FREE Krispy Kreme Donut (6/5/15)

Celebrate National Doughnut Day on Friday, June 5th by stopping in at any Krispy Keme location for a FREE doughnut!  You can pick from any variety and no purchase is necessary!!

$0.50 Corn Dogs at Sonic Drive In (5/26/15)

Tuesday, May 26th you can celebrate National End of School Day with Sonic by getting $0.50 corn dogs all day long.  And since there is no limit, your whole family can enjoy a good old fashioned treat without you spending a whole lot of money.

Kids Bowl FREE - Summer Bowling Program

Need another great summer activity for the family?  How about the Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program?  

All you have to do is register your kids and they will be able to bowl 2 FREE games daily - ALL summer long!  That's right - from June 1st through August 31st - your kids aged 15 and below can bowl 2 FREE games daily.  

But what about yourself and older siblings?  Well that's easy....just purchase a Family Pass for a one time fee of $28.95 and up to four additional family members over the age of 15 can also bowl 2 games daily.  It's a heck of a deal but not a requirement.  If you don't want to purchase the Family Pass, you don't have to.  You can still register your kids to bowl free and sit with them while they bowl.  

Don't delay, register now.

Summer 2015 $1.00 Kids Movies at Regal Cinemas

The end of school is almost here so start planning summer entertainment now!  One way to treat your kids during the summer without breaking the bank is by taking them to the Regal Cinemas for their $1.00 kids movies.

They will be showing movies like Paddington, Nut Job, Book of Life, Dolphin Tale 2, etc.

Show times and days vary by location so enter your zip to see what is playing at your local movie theater and have a great time with your kids while being thrifty!

FREE Movies in the Park

2015 Hot Summer Nights - brought to you by the Killeen Parks and Recreation Department

Starting Friday, June 12th, the Parks and Recreation Department will be showing family orientated movies for FREE at the Killeen Ampitheater.  This is a GREAT family activity for the summer!  Just bring a blanket or two, a few snacks and enjoy FREE entertainment.  

If you don't live in our local area, check your own parks and recreation department.  A lot of towns offer "Free Movies In The Park" during the summer months.

Graduation 2015

Well hello and happy Saturday to all you Thrifty Giggles fans!  I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for my absence these past few days but we were busy preparing for a joyous occasion - my college graduation!

Finally, at the tender age of 45, I have graduated college as a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member and with Cuma Laude honors.  But now that all the hoopla is over and done with, we can get back to having fun.  So stay tuned and watch for more tips, tricks and hints to living life while being frugal and thrifty.

FREE Blooming Onion at Outback Steakhouse Today(5/11/15)

Today is another "Bloomin' Monday" at Outback Steakhouse!

Every Sunday that Kevin Harvick places in the top 10 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, you can head over to Outback Steakhouse and get a FREE Blooming Onion by saying "Bloomin' Monday" to your server.  

Just click here to find your nearest participating location.

FREE One Year Subscription to Parents Magazine

Right now you can get a one year subscription to Parents Magazine for FREE by clicking on this link.  You don't have to buy anything or enter any credit card/banking information - just fill out the form and allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your first issue.  Enjoy!

Jakemans Cough Drops $0.47 at H.E.B.

Even though Spring just started, the colder months will be upon us before we know it.  So that makes this great find the perfect time to stock up on Jakemans Throat & Chest Drops.  

The regular retail price for a bag of these cough suppressant drops is $1.97 - but H.E.B. has one of their yellow coupons in front for $1.50 off which makes them a fabulous $0.47 a bag!  Grab a few while you can.

FREE Jr. Frosty at Wendy's With Purchase

Help support the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption by purchasing a "Frosty Key Chain" for $1.00 and get a Free Jr. Frosty with any purchase through 12/31/2015. 

Wendy's will donate $0.90 from each key chain purchase to the foundation.  A delicious way to support a charity!

Buttery Jack Burger at Jack In The Box - Buy 1 Get 1 FREE (exp 5/11/15)

Go to this link and print out a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Jack in the Box Coupon! You’ll be able to grab a Free Buttery Jack Burger when you purchase a Buttery Jack Burger.  Great way to treat the family and save money.

Eat FREE At Hooters on Mother's Day (5/10/15)

On Sunday, May 10th, Moms can eat FREE at Hooters!  Dine-in only, with the purchase of a drink. Valid at participating locations only.

FREE Two Year Lego Magazine Subscription

Got a Lego builder in your home?  Then head on over to Lego to get a Free 2-Year Subscription to Lego Club Magazine. 

Just sign your builder up for the Lego Club and fill out a request form for the magazine.  If your little builder is under the age of 7, then they will get the Lego Club Junior magazine and if they are 7 years and up, they will get the Lego Club magazine.  

Please allow 6-14 weeks for delivery of the first issue. 

FREE Guitar Player Magazine Subscription

Right now you can get a Free Guitar Player Magazine Subscription by filling out a short form.  You don't need to enter any personal banking or credit card information and you don't need to opt in to any other offers.  You’ll get an entire year's subscription for FREE.  Just allow 4-12 weeks for the first issue to arrive.  

Fun On Four Wheels

I only have one thing to say:  Flat Track All Female Roller Derby!!! Those words just SCREAM excitement, don't they?

We went to see a tournament between the Femme Fatale Roller Dolls and the Thunder Kittens – and let me just say “wow”!  They have great energy and the way they knock each other down, I’m surprised that they don’t all have a broken arm or leg.

If you have never been to see live roller derby, put it on your bucket list.  It is so much fun and definitely a family friendly event that is affordable.

Cinco De Mayo At Meno's Mexican Grill

Usually I cook for Cinco de Mayo, but this year, it falls on a Tuesday during a very busy time at work.  So rather than skip it all together, I think I'll take my kids out for dinner to our favorite Mexican restaurant – Meno's Mexican Grill.

We absolutely LOVE this restaurant!  It is Mexican owned and Mexican run – from the wait staff to the kitchen staff – and the food is not only authentic but delicious as well!  Anytime we go here, my kids clean their plates!

Speaking of plates – this is my favorite dish.  It is called the Tampiquena plate and comes with rice, carne asada, beans (either refried or frijoles charros), two cheese enchiladas, guacamole and tortillas.  Doesn’t it look delicious?

If you get a chance to visit Meno's Mexican Grill, I highly recommend this dish. The frijoles charros are so tasty and the carne asada is butter soft!  The meat just melts in your mouth!  So give it a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Furry Four-Legged Friends

This is Tasha –

She was our wonderful, super sweet Rottweiler who passed away from bone cancer a few years back.  And even though she is no longer with us physically, we forever have her in our hearts.

Unfortunately, we are not able to have a dog where we currently live, but that doesn't mean that we have forgotten about our furry four-legged friends.

Whenever we are able to, we use coupons to get great deals on animal food and my kids go to the local animal shelter to donate the items.  It gives them such great pleasure to help those who don’t have a home of their own.  So in honor of our Tasha, my mom’s recently departed dog Lorelei and my brother’s dearly departed dog Sable, we use coupons to help us give to those that are sometimes forgotten.

Carolina Ale House

Carolina Ale House is a sports themed restaurant that is very family friendly.  The food is good, the atmosphere is fun and I guarantee you will have a great time.

Even though we have been to this restaurant before, we decided to try dishes we had not yet had.  We started with an appetizer of Frickles (fried pickles) and then my son had the mini cheeseburgers with fries, while my daughter and I had their Caribbean Fish Tacos.

The Frickles were okay, a little too pickly for our personal taste but not bad.  We definitely prefer their CAH Onion Strings – now those we 100% recommend!  But the Caribbean Fish Tacos – oh wow!!! They were amazing!  The tacos were so scrumptious and filling that neither of us remembered the fries on our plate and they went uneaten.

So if you’re looking for a good sports bar experience, head on over to your local Carolina Ale House.

Spaghetti A La Philly

When I first saw the commercial for this on t.v. a few years back, I thought to myself, “Gross!”.  Because I didn’t eat cream cheese in any shape or form, I didn’t think putting it in spaghetti was going to be something that I would EVER do.  Boy was I wrong!  Eventually, I looked up the recipe online and followed it, but like most people, ended up making it a few different times, tweaking it to fit our own personal taste.

I tried different amounts of pasta, different brands of sauces; I tried more ground beef, Italian sausage, with mushrooms, without mushrooms; but in the end, we finally settled on the most simplest of variations and it has now become the ONLY way we eat spaghetti.  Even my son, who is a picky eater, will eat two bowls of it in one sitting!

We use 1 lb of ground beef, 12oz of thin spaghetti, 1 26.5oz can of Hunt’s Traditional spaghetti sauce and 1 8oz block of cream cheese (any brand).

So brown the ground beef in a skillet and while it’s cooking, start boiling your salted water in a pot for the spaghetti.  When the ground beef is cooked, drain the grease from it, add the spaghetti sauce to it.  Next add the cream cheese to the sauce (you can cube it if you’d like to make it “melt” faster) and stir while on medium heat until it’s all melted and combined.  Don’t forget to watch your water, once it’s boiling, add your spaghetti noodles to it.  When your sauce is combined properly, it should look something like this:

Once your spaghetti noodles are cooked to your desired consistency, drain them, put them back in the pot and then pour the spaghetti sauce over it.  Mix well and serve.

It is the addition of the cream cheese to the sauce that makes it really smooth and creamy and because of this, we find that we no longer have to add grated Parmesan cheese to top it off.  Give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Fun Fitness For FREE

Sometimes, when we think of fitness we think of the gym, working out with weights or running, but that isn’t the only form of fitness.  There are lots of things that you can do as a family to get yourselves outside and moving that cost little to no money.

Almost every city or town has a park in it and almost every park has a fitness trail where you can walk or jog.  More often than not, these fitness trails have exercise equipment along the route so that you can stop to do pull-ups, lunges, sit-ups, etc.

If you’re really lucky, your park might even have a duck pond and a playground so that you can turn it into a true fun, family outing that everyone will enjoy.  You can start off with feeding the ducks, break into the fitness walk with intermittent exercises and end with the kids playing on the jungle gym while you relax on a nearby bench.   So use your local resources and make the most of what your town has to offer.  It’s a great way to get fit for free.

Always On The Lookout

Not too long ago, I posed a question to my fellow, local “couponers” – I wanted to know if they took their binders and coupons with them every single time they went into a store or if they set aside “coupon shopping trips”.  The answer surprised me but has become a good learning experience for me.

They all said that they kept their coupons in their car or close at hand and took them in to every store they went to, whether it was a planned shopping trip or not – I had not been doing this.

I decided to give it a shot.  To my pleasant surprise, I soon found that having your coupons with you at all times, allows you to score on unadvertised clearance items for a much lower cost!

I caught these 24oz bottles of Finesse conditioner on clearance at Target for $2.75.  I paired this with a $1.00/1 coupon that I had and got them for $1.75 each.

While I was there, I found these Puffs Cooling Cloths on clearance for $1.68 and even though I didn’t have any coupons for the item, it was a price that was low enough to allow me to try a new item.

Try Something New With Coupons

Have you ever seen a product at the store that you were curious about but the price was just too high for something you might not like?  I know I have but thanks to the “power of coupons”, my kids and I are now able to give new things a try.

Not too long ago, coupons.com had a printable $2.00/1 Sambazon product coupon that allowed us to try their FABULOUS organic Acai juice!

It’s normally priced at $2.98 a bottle in the produce section of our local H.E.B. and at that price, I was never going to buy it.  That’s just a little too steep for something that might end up in the trash after one sip.  But with the coupon, we decided to give it a try and much to our pleasant surprise, we LOVED it!

So don’t be afraid to use coupons to try something new – who knows, you might end up with a new favorite drink too!

May The Force Be With You

Who says fighting with light sabers has to be expensive?  This Dollar Tree craft costs a total of $3.00 and gives your kids a chance to fight for the Dark Lord or be a rebel standing up for the Jedi cause.

Just buy a red or green pool noodle, a roll of black electrical tape and a roll of silver duct tape.  Cut the pool noodle in half and then use the tape to make the “handle”.

It was so simple and such great fun.  They really enjoyed themselves and even I jumped in at one point and “fought” – sound effects and all!

Tattoos On A Budget

So far, I’ve shown you ways to save money on things you buy at the store, how to stretch your dollar when taking your family out to eat, but what about tattoos?  Do you like tattoos but think your budget can’t handle them?  Not so my money-saving friends!

But first, let me say this, tattoos are not for everyone and that is okay.  Personally, I like them.  I like the way they look, I like being colorful and I’ve made sure that getting tattoos doesn’t take away from the needs of my children.

Secondly, please make sure that you research the local artists in your area before you get a tattoo.  Just because they work in a shop that “looks” busy, doesn’t mean that they are an artist of high caliber.  A lot of artists are “just starting out” and while I know everyone has to start somewhere, I personally am not going to be “their first”.

That being said, let’s get on to the main point of this post – how do you get a “budget friendly tattoo” that still looks good:

Lots of shops run specials on certain days of the year so look around your area and by all means, don’t be afraid to ask.  For example, the tattoo shop I frequent has specials on Friday the 13th.

They have 200 tattoo designs to pick from and only charge $13.00 for the tattoo with a mandatory $7.00 tip.  That means for a whopping $20.00 you can get something cute like this:

But whatever you choose, whatever you decide, do the research, take your time and ask about “yearly” specials.  You’d be surprised at what you can get at a price that falls within your budget!

Get FREE Music........Legally!

I don’t know about you, but I have a teenager who hasn’t really found her niche in the music world and constantly paying for music downloads while she makes up her mind about what she likes, is a little outside my budget.  Hence, this great “life hack” to getting free music – new music - legally.

Just follow the steps and VOILA – you can fill up your ipod, laptop, or CDs with all the songs you want!

Nutella Popsicles

The kids and I are always looking for something new, fun and simple to try in the kitchen that won’t cost a lot – and this recipe is no exception.  It’s cold and chocolaty, it’s easy and delicious!

Just whisk together 1 cup of cold milk with 1/3 cup ofNutella.  Once it’s combined, pour it into a set of popsicle molds – we bought ours at Ikea for $1.00 and this recipe made exactly 6.

Clearly, this recipe is a hit and one we will be making more than once during the upcoming summer months!

Kids FREE At Cameron Park Zoo

There are lots of places that offer coupons for anything and everything from free food to free admission – you just have to look.

Currently, Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas is offering FREE admission for any child with the purchase of an adult ticket.  Just follow the link and print out the coupon (which is good until March 31, 2016).

And remember, tightening your budget doesn’t mean you have to cut out all forms of entertainment.  You can still take your family out and not have to break the piggy bank!

50 Cents Or Less....Free Is Best

That is my family’s shopping motto – everything we buy, we try to get for $0.50 or less and free is definitely best!

While it may sound like an unachievable goal, it really isn’t as difficult as you might think.  Do I ever go over $0.50?  Of course, but I do my best to get as close to it as possible OR I look at the item, the size of the item, the original retail price and how much of a savings I am able to get.  Sometimes, all of those factors added up together, make it worth paying more for.

All you have to do is pay attention to sales and your coupons – before you know it, you will see how easy it is to stock up on tons of products and never pay more than $0.50 for each item.  Here are some examples of things we have purchased for $0.50 or less:

Each of these 2 liter bottles were only $0.50 a piece at Wal-Mart after coupon

.Each of these bags of Haribo gummies were only $0.49 a piece at Wal-greens with their sale price and a coupon.

These cans of shaving cream were also only $0.49 each at Wal-greens with their sale price and coupon.

Examples of items we have paid more for would be something like this:

Based on regular retail price at Wal-mart, we paid $0.98 for each four pack after coupon.  Still not a bad stock up price!  So take a little time, do your research and build your stock-pile for next to nothing!

Hotels Serve FREE Breakfast

So the kids and I made it to our mini vacation destination – we decided to take a trip down to the Houston and Galveston area in the great state of Texas and our hotel of choice ended up being the Super 8.  While it’s not an expensive, up-scale hotel, it’s affordable and clean.  But the real selling point for me was the fact that they offer complimentary breakfast for all guests.  That’s right….FREE breakfast!

The hotel offers cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, honey buns, toast, sausage biscuits, instant oatmeal, orange juice, apple juice, milk, coffee, hot cocoa, tea, and Texas shaped waffles that you make yourself so that they are fresh and piping hot! Everything you need to feed your family a good healthy breakfast which is the right way to start your day and it costs nothing!

So when making any kind of travel plans, look for a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast……it’ll be one last meal that you’ll have to pay for.

Visit Hermann Park In Houston, Texas For FREE Culture

Parks are great – they make for a fun, inexpensive day and can be found in every city or town.  So if you’re planning a short “get-away” for you and your loved ones, take a minute to research their local parks.  You might be surprised at what they have to offer. Such was the case for us when we decided to visit Hermann Park during our mini-vacation to Houston, Texas.

Hermann Park turned out to be a VERY large park made up of 100’s of acres.  There are picnic tables throughout, so do like we did and take some lunch – then have a seat and enjoy some time together as a family in the outdoors.

There are playgrounds, a splash pad and works of art where ever you look.  So not only did we get our exercise, we got to enjoy nature, the fresh air and we got a little culture courtesy of the various artists who’s works are displayed in the park.

And the best part of it – the whole excursion was free – there is no entry fee and parking is free.  Definitely a great day for all of us.

Houston Museums For FREE

If you’re headed to Texas or looking for someplace fun and inexpensive for vacation, check out the great city ofHouston.

Houston has a wonderful Museum District that houses everything from a Children’s Museum to a Fine Arts Museum to a Museum of Natural Science  – and they are fantastic!  But the best part of these museums is that they have FREE admission on Thursdays!

Some of them offer free admission for the last three to four hours of the day, while the Museum of Fine Arts offers free admission from open to close.  This makes it really easy to visit two of these superb attractions in one day for budget-friendly culture.

Earn Money Grocery Shopping

No matter what we do, we HAVE to go grocery shopping – so why not earn some extra cash on the things you already buy.

With Checkout 51 you can earn money on the brands you love buy uploading copies of your shopping receipts.  Each week Checkout 51 posts a new shopping list with the amount of money you can earn by purchasing that item.  After you’ve reached a total of $20.00, you can opt for them to send you a check or make a deposit into your Paypal account.

Ibotta is another app that allows you to cash in by uploading copies of your shopping receipts.  But they give you the option to cash out after you’ve earned $5.00 or you can choose from a variety of gift cards!

So check out these apps/sites and earn money while you spend money on the things you need.

Coupon Policies

When shopping with coupons, it’s very important that you take the time to read over the store coupon policy – and if you are like me, someone who shops at various stores on a regular basis – it’s a definite must to familiarize yourself with all the coupon policies.

You should not only read them, but print them out and take them with you when you go to that store.  Believe it or not, but a lot of cashiers are not familiar with the policies that are in place.  You are not only helping yourself, but helping the cashier by having the policy with you.  If the cashier is still unsure or if you are still having issues, then by all means, calmly ask for a store manager to clear up any misunderstandings.

If you are curious about your store’s coupon policy, and you see it provided here, just click on it and you will be directed to the corresponding site – and if you still have questions, don’t be afraid to ask.

• Target Coupon Policy
• Wal-greens Coupon Policy
• H.E.B. Coupon Policy
• Wal-mart Coupon Policy
• CVS Coupon Policy
• Family Dollar Coupon Policy
• Dollar General Coupon Policy
• Dollar Tree Coupon Policy

Now that you’re informed – get out there and save some money!!!!

Cartwheel – Mobile Savings App By Target

Have you heard of the fabulous mobile savings app by Target?  It’s called Cartwheel and if you aren’t using it – you should be!

Cartwheel has hundreds of offers and they are constantly adding new ones.  It allows you to pick items you want or need and save percentages off.  But the best part about it is that you can stack your Cartwheel savings with manufacturer’s coupons and Target coupons (either printed or mobile).  It even gives you the option of pulling up the Cartwheel on your mobile device or printing it out for the cashier to scan.  It doesn’t get any easier than this when it comes to saving money!

Panera - Pricey But Good

We decided to treat ourselves to a restaurant we have not yet been to – Panera Bread.

This restaurant is still fairly new to our area so the line was to the door but the view was tantalizing.  We could see all the fresh pastries and breads lined up in the counter and back wall.  It definitely had our stomachs grumbling.

My son had the kids Classic Grilled Cheese with a yogurt stick on the side and a cup of their hot chocolate that is topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and chocolate chip marshmallows!  He was in heaven!

My daughter opted for a Pick 2 meal and went for the Cheddar Broccoli Soup and Chicken Tortellini Alfredo with a baguette on the side and some Acai Berry Iced Tea to drink.  Not a crumb was left!

I decided on a Pick 2 meal as well and chose the Creamy Tomato Soup and Fontina Grilled Cheese with a baguette on the side.  To drink I picked the Tropical Hibiscus Iced Tea. Again, the plate was cleaned BUT not by me!  I ate my sandwich but ended up sharing my soup and baguette with my son!  He is a picky eater but the minute he tried their tomato soup, he was hooked!  He dunked the rest of his grilled cheese and half of my baguette into it.  Before I knew it, he finished the cup!

And for an afternoon treat, I picked up three Cinnamon Crunch Scones to take home.  We paid $34.00 for everything which is a bit pricey for soup and sandwiches – at least to me it is – BUT, the food was all very good, very homey, very comforting and the best part…..my kids ate it and enjoyed it.

It’s not someplace we can afford to go to often but it is someplace we will go to again!

Crockpot Potato Soup – Easy, Inexpensive and Delicious

I’ve been on the search for crockpot recipes for about two years now but I haven’t really come across many that my kids would eat.  My daughter would probably eat most of them but my son is very picky so that makes it more difficult.  The second issue I have is that so many recipes call for “pre-cooking” of things BEFORE you throw them into the crockpot and that is not what I’m looking for.  If I’m going to use a crockpot, I want it to be a recipe that I throw everything in it uncooked, frozen or raw and let it cook.

The other night I decided to try the Easy Crockpot Potato Soup recipe that I kept seeing on Pinterest and WOW, what a hit!  It was so easy and pretty inexpensive (this whole pot cost me $8.00 total).  But the best part – both my kids ate two big bowls full and my picky son said that he would eat a third if he had any room left but the poor little guy had already eaten so much that he looked like he was going to explode.

I will definitely be keeping this recipe handy and we will be making it again.  So if you’re looking for something easy, inexpensive and delicious that will either feed a lot of people or give you plenty of leftovers, give this no fuss, no muss recipe a try.  

Easy Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 30oz bag frozen hasbrowns
• 48oz chicken stock
• 23oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsley

Place the frozen hashbrowns into the crockpot, pour the chicken stock over them, then add the cream of chicken soup and sour cream to the crockpot.  Next, add the black pepper and parsley.  Cover and cook on low for a total of 6 hours.  After it’s been cooking for 5 hours, add the softened cream cheese and let it “melt” into the soup.  Serve and enjoy!  Feel free to top it with bacon bits, shredded cheese, green onions, chives or anything else you like.  Personally, we topped ours with some shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.