Swirls ice cream shop special
My sales and deals reports are for the Monroe, Mich., area: Swirls Ice Cream Shop, 8707 Swan Creek Rd., exit 21 off I-75, Newport, Mich., is hosting its grand opening celebration today with buy one get one free soft serve ice cream from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today Aug. 21. You’ll find the ad [...]
Continue reading Swirls ice cream shop special …
From Monroe on a Budget.
New resale shop: Polka Dot Pony in Dundee
This post is for my readers in and near Dundee, Mich.: Polka Dot Pony opened in July at 169 Riley St., Dundee, Mich., as a children’s resale / consignment shop. The grand opening celebration will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Aug. 14 with snacks, face painting, a coloring contest and goodie bags [...]
Continue reading New resale shop: Polka Dot Pony in Dundee …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Hot Coupons
I started scouring the Internet this weekend and found some great coupons circulating, so I thought I would share them with you.
Tombstone just released a *HOT* new facebook coupon. Just go here and “Like” Tombstone on Facebook to print a coupon valid for $2 off any one Tombstone product! You’ll need to click on the “SavingsTime” tab and share a summer activity!
Amazon Prime is currently FREE for students for ONE YEAR! A $79 value! You will be required to give a valid .edu email address, your college, year and major.
This offer includes:
Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping on textbooks and millions of other items!
No minimum order size!
Upgrades to One-Day shipping for $3.99/item!
E-mail alerts for exclusive deals and promotions!
It’s free for students – sign up by providing your school and major!
Smart Source has added a new $2/1 Red Baron by the Slice coupon! These can be found at Target for $2.50 and there was also a Try Me Free rebate in the 7/22 Smart Source!
Did you know Tuesday, July 13th is National French Fry Day?! In celebration of this day, Bob Evans Restaurants are offering a coupon for a FREE appetizer-sized order of Sweet Potato Fries with any purchase. To snag this yummy coupon, head over to the Bob Evans Restaurant Facebook page, “like” them, click on “Free Fries,” and then print your coupon. Keep in mind that this coupon is only valid on July 13th!
Hope you enjoy these coupons!
Continue reading Hot Coupons …
From Econobusters.
A Couple of Good Deals
I got a couple of great deals in my in box this week, so I thought I would share them with you guys!
Chick-fil-A’s seventh annual Cow Appreciation Day will be held on July 9. On this fun-filled day, any customer who visits a Chick-fil-A restaurant dressed in a full cow costume will receive a FREE meal. Partially cow-dressed customers will receive a FREE entree.
To celebrate Cow Appreciation Day, Chick-fil-A has launched a photo contest at www.cowappreciationday.com to award the best cow-dressed adult and child with FREE Chick-fil-A products for a year. The best cow-dressed child also has an opportunity to win a $1,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond and a digital camera. The web site also includes costume ideas and downloadable cow spots that can be used on your web site.
This exciting celebration continues to grow and is sure to gather quite a bovine following this year as it has in years past! More information about Cow Appreciation Day is pasted below. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have or if you’d like to have photos from last year’s celebration to run with your story.
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Free Offer: Guide to Free Crochet Patterns eBook
Included in this eBook are:
- Crocheting a Picot Stitch (pg. 5)
- How to Crochet a Checkerboard Stitch (pg. 17)
- Beginner Granny Afghan (pg. 32)
- Broomstick Lace Shawl (pg. 40)
- Year of the Tiger Crochet Pattern (pg. 54)
- Many other crochet pages and layouts!
You can get this eBook free at:
http://www.allfreecrochet.com/Tutorials/Guide-to-Free-Crochet-Patterns-eBook
Continue reading A Couple of Good Deals …
From Econobusters.
Free Emeril’s Cookbook Download
In celebration of Emeril’s 20 year anniversary of his restaurant in New Orleans, you can go HERE to download a FREE copy of his cookbook. It is 32 pages long and takes a few minutes to download but looks incredibly yummy!
Continue reading Free Emeril’s Cookbook Download …
From Econobusters.
Coupon Sherpa’s Eco Frugal Life Guide
Here’s another link from Coupon Sherpa in celebration of Earth Week: the Eco Frugal Life Guide.
This is an e-book that will take time to read, but it’s worth the effort. Bookmark and go back later if you don’t have the time right now.
A snippet:
People interviewed about their experiences during the Depression recall similar life [...]
Continue reading Coupon Sherpa’s Eco Frugal Life Guide …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Coupon Sherpa’s 60 ways to clean green
In celebration of Earth Week, Coupon Sherpa has compiled a list of 60 ways to clean green.
I have used vinegar, vanilla and baking soda tricks! The ketchup and mustard tips that are listed, however, are new to me.
Continue reading Coupon Sherpa’s 60 ways to clean green …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Free “Believe” Christmas Printables
I am always looking for something new and inexpensive to decorate with. While searching the Internet recently, I ran upon these adorable tags that spell out the word “BELIEVE”. You can print your own set from The Celebration Shoppe.
These are the cutest I have seen and you can use them in many ways. One of the ways that they suggest using them is for cupcakes! I personally think they would look very festive and decorative on a mantle or a coffee table.
Here is a picture of the finished product:
Photo courtesy of The Celebration Shoppe
Hope you like this freebie! If you print them out and use them for something, send me a photo and I will showcase it here on the blog!
Continue reading Free “Believe” Christmas Printables …
From Econobusters.
Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge
It may seem a bit early to be thinking about shopping for Christmas gifts, but, if you’re like me, trying to save as much money as I possibly can, you should probably start today. Planning a more affordable Christmas this year doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the gifts, decorations, food, and fun. You just need to start early, use your creativity, and base your shopping on good judgment.
Christmas time is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration. If you are burdened with debt because you overspent on gifts, your heart will not be light and full of good cheer. Those expensive gifts can become a burden that strips away the joy of the season.
Let’s look at some basic strategies for slashing the overspending that can occur at Christmas time.
Plan Your Gift Budget – This is so basic you would think that most people already do this, but many don’t, and that is where the trouble starts. Don’t start with a gift list, start with writing down exactly how much you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts this year. Don’t forget that you’ll need to budget for the rest of your Christmas expenses, too. Things like decorations and food need to be budgeted for, so keep the total expense in mind.
Make Your Gift Recipient List – Write down everyone you normally buy a Christmas gift for.
Remove Some People From That List – This may seem a bit difficult, but you are almost guaranteed that after you go through your list, you’ll find someone that you really don’t need to buy a gift for this year. If it makes you more comfortable, just move their names to the bottom of the list so you can remember to do something for them, even if that doesn’t involve buying a gift.
Plan Dollar Amount For Each Recipient – Write a dollar amount behind each name that you now have on your list, then add it up. Are you outside your budget for gifts? You’ll need to go back then and rethink each amount and adjust the figures until it fits within your gift budget.
Make Your Gift List – Now you can go through your list of names and start jotting down ideas for each person. Because you’ve created a budgeted dollar amount for each individual, your ideas now have a limit. The problem most people get into when they shop for gifts is that they create a gift list with gift ideas first instead of dollar amounts first. To save your budget, always start your gift list with the dollar amount to be spent for each gift recipient.
Start Your Shopping Early – Yes, there are some great bargains to be found as you get closer to Christmas, but the panic that sets in usually ends up costing us more than we planned. Last minute shopping narrows your choices.
Re-Think Gift Shopping – Consider more inventive options for at least some of the names on your list. Shop smart and thrifty by looking through bargain basements and resale shops. Yes, even a trip through the second-hand stores may prove to be rewarding. You’ll never know what kind of fun and funky finds you’ll come across. For instance, you might find great vintage jewelry that would be just right for a teenager. You may even stumble upon some antique books. And, what little princess wouldn’t like a big box of sparkly gowns to play dress-up in? You’ll find racks of bejeweled, lacy, and shimmery dresses on the bridal and special events racks in most larger thrift shops. Check it out before you head to the mall.
Homemade Gifts – If you are creative, if you can follow a pattern, if you can cook, or if you just have a desire to make something nice, put your skills to work and make a gift. Something as simple as a pretty jar filled with bath salts can be just the right gift to give a friend in need of a relaxing moment. Gifts made from the heart are always appreciated.
Leave Yourself Off Your Gift List – If you’re tempted to buy yourself stuff while you’re shopping for gifts, you’ll need to give yourself a stern talking to! There are so many lovely things out there in the store aisles and they all seem to be calling your name. That is what is called “marketing to the impulse shopper.” If you have no control, give your list to someone else who has more self-control and is willing to do your shopping for you. Know yourself and avoid this pitfall. Your budget can’t take it!
This is my frugal challenge to you. Hold onto the joy of Christmas gift giving by setting your gift budget within your means. Don’t go into debt in order to give gifts that you cannot afford. Your family and friends would not like it if they knew their gift caused you a hardship.
Continue reading Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge …
From Hillbilly Housewife Blog.
The Simple Dollar Time Machine: October 31, 2009
Many newer readers of The Simple Dollar haven’t been exposed to the hundreds of great articles in the archives of the site, so this is a weekly series that highlights the five best posts from one year ago this week, as well as the five best posts from two years ago this week. I call it … the Time Machine.
One Year Ago (October 25 – 31, 2008)
Should an Entrepreneurial High Schooler Go to College? This discussion resulted in a lot of interesting back and forth on the question of whether or not a high schooler who starts a strong business in his spare time should immediately go to college or should focus on building that business that’s already successful.
Brand Preferences and the Two Year Old Child I wrote this as I began to notice the effect that brand recognition was having on my two year old son. Was he being unduly influenced by branding and packaging? What could I do about it?
Eight Things You Should Do Immediately to Save Money When You Buy a Car If you buy a car, there are several things worth doing immediately to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize maintenance costs. These all work no matter what kind of car you buy.
Exploring the Connection Between Time and Money I’m a big believer that time is money, at least in the sense that money is just a representation of invested time. Thus, time is an enormous consideration when choosing which option is actually the cheapest.
Two Years of The Simple Dollar: My 25 Favorite Articles of the Past Year Here’s my celebration of the second full year of The Simple Dollar. I just collected my top twenty five articles from the second year of The Simple Dollar in one place.
Two Years Ago (October 25 – 31, 2007)
Seven Tips For Avoiding Boredom During A Financial Turnaround Isn’t living cheap boring? Not at all. It’s all about just choosing the less expensive things that you enjoy doing. Take a look at the many, many inexpensive things available for you to do. The wider your horizons, the more fun you’ll have.
A Deeper Look At Dave Ramsey’s Seven Baby Steps To Financial Freedom – And How They Apply To Us Dave Ramsey’s debt recovery advice is popular because it’s so straightforward and simple. However, they’re not always a perfect match for everyone. Here, I dig deeper into his “baby steps” and see how they match my own life.
The Eternal Question: Am I Doing The Right Thing? With the complexity of life around us, it’s easy to not be entirely sure if your choice is the right thing. Is it better to spend more now or save this money? Is it better to invest in a 401(k) or a Roth IRA? How can you ever know if you’re doing the right thing?
The Ten Most Important Things I’ve Learned About Money and Life In The Last Year Here, I summarize the ten most important things I learned about money during the first year of The Simple Dollar. This article really does contain the cream of the crop of what I learned during that crucial period of my life.
One Year of The Simple Dollar: My 25 Favorite Articles As with the article above, this is merely a collection of what I consider to be the twenty five best articles I wrote during the first year of The Simple Dollar.
If you’d like to browse through more of the archives, visit the chronology, where all posts are listed in chronological order.
Nine Ways to Get More out of The Simple Dollar
This is kind of a FAQ for new readers and is posted each week along with the Time Machine. Here are nine great ways for new readers to dig deeper into The Simple Dollar.
1. Subscribe by email or RSS. Visiting The Simple Dollar’s website is great, but for many people, it’s more convenient to receive the articles in another form. It’s easy to join 60,000 other subscribers and get The Simple Dollar’s content by email or in your RSS feeder (if you’re unfamiliar with RSS, check out Google Reader.
2. Comment. Each article on The Simple Dollar has lively discussion. Just click on the green square in the upper right of each article on the website and join in!
3. Read my story of financial meltdown and recovery. The Simple Dollar isn’t based on what I’ve read in books or learned in school. I’ve made a lifetime of financial mistakes – The Simple Dollar is a record of what works for me during the process of getting my life on a better track.
4. Download my free 49 page e-book. Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page is completely free. It summarizes all of the key lessons I’ve learned along the way about personal finance in one tidy package – in fact, all of the main principles can be found right on the cover.
5. Follow me on Twitter – or other social networks. I post tons of interesting articles, quotes, follow-up material, commentary, and other material on Twitter. Follow me! If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, it’s essentially an open discussion forum for people to share ideas and thoughts with other like-minded folks – you just choose the people you want to listen to and their ideas and thoughts are all delivered to you on a single page.
I also participate on several other social networks. Feel free to check me out on del.icio.us (it’s where I collect links, from which I select the ones that appear in my weekly roundups), wakoopa (what software I use), GoodReads (what books I’m reading), Facebook, and FriendFeed (which aggregates everything). I also have an irregularly-updated personal site, TrentHamm.com.
6. Dig through “31 Days to Fix Your Finances.” 31 Days to Fix Your Finances is an article series that outlines how you can get a grip on your finances over the course of a month.
7. Send me your questions and suggestions. Send me an email and let me know what you’re thinking, what you’d like to see, and any questions you might have. I try to respond to as many emails as possible and I read them all. I may even use your question in a future article!
8. Become a “Friend of The Simple Dollar.” If you find the stuff on The Simple Dollar valuable and are willing to spend five minutes or so a month to help me out with small things, please consider signing up to be a “Friend of The Simple Dollar”.
9. Email a great article you find to a friend. Find an article that you think your friend would love? At the bottom of each article, you’ll find a link that says “Email this” – just click on that, type in your friend’s address, and send it right along to them!
Continue reading The Simple Dollar Time Machine: October 31, 2009 …
From The Simple Dollar.