Two little words I love! I don't order ANYTHING online without searching for a coupon code first. There can be big savings in using coupon codes. In fact, I never order pictures without a coupon code. By now we all know that I love to save money. For those of you that have never used one or don't know what I am talking about, here is how it works:
When I need to order pictures from Snapfish (where I choose to share, edit and order pictures online). I first go to either Google (because nobody ever says, "hey, I need to Yahoo something) or Retailmenot.com to search for coupon codes. I then head over to Snapfish and place my order. At the end of each order there is a place to enter a coupon code. Enter the code you found online and "WAALAAA" you just saved money! I just ordered 100 prints for $10 with free shipping! This is just one example of the many, many deals you can find. You can find a deal with a coupon code for almost every single website you use to order something.
Coupon codes are especially good for getting FREE SHIPPING! Who doesn't love that especially when the Post Office keeps raising the price of a stamps every other day?! Sites like Retailmenot.com (and there are many more sites like this out there) even have listings for "Today's Top Coupons," etc.
There is a couipon code out there for everyone from Dominos to Kohl's to travel sites like Orbitz.com. So go stimulate the economy while saving money at the same time! It's a WIN-WIN!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Welcome to My Pig Farm!
This little piggy bought a computer, this little piggy went on vacation, this little piggy bought a new couch...and this little piggy squealed until Christmas!
These are my pigs and my pigs are ALWAYS hungry! They all picky little eaters too...they only eat coins! In this instant gratification world where I see far too many people wanting "stuff" that they have to have NOW and passing that mentality onto their kids I've decided to revert back to what I know for sure.....That saving for what you want isn't such a bad idea. I grew up working from the time I was 13. I paid for the two years of college by myself because half of every paycheck I earned went directly into my savings account. I also want to teach our kids how to save, so we started our own little pig farm!
The kids love taking any and all change we have, find or collect and "feeding" the pigs! They love it so much that they each have their own piggy banks in their room now and just made their first trip to the bank to cash in all the savings. Each left the bank with almost $30 and they discussed what they could buy with their savings all the way home. They are also right back to saving more coins. Not only is this serving the purpose of saving money for items we need and want, but it is also teaching our kids that instant gratification is just that...instant. And then what? It makes them stop and think about their purchases and they realize the time and effort it takes to save for what they want. It is also making them appreciate the things we have here at home and the things we are able to do and vacations and trips we get to take.
Sure I've made financial mistakes along the way (I mean, I was a poor college student practically having credit cards thrown at me!), but this is my way of learning from it and passing it along.
Can I get an "OINK! OINK?!".....Now go start your own pig farm and bring home the BACON!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Stop And Smell The Roses...
FOR FREE (just don't cut them and take them home)!!! Celebrate National Public Gardens Day on May 6th. I know, you didn't even know that this day existed, but that's what I'm here for..."You and me baby, we're stuck like glue..." Sorry, had a Sugarland moment. Back to National Public Gardens Day...Sign up to get your FREE admission (for two) to a participating garden. Click here to get your tickets: Better Homes and Gardens You're Welcome!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!
My daughter recently turned 7 (which I am still trying to digest...someone cut me a piece of cake!). I don't like to spend a lot of money on birthday parties. Sure you could go crazy and spend lots of money on your kids birthday party and try to get yourself on TLC's Outrageous Kid Parties show, but I am telling you right now that I would definitely be talking about you. I would also be wondering who you were trying to impress because it wouldn't be the kids (they are happy with balloons, cake and a game...think about it...did you hate your birthday parties growing up?). So, unless you are Tori Spelling and you are rich and the guru of creativity you need to keep reading.
Let's talk theme. Birthdays usually have a theme, so pick one and roll with it, but don't roll out the dough. This year my daughter had a breakfast birthday...like "Breakfast at Tiffany's!"! Creative, check. Cute, check. Cheap, check.
First stop, the thrift store. Here we picked up four fancy plates and two fancy bowls for plating the breakfast food for $1.50. We also picked up a server for the maple syrup for $.99 and a tiered server for $1.99 to serve the fresh fruit.
Second stop, Wal-Mart. This is where we picked up the blue tablecloth for $1.00, black plates for $1.50 (we purchased two), black cups for $1.00, white napkins for $1.50 and blue sparkle alphabet stickers for $2.99. We also picked up cake mix and icing for cupcakes ($6.00).
Third stop, the party store. Here we only picked up a few items. We headed over to the clearance rack and picked up little, white favor boxes which were 12 for $1.00. We also found decorative diamond rings that we used as cupcake toppers for $2.50. Our final item was friendship braid kits. You got three for .49 (we bought 9).
Final stop....FOOD! On the menu was bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, strawberries, grapes and sparkling grape juice. We fed nine girls for $35.67.
Grand total: $92.05 (Under $100) for a lifetime of Kodak moments and memories.
Let's talk theme. Birthdays usually have a theme, so pick one and roll with it, but don't roll out the dough. This year my daughter had a breakfast birthday...like "Breakfast at Tiffany's!"! Creative, check. Cute, check. Cheap, check.
First stop, the thrift store. Here we picked up four fancy plates and two fancy bowls for plating the breakfast food for $1.50. We also picked up a server for the maple syrup for $.99 and a tiered server for $1.99 to serve the fresh fruit.
Second stop, Wal-Mart. This is where we picked up the blue tablecloth for $1.00, black plates for $1.50 (we purchased two), black cups for $1.00, white napkins for $1.50 and blue sparkle alphabet stickers for $2.99. We also picked up cake mix and icing for cupcakes ($6.00).
 |
| This is where we used our sparkle stickers! |
Third stop, the party store. Here we only picked up a few items. We headed over to the clearance rack and picked up little, white favor boxes which were 12 for $1.00. We also found decorative diamond rings that we used as cupcake toppers for $2.50. Our final item was friendship braid kits. You got three for .49 (we bought 9).
 |
| Homemade cupcake, decorative diamond ring and thrift store fancy plate |
Final stop....FOOD! On the menu was bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, strawberries, grapes and sparkling grape juice. We fed nine girls for $35.67.
Don't worry, I didn't forget the favors! I splurged a little here, I'm not gonna lie, but the cuteness factor got to me! Each girl took home one flower clip for their hair. The total cost was $25.50 ($8.50 for three and I needed nine). I justified this in my head by saying that it was a favor they could keep and use, not just another "throw away" item. I displayed them on the boxes that I filled with jelly beans (for $1.00 a bag).
 |
| This fits the requirements of cute and creative! |
Grand total: $92.05 (Under $100) for a lifetime of Kodak moments and memories.
This is just one example. Remember the three "C's": Cheap, Creative and Cute!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Off To Get Some Ink!
Thought I was getting a new tattoo didn't you? Nope, not me (my husband says I am a wimp and wouldn't be able to handle it....which makes me want to prove him wrong!).
I am actually talking about getting your ink cartridges refilled for half the cost of buying new ones. Did you know that places like Walgreens and Ace Hardware offer both black and color ink cartridge refills?
In fact, Walgreens has a promotion right now (which they often do, just look in Sundays ads for their latest deals) for $12.99 for both black and/or color ink cartridge refills. Plus, they are ready in minutes (the photo department and the pharmacy could have a race to see who fills the order first!). Walgreens will also package the refilled ink cartridge in a nice box for you to take home with a coupon on the side for 50% off your next printer cartridge refill! So guess what?! Your next printer cartridge refill is only going to be a third of the cost of a new one! And with Earth Day approaching you can feel good about not throwing another printer ink cartridge into the landfill (and you can say you did your "part" and not be lying).
If you are concerned about quality. I understand. I was too. I can honestly say that the quality has been the same if I were to buy a new one or get my old one refilled. At such a discount, you can afford to try it out for yourself!
Now Go Get Inked!
I am actually talking about getting your ink cartridges refilled for half the cost of buying new ones. Did you know that places like Walgreens and Ace Hardware offer both black and color ink cartridge refills?
In fact, Walgreens has a promotion right now (which they often do, just look in Sundays ads for their latest deals) for $12.99 for both black and/or color ink cartridge refills. Plus, they are ready in minutes (the photo department and the pharmacy could have a race to see who fills the order first!). Walgreens will also package the refilled ink cartridge in a nice box for you to take home with a coupon on the side for 50% off your next printer cartridge refill! So guess what?! Your next printer cartridge refill is only going to be a third of the cost of a new one! And with Earth Day approaching you can feel good about not throwing another printer ink cartridge into the landfill (and you can say you did your "part" and not be lying).
If you are concerned about quality. I understand. I was too. I can honestly say that the quality has been the same if I were to buy a new one or get my old one refilled. At such a discount, you can afford to try it out for yourself!
Now Go Get Inked!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Spring "Break" Under $100
Ok, so my daughter took Spring Break literally and on day one (it looked fine and she didn't complain about it until day two) broke her pinky finger on the growth plate (the new puppy jumped up on the back step going into the house and knocked her over and she landed on her hand). Welcome to the family, Josie!
We were off on the wrong foot...or finger, BUT, the week ended up going better and we ended up having a full week of fun despite the hand being in a half cast. Spring Break ended up costing us $96.99 and here is what we did:
$40.00 - Day One: Family Fun Night at a local Indoor Golf facility which included 1/2 an hour in the bounce room, one twelve inch pizza, four pops and a round of miniature golf for the entire family.
FREE - Day Two: First we headed to my aunts house in the "country" (two acres here in Illinois is considered country...trust me on this one!) to enjoy her company and have lunch then we spent two hours in Urgent Care getting a half cast for my daughter who had a broken pinky finger. This was free because I had credit at the doctors office from when my son broke his hand last year at recess. BONUS! (insert sarcasm)
$4.43 - Day Three: Lunch at Lone Star with Grandpa (Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays and Grandpa bought us lunch). We then had dessert at Culvers and each kid had a FREE coin for a cone or cup of yummy! My cup of yummy cost me $2.43. Then we had some retail therapy. My daughter had her birthday money, my son had money saved up and I had gift cards leftover from my birthday. Four DSi games, one Wii game, one doll styling chair, one Zhu Zhu Pet, one Zhu Zhu Pet outfit, one Uno game, two new pairs of sunglasses, one pair of capris, two shirts, one packet of Squinkies, one wave hula hoop, one monster truck and one soccer ball later we headed home without paying a cent for any of it! We did pay for Silly Bands that were on sale at Walgreens for $.25 a packet for a total of $2.00 (yes, my kids STILL like Silly Bands).
$12.00 - Day Four: Bowling! The kids and I went bowling and it was dollar game night. The three of us bowled two games each, paid for shoes (@$2.00 a pair) and had two hours of FUN despite feeling my age and pulling a muscle in my leg (how sad is THAT!), but I won a game...for the record!
$13.00 - Day Five: Lions and Tigers and Bears...OH MY! We headed to zoo with our zoo membership in hand. This is something we get as a present every year and it is much appreciated! We also enjoyed the dolphin show FREE as part of our membership. The kids each rode the carousel and with our membership the cost was $1.50 each. We enjoyed our packed lunch sitting right next to the wolves. They each brought home two Mold-O-Ramas (my kids love these...I haven't figured out why, but I am not going to argue the cheap souvenirs) for a total cost of $8.00. Oh wait, we can't forget that my daughter lost her tooth during the dolphin show. $2.00 was added to today's total for Tooth Fairy duties.
$27.56 - Day Six: Lunch and a Movie! We headed to Pizza Hut to use the kids BOOK IT Certificates that they earned from school for reading! That was worth two free buffets (I didn't say we ate good this week!). So, I just had to pay for one adult buffet. We then headed off to the movie theater to see, "HOP." Cost was $7.00 per person, but of course, I had $7.00 left on my gift card (that I received for my birthday), so I only ended up paying $14.00. We packed snacks since we had just come from lunch. Not too bad. My son also had his cousin over for the night which is always FREE fun!
FREE - Day Seven: Two sleep-overs and two FREE Blizzards from Dairy Queen. How did we get FREE Blizzards from Dairy Queen you ask? Well, the kiddos got them in their bags from the library when they completed the Winter Reading Program. WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY!
Now, in all fairness I didn't add the price of gas into this fun-filled week for under $100 (because that is just depressing), but even with adding that in we are still at $150 for the week. My kids told me everyday how much fun they were having and they thanked me regularly for everything. They just wanted my time and attention and that doesn't cost anything....Remember, it's all about Spending Moments, Not Money.
$40.00 - Day One: Family Fun Night at a local Indoor Golf facility which included 1/2 an hour in the bounce room, one twelve inch pizza, four pops and a round of miniature golf for the entire family.
FREE - Day Two: First we headed to my aunts house in the "country" (two acres here in Illinois is considered country...trust me on this one!) to enjoy her company and have lunch then we spent two hours in Urgent Care getting a half cast for my daughter who had a broken pinky finger. This was free because I had credit at the doctors office from when my son broke his hand last year at recess. BONUS! (insert sarcasm)
$12.00 - Day Four: Bowling! The kids and I went bowling and it was dollar game night. The three of us bowled two games each, paid for shoes (@$2.00 a pair) and had two hours of FUN despite feeling my age and pulling a muscle in my leg (how sad is THAT!), but I won a game...for the record!
FREE - Day Seven: Two sleep-overs and two FREE Blizzards from Dairy Queen. How did we get FREE Blizzards from Dairy Queen you ask? Well, the kiddos got them in their bags from the library when they completed the Winter Reading Program. WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY!
Now, in all fairness I didn't add the price of gas into this fun-filled week for under $100 (because that is just depressing), but even with adding that in we are still at $150 for the week. My kids told me everyday how much fun they were having and they thanked me regularly for everything. They just wanted my time and attention and that doesn't cost anything....Remember, it's all about Spending Moments, Not Money.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Bowling Anyone?
Don't you wish we could rent shoes by the outfit in real life like we can with purses?! What we can do is going bowling on the cheap. If you have kids and you haven't signed up for Kids Bowl Free then you need do this NOW! Here's the deal:
Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations.
Also check with your local bowling alleys or find them online. Many of them offer specials. Our local bowling alley has the following deals:
Fun Pack
2 hours of All-U-Can-Bowl on 1 lane
Bowl-a-Mania
7pm - 9pm
All-U-Can Bowl
for $7.95 includes shoe rental
*Sundays Only
and
Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations.
Also check with your local bowling alleys or find them online. Many of them offer specials. Our local bowling alley has the following deals:
Fun Pack
2 hours of All-U-Can-Bowl on 1 lane
plus - shoes and soda for up to 5 people
only $44.95
Offered During Open Bowling Time (except during Rock 'It Bowling Time)
and
Bowl-a-Mania
7pm - 9pm
All-U-Can Bowl
for $7.95 includes shoe rental
*Sundays Only
and
Dollar Mania
$1 games of bowling every Wednesday
*Excludes Holidays
One of our local bowling alleys even offers coupons online for a free game.
*Excludes Holidays
One of our local bowling alleys even offers coupons online for a free game.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Let's All Go To The Movies...
I love going to the movies and watching movies at home, but I don't love paying a lot of money to go!
If we are having movie night at home the first place I like to go is our local library. They have tons of great movies (old and new) that we can borrow (and they don't have to be rushed back the next day!). Plus, this option is *FREE!*
Hulu is another great, FREE, option. If you haven't checked into this site, you are missing out. You can watch television shows here as well.
Redbox is another great resource. If you have a Redbox location near you sign-up for their text club. They will text you a code on the first Monday of the month for a free movie rental. So, if you haven't tried it out this is a great opportunity to try it out for FREE!
We also like to use our OnDemand offered through Comcast to watch free movies. If you have Comcast, don't forget about this service. If you don't mind paying $4.99 you can also order the new release movies right on your television instantly. That is a pretty good price considering that your entire family is watching the latest movies! I'm sure that satellite services and other cable outlets offer similar services.
Check with your Human Resources department at work. Many big companies offer discounts to various different places including the movies! Make work go to work for you!
Pick-up a previously viewed DVD from your local video store or in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart. Not only are they cheap, but you get to keep them. BONUS!
Now, let's talk about going out to the movies. Are you a member of AAA? Did you know that you can get discounts on movie tickets?! Visit their discount page before heading out the door!
Did you buy an Entertainment Book this year? Don't let the year go by without using the movie coupons in the book. If you haven't picked one up for this year yet, you might want to look into it. You can save money on much, much more than just the movies.
Are you a member of Costco? If so, put your membership to work for you and check-out their deals on discounts for tickets to the movies.
If you can live without seeing the latest movie the moment it comes out then of course you need to wait until it hits the dollar theater. There is no better way to save on going out to the movies than to wait until it's a dollar!
We can't forget the theaters themselves. Some of them offer promotions and rewards. Carmike Theater offers Stimulus Tuesday which offers $1 Popcorn, $1 Drink, $2.50 Candy, and $5 off one of the concession combos on Tuesdays! They also have a rewards card to earn discounts and they have a popcorn bucket deal that is worth checking out (you purchase the bucket for $15 and every time you bring it back on future trips to the movies they will fill it up for $2.50!) This is just one theaters discounts and promotions. Make sure to check your local theaters for great deals.
One final word on saving at the movies: Matinee
If we are having movie night at home the first place I like to go is our local library. They have tons of great movies (old and new) that we can borrow (and they don't have to be rushed back the next day!). Plus, this option is *FREE!*
Hulu is another great, FREE, option. If you haven't checked into this site, you are missing out. You can watch television shows here as well.
Redbox is another great resource. If you have a Redbox location near you sign-up for their text club. They will text you a code on the first Monday of the month for a free movie rental. So, if you haven't tried it out this is a great opportunity to try it out for FREE!
We also like to use our OnDemand offered through Comcast to watch free movies. If you have Comcast, don't forget about this service. If you don't mind paying $4.99 you can also order the new release movies right on your television instantly. That is a pretty good price considering that your entire family is watching the latest movies! I'm sure that satellite services and other cable outlets offer similar services.
Check with your Human Resources department at work. Many big companies offer discounts to various different places including the movies! Make work go to work for you!
Pick-up a previously viewed DVD from your local video store or in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart. Not only are they cheap, but you get to keep them. BONUS!
Now, let's talk about going out to the movies. Are you a member of AAA? Did you know that you can get discounts on movie tickets?! Visit their discount page before heading out the door!
Did you buy an Entertainment Book this year? Don't let the year go by without using the movie coupons in the book. If you haven't picked one up for this year yet, you might want to look into it. You can save money on much, much more than just the movies.
Are you a member of Costco? If so, put your membership to work for you and check-out their deals on discounts for tickets to the movies.
If you can live without seeing the latest movie the moment it comes out then of course you need to wait until it hits the dollar theater. There is no better way to save on going out to the movies than to wait until it's a dollar!
We can't forget the theaters themselves. Some of them offer promotions and rewards. Carmike Theater offers Stimulus Tuesday which offers $1 Popcorn, $1 Drink, $2.50 Candy, and $5 off one of the concession combos on Tuesdays! They also have a rewards card to earn discounts and they have a popcorn bucket deal that is worth checking out (you purchase the bucket for $15 and every time you bring it back on future trips to the movies they will fill it up for $2.50!) This is just one theaters discounts and promotions. Make sure to check your local theaters for great deals.
One final word on saving at the movies: Matinee
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Discount Drugs?
YES! It is becoming painfully (no pun intended) aware to me that the older I get the more I hear people talking about taking certain medications regularly for various reasons (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.). I know that none of us want to be taking anything that we don't have to, but sometimes we don't have a choice. We do have a choice in how much we pay for those medications though. Here are some great ways to save when filling your prescription(s):
1) Did you know that you can search the internet for Co-Pay Cards and Coupons for prescriptions drugs (even if you have insurance)? Here is an example of a Co-Pay Card for Lipitor. It states that: If you're an eligible patient, simply use the LIPITOR Co-Pay Card every time you fill your prescription for LIPITOR to instantly start saving. It goes on to say that:
If your insurance co-pay is:
(this is just one example...put Google to work for you)
2) Shop around for the best deal. Pharmacies are like car dealerships and gas stations. You might get a better deal across the street.
3) Just ask. Don't forget to ask for generic. This can be a huge savings. For an example of how you can save big, check-out the $4 generics offered at Target. Meijer's even has *FREE* antibiotics and pre-natal vitamins.
4) If your insurance plan has the option for mail order prescriptions, sign-up! I was paying $65.00 a month for a prescription that I am now getting for FREE because I am using the mail order option offered.
1) Did you know that you can search the internet for Co-Pay Cards and Coupons for prescriptions drugs (even if you have insurance)? Here is an example of a Co-Pay Card for Lipitor. It states that: If you're an eligible patient, simply use the LIPITOR Co-Pay Card every time you fill your prescription for LIPITOR to instantly start saving. It goes on to say that:
If your insurance co-pay is:
- $54 or less, you pay only $4
- $55 or more, save $50 off your monthly cost, up to $600 of savings per calendar year.
(this is just one example...put Google to work for you)
2) Shop around for the best deal. Pharmacies are like car dealerships and gas stations. You might get a better deal across the street.
3) Just ask. Don't forget to ask for generic. This can be a huge savings. For an example of how you can save big, check-out the $4 generics offered at Target. Meijer's even has *FREE* antibiotics and pre-natal vitamins.
4) If your insurance plan has the option for mail order prescriptions, sign-up! I was paying $65.00 a month for a prescription that I am now getting for FREE because I am using the mail order option offered.
Monday, March 14, 2011
State-cation!
What does your state have to offer? Before you hop on over to another state, try checking out your own! The first place to go is the library. Check out travel books for your own state (don't forget to look for books on major cities in your state as well). I grabbed all the Illinois books that I could as well as books about traveling to Chicago.
Another great place to start is to go online and search out places and things to do in your state. Pretend you are a tourist from another state and search online for places to explore and places to eat. The internet offers priceless information. You can find addresses, phone numbers, hours of operation, reviews, cost of admission, etc. Don't stop there! Recently I was making plans to travel about an hour south to Bloomington, IL, so I went to good-ol'-Google.com and searched for "Bloomington Illinois" I clicked on their tourist/visitor page and learned even more about the city I was planning on visiting. Then I saw that they had a tab for "Request More Information." Which lead me to a page where I could send away for their brochures, calendar of events, etc. Two days later I got a big envelope in the mail from the city of Bloomington (I love them already!). I immediately noticed that they are very proud of their city by the beautiful brochure they sent me! I also noticed that the brochure came with a coupon booklet. BONUS! So, my biggest advice of all when visiting a city..."Request More Information" (even for the town you live in!).
Another great place to start is to go online and search out places and things to do in your state. Pretend you are a tourist from another state and search online for places to explore and places to eat. The internet offers priceless information. You can find addresses, phone numbers, hours of operation, reviews, cost of admission, etc. Don't stop there! Recently I was making plans to travel about an hour south to Bloomington, IL, so I went to good-ol'-Google.com and searched for "Bloomington Illinois" I clicked on their tourist/visitor page and learned even more about the city I was planning on visiting. Then I saw that they had a tab for "Request More Information." Which lead me to a page where I could send away for their brochures, calendar of events, etc. Two days later I got a big envelope in the mail from the city of Bloomington (I love them already!). I immediately noticed that they are very proud of their city by the beautiful brochure they sent me! I also noticed that the brochure came with a coupon booklet. BONUS! So, my biggest advice of all when visiting a city..."Request More Information" (even for the town you live in!).
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