Have you tried Jingit yet? You NEED to!

If you haven't signed up for Jingit yet, you are missing out on a very easy opportunity to make some extra cash! I was turned on to Jingit by fellow blogger, Sarah, and within days I had made just under $10 and had a Visa debit card in my hand where I could access the money on my Jingit account. It doesn't get much better than that!

Signing up was simple, you can link it to your Facebook account. To begin earning money, you watch the videos that are available. The payment for each video varies, some only pay a few cents, but they are quick and painless, it doesn't take long to be amassing real cash. The Jingit site is not your only way to earn. Walmart often has Jingit offers on their webpage and various products and retailers offer Jingit cash from their websites. 

One of the most fun ways to earn Jingit cash is through check ins with your smartphone. Once you have downloaded the Jingit app, you will be able to access the check ins around you. Generally the check ins pay more than the videos. Once you choose the store you are in, you will be given various opportunities, most require you to scan the item, some require a few questions answered. It's like a scavenger hunt in the store, plus you are earning money while you shop! 

I plan to save my money for the upcoming holiday season, I figured that if I made the max allowed every week, which starts at $10 but can be raised through referrals. Then I will have $40 a month, so quite a chunk of money by the time gift giving season rolls around. Who can't use extra money this time a year? 

FREE Opportunity for Bloggers!

Here is another FREE event for bloggers worldwide!

Participate in I Heart Giveaways and The Coffee Chic's upcoming $100 Paypal Cash Giveaway.

One winner will get a chance to win $100 Cash sponsored by Emperola!

All you need to do is to make an announcement about the FREE sign-up on your blog. This is a good way to gain more followers on your Facebook page. Co-hosting spots are also available! Click here or on the banner above to sign-up.

Walgreens starting their own reward program!

It's been a while, I know. I have to confess that during the summer my fishing time greatly increased and my couponing decreased. I guess we could say I was exploring other ways to live frugally and I plan to share some of them with my readers very soon!

The news that Walgreens was starting their own rewards program excited me. Walgreens is one of my favorites, if the THE favorite store for bargains. I think I enjoyed the challenge of couponing at Walgreens because you could score amazing deals but it took a little brain power. Walgreens Balance Rewards program begins on September 16, 2012 and you will need to be part of the program to access the weekly sales. It looks as if you accumulate points for each purchase and certain other activities, such as filling prescriptions and you can redeem those points for Redemption dollars, which I assume are similar to Register Rewards. The example given was 5,000 points equaling $5 and 40,000 points equal to $50. You can also earn points for programs such as Walk with Walgreens. Also similar to Register Rewards, you will not earn points for purchases where Redemption dollars are used. The complete rules and fine print can be found here.

Like any of the reward programs that seem to be offered everywhere we go these days, it appears that the Walgreens program will take some getting used to and some time to iron out any kinks that arise. I didn't find any information on how this program will affect the sales and promotions Walgreen currently utilizes, such as Register Rewards. I am unsure if Balance Rewards will be in addition to or in place of that program. I can definitely see a benefit in storing Register Rewards on a store card rather than printing them out and handing them to each customer. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

You can sign up for the Walgreens Balance Rewards program at any store or through your online account. Right now they are running a promotion which enters you in a contest for one million Reward Points for signing up online. It also gives additional entries for each referral. Signing up now will save you time when you pop into the store on the 16th or after and need the card for your purchases. Until your card arrives, they give you the option of using your phone number to access your savings. They also offer iPhone and Android apps to track your rewards and sales!

AstroBrights-Amazing Paper and Fun Contests! Win for your family, win for your school!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Astrobrights Papers by Neenah Paper for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When you want to make something that stands out, whether it is a flyer, a sign, an invitation or perhaps a note for your family, you need to put it on something that really pops. AstroBrights Papers come in 26 bold and eye catching colors which ensures that your creation will never go unnoticed. Your projects aren't limited to mere paper with AstroBrights, there are also envelopes, cardstocks, posterboards, and easel boards, so the only limit is your imagination! How about origami? The gallery of Astrobrights on Facebook is full of fun ideas that transcend the flat dimensions of a flyer or invitation. 

This year AstroBrights is sponsoring the "Give a Brighter Year" sweepstakes on Facebook. Each entry gives you a chance to win $30,000 for your favorite K-8 school and a $500 gift card for yourself! Winning is as simple as filling in your name, address, and other contact information. For a second entry, there are four short questions about your uses and preferences when it comes to colored papers. Easy enough for such a generous prize!

Need an activity idea for your family? AstroBrights has a variety of design challenges in the "Make Something Astrobright" contests on  Astrobrights on Facebook. The current challenge is "Get Colorful" which invites us to create fauna using AstroBrights paper. To enter you simply upload a photo of your creation from your computer or personal facebook page. The winner of this challenge recieves a $200 Visa Gift card. Two more challenges follow this, so get your creative juices flowing and make some paper art!

AstroBrights is present on all social media channels. The AstroBrights Pinterest page is a visual feast of creativity. You will find a myriad of ideas for not only crafts but decorations and gifts. They also maintain a tools and tips board! What are you going to make today?

BOGO plus 15% off for rewards members at Famous Footwear.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Shoes were on my mind today. Small shoes. As I prepare for my little one to go back to preschool, I was sorting through his stuff and making a mental list of everything we needed. Shoes topped the list as he had a massive growth spurt this summer and only has sandals that fit him currently. I was absolutely delighted to come to my computer a few moments later and find an email about Famous Footwear's current sale.

By printing theBOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon, I will be able to not only pick up a pair or two that my son needs, but likely I will find shoes for the entire family. The coupon is good from 8/2-8/18, so there is still plenty of time to get in and get your back to school shoes before it expires and school starts here. 

Last time I was in Famous Footwear, I was very happy to find the setup was easy for shopping, sizes were clearly marked, the aisles were wide enough for our stroller, and the sales people were not only helpful but one of the girl's stood and entertained my wiggling toddler while I tried on a pair for myself.

There were a myriad of styles and brand names, so it should be simple for a family to find shoes for everyone from their toddler to fussy teens. If you want a shoe that is not in the store, it can be ordered from the Famous Footwear Website and shipped to your local store for free!

Best of all, Famous Footwear offers a free Rewards Program, signing up with this offer scores you an additional 5% off. That's BOGO plus 20% off! That should create some space in your back to school budget! The rewards program offers 1 point per $1 spent in-store or online and you can accumulate points to earn certificates for up to $100 a year. There are also special members only discounts and perks throughout the year. 

With savings like these, it would be silly for the frugally conscious family to pass up Famous Footwear for their back to school shopping!

The Value of our Dollars

I try, to the best of my ability, to support local businesses with my tightly budgeted dollars. I try to encourage others to do the same as I believe the money is better spent within our community. Just last night I ran into an issue with a local business that made me examine this practice. 

When spending your dollars locally, how many of you consider the practices of the business owners, or their individual viewpoints? I know many people who boycott this chain or another because of their business practices, but how often does a local business fall under that same sort of scrutiny? I know of people who will support a local business, even if the business is ineffective or inferior, simply because it is locally owned. How are we benefiting our community by doing so?

In the local publication that I support, Kent Patch, there was an article about a local business that was shutting down for a couple of months due to the construction in the area. It was a relevant article and important for our community because of all the hype and popularity of the construction and the new businesses that were just getting established around the construction. I've visited more than a few of the new businesses and had been planning a trip eventually to the business that was closing. Upon first reading I simply thought it was a shame that the construction and lack of parking situation was so bad at this time. 

Later, I revisited the article because of the sheer number of comments it was receiving. I was appalled to find the business owner responding with absolute venom to even the slightest criticism of his establishment. The people commenting were those who had visited and making such comments as a certain dish was bland or that the prices seemed a bit high for what they received. Another former patron related an uncomfortable incident that had happened in the restaurant where he had witnessed the owner berating an employee in full view and hearing of the patrons. Though the owner denied that the incident ever happened, I found it hard to credit his denials when tempered with the petty insults and vitriol he was spewing at every commenter. Even before he attacked a dear friend of mine, I had decided to vote with my dollar and not visit his establishment. 

After a night of back and forth, with the owner digging himself a deeper and deeper hole, the majority of his comments disappeared. There were a couple of half-hearted apologies posted all accompanied by excuses as to why his behavior should be discounted. They were excuses such as he is from Boston and apparently in his opinion, his responses are typical of the average Bostonian. His most disgusting excuse, however, came in the form of defining what he terms a 'customer' to be. In his point of view, the people of his community commenting on his behavior are not his customers because they currently do not have a foot inside of his business. He did not address the former customers who had commented, nor did he address the idea that his community is full of potential customers, he simply excused his behavior by discounting everyone as non entities. "Here, no matter how many words you type trying to convince otherwise, you are not a "customer", past, present, or future. You are just...someone with a keyboard." He then went on to offer a $20 gift card to anyone who walked into his (now closed) business to give their comments to him personally. He assured us that if we did this, we would be treated like family. 

Unfortunately, this is not the only example of questionable behavior by a local business owner that I have come across. I have blogged in the past about an employee (who was possibly the owner) of a store who was cursing and raving at full volume while I and at least two other families browsed the store with our young children. I desire to live frugally AND support my community as best I can. I look for deals at local businesses and make sure people know when I find them. But I also feel that allowing individuals who do not value their community to prosper simply because they are local does us all a disservice. 

Local businesses are under a keener microscope than large chains. They have a smaller market and can not afford to alienate a segment of the community. I would think such businesses would focus on the strengths that small places have over chains, individual attention and customer service. I can, will, and have spent a bit more on something that I knew I could get at Walmart simply because I valued the service I received at a local business. I wonder how many others of my community do the same. This should be at the forefront of every small business owner's mind and something relayed to their employees. People will vote with their dollars, especially in such hard economic times, if they can get a similar item elsewhere without insult, hassle, or discomfort, they will go.

Many many years ago, I started as an eager teenager working one of my first jobs at Sea World Ohio. We had classes on customer service and were reminded incessantly that customer service was the key to success. They threw statistics at us such as for every negative customer service experience a business loses twenty five customers through negative word of mouth publicity. In my teenage mind, this seemed so silly, such an exaggeration, but in today's world of blogs, Facebook, texting, and tweeting, it wouldn't take a business more than a couple of minutes to have a negative experience reach 25 or more people. That's publicity that a small business can not afford. 

Does Couponing Add Up to Much? One blogger's perspective.

I found this blog post through our local coupon group, Portage Coupon Clippers, and found the numbers and philosophy in the article to be of keen interest. Next time someone asks you if couponing is really worth it or tells you that they don't have the time to coupon, here are some facts to toss their way!

From Mom's Couponmatic "Doing the Math on Coupons":

Clipping coupons hardly sounds like the subject of high finance–or even medium finance. Save a dollar on cat food, some detergent or a couple of boxes of cereal. Who can be bothered? Who has the time? A growing number of people, it turns out. And they're shrewder than it may at first appear. The Great American Coupon is making a big comeback–thanks to the Great American Recession.

We redeemed some 3.3 billion coupons last year–a remarkable 27 percent leap from 2008, and the first year-on-year increase in 17 years, according to a report issued at the end of January by Inmar, a coupon-processing agent. (Online coupon use skyrocketed–companies issued twice as many as in 2008, but redemptions rose 360 percent.) The big upturn took off in October 2008, just after Lehman went belly up. At first blush you can see why coupons fell out of fashion for so long–and why so many consumers still ignore them.

You have to make time to visit a coupon Web site or collect the flyers from your mailbox, the supermarket or newspaper inserts. You need to sort through to find the ones you want, cut them out, stick them in your purse or wallet–and remember to use them when you are at the cash register and you are trying to remember whether you bought everything on your shopping list and where you parked the car.

Average saving per coupon: Just $1.44, according to the Inmar report.

But let's treat this low finance topic for a moment the way we treat high finance. Let's subject it to the same math.

How long does it actually take to clip and use a coupon? Certainly the more you use, the less overall time you will spend per coupon, because so many of the costs–getting flyers, sorting coupons and so on–are generalized. Let's assume you spend a minute per coupon.

Saving $1.44 for a minute's effort is the equivalent of saving $14.40 for 10 minutes'.

Hourly rate: $86.40.

Maybe this would be as good a time as any to point out that the typical American working stiff–those lucky enough to have jobs right now–climbs out of bed each morning, goes through the miseries of commuting and endures the daily grind at the workplace for about $20 an hour.

Furthermore, money saved comes with an additional benefit. Unlike the money you earn at work, it is tax free. No payroll taxes. No federal or state income tax.

If your marginal tax rate were, say, 20 percent, you would have to earn $108 before tax to take home $86.40. If your marginal tax rate were 30 percent, you'd have to earn $123.

Very few of us ever do this kind of math, because we tend to treat low finance differently from high finance, and small sums differently from big ones. No wonder, even today, 99 percent of coupons are thrown away unused.

Yet finance isn't a separate topic from the rest of our personal lives. For all of us, our scarcest resource is time. Putting the right value on it, and putting it to the most productive use, is a financial challenge, as well as a personal one.

And the individual amounts of money may seem small, but they prove the old adage about tiny acorns and mighty oaks. Someone who saves $25 a week will save $100 a month, and $1,200 a year. Over a lifetime that can easily grow to $100,000 or more–even after accounting for inflation.

If motivation is an issue, the next time you find yourself facing a stack of coupon booklets and flyers don't ask yourself if you can be bothered. Try asking yourself if you'd like to earn more than $100 an hour for a job you can do, at home, while sitting on the sofa watching TV.