Why I love OpenTable

Open table is an online reservation system that every coupon princess should love! Every time you make and keep a reservation, you are awarded a minimum of 100 dining points.

A good number of restaurants pay open table to get themselves as a 1,000 point table. Sometimes a restaurant needs to fill less popular time slots. Sometimes it's a newer place that needs to get their name out.

Points can be traded in for a dining check. 2,000 points = $20; 5,000 = $50. These are good at any open table restaurant. So if you're dining out anyway, and you're undecided, why not pick a 1,000 point restaurant? In essence, they are paying you $10 to pick them.

Even if you are already out and would have walked in someplace without a reservation, why not check the open table mobile app for the next available reservation in order to get the points. It's free money :)

Victorias Secret 85% savings

Victoria's Secret mails out decent coupons every now and then. Today I had one for $20 off any purchase. My (5 secret) items (also on sale) came to $26.30, which made my purchase price $6.30. That's right--I paid less for Victoria's Secret than people pay for fruit of the loom at Walmart.

Also their current promotion gives a secret reward card worth one $10-$500. I will bring mine in after Dec 1 to find out my secret reward (minimum $10)

CVS Black Friday freebies 98% savings

CVS had tons of everyday items free after extra bucks. I went in with $8 in extra bucks and a few coupons. At the end I still have $8.50 in extra bucks. Here's the trick. I picked out $10 in sale items, used two $1 coupons and my $8 in extra bucks, paying only for tax. Then I get back $10 in extra bucks. Put those items in the car, go back and get $14 in items, use 4 $1 coupons and $10 in extra bucks. This is easiest when the store is empty and the lines are short.


Cash paid $1.23; Value of items $55.67.

Glade smell goods (94% savings)

Cash paid $1.78 ($0.78 was tax!) Regular retail price $28.05 for a 94% savings. On top of that, $4 in ExtraBucks printed in my receipt for use on my next purchase. 3 coupons were from newspapers and one was a cvs coupon from their machine.

Shopping prep-freebies

Thus week CVS is giving $4 EB when you buy $12 of glade products. I have $9 in coupons for these products. So I'll pay $3 (plus tax) and get $4 back in extra bucks. So in the end, they're going to pay me $1 to buy their products.


**correction** I just found 2 cvs coupons and one more $4 super market coupon. I may be able to buy all of this for $0! Will update when I get back.

Ebony Magazine P&G coupon insert

Same insert as described for Essence mag two days ago.

It's always a great to have two of each coupon because a lot of sales are buy one get one free (BOGO) or buy one get one half off (BOGO-1/2). Example: this coupon book has a coupon for $2 off CoverGirl NatureLux--a lip balm/tint/gloss hybrid that I love because it's so effortless that I don't even need a mirror. typical cost is $7.99/tube. CVS routinely puts CoverGirl on sale either BOGO, BOGO-1/2, or spend $15 get $5 ExtraBucks (EB) back. If it's BOGO, then the cost before coupons is $7.99 then use two $2 coupons bringing the price down to $3.99--that's less than $2 per tube. If it's EB back then the cost before coupons is $15.98, after coupons, 11.98. Then factor the $5 EB which brings the cost per tube down to around $3. Either scenario is well below half price of the retail value that other women pay.

Target beauty samples by mail

A month or so back I filled out an online for for free beauty samples from Target which arrived today. Yay!

Very pretty satin accessory bag contained the samples shown below including Ponds wet cleansing towelettes (chamomile and white tea) great for the ride home after the gym, or for my travel toiletries. Also included a booklet with $20 of *Target* coupons (this means I can double up using both a target coupon and a manufacturers coupon on a single item)

Cvs quickie $0.98

Dr Pepper Zero was a freebie coupon (up to $1.99. Some cashiers will hive you the max value and some will give you the actual price of the item. Today the item was on sale for $0.99 and the cashier made the coupon for $0.99)

Listerine Total Care Zero regular price $7.89, sale price $4.89, coupon for $2 off of one item.

Cesar doggie dinners were filler items (but I am out of dog food, sorry Prince) because I had a CVS extra buck coupon for $4 and the won't give change if you spend less than the value of the coupon.

Retail total $11.62
Cash paid $0.98
Savings of 91.5%

P&G Home Made Simple Mailer

Today in the mail I got a booklet of coupons from P&G (Proctor and Gamble).  I signed up for their email list, and every other week or so they send a link--first 3000 to click get something.  So far I've gotten two coupon books and a box of cereal :)

This mailer includes some goodies:

2 x $0.25 off of Dawn
$0.50 off of Cascade and Cascade rinse.
buy the starter get a free refill for swiffer  wet, dry and Febreeze flameless luminary
$5 off of Swiffer sweepervac starter
$2 off of Febreeze candle
$1 off of one of each of the following:  Swiffer duster kit and spray, Mr Clean eraser, scrubber, cleaner and multisurface spray, Febreeze Set&refresh, Noticables, Air effects spray, Candle, and fabric refresh.

October Essence Mag P&G Coupon insert

This month's essence magazine had $30+ of Proctor and Gamble.  The good thing about these magazine inserts
is that they are often $1 off of one item, as opposed to newspaper coupons which are often $1 off of two items.

Coupons included:

$2 Clairol hair color - good to hold for a CVS BOGO (buy one get one free) sale with some extra bucks, may yield some freebies.
$1 one Always infinity which I love (Ladies, you know, right??) 
$2 off Covergirl Naturelux which I love, love love.  Sheer natural looking color, not too shiny, not gummy.  Love it.
$1 off of one of each of the following: Olay body wash/bar, Herbal Essences or Aussie product, Bounty, Tide, Downy, Crest rinse, Crest toothpaste, Oral-B toothbrush, and more.
$0.75 off of Oral b floss --remember, coupons under $1 will double or (a few times a year) triple! So if this coupon triples, then its worth $2.25 off of a packet of floss.  Your gums will love you for this one!
$10 off of Crest white strips
$3 off of Venus razor