Just one of the awesome tools here at PYP…ready-made shopping lists.  We scour grocery ads to find the best deals at many of your favorite stores, and match them with available coupons.   Check the list below and see if you find your favorite store!

BookCloseouts.com LINK

$5 off $35 with code: courage and password: bookcloseouts.com

Women in 19th-Century Europe
List Price: $17.95
Sale Price: $0.99 (94% OFF)

The Living Tomb (Magnifications)
List Price: $18.95
Sale Price: $0.99 (95% OFF)

Prehistory (Art and Civilization)
List Price: $16.95
Sale Price: $0.99 (94% OFF)

2-Digit Equations & Big Numbers (Grade 1)
List Price: $3.99
Sale Price: $0.99 (75% OFF)

ABC (Flash Cards, Sesame Street)
List Price: $2.95
Sale Price: $0.99 (66% OFF)

Challenging Equations (LH, Grade 4)
List Price: $3.99
Sale Price: $0.99 (75% OFF)

Challenge Puzzles & Mazes (Homework Helpers, Grade 3)
List Price: $2.99
Sale Price: $0.99 (67% OFF)

Divide, Measure & Multiply (LH, Grade 3)
List Price: $3.99
Sale Price: $0.99 (75% OFF)

Math (Leap Frog, Grade K)
List Price: $3.95
Sale Price: $0.99 (75% OFF)

Lots more!

BookCloseouts.com LINK

$5 off $35 with code: courage and password: bookcloseouts.com

Our friends at Shelf Reliance are helping us give away a Mixed Veggie 6-Pack (Retail value $95.67) to one LUCKY PYP member.

The Mixed Veggie 6-Pack package from Shelf Reliance includes 242 total servings of delicious and long-lasting THRIVE Foods. This package offers a great solution for families and individuals who wish to sample some of our most popular and useful vegetables at home.

LINK to contest entry instructions
The THRIVE line of food storage is known for its outstanding quality and extended shelf life. Kept in dry, mild conditions, many of the items in this package will last 25 years, ensuring that your food storage supply will be ready whenever you need it. We know you’ll love the taste and reliability of the Mixed Veggie 6-Pack package from Shelf Reliance.

Pretzelmaker®/Pretzel Time® will once again host a day-long National Pretzel Day celebration on April 26 at participating stores across the country. This year the company is putting a new “twist” on the holiday by asking customers to “Sing for Your Snack.” Visit your local Pretzelmaker on National Pretzel Day, sing a snippet from a song of your choice and receive a FREE pretzel (with or without salt). Patrons who prefer not to sing won’t go hungry – they can simply mention “National Pretzel Day” and receive their free snack.

Heres a few transaction scenarios for you, you can also check out the walgreens thread for more great ideas.

I try and arrange these Transactions so as to spend as little cash out of pocket as possible. That explains why there are sometimes several single order transactions and sometime I list just a couple of multiple order transactions. Were lucky because this week we have a $10 money maker right off the bat.

Transaction #1:
Get: Bayer Contour or Breeze2 Blood Glucose Monitor 19.99
Use: Breeze 2 or Contour meter from Bayer $30/1 Expires (4-30-10) RP-10/25
Pay: Tax
Get: $10 Register Reward

Transaction #2: (This on is one of those multiple order ones I talked about)
Get: 1x Stayfree Maxi Pads 16 or 24 ct. $2.99
1x Plackers Dental Flossers, 90ct. $2.00
1x Skintimate Shave Cream 6oz. $2.99
1x Tone Body Wash, 18oz. $3.99
1x Filler item at least $0.53
Use: 1x Stayfree product, any $1/1 (6-30-10) SS-4/25
1x Plackers Dental Flossers, any 60ct or higher .50/1 (7-31-10) RP-4/18
1x Tone Body Wash $1/1 At This Link
Use Register Reward: $10 from Transaction #1
Pay: Tax
Get: $3 Register Reward from Stayfree, $2 Register Reward from Placers, $3 Register Reward from Skintimate, $3 Register Reward from Tone Body Wash

Transaction #3:
Get: 1x Clio Beautytrim Personal Hair Trimmer $4.99
1x Cheap filler item (Walgreens wont let you use more coupons then you have items, so in order to use 2 register rewards you need two item. It doesn’t matter what the price of the “Filler” item is.)
Use: $3 and $2 Register Rewards from Transaction #2.
Pay: Tax
Get: $5 Register Reward

In the end you walk out paying only tax and $11 in Register Rewards in your pocket!

I am also willing to bet that the Stayfree, Plackers, Skintimate and Clio runs all month, so there will be even more good deals to come.

Questions about how Register Rewards work? Go here for the answers.

If you are new to shopping at Rite Aid, check out my Navigating Rite Aid posts to help you along you way! Remember, you can use a Rite Aid in-ad manufacturer coupon with a manufacturer coupon from the newspaper or online. Read the Rite Aid coupon policy HERE.

Also, this list was made with the Idaho ad. Please verify prices in your area before shopping.

I am only listing best deals at Rite Aid this week here. If you want to see the complete list or sale items this week, head on over to the PYP Rite Aid forum thread. You will also find helpful discussion on this weeks sale items.

Additionally, you can use this $5/$25 printable coupon or use the $5/$20 coupon from Rite Aid Video Values to save you more this week!

Dove Hair Care 2 for $6
Use (2) Dove Hair Care Product, any excluding trial size $1.50/1 (4-25-10) RP-3/28
Get a $3 SCR
Final Price: FREE after coupons and rebate!

Stayfree Maxi Pads or Carefree Pantiliners $1.99
Use $1/1 printable coupon OR Stayfree product, any $1/1 (6-30-10) SS-4/25 OR Carefree Product, Any $1/1 (6-30-10) SS-4/25
Final Price: $.99 after coupon!

Listerine Smart Rinse or Reach Total Care toothbrush or floss 2 for $6
Use (2) Listerine Agent Cool Blue, any or Smart Rinse, any 500 mL $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14 OR Reach Dental Floss, any excluding trial sizes or any Reach Access Flosser $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14 OR Reach Toothbrush or Value Pack, any $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-6/14
Get a $3 SCR on two
Final Price: $.50 each after coupons and rebate!

Schick Men’s Hydro 3 blade or 5 blade razor $8.99
Get a $6 SCR
Final Price: $2.99 after rebate!

Everybody has a list of staples they can’t live without. Here’s my list of staples to keep in the freezer.

You can also share your own list.

1) Ice cubes! I don’t use them a lot BUT it is nice to have some on hand when we have guests over. If you have a bag (even a small one) of ice cubes you can look at it to be able to recognize if your freezer is working properly. I keep a small bag in the deep freeze – if the cubes melt and then freeze together in a big clump you will know that there has been a problem, like a power outage.

2) Cooked Turkey. I typically buy 4 or 5 turkeys when they are on sale at Thanksgiving. They are kept in my deep freeze. I cook one about every other month and freeze it in small bags so it can quickly be reheated and used for casseroles or soups.

3) Cooked Ground Beef can be tossed into a sauce and served with pasta or mixed with taco seasoning for quick tacos or burritos. It’s ready to be assembled in a casserole, dropped into a soup, seasoned for sloppy joes or mixed with beans for chili.

4) Cooked Rice is a huge time saver. Frozen rice can be reheated in minutes to serve as a healthy side dish or use as a ingredient in another recipe. My family definitely prefers eating regular rice over the quick rice products so having some in the freezer is great for nights when I need something quick.

5) Juice. I love the convenience of frozen juice concentrate. I think it has a longer shelf life than bottled juices.

6) Chocolate Chips — not only for baking but for a quick mommy treat!

7) Homemade waffles or pancakes. I am not a fan of the ones from the grocer’s freezer. Every few weeks I make a BIG batch and freeze them. They can be put into the toaster or microwave for a quick weekday breakfast.

8) Frozen Fruit is perfect for smoothies and desserts. Use frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit and you don’t have to add ice to your smoothie.

9) Meatballs can be made into a million other meals. They are small so it’s easy to grab just as many as you need and they thaw and reheat fast. My kids LOVE meatballs so I buy a big bag from Costco. They are precooked and quick to reheat. I make a spinach meatball soup that my family loves.

10)Homemade Broth or at least the item necessary to make it. I have broth frozen in sour cream and cottage cheese containers. I also have a bag of cut vegetable pieces (like the tops of celery and carrots) and I have a bag with leftover chicken trimmings and chicken bones that I will be making broth with soon.

Purchase 20-pk Duracell batteries (Item #703715 AA and Item # 846026 AAA) and receive 100% Staples Rewards. So, if you purchase 2 packs, your total will be (pre-tax) $19.98 and you will receive a Staples Reward check for $19.98! (exp 5/1) – FREE shipping to your local store!

Staples.com LINK

*Valid for purchases between 4/25/10 and 5/1/10. Offer good on item nos. 703715 and/or 846026 only (size AA or AAA, 20/Pack). Limit 2 per customer. Purchase price paid for batteries will be credited to customer’s Staples Rewards® account. Must be a member of Staples Rewards. Valid in store, by phone or on staples.com.

With summer’s barbecues upon us, it’s time to start thinking about marinades and steak sauce, and coupons.com is giving us a head start. They have 2.00 coupons for Heinz 57 and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. Hit Wal-Mart with these beauties, and you’ll get the Worcestershire sauce for .50 and the Heinz 57 for around a buck. Pair it with a great sale and you’ll do even better.

Print quickly! Hot coupons like this don’t last for long.

LINK to Coupons.com

Here are a few examples of free Kindle books you can download:

When Night Falls by Margaret Daley
Emma by Jane Austen
Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
Dancing in the Moonlight by RaeAnne Thayne
Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson
The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura
Serial by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Hunters by Jason Pinter

MANY MORE!

LINK TO FREE KINDLE DOWNLOADS

LINK TO APPLICATION TO DOWNLOAD TO READ KINDLE BOOKS ON A MAC

LINK TO APPLICATION TO DOWNLOAD TO READ KINDLE BOOKS ON A PC

I have read so many stories of green living: Family eats wheat grass and organic fruit, weaves their own clothing from home grown hemp, and considers the carbon footprint before making a move.

The truth is, it is difficult for many of us to even stretch the food bill at (insert the name of the cheapest place to buy anything), much less buy organic.

Green living seem to be for the wealthy, just like the best private schools, hybrid cars and solar panels.

Going green does NOT mean going broke. Green living can be doable at any income level. It is a matter of letting go of the things that advertisers say you must have and learning to see what you actually need. My clothing priority is clean, not too frumpy, sturdy clothing that I can do chores in, wash well and are comfortable enough to wear for too many hours a day.

Here are 10 ways go green on the cheap:

* Go green by going home to the kitchen. Make some simple things that your family will eat, that you can pronounce, and that are healthier for everyone. Look at your grocery list(you do make a grocery list, don’t you?) do you have the staples on it? Flour, sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, fruits and vegetables, simple meats and grains? Make the time to cook at home.

* Go green by staying in with the family. Take a Staycation. Plan for time off of work to simply be with your family, in your home.

* Go green by trading and buying used – Most people have a bag of clothes laying around that their kids can’t wear anymore. They might be miss-matched items but for a few dollars you can replace missing pieces.

* Go green by going out into your community. There are many fun events in our communities that are inexpensive and bring families and neighborhoods together. There is Scouts for boys and girls, multiple 4H groups, soccer, bowling leagues for any age, and that is just off the top of my head. Once you tap into these free or nearly free resources, you will have a hard time choosing from them all.

* Go green by planting a seed – Remember organic? There is no reason you can’t plant a few seeds and grow your own organic food. Plant a few seedlings in containers on your deck. I usually plant a few squash plants in my flower bed in my front yard. They fill the space and produce yummy food and great jack-o-lanterns.

* Go green by doing some good – Find something useful and helpful to do in your community. Become a contributing member of your little slice of life. Teach your kids to volunteer. Each spring the kids in our neighborhood go plant flowers at the park. Our city provides the flowers – we just do the work.

* Go green by doing it yourself – Instead of buying something new, fix something you already have. Fix up something you find at a yard sale or thrift store.

* Go green by going online – There are many things we can find online! Have you ever watched TVor movies online? If money is tight in your home you can cancel the cable or satellite and watch TV on the computer. You may be able to hook your computer up to your TV and watch some of your favorite shows with little commercial interruption.

* Go green by researching what you need to know – shop around! Make decisions for yourself. Don’t take the salesman’s word for everything.

* Go green by doing less – take time to meditate –

A final note: You can save money by checking out the deals posted on Pinching Your Pennies everyday!

There are some expensive things out there that we want and might even need. Examples might include a home or a sensible car. Traditional wisdom suggests that you can either save your pennies and dimes to eventually buy what you need, or you can go into debt and pay smaller amounts on a regular basis until, eventually, the item is paid off in full.

Food storage, like your home, is something worth investing in. It provides you with security in uncertain times. However, many people are leery of going into debt for their food storage, and understandably so. In this economic climate, who wants to spend more money than necessary? For this reason, it can be incredibly easy to put off this important part of preparedness.

Are you caught up in trying to decide between spending a huge chunk of money on a food storage package or going without altogether? If so, then stop right where you are. Lucky for you, Shelf Reliance has completely eliminated the need for this dilemma.

The THRIVE Q was created about a year ago, and the number of customers who enjoy the benefits of this program has been growing steadily. The THRIVE Q allows you to pay for your food storage a little at a time, much as you would in a layaway program. The difference here is that you’re able to receive your food storage products as you pay for them.

What does this mean? In short, the THRIVE Q helps you build a food storage supply at a speed and price that is perfectly tailored to you. Debt and overspending never enter the equation! As a THRIVE Q customer, you can choose to spend anywhere from a lot or a little each month on food storage. You can choose the amount that works for you and your family.

The THRIVE Q works very simply. Start by creating a list of the food your family needs; you can make a list from scratch or get some suggestions from Shelf Reliance, using the THRIVE Planner, our food storage calculator. (If you ever change your mind, you can add items to or take items away from that list as you wish.) The next step is to choose the Monthly Shipments payment option. All of the food from your list will be divided up into monthly shipments, and when you’re ready to start, you’ll be asked to select a monthly budget and the day of the month on which you’d like your card to be charged and your food to be shipped. Once you finalize all of these selections, your plan will be ready to go. A new package of food will arrive every month without any further attention, as convenient as your daily newspaper.

Here are some other fantastic benefits of using the THRIVE Q for your food storage:

You can alter your budget and individual shipments any time you want.

For example, while $150.00 may be a great budget amount for you most of the time, if you ever want to increase it to $175.00 or decrease it to $50.00, you can. You can also change the date of your upcoming shipments, moving them to an earlier or later day in the month. Each month, the THRIVE Q system will automatically select some of the items on your list to include in that month’s shipment, but the system will also allow you to change those items if you wish. In short, the Q is built to fit your needs, no matter how they may change.

You can pause your shipments temporarily or stop them indefinitely – no penalties, no problem.

At Shelf Reliance, we understand that life is not always predictable. That’s why we never ask you to continue using the THRIVE Q if it doesn’t make sense for you. If life circumstances change, you can stop receiving shipments. If you’ll be out of town for the month of May, you can delay your next shipment until June. You’re under no obligation to complete your THRIVE Q within a certain length of time or, in fact, to complete it at all. As a courtesy, we’ll keep track of the items left in your THRIVE Q in case you’d ever like to start it again.

You can use coupon codes to get your food at the lowest prices possible.

If you’re using a coupon code for your THRIVE Q that’s good for 5% off regular prices, but the can of strawberries in your next shipment is on sale for 15% off, the system will automatically deduct an extra 5% from the price. You don’t have to worry about missing out on the best sales; in fact, you’ll be receiving an even better deal!

You’ll have a THRIVE Q assistant to help you all along the way.

The THRIVE Q concept is unique to Shelf Reliance. Something so new is bound to have small glitches and confusing aspects, so we’re learning as we go! If you ever have a question or a problem with your THRIVE Q, you’ll have a team available to give you some direction and get the problem solved.

Want to try the THRIVE Q for yourself? You can get started by visiting this page.

As a special offer to PYP readers, you can use the code QPYP to receive 5% off all the products in your THRIVE Q. Remember, that’s an extra 5% off of sale prices!

If you seasoned Q customers have any tips or suggestions for other readers, don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I hope you’ll take advantage of this fantastic program in the near future and that you’ll have success with food storage. Thanks for reading!

The Latte Factor is simply the idea that frequent, small dollar purchases add up quickly. We don’t notice them because the purchases are small, like a $3 cup of coffee each morning, but over the course of the year that adds up to serious money. This is nothing new but something to seriously consider and it does not always have something to do with coffee.

I have really been looking at this in my life. What are my purchases that seem so small but add up so quickly?

Confession: Everyday after I leave the gym I swing through the very convenient window at the gas station and get a 32 oz Diet Coke and a “Bug Juice” (10oz flavored sugary drink) for my son. It costs me $2.26 each day. Wow! I go to they gym 20 days a month — that’s over $40 a month! I would be much better off to make a 2 quart package of Kool-Aid and refill an empty Bug Juice bottle — I could get 6 bottles for PENNIES rather than dollars. And what about my Diet Coke? Of course I would me MUCH better off if I just stopped drinking it – but I could could also buy a 2 liter at the grocery store and use the empty bottles for water storage….

Consider the money your family may spend on eating out. Sure it is easy sometimes, but with a little planning you can really save money and improve your health by planning and preparing your meals at home.

Think about what you could do with the money you can save by just redirecting a little bit of the money we are spending each day.

To reveal your Latte Factor, get a notebook and carry it with you for one day. Write down every penny you spend, including cash, checks, credit, and debit cards. This may seem simple, but this exercise can be life changing.

You can invest in your future
Pay off debt
Plan a vacation
Replace the washing machine that is on it’s last leg

What would you do?