They changed their programs late last year, but there are still benefits to using a Starbucks card.  After you receive a card, the first step is to register it at Starbucks.com.  As soon as  you register your card, the benefits start.

Once you register, you’re at the Welcome Level. This level provides you with:

• free drink on your birthday
• free wi-fi (2 hours / day)

After you earn 5  stars (or 5 items purchased), you receive:

• All Welcome level benefits
• free flavored syrups and soymilk
• free refills on brewed coffee.  (Now, some literature states that you receive free refills on tea as well, but a store recently told me it was only good for coffee.  Since I don’t drink coffee that was annoying, and I’m not sure if individual stores decide whether or not to provide tea refills.)

At 30 stars, you are at the Gold Level.  Gold Level rewards include:

• All Welcome and Green Level benefits
• Personalized Gold Card and welcome packet
• Exclusive offers and coupons
• FREE drink with every 15 additional stars!

It pays to continue using the same card when you purchase items at Starbucks.  If you receive a card as a gift, you can transfer the balance at the Starbucks site.  If you’re going to spend money there anyway, you may as well earn rewards! I’ve never had a problem with them loading the card for me before I made a purchase if it was close to empty.

I’m curious — what’s your favorite reward card? Starbucks and Paradise Bakery are mine!

How can the average mom compete with that?  Usually, we can’t!  What we can do is  make our Thanksgiving table look great without paying an arm and a leg, though.

Inexpensive items from the local discount store and things found in nature can be combined to create an elegant yet inexpensive Thanksgiving table. Here are some decorating aspects to focus on that will save you the most money while spiffing up your Thanksgiving table at the same time:

Linens
Tablecloths and napkins can be prohibitively expensive, but if you’re only using them on special occasions, you can get away with cheaper options.  Dollar stores often carry lovely tablecloths at a fraction of the price that you would pay at a high-end department store.  They might not last as long as more expensive ones, but if cared for properly and only used for special occasions, they will stay in good shape for several years.

You can find inexpensive cloth napkins at some dollar stores as well.  You should also check outlet stores for discontinued or slightly blemished napkins.  You even find deals on coordinating tablecloths there, too.  Lastly, if you’re good at sewing, you may even consider making your own tablecloth and napkins.  This allows for a truly unique look that could also become a wonderful family heirloom later.

Centerpieces
A pretty centerpiece adds a nice touch to any table.  For Thanksgiving, you can make one at very little cost with items found in nature.  Mini pumpkins, squash and other fall vegetables can be arranged with nuts to create a delicious centerpiece.  To really bring a finishing touch to the centerpiece, you could find an inexpensive cornucopia at your local craft store and put these items in it.

Fall flowers also make wonderful centerpieces.  If you grow your own, simply pick some in various colors and arrange them in a vase. You’ll have a beautiful, fragrant centerpiece at no cost whatsoever!

Of course, there probably won’t be much room left on the table for a centerpiece by the time you put all the traditional Thanksgiving food on it.  If space is a concern, taper candles are a simple yet elegant alternative.  You can find  candle holders at discount stores at very reasonable prices.  By placing leaves or gourds around them you can create an elaborate look without taking up too much room.

A beautiful Thanksgiving table isn’t necessary for enjoying the delicious food set upon it,  but it certainly adds a nice touch to the holiday and lets your guests know that you value their company.  With a little imagination, you can decorate the table and still have plenty of money to spend on dinner.

Which is where FreeShipping.org comes in. This site has free shipping coupons to 1717 stores right now! No matter what online retailer has your necessary gifts, chances are they have a free shipping code to help save you some money.

They break down their listings alphabetically by store, as well as by category. You can sign up for email alerts for new coupons added to their site. They even have a section which allows you to compare prices, to ensure you are getting the best possible deal. (Which brings up another reason I like shopping online — I don’t have to get back in my car and visit different stores to find the best prices!)

Have you started shopping yet? How much more do you have to do? My goal is to be done by December 1 this year — so I can bake and play all through December and not worry about shopping and wrapping!

Flexible Dates:
One thing that many travelers don’t think of is changing their dates of departure. This can make a huge difference in your fares. The day before Thanksgiving tends to be the most popular day for departure, so leaving two days ahead of time could possibly save you money. And if you’re willing to catch a flight on Thanksgiving Day, you could save big bucks since there won’t be many people flying. Fly back on the following Monday or Tuesday, and you could also save money on your return trip.

Comparison Shop Airports:
Another way you could save is by flying to a different airport. You’ll have to travel further by car to get to your destination, but if you can save enough money on your flight, it will be well worth the trouble. Just plan to land a little earlier than you would have at the closest airport, and you’ll still get to spend plenty of time with the family

Online Booking Agencies:
If you’re planning your trip just a week or two in advance, you could find a great deal through an online booking engine such as Lastminute.com. They help airlines book seats that would otherwise be empty, so they usually come at a significant discount. The biggest drawback is that you can’t be certain that you will be able to get a flight to where you want to go, but if you’re flexible there’s usually some way that you can make it to your destination.

Consider Fees When Calculating the Best Deal:
The cost of the ticket itself can vary significantly, but it’s also important to consider fees. There are usually more fees charged when you buy through a third party than when you purchase your ticket directly from the airline. So make sure to read the fine print before completing a transaction online or through a travel agent. You’ll also have to pay an additional fee if you check a second bag in most cases, and that fee can be rather hefty.

Air travel during the holidays has a reputation for being expensive, unless you know a few savvy shopping tricks.  Keep these pointers in mind, and you could get a flight at a fraction of its normal cost!

After you choose the dvds you want to send in, you print a postage-paid label. Then, you package up the dvds (which are not damaged, have the case and artwork intact) and send them off.

In a few days (up to a couple weeks) you’ll receive an Amazon gift certificate to spend on whatever you wish! (Like some new dvds!) The amount is deposited directly into your Amazon account.

Plus, right now if you trade in $50 worth of dvds at the Trade In Area, you’ll receive a bonus $10 that you can put towards a future blu-ray purchase.

It’s easy to search for the dvds you own, and it’s easy to see how much Amazon thinks they’re worth. If you have a stack of dvds hanging around, this is a great way to get some extra spending money for the holidays.

I traded in some children’s dvds, and had no hassles.  In fact, it was so easy, I’m thinking of having my husband go through the cabinet and see what else we can trade in!

Loyalty cards help businesses track what people buy, which helps them create specials, discounts, and make merchandising decisions. It also allows them to provide specific discounts and specials to loyal customers.

I have quite a few loyalty cards, and I use them because they are money-makers for my budget. This weekend, I earned a free lunch. Last week, I received a $10 reward from Office Max for past purchases. I also have loyalty cards for Pet Smart, Lakeshore Learning, Best Buy, Staples and all the local grocery stores. Fry’s Grocery Stores (part of Kroger) sends me customized coupons once a month or so based on my past purchases.

You can register for most loyalty cards online, or take an extra few minutes while checking out to sign up. As long as you remember to use them when you checkout, the savings add up over a year!

When I venture outside Amazon, I never complete a checkout without searching for online promotional codes or coupon codes. While I don’t always find one, more than half the time I do find a code that will help me save money – whether directly off an order or through free shipping. And I’m all about saving money!

I’ve recently come across the site Coupon Chief and couldn’t believe how many coupons they had in their database. Over 8,000 stores have over 40,000 coupon codes listed on their site.  This means that the chance that a coupon code exists for whatever trinket you’re buying is pretty good.

Their main page lists both the most popular coupons and the newest coupons. Their search is easy to use, and I like how it shows related stores when you are looking at the coupons for a specific store.

Don’t shop without coupons — whether at your local grocery store or online! There is almost always a code out there if you look.

You know you’d like to get him something nice, but maybe an expensive gift isn’t in the budget. These six frugal ideas for a special father are sure to make the father in your family feel loved and appreciated.

1. Let the children make him a T-shirt with their hand prints on it.
This craft is quite easy and your children will love the opportunity to make a mess just for Dad! Purchase fabric paints in Dad’s favorite colors and a new 100% cotton T-shirt for each child to decorate. Put the fabric paint on a disposable plate and then have the children place their hands on the shirt. Follow washing instructions after the paint has dried. You may want to have the children sign and date the shirt so Dad can see how much the children have grown.

2. Support Dad’s dreams by opening up a “dream fund” for him.
You don’t have to fill the entire fund up immediately, but you can add a little here and there every year to help him make his dream item a reality. Maybe you could save change in a decorative coin bank or contribute as little as $5.00 a month. Before long there will be a good sized amount in the account and he’ll be well on his way to getting that dream tool or new big screen TV.

3. Purchase a small ad in your local newspaper.
Many newspapers will run special advertisements for major holidays, and that would include Father’s Day. Run your own ad to let Dad know how much he means to you and how much you love him. Just remember to put his name on the ad & purchase that day’s paper (just in case he doesn’t get his own that day) or someone else’s dad might think the ad is for them!

4. Give Dad a gift card specifically for his next gas robbery fill up.
Gasoline prices change every day – and generally not in the most beneficial way for your wallet. Not only is this gift practical, it will also let him keep that much money in his pocket for the week. He can either put the money that he saves into his dream fund or splurge and take Mom out to dinner one night!

5. Dress up Dad’s grillin’ habit & poke some fun!
If he’s like most men, he has an uncontrollable urge to grill. Get him an awesome barbeque apron to celebrate his manliness. You could even get a solid color apron and decorate it yourself with those wonderful fabric paints the kids used on his shirts to write “Kiss the Cook” or “Never Trust a Skinny Cook.” Throw in some cool grilling toys just for fun!

6. Plan an outing for the entire family to enjoy on Father’s Day.
This might be something as simple as a picnic in the park to something more elaborate like an entire day of fishing or hiking with him. Whatever his favorite activity is – sports, tinkering, card games, or just watching TV – do that activity with him. He’ll appreciate it more than you contributing to his cheesy tie collection!

I hope these six frugal ideas for Father’s Day have helped inspire some creative ideas of your own. Remember, as long as you let Dad know you love him, he’s sure to be happy.

One of the ways we save is by watching for “oops!” paint at the local home improvement stores. There are usually 5 – 15 gallons of paint near the paint mixing area that are marked down at least 50%.  This paint either wasn’t picked up by a customer after the color was mixed in, or the customer changed their mind before purchase.

It’s a gamble, but if you’re patient — you can usually find colors pretty close to what you’re looking for.  In the last few years, we’ve purchased paint to re-paint both boys’ bedrooms, our bedroom, our kitchen and even the outside of our house!  Two weeks ago, my husband noticed 2 gallons of a color that were similar to what we wanted for the back room so he picked them up.

He mixed them with a gallon of white to lighten up the color, and our back room is now half-painted — at half the cost!   Our patio no longer looks like a patio, but just another room in our home.

If you’re not too picky, and you have a little time before you begin painting, check out the oops! paint in your local home improvement store.  If you find a gallon that looks great, but you need more than a gallon – they can usually match the paint for you. You’ll pay full price for the 2nd gallon, but you’ll still have saved money.

This coupon  has no minimum purchase, so you can purchase something for a couple dollars and receive one of their yummy lip balms free.

I love Bath & Body Works, but their prices are a bit high usually for my budget. I love watching for their sales & coupons though!

Growing up in a small town, my family had to drive an hour (one way) to do any decent shopping.  What do I mean by “decent shopping”?  Well, it was more cost effective for us to make that hour drive and get at least a couple of weeks’ groceries and household items.  Sounds crazy, but true.  If my mom purchased the same items locally, it would have cost an arm and a leg.  Anyhow, since I’ve moved to that very same town, I have found that I still shop as if I lived an hour away from good prices!  In, fact, I have gotten worse.  I now purchase about 2 months worth of groceries and household items in one big trip.  I do still have to get milk, eggs, you know, things that don’t freeze.

I did try going once a week, but I found that was a little inconvenient for me.  Truth be known, it probably was not very economic either.  It’s hard not to get extras that are not on your list when you just got off work, ran by the daycare, starving and trying to hurry home to cook supper for that night!  So, I went back to my old ways.  I stock up and spend my time in other areas of my life…but still don’t seem to have enough of that (TIME) for some reason!

I look forward to sharing my experiences with other small and large town girls.  I have always been good at learning from and with others.