Freebies

Sensodyne

L'Oreal Skin Genesis

GoodNights Sleep Boxers

Bush's Beans Cookbook (Thanks, More Than Enough!)

TheraCran Supplement (Thanks, More Than Enough!)

Kotex (Thanks, More Than Enough!)

Cooling Care™ disposable hydrogel nursing relief pads

Kashi Moutain Medley (Thanks, Hey, It's Free!)

Sweat Block Deodorant (Thanks, Hey, It's Free!)

Juicy Juice Sippy Cup

Baskin Robbins: 31¢ Scoop Night

Baskin Robbins is offering a special promotion from 5 to 10 P.M. tonight. In honor of America's firefighters, you can get a scoop of ice cream for 31¢. For details on the promotion, click here. To find a Baskin Robbins location near you, click here.

Walgreens: Online rebate submission

Thanks so much to the readers who passed this on to me. If you're like me, you feel like breathing a sigh of relief while simultaneously doing a happy dance. :-) And if you're wondering what all the happiness is about, here's what Sally had to say:

Newsflash: Now residents of all 50 states can submit their rebate receipts online! It’s SO easy! I can enter each receipt as I bring it home after purchasing eligible items and save my information. If I forget to submit the whole thing at the end of the month, they’ll do it for me!

For those who could use step-by-step instructions, here are the ones posted on SlickDeals:

Go to the link directly to the following: http://www.walgreens.com/store/rebateclub.jsp

Click on Claim Rebates

If you have an ID and PWD, try to login otherwise Register yourself by clicking on Register button.

Once registered, the system asks for the address.

When address is entered, you can start entering your receipts by selecting the month.

Happy Rebating!

Good deals: Vitamins and supplements

Searching for high-quality nutritional supplements on a limited budget can be a frustrating endeavor. However, my family has discovered one company that carries excellent products, yet consistently undercuts competitors' prices. They're a simple, family-run business with exceptional customer service. The one disadvantage is that they don't have a website, but the savings is worth more than a phone call or the price of a stamp.

The company is Nutri-Choice and you can request a catalog or more information by calling them at 715-223-3941. They carry a huge variety of products and have very speedy shipping times.

Make-it-Yourself Monday: Ingredient substitutions

In this week's Make-it-Yourself Monday feature, we're focusing on ingredient substitutions. The following is taken primarily from the NDSU's Ingredient Substitution listing. More substitution ideas may be found on their site.

Baking powder: 1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda and
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda and
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk or yogurt (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda and
1/2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice used with sweet milk to make 1/2 cup (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)

1/3 teaspoon baking soda and
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Bread crumbs, dry: 1/3 cup

1 slice of bread

Bread crumbs, soft: 3/4 cup

1 slice bread

Butter: 1 cup

7/8 to 1 cup hydrogenated fat and
1/2 teaspoon salt

7/8 cup oil and
1/2 teaspoon salt

7/8 cup lard and
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup margarine

7/8 cup oil

Catsup*: 1 cup

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar

*for use in cooking

Chocolate chips, semisweet: 1 ounce

1 ounce sweet cooking chocolate

Chocolate, semisweet: 1-2/3 ounces

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus
4 teaspoons sugar

Chocolate, semisweet pieces melted: 6 ounce package

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate, unsweetened: 1 ounce or square

3 tablespoons cocoa plus
1 tablespoon butter, margarine, or shortening

Cocoa: 1/4 cup

1 ounce (square) chocolate (decrease fat called for in recipe by 1/2 tablespoon)

Cornstarch (for thickening): 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cracker crumbs: 3/4 cup

1 cup bread crumbs

Cream cheese

Part skim milk ricotta cheese or lowfat cottage cheese, beaten until smooth

Cream, whipped

Chill a 13 oz. can of evaporated milk for 12 hours. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Whip until stiff.

Egg: 1 whole (3 tablespoons)

1 egg white and 2 teaspoons oil

2 egg whites

2 yolks and 1 tablespoon water (in cookies)

2 yolks (in custards, cream fillings and similar mixtures)

Garlic: 1 clove

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Herbs, dried: 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon fresh, finely cut

Herbs, fresh: 1 tablespoon

1 teaspoon dried herbs, finely cut

1/2 teaspoon ground herbs

Milk, sour or buttermilk: 1 cup

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon sweet milk plus
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (allow to stand 5 to 10minutes)

1 cup sweet milk and
1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar

Mustard, dry: 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Onion: 1 small

1/4 cup chopped, fresh onion

1 to 2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon onion powder

Orange: 1 medium

6 to 8 tablespoons juice

Parsley, dried: 1 teaspoon

3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Pumpkin pie spice: 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Sour cream, cultured: 1 cup

7/8 cup sour milk or buttermilk plus
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Blend until smooth:
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup cottage cheese

Mix:
1-1/8 cups non-fat dry milk powder
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon vinegar
Mixture will thicken in refrigerator in a few hours

1 cup plain yogurt (in cooking add a tablespoon of cornstarch to prevent separating)

3/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Puree in blender:
1 cup cottage cheese
2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice

Sugar, brown: 1 cup, firmly packed

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Yogurt, plain: 1 cup

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth

1 cup sour cream

For more Make-it-Yourself Monday features, click here.

Inexpensive Sunday papers

Thanks to reader Charlene for passing this on...

I just discovered today that the Sunday paper is sold at dollar stores for $1. I know a lot of people stock up on extra papers when the coupons are really good so it might be worth mentioning.

And if you're interested in having some idea what coupons will be in the paper, check out Taylortown Preview. Your local coupons may vary somewhat, but it should give you a general idea.

Walgreens deals: April 27 to May 3

The deals aren't too numerous this week, but here's what I see so far...

L'Oreal foundation, concealer, powder, or blush: BOGO; the ad indicates that there will be applicable coupons in the 4/27 paper inserts. Final cost: will vary

Lady Speed Stick: 7-day coupon .99; use with the $1 SmartSource printable. Final cost: FREE
Edit: The Smartsource coupon has apparently been pulled. Instead, use the .75/2 coupon from the 4/27 insert. Final cost: 1.23/2

Van Camp's Pork & Beans: 7-day coupon for .39, mail in for $5 when you buy $10 Con-Agra rebate. Here's the math on the deal for 11 cans, assuming that I'm reading the regular price correctly at .99:

.99
x 11
10.89
-6.60 (7-day coupon)
4.29
-5.00 (EasySaver rebate)
(.71) overage

Edit: Unfortunately, these are on MegaSaver this month, complicating the deal. If you buy 7 transactions of two cans each and one transaction with one can, you'll end up paying $5.85 OOP (after coupon) and get back $5.00 EasySaver rebate. It's not a monyemaker, though, so unless you need the pork and beans, you might wait on deals later in the month.

Softsoap 12 oz. Liquid Hand Soap: $2.99, use 2.00 EasySaver coupon and .35 coupon from 4/27 paper. Total cost: .64

A few more deals from MoneySavingMom:

Pert Plus 2-in-1 shampoo plus conditioner 13.5oz - on sale for $3.49
Use $1.50/1 coupon [from 2/24 paper insert]
Send in for $2.50 EasySaver rebate
Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer Air Freshener Spray - on sale B1G1
Use B1G1 coupon from 4/20 insert
Free after coupon!

Walgreens pain relief 20 liquid caps - on sale for $2
Get $2 EasySaver Rebate
Free after rebate!

May FAR deals:

Walgreens Maxi Pads, 12 to 24 pack, up to $1.99.

EARinse Ear Cleansing Spray, 1 oz, up to $9.99

Walgreens Standard Light Bulbs, 4 pack, up to $1.69

Kickers Energy Spray, 7 oz, up to $3.29

Oral-B CrossAction Toothbrush, up to $4.99; use .75 coupon from the 4/6 P&G newspaper insert. Profit: $.75

Orajel Kids' Plaque-Revealing Rinse, 12 oz, up to $5.79; use $1 coupon from 1/6 newspaper insert (expires 4/30) or sign up here to have coupons mailed to you. Request rebate receipt and mail in for this $1.50 rebate. Profit: $2.50+

Nexcare Cold Sore Lip Treatment, .07 oz, up to $8.99

This week's ad scans may be found by clicking here, compliments of Irish Lass and Hot Coupon World. What other deals do you see?

Walgreens: May free after rebate

For the May EasySaver booklet, click here. Here are the FAR deals for the month.

Walgreens Maxi Pads, 12 to 24 pack, up to $1.99.

EARinse Ear Cleansing Spray, 1 oz, up to $9.99

Walgreens Standard Light Bulbs, 4 pack, up to $1.69

Kickers Energy Spray, 7 oz, up to $3.29

Oral-B CrossAction Toothbrush, up to $4.99; use .75 coupon from the 4/6 P&G newspaper insert. Profit: $.75

Orajel Kids' Plaque-Revealing Rinse, 12 oz, up to $5.79; use $1 coupon from 1/6 newspaper insert (expires 4/30) or sign up here to have coupons mailed to you. Request rebate receipt and mail in for this $1.50 rebate. Profit: $2.50+

Nexcare Cold Sore Lip Treatment, .07 oz, up to $8.99

I don't see many coupon match-ups for these rebates yet. Anyone else? I'll probably be waiting to see if some good coupons come out during the month....

Walgreens: Friday and Saturday deals

The May EasySaver period begins on Friday, April 25 (tomorrow), but the April EasySaver period lasts through Saturday, April 26. There are some deals to be had--the Softsoap one stands out to me. If your store doesn't have the May booklets available yet, you can print the coupons from the May EasySaver booklet available here.

Your mileage may vary on this deal, depending on whether your cashier allows you to use both IVCs. The IVCs do have different coupon codes and should therefore go through if the cashier will scan them.
12 oz. Softsoap handsoap: Regular price $3.99; use $2 April IVC and $2 May IVC. Mail in for rebate #13: $10 back when you buy $20 of product. Here's the math:

3.99
x 6
23.94
-12.00 (April IVC)
11.94
-12.00 (May IVC)
(0.06)
-10.00 (April rebate)
(10.06) overage

Twizzlers/movie tickets: Buy 15 bags Twizzlers (with movie ticket points), use the $1/4 April IVC (reportedly works as long as you have four or more bags) and send in for $5 WYB $15 May EasySaver rebate. Then mail the movie points in for three movie tickets from this Hershey's movie ticket deal. It comes out to $6.25 for 15 bags Twizzlers and three movie tickets.

Edit: Here's the math on the Twizzlers deal:

1.00
x 15
15.00
-3.75 (April IVC for $1/4)
11.25
-5.00 (May EasySaver rebate)
6.25

Then mail your movie points in to get movie tickets.

You can view the entire May EasySaver booklet by clicking here.

Walgreens: End of April EasySaver period

It just hit me that this is the last week of the April EasySaver period--time to buy your remaining April rebate items and get your forms in the mail! Don't forget to pick up some better-than-free Aveeno when you're at Walgreens.

There are two March rebates extended to include this month. They are as follows:

#53 Up to $9.99 rebate on Thera Dent Oral Rinse

#54 $9.99 rebate on Yes to Carrots body butter

Write the rebate number in on the end of your rebate form, and mail your receipts as usual (with purchase price circled and rebate number written beside it).

Walgreens: Aveeno moneymaker

Thanks to Crystal at Money Saving Mom for an update on this week's Walgreens deals...

First, go to KMart and pick up at least four of the Beauty's in Bloom booklets. These contain a coupon for $2/1 Aveeno product.
Buy 4 Aveeno Daily Moisturizing (2.5 oz. -- not all stores carry these) priced at $2.63 each
Use four $2/1 coupons
Spend $2.52 out of pocket plus tax
Get a $10 Register Reward!

Inexpensive organic tomatoes

From Money Saving Mom...

Thanks to More Than Enough for the heads-up on this new $1/1 printable coupon for Muir Glen Organic products. You have to register at the site, but once you've done that, you can print as many copies of the coupon as you'd like! Best of all, it doesn't expire until 09/30/2008!

Muir Glen organic tomatoes are $1.16 regularly at Wal-Mart. With this coupon, they are only $0.16/can!

Kroger also has these tomatoes on sale for $1/can on occasion. Use this coupon and you'll get them free!

Freebie: Fresh Sacks Odor-Free Disposable Diaper Bags

This from Hooray for Freebates...

Try a 25 ct pack of Fresh Sacks Odor Free Disposable Diaper Bags for free (up to $5.97) w/this REBATE FORM . (Available at Walgreens.) I don't see an expiration on this one.

Target: Free Lipton Tea-to-Go

This from iMommies...

Thanks to a SuperTarget coupon (also accepted at regular Target stores), you can purchase all of the free Lipton tea you can drink (through May 10th)! Pick up the $0.99 Lipton To Go sticks (located near the registers), and use one $1 SuperTarget coupon for each Lipton Tea To Go product purchased and pay $0 out of pocket!

The coupon may be used for any Lipton Tea product, including two-liter bottles, which are regularly priced at approximately $1.29 each.

Click HERE for the SuperTarget coupon (or print from the gift registry kiosk inside Target stores).

As an important side note, some Target stores are re-writing their policies to no longer accept multiple copies of the same Target coupons. If your store is one of those, you’ll only be able to use one of each Target coupon per transaction.

Aldi: Meal planning site

If you make a practice of shopping at Aldi, you might be interested in checking out their meal planning website--they have integrated recipes, printable shopping lists, and a meal-planning calendar. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

Make-it-Yourself Monday: Granola

I love granola and find the homemade stuff hard to beat. Here's my family's current version (which happens to my favorite one ever :-) )...

Homemade Granola

6 C. oats
2 C. oat flour (just grind oats in the blender)
1/2 C. oil, warmed in microwave
1 C. nuts (pecans are our favorite)
1 C. sweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 t. salt
1 T. vanilla
1/2 C. honey

Toast oats in oven for 10 minutes at 300. Add flour and stir. Add warmed oil and mix thoroughly. Add nuts, coconut, salt, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add honey last and mix well. Bake for one hour at 300, stirring 20 minutes into the baking time and again 40 minutes into the baking time. When baking time is over, don't stir granola, but turn oven off and leave it until granola cools (this makes for nice chunky granola). Remove from oven and store in airtight containers.

For other Make-it-Yourself Monday features, click here.

Walgreens deals: April 20-26

Palmolive dish soap: 7-day coupon for 2/1.89. Use with $1/2 coupons from 3/30 paper inserts. Palmolive qualifies for EasySaver rebate #13 ($10 back when you spend $20), so you could potentially make money on this deal. Here's the math when you buy 12 bottles (assuming a regular price of 1.89 each):

1.89
x 12
22.68
-6.00 (6 $1/2 coupons)
16.68
-11.34 (7-day coupon)
5.34
-10.00 (EasySaver rebate)
(4.66) profit

Rimmel makeup: BOGO; use with 2 $1/1 mascara coupons from 3/16 paper insert. Total cost: will vary.

Aveeno skin and bath care: Buy 4, get $10 RR; use $1 printable here or $1/1 from 1/20, 3/2, and 4/6 paper inserts and 1.50/2 from 1/20 and 4/6 paper inserts. The lowest priced item is listed as $2.39. Your total will vary depending upon which products you buy, but you should be able to make a bit of profit on this deal.

Updated deal from Money Saving Mom:

First, go to KMart and pick up at least four of the Beauty's in Bloom booklets. These contain a coupon for $2/1 Aveeno product.
Buy 4 Aveeno Daily Moisturizing (2.5 oz. -- not all stores carry these) priced at $2.63 each
Use four $2/1 coupons
Spend $2.52 out of pocket plus tax
Get a $10 Register Reward!

Adult wash cloths: $2, send in for EasySaver rebate #11. Final cost: FREE.

April FAR items:

AquaFresh toothpaste, 5.6 or 6.0 oz., up to $3.99; use this $2 printable or $1 coupon from 2/10 newspaper insert. Profit: up to $2.

Colgate 360 Clean or Deep Clean Manual Toothbrush, up to $3.99; use the $1 printable found here. Profit: up to $1.

Soyjoy Bar, 1.06 oz, up to $1.39; use the Free Soyjoy bar coupon from the 1/6 newspaper insert. Expires 3/31. Profit: up to $1.39.

Just for Men hair color, up to $8.29; register at the Just for Men site to get a $2 coupon and request a rebate receipt for this $8 manufacturer's rebate on any Just for Men haircolor or this $8 manufacturer's rebate for Touch of Gray products. Note: The EasySaver booklet lists only the Touch of Gray hair color, but the Walgreens website claims that many other products are also included. Profit: up to $10.

Tums QuikPak, 24 doses, up to $4.49; use $1 coupon from 3/16 newspaper insert or the printable available here. Profit: $1.

Jane Be Pure Mineral Blush or Kabuki brush, up to $4.99; use this $2 printable for the blush. Profit: $2.00.

Wal-Zyr 24-Hour Allergy Relief, 10 mg, 5 tablets, up to $3.99. Total cost: free.

Wal-Itin 10 mg tablets, 30 pack, up to 6.99. Total cost: free.

This week's ad scans may be found by clicking here, compliments of Irish Lass and Hot Coupon World. What other deals do you see?

Walgreens: Suave Moneymaker ***Today only***

If you're making a Walgreens run today, check out this deal posted by Crystal at Money Saving Mom:

Riannon wrote in and said:

Here is a deal for the Unilever products RR deal: If you get 6 Suave Shampoos or Conditioners at $1.50 each (they are on sale for 2/$3 and also B1G1 50% off at the same time) and use 3 $0.50/2 coupons, you can make $0.10 per bottle. I did this today and was really excited about it and thought I would share and make sure others could do it too!

I checked this out and found out from Hot Coupon World that this is indeed working! However, they suggested a way to make it even better:

Buy 4 different kinds of shampoo/conditioner at $1.50 each*
Use 2 $0.50/2 coupons or $1/2 coupons from 2/10 RedPlum insert
Get 2 50% with store sale
Spend around $2-3 out of pocket
Get $6 RR's back!

*Though the deal reads "Buy 6, Get $6" for some reason the $6 RR is printing when you only buy 4 so long as they are different products.

Walgreens: May EasySaver Rebates

If you're looking for a sneak peak of the May EasySaver rebate listing, you're in luck. Here, thanks, to Hot Coupon World, it is: May EasySaver Calculation Sheet.

Note: If you're having trouble reading the rebate information, click on the page, and it should enlarge, making it easier to read.

We have a winner!

I'm excited to share the results of the Clinique giveaway we hosted this week... Heather is the winner! Many thanks to Suzanne for donating the cosmetic kit, to Random Number Generator for picking a winner, and to all of you for participating!

eBay: Getting the best deal

eBay can be a great place to find fabulous deals--if you prepare yourself with some much-needed information and background. Here are a few ideas that I try to keep in mind when I'm buying on eBay.

1. Know precisely what you're looking for

With the thousands of items available on eBay, the more specific you can be, the better.

2. Be familiar with retail prices

You don't want to be paying anywhere near retail, but knowing what an item sells for will help you decide what's reasonable for you to pay.

3. Search completed items

Check the lowest recent prices for your item--if you hang around for a while, you'll probably find another one for a similar price.

4. Set your budget--and stick to it

This point goes without saying, but it's easy to get wishy-washy when you're actually looking at the item you'd love to have. :-)

5. Be patient

If you're willing to wait, you can often find what you want at the price you want. Not being in a hurry will give you a huge advantage.

6. Watch for auctions ending at slow times

People like to bid on auctions they can watch at the end. Find auctions that end early in the morning or other times when there aren't as many people online, and you may just nab a deal. Better yet, if you don't have a life, look for auctions ending on Thanksgiving or Christmas and bid at the end of those. :-) Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is another time when huge numbers of people tend to be looking elsewhere for deals.

7. Don't get emotionally involved

This one goes with sticking to your budget--it's easy to let the "auction emotions" push you to bid higher than you really intend to. Bid and leave it alone. :-)

8. Bid toward the end of the auction

For some reason, people often seem more likely to bid on items that someone else has bid on--or to increase their maximum bid if they see that someone else has bid on their item. (At the same time, don't wait too long to bid, especially if you have a slow internet connection.)

And a couple of bonus tips to make your eBaying more successful...

1. Pay promptly

The seller will appreciate it and will also ship your item sooner if you've actually paid for it.

2. Leave feedback after the transaction is complete

This is really just eBay "community service," but it helps to insure buyer safety and protection from fraud.

Sundry Savings

Get electronic coupons added to your grocery store shopping at Shortcuts.

More Than Enough: Free Sally Hansen Lip Inflation

Click here to get a free sample of Sally Hansen's Lip Inflation Extreme! Click on "Take A Quiz" to take a short 5 question quiz. (took me less than 1 minute) After the quiz you can sign up for your free lip stuff.

Hooray for Freebates: Free Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer

Here's one that should be a freebate from Walmart at least. But search it out at other stores to see if you can get it for < $7 (with coupon) or $5 (without coupon). Candace has a link to a $5 rebate and references a $2 coupon that's out there. This rebate is an oddball...you can request up to 10!

Purchase between 3/17/08–4/30/08 and submit this form no later than 30 days from receipt date.

iMommies: Restaurant.com discount and gift certificate

Through Sunday, April 20th, purchase restaurant gift certificates for 50% off the regular purchase price and receive an additional $10 gift certificate. Basically, the price works out to about $5--for $35 in restaurant gift certificates of your choice. Be sure to check the restrictions placed on the certificates before ordering, to ensure that the certificate can be used when you intend to visit.

Click HERE, select your gift certificates, enter code TASTE at checkout, then recalculate the total to apply your 50% savings AND a free $10 gift certificate.

Money Saving Mom: Free Picture People photo

Get a coupon for a free 8x10 or 10x13 at Picture People here. Expires May 10, 2008.

GreenStew: Victoria's Secret savings

Edit: This deal is no longer working.

free shipping code TRYVS
$5 off your purchase code SP810573 exp. 4/23

Then I started to explore the Victoria Secrets Website and this is what I found:

Three pairs of socks $1 after the code

Leggins $.99

Bunny Print Sweat Shirt .99

Crew Neck T $2.99

Shelf Bra Cami $.99

Teri Slippers .99

Flannel Slippers 1.00*******These are what I bought. They were $1.00 Plus .07 tax shipped.

V-neck tank $2.99

Freebies

Don't forget that today is the only day to get your 15 free photo prints at Walgreens. You can find the coupon in the weekly ad.

Always pads

Icy Hot patch

SuperPretzel coupons (Apparently they throw in a coupon for a free pretzel!)

Tide detergent

Sponge Bob electric toothbrush (children up to four years old, with dentist signature)

Personal hygiene packet

FiberOne Caramel Delight (different from the Wal-Mart sample I recently posted)

Gas-X Thin Strips

14-Day Supply of Nature Made Vitamins

O.B. tampons trial pack

Totally Toddler stain remover (requires a bit of work, but you get an entire bottle of product)

Prilosec OTC

John Frieda hair products

Huggies Supreme Gentle Care and Natural Fit Diapers

Giveaway: Clinique cosmetic kit

I'm excited to announce... Our first-ever giveaway! Thanks to a reader's generosity, we have a lovely Clinique cosmetic kit, ready to be sent to one lucky lady.

What's included: Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream, Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo, Lash Doubling Mascara, and Long-Last Lipstick--all enclosed in a pink zippered makeup bag. Let the fun begin!

How to enter: Leave a comment consisting of (a minimum of) your name and email address. Feel free to disguise your email address (for instance, centsibleshopperblog AT gmail DOT com) to avoid spam bots.

Entry deadline: Thursday, April 16, 11:59 PM, Central Time. (At least there's something to be happy about during tax week... :-) )

How you'll win: A winner will be chosen randomly and I plan to make the announcement on Friday. Sorry, this is only available to U.S. shipping addresses.

Special thanks to Suzanne for donating the Clinique kit for our enjoyment. :-)

Make-it-Yourself Monday: Cultured Buttermilk

Several weeks ago, we featured instructions for making buttermilk substitute. If, however, you'd like to try the real thing, here's help...

Cultured Buttermilk

1/2-1 C. cultured buttermilk (to use as starter)
3-3 1/2 C. milk

Scald milk, but don't allow it to boil. Cool to room temperature. Place buttermilk starter in quart jar and fill remainder of jar with scalded milk. Shake to mix thoroughly. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours or until thickened. Store in refrigerator.

To view other Make-it-Yourself Monday features, click here.

Walgreens deals: April 13-19

The Walgreens deals aren't as good this week, but there are a few good ones...

April 15 ONLY: 15 free photo prints with 7-day coupon. Walgreens wants to give us a reason to smile on tax day. :-)

Trident gum: 7-day coupon 2/1.19; use with BOGO manufacturer's coupon from 3/9 paper insert. (Give manufacturer's coupon first for best deal.) Total cost: FREE.

Royal Gelatin: 7-day coupon for 5/$1. Use with blinkie coupons (found at grocery stores) for $1/5. Total cost: FREE.

Celestial Seasonings herbal tea: 2/2.99; use .55/1 printable from Coupon Bug. Total cost: $.95 each.

Jane Eye and Lip cosmetics: BOGO1/2 off; use 2 $2/1 printable coupons. Total cost: depends on which items you buy, but many should be around $1.

Crest toothpaste: 7-day coupon for 2/$3; use with $1 coupon from 3/16 or 4/6 paper inserts. Total cost: $.50 each.

Glade Plugins Scented Oil: 2/4.79; use with $3 coupon from 3/16 paper insert or 2 $2/1 printable coupons. Total cost: 2/1.79 or less.

Benefiber: 4.99; use with April EasySaver coupon for $3 and manufacturer's coupon for $2 from 1/20 or 2/24 paper insert. Total cost: FREE.

Veet: BOGO; use with 2 of these $2/1 printable coupons or this $2 printable. Total cost: will vary.

April FAR items:

AquaFresh toothpaste, 5.6 or 6.0 oz., up to $3.99; use this $2 printable or $1 coupon from 2/10 newspaper insert. Profit: up to $2.

Colgate 360 Clean or Deep Clean Manual Toothbrush, up to $3.99; use the $1 printable found here. Profit: up to $1.

Soyjoy Bar, 1.06 oz, up to $1.39; use the Free Soyjoy bar coupon from the 1/6 newspaper insert. Expires 3/31. Profit: up to $1.39.

Just for Men hair color, up to $8.29; register at the Just for Men site to get a $2 coupon and request a rebate receipt for this $8 manufacturer's rebate on any Just for Men haircolor or this $8 manufacturer's rebate for Touch of Gray products. Note: The EasySaver booklet lists only the Touch of Gray hair color, but the Walgreens website claims that many other products are also included. Profit: up to $10.

Tums QuikPak, 24 doses, up to $4.49; use $1 coupon from 3/16 newspaper insert or the printable available here. Profit: $1.

Jane Be Pure Mineral Blush or Kabuki brush, up to $4.99; use this $2 printable for the blush. Profit: $2.00.

Wal-Zyr 24-Hour Allergy Relief, 10 mg, 5 tablets, up to $3.99. Total cost: free.

Wal-Itin 10 mg tablets, 30 pack, up to 6.99. Total cost: free.

This week's ad scans may be found by clicking here, compliments of Hot Coupon World and Irish Lass.

Walgreens Q&A: Rebate amounts

Elsie asked, I just recently started doing the EasySaver rebates, and I bought several items this month. However, when I bought the Aquafresh toothpaste, it was on sale. I think it rang up at $2. When I send for the EasySaver rebate, what price do I write in the earnings column? Do I write the price on my receipt ($2) or do I write the full rebate amount ($3.99)? I think I remember reading somewhere that you can "make money" by requesting the full amount, but I didn't know if this was true, or if it was just for cases when you used a coupon to reduce the full price.

Elsie,

Thanks for asking--it can get a bit confusing. The key with the EasySaver rebates is whether the booklet lists the rebate amount as "up to $x.xx" or simply "$x.xx". The Aquafresh rebate is listed as "up to $3.99," which means you'll only get the store price in return. (Write $2 in the Earnings column.) In order to make a profit on this rebate, use a coupon such as the $2 one (mentioned in this week's Walgreens post) when you buy the toothpaste.

Walgreens: $5 off $20 purchase Friday only

Walgreens is once again doing a $5/$20 promotion--and this time they gave us a bit more notice! :-) To print your coupon, click here. This would be a great time to pick up some of this week's sale items or April FAR deals! Make sure that you give this coupon before any other coupons you may be using on your order.

Walgreens: Inexpensive hair color

Thanks to Elikalman for the heads-up on this deal...

Garnier hair color is on sale at Walgreens for $7 a box this week. On page 7 of the ES catalog there is an easysaver coupon for $2 off a box. Then in the paper 4/6 there is a manufacturers coupon for $2 off a box (get 2 of these as well)

Buy 2 boxes at $7 x 2=$14.00, less 2/$2 Walgreens coupons -4.00, less 2 $2/1 manufacturer's coupons: -4.00. Pay 6.00 out of pocket at store, but then there is more: you still get a rebate. On page 46 of the easysaver catalog there is a $5 rebate when you buy 10.00 worth of Garnier products (the haircolor is pictured, just to be sure). So deduct $5 for the rebate from the $6 OOP you paid at the store and you just got 2 boxes of haircolor for $1 or 50 cents [if you get your rebate money loaded to a gift card] a box!

Input requested: Graduation party food

I'm helping plan a family member's graduation party next month, have been considering the menu, and would love some help. We want to keep things as inexpensive as possible, yet still have a variety of pretty, tasty foods. Here are the parameters:

*We're planning for an open house with about 75 people.

*We're not serving a meal, but it's early enough in the evening that the food should have some substance (not cake and punch).

*In an effort to make things simpler, we're planning to stick with finger foods.

We have time on our side, as there's still a month to plan and watch the sales. We're hoping to make mini-cheesecakes for dessert, provided that we can find a decent deal on cream cheese. And we've talked about veggies with dip and cheeseball with crackers, but nothing is really set in stone.

So, what ideas do you have? What has been a success for you? Any amazing, inexpensive recipes to share?

Sonic: Free mocha iced latte on April 9

If you've been enjoying today's freebies, get ready for more tomorrow.

According to iMommies, This Wednesday, from 5pm to 9pm, Sonic is giving away one free 10-ounce Mocha Iced Latté to each customer who requests one. There’s no limit to the number of free lattés per vehicle, but of course, they would hand out free caffeinated drinks on a school night!

And while we're talking about freebies, don't forget to get your free roll of film developed at Walgreens tomorrow. Details on that deal can be found by clicking here. There's also a coupon on that page for a $.99 photo CD that may be combined with the free film developing.

Tuesday morning: Freebies

Just a quick reminder: The free breakfast at Jamba Juice is tomorrow morning until 10 o'clock.

And if you'd like some free coffee with that, stop by Starbucks. Here are the details from Money Saving Mom:

Visit any participating U.S. Starbucks store on Tuesday, April 8 at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (12 p.m. Eastern Time) and Starbucks will give all customers a complimentary short (8 oz.) cup of the new Pike Place Roast™ to enjoy as they participate in a simultaneous, nationwide, coast-to-coast, coffee tasting conducted by Starbucks coffee experts.

More here.

Blog business: Staying updated

If you enjoy staying up-to-date with the money-saving posts around here, have you considered subscribing? You can get updates either in the reader of your choice or by email. Click here to subscribe in a reader and click here to subscribe by email.

Make-it-Yourself Monday: Baking Mixes

Baking mixes can save a lot of time, but may also add more to your grocery bill than you wish. Here are a couple of recipes to save you both time and money in your meal preparations. Both recipes were originally from Hillbilly Housewife.

Basic Baking Mix

9 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T. salt
1/4 C. baking powder
2 C. vegetable shortening

Thoroughly mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an airtight container.

More detailed instructions are available with the original recipe.

Light Wheat Baking Mix

5 C. unbleached white flour
4 C. whole wheat flour
1/4 C. baking powder
1 1/2 T. salt
2 C. vegetable shortening

Thoroughly mix flours, salt, and baking powder. Mix shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an airtight container.

More detailed instructions are available with the original recipe.

For more Make-it-Yourself Monday features, click here.

Walgreens deals: April 6-12

Post Honey Bunches of Oats: $2; if they have the chocolate variety, use the $2 printables available by clicking here, here, here, and here. Total cost: free

Wrigley's gum 17-stick packs: 7-day coupon 3/$2; use BOGO manufacturer's coupons from 1/20 and 3/2 paper inserts and 3/.99 EasySaver coupon. Buy four packages and give coupons in this order: BOGO manufacturer's coupon, 7-day coupon, EasySaver coupon. The math should work like this:

1.19
x 4
4.76
-2.38 (BOGO coupons)
2.38
-2.08 (7-day coupon)
0.30
-.99 (EasySaver coupon)
(.69) overage to use on other items

Wednesday, April 9 only: Free 1-hour film development for one roll of film when you provide your email address (use in-ad coupon).

Aveeno skin and bath care: Buy 4, get $10 RR; use $1 printable here or $1/1 from 1/20, 3/2, and 4/6 paper inserts and 1.50/2 from 1/20 and 4/6 paper inserts. The lowest priced item is listed as $2.39. Your total will vary depending upon which products you buy, but you should be able to make a bit of profit on this deal.

Crest Whitestrips: $20, produces $10 RR, use $5 coupon from 4/6 paper insert. Total cost: $5.
Edit: This coupon is actually for different products than the one on sale, so the total price will be $10.

Aquafresh Advanced or Extreme Clean Toothpaste: $2, use this $2 printable and send in for the April EasySaver Rebate. Profit: $2

Mach3 Disposable razors: $6, produces $3 RR; use $2/1 coupon from 4/6 paper insert. Total cost: $1

April FAR items:

AquaFresh toothpaste, 5.6 or 6.0 oz., up to $3.99; use this $2 printable or $1 coupon from 2/10 newspaper insert. Profit: up to $2.

Colgate 360 Clean or Deep Clean Manual Toothbrush, up to $3.99; use the $1 printable found here. Profit: up to $1.

Soyjoy Bar, 1.06 oz, up to $1.39; use the Free Soyjoy bar coupon from the 1/6 newspaper insert. Expires 3/31. Profit: up to $1.39.

Just for Men Touch of Gray hair color, up to $8.29; register at the Just for Men site to get a $2 coupon and request a rebate receipt for this $8 manufacturer's rebate on any Just for Men haircolor or this $8 manufacturer's rebate for Touch of Gray products. Profit: up to $10.

Tums QuikPak, 24 doses, up to $4.49; use $1 coupon from 3/16 newspaper insert or the printable available here. Profit: $1.

Jane Be Pure Mineral Blush or Kabuki brush, up to $4.99; use this $2 printable for the blush. Profit: $2.00.

Wal-Zyr 24-Hour Allergy Relief, 10 mg, 5 tablets, up to $3.99. Total cost: free.

Wal-Itin 10 mg tablets, 30 pack, up to 6.99. Total cost: free.

For this week's ad scans, click here. (Thanks to Hot Coupon World and Irish Lass!)

Jamba Juice: Free breakfast on April 8

As a promotion for a new line of drinks, Jamba Juice is offering free breakfast on Tuesday, April 8, from 6-10 A.M. Check out their website to find a location near you.

Kroger: Amazing deals this week

Earlier this week I heard about some amazing deals at Kroger, but was disappointed to find the deals at my own store rather measly. However, I was quite thrilled to see this week's flier, and realize that they're now doing the promotion here. And I heard a rumor that it's continuing until around April 13, so keep your eyes open...

The sales are listed below, with a huge thanks to Stretching a Buck. For more details, check out the full post by clicking here. For more coupon match-ups, stop by The New Frugal Mom.

If I am reading the ad correctly, the Mega Mix & Match works like this: if you purchase 10 participating items, you get $5 off your order. You can work this deal 3 times per transaction. All of the sale prices listed below are AFTER the $5 off. I am hoping to go to Kroger today or tomorrow, and will post any tips or issues I had if any.

Here is my current list of deals. Listed deals assume you buy 10 participating items. All coupons are from Sunday paper inserts unless otherwise noted. Bear with me...it is a LONG list:

* Pillsbury Crescents - sale $0.50/ea; FREE after $0.25/1 coupon

* Pillsbury Sweet/Cinnamon Rolls - sale $0.50/ea; FREE after $0.30/1 coupon

* French's Yellow Mustard - sale $0.50/ea; FREE after $0.30/1 coupon

* Pillsbury Dinner Bread/Pizza Crust - sale $1/ea; FREE after $0.50/1 coupon or $0.60/ea after $0.40/2 coupon

* Shout Laundry Stain Remover - sale $1.50/ea; FREE after $0.75/1 coupon

* Pillsbury Grands Biscuits - sale $0.50/ea; 2 for $0.20/ea after $0.30/2 coupon

* Progresso Light Soup - sale $1/ea; $0.50/ea after $0.25/1 coupon

* Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers - sale $0.50/ea

* Haagen-Dazs 4-4.3 oz cups - sale $0.50/ea

* Kroger Brand Pretzels - $0.50/ea

* Betty Crocker Cake Mix - $0.50/ea

* Special K Cereal - sale $2/ea; $0.60/ea after $0.70/1 coupon PLUS use this coupon for $1 off of produce if you buy 2 boxes of Special K

* Texas Frozen Garlic Toast - sale $1.50/ea; $0.70/ea after $0.40/1 coupon

* Windex - sale $1.50; $0.70/ea after $0.40/1 coupon

* Dole 4-pack Fruit Cups or 24.5 oz jar - sale $1.50/ea; 2 for $0.75/ea after $0.75/1 coupon

* Special K Bars or Bites - sale $2/ea; $0.90/ea after $0.55/1 coupon

* Ziploc 7-25 ct Storage Bags - sale $2/ea; $0.90/ea after $0.55/1 coupon or $1/ea after $1/1 coupon

* Quaker Chewy Granola Bars - sale $1.50/ea; 2 for $1/ea after $1/2 coupon

* Newman's Own Salad Dressing - sale $2/ea; $1/ea after $0.50/1 coupon

* Dannon 4-8 pack Yogurt - sale $2/ea; $1/ea after $1/1 coupon

* Domino 4 lb Bags of Sugar - sale $1.50/ea; 2 for $0.95/ea after $0.55/2 coupon or 2 for $1.05/ea after $0.45/2 coupon

* Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets - sale $1.50/ea; 3 for $1.17/ea after $1/3 coupon

* Welch's Grape Juice - sale $2/ea; 2 for $1.50 after $1/2 coupon

* Kraft Shredded or Bars of Cheese - sale $1.50/ea (you can freeze this)

* Kraft Cheese Singles 12 oz - sale $1.50/ea (you can freeze this)

OTHER DEALS (not part of Mix & Match Event):

* 4 Pack Cottonelle Toilet Paper - sale $0.99/ea; $0.49/ea after $0.25/1 coupon

* Bertolli Frozen Pasta Entrees - sale $4.99/ea; $3.49/ea after $1.50/1 coupon, or you can print 2, $2.50/1 coupons here, which will make these $2.49/ea!

* Coke Products - 4/$10 (must buy 4 to get this price)

* Campbells Soups - 10/$10; $0.80 or less each when you use $0.40/4, $0.40/3 or $0.25/4 coupons

Sundry deals & ideas

There have been several blog posts that have caught my eye recently, and I thought I'd share them with y'all...

Eating Out Cheaper from Extremely Frugal:

Authentic ethnic restaurants usually have good food cheaper than well known restaurants, even if they're local. Don't confuse "authentic" with "well marketed." The truly authentic may not be in the best part of town. It's usually well worth the effort of tracking down a real ethnic restaurant.

Free Swingline Stapler from Sense to Save:

You can fill out a quick survey and receive a Swingline stapler for your time.

Freebie Events from Sisterly Savings:

Bath & Body Works - Free Beauty Cravings In-store Event on 4/12:

You will need to RSVP with your local flagship stores to attend. This event is free plus you will receive a goody bag and breakfast just for attending!

Get pampered and receive tips from our beauty experts. Sample all their favorite products! Take home a Free gift (Goody Bag) just for coming! (Over a $20 value) Enjoy complimentary breakfast treats!

[To find a Bath & Body Works flagship location near you, click here to use the store locater and select "flagship stores."Don't forget to pick up your almost-free Bath & Body Works products, too!]

Toys R Us - Free Thomas & Friends Event 4/12 - 11 am - 1pm:

Free Storytime each half an hour which includes a Free Pack of Thomas Trading Cards,Railway toys to play with & coloring fun!

You can find out more about the event here.

Clean Home Journal: April Showers Gift Pack

Once again, Clean Home Journal is offering a free gift pack to the first 10,000 who sign up. This month's package contains 2-cup Ziploc Container, Glade PlugIns scented gel warmer and refill, and $10 of coupons. Sign up today to get yours!

Note: If you have received a gift pack from Clean Home Journal in the last 90 days, you are not eligible for this promotion.

Kroger: Cheap razors

If you have a Kroger in your area, you might check for Gillette Fusion Phenom razors on clearance. My local store had the manual ones for $4.50. Combine this with the $4 P&G coupons that expired on 3/31 (Kroger usually takes coupons for two weeks after their expiration), and you'll have razors for $.50!

Wal-Mart: Free Samples

Here are some of the latest free sample offerings from Wal-Mart:

Maybelline New York Mineral Powder Natural Perfecting Liquid Foundation (I think it needs a longer name :-p)

Gold Bond Restoring Lotion

Dove go fresh Deodorant

Huggies Supreme Diaper PLUS Naturally Refreshing Wash and Lotion

ZICAM Ultra XCID Antacid

Fiber One Caramel Delight Cereal

Gillette Oil Control Face Wash and Body Wash 2 in 1