Couponing for Charity 12/5-11

Hi savvy shoppers. Sorry if you missed me last week. I was on vacation and had no plans to shop after my huge Black Friday trips to Walgreen's and CVS. I think I had 4 or 5 transactions at both stores! Thank goodness I did not have the kids.

This week is not a thrilling week for bargains but if you need to spend your register rewards from Black Friday (they'll expire 12/10), get back out there. I managed to roll all but one $.99RR into other savings. They paid for an ink cartridge so I can print more coupons! :-)

Note: At Walgreen's, you can earn even more savings (currently called Jingle Cash) now through 12/18. For every $25 you spend (before coupons), you earn a $5RR. That's in addition to any other RR deals advertised, but you can only spend those between 12/12 and 12/18. Hope they have good sales then.

Walgreen's:

For the complete list of match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

For the paired down list, go to Coupon Katie.

I'll probably go for the free toothpaste, free nail polish (if I can find that coupon book), and the $.90 peanut butter (highly sought after item at food banks).

CVS:

For the complete list of match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

For the paired down list, go to Coupon Katie.

Nothing excites me much this week, but if you can get there tomorrow (12/7), you could get 10 candy canes for $.50 and M&Ms for $1.33 each. If you're going, there are two monthly freebies you might consider: Azo wipes and multi-purpose solution. By signing up for this coupon, you can also get 3 free Zhu Zhu pets when you buy 1. I was going to buy them as toys to donate, but I've read lots of discouraging comments about them. What do you think? I may hang onto my ECBs for another week or two.

Kroger:

For the complete list of match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

For some good tips for saving on cereal and Kellogg's rebates, go to Coupon Katie.

I will be picking up some cereal during their four day sale (12/8-11). They won't be free but many places appreciate cereal, like our next beneficiary: Ronald McDonald House. I'm taking a box of goodies to them on Friday.

Target:

Thanks to Katie and Gabrielle for the following tips about good deals at Target this week. It might be worth swinging by to get free Air Wick candles, $.49 Seventh Generation cleaner, free Suave shampoo, $.14 pantyliners, $.19 lotion, and $.24 eye shadow. Awesome deals.

You can also pick up some free to very cheap travel games at Target with Hasbro coupons: Hungry Hungry Hippo and Piktureka. Thanks, Katie.

I'll update my totals soon. There's just not enough time in the day!

Couponing for Charity 10/17- 23

Time to wrangle those deals again for yourself and/or for charity. I primarily post the non-perishable deals here--those ideal to donate to the food bank or non-profits. There are freebies this week at Walgreen's, CVS, and Kroger and I'll be shopping all three. If you're looking for the best candy deal and a free hand sanitizer, go to CVS. If you want to pick up a number of good deals and a few freebies, head to Walgreen's.

CVS:

For Southern Saver's complete list of match-ups, go here. For a free hand sanitizing pen, go here. I'll be picking up that plus two packs of candy and a free razor. The cereal deal is better at Wags.

WALGREENS:

For Southern Saver's complete list of match-ups, go here. Scroll down to the bottom for a deal scenario. If you printed the $1.50 Coffee Mate coupon a few days ago, that's a money maker; they're now gone. I'll be getting the FREE nasal spray, lip ointment, cough drops, and body wash. I'll also get a few cans of cream of mushroom soup ($.29 each with coupons) and Kellogg's cereal ($1 each with coupons & RR)--great for your stockpile or donating.

If you're still looking for a costume or an accessory like a cape, there's a $5 coupon on the front of the flyer. Check out this scenario:

Transaction #1:
1 mucinex nasal spray: $7.99, get $7.99RR
1 blistex lip ointment: $2.59, get $2.59RR
You pay $10.58 plus tax; get $10.58RR (or you can use 2 RRs from a previous trip to make your OOP even less).

Transaction #2:
Find a costume that's $14.99.
2 Russell Stover chocolates: $.39 each
Use $5 off costume coupon.
Use $7.99RR and $2.59RR.
You pay $.19 plus tax.

You can do them in the same day and you don't have to worry about how to use your RR in the future. Pretty cool, huh?

KROGER:

For Southern Saver's complete list of match-ups, go here. I'll go for the free Crest toothpaste, Bumblee tuna, and $.30 Dial hand soap--all great donations.

Later in the week, I'll update my totals. Leave a comment if this inspired you to grab some deals for yourself or charity.

Couponing for Charity 6/20-26 & Update #14

Sorry for the delay in this post. Just the typical duties of caring for three children full-time and making family life a priority. I did make it to CVS and Walgreen's on Sunday, and here's what I found.

For the best freebies, head to Walgreen's, but if you need diapers, go to CVS. Click here for Southern Saver's Walgreen's match-ups. Click here for Coupon Katie's picks. And here are a few of my lessons learned that might save you some time and effort in the future.

Lesson #1: Since it was Father's Day and I didn't want to leave hubby with the kids to shop, I asked if I could just "run in." When you're trying to work the deals, there's no such thing as "just running in." I returned to a harumphed husband and antsy kids and decided not to do that again.

Lesson #2: Don't rely on hang tags to give you all the deals. My Walgreen's rarely has the tags on the weekly register rewards deals. That can be good because the deals are still there; it's bad because you're second guessing yourself, making sure you got the product that qualifies. Make sure you grab a weekly ad when you walk in to check the product.

Lesson #3: If the deal seems phenomenal, you probably won't get it. Sorry. I was excited to read about the Neutragena deal that could be a $7.78 money maker. Maybe other stores have them, but I searched several places with no luck.

Lesson #4: Have a system for handling your coupons and stick with it. I usually have my stack of coupons that I'll probably use in my hand. As I add an item to the cart, I put the coupon in my pocket. I did that with two of my coupons and then got rushed, sensing anxiety in the car outside. When I got to the register, I couldn't find two coupons. Not thinking clearly, I put the products aside and realized my mistake when I got home. Ugh!

Lesson #5: Only do multiple transactions if necessary. I had planned two transactions so that I could use a RR from one for the other but then couldn't find my coupons. So I ended up taking twice as long with two customers behind me tapping their feet all for nothing. Ugh!

Lesson #6: Check your stockpile beforehand to make sure you don't buy something you don't need. I bought crackers for $1 with one of my $1RR, only to realize I had four full boxes in the pantry.

After all that, did I accomplish anything or get anything right?! Well, yes. I managed to spend the register rewards that were expiring that day on small items like crackers and dental floss. I picked up my free photo collage for Father's Day, our Sunday paper and these two freebies:

1 Bausch and Lomb Renu multi-purpose solution (on sale for $7.50; get $7.50RR)--I've read enough bloggers saying how good it is to have this on hand that I'll be keeping this one.

1 Herbal Essences shampoo ($2.99; get $2RR)

Used $2 Renu printable (made it a $2 money maker)

Used $1/1 Herbal Essences (made it free)

Used $11RR from previous trips

Total spent: $3.77

Total saved: $20.99

RR for next time: $9.50

UPDATE 6/25: I did manage to sneak in another trip to Walgreen's this week to pick up the following:

Transaction #1:

1 Rephresh tampons ($5.99; get $5RR)

2 Gillette body wash ($4.49; get $4.50RR)

1 Herbal Essences shampoo ($2.99; get $2RR)

--Used $1/1 Rephresh coupon (making it free)

--Used a B1G1 Gillette coupon (making both free)

--Used $1/1 Herbal Essences coupon (making that free)

--Used $7.50RR from last trip

Total Spent: $5.63

RR for next time: $11.50

Transaction #2:

1 Rephresh tampons ($5.99; get $5RR)

1 Herbal Essences conditioner ($2.99; get $2RR)

1 caramel for filler ($.34)

--Used $1/1 Rephresh coupon (making it free)

--Used $1/1 Herbal Essences coupon (making that free)

--Used $4.50RR from first transaction

Total Spent: $3.68

RR for next time: $7

For Southern's Saver's CVS match-ups, click here. For Coupon's Katie's picks, click here. CVS was much faster (I did that one first) because I got 4 items:

1 large box of Huggies diapers ($20; get $10ECB) (tip: Coupon Katie advises you ask for a raincheck if they're out)

1 Colgate Total ($2.99; get $2ECB)

2 Powerbars ($1; get $1ECB each)

--Used $3 Huggies printable (tip: Southern Savers said there were further discounts printing on some CVS receipts, but I haven't seen that.)

--Used $1/1 Colgate (making it free)

--Used $12ECB from previous trips

Total spent: $11.24

Total saved: $20.90

Total ECBs for next time: $14

Since I don't donate every good deal I get, here's what is going to charity:

Total products to donate this week: 2 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 box of tampons, 2 body wash, 1 toothpaste, 1 box of crackers

Total value of these products: $28.90 ($9 for shampoo, $6 for tampons, $9 for body wash, $3.90 for toothpaste, $1 for crackers--not sure of non sale prices for most goods)

Total spent for these products: $1 (everything but the crackers were free with coupons; even though I used a $1RR for the crackers, that savings was calculated in a previous purchase)

Total products to donate to date: 6 tubes toothpaste, 5 deodorants, 2 bars of soap, 1 hand soap, 2 dish soap, 14 body wash, 5 shampoo, 2 conditioner, 1 razor, 1 heat wrap, 5 feminine care, 1 box of tampons, 1 lip balm, 2 toothbrushes, 1 barrette, 1 box of tissues, 1 box of vitamins, 2 boxes of cereal, 1 box of crackers

Total value of products to date: $195.93

Total spent to date: -$16.70

What deals did you find this week?

Couponing for Charity 5/23-29 & Update #10

If you're following my Couponing for Charity mission, here are this week's picks. It's never too late to start!

Once again, CVS comes out on top in my opinion if you want to pick just one store. Last week we got two free Gillette body wash at Walgreen's, but this week you get the same AND make four bucks! For Southern Saver's CVS match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's paired down list, go here.

Thanks to a tip from Southern Savers, I printed a $4 off $20 CVS purchase from home. Mine was going to expire 5/25; not sure how long you have from the time you print it, if it's even still available. With some of my previously earned ECBs, here was my transaction yesterday at CVS:

2 Gillette body wash (on sale for $4 each; get $4ECB each; limit 2)

1 Starbucks coffee ($7)

3 Raison Bran ($1.66 each; limit 3)

-Used B1G1 Gillette body wash

-Used $1/1 Starbucks (I think from All You magazine)

-Used $1/2 Kellogg's coupon that expired 5/23

-Used $4 off $20 CVS coupon

-Used $9ECB from previous trips

Total spent: $2.31

ECBs good for another month: $8

For Southern Saver's Walgreen's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. I was going to get the all-purpose solution money maker but couldn't find the coupon in last week's insert. Did I miss it or did we not get that one? I bought goods in two transactions; I'll see my true savings in future shopping trips.

Transaction #1:

2 Huggies Little Movers ($9 each; buy 2, get $3RR)

1 Goody barette ($2.99; get $3RR)

1 News Sentinel ($2)

1 Colgate Total ($2.99, get $2RR)

-Used 2 $3/1 Huggies printables

-Used 1 $.75/1 Colgate coupon

-Used 2 $4.50RR from last week

Note: The number of products must not exceed your number of coupons; 5 products, 5 coupons.

Total spent: $10.23

RR good for two weeks: $8

Transaction #2:

2 Honey Nut Cheerios ($1.99 each)

1 Colgate Total ($2.99, get $2RR)

1 Revlon tweezers ($2.99)

1 Goody barrette ($2.99; get $3RR)

1 Carefree 22 count feminine care (will be free after both coupons)

-Used 1 $1/2 General Mills coupon from paper

-Used 1 $.75/1 Colgate coupon from paper

-Used 1 $1/1 Revlon coupon from paper

-Used 1 $1/1 Walgreen's coupon in May book for Revlon tweezers

-Used 1 $1/1 Carefree coupon from paper

-Used 1 $.99 in ad coupon for Carefree

Note: I couldn't use my RR from the previous transaction to get more RR this time and I had to keep the coupon to ration correct: 6 products, 6 coupons.

Total spent: $10.42

RR good for two weeks: $5

Since I'll be keeping some of these things and donating others, here are my totals:

Total products to donate this week: 2 body wash, 1 toothpaste, 1 feminine care, 1 barrette

Total value of these products: $17.60 ($10 for body wash, $3 for toothpaste, $1.60 for feminine care, $3 for barrette)--it's actually more, but I don't know specifically how much the sale prices took off some products.

Total spent for these products: -$3.75 ($4 moneymaker minus $.25 for toothpaste)

Total products to donate to date: 5 tubes toothpaste, 5 deodorants, 2 bars of soap, 1 hand soap, 9 body wash, 3 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 heat wrap, 4 feminine care, 1 lip balm, 2 toothbrushes, 1 barrette

Total value of products to date: $124.95

Total spent to date: -$14.70

What deals did you get this week?

Couponing for Charity 5/9-15 & Update #8

I know it's Mother's Day, but I admit I did my pharmacy shopping today. It was a gift to myself to work the deals without the distractions of little ones running up and down the aisles or squirming out of the cart. I'm happy to report that after my week off from couponing last week, I scored some good deals today.

I'd advise just going to CVS because they have the best deals this week. However, I did start at Walgreen's because I had a $3RR about the expire and my free photo collage (worth $3.99) to pick up. I bought a newspaper and one EOS shaving lotion (on sale for $2.99, get $3RR). My total spent was $2.27, I saved $7.79, and walked out with a $3RR. I'm keeping all these deals; so the totals below will not reflect them.

I then headed to CVS for the real savings. Click here for all of Southern Saver's match-ups. Hip2Save also does a nice job highlighting her favorites. Before I shopped, I scanned my card at the card kiosk and received four coupons--one of which was $5 off $40 purchase. I had planned out three transactions that would cost me $7.73 plus tax total, but I decided to spend more now and save more later (ie: buy everything in one transaction totaling just over $40 to use the additional ECB). CVS ECBs are good for a month (compared to Walgreen's two weeks), and I'm sure I can use them on other good deals between now and then.

Here's what I bought:

2 Crest Pro-Health 4.2 ounce toothpastes (on sale for $3.50, get $3.50ECB each; limit 2)

2 Carefree 22 count liners (on sale for $1 each)

1 U by Kotex 50 count liners ($4.99, get $4.99 ECB; limit 1)

2 Right Guard Total Defense deodorants (on sale for $2.49 each, get $2ECB each; limit 2)

1 Schick Hydro 5 razor (on sale for $8.99, get $4ECB; limit 1)

1 pack of Goodnite diapers (on sale for $8.49, get $2ECB; limit 1)

2 15oz boxes of Raison Bran (on sale for $1.88 each)

Total before coupons: $40.21

Coupons I used:

2 $.75/1 Crest toothpaste

2 $1/1 any Carefree product

1 $1/1 Kotex manufacturer's printable here

1 $1/1 Kotex CVS printable here (yes, you can stack them for one product)

1 $3/2 Right Guard printable here

1 $5/1 Schick Hydro 5 in 5/9 Smart Source insert

1 $1.50 Goodnites from paper

1 $1/2 Kellogg's I printed awhile back

1 $5 ECB from a previous trip

1 $5 off $40 purchase

Total value of coupons: $26.00

Total paid including tax: $17.42

Total saved: $41.68

Total value of ECBs to use in future: $23.00 (including $1 for using my green tag 4 times)

Now wasn't that fun?!

Of these purchases, this is what I've decided to donate this week: 1 toothpaste, 2 feminine care

Total value of these products: $7.07 ($3.89 for Crest and $1.59 each for Carefree)

Total spent for these products: -$.75

Total products to donate to date: 4 tubes toothpaste, 4 deodorants, 2 bars of soap, 1 hand soap, 3 body wash, 2 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 heat wrap, 3 feminine care, 1 lip balm, 2 toothbrushes

Total value of products to date: $81.61

Total spent to date: -$10.95

What deals did you get this week?

Couponing for Charity 5/2-8 & Update #7

Hi everyone. If you're new to the Couponing for Charity concept, go here. For those eagerly awaiting my suggestions, I'm afraid I don't have much to share this week. I've decided to forgo my weekly trips to Walgreen's, CVS, and wait for the gasp--Kroger because I'm just not drawn to any great deals.

Instead I was inspired by Gabe's post on farmer's markets and will try to check one of those out this week for fresh produce. And since my Sam's Club membership is going to expire in two months, I may go in there to stock up on some of the items that I know really are good deals. I'll report on both trips later.

Anyway, if you'd like to explore the pharmacy deals, here are Southern Saver's match-ups for CVS and Walgreen's. For Knoxville on a Dime's scaled down version of those lists: Walgreen's and CVS. The Nivea deals at both stores sound enticing, but they depend on a coupon we in Knoxville did not get today: $4/1 body wash. So even if you bought the multiple papers required to make that money maker happen, you're out of luck.

At CVS there's a Depends moneymaker, but I'm not sure the charities we're looking to support need Depends undergarments. And I didn't have the specific coupons for the Colgate or Reach deals.

At Walgreen's you could get free Puff's if you use the $1 coupon from the Vocal Point mailer and the in-ad coupon. There's free Sure deodorant with a coupon in today's paper and the in-ad coupon. Note that both of those deals rely on the need to get the coupon to product ratio right (ie: buy other products without a coupon). To that end, the Hallmark money maker sounds good but I couldn't find any kid's cards. And when I stopped to think about it, I'd rather make my own kid's cards with paper stock and portions of their paintings. Call me old fashioned that way.

The truth is I'm tired of shopping. I'm not a shopper at heart. I like a good deal, but I don't really enjoy the process of shopping. The only thing I bought at Walgreen's today was the newspaper with my $2RR from last week. That's the one product you don't have to pay tax on; that's nice. So since I was over budget last month and therefore have $100 less in my May budget, I'm going to take a break. Best of luck to you all. Since I'm not adding new items to my list this week, here are the totals to date.

Total products to donate to date: 3 tubes toothpaste, 4 deodorants, 2 bars of soap, 1 hand soap, 3 body wash, 2 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 heat wrap, 1 feminine care, 1 lip balm, 2 toothbrushes

Total value of products to date: $74.54

Total spent to date: -$10.20

Couponing for Charity: 3/21 - 3/27

Update: The mouthwash deal at CVS won't work because the coupon is for a larger size.

For those wanting to find freebies (especially hygiene products) that can be donated to charity, here are my suggestions after checking several other blogger's match-ups.

I think CVS has the best deal this week if you want to pick just one place. Go here or here for more match-ups. Colgate Total is on sale for $3.99, but you get $3.99ECB. Use a $1/1 coupon and you "make a buck." Limit one. You can also buy 1 Crest mouthwash for $3.99, use a $2 coupon, and get $2ECB. That makes it free. Limit one. If you need diapers, this is a great week to use your ECBs to get Pampers.

For Walgreens match-ups go here or here. Walgreens has some Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste and toothbrushes on sale, but I didn't have the coupons to make them free. And after all these toothpaste moneymakers, who wants to spend anything on toothpaste?! Gabe recommends you go to Walgreens for the free Olay Quench Body Wash with mail-in rebate, but I'll pass on that one--too much work.

Southern Savers has a list of freebies at Target including bandaids, Buddie's soap, and kids Crest toothpaste as well as several travel freebies towards the bottom of the list.

I'm hoping Kroger will have the $1 Dial soap this week that they've advertised. I still have 2 $.35 coupons, which would make them only $.30 each. I might be willing to pay that.

So what deals did I miss?

Couponing for Charity: Update #1

Here is the first reality check for my new mission: couponing for charity (click here for more details on how all these deals work). I'll start with the good news: I now have two tubes of toothpaste and one deodorant for my cause and they were not only free; I "made" $2. The bad news is that if you're not careful, trying to work the deals can be confusing, disheartening, frustrating, and exhausting. Even though my experiences this week have been up and down, I encourage you not to give up. I'm certainly not.

My quest began at Kroger on Tuesday. Specifically for charity, I was looking for Speed Stick, Irish Spring, and Dial soap. I had to be careful to pick the Speed Stick variety on sale, but that was free after coupons($1.50 on sale, -$.50MD, -$.50 MC doubled). The Irish Spring was also a good deal, but since that's my hubby's favorite, we're keeping that soap. I couldn't find the Dial soap for the sale price advertised; so I put that coupon away for another day.

Thursday is typically my Walgreens day, but I needed a few items at Target. The best deal was 4 Mini Wheats (Bobby's favorite) for $.56 each (4/$10 gets you a $5 gift card with no expiration date; I had 2 $1/2 manufacturer's coupons and 1 $.75 Target coupon from the recent mailer). I also got a bag of Almond Joy Pieces for $.29 ($2.29, $1 MC, and $1 TC). I searched for the free Buddies soap Coupon Katie describes with the $1/1 Johnson and Johnson coupon but couldn't find them anywhere.

I was also tempted to get the Dial soap for charity for just $.02, but I really needed soap to refill our hand dispensers in each bathroom. Though it may sound great to just get new bottles every time one runs out, that's a poor environmental choice. I usually try to find the refills in the containers that use far less plastic, but this Target didn't have those. So I did save $1.35 off my Dial purchase ($1 TC, $.35 MC), and now I'm set for weeks.

When I went into CVS for the deodorant deals, I was met with empty shelves and no sign that they even sell one item I had coupons for. I just walked out.

I then went to the Walgreens nearby on my next deal seeking adventure. Tip: There are several cases where they are within eye-sight of each other: Western Ave. & 275, Clinton Highway & Merchant's Drive, Middlebrook Pike, Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge, etc. Brooke was amazingly patient.

This is where I got the "money maker" for toothpaste: buy 1 Colgate for $3.99, get $4RR. Using a $1/1 coupon made each tube a $1 money maker. I bought one tube each in separate transactions to get multiple register rewards (only one per transaction). The trick is finding something of value for at least $4 within the next 2 weeks. I'm hoping there will be a diaper deal, especially with the new $3 Huggies coupons just released. I decided to forego the toothbrush deal; I think I can do better.

This has nothing to do with my charity finds but it's a good lesson to learn: it's not always easy finding the right deal for your register rewards. I needed to use a $5RR that was expiring today (couldn't let that happen!). Originally I was going to buy 2 bottles of Purex laundry detergent for $5.99. With my RR, that would be just $.99 for 2 bottles--score! Not so fast. None of that Purex detergent was rated for the HE washers. I don't know what happens if you run non-HE detergent in an HE machine, but I'm not willing to risk MY washer. So, plan B. Walgreens also had the larger bottle of Tide the same price as K-mart and Target, and I had a $1/1 MC. Wouldn't you know none of these sale bottles were HE rated either?! So, plan C. I purchased the smaller HE Tide (not on sale--crazy, I know), but it still only cost me $3.

I hemmed and hawed over the Kleenex deal as well, because the $.89 price is only good for 3 boxes, and I needed 6 boxes to get the $3RR. I should've just bought them, but Brooke was squirming, the phone was ringing, and I wanted to be done with it. To get my coupon / item ratio correct, I also made an impulse buy. Remember my post about trying to find items for stuffing Easter eggs? Well, they had Dove eggs on sale 2/$7 with a $1 RR. It's not a great price, but I wanted them for their Easter baskets.

After all this shopping, I rewarded Brooke with Mother Goose at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. It's a free class for babies to age three the first and third Thursdays of the month. Lori, who leads it, is great. Babies meet at 10am, toddlers at 10:45am, and 2s/3s at 11:30am. It's important to mix in play with the errands or you'll hate yourself within a month.

To summarize, I did more running around this week than normal in the name of research. In the future I will limit myself to either Target, CVS, or Walgreens in one week. If you really want specific deals at CVS, I'd recommend shopping earlier in the week, as I've missed out twice now.

Total products to donate this week: 2 tubes toothpaste, 1 stick of deodorant

Total value of products to donate: $10.27 ($3.99 each for 2 toothpastes and $2.29 for deodorant).

Total spent: -$2 (it's like having two bucks in the bank to spend another time).

How did you do?

Couponing for Charity

The holiday season should be a time we celebrate giving to each other--especially those less fortunate. Some of the local charities on my list include Second Harvest, KARM, Salvation Army, Angel Tree, and Ronald McDonald House. I don't want to use the poor economy as an excuse not to give, but this year I'm having to get a bit more creative to stretch my dollars.

This week I scanned the sales at three stores to find the best deals on canned and non-perishable food. Target has Del Monte vegetables for $.45 a can, Campbell's cooking soups for $.49, Swanson chicken broth for $.49, and Betty Crocker Au Gratin potatoes for $.79. After using manufacturer's coupons, my final costs were: $.28 / can for vegetables, $.15 / can for soup, and $.39 / box for potatoes. You can get a $1/6 Del Monte vegetables here, you can find links to lots of Campbell's coupons here and a variety of others here.

Walgreens this week has the best deal on Ocean Spray Cranberry Jelly ($.79 with in store coupon). They also have smaller containers of French's fried onions ($.99 with in store coupons) which are perfect for one casserole. Lastly small boxes of Cheezits, Keebler cookies and crackers are on sale for $.50 each. They're too small to use manufacturer's coupons as well but they're still a good 0deal and an ideal size for stuffing gift baskets.

I found some great deals on toys at Kroger and Target. Disney Princess gift sets (Belle and Sleeping Beauty) were half off ($5 each) and a full-size Belle doll was also $5 at Kroger. Target is a great source for board games right now. I got Connect 4, Pictureka!, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Clue, and Guesstures for $10 (normally $15-$25). Over 2 weeks, various games were on sale, I used a $5 Target coupon in their November toy catalogue (they should have some near the toys or you can print from here), and I used coupons found online from from $2 -$10 each.

My best deal was the Hasbro Giraffalaff Limbo game (normally $20). I'd never price matched an item before because I haven't had the guts but I figured this was the day. At the customer service desk, I showed the Toys R Us toy catalogue selling the toy for $14.99. I then used the $5 off Target coupon and the $4 online coupon. My total before tax: $5.99.

And to prove that once again you can Go Green and Save Green, I fulfilled one more item on my list: light bulbs. The Ronald McDonald House specifically requested 60W light bulbs, and because I like the gifts that keep on giving, I opted for the GE Energy Smart Instant-On Mini soft white compact flourescents. They cost $5 each, but with $2/2 Target coupons and 3 $1/1 manufacturer's coupons, I got 4 light bulbs for $13. They should last 4 years and save the house a total of $112 off their electric bills long-term. Ah, it feels good to give.

In the future, I'll be stock-piling items I've found for free through Walgreens register rewards: toothbrushes, dental floss, hand sanitizer, chapstick, gum, etc. And if all this is too overwhelming, I urge you to give in one of the simplest ways: at check-out. Most stores ask if you'd like to donate an additional buck or two to charity. It's quick and easy and with all these savings from coupons, you can spare some change!

Comment below your great finds for charity.