If you’ve been looking for a deal on Disney Family Fun Magazine, Tanga has you covered! You can get a year’s subscription (10 issues) for $3.50 with the coupon code DISNEY.
This is a fun magazine that has tons of crafts and activities that are easy to make. Most of the projects use common things you probably have lying around and my girls love it!
Tanga continues to be a great resource for fun magazines, and like their other deals, this is only available for 24 hours. It will take 8-14 weeks to get your first issue.
Tonight is the start of another season of Extreme Couponing on TLC, and they are already starting off by showing everyone a non-realistic form of couponing. In case you didn’t learn this from last season, not everything you see on TV is true, doable or even right.
After allowing an Extreme Couponing episode to be filmed in their stores Lowes Foods (one of the grocery stores covered here on Southern Savers) says they regret participating. We all know that stores bend their rules and that the show is embellished, but this is the first time one of the grocery stores has been this upfront about it. The following is an excerpt from a recent article in the Charlotte Observer (emphasis added):
“If we had it to do over again, we would not have done it,” said Lisa Selip, a corporate spokeswoman for Lowes Foods who said the show was full of misrepresentations and sensationalism. “Hindsight is 20/20.”
A case in point, she said, is contained in a promotional clip recently released online. It shows a man arriving in the grocery aisle seconds too late to purchase an energy bar after an extreme coupon shopper put every last bar into her cart.
“The guy who walked up to the shelf was one of the crew members,” Selip said. “It was all staged.” She said Lowes, which considers itself a coupon-friendly retailer, initially thought the show would be a great way to showcase its stores nationally. “Call it maybe being slightly naïve,” she said.
Selip says the chain deeply regrets its decision to participate in the show. “My hope is our customers know we’re a company of integrity and they’ll understand we made a mistake.” That anger could come from coupon clippers who’ll see people on the show using more than 20 coupons a day. Selip acknowledged that the company waived part of its policy for the benefit of TV cameras.
One of my biggest goals as a couponer and blogger is to follow the rules. In reality (the actual one, not the TLC one) you can still save a lot of money using coupons the right way. There is no reason to fill your garage with products you won’t use, wipe out a store’s entire stock of something, or break coupon & store policies to save a few extra bucks.
Just last week, I saved 50-70% on things my family will actually use & enjoy. I applaud Lowes for issuing an apology before the show even airs, but as more insight is revealed about the show, the more frustrating it is.
If you want to learn the right way start with the Learn to Coupon section of Southern Savers. There are great videos and articles that should help give you a better understanding on how to save a ton of money (and actually purchase what you need not 100 bottles of juice or floss…).
Update: This was a great deal that sold out really fast! Congrats to those who got one.
Keeping foods fresh until you can use them is one challenge we all face as we try to buy meat & produce on sale. You can get an incredible price on the FoodSaver MealSaver system right now, just $9.99 after coupon code (was $69.99!).
To Get The Deal:
- Start by going through ShopAtHome for 7% cash back.
- Click through to the Food Saver site and search for product FSMSSY0214-000
- Choose the White or Black model and Add to Cart
- Apply coupon code U1FV88A
- Get it for $9.99 shipped + Get Cashback too!
I don’t have this exact model, but I love my Food Saver for freezing meats, leftovers, cheeses and veggies. At $10, this would make an awesome wedding or Christmas gift too!
Since we covered the basics of saving money on groceries (i.e. learning sale cycles) now it’s time to add in the coupons. To start you have to get the Sunday paper. A few personal notes/thoughts on newspaper coupons:
- Newspapers only guarantee inserts to subscribers. Always check your newspaper for coupons before buying at grocery store or paper box. It doesn’t mean someone stole them, it could be that there just weren’t enough inserts sent from the publishers that week (inserts are not printed locally).
- You DON’T need a ton of papers! I know you are going to watch the lovely “tv show” and see people with closets of coupons. We need enough of a product to last 6 weeks, for most families that is only 1-2 of each item (watch the sale cycle video for more information). It will come on sale again and you will get another coupon, I promise.
- Because every insert is different, there will be many days that I tell you about a coupon in your match ups and you just don’t have it. The grocery deals on Southern Savers list any coupon released in the south east. While it can be frustrating to not have a coupon, remember that if it’s listed someone did get it! You can hop online and order it from a coupon clipping service or ebay if you really want it. Or trade with someone on our coupon traders board.
- One more thing… it is illegal to get in a dumpster in most states of the south. Just because you saw it on TV doesn’t mean you can do it.
Helpful links:
How to Organize Coupons (the easy way)
How to Organize Coupons (the extreme way)
Regional Variations – Get a list of every coupon in your areas paper each week.
Remember though – coupons are just icing on the cake. If you have a bad week or no time at all you are still saving a ton of money to buy the sale price and stock up on it. Don’t worry about the coupons, just grab the sales and add coupons back in when you can.
Watch more videos to learn couponing on the Southern Savers Youtube Channel.
Looking for an easy way to clean up stains? There are two new “Try me Free” rebates out. Grab the products on your next trip and then get all your money back after you submit the rebate.
Bissell Stomp ‘n Go Stain Lifting Pads
Purchase between 9/1 and 4/1/12 and get up to $5.99 back. Limit one per household. Print Rebate
Woolite Oxy Deep Carpet Stain & Odor Remover
Purchase between 8/15 and 1/15/12 and get up to $5.99 back. Limit one per household. Print Rebate.
Don’t forget about the Lysol Wipes free rebate too!
(thanks Frugal Finders!)
I listen to a lot of music while working, and free music is my favorite kind! Get a FREE $2 credit to the Amazon MP3 store with code FALLMP3S.
To get the credit enter the code on the Amazon Promo Code page and click apply. Then redeem it for anything you want to listen to!
Yesterday was Billy Joel day, so maybe I’ll go with something more current today.
Grab a Fandango deal for anywhere in the country. For $5 you get a movie ticket up to $13 in value (limit two tickets per person). Head over to Google Offers to get this great deal!
***This deal is no longer available, but you can see the complete list of entertainment deals here.***
This is a daily deal, so you need to get the voucher today and then you have until December 22nd to see your movie.
One note: If your theater charges more than $13 for at ticket you will have to pay the difference when you get your actual movie tickets.
Plum District has a great deal on $50 worth of food storage from Lock & Lock (these are some of my favorites for keeping things fresh). They have the certificate for $23, but they are also still running a 30% off code (plumlove), meaning you get it for just $16!
The best deal is on the sets of plastic or glass containers. The 32 piece set above is normally $35.99 so you can still add a few more pieces to get to $50! Heads up: shipping is additional $5.99 and isn’t covered by the voucher.
I use the larger ones to keep opened flour, sugar, pasta and other products fresh & organized in my pantry, so I’m excited to try the smaller ones for more day to day food storage.
Yay for free money! CVS is giving anyone who pledges to stop being a “money trasher” a $2 ExtraBuck towards their next CVS purchase. Head over to the CVS facebook page to make your pledge.
The $2 ECB is for the first 500,000 (so you ought to be able to get it!).
You’ll need to give your email address and CVS ExtraCare card number. Your $2 is sent in an email that you print and take with you on your next visit. The email comes very quickly but expires in 6 days, (mine expires 10/3).
(thanks Vicki!)
