Viki Rulong
Viki Rulong I am a long time refunder (20 plus years!) And still going strong. When I started out, I had two kids and wanted to stay at home with them. I discovered Refund Cents back in the early 80s and this made my wish possible. Now, 20 years later, it is a way of life and I will never give it up. This picture shows some of my most recent and fun deals. The Crest deal at Kmart was great. The Crest Glide toothbrushes were on sale 2/$4 and I had SS coupons for B1G1F. The Crest toothpaste was $2.49 less $1/1 coupons from the same SS. Kmart had a coupon out Buy 3 Crest products and get a 500 ML Crest Pro-Health mouth rinse. I bought 8 toothbrushes and 4 toothpaste and got 3 Pro-Health mouth rinse. There is also a rebate for buy 1 Pro-Health rinse and get a coupon for another one free. By breaking my purchase into 3 orders, I was able to send for 3 free coupons. (One to me, two to retired ladies who help me out - more on that later). The trial size of Act Mouthwash was one deal I didn’t see mush posted about. The trial sizes are 99 cents at Rite Aid. Using the 75 cents/1 coupons, I got them for 24 cents. Not free but we don’t have doubles here. They are great for travel. Of course the Simple Green is from the $2 internet coupon. Dollar General has this for $2, making it free. I also got the Nestle Turtles there - 85 cents less 75 cents on any one Nestle Turtle printed from the Internet (I had more of these but ate them!!) The Maxwell House coffee pods were on the Internet Freebie list (Thanks Jeanette, MN). I don’t drink coffee, but have multiple friends who do. The feminine products were from recent CVS home mailer coupons (found extras in the garbage at the post office). One of the coupons was 75 cents off any Kotex products and the pantiliners were 99 cents. The CVS brand pads had a $1/1 coupons and were $1.79. Combined with $2/$10 CVS coupons from the same mailer and several Kotex manufacturer’s coupons, these worked out very cheap. The St. Ives was BOGO with a CVS coupon less 2 $1/1 coupons, so 2/$2.49 and I love this stuff!! One of the questions I frequently get is what do I do with all this stuff? My husband passed away 8 years ago and both of my boys are grown and have households of their own. In addition to multiple donations to the local rescue mission, animal shelter and women’s shelter, I make bags for several people who can use the help. My friend Jim is a bachelor and hates to shop. He benefits from my deals. Recently I have also started making gift bags for him to take to several older ladies who live near him in a small rural area of Alabama. (These ladies were friends of his mother and my grandmother and range in age from 70 to 85!). They still live out in the country and it is often difficult for them to get to the store. They save all kinds of coupons for me - off packages, from home mailers, Sunday Supplements and two of them can print from the internet. This benefits all of us - Jim doesn’t have to shop much, the ladies get supplies without going out and I get LOTS of extra coupons. I sign them up for internet freebies and they love getting samples. They have all received coffee lately and truly enjoyed the Folger’s flavored and the Maxwell house coffee pods. I have also discovered a way to get extra internet coupons. Most of my co-workers, who appear to be otherwise sane adults, aren’t interested in coupons. I have many who don’t mind printing coupons for me in exchange for some free items, like Nestle Turtles and Simple Green. I see this as no different from getting extra SS from friends and neighbors. One thing I make sure to remind them not to check the box that allows the company to send them email! I always have people giving me coupons they received in home mailers or found in packages. I don’t understand why they don’t want to be bothered with them, but I’m not complaining! Even if it is something I don’t use or know anyone who will use, I still say thanks and accept the "donation". It keeps things coming. I recently had a co-worker give me her $10/$10 JC Penney coupon because "I don’t have time to go there and I never use coupons". One of the older ladies I help had fallen out of bed and hurt herself and she was happy to have a new nightgown to wear that I found on sale. I also used several for myself. Even if you don’t find JC Penney clothes to be your style, you can always use the coupon on bras, underwear, socks, gift items like perfume and candles, or towels and linens. Refunding has changed a lot over the years, but I always find new and interesting deals. The Evian water web site has an interesting deal going on called the 28 Day Challenge. When you sign up, they issue you a calendar with 28 days on it. Each day you go in an enter a UPC code (you can use the same one every day - I do!). For every 7 days that you enter a code, you get a coupon in the mail for a free 1 liter bottle of Evain water. I also get all the junk mail at work. Many coupons and things are sent to businesses, such as Office Depot or Office Max coupons. Recently, I got a free pizza and 2 liter of Coke for filling out a survey on our office computers. (I always make sure I check the box that I do not have any decision making authority and then no salesperson wastes their time calling on me.) And speaking of surveys, I do a lot of them on the internet. Recently, I was able to get a free DVD of my choice from Amazon.com for HiPoints, a $10 WalMart GC for a survey about tampons, and a $10 check from Carol Adams. I also agree to test products whenever I qualify. Recently I got a 24 count package of feminine pads and 2 100oz bottles of laundry soap to test. Once you test the product, you go in and fill out a survey on line with your opinions on the product. The feminine pads also paid $12 once you filled out your survey. And, finally, a word about donations. I don’t use any baby coupons, but I get home mailers from the formula and diaper companies all the time. I donate these as well as any SS coupons I get to the RC coupon exchange. I know I could trade them, but I have so many people who save coupons and qualifiers for me that I feel very lucky and I like to do something to help others. I donate pet coupons as well as any liquid dish soap and cleaners (think Simple Green) to the animal shelter here. I constantly add items to the first aid kit at work. For example, Bruno’s grocery recently had the new Immodium liquid for 99 cents. I had 3 $1/1 coupons. So I donated a bottle to the first aid kit. (It sounds strange, but if you are the one trapped at work who needs the Immodium, you will be glad I did!!) Enough about my coupon lifestyle. I enjoy doing the deals I do and helping other people as well. I can’t imagine living without coupons and I know I will be doing this for many years to come.