Saturday's Saving Tip: Are you Christmas shopping yet?

I told you how I was saving Swagbucks so I could pay for Christmas gifts with Amazon giftcards.  But that's not the only way to save money on Christmas gifts.

• Daily Deal Sites - You can find deep discounts and retailers (both in store and online).  You can use these discounts to purchase gifts.  (For example, when Old Navy had a Groupon that was $20 worth of merchandise for $10 - you could've purchased it and spent it on Christmas gifts.  Getting $20 worth of gifts for $10!)  Daily deal sites often offer credits for new sign ups that you can use on your first deal and credits for referring your friends.  So if you refer 2 friends and earn $10 in credit then a deal comes along for $10 - you'll get it for free!
  Here are some daily deal sites to check out: Groupon  Eversave  Plum District  SaveMore  Living Social   You'll need to sign up so you will receive deal alerts right to your inbox!
  

Chrismtas Gift Idea: 50% off Canvas Prints at RitzPix! Thru 7/30!

Have you made out your list of people you need to buy Christmas presents for? You can mark the grandparents off the list with this gift right here!

RitzPix is offering 50% off their Wall Wrap Canvas- starting at just $15! Not too shabby for a great Christmas gift!

Order yours today using promo code SUMMER50, good now through July 30! So Hurry and grab yours today

50% Off Canvas Prints Coupon Code SUMMER50

Thanks Just Trying To Save Money!

FREE 8x10 Canvas Print!

Get a FREE 8x10 Canvas print from Canvas People! (Just pay shipping)

Or you can get $50 off a larger canvas.

I have a few pictures that I think would make nice canvas prints. Most of them are pictures of Bug! :) What a great Christmas gift for the grandparents!!!

Baby Shower Gifts on a budget

How does a budget savvy person shop for baby gifts? By shopping even when you don't need a baby gift. Walgreens diapers for $2.99? I'll take 4 packs thank-you-very-much. Onesies for a dollar on the clearance rack at Target and Walmart? I'll take one in every size!

I am all about keeping things on hand for gifts. And baby showers are no exception! A couple cute outfits, some diapers and wipes, or bath stuff make a great gift and there's nothing wrong with getting it at a bargain!

My sis-in-law is having a baby in July and I've been buying like a crazy person since we found out! Even though this is her fifth baby, we are all so stinkin' excited that she's having a BOY this time, that we are throwing a baby shower today! Here's everything I'm taking to the shower and I'm going to tell you how much I paid for it all! (Want to go ahead and take a guess now?)

I'll start at the top of the picture and work down:

Giraffe rattle and burp clothes - FREE (from a review I did for CradleJoy.com)
Baby Wipes - 98c at Walmart
Luvs Diapers - $5.78 at Food Giant after sale and double coupon
Walgreens Diapers - $2.99 past deal - stocked up on several packs and have given at baby showers over the last few months!
Assorted Clothes - $12.00 for 4 onesies, 3 pairs of pants, 1 romper and shoes - all bought on clearance at Walmart and Target
Pack of 7 washclothes - $2.75 clearance at Winn-Dixie
3 Bottles baby bath and lotion - $4.34 for all - clearance at Winn-Dixie
Board Book - 25c at a yard sale - looks like new!
Johnson's Safety Swabs - FREE from Target a long time ago and never used them with Bug

Grand Total: $29.09!!

I filled three bags with 19 baby items for under $30! What was the last thing you purchased for a baby shower and how much did you spend? :)

FREE 20 page photo book from PhotoBin!

Today's SaveMore Deal is a FREE 8.75x11, 20-page, hardcover photo book from PhotoBin!

The deal is $8.50 but if you are NEW to SaveMore, you get a $10 credit to spend on your first deal, which would make this one FREE!

So sign up for SaveMore today!

Even though you have to buy the deal today (it expires at midnight cst) you have until 12/27/11 to redeem your offer at the PhotoBin website! (Deal does not include shipping with is $6 for standard shipping).

Purchase it today and save it for a GREAT holiday gift later this year!

FREE 8x10 Collage print from Walgreens! Now through 6/18!

Need a last minute Father's Day gift? Make him a FREE 8x10 Collage print!


June 16 - 18, get 1 Free 8x10 Collage Print at Walgreens.com with Promo Code: 1FREEBIE

Select in-store pick up when you check out and you won't pay shipping and can pick it up in as little as an hour (that'll give you enough time to pick up a frame for it!)

Go make yours now!

Fun, Frugal Father's Day Gift for the kids' to make!

Dad Rocks Business Card Holder
Materials
Cassette case
Hot glue gun (obviously for adult use only)
rocks
index card
picture
scissors

Directions:
1. Open tape case and slide the lid forward until it is sitting upright. This cassette lip will be what holds the business cards. It should click and stay up by itself but I hot glued mine to ensure it didn't slide forward.
2. Cut an index card to fit on the back side of the cassette case. Have your child decorate it however they would like and then add the words "My Dad Rocks". We chose to put a picture on the card instead of coloring.
3. Take your child outside for a rock hunt allowing them to pick different sizes and colors of rocks.
4. Hot glue the rocks all over the cassette case for decoration.
5. Fill with business cards.

Here are some other frugal gift ideas for that special Dad in your life!
Free 8X10 Canvas Print (pay shipping only)
Free Magazine Subscriptions
Customized T-Shirt from Vistaprint for $2
Free Wall Calendar

Educational Adaptations:
Science: Discuss the rocks you and your child find on your hunt. Talk about size, shape, color, and texture. Activities like this lend themselves to teaching observation skills.

Language Arts: Have your child review steps in the process by retelling you how you made the business card holder. They can also create a nice card or poem to go along with the gift.

Math: You can have your child measure the cassette tape with a ruler to help cut the index card the correct size. You could also measure each rock when discussing the different sizes of rocks you find on your hunt.

Get All You for 83c an issue AND $10 goes towards disaster relief!!

Remember the deal I told you about where you can get 30 issues of All You for just $25 AND $8 goes to tornado disaster relief?

Well, it's better now because $10 will be going to tornado disaster relief!

I've raised $60 so far. Please help me reach my goal of $400 (I only need to sell 34 magazine subscriptions to reach this goal! I know with THOUSANDS of readers, I can easily reach this goal!

There is more than just the All You Deal - you can purchase any magazine subscription and 40% of the cost will go to tornado relief!

Visit my Click4Hope fundraising site!

They have a nice selection of men's magazines. The magazine won't make it to Dad by Father's Day, but if you select it as a gift, they will e-mail the recipient to let them know that this gift has been purchased for them!

$2 Custom T-Shirts for a limited time!

Need a last minute Father's Day gift? How about a "World's Greatest Dad" T-Shirt? Big family vacation coming up? Make matching T-Shirts! The possibilities are endless with this limited time offer!

$2 Customized Premium T-Shirt! Choose from over a thousand designs and add your own text to make your design unique! For just $2 get access to over a thousand designs—from funny to sophisticated to adorable and more! The T-Shirts are made of 100% Pre-Shrunk cotton and are available in sizes from S to XXL and in ladies sizes. Perfect for lounging by the pool and other summertime activities, these t-shirts will add fun to any occasion! Make one for yourself or to give to a friend.

Shipping starts at only $4.41

Offer only good June 13-17! Hurry! Order one now!

20% off at Mixbook! Make a customized photo book for less!

If you didn't win the Mixbook giveaway you can still get your very own Mixbook and for 20% off with a coupon code SPECIFICALLY for readers of Saving Toward A Better Life!

So hurry and get your own Photobook by Mixbook!!

20% off discount code: BETTER20

No expiration date, but it can only be used once per customer.

You can read my Mixbook review here. I absolutely LOVE it!

Get a FREE card from the Cardstore!

Free Card with code FREECARD Exp. 6/13/11

A special thanks to Kas over at Southern Bella's Ways To Save for the head's up

99c Cards from Tiny Prints!

You can get personalized greeting cards at Tiny Prints for 99c with code: GC99

You can have the cards shipped to you for free or to the recipient for the cost of a postage stamp!

Shop Tiny Prints today!


I just got mine in the mail. I love them! I got four Father's Day cards and two birthday cards for upcoming birthdays!

99c Father's Day cards from Tiny Prints!

Get 5 FREE cards from Tiny Prints with code: OKL5CARDSFREE.

Think about Father's Day, Graduation or an birthdays you have coming up!

Received confirmation that the 5 free cards promo was cancelled due to abuse. Sorry!

You can still get the 99c card though:

You can have the cards shipped to you for free or to the recipient for the cost of a postage stamp!

You can also get a Father's Day card for 99c with code: GC99

Shop Tiny Prints today!

I got a Mother's Day card from there and I love it!

Buy and sell gift cards at Cardpool.com!

Did you know there are $30 billion dollars in unused gift cards lying around?

Cardpool is the largest and fastest growing gift card exchange. You can buy giftcards for up to 30% off their value and sell giftcards for up to 92% back. Cardpool verifies and guarantees all the gift cards, so everyone can be assured a safe and secure marketplace.

All orders ship FREE and are guaranteed with no expiration dates and no fees!

Wondering what kind of gift cards Cardpool has?

Well....they have: AMC, Amazon, Aeropostle, American Eagle, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Babies R Us, Banana Republic, Bass Pro Shops, Buckle, Costco, Chili's, Children's Place, Cheesecake Factory, CVS, Gamestop, GAP, Gymboree, Home Depot, iTunes, JCPenney, Lowe's, Michael's, Motherhood Maternity, Outback, Payless, Radio Shack, Sears, Target, Radio Shack, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, Walmart and many, MANY more!

We all know that gift cards and GREAT gifts (that's why they are called gift cards!) The ULTIMATE gift card would be a gift card to Cardpool. (Yes! They have those!) So not only does the gift recipient get to pick what they wish to spend their gift card on, they also get to pick WHERE! A Cardpool giftcard can be used to purchase any card from Cardpool!

Cardpool gift cards vary in the percentage off the value they are.

Kroger, CVS, and Giant gift cards are 5% off. Publix's are 6%.

Gymboree gift cards are 20% off!!

Kohl's, JCPenney and Lane Bryant are 15% off.

AMC, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas are 20-22% off.

Chili's, Outback and P.F.Changs are 10% off.

Burger King, McDonalds and Sonic are 10% off. Hardee's are 15%.

Do you want to sell gift cards? You can cash them in for cash or Amazon.com giftcards! For example, if I had a $25 Arby's giftcard, I could get $19 cash for it! If I opted for a Amazon giftcards, I could get 5% more ($19.95) for it!

It really is that easy!

Need a good end-of-the-year gift for teacher?

Need a good gift idea for your child's teacher? Vistaprint has 140 FREE Return Address Labels (pay only S&H). These are great gift ideas for teachers! Make a cute label that says: "Property of Mrs. Smith's Class" or "Mrs. Jones' book". Teachers have to label everything and they'll LOVE this gift! (I am a teacher and I would love this!)

Get a FREE Mother's Day photo card - TODAY ONLY!

Go to Tiny Prints and make a Mother's Day Photo Card.  Use code MDLOVE to get it free at checkout.  Have it shipped to you and shipping is free. Or, they'll mail it to your recipient for the price of a stamp.

You will need a credit card to check out, but it isn't charged.

A Frugal Easter Basket!

Here are the main things I've gotten for Bug's Easter basket.  Would you believe I've paid less than $2 for it all?  :)

The wooden train (Hiro from Thomas the Train: Hero of the Rails) was FREE from Amazon when I used my Swagbucks for Amazon giftcards!

The Counting Flash Cards came in the Kix Prize Pack I won a few months ago = FREE

The toothbrush plays music and was 94c on clearance at Walmart shortly after Christmas.

The football cup was 23c on the clearance shelf at Winn-Dixie a couple months ago.

Total spent on Easter basket so far = $1.17!!

Easter Egg Ideas

Do you think outside the box for Easter egg filler ideas?  This Mama Loves Her Bargains does.  She shared a few ideas with us!

Since Easter's just around the corner, I thought I'd share a few of my suggestions to fill plastic eggs that are not candy!

Here are This Mama's suggestions to put into eggs:
1. Stickers
2. Tatoos
3. Bouncy Balls
4. Bandaids (what kid doesn't love character bandaids?)

28 Ways to Save on Anything - Gifts!! Part 3 - Birthday Gifts

Join me everyday in February as I share ways to save money on just about anything you need, want, use!

We've talked about Christmas gifts and Special Occasion Gifts (wedding, baby shower, etc)  Today we're going to talk about Birthday gifts.

You can apply some of the same ideas I shared on Christmas gifts.

You also need to read the post on how to save on greeting cards too!  (Because, seriously, who wants to pay $5 for a card??)

28 Ways to Save on Anything - GIFTS! Part 2 - Special Occasion Gifts

Join me everyday in February as I share ways to save money on just about anything you need, want, use!

Yesterday we talked about Christmas gifts.  Today we're going to talk about Special Occasion gifts.  Wedding, baby shower, that sort of thing.

You can apply some of the same ideas I shared yesterday on Christmas gifts.

You also need to read the post on how to save on greeting cards too!  (Because, seriously, who wants to pay $5 for a card??)

So, how do you save money when it seems like every time you blink you're getting a baby shower or wedding invitation in the mail???