Freebie-isms **This post mentions chocolate!!!!**

Who did their homework? I DID I DID :)  Here are some pretty nifty Freebies, a couple I didn't even know about! Whowouldathunk?!

1. Google and Aol (email):  if you have either of these accounts you can send unlimited texts from your PC to any mobile number (you can also receive texts too!).  This helps people who do not have unlimited texting on their cell phone.
2. Picnik.com:  Free photo editing software that allows you to grab images from your computer and or online sites (such as Flickr, Facebook, Picasa........) and edit them.  Think Photoshop, but free!
3. Faxzero.com:  Fax any online document for free to any fax machine!  No more running to the copy shop for you (that is, unless you cannot get your document online).
4. Shopittome.com:  Searches your favorite stores daily, for items on sale and clothing in your size.  Emails you daily with its findings.
5. Blizzardfanclub.com:  Enroll today and nab a BOGO sweet treat!
6. Dunkinathome.com:  Click on "promotions" to view Dunkin Donuts latest offers.  Sometimes they have nothing, and other times they have alot!
7. www.godiva.com:  Godiva has a Loyalty Rewards Program!!!!!!!!  Sign up, get a piece of free chocolate every month, free gift each month you spend $10 or more, and lots lots more.  Check it out!

Last but not least, google "freebies" every once in awhile (and especially around holidays), you will be surprised what you find for free!

I make money from shopping online, do you?

In just a couple of weeks, a BIG FAT CHECK is arriving in my mailbox.  The money in this check is going straight into my new found love of investing.  I recently found out that I am pretty good at investing during a frustrating conversation with my former 401k carrier.  With all the yucky news I received, the customer service associate was kind enough to tell me that I made "some of the smartest investment decisions he has ever seen a person make".  So why not just continue that trend.....Oh wait, I have totally left my original train of thought, so let me get back to the good stuff!  Where is my BIG FAT CHECK coming from?  Why Ebates of course! 

I online shop a lot, online shopping is actually my primary source of shopping with the exception of the grocery store and pharmacy.  I live on a peninsula, it takes me roughly forever and a day to drive to any store worthwhile of receiving my money.  Let us not forget how flippin' expensive gasoline is nowadays, so why waste fuel if I don't have to?  Whenever I online shop, I always connect to Ebates before I start shopping.  Here is how Ebates works.

• Go to ebates.com instead of Google, or AOL, or Yahoo to search for an online vendor.
• If you find the online vendor you are looking for using Ebates, then you are guaranteed cash back on any online purchases made at said vendor.
• Once you have confirmed that Ebates works with the online vendor you are looking for, click on the vendors name.
• Ebates will give you a "tracking ticket" which is simply for your records (in case you encounter cash back issues).
• The Ebates tracking ticket will then be followed by connection to your online vendor.
• Once you are at your online shopping site, go right about your shopping business as you normally would!  Its truly just that simple.

Ebates and the online vendor take care of everything for you, there is nothing you have to do except enjoy the shopping experience as you normally would.  Once your payment is processed by the online vendor, Ebates receives this information and then credits your earned cash back to your Ebates account.  Cash back payments are sent to Ebates members 4x per year via check, a Paypal account is not mandatory or necessary.

Please, please, PLEASE do not forget to visit:  Retailmenot.com before making any purchase online.  Retail me not is the main website for online promo codes..  Online promo codes help you save more money when shopping online, all you have to do is type in your online shopping vendors name in the search box to see if any promo codes are available.

Stop & Shop Coupon + Sale Matchup (Small Sample)

I sat down with my coupons tonight, just to de-stress from a long & gruesome day.  There is just something so soothing about using scissors to cut out money saving pieces of paper, instead of using scissors to assault the inept.  I found some pretty great deals using coupons from this past Sunday's newspaper & coupons I found online (www.couponmom.com) , matched up with the sales at S&S.  Here is a small sample of what I plan to purchase, on sale with my coupons:

Folgers Coffee:
On Sale: 2/$6 or $3 a piece
(1) Cpn for "Folgers Coffee $1.99 w/ $15 grocery purchase"= 1.99
(1) Cpn for $1.00 off 1 can=$2.00
TOTAL: $3.99 total for 2 cans of Folgers Coffee!

Egglands Best (EB) Eggs:
On Sale: $1.88/1carton
(1) Cpn .35cents/1 carton dbld by S&S=.70cents/carton=$1.18/carton
(1) Cpn .35cents/1 carton dbld by S&S=.70cents/carton=$1.18/carton
(1) Cpn .55cents off any 2 cartons of eggs dbld by S&S= $1.10 off 2 cartons
TOTAL: $1.26 total for 2 cartons of EB Eggs (*Which are usually $3.79/carton!)

Birdseye Steamers (Vegetables/Sides):
On Sale: 5/$4 or  .80cents a piece
(1) cpn .75cents/3 dbld by S&S=$1.50/3= $2.50/5pkgs
TOTAL: $2.50 for 5 packages of Birdseye Steamers

Perdue Boneless CKN Breasts:
On Sale:  Buy One-Get One Free
(1) cpn .75cents/1pkg dbld by S&S=$1.50
(1)cpn .75cents/1pkg dbld by S&S=$1.50
TOTAL: $3.00 for 2 pkgs Perdue Ckn Breast

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish:
On Sale: 5/$10 or $2 a piece
(1) cpn .35cents/1 dbld by S&S=70cents/1=$1.30/pkg
(1) cpn .35cents/1 dbld by S&S=.70cents/1=$1.30/pkg
TOTAL: $2.60 for 2 pkgs Goldfish

This gives you a pretty detailed view at how matching coupons to grocery store sales ends up saving you the most money.  For a list of all the sites I use to gather my coupons, simply look at the right hand side of my blogs homepage and click on the links to enter the websites!  Happy Couponing!

Do you heat your home with Oil? Do you know about the Cape Cod Oil Cooperative?

It often times seems like yesterday that I was a single mother raising one child alone.  Although this is not the case in the present day, there is one bit of money saving wisdom I learned as a single mother, that I would like to share with all of you-ESPECIALLY if you heat your home with oil.

There is an oil cooperative accessible to Cape Cod residents, this cooperative saves you money on the cost of oil per gallon.  You can find this oil cooperative at:  www.reliance.org.

Membership rates differ, with the Family membership being the highest in cost.  Still, a mere $48 annual family membership fee is truly not expensive for a program that will save you at least that much in your first home oil fill up!  The really nice thing about reliance.org is that they offer senior citizens a membership fee of only $18/year, the same $18 fee goes for Massachusetts Teacher Association members.  Regular membership is $36/year.   *** I do not know the difference between Regular Membership and Family Membership, so it would be in your best interest to ask and ensure you are getting the correct type of membership for your needs.

I know that this post comes at a time when people are thinking about warm weather and turning the heat off, and I will certainly re-post this blog as a reminder later this year.  For now, keep the cooperative in mind especially if you will be needing an oil tank refill soon!

COUPONS for Northeast Cycle Specialists in Harwich MA

Hi Folks,

I always try to take the time to highlight local businesses in my area, especially businesses that offer coupons and/or Customer Loyalty Rewards Programs.

Northeast Cycle Specialists, located in Harwich Massachusetts, specializes in foreign motorcycle repair (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, & Kawasaki), and is a licensed MA state motorcycle safety inspection station.  Motorcycle parts and riding accessories are also sold at Northeast Cycle, making them a one-stop catch-all for anything related to foreign motorcycles!

Most recently I was informed that coupons for Northeast Cycle will be featured on the Cape Cod Times Website beginning Sunday April 10th, 2011.  If you or someone you know rides a motorcycle, hop online to the Cape Cod Times Website and print out some coupons for the amazing deals they are offering on both services and accessories.  Additionally, Northeast Cycle Specialists offers its customers a "Loyalty Reward Program" so savings are always a possibility!

You can find Northeast Cycle Specialists conveniently located at:  300 Queen Anne Rd. Harwich MA (Directly across the street from Dave's Smokehouse, in the lower rear bays).  You can also call them at: 508-430-1877.

Homemade Lip Scrub- Save Yourself Several Dollars!

Every once in a while I love to splurge on designer makeup.  To me, there are just some brands and/or types of makeup that cannot be replicated.  I ensure that when I am buying a product such as designer makeup, I am doing so online, when on sale, with a coupon code, and buying it through Ebates.com.

Now, I only swear by a few expensive beauty items.The rest of the time I cut beauty costs in half (or even more) by purchasing generic brands or making my own beauty items.  Below is a homemade recipe that I would like to share with you.  The recipe is substitute for a $19.00 stick of lip scrub made by a designer makeup company named Korres.  

Lip scrub is not lip balm, if you apply this to your lips then head out for the day you are going to look awfully funny.  Lip scrub is used as a treatment option for chapped lips, to slough away dead skin which is then followed by an application of lip balm.  Ok, now you have either learned something new or are rolling your eyes.....here we go.

Lip Scrub

• 1 Stick of Vitamin E (found at your local pharmacy)Cost: $1-$4 depending on what brand you select
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar  (you should already have this at your house) Cost: Nothing to $2

(This is not rocket science...)

1. Select a small bowl or container that you can consistently use to make homemade beauty products (you don't want to mix beauty product make-ware with food bakeware & cookware)
2. Take your VITAMIN E STICK and rub it on the inside of the container you have chosen.  Keep rubbing until the full stick has been rubbed into the container (much easier then mashing it up or melting it)
3. Add SUGAR to the container and mix it into the Vitamin E (I use a plastic spoon for this)

VOILA!  Homemade all natural lip scrub.  

Directions for Use:

• DO NOT APPLY to cracked lips, or lips with open cuts (OUCH)
• Wash Hands
• Apply lip scrub to lips with clean finger
• Use finger to rub lip scrub into lips via a circular motion, applying minimum pressure-back and forth across your lips.
• Continue rubbing until you notice that all dead skin is sloughed away, apply more lip scrub if needed to complete the process.
• Wipe lip scrub off of lips with a tissue or dry wash cloth.
• Apply lip balm after lip scrub treatment (your lips will be a "fresh canvas" after you scrub them so make sure to protect them by moisturizing directly after the scrub and throughout the day as needed.  Don't forget to moisturize your lips before your head hits the pillows!

Other Items of Note 

• You can certainly recycle the original Vitamin E stick tube by putting your homemade lip scrub back into the tube (requires patience).  If you go that route, just stick the filled tube in the freezer for a quick set (about 15-20 minutes).  

• Otherwise, you can store your lip scrub in a sealed container, or even a small plastic sandwich bag.   

•  Remember, there really is no point in treating your lips with lip scrub if you are not going to moisturize them after wards-so don't forget your lip balm application once the scrubbing is done :)