Money Saving Tips

Free Giveaway "Wow! You Saved How Much?" Step by Step Money Saving Guide

2010-10-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

You can buy “Wow! You Saved How Much?” here for only $7.95, but it is worth far more and you can save more than the price of the book on your first trip to the store, if you follow the simple steps provided! Plus, you have the chance to win a copy for yourself right here. Simply leave a comment.

You can earn additional entries by:

Subscribing to our site by email or rss feed

Writing about this giveaway (blog, forum, public Facebook note)

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For your extra entries to be counted, be sure to leave an additional comment directing us to your entry. Only one additional entry per method (i.e. While multiple tweets are great it only one will count as one drawing entry.) The contest runs until 10/15/10 at 11:59 pm EST. One winner will be notified by email on 00/00/10 and receive a copy of “Wow! You Saved How Much?” by snail mail. The Winner will have 48 hours to complete the claim form or a new winner will be chosen.

Review by A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Wow! You saved how much? is a book for anyone interested in saving money with coupons. If you already use coupons there is still information in this book that is worth the price of the e-book. The author Renita R. Perrone is a stay at home mom who home schools her two children. She started couponing in order to save her family money after she quit her job that paid more than her husbands salary. They had to learn to make ends meet just to pay their mortgage. Sound familiar to anyone? It’s becoming a common story lately.

Renita routinely saves over $500 a month using coupons and she lives in an area that doesn’t double coupons. That has always been my frustration with coupons. The area I live in doesn’t double, most stores don’t accept other stores coupons or printed coupons. I live in an area with large families so you’d think that the stores would be a little more coupon friendly than they are.

The other problem I have had with coupons is that I’ve never had a consistent system that made sense to me. Renita walks you through that problem in an easy to understand, simple way. If you have had trouble in that area then this is a book for you. She lays it out step by step and includes tips and tricks to stay organized and get the most from your coupons. I loved the easy style in which she wrote this book. You feel like she’s sitting next to you and you are just having a casual friendly conversation about coupons.

There are two ways you can get this book. You can order her E-book for $4.95 or you can order a printed book from Create-a-Space for $7.95.

I bought my own copy of this e-book and was so excited about it I contact Renita to ask if she would like to do a giveaway. I received no monetary compensation to write this review.

If you would like to host a "Review and Giveaway please contact us at wowyousavedhowmuch@gmail.com We will provide a signed hard copy or a E-Book of "Wow! You Saved How Much?"

Money Saving Book Review and Giveaway

2010-09-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Review by A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY
Wow! You saved how much? is a book for anyone interested in saving money with coupons. If you already use coupons there is still information in this book that is worth the price of the e-book. The author Renita R. Perrone is a stay at home mom who home schools her two children. She started couponing in order to save her family money after she quit her job that paid more than her husbands salary. They had to learn to make ends meet just to pay their mortgage. Sound familiar to anyone? It’s becoming a common story lately.
Renita routinely saves over $500 a month using coupons and she lives in an area that doesn’t double coupons. That has always been my frustration with coupons. The area I live in doesn’t double, most stores don’t accept other stores coupons or printed coupons. I live in an area with large families so you’d think that the stores would be a little more coupon friendly than they are.
The other problem I have had with coupons is that I’ve never had a consistent system that made sense to me. Renita walks you through that problem in an easy to understand, simple way. If you have had trouble in that area then this is a book for you. She lays it out step by step and includes tips and tricks to stay organized and get the most from your coupons. I loved the easy style in which she wrote this book. You feel like she’s sitting next to you and you are just having a casual friendly conversation about coupons.
There are two ways you can get this book. You can order her E-book for $4.95 or you can order a printed book from Create-a-Space for $7.95.
Giveaway: One reader will win an E-book copy of Wow! You Saved How Much?
Open to Everyone
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Giveaway will end September 20th at 11:59 EST. Winner will be selected by random.org. Please make sure you have an email connected to each of your entries either by profile or in the comments so that I can contact you if you win. Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim their prize.
Thanks for entering!
I bought my own copy of this e-book and was so excited about it I contact Renita to ask if she would like to do a giveaway. I received no monetary compensation to write this review.

2010-08-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I’m on vacation this week, so I’ve asked my friend, Cheryl, over at Simply CVS to be my “guest blogger” this week. I’ve followed Cheryl’s CVS advice for probably a couple of years now. Nobody does it better! I’ve been amazed at how she has turned a $10 CVS gift card into literally hundreds of dollars worth of products. What she can’t personally use, she donates to people or organizations that can. I’m sure you will learn a great deal from her “CVS 101: Ten Steps to Saving” blog! I’m posting “chapter one” but when you get done, head on over to her site and check out the rest! Thank you, Cheryl!

...Since 5/1/2010

.. ......Saved

.......$1483.93

.........Spent

... ....$24.09

..Saved Year To Date

...... .$2188.93

Disclaimer

Simply CVS is in no way connected to or compensated by CVS/pharmacy. I am just a satisfied customer who has learned to save thousands each year shopping at CVS and I love to teach others how they can, too.

CVS 101: Ten Steps to Saving

CVS Shopping = Super Savings

Do you want to learn to save money and easily keep your family stocked with necessary health and beauty items, some food and cleaning supplies for free or pennies on the dollar?

You can keep your family's H&B item needs met with very little out of pocket cash. You will also be able to have extra items for gifts, for sharing or for donating. Just by shopping at CVS and using their weekly sale ad, their coupons, their extra care bucks' program and manufacturer coupons.

It is a whole new way of thinking and shopping, but it is also very rewarding. It will take a while to learn the ropes, change your thinking and get the hang of the system, but before long you will be enjoying the benefits of learning to "CVS."

Below are 10 easy lessons to get you on the road to enjoying the benefits of shopping at CVS.

CHAPTER ONE:

CVS EXTRA CARE REWARD CARD

Have you ever thought of CVS as a place to save money on your basic health and beauty needs and some of your food needs? Even bring home some items for free? I never did, but CVS Pharmacy is a great place to do just that. I have been shopping at CVS weekly now for a couple of years and each week I bring home several to dozens of things for pennies on the dollar.

Let me help you get started saving at CVS.

Step # 1: Get an CVS Extra Care Reward Card.

With the CVS Extra Care Card you will receive sale prices, extra bucks on certain items (these are coupons on the end of your receipt to use almost just like cash at CVS) and quarterly extra bucks on all of your CVS purchases and prescriptions, and CVS coupons for a variety of products in the store (see the CVS 101 Lesson "What's an Extra Care Buck").

There are two ways to do this: you can either pick up an application in the store or fill one out on line. The benefit of picking one up at CVS is that you can get it immediately and can start shopping and saving.

Be sure to link your CVS card at Upromise to earn savings for college on selected items while you shop.

Step #2: Register Your Card Online

Go to CVS.com and on the top right hand side is an "Extra Care" icon which when clicked has a place to register your card. Be sure to put down that you want to sign up for all CVS home and email mailings--you will receive added savings in the form of periodic mailings of coupons.

Within a few weeks of registering your card you should receive an email from CVS with a $4 coupon good on a $20 purchase if you gave an email address. Then keep your eyes open for more emails with special savings.

CVS has great customer service. The 800 number is on the back of the card you will receive (800-SHOPCVS). You can also contact them thru their website. If you have any questions or concerns call CVS and they will clarify anything you might not understand or tend to any problems you encounter at your local CVS.
To read the remainder of this article, please visit Simply CVS.

Now, on to the deals this week!

Know the Lingo
BOGO – Buy one, get one free
SS – Smart Source (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
RP – Red Plum (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
PG – Proctor & Gamble (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
GM – General Mills (occasional coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
Blinkie – coupon dispensers in stores
Peelie – coupons found on products that you peel off
Hangtag – coupons found hanging on bottles
All You – Magazine sold at Walmart or via subscription

Whole Foods: Click here for their coupons. If you prefer to shop at Publix, they should accept these as competitor coupons.

Publix Greenwise: Click here for their weekly ads.

Many thanks to IHeartPublix.com for their great tips on shopping at Publix!

For Publix “super deals” for 8/16-8/25 please click here.

For Publix full sale list with coupon match-ups for 8/19-8/25, please click here

For Publix ongoing sale list, please click here

For Publix Advantage Buy Flyer sales, please click here.

Renita's Favorite Money-Saving Sites

http://www.simplycvsshopping.com/

http://www.specials.publix.com

http://www.iheartpublix.com

http://www.iheartwags.com

http://www.iheartcvs.com

http://www.cvsdeals.gather.com

http://www.grocerydeals.gather.com

http://publixpennypincher.blogspot.com

http://www.southernsavers.com

http://freefrugality.blogspot.com

http://getadealdude.com

E-Book now available!

I’m excited to tell you that my book is now available as an e-book! So, you can save money while you learn to save even more money by purchasing an e-book instead of a traditionally bound book! For more information, please click here. http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com/GET_YOUR_E-BOOK_.html

Renita is a resident of Palm Beach County, and author of “Wow! You Saved How Much?” For more information, visit her website at http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com.

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please.

"Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration (excluding the weekly deals) if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com

2010-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

I know that may seem like an odd topic for an article on saving money. However, in my experience, it is very important to remain watchful so that you are not ripped off!

Let me explain.I recently contacted my telephone provider, who also supplies my internet and cell phone services. I wanted to see if they were offering any other service plans that would save me some money. I have found that every few months they change up their service plans and there might be something better available. They advised me of a plan that was supposed to cost less, and they had a free promotional offer which included free installation. I agreed to switch. During a call to technical support after everything had been completed, I found out that this new “plan” was digital phone service via a modem. So, if I lost power, I no longer had any phone service. After the experience we had during the last hurricanes that hit our area, this was not acceptable to me. To make a long story short, I eventually ended up making them switch me back to what I had before – a traditional landline and DSL internet service. They never once mentioned any cost to me for switching back. I received my first bill from them for the initial switch and it included a $149 installation charge. I immediately called and, after about thirty minutes of my time, was told the charge would be reversed. Later I received a “late notice” for the $149 fee. This required another phone call, and another 45 minutes of my time to get it corrected. Then, after switching back to what I originally had, I received another bill with another $149 installation charge! At this point I had spent probably four hours or more of my time on the phone with technical support, billing, etc already. I was almost tempted to just pay it and be done with it. However, we simply don’t have $149 to throw away, and even more it was the principal of the matter that I refused to ignore. So, another hour of my time on hold with a representative to get that charge reversed. Let’s hope it truly IS reversed so I don’t have to go through this yet again! My diligence in reviewing bills saved us over $300 (adding in taxes, etc).

However, I wonder how many people don’t pay attention to their bills and just end up paying fees like this? I have had various services charged to my home phone or cell phone accounts. When I call the number given, they try to tell me that someone in my house signed up for this special voice mail service or various other things. All of which I know is not true. Occasionally we’ve had unrecognized charges on our credit card bills. It turned out that someone had stolen our credit card number even though the cards were still in our possession. Again, how many people never review their bills and just pay the charges? I also found out that my telephone service provider can change your account to require a password to make any changes to it, which has prevented these unwanted services from being added. You may want to check into that as well, especially if you have children who might put your phone number in for something online, not realizing they are “authorizing” a charge to your phone. I cannot urge you enough to be diligent to review every bill before you pay it. It could save you a considerable amount of money each year.

Now, on to the deals this week!

Know the LingoBOGO – Buy one, get one free
SS – Smart Source (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
RP – Red Plum (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
PG – Proctor & Gamble (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
GM – General Mills (occasional coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
Blinkie – coupon dispensers in stores
Peelie – coupons found on products that you peel off
Hangtag – coupons found hanging on bottles
All You – Magazine sold at Walmart or via subscription

Back-To-School ShoppingBefore we start on the grocery store deals, don’t forget that this weekend is the Tax-Free Back To School Shopping. I found a great list recapping where the deals are for each type of item over at BeCentsAble.

Whole Foods: Click here for their coupons.
If you prefer to shop at Publix, they should accept these as competitor coupons.

Publix Greenwise: Click here for their weekly ads.

Many thanks to IHeartPublix.com for their great tips on shopping at Publix!

For Publix 'Super Deals' for 8/12-8/18, please click here.

For Publix full sale list with coupon match-ups for 8/12-8/18, please click here.

For Publix ongoing sale list, please click here .

For Publix Advantage Buy Flyer sales, please click here.

Renita's Favorite Money-Saving Sites

http://cvssimply.blogspot.com
http://www.specials.publix.com
http://www.iheartpublix.com
http://www.iheartwags.com
http://www.iheartcvs.com
http://www.cvsdeals.gather.com
http://www.grocerydeals.gather.com
http://publixpennypincher.blogspot.com
http://www.southernsavers.com
http://freefrugality.blogspot.com
http://getadealdude.com

E-Book now available!

I’m excited to tell you that my book is now available as an e-book! So, you can save money while you learn to save even more money by purchasing an e-book instead of a traditionally bound book! For more information, please click here.

Renita is a resident of Palm Beach County, and author of “Wow! You Saved How Much?” For more information, visit her website at http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com.

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please.

"Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration (excluding the weekly deals) if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com

Simple Saving Strategies / Weekly Deals 8/5-8/11/2010

2010-08-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Back-to-School time is quickly approaching! Have you been watching your stores sales flyers for the deals? I hope so! I managed to get some great deals at Office Depot last week. This week they are offering a free backpack with a $10 minimum purchase (while supplies last and in stores only). And most stores are offering some really good prices on school supplies right now. But, before you start buying, why not take yourself on a little shopping spree in your own home? We recently had to move our couch looking for something. Needless to say, I found enough pencils underneath to last us at least a year, if not more! I also needed a large 3-ring binder and didn’t want to buy one when I knew we had one somewhere. Sure enough, as we were de-cluttering our office, my husband found exactly what I needed, along with some page protectors that I wanted for organizing some of my children’s crafts. So, take a good inventory of what is in your own home before spending money unnecessarily. And don’t forget that the tax-free back-to-school shopping is August 13-15 for Florida residents. If you need more information on that, please click here.

A couple of other quick tips to help with your grocery budget:
1.) Make sure you are purchasing your produce in season. Publix has an easy guide on their site here. Or, you can find a guide map that shows each state (to help with purchasing local produce) here.
2.) Consider reducing the amount of meat you use. I will be the first to admit that this is very hard for us. But eating one meatless meal per week could cut down your grocery budget by a decent amount. Adding rice to a vegetable stir-fry will help it be more filling, and is also very healthy if you’re using long-grain rice.
3.) Stop buying all the different cleaners for your home! Most things can be cleaned perfectly well with vinegar, water and baking soda. Even bleach is a simple and effective cleaner that is very affordable. If you need more information on homemade cleaning recipes, please see my article on Frugality of Homemade Cleaning Products.
4.) Stop using paper towels! I know paper towels are convenient, but they are not very cost-effective. For many tasks, old rags work better and they don’t cost you anything. In addition, cloth napkins can save you purchasing paper napkins all the time.

Now, on to this week’s deals!

Know the Lingo
BOGO – Buy one, get one free
SS – Smart Source (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
RP – Red Plum (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
PG – Proctor & Gamble (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
GM – General Mills (occasional coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
Blinkie – coupon dispensers in stores
Peelie – coupons found on products that you peel off
Hangtag – coupons found hanging on bottles
All You – Magazine sold at Walmart or via subscription
Whole Foods: Click here for their coupons.

If you prefer to shop at Publix, they should accept these as competitor coupons.
Publix Greenwise: Click here for their weekly ads.

Many thanks to IHeartPublix.com for their great tips on shopping at Publix!

For Publix “super deals” for 8/5-8/11, please click here.

For Publix full sale list with coupon match-ups for 8/5-8/11, please click here.

For Publix ongoing sale list, please click here.

For Publix Advantage Buy Flyer sales, please click here.

Renita's Favorite Money-Saving Sites
http://cvssimply.blogspot.com
http://www.specials.publix.com
http://www.iheartpublix.com
http://www.iheartwags.com
http://www.iheartcvs.com
http://www.cvsdeals.gather.com
http://www.grocerydeals.gather.com
http://publixpennypincher.blogspot.com
http://www.southernsavers.com
http://freefrugality.blogspot.com
http://getadealdude.com

E-Book now available!I’m excited to tell you that my book is now available as an e-book! So, you can save money while you learn to save even more money by purchasing an e-book instead of a traditionally bound book! For more information, please click here.

Renita is a resident of Palm Beach County, and author of “Wow! You Saved How Much?” For more information, visit her website at http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com.

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please."

Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration (excluding the weekly deals) if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com

Easy Money on SideTick

2010-07-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of SideTick yet? I have to say I'm impressed!!

SideTick is a new social networking site that pays members. I have to say I was skeptical at first. I've joined other social sites that were supposed to pay and then they just disappeared. The only exception for me so far has been Gather. Until now! SideTick gives you points that convert to cash. Almost every activity earns you a point, and when others view your articles/photos, etc, you get points as well. And, you can qualify for 1000 points per day by simply doing 2 things. They send you an email each day for some sort of advertisement. You have to view the ad. Then, you have to comment on one "tick blog" each day. There are a couple of tick blogs you can comment on. One is an article posted daily by Jenny Stein, one of the moderators (?) for the site. The other one I sometimes do is the daily tick blog topic in the "weightloss community" section. If you do both of these things in the same day, you get your 1000 points. I rarely spent much more time than that on the site, just because I don't have alot of time. But doing that alone will earn you $15 a month, miminum. You do have to reach a $25 value before you can cash out. But, I have now been paid twice from the site.

Why don't you join me? Just click here to join.

I'm always happy to help if you need it. Just send me an email on the site or privately at renitaperrone@gmail.com

Crafty Savings / Weekly Deals for 7/29-8/4/2010

2010-07-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

Many of us have children who love to do crafts. With the back-to-school sales beginning, now is a good time to stock up on some of the standard craft supplies such as glue, markers, crayons, water colors, etc. However, there are many items you can collect to use for crafts that won’t cost you a cent.

• Cereal boxes – cut the empty boxes and use the back side for painting or drawing on.
• Popsicle sticks – wash them and let them dry and use them to build bird houses, picture frames, or various other fun items
• Styrafoam trays – save these from your meat or veggie purchases, wash them and use them for making airplanes, cut out shapes to glue on other pictures, etc.
• Wrapping paper / wall paper – use the back side to draw, paint, color on. Or cut out interesting designs to glue onto pictures.
• 2-ltr bottles/milk jugs – can be used to make a birdfeeder
• Egg cartons – can be fun to paint, or use as an organizer for small items.

There are ideas for crafts from milk jugs, oatmeal boxes, toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, altoid mint tins, and so much more.

With a little help from the internet, you can find crafts that are appropriate for any age using mostly common household items. And, it’s a great way to encourage creativity in your child!

You may want to check out the following websites for some ideas:

Education.com

Enchanted Learning

Amazing Moms

About.com

So, be creative and have some fun! Please share your ideas as well!

Now, on to the deals this week!

Know the Lingo
BOGO – Buy one, get one free
SS – Smart Source (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
RP – Red Plum (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
PG – Proctor & Gamble (coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
GM – General Mills (occasional coupon inserts in Sunday’s papers)
Blinkie – coupon dispensers in stores
Peelie – coupons found on products that you peel off
Hangtag – coupons found hanging on bottles
All You – Magazine sold at Walmart or via subscription

Whole Foods: Click here for their coupons. If you prefer to shop at Publix, they should accept these as competitor coupons.

Publix Greenwise: Click here for their weekly ads.

Many thanks to IHeartPublix.com for their great tips on shopping at Publix!

For Publix “super deals” for 7/29-8/4, please click here

For Publix full sale list with coupon match-ups for 7/29-8/4, please click here

For Publix ongoing sale list, please click here

For Publix Advantage Buy Flyer sales, please click here.

Renita's Favorite Money-Saving Sites
http://cvssimply.blogspot.com
http://www.specials.publix.com
http://www.iheartpublix.com
http://www.iheartwags.com
http://www.iheartcvs.com
http://www.cvsdeals.gather.com
http://www.grocerydeals.gather.com
http://publixpennypincher.blogspot.com
http://www.southernsavers.com
http://freefrugality.blogspot.com
http://getadealdude.com

E-Book now available!
I’m excited to tell you that my book is now available as an e-book! So, you can save money while you learn to save even more money by purchasing an e-book instead of a traditionally bound book! For more information, please click here.

Renita is a resident of Palm Beach County, and author of “Wow! You Saved How Much?” For more information, visit her website at http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com.

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please.

"Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration (excluding the weekly deals) if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com

Earn Money From Home

2010-07-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

In an economy where most people are downsizing, our business continues to grow and expand. If you have been looking for a way to make ends meet, or make some extra money, this could be your answer. Invite some friends, attend one of the webinars below and see first hand what so many are talking about.

WEBINAR SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
Tuesday, July 27, 8:30p.m. Hosted by John Boyd
Wednesday, July 28, 10 p.m. Hosted by Tye Riter
Thursday, July 29
10:30 a.m. Hosted by Tye
10:00 p.m. Hosted by Tye

LINK: Click Here

Dial-in Number: (712)432-0075
Access Code: 964251

Finally, if you are interested and would like more information email me and I will set up a special plan to help you reach your goals.

wowyousavedhowmuch@gmail.com

Make Saving A Habit

2010-07-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

In today’s society, the majority of us truly do live paycheck-to-paycheck. Sometimes it is because we are actually overspending and sometimes circumstances get us into a financial pinch. However, one key component of getting out of debt is learning to save. I know what many of you are thinking right now. “How can I save when my paycheck barely covers (or doesn’t cover) the bills.” Believe me, I fully understand!! But saving money needs to become a habit. It doesn’t just happen when you finally have extra money after paying bills. If you wait until then, you will continue to get deeper in debt.

I strongly suggest that you open a savings account that does not have a minimum balance to avoid a service charge. Then take a set amount of each paycheck and put it into that account. We prefer to use an ING Direct account (http://ingdirect.com) for this for a couple of reasons. First of all, ING offers a better interest rate than traditional banks. And secondly, since they are an online bank, you don’t have immediate access to your funds. Transferring money to and from your account is easy, but it does take a couple of days. Be sure to check with your bank about withdrawal or transfer fees. This prevents us from using the money for impulse purchases. However, if you don’t have a traditional bank to use to transfer funds, call around and find a bank that offers an account to suit your needs. By the way, ING Direct is FDIC insured.

So now you’re still wondering how you are supposed to do this if there isn’t any extra money after the bills, right? Would you really miss a buck or two out of each paycheck? Maybe even $5-$20 is manageable. Whatever amount you decide upon is good. The real point is to make it a habit to save. Mark your calendar for about three months after you’ve started saving and see if you can raise the amount you are putting into the account. Hopefully, by doing this, the next time something unexpected happens, you’ll have the money there to pay cash and not get into further debt. And it’s a good way to reduce financial stress by knowing you have a small “cushion.” I know some people who take the money they save by using coupons and put that into their savings accounts. Where there is a will, there is a way!

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please.

"Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." www.wowyousavedhowmuch.com

Budgeting

2010-07-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I talked about being aware of what you are spending. This is an important first step toward getting on a budget. None of us like having to be on a budget. But, the reality is that we won’t get anywhere, financially, until we learn to live on a budget.

Before my husband and I got married, we sat down to set up a budget for him. At that point he never really knew how much money he had or how much he was spending. And he used a “rounding off” method in his checkbook so it couldn’t even be balanced! For an ex-banker, like myself, that was a nightmare! He was not very happy when he saw that he had less than $20 a month left over (maybe it was even less), but after a few months he started realizing that he was getting things paid off and it was actually easier to know exactly where he was at.

So, how do you set up a budget? It’s really pretty simple. Start with making a list of your routine monthly bills. You should note when each bill is to be paid and approximately how much it usually is. Then take a look at your pay schedule to determine which bills have to be paid out of each paycheck. Obviously, if you get paid once a month this is easier because everything has to be paid out of that one paycheck. However, most people get paid at least twice per month. Once the basic bills are done, think about the expenses you have to pay less often than once a month – things such as haircuts, insurance, car maintenance, etc. Then average out how much to set aside each month. For example, if you car insurance is $300 every six months, then you need to set aside $50 a month so you will have the money when the bill arrives. Be sure to figure in expenses paid in cash as well, such as groceries, gas, etc.

Once this is all done, I strongly suggest using some form of the “envelope” system. If you are not familiar with the envelope system, the basic idea is that you would have an envelope for each budget category and actually put the budgeted amount of cash in the envelope until the bill is paid. However, few of us pay our bills in cash any more, and even fewer probably want to retain larger amounts of cash at home. Therefore there are several ways you can do this. Personally, many years ago we found a computer program called Money Matters, which has worked wonderfully for us. I’m not sure if you can even still purchase this program. Another option is to simply have a savings account and some form of a spreadsheet with the various categories listed out and use that as your savings ledger. Before the age of computers, I used to use accounting ledger paper (yes, I’m showing my age here! LOL). The key is to keep track of how much money you have available in each category at any given moment.

Now, are you ready for the real secret??? STICK TO THE BUDGET! It’s that simple. It’s not easy, but it is a simple process. For an online tool to help you out, try Budget 5000. I have not tried this, but found it while searching for tools to help you out. It’s a free service that looks pretty good. You can find it here. http://www.budget5000.com/budgeting-successfully/

Good luck on your budgeting journey! You can do it!

Barter Your Way to Savings

2010-07-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

In tough economies such as we are currently experiencing, a good way to save some money is to barter for services. Many years ago, people bartered for services far more than we do. I remember watching TV shows, like “Little House On the Prairie” where the town doctor was overrun with chickens because that is how people would pay him!
My husband and I have been starting to do more bartering. He is a massage therapist and we’ve traded massage for music lessons, and have some ideas about bartering for dental care and haircuts. There are so many ways to do this. Maybe you don’t have what you consider to be a special skill. But we all have some abilities that others may want. Perhaps it is handyman work, cleaning houses, detailing cars, babysitting, bookkeeping, lawn care, etc. Or maybe you have a green thumb and love to garden. I know many people end up with more veggies than their family can use. Others would be thrilled to have home-grown produce!

Another idea I heard of some years back was group bartering. Instead of trading child care with the same person each time, a group of moms got together and set up “barter bucks.” They each started off with a certain number of “barter bucks” and determined a set value for childcare. When they needed childcare they would find someone else in the group that they could “pay” to watch their kids. But, if you ran out of barter bucks, that meant you weren’t doing your share and now couldn’t ask one of them to do childcare for you until you had earned barter bucks by watching someone else’s child(ren). This type of system could easily be set up among a group of people with varying talents/skills.

There are many options for bartering. It’s all about thinking creatively, and being bold enough to ask someone if they would be willing to trade services. In some cases, you may be able to barter for the labor, but have to pay for materials. But oftentimes, labor is the most expensive part of any bill.

I grant permission for every reader to reproduce on your website the article you are now reading but copy this article, without any alteration whatsoever. Include the copyright statement, too, please.

"Copyright © Renita R. Perrone All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article on your website without alteration if you include this copyright statement and leave the hyperlinks live and in place." www.wowyousavedhowmuch.com

The Value of a Dollar

2010-03-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you checked out a “dollar store?” Or maybe a discount store such as Big Lots? Well, it may be time to do so again.

In the last couple of years, I have noticed that many dollar stores seem to have disappeared. It really didn’t surprise me as I’m sure it takes a considerable volume of sales to pay the rent. However, just recently it seems that I’m seeing more dollar stores opening up again. In my quest for furthering my dollar, I decided to check them out.

I found Dollar Tree to be surprisingly good. This store is a true “dollar store,” meaning that every item in the store sells for $1 or less. They seem to consistently carry a variety of name-brand products. And even their food items have been within the “sell-by” date. In the past I have seen a fair amount of “outdated” foods in various dollar stores so I’m always cautious about the expiration dates. I even bought a loaf of bread from there that was fresh from the bakery – name brand, whole wheat! You can find a wide variety of items – greeting cards, paper products, seasonal items, cleaning products, food, and much more.

I’ve also seen Dollar General and Family Dollar stores opening up. These stores are not ones that have every item for $1, but they do have some good discounts on name-brand items. Be sure to know your prices before going shopping because other store sales may be the better deal. But, you may just find some incredible bargains as well.

Big Lots also seems to be expanding their store locations. Big Lots are usually fairly large stores that sell just about everything, including furniture. Their prices are discounted as, I believe, they buy out inventory from stores going out of business, or perhaps shipments that are rejected due to outer packaging being damaged, etc.

I’m sure there are many other similar stores around the country. I encourage you to go check them out periodically. These stores won’t always have everything in stock, but when you find what you need, it’s usually for a great price.

Stocking Up

2010-03-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

In last week’s article I mentioned the importance of stocking up when items are on sale in order to not have to pay full price in between sales. Obviously, the immediate savings on the price is of value. However, another very important reason for purchasing in this manner is to eliminate the need for shopping at multiple stores in order to get the best prices. When you are driving all over town for the best prices, you are spending money on gas, wear & tear on your vehicle and, of course, your valuable time. It is helpful to know which stores have the lowest prices for regular priced items, but don’t assume that a discount store is going to be less costly than another store. Many discount stores, such as Walmart and Target, may have a lower regular price on the items you use, but generally I find that other stores have sales that are far better, especially when those sales are BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales. I usually only shop discount stores for items I rarely see on sale. And then when I go, I try to stock up enough that I won’t have to go back more than once a month.

Many people ask me where I find coupons. There are many sources that I will list below:

-The Sunday Newspaper. Almost every week, aside from a holiday weekend, there will be coupon inserts in the paper. Call and check the pricing on home delivery of your local paper. Oftentimes, home delivery is less expensive than buying it in the store. Also check the dollar stores in your area as many will carry the Sunday paper throughout the week, and often for a discounted price. I also know of people who have arranged to go into stores early on Monday morning and get the coupon inserts from the remaining papers.

-Many manufacturer’s will have printable coupons on their websites. If they don’t, email them and ask them for coupons. Many times they will send you a nice batch of coupons in the mail!

-Look for “blinkies” in stores – these are the coupons that are in a dispenser on the store shelves next to the products

-Look in magazines. Walmart’s All You Magazine is a great one for coupons - http://www.allyou.com/. A subscription rate is better than purchasing it at the store each month, but the coupons are not always the same. And many of these coupons are for health & beauty items so you may want to purchase a couple of issues before subscribing in case you find you don’t use enough to make it worth it.

-Many mid-week papers have coupon inserts as well. Locally the “Forum” and “Jewish Journal” both have coupons and they come out on Wednesday. Both of these papers are free.

-Publix has several magazines that usually have coupons in them. I suggest subscribing to them (they are free) as the store copies don’t always have the coupons.
Publix Greenwise - http://publix.com/wellness/greenwise/feature/Home.do
Publix FamilyStyle - http://publix.com/clubs/familystyle/Home.do
Publix Wine Guide - http://publix.com/clubs/wine/Home.do (I am not a wine drinker but sometimes there are coupons for cheese or other things that go good with wine)

In addition, if you qualify, sign up for the following:
Publix Baby Club - http://publix.com/clubs/baby/Home.do
Publix Preschool Pals - http://publix.com/preschool/NonMemberHome.do
These “clubs” offer coupons in the mail periodically.

Many stores will have extra coupon booklets that come out through the year. Always check their sales flyer areas to see if they have any available.

Money Saving Blog & weekly deals for 2/4-2/10/10

2010-02-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Most of you know by now that I write a weekly blog for Boca Raton Magazine and The Examiner.com. I would very much appreciate your views and comments as it makes the editors happy too! :)

I found and compiled some excellent information on saving on fuel that I'm sure all of us can use! In addition, I've highlighted the super deals at Publix for the week of 2/4-2/10.

You can find it here.

Coupon Queen blog is up at The Examiner

2010-01-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Most of you know by now that I write a weekly blog on saving money for several sites. Along with a few good local deals, I also include tips that everyone can use to save money.

You can see my current post at The Examiner by going here.

You can also see my past blog posts by going here

I hope you find some information that will help you and bless you financially!

The Value of a Dollar

2010-01-13T18:01:00.000-08:00

When is the last time you checked out a “dollar store?” Or maybe a discount store such as Big Lots? Well, it may be time to do so again.

In the last couple of years, I have noticed that many dollar stores seem to have disappeared. It really didn’t surprise me as I’m sure it takes a considerable volume of sales to pay the rent. However, just recently it seems that I’m seeing more dollar stores opening up again. In my quest for furthering my dollar, I decided to check them out.

I found Dollar Tree to be surprisingly good. This store is a true “dollar store,” meaning that every item in the store sells for $1 or less. They seem to consistently carry a variety of name-brand products. And even their food items have been within the “sell-by” date. In the past I have seen a fair amount of “outdated” foods in various dollar stores so I’m always cautious about the expiration dates. I even bought a loaf of bread from there that was fresh from the bakery – name brand, whole wheat! You can find a wide variety of items – greeting cards, paper products, seasonal items, cleaning products, food, and much more.

I’ve also seen Dollar General and Family Dollar stores opening up. These stores do not sell every item for $1, but they do have some good discounts on name-brand items. Be sure to know your prices before going shopping because other store sales may be the better deal. But, you may just find some incredible bargains as well.

Big Lots also seems to be expanding their store locations. Big Lots are usually fairly large stores that sell just about everything, including furniture. Their prices are discounted considerably as well. I always advise to check expiration dates on any perishable items.

I’m sure there are many other similar stores around the country. I encourage you to go check them out periodically. These stores won’t always have everything in stock, but when you find what you need, it’s usually for a great price.

**** Save money on eating out ****
Restaurant.com is offering an 80% off special right now! If you order online using the discount/coupon code INDULGE you can purchase a $25 gift certificate for $2!! Go check it out! You can do a search to see which restaurants participate. Code is valid through January 19, 2010, but gift cards don’t expire for a year after purchase.Now, on to some local deals for the week

For more information on my book, please visit my book's website here.

December 2009 Online Earnings

2010-01-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a summary of my earnings for December. It was a great month!! Grand total earnings were almost $400!

PaidTheFastest – paid $81.41 in December 2009

PaidTheFastest is a PTC/GPT site. The site offers regular PTC (paid-to-click) ads that pay anywhere from ¼ cent to 1 cent each, but there are only a few each day (2-3). However, they also have a large “offer” list where you can complete offers (many are free) for money. In that list of offers is a section called “Daily Clicks.” These ads can only be done once per day from ONE site (many sites offer the same ads but completing them from more than one site will get you banned or blocked). On these daily clicks, you click the link, then click on one of the advertisers within the link. Wait 10-20 seconds and then submit it for payment. They pay 2 cents each. I’ve cashed out MANY times now, for a total of over $130 since October 2009. The funds are always in my paypal within 5 minutes. They also offer Amazon gift cards, which they say are paid weekly. Minimum cashout for paypal is $3 and Amazon is $5.
Please note that this site does require a telephone verification. I had no problem with this, but they seem to be bogged down right now and it’s taking a bit longer. However, they have also stated that you may email them a copy of a photo ID that shows your address for verification.

To join, please click here http://www.paidthefastest.com/members/register.php?ref=renitaperrone

Swagbucks – paid $10 in Amazon gift cards in December 2009
Swagbucks is a search engine that randomly awards “swagbucks” that are redeemable for prizes. I simply “search” for every site I go to and usually get about 2-3 swagbucks per day. They also have a newsletter they send with swagbucks and a toolbar where they offer swagbucks periodically. I think there may be swagbucks on twitter too. I’m not really sure because I can’t keep up with twitter!

To sign up, please click here http://swagbucks.com/refer/Renita4075

Gombolptr – paid $1 in December 2009
This site is strictly a PTC (paid to click) site. They send about 20-25 ads per day to your email and you click a link, then click an advertiser on their link. Wait 30 seconds until it tells you your account has been credited. The ads range from ¼-1/2 cent each- not much but the site had paid consistently for several years that I am aware of.

To join, please click here http://gombolptr.biz/pages/index.php?refid=rperrone

Surveys.com – earned $1 in December 2009
A standard survey site. Not one of my favorites as I rarely get paying surveys from them. But every once in a while I get something! I couldn’t find a referral link so if you want to join, just go to http://surveys.com

Secret Internet Shopper – paid $57.23 in December, 2009
I'm always looking for ways to make money that don't take me away from my kids unless my husband can be home with them. And even then, I hate to not have any family time with everyone. A friend told me about a site that paid her. They send you a task list of 8 websites to visit. You are required to enter a valid email, address & phone number. You will want to set up a freebie email to use that is separate from your main email so that your email isn't clogged with spam afterward. I will be setting up a freebie one after each task list so that I know which emails were confirmations of my website visits, as these emails have to get forwarded back to the mystery shopping company.Each task list that I've done (2 so far) has taken me roughly 1/2 hour to complete. Then, figure another 10 minutes for completing your invoice and forwarding the emails. So, say 45 minutes to a hour to be safe. They pay $15 per completed task list, less the paypal fee, so you net a little over $14 per task list.The bad side...yes, there had to be a bad side... your phone is going to ring like crazy for the first couple of days. At first I was just using caller ID and not answering. But they just kept calling so I started answering and politely telling them that I was no longer interested.I completed the tasks on Monday, 11/30 and Tuesday 12/2. I was paid for both today, 12/4. My friend who told me about the site said it was about a week before she was paid (and I believe the site does say within 7 days).If you are interested, please go to http://secretinternetshopper.com. If you would please enter my name in the "referred by" box, I would appreciate it as they do pay $5 for referrals once they complete a set of shops. My name is Renita Perrone. Also, please let me know you signed up by either leaving me a comment here, or emailing me at renitaperrone@gmail.com so that I can follow up with them.I'm hoping I get more shops soon. As much as I hate the phone ringing like this, I need the money and I'll put up with phone calls if I could make $15 in an hour or less!

PrizeLive – paid $7.12 in December 2009
http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone - Another site that pays instantly via paypal, although other redemption options are available. All I do is login daily, click on the "Daily Tasks" section and complete those, click on the additional "Exclusive PTC's" that there is a link to once you've finished parts 1-3 of the first section. **Please note that if you do these “daily clicks” on another site, you will NOT get credited for doing them here and you run the risk of being banned from the site** Takes literally less than 5 minutes per day and I usually do these while multi-tasking. They've paid me several times so far and after the first one, each payment has been INSTANT. They have games you can play as well, once you earn enough points to play. I've only played the Match Up game but if you win, it's 18 cents added to your earnings. You also earn for level 1 & 2 downline referrals.

YouData – paid $0.24 in December 2009 (slowest month yet!)
http://www.youdata.com/join/renitaperrone
YouData is a site where you login to view ads. This is NOT your typical PTC site. The ads usually pay 10 cents each, sometimes more. They consistently deposit the money in your paypal each Friday (less paypal fees). Unfortunately the ads are few & far between lately, but it’s easy $$. You do have to have a cell phone capable of receiving a text message to join. They text you a confirmation code and that is the only time I’ve heard from them via cell. You also earn for your downline referrals.

Dollarclickorsignup & Clickorsignup – paid $36.43 in December 2009
I joined DollarClickorSignUp on 9/13/09. I received my first payment on 10/10. On 10/19 I requested my second payment and received it on 10/25. The admin states that if you request payment on or before the 5th, you will receive in on the 10th, or request it on or before the 20th and you'll receive in on the 25th. Both times she's come through!It's an easy site - doing PTC's (Paid-to-click links). There are also offers you can complete, as well as daily clicks. Some earnings are in cash value (paid through paypal) and other earnings are in "clickit coins" which are redeemable for a variety of prizes. I spend probably 5-10 minutes per day on the site. Hard to say exactly because I am always multi-tasking.The other thing I LOVE about the site is that it pays 100% referral earnings. So every time a referral earns a penny, I earn a penny. That can easily help the earnings rack up faster!http://dollarclickorsignup.com/members/register.php?ref=renitaperroneThis admin also owns another site that I have joined recently. I haven't reached payout level on it yet, but hoping to get there soon! It's run exactly the same way from what I can tell.That one is called ClickorSignup and the link is herehttp://clickorsignup.com/paidpts/home?ref=renitaperrone

CreationsRewards – paid $5 in December 2009
This site issues points for answering a daily trivia question, visiting websites daily, and answering surveys. You can also earn by shopping through their site. However, on the daily website visits – BE CAREFUL!! These are often the same as the “daily clicks” on other sites so once again, if you are doing them on multiple sites, you risk being banned. I only do the daily trivia and any website visits that are not the same as these daily clicks so it’s slow earning, but they’ve paid me several times since I’ve joined so I know they are reliable.

There doesn’t appear to be any referral program so if you want to join, click here http://creationsrewards.net

SurveySpot – paid $2 in December 2009
This is a standard survey site. It was never very high on my list until recently as their surveys were almost always simply for a sweepstakes entry. Paid surveys were rare. However, they have now implemented a points program which makes it much more valuable to me! Not all surveys offer points, so you have to watch them. But, if you qualify frequently, you could earn good $$ here.

There is not a referral program so if you wish to join, click here http://surveyspot.com

CrazyMonkeyGold – paid $6.25 in December 2009
This is a GPT site that offers PTC ads, offers, and the “daily clicks” that most sites now offer. Again, remember that doing those daily clicks on multiple sites is forbidden!! The site pays $1 for referrals once they complete an offer, which is a really nice bonus! But, I think it’s a one-time bonus… not sure if you earn on offers they complete after that or not. Payment was received within about 48 hours. Minimum payout is $1 to paypal and they offer other redemption options as well.

If you wish to join, please click here http://crazymonkeygold.com/members/register.php?ref=rperrone

MatrixMails – paid $2.97 in December 2009
MatrixMails is a GPT site that offers various ways to earn. So far I’ve only done PTC’s and paid emails. They have occational offers you can complete and if you do, you get paid on those quickly, regardless of minimum payout requirements. For PTC’s and paid emails, the minimum payout is $2 via paypal. Not sure if there are other redemption options or not… I don’t think so.

If you wish to join, please click here. http://www.matrixmails.com/?rid=226173

GSN – Game Show Network – paid $50 in gift cards in December 2009
There is so much to do on this site! You answer a daily trivia challenge, enter the bingo blitz, play games, and answer other trivia questions daily for “oodles” which are points redeemable for a variety of prizes. They have consistently paid me every gift card I’ve requested since June 2009 (over $500 now). The only “down” side is that they don’t put the gift cards up fast enough and you have to be quick to snag them! If you want more info, please look back further in my blog for more details.

They have yet to implement the referral program so if you wish to join, simply go to http://gsn.com

Dollarsurveys.com – paid $4 in December 2009
This is a typical survey site. They send you an invitation about once a day. Sometimes they don’t really have a survey so they offer something else. But, if you qualify for the survey you get paid $1, which is supposed to be paid in a week. However, the last few I qualified for took quite a bit longer. I was about to give up on them when 4 payments came through at once. There is no referral program so simply go to http://dollarsurveys.com to join.

Harris Poll online – paid $20 in Amazon g/c in December 2009
Another typical survey site. Earn points for completing surveys and redeem for a variety of prizes. This site has consistently paid me for several years but it can be slow to earn.
To join, go to http://harrispollonline.com

InstantCashSweepstakes – paid $52.08 in December 2009
This is a funny little site! Every 3 hours you can login and answer 5 quick little polls (3 questions each). Each time you do you earn “coins” and the possibility of earning cash. The coins are redeemable for prizes, but it takes A LOT of coins to earn a prize and prizes are limited. They also have a daily drawing of $50.00. When the person you were referred by wins a prize, you might also have won the same matching prize. This month the person who referred me won the $50 daily drawing so I got the matching prize! Yay! And then I earned various little amounts and was able to cash out a 2nd time. Paypal does take their cut, unfortunately. But, the minimum payout is $2. It seems like they’ve changed their rewards a bit because I’ve been winning many times a day, but always small amounts - $0.01-$0.07 each. Of course I have several active referrals so that has helped! If you wish to join, please click here http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/15750

Synovate/Global Opinion Panels – paid $5 in December 2009
Another typical survey site. Points are earned for each survey. Points are redeemable for cash (via check). Has paid consistently for several years. No referral program so just go to http://globalopinionpanels.com to join

Gather – paid $25.00 in December 2009
Gather is a social networking site that rewards its members for participation. Points are issued for activity. The exact method is unknown, but getting people to view your articles/photos/videos is worth more than you viewing other’s work. Hardly seems fair, but in order to truly get the viewers, you pretty much have to be actively viewing the work of others to get them to reciprocate. Gather has paid consistently for years though, and I truly enjoy the friendships I’ve made from there. A large variety of prizes are available as well. To join, simply go to http://gather.com

SendEarnings – paid $27.31 via check in December 2009 ($30 less fees)
This is a paid-email program. They send you a few emails per day that are worth 2 cents each, I believe. You do have to reach $30 to request payment, which takes a while, but it’s mere seconds out of your day. And they have paid me a few times now. You can also earn by doing surveys, shopping through the site and completing offers. I rarely do any of those things.

To join, click here http://www.sendearnings.com/?r=ref149012

InboxDollars works exactly like SendEarnings. If you wish to join that one as well, click here http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref739801

Crazy Monkey Gold - site that pays

2009-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

As there are so many people trying to make extra money online, I try to always post about sites that really do pay!

Crazy Monkey Gold is a PTC site that paid me within about 48 hours of requesting payment. I've spent very little time on the site. I login daily and click on a few paid-to-click ads. Those don't make much (usually $0.0001 per click), but they are clicks that aren't on other PTC sites that I am on. Many sites now have ptc's that can only be clicked once per day regardless of which site you click them from. So, this had something the others didn't offer. But I saw an email from the site owner that stated that their RewardsQuiz offers were crediting immediately and paid $0.50 each. So, I tried them and they did! Before I had even closed the window after completing the offer (which were very short quizzes), my money had credited. I cashed out for $1.98 after doing 3 quizzes, having earned $0.48 from PTC's. The friend that referred me was also paid fairly quickly after requesting her withdrawal.

Crazy Monkey Gold currently offers 3 forms of payment: Paypal for $1 minimum, Amazon gift card for a $5 minimum, and a check for a $20 minimum.

If interested, here is my referral link. http://crazymonkeygold.com/members/register.php?ref=rperrone.

As always, feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Internet Mystery Shopping Company that PAYS!

2009-12-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ways to make money that don't take me away from my kids unless my husband can be home with them. And even then, I hate to not have any family time with everyone. A friend told me about a site that paid her. They send you a task list of 8 websites to visit. You are required to enter a valid email, address & phone number. You will want to set up a freebie email to use that is separate from your main email so that your email isn't clogged with spam afterward. I will be setting up a freebie one after each task list so that I know which emails were confirmations of my website visits, as these emails have to get forwarded back to the mystery shopping company.

Each task list that I've done (2 so far) has taken me roughly 1/2 hour to complete. Then, figure another 10 minutes for completing your invoice and forwarding the emails. So, say 45 minutes to a hour to be safe. They pay $15 per completed task list, less the paypal fee, so you net a little over $14 per task list.

The bad side...yes, there had to be a bad side... your phone is going to ring like crazy for the first couple of days. At first I was just using caller ID and not answering. But they just kept calling so I started answering and politely telling them that I was no longer interested.

I completed the tasks on Monday, 11/30 and Tuesday 12/2. I was paid for both today, 12/4. My friend who told me about the site said it was about a week before she was paid (and I believe the site does say within 7 days).

If you are interested, please go to http://secretinternetshopper.com. If you would please enter my name in the "referred by" box, I would appreciate it as they do pay $5 for referrals once they complete a set of shops. My name is Renita Perrone. Also, please let me know you signed up by either leaving me a comment here, or emailing me at renitaperrone@gmail.com so that I can follow up with them.

I'm hoping I get more shops soon. As much as I hate the phone ringing like this, I need the money and I'll put up with phone calls if I could make $15 in an hour or less!

PTC's that pay

2009-12-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Neobux - http://neobux.com/?r=renitaperrone - login daily to click a few advertisements (usually 4-6) and earn $0.01 each for free members (occasionally they may have 1/2 cent ads).

MatrixMails - http://matrixmails.com/?rid=226173 - login daily to click a few advertisements, occasional paid emails and offers. I have not yet reached payout level on their paid-to-click section, but I have been paid a couple of times for clicking on offers in their paid emails. To be honest, I don't even remember completing an offer, but they paid me for it. And the offers pay instantly rather than waiting to reach a payout level.

Paid2YouTube pays!

2009-11-16T10:36:00.001-08:00

I just love finding sites online that pay! This is another one that is really easy to do while multi-tasking. And, I've found some enjoyable and interesting videos to view too!

Once you join, you simple click to view videos and get paid a penny for each one. You do have to have a YouTube account, but that's free to set up. And you have to have a paypal account. You can have 2 accounts per household as long as you have separate email, paypal, and youtube accounts. So, if you can sign up a spouse or adult child living in the house, you get a penny for each video they view as well!

There are also "comment" videos that pay you 10 cents to comment on the videos. However, they seem to be few and far between and are gone fast. I have yet to see any of those.

Once I have viewed the video the first time, I just let them play for about a minute each day after that. You could probably let them run less time, but I prefer to play it safe than to risk losing my account. Just my personal philosophy.

Anyway, if you'd like to join, here's my referral link.

http://paid2youtube.com/?r=renitaperrone

Making money on Peoplestring

2009-11-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Peoplestring is a web portal that has the potential to earn you money. Every time you login and perform certain tasks, you earn "people point" which eventually turns into money credited to your account. Once you earn $25, you can be paid.

Now, to be honest, after a full month of logging in pretty close to the maximum number of times and doing all I could do to earn points, I was not impressed. I received a scant 19 cents for my efforts. Certainly not worth the time for that. HOWEVER, Peoplestring has implemented a new program that has alot of potential to earn money for very little effort. It is called their mailbox cashbox system. When you first sign up you answer a short survey about mail. Then you will be sent various offers in the mail that have a special code on them. When you get the offer and code in the mail, you login and do what is required for the earnings. Sometimes you just have to enter the code. Other times you may be asked to view a website and enter a code. Right now I have 10 offers coming that will total $2.60 in income for just a couple of minutes of my time. Plus, I may find some great offers I want to take advantage of.

I have not yet received confirmation from a known source that the site pays. I can only hope it truly does! I refuse to "upgrade" for quicker earnings. To me that is risky. However, I will continue to login a couple of times per week and watch for my mail codes. I think it's at least worth that time and effort.

If you are interested, please email me at renitaperrone@gmail.com and ask for a referral. Referrals also help earn you money so if you join you'll want to tell your friends to join as well. Once you join I will send you an email with the specifics on how to earn the most points without spending any money (they also offer incentives for various shopping).

Renita

Dollarclick paid again!

2009-10-26T10:26:00.001-07:00

I joined DollarClickorSignUp on 9/13/09. I received my first payment on 10/10. On 10/19 I requested my second payment and received it on 10/25. The admin states that if you request payment on or before the 5th, you will receive in on the 10th, or request it on or before the 20th and you'll receive in on the 25th. Both times she's come through!

It's an easy site - doing PTC's (Paid-to-click links). There are also offers you can complete, as well as daily clicks. Some earnings are in cash value (paid through paypal) and other earnings are in "clickit coins" which are redeemable for a variety of prizes. I spend probably 5-10 minutes per day on the site. Hard to say exactly because I am always multi-tasking.

The other thing I LOVE about the site is that it pays 100% referral earnings. So every time a referral earns a penny, I earn a penny. That can easily help the earnings rack up faster!

http://dollarclickorsignup.com/members/register.php?ref=renitaperrone

This admin also owns another site that I have joined recently. I haven't reached payout level on it yet, but hoping to get there soon! It's run exactly the same way from what I can tell.

That one is called ClickorSignup and the link is here
http://clickorsignup.com/paidpts/home?ref=renitaperrone

Enjoy!

Hundreds of online discount Codes

2009-10-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

I recently found out about an amazing website that I wanted to share with you that offers literally hundreds of discount codes for online shopping. With the economy as it is, and the holidays just around the corner, more and more people need to find the best deals available. I believe you will LOVE this particular site.

http://www.couponchief.com

This site offers so much more than the standard coupon site. The first thing you will want to do is to view their short video by clicking on the "How it Works" tab. If you are new to online shopping, or new to using discount codes, this video offers a very quick tutorial on how to use them.

In addition, the site offers some "community features" that help everyone by allowing us to comment or rate the coupon codes and how they worked for us. You can also share the coupon code by emailing it to friends, and register to get email alerts.

Want more? You've got it! This site also offers a "Pays-2-Share" program. If you find discount codes that are not already listed, you can register in the Pays-2-Share program and earn a percentage of all sales made using the discount code you have uploaded. The discount codes have to be for stores that participate in their Pays-2-Share program, but the list of participating retailers is quite impressive. What could be better than earning money for sharing the deals? And, use your own coupon after you upload it and you are earning on your own purchases! Your account must reach $25 before you can be eligible to receive payment, and they pay via check or Paypal.

One thing I love about this site is the ease of finding coupon codes for your particular needs. I know I have spent far too much time in the past searching for a discount code for what I needed. With CouponChief, you can search by item, category, or store. You can browse their featured stores, popular coupons and new coupons as well. The site is laid out very nicely and makes it so easy to find what you are looking for.

Go check it out! You'll be glad you did!

http://www.couponchief.com

PaidTheFastest - did pay FAST

2009-10-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

PaidTheFastest is a PTC/GPT site. For the most part I have simply logged in daily and clicked on the PTC (paid-to-click) links. However, they also have an Offer List with some free offers. I recently learned of the Daily Clicks in the Offer list that only required you to click on one link from the list of advertisers so I've been doing that each day. I logged in this morning to find that I had earned $1 for a contest on the Daily Click offers (didn't even know there was a contest). So, that put my earnings at $3.82. The site requires a $3 minimum to cashout for paypal and $5 for Amazon. So, I requested cashout to make sure the site truly paid. My funds were in my paypal account in less than 5 minutes.

Please note that this site does require a telephone verification. I had no problem with this, but a friend of mine did. I'm not sure if the problem was resolved yet or not. All you have to do is call in to the number they give and somehow they verify your number. So, before spending any time there, make sure you can get your number verified or you won't be able to get paid.

http://www.paidthefastest.com/members/register.php?ref=renitaperrone

Ways to earn online - updated

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Way to earn money online

There are many ways to make a little extra money online that don’t require an investment, or marketing, etc. Several people have asked me for a list of what I’ve found to be reliable earners. This is certainly not a comprehensive list, but these are sites that I do regularly. I have been paid by all of them unless notated.These sites are all ones who send emails for you to click on. They are not the typical “PTC” (paid-to-click) sites that only pay ¼-1/2 cent per click. It does take some time to reach a cashout level, but for mere seconds per day, it’s worth it.

**NEW Site PAID** PrizeLive - http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone - Wow! Impressed by this one. Paid within 24 hours. All I do is login daily, click on the "Daily Tasks" section and complete those, click on the additional "Exclusive PTC's" that there is a link to once you've finished parts 1-3 of the first section. Takes literally less than 5 minutes per day and I usually do these while multi-tasking. They've paid me 3 times so far and after the first one, each payment has been INSTANT. They have games you can play as well, once you earn enough points to play. I've only played the Match Up game but if you win, it's 18 cents added to your earnings.

Send Earnings - http://www.sendearnings.com/?r=ref149012 - sends a few emails a day to click on. Can also earn by shopping through the site, completing offers and surveys.

Inbox Dollars - http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref739801 - sends a few emails a day to click on. Can also earn by shopping through the site, completing offers and surveys.

Reward Port - need an email to send an invitation. I've been paid once and received it in a timely manner.

Hits4Pay - http://hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?renitaperrone

SnapDollars - http://www.snapdollars.com/index/renitaperron - not yet been paid.

Deals N Cash - http://dealsncash.com/members/index.cgi?renitaperrone

MyPoints - need an email to send an invitation

Quick Rewards - http://www2.quickrewards.net/?r=renitaperrone - click on daily email ads, login to answer trivia and do other activities to earn points redeemable for cash or prizes.

This is a partial list of survey sites that I do. These are surveys that either pay in cash (paypal or check) or points that are redeemable for prizes. I do not do surveys for sweepstakes entries.

Survey sites

http://www.saynation.com/Portal/?RP=Register&Ref=0948899378 - SayNation. I have been paid by this site. It took quite a while to get there as I don't seem to qualify for many surveys, but I get 25 points just for trying. Once I reached cashout, it did take them quite a while to pay, but they still paid within the guidelines they say they pay.

http://www.greenfieldonline.com/ - no referral link - many surveys are for sweepstakes but they also have some paid ones and some that are "focus groups" that pay well - like $25-30

http://www.dollarsurveys.net/ - no referral link. $1 per survey that you qualify for - paid automatically to paypal.

https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/ - no referral link. Has been consistent payer for a long time

http://www.e-rewards.com/ - no referral link.

Zoom Panel - need an email to send an invitation

http://mindfieldonline.com/referral/af0a31bd - Mindfield Online - surveys for cash & sweepstakes

Global Test Market - they don't seem to have an active referral program at the moment -
http://www.globaltestmarket.com/

Survey Head - no referral link - http://www.surveyhead.com/ – not yet been paid - not too impressed with this one so far. Seems I rarely qualify and you have to reach $10 I think to cashout.

My Survey - need an email to send an invitation - surveys for points to redeem for cash. Also get occasional products to try and review

Opinion Outpost - need an email to send an invitation

Icebox Advisors - http://www.iceboxadvisors.com/ - no referral link that I can see. Not many surveys from this site, but you do get $1 each and they are fairly short & easy. However, you do have to get to $10 before cashing out, which I have not yet reached.

Survey Savvy - https://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=331593&action=join - I have been a member for a long time but didn't get many surveys. Then, silly me, I finally decided to update my information. Lo & behold I had $19.50 in my account. I cashed out and had the check within 2 weeks or less. VERY fast! Not sure if I just caught them at the right time or if that's normal.

Kids Opinions - http://kidsopinions.com/ - no referral - occasional surveys about kids interests. They do pay - via check.

*******************************************************************

Miscellaneous

Creations Rewards - http://www.creationsrewards.net/?referid=_2D_5A_DC_8E_CF_AF -
login daily to get points with website visits and daily trivia. Earn more by shopping thru the site - paid again 9/13/09

Points & Prizes - need an email to send an invitation - enter "key" words for points redeemable for prizes. I can also help you with how to find the key words - received several prizes so far

You Data - http://www.youdata.com/join/renitaperrone - must have a cell phone that can accept a text message for signup. After that they don't text you. Login in daily to check for ads to click on - easy & quick site. Pays automatically to paypal every Friday.

MyLot - http://www.mylot.com/?ref=renitaperrone – a discussion forum, pays via paypal

TrekPay - http://www.trekpay.com/?ref=3089 – login daily to view websites. Some say you have to click on ads. I click on the website but not ads unless I really am interested. Otherwise it's cheating google adsense. I've still gotten credit for viewing the websites and I have been paid $5.71 for my first payout, which was received in a reasonable time frame.

Shoppers Hotline – http://shoppershotline.com/ – no referral link – click on the “contact us” link and ask if they need people for your area. They send you a scanner and you scan your purchases. They issue points that are redeemable for cash on a debit card.

Swagbucks - http://swagbucks.com/refer/Renita4075 - this is a search engine. Earn “swagbucks” randomly for doing searches. Swagbucks are redeemable for a number of prizes. I use this as my home page and search for every site I go to. It’s an easy earning site.

Scour - http://scour.com/invite/renitaperrone/ - another search engine. **as of 9/1/09 it has discontinued it's reward program. However, it may resume later on. I will keep you posted.

iRazoo - please email me at renitaperrone@gmail.com for a referral - earn points for searches and redeem for a variety of prizes - I have been paid once. If you have multiple computers at home, be careful! They will ban you if they see you using irazoo from multiple IP addresses. I have been paid once and within a reasonable time frame.

Anywhere Home Page - http://www.anywherehomepage.com/register.asp?r=67021 - search engine for points for prizes

Game Show Network – http://gsn.com/ – answer trivia questions, called “oodles” that earn points redeemable for prizes. I have separate blog post on how this works.

Gather - http://renitaperrone.gather.com/Invite.action - a social network site that earns points when others view your posts/photos/videos. Some points are earned for when you view others stuff as well, but those are minimal. However, to encourage people to view your stuff, it helps if you view/comment on theirs. Points are redeemable for a number of prizes. Paid many times

Homescan – no referral link – http://homescan.com/ – click “contact us” and see if they need people for your zip code. Scan in your purchases for points redeemable for a variety of prizes.

Redgage - http://www.redgage.com/?refby=renitaperrone - upload links, photos, blog posts for your own content at other sites. Each view earns you money. I have not yet been paid, but I know others who have been.

Instant Cash Sweepstakes - http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/15750 - every 3 hours you can answer 5 really quick polls for entries into a sweepstakes. However, occasionally you win cash as well. Payout level is $5, the first time and less after that. If one of your referrals wins, you win too! I've cashed out three times and was paid REALLY fast. It's fun and quick. They have also implemented a new "coin" system where you earn coins for doing the polls. The coins can be redeemed for prizes.

WinSpinWin - no referral link - http://winspinwin.com/ - every day you get a free spin to win cash for the first 10 days (I think). Payout level is $20. You can view offers for additional spins if you choose. I cashed out the first time on 7/30/09 and received my Visa gift card on 9/17/09 for $20.20. However, I was then banned from the site because I didn't realize you couldn't view the same offers each day. Most sites disable links once you've used them. This one didn't. So, be careful!

Slots4Cash - no referral link - http://slots4cash.com/ - every day you can view a few offers to get a credit to play slots for cash. I have not yet been paid on this one.

Sony Rewards - http://sonyrewards.com/ - I'm not sure yet how many ways you can earn points, but I do the daily trivia question for 10 points a day. Points are redeemable for many prizes and/or gift cards. I have not yet been paid for this site. You also get 10 points daily for answering the Wheel Of Fortune puzzle and the Jeopardy question. Also watch for polls on the home page that give 10 points.

Paid to view videos - http://silver.paidtoviewtube.com/?refer=renitaperrone - just signed up and it's a brand new site. View videos for points redeemable for cash. Site claims they can tell if you do not stay on the page for the entire 1 minute. I don't know if that's true, but consider yourself forewarned! I have a strong feeling this admin will not hesitate to remove those that break the rules!

Paid 2 You Tube - http://www.paid2youtube.com/?r=renitaperrone - get paid to view videos. I just joined so let's hope they pay! $0.01 per video and $0.10 per comment (but only on select videos and I haven't seen any yet). Minimum $10 for payout.

PeopleString - http://peoplestring.com/?u=renitaperrone - just signed up recently so haven't been paid yet. Login in once before noon, once after noon. Click once per day on rebate ads, Mailbox cash box and peoplestring email for a total of 50 points per day. Earn additional income when you are willing to receive postal mail to login.

IMReport Card - http://www.imreportcard.com/r/renitaperrone - I was paid once, fast. Working on 2nd payout now. Earn points that turn into cash for reviewing products, services, biz opps, etc. Seems pretty easy so far.

Air1 - no referral link - http://air1.com/ - earn points for answering daily trivia and short surveys. Points are redeemable for prizes or entries into sweepstakes. This is a Christian radio station so I think all prizes I've seen are Christian items (CD's movies, etc)

I will do my best to keep it updated. If you have additional sites, please comment with a referral link as I would love to check them out as well!

PrizeLive pays again- instantly

2009-10-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have to say that this site is awesome. It's quick. It's easy. And it pays literally, instantly. You can scroll down my blog for other posts about the site. This was my 3rd payment in 62 days and I spend about 5-10 minutes on the site per day, which is probably an exaggerated estimation of my time, because I am always multi-tasking.

They have changed the site slightly, and it was a bit disappointing to see the new requirements for the "daily tasks" section. However, I'd rather they change the requirements as they tweak the site and keep it profitable than to spend alot of time on a site only to find they don't have the money to pay their members. And, it's really not that hard to complete just one of the options they give you per day. I actually could have cashed out a couple of days ago but I was strategically planning my daily tasks to get credited each day.

I've also mentioned the games before because I think alot of people undervalue the benefit of playing the games. I don't really try to complete offers just for game credits. I know some people do. but, inevitable I acquire game credits along with cash points as I perform various tasks on the site, or from my referrals tasks. Whenever I reach 1 game credit, I play the MatchUp game. It's a quick and easy game and I almost always win, which means that game credit turned into 18 cents.

Here's my link if you want to join. After joining I'll email you specific instructional help for the site.

http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone

Trekpay and Videosquares PAID

2009-10-13T14:40:00.001-07:00

Two new sites that just paid me today!

Trekpay is a PTC (paid-to-click) program that gives "points" for each website view. The biggest pro to this site is that they do not have any requirements as to the amount of time you must spend on each site. However, I do suggest leaving it open for at least a short while - 10-30 seconds - just to not draw attention to your account. If you are suspected of cheating, they will have a T-symbol that appears on the ad you are viewing that you must click in order to not have your account deleted. At first I wasn't sure if you were supposed to search all pages of the website to find it or not. To date, I have not seen one, but I've read others comments who have said it's fairly large and "floats" at the top of the screen so it should be easily seen.

The "con" for this site is that it sometimes requires you to click an ad, which is, in essence, cheating googleadsense. I do not do this, as I don't feel it is right. However, I do click the link to view the website and have found that many sites don't even HAVE ads to click. On others I have found ads that were of interest to me so I would click those.

It did take me quite a while to earn enough to cashout. But, the site is quick and easy, and it's one of those I do while multi-tasking on other sites, so I don't really feel like I spend alot of time there. They paid approximately 1 week after requesting cashout.

If interested, here is the link. http://www.trekpay.com/?ref=3089

VideoSquares
VideoSquares is a fun site with games and videos to watch. Supposedly you can earn points (redeemable for a variety of prizes) from watching videos. I have yet to see any points from that. However, you DO earn points for playing some of their games. The games are fun and easy. To me, when it's time to just unwind, I go here to play games instead of other sites that don't offer a reward. Yes, the point values to redeem may seem high. But I don't try to use this site as a rewards site - instead I enjoy the rewards as a side benefit. However, right now you do get 100 points a day just for logging in. I'm not sure if that will continue indefinitely or not. When you play games for points, make sure you are playing ones that specify "rewards multiplier" on them or you will not be earning rewards. I've enlisted my 8 year old to play to help earn points for Daddy's Christmas gift card! :)

If you want to join, please click this link. http://videosquares.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=registers&referrer=AUPRR-4AA0469297C7E

I cashed out for a $25 Walmart card and had it within about 2 weeks! Let's hope this site continues for a long time!

PrizeLive - INSTANT payment!

2009-10-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am totally loving this site! I'm averaging about 25-30 cents per day with spending very little time there. All I do is click on the Paid-to-Click offers, complete the 3-step offers, and then do the "click here" for more offers and then click on their "exclusive offers." I clear cookies on my computer before starting, which has helped to insure that I get credited for them. My last payout was on 9/22 for $5. Today's payout was for $5 as well. I do have 36 downline referrals, but I only see about 2-3 of them completing offers on a daily basis so that's not a huge amount of additional income from them.

Here's my last post about the site
http://centsiblelivingtips.blogspot.com/2009/09/prizelive-paid-again-in-less-than-4.html

And here's my link if you're interested in trying them out. They pay via paypal or they have alot of prize options you can choose from.

http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone

And, if you have Game Credits, be sure to use them. You can earn additional money by winning games. I've only played the "matchup" game but I've won $0.18 several times by playing that one.

Dollarclickorsignup PAID!

2009-10-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'm always happy when I find new sites that actually pay! This site had been recommended by a friend so I decided to give it a try. I'm really not a huge fan of sites that only pay a penny or half a penny to view an ad. But, I figured I could do a few sites while multi-tasking online and make a few extra bucks here & there. After all, every little bit helps.

First of all, let me say that this site has many ways to earn money. They have a PTC (paid-t0-click) section which is the only portion of the site I have used so far. They also have a list of "offers" where you get paid to complete surveys, do trial offers, etc and get paid. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of completing offers because I find them to be very time consuming and then often the credits don't come through for some reason or another, which you can never seem to find out why. I don't know that this happens on THIS site, but it has happened to me on just about every other site I've used.

The site also has 2 types of earnings from what I can see so far. There are "cash" clicks and "clickit coin" clicks. The cash clicks are paid via paypal once you reach a minimum of $1 in earnings. The "clickit coins" can be saved up for a variety of gift card options, such as Walmart, Amazon, Ultimate Game Card and Egift Cards.

The site currently pays twice a month (their TOS is not up to date on this). Currently, if you request payout on or before the 5th of the month, you will be paid on the 10th. If you request payout on or before the 20th of the month, you will be paid on the 25th. My payout request came in like clockwork on the 10th. Had I known about the time frames before requesting payout, I would have waited and gotten a higher payout. I'll know next time!

I joined on September 13, 2009 and requested my $1 payout on September 30th. Currently, I have another $0.85 and 326 Clickit coins. I spend about 5-10 minutes per day on the site. It is kind of hard to know how much time is really spent as I'm always multi-tasking while doing the clicks.

If you're interested in signing up, here is my link.
http://dollarclickorsignup.com/members/register.php?ref=renitaperrone

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. My email is renitaperrone@gmail.com

Saynation - Survey Site that PAID!

2009-09-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is my first redemption on Saynation. The surveys are usually pretty easy. If you do not qualify, you usually know within a few questions and still get some points just for trying. I redeemed points on 8/6/09 for $20 in Amazon gift cards (although there are quite a few choices of rewards) and it arrived in my email on 9/22/09. Granted, I'm not thrilled that they took the full 6 weeks to pay (they say redemptions are received within 2-6 weeks) on something that arrives via email, but at least they DID pay!

If you're interested, you can go here http://www.saynation.com/Portal/?RP=Register&Ref=0948899378 to join. For each person you refer you get 1200 points when they are 1. registered for 30 days, 2. Take the “Your First Survey” located on the SayNation homepage and 3. Complete at least one survey from an email invitation

I'm happy and I'll now be doing more of their surveys!

iRazoo - search engine that paid

2009-09-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago a friend told me about a search engine that pays, called iRazoo. I hadn't used it much because I was doing swagbucks.com. Swagbucks is great too, but you only have limited chances per day to win random swagbucks. So, I still use it as my homepage and get my 2-3 swagbucks per day from it. However, with needing to search for GSN Trivia answers, I had been using scour.com. Sadly, scour.com recently took away their rewards program so I quit using that! So, I went back to using iRazoo. In a couple of weeks time, I earned enough points for a $5 Amazon gift card. I requested in on 9/16/09 and received it via email today, 9/23/09. And, during that time I've already reached over 700 points on iRazoo again! iRazoo offers alot of different reward options - so there truly is something for everyone. The biggest key for success on this site is that after you search, you MUST click on one of the result links. When it opens up there is a little place at the top right corner where you can put in a comment and then click yes or no as to whether or not you liked the site. The comment is optional, but it does give you four points. And you get four points for clicking the yes or no buttons. So, if you do both things you get 8 points per search.

I'm very happy that they paid so quickly and I'm looking forward to many more rewards from them!

If you want to join iRazoo or Swagbucks, please email me for a referral as they only have a referral banner and I have NO idea how to put that on my blog...guess I'll be asking someone how to do that!

You can email me at renitaperrone@gmail.com

IM Report Card paid FAST

2009-09-22T14:51:00.001-07:00

This is another new site I joined not too long ago. It has a list of various sites/people to review for points, redeemable for paypal. They have Product Reviews (online products), People Reviews, Service Reviews, Biz-Opp Reviews, and Other Reviews (for survey sites and other "paid to" sites). If the site is still open for additional comments, you post a review that is at least 100 words and submit it. You can also grade products/services you are familiar with and rate the reviews given by other people. For each activity you get points. They also have a referral program where you earn points based on your referrals activities as well. You must have a minimum of 2000 points to cashin, and that is equal to $20.00. Well, today I reached cashout level and requested payment. In just a few short hours, payment was in my paypal account! Yay!

If you care to join, here's my link http://www.imreportcard.com/r/renitaperrone

I'm very happy so far! Hopefully they will have a steady flow of new products/services to review because they close them off fairly quickly. So, if you join, check them frequently!

PrizeLive paid AGAIN - in less than 4 hours!

2009-09-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Wow....I am totally loving this site! I spend maybe 5 minutes a day. In reality it's probably less because I'm always multi-tasking while doing the paid-to-clicks. But, I had cashed out on 9/6 and received payment on 9/7 to my paypal, with no paypal fees deducted. Today I cashed out for $5 at about 8:30 this morn. Left to go to work, came home at 12:30 and my funds were already in my paypal!! Wow!

For more details on how this site works, view my 9/7 post at http://centsiblelivingtips.blogspot.com/2009/09/prizelive-paid-fast.html

If you wish to join, go here: http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone

WinSpinWin paid!

2009-09-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is a fun and easy site. It's simply http://winspinwin.com. After signing up you will get, if I remember correctly, 10 days with 1 free spin per day. After that you have to view offers to get spins. You don't have to provide any credit card info or anything. Many are 100% free offers. For each spin you have a chance to win money. In July I earned $20.20. I received my Visa Gift Card today, September 17, 2009. I'm very happy to say they really do pay! Looking forward to my next payment as it was $49.90! Yay! More Christmas money!

Instant Cash Sweepstakes - FAST payer

2009-09-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Have you joined Instant Cash Sweepstakes yet? If not, it's a fun site. Every few hours you can answer 5 fun short survey questions (multiple choice answers to choose from) and earn lottery tickets for a sweepstakes and coins for bonus prizes. In addition, you can randomly win cash. Once you are "vested" at $2 in earnings, you can cashout for paypal. Unfortunately paypal takes a fee, which really stinks, but what can you do? Anyway, the site promises to pay in 72 hours, but on the two occasions I've cashed out, I've been paid in less than 24 hours. Very impressive! And, when you refer friends, when your friends win cash, you win too! I had quit answering the questions for a while, but since they added the new bonus prizes with the coins, at least I feel like I'm working toward something guaranteed instead of just the luck of the draw.

If you want to check it out, here's the link

http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/15750

PrizeLive Paid FAST!

2009-09-07T08:22:00.001-07:00

http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone

I'm very impressed! I joined the site about 2 weeks ago and didn't expect much. They have "paid to complete offers" section, and I've never been too thrilled with those as so many have pages and pages to go through, only to find out at the end that you have to accept 2 offers. I have done a few offers on this site and they did not require that. But, mainly I've done the "Paid to click" section. There are 2 separate parts to this section. Initially you have 4 websites you have to view for about 40 seconds each. Then you go to step 2 which requires that you click to go to a site, click a link from there, and wait 10 seconds. Once those are done, there is another section you can click to go to that does not require you to wait the 10 seconds. You just go to the website, click a link, close them out and submit that you've completed it. I've spent less than 5 minutes per day there, and always while I'm multitasking. One point equals $1. Yesterday I cashed out for $1.48 and today I had my money in paypal. I believe you can also request to receive a check if you do not wish to have paypal. No fees were deducted for paypal either. Yay!

How to earn on gsn.com

2009-07-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

I recently found out about this site by Game Show Network. I don't get the TV channel, but I found out that you can earn points for prizes just by answering trivia questions each day. Since June 2009, my husband and I have earned AND received over $250 in gift cards (updated 9/21/09). You can have 2 accounts per household, one per person.

Anyway, once you sign up, you'll want to answer the "Oodles Question of the Day" by clicking the button (when it shows up). If you don't see the button under your signup information, there is another way to get to it. Click on "oodles" from the menu at the top. Then you will see a box that says "Start Winning Oodles." You'll see different ways to win oodles. The first one is for GSN Live, which is for questions from the shows on weekdays. The second one is for GSN Live challenge. And the next is for their free games. You do NOT get oodles for playing the games. You get oodles for correctly answering the trivia question posted at each game's page. And the last one is the Question Of The Day.

If you're not a Gather member, you might want to become one. One of my Gather friends posts a daily post where we help each other with the oodles questions from the GSN Live and Big Saturday Night. You can join Gather here (its free) http://renitaperrone.gather.com/Invite.action. Once you do that, join the GSN Fan group at http://gsnoodles.gather.com/ where you will see daily posts on Monday through Friday with clues to the answers for GSN Live.

Ok. So the first one is fairly obvious. Answer the Daily Puzzler. There is no time limit so you can search the answer out. Personally, I use iRazoo as you earn more points toward gift cards. (if you'd like a referral link, please email me at renitaperrone@gmail.com.

Next I do the GSN Live on Monday-Friday from noon-6pm. This is where I use the chats mentioned above for clues to the answers.

Then there is the GSN Live Challenge. If you click on the GSN Live link, you will see on the right hand side of the screen a place to enter your phone number, certify that you are at least 18 years of age. Once you've done that a link will pop up for a challenge question for 50 points. They *might* call you to play via phone LIVE and if so, you could win additional prizes.

In addition to the GSN Live and the Daily Puzzler question, they have daily questions at each game. To get to these, click on Oodles at the top of your page, then click on "more info." From there it gives you a full list of games available. You do not have to play the games! You just click on it and then you'll see at the top where it has the Oodles symbol and it says "play here." There is one trivia question per game, for 10 points each. They add up fast!

Now there is a new set of bonus questions on Saturdays from 8-11pm. After logging in, you'll see the section for "On Now" and "Up Next." Click on the shows that are one and each 1/2 hour there will be a 50 point question to answer.

If you have any questions about the site, please feel free to ask.

Way to earn money online

2009-07-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to make a little extra money online that don’t require an investment, or marketing, etc. Several people have asked me for a list of what I’ve found to be reliable earners. This is certainly not a comprehensive list, but these are sites that I do regularly. I have been paid by all of them unless notated.

These sites are all ones who send emails for you to click on. They are not the typical “PTC” (paid-to-click) sites that only pay ¼-1/2 cent per click. It does take some time to reach a cashout level, but for mere seconds per day, it’s worth it.

**NEW Site PAID** PrizeLive - http://www.prizelive.com/r/renitaperrone - Wow! Impressed by this one. Paid within 24 hours. All I do is login daily, click on the "Paid to click" section and complete those, click on the additional PTC's that there is a link to once you've finished parts 1-3 of the first section. Takes literally less than 5 minutes per day and I usually do these while multi-tasking. Now that I know they pay, I may be doing more of the free offers as well. They have games you can play as well, once you earn enough points to play.

Send Earnings - http://www.sendearnings.com/?r=ref149012 - sends a few emails a day to click on. Can also earn by shopping through the site, completing offers and surveys.

Inbox Dollars - http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref739801 - sends a few emails a day to click on. Can also earn by shopping through the site, completing offers and surveys.

Reward Port - need an email to send an invitation, have not yet been paid but my referrer says she’s been paid many times.

Hits4Pay - http://hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?renitaperrone

SnapDollars - http://www.snapdollars.com/index/renitaperron - not yet been paid.

Deals N Cash - http://dealsncash.com/members/index.cgi?renitaperrone

MyPoints - need an email to send an invitation

Quick Rewards - http://www2.quickrewards.net/?r=renitaperrone - click on daily email ads, login to answer trivia and do other activities to earn points redeemable for cash or prizes.

This is a partial list of survey sites that I do. These are surveys that either pay in cash (paypal or check) or points that are redeemable for prizes. I do not do surveys for sweepstakes entries.

Survey sites
http://www.greenfieldonline.com/ - no referral link - many surveys are for sweepstakes but they also have some paid ones and some that are "focus groups" that pay well - like $25-30

http://www.dollarsurveys.net/ - no referral link. $1 per survey that you qualify for - paid automatically to paypal.

https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/ - no referral link. Has been consistent payer for a long time

http://www.e-rewards.com/ - no referral link.

Zoom Panel - need an email to send an invitation

http://mindfieldonline.com/referral/af0a31bd - Mindfield Online - surveys for cash & sweepstakes

Global Test Market - they don't seem to have an active referral program at the moment - http://www.globaltestmarket.com/
Survey Head - no referral link - http://www.surveyhead.com/ – not yet been paid

My Survey - need an email to send an invitation - surveys for points to redeem for cash. Also get occasional products to try and review

Opinion Outpost - need an email to send an invitation

Icebox Advisors - http://www.iceboxadvisors.com/ - no referral link that I can see. Not many surveys from this site, but you do get $1 each and they are fairly short & easy. However, you do have to get to $10 before cashing out, which I have not yet reached.

Survey Savvy - https://www.surveysavvy.com/?id=331593&action=join - I have been a member for a long time but didn't get many surveys. Then, silly me, I finally decided to update my information. Lo & behold I had $19.50 in my account. I cashed out and had the check within 2 weeks or less. VERY fast!

Kids Opinions - http://kidsopinions.com/ - no referral - occasional surveys about kids interests. They do pay - via check.

*******************************************************************
Miscellaneous

Creations Rewards - http://www.creationsrewards.net/?referid=_2D_5A_DC_8E_CF_AF - login daily to get points with website visits and daily trivia. Earn more by shopping thru the site - paid again 9/13/09

Points & Prizes - need an email to send an invitation - enter "key" words for points redeemable for prizes. I can also help you with how to find the key words - received several prizes so far

You Data - http://www.youdata.com/join/renitaperrone - must have a cell phone that can accept a text message for signup. After that they don't text you. Login in daily to check for ads to click on - easy & quick site. Pays automatically to paypal every Friday.

MyLot - http://www.mylot.com/?ref=renitaperrone – a discussion forum, pays via paypal

TrekPay - http://www.trekpay.com/?ref=3089 –not yet been paid – login daily to view website ads.

Shoppers Hotline – http://shoppershotline.com/ – no referral link – click on the “contact us” link and ask if they need people for your area. They send you a scanner and you scan your purchases. They issue points that are redeemable for cash on a debit card.

Swagbucks - http://swagbucks.com/refer/Renita4075 - this is a search engine. Earn “swagbucks” randomly for doing searches. Swagbucks are redeemable for a number of prizes. I use this as my home page and search for every site I go to. It’s an easy earning site.

Scour - http://scour.com/invite/renitaperrone/ - another search engine. **as of 9/1/09 it has discontinued it's reward program. However, it may resume later on. I will keep you posted.

iRazoo - please email me at http://www.blogger.com/ReferedNewUser.aspx?Refby= for a referral - earn points for searches and redeem for a variety of prizes

Anywhere Home Page - http://www.anywherehomepage.com/register.asp?r=67021 - search engine for points for prizes

Game Show Network – http://gsn.com/ – answer trivia questions, called “oodles” that earn points redeemable for prizes. I believe this is a temporary promotion but it pays FAST. I’ll do a separate blog post on how this works.

Gather - http://renitaperrone.gather.com/Invite.action - a social network site that earns points when others view your posts/photos/videos. Some points are earned for when you view others stuff as well, but those are minimal. However, to encourage people to view your stuff, it helps if you view/comment on theirs. Points are redeemable for a number of prizes

Homescan – no referral link – http://homescan.com/ – click “contact us” and see if they need people for your zip code. Scan in your purchases for points redeemable for a variety of prizes.

Redgage - http://www.redgage.com/?refby=renitaperrone - upload links, photos, blog posts for your own content at other sites. Each view earns you money. I have not yet been paid, but I know others who have been.

Instant Cash Sweepstakes - http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/15750 - every 3 hours you can answer 5 surveys for entries into a sweepstakes. However, occasionally you win cash as well. Payout level is $5 and if one of your referrals wins, you win too! I've cashed out once and was paid REALLY fast. It's fun and quick.

WinSpinWin - no referral link - http://winspinwin.com/ - every day you get a free spin to win cash for the first 10 days (I think). Payout level is $20. You can view offers for additional spins if you choose. I cashed out the first time on 7/30/09 and received my Visa gift card on 9/17/09 for $20.20. Looking forward to my next payout of $49.90! Quick & easy!

Slots4Cash - no referral link - http://slots4cash.com/ - every day you can view a few offers to get a credit to play slots for cash. I have not yet been paid on this one.

Sony Rewards - http://sonyrewards.com/ - I'm not sure yet how many ways you can earn points, but I do the daily trivia question for 10 points a day. Points are redeemable for many prizes and/or gift cards. I have not yet been paid for this site. You also get 10 points daily for answering the Wheel Of Fortune puzzle.

Paid to view videos - http://silver.paidtoviewtube.com/?refer=renitaperrone - just signed up and it's a brand new site. View videos for points redeemable for cash (in pre-launch til 9/22 so points are only redeemable for advertising until then).

Paid 2 You Tube - http://www.paid2youtube.com/?r=renitaperrone - get paid to view videos. I just joined so let's hope they pay! $0.01 per video and $0.10 per comment (but only on select videos and I haven't seen any yet). Minimum $10 for payout.

PeopleString - http://peoplestring.com/?u=renitaperrone - just signed up recently so haven't been paid yet. Login in once before noon, once afternoon. Click once per day on rebate ads, Mailbox cash box and peoplestring email for a total of 50 points per day. Earn additional income when you are willing to receive postal mail to login.

IMReport Card - http://www.imreportcard.com/r/renitaperrone - just signed recently so haven't been paid yet. Earn points that turn into cash for reviewing products, services, biz opps, etc. Seems pretty easy so far.

Air1 - no referral link - http://air1.com/ - earn points for answering daily trivia and short surveys. Points are redeemable for prizes or entries into sweepstakes. This is a Christian radio station so I think all prizes I've seen are Christian items (CD's movies, etc)

Instant Cash Sweepstakes - http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/15750 - answer 5 quick surveys every few hours and win lottery tickets for a sweepstakes, coins for prizes, and the possibility of instant cash. The more friends who play, the more chances of winning. I've gotten up to $5 and received payout FAST, but this time around it's been a long time with no winnings. HOwever, they just implemented the coin reward system so I'm answering surveys more again.

I'm sure that I will have more to add to this list as time goes on. I will do my best to keep it updated. If you have additional sites, please comment with a referral link as I would love to check them out as well!

Need helping learning to save on Groceries???

2009-06-14T14:53:00.001-07:00

Then check out my book! It's officially published and available for purchase. You can easily save more than the cost of the book on your first shopping trip if you apply the techniques I have outlined in the book.

http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com

Renita

My Albertsons deals & why I rarely shop there

2009-06-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

ARGHHHHH The Albertsons by me is so awful!! I went today because I wanted to get in on the buy 1 get 2 free deals on meat. Managed to get the Ball Park Franks deal and one of the pork chops deals. They were out of the Seasoned Pork Chops and also the Koolaid Burstin Waters. After paying I went to get rainchecks when they told me they didn't offer rainchecks on those since it was "while supplies last." Ok, I get that... in a way. But, if Albertsons EVER stocked enough supplies for their sales it would be a miracle! Every time I go there they never have their sales stuff in stock. So, to me it's just a gimmick. I guess I'll go to Publix as they honor competitor coupons. Should have just done that to begin with but I wanted a couple of things that were store brand sales and I didn't think Publix would honor it with their store brand, but I intend to find out!

Anyway, here's what I got
(MC = Manufacturer Coupon)

Dixie Crystals Sugar - 4lb - $1.79 w/ store coupon
3 Quaker Quakes Rice snacks (big bags) - sale for $2.50 each less $1 MC each
4 McCormick Taco Mix - sale for $1 each
Fab Liquid Detergent - $1.99 w/store coupon (I hope this is good - never used it)
3 Ball Park Franks - buy 1 get 2 free - $3.29 less $1 MC
4 Banquet Pot Pies - $0.59 each w/store coupon
2 Albertsons Fudge Bars - $0.79 each w/store coupon
3 BIG packages of pork chops - buy 1 get 2 free - $15.48 (saved $30.21)
1 3 Musketeers bar - w/free coupon from Free Chocolate Friday's

Total before sales/coupons - $87.34
after $34.08

Chuck E. Cheese Reward Calendars

2009-06-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Chuck E Cheese is offering several "reward calendars" for kids. For completion of the 2 week calendar, kids received 10 free tokens with a food purchase. Exp 12/31/09

Rewards Calendars include:
Tooth Fairy
Getting Dressed
Reading REward
Active Kid
Homework Helper
Potty Training
Sleep All Night
Magical Manners
Doctor Dentist Good Patient Award
Stop Thumb Sucking
Clean Your Room
Teeth Brushing

To print the calendar(s), click here http://chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php

Publix Shopping 5/13/09

2009-05-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

Went to Publix to hit the sales before they ended. Spent more than I wanted but still did good. I was bummed though. I'd been told that Publix had Chinet plates on sale for $2 and there were coupons for $2 off in 5/3's paper. They didn't have any and it was not listed in any of their sales flyers so I couldn't get a rain check. :(

Acronyms first:
BOGO - buy one, get one free
MC - Manufacturer coupon
SC - Store Coupon
OOP - Out of Pocket

So here's what I got.

4 Gorton's Shrimp Temptations - BOGO for $7.49, less 4 MC for $1 each - or $2.75 each
6 Del Monte green beans, canned - BOGO for $1.29 less 3 MC for $0.45 off 2, or $0.42 each
6 Del Monte Corn, canned - BOGO for $1.29, less 3 MC for $0.45 off 2, or $0.42 each
2 Publix black beans - no sale $0.83 each
2 pkg lender's bagels - BOGO for $1.99
2 Breathe Right strips - $12.79 less 2 SC for $3 and 2 MC for $1 or $8.79 each
2 kids Bandaids - sale for $1.99 less 2 MC for $1 - $0.99 each
Kraft Bagelful's - sale for $2 less MC for $1
2 pkg Kotex - 2 MC for $1.50 each - $1.95 each
Kashi Go Lean Waffles - $2.79 less MC for $2.79 (thank you Vocal Point)
1 2-roll pkg Viva paper towels - $4.49 less SC for $1.25 and MC for $1 - $1.12 each
1 30-ct corn tortillas - $2.09
1 Palmolive Pure/Clear - $3.19, less MC for $1, have rebate to get $2.99 back
2 Friendship sour cream - $1.39 each, less MC for $1 off 2 - $0.89 each
1 pkg Phil. Cream Cheese - $1.99 less MC for $1
Ground beef - $2.79/lb - $9.44 less SC for $1 off meat
2 Oscar Mayer lunchables - sale 2 for $4 less MC for $1 off 2
2 Quilted NOrthern TP - sale for $6.49, less 2 MC for $1 off each
Total before sales & coupons: $144.94
Total OOP - $78.48

My interview with Boca Raton Magazine

2009-05-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

My husband happens to know the owner of the Boca Raton Magazine and told him about my book, "Wow! You Saved How Much?" A few days later I received a phone call from the editor wanting to interview me for an article they are doing on smart shopping techniques! The interview was tonight and it was alot of fun! I enjoyed the aspect of "teaching" someone how to do what I do. Now they want to arrange a photo shoot for the article. I'm very excited about it. The article will be in the November issue. You can also view my book's website at http://wowyousavedhowmuch.com. The book should, hopefully, be available by the end of the month.

If you subscribe to the newspaper, read this...

2009-05-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have subscribed to the Sunday newspaper for quite some time now. I had it set up for auto-billing to my credit card just so I wouldn't forget to renew! The last time it was due for renewal we had cancelled our credit card since someone had started using our CC # and so they sent me a bill. When I looked at it I was surprised to find they were charging me $2.23 per copy! It sells at the store for $1.50! It used to be cheaper to have the subscription. Anyway I paid it as they had still been delivering it even after it had expired and it was my error but I cancelled the auto-billing. When I asked them about the cost I was told (twice by two different employees) that the in-store price was going up to $2.25 that week. Well, 6 weeks later it was still $1.50. So when renewal came due again I called to cancel. And lo & behold they could offer me a discount!! Now I'm paying only $1.23 per issue... So, if you subscribe to a newspaper, be sure to check your bill and make sure you're getting the best value.

Almost $150 in Groceries for under $60!

2009-05-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is from my shopping trip on 5/6/09.

First some acronyms...
BOGO - Buy one, get one free
MC - Manufacturer coupon
SC - Store Coupon
OOP - Out of Pocket

Ok…so here’s how I got almost $150 in groceries for less than $60!!

2 Publix Ice Cream – on sale 2 for $5, used 2 store coupons for $1 off each (1 from the Publix Family Style magazine and one from the Preschool Pals program)
2 Farm Rich French Toast Sticks – BOGO for $3.29 less $1 MC
1 Publix Texas Toast – on sale $1.67
7 Kashi frozen entrees – half price sale for $1.89, less 7 MC for $1 off
3 Kashi Pocket bread sandwiches – half price for $1.59, less 3 MC for $1 off
Onions - $2.35
Canteloupe - $2
2 pkg Strawberries - $2.50 each
Plum tomatoes - $0.74
4 Corn on the cob - $1
4 Breakstone sour cream, 8 oz – BOGO for $0.99 less 2 MC for $0.55 each, so $0.22 each!
4 Contessa Complete meals, on sale for $4.99 (reg. $7.99), less 4 MC for $2 each that were right in front of the product!
1 Oscar Mayer Deli Creations sandwich – MC for FREE
1.5 lb shrimp - $7.68 less SC for $1 off
1 can Publix Black beans - $0.83
1 lb Publix Sweet Ham lunchmeat - $6.05
2 boxes Capri Sunrise juice pouches – on sale for $3 each, less 2 MC for $1 off
Ground Chuck – sale for $2.69/lb - $3.79, less SC for $1
1 box Bandaids- $1.99 less $1 MC
1 pkg 30 ct Corn Tortillas - $2.09
1 Country Hearth bread - $1.89
1 Publix Multigrain Bagels - $2.59
Also had a coupon from a mailer for $5 off $30 or more.
Total retail value: $146.56
Less coupons & sales - $87.20
Total OOP: $59.36

Walgreen's shopping 4/30/09

2009-04-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was very disappointed to find out today that Walgreen's has discontinued their rebate catalog in favor of their Register Rewards. However, I still got some good deals. At first the cashier tried to tell me I could not combine Register Rewards with a manufacturer's coupon if I was only buying one item, but the manager came over and told her how to override it.

Transaction #1
Bayer Quick Release 4 ct - sale for $2.49, used $1 manufacturer coupon and received $2.50 in Register Rewards (RR) for next purchase.
Total OOP (out of pocket): $1.49

Transaction #2
Nivea Body Wash - sale for $4.99. Used $2.50 RR from Transaction #1 and $1 manufacturer coupon. Received $5 RR for next purchase
Total OOP: $1.49

Transaction #3
4 Pepsi 8pk - sale 4 for $10. Used $5 RR from Transaction #2 and $1 manufacturer coupon. Received $3 RR for next purchase.
Total OOP: $4.65

Transaction #4
3 Pepsi 2 ltr - on sale 3 for $4. Used $3 RR from Transaction #3.
Total OOP: $1.26

Grand total OOP was $9.22
Retail price was $28.55

meal planning site based on store sales

2009-04-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

I recently found out about this site called E-Mealz, http://www.e-mealz.com/amember/go.php?r=44682&i=l0. I actually signed up for a trial basis last night. Basically, for $1.25 per week (but you have to pay in 12 week increments) you get a meal plan and shopping list for a week based upon the sales of the store of your choice. Publix was one of the choices and I usually shop Publix. And, they had a regular version, a low-fat version and a points version for those on weight watchers. I picked the Points version because we keep TRYING to get on WW! LOL

Anyway, a friend of mine used it and said she had lowered her grocery bill to about $125 or less per week for her family of 6. I figured with adding coupons in, I could get it even lower. The recipes seem good & easy too - not these ones that take hours of prep! here's my menu for this week (this is just for dinners)

Lemon-Basil Pork chops, roasted red potatoes
Baked French Toast, bacon, eggs
Tomato & Broccoli Penne Pasta, salad
Corn tortilla Soup, cauliflower, parmesan crips
Broiled Tilapia, sweet peas, fresh melons
Chicken Burritos, BBQ Chips, apple sauce
Honey Pecan Chicken, carrot puree

Now, some of this I know my family won't eat (like carrot puree, sweet peas or applesauce), but with a few substitutions, it seems pretty reasonable.

Just thought I'd share in case anyone else is interested in giving it a try. Per their rules, I cannot share their recipes but if you go to their site, they'll show you a 2-3 day sample.

CVS Deals 4/23/09

2009-04-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

ECB - Extra Care Bucks - store coupons issued by CVS for specific items
OOP- Out of Pocket, total actually paid out
MC - manufacturer coupons

Ok, so I'm really liking the www.iheartcvs.com site and the www.kingdomfirstmom.com site!

Total retail value of all: 50.89
Total spent: $24.17 plus I still have $2 in ECB's for next trip. Not the GREATEST trip, but still good

Transaction #1
3 John Frieda shampoos - on sale for $5 each, get $5 ECB's back, used 3 MC for $2 off 1 and a ECB for $0.50
Spent $9.45 OOP

Transaction #2
3 Tresemme hair spray =- on sale 3 for $10, get $5 ECB's back, used 3 MC for $1 off 1 and the $5 ECB from transaction #1
Spent $2.33 OOP

Transaction #3
2 Crest Pro Health Rinse - on sale for $2.88 each, get $4 ECT ($2 each), used 2 MC for $1 off 1
1 Breathe Right Strips - $13.99, used $3 ECB that was product specific (ONLY for these), and $1 MC (not the greatest price, but with store & mc it matched the price I'd probably pay at Walmart or Target), also used $5 ECB from Transaction #2
Spent $9.52 OOP

Transaction #4
1 Act Restore Mouthwash, on sale $3.79, get $2 ECB back, used $1 MC
2 cokes
used $4 ECB from transaction #3
Spent $1.96 OOP

Transaction #5
1 Act Restore Mouthwash, on sale $3.79, get $2 ECB back, used $1 MC and $2 ECB from Transaction #4
Spent $0.91 OOP

If I had been thinking better, I would have saved the 2 cokes for the final transaction and used my final $2 ECB and saved a bit more. Oh well, I'll use it later.

I had some other items on my list but they were out of them and then I forgot to get a raincheck!

Also, I looked at the Aveeno deal - spend $25 get $10 ECB's but I wouldn't use the facial skin care so I was only looking at the sunscreens. Seemed like a good deal - just over $4 each with coupons & ecb's, but the bottles were only 3 oz. So, ounce per ounce, there are other brands that would be less and still quality brands. For example, Banana Boat was on sale for $6.99 and it was an 8 oz bottle. I'm sure Walmart or Target would be even cheaper.

Today's savings - 3/21/2009

2009-03-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a very good day for shopping! I went to my favorite local store to get some lunch supplies and purchase some good deals. I spent $58.87 but I SAVED $73.81 and still have $2.49 coming back to me on a rebate! YIPPEE!

Here’s what I purchased and how I did it:

2 Lender’s Bagels – BOGO (Buy one, get one free) - $1.99

4 No Yolks Noodles – sale for $1.59, less manufacturer coupons: 1-$1.00, 3-$0.50 for a total of $3.86 ($0.96 per bag)

2 Light & Fluffy Egg Noodles – sale for $1.50 less manufacturer coupons: 2-$0.50 for a total of $2.00 ($1.00 per bag)

8 Knorr Pasta sides – BOGO for $1.59, less manufacturer coupons: 4-$0.75 off 2 for a total of $3.36 (0.42 per package)

1 Strawberries – on sale for $1.67, less store coupon for $1 - $0.67

1 Store brand cream cheese – $2.29 – no sale but cheaper than name brand even with coupons

8 Smart Balance Buttery Spread – BOGO for $3.09, less manufacturer coupons: 4-$1.00 off 2 for a total of $8.36 ($1.045 each)

4 Smart Balance ½ gallon milk – FREE!!! Used for manufacturer coupons that gave the milk free when you purchase Smart Balance Buttery Spread.

1 Over the Moon ½ gallon chocolate milk - $3.49, less manufacturer coupon of $1.00. Also have a rebate for the remaining $2.49, so this was also FREE

6 South Beach Living Granola Bars/100 Cal bars – on sale for $3.00 each, less manufacturer coupons: 6-$1.50 off ($1.50 each)

1 Mini seedless watermelon – on sale for $2.99 less $1 store coupon

1 French’s Worcestershire sauce – on sale for $1.50, less manufacturer coupon: $0.50 - $1 total

2 Sweet Onions – no sale but $1 store coupon - $0.69 total

1 Folger’s Decaf singles - $4.49 – no coupon or sale but hubby was desperate! J

1 Canteloupe – sale for $1.50

4 Campbells soup – sale for 4 for $5, less manufacturer coupon: 2-$0.40/2 – total of $4.20 ($1.05 per can)

1 lb lunch meat - $6.05

1 package fresh green beans

Total before sales & coupons: $132.18
After: $58.87

56% savings

Not bad for an area with no double coupons!

Saving on Phone bills

2009-02-06T19:05:00.001-08:00

When was the last time you checked with your phone company to be sure you were getting the best deals? We have our service combined with cell phone and internet service for one of the bundling discounts. However, it just seemed like we were paying so much! I called to find out what they could do to help reduce the costs. With their new "packages" I was able to lower my phone bill by $8 a month and get faster internet service and completely free long distance. They won't contact you to let you know about new plans though. You have to call them every few months and see what they are offering.

Free to join, Free to advertise, and GET PAID!!

2008-08-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about Zenzuu? Zenzuu is an amazing new site that is a social networking site similar to MySpace or Facebook. BUT, instead of the site owners keeping all the advertising revenues for themselves, they are going to pay 80% of it to their ACTIVE members! What does Active mean? It's simple...just sign up and then login to your account at least 30 times per calendar month. That's it. Want to make more? GREAT! Tell others about it and once you have at least 2 active people you've referred to the site, they'll pay you for their activity also - down to 9 levels deep (with a potential for a bonus match on the 10th level! It's a phenomenal compensation structure and I'm very excited about the potential for this company.

And, it's 100% FREE to join - will never cost you anything. Have a home based business? Terrific! As a member you can advertise it for free on the local, national or global directory. Take advantage of their VIP Travel Club for free as well! Tons of benefits with nothing to lose. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and a minute per login.

Go to www.zenzuu.com/renitaperrone and click on "sign up under me" and get started today!

Energy Saving Tips

2008-08-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

What energy saving tips can you share with our group?

What ever you have please share even if it seems obvious, sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics.

Grocery Store Savings

2008-08-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am not going to say a great deal about this subject on my blog because I am currently in the process of writing a book on it, and I'd rather you buy my book! :) But, I wanted to share the highlights of my shopping spree today!

My local grocery store has Nature Valley Granola Bars on sale BOGO (buy one, get one free). I grabbed six boxes. I had five coupons for $1 off one box. The regular price is $2.89. So, after the sale and coupons, I spent $3.67 for all 6 boxes, or $0.61 each! PLUS I also had coupons for a free box of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks when you purchase 2 boxes of Nature Valley Granola Bar. But that's not all. Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks were also on sale for BOGO. I had 3 coupons for the free box, so I picked up 6 boxes of fruit snacks. The coupons were good for a value of up to $2.60 and the fruit snacks cost $2.75, so I did pay $0.45 for all 6 boxes, or less than 8 cents per box. That's a deal you can't pass up!

There were quite a few other sales and deals as well. My grand total before coupons and sales would have been $118.65 but I only spent $51.26. I had a store coupon for $5 off $50 and a couple of other good store coupons. And, this was a mystery shop so I'll get $17 back from that, making my out of pocket total only $34.26

Now...does that make you want to learn more? If so, I will be posting on here when my book is available.

Saving on Electricity

2008-08-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Call your electric company to see if they offer any programs to help you save. Ours has an "on call" program that saves us about $5 a month. Your mileage may vary depending on how many appliances can be added to the program. Some companies offer programs to help you get your home better insulated, more efficient, etc.
Turn down the temperature on your water heater. If you have young children you should do this anyway so your children can't accidently scald themselves. (see my post on Water Heaters for additional tips).
Turn off lights when you're not in the room
Turn off ceiling fans when you are not in the room
Turn your computer off when not in use (this is a big one!)
Unplug appliances not in use that use "phantom power" - such as your TV. Even though your TV is off, there is a little bit of current there that is waiting for you to use your remote
Turn off printers, speakers, monitors, scanners, etc. You can purchase a electrical strip called a "Smart Strip" that will recognize when your computer shuts off and will automatically cut power to all peripheral equipment.

Grocery Savings with Meal Planning

2008-08-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Before grocery shopping, get the sales flyer and plan your week's meals around whatever meat is on sale. Create a recipe/box file and sort the recipes by main ingredient. So, the next time that variety of meat is on sale, you can go to your recipe box and pull several recipes that can be made around that variety of meat. Obviously you'll want to keep adding to that file so you don't get bored with the same thing all the time, but at least it gives you a place to start. I also keep a handy "shopping list" of regularly used ingredients so I can watch for sales on those items and stock up when they go on sale. If you have freezer space available, you may want to consider buying large quantities of meat - like purchasing 1/2 a beef - and you can save money that way. Unfortunately that is not an option for me, but I do remember my parents doing that when I was growing up.

Water Heaters

2008-08-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

One of the highest electrical costs is heating water for your water heater. One way to help cut costs is to shut your water heater off during the day while you are gone or purchase a timer for it.

If you live in a cold climate and your water heater is in the garage, you can purchase a specially made water heater blanket. Check your manufacturer specifications to make sure you get the right size, but this will help insulate your water heater to keep it from reducing temperatures more than desired.

When replacing your water heater, you may want to consider a tankless water heater. From what I've read about them so far, they only use energy when you actually want hot water. And they will produce hot water continuously on demand.

Laundry Saving Tips

2008-08-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'll start off with some savings techniques on something we ALL have to do...laundry!

Always do full loads.
Hang clothes on a line to dry if possible. (I realize a lot of homeowners developments forbid clothes lines, but check into it.).
You can also reduce the amount of detergent you use and your clothes will still be clean. Keep in mind who sets the recommended amount to use – the people who make the product. They want you to buy more!
For Color Bleach, consider using good old-fashioned Borax instead of these high-priced color bleach products.
Fabric Softener: Cut/tear Dryer sheets in half or even fourths. It works just as well. If you prefer liquid, reduce the amount needed. Also, buy the concentrated formulas otherwise you are paying for the water they add.
Another option for saving is to make your own laundry detergent. I've used it in the past and it's worked fine for me. I will say I haven't used it recently because I've been getting All Small & Mighty on sale with coupons for less than $2 per bottle. But, if you would like the "recipe", just let me know and I'll be happy to post it.

Introduction

2008-08-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hello frugal friends! Welcome to my blog!

My frugal living journey began just over 8 years ago when I was preparing to get married. My then-fiance and I had tons of debt and not enough money! Can you relate? lol Anyway, we began by first setting up a budget and doing our best to stick to it. As soon as we got married, we worked really hard at paying down our debts. And, it's a good thing we did because four months later, we found out we were expecting our first child. We both knew that having me stay home with our child was what we wanted. Over the years I have diligently sought out ways to save money and earn money while staying at home. Our oldest child is now 7 and I have been homeschooling her for the past 2 years. This year I'll also begin homeschooling our 4 year old. It has been a wonderful & challenging journey and I hope to share money saving techniques with you, and hope you have some others to share with me!

So, again, thanks for visiting and come back often!