Focus on Service

Focus on Service is a different kind of mystery shopping company than the ones I usually post about in that Focus on Service has only one (1) client who they reveal on their home page so it's not a secret! Focus on Service does mystery shops for the Longhorn Steakhouse chain. It is FREE to sign up and they email you when shops in your area open up.

They do lunch and dinner mystery shops at Longhorn Steakhouses and the reimbursement is generally fair. I find myself spending a little extra when I do these shops but it's a great meal and the form and report you have to fill out are fairly easy and there is not much narrative needed.

The scheduler I dealt with was very nice and responded to my emails very quickly. You have to do a short phone interview prior to your first shop to go over the instructions. This is a good shop for a beginner to try if you've been a little leary of mystery shopping. Click here to sign up.

SkinFree Review & Giveaway

You would think that living in a place that is humid all year round (south Florida) that I'd never have dry skin. So not the case! I'm always on the hunt for skin care products that leave my skin moist but not greasy and was happy when the people at SkinFree asked me to try their products.

I was sent the Extra Moisturizing Soap & Shampoo Bar and the After Shower Moisture Spritz to try. I am happy with the products and the way they left my skin. The soap and shampoo bar is an interesting concept and a time and money-saver if used as shampoo as well. The after shower moisture spritz was a spray that left my skin dewey and fresh feeling. The mission of SkinFree is to bring all natural skincare products to the large retail market through innovative, effective and affordable products.

The company's information states that 100 million Americans could benefit from natural products free from fragrances and preservatives but that these products are not readily available for purchase. SkinFree aims to change this and their products will be available at most Walgreens. It doesn't get much more convenient than Walgreens! I searched on their site and my local Walgreens store appears on the list.

The folks at SkinFree have graciously decided to give one (1) of my lucky readers $30 worth of SkinFree products of their choice! To enter, you MUST visit the SkinFree website here and read about their products. Then come back to my blog and leave a comment in this post letting me know what products you'd want to try if you won this great giveaway! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners.

There are six (6) "extra" ways to enter (each one below gets you one additional entry):

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a comment 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, 18 years old or over, and the winners will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway will be good until May 8 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

Haute Look

I found this website Haute Look a few weeks ago and have been watching their daily deals before I decided to post about it. It is a website that only has daily deals of designer (mostly) items at rock-bottom prices! Yay - I love rock-bottom prices!

For instance, today they have Mark Cosmetics for approximately 40% off, Eccolo frames for approximately one-half off, Alvin Valley (fancy shmancy clothing) for well over 60% off, etc. They have 4 deals per day and they change almost every day! It is one of the sites that I log on to daily even if just for a second just to see what is being offered. They will also send you a daily email if you check that box when you register. It is a great site for gifts or just to buy yourself something you may not have given a second glance to when it was full price!

You can also earn monetary store credit for referring your friends - $10 per friend when they make a purchase on the site. It's FREE to sign up on the site for an account. Everyone loves designer goods at rock-bottom prices, right? Click here to sign up for them.

SurveySpot

I have a love-hate relationship with SurveySpot. I have made more money with them than with any other survey site. What's the "hate" side of the relationship? Most of the surveys I do start out as "sweepstakes only". A lot of them end in a product test, an invitation to a high-paying online forum survey, or an invitation to join an online community where I get paid in giftcards for nominal weekly participation.

I get surveys from SurveySpot every day and sometimes complete them if I have time. In case you have a lot of time on your hands, you'll have to learn to ignore some of their survey invites. They won't tell you which ones might lead to product tests or online community or forum invitations, you just roll the dice and take a chance. For me, it pays off a lot of the time. I cash out each month with SurveySpot (you need $5 to request a check) and have always been paid timely with no issues.

It's FREE to sign up and you are under no obligation to complete surveys. After each survey you are given the option to see if other surveys are available. Keep clicking - they usually are. I have gotten some of my best rewards and coolest product tests when I just kept on clicking!

Some of the other surveys companies already reviewed on this blog are Lightspeed, Greenfield, Global Test Market, 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?

Fitness at Work! BreakPal Review & Giveaway

Many of you know that I work a full-time day job and blog in the early mornings and late evenings. I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk and was so happy when the folks over at Breakpal contacted me recently to see if I was interested in introducing my readers to their great service.

Sitting at a desk without moving for long periods of time is not good for your back, posture and overall health. Sitting at a desk all day does nothing for your health and your body. We need to get moving more and BreakPal will help you do just that. BreakPal is easy to use and you get a FREE trial to test the service and see its benefits.

Basically you download the program and install the widget onto your computer. That's it! Every 30 minutes (or at whatever time interval you designate), a woman's voice comes on the computer reminding you that it's time to take a short break. You will also see a symbol appear on your computer as a reminder in case your sound is turned off. The woman (her name is Liz) then walks you through several minutes of exercises that you can do right at your desk. You can ignore the widget and keep working if you want, though there's no health benefit to that! I found that the break I get when I do the exercises on BreakPal is the perfect amount of time for me to relax, regroup and then refocus when I sit back down.

The folks at BreakPal have graciously decided to give five (5) of my lucky readers their own non-expiring membership to BreakPal! To enter, you MUST visit the BreakPal website here and read about the service. Then come back to my blog and leave a comment in this post letting me know why you'd love to win this great giveaway! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners.

There are six (6) "extra" ways to enter (each one below gets you one additional entry):

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a comment 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, 18 years old or over, and the winners will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway will be good until May 8 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

2 FREE Newsletter (& Coupon) Opportunities

The following are great e-newsletter opportunities. They are FREE to sign up with (use your "deals" email address) and you'll get great tips and even better COUPONS in your inbox!

FREE Bisquick recipes & coupons



FREE Pillsbury Cooking for 2 Newsletter - get $150 in coupons per year!

WINNERS - Skin MD and a Flash In The Pan Giveaways

The following comment was selected by random.org as the winner of the Skin MD giveaway! I have emailed the winner and if I do not hear back from them within forty-eight (48) hours then I will post a new winner. And the winner is...

ShannanJ who said... "Wow...this seems like good stuff. I've never heard of it before...but there lots of testimonials. I have super dry skin...maybe a little splurge in this area would be good? I would really like to try this!! on Friday, April 17, 2009 6:56:00 AM

The following two (2) comments were selected by random.org as the winners of the A Flash In The Pan giveaway! I have emailed the winners and if I do not hear back from them within forty-eight (48) hours then I will post new winners. And the winners are...

DG who said... "I posted on a Mr. Linky at The Giveaway:(It's number 150)http://www.the-giveaway.com/2008/07/submit-your-giveaway" on Saturday, April 18, 2009 5:47:00 PM

and

Ashley who said... "We're in a recipe rut, so I would like some new dinner ideas on Friday, April 17, 2009 11:41:00 AM

2 more FREE food deals!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29th from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, you can get a FREE bread bowl pasta at participating Dominos locations. Definitely call first to see if yours is participating. This is valid for pick-up only. Click here for more details.

Thursday, April 30 you can get a FREE Ice Berg at Carvel Ice Cream from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm. More details to be found here. What is an "Ice Berg". According to Carvel it's "your favorite soda flavors blended with ice and vanilla flavoring, topped with a scoop of our famous premium soft serve ice cream.

Enjoy!

31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin' Robbins

Tomorrow (Wednesday, April 29) from 5 pm until 10 pm, participating Baskin' Robbins will be selling small scoops of ice cream for just $.31! They are lowering their price in honor of firefighters.

You can read more about the promotion here and even sign up to receive a reminder via email or text message!

FREE personalized Hallmark card!

Many of you did the free personalized Hallmark card that I previously posted about here. My friend who received the FREE card I created was very appreciative of her card. My buddy Collin at Hip2Save found a new coupon code for another FREE personalized Mother's Day card!

You'll need to create your card by clicking here and then choosing a card priced at $3.49 (must be this price or else you can't get it for FREE), then at checkout enter promo code CARD4MOM. You won't have to enter a credit card and the shipping is at no cost. That means the card is COMPLETELY FREE! Order by May 1 for Mother's Day delivery.

Airline Miles...

I've lived in several cities over the last 15 years and recently was going through my various airline rewards accounts. I have accrued varying amounts of miles in several airlines that I will likely not fly again in the near future. I live near a smallish airport now and always fly JetBlue. I decided to check out my options as far as using the miles I have with other airlines, some of which don't even fly in or out of my local airport.

One of the options is to enroll in Points.com where you can convert miles (and hotel rewards points, rental car rewards points, credit card rewards points, etc.) into their currency and redeem for merchandise and giftcards. It's FREE to sign up with no membership fee and allows you to consolidate as many accounts as you want. I was surprised at what I had once they were all consolidated. You can also be compensated for doing Hotspex surveys via your points.com account.



In reviewing my Delta Skymiles, I noticed you can redeem miles for magazine subscriptions. I was able to get one of my guilty pleasures, Entertainment Weekly, by trading some of the miles I had on Delta. I never see Entertainment Weekly as one of the free subscriptions I post on here frequently and I don't like to pay for magazines when there are so many available for FREE. I thought that using these miles that I was likely to never use (they were several years old already) was a good compromise.

Check out your airline rewards, rental car rewards, hotel rewards, and other reward programs to see what your balances are and what you can get with them!

All You Magazine, 2 years for just $17.99!

I was looking over my recent match-ups posts and realizing just how many of my best coupons come from my All You Magazine. In case you don't know, All You is a magazine sold only at WalMart. It retails for $2.24 per issue so 24 issues for just $17.99 is a phenomenal deal!

All You has great articles and recipes but is most known for its high-value and abundant coupons. This is where I got the FREE Rimmel Mascara coupon that many of you commented on.

Cheryl of Southern Living at Home is the lady who brings my readers this great deal and we have a new procedure for ordering the subscription. Follow these easy steps and in 6-8 weeks your first coupon-filled issue of All You will arrive!

• Sign on to the Southern Living at Home site (must use this link)
• Click on "our products" on the left hand side
• Click on "how to purchase"
• Type in "Nicole" and click continue
• Select "Nicole's Nickels"
• In the search box type "40776" then click "go"
• Click on "All You Personal Subscription" then select this item
• Select "finalize" and submit your order and follow the screens to the checkout

Note: Do not select "direct ship" as this does not apply to magazines. There are no shipping costs associated with ordering this magazine. The price shows as $19.95 but Cheryl will adjust the price (she accepts a lower commission to help my readers out). Please pay with a credit or debit card and do not click "submit" more than once as it may process multiple times. You can find some frequently asked questions by clicking here. If you have any issues with the checkout process, please email Cheryl at finallylarrys@yahoo.com

Publix Shopping

I don't usually post about my grocery shopping trips but wanted to show you how much you can save at Publix by using the match-ups I post each week courtesy of Sheri at Swaggrabber. I usually post the match-ups on Thursday or Friday and you can plan your shopping based on this post. I did a short trip on Sunday and bought:

Reynolds Wrap 100% Recycled, $2.99
Used $.50 off printable coupon here
Paid $2.49 and will get $2.99 back from the rebate I did from Earth Day here

Marie Callendar's Pasta Al Dente Frozen Meals, On sale for $3.49 BOGO free
Bought 2
Used 2 of these $1.00 off printable coupons here
Paid $1.49 for 2 frozen dinners ($.75 each)

Simply Smart Milk, $3.59
Found blinkie coupon for $1.00 off (blinkies are those coupon machines found in the store)
Paid $2.59 for milk (the expiration date was June 5!)

StarKist Seasations Frozen Fish Dinners, On sale for $5.99 BOGO free
Bought 2
(Look for blinkies for this product, I couldn't find any but it is being reported that they are out there)
Will submit for money back guarantee on 1 of them here if I don't like them
Paid $5.99 for 2 but will get $5.99 back from money back guarantee if I decide I don't like the product.

Pop-Tarts, On sale for $2.39 BOGO free
Bought 2
Found coupon for $1.00 off on the packages of Pop-Tarts with Fiber
Used 2 of these coupons (I bought the fiber variety)
Paid $.39 for 2 packages of Pop-Tarts

In total I paid $13.15 out of pocket but may get back $8.98 in rebates and money back guarantees!

This is just an example of what using coupons and combining coupons with sales can do to help you each week at the grocery store. If you don't have a Publix near you, you can find match-ups for just about every grocery store out there by checking out The Grocery Gathering at Be Centsable.

Local Readers - FREE Iced Coffee at Dunkin Donuts for the next 4 Tuesdays!

Participating Dunkin Donuts in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach Counties will be giving away FREE small iced coffees for the next four (4) Tuesdays!

The promotion is good all day on the following Tuesdays: 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, and 5/19. Today's St. Lucie News Tribune lists participating Treasure Coast locations and it seems as though most (if not all) are participating! You can get 8 different flavors of iced coffee and the promotion is valid all day each Tuesday on the dates I specified previously with a limit of one (1) per customer.

Coupon for FREE Right Guard - NOW DEAD

Click here to print a FREE coupon for Right Guard Fast Break. There are only 10,000 of these so HURRY! You can print two if you hit the back button. Please email or leave a comment if you get that the print limit has been reached. Thanks!

Update: The print limit has been reached. It lasted a good 2 and a half hours, though!

Coupon Alert - $1.50 off Aveeno Hair Care Collection

Most of us go through the Sunday coupon inserts very carefully but aren't used to seeing coupons in other parts of the Sunday paper. Good news! In today's Parade magazine there is a $1.50 off Aveeno Haircare coupon (p.5 in my issue). This coupon will pair nicely with the Aveeno deals we have been seeing at CVS and Walgreens recently!

Walgreens 4/26-5/1

This is a pretty good week at Walgreens so head on over to Karen the Frugal RI Mama's post to see all of this week's deals. Here are a few of the best followed by my trip to Walgreens this morning.

Ecotrin Tablets, On Sale $2.00, Get $2.00 RR
Use $2.25/1 printable coupon
Final Cost: FREE + $2.00 overage after RR

Rembrandt Toothpaste or Mouthwash, On Sale $5.99 Get $5.99 RR
Final Cost: FREE after RR

Rembrandt Toothpaste or Mouthwash, On Sale $5.99 Get $5.99 RR
Final Cost: FREE after RR

I separated my items into 4 transactions this morning. I don't usually do this many transactions but the store wasn't crowded and the cashier in the make-up department was one of the sympathetic ones who will work with me when things beep or don't scan right.

Transaction 1
Nivea Body Wash, On sale for $4.99, Get $5 in RR
Used $1 coupon from 4/19 newspaper insert (there are also coupons in Nivea brochures in the CVS make-up department)
Paid $3.99

Hallmark Gift Wrap, On sale for $.69
Used Walgreens in-ad coupon to make the gift wrap $.39

I used the gift wrap as a filler since the register beeped when I tried to use a RR. Once I added the giftwrap (with the in-ad coupon) I could use a RR

Used $3.50 RR from Skintimate deal, paid $1.23 OOP, put on my Walgreens gift card from March easysaver rebates - got $5 RR

Transaction 2
Same items as Transaction 1 (Nivea Body wash and giftwrap)

Remember, you can't use the RR from the Nivea in a transaction where you buy another Nivea

Used $3 RR from previous week
Paid $1.73 OOP, put on my Walgreens gift card from March easysaver rebates - got $5 RR

Transaction 3
Got2B Hair Stylers, On sale for 2/$10.00, get $5 RR when you buy 2
Bought 2
Used 2 of these printable coupons for $2.00 off
Paid $.50 for each after coupons and RR

Hallmark Gift Wrap, On sale for $.69
Used Walgreens in-ad coupon to make the gift wrap $.39

Used $5 RR from first transaction
Paid $2.07 OOP, put on my Walgreens gift card from March easysaver rebates - got $5 RR

Transaction 4
Schick Quattro Trimstyle, On sale for $8.99, get $3 in RR
Used $4 off coupon from 3/22 newspaper insert
Paid $1.99 after coupon and RR

Hallmark Gift Wrap, On sale for $.69
Used Walgreens in-ad coupon to make the gift wrap $.39

Used $5 RR from second transaction
Paid $.99 OOP, put on my Walgreens gift card from March easysaver rebates - got $3 RR

Summary
I ended up paying $6.02 OOP (well, I put it all on my Walgreens giftcard from the easysaver monthly rebates) for the 9 items and getting back $8 in RR to use for future weeks.

Gossip Girl - My Guilty Pleasure...

I admit it. I watch Gossip Girl. I consider it one of my guilty pleasures along with some of the other teenage angst TV shows (and reality shows) that I TIVO and watch every week. Starting with tomorrow (Monday's) episode of Gossip Girl, you will be introduced to a new video series brought to you by Dove go fresh and the CW called "Gossip Girl: Real NYC stories revealed". There will be a short (90 second) introduction to the video series during the last commercial break of Gossip Girl tomorrow night where you can meet the four 20-somethings who are featured in the video series, who grew up in the same area in NYC where the Gossip Girl characters live.

You will then be able to see the finale of each of the 4 girls' stories by visting the CW website from your computer or mobil phone. Tune in tomorrow evening for the introduction and then log on for the rest of the story!

CVS 4/26-5/1

Like she does every week, Karen over at Frugal RI Mama works hard to bring her readers (and my readers!) the best of the CVS deals and match-ups for the week. I'll highlight some of the best deals here but you'll want to be sure to check her complete post here for all the week's deals!

Crest toothpaste or Oral B toothbrush, On sale $1.99, Get $1.00 ECB (Limit 2)
Use $1.00 cpn in 4-5-09 P&G insert
Final Cost: FREE after ECB's

Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styler, On Sale $2.99, Get $2.00 ECB (Limit 1)
Use $1.00 cpn in 1-4-09 SS insert
Final Cost: Free after ECB's

Keelber Sandie, On Sale 2/$4.00
Use $1.00/2 cpn in 04-05-09 RP
Final Cost: $1.50 each

I did my usual weekly run to CVS (I could walk from my house it's so close!) and did 2 transactions since I had two of the get $3 off when you spend $15 to use.

Transaction 1
Schick Intuition Plus Razor, On sale $8.99, Get $4 ECB (limit 1)
Used $4 coupon from 3/22 newspaper insert
Paid $.99 for the razor after ECB's

Always Infinity Pads, On sale for $4.49
Used $1 off coupon from 4/5 newspaper insert (or the magazines I posted about here)
Paid $3.49

Rightguard Men's Deodorant, On clearance for $1.65
Bought 2
Used $1.00 off 2 coupon from 3/8 newspaper insert
Paid $2.30 for 2 deodorants (there were lots of deodorants on clearance!)

Subtotal: $16.78
I handed the coupons to the cashier in this order:
Used $3 off when you spend $15 CVS coupon (printed from scanner a few weeks ago)
Used $4 Shick Intuition coupon
Used $1 Always coupon
Used $1.00 Rightguard coupon
Used $2.89 in ECB's from prior week
Used $4.00 in ECB's from prior week

Paid $1.34 out of pocket and got back $4 in ECB's

Transaction 2
Rightguard Men's Deodorant, On clearance for $1.65
Bought 2
Used $1.00 off 2 coupon from 3/8 newspaper insert
Paid $2.30 for 2 deodorants (there were lots of deodorants on clearance!)

Alavert Tablets (18 ct.), On sale for $11.49, get $2.00 in ECB's
Used $2 CVS coupon that printed from scanner last week
Used $2 coupon from 4/19 newspaper insert
Paid $5.49 after ECB's

Caramel Candy, On sale for $.33 - needed a filler to get to $15 for the subtotal

Subtotal: $15.12
Used $3 off when you spend $15 CVS coupon (printed from scanner a few weeks ago)
Used $2 CVS coupon on Alavert
Used $2 manufacturer's Alavert coupon
Used $1 Rightguard coupon
Used $.79 in ECB's from prior week
Used $4 in ECB's from Transaction 1

Paid $2.33 out of pocket and got back $2 in ECB's!

For both transactions I paid $3.67 out of pocket and still have $2 in ECB's to use in the future, not a bad week!

Caress Evenly Gorgeous

The folks over at Caress sent me a bottle of the new Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash to try out. I've been using it for about a week and love the smell of it! It is a combination of burnt brown sugar and karite butter and smelly just yummy and luxurious. The body wash lathers up very richly and exfoliates my skin well. I am a regular body wash user and buy Caress body wash frequently. My previous favorite had been the Tahitian Renewal (smells like an island with little scrubbies) but this Evenly Gorgeous has taken the top spot with its delicious scent and effective exfoliation!

Check out Caress Your Style for a FREE sample of this body wash as well as have fun with Carson Kressly and his many fashion and beauty tips! You can also enter to win a shot at a $100 giftcard and a trip to New York City for a shopping spree and VIP access to a fashion event not to mention a private consultation with Carson himself! Another way to win prizes is to share your own fashion and beauty tips. The site is flirty and fun and even lets you doll up a "virtual you" to share with friends and post to your favorite social media sites. Check it out and have some fun!

FREE pretzels tomorrow (Sunday)

Tomorrow (Sunday) is National Pretzel Day! If you visit a Pretzelmaker or Pretzel Time tomorrow, you can get a FREE original soft pretzel. Click here for more information and make sure to call your local stores to make sure they are participating!

FREE Gardening Workshop at Home Depot

Home Depot is hosting a FREE gardening workshop on May 14 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. as part of their series of Do-It-Herself Workshops!



Click here to register now and save your spot for this fantastic workshop (for women only) to help you transform your yard and garden into something special!

Top 10 Giveaways of the Week!

Don't forget to enter my 2 giveaways:

1. A Flash In the Pan - 2 FREE year long subscriptions to recipes, menus, and shopping lists created by 2 chefs, ends April 28
2. Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF - Bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF, ends April 28

Here are this week's top 10 giveaways! Remember to read each blogger's giveaway post as entry requirements vary by blogger. Good luck and please let me know if you win!

1. Coupon Queens of Laurel Run - The Complete Coupon Binder (ends May 2)
2. Coupon Dad - $50 to Photofiddle (ends May 2)
3. Frugal RI Mama - Finish Quantum & Jet Dry Turbo (ends May 2)
4. Free Sample Freak - Romano's Macaroni Grill (ends May 7)
5. Busy Mom - Better Bit of Butter Cookies (ends April 30)
6. Annie's Home - Joey Junior Purse Organizer (ends April 29)
7. The Army Wife - The Friendship Stone (ends April 29)
8. Eighty MPH Mom - Magellan GPS (ends May 5)
9. Rockin' Mama - Elliot Lucca bag (ends April 27)
10. Real Life - 11X20 Canvas Photo Print (ends April 29)

FREE trade magazines

The following is a list of 100% FREE trade magazines. They are FREE to sign up for and you won't get a bill.

Free subscription to STORES Magazine - STORES Magazine provides a unique perspective on the retail industry and is essential reading for retail executives.

Free subscription to Landscape Management has been at the forefront of reporting news, trends and intelligence on the growing landscape management market for over 45 years.

Free subscription to Best's Review Magazine - contains insightful, award-winning news coverage of the worldwide insurance industry--giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about your business and career. )

Free subscription to Golfdom Magazine - Superintendents and golf course owners and managers all over the country rely on Golfdom's award-winning, reader-driven coverage of all aspects of golf course maintenance.

Free Subscription to InformationWeek is the only newsweekly you'll need to stay on top of the latest developments in information technology. In-depth editorial focuses on the strategic side of technology to help you make decisions that affect your company's bottom line.)

Free Subscription to Equipment World is a publication for construction contractors, equipment manufacturers and dealers and providers of services and supplies to the construction industry.

Free subscription to Greenhouse Management & Production - This monthly publication keeps growers abreast of the newest trends, while constantly instructing them in modern marketing strategies and growing methods.

Free Subscription to Electrical Contractor is published monthly by the National Electrical Contractors Association and serves the field of electrical contracting industry.

Free subscription to Life Science Leader - The editorial discusses issues that Life Science executives in the biopharm, traditional pharma, R&D, and contract manufacturing fields have in common, including business process management, information technology, regulatory compliance, and finance/business development.

Free subscription to Accounting Target Marketing Magazine - Target Marketing covers all direct response media, including direct mail, telemarketing, space advertising, the Web and direct response TV.

Free subscription to Food Arts magazine - Food Arts provides top-of-the market professionals with cutting edge information from the food and beverage industry. Exceptional recipes and fresh ideas...innovative presentation techniques...business tips and forecasts...news on tabletop, lighting, interior design...hints on where to find special products or produce...restaurant openings and closings...chefs on the move and much more in every issue.

Free subscription to Futures Magazine - News, analysis and strategies for futures, options and stock traders.

Free subscription to CFO Magazine - From refinancing to reengineering, from insurance to information systems, CFO takes the latest financial thinking and shows how it is being implemented in the country's most innovative organizations.

Free Subscription to Metal Finishing - provides information on emerging technologies and new products; technical papers; and the latest news impacting the finishing and coatings industries and your business.

Free subscription to American Spa Magazine - Through the use of evocative photographs and an elegant design, they build a community by taking their readers deep inside the spa world. Twelve times throughout the year American Spa delivers the highest quality news and stories in the spa industry.

Free subscription to Abacus - The accountant-centric magazine focused on small to mid-size accounting practice firms that provides stimulating and provocative articles from a perspective you won't find in any trade magazine.

More online offers

I have received quite a few emails asking me if I could post some more online offers similar to the Wii deal I posted last month.

If you're interested in learning more about these offers, please read my earlier Wii post (please note that the terms and conditions of the Wii offer have changed to 12 offers total with 2 referrals making it much more difficult so I don't recommend this one anymore). Another great resource is Carrie over at Money Saving Methods.

Please do not try to do one of these offers without reading the detailed instructions in my post and on her blog. Please also read the comments on my post and the terms and conditions on the first page of the offer. These offers are legit but can be tricky. I know many of you did the same Wii/Wii Fit offer I did and are now waiting for your prizes. Please comment or leave an email when they arrive! Pictures are welcome!

Remember, you can only do 2 offers (umbrella offers, i.e. $500 Sears card) from the same sub-company (i.e. Top Notch, Jasper, etc.) within a 6 month period. You cannot duplicate offers (individual offers, i.e. Netflix, etc.) from the same parent company within a 6 month period. Please do your research on whether or not specific offers are related as you may be disqualified if you don't.

Top Notch Media
$500 Toys r Us giftcard
$500 for school lunches
$500 towards toys and DVD's
$500 on kids clothes
$500 to Sears or Best Buy
$500 Visa gift card
$500 Amazon giftcard
Coach bag and wallet
$500 Visa giftcard

Bullseye Media
$500 to Gap or Old Navy
$500 to Lowes
$50 to Dunkin Donuts
$500 Visa or store giftcard
$750 in giftcards (1 store, 1 dining, 1 decorating)

123 Click
$500 in gas gift cards
$500 towards baby items
Samsung Behold phone
$500 to Sears, Best Buy or Radio Shack
$100 store or Visa giftcard
$100 in Maybelline make-up

Jasper Marketing
$500 in restaurant giftcards

ESolutionsMedia
$500 Kmart giftcard
$500 to Home Depot or Lowes

Friday FREEBIES and great deals!

Here are this week's FREEBIES and great deals!

FREE information for diabetics, including meal plan guide to manage blood sugar

FREE sample of Nivea Touch of Happiness Body Wash

FREE 25 song downloads when you sign up for Emusic (7 day trial that you can cancel online if you don't want to keep it)

FREE animated e-cards (these are really cute!)

FREE baby/family samples

FREE sample of John Frieda Root Awakening Haircare

FREE sample of Aveeno Shampoo and Conditioner (this is the third free sample I've posted for this product, this one is from Walmart!)

FREE Charmin mega-roll extender

FREE My Little Cookbook download

FREE Teeccino sample (caffeine free herbal coffee)

FREE sample of Loreal Advanced Revitalift (you'll need to register then click "special offers and savings" - if you didn't register the last time I posted about this site, there is also a FREE sample of Everpure haircare there

FREE sample of Burgie's Organics Laundry Detergent

FREE sample of Dove go fresh essentials deodorant (do not need to be a Costco member)

Still available:
Sign up for the FREE Box Tops for Education Newsletter and earn money for your school
FREE sample of Prilosec OTC
FREE Slim-Fast coupons when you register
FREE sample and coupon for Nicoderm CQ
FREE VistaPrint business cards, magnets, rubber stamps, return address labels (you only pay shipping)

Have you done the $1 burnless bakeware deal yet? If you have, you can do it up to 3 times per month, getting $1 shipping each time. Click here to read my earlier post about it. This is very high quality silicone bakeware and you only pay $1!

Want to be the first to know about big sales and deep discounts? Click here to sign up with Shop it to Me (read my earlier post about it here)

Are you expecting a YouData payment in your paypal account this afternoon? I am and you can, too, because every Friday is payday with YouData! Read my post here or sign into the YouData Widget on my right sidebar.

Don't forget to enter my 2 giveaways:
1. A Flash In the Pan - 2 FREE year long subscriptions to recipes, menus, and shopping lists created by 2 chefs, ends April 28
2. Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF - Bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF, ends April 28

Make sure you've signed up for Freeflys, MySavings, Cool Savings, Shop4Freebies, 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.

Nicole's Nickels on the radio 4/23

Here is my weekly radio segment from the Jennifer & Danny Show on 97.9 WRMF. If you're local to the West Palm Beach, Florida area you can catch me live every Thursday morning between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. If you're not local you can listen live online here or just wait for me to post the podcast!

FREE after rebate El Monterey Tornados

Thanks to Jamie at Engineer a Debt Free Life, I found that El Monterey Tornados have a "try me free" peelie on the box and are FREE after rebate.



I found mine at my local Super WalMart in the frozen foods low freezers in the middle of the meat aisle, in my store. All you do is fill in the little form and mail it with your original receipt to the address on the form. No need to cut the box for the UPC label on this one. The tornados are like wrapped fried taquitos with a variety of fillings.

Winn-Dixie match-ups

Sheri over at Swaggrabber has all of the best deals this week at Winn-Dixie. Please check out her complete post for a full list and a guide to her abbreviations.

If you do not have a Winn-Dixie in your area, please check out The Grocery Gathering where there is a long list of match-ups for most grocery stores in the country!

Here are some of the best deals that I see for this week at Winn-Dixie:

Green Giant Boil-in-Bag Vegetables-
Use the $1/2 coupon found in the 04-05-09 SS insert
$.50 each after coupon wyb 2

Kellogg's Cereal 3/$9 - Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Cocoa Krispies, Apple Jacks, Honey Smacks - Use the $1.50/1 coupon found in the 04-05-09 RP insert
***Deal Idea - Buy three, use three $1.50 off coupons-
receive FREE GALLON of Milk wyb three
$4.50 for three boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk!

FREE kids craft workshops at Michaels

Michaels is hosting FREE craft workshops for kids every day during the week of May 2. There is a schedule of workshops (they include personalized coupon book, wooden frame and paper flower bouquet, among others) that you can see here. There are 9 different gifts, one for each day that a workshop will be held.

Please check with your local store for times and more details. These workshops make such cute gifts for Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation Day which is May 5!

Thanks for the great tip, "Cents"able Momma!

FREE Glade candles (DEAL MAY BE DEAD NOW)

UPDATE: This deal may be dead now as the coupons appear to have reached their print limit.

There are 2 opportunities this week to get FREE Glade candles. You'll need to print this coupon, good for $4 off, to get either of them. Remember to hit the "back" button and print it up to 2 times per computer.

Walgreens:
Hand the manufacturer's $4 off coupon you just printed to the cashier, then hand them the Walgreens Easy Saver coupon for $2 off (easy saver coupon booklets are usually located in the front of the store in the same display as the weekly flyers.
This deal is only valid until (and including) April 25 when the Easy Saver coupon expires.
Your candle is now FREE!

Target:
This deal is good until May 11.
Buy 2 Glade Frangrance Collection Candles for $5.79 each ($11.58 total)
Use 2 $4 off coupons
Pay $3.79
Get back $5 Target giftcard
Items were FREE plus you made $1.21!

Please note that there are 2 sizes of these candles, the larger ones retail for closer to $10 so make sure you are grabbing the smaller ones.

Publix match-ups 4/23-4/29

Sheri over at Swaggrabber has a VERY long list of fantastic deals and coupon match-ups for Publix this week. Please check out her complete post for a full list and a guide to her abbreviations.

If you do not have a Publix in your area, please check out The Grocery Gathering where there is a long list of match-ups for most grocery stores in the country!

Here are some of the best deals that I see for this week at Publix:

Yoplait Gogurt BOGO $2.99 - must buy 2-
Use two $1.50/1 PRINTABLE coupons - hit back to print two
FREE after coupons

Starkist SeaSensations BOGO $5.99 - must buy 2-
Use two $3/1 coupon found in the 03-08-09 RP insert
FREE after coupons

Shout Laundry Stain Remover BOGO $2.99 - must buy 2-
Use two $1.50/1 PRINTABLE coupon - hit back to print 2-
OR Use the $.75/1 coupon found in the 03-29-09 SS insert
FREE after printable coupon, $.75 each insert

Skippy Peanut Butter BOGO $2.57-
Use the $1/2 coupon found in the 04-05-09 insert
$.78 each after coupon - GREAT PRICE!

Keeping track of online offers

In each post I write about a trial offer or an online offer I am always reminding my readers to calendar the date close to when their trial expires to evaluate the service to see if they want to keep it or not. For some people, keeping track of dates is very difficult and isn't second nature to them. Never fear...checkappointments.com is here!

Checkappointments.com is a great website that is FREE to use. You can access the site from the Internet anywhere and customize it to fit your needs. There are a lot of great features for businesses on this site and I highly recommend taking the online demo and tutorials to learn the ins and outs of the site. Businesses large and small will benefit from this detail-oriented software which allows clients to book, cancel and confirm appointments all through the site. How convenient!

I am going to use the site to keep track of my online offers, various trial offers I sign up for and dates to follow up with rebate companies should I not receive my rebates. I currently keep post-it notes which is obviously not a fool-proof method like checkappointments.com is!

FREE Gillette Fusion Razor

Every day beginning at 12 noon eastern (30 minutes from now) you can be one of 500 people daily to win a FREE Gillete Fusion Razor!

Register here and then remember to click the link to remind you when the next day's 500 razors will be given out. You can try each day until you get one! Good luck!

More drugstore deals this week!

There is a hidden deal at CVS this week that I wanted to make sure you knew about. Thanks, Hip2Save for sharing!

CVS:

Dove Skin Vitalizer is normally $12.99 but is on sale for $4.00. Use the scanner near the make-up department (the one where you scan your ExtraCare card to make sure). Use the $3.75 off coupon that you can find in the blue coupons.com widget in my right sidebar (scroll through until you find it) and pay only $.25 or print the $3.50 off coupon here and pay only $.50. Either way, a great deal!

UPDATE: I had originally post a Walgreens RR deal for Trailmix Crunch cereal but just read that the deal is now dead. I removed that part of the post so as not to confuse anyone. Thanks!

25 Earth Day FREEBIES and great deals (for tomorrow)

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is Earth Day and as you can imagine there are many companies with FREEBIES, great deals, and all kinds of gimmicks! My friend Brandie at Free Sample Freak put together a list of 25 of them! Here are a few, but for the rest you'll need to read her post here.

FREE Shopping Bag PLUS Coupons from Walgreens: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 go to Walgreens and get a FREE reusable shopping bag. Also, get coupons for 15% off of certain products. However, you can only check out at the photo or cosmetics counter and need to present the coupons at the beginning of purchase.

FREE Aveeno Sample and an Envirosax Tote: Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Here's a chance for a limited edition Aveeno Envirosax reusable organic cotton bag and a sample of the new Aveeno Nourish+ Hair Care Collection shampoo and conditioner.

FREE Earth Day Coloring Pages and Other Kid Activities: This link leads to the best sites for FREE kids activities.

FREE Earth Day Greeting Cards: It's Earth Day! So celebrate the beauty and wonder of our planet. Spread the message of peace and create awareness about how to protect and preserve our Earth. Send Free Online Greeting Cards to your friends & loved ones. ALL cards are absolutely FREE !!!

Plant a FREE TREE: Sign up for the Green Tips Newsletter and they will plant a tree for you in honor of Earth Day 2009. :)

Health Insurance for the Unemployed

Take Care Health Systems and Walgreens have partnered and unified in their committment to help the unemployed and uninsured through the new Take Care Recovery Plan. The Take Care Recovery Plan offers FREE healthcare services at Take Care Clinics throughout the remainder of 2009 to all patients, and their families, that suffer a job loss on or after March 31, 2009 and have no health insurance benefits.

Find Take Care Clinics near you and more information on the take care program here. There are currently 341 clinics in 35 markets around the country. Take Care clinics typically treat common ailments such as respiratory problems, infections, and skin conditions. Some services, such as check-ups and vaccinations, will not be free and services will be provided from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You must provide proof of unemployment.

You can read more about the Plan in this Associated Press article on the topic. Kudos to Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems for recognizing the problems with our healthcare systems and finding a way to help out the unemployed in our society today.

The Geico Gecko! and small giveaway! (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)

I live in Florida and man do we have geckos down here! They are, however, not as funny as the Geico Gecko!

The folks at Geico are interested in what my readers have to say! Please head over to their YouTube channel and watch several of the short parody videos. Then, come back here and email me (nicolesnickels@gmail.com) which are your top 3 videos along with your contact information (name and address). The first five (5) readers to email will get some goodies from the people at Geico! UPDATE: The giveaway portion is now closed, I have my 5 winners. Thanks!

Here's a video to make you smile.

FREEBIES and great deals for tomorrow, Tuesday, 4/21

I wanted to let you all know about 3 great deals that are good for tomorrow only, Tuesday, April 21.

Participating Dunkin Donuts will have small Iced Coffees for just $.50 with 10% of your purchase going to the charity Homes for our Troops! Cheap iced coffee AND a charitable donation!

From 12 pm until 8 pm you can get a FREE small cone at participating Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops! You can get a scoop of any flavor you want, including the new Chocolate Macademia or the old standby, Chunky Monkey!

From 6 pm until 8 pm Petsmart is hosting a pet birthday party! There will be a goodie bag for each person, including a FREE digital photo and frame in addition to games and prizes!

A Closer Look releases new shops today!

For those of you who signed up be a shopper with A Closer Look from my earlier post on the company, they will be releasing the May shops starting at noon on Tuesday and continuing through Friday afternoon. If you signed up and logged on and didn't see anything you liked, you'll need to log in frequently this week as the great shops get taken quickly! There are $150 fine dining shops as well as hotel shops, gym shops, and many other restaurant shops.

To read more about A Closer Look, please read my post here. To sign up, head over here and hopefully you all get some great May shops!

FREE (after rebate) Reynolds Wrap

In honor of Earth Day, Reynolds is offering its Reynolds Wrap Foil from 100% recycled aluminum FREE after rebate.


On April 22 (Wednesday), starting at 4:22 a.m. the rebates will be available to download and each will have its own unique code. You buy the foil and then submit the rebate making it FREE! You can even go to the Reynolds website and submit your information and they will email you a reminder to access the site to download the form.

Walgreens 4/18-4/24

This was a fairly good week at Walgreens. Karen at Frugal RI Mama has all the match-ups for you in her post here. Here are some highlights:

Mentos Gum, On sale 2/$2.00
Use (2) $1.00 cpn in 3-1-09 SS insert
Buy 2
Final cost: FREE

Post Trail Mix Crunch, On Sale 2/$5.00
Use $2.00 printable coupon
Final Cost: $.50 each

Pledge Multi-Surface, On Sale $3.50
Get $1 RR
Buy 2
Use (2) $2/1 printable coupon
Final Cost: $1 each after RR

I went this morning and did 2 transactions because I wanted to use an Edge RR and also buy another Edge shaving gel and you can't use a RR to buy the same product. I also had 2 of the deodorants and knew 2 RR's wouldn't print.

Transaction 1
Edge Shave Gel, $2.99, get $3 in RR

Mitchum Deodorant, $2.99, get $2 in RR
Used $.75 coupon from 3/22 newspaper
Paid $2.24

Used RR from previous weeks ($5) to pay most of the bill and then used my Walgreens gift card from February's easy saver rebates to pay the rest ($.57). I paid 0 out of pocket and got $5 in RR.

Transaction 2
Mitchum Deodorant, $2.99, get $2 in RR
Used $.75 coupon from 3/22 newspaper
Paid $2.24

Johnson & Johnson Trial Siza Body Wash (there is a whole display of these on the endcap of an aisle), $.99
Used $1.00 coupon from 2/22 newspaper
Item is FREE with a small overage

Reach 55 yard floss, $1.99
Use in-ad coupon to make item $.99
Then use $1.50 off 2 coupon from 3/15 newspaper
Buy 2
Pay $24 each
I bought 4 and used 2 coupons and 1 in-ad coupon (takes it off all items)

Used RR from previous weeks to pay most of the bill ($3) and then used my Walgreens gift card from February's easy saver rebates to pay the rest ($.38). I paid 0 out of pocket and got $2 in RR.

KMart Super Doubles are back!

Kmart Super Doubles are back this week at participating stores. My store is participating again! There are reportedly some stores in the Ohio region where coupons up to $4 are being doubled. For my store, coupons up to $2 are being doubled. To prepare, I looked to Hip2Save and Common Sense with Money as they are the "KMart experts" and both have extensive match-up lists. Please visit their sites for full lists of what's available. My KMart is very small and not so nice, shall we say, prices on many things are different in my store and there are many products they do not carry. I am only going to list my transaction here though there may be many other products in your store!

To find out if your local store is participating, you can call them or check the flyer listed on the KMart website when you enter your zip code. There is reportedly a spring coupon book that contains many manufacturer's coupons. My store had no idea what I was talking about when I asked for it, but maybe yours will!

Remember to print the $5 off when you spend $50 coupon and hand this to the cashier before any manufacturer's coupons are used. You need to spend $50 before coupons.

My Transaction:

Johnson & Johnson Body Wash, $2.64
Used $2.00 coupon from today's paper (doubled to $4.00)
Item was FREE (FYI: Kmart does not give overages, the coupon was counted as $2.00 then the doubling part was adjusted to $.64)

Right Guard Deodorant, 2 for $5.00
Used $1.00 off coupon (doubled to $2.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $1.00 for 2 deodorants ($.50 each)

Dentek Floss Picks, $2.19
Used $1.00 off coupon (doubled to $2.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $.38 for 2 packages of floss picks ($.19 each)

Bic Soleil Disposable Razors, $5.29
Used $2.00 coupon (doubled to $4.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $2.58 for packages of razors ($1.29 each)

Listerine Total Care, $4.59
Used $2.00 coupon (doubled to $4.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $1.18 for 2 bottles ($.59 each)

Oust Sanitzer, $3.79
Used $2.00 off coupon (doubled to $4.00 off)
Item was FREE (FYI: Kmart does not give overages, the coupon was counted as $2.00 then the doubling part was adjusted to $1.79)

Bliss Chocolate, 2 for $6.00
Used $1.00 off coupon (doubled to $2.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $2.00 for 2 bags ($1.00 each)

V8 Juice, $3.29
Used $1.00 coupon (doubled to $2.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Paid $2.58 for 2 bottles ($1.29 each)

V8 V-Fusion, $3.99
Used $2.o0 coupon (doubled to $4.00 off)
Bought 2 and used 2 coupons
Item was FREE (FYI: Kmart does not give overages, the coupon was counted as $2.00 then the doubling part was adjusted to $1.99)

In total, I bought 16 items and after all discounts (Kmart $5 off coupon plus the manufacturer's coupons) I spent $8.25 out of pocket!

CVS 4/18-4/24

Karen at Frugal RI Mama has all the CVS match-ups for this week. There are quite a few so you'll want to head on over there and read her post. Here are the highlights:

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Crystals, On Sale $2.00 Get $2.00 ECB's
Final Cost: FREE after ECB's

Act Rinse 18oz, On Sale $4.99, Get $2.00 ECB's (limit 2)
Use $1.00 cpn in 4-19-09 SS
Final Cost: $1.99 after ECB's

Claritin, On Sale $9.99, Get $2.00 ECB's
Use $7.00 cpn in 4-19-09 SS (good only this week on 24+ count)
Final Cost: $.99 after ECB's

My Shopping Trip:

I did a quick run to CVS this morning while I was out and got the following items:

Edge Infused Comfort Shave Gel 7 oz., On Sale $2.89 Get $2.89 ECB's

Crest Pro-Health toothpaste 4.2 oz, On Sale $2.88 Get $2.00 ECB's
I bought 2. For one I used a $.50 coupon for the other I used a $.75 coupon.

I used the 2 above-mentioned coupons, $1.99 in ECB's from the Easter basket deal a few weeks ago, and then $4.99 in ECB's from a previous week's deals and
Paid $.42 out of pocket for the 3 items
Plus I got back $6.89 in ECB's to use next week!

FREE Evol Burrito

The people who own the Bear Naked company have developed a new line of organic, all natural, burritos called Evol. They will hit grocery stores in the late summer or fall and if you fill out this form now they will email you a coupon for a FREE Evol burrito when the products are on your local store's shelves. Hurry - this is only good for the first 50,000 people who make the request.

Friday FREEBIES and great deals (a day late)

Here are this week's Friday FREEBIES, samples, and great deals (sorry they are a day late!)

FREE Puppy Ziggies

FREE sample of Better than Ears dog treat

FREE 2 year subscription to Parents Magazine (no credit card needed, no bills received)

FREE sample of Triple Flex vitamin

FREE sample of the new Aveeno Shampoo & Conditioner (this is a different link to use to get more samples!)

Sign up for the FREE Box Tops for Education Newsletter and earn money for your school

FREE sample of Prilosec OTC

FREE Slim-Fast coupons when you register

FREE sample and coupon for Nicoderm CQ

FREE VistaPrint business cards, magnets, rubber stamps, return address labels (you only pay shipping)

If you didn't complete my reader survey earlier this week, please see my post and click here to do me a favor and take my survey!

Did you know you can do the $1 burnless bakeware deal up to 3 times per month? I just did it again and can't wait for my product to arrive! Click here to read my earlier post about it. This is very high quality silicone bakeware and you only pay $1!

Want to be the first to know about big sales and deep discounts? Click here to sign up with Shop it to Me (read my earlier post about it here)

Did you get a YouData payment in your paypal account yesterday? I did and you can, too, because every Friday is payday with YouData! Read my post here or sign into the YouData Widget on my right sidebar.

Don't forget to enter my 2 giveaways:
1. A Flash In the Pan - 2 FREE year long subscriptions to recipes, menus, and shopping lists created by 2 chefs, ends April 28
2. Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF - Bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF, ends April 28

Make sure you've signed up for Freeflys, 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.

Cool Parenting site!

Parentricity is a cool new site to bring parents together to talk about the issues facing them and their kids everyday and discuss products to make their lives easier.



It's FREE to join and gives you the chance to share products, tips, and ideas with other parents! There are reviews of products and a few contests to join. Share your tips and ideas with like-minded parents on this interesting site.

Top 10 Giveaways of the week

Don't forget to enter my 2 giveaways:

1. A Flash In the Pan - 2 FREE year long subscriptions to recipes, menus, and shopping lists created by 2 chefs, ends April 28
2. Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF - Bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion with SPF, ends April 28

Here are this week's top 10 giveaways! Remember to read each blogger's giveaway post as entry requirements vary by blogger. Good luck and please let me know if you win!

1. Mission Mommy - My Precious Kid ID Tags (ends May 1)
2. Frugal Shopping with Julie - 3 Nature's Gate Organics products (ends April 27)
3. Frugal RI Mama - Photofiddle - photo turned art! (ends May 1)
4. Free Sample Freak - My Goody Bag - Vicks products and cookies (ends April 27)
5. The Chocolistas - Cupcake Necklace (ends May 1)
6. Mummy Deals - Betty Crocker Baking Basket (ends April 23)
7. Barefoot Mommies - Keystone Candle (ends April 21)
8. Barely Domestic Mama - Tastefully Simple products (ends April 26)
9. Full Nest Reviews - Personalized Jewelry (ends April 30)
10. Pink & Posh - BonBon Cupcakes Leggings (ends May 1)

FYI: Bloggers, if you have a giveaway you would like to be listed on my top 10 post each Saturday, please send me an email with the direct link to the giveaway and the date it ends. Thanks!

Winn-Dixie 4/15-4/21

Below you can find a few of this week's best deals at Winn-Dixie brought to you by Sheri at Swaggrabber. For the complete list (and an explanation of the abbreviations used) please visit the full post here.

For match-ups for other stores all over the country, head to The Grocery Gathering hosted by Be Centsable.

Hormel Natural Choice Ham or Turkey BOGO $3.99-
Use two $.55/1 coupons found in the 02-08-09 insert
$1.44 each after coupons

Eight O'Clock Coffee BOGO $5.19-
Use the $1/2 coupon found in the 03-01-09 SS insert
$2.09 each after coupon - Great Price!

Yoplait Yogurt Single 4-6oz cups 10/$5-
Use the $1/8 PRINTABLE coupon-
PLUS receive $1 automatic savings when you buy 10
Buy 10 and use the coupon
$.30 each after coupon and instant savings

MySurvey

MySurvey is another great and legit survey company. I receive approximately 1-2 invitations to complete surveys per week. You will usually get a 10 point screener survey and if you qualify to complete the larger survey that will be revealed during the screener and you will be given the option to continue.



With MySurvey you accumulate points that can be redeemed for cash, prizes and even charity donations! As always, it's FREE to join and there is no obligation to complete any surveys.

Some of the other surveys companies already reviewed on this blog are Lightspeed, Greenfield, Global Test Market, 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?

Skin MD review & giveaway!

I recently had the opportunity to try Skin MD Natural's Shielding Lotion & Sunscreen SPF 15. This product retails for $25 on the Skin MD Natural website and claims to be a very effective tool against dry skin.

This product serves as both shielding lotion as well as sunscreen. According to Skin MD Natural, a shielding lotion binds to the skin forming a protective barrier like an invisible glove keeping the moisture inside your skin. The Skin MD Natural people claim that Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion has a special ingredient that is 6 times as moisturizing as glycerin which is the usual moisturizing ingredient in skincare products.

I have been using this product for a couple of weeks now and am impressed that it doesn't leave a greasy feeling and keeps my skin very soft. The fragrance is very light and I don't notice it. This is skincare product I will use again.

I used the store locator on their website and was happy to find that my local Walgreens carries this product. This would be a great use for the giftcards I receive from the monthly Easy Saver rebates! Although it is on the pricier side, a little goes a very long way and my frugal philosophy is not to skimp in the areas that are important to you. My skin is one of those areas.

The folks at Skin MD Natural have graciously decided to give one (1) of my lucky readers their own bottle of Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15. To enter, you MUST visit the Skin MD Natural website here and read about their products. Then come back to my blog and leave a comment in this post letting me know why you'd love to win this great giveaway! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact the winners.

There are six (6) "extra" ways to enter (each one below gets you one additional entry):

1. subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar or RSS feed). If you already subscribe leave a comment 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, 18 years old or over, and the winners will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway will be good until April 28 at 9:00 pm Eastern time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

Nicole's Nickels on the radio 4/16

Here is my weekly radio segment from the Jennifer & Danny Show on 97.9 WRMF. If you're local to the West Palm Beach, Florida area you can catch me live every Thursday morning between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. If you're not local you can listen live online here or just wait for me to post the podcast!

Nicole's Saving Advantage - $25 Target giftcard

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS OFFER IS NOW FOR A $25 TARGET GIFTCARD AND A $25 STARBUCKS GIFTCARD BUT YOU MUST REMAIN A MEMBER PAST THE TRIAL PERIOD IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE GIFTCARDS

I found a new offer for a $25 Target giftcard that seems pretty straightforward to do. It is called Nicole's Saving Advantage and says it will save you up to 90% on things you buy everyday.



It costs $1.95 to join (use prepaid card or virtual credit card number if you are worried about giving your credit card info.) and they will MAIL you the form to fill out to get the $25 Target giftcard. You fill it out and then MAIL it back. The trial is 30 days after which you will pay $9.95 per month.

I would advise to complete the paperwork for the giftcard right away since you have to rely on the mail for this one. If you are not a member at the time they go to process your giftcard they won't send it to you so you have to stay a member to receive the $25 giftcard.

If you get the giftcard within the 30 day trial and then decide to cancel, you've only paid $1.95 and received a $25 giftcard. If you stay for the second month and decide to cancel, you've paid $11.90 and received a $25 giftcard. A third month and you've paid $21.85 but received a $25 giftcard. Remember, though, sometimes you can call a company and ask to have your trial extended to try out the service a little more before committing to full payment of a month.

I have heard of people receiving their giftcard within the first 30 days but many not until after the trial has expired and they have paid for their first month. This offer is not as quick as the previous giftcard offers I posted about here and you may have to stay a member to get your giftcard on this one, just a heads up.

As with all online offers, copy and paste the terms and conditions for your records, keep detailed receipts and records, and calendar the your trial expiration a few days prior to the actual expiration to give yourself a little time to decide if you want to cancel or keep the service.