Deals and Coupon Codes

10 Ideas for Giving Experiences Instead of Stuff

This post with 10 Experience gift ideas is sponsored by Groupon. All opinions are mine.

It’s about time to start decking the halls, jingle the bells, and decorate the tree. Christmas is just a little over a month away! And after the heck of a year that I have been through, I’m definitely ready for a bit of holly jolly and magic and joy. But, I’m also on the tightest budget imaginable. *Sigh*

I always put a lot of thought into my gifts – I do a lot of personalized and handmade creations for friends and family. I clip coupons, use my creativity, and remember that the little things can be the big things. {If I thought about buying you a bright shiny new car, that’s good right? Thought that counts and all? :)} One thing we’re focusing on more lately when it comes to any type of spending, is the idea that experiences are more valuable than things. I mean think about it – give me a list of gifts you got for your birthday 4 years ago? Drawing a blank I bet. But give me three great memories from a summer vacation that same year – much easier, right? Because the joy from doing things together lasts a lot longer than the newest so-called must-have thingymajig, just about every time. And, wanna know a secret to giving “experience” style gifts while still staying under budget? Groupon!

Ok, so it’s not exactly a secret, lol. Groupon has been around for quite awhile, and is a super legit, totally trusted site filled with great deals, and really cool ideas. I’m always finding really cool events, restaurants, festivals, concerts, and other fun stuff – many times at places I didn’t even know existed. Here is a list of 10 different Experience style gift ideas, all available on Groupon Things to Do, just to get you started: [Read more…]

Huge – Burt’s Bees Holiday Grab Bag Sale and More!

Can you believe we’re already starting to see holiday deals? But, according to the Christmas Clock, it’s only 71 days until Christmas. Which at first sounds like a lot – until you realize that’s just 10 more Fridays. Crazy, right? And, since I like to keep things on a small budget during the holidays, while still getting tons of fun gifts for my friends and family, I’m already on the hunt for great buys and cool freebies. Here’s a fave I came across tonight, that I always stock up on every year. They’re so worth it – whether you’re a fan who wants some new goodies, for a fun gift, or as awesome stocking stuffers…. Check it out:

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The Land Before Time – Complete Collection Set

The Land Before Time – Complete Collection Set. This was one of my favorite movies as a little girl – and one of the first that I saw in a movie theater. Lately Abby has had a big fascination with dinosaurs {what kid doesn’t go through that phase, right?} – so I rented this for her. She totally fell in love! So today, as I was searching for a few new movies to buy for her, and came across this deal, I knew I had to grab it. Thought I’d share with you ladies too :)

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 30, 2014 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Shopping | 2 Comments

Give Gifts that Don’t Scream “Last Minute Shopping” – #PCHoliday

I received a complimentary package of products from Personal Creations to create this post abotu personalizing your holidays. All opinions are 100% my own, as always.

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” – Andy Rooney… I’m pretty sure I’ve told you before, like, maybe 200 million times, how much I love Christmas. It makes me feel like a little kid again – I seriously get so excited. And, I love to surprise people with the perfect gift. Seeing even the adults in the family light up when they get something special totally makes my holiday complete. That’s why I work on my holiday shopping year ’round, to be sure I’m not just buying a “something, anything, whatever I’ll just grab this and get out of here!” kind of gift at the mall, last minute. And my favorite gifts are things that are totally personal for the person receiving them – I hand-make a lot of presents, I love to create photo cards and gifts, and one of my more recent personal favorites this year has been choosing an item that I know the giftee will love, then having it customized with their names or family details. To give you an idea of what’s out there, I have a few of my fave gifts from this year to show ya….

Ok, first of all, let’s talk about a little gift I bought for me. Yep, I buy myself gifts “from Santa” every year. Because really, don’t moms always seem to get missed a lot when it comes to gifts? This casserole dish is perfect for me – the thing that I’m best at in the kitchen is a casserole or baked pasta. TI think my casseroles are pretty kick-ass, no lie. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2013 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes, Holidays | 5 Comments

How to Get the Best Gifts & Best Deals at Best Buy

I made my list, and checked it twice – then picked it all up at Best Buy! Obviously I’m a little bit biased about Best Buy, since I’ve been part of their amazing WOLF {Woman’s Leadership Forum} Blogger program for over a year now. But the reason being part of that program made me fall in love with them is because I learned SO much about Best Buy that I didn’t know before! I would never have thought to buy my washer and dryer there, since I didn’t realize they carried them. But just a couple of months ago I did – and even after searching everywhere online, I couldn’t find a better deal than Best Buy. I learned about their awesome Geek Squad assistance {which has saved my life quite a few times now.} I learned about their My Best Buy points system, where I earn bonuses by shopping with them. And did you know they have a price match policy too?

The amazing team at Best Buy sent me a gift card to do my holiday shopping with them this year. They wanted to see what real moms really have on their list this year. Instead of them telling us which gifts to tell you about, they wanted us to show off the stuff we were truly excited about. So, I printed out my rewards certificates on MyBestBuy.com, tucked my gift cards into my wallet, and grabbed my Christmas list, and headed out over the river and through the woods, to our closest Best Buy store.

Holiday Shopping at Best Buy Rocks [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 2, 2013 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Shopping | No Comments

Which is Better – Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Black Friday versus Cyber Monday – Which Day Reigns Supreme?… I spent about 15 years working in retail. From sales and stocking shelves, to merchandising and displays, and about half of those years in management, I’ve had a lot of experience with the craziness of Black Friday. It was challenging in so many ways, but sometimes I do miss that excitement – like you’re preparing for the big game or something. Cyber Monday is a newer trend – my early years of retail, it didn’t exist. But as someone who spends the majority of her time online, Cyber Monday definitely wins out for me these days. It’s so much easier to comparison shop from home in my pjs. Plus, I love that I can use sites like Ebates to get extra cash back on everything I buy too! But – you decide: Check out this fun infographic comparing Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and tell me which one you prefer….

Cyber Monday VS Black Friday

The Cyber Monday VS Black Friday by the team at OutletShoppers.com

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 30, 2013 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Black Friday Deal & Freebie Round Up

It’s almost time… As I sit here processing all of the turkey in my tummy, I’m surfing the web looking for the very best Black Friday deals and freebies to do my own shopping, and of course, to share with you guys! Hope you find some stuff here you love, and if you do – I’d love for you to share this on Twitter or Facebook with your friends too. Because that’s why I like sharing my finds with you guys – shopping is more fun with friends :) Skip the crowds and shop online – from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, I’ll be posting deals like crazy. Subscribe to my email updates, follow my Frugal Living column, or check out my Facebook & Twitter for new updates all day each day!

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