Chic & Cheap - Saving Money Online

Welcome to installment number two of my series on how to save some dough.

This week’s topic: Using the Internet to make and save money

The internet is a beautiful thing. Not only can we shop in our PJ’s, but we can also save money and make money. Here are my favorite sites for doing that.

eBates

I’m sure most of you are already familiar with this site and if not, you’re missing out BIG time. I’ll admit, I was as big a skeptic as anyone when I heard that I’d get cash back for shopping online in the form of a check each quarter. I was floored that there really wasn’t a catch and it’s completely legit. The hardest part is actually remembering to go to the site before you do your shopping.

In a nutshell, you go to eBates, search for the store you want to shop at and eBates takes you directly to the site, tracks your purchase and automatically deposits the percentage of cash back into your eBates account. Sometimes they do deals where you get 20% cash back at places like Old Navy. It’s rare, but it happens. You can expect to get rates of 3%-6% cash back at many popular stores. This can add up really add up. eBates automatically sends you a check each quarter with all of your accumulated cash back.

You can sign-up here. Yes, I get a referral bonus of $5 and you get it too after your first purchase. If you have questions about it, please let me know.



Swagbucks

This is a site that took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon. I was concerned about spam and pop-ups, but so far, so good. Basically you get Swagbucks for doing internet searches that can ultimately be cashed in for gift cards to places like Amazon.com, iTunes gift cards and other things. Instead of using Google, I use Swagbucks for my searches. It takes no effort because I’m doing something I would have done regardless. I do search for sites I know how to get to like Facebook, Yahoo and even Blogger just to try and get Swagbucks where I can. I usually earn from 7-11 Swagbucks each time I win them. There are other ways to earn them besides searching, but that is mainly what I use it for.



Deal sites

There seems to be a new one popping up everyday. Living Social and Groupon are my two favorites. Most of the time you can get deals for restaurants, fitness classes, spas, etc. up to half off. They also do deals online. I’m sure some of you remember the pay $10 for a $20 Amazon e-gift certificate. That was one I scooped right up and used to get a book and some nail polish. One was also recently done for Fandango which is great for movie lovers like Geof and I. It was only $9 for two movie tickets. We each bought that deal. One was already used for a date night a few weeks ago and we have another one to look forward to.



There are other sites out there, but these are my top three. I wanted to include one to make money, one to earn gifts/gift cards and one to save money. I hope this was helpful!

Are there other deal sites out there I’m missing out on?

General Mills Giveaway Week 5 Winner

Thanks to all for participating in the General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway.

The Week 5 and final winner is...

Mami2jcn

Congrats! Please email me with your information.



This has been a crazy week and I hope to catch up with you all soon!

Weekend recap

It was a pretty laid back weekend all around. Friday night we stayed in at watched the season finale of Jersey Shore. We ended up having Ramen Noodles (of all things) for dinner and I made it “gourmet” by cooking and seasoning some chicken and adding it in. Talk about a cheap dinner. It was good though.

Saturday we ran errands and grabbed lunch at Nifty Fifty’s. We came home and watched Get Him to the Greek. I was not a fan and it was such a letdown, because I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall and this movie had some of the same characters.



Sunday, we went to breakfast at The Coffee Station and then came home and took the dogs for a long walk. It was cold, but the sun was shining and it still a beautiful day. My mom came over in the evening and Grease was on so we ended up watching that.


Cake pop from The Coffee Station

Chic & Cheap

If you are anything like me, you’re trying to save money these days. I’m starting a new series with some of my tips and I’d love to hear any that you have to offer as well. My goal will be to post this as least twice a month.

This week’s topic: Grocery Shopping

The rule of thumb in this household is that we never go shopping without making a list based on the weekly circular or without coupons. There are always the necessities that may not be on sale, but for the most part we do not deviate from the list unless there is a deal of some sort. This also gives us the opportunity to try new things. For instance, there was a Yoplait Splitz yogurt that we had a coupon for. I had never tried it, but we got and love it.


Coupon Crazy!

In the beginning, this process was sort of a pain. I wasn’t a big fan of grocery shopping to begin with. Throw in preparing ahead of time and it made me cranky. This is now something I’ve got down to a science. Here is I handle it:

1. Buy the Sunday paper and clip coupons
2. Go through weekly store circular that comes in the mail from Red Plum and make a list
3. I’m annoyingly organized and make my list by sections of the store. I sort it like this:
-Fresh (Fruit, Vegetables, Bread, Meats)
-Helpers/Meals (Canned Goods, Sides, Pasta, etc.)
-Snacks (Pretzels, Soda, Crackers, Cookies)
-Frozen & Dairy (Frozen Meals, Cheese, Milk, etc.)

This helps me to find everything quickly and get in and out.

We also always use our shopper club card for additional discounts and the grocery store we shop at offers double coupons for anything under $1.

On our latest shopping trip, we saved over $80! I was floored that the bill came to $202 for a heaping cartful of groceries. This is enough for to last us month and we’re eating on about $50 a week (a little over $7/day for both of us). That’s money we would easily spend on one night out to dinner. If you read my weekend recaps, you know we still go out to eat now and then, but not anything close to what we used to. This has really saved us and when we do go out, it’s usually something cheap like pizza.



None of these tips are groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m just trying to demonstrate that using coupons, shopping the circular and being organized can save you big. In our case 30%.

General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway - Week 5 & Week 4 Winner

I’m thrilled to be working with General Mills for the third time to host another fantastic giveaway!

General Mills conducted a national survey, which asked consumers to pick their favorite Retro package designs from the 50s, 60s and 80s. The top packages chosen include Cheerios® (1956), Trix® (1968), Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984) and Lucky Charms® (1989). These limited-edition Retro packages will be available now through mid-March in Target stores nationwide. After the packages reach the stores, consumers can go to Grocery Savvy and view cartoons from the past, while enjoying a fun morning with family and friends over breakfast.

This is the last week and you will have one final chance to win the following Prize Pack:
1 Retro box of Cheerios® (1956)
1 Retro box of Trix® (1968)
1 Retro box of Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984)
1 Retro box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984)
1 Retro box of Lucky Charms® (1989)
$10 Target Gift Card
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frisbee

Seeing these packages brought back a feeling of nostalgia of days gone by as a kid eating some of my favorite cereals on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. I have to say my favorite was Lucky Charms. I used to try and eat the oats and save the marshmallows for the end. This was a “special occasion” cereal around my house and getting it was a treat. We usually had Cheerios and the like.

For the last week, the spotlight will be on the one final cereal that is part of the promotion: Trix. This package was introduced in 1968 when the original Hawaii 5-O debuted on CBS and eventually became the longest-running crime show in television history until Law & Order overtook it in 2003. ATM First Philadelphia Bank installs the first automated teller machine in the U.S and The musical Hair officially opens on Broadway.

To enter:
Leave a comment on this post

Extra entries:
1. Follow my blog (+1 entry)
2. Follow ChicnPink on Twitter (+1 entry)
3. Send a tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries)
You can send this if you like: Enter to win a General Mills Prize Pack & Target Gift Card from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/49h3uvu #Giveaway
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post (+2 entries)

That’s a total of 7 possible entries!

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only
2. This giveaway will close on 3/29/11 and the winner will be drawn via Random.org and announced 3/30/11.

Good luck!

Week 3 Winner:

Congrats to JC




FTC: General Mills provided me with the prize pack and information for this giveaway.

Weekend recap

After a very long workday Friday, Geof and I decided to have a late date night. With it being Lent, we opted for pizza at Pizza Hut and then went out for some mini golf and video games. The weather was so nice and we had a blast. I haven’t gone mini golfing in forever and didn’t do so well, but having fun is all that matters. We played games like Guitar Hero and Skee-Ball while practically closing the place down. We traded in the tickets we won for some silly prizes and I honestly love having a husband that doesn’t mind acting like a kid every once in awhile.

Saturday we ran errands and did some shopping. So many stores were having deals over the weekend. We went to Old Navy, Kohl’s and the mall. We both got some good stuff and it was all on sale.


Some of my Old Navy shopping finds!

Sunday I worked most of the day and took a little break to run with Geof to Rita’s for free water ice. We both got birthday cake cream ice and it was delish! We came home, watched America’s Funniest Home Videos and then Shameless and called it a night.


The First Day of Spring always means free water ice at Rita's!

Bzzzz

I’ve been a bad bloggy friend this week and I apologize. I’ve been up to my ears with work and my nights have been filled with lots of it to keep from drowning. I hope to be around to catch up with you ladies this weekend.

I do have some things on my buzz-o-meter that I wanted to share

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean Collection

OPI is coming out with a limited edition collection for the new Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Not only am I excited for another Pirates movie, but now I can get some cute new polish from the collection.

I’ve got my eye on that pretty turquoise blue color. It’s called Mermaid Tears! There is also a shatter polish in the collection that I’ve been dying to try. I believe this polish comes out on May 1st.

Bridesmaids

I saw the trailer for this last week and it looks hysterical. Kristen Wiig, one of my favorite characters from SNL is in it and this is a must see chick flick.

Target jewelry

Target has lured me in once again. The other week I went in for necessities and came out with these two fab bracelets. The one on the right is real leather and was under $15!!

Born This Way video

Gaga does it again. I know that a lot of people don’t like her, but please don’t bash me for LOVING her! She is a genius and if you break down the lyrics for this song, it’s really inspiring. Every time I hear it, it pumps me up. If you have seen the video, how much does she look like Madonna at the very end before it cuts to her riding away on a unicorn and blowing a bubble in her skeleton makeup? I think she did it on purpose because of all the comparisons to "Express Yourself".

General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway - Week 4 & Week 3 Winner

I’m thrilled to be working with General Mills for the third time to host another fantastic giveaway!

General Mills conducted a national survey, which asked consumers to pick their favorite Retro package designs from the 50s, 60s and 80s. The top packages chosen include Cheerios® (1956), Trix® (1968), Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984) and Lucky Charms® (1989). These limited-edition Retro packages will be available now through mid-March in Target stores nationwide. After the packages reach the stores, consumers can go to Grocery Savvy and view cartoons from the past, while enjoying a fun morning with family and friends over breakfast.

For the next 2 weeks, you will have a chance to win the following Prize Pack:
1 Retro box of Cheerios® (1956)
1 Retro box of Trix® (1968)
1 Retro box of Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984)
1 Retro box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984)
1 Retro box of Lucky Charms® (1989)
$10 Target Gift Card
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frisbee

Seeing these packages brought back a feeling of nostalgia of days gone by as a kid eating some of my favorite cereals on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. I have to say my favorite was Lucky Charms. I used to try and eat the oats and save the marshmallows for the end. This was a “special occasion” cereal around my house and getting it was a treat. We usually had Cheerios and the like.

Each week, the spotlight will be on one of the cereals that are part of the promotion. This week: Honey Nut Cheerios. Like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, this package was also introduced in 1984 when the #1 Song was 'When Doves Cry' by Prince (an all-time Chic & Pink favorite song), Mary Lou Retton wins two gold, two silver and two bronze Olympic medals and The Apple Macintosh is introduced.

To enter:
Leave a comment on this post

Extra entries:
1. Follow my blog (+1 entry)
2. Follow ChicnPink on Twitter (+1 entry)
3. Send a tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries)
You can send this if you like: Enter to win a General Mills Prize Pack & Target Gift Card from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/6fc6pcx #Giveaway
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post (+2 entries)

That’s a total of 7 possible entries!

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only
2. This giveaway will close on 3/22/11 and the winner will be drawn via Random.org and announced 3/23/11.

Good luck and if you don’t win this week, you still have 1 more chance next week!

Week 3 Winner:

Congrats to Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug}





FTC: General Mills provided me with the prize pack and information for this giveaway.

Weekend recap

Friday, I went over to my mom’s house to help her with something on the computer and then we went to Pizza Hut for dinner. I came home and caught up on some work and painted my nails.


E.L.F. Polish in Champagne - it's only cost $1!

Saturday, I ended up working most of the afternoon and then took the dogs for a walk. My mom came over to keep me company in the evening, since Geof was away all weekend. I made some grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner while we caught up on The Real Housewives of Orange County and watched Dateline. I also did some reading and realize I need to make more time for reading in general, as it’s really relaxing.

Sunday, Geof got home in the afternoon and we spent the day around the house while I worked on and off. My mom came over to watch Celebrity Apprentice and we called it a night.

The winner of the Marley Lilly giveaway is The Ramblings of a Thirtysomething Wife

Shop The Look.Net

I was very excited to work with Shop The Look.Net. I’m a girly girl at heart and love cute jewelry and accessories. They sent me two pieces of my choosing to review and it was very hard to decide because I liked many things they had to offer. I was also shocked to see the affordable prices. They have everything from necklaces to rings and accessories like headbands and clutches.

Aside from the affordable jewelry, they usually have great deals going on as well. Right now, they’re offering an extra 20% off all orders and free shipping on orders over $40. On top of all that, you can earn 4% Cash Back on purchases using eBates.

The first thing I picked was the Flat Surf n’ Sandblast Ring. This ring is fabulous and makes a statement without being tacky. It will be perfect for summer and the quality is great. I also like that you can get this to fit your actual ring size. It’s comfortable to wear and it was featured in the August 2010 issue of “O” Magazine. The kicker is that it’s only $14!





The next item I chose was the Weave Circle Bib Necklace in Silver (it is also available in Gold). The thing I liked most about this is that it’s so versatile and classy. It would look nice with just about anything and the weave design gives it a little something extra. This necklace is only $10.





Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with both items. Sometimes when things are less expensive, I expect the quality to be sacrificed. This was not the case for either item and I’ll be wearing both a ton. The shipping was also fast and each item arrived nicely packaged in a black velvet pouch. Shop The Look.Net gets two thumbs up from me.



FTC: I was sent jewelry from Shop The Look.Net in exchange for an honest review. I am not being compensated for this.

General Mills Retro Cereal Giveaway - Week 3 & Week 2 Winner

I’m thrilled to be working with General Mills for the third time to host another fantastic giveaway!

General Mills conducted a national survey, which asked consumers to pick their favorite Retro package designs from the 50s, 60s and 80s. The top packages chosen include Cheerios® (1956), Trix® (1968), Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984) and Lucky Charms® (1989). These limited-edition Retro packages will be available now through mid-March in Target stores nationwide. After the packages reach the stores, consumers can go to Grocery Savvy and view cartoons from the past, while enjoying a fun morning with family and friends over breakfast.

For the next 4 weeks, you will have a chance to win the following Prize Pack:
1 Retro box of Cheerios® (1956)
1 Retro box of Trix® (1968)
1 Retro box of Honey Nut Cheerios® (1984)
1 Retro box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (1984)
1 Retro box of Lucky Charms® (1989)
$10 Target Gift Card
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frisbee

Seeing these packages brought back a feeling of nostalgia of days gone by as a kid eating some of my favorite cereals on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. I have to say my favorite was Lucky Charms. I used to try and eat the oats and save the marshmallows for the end. This was a “special occasion” cereal around my house and getting it was a treat. We usually had Cheerios and the like.

Each week, the spotlight will be on one of the cereals that are part of the promotion. This week: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. This package was introduced in 1984 when Vanessa Williams became the first African American Miss America and stonewashed jeans were introduced.

To enter:
Leave a comment on this post

Extra entries:
1. Follow my blog (+1 entry)
2. Follow ChicnPink on Twitter (+1 entry)
3. Send a tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries)
You can send this if you like: Enter to win a General Mills Prize Pack & Target Gift Card from @ChicnPink here: http://tinyurl.com/652fk4x #Giveaway
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post (+2 entries)

That’s a total of 7 possible entries!

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only
2. This giveaway will close on 3/15/11 and the winner will be drawn via Random.org and announced 3/16/11.

Good luck and if you don’t win this week, you still have 2 more chances!

Week 2 Winner:

Congrats to Lindsey at Learning to be a Wife



FTC: General Mills provided me with the prize pack and information for this giveaway.

Weekend recap

Friday, Geof and I went to Subway for dinner and then to the gym. It’s always nice going on a Friday night when it isn’t as crowded. We came home afterwards and relaxed the rest of the night.

Saturday we had a date day. For lunch, we went to Pinocchio’s and then headed down to Delaware. We visited the Christmas Tree Shops and then went to Target. After that, we went to see Take Me Home Tonight. The movie was very good and not only was it hysterical, but it had a great message about finding yourself. Topher Grace was perfect in the lead role of Matt Franklin as well as Dan Fogler that played Matt’s sidekick, Barry. There were several laugh out loud moments and the 80’s music in the movie had me smiling the whole way through. I wish there were more movies like this. We came home after the movies and watched another movie called Frozen that was OnDemand. It was a disturbing film about friends that got caught on a ski lift. You can imagine what happens.


Great movie!

Sunday was a lazy, rainy day. I baked brownies and made a spaghetti dinner. My mom came over and we all watched Celebrity Apprentice. I also decided to paint my nails and chose OPI Matched Luggage.


OPI Matched Luggage

P.S. The winner of the frame from The Dahl House is Kristin from Bon Bon Rose Girls. Congrats and thanks to all that entered! There is still time to enter the General Mills and Marley Lilly giveaways.

Marley Lilly Giveaway!

If you haven’t been acquainted with Marley Lilly yet, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. This shop has some of the cutest things ever and they can all be monogrammed or personalized. Between different fonts and thread colors, you can turn it into something you love. They have jewelry, koozies, scarves, market baskets and so much more.

Marley Lilly has graciously offered to do a giveaway for my readers. You have the opportunity to win a Monogrammed Floppy Hat! These are so stylish and will be perfect summer. They come in a variety of 6 trim colors and can be monogrammed in the thread color of your choice.


Pink & Green


Turquoise is becoming one of my favorite colors

Here are some of my other personal favorites on the site:

Sterling Filagree Monogram Necklace

I’ve wanted one of these for the longest time. They’re so personal and look good with just about anything.

Rope Sterling Silver Engraved Ring

Classy & Pretty

Solid Market Basket

A trip to the store, a picnic or for car storage…these are great!

Can Koozie

Keep you can cool and cute!

To enter:
Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite item from Marley Lilly

Extra entries:
1. Like Marley Lilly on Facebook (+1 entry)
2. Follow my blog (+1 entry)
3. Follow ChicnPink on Twitter (+1 entry)
4. Send a tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries)
You can send this if you like: Enter to win a Monogrammed Derby Floppy Hat from Marley Lilly & @ChicnPink here: #Giveaway
5. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post (+2 entries)

That’s a total of 8 possible entries!

Rules:
1. This giveaway is open to US Residents only.
2. This giveaway will close on 3/11/11 and the winner will be drawn via Random.org and announced 3/14/11.

Yarn Wreath Tutorial

This has been a popular craft as of late and something that was too cute not to make. I followed Ashley’s tutorial while adding a few of my own twists. This was fairly easy, but somewhat time consuming. It really did make the perfect craft for a girls’ night.

What you’ll need:
Foam wreath from (I used a 12 inch)
Large roll of yarn
Several squares of felt in various colors
Glue gun
Fabric scissors
Push pins/T-Pins (optional)
Ribbon

Directions:
Tie a secure knot around the wreath with the yarn and start rolling. After emailing with Ashley, I decided it was best to start this the night before. It took about 2 hours in total.





Create the leaves by drawing an oval/leafy shape on the felt and cut out as many as you wish to use on the wreath. I did this in two different shades of green.



Create the flowers by cutting out 2-3 inch strips of felt. I found that 2.5 inches worked best after a little trial and error.



Put a thin line of glue at the very edge of the strip and fold over to attach.

Start cutting notches with fabric scissors on the fabric that does not have the glue. The more notches you create, the more dense looking the flowers will be. The less, the fluffier looking they will be.






Before you start rolling the flower up, you need to put down another line of glue. It is now time to start rolling.



Completed flower



To make a large flower, you do the same steps as above but instead glue 2 strips of felt together. Ensure they’re glued at the very edge so it doesn’t get bunchy.



Once all flowers and leaves are complete, you’re ready to attach them to your wreath. They can either be glued directly to the wreath or be pinned on. I preferred to pin them so that they can be interchangeable if I decide to make flowers of another color.



Attach flowers and leaves to your wreath as you wish them to be placed, hang from any ribbon and add it your favorite door with a wreath hanger.


My wreath & Kristen's St. Patrick's Day themed wreath