Queen Mother Blog

I love to save plastic grocery bags and reuse them for little trash liners, lunch bags for hubby (he eats a pretty big lunch, lol) and of course, for dog poop disposal. A long time ago my mom taught me to keep the plastic bags in an empty tissue box. I love that, because then you aren't spending $10+ at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a bag holder and you give something a new life.

This week at Staples HP Multipurpose paper is $4.99 with a $3.99 rebate, making the final price $1 a ream! This offer is limit 2. I use up a bunch of paper printing coupons ;) so I was just about out of paper when I saw this in the circular. I went yesterday and picked up 2 reams and the rebate process is very easy. "Easy" is their motto after all! The rebate receipt will print with instructions on how to submit online (like RiteAid) and it only takes a few seconds.

Click here to check out the Staples weekly ad.

This is the hot coupon right now! Click here and sign up with Luvs (click where it says "Get the coupon") to get a welcome pack including a $5 off coupon! If you are already a member (did you get this last year?) then login and check the box that you would like the $5 coupon and update your account.

$5 off one pack of Luvs would make them very inexpensive, so be sure to sign up soon as I'm sure this offer will run out soon! And while you're at it, you may want to have grandparents or friends sign up and pass the coupon back to you!

CVS is carrying Mom's Best Naturals oatmeal (it is in the canister) for $1 in a special value section of the store, near the seasonal items. You can print two $0.75 off any Mom's Best product coupons here (use the back button to print the coupon twice) to get 2 canisters of oatmeal for only a quarter each!

I was able to do this at my local store and for some reason I was really excited about it. I score great deals all the time, but something about taking home a nice big container for a quarter made me pretty happy! :p

I found this deal on the Money Saving Mom blog. Click here to check out the other CVS deals she has posted for this week!

I haven't put up a good freebie compilation post in a long time, but there's a bunch of good ones so here we go:

Last Saturday, August 29th, I had my Couponizer Brunch Seminar at The Tortilla Press in Collingswood, NJ. Like I mentioned earlier, I knew this brunch would be a great way for me to introduce the Couponizer system and how to get started saving REAL money using coupons in a fun and relaxed way.

So many people tell me that their coupons are a mess, they don't have the time to use coupons, etc. Yes, clipping coupons does take some time, as does learning how to use them effectively, but the savings you can realize *every week* makes that brief investment SO worth it!

At this seminar, first we got settled & ordered our brunch. The brunch specials at The Tortilla Press are awesome and a really great price (click here to visit their website!) Once we were enjoying the fresh squeezed oj and the delicious cinnamon nachos I went through the basics of how to save money with coupons, in general. Hint: Planning is #1!

After we enjoyed our meals, we got into the basics of the Couponizer system. Here I am going over how to use the Couponizer to keep organized while you are in the store:

Once I went over how to use the Couponizer, we talked about how to use coupons effectively. This included our local store coupon policies (such as who has the best coupon policies & what stores don't accept *any* internet coupons), where to find coupons and how to start saving BIG. This includes the beloved CVS, where you can combine Extra Care Bucks with Manufacturer coupons (like the one I'm holding below) to get your toiletries and household items for very little $!

Once everyone broke into her Couponizer, I fielded questions from the group:

My favorite was the question from Kat (far left, below) which had to do with buying things you don't need just because you have a coupon. Don't do it! That is one of the mistakes I made when I was a beginner, was to buy something because I had a coupon or because my coupon was about to expire. If it is not something you were planning to buy, or you could get an equally acceptable item for a lower price (like a generic), don't feel like you have to use the coupon. Coupons are tools to save you money, not an obligation! And, of course, good coupons come around every week! =)

Thanks to all of the attendees for coming out for my first seminar--I know that we all had a great time & I love your emails about your first shopping trip with the Couponizer! Don't forget you can always contact me with any questions.

And for those (many!) of you who wanted to come, but couldn't make this date I will be having more seminars like these in the future. If you are interested in having me speak for your group (women's group, MOPS group, etc.) feel free to contact me!

Special thanks:

To Chef Mark at The Tortilla Press for the delicious meal & giving us a great meeting place in your lovely restaurant!

And for Jamie at Ju'see Photos for taking a break from the seminar to capture these great pictures. In the Philly area and need a photographer? Click here to check out Jamie's website!

It's that time again. If you have a Bank of America credit card, it will grant you free admission to local museums this weekend (September 5th & 6th)! With the Bank of America "Museums on Us" program, all you have to do is show your Bank of America credit card along with your photo id to get free admission for each cardholder.

Check out their website here for all the details and to see what museums near you are participating. This promotion runs every month!