Donating To the Women's Shelter

Last Wednesday, I finally got everything organized enough to drop it off at the shelter. Truth be told, it was really just load after load of laundry. The finished product ended up being quite the haul, and included:

28 tank tops
43 long/short sleeve tees
34 sweaters/sweatshirts
20 pairs of pants/shorts/skirts
5 dresses
15 pairs of shoes
13 bottles of shampoo
14 bottles of conditioner
6 boxes of tampons
7 bottles of mouthwash
15 tubes of toothpaste
4 cans of hairspray
19 razors
8 deodorants
14 bottles of body wash
11 bottles of lotion
5 cans of shaving cream
17 sticks of lip balm

Whew! The lady who met me at the shelter was flabbergasted. She asked me if I'd held a fundraiser to gather the items. Nope, I told her, just my stuff and couponing pickups. She told me that a lot of people don't donate because they think they don't have enough to give to make a difference, and that couldn't be a bigger misconception. Everything little bit helps, she told me. She also told me that they are always collecting the following:

-women's clothing and shoes
-children's clothing and shoes
-children's toys
-personal items: shampoo, conditioner, oral hygiene products, deodorant, razors, etc.
-household items: cleaners, paper products
-food: canned goods and non-perishable items

So, to sum up. I cleared out space in the basement. I thinned out my stockpile. I donated items to women who can really use them. I will receive a tax deduction for my donation. It's a win-win-win-win situation.

I'm looking forward to growing my next 2 projects for charity. This week, I was able to add dental products, baby wipes, chicken noodle soup, and cat litter to my homeless shelter and animal shelter donation piles. This train is chugging along!

I hope everyone's having a great week, happy Hump Day!

Shifting Gears

Retail Value: $136.14.
Paid: $30.39
Saved: 78%

This couponer has come to that point in their life when their stockpile is good enough. Or rather, enough is enough. I have more shampoo than I could use in the next couple of years, enough chap stick to give 20 of my closest friends 5 of their own sticks, and toothpaste really seems to be spontaneously regenerating itself. For all my ideas about making beauty baskets for people for Christmas and just giving out items here and there, I'm just not using enough of what I've stocked. I've decided it's time to use my powers for good. Couponing for charity! I love couponing, I love to shop, and I like to help people. I cleared out my stockpile, and I'm donating the bulk of it to our local women's shelter. I also decided that since I'm going to be there anyway, I might as well take all my old clothes and shoes while I'm at it.

What I've got going to the shelter tomorrow- 3 large tubs of clothes, 1 large tub of shoes, and 1 large tub chock full of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, razors, deodorant, etc. There's at least 20 warm sweaters in those tubs (among the plethora of other clothing items), I'm hoping they go to good use this winter.

I'm starting 2 other projects as well. A donation for my local animal shelter and a donation for my local homeless shelter.

I'm starting small on these next 2 projects, but everyone's got to start somewhere. I'm hoping to have sizable donations to make in December. How am I doing this? Just using my coupons to pick up free, or close-to-free items.

I'm excited to start some new projects. Here's hoping my pictures of my final donations in December knock everyone's socks off!

Why I Coupon

Combos, Playtex Tampons, Brawny Paper Towels, Finesse Shampoo and Conditioner, Lady SpeedStick, Sally Hansen Insta-Dry and Complete Salon Manicure, M&M's, Reese's Mini's, Softsoap Hand Soap, Irish Spring Body Wash, Softsoap Body Wash.

I thought instead of the usual weekly breakdown on my haul, I would use this opportunity to talk about why I still coupon. Some people I encounter give me that "Girl, you crazy" look when I tell them I coupon. There was a time when the hubby and I had to coupon. When we first moved to Kentucky, we had some serious budgetary issues and money had to be saved. Now that the hubby has a great job, I think people assumed I would stop couponing. Nope.

I had some minor complications with my haul this weekend, and I was seriously bent out of shape. First of all, I was seriously disorganized. I hadn't cleaned out my binders or cut up my coupons from last week. I put my list together hastily. At Rite Aid, my coupons had expired the day before. At CVS, I made a math error when putting my list together. I tend to be one of those people who gets seriously bothered when things don't go perfectly. Which is often in life. So after the drug stores, I was feeling crummy and inadequate. I was still feeling bummed about my haul until this morning, when I sat down to crunch some numbers on the haul.

For this week's haul, I paid $27.73. The total value of the products was $78.29, which means the total percentage of savings on my haul was 65%. That's really not that bad, and not an unrealistic percentage of savings. Unbeknownst to you all, I buy a lot more when I shop than what I picture. What I picture are items that I bought with coupons. It's rare to get coupons for fresh veggies and fresh meat, and veggies are the bulk of what I buy at the grocery store. Another fact that I don't talk about- my weekly maximum budget is $100. I almost always try to spend less than that, because any money leftover in my budget goes into the coupon savings account. I also transfer any money saved from coupons and/or sales into my coupon savings account. Most stores will list on their receipt how much money you saved with sales and coupons. So, as an example, I spent $83.16 last week. I got to transfer $16.84 plus the $69.70 that I saved with coupons/sales into my savings account. For a crummy week, that's still a good amount of money. It all adds up.

To put all this in perspective, let's go back in time about 7 years. I was working crazy hours, I was at work more than I was home. I didn't do any kind of sales planning. I just made a quick list of meals I would make for the week, and then buy what I needed. Willy nilly. Most weeks, I spent $150-$175 on groceries. For 2 people! I want to bawl like a baby sometimes, when I think about all the money I threw away. And that didn't even include my personal items for the month (shampoo, conditioner, makeup, etc.). If you add up all that money over a year- that's about $7200 in groceries. Not to mention, another probably $100 a month for cosmetics ($1200 a year!). That's $8400. Yowsa. If you took what I spent this week (and said I spent that every week) that would be $3,991.68. That's a serious, serious difference. A $4,408.32 difference, to be exact. So, it really wasn't that bad of a week after all.

The hubby and I have benefitted greatly from couponing. Since starting a savings account to keep track of our savings last year, we were able to make such a large down payment on our brand new appliances that we are making our last payment on those next month! We've also been able to build our couponing account back up to over $2000 already. We are hoping to pay cash to fence in our backyard next summer, and I think that goal is completely do-able.

So for me, the whole couponing thing is not about getting a lot of junk for free. It's not even about being a cheapskate. It all comes down to good common sense. I used to fork over that $4,408.32 that I now save to stores. These days, I keep it for myself.

A Long Weekend, a Stomach Virus, and a Coupon Haul

Downy Fabric Softener, Puff's, Bounty Basic, Secret Clinical Deodorant, SoftSoap Body Wash, Crest Toothpaste, Covergirl Jumbo Pencil Lip Balm, Dawn Dish Soap

Oh, goodness. It's been a hell of a last couple of days. On Friday (of our long 4th of July weekend) the hubby came down with a stomach virus. He was better by Monday, however, the evilness hit me on Sunday night. I was in the middle of making dinner, when I got very, very light-headed. I went to lay down, and within 2 hours, I was throwing up. Among other things... Here it is Wednesday, and I've woken up extremely disappointed that I'm still sick, and seemed to have developed a sore throat. Argh. The debilitating part of this virus is that's taxing to be on your feet for more than a couple of minutes without getting light-headed. I'm super annoyed, I've got lots to do around here. I haven't cooked or baked at all this week, the blog has been neglected,  the house needs to be vacuumed, muscles need to be worked out, etc.

Luckily, I was able to complete the grocery shopping and couponing for the week on Sunday before I got sick. Unfortunately, I just haven't had the energy to open my computer and use those little click-y, buttons to type actual English words. I've got a small list of goals to try and accomplish today, blogging being numero uno on that list. I actually had a good haul this week. My stockpile was running perilously low on fabric softener, dish soap, those little kleenex boxes for the bathroom, and paper towels. So, as you can see, this was a much needed haul. Here's the breakdown for this week:

CVS

*All items purchased under "Buy $30, Receive $10 in ECB's" promotional event.*

Dawn Dishsoap, $0.97
-used (4) $0.25 off any Dawn product
SoftSoap Body Wash, $2.99
-used a $2 off SoftSoap Body Wash CVS store coupon
Covergirl Jumbo Lip Balm Pencils, $9.29 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off)
-used a $4 off 2 Covergirl Lip Products coupon
Secret Clinical Deodorant, $9.99 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off)
-used a $5 off 2 Secret Clinical Deodorants coupons, and a $2.50 off a $12 Deodorant Purchase CVS store coupon

*Also used my $5 Beauty Bucks reward, and $2 Spring Spending Reward*

-used $10 in ECB's from last week, paid $4.28 out of pocket, and made $10 in ECB's.

Rite Aid

*All items purchased under "Buy $30, Receive $10 in UP's" promotional event.*

Bounty Basic, $0.99
-used (4) $0.25 off any Bounty product coupons
Puffs, $0.99
-used (2) $0.25 off 3 Puff's small boxes coupons
Downy, $3.99
-used a $3 off 3 Downy products coupon
Crest, $5.79 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% off)
-used (2) $0.75 off any Crest toothpaste coupon

-used $5 in UP's from last week, paid $20.54 out of pocket, and made $10 in UP's.

Total Spent- $24.82 on $102.23 worth of product. Savings of 76%.

Happy Hump-Day Everyone!

Couponing Haul: 6/16/13

All Laundry Detergent, Colgate Mouthwash, Maybelline Nail Polish, Covergirl Eyeshadow Pencil and Nail Polish, Dentyne Gum. Sorry, you can tell the sun was super bright that day on the one side of my picture!

The hubby was in desperate need of Powerade, so we took advantage of the low(er) price at Kroger.

Hillshire Farm's Smoked Sausage for $0.68 at Kroger! Smoked sausage is nice to have on hand for cookouts, soups, breakfasts, etc. We don't eat a lot of it (not so healthy), so these should last me quite a while.

 I'm back with a couponing update! It's been awhile since the hubby and I have done a couponing haul. We had about a month there where all of our extra dollars (down to the last penny) were being spent on the yard. C'est la vie. Plus, the sales have sucked the last couple of weeks. Now that my stockpile is built up, I'm not going to pay just anything for certain products. I wait until the sale is really good, then I pounce. My stockpile is low on dishwasher soap, fabric softener, canned tomatoes, canned green beans and corn, and canned beans. I keep watching for a sale on any of these items, but to no avail the last couple of weeks. I'll be there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for my prey... Ok, I know I'm a weirdo, so here's the breakdown for the week:

CVS

Colgate Mouthwash, $5.79 (Spend $10 on Colgate, Receive $5 in ECB's)
-used (2) $2 off Colgate Mouthwash coupons
Covergirl Nail Polish, $6.29
Covergirl Eyeshadow Pencil, $7.79 (Spend $10 on Covergirl, Receive $3 in ECB's)
-used a $3 off 2 Covergirl products coupon
Maybelline Nail Polish, $4.19
-used (2) $1 off Maybelline Nail Polish coupons, a $2 off Maybelline Cosmetics CVS store coupon, and a $1 off Maybelline Cosmetics CVS store coupon.

*Used a $5 off a $30 purchase CVS store coupon

-Used $14 in ECB's from last week, paid $3.04 out of pocket, and made $8 in ECB's.

Rite Aid

Colgate Mouthwash, $5.99 (Buy 1, Receive $3 in UP's)
-used a $2 off Colgate Mouthwash coupon
Dentyne Gum, 2 for $2 (Buy 2, Receive $1 in UP's)
-used (3) Buy 2, Get $1 off Dentyne Gum coupons

-used $4 in UP's from last week, paid $2.79 out of pocket, and made $6 in UP's.

Kroger

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage, $1.68
-used (3) $1 off Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage coupons
Powerade, $0.79
All Laundry Detergent, $2.99
-used (3) $1 off All coupons

-Paid $23.81

Total Spent- $29.64 on $103.35 worth of product. Savings of 71%.

A good week, if I do say so myself. Happy Hump Day everyone!

Open Season For... Razors?!

Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel, Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Polish, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Crest Toothpaste, Bounty Basic Paper Towels, Peanut Butter M&M's, Venus Razors.

Being a woman in summer means upping your stakes in the battle against basically any kind of body hair. This also means razors are coming and going a lot faster than they would at any other time of the year, and they are freakin' expensive! I found an amazing deal at Rite Aid this weekend, though. 3-packs of Venus razors normally retail for $11.99. They were on sale for $7.49, and part of a promotion where if you spend $30, you get back $10. I also had in my hot, little hands a "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" coupon for Venus razors. I ended up getting 4 packs of razors- plus 1 roll of Bounty Paper Towels- for $9.92 (I also had $6 in rewards from last week). 4 packs of razors for less than the price of 1? Yes, please! Here's the breakdown for the rest of the haul:

CVS

Peanut Butter M&M's, $0.99
-used a $0.99 Mars candy CVS store coupon
Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel, $8.99 (Buy $15 in Garnier, Receive $5 in ECB's)
-used a $5 off 2 Garnier moisturizers coupon
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Polish, $5.79 (Spend $10 in Sally Hansen, Receive $5 in ECB's)
-used a Buy 1, Get 1 Free Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Polish coupon
Crest, $3.49 (Buy 1, Receive $1 in ECB's)
-used a $1 off Crest toothpaste coupon

-Used $17 in ECB's from last week, paid $6.05 out of pocket, and made $11 in ECB's for next week.

Rite Aid

*Purchases part of "Spend $30 on Select P&G Products, Receive $10 in UP's" promotion*

Venus Razors, $7.49
-used (2) Buy 1, Get 1 Free Venus Razors coupon
Bounty Basic Paper Towels, $0.99
-used a $0.25 Bounty Paper Towels coupon

-Used $6 in UP's from last week, spent $9.92 out of pocket, and made $10 in UP's for next week.

Kroger

Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal, $1.88
-used (2) $0.75 off Quaker cereal coupons

-Spent $2.26

Total Spent- $18.23 on $92.77 worth of product. Savings of 80%.

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

A Good Day To Save A Buck (Or Two)

Red Gold Canned Tomatoes, Dial Handsoap, Keebler Pretzel Bites, Crest White Strips, Rosarita Refried Beans, Olay Face Cleansers, Right Guard Deodorant

I just got done doing the math on this haul, and I couldn't believe the retail price. $119.03 to be exact. You wouldn't think it by looking at it, but it's true. The Crest White Strips alone retail for $42. Uh, that's cray-cray. I got a crazy deal on them, however. They were on sale for $10 off at CVS, I had a CVS store coupon for $10 off Crest White Strips, a $7 manufacturer coupon, plus they were part of a $15 rebate deal. That's my kind of price :) I wouldn't normally get the pretzel bites, but I had a coupon and I knew the hubby would like them. And let's face it, who doesn't like refried beans? Regular for the hubby, fat-free for me. I also skipped Rite Aid this week, I wasn't impressed with the sales. Here's the breakdown for the week:

CVS-

*Olay and Crest part of CVS's P&G Beauty Rebate, "Buy $50 of Select Products, Get a $15 Rebate"

Crest Whitestrips, $31.99
-used a $7 manufacturer coupon, and a $10 off CVS store coupon
Olay Facial Cleansers, $4.99
-used (2) $3 off 2 Olay cleansers coupons
Right Guard Deodorants, $3 (Buy 2, Receive $1 in ECB's)
-used (2) $2 off 2 Right Guard deodorants coupons

*used a $10 off a $50 purchase CVS store coupon

-Used $16.49 in ECB's from last week, spent $10.46 out of pocket, made $2 in ECB's for next week, and earned a $15 rebate.

Kroger-

Dial Hand Soaps, $1
-used (4) $0.35 any Dial Hand Soap coupons (doubled to $0.70)
Rosarita Refried Beans, $1
-used (2) $0.55 off 2 Rosarita Refried Beans coupons
Red Gold Canned Tomatoes, $1
-used (4) $1 off 2 Red Gold Canned Tomatoes coupons
Keebler Pretzel Bites, $2.99
-used (2) $1 off Keebler Pretzel Bites coupons

-Paid $11.08

Total Spent- $21.59 for $119.03 worth of product. Savings of 82%.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! May you save long, and prosper :)

2/3/13: Coupon Haul

Cottonelle Toilet Paper, Palmolive Dish Soap, Scott Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Sally Hansen Gel Polish Strips, Mr Clean Magic Erasers, RevitaLens Contact Solution, Rapid Sleep PM, Clear Shampoo and Conditioner, Lady Speedstick Deodorant.

This may look like a small haul, but the retail value of it is surprisingly high. I really hit it hard with the coupons this week, and my hard work paid off. I had a coupon for almost every item in this picture (except the sleep aid, which was free at CVS). I couldn't believe, after crunching numbers on my receipts, that the retail on this haul would have been $107.68! The contact solution is normally ~$11, the Cottonelle is normally $13, and the gel-color nail strips are normally $15. You'll have to finish reading this post to see how much I paid out of pocket :) Here's the breakdown:

CVS-

*Note: The Cottonelle, Scott, Kleenex, Palmolive, and Magic Eraser's were part of CVS's promotion of "Spend $30 on Select Products, Get $10 Back"*

Cottonelle, $10
-used a $0.25 off Cottonelle coupon
Scott Toilet Paper, $7.49
-used a $1 off Scott Toilet Paper coupon
Kleenex, $0.99
-used (2) $0.50 off 3 boxes of Kleenex manufacturer coupon, and a $1.50 off a $5 Kleenex purchase CVS store coupon
Palmolive, $0.99
-used (4) $0.25 off Palmolive coupons
Lady Speedstick Deodorant, $1.99
-used (2) $0.50 off Speedstick manufacturer coupon, and a $2 off any 2 deodorants CVS store coupon
Sally Hansen Gel-Color strips, $14.99 (Buy $10 in Sally Hansen products, Get $3 in ECB's)
-used a $5 off Sally Hansen gel strips coupon, and a $3 off a $10 Sally Hansen purchase CVS store coupon
Rapid Sleep PM, $1.99 (Buy 1, Get $1.99 in ECB's)

*Used a $10 off a $50 purchase CVS store coupon, and (2) $4 off a $20 purchase CVS store coupons

-Used $12 in ECB's from last week, paid $5.59 out of pocket, and made $15.99 in ECB's for next week.

Rite Aid-

RevitaLens Contact Solution, $8.49 (Buy 1, Get $1 in UP's back)
-used (2) $4 off RevitaLens contact solution coupons
Clear Shampoo and Conditioner, $4.99 (Buy 1, Get $2 in UP's back)
-used a Buy 1, Get 1 Free Clear Shampoo and Conditioner coupon

-used $8 in UP's from last week, paid $5.97 out of pocket, and made $6 in UP's for next week.

-Total Spent- $11.56 on $107.68 worth of product. Savings of 89%. Yowza!

The First Haul of 2013: 1/6/13

Red Gold diced tomatoes, Kashi Go Lean cereal, Finish dishwashing gel pacs, Barilla Whole Grain Pasta, All laundry detergent, Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner, Good-N-Natural protein bars, Nivea lip balm, Nivea body lotion, Lysol toilet bowl cleaners.

This is actually my first big haul since September of last year! It's crazy to think that I was out of the game for so long. I must say though, the deals just weren't there at the end of last year, and coupons (especially good ones!) were few and far between. I cleaned out my binders after New Year's, and I feel like I shipped out 75% of what was in them! I was feeling very, very coupon deprived until the new inserts came out yesterday. There were 5 inserts in each paper, and I got 5 papers! That's 25 inserts! So many coupons came out yesterday, my head is spinning. Definitely dreading cutting those babies up. Anyways, we had a very good haul yesterday, and so much healthy food! Kashi cereal, protein bars, whole grain pasta, Greek yogurt, etc. Whoever tells you you can't buy healthy food with coupons, don't even listen to them. You absolutely can. Here's the breakdown for yesterday's haul:
CVS-
~Everything I bought at CVS was part of their "Spend $30 on Selected Products, Get $10 in ECB's Back"~
Finish Dishwashing Gelpacs, 2 for $8
-used (2) $2.15 off Finish Dishwashing Gelpacs coupons
All Laundry Detergent, 2 for $8
-used (2) $2 off 2 All products coupon
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 2 for $6
-used a $0.50 off 2 Lysol Cleaners coupon

-used $9.50 in ECB's from last week, paid $11.70 out of pocket, and received $10 in ECB's for next week.

Rite Aid-
Nivea Lip Balm, 2 for $5 (Spend $15 on Nivea products, Receive $8 in UP rewards)
-used (2) $3 off 2 Nivea Lip Balm products coupon
Nivea Body Lotion, $5.99
-used a $2 off any Nivea Body Lotion coupon

-used $8 in UP's from last week, paid $1.99 out of pocket, and received $8 in UP rewards for next week.

Kroger-
Barilla Pasta, 4 for $5
-used (1) $1 off 3 Barilla pastas coupon
Kashi Cereal, $1.99
Yoplait Greek Yogurt, $1
-used (2) $1 off 2 Yoplait Greek yogurt coupons
Good-N-Natural Bars, $1
-used (5) free Good-N-Natural bar coupons
Red Gold diced tomatoes, $0.59
Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner, $1.74
-used (3) $1 off 1 Herbal Essence product coupons

-paid $18.84 out of pocket.

Total Spent- $32.53 on $121.55 worth of product. Savings of 73%.

What a good start to the year, and a good start to my coupon savings account :) Have a happy week everyone!

Product Review: Blistex Moisture Melt and More

It's been awhile since I reviewed some beauty products. It's taking some time to delve back into blog-mode after taking such a long break. However, the house is mostly unpacked, cleaning is under control, and I've gotten a handle on cooking here. Therefore, I have more time to blog :) Let's dive right in, shall we?

1. Blistex Moisture Melt

It's unusual for me to find chap sticks that work for me. I always, always have the Chapstick brand chap stick( the blue kind) on my person, because that's what works all the time. What's a girl with a love of new products to do? I just keep trying them anyway. And this one works. It's got shea butter in it, and it never dries out my lips. And I put chap stick on like, 50 times a day. A regular addict, I am. This formula has little blue beads of moisture in it, which I will admit, made me nervous at first. No worries though, the little blue beads disappear as soon as they hit your lips. This product leaves my lips look soft, shiny, and a tiny bit glossy. I hate wearing lipstick in the winter, because it always seems to look cakey on my dry, wintery lips. I've been wearing this all by itself. It's definitely a more natural, nude look, and I like that sometimes. The verdict? A new must-have for me, and it's super affordable. You can get it at the drugstore for under $2 when it goes on sale. I will be buying this again.

2. Revlon PhotoReady Powder

I wanted to like this powder, I really did. I got it back in the summer with Revlon's $5 off 1 face product coupon, so I got it super cheap. I like Revlon's face products, I regularly use Revlon's ColorStay Foundation, and I love Revlon's PhotoReady Primer. Whatever the reason, I'm not overly fond of this powder. A couple of reasons- 1. It looks cakey on my skin. I apply it with a soft powder brush and gently swirl it onto my skin, but as soon as I get close to the mirror, you can see it caked on my skin. Yuck. Not a good look for natural light. 2. It does not control shine. My shininess seems to show through in about an hour. I can usually get a couple of hours before I need to retouch my makeup with my normal powder, which is L'Oreal True Match powder. 3. It doesn't even out my complexion as nicely as the L'Oreal powder. After application, my skin didn't look as even as normal. Maybe it's the winter weather, but this powder is not working for me. The verdict? I will not be repurchasing this.

3. CoverGirl Lash Exact Mascara

This mascara is very well-received online. I read tons of reviews that said this was the best mascara that CoverGirl makes. In my opinion, this just doesn't bode well for CoverGirl mascaras (none of which have ever been my favorite). I scored a sweet deal on this mascara, so I decided to give it a try. I bought the waterproof formula (no surprise there, right?) in Very Black. Overall, this product was better than other CoverGirl mascaras I've tried. The formula was not clumpy, and the little bristles on the brush did make it easy to coat hard-to-reach lashes. It also darkens my lashes accordingly. My one complaint, and the reason I won't be buying this again? The formula flakes. A couple of hours after I put this on, I inevitably look in the mirror and have little black flakes under my eyes. Not cool. Or pretty. It happens every time. The verdict? I'm sticking with Maybelline mascaras, I will not be repurchasing this one.

Labor Day Couponing

LA Looks hair gel, ReNu contact solution, Wisk laundry detergent,  Nivea lotion, Skintimate shave gel, Glade candles, Dial handsoap

Who coupons on Labor Day? Me! It looks like a small haul, but I didn't include 30 Gatorades and (4) 24 packs of Diet Pepsi. Those were the mainstay's of my haul that I decided not to include in my couponing picture. Other than that, I saved a lot on the rest. Here's this week's breakdown:
CVS
Glade Candles, 2 for $6; Spend $12 on Glade products, receive $4 in ECB's
-used (2) $2 off 2 Glade candles, received $4 ECB's
Wisk, $4.99
-used (2) $2 off Wisk coupons
Nivea Lotion, $6; Spend $10 on Nivea, receive $3 in ECB's
-used (2) $2 off Nivea lotion

-used $20 in ECB's from last week, paid $1.98, and received $7 in ECB's.

Rite Aid
LA Looks Gel, $2.99; Buy 1, Receive $2 in UP's
-used a $1 off LA Looks coupon, received $2 in UP's
ReNu Contact Solution, $7.99; Buy 1, Receive $7 in UP's
-used a $2 off ReNu coupon, received $7 in UP's
Skintimate Shave Gel, Buy 1, Get 1 50% off; Buy 2, Receive $2 in UP's
-used (2) $0.55 off Skintimate, received $2 in UP's

-used $7 in UP's from last week, paid $5.11, and received $10 in UP's.

Kroger
Dial Handsoap, $0.88
-used (4) $0.35 off coupons (doubled to $0.70 off)

-paid $0.72

Total Spent- $7.81 on $79.08 worth of product. Savings of 91%.

Product Review: Milani Eyeshadow Stick in Brown Deluxe and More

It seems like most of the sales this summer have been on hair products. I've added tons of shampoos, conditioners, leave-in conditioners, hairsprays, mousses (is that even a word?), volumizers, etc. to my stockpile. I've added a couple of makeup products here and there, but not nearly as much as hair products. I really think I have enough hair product to last me a year! Between all the hair products, I have found time to try a few new makeup items.

1. Milani Eyeshadow Stick in Brown Deluxe

I've finally found a drugstore cream shadow that works! Wow. I've tried quite a few products, and nothing was living up to MAC's paint. Granted, MAC paint is a high-quality product. I should have known it would take a miracle to find something that worked nearly as good at an affordable price. But, it happened. This eyeshadow stick is very affordable, I picked it up for $4.49 with a CVS store coupon. My only complaint about these sticks (and it's not a big enough issue to keep me from buying it again) is that when you glide this shadow on, you do not have a lot of time to blend the color in. I would advise putting this eyeshadow exactly where you want it, because it stays put. And stay put it will. I wear my eyeshadow for 8-10 hours a day, and creasing is my main problem with drugstore cream shadow. I really wanted to like Maybelline's Color Tattoo eye shadow, but that darn creasing. This eyeshadow though, I am pleased to report, was un-creasable. The pigmentation stays true as well. And this is in 90 degree-plus weather with 90% humidity. I'm so happy to have found this product. The verdict? Recommended! Buy it! I'm going to be picking this eyeshadow stick up in the champagne color and also the purple.

2. Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Honey

I'm in love with Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm's. I have the product in 4 colors, and there's actually a couple more shades I want to try. The Honey color in this line is amazing! It looks like my lips, only better. I love how these lipstain's aren't dry, because that has always been my problem in the past. The lipstain would look good going on, but then it would settle into my lips looking dry and patchy. Major dislike. This product doesn't do that. It really does have a lip balm feel. This color, once worn down after a couple of hours, leaves my lips a natural rosy-pink color. The worn down look is almost better than the freshly applied look. I will be heartbroken if Revlon discontinues this product. The verdict? Honey is a keeper, going into my makeup stash as a must-have and a daily basic. And like I said, I will be purchasing more shades in the future.

3. Dove Oil Care Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner

I've been using Dove's Oil Care Leave-In Conditioner for awhile now. I liked it so well, I bought the shampoo and conditioner. And I'm glad I did. These have got to be some of the best drug-store shampoo and conditioner I've tried. The shampoo lathers nicely, smells fresh, and feels luxurious. It doesn't leave my hair feeling like straw, it leaves my hair feeling soft when I rinse it out. Unusual for a shampoo. The conditioner leaves my hair silky after being rinsed out, I love when my hair feels like that instead of rough. My blowouts also feel much softer, and my hair isn't weighed by these products. Usually really moisturizing shampoo and conditioners weigh my hair down, so I'm pleased these don't. These also work with my wavy and curly hairstyles, majorly decreasing frizz and fuzziness. The verdict? I will buy this again. I've actually added several bottles to my stockpile already. There are always coupons for Dove, so you can really pick these up for a reasonable price.

Fantabulous Couponing!

Suave shampoo and conditioner, Crest toothpaste, Hunt's Snack Packs, Quakes, Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, Olay body wash, Mentos gum, Revlon eyeliner and lipliner, Dove hair stylers, Aussie hair stylers, L'Oreal Everstyle hair stylers, Suave Men's body wash, Olay Daily Facial Cloths

It was a good weekend for couponing. I got some good buys, didn't spend a lot of moola, and added to my ever-growing stockpile. The hubby's aunt suggested that I make baskets for the female family members at Christmas time, stuffed with body products, hair products, makeup, chocolate, etc. I thought that was a good idea. I probably will have more in my stockpile that I will use this year, so why shouldn't everyone enjoy free beauty products? I think it's a go. Here's the breakdown for the week:


CVS
Mentos gum, 2 for $5
-used (3) $1 off coupons, received $2 in ECB's
Aussie styling products, 2 for $6
-used a $1 off 2 CVS store coupon, a $1 off a 2 manufacturer coupon, and received $1 in ECB's
Olay Daily Facial Cloths, $3.74
-used (2) Buy Daily Facial Cloths, Receive A Free Olay Body Wash coupons (priced at $5.99)
L'Oreal Everstyle products, $7.29 (Buy 2, Receive $5 in ECB's)
- used (2) $2 off coupons, received $5 in ECB's

-used (2) $4 off a $20 purchase CVS store coupons, used $13 in ECB's from last week, paid $5.86, and received $8 in ECB's.

Rite Aid
Crest toothpaste, $3
-used a $0.75 off coupon, received $3 in UP's
Revlon eyeliner and lipliner, $7.29 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% off and Spend $10, Get $4 in UP's)
-used (2) $1 off coupons, received $4 in UP's
Dove Styling Products, 2 for $6 (part of Suave deal)
Suave Men's body wash, 2 for $4
Suave Shampoo and Conditioner, 3 for $5 (Spend $15 on Select Products, Get $5 in UP's)
-used a $3 off 2 Dove products coupon, (2) $0.75 off Suave body wash coupons, and (3) $0.25 off Suave shampoo or conditioner coupons

-used $10 in UP's from last week, paid $12.93, and received $12 in UP's.


Kroger
Quakes, $1
Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats, $1.99
-used a $1 off 2 coupon
Hunt's Snack Packs, $1
-used a Buy 3, Get 1 Free coupon

-paid $8.98


Total Spent- $27.77 on $133.80 worth of product. Savings of 79%.


My couponing account is growing by leaps and bounds! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Product Review: Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara and More

I've been picking up lots of new products to try lately. I guess the summer beauty sales have been good to me. There are so many coupon deals going on right now, I can hardly choose which ones I'm going to do. Makes me wish I could do them all! Let's dive right in, shall we? :)

1. Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara

This mascara is being touted as the next big thing, thanks to it's gel-mousse formula. I picked up the waterproof formula to try out (of course!). I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and here's what I think. If you have tried Maybelline's Volum' Express One-By-One mascara, you've tried this one. I love, love, love One-By-One, it's my absolute favorite. I found this formula to look and feel essentially the same. The only difference I can tell is between the two brushes. The Mega Plush has a large brush, with a flexible wand. One-By-One's brush is rubber and is designed to coat every lash. Due to the brush, I also find that the One-By-One goes on more evenly, and with less clumps. Both formula's stay put and don't smudge. Both are not heavy formula's, and really look like my lashes, but better. Both hold curl very well. The verdict? Due to the similarity to my favorite mascara and an unfavorable brush/wand, I won't be buying this one again. I'm sticking with the One-By-One.

2. CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

I am not a CoverGirl fan. There are very few CoverGirl products that I like and would buy again, especially their foundations. That's why I was so surprised to love this product. It's a lightweight foundation, and in my opinion would be in-between tinted moisturizer and a fuller coverage foundation. The product is very creamy, and easy to blend in to the skin. I always look super-close at my pores after putting on foundation, to make sure it doesn't look like I'm caked in makeup. I was shocked that this covered flaws and evened out my skin, but didn't look like a mask. It also lasted all day, with me only having to do one mid-day touch-up. I think this is an appropriate foundation to wear when you are wanting more of a polished look than tinted moisturizer, like for a lunch date or shopping, but probably not for an evening going-out look. I'm sticking with tinted moisturizer for most of the time this summer, mainly because I don't look like my makeup is melting in this summer heat and humidity. But I'll be using this one on occasion, and probably even more in the fall. The verdict? This one is going in my arsenal, thanks to its light texture and amazing coverage.

3. Garnier Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment

I'm torn on this product. I've been trying it out for a couple of weeks now, and I've tried it with many different hairstyles. Blown out, straightened, wavy, curly, and pulled back. The product works. It makes my hair feel soft and really does add a lot of shine. I especially like it with wavy and curly hairstyles which can stand to use something to help with the frizz. Here's my one downside with this product. I think it clogs my pores. As in, if you touch your face before you wash your hands and if you have acne-prone skin, you better watch out. It may even be this product getting on my pillow, and then getting on my face at night. If there's one thing I hate more than frizz, it's breakouts. Not pretty. I'll take some frizz over a breakout. That being said, John Frieda's Frizz Ease Serum works just as good as this and doesn't clog my pores. The verdict? If you have acne-prone skin, be super careful about getting this anywhere near your face. Due to said skin issues, I will not be purchasing this again.

Lately-ish

Dirty dog!

Our backyard is a jungle!

The diverse ecosystem that is our property :)

Tequila Pork Chops with Grilled Zucchini.

Spices for a batch of chili.

IPA: A match in chili heaven.

Bought myself a new store-coupon organizer. Stylish!

Got a new purse too!

The plowin' occurring across the fence from us.

Turquoise pedicure. Love!

Product Review: Primer Roundup

I've tried a couple of different primer's this month. Some I like, some... eh, not so much. Primer is one of the most important things in my makeup bag, I never go without. I will tell you this, I think that a good primer is more essential to a beauty routine than a "good" (i.e. expensive) foundation. I've been using drugstore foundation for about a year now and thanks to good primer, I can't complain.

1. Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer

I've been using Revlon's Perfecting Primer for a couple of months now, and I give it rave reviews! CVS was out of the Perfecting Primer on one of my trips, so I picked up the Color Correcting Primer instead. My honest opinion on this product? It works exactly the same as the Perfecting Primer. I haven't noticed a single difference. This could be construed as good or bad. Good, in the fact that this is an awesome primer. As with the Perfecting Primer, I blot my face late in the day and I never have to retouch with powder. My makeup stays perfect all day. This primer works good under normal foundation and I've also found it works good under BB cream too. Bad, in the fact that I haven't noticed any difference as to color correction. Maybe my skin doesn't need color correction, I'm not even sure what that means. The verdict? If the store is out of the Perfecting Primer, I will be buying this instead. It works just as good as the Perfecting Primer.

2. Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener

Here is my eye primer routine: I swipe my regular primer over my eyes, wait a minute, and then apply concealer over that (I like L'Oreal True Match concealer). I've been doing this for years. I got a really good deal on this eye primer with coupons, so I decided to give it a try. As an eye primer, this sucks. My normal routine works much better at keeping my eyeshadow crease free and intensifying the pigments in my eyeshadow. However, I've been using this under my eyes as a brightener and this I love! I apply it before my foundation, it has a creamy consistency that doesn't settle into the fine lines under my eyes. It also covers what shadows I do have, and really does brighten the area. The verdict? I'm torn. This is expensive without sales and coupons, and it really doesn't work like it's supposed to. If I get a really good deal on this again, I probably will pick up more for my routine. I don't think I will be seeking this out again, however.

3. L'Oreal Magic Lumi Primer

This was my least favorite product I tried. I'm not sure why they are trying to market this as primer, but to me it seems more like a liquid highlighter than a primer. The consistency is very thin when you put it on your fingers, and just looking at you can see it's full of shimmer. I'm all for using highlighter on parts of your face, but I'm not interesting in looking like a disco ball. Once I realized how much shimmer was in this product, I didn't use it on my whole face. I used it on parts of my face as a highlighter. It works good for this purpose, but I'm partial to a powder highlighter that I can use a brush to apply. I can put the highlighter on more accurately with a brush. I did use this one day like a cream eyeshadow that I put under a nude eyeshadow and I got a pretty, natural effect. The verdict? I will not be buying this again. I suspect it will take me quite a while to use this tiny bottle since I don't use liquid highlighter very often.

Product Review: Garnier BB Cream & More

I've been getting a lot of beauty coupons lately that are matching up with good sales. As a result, I've been picking up a lot of new products to try. It's a glorious time :) I picked up a couple of products from Salma Hayek's Nuance line last week, but I haven't had time to try them yet. I will have to save those for the next review.

1. Garnier BB Cream

I've been looking forward to trying this product since I first read about BB (beauty balm) creams, apparently all the rage in Europe. I came to understand that this is a tinted moisturizer. I've never had luck with tinted moisturizers, but I got such a good deal on this I didn't mind dipping my toe in the water. I first tried a tinted moisturizer when Covergirl came out with their CG Smoother's Tinted Moisturizer. Hated it! I even tried Laura Mercier's Tined Moisturizer, which all the celebs rave about. Hated that too! Well, I am officially a tinted moisturizer fan now. I love this stuff! It's my new go-to product for summer. The coverage is very light, but yet it really does even out my skin tone. It definitely doesn't have enough coverage for winter, but in summer you want something light anyways. I will say that this is supposed to take the place of your primer, but I did not find that to be the case. The couple of days I wore this without primer, I got a very dewy look. Some people like the dewy look, I'm not one of them! When I started using this with primer, I found the perfect look. Verdict? I will definitely be purchasing this again, but will stick with my normal foundation for winter. 

2. L'Oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner

So the deal with this product is that you're supposed to be able to skip shampoo with this cleansing conditioner. It provides a low lather that when rinsed away leaves the hair with a soft feeling. The first time I used this, I used this with the intent of blowing my hair out and straightening it. After I had blown out my hair, I noticed the roots were definitely greasy. My hair was not as clean as normal. Not a look I covet when I'm wearing my hair straight. However, the second time I used this I used it with the intent of wearing my hair wavy. This product is perfect for that! I don't like to shampoo when I wear my hair wavy anyway, and this product took care of all my baby hair's and frizz. I've done a lot of research on the Curly Girl Method and I think this product fits that regiment perfectly. The verdict? I will buy this again, with the intent of using this in my wavy hair regiment. I will not be using this for a straight hair look again.

3. L'Oreal Color Riche LeGloss in Raspberry

I bought this #1 because it was on sale, #2 because I needed more dollars added to my L'Oreal deal to get ECB's back, and #3 because the color is so similar to Clinique's Superbalm Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Raspberry. This product is about $10 cheaper than Clinique so I was really hoping to like it. After using this for 2 weeks, I have a good idea of the product. First of all, the color is perfect. It's completely comparable to Clinique's Superbalm. The L'Oreal version does have a light smattering of shimmer in it, whereas the Clinique does not. The L'Oreal version is not as moisturizing as the Clinique though. I can put on Clinique's without chapstick and it's perfectly moisturizing. Not so with the L'Oreal, I definitely need chapstick pre-application. My other complaint with the L'Oreal? The longevity. It doesn't last nearly as long as the Clinique, plus as the Clinique fades it leaves a subtle hint of color behind. In the long run, if you have to apply the L'Oreal 3 times more, are you really saving that much money? The verdict? I'm sticking with Clinique, there are just too many things I love about Clinique to abandon it.

Product Review: Revlon Lip Butter & More

I've been meaning to review a couple of new products that I tried and I had just completely forgotten about, so I am getting around to it today! I love trying new products and I love even more when they work!

1. Revlon Lip Butter

I tried Revlon's Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti as I look best in a light coral. I have to say that for a product labeled a lip butter, this product wasn't as moisturizing as I hoped and didn't seem to be as moisturizing as Covergirl's NatureLuxe Lip Balm. However, I always put on chap stick 5 minutes before I put my makeup on so I don't have too much of a problem with that. I liked this color and I liked the pigmentation in this product. It wasn't too much, definitely more like a gloss. It's a build able product so if you layer a second coat on top of the first, you will get more pigmentation. I like it light, so I stick with a light first layer. The verdict? I would buy this again, but I like Covergirl's NatureLuxe Lip Balm better.

2. Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer

I love, love, LOVE this product! I find it comparable to Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer. I put this on before my foundation and I do not have to touch up with powder the rest of the day. I do have to do an oil blotting mid afternoon, but then I am good to go! This is going to save me some moolah on powder! The only weird thing about is (and this may sound crazy) but I have to use a more sheer foundation with it. My normal foundation looks thick with this primer. This is fine for me, as I have several foundations on hand and I love using sheer foundation, but if you like using a thick foundation this may not be the primer for you. Use this primer and sheer foundation, and your face looks like your skin, only better! The verdict? This has been added to my must-haves and has replaced my normal primer.

3. Loreal Studio Line Plumping Volume

My hair color has been ever-evolving this year and I have noticed that dry shampoo looks gray on dark roots. Thanks to aging (I hate getting older! *tear*) my hair is noticeably flatter. On days when I don't shampoo, I have started just running the blowdryer all over my hair to start. I then spray this volumizer all over and then roll my roots up in velcro rollers the size of coke bottles. A shot of hairspray and I leave the rollers in for 20 minutes. When I take my hair out, voila! I have youthful volume. There are probably plenty of other volumizers out there that work but this one often goes on sale and I can always find coupons for it (I usually buy this for under $2). It also works, as my hair stays voluminous most of the day. The verdict? I love it, and I have kept buying it for quite some time now.

Robbed The Store... And Then Some!

Propel Fitness water, Hunt's diced tomatoes and tomato paste, Finesse hairspray, Kleenex, Nature's Bounty vitamins, Finish dish soap, Tide Stain Release Boosters, Pledge multi-surface spray, Goldfish, Combos, Revlon nail files, Blistex, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and Mentos gum.

Today's haul was so good, I just couldn't resist devoting a blog entry to it! I had an amazing day of couponing! Here's the breakdown:
CVS- Great week for CVS! They had some great BOGO's that I couldn't resist. Both the Combos and the vitamins were Buy 1, Get 1. I also had a $1 off of 2 coupon for the Combos and I had 2 $1 off coupons for the vitamins. The Pledge was an amazing deal. They were on sale 2 for $6. I had a CVS store coupon for $2 off 2 and a manufacturer coupon for $2 off 2, making each bottle of Pledge $1. That stuff retails for $6.49 a can! Additional purchases at CVS included Kleenex, the Revlon nail files, and the Blistex.    Thanks to $13 in ECB's from last week, I paid $12.68 out of pocket and earned $10 in ECB's.
Rite Aid: Gum was on sale again this week and this time it was a moneymaker! It was on sale 3 for $3, plus they were offering a $1 UP reward. I used 3 $1 off coupons for the gum, making them free and I made that $1. The Finish dish soap was BOGO, plus I had a $2.15 off coupon (Rite Aid doesn't let you use a coupon on the free item item in a BOGO transaction, which is too bad because I could have gotten another $2.15 off with another coupon). I also picked up the Finesse hairspray on sale 2 for $6. I had 2 $1 off coupons as well. I ended up paying $7.27 out of pocket (I had $2 in UP's from last week) and making $4 in UP rewards.
Kroger: Kroger was amazing this week! They had Hunt's tomatoes on sale for $0.49 plus I had a $0.45 off 3 coupon, which doubled to $0.90. Which means I ended up getting those cans for $0.19 a piece. The Propel flavored water was also on sale for $0.49. The Tide boosters were on sale for $5.99 and with an e-coupon for $2 off, I got that for $3.99. The Goldfish were on sale for $0.99 (I love Goldfish!). Lastly, the butter was on sale for $1.79 and I had a 2 $1 off coupons. You can't beat paying $0.79 for pricey butter spread. I ended up spending $12.01 at Kroger.

There you have it! I paid $31.96 for $119.45 worth of product, for savings of 73%. This was my biggest haul to date and some of my best savings! I will be on cloud 9 for the rest of the day if you need me :)

CVS Haul 8/1/11

I had a really good day at CVS on Monday. I saved 67%, paying $14.58 for $46 worth of product. I also earned $10 in Extra Care Bucks to use on my purchase next week. CVS has been by far the easiest store to coupon at. Here is what I got this week:

Suave Body Wash, Deodorant, and Shampoo, Swiffer wet clothes, Maybelline mascara, Skinny Cow Candy, and Q-Tips.

It's hard to tell from the picture but there are 2 men's body wash and 3 men's shampoo.  Jerame is set now! Once again, it's hard to believe this stuff would have added up to a $46 purchase. But, the register doesn't lie and it nice to pocket my savings for more important (or fun!) things.