Thursday, April 29, 2010

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

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With the warmer weather coming, I think a lot about sitting outside and reading. Books are pretty pricey though. I get most of mine through paperback swap, book mooch, used book sections at stores like Hastings, yard sales and the library, but I also like to win books. Actually I love it. I love it so much that I have several places to suggest to you for awesome book giveaways.

West of Mars -- Win a Book! is one of my favorites. It is a blog that lists giveaways for other blogs. When I hold book giveaways at my own blog, West of Mars is my first stop.

Another favorite is Camy Tang's blog Camy's Loft. She is an incredible Christian fiction writer, and her blog is a great read with a book giveaway here and there.

I've mentioned this one before, but it bears repeating. For great reviews and giveaways of amazing Christian books, you must stop at author Lena Nelson Dooley's blog, A Christian Writer's World. She has incredible author interviews and great giveaways. It is a wonderful way to learn about the writing process and discover a new author or two.

Trish Perry is one of my favorite Christian authors and bloggers. She also introduces readers to wonderful Christian authors at her blog Reading, Writing, and the Stuff In-Between. One of the cool things about her blog is if you are on her mailing list you are automatically entered into her giveaways, but you get more chances by commenting on her blog.

Twitter for deals. More and more companies are joining the Twitter phenom. It pays to join along as well. I follow lots of my favorite companies, because I like to see what is new and because they often post some great deals, freebies and contests. If you haven't joined Twitter yet, you might want to check it out. I was thrilled yesterday when I checked out the Kroger tweets and found out that several blogs are giving away $20 and $40 giveaways!

I think it is important to know what you are buying. I don't strictly buy organic produce, but I do want to buy produce that is safe. This is why I was interested in reading about GMOs. GMO stands for genetically altered organism. Many foods are now being made with GMOs and there is very little known about the long-term effects consuming these products. www.nongmoshoppingguide.com has lots of great information and a free shopping guide to help you become more aware of what you are purchasing.

Two tips for avoiding GMOs:

1. Purchase organic products
2. Purchase items with NON-GMO labels

The NonGMOShopping Guide has lots of information and there is even an app for your iPhone. ShopNoGMO. I know this isn't exactly a thrifty tip, but eating healthy is definitely a wise decision that can positively effect your financial future.

LINK UP: Non GMO Shopping Guide


If you are a Bank of America customer, take advantage of the Museums on Us promotion. On the first full weekend of every month, each cardholder gets a free general admission to over 100 museums nationwide. In Arizona those museums are the Phoenix Art Museum, the Phoenix Zoo, and the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. Follow the link below for details.

LINK: Museums on Us - Bank of America

Back when I first started doing thrifty tips, I mentioned one of my favorite sites $5 Dollar Dinners. Well, that blogger has come a long way. She has a wonderful cookbook and keeps bringing some interesting inexpensive recipes to the table. Now she has some awesome printable planners for organizing right on her site. My favorite is the Grocery Shopping List with Meal Planner and Expense tracking. Check out her site and all the printable planner sheets at the link below.

LINK: $5 Dinners


I clip a lot of coupons, and I use what I clip. I swap what I don't use, but I will still end up with expired coupons. I found out that military commissaries will accept coupons that are expired. Some up to six months! Check out Grocerysavingtips.com for a list of military base addresses and details on how you can help out these military families who quite often are really living on a very tight budget.

LINK: Grocery Saving Tips Military List


I love P&G's samples. It is so nice getting a whole box full rather than just one at a time. There is a new link up where you can get samples through Sam's Club (and you do not have to be a member of Sam's to do this). The samples include: Pantene, Cascade, Tide, Bounce, and Prilosec OTC. This is a great sample lot that you are going to want to get in on. Follow the link below:

LINK UP: P&G Samples

Hobby Lobby has a great coupon code or printable coupon for 40% off one item. If you are shopping online use the code 5989. This coupon or code expires 5/1/2010. Print it by following the link below:

LINK: Hobby Lobby Coupon

Right now you can watch the first episode of Planet Earth for free on Amazon.com. This is absolutely beautiful.

LINK: Planet Earth


Free CCM's music download this week is Mark Harris "I Will See Jesus."

LINK: Mark Harris

iTickets.com has a free download of "Born Again" by the Newsboys.

LINK: Newsboys

Jack in the Box has a coupon out right now for a free Deli Trio Grilled Sandwich with any purchase. Follow the link below.

LINK: Deli Trio Grilled Sandwich

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