I receive quite a few questions about coupons on meat. My favorites are wine tags. Something new to me, they don't have them available in my state...we are a "packaged goods" state, where wine is not sold in regular grocery stores.

Surprisingly, most wine tags, or at least the ones I receive, don't require the purchase of wine! Due to the numerous laws regarding wine purchases, sales, and promotions...many wine tags are simply coupons for other items, like $2 on ANY BEEF...no brand specification, no wine purchase, and few limitations.

To learn more about wine tags, and whether or not you might find them in your own local stores, check out our latest article at GroceryCouponGuide.com...

Okay, so I have a bundle of coupons for hair coloring, but I was more focused on finding the right hair color than getting a bargain.

I chose what seemed to be the easiest and less, um...noticeable-in-case-of-failure product...Clairol Natural Instincts.

It WAS easy to apply. It took FOREVER to rinse "until water runs clear". Did I mention I have LONG red hair?

The hair is great, the color, well, since my hair was previously colored, I probably should have done the roots first, then pulled through to the ends. But since I wasn't sure it was a real color match, I followed the instructions and started at the roots.

The overall color is nice. A bit redder than usual (except the roots, which are perfect), and not quite as much coverage of the one white streak I have. Then again, the box says to use a different product for coloring major grays (it's NOT gray! It's White!)

Overall...yes, I'd do it again. Maybe a different product, different color, but I can afford to try a few different things. And $5 - 10 versus $120 or so every six weeks, definitely fits into the savings challenge.

How well it holds up...TBD. But my hair feels BETTER than usual.

So this week's saving challenge, I'm calling a success.

Jen, how did yours go?

Well, I was happy that Kashi sent a second packet of their promotional coupons after I told them mine went in sixty seconds.

And, even though it's almost impossible to get a "FREE" product coupon accepted around here (coupon fraud worries, no printables, no frees)...it's a bit humbling to give away dozens of FREE product coupons. Hoping it's $$$ saved for people learning to save.

I received a really nice surprise in today's mail. Kashi sent -- 6 FREE PRODUCT coupons! The promo packets only had one free product coupon, and 5 $1.50 off one item coupons, and receiving a second set to share was nice.

But, by giving away that one free product coupon...I've received 7 more!.

What goes around does come around, and what you give does come back abundantly...just not usually in coupons!

How long does it take two doctors to fill four welcome packets and one coupon train?

Five hours!

Seriously.

Why? Well, we want to do a good job, ensure that everyone gets their wish lists filled, and, well, there are THAT many coupons!!!

DH did kick me out of the room for an hour while he focused on one list.

Nothing quite like playing Santa!

So...debtfreeme, kashi, amorphous02, garthbarth1, and the Northeaster train...watch for snail mail envelopes!

Eddie Bauer is having their summer clearance, actually ENDING their clearance (and it's only July!). To mark the occasion, they are offering a $25 g/c for any $75 purchase. Add in the 50 - 70% savings...and that's my deal of the day.

Now...do I NEED anything...no. But hopefully someone else can use the info!

http://www.eddiebauer.com/eb/default.asp

Last week I placed my quarterly order with drugstore.com. They have a quarterly 5% back, plus it was gold card week for GNC items...and I went through eBates for another 5%. Several items we still can't purchase locally...

And, they had a offer, buy two soy nation products, get a $50 sample pack of all the different products they offer. It "sounded" reasonable.

I received it today. Whomever priced this at $50 worth of samples...well, hmmm...let's say I have NO interest in buying anything that would be THAT expensive. I'd have just said free samples myself.

I usually like drugstore.com's free with purchases. I'm adjusting to their new online manufacturer coupons...albeit I have not used one! And their online manufacturer rebates...well, okay, maybe.

But, this was a WASTE of my money. I purchased two packs of soy protein nutrition bars to get the sample pack, and yes, we do eat protein bars every day. But soy protein is not optimal, and we already know our favorite bars.

I KNEW better, if it's too good to be true to it usually is...but curiousity and savings greed got the best of me.

Yes, SAVINGS GREED. The greedy obsession to SAVE, even if you don't need to.

S-H-A-M-E.

We all make mistakes. We all learn (hopefully).

So, on to the next saving adventure.

Zoe Foods is running their promotion again, Break the Donut Rut.

Last year they sent me two large boxes of granola bars, and several dozen small bags of granola, healthy and delicious. Loads of coupons, too, plus a coupon on every bag.

The bars weren't my favorite, but the granola was YUMMY.


http://www.zoefoods.com/cooking/promo/index.html


Break the Donut Rut With Complimentary Zoe's Cereals and Bars!

Break the Donut Rut - bring healthy snacks to your next office meeting courtesy of Zoe Foods. Change the sugar blues to whole grain energy with complimentary Zoe's Bars or Cereals for your next office meeting. On company letterhead, please fax Zoe Foods at 781-453- 9990, or send an email from your office email address. Tell us that you want to break the donut rut and serve Zoe's cereals or bars instead! Please remember to include your name, email, company shipping address and telephone number (for UPS).

or at least scored equally.

The Cornucopia organization recently released a report rating the quality of commercially available organic milks. While the article is quite long (38 pages), the alphatical scorecard is available at:

Well, I'm continuing to reap the rewards for an hour of emailing organic manufacturers a week or two ago.

From Hain Celestial Group -- 10 coupons, including some FREE products,

from Bolthouse Farms, two 50 cents off coupons,

and from After The Fall, two $1 off coupons, which is a great discount on their juices!

So, to Jeffrey, who noted that US stores are full of JUNK FOOD (we have an equal number of junk food coupons to match!), yes, good coupons are available on healthy, organic foods, too! And frankly, almost EASIER to find, no digging through inserts, and no "thanks for playing" emails from the companies who can afford to mass market their coupons in other venues and can't afford to respond to every coupon request they receive.

Of course, many kudos to the mass marketers, too, we all appreciate their coupons, and those inserts are fairly important.

It's important to have a balance, though, and for those of us who do try to maintain a more natural, organic, or simply healthy lifestyle, and support the organic farmers, it's nice to know they are supporting us right back. Full circle.

Dinner tonight -- using up the remains of the lettuce (romaine and baby greens) and tomatos from the burger fests. Toss in some olives, corn, fritos, cilantro dressing (aging), sour cream (also aging), shredded cheese from the freezer...this and that...and O organic kidney or black beans, from the $1 O coupons (5 cents or less!).

Add in some flour tortillas from the freezer, they thaw right out without sticking on the defrost microwave setting...hmm, who knew it had more than one power with the LoL cheese and more aging non fat sour cream...voila! dinner.

Tomorrow, well, I'd really like to do some manicotti, but I need to fry up chicken for a meal first, as I use the left overs for manicotti. Nonfat ricotta, handmade traditional pancake wraps...sigh.

But for today, the Corgi went to the vet, and he has a TREATMENT twice a day for pink eye (thanks sis!), and tomorrow, dentist. for a quiet week...it isn't!