Thursday, October 30, 2008

How To Get Cell Phone Service For $5 A Month


Did anyone see that Oprah episode a few weeks ago about saving money and there was a woman on there who said she paid $5 a month for her cell phone service? Well everyone on the Oprah forum was going crazy trying to figure out where she got this phone, because they never said on the show. Figures - Lol!

So anyway, I finally found it! If anyone is interested, it's the Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go Phone. You go to Target, Walmart etc. and buy the Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go Phone that you want. I got one for $9.99 at Target. Then do NOT buy the minute cards there. Go home, get online and set up your phone online. Choose the "automatic top up of $15 every 90 days" charged to your credit card, Paypal account or I believe you can have it deducted from your bank account. This is how it comes out to $5 a month!

They do not really advertise this, but if you read the fine print as you are setting up your phone you will see it. I was a little worried because when I got my confirmation email it said I had to have a minimum of $20 every 90 days to keep my account active, but I called and asked them and sure enough - if you do the automatic $15 top up you are okay.

This is a good deal for an emergency phone. Basically you get 25 minutes a month for this because it's $0.20 a minute. So for you Gabby Abbys out there this would not work for you - sorry!

Also if you are signing up online it will ask if you have a promo code. You can find these all over the internet by searching for Virgin Mobile Promo Code. Most of the time this will get you an additional 60 minutes for free.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Where To Find Grocery Coupons



Food costs have risen, but you can keep your grocery spending in check by using coupons. Combine this with using the store's discount card, planning your weekly meals from the store's sales flyer along with sticking to a shopping list and you may find your spending less than ever.

There are many resources for finding coupons. Your local Sunday paper is likely to have coupons and is worth checking if you subscribe to it, but there are other sources.

  • Your Grocery Store's Website - You may find some great offers you can print off from here. Also many stores offer electronic coupons you can put on your store discount card, so they are automatically deducted when you go shopping.

  • Manufacturer's Websites - Look on the Manufacturer's website of the brands you buy to see if there are coupons you can print off.

  • Email the consumer division of your favorite companies, tell them how much you enjoy their products and ask if they can mail you coupons. Be sure to include your mailing address.

You may want to consider using a coupon clipping service. These are places where you are paying for the coupons to be clipped and mailed to you. Usually the fees and shipping costs are small, but there is a minimum order amount. This can save you time and is great for getting several coupons for the same item. Use these coupons for stocking up on items you purchase regularly. Some sources for this include online auction sites such as ebay and these websites:

There are several websites where you can print off coupons for free:

Be sure to check with your store to see if they accept coupons printed out from online. Be aware of expiration dates ad limitations.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Halloween Finds



Halloween is almost here! Check out these great websites and deals:



  • HauntedHouse.com Great site with listings for haunted houses and spooky attractions across the US. Also has links to Halloween trivia, decorating ideas, movies and pretty much everything else having to do with Halloween
  • Peanuts.com Halloween just wouldn't be complete without a little Charlie Brown
  • Wendy's & McDonalds $1 Halloween Books as discussed in this post here on Thefreebieblogger.com - Thanks Wendi!
  • Caramel Apple Recipe C'mon - who doesn't like caramel apples?
  • Candy Apple Recipe See step 5 for making these with a Halloween twist
  • Ravensblight.com Free creepy paper toy patterns
  • TheToyMaker.com Free not so creepy paper toy patterns

Happy Haunting - Cheap Cindy

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Reaping Rewards


There are many companies who offer rewards to their repeat customers. These programs are worthwhile, especially if you purchase products from these companies on a regular basis anyway. Usually you will be asked to sign up for the particular companies rewards or loyalty program and enter codes found on the products you've purchased. Your codes then accumulate points that can be redeemed for items such as discounts, gift cards, clothing, electronics etc.
Membership is free, so what have you got to lose?

Here are links to some rewards programs:

Also many restaurants have added frequent diner programs where you sign up for a membership card and use it every time you dine. You rack up points and receive discounts or special offers. Check and see if any restaurants you frequent have a program and what they offer.

Be sure to note some reward programs may only be available in certain locations and many are only offered for a limited time so be sure and find out when the offer expires.

I hope you have found this post rewarding! - Cheap Cindy

Monday, October 6, 2008

Host A House Party & Get Free Stuff


If you like to have get togethers with friends but are low on funds, this might be just the thing for you. Sign up with Houseparty.com to host a party where sponsors send you free food and other products.

An example of a recent party package sent out from Barilla included:
  • Frommer’s Italy book (1/kit)
  • The Best of Andrea Bocelli Vivere CD (1/kit)
  • Barilla Pasta (2 boxes/kit)
  • Sauce coupons (8/kit)
  • Barilla corkscrew (1/kit)
  • Recipe cards (8/kit)
  • Mealtime Magic (8/kit)
  • Mini Farfalle Timers (8/kit)
  • Hackey Sacs (8/kit)
  • Italian Magazine (1/kit)
  • Wine Glass Charms (1 box/kit)

Plus they give you party planning ideas and tips. Now doesn't that sound like fun?

Party on. - Cheap Cindy

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils



Good grief, it's that time of year again. Soon Linus will be sitting in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. Why wait? You can make your own great pumpkin with the help of these free pumpkin carving stencils. Enjoy.

And if these don't satisfy you, search Google images for free pumpkin patterns & you'll find oodles of free designs.
Better head off to your local pumpkin patch and warm up the oven - looks like we'll be eating lot's of pumpkin pie and toasted seeds this year.

Have fun! - Cheap Cindy