Who Loves Freebies??

I mention the website MoneySavingMom.com ALL THE TIME, but I again want to just say how great it is! Thanks to this website, over the past few months I have signed up for free magazine offer after free magazine offer and have recently started receiving these magazines. I have a serious weakness for magazines, but I could never actually pay for a subscription to one. You will, however, find me in the grocery checkout line scanning the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living or Good Housekeeping. Well now, I don't have to! In the past few weeks, I have received probably a dozen magazines and have enjoyed reading them all! Magazines are also great resources for kids' projects! So I'm excited to have a free stockpile. :) This is just a few of the magazines I've received absolutely free:

Have you received any great freebies lately? Do you break into a sprint every time you see the mailman coming? Please tell me I'm not alone!!! :)

Don't Miss Out!

If you haven't already done so, head on over to MoneySavingMom to register for the $500 Home Depot gift card giveaway! But you have to be fast - the giveaway ends at 6pm tomorrow (Thursday, December 11), so get going!

Click here to go directly to the giveaway!

Freebie Friday!!

Yep, it's a double feature Friday! You get both a "foto" and a freebie!

Snapfish is offering one free 20-page 8x11 photobook! The credit must be requested TODAY and the book must be ordered by Sunday. If you've got a few minutes to put together a book this weekend, I'd jump on this! (These books are usually $30 each.) Click here to get yours!

Free Movies!!

I happened to drive past Family Video Store this weekend and noticed a sign that said "Rent Free Videos Today - 30th Anniversary!"

OF COURSE I stopped. :) What I found inside was pretty fun! Now through November 17th (next Monday) you can rent two of the 2/$1 movies absolutely free. Two rentals per family per visit. Apparently this has been going on for almost a month but I just found out about it. If you have some extra time this week, stop by your local Family Video Store and grab some free movies. Sure, they're not the new releases, but they're still free!

(The information inside the store indicated that this was going on nationwide, but if you want to be on the safe side call your local Family Video Store to be sure!)

UPDATE: It turns out "Family Video Store" is not so family-oriented after all. I emailed this to someone who politely informed me that Family Video Store sells porn. I Googled this to see if ALL Family Videos sell porn or just select branches. What I found was that, unless it conflicts with state law (usually prohibiting it in select areas such as within 500 feet of a church or school), it is a rarity to find a store that does not sell it.

What?! I have never seen a "back room" at OUR store, but then again...I guess I've never looked either. I am so discouraged. I guess that's why their movies are so cheap. I do not plan to buy movies from them again. Does anyone know if the other major movie rental stores sell porn?

....and to think we've been buying from them for years....

"The problems associated with rampant pornography in today's society are well documented. Among other things, porn usage can ruin a marriage, distort a man's view of women into mere objects of lust, or porn can lead to inappropriate and destructive actions....Porn use is so common among sex crimes perpetrators that some state's law enforcement agencies are now considering tracking its connection in the lives of suspects and convicted felons." (Indiana Family Voice, November 2004)

If this information bothers you as much as it does me, I encourage you to check out your Family Video Store. If they are selling porn, write to your store's manager and inform him/her that you will be taking your business elsewhere for this very reason. Some people think boycotts are pointless and that they never get anything accomplished. This is NOT TRUE, as was learned by the community in Frankfort, IN, who successfully shut down the selling of porn at both Family Video and Movie Gallery (a well-known porn seller) a few years ago.

"We know that such successes will not shut off the supply of smut in these towns, but if one divorce is prevented, one rape is stopped, or one child is protected, all our efforts will have been worthwhile." (Indiana Family Voice, November 2004)

Today's the Day - VOTE (and lots of freebies!)

I found this on Biblical Womanhood's site and it really was very good. Please watch it. Your vote does matter!



After you vote, check out all the free things to get:

•Coffee. Starbucks expects to hand out "hundreds of thousands" of free 12-ounce drip coffees (valued at about $1.75 each), says spokeswoman Jenny McCabe. "If everyone who votes comes in for a free cup of coffee, we'll have some lines," she says.

•Doughnuts. Some 85 of Krispy Kreme's 231 locations in the U.S. will hand out star-shaped, red-white-and-blue sprinkled doughnuts "while supplies last," says spokesperson Dana Hughens. The chain will give out about 200,000 doughnuts valued at 99 cents each. "People are definitely talking about the brand as a result of this," she says. Call your local Krispy Kreme to find out if they are participating.

•Ice cream. Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in each time zone, Ben & Jerry's ice cream shops will hand out single-scoop ice cream cones (a $3.40 value). "What better way to encourage people to be politically active than to give away free ice cream?" asks spokeswoman Liz Brenna.

•Sandwiches. In a local market promotion, several hundred of the nation's 1,400 Chick-fil-A stores will hand out $2.70 chicken sandwiches to adults who show proof that they voted, says spokesman Jerry Johnston.

Information found here.

Free Ice Cream!!

Tonight, from 5-8pm, Cold Stone Creameries nationwide are offering 1 free 3-oz. serving of ice cream! You can choose from one of two creations:

1. Jack's Creation - Marshmallow ice cream with OREO® Cookies, Chocolate Chips and Fudge

2. Emily's Creation - Nutter Butter® ice cream with White Chocolate Chips, Kit Kat® and Yellow Cake

Donations will be accepted for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. More details here.

And if you love Cold Stone as much as I do, you'll also want to sign up for their birthday club here so you can receive free ice cream on your birthday!

Crazy Massive Coupon Giveaway!

****We have a winner. Stacy, who is not a blogger, won this week's giveaway. Thank you all so much for entering and leaving your interesting comments. Please check back often, as we plan to do more coupon giveaways in the future. Thank again!

I have never done a giveaway before so here goes. I have an unbelievable amount of coupons. Half of them are clipped and half of them need to be clipped. The soonest expiration date is September 6th, but most of them don't expire until October or November and some don't expire until 2009.

To enter, simply leave a comment about what topics you like to read about on blogs. You will need to leave a valid e-mail address so I can let you know when you won and to get your mailing address. Your coupons will be mailed to you on Friday, August 29th via USPS Priority mail.

Only one entry per person. Giveaway will end Thursday, August 28th at 11pm EST.

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced Friday morning, August 29, 2008.

Good luck,
Gretchen

Frugal Friday - How to find free produce

We had our monthly meeting for our Once A Month Cooking Club last night. Lately, we have been trying to do different things during that night. Last month we made a bag (sewing). This month we had a guest speaker show us how to make and can applesauce. She also gave us some tips on where to find free produce.

Here are her suggestions:

1. Obviously, grow fruits or vegetables yourself. She has quite a big garden. She had also gotten 4 apple trees as a gift a few years ago. We used these apples to make the applesauce with. She also planted a few blueberry bushes.
2. Be a scavenger. She advised us to find produce where we can. She gets wild raspberries from some bushes right on her property line. She gets them a few other places like by the railroad tracks as well. She also suggested we go to orchards and pick up the apples that have fallen from the ground. Make sure they are not rotten, but she said you can get these for a reduced price and sometimes for free. She also suggested just asking people. She has often knocked on someone’s door that might have a peach tree that looks like the peaches may go to waste. She just asks them if she can pick some (ALWAYS ask first!). Then she will offer to bring them back some preserves or whatever she might do with them.
3. Ask friends and neighbors who might have extra produce. Many people will grow tomatoes in the summer and a lot of them usually have an abundance. Ask them if you can trade some produce or offer to do something for them in return.
4. You could also possibly trade or get some free produce on FreeCycle.org. I have personally never done this, but I have seen others that this has worked for.

Here is a personal story of my recent scavenger finds. Heidi (the creator of this blog) informed me that there were wild blueberry bushes in front of our local Chick Fil A restaurant. She asked the manager if she could pick them and he said yes. When she wanted to pick them they were not ripe yet. So she told me about this and another friend and I went to pick quite a few yesterday. Of course we asked first, and they said we could. Heidi was still out of town, but we may have to go again when she gets back because we left plenty more.

So you can get free (or very cheap produce) if you are creative. Especially now when crops are being harvested and there are still places to find corn, green beans, peaches, blueberries and many other things. Leave a comment if you have also done something like this.

For other frugal ideas, please visit Biblical Womanhood.

Money Monday - Restaurant Freebies!

My family LOVES Little Caesar's pizza! I mean, you really can't beat a huge pizza for just $5. And it's delicious too! Well, the good news just got better. Through the end of July, you can use this coupon for get an order of Crazy Bread (a $4 value, I believe) FREE with purchase of a pizza! Nice! (Thanks, MoneySavingMom!)



I also heart Chick-Fil-A - not because of their chicken but because of their ongoing stand as a Christian company. All restaurant managers and owners know that Sundays are the biggest day for restaurant business, but Chick-Fil-A has still never been open on a Sunday. Sure, it's a disappointment when I plan to use my Free Coffee coupon on the way to church and then realize they are closed, but I admire them for giving their employees the day off in order to attend a worship service. Thank you, Chick-Fil-A!

Anyway, onto the deal! Chick-Fil-A is celebrating Cow Appreciation Day on Friday, July 11, 2008. If you dress head-to-toe like a cow you'll receive a free combo meal. If you wear a cow accessory you'll receive a free entree item. More details here. As Crystal stated, do not go out and buy something to make your costume otherwise it ruins the whole concept of the food being free! Chick-Fil-A has some ideas here!

Free Appetizer at T.G.I. Friday's!

Some of you know that T.G.I. Friday's used to have a card called a "Gold Points" card. They have recently done away with their old system and have come out with a new and improved (or so they say) card called "Give Me More Stripes".

If you sign up for this new card, you will receive a free appetizer! Now, the Gold Points "free" appetizer was actually $8 off any appetizer, but since there are several under $8 - no big deal! I'm not sure if this one will be the same but either way it's still at least an $8 coupon!

Go here to sign up. Your card will be mailed to you in 10-12 days!

**UPDATE**
I've been told the free appetizer is good on ANY appetizer. Can anyone else confirm this at their local restaurant?

Free Movies at Kerasotes Theaters!

I received this email this morning and I'm SO excited! We've been talking about taking our kids to the theater for quite some time now (they are 3, 2, and 9 months) but we just couldn't quite justify the expense in the event that we needed to take them out screaming . :)

But it looks like Kerasotes has found an excellent solution! Free admission to select family movies on Wednesdays and Thursdays this summer @ 10am! See below for full details.

Freebie Friday!!

A few days ago, I posted a coupon for a free donut at Krispy Kreme. Well, today no coupon is needed!

Today is Doughnut Day at Krispy Kreme! They are offering one free doughnut of your choice! Just to be safe, you may want to call your local store to make sure they are participating. :)

Go enjoy the melt-in-your-mouthyness of these delicious donuts!

Click here for more Freebies.

Free Krispy Kreme Donut!

I received an email today from Krispy Kreme with a coupon for a free donut! The emailed encouraged me to email the coupon to friends, so I think it's safe to say it's okay to share it on here as well!

WOO HOO! for a free donut!

Here is the coupon:

Just save and print! (Expires July 8th)

Freebie Friday!!

Yep, that's right. I'm still mixing it up. I settled on Freebie Friday today since I know of several freebies at the moment that I want to share with all of you!


400 Free Digital Photo Prints and a Photo Book
ArtsCow is a new digital photo printing company and is doing an excellent promotion to get things kicked off! Get 200 free 4x6 prints, 200 free 5x7 prints, and a free 8x8 custom cover photo book just for signing up! On top of that, when you refer someone who places an order with ArtsCow, you get another 200 free prints! (And of course your friend gets the same great deal you got!) This is for a limited time, so don't wait long!


Free Ice Cream On Mother's Day (Thanks, Money Saving Mom!)

If you're a mom, you can get a free cup or cone for Mother's Day at TCBY. Details are here. (Be sure to contact your store ahead of time to make sure they are participating.)


There is also a rumor that Cold Stone Creamery stores will offer a free Like-It size with up to 3 mix-ins to mothers on Mother's Day, Sunday May 11, 2008. Apparently this was advertised in some of the coupon circulars last Sunday across the nation, but be sure to call your local store to see if they are participating.


Free Dessert in the Month of May
Sign up for Boston Market's Mom's Party and receive a coupon for a free dessert, good all month long. (Meal purchase required).


Free Chicken Biscuit or Sandwich

Try the new Southern Style Chicken Biscuit (AM hours) or Sandwich (PM hours) free with the purchase of a medium or large drink on Thursday, May 15.


Any other excellent freebies available right now??

Money Monday - Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night Is Coming!

This Wednesday, April 30th is Baskin Robbins' annual 31 cent scoop night to honor America's firefighters. Participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents. At some locations, you may also have an opportunity to make a donation to your local fire charities.

Oh, and here's the kicker: Limit 10 scoops per person per purchase! Hahaha. I think I'm covered. :)

For full details, click here.

Money Monday - Free Pet Goodies!

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for this one:

PetSmart is hosting a nationwide pet birthday party at almost all of their locations Tuesday, April 22, 2008 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Includes a free goodie bag, prizes, and free digital photo of you and your pet. Click here for more details.

Tax Day Freebies!!

Thanks to iMommies, NewsObserver, and MoneySavingMom for some of these great deals!

Valid Tuesday, April 15th Only

1.) Free Donut with any Dunkin’ Donuts hot coffee purchase: A coupon is not required (click HERE to access proof of this offer on the Dunkin’ Donuts website). Thanks, Elizabeth!

2.) Fifteen (15) free prints from Walgreens Photo: Orders must be placed by 11:59pm (Central Time) on 04/15. Click HERE to order online, and enter code TAXDAY at checkout. Thanks, KD!

3.) Free Basic Version of H&R Block’s TaxCut Online: This is not a reward for procrastinating - it just looks like one! Click HERE. Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

4.) Free Tax Return Hard Copies: Make copies of your 2007 return at Staples or Office Depot (all locations). Staples is offering free copies, up to 20 pages; and Office Depot is offering up to 25 pages. (You can also request hard copies from the IRS - click HERE for details.)

5.) Free Tax Day Greeting Card: If you want to remind someone else to finish his or her taxes, American Greetings, Hallmark and other online card companies will let you send free "happy" or "freak out" tax day cards. At American Greetings' site, search by "tax day."

6.) Free Champagne: I don't personally drink, but I've heard that some Charleston restaurants are offering a free glass of champagne to anyone with a post office receipt or online confirmation of filing.