3
Venus®	SAVE $3.00	on Venus razor with purchase of Venus cartridge	2
Total value		$122

Proctor & Gamble has a lot of products to choose from to reach your $50 requirement. Keep in mind that this is $50 retail. Any coupons that you may use to purchase these items are not deducted from your purchase total. By combining store sales and promotions with P&G coupons you could realistically reach your $50 total with less than $50 out-of-pocket. The products that you have to choose from include:

Air Fresheners Febreze Air Fresheners Antiperspirants & Deodorants Old Spice Secret Baby & Child Care Charmin Children's Pepto Clearblue Easy Dreft Luvs Pampers Pampers Kandoo Puffs Batteries Duracell Body Wash & Soap Camay Ivory Noxzema Olay Old Spice Safeguard Zest Colognes Old Spice P&G Professional Cosmetics CoverGirl Max Factor Dish Washing Cascade Dawn Ivory Joy Feminine Care Always Tampax	Hair Care Aussie Head & Shoulders Herbal Essences Infusium 23 Pantene Hair Color Clairol Health Care Align Braun Clearblue Easy Fibersure Metamucil Pepto-Bismol Prilosec OTC Vicks Household Cleaners Bounty Febreze Air Fresheners Mr. Clean Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash Swiffer Laundry & Fabric Care Bounce Cheer Downy Dreft Era Febreze Air Fresheners Gain Ivory Tide Oral Care Braun Crest Crest Glide Crest Whitestrips Fixodent Gleem Scope Oral-B Paper Products Bounty Charmin Puffs	Pet Nutrition Eukanuba Iams Prescription Drugs Actonel Asacol Dantrium Dantrium IV Didronel Enablex Macrobid Macrodantin Prestige Fragrances BALDESSARINI BOSS BOSS SKIN bruno banani ESCADA Ghost Giorgio Beverly Hills HUGO LACOSTE NAOMI CAMPBELL PUMA Shaving Braun Gillette Fusion Gillette M3Power Gillette SatinCare Gillette Venus Skin Care Braun Gillette Complete Skincare Noxzema Olay Small Appliances Braun Snacks Pringles

So start watching those sale fliers, make sure your grocery lists include the qualifying products, and save your receipts. For complete details, check out P&G Everyday Solutions.

P.S. Rite Aid has a promotion that started Nov.14th and runs through Dec. 24th where you can get up to $20 back on almost anything you buy. (See the Rite Aid website for details.) If you combine the Rite Aid promo with the P&G promo, you could save even more money. I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing it.

A Great Little Budget Tip! Competitor's Coupons

As you know, I love coupons! So I try to use them where-ever I go. Whether I'm at the dry cleaners, the car wash, the drug store, or anyplace else, I've got coupons!

Many of my favorite retailers or services don't issue coupons. For example, my favorite car wash doesn't offer coupons of their own. But when I asked them about competitors' coupons, they were happy to honor those. So I get to have my car washed by my favorite people, and I don't have to drive across town in order to cash in on those extra savings.

I've found that a lot of businesses don't have the budget spend the money to print or distribute coupons, but they do want my business. So I'm using coupons all over town, even at places that don't offer their own coupons. Such fun!

It Pays To Know - Rite Aid's Coupon Policy

Rite Aid accepts four types of coupons:

1. Those generated by the manufacturer and found in newspapers;

2. Manufacturer’s coupons found in Rite Aid circulars;

3. Rite Aid store coupons, also known as “valuable coupons,” that also are found in Rite Aid circulars;

4. Only those internet coupons that contain the official Rite Aid name and logo as authorized and recognized by Rite Aid. Note: Rite Aid will not accept ANY “free product” internet coupons.

Rite Aid will not accept ANY “free product” internet coupons.

Rite Aid will not honor coupons that have expired, or have been, or appear to have been reproduced, altered, or misused in any way. This includes coupons that have been, or appear to have been scanned, electronically reproduced, or obtained via internet (other than those taken from the Rite Aid website or another authorized website, and/or bear the official Rite Aid name and logo).

Coupons may not be reproduced, photocopied, trimmed, or altered in any way.

Rite Aid reserves the right to deny redemption for coupons that exhibit signs of misrepresentation, including, but not limited to: “gang cut” (coupons presented in bulk that appear to have been cut by machine - a form of coupon fraud), similar cuts and tears, or sequential number patterns.

Be Green - and Save Green - Air Dry Your Dishes

Turn off your dishwasher's drying cycle and let the dishes air-dry. You’ll reduce the energy your dishwasher uses by 15%-50%, and bank about $25 per year on your electric bill.

Bonus: If 10,000 people air-dry their dishes, in one year it will have the same CO2-reducing effect as planting 3,343 trees.

It Pays To Know - Wal-Mart's Coupon Policy

Wal-Mart accepts the following types of coupons:

• Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
• Free merchandise (or manufacturer's Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
• Store coupons
• Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
• Internet coupons
• Soft drink container caps

The following are guidelines and limits:

• Wal-Mart only accepts coupons for merchandise they sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.
• Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Wal-Mart will not accept expired coupons.
• Internet coupons should be legible and say "Manufacturer Coupon." There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.
• Only one coupon per item is permitted.
• Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by Customer Service Manager.

Also, Wal-Mart price matches competitor’s prices. Your best bet is to take a copy of the current competitor’s sale flier with you. The mobile cashier’s “desk” keeps a binder with all of the current competitor’s fliers in it. If you forget yours, ask your cashier to check the copy that Wal-Mart has on hand.

Wal-Mart does not match BOGO Free offers.

Be Green - and Save Green - Shipping Packages

Use empty cereal boxes to send holiday gifts.



The dimensions are perfect for mailing clothing and books. You'll save the cost of purchasing shipping boxes, or paying extra postage costs for using the USPS "free" shipping boxes, AND you'll spare the earth another round of unrecycled packaging.



I don't recommend cereal boxes if you are shipping with UPS or FedEx - you should use something a little bit more substantial - but as a 7-year UPS employee, I can assure you that cereal boxes are not the strangest thing that people have used to ship with.

Brown Bagging Makes More Than Good Cents

Brown bag your lunch instead of eating out everyday.

Even carrying your lunch once a week can save an average of $390 a year.

If you save just $15 a week by making your lunch, in 20 years at a 7% return, your lunch money will be worth about $34,000. Save $30 a week (that's a $6 lunch, 5 days a week) and you'll have over $67,000 in 20 years.

Generally speaking, you'll eat healthier if you pack your own lunch, too.

New American Dream Wallet Buddy

The average American household has at least one credit card and carries nearly $9,700 in credit. With interest rates in the mid-to-high teens, that family spends, on average, over $1,700 a year in interest and fees - and that's if they pay every bill on time!

Take control of your debt. Quit buying things you can't afford. Cut up your card and pay off the balance. Put the $1,700 a year that you would be giving the credit card company in an emergency bank account so that you don't have an excuse for keeping at least one card around.

Not carrying a credit card balance is like giving yourself a $1,700 a year raise. And who couldn't use that right now!

Need some help breaking the plastic addiction? Download the New American Dream Wallet Buddy, a cost-cutting catechism that you can print out and fold into an impulse-stiffling sleeve for you credit card.

Oh, yeah, it works for controlling your spending with debit cards, too.

What's In My Mailbox Today?

Yeah, the mailman has been here today...

I got 2 magazines today - Motor Trend and Motorcyclist - both are free subscriptions that I ordered for The Roommate.

I also got a sample of Degree men anti-perspirant/deodorant. I'll stick that away with the other "mens" products and samples that I've collected over the past few months. I'm going to buy a toiletries bag and put together a travel kit with them for my oldest son for Christmas. He's going to be traveling over the holidays so it should make for a very practical gift.

There were samples of Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner (maybe I should give my daughter-in-law a cosmetic bag with samples, too...), an Always Infinity feminime pad, and a sample of Kleenex lotion tissues.

The tissues included a .40¢ coupon that doesn't expire until 12/31/09. I'll be able to wait until one of the grocery stores that doubles coupons has a BOGO FREE sale on Kleenex to pick up a box for just a few pennies.

And finaly, there was also a $1.00 coupon for Charmin Ultra Strong. The coupon doesn't specify which size package, and doesn't expire until 4/30/09, so I should be able to combine it with a good sale and get a 6-pack of toilet paper for a couple of dollars. If you want to get a $1.00 coupon for Charmin, too, go to www.Charmin.com, click on offers and events, and register to receive a free toilet paper extender. You should receive it in about 3 weeks along with a $1.00 coupon.

Your mailbox can look like mine; just check out the freebie websites from some of my earlier blog posts. They are listed under the freebies label.

What's In My Mailbox Today?

I love going to my mailbox.

Since I don't have any credit cards or other debt, and all of my utility bills are received electronically, going to the mailbox is not a dreaded daily task. Most days I have a box full of freebies and other nice surprises. It's almost like Christmas everyday!

Today I got a rebate check for $2.50, the full purchase price of the Arm & Hammer Essentials I got on sale at CVS in October. CMS Rebate Services was kind enough to also include a $1.00 off coupon for my next purchase of any refill pack. The coupon doesn't expire until 9/30/09, so I have plenty of time to wait for a good sale to use it.

I also got a pack of 4x6 Post-it Super Sticky Recycled Notes. There's about a dozen in the pack, and it couldn't have come at a better time... Finals start next week, and I have a lot of studying to do!

There were several magazines that I have free subscriptions to: Fitness, TV Guide, Seed, and Prevention.

One free Huggies Supreme Natural Fit disposable diaper (for my granddaughter). And, a sample of Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup (also for my granddaughter) with a coupon for $2.00 off the online purchase of Zarbees.

I can't wait to see what I get tomorrow!

Bi-Lo Follow Up

Ok, I did the Bi-Lo shop today. My subtotal was $15.24. Here’s the breakdown:

· Lipton Ice Tea - $0

Reg. $1.79

· Kraft Salad Dressing - $0

Reg. $2.09

· Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread - $0

Reg. $2.50

· Pepperidge Farm Cake - $0

Reg. $4.15

· (2) DiGiorno Pizzas - $13.44

Price $6.72/ea.

· (2) Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix - $1.80

Reg. $2.16/ea., Sale $1.50/ea., (2) coupons .30¢/ea (doubled)

Technically, I saved $13.05. Personally, I’m not impressed.

I wouldn’t normally buy this kind of stuff, and $15.24 is a pretty good chunk out of my budget for 2 dinners and some sides. I really would have been better off to stick to my regular shopping and eating habits, and purchased meat, veggies, and sides on sale. For $15 dollars, I could probably feed myself and The Roommate 4-5 meals. It would have been better for both my budget and my diet.

(As a side note, The Roommate is happy – he likes this kind of junk food.)

I met another avid couponer while I was at Bi-Lo. She says that she shops at Bi-Lo all the time and saves more money there than anywhere else. She has also saved a lot of money at the pumps with Bi-Lo’s fuelperks program.

The Bi-Lo fuelperks program lets you save .05¢ per gallon savings, up to 20 gallons, for every $50 you spend. It’s real easy to participate. All you have to do is get a Bi-Lo Bonus Card at the customer service desk and have it scanned whenever you shop. Your receipt will show you how much you’ve earned towards your reward.

The catch: Fuelperks are only redeemable at Sunoco, and they expire. Per the Bi-Lo literature, “Rewards expire after the current month they are earned in, plus 3 months. For example, earn fuelperks! On October 10^th and they expire on January 31^st.”

I’m not positive how fuelperks are calculated, but it appears as if it is based on your total plus the value of any coupons that you used, including the value of the coupons that Bi-Lo has doubled. Bi-Lo does not give you credit for the items on their Meal Deal specials.

I think I’ll keep an eye on the Bi-Lo fliers, and see what kind of deals they have, but I don’t have any plans to change my preferred grocery store at the this time.