Now 50% Off!!

If you have yet to order an Entertainment Book for 2009, now is the time. All 2009 books are now 50% Off!! You still have plenty of time to use the coupons....through the end of the year. These book are filled with 1/2 off, B1G1, and money savings off coupons good on everything from restaurants, attractions, car rentals, sporting events, and much,much more!!

You can even preview the book for your area and check the price of your area book as well here.

CoCo Key Discount Water Passes....

This post is especially for the locals! CoCo Key Indoor Water Resort in South Jersey has just recently opened up a location in our area. Even if the temperature outside is 35 degrees...you can still have a great day in the tropics!! With water slides, lily pads, water basketball, a spa...and so much more...it's sure to be a fun-filled day!!

CoCo Key is now offering a Mommy and Me special with $15 day passes on select Monday's in January, February and March from 10am to 3pm. Purchase tickets in advance online here to receive this discount. Use promo code: Mommy when booking. Admission for children under 24 months is free of charge. It looks like CoCo sells out rather quickly too...so be sure to check the date you plan on going here!!

Have Fun if you go!!

Get $10 Back.....

P&G and Sam's Club have teamed up for this promotion. Spend $50 on P&G products now through January 31, 2009 at your local Sam's Club and receive a $10 Sam's gift card by mail. The purchases do not all have to be made in one transaction either!!

Then just simply circle the P&G items on your Sam's receipt/receipts, print this form here, fill it out, and them send it off by February 14th, 2009. You should receive your gift card in about 6-8 weeks. Limit one per household/name.

Mastercard Savings....

Received this reader tip from Mary, just wanted to pass on for all you MasterCard holders.......


Mary wrote: I also thought you and your readers might be interested in hearing about MasterCard Savings. MasterCard recently launched MasterCard Savings to help consumers save on items from more than 20,000 merchants and retailers. This easy-to-use portal makes it simple to find deals and save money on a wide variety of items – from cell phones, food and flowers to toys, clothes and designer shoes. Any MasterCard debit or prepaid card holder can sign up for the free program which allows them to search for specific brands or within certain categories for deals being offered on the products they want.

Also Consumers will no longer have to worry about missing coupons, since shoppers can opt in to be notified by email as soon as their favorite vendors or must-have items go on sale. MasterCard Savings offers more savings on holiday gifts than almost any other program - deals on the site change every day but below is a snapshot of the popular kid (and mom)-friendly items you could save on today:

FOR KIDS:
· $10 off a purchase of $50 at the Discovery Channel Store
· 10% your purchase at RightStart.com
· Free shipping at TheLandOfNod.com

FOR MOM:
· $20 off your purchase of $100 at Bluefly.com
· Up to 25% AMC Movie Tickets
· Free 4-piece sample set with any $50 Origins purchase


The sign-up process is one simple step and takes less than a minute.

Thanks Mary for the great tip!! Feel free to email any more great tips you readers may have!!

Free Shipping Day!!!

Online shopping is my ultimate favorite kind of shopping....especially around the holidays!! What could be better than shopping at any hour of the day from the comfort of your own home and getting to avoid long lines at the brick and mortar checkouts? It really does have it's advantages!! Sometimes however, it's the high shipping costs that may deter me from purchasing an item online. Well.....I have great news for you if you too dislike paying shipping costs!!!

This Thursday 12/18, for the first time ever many online retailers will participate in Free Shipping Day!! The participating online merchants want you the consumer to know that you can still buy items online until 12/18, without paying expedited shipping costs to make sure your items arrive in time. Nothing like a gift coming the day after Christmas....(Not that it's ever happened to me before!!) LOL

Lots of merchants are participating...you can view the list of them here.

Adventure Aquarium Discounted Tickets.....

This post is for the locals....Did you know that you can get discounted Adventure Aquarium Tickets at your local Acme Markets? Well....it is true, you can!! Just stop by your local Acme's Customer Service Desk to buy tickets for just $13.50 for adults (Regularly $18.95) and $11.50 for children ages 2-11 (Regularly $14.95). Children under 2 are free.

We've been and the kiddies really had a great time exploring the aquarium...so much to see and do!! I just recommend packing your lunch!!

Recycle Those Lights....Hurry Though!!

Have any old or non-working strings of Christmas lights in your attic?? Well....go dig them out!! Hurry!! This weekend only Home Depot is offering you a $3.00 credit for those old lights when you purchase any LED Christmas Lights.

There is a limit of five $3.00 discounts per person. Also vaild at YardBird stores. Can not be combined with any other offer.

Are You An Online Shopper??

Each and every year...it seems like I am becoming more and more of an online shopper. What can I say it is just plain old easier to comparison shop online than me running to 3 different traditional brick & mortar stores with the kiddies in tow. So if I can find a great deal on an item online that I am looking to purchase....then I am all for it!! What could be better than shopping in your P.J's right??? Most times the deals can be found......but it's the high shipping charges that can make the deal...well, not so good.

That is where FreeShipping.org can help! They offer free shipping codes to over 800 stores that we shop online day in and day out. All you do is search the site by store name, category, or even soon to be expired codes. Your results will pop up in an instant with any free shipping promo codes out there. It's just that easy!! And best of all it is totally FREE to use!!!

Some codes do require a minimum purchase to be made...but it is clearly stated under the code. This is just another great tool to use to save on shipping charges....especially with all the holiday shopping to be done over the next month or so!!

Happy Free Shipping to you!!!

Never Get To Comfy.....

Our auto insurance 6 month premium is due at the end of this month...so 2 weeks ago we received our renewal packet from our current auto insurance company Allstate. In the past 6 months we have had no accidents, have not gotten any new vehicles, and have not received any citations. Yet...or insurance increased $200 over the next 6 months ($400 for the next year). I was confused, as I thought auto insurance was supposed to lower due to good driving. So hubby called up to see why the rates were increasing....they said they had a rate increase approved across the board for all customers.

So, we decided to call around and see if we could find a better rate?? We called 3 other carriers and ended up finding a better rate with a savings of $380 cheaper a year with the same limits we currently have on our vehicles with Allstate. WOW!! I was impressed!! I know that sometimes it is just easier to leave things the way they are...but for just three 10-15 minute calls for estimates we have saved ourselves $380!! That half hour or so on the phone was well worth it!! You just never know until you try!!!

Have you had a similar situation? What did you get a lower price on?

The Most Obvious Place.....

We are planning a little summer get-a-way to Hershey Park in a few weeks...so we knew it was about time to book the hotel. Little Man....really wanted to go camping...but I thought Little Miss was still a bit young for that yet. They actually have a Hershey Campground.....but we will hold off on that experience for another time....Yeah!...LOL LOL

Hubby and I went online on a few different occassions to check out the many hotels near Hershey Park....it was a bit mind boggling at time...LOL LOL The only criteria we really had was that it was clean, had a pool...and did not resemble the "Bates Motel" Yuck! Many years back before we had the kiddies...the two of us took a long weekend to Hershey Park. We had sent away for Hershey Brochure's filled with stuff to do, hotels, rates, and eateries. We choose from the brochure pictures and info that we had recieved. We choose a cheaper motel....about 2 miles from Hershey Park....and let me just tell you...it was gross!!!! You get what you pay for...in thie instance, for sure!! So this time around...we were playing it a bit safer! We were reading reviews, checking out pictures, and taking our time making a decision...not just picking a place out of the blue!!

We checked Expedia, Orbitz, Hotel Discounts, and Travelocity. We were getting very similar rates between all the sites...at pretty affordable prices. Then hubby decided to look on each hotel's actual website to see even more pictures, read more customer reviews, etc. Then he happened to enter in the dates were planning on visiting...and up pops a window with rates $15 a night cheaper!!! WoW!! If that was not the most obvious place to look for rates??? Who would of known?? I thought all the above sites were supposed to be discounted sites?? Apparently not every time!!

Gas Savings Tips...

It's Tipster Tuesday at BeCentsAble...and this week is all about saving some money on the gas bill.... It is not looking like gas prices will fall anytime soon...so save where you can!! Here are a few things our family does to help save on the gas to make fill-ups a bit less painful these days.....

*Pay Cash and Save....In our neck of the woods....as gasoline prices keep rising...fuel stations are now charging more (about 10 cents more) per gallon of gas when you pay using a credit card!!! So I am a cash paying gas girl all the way these days!!!


*We Purchased a 4 Cylinder Auto......We actually did this a few months ago...before gas prices got as high as they are now....but we just had a feeling that they would keep rising. So we let go of our gas guzzler...and traded it in for a 4-cylinder!! I do miss all the room I had in the full soze SUV....but man my wallet would of been empty a lot sooner if I still had it...LOL LOL

*Combine Trips to the Store.....I always try not to run out to just make a trip to one store. Where we live stores are very close togther so parking in the shopping center and hitting two stores at once is a better plan. Plus, this eliminates the need to take the kiddies in and out of the car too many times per outing!!!

*Check the Prices....Near our home there are a few gas stations that are usually about 10 cents or so cheaper than the others. Be sure to look at the price before you pull in!! Also Sam's Club or others aften offer gas at cheaper prices then regular stations.

*Drive A Little Slower.... I will admit....since the kiddies came I drive like Granda!!! No need to race off the line when the light changes green.....I have plenty of time and a little extra gas as well!!

Would you like to see more ways to save on gas....Be sure to checkout BeCentsAble for more tips!!

Everyday Products....And Different Ways to Use Them

I was online the other day and I was looking for ways to fertilize the lawn without using chemicals (As Little Miss loves to play on the grass!!)....and I stumbled upon a site called Joey Green...wacky uses for well known products that you probably already have in your house. It was very interesting to find out the many, many uses for products like Soda, Cheerios, Syrup, Bleach, and many, many more!! There is a list of at least 50 different items each one with many different uses.

In my search for lawn fertilizer I learned that I can mix one cup Listerine, one cup Epsom salts, one cup liquid soap, and one cup ammonia in a one-quart jar, and fill the rest of the jar with beer. Then spray using a hose-sprayer on the lawn in May and again in late June..it will fertilize the lawn perfectly!!

No need to fertilize the lawn at your house....then maybe you would like to check out the other uses for Listerine here.

I guess I have been living under a rock...because I have learned that Joey Green has been on many talk-shows and morning news programs with all this useful info many times!! Yes...I may be late in finding this all out....but hey better late than never!!

Tipster Tuesday...

It's Tipster Tuesday over at BeCentsAble and this week is all about saving water. Here are a few ways our family has grown accustomed to saving water where we can in our daily lives..... They may seem like simple little things...and most of them are, the simpler the easier to save, right??


*Turn the Water Off When Brushing Our Teeth- All we do it turn it on to wet the toothbrush and fill up a cup of water. No need to leave it running while brushing, for what??

*No Pre Washing the Dishes- We just stick them in the dishwasher and walla...they come out sparkling!! We only run it when it is full as well.

*Water Our Lawn Early....In the summer months when it gets real hot, humid and no rain in sight...watering our lawn sometimes becomes a must!! So if need be we make sure to water in the early AM...before it gets too hot out....eliminating the possibility for the water to evaporate.

*Keep the Lawn High....Hubby mows our lawn at the highest lawn mower setting possible.....this keeps the grass blades higher and helps shade the root system and retain more moisture. This means less watering of our lawn.

*Reuse the Pool Water....Whenever the kiddies are hot....they love to play in the kiddies pool in our backyard...Fun, Fun, Fun. When they are all done playing in it....instead of just dumping the water...I use to water my flower pots, or plants around the yard!

*Mulch Our Beds.....Every spring we get a truckload of mulch delivered to spread on top of all our flowers beds. The mulch helps retain the water...oh and another plus is that it keeps most weeds out too!!

Do you have a great way your family saves on the water bill?? Need more ideas on cutting water usage down?? Head to BeCentsAble for ways other are cutting back as well!!

The Latte Effect.....Is it Dwindling??

I read this very interesting article yesterday in our local Sunday paper......yes, I know it is Wednesday...so I am a little behind on my reading......I need to get with it, I know!! It was a great article about the state of the economy and the way people are giving up the little things to save a bit of cash where ever and whenever they can. It even states that by skipping the $1.50 soda at lunch every weekday...can save you almost $400 a year!!! It just reminds us of how the small things really do add up over time!!

I especially liked the part of the article where the mother started making her own Lunchables for her kiddies using a cookie cutter and lunch meat & cheeses!!! WOW!! Great idea!!! I think Little Man would think I was mom of the year to actually have Lunchable-Wanna-Be's in the house!!!! I refuse to pay $4 for one...and they very seldom go on sale!!!

Actually at Target just the other day they had in the Dollar Spot section a Lightening McQueen Sandwich case....if I stuck the Wanna-Be-Lunchable slices in the McQueen case for outings...then I think I would be "Mom of the Year"!!! Not to mention how I could stick fruit shapes in as well!! Wow!! I cannot wait for a picnic at the park to give this great idea a try!!! I'm so excited!!

Have you tried making homemade Lunchables? Or is there something else you make homemade verses buying it pre-packaged and your kiddies love it?? We'd love to hear!!!

To read the whole article Click Here.

Our Green Ways............

It's Tipster Tuesday at Be CentsAble....This week it is all about savings on that electricity bill!! So I thought I would join in on the fun and share some things our family does to save a bit! Here it goes......

-Change the Furnace Filter- Hubby change ours about once a month. It is amazing to see all the dust and dirt that piles up on the filter when the month is over!! Changing the filter is a great way to prolong the life of your heater.

-Turn the Lights Out- Whenever we leave a room....we try our best to remember to turn the light out....I am still working on hubby with this one...but Little man and I have it down!! LOL LOL

-Hang Dry Our Laundry- Yes, we are a clothes line hanging family!! Not only will this save you a little on your electricity bill....but will also keep your clothes from shrinking and looking less fading too!! I just toss the load in the dryer for just 10 minutes (gets the wrinkles out)then take them out and hang dry them on the line.

-Use Motion Lights Outdoors- These lights are great!! We have one out back and one out front...this way when we come home late at night the light automatically turns on for us to get into the house!! The one in the back is good for taking out the trash at night....I would hate to run into a raccoon in the trash can...AHH!!! You can set them for the amount of minutes you would like them to stay on. We love them!!

-Install A Dimmer Switch- The light in our Dining Room was so bright when we moved in...it was annoying, so hubby installed a dimmer switch. This not only reduces the bright light, but also saves electricity too!!

These are just some of the ways our family tries our best to keep the electricity bill down each month. Most are very simple, and very easy to do. In fact we are so used to them....it's just part of our routine now.

How does your family save a little green on your electricity bill??? Hey...our family could always be greener!! LOL LOL

Oatmeal Lovers In You House??

My two kiddies just love Instant Oatmeal....between the two of them we go through a box a week. My Little Man has been eating it for years...and Little Miss has grown to love it just as much!!! They eat it most mornings for breakfast...and even sometimes for a snack in the afternoon on occasion.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal very rarely goes on sale....and at regular price of around $3.50-$4.00 a box...it can start to add up quickly week after week. Plus it is rather rare to find coupons for it...now and again maybe but not regularly! Knowing that Little Man loved it I would always check our local stores to find the cheapest price. I found that Shop Rite carries their store brand Instant Oatmeal for just $1.50 a box an everyday low price!! If a ShopRite is not in your area.......Check Target. Near me Target has the next cheapest at $1.69 a box for Market Pantry brand. I have tasted both brands and they both taste just like Quaker!

So why Instant?? Yes, it may be a bit cheaper for me to purchase a container of Quaker Quick Oats and cook them myself for the kiddies...asI would get a few more bowls of oatmeal out of it. But they usually both wake up at different times....and if you have ever tasted hour old oatmeal....you would agree not to serve it to the kiddies as well...LOL LOL I also sometimes pop a packet in the diaper bag when we are heading out....if all else fails I know Little Miss will eat oatmeal anytime! They are also a fan of the different flavor varities....this way as to not eat the same thing everyday.

Just in case you have an oatmeal lover in your home as well...

A Great BBQ on a Budget....

This past weekend we had a BBQ with lots of family and friends over...Tis the season! I love to have backyard BBQ's as it is great to have friends & family over to talk, catch up, let the kiddies play and have fun....Oh and of course eat lots of delicious food as well!! We usually have a few small BBQ's a season....and since the costs can add up quickly there are a few things we like to do to try and keep the party budget as close to on target as possible while still having a great time!!

1. Make a Budget and Stick to It- I always have a round about idea of what a summer BBQ will run us before I even start inviting. This is very important...as then you know what to expect to have put out....one less surprise! I always write a list of what I will serve, how many guests I will invite, beverages we will serve, kids fun activities we will have, supplies we will need (paper goods, cups, utensils, etc.).

2. Have Guests Bring Something- Anytime we are ever invited to a get-together (with the exception of a Birthday party...as then we bring a gift) We always bring something....an appetizer, or perhaps a dessert I homemade. Most times when I RSVP that we will be attending I ask the host "Is there is anything special you would like me to bring?" I do not mind bringing a dish......as it is just my little way of showing the host/hosts "Thanks so much for Having Us"!!!

3. Keep the Menu Simple- Go with the less is more approach. This way whatever food you do offer you are able to spend a bit more time preparing and perfecting it. You will also save yourself from going crazy trying to make so many different things the night before or morning of the BBQ!! Also plan your menu around what meat is one sale that week or buy meat in bulk at the Wholesale Club (Sam's Costco, B.J's). Plus, remember guests are going to be bringing a dish as well!!

4. Are Kids Attending?- If so you may want to have a few activities planned for them to keep busy and have fun while at your home too!! Some great things we have done at BBQ's that the kiddies really enjoyed were hitting the pinata, having a slip n slide or kiddie pool, making sand art, running threw the sprinkler , playing Play-Doh, having water balloons for tosses, making Lei's using dyed macaroni (which I dye ahead of time, of course)...and the list just goes on!! Just think of a few fun things your kiddies like to do...or ask them what kind of fun things they might like to do at the summer BBQ!

5. Keep Invites Simple- Invite Guests by using Evite, or make some phone calls....this will avoid the cost of invitations and postage stamps. I have used Evite for a few occasions....and I love it!! It is very easy to use, free, and guests reply back right online. And for those guests that do not have Internet access just simply give them a call.

6. Keep Drink Selection to a Minimum- I love to just get the Party Cocktail Buckets, some beer, a pitcher of iced tea, water, and a few bottles of soda. I am sure as long as you offer a few different choices your guests will be more than happy with the selection!! Oh and remember....if you are having a huge number of guests...look into the price of a keg...as it may be cheaper than purchasing cases!

Is there a certain something that is a MUST when planning your summertime backyard BBQ?? Any tips to share to help us save a bit more? Something you've tried to save a little money that did not pan out as you'd of hoped??

It'a Amusement Park Time......

Ahh Yes.....The Summer is upon us....especially here...for the past few days it's been well over 90 degrees!! So who does not like to have a few family fun days at the amusements parks with the family??? I know we go to at least 2 different parks a season....as Little Man just loves them!!! The day can get expensive rather quickly if you do not plan ahead...admission, parking, lunch, snacks, etc!! Here are a few things we have learned over the past two years about Amusement Park trips....

1. Always Pack a Lunch and Plenty of Snacks- Amusements parks are known for the fun times, the rides, and the entertainment..not the food!! It is over-priced and not very tasty....actually some of it we've tasted kind of reminds me of cafeteria food...LOL LOL We always stop at Wawa and pick up some Hoagies before hand...we also pack snacks, lots of water, juice boxes, and fruit in a cooler. Most parks even have picnic areas for you to sit and relax while eating.

2. Pack the Essentials- Make sure you have sunblock, water shoes, towels, cash, waterproof camera, sunglasses, and anything else you think you may need to keep you comfortable and safe from a day in the hot sun. At the park the mark up on these "need to have" items is a big hunk of cash...so plan ahead and save a few bucks!!!

3. Use A Coupon- Who says you can not have loads and loads of "Fun" at a discount??? Sure you can...and guess what at the discounted Price you will have just as much fun as the guy who paid full price..can't beat that!!! Here are a few great coupon offers for Amusement Parks near us.....

Six Flags Great Adventure- Head to Wawa they have coupons for $20 off the price of admission on weekends for up to 4 people OR B1G1 FREE admission on the weekdays.

Or Cans of Coke have B1G1 FREE on weekdays admission or $15.00 off on Weekends
The Coke Can also have a coupon on it for $5.00 off a Daily Admission to Hurricane Harbor. Coke Can coupons are vaild until 9/1/08.

Hershey Park-click here for participating coupon partners near you.

Sesame Place- Purchase a single-day ticket online here and enter discount code: sesamebugaboo for $5 off Admission.

Or if you are going during the week verses a weekend...use code: sesamewendypa to save $6.00 off regular priced 1-Day Admission.

Sesame Place also offers a AAA discount to members...you need to show your AAA membership at the ticket booth.


*Also remember military families can get into Sesame Place for FREE!! You just have to have your Id's with you!!

Dorney Park-You can find $10 off coupons at Some Acme Supermarkets and Burger King Restaurants.

4. Have Fun- Enjoy your day!! Act like a kid for the day....it's O.K. your allowed to today!!

Bartering....Have You Tried It?

Have you ever bartered before?? Meaning have you ever traded services or goods without the exchange of money?? Now that economy is not as good as it used to be I hear that bartering is the new up and coming way to get theings and services you need. I am now noticing more ads in my local newspaper for bartering goods and services, plus Craigslist has a Bartering Category that is pretty popular these days. I myself have never tried it.... Sounds like a great idea though. Itseems like a great way to get rid of items you are no longer using or need and exchange them for an item/items that you would love to own or want. Now that I think back maybe I could have bartered some of Little Miss's baby items?? Would someone really want them? Would they really have something I needed or would have wanted in return? I had never even thought about it??

I would love to know if you have bartered before? Did it work out? Now that you look back was it a good experience for you? Any downside to the barter you participated in? Please share...as I am very curious to see if it actually works out well for both sides.

Pay With Paypal & Save....

Do you have a PayPal Account? Do you like to use it while shopping online? I must admit I do have one, but rarely use it as much as I used too. (Ebay is just not what it used to be!!)lol lol I did use it back around the winter holidays...when PayPal was offering a big discount at Shoe Buy if you paid with Paypal....something like $20 off a $50 purchase. That was a great deal for me to buy 2 Christmas presents while saving a good amount too!!

Well, PayPal is once again offering discounts if you purchase using PayPal at certain online sites. The discounts range from Free Shipping to money off your purchase. Hey every little bit helps, right!!

For a complete list of all the discounts being offered at certain sites click here.

Happy Savings:-)