Roundup: Smart Money Advice, Free Events, And Hot Deals – JULY 25

by breitval | July 25, 2018 | Deals

Here are this week’s top deals, freebies, money-making opportunities, and advice for being wise with your money and creating your best life. This post may contain affiliate links.

Hot Deals

BOGO at Starbucks!

On Thursday, July 26, you can treat a friend to a free Espresso Beverage during their Happy Hour – 3:00 pm to close – if you sign up for the Starbucks Happy Hour here.

PSSST! You can sign up to receive a free drink on your birthday plus other special discounts and deals if you sign up for Starbucks Rewards.

If you read my recent post about things to stop buying when you’re trying to get out of debt, you know I broke down the numbers and interest to show just how expensive a Starbucks coffee habit is. Using freebies, BOGO deals, and special discounts for loyal rewards members is a way you can have your coffee and save some money too.

Free Dino Slime at Michaels!

Michaels is offering a FREE Dino Slime Event on Saturday, August 4th. Simply head to your nearest Michaels store from 1-3 PM with kids ages 3 and up. All supplies will be provided by Michaels and no registration is required. Sounds like a Fun and Free activity for the kids this summer!

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited FREE For One Month

Have you tried Amazon FreeTime yet? You can get unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps and games. There’s a parent dashboard where you can set time limits, goals, and view your child’s activity. Start Your 1 Month FreeTime Trial and try it for 30 days. You can cancel anytime during your free month and not be charged anything. If you like the service and want to continue, it’s $2.99 per month for Amazon Prime members (or $4.99 per month for non-prime members).

Blendtec TB-621-20 Blender for Just $179.95

I absolutely love my blender (it’s a Vitamix and it’s a key tool for getting my kids to eat loads of veggies every day). But it’s pricey and it took me a while to save up and pull the trigger to buy one. I’ve heard that the Blendtec blender is really good as well. While the Vitamix is a 5-star blender, the Blendtec is 4 stars. If you’re considering, now’s a great time to buy because it’s a Deal of the Day on Amazon. You can get it for $179.95 shipped if you’re an Amazon Prime member, lower than I found it anywhere else.

Coupon for $10 Off $50 at Big Lots!

If you have food or household goods to buy at BIG LOTS! you can use this coupon to save $10 off a purchase of $50 or more July 22-July 27.

Buy One, Take One Meal at Olive Garden Is Back

For a limited time, you can enjoy one meal at Olive Garden with endless soup or salad and breadsticks. Plus, take a second entree home for free! Yes, that means you can have Shrimp Scampi and Fettuccine Alfredo too! 😉 Here are the meals at Olive Garden that qualify for this BOTO offer.

96 Of The World’s Best Pencils for $9.96 on Amazon

The Ticonderoga #2 Pencils are super highly rated pencils less than $10 right now on Amazon. Educator rant…as someone who worked in a school, good pencils and pens are worth it. I know it’s hard to pay extra when there’s a cheaper option (trust me, I really do get it). But here’s what happens with super cheap pencils: they disappear after being sharpened once or twice, the lead breaks every other minute, or the eraser leaves black smears all over your child’s homework. It’s a waste of money. Frustrating for the kid. Frustrating for the teacher. No bueno. These pencils are less than 10¢ a piece and with almost 100 of them, the pack will last a long time.

Kids Headphones Just $8.49

I see parents on Facebook who love their kids’ headphones, especially for traveling. Right now Amazon has the cute AILIHEN Headphones in mint color for $8.49 if you use the promo code NCXG24LD at checkout. Usually, these are $17 per pair.

Saucony Ride 10 Running Shoes for $54.97

The Deal of the Week at JackRabbit is Saucony running shoes. This is one of my favorite brands of running shoes and $55 is a great price for these shoes that are regularly $120. This deal is good on both men’s and women’s, so check it out quick before they run out of your size! (There’s 4% cash back with Ebates too!)

Instant Pot Just $49 Shipped at Walmart

If you’ve been on the fence about an instant pot or decided you’re going to buy it as a Christmas gift for someone, you can head on over to Walmart.com and order this 6 Quart Instant Pot 6-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker for just $49 (Regularly $79). It has Free 2-day shipping as well.

Don’t forget to use Ebates to get cash back on your Walmart purchases (check out my Ebates Review to see how easy it is to save money while shopping.)

FREE Baby Moccasins by Little Natural (Just Pay Shipping)

Get these cute little baby moccs made with soft vegan leather for “free.”  Shipping for me was $7.95, but it may vary depending on where you are located. They offered me a “free gift” of a topknot, but my shipping was more expensive (like $10) with that added on. They come in lots of colors and 3 different sizes.

Work at Home Job Hiring Now

Privia Health is hiring Customer Experience Specialist – This position is full-time and completely remote. High school diploma is required and working hours are between 8am – 6pm.

KellyConnect is hiring Chat Reps – Paid Training is $12-14 per hour / Earning Potential is $15-17 per hour – Eligible for $750 in Bonuses after 90 days. High school diploma required.

Check out more positions at The Penny Horder work-from-home portal.

Smart Money Roundup: Noteworthy Posts, Videos, & Podcasts

1) The Lessons We Teach Kids About Money Really Do Matter – on The Millennial Money Man. The impact he had as a teacher (even as a band director teaching kids about personal finance basics) is incredible. If you’re a parent or teacher and not sure the kids EVER listen to what you’re saying…read this letter from Bobby’s former student.

2) 5 Money Hacks That Have Saved Me Over $4.1 Million Dollars by Jeff Rose at Good Financial Cents (video). Of course, I was intrigued by how to save not 1 but 4 million dollars. There’s definitely more I could be doing to use our money wisely to build wealth and his ideas are spot on while being humorous at the same time.

3) I’m getting rid of one thing every day for the next 30 days – wanna join me? By J. MONEY on Budgets are $exy. He’s sharing his journey on a path toward minimalism by chucking/donating at least one thing every day. As someone who loves getting rid of stuff (yet I always feel like there’s more to get rid of), I appreciate this and got even more ideas of places to declutter from his list.

4) Money & Happiness: The Psychology of Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Goals on 20 Something Finance. An interesting take on the type of money goals that actually lead to a more satisfied, healthy, and happy life versus the money goals that aren’t correlated with more happiness.

5) Do You Really Have What It Takes to Succeed at Working From Home? on The Penny Hoarder

Use this money wisdom to create your best life. As blogger Paula says,

“You can afford anything–but not everything.”

Let your light shine this week,

Weekly Hot Deals & Posts – JULY 21

by breitval | July 21, 2018 | Deals

Here’s a list of this week’s hottest deals and freebies online and in store that were simply too good not to pass on.

You’ll also include a recent work-at-home position that’s hiring (requires no college education) and some of the best money advice in posts, videos, and podcast episodes from this past week. This post may contain affiliate links.

Hot Deals

EXTRA 15% OFF FOR TEACHERS AT TARGET: JULY 15-21

Hey Teachers, need another reason to love Target? How about saving an extra 15% off classroom supplies!?

Starting on July 15, you can go to Target.com/TeacherPrep to verify your status as a teacher (it takes less than 30 seconds…#worthit)

All teachers nationwide are eligible, including:

• Preschool Teachers
• K-12 Teachers
• Homeschool Teachers
• College Professors

You will get a coupon for in store purchases and a one-time use coupon for an online purchase that’s good for saving an extra 15% select school supplies for the classroom. This sale is good July 15-21.

This special deal is to show teachers some love for all the out-of-pocket money they often spend going the extra mile for their students.

This teacher discount will be good on supplies such as:

• Writing Supplies (pens, pencils)
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Binders
• Arts & Crafts (markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, scissors)
• Storage & Organization
• Disinfecting Wipes
• Facial Tissue
• Hand Sanitizer
• Food Storage Bags

Plus, if you have the Target REDcard, you can get an extra 5% off. Just be sure to pay off the entire bill right away (or at the end of the month) so you’re not losing all that money you saved by paying interest.

FREE Baby Moccasins by Little Natural – Just Pay Shipping

Get these cute little baby moccs made with soft vegan leather for “free.”  Shipping for me was $7.95, but it may vary depending on where you are located. They offered me a “free gift” of a topknot, but my shipping was more expensive (like $10) with that added on. They come in lots of colors and 3 different sizes.

Size Guide

• US Size 1 | 11cm | 0-6 months
• US Size 2 | 12cm | 7-12 months
• US Size 3 | 13cm | 13-18 months

Back to School Clothes at The Children’s Place

Make your Back 2 School shopping a little easier with The Children’s Place, where everything is 60% off and you can get FREE shipping on any order–no minimum required.

BONUSES – New text subscribers can get a coupon for $10 off a $40 purchase by texting YES to 89700 or by signing up for their email list. And you’ll get $10 Place Cash for every $20 you spend through September 10, 2018.

Jeans As Low As $6.60

Get all basic denim is 60% off — many styles are only $6.60. This sale is on baby, toddler, and girls and boys’ denim.

T-Shirts As Low As $3.80

You can get girls’ t-shirts and boys’ t-shirts as low as $3.80 in their clearance section right now.

Dresses As Low As $4.99

Girls’ dresses are marked down as low as $4.99 (Regularly $16.95)

Swimwear As Low As $4.99

Both girls’ and boys’ swimwear is in the clearance section as low as $4.99. Replace your kids’ worn out suit or stock up for next summer while they’re on sale.

Backpacks at The Dollar General for $3.33

The Dollar General has a new coupon for $5 off $15 purchase of school supplies. If you need backpacks, you can get these High Trail Backpacks for just $3,33 if you use this coupon. The coupon is good until September 4, 2018. Plus, you get a 2-year warranty with these backpacks.

$5 + $5 + $5 = $15 – $5 coupon = $10 / 3 = $3.33 each

You can also get a combination of backpack & school supplies if you don’t need 3 backpacks. Scissors, crayons, glue, composition books, binders, folders, pens, and pencils are all $1 or less.

The beloved Ticonderoga Pencils are $2.75 at The DG through September 4, 2018.

La Colombe Latte Drink for $0.50 at Target

These latte drinks are on sale for $2,50 each at Target. Use the $1 off printable coupon from Mambo Sprouts and your $1 rebate from Ibotta to snag one for just 50 cents.

Freebies

Food Network Salad Dressing at Walmart – Free after $2.98 Ibotta rebate.

Your First Job: How to make a success of starting work and ensure your first year is the launch of a successful career – Enter for a free ebook copy on Goodreads

Lesson Planner – Download a free printable floral lesson planner 

Work at Home Job Hiring Now

Privia Health is hiring Customer Experience Specialist – This position is full-time and completely remote. High school diploma is required and working hours are between 8am – 6pm.

KellyConnect is hiring Chat Reps – Paid Training is $12-14 per hour / Earning Potential is $15-17 per hour – Eligible for $750 in Bonuses after 90 days. High school diploma required.

Check out more positions at The Penny Horder work-from-home portal.

Noteworthy Posts, Videos, & Podcasts

1) 9 Painless Things Moms Can Stop Buying To Get Out Of Debt – Yes, #2 alone can really save you $17,514 on Imperfectly Perfect Mama

2) Back to School Shopping Tips – Excellent back 2 school shopping tips on Confessions of Parenting

3) Getting a Loan to Buy a Pet is Ridiculous – Title says it all…by Making Sense of Cents

4) The Dos and Don’ts of Direct Sales – For anyone in direct sales and MLM business, follow these tips by Moms Make Cents

5) Don’t Buy Shoes, Buy Buildings – Made me rethink putting another pair of shoes in my shopping cart on the Her Money Podcast

6) How to Have a Marriage Without Money Problems– good advice for couples on handling money together on the Rachel Cruze Show.

7) High Paying Side Gigs – Great list of ways you can make $1,000 on the side by the College Investor

8) Why Pay Off Debt? – on The Millennial Money Man. It’s so hard to put into words how incredible it feels to pay off debt when you feel suffocated by it, but Bobby says it well.

9) Dear Penny, My Husband Doesn’t Care That His Student Loans Will Keep Us In Debt Forever – Good money advice for couples on The Penny Hoarder

10) Success Story Carrier Serres – Virtual Assitant Success Story on Horkey Handbook. How she started as a virtual assistant and now earns $2500-$3000 every month.

Cheers to making money simple with common cents 😉

Let your light shine this week,

Weekly Hot Deals & Posts – Week of July 9

by breitval | July 11, 2018 | Deals

Here’s a list of this week’s hottest deals and freebies online and in store that were simply too good not to pass on.

You’ll also include a recent work-at-home position that’s hiring (requires no college education) and some of the best money advice in posts, videos, and podcast episodes from this past week. This post may contain affiliate links.

Hot Deals

EXTRA 15% OFF FOR TEACHERS AT TARGET: JULY 15-21

Hey Teachers, need another reason to love Target? How about saving an extra 15% off classroom supplies!?

Starting on July 15, you can go to Target.com/TeacherPrep to verify your status as a teacher (it takes less than 30 seconds…#worthit)

All teachers nationwide are eligible, including:

• Preschool Teachers
• K-12 Teachers
• Homeschool Teachers
• College Professors

You will get a coupon for in store purchases and a one-time use coupon for an online purchase that’s good for saving an extra 15% select school supplies for the classroom. This sale is good July 15-21.

This special deal is to show teachers some love for all the out-of-pocket money they often spend going the extra mile for their students.

This teacher discount will be good on supplies such as:

• Writing Supplies (pens, pencils)
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Binders
• Arts & Crafts (markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, scissors)
• Storage & Organization
• Disinfecting Wipes
• Facial Tissue
• Hand Sanitizer
• Food Storage Bags

Plus, if you have the Target REDcard, you can get an extra 5% off. Just be sure to pay off the entire bill right away (or at the end of the month) so you’re not losing all that money you saved by paying interest.

EXPO Low-Odor Dry Erase Markers – 71% OFF!

Get this Set of 36 EXPO Dry Erase Markers for Only $16.61 – Regularly $56.85! I know more and more school supply lists have EXPO Markers on them, and teachers love having fresh markers that work for their classroom. At this price, you can stock up for your classroom or your child’s classroom without breaking the bank.

3 MONTHS OF AUDIBLE FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! 

If you’ve been thinking about trying Audible but not wanting to spend the money, now might be the time to try it while saving a ton of money. For new subscribers only, you can get 3 months of Amazon’s audiobook service for only $4.95 per month! – Regularly $14.95 per month! This is only good through July 17.

3 MONTHS JUST $2.99 -UNLIMITED KIDS’ MOVIES, TV SHOWS, BOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS

Your family can get Unlimited FreeTime from Amazon of kids’ books, movies, TV, audiobooks, and music for just $2.99! – Regularly $29.99! This offer is good through July 17.

5-PIECE CHARACTER BACKPACK SET – JUST $14.99 SHIPPED!

Macy’s has Kids Character Backpack Sets on sale for less than $15 shipped! -Regularly $35! Most sets include a backpack, cinch bag, pencil case, lunch bag, water bottle. There are lots of character options, including PAW PATROL, FROZEN, AVENGERS, PJ MASKS, PRINCESSES, CAMO PRINT, MINNIE MOUSE, MICKEY MOUSE, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG AND MORE

4 Free Custom Photo Bookmarks at Walgreens – Pick up in Store through July 11 with promo code PICYOURMARK 

Build-A-Bear Workshop – PAY YOUR AGE for ANY FURRY FRIEND (minimum $1) – First time ever! You must be a Bonus Club member or sign up to be one to take advantage of this deal. Limit 1 per child. More details here. July 12, 2018 only.

Back to School Price Sheet – Hip2Save has a cheat sheet so you know what a good price is for school supplies…and when you might want to hold off and wait for a better deal.

School Uniforms at Target – Starting at just $5 (Polos – $5, Pants – $10, Shoes – $12 Through July 14

Collapsible Wagon at Costco – Only $49.99 shipped (all comparable wagons on Amazon are $79.99 – $100+) and these have incredible reviews

Essential Oil Diffuser – Just $8.99 when you apply code HEQITELR for $6 off

Southwest Airlines – 1-way Flights as Low as $47!  These are SO much lower than the flights I purchased last month!  Valid through July 20, 2018.

Work at Home Job Hiring Now

KellyConnect is hiring Chat Reps – Paid Training is $12-14 per hour / Earning Potential is $15-17 per hour – Eligible for $750 in Bonuses after 90 days. High school diploma required.

Noteworthy Posts, Videos, & Podcasts

HUGE List of Free Homeschool Resources – Everything from early learning to science to character building is covered in this gigantic list on Money Saving Mom

How to Save Money on School Lunches – Things you can think about to plan for and prepare so school lunches to take such a big hit on your wallet on Confessions of Parenting

5 Goals You Definitely Can Achieve, Even While Drowning In Student Loan Debt – Stop saying “I can’t” and #LiveYourBestLife on Financial Best Life

How I Made $100,324 in June 2018 Blogging – A detailed income report by Michelle who shows a killer answer to the question “how do you make money with a blog?” by Making Sense of Cents

How to Invest $500 – You can start taking advantage of compound interest even if you only have a few hundred dollars with these apps and tips by Good Financial Cents

75 (Mostly) FREE Things to Do With Kids This Weekend – Geocaching, camping in the backyard, science experiences and lots more ideas for summer fun by Debt Free Forties

How Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh Could Affect Your Wallet – From college admissions to how we as consumers are treated by banks could be affected on Student Loan Hero

How a Family of 4 Can See Italy for $1,000 or Less – As someone with a family of 4 and a bucket list goal to see Italy, this one caught my attention on Wise Bread

Why Everyone Should Start an Online Business – The debut podcast episode of Laptop Empires with Bobby Hoyt & Mike Yanda

How to Love Budgeting This Summer – At ~17:30 she shows how to make a budget with a newly married couple right out of college. I love this step-by-step video on the Rachel Cruze Show.

How To Get The Best Deals on Amazon Prime Day 2018 – July 16 & 17

Brandless Review – Where to Find the Healthiest Foods for the Best Price

Let your light shine this week,