Walmart Toy Clearance

Check out the deals I got at Walmart today on clearance.  There was an entire aisle dedicated to the clearanced toys, and an employee told me they bring out new toys every few hours. I have also heard reports from others that their Walmart stores have been doing the same thing (with some of the same toys!)

Again, not all of this is for my kids, but rather to put up for birthdays they are invited to throughout the year or to donate.

Check out my haul!

Here is the breakdown:

2 Huffy bike helmets

Retail $19.97 each

Paid $5 each

2 Moon In My Room lamps

Retail $19.97 each

Paid $2 each

Cars pop up tent

Retail $32.97

Paid $8.50

Fisher Price Big Action Construction truck set

Retail $49.88

Paid $20

Little Tykes Fire Station Ramp

Retail $19.99

Paid $5

Matchbox helicopter set of 4

Retail estimate $10

Paid $3

Lego Cars set 

Retail estimate $19.99

Paid $5

3 Easy Bake Oven mixes

Retail $5.99 each

Paid $1 each

Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar

Retail $24.99

Paid $5

Total Retail value = $255

Total Out of Pocket = $63

75% Savings!!!!!

Let me know if you are able to find some great sale toys as well!!

Amazing new special for the Orlando readers!

Here is a great deal you will WANT to take advantage of!!

See below for details, then click on the link to go get your subscription (or additional subscriptions) TODAY!

GET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION HERE:

Travel

Here is a little freebie for you. My friend, Marji, passed this exhaustive list onto me many years ago (it used to include things like diapers, bottles and baby paraphernalia) but I have edited it to fit our needs now.  This is THE BEST THING because there is little I have to "try to remember" as I am packing.

Here is why it works:

1. I don't have to remember things while I will (inevitably) get distracted about a dozen times while trying to pack up our family of five.

2. I don't forget anything.  This list is TRIED AND TRUE.  I have used it for years and I have found it fool proof. In other words--we never forget stuff! (And I really mean never!) 

I recently found a similar list from the Container Store for $11.  What?  Yes. Really.  After Marji and I pined after all the money we could have made from her list, we decided to share (as she did with me several years, and kids, ago) for FREE.

So here you go: in case you are traveling this Spring Break or over the summer or sometime in the future (which I hope you will be!)  Print out a new copy whenever you need it.

Marji wanted to leave you one last tip for using the list: 

"Write the weather/temperature of the place you are traveling on the list so you can pack accordingly. And cross off anything you don't need for that particular trip prior to packing."

And big thank you to Marji for the helpful list!!

I hope it makes your packing a lot easier too!!

Download here:

Travel Checklist

Finding Your Couponing Groove

Now that I have been "scaling back" my blogging and couponing (which, by the way, I'm sure you're GLAD now that I don't blow up your newsfeed throughout the day) I only check "coupon stuff" about once a day. (GASP!)

 Sometimes it's mornings, and sometimes it's in the afternoons or evenings. In doing so, I inevitably miss a few deals (and some that I would have really liked to have gotten!).  But this is just a reminder that ANY SAVINGS IS BETTER THAN NONE and (say it with me) EVERYTHING GOES ON SALE AGAIN EVENTUALLY. 

I love to save, but sometimes it isn't possible.  Like today--I NEEDED toilet paper and the request from the husband was to "quit buying the scratchy kind you always get on sale."  So there I was, paying full price for some nice soft Charmin today at Publix.  

I just wanted to share that because couponing doesn't have to be like another job that takes lots of time.....IT SO DOES NOT!  It's a way of life, just like eating healthy or working out.  It's a conscious decision to do WHAT you can to make sure you are saving as MUCH as you can with the time you have.  It's shopping CONSCIOUSLY.  EDUCATING yourself on grocery sales cycles and pricing. Making a commitment to a self-awareness about what is going in your cart. ORGANIZING your shopping trips and not just walking into a store without a plan.

I have been couponing for the last seven years.  SEVEN.  I have found what works for me after many, many trials and errors. So if you are new and just dipping your toes in this pool of couponing, keep in mind that developing what works for you takes time, practice and patience.

If you come to one of my coupon classes, you will hear me say that saving any money is better than you were doing before coming to my class. I mean it.  If saving 20% on $100 grocery bill each  week makes you happy (which it should!) then you are saving $80 a month!  Eighty-dollars: Just from making some small changes after coming to a class. 

Try not to compare your trips to the ones you see online where people have saved 80% or 90%.  That is rare (and to be applauded) but it's not the norm.  

And, by all means, if you have been going at it and are getting burned out--do what I have done--SCALE BACK!  TAKE A BREAK!  LET SOME DEALS GO!  I promise you will settle into what works for you.

This Spring I will be starting a series where I address some frequently asked coupon questions! I think it will really help clarify many confusing issues for you!

I would love to have you weigh-in on your most perplexing coupon issues!  

HUGE savings on DIY gel manicures!

{Well Facebook was being funky about this post, so I decided to put it HERE!}


I discovered gel manicures about a year ago.  They are about $35 at the salon, but last about TWO WEEKS.  Really.  I had not gotten manicures for years because it was a waste of money, but not anymore!  I love love the gel manicures (when I can treat myself).

Then a few weeks ago I saw Sensationail at CVS for $59!  A DIY gel manicure (complete with light!) At $60, I knew that would easily pay for itself after just two manicures, but I didn't want to shell out the money without trying to get some sort of deal on it........












Through today (2/25) you can get this deal at CVS:


-Sensational is included in the buy $30, get a $10 cash card promo.  So you buy this and get TWO $10 cash cards.


-There is a $5 coupon on the Sensationail Facebook page


-Some people have reported getting a $10 Sensationail coupon from the Magic Coupon Machine (I did not, though--boo!!)


-You should also get $5 in ECB for buying $50 in beauty products (an on-going CVS promo).  Mine didn't print, but I told the manager and she manually printed them for me---this might vary by store or manager.

So I paid $54 OOP and got $25 back, bringing the overall price down to just $29!!!  
You get 10 manicures from the set, so that is just $3 for a $35 manicure!  
They have other colors as well, and I will be keeping an eye out for coupons and sales on those as well!!

My Coupon Journey

My couponing journey hasn't always been a pretty one. 

I started couponing 7 years ago--that was a "loose" term.  I certainly didn't coupon like I do today!  I didn't save inserts, didn't stockpile and didn't pay attention to sales cycles!    Then in 2009, as a stay at home mom, I discovered the couponing blogs that told you WHAT was on sale each week and the coupons to go with them.  They were telling me I could get stuff for FREE, for under a $1 each, and (hold the phone) even MAKE MONEY for buying items!????

I was hooked.

I started this blog back in 2009 eager to share my knowledge with others.  I wanted to shout from the rooftops how amazing the world of coupons was!  I mean, why didn't EVERYONE do this??

Back then, I was spending about $100 a week.  On my shopping day I would typically shop at 2-3 different grocery stores as well as 2 drug stores.  Let's add that up--that's FIVE STORES.  I couldn't stand it!  I had to have every deal!

If I saw a deal pop up on one of my blogs, I had to get to the store that day to make sure I didn't "miss out".  I checked blogs hourly just so I didn't miss any online deals or unadvertised specials.

The fact is, it was EXCITING!  It was like this shopping thing was a game, and with coupons, I was always the winner!!

And then the inevitable happened: I got burned OUT.  Big time.  Was it thrilling?  YES!  But it was also exhausting!  My personal business was starting to take off around the same time and I just didn't have that time to go to all the stores and stay online or on my phone all day watching for deals. So I took a step away from coupons, away from blogs and I decided that I would shop at the "Everyday Low Price" retailer.  It was a one-stop-shop and I didn't have to clip a single coupon, but still found I was saving some money.

After a couple of bad experiences at the big box store (including an instance when my ice cream melted WHILE waiting in a 20 minute line to checkout) I thought I would give couponing another shot.

I re-vamped my coupon organization (seen in my video here) and started with JUST my local grocery store--just ONE of them.  ;-)

I shopped at drug stores on occasion and when I had time, but not weekly.  

I found this new"mellowed out" method of shopping and saving fit my lifestyle and has kept me couponing the same way even 3 years later!

Today, I generally shop at my local grocery store ONCE a week and will do drug store or big box store couponing trips if there is an awesome deal to be had or if I have time.  Most often, I make my list and plans, but the week passes and I have yet to make it to the other stores.  I know that there are some unbeatable drug store sales, but the fact is, if I make it there, fine--if I don't that's fine too!

I tell you my story because I hear so many people say couponing "takes too much time" or "isn't worth it."  But you have to find the way of shopping that fits your needs and your lifestyle.  Don't get burned out by shopping too much or too often, but don't feel defeated if you miss a deal either.  Everything goes on sale eventually!  Now instead of taking a lot of my time, I can make my list, clip my coupons and do my shopping trip in about 90 minutes a week TOTAL.  Now that I have found what works for me, it's just another way of life.

If you workout (or have attempted to do so!) you know that there is a learning curve to figure out how that new workout will fit into your current lifestyle.  Eventually you'll find what works for you, what gives you the desired results and it becomes just a way of life.

What about you? How does couponing fit into your life?  What areas of couponing are the hardest for you? Where do you feel the most frustration?  Organization?  Taking too much time?  Trying not miss a deal?  Not saving as much as you want to?

I would love to feature a reader on a future blog and address some of these issues, so let me hear from you!

MAJOR Savings by Stacking Coupons

Quick Couponing 101 lesson: Stacking Coupons

Stacking refers to using TWO coupons on ONE item.  Find out your store's coupon policy on this.  My grocery store will accept ONE store coupon (issued by the store) and ONE manufacturer coupon (issued by the manufacturer) on EACH item.  Some stores limit you to a certain number of times you can do this or will only allow you to purchase a certain number of the items at the special pricing with coupon. 

Stacking store and manufacturer coupons along with a SALE is when you get deep savings of 70%-100%.

Here is what stacking did for me tonight:

Yep.  I paid $1.44 out of pocket (OOP) for nearly $50 of groceries.

Here is how I did it:

6 boxes of Fiber One cereal on sale for 2/$5

(only two kind work for this scenario--Raisin and Caramel)

Use 6 $2/1 any GM cereal (also on back page of weekly ad)

Used 6 $.75/1 Fiber One from the 1/1 SS

Overage $1.50 on 6 boxes after coupons

2 Phazyme $3.49 each

Used 1 $5/2 Publix coupon--Green Advantage Flyer starting 1/28

Used 2 Printable coupons: $2/1 Phazyme MQ

Overage $2.02 

2 Sominex $3.29 each

Used 1 $5/2 Publix coupon--Green Advantage Flyer starting 1/28

Used 2 Printable coupons: $2/1 Sominex MQ

Overage $2.42

2 Gallons of milk $3.79 each

$1.44 OOP for $48 of groceries

97% Savings!!! (Definitely a personal best)

Just to give you a REALISTIC perspective on this as well, I will add this to my weekly shopping totals from earlier this week.  

My total OOP was $105

Savings: $213

Retail: $318 of groceries/cleaning products/produce/health and beauty/paper and plastic/pet food

77% savings for the week!

This is largely a food bank donation.  We will keep 2 boxes of cereal and the milks and donate the rest to our local food bank.  They are always so appreciative and I am happy to support their efforts to help the community.

Say it with me "Stacking is my friend!"

Find out how you can stack coupons at your local grocery store too.  Knowing the coupon policy is going to be your FIRST key to saving money.

Questions?  I love to help you learn how to save MOMumentally!