A Guide to Shopping at Victoria's Secret and Pink.

Ladies, we all do it from time to time. Shopping at the mall and our eyes fall on that goddess of stores, VS. With their cute unmentionables and sweet smelling fragrances, stores like Victoria's Secret and Pink are where we go to splurge a little bit on feeling good about ourselves. What you wear underneath your clothes can do miracles for boosting your self-confidence. But with prices on average hitting about $42 a bra, $50 a pajama set, and $12.50 per panty, you can feel a little guilty about indulging with a trip to VS. So here are some tips for shopping at those stores where we splurge from time to time.

Sign up for snail mail from Victoria's Secret. I cannot stress this enough. Every 3 months or so, I find myself with a mailer from Victoria's Secret with a coupon for free panty and $10 off a bra. I mean, come on, who doesn't want a free panty? And with bras frequently priced anywhere from $29.99-$70.00+, a $10 off bra purchase coupon could help make a dent in that amount when it comes time to buy a new bra again. 

Sign up for Pink Nation for Pink stores and/or emails from Victoria's Secret. They will send you emails with discount codes, new promos, special events, etc.. Make sure to sign up using your extra email account though because you will get a new email literally every day. I like to keep an eye out for the $5 panty specials that they have from time to time. Also, when you join Pink Nation, they will occasionally send you member-only freebies so keep an eye out for these!

Use discount codes when shopping on online. Victoria's Secret is one of those awesome stores that allows more than one promo code per order (up to three total). Often there will be codes for free shipping with the purchase of a bra, or a free panty with purchase, etc. I always, always look for promo codes before buying anything online at VS.

Wait for their huge semiannual sales to buy pricier items. Victoria's Secret is known for it's blowout sales right after the 4th of July and Christmas when items can be bought for a fraction of their regular price. This is a good time to stock up on certain items that would be pretty expensive any other time of year. Also, I've heard that the after Christmas sale is better than the 4th of July sale so if anything, splurge a little more after the holidays to get an extra bang for your buck.

Just to show you how I combined some of these techniques for maximum savings, here is a scenario that I pulled off today.

Victoria's Secret:

Bought No Show Sexy Panty $14.50

Redeemed Free No Show Sexy Panty (max. value $14.50)

Total: Free!

Pink:

Bought Pink Cheeky $5 Date Night Panty Special (normal price $14.50)

Redeemed Free Mesh Backpack with Pink Purchase for Pink Nation Members only thru October 7th! ($19.50 value) (cannot be used with CLEARANCE items, but date night panties were on SALE)

Tax: $ 0.40

Total: $5.40 or $2.70 per item

Total value of items from both stores before sales/coupons: $48.50
Total actually paid out of pocket for the items from both stores: $5.40
Total from both stores saved after all sales/coupons applied: $43.10

I couldn't be happier with today's haul. I walked out of the store feeling very satisfied with my purchases and with more savings than originally expected. So I'd received an email from Pink just the other day with info about the Free Mesh Backpack with Pink purchase and was really excited to see that there wasn't a price limit on the pink purchase to get this cute backpack. So I walked into the store, thinking I'd just buy a pair of panties for $10 and get my free backpack. And lo and behold, I see a stand advertising the new date night panty for $5 each. Seeing that it was a sale (and not clearance), I jumped on the chance while feeling somewhat hopeful and took my date night panty to the register with my coupon in hand. The lady at the cash register looked at the coupon and, after reading the fine print once through, said yea I should be able to use it! So I walked out of the PINK store, having paid less than $3 per item! =)

Cool Stuff I get in the Mail

 

Hi guys! It's been a while since my last post but I did want to keep you updated on some of the great samples I received this last week. This last week was quite exemplary when it came to samples. I received several smaller samples including hair products from Garnier, John Frieda, and Clear (not pictured). I also received "No Texting and Driving" thumb socks, Essie cuticle oil, an anti-bullying pin, a Minties dog treat, 2 Gevalia coffee samples (1 not pictured), and Natralia heel balm (not pictured).

 

 

 My favorite sample received was definitely my free 10 personalized business cards from Moo.com. It was a great opportunity to make cards to help promote my blog and also to get some free business cards. I've never had a business card before so I'm definitely proud of these!

I was also quite impressed by the Gevalia Kaffe sample sent. I can't believe that they actually sent a potful of coffee over. As stated earlier, I actually received two samples, one pictured here and the other in a single cup form so I'm very pleased and excited to try this product.

And finally, last but not least is the Mio Fit Energy Drink sample from the Twitter promotion. To get this sample, you had to post on their Twitter homepage how you are changing your fitness routine and they would send you a free sample of Mio Fit. Can't wait to taste this! I love Mio. =)

Free Audiobook For Shannon

So my lovely friends, we meet again. I found a freebie deal that I cannot possibly pass up. Would you like a free audio book? I've never tried an audiobook before but thought Pride and Prejudice would be a good book to start on. Through the month of June, go here  and enter pridefree at checkout. Normally priced at 13.95, this is a steal for all you Jane Austen fans! (ahem, Shannon, this deal made me think of you!) :)

Cool Stuff I Get in the Mail

 

Okay, so updates on some samples I received lately. I got a complimentary issue of American Photo as well as samples of Ovaltine, Pure Via sweetener, and Taster's Choice Coffee. What did you get this week? =)

Links are available for any freebies still available here:
Pure Via Sweetener
https://www.smartsourcesamples.com/temp/47.htm
Taster's Choice Coffee
http://www.tasterschoice.com/sample/form.aspx
American Photo and Ovaltine samples (expired).

And UPDATE with today's goodies 6/12/2013

Today, I received my Bio true contact solution as well as my P&G Sampler, two great freebies that every couponer should apply for. The Bio true contact solution is quite impressive for a sample at 4 oz of solution and the P&G sampler had baby wipes (great as make up remover!), a feminine hygiene pad, and dental floss all in one little convenient box.

Links are available for any freebies still available here:

http://www.biotruechallenge.com/solution/tryit

https://www.pgbrandsampler.com/pgeds/brandsampler.jsp?site_source=en_us (expired for the spring edition, but sign up so you can catch the summer edition of P&G samples)

CVS Haul Week of 6/09/2013

Breakdown (including weekly sales):
1 Jergens Original Scent Lotion 3 oz = 2.69
1 Jergens Ultra Heal 12.5 oz = 4.49
1 Gilette Fusion Manual = 9.79
1 Maybelline Baby Lips = 4.19

Coupons:
2 off 2 Hand or Body Lotions
2 off Maybelline Cosmetics
3 off Gilette Fusion Manual
1 off Jergens 8 oz or more
20% Off Purchase Non sale Items Only (took off 4.23)
6 ECB

Subtotal 2.91
Tax 1.35
Total 4.26

BUT my ECB for Jergens didn't print even though the employee I spoke to said it wasn't trial. I was skeptical so I brought an extra bottle of lotion up to the counter, just in case and thank goodness I did! The lady was super understanding and asked if I'd like to return that item and get the bigger size bottle so I could get my ECB. So I got a refund for my 3 oz Jergens with tax which was applied to the following transaction.

Breakdown (including weekly sales):
1 Jergens Ultra Heal 12.5 oz = 4.49

Coupons:
0.80 off for something

Total 4.05
Cash applied 2.31 (I'm assuming for the refund)
I gave her a 20 dollar bill and got 18.26 back in change
And my total was 1.74.

NO IDEA HOW THIS HAPPENED. I think on the refund, they subtracted the discounts received from my prior purchase since it was no longer included in my total. Not too sure about that. She gave me my refund slip but I guess I left it on the counter because I couldn't find it anywhere. No matter, that's still okay with me. Still a killer deal. As far as I'm concerned, getting that 5 ECB was more important than saving the amount I would have save from the 20% on that item.

Final Outcome:
Jergens Deal 3.59 (20% off already applied) + 1.74 (with tax) = 5.33, receive 5 ECB
Gilette Razor 9.79 (20% off)= 7.83- 3 q= 4.83, receive 4 ECB
Maybelline 4.19 (20% off)= 3.35 -2q= 1.35 (AMAZING deal)

Total SPENT:
4.26 + 1.74= 6 total, receive 9 ECB
So 6 bucks for $22.96 worth of stuff or 74% savings.
Since I put 6 ECB into this transaction and got 9 ECB out.
My total cost after ECB's gained was technically $3.00.
No idea how. No idea why. I'm just happy with the results.

6/5/2013 CVS Mid-Week Haul

Oh yes, I am guilty of the mid-week visit to CVS. They sent me a 3 ECB credit for anything in the store that expired on Wednesday and how can you pass up 3 bucks? So I took advantage of a couple deals that are popular on the internet right now: the Revlon B1G50% + receive 4ECB, the CVS purse pack maxi pads, and Secret's Clinical Strength Sale. This was done in two separate transactions for maximum savings.  Personally, I was really excited about the purse pack deal simply because it always great when you get more ECB than you pay out of pocket for an item and also, because I can't wait to use that little pack to store random items in my purse! I love the paisley design on it and purple is my favorite color. =) Okay, now for the breakdown:

Transaction #1

2 Revlon Designer Collection Tweezers (each 7.49) Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off= 7.49+3.74 =11.23
1 Secret Clinical Strength (normally 9.99) on clearance for 4 each= 4

Coupons:
3 off Secret Clinical Strength greater than .5 oz
3 Emailed ECB
9 ECBs from previous purchase

Final Outcome:
2 Revlon Designer Collection Tweezers (each 7.49) Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off= 7.49+3.74 =11.23 (-3 ECB from email)= 8.23, receive 4 ECB
1 Secret Clinical Strength (normally 9.99) on clearance for 4 each= 4 (-3 mnf q)= 1.00 or 90% normal price

9.23- 9 ECB from previous purchase= 0.23

Subtotal 0.23
Tax 0.98
Total: 1.21, receive 4 ECB

So yea, I finally cashed out on some of my ECBs. I thought since I earned 3 extra ECB last time and got 3 ECB in the mail, might as well get some pretty tweezers that I've been waiting on. After the ECB's redeemed in this transaction, I technically spent 6.21, which is still less than the cost of any of those items by themselves.

Transaction #2

2 Maxi Pad Pack (1ct) x 1.99 ea= 3.98, receive 4 ECB (Free After ECB!)
1 Cucumber Aloe Facial Mask (normally, 2.57) on sale for 1.29= 1.29 (DIY Spa Day with the Little Sis)

Coupons: 4 ECB

5.27 - 4 ECB from previous transaction= 1.27

Final Outcome:
Subtotal 1.27
Tax 0.42
Total 1.69, receive 4 ECB

So total was $2.90 out of pocket for two tweezers, one clinical strength deodorant, two maxi pads with purse pack, and one spa facial mask. However, I spent 5 ECB on this transaction and so, technically, my two transactions cost me 7.90 for a savings of 74%. The best part was I would have paid 7.90 for just one of those tweezers +tax AND I walked away with 4 ECB + 2 ECB from my previous purchase for next week's deals! Not to mention, today I just got a 25% off coupon from CVS in an email. You know what that means -some more extreme couponing next week! See you in my next post and keep up the couponing. =)

Serious Savings with Online Promo Codes: (Wrapp.com, Hearts.com)

So I wanted to make a post about the importance of online savings and promotions. I've use a couple of these to get some pretty amazing savings. To start off with, I wanted to introduce you guys to Wrapp.com. In case you haven't heard about it, this website is a gift card giving service where you can buy gift cards and give them to friends for birthdays, graduations, promotions, etc. One of the best things about Wrapp is that they will offer giving select gift cards (usually ranging from $5-10) for free. Now I know you're probably thinking the same thing I was thinking: why would stores just want to give out $10 promo codes? It doesn't make any sense! The whole ideology behind giving out these free gift promo codes is that the recipient will likely spend more than the gift is worth. For example, you give your friend a $5 promo code for Office Depot. They go to the store and buy something worth $8. They never would have gone to the store if it hadn't been for your promo code. So Wrapp is a great way to advertise for different companies. Not to mention, it's a great way for friends to give each other little gift cards and stuff like that for free!

Now a couple months back, Wrapp was having a promotion where if you gave 3 friends a promo gift for Hearts.com, you would get a $15 promo code in return. So I did this deal and ended up with $15 to spend at Hearts. An important tip about Hearts, is that you can only use promo codes on non-sale items. Hearts.com is the most adorable clothing/jewelry website. It's all about recycling, fair trade, and traditional/cultural art in all the products that it sells so you can feel good purchasing whatever you do, knowing that the money is going for a good cause. Each seller has their own profile so you see where your money is going to, whether its a leather maker in the US or ladies in Guatemala. So I ended up buying the "Deeply Denim Pouch" for $18. But shipping was about $9 so all in all, my purchase was the following:

18-(15 promo)=3+9 ship= $12

which I thought was pretty decent for a denim pouch. And next thing I know, I get a confirmation email for my purchase and at the bottom of that email, it says that they're running a special promotion that if you submit a video of you opening your package and talking about what conscious consumerism means to you, that you can earn a $75 promo code. Now this is an amazing opportunity, I thought. Since they were a company that sells mostly hand-made products that are good for the environment and help support fair trade, a lot of their stuff was on the pricier side.


So when my package arrived, I recorded myself opening it and talking about conscious consumerism; then, I sent it in. A couple days later, I got an email saying that I was talking too softly in the video and therefore, they wouldn't be able to give me the promo code; however, they could offer me a 30% off promo for entering a video or I could simply submit another video to try again. With a 75 off promo code dangling in front of my face, I was quite determined and ended up redoing the video while crossing my fingers. In the next email, they thanked me for sending in another video and sent me the $75 off code!

 With that code, I bought the "'One Sip at a Time " Guatemalan Coffee Bag Tote $58 and "Alice" Leather Bracelet $28. To be honest, I never would have bought a leather bracelet for almost 30 bucks but I'd tried making a similar bracelet a while ago and ended up breaking my needle (not leather-proof) while trying. So when I saw the exact same design, I snatched it up with my promo code! By the way, I absolutely love that bracelet. It's the softest leather you will ever feel and goes great with any outfit because of its neutral tones. For those of you who see me often, as you know that tote bag is now a regular staple of my wardrobe and is one of my favorite bags. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase which is represented by the following equation:

 

58+28=86 (-75 promo)=11+9 ship= $20

So my total for all of my stuff from Hearts.com was $32 including shipping after promo codes: a haul that included one Deeply Denim Pouch, one "One Sip at a Time " Guatemalan Coffee Bag Tote, and one "Alice" Leather Bracelet. A total value of $122 including shipping for both transactions! A nifty little extra about ordering from Hearts.com is that they will sent you a complimentary dust bag for any item that you purchase, no matter how big or small. So in addition to all the other great items that I got, I also received three complimentary Hearts dust bags. These dust bags really do come in handy. The largest one I use to hold onto laundry items. The smallest one I use to hold pencils and pens. Reduce, reuse, recycle right? ;)