deal

Save Big with Amazon Prime Day!

Abby H.

TOMORROW is Amazon Prime Day– That means Amazon Prime members will find Amazon deals hotter than Black Friday. Prime members can shop exclusive deals from electronics, toys, video games, movies, clothing, patio, lawn and garden, sports and outdoor items and more.

Screen Shot 2015-07-14 at 8.00.26 AMAnd there are all kinds of contests and giveaways! I know I’d love to win $10000 in Amazon GC, how about you?

What’s so special about Amazon Prime? For just $100/year, you have access to the following perks:

  • Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items.
  • Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video.
  • A Kindle book to borrow for free each month from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (You don’t have to own a kindle either, any e-reader works! I use my iPad).
  • Plus- There are tons of Free Kindle Books available each day!

We def. get our money’s worth with Prime! Between the great TV shows and movies and free shipping, it is a very valuable service for our family!

Red Hot Sale: Flirty Aprons Irregular Sale (as low as $4!!)

Abby H.

cherrycherry(**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.)

I love aprons. Between all of the cooking and other messy stuff we do (like crafts), I wear an apron almost every day (after I lost a bunch of clothes to glitter glue- which doesn’t come off, btw, I started wearing an apron at craft time).

I’m all about the cute aprons too. Boring, utilitarian chef’s aprons hold no appeal. I want frills and ruffles, and sometimes even pearls!!

So I let out a tiny squee when I got the email that Flirty Aprons is having a blow out sale on irregular aprons. The flaws in these products are so minor that you probably will not even notice what they are. You gotta hurry, quantities are limited and the sale is over on the 27th of June (that’s Saturday). In addition to ladies aprons, they also have oven mitt sets and even little girls aprons! If you are looking for an awesome mother/Daughter gift, there are a few matching ladies and kiddo sized aprons!

To take a look at what’s available, click here.

Little Passports: Only 1 day left to save 15%!

Abby H.

**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

I love Little Passports! It’s a super cute program designed to help kids learn about the world around them.  Henry and I checked it out earlier in the year and it was really fun. They have three programs based on your child’s age.

It makes a great gift: It’s affordable, educational, and it’s not something that clutters your house with one more piece of  plastic schtuff (which right now, I feel is super important- we’ve been purging out all of the plastic, icky, broken, or neglected toys in favor of more educational, creative play toys and crafts).


Your Cool Summer Savings are here! Little Passports is offering 15% off ANY subscription plan. All you need to do is use code:SUMMER15 at check out. But hurry- these cool summer savings end tomorrow June 16th!!

**This promotion is valid online only at www.littlepassports.com. To redeem enter code SUMMER15 at checkout. Offer valid on new subscriptions only and cannot be combined with any other offers and/or applied retroactively to previously placed orders. Offer applies only to the first month on a Monthly Plan. Offer not valid on Personalized Products and Shop items. Offer excludes shipping and taxes. Offer valid from June 10, 2015 at 8:00AM EST to June 16, 2015 at 11:59PM EST.

 

 

10 Reasons I shop at Target

Abby H.2 Comments

There are a lot of couponers who don’t shop at Target.

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“It’s too hard.”, “It’s too much work.” “They aren’t Coupon Friendly.” Those are some of the reasons I hear. To that I say, I love Target. I am a convert, I used to hate shopping at Target, but when we moved, I discovered that the two Target locations that are close to my home are both coupon friendly and always have plenty of sale items.  I think it all depends on the Target you shop at.

Here are my 10  (now 9) reasons for shopping at Target:

1. You can stack Target coupons and manufacturer coupons.  Target has printable coupons on their website here. 99% of them are Target coupons, meaning they are only redeemable at Target.  Stacking coupons leads to greater savings. If you are looking to print manufacturer coupons (redeemable at any store), click here.

2. I save 5% every time I shop by using my Target Red Card.  It’s a debit card and it’s Target branded, so I can only use it at Target, just like an ATM card (with a PIN).

3.  I’m a member of Target Pharmacy Rewards (it’s free).   This program has gone KAPUT at the end of 2015 when Target and CVS joined up to provide pharmacy services. SIGH.

4. When you sign up for a Target Red Card or start a registry at Target, you get added to their mailing list and about once a month, they’ll send you a packet of really great Target coupons.

5.  Target rewards you for using reusable shopping bags. For every re-usable shopping bag you use on your shopping trip, you’ll save .05! It may only be a nickel per bag, but it can add up!

6. They have a great markdown/clearance section! And they mark their clearance down pretty methodically too.

  • Monday – Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, GiftWrap, etc.)
  • Tuesday – Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
  • Wednesday – Men’s Clothing, Toys, Health and Beauty, Lawn & Garden items
  • Thursday – House Wares, Lingerie, Shoes, Sporting Goods, Movies, Music, Books, Decor and Luggage
  • Friday – Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, & Jewelry

7. Target Price Matches.  Currently, Target matches prices from  Walmart.com, Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, and BabiesRUs.com. You can use coupons on a price match too! This is great if you have a Target Coupon and a manufacturer coupon to go with your price match! To learn more about price matching at Target, click here.

8. Their return policy is pretty good. Especially if you have a Target Red Card.

9. If you want to know if your local Target carries an item or has a specific item in stock, you can check online.  That saves you time, energy, and gas! (Thanks to Samantha for that tip!)

10.Target Cartwheel: Instead of the traditional dollar or cent off coupons, Target Cartwheel offers savings in a percentage.  You choose specific offers, based on what you buy, and there are new offers all the time! The best part is that you can use Target Cartwheel, a Manufacturer Coupon, and a Target Coupon all on the same item.

And you know what, here is another one- Target is a participating partner in most of the rebate apps (you check out a full list here). So, you’ll be saving a few extra pennies (or dollars) in no time.

Trips and tricks for saving money on your next car purchase…

Abby H.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe had to replace Mr. C’s 14 year old Pontiac last year.  It was time. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of friends talking about replacing their older cars that aren’t as fuel efficient or that are starting to need some pretty costly repairs.

We knew the time to replace the old, creaky Pontiac was coming, so to prepare for the new car I did the following step

  • We made a list of cars that met our qualifications: price, specific gas mileage, features (safety & comfort). With a price range in mind, we could make sure that we had enough saved for a down payment.
  • We made sure that we had room in our budget for a car payment. We paid my car off last year (an entire year early!! I rounded up payments each month to the closest $10 and when we had extra money from rebates or bonuses, I sent a few extra hundred dollars to the finance company- those things really do help!).
  • I had been saving money each paycheck for a down payment.  It wasn’t a lot of money each month, but we’ve known for about a year that the Pontiac was on it’s last legs.
  • We filed our tax returns as soon as we were able- We wanted to use the majority of our refund toward the downpayment.
  • We looked online for vehicles that fit our qualifications, we used connections (that would also provide us discounts) through our credit union, insurance carrier, and through sources like UPromise to find vehicles within our price range.
  • We went into the dealerships pre-approved for a loan through our credit union.
  • We knew what was on our credit reports and our scores (Thanks to using CreditSesame), so we knew that we could leverage that if needed to try and get a better APR.
  • I checked with our insurance carrier prior to purchasing the new car to see what the insurance premiums would look like on several cars on our list.  We needed the premiums to stay pretty much the same.

In the end we purchased a 2011 Prius from Toyota of El Cajon. The process was easy, fast (4 hours, but if you’ve bought a car, you know how long it takes), and our sales consultant, Jason Mongold, was awesome. He and his managers helped us find a car that met our criteria and budget, and they gave us a great amount for our trade-in.

Take your time and make sure you review all of your options when buying a car. Whether you buy new or used, from a dealership or private party, do your research!

Carfax Reports– learn all about the car you are about to buy (accidents, title status). Most dealerships that sell pre-owned cars will show you the CarFax report before you purchase.

KBB.com– Find out the value of your trade-in, and the value of the car you are about to purchase.

Little Man sitting in Daddy's Pontiac one last time!
Little Man sitting in Daddy’s Pontiac one last time!

What are your tips and tricks for purchasing a car?

There is still time!! Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy!

Abby H.

If you are still looking for a fun summer camp for your teen this summer, Migital Media Academy is still offering their sweet deal! Founded at Stanford University, Digital Media Academy is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.

Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by June 30th to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!

Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, filmmaking, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.

Digital Media Academy is also proud to introduce Made by Girls, a new program dedicated to empowering girls and closing the gender gap in the tech industry.

Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child’s confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigous colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at http://www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by June 30th to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!

Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention the US Family Guide Special OfferQ

#CreateTheNext this summer at Digital Media Academy!

Shopping for real food on a budget!

Abby H.

IMG_3236As you can see from the photo, we buy a lot of fruit.

I bought this fruit late last week, and within 3 days, the raspberries and cantaloupe were GONE.

So why am I sharing this photo of my fruit purchases? To illustrate that you can eat healthy on a budget.

I visited Our local Ralphs, armed with 8 $1/1 Driscoll Coupons (Internet printable coupons from their surveys), a $5/$15 Produce E-coupon on my Ralphs card (like them on Facebook here and you’ll be notified when new produce coupons are added- usually once a month), and a free Muller Yogurt E-coupon (Free Friday Download).

For $4.19 Out of Pocket, I brought home:

8 containers of driscoll’s raspberries
2 bananas
1 mango
1 personal sized watermelon
1 cantaloupe
1 muller yogurt
1 carton coolwhip

The raspberries are $1.28/carton, so after $1/1 Q they are a paltry .28/carton. SCORE. I saved over $50 with my coupons and ralphs club card. UGH. I can’t imagine paying full price for anything.

The only not so “real food” purchase was the whipped topping. I made the Cool whip into Bachelor Mousse (1 small box instant chocolate pudding, 1 1/2 cups milk, whole carton of cool whip, beat together and serve with fruit) and we had it for dessert a few times. It’s quick, easy, and the boys LOVE IT.

So you can do it- keep your eyes open for sales on produce, meat, whole grains, and other stuff your family likes to eat. Don’t forget to take advantage of printable coupons and rebate/money saving apps!

Sears Shop Your Way Rewards: Buy Shoes, Earn Points!

Abby H.

searsshoes1Shop Your Way Rewards Members, check your emails for details on this new program! For every $50 you spend on shoes at Sears, you can begin to unlock special shoe points!*
(Those points can be redeemed exclusively on—you guessed it—more shoes!)
With the next $50 you spend on shoes, you’ll be rewarded with $5 in shoe points
( 5,000 points). Get started today!  But it gets better.

sears shoes2

If you’ve got kids, you know that you go through a lot shoes: feet grow, shoes get trashed, special occasions, and sometimes a shoe goes missing!

With all of the great sales and deals Sears has going on, it’s my go-to store for Lil’ Man’s shoes and clothes. Now I’ll earn even more for my usual shopping!

New Styling Products from Madison Reed!

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

If you know me in real life, you know that I LOVE Madison Reed. The hair color is amazing, gentle, and gives me a great red color.  I also love their hair care products! Their shampoo and conditioner are great for making colors last and stay bright.

Imagine my excitement when I learned that Madison Reed just launched their new STYLE and TAME products! STYLE is a lightweight styling cream that provides frizz-fighting hold, while conditioning and protecting hair. TAME is a lightweight smoothing emulsion that makes hair more manageable and adds shine before and after styling.

Here are just a few reasons I can’t wait to try out the new Style and Tame set!

  • Lightweight, frizz-free hold with STYLE
  • Smooth and shine with TAME
  • Nourishes hair with natural hydrating oils
  • Create both smooth waves and sleek straight styles

Check out the Style and Tame set here! I’m ordering a set this weekend!

Frugal Cooking: Italian Sausage Casserole!

Abby H.
Tomato Sauce MGD©
Homemade Sauce- Yum!

This is a family favorite, even little man loves it!

You can make as much of it from scratch as you’d like, or if you’re in a hurry, you can use pre-made sausage and sauce.

This recipe is also great because you can make it vegetarian with soy crumbles, or even vegan if you use alt. cheese. Use Gluten Free Pasta and this dish Gluten Free!

This is a great dish to take to potlucks!

Italian Sausage Casserole

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of pasta, your choice, cooked al dente and drained
  • 1 jar of your fav pasta sauce, or 4 cups home made sauce
  • 1 lb bulk Italian sausage, crumbled, cooked and drained (or 1 package soy crumbles) You can use ground beef if you prefer.
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (or 1 cup vegan cheese)

Directions

  1. In a large baking dish, mix the pasta, sauce, and sausage.
  2. Top with cheese.
  3. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melty.
  4. Serve hot with crusty bread and a green salad.