McD’s has Free Mocha Mondays until August 3

I learned today from Lynette Chandler from MomsGadgets that McDonalds is offering a promotion on their Mochas. So I went into my local McD’s to check it out. They had a poster that said Free Mocha Mondays. The promotion ends on August 3rd and it’s only for the 8oz  (small cup), but who’s complaining for free?

If you’d like one, walk into your local McDonald’s one of these Mondays, 7am to 7pm (I believe are the free hours), to get yours.

Since I, for one, love their Mochas ~heavenly! I had to pass this along.

Enjoy!

Originally posted 2009-07-13 18:55:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Do Coupons Really Save You Money?

As we transition into a new year many will set goals to reduce household spending and reduce debt. This is a good time to consider the use of coupons to reduce spending and how to get started.

In this tough economy, “couponing” is receiving serious consideration in many households. So do coupons really save you money or Are They a Waste of Time? The short answer to this question is yes. But, you have to have a system in place for cutting them and storing them in order to have your coupons accessible so you will use them.

When I started using coupons years ago, they were really only available in the newspaper. You could cut them out of the Sunday paper and they were good for a month or two. Now, the availability of coupons is endless. They can still be found in the newspaper and magazines, but are now in abundance in printable form from websites and in the form of online coupons that are great when shopping on the Internet. With so many choices for coupons, there’s no reason not to be saving every time you shop. Here are some ways that coupons can save you a lot of green. 

1. Cut out coupons for the grocery store. People have to eat. It’s a fact of life. Those coupons in the Sunday paper are good for everything from cat food to candy bars (not that you should eat a lot of those). Snip all that may apply to your household needs.

2. Get organized. Make your own coupon organizer or use a ready-made coupon organizer like the highly-acclaimed Couponizer. The Couponizer does the organization for you – it makes it easy to categorize your coupons by type and/or expiration. Every time you go to the grocery store, you can easily pull out the stack of coupons that pertain to the goodies in your cart or coupons that will soon be expiring. The feature I appreciate most about The Couponizer is that it lays flat in my cart so I can be hands-free and not have to fumble with the accordian type that I used to use.

3. Use coupons for other things besides the grocery store. Coupons can be found in magazines on advertising pages and in amongst your mail on other days of the week. There are coupons for restaurants, car repairs, mattresses and carpet steam cleaning. Everyone will need car repairs at some point (especially after your last payment) so those auto coupons can come in handy.

4. Present your coupon before you buy in some instances. This applies to restaurants and car repairs. If you have any questions about the coupon’s validity, ask before you spend the time shopping. If you can have your brakes serviced for $100, be sure that it includes both sets of brakes and the rotors and/or brake pads. Know what you are getting so you can judge if the coupon is a good deal.

5. Look for other bargains to pair with your coupons. Coupons can be just like money – it burns a hole in your pocket. If you have a coupon for 20 percent off your purchase at an electronics store, shop the store circular to see if they have anything on sale that you want to purchase. Save that 20 percent off coupon for when that laptop you want goes on sale. Now, you’ll get an extra percentage off the total price.

6. Use store incentives. Some stores (mostly grocery stores) offer coupons and discounts just for signing up for their store incentive card. Just by walking in the store, you receive a discount on many items they sell. In combination with a coupon you can save more.

Coupons can save you money on clothing, groceries, automotive needs, toys, travel, movies and more. Be sure to read coupons carefully for restrictions and black-out times. To get the most bang for your buck, keep your coupons in easy reach when you’re leaving the house, or keep them in the car. Afterall, unless you’re shopping on-line you will always be using coupons while out and about.

Originally posted 2009-12-27 20:28:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

When to Find the Best Deals from July through December

Back in April I wrote a post about the best time of year to buy to get the best deals on all kinds of products, from DVDs to automobiles. This is the second part of that post which picks up with the second half of the year from July to December.

July

Computers – July and August, or right after a new model is launched. Buying slightly older technology offers great savings opportunities.

Swimwear – As the swimming season draws to a close in July and August, you’ll find the best deals on tanks and bikinis. 

Indoor furniture – With the year’s second round of new furniture about to hit stores in August, July is a great time to find discounts on current inventory.

August

Lawn mowers and outdoor furniture – stores start to make room for snow blowers by August.

Dehumidifiers - For the same reason that humidifiers go on sale in February, dehumidifiers go on sale in August.

Computers – see July for details

Swimwear – see July for details

September

Gas/charcoal grills – Fire up your credit card in September through November, when outdoor cooking heads toward hibernation in most areas of the country.

Automobiles – Most new model years start in September, so that’s when dealers are looking to clear their lots of the previous year’s inventory. November and December also can be good though selections may be slimmer.

Scrubs, Trees & Perinials – September is when stores want to empty their garden sections, but there’s still enough time to get plants established before the first freeze.

Digital Cameras – A second round of new models comes out this time of year, so current inventory is marked down to make room for new models.

October

Gas/charcoal grills – see September for details

Winter clothing – cold-weather gear goes back on sale when the weather’s just starting to turn.

November

Automobiles – see September for details.

Televisions – TVs are a staple of pre- and post-Christmas sales, so plan to buy during the winter months (coincidentially, the same time you’ll want to spend curled up on the couch in front of the flat-screen anyway)

Toys - Another area where you can save just when you need to – in time for the holidays.

December

Air conditioners – this one’s easy – buy during winter when demand is low.

Automobiles – consumers are focused on holiday gifts and demand is lower.

Televisions - see November for details

Toys – see November for details

Good Days to Buy

Tuesdays – DVDs. New releases come out every Tuesday, and many stores offer discounts if you buy a movie on the first day it hits video.

Wednesday mornings – Airline tickets. According to Consumer Reports, that’s when airlines try to fill unsold seats on flights for the following week to 10 days.

Holiday weekends- Appliances. This is when stores bring out their big sales. Even smaller holidays like Columbus Day and Presidents Day can be good time to buy, according to SmartMoney.com.

If you know of other best buying times for products to add to my list, I welcome your comments.

Originally posted 2009-06-11 11:00:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Benefits Of Family Meal Planning

Are you ready to save some time, feed your family healthier meals and save some money along the way? These are just some of the benefits of family meal planning. Let’s look at all of them in a little more detail.

Eat Healthier

Planning your family meals will cut down on your trips to your favorite fast food restaurant and the amount of pizza you have delivered to your door. Food you prepare at home tends to be much healthier than hamburgers with fries, fried chicken or pizza. When you plan your meals include some lean protein like chicken breast, as well as some salads and vegetables. Your entire family will benefit from the healthier meals.

Save Time

How much time are you spending now running to the grocery store a few times a week. I used to run to the store at least 3 times a week to buy something to fix for dinner. Planning your meals out for a week at a time and then putting together a grocery list with everything you need to cook those meals will cut your trips to the store down to one a week. This alone will save you a few hours each week. Plus you won’t be standing in front of your fridge and pantry every night trying to come up with something you can fix with what you have at hand.

Save Money

All that eating out and having food delivered can quickly add up. By preparing more meals at home you will save quite a few dollars each week. In addition, you will save on your monthly grocery bill, since you will be making a list of everything you need for the week and won’t end up buying extras that just go to waste. I used to throw out food almost every week before I started meal planning.

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Less Stress

You know the routine. It’s 6 pm, everyone in the family is starving and you have no idea what’s for dinner. Trying to come up with something to cook from what you have in the kitchen while your kids are tired, hungry and screaming isn’t one of the most fun family activities. You will be much more relaxed about dinner, when you know exactly what you are going to cook ahead of time and known you have everything you need in the house.

Quality Time Together

Meal Planning also encourages everyone to gather around the dinner table each day. Who could resist the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen? Dinnertime has always been a great time for families to gather and share news and experiences of the day. Parents and children can pay each other undivided attention. Cook some dinner, set the table and don’t forget to turn off the TV. Make dinner a daily family tradition again.

I encourage you to give family meal planning a try. I am sure you and your family will see the benefits within less than a week.

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner.  Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour!

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Originally posted 2011-01-27 22:37:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

When to Find the Best Deals from January through June

I certainly don’t advocate buying stuff that you don’t need. But we all need new stuff from time to time. So if you’ve done your research and have determined that you need a new item, then I advocate saving as much money on your purchase as possible.

So you’ve done your research and you know what you plan to purchase. When is the best time to buy to get the best deals? You might just find that consulting your calendar will help you get the best deals. Certain times of the year – or even days of the week – can be ideal to shop for specific items.

Because I am such a bargain shopper, I decided to consult Consumer Reports and other consumer websites to figure out what to buy when. In this post I’ll cover the months in the first and second quarters, then will follow up in a subsequent post in June to cover the month in quarters three and four (July – December).

At the end of this post I’ve also included the days of the week that are best for purchasing certain products.

January

Houses and condos – If a homeowner has their home for sale during the winter months, it usually means there’s a need there to sell. 

Winter clothing – after-holiday sales make January a prime month for bargains on clothing, coats, and more.

Digital cameras – new models are announced in January, so the previous versions may be steeply discounted.

Bedding and linens – January “White Sales” date back to 1878 when a Philadelphia department store discounted his bedding linens, and the tradition caught on and continues to this day.

Indoor furniture – new furniture hits showrooms in February and August, so January and July are the best months to get good deals on current inventories.  

February

Homes and condos – see January for details

Sports gear and running shoes – In February and March, stores discount last year’s shoes. Try to buy sports fear a couple of months before the season starts.

Swimwear - Many stores will have carryover from the previous year and mark down at the first of the season in February or March.

Bicycles - In February and March bike sellers look to clear out last year’s models, much like auto dealers do in the fall.

Humidifiers - Consumer Reports says to buy humidifiers during the coldest time of the year: February.

March

Bicycles – see February for details

Swimwear – see February for details

Sports gear and running shoes – see February for details

Televisions - The fiscal year for Japanese companies ends in March, that month and April offer some great deals.

Camping equipment – Camping season begins in early-to-mid March where you can find great early season deals.

Winter clothing – look for deals on cold-weather clothes when the temperatures begin to rise.

April

Televisions – see March for details

May and June

Not much happening in May and June other than stores are still clearing out cold-weather clothing.

Good Days to Buy

 Tuesdays – DVDs. New releases come out every Tuesday, and many stores offer discounts if you buy a movie on the first day it hits video.

Wednesday mornings – Airline tickets. According to Consumer Reports, that’s when airlines try to fill unsold seats on flights for the following week to 10 days.

Holiday weekends – Appliances. This is when stores bring out their big sales. Even smaller holidays like Columbus Day and Presidents Day can be good time to buy, according to SmartMoney.com.

If you know of other best buying times for products to add to my list, I welcome your comments.

Originally posted 2009-04-10 22:47:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Where to Find Money Saving Coupons

Now that you know you can save money with coupons where do you find them? There are the obvious places that coupons hang out, but you may not be aware of some other places you can get coupons. Keep reading to find out more.

The most likely place to find money saving coupons is the newspaper. On Sunday especially, the newspaper is full of store circulars and coupons for products you use all the time and new items that you can try for next to nothing. This is the first place that everyone looks.

Manufacturers also offer printable coupons online. These coupons have barcodes and can be printed off of your printer and used in their store. Most people don’t think about these coupons but they save you lots of money. I have gotten into the habit of searching online for store coupons before leaving the house.

Have you ever received emails with links to recipes for sites like Betty Crocker, Bisquick or Cooking Light? If you like to cook or rather like to eat, check out these links. You can unsubscribe to these emails whenever you like, but give them a look first. Not only do you find interesting recipes but they usually include coupons as well. Simply agree to receive new offers and your electronic mailbox will be full of coupons for cake mix, pancake mix, free trial size lotions, hairsprays and other toiletries.

Printable coupons are also available on websites. Try sites like www.coolsavings.com or www.allprintablecoupons.com. You can search by category or brand name to find coupons that fit your needs. Just point, click and print those that interest you. It couldn’t be easier.

If you belong to survey sites, you know that you can make extra money by offering your opinion. Some survey sites also offer points for taking advantage of their offers through links on their sites. On MyPoints.com, one of these discount links leads to printable grocery coupons. Every coupon that you redeem at the store earns you points towards gift card rewards when you reach a certain points level.

Don’t neglect magazines either. While you are reading the articles and looking at the pictures, take a glance over at the advertising pages. Many advertisers include a coupon along with their ads to entice customers to buy their product. Some types of coupons offered can include, Buy One, Get One Free or up to $1.00 or more off of a starter pack for air freshener or a new mechanical mop. If you ignore them, you’ll be throwing away money.

Look for displays at the front of your grocery store. Some grocery stores have coupon bins where customers can drop off coupons that they don’t need in case someone else can use them. You could find a coupon for several items on your list if you take time to look.

Another place that I look for coupons is in my Angie’s List magazine. Need your house painted, an interior decorator or even tickets to a local show? A membership with Angie’s List will surely pay for itself in the discounts and coupons you’ll get from participating vendors.

Coupons are a valuable asset to the shopper trying reduce household spending. Get in the habit of looking for coupon deals everywhere so you don’t miss out on great savings.

Originally posted 2010-03-07 14:33:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

How to Save Money with Online Coupons

Online coupons are the wave of the future. Technology has afforded us the ability to shop in cyberspace and that has extended also to saving money online. Before you shop again learn a few facts about online coupons.

Online coupons are not like printable coupons that you find in newspapers and magazines. Online stores can’t scan your coupon like they do in the store. Instead, you will see a picture of a coupon on your screen that has a bolded code made of numbers and letters at the bottom. This code is the way that you use online coupons.

Some sites call this code a coupon code and some call it a promotional code. The two names are interchangeable. A coupon code (we’ll call it that since we are talking about coupons) is used at checkout just like in the actual store. Here’s an example of on online coupon site:

Coupon sites like www.Coupons.com offer coupons in a couple of different options – for some coupons they will ask you to install a coupon printer driver which allows you to print scanable coupons (to use physically in grocery stores), other options they offer are for you to click on the link to the coupon offer.

But, where do you find these handy coupon codes for online coupons? Hint: stores don’t tell you this but there are sites that list coupon codes for a number of popular stores. One such site is www.currentcodes.com. This site keeps up with the latest codes so you don’t have to spend tons of time visiting website after website to find the code you’re looking for.

If you receive a promotional offer through an email from a site inviting you to shop there, first go to your coupon code site and see if that store offers any coupon codes you can shop with. It is like a goldmine for online shoppers.  Some of the online coupon offers are “Free shipping on all orders”, “Save $50 on all orders over $100”, and “15% off your entire order.”

Online coupon codes do expire so be mindful of time limits. Always read the fine print after each coupon code so you know the exact requirements for the coupon code to be valid. You don’t want to get to check out and find out that you can’t use your code.

Some online coupons are presented to you in the form of links. If you’ve ever bought anything online, you will get an email from everyone wanting you to spend money in their store. In the email ads, you’ll see things like “Click here to save 10% on your next order.” By clicking on that link, you are taken to the offer web page where you can use your savings. Upon checkout, your savings are automatically deducted because you clicked on the link that offers the discount. But, check to be sure you aren’t being ripped off.

Some of the benefits of online coupons are:

• There are no long lines to stand in and you don’t use up your precious gas driving to the store.
• Many online stores offer deals on items that aren’t for sale in their physical stores. These coupon codes take some time to find, but they add up to big savings for the diligent shopper.
• You can do your research on-line about where to find the best deals from the comfort of your own home before ever stepping foot in a store.

Organize your clipped coupons with The Couponizer. The Couponizer is not just your ordinary coupon holder, it is an entire system designed by a busy mom. I have been using The Couponizer for several years and it is the only system that has worked for me consistently.

Originally posted 2010-05-20 14:11:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter