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? ;)

 

CVS Haul Week of 6/2/2013

So today was an interesting shopping trip! I went to CVS with a couple things in mind and coupons in hand. As always, I took full advantage of a couple extra care buck deals this week. This week at CVS, when you buy any Physicians Formula cosmetic item worth equal or greater than 7.49, you get a 7.00 ECB. Also, when you buy an Oral B cross action tooth brush or select Colgate total mouthwash, you get 2.00 ECB each. I also did the CVS body wash deal posted about earlier this week.

Break Down: (including weekly sales)
1 CVS brand Fresh Body Wash = 2.37
1 Oral B Cross Action Tooth Brush (normally 9.99, on sale this week for 5.99) x1= 5.99
1 Colgate Total Spearmint 16.9 oz (normally 5.79, on sale this week for 4.99) x1= 4.99
1 Physicians Formula Last Boosting Mascara (with BONUS, fullsized mascara)= 10.49

Coupons:
2 off any cosmetic purchase of 10 or more (CVS mnf q) from Magic Coupon Machine
1 off any Colgate mouthwash 8 oz or larger (CVS store q)
2 off any Colgate mouthwash 8 oz or larger (mnf q)
3 off any Oral B Cross Action Tooth Brush (mnf q)
1 Free select CVS Body Wash q, max value 2.57 (CVS store q)

Final Outcome:
1 CVS brand Fresh Body Wash = 2.37 (-2.37 store q)= free!
1 Oral B Cross Action Tooth Brush (normally 9.99, on sale this week for 5.99) x1= 5.99 (-3.00 mnf q)= 2.99, receive 2 ECB
1 Colgate Total Spearmint 16.9 oz (normally 5.79, on sale this week for 4.99) x1= 4.99 (-2.00 mnf q, - 1.00 store q)= 1.99, receive 2 ECB
1 Physicians Formula Last Boosting Mascara (with BONUS, fullsized mascara)= 10.49 (-2.00 store q)= 8.49, receive 7 ECB

13.47 -8 ECB from previous purchase = 5.47

Grand Total:
Subtotal: 5.47
Tax: 1.80
Total: 7.27 w/ 11 ECB

Okay! So here's where things got interesting. My original total was 9.27. So I was sitting in my car, looking over my receipt (always a good thing to do before leaving the store) and found a miscellaneous charge on my receipt for "1 taxable item." I'd never seen that on my receipt before. My receipt also stated there was a total of 5 items bought so I went through my shopping bag and shrugged my shoulders. Then I realized that there was no deduction for my $1 off any Colgate mouthwash (CVS store q) and instead there was a $1 charge for an item that didn't exist. My guess was that when my cashier went to manually enter that coupon (it beeped), she accidentally charged an extra dollar, instead of taking one off. I went back inside and explained what I thought had happened to my cashier. She said that yea that made sense since there was no deduction for the $1 off q and gave me two dollars back for the $1 extra she charged me and the $1 she was supposed to have taken off. And then I realized this would be a great thing to mention in my blog, a really good learning experience! Before you leave the store, check your receipt against what's in your shopping bag. Maybe your cashier forgot to enter a coupon. Or maybe the amount entered in was wrong. Be thorough and exact with your numbers the first time and you'll save yourself an extra trip to CVS!

So in total, out of pocket, my transaction cost me $7.29 for all that stuff.
A haul which included one mechanical toothbrush, one body wash, one mouthwash, and two tubes of mascara. :) And the best part is that I have $11 of store credit I can use for next week's purchase! Since I put 8 ECB in from last week and got 11 ECB out this week, $3 of my transaction, is being recycled again next week (keep in mind, you can never make money, but you can RECYCLE it). So technically, what I actually paid for today's transaction was $4.29 and $1.80 of that was tax!! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

 

Cool Stuff I Get in the Mail

So I came back from an amazing date with my fiancé only to find a pile of samples/freebies sitting on my bed. I was too tired to open them last night but I did this morning and saw some much anticipated goodies! :)

 

 

So I got a complimentary issue of the American Lighting Association's 2013 "Lighting" magazine. I got some free dinosaur stickers from the Wildlife Conservation Society as well a "Trumped" ruler from Crestliner. My favorite freebie here was the personalized mousepad I received from CowCow.com. They ran a promotion a couple weeks ago (offer now expired) where the first 500 people a day to enter the special promotion code would get a completely free personalized mousepad. I took this opportunity to make an adorable mousepad of me and my sister from a couple years back. <3

Also, I updated this post to include two more freebies I received the day after. The microfiber cleaning pad I received as part of the Libman Big April Giveaway on Facebook. It took me forever to win something from that! Lastly, in the little baggy, is my free sample of Color Scents trashbags. Even the plastic bag it came in smells good haha. :)

 

 

Links are available here for any freebie still available:
http://www.americanlightingassoc.com/free-magazine.aspx
http://trumped.crestliner.com/get_it.cfm
CowCow.com deal, Dinosaur Safari stickers, Libman giveaway, and Color Scents samples (expired)