Free Father's Day Card from Shutterfly

With Father's Day right around the corner, here's a great way to make a personalized card for Dad for free! Shutterfly has put together a super cute Father's Day video with information at the end for how to get your free card. Check out the video and visit Shuttefly's Facebook page for more information!



I'm a big fan of Shutterfly's photo cards...they are simple and quick to make, are easy to personalize unique for the recipient, and are always great quality. I'm in the process of getting some cute pictures of my kids together to add to their Father's Day card!

Disclosure: I was contacted by Shutterfly and given information about this promotion, along with a Shutterfly promo code compensation. All opinions are my own. 

Paint Chip Labels

We were at Home Depot recently getting supplies for a project, and I grabbed a few large and brightly colored paint chips to bring home. I didn't have a great plan for them, but I was figuring they would become another tot school activity like this fine motor skill color matching one.

On a whim, I stuck one inside the clear pocket of our toy storage bins. Aside from being too tall, it fit perfectly!

I cut each one in half and wrote with a Sharpie to label the bins. Adorable, fast, and free!

This is a major improvement on the white papers I had as labels previously. They had been removed and crumpled several times, and at least half were missing. I also have several extras leftover in case a few of these show some wear. But since they are thick paint chips, I think they stand a much better chance at surviving!

Have you used paint chips for anything fun lately? I have visions of these adorable bins and clothespins holding paint chips that match the room! Probably not for the play area, but it would look great in a spot above the reach of little hands.

Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee & Giveaway Winner

Did you get one of these in your circulars this week?

Starting today and lasting through the end of April, bring this coupon to Dunkin Donuts to get a free Iced Coffee or Tea! I'm not a huge fan of Dunkin Donuts hot coffee, but I do enjoyed their iced coffee! This will be a nice treat as the weather warms into spring over the next month or so.

Congratulations to Sophie, commenter #2, randomly chosen to win the Gevalia Kaffe prize pack. You have been emailed! Thanks to everyone else who entered also. Remember, you can still get a free sample of Gevalia Kaffe from Walmart.

Organized Simplicity: Free download!

This is a great freebie! Amazon has Organized Simplicity available for free on Kindle right now. Prices can change at any time on Amazon, so make sure to download your free copy quickly. If you do not have a Kindle, you can still read Kindle books on your computer or smartphone.

Organized Simplicity is a great book that I really enjoyed. Read more of my thoughts about this book on my goals post.

Frugal Finds: Walmart this week

I make a trip to Walmart every few weeks or so when there are good coupon overage deals. Today I took my $8 off 2 Cover Girl Face products from yesterday's P&G insert and also found a few nice clearance deals.

The CG blush is priced at $3.74 at my Walmart, so I was able to get 2 for free, plus $.52 overage to use on the rest of my purchases. I took a quick look at the summer clearance isle and found a sheet of glow-in-the-dark 4th of July stickers for 25 cents, as well as a calendar for next year for $2. This is the calendar that I always use, so it was a bonus to find it marked down.

I also took a quick look at the bakery items and found a pack of four cheesy bagels marked down to $1.50 and 2 loaves of fresh made Texas Toast marked down to $2.13. I was going to make garlic bread later in the week to go with our lasagna dinner, so I decided to just switch up my menu plan and we'll do lasagna tonight. I'm going to freeze the second loaf of Texas Toast!

I was really pleased with myself and excited when I got home to take out my "spoils"...at which point I realized the cute birthday napkins for my son's first birthday party next week said "Sensational 60"!

The funny part is that I looked these over to make sure they didn't say something ridiculous. I saw the Sensational but somehow missed the giant 6-0 on the balloon. Whoops! I'll probably still use them for the party...it will make for a good laugh!

So my $.52 overage paid for my 2 packs of 60th birthday napkins!

Do you have any recent frugal finds to share? How about a frugal "bust" like mine?

Homeschool Freebie of the Day: Narnia Audio Download

Note: The site is moving very slowly. This is a great freebie and many people are taking advantage of it. It will probably take time, but it is working.

The Homeschool Freebie of the Day is an audio download of the Complete Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. Here is what Homeschool Freebie has to say about this collection:

The reader is Chrissi Hart, who has a lovely British accent just perfect for these readings. The readings are downloadable or available as 101 half-hour podcasts, so between the seven books in the series, there's almost 50 hours of listening here! Wonderful for family or bedtime listening… bookmark this site and enjoy this incredible treasury of some of the best children's books ever!

I have a different audio copy of the Narnia books. I recently read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my daughter. She's 2 1/2 of course, so her attention span was not always there, but she understands the characters and the story even at two. They are truly classics that anyone can enjoy!

Freebies: Rebates and Coupons

I've heard many people say that coupons are not for products they actually use or the value of the coupon is so small that it does not make a difference. I think that Mindi at Moms Need to Know has written eloquently about these comments, but I wanted to add a few practical examples from my own life.

I've had to cut back on the amount of time I spend organizing coupons and shopping trips because of life with two small children, but I still love getting a good deal!

Recently at Rite Aid, I spied this Smart Start cereal with a 'Try Free' add on the box. I was able to use a coupon when I bought it, so I'm actually getting paid to eat this box of cereal!

This week (also at Rite Aid) I bought John Frieda conditioner and Blink tears eye drops. I didn't have any coupons so I paid $4.99 for the conditioner and $7.99 for the eye drops, but because of Rite Aid's single check rebate program, I will be getting a check in the mail from Rite Aid for $5 for the conditioner and $7.99 for the eye drops...completely free! (If you haven't already signed up for the Single Check Rebate Program, you totally should! It is free of charge, and is one of the biggest ways that I get our personal care products for cheap...and often for free)

On the left of this picture are items that I picked up for free at Target this week. I had a coupon for a free Children's Tylenol from the recall last year. The Oscar Mayer deli meat was a free coupon from Kraft First Taste. And the Suave Dry Shampoo was a free coupon through Facebook. I also used a BOGO coupon for Frosted Mini Wheats (not pictured) that I got from Vocalpoint (along with a free sample of their new cereal).

Want to get coupons like these for FREE full sized products? I have my favorites listed in the Coupon Resources tab. Be sure to sign up for Kraft First Taste and Vocalpoint -- I am always getting samples and free coupons from these two in particular.

For my instructions on shopping at Rite Aid, check out this post.

Do you have any favorite ways to get things for free with coupons and rebates?

Free Father's Day Cards from Shutterfly

Yay! I love cards from Shutterfly, especially when they are free! You can get 5 photo cards for free through June 9th. You still have to pay for shipping, which is just a few dollars. One of the best things is that you do not have to make all Father's Day cards for your 5 free cards!

Get started on Shutterfly right now! Be sure to enter the code DADCARD at checkout to get your cards for free!

Rite Aid shopping trip

I had a bunch of errands to run today, and I am so glad that I was able to stop by Rite Aid. I spent $12.97 out of pocket and have $4 in rebates coming as well as $5 UP+ reward on my next RA trip PLUS my receipt has a survey with a coupon for $3 off a $15 purchase.

Here's what I got:




2 Biore - $7.99 each
1 Carefree - $1
1 eos lip balm - $2.99
2 Tylenol precise - $5 each
2 Finesse - $3.99 (bogo sale)

I had coupons for nearly everything.
-Buy one Biore cleaning strips get any cleanser free 3/6 smart source insert
-$1/1 carefree 5/8 smart source insert
-2 $5/1 Tylenol precise printed from Tylenol's website
-2 $1/1 Finesse hair care from May All You and 5/8 smart source insert

The eos has a $2 SCR. In the 5/8 smart source was a Finesse rebate for $2. The 2 Biore products produced a $5 UP+ reward. With the rebates my cost will be just $8.97 plus the $5 UP+ and $3/$15 purchase coupons to get something for cheap or free in the next two weeks!

Thanks to Mindi @ Moms Need to Know for the trip inspiration!

Coupon Overage and Rebate Deals

Its been a few weeks since I went to Walmart to take advantage of their new coupon policy, so I had a few coupons I wanted to use. Similac ready to feed bottles were on sale for $3.84. Paired with the $5 off coupon from the 4/3 Smart Source insert to get them for free plus $1.16 of overage to put towards the rest of your total.

I also noticed these new Gerber Graduates breakfast bowls with a 'Try Me Free' rebate offer on the package. I'm guessing that you can find these at other places than Walmart, so keep your eyes open!

Passing on Freebies

In light of the many free opportunities over the next few days, I wanted to share a few thoughts. I don't take advantage of every freebie I find (or even all of the ones I post here!). Depending on what is being offered for free, I consider what it is going to cost me to get that freebie before I dive right in.

Have you been enjoying free iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts every Monday? I've only been once! Why? Monday is usually my home day where I try to get things in order from the weekend. Since I don't usually plan to be out on Mondays, it would be a special trip for me to go get coffee. With the price of gas skyrocketing, it would cost me about as much to drive to Dunkin Donuts for my "free" coffee as it would to buy a coffee the next time I drove past a store.

The Rite Aid I use is across town, and I often find myself tempted to make a special trip for a small free item. If I know I am going to be near the store, it may be worth it for me to stop in Rite Aid. But I have to consider the time it takes to get my two small children out of the car for a special stop. Maybe the same item costs me a dollar or two more at another store, but it saves me the time of that extra stop, as well as the gas to get there.

Sometimes a sale (or freebie) is good enough to make a special trip. I've gotten a lot better about calling ahead to make sure its in stock in those situations, which saves me time, money on gas, and a lot of frustration!

I'll be getting my free Starbucks tomorrow on my way to our Easter party, but I'll probably not be able to get a free tree from Lowes.

What freebies do you choose not to grab? How do you capitalize on freebies - combining errands? having a friend pick something up for you? walking?

Earth Day Freebies

There are tons of opportunities to get freebies this week because of businesses promoting Earth Day, but my favorite is always Starbucks! I love coffee, and you sure can't beat free! Bring in your own mug on Friday and get a free cup of coffee.

Another great freebie is from Lowes - on Saturday (April 23) get a free evergreen! They will be little, but what a cool idea! (Thanks, Moms Need To Know!)

Free Allegra

My copy of the Delaware News Journal this week had this $5 coupon for Allegra:

Use the coupon to get a 5 pack of Allegra for free at Acme this week! I am so thankful that no one in my family suffers from allergies, but I am planning to pick up a free box anyway and give it away to someone who can use it. I know that allergy medication is expensive!

Thanks to Moms Need to Know what spotted this steal!

Thrifty Sewing Projects and Walmart Sales

I've been working on a few sewing projects lately that I'll be sharing over the next two weeks! Here's a sneak peak at a ruined shirt...

and a pair of jeans...

I found some great clearance sales at Walmart last week. A Cars hoodie for $1, a thick fleece for $2, and a winter coat for $5!!

The coat was tagged as $6.50, but scanned even lower...just $5!

I don't usually shop at Walmart, mostly because they do not double coupons. But thanks to a change in Walmart's coupon policy, you can now apply "coupon overage" towards the rest of your purchase. A quick example...a small box of Gain dryer sheets is priced at $1.78 at Walmart. Use the $3 off Gain dryer sheets coupon (from the 2/13 Red Plum insert) to get a box for free PLUS $1.22 of overage towards the rest of your total.

I had three of these coupons, so I was able to get 3 free boxes of dryer sheets plus $3.66 off the rest of my total, which made those clearance clothing even sweeter! If you still have the $3 off coupon, use it quickly! It expires on Thursday.

A few freebies!

I've come across a number of great freebies this week; I hope you are able to take advantage of them too!

Login to your Kraft First Taste account and see if you can request a coupon for free Jello Temptations! I recently got my coupon to try new Philadelphia Cooking Cream for free, which was also a First Taste freebie. If you are not a member, sign up for free today!

I had two free offers from Vocalpoint recently. I requested a free sample of the new Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats cereal, as well as a coupon for a free pint of International Delights coffee creamer! Vocal point sends out great samples that come with several really nice coupons. Sign up (again, its free) today!

Finally, in my mail yesterday I got a flier from Dunkin Donuts...get a free iced coffee every Monday from March 21st through April 25th! You do need to bring the card that came with the flier in order to get your free coffee. The free coffee is only good for Dunkin Donuts in the Greater Philadelphia area, but they may be running this promotion in other regions across the country as well!

Free 8x10 Photo Collage from Walgreens 2/24 only!

Yay! Get a free 8x10 photo collage from Walgreens today as part of their 7 days of photo deals this week! Choose to pick up your collage in a local store and you will not have to pay any shipping. Your collage will be waiting for you in as little as one hour! I have done these many times and have always been happy with the results.

Visit Walgreens photo to get started now!

JoAnn Fabric coupon: $5 off $5 purchase

Are you on the mailing list for Joann's? I get a a few flyers a month from them, and there are always a few coupons, usually for 40% or 50% off a regular-priced item. This week my circular had a coupon for $5 off a $5 purchase! Like I've talked about with similar Kohl's coupons, I treat these coupons as a chance to get something for nearly free instead of getting sucked into buying a number of things just because I have a coupon.

If you aren't a super crafty person, there are still a ton of other options at Joann's. I've found some great picture frames, and they always have seasonal decorations on sale. With Valentine's Day fast approaching, there are sure to be a few clearance items that you could pick up for free with this coupon!

If you would like to sign up for the Joann's mailing list, you can do it online here.

Free Movie Tickets!

Going to the movie theater is so expensive...wouldn't you like to go for free? Select boxes of General Mills cereal have codes that will earn you a free movie ticket!

Before Thanksgiving I was able to stock up on 4 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios for $6. The 4 boxes also means that we earned 2 free movie tickets!



The rest of the process was easy too! Following the directions on the box, we entered our codes online and printed out our certificates for a free ticket. The tickets are valid at many different theaters, but if you would like to check for a participating theater before purchasing the cereal, visit the Movie Cash site. The tickets have a value up to $12.

I bought my cereal at Acme, but I'm sure it is available at other stores also. The movie ticket codes were also on the large size boxes.

Free Coffee Fridays at Burger King

Every Friday in November Burger King is offering a  FREE 12 oz cup of Seattle's Best coffee! The offer is valid only during breakfast, but no additional purchase is necessary!

Free Avocado Coupon on Facebook - today!

We love avocados! Here's a great freebie on Facebook. Like The Amazing Avocado on Facebook, and this afternoon you will be able to print a coupon for a free avocado. The coupon is redeemable at any grocery store that sells Mexican Hass Avocados (which is most!).

Visit the Amazing Avocado on Facebook!

And while you are on Facebook, why not become a fan of Thrifty Living too!