Tax Day Freebies

Look here for some Tax Day freebies!

FREE Christmas MP3 Downloads!

I read about Amazon.com's free Christmas mp3 downloads on this Houston frugal blog and was so excited to have access to free AND legal downloads! Enjoy!

Freebie Friday: FREE Mason Jars

Now that the big harvest is over, Mason jars are hard to come by. When you do find them, they are a bit more pricey than when you bought them back in the summer (unless, of course, you got them at clearance prices at the end of the summer or from a garage sale or friend). In any event, you can obtain jars for FREE from the grocery store by scouting for goods sold in these gems. Okay, so they aren't free, but it's like getting them for free if you have a need for the goods sold inside of them anyway. For example, at Walmart the store brand salsa is bottled in a Mason jar that accepts a regular size canning lid (but not the ring). After you empty the contents, you can use these jars to vacuum seal your leftover Halloween candy! Or maybe store some rice, pasta, or raisins. The possibilities are limitless! Note: The threads do not line up correctly with the rings to use them for traditional canning (water bath or pressure).

Four Reasons to Vote on Nov. 4th

Of course there are more than just four reasons, but here are some I have noted*:

1) Free milkshake at our local Chic - fil - A (not sure if this is nationwide - I've also read some are giving a free chicken sandwich - YMMV).
2) Free cup of coffee from Starbucks (if you're into that sort of thing - personally, I don't drink it.)
3) Free scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's between 5pm-8pm on Nov. 4th.
4) Krispy Kreme is giving away a free donut.

Seriously, vote because it is the responsible thing to do! As the famous shoe maker says, "Just do it!"

*More offers advertised all over the Internet--Google it for a more complete list applicable to your area.

Freebie Friday: Doctor's Orders

There are those among us with an unhealthy addiction. That addiction is Dr Pepper soda. Feed your addiction for FREE on November 23, 2008! Click here to find out more thanks to Budget Help$!

Freebie Friday: Absurdly Cool Edition

Pick your own freebie on this Freebie Friday by checking out the AburdlyCool Freebie Frinder.

Freebie Friday: FREE Haircut!

Another freebie offer from Herbal Essences. Click here to see how you can receive a FREE haircut!

Freebie Friday - Nearly FREE Halloween Decorations

I LOVE this post about budget decorating for Halloween. Most of the ideas use things you already have around the house (such as milk jugs, egg cartons, and black markers) and are very easy to pull together. Long live the frugal decorator!

Freebie Friday: FREE Holiday Countdown E-Course

I recently learned from the Orgjunkie that Cara from The Household Helper is offering a free e-course that will get us through the holidays with our sanity in tact! Given how organized I will (hopefully) be, I'm guessing it will save me some money, too. No last minute trips to the store or overlooked gifting. And, it's FREE. So, mosey on over to The Household Helper's Holiday Countdown and sign yourself up!

Freebie Friday - Notebook Travel Kit

I heard about this freebie from Money Saving Mom--it's a Nexxtech Notebook Travel Kit that is free after a $40 mail-in rebate. Hurry, 'cause the offer ends on 8/16/08. This might make another good Christmas gift for someone on your list.

Freebie: GeoTrax Children's DVD

I just couldn't wait until Friday (again!) to tell you about this freebie. It comes to you courtesy of Sarah who posts at Blissfully Domestic. Order this GeoTrax DVD for FREE, including the shipping! Although I've never heard of this Fisher-Price toy line (sniff, sniff--my kids must be growing up!), it might make a great Christmas present for the little ones in your life since the shipping is 12-14 weeks (while supplies last, of course!). Thanks, Sarah!

Freebie Monday?...Free Film Developing

I couldn't wait until Friday to talk about Walgreens' free film developing that will take place THIS WEDNESDAY, so I'm posting my Freebie Friday on Monday. I hope that made sense! Even if it doesn't, click the link above to snag your coupon then head on over to Walgreens on August 6th to unload one of the one-time use cameras that you have piled up in your cabinet that you've been meaning to develop for the past 5 years. I think I only need about eight more of these freebies to clean out my stockpile. :)

Edited to add: The coupon is good for all types of film (not just one-use cameras). Read the fine print for more details!

Freebie Friday: Potty Training Kit

Thanks to Money Saving Mom, I bring you a link to this free potty training kit from Pampers. Go here to claim your gift!

Freebie Friday: Carl Griffith's Sourdough Starter

About a month ago, I decided to begin making ALL of our sandwich bread and rolls from scratch. I have been making our rolls (dinner rolls, hamburger rolls, etc.) for quite some time, so it wasn't a big deal to add in the sandwich bread. Hot dog buns...that poses a different problem. I haven't experimented with those yet. As luck would have it, about three weeks into it my daughter answered an early Saturday morning call and was told, "Congratulations! You've won $20 in free bread!" I remember the day I entered the drawing...it was the day I was buying hot dog buns for our July 4th gathering. And just when we were settling into homemade bread. I suppose I could have used all $20 to buy hot dog buns, but my freezer wasn't ready for that. So, I have taken a hiatus from baking homemade bread until we use up the $20 in free bread. And that's a good thing, because "the funk" (as one of my friend's calls it) has been making it's way around our family and I've not been spared. I will, however, spare you with the details of my icky illness and get on with Friday's Freebie which, luckily, I discovered some time last week. Otherwise, this post probably wouldn't have made it to press.

Without further delay, I bring you a link to obtain your very own FREE 1847 Carl Griffith's Sourdough Starter. They say vintage starter is the best, right? What could be better than 150 year-old FREE starter? Enjoy, and while you're waiting for that starter to arrive, read more about Carl Griffith or visit the site started by his sourdough fans. You can even find recipes and photos such as this yummy-looking Oatmeal Bread and step-by-step instructions for making this artistic Banneton Boule.

Disclaimer...like the website states, the starter is "cultured, dried, and mailed under sanitary, but not sterile, conditions by a volunteer who adheres to the methods used and recorded by Carl Griffith. It is not certified as a foodstuff. If you are allergic or reactive to any of its components, we guarantee that you will be allergic or reactive to it."

Freebie Friday - Redbox.com & Easy Microwave Popcorn

With each and every addition to our family, the chances of hubby and I seeing a moving at the theater have exponentially decreased! I'm not much into television, so I don't watch too many movie rentals either. ENTER THE REDBOX! I must admit, I can be drawn in by a good deal. Am I the last person on the planet to learn about free DVD rentals using Redbox Promo Codes? It's only $1 to rent a DVD if I don't have a code, but there's just something delicious about freebies! In the last week, I've watched around five new releases with either hubby or the kids! I'm not necessarily proud of this flood of TV watching...but it has been fun!

There are a couple of ways to get the codes. If you visit Redbox.com, you can sign up for a promo code to be sent to your mobile phone every Monday that will provide you with a free DVD rental. But, if you happen to enjoy movie nights on a day other than Monday, you'll want to check out InsideRedbox.com and select Redbox Codes. They are organized by code and last date used; further down the page they are organized by state.

So, without further delay, locate your nearest Redbox location by clicking here and enjoy a FREE movie rental on Freebie Friday. And, don't forget the popcorn (recipe below)!

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Easy (and Inexpensive) Microwave Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Butter & salt (or any other seasoning) to taste
1 brown paper bag (lunch size is best)
stapler

Place the popcorn in the brown paper bag, fold it down a couple of times, and staple the top of the bag to keep it securely closed. Place the bag in your microwave and cook on high for two to three minutes. When there is a delay of several seconds between pops, your popcorn is done! Pour it into a bowl and season with butter, salt, etc. (Note: Recipe inspired by Alton Brown's Plain Brown Popper.)

Freebie Friday (on Saturday) - Free Faxing!

Recently, we switched phone companies and somehow lost the ability to make long distance calls. Of course, this oddity wasn't discovered until I needed to send a fax. Right then. Around midnight. So, I immediately turned to the Internet to look for an alternative as well as an inexpensive way to send my fax. That's when I stumbled onto FaxZero.com. At this site, you can send up to two free faxes per day (max of 3 pages each) without having to use your telephone line. This is especially handy for those among us who strictly use a cell phone and have opted out of a landline. After you complete the easy, online form and upload any attachments, press send and you receive an email from Faxzero asking that you click on the link inside the email to confirm your fax transmission. The service will attempt to fax your document(s) up to five times. You receive another email indicating whether or not your fax request was completed.

While the fax is free, an ad is displayed on the fax cover page (in my case, it was an add for freeprintables.net), or an ad-free version is available for a fee of $1.99. So far I have had great success with this service. If that changes, however, I'll be sure to post a follow-up.

Pert Plus Shampoo Deal

I noticed when I was in Winn Dixie earlier this week that the full size Pert Plus shampoo had a rebate sticker on it to try it for free. Combine that with the $1 coupon here or the $1 coupon from the 5/11 SS and make a little extra change after the postage you spend on the mail-in rebate!

Freebie Friday - ThunderFAP.com

Today I bring you yet another freebie site, ThunderFAP.com. Head on over to see what's free this week!

Freebies

Here are some freebies for you, courtesy of my sis:

Free spice blend each month - http://www.bourbonstreetblends.com/blendofmonth.htm

Free teddy grahams trail mix - http://www.scholastic.com/teddytrail/sample.htm

Various on-the-go drink mixes - http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid41062.aspx

True Lemon - http://www.truelemon.com/sample.cfm

Stubbs BBQ - http://www.ilovestubbs.com/signup/signup.aspx

Freebie Friday: FREE (sort of) Manicure/Pedicure

If you already use Herbal Essences shampoos/conditioners or hair color, then this is a real steal of a deal! Purchase two specially marked shampoos/conditioners or one hair color and receive a voucher for a free manicure or pedicure. While the participating locations are undisclosed until after you receive the voucher, it is transferable. Also, if there isn't a participating location within 30 miles, "alternative arrangements will be made with you." Now if we can just get our hands on some of the Herbal Essences coupons (BOGO and $1 off!) from the 5/4 Sunday paper inserts...