Stores like to gain your loyalty by offering all sorts of promotions and to encourage multiple purchases. Some good, some not. The discriminating shopper can tell the difference.

One of my favorites requires spending anywhere from $15 to $30 in a single shopping trip and earning $5 to $10 back in rewards. Is this a worthwhile deal? Yes and no. First, you have to know the best prices of the items. Next you have to determine the quantity required and the type of item, perishable or not. And last, do you have corresponding coupon.

Here’s an example. Procter & Gamble offered $10 back on a $30 purchase of their products. Puffs were 3/$5, Charmin double rolls 6 pack for $6.99, Bounty 8 pack $5.99, Cascade $3.99 and Bounce $3.99. Some of the prices were higher than the best sales, but I did have coupons on all the items and then of course was the $10 for my next shopping trip.

So in this case I made the purchase, but savvy shopping is important. Keep in mind the following:
• Know the best price of the product
• Decide if the quantity is right for you
• Use coupons to maximize your savings

In 2009 I did a TV show in Washington DC, with Kris Van Cleave, which was later picked up by CNN. Apparently, Matt Sharp an executive producer at Sharp Entertainment saw the show and came up with the idea for the Extreme Couponing show on TLC.

From the NY Times 12/27/2011 written by Brian Stelter:

“The show’s formation follows the recent timeline of the economy. After the financial collapse in 2008, as American households cut back on spending in the recession, a few television stations and newspapers ran features about fanatical coupon cutters. Some were professionals, like Susan Samtur, who had been writing books and articles about couponing for decades and whose pointers were suddenly back in vogue.

“Her weekly grocery bill you’ll have to see to believe,” said Kris Van Cleave of WJLA, a Washington-area TV station, when he interviewed Ms. Samtur in April 2009. With her coupons and rebates filed by category, she saved $144.11 on a trip with Mr. Van Cleave, paying just $9.43 for a week’s worth of groceries.

CNN picked up the WJLA report, and Mr. Sharp sent the video to a colleague at his production company, Sharp Entertainment. “There’s a show here,” Mr. Sharp wrote in an e-mail. “Something in EXTREME CHEAPLIVING.”

Check out the NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/arts/television/extreme-couponing-all-stars-and-extreme-cheapskates-on-tlc.html?ref=brianstelter

Langer’s Juice has been offering refunds for years. I particularly like to the variety; it offers something for everyone. Take the Dream Works Megamind Video Game for Wii, FREE with 10 Langer labels.

Perhaps you’d like a FREE Raggs Book and DVD, for 5 Langer’s POP and for 10 POP get a FREE Pocoyo Dance and DVD. If you’re a Charlie Brown fan, you can get a FREE DVD for 8 labels, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

I go back to the site often since the FREEBIES and GIFTS change often. Here’s the link, it’s a good idea to bookmark it. Currently there are about 12 goodies to be had.

On a recent trip to Walgreens I split my order into 2 purchases. Here’s my strategy. Walgreens gives out rewards on purchases that are used toward your next purchase. I bought Duracell batteries, $5 register rewards with a $15 purchase, Hershey’s Pot ‘o Gold $3 register rewards with the purchase of 2, and $5 Register Rewards with the purchase of $25 on specific Procter & Gamble items. In addition I used manufacturers’ coupons on the batteries and the P&G goods. Of course I also handed in my AARP card for additional savings.

When the total appeared I received $13 in register rewards. Next, I purchased the other items on my list, all sale items and most accompanied by a coupon. My total before any coupons was $30.50. Coupons deducted the total was $8.57 (with tax) and my savings was $21.93. I was thrilled.

But the point of all this, is you can split your order in 2, same at CVS, and use the rewards on your second purchase and not run the risk of forgetting the savings earned.

Sign up or if already registered – sign in on Fast Fixin Website for various promotions. If registering to be a Fast Fixin Fanatic, you can print a $1 coupon good towards a Fast Fixin or Fast Classics product 20 oz. or larger. As a Fanatic, there should be a link somewhere on that Website to print out a mail-in form where you attach 10 UPC codes from any Fast Fixin &/or Fast Classics products. Mail it into address on form to receive a coupon good for free product.
There should also be a link on their Website discussing the Home Team School Rewards program. Tape 10 Home Team logos to its form & turn in to a registered school or organization. The school or organization then turns those logos in to earn cash for their group. http://www.fastfixin.com/fanatics.php?section=4&catid=4&class=fanatics

Here’s an e-message from Upromise. You don’t have to use that money strictly for college. It’s never too early to start looking for ways to help pay for your child’s college expenses. With Upromise you can start saving faster by doing the things you already do every day. And, you can join for FREE.
https://lty.s.upromise.com/secure/join-upromise-free-save-for-college.do?&ax=acqemail-080911-partner-af-pontiflex

As a reminder, Upromise is a service that helps families earn extra money for education. The company was launched in April 2001 to help make a college education more attainable. It’s a service that helps members jumpstart their college savings or pay down student loans by earning 1-25% back on qualified everyday spending shopping online or in-store, eating out, buying groceries, purchasing travel and more. Invite friends and family to help you save too.

You can Invest in a 529 plan: enjoy a tax-advantaged way to save for college.

Pay down a student loan: you can link to some student loans and set up automatic transfers.

Get a check: Use it5 to pay for expenses such as college tuition, books and more!

The Labels for Education® program is proud to welcome new participating brands–GLAD® Food Storage, Emerald® Nuts, Dannon® kids yogurts and select magazines purchased at retail, including People, Real Simple and more. There are now over 2,500 participating Labels for Education products that can help your kid’s school earn even more FREE educational merchandise. For the complete list of Participating Products, click here. http://labelsforeducation.com/assets/pdf/EnglishParticipatingProductsPage.pdf?EID=4787&MID=3461418&LID=4333
There is a variety of offers in the LFE newsletter. Here’s one below. At retailers like Giant Eagle and Albertson’s, you now will be able to earn 1 point electronically each time you use your Shopper Card to purchase participating products. It’s just another way they are making it even easier to earn FREE educational merchandise for our kids’ school! For details and a full list of participating retailers, visit www.eLabelsForEducation.com. You can also get $20 in Campbell product coupons at http://www.campbellskitchen.com/coupon.aspx?EID=4787&MID=3461418&LID=3428&fbid=NSZ3kkoD_VG

Enroll in www.recyclebank.com and when you send in your old electronics, buy certain products on eBay or in some communities simply recycle your household waste. You rack up points redeemable at more than 1,500 retailers.

Take rechargeable batteries to Best Buy or Staples stores. Donate old cell phones by finding a drop-off location at www.Recellular.com (click “Donate Used Cell Phones” under “Donate Your Phone”). Or recycle them. Find out how at www.RecycleWirelessPhones.com . To donate a computer that is less than five years old, find a list of refurbishers at www.epa.gov/plugin.
You can find a recycler through www.ReconnectPartnership.com or, for older computers, through www.Earth911.com. Recycle old TVs up to 32 inches at Best Buy. You will be charged $10 and will receive a $10 gift card to offset the cost. Or locate recycling locations by brand at www.epa.gov (search for “eCycle Televisions”).

So much is FREE on the web. Here are some sites if you enjoy reading.

Go to www.WhatShouldIReadNext.com. Get suggestions for books you may enjoy by entering your favorite titles and/or authors.

More than one million books are available for free downloading or reading online at: http://www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books/

Many of the world’s great works of literature and philosophy can be downloaded for no cost and printed in a variety of formats at www.Gutenberg.org

If you like to Listen, you can Listen for Free. Get audio books for free from www.LibriVox.org a worldwide digital library with more than 4,000 unabridged classics in the public domain. Read by volunteers (you can be one), they can be played on your computer, MP3 player, cell phone or burned to a CD or car stereo. Free audio books are also available through www.literalsystems.org and www.audiobooksforfree.com.