31 Ways to Save in 2011: Clothing your kids on a budget!

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If you’ve got kids, then you know that clothing them can be a big piece of your budget, especially when they’re younger because they either outgrow things quickly or wear them out!

Here are a few tips for saving money on kid clothing:

RETAIL

*Sign up for mailing lists and “rewards” cards:  Many companies have links on their websites where you can join their mailing list.  When you do this, they will notify you by e-mail of upcoming sales and sometimes send you coupons, too!  Store “rewards” cards are not the same as credit cards.  They are usually free and allow you to earn points or cash back on your purchases.

Here are the links to join mailing lists for a few popular stores:
Carter’s (lower left hand corner)
Crazy 8 (lower left hand corner)
Gap (lower right hand corner)
Gymboree (lower right hand corner)
-JC Penney
-Kohl’s (you’ll get a coupon for $5 off your next in store purchase just for signing up!)
Old Navy (lower right hand corner) – also “like” them on Facebook!
Osh Kosh (lower left hand corner)
Payless (lower left hand corner)
The Children’s Place (lower right hand corner)

Here are links to sign up for free rewards cards:
-Gymboree Rewards:  Earn 1 point for every $1 spent (250 points = $5 rewards) plus get valuable coupons
JCP Rewards:  Earn 1 point for every $1 spent (250 points = $10 reward) plus get valuable coupons (I get a coupon for $10 off any $10 purchase every few months)
‘R Us Rewards:  Earn rewards for in store purchases (they accumulate in the form of a $ off coupon) plus earn free diapers, formula, and more!

*Shop at the end of the season – At the end of a “season” many stores will have major clearance sales where you can save 60-80% off of original prices.  I always try to stock up for the next year during these times.

*Always match coupons with sale prices – When buying clothing, I always try to wait for a good sale, use a coupon and the best case scenario for me is to also use a gift card, too, (earned from survey sites or from the Huggies instant win game) so that I minimize my out of pocket spending!

*If you’re shopping online, use cash back sitesIf you’re shopping online, make sure you take advantage of cash back sites like Shop at Home or Ebates


GO GREEN!

*Check out children’s resale stores – You can sometimes find great deals on clothing by checking out children’s resale stores.  Bring your own clothing that your kids have outgrown in for store credit and to offset your out of pocket expenses.  Some popular resale chains include Children’s Orchard and Kid to Kid.

*Check out garage sales – Sometimes you can find name brand clothing in good condition for dirt cheap if you’re willing to spend the time hunting down deals at garage sales

*Check out Freecycle – Some people don’t want to mess with resale stores, garage sales, or Ebay, so they will just donate a box or bag of clothing on Freecycle

*Have a swap party – Have a swap party with friends or family members and swap clothing you no longer need!  This helps everyone save money.

*Check out Craigslist or Ebay – You can sometimes find great deals on name brand clothing on Craigslist or Ebay.  On Ebay, make sure you check the seller’s feedback rating first and also make sure you look at shipping prices.  With Craigslist, make sure you arrange to meet in a public place and don’t go alone!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

HEB deals (valid through 1/18)

I don’t often post HEB deals, but I know that there are some Texas shoppers out there who don’t really have any other options and there are a few deals this week that I thought were “noteworthy”

Blackberries – 2/$3

General Mills Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs cereal – $1.49
$.55/1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch printable
$.55/1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch printable
$1/2 Cinnamon Toast Crunch printable (must register)
Final Price = $.94/box after coupons

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish – $.98/each (we can never have enough Goldfish around here and that is definitely a stock up price for me!)

You can access HEB’s coupon policy here

Just a note:  the yellow coupons you find “in store” are typically manufacturer’s coupons with a store logo (you can tell because they either have an “M” on them and say manufacturer’s coupons or the bar code at the bottom starts with a 5 or a 9) so you cannot usually combine them with any other coupons

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Publix deals for the week of 1/13-1/19

Thanks to Brittany from The Prudent Patron for the weekly Publix deals!  Here are the highlights for the week. You can find all of the deals for the week at The Prudent Patron (this is based on the Florida/Southern Georgia market)

 Here are a few items you can get for FREE this week:

Futuro Wrap or Brace psa $3.79 (ends 1/28)
$2/1 Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer
$3/1  Printable
:: FREE

Johnson and Johnson First Aid to Go Kits psa $1.49 (ends 1/28)
$2/2 Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer
$1/2  Printable
:: Two FREE when you use both coupons

Maalox Advanced psa $4.49
$5/1 SS 1/9
:: FREE
 
Nestle Coffee Mate Liquid  $1.50 (ends 1/21)
$1/2 All You Dec 2010
$.55/1 RP 11/14
$.75/1 Printable
$1.50/1 Printable
 $1/1 Printable
:: FREE

Here’s a preview of what you can get for less than $1 this week:

Finish Dishwasher Detergent $2.99
$.50/1 Printable
$2.25/1 SS 1/2
::$.74

Jolly Time Microwave Popcorn $1.00
$.50/1 SS 1/9
$1/2 Printable
:: $.50

Ronzoni Pasta $1.47 (BOGO free – use 2 coupons)
$ .50/1 Printable or Printable
:: $.23 each

Uncle Ben’s Rice $2.09 (BOGO free – use 2 coupons)
$ .75/2 Printable
$1/1, $.75/1 RP 1/9
:: $.04 – $.29 each

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Got Electrasol coupons? Get a rain check or try price matching!

If you stocked up on Electrasol Finish coupons for the big Walgreens sale last week and the CVS sale this week and you’ve found that your stores are wiped out of everything, you can either get a rain check or try price matching.

RAIN CHECK

Most CVS stores will allow you to get a rain check.  I say “most” because not all of them will do this and I have contacted corporate about it before and I have been told that it is up to individual store managers and/or district managers.  Some stores will write the rain checks for the amount after ECBs.  If they do that, it would need to include this information:

Electrasol Finish (quantity 7) – $3 each
-$10 ECB = $11


Some stores will write the rain checks and then write a note to manually print the ECBs.  If they do that, it would need to include this information:

Electrasol Finish (quantity 7) – $3 each
earns $10 ECB (offer #1035685 – you find this in the ad)

Then, they should be able to manually print your ECB when you buy the items.  It’s always a good idea to cut out the part of the weekly circular where they advertise the deal and staple it to your rain check.

PRICE MATCHING

Both Walmart and Target price match competitor prices.  If you have your CVS ad and you have the $2.25 coupons, $.75 isn’t a bad price, even if you’re not getting ECBs back.


Here’s the Price Match policy for Walmart (you can find it here):

Our goal is always to be the low price leader in every community where we operate. Our customers trust us to have every day low prices … there’s no need for “special sales.”

Our unbeatable promise:

Store managers make the final decision in always taking care of our customers, but we do have guidelines for matching our competition.

* We do honor “Preferred Shopping Card” advertised prices. Must be like items, be advertised and require a competitor’s shopping card, for the discount to apply.
* We do not honor advertisements that require a purchase in order to receive the advertised price or free product.
* We do not honor “Buy One / Get One Free” advertisements.
* We do not honor double or triple coupons or percent off advertisements.
* We do not honor other retailers’ “Misprinted” advertised prices.
* We do not honor Internet Pricing.
* We do not honor competitor advertisements from outside of the store’s or Club’s local trade territory.

Here’s the Price Match Policy for Target (you can find it here):

How does price matching work?
If you find an item in a competitor’s printed ad that is priced lower than it is at your Target store, we will match the price. The competitor’s ad must be local and current, and the product must be the identical item, brand name, quantity and model number. Target.com is excluded from our price matching policy. Competitor catalogs can also be ad matched as long as the catalog displays a valid date and meets all other qualifications.
What if I’ve already made the purchase at Target?

No problem. Within seven days of purchase, bring your Target receipt and the competitor ‘s current printed ad. We will reimburse the savings to you.

What qualifies as proof of a competitor’s advertisement?
Please show us the entire printed advertisement. Photos, photocopies, or mobile phone versions of the ad cannot be accepted as verification of competitive pricing.
What does ‘identical store item’ mean?

The program covers items with the identical brand name, size, weight, quantity and model number of the item at Target stores. We reserve the right to verify a competitor’s advertised price and the availability of the product.

Can I use coupons when price matching?
A guest can use coupons when price matching per Target’s normal coupon policy. When the guests presents a coupon(s), these steps will be followed:

Manufacturer Coupons:
Manufacturer coupons will be applied after the price match is made.

Target Coupons:
Target coupons will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor’s price.

Combining both a Target and Manufacturer Coupons:
The Target coupon will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor’s price. Once the price match is made the manufacturer coupon will be applied.

Reminder: We accept one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item unless either coupon prohibits it.

Target does not ad match a competitors coupon-required offers.

What do you mean by local retail competitors?
This refers to retail stores located within the same market area as a particular Target store. Examples of a market area can be a city, a metropolitan area or a specific rural region.

What about online price matching?
All online pricing, including Target.com, is excluded from our price matching policy, as well as online retail promotions or products advertised on another company’s web or mobile sites.

Other price matching exclusions include:
* Online prices, including Target.com
* Promotions or products advertised on another company’s web or mobile sites, even those advertising in-store prices.
* Timed events (e.g., early bird, door busters)
* Items advertised as limited time/limited supply/limited quantity
* Membership club or loyalty programs (e.g. prices that require a club or loyalty card)
* Coupon-required or giftcard offers
* Prices advertised only as a percent off or $ off
* Competitor’s free product, buy one, get one, bundled offers, or special purchases
* Mobile coupons
* Sales tax promotions
* Damaged product or opened packaging
* Clearance or closeout items
* Mail in offers or instant rebates
* Product services (warranties, assembly, etc.)
* Going-out-of-business liquidations
* Special financing
* Used or previously owned items
* Display merchandise
* Pricing or typographical errors
* Owned brands (i.e., Home, Merona, Circo, Market Pantry and Archer Farms)
* Non-branded items (e.g. produce not marketed under a specific brand name)
* Target Portrait Studio, Optical, and Clinic offers
* Expired Ads

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

31 Ways to Save in 2011: Use online bill pay!

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I confess – for YEARS my bank offered free online bill pay and I never took advantage of it. I didn’t really understand how it worked and for some reason, it just made me nervous. One day, I was asked to complete a survey where I went through a demo of an online bill pay program for a bank and I realized how easily it is and I have never looked back!

The biggest benefit of online bill pay is that you no longer have to use stamps!  All you have to do is go in and add your payees and then schedule your payments and money will be auto drafted from your account and sent out on the specified date.  Most banks even have an option to make payments to individuals!

Another benefit is that you no longer have to worry about fees for late payments!  You can go in and schedule your payment to be sent on any date.  Most banks will tell you what day they are going to send the payment and what the scheduled arrival date would be.  When I get my bills now, I go in and schedule the payment so that it will be paid a few days before the due date and I’m done!

This is an easy way to save both time and money!  If your bank offers free online bill pay and you haven’t checked it out yet, you really should!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.