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Save Money on Movie Tickets

January 27, 2012
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discount movie ticketsI know that one of the ways I’ve continued to live frugally is to be smart about how I see movies. If I go to a Regal Cinemas, I always bring my Regal Card, which helps me to earn free movie tickets. If I go to any movie, I always go early in the day so I can get the matinee price. In addition, I’ve saved money on movie tickets by using the coupons in my Entertainment Book. Or, our family will wait until the movie is on DVD, and either rent it from Redbox for $1 or get it On Demand from Comcast for about $5 (the benefit of the Comcast deal is that I don’t have to rush to “return” the movie the next day).

Now AMC Theaters is offering this terrific deal where you can save 30% on AMC movie tickets, through Goldstar, one of my affiliate programs. You buy the tickets now–you can purchase up to 8 of these movie bundles–and Goldstar will ship them to you starting on February 1st.

For $24 you’ll get:

  • two drink vouchers
  • two popcorn vouchers
  • two Gold Experience movie tickets

On a normal night the movie tickets alone will cost you upwards of $20, so add in the food, and this is truly a great deal. You can use these tickets at AMC theatres, AMC Loews, AMC Showplace, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson and Star theatres, but not Canadian theaters (sorry readers who are my neighbors to the north!). Also, the tickets do not expire. Even though these are discounted tickets, you can use Gold Experience movie tickets at all showings, even special engagements (so says the AMC site.)

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M&Ms Coupon for Super Bowl 2012 Party

January 27, 2012
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Are you planning a Super Bowl 2012 party? Are M&Ms on your shopping list? If so, then you’ll want to check out this high-value M&Ms coupon for $1 off, which is currently up on Coupons.com and came through one of my affiliate networks.

I realize that suggesting you buy M&Ms may not fit with New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, but I will tell you that these pretzel M&Ms are the lowest calorie and fat per serving of all M&Ms. They are a favorite in our house, to be sure. And at $1 off–well, that couldn’t be any sweeter!

For tips on how to save money on a Superbowl party, please check out my story on Home Goes Strong.

$1.00 off one bag of M&M’S Pretzel
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Freebie Friday (January 27-February 2, 2012)

January 27, 2012
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Act fast as some of these freebies expire today!

Free Stuff

  • Vistaprint has a great Valentine’s Day freebie. You can order 10 Free Note Cards from Vistaprint, which, when you get them, can cut into 3s, making them 30 Free personalized Valentines, if you’d like. In addition to the free Valentine’s Day notecards from Vistaprint, you can upload a personalized photo for free and create an original message to appear on the notecards. All you have to pay for is shipping and processing, which starts at $4.50. Hurry: This Vistaprint Valentine’s Day freebie, which came through one of my affiliate networks, is expires today, Friday, 1/27 at midnight CT!
  • Clearing out clutter as part of your New Year’s Resolutions? Well, if you’ve got kids stuff you’re looking to get rid off, you may be interested in the free Thred-Up site. The thredUP community is where moms swap kids clothes and toys. Signing up is free.
  • Get a 7 Day Free Gym Membership Pass for 24Hour Fitness; Click Here to access that pass, which will entitle you to enjoy all the free exercise classes you want, and you can workout at any of their club locations. Note: you may have to go through as many as 3 steps/click-throughs to get this freebie. Be patient; it’s worth it.
  • Right now you can get your Federal Tax Return completed via Turbo Tax for free. This is a deal that came through my affiliate networks.

Free Food

  • Get free ribs at BJs through February 8th. Here’s how. When you purchase any four different items from a select group of big game favorites in one purchase, you’ll get a free 43-ounce package of ribs. Look for a coupon for this freebie in the front of your local BJs location.
  • Reserve your free Corner Bakery Cafe panini today and pick it up sometime in the next week. You can reserve a “coupon” for a free Power Panini Thin by heading to the Corner Bakery website to select the date and location when you’ll pick up your free panini. As of yesterday Corner Bakery was still taking reservations for those free paninis.
  • Sign up for P.F. Chang’s Warrior Rewards program, and you’ll get a coupon for free lettuce wraps. Yum! Lettuce wraps are my favorite item on the P.F. Chang’s menu! Free makes me love them even more!
  • This printable coupon entitles you to a free medium fries at McDonald’s when you purchase a beverage, through 2/4/12.
  • As part of its commitment not to raise prices in 2012, Steak ‘n Shake announced that Kids Eat Free on the weekends. That is for Dine-In only, and you’ll get a free kids meal for every $8 you spend.

 

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DIY Treadmill Desk

January 26, 2012
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Like many Americans I have a New Year’s resolution to get more exercise. (You already know that I have made a New Year’s resolution to take off a few pounds, as I explained in my Suddenly Frugal Seal of Approval for the MyFitnessPal app.) While I’m pretty good about walking my dog for an hour every day–free exercise, to be sure–as a writer I spend the rest of my day sitting at a desk. I know that this sitting isn’t good for my health, especially since studies have shown that people who sit a lot tend to die younger. Um, that’s not my plan.

While these New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise and eat better were swirling in my head, some people I know–also freelance writers–started talking about building standing desks or walking desks. (These newfangled workstations are also called exercise desks, treadmill offices, workstation treadmill, and more.) The notion was that if you could create a work arrangement that allowed you to get off your butt–or even better to walk while working–you would likely have less lower back pain and maybe lose a few pounds. In fact, one office that installed walking desks or treadmill desks discovered that its employees lost a whopping 150 pounds without changing anything else about their lifestyle. Read more »

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Freebie Find: Free Valentine’s Day Cards

January 25, 2012
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Vistaprint has a great Valentine’s Day freebie. You can order 10 Free Note Cards from Vistaprint. Here’s the cool part: those 10 Free Note Cards can be cut into 3s, making them 30 Free personalized Valentines, if you’d like. These are perfect for a kid needing Valentines for a class party.

In addition to the free Valentine’s Day notecards from Vistaprint, you can upload a personalized photo for free and create an original message to appear on the notecards. All you have to pay for is shipping and processing, which starts at $4.50.

Hurry: This Vistaprint Valentine’s Day freebie, which came through one of my affiliate networks, is good through Friday, 1/27 only–it expires at midnight CT on January 27th!

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Extreme Couponing: Coupons in Packages

January 25, 2012
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extreme couponing

Coupons from paper towel package and Nutrigrain bar boxes

How many times have you purchased an items at the supermarket because it promised to have coupons inside the package, only to have you forget about that offer and you threw those coupons away? I know that, unfortunately, I’ve fallen prey to this coupon marketing strategy of enticing shoppers with the promise of free coupons, and then I didn’t follow through on the freebie by remembering to cut out the coupons before discarding the package.

I’m sure the extreme couponers on the TLC show “Extreme Couponing” never have this happen to them, but they’re probably not reading my tips anyway. You are, and I want to help you, my Suddenly Frugal readers, to avoid making the same mistakes that I’ve made with coupons in packages. Read more »

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Freebie Find: Free Tax Return

January 24, 2012
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turbo taxRight now you can get your Federal Tax Return completed via Turbo Tax for free. This is a deal that came through my affiliate networks, and here are the details I got about this free Turbo Tax return:

 

  • TurboTax Federal Free Edition
  • FREE preparation, FREE printing, FREE efiling for your simple tax return (when referring to TurboTax Federal Free Edition)
  • Free Audit Support Center and live online help
  • Guides you like a GPS through your simple tax return(when referring to TurboTax Federal Free Edition)

While I use an accountant to do my taxes every year–being self employed makes for complicated taxes–I know plenty of people who use and swear by Turbo Tax every year.

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Freebie Find: Free Panini at Corner Bakery Cafe

January 24, 2012
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Reserve your free Corner Bakery Cafe panini today and pick it up sometime in the next week. You can reserve a “coupon” for a free Power Panini Thin by heading to the Corner Bakery website to select the date and location when you’ll pick up your free panini.

There are Corner Bakery Cafe locations in 13 states plus Washington, D.C., participating in this freebie. They are: Read more »

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Free Breakfast at Subway in the South

January 24, 2012
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free breakfastRight now Subway is offering free breakfast to those living in certain Southern areas, including Augusta, Asheville, some parts of South Carolina and more. Actually, what Subway is doing is taking reservations for this free breakfast offer, which goes live January 30th. But to get this freebie, you need to act now.

Head over to this Subway website to see if you live in the qualifying areas, and if you do, sign up to get a free flatbread breakfast sandwich and coffee at Subway. Yum, wish Pennsylvania was included in this freebie!

Thanks to Julie at Kansas City on the Cheap for a heads up on this freebie!

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Freebie Find: Free Fribble at Friendlys

January 20, 2012
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free FribbleFriendly’s restaurants are giving away free Fribbles tomorrow, Saturday, January 21st. Friendly’s is giving away free Fribble shakes as a way to say “thank you” for 76 years of support and loyalty to its customers–and for sticking with the company after its successful emergence from bankruptcy earlier this month.

While the Friendly’s nearest to me was one of hundreds that Friendly’s shut down during bankruptcy, there are still Friendly’s open for business in 16 states with nearly 400 locations. I hope that you live near enough to one of them and can take advantage of this freebie on Saturday.

FYI, you can get Fribble shakes in four flavors–chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and coffee–and only one free Fribble per customer is allowed. Enjoy!

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Freebie Friday (January 20-26, 2012)

January 20, 2012
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Got some brand new freebies for you this week. Enjoy!

Free Food

  • On Monday, January 23rd, you can get a free entree at Panda Express. This freebie is in celebration of the Chinese New Year. To get this freebie, visit the Panda Express website and download a coupon for a free single-serving Firecracker Chicken Breast entree. You’ll need to bring that coupon with you when you order your food.
  • Speaking of Chinese food, when you sign up for P.F. Chang’s Warrior Rewards program, you’ll get a coupon for free lettuce wraps. Yum! Lettuce wraps are my favorite item on the P.F. Chang’s menu! Free makes me love them even more!
  • White Castle is offering Cravers a coupon available on the White Castle Facebook page for one free 8 oz. chili with any purchase. The coupon will be available on Facebook for redemption on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, only.
  • This printable coupon entitles you to a free medium fries at McDonald’s when you purchase a beverage, through 2/4/12.
  • As part of its commitment not to raise prices in 2012, Steak ‘n Shake announced that Kids Eat Free on the weekends. That is for Dine-In only, and you’ll get a free kids meal for every $8 you spend.

Free Stuff

  • DailyWorth is a free daily personal finance email for women. The reason I’m sharing this freebie with you is this: DailyWorth is giving away to $704 to three lucky readers who sign up for a subscription. Why $704? Seems like such a random number, right? Well, that happens to be the average amount that Americans spent this past holiday for 2011. I normally don’t post about contests but I love this site and figure, what the heck! (This freebie contest has maxed out and is no longer available.)
  • Clearing out clutter as part of your New Year’s Resolutions? Well, if you’ve got kids stuff you’re looking to get rid off, you may be interested in the free Thred-Up site. The thredUP community is where moms swap kids clothes and toys. Signing up is free.
  • Puppies. Who doesn’t love puppies? If you’d like to share a book about puppies with the littlest dog lovers in your life, then you’ll love this free downloadable e-book on puppies. It includes 70+ pictures of adorable puppies and a real-along soundtrack. This is downloadable for free from iTunes for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.
  • Get a 7 Day Free Gym Membership Pass for 24Hour Fitness; Click Here to access that pass, which will entitle you to enjoy all the free exercise classes you want, and you can workout at any of their club locations. Note: you may have to go through as many as 3 steps/click-throughs to get this freebie. Be patient; it’s worth it
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Extreme Couponing: Buying Clothing

January 19, 2012
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It’s interesting that I chose this week to write multiple blog posts on extreme couponing, as this is considered to be National Thrift Week. Why? Because Ben Franklin’s birthday is this week, January 17th, and he is considered to be one of the “founders” of thriftiness. Anyway, after writing about extreme couponing for healthy food and extreme couponing at CVS, some of the Suddenly Frugal readers ask me to write about extreme couponing for clothing. Thus the topic of today’s post.

Let me admit upfront that my take on extreme couponing for clothing isn’t as traditional as extreme couponing at the supermarket. When I think about extreme couponing for clothing, it’s more about finding creative ways to save money versus clipping actual coupons from the newspaper. Read more »

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Extreme Couponing: CVS 2012

January 18, 2012
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extreme couponingI’ll admit that some of the best extreme couponing that I’ve been able to do has been at CVS. Like those extreme shoppers on the TLC program, there have been a couple of times in the past year where I’ve been able to couple sales with coupons, and walk out of CVS without having paid a penny. Yes, that’s right, I got stuff for free, and I didn’t break the law.

That’s why in today’s blog post on extreme couponing, I’m going to share some of the ways that I’ve been able to achieve extreme savings at CVS. Now the reason that I’m focusing on CVS is because that is the pharmacy store that is nearest to me. You may live near a Rite Aid or a Walgreens. Given each store’s rewards programs, you may be able to achieve similar savings. I know that my mother does well with buy one, get one sales at the Rite Aid near her. But for my purposes what I know–and what I feel I know well–is how to extreme coupon at CVS. Read more »

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