Free Sample of Cinnabon Cream of Wheat

Head on over to the Cream of Wheat website and look for the button on the bottom right matching the screen shot above. Click it and the form will pop up to enter your information. This sample looks super yummy! I can't wait to try it.

While you're there, be sure to also snag the $1 off coupon!

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$10 Gas Card from BP

If you regularly stop at BP stations to fill your tank, they are currently doing a new promotion where after you fill up 5 times (8 gallons or more) they will send you a $10 BP Reward Card. Each time you fill up you will get a loyalty card with a scratch off number that you enter online. When you enter 5 codes, you'll get the $10 card. Be sure to read all the details on their website.

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Peace and Plenty Book Review

First of all, a big thanks to Anna over at Hachette Books for providing a wonderful title to review! Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity is a new book by New York Times Bestselling Author, Sarah Ban Breathnach.

This book takes you through Sarah's wonderful exploration of financial journey. It walks you through the ups and down of financial responsibility, understanding thrift, educating yourself, and starting over when necessary.

From the introduction, Sarah hits the nail on the head by astutely observing that "Peace and Plenty is about women and money. It's an emotionally volatile relationship for most of us. It's also the most complicated relationship we have -- and the one that controls our lives, because we let it." This brief passage sets the stage for the theme that runs through the rest of her work - understanding a woman's relationship with money and finding ways to improve that relationship and make it more healthy. Through a mix of advice from varied sources and her own personal anecdotes, Sarah has created an inspiring work that nearly every reader can identify with. Her work helps you to overcome the fear of financial uncertainty by adjusting your mindset and maintaining control over your spending and emotions by focusing on what you have and how to make the best of it. 

The optimism of this book will resonate with you long after you've finished the last page. As Sarah so aptly notes in her introduction there is "the luxury of enough by counting our blessings as well as our cents and celebrating the feminine art form that [she calls] 'the thrill of thrift.' " I would highly recommend that any woman who is trying to live the frugal life, while struggling to make ends me, and keep a positive attitude all at the same time take a day to relax and absorb the wisdom imparted in Peace and Plenty and find yourself re-energized and ready to approach your finances with a positive outlook.


FTC Disclosure: This was not a paid post. I received a review copy of Peace and Plenty from Hachette Books for writing this review. All opinions on the book are 100% my own, honest opinions.
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Day 15: Save for College with Upromise

College is expensive. Tuition prices are rising every year making the cost of education a huge financial commitment -- trust me after 4 years of undergrad and 3 years of law school I should know! Starting to save for college early is so important. One of the easiest ways to start saving is to join Upromise. It is free to join and you designate a beneficiary of the money you save (it does not have to be your child, more than one person can be named and you can allocate the earnings, and it can be changed).

Upromise helps you save money for college by giving you a return on the things you already buy. This might be gas, eating out, specially marked products, online shopping, etc. They keep track of your earnings by having you register your loyalty cards and credit cards so that when you buy participating products or shop at participating locations, they can credit your account accordingly. They even offer coupons that will add value to your Upromise account when redeemed at the store for products you would have to buy anyway.

You can also invite your friends and family to help you save. You send them an invitation and they register through the link and set up their account with their respective information. The earnings will then be pooled and distributed among the beneficiaries as you've indicated. You can also invest the money in a college savings program.

These earnings probably won't pay for the cost of tuition, but they might pay for books and maybe a little more depending on how early you start and how much you take advantage of the program. I started the account for my cousins about a year ago, and we have almost $200 just from things we already buy without using any of the extra coupons or their online links. Now, just think if you add in your family members and friends who go through the Upromise links for their Christmas and birthday shopping and update their store cards. You could get a significant return without spending an extra cent!

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$20 to Shutterfly when you Sign up for OurWeddingDay.com

Right now, all new registrants at OurWeddingDay.com get a $20 credit to use a Shutterfly. Shutterfly is a fantastic and affordable source for save the dates, announcements, thank you cards, and albums! We made our wedding announcements and our wedding albums through Shutterfly and everyone loved them. They even have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you don't like a product your receive for ANY reason, they will replace it or re-credit your account so you can make it again!

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National Eversave Deals

	Today's Save: Personalized Wine Gifts Today's Save:$25 for $50 worth of custom wine gifts and accessories from PersonalizedWineGifts.com Expires 11:59 PM - Jan 17, 2011
	Bonus Save: Ice-Qube Last Chance:$28.50 for $50 worth of emergency-preparedness products from Ice-Qube.com (free shipping is included) Expires 11:59 PM - Jan 14, 2011
	Bonus Save: Harvard Sweet Boutique Today's Save: $15 for $30 worth of delectable desserts from HarvardSweetBoutique.com Expires 11:59 PM - Jan 15, 2011

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Free Celebrity Fit Club Fit Club Boot Camp Workout on Amazon

Right now on Amazon on Demand you can download the Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp Workout - 30 minute Rock Workout for free! Underneath the viewer window and above the episode list you should see a button that says to Buy the Series for $0.00. Just click that and enjoy!

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Day 14: Indulge a Little

Being frugal can be exhausting! It is a lot of hard work and sometimes requires giving things up or making sacrifices. So in your quest for the frugal life, be sure to indulge yourself every once in a while. Maybe you treat yourself to a mani/pedi after completing a big project or work or go out for a nice date night with the hubby or maybe you invest a few wardrobe staples.If you are really strapped on money, maybe you indulge yourself by buying the more expensive chocolate bar or get your favorite latte guilt free! This is perfectly acceptable! I would even say it's necessary. It prevents you from feeling deprived and burnt out and it actually feels like a treat!

So how do you indulge?


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Day 13: Set Goals

Being frugal on its own is great -- you save money, get free stuff, and get the high from knowing you found a great deal. But after a while trying to budget, coupon, and penny pinch can get a little overwhelming or sometimes even discouraging.

When you're transitioning to the frugal life, one of the best things you can do is set goals for yourself. Maybe there is a GORGEOUS pair of shoes that are well worth the hefty price tag you want to save for or maybe your goal is to save $10 a week on lunches or $50 off your grocery budget.

Setting simple goals like these will help keep you motivated and on track with your money saving efforts. It will be so fulfilling when you reach those goals and then you can set the next ones. This gives you something to constantly be working toward and it gives you an awesome benefit in the end.

My first goal was to cut $100 off our monthly grocery budget, which I have successfully been able to do for the last two months. Now I am trying to save for an iPad. It's going to take a while, but boy do I want one!

What's your goal?

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Free Atkins Starter Kit

If you made a New Year's Resolution to diet or live healthier, then you might be interested in this FREE Atkins Starter Kit.  The Kit includes 3 Atkins Bars, a the Atkins Pocket Comprehensive Carb Counter and Acceptable Food Lists, Atkins Chef Recipes, Atkins Quick Start Guide, and a rebate coupon for $3 off the new Atkins book. When you sign up you also get free access to the Atkins online community.

I received mine in the mail today and it looks great! The contents are very informative and the bars actually taste good. Snag this one up!

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