Money Saving Secrets Blog | Tag Archive

Weekly Restaurant Coupons Round Up- 5/19

Filed under Restaurants by Jennifer Billy on May 19, 2012 at 1:25 pm {no comments}

Going out to eat this weekend? Make sure to take these restaurant coupons so you can dine out for less-

Chili’s coupon: FREE Molten cake on Facebook, expires 05/17/12

O’Charley’s Offer: Military Members save 10% with valid ID, valid 05/19/12 only

Regal Cinema coupon: $2 off any Candy mobile coupon on Facebook, expires 05/20/12

Hadrees coupon: $1 off any size Southwest Patty Melt Combo, expires 05/20/12

Rubio’s coupon: $1 off a Mango Habanero Ono Two Taco Plate on Facebook, expires 05/20/12

Boston Market coupon: FREE Kids Meal with the purchase of an individual meal & drink , expires 05/22/12

Cinemark coupon: FREE Medium Fountain Drink with purchase of a any Size Popcorn on Facebook, expires 05/23/12

7-Eleven offer: FREE 7.11 oz Slurpee from 11am-7pm, , valid 05/23/12 only

Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes coupons: $7.29 lunch (and more coupons), expire 05/24/12

Olive Garden coupon: FREE Appetizer or Dessert with the purchase of 2 dinner entrees, expires 05/27/12

Baja Fresh coupons: $5 off $15 purchase, expires 05/29/12

Genghis Grill coupon: FREE Appetizer for Facebook fans, expires 05/30/12

Honey Baked Ham coupon: $5 off a Honey Baked Ham Catering Purchase of $50 or more on Facebook, expires 05/31/12

Panda Express coupon: FREE Entree Item wyb 2-Entree Plate & Drink, expires 05/31/12

Quiznos coupon: B1G1 Free Sub when you Purchase a regular Drink on Facebook, expires 05/31/12

Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen coupon: FREE Garlic Roll with any $3 purchase on Facebook, expires 05/31/12

Jack’s coupon: B1G1 FREE Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (& more coupons), expires 06/03/12

Jack’s coupon: B1G1 FREE Big Jack Combo (& more coupons), expires 06/03/12

Boston Market coupon: $1 off $10 purchase, expires 06/17/12

Carvel coupon: $1 off Girl Scout Cookie Sundae Dasher (plus more coupons when you click on each product), expires 06/30/12

Planet Hollywood coupon: $10 off $20 Food + Beverage purchase, expires 06/30/12

TGI Friday’s coupon: $5 off the tables food purchase of $15 or more, expires 06/30/12

Boston Market coupon: 10% off any Catering purchase of $100 or more, expires 07/01/12

Rubios coupon: $1 off an Original Fish Taco Two Taco Plate on Facebook, expires 07/01/12

Hardee’s coupon: FREE Hash rounds with the purchase of 2 Breakfast Wraps, expires 07/10/12

Hardee’s coupon: FREE Small Beverage with the purchase of Bacon Cheddar Fries, expires 07/10/12

Carl’s Jr. coupon: $1 off any size combo for any Hand-breaded Chicken Tender Sandwich, expires 07/12/12

Thanks to Dana @ TheCouponChallange!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

Weekly Retail Coupons Round Up- 5/18

Filed under Retail Coupons by Jennifer Billy on May 18, 2012 at 1:08 pm {no comments}

Thanks Your Retail Helper for putting together this great list of Retail Coupons & sharing with us!

Your Retail Helper’s Top Seven

Carter’s – Facebook Exclusive 25% off $40+ purchase Exp 5/23
DSW Shoes - Free tote with $29 purchase for DSW Rewards Members
Express - $15 off $30 Exp 5/20
Gordman’s - 15% off purchase Exp 5/22
Lord & Taylor - 15% – 20% off purchase Exp 5/21

Macy’s - 25% off $100+ Men’s Store purchase Exp 5/21
Yankee Candle - $10 off $25 Exp 5/24

Full List

Banana Republic Factory Store - 10% off $100 purchase Exp 5/27
Barnes & Noble - 15% off one item Exp 6/3

Build-a-Bear - 10% off Birthday Party of $200+ Exp 5/31
Cacique - $25 off $75 Exp 5/28
Carter’s – Facebook Exclusive 25% off $40+ purchase Exp 5/23
Children’s Place - 15% off purchase Exp 5/20
Dressbarn - 30% off regular priced purchase Exp 5/20
DSW Shoes - Free tote with $29 purchase for DSW Rewards Members
Express - $15 off $30 Exp 5/20
Fashion Bug – iTunes/Smart Phone App Exclusive $15 off $40
Fashion Bug – Facebook Exclusive - Flutterbuy Coupon Game
Gap Outlet - 10% off $75 purchase Exp 5/20
Goody’s - 20% – 25% off Exp 5/28
Gordman’s - 15% off purchase Exp 5/22
Hobby Lobby - 40% off regular priced item Exp 5/19
Lane Bryant - $25 off $75 Exp 5/28
Lord & Taylor - 15% – 20% off purchase Exp 5/21

Macy’s - 25% off $100+ Men’s Store purchase Exp 5/21
Michael’s - 40% off regular price item Exp 5/19
Michael’s - $5 off $25 purchase Exp 5/19

Old Navy – “Reveal-A-Deal” Facebook Exclusive $5 off $25 Exp 5/24
Sears – Facebook Exclusive $50 off $300 Valid 5/18 – 5/19
Tanger - Get Coupons for your Tanger Outlet Mall
Target - Various Coupons
Ulta - 20% off single item Exp 5/26
Walgreens – Various Coupons in the May Coupon Book (found in-store)
Yankee Candle - $10 off $25 Exp 5/24

Make sure to check for any new retail coupons that may have been added to the list.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

Five Grocery Secrets that Save You Money

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on May 9, 2012 at 1:55 pm {no comments}

When money is tight, one of the easiest places to cut a chunk out of your monthly expenses is to shop smarter at the grocery store. And we’re not talking about switching to a diet of only rice and beans, or packaged blocks of noodle soup. You can actually get great food for a lower price by using some of these five grocery store secrets.

1. Buy Generic Items

If you’re purchasing name-brand items, you’re probably paying a premium just to get a different packaging. The food inside the box, bag, or can is not noticeably different from the item marketed under the store brand. If you’re suspicious, pick up the leading brand and the generic and give the ingredients a quick scan. Comparing the ingredients will show exactly what you’re paying for with the pricier brand versus the generic. Plus, once you get used to seeing the different packages in your kitchen, you’ll never want to go back to paying extra for the name brands.

2. Plan Your List

Impulse buys make up a large portion of your grocery bill, and planning out your list before you head to the store is the best way to keep impulse purchases to a minimum. It also encourages you to pick the meals you will cook for the week ahead of time, which decreases the chance that you’ll have to go to the store again mid-week for a missed ingredient. To give yourself some wiggle room for in-store deals or things you forgot to put on the list, set a specific dollar amount you can spend on non-list purchases each week.

3. Use Coupons

Manufacturers and individual stores release tons of coupons for products that you may be buying anyway. Look at the store circular, Sunday newspaper, and printable coupon websites to find free coupons you may want to use. When you take the coupons to the store, make sure you’re actually getting a deal by comparing the after-coupon price to similar products. Also ask yourself whether the product is something you’d ordinarily buy anyway, rather than purchasing something you don’t need just because you have a coupon for it.

4. Grow Your Own

Growing produce in your own yard is one of the best ways to cut your grocery bill, especially during the summer months. A little garden space can turn into a lot of food, especially if you stick to planting the things that you know your family will eat. Plus, if you use organic methods and seed, you’ll get organic food without paying a premium. If you can’t bring yourself to garden, at least educate yourself about what produce is in season at any given point and stick to buying those items, which are at their best prices of the year.

5. Stock Up on Sale Items

When you know that your household uses a particular shelf-stable product and you see it listed in the grocery store’s sale circular, go ahead and stock up on it so you can get enough for several months at this week’s low price. Most sales ads run in 6-week to 12-week cycles, depending on the store and region, so don’t bother getting more than you can use in three months. Regardless of what you’ve seen in extreme couponing television specials, you don’t actually need a two-year supply of toothpaste.

Being a savvy shopper requires a little bit of attention, but the time and energy you put into your grocery shopping will pay off big in your household budget’s bottom line. The typical family can cut at least 10 percent off the grocery bill by implementing each of these strategies. In the process, you may even find some inexpensive, nutritious foods that your family loves eating!

Authors Bio:
Holly Watson is a stay-at-home mom, former financial adviser, and baking enthusiast. She is currently obsessing over perfecting her ‘Mimosa’ cupcakes. She blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands she uses.

Giveaway Round Up- 5/9

Filed under Giveaways by Jennifer Billy on May 9, 2012 at 9:49 am {no comments}

Here is a list of all the giveaways going on right now on Money Saving Secrets Blog-

Ebates $150 Mother’s Day Giveaway! Ends 5/14

Mother’s Day Giveaway- $320 Plus 6 More prizes! Ends 5/18

Don’t forget that you can Tweet them daily to receive more entries and more chances to win!

Other sweepstakes-

Mother’s day Necklace Sweepstakes.

Apple iPad 3 Giveaway, plus kid friendly case and $100 iTunes gift card.

Fisher-Price Zen Collection Sweepstakes

SpaFinder Gift Card ($500) Sweepstakes

Dyson Slim Vacuum Sweepstakes

Crane Animal Humidifier Sweepstakes

Enter them all & good luck! Stay tuned for some new amazing giveaways to come!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

Simple Ways to Change Your Habits and Lower Your Gas Expenses

Filed under Saving Money by Jennifer Billy on May 8, 2012 at 1:36 pm {no comments}

Old habits are hard to break. We get used to doing things a certain way and we’re not interested in changing no matter what. But with gasoline exceeding four dollars a gallon it’s time to rethinking our old driving habits to see if we can cut down on fuel consumption.

Fuel efficiency can be done in a number of ways. By adding just a mile or two per gallon here and there it will add up to significant savings over a period of time. Oil is a non-renewable resource and when we save on gas, it helps us with our reduced dependency on foreign oil. Over 50% of our gas comes from foreign lands!

Many of our bad old habits can simply be avoided by- Driving Sensibly. Avoid aggressive driving. In other words steer clear of rapid acceleration and quick braking. This alone can lower gas mileage up to 33%.

Of course you don’t speed. Do you? Speeders rarely get to their destination much earlier than law abiders and waste a lot more gas. Gas usage goes up considerably at speeds over 60 mph. For each 5 mph your drive over 60 you can add an additional 30 cents a gallon to your bill, not to mention the cost of a speeding ticket.

When you’re on the highway, use cruise control, which helps maintain a constant speed. Use the highest gear possible and overdrive gears if you have them. The faster an engine is turning the more gas you’re using. Pay attention to your tachometer. Plus, a slower turning engine means less friction and engine wear.

Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets zero miles per gallon. It doesn’t get much worse than that. If you’re stopped for a train or backed up in a fast food take out line or waiting for a drive thru bank teller, stop your engine if you’re going to be idling for more than 30 seconds. The bigger your vehicle the more gas you’re using even when idling. It costs less to restart than idle.

Turn off the air conditioning. It may get hot but try opening a window and breathe in the fresh air. An air conditioner can lower your mileage by two to three miles per gallon.

Is this trip necessary? Don’t drive until you have several errands or appointments to combine. Avoid doing these errands during peak rush times. If possible, and the distance is short, try walking or riding a bicycle.

Know where you’re going before you start out. Don’t drive around looking for something. I’m afraid the good old days of dragging Main Street with friends are gone. Now, it’s called car-pooling and friends who share the gas bill or drive next time. Public transportation is also a good option.

Changing your bad driving habits doesn’t cost you a thing but it will pay you big dividends in fuel economy and saving money.

You can also go the extra mile by keeping your car well maintained and using fuel enhancers to help increase fuel mileage. Spending a little money up front to care for your car now can save a lot of money down the road.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

$150 Mother’s Day Giveaway with Ebates!

Filed under Giveaways by Jennifer Billy on May 3, 2012 at 9:41 am {49 comments}

I have another amazing Mother’s Day giveaway to announce. Ebates is sponsoring a $150 cash giveaway to one very lucky reader!

If you haven’t signed up yet with Ebates, then today is the day. Sign up is Free and you will receive a $10 gift card once you make your first purchase of $25 or more. Ebates pays it’s customers to shop online by offering cash back and coupons to over 1500 stores. In honor of Mother’s Day they are offering double cash back at 24 stores including Nordstrom, Groupon, JCP, Teleflora, and many more. Check out the full list and cash back offers HERE.

Here’s how to enter:

Use the Raffelcopter form to enter giveaway. Comments will not be used as entries. The giveaway ends on May 14th, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected at random and have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Please make sure to add Money Saving Secrets Blog @ gmail dot com to your e-mail account so you will receive notification if you win. Good luck!

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Mother’s Day Giveaway! $320 Paypal Plus 6 Other Prizes! Ends 5/18

Filed under Giveaways by Jennifer Billy on May 1, 2012 at 12:01 am {5 comments}

“Mother’s Day… a time for warm thoughts and fond memories, for expressing the feelings and words that often go unspoken, for letting those special people in our lives know that they are loved and appreciated – always.”

Great mothers deserve a treat on their special day! I Heart Giveaways, together with other awesome bloggers, including Money Saving Secrets Blog, is hosting a brand new giveaway especially made for moms. Seven lucky winners will be randomly chosen to win these exciting prizes:

$320 Paypal Cash
Avon Cosmetics *Imported*
Red & Black Tiger Dichroic Glass Pendant
Belleza Box Massage Kit
Coupon Binders
Pirate Party Games Pack
Ravishing Rose 6 Pair Earring Set

Click here to see the images and value of the prizes listed above. Note: All items will be shipped to the winner within one to three weeks after the end date of this giveaway. Non-cash items are not convertible to any form of money.

What are you waiting for? Enter on the rafflecopter below for a chance to win! Mother’s Day Giveaway will accept entries until May 18, 2012. Open worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is brought to you by:

Shop.com- Save More on Your Online Purchases!

Filed under Cash Back Sites by Jennifer Billy on April 29, 2012 at 5:57 pm {no comments}

I have recently partnered with a new company and wanted to introduce the Shop.com site to you as well as all of the amazing savings opportunities they offer. I am excited to share with you my very own shopping portal- ShoppingWithJenn.com.

Shop.com has partnered with over 3,500 name brand stores and companies (Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Nobles, Apple…) in addition to offering 2,500 exclusive products and services. Therefore, creating one of the largest internet shopping sites on the planet! Shop.com is designed to help shoppers save money while also offering cash back on their purchases. I invite you to create a FREE account and try it out.

Why do sites offer cash back on your purchases?

Online advertising is the future of marketing. Retailers can no longer advertise and get the same results on TV due to TiVo & DVR’s letting consumers bypass their commercials, so they are now switching to ONLINE forms of advertising.

What sites like Shop.com does is share the advertising revenues with it’s buyers. So every time you make a purchase by clicking through to one of their thousands and thousands of partner stores, like Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, Kmart and many more, you will earn cash back on that purchase.

Shop.com not only will pay you up to 50% cash back on YOUR purchases, but also ½% cash back on all your Referrals purchases. I find that I make a lot more money by getting a percentage of my referrals purchases then just getting a bonus if and when a referral makes their first purchase. It is a recurring income that can really add up.

Shop.com also makes shopping online easier by listing all the coupon codes, like free shipping, that are currently available for the store you are looking to make a purchase from. It takes the work out of having to search your e-mails and online for any savings.

What makes Shop.com different?

Shop.com is much more then just a cash back site. Yes, they do offer cash back and coupon codes to help you save. However, Shop.com is a complete shopping portal. Here are some of the benefits of shopping with Shop.com-

Hot Deals- most people shop online to save money. Shop.com has gone out and found some of the top deals and combined them with any promotional codes available. Just click the code and it will automatically be applied for you at checkout.
Price Alerts- set a price on what you want to pay for a product and they will e-mail you when the product hits that price point.
Comparison Shopping- designed to save you time and money. Instead of going from site to site looking to see who has the best price, with one click, Shop.com can compare prices from thousands of partner stores! I LOVE this feature!
MA Travel- Shop.com has partnered with Travelocity of offer shoppers exclusive deals and savings. Often times the savings can be 10-15% lower then Travelocity’s own site!
Product Brokerage Firm- save money on your everyday household items by switching to one or more of Shop.com’s 2,500 exclusive products and services. I will be introducing some of these products to you so you can save money without having to wait for a sale or coupon.I love to coupon, but with two kids and running two businesses, I know how hard it can be sometimes to find time to get your deals and coupons together. I even hope to offer exclusive savings here on Money Savings Secrets Blog.
EZcart- Multi-Merchant, one cart checkout and autoship for easy reordering.

Please head over to ShoppingwithJenn and sign up for your free account. I would really love your feedback. Currently, the cash back is not as high as other sites. However, they are still working on some updates that will make the site like no other. The cash back will be increasing as well as the savings on many of the products.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of Shop.com or the new features that will be added just contact me to set up a 20 minute web portal tour. I am excited to be partnering with this amazing company now and even more excited to see the new developments that will be coming soon!

Love Shop.com? Make sure to share with your friends and earn ½% cash back on all their purchases!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

Giveaway RoundUp- 4/20

Filed under Giveaways by Jennifer Billy on April 20, 2012 at 11:32 am {no comments}

There are a lot of Giveaways that are ending today or this weekend, so hurry and enter now! Here is a list of all the giveaways going on right now on Money Saving Secrets Blog-

Gorton’s Fisherman’s Friday Giveaway (Two coupons for a FREE Gorton’s product)- ends 4/22

April Giveaway Extravaganza ($75 Paypal or Amazon)- ends 4/21

Don’t forget that you can Tweet them daily to receive more entries and more chances to win!

Other sweepstakes-

$50 iTunes Gidgt Card Sweepstakes- ends 4/20 at midnight!

Fisher-Price Zen Collection Sweepstakes

SpaFinder Gift Card ($500) Sweepstakes

Dyson Slim Vacuum Sweepstakes

$1000 Winter Wardrobe Sweepstake

Crane Animal Humidifier Sweepstakes

Enter them all & good luck! Stay tuned for some new amazing giveaways to come!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.

Save on Snapple Tea or Juice!

Filed under Coupons by Jennifer Billy on April 18, 2012 at 8:50 am {no comments}

Print a coupon for $1.00 off Snapple Tea or Juice Drink. You don’t see Snapple coupons a lot so make sure to print this one.

Coupon can be printed 2x.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.