$10 off of $25 at JCPenneys - Printable Coupon

JCPenney's has a printable coupon good for $10 off of a purchase of $25 or more, good now through Sunday, March 31st.  Click here to print your coupon.  This coupon is also available to use for an online purchase at the JCPenney website.  To get your discount online, use code SPEND25 and serial number 0658155248.  You can also use this coupon on discount, clearance, and sale merchandise. 

Hancock Fabrics Coupons - Good Ones!

Hancock Fabrics is having a Martin Luther King Jr. sale, and they have some good discount deals going on.  If you need to stock up on craft supplies, now is the time to do it!  These coupons are good through Sunday, January 15, 2012.

$10 off of $50 purchase - online code MLK10
$25 off of $100 purchase - online code MLK25
$50 off of $200 purchase - online code MLK50

These coupon deals can also be used in-store.  For the printable coupons, click here! 

More Kohls.com Discounts: 15-20% Off

I have some new coupon codes for Kohls.com!  Kohl's extra discounts usually apply to pretty much anything you want to purchase, including clearance and sale prices.  From Thursday, December 15, 2011 through Saturday, December 24, 2011, they are offering an extra 20% off of purchases of $100 or more, or an extra 15% off of any purchase.  To receive the extra 20% off of $100 or more, enter code SANTA20 at checkout.  To receive the extra 15% off of any purchase, enter code SNOW15 at checkout.

I also have a code for an extra 15% off, valid Thursday, December 29, 2011- Monday, January 2, 2012.  To receive this discount, enter code NEWYEAR15 at checkout.

More $10 off of $50 at Shopko.com

I have two new coupon codes for $10 off of $50 at Shopko.com.  This includes pretty much everything, even clearance items!  The first code is valid from 12/15/2011 - 12/18/2011.  Enter code DASHIN501 at checkout.  The second code is valid from 12/19/2011-12/24/2011.  To receive this discount, enter code DASHIN502 at checkout.

Extra 20% Off At Kohl's

Kohls.com is once again offering an extra 20% off of everything.  This deal is good from Wednesday, December 7th, through Sunday December 11th.  To receive the discount, enter code CHEER20 at checkout.

Extra 20% off at JCPenney + Free Shipping On Orders Over $69

JCPenney is having a sale today, December 4th, and tomorrow, December 5th online.  JCPenney.com is offering an extra 20% off of almost everything, excluding Sephora products.  They are offering an extra 10% off of baby gear, electronics, floor care, personal care & fitness, furniture & matresses, and small appliances.  If you spend over $69, shipping is also free with this offer.  To receive these discounts, enter coupon code 4THEFAM at checkout.

$50 off of $100, $100 off of $200 at Catherines.com

Catherines.com is having a good sale, today only.  They are offering $50 off of a $100 purchase, or $100 off of a $200 purchase.  This sale includes clearance deals.  If your order is over $150, they also are including free shipping.  To get the deal, enter code MERRYCA at checkout.

$10 Off of $50 Purchase at Shopko

From Thursday, December 1st through Friday, December 9, Shopko.com is offering a $10 discount off of a $50 purchase.  This discount applies to total purchase, including sale, discount, and clearance items.  To receive the discount, enter coupon code GIFTS50 at checkout.

To Coupon Or Not To Coupon - That Is The Question

We've all heard stories about people who clip coupons and save tons of money off of their grocery bill.  I am always amazed at how they manage to do it - it has never worked out that well for me!  Saving lots of money on your grocery bill, whether you coupon or not, does take some planning.  My planning often involves reading the weekly grocery ads and planning my shopping trips accordingly, as well as planning connections with local food producers when they are selling their products.  My planning has also recently included ordering and picking up produce and bread products from the Bountiful Baskets food co-op. 

While I do use the occassional coupon, depending on couponing to regularly save money on my groceries has never been a successful strategy for me.  Much of my grocery shopping lists consist of whole, fresh, foods - I do alot of my cooking from scratch.  I have never had much success finding coupons for these types of food.  They may be out there, but so far they have eluded me!  For things like meat, milk, and honey I have been able to find local producers that offer a higher quality product for similar, and sometimes cheaper prices, than the grocery store.  One of the things I like about buying locally is that I am also supporting my local economy and food producers, as well as receiving a high quality food product in return.  I live in a state where agriculture is a large industry, so my access to these food producers may be different and more affordable than if I lived somewhere else.  I have also wondered if couponing success differs upon where you live.

How do you save money on your grocery bill?  Do you coupon successfully to save large amounts on your grocery bill?  Share your stories!  I'd love to hear your ideas!

P.S. Be sure the check out my handcrafted doily Thanksgiving giveaway!

It's Time For The Annual Safeway Turkey Sale

Ad picture from http://www.safeway.com/

Every year, Safeway sells Thanksgiving turkeys for pretty much unbeatable prices.  You can always buy just one turkey for your Thanksgiving meal, or you can take advantage of the sale to have very affordable poultry for the rest of the year.  If you have the storage, this is a great opportunity to stock your freezer.  If you don't have the storage, you can always cook your extra turkeys right away, then take the meat off of the carcass and freeze the cooked meat in storage bags or containers.  You'll still have the extra meat, but it won't take up as much space.  In the past, we have used all of the extra turkey for things like sandwiches, turkey noodle soup and turkey noodle casserole.  You can use almost any recipe that calls for chicken and insert turkey in its place. 

For the sale this year, the terms and conditions have changed a little bit.  It used to be that a minimum purchase of $10 was what would qualify you for the good deal.  This year, the minimum purchase is $25.  The prices on the turkeys have also gone up a little bit, but broken down to price per pound, it is still a really good price for meat- it averages out to be from $.50 to $.87 per pound, depending on which turkey you buy.  That is an incredible deal!  The turkey prices are $6.99 for an 8-12 pound Safeway turkey, $7.99 for a 12.01-16 pound Safeway turkey, $9.99 for 16.01-20 pound Safeway turkey, and $11.99 for a 20.01-24 pound Safeway turkey (these are the prices according to my local Safeway ad - you may want to check your local ad at http://www.safeway.com/ to be sure of the prices in your area).  Each turkey is limit one per household per day, but you can buy one of each kind at the same time.  This sale is good through November 24th.

As far as cooking the turkey goes, we have found that an electric roaster is the best way to go.  It saves energy costs because it is a smaller appliance, and it also cooks quite a bit faster.  The awesome turkey recipe I use is posted here.  My turkeys have turned out excellent every time I have used it.

P.S.  Be sure to check out my handmade sage green doily Thanksgiving giveaway!

 

50-70% Off At Borders Bookstore - Going Out Of Business Sale

As many people know, Borders Bookstore is going out of business soon.  While I am very sad the store is closing (we adore books and reading in this family), it does mean that some good deals are to be had.  We stopped by our local Borders today to check out the sale.  Everything in the stores is now 50-70% off.*  Some of the items were pretty well picked over, but there was still plenty to browse through.  We didn't spend much, but did come out with a few bargains.  My girls found some paper doll books that ended up being 80 cents each after the discount (they were bargain priced, with an additional 60% off), I found a book for myself, and we also bought a jewelry craft book.  All in all, we spend a little under $7.00 and came out with a few things to keep us busy (for now, anyways!).

*These deals can only be found in Borders stores, and it excludes items from Borders.com.

Alpha Omega Publishing - 20% off in April

Alpha Omega Publishing, who publishes homeschooling curriculum, is having a 20% off sale during the month of April. Their curriculums include Monarch, Horizons, Switched On Schoolhouse, Weaver, and Lifepac. If you use these curriculums, or are thinking about using them, now is a good time to plan ahead and order now for next year. There are no coupon codes necessary, their prices are alread reduced on the site to reflect the April sale. They also have free shipping on orders of $250 or more for April. You can view their products at http://www.aophomeschooling.com/

Vitacost Free Shipping February

Vitacost.com is offering free shipping during the month of February on orders over $49. No coupon code is required, but it is only valid on orders placed online. If you need to place an order, now would be a good time! This offer expires 2/28/11.

Reflections On a Black Friday

First off, I would like to say that I really don't get into a whole lot of hype over Black Friday. Second off, I find that many of the sales offered on Black Friday are comparable to sales at other times of the year. With that being said, there are some good deals to be found out there. I did manage to make it to a few stores today, but I limited it to three.

As for shopping strategies for Black Friday, scouring the ads, making a plan of action (where you want to go, and what you want to purchase at that store), and getting your coupons together makes for an easier shopping day. I never wait outside the store before it opens, either. I arrive upon site at around 15 minutes after store opening, when I can snatch a parking space from someone leaving, and still be early enough to get the deals I want. And considering that there are already stories coming out about people getting trampled to death, I think it is wise to wait until after the crowd enters the store, since that is when people are getting injured/killed. No good deal is worth your life, or someone else's. The three stores I visited today all opened at different times, 3 AM, 5 AM, and 7 AM. It worked out perfectly time wise to be able to arrive shortly after the stores opened. The biggest drawback I experienced today was waiting in line to pay. And I am happy to report, that at least where I was, everyone was polite and cheery for the most part.

I would also like to add a short commentary on shopper conduct as well. For the most part, people were very friendly and in good spirits wherever I shopped at today. But please consider those who have been standing in line for quite some time before you decide to cut into line. Many of us go out of our way to find the end of the line out of common courtesy for our fellow shoppers. When you cut, you are making the pregnant ladies (ummm....that would be me), among others, stand in line for longer than necessary. You are also being rude. Just patiently wait your turn! On another note, I know I previously mentioned people being trampled. I did not personally witness anything like this, but if there is an unruly crowd, leave for your own safety. Don't participate in that madness! And as for parking, if you see someone is waiting for a specific parking spot, don't rush in and steal it from them. This did happen to me today. I was waiting as someone pulled out, I had my blinker on and everything. A purple jeep raced up and took the spot. RUDE! Extend to your fellow shopper common courtesies and kindness. We all want a good deal, but it is not worth being mean and nasty to those around you to get that good deal. And it reflects upon your character. The moral of my post is go shopping, have fun, and be polite! It makes everyone's shopping experience so much better!