Guest Post: Frugal Savings For Mommy w/ An iPhone

Guest Post by Garage Sale Tracker

Frugal Savings For Mommy with an iPhone

Since apple has released the iPhone it has absolutely revolutionized the way we have lived and found bargains. Being very frugal it’s easy to find the best frugal apps out there that offer the best savings and can guide me in the right direction to find the best deals. As a parent it is essential to save money on every little child expense possible and shopping for kids whether its at toys R us or disney world; well they want everything they see and money is no object to a little one.

So every weekend I am ecstatic to have the Garage Sales Tracker iPhone app which is allowing me to find all the local consignment shops, flea markets, and yard sales all at the palm of my hand! These sales let me purchase those expensive items, toys, dolls, action figures and more for pennies on the dollar because the sellers just want to get rid of their old items so I can benefit.


The reason why rummage sales are so beneficial when hunting for bargains and trying to maintain a frugal lifestyle is that in many cases it’s an opportunity to purchase items that are almost brand new at bargain basement prices. Furniture, clothes, jewelry, rare antiques, and just about anything you can really think of is available at a weekend treasure hunt and with the help of the internet you can now search for those items listed above before you part out on your mission to find deals.

A Few Coupons & a FREEbie

• Mambo Sprouts organic food printable coupons here.
• Get printable coupons emailed right to you from CouponSurfer.
  

Store Coupons:

• BabyGanics 20% off Anything from May 24-28 using code: THANKYOU20.
• Shutterfly 40% off Any Size Photo Book using code: SWEET40. Good through May 26th.
• JoAnn Fabric 40% off Any Regular Priced Item printable coupon or use code: EED145. Good through TOMORROW!
• Kodak Gallery B1G1(50%) using code: HALFOFFGIFT. Good through June 3rd.
• Boogie Wipes are 50% off at Walgreens.com this month. Offer ends May 31st.
  

• FREE Greeting Card from SmileBox.

My Savings This Week!

I made it to Walgreens, Target, CVS and Kmart this week. I bought $178.97 worth of 70 items for $78.59. Plus, I have $32.99 in store money to use later! Everything in red is FREE.
Target Transaction:

• 3 Swiffer Refills $4.31 each.
• 2 Finish Quantumatic $5 each.
• Romeo & Juliet DVD $7.50.
• 4 Lay's Kettle Chips $2.99 each.
• 4 Archer Farms Italian Soda $1.54 each (store clearance).
• 4 Vitamin Water $1 each.
• Belly Bar $7.99.
• 2 Kleenex Hand Towels $2.99 each.
• Dixie Cups $2.54.
• BiC Pencils $.99.
• Tag Jr Book $9.99.
• Tag Book $7.99

The transaction went as follows:

• Used (2) $3 MFG for Finish.
• Used (2) B1G1 MFG for Lays.
• Used (2) $1/2 MFG for Vitamin Water.
• Used $4 TC for Belly Bar.
• Used $3/1 MFG for Belly Bar.
• Used (2) $1 TC for Kleenex.
• Used (2) $1/1 MFG for Kleenex.
• Used $1/1 MFG for BiC.
• Used (2) $3 TC for Tag.
• Used (2) $5/1 MFG for Tag.
• Total before coupons was $88.03-41.98 in coupons=$46.05+$2.95 in tax=$49. I will receive $10 back for buying 5 Swiffer items (2 last week and 3 now). This makes it $49-6=$43 for 25 items!

CVS Transaction:

• 3 Carefree Pantiliners $1 each.
• 4 Bayer Aspirin $1 each.
• 2 CVS Adhesive Tape $1 each.
• CVS Hospital Pads $.70.
• 2 Crest Pro Whitening Toothpaste $3.50 each.
• 10 Bumble Bee Tuna $.49 each.
• Kotex U $4.99.
• Schick Hydro 5 Razor $8.99.
• 3 Clearasil Facial Cleansing Pads $.55 each.
• Clearasil Ultimate $1.05.
• Depends $6.99 (raincheck from last week)
• 2 J&J Reach Floss $1.99 each.
• CVS Conditioner $.99.

The transaction went as follows:

• Used (3) $1/1 MFG for Carefree.
• Used (4) $1/1 MFG for Bayer.
• Used $1/2 CVSC for Adhesive Tape.
• Used $.75/1 MFG for Crest.
• Used $1/5 MFG for Tuna.
• Used $1/1 MFG for Kotex.
• Used $5/1 MFG for Razor.
• Used $2/1 MFG for Depends.
• Used (2) $1/1 MFG for Floss.
• Used $1/1 CVSC for Conditioner.
• Used $5 & $6 ECB from previous transactions.
• Total before coupons was $50.24-32.74 in coupons=$17.50+1.31 in tax=$18.81 for 32 items! I received a $7 ECB for Depends, $7 ECB for Crest, $4.99 ECB for Kotex, $4 ECB for Schick, $4 ECB for J&J Reach Floss.

Walgreens Transaction 1:

• EOS Shave Cream $2.99.
• 2 Skippy Peanut Butter $1.50 each.

The transaction went as follows:

• Used $1/2 MFG for Skippy.
• Used $1 RR from previous transactions.
• Total before coupons $5.99-2 in coupons=$3+.22=$3.22 for 3 items! I received a $3 RR to use later.

Walgreens Transaction 2:

• EOS Shave Cream $2.99.

The transaction went as follows:

• Used $2/1 RR from previous transactions.
• Total before ocupons was $2.99-2 in RR=$.99+.07 in tax = $1.06 for 1 item! I received a $3 RR to use later.

Kmart Transaction:

• 2 Infusium Products $5.99 + $3.24 (clearance item).
• Physician's Formula Mascara $10.49.
• 2 Cinnamon Toast Crunch $2 each.
• 2 Cocoa Puffs $2 each.
• 2 Cookie Crisp $2 each.

The transaction went as follows:

• Used (2) $3/1 MFG for Infusium.
• Used (3) $1.50/2 MFG for Cereal (cashier only took of 2, I probably won't do anything since they gave me more than off $1.37 more for the Infusium).
• Store manager gave me $4.61 because the B1G1 didn't work for the clearance item.
• Total before $31.72-10.37 in coupons=$21.35+1.64 in tax=$22.99. I will receive $10.49 back for Physician's Formula. This makes it $22.99-10.49=$12.50 for 9 items!

FREE 8x10 Collage Print at Walgreens

Now through Saturday, May 8th, Walgreens Photo is offering a FREE 8x10 Collage Print if you use the code: GOODTHOUGHTS. You can design and order it online through Saturday and go pick it up anytime.

McNeil Product Recalls

If you have a little one, you may want to check your medicine cabinet or supply box and see if the NDC #s match the recall ones. Check out the details at McNeil's website here. They are recalling most children's medications. I know I have some, check to see if you do and be sure not to give anymore to your kids!

Pillsbury Cookbook Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Congrats to the 4 of you who requested these, you all get one!

Today I had a Pillsbury Celebrating Spring Party at my house for my friends and family. I had some recipe/coupon booklets left over that I thought I would offer as a giveaway to you, my faithful readers.

This cookbook is really 2 cookbooks in 1, Pizza w/ Pizzaz & Crescents! There are also 3 pages of coupons to make it even better! If you are interested in winning one of these great cookbooks, follow the instructions below:

• You must be a subscriber/follower of Mom On A Mission 2008.
• Leave a comment below with your favorite Pillsbury item.

Extra Entries: Leave a seperate comment for each entry to count.

• Enter my other giveaway(s) - comment with which one
• Blog about this giveaway - comment with the link
• Like me on Facebook
• Share this giveaway on Facebook - comment with the link
• Fan me on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway - comment with the link
• Technorati Fav Me
• Add my button to your website

Giveaway ends 5/17/10. 5 winners will be chosen to win via Random.org. Good luck!

Awesome Bealls Online Deal!

Bealls currently has a sale for their Men's Relaxed Fit Jeans that are regularly $29 on sale for $9.99.
Use this code: FRIENDS and get 20% off.
Order it through Cashbaq here and get another 5% back. Plus, if you are new to Cashbaq (sign up here), you will get an additional $5 back!

$.31 Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins!

Just thought I would pass this along as a reminder to you. Hope you are able to take advantage of this deal!

Diabetes Guest Post

This is a Guest Post written by Kristina V. Ridley

Here’s a Quick Way to Prevent Diabetes Through Blood Glucose Test

Having diabetes means having your pancreas affected by Type 2 diabetes. Our blood stream contains glucose, which is converted sugar from what we eat. As soon as it’s in our blood cells, the insulin secreted by the pancreas makes it a sort-of fuel which our body utilizes. If you have Type 2 diabetes, it will be difficult for you to produce and use this insulin. Your body’s cells have a hard time looking for this glucose even if it’s all over your body.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition, and because of that the American Diabetes Association is always looking for information about it. With 23.6 million individuals living with diabetes, many have come to associate America with extreme unhealthiness.90% of these patients are suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and the issue of being overweight can be present in several members of a family. The nervous system and the internal organs might end up with irreparable damage if there is an overabundance of glucose in the body.

Life with Diabetes

The easiest and the most efficient way to treat your Type 2 diabetes is through healthy living practices on a daily basis. Among these practices include eating healthy and engaging in exercise. The healthy practices that you regularly do will have an enormous lasting and positive effect on you. To avoid health complications, many doctors have recommended that you ensure that the glucose levels in your body are within the appropriate range.

The blood glucose level in your body can easily be monitored simply by using the finger prick test. Such a test is as good as an HbA1c test when it comes to checking and tracking your glucose fluctuations. This HbA1c test is able to determine the levels of glycated hemoglobin in your body, as well as know if the glucose levels are on the high side. The average level which diabetics maintain, as per the A1c test results, are at seven percent. One can experience a 40% reduction in the possibility of developing risks if people simply ensure that their a1c levels are kept at seven percent.

An Iron Grip Control

If your a1c levels are below this seven percent mark, studies indicate that this could result into something bad. One particular study done in Lancet and Swedish Medical Center located in Seattle, showed that there is a higher death risk for people who use insulin regularly and those who have a1c median levels. On the contrary, there have been many tests that show that it is also healthy to keep your a1c levels at 7%. According to accredited endocrinologist Matt Davies, the seven percent maintaining level of a1c is all right; still, physicians need to consider their patient’s medical history even before they prescribe the treatment.

About the Author - Kristina V. Ridley writes on diabetes meters.org/ , her personal hobby blog focused on helping people get free information to prevent diabetes and test blood glucose at home.

How to Make a Chocolate Cake in a Coffee Mug!

Do you like cake and sometimes just don't want to take a half hour or more to make one? I know I do. Here is a great recipe for a chocolate cake that only takes 3 minutes and only dirties a coffee mug, measuring spoon and a fork!

Ingredients:

• Coffee Mug (Large mug makes less mess - Small mug may overflow and make a small mess in your microwave)
• 4 Tbsp of Flour
• 4 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Baking Cocoa (You can also use the same amount of dry pudding mix if you don't want chocolate.)
• 1 Egg
• 4 Tbsp Milk
• 3 Tbsp Oil (I use applesauce instead.)
• Small Splash of Vanilla

Instructions:

• Get any coffee mug of your choice.
• Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.
• Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
• Pour in the milk and oil (applesauce) and mix well.
• Add vanilla and mix again.
• Put mug in the microwave for 3 minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug.
• Allow to cool, then enjoy.

This was a great, yummy project for me and my 2 year old to do together. I added the ingredients and he stirred. He had so much fun watching it rise in the microwave and then of course there was a delicious end to it! As you can see, I used a large mug so it didn't fill the cup when it was done but it was plenty for the two of us!

Thanks to Jackie for passing this recipe along.

When you try this recipe, come back here and let me know what you thought of it!

Giveaway for Kids!

CONGRATULATIONS to Eshan for winning this giveaway.

Giveaway is CLOSED.

Hey kids out there, this giveaway is for you! A lot of giveaways are for mom or dad, this one is all you. Those of you that love Hannah Montana can enter for your chance to win a sheet of Hannah Montana Temporary Tatoos.

Here is all you have to do:

1. You need to be age 5 or older.
2. Make sure your parents are okay with you entering a giveaway.
3. Post a comment below and tell me what your favorite movie is. Be sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you win.

This giveaway ends 5/10/10.

FREE Yo Baby Coupons

If you have a Whole Foods near you, you may be in for a treat! On May 1st, bring a non-perishable food item in to your local Whole Foods and get a FREE coupon for Yo Baby Yogurt. Click here to see if there is a location near you participating. The location near me is not participating but I hope you can snag this awesome FREEbie!

Friday Follow!!!

If you are looking for new followers for your blog, be sure to enter the Friday Follow! Welcome to any new followers!

Free Frappes from McDonalds from 7am-11pm - no coupons needed on Friday! Aren't Fridays awesome?!

10 Little Things That Lead to a Happier, Healthier You!

Spring is definitely in the air! Do you feel it? I am so glad to have the warmer weather and sunshine! I have been stir crazy finding new things to do and making improvements on the house, working in the garden, etc. Spring is definitely a happy time for me.

With spring in mind, I have decided to participate in TwitterMom's 10 Little Things post. Below are my 10 Things That Lead to a Happier, Healthier You!

1. I enjoy going to church each week. What could be more happy or healthy than making sure your Spirit is in check!
2. I enjoy playing outside with my little guy. It makes me super happy to see him having a good time.
3. I enjoy walking the dogs. We all need the exercise. My dogs get lazy sometimes and walking keeps them going.
4. I enjoy sitting and reading a good book. This is a destresser for me. Nothing is more healthy than relieving some stress.
5. I enjoy hanging out with friends. This is another great way for me to destress.
6. I enjoy going to concerts. This is great exercise and makes me happy. Who doesn't enjoy to boogie every now and then?
7. I have a healthier home when I clean with natural products. I can really tell the difference using chemicals over natural things to clean.
8. I really enjoy fostering cats! It is so cool to take in the pregnant mommas and watch them prepare for labor and then watch the little ones grow. Makes me very happy!
9. I love to relax and snuggle up to a good movie. I will pop some natural popcorn and add a little seasoning salt and enjoy my healthy high-fiber snack!
10. I enjoy hiking and seeing new sights. There is just something about exploring new things that makes me happy. I love to see and do things I have never seen or done before. I usually get lots of exercise in the process which is very healthy!

Now it is your turn. What are 10 little things for you? Because you are my readers, TwitterMoms and Juicy Rewards have offered a FREE rewards code for you to use TWMOM-READR. This is worth 1 point. This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.

I wrote this blog while participating in the Twitter Mom's and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

$35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway!

Not only does April host Earth Day but it is also National Car Care and National Informed Women Month. It is very important to take proper care of our cars. How many of us really think about this on a daily basis? We definitely need to make for of a conscious effort to provide proper care for our cars. This will save us the headache of more things going wrong and it will extend the life of the car which is better for the environment and for our pocket books.

There is a website, Motor Oil Matters, that can help inform each of us about benefit of quality motor oil. There is an entertaining game called "M.O.M. Knows Best" which puts your motor mind to the test. Another site with helpful information is AskPatty.com.

Here are some fun facts:

• 54% of people who take their vehicles in for service or repairs are women.
• Using the right grade of high-quality motor oil can help maximize fuel economy.
• Using low quality oils can damage the vehicles engine over time and can possibly void warranties.
• High-quality motor oils like Pennzoil or Quaker State are designed to meet the demands of today's engines.

Jiffy Lube is one company that uses the high-quality motor oils such as Pennzoil and Quaker State. You can find a location near you here. On behalf of Jiffy Lube and MyBlogSpark, I have a $35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card to giveaway!

To Enter the Giveaway:

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Congratulations to huffychic for winning this giveaway.

• You must be a follower of Mom On A Mission 2008.
• You must visit the Motor Oil Matters website and comment with what you found most interesting. Please also leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

For extra entries:

•Enter my other giveaway(s). Leave a comment telling me you did this.
•Become a fan of Mom On A Mission 2008 on Facebook. Leave a comment with your username.
•Technorati Fav Mom On A Misison 2008. Leave a comment telling me you did this.
•Follow Mom On A Misison 2008 on Twitter.
•Become a follower of Mommy and Me, Naturally! Leave a comment telling me you did this.
•Tweet or post about this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment with the post link. You can do this up to 5 times a day. Leave seperate comments for each time.
•Add my button to your blog. Leave a comment telling me you did this.
•Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with the post link.

This giveaway ends 4/30/10. The winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.

Seventh Generation Cleaning Kit Review & Giveaway!

Little by little I have been converting things in my house to Eco-friendly items. Cleaners and chemicals are very important things to change in my opinion. Seventh Generation and MyBlogSpark gave me the chance to review some of their cleaning products. They worked great and the best part is that they are natural!

The day I received the cleaning set in the mail, my dog had a huge accident on the floor. I was able to use the Multipurpose cleaner and paper towels right off the bat. They worked really well. The cleaner has a very herbally smell so if you are a fan of that then it would be excellent for you.

Seventh Generation products are non-toxic, safe for the environment, free of indoor air pollutants and EPA registered. The paper towels are recycled, unbleached, and chemical free. I try to use rags at my house as much as possible but if I do get paper towels, I get the Eco-friendly versions and only if they are really cheap.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Congratulations to Rachel (mrs.manley @) for winning this giveaway.

In honor or Earth week and thanks to Seventh Generation and MyBlogSpark, I am hosting a giveaway for the cleaning kit seen above. Here are the requirements to enter the giveaway:

• You must be a follower of Mom On A Mission 2008.
• Leave a comment below with your email and tell me what you have done for the environment this year.

For extra entries:

• Enter my other giveaway(s). Leave a comment telling me you did this.
• Become a fan of Mom On A Mission 2008 on Facebook. Leave a comment with your username.
• Technorati Fav Mom On A Misison 2008. Leave a comment telling me you did this.
• Follow Mom On A Misison 2008 on Twitter.
• Become a follower of Mommy and Me, Naturally! Leave a comment telling me you did this.
• Tweet or post about this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment with the post link. You can do this up to 5 times a day. Leave seperate comments for each time.
• Add my button to your blog. Leave a comment telling me you did this.
• Blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with the post link.

Giveaway ends 4/26/10. Winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.

FREE Planet Earth Episode Downloads!

In honor of Earth Day, BBC Earth is offering FREE downloads of Planet Earth on iTunes from April 12th-26th. If you have HD or even just a SD television, you can experience the beauty of nature a whole new way. The FREE episode available for download is "Pole to Pole".

The series contains a total of 11 parts, each one just as spectacular as the last. It took over 4 years to produce and was filmed in 62 different countries. Planet Earth is one of the best selling HD programs on the market. Make sure you don't miss out on your FREE episode!

If you like the FREE episode and would like to download the rest, you can for the low cost of $1.99/episode or get a series pass for $20.99 for SD or $2.99/episode or a series pass for $31.99. What a great way to be able to enjoy nature on the go, right from your laptop!

Once you download it, be sure to let me know what you think of it. I would love to hear what your favorite parts are!

Egg-Cellent Contest Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Congratulations to Kim who voted for Egg #1 for winning this giveaway!

Any of you who were followers last year may remember me having this Egg-cellent competition! My family designs eggs in the hopes that you, my readers, will vote for their egg as the winning egg. It then gives that person bragging rights for the next year. Just something fun for us.

Not only is it fun for us but if you vote, you will get entered for a chance to win a $10 giftcard to Target.

If you make a donation to help Lillith (stray cat on the left sidebar) you will get 5 extra entries into the giveaway. Be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry.

CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO SEE CIRCULAR FULL VIEW OF THE ENTIRE EGG!

Egg #1: Beautify Nature
Egg #2: Grasstec
Egg #3: Swirly Love
Egg #4: Argh Mateys

Cast your votes by commenting below! Contest ends 4/22/10.

Angel Food Ministries April Menu!

Have you heard of Angel Food Ministeries? I just recently learned about it and its great deals on groceries. If you are interested in feeding a family of 4 for $30 for a week, check them out. This month they are offering:

• 1.5lb New York Strip Steaks (4) 6oz
• 1.5lb Pork Chops (4) 6oz
• 28oz Salisbury Steak & Gravy Dinner Entree
• 1lb Lean Ground Beef
• 1.5lb Fully Cooked Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks
• 1lb Smoked Turkey & Pork Sausage
• 1lb Frozen Carrots
• 1lb Corn
• 1lb French Cut Green Beans
• 1lb Rice
• 1lb Pasta
• 25oz Marinara Pasta Sauce
• 3lb Fresh Baking Potatoes
• 32oz 2% Shelf Stable Milk
• Dozen Eggs
• Desert

There are several other package options that you can choose from. Click image at the beginning of this post and it will take you to their website where you can see a full menu.

When you order, be sure to use the code: ZOOMFEEDBACK and you will get 10% off your total order! Don't forget that you have to order by April 12th to get this month's deals. The pick up date for your order will be April 24th at whatever the nearest location is to you!

Mail-In Rebates & Formula Checks Up for Grabs!

Here are some available Rebates or Formula coupons if anyone could use them. First to request them gets them. Leave a comment here as to what you want with your email address. 2 Renpure Organics Try Me FREE Mail-In Rebates. No Expiration. 1 TAKEN
$2 Enfamil Check - Expires 5/31/10. TAKEN
(2) $1 Enfamil Checks - 4/30/10. TAKEN

$11 Nestle Good Start Check - 4/15/10. TAKEN
$2 Nestle Good Start Check - 5/1/10. TAKEN
$1 Nestle Good Start Check - 4/15/10. TAKEN