Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Saving $$$

Everyone always jokes with me, especially my co-workers, about my keen ability to save money!

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite go to sites that are helpful while saving money.

Please keep in mind, these are not sponsored in any way. These are the sites I've personally used that have proven to be successful for me!

A few things to keep in mind while reading about the sites below:

General Coupon policies:
Stores will accept both store specific coupons and manufactures coupons; you can stack these to increase your savings as well.

This site has not only printable coupons, but also allows you to gain points through online shopping, surveys and visits to partner’s webpages (you get points for printing and using coupons too!).  You can then redeem points for gift cards to your favorite stores.  This site also allows you to invite friends, when they sign-up and earn points, you also receive a percentage of points they earn.  The site also has an area where you can view daily deals.  This will give you the link to where to find items for the cheapest available price, often times combining it with a coupon code.

Walgreens has their own coupons on their webpage; scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘store coupons’, select coupons to use and print.  Walgreens also just started a rewards program called Balance Rewards. This free sign-up program allows you to receive points for purchases. You then in turn use your rewards for future purchases.

Walmart also has coupons listed on their webpage; however they all seem to be manufactures coupons and not store coupons so you should be able to print these and use them elsewhere too.  You can also click on ‘free samples’ on the left margin of the webpage to receive freebies.  Most freebies come with a coupon too!

Walmart will also match competitors sale prices.  Bring in the sales flyer from another store and they will match the sale price.
This is by far one of my favorite sites.  It’s a blog run by a husband/wife team.  They list all the awesome deals they find online and in stores, freebies and giveaways.  Their blog also has a coupon database with a search feature too!

Target
Click on coupons towards the bottom of the page; clip and print.  These are Target store coupons, not manufacturer coupons, so stack them with manufacturer coupons for additional savings! 

This site lists recipes, coupons, and budget recipes which utilize the items on sale that week.  Click on ‘specials’ tab in the box on the right, when you see something you like click ‘add to shopping list’.  Once you have made your selections, click on the ‘shopping list’ tab, and select print.  These are all Meijer coupons and can be stacked with manufacturer coupons.

MPerks
This is a Meijer saving site utilizing your cell phone number to sign-up.  Once you do, you can select the coupons you want by clicking the blue clip button.  These will not be printed coupons, but coupons you have in your account.  When you go to shop at Meijer make sure you login your mperks account (using your cell phone number) at the credit card machine and the discounts for the purchased items will come off of your bill.

This is a blog format that lists links to online freebies.  Again, most freebies will have a money saving coupon with the freebie.  The blogger for this site has a humorous manner throughout his blog; be warned J
  
This site lists codes to receive free shipping while online shopping.
                         
Gain coupon codes for discounts while online shopping; search for any store.
  
Facebook:
The possibilities are endless with facebook!  If you need a product, chances are that company has a facebook page, visit the page, ‘like’ it and see if they have any coupon savings!

Also, it never fails to utilize a google search.  Type in “Meijer deals week of April 17, 2012” (or wherever you shop) and multiple blogs will list savings!

I hope this post allows you to save some $$ too! :)

Enjoy this day; 12/12/12!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

GREAT!

Today has been a pretty GREAT day so far!

I had extra time getting ready this morning so I decided to curl my hair!
Cute right?

After a morning meeting I came into work to an email finding out that we received part of a grant request for one of our programs! That sure is GREAT news! Grant funding is a critical part of success for non-profit organizations!

Here is to hoping the rest of the day is GREAT too!

What has been great in your life lately? I'd love to hear from you!


Monday, December 10, 2012

Busy bees!


This weekend I felt like a busy bee! I was able to spend a bit of time relaxing, some time with family and friends, and time to get some things done around my house.

I even managed to squeeze in a nap!

I got to watch/play with my niece and nephew too!



Aren't they a bunch of cuties?? :)

I accomplished the cleaning of my kitchen and dining room, along with multiple loads of laundry. Before joining friends for bowling, I even had enough time to wrap some Christmas presents. All in all it was a great weekend, although I'm a bit tired today!

The bowling crew!

Special thanks to Kimmie for the pictures!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Bits and Pieces

Happy Friday!!

As always I'm linking up with Erica at Style of a Songbird with my Bits and Pieces.

1. Driving to work- peaceful drives with clear roads (no snow) and Christmas music! What more could a girl ask for?
2. Table for one please! I enjoyed dinner by myself and a good book!
3. God painted a beautiful sunrise Thursday morning!
4. Great amazing holiday party at work today!
No picture to document it yet; but some will come!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Books!



It has been awhile since I've updated you on my book challenge. Since I began this challenge on September 14, 2012 I have read 13 books.

This Friday marks 12 weeks. By this formula I'm currently one book ahead of my 52 book challenge.

I've enjoyed unwinding by reading, exploring new authors and listening to book suggestions from friends. I look foward to the next 39 books too!

Remember you can view all the books I've read by clicking on the Book Challenge tab above, or by clicking here.
Keep in mind, as always, I'm open to book suggestions!

Happy reading!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Spreading Joy with Cards!

Christmas is my favorite holiday! I love seeing all the pretty lights, shopping for perfect gifts, watching Christmas movies and sending out Christmas cards!

Last night I worked diligently to get all of my cards ready to send out. They just need stamps and they are set to go!

I love getting mail this time of year too. Going to the mailbox to see if I have gotten any cards is fun! These are the few I've gotten so far!
Who do you enjoy spreading joy to? Do you have the same card list each and every year? Or do you change it and add more to your list each year? I'd love to hear from you!


Monday, December 3, 2012

Lights!

This weekend has been a busy one! However, this is pretty typical of my weekends! I'll be updating you on what I was up to over the next few days! First, I want to say Happy 100th Birthday to my grandpa!

Second, I want to share what a silly evening I had last night! I managed to lock myself out of my house last night! I went outside to take pictures of my outdoor lights, and must have locked the door behind me! Ooops! I didn't have my cell phone on me, a jacket on, and none of my doors were unlocked! Thankfully my friends Katie and Cameron only live a few houses away! I walked to their house, borrowed their phone to make some calls and Brent came to my rescue! Thankfully it wasn't too cold of a night! So now...onto my beautiful lights!



At least I managed to get some fun pictures, right? :)

Happy Monday everyone!