Tuesday, January 25, 2011

What Is Plum District?

Have you heard of the Plum District Everywhere Deal or What Is Plum District?! Similar to Jasmere or bTrendie, the Plum District is a daily deal site for savvy moms and their families. These discount websites offer discounts on everything from restaurants and spas, to kids and family activities, to hotels and weekend getaways and more. Plus, they have a  Daily Deal that offers to San Francisco Bay Area and more! Plum District has an Everywhere edition for deals that you can take grab no matter where you are!
The best part about this wonderful discount website…you can sign up for the Plum District through this link and you’ll receive $5 off your first Plum District purchase as long as it is made within 7 days of sign-up…just use the promotion codewelcome at checkout! After signing up immediately check Today’s Plum District deal and use your $5 credit to further sweeten the deal!
Details about Making a Plum District Purchase
* To purchase the Daily Deal, click the “Buy” button found in the upper left-hand corner of the day’s deal. You will then be prompted to enter your billing information and a valid credit card number. Once you click “Submit” your credit card will be charged.
* Immediately after purchasing your Plum Deal, you will receive a confirmation email with a ticket number. This is your voucher. Each voucher contains detailed redemption instructions.
* For most deals redeemed online, you can use your Plum Deal immediately.
* Recently, the Plum District Daily Deal was a $12 Fandango movie ticket for only $6!
(Thanks, The Frugal Find!)



Monday, January 24, 2011

Target Store Guide


For newbie coupon collectors or the veterans as well who might not be too familiar with Target coupon policy well, Target has quite a few “rules”. I highly recommend you to get familiar with its Corporate Coupon Policy and Price Matching Policy. Don't forget to print both of these off and carry them with you whenever you shop at Target.
Target can be a great store to shop at if you know what you’re doing and with that I mean–know how to use your coupons correctly; know what to look for while shopping; and know that it’s OK to stick up for yourself! Hopefully, the “Follow Me Monday” Target video below will show you how to become a confident and fearless Target shopper!:-)
Before watching the video, you may want to read through these Target tips! I do go over most of these in the video, but I also wanted to mention the tips below for those of you who may have a hard time hearing me.

Target Tips:

*Target has in-store coupons that can be paired up with manufacturer coupons for even more savings! You can print these coupons from the Target site or from here! However, you CANNOT print these coupons from the kiosk within a Target store anymore. I show that you can in the video, but, since then, Target has updated its coupon system and no longer offers coupons through the kiosk. Sorry for the confusion.
*Make sure to always hand over all your manufacturer coupons first–before Target store coupons. This technique will minimize coupon beepage–which we Hip2Savers try to avoid at all costs!:-)
*When shopping, keep your eyes peeled for red clearance stickers, peelie and tearpad coupons, price cuts, and other discounts! By combining these types of sales with coupons, you can score some sweet deals!
*Promotions to watch for while shopping or while flipping through the weekly ads: Target Gift Card deals! These gift card promotions may last for a week, month, or even longer. They may be posted inside the store but not in the circular – so be on the lookout!  To access a Target Gift Card, you usually have to buy certain participating products – and by doing so, you receive the card at check out. The cashier will be prompted by the register to give you a gift card. You won’t be able to use the gift card on that purchase, but you can use the gift card on future purchases. Unlike Walgreens Register Rewards, you can keep “rolling” the same gift card deals over and over again! This helps to lower your out-of-pocket expense!
*Finally, remember that you are doing nothing wrong! If you get a grouchy cashier, just ignore the person and smile… You’re obviously in a better place, and they most likely want to be where you are!

Thanks Hip2Save!



Sunday, January 23, 2011

New CVS Coupon Policy And Tips



Turn CVS into a “GOLDMINE” with this new CVS coupon policy and tips. CVS coupon or couponing itself for some is a bit intimidating but as you get the hang of it, you'll get hooked to coupon collecting I bet! 

The primary thing to do is to get your CVS customer loyalty card. It is called the ExtraCare card. You can simply pick this Extra Care card up in the store before you go shopping. Show ExtraCare card every time you check out in order to get your Extra Care Bucks (ECB’s). To reap more benefits from CVS, you can register online at CVS.com and you'll receive your coupons after your registration through email.


Now with your Extracare Card and CVS coupons, its time to learn the basics..... 

Just like most of the grocery stores the ExtraCare system is a customer loyalty program that is identical to what their competitors are offering. Remember to make it a habit to bring with you your ExtraCare card and show it to receive the benefits. In the CVS ad (every Sunday), allows you to see what products qualify for ECB’s. You can also check my blog at Home Blogging Moms And Discount Seekers as I am putting all the best online deals on my blog or link you to another place that has the complete list with the coupon match-ups. The proper use of the ECB system and coupons that lets buy  stuff at CVS for FREE or at a very low price.


How to do that?
Here is a short shopping trip to try to explain it easier…

Go into CVS and buy 1 of the free after ECB items. The first time you shop, you will have to pay real money, after this, if you plan right, you should be paying very little or just tax on your items. A good example of how to get freebies is toothpaste. CVS quite often runs toothpaste free after ECB’s. 

For example, in the ad you see that when you purchase Colgate Toothpaste for $2.98 you receive $2.98 in ECB’s and there is a limit of 2 (CVS usually limits the number of deals you can purchase). You remember (or see on a blog) that you have a $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste from SS 1/14. Now the fun begins..

Buy:

1 Colgate Toothpaste $2.98

Use $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste (SS 1/14)

Pay $1.98 plus tax and get back $2.98 in ECB’s printed on your receipt.

Now what….continue to next page

Now go back and grab another Colgate Toothpaste and a pack of gum, or something else that costs about a buck.

Buy 1 Colgate Toothpaste

1 dollar item

Use $2.98 in ECB’s from previous transaction

Use another $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste Coupon

Total $2.98 before tax. Remember, you will have to pay some tax.

Get back another $2.98 in ECB’s to use on your next trip!

Tips:

1. Always be sure to give them a $$/off $$$ (like the $4 off $20) coupon first, then ECB’s last manufacturers coupons & store coupons. 

2. Always have a list of exactly what is free, sometimes it is very specific items and you want to make sure you are getting the right things. I usually grab a copy of the ad when I walk in, or carry mine from the paper with me.

3. If you are using a $4 off $20 or type of coupon like that make sure you have a few backup plans to hit your $20 in case your CVS is out of something. If this does happen, you can always request a rain check.

4. Take in a calculator to help you quickly add up your total to make sure you are going to have the right amount for you ECB’s to cover it.

5. Only ECB’s earned with your card will work with your card. You cannot use ECB’s acquired by someone else’s card.

6. Take a second to scan your ExtraCare card at the big red box at your store, these print coupons that may be valuable.

7. Coupons that are emailed to you are only good with your card. You can’t pass these on to a friend.

8. You need to always make sure that what you are buying is equal to your ECB’s or a little more (pennies). You can pay for $4 worth of items with $5 in ECB but you are losing money that way and don’t really want to do that. You can always find some filler items that you like, $1 disposable razors, a pack of gum, some candy.

CVS COUPON Policy directly from CVS customer Service July 2010
To print this go HERE

Thank you for contacting CVS/pharmacy. Your e-mail has reached the Customer Relations Department. We appreciate the time you took to contact us with your inquiry. Our coupon policy is not available on our Web site. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time.


Our registers are set to allow 1 CVS coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon per item. Free coupons or “offers at the register” (OAR’s) are unearned and issued to you as a valued member of the CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare program. These coupons take the form of “open ended” coupons such as $3 off $15 or a certain dollar amount off a specific item. In any given transaction our registers will allow only one “open ended” coupon per transaction. CVS Extra Buck coupons are earned when you make a qualifying purchase. These print out instantly at the register upon reaching the threshold for the offer. You can use more than one Extra Buck coupon provided the purchase threshold has been met for each offer amount on a per-transaction basis.

In the case where a particular item is on sale for “buy one get one free” (BOGO), you are only allowed to use one manufacturer’s BOGO coupon. For instance, if Revlon lipstick is on sale for BOGO, you can use one manufacturer’s BOGO coupon. You would get both items free and pay any applicable tax. We reserve the right to limit quantities after the first purchase. If our store is running a sale for BOGO, you can use two manufacturer’s coupons for a specific dollar amount off. For example, if Revlon lipstick is on sale at our store for BOGO, you can use two $1.00 off Revlon lipstick manufacturer coupons.

CVS/pharmacy does accept manufacturers’ coupons that have been obtained from manufacturer sponsored and/or authorized Web sites. The coupon should be complete and contain a bar code that can be scanned at the register. If the coupon does not scan, the cashier should politely inform you that we cannot accept your coupon. We do not allow manual overrides at the register for coupons printed from the Internet. CVS/pharmacy will not accept offers printed from unauthorized Internet postings or reproductions, copies, or facsimiles.

We do not accept competitors’ coupons for front store items. We feel that our sales and ExtraCare program are comparable if not better than any sales or coupons offered by our competitors. We also do not accept any expired coupons, CVS or otherwise. We do not “double” or “triple” coupons.

Again, thank you for contacting us. We value your business and look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,
Korrine
CVS/pharmacy
Customer Relations
09122540

Thanks Mama Cheaps

Saturday, January 22, 2011

11 Tips On Budgeting


These 11 Tips On Budgeting will help you control one of the most important piece of your family financial program. Learning how to save money will let you create a great personal budget planner. It is highly essential to know exactly your household budget in a week, how much money you have coming in, and how much is going out. I am sharing with you effective budgeting tips. These budget help is aimed at making you see the big picture and help you achieve a debt-free living. 

Budgeting Tip 1:  Get the whole picture by collecting all checking account and credit card statements for the last year.  Collect all cash receipts for the last month including cash spent on co-payments, mocha's, haircuts, etc.  Then collect all receipts for financial contributions to charity, including Girl Scout cookies, including all pay stubs, deposit receipts, etc.

Budgeting Tip 2:  Record the whole expenses.  By doing budget tip 1 you'll be able to see the picture of your previous year's spending. You can print and use our Family Budget Worksheet  to make this job easier. It will normally take you a lot of time  with a calculator and scratch paper.

Budgeting Tip 3:  Check off the lines on your documents as you account for them in a budget item.  This an effective method of ensuring that don't put the same thing in more than one item and you don't forget anything.

Budgeting Tip 4:  Formulas:
    Convert regular weekly pay to monthly:  Weekly Pay x 4.333 = Monthly Pay
    Convert bi-weekly pay to monthly:  Bi-Weekly Pay x 2.167 = Monthly Pay
    Convert annual totals to monthly amounts by dividing the total by 12.

Budgeting Tip 5:  The Family Bills For Monthly Expenses part of the Worksheet is just for regular monthly bills, savings and investment.  If insurance, for instance, is billed monthly, it would go here.

Budgeting Tip 6:  If the insurance, however, is billed less often than monthly, the total annual amount would be divided by 12, and that number would be listed in the Impound Budget For Non-Monthly Expenses.  Don't forget to list the month it's due to be paid.  This 'Impound' section is a powerful and unique tool to save monthly for all your annual expenses and avoid those nasty surprises.

Budgeting Tip 7: Cash Budget-Monthly section should contain everything that you regularly pay for cash..

Budgeting Tip 8:  After totaling everything, you'll be taken aback to find out that your expenses are larger than your income which is normal. The amount that exceeds your  income is the amount you add to your credit cards and other consumer credit balances every month.  Note:  When I did this the first time I discovered I was spending $ 250 more than my income each month.  If your income is larger than your expenses, the difference is the amount you can add to savings, etc.

Budgeting Tip 9:  Be sure to review your budget worksheet to see if you can spot any errors, to try and find areas where you feel your spending is excessive, and to consider if any expenses (maintenance, insurance, taxes, etc.) will increase over the next year...make necessary adjustments and re-total.

Budgeting Tip 10:  Make sure you keep a savings balance for a "rainy day" that matches 6 months of your net income.  After you've accumulated that, you can begin investing and buying some of those things you just want.

Budgeting Tip 11:  Giving or donating is as important as paying a bill.  Give this a try!  You should have an amount designated on your family budget for giving.  Even if you don't take part in a regular charity or church giving program, make giving part of your budget.  There is a great deal of evidence, from 2,900 years ago right up to the present, that what you give comes back to you multiplied.  Do it for a year and see what happens.

Friday, January 21, 2011

How To Make Money Fast Ideas For Work At Home Enthusiasts


Are you looking for a   Home Internet Online Business Opportunity? I am a mother of five wonderful kids and for a long time been wanting to augment my husband's income by earning on my own pace by having a home based job. Plenty of people around the world wants to have a full-time or part-time legitimate work at home jobs for several different reasons.


So I have put together great home-based job opportunities that full-time Moms or Dads can go about generating income.Here my top list of money-making ideas that can help work at home or home-based job enthusiasts to pick one and get your focus on......



  • Make Money Taking Online SurveyJust be a grown up about what offers you're filling out, where you're going online - just like you do all the time when you're on the internet. There is truly some serious cash to be made by doing surveys and signing up for trial offers. 
  • Make Money On Ebay - There is a lot of money to be made as a seller on eBay. Thousands and thousands of sales are made each day, resulting in a lot of income for a lot of sellers.
  • Make Money BloggingIt requires minimal start up costs, you can build an impressive and loyal readership over time and once you know how to monetize your blog it can also bring in a decent income.
  • Make Money through Affiliate Marketing -  It's a marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's own marketing efforts.
  • Make Money with Google Adsense If you have a website or a blog, you should definitely sign up for Google Adsense. It's a hassle-free way to earn revenue online by displaying targeted Google ads.
  • Make Money with Clickbank - ClickBank is a no brainer if you want to get started on no cash at all, and you have your choice of products to promote as well. 
  • Make Money  as Freelance ProviderBecoming a freelance professional is very achievable. Being a freelance provider means you work for yourself and provide a service or talent which can be outsourced. 


WALGREENS COUPON POLICY



I believe that shoppers should always consider to read and understand coupon policy of any coupon stores. Thus, I opted to post Wlagreens coupon policy here. Anyway, it looks like Walgreens has posted their Coupon Policy on their siteThis will be a good thing to print and add to your binder. This should really help ALL Walgreens stores be more coupon friendly.  Great job Walgreens!!!!
As a customer-focused retailer, Walgreens encourages the use of coupons by our customers in our retail stores, in accordance with the following guidelines.
Guidelines:
General
* All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
* Walgreens does not accept expired coupons.
* Coupons and their face value cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
* Competitor coupons are not accepted at Walgreens.
* Walgreens cannot accept coupons for items not carried in our stores.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register RewardsTM manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.
* Any coupon offer not covered in these guidelines will be accepted at the discretion of Walgreens management.
Sale Items
* Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for an item that is on sale.
* In the event that any item’s selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.
Multiple Coupons
* When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
* The coupon amount must be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied. (For example, a $5.00 coupon for a $4.99 item will result in a $4.99 coupon value).
* When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.
Buy One, Get One Free Coupons
* When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
* Sales tax must be paid for any Buy One, Get One Free coupon offers, if required by applicable state laws.
Internet/Print at Home Coupons
* Walgreens accepts valid internet/print at home coupons.
Register RewardsTM coupons
Earning Register RewardsTM
* Register RewardsTM will only print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period.
* Register RewardsTM can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions.
* There is a limit of one Register RewardsTM (RR) printed per offer per customer per transaction.
* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
Redeeming Register RewardsTM
* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
* Refer to Register RewardsTM coupon for expiration date.
* The RR coupon value cannot exceed the total purchase amount. No cash back and no cash value for RR coupon.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including RR manufacturer coupons, must not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
* Register RewardsTM must be forfeited if the qualifying merchandise is returned.
* Register RewardsTM cannot be used toward the purchase of gift cards and pre-paid cards.
* Register RewardsTM can be redeemed for eligible items only. Ineligible items include but are not limited to:
*
o Prescriptions
o Tobacco products
o Alcoholic beverages
o Dairy products
o Lottery tickets
o Money orders/transfers
o Transportation passes
o Special event/entertainment tickets or passes
o Postage stamps
o Gift cards/phone cards/prepaid/Green DotTM cards
o Prescription Savings Club” memberships
o Health care services, including immunizations
o Any items prohibited by law

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Coupon Definition, Coupon Terms and Abbreviations



Coupon is a promotional tool that can be redeemed for a discount when you purchase goods or services in a form of a document. Coupons are issued by manufacturers or retailers and are distributed through direct mail, print and other marketing medium to the consumers. Coupon features a specified saving amount or other form of special offer to persuade consumers in purchasing specific goods or services from retailers. It is also called discount code, promotional codes, and rebate.

Coupon collecting needs time particularly in learning the ins and outs of using coupons. You also need to learn the common coupon terms and abbreviation and its meaning. Below are the words or   most-used terms and abbreviations used by seasoned couponers on blogs, in forums and elsewhere:
$1/1, etc. :: Indicates the value of a coupon, $1 off 1 item in this instance but could be any value, $4/2 ($4 off 2 items), $0.25/1 ($0.25 off 1) etc.
AC :: After coupon
AR :: After rebate 
Blinkie :: Coupon dispensed from a box attached to a store shelf. The term “blinkie” comes from the box which sometimes has a blinking light.
BOGO, B1G1, B1G1F :: Buy One Get One free
BTFE :: Box Tops for Education
B&M :: Refers to a “brick & mortar” store (as opposed to an online store)
CAT, Catalina :: Coupons which print at the register after your purchase is made. These can usually be used like cash on your next purchase. However, if the say “manufacturer’s coupon” on them, you should be able to use them at any store although YMMV. 
CPN :: Coupon
CRT :: Cash register tape — often referring to coupons at the bottom of your receipt.
DND :: Do Not Double
Double Coupon :: A coupon which can be doubled in value
ECB :: Extra Care Bucks (CVS, prints on receipt)
ETA :: Edited to Add
ETS :: Excludes Trial Size
FAR :: Free After Rebate
Filler :: An item or items you buy in order to get your total up to a certain amount in order to use a percentage off coupon
FS :: Free shipping
GC :: Gift card/gift certificate
GDA :: Good Deal Alert
GM :: General Mills
HTH :: Hope That Helps
IVC :: Instant Value Coupon (Walgreens, found in the monthy EasySaver booklet)
IPQ, IP :: Internet Printable coupon
MFG, MFR :: Manufacturer
MQ :: Manufacturer’s Coupon
MIR :: Mail-In Rebate
NED :: No expiration date
OOP :: Out of Pocket
OOS :: Out of Stock
OYNO :: On Your Next Order
P&G :: Proctor & Gamble coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
Peelie :: Coupon attached to an item’s packaging which can be peeled off
PSA :: Prices Starting At
Q :: Coupon
Regional :: A coupon or deal available in only a specific area
RP :: Red Plum coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
RR :: Register Rewards (Walgreens, which print with receipt)
SCR :: Single Check Rebate (Rite Aid)
SS :: Smart Source coupon insert found in the Sunday newspaper
Stacking :: Using a manufacturer’s coupon in addition to a store coupon for an even lower price
Tear pad :: A pad of rebate forms or coupons attached to a store shelf
TMF :: Try Me Free
Triple Coupon :: A coupon which can be tripled in value
UPC :: Universal Product Code (a.k.a. bar code)
UPR :: Up Rewards, a coupon you can earn on your register receipt at Rite Aid
WSL :: While Supplies Last
WT, Winetag :: A coupon hanging on the package of a product
WYB :: When You Buy
V :: Valassis coupon insert found in Sunday newspaper (same as RP or Red Plum insert)
YMMV :: Your Mileage May Vary (in other words, you may or may not be successful with a particular deal at your store)