Walmart's Savings Catcher - Gives You Your Money Back!

If you shop at Walmart on a regular basis, you should be familiar with Savings Catcher and if you aren't, I'm going to tell you all about it right now.  Walmart provides you with a way to save even more money on your everyday grocery purchases without much effort at all.  It is so simple and you actually will get money back on a Walmart giftcard!

Here is a quick step by step tutorial on how it works:

You submit your receipt to Savings Catcher in one of these three ways:

1. Enter the receipt number (the TC number that is at the bottom of your receipt) into Savings Catcher at savingscatcher.walmart.com.  
2. Scan the code at the bottom of your printed store receipt using the scanner in the Walmart app on your phone.
3. Register your phone number using the Walmart app or debit card reader located at the in-store checkout.  If you do this option, each time you check out at your Walmart Store you will be asked to enter your phone number and Walmart submits your receipt for you!

Savings Catcher compares the prices of the eligible items you bought at Walmart to the advertised prices found in the print and online versions of the weekly ads of top retailers in your area.  The ads must be valid at the time you made your Walmart purchase.

If Savings Catcher finds an advertised price that is lower than what you paid for the exact same item at Walmart, you will get back the difference in the form of Savings Catcher Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed for a Walmart Rewards eGift Card or Walmart Buck$ added to your Bluebird by American Express Card, which can be used to make purchases exclusively in-store at Walmart or online at Walmart.com.

This really is so simple and there aren't any tricks or hitches to this.  Here are a few important things that you may be thinking of as you consider using Savings Catcher:

1. There is no minimum purchase requirement.
2. You can submit up to 7 receipts per week to Savings Catcher.
3. You have to submit your receipts within 7 days of purchase.
4. Savings Catcher applies to your in-store purchases only.
5. If you use coupons, Walmart still compares your purchase based on the full price of the item, not the after coupon price and refunds you the money if they find another local store with a lower price.  Sweet!
6. Savings Catcher lets you know within 72 hours if they found your items at lower prices and automatically puts the funds into your Savings Catcher Account.

 I have posted several screen shots to show how this all works so I apologize up front but it is not complicated at all.  If you do the majority of your grocery shopping at Walmart, you will thank me one day! 

Go to www.walmart.com.  Up in the right hand corner of the screen, click on the tab "Savings Catching."  Right next to the "Help!" tab.

On the next page click on the tab "Hello, Sign In" in the upper right hand corner.

On this page, go to the bottom and click on the "Create Account" button.

Fill in this basic information and then click on the "Create Account" button at the bottom of the screen.

 

Once you have created your account you will be able to see this. This main screen shows you the balance of your account so here you can see that I have $2.47 in my Walmart account.  This balance does not have an expiration date so it will always be there.  Once you are ready you can transfer this balance to an electronic Walmart gift card on your phone.

The other box is where you can enter your receipt information.  Each time you go to Walmart you will enter your receipt information here.  The TC# which is at the bottom of the receipt and the date of purchase.  Hit "Add Receipt" and wait for Walmart to let you know if you are going to get any money back.

This screen shows you all the receipts you have entered.  So if you look at this screen, on November 25th I entered a receipt for $27.97 and I got back $1.26!  It doesn't sound like a lot but one, I am getting that money back and two, all I had to do was scan the receipt and Walmart does the rest.  It only takes about 5 seconds to scan a receipt.

This screen is where you can redeem your cash for a Walmart eGift card OR an American Express Bluebird card which gives you double the amount of money back!

Here are the instructions for the Savings Catcher app for your phone:

 

When you upload the Walmart app to your smartphone and open it up for the first time, this is the screen you will see.  Tap the "Savings Catcher" tab at the bottom of the screen.

 

On this screen the first thing you will be able to do is tap on the "Scan a Receipt" button.

On this screen you will scan the box at the bottom of your Walmart receipt and that's it!  You can also type the information into the receipt if for some reason the scanner doesn't work and then tap on the "Type receipt info instead."  You will now just wait for Walmart to contact you to let you  know if you will be getting any money back or not.

 This screen lets you keep track of all the receipts you have submitted and whether you are getting any money back or not.

And last but not least, this screen lets you keep track of the balance in your Savings Catcher account on your phone.  I use the app because I always have my phone with me and it is just easier.  The other thing that you can do with this screen is click on the "Get It Back" button and it will allow you to apply the money in your Savings Catcher account to an eGift Card or the American Express Bluebird card.

So, if you do a lot of your grocery shopping at Walmart, you definitely need to put this app on your phone and give it a try.  No matter how much money you save, every dollar counts and it's nice for a store to give you some of your own money back!

Good luck!

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Fun and Inexpensive Christmas Decorations - Why Didn't I Think of That?

Southern Living

I am really loving lanterns this year for decorating.  I guess I should get some!

Here comes my favorite time of the year!  I know, it's pretty much everybody's favorite ar but for me, there are certain feelings you experience around Christmas that you just don't feel any other season.  We are supposed to try and feel charitable, giving and go outside ourselves all throughout the year but there is just something about Christmas that cannot really be replicated at any other time of the year.

Now this will sound odd but I don't necessarily like the decorating part of Christmas.  My girls will attest to this as I have been dependent on them the last few years to help, who am I kidding, DO all the decorating in our house for Christmas.  But in my defense, that's because as I have said before, I'm not the most creative person you will ever meet.  I do have good taste, if I do say so myself, but I just don't naturally come up with creative ideas for decorating for the holidays.

In preparation for the holidays coming up, I have spent some time looking for cute things that I think even I can do and I have come across some great options that you can create with things you already have around your house or are very inexpensive.  Everything from decorating a tree, wrapping gifts, decorating your front porch and all around holiday primping.  Take a look at what I found!

Source links are below each photo.

Midwest Living

This would be so easy to do and wouldn't cost a thing.  You can use frames that are already in use and then remove your Christmas photos after the holidays.

The 36th Avenue

If you need to do any sort of invitation, program or greeting card, this infographic is for you!  I love all of these fonts.

Design Milk

This is a great way to use Washi tape to put a tree up on the wall with a basket for gifts underneath.  So very creative!


Better Homes and Gardens

I love how the bow on top makes the box of glass ornaments look like a present rather than just a square glass vase.

Demilked

You have tried this one already, right?

Southern Living

I have been doing this for years and I am so glad to see that it is a popular thing to do.  When I first started putting ornaments in containers I wondered if it looked junky.  Now it is the cool thing to do!

Martha Stewart

This smells oh so wonderful when you have it displayed in your home.  The scent of the orange and cinnamon together is delicious!

Real Simple

What a great idea!

Country Living

This is a very rustic and yet simple way to cover the base of your tree.  I would keep it away from my fireplace though!

                                                                                                                                               

A wonderful and personalized way to tag gifts.

Make Today a Party!

So simple to do and yet so elegant.

Midwest Living

Uh oh!  Another beautiful lantern stuffed with holiday decor.  Love!

Better Homes and Gardens

Here is a cute way to display your miniature tree and Christmas treats on a small table by the front door to greet people as they enter the house.

Country Living

I wouldn't mind doing dishes at this sink during the holidays!

Front Port Ideas and More

Another warm and inviting entry that is very simple.  As long as you can find a rustic and worn looking old fashioned sleigh!

Real Simple

If you have little kids this is a great idea but try to use the plastic bulbs instead of the glass ones to avoid any injuries to your little ones.


Asheville

Great infographic showing you how to decorate a tree.  I wish I would have had this 31 years ago when I had my first tree!


Country Living

Jingle bells on your front or back door.  On your back door if you use the front door too often and don't want them to be distracting over the holidays!

So give one or two of these a try and let me know what you think and if you have other ideas, please share them here.  I can't wait to get started!

Happy Christmas Decorating!

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Thank You Notes - Who Needs Them?

A few weeks ago I was feeling very sentimental and I was reviewing in my mind some of the important things that I learned as a young girl.  Children soak up so much at a young age and one of the things that I remember my parents saying over and over again was to always say thank you. Say thank you for the ride home, say thank you when someone gives you something, say thank you when someone offers to help you and remember to say thank you when someone compliments you.  I think as a kid, sometimes I felt like I was saying thank you a few too many times but really, I probably didn't say it enough.

Why did my parents and why do countless others stress to their children the importance of expressing gratitude?  I believe it's not only because it's important to thank people but also because when we stop and express feelings of thankfulness to someone our hearts are softened and we want to be good because we see how we have affected someone else with our words.  Gratitude changes us and can encourage us to be a better person tomorrow then we were today.  It also makes us feel good and who doesn't want or need that?

As a young girl I loved to write - write in cursive to be exact - and I found that writing notes to people actually made me feel good.  So I learned to really love to write letters, to send people Thank You Notes, birthday cards and any kind of card that would bring people joy.  There aren't many things more wonderful then getting a letter or a package in your mailbox, are there?  It beats all the other terrible stuff that can be in there!  I am not as good about sending notes in the mail as I used to be but my heart is certainly still there!

What happens if we feel gratitude but we don't share it?  Well this quote by William Arthur Ward explains it exactly:

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

William Arthur Ward

Over the years I have collected a variety of cards because I have always felt like it was important to have these tools at my fingertips so that I could say thank you as soon as I had a need to.  I have this box in a closet and I have kept it stocked with various types of paper products so that I would be able to express my thanks at any time and for any reason.   Whenever I get the urge to send someone a personal message, I turn to this trusty box.

I have a stack of plain stationary that I have had for years - truly, I think my daughter who is now 22 was just a baby when I purchased this and I still have quite a bit of it left.  Apparently I don't like cursive THAT much!

I also have this stationary that was given to me as a gift that is so very nice.

Birthday cards are also in this box.  These you can get at Walmart in a package of 12 for $1.00. You can't beat that!  Cards don't have to be expensive and in fact, you can make them!  I don't think people would want you to spend $5 - $8 on a card for them anyway.

I also have blank note cards that I have used quite often because it is nice to put your own beautiful and personal thoughts on a card that has a spectacular picture!

This is another set of blank note cards that I love.

I think the art of handwriting notes and letters is falling by the way side.  Why hand write a note to someone when you can send them an email, an instant message, a FaceBook message or a Tweet? Because it is so much more personal and people really appreciate when you take the time to write them a message by hand, put it in an addressed envelope with a stamp and mail it.  And it not only let's people see your personal side but they have something they can actually hold that you have touched.  There aren't many things better than that!

Thank You Notes - Who Needs Them?  Everyone does.  Go write a Thank You Note today!

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The Leaves are Turning Too Quickly - Slow Down!

This picture is for my kids - Matthew, Melissa, Alex, Leanna, Jennifer and Elizabeth (even though she lives right here).  Here is the burning bush in our front yard that has just started to turn.  In about 3 weeks it is going to be the most beautiful bright red and then one day I will walk outside and it will look like it is dead.  Happens every year and I love it!

It's only been 7 days and look at the colors that have just started to pop here in Pennsylvania. It never ceases to amaze me how gorgeous every single inch of this place can look in the fall.  

This is in my yard and it is so bright and vibrant.  I love it!

It doesn't look like much yet, but I promise, it is going to be glorious very soon.

This is the Bucknell University golf course where my son used to play golf AND all the kids sled during the winter.  Great hills for sledding and cross country skiing!

My drive home every day.  So relaxing.  The yellows are really going to pop here very soon.

My neighborhood.  One day I will leave this place and it will truly be sad for me.  I have loved living here and every time I drive down this street, I feel such comfort.

Of all the views that I look forward to each year though, this is the one that I watch ever so closely. I drive past it every day at least twice and as I am driving by, I slow down and glance at it and just try to soak it all in.  It is amazing that I haven't had a car accident on this little stretch of road for as long as I have lived here.

I apologize for the graininess of this picture but my iPhone is struggling lately.  Check out the beautiful changes that are slowly rolling through the trees.  Gorgeous!

Here is the house, kids.  The trees are all starting to turn that beautiful burgundy color.  The house misses you as do I and I hope that you are all enjoying the beautiful fall colors wherever you are today!

Love from me!

I wish I had a good camera because the old iPhone just doesn't do it justice.  

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It's the Most Beautiful Time of the Year

It has begun.  The most glorious time of the year is now upon us here in Pennsylvania and I am ready.  There is still about another 3 weeks before you really start to see the vibrant and sharp colors of a Pennsylvania fall but it is coming - I can feel it!  I will share more pictures of the beauty of PA as the season wears on. It's going to be beautiful!

Being from the east coast I have always appreciated the beauty of this place and when I have been away from it, I have missed it.  I have lived on the east coast most of my life where the trees are green and tower over everything and where the rolling hills (or mountains as people call them here) are warm and inviting.  This is home to me.

The other part of my life I lived in the west and oh how I love this part of the country as well. All of my children were born in the west.  Majestic mountains (no doubt, the west has mountains!) and wide open spaces that provide more opportunity for outdoor fun than you could possibly dream up. Breathtaking landscapes and clean air are always in abundance.

But since I am currently living in Pennsylvania and this place is truly loaded with trees, I love sharing what I am seeing - right at this moment.  I love walking downtown but have to remember to look where I am going.  The sidewalks could use some work around here!

I stopped at a park the other day to take a picture or two and while standing on the bank of a local creek saw these beautiful creatures looking at me from across the water.  Such a calming sight.

That is until they all start coming toward me - and not in a quiet manner I might add. It was kind of like a "The Birds" feeling that just came over me.

They literally were waddling right up to me and kept coming.  I had to run for the car!

I think that the leaves are going to be bright and vibrant this year because we have had so much rain.

My phone camera certainly does not do justice to the beauty that is around me but if you look closely you can see the reds starting to really pop in this grove of trees.

Most of them start out a beautiful burgundy color and then change from there.  I love that!

Some turn a beautiful yellow and it makes you feel like summer really isn't so far away.

When I stop to enjoy the beauty that is around me here I am reminded of the love of God for us all and the care that He took to create this beautiful world for us.

Happy Fall, everyone!

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