Friday, August 26, 2011

Free Help With Weight Loss and Fitness



I love free things and this website offers everything that some of the well known fitness and weight loss sites charge a lot of money for but they do it for free.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

There is a ton of information on the site along with customized meal plans and excersize programs.  There is also a great community of people on there to help and inspire anyone on their weight loss journey.

I have been a member for a while but have slipped with my program during the summer.  My excuse/reason the kids are home and going to the gym is too expensive when I need to pay $6.00 a time for childcare.  Working-out at home is also really difficult with a 2 year old and 4 year old running around under my feet.

There will be no excuses in a few weeks though.  Both kids will be in school and preschool so I will be able to get to the gym 4 days a week and I will be keeping on top of my diet too.

I am making a promise to this blog now that I will lose 20 lbs by the end of the year.


Rite Aid Video Values for September



Here's a list of the new Video Values coupons from Rite Aid for September.   These will be available to watch from 8/28/11 and will expire on 10/22/11.

I love these coupons because you can stack them with the manufacturers coupons and Single Check Rebates.

There is still time to watch the August videos.  The coupons don't expire until 9/24/11 but won't be available to watch after the 8/27/11.

Here's a list of the new videos
  • One FREE FlavoRX Flavoring for Children’s Liquid Medication
  • $5.00 off Multiclix Lancets
  • $5.00 off Heidi Klum Fragrance
  • $5.00 off alli Starter Kit 90ct or 120ct
  • $4.00 off any Two Sensodyne Iso-Active 4.3oz Pastes or ProNamel Iso-Active 4.3oz Pastes
  • $3.00 off Osteo Bi-Flex
  • $3.00 off any Samy Fat Foam Hair color (excludes trial size)
  • $3.00 off any Cosamin or OmegaMint item
  • $2.00 off Vick’s Thermometers
  • $2.00 off Lamisil
  • $2.00 off any Samy Twisted Item (excludes trial size)
  • $2.00 off any Samy Fat Hair Item (excludes trial size)
  • $2.00 of Allegra, Children’s Allegra, or Allegra D
  • $10.00 off Accu Chek Compact Plus Meter
  • $10.00 off Accu Chek Aviva Meter
  • $1.50 off Sensodyne Pronamel Tooth Paste 4oz
  • $1.50 off ProNamel 4.3 oz Iso-Active Paste
  • $1.50 off Nature Made Fish Oil
  • $1.50 off Mucinex DM
  • $1.50 off Mucinex Adult Liquids
  • $1.25 off select Avery Binders 1” Heavy Duty View binders
  • $1.00 Scott Paper Towels
  • $1.00 off Zyrtec Tablets or Liquid Gels
  • $1.00 off Two Snapple 16oz
  • $1.00 off Two Oreo Cookies 16.6z
  • $1.00 off Two Kleenex Facial Tissue
  • $1.00 off Two Bags Hershey’s Bliss
  • $1.00 off Triaminic
  • $1.00 off Theraflu
  • $1.00 off M&M 8.2oz bags or Larger
  • $1.00 off Lysol
  • $1.00 off Listerine 1L
  • $1.00 off Disney Kids Vitamins
  • $1.00 off Depend or Poise (Excludes Poise Hourglass Pads)
  • $1.00 off Clearasil
  • $1.00 off Benefiber
  • $1.00 off any Playtex Baby Item
  • $1.00 off any Nature’s Bounty Item
  • $1.00 off any Libman Mop or Broom
  • $1.00 off any Bayer Advanced Aspirin
  • $1.00 off a Non-Prescription Purchase when you watch the Wellness+ Video
  • $1.00 off a Non-Prescription Purchase when you watch the Rx Services Video
  • $1.00 off a Bag of Hershey’s Air Delight
  • $0.75 off Skintimate Shave Gel, Shave Cream, or Cream Shave
  • $0.50 off two Reeses
  • $0.50 off GE Compact Flourscent Bulbs 1pk
  • $0.50 off Chex Mix 5.5 to 8.75 oz, Bugles 7.5 oz, Gardetto’s 5.5 oz, or Nature Valley Nut Clusters 5oz
  • $0.50 off “5″ Gum
  • $0.50 of Trident 3pks
  • $0.30 off Libby’s Fruit
  • $0.25 off 32oz Gatorade
  • $0.10 off Welch’s Grape Juice 14oz or 64oz

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Bad Weather

Looks like I won't be heading to Staples and Office Depot today.  The storms seem to be settled in for the day and a few savings on stationary is not worth taking a 2 year old and a 4 year old out in this weather.   I will be doing a lot more bargain hunting when they are in school and preschool. 

I hope that the hurricane that is due to hit the northeast on Sunday won't prevent me from heading to the grocery store to pick up the paper.  The P&G insert is out this week and I really want that one.  Fingers crossed the really bad weather stays out in the ocean.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Staples and Office Depot Deals

I have a Staples and Office Depot within a few miles of my house so I will be making a trip and hitting both to pick up the following deals

Staples

1 subject Notebooks - $0.01 (limit 6 per cust)
Sharpie Markers(2 pack) - $0.25 (limit 1 per cust)
Poly Binders  - $0.25 (limit 4 per cust)
Pencil Box - $0.50 (No limit stated)
Paper clips (50box) - $0.50 (no limit stated)
Bic Highlighter - $1
Clorox Wipes $2

Total expected Spend $8.31 + tax

Office Depot

1 subject notebook - $0.01 (limit 3)
Round ring binders - $0.50 (limit 3)
Glue Sticks(4 pk) - $0.50 (limit 5)
Sharpie Highlighter - $0.50 (limit 2)
Papermate retractable Gel pens - $2.00

Total Expected Spend $7.03 + tax

Shape Magazine Deal - $2.99 a year expires 8 25 9:00am

I just got a great deal on Shape magazine at http://www.tanga.com/  They are currently selling a 3 year subscription for just $8.97

Just use the code SHAPE in the coupon code box at check out.  The normal price for this is $24 a year so this is a huge savings.

one-year subscription to SHAPE magazine,


This offer expires at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, Thursday 8/25!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Oral Care Deals at Rite Aid

I got some good deals on Toothpaste etc in Rite Aid today. 


ProductPriceSaleVideo ValuesCouponTotalUP
Reach Toothbrush$4.49$4.49$1.00$0.50$2.99$0.00
Colgate Pro Relief$6.29$3.99$0.00$1.50$2.49$0.00
Crest White$4.29$2.99$0.00$0.75$2.24$2.00
Crest White$4.29$2.99$0.00$0.50$2.49$2.00
Floss Picks$4.49$2.99$0.00$0.75$2.24$1.50
Act Mouthwash$5.49$4.49$1.00$1.00$2.49$1.00
Listerine$7.49$5.49$1.00$1.00$3.49$0.00
$36.83$27.43$3.00$6.00$18.43$6.50


There is an additional Up Reward of $5 for spending $25+ on oral care products.  So the total cost for this purchase was $6.93 if I take off the Up Rewards off this purchase for a total saving of $29.80,  not bad even if I save counting the Up Rewards for next week I have saved $18.40 or got everything for half price.

I got some other bargains and a total of $31.99 in Up Rewards to use next week. I have been looking at the next weeks flier and it looks like there are more great deals coming up.

I have tons of e-mail to read and blogs to catch up on.  A few weeks to go and the kids will be back to school and I will be able to get into more of a routine.

I also bought the ingredients today to make the two recipes I mentioned in an earlier post, I'll let you know how they worked out.

This weeks coupon trip pt 1

I have my Rite Aid shopping list ready and am hoping to get all my diapering needs covered for the next few weeks.  I am expecting to get around $112.00 worth of product for about $70 and also get about $35.00 in Up Rewards to use next week.   I am making an investment now and hope to keep rolling the Up rewards from now on.  So next week my aim is to get $100 worth of product for $70 and use my $35 Up Rewards and get another $30 in Up rewards.  If I can keep doing this I can get $100 of product a week for just $35 out of Pocket.  Some weeks I will spend less, it all depends what is on sale and what I need.

Before Coupons I estimate that I have been spending about $50 - $60 a week for a family of 4 on health and beauty, cleaning, Diapers etc...
Examples:-
Shampoo
Conditioner
Bath Tissue
Paper Towels
Napkins
Tampax
Diapers
Wipes
Razors
Body Wash
Zip Locks
Tooth Paste
Tooth Brushes
Band Aids
Dishwasher Powder
Laundry detergent
All Purpose cleaner

So with Coupons and Up Rewards, It may be possible to start saving up to $1,500 a year.  I think anyone reading this will agree this is huge.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Being Healthy with Coupons

The fact that it seems that a lot of the coupons are for unhealthy food seems to be the myth that makes a lot of people reluctant to use coupons.

I used to think that way and have to admit that after watching some of the people on Extreme Couponing it does make it look like that is the case.  I haven't watched a whole episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC.  I caught the couponing bug by doing some blog hops to promote my other blog. 

Yesterday I sat down and watched the clips on the TLC website.  I was shocked and a little disgusted by some of the things I saw.  I just doesn't seem right to walk into a store and buy over 60 boxes of pasta or 160 bars of candy just because it's free.   7 shopping carts full of junk is just crazy.  I don't see myself dumpster diving anytime soon either.

I am going to be spending some time looking at what I can get and finding ways to still be healthy,  my aim is to put together a menu plan and a coupon list that doesn't involve too many processed foods.  I have no intention of buying Hamburger Helper because it's free, it's just not for me and how I want my family to eat.

It's just a thought for now but I might start publishing an online menu and shopping list with the coupon match ups for it.  It's a work in progress but I will share if it all works out.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

My first Shoprite Coupon Trip

I made my first trip to Shoprite with my coupons last night.  I came out with a receipt that said I saved a total of $84.14  That amount includes the Shoprite sales and card savings.  The coupons that I went in with came to a total of $37.90.  I am amazed.  I think a few hours of clipping coupons and matching the sales online is well worth the time.  The way I look at it is, money saved is like money earned.  Thinking of it that way,  I earned $112.00 this weekend if I include the money I saved in Rite Aid.

I did quite a bit of work.  I matched the sales online with the help of blogs and a spreadsheet I created and went in with a list of what I wanted and the prices I was expecting them to be based on the flyer.  I didn't need to walk around with a big binder like some people like to do,  I may have missed out on a couple of sales, but I came out with what I wanted and most importantly, what I needed and I was well within my budget.

I didn't buy anything I won't use and I spent about half the money I usually do on a weekly shopping trip.  This is just the first week so who knows what will come when I become more experienced at this.

Here are a couple of the best deals I got

Huggies Diapers and Wipes
Huggies Pulls Ups Regular price $11.29
On sale for 9.99
Coupon for $2.00
Free Wipes coupon in Shoprite flyer worth $1.99
Bought another box at $1.99
Had 2 $0.50 coupons that doubled to $1.00 each
Final Price for Diapers and wipes $7.99
Savings $7.29

There were tons of great deals on Suave Product at Shoprite this week that matched the coupons in the papers.

Suave
Here is what I got
6 bottles of Body wash
2 Kids Shampoo
3 Body Lotions
Presale price $38.09
Final Cost $10.87
Savings $27.22


Recipes

I have found some recipes to use some of the items I have in my pantry.  See my previous post.
http://livewellandsave.blogspot.com/2011/08/cluttered-kitchen.html

Pearl Barley
http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/barley-risotto-with-shrimp-and-peas

Roasted Red Peppers
http://www.marthastewart.com/345554/roasted-red-pepper-and-walnut-dip

I've already done grocery shopping for this week so I will be making these next week.

This should really help with my budget. I have so many ingredients in my cabinets sitting unused,   I really should try and use them up before buying more.

Monday, August 15, 2011

My First Shopping Trip with Serious Coupons

Today I made my 1st attempt to get some serious deals with coupons.

I bought 2 different local papers this weekend to get the coupons.  I actually enjoyed reading the papers too so it's good to know there wasn't waste there and lets face it the papers only cost $3.50 and you get that back in coupons so easily.

My first couponing trip was to Rite Aid.  I checked with this site before I went http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com/ and did the best match-ups I could with only coupons from one week of inserts.  In the future the deals will get even better as I build a full body of coupons. 

I just put everything I bought into a spreadsheet and figuring in the sales, Up Rewards and Single Check Rebates.  I managed to get $77.87 worth of useful product for just $28.53  that's a savings of $49.34, this is great.  I will be heading to Shoprite this week too to see what deals I get there. 

I can't wait till next week and see what more deals I can get.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Cluttered Kitchen

Does anyone else have kitchen cabinets full of boxes of ingredients that you bought to make a recipe but the recipes didn't call for the whole box so the rest is just left in the box slowly heading towards its best before date.  I know I do so today I am going to pick to boxes from my cabinet and search for recipes I can make using those items.

Today's items are:

Some organic pearled Barley and a jar of roasted red peppers.  The red peppers aren't opened, I bought them for a recipe a while back which I didn't get round to making and can't even remember what it was I was going to make.

So over the weekend I will be trawling the web looking for recipes that I can use one or both of these ingredients in.  

If you are reading this and want to do the same, please leave a comment with your 2 ingredients and stop back when you find a good recipe and leave a link.


Social Parade

Smart and Trendy Moms

This is a great blog hop, I have found some great blogs.

Here are some great ones I found to help with my quest to get great deals

stylendecordeals.com

Rite Aid Deals

I have a Riteaid just down the street from me that I am finding out I don't pay enough attention to.  I currently get all my household shopping at Hannaford and I am starting to realize that I am throwing money away.  My local Rite Aid stocks many of the grocery items that I am buying at Hannaford but with much better deals and some great saving opportunities.

I wanted to make a note here of some of the ways that I have found so save at Rite Aid.   This blog is a great way for me to keep all of the info I am finding in one place and if it helps a few other people to save money then great.

Rite Aid has a single check rebate (SCR) program that I knew nothing about until I started browsing around the web.  I will be keeping all my receipts from now on and maybe switching brands to match up with the rebates.  When you combine the rebates with the Rite Aid Up Rewards and manufactuter coupons you really can get something for free or almost free.

https://riteaid.rebateplus.com/

They also have a Video Values program.  Just watch a few very short videos to entitle you to some great printable coupons.  You can combine these with Up Rewards, SCR and manufacturer coupon for even more savings. 

http://riteaid.adperk.com/

How great is this.  I am just starting out with the whole couponing things and I am amazed what is out there that I didn't know about.

My grocery bill is about $150 a week right now.  If I can bring that down with coupons it really is like earining a wage.  By spending time on the computer looking for deals I am freeing up money that my family can use for other things, like a trip to Sesame place.

I am looking forward to getting my first local Sunday paper and checking out what I can save.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Starting out couponing

I have used a coupon now and again but I have never been serious about it.  Now the kids will be in school soon and I will have the time to go to a couple of stores without having to get 2 kids in and out of car seat.  I am going to try and get a bit more serious about using coupons.  I am researching at the moment and found a blog with some great tips to get started.

http://www.familyfriendlyfrugality.com/2011/04/strategic-shopping-how-to-use-coupons-effectively/

I have subscribed to the local Sunday paper to see if it's worth it for the news and what I save in coupon.  I figure if I can save $5 a month in coupons then it's a free paper.

I also subscribed to All You magazine.  This is supposed to be really good for coupons.

The next step is to keep and eye on the grocery store and pharmacy fliers to see what's on sale.  I am going to start out by sticking to the cleaning and beauty items at first and see if I can get any items that I use at a good price or free.

Another website I found that might help is
http://www.couponing101.com/

I'll be keeping track of my spending over the next few weeks before the kids start school and comparing it to when I am using coupons. 

I'll post the savings here.

Organizing the kids toys

I mentioned yesterday that kids toys seem to be everywhere in my house.  Today I am going to be keeping an eye out around the web for deals on storage solutions.  If anyone knows of a giveaway, review or coupons out there that are good for this please let me know by leaving a comment with a link. 

Another thing I need to do is to get rid of some of the kids toys that they don't need. I am not a fan of ebay so I don't think I'll be taking that route.  I may use craigslist to sell some of the items which I think might be worth something and then freecycle the rest.  I have a bunch of kids clothes as well.  I wonder if there is a way to get a few bucks for them, they are in good shape, they just got to small for my kids.

I have to spend 15 minutes today working on clearing some of the paper clutter from my desk too.

I'll post again later if I find any good tips or deals around the web.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I am going to be cooking this

I found this recipe on a blog I hopped to today and I had to put a link here in case I forgot where to find it and I wanted to share it will readers of this blog too.

Cookin' for my Captain

Breaded Chicken and Avocado



http://cookinformycaptain.blogspot.com/2011/02/breaded-chicken-and-avacado.html

I'll let you know how it turned out.

Deal of the Day Swiffer

Does anyone with floors to clean not have one of these?  I love my swiffer spray mop.  We have wood floors in the kitchen and hall and this make clean up so easy.

The swiffer website has some great coupons.  So if you are thinking of buying, get the coupon and save some money.

http://www.swiffer.com/coupons-and-promotions

Wednesday Wipe Clean

I don't know if this comes under cleaning or organizing, I suppose it's a little of both.  My challenge today was to clear the livingroom so I could vacuum the carpet.  So many little toys, car, Barbie shoes etc.  How is it that they spread and cover the floor within hours of been put away.  It's a constant battle to keep up with it all.  I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old and I am hoping to get the house under control when I have 3 hours 3 days a week when both children are out of the house (preschool & kindergarten)  I have to make the most of that time so I am starting to plan now for how I can organize myself and get everything done.  OK, I know,  once 3:30 rolls around and both of them are home things will get a bit messed up but it shouldn't be anywhere near as bad as it has been.

I have managed to keep things clean but I know if I was just a little more organized with it, it would be less of a chore and it would all get done much quicker.

So I am going to assign an area of the house for each day.
Monday - Kitchen (clear clutter off island, clear out fridge)
Tuesday - Livingroom (vacuum and dust)
Wednesday - Bathrooms
Thursday - Bedrooms
Friday - Hall & Diningroom

This might get shuffled around a bit when I find out what days my son is going to be doing at preschool

Daily Dose

I have a list of categories that I want to try and get at least one thing done in for each day. 

1. Cleaning
2. Organizing
3. Fitness
4. Diet
5. Grocery Shopping Deals
6. Other Shopping Deals
7. Kids, shopping,  activities, meals, ets...

I have been following a lot of blogs and I am starting to get overwhelmed with all the great info that's out there.  This blog is an attempt for me to get all that info in one place and really do something with it.  I will be posting links to blogs that I find with great tips and ideas that I want to go back to later. 

This means that if yoiu follow me and I find something that I find helpful in your website, I will comment and put a link here.  As this site grows you could get some promo and some great advice and info.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Today's Tip

This is a good one for all of you who like to eat fish on a regular basis. If the fish counter at your grocery store has a sale on a type of fish you like, ask if they have any in the freezer. Usually the fish on display is thawed out and previously frozen so you have to eat it within a day or two. Just ask and they often have the same fish in the freezer for the same price, so it's a great way to stock up and save. Yesterday I got some trout on sale for $3.99 lb (it's usually $7.99) I got a 2lb frozen fillet, cut it up while still frozen and stored some in the freezer. I now have a fish meal for the next three weeks for around $8.00, just $2.60 a meal That's a saving of about $10 on what I would normally spend on fish over three weeks.

Tip, coupons, saving and more

That's what this blog is all about. I want to try and be a bit more environmentally friendly and save a bit of money. It seems like an impossible task given that all the healthly food and green products seem to have a higher price tag than the other items.

I will also be looking for ways to get better organized both with my time and my clutter.

I have a home business that I want to grow and I figure a bit of feung shui in the rest of my life can only help that.

I hope to use this blog to link up with other bloggers with similar goals and maybe together we can all do better. Keeping a record of our goals and tasks will be a great way to keep on track and be a little bit accountable.

So follow me, comment on a few posts and I will do my best to promote you if you have a similar goal to the one I'm trying to reach with this blog