DIY

I would love to say that I am a frequent DIY-er, but truth be told I am the mother of an almost 3 year old, and 99% of the time DIY is not an option. That being said, I have stumbled upon an amazing blog that I just have to share...

www.allthingsthrifty.com

I suddenly feel the overwhelming urge to redecorate! Not just redecorate, but redecorate with thriftiness! I HATE my game/dining room table. I have one of those tables that converts from bumper pool-to card table-to dinette, and I hate it because I bought it with my ex (anyone want it?? I will entertain any reasonable offer!).

How neat would it be to have furniture pieces that are one of a kind! I may just try my hand at this! Anyone want to help???

I will share pictures!
Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)

A sidenote. Please pray for a good friend of mine. She is currently dealing with the unimaginable. Most of you are aware that I am a Christian and will always pray for my readers! All my love!

Fun & FREE!!!

Looking for something fun to do with the kiddos this summer? Lots of fun free things are available...

Bass Pro Shop
is offering FREE family activities every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from noon until 6 pm through July 11th. Activities include a free shooting gallery, free shooting range, free photos, free s'mores (yum!), free casting pond and free crafts!

Home Depot
has free kids workshops the first Saturday of every month. Your kid even gets a free child-sized Home Depot Apron! Some projects Carina has done include--a jewelry box, football helmet bookends, and a wheel barrow planter!

Lowes
offers build and grow Saturdays at 10 am! Pre-registration required at http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/

Anyone have any more to add??

Be blessed! :)
The Freebie Junkie

Eating out uber cheap!

Restaurant.com is offering their $25 gift certificates for just $2 when you use the code SUMMER at checkout. The certificates are valid for one year but the discount price is only good until June 30th! With thanks to Kristen at Couponing to Disney.

Some restaurants include....

If you live in the Tulsa area...
KEO
The White Owl
Incredible Pizza
The Bru House
...And MANY MORE!

If you live in OKC...
Incredible Pizza
Jazmos
Mamasita's
Mango's
...And MANY MORE!

If you live in PA...
THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY TO LIST! CHECK IT OUT! :)

Enjoy! Happy munching! Be blessed! The Freebie Junkie :)

A free blu ray DVD player or something even better....

I am sure most of you are familiar with Nielsen. I got started with doing the traditional television ratings (they pay cash and nothing you watch will get canceled!), but have since learned about Homescan.

https://www.ncponline.com/panel/US/EN/Login.htm

By joining Nielsen Homescan, you enjoy limitless benefits (you can be a member for life!) by simply scanning the items you purchase with a scanner provided to you. Every time you upload your purchases online, you are rewarded with points redeemable for almost anything...

Luggage
Designer Bags
Jewelry
ELECTRONICS

We are currently working towards the Samsung Blu Ray player, absolutely free! After that, who knows?!?

Be blessed and keep scoring those freebies!
The Freebie Junkie :)

Too awesome not too share!

Hey, guys! I just found out that I am getting two months of free diapers plus cash to tell them what I think of each brand! SO AWESOME! I am thinking that Carina will be potty trained by then and that I have just bought my last diaper!!

Interested in free diapers for your child? Let me know and I will get referral information to you!

Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)

Home Furnishings for less or free!

On my continued quest for the best websites, let's talk furniture! You guys already know I am a huge fan of freecycle! But what else...

Craigslist! Craigslist rocks! Although play it safe guys! Don't go anywhere alone and never wire money or do anything that seems shady! Craigslist also advertises garage sales of which you know I am also a fan.

SIDENOTE: Kicked off my garage sale Christmas shopping last weekend and finished my niece and my daughter for $10!! A bunch of stuff I got was brand new (Chutes and Ladders and Guess Who? still wrapped in cellophane!)

nobetterdeal.com is another awesome one, where literally you can find anything for the best possible price. For example, lets say I am looking for a pink rocking chair. I type "pink rocking chair" into the query and it will tell me who has what at the best possible deals!

estatesale.net Ok, I am personally not an estate sale fan, I read that and interpret "overprices garage sale". However, I know a lot of avid cheapskates who LIVE for them. Estatesale.net provides the listings in your area. Perfect if you are into the antiques and extraordinary finds!

Finally and certainly not least, THRIFT STORES! I found my gaming/pool table (you know those three in ones) insanely cheap at Salvation Army and it is as good as new, even has all the balls! You can always find those one of a kind pieces and, if you have an eye for it, make your home look amazing!

Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)

A boogie to cuddle! TOO CUTE!

OK, guys this is too cute not to share! You can get a stuffed boogie for your child. Yes a stuffer green booger absolutely FREE! IT IS SOOO CUTE!

Go to my friend Vanessa's blog to get your own!

http://johnstownmoneysaving.blogspot.com/2010/06/boogie-wipes.html

Love you all! Be blessed!

The Freebie Junkie :)

Awesome Websites

Hi, all!

So I decided that I am going to devote this weeks to some awesome websites! Today's website recommendations are all about coupons and discounts!

My number one all-time favorite discount source is
www.retailmenot.com

NEVER shop online without it! It gives you coupon and promo codes and even allows you to piggy back them (use more than one at a time). Completely awesome resource!

Some other cool sites include:

couponmom.com-this is a neat site that offers printable coupons for virtually anything, as well as coupon codes and sales information.

ebates.com-this site tells you about ongoing promotions and even offers rewards for clicking through them, you even get a $10 gift card just for registering! I got one for Home Depot!

flit.com-this website will tell you which store has the current lowest prices for anything!

groupon.com-this website emails you one amazing discount per day! Some of these have just blown me away. My fave so far was a weekend at a local bed and breakfast for $20! You just can't beat that!

livingsocial.com-this website is very similar to groupon, but not available in Tulsa yet! However, I have been personally promised that it is COMING SOON!

redplum.com & smartsource.com-printable grocery coupons galore! Remember to pair these up with your weekly ads and double coupon events and voila! You are saving a fortune on groceries!

restaurant.com--unbelievable discounts on local restaurants in your area! If you live in Tulsa, some yummy places include The White Owl and Kilkenney's!

Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)

Christmas Secrets You NEED to know today!

I will never forget the first evening I ever drove to Carol's house. She lived in one of the most expensive areas in Tulsa (for those of you that live here, near 61st and Yale, that neighborhood around the pond, yeah, you know which one!), and I thought, great, she is NEVER coming to my house! I followed the directions and parked in front a mansion, yes a mansion, not just a big house. I rang the bell and was greeted warmly, as I have always been by Carol. She is a wonderful woman and I just adore her.

She offered me a tour, and I was mesmerized by the decor! Her house was INCREDIBLE! After raving for a little while, she winked at me and said, "Can you keep a secret?" I said, "Yes." And she confided...

Everything in this house was bought at GARAGE SALES!!

Essentially, the old wives' tale is true, rich people get rich by BEING CHEAP!

I was all ears to hear her secrets!! She then proceeded to share with me her family's Christmas tradition. These are the rules!

1. You cannot buy anything new!! Everything else is fair game--garage sales, handmade items, ebay, antique shops, swap meets, flea markets, even making a memory for a person, as long as the item is not new!

2. Start looking early and you WILL find the perfect gift. Right now is peak garage sale season, so start your list and get out there!

3. Tell everyone you shop for your plan and invite them to join the fun. Otherwise you will come off as the cheapskate friend or family member! Besides its just more fun when everyone does it! You will never believe what people come up with!

I was really skeptical, but thought what the heck? I can try it for one year. I started calling friends and family members. I will tell you this, I had people think it was ridiculous and wouldn't participate, so I just told them we wouldn't exchange gifts that year (more money saved!) I had other people who thought it sounded like fun, and even more people who were just up for saving money!

I started my hunt this time last year. And you wouldn't believe my finds!

1. For my sister-in-law obsessed with Disney, an antique wind up Mickey Watch in mint condition-$1

2. For my niece, who truly wishes she was a princess-a trunk of dress up clothes and the learn to skate roller skates that she had been wanting-FREE!! The lady at the garage sale gave them to me because they were too hot and wanted to stop for the day!

3. For my mother-in-law, one of those beautiful fabric photo albums filled with pictures of her grandaughters-10 cents

4. Coach Bag for my mom (looked authentic to me!!)-$10

My daughter had so many presents under the tree that we had to open them in phases because she got bored!

I maybe spent $50 tops on Christmas last year!

So tomorrow marks my kick off for Christmas shopping season! If you care to join me, please share the deals you score! Also, if you are a personal friend, want to join me??

Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)

The Art of Couponing

Did you know that oftentimes clipping coupons can make groceries super cheap and frequently free?!?

I am personally a big fan of coupon clipping! Trust me on this the satisfaction is worth the time!

A few tips for the new coupon-er!

1. Organization is essential!! Invest in a coupon file! It will save you so much stress. I find it easiest to sort alphabetically by brand, but I think everyone finds a system that works best for them.

2. DOUBLE COUPONS ROCK! Homeland and Price Chopper always double coupons up to $1. I can't tell you how often I have scored free or nearly free by taking advantage of this. Harps and K-Mart also offer double coupon events. The K-Mart one is awesome because it doubles up to $2 coupons!

3. MATCH-MATCH-MATCH. Compare your coupons with the weekly ads to find the best deals. Don't have the patience for this. The Coupon Queen will do it for you! You can friend her on facebook or follow her on twitter! She also offers Couponing 101 classes for a small, but very worthwhile fee!

4. Online coupons are also awesome! Write down all the brand names you buy and search. Can't find any then e-mail the company! Seriously, they will give you awesome coupons! Mass printable coupons are also available at www.mypoints.com (yes, you get mypoints when you redeem them!) and www.coupons.com. I am sure other coupon sites exist but these are my favorites!

5. Don't stop there! Coupons are available for nearly everything these days! Search online before you go out to eat, to the movies, to the park, or just about anywhere!

I am always here to help you get started! Drop me a message and we will work out a time to get together. I am also thinking about teaching a class this fall at The Refuge. If I did, it would be free. Would you be interested in attending?

As always, be blessed! :)
The Freebie Junkie

Calling all Pop Drinkers!

Its time to switch allegiance to Coke products, my friends! Why? Because of My Coke Rewards!! All you have to do is register at www.mycokerewards.com and then enter the codes from any Coke products you buy (including Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Minute Maid, Powerade, Vault, Barq's, Fresca, Mr Pibb, and Mello Yello) and then redeem the points for awesome stuff.

Case in Point, this year alone, Aaron and I went and saw movies for free and most recently scored two free tickets to Six Flags (although since its so hot, we are going to wait until September to go).

Points are good for eating out, rental cars, amusemant parks (namely Six Flags and Silver Dollar City), merchandise and gift cards galore! :)

Check it out and start saving those caps! :)

Be blessed! The Freebie Junkie :)

I LOVE House Party!

OK, have you guys discovered houseparty.com yet? This one rocks! Since I found house party, I have gotten to host parties for...

TNT Leverage
TNT HawthoRNe
Velveeta
South Beach Living
DiGiorno
Clairol Color Connection
Green Works

And my latest HASBRO!

Check out this party pack (with thanks to Vanessa P)




Not only do I get freebies, but I get awesome freebies to share with my friends!

House Party is super easy! Sign up and answer questionnaires (they are short) for any party that appeals to you. Oh, and a huge heads up, they are getting ready to accept apps for....

A PLAYSTAION 3 PARTY!!!

Check it out, enjoy, and be blessed! The Freebie Junkie :)

WOM Marketing

I can't tell you how much I love Bzzagent, word of mouth marketing! Have you joined yet?

So far I have gotten to try:

Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner
Cover Girl Color Blast Eyeshadow
Cover Girl Shine Blast Lipgloss
Got2B Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion
Aveeno Baby Care
Glade Sense & Spray
Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain
Bic Soleil Bella
Off

All in less than one year!

On top of all the freebies, you also have access to the bzzcapes (fellow bzzagents' product reviews), the frogpond (awesome new websites!) and ultimately limitless mypoints!

Have you joined yet?!?

Be blessed!
The Freebie Junkie :)