Thursday, March 31, 2011

Time for Spring Cleaning - Your Finances

So many of us are familiar with the idea of spring rolling around and picking up the feather duster (really? does anyone really own one of those?) and getting those nooks and crannies taken care of. You may do the windows or flip the mattress, or just other minor details that are not part of the regular cleaning schedule. What about other areas of your life? Let's look at a few ways you can spring clean your finances.

  1. Re-evaluate your budget. This is something that needs to be done from time to time anyway, so why not sit down with your spouse and seriously plow through it. Talk about what is working and what is not. See if there are any changes you can make from the last time it was modified. Make sure you are massaging it to work for you the best possible way.

  2. Check out your insurance policies. Can you drop your full coverage (we just did!)? Have you lost weight and might benefit from letting your life insurance carrier know this? Do you need to add life insurance now that you've added a new baby to the family?

  3. Revisit your beneficiaries. Make sure all of your insurance policies, 401k, etc have the correct beneficiary info on them in the event your unexpected demise (isn't that a happy thought?)

  4. Do you need those subscriptions? Are you using Netflix? Do you find yourself always returning those Featured Movies because you forgot to decline it? Do you actually read that magazine? Can you downgrade from a daily paper to Sundays only? Take a look at all of those things you get charged for monthly without a thought.

  5. Can you close any accounts? A lot of people only accounts with online banks that offer $25 FREE UPON SIGNUP and never use that account. Take the money out and close the account. You aren't using it and it's just something else cluttering up your life even when you give it no thought.

  6. Re-evaluate your financial goals. Will you pay off your debt sooner than expected? Make sure there is a plan to make that happen. Are you now debt-free and need to start saving? Make that change NOW.

  7. Clean out your personal finance records. I'm not saying trash everything, but make sure everything you are keeping is all relevant and stored together in some order that someone other than just you can decipher. Keep tax documents. Throw out ATM receipts. Shred any documents that are going to be trashed.

  8. Automate OR Unautomate your bills. What?! I know...sounds crazy. For those of you who are always paying your bills late, set up automatic bill payment with your bank. Of course, you'll have to make sure the money is in there when the bill is due, but you won't ever pay it late again. I would be shocked if your bank does not offer this. For those of you who cannot keep track of your money because it is automated, unautomate it and return to writing and mailing checks, or just manually paying bills online. This sounds crazy I know, but different strokes for different folks, you know. Make sure your system is working for you. Also--automate some money into your savings and/or retirement accounts while you are at it. You'll get to where you don't even miss it and your older self with thank you!

  9. Start your Christmas/birthday fund. I know it is hard to think about it now, but if you start saving for those special events now, you'll find that you are not stressed about where the money will come from when the big day arrives.

  10. Run one of your credit reports. I do this every 4 months so that annually I have check all three reports throughout the year for free as I'm entitled to. I discuss that more here if you want/need details.

  11. Close open accounts. Do you have store credit card accounts that are empty and need to be closed? I know, you'll reduce your available credit but you'll also reduce your chances of having your identity stolen. Since I wouldn't recommend closing them all down at once if you are concerned about your FICO score, go ahead and close all of the small ones now. The others can be closed as you pay them off if you desire.

  12. Shop for better service. Whether it be for your technology package, your garbage, your cell phone or your lawn service, call around and see if your provider still has the best price for the service. Do the same with your banking service.

  13. Check out your investments. Look at your IRA or 401k and make sure you are invested where you need to be. If you still need to throw some money into your IRA to claim it for 2010 taxes you have until April 15th, so make sure that happens.

  14. Evaluate your tax withholdings. By now you've probably done your taxes (if not, just do this step as soon as they are done) and you know how your withholdings compared to what you owed. Make any adjustments needed to make sure you don't owe next year or don't get as huge of a refund (unless that's just your thing).

  15. Look for things to sell. Look! This one cleans up your house and your finances! Find things around your house that are glorified paperweights. If you use your treadmill as a clothes hanger, put it up on Craigslist. If you have baby gear and no more babies, take them to consignment. If you have clothes that you just cannot or will not wear, take them to consignment or even donate them (get a donation receipt if you can). If you have a baseball card collection sitting in the spare bedroom in boxes and it hasn't seen the sunlight in 15 years, put that sucker up on ebay. This will free up some physical space in your house as well as give you some cash to apply toward your financial goals.

So take advantage of the warmer weather and breathe some fresh air into your finances!


Do you have any other suggestions?


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

One Additional Entry into Open Giveaways

Do you want an additional entry into each and every giveaway that is currently open?

If so, take this survey and then leave a comment on each giveaway you want another entry for stating that you took the survey. Don't leave the comment here because it won't be counted as an entry if it is left here. However, feel free to comment here just because you love me and want to tell me that. =)

If you don't want to enter any giveaways, go ahead and do the survey anyway. It will help me figure out what you want to see in the next giveaway series!

Thanks for helping me provide more items that YOU want to win.

Tuesday Free For All - 03/29

More free stuff here! If you are looking for the giveaway linky, scroll to the bottom of this post. Happy freebies grabbing and sweepstakes and giveaway entering! FREEBIES:
SWEEPSTAKES:
GIVEAWAYS: Don't forget to enter the giveaways I have open now...
House of Jerky Sampler - 3/31 Isabooties Infant/Toddler Shoes - 3/31 Janey Mac Vinyl Wall Decals - 3/31 Rowboat Card Game from Moosetache Games - 3/31

*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, PointClickHome, Elle, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Deal Seeking Mom, Couponing 101, Free Sample Freak, The Good Deal Gal, A Few ShortCuts, Better Homes & Gardens, SwagGrabber, Mommies with Cents, & "Deal"icious Mom Photo credit: Lulu Vision

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Weekend Round-Up #76

I am spending this weekend with some friends from out of town. We are playing host to them in our beautiful city during some beautiful weather. Jealous? It's okay if you are...I would be. =)

Since you aren't here too, here is some reading I would receommend.

FINANCIAL:

FAMILY/LIFE:


FAITH:


FUN:

Photo credit: danagraves

Friday, March 25, 2011

Spring Fever Friday! It's Giveaway Day and Winners Announced!

Okay, so scroll down and enter any/all of the four giveaways that will be open today (Friday) through Thursday! Make sure you enter by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday to get your entry in. Also, make sure you follow the rules of the giveaways or I will have to delete your entries (and I hate doing that, so please don't make me!).

Good luck!

And now for the winners:

Drumroll please....

Winner of $25 Prize Pack from Bugalug:



Comment #162: Andrea B said... Follow Bugalug on Twitter @dearandrea


Winner of ChopSaver Lip Balm:



Comment #32: Downright Domesticity said... Following you on twitter! @Perfect5thGDAE


Winners of 4 Bars of Dragonfly Soaps:



Comment #207: trishden said... Hello, the four soaps I would love are One Summer Night, Lemongrass Gardener's Scrub, Tea Tree With Rosemary and Tangerine Moisturizer Bar Soap. Thanks for a great giveaway!


Comment #171: sandyandcosmo said... Lemon Chiffon sounds good to me!


Winner of $25 GC from Executive Gift Shoppe:



Comment #101: sarahespn said... Following on twitter!


Winner of YogaToes Gems:



Comment #19: Anja M. said... I like YogaToes on Facebook.


Huge congrats to all of the winners from the third week of the Spring Fever series of giveaways. Now, go enter the last four of the series, which will be open through the evening of Thursday, March 31th!

Spring Fever Giveaways - Moosetache Games! CLOSED

Our family is nothing if not a gaming-loving brood. Seriously...board games, video games, card games, outside games, puzzles...you name it, we love to play it. And we love to win. But our competitive nature(s) are a topic for another day. When it is too cold, too wet, too hot, or we are just too tired, we pull out a game and commence in a fierce competition. I learned this as a child, and we are passing along our favorites to our kids as well as learning some new ones that have popped up since our childhood. I have always loved card games. As a child, my mother feared I was going to grow up to be a professional gambler because I could shuffle and deal out a serious game of anything from a young age. So when I got a chance to review Rowboat from Moosetache Games, I was thrilled at the opportunity to learn a new one to obsess over. Info: Rowboat was named Family Card Game of the Year Runner-up by GAMES magazine and is continually receiving quality reviews both online and in print. You only need to google "rowboat card game" to see some of them. You can also watch this video to see how it is played:
The Review: One evening after the kids were in bed, Chip and I pulled out Rowboat and decided to see what this game was all about. It took some time and a few re-reads of the instructions to make sure we were playing it right (clears throat...to see who was playing it wrong was more like it). I kept getting hung up on the different card suites since I was an avid card-player my entire life. As time passed though, I became more and more familiar with the suites and by the end of the game, I hardly noticed they were different than a standard deck. This game and its bidding revealed a lot about our personalities. I mean, I know us both...I know the gaming side of each of us, but this game left no guessing as to how we liked to play. Chip is more of a gambling man, making high bids that sometimes seem nearly impossible to reach. When he wins, he wins big. But of course, he does not win much of the time because of this. I am more of a conservative bidder. I bid aggressively only when I feel justified and not in the hopes of getting lucky. I am more of that slow and steady wins the race type of player. I have to say that once we got the hang of this game, we thoroughly enjoyed it. This is one we will definitely share with friends on game nights and will teach our children as they get old enough to understand it. All in all, this one gets a hearty two thumbs up from Chip and me (if you could see us, we're competing to see whose thumb is higher). Buy It: Visit Moosetache Games and pick up your own copy of this game. For less than $15 you can invest in many, many nights of family fun! How much more frugal and practical can you get?! Win It: Moosetache Games wants to offer one of my readers a chance to win this awesome game for their family. Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered): Follow Moosetache Games on Facebook OR Twitter for the first entry. Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):

  • Tell me your favorite game (card, board, etc) now or when you were a child.

  • Follow them on BOTH Facebook and Twitter for an additional entry

  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).

  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.

  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.

  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)

  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.

  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)

  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments

  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.
Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen. I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Spring Fever Giveaways - Janey Mac! CLOSED

Ever since being introduced to vinyl decals used in home decor, I have been in love! We recently replaced some old homemade "art" above our headboard with a beautiful quote. We've gotten a lot of really great compliments on it. And I love it myself and that's what really matters, right? Well, in trying to figure out how to "complete" our little girl's room, I thought vinyl decals would be the perfect fix. They are easy to apply, easy to remove, and add a fantastic splash of color to a space at a perfectly reasonable price. And since you apply it yourself, you can totally determine the look and feel of the decor based on placement. Love it. Janey Mac is a fantastic resource for finding decals for your home. You can choose from a variety of patterns and themes as well as words and numbers and even personalized names and monograms. There is so much to choose from that appeals to the eye, you could really spend a LOT of time there just window shopping, choosing, and planning! And since their items come in your choice of 35 different colors, I know you can find something that would be PERFECT for your home!
Don't you just love everything you see?! There is plenty more to see though if you visit Janey Mac for yourself! The Review: As I mentioned above, I thought our daughter's room was in serious need of more wall decor, so I decided to use Janey Mac to help with that project. I chose their Modern Butterflies in Barbie Pink to accessorize her room. Her walls are yellow and her bedding is full of butterflies in bright pink yellow, and aqua blue.
The butterflies were a perfect match to her room. Although you cannot see her bedding, you can get a glimpse of the butterflies by looking at the coordinating curtains in the picture (and ignore all of the junk on top of the chest of drawers). These were so easy to apply. They came on one sheet. It took me about 60 seconds to cut the page into individual butterflies, 30 seconds to sort into right-facing and left-facing butterflies, and another 60 seconds to decide where I wanted them all. After that, a whopping three minutes to position and fully apply the butterflies. If you haven't been doing the math along the way, that is a total of 5-1/2 minutes to finish this job. And since it isn't like paint that requires a drying time and contains fumes, I did not have to keep our little darling out of her room after the application. I took her into her room to show her the butterflies and she immediately started saying "Bub-bies! Bub-bies!" along with "Ooooh!". She wanted to touch them. I had the forethought to position a single butterfly by her doorway at toddler level, so she can pet it and kiss it as much as she wants.
She now regularly says "Hi Bub-bies" to them and waves. So they are obviously a hit with her. And they are with me as well. Although I don't pet them and speak to them, they definitely make me smile and really added that punch of color and decor that I was looking for in her room. Thanks, Janey Mac for having just what we needed! Buy It: Visit Janey Mac and find so many things that would really add a spark to your home! And then buy some of them! Win It: Janey Mac wants to offer one of my readers a $25 credit to shop at their online store. You can use this to purchase something in its entirety or as a $25 discount off of a more expensive item. Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered): Visit Janey Mac and tell me your favorite decal(s).

Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):



  • Follow Janey Mac's blog and comment here that you did.

  • Like Janey Mac on Facebook and let me know here that you did.

  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).

  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.

  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.

  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)

  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.

  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)

  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments

  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.


I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Spring Fever Giveaways - Isabooties! CLOSED

Our daughter loves shoes. No, wait. That would be a huge understatement. Our 20-month old daughter truly has a relationship with her shoes. All shoes, but especially her own. Every evening she pulls at least half of her shoes out of her closet and brings them (usually one at a time) into the den to put them on. Since she cannot put most of them on by herself, we go back and forth putting some on, swapping them for others, and having her scream at us because although she wants our help, she wants to do it alone. She. loves. shoes. And I really cannot blame her, as she has some adorable ones. Including some that we received from Isabooties to review. Isabooties is full of adorable soft-soled shoes for tiny feet. In a search for pre-walker shoes that were both good for the feet and good for the earth, the creators could not find what they were looking for. So they created them! What resulted were shoes that are soft and comfortable, easy to put on but hard for little ones to pull of, machine washable AND dryable, breathable, durable, skid-proof, and fade-resistant as well as absolutely adorable. That are 100% animal free, formaldehyde-free, and are made in the USA with fair labor. What we have is Isabooties. These shoes are absolutely adorable. I mean, just look at them!
And there are so many others to choose from! You MUST check them out! The Review: We received the Ballet Criss-Crossers in Cotton Candy. Let's just say that I should have looked at the sizing chart more closely before requesting our Isabooties. Although I knew Abigail's feet were on the small side, I had no idea just how small! I requested the 18-24 month size thinking they might be a little large, but she'll have time to grow into them and wear them for a little while. Well, I might have to wait until next year for her to wear them! Looking at the sizing chart, I should have ordered her the 6-12 month size! Yikes! Oh well...we will hang onto them and she can wear them whenever she does grow into them. In the meantime, she still enjoys putting them on and prancing about in them. And they are still adorable! Buy It: Visit Isabooties and pick up some for a baby gift, birthday present, or an Easter basket addition. Win It: Isabooties wants to offer one of my readers their choice of size and style of shoe for their little one! Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered): Visit Isabooties and tell me which style is your favorite. Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):

  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).

  • Like Isabooties on Facebook and let me know here that you did!

  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.

  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.

  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)

  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.

  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)

  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments

  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.


I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Spring Fever Giveaways - House of Jerky! CLOSED

One of Chip’s all-time favorite snacks is beef jerky. It is his go-to snack when we are traveling and stop at a convenience store. He usually gets some in his Christmas stocking as well. So when we got the opportunity to review and offer a giveaway for some jerky, I knew it was a perfect fit for our family.

House of Jerky not only offers top of the line Beef Jerky, but also Buffalo jerky, Venison jerky, Ostrich jerky, Wild Boar jerky, and Turkey jerky as well as elk, alligator and salmon. Seriously? Ostrich?! Wow. They brag that the jerky is “made the old fashioned way, sliced from lean whole premium top round steak. It is not ground, chopped, processed or formed into strips.” This is the real deal, folks.


In addition to offering a wide variety of delicious and well-made jerky, you can find recipes on their website. That really blew my mind, as I had never thought of using jerky in a recipe of any kind. These people are all about opening my mind to a new world that they are obviously very passionate about.


House of Jerky is also a big supporter of our armed forces. They offer a 15% discount on all orders shipped to APO addresses as well as encourage people to adopted a soldier, as they have done. Additionally, you can donate only $10.50 at their storefront and they will match your donation and cover shipping so that 4 soldier will receive ¼ of jerky for your small donation. What a way to show our troops we appreciate what they are doing and give them a bit of a reminder of home.


The Review: We received a junior variety pack to review. It included Jerky in the following flavors: Natural Beef, Black Pepper Beef, Teriyaki Beef, Hot Beef, Sweet & Spicy Beef, Black Pepper Turkey, Teriyaki Turkey, Buffalo, Venison, and Wild Boar. Chip was excited and intrigued. He tore into them immediately. So quick, in fact, that I was not able to get a picture of the varieties that we were sent.


His first comment was how impressed he was with the leanness of the jerky. He and I both hate fat all through meat and he was so excited that there was no fat to chew through in this jerky. The vacuum sealed packaging kept the jerky so well preserved that it might as well as been fresh off of their processing line.


Buy It: Visit House of Jerky and pick up some for your favorite jerky-lover or for our troops! Standard shipping is free and there are several great offers going on right now that you should check out!


Win It: House of Jerky wants to offer one of my readers the same Jr Variety Pack that we (well, really Chip) reviewed. That's a $36.99 value and some really interesting and unique choices!


Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered):

Visit House of Jerky and its storefront and tell me what you would choose if you could only order one.

Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):



  • Fan House of Jerky on Facebook and comment here that you did.

  • Follow House of Jerky on Twitter and leave a comment here that you are.

  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).

  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.

  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.

  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)

  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.

  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)

  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments

  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Newton's First Law of Personal Finance

I have decided why so many of us have such a hard time living a financially healthy lifestyle.

We are terrified of change.

No, not that jingly stuff that your kids beg from you to throw into a fountain (do your kids do this? Ours do and I LOVE this innocence!).

I mean that most of us, by nature, resist change. Seriously…even Sir Isaac Newton knew this. In his first law of motion, often referred to as the Law of Inertia, (see, this is the geek in me coming out to play), he stated that An object that is in motion will not change its velocity unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. (not a direct quote, mind you, but an application of the law).

So we happily plug away in whatever direction we set out on because change is so hard.

It takes guts to look at your financial situation honestly. To face the truth of how much you make and how much you spend as well as how much you owe, and weigh out the imbalance of it all…it’s often humbling, embarrassing, and depressing. And none of us are really big on feeling that way. It’s easier to ignore it and play along. At least for now it is.

It takes gumption to go against the norm, and if you plan on living a financially healthy lifestyle (you know, below your means and with a plan for your money to work for you now and in the future), you WILL have to go against the norm. You will not be able to keep up with the Joneses. You will not be able to compare your newest tech toy with your neighbor. You will not get to discuss the latest movie in the theaters with your coworkers. You will have to explain to your children why they simply cannot have a particular toy. It doesn’t really feel good at first. You will feel different…and that is unsettling for most of us.

It takes courage to change your ways. Not only will you have to stop being like others, but you will have to stop being like the person you have previously been. Not only can you not buy the newest toy, but you might have to sell some of the previous models just so you can have some cash to pay down your bills. You will have to stop enjoying nice sit-down lunches with coworkers in exchange for a bagged lunch brought from home full of leftovers of the home-cooked dinner from a previous night (that’s right…you’ll be cooking at home too).

But you know what? You can do it. You see, Newton did not say that it would be impossible to change directions. It just takes an unbalanced force to change the direction. That force could be a blog post you read, it could be a neighbor’s repossessed vehicle, or it could be something more personal, like a job loss or a large unexpected medical bill. If you’re lucky, it will not take something that drastic to turn you around.

I have some really good news for you:

That Law of Inertia…it works both ways. The turning around is the frightening part. It is scary. It hurts. It depresses. But once you accept it, the freedom is yours to be had. The power you gain by sending in more than minimum payments and watching those balances shrink is amazing. Once you are headed down the road to financial independence, once you experience the freedom of paying off that credit card, once you feel the release of actually OWNING your car, it will take a lot to turn you back around again.

So if you haven’t done it yet, make that turn onto the road of financial freedom. That is the direction that you will want to be traveling so that your speed and momentum can grow and you can live independently. You will then be able to truly thrive.

Photo credit: blackcat79

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

WFMW - Promoting Your Giveaways and Linkies

Sorry I'm a bit late to the game today. Crazy day, I tell you!

I have a few Go-To locations for linkies and listing to promote my giveaways. I just wanted to take a brief moment to share those with you. Maybe you're new to giveaways and don't know how to promote or maybe you just are looking to expand. OR maybe you have a linky and want more people to list their giveaways in it! Either way...check out these locations to see all of the many, many places around the internet to promote your giveaways!

Savings Lifestyle Linky List (Formerly MommySnacks)

Cuckoo for Coupon Deals Giveaway Linky List

Blog Giveaway Directory Squidoo Post of Giveaway Linkies

My Four Monkeys (underneath each week's Monday linky)

Audrey's Giveaways List

So whether you are trying to advertise your giveaway or looking for somewhere to promote your linky, visit these sites and take full advantage!

Promoting my giveaways through (most of) the linkies list above really works for me! Go visit We Are THAT Family to see what works for everyone else!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tuesday Free For All - 03/22

Back with a full post of the Tuesday Free for All! If you are looking for the giveaway linky, scroll to the bottom of this post. Happy freebies grabbing and sweepstakes and giveaway entering! Be sure to visit those sites (listed at the bottom of this post) that post these originally so I can share them with you.

FREEBIES:

SWEEPSTAKES:

GIVEAWAYS:
Don't forget to enter the giveaways I have open now...listed on my right sidebar at the top!




*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, PointClickHome, Elle, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Deal Seeking Mom, Couponing 101, Free Sample Freak, The Good Deal Gal, A Few ShortCuts, Better Homes & Gardens, SwagGrabber, Budget Help$, Mommies with Cents, & "Deal"icious Mom

Photo credit: JeanineAnderson

Monday, March 21, 2011

Our Computer Hates Me

A few days ago I was trying to log on to my Twitter account and this is what I got:




Yep...that's our computer saying, "I hear you, but I just don't feel like doing what you'd like right now."

Thanks.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Weekend Round-Up #75


This week's round up isn't exactly short, but probably would have been longer if I had not been away from my reader for 4 days and had to clean it out by skimming through all of the (probably great) posts that came through during that time. Oh well...send me a good link if you think I missed it this week!

Don't miss the chance to win some of my candy at Moms Review 4 You (ending tonight!) and Audrey's Give Aways!


FINANCIAL:

FAMILY/LIFE:

FUN:

Photo credit: scragz

Friday, March 18, 2011

Spring Fever Friday! It's Giveaway Day and Winners Announced!

Scroll down and enter any/all of the five giveaways that will be open today (Friday) through Thursday! Make sure you enter by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday to get your entry in. Also, make sure you follow the rules of the giveaways or I will have to delete your entries (and I hate doing that, so please don't make me!).

Good luck!

Okay, now for the winners of the previous 4 giveaways, which ended just before midnight last night.

Winner of Adorable Little Me giveaway:
Comment #142: pmj said...
entered village crafter


Winner of Monster Factory giveaway:
Comment #144: Mandy said...
I like monster factory on FB


Winners of The Village Crafter giveaways:

Winner of Necklace:
Comment #80: Diana said...
I entered Suzie's armoire giveaway

Winner of Cards:
Comment #99: charisma said...
Following via GFC publicly as Dana Beeman.M.


Winner of CakeFace Soaping giveaway:
Comment #116: Hoa said...
Liked your blog on FB: Hoa Lea


Winner of Suzie's Armoire giveaway:
Comment #55: jhitomi said...
entered for hair accessories


Huge congrats to all of the winners from the second week of the Spring Fever series of giveaways. Now, go enter the next five, which will be open through the evening of Thursday, March 24th!

Spring Fever Giveaways - Yoga Toes Gems! CLOSED

Oops! I accidentally posted this a few hours early. But I won't punish the people who have already entered, so it gets an extra few hours released!

Back in November I introduced you to YogaToes, a fantastic way to work your feet into great health while you stay off of them. Well, that review and giveaway was popular as people were introduced to a great new product.

Now I would like to introduce you to a new line of YogaToes for 2011 - the YogaToes Gems! The Gems are the "lite" version of YogaToes and focus on comfort and ease of use. These beauties are so new that you can't even find them on their website yet, so this is really an opportunity for you to snag a product as it is being released!

YogaToes spread, stretch and exercise your toes all while you relax. They strenthen foot muscles and work to align your foot structure properly. You circulation is also improved by using YogaToes. In fact, problems "like Hammertoes, Bunions, Plantar Fasciitis, Crossed Toes, Poor Circulation, can often be improved and avoided with YogaToes." YogaToes Gems are created to deal with toes that are a bit more problematic or people who have issues so severe that using the original version is difficult. The Gems are more flexible and the open tops of the design make putting them on much easier.

Great news is...they are just as effective as the original! You can find more information about the entire family of products on the YogaToes blog!

The Review:
Just like the original YogaToes, using the Gems was like a workout for my feet. After a long day on my feet, these Gems would manipulate my toes in a way that once I removed them, I felt like I had a good stretch first thing in the morning...you know, the kind like children and cats have.


I like that these are more flexible than the originals and although I did not have any issues putting my toes in the originals, I can see where some people might. The open-top design is definitely a plus in my book! And the soft gel-like substance these are made of are much less abrasive than the original. All in all, I think this model is a definite improvement over the original!

Good foot health is so important for everyone and too often people find themselves in uncomfortable or even painful situations before they consider the well-being of their feet. Since they carry us about all day, why not take care of them better?

Buy It:
Well, you'll just have to wait until they are released to buy the Gems, but go ahead and pick up one of the other great versions (Original, Sport, or Sensation) as well as other items over at YogaPro now!

Win It:
YogaPro wants to offer one of my readers their very own YogaToes Gems!

Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered):
Visit the YogaToes website and tell me something you learned or another product you would consider purchasing.

Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):
  • Like YogaToes on Facebook and tell me here that you did.
  • Follow YogaToes on Twitter and leave a comment telling me you do.
  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).
  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.
  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.
  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)
  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.
  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)
  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments
  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 24th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Spring Fever Giveaways - Executive Gift Shoppe! CLOSED

You probably have someone in your life who you buy gifts for that has an office job. Whether it be a home office, a mobile office (yep...out of their car) or a traditional office, there are some tools that, although are not necessary, just add a bit of personalization to a workspace.

Executive Gift Shoppe is a site you should consider the next time you need to buy a gift for that person! From briefcases to clocks, from jewelry to travel accessories, they have you covered. You can also find some "manly" gifts like barware, game room items, groomsmen gifts, and some sports themed items as well. Additionally there are food and drink items that would make fantastic wedding and/or housewarming gifts as well! And the great thing is...many of the items are able to be personalized...for FREE!



Executive Gift Shoppe is an all-around great gift-giving website!

The Review:
Executive Gift Shoppe sent me a business card holder to review for this giveaway. Although I regularly work in a male-oriented field I like to add a little "girly" into that whenever I can. This new Multi-tone Pink Crystal Business Card Case will certainly do that. Chosen from their line of personalize-able business card cases, this one will certainly draw attention from my male counterparts and make them realize that I like to stand out in my work.


This case is a great size and will hold plenty of cards. It will fit easily into my purse and would do the same into a man's pocket (for those non-sparkly non-pink varieties that the boys might want to carry around). It is engraved on the back with my name (not shown here) and really is a great not-necessary-but-certainly-fun item to jazz up my work experience. I plan on using it for my etsy shop cards!

Buy It:
Visit the Executive Gift Shoppe and find the perfect gift for someone on your list! You can get free shipping on orders over $75.

Win It:
Executive Gift Shoppe wants to offer one of my readers a $25 Gift certificate to shop around at their site for that perfect item.

Mandatory Entry (must be completed before any others are considered):
Visit Executive Gift Shoppe and tell me one item you would consider buying from there.

Additional entries (leave one comment for each additional entry):

  • Fan Executive Gift Shoppe on Facebook and comment here that you did.
  • Follow Executive Gift Shoppe on Twitter and leave a comment here that you are.
  • Follow my blog (via Google Friend Connect in sidebar or RSS at top of blog) and comment telling me you did (or that you already do).
  • Fan Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Facebook and comment here that you did.
  • Follow Mrs Nespy's Frugal World on Twitter and leave a comment that you do.
  • Promote this giveaway via your blog (post the URL in the comments)
  • Promote/link to this giveaway via Twitter (post your tweet in comments) - one post per day. Leave a comment with each tweet you make.
  • Link to this giveaway via Facebook (leave a link in comments)
  • Enter any of my open giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered) - tell me which one in comments
  • Grab my Mrs Nespy's Frugal World button (right sidebar) for your blog - leave me a comment to tell me you did so.

Giveaway Rules: Giveaway will run until March 24th at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. US only. Commenter must either leave email address with each comment or make sure email address is attached to your profile. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to return contact before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with samples of this product to review. My opinions are purely my own and not influenced in any way by the receipt of the free item(s).

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Blog Archive

 

Mrs. Nespy's World | Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial License | Dandy Dandilion Designed by Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates