moneystretchingfamily

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Spring/Summer Activities

School is ending in less then a month and with summer on the horizon, here are some ways you and your family can really enjoy yourselves without hurting your pocketbook.

1. Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse - 10 movies for $5 if purchased in advance. Select your state and movie theater here: http://www.cinemark.com/summermovieclubhouse/
2. Regal's Free Family Film Festival - free movies during the summer. Select your state here:http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx
3. Local libraries - most times they have their summer reading program where you can earn rewards after every so many books read. The ones in Maryland have summer activities. In the past, they have had magic shows, science shows, storytime, etc...
4. Smithsonian Museums - these are always free admission.
5. Redbox - rent movies for $1/day.
6. Blockbuster Express - rent movies for $1/day.
7. Restaurants with indoor play areas - places such as McDonald's and Chick-Fil-A.
8. Visiting a local farmer's market - It is a great time to teach kids about different fruits and vegetables and to find out where our produce comes from.
9. Day trips to Washington DC - is a great opportunity to soak up the history of our country and to visit all the free monuments, museums and tourist attractions. We loved visiting the National Zoo, Navy Memorial & Museum, White House, state Senate office building, reflecting pool, National Mall, Smithsonian Museums, Arlington National Cemetary, etc...
10. Day trips to Ocean City, Maryland - is time to enjoy all the sites on and off the boardwalk and enjoy the beach! While you are down there you can visit Assateague Island National Seashore and wildlife refuge.
11. Visit Baltimore's Inner Harbor - is a great time to take in a little history of Baltimore like at Fort McHenry. There are also the tourist attractions like the National Aquarium, Fells Point, Lexington Market, etc...
12. Groupon.com - Offers great deals on activities throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area and other cities across the country. We were able to purchased discount tickets for Earth Treks and Arundel Golf Center.
13. Local parks - Local parks are a great resource because they normally have running/biking/walking paths, playgrounds, tennis/baseball/basketball facilities, restrooms, picnic areas, water activities, etc... Sometimes these parks host organized runs and have events there as well. Some have admission fees and others do not.
14. Indoor playgrounds - These are often found in local malls. Most of them have hand sanitizer stations.
15. Oriole Park - Chick-Fil-A offers a Junior Orioles Dugout Club program where you can purchase a new membership for $17. For kids 14 and under: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/fan_forum/dugoutclub.jsp
16. U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, MD - Offers a history lesson on the Navy. It is beautifully updated and offers a good view of the dock.
17. Baltimore Washington International (BWI) trail and viewing area - This is a great time to teach kids about aviation and for them to see it for itself. Some of them even have a playground area for kids to play, details here: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/bwi_trail.html
18. Ellicott City - Walk through and soak in the history and enjoy the local atmosphere and foods.
19. AMC Summer Fun Bowling Pass - Offers 2 free games per day, details here: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/
20. Bank of America's Museum on Us program - Free museum admission if you use your Bank of America card, details here: http://museums.bankofamerica.com/
21. Apple Free Workshops - Free workshops at participating Apple stores, details here: http://www.apple.com/retail/workshops/
22. Pottery Barn Book Club: Free story time 11-1130am every Tuesday at participating stores, details here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/customer-service/book-club.html
23. Borders free story time, see your local store.
24. Barnes and Noble free story time, see your local store.
25. National Crytologic Museum & National Vigilence Park: http://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic_heritage/museum/
26. Baltimore Museum of Art - free family Sunday's between 2-4pm with free activities.
27. Anheuser-Busch Here's to the Hero's Program - complimentary one day free admission for a service member and up to 3 family members to either Sea World Orlando Orlando, Sea World San Diego or Sea World San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, or Sesame Place, Adventure USA, Water Country USA valid through December 31, 2010.
Registration and details here: http://www.herosalute.com/cavatx/index.html
28. Every Tuesday night, can you purchase upper seating for Baltimore Orioles games at Camden Yards from Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $8, details here: http://www.olliesbargainoutlet.com/newsEvents/articleDetail.aspx?id=26&type=2
29. Read books on free download of Kindle for pc and get free book downloads from various websites.
30. Family game parties - board games, outside games, video games.
31. Pool parties.
32. Don't forget all the places that kids eat free to stretch your dollars even further.
33. 600 museums offering active duty military and their families free summer admission, details in this Washington post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/23/AR2010052304305.html
34. Craft days at home with friends.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Successful Yard Sales

Since I have been trying to downsize our household, I have also been researching ideas for successful yard sales online. Most of what I found include the following:

1. Heavily Advertise your yard sale (i.e. Pennysaver, Craigslist, local newspaper, signs in your neighborhood a few days before, etc...) which will mean heavier foot traffic.

2. When having a multi family yard sale, use different color stickers to price your items. Remove stickers from all sold items and place in a book. At the end of the yard sale tally the different color stickers up which makes it easier to split up the money.

3. Make sure you have some bags on hand in case people buy more then one item.

4. Have your kids sit out and help sell their items.

5. It's ok to sell other things like bottled water, baked goodies, etc...

6. Price all your items before the day of the yard sale.

7. Go early to set up.

8. Bring tables, mats, blankets, hanging racks, chairs and such that you will set your items on or sit out on.

9. Have everything set up before the start of your yard sale.

10. Most of all have fun and make money on stuff you do not use anymore.

11. Make sure you have enough change on hand.

Do you have any other helpful tips for a successful yard sale? If so, I would love to hear them.

Case Lot Sale

Case Lot Sales can save you a bunch of money in the long run especially when they allow you to use coupons for them and as long as you have the space to store them.

On Friday, I went with a good friend and our kids - there was a two hour wait just to get in because there were not enough carts. Too long of a wait, so we left. The second day I went was Saturday mid morning and there was no line to get in however an hour wait in line to pay. There were a lot of great deals this year and I saved over $20 in coupons effortlessly which was really nice for a change. The commissary either had all the coupons inside with the items themselves or they were giving the coupons out near the products. Examples of great deals include Cheese Nips - regularly $6.50/6 boxes or $1.08/box , after coupons $3.50/6 boxes or .58/box and Mountain Dew - regularly $4.99/24 pk, after coupon $3.99/24 pk.

When I got home, my family helped unload which was great! They are awesome!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Restaurant Coupons

Over the years, we have managed to save a good amount of money by using coupons and discount gift certificates at restaurants. Whether it be fast food, sit down or otherwise. If there is a coupon or a discount gift certificate out there, most often I can find one. I will be sharing with you restaurants that we frequent throughout the year and where you can find coupons for eating there at a discount.

1. Quizno's Q Club: http://www.quiznos.com/subsandwiches/Offers/OffersLanding.aspx

Sign up for their Quizno's Q Club and get monthly coupons delivered to their inbox. In the past there have been $1, $2 or $3 off coupons, $5 off $20 sandwich platter, free drinks with a sub/salad purchase, free chips and drink with large sub, etc...

2. Baskin Robbins: http://www.baskinrobbins.com/?cid=722561&jid=38748483&mc=100&eid=251057&cmpid=email_ext_000127

Sign up for their emails and have coupons and specials delivered to your inbox. Most times there is a $3 off a cake purchase, for your birthday they have a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream and occasionally they have programs like .31 scoop night that support their charities.

3. Starbucks: http://www.starbucks.com

Sign up for their newsletters and get in the know about free coffee days, specials and free events at participating locations.

4. Ruby Tuesday: http://www.rubytuesday.com/

Sign up for their newsletter and receive specials, promotions and coupons directly to your inbox. Occasionally they have buy one, get one (bogo) free meals and free dessert coupons. They have a promo going on where if you visit them on Mother's Day for brunch, lunch or dinner, each table will receive a special gift.

5. Wendy's: http://www.wendys.com/news/signUp.jsp

Sign up for their Wendy Mail newsletters and receive valuable coupons and promos delivered to your inbox. Occasionally they have $1 off coupons on new sandwiches and other items.

6. Groupon: http://www.groupon.com

Sign up for Groupon.com and get their deal directly to your inbox. In the past, they have had bar and grill, seafood and other restaurant deals.

7. Einstein Bros.: https://www.einsteinbros.com/secure.html#/EClub/

Sign up for their e club and get their deals and coupons delivered to your inbox. Friday's they usually have free bagel Friday's with coupons, free bagel & schmear when you sign up on facebook.com, discount coupon for their bagel buckets, etc...

8. Olive Garden: http://www.olivegarden.com/menus/

Sign up for their newsletters and get valuable coupons in your inbox. Currently they are running a $5 off 2 dinner entrees coupon.

9. Dairy Queen: http://www.blizzardfanclub.com/?utm_source=BFCblast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BFClink&utm_campaign=BOGO0419v2

10. Dave and Busters: http://www.daveandbusters.com/Rewards/#joinToday

Sign up for their Dave and Busters Rewards program and get valuable coupons from buy $10, get $10 or buy $20, get $20 in game play for free, free appetizer coupons, free entree coupons, etc...

11. TGI Friday's: https://www.tgifridays.com/gmms/givememorestripes.aspx

Sign up for their Give Me More Stripes program. In the past, there were bogo free entrees, free appetizer with purchase, etc...

12. Famous Daves: http://www.famousdaves.com/pig-club/

13. Texas Roadhouse: http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/txrdh/lp/join/join_loc.htm

14. Chili's: http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/chlscrp/lp/join/join.asp

15. Greene Turtle: http://www.thegreeneturtle.com/eclub.php

16. Fuddruckers: http://fuddruckers.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&inputsource=w

Sign up for their e club and get a free gift for joining, a free burger on your birthday and something special on the anniversary of the day you signed up with them.

17. Romano Macaroni: http://macaronigrill.com/Menu/RestaurantSearch.aspx

18. Johnny Rockets: http://www.johnnyrockets.com/locations/

19. Damon Grill: http://damons.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&InputSource=W

20. Potbelly Sandwich Company: http://www.potbelly.com/TalkToUs/InsideScoop.aspx

21. Hooters: http://www.hooters.com/Registration.aspx

22. Applebees: http://www.applebees.com/EmailSignup.aspx?s=Nav

23. Buffalo Wild Wings: http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/bww/lp/join/1/join.asp

Join the Buffalo Circle club and get in the know.

24. Assorted restaurant coupon resources:

a. Restaurant.com (Yomato Sushi, Woodfire Grill, Garry's Grill and Catering, Bill Bateman's, etc..)

b. Valpak.com (Pizza Hut, Bill Bateman's Bistro, etc...)

c. Entertainment Book or entertainment.com (Auntie Anne's, TGI Friday's, Greene Turtle, Tony Roma's, Qdoba, Don Pablo's, Champps, Fuddruckers, Boston Market, Cinnabon, Domino's, Hardees, Pizza Hut, Wings To Go, etc...)

d. Clipper Magazine or clippermagazine.com (Ledo Pizza, Cheshire Crab, Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet, The Olive Tree, Mongolian Grill, etc...)

e. Pennysaver or http://www.pennysaverusa.com/category/restaurants/region/w-us-md-anne-arundel-pasadena-21122/radius-0/ (Johnny's Family Restaurant, Wendy's, Popeyes, Double T Diner, Listas, Friendly's, etc...)

f. Consumer Eye magazine

g. Local newspaper (Dunkin Donuts, Subway, Chuck E Cheese, Quizno's, Hardees, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Boston Market, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, Dave and Busters, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, Little Caesars, etc...)

h. Direct mail from local restaurants (McDonalds, Burger King, etc...)

i. Local restaurant menus sometimes include coupons

j. Mall brochures (Auntie Anne's, etc...)

k. Anne Arundel County & Annapolis: http://www.annearundelcountywebsite.com/foodanddrink.html

Other Restaurants:

1. Medieval Times: http://www.medievaltimes.com/

2. Friendly's: http://www.friendlys.com/

Sign up for their BFF (Best Friends of Friendly's) club and get their newsletters with valuable coupons delivered to you inbox. Right now they have a promo on Mother's Day of bogo free breakfast.

3. Rainforest Cafe: http://www.rainforestcafe.com/safariclub.asp

4. Red Lobster: http://www.redlobster.com/club/

Sign up for their newsletters and get valuable personalized coupons, recipes, specials and other information delivered to your inbox.

5. Living Social: http://www.livingsocial.com

It is a program similar to Baltimore Groupon.

6. The Melting Pot: http://www.themeltingpotclubfondue.com/

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

E-Coupons

Since e-coupons came out, it makes redeeming coupons almost effortless depending on where you shop. Some of the e-coupon sites that we use include the following. Safeway is the only grocery store that I know about here from the list of stores you can redeem these e-coupons at and we rarely go there. Check their e-coupon sites for redemption locations.

Upromise: https://lty.s.upromise.com/secure/ecoupon/eCouponHome.do?cm_re=v1|Logout-_-Logout|Main-_-eCoupons
Cellfire: http://www.couponmom.com/cellfire-coupons-464
Shortcuts.com

Don't take my word for it, check it out or try it for yourself.

Happy Saving!

April Savings

April has turned out to be a wonderful month full of savings.

This week alone, we saved so much money in due diligence to the time I invest in strategic couponing. I had not been able to get down to the base to get my shopping done, so instead I opted to support our local economy by shopping at our local stores using sales along with store coupons and stacking them with manufacturer coupons. We were running low on stuff here so I had a chance to stock up on some items this week.

Here are our savings:
At Rite Aid - total oop: $46.22, before coupon total $98+
At Staples - total oop: $16.17, before reward total: $47.13 - $30.96 Staples Rewards
At Target - total oop: $22.43, before coupons: $32.94
At Walgreens - total oop: $36.74, before coupons: $53.74
At CVS Transaction 1- total oop: $37.39 - $10 MIR = $27.39, before coupons: $44.99
A CVS Transaction 2 - total oop: $47.22, before coupons: $82.47

The savings opportunities have been all over. Just today I told my friend that there are coupons for most everything out there from products to services to restaurants, etc... I asked her how she shops without using coupons. She said it is hard to shop without coupons because she knows that she has one somewhere for it but just is not very organized when it comes to couponing. This is the same friend that I have been teaching couponing to and she has gotten a lot better since we first started a few years ago. She does not carry her coupons with her and wonders where they are most of the time. It is so frustrating to watch her throw money away like that. So today in Target, I showed her a few simple saving methods and she found it to be unbelievable. I feel better that I was able to save her a little while shopping for things that she needed.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

My Product Reviews

Coupons and samples have allowed our family to try tons of new products each year either for free or is very inexpensive. Here are some of the products we have recently tried.

1. Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel Fresh Clean Scent- I received a sample in the mail and to my surprise, these things have worked for us so far and they smell good. One stamp of gel inside your bowl is supposed to last a week but it has lasted us much longer and has kept the bowl clean. We will continue to use this product as long as we have a coupon for it.

2. Suave Kids Shampoo - We purchased this item using a coupon and only had the chance to use it in the last month because of our shampoo rotation. This items says tear free but it really is not. Last week, it got in my youngest son's eyes a few times and just burned them like crazy. Of course after the second time this happened, we ceased using this item for my youngest and gave it to my oldest. I would not purchase this item again since it does not work for our youngest.

3. EnviroKidz Organic Gorilla Munch Cereal - We tried this on a recommendation from a friend because the ingredients are so simple (organic corn meal, organic evaporated cane juice and sea salt) and not rocket science. We really enjoy this cereal and will continue to purchase this item in the future. Purchased at Trader Joe's.

4. Fage 2% Greek Yogurt - We tried this on a recommendation from a friend who introduced us to organic foods and because I had a coupon for it. My kids and I really enjoy it with a little bit of honey and will continue to purchase this item as long as we have coupons for them.

5. Oikos Greek Yogurt - We tried this on a recommendation from a friend and we had a coupon for it. We love the one with honey and will continue to enjoy this product in our future.

6. Danimals Smoothie - My youngest son tried this product after seeing it by the yogurts and he loves it!

7. Baby Bel Cheese - My eldest son tried this and loves it!

8. Apple & Eve Fruitables with 1/3 less sugar - Saw these on clearance at the commissary and had to try them. Our youngest really likes it!

9. Odwalla beverages - We tried a few different ones (pomegranate, strawberry, blueberry, etc...) and loved them. It is a healthier alternative to sugary drinks. We purchased these with a coupon at the commissary.

10. Yoplait Smoothies - We have tried both varieties and our kids enjoy them. We will continue to enjoy them in the future. We purchased these with coupons at the commissary.

11. Pringles Super Stackers - We have tried different varieties and the ones we purchased, we have enjoyed. Looking forward to trying other varieties in the future. We purchased these with coupons at the commissary.

12. Marcal Napkins - We love these durable napkins and will continue to use them in the future. We purchased these with coupons at the commissary.

13. Bounty Basic - We tried these and they are not even worth the money we paid for them. Useless. We purchased these from Alice.com with an online coupon. Love Alice.com but not this product.

14. Keurig Cafe Mocha - My husband tried these and loves them! We purchased these at the PA Dutch Market in Annapolis, MD.

15. International Delights Sweet Buttercream Liquid Coffee Creamer - Got my own bottle after trying this at a friend's house. Absolutely delicious and I will continue to enjoy it in the future. We purchased this on sale at a local grocery store.

16. Barilla Tortellini Three Cheese - A coupon fairy left me a coupon on the shelf at the commissary to get these for half off. We love these!

17. Ronzoni Smart Start Pastas - Tried these because we had coupons for them. At first we did not like them but we soon got used to the taste and now we can't even tell the difference. We purchased these at the commissary.

18. Herbal Essense Pear Shampoo - I used this and loved it! It really does make your scalp tingle and it smells good. We will continue to purchase this in in future. We purchased this at Walmart with a coupon.

19. Aussie Shampoo - This shampoo smells and works well. We love it! We purchased this at AAFES with a coupon.

20. Cascade All in One packs - We tried these before and they seemed to work well. We recently tried them again and they are leaving my pots white on the outside. I do not like these at all. Purchased these on sale with a coupon at the commissary.

21. Gillette Body & Facial Wash - My husband and son love these! Will continue to purchase in the future with coupons. Purchased this at Target with a coupon.

22. Franks Red Hot Sauce - My husband tried this one and he says it tastes ok. He still prefers his Tabasco over this one. Purchased at Target with a coupon.

23. Franks Buffalo Wings Sauce - My husband tried these at a friends party and says that he likes it.

24. Spam 25% less salt - We tried these and cannot tell the difference between this and the original, so it is a definite keeper! Mom purchased it.

25. Ortho Weed-B-Gone - We tried these because it said it would kill the weeds and not the lawn. The day after I sprayed our weeds, there were brown spots on our lawn. I don't think this product works very well and will not purchase it again in the future. Purchased at AAFES.

26. Kiwi Fresh Force Shoe Refresher - My oldest son uses this and it seems to keep odors away, so this one is another keeper! Purchased at the AAFES uniform shop.

27. Puffs Plus Lotion - I received a free sample from Vocalpoint for Puffs Plus Lotion To Go. These facial tissues work well and the fact that it has lotion in it is great!

28. Cottonelle Toilet Tissue - Tried these because we had a coupon for it and were running low. Will never buy these again. Leftover tissue on our behinds and it seemed to clog our toilets. Purchased at the commissary.

29. Trader Joe's Lobster Bisque - Absolutely delicious! My eldest and I love it! My husband had a reaction to it and my youngest doesn't like it. Tastes great with pasta or by itself.

30. Reese Select Clusters - Had to try them when they were on clearance at the commissary. These are really sweet. If I have a sweet tooth, I have one of these and I'm done. Yes, it's that sweet! I would not purchase again in the future.

31. Mr. Clean Multi Surface Cleaner - Tried these from Walmart because I had a coupon for it. It leaves streaks on windows and mirrors. However, seems to clean well on other surfaces. I would not purchase this item again.

32. Coffee Mate Vanilla Caramel Sugar Free Powdered Sugar Creamer - Tried this when I saw it on clearance at the commissary. Tastes ok. Nothing I would purchase again in the future.

33. Costco Kirkland Toilet Tissue - Very durable and inexpensive. We love these!

34. Dagoba Chocolate Bars - First tried these at Mom's Organic Market. We thought it was ok for dark chocolate. Purchased another one at the commissary. We like it but are not too crazy about dark chocolate. We hope they come out with milk chocolate variations in the future.

35. Kashi Tasty Little Cereal Bars - We tried the strawberry one from the commissary with a coupon. I like it but my kids are not into it.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Hot Topic New Rewards Program

Hot Topic has a new frequent buyers program that replaces their old card. It is now an actual point card called HT+1 Your friend with benefits. Just signed up while I was down at their store last night and came home to complete my registration online. Got 10 free points just for signing up.
Details here:http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/member/Login.jsp

Recent Great Deals

Here are some of the recent great deals that we will or have been able to take advantage of.

1. JcPenney $10 off any purchase using coupon code 4BESTMOM. I got a firming brief that was on sale for $12.99 (reg. $22), $9.01 savings with sale minus $10 coupon code=$2.99+$5.95 s/h=$9.48 (total savings $19.01). I have been looking for one of these and just was not willing to pay the high prices for one.

2. Aeropostale $10 off $10 printable coupon for a free item priced at $10 and under. They had mens cargo shorts on sale for $20, used the $10 coupon on this and got it for $10 + tax. $20 for their cargo shorts was almost unheard of and to get it for $10+ tax was a rare deal.

3. Beyond the Rack body shaper for $20. Used my $10 credit that you get when you sign up toward this purchase. I had been looking for one of these for awhile and had not found one at a price I was willing to pay until I found this one. Took awhile to arrive at my door but I am very pleased with it and it even came with an extra pair of clear straps. Yay me!

4. YaySave freshwater pearl set of 10 bracelet set for $19.99 (Mother's Day Special pricing). Used my $10 online gift card that I earned using my swagbucks points toward this purchase. I also earned another 500 points for taking advantage of this deal and they were delivered yesterday, yay! They are beautiful!

5. My hubby got tickets to the CPOA Baltimore Orioles game night at a discount.

6. I recently received my Paypal $5.00 deposited into my paypal from redeeming my swagbucks points.

7. Free Kindle for PC application and free Kindle for PC Amazon downloadable books online.

8. Buy one, get one free pretzel coupon for signing up at Auntie Anne's online. Purchased 2 pepperoni pretzels ($3 savings) and got my frequent buyer card stamped for the one that I purchased.

9. Tropicana Rewards - bogo free Fandango movie ticket.

10. All You magazine's free 5x7 flipbook from Snapfish (just saved $9.98). Just paid shipping and tax for a total of $2.11. This will make a great gift! I received this in the mail the other day and the quality is excellent as usual and will make a wonderful gift.

11. Home Depot's Garden Club bogo free tree. We purchased a pear tree and an Okame Blossoming Cherry tree ($19.97 savings). One for our front and one for our back yard. It is a too good to pass up deal.

12. Baskin Robbins 31 cent scoop night is on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 (5-10pm) to honor the National Fallen Firefighter foundation. We did NOT end up going to this.

13. CVS free 4x6 magnet deal, create and use promo code FREE4MOM ($6.99 savings).

14. Shutterfly create 3 free 5x7 cards for Mother's Day and use promo code CARDS4MOM to get them for $1 + tax shipped to you, my total $1.01.

15. Buy.com has the Visual Land V-Touch for $39.99 mp3/mp4/camera/video player w/sd expansion slot. List price $199 for a savings of $160 with free shipping. This would be a great substitute for the iTouch.
See deal here: http://www.buy.com/retail/department.asp?loc=111&adid=17653

Note:

1. My good friend Maryanne saved $20 with the coupons that I shared with her. I'm so very proud of her! Keep up the great work!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Points & Frequent Buyer's Programs - Making your purchases work for you

I have found that memberships to points programs can be very rewarding.
I am a member of various points programs including:
1. Pampers Gifts to Grow - Points are accumulated to redeem online.
2. Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards - Points are accumulated to redeem online.
3. Mypoints.com - I have redeemed points for various gift cards.
4. Swagbucks.com - I have redeemed points for 2 gift cards.
5. Visa points program - I have redeemed points for various gift cards.
6. Tropicana Rewards - I have redeemed points for buy one, get one (bogo) free Tropicana 50 juices. I have also redeemed point for bogo free movie ticket.
7. Mycokerewards - I have redeemed points for various photo printing services, coupons for bogo free items and entering a few of their sweepstakes.
8. AERewards - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
9. Ace Rewards - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
10. Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
11. Office Depot Worklife Rewards - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
12. Staples Rewards - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
13. Children's Place "Place Perks" - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
14. Best Buy Reward Zone - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
15. Rainforest Cafe Safari Club - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
16. TGI Friday's - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
17. Famous Footwear - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.
18. National Consumer Panel - Points are accumulated when purchased household items are scanned and transmitted via a telephone and surveys are completed online. Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail. Occasionally they will send items such as bottle openers, etc... through the mail.
19. Regal Movie Theater - Earn 1 credit for every dollar spent, reward details here: http://rcc.regalcinemas.com/CrownClub/appmanager/rcc/CrownClub?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=REWARDSSCHEDULE
20. Ledo's Pizza - Points are accumulated to receive discount/reward coupons in the mail.

Frequent Buyer's Programs can also be very rewarding if you frequent places more often then others.
1. Rita's Italian Ice - Buy 10 treats, get one free. Offers a card for frequent purchases.
2. Jewelry Service Center Watch Battery Club (Walmart in Glen Burnie & Arundel Mills) - Buy 4 watch batteries at regular price, get one free. Offers a card for frequent purchases.
3. K.J. Watch & Jewelry Repair (Marley Station Mall, MD) - Buy 6 batteries, get one free. Offers a card for frequent purchases.
4. AAFES combo card (Fort Meade, MD) - Buy 8 combo meals, get one free. Offers a card for frequent purchases.
5. Harry & David - When your purchases reach $150, you will receive a complimentary 8 oz. box of chocolate truffles. When your purchases total $300, you will receive 20% off your next purchase. Offers a card for frequent purchases.
6. Reel Time Movie Card (Fort Meade, MD) - Get a stamp for every 9 admission or combo purchases, get a free medium popcorn with medium drink combo.
7. Auntie Anne's - Pretzel Perk

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Vocalpoint

What is Vocalpoint you may ask? Who is Vocalpoint for?

Since becoming a Vocalpoint member, my family and I have been able to try so many new products either with the samples they send us or using coupons and then we often like sharing if the product worked for our family or not. Vocalpoint sends out samples and coupons to try new products and gives you a few coupons to share with family and friends to spread the word of these new products. Vocalpoint is for everyone who likes trying new products, sharing new products with friends and letting people know about it either on Vocalpoint message boards or on your own blog. To learn more about Vocalpoint, go here:http://www.vocalpoint.com//about.html and to become a member, go here:http://www.vocalpoint.com//registration.html

Thank you Vocalpoint for allowing us to participate in your wonderful program.

The other day we received a sample and coupons for us and to share for Puffs To Go plus lotion. We will be trying it out this weekend.

The allergies are acting up and we have already gotten out the new boxes of facial tissue in our house.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

More Garden

Today we planted the rest of our garden. We planted some jalapeno peppers, tomatillos and beef steak tomatoes, from seeds of course.

Last year, our entire crop was all planted from seeds. This year, we planted most of our garden from seeds and some of it (yellow onions, garlic and strawberries) from seedlings/starter plants. We are keeping an eye on our garden to see how long it will take to grow or start sprouting. Our winesap apple tree is flowering pretty good now, so we are hoping that this year it will produce a little more fruit for our family to enjoy.

The onion starters are starting to get the greens pop out from the top and there are some small garlic plants from the garlic seeds. The small garlic is soooo cute. Everything else looks good, so we will keep an eye on it.

We have been noticing recently that a squirrel has been getting into our garden. He has been quietly reaaranging things but we just went through everything and regrouped whatever was out of place.

So far so good and we are looking forward to reaping the rewards from working hard in our garden this year. Whatever extras we may have will either be frozen for future use, shared with family and friends or shared via our local freecycle group.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Green Onions

I bought a bunch of green onions two weeks ago and they are still producing for us. You see after we got them home, we cut the bunch down to the start of the dark green part and stuck the bottoms in a planter with potting soil in them and watered them. The first batch of regrown green onion was cut this week and frozen for future use. The second batch will be cut this weekend and the process will continue. I plan on getting as much out of this one bunch of green onions as I possibly can. Why should we have to keep purchasing green onions every time we need them in a recipe (like we have done over and over in the past)? Each time it gets too long and we do not use them right away, it will be frozen for future use. However, we just found some fresh noodles at the asian market yesterday that looks like saimin (I hope it is) and we will probably use the green onions in that this time around. I hope it is delicious!

Just another way to stretch our dollars the smart way.

Update: The green onions died off. I wonder if I watered them too much. Anyways, I will pick up another bunch next time I go grocery shopping and repeat this method.

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.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Our First Spring Weekend

This year, our first day of Spring was fun and busy. We did some shopping on base and picked up some home improvement items before heading home. We had lunch and started on the days work. We cleaned out, scrubbed down and brought our grill back up to speed. We purchased our grill a little less then 10 years ago.

We will be able to enjoy many more years of grilling now. We will also be able to enjoy our patio a little more on hot days this year. We were very thankful to have received a patio umbrella with base this weekend through our local freecycle.

While Mike was doing most of the scrubbing down and bringing our grill back up to speed, the kids and I were in our garden. I started out by weeding, then we moved on to digging trenches and planting. After that, I made homemade signs so we know which vegetables are where. We changed it up a lot this year and planted yellow onions, garlic, strawberries, cucumbers, hot & long peppers and some green onions. (Last year, we had a ton of roma and cherry tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.) Mike lightly watered our garden toward the evening.

I did a little freecycling in between everything else that we had going on. My items were picked up on time and found new homes this weekend. It is always great when I do not have to deal with freecycle no shows.

The kids and I were able to take advantage of the free italian ice that Rita's offered again this year. Our free root beer, sour apple and chocolate italian ice's were delicious! The line was long but it moved fast because it broke off into three windows.

Sunday, we got our daily chores done and finally put up our new medicine cabinet in our main bathroom. We had previously taken down our old medicine cabinet a few weeks ago because it was very irritating to keep opening three doors to get to our stuff. I spent some time after helping to install our cabinet lining it, putting things back in and wiping down the areas where we temporarily housed our things. It looks wonderful now! A little more work in our main bathroom and our bathroom update will be complete.

Other then that, Mike watched his race on tv (Tony came in second - yeah!), Tyler got sick and Lane and I played some games.

We had a wonderful first day of Spring weekend!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Freecycle

Freecycle is a way for communities to connect people who are getting rid of items to people who need these items together to keep things out of our landfills. See Freecycle's mission statement here: http://www.freecycle.org/about/missionstatement

Our family loves to Freecycle and have been members of our local Freecycle for 4 years now. We love the fact that the items that we no longer need or use anymore have found new homes where they can be enjoyed/used by other families and it helps that everything is free. Since moving here, we have gotten rid of about 1/4-1/3 of the things that we brought with us through Freecycle. We have given so much back to our community and they have in turn helped us out as well.

With Freecycle, you sign up to become a member and answer a few questions. After your membership is approved, you can start posting. Unlimited offer posts and depending on your local Freecycle group's rules (2 wanted posts announced via email per month for ours as long as there is a balance of offer to wanted posts) plus you can post the rest of your wanted posts in the wanted items database and have it listed there for 3 months. When Freecycling, it is always important to remember to be courteous, polite and to be on time when picking your items up because some Freecycler's who do not have a porch need to be home to put the items out.

Here's how it works. Freecycler's post their items. If you see something you are interested in, you reply to the post and politely state that you are interested in their item(s) and state when you can pick up. It is up to the person offering the item to select the person the recipient of their item(s). The person offering will contact you if you are the recipient of their item and if not, you may not hear back from them. It is the responsibility of the person offering the item to update the group if the item is taken pending pick up (ppu) or taken. If you are selected for their item, you ask for their address and you work out a pick up date and time. You then pick the item(s) up at your designated time. Note: If you will be late or cannot show up for any reason to pick your items up at your designated time, it is a courtesy to let the offerer know and to set up an alternate pick up time.

We have met so many wonderful people through Freecycle and enjoy seeing them every now and again when they pick things up or we pick things up from them. We have enjoyed getting to know our community and look forward to what the future holds. The friendships we have made through Freecycle have been wonderful!

Go here to see if there is a Freecycle group in your area and you can sign up here: freecycle.org

Check it out and Happy Freecycling!

Lisa

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

AMC: (theater locations here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Movies/Movietimes/?zip=21122&rad=40&date=3/10/2010#results)

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/

3. AMC Weekday Escape, details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Programs/Weekday_Escape/

4. A.M. Cinema, details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Programs/A_M_Cinema/

5. $5 in concession for only $4 Concession Saver, details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Value_Pricing/Overview/

6. Concession savings, details here: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_Offers/Value_Pricing/Concessions/

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/

8. Costco has discount AMC movie tickets here: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11044785&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|21124|29676|4837&N=4012514&Mo=3&pos=6&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4837&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC18537-Cat29676&topnav=

9. Costco AMC movie package here: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11505116&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|21124|29676|4837&N=4012514&Mo=3&pos=6&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4837&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC18537-Cat29676&topnav=

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.

3. Costco has Regal discount movie tickets here: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11248844&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|21124|29676|4837&N=4012514&Mo=3&pos=6&No=2&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4837&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC18537-Cat29676&topnav=

Bow Tie Cinemas: (theater locations here:

http://www.ebgaffiliates.com/resources/site_resources/images/information_pdfs/information_pdfs-14-0.pdf)

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:

Movie Schedule here: http://www.aafes.com/ems/conus/meade.htm

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:

http://www.consolidatedtheatres.com/cinema/content/programsandoffers.asp

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:

Movie Schedule here: http://www.aafes.com/ems/pac/hickam.htm

Admission:

- Adult - $4

- Child - $2

Schofield Base Theater Reel Time Theater:

Movie Schedule here: http://www.aafes.com/ems/pac/schofield.htm

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