FREE green products at CVS next week

In celebration of Earth Day next week, CVS is offering two freebies that are great for the environment and your wallet. The deals aren't valid now. They run 4/17-23. Thanks to Southern Savers for the head's up.

The first is my favorite: the green tag! I scan my green tag every visit and have saved $11 with it to date; your receipts keep track. After four visits, you earn $1ECB for doing nothing other than bringing your own shopping bag.

It's a bummer you can only have one; so it's a bit surprising they are offering two free green tags per customer. Though I don't need one, I'll get two and give them to some of my other shopping mavins participating in Couponing for Charity.

The other is a GE Energy Smart lightbulb that's free after ECB and with a coupon from the April All You magazine. We don't need any light bulbs either, but these are great to donate. Not only will they get a free bulb, they'll save on electricity for a long time.

These are both gifts that keep on giving green!

Why I'll be going to Earthfest 4/16

You all know I'm a self-professed green geek. So how could I miss the annual celebration of all things green in Knoxville? Earthfest is scheduled for this Saturday, April 16 from 10am to 5pm. Admission is FREE and there will be lots of great activities and access to loads of information to "Green it and Mean it"--this year's theme.

Check out my highlights from last year's event. Looking through the list of this year's vendors, I'm sure you'll have many of the same experiences. Here are some of my favorites:

1. The solar industry will be well represented if you have questions on that (especially if you own a business trying to cut energy costs). The UT Solar Decathalon team will also be there.
2. Earthfare will be there and last year they had a great coupon! They're sponsoring the kids area which tends to have great crafts.
3. The Holistic Moms Network should have an area for you to nurse and change diapers (cloth a plus, but not a requirement ;)
4. The Knoxville Recycling Coalition can answer questions about recycling styrofoam and sell you a bag to begin collecting it.
5. They're aiming for a "zero waste" event and will have no trash cans on site. So if you can be mindful of any materials you bring and take them with you if they are not compostable or recyclable, that would be great.

There will also be three panels throughout the day:

1. Are we too clean? (11-11:50am)

2. Livable Communities (noon - 12:50pm)

3. Local Actions: Global Ramifications (1:00 - 1:50pm)

If you have these items, bring them:

1. mercury thermometer (can be exchanged for a new digital one)

2. incandescent lightbulb (can be exchanged for a compact fluorescent one; limit one per household)

3. 10 plastic bags or water bottles (can be exchanged for a reusable cloth bag)

4. Shoes to donate for Soles4Souls in Japan.

So, who else will be there?

Save big on Marcal at Staples 3/4 only!

I know people can be pretty picky when it comes to toilet paper. Even the most determined environmental couponers draw the line at wanting their favorite plush brands. My husband and I are not that picky about brands and really want to support recycled products in this way.

I've tried the 100% recycled CVS brand and Marcal 2 ply, and I prefer Marcal. Marcal is great about coupns in the paper, where you can save $1 here and there. I just got two boxes of tissues for free with those coupons at Ingles when they were marked down to $1. And you can get 4 small rolls of TP at Earthfare for $.67, but we seem to go through it faster than I can buy it.

So, personally I was jazzed about Staples daily deal today on Marcal TP and paper towels. You can get a case of TP (48 rolls) for $16.99 or 15 rolls of paper towels for $9.99. You can buy multiple cases. Since I have several rewards from buying the products that are FREE after rewards, I decided to buy 2 cases of TP.

My subtotal before coupons was $61.18. The online coupon valid 3/4 only took off $27.20 and I used a $33.20 reward. Since I chose in store pick-up, there's no delivery charge. My tax was $.08 and I paid $.86 for 96 rolls of toilet paper. And I did it from home. Woo hoo!

Anyone else out there by recycled paper products? What do you think about them?

Recycling: Everybody's Doing It, Right?

I had a close encounter today with a mom from another planet. Not really, but now I have your attention. I was volunteering at my son's school to sell baked goods as a fundraiser for the music program. That's when I noticed the incredible amount of waste and lack of recycling going on every day in this lunchroom. The janitor emptied three huge trash cans twice during the hour I was there. Kids were throwing away lunches that looked like they'd hardly been touched, served to them on styrofoam trays--ugh!!! Into the trash also went plastic milk jugs and aluminum soda cans. Is there no recycling, I wondered?!

What floored me even more was the reaction of the other mom present with me. When I expressed disdain for such waste and lack of environmental responsibility, she showed equal disdain for the very thought of recycling. She commented, "The whole idea is just so gross--seeing all that piled up or having to rinse out soda cans or milk jugs sends shivers down my spine!" In her mind, I suppose, as long as it's contained in a plastic bag and she doesn't have to see it, it's OK to throw away whatever you like.

I try very hard not to use my blog as a soapbox, but does anyone else see a problem with this rationale? I thought our society had progressed to at least the level that most people saw the value and importance of recycling, even if they didn't participate. Maybe it's all those years in California, a state that has mandated that HALF of all waste be diverted from landfill (either by recycling or composting). Yes, some city municipalities like San Francisco do have great composting programs that are providing amazing results in Napa vineyards. It's the cycle of life, people!

Anyway, now I'm compelled to at least research whether recycling programs have been explored at our school and why they have not yet been implemented. Surely I'm not alone in my desire to preserve the earth for future generations. What better place to instill these values than our schools?

In our home, we've whittled down our trash to half a can a week. We take a car load of recycling twice a month to the recycling center and compost most of our food waste. As a New Year's resolution, I wanted our entire neighborhood to participate in recycling on some level. I even volunteered to take any neighbor's aluminum, steel, newspapers, cardboard, and mixed paper (the most valuable recyclable commodities). One neighbor is now on board. If you have questions about what can be recycled or where to drop items off in Knox County, go here.

I suppose that's how the green movement has to evolve--one person, one act at a time. When you realize it's not so tough or that it even feels good to do something positive for Mother Earth, you explore what else you can do. What steps have you taken recently to "go green"?

How to Save 88% at Walgreens

If your kids ever ask you, "Mom, when am I ever going to use math?" just take them to Walgreens to figure out the best deals. I almost majored in math but piecing the puzzle of how to get the best deals can be exhausting. This week I did manage to score some deals but only when I got home did I figure out how I could have spent the least amount of money for the most stuff. So here's your chance to learn from my mistakes.

How would you like to get 3 bottles of Lubriderm lotion, 3 packs of tissue wrapping paper (20 sheets each), 4 different spices, and 1 pack of Huggies for $3.53? These particular deals are only good through Saturday, but I'm sure next week will have its own deals. Here's how.

Thanks to Coupon Katie, I learned of the November deal with Lubriderm: buy 3, get $8 RR. You may not see this in any flyer or in the stores. Make sure you find the 6 oz bottles for the best deal (I could only find the 16 oz bottles). Through the paper or online, you should be able to get 3 manufacturer's coupons of $2 each. In the diabetic magazine near the pharmacy, you can get an additional Walgreens coupon that will take another $3 off when you buy 3. Since your coupon to item ratio is now off, pick up 2 packs of tissue wrapping paper and use the $.39 coupon in this week's ad. Since this coupon will save you on two items but only count as one coupon, you now have 5 items and 5 coupons. Your total before tax is $3.15, and at the end of the transaction, you'll have an $8 RR.

If no one is behind you, go for transaction #2. The best deal for me to spend an $8 RR is on diapers but you might consider another higher priced item like Crest Whitestrips (see $10 coupon in this week's ad). Since Huggies are $8.99 this week, I have a $2 manufacturer's coupon, and there's a $1 coupon in the Walgreens Health Coupon book, using my RR would mean Walgreens pays me money. Since they don't do that, I need to buy a few items to make up the difference. There's a coupon in this week's ad for spices, 2/$1 (normally $1.19 each). Pick up 4 of these and 1 more pack of tissue paper. You should have 6 items and 4 coupons. Using your $8 RR brings your total to $.38.

All these goods not on sale and without coupons would cost $30.58, but you've only spent $3.53 before tax. That's an incredible 88% savings! I bought a few other things and saved 60% total, but I'm learning.

And though this doesn't qualify for super savings, it is a way to save on a green product. I picked up a 3 roll pack of Nature's Choice paper towels. There's a $1 coupon in the November Walgreens coupon book, bringing my total to $2. They're 100% recycled and a great way to support the green revolution.

Fall Leaves: Shred ‘em & Spread ‘em

Fall is a favorite time of year for me: the smell of crisp air, the sights of crimson and gold, and the sound of crunching leaves in a great big pile. We have one maple in the front that provides enough leaves for everyone to have some fun but the leaf piles can’t last forever. Here’s another chance for you to Go Green, Save Green, and the best part is this one’s truly FREE.

According to the Knox County Recycling Coordinator, about HALF of all our local waste is green waste that could be turned into a valuable resource. This includes biodegradable products like paper & cardboard, food leftovers, and landscape waste. This time of year they are hauling off tons of leaves that would be better off if they never left your yard. Bagging leaves uses valuable landfill space, removes nutrients from the environment, and costs tax payers more money in service fees. Leaves are such a burden on landfills that some states like Minnesota have banned disposing of leaves with garbage.

There is a better solution: shred ‘em and spread ‘em! This past weekend Bob put both boys to work: Bobby fed the shredder and Devin spread the piles in the garden beds. They felt proud to be helpers and had a blast. Most of the year Bob runs over leaves with the lawn mower, which helps mix their nutrients into the soil. During fall, there’s too much volume and if left alone, matted leaves will create fungus and kill the grass sheltered from the sun.

With a leaf blower / vacuum, Bob sucks up the leaves. This shreds and shrinks them down to take up 10 times less space. Shredding leaves is essential to breaking them down efficiently. He could spread the contents around trees like mulch, but we choose to put some in our compost bin and some in the garden beds. All he has to do is periodically mix it with a shovel and they will become nutrient rich soil by spring.

According to this great website, leaves are an essential source of carbon to make compost. A good equation is 4 parts leaves to 1 part kitchen waste. I’ll be writing more about composting another time, but if you’re looking for a good place to start, check out this link. Shredded leaves also make better mulch than wood chips or shredded bark because you’ll get fewer weeds and no fungus underneath. Plus it’s FREE and you didn’t have to haul it to your house in a flatbed.

If you don’t have a shredder and you have no place to put an excess of leaves, consider dropping them off at one of Knoxville’s Natural Resources Recovery locations. They do charge a $25 / ton or $5 minimum fee, but you’ll know your waste will be turned into a valuable resource.

So go have some fun and then do something good for your yard.

$20 of FREE Organic Groceries

I have to admit when I saw the Good Morning America feature on the mom who scored $267 of groceries for $.01, I was skeptical and a little bitter. Does she not buy produce or fresh meat? This could not have been a “typical shopping trip”! You have to pay SOMETHING! Nothing in life is truly free!

That’s before I heard about the new Earthfare pantry makeover deal. You can bring in practically empty containers of items containing high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils and they will give you a healthier and often organic alternative for FREE. The items in their promotion include cereal, salad dressing, peanut butter, jelly, and soft drinks. Sad to say I had items in all those categories in my fridge or pantry; so I couldn’t resist my chance to taste the alternatives. Tip: If you choose to bring unopened items, they will be donated to Second Harvest.

Thanks to tips from Knoxmoms and Coupon Katie, I learned Earthfare was not only having a special Halloween event for the kids; they were giving away 3 pound bags of organic apples through October 31. Armed with my coupons, I brought my oldest son Bobby for a fun outing and chance to save some serious bucks.

We first grabbed the apples (worth $6). I’m going to turn those into baby food; so check back in for details in a future blog. Bobby then decorated one of the cloth bags I use for grocery shopping and gathered a few goodies through a scavenger hunt around the store. We then went on another “scavenger hunt” for the free pantry makeover items (cereal: $2.49, peanut butter: $3.79, jelly: $4.99, salad dressing: $2.19, and vitamin water: $1.25). The total for all these goods would have been $20.70 before tax. Total cost to me: $ZIPPO. And the fact that most items are organic is a huge plus in my book.

While there, I also picked up two six packs of Annie’s organic mac n’ cheese--a staple in our house. On sale, it worked out to $1 / box—a price you can’t find cheaper anywhere. I also used two in store coupons on items already on sale and saved a total of $7. The holiday savings books have over $42 in coupons, can be found on most aisles, and have coupons that are usually good through January. Tip: make sure the coupons scan ok; some registers are having trouble reading them.

All told, I spent $18.81 for goods that retail for nearly $50. Once again, this proves you can Go Green and Save Green.

Green Products that save you Green

Yes, it's frugal Margaret again just back from Kroger. This week I saved $75.29 but I won't bore you with the details other than you should check out products that are buy 10, save $5. That makes Uncle Bens rice boxes more than half off. I was also able to get 2 bottles of Flinstone vitamins for much less (regularly $14.78, on sale for $4.50 each, take $.50 each off for the promotion, use $3 printable coupon; my total: $5).

I do want to point out one good deal that's good for the environment and for your pocket book: Windex Nature's Source glass cleaner. According to their label, it's 99.9% natural, uses plant-based, biodegradable cleaners, contains no ammonia, bleach, phosphorus, or dyes, and was not tested on animals.

Now at Kroger, if you buy two, you get $1 off your next shopping trip. You can also use the $1 coupons attached to the bottles. If you buy one more or have other SC Johnson products to buy (see list & get rebate form here), you can send in your receipt for a $5 rebate. That brings the cost of buying three glass cleaners from $11.37 down to just $2.37. Go green, save green.