Eating Out Cheap - Half Price Or Less

I like to eat out at restaurants. If you ever tasted my cooking you'd understand why. Plus I can enjoy not having to clean up the mess afterwords, and I don't have to stare at a drooling dog while eating.

So, being cheap and all, I am always looking for coupons and special restaurant offers. I've found some pretty good deals too. Paying half price or less at a reasonably priced restaurant is a good deal in my book.

Restaurant.com is where I find some of these deals. For example now through Jan. 31st you can get $25 restaurant gift certificates for $3 using the promotional code SUPER at checkout. Each restaurant has it's own terms and conditions about using these gift certificates. The restaurant I like to use this for has a minimum purchase of $35 to use this gift certificate. That means I'll being paying $13 for $35 worth of food (tax and tip not included). I'll get about 3 meals out of this, so I chalk that up to a good deal. See what's in your area here: Restaurant.com

Another way to get discounted restaurant gift certificates is through your local radio and television stations. Seriously. These are usually sold at half of face value, but recently I found some of these were even cheaper. You can find out more about this here:

How to Find Half Price Restaurant Gift Certificates From Local Media

And don't forget about getting free food on your birthday! Sign up for a ton of birthday freebies here:

Free Stuff on Your Birthday from Over 100 Places.

Eat up! - Cheap Cindy

Did Someone Say FREE Coffee?

Must...
have...
more...
cofffeeee...

Is it just me, or is everyone craving more coffee these days? Maybe it's the extra cold weather where I am, or it could just be the caffeine addiction's getting stronger. Whatever it is I've been hunting down free coffee offers to help with my fix and here's what I've found:

Seattle's Best Coffee Purchase a beverage and receive a free pastry or second beverage with coupon

Dunkin' Donuts Sign up to receive a free coffee sample by mail

Peet's Coffee Get your friends to sign up for the Peet's newsletter and they get a free drink (Well I've always heard you should be your own best friend, maybe I can sign myself up)

Tully's Free beverage with purchase of another beverage if you sign up for their email club. Will also send you an email for a free drink on your birthday

Biggby's Sign up for E-wards and they will send you coupons by email each week. They will also give you a special treat on your birthday

Hopefully we can get some free coffee from these offers. I don't know about you, but trying to re-brew using yesterday's coffee grounds just isn't working for me.

Here's more cheap coffee tips:

For those times when you can't afford to go out for fancy coffee but you want to pretend that you can, here are some recipes:

How To Make A Ghetto Latte

How To Make A Poor Man's Mocha

And if you want free coffee everyday maybe you can open your own coffee shop:

How To Start An Independent Coffee Shop

Till next time - Cheap Cindy

Free 3 year subscription to Diet & Nutrition Magazine

Just a quick heads up on an offer for a FREE 3 year subscription to Diet & Nutrition magazine. (Yes, this is a pretty good magazine in my opinion.) Offer ends Jan 24.

No strings attached - just sign up with this link:

Diet & Nutrition

Want to find out how to find more free magazines? See how I find all my free mags by reading my article here:

How to Get Free Magazine Subscriptions In The Mail

Inauguration Day Freebies

Inauguration Day is just around the corner and here comes the free stuff! Here are a few freebies available on Jan. 20.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is offering a free doughnut of choice to every customer, see the announcement here:

Krispy Kreme Celebrates the Freedom of Choice on Inauguration Day

Can't make it to the big Inauguration party? Maybe you'd like to share the experience with a live viewing at your hometown movie theatre. Participating locations only - see if your town made the list:

MSNBC Events

If all else fails, sign up to get your complimentary copy of The New Yorker January 26 inauguration issue commemorative cover. Supplies are limited:

The New Yorker

Watching Free Movies Online - Legally

In this depressing economy we need all the free entertainment possible, and the internet is full of free entertainment. Yes it is tempting to watch all those newly released movies online, but that little voice in your head keeps telling you that it's wrong and frankly not legal.

Well you can tell the little voice to take a breather. There are hundreds of free movies you can watch online legally. Okay, so you won't see any new releases but there is stuff worth watching. If you're a classic movie buff you'll find a plethora of free flicks. If you're not a classic movie fan maybe you'll become one.

See the link to my article below for more information on this topic and the websites with free legal movies:

How to Find 100's Of Legal Free Movies To Watch Online

Enjoy!

Hey - Gimmie Back My Money!

Does someone owe you money? Yes, you're probably still fretting about that $5 your brother borrowed ten years ago, but did you know you could be owed money that you aren't aware of? Millions of dollars are just waiting to be claimed. This is money owed to people from refunds, unclaimed property, tax refunds, pensions, unpaid wages that "check in the mail" that you never received and more.

A legit way to check for unclaimed money is to use https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money

I didn't have any luck, but I did see my brother-in-law has some unclaimed money. I guess it's back to checking under the sofa cushions for me.

Free Entertainment Book Online Trial

Get a free trial for the Entertainment Book Online. Just sign up with your email address and zip code and you can print 3 free coupons.

Entertainment Book Free Trial

New Year , New You? Free Online Makeover!

Okay, so you know we've all wanted to have a makeover but didn't want to shell out the big bucks. Well now we don't have to! There are several websites where you can submit your own photo and try out all kinds of make-up and hairstyles for free. See the link below for the full article and the websites.

Now if I could just find one to makeover my bank account...

How to Find Free Online Makeovers & Hairstyles Using Your Own Photo

Swagbucks anyone?

So for you fellow Swagbuckers out there, here is a code for 1 free Swag Buck. Just go to "Your Swag Bucks Page" enter the code "SWAG1" into the box that says "Have a SwagCode?" and hit the Gimmie button.

I have no idea how long this is good for, so HURRY!

Don't know about Swag Bucks? Your missing out on all the fun. See my article Get Free Stuff With Paid to Search Websites for more info.

You can also click on the "Search and Win" ad on the right sidebar.

How To Find Free Baby Stuff, Samples & Coupons Online

Babies are priceless - but formula, diapers, baby food and all the other necessities can be expensive. Fortunately there are online sources for coupons, samples, free stuff and more.

Most large manufactures of baby products offer free samples or coupons for their products simply because they want you to try them, like them and keep buying them. Many have websites where you can register online to be included in their email and snail mail lists where they will send you offers and information on an ongoing basis.

Some of the free products are pretty generous. For example signing up online for the Enfamil Family Beginnings Program currently gets you up to $250 in coupons and free samples. Other offers include free baby related magazine subscriptions, free birthday portraits for your child from Olan Mills and more.

Here are some links:

Olan Mill's Birthday Club

Enfamil Family Beginnings

Huggies Baby Network

Pampers

Playtex - Free Drop In Nurser

Free Sample Parent's Choice Formula From Walmart

Free Sample Member's Mark Formula From Sam's Club

Johnson's Special Offers

Gerber's Start Healthy Stay Healthy Program

Beech-Nut Offers

Juicy Juice Free Sippy Cup

Winn Dixie Baby Club

Publix Baby Club

Luvs Special Offers

Similac Strong Moms Special Offers

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Offers

Nature's Goodness Baby Food Offers

Babies Online - Info, Offers & More

Baby Center - Info, Offers & More

Babyzone - Info Offers & More

MommySavers - Info Offers & More

Listen To Free Christmas Music Online

Here's another list I've compiled of over 100 sources for listening to free Christmas and Holiday music online.

How to Listen To Christmas Music Online For Free - Over 100 Sources

How To Save Money Shopping For Gifts This Christmas

Here are some shopping tips for discount gift giving this Christmas:

First of all, make a Christmas shopping budget and stick to it. Have a plan for all the gifts you are buying and how much they will cost.

Shopping for Christmas gifts on sale is a great way to save some money. Many stores are starting their Christmas sales early this year so you may find some good gifts this way.

Shopping online may save you not only time, but money as well. Check with discount web sites such as Overstock.com and even ebay. Also consider looking for Christmas gifts on Craigslist as many people have brand new items they could be selling at a great discount.

If you have any discount stores in your area it may be a good idea to see what Christmas shopping you can do there . Dollar stores, grocery outlets, and surplus stores such as Big Lots are full of gift ideas and smaller items you can put together to create a gift basket.

Look around at what you already have. Use a basket you might already have to fill with items and give as a Christmas gift. Make copies of photos and put together an album for friends or family.

If you're crafty make gifts or if you're a good cook give home made food items as Christmas gifts.

Give the gift of time. Take elderly people shopping, on errands or just out for the day. Take the neighbors trash to the curb and back for a month, offer to do yard work or walk and pick up after their pets. A great Christmas gift for those who have kids is to offer to babysit. Not only are these gifts appreciated, but you don't have to go shopping and it's pretty much free.

Christmas shouldn't be about money and gifts. Just enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Save Money On Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and friends while enjoying good food. Here are some tips that will save you time and money so you can focus on celebrating this holiday and not worry about going broke.

• Plan ahead. Make a list of items you'll need to buy, how many people will be coming, how many place settings of dishes you'll need etc. This way you can set a budget and are less likely to be caught off guard having to make a last minute overpriced purchase.


• Make the feast potluck. Have each guest bring a dish. This not only saves money for the host but will also save time and each person feels like they are involved in the celebration. Make sure to delegate a dish to each guest or some how keep track of what each party is bringing to avoid too many, or not enough, of each item.


• Buy a larger turkey. Butchers at most grocery stores will cut the turkey in half for you, even if it is frozen. Larger turkeys are usually cheaper per pound, so you can save money by either sharing the turkey with a friend or relative, or saving the other half for Christmas or New Year’s.


• Shop early and take advantage of sales. Stick to your menu plan and buy only what you'll need. Start looking at local grocery store flyers and websites to see if there are any good deals or coupons offered.


• Do not buy unnecessary decorations. Make your decor from nature using twigs, leaves, pine cones etc. If you must buy items like a tablecloth, search your local thrift stores and try not to make it too holiday specific so you can use it over again after the holidays.


• If you really want to save money and contribute to the meaning of Thanksgiving, consider spending this holiday volunteering at a local soup kitchen. You will be helping people less fortunate while sharing in the meal. This may become a new tradition for your family.


• Finally, think about inviting an elderly neighbor, military family or member, or other people who have no one to share Thanksgiving with to join you. This is in the true spirit of the holiday and you'll get more from this than any amount of money could buy.

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.

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:

• thecouponclippers.com
• http://www.couponsandforms.com/
• http://www.thecouponmaster.com/
• http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/

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

• boxtops4education.com
• http://www.coolsavings.com/
• http://www.couponbug.com/
• http://www.couponloop.com/
• http://www.coupons.com/
• http://www.couponsurfer.com/
• eatbetteramerica.com
• http://www.eclip.com/
• http://www.eversave.com/
• http://www.mysavings.com/
• nypost.com
• pillsbury.com
• http://www.redplum.com/
• http://www.smartsource.com/
• specialoffers.com
• volition.com
• couponsinc look near bottom of page where they show a list of coupons you can click on
• DeliciousLivingmag.com
• Eatingwell.com

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

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

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:

• My Coke Rewards
• Contessa Foods
• Home Depot Contractor Services Club
• Disney Movie Rewards
• Eight O'Clock Coffee
• Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards
• LaVictoria Rewards
• Miller High Life Extras - must be 21
• Nature Made Wellness Rewards
• Office Depot Worklife Rewards
• Best Buy Reward Zone
• Staples Rewards
• Stouffer's Dinner Club
• True Value Rewards
• Pampers Gifts To Grow
• Starbucks - must have gift card and register it to earn rewards
• Marriott Rewards
• Pepsi Stuff
• Roman Meal
• Weight Watchers
• Mead

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

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

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.

• The Pumpkin Wizard Glee, The Simpsons, AC/DC, Christian Patterns, Les Paul, Farrah Fawcett & many more!
• Stoneykins stencils ranging from The Mona Lisa to The Rolling Stones
• Pumpkin Pile 100's of free pumpkin carving stencils including NFL patterns (free Seattle Seahawks pumpkin pattern here!)
• Nickjr.com use the free stencils to create all your favorite Nickjr characters
• The History Channel fun patterns in pdf form
• SheKnows.com free pumpkin templates
• PumpkinGlow.com Un-Halloween themed patterns
• Spoonful.com Nice pumpkin carving ideas
• eHow.com Good article with carving tips, design patterns and monogram templates
• Walts Pumpkin Carving Secrets Tips, links to patterns and how to make your own stencils
• Pumpkinlady.com Has patterns for sale but also nice selection of free patterns
• Dotcomwomen.com Assortment of designs
• Celebrating-halloween.com Good variety of stencils to choose from
• World Wildlife Fund Nature themed patterns
• ExtremePumpkins.com Extreme - need I say more?
• DLTK's Child friendly designs like Scooby Doo and Thomas The Tank
• Hershey's Nice selection of designs
• ScaryProducts.com Traditional design patterns
• HauntedWorld.com Small selection but includes Obama & McCain
• Free Twilight Pumpkin Carving Stencils - all of your favorite Twilight movie characters!
• Free Barack Obama Pumpkin Patterns

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

Kids Eat Free Restaurants

Times are tough and more restaurants are offering Kids Eat Free nights to get your business. Here are some ways to find these offers:

Keep an eye out in your area for signs posted at your local restaurants. Other ways this might be advertised is inside of the restaurants, on the menu, in newspapers or other advertisements or online through the restaurant's or other web sites.

Look for online resources where you can search for places in your area with kids eat free nights. These will tell you what offers are available on specific days of the week, etc. Some examples of websites you can use are:

• KiddieMenu.com


• KidsEat4Free.com


• KidsEatFree.com

Some nationwide chains currently offering kids eat free promotions are:

• Austin Grill
• Captain D's
• Dennys
• Holiday Inn
• Lone Star Steakhouse
• Rio Wraps
• Sagebrush Steakhouse

Another way to find free kids meal offers is to find out if the restaurants you frequent have a kids club you can sign up for. These normally offer free birthday meals or other discounts.

Be aware, if you find a national listing for a restaurant chain advertising kids eat free nights, it is up to each individual restaurant whether or not they want to participate. Always check first with the restaurants in your area. It is likely you will be required to purchase an adult meal to get the free kids meal. Check with each restaurant for their restrictions and requirements.

photo: polska1, sxc.hu