Vocalpoint Loves my Laundry

I honestly cannot believe that I haven't told you all about Vocalpoint yet!

"Vocalpoint is a community of moms," says Vocalpoint. Well, I'm not a mom... yet, but I love Vocalpoint so please don't get deterred by that statement. Vocalpoint is a website that allows you to review products, get coupons & samples for new products, learn household tips & talk to other moms (and non-moms) about all sorts of mom (and non-mom) topics of interest.

It's a legit site. I promise! And so worth becoming a part of. Since joining I have received way too many coupons to list, including coupons to try new products for free. All they ask in return is that you come back & tell them what you think about it afterwards. The best thing about Vocalpoint though is that the surveys are not annoying long & time-wasteful! They are actually pretty short!

If that wasn't convincing enough, looky here at what Vocalpoint just sent me:

 

That's right, a full-sized product: Downy Unstopables In Wash Scent Booster. AND a new pair of black socks to test it on!

At first I just assumed that Vocalpoint read on my blog post about how annoyed my husband gets when I forget about clothes in the washing machine & they end up smelling like basement. But then I realized that I've never blogged about that. It's just serendipity!

Downy Unstopables is an In-wash scent booster. Okay, so what does that mean? Basically, it's tiny little balls of smell-goodness that you toss into the washing machine before putting your clothes in. Think dippin' dots, only not as tasty. Then, as if by magic, your clothing smells fantastically for days!

I tested it out last week but forgot to pay attention to which load I added it to and which I didn't. But honestly, that wasn't even necessary because it was sooo obvious! My husband pulled a t-shirt out of the basket of laundry that I was ignoring in our bedroom and walked into the living room wafting fresh scent. I received the blue scent, "fresh." It's very, very pleasant.

So, here is my honest review. The fresh scent smells very nice. The bottle has a special scent release where you squeeze the sides and the scent puffs up into the air. I might have done this 30-40 times. It's easy to use and you can select how much booster you want to add. The scent lasts on your clothes a couple days- that is, unless it's a hot as it has been around here lately and your scent starts to overpower it's scent. The snap top lid is a little difficult to open; maybe it will detighten <new word alert> over time.

But, as much as I like it, I'm not sure I would buy it. It depends on how much it costs and how awesome the coupons they put out for it are. I'm also not sure I want an extra step in my laundry process. Laundry is never ending as is, do we really need to prolong the process? With all that said, once I run out and my clothes go back to smelling like basement, I just might change my mind!

All You Magazine Deal!

A couple weeks ago my cousin emailed me asking where she can get additional coupons, besides newspaper inserts. One of my favorite resources for high value coupons is All You magazine. It is a monthly magazine that contains up to (and sometimes over) $100 in coupons! It is sold only at Walmart and through subscriptions so I alwaysan  recommend that new couponers get a subscription ASAP. Plus, All You often has higher value coupons or coupons for products that don't usually run in the newspaper.

Luckily for all of us (especially me because my subscription was up for renewal) there is a great deal on All You magazine going on right now through Ebates.

I've posted about Ebates before (here) and I think it's an awesome way to get cash back for purchases you were already planning to make or to help justify a purchase with additional savings.

Well, right now Ebates is offering 40% cash back for purchases through Magazines.com! A one year subscriptions for All You is currently $19.97 (12 issues), of which you will receive $7.99 back from Ebates. A two year subscriptions is $34, of which you will receive $13.60 back. That's just $.99 an issue for one year and $.85 an issue for two years. Use one coupon per month and you've got your savings back!

12 issues for $11.98

24 issues for $20.40

So, to take advantage of this awesome deal first click here (or the Ebates logo above) to open an Ebates account. When I opened my account a couple months ago I received a $10 Target gift card with my first purchase, which I did receive in the mail this week! Hopefully this deal is still going on for you!

Next, search for Magazines.com and click through to their site from Ebates. VERY IMPORTANT- you will not get cash back from any purchase unless you first log into your Ebates account and access the company website through Ebates. It takes a little time before you'll start remembering to do this before everyone online purchase but it will totally pay off in the long run!

Then, place your order and watch and wait for that first awesome issue containing tons of money saving tips and COUPONS!!!

If you take advantage of today's offer, like I did, come back and leave me a comment! Happy Couponing!

In the Mail Today: Birthday Month!

Today's "In the Mail Today" post (redundant?) is extra special because it's kicking off a month long string of posts celebrating birthdays! Wonder why? Oh, I dunno.... perhaps because June is my birthday month?!?

Every year I forget about all the awesome deals and coupons and special offers that come in during my birthday month, that is... until the very first offer pops up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! 

A $10 off a $10 purchase coupon from Kohls! I can't even tell you how excited I was! I was so excited I decided to dedicate the month to a birthday theme: birthday deals/offers, special (inexpensive) ways to celebrate birthdays, frugal birthday party ideas, special recipes you'd only make for someone on their birthday, etc. Even if it isn't your birthday month, I hope you stick around for all the celebrating!

(I probably received this coupon because I'm a Kohls card carrier... and an MVP shopper! That's how I roll! But I'll look into how you too can get a birthday present from Kohls and report back.)

I also received a mailer for a free John Deere hat, but that has nothing to do with my birthday. After three summers of push mowing our acre of lawn we finally broke down and bought a John Deere riding lawn mower. I wish I had a photo of my husband's face when it was delivered- priceless!

I believe my Facebook status that day was: "If you told my 24-year-old self that my 27-year-old self would be living in Central PA, married, and the proud owner of a John Deere tractor, I probably wouldn't have believed you." (When I was 24 I was much more concerned with the new hot martini flavor than anything else, least of all getting married or buying a tractor.) A friend from high school posted in response that her & her husband had just bought one too and that she was stoked about the free pink JD hat she got at the dealership.

Errrrr! Excuse me what?? My husband only came home with one green JD hat! There was some 'splaining to do! Luckily for him John Deere's primary focus is my happiness because they immediately sent out this free hat offer, which includes the choice of green or pink. Now, both my friend and I will be cutting grass in style this summer!

The other item pictured was a free sample of John Freida hair care products that I signed-up for on Walmart.com. If you aren't already hip to this game, Walmart.com has a special section on their home page, down to the left on the side bar labeled "In Stores Now." Located here are links to a printable coupons page, a free sample page and some money saving tips.

Like I say, if it's free it's for me so I sign-up for just about any free sample someone is willing to send me. As an added bonus, free samples often some with higher value coupons than you usually find anywhere else. Walmart is currently offering samples for Revitalens contact solution, Carefree pantyliners and Tena protection pads.

Did you get anything awesome in the mail this week?

Multiple Transactions at Target

To follow-up my post from the other day on breaking-up your shopping into multiple transactions, I thought I would post about my trip today to Target, which I did 3 transactions for. (I've posted all the deals along with the transaction breakdown, all of which should still be available through this Saturday, May 21st.)

Transaction #1

I don't normally buy these coffee drinks, because I think they are overpriced but I wanted to get them to make my own Husband 6-Pack.... er 4-Pack, as featured on the Wife Point's Wednesday Guest Post by Krista. I also have another gift idea use for them which I'll hopefully be posting at some point in the future.

2 Starbuck's Frappuccino 4 packs @ $5.79 each = $11.58
-$2/2 Starbuck's Frappuccino 4 pack coupon from PepsiCo Moments insert (5/1)
Paid $9.58
Got $5 gift card

Transaction #2

I wanted to take advantage of the health & beauty gift card deal to stock-up on the deodorant my husband likes (and get a pack for me too). This should last him quite awhile!

4 2-packs of Degree deodorant @ $4 each = $16
-$2 ($1 off 1 x 2) Degree Target coupon (available here) *You can only print 2 of each Target coupon per computer.
-$5 gift card, from Transaction #1
=$9 + .54 tax = $9.54 out of pocket

That's $1.19 per deodorant!!!

Transaction #3

The "everything else" transaction.

6 Johnson & Johnson Red Cross travel first aid kits @ $.97 each - $1/2 coupon (from last week's newspaper) = $.47 each
*I like to keep these on hand for small gifts. They are nice to have in the car or in your work desk

2 Sally Hansen nail files and 2 toe spacers $1 each - $1 off Sally Hansen nail care item Target Coupon = all FREE!
*I thought these would be nice to add to a gift basket

2 packages Sweet Tarts & 2 packages Hot Tamales @ $1 each = $4 (to add to the Husband 6-pack)

Package of Target brand Sour Patch kids $1.75  (Also for the Husband 6-pack)
*A much smaller bag of the name brand candy was on sale for $2, sometimes it pays to look around.

2 Up&Up (Target brand) Peroxide @ $.62 each - $.50 Target Coupon = $.12 each

2 Up&Up Nail Polish Removers @ $.97 each - $.50 Target Coupon= $.47 each

(not pictured- a Bertoli bagged meal on clearance for $3.27)

I picked these things up because I thought they were good deals and things we could use. All in all on this transaction I paid $8.02 after the $5 gift card from Transaction #2.

Total spent today: $27.14 for 30 items with savings totaling $26.10.

Not my best Target haul but I got a few items I needed for gifts and was able to stockpile up on some health & beauty items we use. I was pretty pleased. I've paid up to $3.69 regular price for my husband's deodorant so even if I paid $27.14 for just 8 deodorants that would be a savings.

How do you think I did? Anybody else find any great deals at Target this week?

I'm Declaring It National Housewife Day w/ Spa Rah Rah!

I'm soooo excited about this new offer from SpaFinder.com! So excited in fact that I think I'm going to declare today National Housewife Day! (I reserve the right to declare multiple National Housewife Days throughout the course of a calendar year!)

SPA RAH RAH! What a fun name! SpaFinder has just released a new deal website that, like Groupon, offers major discounts everyday on spa services! You read that right... MAJOR DISCOUNTS ON SPA SERVICES!!!

I can't think of a housewife, woman, mother, daughter, aunt, cousin.... anyone who wouldn't want a spa day! I think it's time we treat ourselves (or bat our eyes until our husbands chip in) to a spa service or two. My favorite part? This totally fits within a frugal lifestyle! (I might be bending the rules just a tinsy bit.)

I strongly suggest that everyone click on the links above or on the button at the top of the right sidebar on my page and sign up to receive all the Spa Rah Rah deals! Why the heck not?!? We deserve it! Am I right?!?! Who's coming with me??

In the Mail Today

I don't understand why my husband hates mail... I got some good stuff in the mail today!

All You Magazine- If you don't know about All You Magazine, but coupon or want to start couponing it's time to get in the know! All You is a monthly magazine sold exclusively by Walmart (and mail order subscription) that contains TONS of coupons and money saving tips! This month's magazine has $91.60 in coupons inside and believe me, that are coupons you'll actually use! I believe it retails for about $2.50 per issue but I highly recommend a subscription. There are subscription deals out all the time, just be on the look out for them. In the meantime, check out the All You website for printable coupons and loads of frugal tips.

Purex and Eucerin Samples & Coupons: I received a sample of the new Purex Complete with Zout laundry detergent as well as two Eucerin lotion samples courtesy of The Sample Showcase (which I wrote about before in a post here). I didn't qualify for the one large box of samples & coupons so I individually requested all the samples they had available on their site. I'm quite surprised by how quickly these samples have come... sometimes it takes months to receive samples requested online.

Requesting free samples of products is not only awesome because of the free samples, but they almost always come with coupons as well. I've found the coupons that come with samples are normally higher value than those in newspaper inserts. Even if it's a product you personally don't use, why not request a free sample? I save all the trial or sample sizes of products I get either through mail or bought with coupons in store. It's nice to have a little stockpile of health & beauty aids on hand for visitors or out of town guests. You never know what someone might need or forget at home!

Did you get anything good in the mail today?

Free 4 Me: Scotch Tape @ Staples

Woooo!! I love free stuff! Looky what I got today at Staples:

(If you click the photo you can view it larger. The arrow is pointing to a $0.00 total!)

Staples has the single rolls of Scotch Magic Tape in a dispenser on sale for $.99. There is a printable coupon floating around the cybersphere for $1 off Scotch Magic Tape (3m.com). I don't do math on Sundays but that translates to free tape for me and for you!

Have fun taping things!

Sample Showcase

Sample Showcase

I just found this website the other night, thanks to Dealseekingmom.com.

Sample Showcase is apparently a great way to sign up for a number of free product samples- all  conveniently packed into a box, courtesy of a program by the USPS called StartSampling. I have not received one of these boxes yet and "do not qualify" for the current box offering but I was able to sign up for a number of great product samples online. Just sign up for an account and click on the Samples link at the top of the page. You can then search through the samples available and individually sign up for any & all products you are interested in. Fingers crossed that we'll all qualify for the next Sample Showcase box!

I'll let you know if/when I receive my samples. Good luck & I hope you get to try out some awesome new products soon!