Free stuff! Vacations, Christmas Music, Coupon Book, and Wholly Guacamole

Register for $4 off (1) Box of Wholly Guacamole. This isn't TECHNICALLY a freebie, but I know that some are 3.99 or at least under $5, so it will be free to nearly free. I love this stuff!

Watch a video at Rite Aid Video Values to earn a voucher for a coupon book worth up to $100 (this means you get coupons that add up to $100 value all for different products). Pick that up next time you go into Rite Aid to shop (immunization locations only). While you're at the Video Values site, check for coupons for other items you may be able to use!

Here are some very interesting ideas on traveling for FREE or cheap. They are a bit unorthodox, but also really cool! Check it out.

Finally, I know this is a bit early for Christmas, but bloggers have started posting about Christmas freebies. I LOVE Christmas music, so I thought I'd share this one. FREE Christmas music downloads from Amazon. My personal favorite is the VeggieTales one.

Enjoy!

My favorite frugal blog

I have a favorite frugal blog out of all those I read. It's called The Simple Dollar. I like it particularly because of the following:

- Trent (the author) appeals to a wide audience. It doesn't matter if you are young, old(er), single, married, have kids or not, you will find something here that will appeal to you and/or help you.

- He writes from a perspective of having been there (i.e. in debt and money-challenged). He tells his story very honestly and in great detail, and that helps people to relate and to know that this did not come easy for him and his family.

- The content is not only "frugal-task based", but also from an emotional connection standpoint. He goes into the thought processes attached to spending money and how to handle and/or correct the negative ones.

- He doesn't tell you to "cut this out because it works for me", he tells you to go with what works for you, and understands it's not one-size-fits-all (something that I struggled with for a long time - "this works for everyone else, why not for me?")

I would suggest you check it out, maybe click into some of the categories you find interesting (listed on the right sidebar if you scroll down a bit). I'd be curious to know what you all think about it :)

Productivity Tools I Use (time and money savers!)

This isn't an all-inclusive list, but some of the ones that sprung to mind and are the most useful to me.

Of course, these are all FREE - would I use them if they weren't?! Alright, there ARE some services I would pay a minimal amount for, but it has to be something very important to me or something I need for convenience to work from home and has a minimal cost (i.e. Fax1.com, 12 cents/page for faxes, and my $20 buy in has lasted like 2 years).

By the way, the browser I use is Firefox, so if I refer to plug-ins or add-ons, it's FF based. I know some people like Chrome better, but I simply haven't tried it and don't like too much change (TBH). I have a lot attached to FireFox in the way of Plug-ins, also, which makes it more difficult to switch and retain the functionality I enjoy.

Last note before the list - I know a lot of these can do things I'm not going to mention, but I'm going to hit on the basic "why I love it" functionality of each one.

• Google Toolbar (including Gmail, Calendar, Voice, Reader): I don't like to have too many toolbars mucking up my browser, but this one is very useful, as are the separate applications. The toolbar allows me to email myself links and pages when I need to, and also allows the use of Autofill, which for some sites, is helpful (such as when I'm submitting for a free sample or a form to join a simple website).
• Gmail: Obviously, an email applications. Very quick/light, accessible via mobile (even if you do not have a smartphone), and easy to use. It doesn't have folders, but uses labels to sort, which is fine and ends up being very similar to folders. I'm a fan of folder organization. The "gmail.com" address sounds a bit more professional than yahoo or hotmail, etc etc if you're going for a semi-businessey email address as well. I also use email to send links to myself and make folders/labels that save important info like recipes, employment, learning, and "for future reference" items.
• Calendar: This is my savior! I enter all of my appointments and things to remember into it and have it email me reminders. You can have it send you texts as well. Again, also accessible via mobile. If I need to know when I can make an appointment, I just load it on up and it shows me what I have in my choice of views (although I almost always choose month view). You can also set repeating events.
• Voice: I was able to nix my home phone number (saving $20/month) while still being able to screen my calls. This allows you to have a local phone number also. It's by invite, but I believe I have a few, and most people who already have the service have a few as well. It actually is better than a home phone for me because it will send me a text when I receive/miss a call and when I get a "voicemail". I don't have it set to ring through anywhere, I just give it out to people I wouldn't pick up the phone for anyway (informational services, placing orders online that require a phone #), and if it's something important, I can just call right back. You can also send SMS (texts) from it, which is great if you're in front of a computer and don't want to muck with the tiny phone buttons but the person on the other end is out/traveling/otherwise only able to receive texts.
• Reader: Well I just can't tell you how many websites/blogs I want to keep up with! Getting their feeds in Google Reader helps me to consolidate so I don't have to click on a million links all the time and then forget what sites I want to keep up with. Plus, I don't have to read it on the day it comes out. I can catch up when I want to and it's all right there for me when I'm ready. It saves me a lot of money because I can keep up with coupons/sale matchups, free samples, and productivity information (which allows me to find out about all of these free apps/programs).

• Imo.im: Very light web-based multiple message service application. I use this to IM when I'm not at my home computer. No signup required, either. Basic background also which makes it more discreet. It works with MSN, Yahoo, AIM / ICQ, Google Talk, MySpace, Skype, and Facebook.
• PDFEscape: Again, web-based application. Use it to edit PDF documents for free. I was looking for something free that would allow me to add text to PDF documents because I fill out a LOT of forms at work and sometimes my writing is too large or messy or my hand starts to cramp after filling out pages and pages of forms. With this, you just upload the document (you can choose to join or not), edit it (add text, shapes, white out, delete pages, etc), and then when you're done editing it, you can download it to your computer and do what you will with it. 
• Kaboodle: a wish list tool. You can add items from ANY site or add them manually. I keep track of things we want or need for the house, stuff Bobby likes for reference when grandparents ask what he wants for Birthday/Christmas, and things we each might just want in the future but want to put on the back burner/allow more time for consideration. I also used it to keep track of the items I wanted for the baby after reading extensive reviews and selecting what I thought was best. It has a toolbar, which is a bit hefty, but it also has a button you can just drag to your existing toolbar so that when you see something you want to add, you just hit the "Add to Kaboodle" button and it shunts you to the site to enter the details. You can make the lists public or private.
• DropBox: I LOVE DropBox! I use it for home AND for work. You get up to 2GB free, but if you refer people, you get more space. You can also pay for more space, but I have not needed to yet. I use it to be able to access files from all of our computers, and so that the guys can reference my meal plan and bills sheet without me having to send them files. I use it to transfer files from work to home and vice versa. I use it to back up photos. I use it when I created a file on another computer not connected to my printer, so that when I go back to my computer, it's right there for me to print. I use it to keep my bills spreadsheet up to date from wherever I am. It's an application (download) that shows up on your computer as a file folder, but it's actually cloud storage. You can also download or upload items from the website if you need to. Excellent!
• CutePDF Writer: a post-script printer that turns anything you want to print into a PDF file. I use this at work  A LOT in order to make documents stay a certain size or have un-editable text, or if I want to print a webpage to a file. I use it at home to print my shopping lists to my desktop until I'm sure I have them right (saves on ink) and don't need to add anything. There are really infinite reasons you might want to print to PDF, but I'm sure you have your own. It is a download but it very light. It will also install GhostScript, which you need in order for it to work. Once you're done installing, it will show up as a "printer" in your list when you go to print something. Nifty!

Friends don't let friends shop without coupons + Frugal Blog Map!

Never shop without a coupon!

Ok, well, almost never. I understand necessity and that you can't always find a coupon, but there's no harm in trying.

My favorite place to find coupons when shopping online is Retail Me Not. I firmly believe in checking for a coupon for ANY website you're purchasing from before actually making the purchase. This is a great site to start out with, but if you can't find what you're looking for, Google the name of the store + the term "coupon" or "code" and you may find something!

I saved $28 today at Shoprite using printable coupons and coupons from the newspaper coupon inserts (I get them from my oh so gracious mom who gives me what she doesn't use, but even if you purchased a paper just for the inserts, it would be worth it). Here are the best sites to get grocery coupons to print online:

Coupons.com
SmartSource
RedPlum
All You

BONUS! If you use MyPoints, you can print coupons right through their site from Coupons.com and Smartsource, and you will earn points when you use the coupons in the store.

In addition, if there are items you know you always buy in brand names (or items that you need that week in the store), check their websites for mailing lists and/or coupons. A lot of times, if you join the mailing lists, they'll send coupons to your email in their newsletter periodically, and some have sections for "promotions and coupons" where you can usually print off a coupon direct from the manufacturer.

Tips about printable coupons: 
- I have had some trouble with printing in B&W only, so if you can print in color, go ahead and do that. Make sure to put your printer on draft mode first so you don't waste too much ink ;)
- Some stores do not accept printable coupons for free items or Buy One Get One free items (BOGO), so I Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) on those (although usually the printables are cents off and not BOGO or Free).
- I wouldn't bother with any coupon in PDF format you find online to print. These are usually copied/illegal and/or won't scan at the store. Stick with the ones that you print from the sites I mentioned with the barcodes. They are completely legit.

In addition to all this "couponing", this Frugal Blog Map will help you find a blog in your area (with the exception of the states not included on the map). This is helpful because they will usually list coupon matchups and deals for stores in your area, not just national.

Recipes Post!

I've been accumulating these and meaning to post them, but haven't had the chance or drive until 5AM this morning ;)

Frugal Breakfast Mixes - Instant Oatmeal and Pancake Mix

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

S'Mores Trail Mix - this is kind of "duh, I can make trail mix", but it's good to have an actual "recipe" to go by so you know what you're going to purchase when you get to the store if you want to make something like this.

Three Bean Crispy Tacos - mixing beef and beans for a nutrition boost and to save money on meats

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Pumpkin Tea Bread - a quick/sweet bread

Mystery Shopping Info (+ Merchandising)

My son's father asked me today for this information on Mystery Shopping, so I figured it was time for me to finally compile a good list of links and info!

General Tips:
- NEVER give money to a mystery shopping company! Those are scams!
- It is OK to give your SSN to a mystery shopping company, as long as the connection is secure (check the bottom of your browser for a lock icon). They need it for tax purposes since you are technically an independent contractor.
- NEVER reveal what companies shop which chains to a public audience. This is grounds for banning from working as a mystery shopper, as it is against most of the companies' rules.
- Purchase and return shops usually suck and I don't take them.
- Purchase with reimbursement shops are cool if you actually want the product and the assignment/report isn't extremely labor-intensive.
- Judge the value you get from the shop on the time investment you have to put in vs what you get out of it (monetary value or a good meal, etc). You could drive yourself crazy trying to do every shop you can get.

If you're interested in merchandising (usually like $10/hour(ish) for stocking/setting shelves in various locations as a contractor), check out http://www.volition.com/merchandise.html, which is a comprehensive listing of merchandising companies. Great way to make money while you're out of work (or if you want work on the side).

Check this out to prepare yourself for merchandising (NARMS Merchandiser Training):
http://www.narms.com/training/chap1.html


Here is a list of companies I am signed up with/have shopped in the past:

Kinesis
https://shopper.kinesis-cem.com/ShopperMenu.pl?Action=ShopperSignup
Bowling

Kern Scheduling:
https://www.sassieshop.com/sassie/SassieShopperSignup/Signup.php?EmsID=ggGNDwmEsOk%3D
posts and schedules for Kinesis shops (sign up for both)

Corporate Research International
https://www.mysteryshops.com/prospective.asp
lots of different types including, gas, retail, and pizza

Mystery Guest:
http://www.mysteryguestinc.com/contact.asp
Restaurant

Amusement Advantage:
http://www.amusementadvantage.com/
kind of self-explanatory ;) Amusement stuff

Beyond Hello:
http://beyondhello.com/shoppers/featured-locations
sunglasses, travel centers, optical

Intelli-Shop
http://insite.intelli-shop.com/index.norm.php
travel centers, convenience stores, oil changes, car dealerships, automotive

GameFilm
http://www.gamefilm-consultants.com/index.norm.php
Restaurant

Focus On Service:
http://www.focusonservice.com/
Restaurants

Ritter Associates
http://www.ritterassociates.com/become-shopper.html
Gas, Storage

SCI
http://www.shopperscritique.com/
Haircuts, Wireless, music store

aTH Power
http://www.sassieshop.com/2ap123/index.norm.php
Financial/Banks

National Shopping Service (NSS)
http://www.nationalshoppingservice.com/public/mystery_shopper_registration.asp
Quick-serve food service, Retail

BestMark
https://www.bestmark.com/
quick-serve food service

Market Force
https://www.marketforce.com/
quick-serve food service

Also, check out this comprehensive list of shopping information, job listings, and companies (pay attention to geographical area). This includes all of what I have listed + many others, it just depends on what you're interested in:
http://www.volition.com/mystery.html

Random Money-Saving Tips (practical ones), and easy low-cal frozen dessert

I rarely ever purchase printer paper due to this tip (and also use it at work):
Use Backs of School Notices As Scratch Paper

Great tip for squeezing (literally) every last bit of stuff out of... stuff:
Cut Tube Open Before Throwing Away

This is sort of a "duh" tip, but bears repeating. Also a few good ideas on how to do it with limited hassle:
Save Lunch Money Instead of Eating Out

I always forget I want to try to make these, but it's been in the back of my mind for a while. Good substitute for an ice cream sandwich if you like those:
Frozen Graham Cracker Sandwiches