I Am A Money Magnet!

Kroger Cart Buster Event $25 Gift Card Giveaway (48 hours only)!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:15:00 +0000

From now through March 14th, shop the Cart Buster Savings Event and find the hottest prices around on your favorite name-brand products in over 60 categories at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

Here are just a few of the great brands participating in the event: Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Yoplait, Progresso, Totino´s, Green Giant, Cascadian Farm, Tide, Charmin, Bounty, Pampers, Pantene, Crest, Iams, Febreze, Old Spice and many more!

I was able to purchase all this for just $8.49!

Like I said, there are several great deals included in this promotion! Before you head out to shop be sure to load your ShortCuts and Cell Fire coupons to your Kroger card!

Would you like to win a $25 Kroger Gift Card?

To Enter:
1.)Leave me a comment (with you name/email address) and tell me what you would stockup on with your $25 gift card!

Bonus Entries (leave a separate entry for each):
1.) Subscribe to I Am A Money Magnet!
2.) Follow me on Twitter!
3.) Add my button to your blog and/or add my blog to your blogroll.
4.) Add me on Facebook!
5.) Blog about this giveaway {worth 2 entries! Leave separate comments.}
6.) Tweet this giveaway {Tweet: Win a $25 Kroger Gift Card from @IAmAMoneyMagnet! - }

More Details:
1.)This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY.
2.) This giveaway will close on Thursday March 11, 2010 at 7pm CST.
3.)The winner will be selected via random.org and the winner will be contacted by email. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.

Disclosure: In exchange for this post I received a $25 Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information about the Cart Buster Savings Event, and the opportunity to host a giveaway sponsored by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Kroger Cart Buster Shopping- Again!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Have you headed to Kroger for the Cart Buster Savings Event yet? There are several great deals included in this promotion! Before you head out to shop be sure to load your ShortCuts and Cell Fire coupons to your Kroger card! For a complete listing of sale items visit Southern Savers.

Kroger
1-Betty Crocker Cookie Mix-$1.50 each
-used 1-$0.40 MQ (double to $0.80; 2/7 SS)
-1-$0.40 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-Final Cost-$0.60($0.30 each)

2-Betty Crocker Warm Delights-$1.50 each
-used 1-$0.50/1 MQ (double to $1; 2/7 SS)
-1-$0.50 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-Final Cost-$FREE

2-Betty Crocker Potato Pouches-$0.67 each
-used a $1.00/2 BC potatoes mq (Kroger homemailer)
-a $0.40 shortcuts e-coupon deducted
-Final Cost-$0.06 Profit

4-Nature Valley Clusters/Sweet & Salty Bars-$2.29
-used 1-$1.00/1 NV Clusters (2/21 SS)
-used 3-$0.50/1 NV Sweet and Salty Bars (double to $1.00; 2/7 SS)
-1-$1.00 NV Nut Clusters shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-2-$0.40 NV Granola Bars cellfire e-coupons deducted
*this time I only got a $2.00 oyno coupon?
-Final Cost-$3.36/4 ($0.84 each)

1-Betty Crocker Muffin Mix-$2.00
-used 1-$0.50/1 MQ (double to $1)
-1-$0.50 cellfire e-coupon deducted
-Final Cost-$0.50

2-Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix-$2.00 each
-used 2-$0.50/1 IP (double to $1)
-1-$0.75/2 cellfire e-coupon deducted
-Final Cost-$1.25/2 ($0.63 each)

4- Fiber One Chewy Bars 90 calorie-$2.29 each
-used 4-$0.50/1 MQ (doubled to $1.00)
-2-$0.40/1 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-2-$0.40/1 cellfire e-coupons deducted
*received a $2.50 Off Your Next Order Coupon
-Final Cost-$3.56 ($0.89 each)

1-Digornio 200 calorie pizza-$3.29; used FREE coupon=FREE
1-Loaf of Brownsberry Bread-$1.99-$1.00 MQ=$0.99
1-Kroger Honey Bear-$2.59
1-Kroger Tortilla Chips-$1.00

-used $5.00 in Off Your Next Order catalina coupons

Total Before Coupons=$40.50
Total Out of Pocket-$8.49 + I earned a $2.50 catalina to use on my next order

Click HERE to see my other Kroger Shopping Trips!

Thrifty Tip Tuesday: Start Saving For Your Next Car NOW!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:27:00 +0000

*New to Thrifty Tip Tuesday? Read more about Thrifty Tip Tuesday HERE*

Last week I shared about locking myself out of my house. Well, wouldn’t you know, last Friday my car wouldn’t start! See, last week I offered to pick up a friend and take her to work. I pulled up to the house, turned off my car and waited for this friend to come out. Friend gets into the car, we’re ready to go and the car WOULD NOT START. The lights came on, but the car would not turn over for anything! I tried several times!!

I felt awful for offering to give this friend a ride to work only to have my car not start!! Anyway, I was able to find her another ride to work and I called for AAA backup! To make a long story short, just mintues before the AAA truck arrived I decided to try starting the car just one more time. I couldn’t believe it- the stinkin’ car started right up!!

My Thrifty Tip: Start saving for your next car NOW! Or at least set aside some cash for future repairs. I wish I could describe to you the sense of peace I have when my car breaks down (which is becoming more and more frequent!) knowing that I have money already set aside for when she bites the dust! I have been saving for my next car for about a year now and I've just about reached my saving goal!

Do you save ahead of time for future car purchases? Do you budget car repairs or set aside funds for car repairs?

***********************************************************************

It's your turn to link up your Thrifty Tips! Remember to leave your permalink and link back to I Am A Money Magnet ( Failure to do so will result in your link being deleted). Thanks for participating! (Note: If you're reading this post via google reader (or the like) you'll need to click through to post your link and to visit others who have linked up.)

Blueberry Pie Recipe

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Last summer DH and I picked our own blueberries at a local farm. We ended up with 17 cups of blueberries in our freezer. Seeing that I still have several bags of frozen blueberries left I thought it was about time to start using them up!

This week I decided I would try my hand at making my first ever Blueberry Pie. DH gave this recipe 2 thumbs up! Yummy good, especially when served with vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
9 inch pie pan
1-Pie Crust -I used a Pillsbury Pie Crust
4 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cups of sugar
7 tablespoons of corn starch
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of water

*Note: If using frozen blueberries, add 3 tablespoons of corn starch to the bottom of the pie crust. This will help soak up any extra blueberry juices and prevent your pie from becoming runny.

Topping
1/4 c. of sugar
1/2 c. of flour
4 tablespoons of butter

Directions
1.) Heat oven to 375. Rinse blueberries (sort out the icky ones). Roll out your pie crust into your pie pan.

2.) In a bowl combine sugar (3/4 c), corn starch, and cinnamon. Mix well. To this add the lemon juice & water. Mix well again.

3.)Add blueberries to the pie crust. Top blueberries evenly with the above mixture.

4.) In another bowl combine topping ingredients (see above) until crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberries.

5.)Bake for 1 hour. You'll know the pie is done when it starts bubbling. Remove from oven. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream!). Store leftovers in the fridge.

This post is linked to:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday

Winners of The Survivor Club!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:14:00 +0000

Congratulations to the winner's of THE SURVIVOR CLUB by Ben Sherwood!

-Shonna (momstepmom75@)
-Christin (itsmecristin@)

-Keli (kelcoled@)
-Slugmomma (arcure@)
-Kristin (Jskell911@)

Check your email ladies!!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I hope you all will join me tomorrow for Thrifty Tip Tuesday!!

Swag Code Alert! 18 Swagbucks! Good till 7 PM CST!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Check the SwagBucks BLOG for a swagcode worth 18 SwagBucks! This code will expire 7 pm CST!

Don't have a SwagBucks account? Today would be a great day to sign up! You'll earn 30 SwagBucks just for signing up! It's FREE, painless, and awesome- I promise!

Walgreens-Finally Out of Register Rewards!!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000

I seriously can't remember the last time I was completely without Register Rewards. I've been rolling those baby for awhile and finally, today, I spent my last $7 in Register Rewards. And honestly, it feels so good to be Register Reward Free!! :)

Walgreens
2-Renpure Organics Shampoo/Cond w/TMF-$6.99; Buy 1, get 1 FREE
1-Russell Stovers Maple Egg-$0.29

Used $7.00 in Register Rewards

Total Out of Pocket=$0.28 + tax
* I will submit the Renpure Try Me Free Rebate (up to $6.99)

Acme- Kraft and P&G Coupon Booklet

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Lisa sent me an email this morning about a new coupon booklet filled with $20 worth of Kraft and P&G coupons.

There's a catch though- it's only good at Acme. There are no Acme's around here, but I figured some of you might have an Acme in your neighboorhood so I'm passing along the info. :)

Last Chance: Win The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood (5 Winners!)

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Today is your last chance to enter to win a copy of THE SURVIVORS CLUB by Ben Sherwood! There will be FIVE winners selceted! Giveaway closes tonight at 7 pm CST.

Enter to Win HERE.

Facebook:Physicians Formula Buy One, Get One Free Coupon!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:54:00 +0000

Here's some good news for those of you who haven't bought your Physicians Formula rebate items (see a list of rebate HERE)! Seems, Physicians Formula is offering their Facebook Fans a Buy One, Get One Free Coupon (delivered to your inbox)!

Thanks Common Sense With Money!

Menu Plan Monday {Week of 3/8-13}

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Here is our dinner meal plan for the next week. :) I'm also determined to use up some of the frozen blueberries in our deep freeze this week! I think I'm going to get adventurous and make my first ever blueberry pie! :)

Monday-Homemade Chicken Fingers, Green Beans, and Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday-Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
Wednesday- Mexican Rice Enchiladas
Thursday-Leftovers!
Friday- Pizza!
Saturday-Leftovers!
Sunday- Spaghetti w/ Tomato Sauce

Looking for new frugal recipes? Check out my recipe list HERE!

For more exciting menu plans visit Orgjunkie.Com.

Free Google 411 Service

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000

So, this is pretty cool. Jenae emailed me letting me know that GOOGLE has a service called GOOG-411. (It seems this has been around awhile, but since I'm just hearing about it I'm passing along the info to you!) This is a COMPLETELY FREE 411 service hosted by Google! Save yourself some time and money and program this number- 1-800-GOOG-411- in your phone! Get all the details HERE.

So who out there has used GOOG-411?

Chance to Win Free Pampers Diapers for a Year!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:23:00 +0000

Join Pampers.com for a chance to win a 1 year supply of diapers!

Enfamil Free Sample

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Print a certificate good for a FREE sample of one of these Enfamil® formulas!

50 Free Photo Prints from CVS!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Get 50 FREE Prints when you join CVSPhoto.Com!

Weekly Drug Store and Grocery Matchups! {Week of 3/7-3/14 }

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Drug Store Matchups

CVS

Rite Aid

Target-Stretching A Buck

Walgreens-I Heart Wags

Walmart -NWA Deals

Grocery Store Matchups
Big Y -Frugality in the Making

Kroger -Southern Savers

Publix -A Proverbs Wife

Stop and Shop -Gina's Kokopelli

Drug Store &/Or Grocery Store Matchups
Drug Store Divas - Supermarket Social
The Coupon Crate
Hounding With Frugalsuz

Do you cover drug store/grocery store matchups? Would you like to be included in this list? Email me at{couponsarefun(at)gmail(dot)com} and I'd be happy to add you!

The Practice Room by Susan Zeidler

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

The Practice Room
by Susan Zeidler

About The Practice Room (from Amazon.com): There’s always been a mystery overshadowing Zoey Browne’s life. And then one day, she discovers that she has the ability to travel back in time through the power of music. Before long, Zoey embarks upon a magical journey to uncover the secrets of her past and winds up discovering things about herself she never believed were possible.

My Review: If you have a teenage girl who loves music this is a book for her! The Practice Room is the story of a young girl's search for her father as well as her journey towards becoming a musician. It was an easy read and I particularly loved the short chapters. I feel like I would be able to relate to the story more if I were a musician myself (the book focuses a lot on music and music theory). While this book isn't one that particularly appealed to me, I can definitely see this book appealing to preteen/teen music lovers.

About The Author: Having spent more than two decades writing about the “real world” as an award-winning journalist, Susan Zeidler now takes her readers to imaginative, magical places in her first novel The Practice Room.

While The Practice Room may seem a huge departure for Susan – who has covered events ranging from major court cases to oil spills to movie premieres to the Academy Awards – it is really just an extension of her life’s journey. Throughout her career, she has always had a foot in both the business and creative worlds. Between writing about some of the world’s most momentous events as a news reporter, she also continued to hone her craft as a musician and a writer of fiction.

Susan grew up in Baldwin, Long Island, where she developed an early love for the arts: reading, writing and music. As a child, she often wrote plays with her cousin and then acted and sang in them. She also studied piano and later went on to delve deeply into jazz. As a musician, Susan has performed around the world in cities as varied as Oslo, Manhattan, and Los Angeles. She has additionally written two screenplays, “Tailspin” and “Hit Single.”

In her novel The Practice Room, Susan melds her many experiences as both a musician and a chronicler of current events in an exciting fantasy that reflects an otherworldly musical voyage of a young teen girl against the background of modern historical milestones.

Susan holds a B.A. from State University of New York at Albany and an M.S. from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She resides with her husband, daughter, and cat Rosie in Southern California.

This post was written of behalf of PR By the Book who provided a book for review. I was not compensated in other way. All opinions stated are my own.

The Practice Room is available on Amazon for $11.01.

Kroger Cart Buster Sale Shopping

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Kroger is running a *Cart Buster* promotion through 3/13. There are several great deals included in this promotion!! Before you head out to shop be sure to load your ShortCuts and Cell Fire coupons to your Kroger card! For a complete listing of sale items visit Southern Savers.

Kroger
2-Betty Crocker Cake Mix-$1.00 each
-used 2-$0.75/1 IP (Not sure if still available?)
-Final Cost-$0.50($0.25 each)

2-Betty Crocker Cookie Mix-$1.50 each
-used 2-$0.40 MQ (double to $0.80; 2/7 SS)
-2-$0.40 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-Final Cost-$0.60($0.30 each)

2-Betty Crocker Frosting-$1.50 each
-used 2-$0.50/1 MQ (double to $1.00;2/7 SS)
-2-$0.50 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-Final Cost-$FREE

2-Betty Crocker Warm Delights-$1.50 each
-used 2-$0.50/1 MQ (double to $1; 2/7 SS)
-2-$0.50 shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-Final Cost-$FREE

4-Nature Valley Clusters/Sweet & Salty Bars-$2.29
-used 3-$0.50/1 NV Clusters (double to $1.00; 2/21 SS)
-used 1-$0.50/1 NV Sweet and Salty Bars (double to $1.00; 2/7 SS)
-3-$1.00 NV Nut Clusters shortcuts e-coupons deducted
-2-$0.40 NV Granola Bars cellfire e-coupons deducted (not sure why 2 q's deducted?)
*buy 4 Nature Valley Items, get $3 off your next order coupon (good thru 3/22)
-Final Cost-$1.36/4 ($0.34 each)

4-Hormel Pepperoni-$0.99 each
-used 4-$0.75/1 MQ (1/24 SS)
-Final Cost-$0.25 each

Total Out of Pocket=$3.42 + I earned $3 off your next order coupon
Total Savings-92%

Walmart Free Samples - Beneful Incredibites, Crest 3D, Olay Total Effects

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Here are some of the lastest Walmart Freebies!

Free Sample of Beneful Incredibites

Free Sample of Crest 3D Whitening

Free Sample of Olay Total Effects Body Wash

Free Sample of UnderJams Night Wear

Free Sample of Parent's Choice Advantage Infant Formula (Thanks Free Snatcher!)

* Find out how to get 40 issues of ALL YOU Magazine for just $0.70 an issue!*

*This post is part of Drugstore Divas' Freebie Friday

Facebook Freebies- Free Sunchips, Vitamin Water, Nescafe & More!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Wow! There's lot of Facebook Freebies this week! Here's a recap!

Free Bag of Sunchips (first 100,00 so hurry!) - (Thanks Common Sense with Money!)

Free Sample of Nescafe Taster's Choice Single Serve Sticks (Thanks Oh Lovely Coupons!)

Free Bottle of Vitamin Water Connect (Thanks Thrifty Puppy!)

Buy One, Get One Free Starbursts Coupon (Thanks Saverella!)

Buy One, Get One Free Skittles Coupon

Free Corner Bakery Panini (Thanks Free Snatcher!)

While you're checking out all the Freebies on Facebook, check out I Am A Money Magnet!

*This post is part of Drugstore Divas' Freebie Friday

It's Mega SwagBucks Friday!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

It's Mega SwagBucks Friday! Today the wonderful people at SwagBucks increase the reward on your everyday searches! Today you have greater chance of earning larger SwagBucks! So search away! I will be!

If you don't have a SwagBucks account, today would be a great day to sign up! You'll earn 30 SwagBucks to get you started! Did you know it only take 450 SwagBucks to earn a $5 Amazon giftcard?!

Let me know if you hit the SwagBucks jackpot!

Sunday Coupon Preview {3/7/10}

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

There will be THREE (3) inserts in the Sunday newspaper- 1 Smart Source, 1 Red Plum, and 1 P& G (click banner above to see a listing of coupons in the P&G & Smartsource insert)!

Heads Up! $3 Snuggle Coupon Coming on 3/28!!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:31:00 +0000

I know that March 28th is a bit far off, but I just received noticed that there will be a $3.00 Snuggle Coupon in 3/28/2010 Red Plum Insert!! Woo-Hoo! The last time there was a $3.00 Snuggle Coupon I was able to snag free Snuggle Dryer Sheets at Walmart!!

You can check out the complete 3/28 Red Plum listing HERE.

February 2010 Spending Totals

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:52:00 +0000

Well, I bought 100 items less this month and spent about the same amount out of pocket. The good news - I came in under the $80 a month grocery/health & beauty budget! The leftover money will be transferred to my New Car Fund.

February Monthly Totals
Value of Merchandise Purchased (before coupons)-$433.84
Manufacturer Coupons Used-$237.67
Extra Bucks/ CVS Coupons Total-$91.90
Total Out of Pocket-$73.84 (an average of $0.49 an item)
# of Items Purchased-151

Rebates Received:

Dulcolax- $5.00
2-Olay-Free Quench Body Lotion=$15.98

Keep the Jingle in Your Holiday Offer=$10
Bioluxe Conditioner (CVS)=$9.99 Visa Gift Card
January Rite Aid SCR= $3.00

Total Rebates Received:$43.97

Rebates Submitted
Coors Light ($20 worth)-$7.50
2-Coors Light ($30 worth)-$10.00 x 2=$20
Kraft 2009 Back To School Rebate=$20
Schick Quattro Razor-$8.99
Olay $15 Rebate-$15.00
Kotex Panty Challenge-$4.00
February Rite Aid SCR- $4.00

Total Rebates Submitted:$79.49

If you take in account the Feb Rebates Submitted($79.49) and my Feb. Out of Pocket ($73.84) I managed to make a profit of $5.65!

Beep! Beep! February Car Fund Update!

couponsarefun@gmail.com (Jamie @ I Am A Money Magnet) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:39:00 +0000

It's so close I can see the light at the end of tunnel! My goal of saving $15,000 for my next car is getting closer!

Progress:

*ING Direct Orange Savings-$10,945.73
Credit Union-$500.00
Money Market Account-$1881.98

Total Saved-$13,327.71 (88.5% of my goal)

Total Needed to Reach Goal: $1672.29!

Thanks so much for all the car advice on last month's update!

**I love my ING DIRECT orange savings account. If you’re interested in opening an ING DIRECT orange savings account send me an email with your full name to {couponsarefun (at) gmail (dot) com} and I’ll send you a referral link! If you open an account with at least $250, ING Direct will deposit a $25 bonus into your account and I'll get a $10 thank you bonus for referring you! A win-win for both of us!**