Time to stock up on Pepsi

I was looking in the mini fridge and noticed we were down to only diet pop, so it's time to restock with the good stuff. CVS has a deal on Pepsi products, you can get 3 12-packs for $10. Then you need to stack that deal by getting 6 12-packs so you spend exactly $20 at which point you will receive $10 in extra care bucks to spend at CVS. I realize this doesn't get you the best ever price per can for pop ($0.28/can), but the extra $10 to spend at CVS is really nice, you can use these extra care bucks for times when you know you're not going to get a deal, like when you need a cold remedy or just want to try out the Bumpit.....

Grocery shopping

I was starting to feel like I hadn't gone grocery shopping in a long time. So, I did some today. The total for theses items (including any tax) was $13.41. I thought Ryan would be impressed, but he thought I was gonna tell him all this cost $3. Com'on now.

Some highlights:

Free Cheese Nips at Russ's

on sale for $0.99 (buy two per coupon)

- $2/2 printable coupon

=free + $0.02

Post Its at Target, $1.05

- $1/1 coupon from 1/10 Smart Source

=$0.05

Special K cereal $2.99 & Special K Granola $3.29 at Target

-(1) Buy-one-Special K cereal-get one Special K granola free coupon (manufacture)

-(1) $0.50/1 Special K cereal coupon (Target)

-(1) $1/1 Special K granola cereal coupon (Target)

=$0.75 each

V8 VFusion juice clearanced to $2.48 at Target

-$1/1 coupon

=$1.48

Hamburger Helper at Russ's $0.99

-$0.75/3 coupon from 1/3 Smart Source

=$0.74 ea

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice $1.50 each at Hy-Vee

-$1/1 coupon from 1/3 Red Plum

=$0.50 each

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter $1.50 at Hy-Vee

-$1/1 printable coupon *whoops! there is a chance to win at this link but no coupon. Not sure where I actually got this coupon...*

=$0.50

Wholly Guacamole $2 at Hy-Vee

-$1/1 printable coupon

=$1

No Raisin Bran left at Russ's, but I forgot to get a raincheck! Oh well, still a pretty good shopping day.

Free Samples

So I just got a package delivered by FedEx. I wasn't expecting anything, so I wasn't sure what it was. I opened the package to find all these great items! There's an 8 oz "multi-care whitening rinse", a 4 oz whitening toothpaste and a pair of "3D White Professional Effects Whitestripes". Wow! The letter says that I've been chosen to be one of the first to try Crest's new 3D White Collection. It's signed "Daily Candy" which, quite honestly, doesn't really sound familiar, but I'm sure I must have signed up somewhere along the line. I think I may have signed up to get some Crest coupons and filled out a survey then? At any rate, if you ever see a sampling panel from Daily Candy or a survey from Crest, give it a try-- I can't wait to try this stuff out!

I love these kind of surprises.

25% Off Coupon at Ruby Tuesday

25% Off at Ruby Tuesday - Coupon valid Jan 27 - Feb 7

This coupon is highly likely to work but not guaranteed by me.

Free Freezer Bag!

Just sign up here! I have a couple freezer bags that I take with me when I go shopping and they're great to have-- especially for free!

(this is through Sam's Club, but you don't have to be a member to get the deal)

(thanks Hip2Save!)

Free Chips and Queso Coupon at Chili's

Join Chili's E-mail Club for the latest happenings and exclusive offers, including a welcome gift of FREE CHIPS AND QUESO within 48 hours of signing up! To ensure delivery, add chilisCorp@Chilis.fbmta.com to your address book.

Band-Aids x 25

Well, maybe this is silly, but I really stocked up on the bandages last night. Band-Aids in the travel section at Target are $0.97 each and I had around 25 coupons good for $1 off any one Band-Aid product. Hence the Band-Aid overload. They have two different varieties: an 8 pack of regular flexible fabric type bandages and a 10 pack with a cute Hello Kitty design. I got some of both. I would use the Hello Kitty ones, but I'm thinking Ryan would not...

I actually bought most of these coupons on ebay for $0.88. Also, you do still have to pay tax on them even though you're getting them for free, which kinda kills the thrill. Here's the math:

(11) 10 ct pkgs & (14) 8 ct pkgs @ $0.97 each = $24.25

-(25) $1/1 coupons = $-0.75 overage!

+ $0.88 for coupons = $0.13

+ 7% tax ($1.70) =$1.83 for 222 Band-Aids

Free Raisin Bran

Just a little deal to mention: Russ's has select Post cereals on sale 3 for $5 or $1.67 each this week. If you sign up for the Post newsletter on their website, they will send you a coupon for $2 off one box of Post Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts, or Raisin Bran. I think the Raisin Bran is the only variety that will match up with this deal.

Hey, you wanted to start eating a healthier breakfast anyway, right?!

$1 Burger King Double Cheesburger

It hasn't been talked about here, but Burger King's double cheeseburger is only $1. This wonderful special has been running since October and should continue for the next few months. Hopefully they make it permanent. If you've seen BK's commercials advertising the size of their double cheeseburger versus McDonald's' but haven't tried one (or ten) for yourself, I promise you that BK is not exaggerating; Burger King's double cheeseburger is a meal whereas McDonald's double cheeseburger is a snack.

I won't get into which burger has better flavor (*cough* Burger King's) because that's more like an opinion. What do you think? Who has the best value-double-cheeseburger? Which restaurant smells better as you drive by?

This seems like a good place to slip this in: If you want the best hamburger in Lincoln you must try a Famous Dave's Devil's Spit Burger or Dave's Favorite Burger or maybe even the Ultimate BBQ Burger. I promise you'll get what you pay for. It's the juciest, tastiest burger you've ever had or I'll give you your money back (just pay shipping and handling).

Shutterfly Free 20-page 7x9 Photo Book + $5 Shipping

Do you have a bunch of photos taken during the holidays and you're not quite sure what to do with them? Maybe you just need somebody to give you a little push to do something nice with them. Here's another deal that expires at midnight.

Use code READYMADEBOOK for a free ready-made 20 page 7x9 book. Shipping is $4.99.

Offer is for one free ready-made 20 page 7" × 9" photo book. To receive this you must create an order for one ready-made 20pg 7×9 photo book and then enter the reward code READYMADEBOOK at the Shopping Cart page to receive the offer. Offer is valid for a limited time only.

10 Months of Jazzercise for $20 Per Month

ONE DAY ONLY!
I've always wanted to type that in really large letters.

Thanks to the miracle known as Facebook I found a one-day special for Jazzercise. No, I'm not personally interested in this but perhaps some of you out there would enjoy "a 60-minute group fitness class combining cardio, strength, and stretch moves for a total body workout."

Monday, January 25 ONLY - 10 months of Jazzercise for $20 per month

Upcoming Hy-Vee 12 Hour Sale

Have you heard about the 12 hour sale this Sunday at Hy-Vee? It starts at 8AM and there are a number of good deals to be had. Some highlights include:

1/2 gal. milk $0.88

Tostitos tortilla chips $1.88

Cottonelle TP (12 double rolls) $4.88 (look for the $1/1 coupon that was in the Parade magazine this last Sunday or print online for an even better deal!-- $3.88 each)

Tony's Pizza $0.88

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (2.5 lb bag) $3.88 (limit 2)

Skippy Peanut Butter $0.98 (limit 2)

Did you know that Hy-Vee also does a weekly coupon match-up on their site? They don't seem to have any of these special sale items matched up this week, but it can still be helpful:) Also, if you're looking for a specific coupon for something, try this Coupon Database from A Full Cup. You can type in what you're looking for and it will display (most) all the coupons out there for that product...and will have links to printable coupons.

$15 off at The Limited

Here's a coupon for $15 off any purchase at The Limited. You can't use it on accessories, but you should still be able to find a cami or t-shirt that makes this a pretty good deal. Or print it now and hang onto it for a little longer (it's good through February 3rd)-- while it doesn't work on clearance items, it would work on any sale items. I had a few of these coupons before Christmas when the whole store was 40% off-- it was awesome!

My total for these items: $0.04

Last night Ry wanted to go somewhere, so we decided to hit up our fav combo: we go to Petco for him, Target for me. Well, actually we threw SuperSaver in the mix last night too; Ryan had to get some OJ for his small business networking group the next morning. Just browsed at the pet store last night, but we did find something next door at Super Saver. On the clearance racks at the back of the store they had 3 different flavors of Kikkoman Curry Sauce. Notice the little paper hat that says "Try Me Free!"? I got interested. Turns out all you have to do is send in your receipt and they will send you your choice of a check in the purchase price amount or (6) $1 coupons good for any Kikkoman product. It was only $2.66 but I'll probably still opt for the check;)

After Super Saver was Target...nothing too exciting, but free is free! Here's the breakdown:

Reach dental floss= $1.02 x 2 = $2.04

- (2) $1/1 Reach coupons (8/2SS, 10/18RP, 1/3RP) = $0.04

Nivea Body Wash on sale for $2.99

- (1) $1/1 Target coupon = $1.99

- (1) $2/1 internet printable coupon* (also in some 1/3RP, but not in Lincoln)= $0.00

*sorry, I don't think this is available for print anymore:(

Johnson & Johnson Soap Buddies Bar $0.97

- (1) $1/1 manufactures coupon from 1/3RP

Runza Temperature Tuesdays

It's that time of year for Runza to bring shock and awe to the Lincoln/Omaha communities with their "Temperature Tuesdays" where you can get a Runza for the price of the temperature at 6am on that Tuesday. My wife and I just got back from there just minutes ago. Today's temp was 29 degrees at 6am. Of course you have to buy a reg fries and medium drink, but it's still a good savings. Most days the meal will cost you about $3.50.

This deal is good through the end of February, so you don't have to rush, but you might want to!

P.S. there was a sign on the door that mentioned they will be printing some coupons in the Lincoln Journal Star on January 24th, so keep your eyes peeled for this upcoming deal!!

P.S.S if you're looking for a coupon deal for Runza, leave a comment and I'll tell you about an even more secret offer from Runza. Let's see those followers come out of the woodwork. I promise it won't disappoint.

http://www.runza.com

Chocolate Cheerios - $2.48

I discovered a new cereal today. It didn't seem too outlandishly expensive so I bought it. Super Saver said I saved $1.50. I don't care. Who wouldn't love a chocolate cereal?! I'm sure this will be great for my cholesterol...

$4 Premium Car Wash With Any In-Store Purchase

At this time of year everyone's car gets messy. When you consider the amount of salt that's put down to help melt the snow and ice you get concerned about the damage this can cause to your car. I decided it was time to get that grime off of my vehicle so, having heard good things about the C Station gas station and car wash near 14th and Pine Lake Road, I headed there.

As any frugal person should do I filled my tank with gas before purchasing the car wash so that I would get a discount. I went inside to pay and discovered a car wash deal. Nice timing huh?

I found out that you can get a very nicely upgraded premium car wash for $4 with any in-store purchase (pack of gum anybody?). The normal price for this wash is $8. With gas that gets discounted to $7. You save almost 50% on this deal.

I purchased some cookies and a $4 wash. After entering my magic code I was presented with the choice between touchless or Foam-Brite. The nice employee inside had given me the heads up on this choice so I knew that I wanted the Foam-Brite option because it uses those rotating brushes and I needed a good scrub. The wash isn't the fastest you'll find, but in my opinion that's a good thing. I wanted those brushes to work their magic at their own speed. A nice touch at the end of the wash was the drying mechanism. Instead of exiting slowly and trying to maximize the drying time while being sure to get clear before the car behind starts the process over and soaks your car, this car wash has you stay in park and the drying mechanism passes from front to back and then slowly returns to the front, ensuring a dry car without giving you a foot cramp.

Overall I was pleased with my decision to go with the premium wash and to top it off I even got to snack on some cookies. It sure beat getting the hose out in the freezing rain.

Free Fresco Taco at Taco Bell

Free Taco!

This coupon has been reset, so if you already printed awhile ago, you may be able to print another one now. Unlike many other internet printable coupons, you'll only be able to print one, not two. Note that expiration is 7 days from printing. Also, I found one of these same coupons in a recent People magazine, which might come in handy if you're looking for a way to make this dinner for two:)

Marcus Theatres Spotlight Movie Club

Well if you're like us, you enjoy a cheap movie. The sad part is my car often parks in the asphalt wonderland that used to be the cheap theatre! With no cheap theatre in Lincoln anymore your best bet is to sign up for the Marcus Theatres Spotlight Movie Club. Each week they send you an email with a list of 4 movies they are offering a coupon for. The coupon is only good for viewings on Wednesday and Thursday, so you won't get a cheap weekend date out of this one, but hey, if you want to save money you gotta head for the deals.

What you get:
- Coupon for $5 admission to selected movies for that week
- Admission for up to 4 people per coupon at the discount rate.
- A heads up on which movies are struggling ;-)
- Not too much spam email...

So head over to the Marcus Theatres website: http://www.marcustheatres.com and look under "promotions" and I'll probably see you next week at the theatre!

On the Cheapie-- Resurrected!

It's been a long time Cheapie friends!

When I first started these posts, I had no idea there were so many frugal-ish sites out there. Since then I've taken a sort of coupon course and learned how many great resources there are out there. It's easy to waste the good portion of a day searching out all the deals! (not that I've ever done that, of course...). It is often enough to induce information overload.

With a little encouragement from other Cheapies, therefore, we're gonna give this another try. I won't be posting all the deals out there, just the best deals I see (national & local) that are actually worth the time and effort. Additionally, a good friend, Tom, will also be posting deals he finds (in fact, he's pulled this blog out of hibernation already! See below) and so will my DH Ryan... won't it be nice to have a few more points of view and interests?

Papa John's Large Single-Topping Pizza - $6.97

With the limited time in my schedule tonight I decided to order a pizza. Since I have a gift card I received during the holidays, I called Papa John's. The question I always like to ask is, "Do you have any specials?" It's an important question because you will discover many deals simply by asking this short question.

Tonight I discovered that Papa John's has a Monday and Tuesday special for Carry-Out only. This wasn't a problem for me since being the cheap guy that I am I always pick it up anyway.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, carry-out a large, one-topping pizza at Papa John's for $6.97.

It's not the best deal I've seen, but since it doesn't require a coupon and recurs every week, it's a good deal to remember, especially if you're a big Papa John's pizza fan.

As for me, my favorite place to get pizza isn't Papa John's. However, they do have the best option to dip your pizza in... their Special Garlic Dipping Sauce. Next time you try Papa John's, shake up the container of garlic-buttery goodness and give it a try.