Barnes and Nobles tried to hide the clearance section of books from me, and I recently discovered it again. Could not resist “Smithsonian Presidents – Every Question Answered” by Carter Smith with its lovely extra 50% off the lowest price sticker. I paid $5 for the book.

The updated and revised edition of this book begins with The Founding Presidents (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe). We start off by learning that George Washington was 57 years old when he was inaugurated and that he personally had no children, but adopted two from his wife’s first marriage.

The book then groups the rest of the presidents into the following sections:

• Presidents of a Young Nation – (J.Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, W.H. Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, and A. Johnson)
• Presidents of the Gilded Age – (Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, B. Harrison, and McKinley)
• Presidents of the Early 20th Century – (T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and F.D. Roosevelt)
• Presents of a Global Power – (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H. W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush)

There is also a section that displays all of the inaugural addresses of the Presidents – pretty interesting. The book is a little over 390 pages long and jam-packed with information.

Each President has an info box filled with biographical facts. Some of the details you will learn include their ancestry, parents’ occupations, their marriages and children, education, nicknames, and place of burial. A timeline is added that documents the life of the President against U.S. and world events. Their term, presidential achievements, influential quotes, and highlights of their elections are discussed. You will also learn a bit about the First Ladies and scandals associated with the President.

As we begin to increasingly rely on the Internet and online opportunities for cutting everyday costs, SavingStar is a new service that makes it easier to save money on groceries.

Since SavingStar’s eCoupons are completely paperless and 100% digital, you save time and energy by not having to clip or print coupons – an eco-friendly factor that also avoids wasting printer ink and paper. The eCoupons are accepted at more than 100 chains in 24,000 stores.

How Does SavingStar eCoupons Work?

1. It is free to join SavingStar. You will have to register your grocery and drugstore loyalty cards on SavingStar. Enter your zip code to see where the eCoupons are accepted. For my neck of the woods, the coupons are good for Tops, Wegmans, CVS, Rite Aid, and Price Chopper.

2. When you use your card at a checkout like you normally do, your savings are automatically added to your SavingStar account within 2 to 30 days – depending on when the store sends the purchase information to SavingStar. (Note: Your savings are not given at the time of checkout at the store, and they are not printed on your receipt).

3. Once your accumulated savings in your SavingStar account reach $5, you can pick your method of payout. You can have it deposited into your bank account, sent to your PayPal account, receive an Amazon gift card, or make a donation to American Forests.

SavingStar eCoupons are updated each week – saving you money on products, such as Pepsi, Wet Ones, Lipton Tea, and my personal favorite, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips.

If you want to take advantage of grocery coupons that help you stick to your budget, consider registering at SavingStar.com today.

Disclosure: I will receive a $25 gift card for spreading the word about this money-saving opportunity. I have already created an account with SavingStar and will register my loyalty cards to test it out myself.

Since 2011 is coming to a near, I decided to participate and set the theme of my Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop post with Katherine’s Korner and Chicken Scratch to 5 things I am proud of saving on this year.

Most recently, it was making my first holiday wreath (shown below) out of items from the Dollar Store. Actually, sitting down to take the time to make something was a real accomplishment because I’ve been so busy this year. I’m a very creative, artsy person, but you’d never be able to tell this year.  I saved a lot of money on something I will use for many years to come.

Secondly, I am proud of a Christmas gift that I got this year for my sweetie. He is a huge Georgetown Hoyas basketball fan, and I was able to get an unused Coke bottle from 1984 when the team won the NCAA Championships. It has the schedule on the back and still filled with Coke. It also says “Hoya Paranoia” on it.  I am going to put it in a small display case for him (if I can find one).  I cannot wait to see the look on his face. I found it on eBay for a really good price…$2.99 + shipping. Every year, I find something a little different for him – either related to Georgetown or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thirdly, I saved up enough Amazon.com cards from winning giveaways and Swagbucks to get my Wii for $36 (including shipping). I really wanted the edition that came with the free Mario Kart game and steeling wheel that was on sale. I got it with days to spare because this edition was replaced with the new Super Mario Brothers (that I did not want). My initial goal was to get it completely free, but I didn’t want to miss out on the Mario Kart edition.

I really wanted a Kindle, so I entered giveaways like crazy and finally around the summertime – I won a Jif Prize pack bundle that included a Kindle with keyboard, 3G wireless and other features. This would have been the only way I could afford a Kindle.

Just last week, Target had a major online sale on bath & body kits (like Caress, Old Spice, Dove Pleasures) for under $5. Many of these kits go for $9.99 and more. I purchased kits for the entire family and did not have to pay for shipping. Not too long ago, I got Old Spice and Olay Creme Ribbons bundles for $9 at Walmart – and with it – you get a free magazine subscription or send it in for a $9.99 rebate. So, it’s like getting the bundles for free!

So, there are my favorite deals and savings of the year (that first popped into my head).

What are yours?

I decided to participate in the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

McDonald’s tucked a sheet of coupons in the Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago, and I have been using them up a storm – a lot of Buy 1, Get 1 Free products. They even have a coupon for their holiday drinks (Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Mocha for 25 cents). One of the coupons is Buy 1, Get 1 Free any McCafe drink. It wasn’t until I spied the Eggnog Milkshake in a McCafe cup on the menu board that I got really excited.

An egg nog milkshake?

Hmmmm – had to try.

The McDonald’s Egg Nog Milkshake comes topped with whipped cream and is smoothly delicious. It tastes just like you would expect – frozen, creamy egg nog. If you are a fan of holiday drinks, holiday flavors, and eggnog, you have to try this. I usually reveal the calories and nutritional facts of the edibles I review, but this is a splurge – something I ‘m not going to let the numbers spoil. I haven’t even checked the damage…and I won’t. Happy holidays to me.

Walgreens is making it easier for you to shop and save from the comfort of your mobile device with scannable coupons. Smartphone users can take advantage of exclusive discounts from Black Friday (November 25) to December 24 (for you last-minute shoppers). The point-of-sale scanning is available at more than 7,700 Walgreens stores – making it the largest retail mobile coupon program in the U.S.

Starting on Black Friday, you will have access to coupons that change every two to three days. Savings range from 50 cents to $5, and are valid towards a range of products, such as beauty goods, gifts, edibles, and everyday essentials, such as diapers.

Other Walgreens mobile shopping features to consider include:

•    The ability to view the weekly ad and the latest sales
•    You can shop directly from any smartphone
•    Check in-store availability before heading out to a store
•    Receive text alerts for special offers and exclusive deals

If you want to stay on top of the savings at Walgreens, you can download the mobile app for free (supported by iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones).

Disclosure: I received information regarding the Walgreens mobile app, and decided to spread the word because I believe in savings! I was not compensated for this post.

If you’ve ever visited or lived in New York City, then you already know the chaos that finding a parking space can cause. Park in the wrong place and you will return to find you vehicle has been towed or you’ve received a hefty ticket fine. It’s also competitive with lines of cars swarming around small parking garage entrances while congested traffic eeks by. Parking in New York City is also expensive – with “specials” advertised for $7 for ½ hour. Are you kidding me?

It was pure accident that I found this Icon Parking Systems discount coupon page. I was investigating parking options for the Chocolate Show that I attended this weekend. They offer many different discounts all over the city, including Times Square, the Upper East Side, and East Village. I made a few educated guesses and printed two parking vouchers for Sunday: flat-rates of $15 and $10 (tax included). I saved at least $20 to $25 on parking with the coupons. You must pay with a valid credit card to take advantage of this deal.

I will never pay full-price New York City parking again as long as Icon Parking offers this deal.

Save your trip to Starbucks for between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. from November 17 to 20 so you can take advantage of their Buy One Holiday Drink, Get One Free.

Yum…that’s two Caramel Brulee Lattes, Peppermint Mochas or Gingerbread Lattes for the price of one. You can also mix and match your flavors. Perfect time to treat your best friend, co-worker or child to a tasty treat. I can’t wait to get a hold of the Gingerbread Latte! Learned about this great deal in US Weekly magazine.

Don’t know how long this is going to last, but you can sign up for a free one-year subscription to Fitness Magazine. I just filled out the form, You’ll receive 10 issues for free. This deal is limited to one subscription per household. Offer is valid thru 11/10, but I’d hurry up – I believe this will continue until supplies last (whatever that means).  I really like this magazine and this came at a good time – my old subscription ran out a couple months ago.



I’m not a diehard coupon collector (yet), but I am a coupon giveaway fanatic. I see giveaways for coupons for free products, and my eyes light up. However, when I opened up the colorful Couponizer, I immediately started using the accompanying scissors to clip away inserts from the Sunday paper. In celebration of its10th anniversary, the Couponizer has received an upgrade with all-new graphics and more materials that help you save money.

The Couponizer system includes:

• The Couponizer itself
• Customer Loyalty Card Sleeves that fit inside
• A really convenient Shopping List
• CoupTracker
• A medium-sized pair of Scissors
• CoupStacker – an expandable sorting mat for coupons
• A plastic Carrying Bag

How to Use the Couponizer

I’m a visual person and the Couponizer makes clipping and saving coupons fun and easy. Before this system, I was stuffing coupons in a small pocket inside my purse. I NEVER could find the coupons I needed when I reached the checkout. Some would literally be hidden underneath a handful of papers. Lots of coupons went forgotten and expiration dates came and gone. I’ve even missed out on using some of my free coupons (sigh).

If you’re a planner, you should evaluate your pantry and fridge, sort out potential recipes, and then create a shopping list. Spend a bit of time searching for online coupons and store deals. I say you should listen to your fellow bloggers who are constantly sharing ways on how to save at your favorite stores. Clip and sort the coupons before arranging in your Couponizer.

When you shop, use your list and available coupons as a guide. Once you’ve put an item in your cart that you have a coupon for – locate and transfer to the pocket designated for Checkout. At the end of your shopping trip, the coupons you need to enjoy savings are all in one nice, tidy place.

Not only are there nice pockets to sort coupons for dairy, beverages, household cleaning, and hygiene products, but there are also specialized pockets to store coupons and information that will come in quite handy for me, such as:

• Coupons to Expire This Month – Perfect for me so I don’t miss out on the savings.
• Fast Food Restaurant Savings – I’m constantly on the lookout for Buy 1, Get 1 Free entrée coupons for my favorite eateries like Smokey Bones. Also, I get a lot of food discounts for my birthday and buy Restaurant.com certificates and Groupons for local restaurants. The printouts are constantly getting crumbled in my purse.
• Shops and Retail – Perfect for mall gift certificates and shopping passes for department stores
• Rebates and Refunds – Great place to store UPCs and box tops, and serves as a reminder to send off rebate forms in a timely manner.
• Rewards – Don’t forget to use any rewards you earn at stores by placing them in this designated pocket.

The Couponizer makes sorting,storing, using and remembering your coupons very easy – a really versatile ensemble. Wouldn’t you like one for your own? This would also make a really cool gift for Christmas…

GIVEAWAY

Up for grabs is your very own Couponizer!

(use the Rafflecopter form – you may have to REFRESH or RELOAD the page to see the form)

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

I’ve been trying since yesterday to print out the Buy 1, Get 1 Free Del Monte Fruit Naturals coupon and it finally worked for me today. This is a great freebie for fruit lovers. Found in the chilled produce section, these little cups offer a healthy dose of vitamin C surrounded in 100% fruit juice. The available flavors include Cherry Mixed Fruit, Red Grapefruit, Mixed Berries, Pineapple Chunks, Peach Chunks, Citrus Salad, Mandarin Oranges, and Tropical Medley.

Disclosure: I learned about this freebie from Vocalpoint.