You Can Get Freebies and Coupons Pro Actively!

Shh! Big Insider Tip...

You CAN Get Coupons or Even Freebies

Just By Seeking Out Your Fave Companies/Products!

I didn't realize this was even possible... seeking out and getting coupons and such from companies when they weren't doing freebies or coupons..  Then, I saw Couponing to Disney's 5 a Day Mailing Campaign.  Some days, she will highlight several companies and include their contact info for you. Then, you are supposed to send the company an email.  Thank them for a promotion. Compliment them on their company/product. Gush about your love for the product, etc. 

Be genuine. Don't necessarily ask for a coupon or freebies. Be polite. If you have a concern or genuine complaint, let them know nicely.  If you have the "option" of putting your mailing address, DO THAT. You NEVER know what will show up in your mailbox as a result.

For example, I wrote Kelloggs a lovely, genuine email thanking them for all their movie ticket and concession cash promotions last year.  Thanks to them, my husband and I got to have a FREE date on our anniversary.  We each got FREE Movie tickets, and a total of $20 in Concession Cash.  All thanks to a deal I worked to get about 10 boxes of specially marked Kelloggs cereals for around $9 out of pocket.  I thanked them for my anniversary date with my husband. 

In response, they sent me SEVERAL vouchers for FREE Kelloggs items, up to $5 in value ea.  I used these to get Special K Protein Shakes. (Yes, these did Beep for me at the check out, but the vouchers said ANY KELLOGGS brand item, and Special K is Kelloggs, so the store took it no problem.)

My point is that if you seek out the emails of the companies and products you love, you might be surprised by what shows up in the mailbox at home.  Another friend of mine does this when her printer is out of ink. She just starts mailing companies and requesting mailed coupons.

Do NOT say "You sent my friend freebies and I want some too." That is off putting.

Want to start the way I did with Kelloggs? Go HERE and look on the right where it says Request More Information and follow their steps.   

I took the time to link it, so please let me know what response you get!! :)  

Good Luck! Let us know which companies send out freebies, etc!

Take the Family to the Movies on the Cheap!

Going to the Movies These Days is Not Cheap

Here are Some Ideas on How to Save on a Fun Family Trip to the Theater

Taking my family of 5 to the movies can take quite a bite out of our monthly budget.  5 tickets and popcorn can run us $80!  We could buy a bunch of movies for home less than that. And, with the growing popularity of services such as Netflix for about $10 a month, it hardly seems worth the cost to go to the theater. However, sometimes, you just have to go see it on the big screen.  The question is, how can you save money when you go to the movies?

I have some ideas:

1.  Check out various companies that offer rewards for buying their products.  Kelloggs is pretty good about offering point codes on specially marked cereal boxes, etc.  You then enter these points into your online account and redeem for Concession Cash or Movie Tickets. Check to see if your theater participates.  When you can coupon and get Kelloggs for 75 cents-$1.50 a box, this can really be a great deal.  I worked these deals a few months ago and spent about $9 out of pocket for more than $35 worth of movie tickets, concession cash, and got about 7 boxes of Kelloggs too!  Go HERE for current information about this promotion. This deal must be done by June, so go check it out today.
2. PopTarts by Kelloggs has a similar promotion. You get points for trying new flavors. Codes are on specially marked boxes. We love Pop Tarts, so this was an easy deal to do.  Go HERE for more info. This promotion ends in September.
3. Save time and make sure you get your ticket before they sell out. Check out Fandango for discount movie ticket promotions too!  Go HERE  to see if there are any current promotions that would work for you.  Also, Google Fandango Discount Code any time before you buy and see if you can get an even better deal.
4. Months ago, Groupon had a hot deal: $4 for a movie ticket on Fandango.  You could only purchase one per account. I got one on my account, and my husband got one on his. They expire this month, so we are looking at taking the kids to the movies for Valentine's Day.  This deal is gone, but the point is to keep an eye out for these deals.
5. Check out your movie theater's website for deals, offers, or coupons.  Regal even has a customer loyalty program. Go HERE to see Regal's site. OR, google your theater for their site. 
6. Pampers Gifts to Grow Program sometimes has Movie rewards you can redeem. Like THIS one for free popcorn.
7. Heck, even My Coke Rewards has gotten in on the Movie rewards scene. Go HERE for an example.
8. Check sites like Ebay for coupons and passes.
9. EMAIL the corporate entity that owns your local theater. Tell them about an experience you had there, be complimentary. Tell them about your family's budget and love of the movies. Who knows, they might send you some vouchers for tickets or concession!
10. Not a couponer? Maybe try taking the extra time to coupon for a couple weeks. PAY YOURSELF in a jar or "excursion fund" the amount you save off your budget by using coupons. When you have enough money, go to the movies.
11. Keep blogs like mine, Couponing To Disney, and Totally Target on your Facebook wall. Every now and then, you will see some good coupons for the movies show up! 
12. If all else fails, go to the first showing of the day for the cheapest tickets. Buy the big expensive popcorn and get tons of napkins to divvy it up! These tubs usually come with a refill.  When you have a large group, this is the most economical way to get popcorn.  Share a drink... get the large and ask for some water cups so you can divide it up.  A friend of mine takes donut holes (the kind  that come in a large plastic cup from Krispy Kreme) to the movies with her. They fit right in the cup holder. I am not endorsing sneaking food in... I do it sometimes. But I worked at a theater and know the real money for the theater comes from concessions, not the tickets. Crazy, right? Those movie actors have to get paid somehow.. lol. But really. To sneak food in or not has to be a personal decision!).  *I did enjoy those donut holes at the movies though! Shameful as it was!! :) 
13. *You can go to special family showing events. These are often during the summertime and usually on a weekday. They show an old movie, family friendly, for like $1 a person. Some theaters show movies for $3 a person, but that includes a teeny popcorn and drink. Ask your theater about this. I tried it one time and was a bit discouraged. It was really crowded with tons of field trip students.  Every area is different, so give it a try if you like.

You can take your family to the movies. It may take a little effort and creativity. But you can do it.  I think we paid $2 out of pocket last time we went. We had enough Kelloggs Concession Cash and tickets to pay for tickets, popcorn, and drinks. My husband had to buy his candy, so that is why it was $2. 

Know a way to go to the movies on the cheap? Let us know!

*As always, pay attention to the fine print on all the programs and coupons,etc.

Quit Tip: Change Your Coupon Perspective & Get What You Really Want

Take a Moment, Run the Numbers, and Work the Deal to Get What You Really Want!

Did you know that you can turn seemingly random and unrelated deals into the things you REALLY want? All it takes is a little creative thinking. Change the way you coupon. You know, the straight-forward perspective, and really think about what you could do with any given deal.

Recently, I turned my cereal coupons into a free date night with my husband. Date night comes few and far-between. A usual date night to the movies, for example, can run us more than $66! With three small children to care for, that is an indulgence we don't often enjoy.

However, I found that Kelloggs had a really wonderful promotion going on: Buy specially marked boxes of cereal, enter the code inside the packages into your account online, redeem for prizes (including various movie tickets and concession cash). I checked the list of participating movie theaters, and mine was one of them!! So, I set out on a mission.

And, Target came through for me, big time! They ran a whole bunch of "Buy 3, Get the 4th  Free" on the Kellogg's cereals. Since this was a store promotion, you could stack a Target coupon and a Manufacturer's coupon on these cereals. I bought tons and tons of different Kelloggs cereals. This was fine, because my family of 5 eats a lot of cereal, and everyone has their flavors.  I made sure to buy the cheaper boxes and use lots of coupons. I ended up spending about $9, getting my cereals for 75 cents a box, or less. 

Then, I went and redeemed my codes for 2 Free Movie Tickets and $20 in Concession cash to buy popcorn with! We waited for a visit from Nana so that we could get free babysitting too.

We paid another $2 to cover the extra candy my husband wanted to go with his popcorn. (I think we used the tickets and such to go see Inception).

Summary: We spent a total of $11 out of pocket. We got more than 10 boxes of Kelloggs cereal, and about $38 worth of movie theater money. Had I not used coupons, all that would have cost us $25 for the cereal and $38 for the movie = $63 (oh and another $2 for the candy, so $65.)

What if you don't eat cereal? Do the math: Spend $9 on Cereal, get $38 worth of Movie Tickets and Concession Cash, FREE!  Why wouldn't you work that deal? Donate the Cereal! You still "make" $29 working a deal like this. 

All it takes is a little creative thinking!