How to: Checkout 51

Has anyone tried the new app, Checkout 51? This new savings app is incredibly easy to use. Download, sign up, load your offers and get saving! Here’s how it works:

Offers go live Thursday at 12:00 am. They are valid through the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm. You must purchase and upload your receipt before the offers expire.

Buy the exact product(s) listed. Some offers require you to buy two of something – this pairs well when that product is buy one get one free! Make sure both products are on the same receipt.

Upload your receipt. There is no scanning bar codes, like Ibotta. All you do is take a clear picture of your receipt (in sections if needed), and your money will be deposited in your account usually within 24-48 hours.

Once your account hits $20, cash out and they’ll mail you a check!

That’s it! Start stacking Checkout 51 like you do Ibotta and see your savings roll in!

Just FYI:

Offers are available in limited quantity, so if you see something you like, snag it quickly!

You may only submit each receipt once, so double check your offers before submitting!

To start off your account, upload any receipt for $20 and get an automatic $2 in your account!

Every time you upload a receipt over $60, you’ll be entered for a chance to win $500 worth of groceries!

So easy and user friendly! Questions, comments, concerns? Let us know!

 

Freebies, Freebies, EVERYWHERE!

 

I have had so many people ask me where I find my deals and freebies. Usually, it’s a lot of work. It’s about planning your shopping trip or trips based on your coupons, the sales ad, and what you need to keep yourself stocked. The goal is generally to never have to buy anything, instead, you purchase because you get a great deal. There usually isn’t any running out because you squeezed out the last bit of the toothpaste or used up the tiniest sliver of your deodorant.

However, getting freebies doesn’t always have to be about planning, planning, planning. Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time. In this instance, I just so happened to be on social media at the right time, and my son goes to day care at the right place.

Around 5:30 on a Tuesday, I was scrolling through Facebook when I noticed that a local brew pub was giving away tickets to this event called “A Taste of Clearwater” for that evening. They basically said whoever comes to pick them up gets them. They had 2 tickets left. I picked up my son at his school which is only a few blocks from the brew pub. After much confusion as to what I was talking about at the front desk, the manager came over, knew exactly what I was talking about and gave me the tickets.

So, off to the mall we go. The event was lots of local restaurants serving tastes and small plates of their “signature” items. Tickets to the event at the door were $20 which got you a wristband and 40 tickets. Come to find out, you didn’t even need the tickets for some of the booths. Equipped with two pages of tickets and our wristbands, we start exploring. Between Tyler, Connor, and I, we ate and snacked for a good hour and a half and used a little more then half of our tickets. Connor loved the lobster mac and cheese and chic-fil-a cookies. (Such a sophisticated palate). Toward the end, we realized that we could use our tickets to get beers, as well. (We had noticed the table set up, but thought it was pay. Turned out 2 tickets equaled an 8 ounce pour of any one of 8 craft beers). We had a couple of beers a piece and headed out. So this night out, full of food and fun cost us exactly zero dollars. There were no tip jars at any of the tables, so we figured they weren’t accepting tips. We didn’t even use any extra gas since this was essentially right on the way home. Not bad for scrolling through Facebook on a Tuesday evening.

What experiences have you had with getting free tickets or other freebies?

Ibotta is Bonus CRAZY!

Has anyone had a chance to check out Ibotta? If not, now is a great time. From now until September 10th, you can earn an extra $33 in bonuses. That’s in addition to the regular money you get just from buying products. See some details below:

$2 Hug Your Baby Bonus (Submit on the same receipt):  Huggies Baby Wipes & Huggies DIapers

$3 Freshen Up! Bonus (Submit any 3 of these on the same receipt): Kleenex Facial Tissue, Scott Bath Tissue, Viva Paper Towels, Cottonelle Bath Tissue, & Cottonelle Bath Tissue and Cottonelle Cleansing Clothes combo

$5 Autumn Stock Up Bonus (Submit at least 2 of these offers on separate days): Huggies wipes, Huggies diapers, Viva Paper Towels, U by Kotex, Poise, Depend, GoodNites Youth Pants, Pull-Ups Training Pants, Scott Bath Tissue, Kleenex Facial Tissue

$3 Kitchen and Bath Bonus (Redeem three of these offers on a single trip): Softsoap brand Liquid Hand Soap and Kleenex Hand Towels combo, Palmolive Dish Liquid and Scott Paper Towels combo, Colgate  and Kleenex Facial Tissue comb, Cottonelle Bath Tissue and Cottonelle Cleansing Clothes combo

$20 for 10 offers Bonus (Redeem any 10 of these offers-please check each individual offer for requirements): Kleenex Facial Tissue, Scott Bath Tissue, Scott Naturals Flushable Cleansing Cloths, Pull-Ups Training Pants, GoodNites Youth Pants, Depend, Poise, U by Kotex, Viva Paper Towels, Huggies Baby Wipes, Huggies Diapers, Softsoap and Kleenex combo, Palmolive and Scott Paper Towels combo, Colgate and Kleenex combo, Cottonelle Bath Tissue and Cottenelle Cleansing Cloths combo

Each of these bonuses is in addition to the money that you earn for submitting the initial deal. Don’t forget, you can stack coupons for an even better deal!

How to: Save When Attending a Wedding

When it feels like everyone you know is getting married, it’s time to figure out how to save when you’re attending several to many weddings a year. Let’s face it, even if you’re not involved in the wedding, they can run you anywhere into the hundreds of dollars. Even if you have a dress to wear that you haven’t worn to tons of other weddings, there is still paying for the hotel, buying a gift, and getting to and from the wedding. Here are a few tips on how to save when attending a wedding.

Travel expenses: If you have to travel in any way to get to the wedding, you’re paying something out of pocket. From airfare to rental cars to gas, somewhere you’re going to pay to travel to and from the wedding. If you’re flying, try to scout discount sites to get the best deal. Do the same with rental cars. You can quickly find coupon codes online from a variety of websites. Some rental car agencies will even let you stack codes. Or consider booking your flight, car rental and hotel as a package to save more. If you’re driving, consider carpooling with a friend or take public transportation if possible.

What to wear-women: Consider purchasing a quality black dress that you can wear to multiple occasions. Black dresses are classic, can be dressed up or down depending on the dress code of the wedding, and can look completely different depending on what accessories you buy. As far as accessorizing your little black dress, think discount stores such as Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross. They have great accessories at low cost. Target also often has jewelry on clearance.

What to wear-men: Again, think about purchasing a high quality suit for weddings. You can change out your shirt and tie to make it different for each wedding you’re attending. You may be able to even get a great deal on a tux during the off season (think summertime), if you are attending several black tie weddings.

Where to stay: Most couples block a quantity of rooms at a lower cost. Keep in mind this may not be the best deal for you. When we just went to Chicago for a wedding, the couple blocked rooms, but we were able to get a better deal at a different location for less. We incorporated the cost of the cab to take to the wedding, and we still paid less than the room block. Furthermore, we were closer to more “touristy” things since we stayed for a long weekend. Do a little research on what is best for you and your situation instead of simply booking in their room block. Also consider using a discount website to purchase your hotel room. Many offer lower cost if you don’t know the name or exact location of the hotel while others offer discounts (or free rooms) once you book a certain number of nights through their site. Note: if you book through discount websites, you can’t also collect reward points if you have reward accounts through specific hotels.

The gift: We all know it’s customary to give the bride and groom a gift for their wedding. While many people consider it odd to purchase off of the registry for the actual wedding, you may want to consider it to save yourself a few dollars. Purchasing off of the registry, you can use coupons, catch a sale or price match to get a great deal. Or, instead of writing a check, you can always purchase a gift card. Many restaurants and stores run specials based on the amount of money you buy in gift cards.

Weddings are a great time to celebrate your friends and family. But they don’t have to break the bank. Consider following these tips to save a bundle and still have a great time!

Couponers Anonymous

I feel like there is a good chance that if there were such a thing as “couponers anonymous,” that I would need to join. I’m constantly looking for a deal. While I don’t have huge stock piles (I just don’t have the space), I’ll buy a few of anything that I’ll use that I can get a good deal on. That being said, many couponers, both new and old, are looking for a support system. New couponers who aren’t sure how to coupon need a mentor to help them learn while veteran couponers may be open to insight from newer couponers and also may be looking for coupons or deals to trade.

However, instead of a support system, sometimes people need someone to tell them to take a step back away from their “addiction.” Not to say that there is anything wrong with being addicted to saving money, but when you are so excited for the sales ad to roll over so you can see what deals you’re going to get, you may have a problem. Maybe I’ll start a CA group so that those of us who need a little support can get it.

Seriously though, while this is in jest, since I decided not to go grocery shopping this week, I’m pretty sure I’m going through withdrawal. I really want to go just pick up a few things. I can get free dial body wash this week, if I want, so I’m debating breaking my word to myself and going anyway. Don’t worry, I’ll only get the really great deals, I promise…

How to: Make your Manicure Last Longer!

Making your Manicure Last!

Everyone deserves a little splurge on themselves from time to time. Living in Florida (12 months of sandal weather) for me, it tends to be a pedicure and in rare circumstances, a manicure. But with manicures in my town running between eight and twelve dollars, it’s really disappointing when they chip and get ugly within one or two days. Here are ways that I have discovered that help make my manicure last a little longer, therefore getting more bang for your buck. Most of these will work for your pedi as well.

1)      As in the case of basically everything I do, first, I try to find a deal. Whether it’s a loyalty card (some salons have a buy 5 or 10, get the next one free), a grand opening sale (I’ve gotten a free manicure with a pedicure), or a coupon, this is always step one on my list of anything I do!

2)      File and buff before you go. I know. That’s what you’re paying for. I’m not saying to take time away from your couponing to make a perfect square or oval of each fingernail. Just give them a general once over to shape them the way you want them. Buffing them makes them stay shiny once you take the nail polish off. Plus, this gives your manicurist more time for the hand and arm massage-the really good stuff!

3)      Wash your hands and scrub, scrub, scrub. When your manicurist asks you to wash your hands, scrub your fingernails with the nail brush. This helps to make your nails look healthier and also exfoliates away the dead skin around your nail beds.

4)      Pick a neutral color. Picking a bright polish color or a French manicure shows the chips and imperfections more easily and more quickly than using a neutral or clear color. When you’re picking a color, think like you would when you’re shopping for make-up. Pick one that goes with your skin tone and is going to look nice both up close and from a distance. Also, just as you would with make-up, try it out on one or two fingernails to ensure a good match.

5)      Use your own color. This isn’t to say to bring your nail polish to the salon (although this is usually acceptable, as well-call your local nail salon to make sure), but use a color close to one that you own. If you do choose to bring your own color, invest in a high quality polish, if possible a brand that your salon carries. They should be more likely to use it if it’s something they’re familiar with and a higher quality polish will look nicer and last longer. This way, if you get a small chip within the first few hours, you can touch it up easily.

6)      Don’t be afraid to stop back in! If you get a major chip or mess of a fingernail, go back in and ask them to touch it up. I have done this on several occasions. They will, in my experience, touch it up for free within the first few hours. If it’s within one or two days, usually it’s a fee per fingernail that you need repolished. At the salons I go to, it’s usually between one and three dollars.

7)      Once it starts to chip, let it go! A tiny imperfection, leave the polish on. Once you start getting significant chipping, take the nail polish off completely. Having chips and imperfections draws others attention to your ruined manicure.

8)      Do it yourself! I know, not everyone has the time, inclination or finances to go out for manicures every week. However, there are a myriad of nail products from super inexpensive (I found those nail polish stickers by Kiss at the Dollar Tree-not the best quality, but could do the job in a pinch) to high quality nail polish to do-it-yourself gel manicure kits. Doing it yourself, you’ll put more money out initially, but you’ll save in the long run by not having to go to the nail salon. Maybe you can even do them for your friends for a little side cash!

Celebrate Every Victory!

I’m not really sure if anybody else experiences this or just me, but today I had an epiphany. I was grocery shopping and the ad just wasn’t really that good, my coupons weren’t that good, plus I had to get a few extra things that I normally wouldn’t have bought (i.e. products with no coupons and/or not on sale), but did because we have company coming into town. (Plus, the price of bread went up. $.32 since last week). So, I’m grocery shopping, already knowing ahead of time that my savings won’t be that great because I planned my shopping trip ahead of time and the light bulb went off over my head.

Couponing is something that I’m good at. I take pride in the savings that I get every week-well, really, at every store that I shop at. Because of this, the time I put into clipping coupons, browsing ads and deals, organizing, and everything else, I expect that I get great savings. It’s assumed. And when I don’t, regardless of the circumstances, I’m disappointed in myself. Although, really, there is no reason to be disappointed. Regardless of the amount of money my receipt shows I’ve saved, this is something that I’m good at. Today, while grocery shopping, I spent right around $40 and my savings were a little more than $25. Even typing that, I cringe. This feels like horrible savings to me, but then I have to take a step back and think, well, this wasn’t a great ad, there weren’t many coupons to match my BOGOs, etc, etc etc, and I still saved over $25 and I bought a ton of produce.

I guess my point is, personally, when I know I am/should be good at something, I am exceptionally hard on myself. If someone else told me they saved almost 40% on their groceries, I would be bursting with pride. This is where my epiphany comes in. Instead of being disappointed with a “failure,” I really need to celebrate my victory. Celebrate EVERY victory, no matter how small. If it’s your first time couponing, price matching, using a money saving app, or anything coupon or non-coupon related, celebrate your victories. Because you deserve it.

 

How to Use Ibotta

When I first was invited to write on this blog, I was (am still am) excited about sharing ways that I save money. Being a beginner couponer or saver can be very overwhelming, which, I think is why some people never even start. They have no idea when they’re going to clip coupons, must less figure out how to use their smart phone to save money. Below, read a step-by-step tutorial on how to use one of my favorite money saving tools, Ibotta.

It’s one of my favorites because it’s easy to use, understand and apply to your purchases. Don’t roll your eyes. It’s seriously really easy. There are a lot of products, but not SO many that you can’t keep track. Usually, when I’m browsing through my stores ads, I remember if I have seen an Ibotta for a certain product-and believe me, 16 months after my son was born, I still have “baby brain” so I can barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Oh, wait, I had a smoothie. Or maybe a waffle. Or just coffee. Either way, Ibotta…

How it works: Download the app to your smart phone or tablet. Just search from your app store “Ibotta” (you must have an email address-think your coupon email address), sign in with your email address and browse the offers. I scroll through the offers maybe twice a week. You will also get a notification if you allow it when there are new products. When you click on the product, you have several options to deposit money into your “pending account.” You can post to FB (again think a couponing facebook), post to twitter, learn a fact, watch a video, and more. You get the drift. Once you add money to your pending account, you are ready to go shopping. At the store, you can check that the item you’re purchasing is the correct item. This is an awesome feature because there is nothing worse than thinking you got a great deal, then getting the product home to realize it’s not exactly right. Click on the small barcode on the product, scan, and it will either say matched or not matched. If it matches, you buy the product, go home, upload your WHOLE receipt and money gets deposited into your Ibotta account. It can be transferred to PayPal once you have $5.

Other ways to save with Ibotta

Store extras: some stores offer extra specials that you can only buy at their store.
Bonuses: think “badges” or medals on games. Some of these will deposit extra money into your account while others just give you a pat on the back.
Holidays: While I generally upload my receipts as soon as I get home from the store, one day I forgot and uploaded on Father’s Day. I earned an extra $.50 just because I forgot to upload immediately!
Referrals: Earn extra money by having friends sign up through your link. It should look like this: http://ibotta.com/r/zrGDNw (<–that’s mine, yours won’t be the same exact letters…but feel free to sign up through this link ;-)) Make sure to copy and paste your referral link onto facebook, twitter, or your email. I had an experience where someone signed up when I simply clicked “invite friends” instead of my referral link and it didn’t count! When someone clicks on your referral link, it should say “you’ve been invited!”
Sign up your husband: If you find a great deal, buy two and submit a deal on you and your hubby’s account. Keep in mind, though, you can’t share receipts across accounts, so you’ll have to use two separate transactions. Bigger savings!

A few tips

Figure out when is best for you to upload your receipt and be consistent. For me, it’s immediately when I get home from the store. Maybe you choose to do it after the kids go to bed. Or in the car before you leave the parking lot. Whatever you do, don’t put it off because the deals (and your receipt) do expire!
Be patient! Uploading the receipt is literally the hardest part of using this app. Sometimes it looks perfectly clear when you take the picture, but when you review it, it’s a blurry mess. Don’t get stressed, just know it may take several takes. I found the perfect spot on my breakfast bar which has been good to me so far. It took me several attempts, but the last few have been really successful. I suggest you find a specific spot that works for you.
Do several transactions. The shorter the receipt, the easier it is to upload. If possible, separate your Ibotta purchases from the rest of your cart.

What are your experiences, if any, with Ibotta?

Free Greeting Cards!

Quick Tip! FREE TARGET GREETING CARDS!

If your Target carries greeting cards in their $1 zone, check out their printable coupons. They often have coupons for money off when you buy a certain amount of cards. These always exclude cards under a dollar, but you can use them on cards in the dollar section (because these cards aren’t “under” a dollar). Right now, there is a coupon for $2 off of 2 greeting cards! Free cards! Keep in mind, these cards are blank in the middle, but craft it up, print your own sentiment, or have your child paint, color, handprint or draw in it. It’s the best of both worlds-personalized and free!

How a Couponer Became a Couponer: A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived an adult woman. Perhaps she was married, or not, maybe she had a few little rug rats running around, or maybe she was a single power wielding business woman. Whoever she was, when she needed something, she simply ran out to the store. Ran out of deodorant? Quick run to Target. Not sure what to have for dinner? Stop at the grocery store on the way home. She didn’t think about stock piles, price per ounce, or percentage of savings.

Then, one day, she saw an ad for a store and she started to think. That item is being sold for x. If I buy said item, I receive the same amount of money back for next time. Plus, right here in the ad, it says there is a dollar off coupon in most Sunday Papers. The light bulb went off over her head; it was brighter than the sun. She could actually MAKE money simply by buying a product she needed anyway.

Thus, a couponer was born. Now, she calculates percentages, finds herself deals, and continues to be whoever she was before her epiphany-with a few tweaks. Does she miss that girl? Maybe. Just running out to the store for whatever items she needs was perhaps a simpler time. But mostly she just wants to use the money she’s saving to take that girl out for some cocktails.