Walgreens 5/30 Deal Ideas and Transactions with $5/20 Coupon

Hey y'all! 
These deals all use a $5/20 coupon that was printing Tuesday and Wednesday on small purchases at Walgreens.
My deals are explained in the video but here is a written breakdown:

Transaction #1
2x Eclos Cellular Activator Face Serum Reg $22.99 clearanced @ $5.79
2x All Free and Clear 32 Loads Reg $7.49, Sale @ $3.49
1x Scope 750 ML Reg price $4.49 sale @ $2.99 get $2 RR
Total= $21.55
Used $5/$20 wags cat coupon
Used 2x $5/1 elcos - coupons.com (NLA I think)
Used 2x $1/1 All - All-laundry.com
Used 1x $1/1 Scope- May P&G
Total after coupons= $3.55, Received $2 Scope RR
Net Oop Transaction 1= $1.55

Transaction #2 
2x All Free and Clear 32 Loads Reg $7.49 sale @ $3.49
1x Scope 750 ML Reg price $4.49 Sale @ $2.99 get $2 RR
1x Virmax Prostate Health 30ct $16.99 Reg, Sale @ $10.00 get $10 RR
1x Blow Pop @ $0.59
Total=$20.56
Used $5/$20 wags cat coupon
Used 2x $1/1 All - All-laundry.com
Used 1x $1/1 Scope- May P&G
Total after coupons= $12.56, received $10 Virmax RR, $2 Scope RR
Net Oop Transaction 2= $0.56

Transaction #3
1x All Free and Clear 32 Loads Reg $7.49 sale @ $3.49
3x Eucerin Intensive Repair Extra-Enriched Hand Creme @$5.79
4x Act II Butter Lover's Popcorn Single Bags Reg $0.99, Sale @ $0.25*
Total=$21.86
Used $5/$20 wags cat coupon
Used 3x $3/1 Eucerin- Eucerin Facebook Page
*Used in-ad coupon to get sale price- you only need to scan one, but if you don't they will be full price!
Total after coupons=$7.86, Received $8 Eucerin RR
Net Oop Transaction 3= -$0.14- yay MM!

Transaction #4&5 (They were the same with different kinds of Lysol)
1x All Free and Clear 32 Loads Reg $7.49 sale @ $3.49
1x Scope 750 ML Reg price $4.49 Sale @ $2.99 get $2 RR
2x Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner Reg $2.99 sale @ $1.99
1x Virmax Prostate Health 30ct $16.99 Reg, Sale @ $10.00 get $10 RR
4x Act II Butter Lover's Popcorn Single Bags Reg $0.99, Sale @ $0.25*
Total=$21.46
Used $5/20 wags cat coupon
Used 1x $1/1 Scope- May P&G
Used $2/2 Any Lysol product coupon- Wags Cold & Flu Book
*Used in-ad coupon to get sale price- you only need to scan one, but if you don't they will be full price
Total After Coupons=13.46, Received $10 Virmax RR, $2 Scope RR
Net Oop Transactions 4&5=$1.46 each or $2.92 combined.

Total Retail Value of all items (no sales or coupons)= $209.14
Total Oop After Sales and Coupons= 4.89
Total Savings= 204.25 or 97.7%! Yahoo!

As you guys can see, this is a good chance to use up some coupons that are about to expire.
If you have several computers to print the Eucerin/All Coupons from, there is some money to be made here!

A few notes to remember for Walgreens:

-You MUST use in-ad coupons to get the sales prices on some items such as the popcorn that I bought- make sure the cashier scans the ad or you will pay full price.

-You can only use as many coupons at Walgreens as you have items- and register rewards DO count as coupons (annoying, I know!), so if you want to pay for items using rewards you will need to add cheap "fillers" like the popcorn to allow yourself to use more coupons.

-Good fillers this week: Popcorn @ 4/$1 with IAC, Single Rolls Wags brand PT/TP 2/$1 with IAC, Small clearance items (my store has hilighters for $0.25 and tanning lotion for $0.49), and gum @ 3/$2 with a $1/3 coupon, get back 250 points on 3.

-My $8 RR did not print for my Eucerin transaction until a manager re-rang the transaction without my coupons- I'm not sure if it was because I used a $5/20 or because of a glitch in the computer, but just a good thing to keep in mind (and if anyone knows the reason please comment and let me know!)

-You cannot earn points on a transaction that you pay for with points!

-I also saw a possible deal on Dr. Scholl's for her insoles using a $3 mq from SS 5/19 (the one with the bbq sauce on the front) and a May $3 IVC

I hope this post is helpful to anyone looking for ways to make the most of their $5/20! Feel free to comment with any questions or suggestions!

God Bless!
-Madeline

Old Spice Deal at RA!

Hey y'all! 

Just wanted to share a quick deal going on at Rite Aid this week!

All Old Spice, Secret, and Gillette are BOGO 50% off and spend $15 get $5 this week 

You can use some coupons for a great deal, especially if your store allows BOGO coupons to auto deduct the maximum value. 

 If your store will adjust your coupon's value down to the cost of each item, just adjust your math accordingly.:)

Here's the deal:

Buy 2x Old Spice deodorant twin packs @ 6.49 BOGO 50%= 9.74

Buy 2x Old Spice Body Spray @ 4.99 BOGO 50%= 7.49

Total= 17.23

Use 2x Buy One Old Spice deo twin pack get one Old Spice body spray free= auto deduct 4.99 ea=- 9.98

Use 1x $1/2 Old Spice Products = -$1

17.23 - $10.98 q's= 6.25

Get $5 +Ups= $1.25 for 4 deodorants and 2 body sprays!

The Real F-Word

Hey y'all!

Can't believe it's been so long since I've posted (almost 3 months!) but life has been crazy hectic lately for a variety of reasons.

I turned 20 last month, moved into a new apartment about two weeks ago, gained one roommate and lost another, and quit both of my jobs after accepting an offer that was higher paying and gave me more work hours.

And then there's the F-word.

The FIRED word.

Yup. I quit my two existing jobs, and exactly a month after starting at my snazzy new workplace, I was  called into HR one morning and told that I just wasn't a good fit.

Though it was apparent to me from the get-go that my direct manager wasn't my biggest fan, I was in complete shock when I was dismissed out of nowhere.

I wasn't late even once, I followed policies to the letter, and I genuinely enjoyed my position.

I'd received compliments from my trainers and customers, and was told that what small mistakes i made were Ok because for the first 90 days I was still considered a trainee.

Unfortunately, in the state of California your first 90 days on the job are also considered a probationary period of employment, and at any point you can be dismissed without a reason why.

So that's exactly what happened.

My badge was taken, I was escorted out by security, and was asked to return the next day to turn in all of my uniforms and equipment.

So on three different levels, this sort of stinks.

A) I no longer have my old jobs.

B) I no longer have my new job

C) I now have to disclose on job applications that I was fired after 30 days at my previous employer

There truly is good and bad to every situation, however. 

Although the job would have provided me a really nice income and the environment was fun, it would have taken a lot of time away from school.

That being said, at the end of the day I would rather have a career years from now than a job that is just a job.

I've had an overwhelming amount of support from friends and family both in prayer and encouragement.

My dad has also offered to provide me with additional financial support while I search for a new job.

The best part of this, however, has been the peace that God has provided me with through the whole situation. 

From the drive home the day I got fired, I have been connected to Him in prayer and He has really provided my soul with comfort during this potentially stressful situation.

There is some scripture that's pretty well known concerning worry that I like to re-read whenever I find myself stressing.

Matthew 6:25-34

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Nothing better than a reminder of how deeply God cares for us right?

But the Bible also says he who doesn't work doesn't eat- so where am I going from here?

With a new place and a $70 rent increase, sitting on my laurels isn't an option, regardless of the help I receive from others.

Obviously job hunting is a top priority, however exhausting it may be.

Though I spent a couple of weeks moving, celebrating my birthday, and recouping from the shock, I have gotten those wheels rolling again.

Though normally a job hunt for me is more a frantic scrambling than a conscious, intentional search for something I really want to do.

But since my resume is getting a little too crowded with short-term positions I am doing my best to be patient and only look at workplaces where I would enjoy working for a long haul.

I haven't had a whole lot of luck finding places that fit the bill, but yesterday I went to an open interview and got some really positive feedback from the manager who I spoke to.

Since there was such a large turnout, I don't expect to hear back until the end of this week at the earliest, but for now I am trying to generate a little income in the ways I know how.

I have some babysitting hours this week which is always nice, and I am trying to be very diligent about listing and selling on Ebay.

As I've explained before, I shop in thrift stores for for designer and quality items to resell on Ebay, and I have quite a bit of unsold stock right now.

I'm trying to take advantage of not having to pay anything out of pocket right now by clearing the excess that I've had sitting around, and so far I've gotten a few good sales in that I'd like to share. 

Here is what I sold my first week back online:

BCBG Max Azria Maxi Dress

Cost to me: $2.00

Sale Price: $25.49

Moulinette Soeurs Dress (New with tags)

Cost to me: $2.00

Sale Price: $26.00

St. John Sailor Stripe Knit Top

Cost to me: $2.95

Sale Price: $29.99

About 13% of my sales are taken out in Ebay and Paypal Fees, but after my out of pocket costs and fees, I still had about $63.00 in profits. 

Not bad for my first week and only a couple of hours listing!

Anyhow, I'd better hop off the computer- I have babies to sit on in the morning!

God Bless,

Madeline

My New Years Resolutions, Updates, and Couponing to Suit Your Needs

Hey y'all!

Happy New year!

I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas!

I owe y'all an apology- I meant to blog a lot more than I did leading up to the holidays.

I had lots of plans for tutorials on putting together frugal gifts and decorating on the cheap,

but as we all know, life happens.

I got busy with other things and the blog fell by the wayside, so here we are.

I'll do my best to make up for with lots of new years saving tips!

I have some good news though- I got a new job!

Things at both of my current jobs have been, well, awful.

This week, for example, I have 9.75 hours at the theater and 4 at the store.

At minimum wage, that just isn't enough to pay my bills.

While this is my worst week, for three weeks in December I was at about 12 working hours at the theater.

I interviewed last week at a casino to be a slot attendant (cashing out people's vouchers),

and was offered the job!

The offer is contingent upon my passing a background check, credit check, and drug test, but I should have no problems in those areas.

I should be starting mid-february, and once I do I will make a dollar more an hour and work 32 hours each week, as well as getting free meals when I work.

I'm also able to get tips, which can be pretty sweet from what I hear:)

On a not so good note, one of my roomies quit her primary job last month.

She wasn't being paid on time by the people she nannied for, and so understandably she left.

Right now she is looking for a new job, but her income from her weekend job is very limited so money is tight right now.

Since my other roomie also works at the theater, cash is tight all the way around. 

Hence my post today- making couponing suit your needs!

But first, my two 2013 resolutions are:

1.Save $15,000 with couponing

2. Work out 157 times

Last week I got off to a super slow start with my couponing- all I got was some free pens totaling about $7.

But this week I'm off to an awesome start- I've gotten $395 of product in the last two days!

So far that puts me at $402 down, $14,598 to go.

I should be averaging close to $300 a week to meet my goal, which seems daunting, bit I'm confident that I'll be able to do it.

I got the number 157 for my workouts because I want to work out 3x a week- but if I leave it as one large number, there's no excuses, like saying I already failed in my first week (I would have).

If I have to pull two a days all of this December to meet my goal, I won't have turned into a pumpkin until midnight on 1/1/2014.

Cheers to a New Year that will hopefully be awesome!

Hope y'all enjoy my little video!

I think I explained everything pretty thoroughly, but here is a more detailed breakdown of the items I got today:

7x Razors @ 1.97= 13.79

4x Nail Polish Remover @ 2.19=8.76

2x Snack cakes @ 1.50= 3.00

1x Cheeze its @ 2.88= 2.88

4x Avocados @ $0.50= 2.00

Wheat thins @ 2.50= 2.50

2 lbs white onions= 1.14

Cucumbers= 1.50

4x 5.00 coupons= -20.00

7x 2.00= -14.00

After Taxes I paid $3.38 for $35.57 of product! 90% savings!

Anywhoo, if y'all have any questions about overage at Walmart, feel free to shoot me a message!

Have a blessed week!

-Madeline

Twotip: When you're using overage to buy what you need, consider giving what you don't need to others! Rather than letting those overage-makers collect dust in your closet, seek out someone who will put them to use!

Instagram Diet Challenge! And updates!

Hey y'all! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Just wanted to bring you some updates and let you in on a new challenge I'm trying.

Work has been super stressful lately- I haven't had any hours at the new job in the last two weeks,

and I've had really low hours at the theater. 

I adjusted my availability for work so that hopefully some more hours will come my way, but if things don't turn up in the next month or so I will be looking to transfer to a bigger theater in town.

I'm also going to start looking for a different retail job since it doesn't look like CC has the hours to keep anybody after seasonal hours are over.

The good news is that after no sales for about a month, Ebay has been kind to me for the last couple of weeks and I'm hoping to do some good business for my first ever holiday sales season.

In other news, I  had to have a cyst on my cheek drained this week-twice!

Not a fun experience, but it looks like now it's gone for good.

Otherwise, life has been good.

I'm still stocking up on items to donate for the Christmas boxes distributed by St. Agnes Men's Club (the charity my dad helps with).

While in past years there have been 50-75 boxes donated, it looks like this year there will only be 25.

The good news is that with half the boxes, I've been able to find more items that I have in a large enough quantity to donate.

So far I've found enough products in my stockpile to give each bin one Chapstick, one tube of toothpaste, and two bottles of shampoo. 

I'm super excited to see what other sales pop up and find more items to share.

Anywhoo, I just wanted to invite anyone who is reading this to help keep me accountable for my health and fitness by following me on instagram!

One of the number one weight loss tips recommended by those in the fitness industry is keeping a journal of the things you eat-something that I am HORRIBLE at! 

I've tried multiple times to keep a written record of what I'm ingesting, but I always lose track of whatever I'm writing in, or just plain forget to write it down.

I decided that a better and easier way for me to keep track of everything would be simply to take pictures and post them to an instagram account.

I feel like this will be good in a few ways- it's quicker than writing things down, I always have my phone with me (I don't always have a pen and paper), and the idea that people could be seeing exactly what I'm eating will help motivate me to make better choices.

So I'll be posting everything I ingest-food, beverages, and medicine, as well as representations of my workouts and occasional progress photos.

And reviewing them periodically to see if there are any patterns (if I'm taking antacids or pepto after certain foods).

Username: mmermaid93

Twotip: Accountability works on multiple levels- find an accountability partner to help you be a better Christian! (or just a better person!) We all rely on our friends to be there for us, but asking someone to be your accountability partner, or agreeing to be theirs, opens you up to more complete honesty and allows you to let eachother know when the other is slipping up in life, or ask for help when you're stuck in a difficult situation. Be loving when giving advice, but don't be afraid to hold a friend up to high standards- accountability may be the perfect way to help you and a friend be the best you can be!

Get Cheap (or Free!) Groceries with Kellogg's Family Rewards!

Hey y'all!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

It's pretty late right now so I'm gonna make this post a quick one before I hit the hay.

I just wanted to share some crazy good news for lovers of Kellogg's products.

I just learned a couple of days ago that Kellogg's has a rewards site called Kellogg's Family Rewards.

Basically, you buy Kellogg's products that are specially marked with the "Family Rewards" Stamp, and inside are 16 digit codes that you can enter on their site to use towards purchasing Kellogg's branded products, including..... COUPONS!

Not just any coupons, incredibly high value coupons!

There are coupons on the site for $1.50 off of all kinds of products, ranging from cookies to crackers.

The great news is that a lot of these products retail for less than $3.00, and there are some sales coming up that will make them free when you use the coupons.

There is a current limit of 5 of each coupon set for each account, but I'm not sure how often the numbers reset.

Today and tomorrow, the coupons are on sale for 100 points apiece.

To put that into perspective, a box of cheez-its retails at my local grocery store for 2.28,

and comes with 90 points! 

That's almost a $1.50 return on your purchase, and it's pretty easy to find boxes that earn you double points!

Like I said, the coupons are on a huge sale right now, and it appears that they normally retail around 1000 points.

While the regular price may not seem too exciting, keep in mind that for each coupon you purchase you should get at least two prints (I say at least because a glitch let me print 3 of each today).

Even without the sale, it's definitely worth investing a few minutes each time you shop to seek out the specially marked packages and enter the codes online if you are a lover of Kellogg's products.

Now hurry up and go raid your pantries before the sale is over!

God Bless, 

Madeline

Twotip: Over the holidays when you visit friends and family, tell them about this great rewards program! Raid their pantries and show them any products you find with codes to spread some savings along with your holiday cheer!

Turn Your Stockpile into a Salary!

Hey Y'all! 

Long time no blog!

I hope everyone is having a blessed week!

I realized I've posted next to nothing about how I earn cash on ebay since I started the blog, and today I thought I'd let you guys in on what I've been doing lately to earn extra cash.

As I believe I've mentioned before, for about a year now I've been thrifting designer clothing to sell on ebay,

but lately I've ventured into selling new products from my stockpile as well.

I'm no expert on selling new items yet (I've only made three sales of new stuff so far), but I've tried to apply some of the same techniques that I use to sell my thrifted fashions.

I sell primarily using my free ebay listings.

Each ebay account is allowed 50 free listings each month (no up front fees)

and ebay takes 9% of the final sale price and shipping.

However, if you exceed the 50 free item limit, you can always make a second account to sell on.

I currently have two accounts on which I both buy and sell items.

Ebay also has "free listing days" for a few days out of most months when you get unlimited free listings.

If you're not sure which items to sell, it's a good idea to choose a few of the higher dollar items in your stockpile.

Next it's time to do your research!

The easiest way to price your items is by seeing what they have sold for in the past.

 You can do this by searching for the items that you want to sell, then selecting "advanced" next to the search box.

Check the box next to "completed listings" and click "search" again, and you will get a list of the most recently completed listings of your item, whether they sold, and if so how much they were sold for.

I try to aim my prices towards the higher end of the recent products sales.

Sometimes the items go unsold and I relist them, but I've been pleasantly surprised so far at the sales prices for my items.

You also have to decide whether to include shipping in the price of your listing or not. 

You can choose either to list your item at a higher price but include "free shipping" (raise the price to cover the cost of shipping) or list your item for the price you actually want to pocket for the item and list shipping as a separate cost.

I've toyed around with both techniques, but haven't really come to favor either option.

You will also have to decide which method of shipping you wish to use.

My preferred method of shipment is USPS Flat Rate Priority mail.

The program is pretty well known by its' motto "If it fits, it ships"

Literally, whatever you can fit in the box/envelope of your choice will ship anywhere in the U.S. within 3 days for a pretty low price.

For clothing I most often use the Flat Rate padded envelopes to ship because they are cheap ($5.10 if you print your label from ebay) and fit pretty large items.

If you're shipping something that isn't fragile, won't leak, and does not have breakable or easily damaged packaging, the envelopes may work for you as well, but most drug store items or new products will probably need to be shipped in a box.

All shipping rates are listed on USPS website, and of course you can feel free to shop around to find what works best for you, but I feel like flat rate has saved me tons of money so far.

A few more tips:

-You know all those plastic bags you get from drugstores? Keep a stash of them on hand to cushion products when packing them up to ship out. It's a good way to recycle and saves you cash by cutting costs on packaging like bubble wrap.

-Put a note of thanks in each package before sending it out and include your ebay user name. Whether handwritten or typed out and printed, it lets your customer know that you appreciate their business and reminds them where to buy more awesome products in the future!

-If you have lots of items to choose from, favor smaller items over large when deciding what to list first. This will help cut shipping costs.

-If you reserve a day or so for handling time, say so in your listing. I reserve two business days for handling because of my busy schedule, and it may be wise for you to do the same, but if you don't say so on your listing your customer may not be too happy when their item arrives a little later than expected.

-Include product info for the item that you are selling. You can type out info from the packaging or copy and paste info found online. 

-Sell in 'lots' of multiple items. People generally shop on ebay to save cash and if the shipping cost cancels out savings the appeal is pretty much lost, but if you offer free shipping on cheap, single items you end up canceling your own profits out. This issue can be solved by selling several items together and shipping them in a single package.

-Let buyers know where you are getting your product. You don't have to tell them exactly where you bought it (i.e. Rite Aid), but including some sort of statement in your item description as to the legitimacy or freshness of your items can go a long way towards reassuring buyers who may be wary of counterfeit products (I think mine just says "All items are obtained from legitimate retailers").

I hope this post is helpful to anyone who is looking to start selling on ebay!
I will include updates and tips as I learn more about selling.

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Twotip: Donate what you can't sell! Sometimes in spite of using my best judgement, I buy things that for whatever reason don't sell on ebay. If it doesn't sell after a few tries, go on and give it to someone who will use it. It will feel better to see it being used rather than collecting dust in your stockpile!