• You can use multiple 20% off coupons with one order.
• If you don’t have a coupon with you, you can return later with a coupon and your receipt,  they will happily do a price adjustment with NO time limit!  (If the items you purchased were pricey it may be worth a return trip)

P.S. I posed this tip on Facebook and someone said they don’t even care if the coupon is expired! (I’ll have to try that and see how it goes)

Enjoy the savings!

Great Coupon Policy

Bonus: No more wasting water either – to speed things up I use to run the tap water until it got hot and I don’t do that any more.

Enjoy the savings!

If you would rather watch than read click here.

All these items end up in auctions held by various states, local law enforcement agencies, airlines and storage services.  Many of these agencies or departments have websites or partner with sites that run auctions daily.

Most of these auctions sites have bids starting as low as $1.00 and if interest is low on a particular item, you could walk off with a high-end item at a ridiculously low price.  Most of these sites offer free memberships or trial period memberships.  By doing a little research, you will discover a treasure trove of sites offering great items at little to no cost.

I stumbled upon some great auction sites that offer a wide range of merchandise, properties and bulk auctions that are worth checking out.  Again, you must be a registered member in order to bid on items from these sites.

PropertyRoom.com  This site offers items from police departments who are unable to return items to their rightful owners.  Many are unique items from police and sheriff departments across the U.S.

PublicSurplus.com  They have items from many public agencies such as schools and office buildings.  Office furniture, school supplies and sporting goods to name a few.

Seizedacquisitions.com This site is a full service private auction company that contracts, sells and conducts internet auctions.  They acquire their merchandise from various agencies such as business liquidations and estates.  Their auctions include jewelry, fine art, oriental and persian rugs and collectibles such as vintage items.

Are you in the market for an antique Coca Cola Santa?

Policeauctions.com  This site offers items either seized or abandoned and their inventory is quite extensive.   How about a 1969 Jaguar for $100?

GovernmentAuctions.org This site offers a free trial period and I’m not sure what full membership costs.  They offer everything from find jewelry to cars, computers and foreclosures.  Many items are either seized, surplus or abandoned.

Tip: Before bidding on any items, you might want to check places like pricegrabber.com to see what items are going for.  Never get carried away in auctions, you could end out paying more than an item is worth.

Warning: Remember to factor in shipping charges.  If you win an item, you will have to pay for shipping, so if you are bidding on a large, possibly heavy item you might have a rather hefty shipping charge.

Shop around, you might just be the luckiest person on your block!

If you would rather watch than read click her to watch .  (it’s me on ABC Good Morning Kern County)

With summer in full swing, this is the season for all those wonderful fruits reaching their plump, ripened stage and ready for picking.

Not only are fruits a great source of vitamins and healthy snacking, you can share them with friends and neighbors or donated to those in need.

With the blazing heat of summer surrounding us, fruit offers a cool, refreshing alternative for meals and snacks alike.  After picking a variety of fruits, it’s quite easy to prepare these little delights for freezing and enjoying all year long.

Freezing:

Wash, dry and cut into wedges or small pieces.  Take the pieces and place them on a rimmed baking sheet, covered in wax paper and freeze.  Then transfer into either a large freezer bag or into smaller, one-serving bags.  Your supply of fruits could easily last 6 to 8 months.  Grapes are a wonderful snacking fruit, while plums work wonderfully in your daily smoothies.

Juicing:

Wash and dry, then squeeze the fruits for their juices.  Freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then place the cubes in a large freezer bag.  Juicing is great for lemons, limes and grapefruits, as they all work so well in recipes as well as drinks. You have never experienced perfect lemon aide until you have used real lemons!

A Great Summer Project: Pick and Share:

Take advantage of this season by starting a community project to help the homeless and needy.

Getting your kids involved in projects that will benefit others is good for the soul and keeps them from sleeping all day long!  Your teens can gather their friends together and find places where they are allowed to pick fruits and even berries to their hearts’ content. Not only will they become extremely productive, but will have a great time as well.

After they’ve spent the day picking fruits, they can pack up their bounty and deliver them to homeless shelters or food banks.  Your kids might realize how very fortunate they are and how wonderful it feels to help others.

They might just learn something quite valuable, understanding how much they have to be thankful for.  They might stop taking for granted, food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Waste Is Not Necessary:

So many times I’ve seen luscious fruit trees bearing wonderful bounties, with so many of their fruits lying on the ground rotting.  Sometimes neighbors have fruit trees but do not have the ability or interest in harvesting the fruits!  Ask them if you and your family could be allowed to pick the fruits to donate to others less fortunate.  You might be quite surprised that your neighbor never thought about it until now and thinks it’s a great idea.

There are so many wonderful things you can do with fruits, the list is almost endless.  Used in fruit salads for a cool evening meal, served on your kids cereal, loaded over ice cream or indulging in a sumptuous smoothie.

Summer is a time to unwind, relax and enjoy both the rays of the sun and the shade from abundant, old trees.  While neighbors, friends and family are enjoying the splendors of summer, what a perfect time to reach out to others, with a labor of love, and say — We Care!  It might just prove to be a summer worth remembering.

If you would rather watch than read click here.  It’s the money saving segment I did last week on ABC Good Morning Kern County.

With summer in full swing, Hollywood is rolling out their summer blockbusters and many folks will be hitting the theaters.  If you love going to the movies, I bet you would love to save money on the ever increasing costs for tickets.  I have some great tips and ideas that could save you money and might even put some cash back into your pocket.

At the box office: 

⁃    Be a matinee early bird – Not only will you save money but you will avoid the crowds by going to movies in the morning.  Check with your local theaters to find out when their matinees run, as they vary from theater to theater.  You can, on average, save up to $3.00 on an adult ticket.

⁃    Regal 9 Week Specials – Moviegoers of all ages can get great discounts on films during their 9-week Summer Movie Express Summer Movie Express festival.  Regal Cinemas offers selected G or PG rated movies for only One Dollar on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings at 10:00 AM.

⁃    Ask About Discounts -   Many theaters offer great discounts to seniors, children, students and members of the military.  Check at the box office, as many times these discounts are not advertised and be sure and have proper identification.  You can save, on average $3 off of an adult ticket.

Memberships Pay Off:

⁃    AAA Discounts -  If you are a member of AAA you can get some great deals on movie tickets. Also, if you visit  their website at AAA.com, you will discover many other events and outings at great discounts as well .

⁃    Buy Through Costco -   Not only can you buy everything in bulk, but you can also buy movie tickets at a reduced price.  Head over and find out what they have to offer. AMC Theater tickets can be picked up through their warehouses or on  their website Costco.com.

Online Opportunities:

⁃    Socializing Pays – Facebook offers free coupons for drinks and popcorn simply by “liking” theaters on their site.  The AMC movie chain often releases movie coupons on Facebook as well.  If you are not a regular on Facebook, it’s time to start looking around for these great deals.

Additional Tips:

⁃    Sign up for rewards – It’s  usually free to join and you earn rewards for going to the movies.  You earn credits for free movies, popcorn, soft drinks and much more. Even if you don’t sign up for rewards make sure you check out a theaters website for additional discounts and specials.

⁃    Use your card – Don’t pay in cash, use your credit or debit card.  Most banks offer reward programs that put money into your account simply by using your card.  It might not be a whole lot, but it’s money in the bank!

⁃    Pass on the Concessions -  Eat before you go to the theater to prevent hunger pangs.  If you feel you need a snack, get something that can be shared and buy drinks that offer free refills.

With theaters flaunting their summer hits, this is the ideal time to start looking around for great savings.  You will be pleasantly surprised how a few dollars here and there can put money back in your pocket.

If you would rather watch than read…click here – 23 ABC  

Plan First Shop Later

Find knowledgeable people – I am by no means a green thumb so when it came time to makeover an area in my front yard I struck up a conversation with some friends.  I never knew they knew so much about plants and gardening.  I also found expert advice at the home improvement store and on the Internet.

Things to consider when planning:

It’s vital to look at the growing conditions of your yard- match plants to the area and consider:

• Sunlight – Plants do better and live longer when planted in the correct sunlight.
• Water – Consider how hard it will be to get water to the area, instead of installing new sprinklers can you run easy to install drip lines.
• Size – Make sure you know how large or small the plants will get over time.  You want to avoid planting a large plant in a small space it will eventually outgrow.

Stretch your Dollar

I’m ashamed to admit this but before my recent yard makeover I never knew the difference between annual and perennial flowers.  What I learned was that annuals only last a year (makes sense) while perennial flowers last 2 years or more.

• Start with seeds – Some annuals are self-seeding – California Poppies for example are self-seeding and will come back each year without you having to replant.
• Buy perennial flowers – These flowers last 2 or more years, which means you will save time and money year over year.
• Divided plants –  I loved the fact that my friends recognized several Agapanthus in my yard and suggested we divided them  and replant them.  This reduced the number of plants I had to buy for the area.
• Start with smaller plants – Consider purchasing smaller plants or stubs, maybe a 3 gallon instead of 5 gallon.  The smaller plants will catch up by the end of summer.
• Shop other areas of your home – For example to finish off the courtyard we were working on we needed some stepping-stones.  So before we headed off the store (again) we decided to shop in the backyard first.  We saved ourselves another trip to the store and money by simply repurposing some rocks we already had.

Save Your Receipts

I’m 3 weeks into enjoying my new front yard however 2 of the shrubs we planted look like they are dying.  Thank goodness I saved my receipt because Home Depot has a great return policy.  I called the customer service line and found out that as long as I have my receipt and return the plant (I don’t even have to have the original tub it came in) they will refund my money or replace the plant.

• Buy at the right place – check out the return policy
• Save receipts most major home improvement retailers allow returns within 12 months

So this spring instead of spending money on a 2-night weekend getaway a weekend use the money to create an oasis you can enjoy all year long.

If you would rather watch than read…click here ABC Good Morning Kern County

Mother’s Day is this Sunday so before heading off to the florist or jeweler, take note of what moms really want:

Forty-eight percent of moms who participated in a survey for Ebates.com named a day at the spa as their number one gift choice. However, men mistakenly ranked spa day as number three on the list above jewelry and flowers.

What moms want most this Mother’s Day is some quiet time and spa-style relaxation. Making her feel pampered and special with a little R&R doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

1. Spa Day (48%)

• About $100 will get you a nice spa package, shop around on sites like Spafinder.com or if you have a Costco membership you can get a $100 SpaFinder certificate for $79.99 at Costco.com
• Premade baskets or kits are readily available for about $25 -

TIP: Include hand written note and offer to watch the kids

2. Flowers  (38%) Free to $15 & Up

• It’s spring and flowers are blooming everywhere, so check your yard first
• Big box stores like Costco offer good quality and low prices ($15)
• Local flower shops offer personalized service and speedy service
• There is still time to order online from websites like ProFlowers.com.  Onlines sites offer a solid selection, good quality and value (some even offer guarantees) If you see a box that asks for a promo code remember how easy it is to find one – simply open another browser window and search for ”promo code or coupon code” for the site you are shopping on copy, paste and enjoy the savigs.

Tip: 
Pick her favorite color or flower

3. Jewelry  -  (36%)

• Find a jeweler you can trust (ask family and friends for reference)
• Get guarantees in writing, certificates of value
• Look for a good return/exchange policy
• TIP: Find out what she wants first -Silver is in……

Cards –

• Free – paper, pen or crayons
• Hand made – say something specific
• That she made a difference in your life or kids lives
• That she has taught you something….

Moms give out so much of themselves, their lives can be hectic and stressful so a little R & R goes a long way. More than anything mothers simply want to be remembered, appreciated and acknowledged. And if you are a mom it’s oaky to ask for what you really want….Happy Mother’s Day.

You might not know this about me but I was a Future Farmers of America member in high school.   Being a member of FFA provided a lot for me as a teen and much of what I learned is still with me today.  I got my first loan for $600 from B of A in Shafter to purchase a lamb for my FFA project.   It is an honor to be able to provide todays FFA youth ways to put their career on the fast track this summer.

I still have my FFA jacket!

According to a National Retail Federation survey, 54% of Americans will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year.  Celebrating will likely mean spending money on food, drink, and the wearing of green.

Here are some tips to help you save a ‘pot of gold’ this St. Patrick’s Day.

Wearing of the green $3 Bucks:

• Green permanent marker
• Green clothing dye
• Green eyeliner
• Green spool of ribbon
• Green construction paper

Stencil, paint or tie dye an old white t-shirt, draw a green shamrock on your kids face with green eyeliner or shape some ribbon or construction paper into a luck charm.

Eating and Drinking Green for $3 Bucks

Food coloring:

• Green eggs and ham
• Mashed potatoes
• Pancakes
• Milk
• Beer

Find fun recipes at   www.allrecipes.com

Hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Party –

Find cheap beer by going to www.SaveOnBrew.com

Going Out

Find good deals at www.UrbanSpoon.com

Enjoy the savings!