Using Time Wisely

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Archives for 2011

Tip: Combining Sales with Promotional Codes

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Though I may not be grocery shopping, I have been stretching our dollars through promotional codes, sales, and cash back rewards. When I shop on-line, I always search my favorite search engine, Swagbuck.com, for a promotional code for that business. For example, if purchasing through J. C. Penney, I will

  1. Go to www.swagbucks.com.
  2. Type in “promotional code for J C Penney.”
  3. Scan the hits for a valid code to save money on my purchase.

Some promotional codes are for percentages off, free shipping, or dollars off a specified amount. Taking this extra step to find promotional codes uses time, but time wisely spent.

Restaurant.com Deal

When taking advantage of the sale and promotional code for the restaurant.com deal, I was able to purchase 22 gift certificates valuing $455 for $39. These gift certificates make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. By using my time wisely, I was able to maximize my savings to the tune of $416. If you would like to get in on this deal, check out Becentsable.com’s detailed instructions. This offer is valid through June 13.

J.C. Penney Deal

Another great sale and promotional code combination can be had through J. C. Penney. As one of the official suppliers of school uniforms for my son’s school, J. C. Penney notifications have been added to my e-mail list. When I find a sale with a promotional code, I do the happy dance.

With this current sale, valid through today, June 11, I was able to purchase 3 IZOD pique polo shirts for a total of $26.46. These shirts are regularly priced at $19.99 each. Adding to the sale and promotional code, I was able to lower my out-of-pocket amount by using the “2 or more price” for the shirts which saved me another $3-6. Instead of paying $66.46 (regular price), by using my time wisely and waiting for the sale, I only paid $26.46.

You too can save $40 by stretching your dollars. To snag this deal, check out MoneySavingMom.com’s post for the promotional code, but go through Shop at Home from Becentsable’s post to earn the cash back rewards for your purchase.

In stretching our dollars, I was able to spend a total of $65.46 while saving $495. How are you stretching your dollars?

Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club

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Photograph Credit: H-E-B Summer Reading Club

My kids have participated in this summer reading program for the last 2 years. Though the H-E-B grocery store chain operates in Texas and northern Mexico and we live in South Carolina, my children still get rewarded for reading their 10 books and submitting the book titles on the form downloaded from their web site.

This company gives out great prizes. Each year, my kids earned a tee shirt, certificate, pencil, and stickers. I order the shirts larger than needed, so my kids will be able to wear them past this season. My daughter loves her “Buddy the Bag shirts.” (The mascot for H-E-B is a paper bag named Buddy.)  Her orange shirt from 2009 is fading, but the white shirt from 2010 still looks great. I highly recommend this reading program, and my kids will probably be guessing the color of this year’s shirt. 🙂

Photograph Credit: H-E-B Summer Reading Club

Per the H-E-Buddy Summer Reading Club web site, here is how to participate:Don’t procrastinate. Print out the form. Keep track of your children’s book reading. Enjoy the delight on their faces when they receive their just reward. Happy reading!

Summer Reading: TD Bank

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Photograph Credit: TD Bank

Now this is my kind of reading program. For those in the northeastern United States, TD Bank is offering $10 to young readers for reading 10 books. Cool, can I be a kid again? Earning money for reading is awesome. To participate, read these details from TD Bank’s web site:

  • Read 10 books this summer
  • Write down the names of the books they’ve read in the Summer Reading Form
  • Print and take the form to your nearest TD Bank to get $10
  • $10 will be deposited into a new or existing Young Saver Account

The fine print also states:

  • One coupon per Customer during promotional period.
  • Cannot be combined with any other offers.
  • Valid May 4, 2011 through September 30, 2011.
  • Bring form of ID for child for new account opening.

TD Bank suggests the following books regarding money and savings:

  • If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz
  • Lemonade for Sale by Stuart J. Murphy
  • Willie Wins by Almira Astudillo Gilles
  • Jelly Beans for Sale by Bruce McMillan
  • Pig Pig Gets a Job by David M. McPhail
  • Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday by Stephen Manes
  • A Dollar for Penny by Julie Glass
  • Money Trouble by Bill Cosby
  • The Can Man by Laura E. Williams

For those of you who live near a participating location, I encourage you to help your children read the 10 books, visit your local branch, and instill the benefits of saving the $10 earned. If your family participates and earns prizes, please come back to share your prizes in the comments.

Menu Planning: A Week’s Worth of Cool Meals

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On the way to church Sunday evening, our family drove through a hail storm. Paul tried to find cover at a gas station, but other drivers had the same idea. Since we could not find shelter, we continued through the storm. The kids were excited at first, but then the marble-sized hail began bouncing off the car. The sound was really loud, and I asked for silence. They sat still until we passed to the other side of the storm.

Though another hail storm might occur, I am still watching and anticipating rain showers. Usually after rain showers, the temperature drops a few degrees. With temperatures in the 90s, this summer heat has s-l-o-w-e-d me down. I get tired easily and unmotivated. Thankfully, my stockpile in my pantry has kept my family fed during my drought of energy.

Other than 2 quick stops at Aldi for milk, bread, eggs, sugar, and other staples, I have not couponed or visited a grocery store or drugstore in about 3 weeks. For those of you who have been purchasing sale items at your rock bottom price and creating or updating your pricing list, please inspire me with the deals you have found.

In the meantime, here’s a week’s worth of meals to feed your family without turning on the oven and heating up your house:

  1. Hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill with chips and cold pasta salad
  2. Spaghetti with green salad
  3. Breakfast items – eggs with ham, sausage, or bacon and hash browns
  4. Taco salad – my son’s favorite meal (at the moment) 🙂
  5. Quesadillas with salad and corn
  6. One dish dinners – tonight I mixed penne pasta, spaghetti sauce, and ricotta cheese together. My kids wolfed it down. Of course, they were STARVING for a snack upon returning home from church. 🙂
  7. Pork chops in the crock pot – I am planning to make the chops and allow them to cook in the crock pot outside tomorrow. I think I will place the crock pot in the garage. The heat can remain out of the house while our dinner simmers.

What about you? What meals are you making while keeping the heat out your kitchen? Please inspire me with your ideas and your great coupon deals.

Reader Survey: Blog Categories

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As a new blogger, I am still on a learning curve. I appreciate your visits and following along on this new-to-me adventure. To make this blog beneficial to you, I need your input. Embedded in this post is a two-question survey. Please give me some feedback on the categories of my daily posts.

If you have additional suggestions or feedback, please communicate by adding a comment. All constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for stopping by!