Money Maker Alert on Olay Spa Gift Set for Christmas!

Get Started On a Gift For Christmas...

And Make a Buck! SHH!

Thanks for the AWESOME Head's Up, Couponing to Disney!

Ok, so what's better than giving a really great gift? Well.. don't tell anyone.. but getting it for free.. and making a little something in the process!

Hurry! Today, you can order the Olay Spa Gift Set from Walmart online for $9.63, shipped!

But, that doesn't sound free or money making you say... well.. here's how it works..

Step 1: Go HERE to Ebates and search Walmart.com. Click the link to shop through Walmart and ensure your 2% cash back. I love Ebate checks in my mailbox! Yay!

Step 2: Search Olay Spa Gift Set. You will see 2 options.  Pick the one you like. They are $9 today.  They say "free shipping to home after $45 in purchase." Ignore that. At the check out, the total will be $9.63 after tax and shipping will show as free.  (I know, right??!)  This is a good deal. A week ago these were $10!

Step 3:  Wait for the item to come in. THEN, when it does, fill out the form it comes with that declines the FREE SUBSCRIPTION to ALLURE magazine and wait for your $9.99 rebate!!  (But, you said give this as a gift! If you have to open it...!!  Ok. So, put it back together neatly. Throw in some other goodies like chocolates or candles or whatever the recipient likes.. and voila! Gift restored! You can make it lovely if you have to open it to get the subscription card out. Head to Dollar Tree if you need a new heat shrink basket bag!)    

*So, about 37c money maker right now? Right? 

Step 4: Wait for your Ebates check in the mail for about $1.80 back! So, just over $2 money maker! 

SuhWEET!  

This is why I HEART Couponing To Disney!  I always say let me tailor my blog to the deals you are specifically looking for and the tutorial/ethics questions you have... and let the big guys do what they do best. Because they totally rock it!

Disney Photo Pass Discounts!!

Going to Disney? Been to Disney and Have a Photo Pass? 

Check Out These Deals!  If You Have a Trip Planned In the Future, Check This Out and Pre-Order Your Photo CD NOW to Save About 33%!

*Ok, first, what is a Disney Photo Pass? When you go to Disney, there are Disney Photogs EVERYWHERE. They happily take pictures of your family enjoying the sights and attractions and characters.. and then hand you a photopass card, or scan a card you already have. Once you get home, you can go HERE to the Disney Photopass site and link your account to all the wonderful pictures they took of you on your vacation. You can order the pictures and do all kinds of nifty things with them. It does get a little pricey, so I love finding the deals on these.  (Also, ask nicely, and the photogs will also use your camera to take a picture too!)

• Get one set of 28 FREE Address labels WYB One set of Stationary Cards Use code NFREELABEL by October 30
• Save 10% on a Photo CD when you use code FALLCDSAVE by October 30
• Save 25% on folded cards with HolidayCard25 by Dec 1
• Buy 2 sets of Cards, Get one FREE with BUY2CARD (exp unknown)
• Get $5 off PhotoCalendar with 5CAL2012 (exp unknown)
• Get $4 off Photomugs and Mouse Pads with MMP4OFF (exp unknown)

**Disney PHOTOPASS IN PARK FREEBIE!**

Have a Disney Visa? Call them and inquire about the free character meet n greet available only to Disney Visa cardholders. For example, in Epcot (at Imaginations West Pavilion, I believe) there is a meet n greet. You go at the time slot they post and show your Disney Visa. Then, you get about 5 minutes, depending on the day and line behind you, with some characters. When I went, we got Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy to ourselves in a private room with no other guests. Just the characters, their "friends" (handlers? what's the term they use?) and the Disney PhotoPass photogs.  We got to play with the characters and get signatures.  All the while, the photographers were taking candid pictures. They did pose us at the end of the session.  Then, as an added perk, we got to pick our favorite picture from the session to take home for FREE!   Ask a castmember for details, and/or call the number on the back of your Visa for more information.  The rest of the pictures were available for ordering from our PhotoPass account once we got home if we wanted them.

THE BEST BEST BEST DEAL IS TO PREORDER YOUR PHOTOS BEFORE YOU GO! 

Check out the deals HERE! 

Basically, instead of paying $150 for your photo cd, you will prepay $99.95.

OR

Get a really great package:

$149.95 for the CD plus a Souvenir Album that you create!  This is valued at just under $230. 

When you pre-order, only the photos added to your account AFTER you order this deal will be available for use with these items.  

The neat thing is that you get ALL the photos the photogs take of you while in the parks.. plus a copy of whatever edits you do on the site on the CD you order! They have all sorts of neat borders and such. I get sticker shock to think about this, but when you stop and think about how much an individual souvenir picture at Disney costs, I really think this is the way to go!

**WHY ORDER A CD?**

Your Disney PhotoPass Pictures only stay in your account a limited amount of time. Then, they go away, and/or become unavailable to you for ordering, etc. With a cd, you have them forever and have unlimited access and unlimited prints.  When you preorder a photo cd, you walk into the parks and can relax a little more. You can smile for the Disney photogs, let them take the pictures of the character encounters and just enjoy your trip a little more. Sure, still snap away with your camera. But know you are getting some really great professional pictures as well. AND, your family photographer can actually join you in more pictures!! :) Just make sure to keep up with your photopass card. And don't worry. If your group splits up and you end up with more than one PhotoPass, you can enter multiple PhotoPasses into your account.  I am not necessarily promoting the other pricey products on the site.. but the CD is almost a necessity!! I have ordered a book before and it came out really gorgeous too!

**HOW TO PAY** 

OK, DisneyPhotoPass.com takes Disney Gift Cards as payment. Why this rocks: Sam's Clubs Sells Disney Gift Cards. They run about $98 for $100.  AND they come with a bonus $10 gift card! Hooray! So, run out and track these down if you can! They stay sold out locally for me. I end up buying a few to help pay for this and my vacation when I go visit folks elsewhere.  I now have a small stack of $10 gift cards to use on souvies when we go! (The $100 cards have been used at Disney.com to pay off our vacation balance. Just as a reminder, I saved Disney Rewards for 5 years so now my family of 5 gets to go for 8 days and pay $500 out of pocket for the package! Yes, we are staying at a resort with a dining plan! yay!) 

IF you do pay for ANYTHING with these gift cards, do NOT throw them away. KEEP them. JUST IN CASE you end up needing a refund and they have to put it back on the original card or whatever. 

Ok, so I had a few folks ask about PhotoPass and deals. I hope this covered that. Please send me your emails to couponcouture@gmail.com if you have any other questions about this or any other deals! 

Rite Aid Cover Girl Deal Today... Rewarding Yet Complicated.

Cover Girl Deal: +Up Rewards, Sale, Coupons, AND Rebate.... Whew..

Through today, Rite Aid has all Cover Girl cosmetics Buy One, Get One 50% off. PLUS, when you spend $30 in participating P&G brands, you get $10 +Up Rewards back (limit one per person). Cover Girl is a participating brand. The $30 is a pre-coupon amount too! :)    AND! Cover Girl is also one of the brands you can use to work the current P&G Rebate found HERE.  You have to hurry though... you have until 10/31 to work this rebate.

Ok.. so if you can stick with me.. it gets a little tricky here.. but I will try to explain how I worked the Cover Girl, Rebate, +UP Rewards Rite Aid deal today. (it ends today... but it will give you an idea how to work similar deals in the future if it is too late for you to catch this one!)

Transaction one:

CG Lip Perfection:  $7.19

CG TruBlend Minerals Powder: $9.89

CG TruBlend Minerals Blush: $9.69 (then Half OFF, so really $4.84!)

CG Lip Perfection: $7.19

CG Lip Perfection: $7.19 (Then Half OFF, so really $3.59!)

Then, I used coupons:  

$8 off 2 CG

$8 off 2 CG

$1 off 1 CG

My total was $17.99 after tax!!   

My TOTAL SAVINGS were $25.45

My Total towards the rebate:  $32.70  (so even though I spent $17.99 out of pocket, I got credit for spending $32.70 because of how the receipt printed the cost of the items, and because these rebates consider the PRE COUPON amount per item.) 

AND, I got a $10 +UP reward back.

SO, Transaction 2:

CG Outlast: $10.99

CG Outlast: $8.99 ($4.49 after half off!)

CG Eyeshadow kit: $8.49

CG Lip Perfection:  $7.19 ($3.59 after half off)

CG Eye Pencil:  $5.99

CG Bronzer: $4.39 ($2.19 after half off)

Then I used Coupons:

$10+Up Rewards from Transaction 1

$8 off 2 CG

$1 off 1 CG

$1 off 1 CG

$1 off 1 CG

Total after Tax:  $14.74

I saved  $31.30!  

Total Towards the Rebate:  $35.74

Goal of the rebate is MET! 

Total out of pocket to get to the $50:  $32.73

I will get $10 back!

I bought $89.48 worth of product for $22.73 after I get my rebate check in! That totally rocks! And I am set on make up for a while now! :)

Which is great. Because I hate to admit it, but I have not bought any make up in 3 years. Sigh. So today was totally fun.. well, once you take out the whole shopping with toddlers factor! :)

Target Pharmacy Coupon Book Giveaway Winners Announced

Who Won the Target Pharmacy Coupon Books?

Thanks so much for entering the contest, guys! I am excited to announce the winners. This giveaway makes me especially happy, because I know what this particular prize means to fellow couponers! Target coupons are AWESOME because they stack with manufacturer's coupons to get you name brand products cheap or FREE! 

This is why I always tell folks that I cannot afford store brand. (Unless it is Target store brand.. because they run awesome sales, clearances, and store brand coupons! Hollah at Target! yay!)

But back to the business at hand.  I am so happy to announce our winners:

Liz8288

Kim Newcomb

JHH

You guys now have until Wednesday, end of day, to email me at couponcouture@gmail.com to claim your prize!! These prizes are very valuable and awesome, so I will have to pick another winner for the ones not claimed after that! 

Thanks again so much, guys! 

Target Pharmacy Coupon Book Giveaway

I Love My Target Pharmacists

They Made THIS Giveaway Possible!

I go out of my way to use a Target pharmacy. The care I get there has been amazing! They have helped sort out all kinds of snafoos, and they always give me excellent and friendly advice. All pharmacists are NOT created equally.. and all Target pharmacists might not be either... but as for me and mine, I LOVE MY TARGET PHARMACY! No lie.  

I was reminded why last week. I went to pick up my prescription. As I was about to walk away from the counter, my fave pharmacist called out "wait wait!" and rushed over to me. And, she handed me a banded group of highly desired and coveted TARGET PHARMACY COUPON BOOKLETS! They have about $35 worth of coupons inside.. She told me to keep some and share some with you lucky readers!  This week is super crazy so I don't have time to type the whole list up... so let's do a mini giveaway instead.   

I know the blog has been a bit crazy lately... but I want to say thanks for sticking it out.

To enter the contest: 

Leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite post on the blog has been so far. (THIS POST does NOT COUNT! Sorry!!).  Want a bonus entry? Go HERE and like Mississippi Murder Mystery Company.  Want another entry? Go HERE and like Dirty Laundry Band (they are actually pretty clean!).  Leave a comment on their wall to let them know that Coupon Couture sent you! And let me know here that you did that! So, you  can get up to 3 entries!

I am going to randomly pick 2 winners.  BUT there will be 3 total winners.  Wait, you say? How will I pick the other winner? First person to leave a comment here is a guaranteed winner!

Contest closes Friday! I will post the winners here and on Facebook.  You will have until Wednesday, Oct 26 to email me at couponcouture@gmail.com to claim your prize! Good luck! 

REMEMBER! THESE COUPONS ARE STACKABLE WITH MANUF COUPONS AND YOU CAN USE THEM ON SALE/CLEARANCE ITEMS... AND THEY DONT EXPIRE UNTIL JANUARY! WOOT!!

P&G Brand Sampler

Like Free Samples In Your Mailbox?

Join P&G Brand Sampler!

If you haven't joined the P&G Brand Sampler online, you need to do that ASAP! Every month or so you can log in and check off the list of samples you would like to receive in your mailbox. It is that simple! A lot of these samples also come with coupons! SOMETIMES, you can request coupons instead of the samples offerred.. as in, you could request a voucher for a free sample size item.. or a $3 off any type coupon...  WHEN that option presents itself, I recommend going that route if you are going to "do the coupon thing".  Sometimes, magic happens when you are sitting on a voucher for a freebie (up to x amount of dollars) or a $3 off or whatever. You might find a clearance sale that would make a full sized item the same cost as a trial/travel sized item and then you just bonus sized your freebie. OR you might find a drugstore deal with extra bucks back or even a rebate.. you can keep the savings going or even make a little money for purchasing the free item....   Just some food for thought! 

Anyway, give the P&G Brand Sampler club thing and looksie HERE! And go ahead and join! Currently, you can sign up for free Head and Shoulders and/or Prilosec.

For Jackson, MS...A Halloween Contest To Die For!

Mississippi Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Group

Halloween Facebook Photo Contest:

Hurry and Enter!

Tom, Managing Director of MMM,  sent me this awesome contest to my inbox so that I might share it with all of you in the Jackson, MS area... of course, it is open to EVERYONE, but you must arrange for your own transportation to Jackson, MS area the night of the show...    

Basically, the winner of this contest will receive 2 FREE tickets to see the Murder Mystery Show "WHEN THE LINE GOES DEAD" performed live, dinner theater style, on Tuesday, Nov 15th, at Rossini Cucina Italiana in Ridgeland, MS.  This package includes the meal and show. Tip and Alcoholic Beverages are NOT included. *Tickets are NOT transferable and do not have cash value, sorry! 

This is a super great contest, as these tickets are valued at $39.50 EACH! 

How to Enter:

1. Like/Join  Mississippi Murder Mysteries on Facebook HERE.
2. Post a Halloween/Costume themed picture in their Halloween Album, Tag yourself. (Pictures cannot be LEWD and MUST be original. IE: taken by you or a friend,etc.. and not copy pasted from some other site,etc)
3. Get OTHERS to Like/Join MMM on FB so that they can LIKE your photo... BECAUSE... the photo with the most likes by the end of the day on NOVEMBER 1st is the WINNER! It is that easy!! So, get your friends involved! (they don't have to be in the Jackson area! :) )  Get moving!! The contest is LIVE RIGHT NOW!

For all the official Rules and more information, go HERE!   Need more or other info? Interested in booking a show? Want to go to different shows? Contact Tom at tom.lestrade@att.com   While you are chatting him up, tell him you want to see an exclusive Coupon Couture giveaway! ;)   Thanks for the head's up, Tom!! 

Mamas: You Need to Snag This Deal FAST! I DID!!

When Should You Join Plum District? 

TODAY!

Here's the Deal You Want if you have littles:  Go HERE   and get the Ecomom.com half off deal. You get $60 to Ecomom.com for only $30.  That is a great deal, because it says it includes free shipping! They have all kinds of Earth friendly items. I personally am after the organic baby food pouches. 

So, $30 for $60, right?

New Members get $5 off

$25 for $60

Use the code 10TODAY (expires today, Oct 11) to save another $10

So, $15 for $60!!

This is just amazing!! Let me tell you why I love the baby food pouches. My 2 yr old still eats them. She LOVES them. They are super healthy. She can easily feed them to herself, no mess, no fuss. Just twist the cap off and hand it to her, and voila! Snack or meal on the go. No fast food, no Junk.  

They retail for about $1.30-$1.50 in many stores, each pouch.  On this site, they are a little over $7 for 6. That is a decent price. Add in this discount and BOY HOWDY! I am a happy happy couponer today!!! 

They have a lot of great stuff on this site and toddler and big kid organic foods too, so check it out. I really suggest going the food route with this one! What a find!

Check out other great Plum District Deals HERE, too! 

Amazon Kindle Fire and $250 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Amazon's Giving Away a Kindle Fire and $250 Gift Card  to Fancify Your Kindle Fire!

*or Buy Whatever You Want From Amazon.com if You Win a Gift Card

Hurry and Enter this giveaway sponsored by Amazon! What a really awesome prize pack! Go HERE for more info... Enter before Nov 4.

5 Years in the Making.. A FREE Trip to DISNEY!

OUR Family is Going to Disney Next Year

For "FREE"

True Story.

This is like the ultimate couponer's dream, right? Well, it took 5 years of saving Disney Rewards Points/Dollars, but we FINALLY got enough saved up to be able to go during the "off season" and stay at  a "Value Resort" for 7 nights for FREE! All 5 Members of my family! That includes a FREE Quick Service Dining Plan and the basic theme park tickets.  Whew!

Of Course! I had to upgrade the trip to get the FULL dining plan, because we want to eat with some characters! And, after some other upgrades I threw in, the out of pocket on the vacation plan we are getting will be right at about $500. For 5 people! That is just amazing. It took years and years and lots of patience. No, there were no insider tips or tricks. No saving "found money" in a separate account.. just straight forward saving our Disney Rewards Points until we could cash them in for this trip.

The lesson there is PATIENCE. You can get what you want through hard work and patience.

But mostly, I am a planner. I have been throwing things in a "Disney Trip Bin" for a couple years now so that when we were ready to go, we would be READY TO GO!  And on the cheap!  

Things I have been watching for sales on and couponing for and will be taking with us:

Disney Fruit Snacks:  Bought the boxes of 10ct packs using rare coupons for about 75c a box... grabbed Phineas and Ferb, Princesses, Cars, Tinker Bell, you name it! Hello cheap in park and road trip snacks!

Disney Cars Juicy Juice Juice boxes: Can we say Back to School Clearance time??! Yeah!

Glow Sticks for the evening shows: Bought at Michael's crafts stores using 40% off one item coupons, making them 60c for about 15!

Every time I see a clearance for Crayola Color Wonder, Those get snatched by me and thrown in for the car ride... I have gotten quite a few of these sets for FREE after coupon and sales... and a few for $2.50! (Reg up to $8 ea)... Also, found a Melissa and Doug Travel wooden Hang Man set for $3 instead of $20! My Friends Tigger and Pooh compact Magnetic travel book/games that will be great for while we are sitting waiting for a parade to begin, Highlights activities kits on clearance for 75% off, etc etc etc.

Walmart has Disney Color/sticker activity sets near the check out for $1 ea. Grabbed a few of those.

Went to VistaPrint and Ordered T-Shirts for FREE (shipping only, about $4 a shirt).. and used a 40% off coupon to buy fabric markers so that the kids can get SHIRTS signed instead of autograph books. These will last longer and the kids can wear the signatures from their fave characters!

Stocked up on $3 shirts from the Disney Store to take with us to wear...

Ditto on $1 Disney Sunglasses, $1 Disney Flip Flops, $4 Disney Crocs, etc.

Found $9 (reg $40) Disney Store Princess Dresses, $3 Crowns, and $3 light up wands.. each girl will get to wear a full princess costume and be fancy for our fancy (and free ) dinner at California Grill atop the Contemporary Resort...

Bought a "Lot" of Trading Pins on Ebay on the super cheap. (about $1 a pin!)  They come as an undescribed mixed lot. Bought 99c Disney Lanyards from Party City for the kids to keep the pins on.. they can trade for the ones they really want once they get to the parks...

AND, I wont forget to stop by the FREE Character Meet n Greet at Epcot's Imagination's West Pavilion. Show a Disney Visa there, and you get a private session with 3 characters and the Disney World photogs. Then, you get to pick out your favorite picture to keep for FREE!

Also, I made sure to include on all my dining reservations that it was the FIRST TRIP to WDW for my kids... they tend to make a big deal when they know these things! We might get free confetti decorations on our table, or free cupcakes, or...?? You never know!

What I do know is that as I go along and find things super cheap for the trip, it goes into the bin.  IF you are planning a trip next week, next year, or a couple years from now, I suggest starting a bin of your own. It helps focus what you have, what you need, keeps it all in one place so you can pack more easily when it is time... It is a lifesaver to me! And prepacking things like snacks and "souvenir" type stuff now will save soo much time and money later. Who wants to wait in line for a bottle of water when you could be on Space Mountain???

Special shout out to the folks at Chip and Company for all their great dining suggestions for me! They will take the time to give personalized advice. They are super great and have awesome Disney Giveaways all the time. Go like them on Facebook and tell them I sent you! :)  

Article On How Americans Waste Money... What Do You Think?

A Local News Station Posted An Article on Saving Money On Their Facebook Wall

What is Your Take?

In this time of economic hardship, it seems everyone is getting in on the buzz of saving money. Everyone is thinking about money, after all... I was a little humored to see this article pop up on a local newstation's Facebook wall...

There are some good tips. But like with most things, you HAVE to take everything you read with a grain of salt and use critical thinking.  EVEN when it comes from a newstation. Take a moment and read the article HERE.  My main issue is with point number 3 about buying generics. Who's with me on this? Who agrees that generics are usually a waste of money?  For me and mine, it is name brand all the way. I can't afford generics. Not enough coupons, rebates, or sales. Right?  

At least they were trying, right?

Oh, the tip about haggling? GREAT tip! We gently and nicely do this all the time to get better insurance rates, hotel prices, free desserts,etc at restaurants, and the list goes on.  Recently, we were at a mall where they had this "ride". Our friend's daughter wanted to go on it. She was just about a few months too young to ride it. Our friends were giving up in dismay. The child was disappointed. I stopped and asked the ride operator why the rule was in place... I wanted to know if it was a safety issue or other. Turns out the rule was there because too many kids got nervous, left the ride early, and the parents wanted refunds.  So, I haggled with the guy. I informed him that the parents would waive a right to a refund if he let the kid go on the ride. He agreed to these terms and Voila! the kid got to have a blast.. and she didn't want to leave the ride early. So, it was a win/win for everyone.  So, don't accept no, and don't accept stated terms and pricing. Be nice and chatty and work towards a common goal.  You might be surprised what that can get you.  

Any thoughts?

Half OFF Marble Slab Creamery Voucher, Alabama!

Today's Living Social Deal 

Mobile/Baldwin County

1/2 Off Voucher to Marble Slab Creamery

Today's deal is super yummy for Alabama folks!  Just head over HERE to Living Social and snag your $12 voucher to Marble Slab (2 locations in Mobile) for only $6. There is the usual fine print to consider, such as you must use the entire certificate in one visit and you can only buy one for yourself, but can get two as gifts... so make sure you go read all the fine print before you purchase.

AS ALWAYS, When you buy this deal and share your deal link after your purchase, if 3 folks buy from your deal link, you get yours for FREE! So, share the deal with others on Facebook!

**Looks like you have until Feb 12 to use this certificate's full value, and until 2016 to use the $6 value you paid for it.. so, if you are planning a vacay to the Mobile area, this is a great deal for you! Ice cream for the fam!! 

Hello Again!

Back From Hiatus

Thanks so much for bearing with me these several LONG months the blog has been on hiatus. As a Stay At Home Mom, SOMETIMES, my family needs me to focus on other things and put some things on the back burner.  Priorities have shifted yet again and I have the ability to bring the blog back to the forefront!

And I am very excited about it. During my absence, I made some new friends on other blogs! I cannot wait to review these blogs for you and maybe bring you some exclusive discounts and giveaways! I have discovered some unique things like Birthday Capes and Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Groups... and, I have encountered some Giveaway Gurus like Chip over at Chip&Co.    I cannot wait to bring these blogs and deals to you guys.

Also! Purex just contacted me yet again to let me know I get to be the first to try a brand new product. USUALLY, this leads to a fun giveaway on my blog.  I have some great ideas for my own giveaways as well.

Let's not forget my series I had in the infancy stage when I had to put the blog on the shelf for a few... I am going to tackle some of the issues, debates, and EXTREME perspectives facing couponers.  

New to the blog? My focus is to TEACH people how to rethink couponing and rethink the coupon culture. Use this blog to supplement the big guys. They do it best. Follow Kristin at Couponing to Disney HERE, Follow Totally Target HERE, Follow Southern Savers.  Read my blog for tips, THE BEST deals that I find interesting to me, a new way to look at things so that you can carry the couponing forward yourself whether you follow the bloggers or not.  

Looking for a particular type of deal? Want me to focus on a certain issue? Email me at CouponCouture@gmail.com.   I love feedback and will do my best to find deals that suit your needs. That is one benefit of following a smaller blog! OH! And go ahead and like me on Facebook. I link everything to that.

Technical Difficulties

Dear Friends,

Unfortunately, we are experiencing some difficulties and I have to put the blog on hiatus for a little while.  When I have more time to focus and dedicate, we will be back better than ever and will pick right back up with our Issues/Philosophies series and of course all the best deals.

Thanks for your support and understanding! Back as soon as possible!
Keep Couponing and I refer you to CouponingtoDisney.com and TotallyTarget.com in the meanwhile.  I also refer you to them while you read mine too!! :)

We will be back!
Lahni
Coupon Couture

Don't Forget Half Price Frappucinos!

The Return of Half Price Frappucinos at Starbucks:

From Now Until May 15

Hooray for Starbucks! They have brought back Half Price Frappucinos during Happy Hour every day, 3pm-5pm until May 15.  Go HERE for details.

*I suggest calling ahead to make sure your Starbucks participates. This is a lesson I learned the hard way.

Marvel Heroes and Free Shipping At Disney Store

Get Free Shipping at Disney Store Through The Weekend With This Super Deal

 Through this weekend, you can score FREE SHIPPING at the Disney Store Online when you purchase ANY Marvel item and use PROMO CODE:  THOR at checkout.  I found some neat action figures on clearance for $3.99 and some cars on steep clearance for $4.99.

Go HERE to shop Disney Store Online.

OR

Get 5% cash back via check through the mail when you shop Disney Store Online through Ebates HERE.  

New members get a bonus.. when I joined, I got $5 just for joining!

Super Why! APP on Sale

Amazon's AppStore Has Super Why! App On Sale

While browsing Amazon's AppStore Freebie of the day, (it was a so-so app..), I found the Super Why! App on sale today for only 99c!  It looks really great and seems perfect for the PBS Kids lover in your family! 

Go HERE to find out more and purchase it.

I think this is a GREAT, UNIQUE, FRUGAL  gift idea for Mother's Day!  Get this app for Mom's phone.. next time she is stuck in line somewhere, or doing something "boring" to kids, she can pull this app out and get peace all year round! 

Take Mom To Dinner

For Mom's Day, Take Her to Dinner!

Restaurant.com is back with another great deal: Take 80% off your order with code MOM at checkout.  This makes $25 off Certificates for as low as $2! (Or, just $3 for a $25 gift card you can MAIL to someone!)

Also, many are seeing a special $15 off  ProFlowers.com code when they get their order confirmation at Restaurant.com.  This could mean cheap or even free flowers for mom!  Unfortunately, I can't personally vouch for this bonus discount. I didn't get this when I checked out.  I got a separate promotion for RedEnvelop.com (something about make an order through RE, get $25 cert to Restaurant.com).

AND! Make it EVEN Better! Get 25% CASH BACK by going to Restaurant.com through Ebates HERE.    If you are going to shop online, why not get a bonus check back by mail? I use Ebates and they are reputable and you DO get a check back that you deposit into your account.. Easy Peasy!

Bargain Puzzler: Which is the Cheaper Scenario?

Bargain Puzzler of the Week:

 With or Without Coupon, Which is Cheaper?

I need a tattoo that says "Always Follow Your Money".  I seem to post this again and again. But, it is pretty important. There is so much to distract and dazzle us these days, we seem to forget this simple fact. Like when you go to one store and go "WHOA! I am NOT paying $12 for THAT!" But then, we go into a higher end retailer, see the same thing or something similar and it is MARKED DOWN to $12, and suddenly, that same item is a steal... whew. That gets me sometimes!  If $12 is too expensive in one place, it is STILL too expensive in the place that was selling it for $40 originally, you know? Follow the money, lose the dazzle.

Anyway, along the lines of following the money, I present you with the Bargain Puzzler of the Week:

A)  You see an item that was $5 originally, but it is marked down to $2.  AND you don't have a coupon to use to buy it, so it would be a straightforward $2 cost on the item.

B)  You see an item that is $5.  You have a coupon that makes it  $2.  

Which scenario is the better deal? Which one comes out cheaper? Or, are they both the same... you know, 6 of one, half dozen of the other? 

Answer:  A is USUALLY the Cheaper scenario.  Yep. Shopping WITHOUT coupons to get the same price can be cheaper.

Here's why: An item selling for $2 gets taxed on the $2 amount.  So, you spend $2.14 in scenario A.

In scenario B, SOMETIMES and MOST TIMES, you get taxed on the PRE Coupon amount. Your taxable total, even though you got the item down to $2 using a coupon, is $5. You usually will pay tax on the $5 amount.  So, you will pay $2.35 for the same item you would pay $2.14 otherwise.

In this example, it isn't so much of a big deal.  BUT, you just need to stay savvy.

Quick Tip:  See those discount sites like Zulilly and such? There prices seem pretty low sometimes... Then, look at the shipping.  Many times you can go to like Amazon.com or somewhere else and see a higher price, but lower shipping. Then, it actually works out that regular sites can BEAT the discount sites once you add in all the costs.. shipping,etc.  Follow Your Money, Folks!!! :)

Piccadilly: Kids Eat for 99c Thurs and Sat

Piccadilly Kids Meals Are 99c

ALL DAY Thursdays, and 11am to 4pm Saturdays

At Piccadilly, kids can eat on the cheap Thursdays and Saturdays.  This 99c offer is limited to one kid per adult entree.  It is a pretty good deal, but not a GREAT deal.  Most places let you have two kids per adult.. and I have 3 kids, so, I would have to pay $3.99 for the third child to eat if we all went as a family. Still, $6 for 3 kids to eat in a restaurant is not too shabby.  (But then again, we love the hotwings at Hooters, and they have kids eat FREE on Sundays at my location!)

Go HERE to view the kids' menu at Piccadilly.