Sandy's High Desert Savings

1/13/12  I just redeemed 1600 mypoints for a $10 Chili's gift card.  I have never kept track of how long it takes me to earn enough points for a gift card so I plan to keep track this year.  I like using the points to get restaurant gift cards so we can treat ourselves to a meal out without hurting our budget. 

1/2/12  Nivea lip care products are on sale at CVS 2/$5 and they are offering a $5 extra buck when you spend $10 on select Nivea products.  There are $3/2 Nivea lip care products coupons in the 1/1/12 Red Plum insert.  If you have two coupons you can buy 4 for $10, use your coupons to take $6 off, pay $4 plus tax and get a $5 extra buck.  I can always use lip care products, especially if they're free!

12/31  I just bought Carefree pantiliners at Rite Aid.  They are on sale 2/$2 and they are offering a $1 +UP reward when you buy 2.  That makes them .50c each.  Now that's a price I like!  You're able to get 4 +UP rewards so I bought 8 pantiliners for $8, used four $1 +UP rewards to bring my cost down to $4 and then received another $4 in  +UP rewards.  I love deals like this!

We have had a lot of extra expenses this past year with all our medical issues.  My goal this coming year will be to scrutinize the deals and take advantage of every one that will help me save a buck!  Want to join me?

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Welcome bargain shoppers!  Want to save money on your groceries but don't have a lot of time?  Let me help.  Every week I email my subscribers a list of the items that are free or really cheap after coupons, rewards and rebates.  I match up the sales with the current coupons, I tell you which insert the coupons are in and if there are coupons you can print, I tell you where to go to print them. 

When I say an item is free after rewards, that means you pay the full price for the item and then you get a coupon back from the store for that same amount to use on your next purchase in the store.  Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid all have rewards programs that work that way.  You can save a ton of money taking advantage of those items that are free after rewards.  Plus, you can use those rewards to buy other items that give you a reward.  After awhile, you are using the stores' money to buy your items.  You can also use coupons on the rewards items so sometimes you'll actually make a profit on your item.  Say Colgate is on sale for $2.99 with a $2.99 reward and you have a $1 coupon.  You'll pay $1.99 ($2.99 - $1 coupon) plus tax but you'll get back a $2.99 rewards coupon good on your next purchase in the store.  That's a $1 profit in my book!

Here's another example:  Quaker quick oats       2/$5 - $2/2 eb - $1/2 cpn (1/2 RP) = 2/$2

Quaker oats are on sale at CVS 2 boxes for $5.  They are giving a $2 extra buck when you buy 2 boxes and there is a $1/2 coupon in the Red Plum insert from Jan. 2nd.  You'll buy 2 boxes for $4 (2/$5 - $1/2 coupon) and you'll get a $2 extra buck back.  That's like paying $2 for 2 boxes.

Due to my job as a merchandiser, I am in the stores on a weekly basis.  As I come across clearance sales and unadvertised specials, I will send you an email about them so you can take advantage of those deals, too.  The baby clothes for 75% off at Target a few months ago was one of those great deals!  For $24 per year, $2 per month, you can subscribe to my bargain list and have complete access to all the bargains I find.  You can also get an excel spreadsheet listing all the coupons that come out weekly for $4 per month.  It is so easy to search for coupons when they are in a spreadsheet.  No more cutting out every coupon and then not using half of them.  Now you can just cut out  the coupons you need when you need them. 

The great thing about using coupons is you get to decide how much time you want to spend on it.  You can concentrate on just the items that are free each week, you can match up the coupons to the stores' sales each week or you can look for every deal you can find.  You decide based on your personal needs and goals.  Any money I can save on my groceries gives me money I can save for later use somewhere else and I'm in favor of that! 

Email me at sandy@sandyshighdesertsavings.com for a FREE two week trial!  I know I can save you more than the $2 subscription price in those two weeks.  Try it and see for yourself!

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Do you save your Boxtops for Education?  I cut mine off my products and then trade them for either coupons or a nickel a piece.  Last month I was able to trade several of my Boxtops for $1 Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta coupons.  This week Ralphs had the pasta on sale for $1.  I was able to get 12 boxes free with my coupons.

I traded the rest of my Boxtops for $3 cash.  This week Albertsons had Betty Crocker potatoes on sale for .50c a box as well as Hamburger Helper.  13oz bottles of Simply juices were on sale for $1.  I used three .50/2 potato coupons, one .75c/3 Hamburger Helper coupon and four $1 Simply juice coupons.  I bought 7 boxes of potatoes, 3 boxes of Hamburger Helper and 4 bottles of Simply juice all for the low price of $2.95!  I was thrilled!  I really feel like I got these items free since I used the $3 I got from trading my Boxtops to pay for them.

Subscribe now to my website so you can find out about these bargains and many others!

The way to save the most money on your groceries is to combine a sale with a coupon.  You want to buy something when it is at it's very lowest and if you can, buy enough to last you until the next sale.

Something I have noticed over the last few months is that between Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens, one of them

always has either Colgate or Crest on sale free or almost free after their respective rewards program.  There are almost always coupons to go with these sales so you shouldn't be paying more than about .49c for a tube of toothpaste each month.  If you buy toothpaste every time it is free, you will always have toothpaste and won't have to pay full price again.  That is the way to save the most money.  Of course, it takes awhile to build up a stockpile but once you do, you won't run out of your most used products again. 

These are items I bought over a period of months.  The brown bottles in back are Snuggle fabric softener that were clearanced at Target for $3.14 and I had $3 coupons.  Everything else was gotten free after coupons, extra bucks and register rewards.  If I can get something free I buy it.  If my family can't use it I can always donate it.  I like being able to help others and still stay within my budget. 

Take a look at my Sample Bargain List to get an idea of the types of bargains I share with my subscribers.

When you don't have any extra money it can be difficult to take advantage of the great bargains.  Who cares if it's free after the register reward or extra buck if you don't have the money to buy it in the first place.  If money is extremely tight, I recommend you start saving money in stages.  First, you have to get the Sunday paper to get the coupons.  You can buy the paper or get the coupons from a friend or family member.  Look at the list and see what is free with a coupon.  A few months ago Rite Aid had Nivea Lip Care for $1 and there were $1 coupons.  All you would have spent out of pocket was the tax.   

Then, try to find a couple of dollars in your budget to get started on this journey.  Recycle your cans, save your change, eat less, do something to give yourself $3-$5 to start taking advantage of these deals.  Once you have your money, then look at the deals that give you your money back in the form of a register reward or extra buck.  For example, say you can get Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste at CVS for $2.99 with a $2.99 extra buck.  There is also a $1 coupon in Sunday's paper.   So, if you bought the toothpaste with the coupon you'd pay $2.25, $2.99 plus tax minus the $1 coupon, and you'd get back an extra buck for $2.99.  You have, in essence, made money on this deal.  Now, an extra buck is a coupon that prints out on the bottom of your receipt that you use on your next purchase at CVS.  Next week you look for another item on sale that will give you another extra buck, preferably an item that will cost $2.99.  If you can find another item on sale where you make money by using a coupon, that's even better.  At any rate, you buy the second item, use your extra buck, pay the tax and get another extra buck.  After that first purchase, you just keep using CVS' money to buy your items and pay only the tax. 

Here's another example.  You buy your toothpaste for $2.25 with a coupon and get your $2.99 extra buck. Then you go back to CVS next week to buy Quaker oats which are on sale 2/$5.  The oats are giving a $2 extra buck when you buy 2 oats and you have a $1 coupon to use.  Your oats will ring up at $5, you will give them your $1 coupon and your $2.99 extra buck.  You'll pay $1.01 and get back another extra buck for $2. 

You have now paid $3.26, $2.25 for the toothpaste and $1.01 for two boxes of oats, and you have a $2 extra buck to use on your next purchase.  Do you see how once you get started using coupons and taking advantage of the extra bucks that you can really save some money?  You've only spent $3.26 total, which is what you would have paid for just the toothpaste, and now you also have two boxes of oats and another $2 extra buck!  CVS is by far my favorite place to shop.  I just keep using my extra bucks to buy items that give me more extra bucks. 

Every week I send my subscribers a list of the good deals from the various stores.  I tell you which coupons are available in the coupon inserts as well as coupons you can print off the internet.  I can help you save much much more than the $2 monthly subscription price.  Try my list for 2 weeks and see for yourself!

Please email me if you have any questions about how the rewards programs work.  I'd be happy to explain them to you in detail.