4/27/11

Free kid's clothes!

If you have young children, you know how expensive clothes can be. Well, right now, ThredUp.com (thanks to recyclebank.com!) is offering a FREE box of used clothes for new members! ThredUp.com is a site that allows you to post and receive used chidlren's clothes, books and toys. Each box is around $15, and you can earn credits by posting clothes as well. To get your first box free, simply link to it here:  http://www.thredup.com/recyclebank

4/26/11

The wonders of vinegar and baking soda

I was raised to clean with Comet, Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex and so on and so forth. Even as a little kid, I was convinced that cleaning with chemicals was a bad idea. So for the last few years, I have slowly but surely replaced almost ALL of my cleaners with all natural ones. At first, I tried switching to the new "green" cleaners, and they surprisingly out-performed their chemical counterparts. But I had always heard that vinegar & baking soda were just as good as any commercial cleaners. I am happy to say that I now use vinegar to mop the floor, clean the counters, and clean the microwave. I also use it along with baking soda to remove crusty stains on my stovetop and inside my oven (I have NO idea why anyone would subject themselves to those horrible fumes of an oven cleaner!). I also don't believe in using the self-clean feature on my oven. It only takes me about 20 minutes to fully clean the inside of my oven using my method, and if you keep spills cleaned up, you only have to do it twice a year! I am saddened that so many people are brainwashed into believing you have to use a chemical to really get something clean. Just imagine how much money you could save if you replaced ALL of your cleaners with vinegar & baking soda!

4/25/11

Great trip to Walgreens!

I just got back from Walgreens, and after spending my first Register Rewards and using several coupons, I got:

2 Arm & Hammer detergents for $2.49 each (normally $6.99 each)
Huggies diapers for $6.99 (normally $8.99 on sale)
1 gallon water $0.69 (normally $1.19)
Aquafresh training toothpaste $1.49 (normally $3.49)

After using my Register Rewards ($3) I only paid $12.39 for everything! The toothpaste would have been free if they'd had the cheaper one in stock! So I saved a total of $18.00! Not bad for my second time couponing!

4/24/11

Productive day!

Hoppy Easter! After only 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night, I managed to get up and hide eggs at 6 this morning! We visited Walgreens & CVS (got some freebies as well as my first Register Rewards), and I even finished printing & putting together my recipe, daily and coupon binders! I originally tried to keep it all in one binder, but it was getting a bit packed! I would encourage everyone to check out www.moneysavingmom.com for tips & free customizable forms for your own binders. Good night!

4/23/11

I love coupons!

So I recently saw the show "Extreme Couponing" and I've always been interested in using coupons... I just couldn't figure out the "secrets".  After a little research (online, of course!), I discovered just HOW they are able to do it... stacking! Stacking coupons is when a store accepts one of its own coupons ON TOP of a manufacturer's coupon... and it can add up to BIG savings, especially when you combine it with a sale! After my first "trial run" at Walgreens, I came home with 3 rolls of Scotch tape (free!) and a package of Huggies diapers for only $4.99! Not bad! Since then, I've "liked" every brand name I can think of on Facebook, as well as signed up for mobile coupons from Target (they scan your phone), and joined http://www.couponmom.com/ and http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ (my favorite so far!).  I also think I've found 20 free samples online in the last few days, and they are sure to arrive with a coupon. I just hope I can teach as many people as possible how to do this... and I'm starting with my sisters!