I don’t subscribe to magazines as a rule. I have little time and being rather stingy makes me even less tolerant of paying for items that stack up, unread and wasting money. But I’m a convert to one magazine of late- “All You”. Billed as the magazine that has, “hundreds of ways to save time and money,” I’d have to agree in part. For the novice homemaker, it likely does have hundreds of resources. Experienced old skinflints and veteran mothers, though, we are a tougher sell. But I’d have to say that even for this old hand mother there were at my last count, at least ten redeeming, useful articles in the recent issue.

Those ten, however don’t prompt me to write glowing reports, even though I did find some cost cutting tips, a few household cleaning ideas and several tax tips that enlightened me. But the coupons in each magazine, for you coupon hounds, those made it worth every penny of the $15 subscription I paid. Not only does All You include record numbers of sincerely useful coupons, it also lists them by page number, with the dollar amount neatly tallied.

 In the February, 2010 magazine, you’ll score $47.13 worth of coupons for Nature Maid Vitamins, Revlon, N.Y.C. cosmetics, and sporting brand names like Dole, Neutrogena, Colgate and Hershey’s. Those pressed for time, can simply peer at the All You list, clip coupons on given pages and hustle off to the nearest sale. In the most recent two issues, I’ve found similar offerings. By my reckoning, the subscription is paid for (if you really utilize coupons) with the first issue. However, don’t buy the newsstand issues, as  with all magazines,you’ll pay nearly twice the cover price.

To subscribe click here and start enjoying the savings!

This is one magazine worth sampling. If you want to check out the online version and print a few sample coupons out, All You has a wonderful, interactive site with several daily coupons available, (though you won’t get the full monty without subscribing). But if you need two coupons to nab a great deal, you can use one from the magazine and one printable from their site for this purpose.

Here’s the latest tally of All You, coupon deals in February, 2010 .

SAVINGS:

ALL You® Eat Well, Save Big Cookbook p.122 $1.00

Boca Meatless Products p. 79. 51.00 off 2 Packages

Body Fortress® p.111 .$1.00

Borden® Singles Sensations p. 69…..$1.00 .

 Campbell’s® V8® Soups p. 67 .$1.00 off 2

Colgate® 360® Toothbrush p. 102 .$1,00

Colgate® Wisp® p. 8. S1.00

Cottonelle Fresh® Moist Wipes Tub 50,50 on any 1 p. 107.

Cottonelle® Toilet Paper 12-Pack p. 107.. $1-00 on any 1

 Couples Retreat Special Edition DVD or Blu-ray p. 15 . . $3.00

DOLE® All Natural Fruit Jars p. 120 $0,75

DOLE® Fruit Bowls p. 58 $0.75

 Eight O’clock® Coffee p. 131 $0.75

Ester-C Tablets p. 129 .$2.00

Genius Pacifier p. 60. $1.00

Good Earth® Tea p. 62 $0.75

 Gorton’s p. 85 $0.60

Hershey’s® Kisses® Brand p. 95 $1,00

Jillian Michaels Natural Whey Protein Powder p. 111 $1,00

MET-Rx® Bars p. 111 $1.00

Milk-Bone® Essentials Plus+™ biscuits or chewy treats p. 118. $1.00 on any Milk-Bone® Essentials Plus+™ 

 $2.00 on any Nature Made® Vitamin p. 136

$1.00 Neutrogena® Advanced Solutions® complete acne therapy system p. 31.

$3.00 Neutrogena® Cosmetics p.1

$3.00 New York Frozen Product p. 128 .

50.50 on any 1 N.Y.C. New York Color® p. 25

$1,00 off any N.Y.C.

Ore-Ida® Frozen Potatoes p. 85 .Buy 2, Save $1.00

OVALTINE® p. 51 $1.00

Pepperidge Farm® frozen bread p. 90. $055

Polaner Sugar Free Preserves with Fiber p. 105. $1.00

Pure Protein® Bars p.111 $1.00

Rianxeira Tuna Snacks/Bites p. 49. Try1 For FREE (up to $1.88 value)

Rogaine® p. 35. .$5.00 off Any ROGAINE® Product

Sister Schubert’s p. 83. $0.50

T. Marzetti® Salad Dressing p. 81 $1.00

Taco Bell® Home Originals® Salsa and Salsa Con Queso p. 97. $1.00

I don’t want to share, because there are a limited quantity, but it’s my duty as a blogger to inform you of a great give-a-way today at 3 p.m., EST. Get free Oreos by becoming a fan. Simply log in and follow the directions that will be posted at 3 pm. I have no idea if you’ll get a printable coupon or a snail mail coupon- but it is OREO’s right?  If you’ve been following the commericals and the banter between the “two Donalds” the Manning brothers, you’ll know these Oreos come from that friendly wager. Read about it on their FB page if you’d like to be current on your Oreo double stuffing games. Only the first 150K get the cookie(s)  by the way. Think that’s alot? There won’t be too many cookies left with over 3 Million fans! Hurry and get in on this yummy oportunity!

LAST MINUTE SALES!

Check out Barnes and Noble’s unbeatable sales this week! They are having up to 50% off of this season’s holiday gifts. You can get 50% off of hundreds of DVDs and Blu-rays also, 50% off of some of your favorite authors. They are also having special sales on book gift sets. You can check out some of their great deals at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/holiday-gifts.

 Target is having some great last minute sales this week! Some of their biggest clearance is on home décor. Things such as wreaths, Christmas collectables, stocking holders, and much more are all on sale this week. Pick up a few for hostess gifts or for your own well deserved Santa gift to yourself.  You can check out some of these deals at www.target.com or go right to any close Target store.

 Big savings at JC Penny this week are blowing some stores out of the water! JC Penny’s is having sales anywhere from 40% to 60% off of select holiday items. If you are looking for last call expedited shipping on gifts that you can receive by Christmas Eve- it all waits for you this week at JC Penny’s. They also have gift cards available online and in stores, via email or e-gift, which you can receive in less than 12 hours!

Just thought I’d post this update on my earlier blogs this weekend regarding sales, freebies and savings.

If you use the Hallmark $5 coupon and don’t want much of an overage here are some suggestions:

1. Most Hallmarks have food products that are cheaply had. I’m making gift baskets for people and grabbed some of the gourmet soup mixes (retail $6.99) – on sale for $5.99.
2. Beenie Babies are either $5.99 or $6.99 and make a nice option for a stocking stuffer for a child or a kid at heart.
3. Yankee Candle tarts are 3 for $5.00 or you pick up the bonus package of 3 car air fresheners for $5.99. (Make sure you get the packages marked “bonus” and you’ll gain one freshener). Small Yankee Candles (the ones in the glass jars) are $9.99, which means you are getting half off if you buy one with the coupon. It’s still a good deal and the candles have unbeatable fragrances. Even a tiny candle burns for many hours and fills your home with heavenly scents! One to try is Almond- it’s a new fragrance that is simply delicious!
4. Other options are the $.99 cards -get five of these to stay in your $5 allotment.
5. Ornaments abound at $9.99 (with coupon, you’ll give yourself a fifty percent discount)

You can ask to use more than one coupon, as these are plentiful right now. Better Homes and Gardens had one in their December magazine, as does the web link I mentioned earlier. I have two Hallmark stores only three miles apart. One store wouldn’t let me use multiple coupons. The other did, but required separate transactions. I had three total coupons and got $18 worth of items for only $3.00 (plus tax). These coupons are good until Christmas. You’re really missing out if you don’t use them.  Also, on your receipt, you may find a call-in survey to complete.  Before I left the store, I used my cell phone to complete the survey and got another $2.00 instant coupon. I bought a dip mix for the gourmet basket ($2.99) and paid only a buck plus tax for this.

JC Penney had a recent mailing with a coupon that gave customers $10 off a purchase of ten dollars. This means, FREE stuff! What can you pick up for ten bucks at Penney’s currently?

Among the best choices for the value are the Footnotes jewelry items. Each item has a unique saying on the greeting card style packaging and is geared for various recipients. Choose friend, daughter, mother, sister or generic female recipient. Retail price was $45.00 for these Sterling Silver necklaces. Beautiful and classy looking, these are a heck of a deal right now for $14.99. For only $5.00 plus tax (after the $10 coupon), I picked one up for my sister. There are also rings in the line which are on sale for $9.99, and likewise are on a massive reduction. The only reason I’d opt out of the rings is uncertainty about sizing for my recipient, otherwise they’d be a great choice as well.

Various other options to spread your free cash out are Columbia jackets (some are on sale right now for only $23.00). When you can toss less than $15 including tax in the mix and pick up a winter jacket, pat yourself on the back! Or choose from super soft fleece scarf, mitten and hat sets in a wide range of colors for only $11.99. There are also clothing options, of course- sweaters, T’s and even jeans for $19.99. You can pick up multiple items to total ten bucks if you’d like. Items like socks or mittens are around $5.00. And of course, you can apply your ten bucks to larger purchases.

 If you missed out on the JC Penney’s mailing, use these coupons to grab some savings till the end of the holiday season!

My foray into Bath and Body Works was quite fruitful. Here are some tips on using the printable coupon:

• This printable coupon is good for a free $13 item with a ten dollar purchase.  You need to examine it carefully, as it seemed like it was for multiple products that total thirteen dollars. Alas, it’s not. With as many sales that Bath and Body are offering, it’s hard to find something that is $13, without going way under or over. Additional exclusions on this coupon are using it for the 3 wick candles or gift sets. I always like to get the best value for my free item, so it took me a while to settle on a purchase.
• Here’s what I did- I bought 2 three wick candles (on sale for $10.00 each) with my cash and then used the coupons for 2 large bottles of Victoria’s Secret Pink Fresh and Flirty lotion (retail $12 each). Having priced Victoria’s Secret body products in the past, they aren’t cheaply had. It’s great that Bath and Body carry some of their competitor’s fragrances, as the closest Victoria’s Secret is an hour’s drive from my home. Bath and Body Works honored my second coupon I’d printed out with two transactions.
• You can use the coupon for items less than $13 or take that amount off a larger item. (Though it’s clear they’d rather have you use it for a smaller purchase under thirteen bucks).
•  After my purchase, I got two additional coupons for $10 off a thirty dollar purchase and two register receipts for surveys that give you another $10 off $30. Those surveys are worthwhile, because once you have the code written down, these coupons don’t expire for a year.

See the awesome breakdown of my spending:

 Hallmark-

Used

3 $5.00 off coupons (separate transactions)

 Purchased

1 gourmet potato soup mix- $5.99

5 $.99 cards @4.95

3 Yankee Candle air fresheners- $5.99

Got $16.93 in merchandise

Paid (after coupons) $1.98, (plus tax)

Used

Call in survey instant coupon $2.00

Purchased

1 Dip Mix @ $2.99

Paid (after coupon) $.99 (plus tax)

 JC Penney’s

Used

1 $10 coupon

Purchased

1 Sister Footnotes Sterling Silver Necklace- Suggested Retail $45 (on Sale for $14.99)

Got $45 in merchandise

Paid (after coupon) $4.99 (plus tax)

 Bath and Body Works

Used 2 up to $13 free merchandise coupons w/$10 purchase

Bought 2 $10 3 wick holiday candles

Redeemed coupon for 2 Pink Body Lotions (Retail $12 each)

Got $44.00 in merchandise

Paid (after coupons) $20.00 (plus tax)

 Received in total value of merchandise- $108.92

Total out of pocket- $27.96 (plus tax)

 That makes for a great shopping day!!! I’m thrilled! Save money by using coupons and combining with sales for your holiday gifts. Never neglect even the small ”free money” or “free product” coupons. As you can see, this really adds up if you use them smartly.  Don’t forget that all of these deals are ongoing till after the holidays. Get out and save!!!

Right at Home, the family friend site of SC Johnson is giving away 6K gift baskets. These super Holiday at Home baskets are filled with numerous SC Johnson products and are worth a late night hovering on the computer tonight to score one. SC Johnson wisely decided to give these away in 2k increments over the first three weeks in December. The first two thousand respondents each week in December (1-7) (8-14)(15-22) will receive a packed holiday gift basket.  

Those of us who waited for hours to get the Herbal Essence free product last month will remember how congested the site was. Allowing this give-a-way to stretch out for a few weeks is a stroke of genius by SC Johnson and gives us all a better shot at getting the freebies.

If you’ve already received a free item from SC Johnson in the last 180 days you’re not eligible for this give-a-way- but that doesn’t stop you from ordering one as a gift for a friend! Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it will come in time for the holidays. (The site states this will be mailed out by March 2010). However it’s still a great surprise for friends or yourself! Don’t forget to use your friend’s name, email address and shipping address when filling out the form on the Right at Home site. They’ll be thrilled to have some useful items from SC Johnson.

If you miss the opportunity and aren’t part of the first 2K to sign up, you can try again next week.

While you’re at the SC Johnson site- click on the tab that says, “View all offers and coupons”.  (Located in the middle of home page, far right) There are two other options for savings. One is a coupon for $3.50 off any Glade product. If you print this coupon out, you can get a free (or nearly free) candle at most stores. CVS, Walgreens and K-Mart have regular sales on Glade candles that bring the cost down to this price.

The second is a chance to win a $100 American Express gift card or a free Glade Soy Candle by playing a game on the site. If you don’t win immediately, you can try each day in December for another shot at free money or products.

Here’s why it’s worth trying to get one of these holiday baskets:

Each gift basket is filled with your favorite products from the makers of Ziploc®, Glade®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and more, to help you keep your home ready for guests and full of cheer.

Each gift basket includes:
• 1 Ziploc® Brand Medium Snap ‘n Seal Container
• 1 25-count box of Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags
• 1 15-count box of Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags
• 1 pack of Ziploc® Brand Big Bags (with 3 different sizes of Big Bags)
• 1 package of Pledge® Natural Beauty Wipes
• 1 Glade® Scented Oil Candles Tin
• 1 Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel

Only one per household!

Don’t forget to:
1. Enter for free gift basket give away this week and next Tuesday. (The site doesn’t tell you if you’re a winner- so try each week)

2. Play the site game to try to win a $100 American Express Gift Card or free Soy Candle each day.

3. Print out the $3.50 coupon off Glade products and use when there is a sale on products to get a free candle!

4. Take a gander at other printable coupons on site. You’ll also find a $1 off Windex and other great savings to help clean up your holidays with SC Johnson’s help!