Thursday, August 13, 2009

If you want free amazon gift cards or other cool stuff, CHECK THIS OUT!

This is a COMPLETELY FREE search and win site! Gain swag bucks when your friends win them too! So easy to trade them in for gift cards and other cool merchandise! I'm saving up for amazon gift cards to buy Christmas gifts!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Earn and Save $$ with BigCrumbs, even on eBay purchases!

FREE Arby's Roastburger!

Sign up for Arby's Extras and get coupons and offers for Arby's products delivered to your inbox. As a special Thank-You this month, they are giving away coupons for a free Arby's Roastburger, no purchase required! Go to https://arbysextras.fishbowl.com/forms/arbys/join.asp to sign up and get that free yummy Roastburger!!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Free Kashi!

go to www.kashi.com and request your coupon for a free kashi frozen entree! Available only until March 15, 2009. One request per household. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Couponing 101-Lesson #5-CVS shopping

Now we're ready to learn the ins and outs of shopping at CVS pharmacy. This will take you a couple of shopping trips to get the hang of it, but don't give up!! First, log on to www.couponmom.com and click "cvs" under "drugstore deals". Filter the results by pressing the upside down triangle next to % saved. This will bring all of the free items to the top. Make your list and gather your coupons. Always double check your local CVS sale paper to ensure accuracy. You will notice a few items state "free after x amount of extra care bucks". In a nutshell, this is how I work the system. If the paper states that a bottle of x brand shampoo is on sale for $3.99 but it's like getting the bottle for free after $3.99 ECB, a tube of x brand toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 but you get $1.00 ECB, and so on, here's what I do. I make a list of the items I will purchase with each transaction. On transaction #1, I will buy the shampoo and pay $3.99 out of pocket (if I don't have any ECB left over from previous shopping trips). While I'm still in line, I then buy the toothpaste but use the ECB from the previous transaction, and so on. Yes, I hold up the line with an average of 5-6 separate transactions per trip, but I never come more than $5.00 out of pocket for each trip. You can also use coupons that match up with the ECB deals, saving even more money, and you still get the full amount of ECB. Please note, if you have for example a $5.00 ecb voucher, you have to use the entire voucher, not just part of it, for the transaction. I always use cash at CVS so that I don't have to swipe my debit card in case I have to come out of pocket 2 or 3 times. Have fun shopping! More lessons coming soon!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Couponing 101-Lesson #4: Shopping at Walgreens

So, now that you have a good understanding about using coupons at the grocery store, it's time to move on to the next series of lessons-drug stores. In this lesson, we will focus on Walgreens. Walgreens national coupon policy states that they will take manufacturers coupons at face value. You may also "stack" coupons. To "stack" coupons means that you can use a manufacturers coupon in conjunction with the Walgreens in ad coupons out of the newspaper and easy saver catalog. Before you begin a Walgreens expedition, go to your nearest Walgreens and pick up a free easy saver catalog. Most of the time you can find these as soon as you walk in the door, in a little "basket" where they keep their weekly ad. Now, flip to the middle of the catalog and there is a tally sheet that states which items are free after single check rebate. Look through your coupons and see if you have any coupons that match the free after rebate items for the month or any of the other rebate items. You will have to pay out of pocket for the free after rebate items. After you purchase your free items and any other rebate items, go online to the Walgreens website and register for a free account. Once you have your account, go to the Easy Saver link and click on "claim rebate". It will prompt you to check off on the online tally sheet which eligible items you purchased on your reciept. Then, it will prompt you to enter your reciept's RFA number, that can be found on the top of you reciept. Now, if you KNOW that you are not purchasing anything else from Walgreens for that month, go ahead and click submit. If you are not sure, click save and return later (so that you can enter another reciept and check off more items). Once you submit your rebates, it will ask if you want to recieve a check by mail or gift card. ALWAYS choose the gift card. Here's why: they give you a 10% bonus on the gift card, which more than pays you back for the tax that you paid on the free items. The gift card is reloadable up to $250. So, the next month when you go to get the free or almost free with rebate items, use your gift card to pay. Repeat the online process, they will reload your gift card with the rebates plus 10% extra. Keep rolling over the balance on your gift cards. Happy Shopping!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Couponing 101-Lesson #3

You may be asking why I use couponmom.com only as a guide. Here's why: The deals and coupons found on this site are for what is found in the Atlanta area. My local Sunday paper does not have all of these coupons, and my local stores don't have all of the displayed deals. Also, the filing system did not work for us and many of my coupons expired. Here's what I do: every week, I log on to the site. I live in Louisiana and have a Kroger (which I love because they double and triple coupons every day). I go to grocery deals by state, hit the drop down arrow, scroll down to Louisiana Deals-Kroger and click. I then check off the deals that are beneficial to my family and print the list. Then, I look through my coupon binder and pull out the coordinating coupons. If I do not have the exact coupon to match the deal, usually I have one for that particular brand that will do just fine. I pull the coupons out of my baseball trading card holder and put them in a zippered compartment at the front of my binder with my list. While going down the aisles at the store, I keep my coupon binder open. I do this because many times, you will find "surprise sales". Sales that are not advertised or items that are on closeout. 90% of these closeout items, I end up getting for free after using a coupon. When I find a deal like this, I pull the item into my cart and pull the coupon out of the holder and place into the zip compartment of my binder. I do this method for drug stores, too. Stay tuned for Lesson #4 to be posted tomorrow. The subject will be how to shop for free at Walgreens.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Couponing 101-Lesson #2

So, you have all of your supplies and you are ready to roll! Before you head to the store, you need to complete this exersise: go to www.couponmom.com and register for a free account. The owner of the website does an awesome job explaining the ins and outs of couponing. This is how I got started. Her website can be a little overwhelming to newbies-here's how to break it down. First, download and print her e-books (yes, they're free as well). They will only take you a few minutes to read them, and they are chock full of valuable information and shopping strategies. Next, surf around the "drugstore deals" and "grocery deals by state" links. Here, you can get a general idea about how much you can really save with coupons. Personally, I use her site as a guide and have formed my own couponing system. Although her drugstore deals are from the Atlanta, Georgia area, I very rarely find my local stores with different deals than the ones listed. Now, go and surf. Familiarize yourself with how to read the deals. Ps..turn off your pop up blocker for this site. Have fun, this can (and will) get addicting!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Couponing 101-Lesson #1

So many of you have asked how I feed 5 people on $30-$40 per week, including my household items, hygene items, etc. I have compiled a list of short lessons to get you on your way to effective couponing strategies. Our first lesson: get prepared. You will need to gather a cloth zippered 3 ring binder, a package of baseball trading card holders, dividers with tabs, scissors, a calculator, pen, and notepad. This will be essential for organizing your coupons. Buy at least one sunday paper and pull out the coupon inserts. Divide your binder according to how your main grocery store is laid out, ie produce, salad toppings, can goods, dairy, etc. Clip all of your coupons and place them in the baseball card holder sheets in their respective category. Stay tuned for more lessons, beginning tomorrow. Have fun clipping!! :)

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Say Goodbye to your Diaper Genie

As a mom of two babies in diapers, I have learned a very frugal lesson. While diaper genies are cute and handy, the refills can be quite expensive. Since they're plastic, they do absorb diaper odor over time and it's very difficult to get the smell out. My solution: I threw out my diaper genie! I simply save the plastic grocery bags and put soiled diapers in them. I tie up the top in a knot and put them in the trash. There's no odor and you don't have to buy refills!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

New Swagbucks Code!

for all members of Swagbucks, the new code for today is BeRewarded. It came a few minutes ago in the newsletter sent to my email! This makes 30 Swagbucks for me so far in a little over a week! Yay! I'm saving these until November so that I can use them for Christmas shopping....hooray! Go get your free swagbuck!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Save the twistie ties!

Here's yet another one of my frugal living tips: save the twistie ties that come with store bought loaves of bread. They have many uses! I use them to tie up packages of french fries and other frozen foods when I'm not cooking the whole bag at once. Also great for tying together multiple cables and electrical cords.

Smaller Apples=more bang for your buck!

Ah...the produce section of your local supermarket...just filled with yummy healthy foods. But the pricing can send you into a "brain spiral", especially if you are shopping on a frugal budget. Unlike foods on the shelf that are labeled price per ounce, produce is only labelled by the pound or by the item/sack. As a parent of young children, I have learned a very valuable lesson in buying fruit, specifically apples. At my local Kroger, there are larger apples, priced by the pound. These generally run about $3.99 per pound or so. On the other side, you can buy a bag of smaller apples, priced by the bag. My last BAG of apples cost $3.49 for the whole bag-about 15 small apples. And, since they're smaller, your children can eat the whole apple, thus reducing waste. Your older children can fit the smaller apples into their lunch bags and still have room for their sandwich and pretzel sticks. My point? Buy the apples by the bag! You come out so much cheaper and your kids are happier!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

FREE Johnson's Baby Care Kit

For a limited time, you can recieve a free Johnsons Baby Care Kit! Supplies are limited to first come, first serve. Go to http://http://www.johnsonbabykits.com/?gclid=CI-vvub4lZgCFQSenAodGgNHnA to request your free kit.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

New Swagbucks Code for today!!

For those of you who are a member of Swagbucks, the online paid to search website, the new Swag code for today is GreenThursday. It is case sensitive and worth 1 swagbuck! This code is good for all day! Enjoy!! To sign up for Swagbucks, go to http://http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=289515. It's very easy to earn free gift cards and other cool gifts! Totally free! You get 3 Swagbucks just for signing up!! I've earned 20 Swagbucks so far in one week!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Recycling your Sunday Morning Comics

Here's a frugal living tip: when you get your Sunday morning newspaper, pull out the coupon inserts and sale papers for your weekly shopping. Then pull out the Comic section. Keep your comics in a plastic bin and label the bin "birthday wrapping paper". When you finish reading the paper, send your newspaper through your shredder and keep in a box. Label this box "shreds for packing material and party confetti". If you want pretty party confetti or packing material, simply spray paint the shreds. Have a great frugal day!!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Free Suave Product!! Mark your callendar!

For one day only, you can get a coupon for a free suave product (up to $3.00) by mail! On January 14, 2009, simply register at http://www.suave.com to get your free coupon! Registration starts at 12:00:01 am EST and ends at 11:59:59 pm EST. Open to all legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, age 18 or older. Limit one coupon per household.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Free Suze Orman ebook

For a limited time, Suze Orman is offering her "2009 Action Plan" ebook for free to dowload!! Offer expires on 1/15/09 so you have to move fast to download it! This is a great ebook about improving your finances! To check it out, go to http://www.oprah.com! Here's to your 2009 financial success!!

Get stuff on Craigslist for free (or nearly free)

Here's another awesome site to score some local freebies or discounts! A lot of people don't want to deal with having a garage sale, so they'll post items they want to sell on http://www.craigslist.org . There is also a "free" category. Craigslist is also free to post the items you may have laying around your house that you would like to sell or give away! Check it out!

freecycle: get local freebies!

Here's a great way to get free stuff in your local area! Just go to http://www.freecycle.org to find a local freecycle near you! Most are done via yahoo groups and you have to be approved by the moderator. You can view things that people in your local area just want out of their house. Also, you can post "in need of" for items you are looking for but don't have the cash to purchase!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

FREE Campbells Soup

I tried this last week and it worked! I got my coupon for a free can of campbells Select Harvest soup today! Hurry! Offer ends 1/15/09 and is limited to the first 30000 responders! To get yours, simply text SELECT from your mobile phone to 467467. You will be prompted to enter your home phone number (zip codes work too if you don't have a home phone). You have to do a few texts back and forth, including submitting your name and street address. Standard text messaging fees apply. They have not sent any spam or any other texts to my phone. Grab your free soup!!

Frugal living: Turn off the lights!

In an effort to keep my electricity bill low, last month I applied some "old fashioned values" aka "common sense" rules that I had not been following. My electric bill average was about $145 per month. So, I challenged myself to get it under $100 for the next bill. The following month, my bill was a mere $75!! Wow, that is extra money that can go to paying down some bills! Here is how I did it:
1. Let the natural light shine in your home! Turn off the lights during the day (unless it's cloudy) and just go on natural sunshine!
2. Turn the heater down to 66 degrees or lower in the winter (put on a jacket if you're cold) and LEAVE it there. If it's summer, keep your AC at 75 degrees or warmer and sleep with less blankets.
3. If the temp outside is pleasant, turn off your heater or ac and run the attic fan if you have one. Do not open every window in the house as this won't circulate the air. Instead, one or two windows will do just fine.
4. Use your crockpot for cooking! This has two plus sides: you are not standing over the stove or oven all day and it saves on electricity.
5. Unplug your cell phone charger when your phone is not hooked to it.

If you have any other ideas, please feel free to comment!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Linens N Things Going Out Of Business!

For those who don't know, Linens N Things has been "going out of business" for some time now. Their going out of business sale a couple of months ago was not worth a trip in there. So, I decided to wait it out a few months to see if they would put things on further clearance. Voila! Just as I expected. Now, everything in the store is 50-75% off and for 4 days only, they are offering an additional 20% off over 100 items. You can score some great deals at your local linens n things...you may be able to get even greater discounts there!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Turn your books into cash

Have a load of books and need money? Cash4books is a great website for you!! Just click the link below. Gather your books, input the ISBN numbers for a price quote, and sell your books to them! They even give you a printable shipping label when you are finished (they pay the shipping for you). They pay either by PayPal (you get a bonus for using PayPal) or they can mail you a check! Check it out!!

Sell Used Books Online - Quick Cash, Free Shipping, Free Quotes!

Get paid to shop online

Bigcrumbs is a free website that will pay you to shop online via their links! I've earned $46 so far in just a few months! Refer your friends to earn more!! Pays via PayPal once per month! You even get cash back from eBay purchases and eBay store owners can promote their store for free! Click here to sign up www.bigcrumbs.com/slloyd Thanks!!

Couponing the simple way

Here are two wonderful websites that will simplify couponing! Both are free to use and you will learn how to save hundreds of dollars!
www.couponmom.com
www.moneysavingmom.com

Happy Couponing!

Swagbucks--Score cool free stuff and gift cards!

Do you search the web via google or ask? If so, you should sign up with Swagbucks! You earn swagbucks by shopping online, searching the web, and referring friends! This is a totally free way to snag stuff! For every 45 Swagbucks you earn, you can cash em in for $5 gift cards. This may not seem like a lot (the average user will rack this up in about a month) but the gift cards do add up, month by month! Refer your friends and earn more Swagbucks! Go here to join!!

Search & Win

Introduction

Hello fellow frugal livers and freebie seekers! My name is Sandy and I'm a stay at home mom of two beautiful children and one beautiful step child. We are a one income family and people often ask "how do you manage?". I am an avid coupon clipper and freebie seeker. I also have managed to "dig" up other ways to make a few bucks online. These methods do not take a large amount of time or effort for the most part. I should know...I chase two toddlers all day...whew! So this blog has been created to help all who don't even know where to start when it comes to scoring cool freebies and living on a frugal budget! Enjoy!