Newsletters — Page 10

Daily Tips for Frugal Living + Giveaways

Have you heard of LearnVest yet?

“We want to help you live a richer life.
We aim to do this by providing unbiased financial information to all women so that they can make the best financial decisions possible.”

Here’s a little story about how LearnVest came to be:

“It was Spring of 2006, and Harvard Senior, Alexa von Tobel, was sitting around a table with a group of friends, discussing how ridiculous it was she had never had a single class on personal finance. The irony was Alexa was going to work as a trader at a Morgan Stanley’s internal hedge fund and had just deferred Harvard Business School for two years. Alexa spent the next twelve months researching the topic and continuously found herself dissatisfied with what was readily available. Most of the personal finance resources rarely started with the basics and none of them spoke directly to her.

In December of 2008, Alexa took a leave of absence from Harvard Business School to pursue her dream of creating an online platform to help women everywhere gain control of their finances. In September 2009, LearnVest closed $1.1 million in venture and angel funding and was selected as one of the 50 most promising start-up companies by TechCrunch.”

I use so many of the tools available on LearnVest… I love the tips in the daily emails, because most of them really are relevant to me. I use a lot of the tools in the “Money Tuneup” section to help me budget and plan, and the tips in the “Living Frugally” section are great.

This is a finance site that is actually fun and interesting. Like today, for Earth Day, you can go check it out and find a ton of discounts exclusively for LearnVest members, on tons of affordable “green” fashions. PLUS, they are GIVING AWAY a bunch of fun fashions too!

I love this site, and wanted to share it with you guys too! I totally recommend that you sign up for their free daily emails. You’ll learn so much from their quick email tips, and have access to all of their available tools too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 22, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

Spring Cleaning for New Mommys

I love Planning Family!! If you’re not signed up with them yet, you should check them out. They have links to lots of free offers for moms and babies, and so many helpful articles.

I wanted to share this one that came in todays daily email. Love it. Great tips!

The following article is from Planning Family, not written by me:

Spring cleaning! It’s the time of year when as everything starts to blossom and grow again many of us feel the urge to also tidy up. As a new mama, the thought of cleaning may be far down on the list. The first priorities are your baby, and of course you. Those two things can take up much of the day!

With a newborn in the home, you may feel like there is more clutter than ever. Did you ever think one little being could utilize so much gear?

If you are feeling the urge to get organized, but are feeling low on time and energy, there are still some things you can do. Remember, it all doesn’t have to be done today. It may take you more than one (or two) days to even figure out where to start. Baby steps are a good thing!

So, where to start? To get a jump on getting organized for spring, start with the basics:

Make a list. You have to start somewhere. Where will it be? What will be your priority? Your tasks can be as simple as cleaning off the kitchen counter, a basket by the couch, or the utility closet that hasn’t been touched since you moved in.
Conquer one task at a time. Although you may have great ambitions, start and succeed small. Remember, you may get limited amounts of time to work on a task and may have to start and stop working at a moment’s (or your newborn’s) notice. Go into a task remembering that even a small area may take you several times attempts (possibly over multiple days) to complete.
When you do work in an area, clear everything out. Make piles, sort items, and de-clutter!
Be prepared to downsize. Do you really need something? Consider donating unused items or put them away for a garage or yard sale to come (a big undertaking – don’t plan on tackling that one alone, especially as a new mama!).
Ask for and get help when you need it. Most folks are more than happy to help out a new mama. Your need may simply be for someone to hold your baby for a few minutes so that you have a little time to take on a task. Or, you may need a professional who can help tackle a task (there are even such things out there as professional organizers, if your budget allows!).
Celebrate your success. With each step you take, enjoy a moment to savor your accomplishment. A little step each day will equal a major spring-cleaning success in no time.

I know that all moms feel super busy, and it can be hard to find time to get spring cleaning tasks done. ESPECIALLY if you have a baby at home. But I also know that if you just MAKE the time to get things cleaned up and cleared out, it makes your days so much easier to manage! I hope these tips help you guys out too….

And for more, check out the Planning Family website here:

Formula Samples, Baby Magazines, Daipers Coupons and more! Click Here to sign up and check them out!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 19, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

{Part 4} “How to Get FREE Stuff”

Welcome to {Part 4} of my series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”…

Todays Topic: The best trusted FREEBIE sites to use!

Every morning, I get a huge mug of coffee (you don’t want to see me without coffee), and sit down to check my email. These days, that takes a LONG time, but before I had this blog, it wasn’t so bad. I’d usually spend about 20-30 minutes in the morning on the computer, going through the updates from all of my favorite freebie sites, and clicking on the offers I wanted. By the time my coffee had worked it’s magic, and I was finally semi-awake, I had a boatload of free stuff on it’s way to my freebie lovin’ home. Easy, right?

Why would I want to sign up with these FREE STUFF sites?

Well, thats about the only way that you’re going to be able to get lots of free stuff without spending a ton of time! Even I don’t have enough time to go and search out all of these freebies on my own… I rely on a network of sites that I have signed up with, and their daily email updates. Then I can quickly skim through them, pick the offers I want, and delete the rest.

Don’t you get a ton of spam by using these sites?

These sites won’t spam you, (at least none of the ones that I do!) but you will end up getting a lot more emails once you start requesting freebies. Many places are sending you something free in exchange for being able to send you their advertising.

To solve this problem, you have a couple of options. You can set up a seperate email account that you use only for free sample requests, that way you don’t have to deal with any ads.

Or, if you’re like me, and you actually do WANT to get many of those sale and promotion emails, you can just hit the little unsubscribe link when you get an email from a company that you’re not interested in. Then they won’t send you anything else. If I’m requesting a free product, it’s probably because it is something I like, so I’m usually ok with getting their emails. So many awesome deals and special offers are ONLY promoted in their emails, so I love getting these!

How do these sites work?

Some of these sites are approached by companies that will pay to have their samples listed, because they want to get their products into the hands of some new potential customers. Plus, when there is a great sample out there, it gets A LOT of buzz going for that company.

Other sites get paid a “pay-per-click” type compensation, for sharing those offers with their followers. Again, it’s because the company wants to get their name out in front of some new fans. To me, theres nothing wrong with that! If you want people to really promote that you are offering a free sample of your awesome product, the best way to do that is to offer a little reward, right?

Also, most of these sites have tons of people working for them, always out there trying to find new freebies. Some of them even have an option for YOU to post any cool new freebies you find too!

What to beware of when getting freebies:

Even the legit sites sometimes end up posting offers that aren’t “really” free. Some may do it on purpose, others by accident of not checking out the offer well enough first. The easiest way to spot a scam offer is the “with participation” disclaimer. Boooo. This means that they will expect you to complete a bunch of OTHER offers, some requiring payments, just to get to the darn fabric softener sample, or whatever they’re offering. If you see “with participation”, delete it. You can try it, no harm done, but I’ve never seen one of these where I actually got to request the product.

And NEVER enter your credit card info on an offer that is supposed to be free. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people do this! If it asks for you info, it’s usually because you are signing up for an automated shipment, or a service, for a “free trial”, and if you don’t cancel by a certain time they will charge you big bucks. Don’t do it.

So, give me some sites to check out! I want to get some FREE STUFF right now!!

I know that’s what you’re thinking :) And I love it. I’m going to give you a list of websites and blogs that I use and have had good luck with. Not all of them have great freebies every day, which is why I sign up for lots of them… that way I have a better chance at finding the really good stuff! This is also how I find the great deals and freebies that I post in big lists for you guys too. I broke it down into regular sites, and sites to get free baby stuff. I used these baby sites SO much while I was pregnant, and still find lots of stuff we can use.

My Favorite TRUSTED Freebie Sites:

MySavings: This is one of my very favorite sites! They send out a great daily list of freebies and giveaways, plus you can find even more deals on their site! MySavings.com Sign Up.
The Deal Scoop: Cute site “giving you the scoop” on daily deals and freebies! Sign up for her email updates or follow her on Facebook so you don’t miss any goodies. Click Here.
Deal Crown: This one is brand new for me, but I’ve found some awesome stuff! Get signed up to check out their freebies! Up to the minute updated free sample and deals Click Here.
Freeflys: This is a big site, with tons of free samples and coupons. To sign up, it does make you click through a couple of offer screens, but just skip ’em if you want. Then you can get to the samples. Freeflys sign up.
Frugal Freelancer: A blog with a really random assortment of stuff… Deals, coupons, freebies and tips. Frugal Freelancer Sign Up.
Vocalpoint: I’ve mentioned this site before, because its awesome. Their newsletter always has tons of fun info, and they send out lots of really generous samples too. Click Here.
Women Freebies: Free samples, giveaways, and special offers chosen just for women and moms! Sign up for Women Freebies!.
TradePub: This is a site for FREE magazines. You may notice in my freebie pics that I mention how I NEVER pay for magazine subscriptions. This is one of the ways I do it. They feature mostly business magazines, but if you sign up, you’ll get notices when they have new ones like Cosmo or Womens Day too. Click Here.
Go Freebies: You have a chance at winning an Amazon gift card each day just be being an email subscriber. Sign up at Go Freebies.
Freebie Fanatics: “Your guide to finding quality freebies on the internet”. Sign up here.
Sweeties Freebies: Love this site, and the partner site Sweeties Sweeps too! Always good stuff. Sign up here. You can also stay updated by “liking” her on Facebook.
Hey, It’s Free!: Great resource of new stuff each day. Sign up here.
Sample A Day: Check them out and sign up for daily deals and free stuff. Click Here.
Free Snatcher: Tons of new coupons, free samples, and deals! Sign up here.
All You Magazine: This link will take you to a page where you can sign up for their daily free sample newsletter, plus you can check out their giveaways and other great stuff! Click Here.
Free Sample Freak: Loads of new stuff each day! Sign up for updates here.
Free Sample Momma: Fun new freebies and deals, great stuff! Click Here.
The Daily Goodie Bag: Awesome ladies posting tons of awesome deals, freebies, and giveaways all day! Check out their site, and follow them on Facebook too! Click Here.
The Frugal Free Gal: Coupons, samples, how-to’s and more! Check it out.
Freebies4Mom: Spoils you with freebies each day! Check her out here.
I Love Free Things: Check them out because, well, you love free things too! Click Here.
Coupons and Freebies Mom: A mom of two boys who posts all of the best deals and freebies for you every day! Click Here.
Mommy Wants Freebies: Another great site to check out for fun new deals, coupons, and free stuff! Check it out by clicking here.

Best Safe Sites for FREE Baby Stuff:

Baby to Bee: I’ve posted about this one before. Love it. Tons of giveaways, helpful tips, and free samples. Get FREE baby stuff: Click Here.
Planning Family: Another one I’ve talked about. I got so many great freebies while I was pregnant from this site! “Tons of free baby stuff from the brands you know and trust.” Click Here.

Plus, for more baby samples, see {Part 2} Newsletters, for bunches of baby company newsletters to sign up for to get free samples, high-value coupons, and exclusive offers. Having a baby is darn expensive, and getting all of these freebies help a lot! I was able to stock a whole diaper bag with samples not long ago for a baby shower! Diapers in different sizes, tons of free formula, diaper cream, bibs, and tons of coupons for mom. Great gift.

What do you think? Ready to go freebie hunting?

Every single one of these sites were taken right out of my own personal email this morning! I use all of them, so I can promise that they are all safe, with great offers and freebies. Let me know which ones you decide to sign up with.

I’d love you guys to add your own favorites in the comments too!

And, if you’ve missed the earlier parts of the series, you can check out {Part 1} Survey Sites, {Part 2} on Newsletter Freebies, {Part 3} Shopping Rewards. Plus, you can see a ton of sweet pics of my goodies on the {Intro} post and see the best coupon resource right here. I really hope this set of posts helps you guys!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 14, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | 3 Comments

Using Mailing Lists to Get FREE Stuff – {Part 2}

Welcome to {Part 2} of my series, “How to Get FREE Stuff”… First, I showed you how I use survey sites to earn free cash, gift cards – and even free full size products to review in my home. No, you won’t get rich, but yes it does do a ton to help your family budget! And, today’s tip will totally help you in the budget department too – in a ton of different ways. I’m going to show you how joining brand reward programs and signing up for mailing lists can save you hundreds of dollars, and load you up with new freebies every week! Check it out…

How to get FREE stuff using newsletters

This is something that I started doing a few years ago, and I get so many great offers, coupons, and freebies this way. I know that some people say, “Why would I want to sign up for all that marketing junk?” Well, because I like to be “marketed to.” Lol. Seriously – I want to be enticed to try your brand new products, whether it’s a coupon or a sample. I want to be in the group of people that brands send their best stuff too. And I love getting to try the newest products before anyone else, save a ton of money when shopping, and get random cool perks free. So – “That’s why I want to sign up for all that marketing junk,” lol.

Most companies send you out a weekly or monthly email newsletter, filled with great stuff. You’ll almost always get new coupons to print, usually higher-value ones than you’ll find in the paper or other places. {Looking for more coupons? Check out my giant coupon site resource too.} And, most newsletters reward their subscribers with their best stuff – you can request free samples, free coupons, enter exclusive giveaways, and more. {Because heck, if you were a brand, who would you give your cool free stuff too? The people that love you enough to subscribe, right?} Plus, I love seeing new ways to use products that we already love, and the newsletters usually have fun tips, recipes, and ideas to solve the chaos of my busy-mom life :)

Many companies invite their newsletter subscribers to join consumer panels too. Many times these panels are not open to the public, they are exclusive to people who have already shown their interest and loyalty to the brand by signing up for their newsletter. Makes sense, right? These panels usually involve doing a few surveys or activities, and reward you with free product or other perks. {Love sharing your thoughts in surveys? Learn how to make money at it, and how to get free products to test too.}

Another benefit – my very favorite! – is that by filling out your mailing information when signing up for a newsletter, you’ll sometimes get random goodies in the mail! If Betty Crocker comes out with a new cookie mix, they might send me a free sample, or a coupon to try it out. The unexpected surprises like this are the best!

How do I get started?

A great way to get started is to take a quick look through the house, and make a list of all of the brands that your family uses frequently. Then hop online, and use Google (or your Swag Bucks search bar if you’re smart and using that for more free stuff!) to seach for the brands. Almost all of them probably have a website with an option to sign up for their newsletters!

You can sign up for newsletters for products like Cheerios, Tide, or Dove…. And you can also sign up for brand newsletters like General Mills, P&G, or Unilever. There are also places like Viewpoints or Vocalpoint that have amazingly fun offers to try out new products in their newsletters.

Now that you know what kind of cool free stuff you can get, I’m sure you’re ready to sign up for some newsletters, right? And of course I’ve made it easy for you to get started by putting together a list of some of my favorites! But remember, almost EVERY company has some type of newsletter, (some better than others) – so search out newsletters for your OWN families favorite brands too. You’ll love it.

My Favorite Food Newsletters

Vocalpoint: Check out all of the great articles, message boards, coupons, and free samples.
Campbells: Links to TONS of other brands, coupons, and special offers. Campbells is about WAY more than just soup :)
Kellogg’s: Get exclusive coupons and earn rewards from your favorite Kellogg’s® brands. Click Here. They have lots of great stuff going on – and, I happen to be in love with several of their products, lol.
FreeFlys: This isn’t a brand exactly – but, they have new offers every single day – great coupon round-ups, and freebie and sample round-ups too. You’ll always learn about the best mailing lists to get on with them – this was one of the first sites I joined, to learn about other cool sites to sign up with!
ReadySetEat: Tons of your favorite brands are included in this newsletter. You’ll find tons of easy recipes, coupons, and more samples too.
Bisquick: Amazing ideas, cool coupons, and great offers – Bisquick can make meals all day long, so don’t think it’s just a “pancake product” – :) We make casseroles, biscuits, breads, and more.
Kraft First Taste: Samples, House Parties {these are things where they send you coupons and products, enough to do a small party with your friends. All you have to do in return is share a few pics on their site, and maybe give some feedback!} coupons, and tons more.
MyInsite: From General Mills – you’ll find lots of coupons, recipes, and cool freebie offers. Usually cereal type products, but other stuff from them too.
Betty Crocker: Click up in the top right to join their club, and sign up for some newsletters. This is one of my favorites – I don’t get too many freebies, but I get loads of really high-value coupons, and SO many fun recipes and party ideas.
Box Tops: Help your school earn cash and rewards by signing up for Box Tops for Education – Registration is free, you get access to cool coupons and samples, AND you’re earning the school free money too!
MySavings.com: This is another one where you’ll find a big resource of cool stuff each day. I find a lot of freebies this way, that come from newsletter or mailing list sign ups. So I get the goodie, and then sign up so that next time I get my own notice in my email too.
P&G Everyday Solutions: Opportunity to request free sample packs once each quarter, which are awesome. You want to be sure to watch for the emails, to make sure you get in asap as they announce it, so you get more stuff. This is a great site for moms too, since they share tons of great tips.
Tablespoon: General Mills products, includes recipes and coupons. Lots of big brand names – you’ll love it.
Pillsbury: I get some of my absolute favorite recipes on here. Their newsletters rock! They also do a free recipe calendar each year for subscribers – Like, gorgeous pics, big full size, and amazing stuff. They have lots of cool offers each week in their newsletter, so be sure to open ’em each time!
Dinner Made Easy: Betty Crocker products, simple meal ideas, giveaways, and great ideas to solve your dinnertime dilemas.
Eat Better America: Healthy menu ideas, coupons, and free samples of healthy products. Great option if you’re looking for most diet-friendly fare.
Cheerios: Big giveaway right now, plus tons of contests, samples, games, and coupons. We eat loads of Cheerios in my house!

Photo Company Newsletters

Shutterfly: Free offers, coupons and discounts, amazing project ideas, and more. Once you have this for awhile – especially if you do an order every once in a while, you’ll get great free offers. Things like free prints, free photo books, holiday cards, and more.
Snapfish: Very similar to Shutterfly, plus – Get 50 FREE prints when you join, plus lots of discount offers and deals.
York Photo: Get 60 Free prints with code: FREESIXTY. Just pay the shipping. You’ll also get an additional 40 Free prints just for registering. Click Here.

Household Products

Home Made Simple: TONS of great stuff!! Plus they send out big coupon books every month or so, in the mail, for things like Swiffer, Febreeze, Cascade, Dawn, Mr. Clean, etc.
Tide: Special offers and promos, samples, and more. And they come out with new products a lot.
Dawn: Coupons and offers, lots of tips and ideas.
Febreze: Discount coupons, freebies, rebates and more. {I can’t even tell you how much I rely on their products, with a very bad dog living in my house, lol.}
Purex: Sign up in the top right little email subscribe tab to get their offers – soooo much good stuff. And, you can also check out their Purex Insiders {bottom left side little link says “join here”} group if you have a blog or other influence, to get free full size products.
Right @ Home: These are for SC Johnson products – sign up on the right side, and get their awesome newsletters. This is another one that often offers up BIG samples to subscribers!

Best Baby Newsletters

Johnson’s Baby Products: Helpful baby advice, lots of coupons, and special deals and offers. Plus, who doesn’t love Johnson’s, right?
Earths Best: Tons of great offers and ideas, coupons, and fun sample events. The sample events are more of those “house party” style events, where you get great stuff to share with all of your mom friends too.
HappyBaby: Coupons and offers, big giveaways, fun stuff, samples, plus check me out on the partners page :)
Sprout: Coupons, deals, promotions and more on some really amazing healthy and natural baby and kids products.
Pampers: Join now & get 100 Free Points. Plus coupons, deals, and giveaways. You can get things like free photo books, children’s books or toys, and more. (Read my list of bonus points in this post.)
Big List: I also have a big list of how to get free stuff for babies – check it out for more cool lists to get onto.

I hope you find some newsletters on the list that you LOVE, and I can’t wait for you to start getting some fun FREE stuff! Look forward to new recipes and tips, exclusive offers and surprise samples, new product information and promotions, and great giveaways. Seriously – this is such a simple way to get more stuff for free, get cool tips and awesome ideas, and coupons to save big bucks.

If you have any favorite newsletters, PLEASE share in the comments! Remember, this weeks series is all about you guys, and I’d love for you all to share your ideas, tips, and suggestions.

You can check out {Part 1} of this series: How to Earn Free Money & Products with Survey Sites, and see the Intro to Getting Free Stuff post for all of the links. And remember to share this with your friends too – Use the social buttons to share to Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, or of course everyone’s fave – PIN IT! :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 12, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Easy Apricot Chicken Recipe + Coupons and Tips!

This recipe comes from one of my favorite sites, ReadySetEat. Have you signed up for their newsletter yet?

Sign up for the ReadySetEat newsletter today. We’re serving up quick and easy dinner recipes you can make in 30 minutes or less, plus coupons and savings based on your ZIP code and favorite grocery store. Click Here.

Every newsletter is packed with really easy to make recipes {which is great, because I can actually make them, lol}, coupons to purchase the ingredients, and tons of cool tips and tricks.

Here is the recipe for Apricot Chicken that just came out today… I am super excited to make this tonight!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Pure Wesson Canola Oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts {4 breasts = 1 pound}
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Heat oil over a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with Italian Seasoning. Add to skillet and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until center is no longer pink.

2. Stir the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Add to the skillet with the chicken. Cook 3-4 more minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Eat, and enjoy! Easy, right? Plus, they have side dish ideas, and coupons too!

You can save your favorite recipes to your own “Recipe Box” for easy access later, participate in panels to give your feedback and opinions, print coupons, and get samples! They have some new fun newsletters coming out soon with ideas for healthy kids meals and snacks too. Love it!