Frugal — Page 5

What’s a Great Buy – and What’s Dangerous to Buy! – at the Dollar Store

Dollar Store Deals: Which Ones Are Worth It?

This info is from an article posted this morning on one of my FAVORITE sites, LearnVest, and is full of some great tips to keep in mind when shopping at your local dollar store.

Every day I get new updates, filled with fun ideas, and today was one of my favorites I’ve read in awhile. I totally recommend signing up for their newsletter:

Delivered to you five days a week, the LearnVest Daily is packed with money-saving tips and financial how-tos to enrich your life.

There’s no better challenge than finding out how far your dollar can go.

What was once kitschy is now cool (the New York Times would agree), and more affluent consumers are getting in on the dollar store game. Since the recession, it’s been boom time for these stores, which specialize in imported, generic and knockoff consumer goods for prices that make Wal-Mart look like a luxury retailer.

But before you get bargain-hungry and sidle up to a shopping cart, you should know which are the best dollar-store deals—and which offerings can be low-quality, or even dangerous.

Here are some examples:

Deal: Everyday Cleaning Supplies – Go for it. Cleaners have similar—though somewhat diluted—ingredients. (Spring for heavy-duty cleaners for tougher jobs.) Also get rubber gloves, sponges and scrub brushes here.
No Deal: Vitamins – Stay away. Some multi-vitamins don’t have the amount of nutrients claimed on the label; others don’t dissolve fast enough to be absorbed by the body.
It Depends: Food – Proceed with caution. Dollar stores don’t always have the lowest price, especially on generics, and cake and brownie mixes here come in misleadingly smaller packages. Lastly, keep an eye on the expiration dates, since they may be near or past their freshness date.

What do you think?

I was really surprised by how dangerous some of the items at the Dollar Store could be – and REALLY glad to have read this article, so I’ll think twice about some of the stuff I buy. Because, heck, I LOVE me some Dollar Store shopping!! I use it most for party supplies, and crafty stuff- you can get some amazing deals!

You can read the rest of the article, and find out what other items they consider a deal, or no deal, on theLearnVest site today.

I like to DIY my Dollar Store cheap-o’s into cooler stuff- decorate picture frames, put together a great centerpiece from an cheap mirror and candles, and you cannot beat their prices for gift bags and cards! What are your favorite Dollar Store buys– and what do you think of the items on LearnVest’s “No Deal” dangerous list?

Think I’m a great Frugalista? Then give me a vote over at Cheap Sally, and help me make it to Round 2 in the “Bring Home the Bacon” competition!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 4, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping | No Comments

HUGE RESOURCE: How To Get Free Stuff Every Day!

Welcome to another HUGE Freebie Post!

I get a TON of freebies each day. I absolutely LOVE going out to get the mail, and finding a bunch of boxes on my front porch, and a mailbox overflowing with fun stuff.

Our mailbox is actually way bigger than all of the neighbors- we had to upgrade it to fit everything!

Today I’ll share pictures of my free stuff from last week, and some of my favorite sites to watch for free offers! So, grab a cup of coffee {pumpkin spice latte, anyone?} and get your freebie on this morning!

{Quick tip- did you know, you can right click an offer to open it in a new tab or window, so you don’t lose your place on this freebie list? Makes it easy peasy to work your way through and get ’em all!}

Favorite Freebie Resources:

In the first pic here, you see some really great stuff! I got the Chef Boyardee Chef hat as part of my big party package from HouseParty.com. Check with them often to apply for the newest parties!
There’s also a really great set of products from Scrubbing Bubbles- I got this cleaning kit FREE as a member of BzzAgent.com. They have loads of great campaigns you can get!
I also have loads of free magazines, free catalogs, and great samples! Get a free subscription to Baby Talk Magazine which is always filled with coupons, and a Free Subscription to Website Magazine. Find tons of MySavings.com!

More Great Free Stuff!

On this day, I got my shipment from Walmart, with the super hot deal I told you about from RainingHotCoupons.com– I ordered both of these for around $9 bucks each, and they come with a coupon for a free magazine subscription. You can choose to simply get a rebate instead- which makes these FREE! She’s a great resource for coupons and deals.
I also got an assortment of samples that I found on offers from Freeflys – sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on the BEST new samples!

More Freebies!

Obviously I don’t remember where everything that I get each day came from! But on a big sample day like this, most of them probably came from sites like these-
MySurvey: I get tons of great Free Products to Test from MySurvey!
TFS: Check back daily at That Freebie Site for new cool stuff- you never know what you’ll find here!
Woman Freebies: I love the assortment of beauty and make-up samples here! Sign up for their newsletter updates to get the best new offers sent to you!
MySavings: Tons of cool free stuff, sorted by category. Check them out today- Free Stuff at MySavings.com.

And Even MORE Free Stuff!

I am LOVIN’ this new Scotch Thermal Laminator– and what makes it even better is that it’s regular price is over $80, but I got it on a flash deal at Amazon for less than $10!! {I shared this on Facebook and Twitter- did you get one too?} And what makes it even BETTER than THAT? I got it totally free, since I get FREE Amazon Gift Cards from using my much-loved SwagBucks!!
The Swiffer Duster was a freebie that I got as a member of the awesome Vocalpoint.com– sign up if you’re not a member yet, to get in on some great full size product freebies!

A few more great sites too:

Baby to Bee: Great name brand samples and offers for moms, and moms to be! FREE baby stuff.
CafeMom: Find moms to swap coupons with, start clothing or toy swaps, learn new tips, and more! CafeMom.
Cool Savings: Watch the savings pile up thanks to free, printable coupons for groceries, kids, pets and more.. Click Here to join.
Planning Family: Tons of great stuff for parents, my favorite is the great free diaper coupons!
Savings Star: Save on your groceries with SavingStar! SavingStar is a new eCoupon service that’s totally paperless – so there’s nothing to clip or print. Get over 30 eCoupons worth over $50! Click Here to get started.
Toluna: I just got approved to do a Free In-Home Product Test of Pantene‘s new line of products- plus I’ll earn $15 bucks for trying them! Love this place.
LearnVest: Free online financial bootcamp, and great daily tips. Sign up for their Daily Frugal Living Tips newsletter, and get fun ideas, and suggestions for the best FREE services and sites out there!
Inbox Dollars: Get $5 bucks free cash today for signing up. Earn more for referring friends, checking out ad’s, and my fave- .10 cents per coupon you print and redeem!

What do you think?

Do you use some of these sites already – which ones are your favorites? Do you have some favorites that I forgot to mention? Share ’em in the comments!

Make sure to use the social buttons to share this on your Facebook and Twitter too- so you’re friends can learn how to get all of these great freebies too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 1, 2011 Filed Under: Product Testing, Uncategorized, Freebies | 1 Comment

Enter to WIN one of 100 Starbucks Gift Cards! #giveaway

You have the chance to win one of 100 Starbucks Gift Cards from WomanFreebies.com!

WomanFreebies.com has some of the BEST free samples, coupons, and giveaways for moms- they’re one of my favorite freebie sites.

And you can totally trust the offers that they post too, they research all of the free offers before posting. You’ll find samples like hair products and brand name make-up, formula and diapers, and great online shopping coupons too!

How to Enter to Win:

First, sign up for a FREE membership at WomanFreebie.com. It’s easy peasy and takes just a second to do.
Once you’re a member, head over to WomanFreebies.com on Facebook, and “Like” the page, so you can fill out the quick form to enter to WIN!
That’s it! Super simple, right?

Let me know if you end up being a lucky winner!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 28, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Giveaways, Contests, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Extreme Couponing shows the Snookis of the Couponing World…

I’ve told you guys how I feel about TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” show a few times now.

And I wrote a post yesterday, with some of my thoughts on it- It’s Time to Get Real About Extreme Couponing.

There are SO many people out there that just totally bash the show, and I understand completely why they don’t like it. There are a lot of things with that show that I think are just awful.

Love this new post about the Show-

BUT- I do think that there are some positive aspects to the show too, which is what I talked about in yesterdays article. I had a comment from the blogger over at Dollars and Cents in Kent yesterday, and she told me she’d written a post about Extreme Couponing too- so of course I had to check it out!

She has put together SUCH a well written post about the show, and I have to share it, because it has the BEST statement that I’ve read from anyone who’s been talking about this show!!

“We understood that the show was not meant to feature the average couponer, it was extreme couponing and in true reality show style, they went there. They showed the Snookies of the coupon world.”

That absolutely cracks me up!! That’s exactly what the show is all about… It’s not meant to show you how regular families use coupons to save on their grocery bill – just like Jersey Shore isn’t there to show you how the average Jersey kid spends their summer. It’s meant to be totally outrageous.

Read the rest of her great post here- New Season of TLC’s Extreme Couponing… Is this the End for Us?

It does have some useful information…

But, while watching Jersey Shore, or The Kardashians, or whatever your reality series of choice is- you don’t learn a whole lot of useful tips, right? But at least with Extreme Couponing there are some moms who take away a few useful ideas- like how to organize their coupons, how to build a stockpile to save money and be prepared, or just the basics like where to find coupons.

So, while I agree with many of the complaints that people make about the show, there are at least some benefits to watching it too!

What do you think about Extreme Couponing on TLC?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 28, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Enter to Win a $175 Visa Gift Card! #Rafflecopter #Giveaway

Enter to Win!

I HAVE TEAMED UP WITH JENNIFERS SAVINGS TO BRING YOU THIS WONDERFUL GIVEAWAY OFFERED BY ZUUZS. ONE LUCKY WINNER IS GOING TO WIN A $175 VISA GIFTCARD!!!

Learn More…

Let me tell you a little about zuuzs, a site where you can Shop great stores, Share deals and opinions, and Earn cash. Not only can you enter for a chance to win this $175 VISA Giftcard-zuuzs also has a $1000 Shopping Spreestakes going on right now that you can earn entries just by joining and inviting your friends.

Why should you join zuuzs?

zuuzs offers you cash back rewards, called zuuzs FUNdzs, on all of the purchases you make through the site. But that’s not all! You will earn FUNdz from friends and family that you have invited to join your zuuzs Circle of Friendzs. When a member of your Circle of Friendzs makes a purchase, she earns cash back on her purchase and zuuzs pays you a bonus (40%), too, for introducing zuuzs to her. Your zuuzs Circle of Friendzs includes members that you have invited directly (Direct Friends), and the people that they have invited (Indirect Friends). You will earn 25% FUNdz from your Indirect Friends!!!

Earn Extra Income!

zuuzs sends out a check every month on the 21st with the FUNdz that you have earned. You don’t have to wait until you have tons of FUNdz in your account, if you have $10 in FUNdz, you will get a check. zuuzs is also working on getting a reloadable debit card so that your FUNdz can be put directly on your card!

I don’t know about you, but I am loving the idea of earning extra money each month just by making my purchases online and sharing this great site with my family and friends. Thank you to zuuzs for offering this $175 VISA Giftcard for us to share with one of our lucky followers. Let us know if you are one of the lucky ones that win the Shopping Spreestakes from zuuzs also!

*Just a note-With the new changes on Facebook, make sure to create a new List for all of the pages that you like. When you do this, all you have to do is click on the list that you make to see the posts from the pages you like. Make sure that you do this several times during the day in order not to miss any new giveaways, freebies, great deals, etc.

Good Luck and Start Shopping, Sharing, and Earning with zuuzs!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 28, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Shopping, Contests, Giveaways | 2 Comments

Win FREE Date Night Tickets to the Capital Theatre!

This is for the local Yakima moms-

Have you heard about a super-fun show that’s coming to the Capital Theatre October 25th? The Magic School Bus – LIVE! will have 2 showings that day- at 10AM and again at Noon, and it’s only $5 per ticket- an amazingly affordable way to take the kids to a really great show. {See more details on the show here, and find a study guide to use along with the show too!}

Seatbelts everyone! The Magic School Bus celebrates its 25th Anniversary with an all-new musical adventure.

More about the Show-

Ms. Frizzle’s students are putting on a play about global warming, and they need some cold, hard facts. The Friz and her reptilian sidekick, Liz, know just where to find them!

This is no ordinary field trip, as a hop on the Magic School Bus takes the class and the audience on a whirlwind tour. From the arctic to the equator, they see telltale signs of climate change and learn how conservation, recycling and alternative energy can make a difference.

Ms Frizzle and her class are up for the climate challenge. Are you?

The Magic School Bus – LIVE! is targeted towards kids from Preschool to 3rd Grade.. But since the show is only an hour long, it’s still totally appropriate for even younger kids- in fact, I plan to take Abby, who’s only 14 months. But I know she’ll just LOVE it!

Take the kids to the show- Get entered to win tickets for YOU too!

One Lucky Winner will get a Pair of Tickets to see the Capitol Steps!

“The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom (“Don’t quit your day job!”), and although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.”

You don’t want to miss this!

Everyone who orders tickets to The Magic School Bus show can get entered to win a great pair of tickets to see The Capitol Steps show on Friday, October 21st, at 7:30 PM. The winner will be chosen on October 14th, the Friday before the show, to make sure they have time to arrange for a baby sitter, and can enjoy a great “Date Night” out!

How to Win:

Every ticket purchased to see The Magic School Bus – Live show gets you another entry to win the Capitol Steps tickets, but only if you follow these directions-
Call the ticket office at 853-8000 and ask for Christina.
Let her know how many Magic School Bus tickets you’d like to buy- remember, they’re only $5 bucks each!
Make sure to mention you saw this giveaway on Sunshine and Sippy Cups to be entered to win!

That’s it- easy peasy!

Christina at the Capital Theatre will draw a lucky winner on October 14th, and contact them right away to make arrangements to get the FREE Ticket Prize! Good luck!

If you know of other moms who would love to learn about the Magic School Bus – LIVE! show, and this great giveaway, please feel free to use the share buttons to post this to your own favorite social media pages too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 27, 2011 Filed Under: Yakima Moms, Contests | No Comments

Check it Out- How to Build the Total Couponing Kit

Check out the New Way to Store and Organize Your Coupons

I know that a ton of people swear by the coupon organizing binders- but those just haven’t worked out for me.

Currently, I store my monster pile of coupons in a few big folders in my filing cabinet- and take ’em all out when it’s time to make my shopping list.

But- I TOTALLY think that this would be the PERFECT system for me- My Coupon Closet is a super cool new storage system to help you get organized.

My Coupon Closet is the newest and easiest way to organize your coupons. No need for expensive and bulky binders with this coupon box. Everything you need comes in your coupon box, ready for you to create YOUR Coupon Closet.

Right now for a limited time, you can get FREE shipping when you enter the code freeship11.

See it in action:

Everything you need is included:

Reusable Shopping Bag: Each box comes with a reusable shopping bag (random color). The box fits perfectly in the bag, so now you can easily carry your box anywhere. It is a very lightweight organizer that fits perfectly in your shopping cart. Looking for coupons while shopping is now a breeze.
Plastic Box with Snap on Lid: Because we use a sturdy plastic shoe box, you will never have to worry about your new organizer falling apart. A snap-on lid insures that your coupons will stay in place.
A pen and scissors: Each box comes with a pair of scissors and a pen. You need scissors in your box, so you will always be ready to clip coupons. If you are out shopping, you may find in-store coupons in a flyer that you need to use now. Because you have your scissors ready, you are ready to instantly use that coupon! We include a pen, so you are actively keeping track of your budget and making off your check list. Head on over to the Coupon Closet blog to learn more about shopping lists and budgets.
Sturdy Envelopes: Our envelopes are not your average envelopes. These little files are specially made for this coupon box. They are sturdy and made to last. They have the perfect tabs, for you write your own categories on. You can completely customize your new box!
60 White Envelopes: 60 envelopes are used to create individual categories for your new coupon box. If you are a beginner, we suggest you start with just 30 categories and then build up to 60 the longer you coupon. You can see my category suggestions here.
5 Green Envelopes: The Green envelopes are used to separate your stores. These are perfect for individual store coupons, and to place the coupons you plan to use at each of those stores.
Separator: Added into the coupon box, is a small separator. This divider is a small basket that is placed inside your coupon box. It keeps all your envelopes lined up properly and holds your pen and scissors. I also like to place a calculator and my cell phone in this basket while I am shopping.

Everything you need to get started is included. Go here to purchase your kit today!

Save Money AND Save Time!

You don’t have to be a crazy Extreme Couponer to save your family a ton of money – {read my thoughts, and share your own, about it all on- It’s Time to Get Real About Extreme Couponing}

This is a HUGE time-saving set-up for anyone wanting to maximize their savings, but doesn’t have a ton of time. If you’re already using it, I’d love to hear what you think of it. And if you know of anyone who could totally benefit from this too- use the share buttons to post it to your favorite social media page too!