Saving Money — Page 17

Exclusive JCPenny Deals, Coupon Codes, and Savings!

Get Email-Only Savings!

Sign up for the JCPenny email updates, and they’ll notify you when your favorite categories go on sale – Baby, kids, womens, home, and more. You’ll never miss the best deals. And with back-to-school coming up, and the holidays quickly approaching, you need all of the deals you can find, right?

Plus, they send out loads of exclusive online coupon codes, reserved just for subscribers. They even send you coupons that you can print and take to your local store too!

Check it out and get signed up for savings today!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 16, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Kinda-Homemade Ravioli Lasagna

“With your busy schedule, healthy ambitions, and limited time, you’ve got a lot on your plate. So, you don’t always have to time think about what’s actually going on your plate— your dinner plate.

That’s where we come in. ReadySetEat helps you solve the “What’s for dinner?” dilemma. We’re serving up simple dinner ideas that you can make in 30 minutes or less with a few common ingredients you’re likely to have in your kitchen, including the ConAgra Foods brands you know and trust.”

I love Kinda-Homemade Cooking!

I like cooking dinner for this big mix of extended family I currently have living with me… But honestly, I’m not a very experienced cook. Until a year and a half ago, I had always lived on my own. Cooking for one is a completely different experience than cooking for eight people- Woah!

I try to find meals I can make quickly without too much prep, which is why I LOVE the recipes on Ready, Set, Eat – they save a ton of time by building on a few ready-made products. I still feel like I made a “real” meal, but it’s easy peasy! Plus, so many of the brands are items that I can easily find coupons for, so it also saves me a lot of money.

Chef Boyardee Recipes Rock!

There is a whole page filled with recipes from Chef Boyardee, and since the boys in my house LOVE anything from Chef Boyardee, these have been a HUGE hit!

Ravioli Lasagna

I decided to make the Ravioli Lasagna, {you can find the recipe here if you want to try it too- Chef Boyardee Ravioli Lasagna.} and the boys ATE. IT. UP!! I love the addition of the spinach, since it snuck veggie’s in, and the boys didn’t even realize it!

I made a few adjustments to the recipe when I made it:

I used Ricotta cheese, since I’m not a fan of cottage cheese. Worked perfectly.
Someone had eaten half of the package of Italian Cheese Blend that I had in the fridge, so I used half a cup of cheddar cheese. Tasted great.
And we used the BIG Beef Raviolis instead of the regular version, since that’s what I had a coupon for!

I also added some whole-wheat breadcrumbs to the top, to give a tiny bit of crunch. I served this with salad and garlic bread, and it was the easiest dinner I’ve made in weeks!

Check out the other recipes too:

There are tons of other great Chef Boyardee recipes that you can try out, {I’m excited to try out the Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake next!} or search other categories on Ready, Set, Eat too, for tons of great ideas.

Which recipe is YOUR favorite?

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 15, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews | No Comments

Become.com- All of the best shopping tools in one place!

Check out Become.com, your new shopping tool!

This is another really great shopping site that I wanted to share with you guys!

How it works:

This is a price comparison site, a deal-finding site, a product review site, and more, all wrapped into one! There are a lot of great sites that do one of these things {like Viewpoints.com for reviews, Ebates for coupon codes, etc.} but I’ve never found ANYWHERE else that does all of this in one place. Super cool, and so very helpful!

What you can do:

You can shop by category: I shopped and found some awesome deals on comforter sets for the bedroom re-do, convertible couches which is the fancy name for futons, lol, for our new garage “lounge” area, and floor fans since the central air just doesn’t work that great in the Master Bedroom. Great selection, great prices.
You can shop by Editors Picks: Check ’em out here, August Picks, to learn what they recommend for deals.
Use the Tip Center: There are TONS of different categories in the Tip Center to help guide your shopping, and assist you in finding the best products.
Shop by coupon: Check out the selection of online coupons they have available, for all kinds of great stores and products.
Or just use the search engine on the site! You type what you’re looking for into the top search box, and then hit either “Shop” or “Research”, depending on what your need is. Super cool.

What do you think?

Have you used Become.com before to help with your shopping? What do you think of it? I love to hear from you guys!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 15, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews, Deals and Coupon Codes, Shopping | No Comments

Earn Money Sharing Your Favorite Deals!

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”
Ralph Marston

Love deals? Love your friends? Love earning FREE rewards?

Of course you said yes to all of those questions. How do I know this? Well, if you read Sunshine and Sippy Cups, then I KNOW you’re a deal and freebie junkie like me :) And I also know that all of my readers are the super-sweet-nicest-people-ever type. So I know you guys will be excited to find some ways to share awesome deals with your friends and family while earning some pretty cool free stuff at the same time!

Holiday Shopping is coming…

One of the ways that I’m planning to be able to afford holiday shopping this year is to start watching all of my favorite deal sites, starting now, for great gifts at really deep discounts. AND, when I find really good stuff, I plan to share those finds with you guys, and with my friends and family. {Part of the fun of finding a sweet deal is sharing it, right?} So it’s pretty cool that I can earn loads of free credits for sharing! I’ll let those add up so that I can get some Christmas gifts this year for free.

Get started today, easy peasy sign ups!

All of these sites are super simple to join, and only take about a minute each. Your info is safe, there is no spammy stuff, and yes, you REALLY do earn rewards! I’ve gotten credits, checks, and reward cards from every single one of these, so I can promise you that their legit. Sign up today, check out the deals each week, share your favorites, and earn credits towards buying stuff for your family!

My Favorite Rewards Sites:

SaveMore: I found this site after seeing it featured on ABC News one night. 50-90% off deals in your area, of if you’re like me and not right near a major city they have featured, pick National to get other great deals. Every friend you refer who makes a purchase earns you $10 in Free credit! Save More Sign Up.

Zulily: This is one of my favorite, just because of the selection! Such amazingly adorable kids brands, and I’m always learning of new designers here. Plus, really great stuff for moms too! Every friend that you refer who makes a purchase rewards you with a $15 credit! Zulily Sign Up.

Moolala: One of my favorite to say, lol. This one is pretty cool- Really discounted deals on great family-friendly items. This system works really cool: Every deal you purchase, you get 2% back. Every friend you refer, you earn 2% from THEIR purchases. THEN, you get another 2% off any purchase from THEIR friends too! You can use those credits towards puchases from Moolala, or request a check from them each time you reach $50! Cool, right? Moolala Sign Up.

Saveology: Each day they have a few amazing deals, usually around 70-80% off. If you choose to share a deal to Facebook or Twitter, you get rewarded with $10 if 2 friends buy it too! Click Here to Sign Up.

Ebates: Sign up at Ebates, and start earning cash back for all of the purchases you make, at most of your favorite stores. Then, if you let your friends know about it, and get them signed up to save money too, you’ll get rewards! Big ones too- 3 friends sign up and make a puchases = $30 cash for you! You can get $100 gift cards, and even an iPad2!! Woah, right? Plus, I love Ebates, so it’s super easy to share! Join Ebates.

Totsy: This is a great site for kids clothes and toys, up to 90% off. Plus, your first purchase gets free shipping, they plant a tree for every sale that’s placed, and you can get a FREE subscription to Family Fun magazine right now with your first purchase! Every friend you share this great site with will earn you a $15 reward after their first purchase! Sign Up Here

No More Rack: Sign up here to get seriously fantastic deals. Sometimes you can get stuff totally for free! You get a personal link to share deals you find with your friends. EVERY friend who signs up, and they DON’T have to even make a purchase, gets you a point. Then you redeem those points to get stuff you want from the site for FREE. Rockin’. Join No More Rack.

Heartsy: This one is so much fun! If you love Etsy, you MUST sign up for an account at Heartsy- It’s a daily deal site that shares the best new discounts from Etsy shops! Plus, when you find a deal you love, share it really easily to Facebook, and get $10 each time a friend makes a purchase too!

Plum District: This site has some of the coolest deals I’ve found. I love their focus on mom-owned business, and their focus on charity. {Check out how they’re partnering with World Vision to build schools…} You earn $5 bucks every time a friend joins, you can learn more here- Plum District Sign Up.

OpenSky: This is a fun site… You choose your favorite {up to 10} celebrities and designers to follow, and get weekly emails with their favorite items at deep discounts. Really cool stuff. You get $1 each for the first 10 friends you refer, just for them joining and checking it out. Then you get a BIG bonus of $20 in credit when each of them make their first purchase! Join OpenSky!

ShopatHome: Super cool site. Print coupons, find the best online coupon codes, AND earn cash back when you shop! Share this sweet site with your friends, and you’ll earn $5 every time someone makes a purchase at their favorite retailer through this site! Sign Up Here.

Do you have any favorites?

Did I miss some great sites? If you have some of your own favorites to share, feel free to post your link in the comments! I’m always looking for new ways to save with great deals, and earn rewards to help purchase what my family needs. I hope that these sites help YOUR family out too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 15, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Freebies, Shopping | 2 Comments

Home Depot Garden Club: Join for Freebies!

Join Home Depot’s Garden Club!

We’re a member of this club… Hope Depot is one of my favorite stores, and with the new house, we had a LOT of outdoor garden projects to work on!

When you join, they’ll put you on their mailing list, and you’ll start to get really great coupons a couple of times a month. These are usually pretty high-value coupons, like Buy One Get One Free’s, or sometimes even a free product! Really helps out.

Plus, you’ll get updates, usually about once a week, with new DIY events or classes coming up, head’s up on new promo’s and sales, and rebate opportunities.

Sign up today, and get some great savings!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 12, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | 1 Comment

FAN-tastic Freebie Friday! Samples, Free Products, and Cash!

Happy Freebie Friday!

Use the list to snag some great new free samples available right now, and check out the bottom links for some great companies you can join, for new product sampling opp’s. Have a great weekend!

Free Samples:

CottonWorks: Get a free measuring tape, fabric samples, and more. Free Cottonworks Package.
Dog Sleeping Bag: Yes, I said it, a free sleeping bag for your dog. Funny, right? Get one here, PetMaxi.com.
Dog Food: Get another doggy freebie- A sample of the new Rachel Ray Pet Food. Nutrish Sample.
House Party: NEW House Parties to apply for! Chef Boyardee, Spin Master, and more. These are an uh-MAY-zing way to entertain on a super tight budget. Apply Here.
Shark Love: Love Sharks? Want to share your love of Shark Week all year? Then grab a super cute shark sticker- SharkLove.com.
Chilis: Need to print another Free Chips and Queso coupon? Here ya go! Free Food.
P&G Brand Sampler Boxes: Get samples of Infinity by Always, Prilosec, and Head & Shoulders. EverydaySolutions.
Prilosec: Get another sample of this heartburn med if you need it. {It’s pricey, and my bf uses it a lot, so I stock up on as many freebies as possible.} Click Here.
Essential Oils: Get a free package of these oils, use Extension Code #76477 in the first box. Sample Request.
Spa Treatments: Sign up to win FREE laser treatments, or other prizes. New winners each month… I enter every month!! Win it!
StarChemLabs: Get a free sample product and a shaker cup. Scroll to the bottom to see the sample request box. Get it here.
AboutOne: I am so in love with this service already! Free online service, you can safely store EVERYTHING important for you family: medical, home, and school documents, fun pics and kids artwork, receipts, etc. You can access it from your phone or computer, and always be able to find what you’re looking for. It’ll auto-generate family newsletters or photo books, and more. So, so cool. Sign up FREE- AboutOne.

Earn Free Money and Rewards:

These survey sites are such a great way to get free stuff. You often get to try out new products and services for FREE, and then you earn cash or gift cards when you share your opinions about what you tried out. Love it. And the more you join, the more opportunities you’ll get, and the more money you can earn.

Global Test Panel: Join Here.
Inbox Dollars: Click Here. {Bonus, get $5 just for joining!}
MySurvey: Sign Up.
MyView: Join Here.
Toluna: Click Here.
Valued Opinions: Sign Up.
Young Adults Ipsos Panel: Join Here.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the freebies!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 12, 2011 Filed Under: Product Testing, Freebies | No Comments

Free Old Navy Flip Flops!

Are you a member of Crowdtap yet?

If not, get on it!! Sign up at Crowdtap, and get a buck in your account just for joining. Then, have some fun and start participating in polls and discussions! The more active you are, the more chances you’ll have to win money, and get to participate in fun product parties and events!

My Old Navy Parties:

Summer Shorts Party: I got to take 3 friends on a shopping spree… For FREE! It doesn’t get better than that, I tell ya. Each of us got to pick one new pair of Old Navy shorts {loved the selection this year too!}, plus a fun summer top and accessory to match.

Tank Top Party: I got to take another set of 3 friends shopping, and we each got to pick out a fun new summer tank top from Old Navy! I got a super cute pink one, with a ruffled shoulder, and I stinkin’ love it. Fits perfect.

New Fall Denim: I’m doing this one next week- I get to take one of my besties with me, and we each get to choose a brand new pair of Jeans from Old Navy’s great new styles for back-to-school! I’m thinking some new skinnys to tuck into boots…

Now, the Flip Flop product test! Bunches of us lucky Crowdtap ladies will get to try out some new Old Navy flips that haven’t hit stores yet, to give some feedback. I. Love. Flip. Flops. I wear them all year, even in winter. And I live in Washington state, which is NOT a flip-flop-friendly state in the winter! But I love ’em.

What are you waiting for? Get signed up at Crowdtap today!