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!

Happy 2008 my frugal friends!

     As the New Year approaches, why not make some changes for  you and your family that will result in saving  serious money?                                                   

     Now most people cringe when you mention living on a budget. It can be tough, it takes discipline and you have to be willing to commit to the change. But there are some simple money saving techniques that you can use and still enjoy your life. You can save money, be thrifty and still have fun! You don’t have to give up on restaurants and eating out. You don’t have to give up on movies, travel, fun and other forms of entertainment. You just have to do it the right way, you can eat cheap, travel cheap and most of all still enjoy your life! Now then… let’s save some CASH!         

 

Coupon Offers

 

Your biggest resource is at your very fingertips, your computer. The internet has made it possible to research 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether or not you like to shop, you still have to, so get the best discounts before you do.

 

If you shop online, make sure you have a coupon code to enter at the end of your order  for a discount and check for  FREE shipping codes.

Never pay for shipping unless you absolutely have to. If you have to buy a minimum amount it pays for you to do so, rather than pay for shipping.

 

These are a few websites for coupon codes.

Simply look up the name of the store to see all current discount offers.

www.couponmountain.com

www.couponheaven.com                                     

www.keycode.com

 

     If you shop in a store make sure you have a printed coupon that you either got in the mail, or printed from the store’s website or the links above. Think of the stores that you regularly visit. Sign up on their websites with your email address. You will get advanced notice of sales, and exclusive money saving coupons that do not go out to the public.

"Only 20 Shopping Days 'Til Christmas" is a phrase that makes grown men cry, women race for the Sunday sale papers and retailers rub their hands together in glee. It makes people willing to shell out $300 for a TMX Elmo on eBay when Toys R Us is selling them for $39.99 when they're in stock.

There's no reason to go broke during the holidays. One of the most overlooked gift ideas is homemade gifts. It can save you hundreds of dollars and give you a sense of satisfaction and contentment. Everyone loves a homemade gift. Except for fruitcake. No one likes fruitcake. So, no fruitcake.

One of the easiest and most fun gifts to make are candles.

I love going to FamilyFun.com. They have some great gift ideas. The Ice Candle, pictured, is easy to make and costs a fraction of the amount it would cost were you to buy that same sized candle in a large retail chain store. It's really a win-win situation. I get rid of unwanted toilet paper rolls, Grandma thinks that the next Picasso is a blood relative, and I save a fortune. You can also add your own colors and scents to make it a truly personal and unique gift.

Really inexpensive homemade gifts are usually the easiest to make and bring the most joy. Some that I have used over the years include:

* Chocolate Spoons
Buy a pack of plastic picnic spoons. These are very cheap, I buy them at the Dollar Store for..well..a dollar, and you can get literally dozens in a pack (enough to make all your presents!) Melt some chocolate with a pat of butter in a dish stood in a pan of boiling water. When the chocolate is runny dip the spoons up to where the handle starts into the chocolate. Place on waxed paper to dry then wrap with cellophane wrap and finish with a pretty bow. To add flavor you can add liqueurs, mint, or coffee, orange or vanilla flavoring to the melted chocolate mix.
* Personalized Towels
A set of cheap white hand towels can be made unique by the addition of colored ribbon or braid sewn approx. 3 inches from each end. Make them extra special by attaching the initials of the recipients with some scrap fabric and a glue gun.
* Decorated Coffee Jar
Don't throw out your coffee, jam or pickle jars, especially if they are those really beautifully shaped ones that you get nowadays. All you need are some sequins or diamantes, which cost literally pennies from craft stores. Stick them on at random and glue a label to the front with "coffee", "spice", "pasta" or anything else which the jar might be utilized for storing. Tie a festive bow round the neck of the jar.
* Home Made Honey Bath Oil
Mix together a cup of light baby or olive oil with 1/2 a cup of honey, 1/2 a cup of liquid soap and a drop each of your favorite essential oil. Mix together gently and decant into a pretty squirt bottle.

Another great way to save money during the holiday season is on cards. If you're anything like me you have to send about 40 Christmas cards to people you know. So, a box of 10 cards that all have the same boring pattern can cost up to $8.00 a box. Christmas cards can cost you around $50 after the cost of the cards, envelopes, and stamps. A much better way to go at it is with construction paper, glue, glitter, ribbon and some scissors. If you're like me, and not on the overly creative side, you can go to ScrapVillage and get some really great ideas. So, for the cost of about $9.00 you can make up to 60 cards. To borrow a slogan from a well-known greeting card company, "When you care enough to send the very best" you send something that you made from the heart..and save about 75% in the process.

Ok, one of my biggest pet peeves is wrapping paper. The cost of wrapping paper is insane. One roll imprinted with cute fuzzy animals can run around $5.00. There's barely enough to wrap one large gift. Also, on Christmas morning when the little darlins are shredding it like it must be banished from the Earth, I am running around in back of them with a trash bag to throw it away. I realize how much money is being thrown in the trash. Now, I could save it and reuse it but that's not frugal, that's just cheap. So, in my endeavors to find yet another way to cut pennies from my budget, I head on over to HGTV.com and get some wonderful ideas on how to make my own inexpensive wrapping paper.

 

So, instead of going broke this holiday season, you can make some gifts for people. You get to spend valuable time with your kids or even alone while you let your creative juices flow. I figure that every penny I save is one less penny I have to earn. The less I have to earn, the less I have to work. The less I have to work, the more time I can be with my family.

Of course, there's always room at the holidays for some retail gifts. There's lots of bargains to be found for them, too. I think we'll discuss them next time....until then..Happy Saving!