Planning to do some online shopping soon? I have a one-time use coupon code for $10 off any order at Victoriassecret.com. Offer excludes clearance merchandise, which was the deal-killer for me. Besides, Victoria’s Secret clothes don’t fit my four-legged physique very well. Paws and all. Valid through Feb. 28. Use it quick! If you use it, reply here so I can update the site.
Thanks,
Fatheaddog
Here’s a tip I ran across for Shortcuts.com, the new AOL electronic grocery coupon site. Don’t add the coupons you don’t think you’ll use. The limit for active coupons on your card at one time is 25, and you can’t delete ones to make room for others. So, choose wisely!
One great coupon I see there regularly is $1.50 off Huggies diapers. Any parent of young kiddo will appreciate that one. Whether you can combine that electronic $1.50 off coupon with a paper coupon in the store, is yet to be determined. I’ll test it out and report my results.
Anyone else tried it yet? Tell fatheaddog@cleanpoolservices.com.
If you go through Clorox disinfecting wipes like we do, you’ll find this coupon valuable. Go to http://www.cloroxclassrooms.com/index.php, register and click on the printable coupon link for “Buy two Clorox products, get one Clorox disinfecting wipes free.”
Don’t want to download the coupon printer? I don’t either. On the bottom right corner, click on Help, and it’ll pull up a window to have the printable coupon mailed to you.
Use the free web-based software Google Docs to make your “honey do” list. It’s accessible anywhere, can be shared with others and can be updated as you “check” things off.
Drugstores and grocery stores aren’t the only places to find a good deal. Great deals can be found online to help you compute for less:
First off, dig for deals. I think this recession has taught us you don’t have to walk into a retail store and pay full price. Bricks-and-mortar retailers are offering great sales and enticing coupons to get you in the store. But don’t let that be the extent of your comparison shopping. Let your fingers do the walking with many great computer price comparison sites.
Unless its a so-called doorbuster deal (like $200 LCDs at Target), online retailers generally offer better prices. The catch? Shipping. Just do the math when comparing prices. Where to start? www.shopper.com is a highly reputable, well-organized site that has a trusted merchant certification program. It’s affiliated with CNet, which is a fantastic hub of technology articles, reviews and resources.
Google Product Search, also known as Google Shopping, is another great price comparison site. It works just like Google’s search engine, and delivers thousands of results–which then can be sorted by Seller Ratings. High Seller Ratings usually mean a reputable site.
One site I was underwhelmed with, www.techbargains.com. Didn’t care for the organization of it, and ease of use for the average online shopper.
If you’re not looking to save money on your hardware, save some dough on your software. Free productivity software such as Google Docs and Openoffice.org are gaining popularity and according to tech experts, the way of the future.
Google Docs is my personal favorite. All you need is a Google account, which is free and easy to sign-up for. There you’ll find software similar to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. But since its online, there’s nothing to download. You can save and retrieve all the documents you create in Google Docs from any computer–that means no more emailing yourself documents from work to home. And better yet, you can share them with other collaborators, who can make edits to the same document. Great use potential for school, group projects or even “honey do” lists.
Openoffice.org is a suite of free downloadable software that works just like the Microsoft brand name, but better than cheap, its free! Its easy to use because Openoffice works just like the Microsoft Word or Excel you’re used to. They lack the fancy features of the name brand, which for the most part are not used by the average user. I’m a writer by profession, who works in Microsoft word all day long.. and I don’t know even know or use all its features. And finally, because there’s no licenses, they’re great for small business owners because you can install them on as many computers as you want, make copies and install them multiple times.
Whether its hardware or software you’re looking for, just follow one rule of thumb. Don’t buy more than you need. Why spend $1500 on a laptop with all the bells and whistles, when you only use it to surf the Internet. Instead, try this $300 Acer Netbook. Its small and compact–great for traveling–but doesn’t cost a fortune like other mini notebooks. While the computing capacity of these so-called netbooks are less than what you’d find in a full-sized laptop, it’s still all I need. And all I need is a web browser–email, online banking, my office’s remote desktop and my favorite websites are all online.
Hi FatHeadDog,
In last weekend’s Sunday newspaper, why weren’t there any coupons? Was it just my newspaper?
Signed,
Missing My Coupons
Dear Missing My Coupons,
Have no fear, you weren’t delivered a bum newspaper. Actually, coupon circulars such as RedPlum and SmartSource are not run in holiday weekend newspapers. Look forward to your savings to return next week.
Send your coupon questions to fatheaddog@cleanpoolservices.com. She’ll answer you as quickly as her little paws can type.
The Sunday paper isn’t the only place to find coupons. Here’s some great ways to find savings on the net:
1. Shortcuts.com is a new service by AOL, in which you register your store savings card to receive electronic coupons directly transferred to your card.You don’t have to have an AOL account to participate, and like paper coupons, Shortcuts.com coupons double according to your favorite store’s double coupon policies.
2. Proctor & Gamble esaver is another clip-free electronic coupon site that transfers your selected coupons to your store savings card. Free and no coupon clipping required.
3. Coupons.com is gallery of printable coupons, which you can print at home. Just as with most printable coupon sites, you have to download the coupon printer, which can be a pain. But great savings can be found for beginning coupon clippers who haven’t built their stash of coupons yet.
4. Smartsource.com is another printable coupon site, brought to you by the same publishers of the weekly coupon circulars. Requires a coupon printer download.
5. RedPlum.com, formerly known as Valassis, is the other big publisher of weekly coupon circulars. Requires a coupon printer download.
6. CoolSavings.com was one of the first printable coupon sites to hit the market in the ’90s, and still offers a great variety of coupons, free samples and savings tips.
7. Target.com is a great resource for printable SuperTarget store coupons. As with all store coupons, they can be combined with manufacture’s coupons for awesome savings.
8. Upromise.com is a sponsored college savings site that offers incremental cashback on online and in-store purchases of products such as Huggies diapers, Reynolds foil, Domino sugar, Charmin, Bic razors, Snyders snacks, Glass Plus, BeechNut baby food, Similac formula and more. 22,000 stores participate, including CVS.
Bonus: It’s not a printable coupon site, but did you know Amazon.com sells groceries? Now through March 6 if you use the code FBCLEVNT you’ll get 40 percent off a select set of grocery items from Amazon.com. It’s regular stuff like Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs, Maxwell House Coffee, Ghirardelli Chocolates and more. With free shipping on orders over $25, it’s too good not to try.
Did I miss your favorite printable coupon site? Tell me about it! fatheaddog@cleanpoolservices.com
In a series about ways to save money around the house, NBC5′s Meredith Land interviewed me about my annual savings at CVS with my Extra Care reward card. In one year’s time, I saved more than $4,000 on household toiletries by taking advantage of CVS’s Extra Bucks program, weekly sales and coupons.
Original air date: Friday, Feb. 13
If you’re new to CVS’ing, here’s how to get free toothpaste at CVS with your Extra Care reward card:
This week (2/15-2/21), CVS is offering 4oz Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste for $2.99. It gives $2.99 back in Extra Bucks. So that’s free right? Use a coupon and make it a moneymaker.
1. Buy one Colgate for $2.99.
2. Use a $.75off coupon if you have it from the newspaper. OR, do a Google search for $1.50 Aetna Colgate coupon and print one for yourself.
3. Pay approx. $1.50 or 2.25 (depending on your coupon) and get $2.99 back in Extra Bucks.
4. Then, “rinse and repeat” to use that $2.99 Extra Bucks to buy another tube (limit is 2 total).
5. Use another $1.50 coupon.
6. Pick up a pack of gum or something inexpensive (at least $1.50), because you won”t get change back on your $2.99 Extra Buck.
6. Total will be approx. $1.50 plus whatever you buy $1.50, and pay with your $2.99 Extra Buck. Your total will be next to nothing.
Conclusion: You’ve paid $1.50 out of pocket for 2 tubes of toothpaste and a pack of gum, and then you’ve got a $2.99 Extra Buck to use next time. Don’t forget about this valuable piece of paper though! It’ll expire in about a month.
by K. Shelby Skrhak
The key to couponing at the grocery store is deciding how much time you have to devote. No time—sign up for a Kroger card and take advantage of store sales without any work. Plenty of time—comparison shop, use coupons and take advantage of store’s price matching policies. You can pick the best money-saving strategy for your lifestyle.
Try on the grocery store-savings strategy for which you have time:
No Time—Enroll in a grocery store’s value card program. Stores such as Tom Thumb and Kroger offer significant savings with their respective reward card. A few years back, stores such as Albertson’s did away with their cards, saying it’d offer every day savings without such a card. But as you’ll likely find, at least one Albertson’s in your neighborhood has closed down, with more to come in the coming years.
5 Minutes a Week— Go to shortcuts.com or Cellfire 
for electronic coupons. When you sign up, these electronic coupons link to your Kroger or Tom Thumb card, so you don’t have to cut anything out and bring it to the store.
Here’s the bonus, if you do happen to have a paper coupon for an item, in addition to your electronic coupon, you can use both.
30 Minutes a Week—Clip coupons from the Sunday’s coupon circulars. Tuck them into an extra wallet, and quickly sort them by category—frozen, canned good, snacks, drinks, etc. Cut coupons for only products that you use regularly. Why? If you cut out every food coupon, you’ll spend too much time in the aisles comparing the price of this yogurt with coupon, versus that yogurt with coupon—and 9 times out of 10, you’ll end up buying the store brand because it’s cheaper than both. So, stick with the brands you’re loyal to, and won’t substitute another brand for. For example, I’m a Campbell’s Soup girl… you’ll never find another brand in my cupboard, so I always clip the Campbell’s soup coupons that come in the Sunday paper.
1 Hour a Week or More—Price comparison sites such as groceryguide.com and thegrocerygame.com offer a plethora of grocery sale information—telling you what stores have what on sale, what coupons can match up to those sale items, and whether the price is a “stock-up price.” A stock-up price is one of the lowest prices such an item will go on sale for. For example, Huggies diapers typically run $13.99 or so, but during “stockupportunities” (clever name thought up by couponers), they go on sale for $8.99. Use a $1.50 off coupon, and you’ve reduced a $14 pack of diapers down to $7.50. Be on the lookout for extra incentives, too. At times, Target or CVS offer a $5 incentive on 2 packages (usually a $5 Target gift card or $5 CVS Extra Care Bucks respectively.)
by K. Shelby Skrhak
Do—
Pick one drugstore/grocery store and follow its weekly ad circulars. For example, I prefer to shop CVS. By picking just one store—instead of trying to track all the store’s sales and prices—I keep it simple and become familiar with that particular store’s frequent sales.
For example, CVS tends to put the following items on sale frequently. I use this information to collect coupons for the following items:
Here’s an example of how to get Dawn dish soap free or almost free:
In the Proctor & Gamble coupon circular, which comes the first week of every month, look for the Dawn coupons. The amounts range from $.50 to $2.00, depending on the particular variety of Dawn. When CVS runs a sale of Dawn dish soap, they typically run one of two specials:
1. Dawn $.99
2. Dawn Buy One Get One
The first scenario is a great opportunity to use a $1off coupon. $1 off 99 cent equals free! But here’s a little known fact to employ for the second scenario. Many drugstores and grocery stores accept coupons for both items on a buy one get one (BOGO) sale. So, in this case, use two $1 off coupons. $1+$1 off $1.99 equals free!
Don’t—
Don’t “do” every deal just because it’s on sale. When I first started out, I clipped dozens and dozens of coupons every week for just about any product because I never knew if there’d be a sale on it. But soon, all these coupons accumulated and became burdensome to organize and carry. I’d waste time simply flipping through all these coupons in the store, and soon drugstore shopping became a lengthier process than I wanted or intended. Soon I learned to pick and choose.
For example, I could buy 2 Sure Deodorant for $2.79 each, use a buy one get one coupon on it, and get back $3 in CVS Extra Bucks—a deal in which I’ve kinda “made money,” but I don’t use that brand and therefore it’s not a good deal for me. Instead, just select the products you use, or would like to use. That’s the bonus of discount drugstore shopping: you get to try brand new products or name brands you always thought were too expensive otherwise.
Hear from Stedman Graham, John Maxwell, Connie Podesta, Chris Widener and many others share their personal development philosophies and strategies.
Dallas, TX • March 28, 2009
www.successmagazine.com/Symposium
