Making some extra money

In 2010 I want to try and make some extra money as well. Here is what I am thinking.

If I spent money from my $3000 budget on something, and I either get a rebate from it, or sell it for cash, that money will go back into my $3000 budget.

If the money I used did not come from my$3000 budget, then it will not go back in, for instance, if I sell some of my greeting cards or beaded jewelry.

My goal is to make $3000 bucks this year!

Remember those kids digital cameras I snagged at Rite Aid the other night, I got all 3 of them, plus a table full of stuff for just under 20 bucks... Well I just sold those 3 cameras for 50 bucks on Craigslist! But since its still 2009 (for 12 more hours!) It will not be added to my budget... bummer!

Finishing out the year on a good note

Twice a year I take things to Cornerstone Manor. Its the womens and children's shelter in Buffalo.

Today I took:

31 Blood Sugar Meters (they run a free clinic there now)

4 cans of Oust

10 Shampoo/Conditioners

40 boxes of pasta

12 Buddy Bars, its kids soap

10 Toothbrushes

10 packs of floss

10 packs of razors

9 boxes of panty liners

12 Bottles of vitamins

6 Bodywashes

12 BBQ sauce

11 Peanut butters

3 boxes of Throat coolers

2 Olay face washes

5 Robitussin bottles

4 Kids mouth wash

2 Baby washes

5 bottles of nose spray

7 cans of shaving cream

7 bottles of ear cleaner

15 lotions

9 eye drops

2 grocery bags full of trial size/free samples of different things

2 huge bags of womens and children's clothing

While I was downtown I stopped at 3 more Rite Aids and did the Huggies/Benevia deal 3 more times. Each time it was .29 cents out of pocket! Not to bad for diapers!

Rite Aid 12/29 .. these deals are HOT

I made another trip to RA tonight, I normally won’t go this much in 1 week, but the deals are HOT!

Grand total oop 19.29 for everything on the table!

Today I saved 208.89

Transaction 1

3 French Fried Onions (50% off Seasonal item) $1.14 each x 3 = 3.42

5 Stovetop stuffing (50% off Seasonal item) .99 each x 5 = 4.95

= 8.43

Used 7 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

Use a “buy 4, get 1 free” Stovetop coupon = .99

Total oop $.38, saved 16.44

Transaction 2

2 book lights (50% off Seasonal item) 2.99 each x 2 = 5.98

Duracell batteries 3.00

Huggies Pure and Natural 10.79

Benevia 8.99

Benevia 8.99

Candy Bar .79

= 38.54

-8.99 BOGO Benevia

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 Huggies coupon

-1.00 RA Huggies coupon

-5.00 RA coupon when you spend 20.00

-5.00 Benevia coupon

-5.00 Benevia coupon

-2.00 RA Benevia coupon

-2.00 RA Benevia coupon

+ tax 0.51

Total oop 1.06, saved 47.77

Transaction 3

Kids Digital camera 14.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Window Candle 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Window Candle 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

= 20.97

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-5.00 RA coupon when you spend 20.00

-1.00 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

+ tax .52

Total oop 6.49, saved 36.00

Transaction 4

Kids Digital camera 14.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Window Candle 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Window Candle 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

= 20.97

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-5.00 RA coupon when you spend 20.00

-1.00 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

+ tax .52

Total oop 6.49, saved 36.00

Transaction 5

Benevia 8.99

Benevia 8.99

Huggies 10.79

Batteries 3.00

= 31.77

-3.00 Huggies coupon

-1.00 RA Huggies coupon

-5.00 RA coupon when you spend 20.00

-5.00 Benevia coupon

-5.00 Benevia coupon

-2.00 RA Benevia coupon

-2.00 RA Benevia coupon

-8.99 Benevia BOGO

+ tax 0.51

Total oop 0.29, saved 35.68

Transaction 6

Kids Digital camera 14.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Earbuds 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

Earbuds 2.99 (50% off Seasonal item)

= 20.97

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-3.00 “wellness coupon” 3.00 off electronic item

-5.00 RA coupon when you spend 20.00

-1.00 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

-1.00 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

-1.00 “wellness coupons” 1.00 off seasonal item

+ tax 0.61

Total oop 4.58 saved 37.00

Grand total oop 19.29 for everything on the table!

Today I saved 208.89

Rebate tracking

I do a lot of rebates! I use a program called Rebate Rebate! to track them. Its super easy to use, and free!

http://download.cnet.com/Rebate-Rebate/3000-2066_4-13663.html

You enter all your rebates, where you shopped, how much you spent, when you mailed them, and how long it should take. When a rebate comes in, you check it off. The program will alert you when one is late, so you can call the company and see whats going on!

AND...

Always keep your receipts guys! Quite often I find rebates for things I already bought and I just pull the receipts and mail them off! I found one this year for $10.00 bucks back when you spend $25.00 on "salty snacks" Well I had several receipts with Chex Mix on them (which was super cheap anyway) and mailed them off!

Great night!! You want to pay me to shop.. OK!

Ok… despite the near whiteout blowing snow and iced roads.... I went shopping, with all 4 kids and my husband!

Tops

Yesterday you saw that I picked up 30 boxes of cereal.. well today I was alerted to a better coupon, making it a better deal.. correction.. a money maker, meaning Tops and Kellogg’s paid me to take 40 more boxes of cereal!

40 boxes at 1.69 each = 67.60

Target coupon for 5.00/4 boxes (www.target.com)

I used 8 of them -40.00

1.00/2 coupon from paper on 12/16

I used 4 of them -4.00

Total oop was 23.60

BUT… remember the Kellogg’s rebate?? I can submit all 4 receipts for 40.00 back, meaning this deal actually paid me $16.40 !! I will mail this rebate in the morning, since I have all 8 receipts. When the $80 comes in, it will be added to my 2010 budget.

Then it was off to Rite Aid

Olay face wash 9.99

Olay face wash 3.99 (7.99, Buy 1 get 1 50%)

Oral B Tooth Brush 5.00

Oral B Tooth Brush 5.00

= 24.98

-5.00/20.00 Rite Aid coupon

-3.00 Olay coupon from 11/29 paper

-3.00 Olay coupon from 11/29 paper

-3.00 Oral B coupon from 12/27 paper

-3.00 Oral B coupon from 12/27 paper

-1.00 RA “wellness” coupon, oral care

-1.00 RA “wellness” coupon, oral care

-2.00 RA “wellness” coupon, facial care

-2.00 RA “wellness” coupon, facial care

= .98 + 1.14 tax = 2.12 oop

I did this transaction 4 times

Total out of pocket 8.48

BUT… There is an Olay rebate! www.olay.com has a $15.00 back when you buy any 2 Olay Regenerist facial products. I will submit all 4 receipts and get back $60.00, which means Rite Aid and Olay paid me $51.52 !! These will go out in the mail in the morning, when the money comes back it will be added to my 2010 budget.

Then I bought at RA:

5 Oral B Cross Action Toothbrushes 5.00 each = 25.00

Clearance wrapping paper 1.99 x 2 = 3.98

=28.98

-5/20 RA coupon

-3.00 Oral B Coupon x 5 = 15.00

-1.00 RA “wellness” coupon, oral care x 5 = 5.00

-1.00 RA “wellness” coupon for “Seasonal” items x 2 = 2.00

= 1.98 x 2.54 tax = 4.54 oop

Total out of pocket 4.54

There is a Single Check Rebate at www.riteaid.com for 2.00 on the 1 toothbrush

I also did the diaper deal again (see yesterdays post) which was another .29 cents!

Then at Wegmans:

10 Boxes of Ronzoni pasta 1.49 = 14.90

14 Beech Nut baby food .75 = 10.50

12 Mc Cormmic Taco/Chili seasoning .99 = 11.88

5 lb Cheese (not pictured) 9.99 (price went up from 8.99 … bummer)

= 47.27

Used:

.75/1 Ronzoni, doubled to 1.49

Free Beech Nut baby food

1.00/1 Mc Cormmic seasoning

Total out of pocket 9.87 !!

And then Walgreens:

(4) 2 liters of Diet Coke/Root Beer 1.00 each

=4.00 + .20 cent deposit = 4.20

Paid with a 4.00 RR, out of pocket just .20 cents

For the whole night my total OOP was just 46.96, total saved was $337.67

I will get back $102.00 in rebates !

Which means I was paid $55.04 to shop tonight!

Kellogg's deal at Tops 12/26

Ok, right now Kelloggs Cereals are on sale for 1.69, and there was a coupon for 1.00/2 in the paper on 12/13, so here is how it goes!

30 Boxes of Cereal = 50.70

- 15 coupons each for 1.00/2

= 35.70

But then...

There is a Kelloggs / Keeber / Sunshine rebate out. I traded someone on www.hotcouponworld.com for the rebate forms, it was not something found here in WNY.

The rebate says buy any 10 products, get a 10.00 debit card usable anywhere VISA is accepted. The best part, the limit is 8 rebates per address! Thats $80 bucks! And you can put all 8 in the same envelope, which will save on postage!

So, 35.70 out of pocket, 30 back in rebates = 5.70 for 30 boxes of cereal!

Rite Aid 12/27

I wanted to start sharing my shopping trips now, even though its 2009, this does NOT count towards my $3000 in 2010

A few things about Rite Aid, or RA for short. You can use a manufactures coupon AND a RA coupon together. You MIGHT be able to use a coupon on a free item, like I do here on the BOGO sale, depends on your store, mine will let me.

Benevia 8.99
Benevia 8.99
Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers 10.79 ( My area offers the "Wellness Card" which gives 10% off, they are reg 11.99)
Duracell Batteries 3.00
= 31.77
-8.99 Buy 1 get 1 sale o the Benevia
-5.00 printable Benevia coupon http://www.gobeneviacoupons.com/access_coupon.cfm
-5.00 printable Benevia coupon http://www.gobeneviacoupons.com/access_coupon.cfm
-2.00 Rite Aid coupon for Benevia http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html
-2.00 Rite Aid coupon for Benevia http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html
-3.00 Huggies coupon from the paper on 11/15
-1.00 Rite Aid coupon for Hugges http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html
-5.00/20.00 Rite Aid coupon http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html
= -22 cents (some stores wont let you go negative, mine will. You will not get money back, but it will help cover tax)
tax .51 cents
Total out of pocket .29 cents!

I did this twice once at two different stores. Grand total $0.58

Dinner Menu

I just cant wait until 2010 to start sharing!! I promised to share my dinner menu's with you as well, and I will list their approximate cost as well. The prices listed are for the whole dinner, with 6 servings, minus things like spices which are pennies. Please remember that I use coupons to lower the price of each item, if not making it free, and most of these things are thing I have stocked in the house already, like canned broth and veggies and frozen chicken breast. I also use leftovers a lot, like this week I use the Christmas ham twice.

Monday - Chicken and Stuffing "dinner in a foil pack"
* 1lb chicken breast .88 lb
* 1 box stuffing .50
* 6 slices of ham (leftover from Christmas) , free
* 1 cup mushrooms .50
* 8 oz peas .18
* 1 can of cream of mushroom, free
* salad .99
Total $3.05

Tuesday - Black Bean Soup with Ham
(not listed and priced out, garlic, red peppers, cumin)
* 1 med onion .12
* 2 cans black beans, free
* 1 can chicken broth, .10
* 1 can diced tomatoes, free
* 1 can yellow corn .18
* ham (leftover from Christmas) free
* dinner rolls (flour, yeast, milk, sugar, oil, salt) such small amounts its hard to tell, best guess .40 for a doz.
Total $0.80

Wednesday - Sumi Chicken Salad
(not listed and priced out, butter, salad dressing (which was free anyway) and sugar)
* 1lb chicken breast .88
* 1 head of cabbage .99
* 2 packs ramen noodles .20
* green onion .50
* bread sticks (flour, yeast, milk, sugar, oil, salt) such small amounts its hard to tell, best guess .40 for a doz.
Total $2.97

Thursday - Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
(not listed and priced out, white wine)
* 1.5 lb chicken breast 1.32
* 1 can cream of chicken, free
* 1 packet dry Italian dressing .25
* 8 oz cream cheese .18
* 8 oz white rice .34
* salad .99
Total $3.08

Friday - Pizza Night!
(not listed and priced out, leftover veggies in fridge, like mushrooms or peppers that I just throw on so they are not wasted, salad dressing)
* 2 pizza doughs (powdered milk, yeast, salt, sugar, oil, flour) best guess $1.00
* 1 lb mozzarella cheese 1.99
* we use spaghetti sauce rather then pizza sauce, and for both pizzas we use 1/2 a jar of Ragu, each jar was .20 total, so .10 for both pizza
* 1 pack pepperoni .34
* 1/2 can of olives .25
*salad .99
Total 4.67

Saturday - Spicy Baked Tilapia
(not listed and priced out, lemon juice, mayo, sugar, worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, mustard, paprika)
* 1.5 lbs Tilapia 4.99
* Red potatoes with butter 1.50
* Frozen green beans .18
Total $6.67

Sunday - Baked Ziti
(not listed and priced out, salad dressing)
* 1lb ziti pasta, free
* 1 jar Ragu .20
* 8 oz mozzarella cheese 1.00
* salad .99
Total 2.19

Gearing up for a new year, new budget, new challenge!

As 2009 comes to an end, I am getting ready for the new year!

This year I am challenging myself to spend only $3000 bucks on our families needs for the whole year! I would rather not limit myself to x amount each week, so I will just keep a running total from week to week. I want to do it this way because some weeks the sales are great, and I spent more, some weeks we eat from the freezer and Ill spend less and so on.

In this past year 2009, I spent $100 bucks a week, in 2010 it will be down to $57.50 almost HALF of last years budget.. but I can do it!

I will do my best to share the information on where I shop and which coupons to use, so all of you can save too!!

Most if the information I use comes from www.hotcouponworld.com check it out!

From time to time you will see that I have earned free gift cards which I will use to shop as well, these are from www.swagbucks.com You earn points for simply searching the web, which we all do anyway! Use the link on the right to sign up and start earning today!

If you have questions, please feel free to ask me!