Think clipping coupons is silly? Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam will prove you wrong with her post on stockpiling sale items. She does admit, however, that using coupons is only worthwhile 8% of the time. Yikes!
Ever wonder if you are using coupons the correct way? Jennie at Bargain Blessings has guidelines for ethical coupon use. Her post dovetails with my earlier one on how to spot a fake coupon.
If you are looking for cheap or free date ideas, Nikki at Coupon Cookin shared eight dates, including one that involves frolf. Um, what?
Make your cheap cut of steak taste divine with this two-minute video from Kacy at Valuing Today. You wouldn’t believe how much salt she puts on her meat!
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I compiled a huge list of Father’s Day freebies and deals in honor of the holiday Sunday, June 20, 2010. I’m adding new ones everyday so make sure to check back.
The Crate & Barrel summer sale starts tomorrow, Friday June 18, 2010 in stores and online. I’ve gotten some great deals at this sale in past years, but will probably miss it this year.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog. More deals are coming down the pipe so check back later!
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The Quiznos $3 coupon for a small sub, chips, and soda is ending Tuesday, June 23, 2010.
Live near a Tasti D-Lite? Stop in on June 20, 2010 for a Father’s Day freebie.
Get a $10 Amazon credit for Video on Demand when you follow @AmazonVideo on Twitter. If Twitter seems like a complicated, time-sucking new technology to you, just remember you are missing out on a lot of deals!
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Jack Dischner/Flickr
Tomorrow only! Five berry-flavored smoothies are just $1 each at Jamba Juice Wednesday, June 16, 2010. No coupon needed!
Get free samples of citrus flavor packets for water, tea, and recipes from True Citrus. I’ve never tried these but they sound interesting.
Father’s Day gifts, specifically magazines, are on sale for $5-$10 on Amazon through June 20, 2010.
Do you live near a Whataburger? If so stop by June 22 for a free Whataburger “breakfast on a bun” Tuesday, June 22, 2010.
Check my WalletPop blog this afternoon for two Borders coupons for 40% off and more deals.
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Expires today! A Brooks Brothers sale has sports shirts 40% off today only. Gift for Father’s Day, perchance?
Restaurant.com gift certificates are 70% off for Father’s Day.
Tomorrow only! Hot Dog on a Stick is giving out free hot dogs to celebrate its 60th birthday Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
Become a fan of Redbox on Facebook and you will get a free movie rental code that is valid June 21, 2010 only. Plan ahead and save a buck.
Expires today! Use this Borders coupon to get 25% off books and some other stuff. Expires Monday, June 14, 2010.
The Bev Mo nickel wine sale is on! Unclear when it ends, however.
Denny’s has a sorta free deal for Father’s Day that gets you a free ice cream float when you spend at least $2.
Check out all the coupon and deals on my WalletPop blog.
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these online coupons.
Get $25 off $125 or more with free shipping at HP. Expires July 31, 2010.
Get $5 off $50 or more at The Home Depot. Expires June 13, 2010.
Get $5 off $50 or more at Sears. Expires June 19, 2010.
Get $15 off $125 or more at Sharper Image. Expiration date unknown.
Get 7% off any order at In the Hole Golf. Expires June 30, 2010.
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Why spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on an 8-hour dress? Your wedding is your day, but blowing $1,000 on a schmancy white gown is not going to make it more yours. You can own your wedding on a budget! Here are 8 places to look for a cheap dress. Tip: make sure to budget at least $50 for alterations.
- Perhaps your mom, aunt, sister, cousin or in-law has a dress that fits your body and style? If not, is salvaging the material to make a new dress an option?
- HereComesTheGuide.com lists sample sales and designer wedding trunk shows in CA, D.C., Chicago, and New York City.
- J.Crew has white affordable wedding gowns starting at $225. Some go as high as $2,995! (That is the less-affordable range.) Wait until you get a coupon code for extra savings.
- eBay has many auctions for cheap wedding dresses in the $100 range when I last checked. With any used clothing, but especially white dresses, make sure to ask if the dress has been cleaned, or else budget $50 and up to have it dry cleaned.
- Find high-end consignment shops that specialize in dresses by Googling “consignment wedding dresses + your zip code”
- JC Penney has wedding dresses starting at $100.
- PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com has wedding dresses for $100-$300.
- You might have a super special dress in your own closet. Who says wedding dresses have to be white?!
What did you wear on your wedding day – and how much did you spend on your outfit?
Related blog posts:
Planning an affordable wedding in 10 weeks or less
Ideas for frugal wedding favors and centerpieces
Recession wedding: road trip!
4 cheap wedding tips from a first-time groomsman
Fyre Fly Weddings
This is a guest post by Carmen Sechrist of Life Blessons, a personal blog with a religious and frugal bent.
From the day I got engaged until I walked down the aisle last July was 10 weeks–two and a half months. We had little time and an even littler budget – less than $5,000, a quarter of the national average – for the whole dress-rings-flowers-food-honeymoon she-bang. At the end of those 10 weeks I had the wedding of my dreams: an outdoor affair brimming with beautiful wildflowers, a long strapless gown, all my loved ones together and a weeklong honeymoon in the woods.
Limited guest list
This one you’ll read on every wedding website. If you want to save money, cut your guestlist. The site that we found had a capacity of 150, so that became our guest list. We only invited family and our best friends. As we started adding other church friends or coworkers, the size swelled out of control. Rather than pick and choose, I sent an email to friends that I had to cut to explain the situation and let them know how much their friendship means to me. People (particularly those who had been married before) really seemed to understand.
A hidden benefit in limiting the guest list was eliminating the need to impress. That was something I worried about in the beginning – what would so-and-so think about this? – but when we cut the list to those who we knew were there for us and for no other reason, that was no longer a concern. (more…)
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Check out this huge list of Mother’s Day 2010 deals and freebies I assembled!
The Steve Madden spring sandal and shoe sale has pairs up to 30% off – and there’s free shipping!
Cinnabon is free for nurses today through May 12, 2010!
Get a free sample of Nivea body wash or lotion when you fill out a brief form.
Read all the coupons and deals I blog about on WalletPop.
dospaz/Flickr
So many readers shared great ideas for Mother’s Day gifts that I wanted to make sure everyone saw them.
Sue has a surprise planned:
Since my daughter is also a Mom, I like to do something for her, as well. I’m a little arthritic and can’t bend down the way I used to, so I asked my gardener to go to her house and replant the pots she has lining her front walk. The existing ones are in bad shape. It will be a surprise.
2babies1momma suggests an unusual custom gift:
Every year we make a calendar for my MIL with pictures in the day for everyone’s bday, any photo site makes them. Or last year we made coasters for my mom and they were a huge hit! Photoworks has a cutting board you can customize with photo’s, I have one and it is awesome!
Terri says no food!
As a mother I can highly recommend a ’special outing’. I have ’stuff’. What I truly enjoy is a day doing something that my son(s) and I both enjoy doing together. A trip to the city, museum hopping…just a day out together! It’s the best… and it doesn’t have to be on Mother’s Day (one of the worst days for doing things!) On Mother’s Day, just a card inviting me on an outing, (and no cooking!)
Nancy looks forward to many simple pleasures:
My favorite MD is when my kids let me sleep in and then they bring me breakfast in bed with homemade cards and tickets of “things they will do for me”. We all lay in bed and read them togeter, it is time just for them and me! Those are the best gifts I ever get. And at night my husband will cook!
Best day ever! ps my kids are 16, 14 and 7.
Debra suggested:
I think a letter detailing how much she means to you, put in a frame with a favorite photo, would be lovely and meaningful. Or along the same lines, frame a photograph of a special moment with the two of you with a note about how you treasured that day together. Re-create that moment/day if possible and affordable.
Ellie has lots of ideas but says the right gift depends on your Mom:
Having been on both the giving and receiving end of Mothers’ Day gifts, I’ve found that what matters most is that Mom is remembered in a personal way. A heart-felt card with a personal message (handmade cards when my boys were kids) tops the list. Meeting Mom’s needs with things she wants done but can’t do herself are right up there. A special treat to a meal away from home, whether at a restaurant or at your house, is always appreciated. Store-bought items that don’t mean anything personal… not so much. And most important: no more clutter of “stuff.” You know your mom… do whatever makes her the happiest!
What do you think makes a good Mother’s Day gift?
It’s a tall task thinking up a gift for a great Mom. How can one present possibly express thanks for the loving support and kind words a Mom gives her kid?
Last year I made my Mom a memory jar but this year I’d like to surprise her. I’m brainstorming Mother’s Day gifts to the ideas flowing.
- custom-made T-shirt that celebrates her
- jar of memories of your mom
- hand written letter
- special outing
- help around the house
- surprise visit
- make her a gift basket
- gift card
- lunch/dinner at her favorite restaurant
- phone call or card
- flowers (use a local florist for the best deal)
- poem or book
- spa day
- old photo you found and framed
I wish I could come up with something more original. What do you think makes a good gift for a Mom?
Axle/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Trying to impress a new or old love can be an expensive proposition unless you are a highly trained frugalista. I know seven truly unique dates on a tight budget beyond the usual (taking a hike, walk, or bike ride, going to a flea market or farmer’s market, or having a picnic at a park or beach).
Here are my unusually cheap and romantic date ideas:
- Go letterboxing or geocaching. “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices,” says Geocaching.com. Letterboxing is the same sort of game without the GPS. Chances are that neither your date nor you have done this great treasure hunting game.
- Visit a museum on one of their free days. All museums that receive government money must have at least one day a month that is free to the public. You don’t have to go to just your regular everyday museum. You can go to an off-beat museum like The Museum of Bad Art in Boston, MA, or The Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI or Fort Necessity (a hop skip and a jump from General Braddock’s grave) near Farmington, PA.
- Sign up to be extras for a movie shoot or TV show taping. Even in remote areas of the world, you can probably find ads for movie extras on Craigslist.
- See a minor league baseball game. Tickets to a minor league game are cheaper and you can get up close and personal. There are lots of fun activities like doing the wave and buying peanuts. Plus it usually is really easy to get in and out of the parking lot instead of sitting in a huge traffic jam. You might find yourself becoming a regular.
- Dine at a local culinary school. Excellent cuisine at rock bottom prices. Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, CA has a student run restaurant that offers both à la carte options and, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
- Play a round of Frisbee golf, which is officially called Disc Golf. This is an actual sport with a professional association and world standings. Players throw a Frisbee into a series of goal nets. You walk a lot… just like golf.
- Go for a ride in a balloon. If you are in Southern California, here is one place to go for a balloon ride.
- Here are 10 more cheap date ideas from an earlier post on BargainBabe.com.
What’s your favorite frugal date?
Martin Pettitt/Flickr
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these Easter-themed coupons and deals this week.
Get 10% off all Easter baskets at GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Expires April 9, 2010.
Get 15% off Easter Photo Cards. Expires April 15, 2010.
Get 15% off any order at 1-800Baskets. Unknown expiration date.
Get 15% Off Flowers & Gifts at 1-800Flowers. Expires May 21, 2010.
Get $8 Off Mrs. Beasley’s Easter Basket at Mrs. Beasley’s. Expires April 30, 2010.
makelessnoise/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Decorating and dyeing Easter eggs is a wonderful frugal activity. For about $4-$7 you can buy dye, a dozen or more eggs that you are going to eat anyway, and create family memories.
Dyeing eggs
1. Boil or blow your eggs. Blowing out raw eggs requires putting a small hole in one end and a slightly larger hole in the other end. While holding the egg over a bowl, gently blow into the small hole so that the liquid egg goes into the bowl.
2. Mix warm water and a coloring agent. I use 1/2 cup warm water to one dye tablet. An egg dyeing kit at your local drug or grocery store is about $1.99 before sales. Each kit includes dye tablets and a dipping tool. The best part is the box. It comes pre-scored so that you can push out holes and then put your eggs in the holes for drying. This is the only product that I actually buy FOR the box, above. Many stores have post-holiday clearance sales and some start before the holiday. Buying your supplies at the last minute can lead to great discounts.
Tip: You can also use food coloring and the empty egg carton for drying to save even more money. Why buy dye tablets if you already have food coloring at home?
3. If you want to be more natural, use natural dyes to color Easter eggs. Use spinach for green, beets for pink and red zinger tea for lavender. Coloring the eggs in this manner is more expensive, but could be more educational.
4. Using some sort of dunking tool (use plastic gloves if you use your hands) put eggs in the dyeing liquid.
5. Wait a few seconds for light coloring or a few minutes for a deep hue. You can double dip but wait for the first shade to dry.
6. Take egg out and put in stand to dry. Drying times vary. If you want to eat the eggs later, do not put the eggs in the sun to dry.
Decorating eggs
1. Disney’s FamilyFun site has a wonderful list of Easter egg decorating ideas that include using cotton balls, string, elastic bands and thumbprints to enhance your dyed eggs. My favorites are:
- Dribble glue on the eggs. Let them dry, then dip in dye. Once the dye is dry, gently pull off the glue.
- Glue small stickers on the eggs. Ensure they are well stuck on. Dip, dry & peel.
- Glue string on the eggs. Let dry. Dip & dry. You may want to keep the string on for a new texture.
- Or… just forget the entire dyeing idea and paint the warm egg with crayon. The warmth of the egg melts the crayon.
2. Put bunny ears on the eggs and hide them. Eat lots of chocolate while you do this.
3. For more decorating ideas check out these Easter egg decorating instructions from eHow.
Is Vinegar Necessary?
All of the articles I found suggested adding vinegar to the dye mixture. However, this is not necessary for every color. My daughter and I experimented adding vinegar and it makes every color brighter except purple and red. For these colors vinegar makes the colors come out duller. Anyone a chemistry major? Why is this so?
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St. Patrick’s day is Wednesday, Mar. 17. If you are planning to celebrate or hosting a party, keep costs down with these tips, courtesy of The Party Goddess.
- Wrap a wreath you already own in clovers.
- Hand out basic limerick guidelines as your guests arrive and hold a limerick contest after people have had a few drinks. Prepare a small prize for the limerick that gets the most cheers – a set of pencils, a bottle of Guinness, or a book of limericks.
- Create a vibrant green runner with sheets of wheat grass, rolls of sod, or vases of clover.
- Spray paint terra cotta pots gold and fill them with shamrock or clover plants.
- Serve a green cocktail. Start with vodka or tequila and add a splash of green juice, Midori, or Absynthe. Pre-make them in pitchers for faster service and garnish with fun green candy. Or make an Irish cocktail.
- Engage kids by having them decorate their own leprechaun hats. Provide plain hats and tools to decorate.
Here is a true or false quiz about St. Patty’s day that you can have guests take.
- A legend regarding St. Patrick is that he rid Ireland of snakes by ringing his bell.
- We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th because that is when St. Patrick died.
- The holiday got its American start in 1737 in Boston.
- The shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.
- St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish.
- There are more Americans of Irish origin than there are Irish in Ireland.
- Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire Irish are the leading ancestral group.
- On St. Patrick’s Day, you can bring yourself good luck by finding a four-leaf clover, wearing green and kissing the Blarney stone.
