Awesome Diaper Deal

Starting January 1-3, Babies R Us will have and Toys R Us will have Earth's Best diapers for $5 a pack. There is a limit of 3 per customer. You can use these printables to get them as low as $3.00 per package.

Earth's Best - $1.50

Earth's Best - $2.00

If you need diapers, I would suggest printing as many coupons as you can and taking a shopping buddy to do more transactions or hitting up different stores.

HUGE Money Maker Deal at Walgreens

Ok, I wanted to confirm this deal in person before I told you about it, but it does work!

Right now Walgreens has the Bayer Contour and Breeze 2 glucose meters on sale for $14.99 and you earn 5 Register Rewards back on each of them. However, there is a separate 3 RR printing when you buy 2 Bayer items.* The good news is that the meters are a participating item. The better news is that there are manufacturer coupons out there that make the meters completely free, thus turning this transaction into a HUGE MONEY MAKER ($13 in fact)!! Here is how the transaction works:

BUY:

1 Bayer Contour Meter: $14.99

1 Bayer Breeze 2 Meter: $14.99

- (2) Up to $30 off Bayer coupon (10/25 RP)*

>Total OOP: $0.00 + tax

*Register will ask cashier to enter sale price ($14.99)

RECEIVE:

5 RR for Contour Meter

5 RR for Breeze 2 Meter

3 RR for buying 2 participating Bayer products

Looky there! I just made $13. Sweet!!

Wanna know the best news? This is a month long deal (exp. 1/30)! If your store is out of meters as I suspect they might be (THIS IS A HOT DEAL), you have all month long to work this one. If you don't have the 10/25 Red Plum insert you may consider getting them from Ebay or another Coupon Clipping Service. Totally Target also has a giveaway which you can enter to win for 8 coupons.

*NEW* It has been confirmed that if you buy 3 Bayer products you will receive 6 RR instead of 3. Also working for this deal are the Bayer Quick Release aspirin on clearance for $2.19. Combine with Qs from 1/3 SS and this is also a MONEY MAKER!

Popular Printables 12/30

One last reminder to print coupons before the end of the month when they will either disappear or reset. Check all your favorite sites like Coupons.com, SmartSource, Red Plum & Betty Crocker.

Also, there are new ecoupons available at Cellfire and Shortcuts. Here are a few more coupons that might interest you.

Dove Visibly Smooth Deodorant - $2.00

Cheerios - $4.00 total (use 2 at Walgreens this week for FREE cereal)

Cheerios - $1.00

Nivea - $2.00 (another CVS deal coming up)

L'Oreal Makeup & Hair Color - $2.00

Huggies Diapers - $2.00

FACEBOOK EXCLUSIVES:

Nexxus - $2.00

Wheat Thins - $1.00

Mid-Week Deals 12/30-1/5

We are traveling this week so I don't think I will be shopping but here are MY favorite deals for this week. To see full-ad matchups, just click on the store name. Scroll down for FOOD LION & ALDI.

A *new* Save-A-Lot $5 off $20 coupon. Use this if your Publix considers them a competitor.

WEEKLY DEALS: **Note: These deals will not start until Friday, Jan. 1. **

Kellogg's Pop Tarts, $1.70

-$0.55 off Gingerbread printable

*Total is $1.15

Quaker Oats Oatmeal, $1.84

-$1.00 Food Lion printable

*Total is $0.84

Old El Paso Dinner Kit, $1.48

Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt, $1.25

-$1.00 off printable

*Total is $0.25

Hormel Meat Entrees, $4.00

-$1.50 off printable

*Total is $2.50

Betty Crocker Potatoes, $0.99

-$0.40 (doubled) printable

*Total is $0.19

YELLOW ADVANTAGE BUYS: Valid until 1/8

Dreamfields Pasta, $1.66

-$1.00 off printable

*Total is $0.66

Stacy's Chips, $2.50

-$1.00 off 11/15 SS

*Total is $1.50

Nesquik, $1.00

-$0.50 (doubled) off 11/1 RP

*FREE

Scotties Cube Facial Tissues, $0.99

-$0.50 off printable

*FREE

Purina Friskies Cat Treats, $1.25

-$2.00 off 2, 11/15

*Total is $0.50 or $0.25 each.

New York Texas Toast Croutons, $1.19

-$0.50 (doubled), 11/8 SS

*Total is $0.19

Check out Southern Savers and I Heart Saving Money for full - ad matchups.

WEEKLY DEALS:

Boneless Chicken Breasts, $1.86 lb.

Fresh Chicken Tenders, $1.96 lb.

Boston Butt Pork Roast, $0.97 lb.

Russett Potatoes 10 lb bag, $2.88

Mangoes, $0.99

V8 Fusion, $2.50

-$1.00 off printable

*Total is $1.50

Swiss Miss, $1.00

-$1.00 off FL printable

*FREE

Tony's Pizzas, $1.00

-$1.00 WYB 2, 12/13 SS

*Total is $1.00 or $0.50 each.

7Up 12 pk, $2.75

-$1.00 off FL printable

*Total is $1.75

Special K Promo

-Receive $5 off WYB 5 items, limit 1

>Several Special K Qs coming in the 1/3 newspaper

Remember, these deals don't start in our area until Thursday.

2009 Savings

I know that some of you out there are wondering if coupons can really save that much in the long-run. Oh, yes they can!! This year I tracked my savings for the stores I shop the most. My goal for 2009 was to save $5000. Below is a recap of my 2009 savings.

I saved.....

@ Kroger: $2423

@ Publix: $763

@ Food Lion: $182

@ Walgreens: $1639

@ CVS: $1221

GRAND TOTAL: $6325

I didn't start shopping at Publix until June so I am anxious to see how these numbers change next year. As for this year, I was delighted when I realized I had met my $5,000 goal almost 2 months early. In the end, I saved my family over $6,000 this year. If you also consider that we reduced our weekly grocery/household budget from $125-$150 to a mere $60 a week, it is feasible to say that I saved more than $10,000 this year!! How? By utilizing coupons, matchups and stockpiling! These are the 3 main concepts that I teach in my Grocery Savings Workshop. YES, you can do it too!

I am thrilled with how my 2009 savings added up! How about you? Do you track your savings? Did coupons make a difference for you this year? What are your goals for 2010? Comment below on any of these questions or more.

End Of The Month Reminders

December, and 2009 for that matter, are quickly drawing to a close. Here are a few friendly couponing reminders.

Remember to check your favorite printable sites for one last chance to print those coupons before they disappear or reset. Here are a few of my favorite sites.

• Coupons.com
• SmartSource
• Red Plum
• Betty Crocker

The new January coupon book is already out at Walgreens so look for it near the registers.

Remember that this Sunday is the BIG ONE for coupons. Couponers everywhere are looking forward to at least 5 coupon inserts!

Also, I wanted to remind you that there are many coupons which will expire on 12/31. If you haven't already shopped this week, you might want to make a point to do it before Friday in order to take advantage of those coupons. I did a bit of shopping today and then cleaned out my coupon organizer (it actually closes now). If you are like me, I hate to see any good coupon go to waste.

Did you know that U.S. Military families overseas can use coupons up to six months past the expiration date? I have been sending my expired coupons to a base in Germany. I plan to make another shipment around the middle of January, so if you have expired coupons please let me know. Here are the details of how you should prepare your coupons for shipment.

• Coupons should have an expiration date of 11/30 or later in order to allow time for shipping and distribution.
• They cannot accept internet printables or store-specific coupons (i.e. Kroger, Publix, ect.)
• Coupons should be sorted into "food" and "non-food" categories.
• That's it! I will handle the packaging and shipping fees.

One final note: I have really enjoyed my time off with my family over this last week and I trust that you had a fun-filled holiday as well. We we will be traveling this weekend so I plan to get back to my regular posting schedule next week. However, I am slowly working my way back in this week by posting here and there.

P&G Coupon Insert

I had previously told you that there would be no coupon inserts in the Sunday paper due to the holidays. Well it looks like Proctor & Gamble is breaking tradition. It is rumored that they are planning to put a coupon insert in this Sunday's paper, so I just wanted to give you a head's up on that.

Personally, my conspiracy theory is that the newspaper industry begged them to do it. There are tons of us out there who only buy the Sunday paper for the coupons. Tons of us not buying the Sunday paper two weeks in a row would put a little dent in their end of the year $ figures. Of course, this is total speculation on my part. Okay, rant over! :)

Christmas Vacation

I just made an executive decision to take the rest of this week off. I hope my Christmas Vacation isn't as crazy as Clark Griswald's, but I really want to make the most of spending time with my family over the Christmas holidays. I don't want to miss a moment of seeing the twinkle in my daughter's eyes since this is the 1st year that she really "gets it." While couponing and finding good deals are a passion of mine, blogging takes up a lot of my spare time. I am thankful for each and every one of my readers, especially those who leave me little comments. It helps me to know that someone out there is benefiting from my hard work. However, I won't leave you folks completely hanging. If I come across a super duper deal, I may throw it out there real quick on Facebook or Twitter so make sure you are following me via the social media route.

A few quick things to remember in my absence:

There will be NO coupon inserts in the Sunday paper until January 3rd.

Most stores mark their Christmas merchandise down the day after. It starts at 50% then 75% and finally 90% off usually within a week or two following Christmas day.

The next Grocery Savings Workshop is coming up on January 9th. This event is open to the public. Details here.

There is still time to get in your donations for Hope Clinic For Women. Check here for a list of items needed.

Here's wishing you and your family and memory-filled holiday season as we celebrate the amazing birth story of the Savior! Happy Birthday Jesus.

Penny Item Promotion Changes in 2010

Just a little head's up that Publix is making some changes to their Penny Item program effective in 2010. The promotion period will change to one day a week rather than two. Also, the day is changing to Wednesday.

This is going to be a bummer for a lot of us. Wednesday is not a feasible shopping day for me and won't be until the little girl starts 3 days a week in the fall. Even then, Wednesday is when the new ad breaks and doesn't leave a whole lot of time to prep and get my game plan together. However, I can see that Publix is trying to draw more customers into their stores on, what I assume to be, their slowest day of the week.

What are your thoughts on this change? Leave a comment below.

Popular Printables 12/20

Here's a few printables to help you out. Hurry, some go very fast!

Lunchables - $0.55 (reset, HURRY!)

Mom's Best Oatmeal - $0.75

Maalox - $2.00

Glade Fragrance Collection - $3.50

Huggies - $2.00

Nestle - $7.00 total

FACEBOOK EXCLUSIVES:

Jimmy Dean - $1.00

Rayovack - $3.00

RETAIL COUPONS:

Caribou Coffee - $1.00

Carrabba's - Free Appetizer

Borders - 30% off any item or use code BSL7022B online

Barnes & Noble - 30% off one children's book

Barnes & Noble - BOGO 50% off (children's books)

Staples - 10% off any item

Bath & Body Works - Buy 3, Get 3 FREE

Save-A-Lot - $5 off $25 (think Publix competitor coupon)

Ecoupon News & Updates

Just wanted to give you a heads up on some things changing in the world of ecoupons. Ecoupons are electronic coupons which are loaded directly to your shopper's card (i.e. Kroger Plus card). They are redeemed automatically at the register when you purchase a participating item. Ecoupons are easy to use since there is no clipping required. At Kroger, their register system will allow you to redeem 1 mfg coupon + 1 ecoupon. Therefore, you can combine these for even more savings!

Effective 12/31 PG Esaver will no longer be offering ecoupons for Kroger customers. If you have any PG ecoupons loaded to your card, you will need to use them before the end of the year. WAIT... there is plenty of good news below.

Kroger is starting a new ecoupon site specific for Huggies. However, when I tried to register it said my zip code wasn't eligible to participate. You can read through the comments on this post for a list of zip codes that do work. I am half tempted to enter one of those and see if it still works at my local store. Let me know if anyone has any luck with this.

Kroger is also offering another NEW set of ecoupons on their website. Check those out here.

Here's even more ecoupon sites that are currently active.

Shortcuts - new coupons loaded 12/15

Cellfire - new coupons loaded 12/15

Upromise - current coupons expire 12/31. Loaded monthly.

Fall Savings - all coupons expire 12/31

Weekly Deals 12/20-12/26

Remember, I only post MY favorite deals. You can see full ad matchups by clicking on the store name. Scroll down for Target.

FYI - Both of these stores will be closed on Christmas Day.

These deals are matched for the Nashville, TN area or Louisville Region. FYI: This ad is almost identical to last week. Not sure if I'm gonna bother. Although, I might do another round of sodas. Finding them for less than $2.50 is pretty rare.

WEEKLY DEALS:

Red Delicious Apples, $0.88 lb

Kroger Vegetable Oil, $1.99

Kroger OJ or Chocolate Milk, $1.50

Frozen Turkey, $0.79 lb (limit 2)

Perdue Boneless Chicken Breasts, $1.99 lb.

Sweet Potatoes, $0.48 lb.

Kroger Milk half gallon, $1.25

Idahoan Potatoes 10 lb, $2.49

Semi Boneless Ham, $1.49 lb.

Coke, Pepsi or RC 12 pk, 4/$12

-Buy 4, get $1 off

*Total is $11 or $2.75 each`

Nestle Toll House Cookies, $2.00

-$1.00 from 11/1 RP

-$0.55 off Cellfire ecoupon

*Total is $0.45

Nestle Toll House Morsels, $1.99

-$0.50 (doubled), 11/15 RP

-$0.50 off Cellfire ecoupon

*Total is $0.49

Kraft Velveeta 2 lb, $3.99

-$1.00 off 11/15 RP

*Total is $2.99

Sister Shuberts Rolls, $2.50

-$1.00 off 11/15 SS or printable

*Total is $1.50

Pepsi 2L, 4/$5

-Buy 4 and get 2 FREE

*Total is $5.00 or $0.84 each

Crescent Rolls, $1.67

-$0.50 (doubled) WYB 2 printable, printable, printable, printable or 11/15 GM

AND

-$1.00 WYB 2 Cellfire ecoupon

*$1.34 or $0.67 each.

Bob Evans Side Dishes, $2.99

-$0.35 (doubled), 11/15 SS

*Total is $2.29

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, $1.25

-$1.00 WYB 3, 11/15 RP

*Total is $2.76 or $0.93 each.

>If you get the Publix Grape Magazine, use the $1.00 Q to make them $0.25 each.

All Laundry Detergent, $3.99

-$2.00 off 12/6 RP

*Total is $1.99

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, $1.00

-$0.40 (doubled) printable

*Total is $0.20

Dole Pineapple, $1.00

-$0.50 (doubled) printable

*FREE

Nabisco Snack Crackers or Keebler Townhouse, $2.00

-$1.00 off printable

*Total is $1.00

Pineapple, $2.99

-$0.75 off Del-Monte Gold printable

*Total is $2.24

Check out Totally Target for matchups.

Drug Store Deals 12/20-12/26

Here are MY favorites for this week. CVS has some great ECB deals going on. However, Walgreens has lots of stocking stuffer and gift ideas (see full ad for details). Click on the store name to see full-ad matchups. Scroll down for WALGREENS.

**FYI: Both of these stores remain open on Christmas Day just in case you need something (i.e. batteries, ect.). Pharmacies are closed except for 24-hour locations.**

Don't forget your $5 off $30 coupon for taking the Medicare Part D quiz.

WEEKLY DEALS:

ThermaCare Neck to Arm Wrap, $2.49

-Earn 2.49 ECBs, limit 5

-$1.00 off printable or peelie

*MONEY MAKER: $1.00

Alteril Sleep Aid 4 ct, $1.99

-Earn 1.99 ECBs, limit 1

*FREE

Revlon Super Lustrous or Moon Drops Lipstick, $6.99

-Earn 5 ECBs, limit 3

-$2.00 off 12/13 or 11/15 SS

*MONEY MAKER: $1.00

Nivea Body Wash, $5.99

-Earn 5 ECBs, limit 1

-$2.00 off printable or $1.00 from 12/6 or 12/13 RP

*MONEY MAKER: $1.00 (with $2 printable) or FREE (with $1 newspaper Q).

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste or Oral-B rinse or floss, $2.88

-Earn 2 ECBs, limit 1

-$1.00 off Crest, 12/6 RP or $1.00 off Oral-B, 11/29 PG

*FREE

Energizer Batteries Regular, Lithium or Rechargeable, Prices Vary ($5.99 avg.)

Earn 5 ECBs WYB $15

-$2.00 off rechargeables printable

or

-$1.00 off 12/13 SS or printable

*Prices Vary

>I plan to buy 3 packs of rechargeables ($5.99) and use the $2 printables. Total will be $2.32 each.

Pampers Diapers, $8.88

-$1.50 off 11/29 PG

*Total is $7.33.

Glade Sense & Spray, $6

-Earn 4 ECBs WYB $12

-$4.00 off printable or printable (use 2)

*2 FREE

Johnson's Baby Powder, Lotion, Wash, Oil, Shampoo or Desitin, $2.99

-$1.00 off printable or 11/08 RP

*Total is $1.99

Listerine Antiseptic 500 ml, $3.99

-Earn 3 ECBs, limit 1

-$1.00 off 10/18 SS

*FREE

Neosporin Lip Health, $5.49

-$2.50 CVS Clip-Free Q, will deduct when your card is scanned

-$3.00 off printable

*FREE

>This is a monthly deal.

Remember to view the full ad to see some great gift and stocking stuffer ideas

WEEKLY DEALS:

Pepsi 12 pk, 3/$10

-Earn 3 RR WYB 3

*Total is $7.00 or $2.33 each

St. Ives Body Wash, $1.49 with in-ad coupon

-$1.00 off 11/15 SS

*Total is $0.49

Schick Razors, $6.99

-Earn 3 RR

-$2.00 off 11/22 or 12/6 SS

*Total is $1.99

Good filler items:

Comet Cleanser, $0.50 with in-ad coupon

Hot Wheels, $0.49 with in-ad coupon

Mars or Nestle Christmas Candy, $0.30 with in-ad coupon

Puzzle, activity or coloring book, $0.33 with in-ad coupon

Tags or bows, $0.33 with in-ad coupon

Walgreens straws or cutlery, $0.39 with in-ad coupon

4-DAY SALE: WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY

Energiezer Max Batteries, $2.99

-$1.00 off 12/13 SS or printable

*Total is $1.99

Freebies 12/18

Here are some Freebies from this week. HURRY, some offers go VERY fast. Remember, some of my previous Freebie posts are still valid so check those out here. Enjoy!

Ringling Bro. Circus Ticket (register by 1st Bday: no exp. date) - LINK

Greenies (for Petsmart members - must log in) - LINK

Disney's Princess & The Frog Music Downloads w/code RK4F3TM - LINK

Another Pricess & The Frog song w/code PRINCESSFROG - LINK

Mercy Me "10 Live" Album Download - LINK

Baby Talk Magazine - LINK

Bubbles N Beads Dog Shampoo - LINK

Red Box Code - ACME26

Halo Dog Treats - LINK

Calvin Klein Men's Fragrance - LINK

Life's Abundance Pet Food - LINK

White's Premium Dog Food - LINK

Holiday Bowling (login to find a participating center) - LINK

$15 Shutterfly credit w/code FIFTEENOFF exp. July - LINK

Recordable Bedtime Story w/code TY3J-RT3Y-YM3E - LINK

Golf Digest Magazine - LINK

Degree, Hellman's & Pond's samples - LINK

Other Walmart Freebies - LINK

Note: I recommend setting up a seperate e-mail address for things like this but they are legitimate freebies and they do come. I use RoboForm to help me fill out freebie forms with ease. It is also FREE.