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More at Sears

Posted by html404 on April 8, 2013
in Saving Money

Shopping….I’ve always enjoyed shopping. I think it’s a lot of fun! For shopping at brick and mortar stores, we tend to combine shopping trips so we save time and money. Otherwise online shopping is preferred. Personally, I love the convenience of shopping online. It’s easier and often saves me more money and time then wasting gas driving from store to store.

I love shopping online at stores like Sears for many reasons. Not only does online shopping make the overall experience easier for everyone. But, you also don’t have to worry about taking your children out into a store on a busy day when an important appliance part breaks or hauling sick littles into various stores while searching for the perfect gift.

Sears has it all. Home appliances, clothing, toys, electronics, patio furniture, and more all at one convenient website. This includes millions of brands, designs, styles, and colors!

Sears has affordable prices that everyone can afford. Plus they are always having great sales and offering coupons to their valued customers. The ease of shopping at Sears is one that many moms will appreciate during this busy season.

Whatever your needs are this spring, whether it’s a new barbecue, a wedding favor, or an adorable baby gift, you really can find more at Sears.

“This is a sponsored post. I am a Sears blogger, though all opinions are my own.”

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Flexible Spending Accounts Can Save Your Family 40%

Posted by html404 on March 6, 2013
in Family Stuff, Health, Money & Finances, Saving Money, Uncategorized

It’s been a number of years since we did any health care “shopping” and it really isn’t a problem if you know your way around, however, it can get overwhelming because of the various options available. Something like, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), can offer relief from increasing health care costs, because these benefit plans rely on pre-tax money for qualified health expenses.

Not only can you save on FSA eligible products, but an FSA also gives you access to health care services and thousands of everyday products such as sunscreen, contact lens solution, band-aids, heat wraps and baby care – a bonus for families like ours.

How Does FSAs Work?

Each FSA plan year, employers take money out of your paychecks based on how much you choose to set aside. Beginning in 2013, FSA plan contributions are limited to $2,500 per person. Before you get an FSA, it is vital to calculate how much you want to spend using your FSA.

A word of caution…because FSAs are “use it or lose it” any money unspent is forfeited when your plan year ends. Some employers provide a grace period – or an extension of coverage – up to two and a half months. One big deadline coming up is March 15. Do you have FSAs? Better check to see if you need to use any of your FSA funds before March 15.

FSAstore.com is a one-stop-shop stocked exclusively with thousands of FSA-eligible products, a national provider database and a Learning Center that answers FSA-related questions. You can save on FSA-eligible products throughout the year with FSA Store’s special offers. Check these out before your grace period ends on March 15.

This is a featured post.

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Ivy Bridge College

Posted by html404 on January 19, 2013
in Education, Saving Money, School

It is a known fact that education is important. Many put a lot of stock in a college education and getting a degree. In my family my grandmother really talked up a college education. It was impressed upon me at a young age that I should become a nurse because we have a long line of nurses in our family; a couple of my great aunts are nurses and then two of my dad’s sisters are as well. So my cousin, whose mom is a nurse, for the longest time was set on becoming a doctor and I was going to be a nurse…that was until we got old enough to decide for ourselves that wasn’t our career choice. I think grandmother was disappointed but was a good sport to accept our decision not to go her way. Perhaps some of you can relate and often think about your career choice or lack thereof. Maybe you have even made it your new year’s resolution to go back to school to further your education.

Though I have a college level education from a 3 year program, plus my midwifery studies, I do not have a degree. Shocking? Maybe. Getting a degree wasn’t a priority for me when I was younger and even now it’s not something that is a major goal, even though it has always been at the back of my mind “Should I or shouldn’t I?” But as a mom my children have always been my first priority, after my marriage. When I had to go back to work, which is why I put my midwifery studies on hold, earning an income to help pay bills became another very high priority for our survival. However, due to the nature of my VA business and the opportunities I have seen available, I have contemplated taking courses in accounting, bookkeeping, business etc.

As busy as I am, in order to help take my VA business to the next level, I’ve decided to go back to school. Right now I am leaning towards an Associate’s Degree in Accounting, so we’ll see how the application process plays out and if that is indeed what I end up taking.

The college I am applying to is Ivy Bridge College because it is a great option for moms seeking a college degree. It provides great support services. Each student has their own personal admissions and financial aid advisor, and yes you even receive their direct contact information. They even offer free tutoring and career coaching is available. Ivy Bridge offers flexible scheduling, the ability to earn an associate’s degree in as little as 18-24 months, and the ability to seamlessly transfer to 4-year schools to earn a bachelor’s.

I love that I will be able to continue to stay at home with my children and tailor my course schedule to our family life. Since it is an online program and classes are available 24/7, it is perfect for moms like me.

Ivy Bridge College $1000 Tuition Discount Giveaway

The great news is Ivy Bridge is giving away $1,000 tuition discount on classes at Ivy Bridge College to one of YOU!

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me why you want to go back to school! Enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“To be eligible for the $1,000 discount off tuition at Ivy Bridge College (IBC), the qualifying individuals will need to be degree seeking, enrolled in IBC a minimum of part-time, and new to IBC (specifically, not someone who has already applied to, enrolled in, or requested information from IBC). Classes at Ivy Bridge College Extension are not eligible for the discount. Limit one per person.The tuition discount is valid through September 1, 2013.”

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Ivy Bridge College. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating and a discount on classes at Ivy Bridge College.”

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Super-de-duper $10,000 Sweepstakes from GradSave

Posted by html404 on October 8, 2012
in Education, Gift Ideas, Saving Money, Thrifty Thursday, Uncategorized

Got little ones? Want to start saving for their college education? Then you’ll be interested to know about this $10000 Sweepstakes from GradSave, after all it’s never too early to start saving for college:

Be sure to read more about eligibility rules and prizes here. Odds of winning depends on how many entries received.

“I was compensated to share this information. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

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4 Ways to Use Coupons and Get a Discount

Posted by html404 on October 1, 2012
in Coupons, Deals, Organic, Saving Money

I know it isn’t Thrifty Thursday, but I bet we all could talk shopping, discounts, deals and coupons for a l-o-n-g time!

Here are 5 ways to use coupons and get a discount:

1. Use coupons on sales items.

I really enjoy shopping, but I like it even more when I can shop and save money. It’s even better if I can use coupons and get a discount on sale items! I remember when a couple of new stores opened up they offered Grand Opening sales, plus store coupons and then I had manufacturers coupons on top of that….and if I remember correctly I received $100 worth of groceries for $25. That’s a sweet memory. I know couponers do this on a regular basis.

2. Use coupons and you store’s discount or preferred card.

Walgreens and CVS are popular stores people use to save money like my little story above, but I have never been able to do it. Then again, I don’t shop at CVS because there are no stores close to us and we only buy certain products at Walgreens. I think it’s rare to find coupons of products we actually want to buy – No pharmaceuticals, no chemicals and organic as we are really trying to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle.

I have only come across a couple coupon sites geared specifically towards organic products, but know that niche is slowly growing. It’s been a while since I did a Google search for organic coupon sites…time to do it again as I have a growing collection of organic, natural product coupons that I want to use up on our next grocery shopping trip.

Since we buy in bulk whether at Costco (which does take some coupons) and at a natural foods co-op, we cannot usually use coupons because we are getting bulk pricing. Nevertheless we can shop the monthly sales which helps us save more money.

3. Shop on days when a store is offering to double manufacture’s coupons. I am not sure how many stores are still doing this so check with your store first.

4. In-store coupons and manufacturer’s coupons usually can be used together, whether the in-store coupon is on an individual product or off your total order.

So how do you use coupons to save money? Please share as we all want to know!

This is a paid post. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Kidorable Towel Review & Coupon Code!

Posted by Brande on September 15, 2012
in Baby Products, Clothing, Coupons, Deals, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, SALES, Saving Money, Shopping

All our children have big dreams of being mermaids, space Heros, and pirates. Here’s their chance to live out their dreams with Kidorable Hooded Towels! These terry cloth soft towels are great for the beach/lake or after bath time. They are 100% cotton, machine washable and dryer safe. My kind of product – easy care! The hooded towel are available in 2 sizes (Newborn to 2 years old and 3 to 6 years old). Here’s the tough decision, which one to choose out of the 11 Kidorable Hooded Towels available.

Here’s what Kidorable has to say about their hooded towels…

“Our customers tell us that our towel designs are the best anywhere. Now our towel quality leads the industry as well. The old material was a soft and absorbent terrycloth. The new material retains all that is good about that, and adds a layer of super soft velour. The result is an equally absorbent, and now lighter, brighter, softer towel. ”

Pictures can say a 1000 words.

Kidorable Towel Review

Here’s my kiddo in her Kidorable Mermaid Towel! She loves it!

From the moment we got it in the mail, she’s been wearing it! The Mermaid Towel has a starfish on the head, an orange fish on one side blowing bubbles and a seashell pocket on the other. Then in the back is her mermaid fin. One of my favorite features is a big yellow plastic snap, that’s even friendly for her to snap herself. We always try and slip some motor skills in even during bath time. The Kidorable Towel is very soft with vibrant colors. Two thumbs us from us!

Save Money with this Coupon Code

We have a coupon code for you!!!

“From September 15-30, you can get 20% off your entire order when you purchase Kidorable’s impossibly cute and soft cotton hooded towels. Just use code DRYOFF33 at checkout on www.kidorable.com”

Head over to Kidorable today and get a few towels for your kiddos to live out their fantasies!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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College Students Save Money with Textbook Rentals

Posted by html404 on September 13, 2012
in Books, Education, Saving Money, School, Thrifty Thursday

If you have ever gone to college or have a college aged student you know how expensive books can be. It’s important to be able to save as much money as possible while attending college to pay for loans, lodging, food and transportation. That’s why I wish we had the internet back when I went to college in the late 80’s early 90’s. I spent a lot of money on books.

Today college students can save money using textbook rental services. After all why buy a book you’ll only read once, right? Another plus with renting textbooks is not having to store books that will never be read again. How many of those do you have in your attic or garage? I know we still have some 20 years later! Campus Book Rentals offers a solution to these issues and incredible savings. Here are some of the benefits you’ll see right off:

-40-90% off of normal bookstore prices (This is better than wholesale!)
-free shipping both ways (Extra, extra!)
-freedom to highlight in the textbooks (Wow!)
-flexible rental periods
-Operation Smile receives money with each textbook rented (Bonus! Helping others while saving money, who can turn that down?)

Hope this helps many college students save money with textbook rentals.

Happy Thrifty Thursday!

I am being compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

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College Savings GradSave Deal on Living Social

Posted by html404 on September 7, 2012
in Deals, Saving Money

For those of you thinking ahead to your children’s college funds. There’s a GradSave Deal on Living Social that I think you will be interested in. Check out the details….

GradSave Gift Card on Living Social
$50 (Pay $24) or $25 (Pay $12) Toward a GradSave College Savings Plan

Living Social GradSave Deal

I am being compensated to share this deal with you.

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My First Farmers Almanac

Posted by Brande on August 30, 2012
in Books, Cleaning, Community Issues, Education, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Gardening, Home, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Saving Money, Seasonal Stuff

I bought my first Farmers Almanac the other day and I can’t believe I didn’t buy it sooner!

I always thought the Farmers Almanac was all about the weather. Boy was I surprised when I found tons of fantastic information!

Yes, it does have weather information, BUT, on page 8 I found out how to get rid of weeds with out pulling or chemicals and it’s easy! You pour boiling water on them or use a mixture of dish washing liquid (5 tablespoons) and water (4 cups) in a spray bottle! I also learned how to make a “Homemade Jar Opener”, “No-Mess Baking”, ways to cut energy costs, how to save on gas, even a section on comfort foods (my favorite).

I plan on buying one every year! They are really a wealth of information!

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How to be a Frugal Online Shopper

Posted by html404 on July 12, 2012
in Coupons, Money & Finances, Saving Money, Shopping, Thrifty Thursday

I know most of us are watching our spending these days, especially with gas prices so high. That’s why when I learned of a new frugal website, I thought that you all would enjoy learning about it too, considering that most people desire to know how to be frugal when the economy isn’t at its best. The great thing is I got to speak with the founder as well.

Q & A Session

I spoke to Jon, founder of BeFrugal.com and asked him a few questions. Below you will find our short Q & A session about how to be a frugal online shopper:

TG: What was behind starting BeFrugal.com?

Jon: The whole purpose behind BeFrugal is how and where you spend money. Internet technology makes it all more efficient and getting a better deal when you do buy something. We first started with coupons and that was a huge success. Then we added restaurant coupons, etc. and the cashback on online purchases.

TG: What is Befrugal.com and how does it work?

Jon: The first thing is to sign up for a free account on our website. Just an email is required, no credit card. Membership is free. Once your account is set up, then you are free to browse through the tabs. For example if you are looking for an online coupon for a store you want to shop at you can do a search for that store and find coupons. We have over 200 chains of stores. There are online coupons for 40,000+ stores. After you have your coupon, you click on complete purchase. There is an average of $27 off with coupons. We also offer an average of 7% cashback.(This was just recently updated here.) You can double up on cashback and coupons for more savings! The savings can be pretty significant.

The coupons savings is seen at the point of purchase. The cashback is credited to your BeFrugal account and needs to reach a $25 balance as that is the minimum withdrawl.

Shopping Tips

TG: What are some of the biggest shopping tips you can offer my readers?

Jon: The cool thing about online shopping is that you can do your research first online even if you do your shopping offline. You can print your coupons before going into the store.
1. Shop online as much as possible. No standing in lines with people behind you waiting. Online shopping saves time and gas, which equals money saved too.
2. Budget.
3. Use promo codes.
4. Use BeFrugal.com because it’s much easier to stay organized.
5. Use cashback and coupons.
6. Use a rewards credit card with your cashback and coupons. In most cases you can use all 3 together – $27, 7% and another 1-2% saved adds up.
All of these are available thru BeFrugal.com

I appreciate the time Jon took to speak with me. Please check out BeFrugal.com to increase your savings today.