End of year clean out

Don't forget to use up all your soon to expire coupons. Now is a great time to find sales as the stores do their own end of year clean out. There are also lots of rebate offers expiring at the end of the month. I'm off this morning to get it all done!

Update:
Went to the store today, still sick, but I just can't let my coupons expire! Saved about $50 in coupons and did another $51 in rebates plus a free calendar. Nice!

Fresno Bee today

The Fresno Bee had a great article today about a guy who found his way out of debt through the bible. Imagine that!

Target holiday markdowns

Target holiday markdowns (except Christmas) follow a 3-3-2 schedule. It goes to 50% off the day after the holiday, then three days later 75%. Again, three days after that what's left is 90% off. Two days after that it goes to salvage (Goodwill). However, Christmas is a little different.

Christmas markdowns are based on manager discretion and inventory. Based on prior experience, 50% off from 12/26-12/31 is typical. January 1st markdowns usually go to 75% off, and then a few days after that 90% off.

Harvard University

Harvard University Announcement

Harvard University has announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard's president Lawrence H. Summers said, "When only ten percent of the students in elite higher education come from families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution."

If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families can go to Harvard for free... no tuition and no student loans!

To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard's financial aid website at:http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school's financial aid office at
(617) 495-1581 .

restaurant gift certificates

To celebrate the gift of giving, Restaurant.com is stocking a giving site with $30 million of Restaurant.com Gift Certificates. You now have the opportunity, every day for 30 days, to enrich the lives and satisfy the palates of those around you.
It is absolutely FREE to give and FREE to receive.


Please pause for just a moment to think about the joy you feel when you give a gift. Think about the expression on the face of a friend when you deliver a holiday surprise. Please reflect upon the warmth that fills your heart, as a loved one tears the wrapping paper off a present.

These feelings are ones that cannot be wrapped up in a box like other gifts, but they are gifts nonetheless. The feelings created by the gift of giving lift spirits, spread joy, and strengthen community.

So please join us. Give to friends. Give to neighbors. Give to families in the military. Give to teachers. Give to co-workers. Give to working moms. Give to those that would not otherwise make your holiday list, but most of all, give, and in doing so, enjoy with great pleasure, the very special gift of giving.

The team at Restaurant.com is honored to bring you our giving site so that you can
"Feed It Forward". feeditforward.restaurant.com

Some good deals

I haven't posted in a while. Black Friday was super fun. Hope everyone got some good deals and stayed within budget. My husband got his new longed for flat screen TV. I have to admit it's nice. I have a couple of things that look really good this week.

Get the $50 Fisher Price Trio Castle for only $14.99 after price matching KMart ad, using Target coupon and manufacturer coupon!
Use the KMart ad from 12/6 Sunday newspaper.
Use the $10 Target coupon from the Target website, select 'toys' to find quickly.
Use the $5 Fisher Price coupon. (Must register, easy)
Pay only $14.99 plus tax.
Update: I did this deal today no problem. Some people have reported a $10 off coupon on the trio products. I did not find one, but I did have a $10 gift card from Black Friday making my final price only $5 anyway!!!!!!

Hooked On Phonics Free shipping until 12/14/09. Use code HOP35 to get 35% off or code HOP50 to get 50% off!
Learn Colors on the Go! $4.95 (Reg $10.95) -- code makes it $2.50!
Learn Shapes on the Go! $4.95 (Reg $10.95)-- code makes it $2.50!
Hooked on Math Learn Numbers on the Go $4.95 (Reg $10.95)-- code makes it $2.50!
(Click on "On Sale" in the left column.)
Discover Reading Toddler normally $99.95, now $29.95 - code makes it $15!
MasterReader normally $199.95, now $79.95, then use code HOP50 to get half off
Handwriting & Beginning Printing normally $39.95, now $14.95 then use code HOP50 to get half off
Learn to Count normally $39.95, now $14.95 then use code HOP50 to get half off
Addition and Subtraction normally $39.95, now $14.95 then use code HOP50 to get half off

The dollar store christmas

Christmas is coming up soon, and I'm really looking forward to it. There was a time I used to dread it. In particular the year I had to shop for my kids at the dollar store. When I first had kids I used to buy gifts according to what I could afford, which was never anything really expensive, but they always enjoyed it. We baked a lot, shared the baked goods with others, and visited friends. Then came the year I got divorced. It was hard, I was broke, and I made the mistake of shopping with credit cards to try to compete with my ex. By the following year, I was still broke with major credit card debt and no cash. Now what? I had no money to buy a tree, no money for gifts, in fact I wasn't sure where we were even going to get enough food to eat. So I went to the dollar store with $20 that I didn't have to spend and bought my five kids christmas presents. I felt horrible. I can't tell you how horrible I felt that year. My ex dropped off my kids that christmas and the kids were so excited to come home. I was so stressed they would be upset and disappointed. They opened all their gifts and were thrilled to get them. In fact my son Josh said it was the best christmas he'd ever had. I went to the bathroom at that point and just cried. While I was relieved that they were happy I felt like the worst mother in the world for buying my kids gifts at the dollar store. How did I get to this place? What happened to me? I went from looking forward and celebrating christmas with my family and enjoying the birth of Jesus to crying in the bathroom because I had no money. I used to spend every christmas baking and bringing things to my friends and was now sitting home alone. What happened to me that my handmade gifts weren't good enough? Why did I lose the spirit of christmas? I'm not sure where I went wrong, but I do know that it's easy to get caught up in the commercialism of christmas. Prior to my divorce, as finances improved over the years, I started buying more and more things. Christmas became all about the stuff, and the divorce didn't help. My ex bought stuff to compensate and compete with me, and I did the same. It was wrong, it was sad, and the worst part was it had nothing to do with Jesus. I don't know when it happened but somewhere along the way I found my joy again. I quit worrying so much about the stuff, started baking again, and just started enjoying the holiday rather than dreading it. I'm glad because christmas is a hard time of year for me. I don't tend to work as much as I usually do in the winter, so money tends to be tight. I'm happy to hand out homemade gifts, and spend time at church, and with my family. I have friends right now that are struggling to make ends meet and are very worried about how to pay for christmas. They are dreading christmas rather than looking forward to it. I know what that's like, I've been there. It's my hope, and what I'm praying for this year that my friends find the joy of the christmas season again. That they find gifts they can make, or coupons with donations of their time to do a chore, play a game, or spend some time with the receiver of their gift. That they look forward to these things, rather than dread it. Please post your favorite christmas traditons. If you have any handmade gift ideas or pictures, please post them too.

Christmas planner

The EH Christmas Planner has everything you need to stay organized this holiday season.

It also helps you keep track of what you’ve already done in the past. Therefore, it saves you time, money, and keeps you consistent and thoughtful.

Christmas Planner Includes:

Party Planner – Organize December birthdays, Family Picture, Parties, and gifts to have on hand.

Family Gift Planner – Keep track of gift ideas for each person in your family year round.

Extended Family Planner – This worksheet will help you make gift giving to your extended family easy!

Friend Gift Planner – Keep track of the smaller details like: Goody plates, Teacher gifts, and Emergency gifts.

Memory Planner – Quickly keep record of the wonderful memories you had with your family this holiday season.

Include in your Christmas Planning Binder:

· Recipes
· Menus
· Wish Lists
· Party plans and agenda’s
· Invitation ideas
· Tradition ideas
· Family craft ideas
· Decorating ideas
· Magazine cut-outs
· Tip Junkie post print-outs
· Other pictures that inspire you
· Online Ordering Confirmation Receipts

Having everything in one place will save time and get you inspired to make this season extra special. It will also cut down on having to re-event the wheel every year and prevent you from forgetting special moments and traditions.

Click Here to get your FREE planner.

Did you know???????

Did you know that if the store has an offer of buy one item get one item free, and you have a coupon B1G1F that you can use the coupon and basically pay nothing for either item? (except sales tax of course) I went to Rite Aid the other day where they had Herbal Essence shampoo on sale B1G1F. I had a coupon for B1G1F so that was cool. I also had a coupon to get a free styler with purchase of the shampoo and a $1 off coupon for shampoo. So I got all 4 items free making it a $1 profit at this point. Many stores will allow you to use a coupon with a B1G1F coupon because essentially the B1G1F coupon is redeemed for the free item, and you can legally use a cash off coupon for the item you are buying to legitimize the other coupon. So you have one coupon for each item which it totally within the rules. Some stores don't allow it because they interpret it as trying to use 2 coupons for one item so it just depends on where you go. Most drug stores do this with no problem. Rite Aid specifically states in their policy they will accept B1G1F coupons on their B1G1F sales. Read the policy here.

Did you know Winco has turkeys for 31cents a pound if you buy $50 worth of groceries? Best price I have seen so far. Oh, and if you are buying a turkey over
16lbs you are paying more per pound as the bones start to weigh more than the meat. It may be better to purchase 2 smaller turkeys instead of one big one.

Debit Cards

There is a great article in todays Parade magazine on Debit Cards. Here is the highlights.

Here are 4 debit card dangers to watch out for.

1. Overdraft charges:
If you run your card and there isn't enough money in the bank you can be hit with overdraft fees of up to $39 each.
Solution: Maintain at least $50 in your checking account as a cushion. Ask your bank to set up your account so your card is declined instead of allowing the charge. Ask your bank for email or text alerts to notify you when the balance is low.

2. Out of order transactions:
Instead of processing the transactions in order many banks are processing charges from the biggest to the smallest. This can lead to multiple overdraft fees.
Solution: Only use a bank that processes transactions chronologically.

3. International fees.
You can get charged 2-3% per transaction.
Solution: Some banks are willing to waive this fee.

4. Limited protection:
US law protects credit card purchases, but not debit card purchases.
Solution: Whenever buying online, always use a credit card.

Walmart offers $20 turkey dinner for 8

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (Nov. 4, 2009) – Dedicated to helping American families save money on both holiday traditions and gift items, Walmart (NYSE: WMT) announced today significant price reductions* on Thanksgiving dinner favorites, TVs and other popular electronics. In addition to seeking savings on gifts under the Christmas tree, recent research shows more than 50 percent of consumers plan to shop price discounts in the coming weeks on non-gift purchases for themselves or family.**

A turkey dinner for eight as low as $20
According to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, last year’s average cost of a turkey was roughly $1.19 per pound. Beginning today, select Grade A turkeys are available for 40 cents per pound at Walmart.* These gobblers are part of Walmart’s $20 Thanksgiving menu guaranteeing family favorites will be on the dinner table this holiday season. Walmart’s $20 Thanksgiving feast includes:

•One 12-pound Grade A turkey*
•Three 11 to 15.5-ounce cans Green Giant vegetables
•Two 14-ounce cans Ocean Spray cranberry sauce
•Three 6-ounce boxes of Stove Top stuffing
•One 5-pound bag of red potatoes
•One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
•One 22-ounce pumpkin roll cake

The closest Super Walmart is in Sanger. Just go straight out Jensen ave till you get to Sanger. On the Right hand side, you can't miss it.

The sibling connection

Years ago we stored Elijah's cord blood in hope we might someday be able to use it, not for Eli, but for Ken (my husband) instead. Ken has a congenital heart defect that has caused a lot of damage to his heart. Many people don't realize that cord blood can be used for family members not just for the child themself. We chose viacord as our company to store our cord blood. One of the reasons is the company is actively doing research with the heart which of course is where our interest is. Recently I heard of another program through viacord called the sibling connection that enables you to collect and store your cord blood free of charge for five years in certain cases. I hope no one ever needs to take advantage of this program, but here it is just in case.

This program provides ViaCord's comprehensive cord blood collection, processing and five years of storage at no cost to expecting parents who have a child in need of a transplant and meet the other enrollment requirements of the program.

Any expectant family with a child who has an established diagnosis of a disease that is currently treatable with cord blood may receive ViaCord's premier cord blood banking and five years of storage services at no cost. Your child's doctor will need to complete a medical referral form. If you would like more information please call toll-free 1-866 861-8435.

New program at CVS

A new program at CVS will pay you for not using plastic shopping bags.

Here’s how it works: For 99 cents, buy a “GreenBagTag” at any CVS story. Clip it on to your key ring or a cloth shopping bag. Each time you complete a purchase and don’t take a plastic shopping bag, the cashier will scan your tag. For every four times you go green, you’ll earn $1 in ExtraCare bucks, redeemable on future CVS purchases.

To participate, you must be a member of CVS’s ExtraCare program, but it’s a snap to sign up. Go to CVS.com and click on “Get your ExtraCare Rewards today” in the top bar.

GreenBagTags will start showing up in stores this weekend and should be in all CVS branches within three weeks, said a company spokesperson.

preschool games.

There is a whole bunch of preschool games on sale at Toys R Us this week for $3.99. If you buy seven of them you can get a $14 rebate along with a gift card for $10 you get for spending $25 making all 7 games only $4. An awesome deal! Even if you don't have children this age it makes a wonderful donation to charity.

Chick-fil-a

It's time to buy a $20 Chick-Fil-A gift card to get a free 2010 Chick-Fil-A calendar with $30 in coupons for free food. These are the coupons you get:
January - Free chicken biscuit or a free small bowl of hearty breast soup.
February - Free large Sprite.
March - Free Chick-n-Strips (3 count)
April - Free medium lemonade
May - free small milkshake
June - free Dasani water and free small fruit cup
July - Free chicken salad sandwich
August - free large Coke Zero
September - Free chicken sandwich
October - Free large Coke
November - Free larger Diet Coke
December - Free Chick-n-Minis (3 ct) or Free large fries

Kmarts black friday list

Kmart has their Black Friday ad out already. I love it when you find out early! Here is the link.

Early Black Friday Deals

I have to admit, you say the word Black Friday and I start getting excited. Black Friday was introduced to me by my mother who always enjoyed the deals. I used to think she was crazy until I did it myself. Black Friday is a way for my family to enjoy things we might not otherwise afford. We read each ad carefully, make a list, then make a plan. We are careful to make a budget and stick to the plan. It's easy to get caught up in the shopping when there are such great deals out there, but it's important to stick to your budget. I have been known to put off replacing things and waiting till Black Friday to save money. The retailers are getting started early this year, so this is what I have found so far. Good luck!



Sears

Enjoy the excitement of Black Friday every Friday at 5 p.m. through Saturday mornings at Sears. The sales campaign called “Black Friday Now” will feature weekly big deals through Christmas. The company will also be offering doorbuster bargains each Saturday at 7 a.m through noon. Here are a few products you can score this week:

50 percent off a 302-piece craftsman tools set

$79.99 (reg. $259.99) diamond stud earrings

50 percent off all DieHard workboots (reg. $75)

$399.99 closeout on ProForma XP elliptical machine (reg. $699.99)

$174.19 (reg. $259.99) 7 ½ ft. Wakefield Christmas tree with 700 Never Out Christmas lights

According to analysts, next weeks deals could include a 42” Zenith plasma TV for only $499.



Walmart

The retail giant has already started slashing prices and dishing out holiday deals. Including offering 100 toys, from Barbies to action figures, for $10 through the holiday season. Walmart is also selling highly anticipated books for $8.98 and having "two-for-$30" specials on games for the Nintendo Wii. Come Black Friday you can scoop these items among the deals:

40” Samsung LCD TV for $798 (reg. $898)

HP Pavillion desktop for $398 (reg. $498)

HP Pavilion laptop for $448 (reg. $528)



Target

Like Walmart, Target is offering a "toys for $10" promotion. The retailer is also selling Christmas cards for $15.99 per box and a baby's first Christmas gift set of Baby Einstein DVDs or CDs for $14.99. Target is also featuring daily deals on their site, as well as weekly announcements of Black Friday deals. Sign up for alerts here.



Toys ‘R Us

Toys ‘R Us plans to open 80 temporary stores across the country and is offering layaway on big-ticket items like bikes and doll houses. The toy giant will unveil it’s 2009 Toys 'R Us Big Toy Book on Nov. 1, but here’s a sneak peak at a few of the deals:

$10 Toys ‘R Us gift card with any purchase of $75 or more

$10 Toys ‘R Us gift card with the purchase of any iPod valued at $100 or more

$10 Toys ‘R Us gift card with the purchase of any Disney movies valued at $40 or more

Free Mini Alive Cub with the purchase of any Alive Cub priced at $59.99

Free Little Mommy Doctor Set with the purchase of a Little Mommy Baby Ah-Choo doll

Free SpongeBob SquarePants Ants in the Pants board game with the purchase of select SpongeBob SquarePants board games

Free Crayola 50th Anniversary 64-count Crayon tin with any Crayola purchase of $19.99 or more

Free Cars Backpack with any Cars purchase of $25 or more

Save $100 on the Big Backyard Crestwood Lodge Gym Set

Save $100 on the Peg Perego Polaris Ranger RZR

Specials are valid from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Thursday, Nov. 26.



Kohls

The department store is giving customers a jump-start on holiday savings with two full days of Power Hour pricing. On Nov. 6 and 7 there will be deals upon deals and stores will be open until midnight. Among the bargains:

Redeem Kohl's Cash (earned when shopping at Kohl's during Oct. 21 to 27)

Redeem Pick-Your-Day savings offer (Kohl's charge card holders can enjoy additional savings on the day of their choice)

Save an extra 20 percent on all toys already 10 to 40 percent off, including Fisher-Price, Playskool, Tonka and more

Nextar 4.3" widescreen GPS system for $89.99 (reg. $299.99)



Kmart

Start working on your holiday budget now to beat the last-minute crunch. Early in the game, Kmart is offering online layaway, in addition to its in-store layaway program to help shoppers pay for holiday gifts over time.



Vistaprint

This year, don’t leave your family holiday cards until the last minute. Take advantage of the great deals going on at Vistaprint and order your holiday cards early. Browse these exclusive deals below and see if you can save this year.

50 percent off 2010 calendars

50 percent off holiday Cards, plus most holiday products

Free shipping on orders over $50, plus up to 90 percent off site-wide!

Up to 50 percent off custom photo gifts- photo books, mugs, tote bags and more



CVS

CVS is offering deals you can pocket online before Black Friday.

This week includes discounts on flat irons (save $30), hair dryers (on sale for $19.99), stereo speakers (just $14.99) and a heated massaging back system (on sale for $19.99).



This Black Friday website should be a good resource also to keep track of all the Black Friday Deals. Click here.

30 day giving challenge

This is from Kingdomfirstmom.com I encourage everyone to participate.

November 1st is here. Day 1 of The 30-Day Giving Challenge.

I invite you to take a leap of faith and give in some fashion every day this month. Think beyond monetary gifts. Couponers, open up your stockpiles. Bakers, share some pumpkin bread with a neighbor. Get creative!

Most importantly, ask God to lead you each day.

Just remember to write it down. Not in a boastful, look-how-generous-I-am kind of way. But to keep yourself accountable and be transformed.

Write down the blessings that come your way each day, too. Get your whole family on board!

Bloggers are in a unique position to inspire and encourage literally thousands of others to accept this giving challenge.

All are welcome to RSVP on Facebook, and invite others.

I will also be highlighting charities throughout the month that deserve our support. Although I believe giving should start in your own communities, there may be a day when you need a nudge or a suggestion.

If you wish to get further involved, please feel free to email 30daygivingchallenge (at) gmail (dot) com for more details. I am happy to consider your cause as a featured charity.

Keep this verse on your heart all month:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galations 6:9

It is my prayer that we would all gain a new freedom from the grip money has on our lives. At the end of this 30 days, I would love to hear how your heart was transformed!

Are you ready? Set… GO!! Get giving!

Holiday shopping

1. Make a budget before you start shopping. Determine what you can afford to spend and make a list. Assign a dollar amount to each person. You can download a free form to track your expenses here.

2. Make a deal on a gift card. Check here

3. Get rebates back on your purchases. Try bing.com/shopping, ebates.com, or fatwallet.com

4. Compare prices, and watch for sales.

5. Get coupons and/or free shipping. Try retailmenot.com, freeshipping.org, couponcabin.com, currentcodes.com, cheapstingybargains.com, or wow-coupons.com

P&G kitchenware offer

There should be better details on this offer in the sunday supplement this weekend.

Trade in your christmas lights

Home Depot has an offer to trade in Christmas Lights for $3 per strand for credit toward new LED lights. This will happen Nov 5 -15. The LED lights will be $5.97, so after the trade-in, they will be $2.97 per strand. You can trade in up to 5 sets per customer. LED lights use 80% less energy. They will even take broken strands for the $3 credit.

Halloween Freebies

Free Black Jack Taco – Taco Bell is giving away tacos from 6pm until midnight.

Free Chipotle Burrito – After leaving Taco Bell, drive over to Chipotle between 6pm and close to get a free burrito. You have to dress up as a burrito in order to get a freebie.

Free Event & Prizes at Michaels – From 10am-noon, stop in at your local Michaels to get a free trick-or-treat pail. Plus, they’ll have a free coloring activity with free Crayola Model Magic Fusion and build a Make-It Take-It Halloween frame. Children will also receive a balloon and candy because that’s exactly what they need on Halloween – an early start on the sugar intake followed by a helium chaser!


Free Toys R Us Treats and Giveaways – I have no idea what “treats and giveaways” mean, but that’s what will be given away from noon-3pm on Halloween.
Toys”R”Us stores nationwide will host Trick “R” Treat events on Halloween, complete with costume parades, complimentary treats and giveaways.

Free Mattel Toy at Sears – Bring your child in to any Toy Shop at Sears and get a free Mattel toy. In addition, they have a $5 off $20 toy purchase coupon available. It’s valid between now and 11/1, so you could use it for a Christmas present or something.

Discount Sonic Food – they are participating in an offer to sell $0.50 corndogs from 5pm-midnight on Halloween.

Some McDonalds will give away a free hamburger on Halloween if you come in costume. Call ahead - not all McDonalds are participating.

As always, you might want to call ahead and make sure your local store is participating.

Pantry staples

There was a recent discussion from some facebook friends on cooking for your family. I get tired of the monotony of cooking for everyone. I actually love to cook when I have time and I'm feeling inspired which unfortunately is only about 20% of the
time. It got me to thinking though that I usually do something that I think is important. For me it's done without thinking but not everyone does it. I think it's important to keep your pantry stocked with stuff that you use all the time. Most people cook similar stuff regularly. I found a list that I think is pretty good and I'm happy to say I have almost the complete list at my house. Consider keeping most of this stuff stocked at your house along with ingredients you use all the time. Whenever it goes on sale stock up on it. Figure out how much you use a year and stock accordingly. That way when you are having a bad day you can pull out a couple of ingredients and throw something together rather than ordering expensive pizza's. Took my own advice yesterday. Went to Walmart with my internet coupons and stocked up. They of course had to call the manager after my $72 in coupons locked up the register, buy hey, now I have an over full pantry, and I didn't have to pay too much for it. I always warn people who get in line behind me that I'm going to take a long time. I had almost 100 coupons so I know what it must be like to stand in line behind me. One guy wisely went somewhere else, but another lady told me if I had the patience to coupon shop then she had the patience to wait behind me. How cool was that! When she saw my total she told me how much she enjoyed watching me. I gave her a coupon for one of the items she was buying as a thank you. I also leave soon to expire coupons in the store for others. My pantry is so full now I need another one. Can anyone help me out?

Pantry Stockpiles:

Baking & Spices

baking soda
baking powder
cornstarch
yeast
flour
salt
pepper
peppercorns
sugar
confectioner’s sugar
brown sugar
light corn syrup
vanilla extract
ground cinnamon
nutmeg
ground cloves
powdered ginger
basil
oregano
chili powder
dry mustard
paprika
thyme
tarragon
dill
bay leaves
poultry seasoning
beef, chicken & vegetable bouillon cubes
cream of tartar
unseasoned bread crumbs
Bisquick or pancake mix
powdered milk
unsweetened cocoa powder
unsweetened baking chocolate
chocolate chips



General & Condiments

rice
pasta
dried onion soup mix
tomato paste
tomato sauce
canned tomatoes
peanut butter
jelly
canned tuna
raisins
chocolate syrup
cereals
chicken or beef stock
canned soups
canned beans
olives
canned pears
canned peaches
applesauce
vegetable oil
olive oil
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
vegetable shortening
nonstick cooking spray
mayonnaise
ketchup
mustard
salad dressings
soy sauce
hot pepper sauce
Worcestershire sauce
barbecue sauce
salsa
honey
maple syrup
white wine
red wine



Refrigerator

milk
eggs
butter
cheese
yogurt
cottage cheese
cream cheese
sour cream
meats/fish
deli meats
bacon
juices
carrots
celery
lemon
mushroom
lettuce
peppers



Freezer

orange juice concentrate
corn
green beans
spinach
peas
mixed vegetables
ground beef
chicken breasts
shrimp
dinner rolls or bread
ice cream
pie crust
nuts



Fresh

oranges
apples
bananas
tomatoes
potatoes
garlic
onions
bread

Free kid meals at Sweet tomatoes on Halloween

All kids in costume get a free meal at Sweet Tomatoes with a paid parent meal.

Free taco on Halloween

From 6pm to midnight on halloween, get your free black jack taco. See it here.

Tips for your freezer

Keeping your food from freezer burn. Found this article on www.thescramble.com


1. Before you go grocery shopping, pull everything out of your refrigerator and see what can be incorporated into this week’s meals or just needs to be tossed. (I recommend making a weekly menu plan, so little if any food goes to waste. (My website, www.theScramble.com can help you with that).

2. Evaluate the items in your freezer that you haven’t used, or don’t consider tempting. Taking a realistic view of what you and your family will actually eat as leftovers will keep your freezer from filling up with items you will likely never enjoy (kind of like your closets!) In other words, you can throw away that piece of cake that’s years past its prime or that half casserole that nobody liked the first time around.

3. If you have frozen meats or casseroles that you aren’t saving for a specific reason, incorporate them into this month’s meals before they become too old. Use them as a nightly meal for the week paired with a fresh salad, or enhance one of the week’s lighter meals with your frozen finds.
4. If you have bags of frozen berries (unless they’re already long opened and need to be tossed), make a smoothie by blending the frozen fruit with orange juice and fresh fruit or yogurt.

5. Use packages of prepared appetizers as side dishes for your dinners.

I always feel better when can avoid buying something I already have or wasting something I purchased or made months ago. I love to save money and space by using up all the food I buy, but almost as important, I relish having a sense of control over at least one aspect of my busy life.

Barnes and Nobles giveaway oct 24th.

Free cookie and hot chocolate at Barnes and Nobles on Oct 24th. Call first to make sure your store is participating.
get your coupon here.

Beans

I was at my friend Diana's the other day and she was cooking beans. I asked her what she was making, and she told me she was just cooking them and freezing for later. Wow, what a concept! I know beans are cheaper when purchased dried rather than in the can, but it just never occured to me to cook my own and freeze them. Beans are generally almost a dollar a can or more if you buy the brand name vs $1 or less to buy a bag. I just got 4 containers of beans out of 1 bag for under a dollar. Savings of $3, and it really required very little work. Soak em overnite, simmer 1-2 hours the next day and freeze. Easy! Thanks Diana.

Another KFC freebie. Maybe?

The Associated Press is reporting that on Monday, October 26, anybody can stop in and get a free piece of grilled chicken at KFC. Keep in mind they had a similar offer back in May. They were so overwhelmed with requests that they had to issue rainchecks. I guess that’s what happens when Oprah talks about it. I never used mine, I just went to El Pollo Loco instead when they made good on the coupon. At any rate, they promise to be ready this time around, so here’s to a free lunch this coming Monday. It is only the grilled chicken itself though, not the meal.

Free toy from Sears

Sears is giving away a free toy on Halloween. Looks like fun.
Click here for more info

Keeping it legal

I went to Winco today and they are no longer accepting internet coupons. I can't help feeling they are handling this badly. All it takes is a little education to learn what to look for to make sure a internet coupon is legitimate. Not to mention they should have posted it on the front door at the check out, etc. I didn't find out until I had already checked out and handed over my coupons. Winco, are you kidding me? Oh wait, someone just told me it was posted by the grocery carts. Either I didn't see it or they didn't leave it up very long.
With that said I want to talk a little about keeping it legal. Internet coupons are generally set to print one or two coupons with that being the limit. You should not photo copy the coupons which constitutes as fraud. In my opinion there are enough coupons going around that makes this kind of fraud ridiculous, and it's ruining it for the rest of us. Here in Fresno Ca, we don't even have the benefit of double coupons like other parts of the world, and I still have never felt the need to commit fraud as I feel I get good enough deals already. The same for rebate offers. 15 years ago when I was doing lots of rebates there were over 500 rebates a month you could do. Now there are only 100 with a large percentage of them for alcohol. Since I don't drink very much rebates are very slim. They cut way back on rebates because again due to fraud. People were using multiple addresses renting P.O. Boxes and essentially defrauding the companies. Has a lot to do with why they cut way back on the offers. Coupons and rebates is a fun hobby to help cut expenses. It's not meant to take the place of a job. So please, don't be tempted to defraud the companies. Not only are they likely to quit these offers, but it also drives the prices up for the rest of us, not unlike theft at the stores themselves that cause the stores to increase the prices to recoup the losses. It's not worth going to jail over either and there have been cases of people going to jail over printing multiple coupons or using multiple addresses for rebates. I try very hard to stay within the guidelines given to me and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Frugality is forever

"There's a lot of reset going on in terms of returning to the basics," said Lisa Caputo, chief executive of Citi's Women & Co., a financial-resource program aimed at women. "Women are looking at this recession in very personal ways."

Seventy-five percent of mothers, both single and married, said savings and spending habits will never go back to pre-recession levels, while 61% of women without children said that, as did 60% of men.

When it comes to being forced to dip into savings and investments to cover bills, mothers widely outnumbered women without children -- 62% compared with 52% -- as well as men, at 39%.

About 63% of women with children are holding off buying big-ticket items like a car compared with 50% of women without children and 52% of men.

"Women across all sectors believe that their financial situations have deteriorated," Caputo said. "They are not going to be high-flying consumers with open pocketbooks."

Caputo said women, who have long been considered the CEOs of their households are now also taking on the role of CFO. "We are seeing a huge transition of women from just family organizer to chief family financial officer. This has become a transformational recession for women."


For complete article, click here.

checking your bills

Do you inspect every bill for errors? How about the ones you just get emailed to you? I usually look at the bills when they come in and check for errors, but I often don't check the ones that are sent to me by email. I did this today and discovered I have been over charged for 2 years on my satellite bill. I won't have to pay that bill for the next 2 months! I'm not intentially lazy but I tend to assume I'm being charged correctly. Some bills are hard to read and understand. It amazes me too when you sign up for stuff like the phone or satellite and you think you will pay $30 a month but it turns into $45 after taxes and whatever else you need to make the service work. Not to mention phone and satellite/cable pricing changes almost month to month so it's exhausting to always make sure you are getting a good deal. I called PG&E a while back to find out what the times were to use your electricity when it's cheaper. Did you know they don't even do that anymore? Quit years ago! I now have a brand new water meter measuring every drop I use. Another bill to worry about. Now I'm freaking out when Eli stays in the shower too long. I can't help wishing it were more simple. I just want to know what I'm paying. If it's $50 for the satellite just say so instead of making it out to be like it's a lot less without all the other fees you have to pay anyway. I have no doubt this happens often. I can't tell you how many times after I made a random phone call to the phone company for example and come to find out I could have gotten better service for less money a long time ago. I spend hours keeping track of my bills and my finances which I can't help feeling is totally ridiculous. I don't think it's too much to ask to be up front about what you are charging for a service. Just like what happens with the credit card companies. If I have this much trouble with the satellite it doesn't surprise me to see people get into trouble with their credit card. I think while Obama is at it, he might want to require all bills be in black and white. At least then it won't be so difficult to make good decisions when signing up for a service.

Self discipline

Self-discipline
by Crown Financial Ministries


In the natural order of things, God designed us to be disciplined people. The lack of discipline usually leads to all kinds of problems, such as debt, obesity, and bad health, to name a few. If the purpose of discipline is not well understood, the attitude will be one of punishment. Discipline isn't punishment; it's used for character development.

Symptoms of a lack of discipline
It's common to live with a problem so long that it's accepted as normal. Therefore, it's important to take a little self-evaluation from time to time. Some common symptoms associated with a lack of discipline are listed below.

Confusion. When important things are left half finished or are totally ignored, a nagging state of confusion will exist. Confusion is an indefinable feeling that something is wrong, but you can't put your finger on it. For instance, do you wonder how much money is really in the bank?

Indulgence. Without (God-based) self-discipline most people end up buying luxuries they don't need or can't afford.

Sloppiness. A person lacking self-discipline is usually irresponsible with material assets. He or she often will treat clothes, cars, and even houses as if they were disposable. "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it back to his mouth" (Proverbs 19:24).

Lack of prayer and study. Christians who lack discipline will also lack spiritual maturity, because they let others do their thinking. "Cease listening, my son, to discipline, and you will stray from words of knowledge" (Proverbs 19:27).
Eventually, symptoms such as confusion, indulgence, or sloppiness must give way to real problems. The best way to correct a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit.

Disciplinary goals


Establish a balanced bank account. This means that you must keep a neat, itemized account of all checks and deposits. No account is accurate unless it balances to the penny each month. This may require that all check transactions cease for one month in order to establish the correct balance. "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds" (Proverbs 27:23).

Establish a budget. Every Christian is required to be a steward of God's resources. There is no way to be a good steward without planned spending. Some people get into debt by poor self-discipline; others simply have enough surplus to be sloppy and get away with it. Neither condition is scriptural. "In your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness" (2 Peter 1:6).

Establish a partnership. In God's wisdom the extremes of one spouse are often offset by the conservatism of the other. Therefore, any scripturally based plan requires both spouses in order to establish financial goals.
Conclusion
The lack of self-discipline in a visible area, like finances, is merely an outer reflection of an inner condition. Proverbs 13:18 says, "Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored." The purpose of self-discipline is to provide peace. "It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it" (Proverbs 10:22).

Keeping your heating bill down

Here is some advice from The Happy Housewife:

Turn the heat down at night. Check thrift stores or your mom’s attic for blankets to use on your beds. We pull out the down comforter every year in December. It allows us to keep the house a few degrees cooler at night.
If you are the only one home during the day consider using a space heater for the room where you spend your time. You can warm your room, without paying to warm the rest of the home.

Dress like it is winter. Wearing jeans and a sweater will allow you to turn down your thermostat a few degrees.

Use the sun. Keep curtains open and let the sun naturally heat your home during the day. Shut them before the sun goes down to retain some of the heat.

Consider investing in a pellet stove. While the initial investment is large, the savings over time is great. Depending on the size of your home you can heat the entire house using only the stove.

Buy a blanket for the hot water heater. Many water heaters are located in the basement or garage, two areas that are colder in the winter. Investing in a blanket, which costs under $30 allows the heater to use less energy keeping the water warm.

Start baking. Using your oven is a great way to heat up the kitchen and eating areas of your home. Plan meals that are cooked in the oven or the crock pot to create extra warmth in the kitchen.

Buy a programmable thermostat. These are relatively inexpensive and give you better control of the temperature of your home.

Weatherproof your home. Check windows and doors for drafty spots. Using a window snake is an inexpensive way to prevent heat loss through windows and doors.

Help for hungry neighbors

Many hungry neighbors are at risk of having no Thanksgiving unless we help. $1 can provide food for 8 meals. Donations can be made at communityfoodbank.net

In 2008 Community Food Bank distributed 7,200 Holiday Meal Boxes throughout the Central Valley. This year Community Food Bank hopes to distribute 10,000 meal boxes full of the holiday trimmings during November and December to our neighbors in Fresno, Madera and Kings Counties.

We cannot provide these meals without your help. We need volunteers to help assembly the meal boxes. On November 14th and 21st we will need your help. This is a great project for everyone including children. To sign up to help, please contact Leslie Gacad, Volunteer Coordinator at 559-237-3663 x106.

If you would like to donate money for the Holiday Meal Box Program, please know that for $10.00 per box you will be providing a familiy of 5 with a meal box that includes all the holiday trimmings. By donating you are not only providing a family with food but you are giving a family hope and bringing joy back to the table. To dontate please contact Dayatra A. Latin, Director of Programs and Development at 559-237-3663 x108.

In light of Governor Schwarzenegger’s statewide declaration of Fresno County as a disaster area due to drought, we will be distributing 3 million pounds of food a month in emergency aid to hunger-stricken rural communities in west Fresno County. We are looking for volunteers who are interesting in helping distribute food for this Disaster Response in the following communities:

• Huron — 53 miles from Fresno

• San Joaquin — 33 miles

• Firebaugh — 42 miles

• Mendota — 35 miles

• Selma — 17 miles

These distributions will generally be scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Volunteers can choose between serving in the Morning Shift 8 a.m. to 1p.m., or the Afternoon Shift 1p.m. to 6 p.m.

Volunteers May Also Serve in Fresno at the Community Food Bank to help pre-package food for the distributions. Volunteers are needed at the Food Bank Mon-Fri 8am-1pm.

Volunteers are also needed to help package food on Saturday Oct. 3rd in 2 shifts 8am-12pm and 1pm-4pm

Volunteers may serve over 4 hours at their own discretion.

We need volunteers to assist with the following jobs:

• Distributing food to clients: restocking and food handling on an assembly line

• Ongoing cleanup: moving boxes, plastic, and trash as needed

• Hand out water to volunteers, clients, and staff

• Client Registration: (TBD) Bilingual volunteers needed
• Crowd Control
• Helping clients transport food to their cars disaster@handsoncentralcal.org

*Training for these positions will be provided on-site

Important Volunteer Information:

Due to the high heat we highly encourage all volunteers to bring their own snacks, lunches,

water and/or electrolyte drinks, and take breaks at least once every two hours. We will provide

a break area with shade, water (as available), and snacks (as available).

HandsOn Central California

(559) 237-3101

vols4disaster@handsoncentralcal.org

weekend freebies

Glidden has another free paint offer. Click here.

The Herbal Essence Giveaway is back on at Facebook.

Angel Craft has lots of free crafts to do. 45 pages! click here

IKEA is having their free breakfast promotion Oct 10 -12. Check for a location near you.

Not free, but close. The Fresno fair will give you entrance to the fair for $2 with a receipt from save mart on Tuesday.

The very hungry caterpillar

Jumpstart, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to childhood literacy, has teamed up with Walmart to encourage everyone to Read for the Record on October 8, 2009.

Mark your calendars, and help break the record for the most people reading the same book on the same day! This year’s selection for the annual program is Eric Carle’s beloved book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

You can pick up a special commemorative copy at your local Walmart for only $8.00 from now until October 8th. All net proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Jumpstart literacy program for low-income preschoolers. Click here for more info.

Free Day at Disneyland

Disney announced on Good Morning America yesterday that if you spend a day volunteering with a participating organization, then starting on January 1, 2010 you can get a free one-day admission to Disney World or Disneyland. They haven’t released a list of the participating groups yet, but if you think you might want to take part in the offer, they suggest signing up for e-mail alerts which will let you know when pre-registration starts since ticket quantities are limited.

A maximum of 8 family member can participate and children must be at least 6 years old to qualify. So you could theoretically get a free day of admission for the entire family during your next vacation. Click here for more info.

This and that

Boston Market has a new promotion: 2 Kids Eat Free all day, every day. Requires one adult meal purchase. Read about it here. (10/31/09)

Get a 30 day free trial of Magic Jack, click here. I believe it requires a credit card number which won't be charged until after 30 days. Many people do have Magic Jack - it's a legitimate alternative to a regular landline and it is much cheaper. You pay a flat rate for the year.

There is a charity promotion going on at Macys. Donate $1 and receive a $10 Macys coupon good on $10+. Unfortunately, there is a wide variance on how the promotion is being handled. Some stores are requiring a $5 donation, some stores limit it to one per person, and some stores are selling them in unlimited quantities to anyone. Obviously, if you can get a $10 coupon for only $1, that is like buying a $10 bill with a $1 bill. Gee, if you are lucky enough to have a Macys that will let you get as many as you want, that's a great way to stock up on small purchases, like socks or undies, kitchen gadgets or sale items. Each register has a stack of the $10 coupons, so even if you're told at one register they are all out, go to another register and keep asking. You can't stack them, meaning you can't use two $10 coupons to buy a $20 item. The fun part is finding great deals in the $10.xx range.

On September 24th from 5 - 8pm, Cold Stone Creamery will have a charity event. Get a 3 oz Creation when you donate any amount to Make-A-Wish.

Balancing wants with affordability

I read this the other day on kingdomfirstmom's blog the other day. (See below) It got me to thinking how caught up many people have found themselves with expensive birthdays they can't afford. The rented clowns, the pizza parties, etc. I think we can teach our children a lot more by living within our means and still having a good time doing it. It teaches them to appreciate what they have. They learn to stay out of debt. That you don't have to have the biggest and best of everything, but you can still have a good time. Recently there was a questionnaire going around on facebook that asked what your favorite childhood memory was. Almost every child (and adult) without fail said camping with their family. Now I found that very interesting that they all chose something low budget that did not include high tech equipment or expensive amusement parks. When I first had my kids I had very little money. As finances improved I started buying them all kinds of stuff. I desperately wanted to do those parties at Chuck E Cheese but could never afford in the past. But after a while I realized they neither appreciated it or took care of the stuff. I cut back and they went back to appreciating it. I heard from another mom that only allows her kids to have 10 toys. If they get more than that they have to choose something to donate. It sounds strict, but on the other hand do they really need more than 10 things? Wouldn't it be nicer to bless another child who doesn't have anything? I know another mom who spent days creating a fantastic birthday party for her child. Her husband innocently asked why they couldn't just have a cake and swim party. The mom had all sorts of reasons why not. I have to confess I wondered the same thing myself. Now I'm not suggesting you shouldn't do it if you want to and can afford it, but for those of us who can't as you will see below you can do other things without going into debt and it will be fabulous!

She wants to take her guests to the movies.

But instead they will enjoy a $1.00 rental from Red Box and stove-popped popcorn while in their jammies.

She wants a trip to the fancy kiddie “spa” for makeovers, pedicures and glitter.

But instead they will enjoy painting their nails at home with my abundant stash of free nail polish from CVS.

She wants a restaurant meal at [insert name of family chain here].

But instead they will munch on pizza and fresh fruit at home.

She wants a trip to her favorite ice cream shop down the road.

But instead they will enjoy home-made ice cream sundaes and all the trimmings with their chocolate cake.

She wants to visit a bowling alley or a trip to the local gymnastics center.

But instead, she and her friends will play board games and take turns on our new Wii.

And you know what? It will be fabulous.

Dental update

Well going to UCSF dental school is certainly not easy, but we have found some ways to make it fun. After all IKEA is only 15 minutes away! lol But seriously here is what has happened so far. Since it is a school it is a process. If you choose to do your dental work this way be prepared to spend some time. You first go in for xrays if you don't already have them with an evaluation. After the eval, you then go back for the treatment plan. The cost for that is pretty comparable to a regular dentist. Ken needs 4 teeth pulled including a impacted wisdom tooth. My daughter was charged $2400.00 to have all 4 teeth pulled at her dentist and they told Ken it will be $800 so that seems like a pretty good savings. Recently I had a dental emergency forcing me to go to a local clinic. They gave me a treatment plan totalling $4500.00. I plan to take my xrays to the dental school to get a really good cost comparison. I'm glad I will have the opportunity to put it to the test. I will let you know how it all turns out.

Papa Murphys customer appreciation days

Customer Appreciation Days at Papa Murphys is coming Sept 14 - 17. Get a large Pepperoni Pizza for only $4.99, limit 3, no coupon needed.

UPDATE:
The email I got must have been wrong because when I called the store they don't know anything about it. Sorry......

While I was sleeping

While I was sleeping today all kinds of good stuff popped up. Enjoy!


Sunriver Church will be hosting on Sat. Sept. 19th, a one day Crown Financial Seminar: "Journey to True Financial Freedom" at 4450 N. Brawley 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

This is open to other churches and the seminar will be taught by the regional director of Crown Financial. From what we have been told there isn't another seminar like this scheduled in the Central Valley.

If you know of people that would benefit from this seminar on biblical stewardship, please let them know about it. We will exhort folks to apply what they have learned in their lives and their churches.

The cost is $25, which goes directly to Crown financial (we don't receive a cent). And there will be a $5 charge at the door for lunch. They can register from the Crown Financial link at www.sunriverchurch.org or call 559-447-1752.

We will be following up with a 8 week Crown Financial Bible studyduristudy during AM Sunday adult school Bible Study which starts the following week.


Buy two double scoops of Thrifty ice cream for $3.00 and get Free Smucker's toppings*. From 2 to 6pm on Saturday Sept 12th. Also scoop up balloons, stickers and coupons.

Don't miss out, this is our last Saturday Sundae!

Restaurant.com has a sale for 90% off. I have never seen them offer this much ever. I bought 5 gift certificates today for less than $6.

Free Flu Shots For Unemployed & Uninsured

Posted: 09 Sep 2009 11:51 AM PDT

If you happen to be a victim of the current economic climate and without a job or health insurance, CVS and Walgreens have your back and are offering free flu shots.

Despite press releases saying the shots started this month, CVS is actually giving out free flu shots starting in October. You can call 1-888-FLU-SHOT to find the nearest location and time.

Walgreens has an offer where they are giving away free flu shot vouchers if you visit a Wellness Tour bus between September 17 and November 15. The offer’s a bit limited, however, as the bus tour schedule shows it’s only going to be in 17 states.

Don't miss your free health screening at Rite Aid tomorrow, September 10th. Afterwards, you can discuss your results and medications with a pharmacist.
Click here for location.

Get a 2-year subscription to All You Magazine for $29 (after cart coupon). Amazon is offering $5 off magazine subscriptions and this two-year deal includes renewals! The $5 off the regular savings price of $34 comes off in the cart. It's a total savings of almost $31 off the cover price - LINK TO OFFER

Lastly, Entertainment is offering free shipping this week on all books. If you don't have one of these, what are you waiting for? - LINK TO OFFER

use your skills for cash

1. Put your talent to work. Answer peoples questions for cash. liveperson.com

2. Do tasks for others. domystuff.com

3. Explore the internet and answer peoples questions chacha.com

4. Sell your pictures to stock photo sites. zymmetrical.com, crestock.com, bigstockphoto.com, phototrade.com

Always check with the BBB, federal trade commission, state attorney generals office, and do a internet search on the company before committing.

Great money savers

I found a whole bunch of great links in Readers Digest the other day. Sure hope their bankruptcy doesn't mean they will be stopping the magazine. I absolutely love it. While I like reading stuff on the internet I still really enjoy the newspaper, and stuff like Readers Digest.

www.mythings.com (tracks warranties for you)

School supplies:
schoolpak.com
educationalwarehouse.com
classroomdirect.com
platesplus4kids.com
lunchboxes.com
laptoplunchbox.com

Sports gear:
playitagainsports.com (rents equipment)

Printer ink:
consumercalculator.com (rates cost of ink for your printer)
123inkjets.com
4inkjets.com
ecofont.com (font ink saver)

Trade instead of buy

irta.com (trade business services and products)
meetup.com or freecycle.org (personal belongings)
u-exchange.com or bartering section of craigslist.org (onetime trades)
swaptree.com (cd's, dvd's, and video games)
goswap.org, pad4pad.com or domuswap.com (trade homes)

Computer help:
techguy.org
computerhope.com

Appliances:
repairclinic.com

Labor Day deals and more

To celebrate over a million followers on Amazon Twitter feed, they are giving away one million songs valued at $1.29 or below. Read about it here.

The Arby Free with Purchase Wednesdays have been extended through September. Next week 9/9, you'll get a free regular Roast Beef sandwich with the purchase of any soft drink. Call first to see if your Arbys is participating.
9/16: Free regular SideKickers with any sandwich purchase
9/23: Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
9/30: Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

On Labor Day (Monday) wear your sports team logo to Chick-fil-A from 10:30 am to closing and get a free original chicken sandwich. Go early. They will be swamped. Who doesn't have a sports team shirt?

Free bowling Sept 5th

The 2009 National Bowling Week Kicks Off On August 29 With The Record-breaking Attempt To Occur On National Bowling Day, September 5.
To launch the weeklong celebration, bowling centers across the United States will host special events that will include coaching clinics, bowling parties, quick and easy league sign-up and plenty of fun.

On September 5, All People Who Downloaded A Free Game Coupon At www.BOWL.com Will Be Able To Bowl A Free Game At Their Local Participating Center. You can bowl a game for free and take part in the World Record breaking event. For your efforts, you will also receive a certificate to verify your participation!
Across The United States, Bowling Has Seen An Incredible Resurgence In Popularity.
We are proud to celebrate a great year for bowling and to thank all of the people who have supported bowling centers. We are excited to join thousands of centers, from coast-to-coast across the United States, in attempting to set a new world record. We invite bowlers of all levels and talents to stop by and bowl for free as we try to help make history!

The World Record Event and National Bowling Week are sponsored by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA), Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA), the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

For more Information about National Bowling Week and bowling in general,visit www.BOWL.com or www.gobowling.com.

Click Here for coupon.

Birthdays and gifts

I went to a birthday party last night and as the kids were opening their presents I was reflecting on what was happening as they opened their gifts. One of the moms was encouraging the child to open his gifts as fast as he could instead of allowing the child to open them at his leisure giving him time to enjoy and explore what he received. It seems we are training our children to keep looking for more stuff instead of allowing them to enjoy what they have. I have no doubt he would have opened them all eventually, but I couldn't help wondering what that would look like and what impact it might have for him to have been allowed to savor the moment of discovering a new toy, playing with it, and enjoying what he had before moving on to other things.

coupon finder

Wondering where to find your coupons? Heard of a great new website yesterday www.coupontom.com where you type in what you are looking for and it tells you where to find it. Awesome! Not only that lots of them are printable right from the internet. Wow! coupons are getting easier and easier.

Cut Rx costs

There is a great article in the october All You magazine on this. Here is the highlights.

1. Shop around. Try destinationrx.com or costco.com to check prices.
2. Get a free discount card. yourrxcard.com or familywize.org
3. Get generics
4. Buy online. Try vipps.info
5. Split pills. Get the doctor to order double the dose you need and cut the pills in half.
6. Get financial assistance. pparx.org or for kids try kids.pparx.org
7. Get coupons at optimizerx.com
8. Get a 90 day supply
9. Ask your provider for help/samples
10. Review your meds with your provider to see if you need all of them.

cash for clunker appliances

It's true that the government has approved a Cash for Clunkers on appliances. See the article here. Consumers will earn up to $200 toward the purchase of high-efficiency upgrades on refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, furnaces and air-conditioning system. I'm not sure when this officially starts, but it will be all over the news. Rumor says November. That gives everyone time to line up their ducks, because the $300 million allotted for this will go in a matter of days. Also, you won't have to turn in your old clunker appliance.

cut the cable bill

Sick of paying high cable bills? Did you know that you don’t have to pay for network television (plus many other channels) anymore? All you need is the right digital antenna for your home’s location. Learn what channels you can receive (20 or more is common) and which antenna you need at antennaweb If you keep cable, make sure you go over the bill regularly. They are constantly changing packages and it's smart to make sure you aren't being charged for stuff you didn't ask for. I just called the satellite company today on a charge I discovered that has been on my bill for the past 4 months! Thanks Eli, I really didn't want to pay to play games on the TV. Sigh.......

when couples clash on finances

Nice article on figuring out finances with your spouse when you are having problems. This has happened more times than I care to remember with Ken and I. It is rarely a money problem and almost always a communication problem for us. Click here for details.

More Tacos

Jack in the box, not to be outdone by the others will be giving 2 free tacos away on August 4th. Click here for coupon. There is also a secret Jack society for more freebies and coupons to sign up for. Click here.

School supplies

Keep an eye out for free or close to free school supplies in the next few weeks. There are some great deals at Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS/Longs. This is a great time to stockpile notebook paper, pencils, etc. Better to pay 9cents now than full price later. This week CVS, has quite a few great deals on notebooks, erasers, calipers, staplers, sticky notes, pencils, etc. All free till Tuesday.

eating out at home

Wish you could enjoy your favorite restaurant entree without dropping $20? Good news—now you can prepare the same dish you’d order in a restaurant without leaving the house (That means you’re saving on gas, too.) For just 99 cents per recipe TopSecretRecipes.com tells you how to make the same meals that are on the menu at popular restaurants across the country. Some recipes are even free. It’s a great way to save money without sacrificing taste. I've already tried lots of them. I took some leftover california pizza kichen thai chicken pizza to work the other day and everyone thought I had gone out for dinner!

kids eat free

The thought of planning a meal after being a slave to the day-planner has left many a busy parent frazzled. In rosier economic times, multi-tasking moms and dads have been saved from the dinner bell by piling into the family car and heading out to eat rather than stare down the stove. In fact according to the National Restaurant Association's 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast, 69 percent of consumers said that purchasing meals from restaurants, takeout and delivery establishments makes it easier for families with children to manage their day-to-day lives.

But in the worsening financial climate dining out for many families has become a luxury and not a right of the jam-packed work week.

Even in the current economic free fall, however, many chain establishments have proven the old adage of no free lunch (or dinner) wrong, especially if you have kids. Full service chain restaurants continue to offer some pretty sweet deals in the form of kids-eat-free promotions, with some guidelines of course.

Tasty Tuesdays
If your family is perpetually on the manic Monday (and Tuesday) schedule you're in luck. Kids-eat-free promotions not only coincide with the sometimes bumpy transition from weekend to work week but are a good way to attract customers to slow moving dining rooms. Specifically, Tuesday nights are a traditionally kid-friendly time to dine and take advantage of the little ones noshing gratis. Typical offers, such as the kids-eat-free night at Denny's, allow up to two free kid's meals from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. for every purchase of one adult entrée.

Texas-sized savings abound at another fullservice restaurant, Lone Star Steakhouse. At Lone Star there are no time restrictions, and up to two kids can eat free any time during the day with the purchase of an adult entree.

Quickserve restaurants have also jumped on the bandwagon by enticing families with kids-eat-free options. The Chik-fil-A chain, made famous by media savvy cows pleading with consumers to "eat more chikin" , offers a free four-pack kid's meal complete with toy and a drink on Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for every adult combo meal purchased (check with local franchises for exact times as these vary).

But It's Not Just Tuesday!
While Tuesday's a kids-eat-free-heavy day, other days of the week feature great bargains, if you know where to look. At IHOP Monday and Tuesday are good days for families. Between 4pm and 8pm you'll receive one free Kids' Menu item for each adult entree purchased.

Trending Up
No doubt this trend can only gain in popularity in the coming months, even if the evening news continues to lead with more down-in the-mouth headlines. In a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association, 51 percent of consumers said they would visit full service restaurants more frequently if they offered "kids-eat-free" options. The upside of the down economy is that consumers with kids can only benefit as restaurants experiment with novel ways to entice customers to conveniently leave the cooking to someone else.

money saving drinks

Recently, I’ve started brewing my own iced tea at home. I was floored when I figured up how much I could save by making this change:

A whopping $475 a year!

A box of 48 Lipton decaffeinated tea bags costs about $4 at my local grocery store. I get about 40 glasses out of a box—that’s 10 cents per glass. I’m saving $1.90 per glass by not going to a restaurant. Over the course of a year (assuming I drink five glasses a week), that’s almost $500 in savi

Free seeds and plants

Saving Money on Garden Seeds & Plants


There are many [people] into seed saving and trading as well as having plant swap meets. You can join anywhere in the U.S. by logging onto Plantcycle Central: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cnyplantcycle

You will get connected to a plant swap nearest you or how to start one if you do not already have one in your area. Ongoing seed swapping or asking for plants or seeds you are looking for whether they be a decorative perennial, or an ornamental edible or just what to do with that plant in plain English.

There is a network of Plantcycle groups in various states, which also promote ways of recycling or reusing items as well as how to get the most out of your garden no matter the size. Urban Farming, community gardening and permaculture topics to keep you enspired.

Fast food freebies today and tomorrow.

Free Chili dog or ice cream cone at Wienerschnitzel on July 14 from 5-8pm.

Free Baskin and Robbins soft serve ice cream. Click Here.

Long John Silvers free fish taco It’s available from open until 2:30pm on Tuesday, July 14

McDonald’s must be promoting the heck out of this offer, on Monday, July 13th, McDonald’s is giving away free hot or iced McCafé mocha. As if we needed icing on the cake, this freebie will be available for 12 hours (7am-7pm), so there shouldn’t be any huge rush during a small window of availability. And now for a cherry on top? This freebie is available on the next four Mondays.

Update:
Well we went around to all the LJS we had time for. I only got 2 free baja tacos at LJS in Clovis, all the other stores with taco bell didn't have them so I got a beef taco instead. Total of 10 free tacos. Then I went to all the weinerschnitzels. Got 10 free chili dogs. Nice, everyone in my house was happy.

free slurpee

Free slurpee at 7-11 on 7/11.

Free Health Screenings

Get free screenings for Fitness Awareness and Blood Pressure next Thursday, July 9th, at Rite Aid. Afterwards, you can discuss your results and medications with a pharmacist.

2011 West Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93711

Phone: (559) 224-0920
This store is offering FREE Fitness Awareness and Blood Pressure Screenings on 07/09/2009 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Dentists

One of the most difficult things I have had trouble with finding discounts or savings on is dentists. How do you know if you need the treatment? How do you know the average price of services? If you know the answers to these questions you are doing better than I am. I recently spent 1,500.00 on Eli at the dentist. The only pediatric dentist on the list for my insurance was in Hanford, and after the exam,
x-ray, and cleaning it paid very little. Did he need all of it? I don't know. Was it priced reasonably? I don't know. They did let me pay it in 3 payments after we freaked out on the cost. I really didn't feel like I had a lot of choices due to the fact Eli didn't want to cooperate either so he really needed a pediatric dentist willing to sedate him.
I have been trying to figure out what to do about Ken and I. One of the suggestions I have read about online is using a dental school. Ok, I'm game. I found the nearest dental school at UCSF. They say it is about 40% off of what a regular dentist charges. Sounds good to me. I made Ken an appointment for next week. He can be the guinea pig since he is complaining the most about being seen. We will see how it turns out.

Free fish taco's

Long John Silver's is to have a free Baja Fish Taco day on July 14th, from opening to 2:30 pm.

Paying off your mortgage?

My friend Edith just told me she sent the final payment to pay off their mortgage. I cannot tell you how excited I am for my friends that they are debt free. Oh what a feeling that must be! She has received a lot of comments on her new facebook page about this, and one lady said she didn't think people stayed in their homes long enough to do that anymore. Kind of disturbing to me that people view debt as something they have to stay in forever.

Free grocery contest

Enter to win a $1,000 Grocery Card
Show off your shopping smarts by spending no more than $25 per family member per week on groceries over a four-week period (July 13 to August 10). That's $100 a week for a family of four. You could win a $1,000 grocery card, a year's supply of Knorr side dishes, plus a chance to appear in ALL YOU Magazine!

Up for the challenge? Register at allyou.com/grocerychallenge by July 12. You'll receive weekly emails with tips, recipes and ideas to help you save. At the end of the contest, fill out the exit form at the same site above to activate your entry.

Follow these guidelines.

During the contest, groceries that you purchase count toward your weekly total. However, feel free to grow, barter or use stockpiled food to supplement your meals. Creativity and ingenuity count!

Eating out is permitted but the cost must go toward the week's total. Household supplies and toiletries do not count toward each week's total. Keep track of your spending using our handy Spending Log at allyou.com/grocerychallenge.

Save receipts—you will be required to submit them if you are a finalist. Post your strategies to our blog, allyou.com/grocerychallenge, and be sure to tell us how you stayed within the limits.

Glidden paint giveaway

The Glidden™ National Paint Giveaway
Starting June 25 – Paint The Date!
It's as easy as it sounds: This summer, pick out your favorite paint color and we will send you a free quart. Then, start coloring your world. Check back here on June 25 for an order form and complete details.

Since I have been having my house painted this week I'm excited at the prospect of free paint. I can't tell you what a difference new paint makes. Particularly color paint. My house looks completely different right now. I'm feeling inspired to do more stuff. I haven't done much to the inside of my house in years so this is long overdue. Plus I also put in some new carpet. Found a remnant for half the cost of getting it off the roll new. It's still new, but just a leftover piece. If you have a room that isn't very big it should be easy to do. Most pieces are 12x22 or less, but sometimes you can get lucky and find a larger one like I did.

Baby food

A friend of mine sent a link to me yesterday on baby food. Now when I had Eli I had read in the book baby bargains that it was better to use organic baby food instead of regular because the health benefits were so much greater that when it was all said and done you would have only spent an extra $50 total. I had already decided to use organic anyway so that was an even better excuse. By the way I totally recommend their book. It is a huge money saver as they rate all the baby products on the market like consumer reports but much better. Anyway, this article shows that it was actually a money saver to use organic baby food! How awesome was that! Here is the link to the article and in it, there is a cost comparison table. In that article there is also a link to another article on the nutritional quality of baby food. Very interesting. Of course making your own is the cheapest but I did always find it overwhelming to do that with a new baby to take care of.You know, now that they have changed the rules about not feeding till the baby is six months old that might have been more realistic to look at. It also should go without saying that breastfeeding is the cheapest way to feed your baby, not to mention the healthiest. ( I couldn't get through this post without mentioning that!) LOL

$1 soda

Getting your soda fix just got cheaper. McDonald’s is running a super drink deal for the summer — $1 drinks! The deals vary by location (some are offering any size beverage for $1, while others are restricting the promotion to 32-ounce drinks or sweet tea only). Be sure to ask your local chain what they’re offering.

Good deal

Crystal light .99 3 pack at Target found at the check out stands. Get $1 and $2 off 2 coupons at www.coupons.com making this free. Got 6 today myself!

Free Donut today

Don't forget today is national donut day. Get a free donut at dunking donuts with purchase of a drink.

A couple more

I read that the National Park Service is throwing open the gates to the other 147 National Parks that charge money, thus giving free admission to all 391 parks on June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16.

Free light smoothie at orange julius on June 19th click here for coupon.

shop by the calendar

January:
HDTV's, also in march and december.
holiday decorations
appliances
furniture
linens and towels
fitness equipment

Feb:
Electronics
fragrances and humidifiers
air conditioners
computers
mattresses
used cars
catalog companies for closeouts
fitness equipment

March:
winter gear
freezer food www.nfraweb.org
camping equip
gardening equip
laundry appliances

April:
digital cameras
warm weather clothes

May:
picnic supplies
outdoor furniture
pantry staples
athletic apparel
cookware
gardening supplies
luggage
mattresses
late spring clothes
Jewelry
televisions

June:
electronics
summer sporting goods
mattresses
Swimsuits
lingerie
tools
Dairy products

July:
furniture
gym memberships
bicycles
mattesses
refrigerators
tires
air conditioners
electronics

August:
back to school items
furniture
air conditioners
yard equipment
fall fashions
computers
camping equipment

September:
cookware, dishes
fans
pool and patio supplies
recreation items
tires
cars
perennials shrubs and trees
bikes

October:
grills
auto supplies
appliances and vacuums
fall and winter clothes
fishing gear
school supplies
womens coats
cars

November:
steros and tv's
wedding dresses
shoes
boys clothing
blankets

December:
toys
electronics
candles

How can we honor God with our money?

How can we honor God with our money? The parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25:14-30, is a great illustration of how God expects us to use what He has given us. Today the word "talent" refers to gifts and abilities, and we often hear sermons using this parable to encourage us to use those gifts. But, the word "talent" used in the Bible referred to a weight of money. Please click here for the rest of the article.

Todays Freebie:
June 3rd, starting at 8pm- participating Sonic Drive-Ins are giving away FREE Root Beer Floats!

slow week

This coming Friday June 5th, is National Donut Day. Get a free Dunkin Donut of your choice with the purchase of any drink.

The next round of double coupons at KMart will be Jun 7 - 13 at "participating stores". Once again, the central valley is going to be left out unless you want to go to coalinga or delano, but limit 10 coupons per person per day, up to $2 face value. Not worth the drive this time in my opinion.

That's all I have.......

UPDATE ON SUMMER PROGRAMS

They have seriously cut the summer programs this year through the city thanks to budget cuts. Most high school pools are closed this year. Most sports programs have been canceled. I urge you to write to the Mayor as low cost/free programs to low income families are at an all time low which means more kids on the streets which is never a good thing.

Free summer movies

REG Free Family Film Festival Beginning June 2009!
When school’s out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theatres for the Free Family Film Festival. It’s a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents. Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it’s FREE!
Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.

Tickets for our 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.


Fresno Stadium 22 & IMAX
250 Paseo Del Centro
Fresno ,CA 93720-4304
559-447-3247
06/16/2009-06/18/2009 Doogal (G)
Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa (PG)
06/23/2009-06/25/2009 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
Star Wars: Clone Wars (PG)
06/30/2009-07/02/2009 Curious George (G)
Journey To The Center Of The Earth (PG)
07/07/2009-07/09/2009 Igor (PG)
07/08/2009-07/09/2009 Charlotte's Web (G)
07/14/2009-07/16/2009 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie (G)
Bee Movie (PG)
07/21/2009-07/23/2009 Horton Hears A Who (G)
Surf's Up (PG)
07/28/2009-07/30/2009 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Inkheart (PG)
08/04/2009-08/06/2009 Space Chimps (G)
Kung Fu Panda (PG)
08/11/2009-08/13/2009 The Tale Of Despereaux (G)
Hotel For Dogs (PG)

Manchester Stadium 16
2055 E Shields Avenue
Fresno ,CA 93726
559-243-7454
06/16/2009-06/18/2009 The Tale Of Despereaux (G)
Kung Fu Panda (PG)
06/23/2009-06/25/2009 Doogal (G)
Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa (PG)
06/30/2009-07/02/2009 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
Star Wars: Clone Wars (PG)
07/07/2009-07/09/2009 Curious George (G)
Journey To The Center Of The Earth (PG)
07/14/2009-07/16/2009 Charlotte's Web (G)
Igor (PG)
07/21/2009-07/23/2009 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tale Movie (G)
Bee Movie (PG)
07/28/2009-07/30/2009 Horton Hears A Who (G)
Surf's Up (PG)
08/04/2009-08/06/2009 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Inkheart (PG)
08/11/2009-08/13/2009 Space Chimps (G)
Hotel For Dogs (PG)

Free outdoor movies by the Police Headquarters downtown water tower. Starts at 7:30pm

June 6 - Transformers
June 13 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT)
June 20 - Night at the Museum
June 27 - Evan Almighty
July 4 - Shrek 3
July 11 - Batman Begins
July 18 - The Bee Movie
July 25 - Hitch (Date Night!)
*Aug. 1 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Aug. 8 - Over the Hedge
Aug. 15 - Spiderman 3 (Back to School Night!)
*Aug. 22 - Facing the Giants (Fresno State Night!)
Aug. 29 - Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Aug. 30 - Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Aug. 31 - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Sept. 5 - National Treasure 2
Sept. 12 - Ratatouille
Sept. 19 - High School Musical 2
Sept. 26 - Cars
For details or sponsor information, please call 621-2949.