Central Florida Savers- Saving You Some Green.: April 2010

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Internet Freebie Roundup

Here is a list of some recent internet freebies:

Your choice of Caress Body Wash

Fiber Plus Chocolate Chip Bar (must be a member of Viewpoints to request this one- it's FREE to join)

Free OB sample

Free Plackers Grind No More sample

Free Teccino Sample (this looks interesting- Herbal Coffee?)

And finally, a BRAND NEW CONCEPT in sampling! The U.S. Postal office is rolling out a new program to let you sample products from various companies. These items are all sent together in one box- talk about your MEGA samples! Fill out this quick survey to see if you qualify for this new program. I qualified! They are looking for specific demographics, so good luck!

Friday, April 23, 2010

It's Friday again...

...which means it's MEGA SWAGBUCKS day! You could win FREE points just for searching on SwagBucks today. Denominations are 100, 200, 500, 1000, and you never know when you will be chosen. I just won 13- what will you win? Good luck!

IKEA Swedish Meatball Dinner, only $1!

Stop by IKEA Orlando April 24-25 and get IKEA's famous Swedish Meatball dinner for only $1! The meal includes 10 swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberries.

Discounted SeaWorld Tickets

SeaWorld and BrightHouse networks are teaming up to celebrate the addition of National Geographic WILD to our local channel line-up. Through June 30, log on to Seaworld.com to purchase your tickets and enter the code WILD at checkout to enjoy discounted park admission. From BrightHouse:

Bright House Networks is proud to announce the addition of Nat Geo WILD to your channel lineup. It's never been easier to get closer to animals and nature.

Nat Geo WILD is the only network completely dedicated to nature and wildlife, offering viewers intimate encounters with nature's ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air.

Featuring spectacular specials such as The Great Rift and Croc Ganglands and fantastic series like Expedition Wild with Casey Anderson and Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor. Available now on channel 155.

To celebrate the launch of Nat Geo WILD, now through June 30, Bright House customers can enjoy discounted admission to SeaWorld Orlando!

To redeem, log on to seaworld.com and enter promo code "WILD".

P&G Year of Savings Coupon Booklet

While you're out and about snatching up various bargains, be sure to save up your receipts for P&G products. You'll need them to send away for the "Year of Savings $100 Coupon Booklet." A complete list of participating brands can be found here. You must spend $50 BEFORE COUPONS (pretty easy to do, right?) to qualify. Requests must be postmarked by June 15, 2010.

Spring Cleaning Bargains at Publix

Wow, it was an amazing week at Publix! I bought everything pictured above for $20.23 out of pocket, and, no, I'm not joking! Those that know me personally know we are in the process of buying our first home. We should be closing in the next few weeks, but I'm mentally gearing up for the deep cleaning our new home will need to make it habitable. We snatched our foreclosed home up for $19k less than it's appraised value, but it's quite dirty and will require much elbow grease before I can call it home. Therefore, I was very excited to see that Publix had cleaning items on sale, and I was even more excited to see there were manufacturer and store coupons I could stack to make my purchases nearly free.

I purchased:

I stacked my Publix Store Coupons ('One Stop, One Shop' and 'There's Value in the Family' coupon booklets) with manufacturer coupons to save 93% on my shopping trip.

Here's my shopping summary:

TOTAL SAVINGS: $255.00

Publix is continuing their Spring Cleaning sale this week. You will still be able to use the coupons found in the 'There's Value in the Family' coupon booklet, however the 'One Stop, One Shop' coupon booklet expired yesterday.

While you're in the store, be on the lookout for the following peelies to make the bargains even better:

Hot Deals at Walgreens- Inventory Clearance

The next time you're in your local Walgreens store, keep your eyes peeled for amazing clearance bargains. Stores are currently spring cleaning their inventory, so be sure to bring your coupons with you because you never know what bargain you'll find!

I recently picked up four bottles of Gillette Satin Care shaving gel and two packs of BIC Soleil Shimmer refill cartridges for $.71. The Satin Care was on clearance for $.70 (I had $.55 manufacturer's coupons which made them $.15 each!) and the BIC refills were on clearance for $2.19 (I had $2.00 manufacturer's coupons which made them $.19 each!).

To save money on my shaving needs, I stash the refillable handles from the various starter kits I have gotten for nearly free in my bathroom vanity drawer, so I'm always ready to for whatever bargains I may find. I frequently come across cartridge refills in the clearance bin at Publix and Target; I'm far too smart to buy these at full price, especially knowing that I can find a bargain at some point. $11 for razors? That's insane!

Target regularly runs sales on the Venus razor starter kits; many times these purchases earn a gift card, that when used with coupons, make them completely FREE. (Also, remember you can submit your receipt for these items to P&G for the "Year of Savings $100 Coupon Book.")

Thursday, April 22, 2010

FREE Coupon Booklet from Proctor and Gamble.

Request your Home Made Simple booklet from P&G here. These booklets are great and feature $30 in savings on your favorite brands such as Febreeze, Mr Clean, and Swiffer. These high-value coupons have a long expiration date, perfect for saving to pair with a sale.

Hot Tresemme Coupons- CHEAP HAIR CARE

Tresemme has released some new coupons, which should make for some great bargains. Print these now and save them for a sale- coupons like these are likely to go quickly!

BOGO Tresemme Fresh Start Products. (Hit your browser's back button to print twice.) This coupon will expire 30 days after you print it. Pair it with this coupon for $2.00/1 Tresemme Fresh Start Products and you could walk away with very cheap hair care items.

I will be on the lookout for an awesome sale for these items. These items are on sale frequently at various retailers.

Earth Day Freebies

To celebrate Earth Day, many companies are offering freebies for some of your favorite products. Here is a brief listing of some of the freebies you can take advantage of:

FREE Reusable Tote from Kellogg's (just pay $1.75 S&H). You don't need a receipt for this one, so raid your pantry! You'll need two UPCs per request; there are three styles to choose from and they're all adorable!

FREE Reusable Tote from Scotch-Brite when you buy two Scotch-Brite Cleaner Green products. This one requires a receipt and two UPCs.

FREE Reusable tote from Earthbound Farms for scoring 100% on their Kitchen Quiz. This one has been coming and going all week, so if the bag's not available, check back. The good news is, you will be able to print a $1.00 coupon good through 12/31/10.

FREE Full Size cleanser at Origins when you bring in an empty cosmetic item bottle. Good today only- sorry for posting this one late!

FREE Jack Johnson MP3 download from Stoneyfield Farms.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Pay it Forward and Earn a $10 Gift Card

Spring is in the air, and you know what that means. Allergies? No, it's time for Spring Cleaning! Donate your previously loved items to the Salvation Army and receive a $10 Gift Card good at any Bass, Izod or Van Heusen store! Yes, these can be used at the outlet stores too!

From the Salvation Army's blog:

Make a donation of goods to The Salvation Army Family Stores before May 31, 2010 and receive a $10 certificate valid towards a purchase at any Bass, Izod, or Van Heusen store. You may redeem on certificate per day, presented with the original Salvation Army receipt within 21 days of your donation.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is one of the world's largest apparel companies. It owns and markets the Calvin Klein brand worldwide. It is the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and Timberland. For more information, go to www.pvh.com.

Free Einstein Bagels

Become a Facebook Fan of Einstein Bagels, and get a reusable printable coupon for a FREE Bagel that can be used every Friday through 5/22. No purchase necessary! Just be sure to stop by before 11 a.m. on Fridays to get your freebie.

Also on that page, you’ll find a coupon you can redeem at Einstein Bros. on Tuesdays through 5/19 to get a Bagel, Cream Cheese and a Coffee for just $2 before 11 a.m.

What a bargain!

Don't forget, it's Friday...

...which means it's MEGA SWAGBUCKS day! You could win FREE points just for searching on SwagBucks today. Denominations are 100, 200, 500, 1000, and you never know when you will be chosen. Good luck!

New Pretzel M&Ms- Snag a Free Sample

Go here and grab a FREE sample of the NEW Pretzel M&Ms before they hit the store. You will need to connect through Facebook and authorize an application on your page to obtain this freebie. There's only 25,943 left, so hurry! These would be great to throw in your purse for a cheap movie treat.

Free Sample of Uncle Ben's Rice

Here's a great freebie you can snag today. Go here to get your free sample of Uncle Ben's Rice. One request per computer.

SwagBucks- Get Paid to Search the Web

Another way to make a few extra bucks is by using SwagBucks. This is a search engine that passes a portion of its "Pay-per-Click" earnings on to you. While you won't make millions using this service, it is a great way to earn fun little extras, like gift cards to Amazon.com and other fine retailers. These gift cards are not considered promo codes, so you can save them up and get items FREE or nearly free. Fridays are MegaSwag days, so you never know how much that search will earn you! Even if it's something as simple as navigating to Facebook, use SwagBucks to click through and earn points!

Frequently, SwagBucks releases SwagCodes, which are good for various point values. You can enter them into your account to accumulate points more quickly. As I come across these codes, I will be posting them here for your use. Many are good for one day only, so please check back frequently.

Here is a brief example of the "Swag" you can earn:

Use this link to get started. Try it out. If you used this search engine everyday for the rest of the year, you'd have a pretty sweet stash of gift cards to use at Christmas time. Awesome!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Keurig Referrals- 2 FREE boxes of K-Cups!

If you are debating buying a Keurig, let me tell you, I LOVE MINE. I've never been a 'coffee' drinker. I'd have the occasional cup now and then at home using a French Press, and I'd indulge in fancy drinks at the bookstore. Coffee always seemed bitter to me, and I'd spoon 2-3 tsp of Sugar into each cup to make it palatable.

At the beginning of December I purchased a Keurig at Costco after sampling the brewed cup the demonstrator prepared. I'd been pricing them for a while, and Costco's configuration was exactly what I wanted. However, it was the taste of the coffee that completely blew me away. For the first time EVER, I drank Extra Bold coffee BLACK and I didn't hate it.

My love affair with my brewer has been going strong for 5 months. I'm still trying new flavors and adding new favorites to my list. To be honest, I haven't come across one I've absolutely hated.

The point of this little rant is to let you know that Keurig has a referral program that you can take advantage of. If you are in the market for a Keurig brewer, I can refer you to Keurig.com. FYI: It is extremely important that you DO NOT MAKE AN ACCOUNT BEFORE YOU RECEIVE AN INVITATION EMAIL. Please send me a quick email letting me know you're interested in buying a Keurig. Be sure to include your name and preferred email address, and I'll send you an invite within 24 hours. After you purchase your new Keurig, you will get TWO FREE BOXES of K-cups just for buying through the referral link. As a gift for referring a friend, I'll also receive two free boxes. It's a win-win for both of us! You can't beat FREE stuff.

Keurig K-Cups, 24 Count Boxes $2.52 each. 82% SAVINGS

Online shopping can be a great way to save extra money, especially with promo codes, referral rewards and sales. I especially like not having to pay sales tax. It's the little things in life, isn't it?

Anyway this Monday (4/6/10), I placed an order for 6- 24 count boxes of Keurig K-Cups on Keurig.com. I had saved up two promo codes (I'd share them, but sadly they were one time use codes specific to my account) and fortunately Keurig let me stack them for even greater savings! I purchased:

These boxes usually sell for $13.95 each. My total came to $83.70 before my promo codes, and $15.12 after I applied them. I ended up paying $2.52 a box, which is a GREAT buy in my book. The two day transit time and FREE shipping made this bargain ever better!

I think this better explains the Coffee-Mate haul from my Publix trip this afternoon. :)

Have you come across any amazing bargains recently?

Publix Trip 4/8/10- SAVINGS 51%

Today I ran to Publix to pick up a few odds and ends to complete some meals-in-progress. My TOTAL savings isn't as spectacular as it usually is, but I purchased two big ticket items for which I didn't have significant coupons ($50 BP Gas Card and a $25 iTunes Gift Card), so I think the total is still pretty amazing. Here's what I got:

GRAND TOTAL: $229.80 (wow, it adds up quickly, doesn't it?)

Shopping Summary
VENDOR COUPONS TENDERED: $67.19
STORE COUPONS: $17.00
SPECIAL PRICE SAVINGS: $38.65

TOTAL SPENT: 106.96
SAVINGS GRAND TOTAL: $122.84!

Today's Freezer Meal: Turkey, Bean and Cheese Burritos

I soaked Pinto Beans overnight, boiled them this morning and then re-fried them with ground turkey, fresh onion, fresh garlic, olives, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, fresh cilantro and jalapenos. We ate four burritos for dinner tonight, and I have 20 more bagged in my freezer for quick and easy meals. I plan on saving the last package of 8 burritos for two Fish Taco meals- one of our favorites!

Using items found in my pantry (purchased at a bargain!) I was able to make 24 TASTY and HEALTHY homemade burritos for pennies each. And trust me, they put frozen burritos to shame. YUM!

Central Florida Savers- Saving You Some Green.