5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/30-01/07

Ah, the beginning of the new year - when baking supplies, butter, and chocolate are no longer on sale. Instead what do we find? Yoghurt, bagged salad, tuna, and chicken breast on sale. ;-)

As a reminder, this will be my final Giant deals post at Redemption Unlimited. Many thanks to all the readers who posted matchups and other deals spotted in the Giant deals posts' comment sections in the past. :)

1. Imported Cherries, $2.99/lb. (Save $2/lb.)
   
2. Giant or Dole Salad Blends, 2/$5
   
3. Dannon Yoghurt, 20/$10
   
4. SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb. (This is stock up freezing price.)
   
5. Chicken of the Sea tuna, 10/$10 (Save $0.59/can)

***


This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

5 Reasons to Visit Safeway, 12/29 - 1/1

Safeway is putting ads out on a different cycle around the holidays.  Today's ad only runs through January 1.  As a reminder this will be my last Safeway post here at RU.  Thanks for your sweet comments! We'll miss you, readers!


Here are 5 Reasons to Visit Safeway, 12/29 - 1/1:

1.  Produce deals 
Large Fresh Lemons or Limes, 3 for $.99
Kiwi, 2 for $1
Large Hass Avocados, 10 for $10 
Brussel Sprouts, $1.99/lb.
2-lb. Bag Eating Right Peeled Baby Cut Carrots, 2 for $5
Fresh Express Eating Right Bagged Salads, 2 for $5 
Santa Sweets Grape Tomatoes, BOGO

2.  Meat deals
Pork Loin Rib Half, $.99/lb.
Assorted Pork Loin Chops, $1.49/lb.
Pork Loin Chops, $1.99/lb.
Rancher's Reserve Boneless Beef London Broil, $1.99/lb.
Perdue Poultry Sale, 50% off selected varieties 

3.  Dairy items
Lucerne Sour Cream, 16-oz., 2 for $3
International Delight Creamer, 32 oz., $1.99 with Club Card and Super Coupon
Breyer's Ice Cream, $1.99, Limit 3
Lucerne Cheese, 16-oz. string or 12-oz. sticks, $2.99 with Club Card and Super Coupon
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, 2 for $6 


4.  Bread sale
Safeway SELECT Artisan French Bread, $.99
Safeway Split Top Bread, $1.49
Schmidt & Sunbeam Sandwich Breads, 2 for $3
Thomas' & Arnold Mix & Match, BOGO


5.  Pantry items
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, $.69
Safeway Ripe Olives, canned, $.99
General Mills Chex Cereal, $1.99, must buy 3
Pace Picante Sauce or Salsa, 2 for $5 
Nabisco Snack Crackers, 3 for $5
Prego Pasta Sauce, BOGO

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
We hope that you have a relaxing, fun day.

End of An Era: Redemption Unlimited Closes with 2010

After nearly two years and over 1000 posts, it is with bittersweet hearts that we announce the news: Redemption Unlimited will finish posting on December 31, 2010. We hope that somehow our blog has helped you, whether in a concrete sense by supplying coupon matchups, or in an inspirational sense with the ways we've sought to manage our family budget through frugal practices.

Thank you to our fellow bloggers who have shared deals and and offered support - it is a great and dedicated group of folks who take on the task of organizing deals for the world at large. Thank to you to all of our readers who commented, who emailed, who sent us tips on hot deals, and of course who READ our blog! We started this blog with the aim of consolidating the deals we'd been emailing to each other in a single spot - so that others might find good bargains, too, so of course the readers were our core inspiration.

Have a wonderful Christmas this week! We'll close the year with a few more grocery deals and maybe some post-clearance finds, and after that we'll take a bow and ring in the new year.

5 Reasons to Visit Safeway This Week, 12/15 - 12/21

Here are 5 Reasons to Visit Safeway this week, 12/15 - 12/21:

1.  Meat & Seafood!
Safeway Whole or Shank Half Ham, bone-in, $.99/lb.
Shady Brook Farms Fresh Turkey, $.99/lb.
Safeway Spiral Sliced Half Ham, $1.39/lb.
Rancher's Reserve Beef Eye of Round, $1.99/lb.
Rancher's Reserve Beef Ribeye Roast, $4.99/lb.
Fresh Scottish Salmon Fillets, 2-lbs. or more, $6.99/lb.

2.  Produce!
Large Beauregard Yams, $.59/lb.
Tender Green Beans, $.99/lb.
Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith Apples, $1.49/lb.
Large Hass Avocados, 2 for $3
Crisp Celery, 2 for $3
Broccoli Crowns, $1.69/lb.
White Whole or Sliced Mushrooms, $1.69/lb.
Golden Sweet Pineapple, $1.99
Tender Green Asparagus, $2.99/lb.
5-lb. box Imported Clementines, $3.99

3.  Baking Supplies!
Lucerne Cream Cheese, 8-oz. brick or soft, 10 for $10
Nestle Baking Morsels, $1.79
Land O Lakes Butter, 16-oz. quarters, $2.99
Pillsbury Pie Crusts, 2 for $5

4.  Cheap Ziploc Bags!
$2.49 with Club Card and Super Coupon or preload the Super Coupon here

5.  Cheap eggs!
Lucerne Large Eggs, 18-ct., $1.99 with Club Card and Super Coupon or preload the Super Coupon here

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/17 - 12/23 - DOLLAR DOUBLERS!

There are many, many reasons to visit Giant this week, since grocers are always trying to get you in the door the week before a big holiday in order for you to buy everything you need (not just their loss leaders). In fact, there are dollar doublers, too! A great chance to score some savings.

Here's a highlight reel of just some of the loss leaders available this week at Giant:

1. 5 lb. box Clementines, $3.99 - as cheap as Clementines get!
2. Coke 12-packs, 4/$10
3. Spiral Sliced Ham, $1.49/lb. (Save $1.70/lb, nice!)
4. Semi-Boneless Beef Rib Roast, $5.99/lb.
5. Sweet Potatoes and Yams, 3 lb. for $1 - as cheap as these get, too!

Other reasons to visit Giant this week:

Shady Brook Farms Frozen Turkeys, $0.79/lb. Fresh turkeys, $0.99/lb.
Save $1 printable coupon for Shady Brook Farms Fresh or Frozen Turkeys
For best savings: Buy the smallest frozen turkey that you can find, and dollar double your printable (if it permits doubling).

Top Round, Bottom Round, or Beef Chuck Roast, 50% off (Save at least $1.75/lb.)

Giant Butter, 2/$5

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Drinks, 2/$4

Sorrento Ricotta Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese, 2/$5

Purex 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent, $1.99
$0.35/1 printable
Final price: $1.30/ea.

Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon, all varieties, Buy 1, Get 1 FREE (Save at least $6.69)

Lay's Potato Chips, 3/$6 (Must buy 3)

General Mills Cereals, 2/$4
$1/2, 11/14 GM
Price if dollar doubled: $1/box

Folgers Coffee, $6.99/lb.
$1/2, 09/19 RP or 12/05 RP
Price if dollar doubled: $5.99/lb.

Dunkin Donuts Coffee, $6.99/lb.
$2/2, 12/12/RP (this one expires 01/30/2011) or 10/31 RP (this one expires 12/31)
Final price: $5.99/lb.

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know! 

Smoking FREE 2 Day Shipping on Zazzle Means $1.50-$3 Photo Gifts, Shipped Free!

I received my grandma's Christmas card this past week and it dawned on me that it would be a nice idea to send her a little something from us besides a card. Zazzle came to the rescue with a coupon code in my inbox this morning! When you enter the code JINGLESALE71 at checkout, you can get FREE 2-day shipping on any order, no minimums (be sure to select 2 day shipping as your shipping option to get it free!). Zazzle has all kinds of wonderful and crazy photo gift options - you can even personalize a Converse-style pair of Keds! (!)

I designed a fridge magnet with a photo of my girls and a sweet message, and it was $2.85, shipped to my grandma. I also went to the Zazzle site through ebates for 10% cash back, so that magnet was really more like $2.57. I can't wait to hear how she likes it!

Use this Zazzle code today to brighten the day of someone with a photo product of your own design. :)

Disclosure: if you sign up for ebates using our ebates referral link above, we will receive $5 bonus thanks to you if you happen to make a $20 purchase within 90 days. You'll receive a $5 starting bonus, too!

Today = MANY Online Free Shipping Offers, Plus Double Cash Back Cyber Monday 2 at ebates.com, Up to 12% Cash Back on Purchases Made Online

I have a theory that you should never have to pay for shipping on an item ordered during the holiday season. Here are some free shipping deals for today. Many shipping deals end 12/20 because that is the last day that certain online retailers can conceivably guarantee everyone delivery by Christmas. (Of course, after then you'll start to see a few "free rush delivery" offers, but for now we'll focus on the "free delivery" offers.)

Remember to go to the ebates site first when shopping online to earn cash back - I've got about $15 cash back earned so far this holiday season just for clicking to my favorite retailers' websites through ebates before I start my shopping there. And today, there is DoubleCash Back (they call it "Cyber Monday 2") at over 400 stores when you click through ebates, including Ann Taylor Loft, Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, Gap, and Godiva, just to name a few!

Here's a small sampling. For the complete list of free shipping and double cash back deals going on today, go to ebates, then click on the Coupons tab at the top, and then click "Free Shipping" under "Filter by Type" in the column to the right.

• Macy's: Free Shipping with $99 purchase, using code GIFTS, through 12/20. 5% cash back when you click to the Macy's site through ebates!
  
• DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse): Free shipping with $35 order with SHIPR through 12/17. 8% cash back when you click to the DSW site through ebates!
  
• Adidas: Free shipping with $49 order (no code required, good through 12/16), and 12% cash back when you click through ebates!
  
• Adobe (software): Free shipping on all purchases through 12/20, plus 10% cash back when you click to the Adobe site through ebates.
  
• Aeropostale: Free shipping with $100 order (through 12/20), plus 8% cash back when clicking through ebates.
  
• Apple: All orders ship free. 1% cash back through ebates.
  
• Athleta (Gap/Old Navy's athletic wear for women): SHIP2ME code makes shipping and returns free on orders over $50, through 01/31/2011. 2% cash back when you click to the Athleta site thorugh ebates.
  
• Babies 'R Us: free shipping over $100 as always, 2-4% cash back when clicking to the BRU site through ebates. (And, ohhhhh it is all too easy to spend $100 if you are baby shopping. Just some diapers and wipes would get you about halfway there.)
  
• Backcountry (outdoors stuff - Patagonia, North Face, etc.): Orders over $50 ship free through 12/31 (no code required), plus 10% cash back when clicking to the Backcountry site through ebates.
  
• Barnes & Noble, ships free over $25, plus 8% cash back when you click through ebates.

Just a reminder to check out our classic post "Free Shipping - Is It Really Worthwhile?" One way that I filter my shopping options when I get excited about a free shipping deal is to ask myself: If I were standing in a store holding this item (/these items), would I be as excited to get them? This helps to figure out if I'm heading toward an unnecessary impulse purchase or not.

That said, double cash back and free shipping to your door on items that you would have bought anyway totally beats heading out in the cold to brave the crowds at the mall!

Disclosure: if you sign up for ebates using our ebates referral link above, we will receive $5 bonus thanks to you if you happen to make a $20 purchase within 90 days. You'll receive a $5 starting bonus, too!

Tiny Tots Concerts at Robinson High School on 12/14

Time for another round of concerts!

Robinson High School Symphonic Band's Annual Tiny Tots Concerts
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 ~ Russell Theatre
Performances at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Ticket information - email bandwebmaster(at)robinsonband.org

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 6: The Gift of Prayer

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!

• Give the gift of prayer. If you can honestly commit to praying for somebody, this can be a great complement to the hand-written letter. Pray across all areas of the person's life - for their health and peace of mind, for their relationships with God and their friends and family, and for their spirits through the holiday season.

If you missed them, check out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 4: Fellowship  
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 5: The Gift of a Hand-Written Letter

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Idea for Those Who Have Everything!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week, 12/10-12/16

I can't believe that Christmas is in just two weeks! Now is the time to stock up on low-priced staples that have relatively long shelf lives - for example, the store-brand $0.99 cream cheese deal this week. Many cream cheese packages are marked as being good for weeks, if not months, so you could be fueling meals in January and February with the Christmastime stash. :)

1. Navel Oranges, $0.88/lb.
2. Blackberries or Blueberries (in eeety beeety containers), 2/$4
3. Giant European Salads or Dole Salad Blends, 2/$5
4. SUPER G Boneless Chicken Breast, $1.99/lb. (Save at least $2.30/lb.) This is a freezable price, so stock up!
5. Whole Boneless Pork Loin, $1.89/lb. (Save at least $2.10/lb.) At more than half price off, this is also freezable if you're a pork loin afficionado.

Other reasons to visit Giant this week:

New York Strip, $5.99/lb. (Save $4/lb.)

Large Easy Peel or Medium Cooked Shrimp, $6.99/lb. in a two pound bag ($13.98/bag)

Hachiya Persimmons, 2/$3 Try a warm persimmon butter made in a slow-cooker/crock pot for a holiday treat!


Green Beans, Washed and Snipped, BOGO

3 lb. bag White or Red Potatoes, 2/$5 OR Sold Individually @$0.99/lb.

Jumbo Green Peppers, $0.99/lb.

Cedar's Hummus (8 oz.), $2.99 (Save $1)

Furmano's Tomatoes, Canned, 10/$10

Wyman's Wild Blueberries (frozen), 2/$7 (These are $3.99 retail and I LOVE them for their smoothie-making quality because they're smaller with a more intense blueberry taste.)

Cascadian Farm frozen organic vegetables, 2/$5
$1/1 printable for signing up
Final price: $1.50

Birds Eye Frozen Veggies, 10/$10
$1/2, 12/12 SS
Final price: $0.50/ea.

Green Giant Fresh Steamers, 3/$5
$0.50/2, 11/14 GM
Final price: $1.16/ea.

Claussen Pickles, 2/$6

Giant Cream Cheese, $0.99/ea. (Save $0.60/ea.)

Giant Shredded Cheeses, 2/$4

Cabot Cheese Blocks, 2/$5

Giant Ricotta Cheese, 2/$5

BelGioioso Mozzarella, 8 oz, 2/$6 (Save $1.50/ea.) (By the way, though this is a nice discount, the Sam's Club price on BelGioioso still beats this by far, so if you have a membership there or at another warehouse club it's probably worth comparing.)

Daisy Sour Cream, 2/$3

Blue Diamond Almonds, 2/$5
$0.75/2, 10/10 and 12/05 SS
Final price: 2/$3.50, or $1.75/ea.

Nestle Morsels chocolate chips, 2/$4
$1.25/3, 11/14 RP
Final price: 3 for $4.75, or $1.58/bag

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bars, 2/$5 (Retails over $3/ea.)

Swanson Broth, 4/$3
$0.75/5 or $0.75/2 (or other values), 11/07 SS
Final price: Varies

Carnation Evaporated Milk, 5/$5
$0.50/2 Carnation Evaporated Milk Printable
$0.50/2, 11/14 RP
Final price: $0.50/can

Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips - includes gluten free!, 2/$5
$1 off coupon
Final price: $1.50/bag

Proctor Silex Small Appliances, $7.99
Includes: 5 Speed Hand Mixer, Juicer, Coffee Grinder, Food Chopper, Can Opener or 2 Slice Toaster

***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!  

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gifts for Those Who Have Everything, Part 5: A Hand-Written Letter!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!

• Give the gift of a hand-written letter. Another overlooked option - taking the time to hand write a letter. Your words can do so much to brighten a person's day - much more so than a material item, in many cases. Think of all of the different ways to encourage them with your letter: write about aspects of the recipients personality that you enjoy, recollect favorite memories of things that you've done in the past, and even ruminate on what experiences you hope to share in the future. (Nothing like anticipation of future fun to add to the afterglow of receiving that letter!)

If you missed them, check out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gifts for Those Who Have Everything, Part 4: Fellowship 

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Idea for Those Who Have Everything!

It's Friday: Earn Mega Swag Bucks today!

Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Never heard of Swagbucks? It's one of our favorite websites because it's easy to earn free prizes by using the Swagbucks search engine. And on Fridays, users have better chances of winning Mega Swagbucks denominations.

The way it works:

• Go to Swagbucks through our referral link by clicking here.
  
• Sign up and create a new profile for yourself.
  
• Search a few times a day, and you'll start seeing points accumulate.

I use Swagbucks to search 2-3 times a day, 3-4 days a week for things I would normally research. I usually cash out my Swagbucks for Starbucks gift cards, but there are lots of other cool prizes in the Swagbucks store.

As a disclaimer, if you sign up under our referral link, we will receive Swagbucks thanks to you.

5 Reasons to Visit Safeway This Week, 12/8 - 12/14

Safeway has some Mix and Match deals going on that could yield cheap groceries if they match up with coupons correctly.  Let us know if you score any deals!

Here are 5 Reasons to Visit Safeway this week, 12/8 - 12/14:
1.  Produce!
Red Delicious, Braeburn, or Jonagold Apples, $1/lb.
1-lb. bag Eating Right Baby Carrots, $1
Acrorn or Butternut Squash, $1/lb.
Large Mangos, $1
Eggplant, $1/lb.
Mayan Sweet Yellow Onions, $1/lb.
Raspberries, Blueberries or Blackberries, $1.99 each
Russet Potatoes, 5-lb. bag, $.99 (Friday - Monday only)
5-lb. box of clementines, $4.44 - load the $.50 e-coupon to your Club Card from here before shopping!

2.  Meat & Seafood!
Mix & Match BOGO Sale on Boneless Beef Chuck Pot Roast, Shoulder Roast, 93% Lean Ground Beef, Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or Thighs, or Boneless Port Top Loin Chops
Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon, BOGO (Friday - Monday only)
waterfront BISTRO Cooked Shrimp, $3.99/lb. in 2-lb. bag
waterfront BISTRO Claw Crab Meat, 8 oz., $4.99
waterfront BISTRO Medium Cooked Shrimp, $4.99/lb. in a 2-lb. bag
Snow Crab Clusters, wild caught, $5.99/lb.
waterfront BISTRO Jumbo Raw Shrimp, $5.99/lb. in 2-lb. bag
waterfront BISTRO Shrimp Ring with cocktail sauce, 16 oz., $6.99

3.  Progresso Soup, 10 for $10
Use $1/4 MFC from 10/24/2010 SS to get 4 for $3!

4.  Super Coupons!
NOTE: if you register for Safeway's online coupon center here, you can now load Super Coupons onto your card and not worry about clipping those paper coupons anymore! What a fantastic capability!
Best deals include:
Lucerne Cream Cheese, 8-oz. brick or soft, $.99.  Limit 3.
Lucerne Spreadable Butter, 15-oz., $1.99.  Limit 3.
Safeway SELECT Pizza, $2.99.  Limit 3.
Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer, $1.99.  Limit 3.
Ziploc Value Pack Storage Bags, $2.49.  Limit 2.
Palmolive Dish Detergent, 20-oz., $1.99.  Limit 2.
Scotch-Brite Sponges, 3-ct.  $1.99.  Limit 3.
Hefty Trash Bags, 18 to 80 ct., $5.49.  Limit 3.

5.  Buy 3, Safe $6 instantly mix & match sale:
Participating items include: Ovaltine Malt Mix 12-oz., Folgers Coffee 27.8 to 33.9-oz., Dunkin' Donuts Coffee 12-oz., Lipton Pyramid Tea Bags 18 to 20-ct., Taster's Choice Instant Coffee 20-ct., Coffeemate Creamers 9-oz., Twinings Tea 20-ct., Caribou Coffee 12-oz., Millstone Coffee 11 to 12-oz., Lipton Tea Bags 72 or 100-ct., Tully's Coffee 12-oz., International Delight Creamers 24-ct., Kicking Horse Coffee 12.3-oz. Selected varieties.

*Participating items may not be available in all stores.* All 3 participating items must be scanned and purchased in a single transaction. Club card required to receive discount. Offer valid thru 12/14/2010. Limit 21.

Frugal Wine Tips: Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

In my (Mel) twenties I developed a taste for wine.  My former job had me constantly putting together menus, choosing food and needing to pair wine with it.  I was blessed to "have" to take a 12-week wine course so I could keep up with my job responsibilities!

Since then I've enjoyed trying to find low cost wines.  I like drinking them occasionally, and I like to give wine as a gift.  I can appreciate the incredible amount of work and expertise that go into making great wine, therefore justifying the cost of a bottle.  But I've never had a high budget for wine.  Up to that challenge, I'd like to start sharing some of my favorites here at RU.  My sister-in-law has been bugging me about this wine, so I hope she can find it in the store!

First things first.  I shop for wine at Trader Joe's.  Yes, this means that's another store in my 6-stop tour each month.  Yes, it's out of the way.  But I just haven't found wines at prices competitive with TJ's.  If you have one near you, try it sometime!

Second, I have a maximum budget of $5 per bottle.  I know, that sounds so low! But there are truly some good options at that price point. 

The wine pictured above is a 2009 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Villa Cerrina.  It's an Italian red wine that is medium-bodied and fruity with a slight hint of spice flavor.  It has been my running favorite for well over a year.  I've only seen it at Trader Joe's, and at my local store it's a Manager's Pick.  I spoke with the manager about it once and he raved about it - so I'm not the only one who loves it! I'm not a wine writer, so there's a more detailed review here.

If you're a cabernet sauvignon fan, this one is lighter on the alcohol taste.  Many cabernets have wood flavors, and this one doesn't.  Give it a try!

Price: $4.99 in the metro D.C. area, $3.99 in CA

Tiny Tots Concert this Friday: Hayfield Secondary

There's another Tiny Tots Concert this Friday, December 10, at 9:30 am at Hayfield Secondary.  We've been to this one before and it's very well done. 

Hayfield Secondary School

7630 Telegraph Road

Alexandria, Virginia, 22315

703-924-7400

If you've attended one of the Tiny Tots concerts in the area, please leave us a comment about it!

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 4: Give The Gift Of Fellowship!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!

• Give the Gift of Fellowship. This is so often overlooked - but so important! Just an evening enjoying coffee (or your hot drink of choice) over a cozy chat is a terrific way to bless someone during the holidays, when quiet, reflective times of fellowship can be so scarce. Of course, if cozy coffeehouse chats aren't your style, you can bond and catch up over LaserTag, or whatever other fellowship activity fits the bill. The point is to reconnect with each other, to encourage, to catch up on each other's lives - though take my word for it, your Great Aunt Edna's probably more into the coffeehouse option.

If you missed them, check out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Idea for Those Who Have Everything!

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Give Discounts!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!

• Give Discounts! Just because a person has everything they could ask for doesn't mean that they don't love a good bargain - my in-laws will proudly identify themselves in this category! (And in fact someone's "have everything they need" comfort factor may very well be tied closely to their ability to budget and find a good deal.) Some of my inlaws' great delights are in exploiting Ruby Tuesday BOGO coupons, Dunkin Donuts free coffee coupons, Chick-Fil-A freebie coupons, etc.
  
  One way to give discounts is to give someone a starter coupon set, or a way to help organize an existing coupon set. My mother-in-law was already a rabid couponer before I gave her a portable file folder with date-labeled files for holding each weekend's insert set. She loves it so much that she has continued to relabel her folders with the newest dates as the old inserts have expired, and the file folder remains an integral part of her couponing strategy.
  
  A family favorite "give discounts" idea for us is the 2011 Chick-Fil-A "Cowlendar" - it has coupons on every page! You also saw a restaurant discount idea in our first part of this series, where we mentioned a current 80% off Restaurant.com gift certificate deal as a good resource for eating-out discounts.
  
  A final idea on a way to give discounts is to give a 2011 Entertainment Book as a gift. It's jam-packed with coupons relevant to your area - a great way to encourage the recipient(s) to try new activities, see some movies, go to restaurants, all at a greatly reduced rate. There are also many freebie or freebie-with-purchase coupons in this book, so it's got some no-cost options available to the recipient right away.

If you missed them, check out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Idea for Those Who Have Everything!

HOT - 9 P.M. Tonight - Skip Hop Diaper Bag on Amazon Lighning Deal!

EDIT: The Lightning Deal price of the Skip Hop Studio Diaper Bag Tote Bag
is $64.50, and about half are gone. That's 28% off list price, and it ships free. Now is the time if you'd like to get the Lightning Deal on this $89 retail bag.

Tonight, a gorgeous Skip Hop Diaper Bag is going to be on offer for an Amazon.com Lightning Deal at 9 p.m. EST. (6 p.m. PST). I received this same model in chocolate brown last year as a baby gift from my parents when my second daughter was born, having previously relied on an overnight-style second hand Lands' End one.

It is so luxurious! There are a zillion pockets well-suited to the minutia a mom brings everywhere she goes, and all in a very roomy design. Let's just say: enough room for a moderately sized laptop, some travel toiletries, snacks and drinks, AND the typical roundup of diapers, wipes, clean outfits, etc.! It is tote style and has an antimicrobial lining. Its neutral "looks like a nice handbag" design allows you to bring it with you to more formal settings, and the neutral-metallic pewter dot design, which is the one that will be on sale at 9 p.m., would coordinate well with a variety of outfits.

Needless to say, I would totally invest in mine again at the full price, so if you have a big-ticket baby purchase in your immediate future (say, for a sibling's or child's first baby), this could be an ideal find at a Lightning Deal Price (the discount from the full $86 price has not yet been announced).

We are Amazon.com affiliates, and this post contains our affiliate link. Thanks for supporting Redemption Unlimited at no additional cost to you!
All opinions in this blog post are honest and my own, and I was not asked to provide any reviews, favorable or otherwise, by neither Amazon.com nor Skip Hop.

News from Mel

I have bittersweet news to share...

My(Mel's) family is relocating to the west coast for one year! I've mentioned before that my husband travels a lot.  He has been gone for 2 trips, up to 2 weeks, each month, for most of the past 18 months.  So we're excited to have more time together as a family.

We'll get to experience corporate apartment life, a warmer climate, and many adventures for sure! So though we're excited, we're sad to say "see you soon" to our friends & family. 



We have friends we're excited to spend time with out there, and they've already introduced us to my new favorite bakery, Sprinkles.

I was so inspired by the salted caramel cupcakes there that I've got some baking, using this recipe, right now.  Mmmmm.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Give Consumables!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!

• Give Consumables. Whether it's the pistachios that they're (har) nuts about or something delicious that you've tried or made recently, something tasty to enjoy and share with company is always a welcome change of pace for a gift. A budget-friendly favorite of mine in this category is a $6 bottle of our family's favorite German white wine. Chilled and dressed up with some fancy ribbons, a gifted bottle of wine could even come with some new wine glasses (like the simple and inexpensive ones at IKEA).
  
  You can also use coupons to get some delicious consumables this time of year, like the Lindt chocolates that frequently go on sale combined with the $1/1 coupons that come out every holiday occasion. (Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter...but if you ask me, who needs a holiday occasion for Lindt?) And the term "consumables" doesn't necessarily only apply to foods; one time I gifted my newly-married brother and sister-in-law with a huge collection of couponed toiletries and household staples -  toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning items, etc.

If you missed other posts in this series, check them out!

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Idea for Those Who Have Everything!

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas For Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Give Experiences!

If you're scratching your head this year trying to come up with gift ideas for those in your life who seem to have all of their needs (and even wants!) covered, we have a few ideas for you. This is part of our series running this week on Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything!
 
Today's Budget-Friendly Gift Idea:

• Give Experiences. Restaurant gift certificates, an offer on your part to do babysitting, a night at a nearby bed and breakfast, a couple of tickets to an amusement park, a concert or evening with a comedy tour. The possibilities are endless! Think about creative ways that you can spur and/or enable the recipient(s) to get out. As an example, earlier this year we gave my dad a gift certificate to Wolf Trap so that he could pick any show or performer(s) that he wanted to see and take my mom along, too.
  
  One budget-friendly way to do this is to keep an eye on the deals from Restaurant.com on restaurant gift certificates. You can score some from anywhere around 60-80% off of the face value (today's example is 80% off with coupon code JOY, making $25 certificates only $2, expires Sunday 12/12 - thanks Frugal Coupon Mom!), which makes a fantastic value on an evening out. A few dollars' investment for you could translate to a very large discount for them.
  
  Be sure that a camera joins your recipients on the outing so that they can look back and savor the memories!

If you missed parts of the series, check them all out:

• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 1: Experiences 
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 2: Consumables
• Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Have Everything, Part 3: Discounts

Report from the Field: Kohl's $10 Gift Card FREEBIE, Results in Near-Free Jewelry!

A couple of days ago I received a Kohl's $10 freebie card in my mailbox - this is a card that you can use on any purchase of at least $10 pre-tax value. SWEET. I love it when these come around. They are usually cellophaned onto a larger flyer/brochure from Kohl's so keep your eyes peeled. The $10 coupon is good today and the next three days, if memory serves me rightly. I usually consider it a nice little challenge - how little can I get away with paying while still hitting the $10 threshold to use the card?

I stopped at Kohl's today after another errand since it was on the way home, and to my great delight they had a fairly big jewelry sale going on. Tables of genuine diamond chip sterling silver and gold-plated jewelry in presentation boxes - originally marked around $80-$90 - down to around $20. If you had a niece or other lady in your life who might appreciate those, the $10 gift card would make them just $10!

There were also racks featuring stuffed Dr. Seuss characters like the Grinch and the Grinch's dog (name escaping me at the moment...was it Max?). These, along with copies of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! were just $5 each - so someone with the $10 coupon could get a couple of fun kids' gifts for free. Niiiiice.

This time, I ended up selecting a pair of Dana Buchman clip rhinestone earrings - my mother-in-law wears clip earrings since her ears aren't pierced, and sometimes clip earrings can be tough to find. They were originally $16, marked down to $10.40. I paid the $0.40 plus a few pennies tax for a little bling bling to brighten her Christmas.

At checkout, I noticed that the gal in front of me was using both a recently-mailed Kohl's 15% off coupon AND a $10 coupon. When I asked, the cashier confirmed that you could use both a cash coupon ($10) and a percent-off coupon (%) in combination with each other. Wow! Wish I had known that, though it would have saved me only $1.50ish off of my earrings, leaving me to troll the clearance racks with an increasingly cranky baby for some item valued at about that amount in order to meet my $10 threshold.

Did YOU receive this $10 card? What did you use it to buy - something fun for yourself? A stocking stuffer or two?

Entertainment Book: $10 off & free standard shipping for 2011 book!

Go through Ebates first to get an additional 35% cash back, then click here to buy a 2011 Entertainment Book for $10 off - so that's $25 instead of $35, plus free shipping!

As a disclaimer, if you sign up for Ebates under our Ebates link (here), we will receive cash back thanks to you. You'll receive a starting bonus, too!

5 Reasons to Visit Giant This Week - Dollar Doublers, W00T! 12/3 - 12/9

Dollar Doublers are back at Giant this week! Keep the ones in your mailed ad, because the in-store ads almost never have the doublers attached. If you're especially ambitious, you might ping your friends and neighbors to see if they're using theirs. Each batch you salvage could get you up to $8 savings!
Feel free to post a comment with a coupon tip if you snag any hot freebies or super deals using your dollar doublers. :o)

1. Clementines are back in action @$4.77 for a 5 lb. box!
2. Broccoli Crowns or Bunched Broccoli, $0.88/lb. (Save $0.61/lb.)
3. SUPER G Homestyle Roasting Chicken, $0.99/lb. This is rock bottom per pound pricing for standard whole chicken!
4. New York Strip Steak, $5.99/lb. (Save at least $4/lb.)
5. Turkey Hill Ice Cream, 2/$5 (Save at least $0.98/2)
   $1/2, 11/07 RP
   Final price, if dollar doubled: 2/$3

Other Reasons to Visit Giant This Week:

Fresh Pork Tenderloin, BOGO (Save at least $5.99/lb.)

Hormel Black Label Sliced Bacon, BOGO (Save at least $5.99)

Fresh Pork Shoulder Picnic, $0.99/lb. (Save $0.70/lb.)

Starkist Solid White Tuna (water or oil), 10/$10 (Save at least $0.59/can)\
Starkist.com advertises coupons for those who sign up

Bunch Collard or Kale, $0.79/lb. (Save $0.10/lb.) - I made kale sauteed with bacon, onions and mushrooms for Thanksgiving. It was a great way to get in some flavorful greens. :)

Giant Cut Baby Peeled Carrots, BOGO

Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup, 10/$10 (Save $0.50/can)
$1/4 Facebook coupon
$1/4, 10/24 SS, 11/14 GM
Final price when dollar doubled: $0.50/can!
San Giorgio Pasta, 10/$10
$0.55/1 SG Quick Cook, 10/03 SS
Final price: If the Quick Cook is included in the sale, this could be free

Entenmann's, BOGO

Kellogg's Cereal, 2/$4
Rice Krispies
Froot Loops
Apple Jacks
Cinnabon
Frosted Flakes
Corn Flakes
Smorz
Eggo
Corn Pops
Cocoa Krispies
$1.50/3, 11/14 RP
$1.50/3, $1/2 coupons at the Kellogg's site
Final price: If you dollar double a $1/2, you'll get them for $1/box

DiGiorno Pizza or California Pizza Kitchen 2/$10 (Save $1.58/2)
$1/1 DiGiorno and $1/1 CPK, 11/14 RP
Final price, if dollar doubled: $3/ea.
$1.50/1 CPK
Final price: $3.50


***

This post is part of BeCentsAble's Grocery Gathering

What other Giant coupon matchups and deals did you spot for the coming week? Did we make any deal-calculating hiccups? Post a comment to let us know!  

5 Reasons to Visit Safeway this week 12/1 - 12/7

Is anyone else having trouble writing "12" when penning a date? Hard to believe it's December!

Safeway's ads are chock full of Super Coupons and sale prices this week.  For some reason I have two different ads that came in today's Washington Post.  Woot!

There's a promotion running through 12/7: Spend $75 or more in a single transaction using your Club Card and earn a $10 holiday reward coupon to use on your next shopping trip through 12/17.  There is a long list of exclusions so please check the ad or ask in store before getting your hopes up - it appears that $75 needs to be the total after any discounts or coupons have been subtracted.

Here are 5 Reasons to Visit Safeway this week, 12/1 - 12/7:
1.  Produce!
Florida Red Grapefruit, 4 for $1
Red, White or Russet Potatoes, $.79/lb.
Red Seedless Grapes, $.99/lb. (Fri. - Mon. only)
Large Hass Avocados, 4 for $5
Large Mangos, 4 for $5
Assorted Pears, $1.49/lb.

Italian Green Zucchini or Yellow Squash, $1.49/lb.
Tomatoes on the Vine, $1.49/lb.
Long English Hot House Cucumbers, 2 for $3
Sweet Whole Pineapple, $1.88

2.  Milk and Eggs!
Lucerne Milk, $2.69/gallon
Lucerne Large Eggs, $.99/dozen.  Limit 2.

3.   Meat and seafood!
Safeway Split Chicken Breast, $.99/lb. in Extreme Value Pack
Pork Shoulder Blade Roast, $1.49/lb.
Rancher's Reserve Beef New York Strip Steak, $4.99/lb. in Extreme Value Pack
Scottish Salmon Fillets, $5.99/lb. in Extreme Value Pack

4.   Classico Pasta Sauce, $1.27.  Limit 4.  
Use the $1.00/2 Classico Alfredo Sauces 11/21/2010 SS MFC to get 2 Alfredo sauces for $1.54!


5.  Super Coupon Items
Pasta or Rice a Roni, $.89.  Limit 10.
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, $1.49 each with Super Coupon.  Limit 4.
Save $.50/2 with this Safeway Club Card coupon and use a printable $.50/2 coupon to get 2 for $1.50!
My husband loves Crescent rolls so I'll likely buy some of these to have around for the holidays.
Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved Lunchmeat, $1.99.  Limit 5.
Lucerne Chunk or Shredded Cheese, 16 oz., $2.49.  Limit 3.

Starkist Tuna, $.88.  Limit 6.