Welcome to the NEW Tuesday’s Trips Blog Hop hosted by The Coupon Challenge and Mom on Dealz! Instead of a shopping trip linky we’ve decided to change over to a traditional blog hop. We’d still love for you to share your shopping trips with us. Maybe a linky attached to our other shopping trip posts?

Each week we will be visiting a new social network. Make sure you check back each week to see where we’ll be!

The Rules are simple:

• Follow your hostesses in the #1 and #2 spots
• Leave a comment, so we can follow you back
• Only link up to the network we are visiting for the week
• It’s always appreciated that if someone follows you, you follow them back (we all love to find new friends!)

While you’re here, enter my current giveaways!

–Personalized Lunchbox from Frecklebox, Ends 10/16
–Coolkidz Cold Pack, Ends 10/17
–Honest Kids Organic Juice Pouches, Ends 10/18

Several Walgreen’s Photo deals available through October 9th.

• Get 50 4X6 prints for $5
• Get 20% off Photo Gifts
• Get a FREE Purse book

Welcome to the 13th Surfin’ Saturdays hosted by Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Two Monkeys & a Washtub, And Then There Were Four and  The Coupon Challenge! Each week we will be surfin’ a different social network. You will have to check back every Saturday to see where we will be! One week it may be a facebook hop and then the next an email hop! It will be lots of fun and you will get to meet new people and see old friends as well!

We kindly ask that you follow these simple requests

1. Follow the hostesses in the first four spots (We will follow you back! Just please leave a comment letting us know that you are following us!)
2. Please only link up the network that is being hopped that specific week.
3. No spam please. These will be removed. 
4. It would be wonderful if you are linking up this week if you could add our button to your sidebar or in a post to help spread the word! 🙂 The more people that join, the more fun it will be! (Plus if you add our button to your sidebar you can grab 5 extra entries into any ONE giveaway!)
5. If someone follows you please feel free to follow them back! If you follow me and leave a comment you are guaranteed a follow back!

Starting TODAY (October 2nd), Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Two Monkeys & a Washtub, and  The Coupon Challenge are hosting the Healthy Families Happy Kids Event! Check out our sidebars to see what awesome giveaways we have!

It is so important to practice ethical or honest couponing.  Becoming familiar with the law and coupon policy is a necessary part of using coupons.  Practicing ethical couponing helps ensure manufacturers will continue to provide coupons and stores will continue to accept coupons and provide incentives to coupon users. Even more important,  you know that you are doing everything possible to be an honest shopper.  If the deal makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, it’s not a deal.

–Use a coupon for stated products only:  Coupons are worded for specific products, sizes and quantities.  You should only use a coupon when you purchase products as specified.  It is illegal to use coupons on items other than as stated.

The following is from The Coupon Information Corporation (CIC):

What is coupon misredemption?

Coupon misredemption occurs whenever someone attempts to redeem a coupon that is void for a product that he/she has NOT purchased. This activity is often in violation of Federal or State laws.

Coupon misredemption costs consumer product manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Estimates of this cost vary from a low of about $300 million annually to more than twice that amount.

Coupon misredemption also increases costs for consumers, because the costs of misredemption often must be reflected in consumer prices.

–Know store coupon policies: Each store will have it’s own coupon policy.  If you’re local store doesn’t have a policy available online, ask at customer service or email the company.  Stores will usually set a limit to the total # of coupon per transaction or person, a limit of like coupons, if they accept Internet coupons, DND coupons, and more.  You can find coupon policies for my local stores here.

– Be mindful of printable coupons:  Most of the Internet printable coupons we use come directly from a reputable site (ie coupons.com and smartsource.com) or from the manufacturer’s website.  I found a great “cheat sheet” for cashiers that shows what you should look for on printable coupons.

1.  Does the coupon come from a reputable website, is it a bricks or smartsource coupon?
2.  Are you limited to a set the number of prints, usually 2? (PDF’s are unlimited)
3.  Is the coupon a PDF with an unusually high value amount?
4.  Does the coupon have a barcode, expiration date and legal jargon?
5.  Does the coupon have a security device such as a hologram and/or an identifying number?
6.  Is the coupon too good to be true?

You can always find a current list of counterfeit coupons on the CIC website

What do you think is important about practicing ethical couponing?

This post is linked to Life as Mom, Madame Deals, Mrs. Moneysaver and My Coupon Teacher

I ended up with a couple great freebies this week.  My favorites are the free M&M’s coupon and All Bran sample pack. 

Free M&M’s coupon
All Bran Sample Pack- samples, coupons and sleeping mask
Food Lion Coupons
Haircut coupon
Goodnites sample and coupon
Emergen-C sample and coupon
Oxi-Clinical Sample

Welcome to the 12th Surfin’ Saturdays hosted by Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Two Monkeys & a Washtub, And Then There Were Four and  The Coupon Challenge! Each week we will be surfin’ a different social network. You will have to check back every Saturday to see where we will be! One week it may be a facebook hop and then the next an email hop! It will be lots of fun and you will get to meet new people and see old friends as well!

We kindly ask that you follow these simple requests

1. Follow the hostesses in the first four spots (We will follow you back! Just please leave a comment letting us know that you are following us!)
2. Please only link up the network that is being hopped that specific week.
3. No spam please. These will be removed. 
4. It would be wonderful if you are linking up this week if you could add our button to your sidebar or in a post to help spread the word! 🙂 The more people that join, the more fun it will be! (Plus if you add our button to your sidebar you can grab 5 extra entries into any ONE giveaway!)
5. If someone follows you please feel free to follow them back! If you follow me and leave a comment you are guaranteed a follow back!

This is a new list every Saturday, so please remember to come back and link up!

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