Hello Fresh

Of the four meal programs I tried, Hello Fresh was in my top two (enter code J8M7HX
for $40 off your first box). I have to say they had the best packaging and organization of all the programs! Everything came well labeled and in neat little boxes separated by meal. It made cooking SO much easier!

Here are a few quick pointers, some pro and some cons, of Hello Fresh

Absolutely  LOVE the packaging and organization! 

• Good variety of menu choice, however not as many as Home Chef (Click here for $35 off a Home Chef Box!)
• Great packaging and organization
• Meals were delicious and fairly easy - like Home Chef I'd like to see more difficulty range
• Recipes could have been a little better, I noticed a few areas where steps could have been changed to make the process faster. 
• Amazing portion size! Ordered the two person program, and we still had enough for our toddler to have dinner! 

I would order from here again - the price is about the same as other programs - and the food was worth the money spent. Food was good, the choices all for you to try new items but within a comfort zone. Nothing "too" weird or complicated! 

If you only want to try Hello Fresh once, it's very easy. You can cancel at any time, or skip weeks to fit your needs. 

If you're interested in trying Hello Fresh (and you should!) enter this code to receive $40 off your first box! J8M7HX

A note to all of the dinner subscription box programs: ENOUGH with the kale and roasted veggies! Change things up a bit! 

Current Baby Clearance Deals from Meijer

Currently, we're expecting another little one (mid February) So I hung around a Meijer store in Michigan today and found a few really good deals!

• Clearance clothing has an additional 25% off! This includes Carter brand, I snagged sleepers for under $3! 

• Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper pail - 50% off - making it $14.99! Refills are also on clearance. 

• Several Playtex Brand bottle nipples on clearance

• Summer infant Swaddles  - pack of two clearanced at $10 for two! 

• Huggies diapers - not on clearance but when you buy $30 in Huggies (diapers, wipes, training pants, or Little Swimmers) you receive a coupon fro $10 off your next purchase! Make sure you separate your purchase if you plan on buy $60/$90/$120 etc in Huggies as only one coupon will print!  Pair this with $2 off coupons from Coupons.com or Huggies.com if you're a member. This is also a GREAT way to earn some Huggies Reward Points! 

• Don't forget to check the end caps of the isles as there are several random clearance items in these areas, including Gerber brand 2pk sleepers. 

Ibotta

Have you tried Ibotta? I've saved $550 since I've been a member! You can stack these digital coupons with mperks, Kroger Coupons, Target Cartwheel, or any other coupon! Once you've saved $10 you can transfer your savings to PayPal (to your bank), or redeem for one of several gift card options!

Here is my personal invite link - https://ibotta.com/register?friend=3ttzwq&fb=invite

Saving and Free Stuff

Recently, I've had a few people ask how I'm always getting free samples, free stuff, special coupons, etc. There are a few sites I use regularly. I'm listing them bellow for your enjoyment.



Coupons.com is one of the best for simply clipping coupons. I also use Redplum and Smartsource. Also, The Krazy Coupon Lady and a great directory of where to find printable coupons around the net. For Michiganders, A Mitten Full of Savings pairs coupons with sale items at Target, Meijer, and Walmart. She also posts contests from time to time for gift cards and what not! Like A Mitten Full of Savings on Facebook for easier access.


Check for Apps! Mperks and Target Cartwheel are amazing! With Target Cartwheel you can use your Red Card to save 5% on top of the Cartwheel savings. You can also use one manufacture paper coupon and one Target paper coupon. Can you say holy savings!? Both of these are                                                            available online and via smartphone app.


My favorite all time app is Ibotta. You simply go to the store and shop as normal, use coupons if you wish. Ibotta posts offers for specific items. It's great! You scan your receipt and scan the bar code on the specific product and walla! Savings! You then have the option of transfering the money you earned to a paypal account or onto a gift card for specific retailers.

For freebies and samples I use FreebieShark. It's a new website I recently found, but holy crap! They have a database of where you can find free samples and sweepstakes where you can win free products! If you like them on Facebook you can stay up to date easier. Recently I was able to sign up for 2 full size Mary Kay lip gloss, free Wheat Thins, and free Oreos! It might require a little effort, like Tweeting something - but it's totally worth it!



Finally, INFLUENSTER! Sign up, review products, earn badges, and hopefully you will qualify for a Voxbox! These boxes contain full size products for you to test and review. Complete the VoxBox tasks on their site after you receive the box to possibly win more free stuff! Recently I won a years supply of toothbrushes and two full size toothpaste!


Don't forget to check out the websites of your favorite brands! They will often post coupons and special offers! Use their contact us links to send feedback, sometimes they will send coupons!

IT'S COMING!!

Black Friday! It's almost here! Here are a few things I have been doing for maximum savings! 

I follow a few blogs which help match up deals in major chain stores. One popular site is The Krazy Coupon Lady. I also follow A Mitten Full of Savings which is very helpful. She also has a popular Facebook Page. While this blog is more local for me, she also posts online deals and where to find 'freebies' online! online!

Target Chartwheel which gives you 5% or more on items and you can use it more than once. You can use this with your Target red card (gives you 5% off), Target coupon, and a manufacture coupon! 

I also use Ibotta a lot  and you can use this on top of the Target savings, too!  This is one of my favorite apps. You can use this with manufacture coupons ANYWHERE and cash is deposited into your PayPal account! You can also choose to have your money deposited onto a Starbucks or itunes card! 

Retail Me Not has had some awesome savings/codes. And there's an app so you can use it in stores now, too! Go HERE for the mobile app!

For Holiday cards (if you still need them) Shutterfly has awesome deals. I liked they're Facebook page, the post a lot of promo codes. I've had uber savings!

Snapfish has a promo code for 50% off: 50HOLIDAY and it's good through 12/15




Don't forget to check your local ads for Deals. It helps to make a list of what items in the ads you're going to purchase. List which store it's from and the sale price. Go online (and check the apps and sites above!) and match the deals with more savings!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

PSA

As a mom, I try to save money the best I can. I use coupons, I sign up for rewards programs, and I acquire free samples when and where I can.

Recently, I signed up for a site call "Influenster". It's pretty neat  - you get opportunities for "VoxBox"s where you get to try free stuff. Part of the requirement for being eligible for more free stuff is posting reviews from time to time on my blog. If/when there are readers out there - you can read these post and the product reviews. Otherwise feel free to skim over them!