“Sweet” — that’s what the cashier said when he saw the total after my coupons today at Rite-Aid. But that’s before he knew what I was going to pay after online rebates! An original $25.52 bill will end up being just $1.77!

I love it when the cashiers note that you know how to work the system — I had more than $16 just in coupons. After $9.27 out of pocket, he said, “You know how to shop” — and it only took 12 minutes. But that’s before he knew I would end up paying just $3.24 with tax after rebates.

I prepared my list for Rite Aid last night and gathered my matching coupons using the list at www.Couponmom.com (updated every Sunday for drugstores). I stopped at the bank ATM to make a deposit, and then in the course of 12 minutes, I went into Rite Aid and racked up 90 percent in savings (and that includes the tax!).

If I paid the sales price, the items pictured would have cost $25.52, but I will end up paying $1.77! That’s as if I just bought the lighter! Factor in the sales tax, and it’s if I bought the toothpaste at regular price, and everything else was free! (Here’s an example, with the rebate, the Crest toothpaste was 99 cents — a great deal — adding in a coupon, it was 24 cents! Try getting that price at Costco!)

Now let me tell you on hitting drugstore deals, you are not going to walk out with a full cart — and frankly you should not. You’re there to buy, not to shop. Go in with a list. Hit those loss leaders and leave. Match them with coupons and online rebates, and you’ve got a steal of a deal!

CVS and Walgreens also offer similar deals, but no online rebates like Rite Aid. Instead, you get a cash register receipt with a certain amount off your next purchase. That’s great, but it also has an expiration.

I prefer to have the cash at the end of the month to spend as I wish, but let me tell you, if you have a Walgreens or CVS nearby, you can reap similar savings. You just need to be diligent about going back to spend your “Register Rewards,” as is the case with Walgreens, or “Extra Care Bucks,” as is the case with CVS. My pal Traci at Couponbelle explains how to work their programs at her great blog. Also, Melissa at the Savings Cents with Sense blog each week offers a list of all the deals at the drug stores, and flags you when the $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon is available (which I used today).

I prefer the simplicity at Rite Aid. Sure, I match the coupons and deals, but its online rebates is where you rack up savings, and it could not be simpler. I just come home, log on to www.riteaid.com, and register my receipt. That’s it! No mailing receipts, noting UPC codes or anything. They keep track of it. Then, at the end of the month, I just request a check online — last month’s was $109 in what ended up being free merchandise.

I love using the drugstore deals — I get items I need anyway (shampoo, razors, toothpaste, etc), but also a host of other items that I normally would buy in an emergency (cold related, for example) and others that make life sweeter (a Febreze candle, for example — that’s going to be a Christmas gift).

It took me a little bit to dip my foot into the drugstore savings pool, but after I did, I can tell you, the only thing getting soaked is the store.

Great post from last year — super tips on decorating for the holidays so it doesn’t look like Santa threw up in your house. Hope these help, as the holiday season begins!

In our family, the day after Thanksgiving is when we start the holiday decorating. Following my tips, I packed away all the normal stuff into a closet when I got home from the family dinner, so I had a clean slate. Then, I did a deep cleaning. Last night was the day to “do up” the downstairs. The tree will go in next weekend where the library table is.

But without further ado, hope these six tips for your holiday decorating help:

Pick and choose – I have a lot of Christmas decorations, but each year I decide on a theme — this year’s is an “Contemporary Christmas,” so it’s going to be cool colors, lots of modern touches and minimal Santas. Last year was an “Old Fashioned Christmas,” and I hauled out all the Santas, the garlands, and the red and green decor items. Other years (click the links to see), it was “an elegant Christmas” with a lot of silver or even a “retro Christmas” with what I called a Nancy Sinatra Go-Go Tree. But rather than put everything out, I pick and choose. Pick a theme and color choice. You don’t want it to look as if Santa threw up in your home.

More than anything, Happy Holidays and may I be the first to say, “Merry Christmas.”

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to mention my blog to your friends and family — www.Prohomemaker.com!

Yours in cooking, cleaning and saving,
Harry

This is one hot deal! Fuji is promoting its photo gift site — www.SeeHere.com — by offering 50 photo Christmas cards for free! All you do is pay $3.19 in shipping. That’s it!

Upload your favorite photo to the site, select a 4″ by 8″ inch photo card design (either vertical or horizontal), add in your text, order 50 and then proceed to checkout.

Then, just type in the promotional code: freebies4mom-1109 at checkout, and you will save a whopping $24.50! All you pay is shipping of $3.19 — you can’t even buy a box of 50 cards for that! Oh, and did I mention, it includes the envelopes!?!

But remember, the deadline for this deal is November 30. They already are charging for shipping, which they weren’t before, so I would say the sooner you order, the better.

This is one incredible deal. I’ve never done photo cards because they are so expensive, but this is a God’s send this year when I have so much on my plate and so little time. Many, many thanks to my pal Traci in Atlanta — whose great blog, Couponbelle is on my list — for tipping me off on this great steal of a deal.

This is a perfect example, again, that living frugally doesn’t mean doing without — it means getting more!

I’m one happy camper!

Worth a re-post from a year ago … how to set up a buffet.

I love entertaining buffet-style, even if it’s just for four people. I find it the simplest way to entertain, in which you can actually enjoy your guests.

A personal pet peeve of mine is what is called “family style” for a dinner, in which all the food is placed on the table and passed about. Invariably, I have to hold either an incredibly hot dish or try to serve myself while balancing a 3-pound casserole. And, of course, I feel as if I am a waiter for half the dinner, passing this and that, all the while my own food is getting cold. If it works for you fine, but I cannot stand it either as a host or a guest.



With that out of the way, let’s get to setting up a simple buffet!

You can arrange the spread anywhere, as long as it is relatively close to the dining area. Normally, I set ours up on a library table adjacent to the dining table, which is preset with flatware, glasses, bread, butter, and napkins. That way, it’s just a matter of filling your plate and sitting down. I’ve also served it on our large island-style counter (always ensure the kitchen is clean) or even on a stovetop in a 1 bedroom apartment.

Our friends at Wynn-Dixie provided this superb graphic for a standard buffet arrangement. Note the plates and main dish first, and then the items go from there. Flatware and napkins, if placed at the buffet, are always last, along with any beverages (but I always prefer to have those on the table). Even if your guests cannot move around a table, you may use this same setup for a single-line buffet.

A couple quick tips:

I plan on doing a buffet for Christmas Day night. Hope this helped give you some ideas.

I wrote this post a year ago, and it is still perfect. This weekend is the crunch period before the holiday. Hope this gives you a plan for this weekend and the next couple of days.

This is it — the final chapter on planning for Thanksgiving — or any holiday dinner. We are now down to the crunch period — the weekend before!

Now is the time to focus on the shopping, the dinner-timing countdown and the cooking. If you need to come up-to-date, refer back to this post, this post, and this post — these are all items I am assuming you took care of.

I am going to reinterate, the only way you will have a stress-free holiday is with planning, and that means doing a little every day, so let’s cut to the “to do” list:

One final tip — You enjoy yourself. You are a guest, too, so make it look effortless, and people will be amazed, and you will be so much more relaxed! Good luck!

Man, I scored at Target today, combining food specials, Internet coupons, regular coupons and Target coupons. Even the cashier said, “You obviously know what you’re doing.”

What I did was take advantage of its loss leaders (to get me in the door) and matched coupons. The result? I spent $15.72 and saved $24.62! (And, no, I didn’t go shopping — I went buying.)

But the killer deal today was on Campbells cream soups and Del Monte canned vegetables. Look at the photo — that’s 12 cans of soup and 8 cans of vegetables. The grand total for these items? $4.48! The cooking soups — normally a good deal at $1 a can — were 24 cents each. The Del Monte vegetables — normally a killer deal at 50 cents a can — were only 20 cents each! Oh, and I didn’t even include in the photo the Betty Crocker potatoes — usually $1.50 on special — that I got for 39 cents apiece with Internet coupons from www.coupons.com!

OK, how did I do it?

On the soups, I printed three copies of the Internet coupon for $1 off 4 available at Campbellskitchen.com. It will only let you print twice, but luckily my partner has a different email address. On the vegetables, I used a newspaper coupon that just came in the Nov. 15th Red Plum flyer for $1 off 8, but then I combined it with a $1 off 6 Target coupon. For the life of me, I cannot find the link, but just Google “Target coupons,” and it will come up at the top.

The best news is you can still do these deals at Target this week through Saturday!

Now obviously, we are not going to use all these items in a month … this is probably a three- to six-month supply. But when you are getting a rock bottom price, it’s time to stockpile, as I noted in this post.

Using the soup and Del Monte specials, let me give you an example how stockpiling can save you money: If I had purchased all these items at the great sales prices of $1 for the cooking soups and 50 cents for the vegetables, I would have paid $16 for what cost me $4.48 today — an $11.52 savings over the regularly great sales price!

If you found $12 on the street, wouldn’t you pick it up? This is found money just for being a smart shopper! You can do it, too! Read more couponing tips in these posts.

Woo-hoo! Campbells just released a slew of Internet printable coupons that you can combine with store specials for stupendous deals.

Grocery and drug stores routinely offer the Campbells products — and we are not talking just soup — on a loss-leader special during the holidays. Use these coupons, and you can make a half-price deal into a killer one. Here is the link.

For example, I used the gravy one at Walgreens today. With the in-ad coupon for 50 cents a can (limit 4) and combined with the $1 off 4 coupon from Campbells, I got four cans of gravy for $1 — 25 cents each! Even my partner Art knew this was a good deal, when he said, “We paid more than that for one can of store gravy” two months ago. At Target tomorrow, I am using the coupon for Cream of Mushroom Soup — a loss leader at 49 cents a can. But with the $1 off 4 coupon, I will get ‘em for 24 cents each! This is routinely $1.50+ when not on special.

This all underscores the importance of stocking up, and I did (and will). Instead of paying $1+ for one can of gravy in a month or two, I got four cans for the same money. This is how stockpiling saves you money in the long run.

So, I encourage you to print these Campbells’ coupons, and watch the store flyers for the deals. Let me tell you, a little savings adds up to a lot — and better living — in the long run.

By the way, I was tipped off on the slew of new coupons by the Saving Cents with Sense blog. I highly recommend you subscribe to Melissa’s free blog either at the web site or her fan page on Facebook. I always net at least one or two great deals I can use at her site each week!

Man, this is a great coupon I just found today — $2 off any frozen or fresh Butterball turkey! No purchase requirements — just a steal of a deal on a great turkey!

I found this great savings through the Smartsource.com web site for printable coupons. Just go to the site by clicking here, then near the top of the page, search the “Brand” pulldown menu for Butterball. (Don’t enter ZIP code; yours might be excluded from the coupon.) Pull down for Butterball, then click “go,” and you will be on your way to a deal. Just click the coupon offer and print.

But it gets better! Vons in Southern California is selling its Butterball turkeys for $8 (up to 16 pounds) and $10 (16 pounds and larger) with a minimum $25 purchase (and that is before coupons!). Grab milk and some other staples, and you can get a Butterball turkey for only $6 or $8 (that’s only about 40 cents a pound)! I am sure grocery stores all over the U.S. are offering similar deals.

Now, you may be thinking, “We’re going away for Thanksgiving,” or “What will I do with a whole turkey?” Let me tell you, you can cook the bird for any day during the holiday season — I usually roast one for Christmas Day night (and I have learned, the prices are not as good at Christmas — that’s when hams and roasts are the specials).

But even for smaller families — and I mean even one or two people — roast the bird, and freeze the meat in smaller portions. You will have you freezer stocked with cheap meat for a couple months! Turkey slices, turkey for soups, turkey for casseroles. Honestly, anything you use chicken for, you can usually sub in turkey — and at 40 cents a pound, it’s a cheap protein source.

Don’t be afraid of roasting one — just follow the directions, and you will be fine. I usually use a roasting bag, but I don’t think that’s even super-needed.

So print your coupon, get a great deal, and get ready to stock your freezer.

Hope you have some extra money this week in your food budget, because Target is having some incredible food deals through Nov. 21!

These are all loss leaders (as I discussed in this post), so be a smart shopper: Grab the leaders and make Target take the loss, then beat cheeks out of the store with the deals.

Some examples:

But if you want to make these killer deals, add in coupons! Using the list at Couponmom.com, you can net incredible deals on these and a lot of other items. Just go to “Deals by State” at the site, and you will see the hot link for Target specials.

These are some of the deals I will be picking up with coupons:

And I have a tip on getting the biggest killer deal on the Campbells Mushroom Soup. Go to Campbellskitchen.com and print the coupon for $1 off four (and you can print twice). You’ll get the soup (which is normally $1 on a very good sale) for only 24 cents a can! The ad says others are also on sale, so I am hoping I will be getting some Cream of Chicken, too. But either way, for less than $2, I am going to get eights cans of the soup. We will be stocked easily for six months!

So check out Couponmom for the coupon matchups, as well as Saving Cents with Sense blog for more, and I will see you at Target!