There have been a number of site lately that have been offering rewards programs for taking surveys, searching the internet, and checking emails. To be honest, I have been seriiously been trying to shave down my time online with excess stuff. It seems like between working on my dissertation, checking email, blogging here, and trying to stay up with the times, I can spend so much time online! I haven't tried these programs because I just haven't found the time, butI have heard good things about both of these programs.

With Zoom Panel, you take surveys and earn points. You cash in the points for gifts like lots of electronics & other items. With the SwagBucks program, you get earn money through searching the internet just like you normally would. You accumulate points for gift cards and a selection of other items. I'd like to hear about your experiences with these programs since I've not yet tried them myself. Is it worth the time? Can extra money be earned? Here are the links to the two programs below if you'd like to give them a try. Let me know what you think!

Well, normally hubby & I save a little money during the year to hit a few stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Since we are not in the market for a new TV or computer & only a 8 month year old baby to get gifts for, we didn't have much to run out for this year (thankfully). I managed to sneak away on Thanksgiving day and get nearly every free item from CVS.

I brought my husband along for the adventure. I intended to show him the magic. Well, 42 items & 19 coupons later we managed to score all of the products for $0.93 out of pocket. Many of them I'll be using as gifts for Christmas and throughout the year. I used coupons (of course) my $5 off CVS coupon (emailed to me), and extrabucks. The best part is that I "gained" $18 extrabucks, meaning I put out $38 in bucks but got back $56.

How about you? Did you score any good deals today?

My favorite manager gave me the CVS 2-day sale flyer today. There are so many great deals happening. On your way out Thursday or Friday morning, don't forget to stop by CVS! Also, check your e-mails for a CVS coupon. I NEVER get these but lo and behold today I did. Good Thursday, Friday, & Saturday only- go me! These deals are awesome!

Colgate Total Toothpaste, $2.99. Use $1.50/1 Colgate printable or $1/1 (11/02 SS). Spend $1.49 oop and get $2.99 ECBs back! (Limit 2) =free + $1.50 profit.

Aussie Hair Care, $2.99. Use $1/1 (10/12 P&G). Spend $1.99 oop and get $2.99 ECBs back! (Limit 2)= free + $1 profit.

CoverGirl Smoothers pressed powder, $5.99. Use $1/1 (10/12 or 11/2 P&G). Spend $4.99 oop and get $5.99 ECBs back! (Limit 1)= free + $1 profit.

CoverGirl Smoothers liquid makeup, $7.99. Use $1/1 (10/12 or 11/2 P&G). Spend $6.99 oop and get $5.99 ECBs back! (Limit 1)= free + $1 profit.

L’Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss, $6.99. Use $1/1 Loreal printable . Spend $5.99 oop and get $6.99 ECBs back (Limit 2)= free + $1 profit.

Sally Hansen maximum growth plus nourishing nail color, $3.79. Use $1/1 (CVS Beauty Book) Spend $2.79 oop and get $3.79 ECBs back (Limit 1)= free + $1 profit.

Johnson's Soft Lotion, $5.69. Use $1/1 Johnson's printable or $1/1 (11/2 RP). Spend $4.69 oop and get $5.69 ECBs back! (Limit 1) = free + $1 profit

Bic Soleil Single Razor with 2 Cartridges, $5.99. Use $3/1 (11/2 SS) Spend $2.99 oop and get $5.99 ECBs back! (Limit 2) = free + $3 profit

Garnier Nutrisse Cleansing Towelettes 25 ct., $5.99. Use $1/1 (11/9 RP) Spend $4.99 oop and get $5.99 ECBs back! (Limit 2) = free + $1 profit

Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation, $8.99. Use $3/1 (10/26 RP) or $2/1 (9/21 RP). Spend $5.99 oop and get $8.99 ECBs back! (Limit 2) = free + $3 profit *This is the same as the current weekly deal. If you've already purchased yours for the week then do not do it again as the bucks won't print again

Schick Quattro Razor or Trimmer, $7.99. Use $2/1 Schick internet printable or $4/1 (December All You magazine). Spend $5.99 oop and get $6 ECBs back= free or $2 profit (Limit 1)

Magnavox Universal Remote or Philips Headphones, $6.99. Spend $6.99 oop and get $6.99 ECBs back = free! (Limit 2)

Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons, $3.99. Use $1/1 (10/5 SS). Spend $2.99 oop and get $3 back= free! (Limit 1)

Gatorade 20oz., $1.49. Spend $1.49 oop and get $1.49 back= free (Limit 3)

Hershey's King Size Milk Chocolate Bar, $1. Spend $1 oop and get $1 back= free (Limit 1)

5-Hour Energy at $3.99. Spend $3.99 oop and get $3.99 back= free (Limit 1)

So I was delighted to wake up this morning not feeling so hot. My son got shots at the latter part of the week. He was doing great until the weekend (go figure) when he started poopin all over the place. We assumed he was doing poorly because of the shots until this morning when the entire family woke up sick, yuck!

Forgive the lack of posts as we all recoup. Right before the holiday, there is so much to do. Needless to say, it will just have to wait!

In case you were looking for your movie code, the redbox code for tonight, 11/24 is: 2MNC92

I was just reading on a fellow bloggers site yesterday that their family had an unexpected layoff Luckily, the savvy shopping woman of the house has collected holiday gifts throughout the year- you go girl! But, I got to thinking about our financial situation as a nation. Last night, Susie Orman was on Larry King live. One guest asked about either putting Christmas gifts on a credt card or using money from an emergency fund for a modest Chrsitmas.

It's important for us all to remember just how serious of a financial situation our nation is really facing at the moment. Inevitably each year, someone talks about the commercialization of the season. This year, let remember that talk is cheap. Truly, let's spend only what we can afford during this holiday season. I know that in the heat of the "shopping moment", we often feel the pressure to give gifts. But, you know, now more than ever we need to bring alittle perspective to the season. Christmas is about being with family and friends. Truly, let's try to keep the season in perspective.

Last week I posted about potential free veggies at Walmart with the $1/1 Green Giant steamers coupon. Not only did another one come out in this past Sunday's paper, but also a coupon for $1/4 Delmonte canned veggies or fruit.

Well, Del Monte canned beans, corn, and peas are on sale at Target this week for $0.50 each. Buy (4), use the $1/4 coupon and you get for cans for a buck! Another notable mention this week at Target is Vaseline lotion. It's on sale for $2.50. Look for the recent $1.25 or $1.50 coupon to make this bottle of lotion only a dollar or so!

Hi,

I know this is a huge side note from what I'm normally writing about here. As you may know, I am finishing up my dissertation on the cultural identity in Americans who work abroad. As part of my research, I am looking for 400+ Americans who currently work abroad (often called expatriates) to take an online survey.

I'm targeting those folks who are working, serving, or pursuing educational or diplomatic endeavors abroad, preferably between 6 months and 5 years. Do you know any? If so, could you please forward this link: Online Survey for American Expatriates

The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and those who finish it will be entered for a fun drawing.

Thanks for your help!

This summer I wrote a series on budgeting. Now that you are (hopefully) operating beautifully on your system, you should know how to make adjustments when necessary. One of the most frequent questions I get and one of the areas where most people go wrong is in the area of one's budget allocated to living expenses.

Most budgets have determined that the affordable percentage of one's budget allocated for housing expenses is 38%. That means if you bring in $50,000 a year, you should be spending no more than $19,000 or about $1,500 a month in housing expenses. You can do the math. But think about it... there is more to housing expenses than simply owning a home. We also pay for electricity, water, cable, phone, etc. If you added these additional expenses, you will likely climb well beyond the 38% mark. The government determines 38% for the cost of your home alone, but savvy budgeters will strive for 38% of income allocated to all housing expenses.

Obviously, the closer you are to the 38% threshold, the better you fare. Take a glimpse at your budget. What percentage are you?

Here are some of my favorite rebates running through the month of November (and corresponding coupons):

Arm & Hammer Essentials cleaners (up to $3.50). Offer expires 11/30/08.Use this A&H printable $1/1 coupon.

Resolve Dual Power Spot Carpet Cleaner (up to $6.19). Offer expires 11/15/08. Go here for submission instructions -thanks Lorelei @ Hooray for Freebates)

Jig-a-loo (up to $4.99). Offer expires 12/15/08.

Jig-a-patch (up to $7.99). Offer expires 12/15/08.

Kellogg's Smart Start Strawberry Oat Bites cereal or Kellogg's Frosted Mini-wheats Blueberry Muffin cereal. Offer expires 7/31/09. Use $1/1 coupon (August All You magazine).

Ensure 6-pack (up to $10). Offer expires 12/31/08.

Citrucel soft chews (up to $18). Offer expires 12/31/08. Go here for a $2/1 Citrucel internet printable coupon (This is a satisfaction guarantee offer)

Orajel Advanced Tooth Desensitizer (up to $5). Offer expires 12/31/08.

Sure with natural extracts (up to $2.99). Offer expires 12/31/08. Use 0.75/1 (10/19 SS) to cover the postage!

Sucrets (up to $2). Offer expires 1/31/09.

Gerber Nuk 5 or 10oz. bottle (up to $5). Offer expires 2/10/09.

Right Guard Professional Strength (up to $9.99). No expiration date stated. (This is a satisfaction guarantee offer)

As a doctoral student, I know how important it is to have willing people to take surveys. I always try to take a survey when asked.

A few years back, I also signed up for a few product survey sites. I like it because I get to pick exactly which surveys I'd like to participate in & skip the others without penalty. Even better, I get to evaluate new products before they hit the market & some surveys pay cash for your opinions.

I'll let you kow about some reputable survey sites as I test them out myself. One that I've recently joined is SurveySpot . They have a number of available surveys each week paying a small amount for your opinions. There is also a continual sweepstakes program worth $25,000. Here's the information from the site:

"Join SurveySpot.com and participate in online research studies that match your interests and demographics. Join now. Click Here "

Let me know how you like it...

• Steamfresh veggies, on sale $1 this week. Use 0.35/1= $0.65 each
• Gerber baby food, most around $1. Use $1/1 Food Lion Printable Coupon= free
• Food Lion 40 ct wipes, $1.50. Use $1.50/1 Food Lion Printable coupon= free!
• Bic Solei razors & refill cartridges, on sale $2.99. Use $3/1 (11/2)= free! *get a raincheck if they're out- coupons good for a while

Plus, play the Food Lion brand matching game for a new coupon each Wednesday. This week get $1 off any purchase $5+ of Food Lion products

It is being reported that the new People Magazine has a coupon for a free Target bag. The magazine has a postage paid mailer that you need to send in along with 5 regular plastic Target bags. You will then recieve a coupon for a free bag (worth $4.99 in the store).

But guess what? You don't even have to buy the magazine to get the tote! In this case, you'll just pay the postage.

Without the magazine, use any 8½ x 11" or larger envelope. Be sure to affix postage and include your return address.

Send your clean, used Target shopping bags to:
TerraCycle 121
New York Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08638

I an across this Life List promotion today sponsored by Advil- how cute. You can create a list of things you'd like to do in life & even set a reminder email option. I love it. I set a goal & a date I want to be reminded of that goal.

Advil's offering a sweepstakes of sorts:

1 grand prize winner gets $25,000 to accomplish something on the life list or whatever you choose

10 First place winners get tickets to the Ellen DeGeneres Show

10,000 Second place winners win a free 20ct bottle of Advil

Works for me. Good Luck!

I was kicking myself the other day as I stood at the checkout line. Usually, I am pretty bold when it comes time to check out especially at the grocery store I go to that runs triple coupon sales. My boldness is because I often get someone who doesn't know what's going on, someone who scrutinizes the sales/ coupons I use, or one who plain old makes up a store policy.

Lately ( I think mostly attributed to work on my dissetation proposal) I've just been to tired to worry about the check out process. Over the past few weeks I have honestly not been sharp self & I see now that I've paid for it- literally. Looking over my receipts I have found one occassion where I completely forgot to give the cashier my coupon, twice where I was overcharged, one rebate period that expired, and two deal scenarios that I thought was going to produce a catalina coupon that did not- argh!

It happens to all of us right? I have found that it's just not enough to cut coupons and find great deals, you also have to be really alert the entire time. Guess it's time for me to get some much needed rest so I can continue savin' money.

I found an interesting article this morning on MSN Money (read it here) related to how stocks are projected to rise based on the outcome of the Presidential election. How interesting!

I guess new optimism would indeed affect both the US and international markets. As I told you in previous posts, we are playing around with a small amount of extra money we've saved. Looks like I'll be watching this closely over the next few days.

I can hardly wait until tomorrow night when this election is finally over. It seems like it has gone on forever! Hubby and I attempted to vote early this past Saturday but when we realized the line in our small town wrapped twice around the elections building, we decided to pass until Tuesday. Nevertheless, I am about up to my eyeballs in political junkmail and over the recorded telephone calls! But all is not lost. The right to vote means a lot to us & I am excited to see what happens. I'll be especially glad to not receive any more random recordings or watch the political ads.

Looking at Deal Saving Mom, I found some great incentives to vote that I wanted to share:

These stores are offering incentives to voters on Tuesday, November 4th:
Starbucks – Get a free tall 12-oz. cup of brewed coffee. Limit one per customer. If you live in an area that does not provide proof of voting, stores will operate on the honor system.

Krispy Kreme – Get a free star-shaped donut with red, white, and blue sprinkles when you show them your “I voted” sticker. Participating stores only, so you may want to call ahead.

Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free scoop of ice cream from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Limit one per customer.

*If you're new to CVS, check out my step-by-step guide in how to do a CVS shop- it's a must read!

Walgreens

1. Schick Quattro Disposable Razor, $5.99. Buy (2) and use (1) $2/1 (10/5 SS) & (1) BOGO coupon (10/19 SS) & $3 Easysaver coupon (automatically comes off twice). Spend $0 oop & get $2.01 in overage to spend on other items! (some Walgreens might give you a hard time with the $1 coupon on the bottle you're getting for free. This depends on your store and how the BOGO rings up)


2. Celestial Seasonings Tea, on sale 2/$3. Use (2) $1/1 coupons (10/5 SS) & then $1/2 Easysaver coupon = free


3. Glade wisp candle, $5.99. Use $5/1 (peelie coupon found on some packages) . Spend $0.99 oop & file for a $2 Walgreens rebate= $1.01 overage after coupons and rebate!
   
4. Almay One Coat Mascara, on sale BOGO and $6.99. Buy mascaa and another Almay item of equal or lesser value and use (2) $1/1 coupon (10/12 SS). Spend $4.99 oop & file for a $6.99 November Easysaver rebates (page 38) = free + $2 overage after coupons and rebate!
   
5. Wrigleys gum, on sale BOGO. Use (1) BOGO coupon (10/5 SS) & BOGO (Walgreens in-ad coupon)= two for free (some Walgreens might give you a hard time with the $1 coupon on the bottle you're getting for free. This depends on your store and how the BOGO rings up)

There are some other decent deals but this is what I'm looking at this week. What good deals do you see? List a comment or link to your blog with scenarios below.