Saturday Movie Review: To Rent of Not To Rent

This week I got: The Bounty Hunter from the library.

I heard very bad reviews about this movie, but I am a BIG Jennifer Aniston fan, so I still wanted to check it out.

The movie stars Gerard Butler (Milo) who is now a bounty hunter after leaving the police force when his 9 month marriage to Jennifer Aniston (Nicole) goes soar. Milo learns that his next target is his ex-wife. He thinks how easy it will be to get his $5,000 reward. Nicole works for a newspaper and is in the middle of cracking a big case. The movie has a handful of funny scenes, and both get tied up to the bed, but at different times. They end up reconnecting one night while they are hiding out at the bed and breakfast they honeymooned at. They end up solving Nicole's murder mystery case together. Milo does bring her in to jail and the movie ends with them once again as a couple, a couple in jail together that is.

My husband and I both thought the movie was pretty good. Definitely worth a movie rental night. Enjoy!

Congratulations

Congrats to Laura who won the $25 Target Gift Card. Gift Card #4 will be up over the weekend- so check back soon. Enjoy!

How Much Will Your Wedding Cost?

I have found a great new website to help you figure out on average how much money you need for your wedding. Check out: Cost of Wedding. The wedding cost estimator here, lets you answer 15 questions on what kind of wedding you are planning.

I did the cost estimator and it said "for my area. the number of guests (150-200), and the items selected, the estimated wedding cost is between $33,679 and $56,131 for a Formal wedding."

I think this gives a very good estimate. There are always ways to save and many DIY projects, but I think many brides have unrealistic ideas of what their dream wedding will cost.

If you have been following Saving Money for a Wedding over the years, you will see that there are many ways to save money on an everyday basis as well as for your wedding.

Try the calculator out. Next month I will be featuring cost estimates for each area of your wedding to help give you a better idea and budgeting strategies..Enjoy!

Publix: Deals 7/29-8/4

The Publix deals this week are great and they are also running "Buy Theirs Get Ours Promo". If you buy the National Brand Product you will get the corresponding Publix brand for FREE. Here is what you can get this week: Mott’s Apple Juice, Sunmaid Raisins, Barnums Animals Crackers.


Here are the weekly deals:


Kellogg’s Pop Tarts, 13.5-15.2 oz boxes, BOGO $2.39
-$1/2 Kellogg's Pop Tarts printable coupon here
-There is also a tearpad with the coupon: Free Kellogg’s Pop-tarts Ice Cream Shoppe when you buy TWO Kellogg’s cereal, 12 oz.+


Nature Valley Granola Bars, Trail Mix Bars or Fiber One Chewy Bars, 14.1 oz boxes, BOGO $5.49 *Stock up price if you find two $2/1 peelies*
-There are peelies on some boxes for: $2/1 Nature Valley Granola Bars Value Size, any flavor/variety


Sprout Organic Baby Food, 3.5oz pkg, BOGO 99¢ (I don't have a baby, but my niece loves these) *Stock Up Price since it is FREE*
-Use the BOGO FREE coupon from the Publix Smart Savings Booklet to get 2 FREE packs


Yoplait Go-gurt Portable Yogurt, 8-pk. 2.25-oz tube, BOGO $2.79
-$1/1 Go-gurt printable coupon here


Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt or Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream, 1 pt, BOGO $3.79
-$1/1 Starbucks ice cream printable coupon here


Sabra Hummus, 10 oz pkg, 2/$5 *Stock Up Price*
-$1/1 Sabra coupon from the Smart Source Sunday paper 6/27/2010 Insert


Kellogg’s Special K Cereal 15.5 to 18 oz box (excluding low fat granola), $2.99
-$1/2 Special K printable coupon here
*-There is also a tearpad with the coupon: Free Kellogg’s Pop-tarts Ice Cream Shoppe when you buy TWO Kellogg’s cereal, 12 oz.+** Use these coupons together!!


There are loads of deals this week, but it all depends on what you need to stock up on and what you will actually use. Enjoy!

Baskin Robbins: BOGO

Buy One Regular Soft Serve Cone and get another one FREE at Baskin Robbins. Coupon good through 8/8/10, so this should come in handy. Print your coupon here..Enjoy!

Finding your wedding dress size

Are you in the wedding dress shopping faze? Many of my friends are now engaged and shopping all over for their perfect dress. A great reason to shop at the David's Bridals of the world is their stock. You will notice when you go into bridal boutique shops that they only carry a dress in a certain size. They will pin and clip you all up to show you how it will fit, and your Bridal Dress will be a custom order and you will not be able to try on your exact size until your dress arrives. Another issue is once your dress arrives, if you didn't give yourself enough time, and there is an issue with your dress, you don't have time to ship it back to the designer to get a new one.

You won't have these issues at David's Bridal, as they have many dress sizes in stock and since they have many locations- you can always find your size. They will still order you a BRAND NEW DRESS, but at least you will see exactly how it will fit(without all those extra clips). Happy Shopping...Enjoy!

$25 Target Gift Card ENDS Tonight!!

Make sure you enter the $25 Target Gift Card giveaway here..Get your comments in by tonight..Enjoy!

Monday's Healthy Tip

I am bringing back Monday's Healthy Meals and Get Fit Tips.

This week- there is a great FREE online cookbook "The Ultimate List of Healthy Snacks: 40 Healthy Snack Recipes" from FaveDiets.com.

The Vegetable Hummus looks delicious. Enjoy!

CVS: FREE Wedding Photo Album

Starting today, CVS has an AWESOME Deal for a FREE Photo Book, aka FREE WEDDING Photo Book for all the brides out there.

You need to have a CVS card. Purchase a photo book for $7.99 and get $7.99 back in Extra Care Bucks(these Bucks don't expire for a month). It says limit 1, but usually the limit is higher. After you purchase your first book, check the bottom of the receipt to see if it says "offer limit reached" or if you are allowed more.

These photo books would be great for parent/grandparent wedding photo albums. I made a ton last year for my family. Enjoy!

Blockbuster Express FREE Codes

Here are two Blockbuster Express FREE Movie Codes:

These codes can be used once per debit/credit card, they expire July 30th!

GL15A
GT17A

Find a Kiosk near you here...The ones around me are all in Publix.

These codes will not work in all locations, so just a heads up..Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent of Not To Rent

This week I got When in Rome from the library.

Kristen Bell and John Duhamel are the stars of this romantic movie and they did make the movie for me. Beth (Kristen) is very unlucky in love and is career driven. She heads to Rome to attend her younger sisters wedding and gets interested in the best man Nick (Josh). After the wedding she sees Nick with another women and feels her bad luck is still there. She goes into the Fountain of Love, where others looking for love have thrown coins. She ends up taking other peoples coins, and this triggers the men of the coins to fall head over heals in love with Beth. One of the guys that falls for her is Nick. She thinks she took his coin from the Fountain and he is under her spell. Beth finally gives back all the coins to the men, except for Nick's. Well, turns out it wasn't his coin and he really did fall in love with her. They end up the same way they met- at a wedding, this time it is their own..and they live happily ever after.

It was a cute movie...Enjoy!

FREE Flip Flop Cookie

Stop into your local Cookies By Design for your FREE Flip Flop Cookie. I am not clear on how long this FREEBIE will last, so hurry in. These cookies are adorable and I can't wait to try them...Enjoy!

The Limited- $10 FREE

Stop in to The Limited now through Sunday to get a FREE $10 Fashion Cash Voucher to use on anything in the store. This coupon is not valid on sale/clearance items, but you should be able to get something for under $5 Out of pocket..Enjoy!

Publix Deals 7/22-7/28

There is not that much at Publix this week in my opinion. I listed a few stock up deals I see as worth going to the store for.


Chef Boyardee, 14.5 to 15-oz can, BOGO $1.49
-Use this $1.50/4 printable coupon here

Glade Candle, 4 oz jar or Scented Oil Candle Refills, 4 ct pkg, BOGO $3.49
-Use this $2/2 printable coupon here

Smart Balance Milk half gallon, 2/$5
-Use this $2/1 printable coupon here

Right Guard Sport Anti-Persprint and Deodorant, BOGO $2.79
* There should be a BOGO Right Guard coupon in this Sunday's Red Plum insert- If so, it would be a great time to STOCK UP on Deodorant.

Enjoy!

6 Essentials for your soul mate

There is a great article on Yahoo on what to look for in a soul mate.

I think you would all agree how important it is to marry your soul mate, at least I do.

Here are the six things to look for:

1. Values

2. Emotional health and maturity

3. Financial responsibility-Saving Money is a great way!

4.Physical appearance and fitness- now you see how important my weekly exercise tips were (I am planning on bringing them back =) )

5. Communication skills

6. Confidence

Read the full article here from Match.com on yahoo...Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

Last week I started talking about Weeds, Season 5. I should have stopped there last week, as I did not enjoy this season. In the past, I would look forward to every episode, but not this season. The story line with Nancy Botwin pregnant with Esteban's baby. Really??? Come on, Esteban makes Nancy feel like a prisoner all season, and now her sons Shane and Silas take over the "family business" of dealing.

Her brother in law, Andy is still head over heals in love with Nancy, and gets his name on the baby's birth certificate, as Esteban does not want to ruin his reputation.

It looks like Season 6 will be about Celia, the new dealer in town. The season ends with Celia looking a lot like Nancy. Season 5 was a rough one for Weeds, but hopefully Season 6 won't disappoint. If you are a Weeds fan and have been keeping up with the seasons, then by all means watch it, but I will wait to see Season 6, then decide if I am still a fan.

Are there any other great shows out there which you would recommend watching starting at Season 1? It has been a long summer with no great new shows on. I am always looking to start another series...Enjoy!

Congratulations...

Congratulations to Anne. She is the winner of the $25 Starbucks Gift Card..Thanks to everyone who entered.


Make sure you check out giveaway #3 for a $25 Target Gift Card. Giveaway ends 7/27...Enjoy!

Smoothie Deals for Summer

Two great deals on Smoothies....

Need an afternoon pick me up? Print a coupon here for $1 off any real fruit smoothie or frappe from McDonalds.

If you will be grabbing smoothies with a friend, head to Barnes and Nobles and use this Buy One Get One FREE coupon here. Exp. 7/19.

I love smoothies, especially on a hot day like today..Enjoy!

Office Max: 4 Freebies this week

Office Max has four FREEBIES this week after MaxPerks Rewards. Add any combination of the following items to your cart equaling $50 or more and shipping is free as well. Check out all the deals here. You do need to sign up for a Max account, but it is FREE. This deal is only available online..Enjoy!

Publix Deals 7/15- 7/21

Publix has a great ad coming this week. Here are some of the best deals and coupon match ups.


Kellogg’s Eggo Pancakes, BOGO $2.79
-$1/2 Eggo Frozen Products Red Plum coupon from 6/20/10
-$1/2 Eggo Frozen Products Publix Coupon from Red Plum 6/27/10

Dannon Activia Yogurt 4 pk 4 oz cup, 3/$6
-$1/1 Activia, 4 pk from Publix Smart Savings Booklet

Hebrew National Kosher All Beef Franks, BOGO $4.99
-$1/2 Hebrew National Beef Franks coupon from Red Plum 6/20/10

Kellogg’s FiberPlus Cereal, Antioxidants: Cinnamon Oat Crunch or Berry Yogurt Crunch, BOGO $3.99
-$1.00/1 Kellogg's FiberPlus Cereal printable here
-Buy One Get One FREE coupon from Target printable here (If your store accepts Target as a competitor)

Welch’s Grape Juice 64oz bottle, $2.99
-$1/1 Welch's printable coupon here

Tostitos Tortilla Chips 9 to 13oz bag (excludes Baked & Naturals), 2/$6
-Some bags have peelies on them for $2 off

Tostitos or Fritos Dip, 15 or 15.75 oz jar, 2/$6

Stouffer’s Family Size Entrées 28 to 40oz box, $3.99 * These are fabulous and are really big- we eat these for dinner for TWO night*
-$1/1 Stouffer's Family Size- printable coupon here (must sign up)

Bic Disposable Razors, 3 to 8-ct pkg BOGO $5.49
-$2/1 BIC Disposable Shaver coupon from Red Plum 6/27/2010
-$3/1 Bic Soleil Disposable Shaver coupon from Red Plum 7/11/2010 * Money Maker*


Let me know if you find any other great deals...Enjoy!

J Crew Bridesmaid Dresses

Last week I discussed bridesmaid dresses, long vs. short . I have recently discovered how many stores sell bridesmaid dresses, like J Crew and Ann Taylor. My friend Ashley is starting to look for her dresses for her bridesmaids and thought it was easier to pick a store like J Crew for her girls, then a local store by her. I just checked out all the cute dresses from J Crew and was so impressed. Here are some of my favorites- and ones I recommended to her.




The dresses are great for summer and fall weddings and come in great colors. Simple yet sophisticated...Enjoy!

Target $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome...Hopefully you entered the last two gift card giveaways on Saving Money for a Wedding. Remember every two weeks will be a new gift card giveaway. Enter all 4 giveaways for extra entries. For example, if you entered gift card giveaway #1, you will get an extra entry in this weeks gift card giveaway #3. If you entered gift card giveaway # 2, you will also get an extra entry in this weeks gift card giveaway #3. (Giveaway #2 $25 Starbucks GC will be announced later in the week).

The third gift card up for grabs is = $25 Target.


How to Win: Just tell me which stores you plan to register at for your wedding or which have you in the past for all the MRS. out there?

Each of the following will give you an extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

-Did you enter giveaway #1. If so, let me know!

-Did you enter giveaway #2. If so, let me know!

-Leave a comment on a Non-Giveaway post and let me know which post

-Add the Saving Money for a Wedding blog button

-Become a Blog follower

-Add Saving Money for a Wedding to your blog roll

-Post about this giveaway on your blog, linking back to Saving Money for a Wedding (2 extra entries)


Giveaway will end on Wednesday, July 27th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be picked randomly and I will send them an email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Good Luck and thank you for stopping by...Enjoy!

Maggiano's Wine Event

If you have a Maggiano's in your town, they are having wine tasting events all month long. You will try 9 different wines paired with Maggiano's favorite hors d'oeuvres.

You'll receive a "passport" for the evening with information about each wine and will take home your own Maggiano's wine glass. Call your local Maggiano's for more information and to reserve a spot. The price at my local restaurant is $40. It would make a great night out for you and your husband and who doesn't love wine and great hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy!

Bachelor Pad

If you are a big Bachelor fan like me, you sure don't want to miss the new show Bachelor Pad- starring 19 of the most unforgettable BACHELOR and BACHELORETTE. Series begins August 9th..Just a heads up now.

I have heard Jake is going to be making an appearance as well since his recent breakup with Vienna. Get all the details here on who is going to be on the show...Enjoy!

$25 Starbucks Giftcard ends TONIGHT!

Remember the $25 Starbucks Gift card giveaway ends tonight. Enter here for you chance to win. If you enter this giveaway, you will get an extra entry into giveaway #3, which starts later this week...Enjoy!

Free Slurpee 7/11

Get your FREE Slurpee today in honor of 7/11 at your 7-Eleven store...Get more details here. Starts at 8am until 11pm....Enjoy!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

Well I just picked up Weeds, Season 5 on Wednesday and I am through disk one(yes, stayed up late last night to watch). My husband and I have gotten all the seasons at our local library since we don't pay for Showtime.

See now we save money two ways( not paying for Showtime or to rent the DVDs)!!

I am not loving Season 5 as much so far, but if you are a Weeds fan, I would love to hear what you think.

I'll have a full season 5 of Weeds review up next Saturday. For now, I would suggest if you never have seen an episode, start with Season 1, it will make more sense..Enjoy!

Cow Appreciation Day @ Chick-Fil-A

If you can't decide on what to do for dinner, why not dress up like a cow at Chick-fil-A....Get all the details here on what counts as fully dressed as a cow...Enjoy!

Fast Food Meals

I read an interesting article today on Yahoo.com about the worst fast food meals in America. After reading this article, I felt like I probably need to change my eating out habits.

This looks so good, but sooooo bad for you:



WORST BURGER COMBO
Wendy’s Triple Baconator Combo Meal with small fries and small coke
1,850 calories
106 g fat (43 g saturated, 4 g trans)
2,790 mg sodium


Read the full article here...Enjoy!

FREE C.O. Bigelow Lip Product Tomorrow

If you are going to be at the mall tomorrow, I would suggest heading into Bath and Body Work during their exclusive C.O. Bigelow Lip in-store event Tomorrow only. Get a FREE C.O. Bigelow Lip Care item with any $10 purchase.


Choose from C.O. Bigelow Original Mentha, Ultra Mentha, Ultramint and Spearmint Lip Shine.
While supplies last. I would also bring this coupon for a FREE body care item(up to $12) with any $10 purchase. You might be able to get TWO Freebies with your $10 purchase...Enjoy!

Publix Deals 7/8- 7/14

This week is going by so fast, all day I kept thinking it was Wednesday, so I am very happy to realize it is Thursday already, which means a new Publix ad starts today.

I didn't find that many great deals this week, but here are a few of the best with coupon match-ups.

Eight O’ Clock Coffee, Assorted Varieties, 11 to 12 oz bag (excluding Decaf), BOGO $4.99 *Stock up Price*
-$2/2 printable coupon here

Glass Plus & Multi-Surface Cleaner, 32 oz bottle, BOGO $2.49
-$1/1 printable coupon here

Musselman’s Apple Sauce, 23 or 24 oz jar, BOGO $1.89 *Stock up Price*
-$0.75/1 Musselman’s Publix Smart Savings Booklet coupon

Nature’s Own Bread, 100% Whole Wheat, 20 oz loaf, BOGO $2.85
-$.75/1 printable coupon here

Luigi’s Italian Ice, 24 or 36 oz box, BOGO $2.99
-$0.50/1 Luigi’s Real Italian Ice Red Plum coupon from 5/16 and 6/27 Sunday's paper

Remember on BOGO's, use two coupons for even more savings.

I was happy I stocked up on Chicken and Meat last week. My fridge is full, but I'll probably do a quick run in for some of the BOGO's.

This week I listed *Stock up Price* next to the items that would be good to stock up on as they wont expire for a while and don't need to be refrigerated. .Enjoy!

Bridesmaid Dresses- Long Vs. Short

When deciding on long vs. short dresses for your bridesmaids, think of what you want for your wedding. It is your day and you get to make all the decisions( at least most of them). Think of the vision you want for your wedding photos.

Here are a few things to consider:
1. Are you having a formal or casual wedding? For formal go with long, less formal go with tea length and for casual go for short dresses.

2. What time of day are you getting married? For evening weddings you can go long or short, but for daytime, I think shorter is more common.

3. What season are your getting married in? Winter would be long dresses and summer would be short.

Now that the norm is established, you can make the decision.

My wedding was:
Formal
Evening
Summer

I chose long dresses for my girls since I had a black tie wedding, but I could of went either way since it was in the summer. Another thing to consider when picking out dresses for your girls (besides price) is if they can actually re-wear the dress. It is your day, you can go either way. Remember when your dear best friends get married, you will have to wear whatever they pick for you. It is great to be the bride...Enjoy!

Publix Kraft Sandwich Mayo 2 FREE

There is a great deal at Publix this week that is not in the ad. On the shelves, the Kraft Sandwich Mayo is BOGO for $1.99. In the Publix All American Savings Ad (June 26-July 16), there is a coupon on the front for $1 off the Kraft Sandwich Mayo. Use two coupons and get 2 bottles FREE. I am not sure how long this unadvertised BOGO deal will be going on, so I would hurry in and stock up.

There were 3 flavors at my store:

Hot & Spicy
Garlic & Herb
Chipotle

My husband was very happy with my shopping trip and now he has a new treat for his sandwiches. Check out the other great deals this week here...Enjoy!

Congratulations

Congrats to Michelle who won the June Monthly Giveaway. She won a set of 4 photo coasters.



Get more details here on how to win the surprise monthly giveaway...Enjoy!

Arby's July 5th Freebie

All day today Arby's will be giving away FREE Junior Deluxe sandwiches at participating restaurants. The sandwiches will be available all day, free with any drink purchase (excluding value drinks and coffee).

The Junior Deluxe will be on the value menu next week.

Call your local store to make sure they are participating. Hope you all had a wonderful July 4th..Enjoy!

Happy July 4th!

HAPPY 4th!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Enjoy your BBQ's and if you get a chance, you can always head into Kmart for Double Coupon Days...ENJOY!

Saturday Movie Review: To Rent or Not to Rent

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was a great book. I highly recommend adding it to your reading list if you haven't had the chance to read it yet.

I was very excited to find out this book was made into a movie.

Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is just experiencing the pangs of first love when she's viciously murdered by her neighbor Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a predatory wolf in J.C. Penney... The book and movie are about Susie Salmon, who is 14 years old when she is murdered. Susie is telling the story about her life. Susie's father is Mark Wahlberg and he is determined to find his daughter's murderer. He has a hard time coping with Susie's loss. Susie's sister starts to suspect their neighbor Mr. Harvey had a hand in her sister's disappearance. Throughout the movie Susie is dealing with being stuck in the middle of heaven and earth. She watches as her family and friends try to move on with their lives. Susan Sarandon is also in this film and plays the chain smoking drunk grandmother that steps in to help the Salmon family deal with life after the lose of Susie. In heaven Susie sees the other girls Harvey has murdered and finally comes to terms with her own death. The "lovely bones" from the title are the relationships that form in the wake of Susie’s murder.

The movie is full of crazy imagery of the afterlife. The movie was good, but the book was much better. Enjoy!

CSN Stores

Have you heard of CSN Stores? Well they have over 1,000,000 products and over 200 stores online. They have everything from indoor and outdoor lighting to furniture and shoes, handbags and even luggage. One stop shopping is the way to go and CSN Stores have you covered. Their customer service is open 7 days a week as well. They also offer hassle free returns and FREE Shipping on just about everything.

CSN Stores has great prices and they have a wide variety of solar lights. I have been looking into redoing the lighting outside my home with solar lights, and have found great deals with CSN Stores.

Right now you can get an extra 5% off all sale orders by using coupon code FOURTH5 at checkout.

I will be posting more on CSN Stores later in the month, and I hope you take a look around and check out all the fabulous items right at your fingertips..Enjoy!

Kmart Double Coupons on Health and Beauty 7/4-7/10

I am soooo excited. I just found out Kmart will be having Double Coupon Days again starting this Sunday. This time, you can only double manufacturer coupons on Health and Beauty Products. You do need a Shop Your Way Rewards card, but they are FREE and you can get it in store. Here is a list of all stores participating in the event. I just called my local store and the first guy I spoke with had no idea, then the next guy said "well if you saw it, then we will have it", finally another guy came on and said "yes, starting Sunday we will double on Health and Beauty Products only". I suggest you call your store and get confirmation as well...Enjoy!

Old Navy $1 Flip Flops Satruday

It is Flip-Flop time at Old Navy again this year. Solid color flip flops are only $1 this Saturday. If you are planning to have flip flops at your wedding for your guests or even for your bridal party, you can stock up now.

This year you have to print this page and bring it in to get the deal. There is a limit of 5, so make sure you bring some friends if you need to buy a bunch. You will need to get there early as it is gonna be a busy sale. Enjoy!

How To Make Your Own Wedding Cake

Since I am not a baker and I have no idea where to begin on how to make a wedding cake, I found a great article from TLC here. If you are planning a do it yourself cake, this article should be a big help.

If you need more cake inspirations- check out pictures here...Enjoy!