Blog Frog Community – New Posts
February 27, 2010
Just wanted to remind you to check over at the Blog Frog community {on the right sidebar}….I put up some posts this week of more regional deals from readers. This is the place to post the deal that you’ve been wanting to share with everyone. All you need to do is click on “Forum” and then click “New discussion”. Let me know your feedback on this program, too. For those with blogs, if you join the community, your blog posts should be showing on the main page as well.
Here are the posts to check out:
-Sunday paper special for Yakima paper – $20/year
-$100 Amazon Fresh Giveaway going on at Seattle Moms Deal Finder
-Pampers Gifts to Grow points
Swagbucks -Celebrating 2 years today with great rewards!! 60pt code for new members!
February 25, 2010
Swagbucks is turning 2 years old today and to celebrate their launching Swagbucks 3.0 with many new features. There will also be a TON of swag codes given away today thru their blog, Twitter, and Facebook pages. Make sure to be checking all those places all day long as well as searching the web thru Swagbucks because you can earn many more Swagbucks today to celebrate their birthday.
Swagbucks – Multiplied by 10::
First of all – the biggest change you’ll notice is it looks like your Swagbuck points when up significantly. This is actually how they will be awarding Swagbucks now – instead of earning 1 swagbuck, it will be multiplied by 10. So, 1 swagbuck now equals 10, 2 swagbucks = 20, etc. The amount of Swagbucks needed for prizes has all changed too – so for the $5 Amazon gift card you previously needed 45 swagbucks – you now need 450 (no change in the amt – just multiplied by 10).
New Members – Earn 60 swagbucks - One Week Only::
To celebrate their birthday, Swagbucks is offering a special code for Thrifty NW Mom readers where you can earn 60 swagbucks!! So, if you haven’t signed up for Swagbucks yet, this is the day to do it as you’ll earn double the bucks that you would on a normal day (normally you’d earn 30 Swagbucks for signing up).
Here’s how to earn 60 swagbucks for new members: enter the code THRIFTYNWMOM1 in the box marked “Enter your Swagcode” when you sign up. Make sure it’s all in caps – it is case-sensitive. This code will be good from today, February 25th thru Thursday March 4th at 6am. So, you have a week to get signed up & earn 60 swagbucks just for signing up!!
Swagbucks 3.0 – Changes:
Now, for those of you who are already Swagbucks members, as well as new members, here’s all that has changed with the new Swagbucks 3.0::
1) More ways to earn Swag Bucks every day: With Swagbucks.com 3.0 users will be able to earn by logging into the Swagbucks toolbar and also by simply viewing our ‘No Obligation’ special offers. This means that in addition to all the regular ways to earn, the more you are engaged with Swagbucks.com, the more you will earn!
2) New look home page and Swag Store & rewards store: Swagbucks.com 3.0 will include a revamped, cleaner interface that will provide a better user experience.
3) Launch of the Swagstakes Portal: They now have a brand new, fully stocked Swagstakes portal in which there will be dozens of Swagstakes running at all times! Some contests will be limited entry (meaning a set number of entries will be offered) so the odds for a user to win are greater. The tentative list of items that will be offered during initial launch should include: $100 Amazon Gift Cards, Sony Bravia 32″ TV, Amazon Kindle, Apple iPod Touch, Flip Ultra HD Camera, Panasonic Blu Ray with Remote, Apple iPad, Sopranos Complete Series Box Set, Rachel Ray 10 piece cookware set, Playstation 3 system + games bundle, Canon Powershot Camera, Seinfeld Complete Series DVD box Set, Viziio 22″ LCD TV and plenty more! Wow- great prizes!
What is Swagbucks all about?
For those of you who are new to Swagbucks, it is a search engine similar to Google – however, you can earn “bucks” (or points) for searching the web which you can redeem for all sorts of prizes. My favorites are the gift cards – Amazon Gift Cards, Starbucks, Target, Macy’s, Southwest Airlines & much more!! You can earn Swagbucks by searching the web (you can install a toolbar so you can just search directly from the top of any page you’re on), earning extra Swagcodes from the toolbar, their Twitter, Facebook & blog pages, as well as referring family & friends. When you refer family & friends, you can earn up to 100 swagbucks from each person – so every time they earn a swagbuck, you earn a swagbuck!! How cool is that!! For more detailed ways on how to earn Swagbucks, check out my post HERE. With the new Swagbucks 3.0, there are going to be many more ways to earn, too, so stay tuned as we all learn more!!
So, what are you waiting for – head on over & get signed up for Swagbucks! I personally use it ALL the time and have earned several hundred dollars worth of Amazon, Starbucks, & Target gift cards (my favorites). We payed for over 50% of Christmas gifts using Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks, so I can attest to the fact that it definitely works!!! And I’m excited about even more ways to earn Swagbucks now!
New Community Feature at Thrifty NW Mom
February 24, 2010
I wanted to let you know about a new feature I’ve added to Thrifty NW Mom. Over on the right sidebar, you’ll find a new box which says “Come join the Thrifty NW Mom Community”. This is a community set up thru Blogfrog and the goal is for all of us to get to know each other better & a place for all of you to share your deals that you’ve found. I have missed interacting with all of you, as that was the biggest advantage to me when I had the Chat Room as part of the Old Navy Weekly updates – it was great to get to know many of you a little better & hear all of your tips!
The Thrifty NW Mom Facebook Fan page has been a great way to share deals, as well as interact with others to find out more details about how the deals worked for them. You can always feel free to post tips & deals on there -make sure to actually check the page occasionally as those tips will only show up on the page (not in your newsfeed – only the posts that I make show up in your news feed).
However, I know that not everyone is on Facebook, so this BlogFrog community will be an opportunity where everyone can participate & hopefully share deals, while also learning from others about great deals, both in the NW as well as around the country. It’s a great way for you to provide feedback regarding how the deals have worked for you, any tips you have, as well as problems you may have run into that the rest of us can watch for.
I wish I could post all the deals that you all send to me because honestly, you the readers, have the best tips! Unfortunately I just can’t keep up with all the bargains out there or with all the emails I get where many of you share some great tips -life is just a bit crazy with 2 active little ones who keep me hopping during the day! So that’s where you all can come in – feel free to post deals, ask questions, & share experiences on this forum!
So, head on over & introduce yourself – I can’t wait to learn more about all of you & hear your tips! {Just make sure everything is family-friendly & keep things positive & encouraging! 
}
Free E-Book – Healthy Chicken Recipes
February 24, 2010
I don’t know about you, but I am always in need of good, healthy chicken recipes! So, I was pleased to see this new e-book filled with 22 recipes for quick & easy healthy recipes for chicken! Head on over HERE to download this free E-book! {If this link is not working, try clicking on the picture below}
Here are a few of the tasty recipes I found:
- Black Walnut & Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts
- Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Slow-cooker BBQ Chicken
- 10 minute chicken & noodles
2 Free Valentine Craft E-Books & Free Scrapbooking E-Book
February 7, 2010
Are you looking for some fun, craft ideas for Valentine’s Day – can you believe it’s only a week away now–next Sunday is Valentine’s Day!! Oh boy, I’ve got to get moving!! Well, you’re in luck as there are 2 NEW Valentine’s Day Craft E-books which you can download for FREE!
Check them out HERE:
Cupid’s Handmade Craft E-Book: This e-book has over 30 Valentine’s Crafts such as Valentine’s Day decor ideas (unique Valentine’s vase, candy bouquet), ideas for creating Valentine cards, & kids crafts!
Valentine’s Day Crafts from Famous Bloggers: E-Book with decorating & gift-giving ideas for Valentine’s Day
You can also check out a FREE E-book for 24 simple scrapbook layouts HERE.
Game Day Appetizers – Free Ebook
February 3, 2010
Are you hosting a Superbowl gathering at your house or just heading out to a party & in need of a tasty appetizer? Then, you’ll want to check out this new FREE E-book filled with 39 appetizer recipes and party pleasers perfect for satisfying those hungry appetites on game-day!!
Here are some of the yummy recipes I found:
- Cheesecake Factory Bruschetta
- Saucy Aloha Chicken Wings
- White Mexican Cheese Dip
- Market Day Bacon-Wrapped Jumbo Party Shrimp (my husband would LOVE this one!)
Check out these other FREE E-Books:
- 31 Top-Secret Restaurant Recipes (you”ll find recipes from Olive Garden, PF Changs, Macaroni Grill & more)
- 33 Hearty Slow-Cooker Recipes
- 32 Porkchop Recipes
Guest Post: Paper Bag Scrapbook
February 3, 2010
Step One: Binding the Book
First, decide how many pages you want. I will be using 2 bags and have 8 pages counting the front and back. Make sure the bags are lined up and fold them in half.
Then I weaved ribbon & tied large knots to create the binding. I designed my scrabook with parts of the paper bag showing because I like the rustic paper bag look. If you don’t want to see the paper bag when you are done, cover the bag with a base color of paper, then bind it.
Step 2: Add Character
The top of the bag gives you a pocket, the bottom of the bag makes a flip out page!
I used the bottom of the bag as a half page. As you can see, the bottom of the bag can fold part way open already. To make a half page, I cut the bottom flap of the bag so that the flap opens all the way.
LeaDawn is a frugal blogger over at The Coupon Basics. She first became interested in couponing when it took her several months to find a job after graduating college, so she began looking for ways to save & earn money. She and her husband have a goal of making it thru Vet School debt-free based on the money-saving strategies they use. LeaDawn started her blog to teach others about frugal living and setting & reaching your financial goals, especially for college students and young families.
The Frugal Map – Great new resource!!
January 19, 2010
Bargain Briana has come up with an awesome resource for all of us – she has created “The Frugal Map” – which lists bloggers by state. So, if you’re looking to find a blogger in a particular state or area of the country, you can head to the Frugal Map and check out who may be in your area. She only has a fairly small number of bloggers listed right now and no bloggers listed for the Northwest. But, I’ve already submitted Thrifty NW Mom to be included on the map and hopefully my fellow NW bloggers will do the same! If you have a bargain blog, make sure to fill out the form at The Frugal Map, so you can get listed for your state!
Not only can you search for blogs by area, you can also search based on stores, so you can find the bloggers who post weekly matchups on their sites for your favorite stores! There will also be an RSS feed featuring the hottest deals from the bloggers listed on the Frugal Map, another helpful feature! So, head on over to The Frugal Map and check it out!
Free download of Excel Savings Tracker to track coupon savings!
January 3, 2010
This a freebie that I’m very excited about as one of my goals for this new year is to keep better track of all my coupon savings, right from the start!! Angela from The Coupon Project (a fellow NW blogger) has spent quite a bit of time developing this Excel Savings Tracker and she is graciously offering this as a FREE download for everyone!
All you need to do is head on over to The Coupon Project HERE and you’ll find 2 versions of her Savings Tracker – Excel 2007 Version & Excel 1997-2003 version.
You’ll just need to come up with your monthly budget and enter that in and then you can keep track of all of your receipts on this spreadsheet. It will keep a total for everything-how much you’ve spent, your total savings, even rebate information! Thank you, Angela!
Free Thanksgiving Recipe E-Book
November 7, 2009
