$1.97 Revlon and $.24 bic pens.

It was deal hunting day and I found some great deals and I really wanted to share them! At Walmart there was a great deal on hair color by Revlon, it was the color silk butter cream which is the newer kind. In the paper there should have been $3.00 off the color. Normally priced at $4.42 it was after the coupons $1.42 a box! I stocked up! Yes, I am addicted to hair color. As well as deodorant buying, but when it is free, why not? I got more Mitchum deodorant for free, after the $2 off coupon! Using the price match garuntee I was able to get them to match Publix sale price of $1.99;making my deodorant FREE!  Then let us talk pens. Bic pens are only $.24 after the $1 off coupon. Get the crystal ten pack and you can get pens for $.24, this would be great for school supplies.  Then I got more maybeline mascara. It was rolled back to $4.97 and I had a Walmart coupon for $2 off Maybeline mascara. This made my mascara $2.97. I hate paying full price! 

 

It is truly a great deal to take advantage of. And I would have gotten 2 Windex touch ups for $1.97 if they had them in stock. Target has coupons for a $1 off one and I have a manufacturer coupon for bogo. Using 2 $1 off coupons and that coupon makes it $1.97 for both. Or $.99 each. Sadly they were out. 

I also got little man a walker. He is so far liking it, but can't figure out how to make it vroom vroom. 

Shopping date and a hobbit.

Tomorrow is going to  a fun and great day! I get to go shopping at the Prime Outlets in Orlando with hubby.  I can not wait! It has been so long since I have been shopping. Well shopping where I can actually buy myself something. 
I have not bought myself anything in ages. At least not where I don't have to return it out of guilt. I need pants and clothes that fit. And a bigger diaper bag. My son's diapers take up the small one I have now leaving no room for anything else. 
Then after all of that we get to go see the Hobbit. I love the Hobbit and Lord or The Rings. So this is a wonderful late xmas gift! 
I don't plan on spending am arm and a leg for anything so saving money is key. I have already have started a stock pile so I wont have to buy shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, or Tide detergent for a long time.  I am happy about that.  I can't wait to clip coupons for next week.  I have lots of things to buy. I need to get formula again, and since I have $3 and $2 off Gerber good start, I can get formula for $3-4 for a box of four eeady to feed soy.  That's 40-50% savings. Anyways,  I can not wait for tomorrow and will let you all know how things go. And yes I will go to Coach.

P.s. is it just me or has Chili's gotten lazy about their food?

Extreme couponing.

I was watching extreme couponing on Netflix and you know what, I want to save money like them. I want to be able to buy 1000 worth of groceries and only pay $30. I want to be able to do that. I wish I could. And I am getting better. Today I saved $70 on groceries. My bill was under $200, but I want it lower. And I plan on doing it. Just how I do not know, but I will do it. I learned that certain coupons can be used on items that I was not aware of. For instance, Gerber had a coupon for 3 dollars off formula. My silly butt thought it was only for powder formula. I use the premixed liquids. So, I had been paying full price for a long time! Not cool. I did get free cake today. I had a buy a pie mix and get a free cake, and then the store was doing a buy one get one free on the cake! I got 2 free cakes! YUM! I also got free cookies. I have been bitten by the couponing bug. Sunday, after I get the paper I shall do the rest of my shopping and I plan on spending as little as possible. Can I do it?! Maybe, hopefully. I need to. I really do.

A cup of coffee and a thought, where has time gone?

Wow, can any of you believe that Thanksgiving is here next week. Then after that is Christmas and New Years. Where did the year go? It feels like just yesterday was the 4th of July. But no it was Halloween not that long ago. I find it interesting that as adults there are not enough hours in a day, but as kids the days drug on and on. Time entered a no passing zone. It seemed to take forever for Christmas to get here. I mean FOREVER. I would open each piece on the Advent calendar waiting and it just seemed to slowly creep up. Then Christmas eve and then no sleep.
People around here are already decking the halls. There are lights on their houses and I am sure stocking hung by their chimneys with care. I miss having a fire place, for that reason. I'll just tell my little boy when he is older that Santa has his own house key.
I have had many people ask me if we are going to do Elf on a Shelf when baby bear is older. I am not sure. It seems so complicated to me, and we never had it growing up. It would seem to be a lot of fun to do and there are plenty of ideas on Pinterest for it. How many of you do Elf on a Shelf? How do your kids react to each night of silliness? And parents, do you do it every day or is it just closer to Christmas?

When I was little the thing was Saint Nick's day. We celebrated that along with Christmas. Our stockings would have candies and a cheap toy in them. It was exciting and every time I would argue that I needed the day off for the holiday. Mom would just laugh at me. Hey, it was worth a shot right? Only if it were a snow day would that happen. Down here in Fl, we don't have that. So, little man wont be able to get it.  Not too many people know what I am talking about when I refer to Saint Nick's day here in Fl. I guess it is a mid-western thing.

Well, Thanksgiving will be here NEXT WEEK. BE sure to check out my coupon page for some Turkey day savings. It has helped me a bunch. I got diapers and formula for my boy for 22. That was for a big container and a pack of diapers. There are some great food coupons in there! I can not wait to get decorated for Christmas. Next week is decorate time!

Thank you Target for the humiliation!

Why is it when I want to return something or use coupons they block me or make it unbearable to do so. Target, who I used to love and have admiration for has forsaken me! It begins with coupons and ends with formula.

Let's start with me shopping, as I try to use coupons. There I was with my groceries,mom,son, and coupons. I had manufacters coupons and the store coupons. There policy is to accept both. They told me no, that they wouldn't accept both. Even with the coupon policy in front of them. Strike 1 for my town's Target!

Then flash forward to a Saturday or two ago. There I am needing to return formula.I had purchased it online by using the Target app. I couldn't use the formula anymore, my son was switched to specialty formula. I had the pack slip/reciept; it said that I could return using it via in store or back through the mail. Both required that slip for returns. I thought it was all good and I went to the store with the slip and remaining formula.

  I got to my local store and set down my items at customer service. I handed over my slip and I figured it was ok. Since I used paypal I figured I would get a gift card and that would have been fine. The boy needed diapers and wipes. The first associate was shocked when the system was giving her trouble returning the items. Not a big deal in my book, it happens. She called a manager, OK, fine still not unusual.

 That is until Lucifer the supervisor came. She takes the slip and starts to return my items. Nope, can not take them back. She takes my slip; which incidentally was the receipt as well. She says "We can not return these."
"WHAT?! I just got them 4 days ago!!"
She then said there are two items here and the items I had were different.
"Yeah, they are. One is ready to feed and the other is powder." By the way it said so on the slip,duh.
But, I was trying to be polite to the troll.
"Where is the Receipt??!!" the supervisor replies as she is shoving the slip in my face pointing to the items.
"In your hand, that is all I got."
"Do you have the card you used?" she rolls her eyes as I reply with a nope used paypal.
"Of course you did."
Alrighty, attitude much?!

So, she takes my license and continues to talk down to me. Pointing to the items I had and then to the slip questioning how I acquired them. She tells me she has to check the skus to make sure they even sell those products. I tell her I can walk you back to baby and show you! I felt degraded, I felt as if she was accusing me of stealing from the store. Like I just walked back to the baby aisle and took Similac Advance for sensitive tummies; just to come to customer service and return them for cash. Um, I HAVE A RECEIPT!
I felt like she was treating me like a thief and a lowlife. She stood at the register muttering about me. Um, what did I do wrong? I was well within Target's return policy. That was the only slip in the box. I got one box and that was all that was in there. Why make a scene with me? I was trying to be polite, I was being nice, even when I was a tad snarky it was in defense. "I got those from Target's app" I said quietly.
I was almost in tears when she got back to the register I was standing at. I was shaking. I was humiliated and people were staring.
She then walks back to me and with a horrible attitude says "OK, I guess we can take these back. But, you wont get cash.It will be a gift card,but not cash,OK."
"I never wanted cash, I am fine with a gift card. Thank you. A gift card was fine" I felt abused.
"Ok" she then handed my slip back, which she promptly showed me the items again! Pointing to them like a parent pointing to an F on a report card. She then handed my gift card and receipt for it telling me how much was on it.
I thanked her, even though I wanted to cry, I still thanked her. I left to go get little man diapers. I saw her again at a regular register. She stared at me then ignored me. What the heck happened to customer service?
Why did she get away with that? Why couldn't I ask for a higher up? I felt horrible and I hate going back to that Target. I get better customer service at the Walmart. What happened?! When did it become a hassle to be nice and help someone. Especially someone within return policy and with a receipt. I was not mean to her. I was polite, but she treated me like I stole the items. Yes, I robbed Target by purchasing formula with PayPal and then returning what my son couldn't use and it was NOT opened. Don't get me wrong I still love Target in general. I love the fashions there and the pharmacists. Plus their baby section is wonderful, I just wished their customer service was better.
What are your store horror stories?