Showing posts with label Budget Resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budget Resources. Show all posts

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Free E-Cards

As Christmas fast approaches, Christmas cards are on more and more people's minds.  Ours were made late this year because I did not have them made before December 1st like I usually do.  I am still writing them out and will mail them this week.  I had our photo Christmas cards made at Costco this year and I am not happy with the quality of them so guaranteed next year, I will refrain from using their services.

Whether it be because Christmas is getting closer or because e-cards are the way to go, e-card sites are very popular so I decided to make a short list of where you can go for your free e-card resources that I have personally used in years past.







Making Our Own Laundry Detergent Night

Lately, I noticed that I have been purchasing so much laundry detergent that it is getting ridiculous.  Laundry detergent prices are ridiculous even with a coupon and the pace at which we use it up is driving me crazy.

So this week, I picked up some Arm & Hammer Washing Soda to start making our own laundry detergent again like we always used to do in Maryland.  Our kids decided that they wanted in on the action of making three batches of powdered laundry detergent tonight.  Tyler was in charge of measuring out the one cup of Borax under my supervision, Lane was responsible for measuring out the one cup of Super Washing Soda and I was in charge of measuring out the two and a half cups of Irish Spring shredded bar soap (you can use any scent bar soap that you prefer). 


We still had some of the ingredients from when we lived in Maryland, so I used the Super Washing Soda I purchased at Walmart this week along with the other ingredients I already had and whipped up three recipes which should last us for awhile.  To shred the bar soap, I used the shredder attachment for my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.  We store our powdered laundry detergent in plastic containers with screw on tops.

Some people may say that we spend more time making up the batches then it is worth.  To that I say our family has always enjoyed doing things together and taking a few minutes to make laundry detergent together is no different.  The first year we made our own laundry detergent we only spent about $50 that year on all the supplies.  We will have to see if the prices still ring true here in California where everything seems to be expensive. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Holiday Helpers

The holiday's are fast approaching and I have compiled a list of holiday helpers that can help us reach our monetary goal for the upcoming gift giving season without putting too much of a strain on our budgets.

Recently, there has been increased interest in companies that offer layaway programs because it allows the consumer to put down a small payment to hold their items and pay a little every month instead of paying for your items all at once.  Companies that offer layaway programs offer flexibility and convenience for the consumer.

Best Buy Layaway Program
KMART Layaway Program
Navy Exchange Layaway Program
Sears Layaway Program 
ToysRUs Layaway Program


Recycling your ununsed electronics is a good thing both for the consumer and for the environment.  It allows us to utilize trade-in programs and in exchange we get credit for our unused electronics.  Check out this ConsumerReports.org article for more information regarding Buy Back Programs vs. Trade-In Programs.

Amazon Electronics Trade-In
Best Buy Trade-In Center
Costco Electronics Trade-In Program
Ebay Instant Sale
EZTradein.com
HP Trade-In Program
Kodak's Electronic Trade-In Program  is run through SMASH Direct, a Kodak partner
Newegg's Electronics Trade-In Program: Gazelle
Radio Shack Trade & Save Program
Sam's Club Trade-In & Recycle Electronics Program Powered by EcoNew
Sears Electronics Trade-In System: http://www.gazelle.com/
Sony Trade-In or Recycling Program
Swagbucks Electronics, Games & Books Trade-In Program
Target's NextWorth Trade-In Program
Verizon Wireless Trade-In Program
Walmart's Electronics Trade-In Program: Gazelle

Monday, August 30, 2010

Crafting Resources

What better way to spend quality time with our kids then to do crafts together.  Whether you are starting to look for holiday card ideas, putting models together, scrapbooking, drawing or whatever makes you happy, here are a few free resources that we like utilize to add to other activities we do to encourage our kids to grow, thrive and explore while having some fun doing it.

All Free Crafts
Avery Design and Print
Better Homes and Gardens
Canon Creative Park
Crayola.com
DJ Inkers
Family Fun
FaveCrafts
Fisher Price Crafts for Kids
HP Activity Center
Joann Fabrics
Martha Stewart Crafts
McCall Free Pattern Downloads
Michael's The Knack Kids Club
Shabby Princess
The Little Things by Memory Mixer
Think Liz

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Swaptree.com is being replaced by Swap.com

Swaptree.com is being replaced by .  They are bigger and better.  You can still trade your cds, dvds, blu-rays, video games, audiobooks and books.

We personally use swaptree.com, now swap.com and we love it!  We love the ease of it and the overall concept.

Join Swap.com here.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Target's Electronic Recycling Program & iPod/iPhone Trade In for Target Gift Card

Target has an Electronic Recycling Program.

Target is also running a promotion: bring your iPod or iPhone in for trade and get a Target gift card in exchange to use on the purchase of any iPod.  Store trade in hours are 11am - 7pm Sunday - Saturday.  Go to the electronics department for more details.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Our Financial Overhaul

This year and for the next few years, we are focusing our attention on how we can live on less and put more money into building our savings and paying down our debt.  With our recent downsizing or pairing down of our belongings, it gave us a look into what more we can do in terms of saving money while keeping the clutter out.  We are brainstorming ways we can pay down debt quicker while simultaneously saving along the way.  We are committed to making this change happen beginning this year and for the next few years to come.


So far, some of the things we have been looking at are:
1. We are in the market for a new internet and cable plan while cutting our landline phone.
2. Our purchasing habits have been pretty lax lately but it is now time to get back to being frugal.
3. We will be running the dishwasher less.
4. When doing laundry, we will do it right away instead of dewrinkling them over and over again.
5. We will be going back to drinking soda stream instead of purchasing canned sodas.
6. We will be eating out much less and will utilize Mommy's Diner more often for home cooked meals.
7. The kids will police themselves in making sure lights and tv's are off when not in use.
8. We will turn up the thermostat and utilize the fans more often to keep energy costs down.
9. We will utilize the grill more during the summer so we don't heat the house.
10. We will turn off the lights when we are watching tv.
11. We will use the pool pump to help keep the water in the pool clean so it does not need to be changed out as often.
12. We will cut down on the amount of cleaning products and try to use natural products including baking soda, vinegar, newspaper, borax.
13. We will cut down on the amount of processed foods and try to make them fresh (i.e. mashed potatoes, fries, etc...).
14. We will try to eat out of our freezer and pantry to keep costs down.
15. We will try to utilize rechargable batteries.
16. We will search in books and online for simple delicious recipes to try with items we already have.
17. We will try to reduce wasting food by freezing leftovers.




We will continue to do the following to keep costs down:
1. We will continue to make our own laundry detergent because it is saving us money.
2. We will continue to combine errands so that we save on gas.
3. We will continue to use as much free light as possible.
4. We will continue to utilize our local library for books, cds, dvds and magazines.
5. We will continue to use coupons.
6. We will continue to utilize Freecycle.
7. We will continue to grow a garden to help cut back on dollars spent on food, canned, fresh and frozen.
8. We will continue to save used paper and use the back of the paper to print some things or do artwork on them.
9. We will continue to have regular maintenance on our vehicles (i.e. oil changes, recall items, paint protection, etc...) to keep them current and running great.
10. We will continue to keep our tires inflated to the recommended amounts and drive near speed limit to reduce our gas usage.
11. We will continue to search for the cheapest gasoline or purchase it on base.
12. We will continue to have yard sales to sell off stuff we no longer need.
13. We will continue to consign our unused items at the thrift shops.
14. We will continue to make our purchases work for us by joining customer loyalty programs, online rebate programs, online coupon code sites, etc...
15. We will continue to request samples as often as possible to try new products and so we do not have to pay for those items.
16. We will continue to utilize Craigslist to sell items we are no longer using or have a need for.
17. We will continue to use swaptree.com to trade dvds, books, cds and video games.
18. We will continue to share the crops from our garden to try to help end hunger in our neighborhood.
19. We will continue to recycle our aluminum cans for money.
20. I will continue to do online surveys for points to redeem for gifts.
21. I will continue to scan all my purchases for the National Consumer Panel to make my voice heard with manufacturer's and earn points every time I scan or do their surveys.
22. We will continue to wash our clothes in cold water to save money.
23. We will continue to make some of our food from scratch (pizza crusts, cinnamon rolls, bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, etc...).
24. We will continue to take advantage of any/all deals for free admission for military members.
25. We will continue to carpool when possible.
26. We will continue to wash our own vehicles versus going to car washes.
27. We will continue to look for either free or inexpensive events, activities, parks, etc...
28. If we travel, we will continue to look for the best deals available to us.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Updated Ways to Maximize Your Dollars

Here are all the ways our single income family saves money:

Books/Video Games/CDs/DVDs: swaptree.com, Freecycle, local library, consignment shops/thrift shops/flea markets, trading amongst friends, buying from friends

High Value Coupons or coupons for free products:
Email or write a letter to the company that makes the items that you and your family enjoy. Tell them your honest opinion of their products and ask them if there are any coupons that they can share with your and your family. The address or email address of the companies who make the products you enjoy are on the packages/bottles/boxes themselves.
Note: We have received many high value coupons and many coupons for free products this way. The short amount of time that I invested to write the email or letter was nothing in comparison to the high value or coupons for free items. It helps to have a template of the different letters on hand as well.

You can also join online programs like Vocalpoint that sends their members high value coupons to try new products and share their opinions. It is really that simple.

Eco Friendly: we have our own garden, we recycle a lot (aluminum cans monies are collected and saved), we combine errands when we go out to save on gas, we consistently try to reduce our electricity usage by turning most everything off or unplugging them when they are not in use, we are trying to incorporate organic foods into our meals, we are trying to decrease the amount of processed foods that we purchase and opting to go for a more natural homemade option so we know what goes into the food we put in our bodies, we do our own home improvements and recycle any material that is replaced, friends pass on their unused coupons to us (less trees wasted on a newspaper subscription for us)

Entertainment: free local activities (at the library, local restaurants, etc...), parks, playgrounds, Smithsonian Museums, Entertainment Book with buy one, get one free admission coupons and discount movie tickets, state tourism savings pass, military ITR offices, Groupon.com, Redbox and Blockbuster Express movies, movies, books and cds borrowed from the library, having friends over to play and just hang out or barbeque, buying candies at dollar stores before going to the movies, signing up for rewards programs so when you purchase you make your purchase work for you

Grocery Items: huge coupon clipper (store and manufacturer), newspapers, internet printables, magazines (i.e. All You), buying in bulk, pack lunches (work, school, outings, roadtrips), eat leftovers for next day lunches or freeze for future meals, drink sugar free drink mixes, sodastream, fruits and vegetables in our garden, we make our own laundry detergent, cut our dryer sheets in half (later use some of them for dusting, trying the bounce laundry bar that I got for about a buck with coupons, stockpile on items using sales and coupons (getting them cheap or free) and absolutely love shopping the discount area in the grocery store and using coupons on those items.Magazines: mom sends me her magazines, deeply discounted online

Online Shopping: swagbucks.com, mrrebates.com in conjunction with online coupon codes for percentage off or free shipping, mypoints.com, alice.com

Restaurants: coupons in newspapers, fliers/brochures/magazines that come in your mailbox, sign up on for their rewards/email programs, google search coupons for the restaurants you are interested in dining at, Entertainment Book and Restaurant.com.

Samples: Signing up for samples online allows our families to try new products without having to purchase the full size item up front. It has saved us a lot of money since not everything works for our family.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Swap Tree

Do you have dvds, cds, books or video games that you no longer need? Swaptree.com is a great service that allows you to enter items that you have to trade and enter items that you want. It is a free service that promotes trading between members. When Swaptree asks you if you want to accept a trade, you can either say yes or no. Once you agree to the trade, there's no backing out - the trade has to go through. Once both parties have accepted the trade, you can either print out a swaptree shipping label (shipping is charged to a credit card on file at the beginning of the month) or you can take it down to the post office. We like to use the online postage because it includes a mailing label with postage and delivery confirmation and you can print it in the comfort of your own home and put it out to be picked up with the rest of your mail by usps. It's like getting a "new or new to you" game/cd/book/dvd for the price of postage.

You can sign up free here: swaptree.com.

Note: Sometimes the person you are receiving your wanted item from may not be the same person you are sending your item to.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Public Libraries

We love our public library and have been utilizing it since we moved here. Our public library has been an incredible resource for saving our family money. Instead of purchasing books, cds, dvds, books on cd, learn a language cds or dvds like we had always done in the past, you can rent them out and return them. Movie rentals are on a 3 day loan and books and cds are on a 3 week loan. For things like Rosetta Stone, you can download it from their website and listen to them that way.

If your public library does not have the item that you are looking for, you can search on their website, order it online and have it delivered to the public library that you visit most and it can all be done online. There's no fee for this service and it does take a few days. When it is available for pick up, they send you an email reminder. What more can you ask for?

Also, throughout the year they run different reading programs and events including story telling, anime and science events. All of the events and programs are free to participate as long as you register in advance and show up early.

Go check out your public library and save some money!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

We make our own powdered laundry detergent. Making and using our own laundry detergent has been working great for us and it saves us a lot of money. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for name brand laundry detergents a year, why not make your own and keep the rest of the money in your pocket. It used to take some time to grate the soap bars but since my wonderful husband got the shred attachment for our Kitchen Aid this past Christmas, I can whip up a batch in no time.

I was talking about it with a good friend yesterday and she wanted the recipe so I told her I would post it here.

So, here's the recipe we use:
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
2 cups of shredded Irish Spring bar soap

Make sure you shake everything until well combined (We keep ours in an air tight plastic bottle.)
Use 2-3 Tablespoons per wash load (We use 3 Tablespoons per load. We use a small container as our scooper, it's exactly 3 Tablespoons - which makes it a lot easier.)

You can also double up the recipe like we do so you do not have to make it as often.

Try it and see how you like it! Let me know what you think.

Note: We previously made some liquid laundry detergent but have found that it was too messy and bulky for our family. Therefore we have opted to stick with powdered laundry detergent.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Movie Theater Savings

Do you find that movie theater ticket prices are high these days? I do. Going out to see a movie in the movie theater is fun but it does come with a heavy price tag especially for families, especially those living on a single income. This is why I researched how our family can save a little money and still afford to go to the movie theater.

The Entertainment Book has coupons where you can purchase tickets from AMC, Regal Entertainment Group and Cinemark at a discount. Entertainment.com has a member deals section where you can purchase discount tickets from so many movie theaters (way more then what is listed here) that it would be worth it to pay the cost of the book.

Entertainment Books may be kind of pricey if you buy them at regular price or if you buy them as a fundraiser. However, if you wait until they have their books on sale and go through an online rebate site like mrrebates.com, you can get an Entertainment book for next to nothing and you would immediately make that money back after redeeming just a few of the many coupons that are included in the book.

Do you have AAA? If so, you can take advantage of discount movie tickets for AMC, Regal, Reading Cinemas and Bow Tie Cinemas purchased in set packs of either. Check out their member discounts here: http://www.aaamidatlantic.com/Discounts/Dining-Entertainment/Movie-Tickets/

Do you have a Costco or Sam's Club membership? They also offer discounted tickets when you buy in bulk. Check their websites out for more information.

You may want to also check the base ITR or ITT office to see if they offer discounted movie tickets as well.

Many local theaters offer free summer movies on certain days, so check out their websites as the season gets closer. We have checked out movies on the free days and the theaters is just packed to the brim so you may want to show up really early for those.

Also most theaters have their own free rewards programs/clubs that if you sign up for them you can reap the rewards. Some offer discounted concession items while others allow you to earn points with every ticket purchased and your can redeem those points for different items. Again, this is just another way to make your purchase work for you. Sometime they have special sign up times where you can get a free popcorn when you first sign up and others may do similar promotions so check out your local theater.


For Maryland family and friends, here's some cool movie deals you may/may not know about:

Cinemark: (theater locations here: http://www.cinemark.com/theater_list.asp)
1. Seniors Every Monday (senior ticket prices (valid for ages 62+, Seniors day, all day Monday, any movie, any showtime), details here: http://www.cinemark.com/seniors_day.asp
2. Discount Tuesday (discount Tuesday prices, all day), details here: http://www.cinemark.com/discount_Tuesday.asp
3. Early Bird on the first matinee showtime of the day (7 days a week), details here: http://www.cinemark.com/earlybird.asp
4. Discount tickets on Entertainment Book online up to 35% off.
5. AAA has discounted movie tickets too.
6. Costco has Cinemark discount movie tickets, details here: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11226798

1. Discount tickets & discount concession package on Entertainment Book online and discount coupons in the Entertainment Book.
2. AMC Movie Watcher Rewards Free Program, details here: https://www.amcentertainment.com/rewards/
5. $5 in concession for only $4 Concession Saver, details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Value_Pricing/Overview/
7. Seniors (60+) enjoy Senior Day every Tuesday for a limited time. Also high school and college students can show their id's everything Thursday for discount ticket prices. Details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Value_Pricing/Box_Office/

Regal Entertainment Group: (theater locations here: http://www.regmovies.com/theatrelocations/default.aspx?state=MD)
1. Join their Regal Crown Club Free Program here: http://www.regmovies.com/ticketsandshowtimes/
2. Discount tickets on Entertainment Book online and discount coupons in the Entertainment Book.

Bow Tie Cinemas: (theater locations here:
1. Free Criterion Club Member, join here: http://www.bowtiecinemas.com/join-club.html
2. Discount tickets on Entertainment Book online.

Fort Meade Base Theater - Reel Time Theater:
Admission:
- Adult - $4
- Child (6-11) - $2
- Children 5 & under - FREE


For Hawaii family and friends, here's some cool movie deals you may/may not know about:

Consolidated Theaters promotions, details here:
I think you can still get Consolidated Group Movie Tickets (GMT) through places like HGEA, UH Manoa & Community Colleges, etc...

Regal Entertainment Group: (theater locations here: http://www.regmovies.com/theatrelocations/default.aspx?state=MD)
1. Join their Regal Crown Club Free Program here: http://www.regmovies.com/ticketsandshowtimes/
2. Discount tickets on Entertainment Book online and discount coupons in the Entertainment Book.
I think you can get discount Regal Movie theater tickets at UH Manoa & Community Colleges, etc...

Hickam Base Theater Reel Time Theater:
Admission:
- Adult - $4
- Child - $2

Schofield Base Theater Reel Time Theater:


For Montana family and friends, here's some cool movie deals you may/may not know about:

Carmike Cinemas: (theater locations here: http://www.carmike.com/showtimes.aspx?fct=4)
1. Discount tickets on Entertainment Book online.
2. List of their programs/promotions here: http://www.carmike.com/promotions.aspx

These are just a few ways that I found when researching the idea of saving money while watching movies in theaters. If you have any other tips, please feel free to share them with us.

Lisa

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Free Movie Nights

Our family tries to do free movie Friday nights when possible. We try to rent movies from Redbox kiosks or Blockbuster Express kiosks with free movie codes that we find online. The movie codes are hit and miss but it is definitely worth it for a free movie rental. Here are some resources for free movies. For the redbox and blockbuster express kiosks, you can sign up online to reserve your movies and go pick them up at your kiosk or you can just visit your local kiosk. You can also sign up for their movie codes and have the codes go directly to your cell phone like I have.

Redbox and Blockbuster Express codes can be used one time per credit card number.


Free Redbox kiosk codes can be found here: http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/
REDBOX (new customers only)
DVDONME
BREAKROOM

Free Blockbuster Express dvd movie codes can be found here: http://insideblockbusterexpress.com/promo-codes/
Here are some of their codes from their list that are still valid.
GL9RA - valid until 3/31/10
GT21A - valid until 3/12/10
GOLIVE - valid until 3/31/10
G213A1 - valid on Wednesday, 3/10/10
GA13A2 - valid until 3/16/10

Free Blockbuster Express rent one, get one free rental codes:
GE12B - valid until 3/8/10 - expired
GN13B1 - valid until 3/8/10 - expired
POPCORN (do not know expiration)

Now go out and enjoy some free movies!
Lisa




Thursday, March 4, 2010

Resource Tools I Use to Maximize Our Savings

Do you search the internet a lot? Why not make your internet searches work for you? Sign up for swagbucks through my link here: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/frugalalohamom
and start searching and winning points to redeem on stuff like gift cards and other items.

Shop online much? If so, sign up with mrrebates.com through my link here:
http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=236576 and start putting more money back in your pocket through online rebates. Shop through mrrebates.com links and put a percentage of your order back in your pocket. I joined up in 2009 and managed to accumulate $63+ in rebates thus far.

If you are not into online rebates because some people just aren't, there's also a program called mypoints.com where if you shop through their links, you earn points for your purchases that add up and you can redeem these points for all sorts of things like gift cards and other things. You can also earn points by taking their surveys on their main page. I have redeemed my points for a few gift cards.

Want to try alice.com, sign up here: http://www.alice.com/referral/136BBCB and get $10 credited to your account after you spend $50 and order 6 or more items and shipping is always free. Around the holiday's they sometimes have their gift cards on sale for 30% off which is nice. They also have a lot of organic products, so check it out!

Reliable printable coupon websites:
redplum.com
smartsource.com
coupons.com
bricks.com
vocalpoint.com

More to come.