Method Madness Marathon!! Online Offers...AND New Offers fo all!!

Jenny D, this post is for you!!! :-)

Yes, so many of you have been waiting for this post. I keep getting emails asking when I was going to touch on this and introduce some new offers to do. And, the day has finally arrived!

New to my site? This is for you. Faithful follower but haven't taken the plunge? This is for you, too.

This method is one of the larger money makers for your family and can truly benefit your family this year!! As I have mentioned in the past, I have gotten almost $20,000 in free money from doing online offers. And, I am planning to make this a stellar year. Meaning, I have set a goal for myself to receive at least $5,000 this year in Online Offers. Can I do it? I hope so.

I started a new $500 offer earlier this week, and a $250 offer with a new company. Plus, I am going to be doing another offer this coming week. I hope to focus on one this coming week, too.

So, what are online offers? You can click here to read a full overview of the subject. Or, at any time, click on my Online Offers button in my left menu bar. You will also find many different offers you can sign up for yourself in the sidebars. I have them sorted by company.

But, a quick recap is that these are companies who will send you free gifts for trying multiple products. These free gifts could be anything from free money, free gift cards, Laptops, TVs, etc. The key to being successful is to actually follow thru in the process and make sure you stay organized!

What are some good offers to start with if you are new? I always recommend the $500 Gas Card offers from IDeal, just because I have done it already! Plus, it is a wonderful company to start with due to the fact they have good customer service, and quick turnaround ( usually about 2 months until you get your money ).

Are you one of my experienced readers and have already participated in the past? I know you are all itching to start some new offers. Well, here are some great finds for you. And, I will be adding these to my Online Offers webpage, too, for future reference.

IDeal - eSolutions Media

Remember, if you have done your max of $1,000 in 6 months on Top Notch with IDeal, you can still do offers with their other affiliated companies, such as eResearch Council. Yeah! So, I am excited that I have found some good offers for us with this company.

• $500 ( will probably come in VISA/Mastercard, so you an use on anything ) - FreeDiapersAndWipes.com Referral
  

IDeal - Bullseye Media, Inc.

• $100 - DesignerBeauty-Products.com
• $100 - GiftHouse.us.com
• $500 - RetailSurveyCenter.us.com
• $500 - GiftHouse.us.com
  

IDeal - 123 Click, Inc.

• $100 - ProductSurveyCenter.com

Also, I have added quite a few to the Netblue section!

Finally, if anyone is interested, I am trying a new company called Trainn. I have just signed up for the first time, but I have heard many good things from others.

Why have I liked this company so far? When you are registering, you can choose to either sign up and earn your money via points for doing offers OR you can choose to get most of your credit from referrals. You are allowed to change once after you sign up.

Another fun aspect, you can choose the gift, or they let you choose to get the value of the gift. So, I always like getting cash instead, and that is a plus for me. At least, this was the case in the offer I did.

When you log in, it seems like many offers to do, BUT the other plus is this company has a lot more offers to choose from AND alot I don't see on other companies. So, this is nice, so you will have enough to choose from while going thru the process.

I have also heard this company pays very quickly.

So, I am doing Your Nintendo Wii 4 Free, except I decided to simply that the $250 instead.

If you are ready for a new company and willing to try it with me, simply click here.

I hope these new offers give us all a bit more to work with in February.

Homework: Are you going to try Online Offers this year? If so, start now. This gives you the whole year to do many of them, once you find you like them.

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In the News!!

I was so excited when this past Sunday, me and my blog were featured in a Dayton Daily News article in the paper.

And, not only that, it was picked up various other papers. In Ohio, it showed up in the Journal News, the Middletown Journal, and the Springfield Sun News, but today...I actually got emails from readers in Oregon. Yes, an Oregon paper picked up the article, too. Wow!

To top it off, they published the picture of Ella, my 4 year old, with all the gifts I bought at Target. So, she felt so special. I was extremely happy for her.

Would you like to read the article? Click here.

And, I have to say thanks to Jill, the reporter. She was wonderful to work with over the phone. She called me back and we had conversations over 2 different days and I felt she really covered what my site has to offer very well.

To all my new readers, welcome! I look forward to providing you a full year of Money Saving and Earning Methods!

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$50 Sharebuilder Bonus for Account Holders!

Do you have a ShareBuilder account? I have talked about them in the past as one of my favorite programs, and now here is another great reason!

If you are new, click here to read my previous post on Sharebuilder and a code for $50 for new customers.

For the new year, we are once again being motivated to get our finances in order. And, ShareBuilder is offering us a very nice incentive so that we will get our investment accounts in order.

Right now, they will give you a $50 bonus for transferring $500 or more from a competitive brokerage account. My family currently has money sitting in a Money Market account at Fidelity while we are trying to contemplate where to invest it.

So, I plan to begin the process to move that over to ShareBuilder. Not only will I receive this wonderful extra $50, but I will also be able to invest in the account for much less than I get charged elsewhere. So, it is a win/win for me.

Interested in participating in this promotion, too? Here are the details:

• Click here to log into your account or sign up for a new account ( available on Individual, Joint and Custodial Accounts )
• Fill out the Account Transfer Form
• Activate your $50 bonus ... please check their website for offer code
• Mail or fax copy of your most recent investment to ShareBuilder

As always, I will post a link to this post under my Bank Offers webpage, so you can come back to it anytime.

More Prescription Coupons

Sorry I am late in getting this posted. My posts are always backed up on my desk. :-)

But, I did want to remind everyone there are some great Prescription Coupons out there right now. And, don't forget, these coupons become wonderful money makers or savers, depending on the cost of your prescriptions.

Click here to read how I make money on this method and to see links for all the current coupons right now.

So, what are the coupons you need to make sure you have before Saturday is over?

• Walgreens - $25 for Transferred Prescriptions thru April 26th, 2009. Click here. You can run in the front of your Walgreens to pick up this weeks fliers ( or a few ) to grab some coupons. Even though you can print it, I recommend at least having a few hard copies on hand. Why? Many other pharmacies, such as CVS, will honor transferred coupons. But, I have run into a few problems at mine where they will not honor competitor printable coupons. So, I always have hard copies, too.
• Rite Aid - $25 Transferred Coupon good thru 2/28/09. Click here.


• Meijer - $10 off gas or next shopping trip for NEW or Transferred Prescriptions - expires 2/28/09. Again, run to the front of the store and pick up the weekly ads before end of day Saturday, when the new ones come out. This is a good one to have because it is for New prescriptions, too. They are invaluable, because alot of coupons are only for transferred.


• 6 - $15 Off NEW or Transferred Prescriptions from Meijer. I loved when I got my Entertainment Book. Yeah! In the Dayton Ohio and Cincinnati Ohio books, they had two full pages of Meijer coupons in the front. Included are 6 $15 Prescription coupons for New or Transferred. PLUS, 3 $5 off $50 coupons. Click here to order your book.

How to Get your Entertainment Book Free or Cheap

Want an Entertainment Book for next to nothing, instead of buying directly online? If you are new to Cashbaq, they are giving $5 to join right here. Plus, they give you $10 Cash Back for each book you buy. So, that is $15.

My book normally costs $25, but all books are 35% off right now. So, my price came down to $16.25. Please note: each area's book may cost different.

So, now the price is $1.25 for my book. But, while checking out, if you sign up for next year's book, they give you an additional $5 off. Now, the book is costing $11.25 and I am getting $15 back.

Please note: when ordering the book for next year, if and when you cancel next years subscription, they may reissue the $5 charge to you. In the past, others have said they didn't, but they do state they will. Either way, it is worth a try. Simply remember to mark down on your calendar if you do want to cancel.

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Free Coffee Today Only!

This afternoon only, Friday, the 30th, Caribou Coffee will be offering a free 12 oz. Decaf Coffee from noon until closing!

Run thru one of their drive-thrus and enjoy a nice warm beverage during this BRRRR weather!

Enjoy!

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$20 off $20 or more Stamp from Staples

I love this deal, because I loved my old return address stamp!

My problem, we had our youngest, Noah, and the old stamp didn't include his name. So, I had to stop using it! Just wouldn't seem nice to not include him...

Thankfully, Staples is running a special online or they have a printable coupon for in store that will give you $20 off $20 or more on Custom Stamps.

Printable coupon, click here

Online code, 47328

It is good for ACCU-STAMP, EVOSTAMP, 2000Plus or Green Line. Coupon expires on Jan 31st, so we must hurry!

I picked the EVOSTAMP Pre-Inked Stamp 11/16" x 2", because it only came to $1.99 after coupon. The full price is $21.99.

If you order online, shipping came to a little over $3 for me.

But, don't forget, if you are new to Mr. Rebates, you will get a $5 bonus with your first purchase. So, you can shop thru Mr. Rebates and go to Staples. Then, you get the stamp for completely free plus 4% back! Click here to register with Mr. Rebates.

Or, if you don't want to order online, just head to your local store.

Don't forget, customized stamps make nice gifts, too. The one we had before was actually a gift to my husband from his boss at the time!

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The Things We Do.....

Do you ever wonder about the little things you do for others and how they affect them? I think sometimes we are too busy in our day to day lives to really stop and think that a simple smile to someone at the grocery store could make a difference in their day. Probably, more times than not, they will forget you smiled as soon as they walk away, but sometimes.....it does mean something to someone.

Or, that you took the time to talk with someone, or help them or give them a hug. We never know what is going on in someone's life, so sometimes...the smallest thing can make someone's day.

And, that happened to me today.

This person ( who I will introduce you to soon ) had no idea that I had spent hours..into the wee morning...a few nights ago trying to create my button for the post I was going to do on my Blog Roll. Nor, did she have any idea how unhappy I was with it...but I had just given up and said this will have to do! It is so frustrating to devote a chunk of time to something you don't even end up liking!

So today, this lovely reader left a comment saying she had emailed me awhile back ( hey, found the email by the way...it went to my bulk ) asking if she could make me a button. She had figured out how to do them and was excited and thought of my blog. I never read her email...how I wish I had.

Wow...I was touched when I read her comment today. And, sure, I could take any help available. I was thinking she was going to possiby begin trying to create one for me over the next week or so.

So, she writes me back with my button ALREADY done. When she was learning how to do buttons and had done her own, she then thought of my blog and did one for me. ( now mind you, I have never met Jenny in person....just via my blog ). She even matched it up to the colors of my site AND appropriately has money coming out of an envelope. We all know how I love going to the mailbox every day!

The fact that she had been setting on this button she created for me for quite awhile literally made my eyes well up with tears. After all the frustration I had gone thru, for someone else to actually think of me, out of the goodness of her heart, and create it...just to be kind...simply touched me.

And, you may all be laughing at me. But, my point is this, you NEVER know when you are going to do something for someone that truly, truly means alot to them. And, we touch other peoples lives everyday. Are we doing the most for others? Are we showing kindness and love? Are we caring individuals?

Well, Jenny definitely is. And, to her...my heartfelt thanks!!! I love my new button! It is perfect.

You can go to my post from yesterday and I swapped it out for the one I had created, and I also put it in my sidebar. I apologize to those that posted the other button today. I had no idea I would have another one by the end of day!

So, before I go, I want to introduce you to Jenny.

She is currently the author of Our Nifty Notebook. It is a wonderful blog about her life as a mommy and homeschooling and some deals thrown in for good measure. And, right now, she is running a giveaway on a free button. Yeah! So, if any of you fellow bloggers were as desperate as me, go enter! Her's is adorable. I have posted it below! Click here to go visit Jenny!

And, to Jenny...thanks for making my night!

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Making your Own Free/Cheap Photo Cards!!

Did you love the 6 free Photo Valentine's Cards I posted about here? Did you not take advantage of them yet? You better. Mine came today and they are ADORABLE! I love them.

Well, I couldn't leave my eldest son out. He has to pass out Valentine's to his 1st grade class, to his Sunday school class, etc. So, I needed quite a bit. I ordered 40, just to be safe.

So, how do I get 40 Photo Cards for basically nothing? I use all the free print offers from the photo companies!

The first key is you must have photo editing software. I, personally, have Photoshop and love it.

Next, find a picture you love of your child and create a masterpiece.

I created the one above last night by myself. Yes, it isn't fancy ( we all know my design knowledge is limited ) , but my son thought it was pretty nifty. So, he was happy. I am also going to wrap some tootsy rolls up with black and yellow construction paper to look like a bee and cut out some pink hearts for wings...courtesy of scrapgirls. Click here.

Not crafty enough to come up with your own design?? Then, click here to go to scrapgirls. Once there, go to their Boutique tab. Type Valentine. It will pull gobs of items back, but I then sort by price in ascending order. I loved a lot of the Easy Pro Pages and plan to make some more Valentine's for my daughter. And, they are on sale for $1.66 right now!! You can use them over and over! Woo, hoo!

Now, you can use those templates to add your son or daughter's photo and then add some text! Wa, la!

The kicker, make sure you create your card in the size of 4X6, so you will have to size down the templates!!

Why? Because you are going to order your cards as photos from all the photo sites. I did this with my lasts son's baby announcements and loved them. When I got them home, I added ribbon to them, to dress them up a bit. Just like I plan to add the bees to my son's Valentine.

So, I ordered Brady's Valentine's today on one of the sites I haven't used before and had 50 free print credits! So, I paid shipping of just under $3 for 40 Personalized Photo Valentine's Cards! Can't hardly beat that! It is much cheaper than if I bought generic Valentine's from the store.

Which sites can you order your free photos ( cards ) from? Click here to go to my Free Photo webpage and find one that suits you. Or, you can the Free Photos button at anytime by going to my left side bar.

Or, one of the best deals right now is the York Photo deal happening. They have 50 prints for a Buck! Click here for the details.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

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Freebie Frenzy

Big thanks to Bekah at Motherhood Moment for her weekly Freebie listing for us all!

• Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal
• Updated Coupon for Free Bag of Riceworks
• Working Mother magazine (with survey about handbags)
• Lights Out sleep aid
• Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel
• Pink Lemonade and Berry Burst Metamucil
• Surf (when you provide a stain-fighting tip)

Want to know what Bekah has been blogging about over at Motherhood Moment over the last week? Here is a brief highlight! Click on any link to go read more!

• Entrecard Review
• Cherishing alone time

Upcoming posts on her site: February giveaway!

As always, click here or go to the Freebies tab in my left menu bar at any time to see a list of all freebies. And, make sure to check out the side bars on the Freebie webpage to take advantage of all the free coupon booklets, free samples. You can click on any of the pictures to request yours!

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Join my Blogroll!

I have been wanting to do this for a very long time, and it kept getting pushed to the back burner. So, I apologize.

But, there are so many great blogs out there, and so many of you are just starting new blogs with the new year, that I wanted to make sure to promote the work you are doing here on Money Saving Methods.

Plus, by sharing many other blogs, I am providing my readers the opportunity to find some new bloggy friends out there, that they may come to love, too!!

So, here is how it will work. I just added a new webpage called Blogs To Read. You will find the button in my left menu bar ( is everyone sick of me typing where my buttons are already ). :-)

On this page, if you have a button, I would love to paste it in the side bars under the category it falls. So, if you are a money saving blog like me, let me know. If you blog is about movie reviews...let me know that, too. Is it about books? Whatever it is, tell me so I can categorize it.

In addition, I will also be putting a list together for those of you who don't have buttons. So, still send me your info and I will categorize it and list it in the main section of the blog.

Also, at the end of each month, I will do a post welcoming everyone to my Blogs To Read webpage with a list. So, it will appear on my main page the month you submit.

What am I asking in return for posting a link to your site? Some friendly love in return. I am not particular. You can post my button ( I finally created one, yeah ) or just add my site to your Blog roll list. Either way, I would appreciate the shout out for my site as well.

So, email me your buttons or website addresses now. I am very excited to promote your sites and am thrilled to, hopefully, offer my readers a great selection of blogs to choose from in the future.

Before I go, here is my button if you want to grab it.


<a href="http://moneysavingmethods.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/0/0/3/1/1/webimg/223559860_o.jpg" /></a>

Method Madness Marathon!! Affiliates!

So, today, it only seemed appropriate that I touch on Affiliates after the large checks that came in over the weekend. It has, by far, surpassed all of my other money makers or savers! And, when I started my blog a year ago, I never dreamed it was possible to provide this extra for my family.

As you know, I also have an affiliate button in my left menu bar where I discuss the basics of my affiliate programs and provide links to the companies I have worked with and gotten paid. As I find new programs I like, I will add their sites to my webpage.

Click here to read more about affiliates or sign up with the companies.

So, what am I going to discuss on this topic today?

How I manage my programs as a blogger.

Of course, this post is going to be most helpful to those who are bloggers already. But, don't forget, it is very easy to start your own blog. The key is to write about something you absolutely love or enjoy.

And, towards the bottom, I will also have a program for non-bloggers to earn money, as well.

Once you have a blog, how do you earn money thru these programs?

First, you need to sign up for them. Click here.

Once you are a member, you have access to many, many different companies. You can then apply for specific companies you would like to see on your site or write about. After they approve you, you will gain access to links for banner or text ads to use.

So, what if you go thru all these steps and an advertiser denies you? This happens all the time. Especially to me, as I am still a small blogger. I always write them a very nice email then, thanking them for their consideration. I then ask if they could possibly review my site and provide me with any feedback of what I could change to bring my site up to compliance with their program.

After I write this email, they almost always approve me. They know I am serious. I want to promote their company! So, ALWAYS send an email if you get denied.

Next, how do I find which companies I want to promote?

Easy, I let them find me.

I do this by finding the topics I want to write about on a day to day basis. If I find a great deal/sale I am going to share, I immediately do a Swagbucks search on the name of the company and the word affiliate or referral.

It will then bring back results letting me know if they pay bloggers to advertise their product or company.

If they have a program, I sign up. That way, I then, potentially, get paid if people use the deal. If they don't, oh, well....I tried! But, you would be surprised how many companies have affiliate or referral programs. And, if they have a program, why write the post without joining the program.

I hope that gives a bit more insight into how I manage my affiliates. I know there are many different ways, but this method has seemed to work well for me. My goal is to only advertise for companies I am currently using myself to earn and save money. Of course, every blogger can establish the guidelines of how they want to run their own blog.

Now, if you are not a blogger and don't plan to start one anytime soon, how can you still make money from advertisers?

Thanks to Marianne at Writer-Mommy for sharing about a program called You Data. She mentioned that she only clicked thru a few ads last week, mere minutes, and earned over $6! Wow! Good return on the bit of time spent!

But, here is the gist of the program. Instead of bloggers like me getting paid to have the ads on my site, YOU are getting paid to view the ads. Why not? You are the end customer, potentially.

What are the benefits?

Based on the profile you set up, you can view ads that are targeted to your interests. Yeah! You then get to view those ads and read them, etc, and get paid. The amount you will get paid is there for you to see before you view the ads. Very nice!

Finally, if you are a blogger, they have a referral program. Love that!

And, you get paid WEEKLY to your paypal account. Now, that is exceptional. As we know, most companies pay monthly or sometimes even quarterly. So, weekly is really great!

Want to sign up and begin earning a bit? Sign up via the ad below. Also, this will be posted on my Affiliate webpage for others to utilize and in my side bar on this main page.

So, what is your homework?

If you are a blogger, click here to go to my affiliate page and begin signing up for these programs and applying for advertisers you are interested in.

Not a blogger, but want to start? Get busy tonight. What are 3 easy steps to get going? Come up with your topic and title, go to blogger.com and begin the free, easy process of setting a blog up and then write your first post! You will want to write at LEAST 3 times a week to grow, but preferably at least once a day or every other day.

Once you are over this initial hurdle, you can begin promoting your blog and creating backgrounds, designs, etc to suit your style.

Not a Blogger and don't plan to be? Just want to make a bit extra off of advertisers? Sign up above for You Data. Now, start earning a bit each week for viewing ads. Very easy money!

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Method Madness Marathon!! Walgreens plus some weekly deals!

I have always categorized Walgreens as its own method, when in fact, it really should be under grocery shopping.

And, going forward, I will be tallying it under Grocery Savings, etc. You will be able to find all details regarding Walgreens Shopping on my Grocery button in the left menu button.

But for today, and for all my new readers that aren't familiar with the program, I wanted to touch briefly on it today.

First, just like I do with my Kroger or Meijer shopping, I personally use the Grocery Game ( please use referral moneysavingmethods@yahoo.com ) to provide me a list each week of all the sale and coupon match ups. BUT, Andrea at Mommy Snacks also has a Walgreens feature, as well. So, if you are just starting with the whole couponing and feel a bit overwhelmed, use either of these two resources to assist you.

Why is Walgreens worthy of it's own Method post?

Because, you will get unbelievable amounts of products free or almost, week after week....month after month.

The reason is they have a Walgreen Easy Rebate Catalog that comes out each month. In that catalog will be items that Walgreens will provide a rebate on. You can click here to view January's Catalog or pick one up at the front of any store.

As you will notice, the first benefit is that if you have your rebate provided to you in the form of a Walgreens Gift Card, they will give you an extra 10%!! That means you are making a bit more money on the rebate.

Also, each month, they have Free After Rebate Items. This month they have Orajel and Revlon, for example. This simply means that if you buy these products, you will get the full price back to you PLUS 10% next month on a Gift Card. OK...so now you made money! Yeah!

But, how can you make even more? If you have coupons, you then make an even heftier profit. If I have a $2.00 off Revlon coupon and a $1.00 Coupon for Orajel, I will now make a profit of $3.00 plus 10%. Why? Because Walgreens gives the purchase price back before coupons.

In addition, they have items with a rebate but it won't be necessarily categorized as free. But, many times, if you use your coupon, it then brings the item to free after rebate ( plus profit of 10% )

It all sounds so confusing, but it is not, once you get the hang of it. I buy all my health and beauty products from Drugstores now for free or pretty close to it. I can't remember the last time I paid for toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, soap, etc.

The first month you do this, you will of course pay out of pocket. You will then be refunded via Gift Card. But, going forward, you should spend very little out of pocket if you roll everything over.

For example, when you go to shop in February next month, you will use the gift card you got from your January purchases to pay for February's order. Thus, you don't spend anything or very little out of pocket. But, you used that gift card. Now, in March, your gift card will be reloaded with the rebates from the February order, and you will use this new money to pay for March. So on and so forth.

Finally, Walgreens has Register Rewards. You will see these advertised or on your grocery lists from the Grocery Game or Mommy Snacks, when available. How they work is simple. You buy a set amount of a product, and they will then give you a Register Reward for $5, as an example. This $5 is printed as a Walgreens coupon and can be used on your next shopping trip ( or split your cart up and use it to pay for part of your products )

By combining all of these simple tricks at Walgreens, you can get a lot of your necessity items for barely anything. This can be a huge cost savings to your family.

So, to kick off this method, here are some new coupons that just came to me tonight and will get you some free items.

Click here to print coupons for Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons on select Walgreens items.

You will notice the Allergy medicine is also part of the rebates this month. If you buy 5 products you get $10 back. There is a large array of Walgreens products, so check the Easy Saver Catalog for a full list. So, now you can buy items at Buy 1 Get 1 and qualify for this rebate.

I did mine online, just because they also have this via an online coupon code and we are all snowed in here. School is cancelled again tomorrow. And, with the online code, Wal-Tussin is available, too. With being winter, I can always use cough medicine. If I have too much, I share with friends or donate.

I also bought two of the Free After Rebate items. I got Revlon Blush and Orajel.

So, my cart worked out like this:

• 5 - Wal-Tussin - Buy 1 Get 1 at $3.99 = $9.98 ( they gave a discount on the 5th )
• 1 - Revlon Blush - $9.99
• 1 - Orajel Cold Sore - $8.49

Total = $29.46

Entered code: WEEKLYAD

This takes the shipping off of orders $25 and above.

BUT, the kicker was when I checked out. They also took another $5 off. The only reason I could come up with was that I had previously entered code HEALTH last week, thanks to a tip from Choyster Cash. This code is for $5 off a $20 order.

Walgreens site does say only one coupon code per order. So, again, not sure why the $5 came off, maybe that code was saved? Or, maybe it is simply part of the WEEKLYAD code, and I was not aware of it. Either way, you can decide which coupon code you would rather use, and will work for your online order.

Either way, my final tally was $25.99. BUT, I will be getting $29.46 plus 10% back. So, I just got all those products free plus made $6.42!!

I hope this gives you a bit of insight to how the program works.

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Mystery Shopping - Game Film Consultants

Time of another weekly installment of my Mystery Shopping segment.

This week I am introducing Game Film Consultants.

Don't be fooled by the name, the mystery shop invites I have been receiving have not been for Game Shops, or anything along those lines.

They have actually been for restaurants.....my all time favorite mystery shops. Yum! Who doesn't want to get a free meal out, right?

Before you sign up, if you are new to Mystery Shopping and my site, please click here or go to my Mystery Shopping button in my left menu bar. You will find instructions on how best to prepare and apply for these shops.

In the side bar, you will also find other companies I have shopped for or are in their system. Click on any of the images and it will take you to the sign up page or instructions on how to sign up for that particular company.

Want to join Game Film Consultants? Click here.

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Methods Madness Marathon!! Free Donations!!

OK...we are down to the wire! Is everyone ready to sprint as we try to finish this Marathon? I am going to try and get us thru the rest of the methods this week, but if not...I will extend it into February.

There are just too many ways to save and make money, I guess!

Today I wanted to focus on what I call Free Donations! I categorize this as a savings for my family.

Why? I like to give 10% or my earnings to church, charities, etc. So, if I find free ways to donate to organizations, churches, schools, I take full advantage of the programs. Although I technically am not the one funding the money for the organizations, the time I spent to take part caused the organization to get their money. Am I being thrify? Of course, that is just me. I want to give what my family has budgeted for donations, but if I can shave a few dollars off here and there by participating in these programs, I will.

First, let me introduce you to a new offer I just found. It is called the Pound for Pound Challenge. And, it is being sponsored by The Biggest Loser and General Mills. You can click here for details. They are donating the money to Feeding America.

But, the overview of the program is this.....

Select General Mills products will have 10 cent labels on packages ( I found mine on my Green Giant Bagged Vegetables ). These are different than the Box Top Labels. You need to cut those labels out and mail them in by December 31, 2009. For every seal they receive, they will donate that 10 cents up to $275,000.

Let's help them reach that number.

Or, you can participate by doing the weight loss challenge. For every pound you lose, they will donate 10 cents to the charity.

And, what are many other programs I like?

I know almost all of you have heard of the Box Tops for Education program. But, do you use it? If you are a mother or father of a school age child, I am sure you probably do. Your education department probably collects them. But, what about those of you who have young children? What about those of you don't have children or are retired? Do you collect and contribute? You should.

First, it is free. I do not suggest you buy particular items simply to get the box tops. But, if you are unloading your groceries and notice a box top, cut it off immediately ( if possible ) and store in a ziplock bag in a safe spot. No matter where you live, if in the USA, you are paying taxes for your school system.

And, the value of your school system ultimately affects the value of your home. So, you should want your schools to flourish. Once a month, when passing by one of your local schools, drop it off. Or, mail it in or to a neighbor's child to take into school. They are valued at 10 cents each.
In a given month, I usually average $1.00 to $4.00.

Want to earn some extra 5 Box Tops for your school right now AND get a fruit roll up sample? Click here and register for the Box Tops Newsletter ( send to your deals email account ).

Another great program is the Campbell's Labels for Education ( 1 to 5 points per label that the school redeems for equipment )

Plus, right now at some grocery stores, you can sign up for eLabels for Education. You originally sign up and link your shopping card number and they will credit your school automatically.

What about your local grocery store?

Our Bigg's collects receipts and gives the school or other charity back a percentage of all receipts collected. Our Kroger's gives the charity of your choice 4% of your purchases! 4%!!! That could be huge, if everyone chose to do this.

All I have to do is load money onto my charity card ( I usually estimate and have them swipe my charity card first ) then pay for that. Then, in a seperate transaction, they ring my groceries and I pay for it with the card I just loaded. If my grocery bill is a little over, I pay the overage. If it is under, I save the extra on my charity card to pay for next weeks groceries. Currently, I have a Kroger card for my son's school.

Do you have a Target card? If so, make sure to link it to a local school today!! They also give a percentage of your purchase to education.

School Spirit Sunbeam Bread Products is another program.

And, finally, if you drink pop from a can, save that pop top. Collect them and then call the Ronald McDonald house and support the home away from home program for seriously ill children.

If you don't see the phone number on the link I listed, just click the Back a Page Button at the top of that site. They collect and recycle these. Last year they raised $30,000 from recycling pop tops...wouldn't it be nice if we could help them raise even more???

If you live in the Cincinnati area, then Cincinnati Bell has a great feature where they donate to the school, $10 for every new registant. Click here to learn more. Thanks goes to Becky V. for reminding me about CB Learn!

What is your homework tonight?

Register for all these companies to begin saving for donations. In addition, you want to be organized. Pull out ziplock bags for all those Box Tops, Seals or Labels you will be cutting out soon.

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$10 Off $10 at Oriental Trading

Time for my favorite coupons!

If you are new to my blog, $10 off $10 or $5 Off $5, etc coupons are simply the best. You can get tons of free items when you combine these coupons with sale and clearance items.

For school last year, I got my son a $20 Polo Style shirt for free. It was on sale for 50% off, bringing it to $10 and then I used my $10 off coupon. Now, that is the way to shop!

So, what are the deals on the Oriental Trading coupon.

First, it is an online coupon. The code is AVA910. You will have to pay shipping, which comes to $6.99. But, if you buy items from clearance, you are getting a heck of a deal for $6.99.

I bought gift bag toys for my son's birthday party this summer ( another item off my list for the year ). And, I got a wonderful Fall Clock for the wall. Both were on clearance, and my total would have been $30 ( with shipping ) and I am now getting for just the cost of shipping.

Second, you will want to shop thru either Big Crumbs or Mr. Rebates to get money back on your purchase.

New to these programs? Don't ever shop online without using an Online Rebate company. All you do it set up a free account and then click on the store you want to shop thru their site. Their site will take you directly to the stores site ( just like if you had gone their on your own ) but now they track your purchase. They will give you a percentage back.

Trying to decide which to use? Mr. Rebates will give you a $5 bonus if you are new plus 3% back. That brings your total to approx. $1.78.

Already a member of Big Crumbs. They are offering 4.5% for Crumb Savers. If you are a Crumb Earner, then it is only 2.5%.

Now, here is the bonus:

After you place your order, a pop up will appear for Easy Saver offering you $15 off your next order via rebate. This is simply for trying their company for just over a $1. You have 30 days to try their program and they will give you the $15. So, you know me, I love free trials.

Just make sure to mark you 30 days on your calendar ( electronic, planner and cell phone ) with the cancellation phone number. Then, make sure to call an cancel and you get $15! Now, you can go buy more items!

And, don't forget, often times when you call to cancel, they will add extra weeks on for free if you tell them your packet didn't arrive to ( give the actual date ). I always call to ask for a full 30 days, since it is more like 2 weeks by the time the material arrives.

Have fun shopping!

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Week In Review

Welcome to Week in Review!

Here you will find a re-cap of what happened in my household last week and the monetary impact to us.

Follow along with me and watch your earnings and savings grow, too!

Don't forget to track your own numbers, as it is fun and beneficial to know what is working for you!

Listed below is the total I saved or earned, the post that explains the details ( if there is one ) and then the method where I am adding this total for tallying purposes.

Savings

• $174 - Kroger Savings - The Grocery Game (please use referral moneysavingmethods@yahoo.com )
• $98 - Target Savings - Sale Shopping
• $10 - Target Savings - Prescription Coupon
• $5 - Target Savings - Receipt Adjustment ( Rebuy/Return )
• $4 - Target Savings - Receipt Error
• $2 - Kroger - Free Donations

Total Weekly Savings = $293

Earnings

• $11,606 - Linkshare and Commission Junction - Affiliates
• $10 - Swagbucks
• $3 - Credit Cards Cash Back
  

Total Weekly Earnings = $11,619

Grand Total Savings/Earnings = $11,912

Plus, what I did that will benefit me in the future:

• Ordered my 50 prints for $1 at York Photos
• Uploaded my free Tax Software
• Opening PNC Checking w/$75 Bonus
• Ordered my free Photo Valentine Cards
• Signed up for another Mystery Shopping Company
• Ordered my Free Turtle Chex Mix Sample
• Got new quotes on Insurance to have it lowered
• Signed up for $2 free to Upromise
• Preparing to take advantage of the Free Tax Question from Turbo Tax
  

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50 Photo Prints for a Buck - Hurry!

Time for another great photo deal. And, as always, these codes often expire quickly!

Remember, you can click my Free Photos button in the left menu at any time to see all current free photo deals, or click here.

York Photo is currently offer 50 Prints for one dollar!

First, click here to register. You will get 30 free prints!

Next, you will want to upload your photos. You will be getting 50 for $1!

Check out with your 50 free prints. Shipping for me was approx. $3.44.

Use code L4ABUCK

It will bring your total price down to $1.00 for all 50!

You will end up spending approx. $4.44 for 50 prints, or a bit over 8 cents per each.

Enjoy!

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Free Tax Preparation - TaxCut

As promised, I will keep bringing you any free or cheap tax preparation software or deals that I find.

Right now, TaxCut from H&R Block is offering a very similar deal to TurboTax.

If you are filling out the simple forms, you can use their software for free AND get free e-file. Yeah!

Click here to access.

You can also go here to see what other options they offer and prices.

What is my favorite Tax Preparation deal right now?

TaxAct. It is free for EVERYONE! What gets better than that? Click here.

Remember, you can click here or go to my Tax Preparation button in my left menu bar at anytime to see all deals. And, don't forget about the Mystery Shop for free tax preparation at one of your local establishments. Now, that is a great deal!

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