Hey, this is even more than 20%!

You can thank (if you’re a consumer; blame if you’re a retailer) Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens ‘n Things (RIP) for the fabulous trend of stores selling everything they own for a 20% or more discount off the suggested retail prices.  They’ve started something that has cut stores’ profit margins and added value to almost every consumer shopping trip forever!

(Kudos too, while we’re at it, to Macys, which many years ago started the pre-Christmas sale, and the constant one-day sales, effectively training their customers to never, ever pay full retail.)

I was personally thrilled to find that BB&B had started carrying drugstore items, too.  (See my post Drugstore Junkie for more on this.) Hey, 20% off generally beats the best discounts at the pharmacy chains, and saves a trip. And now, going into the Holiday Shopping season, lots of other stores have jumped on the bandwagon.  Just this week, not even Halloween yet, my local paper carried 20 % or greater discounts from Old Navy, Michaels crafts,  and a local decorator.  If this year is anything like last, you should soon be seeing more and better discounts, right off the top of any purchase, from such varied retailers as Toys R Us, Sports Authority, Party City, Best Buy, Macys, Walmart (They stole my quote: Save Money. Live Better), Ulta Beauty, GNC, Vitamin World, Firestone Tires, Sears and others.   Many of these will accept multiple, expired and competitors’ coupons, too.

While getting my fingers all inky on the Sunday paper is my favorite way of finding coupons, you can now go online to do the same.  These are some of the better sites for coupons and coupon codes:

www.Big Crumbs.com This one also gives you cash back at many retailers!

www.Savings.com

www.retailmenot.com

www.couponwinner.com

www.couponcraze.com

www.fatwallet.com

www.couponcabin.com

www.thegrocerygame.com

Wanna be a savvy couponer?  Check out The Couponizer, for a new way to organize your coupons and maximize your savings.

Getting into the holiday spirit, we’ll be looking at the best and cheapest ways to party, shop, decorate and save on all.  Starting with, of course, Halloween — click here for lots of great ideas for cheap or free costumes.

So far, the only expense has been a travel scale so we can also keep track of our waistlines.  Trip so far: $30

Now, for the freebies:

1) Free BOGO Sundaes on Mondays all through August at Ben & Jerry’s

2) Free Honey Nut Cheerios Sample

3) Free Lindt Chocolate Truffles

4) Free download NERO disc-burning software

5) Free Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal sample

6) Two Free Tacos at Jack-in-the-Box (August 11 only)

And, if you have the patience, or are craving freebies on our off days, here are some sites that we use to find our best freebies:

Freeflys

Just Free Stuff

The Frugal Freelancer

Happy Hunting, Happy Weekend, and we’ll meet you further on the road.

I recently started reading a blog which often includes a weekly “Coupon Match”; that is, she cross references manufacturer coupons with store specials to help you get things for almost (and sometimes completely) free.  She does a lot of work and you may want to visit. The address is http://www.shoppingfrugal.net/ .

Meanwhile, a few tips for competitive couponing:

• Keep your coupons in an expandable file, by category.
• Keep the file in your car  or with your shopping list.
• Remember to take both the file and the list into the store.

If you’re really ambitious, you can cross-reference your coupons with your store circulars and really clean up.  For this process, check out The Couponizer. It’s one person’s way of being on top of all of it.

And here are some super websites for finding coupons on line:

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://www.couponwinner.com

http://www.couponcraze.com/

http://www.couponcabin.com/

http://www.fatwallet.com/

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

For more ideas on discount shopping, click here.

Hope you’re all taking advantage of our money-saving tips and posted Freebies; today is the opportunity to get

FREE HOMEMADE Soap at http://is.gd/1oT0F

More good ideas for living large on a budget at http://www.ILoveAGoodBargain.com

50 Easy Ways to Save Money Now in FREE report — Download your report if you haven’t already, at http://www.ILoveAGoodBargain.com/welcome

although, truth be told, any astute bargain hunter will always BOLO for a BOGO.  BOGOs go where coupons fear to tread (or are forgotten).

I personally clip coupons, but rarely remember to bring them along when I shop.  (NOTE: I tried a new organizer tool called the Couponizer, and I really liked it.  You may also.  Check out http://www.couponizer.com/ )

However, faced with couponless time in the supermarket aisles, I go for the BOGO.  Shopping in a sort-of-expensive market, I was particularly impressed with the availabilities of these offers, from organic chicken to diet ice cream!  Long story short, I saved $20 on a $40 bill!

Today we received a comment from a reader in Asia with a few tricks of her own:  Bella says:

“Really great list for trade in websites. However if you go for few bargain and coupon sites you can also save money same as trade in items. Personally I use http://www.retailmenot.com/ (for coupons) and http://www.cheapdeals101.com/ (for deal hunting) & many more…hope this helps you…”

Thanks, Bella.  It will definitely help our readers, and here are some more sites that can get you all kinds of coupons, offers, freebies and more.  (Only a few, but guaranteed to keep you busy for a while!)

http://www.couponmom.com/

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

http://www.eversave.com/ (this one is a little work but GREAT values)

http://www.fatwallet.com/

And finally, a site where you get cash back on your purchases:

http://www.bigcrumbs.com/

For more info on saving on hundreds of items, click here.

Thanks, Julia, you’re one of my favorites fellow                                frugalistas!

Recently, I decided to try Definity, a drugstore brand from Olay, which is supposed to fight discoloration, dullness, brown spots and wrinkles.   Off to CVS, where their loyalty programs gives me in-store cash to use on anything for a limited time. TIP: Check expiration dates on all coupons and cards so you get the full value of them when you need something.

Before heading to CVS, armed with a $5.00 coupon for Definity from the Sunday paper, and $12 in CVS cash, I quickly check my email.  Voila!  Here’s an email from CVS with $5 off this weekend only!  So, I go to CVS to buy my Definity item, and a root touch-up hair color product.  Guess what?  Definity is on sale for $25,  Root Touch-Up for $5, using my $21 in credits, it costs me less than $10 for both items.

When I paid for my items, my receipt contained a coupon for another $5 off a $25 purchase.  Hopefully Definity will be back on sale before they expire.

Another tip:  Log onto CVS.com and sign up for their card, if you don’t have one already.  At Walgreen’s, it’s a different set-up, but you can get lots of discounts by using their online rebate system, with a 10 percent bonus if you take the rebate in the form of a Walgreen’s gift card.  Check out your local drugstore chains and see what they are offering.

For more on Cosmetics, click here.

And then there’s my friend Ralph.  If I’m the Discount Princess, and Cindy is Queen of the Rebates, he’s the Freebie King!  Before I got married, Ralph and I used to travel the country together on real estate buying trips, and we’d play a game — let’s see how much we can get for free.  Just for asking, we got tons of upgrades: a convertible for the price of an economy car, a suite for a cheap single room rate in some really nice hotels, and multiple meals in restaurants plain and fancy.  

Ralph just got not one but two new Sprint phones for no charge.  Hopefully he’ll talk soon and let us in on his secrets. 

Looks like we know who our next president will be.  Hopefully the change will bring abundance back to our county.  It’s going to be an interesting 4 years.

So at least until the economy improves, keep checking back for more great better-living-for-less ideas.