Freebies/Deals

Free is always good! Target has their "Market Pantry Fruit Snacks on sale for .89 cents (3.8 oz) or $1.52 (larger box). On their website you can get a $1.00 of coupon to print off. Small bag becomes a freebies or pay .52 cents for the larger box. Either way, a great deal!

Free Working Mother's Magazine Subscription here

Get a coupon for a free bottle of Country Bob's A;; Purpose Sauce

Order a free copy of The Jolly Cook Book

These coupons from Dunkin Donuts don't expire until the end of the year.

Get a free sample of Glad ForceFlex garbage bag.

Freebies/Deals

Here is a fun free afternoon for your kids at Toys'R'Us. They are having a Easter Adventure Saturday, April 4th from 12:00-2:00

Another freebie for the kids, Norfolk Southern train company will send you a free Toby the Train coloring book.

OfficeMax is offering 75 free 4x6 prints. The shipping is $3.95

Get a free sample of Aveeno Nourish Hair Care. Take a quick quiz to determine the best shampoo/conditioner for your hair

Okay, I am going to give Victoria's Secret one more chance with this offer,
Free mini Body Lotion. No purchase necessary, just print this page.

Tomorrow, April 1 from 11:30-2:00 Tim Hortons is offering a free chicken wrap. Check it out here

Deals

Ordering from Papa Johns anytime soon? Here is a code for a BOGO large pizza:
BOGO327
Also, if you sign up for their newsletter they will send you special deals for your area Papa Johns.


For the Coffee Lover's out there, Seattle's Best is one of the best for deals! Get your coupon here for a BOGO Free Latte (coupon expires April 28)

And here are some more awesome deals coming up for Seattle's Best:

Monday, April 6 - get your complimentary free small coffee

Tuesday, April 7 - Anyone who is 39 years old gets a free medium coffee (Seattle's Best is 39)

Friday, April 10-Sunday, April 12-If you buy any pastry you can get a medium Anniversary roast cup of coffee on the house.

Friday, April 17-Sunday, April 19 - 39 cents buys you a medium cup of Anniversary Roast coffee

sign up to be a VIP at the Boston Market website and you will receive deals through email and a $3.00 off any meal coupon.

Freebies/Deals

Today’s FREE Redbox Rental Code is 89ZQJ3

Sample of Optimum Care for hair.

14 day supply of Liquid Softgel Multi Complete Vitimin.

Sample of jerry Baird's Authenic Western Gourmet Seasonings.

Any horse owners out there? Here is a Sample of Ascend

For the guys, a free
Sample of Tim McGraws latest cologne

Get a sample of Aromatic oil

Sing up for a free Armstrong Tools T-Shirt

Anyone heading to The Great Indoors sometime soon? Here is a printable Coupon for a free silicon spatula

A nice free Sample pack from MaryKay

If you live near a Friendly's Restaurant, they are offering a free 3 scoop sundae when you Sign up here. I so miss Friendly's! They all closed down around here. The closest one to me is now 42 miles away in Ohio :(

Your food pantry

Since I have lived through those "Emergency" times, I can positively tell you how important having a good solid store of food is. Three and a half years ago, we were hit with an emergency and I was so thankful that I had my pantry in pretty decent shape because the last thing I could have spent money on was food. We went from a decent income to ZERO in one day. I had a small emergency fund saved and my debts were paid off at the time. but, that emergency fund was small and every penny, and I honestly mean "every penny" was needed to pay utilities and rent.

I have heard people say negative things about having a well stock pantry. Let's get one thing perfectly clear, there is a huge difference in "hoarding" and "being prepared".

Food is one of the few necessities we actually have some control over. We have to eat but, we can chose what we eat and how much we spend to feed our families. So, it only makes sense to do your best at preparing ahead of time for any emergency that may come along. You can't do that at the time of the emergency when it comes to food. It is something to work on little by little when you can. And the best part is, you constantly rotate the food out so, you are better able to prepare meals at home for your family at a fraction of the cost. No more last minute runs to the store to buy something to fix and pay full price.


With a fully stocked pantry you are able to help out friends and family when they are in need. Even if it is something as small as making someone a few meals for their freezer. Someone you care about may need your help due to an illness, a death, a loss of employment or any other uncontrollable occurrence.

Since I started this blog to encourage and help people be a little more thrifty in their lives and hopefully help people out, I thought it was time to actually start talking more about the things we can do to improve our lives through being frugal. Freebies are great and I really enjoy posting all the finds I see but, I don't want this blog to turn into another "Freebie Blog". So, Food storage and having a well stocked pantry is going to be my focus for awhile.

There are a lot of ways to start a well stocked pantry and I hope to hit on a bulk of them over the next little while. The absolutely #1 rule in getting your pantry stocked is STOCK UP ON ITEMS YOU USE! Sounds like a no-brainer right? Well, let me tell you, it is very easy to get caught up in the whole "This is such an incredible price, I'm sure we would like it if I figured out how to cook it." And yes, I have done that more times that I want to admit. If you find a really great bargain on an item that you don't normally use, buy one, take it home and play with it. If you can come up with a recipe that you enjoy, great! Go back and stock up on that item. If not, it is not a bargain. Recently someone gave me several cans of salmon. I have never used canned salmon in my life. My husband does not like salmon but, is willing to try some new recipes. so, I am going to be searching out recipes and trying different ways of using this item.

There are a ton of wonderful recipe sites on the Internet. Take advantage of them and try out some simple recipes that can be made from food that stores easily. Here are a few of my favorite recipe sites:


Teri's Kitchen
CD Kitchen
Budget101
Make your own mixes
Nikibone - crockpot recipes

The above is just a tiny sampling of great resources for recipes. Look around and search out more. Try Googling "Frugal recipes" or "meals on a budget". Just those two searches will give you endless hours of recipe reading.

When trying new recipes or old favorites over the next little while, try to keep in mind of what can be exchanged for the "fresh' ingredients. Think of what you could have stored in your pantry that would work in a pinch as a substitute and try it out now instead of when you have to. Examples:

1 cup of milk - try the recipe with a cup of canned milk or make up some dry nonfat milk. How did that work out?

Fresh fruit or veggies - try a canned or bottle version.

Try a canned or dry version of a meat in a few recipes and see if you can tweek it to taste as good as fresh meat.

Just give some new things a try. Think stored food, which usually means canned/bagged/dried/bottled. Of course, you want to keep your freezers as full as possible as well, but the above mentioned pantry items last longer.

So, your first goal is to make sure the things your are stocking up are things you are familiar with and know how to cook/bake. If not, try out some recipes and see if it will fit into your family's menus.

And second, try some new versions of foods in your regular meals. See what works and what doesn't Experiment.

Weekly Roundup

This is a list of the freebies I received in the mail this past week!

MONDAY:

Tide sample
Elle Magazine
Elle Decor Magazine
Women's Day Magazine
2 samples of Starbucks coffee
2 samples of Splenda with Fiber
Glade Scent & Spray (Bzz Agent Campaign)

TUESDAY:

Full size box of Fiber One Chocolate Mocha Bars
Total Cranberry Crunch sample
Magic Eraser sample
Parenting magazine
Redbook Magazine
Living Magazine
Lake Superior Map
Afrin PureSea Hydrating Nasal Rinse Kit (Bzz Agent Campaign)

WEDNESDAY:

Ziplock Fresh Shield sample
Body & Soul magazine
Good Housekeeping Magazine
Popular Science Magazine
Kraft Food & Family Magazine
Crest Advanced Seal Whitening Strips

THURSDAY:

Field and Stream Magazine
Kiwi magazine
Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Serum
Betty Crocker Dinner made Easy scheduling calendar
Celestial Herbal Tea sample

FRIDAY:
Business Week Magazine
Outdoor Thermometer
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Sample

SATURDAY:
Lowes Creative Ideas magazine


I have noticed that the first of the week is when I seem to get most of my freebies in the mail. As the week goes along, the freebies dwindle.

Freebies/Deals

Here's Michael's 50% off Coupon. Also, check out their website from time to time. They have lots of fun free activities to do (especially for kids).

These coupons from Dunkin Donuts don't expire until the end of the year.

Have problems with dairy products? Try a free sample of Lactaid Fast Act

Free sample pack of Playtex Sport

Summer is on the way, try a free sample of
Jergens Natural glow

Get a free sample of Emergen-C BLUE

Freebies

This site ValueMags.com is a new one for me so, I'm tring it for the first time as well y'all. Here is a free 12 issue subscription to Caribbean Travel & Life. When I filed the form and submitted, I was offered othr free one year magazine (Redbook, Bride and a couple more) but, I already subscribe to those. but, you can try them out as well.



photoworks is offering 50 free prints when you sign up. I haven't signed up yet. I need to gather my pics to print firstso, I don't know what the S & H charges will be.



Pantene shampoo sample

Degree for men sample

Regarding the freebies I post

I really try to post only true, no strings attached freebies. I see a lot of freebies like "Get 2 issues of this magazine free" and although those 2 issues are free you often have to enter your credit card number or will be billed for the rest of the year if you don't cancel it by a certain time. I just don't have that much time to remember when to cancel this or that. I know there are a lot of people out there that are so incredibly amazing when it comes to keeping track of what they have signed up for in order to get something free and when they need to cancel it in order not to get billed for it. I actually used to be that way. But, now with a one year old ruling the house, I think of myself as lucky if I remember what day of the week it is.

I usually request the sample and fill out the form before I post it on the blog. I want to know if they are going to make you jump through hoops before you actually can get to the freebie. So, there are a lot of things that I don't post on here. If I fill out a form and then hit "submit" I expect to see the next screen say something on the order of "Thank you for your request" or "Your request was submitted". If I have to keep clicking through a gazillion ads, I just say forget it. I generally don't mind a quick questionnaire because I can understand the manufacturer wanting to get some demographics. That is good marketing but, you know the ones that have you rate which soft drink you prefer. And then you click and that leads to another and then another? Nope, not gonna play those games.

I do post freebies that have you sign up for the website or newsletter from a product company. Often you will get even more freebies or savings from them. You can always unsubscribe at any point. A lot of the newsletters have little nuggets of something you can use.

Also, keep your spam filters high. You can always check your spam from time to time if you think you are missing something.

And remember, when you fill out a lot of forms (for freebies and other deals) you really need to keep on top of cleaning out your cookies and temporary files. I try to remember to run Ccleaner every night before I log off. And it's free to download!

Freebies

Not a lot of freebies today :(

Sample of Emergen-C® Health & Energy Water

Sample of Eucerin Daily Moisturizing Calming Cream.

Sample pack If you haven't already applied for this one, this is for a 3 pack sample of Playtex Gentle Glide


Today’s FREE Redbox Rental Code is MMM325

An Example

Last week I suggested getting together your "summer tote" for going to parks, festivals and fun places like that. I suggested using miscellaneous zippered bags you get to hold condiment packets,napkins, plates etc. I told you I seem to get these little zippered bags all the time from various things.

Well, here is a perfect example. Yesterday a friend of mine gave me this cute collapsible toy box she bought for Lia. And look at the awesome zippered bag it came in!

Perfect round free zipper bag!

And yup, those are leftover Valentine paper plates

Household tips

Never use the "cap full" of laundry or fabric softener as stated on the container. Use about 1/2 that amount.

Same thing with dishwasher detergent, only use about half the amount that is recommended.


If you use dryer sheets, cut them in half and use 1 half per load.

Also make sure you clean your lint filter out by washing it with some dish soap every so often. You can tell if your lint filter needs to be washed by running some water over it. If it doesn't go through cleanly, it needs washed. It will be more effective for drying your clothes.

Also, make sure you pull your dryer out from time to time and clean off all the built on lint and dust. This is the number one cause for fires starting from your dryer.

Do the same with your fridge, clean or blow dry all the dust that accumulates on the back of it especially around the coils.

These tips were given to me from an appliance repairman years ago.

Reuse ideas

Reuse those plastic containers that have strawberries , blueberries, or various other fruits and veggies. They are perfect for leftover salad or cleaned and prepared veggies & fruits.

Reuse all those glass jars that get empty such as pickle jars, mayo jars or jelly/jam jars. Instead of putting leftovers in plastic containers, use these. You can see what is in the container instead of having to guess what the mystery food is in your fridge.

Reuse empty dressing containers to make your own dressing.

If you buy toilet paper in a 12 pack size of larger (or the 6 pack double rolls), use the plastic bag they come in to line your bathroom trash can.

Have an old Arm & Hammer baking soda that has been in the fridge forever, don't throw it out, use as a cleaning abrasive. Sprinkle some in your toilets then scrub, works great. Also old baking powder works as a cleaning boost to your laundry. Or sprinkle on your carpets, wait awhile and then vacuum up. It freshens the carpet.

Have a shampoo or body wash that you just don't like for some reason? Pour about 1/3 of it in an old spray bottle and add 2/3 water and use it to clean tubs and sinks.

Reuse those plastic containers with lids that we feel would should keep for leftovers or "to go" containers but, have no room to store them for things that don't stack very good in our cabinets. Examples: Rice bags, opened pasta bags or dry beans. Put the food item in one of the containers, label it and now it will stack easier in your cabinets.

If you use laundry detergent in a box, when empty, cut the box up and put a couple of pieces in the bottom of garbage cans. It helps freshen the smell.

Those small little plastic square tabs from bread wrappers make great little scrapers for your countertops or stovetops.

Have a pair of old kitchen rubber gloves that have outlived their use? Cut them into a "gripper pad" for opening jar lids.

Shred your old ripped apart wrapping paper and use it in future gift bags.

Thrifty site

Okay, this is a recipe site but, it is a copycat type of recipe site. Why not recreate some of your favorite restaurant dishes at home!

Top Secret Recipes

Freebies/Deals

Here are today's freebies or deals...enjoy!

Boston Market PRINTABLE COUPON for a Crispy Country Chicken item (sandwich, salad or meal) when you buy any Crispy Country Chicken item.

Arbys is really cranking out the coupons. Here are four different COUPONS. They are for free sandwich with soft drink & fries and one for a free FRUITEA when you buy a sandwich or a free Chocolate Malt Swirl Shake when you buy a RoastBurger. Arbys got us hooked on their RoastBurger sandwiches with all the free coupons they have been giving us now, they are keeping us hooked! Go Arbys!

Free Attune Bar This is a Probiotic bar

How about some free Magazine subscriptions? Here ya go..........

Dreaming of fabulous vacations? Here is an awesome magazine to really make you want to get away right now! Conde Nast Traveler

Or do you spend your days dreaming of being out on the water in some fantastic boat? This will get your tongue wagging! Boating Magazine

Or are you more into keeping on track of who's who in business? This one is for you. Forbes

Anybody into MP3's? Pizza Hut will give you 75 free MP3's. Click here

Although I know that all of my Thriftites out there have been checking out the Walmart freebies on a daily basis (if not, click the link on the right hand sidebar and start doing it now! LOL) but....just in case...here is a freebie you might not have gotten yet.
Cottonelle. And if you try Cottonelle and really like it, join their mailing list and you can print off 50 cent coupons.

One for the guys! Free sample of All American Stetson

Here's one for your pets. Free dog/cat food sample from Flint River Farms

For the ladies, try a free sample of Tampax Pearl

A Site to check out

Don't always get the Sunday paper and have no idea what is on sale or who has the best prices? This site has all the major stores in one place. Just click on the store you want to view then (generally) type in your zip code and it will show you the sales ad for that store this week and the closest store to you.

So check out Sunday Saver

Helpful Money saving tip

I found this tip at Start Sampling. I think I am going to give this a try!

Homemade dryer sheets


Flannel pieces
4 TBS liquid softener
10 TBS water

Cut fabric sheets from old flannel pajamas or leftover flannel fabric from sewing and cut into 3" x 5" strips (approximately).

Stack flannel strips in a cleaned margarine tub (large size) or plastic container (cleaned baby wipes container works well too). Mix the liquid softener and water together, then pour evenly over top of stacked flannel strips.

Seal container and shake well.

You can use several dozen strips with this mixture. Leave sealed for 2 or 3 days, then use one flannel strip per load-squeeze out excess if necessary (it should be just damp). Keep container sealed at all times. Wash strips after use, then use again to make another batch when needed.

Freebies/Samples/Deals

Okay, here is todays list:


Cream of Wheat Get a free sample. They have new flavors. I got my sample last week.

Today’s FREE Redbox Rental Code is HG7W56 .

See Here. Get 50 Free prints when you sign up and use code: prints-6
When I first heard about See Here and tried to join up, I had the hardest time. I wrote to them and they fixed the problem.


Free Splenda with fiber


Try a sample of Aquafresh Extreme Clean

Free Doggie treats


If you have kids that love Lego's here is the place to receive Lego Magazinefor free.

Here are some more Product sponsered free magazines to try:


Rouge (Proctor and Gamble Products)


Kraft. I love this one. I have been getting it for years.



Lowes. This is another one I get. I love seeing all the new project ideas

Savings tip-Coupon Stacking

A lot of stores will "Stack" coupons. What that means is, if a store has their own coupons, prime example would be Walgreen, and you have a manufacturer coupon for the same product, you can usually use both of them on same one item.

I am trying to compile a list of all the stores that do this. So, if you know of any stores that do this, let me know and I will add it to my list.

Freebies/Bargains/Deals

This is for 5 free prints from Canon.

Here's a fun freebie from Noisy Planet. You can get:
Fact Sheets
Posters
Pens
Pencils
Magnets
Calendar

Here is a free sample of Tide Total Care.

Anyone out there into crossstitch or the like, here is a nice free sample from DMC

Victorias Secret Follow-up

I forgot to let you know that I did get a follow-up email from VC. And they sent it within 24 hours of my sent email. So, I have to give VS some kudos's for following up in a timely and polite manner. Here is a copy of the letter they sent me:


Dear Diann,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding your encounter at the Victoria's Secret Store. We apologize that your shopping trip wasn't a pleasant one.

When a customer chooses to shop with Victoria's Secret, we want them to have a pleasant experience. Please be assured that your experience is not indicative of the quality of service customarily offered to our customers, as we strive to serve each customer as courteously and responsibly as possible.. We apologize that this was not the case with your recent visit.

Please be assured that your concerns have been forwarded to the appropriate Victoria's Secret Store division for follow-up. We are unable to disclose the details of the coaching action taken with the store employees regarding this matter, but assure you that all efforts will be made to ensure that this type of situation does not recur. We strive to ensure that our customers are provided with the high level of service that they have come to expect and deserve.

So that we may better assist you, please reply to this e-mail with your full name, address, and phone number (including area code), as well as the store location you visited.

Once we receive this information, we will be happy to issue you a 30% off coupon.

If we can help you further, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.

Diann, please accept our apologies. We take customer service seriously at Victoria's Secret and look forward to serving you again in the future.

I thought they responded in a very professional way.

Considering how tight our budgets are these days and for me, time to myself is a major luxury, going to VS is a pure indulgence. It is not something I can do whenever I feel the urge to pamper myself. So, just going to the store and enjoying looking around and picking out something special that is totally frivolous. a pure want oppose to a need, is something I plan for and look forward to. So, the fact that the coupon was not valid was not my main reason for being upset. Yes, that was a bummer but, the customer service is what ruined my experience there.

So, that was the outcome of my letter sent to VS regarding my latest shopping trip to their store.

Follow up of the Free Thomas the Train toy

Apparently our local Toys'R'Us ran out of the free toy trains very early today. So, not only did they not have any for this afternoon and evening, they won't have any tomorrow as well. I always wonder if they only had a few to bring customers into the store. who knows, but you may want to call the store ahead of time and see if they have any left.

Check out this blog :)

I thought it would be nice to start adding other people's blogs that I find fit The Thrifty mentality nicely. I subscribe to a lot of different blogs (note, I finally set up a 'subscribe' widget on this blog. If you put your email addy in it, you will receive my post straight to your email!) and then I find myself drifting off one blog to another. That is the way I find some of the best blogs out there.

This blog, Lucky Me, is filled with fun thrifty crafts to do with your kids. You can tell this Mommy has a lot of fun "playing" with her little ones. And she seems to do it in a very thrifty way!

So, if you have litte kids and want some fun projects to do with them, I suggest you check this blog out!

Today's Freebies/deals

Free sample of Roots of Nature hair repair

Never heard of this, but requested a sample: Kellog's All-Bran Pink lemonade

Sample of Organic soap or Shea Souffle

Order your free copy of " Bread Breakthrough Recipe Book"

Free Sample of Always Infinity

Free Sample: Parents Choice Infant formula

This is kinda cool. Create your own magazine called Mine. You can get 5 free issues of a magazine that is created for you from parts of other magazine. Check it out!

Get a free Wooden Thomas the Train. This weekend only at Toy'r'Us

Here are a list of free recipe booklets you can either download or get via mail.

**Fruit & Sunshine
**The New Taste of Tradition
**Recipes for Healthier Eating
**Fall Favorites

A Site to checkout-"Angel Food"

If you are needing to stretch your food budget, I recommend checking out Angel Food Ministries. This monthly food purchase changes from month to month and it is for anyone and everyone. Generally a one "unit" of food is $30.00. You can buy as many units as you want or you can add on one of their other "extra" buys.

Troy and I have been purchasing units from here off and on for the past few years. When Troy got hurt, we really needed to cut out some major expenses and food is an area you have some control of. So, we heard about this program and checked to see where the closest place was to pick it up.

Please remember, this is for everyone. You do not have to have an affiliation with the church that hosts a pickup site. They don't ask you to join their church, they don't ask you how much you make, they don't ask to see identification. It simply is a program to help you stretch your food money. They do take food stamps if you get them. We don't get food stamps, but I think this is great for those who do. I would much rather see people who get food stamps try to stretch them out and use them for a well balanced diet (like offered through AFM).

Remember, you can view online what will be offered month to month so you can decide when you may or may not want to purchase a unit(s).

So, check it out!

How to get more savings and special deals

Create a special email account that you just use for deals and things.

Sign-up for newsletters for your favorite restaurants, theaters, stores and product companies. They will send you all kinds of coupons and special deals they having going on that you may not hear about if you didn't get their newsletter email.

Some examples:

I am on the MJR theater newsletters. They send me a weekly email letting me know what is showing, what special offers they have going for discounted movies and right now for the month of March on of their specials through email only is a coupon for a free, any size popcorn when you see any movie on Mondays.

The Country Buffet/FireMountain Buffet - they send you coupons on your birthday and anniversary for BOGO Free dinners.

TGIFridays- join their email club and also sign up for their reward card. They send out coupons from time to time plus you rack up points on the card for future free meals.

Companies such as Proctor & Gamble offer great coupons and samples sent to your house.

So, check out all your favorite places and sign up for their email newsletters for extra bargains

Something to keep in mind

I have been wanting to write this in here and keep forgetting to. I will probably re-post this periodically.

Some awesome things about freebies or really good deals:

***You get to try something out that you normally might not try or were afraid to spend your hard earned cash on this product without knowing if it would be worth it. Companies offer these freebies in the hopes that once you try something you will buy the full size product in the future. I always hesitate to buy some of the more expensive products out there because money is just too tight these days. However, when I try something for free and then decide to buy it because I really liked it I don't feel like I am wasting my money. I often will write the company to tell them thank you for the sample and I am going to purchase their product now because of the free sample.

***They are often handy size for traveling

***some freebies or bargains are great to put back for gifts. you can create a wonderful gift basket for someone as well.

*** If you can get a food product for free just by printing or cutting out a coupon and going to the store but, it isn't something you will use, please drop it off at a local food bank. What a great way to help other people. You can save up some items like this and then drop them off. Food banks are in every city and are super easy to find. I know someone who is REALLY into the couponing thing. She is a pro. She is able to get a lot of one coupon and wait for a great sale and then purchase a bunch of this product for either free or pennies. She keeps half of it for her home storage and the other half she donates.

The point is, have fun, try new things, help out your family's budget or help someone else out. :)

A Thrifty idea

Spring and summer are here...finally! Woohoo! Time for heading to the park, street fairs and festivals.

This time of the year can be the best time of the year for lots of free and super cheap activities to enjoy. So, get yourself prepared and enjoy all the fun!

Put together your summer time tote bag and keep it handy to grab on your way out.

Use any tote bag/backpack to create your summer tote. If you don't have any type of tote bag, pick up one of the reusable "green' bags all the stores are selling.I have seen them for as low as $1.00 a bag (Target). Remember, if it isn't too girly, your guy will trade off and on with you carrying it at different events (okay, most of our guys will carry it regardless of how girly it is, but it would be nicer for them if it isn't some bright pink Hannah Montana tote bag!).

Now, start gathering and saving all those extra condiments we get from fast food places. Such as catsup, mustard, dressings, salt, pepper, wet wipes, etc. don't forget to save all the extra napkins and plastic ware you get and don't use either. Put them all in a ziplock bag (or for a truly frugal idea, toss them in an empty bread bag with a twist tie)and toss that bag in your tote.

**This is important: please don't think for one minute that I am telling you to go to a fast food restaurant and stock up on free condiments. That is stealing. We do so many fast food shop jobs, that we always seem to have a ton of this stuff that they put into our bags.

Next, in another bag, put some paper plates (got any left over from a birthday party, Christmas party or clearanced so cheap because they were so ugly?...use them!) and throw in a few disposable cups as well. You can use plastic cups that have to be washed, just remember to bring a separate ziplock bag to put those if after they have been used and make sure you take them out and wash them before you use your tote again.

It doesn't hurt to throw another little bag together with maybe some Tylenol, band-aids, sunscreen, lip balm or other little things that are handy to have.

This is a great way to use different samples you have gotten in the past. Also, I don't know about everyone else, but I seem to get tons of little makeup cases or pouches free all the time. Whether they were gifts or a cute little bag that held some product or the plastic zipper cases that new valances sometime come in, regardless, I seem to get a lot of them. I use them for my summer tote instead of ziplock bags. So, the idea is to use what you have.

I keep my bag stocked all summer. We go to a lot of festivals and I toss my wallet in the tote, keys, camera and usually a couple of bottles of water. Sometimes, I throw in handy little cheap snacks to have throughout the day. I also keep those individual flavored drink packets that I get from freebies or super cheap. that way after I have drank my water I usually stop at a water fountain and refill it and add the packet for a different drink.

The point of the paper plates and cups are this, we love festivals and occasionally want to try the different street food but, as we all know, that can be really expensive and street fairs and festivals can be just a nice cheap day. So, we plan ahead at how much money we are willing to spend on food or drink while we are there and we just get one of the item we want to try and then split it. So, also make sure you have a plastic knife to help you cut something up.

Of course, if you are planning a day out adventuring, pack a lunch, drinks and snacks. Keep a small cooler in your car/truck. Also, I keep an old blanket in a zipped bag (from a new blanket) in the truck all summer long as well. And to be honest, Troy and I enjoy different freebie events like this so much that we keep our lawn chairs in our trucks until Fall! We never know when we are out and about what kind of fun thing we will happen upon.

So, be prepared and have a blast at all the fun things that are happening around us during the upcoming seasons and do it frugally!

Okay, I used some coupons today.

I did some running around today and I used the coupon for the free roast burger from Arby's. I had to buy a soft drink. My lunch bill came to $1.69. Not a bad price to pay for lunch. The sandwich was very tasty! I decided to sit inside the restaurant and go through my coupons and some other paperwork and organize my running around. Got a free refill on my lemonade to go.

Next I headed up to Southland Mall to redeem my Victoria Secrets coupon. This coupon (I posted it) was good for a free full size Body Scrub of any scent in their Secret Garden Line with any purchase. I was excited to try this product in one of their new scents. I thought with summer coming it was seriously time to start doing some exfoliating and getting my skin soft for short sleeve and shorts season. I decided to look for my "purchase product" first. I really enjoy looking around VS to see what new and fun girly things they have. I knew I couldn't spend a lot and the point was to use my coupon. So, I found some lip balm (who can't use that?) for only $1.00. I went over to the "Secret Garden" product wall and started smelling all the new fragrances. I found one I really like so, I looked for the body scrub. Hum, no body scrub. Okay, on to choice number 2. No body scrub again! Finally after searching the entire line, I found no body scrubs what so ever. During the entire time I was there, no sales associate approached me. Now keep in mind, I do secret shops for a living so, I actually secret shop every store I go into whether or not it is a paid shop. It is just a habit. There weren't many customers in the store but, there were a few. I saw associates walking around but noticed they did not approach anyone. Okay, serious bad service at this location! finally I, just short of tackling, stopped an associate to ask where the Secret Garden Body Scrubs were located. She looked at me as if I had spoke Klingon. I pulled out my coupon and showed her. She read it then gave me that "I don't speak Klingon OR READ Klingon" look again. I said, in a very slow English and clear voice, "B-o-d-y... s-c-r-u-b....w-h-e-r-e... a-r-e ...t-h-e-y ...l-o-c-a-t-e-d?" She told me they discontinued that product a long time ago. I asked her why they still have the coupons. And she informed me she didn't know and then walked away from me! WHOAAAAAA Little Missy! Forget the coupon! Customer service...remember that? Me customer, you sales associate? Any of this ringing a bell??? I don't know if it was years of working in customer service, being a manager in several retail stores or doing secret shopping now, but, I know that THIS is NOT customer service!

I put the lip balm down on the table and walked out of the store muttering to myself, "I am soooo writing a letter! Yup, that's what I am going to do. I am writing a letter to VS as soon as I get home!". Of course, to any shoppers who passed me, I am sure I sounded like I was some rabid dog grumbling and mumbling to myself while doing a serious march through the mall, fists clenched to my sides and shaking my head. So, did I write a letter to VS? You can bet your sweet Aunt Fanny I did! I doubt I will get much of a reply, but I felt better! if I do get any kind of reply, I will post it in here.

Okay, enough of that rant....

I also popped into Aeropostale because I had gotten 2 of my 3 nephews a new shirt a couple of weeks ago when I did a secret shop. I had been feeling bad about not getting my youngest nephew a shirt but, the store hadn't had any small shirts on clearance. But, I did find a shirt for him in the Mall. It was regularly $29.99 (insane!) but, I got it for $5.00.

I stopped at the library to drop off some books and pick up one that I had ordered...the library is a totally thrifty place! I also bought 4 books from their used book sale rack. They are books Troy and I will read and then I will turn around and sell them on Ebay.

I used my free diet Dr. Pepper coupon and picked up a 2 liter of that for free and I had the coupon from this past Sunday's paper (mom gave me her coupon inserts...awesome freebie..thanks mom!) for a free pack of any flavor Wrigley gum so, I got that as well.

I also stopped by Blockbuster to rent a movie. I have coupons for one free rental for every month in 2009. I got these as a "reward" from one of the survey companies I deal with. So, I stopped and picked up a movie. It has been so long since I rented a movie from Blockbuster, I didn't even know you got new releases for a week. So, sometime this weekend, we will watch a free movie.

Before I headed home I decided to check out Boston Market. I have never gone there before. I have had their food and it was quite good but, I have a hard time paying "sit down dining" prices for what seems to be categorized as a fast food restaurant. But, I had the $3.00 off a $6.00 meal so, I figured this was a good time to try it out. Well, their meals all end in ".99" so, I couldn't get the cheapest meal that was $5.99 because it had to be on a $6.00 meal (before tax). So, I got a $6.99 meal. Troy and I will split the meal so we can both try it. However, when I paid with my coupon, the cashier happily gave me a new coupon for my next visit. It is for a Buy one get one free meal deal. Now that was a really nice surprise.

Maybe Victoria Secrets should talk to Boston Market about how to have better customer service!

So, that was my Thrift day. Did you have any good deals?

Todays Freebies/samples/etc.

Try Dunkin Donut coffee. I got this one awhile back. Nice sample!

Overnight Ultra thin pads sample from Kotex.

If you haven't gotten a 2009 calendar, here is a nice one that I got earlier this year and it is still available for free Betty Crocker

Want a free subscription to Womans Day magazine? Here is how I got mine.

For anyone who has DISH Network, here is a form for 2 free pay-per-view movies! Click

And don't forget to check Walmart freebies regularly! Here ya go!

a Little "Thrifty" Humor :)

I snagged this cute little cartoon from Sherry...thanks Sherry :)

Today's Maxine-ism:

Some people shop at several
grocery stores to save money.
I do it to make a meal out
of free samples.

Site of the Week

BZZ Agent

Troy and I have been BZZ Agents for a few years now. We have received some really awesome products to try out totally free! This company has been featured on many TV News Shows. It is a popular site to join. The point of being a BZZ Agent is when companies come out with new products they want to spread the word about them (in other words "Spread some BuZZ).

When you sign up they will contact you when there is a new BZZ campaign starting and ask if you want to be a part of it. If you do, you go to your login page and answer a couple of questions and sign up for that campaign. You will receive the product in the mail and it is always the full size product. Along with the product you will receive info on it and a good way to "BZZ' about the product to friends and family. They also generally send you coupons for the product so you can hand them out to people you talk to.

It is super easy. After you have tried it out and maybe talked to some people, you go in and write a little blip about how you feel about the product and what others say. The more "BZZ reports" you do the better your chances to be invited for other campaigns.

I LOVE to try out new products. I just finished with the 'Covergirl Outlast Lipstain" campaign. I received the lipstain of my color choice and a bunch of coupons. This product is sold in the stores for around $7.00. I might not have tried it because I have tried similar products like this in the past and wasted my money. But, I can honestly say that I will be looking for sales on this product in the future. It really worked great!

I am about to enter into 2 new campaigns (just waiting on my stuff to arrive in the mail).

So, I really recommend joining. Who doesn't love to try new products for free before anyone else?!


Below is what would be sent out if I emailed everyone individually from the site.....


Hello. Have I told you about BzzAgent yet? I'm a member, and I thought you might like to be one too (joining is free). I get to try products and services at no cost with samples, coupons and stuff like that. Then I make my voice heard by sharing my honest opinions with others, including some of the largest companies in the world. Want to learn more and sign up to join in the fun?

As a BzzAgent, you'll get to:


Discover and try new products and services (often for free)
Spread sincere word of mouth about them
Have your opinions influence some of the biggest companies and brands around

If you'd like to receive those benefits, become an Agent today. Don't worry, BzzAgent respects its members' privacy and won't share your personal information or spam you.

We're a community focused on word of mouth, so what better way to recruit new members than referrals and recommendations from friends?

Trying to schedule some regular "features"

Okay, here are my intentions for this blog.

I hope to post daily....

freebies or good bargains.
money saving tidbits

Wednesdays:

I plan to use all my coupons for bargains or freebies and let you know how they turn out (any problems with redeeming them etc.)

Sundays:

Weekly Roundup (which I will post what freebies I got in the mail throughout the past week).

Once a week (not sure when)

a site I would recommend for making money, saving money, trying out products or something on that order

Scattered throughout the week:

Just any good finds or ideas I hear about or try out.

Today's Freebies/Bargains

Looks like Arby's has come out with another Free Roast Burger coupon (with the purchase of a Pepsi product). Good until March 20th


I wrote before bout MJR doing free kids and $1.00 adult tickets for a bunch of fun movie.Here is a link for the Goodrich Quality theaters. They are doing some fun free movies as well. This theater chain is all over the place so look up one in your area!

Free sample of Sun Crystals. I got a free sample of this a couple of weeks ago. It is interesting because it has the same texture and taste of sugar.

Free sample of Ibunex Muscle and Joint Therapy. That sure is a sample we can use around here! LOL

Money saving household tidbit

Do you love those "liquid foam" hand soaps? Then the next time you use up one of them, save the bottle and pump and make your own for about 25 cents! The foam hand soap are appx. 75% water and you generally pay more for them than the regular liquid hand soap.

Next time one is empty, pop off the top, pour in about 1/4 a cup of regular liquid hand soap and drizzle in water until it is almost full. Put the top back on, shake it up and TA DA! Once in awhile you will want to shake the bottle up but, other than that, you are good to go.

If you want, you can also add a tablespoon of the liquid antibacterial hand wash to add extra germ killer.

I also do this with my dish detergent. I saved another one of those foaming hand wash bottles and used the same measurements as above for dish soap. I generally use the dishwasher but, occasionally I will wash a few things by hand and this works out perfectly!

I have been doing this since those foam soaps came out. It is a major money saver!

A few interesting things

This is a free sampling of "Bare Minerals" and it's a nice sample. However, you have to pay the $3.95 shipping. Normally I don't even bother with this kind of sample, but, I have heard really good things about this line of products and the $3.95 is worth it to me to try it out. Peace and Love Sampling

Ikea: Free Breakfast 3/20-3/22

TGIFridays deal: a coupon for a 1 cent appetizer when you sit at the bar and order a drink. It does NOT say it has to be an alcoholic drink. Plus a coupon for $1.00 Entree when you purchase an entree. here is the coupon.

Free Weber grilling spatula

Free Samples

Please remember, generally when I hear of a freebie, I, too, am trying to get it for the first time. So, sometimes I get them but, sometimes I don't. Walmart free samples is pretty reliable. I receive several from there every week. I love to try a new product before I buy it. This is the best way I know of to do that.

I have to say, normally I rarely try out a new and generally more expensive product unless someone I know raves about it. But, being able to try a product out as a sample first, I can think of several instances that I now buy that higher brand product because of how much I liked the sample. And that really is the point of companies giving out samples. It isn't just their way of filling up your mailbox with free goodies. :)

Crest Whitestrips

New Febreze SPORT

A sample of Airborne

For Ladies, a free sample of Simply Discrete

Let the games begin!

I am so excited to start this blog! Even if nobody ever reads it, it helps to motivate me and that is what I really need right now! :)