Are You Wound Too Tight?

I read an article titled "Can your kids 'catch' your stress?" In it Lylah M. Alphonse talks about how parents unintentionally stress out their children, despite efforts to keep them calm. I know I stress out when I'm running late, which for me is more often than not. When I know I'm running behind schedule, but still have tasks I want to get done before I leave I stress. I then get irritable and very impatient. I know I snap at my baby boy during these times and this article has strengthened my resolve to greatly improve my time management skills.

How do you calm your children down or stress them out?

Cityscape Sweater

Cityscape Sweater $50.00 US

This was my first sweater design. I had made the matching hat for my son, and was inspired to create this sweater for my nephew's birthday.

Start Couponing Today!

There are quite a few excellent coupon deals this week with printable coupons and coupons from today's papers. This is a great week for coupon newbies to start. If you didn't purchase today's paper all may not be lost. Try gas stations in your area early tomorrow morning. Ask if they still have any of today's unsold papers and if they would be willing to give them to you. Now on to the sales!

• Go to couponmom.com
• Register for an account if haven't done so already
• Click on the "Drugstore Deals" tab at the top

• Scroll down to the text after the list of stores and click on the "Extreme Coupon Deals List For All National Stores" link

• If you already have a Coupon Mom account scroll down to enter your email address and login

• Scroll down to see the great deals!

There are dates and codes to the left of the store names. The date indicates when the coupon was released and the code indicates what publication the coupon was in (R-Red Plum, S-Smart Source, PG-Procter Gamble, AY-All You Magazine). Red Plum and Smart Source inserts are in the newspapers each Sunday. P&G inserts are released in newspapers the first Sunday of each month. All You can be purchased at Walmart. There are also links to printable coupons associated with specific deals.

There are lots of "cash" back deals that will make items "free" this week as well. The store cash you get back on many of these deals is equal to the purchase price. You still have to pay the sale price out of pocket (OOP), but the store cash can be used towards the purchase most items in the store. Check out my rewards programs tutorials for tips on how to make the most of your cash back from CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens.

You check the box on the left to select a deal and there are tabs directly above and directly below the chart to "Display Selected Deals." Clicking this tab will allow you to print your shopping list.

Happy Shopping!

Walgreens' Register Rewards

Walgreens Register Rewards (RR) program is my least favorite of the reward programs I use.

1) RRs are MFC, and therefore CANNOT be used with another MFC on one item

2) Only ONE (1) RR for a product will print per transaction. If you purchase more than one RR item in the same transaction
     you will only get one RR.

3) If you use your RR to purchase another of the same RR product you will NOT receive another RR. Example: Get $2 +UP WYB (1) Crest toothpaste. #1: Buy (1) Crest toothpaste, get $2 RR. Transaction #2: Use $2 RR from previous transaction to purchase another Crest toothpaste. You will NOT get $2 RR back.

HOWEVER,
If you use RR that you received from one product to purchase a different RR product you will get your RR. Example: Get $2 RR on purchase of Excedrin pain reliever and get $2 RR on purchase of Crest toothpaste. Transaction #1: Buy (1) Excedrin pain reliever, get $2 RR Rewards back. Transaction #2: Use $2 RR to purchase Crest toothpaste, get $2 RR back.

4) RR can be used on most items (exclusions include alcohol and prescription drugs, so read the fine print).

5) The amount of a RR can exceed the cost of an item, but you will still get the full RR amount credited toward your transaction.*

Here's an example that shows you how to make the most of your RR:

Scott's Naturals paper towel 6 packs are on sale for $4. You have (1) $1/1 MFC and (1) $3 RR coupon. You CANNOT use the MFC AND the RR on one (1) pack of papertowels. So, pick up the cheapest item you can find, like a pack of Silly Bandz on sale for $0.25. Transaction: Buy (1) pack of paper towels and (1) pack of Silly Bandz. Your purchase will total $4.25. Use (1) Scott's $1/1 MFC coupon for the paper towels and (1) $3 RR coupon for the Silly Bandz. $4.25 - $1 MFC - $3 RR = $0.25. It's not the free paper towels you would have been able to get at CVS or Rite Aid, but paying $0.25 for six rolls of paper towels is still an amazing deal!

*The RR amount cannot exceed the cost of the transaction.

Rite Aid +UP Rewards Tutorial

Rite Aid's +UP Rewards work the same as CVS's Extrabucks.
Like CVS*:
1) +UP can be used with MFC on one item.
2) You can buy the max amount of an +UP deal and have that number of +UP
Rewards print on your receipt.
3) You can use the +UP rewards received from one product to purchase another one of that product and still receive another +UP reward up to the +UP reward limit on that product.

*See my CVS Extrabucks Tutorial for details.

 

CVS Extrabucks Tutorial

CVS has my favorite rewards programs. Here's how it works:

• 1) EB can be used with manufacturer coupons (MFC) on one item.

• 2) You buy the max amount of an EB deal item in one transaction and get EB back for each qualifying item. EXAMPLE: Get 3 EB back when you buy (WYB) (1) Oral-B toothbrush, Limit 2. Buy (2) toothbrushes in one transaction and get 6 EB back.

• 3) You can buy one EB deal item in one transaction and use the EB you get back to buy another of the same EB deal item and still get back EB on your second transaction. EXAMPLE: Get 3 EB back when you buy (WYB) (1) Oral-B toothbrush, Limit 2. Transaction #1-Buy (1) toothbrush. Get back 3 EB. Transaction #2- Use 3 EB from previous transaction to purchase another toothbrush. Get back 3 EB