Free Item at Bath & Body Works

Hurry and get on this fantastic deal before it ends on 4/12/08. Free purchase up to $11.00 with ANY purchase at Bathy and Body Works. Several NEOC members took turns leaving the table at a recent swap at Akron's Chapel Hill Mall to take Bath & Body Works up on this offer. At the registers, we picked up a bottle of purse sized hand lotion for $1.00 for the required purchase and then picked an item of our choice of up to $11.00. Several of us picked out nicely packaged gift items with 3 single items along with a poof sponge. There were several to choose from and they make the perfect gift. So we got the pretty gift bundle (retail price $10) and the lotion for a total of $1.06.

http://f.e.bathandbodyworks.com/i/34/528207786/20080320_socoupon.html

More BBW coupons:
Free ScentPort or Wallflowers with any $15 purchase -expires April 20,2008
http://f.e.bathandbodyworks.com/i/34/528207786/331DM1.HTML?EAN_NUM=108237623891

FREE Signature Collection Body Splash with any $15 purchase - expires April 20, 2008
http://f.e.bathandbodyworks.com/i/34/528207786/7253_coup.html

Wonderfully Made LEAD FREE Toys!

As a concerned mom of a child who once suffered from lead poisoning, I searched out stores that I knew I could trust. Magic Cabin is one of those special places thats fun for adults to visit too and the toys have to pass the hard safety tests prior to being included in their catalog/website. In addition they have USA made LEAD FREE (unlike many vinyl lunchboxes still being sold today) reusable cloth lunch bags on sale!

Need A Sitter?

Need a sitter to get to the polls or want to give mom a break on Mother's Day? Or how about that long awaited (if only we could find a sitter) date night! As you may have seen in the press, at ivillage or on the Today Show, SitterCity.com is the premier and safest way to connect parents and babysitters! Guess what, they are an official NEO Couponer partner too! They also connect registered parents with pet sitters, house sitters, elderly care providers and even house sitters.

Here is a bit more about SitterCity:

SERVICES

SitterCity.com provides parents and sitters with a central location to find each other quickly,safely and easily. Both parents and sitters create detailed online profiles and can search the site for matches using over 30 search criteria.

Parents can also post unlimited jobs for sitters, obtain references from sitter profiles and follow our four-step screening process to hire a quality caregiver. Both sitters and parents may request background checks, read and post reviews for each other, and use tools like our interactive Rate Calculator to determine fair pay and our Interactive Babysitter Cheat Sheet to prepare their babysitter.

CARE TYPES
Babysitters, nannies, petsitters, house sitters, elder care providers and tutors.

COST
Sitter registration is FREE. For parents, there are two billing options: $39.99 for the first month and $9.99/month thereafter, or $7.99/month billed in the one-time annual sum ($95.88).

Why Blockbuster?

Simple, it's the best deal available when you compare the features of it's Total Access program!

Right now, you can sign up for the Blockbuster.com

3 at a time unlimited program. What this means is that immediately after registering you can choose 3 movies to be sent to you right away! Their average mailing time is only one day since they match your area with mailing stations throughout the United States. So, depending on what time you register and pick your movies, you can sign up today and start watching your movies tomorrow! There is no total limit to how many movies you can have mailed to you for the month - as long as you only have 3 rented at a time.

After you watch a movie you have rented online, you can just drop it in a mailbox to return it in the postage paid (hear that FREE SHIPPING) envelope provided. OR (and here is the feature I LOVE best - just take it to your local blockbuster store and EXCHANGE it for an in store rental for FREE! That's right get another rental FREE!

You can rent up to FIVE in store rentals per month this way! Remember this is in ADDITION to the 3 at a time rentals allowed in the unlimited TOTAL ACCESS (mailing) feature. The great thing too is that when you return your online rental to the store, it's immediately posted into their system as returned which means the next online rental you have lined up in your online account is automatically mailed out to you!

In addition to the simple online access, I love the in-store option as I am one of those who like to browse the videos on the shelves, read the descriptions on the box and see the previews available at my store. My store even has a computer available so that if while I'm there, I pick up a movie I know is in my online que to be sent, I can change it right there in the store, so I don't end up getting the same movie twice!

Depending on your love of movies and how quickly you complete your viewings, you can pretty much have a constant flow of movies everyday for this 50% off month promo price of only $9.99!

Now hear this! I have never seen this offer from any other website offering this promo. If you are signing up for the 50% off of the first month promo and intend on cancelling your membership at the end of the month, the Northeast Ohio Couponers will send you an alert when it's time to VERY easily cancel your membership via your online account! All you need to do is email us the date you signed up and we guarantee you will be reminded when it's time to cancel before your account is charged for the 2nd month. Please note: Only you can actually go into your account and click on cancel membership --- we just provide the reminder!

So hop on board while this amazing promo is available, have a delightful movie filled month and help keep the Northeast Ohio Couponers site running and the deals coming --- all at the same time!

My Grocery Store paid me $270 to take 540 boxes of cereal out of the store!!

Now that I have your attention..... I'll tell you how I accomplished that!

A grocery store in my area doubles the face value of coupons up to 99¢. During January 2008, one of their weekly ads contained an offer to "GET $10 OFF YOUR NEXT SHOPPING TRIP!" when you purchased $20 worth of participating General Mills products in a single transaction.

One of the General Mills products included in the promotion was Cheerios Oat Cluster Crunch cereal, which was on sale for $2 a box when purchased with the store's loyalty card. As an avid couponer and member of Northeast Ohio Couponers, I knew there were currently coupons available for 75¢ off the price of the Cheerios Crunch, making each box only 50¢ after doubling the coupon. I was also aware that my local food pantry was in desperate need of food. I donate a lot of food to this organization and do it just for the sake of helping others. It would take some work, but I knew I could help stock the food pantry and get the added reward of making money for myself at the same time!! (You'll notice in the picture, I also donated 70 boxes of Quaker Oatmeal and 86 cans of Progresso soup, but that's a story for another time!)

Focusing on the goal, I knew I would need lots of those 75¢ coupons to pull it off. There's no way I could buy that many Sunday newspapers and round up all those coupons. I couldn't even trade with my fellow NEOC members for as many needed. That's when I turned to my two favorite sources for extra coupons:

eBay.com

The Coupon Clippers

This is how I did the deal:

I bought 10 boxes of Cheerios Crunch to earn each $10 catalina. (10 x $2 = $20 required amount).

I had a 75¢ coupon for EACH box of Cheerios which was doubled at the register.

75¢ x 2 (doubled) = $1.50 x 10 boxes ($15).

$20 cost - $15 coupons = $5 net cost at the register.

Then after paying my $5 balance, a catalina coupon printed for $10 off my next shopping trip!!

Now I know what you're thinking - "she wiped out all the Cheerios in the store and no one else got a chance to buy any!". That couldn't be further from the truth!!!

I receive my store's weekly sales ad several days before the sale starts. I knew this would be a "killer deal", so I talked to the grocery manager and asked if he would consider ordering extra cases of Cheerios for me. He agreed to do this because I planned to donate all the boxes of cereal. He even offered to have my purchases rung up at the Customer Service counter to keep from tying up one of the registers and upsetting any customers who had the misfortune of getting behind me in line.

It turned out to be a win-win situation. The store got credit for a huge sale, the food pantry got 540 boxes of cereal and I made a net profit of $270.00 in catalinas!! (54 orders x $10 catalina = $540 - $270 cost at register = $270 profit). I was able to use the $270 profit to buy all our groceries totally FREE over the next two weeks.



© Debbie Taylor NEOCouponers.com 2008 All rights reserved.
Not to be copied without written consent.

NorthEast Ohio Couponers Member Spotlight!

There is good news for those of us who sometimes wonder about the real person behind the forum postings. Within each issue of the NEO Couponers Newsletter, we plan on helping you learn more about your fellow members with our Member Spotlight Column. We are starting off with ThriftyAmy! She is a busy mom with a great career but still finds time to shop wisely, contribute to the forums, organize and participate in swaps. In addition she has helped me with special administrative projects and coordinated one of the best news stories to date on our fellow members and couponing. Thanks Amy! Oh yeah and check out her Halloween costume pictured here. What else would she be but the "Coupon Queen!"

Demographics - Married, Kids, Pets, Job, etc...
Age: 33 Have lived in Brunswick for 7 yrs. Married for 10yrs. - got engaged at my prom! 1 child - Anna (19mos.), 1 cat - Tiger (orange tabby), 1 dog - Buddy (fox terrier/jack-russell mix) I have been working in healthcare management for the past 11 yrs. and currently manage three offices for University Hospitals.


When did you start couponing?

As a teenager.


How did you find out about the NEO Couponers?

Sept/Oct. of 2006 through an article in the Cleveland PD about Joe.

Do you have a budget or savings goals? Any idea of how much you save by couponing?

I don't budget, our saving's goals are to always have money in the bank to cover our expenses and live within our means, I have saved thousands of dollars since couponing - but not exactly sure how much.

Where do you shop at and how often?

GE - 1x wk CVS - 2x wk Aldis - 3x mo. Marc's - 1x mo.

Do you have a favorite deal?

Energizer Battery deals from CVS "buy $10 get $5 ECB" - plus the batteries are usually $5.29 during this deal and there is usually $1 off coupons.

What is your coupon organization method?

Very small, modest plastic holder with 12 slots - but I use it on both sides (front & back) so this gives me 24 slots.

Best Couponing Tip?

Almost all stores take their coupons along with manufacturer coupons.

Favorite Quote or Motto to share?

Laugh now...cry later.

What do you like most about being a NEO Couponer?

Besides the obvious of finding out about deals that I didn't know of - it would be the avatars. I think it tells you a lot about the person.

You organized the first of what has become the infamous Brunswick Coupon Swap held at Donato’s Pizza in Brunswick on the third Tuesday of each month. Do you have any suggestions for others who want to start an NEO Couponers Satellite Swap?
Make everyone feel very welcomed and have each person around the table introduce themselves and say a little about their life - do it each time there is someone at the swap for the 1st time.

Hobbies & Fun?
Cooking, fishing, swimming, and I love to karaoke, especially Eminem's song "Without Me" & Guns 'n' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle"

What do you splurge on regardless of cost or lack of a coupon?
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. to listen to Howard Stern - and the music choices are fantastic - it is true - you will never listen to commercial radio again once you've tried it

Toothpaste Anyone?

Toothpaste, Anyone?

By Bonnie Fishell (Frazzled)

At the invitation of a friend, I joined this board back in February or March of this year. I have always bought multiple newspapers, and have used coupons, but NEVER to the extent of the folks on this board. Back in March I had the pleasure of going to see “Joe the Coupon Guy” and was floored by what I learned! I never knew that when something was BOGO, that you could use TWO coupons! That started my stockpile of Hillshire Farms smoked sausage (I still have some in the freezer!)

The easiest concept for me to grasp was the “free” or “Get paid to take” toothpaste. We went to 7 graduation parties this summer, For all of the kids going away to college, I prepared baskets with the free toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, razors, etc. At first I did it for a close friend as joke, she had been hearing me rave about my couponing experience! What started out to be a joke, turned into a very welcome gift for the kids going off to college and the parents who would have had to purchase these items. I got quite good at making these baskets and even sold some for a nominal price to coworkers to give as gifts.

Through it all, as of last month I still had 72 tubes of toothpaste. My husband was livid, every drawer he opened, every closet he opened, there was toothpaste. I was told I was not allowed to purchase anymore. Hence the “new” storage area became the trunk of car. I was constantly joked with at work “Who has the free toothpaste this week?”

At the end of last month I had to travel to Atlanta with coworkers. We checked into the hotel, and guess what I did not pack????? TOOTHPASTE!!!!! I had to pay $ 1.89 at the hotel gift shop, which even though I would be reimbursed made me crazy!

Now this would be funny enough if it ended here, but NOPE. I have a boss who is total comedian. I turned in my expense report, he actually NOTICED the stupid tube of toothpaste, and I have yet to live it down. We were in Tampa last week and he had 10 tubes of toothpaste sent to my room. I will get him back, I ALWAYS get even!!!!

Bonnie Fishell (Frazzled)