Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act

https://aws.realchocolate.com/

Free chocolate!  Here's an article that tells a little more about it:  http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2009/05/14/free-chocolate-every-friday-for-months.aspx

KFC!

Today Kentucky Fried Chicken will give you a piece of their new un-fried chicken for free!  And it looks pretty good.  I just realized this grilled chicken is probably not skinless, so it's not exactly guilit-free, but that's also probably not gonna stop me from trying it;)

3-2-1 Contact

First things first, does anyone remember the show 3-2-1 Contact?  It was a science type show that I just vaguely remembered as I was typing in the title.  A quick Google search turned up a few things to jog my memory, including a Wikipedia page and the video above- enjoy:)

Anyway, contacts are the subject of my post.  I just ordered a two-year supply from Shipmycontacts.com for both myself and Ryan.  We just had eye appointments at the Target optical inside Super Target recently and were due for some new lenses.  [Note: Target is one of the cheapest places to get a contact lense exam around here ($79); even cheaper than Wal-Mart ($80).  If you mention you have Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska insurance, you get 10% off regardless of whether or not you have vision coverage ($79-10%= $71.10).  Shopko is another good choice at about the $80 range as well.]  

After some rigmorale, including me trying 3 different brands of contacts, I had a prescription for contacts that were $22/box at Target.  Ryan's cost about the same.  Online these contacts cost $15.20/box with free shipping.  I figure we're saving about $133.44 by ordering online instead of in-store!  

In-store:  16 boxes of contacts @ $22/box = $352 + 7% tax = $376.64

On-line:  16 boxes of contacts @ $16/box = $256 - coupon code SAVE0227 = $243.20, no tax

Now, I just ordered them today, so we'll see how the process goes and if the savings really works...

OREOS!

Here's a link to an Oreo coupon for $1.50 off!  At Super Saver (where this coupon is from), Oreos are $2.76 - $1.50 = $1.26.  The coupon expires April 21st.  You can use for regular Oreos, double-stuff, or the spring oreos with yellow filling:)

Penny Picker Uppers

Ryan is an avid Penny Picker-upper.  So I'm thinking he'll like this stunt from CiCi's:  today they're distributing pennies within a 2 mile radius of their resturants that have a coupon-sticker attached.  The coupons are for free buffets, free drinks, stuff like that.  I saw a commerical about it this morning...check their website for more info.

Yeah! More coupons

Yeah! I like this coupon talk:)  Amy sent me a link for a BOGO for Boston Market.  I haven't gone there in for-ev-er!  Thanks Amy (be sure to check out her blog too).  Also, Ryan found a free drink coupon at Scooters Coffeehouse!

BOGO-Smogo

We love to use coupons for eating out. BOGOs are our favorite (buy one get one free) :) Last week my mom and I used a BOGO at Village Inn for breakfast and coffee, mmm. Ryan and I used a BOGO at Ruby Tuesdays this weekend (steaks & salad bar for both of us= $16.04+tip). We get BOGOs for DQ Blizzards and Breada combo meals occasionally and coupons for free appetizers from Red Robin & Texas Roadhouse. You mostly just have to sign up for the e-club of every restaurant you visit! Most have something like that. I have a hotmail account that I use exclusively for signing up for restaurants and other things likely to generate a lot of spam; this system seems to work pretty well. Plus, when it's your birthday you'll get coupons for all kinds of free things! Other places we pick up out-to-eat coupons are those ads you get in the mail and the phone book (there can be some good ones in there!). My mom usually gets them out of the Sunday paper for us too, since we don't have a subscription. It's fun to try new places if you know you're getting a good deal... plus it helps alleviate the "Where do you want to go?"/"I don't know. Where do you want to go?" dilemma :) Here's a (non-definitive) list of all the places you'll have to be sure to sign up at:

-Coldstone Creamery

-Village Inn

-Buzzard Billy's

-Pizza Hut

-Red Lobster

-Red Robin

-Noodles & Co

-Applebee's

-Chili's

-Famous Dave's

-Macaroni Grill

-Qdoba

-Olive Garden

-Dairy Queen

Where else am I forgetting-- or what great places haven't I thought of?!

Prescription savings

Oh dear, I'm afraid this blog has started to go the way of many a-blog... and by that I mean neglected.  I am finding good deals out there, but somehow only very awesome deals seem worthy of the time it takes to write about them, ha.  I guess that just means I'll need to find more extra-wonderful bargains to share with everyone.  Like this one:

Last Friday I had two prescriptions to fill and did a little calling around to see which pharmacy would have the best price (we have a high-deductible insurance, so it basically doesn't cover much of anything:(  Anyway, the one of the prescriptions was cheap ($10), but the other was $40 at Target and $43 at Walmart-- eww.  So, I tried to find a coupon online to help out.  I found this one from Rite Aid, which gets you a $25 gift card if you transfer a prescription-- and you can use it for up to two prescriptions!  Unfortunately, however, there are no Rite Aids in Nebraska.  I printed the coupon out anyway and went to CVS (I'd never filled a prescription there before) and asked them if they could/would take competitors coupons-- and they said yes!  Also, the more expensive prescription was only $14 here!  So I was pretty excited to get $50 worth of gift cards in exchange for something I had to buy anyway.  I bought a couple deodorants for Ryan a few days later and it was great to get those for free-- plus one of the deodorants had $2 in "ExtraBucks" money so I only had to use around $1 worth of my GC for the second deodrant anyway;)  *Note:  I generally don't like the ExtraBucks thing at CVS.  Too complicated!  Maybe I'll have to get into them though to get the most value out of my 50 bucks...

Thanks to Ryan's mom, Debbie, for getting me thinking about prescription coupons!  She gave us a coupon for a $10 gift card with a new/transfered prescription at Target recently:)

Shoes of the brown variety

I didn't consciously try to buy all these brown shoes. It just happened that way.  I've been (apparently) collecting these for the last couple of weeks. Not only are they all brown, but they were each an even $15... with the exception of the Mary-Jane style ones which were $3.99 (thrifted). Now that I see them all together, I think I'll maybe take back the Steve Madden flats on the left-- don't want to over-do it you know;)  

From L to R-->  

Steven Madden flats, TJ Maxx, $15

American Eagle Mary-Janes with hidden wedge, thrifted, $3.99

Jessica Simpson croc-style heels (exact copy of a BCBG style my sister has), Marshall's, $15

Steven Madden boots (surprisingly comfortable!), Marshall's, $15

Moving on to: Kitchen

Here's a purchase that makes me happy. I found this little stool at Target last Friday for $12.48, which I didn't think was too bad.  It was originally $49.99 (75% off).  In fact, all the items from the "2009 Design Event" were 75% off, but I didn't really see anything else I needed.  We've never had a stool at this little desk area in the kitchen and I've pretty much gotten used to it that way, but I think it does make more sense to have the seat there.  Anyway, I like that the stool is very light and flows well with the other colors already in the kitchen.

Foot board as head board...hmmm

In keeping with the home-improvement theme this week, here's a great idea for a cheapie headboard. I love this idea because it's so easy, super cheap, and makes a big difference in a room! At Nebraska Furniture Mart (and I would assume other furniture places), there's a discount area in the back room where they put all the mismatched, damaged, or discontinued furniture items.  For some reason they seem to always have a lot of foot boards without any matching headboards. Obviously there aren't too many people interested in just the foot boards. I picked up a nice looking one for only $5.00 and Ryan mounted it to the wall so that it looks like a head board. It did involve making some sort of bracket thing which I can't describe very well because I don't know how it works, but you get the idea.  I actually bought two foot boards and used one as head board and one as a foot board, but I decided I liked having only the head board better. What do you think?  It doesn't get much cheaper than this:)

I never knew I wanted

Last night Ryan and I went to Lowe's to return a few little things he had purchased for a project and didn't use. We wandered through the store a little and I remembered some door handles I had seen in a Tuesday Morning ad.  The ad had modern silver door handles for $9.99 which I thought was a great price-- and apparently I wasn't the only one.  I went there the day the sale started, two hours after they opened, and they had already sold out of all the silver handles.  So, I wanted to see how much door handles sell for regularly at Lowe's. And yes, that was a good deal. Apparently door handles are pretty expensive.  $30 was about the standard for hall and closet handles and handles with locks were even pricier-- many were over $100.  With the exception of the ones I found! I spotted a handful of Kwikset hall & closet satin nickel door handles ("Avalon" lever style) on clearance for $7.47 each.  Each set includes all the components you need. We snatched up six sets to updated our doors and Ryan got them all put in that night.  I think it's a subtle change that helps to make our older house seem more modern...and spending only $47.96 makes it even nicer:)

Kwikset Door handles:  Avalon Satin Nickel style

Retail price for 6:  $192.54;  my price for 6:  $47.96

Bonus: free samples

Click the links to enjoy some free samples!

• Free 10-day sample of Origins Night Health Bedtime Face Cream (while supplies last)
• Free sample of Starbucks coffee mailed to your home
• Free sample of CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain when you text OUTLAST to 467467
• Free sample of Viva paper towels from Walmart
  

Attention: Free Stuff

Here's a deal everyone will enjoy:  the February Walgreens EasySaver items! If you have never experienced the EasySaver, now is the time to start. Go to any Walgreens and pick up the EasySaver booklet they have near the door. Then you just pick up all the items they have marked "Free after Rebate". There is a new booklet for each month. You do have to pay for the items yourself upfront, but after you submit your rebate, Walgreens will send you a check in the mail. Or, if you opt to have them send you a Walgreens gift card, you'll get the money back that you spent plus 10%. You can submit the rebate online now, too, which is very easy....Easy...Saver!

FREE products available at Walgreens in February:

-ThermaCare HeatWraps (for the neck)

-Fructis shampoo/conditioner or styling product (your choice)

-Zucol Coldcare cough drops (to shorten duration/severity of a cold)

-Walgreens Multi-purpose No Rub contact solution

-Revlon Age-Defying Foundation or concealer (both have a brush built-in the packaging)

-Revlon Creme Gloss lipstick

....All the products I got are worth $38.99!

Have you heard of this?

Have you heard of this cool website? If you've ever spent any time creating (low budget) ads/flyers/other promotional material or if you just like to make cards or labels, this is the site for you: http://www.sxc.hu/ It's just like the other royalty-free stock photography websites out there (istockphoto.com, bigstockphoto.com) except this one is free! There are tons of hi-res photos to choose from as well as some vector art. Downloading is easy and you can keep a 'lightbox' of images you like for future projects. You should pretty much be able to come up with an image for any project you're working on AND it won't be all pixel-ly. So get a jumpstart on Feburary 14th and head on over-- search for "hearts" to make your honey a Valentine's day card...how sweet:)

Coat for cheapie

Here's a good deal I almost passed up-- but now I'm glad my mom talked me into it!  It's a black wool coat from Ann Taylor Loft.  There were only two left; both were petite (which is probably why they were still there).  There are a few times when it pays to be short!  I've worn it a few times now, when the temps weren't too freezing... I think it will be a good transitional coat into spring.  I'm not too crazy about the brass buttons, but I might try to tone those down. Not too bad, though, for a coat that cost, with tax, $11.88!

Black wool coat, Ann Taylor Loft, $11.88

(Originally $149.00)

A deal to make your tummy happy

So, here's a deal I've been enjoying for a few weeks now. It's only on Mondays only, though, so you'll have to remember this for next week:) On Mondays at McDonald's from 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM, you can get a free (full-sized!) McCafe drink. Depending on which location you visit, there may be a 'flavor of the day' or you may get to choose your flavor. There are cappuccinos & lattes (vanilla, sugar-free vanilla, carmel, or hazelnut) and mochas. I've just about had all the flavor combinations by now and, I have to say, they are all surprisingly delish! I don't know how long this promotion will go on, but I hope it never ends:) It hits the spot on a cold winter morning!

Checks

P.S.  Now I need some free or cheapie checks (see previous post)... anyone have a good idea?  I know Wal-Mart has cheaper checks.  I also saw that Vista Print offers 25 free checks, but that's not very many.  Let me know what you have found!

Free Day

Yesterday I realized that I had an especially free-filled day.  It started with a trip to Cornhusker Bank where I opened a new checking account (free, of course).  I love going to Cornhusker Bank because they have a cappuccino/hot chocolate machine with a rotation of different flavors (yesterday was French Vanilla).  Mmmm.  I actually save my deposits and go banking on days when I know I'll be out and about and would enjoy a warm frothy drink in hand:)  By they way, they have a decent interest rate for checking accounts which is why I switched banks-- who doesn't like free money?  Anyway, yesterday I got the cappuccino, as per usual, but since it was also their locations' one-year anniversary, they had cookies and cake as well.  Yum!  Ryan and I took some cookies before the personal banker said we needed some cake for the road and brought us a big corner piece.  We didn't refuse:)

Later in the evening I went to Ashley Lynn's Tanning because they have free tanning from now until January 26th.  I heard about this on a radio commerical.  Now, I'm not a huge promoter of tanning-- I think it's ridiculous when you see orange girls in the dead of winter or the older women with the dark, leather-like skin.  But the prospect of being a little tanner is hard to turn down, especially when the price is free. 

After this Ryan and I went to Blockbuster.  We had two coupons each good for a free previously viewed DVD, up to $14.99 value!  Ryan got this coupon through e-Rewards.  When you sign up for e-Rewards, you bascically currency for participating in market research surveys that are selected to match your demographics and interests.  You can then redeem your earnings for "rewards" from their participating partners.  I earned a year's subscription to Lucky magazine once, as well as a subscription to Women's Day, which I gave to my mom.  Ryan's earned a subscription to Entreprenuer magazine, in addition to the Blockbuster DVDs.  We each picked out a movie; both are movies we haven't seen.  Ryan got "TransSiberian" and I got "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day".  If they both sink, we won't feel too bad;)

Ah, I love a Free Day.

Cosmetics=Expensive....but not today!

Here's a great deal you can cash in on, brought to you by my friend Matt! (I'm guessing he won't be participating.) If you've purchased any cosmetics from Younkers or Dillards between May 29, 1994 and July 16, 2003, you can choose a free cosmetic item (from their list) starting today, while supplies last. Apparently these free beauty products are to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused certain manufacturers and department stores of fixing retail prices. The list of available products isn't too amazing, but you can get some Lancome mascara or Clinique Moisture Surge, which is decent.

Who doesn't love a little pampering, especially at this price? ;)

Diesel Tennies

I grabbed these tennies yesterday for an incredible $5!

They are Diesel, "Maudy Jane", and currently sell for around $50. (Mine came from Plato's Closet.)

I played the game where I made Ryan guess how much they cost. He guessed $29. 

So, I'm pretty excited.  

Something for nothing

Last year I signed up for a Gap Visa credit card to save 20% or something like that on a coat I was buying. I hadn't used the card since until I got a letter in early December explaining that if I would use the card for four transactions in 2008, I would receive a $20 gift card for use at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy or Piperlime. And since it's a Visa card, I could make these transactions anywhere that accepts Visa which, basically, is everywhere. Easy enough!  Actually, I had a hard time remembering to use it.  I ended up going to Target on the 31st and breaking up my purchase into two transactions so I could meet the deadline:)  I was quite excited to receive this in the mail the other day.  It's good through April. Now the hard part: deciding what to get...

The Ultimate Score: HGTV Dream Home

A long shot, I realize, but someone's got to win it! It would be my crowning achievement in Great Deals.

You can enter once daily at http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/index.html

I have to say, last year I was so disappointed in the winner's reaction. A little mad even. When the camera crew knocked on her door, ambush-style, the winner was like, "Oh, I won? Okay. Thanks." No screaming. No jumping. No nothin. Cm'on!

Maybe I'll get the chance to showcase my better refined reaction abilities this year...

Who doesn't love a fresh, new Sharpie?

Ahh, a nice new Sharpie makes my heart happy. I don't know how those Sharpie makers do it, but there is no generic writing utensil on the market that can do what the Sharpie does. And a great deal only makes it better. This great find is brought to you courtesy of my husband. He found this colored 12-pack of mini, fine-point Sharpies with key ring attachers in the Clearance section of OfficeDepot. Now, normally I'd say don't even bother with their clearance section; it's not usually anything to write home about. But this just proves you should always just check:) Not only were they ultra-marked down, but all clearance had an additional 20% off. Of course, when he gave them to me, he left the price tag on-- he knows how to make me happy.

12-pack of Colored Mini Sharpies- $3.19
OfficeDepot
(normally $14.99!)