Walgreens! 1-15-12

I forgot I had 2 Register Rewards from my last Walgreens trip that needed to be used Today! So off I went! Here is what I got:

2 - DayQuil $6.00 each - $1/1 Mfg Coupon
2 - NightQuil $6.00 each - $1/1 Mfg Coupon
2 - Up2U gums $1.49 each - $1/1 Mfg Coupon
5 - Hershey's Candy bars
5 - Hershey's Air Delights FREE - Buy 1 Hershey's bar get 1 Air Delights Free Coupon
1 - Hot Tamales

Total Cost: $49.28
Wags Savings: $11.96
MFG Coupons: $10.47
Register Rewards: $10.00 (from my last trip)
Paid: $16.85 & Received a $5 Register Rewards for my next trip!

66% Savings!

Whoot! It was a success!

Here is the NyQuil deal that was posted on Hip2Save

Spend $20 on Participating Vicks Products = $5 RR
Deal Scenario:
Buy Vicks DayQuil or NyQuil 24 ct $6
Buy DayQuil or NyQuil liquid 12 oz $6
Buy 2 Vicks Nature Fusion 20 ct or liquid 8 oz $6
Total = $24
Use 4 $1/1 coupons found in the 1/1 PG
Pay $20
Get back a $5 RR
Final cost $15 total – $3.75 each!

As you can see I chose to get two DayQuil and two NightQuil

Back in the Game!

And I'm back at it! Oh how I've missed Couponing! And my pantry shows it! I am now in Stockpile mode!

Stockpile mode for me is a 3-6 month supply. NO MORE! Not an Extreme Couponer just a Realistic Couponer!

Check out Hip2Save for a full list of Walgreens Deals for this week.

Here is what I got Today at Walgreens :

4 Children's Sudafed PE for $2 - Paid $12 out of pocket but I have 2 $5 Register Rewards to use on my next purchase!

I did 2 transactions to get 4 of them. When printing the coupon linked below be sure to hit the "Back" button to print more than one. This one let me print 4! Usually they only let you print 2.

Cost : $31.96
WAG Savings : $11.96
Coupons : $8.00
Paid : $12.00 63% Savings! before Register Rewards.
Received $10 in Register Rewards for my next Purchase.
Like Paying $2 for all four! 94% Savings! after Register Rewards!


Tylenol 24 ct or liquid 8 oz, Children’s Sudafed PE 4 oz 2/$10 = $5 RR

Buy 2 Children’s Sudafed PE 4 oz 2/$10
Use 2 $2/1 coupons found here
Pay $6
Get back a $5 RR
Final cost $1 total – $0.50 each!

A New Me!

With the ending of another year we find ourselves looking back at the good and the bad things of the past year. I tend to think of all the good things first but the bad does creep in once in awhile.


One of my biggest accomplishments of 2011 has been my desire to just be Me and be a healthier me! I had reached the highest weight I've ever been - not pregnant. And the above before picture was what really sent me into Must make a change mood. I didn't realize that's how I really looked.

So the Journey began! Started with eating right and working out! 5 days a week at the gym and for 6 weeks I had no change in the number on the scale. Totally discouraged I figured I was doing something wrong or there was something wrong with me. So off to the doctor I went. Nothing in my blood work showed a reason for me to not be loosing weight so I was told to either do Weight Watchers or go to the Weight Loss Clinic. I chose Weight Watchers. Joined and started adding a Spin Class to my routine.

Never was any of this fun but very quickly I noticed I actually felt better all around.

After 3 months on Weight Watchers I had the system down and was doing great. Then it happened.....Yes the dreaded Plateau.....a two month plateau and I was doing everything by the book! How frustrating was that. But I kept focusing on the fact that I wasn't gaining either so I hung onto that.

In September I took a leap of faith and became an Independent Distributor for It Works! Global Marketing! This company has changed my life in so many ways! I was able to continue my healthy eating habits from Weight Watchers and start taking some all natural supplements to come along side my efforts and help me get over that weight loss hump I was in. (more information on It Works to come at a later date)

As of today I've lost 24 lbs since May and feel the healthiest I have in years!

I'll be sharing more details later but wanted to get back into the blog and start changing it over to a more overall blog rather than just Couponing. Don't worry the Couponing is going to be coming back in full force after our Move in January!

Changing it Up!

Well Friends, It's time to change up my blog a bit!

Stay tuned for more information.

Wags ~ Free Markers & Cheap Shave Cream

Walgreens trip 8/14/2011:

Cost : $76.14
Wags Coupon Savings : $8.00
Wags Advertised Savings : $36.00
MFG Coupon Savings : $29.00.
Paid : $3.14 ~ 96% savings!

Shaving Cream with Wag in store coupon - $1.99 each
Used 2-$1.50/1 printable coupon from Coupons.com
Final cost $.49 each for two
Used 2-$1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupons.com
Final Cost $.99 each for two
(these coupons I printed three weeks ago and hadn't had a chance to use them yet)

Dry Erase Markers on sale for $3.99 ~ with Wags in store coupon - $.99 each
Used 3 -$2.00/2 printable coupon from Coupons.com
Final cost $FREE!

Next to Free Toothpaste

I'm a little picky about my toothpaste so whenever I get Sensodyne coupons I always make sure I check out Target's Travel Size Toothpaste. Not all the Sensodyne coupons will work for these so you have to read the fine print.

Today I cleaned out my Coupon Binder and there were two coupons One for $1/1 Sensodyne Pronamel and one for $.75/1 Any Sensodyne. So I was able to get 16 for $1.88 or $.12 each! Better yet I had a $5 Gift Card from a deal a couple of weeks ago on Hair Dye so I had no out of pocket costs.

**Target note: The cashier told me that they have a "New" policy that you can't get more than 6 of the same item with coupons. So he had to ring mine up in three different transactions. When I asked for a copy of the policy he showed me his copy and the "6 of one item per family" was hand written in. I'm not sure how well that will hold up but next time I go I will keep this in mind. So make sure you check with your Target if you are getting more than 6 of the same item and using coupons for all of them.**

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've been making my own laundry soap for over a year and a half now and I love how much money it has saved our family.

This one batch lasts my family of 5 for 6-8 months.

I make the first recipe and love it! I've used the Fels-Naptha and Zote soap before. I prefer the Fels-Naptha over the Zote. It seems to dissolve better than the Zote Soap does.

Remember there is no smell to this soap so if you are used to a highly perfumed laundry soap this might be a change for you. I use the bounce dryer bars so all my clothes come out smelling like that!

The first time I made this it cost me about $5-$6 for the supplies and another $4-$8 for the bucket and a smaller container to put the soap in for easy pouring. At the time I didn't have a left over bottle of laundry soap. I've also used an empty milk jug before and that works well too. Just make sure you mark the bottle clearly as it does look a little like juice. Don't want the kids getting into it.

All these supplies can be found at your local Walmart. I had a little trouble at the local grocery stores not having all the items.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

~ Melinda ~

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2

1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.