$.07 Prints at Snapfish!!!

Ok, I couldn't hold off on some of these deals until after the New Year. Christmas has been wonderful, full of adventures and laughter (my son got double-ear infections, poor kid) and my husband got a nasty spider bite. But we have been having a great time with family members we don't get to see often!

So to capture many of the holiday memories, check out this deal: Snapfish is offering 99 prints from $.99 (plus $5.89 shipping) when you use the promo code "2011PENNY". That comes out to be $.07 per print. You have to order exactly 99 to get the deal (and it is only valid for mail-order purchases, not store pick-up). This is a great time of year to get this deal!

This deal is good through January 9th, 2011!

Celebrating Christmas...

Just in case anyone is stopping by my blog, I wanted to let y'all know that starting today (Dec. 22nd) I will be off-line until January 1st, spending time with family and celebrating Christmas. I will be back after that, helping hunt down coupons, bargains, and freebies on our everyday life stuff like groceries, toiletries, and household supplies.

In the midst of a busy season, finding the perfect gifts, the best deals, etc... I continue to think about the fact that the entire reason we even have "Christmas" is to set aside a day out of the year to celebrate one of the most selfless acts in human history: our very personal God sending His Son, Jesus, to be born on this earth as a precious little baby boy, so that all people could have a personal relationship with God. Yet we've turned it into one of the most selfish days of our year.

The verse that keeps coming to my mind the last few weeks is the beginning of James 3:17- "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." I look around me, and can't help but think of all the good gifts God has given me this year: my incredible husband who supports me, challenges me, and loves me through the ups and downs of life, my healthy little boy who brings me so many smiles, a home that keeps me warm, money to pay the bills every month, healthy food on our table, friends to laugh & cry with, healing with various health issues, and so much more! It's not even Christmas Day yet, but I have been receiving gifts all year long from a heavenly Father who loves all of us so much.

The best gifts of all really can't be wrapped and put under a Christmas tree, can they?

Beautiful Downloadable Patterns for FREE...

Not everyone loves to sew, but I do. "Homespun-Threads" is offering ALL 29 of their downloadable patterns right now for FREE. They have some absolutely adorable patterns, like the little chef hat, apron, and oven mitt pictured above, or all the little baby booties. Download them now, and enjoy a fun craft sometime this winter! (be patient, the site might be running slow with so many people trying to get these free patterns!!!)

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Restaurant.com: $25 gift certificate for $2

Restaurant.com offers gift certificates to various places at a discount, and right now you can take an additional 80% if you use the promo code "PRESENT". Last week, I bought a $25 gift certificate for $2 (usually $10) to a mexican restaurant, and my sisters and I are going to have a "girls night out" together. It's been awhile since all four of us have been in the same place since we're scattered all over!

Usually there are conditions for the gift certificate: the one I bought can be used on a purchase of $35 or more. So I paid $2 for the certificate, and might spend another $10-$15 out-of-pocket. Not bad at all!!!

You can print the gift certificate immediately after purchasing, so there is no wait for anything to be shipped to you!

Earn an extra 15% cashback through Ebates or 30% cashback through Shop At Home!!! (Not registered with either? Sign up for Ebates or Shop At Home, and either place will start you off by adding $5 to your account!)

Swagbucks: Sign Up and Get 30 Free Swagbucks!!!

If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, this is another great opportunity: Register now and enter "JoinIn2010" in the SwagCode Box to snag 30 free Swagbucks!

How do you earn Swagbucks and what do you do with them? When you use the Swagbucks Search Engine, you are randomly awarded "Swagbucks". You can also earn them for taking surveys, watching videos, printing & using coupons, recruiting friends, and more!!!

You can redeem your swagbucks for giftcards. My favorite are the $5 Amazon cards for 450 Swagbucks!!! I got to order multiple Christmas gifts on Amazon with my Amazon cards, spending nothing out of pocket!

*The links above are my referral link. One of the ways to earn Swagbucks is to refer friends. If you would rather sign up directly with Swagbucks, go to www.swagbucks.com.

Earn IPod Stuff by Inviting Friends (and no one has to buy anything!)

"No More Rack", one of the many online sites offering daily deals, has posted a great deal: Get friends to sign up under you, and you can earn IPod stuff!!! All you have to do to sign up is go here, enter your email address, and you're done! The catch? It has to be done by noon tomorrow (ET, Dec. 16th). Neither you nor your friends have to purchase anything! How do these places do it?

35 Friends: iPod Shuffle
100 Friends: iPod Nano
170 Friends: iPod Touch, 8GB (My husband has an iPod Touch, and I LOVE playing with it while he's at work!)
400 Friends: iPad

When you sign up, there should be a promo code: write that down (usually P1070) to claim $10 off your first purchase of $20 if you were interested in buying something. "No More Rack" changes their deals every day, and offers $2 flat rate shipping on everything. But this is worth signing up for even if you never make a purchase!

*And yes, that's my referral link so I can try to earn one of these in the next 24 hours!

Online Shopping: I Can Earn CashBack?!? Yep!!! (on top of your credit card cashback program)

Several deals I have posted recently have mentioned the websites "Shop At Home" and "Ebates". These are two online Cash Back sites that offer online shoppers coupons and cash-back if you shop at your favorite retailers through their site. You might be wondering, how in the world does that work? What does it cost me?


Create an Account with Ebates or Shop At Home. Both sites offer a $5 incentive* automatically offered to new customers. And membership is completely free (Shop At Home also has a huge online printable coupon database).


Shop at the online stores you already purchase from regularly. Both Ebates and Shop At Home have hundreds and hundreds of stores to choose from. They have everything from normal stores (like Sears, JCPenneys, Kohls, etc...) to stores I have never heard of. By the store's name, you will see the percentage (as well as any available online coupons that store is offering that you could use) that is available for cashback, usually between 3%-10%, but it changes regularly, so sometimes there is a "sale" for 10%-50% cashback for certain stores!


Earn Cash Back by signing in to your account, then clicking on the store you want to make a purchase from. It will redirect you from the Shop At Home or Ebates website, to that particular store's website. As it opens the new window, it will tell you it opened a "shopping ticket" or "tracking number". Make sure you stay in that window so you get credit if you make a purchase.


Make your purchase from the store. You still buy directly from that retailer, you don't pay Shop At Home or Ebates. Once the purchase has been confirmed by Shop At Home or Ebates, your account will be credited.


You will receive a check or PayPal credit (your choice). For Ebates, you have to have $5.01 in your account to receive a check. Ebates sends out their checks quarterly (every three months). Shop At Home sends out their checks monthly, but you have to have $20 accumulated. I recommend signing up for both, because each site varies in their offers (like last week my husband and I purchased a deep freezer from Sears and earned 10% cashback from Shop At Home! Ebates was only 4%)


While this isn't immediate cash in hand, you will start seeing checks coming in small amounts for purchases you already make on a regular basis, and as we all learn to live more frugally, every dollar really counts! The best part? All of this is free. We all do online shopping anyway, so why not find ways to save even a little more (on top of already earning cashback on our credit cards)?


A current great deal? 35% Cash Back on the 2011 Entertainment Book!


*Shop At Home and Ebates both have a "Tell-A-Friend" program that offers both $5 to the friend who signs up (you) and the friend who refers them (me). It's a great way to not only save money, save your friends money, but also earn a little back. Once you've signed up, refer your friends and family, too! I have posted my referral link in this blog, so if you feel uncomfortable with being a referral, you can go directly to the Shop At Home or Ebates website personally. 

RedBox Groupon: 3 Rentals for $1!!!

This deal has been posted across the web on numerous blogs, but I decided to post it just in case some of my friends might have missed it. Groupon is offering 3 RedBox rentals for $1. From what I'm seeing across many websites, the 3 rentals can be all on the same night, or spread across several nights. I usually wait for when I get a free RedBox code to rent, but those are usually on random days like Mondays. This deal makes for $.33 movie date nights, and the codes don't expire until March 10, 2011. If you don't watch RedBox often, but know someone who would, this would be a super-cheap Christmas gift (or stocking stuffer).

Sign-In or Register for Groupon.

Then click here to purchase the deal (it's a national deal, so I'm having a hard time finding it just by city, so here's the direct link to it).

* Disclosure: The links above do contain my affiliate/referral link, so if you're a new customer to Groupon, I will earn referral credit. If you would rather sign up on your own, just go to www.groupon.com yourself. As I continue to share various deals, freebies, and coupons with friends & family, there are some websites that help compensate a little of the time I put into this new adventure!

It's Real: Earn FREE $10 giftcards to Starbucks and other places!

A few weeks ago I posted about how you could earn FREE $10 giftcards to Starbucks, Old Navy, Gap, Amazon and other places through an online website called "Shop It To Me." Basically, for every 10 friends who sign up under your referral link (that's mine linked here), you earn a $10 gift card to a variety of places (you choose--I chose Starbucks for right now, but you can change it anytime you want). Your friends don't have to make any purchases. So it's literally free!

I wasn't sure if it worked, but Money Saving Mom just posted that she received some of her gift cards in the mail this week! So sign up, then get your friends to sign up...I am learning there is a lot more free stuff out there than I ever thought there could be!

If you haven't already, I recommend setting up a free email account that you use only for couponing, deals, freebies, etc... to help keep mass amounts of email out of your personal email account. Gmail is my personal favorite, and I get almost no spam!

Entertainment Books: $19.99 + 35% Cash Back!!!

Entertainment Books are on sale for $19.99 with free shipping. If you've never owned one, you should check out the coupons Entertainment offers for your area. They offer coupons for restaurants, fast-food places, bowling, golfing, movie theaters, dry cleaning, retail stores... Not only can you use the coupons in your book, you can sign in to your entertainment account and print coupons offline for your city, or cities you are traveling to (like when we visit family in Texas).

Anyway, Ebates is a website you can use to earn 35% cash back on your purchase of a book (when you shop through the Ebates website). You can also earn varying amounts of cash back on hundreds of other online retail stores (like Kohls, Target, JCPenney's, Sears, etc...) So here's how to get your new 2011 Entertainment Book for as low as $8 after rebate! (new Ebates members get an automatic $5 added to their account)

Register or Sign-In to Ebates and then Select "Entertainment.com"

Entertainment Sale: $19.99 (extra books are $15 each)

Ebates 35% Cash Back: $7.00

Out-Of-Pocket: $19.99

Ebates Rebate Check: $7 or $12 ($7 + $5 for new members)

These also make great gifts for people, because it's truly a gift that keeps on giving all year!

Target Deals: Party Paper Goods for $.83, Huge Lotion for $1, Light bulbs for $.74...

Target Coupons continue to amaze me... For a store I used to rarely shop at, I sure do buy a lot there now! But since their coupon policy makes it easy to score some great deals, even FREE things, I definitely think it's worth finding these deals! So here goes some one's I've found recently...

Target Christmas Party Goods: $1.50 each (on sale through Saturday, Dec. 11th)
- use $2/3 coupon from Target Coupons (look under "Home")
Total: $.83 each when you buy 3


Vaseline Lotion: $5.19 each (31.8 fl.oz.)
- use $1.50/1 coupon from Target Coupons (look under "Beauty")
- buy 2, get a $5 target gift card (to use on your next shopping trip)
Total: $1.19 each bottle


GE Reveal Lightbulbs: $2.24 pk
-use $1.50/1 from Target Coupons (look under "Home" or "Household Goods")
Total: $.74 each


Wheat Thins: $2 box
- use $1/2 from Target Coupons (look under "Groceries")
- use $1/2 from "liking" Wheat Thins on Facebook*
Total: $.50 each (when you buy 2)


* Target's Coupon Policy allows you to "stack" a Target Web Coupon with a Manufacturer Coupon!!!

Free Sample: Seattle's Best Coffee

Head over to Walmart to request a free sample of Seattle's Best Coffee. I love Wal-Mart samples. They are easy to sign up for, come quickly, and you don't get a bunch of junk mail or email with them!

HURRY: Free $25 Groupon Credit!

These never last long, and this time I actually got them! Sign-in or register for Groupon, then...

1. Go to 'My Stuff' on top right
2. Click 'My Accounts'
3. Click 'Redeem Gift Card'
4. Enter code fvx12-8n19sf, then rh712-6n115r (one will give you $10, the other $15)
5. Done!

If you've been thinking about joining Groupon, this would be a great opportunity. Groupon offers so many great deals, but they change every day. $25 will definitely score something really fun!

Starbucks Daily Deal: Tumblers for $6.99 or Mug for $3.99

Today's daily deal at Starbucks is their "Red Cup Tumbler" for $6.99 or the "Red Cup Mug" for $3.99. This is valid in-store and online. Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas 2010 Card

With Love Chartreuse Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

I got my Christmas cards from Shutterfly in the mail today, and I love them! Oh my goodness they look so great! I can't wait to give them to all of our friends and family!

Starbucks: 16oz. Tumblers for $6.99 (TODAY ONLY)

As part of Starbucks "12 Days of Sharing", today (Day 5), their 16oz. tumbler is on sale for $6.99 (usually $10.95) in-store or online. Enjoy!

JCPenney's: 20% off plus FREE Shipping to store!

JCPenney just released another coupon code for 20% off your entire purchase online with the promo code "4RELVES". Orders over $69 receive free shipping, or you can get free shipping by choosing the "in-store pickup" option (all shoes ship free). What great deals did you find?

Some Creative Gift Ideas For Those Hard to Shop for People!

Christmas is only weeks away. Like many people, it's my favorite holiday of the year. I love the sparkly lights, the spicy smells in the kitchen, Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas" through my speakers, and of course, I love shopping and seeing all the new things the season brings!

Sometimes it's challenging thinking of the right gift for a family member or friend. And the last several years I've been discovering a really fun way to give that perfect gift: give a gift to someone else. Here are some fun gifts to give:

- Choose an item from the World Vision Gift Catalog*. You can buy two chickens for a village for $25, or a variety of other things like food, seeds, trees, goats, Bibles, help for exploited women/girls, and many more things!
- Or browse the Compassion Christmas Catalog*, similar to World Vision's, that can provide necessary items to someone on the other side of the world!
- Partner with Angel Tree*, a program of Prison Fellowship, that provides gifts for the sons and daughters of men and women in prison. Local churches often set up an "Angel Tree", so you can grab a tag with gift ideas for a child, and go purchase the items, or you can go to Angel Tree and sponsor gifts for 2 children for only $11.44. 
- If you attend a church, find out if there is a family in need this Christmas, and consider adding them to your holiday shopping list. It might be a single mom who needs a new pair of pajamas, some babies who need diapers, a little girl/boy who would be delighted with a new toy, or a dad that needs a new pair of jeans.
- You can also contact Salvation Army, a local food pantry, homeless shelter... the options are limitless!

For several years Nathan (my husband) and I have chosen one or two of the things above to buy in lieu of gifts for our parents and grandparents. We gave each set of parents/grandparents a Christmas card, with a smaller card inside of it that told them what item had been purchased in their honor. This year, God had to get a hold of me in a new way...

The church where my husband and I attend has a Christmas tree set up in the foyer, with a bunch of tags attached to the branches. Each tag represents a child from Angel Tree (who has a mom or dad in prison), or a member of a local family, with needs/wants written on it. I was humbled as I read through the tags last week. They listed items like toothpaste, shampoo, razors, jeans, socks, pajamas, lotion, etc... Basics that I don't normally think of as "gifts". My husband has been asking me for weeks if I had any ideas of what I wanted for Christmas, and I suddenly knew: I wanted a couple of those tags and a day to go shopping for the items on the tags.

I think this is going to be one of my favorite Christmas's yet. I had so much fun going and picking out the various items on those tags. I chose quality items, items that would hopefully bless the recipients, and let them know that there is a God who loves them so much! If I had unlimited cash, I'd go take the rest of the tags off that tree and go shopping for a whole day! God has been so faithful to provide for my little family's every need, that I can't clutch His blessings to myself!!!

* World Vision, Compassion International, and Angel Tree are all organizations that seek to meet physical needs of families/individuals around the globe, so that they can ultimately share the greatest gift of all: the message of God's love for them.

Polka Dot Rain Boots: $12, with free shipping!

While there have been quite a few good deals on rain boots for kids, now there is a great deal on ladies rain boots! Kohls has these adorable "Pokey Rain Boots" priced at $14.99. Take an additional 20% with the promo code EXTRA20, and get free shipping by using the promo code CONTACTFR (and yes, Kohls allows you to stack two codes on the same purchase!).

They also have "Rose Rain Boots", "Floral Rain Boots", and "Lovely Rain Boots" for the same price!

Target Daily Deals: Coleman Sleeping Bag or Kodak Waterproof Mini Video Camera!!!

TARGET offers "Daily Deals", items with reduced price and free shipping. Two of today's deals are the Kodak Waterproof Mini Video Camera for $49.99 (originally $99.99) and the Coleman 4-in-1 Big & Tall Sleeping Bag for $34.99 (originally $59.99). 

Check out Target's Daily Deals, as well as Target Coupons (which can be stacked with manufacturer coupons to get some really cheap stuff!)

Zondervan: 40% off entire purchase, plus $5 flat rate shipping!

Zondervan is offering 40% your entire purchase, plus $5 flat rate shipping, today and tomorrow (11/29-11/30). That makes the NIV Bloom Bible (pictured above) only $14.99, the NIV Backpack Bible only $11.99 (pictured below), or even a case of 12 Gift Bibles, originally only $57.53 (plus $5 shipping). Just use promo code "ZABEA2444" when checking out!

Now those are gifts that will just keep on giving for years to come! (my husband just bought me a new Bible for our 3rd anniversary!)

1lb. Flavored Coffee: $2.95 shipped from Boca Java!!!

Update: This should be working now. It was originally posted as a facebook deal (you can follow Boca Java on facebook to get sale updates), but you can use a promo code to get the free shipping if you go directly to Boca Java.

I know Christmas is here and "Fall" is behind us, but you can drink this coffee year round and enjoy it! This also makes a fantastic gift for a coffee-loving family member (or two, since it is two separate bags) this Christmas! Boca Java is an online coffee company that offers a variety of flavored coffees, and have been running a deal on their "Fall Flavor Duo" all fall for $12.95. If you're a new customer, and get referred by a friend* (me), you get $10 off your first purchase. Today (Cyber Monday), Boca Java is offering free shipping on all orders! The Fall Flavor Duo consists of two 8oz packages of ground or whole bean coffee (your choice) in the following two flavors:
- Pumpkin Paradise: Pumpkin Pie (super yummy)
- Tropical Tricks & Treats: Chocolate Toffee Crunch & Caramel (this is my favorite, so warm and smooth!)

 Here's how to get it for $2.95 TODAY ONLY:
- Get referred* to Boca Java by sending me your email address (I will only use it to send you a referral link).
- Once you receive your referral email from Boca Java, follow the link to sign-up.
- Click on "coffee", then select the "Fall Flavor Duo" (right on the first page of the coffee section).
- Add to your cart.
- Checkout: Your $10 account credit should automatically be shown and taken off from your cost.
- Enter promo code "em_cybmon10" to have the $7.95 shipping cost deducted from your account, leaving your total as $2.95! (let me know if there are problems and this isn't working!)

If you shop at Boca Java through Ebates, you can earn 5% cashback on this purchase as well!

*Boca Java's Refer a Friend Program offers new referrals $10 off their first purchase, as well as giving credit to the existing customer, so if you make a purchase, I will also earn Boca Java credit. 

FREE: $1 added to your Groupon Account!!!

This seems to be working for both new Groupon customers, and existing Groupon customers (it worked for me!). Here's how to easily and quickly get $1 added to your Groupon Account!
- Register or Sign-In to Groupon
- Click on "My Stuff", then on "My Account"
- Click "Redeem a Gift Card" and enter the code "NEWSLICK" into the box.
- Have fun getting a great deal for really cheap! (and no, you don't have to make a purchase today if there isn't a deal you're interested in. The $1 will stay in your account as a credit towards your next purchase!)


Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Houston Group: $25 for $50 at Coldwater Creek!!! (can be used anywhere in the nation)

If you, or someone you know, shops at Coldwater Creek, here's a great deal from Groupon today: Pay $25 for a $50 voucher to Coldwater Creek. Even though the prices are high at Coldwater Creek (to me at least), this could make an expensive item 50% off, or cover the cost of several clearanced items, all for only $25! This Groupon can be used online or at any Coldwater Creek nationwide.

To get this deal, register or log-in to Groupon, select Houston as your city, and purchase. The "Deal is On"! (and yes, you can purchase it as a gift for someone!)

Chicago Groupon: $30 for 4 tickets, including parking, to Wonderland Express!!!

To all my Chicago friends, I am envious of this Groupon! Today only (11/29), Groupon is offering a fantastic deal: $30 for 4 tickets (parking included) to the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Here is the description given by Groupon:


"Each winter, the Chicago Botanic Garden is transformed into a magical, sparkling holiday display known as the Wonderland Express. Outdoors, coniferous and deciduous topiaries are decked with 750,000 energy-conserving lights, which beckon scarf-swaddled, mitten-toting visitors to take the Wonderland Walk. Inside the Regenstein Center lies a 10,000-square-foot miniature-train exhibition, wherein shrunken diesels wend their way through more than 80 tiny replicas of such heralded Chicago landmarks as Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Solder Field, and the 181-foot-tall statue of Bruce Lee..."


To purchase this deal, just register or login to Groupon, select "Chicago" as the city, and purchase! Have fun, and tell me if any of you end up getting to go! 

Snow Tube: $10 shipped from Target!

Every day Target posts "Daily Deals",  where they mark down various items 15%-75% off, plus free shipping. Today they have the "Banzai Snow Jammer Tube" for $10, with free shipping. This is a 4ft. in diameter, with a bottom and handles. Sounds like some fun time in the snow!!! (the snow that is coming sooner than I would like!

Children's Place Fleece: $4 shipped!!!

I will admit, the girl's stuff is way cuter (I love bright colors!), but the boy stuff is pretty cute, too! Anyway, Children's Place is having a $5 Fleece Frenzy, which includes fleece tops, pullovers, pants, hats, mittens, and scarves. All marked at $5 each! You can get an additional 20% off by using promo code "W3C2RU7M12A", then get free shipping by using the code "FSHOLIDAY". That makes every item only $4 +tax (for my area, about $4.26 total). There are even adorable animal hats and mittens!


To stretch your dollar even farther, if you log-in or register for Shop At Home, you will get 4% cash back. If you're a first time user with Shop At Home, you will get $5 added to your account. Shop At Home pays out monthly, if you hit a $20 minimum. Otherwise, your money rolls over to the next month. While I don't think Shop At Home's website is as user-friendly as some others, it does offer not only cash back when you're making purchases online, but they also offer thousands of coupons you can print to use for groceries or stores. They have the most comprehensive coupon database I've seen since I began my frugal adventures! 

Thanks to Hip2Save for the heads up on this deal!


(Last night I posted about Ebates. If you have an Ebates account, you will get 3% cash back right now at Children's Place, so Shop At Home would be the better website. Both places give you $5, and the sign-up is free for both!)


Looking for a great gift idea for someone older? How about the 2011 Entertainment Book? Through 11/30, you can get it for 30% off, plus 50% cash back through Ebates!!!

Entertainment Book for 30% off, plus 50% Cash Back!!! ($7.95 total after rebate)

Today I finally gave in and signed up for Ebates. You can earn cash back (usually 3%-8%) through Ebates by shopping at thousands of online stores through the store link on their site. Then every three months, they mail you a check, or add it to your PayPal account (if you have $5.01 or more in rebates). To start you off, Ebates gives all new members $5 automatically added to your account (so pretty much you just need to make one small purchase in the next three months to already get your first check)... Here's a great deal with Ebates this weekend:

Through Monday (11/30), Ebates is offering a super sweet deal: 50% cash back on all Entertainment Books!!! And guess what? Entertainment is offering all books for 30% with FREE SHIPPING!!! So here's the Deal Scenario for a book. Sign up or Log-In to Ebates. Click on the "Entertainment.com Coupons & Cashback" link. This will take you to the Entertainment.com website. Choose the city closest to you, and purchase the book (additional books are $20 each, with free shipping). Here's the breakdown:

Original Price: $35.00 (for most cities)
Sale Price: $24.50 (30% off Cyber Sale price)
EBates Cash Back: $12.25
Ebates Sign-Up Bonus: $5.00
Total Book Cost: $7.25 ($24.50 out-of-pocket, $7.25 after rebate check)
Total Rebate Check: $17.25

My husband and I love using these for date nights (restaurants, coffee shops, movie tickets, bowling, or even putt-putt), my husband goes golfing with friends with the golf coupons, I get his suits seasonally dry cleaned for 50% normal price... The list goes on! You can even print coupons from the Entertainment website for when you're traveling! And last year, we bought extra books as gifts for siblings and a few friends (it's like giving a young married couple endless date nights throughout the year!).

(If you already use a credit card for online purchase and earn cash back, you'll be really saving some money by using your card and using Ebates!!!)

Amazon: "Lord of the Rings" and "Bourne" movies only $1.99 Wednesday (11/24)!!!

Starting at 8:30am PT/11:30am ET tomorrow (11/24), Amazon is offering all three "Lord of the Rings" movies (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and the Return of the King) on DVD for $1.99 each, as well as the "Bourne" trilogy (Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum) for $1.99 each. Order them quickly, because the price will change once a certain amount of them have been sold! Looking for other movie deals? Check out Amazon's Black Friday Week Calendar for Movies & TV Deals.

Did you know you can earn FREE amazon giftcards by using an online search engine called "Swagbucks". I have been using it since July, and can't believe how easy it has been to rack up several $5 Amazon cards a month, which I can then use to snag sweet deals like the movies I mentioned above!

Wal-Mart Free Sample: Starbucks Natural Fusions

Wal-Mart if offering a free sample of Starbucks Natural Fusions vanilla coffee. I love Wal-Mart's free samples, because they are quick and easy to sign up for, and always come quickly, too!

Blindside DVD: $3.99 from Amazon!!!

Wow, this week is just packed with great online deals! Staying home Friday to snuggle with my family is sounding better and better... Anyway, Amazon has "Blindside" on DVD currently marked down to $3.99. If you signed up for an "Amazon Mom" Prime Membership, then you get free 2-day shipping, too! If you haven't signed up for "Amazon Mom", it is a  3-month membership to Amazon Prime, which means you get free 2-day shipping on any Amazon purchase, with no minimum purchase amount (this applies everything being sold from "Amazon", but not to items on Amazon being sold by other sellers).

I just ordered my copy using an Amazon giftcard from Swagbucks. If you haven't heard about Swagbucks, you can earn FREE gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, etc... I am still not used to ordering things online for FREE!!!

Groupon: CiCi's, Nordstrom Rack, Spa Services, and more...

To purchase a deal, just go to Groupon* and select the city you want. Here are some fun Groupons for today (11/22):

Chicago/Cleveland/Houston: $25 for $50 at Nordstrom Rack (this Groupon can be used at any Nordstrom Rack in the U.S.)
Houston: $20 for 1 week of services at Planet Beach Contempo Spa (including hydro massage, hand spa, spray tanning, and more... 5 different locations, including Magnolia & Katy)
Akron/Canton: $5 for $10 at CiCi's pizza (this is good for the Niles, OH and Boardman, OH locations as well)

*Groupon is an online deal site that offers new deals every day, both local & national. You choose your city (or the city nearest you), and you receive daily emails letting you know about a great deal for something local. Groupons can be for restaurants, gyms, spas, retail stores, online stores, photography places, theaters, museums... the list just goes on and on. You purchase the deal that day, then use it at some point in the future. Groupons are often 50%-90% off regular retail value.

$3 Amazon MP3 credit: Free Christmas Music!!!

Amazon is offering a $3 MP3 credit, good towards any MP3 album or download. The "99 Most Essential Christmas Masterpieces" is marked at only $1.99, so that would be 99 classical Christmas music songs for FREE! Since most of us listen to our music on IPod's, MP3 players, or our computer, who needs the cd & case if you can get the album for really cheap (or free)? This credit is good towards any album you want, not just Christmas music.

Don't forget you can download "Veggie Tales Singing Christmas Tree" album for FREE. Two other free albums to download are the "Timeless Christmas" or the "Christmas Sampler" albums. Amazon regularly offers free MP3 albums and songs to download! Amazing how many things can actually be free?

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!!! (if you don't already follow her on her blog or facebook, I highly recommend her! She not only posts deals, freebies, and such, but also posts articles to encourage and inspire others as we all try to learn to live more frugally. She is transparent in her own life adventures, and continually points her readers to God being foundation for everything in her family's life.)

Coffee-Mate Coupons!!!

Update: there also appears to be a $1.50/1 printable coupon on Coffee-Mate's website, which would definitely make for some FREE or cheap creamer in the next few weeks! Take some with you to a Christmas party!!!

"Like" Coffee-Mate on Facebook, and you can print a $1/1 coupon for any of their holiday flavors! Make sure to click the "back" button to print the coupon twice, and yes, if you buy two creamers, you can use two coupons in the same purchase. This should make for really cheap creamer, and a really tasty cup of morning coffee! (Have you tried blending your coffee in a blender or food processor? It turns it into a light, frothy treat!)

Have you printed off your $.75/1 coupon from Coffee-Mate yet? If your store doubles coupons, you could even snag some FREE creamer! (to print this coupon, you will have to register with Coffee-Mate. But is completely free, and completely worth it, because you can regularly print off coupons to feed your coffee addiction!!!

$10 of $10 at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores!

Money Saving Mom shared that moms and moms-to-be can register for a coupon that you can redeem for $10 of a $10 purchase at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores. Can't wait to print mine! Maybe a nice 2010 Christmas Ornament?

$10 Giftcard for Referring 10 Friends!!1

An online website, called "Shop It To Me", is offering people a $10 giftcard to a variety of places like Amazon, Starbucks, Whole Foods, etc... for every 10 friends you refer and have sign-up under you. So sign up, then pass the word and start recruiting your friends to sign up so you can earn a gift card to the place of your choice.

How does Shop It To Me work? When you sign up, you choose retailers or brands that you like (like Levi's, LandsEnd, Skechers, plus high-end stuff), your clothing/shoe sizes, and then choose how often you're willing to receive emails. Shop It To Me then emails you when that brand has something on sale in your size, and where you can get it. Whether or not I ever purchase something from them, I don't care if I get an email once a week that I just delete, and can earn a $10 gift card. So sign-up and encourage your friends to sign up, so you can earn a gift card, too!

I chose Starbucks... What did you choose?

Starbucks B1G1: TODAY through SUNDAY!!!

From 11/18-11/21 between 2pm-5pm, Starbucks is offering Buy 1 holiday drink, Get 1 free! Today, I tried the Peppermint Mocha (and took the extra one to my husband at work as a nice surprise treat!!!). What is your favorite holiday drink at Starbucks?

$10/3 Ladies Sleepwear @ TARGET: Free, or Really Cheap!!!

This deal has been posted across numerous blogs, but just in case you haven't heard this week about the Target coupon for $10/3 Ladies Sleepwear Items (tops or bottoms), you should check it out. Print this coupon from Target Coupon Savings, found under "Apparel", and then browse the clearance racks for some great deals. I bought 6 pairs of sleep shorts (to stash away as Christmas gifts) for $3.88 +tax (all originally clearanced to $3.98 each). That's only $.65 a pair! My Target (in northeastern ohio) also had clearanced sleepwear tanktops marked at $3.98, and sleep pants for $5.98.

Other ongoing deals at Target are the 2 Glade Sense & Spray Starter Kits + 2 refills for $3.08 and the $1.50/1 of GE reveal light bulb* pack (marked around $2.04 at most stores, bringing the cost down to $.54).

*If you're new to couponing, here are a few tricks I've learned this year: you can print two coupons from each computer you own (usually by just pressing the "back" button in your internet browser, or by reselecting that coupon). Then take all those coupons, and buy that many items, pairing one coupon with each item. Deal Scenario Example: 4 $1.50/1 GE Reveal coupons, plus 4 GE Reveal light bulb packs= $2.16 for 4 packages... that's like Buy 1, get 3 free! 

JCPenney Coupon: $10 off $25 (TODAY & TOMORROW)

JCPenney's offering a $10 of $25 coupon, valid today or tomorrow. You can print it out, or use it online! Want to see what is on sale today and tomorrow (11/16-11/17)? (there are some exclusions, like electronics or Levi's, so read the fine print before getting in line)

San Antonio Auto Show: 2 tickets for $7!!! (today and tomorrow only)

Now I'm drooling: Through Groupon, you can snag 2 tickets for $7 to the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show that is this weekend (Nov. 18th-20th). If you bought these tickets, who would you take with you?

(Can you tell I'm from all over? Grew up in Texas, college in Chicago, and now enjoy life with my husband in northeaster ohio. Three completely different worlds!)

Cleveland Groupon: $25 tickets to "A Christmas Carol" (TODAY ONLY)

If you live in the Cleveland area (or northeast Ohio), today you can buy $25 tickets to "A Christmas Carol", showing at Playhouse Square over the next month. I loved attending plays in Chicago, usually as a volunteer usher, because prices can be so expensive. These tickets to A Christmas Carol are half-off their usual price of $50. Yikes!

Chicago Groupon: Iceskating at Navy Pier!!!

One of today's Groupon's in Chicago is a wristband to Navy Pier's WinterWonderfest for $9. This includes a variety of activites like ice skating, snowflake slide, other rides... See the Chicago Groupon for more info! But if I still lived in Chicago, this would be too tempting to pass up!

Cute Gift for Girls: Flower Headbands!!!

With 5 nieces ages 2-7, I have been thinking for awhile about what to get them for Christmas. I saw a post on how to make flower headbands awhile back at The Frugal Girls, and knew immediately that was a fantastic idea!  I found the clips for 50% off at Hobby Lobby (about $1.50 for 25), some clearanced flowers at Michael's, and used leftover buttons and ribbons from previous projects. I bought the headbands at Kohls with a $10 coupon. They turned out fantastic! The best part it, I spent only around $5 for everything (since I had scraps around), which made 4 flowers & 1 headband for each of my beautiful nieces!

Would you like to make flower headbands for a darling girl or baby? How about Christmas headbands or hairclips? The Frugal Girls has a great step-by-step blog on how to make these yourself!

If you know of a great sale in the next week or two to find any of the supplies needed for this project, share it with us!

HOT Groupon: $35 for $100 worth of photo books, calendars, or cards at Picaboo! (TODAY ONLY)

Groupon* apparently offers their "$35 for $100 at Picaboo" fairly frequently, which I love! This time it's listed under Chattanooga, TN (since it's an online company, anyone can buy this Groupon, regardless of where you live). This Picaboo Groupon is good for 1 year, can be used across multiple purchases, as well as be applied to taxes and shipping. So buy the Groupon now, then visit the Picaboo website to see what deals they are currently offering (they change about every two weeks).

January 2010 brought my husband and I a treasure: our son, Levi. In September, I bought this Groupon for Picaboo, and created a "Treasured Moments" 2010 book, to capture Levi's first year. Matched with sales, I was able to buy 10 copies in various sizes to stash away as Christmas gifts, as well as keep one for myself. If you haven't used Picaboo before, you should check it out. It allows complete freedom in creating, while working on your computer (instead of a website), and you only have to upload the book once it's complete. I plan on making some cards with them in the future!

* If this is your first time ordering a Groupon, by clicking on the above link, I will receive referral credit. Or you can go directly to Groupon yourself if you would prefer. I'm still learning all of the in's and out's of blogging, and finding ways to continue living frugally as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM). Thanks!

Bamboo Kitchen Utensils for $2.95 shipped, or 2 Bamboo cutting boards for $7.95!!!

**Update: Earlier Core Bamboo showed the 6-pc. utensil set is now sold out... Now it appears to be available again! So a few lucky bargain hunters might get it again! Depending on what you are looking for, there are still numerous great cutting boards for $7.95-$8.95 shipped, a 14pc. utensil set for $10.95 shipped, or even a bamboo paper towel holder for $4.95 shipped. With gas on the rise, those are still some great prices if you're limited on how much you're getting out and about. And what I have to remind myself weekly is that the Lord always provides what we need, and another deal will come!

Modnique* has just posted a new sale, called "Core Bamboo". "Core Bamboo" features various bamboo kitchen utensils and serving dishes/bowls, all made of beautiful bamboo, and sold at discount prices (although I wouldn't pay full price for most of it anyway...). You can get $5 off your first purchase, then use a coupon code for another $10, making for a few great deals: the above-pictures 6-pc. bamboo utensils for 2.95 shipped (I have a similar set, and love them on my non-stick pots & pans!) Or you can get the follow two cutting boards for $7.95 shipped...

Here's how to get this deal (and act quickly... they sell out fast once bargain bloggers find it!)...
- Go to Modnique and create an account. You will automatically get $5 credit added to your account. (*You will see my email address, "TexasMama10", in the invitation code box. This shows Modnique that I referred you there.)
- Go to the "Core Bamboo" sale.
- Select either of the above items and add to your cart.
- Check-out... to use store credit, you have to pay with a credit/debit card, not PayPal.
- Enter the code "star" in the coupon code box on the left. Click on "Apply Coupon".
- Then enter $5.00 in the "Apply Store Credit" box, then click on Apply.
- Your total will be either $2.95, or $7.95, depending on what you chose!

Happy Shopping! Maybe a great Christmas gift for a friend who loves to cook? Or a mom? Or you!

*Modnique is another online shopping place that offers credit for referring friends, so as I continue to learn online deals and blogging, I want to maintain my integrity and let my friends and followers know if I will be receiving credit for referring. I'm not sure if I will for this, because it looks like you only get credit if your referrals spend $100 or more, which is outrageous! :-) But I wanted to let you know so if you ever feel uncomfortable with me receiving referral credit from your purchase, you can go directly to Modnique online without clicking on the above link. 

Veggie Tales Christmas Album FREE on Amazon! (16 songs!!!)

I am learning that Amazon frequently offers free mp3 soundtracks and albums. I recently downloaded the Veggie Tales Christmas Album, "The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree", which is being offered for FREE on Amazon* (all 16 songs). The faces that Levi makes while we're listening to it makes me laugh! And then he laughs, and then I laugh again! The joys I'm discovering in motherhood... Anyway, enjoy this free album as Christmas approaches (and yes, you can do silly dancing with your kiddos along with the songs!)

Thanks to The Frugal Girls for sharing this!

* If this is the first time you have downloaded an MP3 from Amazon, you will have to download their MP3 Downloader before continuing. But you only have to do that once, so from here on out, you can download various free albums/songs when they offer them!