BIG NEWS!

I'm moving!

Today I am launching a brand new blog called Simply Frugal Mom.

While I love couponing and love sharing my tips and trips with you here, I realized that there were so many other frugal living topics that I wanted to talk about. I hated the idea of losing the community we have created here, but ultimately I know that it will be the best choice for both of us. 

I hope that you will follow me over to Simply Frugal Mom. I have moved all of the content from this blog over there (and it's finally searchable!). Simply Frugal Mom will still have couponing information, but I will be expanding into crafts, recipes, organization, and other areas of frugal living. 

To celebrate my move, I am hosting a WEEK of giveaways. Starting with a $50 voucher to.....come on over to Simply Frugal Mom to find out!

Winners! Eversave and Franz Giveaways

Eversave Back to Beauty Winner:

The McFarlane Family

Franz Coupon Winners:

Rose
Rachel
Angela S
Moneezzy
The McFarlane Family

Congratulations to all the winners. Please check your e-mail for more information on claiming your prize.

Plum District: FREE $10 Credit

If you haven't signed up for Plum District yet, now is the time! For a limited time, you will receive a FREE $10 credit when you sign up. This is double the usual sign-up credit.

Go here to sign up for Plum District.

Here's a couple deals you could pick up with your $10 credit:

$5 for $30 to Kiddo Tags (custom tags)
$10 for $40 to Dandelion Baby (toys and clothes)
$3 for $25 to Beneterre (Eco-Friendly, Stylish Snack and Wine Bags)

Even if those deals don't appeal to you, sign up for your $10 credit now.

Countdown to BIG News!

Exciting News Coming Soon!

Next Monday (9/26), I will be announcing some BIG and EXCITING news about the blog.

Psst....For a sneak peak at what I have up my sleeve, follow me over on Twitter.

Giveaway Reminder: Mani/Pedi for You & A Friend

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a manicure, pedicure and foot massage for you and a friend at Double N's Salon in Seattle. The giveaway ends tonight (9/20) at 5pm!

Head over to my post here to enter.

The Daily Double (9/20)

Head over to Eversave to get a $50 voucher to Abe's Market for $25 ($22 for new members). Abe's Market offers a TON of natural products. You can get cleaning products, beauty products, yummy food, toys, etc, etc. They really have it all. I have heard great things about Abe's Market, but I can't decide how to use my voucher. Have you ordered from them before? Any favorite products to recommend?

Go here to get this deal.

The Fine Print

May buy up to 2 Saves

•

Use one Save per purchase at www.AbesMarket.com

•

Save is valid sitewide at www.AbesMarket.com, however, it cannot be combined with other coupon codes

•

Free shipping for orders over $49 before voucher is applied

•

$3.99 flat rate shipping applies for orders under $49; Code cannot be used toward shipping

•

Code available immediately after purchase on Eversave

•

Promotional value expires
on Dec 31, 2011

Over on Plum District, you can get a personalized framed print from Frame the Alphabet for $60 ($135 value). Use the code "fabulous" for an extra 10% off, brining the price down to $54. I absolutely love these prints. I bought one as a gift for my husband a few years ago and it is one of my favorite pieces in our home. These make wonderful wedding gifts!

Go here to get this deal.

The Fine Print

• May not be applied to taxes & shipping
• May not be combined with other offers
• Limit 1 per person, may buy additional as gifts
• Flat rate shipping $15
• May not be applied to taxes & shipping
• Limit 1 per person, may buy additional as gifts\nFlat rate shipping $15
• Expires 03/18/12

The Daily Double (9/19)

SaveMore is offering a great deal on wall decals today. You can pick up a voucher for StickOnWallDecor.com. You can get a $20 voucher for $7 or a $60 voucher for $19. Plus, if you are new to SaveMore you will get a $10 credit making this deal either FREE or just $9. The adorable decal above costs $60, but you can pick it up for $9 + FREE shipping!

Go here to get this deal.

I mentioned the Groupon deal that I picked up on Flirty Aprons in my wedding shower post earlier today. And lo and behold, it's back. Get a $30 voucher for just $15. This deal is listed under Houston, but it's an online deal so anyone can purchase it. These aprons almost make me want to cook dinner. Almost.

Go here to get this deal.

A Some-What Frugal Wedding Shower

My sister and I threw a wedding shower a couple weekends ago for Lindsey, the soon-to-be wife of our cousin Ryan. Ryan and Lindsey are having a 1940's vintage inspired wedding next month and we wanted to pull that idea into the wedding shower. Everything turned out so beautifully that I just have to share.

I picked up some perfect invitations at Target back in March! They were on 75% off clearance and only cost $0.98 per pack. They were printed on recycled paper and fit with our color scheme perfectly.

We bought three huge boxes of mason jars on craigslist to use for decorating. We used the largest ones for flowers and the smallest for candles. We got the flowers at a roadside stand which also saved us a bunch of money.

We used the pint size jars as cups. I picked up some green striped straws at the party store for $2.99. I made a Beer Raspberry Punch which was pink and looked so cute in the jars. I had bought a flat of raspberries for $10 at the produce stand earlier this summer and flash froze the berries to use in the punch.

We wanted to give Lindsey a momento of the shower, so I picked up a Groupon for Flirty Aprons ($15 for a $30 voucher). We had all the guests sign the back of the apron with a fabric pen. These aprons are so cute to begin with and with the added personal touch, I hope Lindsey will remember the shower every time she wears it.

For the favors, we filled pint jars with beans and added a notecard with a recipe to make bean soup. I picked up the cheapest jars I could find at Walmart (poorly reviewed for canning, but perfect for our purposes) and got 15lbs of beans at Cash & Carry for $15. These were on the way to being super frugal favors, but then I found the cutest cards at Target and I couldn't resist. I'm embarrassed to admit how much I spent on them (cough$0.50eachcough), but they completely made the favors and I got tons of compliments on them.

For the food, we went for ease over frugality which was definitely the right choice. We did save money where we could.

* I made the blackberry pie using blackberries from my yard.
* We picked up a package for chicken on 50% clearance to make the chicken salad.
* We used some loaves of bread that Franz bread sent me for the sandwiches (win your own here).
* Most of the rest of the ingredients came from Costco, which saved us money over the grocery store.

All in all, I think this party turned out great. I love throwing parties, but it can get expensive. With some advanced planning, I was able to save money and still throw a beautiful event. Thanks for letting me pat my own back (and my sisters') and show off our hard work.

What are your best tips for saving money on party planning?

Reusable Bag Challenge Update

I feel like such as a failure! It is already the 18th of September and this is my FIRST update on my month long challenge to use only reusable bags. I'm so sorry for the lack of posts.

Luckily, I have not been a failure at ditching the plastic bags. I have been doing a really good job of remembering my reusable bags or skipping the bag altogether when I'm just getting a couple things. I've had a few cashiers seem annoyed with me, particularly on larger shopping trips where I am using multiple reusable bags. But overall, it has been a very positive experience.

And I have to admit to 3 APBIs (Accidental Plastic Bag Incidents).

One was at the party store very early in the month. I was in my husbands' car and didn't have any bags with me. And I was buying too much to carry. But this incident did make me throw a couple of the bags that scrunch up really small into my purse so I'm always prepared.

Second time was a Barnes & Noble. I wasn't even paying attention and was in my car before I realized the cashier had put my book in a plastic bag.

Last time was at Fred Meyer. I was juggling unloading my cart, my toddler, and my coupons and didn't get the bags to the cashier until she had already put one plastic bag of items in my cart.

Not too bad considering how rarely I was using my bags prior to this challenge. My main obstacle is still remembering to put the bags back in my car, but I'm working on it.

So how are you doing? Have you reduced your plastic bag use this month?

Franz Bread Review & Giveaway (5 Winners)

Franz Bakery is a Northwest company that has been baking bread since 1906. Today United States Bakery/Franz Family Bakeries is the largest family-owned independent bakery on the West Coast. The company serves all of Oregon and Washington as well as northern California and parts of Idaho, Montana and Alaska. They ensure quality and freshness by baking in small batches and locating their bakeries near each distribution area.

With their new line of organic breads, Franz Bakery continues this committment to quality and freshness. The breads are made with 100% all-natural organic ingredients and baked in small batches. Franz Bakery is also committed to sustainability. They are working to reduce emissions by a third, return water to its natural state and offset their electrical use by purchasing wind credits.

Franz Bakery recently sent me an awesome box filled with their new line of organic breads. I've been a Franz bread fan for a long time and I'm was excited to try their new organic line. I received:

* Franz San Juan Island Organic Nine Grain Bread
* Franz Willamette Organic Great Seed Bread
* Franz Big Horn Valley Organic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

This bread is so yummy! I've been enjoying a slice of the whole wheat (toasted and spread with Laughing Cow cheese) with my lunch every day. It is so filling!

I used the Great Seed and Nine Grain for chicken salad sandwiches at a wedding shower I threw this past weekend. The recipe for chicken salad called for pecans, but my sister refused to let me put them in (citing the purity of chicken salad!). But the breads are full of seeds and grains that added a perfect flavor and texture to the sandwiches to make up for the lack of pecans.

GIVEAWAY

Franz bread wants to give five (5) Coupon Newbie Blog readers a chance to try out their products. Five winners will be chosen to receive a coupon for a FREE Franz product.

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment letting me know your favorite kind of sandwich.

Additional Entry

Head over to Facebook and Like Franz Bakery. Come back and leave a comment letting me know.

This giveaway will be open until Friday 9/23 @ 5pm. The winners will be chosen via random.org. You must include your e-mail address with each entry so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Disclosure: I received a box of Franz bread products to faciliate my review. All opinions are my own.

Target: Saved 80%

I ran to Target to take advantage of the Kashi deal this week (Buy 5, Get 1 Free). I had a bunch of different Kashi coupons and I think I put together a pretty good deal. I was hoping to get some cereal as well, but none of my coupons matched up so I passed on it.

If you get your Red Plum in your mail, check the insert that came out this week for some Target Kashi coupons. Mine had Target coupons for $1/2 Kashi snacks and $1/2 Kashi or Bear Naked Cereal. Hmm....maybe I will go back and do this deal again.

My $2/1 coupons for the Planters peanut butter were expiring yesterday and I was bummed because I hadn't been able to find it yet. But lo and behold, my Target just started carrying it.

Item	Regular Price	Sale Price	Coupon	I Paid
(2) Planters Peanut Butter	$2.35		(2) $2/1	$0.35/each
(6) Trident Gum	$0.99-$1.27		$2/3 coupon (3) BOGO Target coupons	$0.25/each
(2) Nivea Body Wash	$2.99		(2) $2/1 coupon (2) $1/1 Target coupon	FREE
(2) Kleenex Single Packs	$0.36	50% off clearance		$0.18/each
(2) Kashi Crackers	$3.59	$2.89	(2) $1/1 $1/2 Target coupon
(4) Kashi Bars	$3.69	$2.99 B5G1 Free	$2/1 $1.50/1 $1.50/2 $1/3 Target coupon	$0.97/each

= $8.39

Saved 80%



Eversave Back to Beauty Day & Giveaway

I was so excited when Eversave asked me to participate in todays Back to Beauty Day. Every busy woman needs a reminder to take time for herself and get Back to Beauty. Be sure to head over to Mom Generations to read entries by other bloggers who are taking part in todays event.

Have you seen the promo for the new movie with Sarah Jessica Parker called "I Don't Know How She Does It"? I read this book several years ago and I can't wait to see the movie. As a full-time working mom, I cannot tell you how many times people have said this exact thing to me...."I don't know how you do it".

I rarely stop and think about how busy my life is. For me, it's just my normal life. But as I sat down to write this post, I started thinking about the ways I squeeze a million things into one day. I commute 45 minutes each way to my job four days a week and work 10 hour days. I attempt to get at least one blog post out each day of valuable content. I work hard to save my family money on groceries and other necessities. And I try and put a healthy dinner on the table and keep a semi-clean house.

Yesterday was actually one of my more successful days at getting it all done.

     * I finished all the laundry the day before and actually put it away so there was no mad scramble in the morning.

     * I put dinner in the slow cooker the night before so it was ready when I got home.

     * I squeezed in a quick couponing trip and saved 78%.

     * I turned an hour delay at the doctors' office into a chance to catch up on my e-mail, Google Reader, and Words with Friends games.

     * After dinner, I found time for a relaxing bubble bath.

Okay, that last one is a lie. I did take a bubble bath but my 2 year old was in there with me so I don't know if it qualified as relaxing. But we do what we need to do to squeeze a bit of "me" time in.

Eversave surveyed 700 moms and 35% said that they find time for themselves once a month and their favorite way spend that time is pampering themselves with a manicure, pedicure, or other spa treatment.

35%!!!! Yikes! We need to do better than that!

Luckily, Eversave has a great deal today in Seattle to help you treat yourself to some "me" time. For just $20, you will get manicure, pedicure, and foot massage from Double N's Salon in Belltown ($42 value). If you are a new Eversave member you will get a $3 credit and pay just $17 for this deal. Head to Eversave to grab this deal.

GIVEAWAY

Eversave is giving a package of 2 Saves to Double N's Salon to one lucky Coupon Newbie Blog reader. Take some time for yourself and treat another deserving woman in your life as you both get Back to Beauty.

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment in this post letting me know who you would take with you for pampering at Double N's Salon.

Additional Entries (earn one entry for each)

Sign up for Eversave. Leave a comment once you are registered or if you are already a member.

Like Coupon Newbie Blog on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know.

Share this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know.

Follow Coupon Newbie Blog on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know.

Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment letting me know.

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, September 20th at 5pm. The winner will be chosen via random.org. Good Luck!

Disclaimer: Eversave compensated me with Save Rewards for participating in todays Blog Carnival.

My Quick Albertson's Trip-Saved 78%

Item	Regular Price	Sale Price	Coupon	I Paid
(6) S&W Beans	$1.69	$1.00	(3) $0.50/2 (3) TTV	$0.50/each
(3) Seventh Generation Multi Purpose Cleaning Spray	$3.49	$2.99	(3) $1/1 (3) TTV	$0.99/each
(2) Orbit Gum 3 packs	$3.09	$2.00	(2) $1/1 (2) TTV	FREE
(1) Pretzel M&M	$4.49	$2.99	$1/1 TTV	$0.99

= $6.96
Saved 78%

Today I literally had 20 extra minutes between appointments to run into Albertsons and use my Twice the Value (TTV) coupons. I spent about ten minutes in my car using my smartphone to scan the deals (how did I live before my smartphone!) and grabbing coupons out of my box. I only took the coupons I knew I would need into the store because bringing my whole coupon box in leads me into the time sucking world of clearance and markdowns.

Another ten minutes and three simple transactions later, I was headed out the door and on my way. I was able to grab things that we needed and save a bunch of money. I know that you (and I) don't always have a lot of time to devote to couponing and shopping. But with a little organization (and a smartphone), you can be in and out of the store quickly.

Did you use your TTV coupons this week? What did you get?

*Hot* Whole Foods $20 Voucher for $10

Hurry over to Living Social to grab a $20 voucher to Whole Foods for just $10!

Go here to grab this deal before it is gone!

The Fine Print

Limit one voucher per person • Visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ to find nearest Whole Foods Market • Whole Foods Market code shall not be deemed purchased by the purchaser until claimed • Whole Foods Market codes will be available for purchasers to claim for ninety days following the offer period. If code is not claimed within 90 days following offer period, code will be deemed forfeited, and purchasers will be refunded the full paid value ($10) of the Whole Foods Market code in Deal Bucks to be used on livingsocial.com • Whole Foods Market code claimed by purchaser may be used over multiple purchases • Deal Bucks are not a valid means of purchase for this promotion • Entire value of World Foods Market code claimed by a customer does not expire • Entire value of the deal cannot be combined with any other Livingsocial offer or promotion • Other conditions apply • PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON September 13, 2016 • PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON December 13, 2011



Top 5 Albertsons Doubler Deals (through 9/13)

Here are my top 5 favorite deals for your Albertsons' Twice the Value (doubler) coupons this week. These coupons are found in your Sunday paper and will double the value of any coupon $1 or less. You can use 3 Twice the Value coupons per transaction and do 3 transactions in a row.

See a full list of match-ups at Coupon Connections.

Extra or Orbit (3pk) $2.00
- $1/1 coupon from 7/31 SS insert
- Twice the Value coupon
= FREE

Who Nu? Cookies ($2.50)
- $1/1 coupon from 8/28 SS Insert
- Twice the Value coupon
= $0.50

Nabisco Wheat Thins Stix ($2.99)
- $1/1 coupon (printable)
- Twice the Value coupon
= $0.99

Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Cleaner, Disinfecting Wipes 35 ct or Dish Liquid 25 oz ($2.99)

- $1/1 Seventh Generation Product from 7/31 Red Plum insert

- Twice the Value coupon

= $0.99

 

Ortega Green Chilies ($1.49)

- $1/2 Ortega Product printable

- Twice the Value coupon

= $0.49/each when you buy 2

 

There is also a General Mills promotion (Buy 10 participating products and get $5 instantly). This promotion matches up with some of the coupons from this weekends General Mills insert. But it's 5:30am and I'm still recovering from the flu, so I couldn't wrap my brain around it this morning. Check out Frugal Living NW for all the details.

Rite-Aid Newbie (9/11-9/17): $50 in products for $0.50!

Welcome to this weeks' installment of "Rite-Aid Newbie". Each week I will giving you a scenario for shopping at Rite-Aid that will be easy to follow and will score you some great deals. These deals will be put together for the Newbie shopper. I will not use more than 2 like coupons in any scenario and will (generally) keep it to one or two transactions.

As always, a HUGE thank you to Melody from This Beautifual Frugal Life and Angela from Frugal Living NW for giving me permission to use the match-ups that Melody posts on Frugal Living NW each week in order to put together these scenarios. See the full match-up for this week here.

You will want to familiarize yourself with the various Rite-Aid coupon programs before you get started. Make sure you are a Wellness+ member. Sign up here if you aren't a member yet. Then check out my posts about +UP Rewards and Single Check Rebates. You will also want to create an account here to access the Video Values coupons.
This week's transactions are a little bigger than normal, but there are some great deals. Stick with it and you will score over $50 in products for less than $0.50!

Transaction #1

(2) Rembrant Toothpaste ($4.99/each) *
(2) Reach Toothbrushes ($2.50/each) *
(2) Reach Floss ($2.50/each) *
(2) Tylenol Precise Pain Patches ($5.98/each)
(Thanks, The Krazy Coupon Lady)

- (2) $3/1 Rembrant coupon (printable)
- (2) $1.50/2 1.50/2 Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash and/or (1) Reach Toothbrush and/or (1) Reach Floss or (1) Reach Access Flosser from 7/31 SmartSource
- (2) $5/1 Tylenol Precise from 9/11 SmartSource

= $12.96
Receive $10 +UP Reward

Transaction #2

(1) Listerine Mouthrinse (1 liter) or Vibrant Whitening or Whitening Plus Restoring (16 oz) ($5.49) *
(1) Bayer Advanced Aspirin (20-36 ct) ($2.99)
(1) Gentle Naturals Baby Care product ($4.99)
(1) Caldesene Baby Care product ($4.99)
- $1/1 Listerine Whitening coupon or $1/1 coupon from 1/9/11 SS or 4/17/11 SS or 7/31 SS insert
- $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values store coupon (August or September)
- $2/1 coupon from 6/12 SmartSource or 9/11 Red Plum insert
- $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon
- $1/1 Gentle Naturals coupon
- $1/1 Caldesene coupon
- $10 +UP from Transaction #1

= $1.46
Receive $5 +UP (oral care), $1 +UP (Bayer), $4 +UP (Gentle Naturals) and $4 +UP (Caldesene)

Grand Total = $0.42

A couple of notes:

The Oral Care promotion (spend $25 on participating products and receive $5 +UP) has been running for a while and has a limit of 1. So if you have already earned that reward, skip the Listerine in Transaction #2.

This scenario will leave you with $14 in +UP Rewards. Personally, I would hold on to those for next week but if you want to use them right away, make sure to check out the full list of deals at Frugal Living NW for the best way to use them.

The Daily Double (9/8)

Today on Eversave, you can get a $30 voucher to P'kolino for just $15. New members get a $3 credit, so you can pick this up for just $12. P'kolino offers some great eco-friendly toys. I LOVE the book buggee! You can get a fire truck, bus, princess crown and more.

Go here to get this deal.

The Fine Print

May buy up to 3 Saves

•

Use one Save per purchase at www.pkolino.com

•

Save is valid sitewide, however, it cannot be combined with other coupon codes

•

Cannot be used toward purchase of gift certificates

•

Code cannot be used toward shipping; Standard shipping rates apply; rates start at $3.99

•

Code available immediately after purchase on Eversave

•

Promotional value expires
on Mar 8, 2012

On Heartsy, you can get a $33 voucher to Heartsong Fine Art for just $14. I love this wire organizer. So cute. This store has some really awesome items, so be sure to take a look around.

Go here to get this deal.

The Fine Print

Store credit expires in 3 months and can be used for shipping.
This seller ships to The United States

Time To Go Back to School!

Now that the kids are back in school, it's time for you to go back to school as well....

Coupon School!

I am now scheduling fall couponing classes in King and Snohomish Counties. The class will focus on couponing basics and how to save the most money in the least amount of time. This would be a great opportunity to get together a group of girlfriends, your book club, your moms group, or a church group to learn the fundamentals of couponing.

Please contact me at couponnewbieblog @ gmail . com if you are interested in getting more information and scheduling a class. I look forward to hearing from you!

FREEBIE Coupon Winner!

The winner of over $50 in FREEBIE coupons is comment #14:

L.M. "I follow you on FB"

Congrats! Look for more giveaways in the coming weeks.

Winner was chosen by random.org.

Rite-Aid Newbie (9/4-9/10)

Welcome to this weeks' installment of "Rite-Aid Newbie". Each week I will giving you a scenario for shopping at Rite-Aid that will be easy to follow and will score you some great deals. These deals will be put together for the Newbie shopper. I will not use more than 2 like coupons in any scenario and will (generally) keep it to one or two transactions.


As always, a HUGE thank you to Melody from This Beautifual Frugal Life and Angela from Frugal Living NW for giving me permission to use the match-ups that Melody posts on Frugal Living NW each week in order to put together these scenarios. See the full match-up for this week here.


You will want to familiarize yourself with the various Rite-Aid coupon programs before you get started. Make sure you are a Wellness+ member. Sign up here if you aren't a member yet. Then check out my posts about +UP Rewards and Single Check Rebates. You will also want to create an account here to access the Video Values coupons.

If you need contact solution, do Transactions 1 & 2. If you are blessed with better eyes than me, skip straight to Transaction 2.

Transaction #1

(1) Bausch & Lomb Renu Sensitive Multipurpose Solution (12 oz.), $8.99
- $2/1 Renu printable

= $6.99
Receive $7 +UP Rewards

Transaction #2

(1) Crest Complete Extra White Toothpaste (5.4 oz.), $3.99
(1) Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, $3.99
(2) Carefree Pantiliners (18-20 ct.), 2/$2
(2) M&M's (9.9-12.6 oz.), 2/$5
- $1/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel Excl Cavity, Baking Soda, Tartar (P&G 08/28/11)
- (2) $0.50/1 Carefree Product (SS 08/21/11)
- $1/2 Carefree Product Aug. RA printable (must have watched by 8/27)
- $1/1 Colgate Optic White Toothpaste (SS 08/28/11)
- $1/2 Mars Bags Of M&M's or Dove Chocolate, 7 Varieties (RP 08/28/11)
- $1/1 M&M's Product Sept. RA printable
- $7 +UP Rewards from Transaction #1

= $1.98
Receive $3 +UP (Crest), $1 +UP (Carefree), $2 +UP (Colgate), and $1 +UP (M&M)

Grand Total = $1.97