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Need more coupons? How about 500+ that are already cut out for you? I’ve got way to many and am giving them away on my other blog, eBay Selling Coach. Just enter a comment to be eligible to win. Click here to enter!
Ask all of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, relatives and other contacts if they use the grocery coupons in the Sunday papers. Most people just throw them in the recycler. Offer to pick up the papers from them at a convenient time.
Do the same but ask about magazines that contain coupons. Good magazines to collect are Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and All You.
Collect the coupons from the “blinkie” dispensers in grocery stores. You may not be buying that item today, but a deal may come along where you need it to get something free, or practically free.
Pick up unwanted free newspapers. In my neighborhood, we get a free paper on Thursday with the same coupons as in the previous Sunday’s paper. After a few days, I walk around gathering up as many as I need or want. I always do this if there are really good coupons valued at $2-$5. You can stockpile these coupons and use them later…or sell them on eBay for extra cash! (Click here for more information about selling your grocery coupons on eBay.)
Join a coupon train. A coupon train is a group of people in a close geographic area who pass coupons along to one another via snail mail. You can find these all over the internet. Just Google “coupon train.” The only cost involved is the stamp to mail the coupons along to the next person.
Dumpster dive. This is for the black belt coupon collectors. You are actually just going to skim the top of paper recycling bins. Use one of those Gopher grabby things (As Seen on TV) and you won’t have to actually touch anything.
You can also buy coupons on eBay for a minimal cost, or check out The Coupon Clippers to purchase exactly the coupons you need for the products you like to buy.
Who isn’t looking for ways to save money on their grocery bill each week? We all have to eat right? But, if we choose to be smart about it, we don’t have to spend as much money on the food we eat and better yet, you won’t have to sacrifice quality to save money either!
Have you heard that you are what you eat? Well here’s a new take on that expression: The quality of your food matters just as much! But, quality doesn’t necessarily mean the highest priced items in the store either. It means having a little basic knowledge about food.
1. What you don’t know can cost you….money. Read up on meat and what 
the best and leanest cuts are for your family. Here is a free tool that helps you calculate the total cost of meat per serving. This can be a big help in determining whether that cut of beef is worth the money, which can help in saving you money.
2. Shop at food warehouses like Cotsco and Sam’s Club. For larger families, buying in bulk can really help save money if you shop smart. You can make one trip for the entire month instead of making a trip or two a week and spending two to three times as much money. Read more about buying in bulk here and the benefits.
3. Be sure to shop for food that you and your family like to eat. Don’t settle for those store brands that you won’t eat and doesn’t taste good to you just because they cost they cost less. I made the mistake of doing this with syrup in our house! We eat a LOT of pancakes and french toast and syrup costs quite a bit! One store brand was on sale for $1.49 for a large bottle, so I stocked up with 4 bottles. The syrup was HORRIBLE therefore no one used it and it was just a waste:( And wasting food that you and family won’t eat is NOT saving money! (please note, some store brands are comparable in taste for their value, just be sure you do like it before stocking up and don’t make the same mistake I did,lol!)
4. Use those coupons! This little money-saving trick can’t be stressed enough!! Coupons = Money:) Even if you save only a few bucks this month, the savings add up. But shop wisely, don’t use coupons to try new products just because you have a coupon for them unless it’s on sale and if its something you really want to try. And don’t forget about stores that double or triple coupons for maximum savings!
5. Take lunches and snacks with you!! Do you know how much school lunches cost these days? My daughter’s school charges $4.95 for a ham and cheese sandwich w/a small bag of chips. Are you kidding me?? We could get a whole lb of ham alone for that price and get a couple of lunches that week out it. Save your precious dollars by packing lunch for the kids and yourself. The trick is to buy foods they actually want to eat, not just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lol! And another money saving tip: throw in a snack for the evening bus ride or your ride home from work to avoid hitting the fast food places!
Yes food is necessary and good, but it doesn’t have to take all of your money. With a little pre planned thinking ahead and creativity, you can always find ways to cut down on food bills without cutting down on taste!!
Times are hard for everyone. People are losing their jobs left and right, businesses are closing their doors, and many people can’t find work at all. Maybe this free guide will help some moms (or anyone) make a little money from home to help pay some bills and get by.
This book was originally published 18 months ago and is still available on Amazon. I have recently updated the book and it is available as a free download. The book is 39 pages long – good meaty text – that explains what to sell on eBay, where to find it, and even how to get free items to sell.
Click here for the download. (Be patient, it may take a minute to open.) If you have any trouble getting the download, please email me at ebaycoach@yahoo.com and I will email it to you.
If you are already into couponing and store loyalty programs, you will be amazed at what you can get for practically nothing to sell on eBay! Health and beauty products, medicines, non-perishable foods, and cosmetics are great sellers. Not everyone in the country (or world) has access to the same things, so many products from WalMart, Kroger, Big Lots, Target, and drug stores end up on eBay. Here are some current hot sellers on eBay:
Dual Action Cleanse at Sam’s Club
Old Navy Clearance – 100% Cashmere Sweaters
Kroger Items – Hair Color, Aveeno Sunscreen, Sally Hansen
I encourage you to post this offer on your blog, Facebook page, MySpace page, mom forums, Twitter this post, email this to other moms, or pass this on in any way that you can. Together, we can reach out and help others!
Here is a small round up of some Free Stuff you can get online by signing up!
Get brand name samples just in time for winter here!
Get a FREE Guide to Controlling Diabetes here when you sign up.
Get a Free Recipe Booklet from BeeMaid when you sign up for their newsletter here.
Request a Free Children’s Space Camp & CD here.
Get Free samples of Ola Loa Multivitamins here.
Are you pregnant? Just had baby? Visit PlanningFamily.com for free baby coupons, free baby samples, free baby magazines and more! Sign up here!
Free sample of Prilosec here.
Get a Free sample of Always Infinity Pads here.
Sign up to recieve a Free CookBook Publishing Kit.
If you have a lot of photos that need to be developed, there are always promotions going on where you can get them developed for free! Why pay for prints, when you can get them for nothing!
Here are the newest deals with Snapfish where they have a few good bargains for free prints:
Get 50 Free Digital Camera Prints and only 9 cents per print at Snapfish by HP!
Get 30 Free Prints & a Free Flipbook!
Get 20 Free Prints:
*Most free offers are for new customers only, however you may use another family member to sign up for a new account with a different email address.*
I’m not big on over-the-top birthday parties for kids; I think the money spent on bigger-than-big parties could be put to better use for that sweet kid, especially when they’re so young that they probably won’t remember the party at all.
But celebrating birthdays is still a big part of our family fun – we love any reason to have a party! We hang some streamers and balloons, cook up a bunch of family favorite foods, and have a special cake for the birthday boy or girl.
There have been times when life was so hectic that I opted to spend the $15 or $20 on a store-bought and decorated cake. But for the past several birthdays in our home, I’ve made each child’s cake for less than a few dollars each.
Some cakes I’ve made:
A princess castle cake for my daughter.
An Oswald cake for my younger son.
A SpongeBob cake for my older son.
Are they “perfect” cakes? No – not by any stretch of the imagination. One thing you learn to let go of if you’re going to live life a little more simply by going frugal is the idea that *everything* has to be perfect.
Each of my children *loved* the special cake that I made for them; making your kid feel loved and extra-special on their birthday is what it’s all about.
And for those of you out there with children on special diets, making your own birthday cakes can literally be a lifesaver.
Where to find ideas and directions to make your own special birthday cake? Visit my fave birthday cake resource, Family Fun. It’s been a great help to me.
What are some of your best tips for having a fun and frugal kid’s birthday party? Share ‘em!
Catch up with Marianne online at her personal blog Writer-Mommy or her frugal living blog The New Frugal Mom.
New Coupons from Eat Better America!!
Get a Free 1 yr magazine subscription to Martha Stewart “Living” when you fill out a simple survey here!
(Thanks to Jill at Frugal Plus for the tip!!)
With 2009 being my year to get completely organized, I had the pleasure of trying out The My Oh So Organized Filing System to try and get my poor filing cabinet in order and I am pleased to say that my cabinet looks so much BETTER and neater that I am proud of my work!
The system is pretty simple (although at first glance it looks a wee bit complicated) and consists of a guide with easy color-coded, pre-printed file labels and for this project, you will need to supply your own manila folders and hanging file folders. Also, set aside some time since this is a project that will take some organizing on your part once you have all files set up.
The My Oh So Organizing Kit System comes with a handy guide with complete and easy to understand instructions (don’t let it scare you- it only looks daunting!). It lists and explains each category, offering examples which I found to be rather helpful. You also get the pre-printed labels, and a sheet of blank labels in each color so you can add your own categories and customize your filing system ( since we all don’t have the same filing needs!).
Once finished, the next step is to place the labels to your file folders, in the order indicated and then start to file away your papers! This was the hardest part as I have a LOT of papers that needed filing and with this system, there was now a “Category” to place it in as opposed to just a “General/All Purpose” file.
Of course it does take a bit of time, especially if you have a lot of filing that needs to be done, but if you break it down into sessions, you’ll soon have an organized filing cabinet that works just like the dewey system at the library and you’ll be able to find all anything you want in a blink of an eye! I can honestly be proud of how my Filing Cabinet looks and I can find just about anything in it!
On a side note, I was so happy with my “Project” that I kept asking my dear hubby questions like “Betcha I can find the receipts to the car from last year” or “I wonder where are those financial aid papers for the school are, oh here they are, lol!!” I think he was a little sick of hearing me gloating:)
So who would like to organize their Filing Cabinets? We have 5 of The My Oh So Organized Filing Systems available to giveaway!
To enter, visit Get Organized Now , then come back here and tell us what product would help you get organized the most!
Psst…Get a Free Get Organized Now! Gift Pack filled with tips and ideas to help you get organized here!
Want to get even more Organized at the Office?
Finally Organized, Finally Free for the Officeis an amazing collection of 1,875 organizing tips, ideas and techniques to help you organize your office, your files, your schedule, the time you spend in meetings, your business travel, your computer files and your email. You’ll find clutter-control tips for your desk and time management systems to help you be more productive, without the need to work harder. You’ll discover super ways to organize all of your paper and your projects. Catch up with your filing and your business reading once and for all. Ideas and systems to keep you motivated, and so much more! More details here.
Restaurant.com has a new promo for 70% off their gift certificates with code SUPER.
This makes a $25 certificate just $3 and a $10 certificate just $0.90!! In addition, you’ll also receive a Free $15 Dale & Thomas gift card with each order when using Code Super! Get yours here!!
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Get a Free 20 oz or 2 Lt bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper when you sign up here!
(Thanks to Mommies with Cents for the tip!)
Welcome to the Mommy Bloggers Carnival which is hosted by us this week! To see the rest of the where the Carnivals will be held, stop over at A Modern Mother for the complete roundup!!
We have an awesome line up of some great money saving articles that will help you stretch your dollars even further!
Has “Couponing” become the new “In” thing? I believe that it has now become almost as fashionable these days as toting around a Coach Bag (but less expensive and saves you money!). Read Couponing Stigma-Yes or No to place your thoughts on whether or not it is Cool to Coupon!
Have a small business or just want to get the word out about your blog? Then you’ll need to promote it and networking is the new form of advertisement these days! Need some ideas to branch out that won’t empty your pockets? Here are 7 Ways to Network on a Shoestring Budget that is sure to please just about any budget!
Wonder how you can score lots of Free Coupons? Then read Recycling Centers: How I get so many coupons for free. Great idea!!!!
If you have a large family and love to travel, here is a great resource to check out that is new to me! SixSuitCaseTravel: New Resource for finding large family hotel rooms.
Find quick money saving meals ideas that are ideal for any budget with Quick Fix and Money Saving Meals.
Watch and see Erin from $5Dollar Dinners with her moneysaving video here that won her $6,000 in Groceries from Walmart!!
Do you take lunch to work with you? Read Lunch Money for her take on lunches!
Very good article on Shopping with Coupons: A Beginner’s Guide to Saving that offers 7 helpful steps to saving money with coupons:)
Did you know that if you do something everyday for two weeks it becomes a habit? Read more at Create a Habit, Save some $.
Looking for more ways to save while shopping? Bree shares with you her 10 Things I do to save Money at the Grocery Store.
Here are a few laundry tips that every busy mommy can use at Keeping up on Laundry.
Have a baby or are expecting?? Get a few tips for saving with this great Saving on Baby Items post.
Get some thrifty spending tips here at Thrift Store Shopping Tips to help you save money while spending less!
Birthday coming up and need some birthday cake ideas? Then you must read Birthday Cake Ideas for Kids with some really cute ideas!
Here is a beautiful love letter written from a mother to her daughter New Year’s eve: Dearest Hannah.
A funny laugh from a mom with her little boys at Another Bathroom Post. Kids say the darnest things,lol!
Ah, this one is near and dear to my heart!! 7 Steps to Declutter your home in 15 minutes a day!! Step #7 is my favorite,lol!!
A quiet contemplation with Where the Wild Things Are!
Here is one of my most popular posts with Swagbucks regarding making money online! So far this month, I have made 178 Swagbucks which gives me (3) $5 GC to Amazon.com!!
Most people look forward to Fridays, but read this mom’s view on Zero Tolerance Fridays. Pretty funny if I say so myself,lol!!!
Which ones are your favourites? Please leave a comment with the ones you like best!!
After what seemed like an eternity, we are back up! My domain had expired and while we were waiting to transfer the domain to a new registrar ( a less inexpensive one), it became a harrowing experience for me!
And many, many thanks to Revka of RSDesigns, who walked me through this process to ensure that my site didn’t get lost. She’s a fanatastic Web Designer and friend!!
All’s well that turns out well! I’m just glad that we are back up and in time for the Mommy Bloggers Carnival which will be posted soon!!
Chilly snowy days call for warm hearty stews!
A fantastic and tasteful vegeterian stew with garbanzo beans, winter squash and spinach
Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups vegetable broth See instructions on how to make free here
1 small acorn squash
1 small butternut squash
1 box frozen spinach
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt/Pepper
2 tsp honey
2 tsp green curry paste
1 cup rice, uncooked
**Note: Rice + Garbanzo bean = complete protein
Directions
1. In large saucepan, add olive oil and garbanzo beans. Saute 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and vegetable broth.
2. Microwave butternut squash for 3 minutes. Remove and let cool. Microwave acorn squash for 3 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reason: Peeling and cutting are much easier after their skins have been softened. Once cool, peel skin off with peeler or knife. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut both squash into 1/2′ square cubes. Add to broth.
3. Peel and cut carrots into circles. Add to soup.
4. Microwave spinach packet according to package instructions. Remove from plastic and add to soup.
5. Add spices, curry paste and honey to stew. Stir through. Cover and cook for at least 45 minutes on medium-low heat.
6. Cook 1 cup rice in 2 1/2 cups water. Bring water to boil. Add rice. Return to boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.
7. Serve stew with side of rice or serve stew over rice. A healthy and colorful dish!
Get 6 Free Photo Valentine’s Cards from Stories by Everyone when you enter Code Valentine! Free shipping included!
These are so cute!!
Offer valid until 2/1/09!
Thanks to Jaycie @ The Coupon Geek for the tip:)
Get Free Valentine’s Day Cards when you buy a dozen donuts at Krispy Kreme as part of the Share the Love Promotion!
What’s so great about the Valentine’s Cards you say? Each card comes with a coupon for a free donut! Talk about a Sweet Valentine:) You get 12 Free Cards when you buy a dozen donuts!
Thanks to Jaycie @ The Coupon Geek for the tip!
Here are the best deals at CVS for the week of 1/25-1/31. Time to stock up on Shampoo/Conditioner this week!
If you see something I missed, please add to comments:)
Free this week:
Head & Shoulders $3.99, Earn $3 ECB’s
Use $1/1 MQ (1/18 P&G)
= Free after MQ & ECB’s
Gillette Shampoo/Conditioner $3.99, Earn $3 ECB’s
Use $2/1 MQ (1/18 PG)
= Free after MQ & ECB’s
Gillette Fusion Gamer, Venus Breeze Spa or Embrace Sister $7.99, Earn $4 ECB’s
Use $4/1 MQ (12/28 P&G)
= Free after MQ & ECB’s
Dove Beauty Bar $.99
Use $1/1 MQ (11/2 RP)
= FREE
Best Deals:
Sure Deodorant $1.99
Use $1/1 printable
= $.99
Mentos Gum $1.69 (B1G1F)
Use $1/1 MQ (12/14 SS)
= $.35 ea
Pert Plus $1.99
Use $1/1 MQ (1/25 SS) or
$1/1 printable
$0.99 after coupon!
Pantene Restoratives or Expressions shampoo, conditioner, mask $4.99, Earn $3 ECB’s
Use $3/2 MQ (12/28 P&G)
= 2/$.98
Huggies Products, Spend $20 and Earn $5 ECB’s
Pepsi Deal Spend $20 and Earn $10 ECBs
