My friends have created a website where you can find free shipping coupons for your favorite online stores. If you love free shipping, or like me, think that shipping should always be free when you're shopping online, become a fan of FreeShipping.org.
Looking for a cheap, non-toxic way to clean your home? Here are some ways to create your own cleaning solutions with items you probably already have in your home and that are safe for the environment and yourself!
* Baking soda: Use baking soda in a parmesan cheese container (glass one with the stainless steel top with holes in it) and sprinkle on any surface. This is great for bathrooms and the kitchen. You can also use baking soda as a natural fabric softener in the dryer.
* Vinegar: Vinegar will clean just about any surface in your home: windows, countertops, floors, etc. You can even use it in the wash cycle with your laundry to keep fabrics from fading. For specific recipes and uses visit http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html.
* Borax: Borax is effective with laundry and also removes mold in the shower.
* Hydrogen peroxide: Use hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting and whitening instead of bleach.
* Vodka: Vodka dispersed from a spray bottle will freshen up fabrics and upholstery. It’s cheap and non-toxic. The alcohol evaporates.
Source: Jeanne McLaughlin, International Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology via Mercola.com
From About.com: Spa Week is coming up April 14-20, 2008. Enjoy $50 spa treatments in 21 markets in the U.S. and Canada, including New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto.
Between now and Feb. 9, order a "family pack" and use promotion code "VALENTINE" at Walgreens.com for a free set of 1 8x10, 2 5x7s and 4 4x6s. I ordered one for our family, then used my parents' account to order them one. Happy Valentine's Day indeed!
This article outlines how to paint your own mural using one of those handy-dandy mural kits and how much you'll save: 82% instead of hiring an artist to do it for you.
There are a lot of sites offering cheesy mural kits for kids' rooms. Here is one of the better ones I've seen:
http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/wall-mural-kits-for-nurseries.html
Here's a $15 off Jackson Hewitt coupon: http://jacksonhewitt.com/library/print/?OfficePromotions.
Have you stopped to take inventory of your spending/saving from 2007? If not, think about it, and set new goals for 2008. Here's an article to help.
Friday, Dec. 21, Walgreens is offering 1 free 8x10 when you use the coupon code: VERYNICE.
Very nice, indeed.
Organic and specialty products are almost always more expensive than their less-eco-friendly counterparts. MSN has an article with tips on how to go green on a budget.
Some women are opting to rent high-end designer handbags, thanks to websites like BagBorrowOrSteal.com and FromBagsToRiches.com.
A Boston Globe story explains how BagBorrowOrSteal works: "Customers pay a monthly fee for access to a collection of authentic designer handbags. Membership levels -- ranging from Trendsetter ($19.95) to Diva Deluxe ($174.95) -- determine whether a customer borrows a Coach minibag or an expensive, hard-to-get Hermes tote. Members may borrow the bag for as long as they like, and when they're ready for a change they can go online and order another. The company also offers the option to buy the bag at a discounted price determined by the bag's age and condition."
Interesting trend! What do you think about it? Post below.
I never knew this was possible until tonight, but my friend told me that she and some others in her local "moms" group went to the mall to have their kids made with Santa. When they got up there, they asked if they could take their own photos and the workers gladly obliged. They just stepped aside. This is a common practice! They paid $0 to have their kids pictures made with Santa and the whole setup. Great tip!
Amazon.com is offering six free songs (no strings attached). Go to the mp3 section and click 'holiday deals', scroll down to the bottom to see and download 4 of them. Do a search for KT Tunstall for the fifth one and Brian Setzer for the sixth. Enjoy!
FREE MP3 Songs:
"So Long, You Fool"
by Sophie Milman
"100 Days, 100 Nights"
by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
"Holiday Twist"
by Los Straitjackets
"Thick As Thieves"
by Dashboard Confessional
"Saving My Face"
by KT Tunstall
"Take A Break Guys"
by Brian Setzer
Buy candy canes in bulk and make a variety of holiday treats that are easy on your budget.
Shop at a warehouse store like Sam's Club or Costco, or shop online for bulk deals.
Peppermint Bark
Buy meltable Almond Bark from your grocery store. Melt it in a microwavable safe dish, then pour it into a 9x13 pan. As it begins to cool, sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top. After it has hardened, use a knife to break into uneven pieces. These make great gifts packaged pretty.
Gift embellishments
Top your hand-delivered Christmas cards and gifts with wrapped candy canes.
Sweet Stirrers
Use your candy cane as a stirrer in hot cocoa. You can also place a hot cocoa packet in a pretty mug, then place a candy cane in it as an economical gift for coworkers.
Ornaments
Use any leftover candy cards to decorate your Christmas tree as ornaments! Let your child (or yourself) eat one each day until Christmas.
Here's a fun website with fun ideas on how to make cool, modern stuff: Curbly.com. Think Ready Made magazine.
Here are some recent posts: gift tags, sporty shopping bag, picture frame from glasses, candy dish, pet hotel ....
• What a card! Keep your Christmas cards each year. Cut the covers off and use them as postcards the next year. You'll save on postage and recycle! You can also attach these to gifts to use them as name cards.
• Cut it out! Reduce the number of people you send cards to or give gifts to! If you haven't talked to the person in a year, don't feel obligated to send them a card!
• That's a wrap! Use paper of all kinds to wrap gifts. Here are ideas on how to do it.
• Do your homework. Before buying (whether it's gifts or food), check the newspaper for the best deals. And for items that can wait, plan your purchase for after the holidays when clearance prices are at their lowest. Before you buy in the store, check prices online. Many sites offer free shipping during the holidays.
• Go out! There are lots of free holiday programs around Christmas. Check local church websites and chamber of commerce websites to find local parades, concerts and other free events.
• Get together. With many "buy one, get one free" deals around, get with a friend and split your purchases to save money and avoid buying more than you need.
• Give. If you're investing in new technology or toys this year, donate your old stuff to charity or a family you know needs it would appreciate it.
Here is an adorable idea for decorating with pumpkins this fall from iVillage.com. Cheap tip: Use stray buttons you already have around the house.
Also from iVillage, check out more ideas for DIY costumes.
You can also spray-paint pumpkins and gourds. My friend Anna, who put together my wedding reception, spray-painted pumpkins gold (the theme of my wedding) and mixed them with fall foliage and candles for the centerpieces. They turned out beautifully!
I have a friend named Kyle who is often an inspiration for this blog. He has made it a practice to buy expensive things from Costco ... mainly electronics. If they break or develop a problem, Costco is great about allowing you to return the item or exchange it.
Kyle bought a Lexmark laser printer last year and got an error this week that would cost $500 to fix. He only paid $400 to begin with, so off it's going back to Costco. If he bought it at another retailer, he might not have that option.
He also regularly watches Craigslist on items he's thinking about purchasing, like tires and rims. He watched a set go from $700 to $500 — which would be the cost of new tires alone. So essentially he will be getting the chrome rims for free.
What "practices" do you follow to regularly save money — on big or small items? Post your answers in comments.
I like to "barter" services for other services. For instance, right now I'm building a website for a friend who has a small business making accessories for babies. She pays me in product. With me having a nearly 3-month-old, this is worth more than cash!
I'm a big proponent of decorating your wedding with items you can keep and use in your home afterward. Because my husband and I married in November, we have lots of wonderful 
fall decorations that I get to pull out each year. They remind us of our wedding and they help us not spend money on making home beautiful in the fall.
This is my "table scape" I put together this morning. I bought the purple tablecloth and napkins 70% off at Joann's a couple of years ago. I think I paid $6 for both of them. The silver chargers and coasters were a gift from my mom. They're from Target, so they're not that expensive either.
The basket was apart of a baby gift we got earlier this year. The floral pieces, leaves and candles are all from our wedding decorations. The baby pumpkins were purchased from Wal-Mart for $5 (for 6).
The wreath/candle combo is in 
our foyer. The wreaths are on sale now from Wal-Mart for $8 ... a little more than I normally like to spend, but these days convenience is more valuable to me. I don't have time to go to multiple stores to find or make one for cheaper.
Again, the candles and leaves are from our wedding. I bought the string of pearls for a quarter at a yard sale two years ago and have used it in another decoration in my house before.
The plant pictured here is called a croton. These are fabulous to decorate for fall with. I have two potted crotons on either side of my front door. They're exploding with rich fall colors. Each plant was $12 from Wal-Mart. These are in abundance in Florida and do well in moderate sun. We have several planted along the walkway to our front door as well. They're hearty, big, beautiful and easy to maintain.
According to a National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the average American plans to spend almost $65 this Halloween season on things like costumes, candy and decorations. This is up from approximately $60 last year.
Nearly 60 percent of people celebrate in some way, spending an estimated total of $5.07 billion nationally.
Looking for ways to save? Parents magazine has eight adorable handmade costumes (like a bee, dragon, superhero and more) for your little one. You might just pick up and idea or two for grown-ups as well.
My favorite is the ballerina – with the tutu made from strips of wax paper, plastic bags and mesh onion sacks! Cute and cheap.
Many employees take advantage of their company's 401(k) program (if you don't, you should!) But now many companies are offering Roth 401(k)s. The main difference is that with the traditional 401(k), you contribute pre-tax dollars and pay taxes when you withdraw. With the Roth, you pay taxes now and withdraw tax-free after you're 59 1/2 years old. Only our contributions will be put in the Roth account; any employer matches will go to a pre-tax account, just like the traditional 401(k). U.S. News and World Report has an online comparison guide to help you decide which program is the best for your money and retirement plans.
I found a website called American Frame where you can buy custom size frames and mats for pictures at a fraction of what it costs to get them framed. You just mount the photo and put the pieces together... the frames are assembled and the mats are cut.
MSN.com has a link on their homepage today to an article outlining 20 ways to save money each day at just 15 minutes a pop. They suggest simple activities like cleaning your car's air filter and making dinner instead of eating out. Click here to read the full article.
Also on MSN is a link my friend Tammy sent me that will give you the cheapest gas stations in your area; it’s updated every evening.
CVS has a e-coupon right now for $10 off a $50 purchase, plus free shipping. It's nice if you have items you know you need to buy that you can't get with coupons, sales, etc. You'll see it on the top of the second column of promotions here: http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/promotion/default.
Thanks to Craig T., for this tip!
"Just FYI, today, June 7, is Free Root Beer float day at Sonic. Between 8 pm and 12 am, free root beer floats."
It's national donut day and Krispie Kreme is giving out free donuts: http://www.krispykreme.com/storelocator.html!
Looking to go yard-saling this weekend? Outside of your local paper, check these sites for postings for this week’s sales locations:
www.craigslist.org
www.garagesalehunter.com
www.yardsalesearch.com
Happy hunting!
For anyone who has parents who are nearly computer illiterate like mine, you’ll be glad to know that your local library might offer free virtual classes in basics like how to use email and basic programs like PowerPoint, Excel and Word. Here are my library’s local offerings.
It's easy to notice a spender. Whether it's the new car, up-to-the-minute fashion or stacks of take-out in the fridge, people who spend money stand out. People who save wear a quiet badge of honor. This Baltimore Sun columnist lists seven habits of highly effective savers, if you will, including:
• Creed: Pay yourself first.
• Goal: Some long-term or short-term idea to inspire savings.
• Tracking system: Keep close tabs on the money.
• Opportunity: Take advantage of employer benefits, like 401(k)s, and benefits-laden debit or credit cards.
• Monthly Payoffs: Credit cards are for convenience (and sometimes rewards), but balances are paid off before interest is accrued.
• Fun: Bargain-hunting becomes a hobby or sport, making saving a pleasurable pursuit.
Beginning this week, Publix is offering free store-brand products when you purchase select brand-name products. Each week for the next five weeks, they will designate three products—this week it's grape juice, crunchy raisin bran and English muffins. See more info here: http://www.publix.com/publixbrand/
While we're on the subject of "free," check out this service if you haven't already. Freecyle.org is a grassroots network of communities who post items they want to give away, and in return, get items they're interested in. I have signed up for two of my local areas, Apopka and Altamonte Springs. I get a daily email of postings. You have to have a Yahoo email account (or sign up for a free one) to join.
In honor of Earth Day, Home Depot is giving away free Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL) at its stores tomorrow, April 22. Click here for details.
It's "Free Cone Day" at Ben & Jerry's. Visit their website for locations.
Buy a burrito from Chipotle on the 14th or 15th, pick up a BurritoEZ-FWI form while you're there and attach the receipt, then return on April 16th for a free burrito.
A savvy Cheap Ways To reader named Buddy Overstreet sent in this fabulous tip. I love the creativity and the excellent and economical execution of the idea. Enjoy!
“I really enjoy your ‘Cheap Ways To’ ideas and wanted to share our recent ‘cheap’ success.
“We were looking for an economical ‘save the date’ card to mail to our guests for our summer wedding. I dabble in graphic design so I was convinced we could do something on the cheap. We liked the idea of a photo booth concept so I put my design skills into action. We took a bunch of photos of us in different fun poses holding the signs ‘we're’ ‘getting’ ‘married’, and the date. I then laid it out in photoshop with the look of a strip of photos from a photobooth. So far no money spent, but no product yet either.
“The savings really happened on the printing. I laid my finished product out on a 4X6 file (I could fit two strips) and uploaded the jpg to snap fish. I then ordered the prints from snapfish and was able to pick them up in an hour from my local Walgreens. I got 150 photos (300 total photostrips) for $30 and I didn't even have to pay for shipping. I thought this was an incredible value for the quality of a photo print job. It definitely beats the printing on the home deskjet. I included a picture of our card.
“Thanks for all the economical inspiration.”
Thanks for sending this in, Buddy!
My friend Nita recently recovered/upholstered her dining room chairs—updated them from an old-fashioned looking floral to a modern stripe. Each chair would cost approximately $200 to be professionally recovered. “I decided to bite the bullet and take a stab at it myself,” she says. “It wasn't really that hard. Now, I know they are perfect/totally professional, but most people will never know the difference. I am pretty happy with them. Now the colors blend well with the family room and kitchen. It makes me happy:)” Thanks for sharing your project with us, Nita!
I’m reading Half-Price Living, a new book from Moody Publishers by a Christian author named Ellie McKay (www.elliekay.com). The book is super practical and has good advice about living on one income. She has five kids, too! Her website has good links to coupon and saving money sites.
A friend has recommended I check out The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. The friend who suggested it said “some of her suggestions are a little ‘out there’, and I would never consider them (like not using my dryer because it saves $179 a year), but most of her suggestions are really good and practical. She, in essence, went from a spend-thrift to a tightwad in order to live in a farm house in Connecticut. You might enjoy it.” I told her I’d check it out from the library!
Tomorrow, Wed. March 21st, is free 16 oz. iced coffee day at Dunkin. Visit their website for details and a "send to a friend" e-vite.
From 10 to noon tomorrow, Starbucks is giving away free cups of coffee. I don't think you need a coupon.
Also, the local Orlando Borders newsletter this week has a coupon for a free drink from their grand opening of Seattle's Best Coffee café on Saturday.
And if you're looking for something cold and sweet to follow that cup of joe, wait for April 17 for Ben & Jerry's 29th annual Free Cone day.
For those who are looking to use a tax preparation service, Jackson Hewitt has a coupon on their website for $15 off.
Real Simple has posted tips on ways to save and spend wisely throughout the year. Check it out here.
My husband and I love our rescue pup Macey like she was our child ... This weekend we talked about our desire to have another dog, preferably a Boston Terrier mix, but the talk eventually turned to the cost of owning a pet. That in addition to the extra stress it would add to the household caused us to rethink our dreams of being a two-dog household (you would think we'd be talking about kids with this much attention). With that in mind I found this article today about saving money when it comes to pet costs.
Everyone knows it's expensive to eat out ... but one can expect to spend around $40 a person when eating a decent meal in NYC, which is 20 percent higher than the national average. Zagat's annual dining survey released on Wednesday said prices have raised 5 percent in the city for most restaurants, with some rising 15 percent since last year. This was the biggest percentage hike in years, but it's still a deal compared with meals in Tokyo ($75), London ($72) and Paris ($67).
You can't buy moments like these. This was taken at a park and dock in Mount Dora, about 30 minutes from where we live, this past Saturday evening. Walks on docks and in the park make great cheap dates (especially if ice cream is involved). Always carry a digital camera with you to capture moments and memories. Here are more ideas for cheap dates or group gatherings.
Americans spend around $10 million dollars on birthday celebrations each year, according to Hallmark. This Orlando Sentinel article has tips on how to throw a birthday bash with less cash.
Here's some good, fresh tips on ways to save money while you're spending (is that an oxymoron?) from ABC News. They are ideas from the author of Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom including combining online coupons and rebate programs, getting a refund for items that go on sale for a small period of time after you bought it (called a Price Guarantee), taking advantage of store coupons and which stores accept competitor's coupons and price matching.
Virgin Mobile is offering 1 minute of free talk time for your cell phone service for every 30 seconds of ads you watch on a computer or read as a text messages on their phones. You have to then answer questions to prove you watched it. The move is obviously targeted to teens—but I wonder what the response will be.
Jeff and I shot photos for a wedding this weekend. I met a lady who had made this adorable purse for less than $2. Can you guess what it is?
For those who battle commuting traffic, Kris, author of this blog, Help Yourself, mentions signing up for a customized traffic alert, which is sent to your cell phone. You can specify the time when a voice message telling you where traffic problem spots are and how severe they are. Locally, our newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel, has a service like this. Hit up your local newspaper's website to see if they offer it for your area. You'll save gas and time by avoiding messes on the commute.
Another blog on the same website, Shakespeare's Coffee, gave Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot a shout-out today. Check it out! Rebecca blogs about books and industry news, plus highlights local authors and events.
So I'm feeling like a coupon queen now between my savings at Publix and Walgreens, using The Grocery Game lists. Here's a pic of all the stuff I bought at Walgreens Monday night. The items retail for $35.92 and I got them for $8.66. Not bad! The Walgreens list is free for anyone who takes a demographic survey for the site. Walgreens has an "easy saver" catalog you'll want to pick up in their stores which has several "free" items that you send in receipts to get the rebate.
JoAnn's is offering 60% off custom framing if you have three or more prints framed through April 24 (the orders will be in before Mother's Day). If you have one print, you'll still get 40% off and 50% off if you only have two.
This is perfect for me. I've been holding on to 9 prints to get framed for our new house and having been waiting on the best sale of the season. It's here!
Here's a creative way to use a big tax refund. This was sent in from Jake who works at a financial firm (in the IT department) in Kansas. Tell me what you think!
"My wife and I adopted our daughter from China last year. The U.S. government gives a $10,000 tax CREDIT to off set the costs of adopting. Needless to say we are receiving the largest tax return we've ever had. We're taking this money and purchasing a whole life insurance policy. What!?!! You say? But wait, it gets better."
My friend Tia and I hit a few yard sales Saturday morning ... I had great luck. For a grand total of $18, I got: a French Press coffee pot, a bunny rabbit Easter candy dish, a rock fountain (for Jeff), a hanging pendant lamp to go over my breakfast nook (it's a current style that's being sold at Home Depot for $50-$80) and a wooden coffeetable. The coffeetable was light wood and showed signs of wear on the varnish, but its structure was still sound. Jeff bought a little can of Apple Red paint from Home Depot and voila! We have a fabulous coffeetable to accent our black leather couches (which we bought used from Craig's List classifieds) in our new home! We close on our new house Tuesday and look forward to moving in and putting all our great finds together.