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
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.

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

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:

• $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 program is available at participating pharmacies

(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.

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!).