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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dentyne Blog Smog!

This video is cute but so not true! Bloggers don't sit in front of their computer all day - and we do brush our teeth! Here's a little levity for your day:



Very cool shopping site!

I just heard about this very cool shopping site called Nearby Now. Nearby Now is a FREE site that aims to simplify the shopping process for consumers who shop online but buy in the store. I definitely do that and I suspect many of you do as well.

How does Nearby Now simplify shopping? They have a comprehensive website where you can search hundreds of retailers to find out if a particular store carries a particular item, right down to specifying the color and size of the item you are looking for. Nearby Now has whole shopping centers in their database to try to help you do more "one stop shopping" and not run all over town looking for your size or style preference.

Nearby Now also provides sale information for items and you are able to place the item you are looking for on hold if it's in stock, giving the name of a helpful clerk to assist you once on location! No more driving around or calling each store - this makes shopping easier! They call themselves a "scout" service and try to do most (if not all) of the work for you to make your shopping experience more efficient and pleasant. Check it out today to see if shopping centers near you are participating yet and if now, contact your local shopping centers to let them know you'd love to see themn participate in this great service for consumers!

FREE personalized Hallmark Card

Hallmark has these great new personalized cards that you can customize to your preferences on their website. Just click here and choose your card and personalized message and they send it for you! The best part - enter the promo code "TRIAL" and it's completely FREE! I just did one and it's very easy and turned out great! I entered in the promo code and it's FREE, you don't even need to enter in a credit card at all!

Thanks, Hip2Save for finding this GREAT deal!

Coupon Statistics

I recently bought the Reinventing Beauty Magazine at CVS for $.99 because of the many coupons it has in it. I did flip through it and was happy to see an article on couponing.

There are coupon statistics in the article that I found fascinating. First of all, did you know that there is a Promotion Marketing Association Coupon Council? How cool is that! The statistics quoted there (and here) come from them.

The article says that during an economic downturn like we are experiencing now, companies distribute more coupons and consumers are more likely to use them. In the year 2000, women used coupons at a higher rate (85.3% to 68.6% of men), with everyone using 4.5 billion coupons to save $3.6 billion! It also seems as though people with college and post-graduate educations use coupons at a higher rate than high school graduates do.

It still amazes me that people don't use coupons. I hear people complain about money everyday and when you ask them if they use coupons, they look at you like you have 2 heads. It is such an easy way to save money. The Internet has made couponing so much easier. You can now print coupons online and look to sites like mine and many others to find the best match-ups and deals at stores all around the country! It only takes a few minutes and the savings achieved can be huge.

I am proud of the fistful of coupons that I carry through the store. I'm the smart one who just paid half of what you paid for the same cart-ful of groceries!

Monday, March 30, 2009

All You Magazine for just $16 FOR 2 YEARS! - 48 hour SPECIAL for my readers!

Cheryl from Southern Living at Home is offering my readers an incredible special. For just forty-eight (48) hours (until 11:59 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday evening), you can get a 2 YEAR (24 issues) subscription to All You Magazine for just $16! Considering that each monthly issue retails for $2.24 and each issue has over $20 in coupons in it, this deal is an absolute steal! To sign up for this deal, you can email Cheryl at finallylarrys at yahoo dot com. The subject of your email should be "Nicole's Nickels All You Magazine Offer". This would make a great gift for friends and family as well.

I posted about All You Magazine before and subscribe to it myself. You can see a list of this month's coupons (and previous month's coupons) by clicking on Bargain Briana's All You Coupon database here.

For those of you who are feeling lucky, Debbi at Saving with Mama Nordy is giving away a 1 year subscription to All You - her giveaway ends April 3 so pick up a subscription for yourself from Cheryl (see above) and enter to win a subscription to give as a gift or for Mother's Day!

Garage Sales Tracker!

I found out about this great website, Garage Sales Tracker, which allows users to either post information about a garage sale or view the information posted by others. I know many of you are garage sale fans and love the incredible bargains to be found at them!



You can even search within the site to find garage sales near you that have certain kinds of items for sale, such as clothing or baby items. They even give you driving directions to the sale and route information when you select more than one garage sale that interests you! Check it out and happy bargain finding!

$100 in giftcards for $4 out of pocket!

Thanks to Collin at Hip2Save for bringing this great deal to my attention! I signed up on March 14 and received my giftcards on March 27 and 28 - so 2 weeks from start to finish. I have a friend who did the same deals and got hers within a week!

Here's the deal:

Sign up for the following trial offers:
1. Complete Home - $20 Lowe's giftcard for $1 trial
2. Buyer's Advantage - $10 Target giftcard for $1 trial
3. Privacy Guard - $30 Staples giftcard for FREE trial
4. Clever Clubhouse - $20 Blockbuster giftcard for $1 trial
5. Great Fun -$20 Exxon Mobil giftcard (I know it says $10 on the offer but $20 came!) for $1 trial

You can use a prepaid Visa or Mastercard or a virtual credit card number if you are worried about using your real credit card number. Check with your card company as many now offer virtual credit card numbers. I signed up on a Saturday for all 5. I received confirmation emails right away. On Monday I received welcome emails from all 5 companies. On Tuesday, I received an email titled "Here's how to get the item you requested". You submit the information (including your membership number so make sure you have that written down) via online form, and for me, my giftcards arrived 11 days later.

The trials are 30 days long and from what I have read on the Internet about these deals, they will offer you more incentives to stay a member and/or extend the trial. Regardless, if you do cancel make sure to get a confirmation number and confirmation email that you have cancelled.

Just a heads up - I've been told that these offers come up occasionally when doing a larger online offer (see my Wii/Wii Fit post here) so if you're thinking about doing more of those type of offers you may want to hold off on doing these.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Walgreens 3/29-4/4

Karen from Frugal RI Mama has all the match-ups for this week at Walgreens here. Some of the best deals of the week are:

Chapstick 100% Naturals or True Shimmer Lip Balm or Butter, .15 oz.
On Sale $1.99
Get $1.99 RR
Final price: FREE

Kleenex $2.19
On Sale B1G1 free with in ad coupon
Use $1/4 from 2/8 RP (exp. 3/31)
Final Price: 4/$3.38 or $.85 each

Remember to check out Frugal RI Mama for the other deals!

I went to Walgreens this morning since I had $22 in Register Rewards set to expire today. I had a very successful trip! Here's what I got:

Transaction 1

Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer (came with FREE mascara in package, found in new make-up display area not where the Physician's Formula products are on the wall)
I debated waiting for a sale to happen on the Physician's Formula this month since the rebate is good all month but decided to buy this since the mascara was packaged with it for FREE and I didn't know how long they would have this special package in stock.
On sale for $11.99
Used $1 off coupon from February 22, 2009 newspaper
Paid $10.99 out of pocket
Submitted as rebate online from new April Easy Saver Rebate Catalog and will get $10 back
Paid $1.99 for tinted moisturizer AND mascara!

Pringles Super Stack, 2 for $4
Used in-ad coupon to make it 2 for $3
Used $1 off 2 from 3/15 newspaper
Paid $2.00 for 2 super stacks of Pringles

Softsoap Body Wash
On sale for $3.99
Used $1.50 off coupon from CVS Reinventing Beauty Book for this month (costs $.99 and is full of coupons)
Received Register Reward for FREE Softsoap Body Wash on next visit
(TIP: It is being reported that this deal "rolls" as of right now. This means that when I go to buy my FREE Softsoap another coupon for a FREE Softsoap will print and so on.)

Cottonelle Wipes, 84 ct refill
On sale for $5.29 each
Used in-ad coupon to make them 2 for $5.00
Used 2 coupons for .50 off from today's paper
Paid $4.00 for 2 84 ct refill packs

Glade Soy Candle
On sale for $6.49
Used 2.00 off coupon from April Easy Saver booklet in store
Used $4.00 off coupon printed when I joined Glade at Home
Paid $.49 for the candle

Edge Infused Energy Shave Gel
On sale for $2.99
Paid $2.99 received $3 in Register Rewards

Total was $10.44 after I used my $16 in Register Rewards. I used my Walgreens gift card from the February Easy Saver Rebates and paid 0 out of pocket. Remember, I'll still get $10.00 back in rebates from the Physician's Formula make-up!

Transaction 2

Glade Soy Candle
On sale for $6.49
Used 2.00 off coupon from April Easy Saver booklet in store
Used $4.00 off coupon printed when I joined Glade at Home
Paid $.49 for the candle

Skintimate Shave Gel
On sale for $2.49
Paid $2.49 and received $3 in Register Rewards back

Total was $3.17. I used Walgreens gift card from February Easy Saver Rebates and paid 0 out of pocket!

Why did I do 2 transactions? The Edge and Skintimate Register Rewards deals are related so you won't get rewards for both if you buy them in one transaction. Remember, you can't buy the same product with a Register Reward that you got for buying that item. For example, if I wanted more Skintimate (deal is good all month) then I couldn't use my Register Reward from today for the Skintimate (or the Edge) to buy it again - the Register Rewards won't print if you do that.

CVS 3/29-4/4

There are a few good deals at CVS this week and thank goodness, Florida has the same flyer as the rest of the country this week!

Karen at Frugal RI Mama has a great new design to her site and as always, brings you all the deals to be had at CVS this week. Check out her full post here to see all this week's match-ups.

The best deals on her list (IMO) are:

Paas Egg Decorating Kit, On Sale $1.99
Get $1.99 ECB's (limit 2)
Final Price: FREE after ECB's (Sunday and Monday only)

Accu-Chek Diabetes Monitor, On Sale $9.99
Get $9.99 ECB's (limit 1)
Final Cost: Free after ECB's

Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber, On Sale $2.99
Use $2.75 printable cpn
Final Cost: $.49 (there are also $1.00 CVS CRT's so then it's a money maker)

I was out running errands this morning and stopped at CVS. I got the following:

Easter M&M's 2/$3.00
I used $1.00 off coupon from last week's paper
Paid $1.00 each for 2 bags

CVS Paper Towels
Had coupon for FREE roll that I got in my email
Machine in store printed coupon for $1.00 off 3 roll pack
Paid $1.69 for 4 rolls.

I used $2 in ECB's from last week and paid $1.87 out of pocket for 4 rolls of paper towels and 2 bags of M&M's.

My store was out of the Scrubbing Bubbles so I will check out a CVS near work this week since it will only be $.24 after the printable coupon (see above).

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Word of Mouth, Bzz Agent and Afrin Pure Sea

I've been meaning to write a post on Word of Mouth companies such as Bzz Agent and since I recently received a product from them, I decided to combine and write about the product and the company!

Bzz Agent is a word of mouth (WOM) company that is FREE to join. Occasionally, they will send you an email with a survey to see if you are interested in whatever product they are trying to promote. This promotion is done by word of mouth, meaning that they want you to tell your friends and family all about the product. The theory is that people will try things when they get a review from someone else they trust about it. Most campaigns at Bzz Agent are FREE but if there is a fee they will let you know up front and you can decide whether to accept the campaign.

Several other WOM companies you can join are She Speaks and One to One Network. If you love to try new products and tell people about them then these companies are definitely for you!

I recently received Afrin Pure Sea Hydrating Nasal Rinse from Bzz Agent to try. They sent me a full-sized sample as well as 8 coupons to give to my friends and family. For fear of getting into too many details about a nasal rinse, I'll try to keep it bland! The rinse is 100% purified sea water and is in a ergonomically designed bottle to allow you to comfortably use the product. I found it easiest to use in the shower. This is not like the Afrin most of us know as this is not medicated so it is safe for continuous use. Unlike other nasal sprays, I like that the contents remain sterile even after use because of the bottle design. You can use the rinse to clear your nasal and sinus passages from dust, dirt, irritants, germs, smoke, etc. My doctor always recommends saline drops like this when I have a cold or sinus issues. They have 3 varieties (Medium Stream, Gentle Mist and Ultra Gentle Mist which can be used on children as young as 6 months old). It can be used up to 4 times a day and comes with detailed instructions. I liked this product better than other saline drops I had used previously and will continue using it when needed. Look for it in stores today!

Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets - 3 WINNERS!

The following 3 comments were selected by random.org as the winners of the Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets! I have emailed each winner and if I do not hear back from them within forty-eight (48) hours then I will post new winners.

And the winners are...

DebbieLynne (she said "I love the caramel bars. I could really use this giveaway, I soooo need a kitchen scale! on Monday, March 16, 2009 8:35:00 PM)

Rising South (who said "My family loves the Chocolate Chewy Bars" on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 12:11:00 PM )

Cheryl888 (who said "I subscribed!" on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 6:56:00 AM)

Top 10 Giveaways of the week 3/27

Every Saturday I will be highlighting the top 10 giveaways (as I see them) in the around the blogging world.

Please remember to enter the 2 giveaways I have going on right now - Burberry watch and Snoopy the Easter Beagle!

Here are this week's top 10 giveaways!
1. Frugal RI Mama - Sothy's Blends French Skincare (ends March 30)
2. Annie's Home - Laura's Brownies (ends April 1)
3. The Post-It Place - 11X14 painting of your dog (ends April 3)
4. Sandier Pastures - Shi Shu Baby Blanket (ends March 31)
5. Babies Gotta Have It - Robin Miller cookbook plus 6 month supply of Ragu pasta sauce (ends April 6)
6. About Life - Brayla Designs Frame (ends today!)
7. Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls - $50 gift certificate to Sheer Miracle make-up (ends April 1)
8. A Mom Who Loves Reviews - photofuzz blanket (ends April 3)
9. Simply Sweet Home - handmade earrings from Lavender Cottage (ends April 1)
10. Look What Mom Found - Rosa's Fudge (ends April 3)

Good luck and please let me know if you win!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Cereal FREEBIE - CVS only in central/south Florida

Now I feel bad. I said that this week's special flyer for south/central Florida residents wasn't as good as the one the rest of the country got. Turns out it may be better!

Post's TrailMix Crunch is on sale for $1.88 when you use your Extra Care card. If you print the $2.00 off coupon here the cereal is FREE! It only lets you print 2 coupons from a computer, but the limit on the deal at CVS is 6 boxes of cereal.

This is an easy deal and you can do it even if you don't get the paper or like to clip coupons. Just print the coupons, get an Extra Care card for FREE at CVS if you don't already have one, and you're on your way to some FREE cereal!

I'm sorry, CVS, for what I said on Sunday - this is a GREAT deal! Remember though, it is for south/central Florida residents only!

Get Rachael Ray's new Big Orange Book FREE with a purchase

I love Rachael Ray. I subscribe to her magazine and TIVO her talk show so I can watch it when I get home from work (yes, you didn't know I have a day job? ;)

Anyway, she has been promoting her new Big Orange Book of recipes recently on the show and here's a way for you to get it for FREE.

Purchase one of the following products:
Snyder's of Hannover
FunJet Vacations
Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
Crocs


Then mail either your UPC or your receipt to:
Everyday with Rachael Ray
16 East 34th Street
New York, NY 10016
Attention: Spring Ahead


They'll send you the book for FREE! To read the fine print (there's not much, really), please see the entire offer here. It does say while supplies last - so hurry!

Friday FREEBIES, samples and good deals!

Here are today's FREEBIES, samples and good deals!

FREE Attune Probiotic Bar

FREE samples of Loreal Roots of Remedies Haircare

FREE sample of Eucerin Plus Smoothing Essentials

FREE sample of Zyrtec

FREE year subscription to Conde Nast Traveler magazine

FREE sample of Old Spice Body Wash

Email me to request your FREE invitation to Shop it to Me

Don't forget to enter my 3 giveaways - 3 Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets and Burberry Watch and Snoopy the Easter Beagle giveaways!

Make sure you've signed up for Freeflys, Shop4Freebies, MySavings, Cool Savings, and Startsampling for many more FREE samples!

Earn money for normal everyday online searching - Swagbucks is powered by google and is FREE to use! Earn Amazon giftcards as you search! Sign up here.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

97.9 WRMF Weekly Radio Segment!

Here it is...today's 97.9 WRMF radio segment. They made me a fancy intro - listen and let me know what you think!



You can listen live in the West Palm Beach, Florida area at 97.9 FM between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. every Thursday morning on the Jennifer & Danny Show, online at the WRMF website if you're not local, or on this blog once I post the podcast!

Publix match-ups 3/26-4/1

Sheri over at Swaggrabber is very excited about this week's Publix deals. Sheri spends lots of time doing her match-ups to bring you the very best of what Publix has to offer every week.

Below are the best deals I see. For a complete list and an understanding of the abbreviations that Sheri uses please see her complete post here.

Gatorade 64 oz bottle BOGO $2.50
$1.25 each SINGLE BEST PRICE I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THESE!!!!

Perdue Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets BOGO $4.39-
Use two $1/1 coupons found in the 03-15-09 RP insert
$1.19 each after coupons - Great Price!

Contessa Restaurant Quality Meal BOGO $7.99-
Use two $2/1 PRINTABLE coupons - hit back to print two
$1.99 each after coupons - GREAT PRICE!

Nabisco Ritz Crackers BOGO $3.71-
Use the $2/2 coupon found in the 01-25-09 SS insert
$1.35 each after coupon

Mindfield Survey Panel

Mindfield Survey Panel is another legitimate survey company I am signed up with. I receive approximately 5 surveys per week from Mindfield and find that many are through the OTX survey company.

Mindfield

The thing I like about Mindfield is that if you disqualify, you do it in the very beginning of the survey and not after minutes have passed like some other companies. Mindfield recently revised their rules so you are able to cash out with less earnings than before. As always, it is FREE to sign up and you are under no obligation to take every survey you receive.

The other surveys companies already reviewed on this blog are Global Test Market, Survey Savvy, SayNation, American Consumer Opinion, Opinion Outpost , Zoompanel, Ipsos I-Say, HCD Surveys, and university-sponsored sites. Have you signed up for all of them?

Snoopy the Easter Beagle Giveaway (2 sets each of Plush, DVD, and Book)

Here is a great Snoopy giveaway just in time for Easter!

Many of you probably like to mark the holidays with some kind of creative, kid-friendly activities. And the Peanuts characters like to celebrate the holidays with fun-filled projects too…

For example, at Easter, Linus always tries to explain to the gang that the Easter Beagle will rise up and distribute eggs to all the children. Lucy’s not buying it. Peppermint Patty is too busy trying to teach Marcy how to cook and color Easter eggs. But Snoopy is all over it—in fact, he IS the Easter Beagle!

Snoopy's publicist has given me 2 Snoopy the Easter Beagle gift sets to giveaway to 2 lucky readers! Each set contains a plush Snoopy dressed as the Easter Beagle (Gigglin' Easter Beagle Snoopy), a book (The Easter Beagle Egg Hunt), and a DVD (It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown) - the perfect Easter gift!

Snoopy likes to juggle his Easter eggs while he’s on a unicycle (which we don’t recommend you try, of course!). To enter, you MUST leave a comment answering the question "what does your family do with eggs after they’ve been found"?

Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners. FYI: it is best to leave your email address in this form "nicolesnickels at gmail dot com" so no automatic email scanners are able to read it. I've entered many giveaways doing this and have never gotten SPAM from leaving my email address in a comment. You can get six (6) additional entries by doing the following:

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a coment saying you do. If you subscribe by email you MUST confirm your email and activate the subscription.

2. follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NicolesNickels) and tweet about this giveaway. If you already follow me that's fine, just comment with a link back to the tweet about this giveaway.

3. blog about this giveaway (leave the link in the comment)

4. email 5 people about this giveaway (please cc me on this email - nicolesnickels at gmail dot com and leave a comment saying you sent the email)

5. grab my button for your site (leave the link to where the button is in the comment)

6. add the link to this giveaway on a Mr. Linky about giveaways or on a blog giveaway site, blog carnival or forum or yahoo group (leave link to where you did this in the comment)

You MUST leave a comment answering the question above as your first entry and then additional entries are governed by the terms above. You MUST leave a separate comment for each entry you are able to make. Feed and email subscribers will need to click on to my actual blog to leave a comment. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winners will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway will be good until April 2 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and winners will be announced on Friday, April 3. If the winners do not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick new winners. Good luck!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Winn-Dixie match-ups 3/25-3/31

Sheri at Swaggrabber has an excellent blog and has agreed to bring my readers the best of the Winn-Dixie deals each week.

Here are a few of this week's best deals at Winn-Dixie. For the whole list and/or to get the list of the abbreviations she uses, please visit Swaggrabber's post here.

Post Cereal BOGO $4.29 --Shredded Wheat/Grape Nuts/Bran Flakes -
Use the $1/2 coupon found in the 03-01-09 SS insert
$1.69 each after coupons

Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, or Mentos gum BOGO $1.59-
Use two $1/1 Mentos coupons found in the 03-01-09 SS insert-
OR use two $.55/1 Mentos coupon found in the 02-08-09 SS insert
FREE or $.24 each with coupons!

Kellogg's Cereal $1.99 - Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Mini Wheats -
Use the $.70/1 coupon found in the 02-22-09 RP insert
***Deal Idea - Buy three, use three $.70 off coupons- receive FREE GALLON of Milk wyb three
$3.60 for three boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk!

Redbox FREE Wednesday Code 3/25

The FREE Redbox code for today is MMM325. For details on Redbox check on my earlier post here or Deal Seeking Mom's detailed information here. Why don't you pick up a FREE movie on your lunch break today, have movie night tonight, and return the movie on your lunch break tomorrow?

Baby FREEBIES

The FREE Parent's Newsletter to will give you week by week information about your baby's stages.


Also, sign up for FREE baby samples from Planning Family


And more FREE samples from Baby to Bee

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

How to find coupon/promo codes online

Whenever I buy something online I spend a lot of time researching the various prices and promo/coupon codes available. I first search my 4 cash back sites (Cashbaq, Mr. Rebates, Big Crumbs, and Ebates) to see which of them is offering the highest percentage of cash back. These sites often have coupon codes on them and you need to check to see if you can use a coupon code not listed on their site and still get credit for your purchase.

If you can, you're in luck. If you can't, you need to weigh the coupon code against the cash back and determine which is more beneficial. I look to Current Codes (http://www.currentcodes.com/) to find promo/coupon codes for many retail sites online. Just use the drop box and find the retailer you are looking for. All of the current codes will come up, including percentages off, free shipping, etc., including the expiration date of the code.

Happy shopping!

SurveyHead

SurveyHead is a fun survey company that pays you via Paypal (free to sign up for). You'll get $5 just for signing up and are able to cash out when you reach $25.00. SurveyHead is unique from other survey companies in that they tell you up front just how good your odds of qualifying for a survey are. They also tell you how much you will receive for successful completion of the survey.



I love knowing that I will probably qualify for a survey and that my time is not being spent answering questions to later disqualify. As with all survey companies highlighted on my blog, SurveyHead is legit and FREE to join!

The other surveys companies already reviewed on this blog are Survey Savvy, SayNation, American Consumer Opinion, Opinion Outpost , Zoompanel, Ipsos I-Say, HCD Surveys, and university-sponsored sites. Have you signed up for all of them?

Get FREE prints of your digital photos!

I have had a post-it note since I started the blog (!) reminding me to do a post on FREE photos and photo accessories and finally sat down to do it.

Many of you take lots of digital pictures and get only a fraction developed due to the price. There are many many FREEBIES to get as far as photos go. If you sign up and get your FREE prints on each site, you will get additional emails with specials and even FREEBIES for current members. Photo books and accessories make great gifts for family and friends. Here are a few great ones with FREE prints for new members:

Shutterfly: Join Shutterfly for FREE and get 25 FREE 4X6 prints


Picaboo: Join Picaboo for FREE and get a FREE photo book (code 1PFMDB-WE)
Picaboo

Artscow: Join Artscow and get 200 FREE 4X6 prints, 200 FREE 5X7 prints and a FREE 8X8 custom cover photo book.

Photoworks: Join Photoworks.com and get 25 FREE prints

Kodak Gallery: Join Kodak Gallery and get 20 FREE prints (plus 20% off photo books)
20% off Photo Books at Kodak Gallery!

dotPhoto: Join dotPhoto and get 50 FREE 4X6 prints
Join dotPhoto today and receive 50 FREE Prints!

Clark ColorLabs: Join Clark ColorLabs and get 40 FREE prints

FujiFilm SeeHere: Join FujiFilm SeeHere and get 50 FREE prints (use code prints-6)
50 Free 4x6 prints when you sign up at SeeHere.com

Monday, March 23, 2009

Sharebuilder through ING Direct - earn easy $25

I wanted to let you all know about a quick and easy way to earn $25. All you have to do is open a Sharebuilder 401k account with ING Direct by clicking here. It is FREE to open the account and there is no minimum balance to receive the $25!

Click here and fill in information to open an account.
Use Bonus Code 25WOLS
Successfully complete 1 trade (no minimum amount)
Receive $25 bonus in 4 weeks

I was hesitant to complete these kind of bank offers until I realized how easy the money is! This one doesn't even require a minimum amount or more than 1 trade. You can even open an account for each family member if you wanted to earn even more money. And who knows, maybe you'll like the account and keep the service.

Join Glade Right at Home for High-Value Coupons!

Join Glade Right at Home for FREE and get high value coupons for Glade products.

In the last several weeks alone, I have printed $4 off Glade Sense & Spray, $4 off Glade Lasting Impressions, and $4 off any Glade Candle or Reed Diffuser from the Glade Right at Home site. These coupons have let me get items for FREE (and with a $4 OVERAGE). The candle and reed diffuser will be a deal at Walgreens in the next few weeks and with the coupon they will be FREE! Remember to sign up for these kinds of deals with your separate email address!

Credit Cards

Although this blog is about saving money and most people do not equate credit card use with saving money, I do use credit cards and believe that if you use them intelligently they are a great way to MAKE money - yes, you heard me correctly!

There are many great credit cards out there that give you cash back when you make certain purchases. I have several of these cards and use them primarily only for the biggest benefit they give. For example, if a card gives 5% cash back on gas only, I mark the card "gas" so I can remember and use that card only for gas. Having credit cards is essential to having good credit and if you only charge what you cna pay off completely each month, there won't be any trouble!

The Discover More card is a card with great benefits to its members. First of all, it offers 5% cash back when you make purchases in its set categories that you sign up for (i.e. gas, groceries, restaurants, travel) up to $3,000 per year. After the $3,000 you will earn 1% per year. I would use this card until I got the $3,000 and then use a different card to maximize the card's benefit. You can request a check once you've earned $20.


The Discover Open Road card is another great Discover card you could apply for. There is no annual fee and the card gives 5% cash back on your first $100 in gas and auto maintenance purchases each billing period (per month) up to $1,200 back annually. This would be a card I would use for gas only to maximize the benefit.


To research other credit cards with cash back benefits to you, please click here or the banner below. If you do your research and apply for the right card(s) for you, you can earn money when you shop and shop smarter!
Credit Card Search Engine

Sunday, March 22, 2009

KMart Super Doubles Again this week!

The KMart near me was having Super Doubles this week. I went the last time in February (see here, here, and here) and saved a ton of money. I was super excited this morning since I recently organized my coupons and have a nice new coupon binder full of them. Armed with my giant binder, I hit the KMart first thing this morning and was .... kinda disappointed!

I ended up with 12 items and paid $8.35 out of pocket. My stockpile at home is getting kind of big and so if it wasn't FREE or close to FREE or something I need and use frequently then I didn't get it. Here's what I got:

Gillette Body Wash
On sale for $4.49
Used $2.00 off coupon that doubled (from March 1 newspaper)
Paid $.49

Bic Soleil Disposable Razors
On sale for $5.49
Used $2.00 off coupon that doubled (from March 15 newspaper)
Paid $1.49

Dove Energy Shampoo
On sale for $3.99
Used $2.00 coupon that doubled (coupon came with a FREE sample)
item was FREE

Listerine Total Care Mouthwash
On sale for $4.59
Used $2.00 coupon that doubled (from March 15 newspaper)
Paid $.59 (got 2 of these)

20 count Diego Band-Aids
On sale for $2.19
Used $1.00 coupon that doubled (from February 8 and/or March 15 newspapers)
Paid $.19 (got 2 of these)

Soft Scrub Scrubby Pads
On sale for $2.79
Used $1.50 coupon that doubled (from March 8 newspaper)
Item was FREE (got 2 of these)

Nature's Source All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
On sale for $2.50
Used $1.00 coupon that doubled (from March 1 newspaper)
Paid $.50

Bumble Bee Premium Albacore Tuna Pouch
On sale for $1.99
Used $.55 coupon that doubled (from February 22 newspaper)
Paid $.89 (I got 2 of these)

Remember, when you sign up for the Kmart email list (www.kmart.com) you'll get a printable coupon for $5 off when you spend $50. Also, there is a deal from Glamour magazine going on now to get a $25 Kmart giftcard when you send in a recipt of at least $50. Click here for details. It does not specifically say whether your $50 must be before or after coupons.

Walgreens 3/22-3/28

I'm sorry to be such a complainer today, but my coupons here in Florida seem to be very different than other people's from other parts of the country. For example, it is being reported on the blogs (and even says so in the Walgreens flyer this week!) that there is a $4 off coupon for the Shick Quattro razor. That coupon is not in my insert. I get 2 different papers (Palm Beach Post and Port St Lucie News) and it wasn't in either of them. What gives?

I didn't make a trip to Walgreens this week because there wasn't really anything I needed or wanted (except the razor but I didn't have the coupon) and I didn't have any RR about to expire. If I would have gone (and gotten the same coupons everyone else got), I would have purchased the Schick Quattro Razor and maybe the Right Guard Professional.

Karen over at Frugal RI Mama has all the match-ups for you this week. Please click here for a full list. Some of the good deals this week she sees are:

Schick Quattro Razor
On sale$8.99
Use $4/1 IVC
Use $4/1 cpn in 3/22 inserts
Final Cost: $0.99 each

Hunt's Tomato Sauce
On Sale $ .39 with in ad coupon (Regular Price .99)
Get $5 ESR when you spend $10 (#29)
Buy 11 @ .99 = $10.89 (before in ad coupon)
Get $5.00 ESR
Use In Ad Coupon 11 @ .39 = 4.29
Final Cost: FREE + .71 overage after ESR

Kellogg's cereals
On sale 4 for $10, Get $2 Register Reward
Use 4 $1.00 off Raisin Bran or Mini Wheats coupon from 2/22 RP insert
Final Cost: $4.00 or $1.00 each after RR

CVS 3/22-3/28

I was reading on some blogs earlier in the week that central Florida would have a different CVS flyer this week. Usually, CVS flyers are good nationwide and I was a little curious to see if my flyer here in central(ish) Florida would be better than the nationwide flyer or worse. I'm here to tell you it was WORSE! The rest of you are able to get FREE (after ECB's) Crest Pro-Health toothpaste - we're not! Plus I don't even consider where I live to be central Florida but it looks like it was for the entire middle third of the state! arrggh.

Needless to say, I did not make a trip to CVS week as there was nothing that was FREE (or FREE after ECB's) in my flyer and since my stockpile is good, I skipped this week. If I had gone the only thing I would have purchased would have been the Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste. I really think it is the best toothpaste out there and it's FREE (after ECBS's) with OVERAGE (after coupon) this week.

Karen at Frugal RI Mama has all the match-ups for you, though! For the full list, click here. The best deals she sees are:

Crest Pro-Health Enamel Care
On Sale $3.49, Get $3.59 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $1.00/1 cpn from 2/22 RP insert or 3/1 or 3/15 P&G insert
Final Cost: Free + $1.00 overage after ECB's

Dry Idea Clinical Solid or Roll-on
On Sale $7.99, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 2)
Use $2.00 printable coupon
Final Cost: $.99 after ECB's

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Foundation or Double Face Perfecter
On Sale $7.99 Get $5.00 ECB's (limit 1)
Use $3.00/1 Maybelline New York Foundation, Any ~ Glamour April 2009
Final Cost: FREE + .01 after ECB's

Saturday, March 21, 2009

How to get more coupons

There are many places where you can get coupons every day! This post is a compilation of all the places I regularly go to get my coupons.

Sunday coupon inserts:
The one we all know about is the Sunday newspaper insert. You can have more than one delivered to home and can usually receive a discount on the additional copies. Ask your neighbors, friends and co-workers to give you their inserts if you haven't made them coupon believers yet!

Coupons that come with FREE samples:
Most FREE samples that you sign up for will come with at least one (1) coupon for the product you are sampling. Many of these are high-value coupons! I love my FREE sample but I love the coupons the come with them, too!

Coupons in home mailers:
In-home mailers are often chock-full of great coupons!

1. Eat Better America

2. Betty Crocker booklet with $10 in coupons

3. Pillsbury booklet with $10 in coupons

Printing coupons online
There are many online printables sites where you can get additional coupons. Most of these sites allow you to use the "back" button on your browser to print 2 copies of each coupon. Remember to check your store's policy on Internet printable coupons as not every store accepts them.

1. Coupons.com - use the blue widget on my right sidebar to scroll through and print the coupons. Right now there are some very high value coupons on there. These are not available very long so if you see something that you like print it right then! Sometimes coupons that are no longer available will be re-set and you'll get some more prints of them. Usually, you can use the "back" button on your browser to be able to print 2 copies of each coupon.

2. Smartsource - You can print these Smartsource coupons up to 2 times each.

3. Couponbug - You can print these Couponbug coupons up to 2 times each.

4. Red Plum - You can print these Red Plum coupons up to 2 times each.

5. Boodle - You can print these Boodle coupons up to 2 times each.

No-clip coupons:
There are several ways to save money at the store without clipping any coupons.

1. CellFire, P&G EasySaver and Shortcuts - these online coupon sites "load" the coupons you choose each month onto your store loyalty card. Not all stores use these sites so check the site to seeif your favorite store accepts them!

2. Upromise e-coupons - check this post for the many reasons U-Promise can help you save money and sign-up! Each month you can load the coupons onto your store loyalty cards at stores such as CVS, Meijer, Kroger, etc. and save money without clipping coupons!

Store coupon printables:
Many stores have their own printable coupon sites. Check your store's site if it's not listed here.

1. Target printable coupon generator hosted by Hot Coupon World

2. Walgreens coupons

3. Albertson's coupons

4. Safeway coupons

Ordering paper coupons online to be mailed to your home:
You can order coupons online from ebay or from Coupon Clippers or Cents-Off which are both services where you place specific orders of the coupons you want/need, pay a nominal fee for the coupons and receive them within days of your order.

Coupon Clippers
The Coupon Clippers

Cents-Off

FREE Thomas the Train at Toys 'R Us TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY

Visit your local Toys 'R Us TODAY OR TOMORROW ONLY and bring this coupon for a FREE wooden Thomas the Train. Click here to print the coupon and redeem for one of the following:

1. Thomas the Tank Engine (065334)
2. Lights and Sounds Percy (766849)
3. Sir Handel (609981)
4. Peter Sam (874054)

The small print says "In store only. One coupon per guest. While supplies last. No substitutions or rainchecks." I imagine these will go quickly so a trip today may be your best bet!

Top 10 giveaways - week of 3/21

Remember to enter the 2 giveaways I have going on right now: 3 Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets and Burberry Watch!

Here are the top 10 giveaways of the week! Remember to read each blogger's rules and follow them carefully! Please let me know if you win!

1. Customized Fruit Roll-ups - Frugal Rhode Island Mama (ends 3/27)

2. $10 Target giftcard - Melissa's Bargain Blog (ends 3/27)

3. $25 giftcard to Bella Scraps - Peanut Butter and Pickles (ends 3/26)

4. $50 giftcard to Handbad Heaven - Frugal Plus (ends 3/30)

5. Necklace/Earring Set - Saving Money for a Wedding (ends 3/24)

6. Freshwater Pearl Bracelet - A Bookish Mom (ends 3/29)

7. Laptop Sleeve - Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls (ends 3/25)

8. Miss Gina Designs - Simply Stacie (ends 4/1)

9. Over the Top Apron - Look What Mom Found (ends 3/27)

10. DFMI Designs - The Shopping Mama (ends 3/27)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Ultimate Blog Party 2009 Invitation

I was excited to read a few posts today on other blogs about the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 and knew I had to get in on it! This is a fun gathering to celebrate blogs and bloggers where you have a shot to win various prizes. Check out the site for a HUGE list of all kinds of blogs posting on all kinds of topics. You all are invited to join the party!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

To those of you who may be finding this blog from the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 website, Welcome! I began blogging to share my great finds with people like you. Each week I post about new FREEBIES and samples, deals, and ways to make money such as surveys, mystery shopping, and online offers. Right now, I am hosting 2 great giveaways - I have 3 Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets and a pink Burberry watch. Sign up for the giveaways and check out my site!

There are so many incredible prizes listed on the UBP 2009 site but my faves would have to be:
1. $50 Target gift card from Shoot Me Now, Agoosa or Beginner Baby Blog.
2. $100 gift card to HomeGoods from HG Openhouse.
3. $40 gift card to Carrabas Italian Grill from The Divine Miss Mommy.

And if my top 3 picks are already chosen I'd love any of the following: 101, 113, 118, 121, 123, 2 or 17.

Publix match-ups 3/19-3/26

I have decided to bring you the best of the Publix deals each week thanks to the hard work of my fellow blogger at Swaggrabber. Sheri is a dedicated blogger and an excellent couponer who faithfully posts the match-ups each week at Publix and Winn-Dixie. Here are a few of this week's best deals at Publix. For the whole list and/or to get the list of the abbreviations she uses, please visit her post here.

Trop 50 Orange Juice BOGO $3.89-
Use two $1/1 coupons found in the 03-15-09 RP insert
$.94 each after coupons - Great Price!


Ocean Spray Juice BOGO $4.09-
Use two $1/1 coupon found in the All Well & Good Publix Magazine
$1.04 each after coupons


Lipton Tea Bags BOGO $3.29-
Use two $.75/1 coupons found in the 03-15-09 RP insert
$.86 each after coupons

Quaker Oatmeal To Go Breakfast Bars BOGO $3.29-
Use 2 $1/1 coupons found in the 01-04-09 RP insert
$.64 each after coupons

Global Test Market Surveys & Product Tests

Like all of the other survey companies I have discussed, Global Test Market is FREE to join with no obligation. They send me surveys approximately 3 times a week and I qualify for approximately 2 of them per week. I have also received many product tests through this site. A product test happens when you are taking a survey and the survey asks if you would be interested in testing a new product in your home and providing feedback to the manufacturer. You never know when a survey will lead to a product test. With Global Test Market, I have tested shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and snack chips! Not only are you getting a product for FREE but it's usually a new product not even on the market and you get to give the company your reviews about the product! Click here to sign up for Global Test Market!



The other surveys companies already reviewed on this blog are Survey Savvy, SayNation, Valued Opinions, American Consumer Opinion, Opinion Outpost , Zoompanel, Ipsos I-Say, HCD Surveys, and university-sponsored sites. Have you signed up for all of them?

Friday FREEBIES & great deals!

Here are great FREEBIES and deals to end your week!

FREE sample of Prilosec OTC

FREE scent sample and coupon for Gain laundry detergent

FREE sample of All-Bran Pink Lemonade Drink Mix

FREE sample of Dove Clear Deodorant (use this if you need help with the translation - request is in Spanish but it's easy!)

Sign up to be a Vix VIP and receive a FREE zebra tote

Email me to request your FREE invitation to Shop it to Me

Don't forget to enter my giveaways - 3 Fiber One Fiber Friend Fitness Baskets and Burberry Watch!

Make sure you've signed up for Freeflys, Shop4Freebies, MySavings, Cool Savings, and Startsampling for many more FREE samples!

Earn money for normal everyday online searching - Swagbucks is powered by google and is FREE to use! Earn Amazon giftcards as you search! Sign up here.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

97.9 WRMF Radio Spot 3/19/09

Here is my weekly radio spot on 97.9 WRMF's Jennifer & Danny Show from March 19, 2009:



You can listen every Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. at 97.9 WRMF if you're local to the West Palm Beach, Florida area or online at the station's website.

Winn-Dixie match-ups 3/18-3/26

I have decided to bring you the best of the Publix and Winn-Dixie deals each week thanks to the hard work of my fellow blogger at Swaggrabber. Sheri is a dedicated blogger and an excellent couponer who faithfully posts the match-ups each week at Publix and Winn-Dixie.

Here are a few of this week's best deals at Winn-Dixie. For the whole list and/or to get the list of the abbreviations she uses, please visit her post here.

Lysol Neutra-Air Aerosol $3.49-
Use the $1/1 PRINTABLE coupon-
AND use the BOGO Free coupon in the 03-15-09 SS insert
PROFIT $1.00 after both coupons

Bird's Eye Voila skillet meals 2/$8-
Use the $1/1 coupon PRINTABLE coupon
$3.00 each

Rice-a-Roni/Pasta-a-Roni $1.00 each-
Use the $1/4 coupon found in the 03-08-09 RP insert
$.75 each with coupon wyb 4

$1 Burnless Bakeware - get a new piece every month!

Apparently the great $1 burnless bakeware deal I posted about here is available to do again each month! Last month I got a great cake pan for just $1. All you need to do is click here or below to sign up for your choice of premium bakeware products.

Once you've selected your product, go to the checkout and make sure you click that you want the $1 shipping. Once you do that the bottom right hand side will have information about your trial offer. There are several different trial offers, all for 7 days and easy to cancel. The trial I signed up for had automated cancellation and I was able to get a confirmation email that I had cancelled sent to me after trying to log back into their site to make sure my account had been cancelled. The pan is really nice and since you can do this offer more than one time I just may get another to add to the collection!

Burberry Watch GIVEAWAY!

It has been a busy week here at Nicole's Nickels and here comes another great giveaway!
I have this beautiful pink Burberry watch to give away to a lucky reader. This Burberry watch has a pink grossgrain ribbon-type band and a silver and white face with a Burberry design on it. It is authentic Burberry and comes with a warranty. This watch is valued at over $250!

You must enter by leaving a comment in this post answering the question, "What is your favorite Burberry product?" Visit http://www.burberry.com/ for a list of products and more information. Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners. FYI: it is best to leave your email address in this form "nicolesnickels at gmail dot com" so no automatic email scanners are able to read it. I've entered many giveaways doing this and have never gotten SPAM from leaving my email address in a comment.

You can get six (6) additional entries by doing the following:

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a coment saying you do. If you subscribe by email you MUST confirm your email and activate the subscription.

2. follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NicolesNickels) and tweet about this giveaway. If you already follow me that's fine, just comment with a link back to the tweet about this giveaway.

3. blog about this giveaway (leave the link in the comment)

4. email 5 people about this giveaway (please cc me on this email - nicolesnickels at gmail dot com and leave a comment saying you sent the email)

5. grab my button for your site (leave the link to where the button is in the comment)

6. add the link to this giveaway on a Mr. Linky about giveaways or on a blog giveaway site, blog carnival or forum or yahoo group (leave link to where you did this in the comment)

You MUST leave a comment about which Burberry product you like the best as your first entry and then additional entries are governed by the terms above. You MUST leave a separate comment for each entry you are able to make. Feed and email subscribers will need to click on to my actual blog to leave a comment. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winners will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway will be good until April 3 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and winners will be announced on Saturday, April 4. If the winners do not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick new winners. Good luck!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Service Sleuth

Service Sleuth is a great mystery shopping company that I have worked with in the past. It is FREE to sign-up (you should NEVER pay to sign up with a mystery shopping company) and within a few minutes you can search to see what kind of mystery shops are offered in your area. Service Sleuth has movie theater mystery shops, airport mystery shops and retail and restaurant mystery shops - something for everybody! They pay through paypal and paid me exactly when their terms said they would. The scheduler and editor were both nice to deal with and I recommend this company to others, including new shoppers. Sign-up today!


I am planning to do a comprehensive FAQ-type post on mystery shopping so if you have a question you would like answered, please email me or leave a comment!

House Parties

The House Party website is the place to go to host sponsored parties in your home. Sign-up is FREE! You sign in and apply to host a party in your home sponsored by a company and/or product to showcase the product among your friends and family! The sponsor chooses many hosts and parties are held across the country on the same day. Each brand provides you with a a FREE pack of goodies to make your party a success. Usually your guests will also get the FREE goodies as well! Upcoming parties are Clairol Color Connection, Werther's Original Caramel Chocolate, French Cocktail Hour, and Faraway Friends and Family. Sign-up and apply to host a house party today!

SayNation Surveys!

SayNation is the next survey company in the series. SayNation has an adult site and a teen site so that teens are able to express their opinions in surveys designed for them. SayNation sends me approximately 5 emails a week and I qualify for a good number of their surveys. I like SayNation because they have a meter on the left side of the page that keeps track of your progress and ultimate goal of a $25 gas giftcard. I've cashed out for B&N online e-certificates and have gotten some great books and gadgets from my winnings. As always, it's FREE to sign-up and start earning your gas gift card from the comfort of your home!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Radio last week

Here is my radio spot last week from 97.9 WRMF's Jennifer & Danny Show. I'll be on every Thursday morning from now on sharing deals with you.



You can listen live if you're in the West Palm Beach area or online at the WRMF website. I'll try to post the podcast each week as well.

FREE haircut!

Shelby over at Shelby Making Cents told me about a great deal for a FREE haircut. You just buy 2 bottles of specially marked New Herbal Essences Hydralicious shampoos and/or conditioners, visit the website, enter the UPC codes from the 2 items, print the redemption certificate, and then mail to the address given.
Please note that according to the FAQ's if there is no participating salon within 30 miles of your home zip code they will make alternate arrangements with you. With the many ways to get this product FREE or almost free recently, it's possible to get the 2 products AND the haircut all for FREE! I'm going to check the bottles I bought a few weeks ago at CVS!

Diets!

I found this great FREE diet site for women only (sorry guys!), DietBug

This site contains all of the tools you need to diet successfully and learn to change your habits, including daily meal plans with recipes, workouts, get moving plans, and healthy weight loss support.

Diet Bug

The site is tailored to your needs after you complete an assessment of your situation. It pays to be honest here so you can get the most out of the program. You will have your own page to monitor your goals and progress. The best thing of all is that this program is FREE with NO credit card required!

FREEBIES, samples, and good deals!

Here are some FREEBIES, samples, and all-around good deals!

2 FREE issues of Redbook magazine with no strings (I've gotten these short subscriptions before and they do come and you don't get a bill afterwards)

FREE Diet Dr Pepper

FREE sippy cup from Juicy Juice

FREE Toby the Train coloring book

FREE recipe book from Fleischmann's Yeast - the Bread Breakthrough

FREE sample of Goodnites Boxers

Take this survey from Oprah magazine to see if you qualify to get a FREE bra!

Still available:

FREE travel mug when you buy 3 packs of Gevalia Coffee for $3 (just call to cancel if you don't want the auto-ship)

Ideal Bite - Live Greener - FREE eco-living tips


Vital Juice - for daily health and wellness tips Vital Juice

Humana FREE Medicare made simple booklet

PharmDaily IGuard - great tool to keep track of your medications

FREE discount drug card

Don't forget to sign up for Freeflys, Shop4Freebies, MySavings, Cool Savings, and Startsampling for many more FREE samples!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Shop it to Me - sales and FREE giftcards!

Thanks to my friend, Jennifer "The Sugar Mommy", for finding this site and inviting me to join months ago. I love my sale emails and am excited to share this great site/program with you!

Shop it to Me is a website that you register with and provide details about your size, style, and brand preferences as far as clothes go for you and your family. Then, depending on the communication options you choose, you receive an email (I chose daily) advising of all sales on clothing that you indicated an interest in. You can specify brand, color, size, style, etc. I see some amazing prices in my emails! If you are a fashion lover with a budget this is the site for you!

You can also receive a $10 gift card to Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, Gap, J Crew, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Starbucks, or Urban Outfitters each time you refer 10 of your friends to the site. Everyone loves a good deal so this should be an easy giftcard!

If you would like an invite to Shop it to Me, please email me at nicolesnickels@gmail.com or by clicking "contact me" in the left sidebar. As always this site is FREE to sign up for - so send me an email for your invite and get started today!

Fiber One Fiber Friend Gift Basket GIVEAWAY!

I know I teased you with the watch giveaway and that's still coming later his week, but I wanted my very first giveaway to be the Fiber One Fiber Friend Gift Basket. I have three (3) of these to giveaway, thanks to the great people at Fiber One and MyBlogSpark!

Until April 11, 2009 you can go to http://www.fiberfriendfaceoff.com/ and play an instant win game testing your fiber knowledge! You can customize your Avatar to look like you and play against an opponent. You can also download and print valuable coupons for Fiber One products, including yogurt, cereal and pancake mix. Just by playing each week you are entered into a sweepstakes with chances to win great prizes such as a Flip videocamera and a spa trip for 2 to Arizona! I played this game this weekend and thought it was adorable. It only took a few minutes and I did learn some things about fiber. For those of you who don't know, fiber is great for your diet and overall health. Did you know that Fiber One yogurt provides 20% of the daily recommended amount of fiber for your diet?

I have three (3) Fiber One Fiber Friend Gift Baskets to giveaway to lucky readers. The gift baskets contain the following items: coupon for FREE Fiber One yogurt, nutrition journal, water bottle, pedometer with calorie counter, and kitchen scale. This giveaway will be good until March 28 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and winners will be announced on Sunday, March 29.

You must enter by leaving a comment in this post answering the question, "What is your favorite Fiber One product?" Visit http://www.fiberone.com/ for a list of products and more information. Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners. FYI: it is best to leave your email address in this form "nicolesnickels at gmail dot com" so no automatic email scanners are able to read it. I've entered many giveaways doing this and have never gotten SPAM from leaving my email address in a comment.

You can get six (6) additional entries by doing the following:

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a coment saying you do. If you subscribe by email you MUST confirm your email and activate the subscription.

2. follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NicolesNickels) and tweet about this giveaway. If you already follow me that's fine, just comment with a link back to the tweet about this giveaway.

3. blog about this giveaway (leave the link in the comment)

4. email 5 people about this giveaway (please cc me on this email - nicolesnickels at gmail dot com and leave a comment saying you sent the email)

5. grab my button for your site (leave the link to where the button is in the comment)

6. add the link to this giveaway on a Mr. Linky about giveaways or on a blog giveaway site, blog carnival or forum or yahoo group (leave link to where you did this in the comment)

You MUST leave a comment about which Fiber One product you like the best as your first entry and then additional entries are governed by the terms above. You MUST leave a separate comment for each entry you are able to make. Feed and email subscribers will need to click on to my actual blog to leave a comment.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winners will be chosen by random.org. If the winners do not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick new winners. Good luck!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Walgreens 3/15-3/22

I had some register rewards that were set to expire today so I headed to Walgreens after reviewing Frugal RI Mama's coupon match-ups. Please check her awesome site out to see how to get cheap deodorant and Dove products!

I did 1 transaction and got the following products:

1. Listerine mouthwash (on sale in a 3 for $9 promotion and get $6 in register rewards back. I also had coupon from today's paper for $3 off when you buy Listerine, Reach floss and a Reach toothbrush)

2. Reach Ultra-clean dental floss (see above)

3. Reach Ultra-clean toothbrush (see above)

4. Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara (on sale for $7.79, had coupon for FREE product from April's All You Magazine)

5. Rimmel eyeliner (Wags is having BOGO free Rimmel deal this week)

6. Vidal Sasson Ecosystems Hairdryer (on sale for $19.99 and get back $10.00 in register rewards)

7. Wet Ones (on sale for $3.19, used in-ad coupon to make it $1.99 then used $.75 off coupon from paper)

I wasn't happy with the cashier - she couldn't get the cash register to mark the mascara for free and also the eyeliner for free. She ended up telling me it went through but it didn't, so I will likely return the eyeliner this week. I ended up spending $6.29 more than I wanted which would have made this a FREE trip otherwise!

Subtotal before coupons was $46.26. I used the $3 off coupon on the Listerine and Reach products, got the mascara for FREE ($7.79 off) even though the cashier was only supposed to give me up to $6.47 for it, used the in-ad coupon for $1.20 off the Wet Ones, used the $.75 coupon for the Wet Ones, used $13.50 in register rewards from previous trips and paid $22.95 out of pocket. I got back $16 in register rewards ($10 from hairdryer, $6 from Listerine and Reach products) though and I really needed a new hair dryer!

CVS 3/15-3/22

I hope you enjoyed reading the CVS match-ups at Frugal RI Mama's site last week. Please head back over there to read about how to get an OVERAGE on Dry Idea deodorant, an OVERAGE on Irish Spring Body Wash, and FREE Ritz crackers. Frugal RI Mama also has a scenario for a newbie to CVS to spend only $5.00 out of pocket, end up with $3 in ECB's at the end and walk out with $27.00 worth of products!

I did 2 transactions at CVS this morning:

Transaction #1

1. Colgate Max Whitening Toothpaste (on sale for $2.99, used $1.00 off printable coupon, got back $2.99 in ECBS's)
2. Bic Soleil Razor (on sale for $6.99, used $2.00 off coupon from today's paper, got back $2.00 in ECB's)
3. Bic Soleil Cartridges (on sale for $6.99, used $2.00 off coupon from today's paper, got back $2.00 in ECB's)


Subtotal was $16.97. I used a $3 off when you spend $15 that printed from the scanner in the make-up department, then used $1.00 coupon off toothpaste, $2.00 coupon off razor, $2 coupon off cartridges. I used $2 in ECB's I had from last week and paid $7.75 out of pocket. I got $8.99 in ECB's though!



Transaction #2

1. Irish Spring Body Wash (on sale for $4.99, ised $.50 off coupon from today's paper, got back $4.99 in ECB's so was a MONEYMAKER!)
2. Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara (on sale for $9.99 but product had "try me free" peelie on it, will be FREE after rebate).
3. caramel candy for $.33 - needed as filler


Subtotal was $15.31, used $3 when you spend $15 that printed from scanner in make-up department, then gave my $.50 coupon for Irish Spring, then rolled the $8.99 in ECB's from transaction #1 and paid $3.04 out of pocket with the tax. I'll get back $9.99 from the rebate though so all items were FREE!


TIP: Make sure to give the cashier the coupons in this order: CVS amount off when you buy a certain amount, and then manufacturer's coupons, and then any ECB's you want to roll into this transaction!

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

The infamous $36.34 Wii and Wii Fit!

You probably read the title to this post and don't believe it. Well, it's true. I did this by doing an online offer. Now, I'm not the expert on these offers, but Carrie over at Money Saving Methods has done them for a while and as of September of 2008 she had made over $15,000 doing these offers. I was skeptical but I trust Carrie, so on December 29, 2008 I completed the 8 offers required for the prize and site I selected. I ended up receiving the brand new Wii and Wii Fit on February 20, 2009 so the whole thing took less than 2 months and around 3 hours or so total. The next one I do will take less time though, now that I am familiar with these offers.

You have probably seen these offers/banners before and said, "yeah right, that's not legit." Well, the ones I am highlighting here are legit. The parent company for these offers is I-deal though there are subcompanies such as Top Notch Media, Bullseye Media, etc. Once you do your first you'll be hooked - but you can only earn $1,000 per sub-company in a 6 month period.

You'll need a credit card (ideally one capable of giving you a virtual card number - look on their website or call customer service), a calendar, pen, and some patience but you can do it! Block off at least 2 hours the first day to complete all the offers. You'll want to get them done in one sitting.

Choose the prize you want. Here are a bunch of options below. All the ones in this post are I-deal parent company site with different sub-companies. Please be advised that sometimes a component of completing an offer is to refer people to do the offer as well. Those can get complicated (not to mention ruin friendships) so all the ones included here are DIY (do-it-yourself) offers with no referrals needed at the time of posting (terms can change so please read the front page carefully to see how many offers are required and whether or not referrals are a part of that).

Wii and Wii Fit - this is the offer I did (FYI: The terms have now changed on this offer and you need to do 2 silvers, 2 golds, and 8 platinums PLUS refer 2 users and have them complete the requirements)


$500 in gas gift cards to your choice - Hollister, Abercrombie or American Eagle


Unlocked Blackberry Pearl Flip Phone


$500 giftcard to Kohls


$100 in Restaurant giftcards (Chilis or Fridays)


$500 Ikea Giftcard


$100 Visa Giftcard and Game Jersey


$50 McDonalds giftcard


$500 Orbitz.com giftcard


Pair of Nikes (your choice of Air Zoom Kobe IV, Air the Six or Air Jordan Retro 15 LS

There are more so please email me if you are looking for something different and I'll look around.
Ok, so now that you have found the prize that you want, look to see how many "offers" you will need to do to get the prize. Offers are divided up into 3 categories - silver, gold and platinum. Usually for a $500 value prize, you will do 2 silvers, 2 golds, and 4 platinums. It may be less offers if there is a referral or two involved. Again, I did not include any referral sites here at the time I posted but these offers can change so be sure to CAREFULLY read the fine print on the first page - you should also open the terms and conditions and copy them into a wordprocessing document that you will use to keep track of this offer.

Set up a new free web-based email address for this - you will get spam from the offers you sign up with. Use this new email address for every offer you do.

Fill out the registration on the first page. Then you will get page after page of questions. If there is a "skip" click it, if not make sure to select "no" for each and continue. You'll finally to get the page that has silver offers on it. I keep going until I reach the platinum offers, then I work backwards. The platinum page will have the fewest and most expensive offers so if there's nothing on this page for you, pick a new prize and start over! You should figure out which offers you are going to do before starting to do them. Make a plan. This is a good time to research the offers you are doing. You are only allowed to do one offer per parent company. The sites don't tell you who their parent company is so you'll need to do some research. For instance, if a site looks similar and/or especially if the checkout page looks similar then they are likely from the same parent company.

Now you're asking what an "offer" is - offers are trials for things like Netflix, skin and make-up products, book clubs, etc. Each offer will have its own terms. Make sure to copy and paste the terms of each offer (including price of offer, how long trial period is, price of trial, price after trial expires, number to cancel, etc.) on the same document you used to copy the general offer's terms and conditions. Make sure to reference the first page to make sure you are doing the right number of offers under each category. Please make sure to read each offer's terms VERY CAREFULLY.

A helpful hint is to open an offer, wait a few minutes and then log back in under "check gift status" on the main page to make sure that the offer shows as "pending". Many may show as pending, don't worry. Each offer that you open should show as pending whether you complete it or not. If you have an offer open and it doesn't show as pending, close it out, wait a few minutes and start over until it shows as pending.

Another hint is to use a virtual credit card number for these offers. My Discover and Citibank cards have that feature available on their websites. Using the feature I am able to disguise my true credit card number by getting a virtual credit card number. Check your credit card company to see if this number is good for one use only or for one vendor only. Each company has different terms.

Sign up for offers that interest you. These companies are subsidizing the fabulous prize you chose so try the product and give it a chance - maybe it would make a great gift for someone on your list?

After you have completed the requisite number of offers, you play the waiting game (on pins and needles). With my experience, all of my offers had approved within 2 weeks. 2 of my co-workers just did one and they were also approved within 2 weeks. It is also common to have an offer or 2 not approve. If this happens, you need to do a replacement offer. Replacement offers generally credit within a day or 2.

Once all offers are approved and you "check your gift status" from the main page it will say that you have completed all offers and link to a redemption certificate. You must fill in and print this certificate as well as a W-9 form (these earnings are taxable) and send them in. I send them priority mail with delivery confirmation. I then wait until I see confirmation on the postal service website and give the company 2 week to process my redemption certificate and paperwork. If, after 2 weeks, your status has not changed, you need to email them with your delivery confirmation number. My status changed exactly 2 weeks from the date they received it and it said that my prize would arrive within 6-8 weeks. It arrived earlier than that, on February 20, via FedEx.

Ideal gives you 60 days from the date you first register until the date that everything must be completed and all paperwork mailed to them. Do the offers on the day you register as your clock starts ticking then. Keep track of all dates, company names, terms and conditions, cancelling instructions, phone numbers, etc. I found it easy to create a table (or spreadsheet if you're more Excel-literate than I am) with that information for each offer I did.

Whew, this has been a long post and I'm sure many of you will have more questions. Please leave a comment or send me an email through the "contact me" button on the left sidebar and I'd be more than happy to help. Please remember that organization is key to successful completion of these online offers! Good luck!

 
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