Freebies Roundup

It’s that time again for every frugal persons’ favorite things, freebies!

• Crest 3D Whitestrips
• Olay 7 Effects
• FREE Honey Walnut Shrimp @ Panda Express (3/10 Only)
• Lever 2000
• Huggies Snug and Dry Diapers
• Kashi

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

The Battle: Rite Aid (Frugal Husband) vs CVS (Frugal Wife)

My wife and I have had a friendly competition since I’ve taken over the Rite Aid deals this year.  On Saturday night we both sit down with our ads and computers, scouring the blogs for the deals of the week. We take our pen and calculators to come up with the best deals and we work tirelessly to spend as little as possible.  Since I’m such a math geek and keep track of everything, I decided to see who would win the match during February, the Frugal Husband doing Rite Aid Rebates or the Frugal Wife doing CVS ExtraCare Bucks.

The battle was intense as the deals were unpredictable and some were very hard to come up with. In the end, these were the February results:

Frugal Husband at Rite Aid:

Purchased $102.01 worth of products 
-$47.58 of Coupons
-$24.99 in rebates (manufacturer) 
-$23.00 in Single Check Rebates 
Grand Total spent: $6.44 (Savings of 93.6%)

Frugal Wife at CVS:

Purchased $70.22 of products
-$25.37 in coupons
-$37.98 in ExtraCare Bucks
Grand Total: $6.87 (Savings of 90%)

Winner: Both of us since we are married!  Teamwork does help and we did so well. Between the two of us we spent $13.31 for $172.23 worth of stuff.  That is a savings of 92% between the two of us!  And for those who wonder if we really use all of this stuff, we do.  We either use it ourselves or give it away, we never buy stuff that we will not use, who needs the extra clutter!

If you have any questions on doing Rite Aid or CVS deals, please leave a comment.

–Frugal Husband

Make Money Online – YouData Review

YouData

• Frugal Husbands Rating:
• Website: http://www.youdata.com
• How to join: Click here.
• Potential Earnings:$1-$3 a month

Review:

YouData is not quite an online survey company, but rather another way to make a few dollars on the internet. If you’ve ever taken that saying, "a penny saved is a penny earned," this company is for you.  Once you become a member, you get paid for looking at ads. Basically you will get a set of ads (websites) to visit and they will pay you for clicking the link.  I average about $1-$2 for about 5 minutes worth of time.  They will tell you how much they pay for each site you visit, and you choose which ones to visit.  The one thing that I like about this site is that they will pay you weekly via PayPal!  When you sign up, they will not ask for all your personal information, but in order to verify your account, they do ask to send you a text message. I was a bit weary of this but I tried it and it was really simple to do.  I would have given this site a higher ranking if they paid out more., but they pay quickly which is a major plus.

CVS 2/28 to 3/6

My Transaction:
1 Schick Quattro Refills – $8.99
1 Softsoap Serums – $4.99
1 Powerbar Energy – $1.50
1 Chicken Broth – $0.25 (clearance)

Coupons Used:
1 – $4.00 off Schick
1 – $0.75 off Softsoap
$10.98 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $18.66
TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.36 ($0.00 plus $1.36 tax!)
EXTRA BUCKS EANRED: $8.50

–Frugal Wife

Hot Freebies Roundup

Here are few hot freebies that are available now:

• South Beach S’mores Bar
• Olay Total Effects Body Wash
• Bounce 4 in 1 (You do not need to be a member of Sam’s Club, just leave the member number blank).
• Arm & Hammer Shaker (Be quick, first 5,500 people).
• Recipe book from Sun-Maid

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

Rite Aid – 2/26-3/5

My last Rite Aid transaction for the month of February was pretty good. There are a lot of cheap items ($0.99) this week along with many rebates. Here is what I got this week:

1 Satin Shave Gel  – $1.99
1 Suave Shampoo – $1.99
1 Listerine Pocket Paks – $1.99
1 Efferdent – $5.99
2 Kotex – $0.99 each
Total (Before coupons & Rebates) = $27.49

-$3 off $15 Rite Aid Coupon
-$0.50 off Satin Shave Gel
-$0.55 off Efferdent
-$0.55 off Listerine PocketPaks
-$1.50 off 2 Kotex
Total Paid (Before Rebates) = $11.39

Single Check Rebates: $10 ($1 Suave, $1 Satin Shave, $3 Listerine, $5 Efferdent)
Grand Total  = $1.39!!!

You may be wondering as I was, what  is “Efferdent.” It’s a cleanser for dentures and retainers. Since I have no need for either of these, I was hesitaant on purchasing this product.  Then, when I was searching some blogs, I found a link for some wacky uses of Efferdent. Check it out here!

–Frugal Husband

Swag Bucks Promotional Code for New Users

Swagbucks.com is celebrating their 2nd Birthday today and to celebrate that, they are introduction a new Swag Bucks 3.0.  If you have never heard of Swagbucks, let me explain how it works. Swag Bucks is a search engine where when you search the web, you earn Swag Bucks (usually 1-3 Swag Bucks). There are other ways to earn Swag Bucks such as installing a toolbar, Swag Bucks blog, Twitter and Facebook.  You can redeem your Swag Bucks for prizes, my favorites are Amazon and Starbuck gift cards.

If you have not yet joined Swag Bucks, there is no better time than today. Swag Bucks provided me a promotional code for new users beginning today. They will give you 6 Swag Bucks if you use the following code when you sign up:

CODE:  ROGERSCODE1

The code is case sensitive and is good up until Thursday March 4th at 6 a.m. You can sign up here. I think you will like using Swag Bucks, it is very easy to use and they are very quick on delivering the prizes.  I also am told that you will see many new changes and new ways to win Swag Bucks with the version 3.0 coming out today!

–Frugal Husband

Buy large drink, get a FREE Grilled Sandwich at Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box is running a decent promotion today on their new grilled sandwiches. Today only, if you buy a large drink they will give you a FREE grilled sandwich. There is no coupon necessary for this deal.  I figure that a large drink probably costs between $1.99-$2.49 so it’s a pretty good deal.

–Frugal Husband

FREE Pretzel at Auntie Anne’s – Saturday

Tomorrow, February 20th is FREE Pretzel day at Auntie Anne’s. You can receive a FREE original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel between 10-3 p.m. I’m not sure I’m going to go to the mall just for a free pretzel, but I’m very tempted!

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

Ing Direct – Orange Savings $25 Bonus

Watch Your Savings Grow.

Earn a variable 1.20% Annual Percentage Yield (effective 02/04/2010). Open an Orange Savings Account today.

The Orange Savings Account

• High Interest, No Fees, No Minimums – All your money goes to work for you.
• No Changing Banks – It electronically links to your current checking account. Transfers are free and easy.
• FDIC Insured – Your deposits are FDIC–insured up to $250,000 per depositor.
• Quick Application – Start saving in less than 5 minutes. Giddyup.

Ing Direct is still offering a $25 bonus for new customers who open a Orange Savings Account with at least $250.  That’s a 10% profit just to open the account! I’ve had one of these Orange Savings accounts for the last 6 years and like Ing Direct.  There accounts do not have any minimums or fees and they have good customer service. If you would like to open an account and earn this bonus, just E-mail me and let me know you’re interested. I can then send you a link to get this bonus. You have to use a referral link in order to receive the bonus. I have plenty of referrals available, so please do not hesitate to ask.

–Frugal Husband

Repair or Re-Buy?

If you own one of these Swiffer WetJet’s, you will realize that they are not very frugal.  It costs about $20 to buy a starter kit, $5 for additional cleaning solution, and another $7 for cleaning pads.  These are not the most sturdy or long lasting machines, but they do work pretty good.   Recently we decided to splurge and we bought the Swiffer Cleaning Solution.  When my wife went to use the WetJet, it stopped working!  So we had two options, we either buy a new one for another $20 or the Frugal Husband tries to repair it.

I did a Google search to see if others had this same problem (somehow it was clogged), but I could not find a good answer. So I took a needle and tried to open the nozzle, with no success. I let it sit in the kitchen for a couple days thinking how to make this thing work again. I tried pressing the button, hoping that somehow the solution would push the clog through.  That made it worse, the solution was dripping everywhere!  Then I figured it out. I took out the solution bottle and and took the WetJet to the sink. I turned on very hot water and placed the WetJet upside down (nozzle side up), pressing the button and having the hot water run through the nozzle, in the opposite direction.  In about 30 seconds, a small hard piece flew right out! Viola, the WetJet has been repaired and we saved $20.

Here’s a bonus tip to save on the cleaning solution. You do not need to spend $5 every time for new solution, you can refill the same bottle.  You will notice that you cannot unscrew the cap that easily.  It’s because there are little grooves underneath the cap that prevent you from opening it.  To open it, heat up some water on the stove. When the water is boiling, place the bottle top in the water for about 10-15 seconds. Then the cap will come right off. Then grab some nail clippers and clip the grooves. Then refill with whatever (cheaper) solution you like!

We also found that you find generic cleaning pads at the dollar store. Sure, they do not have Velcro, but a little tape and they stick right on!

–Frugal Husband

CVS 2/14 to 2/20

My Transaction:
1 Aussie Gel – $2.99
1 Colgate Toothpaste – $2.99
2 Crest Pro Health Mouthwash – $3.50 each
1 Raisinets – $0.99

Coupons Used:
1 – $1.00 off Aussie
1 – $0.75 off Colgate
2 – $2.00 off Crest Mouthwash

TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $20.94
TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.49 ($0.22 plus $1.27 tax)
EXTRA BUCKS EANRED: $11.00

Happy Valentine’s Day, CVS! I really do love you!

–Frugal Wife

Friday Freebies Roundup

It’s about time for everyone’s favorite, a new freebies roundup. I hope you enjoy this new list:

• Fekkai Glossing Cream
• Prilosec Heartburn Medication
• Benefiber Orange
• CitraClear Dishwasher Softener
• Excedrin (up to $5.99 coupon in mail)-I heard that you should click any box but Excedrin.
• Emergen-C

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

CVS 2/7 to 2/13

My Transaction:
1 Gillette Fusion Gamer – $8.99
2 Reach Total Care Floss – $3.99 each
2 Herbal Essences Gels – $2.88 each
1 Trident Layers – $0.99

Coupons Used:
1 – $4.00 off Gillette Fusion
1 – Buy1Get1 Free Reach Total Care ($3.99 off)
1 – Buy1Get1 Free Herbal Essences Styler ($2.88 off)
1 – $0.75 Trident Layers
$12.00 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $29.94
TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $2.32 ($0.10 plus $2.22 tax
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $8.00

The gamer came in a bonus pack with a free small size shaving gel! It’s always great to look at the end caps of the aisles for these type of special sets. We originally picked up a regular package of the razor but then found the special pack when we were walking around the store. I really do enjoy saving money at CVS, especially when we get EXACTLY what we needed at the right time (like the gel this week!)

–Frugal Wife

An Easy Deal for Rite Aid Newbie’s – $1.50 Moneymaker!

Do you know what the terms $5/25, RP, SS, or VV mean? If not, then you are definitely a Rite Aid newbie!  If you have never joined the Rite Aid bandwagon and enjoyed the Frugal Life, this week is the week to begin.  You can go to Rite Aid this week and do your first transaction, and end up making $1.50.  First, you have to join the Rite Aid Rebate program here.  Next, you need to print out a Dove coupon for $1.50 here.  Now you are ready to go to Rite Aid. You can purchase the Dove Men + Care Body wash (brand new product line) for $4.00. Use the $1.50 coupon, making your transaction $2.50 plus tax.  Then you submit your receipt and Rite Aid will send you a rebate check for $4.00, making it a $1.50 moneymaker minus a little tax! 

Now that wasn’t too hard, was it!  And for those who do not know, RP and SS are names of the coupon packets in the Sunday papers (Red Plum and Smart Source). VV stands for Rite Aid Video Values, which are coupons Rite Aid will give you for watching short advertisements.

–Frugal Husband

The Frugal HRA/HSA Account

HRA…HSA….it’s the new popular thing in health care these days.  Without getting into too many of the tax details, these accounts can provide great savings.  For those who do not know these terms, HRA stands for Health Reimbursement Account while HSA stands for Health Savings Account.  What is the difference?  The simplest answer is that an HRA is FREE money the EMPLOYER pays on your behalf and the HSA is YOUR money that you set aside tax free to be used for health expenses.

My wife has an HSA and I was blessed with an HRA account. We both have debit cards with money on them, my employer gave me a set amount for FREE for the year and my wife sets aside money each paycheck to fund her account.  My frugal mind kicked in and I thought, how can I stretch the money they gave me even further.  Even though my money is FREE, I"m going to make FREE even better. What’s better than FREE? Making FREE go further. How? The light bulb started to get brighter and brighter…Rite Aid!

Since these accounts can only be used for Health related items, you have to be careful. But my deal went like this.

• Health items at Rite Aid – $32.93
• Coupons used – $15.00
• Total – $17.93
• Rite Aid Rebates – $8.99

So my HRA account gets deducted $17.93 (FREE money anyway) and I get a rebate from Rite Aid for $8.99.  I can then roll this money and use for other Health Care Costs.  Therefore I turned my $17.93 transaction into $26.92 worth of health expenses!

Another example is that I recently bought contacts. I used a 10% discount code to get them cheaper but I also receive a $25 rebate! If you add that to the $8.99 back from Rite Aid, I’ve been able to take the initial HRA balance and stretch it to $33.99!  See FREE can get better!  My goal is to stretch my HRA account by at least $100 by the end of the year.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment.

–Frugal Husband

CVS 1/31 to 2/6

2 Dove Men’s Body Wash – $5.49 each

Coupons Used:
1 – $1.25 off Dove
1 – $1.00 off Dove
$8.00 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.70 ($0.73 plus $0.97 tax)
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $10.25
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $10.98

Updated Birthday Freebies

In the last couple of days I received another birthday giveaway that was worthy to share.  If you become an Acapulco “Fiesta Amigo” they will give you a FREE entree for your birthday. Plus for signing up, you’ll get FREE guacamole.

To update the Starbucks deal, I received a postcard in the mail for any FREE drink.  Here’s a FREE tip.  My wife celebrated her birthday last month and never received the postcard. On her birthday she went to Starbucks and told them, and they gave her the FREE drink. It never hurts to ask!

–Frugal Husband

Rite Aid Deals 1/30-2/6

I found another great Rite Aid deal this month.  It took a little extra work this week as the first Rite Aid I went to was out of a few of the items. The good thing about living in a big city is that I have about 5 Rite Aids within a 30 minute distance.  The second Rite Aid had every item I needed, I actually bought the last of a couple of the items! Here’s what I got:

3 Aero 3 Air Cell Soles – $5.00 each 
2 Chex Mix – $0.99 each
2 Biore Pore Strips – $8.29 (B1G1 FREE) 
1 Colgate Toothpaste
Total (Before coupons & Rebates) = $30.33

-$5 off $25 Rite Aid Coupon
-$6.00 off Aero 3 Soles (3 coupons @ $2.00 each)
-$1.00 off Chex Mix (2 coupons @ $0.50 each)
-$1.00 off Chex Mix (Rite Aid Video coupon)
-$2.00 off Biore (2 coupons @ $1.00 each)
-$1.00 off Colgate 
Total Paid (Before Rebates) = $14.33

Single Check Rebates: $12 ($10.00 for Soles and $2.00 for Colgate)
Grand Total  = $2.33!!!

–Frugal Husband

A Frugal Birthday

Although I have tried to skip my birthday this year so that I will not turn another year older, the inevitable day is coming up next week.  In the midst of this I found a bright side to birthdays. Sure, everyone loves the traditional gifts that people give them.  But as I checked my e-mail, I received about a half a dozen promotional deals just for my birthday. Who would have known that so many companies knew it was my birthday!  Actually, over the year I would sign up for many club-emails and I would put my birthdate, not realizing that they would care enough to remind me I’m getting older.   So I thought I would share a list of promotional birthday deals that are out there. Some are good, some are not so good.  Most of them last for at least a week after your birthday, others are only good on your birthday. So get ready for your frugal birthday (I’m providing links to sign up for these offers):

• Rubios Beach club is giving me a FREE meal up to $7.00 (FREE is great!)
• Ben & Jerry’s Chunk mail is giving me a FREE single scoop (plus a FREE scoop for signing up)
• Starbucks is giving me a FREE drink (you need to register your card and it’s only good on your birthday)
• Chili’s E-mail Club is giving me a FREE dessert with any meal
• Soup Plantation Club Veg is giving me a Buy 1 Get 1 Free meal
• Mim’s E-Club is giving me $10 off a $20 bill (You also get a Bug 1 Get 1 Free meal when you sign up)
• Pick Up Stix Dragon Club is giving me a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Wok Combo
• Coco’s E-Club is giving me a FREE desert (You also get a FREE dessert for signing up)

That is about it for now. If I receive any more in the next few days, I’ll add to the post. So far I’m going to start off my day with a FREE Starbucks coffee, then head to Rubio’s for a FREE Lunch, then to Ben and Jerry’s for a FREE scoop of ice cream. Now if I can just find a FREE dinner, I will have a totally FREE birthday!

–Frugal Husband

Freebies Roundup

It’s that time again, freebies! There are not amazing freebies out there right now, but these are decent.

• Cream of Wheat
• Gold Balm Hand Lotion
• Atkins Bars (3 for FREE)
• ConAgra Coupon Booklet ($17 worth of coupons)
• Betty Crocker Coupon Booklet ($10 worth of coupons)
• FREE Sticky pads

–Frugal Husband

CVS 1/17 to 1/23

There are a handful of decent deals going on at CVS this week. I am a little confused, however, that 2 of the items I picked up with listed to be on sale in this week’s ad but also had stickers on them that stated ECBs started on 1/3/10. Does anyone know if CVS is changing the way they do their deals?

My Transaction:
2 Oust Air/Surface Sanitizers – $3.99 Each
1 Twin Pack Clorox Wipes – $4.99
1 6-Pack Soy Joy Bars – $6.00

Coupons Used:
1 –B1G1Free Oust – $3.99
$14.49 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.75 ($0.49 plus tax)
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $19.97
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $13.00

–Frugal Wife

Too Frugal to get ripped off!

I bet none of you have any gone to a mechanic and thought to yourself, “I wonder if he is telling me the truth!”  I have not always found good mechanics and when I do find one, I try and stick with them.  Unfortunately, two months ago I had transmission problems and had to go to a transmission shop.  That began a two month ordeal in which I learned many lessons.

I was having trouble with a loud roaring noise in reverse. My mechanic told me to go to a transmission shop. The first one told me to rebuild the transmission after only looking at the car for 5 minutes. I then decided to go to Aamco.  As we test drove the car together, he heard the noise and also found another noise in the front.  After leaving my car there for two days, he told me he would have to rebuild the transmission and it would cost $2,100 (after a $100 coupon of course). I left my car there for about 5 days and he called and said the car was done.

After driving the car for about 3 miles, I test drove it in reverse. To my horror, I heard the same noise in reverse. I took it back there and he said to leave it with him over the weekend. After the weekend, I called him and he said it was fixed, no more noise. He dropped the car off at my work. I drove it at lunch and guess what, same noise! 

I was upset as I paid $2,100 and my car was in the same condition as before!  This mechanic lied over and over to me. I debated over what to do (dispute with credit card or small claims court).  I remembered that there was a sign on the door that said he belonged to the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I contacted them and long story short, that led to the owner personally calling me. I met with him and we test drove the car and he admitted the noise, but said they were not at fault. I told him I was lied to and I demanded 50% of my money back. I thought it was fair since they did rebuild the transmission.  After another few weeks, he gave in and agreed to refund my money.  I got a refund on my credit card for $1,050.43!!!

I’m too frugal to get ripped off. So here are the lessons I learned:

1. Complain with integrity.  Check the BBB and go that route.  They will contact the owner if it is an independent shop. If it is a national chain, go through their website and you will most likely get escalated to a regional manager who can help. The last resort would be too go to your credit card or small claims court.

2. Be patient. It takes time but do not give up if you believe you were wronged. It took me two months to resolve this matter.

3. Be kind and bold.  Do not accept being lied to, but you do not need to be a jerk. Yelling, getting angry, etc will not get you anywhere but make you look like a fool.  I was always cordial but I made sure the truth was known.

4. Check out reviews. You can search reviews on Google or Ripoffreport.com.  If I would have checked Ripoffreport I would have found out the terrible track record Aamco gets.  I will never go or recommend Aamco ever again. My shop was in Pasadena, CA.

5. Knowledge is power. I admit it, I have to learn more about cars. It is true, knowledge is power and in the mechanic world, the less you know, the easier you will get ripped off.

It was sure worth the effort, only took two months and about two dozen phone calls! It sure feels good to get my money back and to move on from this.

–Frugal Husband

FREE Krispy Kreme (Jan 16-Southern California)

I got this in my e-mail today. For all our Southern California readers, enjoy the FREE doughnut!

Come celebrate our 10 sweet years in Southern California. Visit one of our stores on January 16, 2010 and receive one free doughnut of your choosing all day long! Participating locations include:

•    4760 Los Coyotes Diagnol in Long Beach
•    1199 W. Artesia Boulevard in Gardena
•    4034 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles
•    4485 Mills Circle in Ontario
•    330 City Drive South in Orange
•    1548 Azusa Avenue in City of Industry
•    1521 North Victory Place in Burbank
•    4180 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego
•    25802 El Paseo Avenue in Mission Viejo
•    1231 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica
•    2305 Otay Lakes Road Suite 206 in Chula Vista

–Frugal Husband

A Rite Aid Scare!

Last weekend my wife and I took a much needed weekend vacation.  When we left on Saturday morning, I found a 24-hour Rite Aid so that I could stop in and do a quick deal (I’m addicted!). There were three free items after rebate and I had my $20 Savings check to use. I left with a few bags of stuff and they actually paid me $1.76. I had used the $20 certificate which made my total negative. Instead of purchasing another product, they just gave me the cash.  I was elated at the great deal I got.

BUT…………………….

I placed the Rite Aid receipt in my jacket pocket. We left for our vacation and over the weekend I accumulated a wad of receipts.  When we got home I gave my jacket to my wife and asked her to wash it.  She took all the clothes downstairs and about an hour later, I had a horrifying thought. I realized that I forgot all the receipts in my pocket and I had not submitted my rebates!!! I had a total of $9.99 in rebates.  I was sad at the thought that I ruined a good deal.  I was able to get the jacket before it went in the dryer and I pulled out a stack of wet receipts that curled up in a ball. I left it on the ground and thought all was lost.  A day later when the receipts had dried, I untangled them and was able to put together the Rite Aid receipt (see above).  Fading in the receipt was the transaction number and I was able to find the store number on their website. I input the receipt and it worked! Whew…what a scare.

Lesson to be learned….washing Rite Aid receipts before you input them for Rebates is not a wise idea! lol

–Frugal Husband