Frugal Tips Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Online Day 2 – Plink

May 3rd, 2013 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Welcome to Day Two of our 31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Online series.

Today let’s talk about Plink.

Plink is a new Dining Out rewards program which allows you to earn online rewards for dining out and shopping offline.

How to Earn:

Earn points with Plink by selecting where you want to eat or shop and adding those offers to your ‘Plink wallet’. Plink will activate those offers on your credit or debit card. You can even earn points multiple times per location.

Right now, when you sign up through this link, you’ll earn 300 FREE points when you register a card.

What You Can Earn:

Click on the ‘Rewards’ section of the Plink site to check out their current rewards – iTunes , Amazon, Walmart, Kohls gift cards and more for as low as 500 points.

Tips:

Be sure to link up the credit/debit card that you typically use when eating out/shopping.
Use your referral link to refer your friends. Get 100 points per referral that successfully joins (up to 50).

Click here to sign up for Plink.

Note: In case you are worried about adding your credit/debit card, you can head over here to check out their rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Check out my Intro to Earning Free Money Online post for even more tips on making the most of this series.

Next up:

Day 3: Earn PayPal Cash with MySurvey

31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Online Day 1 – MyPoints

May 2nd, 2013 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Welcome to the first day of our 31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Online series!

I’m starting the series with an oldie but a goodie: MyPoints.

I’ve been with MyPoints for about 7 or 8 years now, and I credit them with giving me my first glimpse into the world of earning extra cash and gift cards online. Seems like a a good place to start!

How to Earn:

Earn points with MyPoints by reading e-mails, signing up for offers, taking surveys, and shopping through their site.

What You Can Earn:

Click on the ‘Rewards’ section of the MyPoints site to check out their vast array of rewards from an extensive list of merchants – PayPal cash, Amazon gift cards, restaurant and retail shopping gift cards and more. Over the years, I’ve redeemed my points for hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards.

Tips:

It takes some time for your points to add up, but check your emails daily for points-earning opportunities. I’ve earned most of my points from the emails that give me 5 points simply for clicking the offer.
Check their easy points section which offers points for things like signing up for newsletters and taking surveys.
I don’t recommend spending money to earn points unless it’s for something you planned on purchasing anyway.
Use your referral link to refer your friends. Get 25 points per referral and earn 10% of their eligible points.

Click here to sign up for MyPoints.

Check out my Intro to Earning Free Money Online post for even more tips on making the most of this series.

Next up: Day 2: Earn a FREE $5 Amazon gift card when you sign up for Plink

New Series 31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Online

May 1st, 2013 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

I am excited to announce the start of a new series that I’ve been working on behind the scenes.

I am a BIG fan of finding creative ways to bring in extra income each month. In fact, I’ve been a member of online rewards programs and survey companies since before either of those was cool. 🙂

The way I look at it is this:

We all spend time online – why not earn cash for doing so?

My goal with this series is to introduce you to my favorite online methods for earning some extra spending money each month. You may already know about some of them, but I think everyone will be introduced to something new.

My hope is that by the time the series is done, you’ll know which ‘free money’ opportunities are your favorite!

Before we jump in, I recommend checking out my Intro to Earning Free Money Online post. It will give you some great tips on making the most of this series.

Paper Coterie: FREE $40 Credit (New and Existing Users!)

October 11th, 2012 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Update: Paper Coterie just posted this on their Facebook page:

Hey Coterie it looks like the code for the offer is having some issues. While we are looking into it please use the code FBFOURTY1 instead to get your order through.

Woo hoo! Paper Coterie is again offering a FREE $40 credit and it looks like this offer is valid for both new AND existing users! I’ve heard so many good things about this company and the quality of their products. Plus this is a great way to cross a Christmas gift (or two!) off your list. Just use coupon code FBFOURTY1 at checkout to get $40 off. You’ll still pay shipping — which is around $7-$10.

These gift tags are sold in sets of 12 and priced at $7 each. You could order a total of 60 just for the cost of shipping!

These desk calendars could make a fantastic gift for the grandparents. They are priced at $25, making them FREE after credit! This code is only good through October 14, so head over and use your $40 credit soon!

Rue La La: FREE $10 Credit For New Members!

August 23rd, 2012 By Meagan
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

RueLaLa.com is again offering a FREE $10 credit for new sign-ups. Your credit should show up within 48 hours of signing up. This offer is available through 8/31/12. Your credit will expire 9/30/12.

Not familiar with Rue La La? They offer daily deals on home decor, household goods, travel and more. (In fact, I just used some items from their site to re-decorate my office!)

This free credit will no doubt score you something very cheap, so I recommend snagging it while you can!

Guest Post: 5 Fun and Simple DIY Ideas on the Cheap!

July 27th, 2012 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Chances are if you follow any of the DIY blogs out there, you’ve heard of Beckie from Infarrantly Creative. Beckie is actually one of my besties from college so I can always say that I knew her first! I know you’re going to love the DIY tips she has for you today. They are easy enough for a craft-impaired person like me and even better, they are super cheap!

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Hello Cha-Ching readers. I am Beckie, fellow frugal momma and one of Kaley’s best friends from college. I know all her dirty secrets including how she loves a pair of overalls! I blog at Infarrantly Creative where I showcase DIY projects, craft ideas and simple frugal decorating. I thought I would show off you some of my projects that are sure to get your penny-pinching self inspired.

1. Wipes Container Reuse – they aren’t just for wiping children grime away. Reuse them to store some plastic bags and toss them in your car, closet or office.

2. Cereal Box Crafts – Stop the “Mommy I am bored,” this summer with some fun ways to upcycle your cereal boxes. Notepads and postcards!

3. Paperbag Pinata – Trying to create a memorable birthday party on a budget? How does a $2 piñata sound to you?

4. Paint Stick Jewelry Organizer – You know those 5 gallon paint sticks that you get free at any big box store? Put them to use by screwing hooks into them and then utilize some closet space to organize your bling.

5. Birdseed Wreath – Grab a bag of birdseed and a bundt pan and make a wreath that is sure to attract pretty birds to your yard. These make great hospitality gifts and they are cheep cheep to make (sorry I couldn’t resist…)

For more cheese ball writing and a whole bunch of tutorials come join the ranks at Infarrantly Creative.

Learnvest: FREE 10-Day Budgeting Email Course

July 11th, 2012 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Update: No longer available.

Right now Learnvest is offering a FREE 10-day email course to help you get your finances in order.

It’s a 10-day free email course, one email per day, with lots of advice, free finance calculators and inspiration to work on budgeting.

I signed up and am really enjoying the tips showing up in my inbox each day.

Click here to sign up!

Couponing 101: The Razor and Toothpaste Learning Curve

September 17th, 2010 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Would you like to have these great deals delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to our email digest. Or if you use a feed reader, subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for stopping by!

Before the couponing bug hit me, I used to think that clipping coupons was a BIG waste of time. Any time I gave it a go (which was approximately twice) I ended up purchasing brand name items I didn’t need and paying more than I usually pay.

Once I started playing the game, I realized that if you play your cards right, you can easily score items for FREE or nearly free. It meant buying items I didn’t necessarily need when I had a coupon that matched with a sale. This practice is called stockpiling and it is the best way to get items at rock bottom prices.

At first, I bought A LOT of razors. And toothpaste. (To think that I used to pay full price for razors and toothpaste…OY!) But the razor and toothpaste coupons were plentiful and so were the sales!

Soon my closet was overflowing with these items. (Is this sounding familiar to anyone?) It’s nice not to have to pay for shaving and toothbrushing, but I was hoping to learn more–like how to not pay for eating and drinking and mortgages and such.

What I didn’t realize at that time is that there is a learning curve when it comes to couponing. If you stick with it long enough, you begin to learn the ebbs and flows of sales and when to use this or that coupon. You begin to learn when it’s a good idea to invest in a coupon clipping service. You even begin to learn when it’s a BAD time to use coupons. You also learn that sometimes it’s okay to buy 10 boxes of cereal. Eventually someone will eat them.

It’s been 2 1/2 years of couponing and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.

I thought I’d share a few of my deals that I scored in the past couple of weeks as a case in point:

Kellogg’s Cinnamon Corn Flakes (4 boxes) – got PAID $2

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (4 boxes) – $0.50 each

Fuze drinks (3) – FREE

Cheerios (4 boxes), Trix (1 box), Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (4 cans), Pillsbury Sweet Moments – $0.01 ea.

Green Giant boxed vegetables (10 boxes) – $0.18 ea.

Penn Maid Cottage Cheese – $0.49

Coffeemate Creamer – $0.49

Combos, Nabisco cookies (single serve – 6 pks.) – FREE

Trident Gum (3-pk.) – FREE

Birthday cards (2) – FREE

Dentyne Gum (single pack) – FREE

Schick Hydro Razor (2) – FREE (yep–I still love me some FREE razors!)

Holsum Bread – FREE

Let me be clear.

Not every week is a couponing high kind of week. Some weeks the deals are lame. Other weeks I don’t have time to hit more than one store. Some weeks, I make an Aldi run and call it a week.

But weeks like this are becoming more and more common for me and let me tell you–it’s FUN. (Can I get an amen?!)

Now about that mortgage… Anyone know of any coupons?