Great Week at CVS

Saw http://jerikayssearchfortheperfectdeal.blogspot.com/ this week and wanted to get to CVS. I have a crazy day here but I want to post how awesome I think CVS is this week. I finally got there today and scanned my card and out popped four coupons one of which was a $4/$20 coupon. So I knew I would use this one. Another coupon was $1/2 Cheerios. They have the large boxes are 2.22 right now and all had a $1/1 peelie. Used this coupon too. Did the Dulcolax MM and the Schick Hydro razor deal. Bought a few bottles of handsoap and some school supplies. Prior to coupons total was over $37. After coupons and a swipe of my FSA card for the Dulcolax I paid 3.38 oop as all of my ECBs were of higher values. I still got back 14.99 in ECBs and will submit the razor for the 8.97 rebate. WOW. CVS paid me to shop big time this week and I love them. All this on top of the 5ECBs I got a couple of days ago from a short survey.

Swagcode for 7 until 1:00 pm pdt

Check the blog.

Can you pick the right cashier?

     I had read on more than one blog when I first started couponing, to try and find a certain type of cashier when you are shopping with a lot of coupons. I think it was Hip2save that said she likes to pick young males as they seem friendliest to us couponers. She may be on to something. Who knows. Well, yesterday I went to Target and Ralphs and used lots of coupons at both stores. At Target I was in a line with a young female cashier who was leaving so I ended up with a young guy. He was great. Pushed thru every coupon and even gave me the full value of a bogo coupon even though the item was on sale. I think he was hurrying and just didn't want bother with checking anything and I don't advocate getting anything I am not entitled to, but after I got home I discovered his mistake.
     The next store was for groceries and I chose the only line open and the cashier was an older male who didn't say much so I was a little nervous when I had to hand him my stack of Qs. So he put thru all the coupons and at the end I had a coupon for a free item but the item was more than you could get with the coupon so I told him that so he wouldn't have to keep looking for the item. He still didn't say much and finally he said free is free with a smile on his face and  he gave me the entire amount off. I thanked him and happily walked out of the store. Now I have had lots of female cashiers that were just fine and friendly to me but this was my experience today and I have to say I have never had a problem with a male cashier in the past. There is one at CVS that I particularly like as he puts everything thru and is fast and gets me out the door right as rain. So who knows?

Reminder to sign up for CVS advisor program

CVS uses this program to survey customers about new ideas and products coming to stores. I signed up only three months ago and already I have earned 20 ECBs by doing the surveys. They will send you and e-mail and even if you don't qualify for the survey, but you answer the initial questions, you earn 2 ECBs. One survey I did was long and I earned 15 and the next one was shorter, maybe five minutes and I earned 5. Here is the link:
https://www.cvsadvisor.com/Home_gray.aspx

Couple of Target Clearance items

Ran into Target today. Found large size of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (the best) clearanced to .84. The varieties are limited. Also, large boxes of Total Raisin Bran Clearance to 1.92 with a $1 peelie cpn on the box.

Free Earrings from Seventeen Magazine

Hurry the first 20,000 will get a free pair of earrings by filling out the form.
http://newblog.makemechic.com/seventeen

More Coupons for Free Smoothie or Frappe at McDonalds

Ordered a couple sweet teas at McD's today and look what was on them.

That's a great deal considering the sweet teas are only $1 a piece and the Frappes and Smoothies are more than double that. The coupons says it is good thru the 15th of August.

Sample of Cheetos Mighty Zingers

Click  and wait for the Zingers box
http://www.besnackready.com/SnackReadyAlert.aspx

FREE Post-it Super Sticky Notes

Sample of the Super sticky notes:
http://www3.3m.com/qfrm/ShowSurvey?surveyid=JOJNPRG4

Free Sample of Tiger Balm Rub

Go to the facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/TigerBalmUS?v=app_11007063052

A Rant

Went to Albie's today to use the double coupons from the Sunday paper. Well I am all organized and have the doubles matched to my coupons and the gal tells me oh the second and third one won't work. We recvd three in the paper. I say why not and she says well they have to be handed in the order they were printed in the paper and I have loads as I am doing a couple of transactions. Says no where on the coupon that is how they have to be handed over. So now I am handing her the other coupons hoping to find the right ones for that sequence. Ended up I had to not use one of them and the manager had to come over twice for overrides. I stayed calm as I like the checker but I told her I thought that was kind of tricky. Really what is the point of that anyway?
 I rarely shop there any longer as they don't double and my Vons does up to a $1. I will be going online as they ask you to do on the bottom of the receipt to lodge a complaint. Ridiculous. Lose a customer over your pinchy doubler coupons. I have spent thousands and thousands there over the years. Sorry just needed to vent. It was a pretty good trip but crummy check out experience. 51 items for $34. Not my best but still far better than pre-couponing days.

WOW Swagcode for 21-EXPIRED

Copy and paste code from the swidget.

Pinecone Recruiting Females

I personally love this survey sight the most of the four I belong to. The surveys seem fast paced and you get a check mailed to you in about a week after you finish one. I usually get two sent a month to me. They notify you via e-mail when they have a survey open. Click on the free sample link which will take you to the Pinecone offer. You can check out the other freebies while you are there.Free Samples / Freebies / Free

Nabisco Cookies & Milk Coupon is Up Again

Today is the one day of the month the print the coupon.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/nabiscocookies?ref=ts

Albertsons double cpns in Sunday paper

Watch you Sunday inserts for the Albertson's Double coupons. There are three in today's paper. Also, inside the stores at the check out stand they have a coupon book that has two of the double coupons on the back cover. These doubler coupons let you double a coupon up to a $1. That could net you some free or very cheap stuff this week.

Get a Free Carton of Better Oats Oatmeal! Available again!

Hurry this is available again. Looks like you get a whole package with the coupon.

http://www.betteroats.com/coupon/?result=success

Garden Bounty-what to do with all those cucumbers

I have cucumbers coming out of my ears. We have been picking 2-3 a day which is more than you can put in your average salad so here are the ways we eat them up.
Number one!! Cucumber sandwiches. My mother raised me on these and they are a real treat. You just need soft bread, usually white is best. Cover the bread with mayo and sliced cucumbers, salt and pepper and if you really want to be in heaven then add sliced avocado. My kids all like these and it saves the lunch meat.

YUMMM!

Salads. Cucumber can be sliced with any kind of yummy veggie add some vinaigrette and you have a wonderful side dish. Usually we have it with tomatoes but this year we have hardly picked any tomatoes with our weather being so cool. It has been the oddest, cool summer I have ever had in my 43 years in So. Calif. I love it. I'm thinking of trying a recipe I saw on The Coupon Goddess sight for bread and butter pickles. Anyone have any other ideas please let me know.

Love my messy kitchen? Just wanted to show even my youngest likes her cucumber sammie.

Swagcode until 1:30 pdt

The blog has the code.

Barnes & Noble online clearance sale

Some start as low as .99, 1.99 and up. Can you say Christmas shopping? I have snagged a few for my girls to put away for gifts. If you are member, that shipping is free.

$5/$25 Walgreens coupon for signing up for e-mail

Monday when I was in Wags I was asked if I wanted to sign up for e-mail updates and coupons so I said sure. Today in my e-mail was a newsletter very much like CVS's and with it a coupon for $5 off of a $25 purchase. Make sure to sign up to start receiving these coupons. I use an extra e-mail address that I set up for these types of mailings and for when I sign up for free samples and they request an e-mail.

Easy Asian Noodle Salad

Haven't been shopping much as I have been busy with summer activities with my kiddos but one thing I can't avoid is cooking dinner. I has been so hot here the last couple of days so I always cook my dinner early to avoid heating up the kitchen in the afternoon. Thought I'd share some of our favorite summer dinners. Easy and usually cold salads and such but we tend to eat lighter when it is hot. One thing is I usually add some sort of meat to the salad for my hubby.

I came up with this recipe when I wanted to make a salad with chicken I needed to use up. You can omit or add as you like as I don't cook with garlic but it would be a nice addition to this recipe.
One package of linguine
2 cups cooked chicken diced
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/4 c. chopped cilantro (my salad above is missing the cilantro as my store was out)
1-2 green onions
dash red pepper flakes ( I add these after the kids are served or just to my hubby's)
1-2 cups of sweet peas (I like a lot in mine but you could add less)

now I am guessing on the rest as I usually add to taste:
Soy sauce 1/4 cup
Seasoned Rice wine vinegar 1/2 cup
Sesame Oil 2 TSP
Canola Oil 3-4 TB spoons
Sugar 3-4 TB spoons (or more if you like it sweeter)
mix all together then toss with salad.

Refrigerate until dinner time at least 3-4 hours more preferably.
Serve with sliced cantaloupe and maybe some crunchy bread.
Enjoy

Easy Freezer Cooking

I love the idea of freezer cooking. You prepare all these different meals and then freeze them so you don't have to be in the kitchen cookin every night. Well, like a lot of other things, the the thought of one day in the kitchen cooking for a month is absolutely overwhelming to me. Plus, I only have a small freezer in the house and in the garage so with all the other things I freeze, I would never have enough room. So  I came up with a way for me to make ahead and freeze meals that is so easy. In fact everyone is probably doing this too so I am wasting my typing here but I thought I'd share.

Whenever I cook a meal that is freezable I make at least two and sometimes three meals so I can cook one that night and freeze the others. Tonight it is lasagna.

I just set up an assembly line and make everything twice. As for the recipe I just use the one on the box of noodles.
I boil the noodles and cook the meat so all the dish requires is heating in the oven.
One box of lasagna noodles perfectly makes two pans of lasagna.

After I'm done I just cover with a layer of plastic wrap and then foil and write the date and what it is on the top and send one of the kids out to the garage to pop it in the freezer. I use these dishes on nights we are busy and I know I won't have time to cook.

Any casserole type dish will work well for freezing and soups are great too. If you don't want to put the grated cheese on something you can just grate that and place in a small ziploc and tape to the foil and freeze it along with the dish. It is nice to have dishes made for last minute pot lucks or to give someone that you want to make a dish for. Now it is already in your freezer to just grab and go.

$15 MM from my couch-Neutrogena deal

I just did the Neutrogena deal while sipping coffee and sitting on my couch.
First I went to Walmart.com and purchased the Neutrogena Clinical Eye Lift Contouring Treatment.  They have a $15 e-gift card promo plus free shipping right now so in the end all I have to pay for is the  sales tax. I will submit for the Neutrogena rebate http://www.neutrogenaclinical.com/tryitfree for the full price and minus 2.04 I will have a pro fit of $12.96. Not bad from my couch in my PJs.