Beverly & Pack / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Stop throwing away your expired coupons! Instead send them to military families overseas to use for up to six months after the manufacturer’s expiration date.
You’ll be helping service men and women save money on groceries when they shop at their on base commissionaires. This is not time consuming, difficult, or costly since you’re already clipping coupons.
Organizations like
Free glasses from Firmoo.com! Credit: Evil Erin/Flickr
There are 32 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
Free movie rentals - Freebies 4 Mom reports these five Blockbuster Express codes will get you a free $1 movie rental through July 25, 2011: 36KBDJ6, 35NCRP8, 39SVEM4, 64MMMT3, 29JDAB7.
Free dog bones - Use this PetSmart coupon to get a free dog bone, specially a Nylabone Edible singles, which is currently selling for $1.54, reports The Freebie Blogger. The coupon is for $2 off.
Free glasses - Firmoo is a new (to me) online glasses store that is giving away 1,000 free pairs of glasses everyday for 31 days via Facebook. There were 561 free pairs still available today when I checked (or check back tomorrow morning).
© vera_photo - Fotolia.com
This recipe for watermelon sherbert comes from the August 2011 issue of Better Homes & Gardens. It has four ingredients and costs just $.27 per serving!
Ingredients
5 c cubed, seeded watermelon
1/2 c sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (not something I have on hand 
)
1/3 c cranberry juice (would other juices work?)
Directions
1. Process watermelon in blender or food processor until smooth. It should end up making about 3 cups of pureed watermelon. Add sugar.
2. Combine gelatin and cranberry juice in a
lazytcrochet / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Bargain Babe’s post about using wine cork and Patron bottles to redecorate your home on a budget, made me want to share a do it yourself project with you that will help you save money on fashion.
A fashionable and eco-minded friend of mine loves making her own statement necklaces like the fancy ones you see in magazines, at right. These necklaces will set you back about $10 to $30 at a store, but you can make your own and save money! I haven’t made one because I’m waiting for the perfect old T-shirt to upcycle into something fashionable and green. My friend has made several and showed me how. This necklace is super easy to make.
You’ll need an old T-shirt, scissors, and a couple of minutes. You can add flare to the necklace by incorporating beads. Here’s what to do:
- Cut the hem off the T-shirt. You won’t be using it.
- Next cut the body of the T-shirt into quarter-inch strips.
- Once you have the desired amount of strips, stretch them out one by one until they’re really thin.
- Then cut one more quarter-inch strip off the T-shirt and cut this strip in half. If you are adding beads, you can thread them on these strips, which will be used to tie the other strips together. You can also braid these strips or if you know how to knit, you can skip cutting this last strip and instead knit strips to tie the side of the necklace together, like the one pictured above.
- Lastly, put the necklace straps around your neck and grab all of them on one side. Use the beaded, braided or knit strips to tie the necklace on the sides so they are not loose. (You can also do it on just one side like the necklace pictured above.) To hide the ends of the beaded or braided strips either cut them off or tuck them underneath.
These are a great frugal gift so start making them for friends!
jencu / Flickr
I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.
Relocating? Avoid moving scams with these 6 tips. (Mainstreet)
Go big or go home. New grocery store gimmick will have you buying more than what you planned to get discounts. (The New York Times)
No need to do the picking yourself! Learn how to choose fruits and vegetables at the grocery store with these purchasing tips. (Wisebread)
Waiting to receive a social security check? It may take a while as the US debt ceiling could hit your finances. (CNN Money)
Do you use a cart or a basket to grocery shop? Save money on groceries by shopping with a cart instead of a basket, survey says. (Time Moneyland)
4-pack of glue sticks are $.25 at Office Depot!
This week’s back to school deals are hot! Stock up on what you need, no matter if you have kids in school. Note: OfficeMax deals to come (later today I hope!)
Office Depot Deals Sunday, July 24-30, 2011
- $1.00 Fiskars kids scissors
- 1 cent pencil sharpener
- $1.00 ream of paper after MIR
- 25 cent Foray dry erase markers, 2PK
- 25 cent Scholastic glue sticks, 4PK
- 25 cent poly pocket folders
Staples Deals through July 23, 2011
This week’s Savings Experiment from WalletPop, my former employer, tells you how to pick a grill. Price are coming down now that summer is half over; the video recommended one that costs less than $200!
BOGO Free Sundae coupons at Friendlys! Credit: IndyDina/Flickr
There are 21 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
Free chickpea snacks - Get a free sample of chickpea snacks from the SnackChicks for a limited time when you share your basic info (name, email, address). One per household.
Free movie screening - Sign up to get free movie tickets to a screening of “Crazy, Stupid Love” in select cities. Many cities are already booked, but Honolulu, Omaha, Providence, Salt Lake City, Philly, Portland (OR), and St. Louis still have spots. Thanks, FreeStuff4Free!
Free bowling - Sign up your kids for two free bowling games per day during the summer at AMF lanes. Kids 16 and younger eligible.
JD'na / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
A recent MoneyTalk News article shared results of a Harris poll that found 12 ways Americans are saving money this summer. Below are the 12 most popular cost-cutting methods with my tips on each.
1. Buy more generic brands – Don’t play favorites when it comes time to shopping. If you have ethnic grocery stores in your area, check them out. Just last week, I wanted avocados and found a bag of 4 for $3.99 at Trader Joe’s. I passed and headed to an ethnic store and found them for $0.33 each. To save more money don’t forget to check back every Wednesday when we share grocery coupons for different stores.
2. Brown bag lunch instead of buying it – I’ve compared the different options for midday meals and brown bagging it is definitely a winner. To save money on lunch, plan ahead. Make a big batch of beans during the weekend and during the week toss it in to a salad. Cut fruit ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Add some lemon, salt, and a pinch of cayenne for a quick and easy snack. (more…)
When should your student get credit? Credit: Phil Scoville/Flickr
Credit.com recently listed its top three credit cards for students. Being unsure if teenagers should even have credit cards, I was curious what they recommended. Do the cards encourage responsible use? Are the usage rules and fees clearly stated? How do the cards compare to those aimed at adults?
Credit.com considered 41 factors to determine the top three cards, including annual fees, rewards to dollars ratio, online shopping discounts, APR, fees to cancel the card, how user-friendly the application is, and more.
The evaluation was run by Credit.com writer Beverly Blair Harzog, who started with 45 cards. I was surprised that out of a 100 possible points, the winning cards only scored between 50-52 points. Either Bev has ridiculously high standards, or these cards leave a lot to be desired. Here’s what she said about each one:
This list now includes grocery deals at Giant Eagle! Plus, online coupon links below.
Ralphs - The Ralphs prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. Get all the Ralphs coupons later today. Our tips for saving money at Ralphs.
Safeway/Vons - Get all the Safeway/Vons coupons and deals later today.
Albertsons - Save at Home Mommy share’s this week’s Albertsons coupons. Highlights include Dannon Activia or Light for $0.50, Johnsonville Bratwurst or Italian Sausage for $2.29, and Sargento Natural Shredded Cheese for $1.45.
Whole Foods - Get Whole Foods coupons later today. Our tips for saving money at Whole Foods. (more…)
Buy one get one FREE Pinkberry coupon below.
There are 23 coupons and freebies today. If you shop online, get a cash back rebate on every purchase through Ebates or Shortcuts. It’s free to join!
BORDERS LIQUIDATING - If you have ANY Borders gift cards, USE THEM TODAY! The Wall Street Journal reports that Borders plans to begin liquidating as soon as Friday. The chain filed to find a buyer. Early Christmas shopping?!
Today! Free lollypops - Get a free lollypop today at See’s Candies in honor of National Lollypop Day. While supplies last. I’m bummed. There are no locations with 100 miles of me.
Today! Free mini coke float - Get a free mini coke float at Maggie Moo’s today, July 20, 2011 from 3-6 p.m. only. The freebie is advertised on the first of four scrolling screens on the link above.
Winners and runners up have been announced!
We received more than 188 entries in the contest to win a $100 Visa gift card, donated by WhitePages.com in honor of a new free tool called Neighbors. You guys shared so many fun and heartfelt stories of how your neighbors have lent a hand, I am inspired to be a better neighbor myself!
Runners up will receive a $25 Restaurant.com gift card.
The third runner up is
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Three things I love – freebies, Estee Lauder skin products, and flash mobs. How cool is it when all three come together?
Estee Lauder teamed up with Flash Mob America to do three flash mobs at the same time in three different cities as a promotion for their new face product, Idealist. Robert Schultz did the choreography. Flash Mob America then sent teams off to the different cities to execute the dances. What a coordination feat! They video taped all three events and made the super cool video you see below.
Now, if watching this video isn’t enough, get to your nearest Estee Lauder counter on Thursday, July 21, 2011 for a free “deluxe” sample (not sure what that is but I hope it means it is big) of their new product, Idealist. All the typical caveats about “until supplies run out” apply so I’d get there early. I’m taking my daughter so we can get two bottles. I’m not sharing.
I especially love free makeup samples. They are perfect for dropping into the travel bag so I don’t have to lug big bottles of cosmetics when I go on a trip.
And it’s no secret that I love flash mobbing as a free family activity. I flash mob with my teenaged daughter. It’s a wonderful way to spend quality time with my teen, and I get a free dance class with some of the top dancers in Los Angeles. I have flash mobbed at Universal CityWalk, Santa Monica Beach, a wedding, and The Grove in Los Angeles. I’ve also flash mobbed on two television shows - “Modern Family” and “The Bachelorette.”
If you are interested in flash mobbing, sign up at Flash Mob America or Google “flash mob”+”name of your nearest city.”
A typical outdoor outlet mall. Credit: prayitno/Flickr
This quick tip came from Di.
I would suggest that bargain babes look for outlets/freight sales in their area (if they have one). We have several in our area. Ex: I got a new pair of Libby Edelman ballet slippers (embossed w/ rubber soles) at a freight sale co for only $1.09 plus tax. It was marked down to 90% off the price of $11.99. I googled them, they were selling up to $49.99.
I’ve never heard of a freight sale, but I’m familiar with outlets. One way I like to shop (because I don’t really like to shop) is to go to an outlet mall and get enough clothes to last me a year or two. Haven’t done this in a while however, because I find it’s easy to get carried away.
If you are looking for an outlet mall near you, OutletBound is a cool site that lets you search for outlets by store, category or location. I used the map feature to find outlets near me. Make sure to sign up for the Outlets email or free VIP service a day or two before you shop. They’ll often send you a welcome booklet of coupons.
Got a tip to share? Email me!
