If you have never heard of MyPoints, you will want to check it out! I signed up and I receive “email offers” in my inbox each day. I simply click on the offer to read more about it, and get points for clicking. Recently there was an offering for 500 points when you purchase a $10 Starbucks giftcard. I needed one to give as a gift, so I bought it thru that offer. The points add up fairly quickly and then I always cash out for giftcards. I used my points to buy myself a Starbucks giftcard. There is also a HOT deal right now with MyPoints. When you buy 3 $10+ giftcards, you get one FREE! How cool is that? So click over and check  out MyPoints.

This is a guest post by Julia Scott, who shares strategies to save on everyday expenses like back to school clothes at BargainBabe.com. If you like her post, sign up for her email list.

My hair is completely wild, out-of-control, and never obeys, but paying to tame it is an expense I loathe. What’s the purpose of spending money on a cut, color, or style when I can grab a hair tie, whip my hair into a ponytail and be done with it? When I can’t stand the rebellion any longer, I put my hair into its place with these 12 tricks for getting professional help on a budget.

• Host a hair cutting party. Invite over friends who also want to get their hair cut and negotiate a discounted rate ahead of time based on volume. You may be able to get 20% off or more per person, especially if you can pay in cash. Best to work with a stylist you or one of your girlfriends already knows.

• Look for first timer specials. Many salons offer newbie discounts that really pay off. One salon near me charged $20 for a cut or style that normally starts at $60. These deals rarely include a wash and blow dry, and you still need to tip.

• Turn to the almost-professionals. Yes, folks, I’m talking about students. Beauty schools across the country offer low-cost cuts that are often less than $15. Students lack experience, but they are eager to please. After all, you are a potential client once they graduate and get a job. Why not consider a student for a basic cut, simple color, or easy style? You can test them out without great risk. When you want to make a dramatic change, go to a student you have experience with or a veteran.

• Get to know the salon owner. They may be more likely to extend a discount, free sample, or extra service to a friendly and loyal customer. Be sure to ask if they have any promotions coming up.

• Find high-end salons that offer classes for professionals who want to learn a new skill. Sign up to  be a “hair model,” which is free or a fraction of the cost these folks would normally charge. I have gotten many fabulous cuts for $10-$20 through the hair model program at Bumble & Bumble in NYC. The downside is that each cut took two hours (every snip had to be approved by an instructor) and the appointments were on weekday afternoons.

• Ask friends for a low-budget recommendation. You may have to pry the info out of them if the stylist is especially good and cheap. One of my most frugal friends confessed her stylist worked wonders on her hair for $20.

• Skip the wash and blow dry. Unless you are going to a party or event, style your own hair to save a few bucks.

• Pay in cash. Ask the person who books appointments or the stylish his/herself if there is a discount for paying in cash. You may have better luck if you’ve patronized the salon in the past.

• Use a coupon. Bulk discount sites like Groupon, Tippr, SocialBuy, and FreshGuide have offered steep discounts on coloring and styling services in the past. I’m talking 50-90% off, which is hard to beat. Sign up for the site’s email list, monitor for salon deals, and by golly read the fine print.

• Refer friends. If you have connections (think Facebook and Twitter), refer new clients liberally and make sure the stylist knows where their new stream of customers is coming from. It is impolite to expect a discount for referring friends, so be subtle.

• Book during down times. A salon or stylist may be more open to negotiating a deal with you if they would otherwise be idle.

• Do it yourself. Consider trying snipping your own locks if you want a simple cut or are extremely adventurous. If you mess it up, there is always Supercuts. Search for tutorials online or at the library. Use sharp scissors and work slowly. An alternative is to have a trusted and steady-handed friend cut your hair.

Mercedes here:  how do you save on your hair coloring, styling and more?  got any additional tips you would like to contribute?  Make sure to leave a comment.

Every year certain states offer a tax holiday to help their residents save money on back to school expenses. A lot of these tax holidays take place during the first two weeks of August. if you have any big ticket items to buy and live in any of these states, make sure to wait until the holiday to shop. Also stop by Coupon Cravings to read her three tips to maximize your savings. Here are the states yet to have the tax holiday:

• Alabama: On Aug. 6-8
• Connecticut: On Aug. 15-21
• Florida: On Aug. 13-15
• Illinois: On Aug. 6-15
• Iowa: On Aug. 6-7
• Louisiana: On Aug. 6-7
• Maryland: On Aug. 8-14
• Massachusetts: on August 14 & 15
• Missouri On Aug. 6-8
• New Mexico: On Aug. 6-8
• North Carolina: On Aug. 6-8
• Oklahoma: On Aug. 6-8
• South Carolina: On Aug. 6-8
• Tennessee: On Aug. 6-8
• Texas: On Aug. 20-22
• Virginia: On Aug. 6-8

Each State has a list of exclusions and limits.  Consumer Reports has shared these details here.

It’s not a secret that coupons for fruits or vegetables are very few and far between.  However, there are ways to save money on your grocery budget while still keeping a healthy diet that includes fresh produce.  Rely on the following common sense tips to save money:

• Only buy what you need.  Go on and take a look at the produce bin inside your refrigerator and see how many items are near the brink of decomposing.  How about half eaten apples?  Got any of those in there?  You will make a big reduction on your grocery bill by buying only what you need and making sure everything you buy gets eaten.  Reduce waste!

• Buy what’s on season:  Love blueberries in the winter?  So does my husband but at $4.99 a pint the cost is prohibitive.  But he knows that in July he can enjoy them to his heart content.  Fill your menu with mostly fruits and vegetables that are in season.  These are most likely to be on sale and therefore provide you the most savings.

• Buy in bulk:  If you have a fruit or vegetable that your family consumes a lot, you will save a lot by buying the big bags of eat.  For example, in my home we go through 5 lbs of apples in five days easily.  It is cheaper to buy the five pound bag of apples than buy apples  by the pound.

• Buy price reduced items.  Some grocery stores have a section where they have discounted fruits or vegetables that don’t look their best.  I often stop by this area to pick up browned bananas to make banana bread.  Why pay top dollar for them when I need them brown anyway?

When warmer weather comes around consider the following to save even more:

*  Consider having a garden (even if it is is just one pot of tomatoes or herbs that’s money in your pocket.
* Become friends with someone who gardens.  Summer gardens produce an overabundance of produce.  Make sure your friends are aware that you would be happy to take some of their garden excess off their hands.
*  Shop at a Farmer’s Market at the end of the day.  Most farmer’s market vendors are willing to discount the produce they sell at the end of the day to help them move the product.

What other tips do you have for saving money buying produce?

If you have an iPhone or iTouch chances are very good you are always looking for useful apps to help you along.  Over the past few weeks I have been reading Coupon Cravings’ quest to find and review money saving apps.  Her list is now complete and you really need to stop by and check it out.  Not only are all of them FREE but also USEFUL.  There is a little bit of everything for everyone that wants to save money: from helping you save money on your groceries, or your car, local coupons, financial advice and MORE.  Check the full list of apps here and get downloadin’!

Don’t have an iPhone or iTouch?  Don’t despair!  Coupon Cravings is giving away an iTouch!  Just hop on over here and enter.  This giveaway closes on 7/29 at 8PM EST.

It is HOT!! and I am melting! Seriously, the northeast is under a heatwave and I am not happy.  The house we are living in right now has no central AC and we are sweating.  Southerners, don’t roll your eyes!  I lived in Louisiana for years so I *know* HOT.  So I asked you on the CSWM Facebook page for ideas for staying cool without breaking the bank and here are some of the ones you shared:

• Cool ties will help to keep you cool on hot summer days. You soak them in water and then place them in a cooler or frig. They get cold and then you put them around your neck.

• Keep a spray bottle full of ice water and turn it to fine mist. Spray! Feels great! Also, freeze a block of ice (use an empty ice cream container) and then sit that in a casserole dish and put it in front of a fan right in front of you.

Google has made their web phone service Google Voice available to everyone in the United States.  This is great news for anyone that wants to save money on their phone bill and to those looking for some privacy as well.

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a web-based platform to help you manage your communications. It provides you one number to ring all your phones, voicemail that works like email, free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canada, low-priced international calls and more.

What are some of its features?

• give out one number that will ring all your phones
• get transcribed voicemails sent to your inbox
• Voicemail transcription: Voicemail messages will be automatically transcribed to text and sent to you via email and/or SMS.
• Define which phones ring, based on who’s calling
• Works with mobile phones, desk phones, and work phones. There’s nothing to download, upload, or install, and you don’t have to make or take calls using a computer.
• If you have a smartphone you can download the mobile app to make calls directly from your smartphone.

How can it help you save money?

Google voice allows you to make free calls to the US and Canada as well as free text messages & make cheap international calls.  Here is how I intend to use Google voice to help me save money:  Since our move to another state my husband an I decided to get rid of our land line.  That posed a huge problem for me because international calls from my cell phone are very expensive.  Google Voice offers international rates at half the cost of what I would be paying if I had a landline, let alone what the mobile rates are.  Now I can call my family in other countries and bypass those ridiculous telephone fees and surcharges.

How can it help improve your privacy?

Google Voice assigns you a number that will ring to your home or mobile phone, so people can contact you if you want.  But that is not your real number.  You can use this number to provide on websites where they ask you for a phone number like survey sites or when you order online.  It also has some great blocking capabilities.

I just signed up for my Google Voice number, so I am sure the more I use it the more I will learn to maximize its use.  If you already use Google Voice, make sure to share your experience in the comments section.

Thanks Jackie for bringing this up to me.

Photo Credit

Summer is coming and looking at my warmer weather clothes makes me realize that I need some.  As a bargain hunter extraordinaire the first store I will hit will be my local thrift store.  I will hit garage sales as well, but since I need some clothes now I will be visiting Goodwill first.

Luckily I love shopping at thrift stores and I do not have any problems buying and wearing previously worn clothes.  I really don’t. I am very picky about the clothes I buy and the best part is that there are usually so many clothes at the thrift store that you CAN be picky.  Here are some of my tips for thrift store shopping success:

Shop with a plan. Thrift stores can be treasure troves of goodies. Unfortunately, I find that it can lead to overbuying.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been to the thrift store and left with something that was “so cheap” but ultimately ended collecting dust somewhere.  Therefore, I advice that you visit your thrift store only when you are looking for something in particular.  Maybe it is clothes for you, your children or your spouse, or maybe kitchen items.  Window shopping at thrift stores can be a lot of fun put make sure to ask yourself if you actually NEED something before buying it.

Take time and preferably go without kids.  Thrift store shopping takes a good deal of going through racks and racks of clothes or shelves full of items.  You need patience and you need time to be able to find the gold nuggets among the rubble.  If possible try to shop without your kids so you can devote your time and attention to what you are doing.  In the end it will result in less time spent at the store and also better finds.

Look for quality items.  I have been able to get some really great finds at thrift stores on really expensive clothes.  My latest awesome find was a pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans for only 4 bucks!  these usually sell for $150+.  Plus they were in incredible shape!  These finds are a matter of luck but also of digging and most importantly it takes knowing which ones are quality brands.  So make sure to be cognizant of quality brands that fir YOU well and look for those.

You MUST try on the clothes that you are hoping to buy.  This is key.  If what you are buying doesn’t fit you right then even if it is cheap you are just wasting your money.  This is another reason why it’s a good idea to shop with time on your side so you can invest time in making sure you buy quality that will serve you well.

Be persistent.  If you maintain an ongoing list of needs for your family or household chances are you won’t find it all in one trip.  Make sure to visit your thrift store often and browse for the items you have not been able to find yet.  The best strategy for scoring great finds at thrift stores is persistence.

Having shared these tips, I intend to take a trip to my “new Goodwill”  this weekend.  I have never been to it but like I said, I need clothes so I need to pay a visit.  I will make sure to share my finds with you.

What are some of the tips you use to score great finds when you go thrift store shopping?  What are some of your best finds to date?  Make sure to share in the comments.

Mercedes, since you have a growing family (and new baby), what do you consider “buy it” prices for diapers?

Jaime I believe that there are a couple of scenarios to consider before establishing your own buy it price for diapers:

1) You do not have a stockpile of diapers and need the diapers ASAP.  When you have not built up a stockpile of diapers and are in need of diapers right now, your price to pay for diapers is a bit higher.  Angie at Baby Cheapskate who has been tracking diaper prices for a few years has determined her price to buy for diapers size 3 at $0.22 per diaper.  This is just a standard pricing she has established to be able to make comparisons among pack sizes.  This price roughly translate into paying a bit over $7 per pack.  I believe that’s a fair price to pay IF you do not have a diaper stockpile and need diapers ASAP.

2)  You would like to start building a stockpile and have time to build one, as in you are currently pregnant and have months until you need the diapers.  In this case you have the time to build up your stockpile and can work the diaper sales to your advantage.  In this case I think that paying a price of between $4-$5 per jumbo pack of diaper to build your stockpile is a pretty good deal.  Do these sales come around often?  yes, they do.  For example, right now you can get Pampers diapers for around this price at Rite Aid.  Next week you will be able to get Huggies at this price at Walgreens and some grocery stores have been running catalina promotions on Pampers products as well (Spend $20 get a $5 catalina back).  You just need to keep an eye for these sales and that’s why I am here for you.

A couple of things to remember about getting a good diaper bargain:

1)  The first thing to know is that brand loyalty goes out the window.  You buy the best deal available at the moment.  If you must remain brand loyal then also be willing to pay a bit more sometimes or rock every diaper deal for the brand of your preference.  This brings me to the next point.

2)  When the bargain deal is available you need to take advantage of it.  That means that you will probably have to have the resources to buy more than a couple of packs.  But at a bargain price you may spend on two packs what you would normally spend on one.  You need to have on hand more than one like manufacturer diaper coupon.  In this case turn to Coupon Clipping services to get multiples of the coupons you need.

I have been buying diapers at rock bottom prices for three years now.  What I am sharing is what I have experienced in that time period.  I am also sharing my experience in tracking the sales and sharing them on this blog.  But ultimately you need to determine what your rock bottom price is with the variables that apply to your  particular case.

So, those are my thoughts on buy it diaper prices.  How and where have you found you get the best diaper deals?

Most of us have been there: filled with excitement while looking at the store receipt that says: “You save 80% off your purchase today.”  However, week after week goes by and our bank accounts are not going up by the same percentage.  This is a question I see asked often:  How do I translate the savings my grocery receipt shows into money in my savings account?  The answer resides in yourSELF.

SELF-Discipline

Let’s face it, most of us lack it.  Personally I can’t trust myself to make sure I stash the $100 I am supposed to have leftover from my budget at the end of the month into my savings account.  Chances are very good that I will find “something” to spend it on.  This is why I rely on automatic savings.  Instead of saving left over money from my budget, I put away money as soon as a paycheck hits my account and live on the leftover money.  Backwards thinking huh?  This is also the fastest way to start living below your means because you learn to live on less than what you make and save money.  So, how do yo get there?  You do it in baby steps.  Start with an amount you feel you won’t miss at all or only a little bit.  Start with $25 or $50 every paycheck.  The secret is to start.  Then you move on to the next step.

SELF-Motivation

Once you have created the habit of putting aside a set amount of money every paycheck, challenge yourself!  Start with $25 but don’t keep that amount forever.  Push yourself to even higher amounts.  Challenge yourself to start saving for multiple purposes: emergency fund, retirement, college savings, car fund, etc.

I am a bargain shopper. But I use coupons and shop bargains not just so that I can say “Look, I saved 70% or $x.xx, my receipt says so”  I am a bargain shopper so that I can say: “Look I saved $xx my bank account says so.”  If you have been looking for a way to translate your coupon savings  into actual savings in your bank account I highly encourage you to give automatic savings a try.  Start small but challenge yourself big.

• Don’t get sucked in the “clearance” game. At some point or another I have fallen for this one: “what if I don’t need it? It’s XX% off!” Only to buy something that sits collecting dust and never gets used. Talk about a serious waste of money. So yes, maybe the item is 75% off but if you don’t need it then you are just wasting your money. Think once and then think again if this item you are thinking of buying really is something you will use. If it isn’t then keep your money in your pocket.
• Hold on until the greater discounts. The truth is chances are that you may be able to find the same items that are on discount at 50% when they go on deeper discount at 75-90%. As much as I am really looking forward to shop the clearance sales (because I am, don’t get me wrong), I am waiting until they hit 75% off. This is mostly because the only thing I really need is wrapping paper and I know chances are pretty good that there will still be left over when the discount is 75%.
• Watch the register. Make sure you are getting the advertised sales discount. It can happen that a store has not marked down all of their items and even though you think you are getting a higher discount, you may be actually getting a lower one. Don’t trust what a sign or sticker may say, scan items for prices if the store has price scanners or make sure the price at the register is the right one.
• Check expiration dates: This is particularly important if you are thinking on stocking up on food that has been packaged for the holidays or food that you can only find during the holidays. Make sure to check the dates and that you get only enough to be used by that date.
• Check return policies. Many stores don’t allow returns on clearance items. Find out what the store’s policy is and consider this when you purchase something.

Have fun bargain hunting but make sure you don’t waste your money.

* Paper Napkins
* Food storage like Ziploc bags or containers
* Paper Plates
* Puffs
* Orange and black plastic totes
* Clothes: check across the store for slippers, underwear, etc.
* Storage bags and containers
* Halloween Themed

Some more tips for shopping:

• Always price check (spot the closest price scanner to you). Don’t trust the price tag on the item. You may be surprised by a lower price.

• Don’t limit your search to the clearance section. Some times it takes time to get everything moved to that special section so you may miss out from some bargain.

• If you live in a very populated area, chances are that a lot of items won’t hit deep discounts. Because there’s more demand chances are people will buy items at lower discount rates of say 30-50% instead of waiting for 75-90% off. Keep this in mind if you really have an eye on something.

• Don’t be upset if you don’t find the same clearance items or discounts others are finding. Some stores are slower in marking down their stock and others may not mark them down at all but box up the items and send them back to the main warehouse.

I hope to find some really cheap costumes for my kids later this week. The ones I picked up for them last year have been a great source of entertainment all year long. Plus I didn’t have to buy any costumes this year as they wore what I bought for them at 75% off.

Share your clearance hunting tips or finds with us. Happy hunting!

There have been a lot of blog entries I have wanted to share with you over the past weeks.  Here’s a sample of a few I thought you would enjoy:

• Getting tired of using coupons and chasing deals?  Jenny over at Southern Savers has some smart tips for dealing with the Burn Out.  I also wanted to add from my own experience, that at the beginning is easy and exciting to chase every deal.  However, after sometime you realize you have enough of what you family needs and this allows you to take it easy after a while.  I have been a serious couponer for two years and I can tell you that during the last few months I have taken it easy. I am able to cherry pick deals and set limits as to what deals I need/want to chase and which ones I don’t.  So, if you are starting to feel a little burnt out on this whole deal chasing thing, evaluate your own situation and determine if you really really need to go to the store for those better than free Glade candles or not.

• Here’s another blog entry related to frugal living burn out.  Dana’s husband asks you to consider your investment in time when engaging in frugal activities: Frugal Ain’t Cheap over at Frugal in VA.

• Are you loving all of those high value printable coupons? but not loving how much money you are spending on printer ink?  Check out this entry from Shellie with tips on how to print coupons on the cheap.

• Did you know there was a canned pumpkin shortage?  Well, don’t let that spoil your baking season.  Jennifer from Getting Ahead shares the solution to the Great Pumpkin Shortage.

• A lot of stores are making the switch and encouraging shoppers to bring their own reuable bags.  If you still find yourself with plastic grocery bags, check out these 20 Creative Uses for Grocery Bags from Coupon Sherpa.

Enjoy!

This is the first year I will be sending one of my children to school. Though my son is only four years old and 4K only meets half days, I’ve slowly but surely realized the expense of sending children to school. The experience will be different from my own as he will not be wearing a uniform and I have no previous school gear. So I have been researching ways to save money and developed a strategy to make sure I shop back-to-school for less:

School Supplies and Gear

Fortunately, many office supply stores, big box stores and even drug stores recognize that back-to-school shopping is a major event for most families. These stores hold a lot of sales and special discounts, so I plan to start my shopping early. Most back-to-school sales actually begin right now, in July, with stores fighting hard for your business, so shop around for competitive prices on school supplies. Perhaps the best money saving tip will be to only buy what is needed. All those fun and cute extras can quickly bust any budget.
One thing I don’t intend to skimp on is a quality back pack, for this I intend to go for value. Instead of spending money on a cheap backpack I will replace mid-year, investing in quality is the way to go. I also plan to take advantage of in-store or online coupons and discounts to help stretch my dollars.

School Clothes

My strategy for saving on back-to-school clothes is to shop late and wait for deeper discounts later in the fall. Seek bargain clothes at the outlet stores, consignment shops, and garage sales to save big.

One final tip: find out whether your state offers sales tax holidays. Shopping for big ticket items on the right day can help you save on sales taxes. This table by the Federation of Tax Administrators lists states and dates when sales tax holidays are offered.

Back-to-school shopping doesn’t need to bust your family’s budget. With a bit of smart and timely shopping you can make it a fun experience for you and your children.

Staying Safe at BBQs. According to a recent survey, 70 percent of Moms are cooking more at home and many are likely switching up their meal routine with an outdoor BBQ. Make sure your kids have a safe BBQ experience by keeping them away from the flames and any sharp knives. Also, don’t forget to check that your child’s hamburger is fully cooked. Always keep a thermometer on hand to be sure all food has reached the appropriate inside temperature.

Keep the Pool Cool and Clean. If your kids love to spend hot afternoons in kiddie pools, you know the importance of cleaning the pool area. Dump out water after each session, and keep the pool clean by disinfecting it with a solution of ¾ cup bleach* to one gallon of water. Don’t forget to rinse well and dry thoroughly after each cleaning (never leave any water in the pool). Be sure to always supervise children when they are in or around any water.

Staying Healthy and Hydrated. Spending time in the heat means kids will be more prone to becoming dehydrated. Remind kids to take frequent rest/drink breaks in the shade when playing outside and try to avoid activity during peak sun hours. Encourage fluids before, during, and after outside activities.

Having Peace of Mind at Playgrounds. Sometimes just getting out of the house is the best way to keep it clean, but before letting kids loose at the playground, ensure the safety of the equipment. Swing seats and slides can really heat up in the sun – test them out before your kids hop on to avoid burns. Be sure the playground surface is composed of a soft material to help prevent injury. All playground equipment should be routinely checked for any broken or loose parts. As always, adult supervision is a must at all times!

Saving on Spills. Spending extra time around the house, especially with kids, often means more spills to clean up. Synthetic sponges and kitchen cloths can start to smell and carry bacteria, but you don’t have to toss them out after a few uses. One option to reduce bacteria is to sanitize sponges and dishrags by soaking them in a bleach solution (¾ cup of bleach* to a gallon of water) for 5 minutes in the sink. Don’t forget to rinse and dry when done. A wet sponge can also be microwaved to get rid of bacteria.

Looking to make some money from home?  One easy way I have found to do this is by participating in market research studies.  I was introduced to Focus Forward, a company that does this, via the blog Money Saving Methods.  If you have not checked out Money Saving Methods yet, Carrie, the owner, shares not only money saving offers but mostly money making opportunities.

Yesterday she  shared about the following studies currently available:

• Nationwide College Students Study – $50

• Nationwide Women’s Produce Study – $150

• 1 Week Health Study Journal – $350

• Nationwide Men & Women Craft Study – $50

• $125 Nationwide Study for Creative Thinkers

• $150 New York City Study on Cell Phones

If you are interested in learning more about these studies or think you may qualify for any of them check out Carrie’s posts here and here.  You will find all of the information to become a member of Focus Forward and how to sign up for these studies.

Do you Ebate?  Well, if you don’t I have a deal for you too good to pass on.  If you already use Ebates, this deal is also for you. Ebates is currently offering $5 for every friend you refer and starts using their service.  Not only will you get $5 but so will your friend.  On top of that, if you refer more than three friends, YOU and YOUR Friends will get $10 each instead of only $5.

But to get your referral fee, you need to get your friends to start using their service.  The great news is that right now there’s an easy and practically free way to get started on Ebates.  As I blogged last week, JCPenney is offering $10 off $10 or more purchase code.  What you can do if you are new to Ebates, and what you can share with your friends you would like to refer is:

Sign up for Ebates. Once you are signed up, select JCPenney as the first place you will shop online. When you are in the JCPenney website, select an item or items close to $10 in value.  Use the code GR8DAD to deduct $10 at checkout.  You will need to pay shipping which starts at $4.50 BUT, that’s easily covered by the Ebates Referral Fee.  Basically you are getting your JCPenney purchase for free, the referral fee covers the shipping and because you shopped through Ebates you will get 4% back on your purchase from Ebates.

I think that’s a pretty good deal and I want to thank Crystal, the Money Saving Mom, for spelling it out so well for us.  Want to learn more about Ebates and how it works?  Check out my initial post about it here.

Pinecone Research is still looking for people.  This time they are looking for males ages 18-24.  So, if you are a male in that age group or know one who would like to get paid for theit opinion, share this with them.

Here’s a sweet compilation of  freebies currently available to you.  Some are new, some are reminders but ALL are FREE.  Thanks Freebie Blogger!

Walmart is offering a free sample of Rohto Cooling Eye Drops. Sorry, this offer is now expired!

Coupon for FREE bar of MARS chocolate (sign up available on Fridays only)

Free Burt Bee’s Lipbalm to the first 1,000 to sign up everyday for the next 15 days.

Last day to claim your free panty from Victoria’s Secret, get your coupon when you become a Facebook Fan.

Relief.org is offering a free trivet to senior citizens.

Free Juicy Juice Reusable Water Bottle

Free Music:

More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz.

Check out the free Song of the Day from Rhapsody.  Check everyday because it’s a free download everyday.  Thanks Nicole!

Free Music Downloads from Amazon.

Enjoy your freebies and I hope you have a great Friday!

Great news! Pinecone Research is accepting applications. Pinecone wants to hear from you and pay you for your opinion. Pinecone Research is one of the most reputable companies I have heard about. I have actually been hearing about it for the past two years but open sign up period has always been elusive. It is great to save money but it is also a great idea to have a chance to make some money from the comfort of your own home.

I hope someone who has been working with them will share their experience in the comments section.

Pay virtually nothing on your passport photos by using the website Epassportphoto.  Here, you will receive instructions on how to take your picture at home and after you upload it to their website, it will help you get multiples of the picture in the right passport size.  Then all you need to do is upload this photo into your favorite photo developing service website and order a print of it.  Pay for it (usually less than 15 cents), go get it when it’s ready.  Cut it to size and submit with your passport application.  It really is that simple and cheap!

Last Fall we needed to get our then 10 month old a passport to travel abroad. Someone here mentioned this service to me (sorry I can’t remember but Thank You!).  My husband was very skeptic but he agreed that all that it would costs us was the 15 cents to get the photo developed and if it didn’t work then we would try the passport photo service at Walgreens for $7.99.  The hardest part was getting the 10 month old to sit still so we could take a picture against a white wall.  But he did, and the picture came out great!  We uploaded the picture to Epassportphoto.  The website made it the right size.  We uploaded the new file to our Walmart Photo account and the picture was ready in one hour.  It works! and it works well.

Next time you need a passport photo taken, give this a try.  It’s very likely you will be very happy you did!  Thanks Shelly for bringing up this time in such a timely manner.

1. Walk along the walls.  Did you know that the freshest and healthiest foods for you are located along the walls of your grocery store?  As I mentally walk along my grocery store I can tell you that the right wall has all fruits and vegetables.  The back wall has seafood, meat and eggs and milk.  The left wall has more yogurt, cheese and orange juice.  Think about your grocery store now, do you identify a similar pattern?  I bet you do.  These are also some of the most basic ingredients that will help you create a lot of meals from scratch.  Doing most of your shopping along the walls of your grocery store will help you save money because you avoid the more expensive pre-packaged convenience foods.
2. Beware of end caps.  If you shop at CVS or Walgreens, you know that end caps are usually prime spots for clearance items.  Unfortunately this concept doesn’t translate to your local grocery store.  Most people expect items on an end cap to be on sale.  This is the reason end caps are considered prime retail space at grocery stores.  Also, be careful of items located at an end cap that complement each other.  For example, my grocery store has crackers located at the end of the soup aisle.  However, these crackers are the gourmet-most expensive type.  If you walk one aisle over you will find cheaper crackers to complement the soup you just picked up.
3. Look up and down and all around.  Just as end caps are prime shelf space, so is the middle shelf space.  Retailers are willing to pay thousands of dollars to make sure their products are easily spotted.  Let’s face it, we spend most of the time looking at things that are at our eye level.  Spend more time comparing the product you initially picked up with similar products located in the lower or upper shelves.
4. Be Picky. Food waste is a big budget buster.  One big reason we end up throwing away food is because it goes bad.  Make sure the food you buy has the best “Sell By date” you could possibly get.  Don’t just grab the first item that’s on the shelf, check the expiration date.  Look towards the back of the shelves where you are likely to find the items with the longest expiration date available.  Here’s a common pitfall: not checking the carton of eggs you are buying for cracked ones.  Take the two seconds it takes to open the carton and make sure you are getting 100% of your money’s worth.
5. Think outside the regular aisle. Your grocery store sells certain items in more than one section of the store, and looking for the alternate sale area can save you a lot of money.  For example, sliced cheese is sold in the dairy/refrigerated section. But it is also sold in the deli area.  The prepackaged cheese sold in the refrigerated section can turn out to be more expensive than the one sold in the deli area.  Another benefit of buying at the deli is that you can buy exactly the amount that you need and avoid any waste this way.

These are small changes that require very little if no effort from you.  But they could help you stretch your dollar even more.

Patricia from “From Wags to Riches,” explains to you your Rights and Responsibilities as a Customer and Couponer. Have you been frustrated by poor customer experiences lately? You may want to read this one.

Are you a blogger and wondering what you can do to get sponsored to conferences by companies. Then you don’t want to miss the thorough advice given by Tara in “How to Get a Blog Conference Sponsorship.”

On other frugal topics:

I love this post by Amy from MomAdvice on how to Throw a Babyshower on a Budget.

Check out this Mini Loaves and Mashed Potatoes recipe from $5 Dinners. I made them this past Thursday before I left and they were delicious.

Enjoy!

Nicole Says:

I signed up for Supercuts.com for the reminder program and recieved a $2.00 coupon on my next visit. The coupon is good until 4/10 and the site stated that I should get one everytime I get a haircut reminder. I thought I would pass on this deal. It will be helpful for me to afford a haircut. They also allow you to pick how often you want reminders, from 2 weeks to 10.

Jen shares this tip for making shopping at Kohls and other retailers easier on busy days:

My husband and I have been putting off buying a couple items of clothing because we don’t like to pay full price.  Earlier this week I got an email from Kohl’s about their Super Saturday, and a coupon to complement it.  I hate shopping on Super Saturdays because, from my experience, the store is crowded and noisy and just unpleasant.  So I called the store and asked if customers are allowed to put items on hold for a day.  When the woman on the other end of the phone said “yes” I was so happy.  My husband and I just got back from Kohl’s where we picked out our items, tried them on to make sure they fit, and had them held at the service desk, where we can go pick them up and take them straight to the cash register  during the Super Saturday Sale.

Have you been to Vegas?  Or maybe to other expensive travel destinations?  Maybe you can help Melissa.  Here’s her question:

My husband and I are traveling to Las Vegas 4/1 – 4/6. We already scored a great deal when we booked our trip. Total cost for 2 people for airfare, 5 nites hotel plus 2 free tickets to a Cirque de Soleil show was $540. I’d like to know if you or anyone else out there can give us tips on things to do in Vegas for little or no money. We plan to budget our money but don’t want to be so strict we don’t enjoy ourselves. Any tips are appreciated!

I hope some of you can help.  I know I have read often that it’s a good idea to take advantage of freebies Casino’s offer like buffets and what not.  Also, check at the Hotel’s front desk  for coupon booklets and other information they may have for visitors.  I also found some other great tips here.  Any other insider tips?