Free Haircuts at JC Penney

Over the Summer JC Penney offered free haircuts to children going into K-6th grade.  It seems like this was a popular event because they are bringing it back for November.  Every Sunday in November they will be cutting kids hair for free.  The e-mail I read said they again are doing it for children in grades K-6th grade.  Call a JC Penney Salon nearest you for an appointment.  I have a feeling these appointments are going to fill up fast.

Toilet Paper, Super Coupons, $25

Yesterday I had a few errands I needed to run.  They were not mapping out smoothly for me.  At first I had to go to the bank, Rite Aid, BJ's, Price Rite and Shop Rite.  I didn't head out until 4:30 and although I don't mind the errands, I didn't feel like heading to all those places.  I took a look at the list and seen what was most important.  I wanted to get my deposit into the bank yesterday, so that stayed.  I needed Zyrtec-D, but I realized I could just go to Walgreens by me.  Our orange juice was down to one gallon, okay so maybe Price-Rite could wait until tomorrow.  Nah, I'll go today we only needed two or three things it would be quick.
Now BJ's for milk and bread.   Hmmm....Wait I remember seeing a super coupon on Shop-Rites front cover for $1.99 for milk if I spend $25.  Wow, two other good super coupons that also require me to spend $25 are Ice Cream for .99 and a Pumpkin Pie for $1.99.  I'm heading there anyways to get the Scott 20 rolls of toilet paper for $10.88.  I only need to spend $15 more in order to use the super coupons.  Hmm...steaks are on sale for $5.99 a pound, I'll have to take a look at that.  Oh and certain Kellogg's cereal's are on sale for $1.99.  We also need rice or french fries to go with our dinner.  I think I can do this.  By getting it all at Shop-Rite I could eliminate BJ's.  I think I can, I think I can, yeah I can.
I really thought I was going to have an issue spending the $15, but soon it became apparent I was going to be A-ok.  I managed to spend $43.08, save $33.10 and found two really good tasting steaks and a delicious pie that I managed to get a piece of before my son finishes it.  Not to mention that we will be set for toilet paper for a while.
Looking at the ads as you are preparing your shopping list could save you a lot of time.

Love Old Navy Sales

Old Navy kicked off their Stuff and Save sale yesterday (10/17), if you used your Old Navy Card you received 40% off your purchase. The 40% off was a one day only thing, starting today until the 24th you could receive 30% if you use your Old Navy Card.  Here is a link for more info and a coupon you could print http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=62414&mlink=5151,5626794,HLM_Promo_Coupon_CTA&clink=5626794

I spent the most time at the Fairfield Old Navy.  There I mostly shopped the clearance racks and found some really great markdowns.  I picked up some shirts clearanced down to $1.97, $2.49, $2.97, $3.97 and so on.  Not everything I purchased was on clearance.  I  at first held three shirts until the end of my transaction to see what my total was before the shirts.  I think the shirts at $10.50 a piece was my most expensive item.  Seeing that I was getting all these great bargains I was having a problem paying the $10.50 a shirt.  In the end I gave in and got the three shirts.

Since the Old Navy card is a card I use often I racked up $30 in reward certificates.  I checked to make sure I could use them in conjunction with the sale and sure enough I could.  If a cashier says you can't read the fine print on the Stuff and Save it, it states there you could.  

After all sales, Stuff and Save 40% and my rewards certificates were all taken off I spent $21.43.  Drum roll please......I saved $87.14.  

Oh did I forget to mention that while supplies last if you use your Old Navy Card you get a purple tote.  It will sure come in handy.  

Here is what $21.43 got me(Okay so maybe taking a picture of 11 items at once doesn't give you the full effect):

Here are 11 of the items

The Free Purple Tote

3 More items and another free tote, one item is missing from this picture

 

Take a Break Every Once in a While

Over the past few weeks my posting had fizzled out and so had my shopping.  I just needed a break from the savings, the making lists of what to buy, the coupons, the stores.  I love when I save, but life was getting busy and something needed to give.

Last week bringing my coupon binder and some inserts that still needed to be cut shopping at Shop Rite helped to spark that desire back in me.  I picked the right inserts to bring since a lot of the coupons I used was within those inserts.  This weeks Shop Rite ad has me more focused and ready to rake in the savings.  If you haven't checked it out yet take a look at the ad.  Even without coupons some of the sales are great.

Sometimes we just need to take a break from what we are doing.  Too much of something may not always be good.  You need to recharge, refocus, rethink to be ready to take be ready to accomplish the next thing.  

End Caps

I was shopping with my family on Saturday at Shop Rite.  We were getting the things on our list and some things that might not have been.  I noticed that they had Progresso Soup and Knorr Pasta Sides as end displays.  We picked up four cans of the Progresso Soup since we needed it for something we were planning on making the next day, but my son decided to wait on the Pasta Sides.  I taught him well!  He said it is probably going on sale tomorrow so if he wanted it he will get it next week.  He was right it did go on sale for .88 a package.  Those Progresso Soups we bought also went on sale.  I will be heading back for more of those since a lot of our recipes calls for some form of soup and I have a coupon for a dollar off 4 cans.
What was the lesson to be learned from this though?  Is there one?  Yes, if you are shopping the day a sale ends and there are displays at the ends of isles of items that are not in this weeks papers.  Or are in this weeks papers, but might also be in next weeks.  There is a chance that if you wait a day that item will be cheaper than if you purchased it today.  Shop Rite normally has next weeks paper already printed and available to customers on Saturday.  If in doubt if something is going on sale or not head to the customer service desk, get next weeks ad and check for yourself.  Sometimes it pays off to wait.

Museum Membership I didn't buy and why

Last week I was checking my e-mail and came across a livingsocial.com one that offered a year membership to the Bruce Museum at a discounted price.  I was seriously considering this purchase.  I even checked out the benefits a membership would give me.  If I bought anything at the museum store it would save me 10%.  There were some other museums it would get me into for free.  Maybe one or two on the list I might check out.  Next I checked out the spot on the Bruce Museum's website that lists the admission prices.  I'm seeing that it is pretty reasonably priced, but then the decision maker jumps out at me and almost screams my name.  The museum is free to individuals on Tuesdays.  Hello...I don't need all the benefits the membership would give me.  I am more than likely only going to head to the museum once.  Or at least my son will only probably want to go once.  Why would I buy the membership then?  I wouldn't.  When I do plan on going I will go on the FREE day.  This got me thinking, what other museums offer free days?  If you know of any please let me know.

Unexpected Surprise

Yesterday I was out running some errands and picking up some things I knew we needed.  One of the purchases at Stop and Shop was a spur of the moment one.  I haven't seen my father eat his cookies in a few days so I knew that meant he must have been out of them.  I was surprised he didn't pick them up for himself when he was at the store the night before.  While in Stop and Shop I headed to the health food section.  Located the Kashi products and was happy to see they had the cookies he liked.  I was only planning on getting him a box or two, but saw that they were on sale for 2.99 normally priced at 3.99 and that if you bought five of certain Kashi products you get a $5 instant savings these cookies were included.  It would be foolish not to get the five since I know how fast he eats them.  With five boxes in hand I head to the check out.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that my total for all five boxes was only $9.95.  Looking closer at the receipt I saw that if I had purchased these same five boxes not on sale it would have cost me $19.95.  By purchasing them on sale and also getting the $5.00 instant savings for buying five I saved $10.00.  Sweet...Before the sale ends on Thursday I plan on picking up another five boxes.  Since there are only eight cookies in a box these will not last long at all.

I Find Ways to Save Even at a Bookstore

With the purchase of my Kindle I hardly head out to purchase any books nowadays.  However last week I was browsing a bookstore at the Visitor's Center at Colonial Williamsburg after going to a museum in the area.  One particular art book caught my eye.  It was about pottery of North Carolina.  I flipped through it and a lot of the pottery jumped out at me.  Art books are normally ridiculously high priced. This was not an exception.  It started out at $42.95, but was marked down to $15.98.  Sold.  This was the second time I had been in the store, but the first time I really looked at what they had.  A few other books almost came home with me, but based on the prices or lack of being able to look at the context I decided on just the book about pottery.  I may not know a lot about art, but I know what I like.

Binder's Pretty Empty

This week I have been cleaning out my binder from all the expired coupons before I start to cut the inserts I have waiting for me.  It's scary in there.  In some sections there are more empty spots then there are filled.  Ahhh...I gotta step up my game and start cutting and filing so I can continue to save.

Walgreen's Act II Popcorn Deal

I have not checked out couponmom.com yet to see what this weeks deals are.  Lately, I scaled down my shopping.  However, this week I am planning on trying this Walgreen's deal that I read aboug in my Hip2Save e-mail.  I appears that in this weeks ad they have a coupon for Act II Popcorn 4/$1.  In some states there seems to be an unadvertised Buy 1 Get One Free sale going on.  Match this up with the 4/$1 coupon in the ad and you should have one awesome deal for popcorn.  I plan on trying this deal out, but before I head to the check out I plan on using the price checker to see if the walgreen's I head to is offering the buy 1 get 1 free deal.  Here's it spelled out by hip2save


Act II Popcorn 2.75 oz 4/$1 with in ad coupon
Buy a total of 8 Popcorn packages
Use the in ad coupon which will make each pack $0.25
Minus the unadvertised buy 1 get 1 FREE sale
Final cost only $1 for all 8 packs – just $0.13 each!

Let me know if you take advantage of this deal and if it worked for you.