Getting Started With Coupons - Wellness+ and +UP

What is Wellness+. 

Wellness+ is a rewards card.  When you sign up for a Wellness+ Rewards card you recieve all the sale prices at Rite Aid.  Without it, you can not.  It’s quick to sign up for one in stores and you can use it that same day, much like a CVS card.  Also, if you do not have a Wellness+ card you can not recieve +UP rewards.

What are +UP Rewards and how can you use them?

+UP rewards is a program designed by Rite Aid. 
     (I’m sure you’re wondering why all my posts are geared towards Rite Aid.  Well, that’s where I’m comfortable shopping at and where I personally find the better deals.  So hang in there while I eah you the ins and outs of Rite Aid and then I’ll show you the same for Walgreens and grocery stores.)

     For every qualifying purchase that you make offering +UP rewards, a small slip will print at the end of your reciept stating, for example, $2 for BIC purchase.  These small sections are like real money that can be used at Rite Aid on your next purchase.  So if you bought two items that are on sale and offer +UP rewards they will print $5 for Garnier and $2 for BIC.  Next week, when you go back to Rite Aid, you can use the $7 earned towards your purchase…that’s $7 free!  BE CAREFUL though because +UP rewards to expire!
     It is an investment at first, you have to pay out of pocket.  But, if you plan your trip right, you can use those up rewards weekly towards your gain.  If you plan accordingly, you will probably gain even in how many +UP rewards you used and how many you earned.  I’ll be posting more scenarios soon that will help you get started with your +UP shopping.  You will make mistakes at first, I did too!  Don’t get hung up on how you could have gotten a better deal.  Just learn from it and try to do better next time.

 

Getting Started With Coupons - Rite Aid

One of the best ways to get good deals is shopping at Rite Aid.  Rite Aid offers great in store coupons called Rite Aid Video Value Coupons.  After a simple registration process, all you have to do is watch quick commercial like videos to begin recieving coupons for that item.  When you're done watching the videos of the items you'd like to get coupons for, you can print them to be redeemed at Rite Aid.  But don't just settle for the Rite Aid coupon, you can stack that item with another manufacturer's coupon to get an even better deal! Come back tomorrow to find out what stacking means and how to use it to your advantage!

To read Rite Aid’s Coupon Policy, click here!

Pamper Yourself...

Go ahead and indulge yourself, you deserve it! Print a coupon for a free strawberry lemonade, frappe, or fruit smoothie at McDonald's when you purchase one of equal or greater value.

Expires July 31, 2011

How I Plan to be School DEBT FREE by 2014 - Part 1

Who I Am and What I'm All About
     At 26 years old, a mother of an amazing 16 month old baby boy named Caleb, a wife of a year and a half to an wonderful husband named Josh, full time Special Education teacher for 9-12 grade at-risk students, owner of 3 cute dogs, and homemaker, I have a very full life! I spend my summers relaxing with my son and enjoying every second I can watching him grow and develop! But all this comes with a price!     
     With my husband's Master's degree, my Bachelor's degree along with my current Master's program, and our home we are quite in debt for being so young.  Roughly $70,000 in student loans alone!  As a family, we've been working hard to not gain more debt while still taking care of lifes unexpected expenses.  We've managed to pay for my Master's degree out of pocket, buy a new-to-us 2003 Santa Fe, and go on vacation all without putting a penny on a credit card or taking out another loan.  It takes diligence and patience to build up all that money, but it can be done!

Find Out How I Plan to be School DEBT FREE by 2014...

This will be a weekly Wednesday 3 part series in which I share who I am and what I am about while sharing my plan to be school loan free by December 2014.

44 Earth's Best Apple Juice for $15.63 shipped!!!

Find out how to get 44 Earth’s Best Organic Tots Apple Juice boxes for just $15.63 shipped. Visit Stacie from Motherhood on a Dime to find out how!

What are Your Thoughts on Extreme Couponing?

  
     I'm sure we've all seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC. We've seen people save 90% on groceries and in some cases 100% on bills totaling over $1,000! But what is the cost of this extreme nature?
     People featured on this show have made couponing a full time job, spending 40+ hours a week on clipping coupons, searching blog sites for great deals, and shopping.  Do you think this is healthy?  Do you think their families suffer because of their addiction?  After all, clipping coupons and sweating at the checkout line for that "high" they all claim they get is an addiction!
     My thoughts are that this show has taken it too far.  Who needs all those items taking up valuable space in their house?
     What do you do to save a dollar?
 

FREE Printable Chore Cards

Biblical Homemaking is offering a great idea on how to organize chores for children.

You can download and print free printable chore cards.

  She also offers a great tutorial on how to put it all together.

Vinegar? In the laundry?

I've been asked how vinegar fared in the laundry.  Did it smell up the house? Did the clothes stink? Where does the vinegar go? How much do you use? Here are your answers...

I use one cup of vinegar in the center, where the fabric softener would go. When I went downstairs to switch the load to the dryer I did smell a very very faint vinegar smell but it certainly was not overwhelming.  I smelled the clothes immediately after taking them out and they had a slight off smell.  Not a vinegar smell and not a bad smell...just different, but after drying in the dryer, I noticed that all my clothes smelled fresh and just plain clean.  No chemically added floral scent or anything like that, just fresh!

$10 Disney Backpack AFTER Rebate

Today only, you can get Disney Backpacks $10.00 , regularly $19.50, after ShopAtHome Wild Rebate. You end up paying shipping.
*Head over to ShopAtHome’s Wild Deal
*Purchase  any Disney Store Backpack
*Pay Shipping
*Get $5.00 rebate refunded to your ShopAtHome account

Valid July 19th, 2011 only.

Ultimate Test of Homemade Laundry Detergent

So as promised here is how the homemade laundry detergent fared to the ultimate test...blood stains.  I used a small bit of the detergent to pre-treat the stains and placed the two articles of clothing opposite of where the water fills to allow them ample time to pre-treat.

The top picture is my shirt. As you can see their is no stains on my shirt so for stains on colors I give it a huge thumbs up!
Now for my sons white shirt in the center, almost all of the stains came out.  You can see a slight hugh from where one of the stains was. I think this is because I didn't pre-treat that area.
The last picture is my son's shirt before being washed...so as you can see, it did very well!

As for the rest of the load, the everyday items, I like it...the clothes came out smelling fresh with a neutral scent, which is amazing compared to how they went in. It was a mixed batch of clothes as I didn't want to wash just two shirts. I used vinegar as a softener and I'm pretty impressed overall! I'll post soon on how to use the vinegar in the wash!

My Adventures in Homemade Laundry Detergent

I'm not sure what came over me today, but in my efforts to continue with frugal living I've decided to make my own laundry detergent. 

We all know that the Duggar's are an amazing example of living smart despite the 19 children they have.  So if they have 19 and can do it, why can't we?  Since I've watched the show numerous times, I decided to try their tried and true recipe for laundry detergent. 

Recipe Includes
1 bar of soap of your choice grated-Fals Laptha is recommended however is hard to find in store, although you can order it online. For hypoallergenic purposes I used Ivory

1 cup of Washing Soda-Do not substitute with baking soda as it is too harsh for clothes

1/2 cup of Borax

Here's what it should resemble...

Grate the bar of soap and mix it with the other ingredients.  The recipe makes enough for 40 loads of laundry when using 2 tablespoons for each load. When putting it into price perspective it's just over $1 per batch of 40 loads!

I just put the recipe to the test on a bloody shirt from my 16 month old son's bloody nose. I will let you know how it turned out!

Back from Hiatus

To my dedicated followers I offer my sincerest apologies for not posting in 7 months.  Life got the better of me and my time management fell to the wayside.  BUT, I'm back in action now and eager to continue with my blog!!!