Walmart Layaway is a Great Way to Save!

Walmart has brought back it's layaway program. I remember when I was a young girl, that my Mom would use this program throughout the year to buy us clothes and gifts for Birthdays and Christmas. It was a way that a mother or four girls, whose husband was a Marine could budget!

Walmart has now brought this program back starting on September 16, 2012, just in time for the Christmas season. You can layaway more types of items in addition to last year's limit of toys and electronics. You do have to place $5.00 in the account to open it, but you will receive it back as a gift card when you redeem your items. Go here to read more about the details of the offer.

What are the advantages? Save on the products you want and if there is a particularly hot product that is a must have for someone on your list, you can buy it with the flexibility of paying it off over time. Instant credit without the penalties!

Happy shopping!

Ta ta for now...save money!

Get $3.00 From Wal-mart

While you check out at Wal-mart, you should be watching the register. If an item scans for a different price than what is listed on the shelf tag, the store is required to give you $3.00 or to deduct $3.00 from the price of the item.  This is due to a 2008 court settlement with the California State Attorney General's office.

Make sure you let the store know if you think that there has been an error. $3.00 is a BIG savings to put back into your wallet!

Ta ta for now...save money!

75% off Christmas

Well, there is still a little Christmas out there to be had at 75% off!  I just returned from Walmart where they still have Christmas decor, stocking stuffers, candy and oodles of paper at 75% off. I bought a four pack of wrapping paper (150 sq ft) for only $1.28 plus tax. That's like .32 cents a roll!

I always try to buy wrapping paper and cards (only if I need them) after Christmas and put them aside for next year. It doesn't take up too much space and I am ready to go next year when it's time to wrap those gifts.

Grab a few for yourself and save some $$!

Ta ta for now...

Bicycles for Christmas!

Are you thinking about buying a bicycle for someone for Christmas! Check out Walmart not only for their excellent prices, but also because you can shop online, have the bike shipped to store for free and then go to the store and ask to have them assemble it for you for FREE also! You may have to wait a couple of days, so plan early to be able to have it in time for Christmas!

Ta ta for now...

Huffy bike only $119.00 at Walmart right now!

Walmart Shopping & Price Matching

I learned something new today about shopping at Walmart & couponing. Because of their "price match" policy, you can save yourself trips to multiple stores by bringing other stores ads with you showing the lower priced items. Although they say you don't need to bring it, it's best to have it on hand to empower your with your buying prowess!

I also learned that at Walmart, if you  have a coupon that is worth more than the item you are buying, they will "bank" the overage and apply it to the rest of your purchase. So now you can use those extra cents towards  anything you are buying. For example, if you have a $1.00 off coupon, and the item costs $.95 cents, they will apply the nickel to the rest of the items in your cart. I know what you are thinking - Big Deal! It is!!!  A nickel saved on a dollar is a 5% savings. You certainly can't get 5% on your money in a bank account!

If the coupon you are using does not specify a quantity or size, you can always apply it towards a travel size and virtually get it for free! They make nice stocking stuffers and travel sized personal care items.

Ta ta for now...

Here is Walmart's Coupon Policy:

* Guidelines and limitations

• We only accept coupons for merchandise that we sell.

• Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase.

• Only one coupon per item.

• Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc.).

• There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.

• Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration.

• If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.

• SNAP items purchased in a SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back.

• WIC items purchased in a WIC transaction are applied to the basket purchase and may not be eligible for cash back. Refer to state-specific WIC guidelines.

• Great Value, Marketside, Equate, Parents Choice, and World Table coupons have no cash value and are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.

• The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:

• 40 coupons per transaction.

• A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.

• $50 or more in coupons

Our Coupon Policy

We gladly accept the following types of coupons:*

Print-at-home

Internet coupons

• Must be legible

• Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them

• Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer

• Must have a valid expiration date • Must have a scannable bar code • Buy one, get one free (BOGO)

coupons with a specified price

• Are acceptable in black and white or color

• May not be duplicated

Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)

• Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item

• Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific item requirements printed on them

• Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer

• Must have a valid expiration date • Must have a scannable bar code • Are acceptable in black and white • May not be duplicated

Updated 05/12/2011. ©2011 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR. The “spark” design

Manufacturers’ coupons

• For dollar/cents off

• For free items (except those printed off the Internet)

• Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons

• Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them

• Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer

• Must have a valid expiration date • Must have a scannable bar code • May not be duplicated

Competitors’ coupons

• A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99

• Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price

• Have a valid expiration date • Are acceptable in black and white

Soft drink container caps

We DO NOT accept the following coupons:

Checkout coupons

• Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase

• Percentage off the entire basket purchase

Competitors’ coupons

• Dollars/cents off at a specific retailer • Percentage off • Buy one, get one free (BOGO)

Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase

, Walmart, and Save money. Live better. are marks and/or registered marks of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

coupons without a specified price • Double- or triple-value coupons

MANUFACTURER COUPON EXPIRES 00/00/00

The Truth About Dollar Stores

Even though everything for a dollar sounds like an incredible deal, the purchase at such a store does not necessarily make it a good buy.

Here is what is A DEAL:

• Party Supplies - paper goods, decor, invites, party favors and helium balloons with the helium included.
• Seasonal or Holiday items - paper goods, decorations inexpensive secret santa or gift exchange items.
• Greeting Cards - Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation, New Baby, Retirement or you name it. Nothing beats a $1.00 greeting card! Sometimes they are even less than a dollar and the sentiments and quality are comparable to the much more expensive cards.
• Cleaning Supplies - Even though they might not be the brand names that you are familiar with, read the contents and you will probably find that they have the same ingredients as the more expensive brands. They will suit your basic cleaning needs just fine and don't forget to pick up a few sponges and gloves!
• Gift Wrap - I love to buy beautiful or cute gift bags at the dollar store. They have so many sizes and colors available that you are bound to find the perfect one for your gift. I also love to pick up tissue paper to compliment the bags. If you like to wrap your gifts, they usually have a good selection of wrapping paper, tape, bows and ribbons.
• Cooking and Dining - if you are in the market for some inexpensive but reliable utensils, specialty gadgets, plates or glasses you are sure to find some here to suit your needs. It is especially helpful if you know someone just starting out that needs to furnish their first kitchen. You can get what you need without breaking the bank. Dollar stores are also a great place to buy lunch bags, plastic storage containers, baggies and bowls.
• Beauty Supplies - combs, brushes, hairspray, nail polish, emory boards and other nail care items are a great bargain. I would probably stick to name brands, however, on shampoo and conditioners.

Here is what is NOT A DEAL:

• Medications - such as aspirin, ibuprofen or other pain medications may be expired or may not list the source of manufacture. Look for coupons in your local paper and then price match them with sales at Target, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart or your local pharmacy. The same applies to vitamins.
• Canned foods and other food items - you can probably get better prices by buying store brands or by making your purchase at Target or Walmart. You might also want to note expiration dates for freshness. Sometimes movie candy can be a bargain, but be careful of the sizes. Some companies package smaller sizes especially for this market.
• Cake and baking mixes - for a true price comparison you would have to check the per unit pricing as some of the box mixes are packaged in smaller sizes.
• School supplies - pricing here is pretty comparable to prices at Target or Walmart, where the prices are even better during back to school sales July through September. It is a good place to find coloring books for those long road trips.
• Toys - the toys are usually low quality and the safety is questionable. I don't think that I would trust the origin of manufacture to have the same safety standards that we have here in the USA.
• Electronics - Dollar store electronics and extension cords may have fake UL labels and could be unsafe. It's better to spend a little extra for quality and safety. Also, cheap batteries may be prone to leakage and may not last as long. Some stores sell carbon-zinc batteries which are less efficient than the alkaline variety.

Ta Ta for now...

No Pride!

I am just as hard to shop for as my husband, so when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas I had to think long and hard. Finally I came up with an idea, I want mini muffin pans! Crazy right! I even told him he could buy them at Walmart and for  how much. Of course I couldn't stop there, when I saw them advertised in the Sunday newspaper for even less at Target ($3.87 instead of $8.00 at Walmart) I just couldn't resist sharing the news!

What was his response? "Enough already, I already bought them!". I laughed so hard and responded back that I wouldn't say another word unless I saw them for buy one, get one free. I didn't really spoil the surprise - I already told him I wanted them. At least now I know I will actually get them!

I can hardly wait to make pint sized cupcakes and muffins. That way I can stretch my budget by baking in miniature and also cut down on the calorie intake. Woo Hoo!

Ta Ta for now...