Manilla - Product Review

Hey guys! This next product review is actually something you do not have to go out and buy...it's FREE! It is called Manilla and is an online account and bill organizer! I saw this on the blog of the awesome Double Saving Divas today and I signed up myself to give it a try. 


I love it already. For all of you technology people, it is a good tool just to get all of your eggs in one basket and off the paper. You add different accounts you have like Paypal, Avis Wizard Program, Progress Energy, and Bank of America and it links to the account showing you what your account balances are, when bills are due and in how many days, as well as, how many point on your rewards program!


Of course it isn't all inclusive and there were a few companies not featured, but I feel like it will grow and soon have it all! It linked to my Groupon account and I could see what coupons I had waiting for me. It also linked to my magazine subscriptions showing their expiration dates! You can also view and print paperless statements from the company with ONE click. I myself have ATT Uverse and I was able to view my current statement directly from Manilla. I think this is super cool. 


Sometimes it is nice to have it all in one place, REAL-TIME, without logging onto a million accounts just to update your homemade budget spreadsheet to figure out what is due and when. Also, all of those rewards programs can get hard to keep up with. I myself added my Best Buy, Avis, Marriott, US Airways, and Hilton Honors accounts and now on one page I can see my points for all of those accounts.


For all of you smartphone owners, you can even manage it on the go. I love finding new ways to manage all of these online accounts I have and I plan to give it a test run for a few months and see where it goes. 


So try it out, leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!


Thanks again Double Saving Divas!

$1 off Any 1 TUMS Product Coupon

I don't know about you, but I love high value coupons for $1 or more for ONE product! Nothing more irritating than $1 off THREE. Like ummmm ok great manufacturers, such a blessing. More importantly for Super Doubles at Harris Teeter! For those of you that do not know what that is. Harris Teeter will double any coupon up to $1.99 during Super Doubles so this $1 coupon will double to $2! Who knows, this may lead to cheap or FREE Tums and I need my Tums!

Click here to print your coupon! 

You will have to register, but that is what I have my couponing email address for! Let all those newsletters go there and NOT to my personal account. Don't sleep on these emails though, some of these manufacturers send out coupons in them so you will miss out if you don't check it! Enjoy!

FREE Sample - Tums Freshers: HURRY!!!

HURRY HURRY!!! While Supplies Last!!!

Click here to get your FREE sample of the new Tums Freshers Antacid on Facebook!

All you have to do is like them on FB and enter your name and address and they will send you a free sample within 4-6 weeks! This is a limited time only deal though so get your FREE sample now! I did it already so GO GO GO!

FREE Tena Twist Pantiliner Sample!!!

I know we all do not like to spend money on things if we don't know if it is good or not. We just talked about that in my Shout Color Catcher Product Review post! Well here is your chance to get a free sample of the Tena Twist Pantiliners! When you enter your information, you will get an email with your coupon that you can use at the store to get some for FREE! The coupon says it is good on any Tena product so you don't have to get pantiliners. They also sell pads and underwear. They advertise them as for usage by those with "bladder problems", but to me, a pantiliner is a pantiliner so I am going to see how I like it! Check out their official site!

Get your free sample HERE or click below for a coupon good for up to $6 which should land you a free pack of the product you choose! I printed mine today and it is good through 1/31/12 so make sure to check when yours expires.

Click HERE to get your coupon!

Also, you can print your $1 off coupon INSTANTLY here! I printed mine and it is good until Jan 31, 2013!

Thanks to the Double Saving Diva's for the tip!

Legends of the Coupon Fairies

I say "Coupon Fairies" to so many people and realized that they have NO clue what I am talking about! So I decided to do a quick post about it.



A Coupon Fairy is someone who leaves coupons for others to use in the store, it's that simple. What they do is leave coupons related to that specific product next to or under that product (see example at below). Typically people do this for 2 reasons: 1) They have already bought what they needed and have leftover coupons or 2) They have coupons for a product they do not use. I loooove being a Coupon Fairy! I have done this a few times and sometimes I want to sit and wait and see if anyone picks them up (I don't though lol).

                   

Sometimes a Coupon Fairy can also be someone who physically hands people coupons in the store. I have had this happen to me before. I was in Walmart buying Cover Girl Eye Shadow (my faaaavorite!) and I had about 4 coupons I was going to use that were expiring THAT day so I was crouched down trying to figure out which I was going to buy. A lady approached me and gave me THREE more! She said she wasn't going to use them so figured she would give them to me. In the words of my little cousins...SPLEEEEE!



I think being a Coupon Fairy is awesome! If you are not going to donate your coupons to the troops (who can use them up to 6 months after their expiration date), then why not give someone else a chance to use them?

Have you ever been or been blessed by a Coupon Fairy?

New!! Let’s Save Money with The Double Saving Divas!

The Double Saving Divas are two black Christian twins that are known for their savvy saving habits. I first saw them on Extreme Couponing and later discovered they had their own website and youtube channel. I have learned a lot from them in the areas of which products are good buys, couponing, saving on clothes, etc.


I signed up for their email list and found out today that they have a new "show" called "Let’s Save Money with The Double Saving Divas!" They will be showing us how to save money in various ways. They also mention in the video that they will be starting something called "Ask The Twins" where you can ask pretty much any question about any topic big or small and they will answer your questions.


I have followed them through their marriages, birth of their babies, etc and I really like them as people. So check them out below and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Check out the video introducing their new segment below:

You can also check out their website here!

TONIGHT! - All New TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Stars 1/3 @ 10pm

Tonight at 10 & 10:30pm!!!

Contestants:

 Jen vs Joni at 10pm

Judy vs. Antoinette at 10:30pm

If you missed my initial post about TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Star Season take a look here! Also check out the winners of the premiere episodes here.

Will you be watching? I WILL!

TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Stars Premiere WINNERS!

Warning: Spoiler Ahead!!!

Hope you guys got a chance to watch the new season of TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Stars that came on last night! I did a post yesterday announcing the premiere and gave some detail around what the new season was about. Check it out the post here if you missed it! The new season features previous Extreme Couponing "All-Stars" who go head to head in a 30 minute race to savings! All the groceries purchased during the competition are donated to a local food bank. I personally think this was a great idea and it was exciting to watch. It was kind of like being a cooking lover watching an episode of Ready-Set-Cook that came on back in the day!

Here are the rules:

1. ONLY sale items are allowed to be purchased.

2. Must spend a minimum of $500 retail.

3. 15 unique items at a minimum.

4. 3 Pre-Ordered items allowed per contestant.

5. 1 "partner" is allowed to help prepare (which includes scouting the store                            before-hand and cheer them on!

6. Sales tax is not included in the total paid since each state is different.

The shopper with the highest percentage of savings is deemed the winner. At the end of the season, the 2 shoppers with the highest percent savings will move onto the final round!

Episode 1: Faatima vs. Carla

Funniest Moment: Faatima's husband was yelling through the store "like a maniac" from the front and she started freaking out saying he was getting on her nerves.

Favorite Quote: "We gotta do it for charity and I gotta beat Carla, charity and Carla, charity and Carla..." - Faatima

Carla's Epic Fail: Lost her cart in the store!

Faatima's Epic Fail: Almost forgot 1 of her most important items, Comet Cleaner..one of her pre-orders which is suppose to give her overage to pay for other items on her list!

Once each shopper is done, they must make their way to the register and the clock is stopped. Each shopper, though they can be miles apart, must wait until the other shopper is done shopping before checking out. In the end, Carla was done shopping with 11min and 12 seconds to spare, and Faatima with 8min and 29 seconds.

And the shopper that came out victorious.....

FAATIMA!!!:

Final Stats:

Carla: 

Total Retail: $1342.76

Final Cost: $35.04

Percent Savings: 97.4%

Faatima: 

Total Retail: $900.43

Final Cost: $.29

Percent Savings: 99.96%

Episode 2: Chris vs. Michelle

Funniest Moment: On more than one occasion, Chris is whistling while going down the aisles as slow as possible and admiring the store displays...just funny to me lol.


Favorite Quote: "I don't think that she'll do that well. I don't feel nervous what-so-ever" - Chris


Chris's Epic Fail: Very miticulous and exact BUT did not realize 5min before his time is to expire that his soda pre-order wasn't brought up to the front of the store.


Michelle's Epic Fail: Left getting her large pre-orders until the end which could have been traumatic if she had ran out of time and they didn't get it to the front on time.

In the end, Chris was done shopping with 1min and 32 seconds to spare, and Michelle with 20 min and 5 seconds.

And the shopper that came out victorious.....

CHRIS!!!:

Final Stats:

Chris: 

Total Retail: $1847.93

Final Cost: $0

Percent Savings: 100%

Michelle: 

Total Retail: $526.12

Final Cost: $2.57

Percent Savings: 99.6%

Out of both shows, I didn't really have a favorite so did not really care who won, but it was definitely a good competition. Catch the next episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Stars next Tuesday at 10pm where we will get to see Jen vs Joni at 10pm and Judy vs. Antoinette at 10:30pm!

TODAY! - All New TLC's Extreme Couponing All-Stars 12/27 @ 10pm

Those of you that know me well, know I LOVE couponing! I consider myself a "Hardcore" couponer, not "Extreme". I don't buy 100 of an item, perhaps 2-5 if it's a really good deal! I also don't spend hundreds of dollars. I think my highest before store sales and coupons amount was $110 and I got it down to about $35. I also have my handy-dandy binder that is the sanctuary for all of the Qs (coupons) I cut.

I JUST found out (late I know) that there will be a new Extreme Couponing All-Stars episode coming on today 12/27/11 at 10pm on TLC! There is also a marathon coming on starting at 1pm and going until 6:30pm. The episode at 10pm is Carla vs. Faatima and the one at 10:30pm is Chris vs. Michelle. This season has a new twist to it and I think it makes it that more exciting! 



Two "All-Stars" will be going head-to-head in a race to purchase $500 worth of items in 30 minutes and NOTHING can be full price! The winner will be whoever has the highest percentage of savings. In the end, they will donate their entire haul to a local food bank. Check out this site to see all of the contestants this season!




I know some people criticize the show and call it stupid and unrealistic, and I could not agree more. A lot of times they do WAY too much and stores relax their coupon policy just for the show...stupid. There was actually one woman on there who I thought was the most down to earth shopper and I really felt like I could do what she did. 



One thing is to remember is that the appearance on this show marks the FIRST time these people have ever done a shopping trip like that. They are contacted and told to plan the biggest shopping trip ever and save the most money. So this is not something they do every week. If you are really interested, you can go to a few of their personal sites and they will actually tell you this. They also give REAL couponing advice and great tips that I have used to help me save money on my shopping trips. I have listed my favorite sites at the end of the ones that have appeared on the show.

I will admit I only watch this show for entertainment. I know I will not be able to go into any store and do what they have done, especially since I shop at Harris Teeter and they allow 20 coupons PER DAY, PER HOUSEHOLD. People who watch the show and try to go out and buy 100 newspapers and mirror what was done will be met with major disappointment. I myself buy 4 newspapers because I find that is a good number for me and allows me to take advantage of at least 4 of an item that is on a really good sale or even FREE (more if the coupon is for more than 1 like a $.75/2).




Once Harris Teeter had super doubles in which they doubled any coupon up to $1.98 (so a $1.50Q doubled to $3), well I was able to score 6 packs of non-stick Reynolds foil for FREE! Now for those of you who buy foil know that it can run you a good $3-$4 for that kind of foil. Well needless to say, I was able to get 6 (had 3 each of 2 types of foil coupons). I haven't had to buy foil yet and that was months ago. If it is something you use and WILL USE BEFORE IT EXPIRES, it isn't a bad thing to stock up.




Another thing I hate to hear people say is that you cannot get anything healthy by couponing. That is a lie. When I go shopping, EVERYTHING doesn't have a coupon, but best believe 9 times out of 10 everything will be on sale. The key is to shop sales only and when possible, match the sale up with the coupon. I spent $25 once and got ALL healthy items including meat. No I didn't have a coupon for the meat, but I saved so much money on everything else that the meat (which was on sale too OR marked down) was still affordable. So people please hush up. If you work it, it will work!



I am excited to see these "All-Stars" go head to head today and will definitely be back on to chat about the show! Will you be watching?

Here are the links I mentioned above of those "Extreme Couponers" who have appeared on the show that I love and follow myself":

Nathan - WeUseCoupons

Amanda - Money Saving Amanda

Tai & Tarin - Double Saving Divas 

Treasure - Coupon Shopping with Treasure

Check out the main site for more information on the show: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/extreme-couponing

FREE Birthday Gifts!!!

Ok so everyone loves presents, but what if they were FREE! Meaning no one has to come out of their pocket? Big or small, free is free and if it's worth it...I will take it! Below is a list of things that I have gotten for free for my birthday as well as other things I have HEARD you can get for free just by signing up for email newsletters and clubs on company websites.


I know ya'll are thinking you don't want your email flooded with useless email, but that is why I created an account JUST for things like this so I don't miss out on all these FREE bday gifts!


What I have gotten personally:
1. Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity (or free meal up to the value of one) - IHOP
2. 6oz Birthday Cake Shower Gel - Sephora
3. ANY Entree (excluding Fajitas) - Moe's Southwest Grill
4. Free dessert with purchase of an entree - TGIF
5. Any Pastry - Panera Bread
6. Free Dish - Noodles & Company


What Others have gotten:
1. Free Nibbler (don't know what that is) - Zaxbys
2. Dessert - Applebees
3. Dessert - Buffalo Wild Wings
4. Ice-cream cone - Dairy Queen
5. Dessert - P.F. Changes
6. Burger - Red Robin


Not FREE but better than full price:
1. $5 off an order - Jason's Deli
2. $5 off 2 Entrees - Red Lobster
3. $5 off  - McAllister's Deli


So go ahead and see what you can get, I am sure there are plenty of other freebies out there as well. I will continue to post new freebies that I get as well! Also feel free to add any other freebies you have gotten or know of!

FrugalVISION - Intro

frugal [ˈfruːgəl] adj
1. practising economy; living without waste; thrifty
2. not costly; meagre


I love saving money on what I can so that I can free up money on other things. Whether it's on food, hba (health & beauty products), services, or entertainment, if I don't have to pay full price then why should I? Some ways I do this are by using coupons, living social, groupon, or simply catching those extra good deals!


First let me make it clear that I am not cheap, I am frugal. There is a BIG difference. I will definately spend money on something if I really want it and feel it is worth it and I am NOT going to go without my necessities in order to save a penny. Another thing to clarify is yes I coupon, but I am a "Hardcore Couponer", binder and all, NOT an "Extreme Couponer". Yes I watch the tv show for kicks, but I do not buy 100 of any item, I don't even have room for all of that. I will say that I have gotten to the point where I can go weeks without going to the grocery store, living off of what I already have and I love it!


This thread is my way to share my frugal ways in hopes you can also SAVE what you can in order to SPEND what you want.


With that said, stay tuned for more on FrugalVISION...