Back to School Supplies: Freebies and Cheap Deals 7/10-7/16

Back to School Supplies: Freebies and Cheap Deals 7/10-7/16

Target

Sharpie Permanent Marker, 2 ct $1

--$1/1 Sharpie Marker Target Web Coupon

Final Price: Free!

Scotch Tape $1

--$1/1 Scotch Tape web coupon

--.50/1 Scotch Tape Target Web Coupon

Final Price: Free!

Crayola Washable Markers, 8 ct $2

Rose Art glue sticks 2 ct or 4 oz school glue $.20

One subject fashion notebooks $1

Poly portfolios .50

Licensed Backpacks $9

Licensed Lunchkits $6

Embark Basic Backpack or tote $7

Lunch Accessories 2 for $7

--Embark Bottle or lunch kit, Aladdin chill pack, Thermos insulated snack jar

Office Max

1¢ Deals (minimum purchase $5)

Boise paper 500 sheet ream

Basic pencil sharpener

Schoolio 2 pocket folders

In-Ad Coupon Savings

Papermate Clearpoint pen or Mechanical pencil starter set $1

OfficeMax 1 subject polycover notebook $1

Sharpie Permanent Markers Black12 pk $1

Schoolio 1” or 1.5” Poly Binders $1

**Keep an eye out for a $5 off of $25 purchase coupon in your ad

Couponing in Real Life: When Free isn't Worth it

The aspiration of every couponer is to get an item you need for absolutely free! And I've gotten items at the grocery store without paying anything and then done the I-got-it-free-ee happy dance.

But lately, I've come to the conclusion that getting some things free is just plain silly.

For example, recently I printed up a few $1 off one Degree deodorant coupons after the couponistas in the blogosphere declared "Free deodorant at Target and Walmart!" Apparently the coupon had no restriction on trial sizes so I could receive Degree deodorant from the trial section, priced at .97, absolutely free.

Well, I didn't go out and get my two free deodorants right away (how silly to hop in the car and waste gas and time for one deal) but added it to my list for the next time I found myself at one of those stores.

So, a week later, when I found myself at Target I went to redeem my free deodorant but when I got to the trial section, the trial size degree deodorants were tiny. The were so small  that they were a waste of a coupon.

I would have to use eight coupons on eight tiny deodorants to get the equivalent of one full sized deodorant. While those eight deodorants would cost me nothing and Target would be fully reimbursed (plus .08 per coupon) it would cost the manufacturer (Unilever) $8.48 plus the cost of shipping for me to say I got eight deodorants, in a size I don't want or need, for free. I'm not in the business of blatantly ripping any person or company off to get a great deal.

I'm not going to go into detail the waste of packaging of using eight small deodorant versus one large one.

Nor am I going to go into detail about how much I dislike being at the end of a deodorant and the thought of constantly having a half inch left eight times in a row....Ugh!
Needless to say, I walked out of Target that day very annoyed and with no deodorant in my basket.

I support sane and sensible couponing.

More From My "Couponing in Real Life" Series
Why you aren't getting 80-90% off on your grocery bill (and why I'm not either)
When to coupon vs when to Costco
My experience with the WalMart price match guarantee

Raley's / Nob Hill / Bel Aire Deals and Coupon Matchups 7/6-7/12

Here are the best deals for Raley's for the week of 7/6-7/12. Look for cheap Chips Ahoy, TGI Friday's Entrees, and a FREE toothbrush and FREE KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce! Happy Shopping!

Deals with Printable Coupon Matchups Only

Nabisco Chips Ahoy Cookies 2 for $5

--Raley’s Coupon Chips Ahoy 1.69

--$1/2 Nabisco Cookies or Crackers SS 6/19

Final Price $1.19 ea wyb 2

Cracker Jacks 3 pk .75 w/Raley’s Coupon

TGI Fridays Entrée 2 for $6

--$2 off TGI Fridays Sizzling Chicken Fajitas Raley’s Coupon

Final Price $1

Friday Freebie: Spend $20 precoupon and get free Johnsonville Breakfast Sausage with Raley’s Coupon

Deals with Newspaper Coupon Matchups Only

Danimals Yogurts $2
--Use .50/1 Danimals SS 06/05
Final Price $1.50

Quaker Life Cereal $2
--.75/1 from RP 6/19
Final Price $1.25

KC Masterpiece .89
--$1/1 KC Masterpiece Product SS 05/15

Final Price Free

Oral B Advantage Floss or Toothbrush 1.99
-- $2/1 Oral-B Pulsar, CrossAction, Advantage, or (2) Indicator or Cavity Defense Manual Toothbrushes P&G 7/3

--.75/1 Oral-B Floss P&G 7/3
Final Price: Free Toothbrushes! Or 1.26 for floss.

Other Great Deals

Powerade, buy 10 for $10 and receive 5 free!

Final Price .66 each

Coupon Lingo Used by Eat. Shop. Save.

BOGO=buy one get one free

wyb=when you buy

$2/3=two dollars off three items

-- indicates to use a coupon

SS=smart source newspaper insert, followed by date of insert

RP=red plum newspaper insert, followed by date of insert

P&G=Proctor and Gamble newspaper insert, followed by date of insert

Units

ct=count

ea=each

pk=package

L=liter

oz=ounce

gal=gallon

Free Scotch Tape at Target

Scotch Tape is on sale at Target in the back to school section for only $1! Look for it in the big bins.
$1/1 Scotch Tape web coupon

There is also a Target Web Coupon for Scotch tape that can be stacked with the web coupon on regular priced tape if the sale isn't available at your store yet.

Thanks, Totally Target!

Free Frappe, Smoothie, or Strawberry Lemonade at McDonalds.

When temperatures are high, a hot coupon for a cool drink is a beautiful things.

Buy one Frappe, Strawberry Lemonade, or Smoothie and get a second one for free. Print this coupon and redeem it at any participating McDonalds.

Weekend Roundup: Coupons, Freebies, and Steals!

Howdy and Happy Weekend! I'll be updating this post with the best deals of the weekend to save us all a little time, so keep checking back!

Printable Coupons

From Coupons.com (use area code 90210)
Save .75 WYB Sargento Natural Blends Sliced or Snack Size Cheese (coupons.com)
Save 1.00 on a 12 oz bag of Seattles Best Coffee
Save $5 on any can of Enfagrow Powder
Save .75 on any one Newmans Own Salad Dressing
Save .55 on one Pillsbury Frosting, Cake Mix, or Brownie Mix

From around the web
$5/1 Bengay Cold Therapyb (bricks.coupons.com)
$2/1 Pull Ups Training Pants
$1/1 Cream of Wheat (creamofwheat.com)

Freebies

Get a free sample of Splenda Essentials with B vitamins or Splenda Essentials with Antioxidants: Click Here
Free Tampax Pearl Sample for Costco members, membership number required

Sweeps Worth Entering
I won a free full sized Twix on my first try from the Twix Pick you Pause game so you can probably get a twix for free, too!

Free Motts for Tots Sample and Coupon

Vocal Point members can get a free Motts for Tots sample and coupons in the mail. Motts for Tots is available in the following flavors: Apple, Apple White Grape, Immune Support Fruit Punch, Bone Health Grape, and Mixed Berry. Yum!

If you're not a Vocal Point member it's easy to sign up and get access to lots of freebies and samples.

To get you sample, click here!

Free Orange Chicken at Panda Express after 9pm Tonight!

I loooove orange chicken from Panda Express. Recently, to celebrate their new extended summer hours Panda Express asked its customers to vote on their favorite entrees. The winner was orange chicken, and free entree night is tonight. Whoo Hoo!

Score your free orange chicken tonight with this coupon.

Free Orange Chicken From Panda Express, Valid June 24 After 9pm Only

Free Osmocote Plant Food, $10 value!

Head on over to Lowes and purchase Osmocote 3 lb Outdoor & Indoor plant food between April 1st and June 30th and get a $10 rebate. You can buy the Osmocot Plant food anywhere but Lowes has this product on sale for $9.97 until 5/23 making it a freebie once the rebate is redeemed. Click here for rebate form.

All You Magazine's Freebie of the Day

Everyone loves free things, and All You Magazine features a freebie offer on their site every day. Click here to see what the daily freebie is and how to redeem it.

Free Portrait from The Picture People

In honor of Father's Day, The Picture People are offering a free printable coupon for an 8x11 or 11x13 portrait and a 20% off coupon on any prints purchased. Click here to redeem this offer,