FREE Swagbuck

You can earn an easy FREE Swagbuck! Just head over to the Swagbucks website (make sure you log in or sign up if you're not already registered). Then click the Ways to Earn link at the top of the page. On the drop-down menu, you'll see Special Offers listed. Click that, and then choose the No Obligation offers.

You'll see a couple of surveys or offers, but you can click the Skip button for each of them. I had to skip three offers, but others have reported slightly higher numbers. Once you've skipped the offers, you'll get your Swag code. Highlight it, copy it, and then return to the Swagbucks home page to paste it in the Enter Swag Code box. Click the Gimme button, and you'll have your free Swagbuck!

If you haven't yet signed up for Swagbucks -- or if you're wondering what Swagbucks are -- you can read my post about them HERE.

Thanksgiving Dinner for $20

Walmart has put together a fantastic deal for Thanksgiving dinner! You can get a complete Thanksgiving meal to take home and prepare for $20. The meal includes:

One 12-pound Grade A turkey*
Three 11 to 15.5-ounce cans Green Giant vegetables
Two 14-ounce cans Ocean Spray cranberry sauce
Three 6-ounce boxes of Stove Top stuffing
One 5-pound bag of red potatoes
One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
One 22-ounce pumpkin roll cake

*The turkeys are being offered for $.40 per pound.

This is a great way to feed your own family or to deliver a Thanksgiving feast to someone who could use a helping hand. It's not often that you can deliver a complete dinner like this for $20!

You can read the full press release about this event HERE.

Wii Games for $10

Have you seen the Big Lots ad for this week yet? They are offering select games for the Nintendo Wii and DS for $10 each! That's a great deal! The titles listed on the ad were Game Party, Guinness World Records, MySims Kingdom, and Deal or No Deal. I'll be interested to see what other titles are available.

Thanks, A Thrifty Mom!

Deal: Bath & Body Works

Head over HERE to print a coupon good for $10 off any $30 Bath & Body Works purchase. Right now Bath & Body Works is running two sales to help you make the most of this coupon. Their Antibacterial Soaps are 3 for $10.00. With the coupon, you would get 9 soaps for $20. They are also offering their Signature Line on sale Buy 3 - Get 3 FREE. Many of these are $10 each. Buy 3 for $30, get 3 free, and get $10 off. That means 6 items for $20.

Thanks, Saving with Shellie!

Earn a Barnes & Noble Gift Card for Writing Product Reviews

You can earn a $5 Barnes & Noble gift card for writing 5 product reviews for Viewpoints. Viewpoints is a website that offers consumer reviews of all kinds of different products. Register HERE, and then choose any 5 products to review. The reviews must be written between November 6 and November 13, and each one must be at least 900 characters long. You'll find the list of available review categories HERE.

Coupon Preview - 11/8

Our area (Pittsburgh/Columbus) should see two inserts in this Sunday's newspapers, one SmartSource and one RedPlum. You can view the entire list of what's in the inserts HERE. It's always wise to see the full list of the coupons BEFORE you buy your newspapers. If you happen to see a bunch of them that you know you're going to use, you may want to buy extra papers.

Also, remember to check your newspapers before leaving the store. There have been several times when I've picked up a paper to check it for the correct number of inserts, only to find that some are missing. Better to find that out before you buy rather than when you get the papers home!

Menu Planning & Why I Skipped the Grocery Store

Did you notice that I didn't do a Menu Plan Monday post this week? That's because **gasp** I went into this week with absolutely no menu plan. I can't say that it was a perfect or stress-free week at all, but we did eat decent meals and survive.

And I didn't go to the grocery store.

Oh, the Kroger Mega Event beckoned me. But I resisted.

I went about $20 over my regular weekly budget when I shopped at Kroger last week (see HERE). But I had the cash to pay for it, I planned on not doing much shopping this week to make up for it, and it contributed to my cupboards being well-stocked. We had plenty to pull from to get creative with meals.

That's the beauty of stockpiling. One of the best benefits that we've seen is that you can eat from your pantry/fridge/freezer and not have to add a grocery store run to an already hectic week. Between the road trip for the birth of my new niece, my work schedule, and having Emma at the doctor twice, I was incredibly thankful for the freedom to not shop.

In case you're wondering, here's what we ended up having this week.

Monday
The week was so hectic that I seriously don't remember!

Tuesday
Chicken spaghetti made by hubby

Wednesday
Southwest Chicken Roll-Ups

Thursday
An on-the-fly concoction of sauteed mushrooms, diced/cooked chicken from the freezer, and a Lipton flavored noodle mix (We all liked it!) with salads on the side

Friday
Scrambled Omelet, banana bread, sliced apples

Trust me... I'm doing a menu plan for next week. I don't think I can do two weeks in a row without some type of plan. I'll keep you posted on what's cooking next week!

Be sure to stop by Frugal Friday hosted by Life As Mom. You'll find a large list of ways to save you money... like staying out of the grocery store!

CVS Trip: $2.02 Moneymaker!

I stopped by CVS earlier this week and ended up doing a moneymaker deal. Here's what I got:

Merchandise Total Value: $30.97
Out-of-Pocket Cost: $.98 plus tax
ECBs Earned: $3.00

Profit: $2.02

What I Bought:
2 Glade Glass Candle Holders - $5.00 ($2.50 each)
2 Glade Candle Refill Packs - $5.00 ($2.50 each)
2 Revlon Eye Shadows - $6.99 ($6.99 each, buy 1- get 1 FREE)
1 Thermacare - $6.99

Coupons Used:
-$5.00 off $20.00 purchase printable coupon (info HERE)
-$2.00 off 2 Glade coupon from inside one candle package
-$5.00 - Used 2 Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE Glade printable coupon HERE
-$1.00 off x 2 Revlon from 10/11 SmartSource insert
-$3.00 off Revlon CVS coupon from previous receipt
-$1.00 off x 3 CVS Glade Air Freshener coupons from previous receipts
-$2.00 off Thermacare coupon from 9/27 Red Plum insert
-$1.00 off Thermacare CVS coupon from previous receipt

Out-of-Pocket Cost: $.98 plus tax
ECBs Earned: $3.00 (Glade)
Profit: $2.02

I'm planning to save the candles for Christmas gifts, and I was just about out of this eye shadow. So the timing of this deal was perfect!

To see all of my CVS matchups for this week, you can read my post HERE.

I'll Be Back

Sorry for the lack of posting today. We had to take Emma to the ER last night -- she's okay -- and back to the doctor today. It's been a crazy day at our house, and we're trying to get things back to calm right now. But not to worry.... I'll be back!

Video Game Deals

Target has a great deal on Wii games this week. They are Buy 2 - Get 1 FREE! There is also a $10.00 off 2 games Target printable coupon HERE (on page 11). To make the most of this deal, you want to get games that are similar in price. If you can find 6 games that are $14.99, here's how you can do the deal:

Buy 6 games ($14.99 each) - $89.94
Get 2 games free with the Buy 2 - Get 1 FREE deal - Save $29.98
Use 3 Target $10 off 2 printable coupons - Save $30.00
Out-of-Pocket Cost: $29.96 for 6 games
That's only $4.99 each!!

Of course, you can go for the more expensive games. If you choose 6 of the $49.99 games, your out-of-pocket cost will be $16.9.96 or $28.32 for each game. That's still a good deal if you're using a bigger budget. There are a total of 80 games to choose from, so you should be able to mark some gifts off your Christmas list with this sale!

Thanks to Ginger at Attention Target Shoppers for the sale information!

Those of you with kids (or kids at heart) might be interested in Saving with Shellie's post about how to get an XBox 360 for $99 this Saturday. Head over HERE to read all about it! And, of course, let me know if you snag one!!

FREE eBook: For the Love of Pie

The title of this post kind of says it all, eh? Laura from Heavenly Homemakers is offering her ebook For the Love of Pie absolutely FREE right now. The ebook is a compilation of the pie recipes submitted by her readers. Head over HERE to download your copy.

Old Navy Scarves for $1 on Saturday

Stop by Old Navy on Saturday (11/7), and you'll get their performance fleece scarves for $1 each. There is a limit of 5 scarves per customer. I would recommend going early if you want to have a good selection. I'm planning to get some of these to go inside the Old Navy clearance totes I got for my cousins for Christmas. Add to that some freebie lotions, candy, and other goodies, and I should have some great gifts!

A Time to Give - 30-Day Giving Challenge Update

Welcome back to A Time to Give, my weekly feature where we share ways to give, ways to share, ways to be generous. If this is your first time stopping by, welcome! You can read the original A Time to Give post HERE. In a nutshell, I started this feature as a way for us to inspire each other to be even more generous. I tend to get wrapped up in finding great deals, and I don't want to lose sight of one of the reasons we live frugally... to be able to give more. Each week I'll share a giving idea of mine, and you share a giving idea of yours.

Hopefully you've been taking part in the 30-Day Giving Challenge that's being hosted by Kingdom First Mom. If this is new for you, you can read more about it HERE. I wanted to share with you a few ways that I've been able to give so far. As always, this isn't to brag but to offer ideas for you if you're participating too.

Day 1 - I wanted to offer encouragement to some bloggers, ones I don't usually interact with. So I stopped by Alyssa's RSVP link-up page, visited some blogs that were new to me, and left comments encouraging the blog owners. This was a fun way to view some new blogs and hopefully offer some encouragement to others.

Day 2 - I was able to offer a listening ear to a co-worker who needed it.

Day 3 - My niece was born this day, so I gave of my time and sleep! We left the house at 2 a.m. and drove to the hospital (2 hours away) to wait for her arrival. I thought about staying home and sleeping, but I wanted to be there to cheer on my brother and sister-in-law.

Day 4 - Today I made and gave some notecards to my daughter's preschool teacher. She's always sending out encouraging notes to the kids and parents! I also taught a two-hour class on how to save when you're shopping. This was for my church's Financial Peace University group. This is a fun way for me to help other save, hopefully helping them reach their financial goals even faster!

Are you participating too? Do you have any great ideas for ways to give this month? I have some ideas that are free and not-so-free. We'll see what doors God opens to for me to give. I really appreciate this 30-day challenge, because it's making me be even more intentional about giving.


Now it's your turn to share your ideas for sharing, giving, and being generous. Note: If you are reading this post via an email subscription or a blog reader, you'll need to click the title of the post in order to see the links left by others.

You can participate in a couple of ways. If you're a blogger, write a post about a way that you've been able to give. It can be something simple or something out-of-the-ordinary that you did. It can be something from this week or from last year. Don't think of it as bragging... It's a way to encourage others to take action and be more generous! A few guidelines for bloggers:

• Please add a link to Saving and Giving so that your readers can find everyone's ideas all in one place.


• Make sure the link that you add here takes people directly to your A Time to Give post, not the main page of your blog. To do that, publish your post, view your blog, right click on the title, and copy the shortcut. Then paste that shortcut in as your URL here.


• Bloggers who link to other posts or their main pages will have their links removed. This eliminates confusion for others who are looking for ideas on how to give.


• Please do not link to giveaways, contests, or ads.


• Feel free to use the image above in your post. It's not mandatory, but you're welcome to it!

If you're not a blogger, you can participate too! Simply click the comments link below this post, and leave your ideas there. I would love to hear from you!

If you have any questions about A Time to Give, please feel free to contact me at savingandgiving@gmail.com. I look forward to being inspired by your ideas on giving! And stop back each Thursday for a new edition of A Time to Give.

Christmas on a Zero-Budget

Brandy from The Prudent Homemaker is guest posting today over at Mom's Frugal. Her topic is how to make Christmas special for your family on a zero-budget. Head over HERE for some great ideas!

FREE Thanksgiving Recipes E-Book

Here's a yummy freebie! You can download a FREE Thanksgiving recipe e-book HERE. This book includes coupons, tips from experts, recipes, and more!

$5 off $20 CVS Coupon

Wow! I haven't seen this many printable CVS coupons for a while. I posted earlier about the new $5 off $30 coupon HERE, and now there's also a $5 off $20 coupon HERE. Just peel away each of the advertising messages, and you'll reveal your coupon. I just printed mine, and the expiration date is 12/31.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

FREE Meal at Applebee's for Veterans & Active Duty

Applebee's is honoring all veterans and active duty military by offering them a free meal on Veterans Day (November 11). Simply show proof of military service including any of the following:

U.S. Uniform Services ID Card
U.S. Uniform Services Retired ID Card
Current Leave and Earnings Statement
Veterans Organization Card (American Legion, VFW)
Photograph of yourself in uniform
Wear your uniform
DD214
Citation or Commendation

Kraft Cheese Printable Coupon Reset

It looks like the $1.00 off 2 Kraft cheese printable coupon has been reset. Head over HERE (HERE for Firefox) to print your copies. Remember to use your browser's Back button to print a total of two copies per computer.

Works for Me Wednesday: Preparing for Christmas Baking Without Breaking the Bank

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to bake! This is especially true around Christmastime. Making homemade goodies can be a frugal venture, but if you like to do a LOT of Christmas baking, it can be a bit pricey. I suppose you could budget for it and specifically set aside a certain number of dollars each week leading up to the big Christmas baking shopping trip.

My way to prepare for Christmas baking without breaking the bank is to pick up one or two baking items each time I go to the store. I like to start this the first week of November. A bag of sugar here, a bag of flour there, and a bottle of oil now and again can really ease the pain of baking being a major Christmas expense. Plus it's nice to have everything you need on-hand before you're even ready to mix your first batch of cookies.

However, this does require me to be organized. This week I plan to sit down with my recipes and decide what I'd like to make for Christmas. I know that some dessert breads will be on the list along with Ginger Cookies, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, some hard tack candy, and lots of other goodies! We also plan to make a loaf of homemade bread for each of our neighbors. Once I have a list of everything I'm making, I'll have a better idea of what I need. (Of course this list will change many times, but at least I'll have a bit more flour, sugar, and oil on-hand for whatever I end up baking.)

For more great ideas to help you get ready for the holidays, stop by this week's Works for Me Wednesday hosted by We Are THAT Family. Many of this week's tips will be geared toward getting ready for the holidays!

New $5 off $30 CVS Coupon

Right now you can take a short quiz about Medicare Part D and earn a coupon good for $5 off any $30 CVS purchase. Head over HERE to answer the questions. You'll be able to print your coupon at the end. You do not have to be eligible for Medicare Part D in order to take the quiz and earn your coupon. I believe there is a limit of one coupon per card. I just printed mine, and the expiration date is 11/17.

New Cellfire Coupons Released

Are you using Cellfire? If you're a Kroger (or Kroger affiliate) shopper, these can save you LOTS of money without ever clipping a coupon. If you're new to Cellfire or want to learn more about the program, read my post HERE first (Scroll down to the Kroger section). Cellfire has just released a new batch of coupons that you can load right from the Cellfire widget in my left sidebar. If you're not already using Cellfire, you can register HERE.

Here are the new coupons that are being released today!

Available at Kroger stores, Safeway and ShopRite stores (available on ShopRite on 11/08):
Pillsbury Crescents Save $1 on 2
Betty Crocker Potatoes Save $.40 on any box or pouch
Betty Crocker Frosting Save $.50 on one tub
Bisquick Save $.60
Chex Mix Save $.50
Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables Save $.50 on 2
Hamburger/Tuna/Chicken Helper Save $.75 on 3
Kix Cereal Save $.55
Pillsbury Italian Meal Bread Save $.40 on 2
Pillsbury Rolled Pie Crusts Save $.50 on 2
Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Save $.30 on 2
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls Save $.40 on 2
Pillsbury Holiday Cookies Save $.75 on 2
Progresso Broth Save $.50 on 1
Progresso Soups Save $.50 on 2
Romano's Macaroni Grill kit Save $1
Yoplait Delights Save $1
Cottonelle Save $.25 on 1 4-pack or larger
Huggies Diapers Save $1

Available at Kroger stores and Safeway but NOT at ShopRite:
Lean Pockets Save $.55 on 1 Breakfast Sandwiches
Betty Crocker Cookie Mix Save $.40
Betty Crocker Warm Delights Save $.50
Chex cereals Save $1 on 2
Fiber One Muffin Mix Save $.50
NV Granola Nut Clustrs Save $1
Pillsbury Cookie Dough Save $1 on 2
Pillsbury Frozen Grands! Save $.75 on 2
Yoplait cups Save $.50 on 6

Available Only at ShopRite (and NOT at Kroger or Safeway):
Lipton Tea Bags Save $0.35
Ragu Pasta Sauce Save $0.50
Scotch Fur Fighter Save $4

I'm Almost an Aunt!

My brother called at 1 a.m. to say that they were at the hospital! The plan was to induce labor on Thursday, but Miss Addison had other plans. Please pray for a safe delivery and for the proud new parents! I'll be back in town soon to update you!

Kroger Deals - Week of 11/2

Here are the best deals that I see at Kroger this week. Note: I am using a Great Lakes Region ad, and my Kroger only doubles coupons up to $.50. If your ad or coupon policy is different, your final cost may vary.

Del Monte Canned Vegetables - $.50 each
Use $1.00 off 5 coupon from 9/20 Red Plum insert
Final Price: $.30 each when you buy 5

Kroger Brand Milk or Orange Juice (half gallon) - $1.00 each

Kroger Value Russet Potatoes (10 lbs.) - Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE
Use $1.00 off coupon from home mailer (Kroger My Magazine)
Final Price: $1.00 each when you buy 2

Kroger Brand Frozen Fish Fillets - Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE
I highly recommend the tilapia fillets (recipe HERE).

7-Up Soft Drinks (12-packs) - 3 for $7.00
You must buy 3 to get this deal.

Raspberries (6 oz.) - Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE
Final Price: $1.50 each

Mega Event - Buy any 10 participating items, and you'll get $5.00 off at checkout. That comes out to $.50 off per item. All prices listed are AFTER the $.50 savings from the Mega Savings Event. There are more items. These are just the best deals that I see.

Coke 2-liters - $.79 each

Gatorade/Propel - $.49 each

Lean Cuisine/Stouffer's Frozen Entrees - $1.49 each
Use $1.00 off 2 LC coupon from 9/13 Red Plum insert
Use $1.00 off 4 LC printable coupon HERE
Final Price: as low as $.99 each

Chex Mix - $1.49 each
Use $.50 off (doubles to $1 off) printable coupon HERE
Use $.50 0ff (doubles to $1 off) coupon from 10/25 SmartSource insert
Final Price: $.49 each

Cheez-It Crackers - $.99 each
Use $.75 off printable coupon HERE (Register & Print)
Use $1.50 off 2 coupon from 10/4 Red Plum insert
Final Price: $.24 each

Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies - $.99 each
Use $1.50 off 2 printable coupon HERE
Use $1.00 off 2 printable coupon HERE (Register & Print)
Final Price: as low as $.24 each

Kraft Cheese - $2.49 each
Use $1.00 off 2 printable coupon HERE (Naturals only)
Final Price: $1.99 each

Heinz Ketchup - $1.49 each
Use $.75 off coupon from 10/4 SmartSource insert
Final Price: $.74 each

Hormel Chili - $.79 each
Use $2.00 off 3 coupon from 10/18 SmartSource insert
Final Price: $.12 each when you buy 3

Del Monte Canned Tomatoes - $.79 each
Use $1.00 off 5 coupon from 9/20 Red Plum insert
Final Price: $.59 each

All Laundry Detergent - $3.49 each
Use $1.00 off printable coupon HERE
Use $2.00 off coupon from 10/4 Red Plum insert
Final Price: as low as $1.49 each

Kotex, Stayfree, Carefree - $2.00 each
Use $1.00 off Kotex printable coupon HERE (HERE for Firefox)
Use $1.00 off Stayfree printable coupon HERE
Use $2.00 off 2 Stayfree coupon from 8/30 SmartSource insert
Final Price: $1.00 each

AquaFresh Deep Action or GelFlex Toothbrush - $2.00 each
Use $1.00 off coupon from 9/20 Red Plum insert
Final Price: $1.00 each

Orbit Gum - $.50 each

These seem to be the same Mega Event items that were on sale last week. You can also head over to my post HERE to see the items that I got on sale on my big stock-up trip last week.

Find more great Kroger deal ideas at these sites:
:: Be CentsAble's Grocery Gathering
:: Let's Go Krogering sponsored by The New Frugal Mom
:: Stretching a Buck

Magazine Deals

Amazon.com is offering some great magazine deals right now. You'll see one price when you view the item and get an additional discount (to the price I show) when you check out. Here are my favorites.

Parents Magazine - $4.97 for 1 year

Family Fun Magazine - $4.95 for 1 year

Inc. Magazine (for small businesses) - $4.97 for 1 year

Those are three that I get and absolutely LOVE! Here are some others that you might be interested in.

Redbook - $5.00 for 2 years

Popular Mechanics - $5.00 for 1 year

Country Living - $5.00 for 1 year

Ladies Home Journal - $7.00 for 1 year

This Old House - $7.00 for 1 year

If you have a friend or family member whose birthday is coming up, these would make great, inexpensive gifts. There's an option to print a magazine gift notification card or send an email gift notification if you need either of those.

Remember, the $5.00 discount will not appear until you begin the checkout process. Even in your cart, the regular price will be showing. Just begin the checkout process, and you'll see the discount applied.

FREE 5-Song Classical Christmas Sampler Download

You can download a FREE 5-song classical Christmas music sampler from Amazon.com HERE. Amazon is usually great about giving away some free music each Christmas, and it looks like this year will be no different! Enjoy!

Thanks, Becky!

Two FREE Samples from All You Magazine

Even if you're not an All You Magazine subscriber, you can get two great freebies from their website. Right now they're offering a free sample of Folgers Gourmet Selections coffee (HERE) and Kotex Ultra Thin Overnight Pads with Wings (HERE).

$1.00 off Red Gold Tomatoes

Head over HERE to print a coupon good for $1.00 off 3 cans of Red Gold tomatoes. You need to register with your zip code, so your offer may be a little bit different than mine was. I believe the offers are determined by zip code.

On a positive note, I emailed the Red Gold company to let them know that I was impressed with their products. They sent me two $.50 off 2 (which will double to $1 off 2 at my Kroger) coupons for their products! How nice!

200 Coupons at Coupons.com!

Wow! I just stopped by Coupons.com to see if there were any new printable coupons available, and I found 200 coupons for my zip code! That's a lot of coupons! It looks like some of my favorites are back and some new ones have been added. I'll be doing some serious printing tonight!

Head over HERE to see how many coupons are available for your zip code!

Deal: 2010 Entertainment Book

The new 2010 Entertainment Book coupons are now officially good for use! I miss living in a city where the Entertainment Book was available. We used to go out for dinner on a dime when we were able to use our Entertainment coupons. We even got a book for Christmas one year. What a GREAT gift! If you have anyone on your gift list who really appreciates a frugal deal, this might make a good gift for them.

Right now you can save $5 and get FREE shipping on the 2010 Entertainment Books. You'll seriously save WAY more than the cost of the book in no time!