Swagbucks

Have you heard about swagbucks? Basically when you use them as a search engine, you earn free stuff! If you refer people to the site, you also earn points toward free stuff. Click this link and register.

Why I hate private label diapers

Lately I have been getting my daughter's pull ups for free or almost free at Rite Aid and Walgreens. They just aren't as good as Huggies Pull Ups. They aren't constructed the same way, and they don't have the same material on the inside. Are Huggies really $3-4 more expensive per pack in the way that they are made? I really don't think so. As a clothing buyer, I can tell you that the pants in my store are made in the same factories as pants for the Gap, Ann Taylor, and other well known stores. My private label pants have the same materials, trims, and workmanship as those other stores. So why can't the private label training pants / diapers be more like Huggies? They would make a killing! Every mother in America hates buying diapers. They are expensive, smelly, and add to landfills. But for Moms like me, that work full time and have 3 children, they are my only option. I need cheap diapers that work!

When I put a private label pull up on my daughter at night, there is a 50/50 chance that it will leak by morning. I'd say with Huggies pull ups, there is about a 10% chance of leaking overnight. The private label pull ups are cut smaller and are less absorbent. If my daughter's pull up leaks, the sheets and blankets get wet, her pj's get wet, and she wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Not good! Then the next day we have cranky mommy and cranky 2 yr old.

My daughter has even asked me to only buy pull ups with the princesses on them. The Huggies pull ups have Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Snow White and other assorted Disney characters. Cinderella is my daughter's favorite. The generic princesses from Walgreen's just aren't the same and she is not fooled!

Today I went to Walgreens where Huggies Pull Ups are on sale for $9.99 a pack. I bought 2 and used 2 internet coupons for $2 off per pack. Not bad at $7.99 per pack, but not free! Yesterday at CVS.com there was an ad for Pampers diapers and pull ups on sale for $8.99, and get $5 in ECB's back. Unfortunately my blogger friends who went and tried this deal did not get the $5 ECBs in the store, and today that page is gone from the CVS web site. Too bad, as that would have been a great deal. I think CVS needs to get their act together.

So goodbye private label diapers! We are done! Now I really need to focus on potty training.....

Dollar Tree / Private Label Sunscreen

Yesterday I went to the Dollar Tree looking for cheap pool and beach toys. They had some great stuff! I got a Little Mermaid swim ring and beach ball, Finding Nemo swim ring and beach ball, a water football for the pool, plastic cups with red, white, and blue stars, pack of 4 diving sticks, a Softsoap pump, and some shaving cream. The diving sticks ended up in the bathtub last night and were a big hit.

They also had quite a bit of private label sunscreen. I didn't buy any of it because I recently got a great deal on brand name sunscreen at Rite Aid and CVS. And I have to wonder, is private label sunscreen as good as Neutrogen, Banana Boat or Coppertone? Will it protect my children from getting a sunburn? I don't think that's a risk I am willing to take. Now probably it is made all in the same factories as the name brand, and it's probably all the same stuff, but what if its not? That's not a chance I want to take with my children's health.

Brusters Ice Cream

Click this link to get some $.99 kid sundaes at Brusters!

My kids love Brusters, but it can get expensive for all 5 of us to go out for ice cream.

Old Navy coupon crazy

Sometime today, Old Navy's website http://www.oldnavyweekly.com/ will reload a bunch of great coupons. Some of them will be $75 off $100 purchase! They have been doing this for the past couple of weeks. You have to click around the site to find the coupons, and the good ones go fast. Some of my mommie blogger friends have been staying up all night to try to be the first ones to get the good coupons. As of 7:27am the site has not been reloaded. Now you would have to offer me more than $75 to stay up all night!

Food Lion Private brand super sale!

My husband writes a private label blog --- you can click on the link on the right and check it out. He recently posted how you can save up to $10 at Food Lion by buying their private label products. Here's his post copied below:

Yesterday, Food Lion (my former employer) began a Private Brand sales promotion called the “Food Lion Private Brand Super Sale.” The sale will run from May 27 through June 23. Shoppers who purchase a minimum of 4 (maximum of 40) Food Lion Brand Products in one shopping visit. (All Food Lion Brand items are eligible except fresh meat, produce and random weight Deli/Bakery items) will receive up to $10 in Food Lion Coupons at checkout. Coupons are redeemable on your next shopping order.

4 Products = $1.00
6 Products = $1.50
8 Products = $2.00
10 Products = $2.50
20 Products = $5.00
40 Products = $10.00

This could be an exciting introduction to Food Lion Brand products for customers that are accustomed to the loyalty card based promotions. Many of which have become staples of the Food Lion promotional mix.

Triple coupons at Harris Teeter!

I love it when I saved more than I spent! Today I saved $44.71 in coupons, and spent $39.47 out of pocket. You can only triple 20 coupons per day. In today's trip I bought mostly cleaning products and paper products. I got free (after coupon) Mentos gum and Dawn diswashing liquid. Most of my other items were between $.25 - $1.99 each after the triple coupons.