SmartShopper Discounted at Yugster.com

Sorry I've been MIA so much going on there isn't enough room in cyberspace to get anyone caught up. I wanted to share a great deal with everyone though.

The budget guru Erin over at Jane4Girls had posted this great giveaway back in January for a great new tool for help with grocery & to-do lists. It was called the SmartShopper.


Well, I didn't win BUT while scoping out my 1 a day sale sites this morning I found the deal of the day. Yugster.com is offering the SmartShopper as a sneak peak special (which means if you're registered you can go ahead an order it but if not you can order it tomorrow-registering is FREE) this awesome tool is being sold on Yugster.com for....$27.97!!!! Yes that's right $27.97. I had a $10 Gift card from earlier purchases so I got mine for $17.97 plus $7 shipping and handling for a grand total of $24.97! That's a HUGE savings. So I would jump on it. I've order from them several times before they are very reliable. A bit slow with shipping but I've always received what I've ordered.

So Happy Friday everyone!

The Flu has landed

Hello all! Sorry for the absence. The flu has landed at our home...well more like crashed landed in a blaze of glory! Not a very nice couple of weeks around here. I believe I'm on the mend; at least the walls coming in on me makes me feel like I'm on the mend. I haven't been able to get out and do any shopping which really has helped the budget quite a bit. ha! ha! The only thing I've been buying lately is NyQuil and Sprite. But I didn't want to leave you hanging without a tip or two for them. We've gone through a bunch of sprite this past week and I actually sat there and read the "See Details" part of the package. While I was running a bit of fever for most of the week, I did decide to join the Mycokerewards program. I went through the house collecting all the caps I could find. While you can get great coke stuff I also learned that you can donate the rewards to the school of your choice. This is a great idea if you aren't into all the merchandise items or you just want to help out a local school. There are also other great causes you can support with your Coke Rewards as well. During the month of March when you enter a 12-pack you'll earn an additional bonus of 3 points each day for the month of March. It will amaze you how quickly those little cap points will add up. So go grap a Coke/Sprite and a smile for all the good points that will add up to some great things or at least some great opportunity for a worth cause.

Using Coupon Codes to save on Online purchases

One of the great things about the web is you can shop around to find the best deal without running yourself rigid. You can also save yourself a little more buy using coupon codes or promo/promotional codes. For those who aren't familiar with these, they are basically codes that you can put into your online checkout cart that will give you a discount. You can sometimes find them on the mailing label of a catalog or retailers you order from frequently may even send you a postcard with the special code. However, if you don't ever receive them or don't get the ones you could actually use, don't despair. As with all things virtual, you can find virtually any retailer's codes on the web. If you're going to buy online, do a little search (google's my personal favorite) for the retailer you're shopping at with the key words "coupon codes", "promo codes", or "promotional codes". i.e. shopping on Amazon.com I search for : Amazon.com coupon codes and end up with sites that have codes such as this one: 4DNW5Q89 FOR $25 off shoes sold by RoadRunner thru Amazon.com or 326465 5% discount on DVDs. Basically, you just look for a code that fits what you are looking for. Some of the places to look that I've found helpful are:

Retailmenot.com

Currentcodes.com

Couponcabin.com

These are just a few of the ones I've used. You can also find them on some of your favorite forums. Some of the ones I've used included:

Hotcouponworld.com

Fishingfordeals.com

Mommysavers.com

All three of these sites are great coupon code resources as well as having a multitude of other savings ideas. Just remember to shop around and look for virtual coupons just like you would a traditional paper coupon or sale. Combining these with some of reward programs like Mypoints.com and ebates.com that give cash back or points for purchases, can really cut your costs on things you buy. It takes a few extra clicks but a few extra clicks can really add up to extra savings.

Yesterday I mentioned Hotcouponworld.com in my quest for free toliet paper. I thought I should tell you a little about hcw. I stumbled across this wonderful virtual community by accident one day and have never turned back. It's a huge resource for the hard core couponer AND the beginner.

At HCW, there's a place for everything - from introduction to couponing and the entire process to get started, to where to find coupons and even suggestions on how to set up a coupon organizing system. Other resources include individual sections for individual stores that list current and upcoming sales, how to handle any problems you encounter, sharing deals people have gotten there, and my favorite, the wonderful ladies (& gents) list coupon match ups to the sales ads. Helping you get the most out of your money.

There are so many resources on this site, you'll find yourself addicted to it. Not only do they help you learn and navigate through the wonderful world of couponing but they also list freebies, have a helping hand program, classifieds, coupon trading, and even a place to blow off steam.

If you are new to couponing or you're a pro and have never stopped by, I highly recommend clicking over there. Hotcouponworld.com is an excellent source of knowledge, encouragement, and just a lot of fun while saving. I learn something new every time I'm there. Go check them out: Hotcouponworld.com

Some of my online shopping "Tools"

I've picked up a few little tools to help me save this Christmas season while shopping online. I don't particularly like to shop and since there are 3 to buy for in my house it gets tricky to buy without having someone around. On top of that I don't really have a lot of time to shop. I turned to online shopping a few years ago because (1) I can find things that aren't in my area, (2) I can do it in secretly (aka out of prying eyes) (3) I can look for the best deals, and (4) I can do it in my PJ's!! Here's a few of them. (*BTW: I am in no way affliated with any of these and I don't get anything for share these. I'm just sharing not earning*)

1. ShoppingNotes.com This is a great site if you find that PERFECT gift but its still out of your reach or not on sale yet. You cut and paste the URL of the item you are looking for and when the item's price goes down, your sent an email alert. It keeps you from having to constantly look for it to go down.

2. One a day sites. These are sites that sell basically one item per day. I was able to find MP3 players for $9.99 on one of these. These are the ones I've had the best luck with. There's many more but these I've used the most.

• Woot


• 1saleaday


• Yahoo shopping


• Unclegraveyard.com (great for CDs)


• Yugster


• Whiskeymilitia (great for teen clothing that's "different"


• Woot Shirt


• dodtracker (multiple sites tracked for one a day sales)

3. Mypoints.com I shop online stores listed there (which are basically all the major online stores) so I earn points for gift cards. I figure a few extra clicks are worth the time and energy since I'll earn extra by turning in points for gift cards for other things I want or need.

4. Deal of the day. Most websites have a tab or link somewhere on there site that lists a deal of the day. Sometimes its simply free shipping but other times its up to 90% off an item. I've ran across a few that have a small window or small number of items to get it at a cut rate price but I find its worth doing a quick click through to find it.

5. Online Coupon codes. Before I complete a checkout on any website, I google for coupon codes for the store I'm shopping for. Sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I get zilch. But it never hurts to knock off even 10% off shipping.

I'm sure there's tons of tools online out there to help make shopping online less of a cyber kick to the wallet. Every day I stumble across something new that helps with some aspect of cutting my shopping cost.