Lesson Learned

Ugh! I learned a lesson trying to shop at CVS and Walgreen's today. Do NOT try to go into the stores with an idea of what to get, but not properly planning out the costs of each item. I prepared a few coupons for CVS the other night when I was getting ready for my normal grocery shopping, but didn't really decide what all I was going to buy. So, today I decided I was going to go on to CVS and Walgreen's as fast as I could and then come home to relax for a while. "As fast as I could" = Mistake #2. I threw together a few more CVS coupons and some Walgreen's ones and headed out the door. I really didn't do too bad, but I could have done SO much better. I won't even go into specifics tonight because it's not something ya'll will want to do yourselves, but here's what I got.

For about $13 at CVS (if I had paid attention I could have spent closer to $10):
Complete Contact Solution
4 bottles of NYC Nail Polish
2 cans of Blue Diamond Almonds
Goggles
4 Easter M&M Eggs

For just under $10 from Walgreen's (plus $2 in RR to use next time):
2 bottles of Herbal Essences Shampoo
Gillette Fusion Razor
Small package of Soft Batch Cookies

Really, the prices are still much better than I could have done at Walmart or Target, but it's frustrating to go in and pay more than I should have. At Walgreen's I had gathered my coupons so quickly that I misread one and was unable to use it (a difference of $3.50).

So, take it from me, it's worth spending the time at home to prepare your shopping trips! I could have saved an extra $7 today. It doesn't sound like much, but over a year that's more than $350. I could do something with $350!!

Kroger Savings - 3/27/11

I know it has been FOREVER since I've blogged, but I did so good at Kroger today that I wanted to share it with you. Hopefully this will get me in the mood to start saving more often and blogging more often. If you have coupons from January then you should be able to do this at Kroger too. They are having a Mega Event where you buy 10 participating items and get $5 off instantly. The first price I show is the Mega Event price. Here's how I saved 91%:

Motrin PM $2.49 - Buy 2 and use $6 off 2 from 1/9 SS - $.51 overage each
Aquafresh Training Toothbrush $1 - Buy 2 and use 2 $.50/1 printable - free
Sunny D $.89 - Use $.25/1 from 1/16 SS - $.14
Dannon Activia Yogurt $1.49 - Use $1/1 from 3/6 SS - $.49
Kraft 2% Singles $1.49 - Buy 2 and use 2 $1/1 printable - $.49 each
BandAids $1.99 - Buy 2 and use $.50/1 from 1/9 SS and 2/13 RP - $.99 each

The regular price total was just over $30. I paid $2.47. If you add it all up it comes to $2.57. The extra $.10 is from the tax on the toothbrushes. I'm not sure how that works, but that's where it is from. My cashier said that she wants to start shopping with me!! Did you get any good deals this week?

Don't Be a Plump Turkey at Thanksgiving

One of the great traditions at Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving meal. If you're like me, you eat all day until you feel miserable. Why do we do this? How did this act of gluttony become part of a holiday of giving thanks? Now, I'm not saying "pigging-out" every once in a while is wrong, but why do we sabotage our healthy habits for a full week of indulgences? How can we enjoy family, food and fun at Thanksgiving and keep from feeling miserable the entire time? Here are some helpful hints:

1. Don't make it Thanksgiving WEEK! Thanksgiving is one day out of the year. One meal out of the day. Do your best to eat your calories up until Thursday lunch or dinner. Then eat the traditional leftover turkey meal on Friday, then STOP! Pick back up with your calorie counting on Saturday.

2. Don't be a cow! For the one meal, sure, be a cow or pig or whatever barnyard animal you want to be. But, other than that, stay out of the kitchen. Don't be a grazer. This is my weakness. I love to eat constantly on Thursday and Friday because it's there. Get away! Do something busy, get out of the house, go for a walk, play on the Wii, take a nap, anything to stay out of the kitchen.

3. Don't eat what you don't like. Why would you want to gain weight on food you don't even enjoy eating? Just because it is sitting there doesn't mean you have to put it on your plate. If you think you might offend somebody by not eating the green bean casserole they brought, put a little on your plate, THEN DON'T EAT IT!

4. Get full on the good stuff. Eat the healthy stuff first, then eat a few bites of the big calorie items. Turkey (white meat), most veggies, fruit, cranberries, etc. fill up on these items. Then, go lightly on breads, casseroles, mashed potatoes and desserts.

5. Get active. Instead of sitting around all holiday long, get up! Thursday morning before the parades go for a family walk or do a local turkey trot. Before the Cowboys lose have a family football game in the front yard. Ladies, on Friday go shopping. You don't have to buy anything, just get out of the house (away from the food) and go walking around the malls. Surely all that dodging and fighting for items can burn some calories.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family, friends and health. Let's enjoy ourselves without being miserable the entire week.

Deals this Week 11/7

It has been a LLOONNGG week! I'm not going to give you all of my excuses; I'm just going to make this quick and easy for you. If you want to see some of the best deals this week at CVS and Walgreen's then check out Money Saving Mom's website. I didn't find anything exciting enough to work out a plan for unless you need some stuff to bake with (Walgreen's) or some Garnier goodies (also Walgreen's).

Have a great week and hopefully we'll be back Tuesday evening with a fitness-related post.

Roller Coaster Halloween with CVS & Walgreen's

Wow! What a roller coaster day! Please be praying for the Brashear family as they lost their 8-year old daughter, Anna, to complications of leukemia today. She was diagnosed less than two weeks ago. Her mom told me today that her passing was God's way of keeping her from suffering. She also said to give your kids extra hugs every day.

We've also had a lot of fun today. It was Rangers Day at church so we all wore our Rangers t-shirts. Then the kids put their costumes on for their cousin's birthday party, our church's carnival and trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this I stopped by CVS and Walgreen's. I had an $8 Register Reward to Walgreen's that expired today so I had to use it. Here's what I did there:

Transaction #1
Zarbee's Cough Syrup - $5.99
Cotton Balls - $1.59
     Wags Cpn - $.60 off
Nail Polish Remover - $1.79
     Wags Cpn - $.80 off
M&Ms - $.59
     Wags Cpn - $.10 off
Total: $8.46
     Register Reward - $8
     Total OOP - $.46
     Register Rewards Earned - $6

Transaction #2
Febreeze Flameless Candle - $11.99 (25% off)
     Febreeze Cpn - PG mailer - $4.00
Febreeze Flameless Refills - $5.49
     Febreeze Cpn - Buy Candle, Get Refills Free - PG 10/31 - $5.49
M&Ms - .59 (needed one more item to use my RR)
     Wags Cpn - $.10 off
Total: $8.68
     Register Reward - $6
     Total OOP - $2.68

It was a little more than I expected, but still great. Online the candle was only $11.25 and I didn't think about needing a third item so I spent $1.23 more than I planned. Oh well!! Here's what I did at CVS:

Transaction #1
Oral B Cross Action Power Toothbrush - $4.99
     Oral B Cpn - PG 10/31 - $3 off
Total: $1.99
     ECBs - $2 (changed down to $1.99)
     Total OOP - $0.00
     ECBs earned - $2

Transaction #2
Bounce Dryer Bar 2 pack - $3.99
     Bounce Cpn - Vocalpoint mailer - $2.50 off
Rice Krispies Treat - $.99 (the shelf said $.69, but I didn't check it and was charged $.99)
Total: $2.50
     ECBs - $2
     Total OOP - $.50

I hope you all have a great week!

Top Ten Halloween Candies

Here's a list of ten of the most popular Halloween candies. We've added the amount of candy that will equal 100 calories. How much will you eat??

10. Tootsie Rolls - 2 small rolls

9.  Dum Dums - 4 suckers

8.  Popcorn Balls - 1 ball

7.  Smarties - 4 rolls

6.  Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins - 1/2 pumpkin

5.  Dots - 9 dots

4.  Fun Dip - 2 sugar packs and 1-1/3 sticks

3.  Nerds - 1/2 box

2.  Candy Corn - 15 pieces

1.  Mini Snickers - 2 pieces

Diet Myths Revealed

In this world of gimmick exercise equipment and fad dieting, it's very difficult to know what is "the best" way to lose weight and keep it off. It is also hard to know who to listen to and believe. Here are a few examples of some dieting myths that are out there.

1.  Skip Meals to Lose Weight. Fact: Skipping any meal can cause your metabolism to slow down. You want the "fire" to be continuously stoked. Skipping meals is like letting that campfire die down. Never skip meals, especially breakfast; it is the most important meal.

2.  Fad Diets Work. Fact: Fad diets rarely work and are usually too hard to stick to. Most people will lose weight initially, probably because they are simply doing something different. But, because most fad diets cut something (whether fat, protein or carbs) once it is reintroduced you crave more of what you have been missing.

3.  Eating All Day Boosts Metabolism. Fact: Eating small meals throughout the day can keep your metabolism at a higher level. But the danger here is eating too many calories all day. If you are going to eat six meals throughout the day they must be small. For example, if you need to eat 1800 calories to lose weight, breakfast, lunch and dinner should be around 400 calories each and the three snacks need to be around 200.

4.  Never Eat After 8PM. Fact: It isn't when you eat, but what and how much. Fat won't collect overnight. Your metabolism will take care of you, even at rest.

5.  Certain Foods Can Burn Fat. Fact: No food can burn fat. Some, like caffeine, can speed up metabolism for a short time. The only way to burn fat is to put on lean muscle and increase your activity level.

As always, the best way to lose weight is to cut your calories and be more physically active.

CVS & Walgreen's 10/17/10

Well, last week I shopped some at Sam's and a lot at Kroger. I spent almost double what I had been spending lately, but this week all I needed to buy was bread and milk. There were a couple of good deals at CVS this week and a lot at Walgreen's. At CVS I planned to buy 6 things of Mentos gum, a hand sanitizer that CVS sent out a free coupon for and a bag of candy because I was going to have overage with the gum and needed to buy something so that they didn't owe me money. They were out of the gum, so here's what I did:

CVS Hand Sanitizer - $1.99
     CVS coupon - $1.99
Bag of Fun Size Skittles - $2.50 (Regular $4, shelf price said $3, not sure why it was just $2.50)
     CVS coupon when I scanned my card at the door - $1
Total OOP - $1.62 (I had planned to use a $2 ECB that I had, but the cost was not high enough)

At Walgreen's I didn't think I would be able to find anything, but I actually found it all. The only thing that didn't work out the way I planned was that she had to lower the value of my coupons so that I did not get any overage. It was a difference of $1. Here's what I did:

Transaction #1
Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment - $2.59
Nivea Men's Body Wash - $2.50
     Nivea - 10/17 SS - $3/1 (adjusted down to $2.50)
3 Campbell's "Cream of" Soups - $1.59 each
     Walgreen's Ad - $.79 each
     Campbell's Printable - $1.50/3
Caramel Candy - $.33 (because I had more coupons than items, I think)
     Register Rewards from last week - $1.50 and $1
     Total OOP - $1.29
Register Rewards Earned - $2.60

Transaction #2
Mucinex Nasal Spray - $7.99
2 Ricola Cough Drops - $1.00 each
     Walgreen's Monthly Coupon Book - $.50 each
     Ricola - 10/17 SS - $1/2
2 Coffeemate Creamers - $2.49 each
     Walgreen's Ad - B1G1 Free
     2 Coffee-mate Printables - $1.50 (adjusted down)
     Register Rewards from Trans #1 - $2.60
     Total OOP - $5.59
Register Rewards Earned - $8.00

So, considering Register Rewards and cash, I was out $1.38 for all 11 products. I'm pleased with that! Plus, it gives me a good start on any deals next week with my $8 RR.

Be on the lookout tomorrow for some deals with Swagbucks. It sounds to me like they will be doing something special for anyone new that signs up. I'll keep you posted on my Facebook. Have a fabulous week!!

Just Say No

Childhood obesity is at an epidemic level. Why do so many kids eat unhealthy foods and so much of it? Why do so many kids sit around and do nothing? Why are so many kids being diagnosed with childhood diabetes? Because parents cannot say "no" to their children. Parents need to stop treating their kids like their best friends and treat them like what they are - KIDS! We wouldn't let them play on the highway or do dangerous drugs, so why do we let them eat whatever they want and play video games and watch TV for hours. Let's make a change! Here are some suggestions:

1. Take family walks. What better way to talk and bond with our children than to walk or ride bikes with them.

2. Give them chores that are active. If they are old enough, have them mow the lawn, wash the car, sweep, mop, etc. Again, make it a family activity.

3. Limit TV, Internet and Video Games. Limit them to 1 or 2 hours per day; whatever you feel is best. Another way to do it is to make deals or trade-offs. One hour of activity for every hour of the other things. We need them to be active!

4. Include them in your workouts. If you do any exercising at home have your kids take part. They will learn from your example. If you don't exercise, start! If you show them how important it is to you, it will start to become important to them.

5. Do a "walk pool". If it is safe, have a group of kids in your neighborhood walk or ride their bikes to school together.

The bottom line is that it is the same for them as it is for us: burn more calories than you eat. They need to eat less and move more!

Coupon Survey

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Swidget 1.0

Why Should I Use Swagbucks?

Well, last week I didn't get a chance to sit and write a blog about my deals of the week. And this week I didn't get a chance to research any deals of the week because we were out of town. So, I've decided to tell you a little more about Swagbucks. I'm fairly new to it, but so far it has been GREAT! I've had my account for less than two months and I have already redeemed $15 in Amazon giftcards. I'm only a few days away from another $5 one!  Christmas is just three months away, and I hope to get several gifts from Amazon using my Swagbucks. It's not too late, you can do it too!

First off you need to go here to create an account. It's free and doesn't require any sensitive personal information. Plus, you get 30 free bucks just for creating an account.

Once you have an account you should download their toolbar. It gives you a search box, your total bucks and links to everything you might need from the Swagbucks site.

Use the search box!! There's no guarantee of earning bucks for searches, but I have been very successful with searching a little in the morning, in the afternoon and then late in the evening. I also stay signed in on my phone and do my mobile searches through Swagbucks. I usually earn anywhere from 6-12 bucks up to three times each day.

They also reward you for using their tools. I get one buck each day for having the toolbar, one buck each day for skipping through the NOSO (no obligation special offers), one buck each day for participating in the Daily Poll, and one buck each day for checking to see if any Trusted Surveys are available for me.

After you have been a member for one week, you are eligible to take the Trusted Surveys. The best part of this starting off is that you have around 15 profile surveys to take that you get rewarded for. I've been able to participate in about three Trusted Surveys. They have been VERY interesting! One of them I was able to watch several potential commercials and give my opinions about them. Natalie was asked to do one where she watched a movie trailer and then answered questions about how interesting the movie looked to her.

By the way, there are thousands of rewards that you can use your bucks for if you are not interested in Amazon giftcards. I just do the Amazon giftcards because I know that I will use them and Amazon lets you stack as many as you want.

So, what are you waiting for?? Free money is never a bad thing!!

Top Ten Worst Restaurant Desserts

Well, we all expect restaurant desserts to be bad for us, but just how bad? Even with all of the workouts that I (Aimee) do, four of these desserts are more calories than I should have in a day! Sheesh!!!

10. Olive Garden - Zeppoli with Chocolate Sauce - 1130 calories

 9.  Chili's - Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie or Brownie Sundae - 1290 calories

 8.  On The Border - Sopapillas (5) - 1350 calories

 7.  Red Robin - Mountain High Mudd Pie - 1373 calories

 6.  Red Lobster - Chocolate Wave - 1490 calories

 5.  P.F. Chang's - The Great Wall of Chocolate - 1532 calories

 4.  Applebee's - Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae - 1660 calories

 3.  Johnny Carino's - Mascarpone Bread Pudding - 1678 calories

 2.  Cheesecake Factory - Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake - 1680 calories

 1.  Outback Steakhouse - Sweet Adventure Sampler Trio - 2394 calories

Does God Care If We're Fat?

Hopefully you know the answer to this question is yes. God knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). He cares about every aspect of our lives. I truly believe God wants us to be healthy in every way. He wants us to be healthy physically, socially and especially spiritually.

Let's take a look at a few verses and see what God has to say about being healthy throughout His Word.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." Two things I see from this well-known verse. First, Paul compares our body to a temple. A place where God is worshipped and where people take extreme care to make it look nice. Second, Paul says to glorify God with our body. How many of us glorify God with our body, whether it's what we look at, say or put into our bodies?

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  Paul is a little more obvious with this one. "Whatever" we do should be for His glory. If we are constantly eating, without any thought of what it can do to our bodies, we are not glorifying God.

Galatians 5:16-17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."  What pleases us does not always please God. I see sexuality, a lust of the flesh, as being very similar to over-eating, also a lust of the flesh. If we cannot control our eating habits, how can we be expected to control other habits that separate us from all that God has to offer. The verse at the end says the things that we "please". The opposite sex can be "pleasing" to the eye, but there is plenty in the Bible to be said about lust. The sight of food can be similar when we give in to over-eating. The buffet is "pleasing" to us, but we do not glorify Him when it causes us to be lazy and tired.

This is just a very small sample of what God has for us in the area of over-eating. In some ways you can insert smoking, drunkenness, laziness, anger, etc. into the same points. If we are overweight, we cannot do the things for God and other people that we are capable of doing. How much more can we accomplish if we are healthy and full of energy. He may not care if we have "washboard" abs, but He definitely wants us to have a full and abundant life!

Top Ten Most Unhealthy Fast Foods

You can't get around the fact that we are a fast-food society, but here are 10 choices that you should definitely avoid.

10. McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hot Cakes (Large Sized Biscuit) - 1150 calories...Yes, breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day, but not if you can only eat 500 more calories that day! Another option if you need bread, meat and egg would be the Sausage McMuffin with Egg for 450 calories.

9.  Jack in the Box's Oreo Cookie Shake with Whipped Topping - 24 oz - 1170 calories...While this is a delicious shake, in my opinion, it is so not worth that many calories. Maybe the Chocolate Overload Cake at 300 calories would be a better choice.

8.  Burger King's Triple Whopper with Cheese - 1250 calories...Build it your way as a single with cheese to save almost 500 calories.

7.  Sonic's Spicy Southwest Loaded Burger - Double - 1410 calories...Forget loading it, the Jalapeno Burger is "just" 550 calories.

6.  Dairy Queen's Six Strip Chicken Strip Basket - 1410 calories...You would have to eat more than 5 of Dairy Queen's Barbecue Beef Sandwiches to get that many calories.

5.  Domino's Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese Breadbowl Pasta - 1460...An entire Medium Thin Crust Cheese Pizza is less calories than this breadbowl.

4.  Carl's Jrs Double Six Dollar Burger - 1520 calories...Make it a Single Six Dollar Cheeseburger to save half of the calories.

3.  Taco Bueno's Beef Mucho Nachos - 1570 calories...You can save 640 calories if you leave off the Cheddar Cheese, Chili, Refried Beans and Sour Cream, but then you may as well just eat a bunch of chips.

2.  Whataburger's Whatacatch Dinner (2 pieces) - 1630 calories...Instead of having to run a half marathon to burn it off, just eat a Whatacatch Sandwich and run a 5k.

1.  Quizno's Large Tuna Melt - 1760 calories...Really, tuna, really?? You would think it would be better because it is fish, but the Large Triple Meat Club shaves off about 800 calories.

Working Out...At Work?

One big excuse I hear all the time is that "I work too much, and have no time to exercise." Let me see if I can help you find the time to workout at work. I'll assume that most of you don't have the privilege to move constantly for their job like Aimee and I get to do. Many of you sit at a desk for a majority of your day. If this is the case, here are a few hints to make your day more productive for your waist-line:

1. Sit on an Exercise Ball. Sitting upright on a exercise ball can strengthen your abs and help with your posture.

2. Set Your Watch. Make your alarm go off every hour on the hour. At this point get up and move. Do several push-ups and crunches before you sit back down.

3. Take the Stairs. If you have a multi-level building, forget that there is an elevator and take the stairs for everything. If you have to go to the bathroom, go to a different floor.

4. Bring Your Lunch to Work.  This is not only good for your waist-line, it's also a help for your wallet.

5. Do it the "Old-Fashioned Way". Instead of talking to all of your co-workers through e-mail, go walk to them and speak face-to-face.

6. Keep Workout Equipment Under Your Desk. Dumbbells and bands can easily be kept in or under your desk for a quick set.

7. Hands-Free. Get a headset if you're on the phone quite a bit. While you are talking to potential clients you can do laps around your desk.

The biggest thing is to just keep moving. Research tells us that quality exercise is qualitative over the entire day. Make every minute count!

CVS Deals for 9/5 - 9/11

I did all of our grocery shopping today because we have plans tomorrow evening and we were already out of bread. I just went to Wal-Mart since we were on that side of town; I saved $6.55 with coupons and only spent around $70. I do plan to go to CVS tomorrow to get some free gum and Sobe drinks. None of the other deals at CVS or Walgreen's seemed to be very good. Here's my plan:

2 - Trident Layers Gum - $.99 each
     Facebook Coupon - $1/2
     ECB from last week - $1
4 - SoBe lifewater - B1G1
     2 Heads or Tails Game Coupons - B1G1
Total OOP - $0.00
ECBs earned - $1

On the SoBe site you can only play the game once per day, but you can print the coupon twice. After the coupon prints the first time use your back button. Then refresh the page and tell it to "Retry" to send the information again. This will send it to your printer twice. You can do that with most internet printables. On sites like coupons.com they still count it towards your limit of prints, so it's not "cheating the system".

By the way, there will be no coupons in this week's paper because it is a holiday weekend. Have a great Labor Day!!

Top Ten Calorie Burners

We all want to make the most of our time. Here is a list ranking 10 common exercises by how many calories you can burn in one hour (based on a 150 lb person).

10.  Walking 4mph (Brisk).............352

  7.  Stationary Bike (Moderate).....493

  7.  Swimming (Freestyle-Slow).....493

  7.  Racquetball.............................493

  6.  Basketball...............................563

  5.  Step Aerobics.........................598

  4.  Jumping Rope.........................600

  3.  Stair Machine..........................633

  2.  Elliptical Trainer.......................760

  1.  Running (9 min mile).................774


By the way, if you take my BodyPump classes you can burn up to 600 calories in one class and in BodyCombat you can burn around 800 or so. So come to class if you're in Denton!!!

Walgreen's Deals & Groceries

You know what is so great about coupons? Even when I don't have a lot of coupons, if I pay attention to costs and have stocked up on some stuff, then I am still just spending around $80 a week. My weekly budget when I started this was $120. I hit that the first week and one other week I spent $100. Other than those two weeks I have spent between $60 and $80. That comes out to around $200 savings each month! WOW!!

Here's what I did at Walgreen's today:

Transaction #1
Hair & Nail Supplement - $10
Carmex Lip Balm - $2
Breathe Right 10-pk - $4
     Total OOP - $16.33
     Register Rewards Earned - $16

Transaction #2
2 - Crayola 8-ct Markers - $3.99 (Because I forgot to buy markers for Natalie's school supplies)
1 - Crayola 20-ct Markers - $3.99 (Just to have new markers at home)
3 - Packing Tape w/ Mount - $2.50 (Because we really might be moving SOON!)
6 - Kraft Easy Mac Cups - 3/$1 (Yummy!)
1 - Walgreen's 24-pk Bottled Water - $3.99 (Because we're not environmentally friendly)
1 - Caramel - $.33 (Cause they can't pay me)
     Wags Crayola - $1 off each
     Wags Packing Tape - $1.51 off each
     Wags Water - $1.50 off
     Wags Easy Mac - $.60 off each
     2 - Kraft Easy Mac - Buy 2, Get 1 Free - $1 off twice
     Register Rewards from Trans #1 - $16
     Total OOP - $.30

Total Walgreen's Savings - $36.63 or 68%

Cheap Easy Mac Cups @ Walgreen's

If you like Kraft Easy Mac, then you should go to Walgreen's tomorrow. The back of their ad has a coupon for $.59 Easy Macs with a limit of 3. Go here to get a Buy 2, Get 1 Free coupon. You can keep playing the game until you get enough points for the Easy Mac coupon. The coupon will make the 3 cups $.39 each. That's less than half of the normal price at Wal-Mart (the cheapest place I have found them).

Walgreen's also has some items that are free after Register Rewards. Two of the ones that interest me are Carmex Lip Balm and Breathe Right Strips. I figure I'll buy each of those and then use the Register Rewards to get the Easy Mac cups, 24-pack of water for $2.49, packing tape for $.99 and some Crayola markers for $2.99.

What deals are you planning??