My Princess turns 5 today. At 8:30am at this time 5 years ago, I almost died in childbirth. Not pleasant. I'm not letting it ruin my day, though. We had Gabrielle's birthday party and we had a blast! Lots of friends and family showed up and she got her Barbie Princess Corvette. God, I remember when she was in diapers! That link will give you a $5 off coupon on Pampers and wipes! Now, the beauty of it! Click on this link too and it is an additional $5 off of the Pampers and wipes! That's $10 off at all Target stores. That's an awesome deal.

Do you KNOW what kind of a mess a house full of small children can make? It looked like someone threw an atomic bomb inside of my house and ran..lol. So, I got out my Pledge Wipes free sample from filling out the questionnaire and no more fingerprints on the TV. It works well!

I get this thing in the mail that says "Celebrate Your Beauty Every Day." Ok, let's be realistic here for a minute. I work from home, I have 2 small kids, my clothes rarely match, I don't know if I remembered deodorant, and my husband filled up my Calgon Body Spray bottle with that Chloraseptic stuff that numbs your throat when you're sick. Wanna guess how I found THAT little gem out? Sign up there for a free sample of Ambi Skincare.

I was reading Woman's Day the other day and realized my free 1 year subscription was running out. So, I hopped online and found out if I join RewardsGold that I get another free year. I'm in!

I love free razors. Here's a free Schick Quattro. Just upload a picture, click on the razor, and it's yours. I love those razors. Or maybe I love the free part of it.

Gabby and Nick both love gum. They chew it for 3 tenths of a second and then swallow it. Starting July 1st you can text EXTRA to 467467 to get a sweet package of all four new Fruit Sensations flavors.

Is anyone in my audience getting married? I already took the plunge so this one isn't for me. If you join The Knot you will get a free wedding music CD.

I have normally dry skin. Here's a free sample of Clean & Clear for your skin! Here's a sample of Perfect 10 by Nice 'N Easy. It comes with coupons!

Do you have a Wet Seal store near you? I've never even heard of it but I have a coupon for a free tank shirt!

Now for the usual Walmart samples. They have BeneFiber, Creme Serum from Frizz-Ease, Multi-Grain Cheerios, Playtex Cloths, and Playtex Gentle Glide tampons.

I have a free sample of True Lemon. I bought this once in the grocery store. Love it!

As always, you need to join StartSampling.com and get in on their awesome coupons. There are coupons for Windex, Chex Mix, juice, Yoplait yogurt, Wisk, you name it, there's a printable coupon there for it. I saved $41.25 on groceries last week just by using coupons. They even have a buy one Dove ice cream bar, get one free. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

I have a free No Fear bumper sticker. My husband doesn't let me put bumper stickers on my car. Too bad, I think the Caddy would look sharp with some of them. If I put one on my car he'd make me scrub it off. Good thing I have a coupon for Scotch-Brite!

I even have a coupon for Spike today..lol! I have a free tube of Advantage Multi for the dog. Bring it to your vet to redeem!

Well, that's all I have for now. I didn't want to bore you with funny kid stories this time. Oh ok, don't twist my arm. Nick hates chicken with a passion. Last week my Mom is sitting at her desk eating a bowl of ice cream. He says to her "What are you eating, Grandma?" She says, teasingly, I promise you, "Oh, it's chicken, Nick." He says "That's not chicken, it's ice cream. I want a bite." So, she gives him a bite. Gabby comes into the office and says "Nick, do you have ice cream?" That boy looks her straight in the eye and says "No Gab, it's chicken. Yuck." I don't think she was buying it..lol.

Remember, dial 1-800-2ChaCha to ask your free questions or text ChaCha at 242242. It's the best money you'll never spend for the best service you'll ever get. Until next time...Happy Saving! Happy Birthday My Beautiful Princess. I love you!

I want to apologize. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. It seems as though by the time my posts make it up, many of the samples and coupons are closed. I will notify my editor and let him know that this is an issue and hopefully we can work together to avoid this. My blogs are usually long and time sensitive. My editor, bless his soul, is a very busy man. Now, if he were a woman, this wouldn't happen. She'd manage to juggle it all. (Sorry Justin!!) LOL. Seriously though, I will bring this to their attention and hopefully we find a resolution quickly. No one should be left out in the cold on these savings.

Sammi Sue, my English bulldog, hates the heat. She actually dug a hole to lay in out in the backyard. It was so funny just to see her head poking out of a hole. I have a free Pet Safety Kit for you.

Here's a sample of John Frieda Sheer Blonde. I'm not a blonde and can't benefit from this freebie but I'm sure someone else can.

I love J&J Snack Food. They send tons of great coupons for items like Italian Ice or Minute Maid. I also have a cool cookbook from Jiffy! Who doesn't use Jiffy products in their home?

Walmart has a free music download. They're offering one per week. I also have a free Mindy McCready download. She's the country singer that got sent to jail for violating her probation. She's also the one alleged to have been with Roger Clemens..lol. I'm supporting HER for dragging HIM through the mud. Rock on Red Sox.

I have a printable coupon for a free pair of panties at Macy's Department Store. Just print out the coupon and take it to the store.

Enter here for a chance to win a CoverGirl Lash Blast Eye Enhancer Kit. 10,000 winners! You need to enter July Seventeen for the code. Good luck!

As you all know, I love the Red Sox. I think golf is probably THE boringest game in the world. Every day, Staff gives out 50 balls or tees. Check in early to get yours.

How about some free samples from Edge. Fill out your info and they'll send you cool stuff. I have to laugh at their slogan of "Shaving Gel (not shaving cream). Learn from girls."

I don't get to the movies too often. Here's an odd one for us..lol. It's a movie called "CUD." They'll send you a free copy once it's been released. I signed up for it. I don't know why!

Got any basketball fans in your family? Here's a free subscription to Dime Magazine!

Here's a free sample of Tena. It is for pantiliners, pads, & overnight protection pads.

Here's a $2.50 printable coupon for Bertolli Frozen Dinners. That's a really good savings.

It's BBQ season. My absolute favorite. Most people gain their weight in the winter during the holiday season. Not me. I gain it all summer long. There's nothing I love more than grilling outside under the hot sun. I love homemade potato salad. It's my weakness. But, I only like my Mom's. She's the best. I have a gas grill but lots of people still like charcoal grills. Here's a $2 off coupon for Kingsford Charcoal.

I am a bad Mommy. My daughter is 4. She had waist length wheat colored hair. She cries and screams every single freaking day when it's time to brush it. So, in a fit of temper I took her to the salon and had them cut it shoulder length. Don't despair, she loves it. Me on the other hand..what was I THINKING? I cried when she wasn't looking. My nerves just couldn't take it anymore. So, if you need a haircut for your baby (24 months and under) you can use this coupon for a free cut from Magicuts.

Sign up here for free RemedyLife samples. I get their magazine every month, free of course, and I truly respect them. My husband is 22 days smoke free! I am so proud of him. He couldn't have done it without the patch. Here's a free sample of Nicoderm CQ and a $7 off coupon.

Yummy! Free sample of Better Crocker Warm Delights! Just sign up. I love those things.  Here's an awesome page of printable coupons from Start Sampling. There are some for Chex Mix, Taco Bell, Mott's, Cheerios, and Betty Crocker brownies. Did I say yummy yet??

Ok, I'm going back to the grind. I hope you've enjoyed these freebies. I'll talk to Justin and see if I can't coerce him into approving my posts quicker.

Today is my 7th wedding anniversary. It's an amazing feeling to still be in love with my best friend. We went to Bugaboo Creek for dinner. We took the kids and my Mom with us. It's not a party unless the gang is all there! Until next time....Happy Saving!

I bet you're wondering where I've been. I'm not usually so unreliable. I apologize to my faithful readers, the ChaCha administration who had faith in me to be a blogger, and everyone else that feels slighted. So, my husband had the audacity to have a heart attack last week. I know that I sound oh so blase about it, but, that's the best way for me to deal with it right now. I've blogged about how my husband doesn't read my blog, he lost our son at Water Country, he probably doesn't remember what day we got married, etc. In the grand scheme of life, it doesn't matter. If he never read my blog (but WHY doesn't he?) or if he couldn't remember my middle name, it wouldn't matter to me. For several days I didn't know if he'd  be coming home. For several hours I didn't know if he'd live. When I put it all in perspective, it's the fringe things that aren't important. I had such an epiphany tonight. I was sorting his medication for the week and I keep the list on the refrigerator of what he takes and how many milligrams. Next to it I hang Nick's art work from kindergarten. Tonight I stood there and sobbed. I realized that I'm 37 years old and I was almost a widow with 2 small kids. Scary stuff! I thought to myself "How will I support us?' It came to me...freebies..lol! Nah, but let me get you some.

I lost my eyeglasses..again. I'm notorious for this. I usually pay about $250 for designer frames. What a waste. Head over to Zenni Optical and if you send them your prescription you can get a full set of eyeglasses for $8. I kid you not. I'm going to order myself 2 pairs this week!

One of the most important things that Chris needs to do is to eat healthier. It's not one of my favorite things lately but I'm willing to give it a shot. You can go to Bragg Natural Foods and request a free sample of their new amino products. Sounds gross to me but it's free. I have an awesome deal that I can't help but pass on. If you go to Amazon.com you can get a $20 instant rebate on Kellogg's food when you spend $49. So you get about $50 worth of food for $29, with FREE shipping. In today's economy, $20 worth of food is a huge savings.

Ok...I just typed out this freaking awesome post for all of you. I hit one wrong button and the whole thing is GONE. Kaput. Vanished. I'm out of my mind. I'm going to redo it just for you but let me tell you, it's a LOT of work. ::sigh:: I had so many fantastic freebies. Let's see if I can recreate it.

Here's a free sample of Teddy Grahams. Good for a lunchbox or even a snack at home.

Here's an awesome freebie from Office Depot. It's a free 10 pack of DVD+R Media disks. Just sign up!

Here's a free sample of  Snuggle. I love this bear, he's just so cute.

I have a free sample of Splenda for coffee. It comes in flavors now. My Mom is diabetic and swears by this stuff. I am not and I swear by good old fashioned sugar!!

Take this survey and get a coupon booklet and free apron! This one is from Coleman's Meats and they're organic.

Trust me when I say, I've had a perpetual headache for over a week now. Here's a free sample of Excedrin. I should sign up 200 times for a full bottle at this point..lol.

One of life's embarrassing necessities..but hey, it's free. Here is a sample of Playtex Gentle Glide. Since we're on the topic of embarrassing, how about a  Huggies Pull Up sample. My "baby" will be 5 in June so I will not need to sign up for that one. Woooohoooo.

Very cool sample of Crystal Light Immunity! I let my kids drink as much Crystal Light as they like since it's sugar free!

Free sample of Ban deodorant. It's summertime so I'm ordering every free deodorant I can find!

I love new flavors and styles of toothpaste. Here is a Colgate Max Fresh sample. This looks really good, actually.

How about 50 free digital camera prints? Sign up at Picturewagon.com and use code Parent50!

Here's a cute freebie. It's a free coffee mug that says "It's A Jungle Out There."

My son is 6. He loves to get mail. So, I sign him up for magazines. I have a free 1 year subscription to Electronic Gaming. He can't read but like most men, he likes to look at the pictures.

Here's an awesome freebie. You can choose 1 of 8 free music CDs. You can use UPC codes 681421031035, 312547684101, or 312547686655.

I'm a total dork about some things. I love maps and brochures about places I've never been. Here is a free America's Byways map.

Ok, it's time for me to get ready for the Indy 500! There's a contest this weekend on ChaCha that I intend to win. Everyone, have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Don't drink and drive, take a taxi, I need the money! Remember, for FREE directions, trivia, sports, news, sales, and everything else, dial 1-800-2ChaCha or text 242242 from your cell! Until next time...Happy Saving!

Warm weather is upon us! So, I've been busy. I needed to have my driveway paved. It was gravel and it played havoc with my beige carpet in every season. It's trashed! The kids are good. Nick is doing wonderfully. Gabby is....Gabby. She still thinks she's royalty but hey, I think I'm funny. We all have our dreams. My sister-in-law came over last Saturday with my 13 year old nephew. It was really strange..and nice. Amazing how the older we get, the less desire for revenge we have. Well, mostly. ::evil smile::

Let's get to these freebies and sample. My mailbox has been overflowing lately with offers!

How about a free sample of John Frieda Frizz. I kind of have fuzzy hair. Can't wait to try it. I also have a coupon for a free 2 oz bottle of Head & Shoulders.

 How about a sample of On-The-Go Drink Mix? You have your choice of Crystal Light, Hi-C, or Country Time Lemonade!

I have a fabulous offer. A free pair of panties and matching bra from Stock 23.

Ok, you all heard how last year I planted flowers and not 10 minutes later the dog and kids dug them up. Must have looked like fun. This year, I was SO smart. I did it while no one was home. I planted a whole veggie garden, rose bushes, strawberry and raspberry plants, and flowers. Yesterday I asked Nick to help me water and put out the rest of the wildflowers. He was so excited he ran to the back and dumped about 2,000 wildflower seeds in my vegetable garden. ::sigh:: At least he watered it after..lol. I'm destined to live my life in the produce aisle. Here is a cool site. They give you $20 worth of trees, plants, shrubs, or bushes and you only pay for shipping! Head over to Spring Hill Nursery for this deal.

How about a free book! There's nothing so great as a book. Add to it that it's free and you can't go wrong. The EPA is giving them away. You just have to call in. Call 1-800-490-9198!

Register with Pond's and get free samples and coupons.

For help with gardening you can get a free pair of Nitrile Gloves.

I have a new Planet Heroes DVD. My kids love these!

Here's a coupon for a free pink water bottle from Victoria's Secret.

For some free magazine subscriptions  you can sign up here! There's a subscription to TokyoPop and Marriage Today. I also have a 34 page cookbook titled "Feed Your Kids Well." That is a growing concern in this economy. Millions of families depend on Food Stamps. The amount given to a family of 4 is approximately $375 a month. It may sound like a lot but it works out to be about $10 per meal per month that they have to spend on something healthy and nutritious for the kids. Making our dollars stretch is most important right now!

Even Fido needs a break now and then. Take the Purina challenge and get a free 30 day supply of dog or cat food! That's so awesome. I'll tell you a secret. I sign up for every piece of dog and cat food there is. I usually donate it to our local animal shelter or feed the stray cat that's been coming around my house for 3 years now. The jerk next door moved out one day and didn't take his cat. It won't come in the house but I feed it 3 times a day..lol. I don't think it likes me.

Ok, this is so totally cool that I had to share it. You can submit your name and it will be put on a microchip and it will go and orbit around the moon! For years to come. Thank NASA for this very awesome tidbit!

Here's a couple of freebies if you're over 21. They are from tobacco manufacturers. If you're morally opposed, that's great, don't sign up. First is a free keychain from L&M. Enter code: LNM5964. For a free beach towel, enter code: PMT2379. The cool thing about the towel is you get to design it with colors and logos. There is nothing on it to advertise it comes from a cigarette company.

Well, that's about it for today. I'll do some food and coupons later this week for you. I just love seeing a full mailbox and it's not stuffed with bills. I got my free Charmin toilet paper holder..lol. My husband thinks I'm nuts for signing  up for everything. It makes up for when HE forgets to send me something..lol. Until next time...Happy Saving!

It's that time of year...Spring Cleaning! I can't wait. I hibernate as much as possible in the winter. I hate snow, cold, and dampness. Living in New England is not conducive to a shiny, happy Kerry. But, today I see sun. It's in the low 60s, which is practically a heat wave here! I have the heat off (Yay, at $4 a gallon I'm thrilled), and the windows open. Now it's time to attack the dust bunnies with a vengeance.

Cleaning supplies are pretty expensive. Most of them are exactly like their competitors and the only difference is price due to name brand. I can go to the Dollar Store and buy the same effective supplies for $1 each. Sometimes though, when I"m in the mood to splurge, I get all feisty and buy all name brands. I never do it without a coupon though!

Here's some goodies for you. You can have a $1 off Windex coupon, a $1 off Scrubbing Bubbles coupon, and a $1 off Pledge coupon. You should sign up for CleanHomeJournal.com. They send me these things all year long. I also get free gifts like Glade plug ins and refill reminders.

Along with Spring cleaning I start to plant flowers. I am not a good gardener. Last year I spent 3 hours digging holes, making sure it was all evenly distributed, and I planted gorgeous flowers. About 3 minutes after I was done, the kids and dog came outside and dug up every single seed. I just stood there laughing. I now have wildflowers growing out of the base of a big tree I have. It adds character, I guess. This year I'm waiting until no one is home.  Jackson & Perkin is having a huge sale on gardening supplies. Go to Park Seed for some unusual seeds and flowers. Use code 10Spring for 10% off!

Here's a free sample of AquaFresh toothpaste!

Free sample of Icy Hot Medicated Patches. For the boo-boo in your life!

Free sample of Prilosec OTC. For the heartburn in your life. I happened to marry mine.

Free sample of John Frieda Sheer Blonde or Brilliant Brunette shampoo & conditioner. I, of course, am a brilliant brunette.

Free sample of Huggies diapers. Gotta tell ya, I love my kids, I don't miss those days for anything. I miss itty bitty clothes, 3am feedings, dressing them up like a doll, & warm bottles. Diapers? Nope.

Ok, this is neat. Get a 2 week supply of Clinique mascara. I love love love Clinique. Scroll to the bottom left, download a widget, and an envelope will pop up. Click continue and it will give you the sign up form for your free mascara.

April is National Cheese month. Fill out a quick story about your favorite grilled cheese memory and get a coupon for a free 16 slice pack of Kraft Singles! I love cheese.

Here's a free Juicy Juice sippy cup. Kind of miss those.

Free samples of Folger's Latte coffee when you sign up for their email club!

Well, that seems to be about it for today. 2 posts in one week, it's almost a record. Enjoy the sunshine and until next time...Happy Saving!!

Families are strange. Every last one of them. Mine probably more than others. Let me rephrase. My husband's family, that I married into, is probably stranger than most. I call them my out-laws. They're actually very well-to-do people. Which only provides more evidence that you never really know someone unless you live their life. My 6 year old has autism. Not the end of the world. My mother in law & father in law decided that when Nick was 3 years old he shouldn't be allowed in their home because "he could break something." He was allowed to play in the yard. My husband decided that enough was enough (Rock on, Chris..love you, babe!) and made the decision not to speak with his family anymore. It's been 3, almost 4 years, since we've spoken to a single one of them. Strangely enough, we all live in the same town and I've had the good fortune not to run into them. It would be awkward for me. They never liked me anyhow. They thought I was too abrasive. Can you imagine? LOL! A few days after we came home from our honeymoon, my mother in law says to me, "Chris is a tough guy, I always said he'd need to marry a bitch to keep him in line. You're perfect for him." Gee, thanks, Mona. Don't miss you, either! Well, my luck ran out on Friday. I had to run to the Registry of Motor Vehicles in the next city over. Doesn't it figure? I don't see them in our town but in a city with over 1 million people. I'm done with my business, I'm walking out the door and I hear "Kerry, Kerry." I turn around and there is my sister in law (another one who couldn't stand me). She bursts into tears and the whole "How is Nick, how is Gabby, Chris? I heard your Dad died, blah blah blah." Sobbing all over my new Coach bag. I felt so bad for her..an emotion I'm unfamiliar with. I brought her to the car to meet Gabrielle. She was less than a year old when the argument took place. She begged me to get Chris to call her. I promised to try. I tried. He said no. He said he's not ready. I told him that tomorrow's are not guaranteed and to stop burning bridges. Move on and get over it. Fall's on deaf ears. Either way, that's my lesson for today. For the low price of a free phone call you can speak to someone you've lost touch with, someone you should forgive, someone you should allow to forgive you, etc.  It sounds corny but it's true. My kids have a full set of grandparents that live 6 miles from me that they don't remember. They have Aunts and Uncles and cousins they barely know.  I don't care that they don't like me. My husband loves me, my kids love me, I have friends and family that love me..not everyone is going to love me. As odd as that concept is to me..lol. So, do something nice for yourself for free. Reconnect with someone in your life that you don't speak to anymore.

Take a survey and receive a free hypoallergenic pillowcase.

Printable coupon for FREE Scotch Brite toilet scrubber. Woohooo. Love it.

Free Duracell hearing aid batteries. Batteries aren't cheap. I think they were invented by toy companies.

Free Sunsilk gift cards will get you free samples!

Free MaxPro condoms. No need for them here (Mom is watching). I actually DID get my kids from a Cabbage Patch.

Free magnet from KinderStart with completion of brief survey.

Free BioFreeze Med Gel with completion of survey.

Do you know who Hannah Montana is? I had no clue..lol. My 4 year old told me "Mommy, dats uh Hanna Monnanna." Love her Dad, Billy Ray! Here's a printable coupon for a free Hannah Montana Karaoke CD from Club Libby Lu.

Do you like Women's basketball? I'm about basketballed out right about now. However, sign up quick and get 2 free pre-season tickets to see the WNBA Seattle Storm.

Here's a neat one! Design a free "green" bag for Kroger. They'll not only send you a free bag, but you'll be entered to win $500 AND you may get to see your bag nationwide in stores. We don't have Kroger here. I'm going to design one anyhow!

Pull-Ups has a free DVD for "How to Potty Train Your Toddler." Ok, where was this 2 years ago? I thought the answer was Gabby (my stubborn one) and I sleeping on the floor in the bathroom for a month. Go figure.

Ok, this is a little off topic (what in my life isn't?)..I love to play instant win games online. I have won $100 from Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, hundreds of dollars in awesome prizes, free airline tickets, etc. Go to MyInstantWin.com and check it out. It's a great site and she organizes it so well. If you need codes to play, she provides those, too! I once won, I kid you not, 40 coupons for free Banquet Chicken and Banquet Crock Pot meals. It was a riot!

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Hope you enjoyed yet another peek inside of my insane life. Until next time...Happy Saving!

Here I come! Sorry I was late. I'm often late. I try so hard to be on time. I budget my time the best way that I can and it usually is a massive waste of time..lol. However, I firmly believe in fulfilling my obligations. I promised I'd see you guys this week and as tired as I am, I have arrived. I have been through 3 bottles of Lysol, 2 bottles of Children's Tylenol Flu, 2 bottles of Pediatric Robitussin Cough Syrup, and still the kids are up all night. Literally. I took a nap the other day because Gabby was coughing and fussing. Thank God I took that nap. She was up from 11pm until 7am crying and coughing. She finally managed to fall asleep comfortably. How excited was I? Well, that lasted about 3 minutes when Nick came screeching down the stairs "Mommmmmyyyyyy...I am sickkkkkkk." ::sigh:: Ok, baby, come sit with Mommy.  So, I am a 12 cylinder car running on about 3 cylinders..lol. So, let's see what we have in store for you today. Freebies are a little on the lean side.

The Disney Store is having a 30% off sale and $5 flat rate shipping. Woooohhooooo,.

I love jewelry. I don't wear much of it but I love to look at all of the shiny baubles. I also love designer name brands. I recently discovered Bidz.com. I bought a $255 pair of Prada sunglasses for $24, a $415 diamond and platinum necklace for $21, a $375 pair of diamond earrings for $11 and a $2700 man's watch for $8. Shipping was extremely reasonable and I had my items within 3 days. You have got to go look. It's auction style but it's not half as bad as eBay. I am not a fan of eBay. If auction style isn't your thing then you can go over to Overstock.com and enjoy their 3 day 15% off jewelry sale. I've bought from them also and was always very pleased with the way it went.

Chadwick's is having a great sale. They're having a 40% off sale and then you can take $50 off an order of $150 or $25 off an order of $75.

Health and Beauty freebies are never in short supply. Let's start with a free sample of Garnier Nutritioniste Wrinkle Treatment. We also have a free sample of Dove hair care. There's also a free sample of Jergen's Natural Skin Care. I have a sample of Curel Life's Stages Moisturizers, also. That makes me laugh. At this stage of my life, moisturizing is the least of my problems. Here is a sample of FreshLook Colored Contacts. I was born with very green eyes and can't imagine wanting to change the color of them. If you do, more power to you! If you just want a free sample of regular contacts then you can check out the sample at Dailies. I just remembered I'm almost out of toothpaste. Here's a free sample of Aquafresh!

I am slowly getting addicted to reality tv. I always thought, "What a waste." Top Chef and Celebrity Apprentice and The Biggest Loser are now the highlights of my life. I watched Top Chef religiously last season. I wasn't rooting for Casey. Yet here she is, with a free sample of Glad Trash Bags.

This one is for all of you fans of the St. Pauli Girl. Ok, she doesn't make my pulse quicken but I'm pretty sure she does something for my husband. Every day they give away 400 free posters of her. So, run on over there are sign up.

I have signed up for this freebie several times. It always comes and it's actually kind of good. It's True Lemon and True Lime.

I love magazines. I get probably 30 a month. I read them all, it enriches the mind. So, here's an offer for 3 free issues of Cosmo Girl and 3 free issues of Seventeen. No obligations and no hassles.

I love my Sammi Sue. She is my 5 year old English Bulldog. She's a love and has the most incredibly sweet temperament that I've ever seen. Ok, so she snorts and snores but hey, I'm married, I'm used to it. Hill's Science Diet Nature's Best is offering a free sample.

More excellent news! ChaCha.com has decided to extend their free trial period for text ChaCha! Remember to text 242242 for answers to everything and anything! I love the service. If you're very very lucky, you will get me as your uber-awesome Guide.


 

Free sample of Post-It Notes. Love those things.

Ok, if you want the truth, I do have a few more freebies. I'm saving them though. I always worry that if I give everything up right away, there may not be anything for next time. Then I'll be like the dorky kid in class drooling on herself when called upon to answer "What is the true relevance behind the story of Oedipus Rex?" As you can see, I have experience in this phenomena..lol! Life is good. I love being a Guide and a blogger. Much more fun than I anticipated. I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll slam you with some more this week, early. With Easter coming there will be more than usual. Until then...Happy Saving!

OMG...you have been SO neglected. I am deeply sorry for my missing status. Lots going on, none of it good, all of it surmountable! The kids are still sick, I was kind enough to pass my flu on to my husband, so I'm right as rain again! I've missed you all so much but I'm back into the swing of things. Sometimes, when everything seems so dark, you need to realize that there's always light headed your way. Either that, or you were too cheap to pay the light bill. That's my prolific statement for the day. To all of my friends, you know who you are, thank you for being my friends and for believing in me. You can't put a price (or a savings) on something like that....

Okay, I've decided to share some really inexpensive recipes that I use here in my house. Technically, I could feed my family of 4 for about $70 a week. None of my meals have fancy names, it's hard to impress a 4 and 6 year old, but they're all yummy.

Pasta and sausage casserole

1 bag of wide egg noodles ($1.49)
1 package of sweet Italian sausage ($1.79)
1 block of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ($1.50)
1 quarter cup of milk (.80 cents)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf of garlic or French bread

Cut the sausage up and brown in a skillet on medium heat. Boil noodles. Preheat over to 350°. Pour noodles into baking pan, mix in sausage and cheese, pour milk over mixture. Add salt and pepper, bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes about 8 servings. Serve with heated bread. Delish and inexpensive. You can add a small salad for greens. No one here, other than me, likes veggies.

Double Chicken Noodle Chicken Breasts

1 package of boneless & skinless chicken breasts ($3.99)
1 can of condensed Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup (.79 cents)
1 fresh zucchini (.79 cents)
1 onion (.40 cents)
1 half stick of butter (or margarine) (.75 cents)
4 baked potatoes
1 small pkg fresh blue cheese ($2.69)

Preheat oven to 350°. Put chicken breasts in shallow baking dish and pour chicken noodle soup over it. Add 1 cup of water, cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Slice zucchini and onion. Combine in a piece of tin foil, put half of the butter over it, salt and pepper to taste, seal well, bake 30 minutes. Bake the 4 potatoes for about 40 minutes, remove from oven, add rest of the butter and top each potato with 1 tablespoon of blue cheese. Nutritious and inexpensive.

Beef Stew
1 pound of cubed stew beef ($2.99)
2 potatoes (.99)
2 carrots (.29)
2 stalks of celery (.39)
2 pkg brown gravy mix (I prefer the Knorr's brand) ($1.00)
1 can Green Giant no salt added corn nibblets
salt and pepper to taste

Super easy. Get your crock pot or slow cooker out, combine all ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper. Serve with fresh bread. No need to cook the stew beef first, it all cooks together. Just slice up veggies, add everything at once, and in 4 hours, fantastic comfort food!

And for dessert
Chocolate cream pie
1 Oreo graham cracker crust (pre-made) )$1.29)
2 pkgs Jello Chocolate pudding ($1.09)
1 container Cool Whip (.99)

Follow directions for chocolate pudding. Pour into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours, frost with Cool Whip. You can top it with chocolate chips or Reese's Pieces to break up the chocolate overkill.

All of the above meals cost well under $10 and are filling. They can be adapted into low fat, low carb, fat free, sugar free, low sodium, etc. for pennies. One of our biggest expenses in life is food. If we can learn how to stretch our dollar and still keep it healthy then we've been successful!

OHHHHH, remember in my previous blog about how I wished my husband would read my blog? In 7 years of marriage he's never sent flowers. Today, Valentine's Day, I received a beautiful arrangement of tulips. They're orange and red and blue and purple..stunning. He said "I was reading your blog and found a coupon and I knew you'd be proud." LOL..of course I am, I'm proud of everyone that takes the initiative to get the most for their money. Until next time...Happy Saving!

I am a firm believer in education. I am one of those geeks that thinks that knowledge is power and everyone that wants a college education should be able to get one. That's not always the case. With the cost of a college education floating between $10,000 and $150,000 for an undergraduate degree it is cost prohibitive. Personally, I will have to live to approximately 438 years old to pay off my loans for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I would have been a professional student if I didn't have that pesky need to eat. So, I thought I'd check out some online classes to keep my brain occupied. What I found actually astounded me. There are free colleges, free online courses, free tuition, and some of them are at Ivy League schools. Totally blown away is an understatement.

I won't go into a big huge diatribe (see, huge vocabulary, my education paid off) this time. I will simply give you some links to the colleges, maybe a brief overview, etc.

University of Washington offers courses in American History, Greek Mythology and many more.

Covenant Seminary offers a free course and materials on theology.

Carnegie Mellon University has a wide array of available free courses. You can sign up for Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, French, Reasoning, Physics and others.

Whatcom Community College has a huge selection of free online math courses. Check it out!

Penn State University offers courses in Hungarian and Swedish.

Tuft's University offers open courses on dentistry, medicine, nutrition and many others.

Yale is offering free courses in physics, the Old Testament, and more.

I also found this Online Portal that lists out all colleges that offer free courses, syllabi, materials, etc.

It's important to know that most of these are not for any type of accepted credits. However, it's never a bad thing to learn and enrich yourself. Instead of doing a crossword puzzle a day, I think I'll sign up for a French class. So, until next time, adieu, and Happy Saving!                       

Here is what I found for free and this is just the start. I do this often I love free and VERY cheap items. **ENJOY**

 





A FREE $5 Starbucks Gift Card


  Get a FREE Sample of CortiSlim ENERGY PUNCH™!

Intimately Beckham Sample (walmart)


Yet another $5 Starbucks gift card ( I drink alot of starbucks!)


Massive library of free mp3s

And for you soon to be brides  ( enjoy these i have confirmed most myself)

Register for $50 or more of All-Clad products and receive an All-Clad recipe file FREE. Valued at $20 - Thanks thetakristen!

Register for $400 or more of Anolon products and receive an Anolon Advanced 5” Santoku knife FREE.. Valued at $40

Register for $300 or more of Circulon products and receive a Circulon butter warmer FREE. Valued at $30

Register for $150 or more of Cuisinart products and receive a Celebrations for Everyday and Special Occasions cookbook FREE. Valued at $18.50

Register for $750 or more of KitchenAid product and receive a KitchenAid cake server free. Valued at $20

Register for $2000 or more of Lauren Ralph Lauren Bedding and Bath products and receive a Lauren Ralph Lauren throw blanket FREE. Valued at $125

Register for $3000 or more of Lauren Ralph Lauren dinnerware and giftware and receive a Silver-plated Lauren Ralph Lauren frame FREE Valued at $125

Register for $3000 or more of Lenox products and receive a 14” Lenox “Spyro” square serving tray FREE. Valued at $84

Register for $2000 or more of Mikasa fine or casual china, crystal stemware, stainless flatware, crystal or silver giftware and receive a 5 x 7 Mikasa “Capital” frame FREE. Valued at $50

Register for $500 or more of Oneida stainless flatware and receive a servall in your chosen pattern FREE. Unknown Value

Register for $1000 or more of Royal Doulton products and receive a Royal Doulton “Precious” tea light holder FREE. Valued at $58

Register for $2500 or more of qualifying Vera Wang dinnerware, giftware, stemware or flatware and receive a gift boxed Vera Wang “Celebration” crystal wedding bell FREE. Valued at $50

Register for $650 or more of Victorinox travel gear and receive a Victorinox toiletry kit FREE. Valued at $70

Register for $750 or more of Waterford dinnerware, stemware and giftware or $500 or more of Marquis by Waterford stemware and giftware and receive a set of 4 Waterford placemats FREE. Unknown Value

Register for $2000 or more of qualifying Wedgwood china, stemware or flatware and receive a set of 4 silver napkin rings FREE. Valued at $50


If you join and enter code Epub459 you will receive 750 points and you can redeem the points for a $5 gc at Barnes & Noble.

Or you can earn an extra 50 points by doing one of the surveys and get a Kmart gc for $5.


NEW South Beach Living™ Granola Clusters ~ Walmart


MUST sign up here its so fun to do campaigns. I just did the Sonicare and they sent me one :)

Coupon for a Airwick Scented Oil Starter Kit in Sunday's (1/6/08) Newspaper


Indian Hair Samples from Perfect Locks

     Well, the holiday season is winding down...so, instead of some online deals today, how about some tips on how we save money here in my household? There's nothing better than having decent things AND money left over after buying it.

     I am a carb hound. I love carbs and don't even understand how people can actually cut breads out of their diet. I could live on a loaf of bread and a stick of real butter for 3 meals a day if I had to do so. I love bread from the bakery at my local grocery store. I do not like to pay full price for it though. They bake it on Sunday night and put it out fresh on Monday morning for $3.50 a loaf. So, I wait until Tuesday and I buy it as "day old" and they take 50% off. They also do this with birthday cakes that weren't picked up and other pastries. I figure, I was going to make pasta on Wednesday and make French garlic bread. So, isn't it "day old" on Wednesday even if I bought it fresh (at full price) on Monday?


     I was reading one of the other Frugal Living Blogs..they all write such excellent articles. One that really caught my attention was the one about serving leftovers! She had some totally great ideas for that. My way here though is that I don't make enough to HAVE leftovers. If you can't package it up pretty in this house to serve it again, I guarantee no one is going to eat it a second time. When you're shopping, buy just enough for each meal. If you cook using recipes, figure out serving size and buy your packages of meats and vegetables accordingly. You may end up with one extra piece of chicken but ultimately someone will eat that during the meal and you won't have leftovers.

     One thing I do like to do though, is when I grocery shop, I buy a lot of "store brand" items.  Store brand is nothing more than the same as a "premium" product but at a lower price. There are only 2 items I flat out refuse to purchase the store brand and one of them is mayonnaise . I was raised on Cain's All Natural and I will  never again try store brand. Ick.  I also buy packages of meats that are much bigger than I'd need and when I get  home, break the packages down to smaller packages and freeze them that way. I will buy a whole cut up chicken and then separate it into freezer bags with the right amount of meat for a meal. In my grocery store you can buy "previously frozen" hamburger. Nothing personal but since I'm going to take it home frozen, stuff it in the freezer, shouldn't I be GLAD it's been previously frozen? I can usually get around 4 pounds of hamburger for around $5. That can last for a whole lot of meals in this house. Shopping store brand is really smart. I remember my Nana sitting on her porch doing piece work for a very large jeans manufacturer. They had sent her 500 pairs of jeans and 500 labels. One batch of the labels was to a major jeans company and the other was to a much lesser known jeans brand. Notice I said brand and not "company?" There's a reason for that...it was the same company! Ever since that day I haven't been skeeved out by store brand. Well, except that mayo thing. Some things you just can't compromise.

     To save money on your electric bill you need to turn out the lights in the room that you aren't using. Buy a small night light if the kids need a light on at night (this is the voice of experience!) and don't leave their closet light on, which will save you about $75 a month. Just trust me on this one. You don't really need the bathroom light on at 3 o'clock in the morning. Keep a small battery powered flashlight
on your headboard. It sounds stupid, but it works. I was getting electricity bills of almost $350 a month. I was not impressed with this. When I was single, my light bill was always around $40 a month. Imagine the shock I went into the first time I saw triple digits. So, we started turning off the lights in rooms not in use, turning off the extra televisions upstairs that no one was watching and keeping the air conditioning a little lower. My light bill is now back down to around $180 a month. I figure for 4 people and 6 taxi companies working out of here, it's not bad at all.
     As I've mentioned, I have 2 small kids, and with that brings video game consoles. They fight over everything (one boy, one girl) so we tend to double up on everything in order to avoid Ninja Baby Toddler Wars. So, instead of buying 2 of the same new  video games I hit GameStop and buy the games used. Instead of paying $40 or $50 per game, I buy them used and spend around $10-$20 a piece. They have a great selection this week with their weekly deals. You should check them out..I still need 2 stocking stuffers, so I guess this was a good reminder.

     Well, I'll be out for the next couple of days doing that whole holiday thing with my husband and Bonnie and Clyde..lol...So, keep the comments coming, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Chanukkah and anything else you may celebrate. If you don't celebrate, happy day off. Until next time, Happy Saving!

     Ok, so the title isn't very unique..but it's true. I never did the coupon thing. I found that I was buying more stuff at the store or online than I would typically because now I had a coupon. I'm sure you recall an earlier post about me finding out that shopping online is so much FUN..and I have found that I save a decent chunk of change because these retailers want me to buy online, so they offer us discounts.

     I have this "thing" about household items. I tend to over shop and buy everything that I want. I'm a total impulse shopper and I work hard to curb it. I wanted new bedspreads last month and went shopping. I hit Kohl's and Wal-Mart and didn't find what I really wanted. So, I happen to open up my email that day (like I don't check it 500 times a day) and there was an ad for 40% off. Hmmm, 40% off of WHAT, may I ask? So, I open it. I have found my new home away from home. You have simply GOT to check this site out. It's called Brylane Home  and they are always offering a coupon. Right now they have FREE (ding ding ding) FREE Express Shipping, 25%-60% off of regularly priced items, and the quality is really decent. I bought a new bedspread that is usually $89 and with the coupons and sales, I got it for $14.99 with FREE shipping. This is something that you just don't want to miss. They have bedding, kitchen items, and lots of really neat things. I've now placed 5 orders with them and they send me their catalogs and even MORE coupons!

     Lots of people don't know what to get their tweens or teens. Most of that generation owns an iPod of some type. When I made my first pay at ChaCha.com the first thing I bought myself was a video iPod. Oh, don't panic, I certainly didn't pay full price. I hit the Apple Store  and checked out their certified and refurbished section. I got my iPod, that is regularly $399 (at the time) for $173.99 plus free shipping! Right now they're running a sale on selected iPods with $100 off. Some people are leery about pre-owned. Let me tell YOU, it was like brand new. It's now over 1 year old, and runs like I paid full price. Then I needed accessories. Of course, right? Well, I found this great site that sells iPod accessories and they're always running an online sale with a coupon. I signed up for their email and they sent me a sweet pink skin for my video iPod...for free. Right now they're offering 40% off of every single item in stock. So, I totally recommend you hit the iFrogz store! Great gift ideas for people that own an iPod. Matter of fact, I think I could use a new skin for mine.

     There are so many people that I never know what to buy for them. They have "everything" or they want "nothing." I found this deal and thought I'd pass it along. It's a wine club. You buy 6 bottles at $4.99/each and you get 6 bottles free. You DO have to pay for shipping (usually a no-no in my book) but with your order they are offering a free Vintner's Reserve Opener with Table Stand (value $135!!), free tasting notes and binder. You MUST remember to cancel after your first order though or they will continue to send you a case of wine every 3 months. So, for around $70 you get a case of wine and a $135 free gift. Head on over to 4 Seasons to take advantage of this offer. If holidays are particularly painful with your in-laws, get them wine. You may have to spend time with them, but you'll be too drunk to care.

     I already posted about Restaurant.com but I wanted to update! They're now offering $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $4 each! Can't beat that with a stick. Take advantage while you can. 

      I love to buy clothes. I have zero taste but I love to buy them anyhow. I usually look like the Partridge Family bus threw up on me, but I love bright colors. Come On, Get Happy! So, I found this online close-out catalog. Right now they're offering a 25% off coupon, free upgrade to express shipping, and fantabulous prices. Women's Apparel prices start at $1.99! So, check out CCO for some great money saving clothing. Uh, you may not want to tell them I sent you, I'm not exactly the poster child for "well put together" clothing!

     Do you like to give flowers? I do. Especially in the cold and dreary weather. There's nothing more spirit lifting than someone knocking on your door and saying "These are for you" and they're just gorgeous flowers. They brighten my day just to see them...I wish my husband would read this blog...I digress. Florist.com has an online coupon for 15 stunning tulips, with FREE vase, that are usually $45.99. Even at $45.99 I'd buy them. They're so pretty. Oh, their sale price? Hurry over there now and get everything for $19.99. You save more than 50%. Don't they just LOOK cheery? They also have a dozen red and white roses, free vase (do you say vAse or vahz? I'm a vAs person) and Godiva chocolates for $29.99, marked down from $48.99. Did I mention that I wish my husband read my blog?

 

     Well, those are my deals of the day. If I gave them all to you today you wouldn't have a reason to head back over here to visit me, now would you? I hope that these offers come in handy for some of you. Quite honestly, I've purchased from every single one of these retailers (except for wine) and been quite satisfied. I love all of your comments. I saw that the AOL Penny Pinching Board weighed in! Nice to see you here. Come more often. To answer the question in my comments about the photographer and videographer. NEVER skimp on the videographer. Pay full price. Pay double. Whatever it takes. Did I get those pre-wedding candids and photos? Alas, I did not. My way isn't for everyone. Now that I've been married almost 7 years (and he doesn't read my blog?), I find that the memories in my head are more important to me than any material thing I can reach out and touch. Maybe I will post some of my own wedding photos at a later time...My advice for the day? Don't be skimpy, be savvy! Until next time...Happy Saving! 

     I have been married for almost 7 years to the love of my life. Though he and I are both pretty traditional, we decided not to ask my parents to pay for our wedding. Besides, we were both older (31 and 36 respectively) and felt that we should pay for our own wedding. When we first met and went into business together we were broke. I mean, the kind of broke that defies words...should we eat this week or pay to keep the office phone on kind of broke. So, even though we owned 1 taxi company at the time, it was stumbling. It was holding its own but not enough to pay for the wedding of my dreams. Luckily my dreams changed throughout the process. We had the perfect wedding, for US, and I kept the cost down to a little under $2300..for 300 people!

     First, the centerpiece in any wedding is the bride. Or should I say the bride's gown? I found the gown I wanted but it was almost $3000. Not going to happen. So, I started looking and ended up at David's Bridal. They were having an awesome sale. Instead of paying $3000 for the wedding dress of my dreams, I changed my dreams a little bit and got an awesome gown for $175. It was just amazing. They have seasonal sales and I was a June bride. So, if you're looking for an amazing gown on the cheap, definitely check them out. My dress looked very similar to the one shown and that is not me.

     Another very expensive aspect of getting married is the reception hall. Now, a lot of women want to have their reception at a big fancy hotel. More power to you! For me, I didn't care about where it was as long as I was surrounded by the people I loved and cared about. Corny, yes. Truthful, yes. We called around for prices and the least expensive hotel wanted $2100 for 4 hours. Uh, no thank you. So, I called around and got the Knights of Columbus. We had an unlimited amount of hours there, could decorate it any way we wanted, could accomodate all of our guests, for the low price of...$50. I jumped on it. We were supposed to get married in my husband's parents' gardens but that morning it started to rain (which my Dad assured me was good luck). I was NOT about to go traipsing through a muddy garden with a huge white wedding gown and white high heels (bought at Payless Shoe Store for $12.99)..so, that morning we (me and my bridesmaids) moved everything that we had for the wedding in the garden over to the reception hall. Piece of cake. Another great suggestion is a public park that has a gazebo. Most of them are run by your city and are very happy to allow weddings there. I've seen some amazing public parks. Check with your local city or town hall, make sure you have all applicable permits, and pray for no rain. The cost in the park is usually from $0-$25. Not bad at all.

     The photographer. Ahh, the bane of my existence. They few that we called wanted around $750. Well, no. I decided to involve everyone into the fun. I had something like 40 tables. I put 2 disposable cameras on each table and asked guests to please enjoy the use of them for the wedding so that we could capture our day through everyone's eyes. I got some really fantastic photos. I also got some really funny photos that I am hoping no one on this planet will ever see. It was so great. For about 2 months after I'd get at least 1 set of pictures per week and get to relive the experience all over again. I don't suggest using a digital camera. Someone at my wedding took what would have been great pictures but the battery was dying so they're blurry. Not worth it. I paid $3 each for a 24 exposure disposable camera..so, total cost of my photos was around $275. I did offer to pay everyone for the developing fees but not one person would take me up on it. So, I saved around $550 right there.

     The DJ. Well, my experience was a little different and I can't offer too many tips. My brother's good friend is a DJ and my brother is an electrician. He had done some work for the DJ and in return, he worked my wedding for $50. Matter of fact, he wouldn't even take the $50. He did a great job, too. I say you look in your local paper and find ads from local DJ's looking for work. Most of them are more than willing to negotiate the price because they're trying to make a name for themselves. Remember to be fair though. Everyone is trying to make a living and save some money, there's no reason to be downright Scroogey.

     The flowers were another challenge. One of my friends has a relative that owns a large chain florist shop. She offered to get me a discount. So, I went and talked to the man and he wanted huge money..well over $800 for my bouquet, flowers for the hall, my bridesmaids, both Mom's, buttonieres, etc. I couldn't imagine paying that much for flowers. So, I went to a smaller local florist. The bouquet I wanted was around $150 and had blue roses. Her and I discussed it and if I agreed to ditch the roses and go with carnations she's bring the price down to $45. Sold. For buttonieres, she sprayed a carnation for all the groomsmen and the groom (like the men cared) for $2 a piece, roses for our Mom's (no compromising there) and my bridesmaids really wanted to carry Calla Lillies. There weren't any available here then. We went to Michael's Crafts and they sold plastic calla lillies for $1.75 each. So, my bridesmaids got what they wanted, got to keep them as a keepsake, and I again got out of it relatively cheap.

 

     The food was relatively inexpensive also. My entire family pitched in and made almost everything. We decided we'd do buffet style so people could help themselves. Go ahead, I dare anyone to tell me that you've been to a big fancy wedding where you're served chicken or prime rib and actually liked it. Yuck. Plastic tasting and it takes forever. I'm a pretty casual person and wanted everyone to be comfortable. So, we had meat platters and hot foods and finger sandwiches and everything else in between. I would say that to feed all 300 people (I didn't eat, I was a bag of nerves working the room) the cost was around $500. My favorite part was the platter on the end of the buffet with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids. There's nothing worse than spending $100 a plate only to hear your sweet niece say "dis is disGUSTing." Also, hungry children are overactive children. I wanted to make sure they were suitably fed if they didn't like the other 100 choices of foods.

Invitations can be expensive also. If you want that really heavy paper with all of the fancy writing you're going to pay top dollar. Instead, I went to a local printing company and for 200 invitations I think I paid $30..and I had found a 10% off coupon in my local newspaper. You can also check out Vista Print . They are always offering free this and free that if you just pay the shipping. Very reliable also. I order my business cards from them.

     What's a wedding without a cake? Then again, what's any day of the week without a cake? I found the cake I always imagined..with a price I wouldn't pay on a bet. My mother-in-law to be had gone to Sam's Club for something and stopped in the bakery. She was talking about our wedding and one of the baker's mentioned that she did wedding cakes on the side. Sam's Club was well aware and even allowed her to advertise which surprised me. I met with her and showed her the cake I had wanted. She told me she could recreate it and instead of $1200 she would charge me $300. It was a very fair price. Check with local bakers first. People in your community are always willing to drop the price a little bit and hope it will drive more customers to them. I was very satisfied with my cake. I got a lot of compliments on it and people were impressed. Don't pay outrageous money for a cake. In 2 hours, after you've gotten it, it will be gone because someone ATE it.

     Wedding favors. Don't go nuts with them. Be truthful to yourself. How many wedding favors have you gotten over the years that you still have? I don't even have one from my OWN wedding. I went to Michael's again, they have a 40% off coupon in every Sunday newspaper, and bought little clay pots. They looked like flower pots. We wrote on the outside in blue "Today I married my best friend. Kerry and Chris. June 3, 2001." Then we bought some of that netting and those really gross nuts that people give at weddings. Put the almonds in the netting, tied it with a blue ribbon ($1 a roll at Family Dollar), put it in the clay pot, and voila, 300 wedding souvenirs. The clay pots were .13 cents each, the toile (is that the right name?) was around $10, and the nuts..don't remember. They weren't cheap, but they weren't good either.

     Ok, here is my best piece of wedding advice. Do not skimp on the videographer. I did and it is the ONLY regret I have about my wedding. My sister in law and one of my friends offered to video our wedding. I should've known better. She missed the high points, I heard her say "Oh MY, she's put on a few pounds, hasn't she) and the quality was poor. I don't care how much they want, pay them. You'll never regret it.

     Did I cover everything? I think so. If not, and you want to know more, please feel free to leave me a comment and I'll answer your questions. Did you enjoy my wedding? I surely did. I didn't go broke, had enough money to go on the honeymoon of my dreams, and I remained debt free to do it. My best friend had a $50,000 wedding where only about 30 of us actually showed (it was in the midwest) and filed for divorce 2 weeks later. I don't think her parents are done paying off her wedding and this is going on 18 years. There's just no reason. If you want the whole Cinderella wedding, you'll pay for it. If you want the Cinderella wedding and you're willing to make a few compromises, you'll actually come out of it as a true Princess. Until next time...Happy Saving!

I know, I know - eating out at fast food places or restaurants is a money zapper. We could easily make the same food at home for a lot cheaper. But if you're pressed for time like I am, sometimes fast food eating is a blessing when you're on the go and no time to even go home to cook a meal for the family.

If it's an absolute necessity that you eat out, why not be prepared to get the best deal possible! Most restaurants (fast food and sit-down) have an e-mail list, some type of club or kid's club that they offer. You usually get a free coupon or such just for signing up. Then they will periodically send you information about promotions, contests, savings, and at times coupons and special savings.

Also keep an eye out for the local mailings/circulars you get in your mailbox each week. I always clip the coupons and keep them in an envelope in my car. This way if I have an unplanned, unexpected trip to grab a bite to eat, I already have my coupons with me and can snag a decent deal on our meal.

Last but not least, don't be afraid to ask questions! Inquire in person whether or not the establishment has any special deals going on, any special events coming up, or whether they have any days designated for free kid meals, senior discounts, student and military discounts, etc. Chances are, they do offer these incentives and just don't openly advertise them.

If you don't see your favorite restaurant in the list below, no worries. I only listed the ones I could think of off the top of my head (which is sometimes on strike). =) Just Google the name of the joint and check out their website. Sometimes a bit of searching is required, as some places don't prominently advertise it on their homepage. Best places to look are in the promotional area or the kid's area.

Applebee's Email List

Arby's Extras

Burger King Kids Club

Captain D's Club

Captain D's Kids Birthday Club/Aqua Agents
KIDS EAT FREE on Thursday at Captain D's. Get 2 free Kid's meals with any adult entree purchase at regular price, dine in only. Participating locations only - please check with your local Captain D's for their Kid's program details.

Wednesday is Senior Day at most Captain D’s restaurants. Seniors over 62 receive $1 off any dinner, platter, pasta dish, baked or grilled meal. Check with your local restaurant for details.

Chili's Email Club

Denny's Breakfast Club

Denny's Kids Birthday Club

Fazoli's eFamily

Hardee's Club

KFC Printable Coupons (also an option to enroll in the Colonel's Email Club)

Krystal Lover's Live

Outback Email List (bottom left has a "Keep in Touch" area)

Shoney's Bear Cub Club

Sonic Cruisers

Sonic Birthday Club
Happy Hour - 1/2 price drinks and slushes every day 2-4pm.

Wendy's Burger Lover Club

Zaxby's Kidz Club/Birthday Club

     I love to shop. It's kind of like breathing..if I don't do it, I may just cease to exist. The only problem with loving to shop is that I wasn't born rich or with the last name of Gates. So, in order to satisfy my need to shop, I have to temper it with savings, discounts and coupons. I only recently discovered online shopping. I can do this at any time of day or night, there's rarely a line, customer service is always polite and thanks me for my order, and best of all..they send it to me! I save money on gas and on wear and tear on my car.

 My most favorite bargain right now is at Buy.com.

They have a deal going right now that if you are a first time user to Google Checkout, you will get $10 off instantly. They're also offering free shipping on items if you choose the 5-7 day shipping option. What makes this totally fantastic is that they have a huge selection of items (and it's not junk) for $10.00. So, what I did was sign up for Google Checkout (free and easy), then go and pick out an item. I chose the mini digital camera for $10. Then I went and chose 5-7 day shipping for no cost. When I went to check out, I owed..ZERO! It's a freebie. They have toys, dvds, and many other things to choose from. The best part? Great stocking stuffer for..FREE! Free is one of my most favorite food groups.

 

 

I am not a meat eater. Can't stand the stuff..but they say you marry your opposite..and I did. So, though I may not eat it, I do purchase and cook it. OmahaSteaks.com is having an awesome 63% off sale. Packages that are typically $68.99 are going for $32.00. I don't have to ask "Where's the beef?" when these packages show up at my door as there's plenty of it. It's great if you're planning a party or you have an extra freezer that you use to store excess. I frequently tease my husband that we belong to the "meat of the month club" but in reality, if I can save 63% on excellent quality meats, it leaves me more money to spend on my favorite food group..chocolate.

 

 

 

I mentioned I love free things. One of my most prized possessions is my Senseo coffee machine. I went to ShareSenseo.com and found that they are giving away (for the cost of shipping) these coffee makers that retail for around $89.00. The cost of shipping is $15. When I ordered it they had a free shipping promo also, so I didn't pay one cent. The promotion was such a huge success that they started to charge for shipping. I loved mine so much that I ordered 2 more as gifts for people. So, for $30 I got about $180 worth of coffee makers. Definitely check them out. You "may" want to mention that book club you belong to or that you like to entertain. You seem to get faster service.

 

Well, I've saved you a bundle today from fruit to nuts...or at least from toys to steak. I'm still scouring the web for some great frugal advice. It's really cold here where I am. I can hear the oil burner pumping away as it puffs out my money with every gasping breath it takes. I need to winterize my house...I think my next set of tips will be how to best utilize your house to save money on heating/air-conditioning. Until then..Happy Saving!