I found this article online that contains codes for free Redbox rentals. I have not tried any of these yet, but I figured I would post them anyway. Some codes have been reported to only work at certain stores and in certain areas, but it doesn't hurt to try. If all else fails, sign up for email alerts on the Redbox website and they will send you two codes each month for a free, one night rental via text message.
DVDATWAG- works at Walgreen's
DVDATSONI- works at Sonic
Use at any kiosk
REDBOX
DVDONME
BREAKROOM
Instead of heading out for date night, sometimes we will grab a free movie rental from Redbox, then grab a $5 Hot 'n Ready pizza from Lil' Caesars on the way home from the Redbox kiosk for a whopping $5 date night!
** I saw some people bashing this post on Pinterest saying people need to quit being cheap and pay the dollar for their DVD rental. First of all, Redbox rentals now cost $1.20 each night (which adds up over time), and second, when you are broke every dollar counts. If you don't have the money to go out or have a social life and you get the opportunity to rent a movie for free, why the hell would you not take advantage of that? I mean, unl
ess those people want to pay for my movie rentals! Otherwise I think I'll take advantage of that coupon code, thanks! But hey, they don't call me Little Miss Cheapskate for nothing.
I have recently made a habit of checking online for free samples every morning before I head off to school. One of my favorite sites is www.yofreesamples.com. You can also find free samples on the Target website. I have gotten all kinds of great stuff like dryer sheets, coffee beans, cereal, granola bars, shampoo, contact lens solution, lip balm, and even K-cups! As an added bonus, most free samples come with coupons! Make sure to log on early though, the samples go pretty fast.
I don't know why I did not think of this before!!! To save money on laundry needs, cut your dryer sheets in half and only use on half of the sheet for a load of laundry. It has the same effect on your clothing and you get double the product for the same amount of money!!!
I love opening the windows on a breezy, spring day and cleaning house and nothing completes a clean home like a few spritzes of Fabreze. The problem is it is so pricey...even with a coupon! Here is a recipe for a cheaper version of Fabreze that will leave your home smelling fresh without breaking the bank. I absolutely love this stuff!
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teapsoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops of the essential oil of your choice (I love using tropical scents, vanilla, and lavender)
2 cups of hot water
Mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle and go to town! I re-used an empty Fabreze bottle for this, but you can find spray bottles at most dollar stores if you don't already have one on hand.
Call me a cheapskate but I think that Windex is way too overpriced, even with a coupon, and the generic brands just don't seem to cut it sometimes. I found this tutorial for homemade glass cleaner and I have to say I think it works just as good as Windex if not better. I made this and just put it in an empty Windex spray bottle I already had. If you don't have an empty spray bottle, you can find them at most dollar stores.
1 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2-3 drops of dish soap
That's it! Its super easy and works so well. On top of everything else, it only costs about $2 for the ingredients and you can almost always find a coupon for dish soap!
I found a tutorial online for DIY shaving lotion and I just had to try this out! Not only is this cheaper than buying shaving cream (you get so much more product for the same price), but it left my skin silky and soft. I also love the fact that the scent is completely customizable.
1 cup of conditioner
1 cup of shampoo
(I use Suave naturals because they're only $1.25 per bottle)
5 tablespoons of baby oil
5 tablespoons of lotion (I like using cocoa butter lotion)
Mix all the ingredients together with a rubber spoon and let the solution sit for one hour. After sitting, I put mine is a pump bottle I found at the dollar store. This would also be a great way to reuse some of those hand soap bottles. Either way, I definitely recommend using a pump bottle because this shaving lotion does have a thinner consistency.
** Be sure to check your paper for coupons!! I can almost always find coupons for Suave shampoo and conditioner, Johnson's baby oil, and nearly every possible brand of lotion, before I go to make a bottle of shaving lotion.
Entertainment Books are my absolute best friend!!! You pay $35 up front for the book but its totally worth it! You get coupons for intimate sit-down restaurants, fast food restaurants, online shopping, museums, clothing stores, shoe stores, craft stores, car washes, etc. We never go on a date night without our Entertainment Book! In the St. Louis area where we live, you can find things like The Old Spaghetti Factory, McDonald's, Rain Tunnel Express, Penn Station, Aeropostale, Famous Brand Shoes, Bed Bath & Beyond, Museum of Transportation, The Science Center, and so much more!!! I would definitely recommend you hop on the website and check out the deals in your town. The books totally pay for themselves! Sometimes you can even catch them on sale and get free shipping!
One thing I splurge on is my makeup and skincare. I used to work for a high end cosmetics company so I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to what I put on my face. For example, the moisturizer I use tends to cost $95 per jar. However, I do not pay that much for it! I wait until my favorite cosmetics counter has their bonus gift specials. Typically, you spend $35 and get a cosmetic bag, a travel size moisturizer, travel size serum, eye makeup remover, eyeshadow, mascara, and lip gloss. If you spend $60, you get all that plus a brush kit or a full-size body moisturizer. I usually buy my foundation, my powder, and my eye liner. This usually gets me to $60 and I then receive about $200 in free cosmetics. The travel sizes are a decent size and, because you use very little serum and moisturizer, they usually last me about 8-12 months. By then, two or three more gift cycles have passed so I'm pretty stocked up.
Our monthly grocery bill seems to be where we go over budget the most. We like to eat healthier, but healthy food is expensive. Most of the time we manage to buy healthier foods, but run out of both food and money before the month is over. The following is a list of cheap dinner ideas that are not completely bad for you. I will be adding more ideas as I find them. Please feel free to leave your own ideas under the comments column too!
1. Spaghetti: we do this really simple. Whole wheat spaghetti noodles, 1 jar of pasta sauce, and 1LB of ground beef)
2. Meatloaf: ground beef, 2 eggs, ketchup, seasoned bread crumbs- served with corn and mashed potatoes
3. Tomato soup and grilled cheese
4. Fried rice- brown rice, left over chicken or beef, frozen mixed veggies, low sodium soy sauce, vegetable oil)
5. Homemade chicken noodle soup: chicken broth, carrots, chicken, egg noodles, and potatoes- we serve it with garlic toast (a slice of whole wheat bread, butter, garlic salt, bake in the oven)
6. Chicken Pot Pie: Chicken breast pieces, cream of chicken soup, frozen mixed veggies, reduced fat crescent roll dough for the top)
7. Alfredo: whole wheat noodles, Ragu light Alfredo sauce, 1 bag of frozen broccoli (sometimes we will throw in leftover chicken)
8. Turkey Club Panini: whole wheat bread, turkey lunch meat, Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo- served with oven fries
9. Chili: ground beef, chili beans, chili seasoning, diced tomatoes and green chiles, and tomato juice- I make a huge pot as we will eat it for a couple nights in the form of chili cheese nachos, chili dogs, and chili mac
10. Broccoli Macaroni: one box of macaroni and cheese and 1 bag of frozen broccoli
11. Personal pizzas: pizza sauce, pepperoni, shredded cheese, bagels or English muffins
12. Homemade Veggie Soup: tomato juice, beef tips, frozen mixed veggies
13. Tacos- taco shells, ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa and/or sour cream
14. Baked Ziti- whole wheat noodles, spaghetti sauce, ground beef, shredded cheese
15. Stuffed Peppers- bell pepper, 1 can tomato sauce, taco seasoning, rice, shredded cheese- Thomas actually does not like peppers too much so I chop them up, saute them in a little olive oil, and mix all the ingredients into a casserole
16. Breakfast pizzas- whole wheat tortilla, scrambled eggs, diced ham or bacon, shredded cheese
17. Pepperoni rolls- crescent roll dough, pepperoni, shredded cheese, pizza sauce for dipping
18. BLT's: whole wheat bread, turkey bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo- serve with oven fries
19. Waffles, pancakes, or French Toast
20. Sloppy Joe's: ground beef, sloppy Joe sauce, hamburger buns or bagel thins- serve with oven fries
21. Green beans: Fresh green beans (when they're on sale) boiled with ham cubes and red potatoes- served with warm corn bread
22. Crescent dogs: hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough
23. Chicken Caesar salad: Hidden valley Caesar salad kit and leftover chicken
24. Spinach and Feta rolls: Crescent rolls, spinach, feta cheese (sometimes I'll add leftover chicken)
25. Taco salad: lettuce, beef or chicken, sour cream, salsa, baked tortilla chips
26. Mexican pizzas: flat breads, refried beans, sour cream, corn, salsa (sometimes leftover beef or chicken)
27. Lemon pepper baked chicken: chicken breasts and lemon pepper seasoning- served with steamed veggies
28. Ramen stir fry: leftover chicken or beef, Ramen noodles, soy sauce, frozen sugar snap peas
29. Pizza grilled cheese: bread, sliced cheese, pepperoni (sometimes I will add mushrooms or green pepper), pizza sauce for dipping
30. Breakfast casserole: scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, potatoes, sausage crumbles
31. Polish sausage: bake it (sometimes with BBQ sauce)- serve with macaroni and cheese and corn
32. Hot legs: chicken legs baked with hot sauce- served with ranch dressing, mashed potatoes, and corn
33. BBQ chicken sandwiches: chicken breasts cooked all day in the crock pot with a little bit of salsa and BBQ sauce, shredded and served on bagel thins- served with baked potato chips
Hi all,
My name is Mary Beth. I'm a twenty-two year old criminal justice student that is constantly looking for ways to save money. Like many college students I love to go out and have a good time, but I'm always broke! As you know, the economy is not in the best shape right now. So jobs, especially without a college education, are extremely hard to come by.
So I am writing this blog not only to help compile my ideas for saving money, but to share those ideas with others that are in the same boat as us. I am also very open to suggestions, so if you have some ideas of your own I would love to hear them! Feel free to leave comments and questions!
