My $14 Walgreens trip....

Here are a few pictures of what I got and then I will explain how I got it and how you can get it too!!  :)



Above you see the little caramels that are 39 cents.  Walgreens (and most stores) have a policy of using no more coupons than you have items being purchased.  This means that when you are using Manf coupons AND have the reward bucks to use you will have to use a 'filler' item to put extra things on your reciept.  This is what I choose to use.  The Oral B Cross Action Toothbrushes were in the sunday paper coupon insert.  There was a Buy one get one free coupon a few weeks ago I've been holding on to, then there was the Save 75 cents on one coupon.  Combining the two together in this transaction with the sale of $3.99 each I got them for $1.62 each.



Above you will see 3 bottles of Vaseline Sheer Infusion lotion which is on sale for 5.99.  It has a $2 sticker coupon on the bottle (don't forget to peel it!) AND there is a $5 reward coupon that prints out after your purchase.  You must purchase each bottle separately as only one coupon will print per transaction!!  After rewards and $2 coupon it's a $1 moneymaker.  The 2 bottles of Tilex and 2 containers of clorox wipes are 2/$5 this week with a $2 reward coupon printing out when you buy 2.  There is a $1 off 1 Tilex coupon and $1 off 1 clorox wipe coupon that I will have links for at the bottom.  Leaving these things at 50 cents per bottle after all coupons and rewards.

There are 2 bottles of Hylands Cold n Cough for children.  They are on sale for $5 and I got a $2 off coupon plus there is a $5 reward that prints.  You must purchase each bottle separately and I will put a link to the coupon on the bottom of the page.  This is a $2 moneymaker.  The Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner is on sale $4 plus it's BOGO 1/2 off.  Which means $6 for 2.  I had a $2 coupon from the P&G insert mailing. (I don't know how you'd get one now) Then there was a $2 register reward which made these $1 per bottle for me.

Walgreens brand pain relievers are BOGO free and cost $4 for 100 ct bottles, making them only $2 after discount.  The kraft homestyle mac n cheese is on sale for 1.99 and there are $1 coupons on the kraft website.  I will try to get the link on here if it is still available.  Some of these coupons aren't out anymore.  That makes those bags of super creamy, yummy mac n cheese only 99 cents.  The Charmin is on sale for $2.99 with a limit of 3 and I had a 50 cent coupon from the P&G mailing.

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Here are a list of the links for coupons available online.  I highly recommend that any of you interested in couponing and cutting your grocery and supply bill significantly get at least one subscription to your local newspaper.  You can often get good deals by calling them up and talking to a person.  I got an entire year, 7 days a week for only $100.  The Sunday paper alone in Las Vegas costs $3 a week.  So I am getting it delivered to my driveway every day for less than $2 a week!  Can't beat that.  :)  Invest in a printer if you don't already have one.  I have figured that I print out about $300 in coupons for every $40 that I spend in ink.  For those that say it's a waste of ink... it's only a waste if you're not using the coupons.  Buy paper at the office stores when they are cheap and on sale.  I stock up when they are $2-$3 a ream.  I have about 4 packs of paper in my closet right now. 

Here are links to some of the coupons you can use for the items above...

Clorox Wipes:  You will have to "like" clorox on Facebook to get the coupon for the wipes and make sure you hit the back browser 3 times after the first print and it will print you a second one.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/Clorox?v=app_155211227838269&ref=ts

Tilex spray bottles:  You may have to go through a few pages to find it but it's in there.  You can only print 1 per computer so if you have multiple computers just print one from each to make the deal I showed above.

 http://www.coupons.com/

Hyland's Cough n Cold for children:  You will have to register on this site and select the coupon.  It will be emailed to you and you can print as many copies as you want.  I hope it's still listed.  I just printed mine yesterday but sometimes the coupons go fast.
http://www.healthesavers.com/HealthESavers/Coupons.aspx?ViewAll=1

Kraft Homestyle:  I will give you a couple of links to try for the Kraft coupons.  Since I have already printed them I have no way of knowing which one will still have it available.
http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com/default.aspx
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/


Another couple of tips for shopping at walgreens when using the rewards...

• You cannot use reward coupons to pay for the same item that just gave you the reward and still get another reward coupon.  Example.  You can't buy the vaseline lotion, then use the $5 reward to buy the next vaseline lotion, because it will not print out another $5 reward since it knows you just got one. 
• You CAN use the reward immediately following your purchase on a different item.  Example.  Alternate purchasing the Vaseline lotion and the Hyland's Cough n Cold and continually use the $5 rewards on the next purchases.  Stick in a few other purchases (tilex or clorox) with each and when you check out each time your total should only be a dollar or two. 
• Don't forget the little caramels next to the register when the cashier tells you that you have too many coupons for the number of items purchased! 
• Be KIND to the cashiers!  I love my cashiers and they love me.  I am in there at least once a week stocking up and I want them to look forward to helping me... not run the other way!  They are doing their job just like you are doing yours. 
• Have your coupons in order know what you're doing before you approach the register.  Having a game plan for the order of redeeming your coupons/rewards is key to walking out of there spending the least amount possible out of your account! 

Most of all... remember that this is about saving and stocking up on things that you WILL need.  Don't go in there and buy things you will never use just because it's cheap as that completely defeats the purpose of shopping frugally.  Don't get caught up in the sale trap!!  The sale is only useful as the product you're buying!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is the third and final book of the Hunger Games series.  If you have not read Hunger Games and Catching Fire do not read this review. 

Katniss has just been lifted out of the arena of the 75th annual Hunger Games by a hovercraft flown by the rebels.  She finds out that not only has she been a player in the capitols sick game but the rebels have used her to begin their rebellion and have gone against her wishes to keep Peeta alive by choosing to save her and leave Peeta to be taken by Capitol officials and possibly tortured or murdered.  In the meantime she is taken to District 13 and healed then persuaded to become the embodiment of the Mockingjay and the visual leader of the rebellion, the catalyst and person that woud remind the districts of what they are fighting for.  Katniss must decide who to trust, in essence, whose lies  hurt the least because she feels they are all lying to her except the one person she wishes was.

This final book is absolutely action packed and kept me reading nonstop... literally.  I read the entire book yesterday, I couldn't put it down.  When I read the last sentence and closed the book I wasn't sure what to think or what to write out in a review.  My brain needed a little time to digest what I just read and figure out how I really felt about it.  My initial reaction was disappointment but I couldn't figure out why because I couldn't stop reading, so rather than write a bad review like others were eager to do I wanted to search myself.  I think I've come down to feeling sad... which is totally fine!  All books do not have to leave you feeling happy and bubbly.  Katniss has been through 2 back to back rounds of the hunger games and wakes up thinking she's a POW and ready to kill not only herself but Peeta and Beetee to save them from endless torture.  She is clearly suffering from PTSD and who wouldn't after all she's been through.  She manages to make it through day to day with little windows into the old Katniss reminding us why we fell in love with her.  I feel like Collins made this 3rd book true to what would happen to a 17 yr old girl that's been in a war for over a year, she's almost cracked and President Snow is pushing hard to see her shatter to the ground. 

This morning I wake up and I feel like I can say I really, really liked this last book as a whole.  Not Loved.  I gave the first two books 5 stars each and would give this one 4.  If you are reading this review then that means you've read the first 2 and I highly recommend this one to you to get the answers you know you're dying to hear about.  As in the first two books, Collins does not linger on the whole Love triangle thing as that is not the center of the book but simply a branch off.  The main story being the Hunger Games and the otrocities of the government and President Snow in particular.  The story of people being controlled and oppressed and made into slaves that are fighting their way out of their situation against all odds. 

*******Small Spoilers, no major plot revelations**********

I want to warn people that this book is far bloodier and intense than the first 2 combined.  The war is on and the Capital is sparing no tricks with this one.  Katniss spends much of this book in a fog or hiding in a closet and trying to hold herself together.  Peeta is mentally altered when he is taken as prisoner and he is a completely different person, he's a weapon in President Snow's arsenal against Katniss.  Gale has taken on the role of soldier full force as he's always wanted to since they were in district 12 back in book one.  He's always had the fire in him to fight the Capital and he finally has the chance to do it.  This book introduces our 3 favorite characters in a very altered state from our previous encounters, but they should be!  They are teenagers that have been put through more than adults would be able to handle.  They are falling apart but still trying to work with the adults around them to reach the best end possible.  The fighting and death may be too much for you and if it is then you could possibly skip the war and go to the last 40ish pages of the book to find out the answers you need.  If the death doesn't bother you I highly recommend reading it all because it really was good.  I couldn't put it down! 

*******end spoilers*******

People that reviewed this poorly had pretty messed up reasons that mostly revolved around things not going the way they wanted them to go.  This whole series was about the Mockingjay which was a symbol of overcoming a government.  The bird itself was not supposed to exist but it defied the Capital's plans and lives anyway.  Katniss embodies this description, completely.  This book is about revolution and freedom and fighting for what should be rightfully yours anyway.  It's about finding what's real and true.  This is not a sugar coated, love fest like other YA series but anyone would know that after reading the first two.  If you are reading this series to find out if it's Peeta or Gale then you are reading it for the wrong reasons and will be just as disappointed as those others.  Give it a chance and remember that freedom isn't free and it greatly alters the minds of those that fought to get it for you.  In the reality of war this is true and in the story of Panem it is equally true and I applaud Collins for making it a believable story and not a fairy tale about a heroic girl that throws herself in harms way only to come out stronger and braver. 

The Boy who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

The Boy Who Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Andy Andrews.  It is a children's book that has a wonderful message and a real purpose.  I read this book to 3 of my children ages 10, 5 and 20 months.  The review is a little different for each child. 

My 20 month old was absolutely thrilled with the pictures and made a game out of finding the butterflies on each page.  The butterflies are all throughout the book with at least one on each page and they are beautifully illustrated!  Really kept him interested in each page when the actual story was very much above his level.

My 5 year old loves having books read to him but was slightly disinterested in the story as it was hard for him to follow.  He liked the pictures but became distracted easily and didn't pay attention as much as he has for other books.

My 10 yr old daughter loved the book and even read it again to herself later on.  She loved that each story led to another about a different boy that made decisions that changed the world in small ways that had a huge ripple effect which eventually led to billions being saved from starvation.  She talked about it afterwards and it really touched her.

Overall this is a wonderful book that I will cherish and keep as my boys get older so they can read it when the words mean more to them.  In the meantime I will pull it out now and then and read it for the great story that is extraordinarily well written and the gorgeous illustrations... or just for butterfly hunting. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  If you have not read Hunger Games (book 1) yet then do not read this review as it will contain spoilers.

Katniss Everdeen is 16yrs old and has just survived the 74th annual Hunger Games in Panem.  She and Peeta, her partner from district 12, became the first ever couple to win and in doing so have upset the balance of a very unstable government.  Their final act in the Hunger Games has been viewed as rebellion by the other districts and has led to many whisperings of uprisings and all out rebelling against the suffocating government that is keeping them all in a constant state of ecomonic depression. 

Katniss is now faced with many decisions.  She and Peeta have to convince the world they are truly in love and in order to do so the president wants a wedding... soon.  But she is torn because of the feelings she might have for Gale.  She also has the Quarter Quell coming up, the 75th annual Hunger Games.  Now that she and Peeta are victors they will become mentors to the next 2 Tributes from District 12 and that may be even harder for her than when she was in the games fighting for her life. 

Following along in the same fashion as book one, Catching Fire is a fabulous dystopian novel that follows one of my favorite protagonists, Katniss.  There are few characters from novels that I enjoy as thoroughly as I do Katniss, one of my other favorites is Jace from the Mortal Instruments series.  Throughout these novels there is such an intensity and urgency in all of the decisions and actions that can be felt through the pages.  I couldn't wait to pick this back up again to continue reading!  This is a series that is high on my list of favorites and will definitely be on my reading list every year! 

As I said with The Hunger Games, this series is not for everyone.  It can be very dark and is about subjects that can be tough for more sensitive people to read.  People are put into an arena and told to kill or be killed in order to win a game that the rich find entertaining.  I highly recommend this series but have also had friends that have not been able to handle them and didn't like them much at all.  They found it a bit too dark for their tastes.  I, personally, am extremely glad that I read this gem of a series!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is book 1 in a YA trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.  It is a dystopian story written about future North America after floods, war and famine.  The continent is changed into one large super country called Panem that is made up of a large capital and 13 districts, each in a different area that produces a different resource used by the government to control all of the other districts.  There was a rebellion in the history of Panem in which district 13 was completely destroyed, leaving 12 districts in fear of what could happen to them at any moment. 

Katniss Everdeen is a 16 yr old girl that lives in district 12, the coal district.  She has lived a hard life in the harshest district.  Katniss lived through her father dying in a mine explosion and her mother turning catatonic after that while she still had a younger sister, Prim, to take care of.  The worst is not even close to over to Katniss, though.  The day of the reaping is coming.  This is where the Capital chooses one boy, 18 and under, and one girl to become the Tributes from each district and these children must fight to the death in a man made arena.  The sole survivor is crowned victor and lavished with gifts and food and a new home and their district is given food and oil for the entire year until the next reaping.  Whose name gets called out at the reaping?  You'll have to read to find out in this electrifying novel that kept me turning pages from beginning to end. 

Suzanne Collins take a subject (children being required to kill to survive) that could be so repulsive and turns it into a heart stopping story where you can truly love the good guys and they choose to do what's right and good even in the worst of circumstances.  This book is very well written and there is great development to the characters and relationships.  I look forard to reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay, (books 2 and 3).  I already own both and will start them immediately!  So far this series tops my list of favorite YA books.  Of course this trilogy is not suited for everyone.  It is very dark and there are killings and fighting.  Nothing extremely graphic, but enough that you get a really good picture in your head.  I MUCH prefer this over the usual YA fare of romantic mush and teenage drama.  Katniss is a perfect protagonist.  She is incredibly smart and strong, very able bodied and doesn't let her emotions rule her.  She has solid relationships and keeps herself in check.  I love that Katniss is responsible, not just out of obligation but out of love for her sister and out of a knowledge that she must do what's right and what needs to be done. 

I highly recommend the Hunger Games to any dystopian fans or to anyone looking for something new and exciting to read.  The good news is the 3rd book was released in August so you can read the entire trilogy at once with no waiting!