Free Landscape & Garden Design Programs

My backyard needs a serious makeover. I'm not one of those people who can visualize something; I need to see it drawn out - which I'm no good at either. So here's some free landscape & garden design programs I found online.

Better Homes and Gardens offers plan-a-garden. You have to register as an online member, but it's quick and easy. The program is pretty basic and limited, but it works well for planning simple layouts. The website also offers free garden plans and other helpful tips and ideas.

Gardener's Supply Company offers a simple Free Garden Design Planner that is a must have when planning your vegetable garden layout. This website also offers valuable free advice on planting and care. 

A more elaborate program is the Showoff Free Landscape & Outdoor Living Software. You can upload your own photo, select your region's hardiness zone to see plants that grow in your area and more. You do need to register and install the free software. The program does have it's limitations, and of course you can get more functions if you pay to upgrade. The free version is fine in my opinion.

There's an app for that. iScape Free Landscape Design app gives you the opportunity to test drive the paid version at no charge. Take a picture or upload your own photo from your photo library. Use the tools to add grass, pavers, flowers, trees, walkways, patio furniture, etc. You can save and share your design via Facebook, email or print.


For designing decks, here is a Free Deck Designer from Lowes.  Decks.com also offers a Free Deck Designer and Free Deck Plans. You must register at these sites first.

Well I hope you find these as helpful as I did. Now if you know of anyone willing to do the actual labor of putting in the landscape or building a new deck for free, you let me know ok?



photo: micnae65, 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

Happy Friday Freebies!

Happy Friday everyone! Here's some free stuff I found:

Be one of the first 250,000 people to sign up on Friday for the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act and receive a coupon for a single size candy bar. Offer valid each Friday through 9/25/09.

Experience the Islands with a Free Sample of Hawaiian Tropic Suncare from Walmart. Choose from After Sun Body Butter or Sheer Touch SPF 15 Sunscreen Lotion.

Get ready for Free Ice Cream Day at Walmart on Saturday May 30, 2009 11am -4pm. Check to see if there is a participating Walmart near you.

Cuddle up with your old TV before transitioning to digital and get a FREE Bag of Popcorn from Yahoo! While supplies last. (Sign up is on right hand side of page near bottom.)

Be one of the first 100,000 people to sign up for a coupon for Free DiGiorno Flatbread Melts May 18, 2009.

Have a great weekend!

photo: hortongrou, sxc.hu

Free Stuff For Moms

Free Cup or Cone For Mom From TCBY Mother's Day, May 10 2009 at Participating Locations


The Mother's Guide to Self Renewal Free Book Download May 8-10 2009


Use Code UNDONEFREE at Checkout for a Free Undone! ebook from Harlequin, good until May 31, 2009


Free 12 issue Subscription to Working Mother Magazine (hurry, these go fast!)


photo: bies, sxc.hu

More Freebies

Cinnabon is celebrating National Nurses Week by giving away One FREE Cinnabon Classic Roll to each nurse who shows their healthcare ID May 6-12 2009

Sur La Table is having a Free Brownie Workshop Saturday May 9 at 11 am - All Stores. Score tips, techniques and delicious homemade brownies. No reservations needed - walk in and join the fun!

Mark your calendars for the Free Family Film Festival beginning June 2009 at select Regal theatres nationwide.

photo: tazzmaniac, sxc.hu

Free Kentucky Fried Chicken and More

Print your coupon for Free 2 pc KFC Grilled Chicken, 2 Individual Sides and a Biscuit. Can be redeemed at participating KFC locations 5/5/09 - 5/19/09 (excluding 5/10) *UPDATE: KFC is now giving rain checks for this coupon (Did they run out of Chicken?)

Enjoy several Free Samples from ViveMejor.com which currently includes Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise, Caress Skinware products, Degree Women Fine Fragrance and Ponds Rejuveness.

Watch or download The 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show courtesy Amazon.com

And just for fun, upload a photo of your child - or yourself - into the Kideo Starmaker Demos. Here's one I made: Barney Starmaker Sample Starring "Cindy". (Ok, so that's not me, but you get the idea.)

photo: mzacha, sxc.hu

Free Comic Books

Just a quick note to let you know that tomorrow, May 2 is Free Comic Book Day. Comic book shops around the world will be giving away comic books for free! Check with your local shop to see if they are participating and get the rules.

If you miss this event, don't despair, you can read some comic books as well as comic strips online for free. Read my article How to Read Free Comics and Comic Books Online.

photo: wax115, sxc.hu

Free Hallmark Cards and More

Get a Free Mother's Day Card from Hallmark online: Use code CARD4MOM to get a free 5X7 paper card you can personalize and even have mailed for free

(Use code APRILCARD to get another Free Hallmark Card of your choice!)


Sign up to become a myStoneyfield community member and fill out the form for a Free One Year Subscription to Organic Gardening Magazine from Stoneyfield Farm.


Get a Free Sample of Nivea Touch of Happiness Body Wash from Walmart.com


Use the code LUCKY at Restaurant.com to receive an additional 80% off their already discounted gift certificates


photo: bies, sxc.hu

How to Calculate Take Home Pay After Taxes

Want to know how much you'll really be earning from that new job? You could try to calculate your take home pay after taxes using the ol' noggin, or you could be really smart about it and use a free online calculator to figure it out for you.

Some of the best I've found are provided by PaycheckCity.com . You can use the basic calculators without registering with the site, or use the professional calculators with registration. Whichever you decide, they are all free to use.

Not only can you calculate your take home pay after taxes, but you can get free help with your W-4 and more.

You'll need to enter some basic tax info, such as your filing status, number of allowances you're claiming etc. It's nice that you can play around with the info too, so you can see what difference it would make if you claimed fewer allowances, etc.

So while you may never find out who that FICA character is that's taking all your money, at least you can get a realistic idea of what your take home pay will be.

photo: djayo, sxc.hu

Free Stuff for Your Pets

Pets like Freebies too!

Get your dog a free sample Smokey Bacon-Flavored Better Than Ears Treat from Walmart.com

Get your cat a Free Can of Petite Cuisine Cat Food on their birthday

Take your pets to the PetSmart Pet Birthday Party April 21, 6-8pm and get a Free Goodie Bag and Free Digital Photo with Frame

Get a Free 8 X 10 Photo from Canon . Use "Try MyPhoto", a free service from Canon where they will print an 8 X 10 of your image using the printer you select and mail it to you for free. Okay, so this doesn't have to be used for your pet's photo - but I recommend it.

Do You Swap & Barter?

I have to say I'm loving this new "old" idea of swapping and bartering as a way to get goods and services. Remember watching Little House on The Prairie and seeing Ma Ingalls trading eggs for goods at the Oleson Mercantile? Well, that practice of using alternative items in place of money as a way to buy stuff seems to be making a strong comeback.

I don't think places such as Walmart will be jumping on the swap train anytime soon, but several smaller businesses are using this practice. I've seen businesses trading with other businesses as well as with consumers. A recent browse through the Craigslist barter section revealed several ads with titles such as "Auto Repair for ?", "Trade Home Remodel for Web Site Building Skills", "Graphic Sign Work in Exchange for T-Shirt Press", and so on.

Even more popular is the trading going on between everyday people. I recently traded some used Elmo character Christmas lights for postage stamps. The possibilities are endless. My junk for your junk - what could be better? Plus, this is a great way to recycle. I even started following a blog I stumbled across: The Craigslist Experiment where a guy is using an item he found for free on Craigslist and is bartering his way up to bigger and better items. You go Trevor!

Besides Craigslist, there are several web sites popping up that help people wanting to exchange goods. You can find several sites discussed in this article: How to Barter. Another way to trade stuff is the Swap Party . A way to get free stuff and party? I'm there!

Entire communities are getting involved. You can use the website Meetup.com to look for a Clothing Swap Meetup Group near you. Search this site for other kinds of Swap Groups, or look in your local community newspaper for swap events.

Having trouble selling your home? Swap it! People are swapping homes, cars, boats, RVs and more on sites such as GoSwap.org . Now, that's serious swapping.

So do any of you Swap & Barter? I'd love to hear about it.

Free Audio Books for Kids & Free Online Books for Everyone

Enjoy these Free Audio Books for Kids online from AudibleKids. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Free Downloads for Children's Literacy".

For everyone, here's a Free Audio Book of Marley and Me from Audible.com

Find hundreds (or maybe thousands - I haven't counted) of free online books to read for kids and adults from several sources listed in my article How to Find Books And Novels To Read Online For Free . Many of these are available to read online, while others are available in audio formats and podcasts.

Several of these are classics, but they are called "classic" for a reason. What better time than Spring to read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

There are books available by lesser known authors as well. Who knows, maybe you'll discover a new favorite writer.

Well, I'm off to find some reading material. So many free books, so little time.

photo: lusi, stock.xchng

April 1st Free Stuff Finds

It may be April Fools Day, but this free stuff is the real deal:

Several freebies from Walmart

Each week in April if you are one of the first 10,000 people to take the Earthbound Farms Earth Day Pledge, you'll receive a free reusable shopping tote

Get free samples of shampoo including Aveeno Nourish and Dove New Therapy System Hair Care

So don't be a fool - hurry and sign up for these great free offers!

Free Antivirus Software & More!

I hate paying for antivirus software and spyware protection, so I did my homework and came up with several free options found online. You can read all about them here:

How to Get Free Antivirus & Anti Spyware Software Online

Now that your computer is healthy, here's some free stuff that's good for you:

Sign up to receive a coupon for a Free Attune Probiotic Bar for digestion health

For a cleaner, fresher feeling bum, try a free sample of Cottonelle Toilet Paper & Flushable Moist Wipes from Walmart

Manage your blood sugar with a Free Box of Glucerna Cereal. Call 1-877-879-4857 to request your coupon good for one box of Glucerna Cereal valued up to $5. (I found this product at my local Walmart near the Pharmacy, not in the grocery aisle.)

So stay healthy and virus free - Cheap Cindy

A Wee Bit O'Freebies

Happy St. Patricks Day! I tried to find you all a free pot of gold, but didn't have any luck. Here's some free stuff I did find:

17 Free St. Patricks Day MP3s from Celtic MP3s Music Magazine

Free George Killian's Brewmaster's Tasting Kit: Once you enter the site click on "Begin Journey", go to the Free Brewmaster's tasting Kit offer found in the lower left corner, click on "I don't have my drink kit" and use one of these codes: P3W9L4T or M9N7K3K.

Free BreadBreakthrough Recipe Book from Fleischmann's Yeast

Get ready for Easter with this Free Personalized letter From The Easter bunny

Wishing you all the luck of the Irish - Cheap Cindy



photo: eanbowman, sxc.hu

Lucky You! Free Undies, Cream of Wheat, Oprah eBook and Language Lessons

Happy Friday 13th! Here are some free stuff offers to make you feel lucky:

Everyone needs a lucky pair of underwear, so get some Free Undies : Sign up for the aerie a-list and print your coupon for a free undie, good till 3/18, only at aerie stores

Try Cream of Wheat again FREE : Fill out the online form for your free sample. How is this lucky? Well, if you've never tried Cream of Wheat this is your chance to do it for free, if you don't like it consider yourself lucky you didn't waste money buying it.

Change the way you think and maybe you'll change your luck. Oprah is offering a Free eBook download of The Difference by Jean Chatzky: Must be an Oprah.com member - sign up is easy and free, offer expires 10:59am ET 3/14 so hurry!

Get the luck of the Irish: Rosetta Stone invites consumers to get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit and brush up on their brogue by offering a Free trial of Irish (Gaelic) on RosettaStone.com through 3/19

Haven't had any luck finding a job? Maybe adding a new skill to your resume will help. Learning a new language is a great way to boost your skills, and you can do it for free. See my articles:

Free Language Lessons Online

How to Learn Sign Language Online Free

Have a lucky weekend fellow cheapskates! - Cheap Cindy

Free Socks and Other Goodies!

Here's a few freebies and such:

Free 2-Pack of Training Socks Coupon - Bring to any Lucy Store to redeem, $14 value, Good till 03/22/09 or while supplies last

Free Quaker True Delights - Tell them your True Delight and they'll send you one of theirs

Free Sample Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash

Restaurant.com 80% off by entering the code MENU at checkout, expires 03/15/09

And if your like me and never got any free calendars for this year, see my article How to Get Free Printable Calendars

Free Stuff For Kids

It's Spring Break time, and for parents of younger kids this can mean hearing "I'm sooooo bored, there's nothing to doooooo!" Well here's some fun free stuff to keep your kids busy.

Home Depot offers Free Kids Workshops. These offer useful projects including the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit.

The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children.

In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin. (Those little aprons are too cute!)

Lowe's stores offer their version called Build and Grow Clinics.

If you don't have these stores in your area, there is still plenty of free stuff for kids found online. For hours of coloring enjoyment, see my article with links to hundreds of Free Coloring Pages. No crayons? No problem! Many of these offer online features where you color them online and print them out when your done.

You can also find tons of Free Crafts for Kids Online, such as making puppets, greeting cards, mobiles, bookmarks and other creative projects.

There is obviously not enough time to do all these things over Spring Break, but remember, summer is just around the corner.

photo: stock.xchng

More Free Stuff!

ACUVUE Brand Contacts Free Trial Pair

Restaurant.com 80% off using Promo Code DINE expires 2/28

Kashi Free Frozen Entree

Mimi's Cafe Join the E-CLUB and get a Free Breakfast

American Express cardholders: be on the lookout for a mailing with a RSVP code that entitles you to $300 for paying off your account - no, that's not a typo, but you must receive the offer and it will close your account

Random Freebies!

Here are some random freebies - enjoy!

Another freebie from Jack In The Box: 2 Free Tacos Coupon Valid only on Tuesday Feb. 24

Be prepared for Mother Nature with this free Beinggirl Sample Kit

Free sample Total Cranberry Crunch Cereal

IHOP National Pancake Day Feb. 24 Free Short Stack of Pancakes

Elle Decor Magazine Free 1 Year Subscription (These free mags really do come!)

American Baby Magazine Free Subscription

Pre-Order your Free 2009 Consumer Action Handbook

photo: ba1969, stock.xchng