I love buying discount gift cards- It’ a great way to stretch our money further. Right now Raise (a company that sells gift cards at a discount) is offering $5 when you sign up here (make sure referral code ahewes shows up in the referral box to get your $5 free!).
I purchased a $25 Sears Gift Card (I chose a digital gift card, so I could use it online right away) and paid only $8.72 Out of Pocket! I paid with my paypal account, using money I earned doing surveys!
Raise has tons of great stores: Kohl’s. Staples, Macy’s, Walmart, and tons more!
We have a lot of craft supplies. Henry and I do a craft 3-4 times a week. Plus we also paint, color, and draw.
Our Craft supplies were getting out of control.. I mean, check this out:
Yeah, It was sorta contained by two crates that weren’t the same size. They didn’t stack up and that bugged me. Plus we had a mish mash of family binder plus small craft totes on the desk. It was just cluttered and insane.
I’ve been wanted to get it a little more organized for a while, but organizational stuff can be expensive. Have you ever been to the Container Store? OY VEY!
I had organizing in the back of my mind when I got an email from Shop Your Way Rewards letting me know I had $5 in points for K-Mart. When I logged on to Shop Your Way Rewards, there was a pop up for a new sweepstakes where you can win up to $50,000 in points. I decided to play and I won $10 in points (usable at Sears and K-Mart).
I picked up three of the bins and two of the chests, and my mess became corralled:
The best part is that one of the chests is only half full, so if we come in to more craft supplies, we can stash them safely. Right now I have Christmas gifts for family stowed away in there.
I saved money by picking up at the store. After coupons and point redemption, I only paid $8.00. And I shopped through TopCashBack, so I earned 4% cashback!
The original mismatched crates have been relegated to Henry’s room, where they will hold misc. toys.
Well, they’ve merged withNews America Marketing, the brand behind SmartSource, and according to their press release email, “we’ve been working on some big things for your offer list.” What does that mean, exactly? I’m not too sure, but I’ll keep my eyes open and we’ll see.
Hopefully it means better offers, or an option for paypal as a pay out. Right now you have to cash out and wait for a check.
It’s finally here! Coupons.com is offering printing from your Smartphones! It’s easy!
You can print directly from your Android and iOS devices to a WiFi connected printer. Coupons.com will automatically detect a user on their mobile device and guide you through printing. Users will be texted an authentication code before they can print and must be connected to a wireless network with an AirPrint or Wireless enabled printer. Click here to get started!
I love Monthly subscription boxes. It’s a great way to try out new products at a discount, all without leaving your home.
If you are trying to eat a little more healthy, here is a sweet deal for you! The perfect partner in the pursuit of a healthier you, Bulu Box is like having a personal trainer and a nutritionist as a best friend.
Each month, a box of healthy discoveries is shipped right to your door for just $10. You learn about that month’s 4-5 premium samples, try each one and see what fits into your individual healthy lifestyle.
For sharing your opinions on each month’s samples through a quick survey, we will give you 50 Rewards Points (that’s $5!) to use in our shop to get more of your favorites.
My readers get a special deal, thanks to our friends at Bulu Box and Us Family Guide! Get a 3 Month Subscription for just $15 (regularly $30)! at Bulu Box – Use code WOWZA at checkout!
I’ll post photos of my next Bulu Box when it arrives!
You’ve probably heard or read about bartering to save money, but you aren’t sure where to start, or how it works. I’m here to demystify it for you!
I barter all the time! Thankfully, a lot of my friends have large vegetable and fruit gardens, fruit trees, or chickens produce eggs. I trade my time and services that I can provide for these things. I love to trade my ability and skill with sewing for farm fresh eggs. The price of eggs in California is insane! A dozen eggs can be almost $6.00, depending on where you shop.
Here are a few tips that I recommend you try in order to stretch your budget with the use of bartering:
Step One: Make a list of the skills you have. Can you sew? Can you babysit? Do you have a lawnmower and some free time to mow lawns? There are lots of things that you can do the people need help with. Maybe you have a great eye for organization and you could help a friend or a neighbor organize their pantry or their garage. Maybe you Love to clean? You can use that skill to either earn money or to barter for goods and services that you need. Maybe you have an overflowing garden or hen house!
Step Two: Make a list of stuff that you need. Do you need help sewing, cleaning house, or do you need to stretch your grocery budget a little bit further with the help of homegrown fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs?
Step Three: Ask! Ask your friends or if you’re feeling shy post on your Facebook page or whatever social media that you use. If you’d like to get a broader reach you can even post on websites like craigslist or fiverr.com. You’d be surprised at what kind of offers you get!
I’d love to hear about the types of things you barter for!
Recently, our bed frame broke. Our bed is nine years old, and our bed frame was the cheap-y one that came free when we bought our mattress and box springs. I shouldn’t really be surprised that it broke, but it did and it was no longer comfortable to sleep in our bed. It’s sagged in the middle because the part of the bed frame that broke was the center slat that provided the support for the mid section of the mattress.
I began my search online for a new bed frame. I checked all of the usual suspects: JCPenney, Sears, as well as trusty old Craigslist. All I wanted was a sturdy metal bed frame. No headboard, no foot board, just a bed frame.
Finally I found one that fit the bill. It was this one here from Sears. It was sturdy, as it had extra supports in the middle (which is very important when you have a small child likes to bounce on the bed like we do), and it fit my budget. So I set upon trying to get it for cheaply is possible.
First, I checked to see if there’s any place I could get a free Sears gift card with points from various rewards programs I use. I checked my Mypoints account, and I checked my SwagBucks account, and finally I checked my RecycleBank account. Turns out I had enough RecycleBank points to get a $10 gift card from Sears. I cashed out my points and a few days later I have received via email a $10 gift card from Sears.
Second, I logged onto my Shop Your Way Rewards Account (through Sears.com). If you haven’t signed up for Sears Shop Your Way Rewards, it’s easy! You can do it at any Sears, Sears Outlet, or Kmart location. It’s like any other store club card. Scan your key fob or enter your phone number when you check out and earn points. Points can be redeemed for cash off purchases. Also- Shop Your Way Rewards members get access to great coupons, and sometimes even surprise points (Frequently they send out $5 in points- just for being a member!). I had a $10 off of $50 or more purchase good for anything in the home department, which happens to include bed frames.
Third, I logged on to all of my survey websites: PaidViewPoint, and PineCone Research to see if I had points I could cash out for a PayPal payment. It turns out I had over $25 that I could cash out at PaidViewPoint. I requested a PayPal pay out and within six hours I had $27 and change in my PayPal account. I also discovered that I had enough points to cash out for a $15 payment via PayPal through PineCone Research. I requested that as well. I had $42 and change to use!
Fourth (And Finally), I also logged on to Top Cashback as well to see if I can earn any cash back for this shopping trip. Turns out I was going to earn a cool 3% cashback on my purchase.
So here’s how I got it for free:
Bed Frame $54.98 + $3.60 Tax
-$10/$50 Coupon
-$10 Sears Gift Card
-$38.58 from Paypal. (Money was earned doing surveys online as I outlined above. It took me less than two hours combined to do all of the surveys and earn this money. This time with spread over about a months time.)
Plus I qualified for free shipping because the original price was over $49.99
The best part is, I earned 3% of my post coupon amount ($38.58) because I shopped through Top Cashback. That’s more free money to use in the future! So I got paid .30 to buy something we really needed!
Freshly made bed (and laundry- It is Monday, after all!)
The bed frame was delivered on Friday and I just set it up this morning. And we did give it a good test bounce after the bed with put back together. It’s very sturdy I’m proud to announce.
The point of this post isn’t to show off, “Look what I can do isn’t this cool?!?”, but it’s meant to inspire you and show you that you can-do these things as well. You can get stuff for free. And not just little samples of this and that, but you can actually get things that you need for your home for free.
Taking surveys does take time however with PaidViewPoint, and PineCone Research. The surveys that you will do you’ve been pre-selected for, and take less than 10 minutes each. So you’re not wasting time doing surveys you don’t end up qualifying for and the payout for both of those companies is so low you’ll be able to reach a payout in less than a month even if you only do a few surveys for them each week.
So there it is. That’s how we got a brand-new bed delivered to our house for free. No smoke, no mirrors, no hocus-pocus, or anything shifty or questionable. Just a brand-new bed frame delivered free.
I’d love to hear about the kinds of things that you have gotten for free or really cheap using the profits from surveys or even secret shopping. So leave me a comment and let me know what kind of awesome things you’ve gotten for free!
ME: “Henry, what do you want to be for Halloween?”
HENRY: “A Pirate Penguin!”
ME: 0_0
Henry: “You know, Mommy a Penguin that’s a pirate! Like Pingu! NUG NUG!!”
FIN
Yeah, so I set out to create a Pirate Penguin Costume. First I was going to make a penguin costume from scratch, but after pricing out fabric and questioning whether or not I’d be sane at the end of the process, I bought this penguin hoodie and a pair of black pants. He will wear both of these items again and again until they no longer fit, whereas, he’d probably only wear the costume I had originally designed and sketched just once.
Modeling the jacket Miami Vice Style
Next came the question of the pirate part. I scoured thrift stores for two months looking for the PERFECT coat to pirate-ize. Luckily for me (and Henry), I found this amazing dark teal velvet ladies jacket at AmVets for only $4.95. It’s a size 6 Petite, which is perfect. In it’s original life, it had a short Mandarin collar and single breast front with 5 large buttons.
To fully embrace the pirate-ness of this jacket, we first had to take it in so it fit. We lopped off 4 inches of sleeve length from each arm, and then put a dart in the back.
Working with velvet and satin lining isn’t easy, but I used these awesome Wonder Clips and the fabric stayed in place without a problem. These clips are perfect for taking in or up garments. They have built in seam allowance marking, and they can clamp together large or bulky fabrics (and in my case, slippery ones too).
I like these clips much better than my usual sewing pins- The bottom of the clip is flat, so I don’t worry about the bottom of the fabric scrunching up, and I didn’t stab my self while sewing (something that occurs every time I sew a garment that is pinned together and I’ve been sewing for 20 years)! After we had taken in the back and the sleeves it was time to crank up the pirate-ness of this jacket.
We spray painted rayon lace with antique gold spray paint. We pinned the lace pieces to foam core board, sprayed the lace, and once it was dry sewed it on the cuffs. For the lace on the front, we applied it using fusible web. We did this instead of sewing it down because the jacket has pockets in the front that could not be accessed if the trim was sewn on.
I hot glued acrylic gems over top of the existing buttons. And there you have it- A Pirate coat, fit for a penguin!
NUG NUG! (Pirate hat not shown in photo)
We used additional accessories that we had laying around the house: Pirate Hat, sash belt, velvet pouch, and no pirate kit is complete without a telescoping spyglass (it was a birthday gift).
There you go! A complete costume for less than $40.00
Hoodie: $16.24
Pants: $6.00
Coat: $4.95
All of the additional supplies (lace, spray paint, acrylic jewels, sewing notions) we already had on-hand.
I’d love to hear about and see your DIY Halloween creations! Leave me a comment (and a photo)!
I received the Wonder Clips free to facilitate a review. All Opinions are my own. I received no finanacial compensation to review them.
I love Recyclebank. Take quizzes, make pledges all in an effort to help “green” the planet! All of these green activities earn you points and those points can be redeemed for some pretty sweet prizes!
Right now there are several opportunities to earn a slew of points (I stopped counting after 750 points)! Once you’ve signed up (or signed in) Check out these great point earning opportunities– They take less than a minute and you’ll be on your way to earning points and rewards!
Not sure what to spend your points on? There are tons of great magazine subscriptions available, money saving coupons, as well as tons of great natural and earth friendly products!
This coupon is only 50 points! What a deal!
They frequently have gift cards as well (for stores like JCP, Sears, Target, Lands End). I earn about $20/year in gift cards and numerous magazine subscriptions, just by taking their quizzes and pledge, and I learn something too!
I posted about Schoola last month- and they are back again with an awesome offer AND a great sale that helps others in need! When you sign up for a Schoola account here you will earn $20 in credit and you can give $20 in Schoola credit for a limited time!
There are thousands of top-notch finds you can purchase with your Schoola credit. Plus, now for a limited time you can get FREE shipping with no minimum order value. That means with referral credit, you can SHOP FOR FREE. I recently picked up a bunch of white shirts and onsies that I’ll be using for out next big Tie Dye Project!
Yeah, It was sorta contained by two crates that weren’t the same size. They didn’t stack up and that bugged me. Plus we had a mish mash of family binder plus small craft totes on the desk. It was just cluttered and insane.
The best part is that one of the chests is only half full, so if we come in to more craft supplies, we can stash them safely. Right now I have Christmas gifts for family stowed away in there.
Hewes Family Fun 