Free Tena Liners at CVS!

I've included my entire trip from today, but the best deal here is on the Tena liners. They are $3.99 each and on sale BOGO through 8/22/15, and there is a $2/1 coupon you can print on coupons.com, which makes them free!

Retail $43.12, paid out of pocket $15.77 (tax of $2.41 included), got back $5 CVS extra care bucks, $2 via Ibotta, $3.25 via the SavingStar app - total of $5.52.

Sale details:

Tena: Buy one get one free

Dove: Buy one get one 50% off

Buy $20 Dove products, get back $5 ECB

Coupons used:

- 2 $2/1 Tena Product (mfg Q, but specific to CVS)

- 2 $1/2 Dove products CVS Q

- $1/1 Dove Beauty Bar mfg Q (from RedPlum insert 7/26/15)

- $1/1 Dove Body Wash mfg Q (from RedPlum insert 7/26/15)

- $1/1 Dove Men + Care Bar mfg Q (from RedPlum insert 7/26/15)

- $1/1 Dove Men + Care Body Wash mfg Q (from RedPlum insert 7/26/15)

Also used $5.00 in CVS ECB from previous trip

Rebates:

- $1 Dove Bar Soap via Ibotta

- $1 Dove Body Wash via Ibotta

- $0.50 Dove Bar Soap via SavingStar

- $0.75 Dove Body Wash via SavingStar

- $1 Dove Men + Care Body Wash via SavingStar

- $1 Dove Men + Care Bar Soap via SavingStar

Rebate Apps

Some of my best deals are thanks to the rebate apps I use on my smartphone, so I wanted to give a breakdown of the apps I use so you can start using them too! You don't have to buy things just because they are on the app, but I know all of you buy milk and bread, and I redeem things like that on these apps! You are missing out if you don't download these!

- Ibotta: This is my absolute favorite rebate app. You know how I mentioned getting paid for buying things like milk and bread? This is the app that has that. The rebate offers are frequently updated on this app; there isn't a certain day or time that this app posts new rebates. They also offer friend bonuses when you are linked to Facebook. Example: if you redeem $10 in the month, and your friends collectively redeem $15 that month, you will receive bonus cash! There are a ton of these type bonuses on Ibotta, which is one reason why this app is my favorite. I always have my phone with me and scan the items I am going to redeem in the store to be sure they do qualify for the rebate. If you do this, when you get home you can simply upload your receipt and you're done! You can cash out your rebates via PayPal once you've reached $20, or redeem a gift card for Amazon.com, Walmart, Starbucks, and many others - I always use PayPal then transfer the money directly to my bank account, it's the most convenient thing for me. If you decide to download this one, please use my referral code f8uv7q at sign up. This will ensure that we are friends on the app and can work together toward the friend bonuses I mentioned earlier even if we aren't Facebook friends. I will also receive $2 when you sign up and redeem your first rebate!

- SavingStar: This app also lets you redeem your rebates directly to PayPal, and the cash out minimum is only $5. SavingStar is similar to Ibotta in that you must scan the bar code on the products you are purchasing when you are uploading your receipt, however with stores that have loyalty cards (CVS, Winn-Dixie, Walgreens, etc.) you simply link your card number to the app, add the items you will be purchasing to your list, scan your loyalty card at checkout, and your savings will automatically be added to your account! Publix was recently added to the app - you'll need to get a UPromise card from your Publix store and link it to the app, then use it each time you check out and the rebates you've selected on the app will automatically be redeemed. Like Ibotta, the rebates on this app are updated at random - they also sometimes offer a "freebie", so you buy the item and the app gives you 100% of your money back. Last week I got a free Kit Kat bar!

- Checkout 51: This app is a little different than the previous two, mostly in that you don't have to scan the bar code of the items you are purchasing, and you can upload a receipt from any store (unless the rebate states otherwise). This means you aren't limited to a select few stores, which is nice! With this app, the cash out minimum is $20, and they will mail you a check rather than you being able to cash out via PayPal (I'm hopeful that they will update this soon). I don't use this app as much as I use Ibotta and SavingStar, but for months now they have had a $0.25 rebate on bananas each week. I purchase one small banana, usually totaling about $0.17, and I make money with this rebate! It may not seem like much, but you're still getting a banana for free each week! The list of available rebates resets every Wednesday night at 11:59 PM.

- MobiSave: Ibotta better watch out, because this app is slowly becoming my favorite! There is currently a waiting list to be approved for this one, so you better go ahead and sign up to get on the list. I've only had this one for about two months now, and it took almost a month for me to be approved, but so far it's been worth the wait. You can redeem these rebates at any store, and you don't have to scan the bar code. This app is a little tricky though in that you must have the rebates you are redeeming added to your cart on the app prior to checking out at the store. I always be sure to check my MobiSave cart just before I check out to be sure the items I am purchasing are in my cart. After checking out, you just upload your receipt and choose the rebates from your cart that you purchased. But the best thing about this app is there is no cash out minimum. Once the app has approved your purchase, they send your rebate directly to your PayPal! The list of available rebates resets every Sunday night at 11:59 PM - this also means the items you have in your cart will disappear.

- Snap: This app updates at random like Ibotta and SavingStar, but doesn't have as many rebates as these apps. You can upload a receipt from any store, the cash out minimum is $20, and like Checkout 51 they will mail you a check (also hoping this rebate updates to PayPal soon!). If you download this app, please use my referral link: https://snap.groupon.com/app?ref=41e0cc1a4a0e00ac. I will get $1 for each person who uses that link to sign up and redeems their first rebate. This app sometimes has milk, bread, and other 'any brand' rebates. (This rebate app is no longer available)


- Shopmium: This app also updates at random, and includes all stores, but also doesn't have as many rebate options. However, there is no cash out minimum and your rebates go straight to your PayPal. Also, if you use my referral code YAFEYYQJ at sign up, you will receive a rebate for a free Lindt chocolate bar! 

- Walmart Savings Catcher: This isn't a rebate app, but I thought it was appropriate to include it here, because if you shop at Walmart at all and you aren't using this, you should. All you do is go to Savings Catcher (on the Walmart app) and upload your receipt. They will price match grocery items and if they find a lower advertised price, they will give you the difference back via an EGift Card. Pretty simple.

- Target Cartwheel: This is also not a rebate app, but it's awesome. If you shop at Target for anything, please download this app. It has all kinds of discounts on items in the store - all you have to do is add the discounts you are going to redeem to your list, then show the cashier your Cartwheel bar code on your phone at checkout and the discounts will be applied to your order! My favorite thing about this app is you can scan any item in the store and it will tell you if there is a discount for it on the app! And to top it off, you can use one manufacturer coupon, one Target coupon, and one Cartwheel offer for each item you are purchasing!



I hope you will download all of these - sometimes the same item will be on multiple rebate apps and you can get it for free, or even make money on it!

Simple Wipes Deal at CVS

Retail $20.85, paid out of pocket $7.35 (tax of $1.37 included), got back $5 CVS extra care bucks and $5 via the SavingStar app - profit of $2.65!

Sale details:

Buy one get one 50% off

Buy 3 Simple products, get back $5 ECB

Coupons:

- $3/2 Simple products mfg Q (exp 8/23/15)

- $1/2 Simple products CVS Q

Also used $6.25 in CVS ECB from a previous trip

Rebates:

- $5/$20 Simple products on SavingStar

I had previously purchased $4.99 toward this offer.

Welcome

My name is Brooke - I'm a wife to a wonderful husband, a mother to two fur babies, and I love saving money! I started couponing about three years ago. At the time, I was still in college and doing everything I could to save a penny. Now, my husband and I are newlyweds who want to purchase our first home, which means we are trying to save even more! Although this is my motivation for wanting to save as much as I can, I actually have fun couponing! A hobby that makes money is the best kind of hobby to have!

About a year ago, I started posting photos of my best couponing trips on Facebook, and I've received a lot of support and a few requests to teach classes. I am very passionate about couponing and I could talk about it all day long, but I do NOT do well speaking in front of people, whether it be in front of 100 people or 10 people. I sure wish I could do it, because I think I would really enjoy it! So, being the introvert that I am, I decided to start this blog, hoping it could help anyone who is thinking about joining the wonderful world of couponing, or just give some additional info to my fellow couponers. When I started couponing, I used Google to find current deals, coupon match-ups, store coupon policies, beginner guides... so. much. research. But my research paid off, and I've learned so much about couponing since I began. The thing is, it's really not that hard to get started. Most people say they "don't have time" for couponing, or it's just "too much work", but if you have coupons sitting in front of you for items you are going to buy anyway, why not use them? Every little bit counts! You don't have to be extreme to coupon! Why pay full price for something when you can catch it on sale and use a coupon, and get it cheaper or even free?!

I also want to go ahead and make something clear for any discouraged beginners out there: not every trip is going to be perfect. I still make errors at the register or have some sort of issue with my transaction(s) - and let's keep in mind I sometimes spend hours getting my coupons in order and making sure I am organized before walking into the store. But then, life happens. The store is out of the item you wanted to buy. The item is more expensive than you thought. The item is less expensive than you thought (yes, this can sometimes cause a problem with a trip!). The list goes on. But life will go on, I promise. I sometimes find myself frustrated after realizing after I leave a store that a $0.25 coupon didn't scan, then I remember I made $2 on my transaction and $0.25 doesn't really matter too much. It's not always going to be perfect, and that's okay.

Anyway, I am going to use this blog to post my couponing trips and I will break down my trip to include the sales, coupons used, rebates redeemed, etc. I will also try to put together some posts with couponing tips so hopefully I will help someone out there save some money like I do! Questions and comments are welcome!