Posts made in July 2009

*Today is National Cheesecake Day! If you are lucky enough to be near a Cheesecake Factory, you can enjoy any slice of cheesecake for ½ price! Check it out here: www.thecheesecakefactory.com

*Schwan’s home delivery food service is offering $10 in FREE food to the first 500,000 new customers to sign up on Saturday, August 1! Growing up we would order ice cream from them-it is delicious! Check out the details here for your FREE food: www.schwans.com/FREE

*Jamba Juice is offering a B1G1 printable coupon for any of their smoothies: www.summerblissisback.com/eb7/sbbg7.html This offer is valid until August 8, and you may only use one coupon per visit. Enjoy! 😉

*Don’t forget that this coming Monday, August 3, is the last day to enjoy a FREE sample-sized Iced or Hot Mocha from McDonalds!

*TGIF is offering a FREE Jack Daniels Sampler Platter when you and 2 other friends go out on the town for a good time! This offer is valid until August 15, so check it out here: www.tgifridaysfriends.com/ TGIF is also offering a BYOB (Bring Your Own Buddy) $5 printable coupon. You will get $5 off any entrée for each of your buddies at the table! (valid for up to 10 people per table!) This offer is valid until August 31. Sounds like a fun time! Check it out here:

www.tgifridays.com/promos/BYOB.aspx While you are there on the site, don’t forget to sign up for the Stripes Club-they will send you a coupon for a FREE Appetizer!

*Famous Dave’s BBQ will be offering a FREE entrée on Sunday, August 30 to all those with a first name of Dave! If your middle name is Dave, you will receive your entrée for ½ price! Sounds fun! Check it out here: www.famousdavesblog.com

*Wendy’s is offering $1 printable coupon for their new Twisted Frosty’s. Check out the info here and play the Twisted Frosty game. Even if you don’t win a prize, you will be able to print off $1 coupon for a yummy treat! www.frosty.com/wendysfrosty/front.do

*Ruby Tuesday is offering a BOGO entrée printable coupon when you sign up to receive their newsletter online. Click on the So Connected link and fill out your info. Check it out here: www.rubytuesday.com

Are there any other freebies and food finds that I should know about? Make sure to let me know! Have a wonderful and frugal weekend! 😉

I don’t know if many of you realize this or not, but many manufacturer’s coupons out there do not have a size restriction on them; therefore, you can score FREE trial-sized items of a product that you normally would not pay full price for! Here are a few examples of trial-sized items that I have scored for FREE at Target with manuf. coupons that had no size restriction-You can also do this at Walmart, Kmart, or your favorite place to shop! Just remember to check the fine print of your coupons to see if there are size restrictions.

* Crest Advanced Seal Whitening Strips (4 count) for $4.99. A $5 coupon was in the JUNE Proctor and Gamble insert for ANY (no size restrictions)! I have scored 7 FREE boxes so far! Check your coupon stash to see if you have any of these coupons as they expire on Friday! FREE!

 *Tide laundry detergent 1 load packets-These are priced at .97 each and there was $1/1 Tide coupon in the JULY Proctor and Gamble insert! FREE!

*Banana Boat Sunscreen –priced at .97-use the $1 coupon from the 5/3 inserts. FREE!

*Kotex pads –priced at .99 –use the $1 coupon from the 6/14 inserts. FREE!

*Axe shower gel-priced at .97-use the $1 coupon from the 4/5 inserts. FREE!

***other Target Deals***

Pop Tarts are $1.52 per box-use the .55/1 manuf. coupon from 6/7 Red Plum coupon inserts and the new Target .75/1 coupon for .22 Pop Tarts!! With school right around the corner, this would be a great time to stock up! 😉

-Kellogg’s Cinnabon Bars- $1.75 each. Use the $1 printable coupon from www.coupons.com for .75 a box!

-Kashi cereal cups are priced at $1 each. Use the $1 Target coupon for FREE cereal!

-Smart Ones frozen entrees are on sale this week for $1.80. Pair that with the $1/1 coupon from the Target Generator for .80 each!

Hot Coupon World has their own Coupon generator that allows you to print the Target coupons. Target replaces their coupons every couple of weeks, so keep checking the site for new coupons! Check it out here: www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/view.php?pg=cpngenerator

Also, did you know that you can print Target coupons in the store? Head to the Baby/Wedding Registry kiosks and print out your coupons! 😉

I hope that I have inspired you to now go and check the trial-sized section at your favorite store! I have had some questions lately about adding toiletries to your stockpile. This is a FREE and fun way to do it. I also donate a lot of these smaller sized items! Have fun going shopping for FREE! 😉 Let me know what sweet deals you find!

There are some really great new printable manufacturer and store coupons out right now, so I thought that I would go ahead and share them with you! With school right around the corner, these coupons will make for some sweet savings for you and the entire family! Enjoy! 😉

*Both www.redplum.com and www.coupons.com have some great printable coupons out right now. Remember that most printable coupon sites change their coupons at the beginning of each month. Since July is almost over, go print out those coupons before they change! 😉

*Check out Simple and Delicious for some money-saving coupons on Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Hunts Pudding Cups, and Chef Boyardee items: www.simpleanddelicious.com

*French’s is offering some great printable coupons when you sign up for their promotions. Check it out here and click on promotions: www.frenchs.com

*Kraft has just released a few really sweet printable coupons for Shredded cheese, Oscar Mayer Franks, and Kraft Salad dressing. The Salad dressing coupon is for $1.50/1 bottle! Check it out at: www.cookingwithkraft.com for the coupons! The coupons do say Redeem at Publix on them; therefore, I would recommend using them at Publix.

*Kellogg’s has a great new site called SnackPicks. They offer money-saving coupons as well as recipes and time-saving tips! www.snackpicks.com

*Proctor and Gamble is offering FREE samples and coupons. Go here to sign up for yours! www.pgeverydaysolutions.com and click on samples/coupons.

*For those of you that are lucky enough to have an Ulta near you, they are offering a FREE 10 day supply of bareMinerals Hydrating Veil with brush. NO OTHER PURCHASE NECESSARY! To find a location near you check it out here: www.ulta.com

*Yankee Candle has a great coupon out right now if you are in need of some new candles. What girl doesn’t love candles? Check out the $10/25 coupon here: www.yankeecandle.com

MY SUPER SWEET PICK*****
*Old Navy is offering an extra 50% off all clearance items July 27-30! Go and get some sweet deals for the entire family! Call ahead to make sure that your store is participating, but from what I have heard this is nation-wide! You can get some awesome deals during this sale, so run don’t walk to your nearest ON! 😉

*Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic, are once again promoting their Give and Get Campaign! This comes just in time for Back to School shopping! Just sign up for the non-profit of your choice and they will email you a coupon for 30% off your purchase! This coupon can be used again and again and is valid July 30-August 2. Check it out here: www.gapgiveandget.com/

*Coach Factory stores (outlets) are offering an extra 20% off printable coupon good towards already reduced merchandise! Check it out here:Coach
This is the best place to find a great deal on Coach! I have several of their bags and LOVE them! 😉

*Kohl’s is offering a $5 coupon good for anything in store when you sign up to receive email updates. Check it out here: www.kohls.com

*Ann Taylor is offering a $20/$100 coupon that is valid both in store and online. Check it out here: $20 Ann Taylor Coupon

*Dillard’s is having their annual July clearance! Take an additional 40% off already reduced prices! This is a Super Hot sale and one of my husband’s favorites! Check it out! www.dillards.com

*Toys R Us and Babies R Us are offering a $15 Gift card when you purchase 2 boxes of Pampers diapers. Remember, you can stack a manufacturer’s coupon with this for an even sweeter deal! Check it out here: www.pampers.com

I hope that you will enjoy all these wonderful deals going on right now! What a great time for back to school shopping! Have fun shopping and saving money!

I hate to grocery shop on Sunday; however, Drew has come down with a terrible viral infection. I knew that I would not get out today as I had planned since my little munchkin is under the weather, so my wonderful hubby watched Drew while I made a quick Publix run yesterday. It was not one of my best trips, but I still think that I did pretty sweet! I saved $74 and spent $10.27!! Here are the pics and a low-down of my sweet stash for the week!

4 packages of assorted Star Kist Seasations frozen fish-BOGO @ $5.99 minus 4 $3/1 manufacturer’s coupons = FREE plus .04 overage!

2 bottles of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray-BOGO @ $2.49 minus 2 .75/1 manufacturer’s coupons from the Family Is It’s Own Reward coupon booklets found at Publix = $1.00 for both bottles

6 packages of Apple and Eve Organic Apple Juice and Fruit Punch juice boxes- $1.59 each minus 6 $1/1 Publix coupons from the Publix Summertime Saving booklet stacked with 3 $1/2 Apple and Eve manufacturer’s coupons (I found on Ebay) = .54 for 18 Organic juice boxes!

2 bottles of Mott’s Apple Juice-BOGO @ $2.95 -no coupons, but I needed bottled juice for Drew since he is sick! ;-(

1 carton of Breakstone’s Reduced Fat Sour Cream-$1.35-no coupons with me for that one! Yes, I do buy things without coupons from time to time! 😉

1 bunch of fresh cilantro-.79 no coupons! Needed it for tonight’s dinner of chicken enchiladas!

1 head of lettuce- $1.49-no coupons (you will find that it is VERY hard to find coupons for produce!)

2 lbs of bananas -.92-no coupons!

2 packages of 8’OClock French Vanilla whole bean coffee- BOGO @ $4.93 minus an IP coupon for $2/2 bags found here: www.eightoclock.com =$2.93 for 2 bags of VERY yummy coffee! I love buying the whole bean so I can grind my own beans! It tastes so fresh this way! 😉

4 packages of assorted Alexia crunchy snacks-BOGO @ $2.89 minus 4 $1/1 manufacturer’s coupons I found on Ebay (Ebay is a wonderful place to get additional coupons, especially if you don’t receive certain coupons in your inserts. Remember, some coupons are regional-It does pay to check Ebay!) =$1.78 for 4 bags!

4 liter bottles of Diet Lipton Green tea-$1.59 each minus 4 $1/1 manufacturer’s coupons from the Publix Family Is It’s Own Reward coupon booklet = $2.36 for 4 liters of tea!

6 boxes of assorted Johnson and Johnson Red Cross bandages and bandage tape- $1.79-$1.99 each minus 2 $5/3 Publix coupons from the Green Back to School Savings flier stacked with 6 $1/1 Johnson & Johnson manufacturer’s coupons = FREE plus $4.66 overage towards my other groceries! I am well-stocked now on bandages and bandage tape for Drew’s boo-boo’s!

While this is by no means one of my best trips, I know how much you all love to see my breakdown of what coupons that I used. Thanks for all the great feedback lately! Hopefully this will help some of you out! Tell me about your sweet deals this week! I love to hear your stories as well! Remember saving money can be sweet! 😉

***TGIF is offering a FREE Jack Daniels Sampler Platter when you and 2 other friends go out on the town for a good time! This offer is valid until August 15, so check it out here: www.tgifridaysfriends.com/  TGIF is also offering a BYOB (Bring Your Own Buddy) $5 printable coupon. You will get $5 off any entrée for each of your buddies at the table! (valid for up to 10 people per table!) This offer is valid until August 31. Sounds like a fun time! Check it out here:
www.tgifridays.com/promos/BYOB.aspx While you are there on the site, don’t forget to sign up for the Stripes Club-they will email you a coupon for a FREE Appetizer!

***Ruby Tuesday is offering a BOGO entrée printable coupon when you sign up to receive their newsletter online. Click on the So Connected link and fill out your info. Check it out here: www.rubytuesday.com

***Fudrucker’s Hamburgers is offering a $3/15 or $5/25 printable coupon when you sign up for their Fudd’s Club. Check it out here: www.fuddruckers.com

***McAllister’s deli is offeing FREE tea day TODAY July 23! Stop by any location for your FREE tea! Check out the details and locations near you here: www.mcalistersdeli.com/

***Check out the Chuck E. Cheese Email Club. They will send you their best coupon deals and your child will get FREE tokens on his birthday. Check it out here and sign up: www.chuckecheese.com Don’t forget to check out the .25 deals as well! Right now all games and rides are just one token! 😉

***Don’t forget your FREE sample McCafe Hot or Iced mocha from McDonalds every Monday until August 13th. It is a small size, but if you are a coffee nut like me, it will hit the spot!

***Arby’s is offering FREE food Wednesdays in many areas of the country. In our area, they are offering a FREE sandwich when you purchase a drink! What a great deal! Check out the nearest Arby’s in your area to see what their specials are!

***Don’t forget that next Wednesday, July 29, from 11am -3pm is National Lasagne Day at Spaghetti Warehouse. All you have to do for your FREE Lasagne is to sign up on Facebook and become a fan! Check it out here and to see if there is a location near you:
www.facebook.com/spaghettiwarehouse Wouldn’t this be a fun and inexpensive date?

I hope that you will enjoy all of these sweet deals! Let me know if you have something to add to the list! Have a wonderful and frugal weekend! 😉

With the school year quickly upon us, I know that you all are trying to pinch those pennies and save even more right now. I am sure that you are also looking for easy recipes and time-saving tips to make your day a great one! I thought that it would be fun and helpful to compile a list of some of my favorite cooking and time-saving websites. I hope that they will give you some great tips! Enjoy!!

-Check out: www.cookingwithkraft.com for some easy and tasty recipes that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy! While you are on the site, check to see how you can earn up to $30 in Publix gift cards! Wouldn’t that be helpful for all those school lunches you will be preparing? 😉

-Check out : www.nabiscoworld.com/back-to-school/ to sign up for a money-saving calendar featuring over $55 in Nabisco coupons that are sure to be a help this new school year!

-Be on the lookout for the new Proctor and Gamble coupon insert coming to your local newspaper August 2-It will be featuring over $96 in money-saving coupons! Check it out here: www.pgeverydaysolutions.com While you are there, be sure to sign up on the site for great printable coupons as well!

-For those of us with preschoolers, I know that mealtime can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you have picky eaters. I am thankful that Drew is a pretty good eater, but he does have his days! 😉 Here is a great article from Juicy Juice with some fun tips on getting your kids to try out new things: www.juicyjuice.com/Articles/Article-Details.aspx?ArticleId=01625408-C95D-4D2D-9A0A-40170A635D24&source=10075478 You can also register on the site and receive money-saving coupons by email. Once a month they send out some great high-value coupons!

-One of my favorite websites for recipes, cooking tips, etc… is www.kraftfoods.com While you are on the site browsing, be sure to sign up for their emails. They usually include money-saving coupons in each email! I get some of my best dishes right from this website! I love it and I know that you will too!

-Do your kids love to help you in the kitchen? Drew is at such a fun age right now and wants to help with everything! I try to let him help me as much as possible, because I know how much he loves it! He especially loves to help Mommy bake. Check out the Kids in the Kitchen (scroll under Cooking and Recipes) section at : www.quakeroats.com for some great tips on getting your kids in the kitchen with you! There are also many healthy and tasty recipes for you to choose from on this site! 😉

-Another one of my favorite all-purpose sites for anything and everything home-related is: www.rightathome.com This site is awesome since they are always giving something away! You just need to sign up and become a member. Once you become a member and start receiving their emails, they will notify you of their give-a-ways. I have gotten so many FREEBIE coupons and house-related items just for being a member! While you are on the site check out this link for a FREEBIE coupon for Cascade Dishwasher Rinse. In the same booklet will be other great Proctor and Gamble coupons-just fill out the info here for your coupon booklet: www.startsampling.com/sm/100900/quickQuestion.iphtml?item=100900&source

-Lastly, Kellogg’s is once again doing their Fuel for School program this year. They are encouraging children to start the day with a balanced and nutritious meal before heading out the door to school. Go to: www.kelloggs.com and sign up for your All-K Pass. After you have signed up, check out the section that mentions Fuel for School. Here, you can download a rebate form. When you buy 10 qualifying Kellogg’s items (all must be on one receipt) they will send you a $10 Kellogg’s rebate check. Along with the rebate check, you will receive a $70 Dell Computer coupon code! One of the qualifying items is Eggo’s products. I know that this week at Publix the Eggos waffles are BOGO-so, you would need to buy 5 sets of waffles (10 boxes total) pay around $10 (of course if you have coupons it would make it even cheaper!!) then send away for your $10 rebate check! So, it would be like getting the waffles for FREE!!!!!!! This rebate offer is good until September 30-you have lots of time to get your coupons together for a sweet deal!

I hope that these time and money-saving sites will help you out not only with the upcoming school year, but every day! They have been a big help to me! Why not send me your favorite time and money-saving sites as well? I love to hear your thought and ideas too! 😉

Saturday as we were driving home from the beach, I noticed on a sign at one of the local high school’s that school will be starting September 25. Didn’t the kids just get out of school for the summer? Where did the time go? With that being said, I wanted to put together a list of some sweet savings that are going on right now at various stores. Why not go ahead and stock up on these sweet deals? 😉

*****STAPLES ***July 19-25*****

-If you are a member of Staples Rewards, you can buy ANY backpack this week and get it back in the form of Staples Rewards! Staples Rewards offers wonderful promos throughout the year- If you have not signed up yet for this awesome program, you can do it here: www.staplesrewards.com ***Your kids will need new a new backpack this school year anyway, right? Why not get it for FREE with this great promo?

Other Awesome STAPLES Rebate Items:

-Buy one Staples Photo Supreme 8 ½” x 11” paper (50-pack) at $12.98, get back $11.98 rebate!

-Buy one Pentel Handy Lines Retractable Assorted Highlighters markers (4-pack) at $4.98 get back $4.98 rebate!

-Buy one Electric pencil sharpener at $15.98 get an INSTANT $5.99 rebate and a $10 rebate!

-Buy one Zebra Sarasa retractable gel pens (black-medium 5-pack) at $4.99, get back $4.99 rebate!

-Buy one Zebra Cadoozles mechanical pencils (0.7mm 10-pack) at $2.99, get back $2.99!

$1 Staples Deals (limit 2)
-Mini legal pads (3-pack)
-Pentel RSVP pens (5-pack)
-Pentel erasers (3-pack)
-Accel College-ruled notebooks
-3 hole binder punch
-Expo dry-erase markers (4-pack)

$2 Staples Deals (limit 2)
-Small dry-erase board
-Staples erasers and grip combo packs
-Staples mechanical pencils (12-pack)
-Pilot gel ink erasable pens (3-pack)
-Staples Stickies Adhesive notes

*****CVS 3 DAY ONLY DEALS (July 19-21)*****

All listed Items are FREE after Extra Care Bucks! Get your FREE items and your Extra Care Bucks. You can then use the Extra Care Bucks to get other items that you may need! You could also save the ECB’s and roll them for the next week’s deals! Also, don’t forget if your store is out of items, you can get a RAINCHECK!! 😉

-Buy Caliber or CVS memo book 50-80 sheets at .99, get back .99 in Extra Care Bucks! (limit 2)

-Buy Caliber or CVS #2 pencils (24-count) at $1.99, get back $1.99 in Extra Care Bucks! (limit 2)

-Buy 1” Vinyl binder at $3.00 get back $3.00 in Extra Care Bucks! (limit 2)

– Buy Paper Mate 1.2 pens (10-count) at .99, get back .99 in Extra Care Bucks! (limit 2)

-Buy Caliber or CVS filler paper (150 sheet pack) at $2.00, get back $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks!

*****WALGREENS July 19-25*****

.09 DEALS! (Limit 12)

-Penway 2 pocket folders
-White poster-board (22×28 in.)
– #2 Pencils
– Penway Highlighters

.19 DEALS! (Limit 6)

-Paper Mate Prism Pens (10-pack)
-Paper Mate Mechanical Pencils (5-pack)

Other deals with no limit mentioned in ad:

.19 DEALS!

-Penway flexible or wooden ruler (12 inch)
-100 pack Acco Paper clips
-2 pocket Penway Poly Folder with prongs

.29 DEALS!

-Penway Erasers
-10 pack yellow pencils
-2 pack pink or 15 pack cap erasers

.39 DEALS!

-Penway Poly binder or Glue 4 oz.
-Scotch transparent tape

.49 DEALS!

-5 pack Bic Brite Liner Highlighters
-24 pack Penway crayons
-8 pack Jumbo crayons
-School box

.59 DEALS!

-Scotch Mailers 4×7 to 10.5×15 inch
-7 to 10 pack clasp envelopes
-Penway dual-hole sharpener
-It’s Academic sharpener & eraser

.99 DEALS!

-12 pack crayola colored pencils
-3 subject Penway Notebook, 120 sheets
-It’s Academic Stretch book cover

FREE AFTER REGISTER REWARDS- Pilot G-2 Gel pens 2 pack ** sale price $1**get back $1 in RR’s!!

I hope that this list will help you out with your back to school shopping needs! Are there any other sweet deals that you would like to let me know about? Go ahead and let me know! I love to hear from you!

Can you believe that it is once again the weekend? Where did the week go? I hope that you all have some wonderful plans ahead for the weekend! We are going to take Drew to the beach -he is so excited, and we are looking forward to it as well! I wanted to pass along to you some wonderful freebies and food finds that I have found from this past week! Enjoy! 😉

-McDonald’s is offering FREE sample sizes of their Iced and Hot Mochas every Monday until August 3. Just visit your local Mickey D’s from 7am to 7pm on Monday for a FREE Mocha! I got one this past Monday and it is yummy! Check it out here: www.mcdonalds.com click on the McCAFE’ link on the top of the page.

-P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is offering a 10% discount for the rest of the 2009 year when you sign up on their website for the Warrior Club. Check it out here to sign up: www.pfchangs.com I LOVE their lettuce wraps!

-Spaghetti Warehouse is offering FREE lasagne on National Lasagne Day, Wednesday, July 29, from 11am -3pm. All you have to do to get your FREE lasagne is to sign up on Facebook and become a fan: www.facebook.com/spaghettiwarehouse This is not for a few weeks yet, but I wanted to give you a heads up so you can make plans to attend! What a fun and inexpensive date night this would be!

-Every day from now until July 19, Starbucks is giving away 20, 000 pints of their new ice cream. They will only be giving away 800 coupons per hour, so you will have to act quickly! You can send the coupon to yourself or a friend! You do need to have a Facebook account for this sweet freebie! Check it out here: http://apps.facebook.com/starbucksicecream/

-Sonic is offering their new Sonic Chiller for .99 when you sign up to become a member of their Sonic Cruiser’s club. They will send the coupon right to your inbox! Check it out here: www.soniccruisers.com

– The Rainforest Café is still offering a $10/$25 coupon when you sign up on their website for the Safari Club. It is free and easy! The coupon comes right to your inbox. When you get to the Rainforest Café site, click on Ollie the Monkey and it will take you to the page where you sign up! This would be a great dining experience out the entire family would love and a sweet savings off your bill as well! Check it out here: www.rainforestcafe.com

-Mars is offering 250, 000 FREE Real Chocolate coupons every Friday until September 25, 2009! The coupon is good for one FREE candy bar up to $1 value. You are allowed one coupon per email address per Friday, and a total of 4 FREE coupons per the promotional period! I have already signed up and gotten 2 FREE bars! Don’t forget to sign up every Friday! Check it out here: www.realchocolate.com

-Lastly, Baskin Robbins is offering a FREE Vanilla soft serve ice cream when you sign up for their DoSomething.org program. You do need to be between the ages of 13-25 to qualify for this freebie. Check it out here to sign up and print your coupon: www.dosomething.org
Well, that’s all I have for today! If you have any other freebies that you would like to pass along to me, please send them my way! In the mean time, go and have a frugal and fun-filled family weekend! 😉

Wow! Can you believe how fast the summer is flying by? July is almost gone and August is quickly approaching. With that said, I thought it would be fun to let you know of some Free and inexpensive things that you can do with your kids for the rest of the summer. Now I know that there many things that you can do, but these are some of my favorites!

-Take a picnic lunch and head to the beach or the park. If you are blessed like me to have many beaches in your area, this is so much fun! Moms and Dads enjoy it just as much as the kids! I know that I do! 😉

-Register your kids for a building workshop at Lowe’s or Home Depot. This is such a fun and rewarding experience for your kids so that they can learn how to use tools! Boys and girls alike will enjoy this! Check out the info here: www.lowesbuildandgrow.com and www.homedepot.com

-Check the prices at your local bowling alleys and skating rinks. This is usually a fun and inexpensive summer idea that kids of any age enjoy! You can also check out your blue Valpak envelope each month for discounts to these kinds of places!

-The reading programs at your local Public library are hours of fun! Even though Drew is only 3, he loves books and I try to encourage his love of books by taking him to the library often. He loves story time as well! This is FREE and a good way for your kids to meet others their own age! It is also nice for mom and dad to connect with other parents!

-Regal Theaters is offering a Free Family Film Festival all summer long! Every Tuesday and Wednesday there are a couple of different movies that families can choose from. Check it our here: www.regmovies.com

-Check your local zoos to see if they offer any special days (price reduction). Here in our area, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo will be offering $5 admission day this Sunday, July 19th! www.lowryparkzoo.com Check your local zoo to see what specials that they might be offering.

-Baking Day~ Why not have a fun day at home with your kids? Drew is at that age where he loves to help mommy cook. He loves to help me bake brownies, cakes, or even dinner at night. Use some of those stockpiled brownie mixes that you got for FREE and have fun baking with your kids. You can add sprinkles, chocolate chips, icing and other goodies to personalize the brownies for your kids!

-Craft stores like Michaels offer craft classes for kids at very reasonable prices. On Saturday, August 15, from 10am to 1pm, Michaels will be offering a Knack Free Family Event: Back to School-Using stickers and pens kids will be able to create their own metal pen and pencil holder for the new school year! This is free, but while supplies last-get there early! Check it our here: www.michaels.com You can also find more free and inexpensive fun for your family on the Michael’s home page by signing up for the Knack program. You should see a link on the lower right hand of the home page. Sign up and you will be able to see all kinds of FREE and cheap crafts to do right in your own home!

What about you? What are your favorite and frugal summertime activities to do with your family? I would love to hear from you! 😉

I don’t know about you, but the first place that I head when I go into a store at the mall or any department store is the clearance section! I am always on the hunt for bargains, and yes, even when it comes to clothing your family, you can do it inexpensively! I want to share with you some of my favorite bargain-hunting secrets when it comes to clothing both you and your family!

With the school year quickly approaching, I thought that it would be good for me to share with you some of my favorite stores and tips for finding bargains at each of them!

~the Children’s Place-this is my favorite clothing store for Drew as I can always find a bargain here. Did you know that you can use a coupon on top of the already reduced prices? For example, I recently found a pair of shorts for Drew that were on clearance for 5.99. On top of that, they were reduced an additional 30% then, I could also use my 15% off coupon! I also LOVE the Children’s Place Outlet as many times they have boys and girls items for $1.99 and you can use a coupon on top of the discount! I am also part of the Perks Place Rewards program (a point system in which you get a point for every dollar that you spend) so for every $75 I spend, I get back a $10 coupon to use at the store on anything!

~Old Navy-this is a great store to shop for every member of your household, even your furry friends! I love when they have the additional 50% sales! I have gotten so many cute things there for very little. One of my favorite finds was for my hubby-last year I found the ringer t-shirts that he loves to wear around the house on clearance for $1.99! I have also gotten many cute shirts for as little as 2.99! You do have to look, but it is worth it, to score a sweet deal!

~JcPenney- did you know that if you sign up on the JcPenney website that several times a year they will send you money saving coupons? These are awesome coupons too; many times it will be for $10 off any purchase or $10 off $25! Of course you know, I especially love the $10 off any purchase! My most recent find with my $10 coupon was a super cute dress. It was on clearance for $10 and with my coupon I got it for FREE!!!! I just love a FREE shopping trip don’t you? My friend Ann recently emailed me to tell me that she scored a $225 Jones New York pant suit on clearance for $11.98. Then, she used her $10 coupon to get it for $1.98!! Wow!! When JcPenney has their green tag clearance, ($2.97, $4.97 deals) you can use a survey coupon from your receipt on top of the already reduced prices! For example, I have found dress shirts for my hubby on clearance for $2.97, take an additional 30% off that, then I could also use my survey 15% coupon! Pretty much FREE!!

~Kohl’s- This is by far my absolute favorite department store to shop at! In fact, my hubby tells me that I have an obsession with the place! 😉 What I love is their 90% off clearance racks! I have scored some major cute things for my whole family! Also, if you have a Kohl’s charge, they will send you coupons many times throughout the year that you can combine with clearance prices. I do recommend paying the balance off right when you use it! Also, did you know that you can sign up for email alerts to Kohl’s and they will send you a $5 coupon to use on anything in the store! You can sign up right on the Kohl’s website or ask the cashier the next time you are at Kohl’s. I have gotten many things for the entire family at Kohl’s for very little!

~Consignment stores- While I am just like any other girl out there, and love to get something new from time to time, but did you know that you can score some really sweet deals at Consignment stores? I have gotten many things at Consignment stores that still have the tags attached! You can often find the name brand clothing items and accessories for a fraction of the price. There are several consignment stores that are franchises and can be found in many parts of the United States. Once Upon a Child is a wonderful place for the kids in your life! You can even take your child’s gently used clothing and trade it in for cash or other clothes! I love this idea! Plato’s Closet is for Juniors/Teens but also has the same idea as Once Upon a Child. You may also want to check locally to see if there are consignment stores in your area that do the same thing. My friend Teresa told me of a new place here in our area that takes Women’s clothing and accessories and they pay you CASH on the spot for your items. Well, today I took a few items and they paid me $34 in CASH! I splurged and took Drew to McDonalds on the way home for a happy meal! 😉

~Yard Sales- I love the bargains that you can find at local yard sales! Once again, you can score items with tags still attached or brand name items for very little. I have scored some really cute items for my entire family at yard sales and I did not pay much for them at all! Just the other day I found a Burberry purse at a yard sale for $1!!! Now, I am sure that it is probably a knock-off, but it is super cute!! I do have a weakness for cute handbags, and my hubby will usually buy me a Coach handbag at Christmas-time, so that is my big splurge!! 😉 Of course, he gets a great deal on them!

Now that I have shared with you some of my favorite stores for bargains, let me give you a few quick tips that I have learned on my own and from other friends who love to bargain-hunt.

Buy Ahead! If you know what size you child will be wearing next season and you find a super duper good deal, go ahead and buy ahead! I can’t tell you how many good deals that I have gotten for the next season just by doing this!

Wait to buy until the item(s) go on sale or clearance. I almost NEVER pay full price for an item. I always try to wait for a good sale! You can save a lot of money this way!

Always scan your items! Many times I have been torn between whether or not to buy an item only to scan it, and find that it is even cheaper than I thought! 😉

Check to see if your favorite store has a rewards (points) system that will actually pay you back to shop there. (Like the Children’s Place Place-Perks that I mentioned)

Just remember looking good does not need to be a major cost of your family’s budget. You can look good and still be a Sweet saver at the same time! What about you? Do you have some tips that you can pass along to me for Clothing a Family on a Budget? I would love to hear from you!