Shop Ahead People......

Happy Halloween everyone!! The best thing you can do is buy ahead, hit sales when you can and buy clothes for your children for the next year or season. The Childrens Place, Monster Sale is the best ! They usually have this after Christmas, where everything is marked down, then a couple of weeks later they mark it down again to 75% off. They have it every year, last year I went to shop for Giannas clothes for this season, I was pregnant with Dylan then and bought him clothes all the way up to 2T. Prices are ridiculously cheap,and there is always an online Childrens Place coupon you can print to use with it. I think last year I remember spending $36 and came home with a TON of stuff for both kids. Everything is less than $5..some items I got for $1.

Get your Halloween costumes NOW for next year!!! Another mother I hang out with while Gianna is tapping away in dance class on Saturdays,told me last week, that on Halloween the Disney Store marks their $50 costumes down to half price ! WOW ! Gianna being Tinkerbell this year, I did roll through the Disney Store to see what they had. Of course,they had the best Tinkerbell costume I'd seen around, but it was $49.50...I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a costume for a 3yr old..sorry Gianna. So we opted for the $25 I party costume, just as cute for half the money. Now that I know that all of their princess costumes will be marked down today and this weekend...of course theirs are the best, they are "Disney', I will be hitting the sale to buy ahead for next year.

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Organization is the key to success

OK...so I'm not the most organized person in the world...but I definitely try to be. I've heard more than once, I don't use coupons because I always forget them...or they always expire when I go to use them. The key is to keep all of your coupons...fliers, etc. all in one place. I keep them all in a Ziploc bag in my purse...so I have them at all times when I run to the store...yes I said Ziploc bag ladies...that way they're not falling out all over the place. I usually paperclip together by category... baby products,beauty items,dairy,etc. Then once a week, I usually do it early Saturday mornings...because I normally do my food shopping on the weekends and Gianna is watching her cartoons,go through your coupon envelope, ziploc bag, or whatever it may be...and toss the expired coupons....it's as easy as that. You can also use a coupon organizer..you know those accordion like thingy's. I find the bag easier to stash in my purse though.

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Something to do on a Friday night with the little ones...

Just a little FYI for those mothers out there that may not know, but Friday nights at the Boston Children's Museum is sponsored by Target, from 5-9pm, admission is $1 per person...can't beat that. Great for something to do if you're in on a Friday night with the kids , also a good way to tire them out!! Here is the link for more info:

http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/plan/hours.html

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We all want to go "Green".....but it seems so expensive

So everyone is trying to go "green" these days with good reason. The problem is it seems so expensive..from buying those reusable totes at the grocery store to the energy efficient light bulbs that cost $4..what?? We all want to do it...but I'll be honest when I'm choosing light bulbs on a budget, I seem to lean towards the .50 cent light bulbs sorry mother nature. There are options out there though to aid us in getting us each closer to a "greener you" Shaws offers FREE reusable green totes if you call and complete their survey after your shopping trip. You know the one I mentioned in my earlier post. You can start there,one free bag for every shopping trip..after 2 monthes you'll have no need for those paper and plastic bags anymore!

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Get on their good side!!!

I read once somewhere that if you find a brand you love...or use often to use the "contact us' feature on their website and you'd be suprised what you get!! So, I tested this theory a few times. I went to Huggies hit contact us, explained how much I loved their products but I rarely get enough coupons for them, and to see if it was at all possible for them to send a few to me. A couple of weeks later I received a bunch of $2 off ANY Huggies product coupons with NO expiration date..score!! When companies see you like their product they want to keep you as a customer...therefore sending you lots of goodies!! Another one I scored on was Wonder Bread...I did the same thing except just told them how much I loved their bread..bla bla bla. What do you know a few weeks later...I received a couple of vouchers for FREE Wonder Bread!!! So, try this little trick out if you're surfing the net and have a little extra time on your hands...it's worth it!!

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Check your receipts!!!

Tip of the day: Check the bottom of your printed store receipts !! Many stores including , GAP , Childrens Place and Shaws have little surveys you can fill out online or by phone ...which literally take 2 minutes, at the end they give you a coupon code to write on the receipt for 15-20% off your next purchase or sometimes for a free item !!! I did one for the GAP the other day after I had shopped there and got 20% off my next purchase..woo hoo!

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On The Hunt.....Lets Save Some Cash $$$$$

Finding coupons is easy once you start......but many people don't know there is more to it than just clipping them out of the Sunday paper. There are thousands of printable coupons you can find over the internet as well . Keep in mind that most stores these days double coupons under $1.00, so a .75 cent coupon is more valuable than a $1.00 coupon because it will double to $1.50, and the $1.00 will not. I was also recently told that you can use store printed coupons, the ones that print out with your receipt, along with regular coupons for the same item...who knew! So an item on sale+coupon (doubled) + printed coupon from your store receipt= FREE!! Free items..yes it's true and I've done it. I've found things on sale and found a coupon for that item just to get it for free. It also helps to print more than one to stock up on that one thing if it's a staple in your house. Here are some great websites I use to find good coupons...but there are many more out there you just need to find them. Some you may have to register for but they're all free and you can opt out of any future emails....believe me I hate junk email as much as anyone else! Here you go :

1- Sunday Newspaper...duh?

2-Coupon websites.. try some of these:

www.coolsavings.com

www.couponsurfer.com

www.wow-coupons.com

2-Actual name brand websites. I found out when I had Gianna from others that if you sign up at baby product websites, they send you TONS of coupons...and also have ones you can print on the spot. Great for new moms!! Johnson and Johnson also sends out new baby kits to new parents for free, it has tons of coupons and free samples in it. Formula companies as most know send out TONS of free samples and coupons as well when you register with them. Check out the sites below and definitely register if you haven't been to these already especially if you have a little one at home or on the way!

www.gerber.com

www.pampers.com

www.huggies.com

www.strongmoms.com ... this is Similac Formula

www.newbeginnings.com ... Enfamil Website

www.johnsonsbaby.com

www.beechnut.com

Household Products and Food :

www.scottbrand.com ...printable papertowel and toilet paper coupons

www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ ... General Mills coupons

http://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions/

http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions

http://www.juicyjuice.com/Coupon/

Those are just a handful, there are tons out there. If I can't find something I would like a coupon, I will do a Google search , type in the item and printable coupon next to it....if there is a coupon out there it will usually pull up the link for it!

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Snip..snip...clip those coupons mamas!!!

So yes ...it's true... I've become a TOTAL coupon clipping mom. It really DOES make a difference though for those that think it may not...it all adds up let me tell ya you'd be surprised. I clip out of the newspaper, go on coupon sites over the internet, and I visit actual brand websites of the things I use most. You'd be surprised at how much you can save with a little thought and strategic planning. Here are my tips for grocery coupons and grocery shopping:

1- ALWAYS make a list!!! I've walked out of the grocery store or Walmart more than once forgetting the one thing I initially went there for in the first place...don't let this happen to you!

2- Read your local grocery circulars/flyers, find out what is on sale from your list and at which stores. If you have mulitple stores close by, you may want to hit two grocery stores with different lists for what is on sale at each.

2-Look at your list and see if what you need coupons for ...and hunt them down!!!

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