Guest Post: All From One Little Pumpkin

Guest Post by Monica from The Homespun Heart

One of my favorite Fall decorations is a simple pumpkin! I recently purchased a 3.4 lb. pie pumpkin at Wal-Mart for $0.78/lb. I thought it would be fun to see how much we could do with just one pumpkin several days in a row to really stretch the value of purchasing it! Join me as we follow the life of the this small pumpkin...

When I first brought the pumpkin home, it made a lovely decoration perched on my porch.

A few days later, it made a fun greeting for a few ladies I had over for an Autumn in Avonlea gathering.

The next morning, it made a fun vase for our First Day of Autumn breakfast.

And, at lunch, a great hiding place for lunch during our scavenger hunt.

Next, I cooked the pumpkin. (Just half the pumpkin and place cut side down on a baking sheet for one hour at 350 degrees; I got about four cups of cooked pumpkin from the two pumpkins I cooked.)

I used the cooked pumpkin and made some delicious Pumpkin Struesel Muffins.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

1/4 c. margarine or butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Streusel Topping:
1/3 c. flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cold butter or margarine

For muffins: cream together margarine and sugars. Add all remaining ingredients and mix together. In a separate bowl, cut together streusel ingredients and sprinkle over muffin batter. Bake in prepared muffin tin at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Makes one dozen muffins. Original recipe from Quick Cooking May/June 2000.

We were able to tie the muffins into our homeschooling this week by having an 'unbirthday' party (we've been reading Ask Mr. Bear!)

Then we toasted the seeds for a snack. Here's the recipe we used:

Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

2 c. pumpkin seeds (from two pie pumpkins; rinsed and dried on a baking sheet for 48 hours)
1 egg white mixed with 1 Tbsp. water (save the egg yolk for your next batch of pancakes or scrambled eggs!)
1 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt

Mix seeds and egg white mixture. Add remaining spices and mix well. Spread on greased baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for one hour stirring every 15 minutes.

I think I'll send some in my husband's lunch tomorrow. After this yummy baking, we took a short walk outside and enjoyed coming into a cozy smelling home!

All that from a $2.68 pumpkin!

How do you like to stretch a pumpkin? I look forward to hearing your ideas!

Monica enjoys blogging about the simple pleasures of faith, family and home over at The Homespun Heart.

Free book and much more

Sign up here to get a free copy of Robert Allen's book, Multiple Streams of Income. You will also get a free 30-minute phone consultation and be able to attend a free teleconference. I am not for sure, but my guess is that there will be valuable information in the book, phone consultation, and teleconference, but they will also likely attempt to upsell you. Unless it's a really superb deal and you have the money to pay for it, please do not purchase something you can't afford. :)

That said, this book looks like it has some good information in it (I'm a big fan of multiple streams of income!) so do consider getting a copy if you are looking to learn more about earning from home.

More Freebies:
Free diabetes monitor and booklet (must qualify)
Free baby samples and more baby samples
Free sample of Pamprin
Free car care guide
Free Jungle Pond products
Free o.b. Tampon sample
Free books and sample units from Great Books Foundation (Thanks, Beulah!)

And while this is not exactly a freebie, for those of you looking to earn a little money from home, you can sign up for SurveySpot and earn a little money for taking surveys. I've not tried this particular survey website out myself, but I've heard from reputable sources that it's a good one to sign up with. (I'd love to hear from any of you who have tried it out. Did you find it worth your time?)

Free coupon booklet from Dinner Made Easy

If you haven't signed up for the Dinner Made Easy email newsletter, do so here and you'll get a free coupon booklet with $10 worth of coupons in it.

Thanks, Thrifty Mommy!

Also, if you haven't yet signed up for the Box Tops 4 Education email newsletter, you can do so here and get a free Fruit Roll-Up sample!

Free razors!

Can I just admit that the razor freebies are probably my very favorite free product samples of all? And there's good news today because we have not one but two razor freebies! Yay!

Sign up here to get a free Schick Intuition razor. No longer available!

Sign up here to get a free Schick Quattro Titanium razor or trimmer.

Birthday freebies

photo by plindberg

My birthday is coming up in a few days and that has motivated me to scope out all the birthday freebies I can. Might as well take advantage of this once-a-year event, right?

Here are a few of my favorite birthday freebies:

Sheridan's Frozen Custard--Sign up for their e-club and you'll get a coupon for a free shake, malt, or concrete on your birthday. Plus, you'll get a coupon for a free treat when you sign up and a coupon for a free treat if you refer another friend.

Baskin Robbins--Sign up for their Birthday Club and get free icecream on your birthday!

Caribou Coffee--Sign up for their eNewsletter and get a coupon for a free drink on your birthday.

Cold Stone Creamery--Sign up for their Birthday Club and get a coupon for a free Creation on your birthday.

Red Robin--Get a free burger on your birthday when you sign up for their eClub.

 Moe's Southwest Grill--Sign up for Moe's email newsletter and get a coupon for a free entree on your birthday.

Belfonte--Sign up here to get a coupon for a free 1/2-gallon of ice cream on your birthday.

Rubio's--Sign up for Rubio's Beach Club and get a coupon for $7 off anything. Sadie, who emailed me about this deal, said she got a 2-taco plate completely free with that coupon!

Ben and Jerry's--Get a free ice cream treat on your birthday when you sign up for their Chunk Spelunker Club (Note: The site doesn't say anything about this, but I read it here. I'm waiting to see if I get a coupon for my birthday.)

I read here that you can get a free meal at Taco Bell on your birthday. Does anyone know if that's true? I couldn't find anything on their website.

There are many other great birthday freebies listed here and here. What are your favorite birthday freebies? Did I miss any really good ones?

Guest Post: Successfully selling on Etsy

photo from BlingSlings

Guest Post by Marie Cluff, owner of BlingSlings

As a mom of a one-year-old boy, I had to make the tough decision of whether to stay at home or work. My husband is currently in school right now, and our budget is extremely tight. I felt the need to help my family, but just couldn’t imagine being away from my son so I knew the best solution was for me to find something I could do from home.

I started making baby slings about a year ago, giving them as gifts for baby showers. I decided that selling them would be the perfect way to make some money and still be able to stay at home! I had come across Etsy before and loved all the homemade products that are sold there, so I started my own shop there, BlingSlings.

Etsy is a site where you can buy and sell homemade items. You can easily create your own store for free! It costs 20 cents to list an item and then there's 3.5% sales fee when you sell an item. It is considerably cheaper than eBay and I also think it's much “prettier”.

I found it very easy to get started with Etsy. You just go to etsy.com and in the top right hand corner you can register. It is very self-explanatory and has a guided process you go through. They also have great help page which answers any questions you might have and gives excellent tips!

Etsy is the perfect way for an artsy-crafty person to make money. However, it is by no means easy   money; you have to work hard getting your name out there and making quality products that people want to buy.

Just because you think your product is great doesn’t mean others will. Some of my very favorite slings which I assumed would sell out instantly, didn’t sell at all. I found it helpful to look up other products similar to mine and see how they have sold. This is a good way to decide whether you have a market for your product or not. You also have to remember that you may not sell your stuff right away. I have already sold quite a few products, but it took some time for people to “find me”. I am constantly advertising my shop by:

• Handing out business cards
• Making fliers and posting them wherever I can
• Networking on MySpace and other internet sites
• Relisting my products on Etsy regularly
• Giving my slings as gifts for family, with business cards
• Posting often about my store on my blog

Etsy is a great starting place for selling your handmade products and it is a wonderful way to make money from home doing something you enjoy. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have if you are interested in trying your hand at Etsy. Just email me: blingslings @ hotmail.com (remove spaces).

Marie is a mother to one cute little boy and wife of three years to an amazing husband. In addition to running BlingSlings, she writes a family blog.

Walgreens: Deals for the week of September 27-October 4, 2008

Here are the best deals at Walgreens this week, with thanks to Mercedes from Common Sense with Money for her help in compiling them! Stop by her blog for her insightful article, Six Things Keeping You from Cheaper Diapers.

WEEKLY DEALS

Puffs--$0.89 with in-ad coupon
Use 0.25/1 from 9/28 inserts
$0.64 after coupon

Gillette Shampoo--on sale 2/$10
Buy 2 and use 2 $2/1 coupons from 9/28 inserts
Submit for October Easysaver Rebate--$5 back when you buy 2
$0.50 each after coupons and rebate

REGISTER REWARDS DEALS

Buy 1 Oral B Cross Action Toothbrush at $4.49, Get $4.49 Register Rewards back
Use $0.75/1 coupon from 9/28 inserts
Free plus small overage after Register Reward and coupon

Buy 10 cans of Pringles at $1 each, Get $3 Register Rewards
Use 3 $0.30/3 coupon from $08/31 insert (expires 09/30!)
$0.61/can after coupons and Register Rewards

Buy 2 Qualifying Items, Get $1 Register Reward
Buy 3 Qualifying Items, Get $3 Register Reward
Buy 4 Qualifying Items, Get $5 Register Reward

Qualifying Items:
Febreze Air Effects--$2.49
Febreze Fabric Freshener--$4.99
Febreze Noticeables Refills--$3.49
Febreze Candle--$6.99
Swiffer Refills--$3.49
Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit--$9.99
Swiffer Wetjet--$17.99
Mr.Clean 2-pk Erasers or Liquid Cleaner--$2.49
Cascade Action Pacs or Gel--$3.49

*Deal*
Buy 4 Febreeze Noticeable kits
Use four $5/1 coupons from 09/28 inserts
Spend $7.96 out of pocket
Get $5 Register Rewards back

Buy 1 Gillette Fusion Manual or Power--on sale $8.99, Get $4 Register Rewards back
Use $4/1 from 9/28 inserts
$0.99 after coupon and Register Rewards

Buy 3 Qualifying Items, Get $5 Register Rewards
Buy 5 or more Qualifying Items, Get $10 Register Rewards

Qualifying Items:
Colgate Total Toothpaste 6 oz. 2-pk--$4.99
Colgate 360 Sonic Power Tooth Brush--$4.99
Colgate 2-pk 360 Clean--$4.99
Colgate Kid's Battery Operated toothbrush--$4.99
Tom's of Maine--$3.99
Softsoap Body Wash--$3.49

*Deal*
Buy 3 Softsoap bodywash
Use 3 $1 Softsoap printable
Use $1/1 coupon from October Easysaver catalog (will take off $3)
Spend $4.47 out of pocket
Get $5 Register Rewards back

Buy 3 or more Qualifying Items, Get $5 Register Rewards

Qualifying Items:
Sudafed PE--$3.99
Benadryl--$6.49
Children's Tylenol or Motrin--$4.99
Pepcid AC--$14.99
Mylanta--$4.99
Rolaids--$4.99
Imodium AD--$10.99

*Deal*
Buy 3 Children's Tylenol at $4.99
Use $3/3 manufacturer coupon from 9/14 inserts
Use $1.50/1 Children's Tylenol coupon from October Easy Saver catalog (should take off $4.50)
Spend $8.97 out of pocket
Get $5 Register Rewards back

 Buy 3 Participating Products, Get a $10 Walgreens Gift card

Participating Products:
Pepto-Bismol--$4.99
Metamucil--$9.99
Fibersure--$9.99
Prilosec--$25.99

*Deal*
Buy 3 Pepto-Bismol at $4.99
Use 3 $0.55/1 from 9/28 inserts
Pay $13.32 out of pocket
Get $10 Gift Card Back

OCTOBER FREE-AFTER-REBATE ITEMS:

Loreal Cleanser Cream or Gel or 25-30 towelettes--up to $6.99 rebate
Use $1/1 from 7/20 inserts
Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation--up to $7.49 rebate
Use $1/1 from 9/14 inserts
Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

Extreme Energy 6 Hour Shot--up to $3.99
Free after rebate

And, like last month, there are two more free-after-rebate items which are not listed in the booklet, but which are listed online at the bottom of the page where you input your rebates:

Nivea Men's Body Wash 16.9 oz--up to $4.99 rebate
Free after rebate

LypSyl LypMoisturizer Honey Berry 1 oz.--up to $1.99 (Limit 2)
Free after rebate

New to shopping at Walgreens? Start here.

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Share Your Deals and Scenarios!
Have your shopping trip planned or did you come up with a great deal scenario/idea? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. **To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Walgreens deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Walgreens deals post will be deleted.** 

ShopRite: Freebies and deals good through October 4, 2008

Here are some deals at ShopRite which Jodi emailed to me:

Ban deodorant 1.5oz roll-on or 2.25-2.6 oz --$0.99
Use a $0.50/1 coupon (doubled)
Free after coupon

Citre Shine shampoo/conditioner 13.5 oz bottle--$1.49
Buy 2 and use a $3/2 coupon
Two bottles free after coupon

Colgate Total toothpaste, 6 oz.--$1.77
Use $0.75/1 coupon (doubled) from 09/28 insert
$0.27 after coupon

Lady's or Men's Speed Stick deodorant--$0.99
Use $0.50/2 coupon from 09/28 insert
$0.50 each after coupon

Let us know if you find any other great deals at ShopRite this week!

Reader Tip: YouData.com

Esther wrote:

I just joined YouData.com. You provide some information on exercise habits, family size, etc. and then are paid to view online advertising.

It's quick and easy and not terribly invasive to your privacy, and you get real money transferred to your PayPal account based on how many ads you click on. You can watch as many or as few ads as you want.

It does require that you provide your cell phone and e-mail address in order to prove that you're a real person, but no mailing address info is required and they just text an authorization code to your phone and that's it.

I tried to sign up for this but accidentally gave my home phone # instead of my cell # (oops!) and then couldn't figure out how to change it to proceed with the registration and test it out. So, if you try this or have experience with this, let us know your thoughts!
 

Giant: Triple coupons up to $0.99!

Giant Food Stores is running a special Triple Coupon promotion this week and tripling coupons up to $0.99. Some restrictions apply and you'll need the special coupons from the flier. Get all the details here.

CVS: Deals for the week of September 28-October 4, 2008

Here are the best deals I see at CVS this week, with thanks to Centsible Savings for her help in compiling these! Check out her post here on making money with Survey Spot.

******ECB DEALS******

Buy 1 Contour Blood Glucose Monitor at $14.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)

Use coupon for up to $30/1 from 3/16 SmartSource insert

Free plus $5 overage after coupon and ECBs

Buy 1 Covergirl Clean Make-up at $5.49, Get $5.49 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1/1 coupon from 8/31 P&G insert
Free plus $1 overage after coupon and ECBs
 

Buy 2 Colgate toothpastes at $2.50 each, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use 2 $1/1 MaxFresh coupons from September All You magazine
$0.50 each after coupons and ECBs

Buy 1 Gillette Fusion Razor for $9.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)

Use $4/1 coupon from 9/28 P&G insert

$0.99 after coupon and ECB's

Buy 2 Sunsilk Hair Care for $7, get $2 ECBs (Limit 2)

Use two $1.50/1 coupons from 8/17 RedPlum insert

$1 each after coupons and ECBs

 

Buy 2 Gillette Hair Care products for $9, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 5)

Use two $2/1 coupons from 9/28 P&G insert

$1.50 each after coupons and ECBs

******NON-ECB DEALS******

Revlon Lipstick or Lip Gloss--on sale B1G1
Buy 2 and use 2 $2/1 coupons from the 7/20, 8/3, 8/24 or 9/14 SmartSource inserts
Free or very inexpensive after coupons and B1G1 deal

 

See all deals for this week along with coupon match-ups here.

******SEPTEMBER ECB DEAL******

Buy 1 Arnicare Homeopathic Pain Relief Gel at $8.99, Get $8 ECBs (Limit 5)
Use $2/1 printable coupon
Free plus overage after coupon and ECBs!

See all deals for this month along with coupon match-ups here. 

******ESPECIALLY FOR BEGINNERS******

New to CVS-ing? Don't try to make heads or tails of this post because it probably won't make a lot of sense to you. Instead, go here where I explain the CVS program in full detail. Want to join in the fun and incredible savings? Then go here where I share more about how to make it work for you. 

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Share Your Deals and Scenarios!
Have your shopping trip planned or did you come up with a great deal scenario/idea? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. **To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your CVS deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your CVS deals post will be deleted.**

Starbucks: Free coffee for teachers and homeschool parents--Monday, September 29, 2008

photo by powerbooktrance

Starbucks has been running a promotion this month giving out free coffee every Monday for teachers. Monday, September 29, 2008 is the last day to take advantage of this deal and Starbucks has generously opened it up for homeschool parents, too!

Here are the details from their website:

Teachers of grades K-12 are invited to their local Starbucks coffee house for a complimentary tall size (12 fl. oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast™ every Monday throughout the month of September.

In order to receive their complimentary cup of Pike Place Roast™, teachers are asked to provide proof-of-current teacher status – such as a teachers’ federation card or school district badge. The “Great Start for Great Teachers” special offer ends after Monday, September 29.

If you are a homeschool parent, you can read details here on what teaching credentials to provide.

Enjoy your free coffee!

Free product coupons from Del Monte

The first 50,000 people to sign up for the Del Monte email newsletter will receive $35 worth in money-saving coupons including coupons for a free Del Monte Grapefruit Bowl and a coupon for free Del Monte no-salt-added diced tomatoes. 

Super Savings Saturday: Moving boxes and free ice cream

Our grocery savings this week weren't much worth reporting (I'm still staying out of the stores and hubby is doing all the shopping; I just make a grocery list and a simple menu plan based upon what's on sale.) but we did get a great deal on moving boxes from CraigsList and we also scored some free ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. I even had the gumption to try some of it... which was a bad idea, but we won't go there!

My other big savings news: I got my coupon box all whipped back into shape this week! There's nary an expired coupon in there and everything is clipped and filed. Yay!

Now I'm just hoping I can stomach some coupon-shopping again soon. I feel little rays of hope that it won't be too much longer so that is a cause for rejoicing. Plus, just a few more weeks and the first trimester will be over with. And then, if I'm anything like the last two pregnancies, it likely won't be long before I'll be cooking up more stuff than we can eat!

::::::::::::

How'd you do this week? Post about the deals and bargains you were able to snag this week or other ways you saved money on your blog (with pictures, if possible!) and then come back here and leave your link below. **To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Super Savings Saturday post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Super Savings Saturday post will be deleted.**

Free museum admission--Saturday, September 27, 2008

On Saturday, September 27, 2008, (that's tomorrow, folks!) you can get free admission to one of hundreds of museums nationwide compliments of Smithsonian Magazine.

Go here to find museums near you which are participating and then print your voucher here. The voucher is good for two family members, one voucher per household. 

Thanks, Kristen!

Everyday Minerals: Makeup deal!

For those of you who use mineral makeup, Kristen let me know that you can get a free custom kit from Everyday Minerals right now. You only pay shipping, which Kristen said was $3.13 for her!

You get to pick out three foundations, one blush, and one concealer for your custom kit and there are quite a few different shades to choose from. If you looking for a great deal on mineral makeup or thinking of making the switch, it might definitely be worth spending $3 to try out Everyday Minerals.

By the way, if anyone here has experience with this company, I'd love to hear.

Bob Evans: Free kid's meal and drink

Go here to print a coupon for a free kid's meal and drink at Bob Evans. Limit one coupon per party per dine-in. Expires October 15, 2008.

Kroger: Great deals and freebies!

My Penny Pile has a detailed listing of all the deals and freebies you can get a Kroger stores this week. Check it out here.

Free Resurgence 3-Step Sampler and more!

Murad is currently offering a Resurgence® 3-Step Regimen Sampler including a Renewing Cleansing Cream, Age-Diffusing Serum, and Age Balancing Night Cream. Go here to sign up for yours!

More freebies:
Free food pyramid posters (Thanks, Frugal Freebies and Deals!)
Free sample of GoodNights (Thanks, Elizabeth!)

And there's many more freebies over at Freebie Friday!

Walgreens: Double-dipping deals for Friday and Saturday--Plus, $5/$20 coupon!

It's the end of the month and guess what that means? Time for some "double-dipping" at Walgreens.

For those unfamiliar with the term "double-dipping", it refers to the two days each month where the EasySaver booklets overlap and the coupon from one book can be combined with a rebate from the other book which can also be stacked with a manufacturer's coupon. The end result? Great limited-time deals!

A big thanks to Mercedes for her help in compiling these deals:

Buy $20 Garnier Fructis hair care items, Get $10 from September EasySaver rebate

*Deal*
Buy 3 25.4 bottles of Garnier Shampoo or Conditioner at $6.99
Use $3/1 coupon from October EasySaver booklet (will take off $9)
Use 3 $2/1 coupons from 05/04 insert
Spend $5.97 plus tax
Submit for $10 September rebate
Free plus $4 overage after coupons and rebate!

Buy 1 Pert Plus 2-in-1 Shampoo or Conditioner (13.5 oz.) at $3.79, Get $3.79 September EasySaver Rebate (This is only mentioned online--when you log in to your account to input your rebates, it is shown at the bottom of the rebate page.)
Use $2/1 coupon from 08/03 insert
Use $2.50/1 coupon from October EasySaver booklet
Free plus $0.71 overage AND Submit for September Easysaver rebate and get $3.79 back!

Buy 1 Glade scented oil candle with holder at $5.99, Get $2 October EasySaver Rebate
Use $2 off coupon from 9/14 insert
Use $2/1 Glade Scented Oil Candles coupon from September Easysaver catalog
Pay $1.99 plus tax out of pocket
Submit for October Easysaver rebate offer--$2 back for each one you buy (Limit 4!)
Free after rebate and coupons

Buy 1 Glade Fabric Refresher at $2.99, Get $1 October EasySaver Rebate
Use $1/1 coupon from September EasySaver booklet
Use $1.50/1 from 8/24 inserts
$0.49 plus tax out of pocket
Submit for October Easysaver rebate offer--$1 back when you buy one. (Limit 10!)
Free plus small overage after coupons and rebate

That's it for the Double-Dipping Deals, but that's hardly all the deals to be had. There's plenty more listed here.

PLUS, there's a $5/$20 coupon for Friday and Saturday to further sweeten the deals! Remember, this $5/$20 coupon can only be used for a total that is $20 after coupons--as stated on the coupon. However, it's a super way to buy up the monthly free-after-rebate deals or to use on the Register Reward deals.

*****SHARE YOUR SCENARIOS!*****

I'm pretty sure that all of you coupon queens can come up with some hot money-making scenarios to do on Friday and Saturday, so back by popular demand, I've posted a Mr. Linky below for you to leave your links to your Walgreens Friday and Saturday deals on. Please help make things efficient by only posting links directly to your blog post about your scenarios. Links going to your homepage or other pages unrelated will be deleted.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Publix: Freebies and great deals this week

Publix has some great deals this week including free Chex Mix, free Green Giant veggies, free pasta, free shampoo, and much more. Check out all the deals over here.

Frugal Friday: Living on beans and rice for a week

photo by noonch

Ever wondered if you could live on beans and rice for a week? Head on over to my other blog to read my menu plan. I'd love to hear some of your favorite legume recipes or even your own week-long beans-and-rice menu plan!

Shutterfly: 50 free prints and free shipping!

I posted about some online photo offer deals earlier today, but this new deal Jennifer alerted me to is the best deal I've seen available for quite some time.

If you sign up for a new account with Shutterfly right now, you can get 50 free prints with free shipping.

What a deal! Go sign up here and get your completely free prints!

Why I'm not promoting the new $3/$15 CVS coupon

I'm going to jump up on my soapbox for a moment--something I try to shy away from doing very often around here--because I feel like it needs to be said...

As many of you know, there's a new $3/$15 CVS coupon out. And guess what? I won't be posting about where to get it from or encouraging you all to use it.

Why? Because in order to access the coupon you have to subscribe to the NewsDay print edition or you have to say you do.

Now, if you subscribe to the NewsDay print edition, by all means go use this coupon. But if you don't, may I heartily encourage you to not use this coupon?

I know that there are differing views on coupon usage (believe me, you oughta see the emails I receive!) and I know we aren't always going to agree on all the interpretations of coupon ethics, but I hope we can all agree that lying in order to access a coupon is unethical. Always.

There, I said it. Now let's get back to the good deals!

Note: A big thanks to my friend Alyssa for speaking up first on this.

Guest Post: Frugal Family Fun - Part 1

photo by egarc2

Guest Post by Katie from Cincinnati Cents

As parents, there is a fine line between over-indulging our children and ensuring that we spend a reasonable amount of quality family time together. It seems as though schedules become incredibly hectic with the pace of today’s world, between school, work, soccer games, piano lessons, church commitments, scout meetings, social organizations...the list could go on and on.

It is essential for families to carve out time that is separate from the hubbub of the daily routine, in order to connect (or reconnect) as a family unit. Without this time spent together, the core that binds each family together becomes fractionalized, and suddenly the members become disconnected from each other, making family unity and harmony a challenge to be overcome.

While it is easy to agree that family time is essential, it is not always so simple to find activities and events that are family-friendly (oftentimes for a multitude of ages) as well as financially feasible. It is certainly not difficult to concoct grand plans for trips to amusement parks, the beach, or a local fun zone.

However, if these ventures are beyond your budgetary means, the additional stress they cause defeat the purpose of the unity-building experience. In this weekly series, I will be focusing on simple, frugal ways to celebrate your family, thereby spending quality time together (while maintaining your sanity as well!).

As Summer has quickly slipped away, and Fall is gently unfolding, it is an ideal time to enjoy the beauty of the season with a leisurely walk as a family in the coolness of the evening. I've found, it is easy to engage all participating “walkers” if you add a game into the experience.

Give each child a scavenger hunt list (younger children could be paired with older siblings or parents) of various items to locate while you are enjoying the outdoors. This turns the walk into more than just exercise and family time--it becomes a nature hunt, and children will be amazed with the autumn treasures they might find. Acorns, red and orange leaves, and squirrels scurrying to procure their winter store all make fascinating finds for young children. They are often amazed by what they can find if they truly look at their surroundings.

Bingo is another easy take-along game for an evening hike. Parents can make simple bingo boards prior to the family outing, utilizing cardboard or heavy cardstock and clear contact paper.  A simple 9 or 12-box grid would be ideal for younger children, whereas a larger grid (15 to 25 squares) would be more challenging for older children. Items that could be searched for would either be written in the squares, or pictures could be drawn for non-readers.

Once the boards are completed, a simple covering of clear contact paper will protect them from the elements on the journey. Each child would then be supplied with a dry erase marker and either a paper towel or a wet wipe. Whoever finds the needed objects and yells “bingo” first would win the game. The boards could then be wiped clean, and a new game could begin.

Of course, a game is not necessary for a family outing. It is oftentimes enough for families--especially those with very small children--to simply enjoy each others’ presence during the course of a long, leisurely walk. Young ones are so excited to witness nature’s beauty in its simplest form--a butterfly spreading its wings, a puppy barking from across the street, one last lazy flower poking its head out of the ground.

Regardless of the activity you choose, remember that life passes to quickly. Take time to smell those proverbial roses. Next Fall will be here in a blink of an eye, and you’ll want to look back and remember all the amazing memories you’ve created as a family over the course of the year.

Katie is a homeschooling mother of four. She blogs at Cincinnati Cents, where she shares money-saving ideas, deals, and frugal activities to enjoy as a family.

From Money Saving Mom: What are some of your favorite games to play or things to do while you're out on a family walk?