Get $50 from Ebates when you refer two friends

I love using Ebates and now it's even better with their latest referral offer. Get $50 when you refer two friends plus you could win an Alaska cruise!

Get one entry into the Alaska cruise sweepstakes for each friend that signs up. Get $50 when two friends you refer make a purchase.

If you're not already a member of Ebates, this is my referral link you can sign up with. Ebates is my favorite source for saving money and finding great deals. You literally make money just shopping online as you would anyway! It's such a no-brainer to shop through Ebates. They post great offers, coupons and sales at hundreds of stores plus offer amazing cash back deals.

How the referral program works:
Ebates will pay you for every new member you refer to their site who then shops at their partner merchant sites. (These must be Qualified referrals, meaning real people - no pets, minor children or imaginary friends, nor referrals to friends or housemates who don't actually do their own shopping via their own account on Ebates.com.

Once your Qualified Referral signs up at Ebates.com and makes purchases totaling $25 or more that earn Cash Back within one year following signing up, Ebates will pay you a $5 "Base Bonus". For the referral period starting April 1st, 2017 and ending June 30th, 2017, you can earn $50 (2 x $5 Base Bonus + an additional $40 bonus) once you get your second Qualified Referral.

You can see all the terms and conditions on the Ebates website.

Get cracking and share with your friends this great source to save money! Happy shopping!

80% Off Restaurant.com Promo Code - expires 8/31

Get 80% off Restaurant.com gift certificates by using the promo code CLEARANCE at checkout. Offer expires on August 31, 2010.

As with all Restaurant.com gift certificates, restrictions vary with each restaurant and range from a minimum purchase amount to specific days when the gift certificate is valid. See the terms and conditions for certificate use provided with each offer.

Plus get 15% cash back when you shop through Ebates. (New Ebates members get a $5 bonus at sign up.) Don't know what Ebates is? Then you're missing out! Find out how to make money with cash back programs such as Ebates.

For more ways to save money at restaurants.

Stay informed about these and other deals by following Cheap Cindy on Twitter and Cheap Cindy on Facebook.

photo: simonok, sxc.hu www.shop-brite.com

Restaurant.com Promo Code for 80% Off

Get 80% off Restaurant.com gift certificates by using the promo code BIG at checkout. Offer expires on August 16, 2010.

As with all Restaurant.com gift certificates, restrictions vary with each restaurant and range from a minimum purchase amount to specific days when the gift certificate is valid. See the terms and conditions for certificate use provided with each offer.

Plus get 15% cash back when you shop through Ebates. (New Ebates members get a $5 bonus at sign up.) Don't know what Ebates is? Then you're missing out! Find out how to make money with cash back programs such as Ebates.

For more ways to save money at restaurants see how to find half price restaurant gift certificates from local media.

Stay informed about these and other deals by following Cheap Cindy on Twitter and Cheap Cindy on Facebook.

photo: simonok, sxc.hu www.shop-brite.com

Save Money Buying Produce in Season

Buying local produce that's in season is a great way to save money. Not to mention that it tastes better and lasts longer than something that's been trucked into your supermarket.

I'm thrilled the local produce stands are starting to fill up with fruits and veggies. Last month I was disappointed to find that the local crops hadn't produced much. That sent me on an online quest to find out how to know what fruits and vegetables are in season. Here are some useful web sites I found:

For a simple online tool to find out what produce is in season in your area, I suggest the one provided online by the National Resources Defense Council. Select your state, select your season and you're good to go. You can also follow the link to Local Harvest to find Farmer's Markets near you.

PickYourOwn.org is full of information. You can locate U-pick farms in your local area and get details including hours, location, phone numbers, maps, visitors reviews and sometimes a link to the farm's website. This is hands down the biggest listing of farms I found in my area, it even listed roadside "honor systems".

The website also includes picking tips and instructions on canning, freezing, making jam and more. I hope to use some of that information in the near future.

They have a crop availability calendar that I find it a bit confusing, but all the other great information makes this website a keeper.

Well, I hope you find these resources as useful as I do. Until next time - Cheap Cindy

photo: scol22, sxc.hu

Save Money this Summer

Ahh, summer. Time for flip flops, barbeque's and hopefully a chance to enjoy a little needed R&R. It's tempting to be lured by all the summertime pleasures: that pricey vacation, that new patio set, that shiny convertible. But there are several ways you can enjoy summer without going broke. Here are some ways to save money this summer.

Start with the flip flops. If you haven't seen the commercial, Old Navy stores are offering solid color flip flops for the entire family for only $1.00 a pair, tomorrow only May 23, 2009. Or, try for a free pair of Havaianas flip flops from the Seventeen Magazine Giveaway on June 6, 2009. You can see the official rules at Seventeen.com or they can be found in the upcoming July issue.

Take advantage of free summer fun in your area. Many cities offer events such as free outdoor music concerts, local summer festivals, craft fairs and even free movie nights. (If you missed my earlier post, select Regal theatres are offering a Free Family Film Festival this summer.)

Check out the community events section in your local newspaper, see what free summer programs your local library may be offering or enjoy free amenities such as parks and local beaches if you have access to them.

Look for free stuff that kids can do this summer, such as the 2009 Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program. Listen to The Consumer Queen's recent BlogTalkRadio show Free and Cheap Things to do With Kids this Summer for more great ideas.

Save money on your summer vacation by looking for great travel deals posted on the FatWallet Travel Deals Forum. You can also find money saving tips in my article How to Find Hotel Discounts and Travel Cheap. Save tons of money this summer by opting for a summer vacation closer to home. Go camping as a classic way to enjoy summer on the cheap, or opt to Vacation Cheap with a Staycation this year.

Go frugal treasure hunting at garage and yard sales, or make some extra money by having your own. Get the kids involved by letting them set up a lemonade stand, or better yet, make a killing having them set up a concession stand made up of items such as snacks and bottled water bought at local warehouse or discount stores. In my area, even I have been suckered more than once into paying $1.00 for a bottle of water at a yard sale on a hot summer day.

Have a GPS? Go on a high-tech treasure hunt this summer with Geocaching. Even if you don't have a GPS, consider creating your own scavenger hunt with family, friends and neighbors. Make a list of things people have to collect or find around town. Give clues and make riddles they have to solve in order to find the items. Play just for fun, or offer a prize such as the winner gets their garbage taken to the curb for a month by the losing players, etc.

What are you doing to save money this summer? I would love to hear your ideas.

Till next time - Cheap Cindy



photo: zenner, sxc.hu

Random Acts Of Cheapness

August 17 2008

These are a few cheap tidbits I thought I would jot down in between polishing my pennies.

The search is on:
Before shopping I type in the item I am shopping for along with the word "coupon" into a search engine (such as Google, Yahoo, Msn, etc). Often I can find coupon codes that can be used purchasing the item online or coupons that I can print off and use in a physical store. Another good search word to try is "promo". I also try searching "coupon" & "promo" along with the name of a particular store I am shopping at. For example a search of "Target promo" brings up deals Target is offering such as free shipping, discounts etc. Often these searches will bring you to 3rd party websites advertising these deals. One of the websites I like to use is Pocketdeal.com . Here you'll find coupon codes, comparison tools, weekly ads for stores etc.

Cash backs:
Some websites offer discounts or cash back if you do your shopping through them. I frequently use Ebates, Big Crumbs & Fatwallet . Once you sign up with them (I always use a free hotmail account I've created just in case I get bombarded with spam and advertising) you can search to see what deals are offered. Usually it is a percentage that you get back on your total purchase. The percentage doesn't come to you from the store, but from Ebates, Big Crumbs or Fatwallet. Currently Ebates will send you your cash back in the form of a check or Paypal every three months if you've reached a $5.01 cash back minimum. Otherwise your balance carries over to the next check until you've reached the minimum. I feel if I'm going to buy this stuff anyway I might as well shop through these sites and get a little money back. Read more about cash back programs in my eHow article:How to Make Money With Cash Back Programs Free Online

- more coming soon, Cheap Cindy