Diaper Diva - Pampers

Yesterday I wrote a post about getting the most out of your diaper purchases. I mentioned Amazon Mom and Huggies Rewards.

Today I want to fill you in on Pampers Loyalty Program.  It is called Gifts to Grow.  You can find codes inside your packages of diapers and wipes and Pampers shares free codes fairly often.  I started my account long before I had a baby and just entered in free codes whenever I ran across them. (Freebies2Deals helped me accumulate most of my points.)

Pampers recently shared a code on their twitter account for President's Day. Make sure you enter it in before 12 (CT) on 2/24/13.  FBPRE20W93DAY13

I am currently debating on which Shutterfly offer I want to use all my points. What are you saving  your points for?

Diaper Diva - Huggies

If you have a little one in diapers than you know the struggle of trying to find the best deal. I recommend Amazon Mom. It helps save us a ton of money and I don't have to lug a huge box home from the store. Which is nice because I inevitably try to get everything inside at once and it ends up that I drop something 80% of the time. You think I would learn.

Another thing you can do to get the most bang for your buck is to sign up for the loyalty programs and turn in your codes. Both Huggies and Pampers have a program that gives you small rewards for choosing their products.

Huggies program is called Huggies Enjoy the Ride. Each time you buy a Huggies product look for the small code written on the sticker (usually found inside the package.) Log into your account and type in the code. The points add up slowly but you feel so satisfied when you turn them in for a fun reward.  I'm aiming for one of these two rewards. I still have a long way to go, but I get so excited whenever I get a new code.

Codes can be found in packages of diapers and wipes, online at their site, and sometimes from their twitter and facebook feeds. Don't have an account yet? Type your email into the comments below and I will send you an invitation. Just for signing up through me you get an extra 10 points.

Viggle

So a while back I was reading one of the deal sites that I follow when I heard of Viggle. At the time I didn't have cable so I pinned it to my finance board and continued to live my merry life.

Well after moving, unpacking, and getting settled in guess who got cable for the first time in over 5 years? That's right! Me! I'm not sure we will keep it once our six month trial runs up since Comcast is notorious for getting you to sign for a sweet deal and then hiking up the price. Until then I am enjoying the food network and being able to watch the Olympics was pretty sweet.

Back to Viggle. First off you have to love it because of it's name. It sounds like wiggle. Which makes me giggle. :) But then you fall in love with the fact that it is rewarding you for being a bum or if you are a little bit more productive than me, a multi-tasker. Basically the app rewards you for checking into shows on TV. So when I am watching Rachel Ray while folding the laundry I pull the app up on my phone and check in. At the end of the show I get Viggle points. 

Eventually those points add up to giftcards or coupons. It does take a long time if you only watch a couple of shows a week. (The points needed to redeem rewards keeps climbing as well.) But getting free giftcards for something you are already doing? I'm in. I am all over ways to creatively pad my budget.

As far as I know you can use it with DVR too. Which I think is fantastic. If you check the app daily there are certain shows you can watch to earn bonuses. Sometimes these are actually shows I watch, so it's a win win. Sometimes they have interactive trivia games you can play while watching a live event. When the Olympics were on Mr. WB and I both got a bunch of points for answering questions.

If you spend some time watching TV you might want to check this app out.

If you sign up using  one of the links I posted I get a couple of extra bonus points. Thank you in advance for your support.  

Let's all go to the movies!

I love going on dates with my man, but I hate when it costs an arm and a leg to do so. Let's face it, I am not a graceful person. Taking one of my arms and my legs is sure not to help this problem. Trust me, I'm already struggling with this bump that has taken place around my middle section. I can't tell you the number of things/people I have bumped into this last week.

Luckily I learned about Gofobo on one of the deal sites I follow. So I can keep my arms and my legs intact and use them when we need to pay for gas. Because of Gofobo last week we not only got to go see a movie for free, we got to see a movie that doesn't even come out until next month. Score! I got double bonus points because it was one that my husband was really excited about, Here Comes the Boom.

Signing up and using gofobo is a piece of cake. You go to their website and find this little helper in the upper left corner.  Enter in your zipcode, and just a little to the right there is a tab for screenings. Click search/the screening tab to see what movies are showing your area. (You probably should sign up for a gofobo account to get accurate data. I personally use my e-mail because I think facebook gives way to much information to people.)

Under the screenings tab you should see a couple of movies listed. They will tell you the time and the place. They will also tell you if there are any tickets available. You are looking for the little green box that says "open screening." Click on that, enter in your account info and see if there are any available passes left. Sometimes even though it says "open screening" there are no spaces.

If there are (do a little happy dance) and tell them how many tickets you want. (1-2) Gofobo will then send your tickets to the email you registered with. Print them out and take them to the address listed. Try to be at least 30 minutes early because they give out more tickets than they actually have seats. I like to bring a book. Be aware they will take your cellphone (or any recording device on your person) and give it back to you at the end of the movie.

Enjoy the movie. Fill out the small survey they send to your e-mail and check the website often to find tickets to new shows. Tada! A new cheap date idea to add to your list. Check gofobo out and let me know what movie you get to see.

Shopping Online with Ebates

Remember how I confessed my hatred of bacon? Well that is just the start of my weird confessions. I imagine by the time I finish writing this blog, I will have no secrets left. I also hate shopping. I know. A woman who hates to shop.

I could never be this girl. The one who shops every day. My husband gets excited when he can get me to go mall crawling/window shopping for more than an hour. If I get something for myself he is ecstatic. Seriously. My husband loves to shop. Especially when it comes to electronics. This is one of his favorite stores to shop. He was counting down the days until the 12th and made me stay up late so he could order the new iPhone 5. Love that man. But must we check Mac Rumors before going to bed every night? I just don't get it.

I hate to shop! But I have a couple of exceptions. They are groceries, books, and shopping for another person. I know, I am unique. But there is something about having food on your shelves, a book in your hand, and the knowledge that you are going to bring a smile to someone else's face. I love it.

Source: imgfave.com via Madison on Pinterest

Today I did something unusual. I went shopping online. I have to say I almost liked it. And I bought something for myself without being prompted, goaded or bullied into it. The reason?

Ebates. They are so sneaky. They send me emails every couple of days with great deals. And every once in a while they get me. But boy, am I a hard sell. Today they got me with a 20% off coupon to a store I knew I had a giftcard for in my wallet. This store also happened to be having a sale of their own. So I got almost $60 worth for $5 from my budget. I told you I am a hard sell. And the best part? I'm getting back 2% of what I bought. Satisfied smile :D If only shipping and handling wasn't so expensive. :(

Ebates is an online website. You join for free. If you do a lot of shopping online (Ahem. Dad!) then you should probably check it out. What happens is before you log on to the site you usually shop at, you log into Ebates. Then you find the shop on one of their lists. You click on the shop name and it takes you directly to the shop's site. Boom. You do your normal shopping and Ebates will save some of the money you spent (usually 1-6%) and give it back to you. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. You just saved some money. Sometimes Ebates will even tell you coupon codes to help you save money or get you free shipping. Isn't that nice?

Ebates is a free way of helping you save a little bit of money doing your normal online shopping. As the holidays loom closer and closer, do yourself a favor and check it out. It all adds up and then you have a little extra spending money.

I like Ebates and try to remember to use it every time I shop online. I don't make a ton of money back, but I love getting checks from them in the mail.

P.S. Once you get started you can even get money from Ebates for sharing the good news with your friends. Share the love and get more money to shop. A win win situation.

Checking off goals

I recently finished reading Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, the creator of the shoe TOMS. I loved it! If you are looking for something to read make sure you add this to the list. I would even say this is worth buying, which is a lot coming from me. For every copy purchased a book goes to a child in need.

This book has been pressing on my mind the last couple of days, forcing me to reexamine what I am currently doing with my time and how I might better serve the world around me. It is something that I need to continue to think about, but I hope to get back to you when I have reached some conclusion.

The reason I bring this book up? Mycoskie spends time in his book discussing passions and actively seeking for goals. I don't know about all of you but sometimes actively seeking for my goals can be quite difficult. Life seems to always get in the way. One thing that has brought some focus into my day is the website, Daily Feats. Have you heard of it?

If you answer is yes, I challenge you to sign up and use the site. If you answer is no, then by all means please pull up a chair so I can educate you. Daily Feats is a free site that rewards you for doing small things to make your life and the world around you better. Each time you check in on a feat you get points. Those points can then be used to redeem coupons, receive giftcards, or donate money to charity. Daily Feats partners with different companies like Starbucks, Barnes and Nobel, and Groupon.

The reason I love the site? It has a tracking feature for feats that you want to focus on completing. At the moment I have six different goals. Each day I check them off I can see my progress, my momentum, my recorded highs, the last time I checked in, etc. I love it because it is a subtle nudge for somethings I should be doing any ways.

It also has weekly or daily challenges that I find extremely fun to complete. For each challenge completed you get points for each feat and then a bonus amount for finishing them all in the time frame.

I haven't been using the site for long, but I have already received a couple of giftcards. I use them to help pad my budget. Yesterday I used a giftcard to help pay for our date night. Before that I used a giftcard to help my husband afford a new pair of shoes he has been wanting. Before that I donated some of my points to one of the charities.

The best part? It only takes a couple of minutes to check in every night and you can do it on your phone or your computer. Take a minute and check it out. (Search for the Daily Feats free app in the app store.) Pretty soon you will be smiling as you open doors, pay rent, eat leftovers, take the stairs, and reach out to a person in need. All feats you can check off at the end of the day.

What is one goal you are working on this week? Want to do good and earn some extra cash? Check this site out today.

*I am not paid by this site in any way. I think it is just an excellent way to improve your life and your budget.

Saving Money with Mint

I love learning things that help me take care of my family better. On Monday I mentioned I was reading America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams. The book teaches the value of budgets. I love my budget! Some people feel that budgets are constricting, but I find it empowering to not have to worry about having enough money at the end of the month and be able to save and afford the things that I want. This quote makes me laugh. I feel so blessed. We are not poor. :)

Source: thatswhatthatmeans.tumblr.com via Madison on Pinterest

With that said, keeping a budget can be hard. It requires you to actively keep an eye on where your money goes. Some people like to use spread sheets and others like to use paid programs. I am still trying to figure out what works best for me.

My favorite program to use is Mint. It is a free online service that I can access on my computer, ipad, and iphone. (It also works for those in the android market.) I love that Mint shows all my accounts. I don't have to log into my bank, savings and credit cards sites but can see it in one convenient place. It helps me see trends in spending, set goals for saving, and warns me when bills are due or I am hit by a fee. Mint automatically categorizes what I spend and shows me on a quick scale where all my money is going. I can set my own categories and change the amounts easily.  I check in on it daily to see how I am doing and categorize the few things that Mint did not understand.

Mint helped me realize how much I was spending on groceries and it gave me the necessary encouragement to cut out some of the extras. (I plan to read Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons next to find even more ways to save.)  It also helped me realize what we were spending a lot of money on as a couple. It is a lot easier to realize you have a problem when you can see it visually.

We are not perfect but we try to make Mint work for us. Mr. WB and I each have a rolling allowance. So if we over spend one month the next month we start with our normal amount minus what we overspent the month before. I find this extremely helpful. Mint helps me set goals on what I want to save up and purchase next. This is my current goal.

How do you budget?  What are you currently saving up for? Leave me a comment and let me know. :)