Free movie rental from redbox
I always thought it was weird when I’d see people at those redbox movie rental kiosks in front of Walgreens or McDonalds. For whatever reason, picking a movie from a vending machine-like contraption seemed odd. Maybe I’d just been conditioned by Blockbuster to think renting a movie had to involve walking down endless aisles and ogling check-out displays filled with candy and popcorn.
But after my first redbox rental experience, I can honestly say I won’t ever miss the brick-and-mortar rental store again (okay, maybe I’ll miss the candy and popcorn).
I decided to try out redbox when I found a free rental coupon code on Monday via another blog I read. The entire experience was super-easy and although I ended up hating the movie and feeling like I’d wasted two hours of my life, that didn’t dampen my newfound affection for redbox.
[For the curious, the movie was Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway. I should have known when it was nominated for an Oscar that it would be one of those artsy movies not typically enjoyed by the general public.]
Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things about redbox:
1) It’s convenient – there are more than 12,000 redbox locations, including one literally right down the street at my local Walgreens.
2) It’s easy – I was able to search online for available inventory at my selected redbox location so the rental process literally took less than 2 minutes. You can even reserve titles online.
3) It’s current – Most of the movies have just been released so unlike some discount movie rental companies, you’re not limited to the “unwanted” movies that have been out for weeks.
4) It’s cheap – as mentioned above, my rental was free thanks to a coupon code, but even if you don’t have one of these the total cost is $1 per night – with generous terms that allow you to return the DVD by 9pm the next night. That said, there seem to be an inordinate amount of free coupon code days (for example, today’s is MMM325) so do a search online and you might get lucky.
5) They have a blog – gotta love a company that embraces social media. Also, this is where they’re rumored to post a free coupon code every Wednesday.
6) It makes random acts of kindness easy to do – After renting my free movie on Monday, I turned around and a woman was just walking up to rent her own movie. Don’t hate me redbox, but I handed her my Post-it note with the coupon code and made her day.
So why not try it out tonight for free? I promise you’ll never think those people are weird again…at least not related to their movie rental preferences.
Filed under Deals, Saving Ideas | Comment (0)All this for just $4.99?!?
Sometimes I manage to amaze myself when it comes to saving, and last week’s shopping extravaganza at Walgreens might just be my most impressive yet.
But before I tell you about the amazing deals I managed to score, I first want to apologize for being MIA this week. Work has been super busy and I finally flew back home this morning after traveling all over Texas. I’m actually headed to San Antonio this weekend so it’s not all over, but things seem to be winding down at least.
Okay, back to Walgreens. Last weekend, I practically devoured the newly launched EasySaver booklet and the deals in the Sunday newspaper. I’m weird, reading the circulars and coupons with a Starbucks caramel macchiato is my idea of an ideal Sunday morning.
I’ve been going to Walgreens now for about six months and I finally feel like I’ve got a handle on the EasySaver rebates and coupons, Register Rewards and Walgreens coupon and how everything can be combined for even more savings.
After reading the circulars and combing through my coupon files, here is what I was able to get for a grand total of $4.99:
Sunday:
-Bought 6 oz. Colgate Max White for $3.29 (received $3.50 in Register Rewards, which are basically like a gift certificate or credit that can be applied to a future purchase)
-Bought Memory Formula 45 Soft Gels for $19.99 (eligible for a $19.99 EasySaver rebate so FREE)
-Bought Walgreens Extra Strength Headache QuickGels for $2.99 (eligible for a $2.99 EasySaver rebate so FREE)
TOTAL SPENT: $26.27
EXPECTED REBATES: $22.98
Tuesday:
-Wal-Zyr 24-hr. Allergy Relief tablets for $3.99 (eligible for a $3.99 EasySaver rebate so FREE)
-Pantene shampoo for $2.99 (on sale for $2.99 + coupon for $1 off two Pantene products + $3 EasySaver rebate on two Pantene products)
-Pantene conditioner for $2.99 (plus rebates/coupons mentioned above)
-Vaseline Intensive Care cocoa butter lotion for $4.11 (25% off regular price of $5.49 + $1.25 coupon + $2 Register Rewards
TOTAL SPENT: $8.69 after subtracting the $3.50 Register Rewards
EXPECTED REBATE: $6.99
Wednesday:
-2 boxes of Barilla pasta for $2 (FREE after using the Register Rewards from the Vaseline Intensive Care)
TOTAL SPENT: $0
So to recap, I got 9 items for $4.99 after all the rebates. Dang, I’m good :-) And you can be this good too if you hurry since most of these deals are valid through Saturday, March 7…
Filed under Deals, Finances, Saving Ideas | Comment (0)Alternative income stream: sitting
Sorry to burst some bubbles out there, but sitting on your posterior is not an alternative income stream or the subject of this post (although if you’ve found a way to make money doing nothing, email me!).
By sitting, of course I mean jobs in babysitting, pet sitting and house sitting, which are a few of the ways I’m looking at making additional income for my trip to Africa in 2010.
I’ll admit, at first I had a mental block about babysitting because I did this as a teenager and I always felt giving up a Friday or Saturday night with my friends wasn’t worth the $6 an hour that was the going rate back then.
These days, though, the pay is much closer to $10 per hour for one child, and since my Saturday nights generally consist of sitting at home watching movies or writing blog entries anyway -I told you I was more Charlotte than Carrie in my FAQ, so don’t act all surprised – I figure I might as well get paid for it. After the kid goes to sleep, of course!
I also really love spending time with children now whereas back in my teens, I would take good care of them but they were always simply a means to make money for my next trip to the mall.
Prep Work
Before you go out there haphazard and try to hug on lots of kids (people get arrested for that these days), get prepared by doing the following:
1. Figure your worth – Do a little research online or ask friends with kids what the going rate is for babysitting these days. If the last time you babysat you wore a side ponytail and scrunch socks, chances are prices have gone up. Also, realize parents put a premium on certifications such as CPR or first aid so if you want o increase your worth, consider looking into such classes at the local community center.
2. Ink an introduction – At first and until you build up return customers, most of your contact will be through email and the Internet. Write a generic paragraph or two that explains your qualifications and interest in babysitting so that all you have to do is personalize the first sentence before cutting and pasting the rest into an email.
3. Round-up references – We’re talking about people’s kids (and pets and houses) here, so most parents will ask for references before they readily hand over Junior or Spot. Ideally, these are other babysitting or pet-sitting contacts, but as an alternative you can list people who can vouch for your character and your love for kids/dogs (um, and houses too I guess).
Be sure to ask references for permission first and to alert them that they might be contacted. “I’m sorry, who are you calling about?” is not the answer someone want to hear when they call for a reference.
Finding Jobs
Once you’ve put together the above information, you’re ready to go out and look for jobs. Some of the best resources I’ve found so far:
Sittercity makes it easy for parents to post jobs and babysitters to apply with a quick email. The site allows you to apply for a background check ($9.99), which significantly ups your response potential and will likely be more than paid for after your first job.
In my first month, I made about $150 babysitting twice for a family that found me through this website…of course now I’m going through a dry spell but I’m hopeful things will pick up with Valentine’s Day around the corner.
Of note, Sittercity also has sites where you can search for house-sitting and pet-sitting jobs although these seem to be posted less frequently.
Craigslist is another great resource for listings of babysitting, house-sitting and pet-sitting gigs. If you’re feeling especially proactive, you can post a listing yourself, touting your qualifications and mentioning that you’re available for these types of jobs.
Something else I did that resulted in some success was to send out an email to neighbors in the area via our home owners association’s Yahoo email group. One of the benefits is you already have a head up over other sitters in the city since you’re living in the neighborhood and presumed to be normal.
Also, many HOA’s have a newsletter that sometimes has free or low-cost advertising space for members to advertise their services.
Lastly, consider some good old-fashioned advertising. You don’t have to be a graphic designer to effectively advertise. A simple sheet of paper in a bright color (although still light enough to read) with your qualifications and other pertinent information at the top and tear off pieces with your name and phone number on the bottom should suffice.
After you’ve designed your piece, print up 10-15 copies and hang them at local coffee shops, ice cream stores, pizza parlors, doctor’s offices and any other places with a community bulletin board and a large clientele of families.
With Sittercity, Craiglist, advertising and any avenue that’s not from a trusted source, always remember to be cautious. Tell someone the address where you’re going and if possible, Google their name and try to talk to the contact by phone beforehand to see if you get a creepy feeling. Extra money is great, but getting killed for it kinda cancels out the benefits if you know what I mean…
Follow-up
Once you’ve secured a few repeat jobs, consider asking your “clients” if they’ll act as a reference in the future. The best references are other people familiar with your services who live in the area, so having these at your fingertips will be a valuable resource for securing future work.
More free breakfast this week
Are you ready for the Breakfast Wars of 2009? Following on the heels of Denny’s free Grand Slam breakfast offer last week, Chick-fil-a is offering one free breakfast item each day this week between 6:30 and 10:30am at participating stores (excludes dining halls and schools).
Here’s what they’re giving away free at my local store, although it seems the free items vary by location:
Monday – Chicken Biscuit
Tuesday – Chick-n-Minis
Wednesday – Sausage Biscuit
Thursday – Chicken Biscuit
Friday – Chick-n-Minis
Saturday – Sausage Biscuit
I’m actually kind-of bummed because a few stores in other states are giving away Cinnamon Clusters, which look divine! Although not divine enough to make the trek to another state…
From what I can tell, Chick-fil-a locations in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Ohio are participating in some form or another. Apologies to the rest of the country world (can’t forget my Canadian/other international readers), but I’ll be sure to have an extra Chick-n-Mini for you. :-)
Even if you are located in these states, I’d recommend calling your local Chick-fil-a before you make the trip since items vary and it seems a limited number of stores are participating for the entire week.
Filed under Deals, Food/Wine, Saving Ideas | Comment (0)Saver in the City’s five for Friday
Apparently, we can’t do anything right. Just when the government needs us to spend, spend, spend, we do a 180 and become super savers. Your Money Relationship takes a look at our newfound frugality and whether now is the worst time for Americans to start to save.
If you’ve ever gotten a computer virus, you know there are few things worse (well, other than a real virus). After bringing his computer back from the brink, My Money Blog shares info about the best free anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
Usually being upside down is fun (think monkey bars on the playground). Not so much when it involves the mortgage on your house. Budgets are Sexy turns his unfortunate situation into a helpful how-to for figuring out the value of your home…if you dare.
The birds, the bees and now a new topic to broach with the kiddos: the Benjamins. MSN Money’s Melinda Fulmer tells you what kids need to know about money in an easy step-by-step guide divided by age.
Ever wondered what would happen if you tried to screw over the IRS? My Two Dollars clears up the consequences in “What would happen if I don’t pay my taxes?” Actually, I’m wondering what the California government would do if someone sent them an I.O.U. in lieu of state taxes…will someone please do this for me, just for kicks and giggles? Any takers?
Have a great weekend!
Filed under Economy, Finances, Investing, Saving Ideas | Comment (0)