Hy-Vee Deals Dec. 21-27

Here's what I'm buying at Hy-Vee this week from the advertised prices good through next Monday:

Pepsi Products 12 pack cans 4 for $9 (w/ in-ad coupon) Great Deal for us soda drinkers!
Hy-Vee Natural Chunk Cheese 8 oz. 3 for $5
Blue Bonnet Spread Sticks $0.39 (limit 2)
Hy-Vee Refried Beans $0.67 each
Hy-Vee Pineapple 20 oz. $0.88 each

What's on your list for the week?  See any good deals I missed?

Free Disney Calendar from Snapfish

I love this deal from snapfish! Right now you can enter to win a Disney vacation from snapfish and the first 100,000 people that enter the sweepstakes will receive a code valid to create a free snapfish Disney calendar.   The code must be redeemed by 2/28/11 and does not include shipping or taxes.  Enter for yours here.

(Thanks Common Sense with Money!)

Groupon Daily Deal for Des Moines

Today's Groupon deal for Des Moines is $10 for a $25 game card at All Play Des Moines downtown.  Deal is only for games not toward the purchase of food or drink.  These expire in 1 year.

Free Sample of Ritz Crackerfuls

Head over to the Ritz Crackers facebook page to get your free sample of Ritz Crackerfuls.  You will need to click on the link in their wall post and supplies are limited.  Hurry!

(Thanks MojoSavings!)

80% Off Restaurant.com Gift Certificates

Right now you can get gift certificates at Restaurant.com for 80% off. 

       That means you can pick up a $25 gift certificate for only $2!

Some Des Moines area resturants you'll find on there include Gino's, Felix & Oscars, Dos Rios, Christophers and many more.  Be sure to read the stipulations for each deal as they might be a little different.  Be sure to enter code HOLIDAY at checkout to get the discount.  This code is valid through 12/24.

Save $5 More on Your First Eversave Purchase

Eversave is giving their first time buyers an additional $5 off their first Save.  Just enter promo code FIRSTBUY at checkout.  This code is good today & tomorrow only and expires at midnight on the 22nd.  Plus if you are just signing up for Eversave your account will be credited $5 for your first save automatically - so potentially $10 off your first save today or tomorrow!

Free BeingGirl Sample Kit

Go HERE to request your BeingGirl sample kit from Tampax and Always.

Another Great Living Social Deal - Free Ticket to Little Fockers

Today on Living Social you can get a ticket to see Little Fockers for only $5. Just choose Kansas City under More Deals for this offer to show up. If you're new to Living Social and sign up through this link you'll get $5 in deal bucks to use toward your first purchase which would mean a free movie ticket for you!  This offer is through Fandango and expires on 1/3/11.

***Update on this deal - Kansas City has sold out but you can still get this deal by choosing Los Angeles as your deal city instead***

Ruffles Coupon on Facebook

Head over to Ruffle's facebook page, like them and click on the Get Bagged button to receive your coupon for $0.99 of a $0.99 bag of Ruffles.

(Thanks hip2save!)

40% Today at Gap (In Store Only)

Today only you can get an extra 40% off everything in the store.

Today's Living Social Deal for Des Moines

Today's deal from Living Social is $10 for $20 worth of baked goodies at Nan's Nummies.  We love to stop by this bakery in Valley Junction when we are in the area.  My son loves their frosted sugar cookies and I'm a fan of their brownies.  If you are new to Living Social you can sign up HERE to get your deal.

Get a Free Pack of Stride Spark Gum

Visit the Stride Gum Facebook page and send a friend an Oomph Intervention to try new Stride SPARK gum.

(Thanks Savings & Stewardship!)

LOFT Love List Sweepstakes

My favorite clothing store LOFT has a sweepstakes going on right now until December 23rd where you can enter to win items on the LOFT Love List.  There is a winner a day and the grand prize winner will win all the items on the list. 

Free Sample of Quest Protein Bars

You can go HERE to request 2 free protein bars from QuestBar.  Scroll down to the bottom and click on the red Request My 2 Bars and do this until you can fill out your information on page 4.

Weekly Menu Plan

I have a short list this week.  We went out to dinner last night for my husband's birthday and we won't be cooking meals for Christmas Eve or Day.

Here's what we are having for dinner this week:

• Six Plate Dinner
• Pork chops with rice & tomatoes
• Chicken Salad Sandwiches

What's on the menu at your house this week?

Snapfish Deal on Living Social - Photo Book for $5 or Calendar for $7

There is a Living Social deal available right now for photo calendars and books from Snapfish.  The deal has calendars for $12 and personalized photo books for $10 which is a good deal by itself.  Plus if you are new to Living Social you can sign up through here and get $5 deal bucks to redeem in the future.  If you use the deal bucks on this deal you could get a photo book for as little as $5!  Please note that shipping is not included.

Free Coffee at Kum & Go on Christmas Eve

Just noticed this ad in the Sunday Register.  Looks like you will be able to get some free coffee at Kum & Go this Friday, Christmas Eve.  I'm sure we'll be making a stop!

Sign Up for Eversave Today and Get a $5 Credit

Eversave is a daily deals site similar to Groupon or Living Social.  You sign up to receive deals for your city sent daily.  Right now you can sign up and get your account credited with $5 to use toward your first save.  The normal credit for new accounts is $2, so I would sign up now to take advantage of the extra bonus.  You don't have to use the credit right away you can wait until you find a deal you like.

Eversave doesn't have Des Moines listed right now as a location, but there are several surrounding cities that are listed including Kansas City, Minneapolis and Chicago.  What I've found is these cities have a lot of the same offers for various companies online and you can score some good deals for around $15-$20.  I won a giveaway for a large Eversave credit so I will definitely be watching the deals and let you know what I find.

(Thanks Passion for Savings!)

15 Disney Movie Reward Points Today

Be sure to check out the 25 Days of Christmas page today and look for the Deck the Halls box above. Click on the picture to earn your 15 points for the weekend.  Disney Movie Rewards is releasing a new 5 point code every day until Christmas. 

 (Thanks Couponing to Disney!)

80% Off Restaurant.com Gift Certificates

Right now you can get gift certificates at Restaurant.com for 80% off. 

That means you can pick up a $25 gift certificate for only $2.  

Some Des Moines area resturants you'll find on there include Gino's, Felix & Oscars, Dos Rios, Christophers and many more.  Be sure to read the stipulations for each deal as they might be a little different.  Be sure to enter code PRESENT at checkout to get the discount.

No More Rack - $10 Credit Still Available

No More Rack is still offering the $10 credit just for signing up.  Once you sign up you can invite your friends and earn $5 when they make their first purchase.  The $10 credit is only for the first 5 friends.  You can sign up through this link and get the $10 credit by redeeming gift card P1070.  I'll let you know when this is no longer available.

Beyond The Rack

Beyond the Rack is a site I mentioned a few days ago that will reward you when you invite friends to join - well now until December 31st they will give you $25 for each friend you invite when they make their first purchase.  When you invite friends you'll also be entered into a $1500 prize package sweepstakes.

25% off Everything Today at Gap

You can get a 25% discount at Gap.com today just enter GAPSAVENOW at checkout.  Discount is online only and there is free shipping with orders over $50.

Tomorrow is Free Shipping Day!

On Friday, December 17, more than 1,500 participating merchants will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve in the continental United States.  Go HERE for all of the details.

15 Broadway Song Sampler Download at iTunes

I love free music downloads and love broadway musicals so I was excited to see this offer.  Go HERE and enter code BROADWAYINSF to get a code you can redeem on iTunes for a 15 song sampler.  The code itself doesn't expire until Oct. 2011.

(Thanks Couponing to Disney!)

Swag Bucks Code

 
There is a Swag Bucks code worth 6 by using the information below found on Facebook and Twitter. The code will be good until 3:00 CST. 

Here's the info: 

The historical event that happened exactly 237 years ago today is a code worth 6 SB until 1:00pm PST. ALL CAPS! No spaces!

60 Swag Bucks For New Swag Bucks Users

I post about Swag Bucks often because it is truly the easiest way I have been earning since I started using it this year.  I easily accumulated enough Swag Bucks for over $100 in Amazon.com e-gift cards which has definitely helped with my holiday shoping this year.

I'm mentioning it again because now is a great time to sign up for Swag Bucks if you haven't already.  When you sign up you automatically get 30 Swag Bucks added to your account and until December 31st if you enter SwagCode JoinIn2010 when you sign up you will receive an extra 30 Swag Bucks.  It only takes 450 Swag Bucks to get a $5 Amazon.com gift card.  There are lots and lots of other prizes to, but Amazon is one the best values.  Then once you have joined install the toolbar and start searching.  I use Swag Bucks daily for all of my internet searches and usually win 2 to 3 times a day.

Let me know if you have questions.  I've said it before and I'll say it again I love Swag Bucks!

Check out the Kellogg's site to get your coupon for Buy One Get One Free Special K cereal.  Special K often goes on sale for 2 for $5 which would make this a nice deal.

Hy-Vee Deals Dec.14-20

Here's what I'm buying at Hy-Vee this week from the advertised prices good through next Monday:

Coke Products 12 pack cans 4 for $10 (w/ in-ad coupon)
Cool Whip Whipped Topping $0.77
Hy-Vee Evaporated Milk $0.79
Hy-Vee Yogurt $0.40 each
Pillsbury Crescent or Cinnamon Rolls 3 for $5 (lots of manufacturer's coupons out there for these)
Era 150 fl. oz. laundry detergent $8.88

1-Day Sale (Prices Only Good Fri Dec. 17)

Hy-Vee Cottage Cheese $0.99
Hormel Little Sizzlers $1.00 each

What's on your list for the week?  See any good deals I missed?

Ways to Save on Your Grocery Bill

Welcome to my post for the Des Moines Area Frugal Blog Tour.  My site is the last stop on the tour.  I hope that you have been able to visit the other Des Moines frugal bloggers over the last couple of weeks.  You can see everyone that was on the tour here.  There is also information on a giveaway and if you have visted my site before you know I love giveaways!

I was asked to share about some of the ways I save and I decided to focus on my grocery bill.  Here are some of my tips:

• Always make your list based on what is on sale that week - check your grocery ads and go from there.  We make a weekly trip to both Hy-Vee and Fareway after reviewing the ads.
• Match up your coupons with the items on sale for the week. 
• Be sure to pair your store coupons with manufacturer's coupons to sweeten the deal.  Most store coupon policies allow one store coupon and one manufacturer's coupon per item.
• Stock pile!  Yes, we get teased about the boxes of cereal and canned items on the shelves in the basement, but we stock up when items are on sale and have the items available when we need them.
• Definitely comparison shop.  We would always buy Hy-Vee brand milk at our West Des Moines Hy-Vee and were paying about $2.89 for a gallon of store brand milk.  We did this for I don't know how long before we realized we can buy a gallon of AE skim milk at our Waukee Fareway for only $2.67. 

I love coupons and would encourage everyone to use them, but I do have a few words of caution too:

• Just because there is a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it.  Deals aren't "one size fits all".  If the coupon is for a product you don't normally buy you aren't really saving anything by adding that to your cart.
• Store brand items are often times still cheaper than the popular national brands even when you have a coupon for the brand name item.  Be sure to calculate what your cost is after coupon and see if you are really getting a good deal.

Here are some of my favorite ways to get coupons:

• We subscibe to the Sunday Des Moines Register.  For us it is about convenience.  We like to read the paper before church.  I like to be able to check out the ads and skim over the coupons to see if there are ones I'd like more of.
• On days I want extra coupons we fill up the car with gas at Kum & Go.  I love that Kum & Go gives you a free paper with a $15 fuel purchase.
• Don't be afraid to ask friends and family for coupons.  I have no shame and we always ask my mother-in-law for her coupons that she's not using.  I like having the extras ready and available when I need them.
• You can always print coupons from sites like Coupons.com, but I like to print my coupons from sites that are powered by Coupons.com and reward me for printing and using the coupons.  My faves for this are Swag Bucks and My Points.
• Pick up a Hy-Vee/Upromise Card at your local store then register it online at Upromise.com, load eCoupons to the card and present the card at checkout to add to college savings.