ThriftyMama

Save 10% on eBay Purchase...

2005-07-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Save 10% on any eBay purchase (maximum savings: $25) when you pay with Paypal. Apply coupon code CATLSP051025.

(It works! I used it today! I'm not sure when the expiration is, though.)

Where My Fat Girls At??

2005-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I found a discount code for Lane Bryant when I was doing a li'l online shopping the other day. They have a bunch of summer stuff on sale right now.

Here you go!

Save 20% - use discount code 00207188 during checkout. Expires September 30, 2005.

(Sorry I haven't posted in forever! Been a little busy around here. I promise to post more!)

Free Stuff for the Preggos.

2005-06-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ensure Healthy Mom - For Pregnant and Nursing Mothers.

You can find Ensure Healthy Mom™ in both Shakes and Snack Bars, each in an irresistible variety of flavors to satisfy your cravings. So whether you're on the go or taking a breather, you can always enjoy a delicious, nutritious treat.

This sensible shake is a good source of protein, calcium, and vitamins and minerals, and helps satisfy your appetite. It’s a delectable treat when you’re eating for two!

Click that link to go to a page where you can order a free sample of the bars, shakes, or get free coupons in the mail. Woo!

Free Krispy Kremes TODAY!

2005-06-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

From my friend Denise:

Could there be a sweeter day of the year? On Friday, June 3rd, Krispy Kreme will celebrate National Doughnut Day by offering customers a free doughnut of their choice in participating stores throughout the U.S.

Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression and to honor the work of World War I Salvation Army volunteers who prepared doughnuts for thousands of soldiers. Doughnut Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in June, and special fundraising events continue today at Salvation Armies around the country.

So stop by and celebrate National Doughnut Day with Krispy Kreme on June 3rd and have a doughnut on us! Please visit http://www.krispykreme.com/ for store location information and to find out if your local Krispy Kreme is participating.

Free Child Safety Kit

2005-05-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

New freebie!

Take Action: Order your free Child Safety Kit today. The Polly Klaas Foundation's Child Safety Kit is sub-titled “How to teach abduction prevention without scaring your child (or yourself)”. It also includes a child ID kit to record your child's personal information, including at-home use fingerprint and DNA sampling materials.

Toys R Us Coupons!

2005-05-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Printable coupons for TRU here!

Save 20% on any one item.

Save $10 on $50 or more puchase.

Good thru 5/21, so HURRY!

Cheap Peek-a-Blocks!

2005-05-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

I saw this on my friend Eden's site...it's a GREAT deal on the PEEK-a-Blocks 2-in-1 Activity Wagon on Amazon. We paid over thirty bucks for this for the big twins' first Christmas. Maybe they're not going to make it anymore so they're selling 'em cheap?

A word of warning, though - this is a toy that should be used with supervision or by kids over age one - or old enough to keep from pinching their fingers in the spinning wheel!

Free Frosty Weekend!

2005-05-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Another freebie passed on from Miss Gina...free frosties this weekend at Wendy's just for the asking! Friday through Sunday.

Update!

2005-05-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

In my VERY FIRST POST here, I shared a freebie from Beech-Nut for a free bowl. Well, it came in today's mail, and it's quite cute. Just one of those melamine bowls you use for feeding children - white, with tiny pictures of vegetables all around the rim. I like it.

So, if you have little kids and use those kinds of bowls, click that linky right there and grab that freebie before it expires. (Looks like you can also sign up for a free bib here.)

Free Tampax Pearl Tampons

2005-05-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Get a free sample of Tampax Pearl tampons right here!

Oh, and remember the other day when I posted about Vonage phone service? If you'd like to give them a try, send me an email and I'll send you a referral - we'll each get one month free!

Yay! Another freebie!

2005-05-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer gives your skin complete care, providing everything it needs most to stay beautiful, plus extra protection against skin damage in a light, non-greasy formula.

Get a free sample of Complete Defense SPF 30 right here.

(Thanks, Geeky Mama!

Propel Fitness Water - fo' free!

2005-05-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Another little freebie... Propel Fitness Water - complete the little survey for a coupon for a free bottle. Neato!

Free Sample from Dove

2005-05-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember on the Apprentice, when the two teams had to create a commercial for a new Dove product, and their commercials both totally sucked and the people from Dove said they should all be fired? Well, you can get a free sample of that Dove cool moisture soap right here!

Free Calling Card Offer from Folgers

2005-04-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Looks like a Mother's Day promotion! "Stay Connected with Her this Mother's Day! - Folgers"

Schick Quattro Razor for Women

2005-04-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

Oooh, more free stuff. Schick Quattro Razor for Women.

You know what I always say: if it's free, it's fo' me!

Mr Clean Magic Eraser

2005-04-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Right on! Mr. Clean Magic Eraser free sample! (You have tried these, right? They're the bomb-diggity. That freebie won't last forever, so click fast. :-)

Cheap Phone Service!

2005-04-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've had to sit down and go through the bills (ThriftyDad handles all of that stuff, thank God) but I very distinctly remember when he and I were dating and I still had my own place, I paid about $42 a month for my phone service, which included caller ID, call waiting, and voice mail. I never called anyone long distance (except at work, where it was "free" - heh) so that was just basic phone service. What a rip! I think once we dropped voice mail, it was about $37 a month. Still. Total rip-off.

In early December, we decided to give Vonage a try. It's phone service that's available if you have a broadband (cable or DSL) internet connection. The monthly fee is $14.99 for 500 minutes - sort of like a cell phone - and includes voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way calling - AND, those 500 minutes are good for calling anyone in the US and Canada! We don't use our home phone all that much because we use our cell phones quite a bit, so the 500 minutes works out fine for us, but they also have UNLIMITED minutes for $24.99.

That's a pretty substantial savings, I think. Our experience has been pretty okay. The problem we experienced was getting Qwest to port our number to Vonage because we didn't want to change our phone number. It took FOUR MONTHS for this to occur. During that whole time, we were paying for phone service through both Vonage and Qwest, but Vonage is rebating us for all that time, since our service with them didn't officially begin until they had our phone number in place.

The phone number issue wasn't Vonage's fault though - Qwest just sucks ass when it comes to dealing with anything resembling customer service, and why should our issue have any priority when it's leading to them losing us as a customer, y'know? If we didn't mind changing our phone number, we could have started up with Vonage immediately and had no issues at all.

The service actually works fine. There's no difference that I can detect, and for almost a third of what we were paying before, I'm very pleased with it. Look into it if you have cable internet and need a second phone line or just want a nice cheap land line - it works great. Thumbs up!

Gerber Coupons

2005-04-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

I don't actually remember signing up for Gerber's mail list, but I must have at some point, as I found a bunch of coupons in my email this morning. Buy one get one free 2nd foods, Save 50 cents on 1st or 2nd foods or cereal, Save 75 cents on baby wash, lotion, or shampoo... Good deals! Sign up for coupons here.

Pravda Vodka Freebie

2005-04-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have four children in diapers. By the time they're all tucked in bed and kissed goodnight, I see nothing wrong with having a little drinky while watching Seinfeld reruns and folding hundreds of Garanimals separates. You don't have to twist my arm when it comes to free samples of Pravda Vodka!

Isn't it Ironic (Dontcha Think?)

2005-04-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

I was just noticing my little Google ads over in the sidebar are almost exclusively advertising reeeeeally pricy baby stuff.

Do some people REALLY spend $150 on a diaper bag? Seriously?

Sam's Club/Costco

2005-04-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

I ran out to Sam's Club today to get a fresh pizza for dinner tonight and a bag of frozen chicken nuggets for the kiddies (and apple juice and Pop-Tarts) and I ran into my best friend there! It was so nice to see her, without any of our kids around - we chatted and had a Coke and did our shopping together.

Anyway. I wanted to mention the value of a Sam's Club/Costco membership. I've only had my Sam's membership for a little over a month. You see, I used to think the money saved there wouldn't make up for the cost of a membership - but I was wrong. I finally decided to research it a little further, since I was at Wal-Mart, right across the parking lot, buying the same stuff week after week. I made a list of everything I buy ALL THE TIME at Wal-Mart, like gallons of milk, juice, fruit cups, chicken nuggets, canned vegetables and soup, cheese, diapers, cereal, etc. I made my regular trip to Wal-Mart and wrote down all the prices, then went across the parking lot to Sam's Club and price compared. Holy crap! I was about ready to return all my groceries to Wal-Mart. A yearly membership is only $35.

On my first shopping trip at Sam's Club, I got a hugeass thing of Bounty select-a-size paper towels for thirteen bucks. (Everything at Sam's Club comes in "Hugeass" only.) I got a hugeass box of 36 Pop-Tarts for five something. I got a box of FIFTY FIVE packets of Quaker instant oatmeal (which the kids eat EVERY MORNING) for $9.50. Everything. Is. So. Cheap. I mean, it's not. I spent almost ninety dollars. But I got HUGEASS QUANTITIES of stuff! A CASE of diapers for thirty bucks. An Elmo DVD for $7.50. Plus, their snack bar prices are ridiculously cheap. We usually get the ginormous hot dog and soft drink combo (I drink the soft drink; the kids eat the hot dog!) for a buck fifty. A HUGE fountain drink is SEVENTY FIVE CENTS! It's insanity, I tell you.

So, that's my plug. Spend the $35 and save some dough. The only drawback is that you have to buy whatever they have there. They don't have my brand of formula. They don't carry Luvs diapers. (I tried using Huggies, since they were so cheap there, but I HAAAAAATED them. They leaked like crazy. The velcro stuck to everything but the diaper. They left little gel-like beads on my babies' booties. Hated them. Bleah.) They don't carry Pampers wipes. But still, I save money on all that other stuff. Hell, the gallons of milk are A DOLLAR CHEAPER at Sam's Club. That's worth it right there.

Fashion Bug Coupons

2005-04-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't shopped at Fashion Bug in years - uh, since before I got pregnant with my FIRST twins, I'm thinking. But I know they have cute stuff in lots of sizes!

Here are a couple of coupons you can print out and take to the store or use at Fashionbug.com: Coupons

Good Deal; Free Shipping!

2005-04-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

K8 posted such a good deal today on the Little Tikes Easty Store Sand and Water Table. I may have to jump on it - I know my own little monkeys would love that thing!

Free sterling silver jewelry.

2005-04-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Heidi passed this along...Free sterling silver jewelry. Looks like you just pay the cost of shipping. Hmmm.

Super Homemade Stain Remover

2005-04-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this partially for my own reference. I was at my monthly twin club meeting last night, and several of the mamas there were talking about this awesome concoction they used to get stains out of their kids' clothes that they put in the twin club garage sale. They all swear by it, so I'm going to try it. Here it is.

Homemade stain remover:

Mix in a large tub:

1 c. Clorox 2 powder
1 c. Cascade powder
7 to 14 quarts HOT water

Soak clothes in mixture for 6 to 24 hours. This mixture may take out the color in dark items, so be careful!

One more Denver area special...

2005-04-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Right now you can get $1 off admission at the Butterfly Pavilion when you bring a canned good for 9Cares Colorado Shares. I'm not sure how long that special is good for; I just saw it on TV this weekend.

Cheap Gas Prices!

2005-04-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Making a note of this for my own reference:

Denver Gas Prices - where to find cheap gas in Denver.

For those of you not in Denver, check out Gas Buddy - you can click on your state and city and find the cheapest places to buy gas. From their site:

"GasBuddy.com can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. It is comprised of 170 gas price information web sites that help consumers find low gasoline prices. All web sites are operated by GasBuddy. GasBuddy has the most comprehensive listings of gas prices anywhere by far."

Neato.

Buying Baby Equipment Secondhand

2005-04-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's mind boggling to me just how much we spend with all these babies. Four children in diapers - and two on formula - well, we really take it hard in the pocketbook! One of the things I've learned, though, is not to buy everything new. One of the best ways to save money on allllll the stuff you need to buy for your little bundle of joy is to let someone else buy it first. Many can't-live-without items are only used for a short period of time - swings, bouncers, baby gyms, and crib mobiles, among other things - and you can pick them up in nearly new condition for a fraction of the price.

Here's where to find baby equipment on the cheap:

Second-hand and Consignment Stores

Kid-to-Kid and Once Upon A Child are a great place to start. Have a clear idea of what features you're willing to sacrifice and what you can't live without. You may find that last year's model of swing suits you just fine when it costs one third of the newest model at Babies R Us! Pay close attention to the quality of the item - if it looks junky, pass on it. Crappy baby stuff isn't a bargain at ANY price. And ask to see a demonstration of any item that uses batteries - stores like these make a practice of keeping a screwdriver and batteries at the counter so you can "try before you buy" with any item.

The downside of these stores is that they can be a little bit high - I mean, after all, we're talking about used stuff! I remember seeing a swing at a consignment store for thirty-six dollars. Thirty-six dollars! I had the same model swing at home I got as a shower gift, so I knew it retailed for fifty. It really chapped my ass that they had the gall to try and charge more than half of what the item sold for new - for an older model USED swing! You have no idea of the history of an item like that. The previous owner could have treated it with TLC, or they may have dropped it down the stairs half a dozen times. You just don't know. It's definitely buyer beware, so make sure you feel like you're truly getting a good deal on a quality item. On a positive note, once your little angels outgrow an item, you can sell it to one of these stores for a little extra cash. Emphasis on LITTLE - ha! They are in business to make money, after all, so they don't pay too much for items to resell.

Garage Sales

I love garage sales! They are a GREAT resource for baby stuff, and are often much cheaper than consigment and second-hand stores. The only problem with garage-saling is that it's pretty much hit or miss. Also, garage sales are seasonal - where I live, they're only from about May through August. But if you're a stay-at-home mama like me, you can hit the sales at the best time - early Friday mornings. Pack up your kids and grab a Diet Coke and head out early to any middle class suburban area. As you drive down a main street, you should see tons of little SALE! signs with arrows pointing you where to go. My best friend and I used to head out together almost every week when our daughters were young. We outfitted those girls with designer clothes and damned near every Little Tikes toy ever made, practically for pennies!

Twin Club Sales

I saved the best for last. :grin: Twin Club Sales are AWESOME, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a twin mama. Generally, they are put on twice a year by mothers of multiples clubs. The members gather up all their old baby clothes and equipment and have a huge garage sale, usually at a church or a hall of some sort. Garage sale prices with consignment store selection. The sales are open to the public, and it usually costs a dollar to get in - these are the fundraisers the club uses to keep itself going - and dozens of people show up early to get the good deals. It's worth getting up early and standing in line. Bonus: twin club members get in first, so if you're a twin mama, that's reason enough to join a twin club - to get the best selection at these sales!

So where do you find twin club sales? Where I live, there are half a dozen or so twin clubs - and the bigger sales almost always get advertised on the news. My twin club is smaller, but we still hang up flyers at the grocery store. And almost all twin clubs have information about their sales on their websites, so hit the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Club to find a linky to a twin club near you. It's worth looking into, believe me.

There are definite bargains to be found if you look for them! However, one item you should budget for to buy new is your baby's carseat. Carseats are recalled so often, it's important to buy one new and register your purchase with the manufacturer, so they can send you a little postcard in the mail letting you know if they've discovered their seat is actually a little deathtrap. Also, all the manufacturers say you should never use a carseat after it's been in a car accident, so definitely buy your carseat new - you never know the history of something you get used. I keep stumbling across this Free carseat offer from Midas, but I haven't looked into it for myself. Might be worth checking out if you're shopping for a carseat, though!

I don't think it would make a good diaper bag, but...

2005-04-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

I almost want to buy this briefcase with flames on it just on principal. $29.95 marked down to $4.95?? Now who do I know who needs a present like this? Hmmmm.

The importance of doing your homework.

2005-04-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

I got this tip from Baby Talk magazine...check out 1800Diapers.com for great deals on disposable diapers. Their website boasts free shipping and prices that beat anyone.

I pulled out my last Wal-Mart receipt to see how much I paid for diapers. Luvs, Size 4, package of 68 for $13.97. With 8.1% sales tax (ouch), that came to $15.10, or about twenty two cents per diaper.

On 1800Diapers, Luvs diapers are $28.99 for a package of 126 - no sales tax, no shipping. That calculates to twenty-three cents per diaper. Um, not that impressive.

I suppose I could factor in the cost of gasoline and how much my time is worth to drive to Wal-Mart, but dude. I'm there every week anyway buying formula and groceries - it's no biggie for me to throw a package of diapers in the cart.

I still think the site is worth checking out, though - it's possible that the pricier diapers like Pampers and Huggies are indeed cheaper. Luvs are pretty cheap to begin with, so I wasn't expecting miracles! Look into it, and see if you can save a little: 1800Diapers

Barbie Freebie

2005-03-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

My 9-year-old LOVES stuff like this - she loves goofing around on the computer and she loves making stuff for her Barbies. Free Barbie printables.

Twin Discounts

2005-03-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Just for my own reference...I sent away for these twin mama specials:

"Diaper Genie" Free for twins or more (call before the babies are 3 months old)
1-800-843-6430

Mail request with birth certs to:

20 Troy Road
Whippany, NJ 07981

...

Nestle Infant Nutrition
PO Box AW
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703

Mothers of multiples need to send copies of birth certificates to this address for coupons for 5 cans of formula.

...

Drypers Corporation, 1-360-693-6688
Several $1 off coupons and a coupon for a free package of diapers for each baby
P.O. Box 8830
Vancouver, WA 98666-8830

...

I'll let you know if any of them pan out!

If it's free, it's for me!

2005-03-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

A little freebie for ya: Free bowl from Beech-Nut Baby Food.