Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Speaking of Keurig!

I ordered one of these a couple of weeks ago after seeing several really good reviews for it and I have to say that it is every bit as good as everyone says.  The Solofill Refillable K-Cup for the Keurig just rocks.  I was actually perfectly happy with the MyKCup that came with my Keurig, but it was kind of a pain to clean out and it was also a pain to store.  The Solofill K-Cup is the same size as other K-Cups so you can store it in the same way you store any of your K-Cups. It's also one single unit, with a built-in filter, so it cleans much easier.

The awesome thing about this (or even the MyKCup) is that it can save you a ton of money because you can use whatever coffee you like in it.  It also helps save the environment because you aren't throwing away a piece of plastic every time you make a cup of coffee.

Look What Came In the Mail!

I can't quite figure out how I "won" this and the only thing I can think is that it was from the "Choose It, Brew It" giveaway. However it came to be, I LOVE IT!


I figured it out, it was from the Alaskan Cruise Giveaway on the "Brew Over Ice" Facebook page.

12 5oz Bacon Wrapped Filet's for $59.99

For 48 Hours Only get Omaha Steaks® Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignons for as low as $5.00 a steak!

I've heard of Omaha Steaks but it wasn't until after I watched this week's Celebrity Apprentice that I really looked at them.  Knowing what I know about saving money I know I could probably get as good a price or better at one of our local grocery stores by shopping their sales, but when this particular deal came across my email - I'm really not sure I could beat $5 a steak!

So until Midnight on Thursday (4/21) you can get this deal by clicking here.


Attention steak lovers! Fire up the grill and serve world-famous Omaha Steaks! Order $50 in 100% Guaranteed to Thrill Omaha Steaks delicious delicacies through this link and you’ll get 4 FREE Omaha Steaks Top Sirloins with your order.

$1 Off Frank's Red Hot Sauce

YUM!  Head over to Facebook and "like" Frank's RedHot Sauce page to grab a coupon for $1/1 bottle of Frank's.  This should score you a free small size bottle (or come really close).

What's the Buzz About Covergirl NatureLuxe

I recently signed on to be a BzzAgent and my first opportunity to BUZZ about a new product is for the new Covergirl NatureLuxe line.  As part of that Bzz Campaign they sent me two products to try; the new Natureluxe Foundation and the NatureLuxe lip balm.

I used to use nothing but Covergirl but several years ago I switched to Clinique.  Clinique is expensive and I'd happily switch back for the right product, but I also hate spending money to try new products.  So, this opportunity to try it for free is right up my alley.  However, had I known what I just learned I might have already tried it.  They offer a "Love it or 2x your money back!" guarantee.  If you don't love this new foundation just send it back with your receipt and they will send you 2x what you paid for it!

Upon taking a look at these new products the one thing that stands out to me the most is that both products contain SPF, the foundation is SPF 10 and the lip balm is SPF 15.  This is an awesome addition.

I'll be giving both of these products a try and reporting back to you what I think of them.  In the meantime, they also sent me 5 coupons for $2 Off Covergirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation.  If you'd like one of these coupons, just comment below with what foundation you currently use and include your email address.  I'll contact you to get your address and send you the coupon!

Graduation Gift Ideas

In my post about Economical Graduation Gift Ideas, I mentioned planning ahead and using Swagbucks to earn Amazon gift cards which could then be used to buy any number of great gifts for your grad.  I thought I'd take that a step further and share with you some gift ideas from Amazon.com that your grad might appreciate.

$25 Or Less
$50 Or Less

$100 Or Less

HOT DEAL! 5 Piece Luggage Set $90.71

There's a hot deal on Amazon.com right on a 5 piece American Airlines luggage set, regularly priced at over $270, currently on sale for $90.71.  This would make an awesome graduation gift, but you may want to act fast as you know how prices can go up in a heartbeat on Amazon.

American Airlines by Olympia Summerlin 5-Piece Travel Luggage Set

Economical Graduation Gift Ideas

With graduation just around the corner you may be thinking about how much you are going to have to spend on gifts, the good news is that you don't have to spend a lot to give a great graduation gift, and better yet it's not too late to start planning for next year's gifts and save even more.  Remembering back to when I graduated high school, the gifts that I still remember are the ones that I could really use, things like clothes, or luggage. Things that would help me as I headed off to college, or things with special meaning.  Cash is great but not only will the graduate not remember it later, it costs you more and it will likely be gone before it can do them any good.

Here are a few ideas to help you give big without spending big!

1. Dave Ramsey's Graduate Survival Guide - this is a new product from Dave Ramsey geared toward graduates and right now it has a promotional price of just $19.99.  The best thing about this gift is that it will not only save you some money but it will go a long way towards helping new graduates save money.  This new DVD discussion is hosted by Rachel Cruze (Dave Ramsey's daughter) and includes a reference book.  Topics include basics like balancing a check book, credit cards, part-time jobs, student loans and other practical advice about money.

2. Save Money On Gifts with Cash Back - If you purchase a gift for your grad online you can save some green by going through a cash back site like Ebates.  These sites allow you to shop on most websites, getting the same deals you would normally get but also getting a percentage of what you spend back in your pocket.  For instance, right now you can get 5% back when you shop at Brookstone through Ebates, 3.5% back at Things Remembered (think monogrammed) or 6% back from Barnes & Noble.

3. Discount Gift Cards - go through Ebates to purchase gift cards online and get the same % back, or get discount gift cards online through reseller sites like Plastic Jungle.  Even if your graduate isn't a reader, if they are planning to head off to college in the fall they will appreciate a gift card to Barnes & Noble (now one of the largest suppliers of college text books).  Just keep in mind that if you give a gift card as a gift, it may end up on Plastic Jungle, which works by providing those with unused / unwanted gift cards a way to sell them for cash, and also a place for others to buy them at a discount.

4. Plan Ahead - If your graduate isn't graduating this year, you have time to plan ahead.  Instead of spending actual money, you can always get their gift for free by signing up for Swagbucks and earning points for doing things you already do.  Then, you can trade those points in for actual items or Amazon gift cards that you can use to purchase their preferred gifts, without spending an actual penny. 

5. Get Creative - One of my favorite gift ideas for any special occasion is a creative idea that my mom passed along to me.  This works especially well if your grad is heading off to college or planning to move out on their own or travel over the summer.  Start with a large container that they can re-use often and easily.  If they are moving out on their own you might start with a hamper or nice kitchen or bathroom trash can. If they are heading off to college a nice laundry basket, backpack or small piece of luggage (these last two work great if they are planning to travel over the summer).  Fill the backpack or travel bag with travel size hygiene products.  Fill the laundry basket with laundry soap, & fabric softener or fill a backpack with notebooks and school supplies (or mix and match with a little of everything).

6. Use Your Stockpile - we all have a huge stockpile of drug store items, so either use the idea above or create a gift basket using some of your stockpile items.  They will especially appreciate these items if they are heading off to college (or traveling).

7. Magazine Subscriptions - Whether it's their favorite hobby or a magazine geared towards their chosen profession or college major, a magazine subscription is a gift that keeps giving (and reminding them of you) for at least a year.  This is another area where Ebates comes in handy, currently offering 26% cash back at Magazines.com (and often doubling to 50% cash back).

8. Personalized Coupon Book - Create your own IOU book of coupons that the graduate can redeem at a later date, include coupons for "batch of cookies", "care package of 4 items of their choice", "laundry service", and a "home cooked meal".  Whether they are heading off to college or out on their own, these are comfort items they will appreciate.

9. Ream of Resume Paper - If they are graduating from college, this is something that will come in handy for them as they head out into the world of job-hunting.

10. Netflix Subscription - A Netflix subscription allows them to get what they want when they want it, and you can choose how much of a gift you want to give, whether it's 1 month of online viewing for just $7.99 or a full year of streaming plus unlimited DVDs (1 out at a time) for $119.88.

Avoid gifts that are graduation themed. While they are cute at the moment, within 6 months they will be tossed aside and forgotten.