Money-Saving Apps: Ibotta

*Disclaimer: Links provided include my referral code. All opinions expressed are my own. 

One frugal tip I have for anyone with a smart phone is to find apps that help pay YOU to use them. The good thing about such apps, is that there are many that help you earn some money by scanning receipts, getting your steps in, or get rebates back on items you'd normally purchase.

An app I use often is called Ibotta.


To use Ibotta, you open the app and select the store you're going to shop at. You can also use it for online purchase by using the app to go to the store's website.

Check through the list of things you can get a rebate on, many times there are "any brand" items that include produce, meat, or dairy products! Every so often there's an "any item" rebate for 25 cents, that adds up if you use it for each shopping trip!

Sometimes after I'm done shopping I check the app to see if anything I bought would be matched fro a rebate, but I suggest checking beforehand while you make your list if you're not brand-loyal. You can make a note to check and see if the brand available for the rebate is the better price or not. Then you scan your apps, select the rebates you've qualified for, and wait on getting that money back.

You'll be able to transfer that money back to gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and more.

My only complaint is that in my area I can't use Ibotta for Aldi. I do most of my shopping at Aldi because of their amazing products and prices, so my Ibotta rewards come from trips to Walmart, Kroger, or other stores to pick up the few things Aldi doesn't carry. If you shop at those stores normally, you would probably get even more money back from Ibotta.

Kroger 5/13

*First I'd like to note that Blogger had some issues this morning and a few of my entries have been lost. I do not know if they will come back (I really hope they will :( ) but if something seems like it is missing, it probably is.*

Since I shopped earlier this week, I did not buy much today. I just knew that the meat sales at Kroger were going to get better, so I waited on that. I even got out $20 extra when I shopped to buy meat with, so that I would be able to just keep one amount in the check book. Not having cash on me backfired again when my total was $20.27. Oops ;) Not too shabby though.

One tip for Kroger is to follow blogs that have the ads before your area. For me, Kroger has their sales start on Thursdays. When I follow blogs like Dealseekingmom.com I get to see their ads start on Monday. Not everything will be identical, but you can get an idea of what the sales will be like. You can also start locating coupons that would help you during this time too.

These were my freebies! I got a Free Breve Creme coupon from Vocalpoint. I actually intended to use this on my last shopping trip, but I forgot I had an ecoupon loaded onto it and now Kroger will not let you use both an ecoupon and a paper one for the same item. I also got the Magnum classic completely free from an ecoupon on my Kroger card. So they aren't all bad. The Softsoap was on sale for $1, and I had a 50 cent coupon that doubled to make it free.

Meat can be difficult to get for cheap. Kroger had great sales this week, Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts were only $1.77 a pound! I also got 2 Angus Chuck Roasts and an Angus Flat Steak. On top of the good sales, I had a $3 off $15 coupon that Kroger sent and a $1 of Angus coupon, so my meat was $4 cheaper!

Spending only $20.27 was not bad for all that I got and I have well over 2 weeks of meals ready to plan now (adding in the meat I bought with what I had in the freezer).

I plan to make a post going over how to menu plan later, so look for that!

Toys R Us Great Bike Trade In

Sometimes things just work out with perfect timing. My daughter wanted to learn how to ride her bike without training wheels but it wasn't until we took them off that we realized that she was too tall for her bike. She got it on her 5th birthday (and will be 8 in August) so we should have known this was coming.

My husband started checking out bikes online and he saw that Toys R Us was having The Great Bike Trade In (last day is today 3/26) and we could get $20, $30, or $50 off a new bike (we figured it'd be $20 off because even with a discount we had a budget). Though her bike wasn't in horrible condition, we knew that we would never get $20 from a well-loved 3 year old bike.

We were already planning to get my son a new one since my almost 5 year old was still using his tricycle (that was his sister's 3rd birthday present) but we wanted to keep the tricycle for my youngest son to use. A friend offered to let us have an older bike she was planning on donating, so we were armed with 2 trade-in bikes and a helmet.

Old bikes ready to go!


Once we got there we were immediately given a coupon for the bikes and one for a helmet since we were able to find an old one to trade in as well. Then the great bike hunt was underway. We looked at every bike they had and put the kids on a few to try them out before deciding on these beauties:

The Buzzlightyear one is for my son, he was so excited about it. We were looking at price tags and that one was a bit more expensive than a plain green one would have been, but when we finally agreed to let him have it the employee told us it was the last bike with no box so it was $20 cheaper! This was such great news because it meant the bike came fully assembled and was $40 off the regular "assembled" price (after the $20 trade-in and $20 markdown for being the last one) and we got to take it home with us! My daughter picked out this beautiful purple and blue bike and it really showed me that she is growing up, since she opted for one that wasn't a character bike. We were going to just have both bikes assembled at Toys R Us ($10 more per bike, you pick them up 24 hours later) but since the Buzz bike was already fully assembled my husband decided to just put the blue together at home to save a trip (and $10). It ended up taking about an hour to get it put together.

I had a breakthrough last night when we got to see the joy on their faces as they picked out and played on their new bikes. This is why I work so hard to be frugal. Sure we probably could have waited and found second-hand bikes for them to use and they would have been great (we do that for many things like clothes and other toys). But for this moment it was nice to be able to go and pick out exactly what they wanted, and still do it in a frugal way. It was a wonderful compromise, we still saved money compared to just buying one off the shelf, but we were also able to splurge for something special.

When you decide to live a frugal lifestyle, there really isn't one set way to do so. You can follow different tips and tricks, like the ones I share here, but really in the end you need to decide what to do for your own family. I try to trim the grocery budget down as much as I can, we do not drive all over town, my kids are enrolled only in free activities, and we find many frugal forms of entertainment. Doing these things make it more comfortable for us week to week but also allow us the chance to splurge occasionally, and to feel really good when we do because it isn't an everyday thing.

What does being frugal mean to you?

Luvs Baby Wipes

I am so happy I got in on a deal posted on Money Saving Mom! These wipes were priced at only $7.00, now they are $30.24!, and I used a $5 Swagbucks giftcard making them only $2 for 864 wipes!

I have been having a pretty blah day, so when this arrived on my doorstep it made it that much better. Though now I'm a little embarrassed that a delivery of baby wipes can make my day better ;)

Kroger Deals- 3/17

I knew I should have waited on pasta!

Ronzoni pasta is on sale for 49 cents a box when you buy 10 Mega Event items. I had 3 $1/2 Smart Taste coupons and 5 $1/2 Healthy Harvest coupons. So I was paid 16 cents to take these off the shelves :)

Breakdown:
10 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest (6 Spaghetti, 4 Linguine) $1.84 ea, $18.40 total. Sale .99 ea. $9.90 total.
6 Ronzoni Smart Taste (3 Penne, 3 Rotini) $2.09 ea, $12.54 total. Sale .99 ea, $5.94 total.
Kraft Light House Italian $2.99, Sale $2.29.
Aquafresh $3.17, Sale $2.49.
2 Quaker Quakes $1.29 ea $2.58; Sale $0.79, $1.58

Total $39.68
-$17.48 Kroger Sales
-$10 Mega Event Sale
-$9 in Coupons
Total = $3.20

Not too bad :)

Kroger Deals! 3/16

I did something I haven't done in awhile, I left Kroger feeling good about what I spent! I saved $49.44 and bought what I went there to buy- which is a victory in itself! I actually saved more than the receipt reported because I bought a few things on Manager Special and that doesn't reflect the total savings on the receipt.

This was the first deal. Kroger had boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 lb, but these were marked down to $1.95 per lb (not a huge difference, but I'll take the pennies!). They also had a $1.50 coupon for the Philadelphia Cooking Creme on them, which was on sale for $2.50, so I got it for $1 each! I actually had a $1 coupon that I planned to use, so this was even better.

My next find was stew meat. Usually this is too pricey for me to get, but it was marked down to $5 cheaper than even the sale price! I buy meat in bulk and then divide it on my own to make meal-sized servings, so these packages of meat will last a long time for us.

These were completely free after coupon! I had 2 free Johnsonville coupons from my House Party left (I tried to get it before the party but my store didn't restock in time), I redeemed the free Philadelphia Cooking Creme coupon, and I had a 50 cent Softsoap coupon that doubled up to $1 making the soap free.

These were all under $1. The baby food was 89 cents (I will plan better with coupons for this next time. My son loved the sweet potatoes so I wanted to grab another one). The Ronzoni Smart Taste were $1.34 each, but I had two $1/2 coupons, making them 84 cents each. I try to hold out for free pasta or under 50 cents, but I didn't want to risk not getting any at all. I have more coupons to use if it happens to drop soon. The Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta were $1.29 and I had two $1/1 coupons making them 29 cents each. The yogurt was $2 and I had a 50 cent coupon that doubled to $1 off. I also used another $1.50 coupon from the Kraft First Taste mailer on the Cooking Creme.

I bought the two Cascade items to try them out (I'm still enjoying the novelty of a dishwasher!). The rinse aid was $3.99 on sale, I had an ecoupon (that I forgot about) for 50 cents, and a 50 coupon that doubled to $1, making it only $2.49. The dish tablets were $4.29 and I had an ecoupon for 50 cents and was able to use another $1 coupon, making it $2.81. The Bounce sheets were $4.99 and I had a 50 cent ecoupon and a 50 cent coupon that doubled to $1, making it $3.49.

I also got soda for my husband, lunchmeat, ice cream, and stuff for his lunches.

Luvs Wipes- Mini Brag

I feel so awesome right now. I ordered Luvs Wipes from Amazon.com because of a post on Money Saving Mom (the original post is gone). There was a lot of confusion based on how the wipes were described and some were saying it was only 216 wipes for $7 while others said it was 864. I ordered it just in case (and used my Swagbucks to make the price only $2) since for $2 it was worth the risk.

I emailed Amazon and got this response today:

I'm writing to follow up on our conversation about your order. I checked our records and can confirm that the Luvs Ultra Clean Wipes comes with 864 wipes (216 Count * Pack of 4).

Awesome! I am really happy that I was able to make it in time for this deal and took the chance :)

I'll have to update when they actually come, they are on backorder until later this month.

B1G1 Free Starbucks!

If you're like me, going on a Starbucks run is a nice treat but not something you usually get to do. Well, if you're near one today (11/18) through Sunday (11/21) you can make that treat even more special because you can buy one of their holiday drinks and get one FREE!

Have a coffee date with your SO or meet some friends and split the tab. What drink do you think you'll order?

Busy busy busy!

It is amazing how busy one can be with a frugal summer! I feel like I get more time with the kids and we do a lot more when I try to find the best deals. Rather than do one big vacation, we get to do a lot of daily activities. It is almost like a treasure hunt, I look around the area to see what would be fun for the kids and what free activities are going on.

This week has been spent doing VBS at my local church which has been a lot of fun for both kids. They get crafts, snacks, interaction with other kids and lessons all in 3 hours and during the 90* weather we have had it is nice to have some fun indoor activities. We have also spent this summer at the Library between story hours and special programs. They were able to watch a magician this week and it filled them with questions about how he could do the things he did and was another indoor activity they could have fun with during this heat. We also had a treat and went out to eat at McDonalds (something they rarely get) because due to the reading program at the library it was free! We have a handfull of other coupons to use for free food around the city, so we will be able to have other treats at little to no expense.

I am working on more posts but will have to have them up when I have more time :)

How are your frugal summers going? Are you seeing free movies or spending time at the library? What have you found in your area?

Frugal Finds- Freebies!

Ever wonder if it is worth it to sign up for the different freebies found online?



I think it is.

It may take awhile to start getting stuff in the mail, but if you keep signing up after awhile you'll get weekly treats in the mailbox. This is not all from one day, but was over the past couple weeks. The little lotions and hair care samples are perfect for traveling (or to keep in your travel box if you have one). I plan to use them in my hospital bag for when I deliver, so I don't need to go and buy small bottles, but still have the convenience of something travel-sized.

Another tip with the free samples is that many times you will get a higher value coupon with them. I signed up for one freebie and got a free pizza. For one of the pampers samples I got a $3.00 off coupon for any Pampers diapers.



Then when stopping by Kroger for a quick trip I saw that they had pampers marked down to $6.00 a package (regular price $9.77). Since I carry my coupons with me everywhere, I was able to pull out the $3.00 off coupon and make a pretty good deal into a really awesome one. I won't need size 5 diapers (the only ones marked down) for a while, but when I do need them I'll have them and for a cheap price.

So my tips for today are to sign up for samples whenever you see them (they can come in handy for travel, gift baskets, and come with coupons), bring your coupons with you wherever you go so that when you spot deals you are always prepared, and combine sales/clearanced prices with coupons whenever you can to make the savings even better.

Frugal Finds- Kroger 6/23

It has taken me awhile to get this post up, but I went to Kroger on Wed and though I didn't get as many deals as I had hoped for, I did find quite a few good ones :)



Ronzoni had to be the best deal (and was the reason I went Wed rather than Thurs). They were on sale for $1.00 each box. I combined that sale with 4 coupons:

(1) $1/1 = one free box of pasta
(1) $1/2 = 50 cents per box of pasta
(2) .75/1 = 25 cents per box of pasta

I bought 5 boxes to use the coupons (original price $9.70) and saved $4.70 with the sale and another $3.50 with coupons, spending only $1.50 on 5 boxes of pasta :) I won't use it all this week (and was sure to watch expiration dates) but it was better to get it now with this sale than to wait until I needed pasta to go to the store.

The Kraft Cheese was another pretty good deal. They were on sale for $1.99 for the 8oz packages. I also had a coupon for $1/2. The original price for the 2 packages of cheese would have been $8.38, but with the sale I saved $4.40 and another $1 with the coupon making it only $1.49 per package.

The Kraft Singles were a similar deal, $1.99 each package and I had a $1/2 coupon making them cheaper than the generic cheese at $1.49 a package for a total savings of $4.20.

Lifesavers were $1 each and I had a $1/2 coupon making them 50 cents a bag for a total savings of $3.78.

The marshmallows were $1 each and I had a $1/2 coupon making them 50 cents each.

The Hunts ketchup was more than the Kroger ketchup was at $1.29 (Kroger brand was $1.00) but I had 2 .20/1 coupons that would double for 40 cents off each bottle. This made them only 89 cents each, beating the Kroger price.

The sour cream was on sale for $1 each and I had a .50/2 coupon to use. This made them 75 cents a container.

The Dawn dishsoap was not on sale at $1.49, but the coupon I had was a higher value ($1/1) and would expire soon so I bought it for 49 cents.

Finally the spaghetti sauce was only 88 cents and I felt like it'd go well with all the pasta.

Also a tip that came from making this entry is to check your receipt. I grabbed a 3 pack of chapstick that was clearanced for 75 cents but saw that it rang up for $3.49, so I will be bringing both the receipt and the chapstick the next time I go to the store to get the difference.

Frugal Summer Fun- Movies.

Though going to see a movie can be an expensive activity, during the summer there are usually many ways to have a movie theater experience for cheap or even free!

Regal Theaters has a Free Family Film Festival.

AMC isn't free but at select theaters you can see a movie for only $1 on Tuesdays at 10am.

If you just search your area plus "free family movies" you may find more local theaters that are participating in a similar program.

Some local ones to my are include:

Meadows Theater, Indiana Theater, and Walnut Theater.

Ways to keep this free or cheap would be to make sure to eat before you go so that you don't spend more money than you care to on snacks at the theater.

If you would rather avoid the crowds that can come out to free movies or want to see movies that are new, another way to see family films without breaking the bank would be to pay attention to the promotions that are happening in your area and combine discounts when possible.

We were able to see Toy Story 3 today (the day after it was released) for only $10 total for our family of four. My son recently had a birthday and we bought Toy Story 2 from Toys R Us as a present. It included a free ticket to see Toy Story 3 and TRU was running a promotion where spending $25 on Toy Story products got a free ticket as well. We chose AMC as the theater and they have all movies for $5 a ticket before noon on Friday-Sunday and all day Monday-Thursday. It wasn't free, but we were able to work the deal to our advantage and spend as little as possible.

Another way to see more current movies for less than a typical theater would be to find a Drive-In theater in your area. We went to Cinema 67 the weekend Shrek 4 was released and were able to both Shrek 4 and Iron Man 2 for one price. Since my son was under 5 he was free, my daughter was only $3 and my husband and I were $7 each. This allowed us to not only see a family movie together for $17 but had the bonus of a free movie that my husband and I enjoyed for free (and without having to have childcare since the kids were sleeping behind us). This also has the bonus of allowing you to bring in your own snacks and drinks so you can save even more that way.

Check your area to see what promotions theaters are running (both free and usual discounts), cash in when you earn free tickets from other promotions, and look for alternative places to watch movies (such as Drive-Ins) in your area. Going to the movies can be expensive, but when done right it can also be a cheap way to beat the heat this summer :)

Frugal Summer Fun- Memberships.

One of the best ways to have a frugal summer (and even a frugal year) is to choose a place to purchase a membership to. Aside from a yearly pass to a State Park, you may want to check out the attractions in your area to see if they have a membership option. Many times these memberships include free parking and discounts to the food and gift shops which can add even more value. They may also have many things to do year-round that could be fun for the family rather than just for the summer. For example last year my family got a membership to the Indianapolis Zoo. Our family was able to go to the Zoo more than a few times, a local Mom's group had a playdate there, and we were also able go to the holiday events for Halloween and Christmas. It was pretty amazing to have my kids be able to Trick or Treat in costume next to a Giraffe and write a letter to Santa after seeing a Polar Bear, and even more amazing when I realized that by that time we were going for free.

Aside from membership levels, there are also other promotions that many local attractions have that may not be as well-known. Look at the websites of the places you plan to go to before buying memberships or planning trips, you may find a way for your family to go that is even cheaper. If you would only go once in a year, then it would not be worth a membership, but if having one would ensure that you used it more then it could be.

Here is information about memberships and other details from some of the attractions in Indiana:

- Indianapolis Zoo: The regular admission to the Zoo is $14.50 for Adults and $9.50 for Children 2-12 and Seniors 62+. This means my family of 4 would have to pay $48 to get in, not counting the $6 it costs to park! That would be a lot of money to touch the Sharks and would ensure that we would not go more than once in a year. However, the Zoo offers Membership Perks and you can choose the Level that suits your family's needs. For my family, paying $109 for a Family Basic Membership is just $1 more than going twice. If you do not plan on going more than one time, check into the other discounts available including Military, AAA and AZA memberships.
- The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: This museum is by far one of the best I have been to and has a variety of attractions as well as some that are only featured for a short time. This is a museum that your kids can run and play in as well as learn from the many hands-on exhibits. Admission for Adults is $15.50, for Children (2-17) it is $10.50 and for Seniors (60+) it is $14.50. Parking is free, but my family would still pay $52 to go one time. The museum offers Membership Perks and different Levels based on your family's needs. For my family a membership would be $120, but would make the third visit 50% off and any visit after that free. Aside from the Membership Levels, this museum has more options for those on a budget. It is one of the participating locations for Target Free Family Nights, so admission is free from 4pm-8pm on the first Thursday of the month. They also have other completely Free Days listed on their admissions page so you can check out the museum before committing to anything. If you are on State Assistance, there is another program the Museum participates in called the Access Pass. This allows those receiving assistance to visit the Museum for only $1 per ticket for the whole family. This pass will also have reduced admission for Conner Prairie, Indiana Historical Society, Eiteljorg Museum, and the NCAA Hall of Champions.
- Terre Haute Children's Museum: This is a much smaller facility than the other options listed, but it under construction to become a bigger museum. The prices for Admission are much smaller, Adults are only $4.00 while Seniors and Children 3-12 are only $3.00. My family would only spend $14.00 to get in to the museum, making this a more inexpensive option though it would not be a day's worth of entertainment. Yearly Memberships are also available for $60.00, which may seem steep for a smaller Museum, but this location participates in the ASTC Passport Program, which can grant free admission to participating museums that are located more than 90 miles from the museum that you are a member of. You can check the list of participation locations and use it to plan a family vacation. If you find out you may be close to a participating location, call and verify that your family will have free admission and add it to your itinerary. Other participating locations in Indiana include: Evansville Museum, Imagination Station, Indiana State Museum, Minnetrista, Muncie Children's Museum, Science Central, and WonderLab. Be sure to call before making a trip out to any museum, even if it is listed as a participating location- and don't forget to bring your card!

I know there have to be many more options to choose from in Indiana alone- and wherever you may be located. Look around your area and see what your family likes to do and find out if a membership will help you do that even cheaper. Share your finds in the comments and I can update this post with what you find!

Frugal Summer Fun- Reading Clubs

For us, Summer Vacation is a wonderful break from waking up to an alarm clock and an excuse to spend a lot of time outside! It also means that we do a lot of reading. We'll read when we come in from the heat to recharge and before bed. We make weekly trips to the library and load up on new books. Many libraries and bookstores have programs that encourage reading over the summer- so find one in your area and your child may receive a free book or prize just by reading or having you read to them.

Summer Reading Clubs:

* Check your local library. Our local library is having a Reading Club where children earn points for the number of books read (and books are worth a different amount of points depending on how long they are or what reading level they are at). The points can be redeemed for prizes and one day a week they have a presentation on interesting topics from having a Meteorologist come speak to making crafts. Since the library is such a great place to visit when on a budget anyway, these programs just make it even easier to bring back the old books and get new ones without making an extra trip and can give children motivation to get through their current books so they can get more.
* Barnes & Noble is having a Summer Reading Club as well for kids in grades 1-6. They can receive a free book from Barnes & Noble by reading 8 books over the summer. To do this, they fill out a Summer Reading Journal and bring the journal to a Barnes & Noble location when they are finished to receive a coupon for a free book.
* Borders is another bookstore that is encouraging reading through a program. Theirs is the Double Dog Dare You Reading program for kids 12 and under. They will need to fill out a form after reading 10 books and bring it in to a Borders, Waldenbooks, or Borders express store by August 26, 2010. Then they will receive a free book.
* The website Hebuddy.com is also having a Summer Reading Club. Children who read 10 books this summer (or have 10 books read to them) will receive prizes. Your child just needs to fill out the form and mail it in by October 1, 2010.
* Half Price Books is having a Feed Your Brain Program for children 14 and under. In this program a child can earn a free $3 gift card to Half Price Books each week they read (or are read to) for at least 15 minutes five days of the week. With this you can save the $3 gift cards for one special book or check the clearance section for a book under $3 to get a free book per child each week! This program runs from June 1 – July 31, 2010.

I found most of these programs here. Do you know of any Summer Reading Clubs? Share them and I can add them to the list.

Frugal Summer Fun- State Parks

If you check your State website, you may find a variety of State Parks that you can enjoy with your family. These can offer a place for you to enjoy hiking trails, watching nature, camping, fishing, swimming and more. There are also many that could be a day trip or weekend trip away for a more frugal summer vacation. One downside is that for many, the entrance fees can add up and can cause you to visit only a couple times during a season- but if you buy a yearly pass you can save a lot of money and have something to do for the entire year, not just the summer. Check this website to see if your state offers a yearly pass.

In Indiana we have the option for a yearly pass for only $36. The entrance fee for most parks on a weekday (Mon-Thurs) is $4 per car and on weekends (Fri-Sun) it is $5 per car. This can add up and if you wanted to spend the night at home but enjoy the park by day, you could easily spend $31 just to get in for a week. By buying the yearly pass you can enjoy the parks that are nearby but also drive out and explore new areas. If you use it every Saturday of summer vacation you will save $39 off the gate admission.

Our family bought one this week and have already enjoyed two different State Parks, and plan to use it many more times in the upcoming weeks.

Now is also the time to try out a nearby National Park if you have wanted to. You can get in for free at more than 100 of the National Parks on select days, more information can be found here.

What parks do you like to go to with your family? Do you have a yearly pass?

Birthday Freebies

It's your birthday- so get some free stuff! I checked on many sites to find the ones that fit my family's tastes, but feel free to check the sources to find even more that may be perfect for you!

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Baskin Robbins – Sign up for the Baskin Robbins Birthday Club and you will get a coupon for a free 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream on your birthday plus other special promotions.
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Bob Evans – If you sign up your child for the birthday club they will get a free kids’ meal on their birthday at Bob Evans
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Buffalo Wild Wings – You should get a coupon for a free dessert to celebrate your birthday at Buffalo Wild Wings.
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Burger King- If you register your kids for the Burger King BK Kids Club they will receive a Free Kids Meal for their birthday!
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Cracker Barrel – If you go to Cracker Barrel on your birthday you will get a free dessert and song. *I can't find where it says on the website, so check with your local store to see if they participate*
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Denny’s – Join the Denny's Kids' Birthday Club by filling in and mailing out this form for your child (10 and under). They will receive a birthday card entitling them to a free kid’s entrée and sundae.
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Dairy Queen - If you join the DQ Blizzard Fan Club (by website or on Facebook) you will receive six Buy 1, Get 1 Free Blizzard coupons emailed to you throughout the year including one on your birthday!
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Fazoli’s – Sign up at Fazoli's to receive a birthday surprise and coupons.
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Fire Mountain – If you join their mailing list you should get a free buffet on your birthday.
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On the Border – Join On the Border’s Club Cantina and get a free appetizer on your birthday and an instant coupon for a free bowl of queso or empanadas.
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Outback – If you go on your birthday you should get a free dessert and a song. *This is not on the website, so check your local location to see if they participate*
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Quiznos - Sign up for the Q Club and once you do, you’ll start receiving Quiznos Coupons via email. You’ll also get a free cookie on your birthday!
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Ruby Tuesday - Join the Ruby Tuesday So Connected Club and you will receive a Free Hand-Crafted Burger for your birthday!
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Sonic – If your child becomes a member of the Wacky Pack Kid’s Birthday Club, they will receive a coupon for a free Wacky Pack during the week of their birthday.
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Texas Roadhouse - If you become a Texas Roadhouse VIP you will receive a free appetizer and a surprise for your birthday!
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TGI Friday’s – If you sign up for Friday's E-Club you should get a coupon for a free appetizer to use on your birthday as well as a coupon for a free appetizer just for signing up!
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Toys ‘R’ Us – Join Geoffrey's Birthday Club (for children ages 2 – 10) and they will receive a birthday card and surprise gift from Geoffrey.

More can be found here and here. Have a Happy Birthday!

Dog food, Bologna, Hot Dogs and more

Another deal I got at Kroger recently was not baby related at all!



For these deals I spent a grand total of $23.54 before tax.

I used a $2/1 Pedigree dog food coupon (found here). It is on sale 20lbs for $9.99, the coupon makes it only $7.99 for 20lbs of dog food. I wish I had more of the coupons because it is a great deal and we know we'll use it.

The same site that has the Pedigree coupons should have $1/2 Oscar Meyer hot dog and $1/2 Oscar Meyer lunch meat coupons, I had 2 of each. At Kroger, the hot dogs were $1.50 each so I got each pack for $1, the bologna (my kids' favorite) was 88 cents a package, so I ended up spending 38 cents per package!! These sales last through Wed and the coupons are still able to be printed from what I saw earlier today! So if you plan on making hot dogs this summer or your kids like bologna, it'd be worth while to get these now because they last. The extra package of hot dogs was from following Kraft on Facebook and choosing from a variety of offers. It was completely free.

I also got $1.50 off 4 Kroger frozen veggies Catalina (the coupon that prints when you check out). Since the veggies were 88 cents each I got them for 51 cents a package.

More Huggies + Free

I went back to Kroger to find another Huggies deal. That is the brand I prefer for wipes, so to be able to have a good supply on hand just made sense to me. I use them now and know I'll use even more when the baby comes.



For this you print the other $2/2 Huggies wipes coupon twice (found here- this one will be off a 64 ct box AND the refills, not off any) and buy 2 packs of wipes and 2 refills (the wipes are on sale for $1.99 each, the 3pk refills are $5.99 each). This will make your total $15.96. Then you'll get $3 off your order for buying $15 in Huggies making it $12.96, then you'll use $4 in coupons making it $8.96 before tax for 2 boxes of wipes and 6 individual refills. That's pretty much getting a 3pk refill and a box of wipes free if you buy at regular price.

I also was able to print a $2/1 Dove deodorant coupon before it reached the limit. Kroger had Dove deodorant on sale for $2/4 so I was able to get both just for the tax! This deal isn't free, but if you print the $1/1 coupon found here, you will get it for $1.

I also saw that my local Kroger had clearanced Colgate Total toothpaste. I went on their website (here) and printed a coupon for .75/1 making the toothpaste 25 cents before tax.

These are all things we will use. Dove is my preferred brand of deodorant and I like Colgate Total, so I felt like these deals were even better because it wasn't just something for cheap- it was something I really would use for cheap. I think it can be easy to get caught up in getting a deal, but if you won't use the items it really isn't that great of a deal.

Huggies Deals

Since I am expecting a baby in September, I planned on starting to stock up now for when the baby is here.



I got this for only $12.94 before tax! $13.85 after. I ended up saving $17.16!

The before tax price on the diapers were $4.49 a pack ($9.77 original price, $8.99 on sale) and I got the wipes for $0.99 a box ($2.64 regular price, $1.99 sale price). When you spend $15 or more in one transaction you get $3 off your order!

To do this sale you need the $3/1 coupons for Huggies Little movers/snugglers (I found these here and here), and the $2/2 coupons for Huggies wipes (the one off any 2 64ct or bigger). Print 2 of each (your limit I think). Buy 2 packs of diapers and 4 boxes of wipes. Get $10.00 off in coupons and $3.00 off for spending more than $15 on Huggies.

I ended up doing this deal twice, but getting size 2 and 3 diapers the second time.