How to Shop on Black Friday:

A few years ago I wrote a post of the must do’s when shopping Black Friday. Some people may say STAY AWAY. I have seen trends this year of Stores doing more Early Black Friday Sales to get people in the doors to shop. Some stores are actually beginning their sales on Thursday! In 2011 I shopped online on Thanksgiving. There were many sites have 50% off sales, and free shipping no matter the order amount! Some stores that I shopped, Walmart, Gymboree, The Children’s Place and THE Limited were my favorites last year.  This year I am going to add a couple more tips and tricks! Don’t forget there is Cyber Monday deals as well.

Smart Phone user?  Use your phone to find Coupons for stores you shop. This is a great time saver. Not all stores will honor this method, but more and more stores are offering this option.

Check in option on Facebook get discounts this way as well.

1. Make a PLAN before  Shopping Black Friday. You might want to hit the stores that you think will be less busy first. Or pick the stores with the items you want the most.

2. Take a friend. One shops, while one stays in line for the checkout. One year I was crazy enough to go to Toys R’ Us, and waited in check out line FOREVER!

3. Bring snacks, water, etc.. unless you want to go get a snack at a fast food restaurant while out shopping.

4. LEAVE KIDS at home!

5.  Make sure you have a safe place to keep receipts. Some buys might be impulsive, because everyone else is in the spending mode, you might fall into the trap to buy because it is a good deal. Then regret it later.

6. Be comfy, don’t go for style. Make sure you have warm clothes, etc.. because you could be forced to wait inline outside the store in the cold.

7. Have fun, don’t be mad if you don’t get your item. There will always be another deal.

Victoria’s Secret Rewards

Get Victoria’s Secret Rewards Card. Guaranteed to be worth at least $10. Could be worth up to $500. Spend $10 at Victoria’s Secret, and then you get a Secret Reward Card. This offer goes through December 4, 2013. Cards will be able to be redeemed December 5 – 20, 2013. 

There is a new coupon to print for Butterball Turkey Printable Coupons, save $3 off. Plus, sign up for Saving Star, and Save an additional $3 off your Butterball Turkey purchase! (plus purchase 4 sides)

This is for a Total of $6!

Sign up for Saving Star click below banner!

After you sign up, link up you Homeland Savings card, Kroger, CVS, and other loyalty cards. Then chose your eCoupons. No Clipping, and when you have $5 or more redeem for Cash or Amazon Gift Cards! <— Great way to stretch the budget this holiday!

Print your $3.00 off Butterball Turkey w/purch. of 4 sides, below are more coupons to use in combination with Saving Star!

Healthy Living Story

When I applied to be in the Homeland Healthy Challenge, I was already trying on my own to lose weight, and slowly making changes to my diet and exercising routine. I started eating better, (not perfect but better) and running. Yes, I said running. I have never been a runner (EVER!) But, I can now say I am a runner.  Even when I was thin, I couldn’t run a minute without running out of breath! I began running, as soon as I changed my thinking to get healthy and make better lifestyle choices, back in August after school started. I didn’t wait for the Challenge to begin, I wanted to get started right aways, as there was no guarantee that I would even be picked! I started charting my weight on September 4. I am kind of a numbers girl, and it is hard to not score board watch, but I do anyways. I know with me, that if I don’t keep accountable, I will spiral out of control.  I record my weight 2 times a week on Saturday and Wednesday. Then, the Challenge begins on October 5, 2013.

What I have learned so far, this time around in my weight loss journey is to enjoy every small victory. Be happy with who I am, and what God created me to be. I have learned, that I need to not starve myself, and I need to eat when I am hungry, and not just because it is time to eat. I also need to eat small snacks throughout the day. I would like to say, it used to be my addiction, but once an addict always an addict, and I am trying to gain control my addiction and my body’s reaction to sugar. Hopefully, what I have learned can help you if you struggle with food addiction. Yes, food tries control on me, it is my addiction.

So, this time I am stepping up my game. Thanks, to Homelands nutritionist and to Title Boxing of Edmond, I have added Boxing to my weekly routine and am continuing to run, and I am proud to say I can run a 5K in around 38 minutes and I am learning how to Box. I am also, down 10.6 pounds (as of 4 weeks into the challenge). I am on my way to my weight loss goals. ( I would like to lose about 38 more pounds)

I can confidently say, I am feeling amazing. I love running, Boxing class, and have a ton of energy. The battle of the food is getting much easier, I have cut out sugary foods such as cookies, ice cream, candy, and so called junk food. After a few weeks of cutting these items out of my diet, I really don’t crave anything sweet and sugary like I did before. Another important thing I am focusing on is my mental game, and working on having more fun.

Something I never gained control over in the past, when I was on various weight loss programs, is losing weight and having fun. I would diet and HATE it. If I went out with friends I would be consumed with my diet, that I wouldn’t have any fun! I would stay home to avoid temptation of food and alcohol. My circle was very small, boring and depressing. I lost weight, but in the end I went back to my old ways. I didn’t learn how to have the lifestyle of being healthy. I just learned a diet, which my lifestyle was not willing to sustain.

This time is different, this is now a lifestyle. I am focusing on being happy and loving myself now, by changing my weight if I am not happy where I am now, I will not be happy no matter what I weight. I have recognized this as a problem as when I was thinner back in 2010, when I dieted and had absolutely NO fun, I hated the diet, but results were awesome but my mental game and lifestyle after the diet didn’t change and I still had the “I am fat” mentality. Becoming thin, didn’t make me happy and gained 50 pounds. This time around, I can and I will. No excuses.

For more details, read my first post before I began this challenge! Click Here for the Homeland Healthy Challenge

Looking for the best Walmart Coupon Matchups and deals? Checkout the list below. Print Coupons, find coupon matchups from your current coupon inserts and more. Did you know Walmart allows overage? Be sure to bookmark this page, it is updated weekly.

For all printable coupons <——

Did you know Walmart is doing layaway again this year to help you budget for the holiday season. Read more about Walmarts Layaway Click Here. You can add things to Layaway with no fee, and just pay a $10 or 10% off your purchase, whichever is greater. Deadline to get items out of layaway is December 13, 2013. Layaway great to use if you are trying to “hide” packages from your kids or spouse (ha!)

Are you familiar with OG&E Wind Power Energy Program, the alternative source of energy for your residential home? As part of the Oklahoma Energy recently have been educated on the importance of Wind Power, and we all know we live in a perfect state! As Oklahoma is can be on the windy side.

My biggest question was, if I were to use Wind Power as an alternative energy source, would I have to have any fancy equipment installed in my home. Well, the answer is NO. According to reviews, you will not be able to tell a difference between Wind Power Energy usage and traditional energy usage.

If the day is not windy, then alternate energy source is used. To help save energy, wind energy is the way to go. Have you seen the big wind energy turbine equipment on the highways? I am always amazed at how large they are, and how that piece of equipment is helping save people money, helping the environment and creating jobs in Oklahoma.

Just enroll, and you are done. The program does cost a few dollars, but you can easily save money throughout the year with OG&E smart hours program to help off set the cost. By signing up for Wind Power, you will be eliminating nine tons of emissions from the air. This is based on the average customer that purchases as little as 1,000 kWh of wind power for every month, of the course of one year.

Interested in learning more about Wind Power? Read OG&E’s Wind Power fact page for more information.

Right now, you can sign up for OG&E Wind Power program you can pick your school to support and have a chance to win tickets to an OU or OSU game! In the “Who has More Fan Power?” For more information on this contest, checkout the OG&E Fan Page!  You pick which wind farm you want to support, the OU Spirit wind farm or the OSU Cowboy wind farm. The school with the most wind power will be announced at the Bedlam game on December 7, 2013.

Disclosure: Compensation for this post was provided by OG&E. Opinions expressed here are my own.

If you don’t have time to make your own, you can save $1.00 off any two Swanson Broth or Stock, 26 oz <— this coupon is good until 12/20/13!

Sale TODAY ONLY for $5 Baby Costumes!

I love Old Navy Baby Costumes! They are now $5, for TODAY ONLY! In Store!

Other Costumes and Halloween items will be 50% off now through October 27! What a great day to head to Old Navy if you need a costume for your baby!

Want to see the costume selection online? Also, shop online and save 20% off using code: ONEXTRA20 <—- click here!

SmashBurger Coupons

Do you like SmashBurger? Save right now, using your smart phone. Download this Savings App <—– (you will also be able to use this app at other stores you shop!) If you have other SmashBurger coupons, you can use them too, right at the register!

Purchase all or just one products; shake, fries, Chicken Sandwich or a SmashBurger and save up to $2.25! You must have your receipt, and take a picture of it with your smart phone. You will get Cash Back, so it is not instant savings. But, with your cash back you can save it up for up coming Christmas gifts!

NOW AVAILABLE TO USE AT HOMELAND and COUNTRY MART!

Sign up for Ibotta and use at Homeland Grocery Store! This is a new program, that new people who sign up for Ibotta will get $10 when they sign up.

Link your Homeland Number, to your Ibotta Account, and you will get the offers you chose to redeem instantly at checkout. No need to take a picture of your receipt!

I have been using Ibotta for a while now at Target, Whole Foods and at Sam’s. It is super easy, and you get cash back. This is a great way to start saving for Christmas!
Put cash in your pocket with every shopping trip. Download the free app from Ibotta.com Click Here